The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 20

THE GUARDIAN Monday March 18 1991 20 SPORTS NEWS England 21, France 19 at Twickenham Robert Armstrong Line to line in 1 7 seconds INGLAND moved be yond the pale of cnti- cism for the mo-ment and into the lannals of history by winning the Grand Slam with a ruthlessly methodical victory over France at rainswept Twickenham. At a stroke Will Carting's men not only banished the bitter disappointment of previous championships but blasted out a warning that they are ready to take on all comers in the world Cup next autumn. No England side surely have pursued the Holy Grail of a Slam with such ambition, and almost certainly no English pack has swept aside the oppo sition with such a potent sense. of collective rigour. Despite scoring three tries to one the French rightly insisted that England were worthy champi ons only because tneir tor- wards exerted awesome pres sure throughout 83 minutes.

If England supplied the consistent power that wins matches, France displayed the breathtaking audacity, the sheer brio that prompts spectators to leap out of their seats in acclamation. While this absorbing contest was not quite a classic, France's skilful backs reminded us time and again that no coaching strategy can legislate for moments of outrageous genius. The immediate question raised by England's hard-won success is whether they have the resources to establish a lengthy period of ascendancy such as France have achieved in Europe, and New Zealand across the world. Carting's side may indeed go far in the World Cup, but it remains to be seen to what extent the structure and depth of the English game will stand up to the international demands of the 1990s. The going can only get harder.

Certainly England's recent disturbing defeats by both Ireland and France at level indicate that props, locks, halfbacks and wings of true international calibre are not falling out of the trees. Ironically England have developed a highly responsive management and coaching set-up tailored to produce consistent success but they must find the raw material to make the system work. For the moment Geoff Cooke, the manager, can contemplate England's forthcoming summer tour of Australia and Fiji with solid confidence, even a hint of arrogance, after winning six successive matches within the past six months. During that period the England squad have done well to keep their minds focused squarely on rugby in face of the turmoil and confusion created by the revised amateur regulations a matter due to be discussed by the International Board this week. The pressures on Car ling, on 17.25 seconds, four more than the previous collective marvel of the age, for the Barbarians at Cardiff on January 27, 1973, when the rinnHng Bennett dared and set in train that breathtaking passage down another touch-line.

For Dawes's phoney dummy then, read Sella's phoney scissors here; for Quinnell's genius slip-catch from David then, here was Camberabero's chip-and-catch. But that Barbarians epic was done with licence to cavort If daring failed, no matter. Saturday's audacious try was inspired by all the vivid intensity of the grandeur of the Slam. Memories of another inspired collective score, touched by angels, came to mind when the cockles calmed themselves: in 1980, high on the veldt of Northern Transvaal in May, the Lions were losing 16-19 with minutes to go. With defiant courage Quinnell (again), Patterson, Richards, Renwick, Woodward, Hay and nine others poured themselves in desperate tides at the opposition line through five rucks, 33 pairs of hands and a minute and three-quarters of optimism until Slemen plunged in the killing thrust under the posts.

But that was no Grand Slammer and those who were there that day agreed this weekend that the palm was now for France the grandest of the grand. As the Barbarians' score in 1973 will always be "Bennett's so will Saturday's be "Blanco's What a way to go. Two hours after he had showered, and easily into his tenth cork-tipped cigarette, he was shruggingly explaining the sweet 17 seconds. He was in his je-ne-parle-pas-Anglais mood but the translation is roughly this: "The try? It is communion. The team is a sacrament No one man scores a try, the whole team scores it.

The communion made this try, because all of us opened our minds to score it No one man has the vision, the whole team has the vision, fifteen as one man." Had he seen the English momentarily drop their guard? "Non. est instan-tane, il est spontane, instinc-tif. C'est le rugby. Finis." His dark eyes glistened. He smiled and lit another cigarette from the glowing stub of the previous one.

Along the corridor the heroic, relieved English were rightly celebrating. All they had wanted was to win something tangible, they had insisted, and dedicated their victory to their grandchildren. "Is it true, grandpa, that you were in the Grand Frank Keating on the score that will ever be known as Blanco's try FOUR momentous tries gilded Saturday's climax, with the first possibly the most opulent since old men with memories were themselves at their grandfather's knee. That takes in all the rich history of the Five Nations Championship. The very context sharpened the grandeur of its daring, dotty conception and the nerveless joy of its execution.

For the challenge, in hold relief, matched England's substance, nous and penalty power against France's airy elan, spontaneity and dextrous tricks and treats. At once the two philosophies collided. England missed a long penalty and all eyes and senses, certainly those of the England XV for a moment, relaxed and prepared for a 22 drop-out Suddenly all hell broke loose or, rather, the incomparable Blanco, dusky warrior-captain of France, did. "Moi, moi," he shouted to Saint-Andre. Blanco has always put his trust in gods who favour the foolhardy.

He was now across his line but still only ten yards into England's territory. In a trice the ball was with Lafond outside him and the wing's left hip took out Andrew, first to spot the danger, and an instantaneous finger-tip pass allowed Sella, at speed, to round his own despairing white marker. Sella was over the 22 and momentarily clear as England regrouped and franti cally funnelled back. The stalwart Probyn had tanked across to confront him on the 10-metre line. Sella feinted to knife inside him, so stopping the prop in his tracks, and, as he did so, he turned in a dummy-scissors loop and fed on the outside again the delicate Camberabero.

The pit-a-pat fly-half could now snipe across the halfway mark. Then, with dainty exactness, he slippered the ball over the head of the retreating Hodgkinson, caught it in full-pelt stride and was now up to England's 22-metre flag. Though England's bold general Carling had remark ably made it across the field he could only fling himself at Camberabero a split-second after the Frenchman had dapped the most perfect cross-kick to within five metres of the posts. This took out the corner- flagging Hill and left Saint-Andre to compose himself, collect and triumphantly launch himself at the line as Guscott's all-in, last-gasp dive lassoed bis ankles. The palpitating thing was done.

From line to line it took PHOTOGRAPH: FRANK BARON Moore and Teague (left to right) look on protectingly as Hill gets the ball away unhampered acts of indiscipline in ruck and maul which accounted for Hodgkinson's haul of four penalty goals. Andrew also weighed in with an early dropped goal that levelled the scores at 6-6. In effect England took the match beyond France's reach late in the first half, scoring nine points in a four-minute period that exposed the game's superficial veneer of parity. From a maul in front of the posts Hill swept the ball through three pairs of hands to the eager Underwood, who left Lafond for dead and scored in the left corner. Hodgkinson, who gave the scoring pass, kicked a magnificent conversion and then landed a penalty goal from the right touchline to put his side 18-9 in front.

One could only admire France's tenacity, in addition to their flair, in outscoring England 10-3 after the break de- Scotland 28, Ireland 25 at Murrayfield (Ireland are left to rue ttfoe goalkicker kicking designed to fray the nerves of France's wings and their full-back Serge Blanco. Blanco it was who marked his last championship match by initiating the most daring try many old hands could recall ever having seen in the competition. Not even Gareth Edwards's legendary score for the Barbarians against the All Blacks in 1973 had the breathtaking quality that enabled Saint-Andre to touch down between the posts after Lafond, Sella and Camberabero had brilliantly outmanoeuvred the English defence in an 80-yard sortie down the right flank. As it happened Blanco's creative influence waned perceptively as the afternoon wore on and rain made conditions more treacherous though the French captain did muster sufficient pace and vision to inspire another unnerving try by Mesnel in the last minute of Smith's door. In a vividly entertaining and spectacular match he primed his attack brilliantly, and had his attempt to drop a goal with the last kick been a yard to the right a memorable contest would nave rded Sn the highest-scoring draw ever seen in an international.

Even that, though, would have been less than the Irish deserved, for here was a side with vision, imagination, pace and finish; a team of selfless talents and boundless ambitions. That at the end of the day they had so little to show for it all was nothing short of a tragedy. Scotland, to their credit, acknowledged their luck though there was nothing in their record ninth consecutive home win to suggest that, when the two clash once again in the World Cup on October 12, things will be any easier. Ireland may have been disap- FINAL TABLE Skating 1 FA PIS England 4 4 0 0 83 44 8 Franc 4 3 0 1 91 46 0 Scotland 4 2 0 2 81 73 4 Ireland 4 0 1 3 68 86 1 Wain 4 0 1 3 42 114 1 Schweppes Cup quarter-final The wall game Richards, and off the field, have been without precedent, but the Eng land captain, soil only 25, has acquired a mantle of practical wisdom that comes only from tough and at times painful experience. Equally pleasingly, Simon Hodgkinson who unaccountably missed two penal ties in front of the posts on Saturday has enhanced his reputation as one of the world's leading EoalMckers.

overhaul ing Jean-Patrick Lescarboura's 54 points and creating a championship record of 60. England's impressive esprit de corps has created a positive context within which other talented personalities have flourished. Rory Underwood demonstrated that he is probably the greatest finisher in the modern game with his 27th try in a re cord-equalling 43 matches for his country. Rob Andrew gave further evidence that he has few rivals in the art of tactical that, knowing the existing scoring system, they took a gamble and lost. By adopting a free-flowing style that was geared not only the creation of try-scoring opportunities but offered their opponents greater freedom, too, the Irish in omitting a specialist goalkicker apparently reasoned that they could win, if necessary, on tries alone.

They were wrong. Despite claiming four to Wales's two at Cardiff they merely drew, while their four to Scotland's three on Saturday were not even enough avoid defeat. Yet both matches could have been won indeed should have been won on penalty kicks. While Chalmers and Gavin Hastings landed four from four for the Scots, Brian Smith failed with both of those he attempted (neither being very difficult) for the Irish. And what made those misses worse was that both came during a period Irish ascendancy which took them from 0-6 to 15-9.

It would be wrong, though, to lay blame for Ireland's loss at Tulip final can't take anyone for granted," said Jones, the world No. 35. "In two or three years' time the top 32 will look very different The older ones will struggle." Only one member of the world's top 10, Doug Mountjoy, reached the quarter-finals. The runaway No. 1, Stephen Hendry, was a 5-0 loser in the last 16 to Johnston-Allen, who 22 has a few years of improvement left in him even in a young man's game.

With 22,000 as runner-up and 2,000 for the highest break the televised phase of the competition, 92, made in the opening frame of the final, the stylish young Bristolian eclipsed the 7,300 he earned' last season in achieving 59th place in the world rankings. spite having virtually no good possession to work with. They were unfortunate that Camber abero missed a series of penal ties, just one of which would have clinched victory. Ei land's relief at the final whistle was like the dead weight of a decade suddenly lifting. IM Underwood.

Con- noagKinson. rowamasi noaamn- son 4. Drop ssab Andrew. Franoet Tries) Saint-Andre, Camberabero. Mesnel.

Conversions! Camberabero 2. Penalty! camberabero. NOUkNDi HodgMnaow (Nottingham); IWHP (urreil), vr earwig (nariequing, cant). Oueoott (Bath). Underwood (Leicester); Andrew (Wasps).

HM (Bath); Leonard (Harlequins), a Moor (Harlequins), Probyn (Wasps). Doom (Preston Grasshoppers), Aekford (Harlequins), TaagiM (Gloucester), IMohawla (Leicester), wmaraonom (nanequinsj. FRANCCi Manoo (Biarritz, capt); J-S Lafond (Racing). SaHa (Agen). Meanol (Racing), Saint-Andre (Montferrand); Camberabero (Beziers), Barblzler (Agen); a inctxy (Agen), warocco (Montferrand), Ondarta (Biarritz).

TacMpan (Racing; caoHon, oourgoin, 54min). Houmai (Uax), mono (racing), A Benaxzl (Agen), Cabannes (Racing). Referees Poard (Wales). Mullin new record Chinese puzzle they are to remain the sport's leading power. Had not Tian Bingyi and Li Yongbo surprisingly snatched the men's doubles away from the title-holders Park Joo Bong and Kim Moon Soo, the Chinese would have won nothing.

They must hope that Zhao Jianhua will further improve his fitness after illness and that Wu Wenkai will not again be as unlucky as he was when missing match points against Wir-anata in the other semi-final. Wiranata beat Malaysia's No. 1 Foo Kok Keong 15-12, 15-10 in an entertaining men's final, and Susanti avenged her defeat in the World Cup final by beating her compatriot Sarwen-dah Kusumawardhani 0-11, 11-2, 11-6. normal time. A smooth shimmy, a crisp pass to his old confrere Sella, and suddenly Mesnel was ghosting past Hill on the left flank to score at the flag.

Midway through the second half Camberabero who proved he is a great deal more than a kicking fly-half had revived French hopes with a cleverly timed chip-and-chase that caught both Carling and Richards on the hop in the right corner, pulling the score back to 18-13. England had failed to get a single point on the board since before the break, and it was starting to look as though France's magical counterattacks might yet prevail. However, France's fatal inability to force set pieces inside the England 22 condemned their play-makers to the task of making bricks with virtually no straw. In contrast England regularly hammered France into lack of a pointed with their results but, as Rob Saunders, their young captain, said: "We are not deterred. It's coming.

Every game we are getting better." It was the swiftness of Saunders's pass and the quality of the line-out ball supplied by Francis particularly that kept Smith clear of Jeffrey's clutches all afternoon and enabled him to launch raids from all parts of the pitch. Geoghegan, Crossan, Mullin whose try set an Irish record and Staples all made exhilarating contributions, while the support play of Robinson, Matthews and Francis was both constant and highly effective. Chalmers never had the same influence on his back line as Smith, though, and in the end the Scots were indebted to the timely interventions and sheer power of Gavin Hastings, who took his total of points for Scotland past 300. Ireland's intentions were obvious from the start At the very first scrum they ran the ball, and that was the pattern all through. These methods brought three brilliantly con- respect her for that," Harding said.

The Japanese, looking to regain form after her jaw operation in February, suffered one bruising mishap after another last week and then fell on a triple axel in her free-skating section. All told, Ito's fourth place was a gutsy display, as was Joanne Conway's seventh. The Briton, coming back after a terrible ankle injury, kept her feet to record the best result by a British woman in years. On Saturday the European champion Sonya Bonaly, who finished fifth, executed the first quadruple jump by a woman in competition; and belly-flopped on landing. Slam finale way back in '91?" "Yes, my child, I was." "Tell me, grandpa, was Blanco's try as good as the history books say?" "Argghhhl" prevails a series of penalty attempts for Thorburn, who eventually found the mud and drizzle to his liking with four successful kicks.

The infringements had presumably been spotted by the referee Robert Yeman, yet he felt obliged to penalise so as not to overrule his junior officials. The need for consistency in the application of a touch-judge's observations should be addressed. The innovation is being undermined. The penalties were by no means the only cause of Cardiff's defeat at a ground where they have not won since 1982. In a game of much physical confrontation but little skill, they were duped into a tactical kicking battle in which they came off second best They realised far too late in the game that their only hope was to spread and test the Neath defences by running speculative kicks from defence.

This they achieved late in the second half when Mike Rayer, who had a superb positional game at full-back, cross-kicked wickedly into the in-goal area to find Greenslade ready to ground the ball. It was too late. The boot of Thorburn had eased Neath once again into the semi-finals. SCOWPttiMaathi Tnn Williams. Pai lalUeei Thorburn 4.

CaraWft Trleei Groenslade 2. Convsrsloni Rayer. Penartyi Rayer. Haathi Thorburn: Davles, Ball, Laity. A Edmunds; Bird, Bridges; Williams, Phillips (capt).

Davles, Glyn Llewellyn, Whltson, Morris, Gareth Llewellyn, A Varney. CanMh Rayer; Ford, Ring, Hall. A Oonovan; Evans (capt), A Booth; Griffiths, I Greenslade, Edwards. Crothers, Edwards, Lakin, I Hembrow (I McKIm, TOmln), Bennett. reman (laioacnj.

ceived tries from Crossan, Geoghegan and Mullin. Robinson also scored from a five-yard scrum while Tukalo was off the field. Tries by Stanger and Scott Hastings supplemented Chalmers's goalkicking to make it 28-25 with 10 minutes left, after which only desperate defence kept Ireland at bay. "There you are," sighed a Dubliner, "the luck of the Scottish." SCORmSi Seotlandi TrtMi Hastings, Stanger, Hastings. Convaralonai Chalmers 2.

PenaWesi Chalmers 3, Hastings. Ireland! Trleei Crossan, Robinson, Geogheoan, Mullin. Convaralonai Smith 3. Drop floab Smith. SCOTLAND! HaaHno (Watsonians); A Stanger (Hawick), Haattngs (Watsonians), Unean (Boroughmulr), I Tukato (Selkirk; Ooda, Gala, 40mln); Chalmara (Melrose), Armstrong (Jedforeat); Sola (Edinburgh Acads, capt), Mean (Edinburgh Acads), Burma (London Scottish), Gray (Nottingham), Cronfei (Bath), TumJx (Hawick), Whrta (London Scottish), Jeffrey (Kelso).

IRILANDi Stoptan (London Irish; Murphy, Constitution. 70): Oeoghegan (London Irish), Mullin (Blackrock), Curtla (London Irish). Croaaan (Instonlans): Smith (Leicester), Saunders (London Irish, capt); ntxgsraM (Young Munster), Smith (Ballymena), Fitzgerald (Lansdowne), Money (Greystones), Franola (Blackrock), Matthews (Wanderers). Roblnaon (Ballymena), Hamilton (NIFC). Refenei FlUgaiaW (Australia).

Badminton Indonesia solve Richard Jago success of Ardy Wiran- ata and Susi Susanti in pro viding Indonesia with its first singles champions in tne ao-year history of the Yonex All England championships on Saturday has put a different face on the game. Perhaps more important, however, was the fact that the Chinese were eclipsed at Wembley more completely than at any time since the early Eighties. Four years ago in Beijing the Chinese became the first to win all five titles in a world championship. Between April 24 and May 12 in Copenhagen they will need to improve substantially if David Irvine LIFE is not meant to be fair. Rugby, on the other hand, is a game and as many would argue should be.

At Murrayfield on Saturday, as England were completing their ninth Grand Slam, another defeat for the Irish left them just one point from a whitewash. Yet Ireland scored 10 championship tries during the season to England's five. Ireland's total, equalling their tally in 1948 their only Grand Slam year was their highest in any season since 1953, whereas England's was the lowest ever recorded by a Grand Slam-winning side, contrasting most markedly with the 20 scored by their 1914 predecessors. To those eagerly seeking fresh fuel for that endless debate over relative scoring values this could well be seen as manna from heaven and could bring renewed calls for another look at the try vis-a-vis the penalty goal. So far as Ireland are concerned, however, the fact is Snooker Jones flowers in Cltva Everton TONY JONES, finishing the fresher, turned a 5-7 deficit into a 9-7 victory over Mark Johnston-Allen in the final of the Tulip European Open in Rotterdam.

The crucial frame came at 6-7 when Jones, having led 30-0, was perilously near to falling two behind with three to play. Instead he cleared with 31 to win on the black for 7-7. Johnston-Allen, perhaps starting to feel the effects of his 2 am, semi-final victory over Cliff Thorburn, 6-4, potted only three balls in the remaining two frames Jones needed to secure the 35,000 first prize. "This tournament proves you to to of at of Neath 16, Cardiff 13 Thorburn atartwWMtanw WHETHER it was the strength-sapping mud or Neath's continual physical bombardment, the Schweppes Cup quarter-final was lost for Cardiff over the last 50 minutes. For half an hour they ex changed blows and won rucks and mauls with no hint of being intimidated by their recent poor record at The Gnoll or by the ferociously partisan crowd.

They were in the lead by 7-4 at half-time, having pressured Paul Thorburn into an emergency kick which Ian Green-slade clutched in the in-goal area for the first of his two tries. Yet not only was the wind going to favour Neath in the second half, there were also ominous signs that the toil of chasing in the mud had taken its toll of the visitors. The Cardiff coach Alan Phil lips, in conceding defeat, had something to say about neutral touch-judges. "The game is being emasculated by these officials, and the game is in danger of not being physical enough," said Phillips. The referee's attention was frequently drawn to incidents; this was just as well, since on occasions personal duels between Wales squad members threatened to upstage the contest proper.

Yet Phillips has a point Far too often this season touch- judges have failed in their res ponsibilities. But at The Gnoll the touch-judges operated with the efficiency of experienced railway guards. The result was US women gracious in triumph THE United States team were on their toes as the World Figure Skating Championships came to a climax in Munich, achieving the first clean sweep of medals by one country in the 85-year history of the women's event. But they were helped by the fact that most of the other skaters were unable to stay on their feet for long. The jubilant American trio of Kristi Yamaguchi (gold), Tonya Harding (silver) and Nancy Kerrigan (bronze) acknowledged that their domination owed much to the travails of the favourite, Midori Ito, the 1889 champion.

"None of us is writing her off for next year. She's a very tough competitor and we.