England began their autumn internationals with a patched-up squad following a seemingly endless stream of casualties heading to the treatment table. The strength and value of the England Saxons has subsequently been called into question, as the ‘reserves’, as they essentially are, are flooded with young and untested players.
Whilst the autumn internationals may arguably be the place to give some of the budding talent available a platform upon which to spring up to become a regular feature in Test squads, it appears that England have adopted an eternal long-term view in the constant hope of finding the next big thing in the sport, without focusing on honing and maintaining the quality that they have at their fingertips.
Irrespective of the outcome against Australia on Saturday, the strength in depth of England’s Rugby Union is arguably under question. Several weeks ago in Student Direct: Mancunion, the question was raised over brawn versus brain. It is one of those issues that refuses to go away in rugby.
SIDELINED…Experienced players such as Simon Shaw still have a lot to offer
The question remains relevant, none more so than when it is seemingly encouraged that young players develop physically before they are prepared mentally. Of course, in such an intense and physical game such as rugby, size will always matter to a large extent – even Shane Williams is deceptively strong – but players are thrown in at the deep end too soon nowadays in a desperate attempt to unearth that hidden gem of the sport.
Some players handle that pressure with aplomb, particularly in football with 16-year-old protégés such as Francesc Fabregas and Wayne Rooney, but this only serves to set a dangerous precedent for the rest of the youngsters out there. The sad fact is that, in football at least, if a player has yet to make it into the first-team from a Premier League youth academy by the age of 18 or 19, it is unlikely that he will ever be given a fair chance to impress. Soon that youngster who was looked upon so promisingly will be cast aside for a newer, younger model,
Experience, though, remains the key to successful sports teams. All too often, players are cast aside, viewed as beyond their prime. There will always be exceptions to the rule whereby sportsmen and women in all professions peak at a young age and fail to rediscover their form, such as Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen, but as a general rule of thumb, athletes should be given more time before being jettisoned for a perceived better model.
In the 2009 Lions Tour, a 35-year-old Simon Shaw was an inspirational figure, matched only by back Rob Kearney. Shaw, now 36, has waited many years for his chance to be truly trusted in such an influential position, but his years of experience added up on an exceptional personal tour.
Critics often like to say that Arsenal play beautiful football and will win competitions eventually despite such a young average age of their squad, pointing to previous successes under Arsene Wenger as proof for their return on investment in youth. In reality though, Arsenal peaked as a team in 2004, when their team was jammed full of, not young, budding talent, but experienced professionals who were a class above the rest. The youngest player in the starting line-up from the day the Gunners beat Leicester City 2-1 at Highbury to complete a season-long unbeaten run was 23-year old Kolo Toure who now captains Manchester City. Whilst exuberance and that invulnerability to fear that youngsters have is invaluable, experience cannot be overlooked. At the turn of 30, a sportsman is not necessarily beyond his prime. The next generation doesn’t necessarily have all the answers.
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