Should Rugby Union Use NFL-Style Goalposts?

This article is in response to some comments on Aaron Smith's try versus the Stormers yesterday (below). You will see it is an incredibly intelligent try and Aaron Smith, arguably the world's best scrum-half, uses his knowledge of the rules to his advantage and scores a fantastic try.

England's Most Exciting XV - Would Lancaster Ever Dare?

Bare in mind this is just a bit of fun, although these players lack the complete game, there is no doubt that they are very interesting to watch, and are all worth considering for the England XV. This is not the team we want to see Lancaster field, it is purely for a laugh,

3 Things England Have Learned From The 6 Nations

1) England's pack is world class - even with injuries

The strength in depth in the English pack can rival anyone. England’s pack has had a lot of injury troubles over the last few years, and although this is never good to see, it has given a lot of players the chance to lay down a marker and gain some vital experience. With a lot of players having come back from injury (Parling, Wood), and some hoping to make a return before the World Cup (Launchbury, Morgan), it is clear that England have a world class pack, and crucially, a world class set piece heading into this years World Cup. The injury to Morgan allowed Billy Vunipola to lay down a marker, and put in his best performances in an England shirt. Whilst players such as Attwood and Haskell didn't impress as much as many had hoped, failing to bring their club form to the international stage, players like Cole (who would not have been rushed in to the side without injuries), Kruis, Parling and Billy V showed the strength in depth in this pack. It would be a crime not to mention that the strength of this pack is largely down to the exceptional coaching by Graham Rowntree, who has been consistently seen to demand more from his players.

Team of the Tournament (2) - 6 Nations

What an exciting final day to the RBS Six Nations, possibly the best yet.  Each game was better than the previous and after England failed to win by the necessary points, Ireland took home the trophy. Here we have a look at the second opinion on our team of the tournament.

Team of the Tournament (1) - 6 Nations 2015

With Four Balls comes 2 opinions, so we have put together two teams of players that we believe have earned their place in the team of the tournament with some scintillating performance in this year's 6 Nations.

England vs France - Preview

England have the advantage of the highest points difference, and they play last, knowing exactly what is required of them to win the 6 Nations Championship, and they can adapt their game plan to the situation. France of course have the slimmest of chances of winning the Championship as well, if Ireland and Wales lose and they beat the English, but that seems sensationally unlikely. 

England actually started quite strongly last week, which makes a change, as the French played the most dire half of rugby I've ever had the misfortune to watch. We actively decided not to review it, because it was too painful to relive those memories. Last week we predicted Jack Nowell would have a good game against the Scots, and of course he did, marred slightly by handling errors but he looked very dangerous on the ball. He will look to carry that in to this game, and will be seeking the buzz of a Twickenham try once more. Geoff Parling returns to the England side, which will delight the fans as Attwood has looked slightly out of form of late, and the British & Irish Lion is just the man to come back and give the English pack a lift.

Scotland vs Ireland - Preview

The second game on Saturday sees a Scottish side desperate to avoid the wooden spoon host an Ireland side that last week lost for the first time in 11 games. Scotland will give it their all, they gave England a slight scare going in to the break 13-10 up last week, although they were comfortably the worse side throughout the match. They will be riled up, desperate to perform and to cause an upset against an Irish side that don't travel well under Schmidt. If the Irish push for a large points difference, they could come unstuck playing a style they are unfamiliar with so I'm sure Schmidt will send them out with the sole objective of winning and that will be that.

Italy vs Wales - Preview

The Irish and English will be worried that the Welsh could really pile the pressure on them with a big win here against a Parisse-less Italian side that were pitiful in their 29-0 loss to the French. In order to take advantage of a side lacking in confidence, Wales will need to start the game strongly and quell the Italian support and spirit. The crowd were down and out after watching an abysmal performance from their side, and if 15 minutes can go by without an Italian score and a few kicks of Halfpenny's boot then I expect Wales could really kick on and put the Italians to the sword. 

Steve Walsh Retires From Refereeing With Immediate Effect.

Just a quick one on the Steve Walsh saga. The referee with the 3rd most test rugby refereeing appearances (56 tests) has retired with immediate effect to pursue business prospects outside of the sport. We'll miss the man, but we'll miss his hair more.

Seriously though, look at those locks - beautiful.

How Gorgeous Is Steve Walsh's Hair?

Team of Round 4 - 6 Nations

Back 3 - Leigh Halfpenny, Stuart Hogg & Jack Nowell:

Slightly cheating by including Hogg as a winger, but all three players deserve their spot with fantastic performances. Halfpenny and his famous boot helped Wales to a massive victory against the Irish, whilst Stuart Hogg kept Wales and Ireland in the 6 Nations title race by making some sensational try-saving tackles. Jack Nowell looked exciting, and although he fumbled the ball a few times he always looked dangerous, and he could be very influential against France at the weekend. Nakaitaci was unlucky to miss out after a good debut, but these three were pretty awesome this weekend.

2015 6 Nations - Final Weekend Predictions

If you are a regular reader you will know we don't usually predict exact scores, but given the importance of points difference in this year's tournament we thought we'd give it a go.

England vs Scotland - Review

Wasted opportunities. So many wasted opportunities for the English. They had a chance to control the competition with a big victory over the Scottish and fluffed it, over 5 gaping opportunities went missing, and that could have put them in the driving seat with just one round to go, as it is they will need a big performance against France and hope the Welsh and Irish don't score too many. We will look at what went right and wrong for both sides, and suggest where they can go from here, starting by analysing the players that impressed us.

Wales vs Ireland - Review

355 tackles, 39 defenders beaten and 280 carries set up the game of the tournament. A bruising, exhausting game culminated in a 7 point victory for Wales, and opened up the 6 Nations Championship title race. Halfpenny's boot was crucial as everyone assumed it would be, and a fantastic refereeing performance from Wayne Barnes helped the game massively, although the Irish took their time to adapt to his style. We will discuss the players that had the biggest impacts in the game, and how the Welsh ended the Irish winning streak.

Wales vs Ireland - Preview

The more we look at this game, the more difficult it becomes to decide. Having released our composite side yesterday, we realised that a lot of the match-ups actually favour the Welsh, and that they have the best side in the 6 Nations to counter the Irish threat. Their ability under the high ball is very impressive, Biggar has really made a name for himself in this department recently, and with the reliable boot of Halfpenny the Welsh will be able to pile the pressure on an Ireland side that haven't travelled too well under Schmidt (in reference to loss to England, narrow victory over France and poor performance against Italy).

England vs Scotland - Preview

Scotland have a lot to prove on Saturday against the English, and a usually intense match will have even more pressure on it on Saturday as the Auld Enemies face each other. England will look to bounce back after a disappointing loss to Ireland by playing some expansive rugby, especially now that points difference could be telling for the 6 Nations title.The return of Courtney Lawes and Mike Brown will delight the English fans, although judging from our poll here they would have liked to see more changes.

Wales and Ireland Composite Side

Front Row: Jack McGrath, Rory Best & Samson Lee

Jack McGrath has proved himself to be a worthy replacement for Cian Healy, he has come a long way over the past year, and keeps Gethin Jenkins out, a player I am largely critical of due to his poor scrummaging against many opponents. McGrath proved himself to be very useful against the English, as did Rory Best, who outshone Hartley with his good lineouts and useful work over the ball securing turnovers. Samson Lee has a bright future ahead of him, and his powerful scrummaging earns him a spot in this composite side.



Second Row: Alun Wyn Jones & Paul O'Connell

One of the easiest selections to make, AWJ and POC walk into the side as 2 of the best second rows in world rugby. Natural born leaders, workhorses and giants among men, these two would walk into almost any side, and to see these two on the pitch together is always a treat.



Back Row: Peter O'Mahoney, Sam Warburton & Toby Faletau

There has been a lot of talk on http://www.therugbyforum.com about whether Peter O'Mahony is "world class". Our response is "not yet". We'll find out soon enough, he is not known for his ball carrying, similar to his opposite number Dan Lydiate, but his work over the ball is sensational, a player that does a lot of unseen work on the pitch, more so than Lydiate, who has been unimpressive lately in the Welsh jersey. Warburton makes his way in ahead of O'Brien, it was a close call, but the Welshman's ability to lead, couple with an impressive couple of weeks for Wales gives him the edge in our mind. Number 8 was another tough call, but Heaslip is still returning to his best, and Faletau has been impressive this 6 Nations, notably with his assist in the try against England. The battle of the back rows will be fascinating.

Half Backs: Conor Murray & Jonny Sexton

 The Irish half backs have been working very well together, Jonny Sexton is arguably the best 10 in world rugby right now, and will look to lead his side to a tough away victory. Dan Biggar has been impressed us this 6 Nations, as we are not usually too supporting of the fly half, but his ability under the high ball and game management has been good, but not quite "Jonny Sexton good".



Centres: Jamie Roberts & Jonathan Davies

Tough to leave Henshaw out after a man of the match performance against England, but Jamie Roberts is a class above, and the experience of both Welsh centres should be a big advantage over the relative inexperience of Henshaw and Payne.



Back 3: Liam Williams, George North & Rob Kearney

Williams hasn't been a Welsh regular over the past year, but his recent form has asserted him as one of the key players for Wales and has shown his impressive skill set, a skill set that thrives more than Zebo's does in the Irish line up. George North, although not on the greatest form internationally, is one of the world's best wingers, and a force to be reckoned with. If he brings his game on Saturday then Ireland are in big trouble. It was tough to leave Leigh Halfpenny out, because his boot is so important to the Welsh game, but if we were to pick any fullback out of this 6 Nations to start it would have to be Rob Kearney. He is imperious under the high ball and runs hard, he makes a much more impressive performance at fullback than Halfpenny, who only stood a chance of consideration through his kicking and may be better suited to the wing.

5 English Backs That Deserve A Chance Before The World Cup

Elliot Daly:

Daly’s form over the last month has been nothing short of sublime. The Wasps’ 13 has been in the form of his career recently scoring three tries his last three games, one of which a contender for try of the season, the sensational solo effort against Saracens. His out and out pace, long range boot, and ability to cover half the positions in the backs could make him the perfect player to cover from the bench, along with enough talent to challenge Jonathan Joseph for his starting shirt.

Henry Slade:

Everyone is well aware by now of the natural ability of Henry Slade. Securing a starting place this season at the in form Exeter has been crucial for the development of the young back. His stint at 13 proved his defensive capabilities, and no one can question his attacking ability. These skills combined with his reliable kicking from hand and tee could make him England’s permanent solution in the 12 shirt.

Kyle Eastmond:

Another man challenging for a place in England’s centres is Kyle Eastmond. His performance against an in-form Saints side a few weeks back should dismiss any unjust criticism of his ability to defend. He has proven time and again for Bath this season that he is one of the most exciting players in the league with ball in hand. I would love to see him run out at Twickenham with his in form Bath counterparts, where he will flourish.

Christian Wade:

The dismissal of this player by the England coaching staff annoys the public more than any other omission. There is no question that with ball in hand, Wade is one of the best finishers in the world, as proven by the try of his career at the weekend. At the beginning of this season his defence was rightly criticised, but having watched him play at the weekend it is clear that this is an area he has worked on, his drift defence was good, and he showed Jason Robinson-esque stability under the high ball. The England coaching staff needs to give him a chance to show what he can do in the white shirt.

Joe Simpson:

Joe Simpson has been one of the form scrum halves in the Premiership this year. He has looked lethal darting around the rucks, and with his blistering pace he only needs the smallest of gaps before he is off and causing all sorts of problems for the opposition. He may not be the future starting 9 for England, but if you need a player to come on and inject pace into the game, there are few better, those in favour of seeing Danny Cipriani come off the bench to influence a game will likely want to see the Wasps scrum half do the same. He has clearly worked on his game management this year, and his kicking has improved greatly. It is hard to see what more he could do to get a shot now. 

Who Would You Like To See Given Their Chance?

04/03/2015 - Football Predictions

2-1

Man City suffered a disappointing loss to Liverpool on Sunday, but will have enough to overcome Leicester. They could make it an unnecessarily nervous game for themselves however, and I wouldn't be surprised if The Foxes made it an uncomfortable game for the fans at The Etihad.

Scotland vs Italy - Review

How many times have we seen this?  Scotland yet again threw away a lead and lost a match which they should have won.  Whilst you cannot underestimate the heroic Italian performance, led by their talismanic Captain Fantastic Sergio Parisse, the lack of composure and leadership shown by Scotland is both extremely disappointing and is becoming a worryingly ever present trait so close to the World Cup. They now face the prospect of picking up their fourth wooden spoon in the Six Nations.

In the past couple of years under Scott Johnson, Scotland seemed to make steady progress, recording wins against Italy and Ireland in the 2013 Six Nations Championship, finishing third which was their best finish since 2006.  This was a fantastic result for the young side who even boasted a 9-6 win against Australia down under for the first time in 30 years.  Yet where has the confidence, competence and composure gone?  They seem to have taken a step back under Vern Cotter losing all three of the opening matches of this year’s Six Nations.  They saw a narrow defeat against France in Paris, an extremely difficult place to play and come away with a win, and also to Wales at Murrayfield, when a lack of composure in the final quarter of the game cost them the perfect revenge for their 51-3 drubbing at the Millennium last year.

They are clearly a side lacking in confidence and any sort of killer instinct.  After having taken an early 10 point lead against an Italy team lacking structure and a game plan, it looked like plain sailing for Scotland, especially with Haimona struggling to convert from the tee.  So how did they end up losing this Test match?  They somehow pushed the self-destruct button.  They lacked the killer instinct to finish the game off and really should have had the game wrapped up.  Their discipline let them down, giving Italy both possession and field position, allowing the ageing Italian pack to gain an upper hand and work their way back into the game.  This set the tone for the rest of the game where the Scottish pack struggled, and were in constant retreat to the increasingly powerful and dominant Italian pack.  In the final 10 minutes Scotland were desperately defending a 4 point lead, and the crucial moment came with 5 minutes remaining.  Having just been awarded a penalty in the own 22 having successfully defended a scrum, Peter Horne, who had had a fantastic game, missed his kick for touch.  A stupid mistake, one Finn Russell made two weeks ago as well; he had to make touch and it came back to haunt them. 

You would expect an international team of Scotland’s pedigree to be more clinical in the dying moments of the game, but this never showed.   Perhaps this was due to their big leaders leaving the field; both Laidlaw and Ford and been substituted, leaving no leaders on the pitch.  George Clancy even struggled to find a captain in the Scottish team – when asked who the captain was by the referee, not a single Scottish player put their hand up, resulting in Scotland having no leader and consequently no structure.  Two yellow cards and a collapsed maul later, Scotland stared defeat faced once again.  On the other hand, Italy were led from the front by the stalwart captain Parisse, who guided and inspired his pack in the same way he has done for the last 13 years, something that Scotland so desperately lacked.  Yet again Parisse proved to be Italy’s outstanding player, marking his 111^th cap with a famous victory, only his 31^st in an Italian shirt, a figure that should be much higher for a player with his talent.

England Team Ratings vs Ireland

1.Marler 6.5 - Made some big tackles and although the pack in general were out played, Marler kept coming back for more and showed good commitment, but sadly not much else.


2.Hartley 5.5 - Poor lineout, kept his discipline though and that is always something people are keen to pick up on when it comes to Hartley. Butchered some opportunities in the Irish 22 with the bad lineout at a time where momentum could have swung England's way.


3.Cole 7.5 - 28 metres made, 9 tackles, great use of the head. Our standout performer, although it wasn't too difficult to achieve that title. Couldn't dominate in the scrum but very effective in the loose.


4.Attwood 5.5 - 19 tackles that people seem to have forgotten about, but my god there was a lot missing from that man today, probably his worst performance of the seaspon.


5.Kruis 6 - Carried quite well, made some good tackles but again missed that special something that a player like Lawes or Launchbury can give you, England fans will now be desperate to see that second row combination back.


6.Haskell 5.5 - Made a lot of tackles, but couldn't turn the ball over, which we needed desperately. I spoke about how the battle of the breakdown would be crucial before the game here, and England were so much slower than the Irish, and with players such as Jordi Murphy and Rory Best being so dangerous over the ball this is an area that England desperately need to improve upon.

7.Robshaw 6.5 - Very good in defence again and the only person chasing kicks. The English kick chase was once again very poor, and although Robshaw gave it his all he couldn't make anything happen for the men in white.


8.Vunipola 7 - Carried well, 14 times in fact, and had one of his better games for England. People may criticize his kick through to when he broke away with Youngs outside him, but the pass wasn't on. I'd have liked to have seen the big man keep charging though, not many can stop him at full pace.


9.Youngs 5 - I'm usually a fan, not today, missed 1/3 of his tackles, looked quite good early on but really dwindled. The tempo was too slow and it was not a good game for the scrum half.


10.Ford 6 - Actually think he played just fine, good tackling for the most part, but given a masterclass as many predicted by the best fly-half in world rugby.


11.Nowell 6 - Made 1 tackle, missed 2. Unusually poor in the air, but threatening in attack. He did have one lapse in concentration that fortunately led to nothing as far as England were concerned, when he was meant to be guarding the right hand side of the ruck to allow a box kick for Youngs, he inexplicably moved at the last second which meant the scrum half was charged down.


12.Burrell 5.5 - Henshaw outplayed him yesterday, he didn't really seem to threaten at all, and performances like this will force Lancaster into yet another change in the centres, but the English centre partnership is a discussion I will post about later on this week.


13.Joseph 5 - Didn't look at all impressive against a well-organised side, but that is probably because he never saw the ball. Certainly not at fault for the loss, but England were crying out for a bit of JJ magic that never came.


14.Watson 5.5 - Good running, but not smart thinking and poor in the air. His game intelligence will improve with time, but needless penalties such as collecting a ball when you know your offside is really amateur and not expected at this level.


15.Goode 5.5 - Not as bad as people made out. 136 metres made, a lot of poor areas, especially in the air, but only as bad as the others around him.

A horrible day for English rugby, Ireland showed England up with their good kick chases, ability at the breakdown and their good discipline. England threw away a winnable game, but this will not shake them too much. There is a lot of time to grow, to improve, to bring players back from injury, and this England side should not be judged until crunch time, the home World Cup.