On Hiatus

The more astute of you will have noticed the distinct lack of action on this blog in the last few months. One or two posts of decent length aside, things have been very quiet since the end of February. Whilst I would like to keep up the same rate of activity that I had prior to that, sadly the real world has been getting in the way, and I have come to the conclusion that I need to face facts and accept that nothing's going to happen on Corinthian Spirit for a while.

The sum of all this is a vague plan to restart activity at some point in September, but no promises. It depends on work and, just as importantly, being clear in my head about what I am trying to do.

In the meantime, if you find yourself visiting this page in search of sporting discussion points, take a look at the blogs listed on the right hand side of this page, for some suggested reading.

Maybe see you in September,
Andrew

World Cup 2010: Gyan's Grief, Ghana Gone

Asamoah Gyan has been one of the stars of the World Cup so far, scoring three goals in Ghana's march to the quarter-finals, but sadly for him, their defeat to Uruguay on penalties will probably haunt him for some time to come. It felt fitting that the star of the dramatic second round extra-time victory over the USA was given the chance to repeat the feat by stepping up to take a penalty with the last kick of the game before a shoot-out, his third penalty of the tournament.


Gyan was distraught after Ghana's elimination

Both sides had had their chances throughout the 120 minutes of regular and extra time, and either could have rightfully claimed victory at any time. But when in the 120th minute, Luis Suarez cleared the ball off the Uruguayan line with his hand, Gyan had the chance to take Ghana into uncharted territory: a first semi-final not only for his country, but for any Africa team.
His resulting miss took the match into a shoot-out that Ghana would lose, but the most impressive sight in the entire game, even more so than two wonderful goals, and the high drama of the shoot-out, was Gyan stepping up to take his country's first penalty, just minutes after his previous attempt had crashed into the crossbar. That took a lot of courage, but his confident finish took even more.


Fernando Muslera celebrates Gyan's miss, to the Ghanaian's horror

Gyan plays for Rennes in France, and one must assume that a bigger club somewhere in Europe will make them an offer they cannot refuse. Whether he goes onto bigger things, or never quite lives up to his World Cup performances (like El Hadji Diouf), only time will tell, but his skill, physical prowess and mental toughness will have been noted by many.

Meanwhile, Uruguay live to fight another day. They have been one of the most impressive teams in the competition thus far, and Uruguayan football as a whole is a remarkable story. The relative success of the Slovenian team, despite a population of only two million is marvelled at, but Uruguay have held a fairly regular position at the top table of world football since the international game first took off in the early twentieth century, despite a population of only three million. Whilst they have not been a major World Cup power since their last semi-final in 1970, they have played some of the best football seen this time around (a grim opening match against France aside), and deserve more attention than they have been getting, while Diego Forlan has been possibly the best striker at the competition.

Forlan never seems to get enough credit in England, where memories of his ineffective spell at Manchester United prevail. Nonetheless, he has scored goals consistently throughout the rest of his career, and at two World Cups has looked like a world class forward. What is interesting is that he has mastered the Jabulani ball better than anyone else in the competition, as evidenced by the quality of his set pieces.


Forlan equalises with a trademark set-piece

The sheen is somewhat taken off Uruguay's World Cup after Suarez's handball. It was instinctive, but ultimately cheated Ghana out of a winning goal. Yes, Gyan should have scored, and Ghana had their chance, but in a week where the talking points have been the gross injustices that befell England and Mexico, despite both sides being second best in their respective games, it seems wrong that Suarez's act of cheating will keep him in the tournament, whilst the excellent Ghanaians go home. He will miss the semi-final, but should Uruguay make the final, he will be back. After all the opprobrium directed at Thierry Henry last year, it would not be right to let this go unnoticed.

Regardless of the rights and wrongs, this World Cup has kept improving since that uninspiring first week. It got going in week two, and the drama has built steadily since then. If tomorrow's quarter-finals are anything as good as today's double bill, then fans will have been spoiled.

Football: The Kop

There was an interesting short piece at the end of tonight's BBC coverage of the Spain v Portugal second round match, about the often overlooked link between South Africa and English football lore. The famous Kop end at Anfield, actually one of many stands at football grounds around the country with that name, was named after the site of a battle in the Boer War.

The segment, presented by Mark Lawrenson, provided a rather sudden change in tone from the fairly light-hearted coverage of the match itself, but was rather poignant and very informative, and is well worth watching whilst it is on the iPlayer.

Rugby: England's Video Nasty

The England squad have been refreshingly honest in their assessment of their own performance against Australia in the first test last Saturday, with Steve Thompson acknowledging that the side became too preoccupied with their dominance in the scrum, whilst their work in open play was substandard.

Toby Flood has joined in the self-flagellation, admitting that the team's video analysis session had forced the players to own up to their weak performances. However, it is one thing to recognise a bad performance, and another to fix it, and no player has more to learn from last Saturday's test match than Flood himself.


Flood needs to impose his authority on the second test


Flood's abdication of responsibility at key stages of the game was alarming. Late in the first half, with England fruitlessly pounding at the Australian defence with pick and drive tactics, the forwards were allowed to keep the ball for phase after phase, despite their being driven backwards on several occasions. At no stage did Flood appear to demand the ball from Danny Care, his scrum half, or if he did, Care ignored him, which would reflect badly on both players. After perhaps a dozen ineffective drives, the ball finally went to Flood, only for him to immediately pass it back inside, back into the traffic of the Australian pack, and the whole cycle began again.

Early in the second half, England produced their one piece of flowing rugby, as a counter attack from Ben Foden went through the hands of Chris Ashton and Simon Shaw, before Mike Tindall was pulled down just short of the line. This was a perfect situation for England to score a try, the Australian defence was still rushing back into position, and the ball was only yards from the line. However, several phases later, it became clear that England only had two tactics: pick and drive, or crash ball from a forward standing at first receiver. Flood did not touch the ball throughout the entire attack, lasting several minutes. At one stage the camera pulled back to reveal that he was standing at inside centre, with a forward at fly-half waiting for the next crash ball. As an international fly-half, he should have been the playmaker, demanding the ball, demanding that the side play off him, whether it be crash ball, or going down the line to the backs.

These two episodes typified the way the entire game was played by England, never trusting the backs, never thinking about the game, never showing smart leadership as opposed to blood and guts-style leadership. The latter is simply not enough at the highest level.


Cooper showed impressive confidence in his first test performance

Much of this is obviously down to tactics, and the coaching staff are to blame for a one-dimensional game plan, whilst the players must take responsibility for their inability to play with their heads up, and their blinkered belief that all they needed to do was to keep pounding away. But if Flood is being constrained by the tactics, then he should take control of the situation, everything Australia did on Saturday, they did through Quade Cooper, their fair less experienced fly-half. Care was undoubtedly part of the problem: his slow service and lack of tactical nous was shown up by the way that Ben Youngs greatly increased the tempo when he came on, but again, it is up to his fly-half to tell Care what service he wants, and to make sure he gets it.

If Flood is going to be the long term solution at fly-half, he must take responsibility for the way the game is played, he must want the ball, especially with the try line begging. Watch good international fly-halves and they show the confidence and sometimes the arrogance to demand the ball and to try and make things happen. Last Saturday, Toby Flood seemed frozen, too meek to even try.

Rugby: Guinness Premiership Final 2010

The lessons from the Guinness Premiership final are many, and perhaps most notable of them all was that reports of rugby's demise as an entertaining game have been greatly exaggerated.
English rugby was heavily criticised in the early part of the 2009/10 season for the staid tactics being used by both the national team and the Premiership clubs. With hindsight this may come to be seen as a period of adjustment following the abolition of the ELVs, and although English rugby adapted more slowly than other nations, because of the innate conservatism of the league, last summer's Lions tour had already shown that good rugby could be played, whichever set of laws was being used, and in fact, the early part of the season was not all doom and gloom. All it would take was for one team to break the mould, and others would surely follow.

Brendan Venter's Saracens were the story of the season

The second half of the season, when referees changed their interpretation of the tackle law, saw the game open up across all competitions. In the first half the season, Saracens were the epitome of conservative rugby, and they received little credit for setting the pace before Christmas. Subsequently they lost their way in the middle of the season, as their limited game plan relied on stopping their opponents from scoring and then staying in front with the boot. This left them vulnerable to sides that could score tries, and they seemed to lack a plan b. However, later in the season, Brendan Venter's side unleashed their second incarnation, building a layer of attacking rugby on top of the platform of their powerful pack and defence. Schalk Brits typified the new Saracens, the hooker doing his his job at set pieces, playing like a centre in attack and a flanker in defence. Saracens' transformation summed up the entire season: staid but underrated early in the year, explosive in the latter part of the season.

The final itself proved that regardless of the style of rugby on show, knowing how to win is the most important skill of all, and although it was desperately close for Saracens, Leicester's coolness under pressure was remarkable, and made the difference. The Tigers have had no consistency at either head coach, or fly-half in the last decade, and yet they have continued to dominate, producing generation after generation of players who perform when it matters most. Saracens have an excellent team, but do not yet have a lasting winning culture like Leicester do. It also reinforced the concept that the best attacking rugby comes from quick ball at the the breakdown and offloading out of the tackle. The change in refereeing style only affected the former – there was no reason why teams could not pass out of the tackle in the early part of the season, and that realisation, combined with the improvement at the breakdown is what led to the improvement in the Premiership in 2010.

Leicester celebrate at the final whistle

The next step for the Watford-based club is to prove they are not a flash in the pan, like the good Sale and Gloucester sides of recent years, but that they are here to stay. The final proved that they can play, now they need to do it consistently. Leicester meanwhile, have to overcome the loss of a couple of key veterans in Ben Kay and Lewis Moody, but with a few less injuries next season, could be even better for a second full season under coach Richard Cockerill, who deserves credit for winning two league titles and appearing in one Heineken Cup final in only 18 months in the job.

The story of the Guinness Premiership in 2009/10 is one of redemption. It started with controversy: fake blood, drugs and foul play. It went through a spell in purgatory, when no-one seemed to believe that it was worthwhile any more. Yet it finished in style, with a spectacular final, the greatest since the playoffs began. There will be much to look forward to in 2010/11.

Cricket and Baseball: A Shared History

A new exhibition at Lord's looks at the history of cricket and baseball, highlighting their similarities and comparing their development. The BBC website has a five minute audio slide show of some of the exhibition's main attractions, and which brings to mind Ed Smith's fascinating book, 'Playing Hardball' which explored this ground further, and which can be highly recommended to fans of either sport, or anyone who is curious about the way that different sporting cultures evolve.

Football: A Sideways Look At Transfer Rumours

The Guardian's round-up of the latest transfer rumours is well worth a read if you have five spare minutes. Not because of the rumours themselves, but the slightly manic end of season edge to the article, which includes such gems as:

"Steve Bruce is planning to spend £5m making Alan Hutton a "permanent signing", in as much as anything can be said to be permanent in an endlessly revolving industry, and subject to the notion that human perception itself - or what Virginia Woolf called "moments of being" - is by its very nature shifting and ephemeral and experienced only through the solipsistic illusion of a fixed point of narrative consciousness."

Something to liven up your day a bit, anyway.

Cricket: The Most Expensive Over Ever

Courtesy of Cricinfo, comes the story of the most expensive over in the history of first class cricket, which went for 77 in a domestic game in New Zealand twenty years ago last month. An extension of the logic behind declaration bowling, or buying a wicket, the plan was hatched by the captain of Wellington in order to persuade Canterbury to chase their total, and keep the Wellington title challenge alive. One of the more unusual footnotes in the history of the game, reminiscent of the time that Brian Rose of Somerset declared in a limited overs game with the score at 1 for 0 off one over, the the article is well worth a read.

Rugby: Lou and Andy

Who says rugby's boring? In a disgusting display of foul and unsportsmanlike behaviour in a recent Magners League game, Lou Reed of the Scarlets was penalised for... shouting at Andrew Trimble of Ulster in an attempt to put him off. (Really? This is what we're penalising now?... Ok, so long as you're sure.) I hope he learned his lesson, it's downright ungentlemanly, that's what it is.


Welsh second row forward, Lou Reed

In other news, why hasn't it previously been reported before that there's a player called Lou Reed? Of course Lou Reed and Andy Warhol were the inspiration for Little Britain's Lou and Andy, and the player that Reed was trying to distract was Andrew (Trimble), so... There's a joke in there somewhere, right? Never mind. No more attempts at humour, back to serious sporting issues next time.


Influential rock and roll legend, Lou Reed

Olympics: Medvedev Mad at Medals Total

The Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev is not a happy man if his recent comment are to be believed. Russia's disappointing medals tally at the Vancouver games has been a source of much anger at home, and he has been quick to demand changes. He will of course, have to be careful how he treads and who he criticises, given the role that Vladimir Putin played in setting up the funding for the Olympic programme, but, with the Russians now on the clock as the next hosts of the Winter Olympics, the pressure will be on to ensure that they can produce results to match those of Canada, whose slow start in Vancouver was forgotten by the end of the games, as they topped the medals table and won the all important final gold medal in the men's ice hockey.


Medvedev has made his dissatisfaction with the Russian Olympic team clear

From a neutral point of view, it always seems to make for a better games when the host nation does well, which they often do, as it lifts the home crowds and builds the atmosphere. Four years is a long time in sport though, and Britain's turnaround from an embarrassing show at the 1996 Atlanta games to a successful Sydney Olympics, shows that it can be done. If the Russians fail however, there will be some uncomfortable questions for the sportsmen and women, and the administrators from the very highest levels of power, that much is now clear.

Football: Portsmouth's Plight

There's a good round up on on the BBC website of the consequences that Portsmouth face, assuming they enter administration in the coming days. Unless a very wealthy owner who is willing to take a significant loss is found in the next couple of days (a highly unlikely prospect), the club will be facing certain relegation from the Premier League and after that, the unknown. It will seem like a long summer for Portsmouth's fans, as they wait to see if a viable business can be extracted from the ruins of the club, one which will be able to take part in the Championship.



Avram Grant is unlikely to be in Portsmouth next season

Also of interest is this piece, linked to by Matt Slater in the comments, which provides more details on the challenges faced after a club goes into administration.

Football: English Refereeing Standards

There's a good article on the BBC website about the role that English referees are playing in educating their counterparts from around the world. Referees get a hard time in the Premier League week in and week out, and it might be hard for many fans, players and managers to believe that they are the best in the world, but it is true nonetheless. Imagine what the standards are like elsewhere in the world, and how apoplectic Neil Warnock or Alex Ferguson would be if they had to coach in another country.

Recent criticism of Howard Webb has suggested that he would embarrass England at the World Cup, and whilst the risk of a Graeme Poll-esque mistake is always possible for any referee, it is far more likely that Webb will be one of the best most qualified referees at the tournament, especially when it comes to dealing with the pressure of a big game. It is worth remembering complaints at past World Cups about the standard of refereeing from other countries' representatives, which suggests that, despite the odd mistake, those in the English game should be thankful for what they have.

NFL: Myron Rolle - Scholar, Sportsman, Chosen One?

With attention turning to the 2010 NFL draft, college footballer Myron Rolle has been getting increasing attention in the American sports media, and he is profiled in this fascinating article courtesy of ESPN.

The draft, where the teams take their pick of the best young talent from the college game, is the culmination of a ruthless process which leaves no stone unturned in the assessment of the student athletes pursuing their NFL dreams. Through the NFL Combine, where the top prospects are worked out and interviewed for the scouts; the pro days held by the major colleges, offering largely the same process; the video analysis; personal visits with interested teams; and endless media speculation, the hopefuls will have their lives dissected by franchises who want to be absolutely sure they are choosing the right candidate for the multi-million dollar contracts on offer.


Rolle (left) intercepting a pass for Florida State

Rolle will attend this year's combine, and the scouts will have video footage of three seasons of football at Florida State, one of the biggest and best college football programmes in the country. They won't have much footage of his fourth season though, apart from an appearance in the Senior Bowl, an end of season all star game, but they will have plenty to discuss in his interviews, because Rolle gave up his 2009 season at Florida State to study at Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship. This was no small decision, the defensive back was already a college star being tipped as a high draft choice, and putting those ambitions on hold for a year was a gamble, as there was the risk of losing his status to the next wave of players, all of whom would have recent playing time and no rustiness.



Professional football is only one of Rolle's ambitions though, alongside a medical degree and an eventual career as a neurosurgeon. As the ESPN article shows, everyone he comes into contact with seems to invest a new set of hopes in him, whether in the fields of medicine, science, politics or something else. For him it seems, football is not the be all and end all, although that is not to say that he does not take it seriously, as the preparation work he has put in shows. There is also scope for crossover, with concussion being a hotly debated topic in the game at the moment, he has co-designed a helmet that reduces the risk of head injuries.

Rolle appears to have the potential to be a genuinely successful polymath, and takes his status as a role model very seriously, but with such great expectation comes the pressure to live up to it. One hopes that he can successfully balance all his commitments, and find a way to achieve his goals, rather than those other people have in mind for him. First among those goals is being drafted and establishing himself as an NFL player. After that, anything seems possible.

Rugby: Lions 65 - 72 Chiefs

A remarkable game of rugby took place in Johannesburg tonight. 18 tries and 137 points were scored in the Super 14 clash between the Chiefs and the Lions, which ended with a 72-65 win for the Chiefs, who amazingly were down 25-17 until just before half time. Read the match report here. Astonishing.

Cricket: Afghan Success Part II

Following on from Afghanistan's qualification for the World Twenty20, as blogged about last week, the Guardian's weekly cricket roundup, The Spin, has a good piece about the various contributors from the cricketing world who have helped them get to where they are today. As the author Andy Bull points out in the comments below the piece, the team itself should get the bulk of the credit, but there are many people from the international community who have pitched in, and their work deserves some attention as well.

(Also in the comments is a fantastic response from one reader to the idea of Brian Blessed playing Mike Gatting in a film: "WHAT? Gatting's ALIVE!". Well it amused me anyway.)

Elsewhere in The Spin is the remarkable tale of New Zealand's Ewen Thompson and the kebab which hospitalised him, but not before he bowled 10 overs with it stuck in his throat. Much like the story of Afghan cricket, you couldn't make it up.

NFL: High Five Super Bowl

A little out of date now, with Super Bowl media day long gone, but with the game fresh in the memory, even a week later, this video made me laugh. If nothing else it's fun trying to identify all the NFL-related people who feature.

HIGH-FIVE SUPER BOWL! - watch more funny videos

Football: Hard Times

With Portsmouth standing on the edge of collapse, the first Premier League club to come so close to financial disaster, and Crystal Palace the latest Football League club to go into administration, there's a piece on the BBC website about the state of football's finances. It is a worrying sign when even the Premier League, supposedly the most lucrative in the world, cannot generate enough money to fund its clubs. It will make for a worrying few years for fans due to the debt-laden nature of many clubs.

NFL: Peyton Manning

Before last Sunday's Super Bowl, there was speculation that a win would secure Peyton Manning's place as the greatest quarterback of all time. A second title would put the 2006 Super Bowl MVP in an elite group with other winners of multiple titles, and combined with his unprecedented four MVP awards, and numerous records, this was enough for many experienced watchers of the game to crown him.

The knock on Manning was his record in the playoffs. Many feel that despite that Super Bowl three years ago, his dominance of the regular season, his talent, and Indianapolis' eighth season in a row with with ten or more wins, he should already have more than one title to his name, or at least a more competitive playoff record than 9-8 before Sunday's game.

Following on from defeat by a smart and adventurous New Orleans side, the media has rounded on Manning, labelling him a choker, the tag that followed him around during the early part of his career.

It is ridiculous to swing from one extreme to the other on the basis of one game, or even one pass, intercepted by Tracy Porter and returned for a fourth quarter touchdown. Manning did not play a bad Super Bowl, passing for over 300 yards, more than Drew Brees. He was not helped by his receivers, with Pierre Garcon and Reggie Wayne both dropping the ball at key moments, and he was the victim of a smart play by Porter, who successfully gambled and jumped Wayne's route for the interception.


Manning lies on the ground as Porter returns his interception for the game-winning touchdown, sparking Saints celebrations

Manning is one of the greats, and needs to be in any conversation about the greatest of all time, his achievements leave that in no doubt. That does not mean that he is the greatest, but you would have to at least discuss his credentials before moving on to other candidates. There is plenty of evidence that Manning is not a choker, with numerous big game wins, many of them in the fourth quarter or inside the two minute warning. This season's nail-biting win over New England or the comeback against the Jets in the AFC Championship game bear witness to that.

There have been those playoff failures, it is a serious issue when considering his career, and the Super Bowl defeat is a setback, but there is a difference between underperforming and choking, and between losing and choking. Some days a player underperforms, sometimes they get away with it and sometimes they don't. Some days the opponent plays a good game and there's little to be done about it. Playoff games and Super Bowls in particular, are especially unforgiving in their nature. The Saints played a smart and bold game, and they won the game, rather than Manning losing it.


Manning will forever be compared to Brady, his contemporary and rival, who has three titles to his name

Even Tom Brady's 14-4 postseason record does not reflect the fact that of his eight trips to the post-season, Brady has eventually failed in five of them. In the NFL there can be only one winner, so to tag any player as a loser for failing to be the one out of 32 who wins every time, is an unrealistic assessment of the player's worth. Of course, winning is the most important thing in professional sport, but failing to win the only prize on offer does not invalidate a player's other achievements.

What Manning has done on the field, calling his own plays, from a no-huddle offense, is unique in the modern game, and even in the old days when quarterbacks did call plays, the league was dominated by running, and the passing game was less complex. Manning is performing the most remarkable feats on the field week after week, and deserves credit for it. As a result, he is the victim of his own high standards. Many believe that Kurt Warner will one day end up in the Hall of Fame, but last year he too threw a costly interception in the Super Bowl. Because it happened early in the match, and Warner had an up and down career, he was not hauled over the coals for it. No-one expected super human feats from him as an underdog, like they do from Manning. Fans have been spoiled by his achievements, and mistakes that would be tolerated from others, are not from him.

Up to a point, the change in the media is because those who support him were the loudest voices before the game, whilst the critics had nothing to discuss. Now theirs are the loud voices, whilst those who believe he is the greatest quarterback of them all have kept quiet. It has been good to see however, that some have stepped forward to defend him, and inject some reality into proceedings, notably John Clayton and Tim Keown on ESPN.com.


Elway did not win his first Super Bowl until he was 37

Whether or not Manning is the greatest can never truly be objectively measured, and one might ask why it even needs to be discussed, rather than just appreciating the individual merits of all the greats, instead of ranking them. Regardless, it is a debate best left for after his retirement. After all, many consider John Elway the greatest quarterback, yet he lost three Super Bowls before his first win, which came when he was signifcantly older than Manning is now. Sean Payton, Drew Brees and co. played a great game last Sunday, give them credit for their win, rather than apportioning blame for the Colts' loss.

Cricket: Afghan Success

A week that began with an underdog success story, the New Orleans Saints, ends with one too, as the Afghan cricket team has qualified for the World Twenty20 championship which takes place in the Carribbean this April.

Afghanistan's cricket team is a rare feel-good story for that country in recent years, and is the subject of a documentary due to be shown on British television screens this year. The team was formed in 2001, having spread into Afghanistan through the Afghan refugees who took up residence in Pakistan during the Soviet invasion that began in 1979.

Fans celebrate their side's World Cricket League Division Three title

The side has quickly risen through the ranks of the minor nations of international cricket, and although it failed to qualify for the 2011 World Cup, ODI status was secured, and a place at the Twenty20 championship will give Afghanistan's cricketers a first taste of the big international stage. The resulting boost in attention should lead to more funding and greater support, ensuring that the team's upward trajectory continues.

Amongst all the political struggles in international cricket and the squabbling over money, it is nice to be reminded that sport has the power to unite and bring hope in some small way. This month's cinema release of 'Invictus' should teach us that much. Afghanistan's cricketers may be a long way from being able to host major nations at home, but are on the verge of giving the rest of the world something else to associate with their country than war.



Many Afghans learned the game in Pakistani refugee camps

There is an obsession at cricket's highest levels with breaking into big markets such as the USA or China and getting Olympic recognition, yet the sport has always expanded along cultural lines, and Afghanistan has the potential to be a future powerhouse of the game. To do this, it will of course need the security situation to stabilise but it will also need support from the ICC and the international community, and it is surely a more credible target for cricketing expansion than any other nation. Given the rise of cricket in a short space of time, the country's population, and its cultural ties to Pakistan, there is a real opportunity for the game's authorities to not only expand the game, but to make a difference to a country and offer its people something to be proud of. That is surely worth diverting some effort from the latest round of squabbling over the Champions' League.

NFL: Sights and Sounds of the Super Bowl

There has been, of course, so much coverage of New Orleans' Super Bowl win this week. In lieu of going through the issues (sadly other commitments are restricting blogging at the moment), NFL Network have produced this video reliving the sights and sounds of Sunday's big game. Listening on headphones, as they recommend, does enhance it. Meanwhile, Mike Mayock breaks down the play that sealed the win.

The understandably raucous celebrations in New Orleans have also been getting plenty of attention, and rightly so.

The Saints have always felt slightly marginalised by the national sports media, but this win has propelled them to another level, as evidenced by Drew Brees appearing on Letterman this week.

NFL: The Morning After The Night Before

If nothing else, last night's remarkable Super Bowl win for the Saints proved that all predictions are just speculation, and this blog's own preview was at best, only accurate in parts. Whilst the Saints were given a reasonable chance by most pundits, they were not the favourites, but it proved to be a topsy-turvy game in many respects, not just result-wise.


Drew Brees soaks up the atmosphere following his side's triumph

Having observed that the Colts had the edge when it came to kickers, their veteran, Matt Stover, provided the only miss of the night, whilst second year Saint Garrett Hartley proved that his game-winner a fortnight ago was no fluke, becoming the first kicker to succeed with three field goals from 40 or more yards in a Super Bowl. So much for youthful inexperience.

On offense, the Colts passed a great deal as usual, but they had success with the running game too, with Joseph Addai picking up 77 yards and a touchdown, as well as several critical runs. Yesterday this blog explored the importance of the run for Indianapolis, but no-one expected it to be the factor that it was in their offense.

Meanwhile, on the New Orleans side, the defense defied convention by blitzing Manning early in the game, then again late on, when pressure aided the fatal interception.




Porter runs in his interception to seal victory

One prediction that did come true is that a big play from the Saints' secondary could prove decisive, and so it was, with the hero of the NFC Championship game, Tracy Porter, providing the game's signature moment again.

Amongst all the failed predictions it is worth pointing out that Corinthian Spirit picked the Saints to make the Super Bowl back in September, but as runners up. Not bad. The rest of the predictions in that article are best glossed over however

Dwight Freeney's ankle, the subject of so much speculation before the game, turned out to be up to the action in the first half, with the defensive end producing the game's only sack. However, he faded as the game went on, and by the end he was unable to put pressure on Drew Brees. The New Orleans offensive line, so good all season, did its job again, justifying their crowning by John Madden as the league's best line.

Another prediction was that red zone failures would prove extra costly in this game. Whilst the Saints had their failure early in the game, they kept chipping away at the Colts, and it was Indianapolis' turn late in the fourth quarter, when they failed on fourth and goal. It was marvellously disciplined defense from the Saints that rendered their opponents unusually impotent at a key moment, although in the end it was a simple drop from Reggie Wayne that cost them the scoring chance.

Just like in the NFC Championship game, Reggie Bush was not a major factor, although he was a useful target in the short passing game. Instead it was Pierre Thomas entrusted with the key running downs. On special teams, where Bush had the chance to be a difference-maker, he was well covered by the Colts.

Match officials dig through a pile of bodies to determine which team has recovered the ball following the Saints' onside kick - the New Orleans side would come up with possession and go on to score their first touchdown

If there is one big lesson to learn from this Super Bowl, it is that you make your own luck. Sean Payton made the bold call to go for it on fourth down in the second quarter, but backed it up with some unusually conservative play calling and the gamble failed. His decision to try an onside kick at the start of the second half paid off spectacularly however, as the resulting possession allowed Brees to drive the Saints downfield and put them ahead. The fact that there was a large stroke of luck involved, as the ball rebounded off a Colts player before being recovered by the Saints, merely enhanced the impression that fortune favours the brave. After a second quarter which New Orleans had dominated, but in which they had only scored two field goals, Payton made a bold call, seized the initiative, and never looked back. Soon afterwards, his decisions to go for a two point conversion following Jeremy Shockey's touchdown, and then to risk losing a valuable time out in order to challenge the decision not to award it, both paid off, and forced the Colts to be aggressive in their next drive, which in turn helped the Saints' defense put pressure on Manning and seal the win.

NFL: Keys to the Super Bowl

With Super Bowl XLIV only hours away, everyone knows the game plan for both the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints will focus on their expansive passing offenses. Assuming the two cancel each other out, here’s a look at some other factors that might separate the teams. Whilst the Colts are rightly considered to be favourites due to the assured way they have negotiated the entire season (even their defeats were almost part of the plan), and their experience, it promises to be an evenly-matched encounter.

Indianapolis Colts:

Indy have the lowest ranked running game in the league. Not because they are incapable of running, but because they choose not to, preferring to keep the ball in the hands of Peyton Manning. Against the Saints, establishing some semblance of a running game would force the New Orleans defense not to focus on pass coverage. However, the Colts are unlikely to use more than the odd burst from Joseph Addai to keep the defense honest.

Addai could be a difference-maker for the Colts

While the Saints’ Garrett Hartley showed great poise to kick the game-winning field goal in the NFC Championship game, as a second year player, he is still an unknown quantity. The Colts meanwhile have Matt Stover, a 42 year-old with 20 years of NFL experience and a Super Bowl ring. If it comes down to a late kick to win it, you would favour Stover over Hartley, although should the latter repeat his trick from the last game, he will get a reputation of his own.

Will the officials allow the Saints to hit Peyton Manning like they hit Brett Favre in the NFC Championship game? They were lucky not to be flagged in the late stages against the Vikings, and had those calls gone the other way, they might have lost. Defensive Co-ordinator Gregg Willams has made it clear that he will pursue the same tactics, but after two weeks of media scrutiny, it is unlikely that the officials will let them get away with it in the biggest game of the year, against the most high-profile quarterback in the game. Even if they are allowed to get to him, Manning rarely gets shaken, and indeed often chooses to duck out of the big hits, in favour of living to fight another day.



Manning is unlikely to punished as Brett Favre was two weeks ago

Big game experience. Only one Saints starter has been to a Super Bowl before, and that appearance by Darren Sharper was a defeat 12 years ago. Meanwhile 19 members of the Colts’ roster were present at Super Bowl XLI, including many of their starters. The Saints froze up at times in the NFC Championship game, even Drew Brees struggled to get going in the second half, and there is a chance that they will be overawed by the occasion.

New Orleans Saints:

It is widely held that the way to beat Peyton Manning is not to blitz him, since his release is so quick that he rarely gets sacked or hurried, but to confuse him. That is not to say that he is easily confused, there is no smarter quarterback in the league, but much like bodyline bowling made Don Bradman merely a very good cricketer instead of a legendary one, it is the only way to cause his production to drop to more manageable standards. Manning adjusts faster than any quarterback in the league, so it is critical that if the Saints manage to confuse him, they capitalise and put points on the board. Manning will soon adjust, and the chance will be lost.

Because of his productivity against the blitz, and the fact that the strength of the Saints’ defense lies in their secondary, what pressure they do get on Manning must come from their defensive line only. They cannot afford to bring extra men, for fear of exposing their defensive backs and compromising their best defensive weapon.

That secondary has made big plays all season, and led the league in interceptions returned for touchdowns. No-one is more important here than the veteran Darren Sharper. If Sharper can come up with a big play against Manning, it may turn the game and get under his skin. For all his success, Manning does not have the record in the postseason that he should have. If Sharper can cause him uncertainty, it might give his side an opportunity.

Dwight Freeney’s ankle has, for the last week, been scrutinised like Beckham’s metatarsal in 2002. If the Colts’ premier pass-rusher cannot play, or can only in a limited capacity, it means less need to provide extra blockers, giving Drew Brees more targets and more time to throw.



Freeney's ankle has been subject to constant speculation this week

It would help the Saints to establish the run early. Not only will it set up the passing game, but if Reggie Bush in particular, can run with real power, as he did in the divisional playoff against Arizona, there is a chance of wearing the lightweight but speedy Colts defense down and keeping Manning off the field. Neither side is known for its running game, but the Saints have more ability than Indianapolis, and need to capitalise.

Bush could be the deciding factor. The Colts are unspectacular on special teams, and kick and punt coverage has never been a strength. This is one area where New Orleans have an advantage. If Bush can produce one or two big punt returns, it could make the difference. If he can return one for a touchdown, it might just win the Super Bowl.

A remarkable part of Indianapolis’ success has been the ease with which their rookie cornerbacks have slotted into their team this season, but they are still rookies nonetheless, and even the relatively unproductive Jets passing game burned them a couple of times in the AFC Championship game. If Brees can isolate them, Marques Colston and co. will have a big game.

Brees and Payton will attack the inexperienced Colts secondary

Both teams:

In what is expected to be an end-to-end encounter, with two high octane offenses, it is critical that neither side has any red zone failures. Should the Colts fail to score on a visit to the Saints’ red zone, Brees might well march the Saints up the other end and establish a lead. Meanwhile, should the Saints fail, Manning will do the same. With both sides expecting to score on every drive, whoever fails first will be at a huge disadvantage, much like with a break of serve in tennis.

These are just some of the interesting match-ups that await us in tonight’s game, and this is why the NFL is so fascinating – the way that both sides will scheme and attempt to create mismatches in their favour. Super Bowl XLIV features the league’s best offensive game planner in Sean Payton, against its quickest mind in Peyton Manning. Whoever wins, there will be plenty of points on the board come full time.

The Effects of Steroids

Amongst the coverage of various doping scandals around the world of sport, the side-effects of taking steroids are often overlooked. The various baseball players, cyclists and athletes who have, over the years, gone down this route in the pursuit of success, have done so at a personal cost, and in a revealing article at Esquire.com, one writer details his own experiences of steroids.

The unpleasant physical and psychological impact of one 16-week course of steroids would be enough to put many people off for life, and it is clear that those who do take them are probably paying a greater price than any ban or fine that could be handed out to them by the relevant authorities.

NFL: 'The Best Play of All Time'

More on the Super Bowl next week, but in the meantime, here's an interactive piece from the ESPN website looking at the critical moment of last year's big game, James Harrison's 100 yard interception return for a touchdown. It was the longest play in Super Bowl history, and taking views from those who were involved or who witnessed it, ESPN have dubbed it 'the best play of all time'. That's a bold claim, but there is no doubt that it was one of the most memorable sporting moments of last year, and if this year's Super Bowl features anything nearly as spectacular, fans are in for a treat.



Harrison bearing down on the end zone for his record-breaking score

Rugby: Ruben Kruger

How sad to hear of the death, aged 39, of former South Africa flanker Ruben Kruger, who was part of the World Cup winning side in 1995. Kruger was the epitome of the tough South African flanker, strong in the tackle and the carry, not playing a flashy game. He could go unnoticed at times, but he was an important part of that world champion side, memorably scoring the only try of a waterlogged semi-final against France in a drenched Durban.


Highlights of the 1995 semi-final begin five minutes into this clip

With Invictus in cinemas this week, recounting the tale of South Africa's historic victory in that tournament, it is easy to forget just how close that game was, ending 19-15. Kruger's try was the difference, and without it, history could have been very different.

Cricket: Development vs Tradition in Samoa

There's a fantastic piece on The Guardian's website about the growth of cricket in Samoa and its clash with kilikiti, the distinctively local sport that evolved out of a previous attempt to introduce the game to the country in the 19th century. As Andy Bull, the writer, points out, we're used to hearing about the clash between modernity and tradition in the cricket world, especially when Twenty20 is involved, as it is here, but this particular clash has a unique flavour.

The links in the article are also worth looking at, particularly this video, which gives the viewer a proper look at kilikiti:

Cricket: The Greatest Female Cricketer of All Time

Before today I'm ashamed to say I had never heard of Betty Wilson, but reading her obituary, it is clear that she was a remarkable cricketer, and quite possibly the greatest female cricketer of all time, as you would expect from someone who was compared to Don Bradman. In fact, she went one better than her fellow Australian by being a superb bowler as well, completing the then-unheard of feat, in male or female test cricket, of scoring a century and taking 10 wickets in the same match in the 1957-58 series against England.

A test average of 57.46 with the bat and 11.80 with the ball is a remarkable achievement in any form of the game, no matter what the standard, and although the women's international scene may not have been as well developed as it is now, those figures demand respect. Indeed she gained that respect, becoming the first woman to be inducted into the Australian Sports Hall of Fame. There's a brief interview with her from a couple of years ago on Cricinfo, which does not reveal that much, other than a single-minded and driven individual, as one might expect.

Rugby: Borthwick's Captaincy

Amongst all the doom and gloom in the press surrounding the retention of Steve Borthwick as England captain, Bryn Palmer has broken the decision down on the BBC website. He concludes, much as I did back in the autumn, that Borthwick may not be the most inspirational choice, but right now he is the only logical one, and that is a realistic reflection of England's place in the world at the moment, and their talent pool, rather than blind loyalty on the part of Martin Johnson.



Northampton's Lawes is pushing for Borthwick's starting place

England will no doubt have mixed results in the Six Nations, and Borthwick will cop a lot of criticism, but until a more qualified candidate comes up either in the second row, or for the captaincy, he is the man for the job. It is easy for pundits to throw around names like Courtney Lawes, but the truth is that England's pool is very shallow when it comes to second rows and captains, and Lawes cannot even get into the Northampton team on a regular basis. Hopefully come the autumn, more players will have established themselves, and there will be alternatives in both roles, but for now England actually have greater concerns, such as establishing a regular team and some positive results. Focus on those, and the captaincy will take care of itself in due course.

Great Sporting Nicknames: The Chiropractor

Samoans are known throughout the rugby world as the biggest hitters in the game, and in this nation of big hitters, Brian Lima was, for many years, king. The only Samoan to be banned from tackling his team mates in training, such was the damage he could inflict, despite the history of Samoan tacklers such as Va'aiga Tuigamala and Trevor Leota, Lima became known as 'The Chiropractor' for rearranging his victims' bones with each hit.


Lima tackles Derick Hougaard at the 2003 World Cup

Unfortunately his tackles strayed into illegality too often for a player with such a long career, and despite being the only man to play in five World Cups, he never seemed to learn his lesson. Fittingly, his international career finally ended with a three-week ban during the 2007 World Cup for a typically robust high tackle on Jonny Wilkinson. However, when he got it right, he was thrilling to watch, utterly fearless and completely dedicated to the cause, and like so many great hard-tackling Samoan players, he dished out the big hits without malice, and played the game in an earnest and honest manner.

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The tackle which led to the ban that ended Lima's career

The attention on his tackling meant that his other skills were often overlooked, but he was a world-class wing and centre, and one does not play in five World Cups, nor for top-flight clubs in England, New Zealand, Wales, Ireland and France without being a multi-faceted player. The fact that he played so long, despite his uncompromising style also speaks of a remarkable athlete, and the game was always a more eventful place for his presence.

As a nickname, 'The Chiropractor' has a great balance of humour and menace, you can picture it being given to a mafia enforcer or a Guy Ritchie-esque cockney villan. That is, however, if you would even consider giving the name to anyone else. Like all great nicknames, it was clear that there could be only one 'Chiropractor'.

Highlights of the Decade: Cricinfo's list

Cricinfo has published a list of the best cricketing performances of the 2000s (parts one and two). The performances they have chosen are certainly classics, but have they missed anything? Feel free to add your thoughts.

Rugby: Bill McLaren

The death of Bill McLaren has already brought forth tributes from around the rugby world, as befits the game’s most iconic voice. McLaren was one of those rare commentators whose voice became entirely synonymous with their sport, much like Murray Walker, to the degree that, like Walker, even those who knew nothing about rugby recognised his voice, and the context in which it would be found. Whenever Rory Bremner broke out his impression of McLaren, it needed no explanation, unlike some of the politicians in his repertoire.

His voice was ideal for broadcasting, and rugby in particular, its rich and lyrical tone evoked the rugby heartland of the Scottish Borders, where McLaren was born, in Hawick. He added to this a passion for the game and a meticulous approach to research, which was all the more impressive when one considers that he was a part-timer for much of his career, teaching PE during the week. His ability to impart a remarkable amount of information, both statistical and anecdotal, without breaking stride or appearing to try too hard, only added to the viewing experience. Many of those facts and anecdotes stick with fans to this day, such as the tale of referee Derek Bevan, whose home club of Vadre in Wales framed his picture with a toilet seat, which was closed over him whenever he had a bad game. Only McLaren could weave that tale into the commentary of an international match without seeming contrived. Similarly his repertoire of one-liners, the product of preparation rather than spontaneity, steered clear of self-indulgence, and always seemed intended to add to the colour of a match, rather than to draw attention to his commentary.



Above all McLaren seems to have been a well-liked and respected man, and that goes a long way when someone spends so much time in a specialised field. Rugby never sounded the same after his retirement in 2002, and although Eddie Butler (whose own heartfelt tribute to McLaren is here) has his merits on television, as does Ian Robertson on radio, there is currently no-one who captures the spirit in the way that McLaren did. Maybe they never will, his voice and his spirit harked back to the amateur era, an age that already seems like ancient history. It seems strange to think that there is already a generation of fans that has grown up without his commentary, whereas there were 50 years’ worth who did prior to that. McLaren sits alongside greats like Walker and Richie Benaud and his commentary will conjure up evocative images of rugby’s past for those fans until the last of those generations is gone.

Of the coverage of his death, I particularly like this tribute from the UK-based American journalist and broadcaster, Mike Carlson. It is interesting to see the regard he in which he was held by a professional from another part of the world, with a very different sporting background, Carlson being (amongst other things) the pre-eminent NFL pundit in the UK. It is also interesting to note the tributes that have come in from all around the rugby world, and it is clear that as far afield as New Zealand, his was a voice that was heard and respected.

Olympics: Blood in the Water

It's only up on the iPlayer for a few more hours, but if you have 15 spare minutes, listen to 'Blood in the Water', the story of the clash 1956 Olympic water polo clash between the Hungarian and Soviet teams, played against a backdrop of revolution in Hungary. Whilst the Soviet army was ruthlessly crushing the uprising, the encounter in Melbourne was a famously bloody encounter.

The third part in this series of 'More Than a Game' deals with the 1969 war between Honduras and El Salvador, which broke out following World Cup qualifying matches, and promises to be just as interesting.

Ed Smith on Professionalism in Sport

Former Kent, Middlesex and England cricketer Ed Smith has written a fascinating article in Intelligent Life magazine about the rise of the cult of professionalism in sport and in life in general. Specifically, he looks at the endless pursuit of the professional attitude, and wonders whether we have gone too far as a society, and that balance between the obsession with process and with a more amateur, fun-based approach to the world, needs restoring.

Whether or not one agrees with his views, he does raise some good points, and it is certainly true that many coaches in sport have been guilty of obsessing over copying the most professional model for coaching, rather than stopping to consider the merits of such an approach.

Cricket: Cricket on Ice

Looking at this article on Cricinfo, it seems that cricketers around the UK have missed an opportunity to get some unseasonal play in during the recent cold snap. During the winter of 1878-9, keen players around the country seized the chance to hold an impromptu winter season.

Matches took place on skates, and some surprisingly good scores were posted, alongside some more predictably bad ones, and there was enough action taking place for Wisden to report on the scene in the following year's edition.


There has seen plenty of sledging, but not in a Steve Waugh way

In reality, there probably was not enough ice in the south for this sort of game this winter, but in the north of England, or in Scotland, it might have been briefly possible. There was thick enough ice for some curling to take place, although plans for a big match were abandoned. Still, the idea is worth remembering for future winters. It would certainly be a memorable day's cricket.

Rugby League: GPS Tags for Players

Bradford Bulls players are going to lead the way in Super League by wearing GPS tags during matches that will relay real-time information about their movement and heart rate to coaches. The data could be used to help make substitutions during a match, as well as analysing player fitness and performance afterwards.

Bradford coach Steve McNamara (right) has embraced technology

Apparently the idea came from Aussie Rules Football, and if anything, it is surprising that this has not arrived sooner. One would imagine that many sports will follow suit now that the equipment is so unobtrusive. Expect to see American sports sides, who are never shy of using technology, following this trend, as well as top European football teams and the more advanced Olympic programmes.

Billy Beane (left) is known for his pioneering use of statistics

Assuming sports' governing bodies approve the technology, it makes one wonder where it will go next. How long before coaches in all major sports are reading detailed real-time biological data about their players, not only during matches, but also in training? The potential applications for the sports programmes that can afford it are huge, especially when one bears in mind the large amounts of data already analysed by high-tech organisations such as AC Milan or the RFU. The statistics-obsessed world of baseball has already shown other sports the immense possibilities of proactively using data, most famously in the case of Oakland Athletics General Manager Billy Beane, whose ability to use "Sabermetrics" to make unusual but highly successful decisions based on statistics have made him a legend (and subject of a famous book - "Moneyball", the film adaptation of which seems to have stalled).

It seems that despite the fuss over cricket's referral system, and the lack of goal-line technology in football, as far as technology in sport goes, we have only just seen the beginning.

A Glimpse Into Sporting History

ESPN has an article on its website about the sporting memorabilia held by the Smithsonian Institution. Well worth a read to find out just what sort of artifacts they value, and to see what endorsements previous generations of sportsmen signed up for. Baseball-themed condom anyone?

Football: Wenger on the African Cup of Nations

Arsene Wenger has expressed concerns that the calls from club managers for the cancellation of the African Cup of Nations, and for the tournament’s European based players to return home, following Friday's attack on the Togolese national side, may be influenced by self-interest on the part of their clubs.

Wenger told The Telegraph:

"Behind things like that, is it a selfish motivation or is it a real issue over security? We, here, are not in the best position to judge the security of this competition.”

Although no-one would suggest that the managers of clubs like Hull and Bolton are not concerned about their players, they also stand to benefit from any withdrawals, as they are battling relegation. The tournament is unpopular with European clubs, taking players away at a critical time during the season.

Wenger coached Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor at Arsenal

Wenger, who also has players at the tournament, makes the point that it is for those on the inside to judge the best course of action:

“If you organise the European Championship and you have an incident like that — it can happen and has happened — you do not want all your players suddenly to move home. When you hear sometimes there’s unrest in the suburbs of London, you still live well in London. When I speak to my friends in France, they ask me: 'Is a revolution happening in London?’ It’s the same in Paris. You immediately think it’s a revolution everywhere. It’s not always the case. You have to judge the place, whether the competition can go on or not, and I don’t know enough about the situation.”

Whatever the rights and the wrongs of continuing with the tournament, those decisions should be left to the players and administrators in Africa. Although it may be well-intentioned, any advice from European clubs is best taken with a pinch of salt, given their self-interest, difficult relationship with international football, and a dismissive view of non-European international football.

When he makes observations like these, Wenger comes across as an intelligent and calm man with a strong sense of perspective – the man he is generally held to be in private. Such a shame then, that he has often been responsible for some less dignified outbursts and bouts of partisanship.

Press round up

Courtesy of The Observer: Ten technical innovations that changed sport.
An interesting list which harks back to a different era, one of independent, and often amateur, innovators. It is hard to imagine many of the sports mentioned without the equipment in this list.

Photographer Tom Jenkins chooses his pictures of the decade.

Eddie Butler rounds up England's selection options for the Six Nations, with the squad due to be announced on Wednesday. He proposes some interesting ideas, including the suggestion that Delon Armitage might play at centre, although the obsession he shares with other pundits about playing Jonny Wilkinson at inside centre I think overlooks Wilkinson's lack of dynamism. Even if the inside centre is picked as a second fly-half, he still needs to be able to offer traditional inside centre traits, such as crash ball options, which Wilkinson does not. Similarly, Courtney Lawes has become the darling of several leading journalists, but he cannot get into the Northampton team at lock, and is not an obvious pick at blindside flanker. One excellent performance against Munster and Paul O'Connell brought him to national attention, but he needs more performances of that standard before he plays for England.

Meanwhile The Times looks at the risks of eye-gouging, and the importance of Julien Dupuy's disciplinary hearing to the future of the game.

Simon Barnes looks at the ball-tampering row engulfing England's tour of South Africa, and points out the hypocrisy of blaming bowlers for all the game's ills (I'm not sure about the taking of a wicket as the "ultimate point of arousal" mind you).

Mike Selvey suggests that South Africa should be careful what they wish for before they instruct the groundsman to prepare a result pitch for the final test match which starts in Johannesburg on Thursday.

Rugby: Brendan Venter on Refereeing

The rant by Saracens Director of Rugby, Brendan Venter, about English refereeing standards has split the press this week, with a number of prominent pundits agreeing with his assessment that the laws are not being interpreted consistently.

Venter undoubtedly has a point, something that has been already discussed at length this season. However, all the pundits queuing up to support him are doing so because they have been making this point themselves for months, which has blinded them to the manner of his comments. He fully deserves to be punished for his outburst, not because the RFU should crush any dissent, but because his good point was buried under an avalanche of angry and disingenuous remarks about referees, and this needs attention, as much as the refereeing standards.

There are two separate issues here, and both are important. Making the interpretation of the laws more consistent, especially at the breakdown, is a big one, but so is ensuring that officials are treated with respect. Venter would have been better off biting his tongue and waiting to make a more measured statement at another time, rather than after Saracens’ second defeat in two games, their first losses of the season. Although this is more than just a case of sour grapes, it is noticeable that there was no ranting from him when his side was unbeaten.

Venter criticised the decision to award Steve Borthwick a yellow card against Leicester

Moreover, the game in question, with Saracens losing away to Leicester was not the inexplicable turnaround that their head coach made it out to be. The reversal of a 9-3 first half penalty count in favour of Saracens to 10-4 count against them is an interesting statistic, but not as clear cut as he would like to think. Penalty counts reflect many things, most relevant to this match was the fact that Leicester’s second half performance was greatly improved, and they were on the front foot for much of it. Regardless of interpretation, decisions tend to favour the side going forwards. Penalties are not awarded on an alternating basis, they tend to come in a series for the side on top, followed by a series for the other side when they are on top. An overall penalty count for the match of 13-13 is not controversial. The scale of the turnaround in points terms was actually very small, only three points.

Stuart Barnes and Will Greenwood assessed the game on the Rugby Club on Sky, and concluded that none of the decisions were unusually controversial. Even the sin-binning of Saracens’ captain Steve Borthwick, which seemed harsh on first viewing, was consistent with at least two similar incidents this season, one of them involving another Saracens player. If anything, Borthwick was the victim of consistency, rather than a lack of it.

Venter stated that he thought the referee “was influenced at half time”, a big accusation to be making without any proof – just ask Jose Mourinho. He stated that players talk too much to referees, which may be true, but is the case in every top-flight fixture around the world, so nothing out of the ordinary there. He then raised the Sale v Leicester game from the previous week, stating that Richard Cockerill had been angry at the refereeing, but the Saracens staff felt that if anything Sale had been hard done by. This is baffling, as Venter is using this to illustrate inconsistent refereeing, when in fact he is highlighting inconsistent perceptions of refereeing by those involved in the match. Cockerill later commented: “I wasn’t happy with the referee [but] I went home and watched the video and he was OK”. Moving on, Venter said:

"We cannot (have referees) just rock up and say: 'Hi boys, I am here, where is the whistle? Chuck me an orange.' It can't work like that."

This is obviously wrong, and he must know it. If he wants referees to take responsibility for their conduct, so must he.

Leciester Director of Rugby Richard Cockerill has defended referees following Venter's outburst

This whole situation is at most, only partially the fault of referees. It is down to the IRB to devise laws that work, and then in tandem with the RFU offer clear guidance on interpretation. There has been so much tinkering in recent years that it is a wonder that anyone knows the laws, and it is very clear that many players and coaches do not know them as well as they should.

Eddie Butler thinks that that officials do not need protection, and criticism will not spark a football-esque breakdown of respect, but it is hard to know until it is too late. It is true that rugby and football have different cultures, but the game is expanding all the time, and if it wants its values to remain intact, it has to protect them. There is a right way and a wrong way to raise concerns, and whilst Venter may feel that he had exhausted official channels following some unproductive discussions with the RFU, he could have made his comments to the media in a more balanced way.

As for all those jumping on the bandwagon, they would do well to be wary of turning Venter into a martyr for what was a rather unpleasant rant, and instead properly direct their concerns to those with the power to change things, rather than the referees themselves. Venter meanwhile, has deflected attention from his side’s back-to-back losses, and criticism of their style of play, something his players will thank him for at least.