2013 A Year In Rugby

2013 has been a strange year in rugby, with moments of brilliance often overshadowed by politics and the laws of the game. The scrum, new TMO laws, European rugby crisis, this years list of issues in rugby seems longer than normal. However, there have been moments on the field to talk about, many of these moments were of the very highest quality.

Warren To Stay With Wales

Warren Gatland has confirmed that he will extend his stay in Wales until after the 2019 World Cup. He began his tenure in Wales in 2007, honouring his new contract until 2019 would comfortably make him the longest serving top flight international coach. A record that would hold significance for Gatland after he was unfairly sacked by Ireland after just three years. His only venture into international management before he arrived in Wales. There is a feeling that Gatland wants that record to prove that he has matured into a successful international manager.

FIFA World Cup - Six Months To Go

There is now only six months to go until the FIFA World Cup finally arrives in Brazil. The stage is set, we know the 32 teams that will be in Brazil, what we don't know is where the matches will be played. The organization process has been a comedy of errors, leaving people worried if the stadiums will be ready in time. If there is one thing that the poor organization has shown us, it is that football fans can only focus on one badly organised World Cup at a time. Its been a long time since anybody mentioned the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Heineken Cup Welsh Review

Another mixed week for the Welsh sides in a weekend littered with shock results. One of the problems for the Welsh sides is that their games proved to be no shock whatsoever, and they were very much as expected.

Robertson Makes History In York

Neil Robertson, has become only the eighth player in the history of the game to win Snooker's Triple Crown of the Masters, the UK Championship and the World Championship. These remain the three most prestigious events in the Snooker calender despite the game having a heavy schedule in China currently. It is no coincidence that the most prestigious events are also the three that the BBC cover, because they are held within Britain. As this is Triple Crown of trophies is entirely based in Britain, it is no surprise to learn that Robertson is the first overseas player to achieve the feat.

Back In Blue

Cardiff Blues welcome Glasgow to the Cardiff Arms Park tonight, and also welcome pack some key players after international duty. Phil Davies has been speaking about tonight's game, about having star men back and a new signing ready to start.

Sports Personality of the Year: The Contenders

It’s that time of year again Sports Personality is on the horizon. An award that sportspeople really do appreciate because it is voted for by the public. The personality of the person is still important and if anyone showed that it was Bradley Wiggins last year. Cycling is a minority sport still in the UK but his cheeky chappy attitude was a big factor in that success. Not many have a personality like Wiggins, but all the contenders have as good a sporting appetite.

The Same Old Story

If I'd written an article for the game last year, I could have copied and pasted it and very few people would have noticed. The ref, the stadium, the result, and the story none of these changed. In fact the only thing that did change was the Wallaby team, a raft of new faces compared to the team that played Wales last Autumn. The headline makers being James O'Connor and Kurtley Beale being forced out of the squad. Only to be replaced by Quade Cooper and Israel Folau, not a bad set of replacements my eyes. The Welsh team stayed very much the same, a few knocks here and there left some players out but not enough to make excuses for. Yet, as always the result was the same the Australians won, but only just.

Wallabies Finally Come To Cardiff

This is the one, the one that the Autumn series has built up to. In fact by pure fluke of fixtures there won't be another game this weekend, it feels like the final of something. It is the game that Welsh rugby has been building up to since the start of November. South Africa was a chance to test the team against the best, Argentina and Tonga were heavy warm ups for this game. It is the game that can put this squad on a different level to Welsh squads over the past few years, it would be a step up. To take the Southern Hemisphere scalp would be a sign of things to come from this young Welsh side.

Man of the Match: The Welsh Fan

If you are reading this and because you missed Friday nights game because of work or other commitments, you are one of the luckier ones. In five hundred words I will save you eighty minutes of your life. I'm sure like me everyone else had been getting more excited as the day went on to come home and watch Wales run in a comfortable win over the Tongans. No disrespect to the Tongans, they are a solid outfit and they put in the hits to prove it, but after a strong performance against Argentina, Wales should have dismantled them. With eleven rested it was a chance for others to step up, and they did all put a shift in. It was one of those games where players put in a shift rather than a performance.

Hallam Amos Starts As Wales Ring Changes

Tonga are the weakest of the sides that Wales will play this autumn and have been given the Friday night fixture. It is a strange game for the players and one that a lot of players would rather avoid. Tonga will be very physical but should be a fairly straightforward task. So many of the big names have been rested and they are probably grateful for the rest, not least so that they can avoid injury before the main game of Wales' autumn, Australia. So we can probably guess the line-up that Gatland will be going with from the Tonga selection. He has made no less than eleven changes to the starting XV which was so dominant against Argentina, with only George North, Leigh Halfpenny, Justin Tipuric and Rhodri Jones still in the team. Of course there were some issues at centre so change has been enforced there but on the whole the Welsh set up is looking fresh, and Gatland is adding fresh faces all the time.

O’Connor Yet to Sparkle for Irish

After his high profile move to London Irish, the twenty three year old James O’Connor has done very little. Making his debut against Northampton Saints on the 3^rd of November, he has yet to play since then. Brian Smith has chosen to leave him out since then, missing two LV Cup matches, one against Newcastle Falcons and another game against Northampton. For me this is an odd decision, O’Connor is a world class player and only on a short term deal. If you have a player on a short term deal then surely he gets utilised him as much as possible in that short period, especially a player of O’Connor’s quality. He is a unique case in the fact that he isn’t playing in the autumn internationals because of his high profile fall out with the Wallaby management.

Wales Roar into Life

Wales have found their groove, found their rhythm and more importantly found their wingers. After I berated 'Gatland-ball' last week and said that this type of rugby was getting dull, Wales have come out with one of the best performances in a long time. It was adventurous, pacey and entertaining, everything that you could want from attacking rugby. The Pumas were dismantled fairly simply with a final score of 40-6, although if anything this flattered Wales. In the same way Wales were unlucky to lose to South Africa last week in the way that they did, Argentina did play a lot of good rugby which they were perhaps not rewarded for but that was due to strong Welsh defence. The fact that Argentina played some great rugby and got beaten so badly is important for the Welsh team. It was because the Welsh defence was brilliant as it is normally, but also they were very clinical, something we normally expect from Southern hemisphere sides. Less possession, less territory, but thirty-four more points. Simply brutal when the Pumas made any errors.

Crunch Time as Puma's Arrive

All told, last weeks Welsh performance wasn't bad, a lot of positives just the wrong side of the scoreline. Coming so close and not winning often hurts more than being convincingly beaten, but not many Autumns have hurt the Welsh squad as much as last year. So much was expected as always, but four defeats in four test matches told the story of last November. Wales started that bad Autumn last year against the Puma's, losing 26-12, and questions were bound to be asked of the squad. It put the squad through a dire patch which they would only come out of with George North's lucky try in the corner against France the following Spring. That taught Wales how to win games again, that was also the game where North's Dad came on the field to celebrate, in was a weight off everyone's shoulders.

Wales Fail to Step Up

The European Champions once again failed to make the vital next step and take a Southern Hemisphere scalp. It was a spirited performance by Wales. Although the scoreline says nine points was the difference, tries scored were three-nil in favour  of the Boks, but these figures don't tell the full story. Wales had more possession, more territory, made more clean breaks, I could go on. Even watching the game there was a feeling that Wales were in control and if you didn't know what the score was then you would have been forgiven for thinking that Wales were leading. It was in fact the South Africans who were more in control, even when they were being attacked they knew they could break and score tries if they soaked up pressure for long enough. The defensive structure they employed worked perfectly, a structure which has long been used by the All Blacks, not committing men to the ruck unless they could definitely win it. There was a constant green wall of fourteen men, in front of eleven or even ten Welsh attackers. There simply was no space, and eventually they forced Wales into mistakes. Knock-ons, turnovers and basic errors were all to common from Wales but it came from this defensive style designed specifically to stop the Welsh strike runners going forward. It is a risky tactic because you are actively allowing the opposition to run at you, but when it is carried out as well as it was yesterday then there is only one way to break it down, creativity.

Time To Hear The Dragon Roar

Double European Champions, the majority share of a successful Lions squad, and fourth place at the 2011 World Cup was where this Welsh squad all started their journey in the national jersey. It hasn't been a bad two years if you are a Welsh rugby fan, in fact it has been one of the greatest periods ever recorded. However, there is one sticking point which will be a question asked of this side over and over, until they finally answer it on the field. That is; Why can't they beat the Southern hemisphere teams? They have beaten everybody in Europe twice in two years, barring one dreadful display against Ireland. The performance against England on the other hand was one that any Southern Hemisphere side would be proud of, clinical, efficient and championship winning. Wales can perform like the best against European opposition but can't take that onto the field against the best and really challenge them. It has become psychological, almost a 'we can't beat them' attitude has existed in the past. Probably the best example of this were the four 2012 games against Australia losing four matches by a grand total of just fourteen points. Some of these were lost in the dying minutes of the game, a young squad just unable to close a game out against the best.

Kurtley Beale crushes Welsh hopes last year

But this is a Welsh side on the up, this side oozes confidence and has the class to back it up, but at the same time they are grounded. The camp is very settled and they know that they are building towards the 2015 World Cup, which is effectively a home World Cup for the Welsh as well as the English. Sam Warburton has already confronted the psychological issue of not being able to beat the Southern hemisphere sides in his pre-match interviews. His response has been what we have come to expect from this Welsh team, short, direct, straight forward, "We expect to win on Saturday". This is part of the building process to the World Cup, to be a serious contender, which I would say Wales could be, but only if they can start winning these games against the Southern Hemisphere sides.

Winning is what Sam Warburton expects from this side

Australia Need An Overhaul

After another defeat this Australian squad is suffering a real lack of confidence. They have only beaten Argentina twice and the Lions in one test in the last ten games. Not the record of a strong Wallaby outfit. They are going through a period of transition with Ewan McKenzie taking up the reins after the longest managerial spell they have ever had, under Robbie Deans. However, two wins from seven is not good enough start for Ewan McKenzie who came in after the Lions series, with the quality that the Australians possess.

World's Best Derby Days

The first Welsh Premier League Derby was held this weekend with Cardiff taking the bragging rights, if you were anywhere near Wales this weekend you would think it was the only game on over the weekend. It was a huge affair in South Wales, and was built up all week as 'a tale of two cities', showing the differences between the two industrial cities of Cardiff and Swansea. Some people this week have even said that the Welsh derby is the best in the world, a difficult argument to win, because everyone believes that their teams derby is the best. So I'm going to have a look around world football and find this best derbies. This means the best football, the best atmosphere, stadium, everything that would make you want to go to that game as a neutral.

What Next for Spikey Mikey?

Welsh Rugby seems to come hand in hand with controversy sometimes; in recent years we've have Gavin Henson show us his immense talent just to go and waste it, Andy Powell and his golf cart, and the recurring incident, Mike Phillips. Two of the above are recurring cases. Henson was the most talented player Wales had seen in a long time, making everything he did look effortless, but he found stardom and rugby took second place. I do not for a second believe that this is why Mike Phillips has been involved so many times, I think he takes his rugby very seriously. However, there are comparisons to be made, but I'm not a psychologist and would rather talk about the on field implications of Phillips' latest stunt.

El Clasico on the Horizon

The first El Clasico of the 2013/14 season is on the horizon and it is one of the most anticipated for a long time. Both clubs have new star signings, both clubs have some of the best players in the world, but both have stuttered at the start of this season. Real Madrid have scraped wins against weaker opposition, lost to the city rivals Atletico Madrid, and drawn with Villarreal. Not the performances you expect from a team the size of Real Madrid. They lie in 3rd place in La Liga, with a chance to go level on points with Barcelona by winning at the Camp Nou. Although the Catalans occupy the top spot in the table, they haven't played brilliantly either. In their last two fixtures they have only managed draws against Osasuna and AC Milan. They seem to lost the cutting edge that has made them the dominant force in Europe over the last few years.

Le Tour de France Route Annonuced

Le Tour starts about as far as it ever has from France next year. It will start in Leeds on July 5, and the full route has been announced today. Few races in the world demand as much attention to an announcement as seemingly mundane as where the race will be going, but this is no ordinary race. Already from looking at the route, I can tell you that it is going to be very exciting, and at times very risky.

Wales Autumn International Squad Announced

A few shocks, a few injuries and some new caps. Does it tell us anything leading into the games next month, well Gatland is looking to blood fresh talent against international opposition. This fresh talent will most likely be the second string side which plays against Tonga in the Friday night game which is exactly a month away.

Is George North An International Player?

Don't be confused by the title of this post, I'm not questioning North's ability. However, I have seen many comments from rugby fans on different websites saying that North is just an international player. Is there anyway this could possibly be true, after all you get picked on performances at club level. However, at one time in his international career he had played more times for Wales than he had for the Scarlets, something that just feels wrong. He only ever scored fourteen tries for the Scarlets in his 45 appearances, not the scoring record of an international sensation. Yet, his scoring record for Wales is far better an closer to one in every two games. On arguably the highest international stage, the Lions tour, in the tests he has a scoring record of two from three games. Now at the Northampton Saints he has played seven and scored just one.

Time To Take A Chance On Isles

The fastest man in world rugby, the hot property of sevens. Kiwi, Aussie, Springbok? American. Somehow doesn't seem right but Carlin Isles has been setting the world of sevens alight with his performances. An ex-sprinter, who reportedly had a personal best of 10.13 seconds over 100 metres. Only half a second shy of Bolt's current record. He burst onto the scene when this video went viral, at the time of the video he had only been playing rugby a matter of weeks. His knowledge of the game was not complete never mind his skill set, but his raw speed showed him the way to the line on several occasions. The reason he is playing sevens is because he wants to compete in the Olympic games in Brazil after not making the grade as an Olympic level sprinter. Still only half a second behind Bolt, but those are the margins that sport is fought at, he is the 35th fastest American. However, not one of the 34 ahead of him have picked up a rugby ball.

Rugby Champions Cup Needs The Celtic Nations

Although day by day there are more and more reports that the Rugby Champions Cup is picking up pace as its own competition. For example, Friday French sources were suggesting that Guinness were to be the major sponsors of the new European event. You might believe this, or you might think Guinness' ties with Irish Rugby are to strong for this breakaway. Could it possibly be a way to drag the Irish clubs in to the new tournament, and with them the rest of the Pro12? Just a thought because if one Pro12 nation goes, realistically they all have to go, or they will be losing out to their closest rivals.

The Greatest Rugby Game Of All Time?

Last weekends game between the All Blacks and the Springboks has already been dubbed as one of the greatest of all time. I am inclined to agree the skill level, the intensity, the drama, what the game meant in terms of the Rugby Championship. That game had everything. It had so much that Nigel Owens pulled a calf muscle trying to keep up with it.

Time To Consider An International Break In Rugby?

Rugby's past as an amateur game right up to 1995 is one of the endearing qualities of the game. However, there are many issues that crop up because of the amateur past of the game. One in particular being the absence of an international break as they do in football. In football it has developed to be this way as clubs have paid players for far longer than in Rugby, and want them available for every game they play in. This seems fair enough, if you have a contract you are legally bound to honour it, so the international break was created to accommodate a more professional game. As rugby becomes more professional is it time that we looked at putting an international break in place ourselves.

Could Qatar Possibly Be A Success?

It's popular opinion amongst the media to say that the Qatar world cup will unequivocally be a disaster. No one is looking at the other side of the argument, which it probably deserves as an event. I know that it is a completely different event, but remember amount of people who said that London 2012 would be an abject failure. It was actually one of the greatest Olympics in living memory, it is the popular option in this country to say something will not work. Qatar is a far different case of course but it once again seems to be the popular whinge, in the pub, on the radio, even interviews with club managers now. Although moving the World Cup would effect club managers, what interest have they got in talking about it. Does anyone seriously think that Sepp Blatter is going to listen to what David Moyes has to say?

Time to Look Outside the Top Teams?

There has always been a bias in the English national team for players that play in the traditional top four, this has now perhaps opened up to a top six in the last few seasons. The point still remains that the vast majority of players, come from Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool or Tottenham. To an extent there is good reason for this, as you would expect, the best clubs have the premium English talent. But do they really? You would not say that the core of any of those teams is essentially English, barring possibly Manchester United. It is also an important factor that the English players in these teams simply haven't performed, even if we say that United do have an 'English core' it isn't one that you would particularly like to pick from. Young has been very poor this season, Ferdinand looks like he has lost far more than a yard of pace, Welbeck is still struggling for goals when given easy opportunities.

Is the Premier League Really the Best League in the World?

The organsisers of the Premier League in England have for years forced down our necks that the they have the 'best league' in the World. The question is how do you judge a league overall compared to the other leagues in the World? To save some time I have focused solely on Europe and the major European leagues, how do we decide which is the best league, do we use Champions League wins? If so Spain edges this contest over the last five years, although haven't won it since 2011. They have two wins while England, Germany and Italy have one each in the last five years.

Is the Player Drain Creating a Nationwide Academy?

If you live outside Wales you may be unaware of the media phenomenon the 'Player Drain'. Effectively the problem exists because Wales are experiencing a golden age of Rugby, even beginning challenging the great side of the 70's over who should be remembered as the better side. A side that included, Barry John and Gareth Edwards no less. This should be a time of celebration for Wales, and every year at Springtime, it is.

Sun, Sport, and Success!

The Summer has been kind to Britain this time around, the weather has been glorious, the Sport has been non-stop and for the second summer running we’ve been successful. The Olympic Summer was always going to be difficult to top but I think that this one may just have done it.

Summer of Rugby - What Have We Learnt?

After an unbelievable Summer of rugby, in both Southern and Northern hemisphere, rugby is looking on a high Britain. At the same time it is a game in a period of transition, and there are a few things that we have learnt over the last few months that are changing the face of Rugby.