Lions…..Lucky
Crikey that Israel bloke on the wing looks tasty…..how we won that I really don’t know….. DewiWelsh Nationalist. Rugby Fan. Know a bit about History and Railways…
Rugby
The Lions Test Team – how were our predictions?
Here’s the team: Leigh Halfpenny (Wales),Alex Cuthbert (Wales), Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland) Jonathan Davies (Wales), George North (Wales), Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), Mike Phillips (Wales); Alex Corbisiero (England), Tom Youngs (England), Adam Jones (Wales), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), Paul O’Connell (Ireland), Tom Croft (England), Sam Warburton (Wales, capt), Jamie Heaslip (Ireland). Subs: Richard Hibbard (Wales), Mako Vunipola (England), Dan Cole (England), Geoff Parling (England), Dan Lydiate (Wales), Ben Youngs (England), Owen Farrell (England), Sean Maitland (Scotland). Astonished at Maitland as sub, very strange. …
Shane gets the Lions roaring..
Here’s my team: 15 Halfpenny – he missed a kick in 2011 and a tackle in 2009….I’ve decided to let him marry my niece. 14, hmmm difficult – I think Kearney…or maybe Shane… 13, Davies – player of the tour so far, 12, O’Driscoll – if he’s fit 11, North – ditto 10, Sexton – looking grown up…well at least compared to Farrell 9. Phillips – superb so far 8. Heaslip 7. Warburton 6, Croft (we have to have a …
Ireland’s Call as you may never have heard it before….
Don’t you just hate American candour… We never ever get to hear Irish rugby players render Ireland’s Call in their own voices… Check this about here, but don’t say you weren’t warned… (most of the US players had the sense not to try, and those who did were largely drowned out by the crowd..) Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a …
A Lions tour – predict the first test team please.
So it was just a bad dream for Rory Best – in the Lions squad…and I reckon a test starter. How about the other 14? Rules are simple. I need the names of the fifteen starters in the first test on June 22nd. 1 point for every correct name. Here’s my guess: 15 Halfpenny 14 Bowe 13 Roberts 12 O’Driscoll 11 North 10 Sexton 9 Phillips 8 Faletau 7 Warburton 6 Lydiate 5 O’Connell 4 AW Jones 3 A Jones 2 …
Close down under.
An astonishing last 10 minutes of New Zealand – Ireland. Penalty just too far for Sexton, daft decision by Owens, a Carter failed drop goal touched in flight, a scrum five and Carter finishes it. As for Wales…give me strength. Ireland BBC Report: Ireland BBC Report Wales BBC Report: Wales BBC report DewiWelsh Nationalist. Rugby Fan. Know a bit about History and Railways…
“Ulster Rugby – Are you unionism in disguise?”
It annoyed me years ago when I walked into Elvery’s on Dawson Street to find they stocked plenty Leinster and Munster tops but no Ulster ones. Then again, you only stock what there’s a demand for, and for years Ulster was the poor relation in Irish rugby. [Image from BigStock] So much so that as rugby has become genuinely and broadly popular in Northern Ireland, many Northern Irish nationalists have taken to supporting provincial winners from other parts of the …
Normality and rugby
In the review of the up-and-coming Heineken Cup final, I made the observation that the sports media have been unused to writing about Ulster given the lack of success in recent times. Player profiles by sports journalists seem to fall into 3 topics; the faith of the players, the foreign players, and the faith of the foreign players. Now the social commentators have started as well, except they only have one topic – rugby and that protestant/catholic thing in the …
Leinster would probably win 9 times out of 10, but…
The first ever all-Irish Heineken Cup final kicks off at 5pm, Saturday 19 May in front of a capacity 81,000 Twickenham crowd: Leinster v Ulster. Ulster? Well, yes, Ulster. The absence of Munster at the most significant game ever between two Irish provinces has left some journalists struggling for content, unaccustomed as they are writing about Ulster. However judging by Munster’s humiliating exit from the Pro12 League semi finals, the press will needs to get used to the new world …
Six Nations – yet another boring Welsh Grand Slam?
Ok – I have people staying over for the weekend so forgive me for a post on Thursday. Sam’s back for Wales.. (from the Independent) Whatever. – that’s from Le Monde with the Google Translate here. I don’t think Rougerie is a centre. How many points are Ireland going to beat these idiots by? Foden want’s something special. – Please give him something special. In the prediction contest Reader leads by 3 – however he’s gone for a French win at Cardiff …
SIx Nations – Let’s try this again…
A miracle or a massacre? – From the Irish Independent: Le massacre du printemps, incidentally, was a headline from L’Equipe on the morning of the 1992 fixture in the old Parc des Princes, where Ireland managed never to win — against France or Argentina. Philippe Saint-Andre was on the wing that day when the home team romped home 44-12. For optimum effect we fiddle around with the stats from Ireland’s record in Paris, but the one that best illustrates the …
Six Nations – Weekend 3
It’s time to start building a fortress. From the Irish Times: WHEN IRELAND first returned to Lansdowne Road in the autumn of 2010, Brian O’Driscoll spoke for all when declaring Ireland’s need to make the Aviva a fortress. Alas, not helped by the IRFU’s ticketing fiasco, as fortresses go it’s been more akin to the Maginot Line, which the Germans stormed in about a day. Should be comfortable – Italy can be awkward – but in areas where Ireland are …
Six Nations: Paris in the Spring – A day for heroes…or a cold night in hell?
Well, late winter really but that ain’t quite got it..from the Irish Times – it’s minus nine degrees: At least les bleus won’t be playing with the sun on their backs in springtime. Otherwise, this one doesn’t look too promising. Not only do France have a hex on Ireland like no one else, nowhere does this apply more than the French capital. Ireland have won just once in their last 20 visits, and les bleus have also won 11 of …
Six Nations – wide open.
This weekend sees the start of the most unpredictable Six Nations for a while. (There’s still time to make your predictions here). Are those Polish freezers still working for Wales? (BBC) Keith Earls has some pretty big boots to fill….(Belfast Telegraph) If you were Mr Lancaster would you like to start things anew at a freezing hostile Murrayfield…..? From the Record Andy Robinson is pressing the right buttons. Of England’s World Cup: What surprises me about England is they fell into a …
Six Nations 2012 Prediction Contest
Ok – it’s that time of the year. Same rules as usual which are: 1 point for a correct home win, 3 points for a correct away win, 7 points for a correct draw. This year we need the top try scorer. 3 points if it’s one bloke, 2 if it’s joint, 1 if it’s shared by three. Any more than 3 top try scores it’s nowt. Tie breaker is total points scored. Here’s the fixtures: 1 France v Italy …
RWC – Mum: ‘He proved them wrong’
Wonderful stuff from the NZ Herald: Sheryll Donald this morning said she never doubted her son would turn in a great game when he was called off the bench with 50 minutes to go. Seeing him rescue the flagging All Blacks side was one of the proudest moments of her life, she said. And as Graham Henry said: Didn’t he do well. Steve Donald. Superb DewiWelsh Nationalist. Rugby Fan. Know a bit about History and Railways…
RWC – almost done….come on All Blacks!
Enjoy: Power’s back on in Auckland. Sticking with the Herald – A number of All Blacks are pacing around the playing surface.. Enjoy! DewiWelsh Nationalist. Rugby Fan. Know a bit about History and Railways…
RWC: Final – Will France make a game of it?
New Zealand unchanged and supremely confident. France? “le match de toute une vie” – Imanol Harinordoquy ain’t a bad player. Let’s face it – they’ve done it before.. I hope New Zealand stuff them and sink their ship on the way home. Any objective observations? DewiWelsh Nationalist. Rugby Fan. Know a bit about History and Railways…
RWC: What’s Welsh for “gutted” ?
Watched the re-run on S4C on Saturday: Interviewer to Shane Williams: “Sut wyt ti’n teimlo Shane ?” (How do you feel Shane?) – “Gutted” To Jamie Roberts – “Beth oedd y teimlad yn yr ystafell newid?” (What was the feeling in the changing room?) – “Roedd y bechgyn yn “gutted”. (The boys were gutted) My sister phoned me after the game – we go halfway round the world, play like heroes and can’t even have a game against the All-Blacks. I’m …
RWC: Wales v France
OK – off to the Millenium Stadium – along with 60,000 others. Let me know how we are doing. In the meantime: Jonathan’s a fan again… Enjoy! DewiWelsh Nationalist. Rugby Fan. Know a bit about History and Railways…