<table cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=370> <tbody> <tr> <td valign=top align=middle> From this morning's Sunday Times Deadly Paul set to call the shots
</td></tr> <tr> <td width=355>AFTER Henry Paul had made the obligatory feel-good statement about his inclusion in the England rugby union squad for the autumn internationals barely three weeks since joining Gloucester from Bradford Bulls, he said he had not expected the international call so soon. He added that he wasn't sure what would happen from here. Phil Larder is sure. In fact, he harbours no doubts that England fans are in for a treat when Paul pulls on the shirt with the red rose. He believes that the New Zealand-born midfielder will make the England back-line a far more dangerous prospect because of a basic instinct to beat his man. And there are few rugby men in Britain better placed to address the million-pound question over Paul's ability to make the cross-code transition than Larder, the England defence coach and former Great Britain rugby league coach. "Paul has tremendous evasive skills, in the same way that Iestyn Harris and Jason Robinson have," said Larder. "This is because rugby league defences became so sophisticated that it was almost impossible to break them down. The way to beat them was not so much by teamwork as through individual runners, which put a premium on players with brilliant footwork, like Paul. It's obviously an innate ability, but it can also be developed. The more you do it, the better you get, and in league they are put through training exercises which involve beating two men in succession. "In northern hemisphere union, attack has, as a general rule, relied too much on passing wide. The All Black backs are so dangerous because they put the emphasis on beating the man first, and passing second. Paul is the same. He is more direct and confrontational than most union backs. The challenge for England will be to get support players to run the correct lines both inside and outside him." Larder points out that there is a further dividend in that Paul is not just a runner but an all-round footballer: "It's rare in rugby league to find a kicker of such great accuracy, and that will be a significant help to him in union." Larder's faith in Paul stems from having taken a keen interest in his progress since he arrived in England eight years ago with the Junior Kiwis (New Zealand's Under-19 rugby league side) and then signed for Wakefield before finding fame with Wigan and Bradford. "I first saw him play in a curtain-raiser before a Great Britain versus New Zealand Test, and he was head and shoulders above everybody else. What makes a champion in any sport is mental strength, and Paul, Harris and Robinson have it." Larder believes that in Paul's case mental strength is matched by the physical prowess more than hinted at by his Popeye-like torso. "I'd be surprised if he doesn't emerge as the most powerful of the England backs, and, while he is not known for outright pace over a long sprint, he is explosive over the first 10m." However, despite Larder's resounding praise for Paul's virtuoso talents, there are many who wonder whether the adulation which has greeted Paul's code switch will hold up under the scrutiny of the far tougher tests for club and country that await him in union. Even before an auspicious debut for Gloucester, which saw him score 28 points in last weekend's European Shield rout of Caerphilly, expectations had been fuelled by the runaway success of his former team-mate Robinson in playing for the Lions and England, all within a year of leaving Wigan. The most obvious difference is that the demands made of Robinson as a strike runner from wing or full-back are miles apart from those which will be made of Paul at inside-centre or fly-half, the positions for which he has been earmarked by Clive Woodward, the England manager. Robinson's role is essentially that of a finisher rather than a tactical general, and his blistering acceleration and jack-knife changes of direction are ready-made for the job. By contrast, as a prospective midfield mastermind, Paul, 27, will have to get to grips with a whole raft of technical and tactical requirements which are markedly different from those in rugby league. Even though law changes in both codes have brought them closer together, the doubters point out that union is still tactically a far more complex game and that decision-making is a potential minefield. For instance, instead of invariably kicking after the fifth tackle as in rugby league, Paul may have to clear his lines with a flanker all over him the first time he gets the ball. He will have to protect the ball in the tackle, or it will be ripped off him. He might be called upon to defend through 16 phases rather than six, and still keep his defensive alignment. If that wasn't enough to be getting on with, he will be required to boss the game from the most congested area of the field. Paul Turner, the Gloucester backs coach and former Wales fly-half, gives the doubters short shrift: "He's a playmaker and a gamebreaker, who makes things happen. What he was good at in league, he will be good at in union, because these days the codes are similar, with everyone behind the scrum multi-functional. There's a zeal about him which is contagious. He's learning our game, but it won't take long, because he's so switched on." Larder believes there are similar cross-overs in defensive technique that Paul will turn to his benefit: "Few people in union realise that in league the tackler's main aim is to put the ball carrier on his back to slow the play-the-ball. That's why top league players like Paul try to stay on their knees - clubs even employ wrestlers to help them with technique." Paul confirmed that he had been helped by the similarities between the codes: "The style we are trying to play is very rugby league-esque, drawing players in and going wide. What I hope to bring is an awareness of space around me, a bit of spontaneity, and doing things against the grain." However, when asked what he thought of the hostile reaction on websites from some England fans to him donning the white jersey only four months after playing rugby league for New Zealand, there was no jinking about. "My grandfather is proud to be English. If it's all right for him to be in the Navy putting his body on the line for his country, it's okay for me to play rugby for England." If Paul proves to be as direct in an England shirt, it's a safe bet that those doubters will soon become converts. </td></tr></tbody></table>
