Rugby: Controversy overshadows the rugby as Lions and Wallabies face history

The British and Irish Lions have not been involved in a third test decider since their last tour of Australia 12 years ago. Tomorrow's match is a golden opportunity to restore the rugby credibility that only a series win can bring, and ensure that the concept of a combined touring team stays relevant for many more years. Yet you would not know it to listen to the British and Irish media's narrative of controversy and pessimism this week.

The second test was a disappointment for the tourists. Scrappy and mistake-ridden, but tense and gripping. Despite winning the first test, Warren Gatland made changes, acknowledging that it had been the narrowest of victories and there was much to improve on. But his changes were conservative, bringing in Lydiate and Bowe for their defensive abilities. That said, the selection of Ben Youngs, with his quicker pass, should have empowered Jonathan Sexton to create more opportunities for the backline. Instead, the Lions kicked ball away, played it close and tried to grind out a win. But you can't win a match by trying not to lose, the tourists could not get the distance they needed. Australian teams have a knack of staying in games (e.g. the 2003 world cup final) and sure enough, they played themselves into position for a winning score.

Both sides left the field facing key losses and a tense build up to Sydney, with the Lions losing Sam Warburton after a fantastic performance in the second test and the Australians worrying over the disciplinary proceedings against James Horwill. Then Gatland dropped his bombshell, dropping Brian O'Driscoll for the first time in his international career, and in doing so, removing his most creative player in favour of the more prosaic and inexperienced Jonathan Davies, a player who was earlier this year descirbed as “not a natural passer” by one of his own international coaches.

Richie Benaud always says that his approach to captaincy was doing the thing his opponent least wanted him to do. The Wallabies respect and fear O'Driscoll. The Irishman has had a quiet series, but has done a lot of work in defence, and there was every reason to believe that with Jamie Roberts restored alongside him, he would be back on form. The Lions need to play more rugby and try to win the game and for this reason, O'Driscoll should have played. He would have made a fine captain too, one that his opponents would respect, and the side now look short of leaders. The reversion to a power game is worrying because throughout the professional era, teams have sought to out-muscle the Wallabies, and have consistently failed because they have been suckered into a blinkered approach. The Welsh team that forms the heart of this Lions side lost 3-0 to the Wallabies a year ago, and has lost its last eight games against them.

Nonetheless, Gatland is entitled to make this decision and the overreaction has been unprecedented. There is a good rugby case for O'Driscoll, but there is a rugby argument against picking him too. Davies has had a good tour and though he has been quiet in the tests, he has not been bad. Gatland wants to revert to the game that has won him a grand slam and a Six Nations title in the last two seasons. It may not be to everyone's taste, but this is a coach who has won throughout his career, is vastly experienced in international rugby, and who has a fantastic track record of winning big games. He makes decisions on rugby grounds, and to accuse him of betraying the Lions ethos or bias towards Wales is a gross misunderstanding. Gatland knows his reputation will be tied to Saturday's result for years, he is not going to betray his own principles for bias or to prove some sort of point. He has taken a huge gamble, one which many, with good cause, believe to be wrong, but he has taken it because he believes that it is right.

Meanwhile, in George Smith, the Australians have a modern great returning from premature exile and he will bring muscle and know-how that can frustrate the tourists. In picking Sean O'Brien, the Lions have gone for an openside who is not a pure ball winner in the Warburton or Tipuric mould, and Smith will be relishing challenging the Irishman with Roman Poite, a northern hemisphere referee, allowing more of a contest on the floor, and with O'Driscoll, effectively a fourth backrower, absent.

The clues point towards another close encounter, another tense and messy match, like the one we had in Melbourne, rather than the open and exhilarating first test. Regardless, it will be nothing less than engrossing, and after an exhausting week of controversy, 80 minutes of unmissable rugby is what both sets of fans need.

Australia vs British & Irish Lions: second test preview

The British and Irish Lions find themselves on the brink of a rare series victory, their first since 1997. Here is how the second test shapes up:

Scrum

The scrum was supposed to be the Lions' strength in the first test. Australia have a better front row than in the past, but lack quality reserves, whereas the Lions' strong bench was supposed to dominate the second half. Instead, after a good first half, the replacements came on and struggled, giving away the penalty that nearly gifted the Wallabies the win. It was a dubious decision from referee Chris Pollock, but the Lions should never have given him the option. They are without the impressive Alex Corbisiero, opening the door for Mako Vunipola, whose scrummaging has been a concern. The Lions need to be wary of referee Craig Joubert, known for being strict, and cannot afford to be worrying about their own players as well. If the young loosehead struggles, expect to see Scotland's robust Ryan Grant on the field early in the second half. Otherwise, they should not make wholesale changes to the rest of the front row.

Line out

The Lions' line out had been poor throughout the tour, but in Brisbane it came good, though they got away with a couple of mistimed efforts. They cannot assume that the Wallabies will fail to punish such errors in Melbourne though. By replacing Tom Croft with Dan Lydiate, Warren Gatland has sacrificed a dangerous jumper for a little more defensive edge whether this gamble pays off may decide the series. Paul O'Connell's absence is a blow, but Geoff Parling has made a name for himself on this tour with his performances and leadership.

Selection

Tommy Bowe was in line for the first test until his hand injury, so replacing Alex Cuthbert is consistent, but harsh on Cuthbert, who scored a memorable try and played well. Ian McGeechan noted that Bowe is an intelligent defender as well as a dangerous runner, and this is probably the rationale. Gatland wants to deny the Australians the space they found in the first test, when the Lions defended surprisingly poorly.

Ben Youngs' call-up reflects a poor test from Mike Phillips, who fell into a well-placed trap from the Wallabies. They tempted Phillips to run into gaps on the fringes, only to close them with Ben Mowen, trapping Phillips in possession. Youngs likes to snipe, but focuses more on quick service. This puts the onus on Jonny Sexton to be the sole playmaker.

The most interesting selection is Lydiate over Croft, who played well in Brisbane. The Welshman is known for his tackling and all signs point to a gameplan based on shutting down the channels around the fringes. The Australians march to Will Genia's tune and if Lydiate can cut down his space and time, it will go a long way to winning the battle. Croft can come on in the second half, when things are opening up, to use his pace and skill in the loose. The danger is that this is a conservative selection, based on stopping the opposition, rather than scoring points.

James O'Connor continues at fly-half for Australia, where he looked uncomfortable in Brisbane. O'Connor is a good winger or full-back, and might be a great centre, but struggles with game management, especially with the pressure of goal kicking (Christian Lealiifano would have kicked in the first test if still on the field). Deans could have moved Kurtley Beale into fly-half and pushed O'Connor back to full-back or to centre. But he has doubled down on his selection from Brisbane, while the mercurial Quade Cooper sits on the sidelines. He may be difficult to deal with and capable of maddening errors, but he is a match winner, and the failure to manage him reflects badly on Deans. One wonders whether there should have been a spot for Mike Harris, who kicked the Wallabies to test wins last year, and who could play at 10, 12 or 15.

Breakdown

Chris Pollock made a lot of enemies in the northern hemisphere, giving very little leeway to attack the breakdown. However, the Lions struggled with one of rugby's oldest realities: adapt to the referee. Instead they looked confused and frustrated. Their leadership have spent all week praising Craig Joubert and he will probably be more accommodating than Pollock, but not by much. He is known for his strict approach and is still unlikely to give them the type of game they want. Brian O'Driscoll and Sam Warburton must lead the way in responding accordingly.

Despite the uncertainty and discontent within and without the camp, Australia nearly won the first test. It is typical of an Australian side to never be far from victory. They are unlikely to be as unlucky as they were a week ago and should be more settled. In both previous tours of Australia, the winner of the first test lost the series. Whilst the British and Irish Lions are rightly favourites to secure a series win in Melbourne, you write the Wallabies off at your peril.

Rugby: After Cardiff Wales and England can look at the positives

Wales' Six Nations triumph restored clarity to the northern hemisphere after confusing season. The Welsh have re-established themselves Europe's best team, as they were a year ago, England are much improved but not contenders yet, and the rest are in various states of rebuilding. Yet in many quarters the result has been reported as a disaster for the English, a grand slam choke akin to 1999, 2000 and 2001, yet this does a disservice to both teams.

For the Welsh, reducing the result to an English failure undersells the team that won a grand slam a year ago and was the best in this year's tournament. A disastrous first half in the opening game against Ireland was all that kept them from a repeat. From half-time in that match onwards, they were the best side, scoring the most tries and points, and conceding the least. However, due to their terrible summer and autumn series, the media narrative was that Rob Howley's tenure as interim head coach was failing and the team had lost its way.

This analysis was grounded in truth. The summer 3-0 defeat by middling Australia side, who seemed ripe for defeat on home soil, was a huge disappointment. The resulting confidence blow cast a shadow over the autumn, when the side looked listless and uninspired, most notably in the defeat by Samoa.

They had not become a bad team overnight though, once the confidence returned in the second half against Ireland, they were back. But they had been written off by the this point, and with England unbeaten through four games, few pundits noticed that the Welsh were clearly the better team, because that did not fit the narrative of a team in crisis and of England marching to a grand slam.

For England, painting it as a disaster does not accurately reflect their position. They were never the grand slam team they were hyped up to be, but in a little over a year they have made huge strides. Disappointment that they failed to meet unrealistically high expectations should not be laid at the feet of the team.

That is not to say that there are not problems, but they can be ironed out. Stuart Lancaster and Andy Farrell's comments after the game were humble and reflected a staff that knows what needs to be done, although this was later undermined by the public criticism of referee Steve Walsh. Asking the IRB about Walsh's decision-making is legitimate, but should be done behind closed doors. The scrum was a serious problem for England in the game, selecting Joe Marler ahead of the stronger scrummager Mako Vunipola was a mistake and Wales' focus on scrummaging instead of the refereeing paid dividends. Adam Jones' strong performance has probably won him the Lions' tighthead spot, especially after Dan Cole's unusually poor showing.

England's other problems were easily identified. Their lack of a pure ball-winning openside was one, as Justin Tipuric and Sam Warburton dominated the breakdown. Chris Robshaw has been a revelation as an international player and a captain, but is not a conventional openside in that sense. If he is going to be England's number seven, he needs support from the rest of the back row, the balance of which is something that will need further scrutiny.

Lancaster and his staff also need to create a greater threat in the backline, one try in four games is not enough, and though none of the starting backs are bad players, they lack cutting edge. Manu Tuilagi is a wrecking ball, capable of great performances, such as against New Zealand last year, but needs to use this threat to make space for his team mates and pass the ball to those outside him. Improving the quality of his handling skills would be a start. Further wide, the damage done by Alex Cuthbert for Wales highlighted the lack of quality wingers in white. Chris Ashton has not played well for England in 18 months and should be dropped until he finds some consistent form and confidence, he does not have enough of an all-round game to stay in the side when not scoring tries. Mike Brown has impressed as a rugby player, and was unlucky to lose his full-back spot to the rapidly maturing Alex Goode, but now that he has, he is out of position on the wing. There is an exciting crop of athletic wingers currently in the Premiership, it would be good to see Christian Wade, Tom Varndell, Charlie Sharples and Jonny May given opportunities in Argentina.

England should not be tricked by the media reaction into changing course. An inexperienced side has come a long way since Lancaster took over, and if the right lessons are learned and applied, there will be many more opportunities. For Wales, the win marked the end of a topsy-turvy twelve months and a return to their rightful place as kings of the north. This is a familiar cycle for them though, each recent grand slam, 2005, 2008, 2012, has been followed by disappointments and unfulfilled expectations. When they resume in the autumn, their challenge will be to take the next step and start challenging the southern hemisphere giants on a regular basis.

Great comebacks

Europe's Ryder Cup comeback brings back memories of other great golfing moments, notably the USA's identical feat in 1999. It also brings back memories from other sports. Here are five classic non-golfing comebacks:

1999: Rugby World Cup semi-final, France vs New Zealand

The greatest rugby match of all time? The All Blacks were favourites for the tournament, whilst France had been largely unimpressive, reaching the semi-final despite not playing any of the other big guns, but looked pumped-up from the start, belting out the Marseillaise and scoring an early try. However New Zealand exerted their control, and France's inability to tackle Jonah Lomu left them 24-10 down. Then Christophe Lamaison kicked two drop goals, and the French sparked into life, seizing the momentum as only they can. Time and time again they flew forward, scoring three tries and 33 unanswered points, while the shell-shocked New Zealanders never regained their composure, only scoring again when it was too late. Unpredictable as ever, one week later, an emotionally spent French team was unable to conjure up the same magic, losing the final to Australia.

1999: Champions Leaguefinal, Manchester United vs Bayern Munich

For all their domestic dominance in the nineties, Manchester United had failed in Europe. Finally reaching the Champions League final, they looked poor without the suspended Paul Scholes and Roy Keane, and trailed Bayern 1-0 as the match entered injury time. The German bench was already celebrating, when a United corner caused chaos in the Bayern penalty area. The United players looked as panicked as Bayern's but Ryan Giggs' scuffed shot found its way to Teddy Sheringham, who equalised. Munich were stunned, and seemed unable to react when, moments later, another corner was flicked on by Sheringham for Ole Gunnar Solskjær to score the winner. With 90 minutes up, the game seemed lost, yet United were champions, combining with the league title and FA Cup wins to complete a treble. Alex Ferguson's post-match comments said it all: “football, bloody hell.”

2004: American League Championship Series, Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees

Carrying the weight of 86 years of failure, the 2004 Red Sox went 3-0 down to their bitter rivals. No team in major league history had come from 3-0 down in the playoffs to take it to a seventh game, let alone won the series. Entering the final inning of game four, the Red Sox were losing, and an 87^th year of hurt seemed inevitable. Then Dave Roberts stole a base, and scored the tying run. It took until a twelfth inning in the early hours of the morning for David Ortiz to hit the winner. Boston then went on a run of dramatic wins, each an epic in its own right. The highlight was Curt Schilling, pitching in game six despite the blood oozing out of his surgically repaired ankle and through his sock. Completing a 4-3 series victory in Yankee Stadium seemed to exorcise 86 years of demons, and a week later the Red Sox won the World Series, lifting the curse of the Bambino.

1981: England vs Australia, third test match, Headingley

After a dismal start to the series led to Ian Botham's resignation as captain, England found themselves in trouble against their old enemies. Asked to follow on 227 runs behind, bookmakers famously offered odds of 500/1 on an England victory, but carefree batting from Botham and inspired bowling from Bob Willis secured a historic win, the first by a team following on since the 1894. In 2001, India pulled off the same feat, again versus Australia, no less remarkable, and to date, only the third such win.

2005: Champions League final, Liverpool vs AC Milan

Milan had won the tournament two years prior, and finished second in Serie A, whilst Liverpool had struggled through a difficult season, finishing outside the top four. Three-nil up at half time, Milan were already celebrating in the dressing room. Rafael Benitez changed his formation, adding an extra man in midfield, and Liverpool responded with three goals in the first fifteen minutes of the half. The Italian side still had chances, but were too flustered to take them, whilst Jerzy Dudek was having the game of his life in the Liverpool goal. Despite experience of winning a shoot-out in the 2003 final, Milan crumbled when it went to penalties this time, scoring only two. Dudek's save from Shevchenko secured Liverpool's fifth title and first since 1984.

Honourable mentions:

1995: Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks

Down 105-99 with 18.7 seconds remaining, Indiana's Reggie Miller scored eight points in 8.9 seconds, and the Pacers held on.

2001: Australia vs British and Irish Lions

Humiliated in the first test, and losing at half time in the second, Australia's rugby minds took control, whilst their more abrasive characters put the Lions off their game. Many argue the series turned on Nathan Grey's cynical elbow to Richard Hill's face, which removed the Lions' best player.

2012: Manchester City vs QPR, Premier League

City secured the title in dramatic last minute fashion thanks to Edin Dzeko's 92^nd minute equaliser and Sergio Aguero's 94^th minute winner.

Feel free to add your favourite comebacks in the comments.

Rugby: England's Third Test Plan

With the series already lost, England face South Africa in the third and final test match of their series this Saturday. After two defeats, Stuart Lancaster must be sick of valiant losing efforts, and will be looking to end the tour on a win. Here are three things his side must do, if they are to win in Port Elizabeth.

Cut out the Mistakes

England have not given themselves a chance to get into a winning position in the first two matches thanks to mistakes at key moments. These are inevitable for a new and inexperienced side, but players who fail to learn from their mistakes rarely last long in international rugby. Four minutes into the second test, the England front row failed to secure possession at a five metre scrum. The ball found its way to the feet of flanker Tom Johnson, who failed to react before it squirted out and was pounced on by Willem Alberts to score the opening try. England cannot gift their opponents opportunities like this in test rugby, the margins are too fine. Similarly, there have been too many missed tackles, which means that the English defence is always scrambling to catch up with play.

Improve in attack

Stuart Lancaster's team has shown more intent to attack with the ball in hand than in the Martin Johnson era, but there is still a long way to go. English players often seem unsure about what to do at key moments, and although the amount of aimless kicking has been reduced, there are still traces of the previous regime's conservatism. South Africa's final try last Saturday came from a misdirected and poorly chosen kick from Jonathan Joseph. The centre, making only his second appearance, failed to notice that no-one was in position to chase the kick and instead of retaining possession, he aimed his kick straight down the throat of JP Pietersen, who set up the try. Reverting to Toby Flood at fly-half was a positive step, and he was more assertive than in the past, but England's players still need a clearer idea of what they are going to do when they are inside the opposition 22, and need to be more precise when they do it.

Start fast

Like the 2009 Lions, England were slow out of the blocks last Saturday, and found themselves two scores down before they had had any significant possession This ultimately doomed the Lions, and it has doomed England in this series. Whether this was due to young players being overwhelmed by the moment, the intensity of the Springboks, or the effects of altitude, Lancaster and his team must diagnose this problem and solve it before the third test. A team cannot afford to give head starts to an opponent as powerful as the South African side.

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.

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

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.

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.

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'.

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.

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.

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.

2009: The Year of the Cheat?

A final thought on 2009: was it the year of the cheat? After all, this was the year of fake blood, Henry’s handball, Piquet’s whistleblowing and McLaren’s lies. Andre Agassi admitted to conning his way out of a failed drug test and eye gouging came back into fashion in rugby.

Every year brings its sporting scandals, cheating is as old as sport itself so nothing new there. What made 2009 stand out was the scale and effort of some of these schemes, and the fact that there were so many in one year.

Richards masterminded Harlequins' almost comical scheme

The most alarming side of the Harlequins fake blood affair was the premeditation. Rugby players have always set out to see what they can get away with, nothing new there to a veteran of the amateur era like Dean Richards. What has changed is the media coverage and the money. When Richards devised his scheme, it was not just a match he was trying to fiddle, but the biggest club rugby competition in the world, and the huge financial rewards associated with it. Had Leinster not made it to the semi-final, they would have been robbed of their classic encounter with rivals Munster, followed by a win in the final, but also a significant payout. This is part of an ongoing growing process for rugby union, still in its professional infancy. Hopefully these are nothing more than growing pains, and a new moral code will emerge at the top. Then again, looking at the rest of the professional sporting world, that might be too much to ask for.

Premeditation was not surprising in Formula 1, a sport where everything is planned and ruthlessly evaluated. The decision of Flavio Briatore and Renault to order Nelson Piquet Jr. to crash deliberately during the Singapore Grand Prix took place in 2008, but was uncovered in 2009, and was only shocking because of the risks involved in crashing a car at high speed. It would not be surprising however, if it were discovered that other teams had done this before. That is the sad reality that F1 faces at the moment, especially when the efforts of McLaren and Hamilton to swindle their way to another driver’s points at the start of the 2009 season are taken into consideration.

Nelson Piquet Jr. admitted to crashing his Renault on purpose

At least Thierry Henry’s handball was a heat of the moment decision, the kind of spontaneous cheating that is no less immoral, but says less about the state of a sport than that resulting from planning. Football has seen this kind of thing before, as England fans know well.

It is hard to know what to make of all this organised cheating in 2009, if anything. There is a suggestion that as the stakes in sport rise higher and higher, because the money has got bigger and bigger, this sort of thing will happen more often. Whilst the economy has squeezed some sports, cutbacks have largely come around the fringes, leaving the big-earners untouched, and conversely, raising the stakes even higher for those fringe performers who had livelihoods on the line.

Meanwhile the attitude to this sort of cheating seems to be that it is up to the authorities to police it, rather than to the cheats to put morals and the wellbeing of their sport ahead of their own success. This is a demoralising and cynical view, but perhaps a realistic one. Simon Barnes for one, takes it very seriously.

Then again, perhaps it means nothing. Maybe 2009 was just one of those years when a number of bizarre episodes coincided, and the elaborate deceptions should just be laughed at, comical as they are. Formula 1 has problems, that is clear (especially in light of today’s ruling lifting Briatore’s lifetime ban), as do the other sports. Whether there is a pattern is hard to say at the moment. Maybe fans should be reassured that the cheats are being caught, after all, cycling has been through the wringer in recent years, with positive drugs tests hitting its credibility, but at least that showed that the cheats were being caught. This year’s Tour de France featured not one failed test, perhaps the cheats have evolved again, or perhaps, just for now, the authorities have caught up and cleaned their sport up.

If (and it is a big if), sportsmen and women, coaches and administrators think twice about cheating after last year’s scandals, then the cathartic pain of 2009 will have been worth it for sports fans. Nothing stands still in sport though, and it is only a matter of when, not if, there will be another elaborate cheat exposed in the media.

Highlights of 2009: South Africa vs the Lions

2009 was a strange year in rugby union. There was near-hysterical criticism of the way the game was played, the ELVs were abolished, there was more criticism of the way the game was played, the people who had criticised the IRB for changing the laws and introducing the ELVs criticised them for not changing the laws, there were drugs scandals and eye gouging and fake blood, and in the middle of it all, one of the most compelling test series of all time.

The 2009 British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa will live long in the memory. Ian McGeechan, a man forever associated with the Lions, restored the soul of the side after Clive Woodward’s ill-fated venture in 2005. He also showed that it was possible to pick and coach a side that was willing and able to play good rugby against the reigning world champions in their own back yard, a point that many coaches and critics would do well to take heed of in 2010.

McGeechan reinvigorated the Lions in 2009

The midweek and non-international games were played with real intensity, as unheralded players from South Africa saw their chance to shine on the world stage, and Heinrich Brussow showed that a big performance against the Lions could catapult a young player to great things. With the Southern Hemisphere sides all playing midweek games on their tours in the autumn, with exciting results, perhaps 2009 was the year that the tour match, a relic which appeared to have been lost with the arrival of the professional game, made a surprising return.

The test series itself had everything: inventive play, strong defence, tragic mistakes, moments of brilliance, passion and stories of failure and redemption. The first two tests were unmissable sporting drama; to take one’s eyes off them for a moment was to risk missing a colossal tackle or moment of high skill. Stars were born, particularly Jamie Roberts for the Lions, and Brussow and Tendai Mtawarira on the home side. South Africa roared out of the blocks in the first test, led by the unflinching John Smit, but the Lions stormed back, before missed opportunities and stout defence left them narrowly defeated. The second test saw the Lions establish a lead, but the world champions showed their mettle, and with seconds remaining, a moment of madness from a battered and dazed Ronan O’Gara, who tackled Fourie du Preez in the air, gave Morne Steyn a chance to win the match and the series with a penalty, the final kick of the game, which he took with aplomb.

O'Gara's intervention decided the series, but not in the way in which he would have hoped

What this meant was that the only thing the series was missing was a third test decider, but that match was still eventful, the Lions winning an open and exciting encounter, restoring some pride, and ending what was remarkably, given that series wins have been few and far between over the years, their longest losing streak.

It was not all heart-warming fare, Schalk Burger’s callous gouging of Luke Fitzgerald’s eyes took a little of the sheen off the South Africans’ aura, as did the nonsensical defence raised by his coach, Pieter de Villiers. There was a bitter taste in the mouth too for Lions fans, who had seen their side come so close to a memorable victory, but the rugby world was a better place for a truly classic series, and the South Africans could rightly be proud of the way that they had built on their World Cup success, and established themselves as one of the best sides of all time. All that was left was for fans to start counting the days until Australia 2013.

Highlights of 2009: Ireland's Year at Last

There was no doubt that in the Northern Hemisphere, 2009 was Ireland’s year. For all the success that Warren Gatland and Eddie O’Sullivan had had during their tenures in charge of the national side, the Irish had no serious silverware to show for it. Meanwhile Leinster remained alongside Stade Francais as the biggest sides never to have won the Heineken Cup, despite years of close encounters, and the pain of watching their close rivals Munster lift the trophy twice in three years.

For both sides, captained by talismanic centre Brian O’Driscoll, the waiting was finally over. In a year when rugby was under attack for being boring and uninventive, Ireland and Leinster, with their stellar backlines, set out to play rugby, and even when they did not succeed, they still won. Best of all, both teams won their trophies in dramatic fashion, providing neutrals and die-hard fans with fantastic finales. The decider in the Six Nations came 61 years after the last Irish grand slam and 24 years after the last title, and remarkably, it was settled right at the death. Had the last-ditch penalty from Wales’ Stephen Jones not fallen inches short, it would have been another near miss for the Irish, and the “plucky losers” tag would have followed them around for 12 more months.

Ronan O'Gara's late drop-goal won the Six Nations and a grand slam for Ireland in Cardiff

Meanwhile, Leinster had spent much of the professional era with the image of Dublin city slickers, lacking the grit and determination of their rivals from Munster. But the luck of the draw offered O’Driscoll’s side a golden opportunity with a Heineken Cup semi-final against Munster. The event was an assault on the senses, with the blue of Leinster and the red of Munster filling the stands, the crowd cheering their support at volumes rarely heard in the domestic game. In one of the most memorable and atmospheric matches in the competition’s history, they finally produced the high-pressure result they needed, a cathartic win over their perennial rivals. Weeks later, in the final at Murrayfield, they overcame Leicester, and finally came out from the shadow of their neighbours.

Croke Park was a sea of colour, as Leinster and Munster contested their Heineken Cup semi-final.

Finally, with the disappointing result of the Lions tour still in everyone’s minds, the player returned home and regained some pride for a faltering Northern Hemisphere, drawing with a gritty Australian side, and earning a modicum of revenge for the Lions by beating the world champion South Africans at Croke Park.

With O’Driscoll cementing his place as one of world rugby’s great players and captains, Paul O’Connell being named captain of the British and Irish Lions, numerous team mates from the Irish scene making the Lions tour party, and bold new talents such as Jonathan Sexton emerging, this was a great year for Irish rugby, one that will live long in the memory for neutral fans around the world too. Whilst the game as a whole suffered in terms of quality this year, there was no lack of drama, and the Irish produced it in bucket loads.

Rugby: Shaun Edwards on Refereeing and the Laws

Shaun Edwards' weekly column in The Guardian is always informed and interesting, and this week, he reflects on the positive outcome of a slight change of emphasis in refereeing during last weekend's Heineken Cup ties.

Wales, Wasps and Lions coach, Shaun Edwards

In the last few months, there has been a campaign in favour of changing the laws of rugby to encourage a more open game, a campaign led by many of the same people who objected to changing the laws when the ELVs were introduced last year. However, there is a strong argument that there is not that much wrong with the laws as they stand, and that apart from a little tweaking, all that is needed is a change in emphasis, and for one or two trend-setting sides to be more expansive. All sports teams copy each other to some degree, and the minute one side has some success whilst running the ball more, others will follow. For this to happen, all it will take is for the benefit of the doubt to shift to the player taking the ball into contact, and put more onus on the tackler to get away, and gradually the game will open up again.

The recent Barbarians match showed that attacking rugby is still possible

What the ELVs proved was that by the time a problem in the laws has been identified and a solution devised, trialled and introduced, the game will probably have moved on again anyway. The ELVs were designed to reflect perceived flaws in the game around the time of the 2003 World Cup, but by the time they came in, tactics had evolved, and they already seemed dated (although they were flawed anyway). Far better to give the game a chance to sort itself out, and only change the laws if the situation is not improving. It is only a small improvement, but if Edwards is right, and last weekend did see a shift in attitudes, then hopefully by this time next year, we will no longer debating whether rugby is boring or not.