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The Rugby Paper Blog: Tait's speed can spur England

Tuesday, September 22nd 2009

Rugby Paper columnist Jeremy Guscott is a firm supporter of Matthew Tait. He believes the Sale man has the ability and especially the speed to be playing outside centre for England on a regular basis. But now Tait has to live up to that billing.

England sent Saxons boss Stuart Lancaster to cast the eye over Tait during their defeat by Bath last weekend and although the fair-haired speedster did his work in defence – apart from one missed tackle that saw Matt Banahan go in for Bath’s second try – he was given little chance to sparkle in attack.

He needs Sale’s forwards to get on the front foot this weekend at Worcester and gain the platform for him to really show his exciting talent on the break otherwise he will certainly lose ground in the bid for an England place to Quins’ Jordan Turner-Hall (injury allowing) and Northampton’s centre, Jon Clarke, who is now showing strong form outside Shane Geraghty in a Saints team which are The Rugby Paper’s outside tip for the title.

Tait can ony be helped by the presence of Jason Robinson at Sale. The former England wing and full-back is small in stature, like Tait, yet he was able to terrorise the world’s greatest defences.

Talking of centres, it will be a crying shame if Gavin Henson has truly been lost to the game. It was Henson, of course, who gobbled up Tait when the then Newcastle prodigy, just 18, made his England debut in Cardiff and was subsequently binned.

But now Ospreys and Wales star Henson has seemingly binned himself after a barrage of injuries and a drop in motivation since his marriage to Charlotte Church.

Henson can invoke strong feelings with his lacquered hair, defoliated body and earrings. But those who know him well speak of a quiet, dedicated lad who shuns the limelight and disappears into the corner of the dressing room.

There is no doubt, whatever, his image, that Henson has true quality on the pitch. His bazooka boot is remniscent of Naas Botha and his strength made him a potent weapon as Wales won the Grand Slam for the second time in four seasons in 2008.
Henson was also named man of the match in the EDF cup semi final on 22 March 2008 when the Ospreys beat Saracens 30-3.We need his type of player on the world stage.

Tait has had his magic moments, too. Like his run early in the second half in the 2007 World Cup final against South Africa when he collected a wayward pass just inside the Springboks' half, shimmied left, hit the accelerator, wrong-footed the last defender and was eventually hauled down by Victor Matfield inches from the line.
It was England’s highlight of the match and very nearly brought them a second successive World Cup.

Had he scored there seems little doubt that Tait would be a fixture for England. As it is, we still await the full blossoming of his rare talent. Let’s hope it happens soon.

Samuel Jack

This article was written for Sale Sharks on behalf of The Rugby Paper.