Hunt on for more ‘Billy Whizzes’

"Two early Jason Robinson tries…helped England to open their Six Nations campaign with a 29-3 victory over Scotland on Saturday.”

Plain language to describe an amazing phenomenon sweeping through the game of rugby as we know it.

A year ago the England firecracker nicknamed “Billy Whizz” was something of a freak. There were raised eyebrows when coach Clive Woodward invited the Wigan and Great Britain rugby league star to join the England squad.

He had only just started playing rugby union for Sale and knew so little of the 15-man code that he told respected rugby correspondent and former England rugby lock Paul Ackford: “Rules? I haven’t a clue. I don’t know why decisions are given or what penalties are for when I play,” he said in a confession that must have sent ripples of indignation through the corridors of old fartdom.

He got into the England playing squad only because Dan Luger was injured and when next we looked he was a British Lion… and a bloody good one.

Robinson’s successful conversion from league to union means the search is on to find others who might make it… especially in Australia, where the 13-man code remains strong, and in England where union clubs have raided northern league outfits as once they were in the days before professionalism.

At the top end union salaries are higher than those in league, but the 15-man game has one other big advantage over its older professional rival – international fixtures and tours against a variety of opponents and, crucially, a far bigger World Cup.

With the 2002 Super 12 now just around the corner Wallaby coach Eddie Jones will be hoping the tournament provides Australia’s answer to Jason Robinson.

Much interest will centre on a pair of league converts turning their hand to the more diverse union game.

Matt Rogers, who represented New South Wales and Australia in rugby league, will be turning out for the Waratahs and Wendell Sailor, an impressive performer for the Brisbane Broncos and the Kangaroos (Australia’s national league team) has been signed by the Reds.

According to Greg Thomas, editor of the Australian Rugby Review, Rogers is a skilful runner and a dangerous counter-attacker with a big left boot while Sailor, whose recruitment was considered to be a major coup, has awesome power and will be able to create tries from half chances with his speed and elusive running.

With the like of Andrew Walker (Brumbies) and Brad Thorn (Crusaders) having shown that a speedy conversion is possible, Jones will be hoping that either Sailor or Rogers will be able to adapt quickly enough to provide him with a back-three option to cover the gap left by Joe Roff’s departure.

And, with a player such as Springbok centre Japie Mulder (albeit an ageing Japie Mulder) signing to play both league and union for Leeds, the question has to be asked – how long before there is just one oval ball game?

By the next World Cup in 2007? Perhaps by 2011? Will re-integration of the two codes, that split just over a 100 years ago, take place at all? Many believe it is not if, but when, and there is little doubt the process will be hastened now that the practice of attracting player stock with offers of bigger salaries has been reversed.