Four Balls Blog Team of the Year 2015/2016

 

Just How Big Of An Upset Would A Leicester City Title Be?

One of the many things we love about sports is it's ability to surprise and shock us. We've been treated to some truly phenomenal upsets of course, from the likes of Japan beating South Africa in the 2015 Rugby World Cup to Greece winning the European Championship in 2004. But how does Leicester's potential title compare?

5 To Watch At The Masters 2016

As The Masters gets under way for another year, we take a look at who might make an impact towards the top of the leaderboard. We'll start by looking at last year's winner, Jordan Spieth:

Should Wayne Rooney Start For England At EURO 2016?

The Rooney debate. Let's get into it. We have one opinion for Wayne and one against him. We'll start with the opinion that Wayne should start for England in France this summer.

6 Nations 2016 - 23 Under 23

Ok, some spots were thin pickings, especially in the half-back area, but the criteria for this side was that firstly the player has to be 23 or under, and secondly that they have to have been in their contry's 6 Nations squad. This side is based on the performance the players gave during the 6 Nations. If a player is in here that didn't see any game time, it is because we couldn't find anyone else to sub in for them. Having said that, that is a rare occasion, because most of this side shone for their country, and prove how bright future is for rugby in the Northern Hemisphere. Take a look.

6 Nations 2016 - Team of the Tournament

 Based solely on their performances in this year's 6 Nations tournament, this is our XV that, on current form, may just give the Kiwis a bit of a scare, although sometimes we've been forced to pick the best of a bad bunch.

3 Players That Eddie Jones Needs To Drop

It is highly unlikely that Eddie Jones will make 2 of these 3 changes, let alone all of them given his tendency to tinker lightly from week to week, but we feel these 3 changes would only improve England in the short and long term.

6 Nations 2016 - Team of the Week - Round 4

This weekend saw England wrap up the 6 Nations title with a largely good performance against Wales, and we also saw a crushing victory for Ireland and a good performance from the Scots as they beat the French. Let's look at our team of the week, starting with the front row.

England vs Wales - Hybrid Team - 6 Nations 2016

Below is our theoretical hybrid side of the upcoming starting XVs for the England vs Wales match. What do you make of it? Have we made any errors?

England vs Wales - Preview - 6 Nations 2016

In what will likely prove to be this year's crucial game, England host Wales for the first time since the Welsh dragon burned Twickenham to the ground in the World Cup. It goes without saying that both sides will be up for this one. So, to dissect the game we will be looking at the match-ups between the two sides and seeing where each team has the advantage and what they can do to win this match, starting with the back 3.

Sharapova... Guilty or Not Guilty?

When Sharapova called for a press conference night in a Los Angeles hotel on Monday many were expecting her to announce her retirement. It was a shock for all when she in fact announced that she had failed a drugs test following her loss to Serena Williams at the Australian Open earlier this year. The substance in question is meldonium.

A glance into the England under Eddie Jones

England have made a promising start to this year’s RBS Six Nations under Eddie Jones, the first foreign head coach of the England Rugby Union team.  There were many disgruntled pundits and fans alike when Jones took up the position.  Many thought that we should not look overseas for a head coach with so much home-grown talent in the Premiership, however it seems as though this appointment was the right one, for now at least.

6 Nations 2016 - Team of the Week - Round 3

Good victories for Wales, Scotland and England at the weekend have put those players in good stead to claim a coveted spot in Four Balls's Team of the Week. if you haven't seen last week's, here it is. Now; let's crack on.

Talking Rugby In French - English to French Rugby Dictionary

Whether you're learning French, just moved there, on holiday during a game or even lucky enough to make the visit over for a 6 Nations match, it's always useful to know what the commentators or other fans are saying, so here are a few words/phrases you may want to learn before you head off.

6 Nations 2016 - Team of the Week - Round 2

In what was a relatively underwhelming week in terms of the quality of rugby that was played, we have endeavored to pick our best team. The Southern Hemisphere boys may well be shaking their heads in disgust at what they saw at the weekend, and rightly so, but we've selected a group of players that didn't destroy all hope for Nothern Hemisphere rugby, although the first two players we will mention played in one of the worst games to have graced television...

5 Things England Learned From Their First Game Under Eddie Jones

1) Owen Farrell should start at 10

Look how smug this guy looks in his picture. Maybe deservedly so, as George Ford brought his club form to the international stage and the midfield just wasn't there for England against Scotland. Some have attricuted this to Farrell just taking the ball up and being too physical, but he only got 3 carries and Joseph only got 4. Ford just isn't playing well enough to warrant wearing the 10 shirt, and Farrell  is.The dream right now is Farrell at 10 with Slade at 12, but with Slade's injury, it seems to me that Devoto is the next best thing. We suggested this partnership before the match but understood it would be a bit of a gamble for Jones. It wouldn't be as much of a gamble next week, not only because it appears to be the better partnership, as Devoto mirrors Slade, but with Italy as the opponents Jones will feel he can push the boat out a bit more. We'll have our fingers crossed here at Four Balls HQ.

6 Nations 2016 - Key Men and Predictions

England:

With a change in head coach, how can England bounce back from a horribly disappointing World Cup campaign? Well, it starts with the right team selection, something Stuart Lancaster got so drastically wrong against Wales in the RWC. The future of English rugby is knocking on Eddie Jones’s door and he’d be foolish to ignore it. This isn’t suggesting that every youngster should start, but Beaumont will certainly be ready to play his part, and the likes of Itoje, Daly, Kvesic should all start given their form and the solutions they provide to England’s weaknesses in the World Cup. Our suggested starting lineup for the Scotland match suggests the direction Jones should go in, and if it wasn’t for Hartley being named captain we would very likely have seen Jamie George in that hooker spot. However, because the infamous New Zealand born Dylan Hartley is England’s captain, he will need to rise to the occasion and will be a key man for the men in white throughout this campaign. Any stupid penalties or any cards and the world gets to laugh at him and the England management. Good discipline will be so vital throughout this tournament.

Four Balls's England Team To Face Scotland

The Six Nations starts in just 4 days time, so to start off our coverage we've taken a look at the starting XV that Eddie Jones should pick for England's opener against Scotland. This would be one of the youngest and most inexperienced England sides of all time, but also one of the most exciting in recent history.

Jags' Fans Draw The Yellow Card

Former Glasgow art student turned world-renowned artist, Jonathan Monk, is blowing the whistle on the boundaries between art and football by creating his own unique giveaway for Partick Thistle fans.

The third in a line-up of artist collaborations with the club, Jonathan has created a yellow card fans can take away and use during the match, giving a nod to both the sporting and artistic worlds. 

Four Balls Reviews - The Complete Rugby Union Compendium

When they say complete, boy do they mean it.

This book details every Test match ever played by the top 10 international sides, alongside the histories and statistics of the second and third tier nations. There is no better source of information out there about the game we know and love.

Partnerships with Kitman Labs to Help Reduce the Risk of Injury

English Rugby Union clubs Bath and Gloucester Rugby have announced a new partnership with leading sports science and technology company Kitman Labs.

The Silicon Valley-based company has recently signed three-year deals, which will see their Athlete Optimization SystemTM used at the two South West rugby powerhouses.

Win the FA Cup on Saturday, lose the league on Monday

Former Leeds United player Eddie Gray says there is no better feeling than winning the FA Cup ahead of his former side’s match against Rotherham on Saturday.