Is There Too Much Technology In Rugby?

After a stellar year, Nigel Owens has come under some criticism in the last week. In the Saracens-Clermont game, which he officiated, there was a selection of debatable decision.  However, debatable does not mean incorrect. One of the great facets of rugby is that players accept the referees’ decision and get on with the game, spectators should do the same. Social media has changed this and allowed spectators to speak out on decisions during and after games. Nigel Owens has strong following on social media but receives stick each week from fans. It is time that spectators took a leaf out of the players’ book and got on with the game.

Abergavenny: The Home of the World Champions

Abergavenny may not be well known outside of Wales and if it is it is only for the yearly food festival! However, the Monmouthshire town is the home to one of cycling’s great families; the James’. The best known of these will be Becky James who broke records in 2013 by winning two gold’s and two bronzes at the world championships in Minsk. Becky James is an outstanding track cyclist who is likely to be included in the British Olympic squad in 2016.

Must Wales look back, in order to move forward?

The year 2008 will long be remembered by Welsh fans as a Grand Slam year. They won the championship that year by playing an attractive brand of rugby built on rock solid defence. One of the stars of that campaign was Osprey wing wizard, Shane Williams. Since the little wizard departed the international scene in 2011, the attractive, off-the-cuff rugby has dried-up and Wales have become all too predictable. It is not all down to Shane Williams’ departure; with several of the class of 2008, that helped facilitate a looser and more flexible style of play, having been forgotten by Welsh management and fallen out of favour.

Was 'Judgement Day II' A Success?

The great and the good of Welsh rugby assembled inside the Millennium Stadium on Easter Sunday for ‘Judgement day’. As the controversy surrounding Welsh rugby is starting to iron itself out, it was a chance for rugby fans to sit back and enjoy the day.

Newport Gwent Dragons 10-20 Ospreys

The Ospreys arrived in Cardiff hoping to keep their play-off hopes alive. They knew that a bonus point win was the only acceptable result if they wanted to usurp Ulster in the top four. The Dragons camp would have had much simpler motivations. Improve on their recent form and try and keep pace with Cardiff Blues, who had won earlier in the day.

Cardiff Blues 17-13 Scarlets

Whilst the Scarlets travelled from West Wales to the capital, it was a case going next door for the Blues in the first of the Judgement Day games. The Scarlets were bolstered by the return of John Barclay, Samson Lee, Phil John and RaboDirect Pro12 top try scorer Gareth Davies. The Blues on the other hand continued to be hampered by injuries, with Rhys Patchell, Leigh Halfpenny and Sam Warburton still out.

Pro12 Is The Big Winner After Euro Row

As the dispute that threatened the European game as we know it has now been resolved, we can finally begin to talk about on field matters again. It has been a season blighted by off-field politics, especially in the Pro12 as the league has been a pawn in an Anglo-French dispute. However, the Pro12 looks to have gained the most from the long debate. Clubs that reach the European Champions Cup from the Pro12 will have a financial boost compared to the income that the Heineken Cup currently gives them. As it has already been pointed out however, French and English teams also gain a higher amount of income, this suggests that the politics are not completely over.

The Man Behind The Goal Kickers

In the modern game goal kickers are increasingly becoming more and more important and often decide games at both international and club level. The precision of these goal kickers is incredible and I am continually surprised by the distance and accuracy that goal kickers are achieving week in week out. So how do they achieve these results? The answer is simple, with a lot of practice under the guidance of expert coaches. Stuart Lierich is one of these coaches and spoke to me about being a kicking coach.

Heineken Cup Doesn't Disappoint

It was the best line up that we have ever seen in the quarter finals, the worry was that it would not live up to the hype. We needn’t have worried as the Heineken Cup once again showed that it brings the best out of the top players.