RUGBY is still suffering from the rages of the weather but we do tend to shoot ourselves in the foot sometimes as well.

The conditions were not conducive to rugby last weekend. The pitches were saturated and the incessant rain killed off any hope of a good contest of running rugby.

England will be happy with their win over Argentina, but certainly not the way they achieved it.

They will be disappointed that they did not have better conditions to play in and that they were not allowed to stamp their style on the game.

However, it does highlight that you need more than one option to play a game of rugby. England are just starting to get there.

Their driving play was superb at times and they must be encouraged to build on this. If you keep going wide and throwing the ball around all the time, the opposition become wise and defend accordingly.

However, if you have the ability to take on sides up front as well, you have more chance of penetrating the defence.

I also believe that a good driving game will create more space for the backs as it attracts more defenders.

Another game dampened by the conditions was the international between Wales and South Africa. Before the game even kicked off, the pitch was like a potato field with some line markings on it.

What also bemuses me is that this game was played at a stadium that has a roof on it that can open and close in a total time of 22 minutes.

So why on earth did they play the game with the roof open on one of the wettest Sundays of the year?

Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed the game as it was a full-blown, wholehearted affair. I do wonder, though, what the outcome might have been if Neil Jenkins had stayed on and not been hastily substituted.

As a coach, I do not like making substitutions for the sake of it. I believe that it upsets the rhythm of the team and, more importantly, the rhythm of the game.

Sometimes you have to pull something out of the bag to change the course of proceedings, but this is a fine art that comes only with years of experience.

Last weekend I did make substitutions, but I would argue they were not just for the sake of it.

We have a good crop of youngsters, who in time are going to be the bedrock of the club, but they will only be developed if they have time on the park.

Sam Cox, Stuart Bellinger, Tom Voyce and Lee Mears all picked up useful experience, while Matt Perry, who sat on the bench for us in an emergency, did not require time out in the middle and benefited from a rest.

It is a balancing act and only with a little bit of luck will you get it right all the time.

A little bit of luck is what we need for our tricky away match at Bristol with all our 'celebs' out.

It is going to be a cracker and one that all the players are up for. Bristol are a very good side with a pack that can easily dominate the game. This is an area we have to work hard on and must compete fully for the ball.

I am hoping that Steve Borthwick will be available, but I will not know until the morning of the game.

A player like Steve can be called up by England at any time, so you have to wait until the last minute to see if he is available.

He is such a valuable player to have in your side. Even at 20 years old he is an inspiration to the others around him.

Behind the pack, Bristol will have their full compliment of stars back Pichot, Contemponi and Simone.

It will be a real test for the youngsters coming through.

The afternoon's entertainment is going to be quite lively and after, we can all sit together and cheer our boys on.

Oh, Argentina haven't got a game, have they? Well, we could get them to cheer the English lads on.