Johnson Appointment A Coup For SRU

The recent appointment of Ospreys head coach Scott Johnson by the SRU is a significant move in a number of ways.

Firstly, Johnson is a high calibre coach.  Having coached within the Welsh national setup, been the head coach of the US national team and been an assistant coach with his native Australia, Johnson has led a successful spell at the Ospreys since April 2009.

Secondly, it is a strong signal by the SRU of their will to progress and support head coach Andy Robinson following the renewal of his contract after the World Cup.  Robinson will no doubt have played a large part in the apppointment emphasising the mutual respect the Union and he has.

Scott Johnson to join Scotland at the end of the season

Make no mistake, the signing of Johnson is a little bit of a coup for the SRU.  His skills are universally recognised and I'm sure there would have been other suitors willing to pay for his services.  Johnson's first involvement with Scotland will come during the summer tour following the conclusion of the season.

The real effects of his work won't really be seen until the Autumn Internationals in 2012, and I for one am looking forward to seeing the impact ofanother high quality coach is to the Scottish team.

Different Ways Of Investing In The Future

In the last week, both the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and Irish Rugby Union (IRFU) have released detailed plans for the future to introduce and nurture new talent within the national setups.  However, both Unions approach the problem of increasing grassroots participation in different ways but both from the top, at the professional level.

Comparing both Unions, they have similar numbers in terms of registered professional players and both countries have 4 professional outfits.  So what are the two adopted strategies?

Let's start with the Welsh.  With full support from the WRU, the Ospreys, Scarlets, Dragons and Blues have united to agree the terms of introducing a £3.5 million salary cap on each region, covering European squads only and excluding development players and academy costs, effective from the 2012/13 season. 

The WRU announced on their website that "...In removing the potential for dramatically increasing salary costs during a time of austerity for both businesses and individuals, the effect of a simple and focused salary cap will be to ensure balanced and sustainable costs...encourag[ing] further emphasis on the evolution of the development pathways".

Encouraging indeed.  There is a clear risk however to the strategy of having a salary cap; that the most valuable Welsh players playing in Wales will be lured elsewhere by higher salaries.  We have already seen the likes of Mike Phillips, James Hook and Lee Byrne moving to the continent to play for French teams in the Top 14 with the enticement of higher incomes.

The WRU intend to review the system on an annual basis to monitor it's effectiveness which strikes me as entirely sensible. The balance will be tricky to get right to avoid an exodus of top players.

Phillips, Byrne & Hook have all exiled to France

Meanwhile in Ireland, the IRFU have announced a series of adjustments of its player contract policy to further the development of Irish players and control the use of foreign players.  The plans, due to be introduced for the 2013/14 season, are geared towards increasing homegrown talent with the ultimate aim of improving the national team.

The clear difference between the two plans is that the Welsh agreement is one that has been generated by the clubs with the national Union in support whilst the Irish Union is the party taking control and imposing changes with apparently little or no consultation with Leinster, Munster, Ulster or Connacht.  This has rubbed certain people the wrong way, not least Leinster's foreign head coach Joe Schmidt. 

Schmidt has made no bones about his opposition to the IRFU revisions insisting that it is a knee-jerk reaction to Ireland's performance in the RWC in New Zealand, where they were knocked out by the Welsh.  He claims that the current setup is clearly sufficient and successful at bringing through young Irish talent in adequate numbers.

It begs the question of whether the roles would be reversed and the WRU would be the ones taking the lead and imposing sanctions on its regions had they had a poor World Cup. I suspect not, but it is worth considering.

Regardless, it strikes me that the Welsh system is the more sustainable longterm.  It is a considered and pragmatic solution to the times we live in, with the flexibility to be altered on an annual basis.  However, the attraction of the big money clubs outside of Wales and Ireland looks set to remain for the foreseeable future. 

Maybe there is a third option - one that has been adopted by New Zealand in recent years and is encouraged in Scotland: If you want to play for your national team, then you need to play for a club that belongs to that country.  Surely that is the ultimate incentive for any player?

Lennon Leads Celtic To The Top

October 15th 2011 is a day that will stick in my memory for a number of reasons.  The first, and clearly the most important is that it was the day I got married. But as I stood there in the church with my new wife, we were getting constant goal updates from Rugby Park where Kilmarnock were taking Celtic apart 3-0 at the halftime mark.

It proved to be a pivotal moment in the first half of the season for Celtic.  Whatever Neil Lennon told his men during that 15 minute break, it worked as Celtic clawed back the deficit to draw the game 3-3.

A point well saved, but certainly 2 points dropped and it dropped Celtic down to a 15 point deficit to league leaders and arch rivals Rangers, with Motherwell even taking the second place spot from the Hoops.

How times have changed.  Wednesday's 1-0 win over Rangers at a blustery Celtic Park completed a comeback that now sees Celtic top the table following a 9 win streak which began with a 2-0 win away at the then second placed Motherwell.  The streak sees Celtic taking 27 points from 9 games having only attained 23 points in the previous 12 games.

Joe Ledley scores the only goal against Rangers

So why the change in form, and more importantly the consistency of that form?

There's no doubt that the overall form of the team is down in large part to the form of individual and key players.  A prime example of one of those players is Georgios Samaras.  The love-hate relationship the Celtic fans have with the Greek is well known.  He often looks to be uninterested in games and so doesn'tinvest himselffully to the Celtic cause to the frustration of the fans, his teammates and the managerial staff.  However Lennon looks to have got h best out of Samaras these last few weeks, resulting in Samaras scoring goals including a brace against Kilmarnock on Christmas Eve.  Samaras goals are collectors items, but more often than not they come in important games.  But more than that is his seemingly renewed enthusiasm for playing the game, and in so doing has forged a strong relationship with striking partner Gary Hooper.

Celtic still have their problems.  I have lost count on the number of different back 4 combinations Lennon has been forced to field as a result of multiple injuries and suspensions.  Wednesday's game saw Thomas Rogne comfortably contain Nikica Jelavic despite a lack of game time this season, and Adam Matthews dominated the right flank on his return from injury.  The versatile Victor Wanyama was again outstanding in midfield after performing brilliantly at centre half against Kilmarnock and looks every bit the seasoned veteran at the age of just 21.

The youth of these players mixed with the tenacity and experience of the excellent Beram Kayal, Joe Ledley and Scott Brown is proving to be a balanced and potent mix for Neil Lennon.

Celtic have clawed their way back to the top of the table for the first time since April and without a consistent defensive lineup and key players like Emilio Izaguirre who is close to his comeback in the New Year.  The future looks bright for the Hoops, and much credit has to go to Neil Lennon and his young coaching team.  There were doubts about his lack of experience and his motivational ability outlasting the initial surge following his arrival late in the 2009-10 season. 

However, having narrowly losing the title by a single point, winning the Scottish Cup and now leading his team through this latest turbulent half of the season, Lennon is looking every bit the accomplished manager and indeed the man for the job at Celtic for the coming seasons.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves though.  There are no prizes for leading the league at New Year and Lennon will be all too aware of the challenge ahead of his team in the first half of 2012.  Let's hope this rich run of form continues to the end of the season.

In the meantime, I'd like to think that my marriage is a good omen for Celtic.

1872 Cup Preview

I cannot remember a time when the anticipation for the upcoming double header between Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby has been so feverish.  Is it because the annual Christmas and New Year event has become more and more established over the last few years?  Is it because the RaboDirect Pro12 is as competitive as it has ever been?

The answer to both is a resounding yes.  But I think that more than either of those is that Scottish rugby, headed by the two professional outfits, is on something of a high at the moment.  Both Edinburgh and Glasgow have won 6 of the last 8 in all competitions and are both still in good positions to achieve reaching the knock-out stages of the European Heineken Cup.

The rugby rivalry has certainly intensified in recent years to add to the plethora of other arguements each city uses against the other for superiority.  However the significance of this brace of fixtures goes beyond claiming bragging rights.  Rather, it goes a long way to securing ever valuable points towards achieving a play-off place in the league.

Can Glasgow Warriors retain the 1872 Cup?

In the past, most games have gone the way of the home team, and so the 1872 Cup has tended to come down to who can win by more at home, with Glasgow winning overall in 3 of the last 4 seasons.  With both teams in such a rich vein of form at the moment, I suspect the same will be true again, but I would have to fancy Glasgow over the course of the two games on Boxing Day and New Years Day.

Not only are Glasgow unbeaten in 7 games in the league, but they have been buoyed by the new signing of Rory Lamont and the announcement that they have secured the signing of his brother and fellow Scotland stalwart Sean from next season.  Added to the encouraging performances in Europe, they go to Murrayfield on the 26th full of confidence.

It's also been a big week for Edinburgh, not least with Chris Paterson (starting at full back) announcing his international retirement.  They also boast the league's top try scorer in Tim Visser who is lethal when given space.

The two ties will also throw up some intriguing match-ups between rivalling Scotland first team contenders, not least between Ross Rennie and John Barclay and a rare contest between first choice Scotland scrumhalves (although I'm sure Rory Lawson would have something to say about that!) Mike Blair and Chris Cusiter.

All-in-all, we await two matches of great intrigue between two teams full of Scottish stars and who play very different styles of rugby.  I would expect that the two games will attract the biggest attendances of the season in Scotland, and perhaps ever in the league in Scotland.  I'm hoping for some entertaining, competitive rugby and of course, ultimately, a Glasgow triumph to retain the 1872 Cup

Cavendish Clinches Sports Personality 2011

It's not often that I predict things right, but the outcome of the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year 2011 award is one I hoped to see and one that I luckily stated in black and white on this very blog.

Mark Cavendish was lost for words as he took to the stage to accept his prize.  The most telling part of his acceptance speech was his modesty and humbleness.  He was very quick to thank his support group and GB teammates who helped him become World Champion and green jersey winner of the Tour de France this year.  He has always maintained that his personal success is built upon the combined efforts of whichever team he cycles within, and Thursday night was no different.

Cavendish's temperament and persona has often been misinterpreted or misconstrued in the past.  He is clearly a very focused athlete who knows his own abilities, and it is this that has seemed to some to come across as some kind of arrogance.  If you were to ask him who the best sprinter in world road cycling is, he would answer 'me'. That isn't arrogance, but an acknowledgement that he is indeed the best, and an understanding that right now he sits on top of the world in his sport.

Tellingly, he also commented in his acceptance how it was fantastic for cycling to be recognised on such a big stage in the company of all the other major sports in the UK, particualary in a non-Olympic year.  His girlfriend Peta Todd commented to the BBC that "I think that probably means more to him than this actual award".

Mark Cavendish accepting his prize on Thursday night

So what has made the public appear to warm to Cavendish and made them realise that his achievements this year rank among the very elite of any sport?

Certainly, the popularity of cycling has increased hugely with the track success that Britain has enjoyed these last few years.  A few of those track stars from previous Olympics and World Championships have now turned to competitive road racing and particularly the Tour de France, such as Bradley Wiggins, Geraint Thomas and Cavendish himself.  With them, they have brought an ever larger British audience. 

It is widely recognised that the annual Tour is one of the most gruelling, or possibly the most gruelling endurance event of any sport on the calendar.  For Cavendish to come through the Tour this year as the first British rider to ever win the green points jersey is simply a phenomenal achievement.

His own public persona seems to be better understood the more the sporting audiences have got to see him both within the sport and outwith it.  For those of you who follow him on Twitter, you would quickly realise he is a dedicated friend and family man.  Indeed, he was quick to thank his girlfriend Peta Todd and mention the upcoming birth of his baby daughter early next year.

A gentle soul, but fiercely driven and competitive to be the best at what he does and never stuck to thank those around him who help him make it possible.

Cavendish won Thursday nights BBC prize with a whopping 49.5% of the public vote.  Second place Darren Clarke got 12.3% and Mo Farah got 8.7% in third.  His landslide victory is testament not only to him as an athlete and what he has achieved this year, but to the audience and interest that he has helped to bring to the sport of cycling.  A very worthy winner indeed.

Suarez Ban Justified

The Football Association last night dished out an 8 match ban and a £40,000 fine to Liverpool's Luis Suarez for racially abusing Patrice Evra of Manchester United.

There has been mixed reaction to the news.  Liverpool issued a formal statement aying it was "very surprised and disappointed" by the FA verdict and punishment, going on to say "We find it extraordinary that Luis can be found guilty on the word of Patrice Evra alone when no-one else on the field of play - including Evra's own Manchester United team-mates and all the match officials - heard the alleged conversation between the two players".

Luis Suarez has 14 days to appeal the FA decision

Regardless of the decision, it was always going to be important what punishment the FA would issue.  The £40,000 is peanuts really, but the 8 match ban is unprecedented, and a lot more severe than most were expecting.  But I feel it is wholly right.

There has been so much talk on this subject throughout this season, with alleged racial abuse taking place on the pitch in at least two games that we know about.  The FA are completely right to take a hard stand on the issue.  Many may argue that they are using Luis Suarez as an example, and that John Terry would never receive such a harsh punishment as he's the national captain.

But we have to believe that the FA would be consistent with any punishment they issue for racially incited abuse on the football pitch and hope that they are in any future cases.

Racial abuse has to be stamped out, and the message needs to be sent to the players that it's completely unacceptable.

Chris Paterson To Retire From Test Rugby

Chris Paterson is expected to announce his retirement from International rugby later this Wednesday.  Before I go any further with this blog on one of Scottish Rugby's greatest servants, let's look at the numbers.

109 international caps for Scotland since his debut in RWC '99.  809 test points scored, highest in Scottish history (22 tries, 90 conversions 3 DG's and 170 penalties).  12 caps as captain of his country.  15 games played in 4 Rugby World Cups.

An incredible achievement indeed.  As a huge fan of Scottish Rugby, I've not always been a fan of Paterson.  I feel he was always a winger; his pace and 7's experience made him perfect for the position.  But all too often he has played at full back where I think he has always been a bit lightweight, never the best defender.

But Paterson has always been an attack minded player.  When he did play at full back, he used the opportunity to employ his natural counter attacking style, a style that suited broken play.  His pace early in his career was refreshing for the Scottish Game, but of all of his many attributes, it will be his goal kicking that he will be remembered for.

Chris Paterson - Mr Reliant at the kicking tee

Paterson became one of the most consistent goal kickers in world rugby.  He successfully kicked 36 consecutive goals for Scotland between 11 August 2007 and 7 June 2008, not missing a single attempt during the 2007 Rugby World Cup or the 2008 Six Nations Championship.  His 809 points eclipses the previous record of 667 held by the legendary Gavin Hastings.

His 109 caps also dominates the previous record of 87 by Scott Murray and his 15 RWC appearances is one more than Doddie Weir's record of 14.

It feels like Paterson has been around forever, but he announces his retirement at the age of 33.  So what has been the key to his longevity?  Certainly, his attitude to rugby has always been first class. He trains hard and well, he has always spent a lot of time working on the basics of the game and works on his weaknesses.  As mentioned, he has never been the strongest defender, but that doesn't mean he won't throw his body on the line for the cause, often causing injury like the impact to his kidney during the first few minutes of his landmark 100th cap in Wales.  His dedication to his country has been unprecedented.

Scottish rugby is losing a true servant, humble and always consummately professional.  World rugby is losing an ambassador for the game.  But I get the feeling that this quiet, unassuming rugby thinker will be back after his playing days with Edinburgh  in some form of role at the SRU.  And well deserved it would be.

A Blessing In Disguise?

In the fallout from Sunday's defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs, there seems to be some quite conflicted thoughts coming from the terraces of Lambeau Field.  Would it have been great to get the perfect 16-0 season? Sure.  But there seems to be a rising tide of thought that the weekends result was for the best.

It seems increasingly clear that the Packers fans were waiting for the loss.  The law of averages always meant that the longer the streak went on, the higher the chances of the loss coming along.  The greatest fear of all was that it would come post-season, when there would be everything to lose.  I sense that there is relief from the fans that it has come along at the best time, when the divisional title and the bye for the first round of playoffs have been secured.

But what about Mike McCarthy and his players?  There was certainly no hiding from the facts at Mondays press conference back at Lambeau Field after the game.  McCarthy was clear about the failures of his team and the areas in which they were outplayed.  And let's be clear, had the Chiefs converted more of their offensive drives into touchdowns rather than field goals (Ryan Succup converted 4), the margin of victory would have been far more convincing.

Mike McCarthy - Clear about Packers priorities

I think Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the Packers players will be of course disappointed not to be in the running for the 16-0, but in a way the pressure is now off them and they can start to concentrate on the more immediate and bigger challenges that are coming their way in the post-season.

The Packers have lost some crucial players in the last couple of weeks, not least offensive linemen Bryan Bulaga (knee) and Derek Sherrod (broken leg) who help form that crucial safety net for Rodgers and these injuries at such an important time in the season will start to have an effect on the squad mentality.

But the Packers have been here before.  The defending Superbowl champions won the Vince Lombardi trophy last year with no less than 10 first pick players missing.  Remember also that the Packers lost in Week 15 last season and went on to dominate through the post-season.

The Packers are still big favourites to defend the Superbowl title and confirm themselves as a truly elite team in the annals of NFL history.  But they have a long way to go, especially when you consider the ominous late season form of their fellow NFC rivals like Drew Brees and the Saints and the San Francisco 49ers.

I would love to see the Packers go all the way.  I have a soft spot for this team that is run in a different way to all other US sports franchises - it's owned by the fans.  It has a unique history and support that sets it apart from the rest and is ultimately one of the reasons for it's continued success.  Long may it continue.

Winners & Losers (19/12/2011)

So it has been another week of up's and down's in the world of sport. Here are the stories of heroics and disappointment that have caught the attention of The Skene Skrum.
Winners

Luke Donald - With his third place finish at the Dubai World Championship, Donald confirmed his World Number 1 status and in doing so, was named the European Tour Golfer of the Year, two days after scooping the PGA Tour's player of the year award. I'm sure the £7.82 million in prize money this year hasn't hurt either!

Luke Donald busy dominating golf

Indianapolis Colts - Yes, they finally did it, they won a game this season! Quarterback Dan Orlovsky won his first NFL game as a starter, leading the Colts to a 27-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans.

Scottish Rugby - As we head towards the epic Christmas double header that is the 1872 Cup, both Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby go in with good form, each only losing 2 of their last 8 games. With 2 games remaining, both clubs are still very much in the hunt for quater final places in the Heineken Cup as well. A special mention also to Ayr, who beat Bristol in the British & Irish Cup.
The SPL - After a busy weekend for the Scottish Premier League, it was announced today that they are to pilot the return of safe standing areas within premier league grounds. With successful precedents across the continent, a positive pilot programme could lead to increased attendances and better atmospheres across the country.

Losers

Darren Fletcher - The Scotland and Manchester United midfielder announced he would be taking an indefinite break from the game to recover from the rare bowel condition ulcerative colitis. I wish him a speedy recovery and hope he returns before long to continue what has already been a very successful career for the 27 year-old.

The Green Bay Packers - They will be popping the champagne corks in Miami as the '72 Dolphins will remain the only team in NFL history to record a perfect season. The Packers lost at the Kansas City Chiefs 19-14 in a surprise result that sees the Packers go to 13-1.

NFL Coaches - Both the Kansas City Chiefs and The Miami Dolphins lost their head coaches as Todd Haley and Tony Sparano became the first victims of the season. And there are a few more that are on the edge with Raheem Morris (Tampa), Jim Caldwell (Colts), Steve Spagnuolo (St Louis) and even Tom Coughlin (Giants) far from safe after disappointing seasons.

Both '0' Records In NFL Go In Week 15

Week 15 threw up some strange results in the NFL, not least the loss for the perfect 13-0 Packers and the Win for 0-13 Indianapolis Colts.

The Packers lost to a resilient Kansas City Chiefs team who lost their coach Todd Haley last week following a season of underachievement so far.  With a final score of 19-14, Aaron Rodgers and his men were kept to scoring just one touchdown as the Chiefs stayed ahead for the majority of the game.

Kansas show the Packers who's Chief

The Colts ran out 27-13 winners as quarterback Dan Orlovsky led his team to their first win of the season over the Tennessee Titans.  It was also Orlovsky's first win as a starting QB.

In other games, Cam Newton's Carolina Panthers ended the Houston Texans 7 match winning streak with a 28-13 victory.  The Washington Redskins completed the double over the NY Giants with a 23-10 win at the MetLife Stadium.  The San Diego Chargers continued their bid for a play-off spot with a convincing win over the Baltimore Ravens 34-14.

Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints offence looked in ominous form in the closing weeks of the regular season with a thumping 42-20 win over the miserable Minnesota Vikings.  Brees had a massive game passing for 412 yards and now remains just 304 yards behind Dan Marino's all-time record.

And finally, the Tebow train had the brakes put on after To Brady's Patriots arrived in Denver to hand the Broncos a 41-23 loss, ending a six game winning streak and giving Tebow a 2-7 record as starting QB for the Broncos.

Cam Closes In On Record Season

It has been a notable season in the NFL for quarterbacks so far, with Aaron Rodgers, Tim Tebow, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger all grabbing the headlines for varying reasons, both good and bad.

But it's rookie QB Cam Newton that has been quietly writing his own bit of history this season, as he is on the verge of becoming the most successful combined passing and rushing quarterback in NFL history.  The 1st round draft pick from Auburn Tigers has been in phenomenal form for the Carolina Panthers, putting up some truly astonishing numbers.

In 13 games, Newton has passed for 3,573 yards and rushed for 554.  He has already become only the ninth quarterback in history to pass for over 3,000 and rush over 500 yards, and is only 167 passing yards short of breaking Peyton Manning's rookie season record set in 1998.

Even more astonishingly, he is only 427 passing yards short of becoming the first ever QB to throw for 4,000 yards and rush for over 500.  With 4 games left of the regular season, you wouldn't bet against him hitting the target.

Cam Newton - Number 1 in more ways than one

So what makes Cam Newton such an effective game runner that he can post these sorts of numbers?

Of course, throwing for 4,000 yards is not particularly eyecatching, although noteworthy for a QB in his first season.  As a comparison, Drew Brees recently broke the NFL record for getting past the 4,000 yard mark in just 12 games, the fastest this has ever been done.  Newton's most astonishing stat is his rushing yards.

His natural athleticism and speed make him extremely effective at breaking out from the pocket when he needs to, and his ability to improvise has led to him rushing for 554 yards, including 15 touchdowns.  When you look at the Panthers season record of 4-9, it starts to become clear why there is a requirement for Newton to adapt to survive in games as he often doesn't have the offense required to execute the play book.

Sitting third in the NFC South, Panthers travel to the AFC South champions the Houston Texans (10-3) in Week 15 with Newton and his men up against one of the toughest defences in the league.  But the Panthers have nothing to lose and the rest of the regular season to start building towards next year.  I fully expect Cam Newton to reach that record breaking 4,000 yard target.

What a truly amazing achievement that would be.

Drogba Past His Best

Chelsea have had a good week or two leading up to this weekends clash with Wigan where their recent momentum up the Premier League table took a hit with a late Wigan equaliser.  There has been one common denominator for these recent Chelsea performances, and that has been veteran striker Didier Drogba.

Outstanding against Valencia in the 3-0 Champions League clash and again in the Monday night battle with Manchester City, it looked like Drogba has finally found his form again.  But there were signs of his poor early season form again at the DW Stadium today.

Didier Drogba - Just like a tube of toothpaste

I have used a few metaphors to describe Drogba over the last week, and my favourite has bene to compare the striker with a tube of toothpaste.  Just when you think there isn't much left, you can always squeeze a little bit more out at the end.  But only a little bit.

With Anelka gone, Torres wildly inconsistent (see 'Chelsea Set To Give Up On Torres') and Daniel Sturridge the only front man showing any signs of consistency in front of goal, is it time for Chelsea to cash in on Drogba while they can?

Front Rows Being Failed

This weekends Heineken Cup action so far has brought into focus once again the ongoing problems with the scrummage, and specifically the inconsistancies with the refereeing.  Scrum time is taking up increasingly more time of the total playing time, and dragging many games down for the spectator.  Friday evening's game between the Ospreys and Saracens didn't see one scrum go unpenalised in the first half.  Glasgow's game with Montpellier in France saw 7 scrums penalised for various offences, often not down to the players but the playing surface.

There is no doubt that the inner workings of the front row is a tough thing to monitor and understand, but one of the more obvious offences is the clear lack of binding between the props.  On more than 2 occasions in Montpellier, there were instances where there were no attempts to bind by the props on the opposite side to the referee, despite it being clear to the touch judges only a few yards away.

Scrum time - Something has to be done

The IRB need to go back to the drawing board on the legislation.  The crouch-touch-pause-engage (CTPE) system is wildly inconsistent, varying between around 2 and 5 seconds, and that is sometimes within the same game.  How are the front rows supposed to get into any pattern with these variations?  Clarity on the timings and the rules need to be made to reduce the number of penalties given for not taking the hit, or for collapsing scrums for by front rows who are sometimes caught out by the hit.

The CTPE system takes too long, and needs to be shortened.  Safety is a priority for the players, there is no doubt, but the inconsistencies in the refereeing have to be revised to reduce the penalty counts.

SPOTY 2011: Who Will Win It?

This years shortlist of nominations for BBC's Sport Personality of the Year award has been criticised, rightly in my opinion, for the lack of any female athletes. Both Keri-Anne Payne and Rebecca Adlington both became swimming world champions, Payne retaining her 10km open water title from 2009 and Chrissie Wellington won her fourth Ironman world title in 5 years in 2011, all outstanding achievements that haven't been rewarded by the voters. But as the dust has settled, attention has now turned to those that have made the list, namely: 

Mark Cavendish, Darren Clarke, Alastair Cook, Luke Donald, Mo Farah, Dai Greene, Amir Khan, Rory McIlroy, Andy Murray and Andrew Strauss. 

All worthy contenders, I'm sure it would be agreed. So, who's going to win? 

The favourite here at The Skene Skrum is the first in that list, Mark Cavendish. The Manxman has had a phenomenal year, building on previous successes at the Tour de France by adding to his stage win total, taking him to 20 and 6th in the all time list. The difference this year is that he got the revered Green point jersey as well.  

Cavendish also claimed the World Champion title in Denmark, capping off a fine overall performance by the British team. At 26, Cavendish looks to have the best of his career still ahead of him, but this has certainly been a flawless year for him.

Mark Cavendish - SPOTY 2011?

I think that Cavendish's closest rivals for the SPOTY prize will be golfers Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy. The successes of the last week for Donald will still be fresh in the memory as the event comes around, and McIlroy has a universal appeal that will win him a lot of votes on top of those gained for his success in claiming his first major title at the US Open at the Congressional earlier this year.

Mo Farah also has a strong claim for a top 3 position as he has grown and grown in stature in international long distance running, culminating in a 10000m silver and 5000m gold at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea. 

In a strong field consisting 3 golfers and 2 cricketers, I think this will be the year of the cyclist.

Tebow-time Grips the NFL

As mentioned in this weeks Winners & Losers blog, Tim Tebow, the Denver Broncos Quarterback, has become the story of an intriguing NFL season so far.

As the Green Bay Packers continue their march towards the perfect season, already qualifying for the playoffs with a bye in the first round, Tebow has turned around the fortunes of the Broncos to make them genuine contenders for the playoffs themselves.

Let's not forget, Tebow was not the first choice game runner for Denver.  In fact he was fourth choice pre-season.  Some even called him the worst starting quarterback in NFL history, but since he replaced the injured Kyle Orton he has started 8 games, with a record of 7-1 including 6 wins in a row to week 14.  Considering the Broncos had a record prior to this of 1-4, it now seems more than just luck that they are in playoff contention as they top the AFC West 8-5.

Tim Tebow - Exceeding all expectations

Tebow's qualities seem to come to the fore in the 4th quarter of games.  Take their most recent Week 14 game against the Chicago Bears.  Denver hadn't scored a single point for 57 minutes and 52 seconds, trailing 10-0 until Tebow orchestrated a touchdown and two drives at the end of the 4th and in overtime, setting up two monster field goals of 59 and 51 yards converted by Matt Prater.  Broncos win 13-10.

His uncanny ability to instill a sense of calm over his teammates when his team are down in the final minutes of games shows a maturity beyond his experience.  A well-known religious man, maybe he has greater forces on his side.  Or maybe he just works hard and has that priceless quality of being able to get the most out of not just himself but those around him.

Tebow's Broncos next take on Tom Brady and his 10-3 New England Patriots - a tough test for any team, but all the harder as the Patriots are starting to really warm up heading towards the post-season.

Can Tim Tebow keep the momentum going for the Broncos?  Week 15 will provide a stern test, but for the sake of the NFL, I sincerely hope he can.

Chelsea Set To Give Up On Torres

In a time when it seems that the value of everything is rising exponentially, it appears that one man is bucking the trend.  Yes, it's underachieving Chelsea front man Fernando Torres.

It was reported by the Daily Mail today that Chelsea would be prepared to offload the 27 year old Spanish striker for £20 million.  £20 million!?!?  That would mean that Torres' perceived market value has dropped by a whopping £30 million in the space of a year.

For all of the bitterness at the time of his sale from Liverpool fans back in January 2011, the club did a great piece of business, capitalising on Abramovich's obsession to bag Torres for Chelsea and prepared to pay anything for him.

How it has backfired for the Russian.  Torres' record for Chelsea has nowhere near reflected his purchase price and it seems now with Andre Villas-Boas at the managerial helm, there are fewer opportunities for him to at least try and regain some form.

Torres - Chelsea's time to cut their losses

There is no doubting his talent, and I hope he does get the chance to move on to a team where he will be valued and has the chance to play at an age when he should be at his physical prime.

Abramovich, on the other hand, has to bite the bullet and let his pride come second to common sense and let him go.

Is Summer Rugby a Viable Option?

The issue of summer rugby was raised again last week as the bigwigs from French Top 14 and English Aviva Premiership clubs knocked around some ideas about the future of rugby.  The conversation came about as clubs are becoming increasingly worried about their top players leaving domestic duties to fulfil their international obligations.

This issue is certainly a point of contention for rugby fans of the two professional outfits north of the border, Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby.  As mentioned previously in this blog ('Winning Warriors', 9th December), the reliance of the Scottish national team on the two clubs to provide the majority of it's players during the Autumn Internationals/RWC and the 6 Nations is often extremely detrimental to their league progress.

Should the 6 Nations be moved?

So is summer rugby viable?

There are certianly positive arguements in favour, not least the potential for increased crowd attendances whilst most other sports, particularly football, are enjoying a break. Bigger crowds means increased revenue, and certainly in Scotland, that is a big factor.

However, despite my concerns for the clubs during international tournaments, rugby has always been, and should always be a winter sport.  Having played schoolboy rugby and gone to many a match over the years since, there is a certain romance and tradition about getting ready for games on cold crisp mornings, wrapping up for a day at the rugby.

The Christmas period is being used by the RaboDirect Pro12 for the local rivalries to play out double headers.  The 1872 Cup contested between Scotlands two biggest clubs at Christmas and New Year is now an established highlight of the Scottish sporting calendar.

As a Glasgow fan, I am increasingly encouraged by the way the squad has strengthened over the years, softening the impact of the absence of the international players for weeks at a time.  Glasgow's play-off finish in 2009/10 is testament to the strength of Lineen's team to maintain quality rugby and winning results through these periods.

Club rugby is the bread and butter of the sport.  Surely the first thing to look at would be moving the international tournaments before the domestic leagues?

I may be a traditionalist, but things should stay the way they are.

The End of an Era

It seeemd to come out of nowhere, but the announcement from Jonny Wilkinson that he has called time on his international rugby career appears to be as considered as the man himself.

I won't lie, I've never been a massive Wilkinson fan, quite the opposite on occasion.  For me he typified the style of rugby that England have always played since I started paying attention to rugby as a kid in the early 1990's.  In that time, England's style has always overrelied on a kicker, whether it be a Callard, a Grayson or an Andrew.  But it can't be denied that if that is the way you choose to play the game, he was the perfect fly-half for the system.  There's no doubt that Wilkinson has been the most consistent, efficient and successful of all in that period.

With a massive gap in his international career as a result of numerous injuries after the succesful 2003 World Cup campaign, there's no denying the enormous achievement to reach 91 England caps scoring 1179 points, with 6 Lion's caps and an additional 67 points.  His resolve and determination to constantly rebound from multiple injury disappointments is a true sign of his mental strength and passion for the game.

Clive Woodward built his team around Wilkinson and subsequent coaches have done similar. Is it any coincidence that Andy Robinson's relatively unsuccessful reign of England happened while Wilkinson was out of the international scene? I think not. For any player to have that kind of influence over the way a whole team is structured and plays for that length of time, no matter what you think of that approach to the game, is quite astonishing.

I'm not sure that Wilkinson would have scored as many points as he did if he played for a southern hemisphere side (compare his 7 international tries with the 29 Dan Carter has scored for the All Blacks before RWC 2011).  In a way, I think this is testament to a player who's ruthless efficiency in front of the posts has informed the way England have played over the last 13 years. 

A fine career for a fine player and by all accounts, a fine man.

Wilkinson - That career defining drop goal

Wilkinson's announcement is the latest of a series of events in English internaional rugby that seem to spell a change in direction in the way the English national team will play their rugby.

For all of their failings on and off the field at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand, there were signs of the next generation of exciting players coming through such as Manu Tuilagi and Tom Wood with the slightly more established Foden, Lawes, Youngs and Ashton.  It's unfortunate that they played under Martin Johnson who's coaching mentality was understandably similar to his playing ethos - restrictive, direct and non-expansive.

Following the World Cup, many of those players who played alongside Johnson and most embodied his often bloodyminded and stubborn style of rugby while he was coach have retired - players like Lewis Moody and Simon Shaw have both called time on their England careers.

With these departures, a new coaching set up announced last week (headed by Stuart Lancaster who has overseen the progress of new young England prospects with the Saxons) and teams like Harlequins setting the pace in the Premiership with an exciting brand of rugby, will we start to see a more expansive England rugby team playing in the 6 Nations?

I hope so.

Packers Still Pushing for Perfection

For anyone who had any doubts as to the ability of the Green Bay Packers to go for the perfect 16-0 regular season, then their suspicions were surely dismissed in the final 58 seconds of last weeks encounter with the New York Giants.

In what was probably the best encounter of the NFL season so far, and with the score tied at 35-35, Aaron Rodgers led a drive from near his own TD zone to the 31 yard line in three ruthlessly efficient plays, setting up the winning field goal which was duly converted by Mason Crosby.  Packers win 38-35.

Mike McCarthy’s team has rarely been challenged that close this season, and the Giants will consider themselves a little unlucky as the game extended their losing streak to 4 games.

But a tight contest is just what the Packers needed at this stage of the season.  Without playing brilliant football, they have gone undefeated and remain the only team in the NFL with a perfect record in the regular season.  The narrow win will have been used by McCarthy to strengthen the focus of the Packers team as they look to go forward and defend their Superbowl crown.

So it’s little wonder that the Packers came flying out of the blocks at Lambeau Field last night against the Oakland Raiders.  The game was won halfway through the second quarter as Aaron Rodgers led his team to a 31-0 first half lead.

Aaron Rodgers - Is he and the Packers unstoppable?

By the time he was rested late in the third for back up QB Matt Flynn, Rodgers had gone for 281 yards, 2 TD’s and 1 interception – a solid if unspectacular night’s work by his very high standards.  It’s not as if the Raiders played particularly badly.  Rodgers was harassed on a number of occasions as the Raiders defence made holes in the Packers offensive line.

Packers ended up winning out 16-46 in a convincing display, taking their season to 13-0 and a total winning streak of 19-0 going back to last season.

One major concern for the Packers on an otherwise satisfying night’s work was the injury to Greg Jennings, who suffered a blow to his left knee.  It’s hard to really say who Rodgers' number one receiver is; he has rich pickings with Jordy Nelson, Jermichael Findlay and Donald Driver amongst others to aim for, but Jennings is a major part of the Packers offence and could be a big miss at this stage of the season.

With 3 games left of the regular season, I have to ask whether the Packers are keen on getting that perfect 16-0 season?  I have no doubt that if you offered Mike McCarthy the Superbowl now at the expense of a 15-1 or 14-2 regular season, he would take it.  But I would suggest that the Packers would ask if it's not too much to ask for both.

Winners & Losers - 12/12/2011

Welcome to what will hopefully be the first weekly(ish) rundown of all the winners and losers in the world of sport over the past week.
So without further ado, let's start with this week's winners.

Winners

Martin O'Neill - It's been a great week for Sunderland and their newly installed manager O'Neill, who came from behind to beat Blackburn at the Stadium of Light to give Sunderland only their third win of the season.  Can O'Neill take this on and lead Sunderland up the Premiership table?

Martin O'Neill - 59 years young

The RFU - Much to my dismay, it's been a good week at English Rugby HQ.  After a torrid few weeks following the World Cup, some positive news came with the announcement of the interim coaching team of Stuart Lancaster, Graham Rowntree and Saracens first-team coach Andy Farrell for the 6 Nations.  On the face of it, it appears to be a savvy appointment from the RFU and one that is a win-win for Lancaster.  Let's just hope the Scots knock them off their perch come the 4th February!

Tim Tebow - 'The Big Tebowski' did it again, leading the Denver Broncos to an overtime victory over the resilient Chicago Bears, giving replacement QB Tebow a 7-1 record as a starter this season, and giving Denver an 8-5 record and a chance of getting to the playoffs with 3 games to go of the regular season.


Losers

Manchester Utd and Manchester City - Both clubs failed to make it out of the Champions League group stages - a first for City in their first appearance in the competition and the first time for United since 2005.  Going into this week's games, Man City had to rely on Napoli's result at the pointless Villareal, hoping the Italians would draw or lose but the odds were always stacked against them.  United, on the other hand, needed to avoid defeat at Basel, only becasue their own home form had meant that they had to rely on securing away points to progress.  Both teams must be looked at as firm favourites for the Europa League now.

Nemanja Vidic - To rub salt into the very raw European wound for Man Utd, it was confirmed that Nemanja Vidic will be out for the remainder of the season after suffering knee ligiament damage against FC Basel.

Jim Mallinder - The Northampton rugby boss saw his showboating winger Chris Ashton handed a 4 match ban for dragging Leicester man Alesana Tuilagi off the pitch by his hair, or in the words of the disciplinary committee "an act contrary to good sportsmanship".  Compounded with European Cup knockout misery and talk of Ashton's departure at the end of the season, maybe Mallinder is seeing the full time English coach role a bit more appealing?


Mark Allen - it could have so easily been an excellent week for the Northern Irishman as he reached his first ranking final at the UK Snooker Championships in York.  Instead, not only did he lose the final to the fantastically named Judd Trump (despite a fine 141 break in the 3rd frame), but he has been called in by the snooker authorities for his use of some select language when criticising the head of snooker Barry Hearn.

Heineken Cup Round Up

Having completed the third weekend of Heineken Cup action, there are teams who have performed as expected and those who have underachieved.  Take last years finalists.  Leinster secured their third victory in the group with a 5 point victory over Bath at the Rec (13-18) while Northampton did their best to replicate Manchester United's achievements by crashing out of the competition at the group stage having lost the final the previous season.  Their third loss in the group at Castres means that even with 3 more games to play, they cannot progress to the quarter finals.

Elsewhere, there have been some very close games, several being decided by a single score.  Perhaps the biggest upset was Treviso's win over the often unpredictable Biarritz with a 30-26 scoreline.  In fact, it's been a mixed weekend for the French teams, with Racing Metro continuing their poor form by losing at home to London Irish (14-34) and Montpellier losing to a spirited Glasgow Warriors performance at Firhill in a 20-15 score.  On the flipside, 4 time winners Toulouse won at Harelquins (10-21) and the aforementioned Castres beat the poor Northampton (41-22).

Mixed fortunes for the English clubs as well.  As well as those mentioned, Saracens won a tight game against the Ospreys at Wembley (31-26) leaving Pool 5 very open between all 4 clubs, and Gloucester won at Connacht (10-14) to stay within touching distance of Quins in Pool 6.

Dan Parks - Settling in nicely at the Blues

Edinburgh had the chance to stake a solid claim for the quarter finals by winning at Cardiff Blues, but their poor record against the Welshmen continued as they fell to a 25-8 loss.  Meanwhile, Munster won a tight contest against Rhys Priestland and the Scarlets (13-18), Ulster got a valuable bonus point victory at Ravenhill to Italian outfit Aironi (31-10) and the ill-disciplined Leicester lost at Clermont Auvergne (30-12) with Morgan Parra teaching Ben Youngs a few lessons in how to play rugby.

All-in-all, lots yet to play for at this halfway point of the group stage.

A Three Trick Pony

It was announced last week that Sonny Bill Williams, current All Black and one of the Waikato Chiefs latest signings for the new Super 15 season, announced that he will compete for the New Zealand national heavyweight boxing title in 2012. Having already represented his country in both rugby codes, SBW is now adding a third string to his multi-talented sporting bow.

Looking at the picture below, I suspect he'll succeed.

SBW - Beating the guy from the Tango adverts

Because He's Worth It?

Having just helped the St Louis Cardinals to their latest World Series victory, Albert Pujols, the 32 year old big slugger has just signed a $254 million 10 year deal with the Angels.

Firstly, how can any team pay that much for a player who surely won't see out the duration of that contract and despite the World Series win, actually had his worst season in 10 years?

Secondly (and more importantly), how can a guy who looks like the only other sport he would look at home in is darts, be considered such a valuable 'athlete'!?

Beyond me.

Albert Pujols - can now afford a lot more pies

Winning Warriors

I don't mind declaring in my first blog on The Skene Skrum that I am a massive Glasgow Warriors fan.  And what a time it has been to be a Warriors fan of late.
Since that horrible loss at Firhill on September 23rd to Italian necomers to the RaboDirect PRO12 Treviso, Glasgow have been in winning ways in the league leading up to last weekends game against the Dragons.

From the Treviso loss, 5 wins in a row (most notably away at Cardiff against Dan Parks' Blues and at home to the Ospreys) have seen the Warriors climb to 4th in the league.
And then came the game at Rodney Parade last Sunday.


Let's be honest, it wasn't a good game.  Glasgow went in as understandable favourites and led for most of the game before Jason Tovey scored a try on a night when everyone knew tries were always going to be in short supply.  But then Scott Wight's incredible opportunistic touchdown helped Glasgow regain the lead, despite hitting the post with the conversion attempt.  All the Warriors had to do was defend a narrow 3 point lead with a few minutes remaining, but the defence ultimately gave away the crucial kickable penalty that was duly converted, tying the game 14-14.


It brought an end to the winning streak and any chance of topping the table, but the Warriors are still undefeated in October, November and December in the league - form they will want to maintain going into the double header with Edniburgh over the festive period.

Ryan Wilson vs Dragons

But, as with every year, I worry about the Warriors.  This has traditionally been a fruitful time of the season for Sean Lineen's side, but both Glasgow and Edinburgh tend to slip down the league when the international season starts up again in February with the 6 Nations.

The national teams reliance on the two Scottish professional outfits hits the teams hard, and as much as it is a great chance for fringe squad members to get 6 weeks of first team action, it inevitably leads to a downturn in form. 

For Glasgow to hold on to a top 4 place will be a tough challenge, but I think the way Lineen is rotating the squad through this season shows clear signs of preparing to weather the storm while the top players are away on international duty.


The likes of Henry Pyrgos and new signing David Lemi will be looked upon to maintain the good form that Glasgow have seen these last few weeks.  Long may it continue!