Rugby Union
Sports thoughts from the weekend
FA Cup Quarter-Finals
The fixtures this weekend were full of those cup narratives you’ve come to know and expect. We had the Premier League juggernauts rolling on relentlessly to Wembley to defend their title. We had the lower league side live the underdog’s dream for half a game, before sliding towards defeat to a better side. We [...]
Sports thoughts from the weekend
The weekend’s cricket
It was a weekend in which we learned that South Africa were not nearly as good as a Tendulkarful India but considerably better than a Tendulkarless one. England won a ODI against Bangladesh just as they have managed since the dawn of time, but not without the traditional nervy moments and curious team selections. [...]
Sports thoughts from the weekend
Six Nations gets going
The Six Nations delivered excitement and class on Saturday, although unfortunately not always at the same time. The day began with the Scots putting in one of their best performances of recent times, recording a 24-14 victory over the Welsh over the course of 70 minutes. Unfortunately, a combination of horrible injuries and [...]
Sports thoughts from the weekend
The best is still to come
One round of Six Nations matches down, and the tournament has failed to live up to the waxy poetry afforded it by Morgan Freeman and the BBC. The Irish were described by Brian O’Driscoll as “mediocre” against the Italians, the English beat a misfiring Welsh side by virtue of a moment’s [...]
BBC’s Six Nations opening credits to be a film plug
The Six Nations has been running in one form or another since 1883 and oozes history and nostalgia in its own right. So when the BBC were preparing to show this year’s tournament it was only natural that they turned to a man who has rugby in his soul - Morgan Freeman.
Morgan Freeman opens Six Nations [...]
Sports thoughts from the weekend
Mercury rising… and falling and rising again
English cricket continues to baffle. Last week we looked at the mercurial nature of the side that could be slain for more than 240 in 20 overs and then restrict South Africa to almost the same over 50 overs and knock off the runs with panache. This weekend the [...]
Sports thoughts from the weekend
Scotland win a rugby game
Of all the sides in action against the might of the Tri-Nations teams, the Scottish were hardly considered likely winners. Strong defence, grim resolution and a stroke of luck when the boot of Matt Giteau failed to do what was expected all combined however to make Scotland 9-8 victors over the Australians. [...]
Sports thoughts from the weekend: The best are elsewhere
It was one of those magical weekends of sport when the national football, rugby and cricket teams were all in action. A shame that it inspired us only to look elsewhere to see the finest performers and performances…
12 an over Twenty20
South Africa played England to the tune of 241 runs in 120 balls yesterday in one of [...]
Same school, different reporting style
Ever suspected that there was a difference between a tabloid newspaper and a broadsheet but couldn’t quite put your finger on what that difference was? Fortunately, we can help.
The injury crisis afflicting English forwards means that Paul Doran-Jones has come in to the reckoning for the game against Argentina, and the Times has picked up on [...]
Sports thoughts from the weekend
David versus Goliath, and this time David won
So Britain has a heavyweight champion. A giant has been slain (figuratively) and a hand has been broken (literally). David Haye talked until the words lost all their meaning, but when he got into the ring on Saturday night he did so with a plan, and it was one [...]