And we’re off!!

So the Six Nations is up and running. As expected Ireland eased to victory over Italy, although I was pleased to see they didn’t run away with the game. Italy proved competitive and scored a try of their own. Then at Twickenham, England triumphed 30-17 against Wales – as I predicted yesterday!

If I’m honest it was one of those games that I couldn’t make my mind up about all weeks, especially with the injury withdrawals disrupting matters, and with ten minutes to go I thought Wales might sneak it because they were coming back just as they had in 2008. The tries from Adam Jones and James Hook really brought them back into things at 20-17 and it might even have been a draw, but the James Haskell try from an interception sealed matters. 

All in all, it came down to a matter of stupidity from Alun Wyn Jones. His cynical trip on Dylan Hartley saw him sent to the bin for ten minutes – and in that time Wales conceded 17 points. He’s long been touted as a future Wales captain but I personally think he gives away too many penalties. He can get a little hot-headed on the pitch and carried away in the moment – as we saw with the trip – and that’s not what you want from a prospective captain. If he’s going to take charge of the national side on a permanent basis he needs to learn to control his emotions more. 

It’s a huge result for Martin Johnson and with Italy next up they are likely to host Ireland full of confidence – that should be a great game. First up for Ireland, however, is the small matter of playing France in Paris! Don’t you just love the Six Nations!

Sports round-up

The big news this week is obviously the start of the Six Nations and I can’t wait to see England v Wales at Twickenham tomorrow. It should be a cracking game, although it’s a shame Wales have lost both Gethin Jenkins and Matthew Rees in the front row. With Adam Jones, those two could have given England a torrid time in the scrums – the only destruction Tim Payne can do as a prop is ruining his own team’s chances at the set-piece. Elsewhere I’m pleased to see Mathew Tait back in the England team and am looking forward to seeing how he and Riki Flutey mesh in midfield, likewise Jamie Roberts and James Hook for Wales. It’s going to be tight but I’m going to tip England to win given the fact Wales are denuded in the front row and have picked the out-of-form Gareth Cooper at scrum-half.

Obviously the big story this week has been about John Terry’s affair with Wayne Bridge’s ex-girlfriend. I doubt the media backlash would have been quite as fierce if Terry hadn’t gone to such great lengths to stop the story from ever being published. The fact the High Court judge said Terry was more concerned about how the affair would affect his sponsorship deals rather than his marriage I think says a lot about the footballer. Dodgy stories have been following him around for the past year from his mum shoplifting to a PR company offering him out for endorsements, but all the calls for him to be stripped of the England captaincy make me laugh.

You’d be hard pressed to find anyone in the England squad who hasn’t been at the centre of some sort of scandal during their careers – I mean, news of Terry’s affair was hardly a shock; there’s a new footballing misdemeanour every week and they have long since stopped being role models in my eyes. And it’s not just footballers – people in all different spheres abuse their position and how can Terry be stripped of an armband when his former manager, Sven Goran Eriksson, kept his job despite his affairs – and the boss is supposed to set a good example. Then you have heads of state like Bill Clinton and Silvio Berlusconi keeping their jobs despite sex scandals so why can’t a footballer?

Moving on to another sport, I awoke early on Sunday to watch Andy Murray in the Australian Open final and, although he lost, I was pleased to see him finally shed his tough exterior. Cynics might see the tears as a great publicity stunt but I thought it was great to see him show some emotion, to demonstrate how much winning a Grand Slam means to him, so I truly hope he triumphs in one this year.

Finally, I just wanted to mention the Martyn Williams Testimonial Dinner I went to last night. Martyn is the nicest man in rugby and it was great to see so many people out to celebrate his career to date. Good luck with the rest of your Testimonial year.

French farce

I’ve been reading with dismay reports that Stade Francais players Julien Dupuy and David Attoub are set to use a loophole in the French legal system to flout the bans handed out by ERC. Dupuy is currently banned for 23 weeks and Attoub for 70 weeks after they were found guilty of gouging in the Heineken Cup match against Ulster. But the pair are planning to take their case to the governing body of the French league (LNR) and then the Comité National Olympique et Sportif Français (CNOSF), who could allow them to continue to play in the Top 14, if not the Heineken Cup. The same thing happened with Marius Tincu, of Perpignan, who was allowed to play in the French championship after being banned for 18 weeks for gouging.

I think it’s a disgrace that the French are simply ignoring these bans. Gouging is a heinous act, probably the worst thing you can do on a rugby pitch, and the French are saying ‘we don’t care’. If a player is banned they shouldn’t be able to play in any competition until that ban is over – to do otherwise makes a mockery of the whole disciplinary process and offers little deterrent to players. The IRB need to close up this French loophole – and fast. Bernard Lapasset is now at the helm of the IRB and he should be telling his countrymen to stop abusing the legal system. A ban is a ban – stick to it.

On the subject of bans, I also wanted to mention Lee Byrne. He’s been banned for two weeks following the Ospreys’ 16-man fiasco against Leicester in the Heineken Cup but is lodging an appeal tomorrow in the hope that he can play for Wales against England on Saturday. Wales have also delayed their team announcement as they await the verdict. Now I can see why they would want to do this – Byrne is a magnificent full-back and a player you would want in your side at Twickenham. Plus, if he is unavailable it’s likely to change the whole make-up of the team with James Hook moving to 15 from the centre and then, perhaps, a new-look midfield of Jamie Roberts and Andrew Bishop. That would lead to a different game plan than if Hook was in midfield, but the problem with all these delays means Wales might not know exactly what that game plan is going to be until much later in the week. For such a big game you want the preparation to be as clear and straightforward as possible – by waiting for Byrne’s appeal fate there is likely to be confusion in the ranks. And what impact will that have on Saturday afternoon?

Film night

So last night I was lucky enough to attend a preview screening of Invictus. The film is based on John Carlin’s book Playing the Enemy and charts the story of how Nelson Mandela united South Africa with the help of rugby and the Springboks’ 1995 World Cup win. And it’s got real Hollywood clout behind it too – Clint Eastwood directs with Morgan Freeman as Mandela and Matt Damon playing the role of Boks captain Francois Pienaar.

Overall, I thought it was a great film that not only portrays how unique and inspiring a man Mandela is but how great a sport rugby is too. The film is packed with emotional moments, although there are also a few cheesy incidents too, while the rugby scenes really take you into the action – not only can you see the brutal tackles close up but you can hear them too. And I love the way they’ve filmed the scrums from underneath so you can see all the players engage.

My only two criticisms come from the scenes of the World Cup final itself. First, the referee didn’t look like he could take charge of a group of three-year-olds playing ‘Pin the Tail on the Donkey’ let alone 30 of the world’s best rugby players going hammer and tongs for the Webb Ellis Trophy. His attempt to warn Pienaar about infringements lacked any conviction and his signals looked feeble. They would have been better off asking Ed Morrison to play himself because this guy actually had me cracking up at one point.

I also didn’t like the sound effects that accompanied the scrums in the final – it sounded more like a monster dying in a cartoon than the groans of grown men drawing on their physical reserves. Besides those two small points – and you can’t expect Hollywood to get the rugby details spot-on! – I thought it was great and well worth a trip to your local cinema.

On the subject of films, I watched Anchorman for the first time last week. Martyn Williams mentioned to me how he called Ryan Jones ‘Ron Burgundy’ and I had no idea who that was so one of the guys in the office lent me a copy, declaring that it was one of, if not the, funniest films he’d seen. Now I wouldn’t go that far but it is pretty funny so here’s a link to some of the best bits. Enjoy!

Munster magic

What a game! I’ve just sat on the comfort of my sofa to see Munster grind out a 12-9 win over Northampton. The scoreline might suggest a tedious affair but it was anything but – I was squealing at the TV at certain points in the match (luckily there’s no one else here to hear me but god knows what the neighbours think!).

Watching a game at Thomond Park must surely be one of rugby’s greatest offerings – one that sadly I have yet to experience – and just listening to the crowd via Sky Sports is enough to give me tingles. Northampton had the upper hand in the scrums throughout the game and they will be kicking themselves that they failed to capitalise on the 5m scrum awarded midway through the second half when Paul O’Connell was in the sin-bin. Of all the times to lose concentration that was the worst – had they got the upper hand at that scrum they would have had a brilliant chance to score what could have been the winning try, either by bringing in their backs or the possibility of a penalty try. Munster instead turned the ball over and cleared, then managed to close out the win – as they have done so many times before.

As Saints coach Jim Mallinder said afterwards they didn’t take their chances and now his side have to endure a waiting game to see whether they’ll qualify for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals. For me, I’m off to Twickenham tomorrow evening for London Irish v Leinster and I’m expecting just as tense affair, although hopefully with a few more tries.

Welsh worries

Howdy folks, I’m writing this from the comfort of my friend’s kitchen. I’m babysitting while her and the hubby go off to see Sherlock Holmes so I thought I’d use this time to do a news round-up.

I went to Wales at the weekend and saw two games of contrasting enjoyment. Cardiff Blues’ win over Sale left me jaded because the game was simply dull for long periods – no wonder they didn’t get as big a crowd as they wanted. My faith was restored on Sunday, however, when I went to Parc y Scarlets and saw two sides who were happy to throw the ball around and play attractive, exciting rugby. And what excitement there was at the end with the Scarlets snatching a win after it looked like a bonus-point victory was going to be there for the taking by London Irish. You can’t beat a good upset and I just hope Irish’s game against Leinster on Saturday is just as thrilling.

Wales also announced their squad for the Six Nations yesterday and I think their problems at scrum-half could cost them dear. Ideally, they want a win at Twickenham to set them up for the rest of the tournament but with both Mike Phillips and now Dwayne Peel out injured it looks like Martin Roberts will be wearing the No 9 jersey. He’s a good player with great service, but I just don’t feel he has the experience or the nous to help Wales win at Twickenham in two and a half weeks. In fact, he could become heavily targetted by the England back row. Not that I’m pushing for Gareth Cooper to start – he can’t even get a start at the Blues right now and I’ve never been a big fan of his – while Richie Rees has no international experience.

It’s a real shame for Peel because I thought he was finally going to get a chance to show Warren Gatland his best form. Looking from the outside in, those two really don’t seem to get on but if Peel could impress his coach with his deeds on the pitch they might have turned a corner. Instead he’s sidelined with a groin injury, although he could be back for the Scotland game – and Wales might well need him then if they struggle at Twickers.

Finally, I just wanted to applaud the ERC disciplinary committee for slapping a 70-week ban on Stade Francais prop David Attoub for gouging against Ulster last month. They’d already hit his team-mate Julien Dupuy with a 23-week suspension and I can’t believe Attoub claimed a photographer had digitally altered an image  to make him look guilty -I think it would be nigh-on impossible to fake a picture of someone with his finger halfway in another person’s eye. 

These bans are sending a clear message that gouging will no longer be tolerated and are a far cry from events in the summer when Schalk Burger got such a measly ban after his fingers got up close and personal with Luke Fitzerald’s eyes. As the IRB say it’s a “heinous” act and rugby really needs to rid it from the game so thank you, ERC, for taking such a firm stance.

Hape days

A Wales women’s player who I’ve been corresponding with this week – I won’t name names for fear of getting her in strife – is unimpressed with my attitude to snow, saying that as a teacher she calls it “white gold”. For me yesterday it was more “white nightmare”. I was due to head to Manchester to do a piece with the Village Spartans team but on arrival at Euston station it seemed that the fresh covering of snow had sent the train system haywire and all departures were delayed. Needless to say I never made it to Manchester.

Martin Johnson had no travel problems, however, when it came to naming his squad for the Six Nations. There’s never much surprise with Johnson’s selections and again he’s stuck with what he knows. I respect that in one sense – loyalty is a good quality to have – but I am concerned about England’s ability to launch a respectable challenge for the World Cup in 18 months’ time because some of the country’s most talented players simply aren’t getting the chance at Test level and they need to start building up experience now.

I’m looking forward to seeing Mathew Tait back in Test action. He’s one of the most talented runners England have at their disposal and with solid defender Riki Flutey likely to fill the No 12 shirt again, Johnson can afford to have a more creative, attacking player outside him and he could provide the entertainment that Twickenham crowds have been sorely missing of late.

As one of my colleagues pointed out last night, however, the selection of Shontayne Hape – a former New Zealand rugby league international now playing for Bath – does highlight glaring weaknesses in the development of English talent. RFU bods love to use terms like “player pathway” to describe how the country’s young guns move through different levels all the way to the senior team but if these routes are so effective why are England parachuting players like Hape into the national squad as soon as they’ve qualified? Are there no young England players up to scratch? And if not, serious questions need to be asked about Rob Andrew’s elite rugby department. Surely their role is to develop players good enough to play for England and if they are none the system simply isn’t working.

Snow bother

You certainly realise you’re getting old when you don’t celebrate the arrival of snow any longer. As a kid it meant days of school and building snowmen in the garden (one year, it snowed so much that we built an igloo in one of my dad’s field’s to play in!). Now, snow means battles to get to work on London’s public transport network and trying to avoid falling arse over tit on pavements. Yesterday, as I braved my way to the gym before heading to work, I slipped on the ice and only saved myself from hitting the ground by clinging onto a railing and in doing so I whacked my elbow so now have an attractive purple bruise discolouring my arm. I received no sympathy from Ryan Jones yesterday who simply said “that must have been embarrassing” when I explained the incident had occurred right opposite a busy bus stop. I thought rugby player’s were supposed to be gentlemen!

This weekend also proves that the snow can play havoc with sporting fixtures. Ryan is one of many players who won’t be taking to the field over the coming days after the Ospreys’ game with Ulster was postponed. Of six Guinness Premiership games only one is going ahead (as I write at least) – Leicester v Wasps. While it’s not great to have so many games called off, I do think it’s good that most of the postponements were announced well in advance to prevent unnecessary travel by teams and fans. Leinster’s game with Glasgow, due to be played tonight, is the one late call-off – much to the Warriors annoyance. And if I was a Glasgow fan who’d travelled over I’d be annoyed too, unless the weather is slightly warmer in Dublin – always look on the bright side!

So if you’re bored over the weekend with the lack of rugby, why not look at the Rugby World Team of the Decade, which we announced in this month’s issue. There was plenty of debate going on in the office, with some positions having plenty of candidates and others surprisingly shy of a world-class player who stood out, hence why we slotted Matt Giteau, an incredible talent, into the team at 12. Click on the pic to make it bigger.

It’s one that’s sure to provoke a good discussion down the pub. Enjoy the weekend, stay warm and take care on that dicey ice!

A fresh start

Hey strangers, it’s been a while! So I read the other week that bloggers who don’t post regular updates are definitely not hot – as they put it, if we can’t be bothered to post why should you guys be bothered to read. It’s a fair point and that’s why I’ve made it by New Year’s resolution to blog more regularly. I can hear you all screaming ‘promises, promises’ but I do hope to serve you loyal readers better – we’ll just have to see how it pans out over the coming months!

I do have a valid excuse for my recent absence from cyberspace, however: I’m heartbroken. My boyfriend decided to split up with me just before Christmas, a year to the day that we met! So it’s been more tears than beers for me over the past couple of weeks. I still love him so clearly I’m gutted, but as people keep telling me everything happens for a reason and I’m better off etc, etc. I know they’re clichés but it still helps. I also know this is not really the sort of topic you expect to find on a rugby blog so, in yet another promise, I will get back to all the oval-ball stuff later in the week. Besides I can devote the time I used to spend with Him by sharing all my thoughts right here – and with the Six Nations approaching, there will be plenty of thoughts to share!

Finally, I’d like to wish you all a Happy New Year!!

The snooze factor

Apologies for my absence on the blog front this week, I’ve only just awoken from my rugby-induced coma after Saturday’s England-Argentina match. It was without doubt one of the worst games of rugby I’ve ever watch, and probably the dullest – and that includes any Sussex One games I used to watch at Heathfield & Waldron. The fact that the paper aeroplanes (in passing I must commend Nike for their foresight in putting sheets of advertising on every seat to entertain the crowds!) were receiving bigger cheers than anything the players did is a damning indictment of English rugby. 

The game plan is just so negative; there’s far too much kicking and a real apprehension about taking any risks. And a real lack of any ideas in attack. Players either don’t know how to use their own brains (and contrary to the popular opinion of sportsmen, some do have them!) or are too scared to do something off the cuff.

England’s selection this week is even worse. Gone is Shane Geraghty, although he was never allowed to shine in the same way he does for Northampton by playing on the gain-line, and in comes Ayoola Erinle, an honest, hard-working centre but one who’s been picked for his size and defensive capabilities. Yes, he’ll probably try to punch a few holes in the All Blacks defence, but he doesn’t have the same footwork or sleight of hand of his younger team-mate.

Tom Croft, too, must be wondering what he has to do. In the same week it’s announced he’s among the IRB nominees for Player of the Year, he’s dropped to the bench – and this against a New Zealand lineout of which Croft could take huge advantage. 

Negative selection is sure to breed negative results, and I can’t see England beating the All Blacks tomorrow, or even coming close for that matter.

As for Wales, I’m pleased to see Jonathan Davies get his chance in midfield. The Jamie Roberts-Tom Shanklin combination hadn’t been firing in attack and Shanklin’s injury gives Davies the chance to add a splash of creativity to the Welsh midfield against Argentina tomorrow.

Here are my predictions for the weekend’s Test action (winners in italics) and here’s hoping there’s more to cheer at Twickenham tomorrow than flying objects:

Italy v South Africa
England v New Zealand
Wales v Argentina
France v Samoa
Ireland v Fiji
Scotland v Australia
Japan v Canada
USA v Uruguay