Mixed match gifts Paul early lesson
Six weeks into his Test match voyage from New Zealand to England, Henry Paul admits he has still to find his bearings. At least he has a clearer idea this morning of the way to go. Jason Robinson may have made the league-union journey look like plain sailing, but he never had to master the complexities of running a match from fly half. Forty minutes in the hottest of seats during Gloucester's 58-17 win against Leeds left Paul in no doubt that there is a lot more discovering to be done.
'I was out of my depth and made mistakes under pressure,' said Paul. 'I'm still learning to think on my feet. In league you get a lot more time to call the shots but in union you have to learn to make snap decisions. 'There is so much more to think about, when to run, when to kick, when to pass. It was hard but then I always expected it to be.You don't get any favours in this game.' Yet, Leeds chucked them about with abandon, Paul receiving a gift from right wing Dan Scarbrough which the grateful New Zealander turned into his first Premiership try.
Educating Henry was always going to be the name of the game and as lessons go, his switch to stand off after five and a half matches at inside centre was a real eye-opener. With all five bonus points in the bag by half-time, Gloucester coach Philippe Saint-Andre gave Paul the controls knowing he had nothing to lose. 'Maybe it was too soon to put him at fly half,' said Saint-Andre. 'He must learn about the kicking strategy and that takes time. 'He did some good things and made some mistakes which would be punished in international rugby. He is still at 60 per cent of his maximum. We must not rush him.' England will not rush him either, but the comparative failure of their midfield in the creativity department makes the prospect of a fully-integrated Paul an enticing one. If he has to wait until the proposed South Pacific tour in June for his cap, then he will still be on schedule for the World Cup the following year. Paul's learning curve will steepen on Saturday with a run-in against England's incumbent inside centre, Mike Catt, at Bath. 'I need to play against Catty, Will Greenwood and Mike Tindall and all the other top centres,' he said. 'I have to show what I've got against them. They are awesome players and I have to prove I am worthy to play in this great England team.'
