UFO Info Week-End

The pain of failing to achieve that ultimate honour can last a lifetime

The pain of failing to achieve that ultimate honour can last a lifetime. I suppose you can console yourself that you were close to selection – but not if you didn’t even get halfway.If naming such a squad was a bad move, the timing was probably even worse. The middle of the Five Nations is not an ideal moment to distract players who have still got mountains to climb for their countries. In this context, you have to feel more sorry for Phil de Glanville than any other excluded player. It amounted to a humiliation for Phil and for the England coach, Jack Rowell, who gave him the captaincy of England this season.He’s not the only one whose absence astounded me. In this space two weeks ago, I named the Lions side I would choose on present form. Two of them, Tony Underwood and Colin Charvis, aren’t even in the 62.

My judgement may be questionable but I hope it’s not that bad. I also feel for Gareth Llewellyn, Jon Sleightholme and others who have been judged too soon.Fran Cotton, the Lions manager, has been quick to reassure everyone that players not chosen among the 62 can still play their way into the squad. If that’s the case, why pick a preliminary squad at all?In just a few more weeks we will know a lot more about Phil de Glanville and other worthy contenders. So far, Phil has led England to big victories over Scotland and Ireland. I hope my Irish and Scottish friends will forgive me when I say that the hardest tests are still to come – against France at Twickenham on Saturday and against Wales at Cardiff two weeks later.Whatever you think of Phil as a centre, you cannot make a final decision on his suitability until you see how he answers those questions.

I happen to think my good friends Scott Gibbs and Allan Bateman have a huge claim on the Lions centre spots but I would not deny de Glanville’s right to a tilt at them. And if he does well against them under the pressures of the National Stadium, it’ll be brave men who leave him out of the Lions.Phil revealed last week that he and Fran are a lot short of being buddies I hope that doesn’t have a bearing on it. I don’t know Fran very well but I’m sure he wants to beat the South Africans far more than he wants to upset one of his countrymen.Fran hasn’t shown himself to be a big fan of mine, either. When I rejoined union in November 1995 he was quoted as saying: “It is sad that a great rugby nation like Wales should think a 33-year-old former rugby league player their messiah.”Sixteen months later, my messiah claims seem even less appealing.

Yet, I look at the outside-half list and I don’t see anyone I would regard my superior on this season’s form. Arwel Thomas is the only outside-half who has lasted three games in the Five Nations this season, and he hasn’t been picked either.My advice to him and to Phil and all the others feeling angry and aggrieved this weekend is to join me in saying a quiet “Up Yours” and to do the only thing a proud man can do in the circumstances – go out, show ‘em what you’ve got and defy them not to pick you.. Three months ago he was all but untried, untested and unknown. Now, France are trusting that Christophe Lamaison can bring the house down at Twickenham next Saturday. Two caps into an international career which threatened never to start, Lamaison has already paraded a series of scintillating passing and running skills. He is fully aware of France’s recent history at Twickenham and utterly undaunted by it.
“It will be difficult, of course There are no easy games against England,” he said.