England’s Centres of Attention
Another wild weekend of high scoring Premiership rugby indicates, besides attacking intent, either a total lack of defence, pressure or an insatiable lust for losing bonus points! Either way the sizeable crowds are loving it although the defence coaches will be tearing their hair out. The clubs seem to be taunting Steve Borthwick who will […]
World Cup Crunch Time Approaches…
There is no doubt that a World Cup Quarter-Final focuses the mind like no other rugby day in a 4 year cycle. I remember vividly in 1991 as we prepared for ‘ Le Crunch’ against France in the Parc des Princes we knew one certainty – lose and we go home. It became a huge driver for us and while the intensity or even fear doesn’t win the match it ensures that each player will perform with desperation. It was a historic win for England in a truly gladiatorial atmosphere…
Brave New World for English Rugby
Unusually, the RFU got on the front foot to kick of the New Year with the Nigel Redman interview.
Sporting drama in June – A Rugby Tale of Three Fly Halves and two coaches
What a month of sport around the world, where to start? Bairstow’s heroics at Trent Bridge against the world’s No 1 team, New Zealand, was inspired by the legendary Kiwi Brendan McCullum, a delicious irony and so far a visionary choice for England’s new supremo.
A week for Sporting Champions and questions of leadership
What a week for Champions in two of our major sports – and a prelude for an unprecedented summer of sport after two years of Pandemic-driven abstinence.
Broken dreams for Champions Cup semifinalists
The brutality of semifinals is that no one remembers the loser. However, for Saracens, Wasps, Toulouse and Racing 92 there were many mitigating circumstances…
Europe’s best deliver an Easter treat
The Double-Header weekends of the Heineken Champions Cup have been one of the season’s highlights so far. The last 16 format created supreme drama and stunning quality between Europe’s top clubs. These formats and dates have been moved around partly through Covid driven necessity and partly in a constant search to improve the competition. I know that personally, having spent many months at that particular negotiating table. You cannot stand still, and with both the domestic leagues and International tournaments rightly seeking to generate more relevance and interest, the world’s premier club competition is doing the same- and to great effect.
England’s Rugby Realities (2)
Just as we are all ruminating on the right structures to give England rugby success, some fascinating takes have appeared in the press on the England coaching job by Rob Baxter and then Mark McCall.
England’s Rugby Realities
I said it was complicated and in a whole generation of English rugby, only three groups have ever been really successful and all three had the same characteristics.
Six Nations – a (dis)passionate look back.
Rugby romance, drama and crass stupidity at the close in Cardiff was a stunning feature of an ultimately predictable Six Nations as France and Ireland were streets ahead of the rest. I am not one for shouting at the television, and hardly when Wales is playing Italy.
