Sporting Banter

Battle of the codes

2008-11-13T17:13:00.001Z

This weekend sees the northern hemisphere take on the south in both codes of rugby.

In the Rugby World Cup down in Australia, England are looking to avenge last week's defeat to New Zealand. While back in Blighty the Union boys are taking on Australia at Twickenham in what is Martin Johnson's first big test as head coach.

Down under England have had a tough time of it, edging past PNG before getting hammered by the Aussies and then throwing away a healthy lead against the Kiwis. Luckily for them, the absurdity of the tournament allows for them to forget those matches and just concentrate on producing two top level performances which could yet see them lift the cup, unlikely though.

Flair at HQ

Johnson's men are fairing better, with a resounding victory against a hard-hitting Pacific Islands team last weekend they will be hoping they can continue there dominance over their antipodean rivals.

Last week the Wallabies could only sneak past Italy thanks to a late try from debutant Quade Cooper. This week he is replaced by the ignimous Matt Giteau who can blow both hot and cold. An exciting game is in prospect and going on last week's efforts, Australia should not just be worried about the power of England's front three but also the pace of their back three.

Meanwhile France take on the Islanders, Ireland face New Zealand, Italy host Argentina and Scotland have the chance to get one over world champions, South Africa.

And don't forget the Guinness Premiership gets back under way this weekend after what seems like and infact has been an eternity. The week's fixtures are as follows:

Friday:
Sale v Worcester
Saturday:
Bath v Leicester
Sunday:
Bristol v Northampton,
Harlequins v Wasps,
Newcastle v London Irish,
Saracens v Gloucester,

A League of their own

2008-10-27T12:23:00.003Z

The Rugby League World Cup kicked off in Australia at the weekend, and what a weird and pointless competition it is.

Four years in Leeds have given me an appreciation of the thirteen man game which was previously missing. The subtlety and skill required is often overlooked and although I feel Union is a superior game, League definitely has its merits.

The Super League is a great spectacle and the Grand Final is one of the sporting highlights of the year. Sadly a world cup in the sport fails to provide any interest for me.

The format is ridiculous. Three groups, one with Australia, England and New Zealand as well the unfortunate Papua New Guinea, and two further groups which include France, Scotland, Ireland and three Pacific nations.

The winners of the two small groups will fight it out for the chance to play the winner of group A while the second and third placed teams in the same group will lock horns for a place in the final.

So basically Australia will be in the final against either England or New Zealand. It is a bizarre set up and one that I don't feel benefits the sport. First of all, why are PNG given the short straw of being in the group of certain fatality?

BRUTAL HIT

The introduction of the Catalan Dragons and the Celtic Crusaders to the Super League has and should continue to develop the sport in Europe, but further progress must be made if the sport is to rival it's better looking brother, Union.

An annual five/six nations tournament should be established, or a Churchill Cup type affair, where England put out a second string team. Strides must be taken to push the game on, because a world cup should be the pinnacle of any sport, but in reality the NRL, Super League and the triangular series all rate higher than this farcical fortnight.

Guinness Round Five

2008-10-03T10:19:00.006+01:00

Mid-week rugby is rare but due to the Lions Summer tour to South Africa, an extra round of games has been slipped in to make the season a week shorter.

Spread over three days all twelve teams played and the table now looks somewhat different after a couple of surprise results.

On Tuesday, Gloucester produced a delightful display of attacking rugby to dispatch a hard-working Newcastle 39-23. Ian Balshaw picked up a hat-trick in only his second game back after injury, while James Simpson-Daniel notched a brace.

The other big news of the night was that Jonny Wilkinson picked up yet another injury. Just when it looked like he was back and hitting top-form he has dislocated his knee and faces another lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Sharks bitten

Wednesday saw four games played. The least surprising result of the night was Saracens picking up a win at Bristol who still only have two losing bonus points.

Elsewhere, Leicester produced a spirited and trademark second-half comeback against east-midlands rivals Northampton. Trailing 16-9 at the break the Tigers came back to win 29-19 with Toby Flood scoring 19 of the home side's points.

The shock of the round saw league leaders, Sale, go down 28-6 at London Irish.Having not conceded a try all season, the Sharks let Irish cross their whitewash four times and with only two Charlie Hodgson penalties in reply they slip to third in the table.

Adams Park hosted the final game of the night, as Wasps welcomed back Danny Cipriani against Bath. A solid return for the young England starlet who was only denied a 100% kicking record by a dodgy referee. Sadly Cipriani's hour long cameo, watched by his new woman Kelly Brook, was not enough to see Wasps record their first home win of the season.

Bath held out for a tense 27-23 win to leave the London side still languising at the foot of the table with just seven points. Wasps will be hoping Cipriani's return can kick-start their season but with no Guinness rugby til November 14 now, they will have to hope some cup-success can give them some much needed respite.

With Wilkinson now out, Martin Johnson may now call up Cipriani to the senior squad, to complete what would be a remarkable recovery for the youngster.

Warriors wounded

Thursday saw the last game of the round played, and there were no surprises as Harlequins beat Worcester 30-23 with Ugo Monye scoring two tries for Quins.

Bath are now top of the league, three points clear of Sale, Tigers and Quins and a further point clear of Saracens and Irish. Bristol remain last with Warriors and Wasps just ahead with only one win to their names still.

As I said there is no league rugby till November 14 but there will be EDF and Heineken Cup to keep us entertained, and I will be sure to keep you updated.

Guinness Round-Up

2008-09-29T16:29:00.008+01:00

This is the first Guinness Premiership Rugby round-up which I will now do every Monday, so look out for them, it saves watching Craig Doyle on ITV4.

There were three Friday night games this week, which may have caught some fans out, but if it did then they didn't miss much. Sale Sharks continued their excellent start to the season in beating Gloucester at home by 23 points to nine. Their dominant defence has now not conceded a try for four games (320 minutes), a Premiership record.

They also managed to triple their try count for the season as stand-in skipper, Sebastien 'The Caveman' Chabal crossed the white-wash along with former Wasps and Leeds flyer, David Doherty.

Although it may not be the most exciting rugby being played in the world, it is getting results for Sale and this win put them top of the league as the only remaining undefeated team.

Mr Reliable

Up in the North-East Jonny Wilkinson kicked Newcastle to their second win of the season, a mark some thought they wouldn't reach by Christmas. But the pre-season relegation favourites have proved the doubters wrong, tries from John Rudd and Adam Balding capped off a good win against Bristol.

Wilkinson has a 100% kicking record so far this season and his two conversions and penalty took him back ahead of Andy Goode as the all time leading Premiership points scorer.

For Bristol, the season couldn't have started any worse, rooted to the foot of the table with just one losing bonus point. They must beat Saracens at home on Wednesday if they want to avoid being left behind.

Stung Again

The last game on Friday night was a repeat of last year's Play-Off final and it produced the same result although by markedly different means.

London Wasps had suffered a dreadful early season, losing their first three, but this dogged win over unbeaten Leicester at Welford Road will give the whole club a real lift.

Jeremy Staunton was the hero for the London team as he didn't miss a kick, slotting five penalties, two drop-goals and the conversion of Damien Varley's try.The win lifts them to 10th and most importantly keeps them in touch with those ahead, another loss could have made the gap too big even at this early stage.

Leicester will soon have a complex when facing Wasps, after a Heineken Cup loss, a Premiership Final loss and back-to-back losses at the once impenetrable Welford Road.

They drop to third in the table and face Northampton mid-week. Wasps face Bath and could welcome back Danny Cipriani for the first time since his ball-breakingly nasty injury against the same opponents back in May.

We now finally come to some weekend fixtures which weren't played under the floodlights. And it seemed to make a vast difference to the quality of rugby.

Champagne Bath

Bath took apart Worcester with a dynamic and reckless performance at The Rec. The final score was 37-19 with the home side scoring five tries to record only the third winning bonus point in the league so far.

Bath coach Steve Meehan made a point of playing attacking rugby in an attempt to side-step the pitfalls of the ELVs.

"We must not be scared of going out and playing. We can't go into our shells, even if the ELVs can put you under a lot of pressure. The rewards of such an approach will outweigh the risks." He said.

Bath are now second and Worcester are languishing at the other end of the table with only Bristol between them and the prospect of League One rugby next year.

Care-less

In the game of the round, London Irish came from 20-8 behind to beat Quins 28-27 at the Stoop. Two Delon Armitage tries and a faultless display from Chris Hewat was enough for Irish to snatch a win from Dean Richard's grasp.

Both teams now sit mid-table, and the rugby they have played so far has made them two of the most exciting sides to watch.

Irish now have the task of taking on the Sale defence, while Quins face Worcester in mid-week.

Sarries march on

The final game saw Saracens beat new-boys Northampton 26-12 at Vicarage Road. Three penalties and a superb drop-goal from the half way line by Stephen Myler were not enough for Northampton as their discipline let them down in the second half.

Ben Foden's nightmare move to the Saints continued as the long-haired renegade who left Sale to get more time in a no.9 shirt was sin-binned only minutes after coming on as replacement. This ended any hopes of a comeback and they now face a tough trip away to Leicester.

Saracens look like they might challenge this year, and should have no problems overcoming Bristol on Wednesday.

Come back on Friday when I will review all the mid-week games, and look ahead to the weekend. This Monday slot is now regular though, so see you then.

Davis Cup relegation

2008-09-24T12:18:00.004+01:00

Once again the dire state of British tennis was highlighted at the weekend, as the Davis Cup team went down meekly to a poor Austrian team, forcing their relegation to the Euro/Africa Zone.There is no need to say that Andy Murray is one of the world's best tennis players, ranked fourth in the world and a recent grand slam finalist he had little trouble winning his two rubbers.

But beyond that the men's game in this country is embarrassing. Alex Bogdanovic has always looked 'promising' but he is now 24 and has still not got past the first round of a grand slam, won a live Davis Cup game or broken into the top 100.

Andy's brother Jamie is a useful doubles player but by no means a world beater, a permanent teaming-up with Ross Hutchins could help though and give both players some top level practice and exposure.

Other than that there really is nothing, no-one, not even a glimmer of hope. And to make matters worse, the LTA refuse to admit the problem.

All about the kids

Crowds at the home-tie at Wimbledon at the weekend were extremely poor. Andy Murray is an amazing talent and the event should have been sold out, and if not, tickets for kids should have been issued, in fact an allocation should have been given anyway.

The team spirit in the camp was dreadful, every time there was a break the camera man had to go to the Austrian team as they were the only people in the stadium making any noise.

And as Murray pointed out Bogdanovic failed to get the crowd involved at all: "In both my matches I showed a lot of emotion and got the crowd involved.

"You have to take advantage of home support. It should be a huge advantage. That's why home teams win 82% of Davis Cup matches.

"The crowd in my match was very good. In Alex's match it looked as if a lot of people left and the atmosphere was not very good."

ATP Rankings

Basically it is a disaster all round, and it was not unexpected, the state of the game in this country has been awful for at least a decade with the strength in depth non existent.

Spain have five top 20 players (15 top 100), France have five top 30 (15 top 100) and Russia five top 40. GB have one player in the top 162, not quite the same.

Something needs to be done, and with most problems the first thing to do is admit there is a problem, something the LTA are having difficulty with.

Wasps drowning in Guinness

2008-09-17T16:07:00.004+01:00

Played two, lost two. It makes sorry reading for defending champions Wasps, but that is the nature of the Guinness Premiership this season, no easy games.

However, there must still be an air of panic down at the training ground in Twyford, for these are the games that Wasps need to win if they want to be at Twickenham come next May.

They have a number of players who are going to be away on international duty soon, more than any other club, so while they have an almost full squad to call upon (bar Danny Cipriani) they must capitalise. They are not.

It has never been an easy league to win and with the end of season play-off system, it is all about pacing yourself, a skill Wasps have honed in recent years.

No outsiders

This year though, there are more teams challenging than ever before.

Sale, who are the only team to win the league and then go on to win the play-offs, have brought in quality like Dwayne Peel and Matthew Tait, to add to the majestic Luke McAlister and sprinkling of Gallic and Gaelic flair and grit elsewhere in the squad. And don't overlook Charlie 'the choker' Hogson to kill a game off with an hour remaining.

Gloucester and Bath both have gallons of potential, with delicately poised youth and experience combined. Although the Cherry Whites stole derby day honours at The Rec on Saturday both teams should expect to be top four come play-off time.

Although not as fancied as in previous years, Leicester Tigers are still a massive force in the game. The biggest club in the country is under new leadership, and if ex Falcon, Toby Flood can start dominating games then they will also be there or there abouts.

8-9-10

Normally the list then starts to fade, but not this season. London Irish, Saracens, Harlequins and even newly promoted Northampton all have squads and players capable to challenge.

The Nick Easter-Danny Care-Nick Evans axis at Quins is arguably the best in the league, and with Eddie Jones and Steve Borthwick now at Saracens the Fez's will be no push over.

Worcester, Bristol and Newcastle, will be the three teams who I fear may struggle. Newcastle rely on Wilkinson far too much, and he is unlikely to play more than half a season. Bristol just don't have the players, and Worcester don't seem to have the consistency.

That leaves Wasps, who could finish anywhere from first to last. Inspirational one week, dreadful the next. Dallaglio leaving is definitely no excuse, and McGeechan will not allow it to be. Playing in Wycombe, although also no excuse, is still ridiculous. They must return to the capital if they want to capitalise on their quality.

ET cricket

2008-08-05T15:15:00.002+01:00

English cricket fans might have thought they had been punished enough recently, following the Three Lions dismal performance against the South Africans, but to compound matters, the ECB today announced their contract extension with Sky Sports for live games.
Back in 2006 the first contract with Sky to show all of England's live games was set up and it has now been extended until 2013, with Five holding on to the highlights rights.

The new contracts with both companies is worth an estimated £300m and will be up for renewal in five years time.

How the ECB possibly think this is a good decision for the sport, which is currently struggling for support, especially at test level, is worrying.

Burnt Ashes

The move from Channel 4's superb coverage, which included the momentous and historic Ashes victory in 2005 was disastrous in the first place and now it will go on for the foreseeable future.

After that Ashes series the sport was on a high, the nation was enveloped in cricket fever and like the rugby team two years previously the England players were treated like heroes.

The ideal time to flood the TV with the sport, push it in schools and really get a new generation of players involved. Instead it was yanked from terrestrial TV and dumped with Sky Sports.

OK, so those who are keen will probably have Sky and if not they may hit the pub, but that is not how to popularise something, it needs to be accessible it needs to be in the public eye.

Sky Sports is a remarkable thing that often brings sport to the public that may otherwise be lost, but national sports should be available to everyone. There should be an agreement 'somewhere' with 'someone' that all major national sports remain on terrestrial television.

Olympic show of strength

2008-07-28T17:57:00.006+01:00

The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics is only a couple of weeks away, and once again a whole nation will be trying to impress the world by putting on the biggest show on the planet. This year the responsibility falls upon China to organise and fund the Olympics, but will they be able to match Sydney and Athens, and even if they can what will the long term cost be?

China have been preparing and anxiously waiting for this since 2001 when they were awarded the Games. Ever since that day a massive PR wheel was started rolling and no stone has been left unturned and no flower bed untended in order to show the world exactly what China can do.

It is no secret that in recent years the country has developed into a super power, in all senses.

With a population of over one billion, they have the depth of resources to achieve anything and that is the message they are furiously trying to get across.

Project 119

Efforts to compete in all events, and make a serious impact upon the US dominance of the medal tables have been evident and it is more than likely that for the first time they will come out on top.

Having finished fourth and then third in previous Olympics before their second place last time around, a major push is still needed to overturn the Americans.

In order to do this the government launched "Project 119" eight years ago.

The idea was that if China was to topple the US it needed to compete across a broader range of sports. Five medal-rich sports were identified as athletics, canoe/kayaking, rowing, sailing and swimming.

And these five sports accounted for 119 potential gold medals (now 122), one third of the total available. If China succeed in this project, which it looks like they will, then they will sweep the floor, leaving the US to lick their wounds.

Sacrifices

In all honesty, a country with over a billion people should dominate, and it would be a shock if they don't.The sad element of all this is the cost the Chinese government has put on this success, not only have billions of pounds been invested, but people have been kicked out of their homes, businesses have been ordered to close and communities have been destroyed.

In order to create the biggest show on earth sacrifices have had to be made, and it appears the Chinese government are unfussed what these are. With chronic pollution, political frailities involving neighbouring Tibet and nearby Burma, the success and smooth-running of the games is not certain making viewing that bit more exciting.

Money, Money, Money

2008-07-01T17:33:00.007+01:00

This year's Wimbledon is well underway and once again proving to be a huge success, but one thing has been griping my mate. Money.

This is the second year at SW19 that men and women have been awarded the same prize money, with this year's victors taking away a ridiculous, £750,000 each.

Pressure on the LTA to pay women the same as men had been mounting for some time, when they eventually bowed last year.

David Cameron, Tessa Jowell and Richard Branson all supported the change and with little room for manoeuvre, Wimbledon followed in line with the Aussies and the Yanks. (The French still only pay the winners the same)

Members of the women's tour including the Williams sisters and chief exec, Larry Scott made their feelings unequivocally clear, Scott said: "In the 21st Century it is morally indefensible that women competitors in a Grand Slam tournament should be receiving considerably less prize money than their male counterparts."

Strong words, especially from a guy, you suspect there must be a strong willed woman in his life somewhere, and he must have a hard time of it at home when he casually asks 'Whats for tea dear?'.

Hard Work

What gets my mate (and me if I'm being honest, and a bit brave) is that there is no doubt the men have to work considerably harder for their money.

In 2006 Federer won 202 games on his way to the title, compared to just 142 for Mauresmo, and Federer doesn't hang around much on the grass.

Five set games are considerably harder and more draining than a mere three, and this is the one reason why equal pay is absurd.

If you were at work, (something I am on the look out for) and your female colleague went home at lunch everyday while you slaved away into the night, you would be pretty peeved if she was getting the same pay as you.

Well why should tennis be any different? It is their job, their profession, why should they be getting paid for doing half the work.

Poor Quality

The other factor in equal pay, which is more subjective, is the quality of women's tennis. This year like many others the quality of the women's game has been poor.

All the big names have choked, leaving a bunch of no-hopers to be demolished by the Williams sisters who will undoubtedly be meeting each other again come Saturday.

As I said, the quality issue is subjective, and if it just came down to this then I would not dispute the equal pay, but this is not the crux of the argument, it is the time and effort involved in winning games.

Either they should make women play five sets, (could be good for a laugh) or admit their mistake and start paying them less again. We the punters are the ones who probably suffer, through increased ticket prices.

Anyway, hopefully this will have stirred up some anger amongst both those who are pro and those against equal pay (in tennis), and I expect a tirade of abuse from any feminist friends (I really must do something about them).

Spanish magic ends title drought

2008-06-30T14:07:00.006+01:00

Last night Spain became European champions with a display of football that will go down in history. Sadly they could only score one goal, through Fernando Torres, but if they had won 4-0 it would not have been an unfair reflection of the game.

Their passing is simply unbelievable, they moved it around as if they were on the training pitch, with a confidence and ease that Fabio Capello will look upon resentfully.

No matter how little space and time they have, they always want the ball at their feet. And even without Villa playing, they provided a constant goal threat from all over the pitch.

Germany's defensive flaws which I highlighted against Croatia never had a chance of holding up against the Spanish, and it really was a shame they didn't get thumped.

Sergio Ramos, a class player, had probably the best chance to put the game beyond Joachim Low's side, with a free header at the back post.

Domination

Iniesta, who was my player of the tournament closely followed by Senna, dominated the game, with an unrelenting desire to create space and opportunities for those around him.

There is no doubt now, that this relatively young Spanish side will go to South Africa in two years time as one of the favourites. And if Holland, Russia and Croatia can all continue to improve their squads then they will also provide a strong challenge to the South American teams at the 2010 World Cup.

England on the other hand will continue to struggle, and just reaching the finals will be a result for Capello's men. They play a boring, slow football, which entirely contradicts the style of the Premiership, but they still fail to win.
Even if Italy, France and Germany play dull football at least they can do it successfully, all of who have reached major finals in the last two years.

Anyway a thoroughly deserved win for Spain, and as both Alans said last night, rather embarrassingly, 'A win for football'.

Germany leaky at the back

2008-06-13T10:49:00.009+01:00

Without any home nation representation I feared this European Championships might disappoint, but I have been proved wrong.

I was somewhat surprised to hear that Germany were favourites coming into the tournament. Fair enough, their record in major tournaments is impressive but with a defence about as watertight as Derby's, and a goalkeeper kept out of his club side by Manuel Almunia, Spain's fourth choice, do they really have a chance?
I have seen most of the games so far, and although they have not been gripping, one thing has stood out, there aren't many bad teams.

Romania, Poland, Greece, Turkey, and the host nations are going to find it hard, but of the other 10 teams it is impossible to pick a winner. I have however, rather predictably, plumped for Spain.

Their midfield is pure class, Iniesta, Xavi and Fabregas could grace any international team while Torres and Villa up front are irresistible.

Goalfest

Germany's weakness at the back was almost undone by Poland in their first game, and most definitely unlocked in defeat to the impressive Croatians. How Jansen has made it into their first team is unfathomable.

Croatia are one team who it could be worth putting a few quid on, with the inspirational Bilic at the helm, and Modric and Kranjcar bossing the midfield they could go all the way. And I hope they do.

Last orders for Guinness

2008-05-06T19:31:00.005+01:00

This season's Guinness Premiership has been by far the most closely contested since the inception of the play-off debacle in 2003.

Sale are the only team to have topped the league at the end of the regular season and gone on to win the play-offs, that was in 2006.

Before that Wasps won three back-to-back titles having failed to prove themselves as the best side after 22 league games.

However, after a troubled and controversial childhood the true virtues of the play-offs are now beginning to show.

Cream of the crop

The fight for the top four has provided numerous clashes of epic proportions, and has seen the cream of English rugby slowly rise to the top.

In a season which has not only included the annual Six Nations but also a World Cup, many teams have had to draw upon the full quota of their squads to maintain momentum and now fatigue is beginning to show through, most notably at Leicester.

Wasps have done a better man-management job and once again look like they may have timed their run to perfection.

Bath and Gloucester have been consistent throughout the 22 games, and their clash at Kingsholm on Saturday should decide who finishes top.
Sale and Harlequins will probably fight out for the last spot, presuming Wasps dispatch bottom team Leeds and lowly Newcastle tomorrow night.

What ever happens, the semis are sure to be electric and the final on May 31 nothing short of a test fixture.

Sarries squeeze through

2008-04-06T18:25:00.005+01:00

Saracens held off an inform Ospreys at Vicarage Road today to secure a spot in the Heineken Cup semi-finals.

The Heineken Cup is indubitably one the world's greatest rugby competitions and the nearest thing to test rugby outside of the international scene.

Saracens progress in the competition is all new ground for the north London club, yet they tackled the Welsh challenge surprisingly calmly and efficiently.

It is less than a month since the Ospreys decimated Saracens at the Millennium Stadium in the EDF semis, recording a 30-3 win. A result that made today's reversal even sweeter.

Even though the Ospreys, full of Welsh grand-slam winners, have been in scintillating form they could only convert their possession into one try late on.

Glen Jackson contributed 14 points towards the 19-10 win, but it has been a huge team effort for the club to reach this stage.

They will now have to face Munster at the Ricoh Arena after the Irish side used all their experience to see off Gloucester 16-3 at Kingsholm.

Old Heads

In the other two quarter finals London Irish produced a magnificent display to hold of Perpignan while perennial challengers Toulouse ended any Welsh representation by emphatically dispatching Cardiff Blues.

Toulouse are now firm favourites to lift the cup although Munster also now how to win the big games in Europe.

Having got this far though neither of the English teams can be written off.

Chambers circus continues

2008-03-30T18:17:00.006+01:00

Dwain Chambers looks set to try his hand at yet another sport as basement Super League team, Castleford Tigers, show an interest in his abilities.

Following a drugs ban from athletics, Chambers looked to American Football as an alternative sport he could excel in.

In 2007 he signed for German NFL Europa side Hamburg Sea Devils, and although his pace was a clear asset his handling skills were not enough for him to crack into the NFL and when the the European league disbanded in June 2007, he was left in limbo.

His recent turbulent return to athletics proved successful as he won a silver medal at the World Indoors, but he never seemed convinced it was a long term move.

Eye of the Tiger

Why he should even get the chance of a trial at the club is beyond me.

Fair enough Castleford are struggling and the idea of having a world class sprinter in the team may seem like a good idea in the clubhouse after yet another thumping, but really?

There are so many young aspiring players in the country who would give anything for a trial at a Super League club.

This move by Chambers makes a total mockery of both the league and all the hard work put in by the players trying to make it in the sport.

I just hope the team don't go easy on him during his trial, I doubt they will.

Football crazy, Football mad

2008-03-28T12:51:00.005Z

A bidder for Mansfield Town football club wants to rename the club Harchester United, in a tribute to the TV show The Dream Team.

John Batchelor is the man behind the scheme and he already has a history of controversy in the game.

When at York City, he changed their name to York City Soccer Club in an attempt to attract more interest and investment from overseas, especially the US.

Insulting

His new great idea seems fairly ridiculous and also fairly insulting to both the club and town.

Mr Batchelor said:"Harchester is more promotable than Mansfield. That's not any form of insult to Mansfield at all because it's a club with a long tradition but it's just a fact of life.

"Football supporters in general have to understand that if they want professional football in their town, they have to accept it has to be done on a commercial basis.

Although the team has always been a low-league team this should not limit their ambition to be a strong club in these leagues.

What cost?

If this bid is successful then they risk being the laughing stock of the whole football league. If you thought MK Dons was bad enough (looking for glory in Johnstone's Paint Trophy at Wembley this weekend), then this is just farcical.

A divide must be drawn between reality and fiction and the commercialisation of the country's main sport must not infiltrate and disrupt the integrity of the lower leagues.

Academy given European feel

2008-03-18T15:17:00.005Z

West Ham have always had a successful academy and now with the appointment of Gianluca Nani as technical director they hope to tap the international transfer market as well.

Lampard, Cole, Carrick and Ferdinand (x2) all came through the ranks at Upton Park and even John Terry and Sol Campbell spent some of their youth there.

In earlier years, Hurst, Moore and Brooking all wore the 'claret & blue' in their embryonic stage as footballers.

Scouting Chief

Now with the appointment of the Nani, 45, the club have made their intentions of success clear.

The Italian comes from Brescia, where he has been the club's sporting director since 1999.

His career at West Ham will start in earnest in June, but he has already met up with the manager to discuss possible summer transfers.

Multi-lingual

Capable of speaking English, Spanish and French he is bound to be a real asset to the club as they look to put the horrors of last season and this season's injury blighted campaign behind them.

As well as provided scouting assistance Nani will also help develop "The Academy" and youth players at the club.

Hopefully he will be able to uncover such gems as Andrea Pirlo and Luca Toni as he has in the past, and The Hammers brush with glory in the FA Cup and ensuing UEFA cup of two years ago won't be a one off.

Hamilton Sets the Pace

2008-03-15T13:46:00.004Z

Lewis Hamilton has carried over his searing pace from last season and stormed to the front of the grid for the first race of the F1 season in Melbourne.

Last season the rookie fell away in the last few races to hand Raikkonen the title. But Hamilton has already made his intentions clear for 2008 by claiming pole position in Australia.

It was not such a good qualifying session for the 'Iceman' who after problems with his Ferrari will start the race from 16th.

This gives Hamilton the ideal opportunity to score some points over the driver who is sure to be his closest rival for the championship.

The rest of the competition is fairly evenly matched and it should mean the points are shared around, allowing Hamilton and Raikkonen to go head to head for the title.

Alonso is not in a good enough car anymore, but if you want an outside bet for a driver then you could pick either of BMW's drivers, Kubica or Heidfeld.

Ashton dumps Balshaw and Regan

2008-03-05T14:43:00.004Z

Following England's impressive victory against France in the last round of the 6 Nations, Brian Ashton has heeded my advice and ousted Ian Balshaw and handed Danny Cipriani the no.15 shirt.

'Even Cipriani would offer more in the 15 shirt, while gaining valuable experience on the international scene for what is expected to be a long and illustrious career.

I just hope Ashton is not too belligerent and complacent to recognise that Balshaw does not deserve his place in the squad.'

Cipriani is a straight swap for the maligned Balshaw who is fortunate to be handed a place on the bench.

It is the only change in the backs which dominated the French with a blitz defence and surprisingly expansive attack.

Clown Dropped

In the pack Lee Mears replaces Mark Regan who is unfortunate to be dropped from the match day 22, as George Chuter retains his place amongst the substitutes.

James Haskell has not fully recovered from the knock he suffered to his ankle against the French, and his replacement in that game, Tom Croft, will make his first start for his country against the Scots in Murrayfield on Saturday.

Scotland have only made two changes to their starting XV, with Simon Taylor making a welcome return in the back row, replacing Kelly Brown at number eight.

The other change sees inside centre Graeme Morrison make his first start in four years.

Croke Chokers

The most interesting and important game of the weekend sees Ireland take on Wales at Croke Park.

If Wales can produce another big performance and beat the Irish then they will fancy their chances to win the Grand Slam when they host France at the Millennium Stadium in the last round of the competition.

France will waltz past Italy, even with a host of uncapped players making their debuts as part Lievremont's radical selection policy.

My Predictions:

England beat Scotland by 17

France beat Italy by 35

Ireland beat Wales by 2

England win in Paris

2008-02-24T18:11:00.007Z

England produced 80 minutes of quality rugby in Paris yesterday to see off a youthful French team by 11 points.

And today's comments by Marc Lievremont, that Mark Regan is a 'grotesque clown', simply highlighted the English success in getting under the skin of the home side.

As well as watching England beat France I also saw Wasps scrape past Bristol at Adams Park thanks to a late late try from replacement scrum-half Mark McMillan.

It was a thrilling game and one of the best live matches I have ever seen. A superb advert for the Premiership, especially during an international period when quality and consistency sometimes drop.

Carrying Passengers

The one thing that was apparent from the day's rugby was how on earth has Ian Balshaw made it into the England team?

His comical effort at catching a high ball followed by a ridiculous decision to let another high ball bounce before gathering could have easily handed the French easy points and a sniff of victory.

Quite what Brian Ashton thinks Balshaw brings to the team is unclear, and it is easy to name probably half a dozen players who could do better than the Gloucester man.

Lewsey, Tait, Morgan and Abendanon could all do a job.

Even Cipriani would offer more in the 15 shirt, while gaining valuable experience on the international scene for what is expected to be a long and illustrious career.

I just hope Ashton is not too belligerent and complacent to recognise that Balshaw does not deserve his place in the squad.

England look to wiggle past France

2008-02-21T12:11:00.006Z

Richard Wigglesworth has been named in England's starting XV to face France on Saturday night. Andy Gomarsall has dropped out of the squad altogether and as a result Paul Hodgson takes his place on the bench as replacement scrum-half.

The game against Les Bleus is a re-match of the World Cup Semi-Final which was also an 8pm kick off at the Stade de France.

Brian Ashton will be hoping his team can come up with the same result, but to do this they will have to produce a more consistent 80 minutes of rugby than they have done recently.

England's front row has been strengthened by the return of Phil Vickery and more notably Andrew Sheridan, who has been the powerhouse of the front five for the past 18 months.

Ian Balshaw has remarkably kept his place in the side with Matthew Tait still on the sideline. The only other change to the squad that edged past Italy two weeks ago sees Tom Croft replace Luke Narraway as back row cover on the bench.

Gallic Guile

The French team has once again been given a shake up by new coach Marc Lievremont, although his hand has also been forced by a number of injuries.Vainikolo for Gloucester

The success of the new half back pairing of Morgan Parra, who makes his first Test start, and Francois Trinh-Duc, could prove pivotal to the outcome of the game.

If the English pack can provide a suitable platform then Wilkinson should be able to control the game.

Hopefully this will allow Paul Sackey and Lesley Vainikolo to be brought into the game more often and their explosive attacking potency can be fully exploited.
Welsh Wizardry

In the weekend's other games, Wales should have no problems seeing off Italy at the Millennium Stadium, while the Ireland v Scotland encounter is intriguingly balanced.

Warren Gatland has made an impressive start to his tenure of the Welsh team and his side should easily see of the challenge of the Italians.

Although England managed to make them look like world beaters a couple of weeks ago, the reality is Italy are still looking like wooden spoon favourites.

Problems At Number 10

Mike Blair will captain the Scots from behind the scrum as Jason White has failed to recover from concussion.

Chris Paterson has been brought into play alongside Blair at 10 while Dan Parks drops to the bench.In the back row Gloucester player, Alasdair Strokosch, comes in at six. Other changes include the return of Rory Lamont and Simon Webster from injury.

Irish Woe

The Irish have made two changes to their team, Tommy Bowe replaces Geordan Murphy and Ireland's most-capped player Malcolm O'Kelly is dropped for Mick O'Driscoll.

Ireland nearly made a remarkable comeback against France in the last round but a poor performance against Italy and a woeful World Cup campaign will still be fresh in the mind.

Home advantage might see the Irish through but Scotland desperately need to solve their issues in the number 10 spot if they are to make an impact on the International scene.

Predictions:

England to beat France by 8
Wales to beat Italy by 20
Scotland and Ireland to draw

Fresh Betting Scandal Hits Tennis

2008-02-14T18:33:00.005Z

Three spectators were thrown out of the WTA Diamond Games in Antwerp this week for illegally betting on tennis matches.
They were caught using wireless laptops to bet on points which had not yet been registered online.

Faced with the option of handing over their computers or leaving, the trio decided to cut their loses and leave.

The two Germans and a Russian also had their photographs taken to stop them re-entering.

Advantage Scandal

This is the first case of such an offence taking place in tennis although the sport has been riddled with controversy involving gambling over the past 18 months.

Nikolay Davydenko, the world number four, is still under investigation by the ATP over match irregularities.

And three Italian players, Potito Starace, Alsip Di Mauro and Daniele Bracciali, have all been given bans for illegal betting.

Although this new story has a comedy tinge to it, it will still undoubtedly have a negative impact upon the already fragile sport.

Premier League Going Global

2008-02-07T18:28:00.000Z

The Premier League have announced the possibility of adding an extra game to the already brimming fixture list.

This 39th match of the season would take place overseas in one of five locations around the world.

Cities from Asia, the Middle East and North America are expected to fight it out to host the matches.

A final decision will not be made until January 2009 and the games wouldn't slip into the campaign until January 2011, but the ball has definetly been set in motion.

Benefits

The obvious benefits are that it will globalise the league and undoubtedly bring huge revenue to the clubs and the League.

Many Premier League clubs already have affiliations with clubs overseas, especially in the US where academies and scouting missions have been set up.

The move shows clear echoes of the NFL's decision to host a game at Wembley, where the recently crowned Super Bowl winners The New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins.

NHL and NBA games were also hosted in London last year.

The success of these games is hard to measure, especially in the long term. It is also hard to decide how to gauge this success.

Is success simply more money in the pockets of the owners of the clubs? If so then you have to question the integrity and value of such decisions.

Doubts

This new proposal is unlikely to bring anything extra to the Premier League, except money. Surely there is enough of that flying around already.

One fear that must be lurking in the back of some of the relegation perennials' minds is that they will draw Manchester United in China while one of their rivals will draw Fulham (or another crap team, sorry) and sneak three crucial points.

When the American-sports-wagon came to London last year I found it intriguing but not captivating.

American sport and culture is totally different to our own, and I like that uniqueness.

I guess that is what it comes down to, do you want to see a world where everything and everyone shares everything, and looks the same.

Personally I don't, but I can see the attraction, especially for those with dollars flashing in their eyes.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? LET ME KNOW.

Rose Wilts under Dragon's Fire

2008-02-03T11:20:00.000Z

Wales ecstatic with their first win at Twickenham for 20 years but England's abhorent second half performance steals the headlines.
England fielded a XV which promised to combine the dogedness of experience and the enterprise and vigour of youth, and for the first 50 minutes this promise shone through.

However as chance after chance slipped by for the home team one was compelled to begin fearing for the cost of those missed opportunities either side of the interval.

Control of the collision area, set pieces and a huge number of successful turnovers provided England with the sort of platform suited to gaining a 30 point lead, but this never materialised.

And then it went from bad to absolutely awful.

Schoolboy

A host of England's senior players including Gomersall, Wilkinson and Balshaw all conspired to produce rugby not worthy of a school boys fixture to hand the Welsh the game.
Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards are clearly two of the best coaches in the world but their expressions at the end of the game summed up the whole day. Amusement, they couldn't quite believe what England had just done.

Balshaw is one player who you feel has already used up his nine international lives and could be heading for the Saxons squad who performed remarkably better by finishing off the Irish on Friday.

Hopefully the rest of the team will be given a chance to redeem themselves, however a host of injuries could force Ashton's hand.

Heineken laced with Guinness

2008-01-20T18:49:00.000Z

Three Guinness Premiership teams will host home quarter-finals in this years Heineken Cup following strong performances in the pool stages.

London Irish, Gloucester and Saracens will all have home advantage come April when the knockout stage of the tournament kicks off.

Gloucester, who beat Ulster to top group two, will be glad to be at Kingsholm when they face Munster who continued their imperious home form by dumping reigning champions Wasps out of the tournament.

Rematch

Irish will host Perpignan who came through the same group as the Exiles as top runners up. They both recorded home wins in the pool, so a tight game at the Madejski is expected.

The final team representing the Premiership will be Saracens who finished as top seeds in group one. It will be their first appearance in the quarter-finals and they will need to beat the Ospreys if they are to progress any further.

The remaining fixture will see Cardiff travel to perennial challengers, Toulouse, who have won the competition three times.
All three Guinness teams have a strong chance of making it to the semi-finals and the prospect of another all English final is looking a firm possibility.

Burmese Chinlone, Capello's Answer?

2008-01-16T12:10:00.000Z

Chinlone is an ancient form of football originating from Burma that makes Ronaldo look like a Sunday league footballer.
Traditionally the Premiership is a fast paced, in your face league which doesn't take any prisoners.

Recently however, with the introduction of more foreign players and managers, the league has combined a skillful dimension to it which has added to its appeal.

Skillful that is, until you see someone play futsal or chinlone.

Futsal is basically five-a-side, but the emphasis is on improvisation, creativity and technique.

Most European and South American countries have professional futsal leagues and many believe this country should start promoting it in order to start producing more skillful and talented footballers.

Childs Play

Chinlone is slightly different, and more of an artform than a competitive sport.

A team of six players use their feet and knees in order to keep a mini 'football' in the air while walking in a tight circle.

It is a combination of sport and dance, and although it is a team sport there is never any opposition. The focus is not on winning or losing, but how beautifully one plays the game.

The sport is a Burmese legacy enjoyed by all ages of both sexes, and although Capello is unlikely to get Wayne Rooney and his chums wandering round in circles, the idea of introducing variations on the 11 man game should be welcomed.

This video shows how amazingly talented some of the players are.

This video shows how amazingly untalented some footballers are.

Volcano Ready to Erupt

2008-01-09T16:06:00.000Z

Brian Ashton announced his 32 man squad for the Six Nations today and it included a number of surprise decisions.

The biggest shock was the inclusion of Tongan rugby league convert Lesley Vainikolo at the expense of World Cup winner Josh Lewsey.

Other notable omissions included Dan Hipkiss, Olly Barkley, Magnus Lund and the Gloucester pair of Anthony Allen and Ryan Lamb.

Although to be fair England are besieged by talented 10s and 12s at the moment so it must have been a tricky decision for Ashton to pick two from at least three in both those positions.

Tricky Conversion

Vainikolo's inclusion comes as two of his former rugby league counterparts leave the international scene, Jason Robinson by choice, Farrell by force.

This week Farrell's son Owen joined him at Saracens although it will be a while until they could line up alongside each other (Owen is only 16). Farrell senior's International career however, appears to have limped to its conclusion.

Lesley 'The Volcano' Vainikolo should have more than enough talent to fill both their boots however.

With the power and strength of Farrell and the pace and finishing instinct of Robinson he is likely to prove a massive hit with the fans.

Just ask those up in Bradford about his try scoring ability. While playing for the Bulls he scored 149 tries in 152 games, and having already scored 9 in 9 for Gloucester he could be England's answer to the Cheetah.

Notice how all the best players get cool nicknames... Billy Whizz, The Volcano, Caveman, The Cheetah, Schalk "Would you like a penalty with that" Burger...

Murray's Mint Perfection

2008-01-04T16:10:00.000Z

Andy Murray reached the final of the first tournament of the season today at the Qatar Open.

He defeated Nikolay Davydenko 6-4 6-3 in the semis having already beaten Rochus, Schuettler and Johansson in Doha and he now faces Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland.

Last year Murray fell to Ivan Ljubicic in the final, but this year the Croatian was eliminated by the Swiss ranked 35 in the world.

If Murray can maintain his strong form then he will stand a good chance of breaking into the top five, which is his aim for the season. He will also have a realistic chance of winning a Grand Slam, for the first time.

Team Murray without a spearhead coach will have to ensure they contain the little dynamo and hopefully his girlfriend Kim Sears will also keep the boy from Dunblane on the path to glory.

Hammers Heading for Europe

2007-12-29T17:57:00.000Z

Two second half headed goals from the Irons defensive duo of Upson and Ferdinand was enough to give West Ham United their third consecutive win over Manchester United. Having done the double on the Red Devils (and Arsenal) last year West Ham have now proved themselves to be an official bogey team of Sir Alex.

Tevez got the winner for West Ham in the last game of last season, while this year he faced up against his old team mates from the East End.

However there was nothing he could do to stop his team slipping to only their third defeat of the campaign, even Portuguese 'wonder-kid' Ronaldo was unable to procure three points for the traveling team.

Upton Park is an extremely fickle place. Last week the crowd booed the team off following a dismal draw with ten men of Reading. This week the support was positively electric.

Welcome Home

Not many returning Hammers receive a warm reception at Upton Park, Lampard, Cole, Defoe and Ince could all testify to that, but such was the heroic impact of Carlos Tevez last season that he will always be fondly remembered.

It wasn't single handed, and you could argue his arrival with Mascherano was the catalyst for the demise in the first place, but Tevez definitely achieved the status of Hammers Legend in his brief spell at the club.

This latest win will keep West Ham in the hunt for a UEFA cup spot although most fans will be more than happy with a steady top ten finish after the traumas of last year.

The title race however is far from over and it is likely to go right down to the wire. And what price would you get for West Ham to complete a double double over United in the penultimate game of the season, to decide the championship?

Christmas Number One?

2007-12-20T13:07:00.000Z

If you could personify statistics I fear they would look rather like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Sometimes invaluably insightful, other times dangerously misleading.

Sport relies on rankings to determine who is the best, who is number one.

In most cases, they are taken as given, for example no-one would argue that Roger Federer is the best men's tennis player in the world, or Tiger Woods the best golfer.
But sometimes the computer throws up some curve balls that surprise even the purest of fans, and call into question how these stats are generated.

Googlies

Cricket is one sport which often has a dark cloud of confusion thrown over it by muddy statistics.

It is impossible to argue that the Aussies aren't the best Test and One Day team in the World, and that's great (really great), but the best of the rest are constantly being muddled.

Maybe it doesn't matter, maybe we should all just make up our own statistics. Opinion based statistics, now there's a good idea!

Pie in the Sky

Another annoyance of statistics is their over-use during live sport for which the blame must lie with the producer.

Sky Sports tend to be the worst offender. At the weekend when watching the first of their 'Grand Slam Super Duper Sunday' football matches, my eyes were distracted from the hi-octane action to a stat-flash letting me know that both teams had won one corner each.

I didn't think it could get much more exciting but it did. The next flash told me that for the last 5 minutes Liverpool had 76% of possession.

Both these stats were not only unnecessary and blindingly obvious but also an annoying distraction from the action.

A Pick of the Rankings

Football, Cricket, Rugby, Tennis, Golf

Black Day for RFU

2007-12-18T12:07:00.000Z

Last weekend saw the second leg of back to back matches in the Heineken Cup group stages in which the English teams had mixed results, although there was no lack of controversy.

Leicester were always going to lose to Toulouse in France as French teams seem to be almost unbeatable on 'la terre Francais'.

Illustrated by London Irish getting done over in Perpignan in snowy conditions. Although a flying elbow from Englishman Perry Freshwater, which left London Irish flanker Kieran Roche with a broken cheekbone, stole the headlines.
Gloucester continued their imperious form by bludgeoning Bourgoin 51-27 at Kingsholm, they now look set for a home quater-final.

Ryan Lamb was once again man of the match, and today's news that the CPS have dropped their case against him for public affray will give the Cherry-Whites some Christmas cheer.

Black Sting

The highlight of the weekend though was at Adams Park, where London Wasps held on to beat Clermont Auvergne 25-24.

Wasps dominated the first half under the magical control of prodigous new talent, Danny Cipriani.

Three scintilating tries and a penalty put Wasps in total control at half-time, 22-0. But the second half was a different story.

As Wasps went for the kill, they were twice caught on the break, once by Rougerie and once by Delasau.

But the real drama came on the hour when a fight broke out on the touchline, Jamie Cudmore rained down the punches onto the head of Wasps prop, Tim Payne.

As the fight spilled into the hoardings, a Wasps fan leant over and tried to wallop anything French with his programme. This man was Alan Black, a RFU employee, former Wasps captain and club member! He has since apologised and been given a season long ban from England and Premiership games.

Bonus Blunders

On the pitch Wasps contrived to give away the losing bonus point to Clermont as the French team scored a last minute try.

That means three points squandered in the double header, after throwing away a losing bonus point of their own last week, and the double wammy of missing the four try bonus and the losing bonus this week.

A win is a win though and two more against Llanelli (home) and Munster (away) will see them through to the quater finals which should be laden with English teams.

Arsenal's Fate Hinges on the Physio

2007-12-15T12:12:00.000Z

This Sunday sees the top four of the Premier League going to head to head in what is the biggest day of the season so far.

Both Arsenal and Liverpool slipped up last week dropping valuable points against Middlesbrough and Reading respectively.

Arsenal have been suffering a tough time of it on the injury front, with the midfield torn to shreds and their main goal threat all out of action.

This weekend they will be hoping that they see most of them return to the field. Fabregas and Van Persie have been their two best players over the last 18 months and they are both on the brink of recovering full fitness.

If these two return then I think the Gunners will retain their one point lead over Man United, as I cant see them losing to Liverpool.

Super Sunday

It indeed will be a Super Sunday, two top football games, Leicester vs Toulose in the Heineken Cup, and the BBC have finally got the rights to show the Hatton-Mayweather replay.

I predict, Arsenal, Man U and Leicester to come out on top, although I think Hatton might have met his match in the boxing, possibly a Mayweather win in the 10th?

Family Affair at Awards

2007-12-10T22:26:00.000Z

One month ago I predicted Joe Calzaghe would win the BBC Sports Personality Award, and your votes supported me. Last night he proved us right. But he wasn't the only Calzaghe to scoop a prize.
Joe's father and trainer Enzo won the award of best coach for his efforts in nurturing three world champions, his son Joe, cruiserweight Enzo Maccarinelli and light-welterweight Gavin Rees.

Calzaghe received his award in Vegas where he had been supporting his friend and boxing counterpart Ricky 'The Hitman' Hatton.

Had Hatton beaten pretty boy Floyd he would have given Calzaghe a much closer run for the top award although with two boxers in the top three, it has been a spectacular year for British pugilism.

A Few Surprises

Although Calzaghe's victory was no surprise, the BBC did throw in a few shocks. Firstly, James Toseland playing the piano (badly) and then Mark Ramprakash dancing (badly). Strange interludes to an otherwise impressive review of the sporting year.

The other shock was the England Rugby Team winning the team of the year award. Those that read my blogs regularly (hi mum) will know that I love rugby, but England did not deserve to win this award.

Two decent wins against the Aussies and Les Bleus in the World Cup in an otherwise dismal year. A poor Six Nations, a terrible tour of South Africa and an abysmal group stage of the RWC, should not have won them the award.

Oh well, I guess the memory of a sports fan is short, and that's probably a good thing anyway.

Here are the full results from last night:

1. Joe Calzaghe 177,748 (28.19%)
2. Lewis Hamilton 122,649 (19.45%)
3. Ricky Hatton 85,280 (13.53%)
4. James Toseland 84,570 (13.41%)
5. Jason Robinson 67,061 (10.64%)
6. Paula Radcliffe 34,895 (5.53%)
7. Jonny Wilkinson 30,302 (4.81%)
8. Andy Murray 13,242 (2.1%)
9. Justin Rose 10,227 (1.62%)
10. Christine Ohuruogu 4,481 (0.71%)

Total votes: 630,455

James Haskell - Part Three

2007-12-07T12:56:00.000Z

James Haskell has a bright future and if he can continue to improve and learn from those around him he may well earn as many England caps as his hero Lawrence Dallaglio. Today I ask him about his future in the England team and what he has gained from players and coaches at Wasps.
Haskell is a down to earth guy who knows he’s good but also knows he could be better.

“I think I’ve still got a long way to go, I feel confident and pleased with my ability, I’m trying to work as hard as I can in the areas I need to polish up.”

“I always need to improve skills, my tackling, my ball carrying things like that, all the little nuances, the rucking, you can only train so much which its about playing, I’m only 22 and only played about 35 games if that.”

When asked about his chances for selection for the Six Nations, his modesty kicks in.

“To be honest with you, I genuinely haven’t thought about it. I think if you do well playing for your club, especially one like Wasps, then hopefully, you will be considered.”

“Thinking about it now, I would be very disappointed if I didn’t have an opportunity, but nothing is guaranteed and you have to keep playing well, there are so many talented back row guys out there, it’s matter of keeping performing really. I would love to get another opportunity, to be involved again.”

Coaching Cream

At only 22 James is still in the infancy of his career, however he has already the chance to work and play with some of the best in the world.

With Sean Edwards lurking in the background James was quick to praise the coaching team.

“We’ve got a fantastic coaching setup, Sean is a legend an amazing coach and he’s very passionate about the game, he doesn’t just turn up, he thinks about it all the time.”

“Dowdy (Craig Dowd) is the most capped All Black prop, so he keeps our feet on the ground, I’m like a sponge just trying to soak it all up really.”

Welsh Kiwi

He also had the chance to gain experience from Warren Gatland the new Wales Coach.“He was a great man manager, a great coach in terms of the way he gave me and Tom (Rees) opportunities, he brought out the Wasps attitude of work hard play hard.”

And what of Warren’s new job?

“I think it will be very good for Wales, I was disappointed England didn’t look at him and might have taken him, because he is such a good coach.”

Heroes

It’s not just the coaches at Wasps, the players also inspire and encourage Haskell.

“The senior players like Lawrence, that is who I look at, Tom (Rees) and I are still very much learning, these guys have been there done it, witnessed the pitfalls.”

“Reesy and me have been in a similar boat, Tom has forged ahead and had the chance to play four or five games and establish his talent, I want to emulate him and get those opportunities.

“When he got into the World Cup I was gutted he didn’t play as much as he should have done, I would have liked to have done that but u know, I’m still fairly young so we’ve got a lot of time on our side to do things.”

This is the last part of my interview with James Haskell, I would like to thank both James and Wasps for the opportunity to do this.

James Haskell - Part Two

2007-12-06T12:16:00.000Z

James Haskell has had a varied and exciting career and he is still only 22. Today I ask him about his experiences with the Barbarians and the England Sevens Squad as well as his relationship with Matt Hampson.

Last year James played for an England XV against the Barbarians.

“It was my first real taste of being involved with England, I really enjoyed it.”

“It was a weird weekend, I was in Amsterdam playing Samurai Sevens, in a tournament we won, and I got a call saying ‘listen we want you to be involved in the England team against the barbarians’, I thought it’s a wind up”

“It was a great thing to play at Twickenham with an England squad playing against a team that had a lot of talent, I would love to do it again, whether it was for the Barbarians or England.”

Following the recent controversy with Premiership players being denied the chance to play for the Baa Baas I asked James what he thought of the situation.

“I think it’s disappointing, the Baa Baas will lose their mystique, they will struggle.”

“However, clubs can’t afford to have these players missing, results are so important, because at the end of the day it’s a business I do understand both points of view.”

Sevens

The Barbarians are famous for playing champagne rugby, as style of play which also makes the IRB Sevens Series so exciting.

“I really enjoy sevens, I think it has a really important role. I can see the benefits from working with Phil Greening and Mike Friday, it was invaluable, it helped my game 10 fold”

Although he does admit it has its limitations as far as developing the 15-man game

“I don’t think going to every game would be good for me, but I would like to get a tournament under my belt every season, keep things ticking over. I think it helps you as a rugby player, but it can detract a bit from 15s.”

And as far as future opportunities in 7s go James understands it’s not all in his hands.

“I have spoken to them (Wasps) but I’m not sure they would let me go yet, but I’m sure if I don’t play very well they might boot me out!”

Matt Hampson Trust

As well as all of James’ rugby exploits he also finds time to support the Matt Hampson Trust.

Following the collapse of scrum during England U21 training in 2005 Hampson tragically became a quadriplegic.

However the support he has been given by those in the game has been phenomenal.

“I was obviously there, at the time, playing in the scrum when he hurt himself.”

“I think, its very easy at this time of life to not except your own mortality, and not appreciate what opportunities you have and how lucky you are.”

“I speak to Matt all the time, he so positive about lots of things.”

“If I was in a similar circumstance I wouldn’t be as strong or brave, it’s made me see more of my character, and its puts a perspective on things.”

“Hopefully if I could show half the courage and determination he’s got then I will be able to go a long way.”

This is Part Two of my interview with James Haskell. Tomorrow – Haskell on his future in the England team and the players and coaches who have helped him along the way.

James Haskell - Part One

2007-12-04T18:09:00.000Z

Wasps have been at the top of English rugby for a number of years. They have consistently challenged for and won silverware and also regularly provided a number of key players for England. Last week I got the opportunity to speak to James Haskell one of their rising stars and find out what the future holds for both himself and the club.

James Haskell is part of one the most exciting and dynamic squads in the Premiership and his talent hasn’t gone unnoticed. Last year he won his first England caps during the Six Nations when he formed an all Wasps back row with Tom Rees and Joe Worsley.

Since then he was unlucky to be cut from the final World Cup Squad but his form for club should ensure he doesn’t remain on the sidelines for long.

“When I came back from the world cup training squad I looked at the guys around the team and there was so much talent”

Slow Start

However it didn’t all go to plan in the early stages of the season.

“The results didn’t go our way but only due to a few minor details, we turned the ball over too much, a lack of discipline, and our leadership and direction.”

“That is the sort of thing the England guys brought back, its pretty good we’ve got the confidence back, because we have a lot of talent.”

Back to back wins over Newcastle and a number of other impressive wins in both the EDF and Heineken Cup have put Wasps’ season back on track.

“We turned the results round in the Heineken Cup and the EDF, and we’ve carried that through. But it’s all down to the hard work we’re putting in and the guys are taking more pride in their performances and lowered the error rate and that’s the key really”

‘A’ Team

Coinciding with the success of the first team the ‘A’ team have also started their season with a bang. Three impressive wins from three have made them early favourites to repeat their glory from last year. Having played a number of games for the A team over recent seasons I asked Haskell if he has had a chance to watch any games.

“Unfortunately I haven’t been able to get down to one, but the good thing about Wasps is that we are all part of one squad, one team.”

“The players try to take an interest in everything that happens, I’m always interested to see them doing well, it’s a mark of the talent in the squad.”

It’s also a good chance for the first team players to keep an eye over their shoulder for up and coming players.

“I’m not a great watcher of games I could potentially be involved in, when you see your competition playing well it's never a nice feeling.”

This is Part One of my interview with James Haskell. Tomorrow – Haskell on the Baa Baas, Sevens and Matt Hampson.

Coventry Teetering on Edge of Abyss

2007-12-04T16:24:00.000Z

Coventry City fans could be handed a miserable early Christmas present next week if no one decides to buy them out.

The club officially registered to go into administration yesterday and they now have ten days for someone to put an offer in.

If there are no offers they will be docked the mandatory 10 points which will see them move into the drop zone at the foot of the Championship.

It's not all doom and gloom though as the club insist this is a controlled decision which will simply speed up their sale, and ultimatley their revival.

"This is merely a process protecting the bank and its creditors, and should speed up the potential takeover and therefore take Coventry City into a solvent financial situation." the club said.

The expected new owner is Ray Ranson and Sisu Capital, however it is a gamble and if it falls through they could be in serious trouble.

Slippery Slope

Ian Dowie has already threatened to leave if the club lose ten points, and their prospects for survival would be slim, especially as they are currently under a transfer embargo.

If they do go down they could join a host of teams all who have been in the Premiership in recent years.

Oldham (last in the premiership - 94), Leeds (04) and Nottingham Forest (99) are all already in League One, and with Norwich (05) and QPR (96) also in the drop zone, it could be high profile league next season.

Coventry were forced into this situation by debts which reached £38mill, and now they must pray someone will save them, otherwise they will begin the all too familiar slide down the leagues into the footballing wilderness.

Baa Baas Batter Boks

2007-12-02T22:12:00.000Z

Jason Robinson took his final bow on the international stage on Saturday as the Barbarians provided an apt display to shock the weary World Champions.

I was lucky enough to be at Twickenham for his send off and his team did not disappoint.

Right from the off Justin Marshall and Matt Giteau pulled the strings and although South Africa enjoyed sustained periods of pressure the Baa Baas took the lead through Giteau with a straight forward penalty.

He extended their lead soon after with a magical length of the field team try.

After a couple of missed chances from the Barbarians the Springboks finally crossed the whitewash, as Schalk Burger's late replacement Pieterse leaped over the line.

Rocky

That was all the World Champions would get out of the game with Martyn Williams and Rocky Elsom scoring suitably exciting tries either side of half-time to leave the final score 22-5.

In the second half the rain started to lash down and the quality suffered as a result, although the enterprise and adventure never lacked.

And it didn't dampen the atmosphere in the stadium either as Jason Robinson received a rapturous standing ovation.

Following a peerless career in both codes of rugby Robinson produced a vintage performance and helped set up the second try with a trademark jinking run from the loose.

Minnows Rewarded

2007-11-30T12:30:00.000Z

The IRB announced today that the 2011 Rugby World Cup to be held in New Zealand will still have 20 teams competing for the Webb Ellis Cup.

After the success of the Minnow nations at this years World Cup the IRB have gone back on an earlier agreement to cut numbers to 16.

Hosts New Zealand will be aggrieved by this decision as it will complicate the logistical organisation of the tournament.

The All Blacks also feel the lack of competitive matches they had in this year's pool games directly resulted in their early exit from the tournament.

For rugby as a global sport this is a huge decision from the IRB, and after their weakness in giving the 2011 tournament to New Zealand instead of Japan, it is a fresh vote of confidence for the emerging nations.

Exciting Emergents

"The developing nations at Rugby World Cup 2007 have produced significantly enhanced performances since RWC 2003." said IRB chairman Dr Syd Millar.

Every team in the recent World Cup provided excellent entertainment for the French crowds.

All of the South Sea Island teams competed ferociously, while Georgia, Romania, Portugal and Namibia also turned in some massive performances.

Hopefully the IRB will also recognise the need for improved investment in these developing rugby nations and a more equal playing field can be created for the greatest sport in the World.

An impressive touchdown, and how American Football should be played!

2007-11-29T16:09:00.000Z

Scotland Beat Boo

2007-11-25T23:50:00.000Z

Scotland won the Golf World Cup this weekend for the first time in its 54 year history.

Having just lost out to Germany in a play off last year, this time they clinched the title on extra holes against the US.

Colin Montgomerie and Marc Warren played superbly all week and held off the nerves to beat an unfancied American pairing of Boo Weekley and Heath Slocum.

In a hotly contested final round the French team finished a shot behind with the English pair of Justin Rose & Ian Poulter one behind them.

Guinness Back on Tap

Also this weekend the Guinness Premiership roared back into action after a lengthy European lay off.

Leicester, Gloucester, Bath and Saracens all won, but victories from Wasps and Sale stole the headlines.

Danny Cipriani led Wasps to a convincing win against Newcastle who struggled without a fly half.

And Luke McAlister stole the show on his eagerly anticipated debut for the Sharks in a comprehensive victory over Worcester.

Both Sale and Wasps should mount a strong challenge for the championship now with full squads back in place, although they will not be looking forward to the 6 Nations.

Bent Straight In

2007-11-18T18:44:00.000Z

Second chances are rare things in sport but England were given a massive life line this weekend as Israel maintained an impressive home record by beating Russia 2-1 in Tel Aviv.

Now all England need to do is not lose to current group leaders Croatia
on Wednesday at Wembley.

This whole qualifying campaign has been embarrassing, but now England have the unexpected opportunity to top the group if they can win 2-0 or by a three goal margin.

That is far from certain however as England's goal scoring options look set to be based on a giraffe and a couple of North London bench warmers.

Crouch will play, but if he has a partner up front he is unlikely to have played much football this season.

Between them, Defoe and Bent have made 10 starts and scored 7 goals, not great figures, but then choices are limited.

The leading English goal scorer in the premiership is U21 player Agbonlahor with 5 and fans favourite Lee Bowyer one behind with 4.

A Long Journey

It has been more than two years since McClaren kicked off his tenure with the England team in the first game of the qualifying tournament.

That day England beat Andorra 5-0 with Defoe scoring twice and Phillip Neville getting an assist. Hmmm.... Phillip Neville....

Anyway, two years and a string of disappointing results later and England look set to have another chance of letting us down at a major championship.

Sadly they look likely to be the only British team, unless David Healy can once again inspire N.Ireland to an historic win in Spain and Latvia win in Stockholm.

Premiership Pitfalls

2007-11-15T22:46:00.000Z

This weekend the Barclays Premier League will take a rest for some International games but should they carry on regardless?

In football, the top clubs and their managers dominate the game, what they says goes and the rest just follow like sheep.

The Guinness Premiership doesn't stop for anyone, whether there is a World Cup or the annual Six Nations, they keep playing.

This has a two fold benefit to the league.

Firstly it gives the teams lower in the league with less internationals, a chance to gain some momentum and confidence, and record some wins.

Talent Development

It also gives the more successful teams a chance to field some younger players and give them game-time at the top level.

It is accepted in rugby, and the teams have to prepare for these times by trying to make sure they have strength in depth.

There is no doubt that it helps develop domestic emerging talent in the country.

Money Matters

Football is obviously a whole different world, run on ridiculous amounts of money and with entirely different motives.

There are other issues too, many more nations play football and international weekends would hit the lower teams to a similar extent as the top teams.

The real problem with the football league system is the vast divides between the top tier and the rest.

Vicious circles are in abundance, the top teams have more money, brought about by success and this then feeds more success.

Secret Circle

Teams outside the European elite don't stand a chance of ever making a serious impact, and if a team does break through then investment is key, look at Leeds.

They made it, then gambled and then lost it, in the most dramatic of ways.

Even teams just trying to make an impact in the Premier League after promotion from the Championship struggle.

So maybe they shouldn't follow suit of the Guinness Premiership on international weekends but change could definitely make the game more exciting.

Seeds Struggle in Shanghai

2007-11-13T22:45:00.000Z

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have dominated world tennis over the past two or three years, but now their dominance is under threat.

The season's finale in Shanghai has already thrown up some unexpected results, with Nadal losing to compatriot David Ferrer and Federer losing to Fernando Gonzalez.

Novak Djokovic, the third seed, has already been knocked out following losses to the on form Ferrer and Richard Gasquet.

With the top seeds all struggling to make the semi finals and after David Nalbandian beat Federer and Nadal in back to back Masters Series wins in Madrid and Paris, mens tennis is looking as competitive as ever.

Match Fixing

Although match fixing controversy is lurking over the sport like a menacing storm cloud, the tennis being played is as good as it has been for 20 years.

It seems as if the ATP have taken the easy option of banning a less well known player for betting scandals.

Alessio di Mauro, world number 124 was the player chosen to feel the flex of the ATP's muscles and hopefully it will stem any further scandal in the sport.

How sportsmen who are already making more than enough money could gamble all of their success and morals for a few extra dollars is incomprehensible, and the ATP are right to stamp it out, lets hope the damage done is not irreversible.

Heineken Cup Kicks Off With A Bang

2007-11-11T22:09:00.000Z

This weekend one of the greatest competitions in world rugby kicked off in superb form.

The Heineken Cup pits the top European club teams against each other in Test like conditions.

This weekend the first round of pool matches began, and a standard was set that wouldn't disappoint the International game.

Defending champions London Wasps sneaked a thrilling victory against perennial hopefuls and past winners, Munster, 24-23.

In the best game of the round a young and dynamic Wasps team twice came from behind to inch past a Munster side full of Irish internationals keen to prove a point following a dire World Cup.

Having made a poor start to the domestic season, Wasps, back with a near full strength team, look like they will once again be fighting to the end for some silver ware.

Danny Cipriani, James Haskell and Tom Rees are the leading force in a young and exciting team which along with some bright prospects at Gloucester are set to form the back bone of the future England squad.

Gloucester themselves won their first round encounter this weekend with a 32-14 away win at Ulster, in a mixed weekend for English teams.

The beauty of the competition is the depth, at least ten teams have a reasonable chance to win it, and nothing less than the best will be enough.

With the prospect of Argentina joining the 'Six Nations', Europe and the Northern Hemisphere is looking like maintaining a formidable opposition to the ever imposing South.

BBC Sports Personality Awards

2007-11-06T23:01:00.000Z

Six months ago, there wouldn't have been a bookies in the land who didn't have Lewis Hamilton as their favourite for this year's award, however now the field is wide open, and the contest looks set to be the most exiciting for years.

Careers and seasons are made in moments and as one rash overtaking move at Interlagos undid all of Hamilton's good work, one putt on a play off hole made Justin Rose's season.

Hamilton is still favourite to win the prize on Sunday 9th December and he probably will, however he faces stiff competition from competitors in a wide range of sports.

Two boxers stand a good chance, and if Ricky Hatton wins his big fight against Floyd Mayweather the night before the awards, he is sure to improve his odds.

The other boxer, Joe Calzaghe, affectionately know as 'The Italian Dragon', has been a dominating force in boxing for an entire decade, 44 undefeated bouts is incredibly impressive and there have been few boxers in the world to come close to this feat.

Other athletes in with a chance include: Paula Radcliffe, Frankie Dettori, Jonny Wilkinson, Justin Rose, Christine Ohuruogu and the now retired Tim Henman.

However this throws up the age-old problem of, what requirements are there to win the award?

Is it a personality award, for the person who has brought the most to sport? Or is it an award for the greatest achievment in sport over the past year?

Personally I feel it should go to the individual who has consistantly achieved the most over the year in their sport.

Therefore I don't think Hamilton should win because... well he didn't win, he choked. You can't give the award to a loser!

Harsh maybe, but either Calzaghe or Rose should win in my book, consistantly at the top of world sport and both winners.

Who do you think should win?

THE PAST TEN CHAMPIONS:

2006: Zara Phillips
2005: Andrew Flintoff
2004: Kelly Holmes
2003: Jonny Wilkinson
2002: Paula Radcliffe
2001: David Beckham
2000: Steve Redgrave
1999: Lennox Lewis
1998: Michael Owen
1997: Greg Rusedski

Rose Finally Blossoms

2007-11-06T09:51:00.000Z

Justin Rose tried his best to emulate Lewis Hamilton on Sunday by throwing away a four shot lead on the final round of the Volvo Masters.

In the end Rose hung on to win a three-way play-off against compatriot Simon Dyson and Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen.

In doing so, the 27 year old did enough to snatch the European Order of Merit from the controversially absent leader Ernie Els.

Els' absence was a further sign of the power of money and sponsorship disrupting the world of sport.

The Big Easy was obliged to leave the European Tour for the final weekend and fulfil a three year commitment at the Singapore Masters, where he missed the cut.

Money Matters

Ernie won the Order of Merit in 2003 and 2004 and after winning the World Matchplay at Wentworth (£1mill) held a slender lead over Rose and last years winner, Padraig Harrington.

It was never going to be enough though and Rose, who has been one of the most consistent players at the Majors this season fully deserved the crown.

Now he needs to really focus his game on winning a Major, he definitely has the swing and composure to do it, so good luck to him.

Tv Picks

2007-11-02T18:51:00.000Z

This weekend marks the closing stages of some long seasons, and maybe the defining moments of those recently underway.

The MOTOGP season comes to a close in Valencia on Sunday at 12.45 and the New York Marathon featuring Paula Radcliffe follows on BBC TWO.

There is more EDF cup rugby this weekend on BBC ONE, Leicester hosting Cardiff in what should be a humdinger, sensible money on the Tigers though, kick off Saturday 2.15pm.

ATP tennis is on the tennis channel and it is a crucial weekend, the closing stages of the Paris Masters which will decide who reaches the end of season finale in Shanghai, Murray in with a good shout if he can beat Gasquet.

Make sure you grab updates on BBC Sport online.

The New Boys

Setanta continue to build their way in the sports market with some tasty treats this weekend.

From the SPL they have Celtic vs Kilmarnock at midday on Saturday and the Edinburgh derby between Hearts and Hibs on Sunday at one.

Premiership wise they are showing Blackburn vs Liverpool on Saturday evening.

They also have some Magners league action Saturday evening and a variety of European football over the weekend if that is your thing.

The big event for Setanta this week however is the Joe Calzaghe fight which should start about half one Sunday morning, either set your alarm, or leave the club early!

The Big Game

The second rugby league test between Great Britain and New Zealand is again on Sky, Saturday evening with Sunday Highlights on the Beeb 1130-1230.

SkySports also have full coverage of the Volvo Masters from Valderrama where Justin Rose, currently 4 shots ahead, is battling it out with Padraig Harrington to win the European Order of Merit aka the 'richest guy on tour'.

Sky's coup de grace however is 'the big game', Arsenal vs Man United, Saturday lunchtime.

Personally I will be getting geared up for my big game, St Lawrence Reserves vs Chipstead 3rds, come on the Saints!

Oh just incase you were wondering what ITV are up to this weekend... bugger all... they seemed to peak a couple of weeks ago and are still recovering.

By Popular Demand

2007-10-31T13:07:00.001Z

Sam Mcguffie - some sort of all american football hero/freak.

Olympic Team Dreams

2007-10-30T14:01:00.000Z

Much debate is going on at the moment whether or not Great Britain will field an Olympic football team in 2012.

Some of the home nations are keen and some aren’t.

It would be bizarre to see a 'Lions' football team and if it did happen what would the team look like?

Even though England are struggling at the moment, it's hard to see many none English players forcing their way in, maybe in 5 years time though.

The notion of Team GB is intriguing mainly because football does not mix it up enough.

In rugby union and league there are the Lions, the Barbarians and occasionally Hemisphere teams, all of which add an extra dimension to the game.

You also have rugby sevens, which is constantly growing in popularity and narrowly missed out on inclusion in the Olympics.

Fair enough, there are plenty of football games in the calendar already, a league of 20 teams, European club football, two domestic cups and the demands of international football, but maybe there should be space for some fun.

How about 7-a-side football!

I would love to see Fabregas roaring round a pitch showing off his skills, I doubt Wenger would share my enthusiasm though.

Maybe that's a non starter but why not organise a couple of friendly invitational matches or even a short Lions tour.

I can guarantee that no Premiership managers would support these games, but I feel there is too much emphasis placed on club football.

In rugby, playing for your country or the Lions is the highlight of a career, in football playing in the Champions League would be the pinnacle.

This is evident in the passion and determination shown in international players of both sports.

I welcome the idea of Team GB and other one off teams, and I think the relevant governing bodies should also show their support.

Globalisation of Sport

2007-10-29T00:11:00.000Z

What's wrong with a bit of individuality and personality these days?

It seems there is an insatiable need for every corner of the world to look the same. Now this is not a political blog so I'm not going to get involved in any anti-capitalist, globalisation rant. I do however feel that there should be space for each country to maintain its unique identity.

American sports are great and they form a massive part of American culture. Likewise rugby, cricket and football provide the backbone to English culture.

We don't need 'Global Sport', soccer or cricket are never going to rival the big four sports in the US and vice versa in the UK. Why try? Some things just aren't meant to be.

I used to really look forward to catching the US sports run down on Trans World Sports on a Sunday morning, but that's where it should stay.

Stick to what you do best, I say.

What's On The Box?

2007-10-27T11:38:00.000+01:00

This will be quite a busy weekend of sport, and there is some good coverage on the BBC.

The Anglo-Welsh Cup kicks off this weekend, and going on last night's opener between Sale and Cardiff it should be another great tournament. Worcester vs Ospreys and Bristol vs Scarlets are the games featured on the BBC.

There is also the usual mix of horse racing (boring!) and football coverage.
For me one of the most interesting watches will be the highlights from the NFL match at Wembley, come on the Phins!

And the final treat on the Beeb is highlights of the bound to be bruising rugby league international between Great Britain and New Zealand.

Also on terrestrial, Five have their dubious Football Italiano show on Sunday which will have Roma vs Milan. Having stolen all the big shows in recent weeks, ITV seem to be all out of excitement this weekend.

Sky

Sky Sport have some rather uninteresting Championship football games this weekend, although they make up for it with some belting live rugby games scheduled.

It is Currie Cup Final weekend, South African rugby's domestic competition in which the Cheetahs and Lions fight it out this year. The rugby League (GB vs NZ) is also live on Sky Sports.

The new boys on the TV, Setanta have also bagged some action, they have the Hammers vs Pompey game live and a host of other shows including some tennis, Magners league highlights and various other random sports.

Springboks Sidestep Soweto

2007-10-25T22:27:00.000+01:00

Sadly I have already written about the demise of Spurs this week and I don't want to keep kicking them while they are down... well maybe I do... but I won't.

Instead I want to look at race and rugby in South Africa.

The history of the Springboks is fairly eventful to say the least.

It wasn't until 1992 that the current Rugby Union was established with the unification of the former whites-only South African Rugby Board and the non-racial South African Rugby Union.

This led to readmission into international rugby after eight years of isolation due to apartheid.

Episode One

During the 1995 RWC, hosted and won by SA, the Springboks were the toast and hope of the 'Rainbow Nation'. An emotional closing ceremony with Mandela passing over the Webb Ellis Trophy to Pienaar was meant to be symbolic. Chester Williams was the first post-apartheid black player to where the green and gold and it was expected that the sport would now reach out into the townships.

However for various reasons this never happened.

Ten years of scandal, misery and embarrassment meant that it wasn't until Jake White stepped up from U21 coach that there was any hope.

A New Hope

Having comfortably won this year's World Cup it was once again hoped that rugby in South Africa could reach out to the clearly fervent support in the black regions, and discover more players.

I strongly believe that the strongest XV players should line up at kick off, no matter their colour, I also feel that rugby is a sport that should support all corners of all countries. Coaching and money should be invested in the game where there are people who want to play, and South Africa as World Champions should set a standard.

The Empire Strikes Bok

Unfortunately it looks like Sarfu have not learned any lessons from 1995. Yesterday the planned visit of the returning champions to the Township of Soweto was canceled and the disappointment was clear to see.

"We're devastated about it. We were expecting to see our heroes within the backyard of Soweto," said Johannes Mhlongo, captain of the Soweto Rugby Club.

Lets hope I'm wrong and they have learned some lessons.

Try of the World Cup

2007-10-24T13:04:00.000+01:00

Now I watched most of the games in the RWC but I did miss USA Vs South Africa, so it wasn't until yesterday that I saw Takudzwa Ngwenya's try. Simply because he skinned Habana is why it gets my vote as try of the tournament, although there was some tough opposition, and Corleto's try in the 3rd place game was a tight second. What do you think, which was the try of the tournament for you? I have posted a video of Takudzwa Ngwenya's try, enjoy...

Easy for Arsenal

2007-10-24T12:51:00.000+01:00

It doesn't get much more comprehensive than 7-0 in the Champions League, in fact Arsenal's hammering of Slavia Prague last night equaled the biggest ever win in the tournament's history.

A fresh faced Gunners squad seem to back at their free flowing best, and they have a good chance of winning some serious silver ware this season. Even Walcott scored and maybe 12 months after he was a 'guest' in the England World Cup Squad, he might start proving that Sven was actually on to something.

Spurs can't defend manager

2007-10-23T10:22:00.000+01:00

Tottenham continued their dreadful start to the season last night with a 3-1 defeat up at Newcastle.

It's been the same story for a while now, Spurs can't defend, one clean sheet all season is not going to get you into Europe. Last night was no different, Michael Dawson being the main offender as he was responsible for Newcastle's first two goals.

There's no doubt that they have the talent up front, any team in the league would take their attack. But the fact is they have conceded on average over two goals a game, meaning they need to score two just to get a point.
Only Derby have conceded more goals, and only by one goal, and don't forget they lost 5-0 to Arsenal and 6-0 to Liverpool.

I'm a West Ham fan, so seeing the demise of Spurs isn't exactly upsetting me, in fact it's put a bounce in my step. Martin Jol is surely about to be thrown into the Exhange and Mart of football managers, and whoever comes in needs to spend wisely in January.

NO MORE STRIKERS! It's simple, spending £16m on Bent (more than Henry don't forget)when you already have Defoe, Berbatov and Keane is confused to say the least.

Sadly I don't think Spurs will be in this position come May, the Hammers of 2003 were the best team to get relegated and that's not going to change this season. They could easily still finish in the top ten and I fancy they will.

Good thing we didn't watch the game in Sevenoaks!

2007-10-22T17:29:00.000+01:00

Sevenoaks in the Dark

Memorable Week For English Sport

2007-10-21T23:38:00.000+01:00

Hamilton threw it all away, Macca lost the plot, and an Australian and Irishman successfully conspired against us in Paris.
All this shows the brilliance and unpredictability of sport, if it always went your way it wouldn't be the same when you win.
Four years ago it went our way, this time it didn't. That's sport.

Although Hamilton could still steal the title following an alleged breach of regulations by Williams and BMW, his immaturity showed at the first corner at Interlagos.
Raikkonen, although possibly the most boring guy in sport, still deserves the title, and it would be a shame if the stewards decided the championship. One thing we can be sure of, F1 is on the up, and next season will attract big crowds.

Definite Try?

I think we all know it was a try, even the Saffas in the pub agreed, but did any of us really expect an Aussie to do us a favour. "We all hate England" was the quote from John O'Neill, well you know what, we're not all that keen on most of you either.

Anyway enough moaning, it was a great World cup, and of the five I can just about remember it tops the bunch, even the third place game was a classic, and as far as the poll at the bottom goes, the Pumas get my vote.

Cherry Whites Keen On Guinness

2007-10-20T10:58:00.000+01:00

While all eyes have been firmly fixed on the Rugby World Cup over the past couple of months, the Guinness Premiership has been racing through the gears.

Gloucester set the early tone with a five try haul from ex Bradford Bulls star Lesley "the volcano" Vainikolo, closely followed with a win away at Leicester.
Still unbeaten the young squad with the likes of Ryan Lamb and Anthony Allen at the fore will surely be top of the tree come May.
Oh and don't forget they have Chris Patterson, the leading International goal kicker and Jeremy Paul, former Wallabies hooker, still to make their debut against London Irish on Sunday.

Elsewhere, the end of a World Cup always signals an exodus of Southern Hemisphere talent around the country, and this year is no different.

Luke McAlister, was arguably the one man to eclipse Dan Carter in the All Blacks team in France (and Wales), and his game is sure to bring more smiles to the Edgeley Park faithful up at Sale. Rory Lamont, another promising signing by Saint-Andre, continued his impressive World Cup form for Scotland with a try scoring debut for the Sharks in a win over Saracens last night.

Boks and All Blacks

Chris Jack, although nearing the end of an illustrious career, will still attract crowds at Saracens, even if just to rib him over getting knocked out by France again.

Carl Hayman regarded as the best tight-head prop in world rugby, will add some much needed steel and nouse to the Newcastle front row, while Springboks Butch James(World Cup runner up 2007) and Michael Claasens will offer that extra bit of class down at Bath.

Aaron Mauger is another silver fern on his way over, and could form an exciting centre partnership with England hopeful Dan Hipkiss in the Tigers midfield.

Also All Blacks star Rico Gear, along with fellow Kiwis Greg Rawlinson and Sam Tuitupou have been lured to Worcester by Mike Ruddock to form a squad which should now avoid the dreaded drop to League One.

These are just the pick of the signings, and there will no doubt be a number of new names popping up who could feature in a new look England squad come the Six Nations. All in all the Guinness Premiership is set for an exciting year, and once teams have full squads again, it will really hit top gear.

Van Persie out as Internationals take their toll

2007-10-19T09:55:00.000+01:00

Robin van Persie will be out for at least a month after injuring his knee playing for Holland.
Now although hating Arsenal with a passion is a past time of mine I am actually upset by this news, he was the key striker in my fantasy team.
Van Persie is going to miss a number of crucial games for the Gunners. Both Champions League matches and fixtures against Liverpool and Manchester United back to back after this weekend's Bolton match.
Arsenal have shown some impressive form this season, and have scored freely and defended strongly.
Fabregas has been the key player for them without a doubt, but missing Van Persie could seriously damage their run. He has scored some absolute humdingers this year, and although Adebayor has shown glimpses of class, he is not yet a complete premiership player.
So anyway, I'm going to have to find a replacement for Van Persie which does upset me, but the thought of Arsenal dropping down the table puts a wry smile on my face.

British teams humbled in Europe

2007-10-18T09:54:00.000+01:00

What a night, in contrast to some awe inspiring weekends of rugby, last night was an abysmal evening of sport.

Only Wales could manage a win, while England and Scotland lost out to Russia and Georgia, and Northern Ireland drew with Sweden, the best result of the night.
After a brief purple patch England returned to old ways yesterday afternoon, and are now relying on Israel nicking some points off the Russians to have a chance of reaching the finals.

I can just about remember when England failed to qualify for the '94 World Cup when we conceded an early yet crucial goal to San Marino. I remember being dumbfounded then, and now it's happening again.

To be honest watching England play football has never been something I enjoy or look forward to, and secretly I would be quite relieved if England don't reach the finals.
It is a shame though, I honestly thought the team had turned a corner after recent results, but I guess that was fairly naive of me, England football will always be the same, disappointing.

Murray marches on in Madrid

2007-10-17T09:01:00.000+01:00

Two comfortable wins now for Murray, as he progressed into the third round of the Madrid Masters last night.
Now he will face either Marcos Baghdatis or second seed Rafael Nadal and it will be interesting to see if can maintain his impressive form.
It is the one thing lacking in his game, consistency. He can have two or three cracking matches in the early rounds, but too often he then loses form and comes unstuck.
He needs to keep reaching finals if he wants to get himself set in the top ten and start challenging for Grand Slams.
What better way to start than by seeing of Nadal in the next round.

Can Tait keep pace with the cheetah?

2007-10-16T11:36:00.000+01:00

Having taken the World Sevens stage by storm, Matthew Tait was quickly thrown into the lions den of international rugby and promptly chewed up and spat out by Gavin Henson.
Now he faces a new challenge, Bryan Habana.
The fastest player in international rugby, and the deadliest finisher. If he scores in the final he will have scored the most tries in a World Cup, eclipsing the mighty Jonah Lomu.
Matthew Tait is likely to be the guy given the task of keeping Habana in check and it will not be easy, but if anyone can keep up with him then it's Tait.