ABBOTT ELATED AT TWICKENHAM CALL UP

by

Unofficial England Reporter Barney Burnham

It was November 2001, when a young South African centre arrived in London to join a Wasps side who were struggling at the foot of the Zurich Premiership. He made his debut - as a replacement -against Newcastle Falcons at Loftus Road, in a game which Wasps supporters still look back on with agony.

With the home side leading by 4 points in injury time, an Alex King penalty missed touch. The Falcons counter-attacked through Pat Lam, and the inspirational Samoan sent Jamie Noon over for a match winning try. The conversion made the final score 33-30 and Wasps were anchored to the foot of the table.

Despite scoring tries in his next two appearances as substitute, it wasn't until the end of the season - when Lawrence Dallaglio's return from injury helped Wasps storm up into mid-table - that Abbott established himself as a first choice.

By now, the former Ireland coach Warren Gatland had succeeded Nigel Melville, who'd departed to Gloucester. Gatland was to play a vital role in Abbott's international call-up - but more of that later.

Although Wasps made an uneven start to the 2002/3 season, Abbott was firing on all cylinders. His silky skills were marking him out as a centre of genuine quality.

After Christmas, Wasps embarked on a run which took them to two trophies - The Parker Pen Challenge Cup, and the Zurich Premiership Trophy. Both finals - against Bath and Gloucester - had moments of true class from Abbott: most memorably in the first minute of the ZP Final, when he carved a hole in the Gloucester defence and sent Josh Lewsey over for a try from which the Cherry and Whites never recovered.

Abbott's name was now being touted as a potential England centre. Although he'd represented South Africa at Under-23 level, it hadn't been in recognised internationals and the fact that his mother was born in Manchester meant that he qualified to play for England.

It was towards the end of the season that Warren Gatland stepped in. He sent a video of the best of Abbott to Clive Woodward. Woodward was clearly impressed, as the Wasp was selected for the tour to New Zealand and Australia.

He played a sound, unspectacular game against the NZ Maori at New Plymouth - in conditions which weren't conducive to running rugby.

He wasn't one of the party released for the Churchill Cup, in Canada, and stayed with the squad for the two Tests. He wasn't needed for those two glorious wins, but his name was then on the list of 43 players called up for the World Cup training camp at Pennyhill Park.

He made a try-scoring debut in the 43-9 warmup win against Wales - a game in which Alex King pulled the strings, before suffering the injury which cruelly ruled him out of the World Cup squad.

Another confident performance in the 45-14 victory over France, at Twickenham, earned him his place for the World Cup, where he won three more caps.

It was after that triumphant campaign that he picked up the first of a series of injuries which have restricted his international appearances to just seven - a scant return for such a gifted player. In the money-spinning celebration match against the New Zealand Barbarians, he broke a bone in his foot. It ruled him out of the entire 2004 Six Nations, but he was back in time to play a key role in Wasps’ progress to European and domestic glory, scoring tries in both the Heineken Cup and Zurich Premiership finals.

Selection for the summer tour to Australia and New Zealand followed, but, in the second test against the All Blacks, he suffered a shoulder injury which kept him out for nearly six months. By January last year, he was nearly back to his best form, and an England and Lions place seemed to be there for the taking - until the Trip too Far, from Biarritz’s Serial Tripper, Serge Betsen.

After another lengthy layoff of over seven months, he was back in time for the start of the season. The Autumn Internationals came too early, as he was still rediscovering his best form. By Christmas, he was back on course for international selection. He was duly named in England’s 30-man squad, but then left out of the first four Six Nations clashes, as England amazingly tried to turn Mike Tindall into an inside centre. His international action was limited to a try-scoring appearance in the A game against Italy.

Now, after the debacle of Paris, and two tryless matches, Andy Robinson has finally seen the light and responded to the deafening cry for Abbott’s inclusion in a backline which has shown less cutting edge than a paper tissue.

Abbott has responded to his call up with typical modesty, playing down suggestions that he is ’the main man’, and paying tribute to Tindall, whose place he has taken. ‘Tinds is a great player, and they are big boots to fill.

'It is a great honour and I am really excited. It is somewhat disappointing to come in at this stage in the fact that we aren't challenging for a championship or Grand Slam.   'But it is an important Test match and we'll be looking to put the last two weeks behind us and do well this weekend.'

Abbott was informed about his inclusion on Monday night, after spending the day training with the 'A' side, and is aiming to make up for lost time on the international stage.

He added: 'I trained with the 'A' team on Monday and I was told to go to the senior team's hotel later that night.  'It has been a while since that game against New Zealand in 2004. So it is nice to be back after all the injuries and to get a chance to impress this weekend.'

In terms of pre-match instruction, he revealed that he has been told to play his own natural game, incorporating some side-stepping line breaks into England's attacking armoury.

He said: 'He (Andy Robinson) has basically told me to play my own game, to express myself and to enjoy the occasion. He has just basically told me to link up with the players around you and I'm really looking forward to the game.’

It won’t only be Wasps fans who welcome the long-overdue return of creativity to a back line which, under the guidance of Joe Lydon, has seen its potency dwindle to that of a eunuch.

But, there are nagging doubts - not about Abbott’s ability, but about whether the current England setup is one in which he can thrive. Since announcing the side for Saturday, Andy Robinson has talked up his creativity - but that creativity has been there for all to see, for much of this season. Why is it only now that the England coach has seen fit to recognise it? Is it just a sop to all those who’ve been crying out for change?

England cricket fans can recall many lost series, where a sacrificial lamb has been picked for the final Test, then never been seen again. Does the same fate await Abbott? The worry is that he’s been built up to such an extent that anything less than a dazzling performance will see him written off as a failure, with Robinson pulling up the drawbridge and reverting to the muscular approach favoured, so unsuccessfully, until now. Remember the way Robinson ended Henry Paul’s international career, when he pulled him off after less than half an hour of the Twickenham defeat against Australia, in 2004? Will he do the same to Abbott, if he fails to find early holes in the Irish defence? After all, Tindall is on the bench.

Will a portly fly half, known more for his siege-gun kicking than for his ability to set a backline on fire, have what it takes to enable Abbott to play at his best? Will exposure to England’s creativity-free environment have an adverse effect on Abbott’s club form? Worryingly, the informed talk is that, next season, that would be a concern for Harlequins, not Wasps - but that’s another matter.

Anyone who likes to see skill on the rugby field must relish the prospect of seeing England’s best inside centre of recent seasons taking on an Irish side which includes the great Brian O’Driscoll - one of the finest centres ever to grace the game. It will be a true test of Abbott’s international credentials - but few who know him doubt that he has the ability to rise to the occasion and make the England number 12 shirt his own for some time to come.

Now, Stuart - about your new contract…

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