SPOTY 2012: Who Will Win It?

by Dugald Skene

Who will win Sports Personality of the Year 2012?

This year, it's a tantalising choice and given my correct prediction of Mark Cavendish last year, I have a record to keep intact.

Firstly, it's important to acknowledge that in an iconic year for UK sport, the standard has been raised across the board, with all but one of the nominees (Rory McIlroy) taking part in the Olympics and succeeding in at least one aspect.

So it's with this in mind that in a historical year for UK sport, only a truly historic achievement should merit the award. This, for me, boils it down to two candidates.

I am not trying to downplay the achievements of any of the nominees. Winning one, two or even more Olympic medals is simply phenomenal and will see their names rightfully entered into the annals of triumphant sporting history. But for Bradley Wiggins and Andy Murray, they not only achieved that Olympic success, but did something that no Brit has done in either 7 decades or ever.

Ironically, of the 12 nominees, these two have perhaps the least publicly perceived 'personality' of the lot. Both quiet men, they look as uncomfortable in front of a camera as each other, but equally and clearly passionate about what they do, even if they can't convey particularly well through a TV set.

Take Andy Murray. For years he has been the 'almost but not quite' guy - the Colin Montgomerie of tennis. One member of the greatest quartet of players to be playing the game in the same era, until this summer he was the only one of the four never to have won a Grand Slam. 3 finals had been and gone and Murray was being tagged with the frustrating and frankly patronising labels assigned to not just losers, but British sporting losers - 'brave' and 'courageous'.  It was never 'winner' or 'heroic'.
 

Andy Murray winning the US Open

His success at the US Open this year not only merits recognition because he is the first British male in 76 years to win a major singles title, but because he has never stopped trying. Like all the very best sportsmen and women, he has a never say die attitude and has never openly doubted himself and his abilities while others around him and in the media may have. In a sport that relies so heavily on psychology as well as the fine combination of endurance and technical ability, Andy Murray has proved himself to be one of the greatest sportsman of his generation this country has produced.

Similarly, Bradley Wiggins' achievements in winning this years Tour de France have been borne out of disappointment in previous years. In 2011, he was tipped for the top before a crash and broken collarbone ruled him out of contention while he was sitting 3rd in the general classification.

This year, he came back fitter and stronger than ever, and with a team of the very best around him, led by coach Dave Brailsford. In the run up to the Tour, Wiggins and Team Sky had swept all before them, most notably the Paris-Nice and the Criterium de Dauphine, the winner of which is usually successful in the Tour later in the year.  The first Brit to ever win the Tour in it's 99 year history, he has achieved an even higher level legendary status in British cycling.

Wiggins became the first Brit to win the Tour de France

His gold medal in the Olympic road time trial less than 2 weeks after the conclusion of the Tour confirmed him as the world's best at that discipline, and as the best all round cyclist in the world this year.

These two men have achieved far more than just Olympic success this year, they have created British sporting history.  For me, it's a two horse race for the grand prize this weekend but I struggle to pick between them.  My Scottish bias errs me towards Murray, but my years of fondly watching the Tour since I was a boy on holiday in France (even going to see the famous Mont Ventoux stage of 1994 live) mean I have a soft spot for Wiggins.

If pushed, I would say Wiggins might just take it.  Of course, this all may be academic and neither one will take the glory.  We'll just have to tune in and see.

Sports Personality of the Year 2012 Nominees:

Nicola Adams
Ben Ainslie
Jessica Ennis
Mo Farah
Katherine Grainger
Sir Chris Hoy
Rory McIlroy
Andy Murray
Ellie Simmonds
Sarah Storey
David Weir
Bradley Wiggins

Carlin Isles: The Fastest Man In Rugby?

by Dugald Skene

If you haven't seen it by now, check out this video of the frighteningly quick USA sevens player Carlin Isles.  With that priceless ability in sevens to make something out of nothing, he is pretty special.

Unsuccessful in his quest to compete at the 100m in the Olympics, he has turned to sevens rugby in an effort to reach Rio 2016.

Patriots Issue Texans With Reality Check

by Dugald Skene

Last year, the Houston Texans reached the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. This year, they have kicked on from that breakthrough to establish themselves as serious AFC title contenders.

The general consensus is that their run to a 11-1 record prior to this past weekend has been built on a combination of strong offence and defence, a relative rarity in the league. Consistently ranked in the top 5, if not top 3 teams in both areas in the league, Houston have seen themselves top the power rankings more than any other team this season.

The one blotch on their record came at home to a Green Bay Packers side that was coming off a run of indifferent results and languishing 3rd in the NFC North. An imperious display by QB Aaron Rodgers condemned the Texans to their only loss of 2012. The immediate reaction then was that the Texans would only face that sort of test against the top teams in the perceived stronger NFC - the Packers, Bears, 49ers et al. Given their form and their ability to dig out results in overtime as well as blow the occasional team out, the AFC title was surely only a formality, right?

Nobody told the New England Patriots.

After a shaky start in 2012, the Patriots have started to grow into the sort of perennial form that has seen them reach 5 Superbowls in the last decade or so. Under coach Bill Bellichik and led by QB Tom Brady, they are the epitomy of hardened playoff performers, and know exactly what it takes to get there, and then see it through. A trip to Foxboro to take on the Patriots is as stern a test as most will get in the NFL, and the Texans will have eyed the Monday Night Football clash as the true test to whether their aspirations of AFC glory are founded on solid ground or up in the clouds.

I'm not sure anyone expected this to be a blowout, but that's what it turned in to with Brady completing 21/35 for 296 yards and 4 touchdowns to help the Pats record a convincing 42-14 victory.

Tom Brady is fired up during last night's

demolition of the Texans

This was a reality check for the Texans. I still fully expect them to progress from last year in the playoffs and reach the AFC championship game where they are sure to meet the Patriots again. But if this dress rehearsal is anything to go by, they still have a lot of work to do.

Losses against Green Bay and now New England show that they struggle against the experienced quarterback. Both Brady & Rodgers are certain hall of famers, two of the best the league has ever seen with 4 Superbowl rings between them, but they are exactly the sort of opponent the Houston Texans will have to overcome in order to achieve their ultimate ambition.

This is a young and exciting team and one I hope to see go all the way, but for me, this year may be a little premature.

As for the Patriots, it will be hard to bet against them in the playoffs as Brady seeks that elusive 4th Superbowl ring.  Just like all the best teams, their form is starting to peak at the right time.  Some would argue that they want the Patriots to be beaten, just to give someone else in the AFC a go.  But you have to hand it to them. The longevity and sustained success of this team, which has had it's core kept intact for 10 years now, makes them one of the all time greats, up there with the  Joe Montana led 49ers team of the late 80's in my opinion.

So if that was a rehearsal for the AFC Championship game, week 15 sees the Patriots host the San Francisco 49ers in what many will predict as being the Superbowl match up in less than 2 months time.  If the Patriots come through that with a win, they will be favourites to go all the way.

Jason White Calls It A Day

by Dugald Skene

Jason White has called time on his professional rugby career.

In typically succinct fashion, he stated "That's me finished" as he admitted that other priorities in his life have meant that now is the right time to hang up the boots.  He said "I won't be playing professional rugby again. We've just had a little girl, so I'm on daddy duty for a while, which is great."

White in full flow against Italy

The move brings to an end any speculation of his move to a new club, with Glasgow Warriors the team tipped to acquire his talent. "I was certainly keen on a move back to Glasgow and there were signs of interest at their end and a lot of talk in the press about it." said White. "Unfortunately, it never quite happened. I would have liked to go there, but it wasn't to be."

White, 34, played 77 times for Scotland, captaining his country on 19 of those occasions.  That makes him the 6th most capped Scot of all time.  He developed a bit of a cult following after he strung together a series of displays in his early career that quickly earned him the reputation as one of the biggest tacklers in world rugby.  Quiet and unassuming off the pitch, he often did the best of his talking on it.

Scotland fans will fondly remember him tackling England winger Paul Sackey and driving him backwards 10 yards before unceremoniously dumping him on the deck during a Calcutta Cup clash at Murrayfield.  But that is just one of the many that could (and have) been strung together in video reels across the internet.

Strong in the lineout and in open play, he was a talismanic leader wherever he played and he will be missed from the field of play.  He has not stated what, if any ambitions he has in the game or what he might move on to next.

In the meantime, it never gets boring to remember some of those huge hits he has put in over the years, right until the end.

Jason White on Chris Wyles, courtesy of rugbydump.com

Scotland Drawn In Favourable Group For RWC 2015

by Dugald Skene

Scotland should come away from the Rugby World Cup draw fairly buoyant after being selected in a competitive group, but one that can be realistically overcome.

Scotland have been drawn in Pool B with South Africa, Samoa, the top qualifying Asian nation and the second top qualifying American nation.

In all likelihood, those last two places would be filled by Japan and the USA, if the rankings are anything to go by at the moment. Given recent form, both of those games would provide stern tests for the current Scotland squad.

It's by no means an easy group, clearly, but in comparison to 1 or 2 of the others, Scotland will feel relatively relieved.

The full draw for RWC 2015

Pool A sees hosts England being drawn with Wales who found themselves in the 3rd qualifying pool following their last gasp defeat to Australia, and to the Australians themselves. All three have history between each other, and it should prove to be mouth watering. England will have a clear home advantage come the World Cup, but there is no way of telling which of these three are likely to miss out on the quarter finals.

In Pool C, Webb Ellis trophy holders New Zealand have a reasonably comfortable looking group with Argentina and Tonga. As we know, the Tongans are all too able to cause an upset, but you would fully expect the All Blacks and Pumas to make the grade in this one. By the time the World Cup finally comes round, Argentina will have competed in 4 Rugby Championship's and should be a stronger team than we know today.

Pool D is all about European rivalries with France, Ireland and Italy all being drawn together. If history and 6 Nations form is anything to go by, France and Ireland would expect to graduate from this group, but both teams have history of upsets in the early stages of World Cups.

Not much can be analysed at such an early stage, and it will be another 2 years before the groups have been fully fleshed out following the conclusion of the qualifying rounds. Lots to mull over certainly, but there's a lot of rugby to be played between now and RWC 2015.

A Strange Old Week In Rugby

by Dugald Skene

It's been a strange old week for international rugby this week with resignations, bans, shortlists and even a sexist outburst. Where to start?

Andy Robinson

4 days have now passed since Andy Robinson announced his resignation from the top job in Scottish rugby. Reaction has been plentiful and varied, but there seems to be a general consensus that he has been a good thing for Scottish rugby, imposing an ethic and style even if the ultimate ambition of winning more games than they lose never quite happened. I think he had his moments, and he is no doubt a good coach, but he's definitely no martyr.

Andrew Hore

It was a cheap, unprovoked and reckless 'assault' on Bradley Davies in the opening minutes of New Zealand's game against Wales on Saturday that has seen Andrew Hore receive a 5 week ban from the IRB. The sentence was reduced from 8 weeks due to admission of guilt and having no previous. Since the weekend, Hore has come out and admitted his wrong and apologised for his actions.

Owen Farrell

The second choice English fly-half has somehow made it on to the 4 man shortlist for the IRB Player of the Year award, alongside more worthy contenders Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and the rejuvenated Frederic Michalak. The IRB panel, consisting of one member of each of the leading rugby nations (Will Greenwood being the English representative) have a lot to explain with Farrell's inclusion. After a solid, if unspectacular 6 Nations, he failed to figure in England's tour of South Africa and hasn't done much since. He's not even the best number 10 at his club Saracens. I find it staggering that the likes of Kieran Read and Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe in particular haven't been included. Stunned.

David Campese

The Australian try scoring record holder was at it again this week, this time dismissing a female journalist for being, well... female. He questioned why a 'girl' was reporting on rugby, a comment that has been slammed by many, not least injured Australian captain David Pocock who retorted on Twitter "Really sad to see journos attacked based on their gender. Or a grown woman referred to as a 'girl'". Campese, no stranger to a bit of controversy, best keep his trap shut if you ask me.

Scottish Rugby Needs To Take A Hard Look At Itself

by Dugald Skene

It's official, Scottish rugby is in dire staights.

This isn't a knee jerk reaction to the latest defeat at home to Tonga, although this is just the final chapter to what has been one of the most miserable years in Scottish rugby, culminating in the resignation of head coach Andy Robinson on Sunday. Instead, it is the natural conclusion to an evolution of the game in this country that has been forming since the dawn of professionalism almost 20 years ago.

Coach Andy Robinson has had enough

The 15-21 loss to the South Sea islanders at Pittodrie marked Scotland's 8th defeat of the year from 11 games. The other 3 games were all won on foreign soil.

If Scottish fans thought their team had any right to find themselves in the top 8 of the IRB rankings, the team have proved that by playing all but one (Argentina) of the other teams in the top 12 in 2012, they are exactly where they deserve to be in the ranking system right now, and that is solidly as a third tier nation.

To have any aspirations to be in the top 8, it requires to beat the occasional team multiple places ahead of you, and to consistently beat those immediately around you. Scotland have lost 2 of the 4 teams ranked below them this year (according to the rankings at the time those games were played), against Tonga and Italy. The win in tricky conditions in Australia and the subsequent victories against Fiji and Samoa represented nothing but a false dawn, morale boosters at a time when much of the focus in world rugby wasn't on them. When it mattered, at home and under the spotlight this autumn, Scotland had very little to show.

To find themselves in the third pool (just - Scotland have slipped to 12th in the world rankings after Saturday's defeat, below Italy and Tonga) for next months World Cup draw for 2015 should come as no surprise. Long gone are the days of the exclusive club of the top 8 including the top 3 southern hemisphere teams and the 5 nations. Rugby is far more of a global game and the likes of Argentina, Italy and Samoa have elbowed their way in with varying degrees of success over the last 15 years.

The problems that face Scotland are deep rooted. If you think about it, when was the last time Scotland fielded a world class team? In fact, when did Scotland last field a team with at least 4 or 5 world class players?

In my view, and looking at recent Lions tour parties, certainly not in the last 15 years.

Scotland have proved themselves to be the team that have reacted slowest to the game turning professional, and it has manifested itself in the World Cup qualifying positions for both 2011 and 2015. So why has this happened, and how can it be changed?

Like most things in the world of professional sport, it comes down to money. Scotland simply have never invested enough in the right things at the right times.

You got the impression that Andy Robinson had resigned not so much from the team, or even his role, but from the inherent problems deeper within the SRU system.  Following the defeat to Tonga, the SRU would not have fired him, of that I'm sure, so I see it slightly as a blessing that Robinson has left and by doing so, combined with the poor performances, has exposed the problems currently prevalent within the Scottish game.  The lack of expenditure at grass roots and at all levels of the game is right at the top of the list.

It's important to acknowledge, however, that Robinson is not a martyr in all this.  The facts and results speak for themselves and he has to be held as accountable as the players that go out to employ his strategies and tactics.  His win rate in competitive games is a measly 21% (4 from 19), which is completely unaccaptable any way you look at it, not least for the fans.

As to what happens now, there are so many questions.  The first, and perhaps most hotly discussed is who is going to be the next head coach?

One thing is for sure, the SRU won't be paying for a big name and are far more likely to recruit from within.  With that in mind, my money is on Sean Lineen to take the reins on at least an interim basis, perhaps until the end of the upcoming 6 Nations tournament.

Lineen's current role as 'Head of Player Aquisition' is one that could only be invented by the SRU.  It flies in the face of investing in youth development in this country by instead looking for 'ready-made' talent from elsewhere around the world.  After all, Scotland have a history of finding Antipodean talent in particular with Scottish roots available to play for Scotland in the past 20 years.

What Lineen has proved during his time at Glasgow is that he is a coach that instills a strong work ethic and gets the best out of his players.  He's not afraid to blood new players and has a great track record of introducing and nurturing young talent.  It could be argued that he is more valuable in his other role as Under 20 coach, but looking at the options with some sort of Scottish connection, he certainly has the best CV for the post.

What we do know is that Scotland have 3 years to turn this around ahead of the next World Cup.  One thing in the team's favour is the strength of it's younger talent, the likes of Richie Gray, David Denton, Matt Scott and Henry Pyrgos amongst others. They have an opportunity to form the backbone of a new future for the team, and Lineen has the credentials to allow that to happen.

The Scots are resigned to facing two teams currently ranked ahead of them in the World Cup, but so much can change in the space of the next 3 years.  Think back to 2008 when Argentina were a top 4 side, selected in Scotland's group alongside Pool 2 qualifiers England, only for Scotland to tour Argentina in 2010 and record a 2-0 series win. Scotland should have beaten them again in the World Cup in New Zealand but it wasn't to be.  In short (and to put a positive spin on it), rankings now aren't as relevant as performances then.

We shouldn't be preoccupied with who we might face that far down the line, instead we should concentrate on the here and now, get a strength and depth of squad established, playing consistently together and recording consistently positive results.  Under the right tutelage, Scotland can and should bounce back from this new low.

I'm not suggesting for one minute that we will be contesting for a top 4 or 5 place, but it is reasonable to expect to be consistently in the 6-9 bracket, especially given the pool of players we have relative to some of those nations ahead of us.

The Andy Robinson chapter has ended with a hugely disappointing full stop. As good as we are in Scotland to wallow in our sporting failures, it is imperative to look ahead. Rugby won't wait for us, we have a lot of chasing to do.

Positives & Negatives For Scotland After New Zealand Masterclass

by Dugald Skene

The general consensus following the defeat to New Zealand yesterday is that Scotland can walk away with their heads held high.  Yes, they are the first team this year to score 3 tries against the All Blacks, and yes, they surpassed their total achieved the last time the teams met by 19 points. But to lose by 29 points at home reflects the often massive gulf in skill sets and ability to take chances.

Scotland came away from this years 6 Nations tournament with little other than a renewed reputation for keeping the ball in hand and offloading.  David Denton was the tournament's biggest carrier and Scotland offloaded more than any other team but all too often to no effect.

At Murrayfield yesterday afternoon, they managed one single offload.  That is partly down to a clear tactic employed by coach Andy Robinson to keep it tight against the a competitive forward pack led by Richie McCaw, but it also shows a little lack of endeavour, particularly when the team were 20 points down and had nothing really to lose.

Compare that single offload to the 14 that the All Blacks completed and you start to see why and where they found the holes.  All the New Zealanders were at it, when the second half saw front rowers mixing it in the back line with the speedsters.

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the Scot's game was the missed tackle.  According to Opta, Scotland made 71 tackles but missed 21.  That's almost a quarter (23%) of their tackles missed. Again, compare that to New Zealand who completed 114 but missed only 11 (9%) and you start to see the difference.

Scotland were aggressive, and their line speed in defence was good, and even proved fruitful as the blitz defence saw Matt Scott intercept Dan Carter's pass, leading to Tim Visser's first try.  But all too often, and increasingly so as the match went on, Scotland fell off the tackles.

Tim Visser dots down for his first try against the All Blacks

Watching the game back, it is clear to see a reluctance from the All Black back line to move laterally, every player makes an effort to straighten the run and commit the defender before offloading.  The simple initial step to change direction baffled the Scottish defence throughout.  The passing out to the left which led to Julian Savea's first try was the perfect example, never did the All Blacks backs drift and squeeze out their winger.

The tight defence set up by Scotland was also undone in the second half when Dan Carter bypassed all of his backs and the Scottish defence by kicking cross field with the most glorious of punts to find Savea again who glided past Stuart Hogg to complete his brace.  Scotland simply didn't see it coming.

I'm not trying to be hard on Scotland.  They started well, and competed gamely.  The introduction of David Denton following Ross Rennie's departure after he dislocated his shoulder would have telling effect.  Although coming on just as New Zealand entered their purple patch in the run up to half time, Denton squared up to Richie McCaw and more than held his own, ultimately getting one over on the All Black captain as he barrelled him over at the end of the first half as Scotland lay siege to the visitors' line.

Possession was split evenly, and Scotland ended up with 57% of the ball, hence the high All Black tackle count. And although Scotland have found a man in Tim Visser that has the ability to finish off more of the moves that Scotland so often develop, it still wasn't as ruthless or opportunistic a display as the All Blacks.

Dan Carter was sublime at times in the match, orchestrating his backs effortlessly, and setting up three of the 6 All Black tries, two from clean line breaks and one from the boot.  He also managed 9 from 10 kicks for good measure.  As the all time points leader in international rugby, it is easy to think of him as a metronomic kicker, but his display yesterday outlined that he is the complete player.  With a try scoring record of almost 1 in every 3 games (29 from 93 caps), it is easy to see that he has everything in his game - a very well deserved man of the match.

Dan Carter was in sublime form against Scotland

Scotland can indeed walk away from the game pleased with some elements of their display, and certainly with nothing to fear against South Africa next week, but they will have to realise that there is a lot of work to do in the tight 6 day turnaround.  I think the tackle bags will be out this week.

A Night Never To Forget For Celtic

by Dugald Skene

Celtic   2 - 1   Barcelona

The moons, the planets and the stars all seemed to align over Parkhead last night as Celtic recorded one of the finest results in their history by beating Barcelona, probably the best team of the last 5 years and possibly one of the best teams to grace the modern era of football.

In the run up to the match, there was a lot of hesitant optimism among Celtic fans, knowing that it couldn't just be fate that had brought the world's best footballing team to Glasgow in the same week Celtic celebrate their 125th anniversary.

Fans always knew that their team would provide a challenge, but would most likely have their backs to the wall for huge portions of the game and following the match in Barcelona a fortnight earlier, they had experience of seeing the visiting team's ability to strike at any point, almost at will.  Could Celtic really turn the tables?

It would take a perfect storm for the result to go the way of Celtic, but that's exactly what happened.

From the outset Parkhead was in a celebratory mood, displaying a stadium wide banner hailing the club's 125 year history as the teams emerged from the tunnel.  The traditional Champion's League theme was inaudible under the huge sustained roar of the fans.  The atmosphere was electric, and it would never waned over the entire duration of the game.

Celtics celebratory display before the game

The match started in predictable enough form, the home team immediately having to defend as Barcelona traded passes amongst themselves, scoping out the home team.  Celtic were rigid and organised, clearly well drilled.  Barcelona set up with their usual formation, pinning two men out on the side lines in an effort to stretch the defence.  For Celtic, the key was for wingers and full backs to be in complete unison, ensuring every overlap was covered.  Not one beat was missed.

It could be said that Barcelona's overriding advantage in skill also contributed to their eventual downfall.  With midfielder Alex Song the only man around the 6 feet tall mark, there was a reluctance to provide crosses from the wide areas.  Instead, they zipped the ball around, often showing phenomenal class in their touch, constantly moving the point of attack and creating space through exceptional movement.

After 20 minutes, there was a rare moment of relief as Celtic broke into the Barcelona half, earning a corner on Barcelona's left side.  Charlie Mulgrew, the man who delivered the exceptional ball to get Celtic's away goal in the Nou camp, delivered a fast, deep cross swinging in towards the back post where Victor Wanyama, having run on to the full back from the edge of the box, climbed highest to power a header in at his near post.  Celtic were 1-0 up, and the stadium went wild.

Just as they had been in Barcelona, Celtic were in the lead midway through the first half, against all expectations.

Barcelona, almost unperturbed by the Celtic goal, continued as they had but a few minutes before, laying siege to Fraser Forster's goal.  Messi skiffed the ball off the top of the crossbar as he found a free yard of space in the box.  Minutes later, Barcelona surprised the home defence again, this time by crossing the ball for the first time, finding striker Alexis making the leap to head the ball back across Forster only to see it rebound off the outside of the far post and out for a goal kick.

Celtic were shaking slightly and the memory of losing a goal late in the half in the first game must have been prevalent in the minds of the players - it certainly was for the fans as the ardent clock watching started with 5 minutes of the half remaining.  If Celtic could see out the half with the lead intact, it would be an improvement on a fortnight earlier, a night which saw small margins steal a valuable result away from them.

Half time indeed eventually came to rapturous applause, borne more out of relief for many as they saw their side retreat to the tunnel to regroup.  The questions then started.  Surely not? What if?  The first half had seen Celtic have one chance against the 9 accumulated by Barcelona.  The possession stats told a similar story as the home team claimed only 11% of the ball for themselves. They couldn't hold out for another 45 minutes, right?

The start of the second half saw Celtic start brightly.  Getting to half time with the lead had clearly given a shot in the arm and there was clear intent for the opening few minutes.  Centre backs Efe Ambrose and Kelvin Wilson were constantly looking to push the defensive line out after each wave of pressure had been absorbed.  There was an awareness that they couldn't sit deep for the duration - they would accept the pressure, but they weren't going to invite it.

The second half had settled when Celtic manager Neil Lennon made his first change, a forced substitution that saw right back Lustig come of with a leg strain to be replaced by 18 year old striker Tony Watt.  It meant Charlie Mulgrew slipped back to centre half, Ambrose out to right back and lone striker Georgios Samaras drop back into a midfield position.

The change solidified the back four but unsettled the midfield as Samaras failed to follow his man on a couple of occasions, allowing the likes of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi to expose more space than they had seen at any time in the game.  Lennon reacted again, taking Samaras, captain for the night, off for Beram Kayal, the Israeli terrier and out-and-out midfielder.  Along with the outstanding Wanyama and Joe Ledley, balance was restored in the middle of the park for the home team.

Never had it seemed a football match had taken so long to play out.  70 minutes, 75 minutes, 80 minutes, each landmark seemed hours apart as the away side continued to press and create chances.  For all the shots that went wide or over the bar, much to the relief of the home support, there were as many heading goalwards.  Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster stood up to every single one, producing 4 or 5 outstanding saves through the duration of the game.  Catalan sports magazine 'Mundo Deportivo' would later describe him as 'La Gran Muralla' - The Great Wall.

In the 84th minute Fraser Forster had his hands on the ball once again.  His tired launch of the ball carried it just over the halfway line where Barcelona captain Xavi miscued his control, seeing the ball instead bounce right through him and into the path of Tony Watt.  Javier Mascherano, having not been turned once by Samaras, was caught off balance as Watt's drop of the shoulder bought him the yard of space he needed, taking one touch to control and his second to coolly slot the ball past Victor Valdes.

The unthinkable was happening.  Celtic were leading Barcelona 2-0 with 5 minutes to play and the 59,000 home fans were euphoric.

Tony Watt (32) scores Celtic's second goal

It could have been three 2 minutes later as Tony Watt again stripped Mascherano with power and pace only to be pulled down by the Argentine as he was through on goal.  The referee let play go on as the Celtic fans pleaded for the red card that never came.

But the fans were still in party mode as the fourth official held up the board indicating 4 minutes would be added.  4 minutes to hold out, that was all.

It took all of 30 seconds of that time for Barcelona to strike.  It was the first time that they had strung together the short, tight, fast passes for which they are so famed. Xavi, Iniesta, Villa with the shot, saved low to Forster's left side but parried only as far as a poaching Lionel Messi who duly knocked in the rebound.

I'm not sure I've experienced a more tense 3 and a half minutes in any sporting arena as those that then followed.  Barcelona weaved two or three more phases as the tired Celtic defence did everything they could to repel them, eventually clearing it to half way for a throw in.  A couple of passes later and it was all over as the whistle was blown for full time. 

Celtic had done it.  They had beaten Barcelona.  All the tension was released and like a coiled spring, the stadium exploded.

I'm not sure I'll likely experience anything like it again, the sense of occasion being rubber stamped by a victory over one of the greatest.

As a stand alone night and result, it was one of the very best.  In the context of the competition, it propels Celtic into a position of control over their own destiny.  Benfica's win over Spartak Moscow means that Celtic hold a 3 point advantage over 3rd place, and sit 2 behind Barcelona.  Whatever happens now is down to them, but there is no doubt that everyone in that stadium, players and fans alike, will remember the night they beat Barcelona.


Stand out players:

Fraser Forster - Celtic's keeper was outstanding all night, rightfully earning him the Man of the Match award.  He'll be disappointed not to have kept a clean sheet.

Victor Wanyama - The midfielder was in imperious form, and deserves all the plaudits he will no doubt receive.  Barcelona's Xavi & Iniesta will be having nightmares for the next few nights.

Adam Matthews - Calm and collected, he combined well with Charlie Mulgrew as a defensive partnership. Never put a foot wrong all night.

Joe Ledley - The silent but no less effective partner to Wanyama, Ledley chased everything all night - a prolific work rate.

Tony Watt - At 18 years old, he has everything ahead of him. For 30 minutes, he was nothing but a pest to the visting defence and finished wonderfully to win it for Celtic.


Some post match quotes:

"Unlucky we lost even I think we played well. Happy to be back. No words to describe the atmosphere at Celtic Park"

Gerard Pique, Barcelona defender

"Quite simply the greatest game I have ever been involved in"

Kris Commons, Celtic midfielder

"Greatest moment of my life! We have just beaten the best team ever!"

Joe Ledley, Celtic midfielder

"Congratulations to Celtic FC for well-earned victory a day after their 125th anniversary"

FC Barcelona Twitter account

 

 

"What an unbelievable result for Neil Lennon and all at Celtic. Only Lisbon beats it. The noise was deafening."

Kenny Dalgleish

Murrayfield Will Always Be Murrayfield

by Dugald Skene

The SRU this week announced it was considering selling the naming rights to Murrayfield Stadium, the home of Scottish Rugby.

 

In a statement to the BBC, Chief Executive Mark Dodson said "The single biggest piece of our inventory is our national stadium. We would like to see if we can monetise that.

"It would be crazy for us not to look at using our single biggest piece of inventory to drive revenue. We want to get the right price for it."

Murrayfield - The home of Scottish Rugby

The response has been interesting, with many suggesting that it’s ‘money for nothing’ and it’s a ‘no brainer’ for the SRU.  Those same people argue that whatever the stadium ends up being called, the history and tradition associated with the stadium will ensure that people will forever refer to it as Murrayfield, citing Newcastle Football Club as an example.

Others, the traditionalists, are not keen, seeing it as a sell-out by the SRU, forever condemning the history of the stadium and the great moments it has hosted to a past era which will be forgotten.

Let’s be honest here – it doesn’t make a jot of difference.  I agree with the first group.  Murrayfield will always be Murrayfield to those who have experienced it before and to those that are still to be introduced to it.  The tradition of the game in this country is such that experiences are shared between the generations and those that will know the stadium in its current guise will introduce it as such to the next generation of rugby fan.

My first game at Murrayfield was as a nine year old, going with my mum and dad to watch Scotland beat Western Samoa in the 1991 World Cup quarter final.  The physical transformation that the stadium has gone through since then has been dramatic, with both north and south terraces being replaced and the West grandstand being completely overhauled.  No change to the name of the stadium will be as dramatic.  The symbolism of the name will not be lost or forgotten. 

But what, other than the obvious direct revenue, will selling the rights actually give the game, the stadium and whoever chooses to buy those rights? Does that even matter?

Murrayfield is massively underused.  At 67,500 seats, it is by far the biggest stadium in the country (arguably way oversized) and yet gets an opportunity to be filled only a handful of times a year.  In 2012, only 4 international rugby games are being hosted at Murrayfield; 2 in the 6 Nations and 2 in the Autumn International series.

This clearly can’t be enough to sustain a stadium of this size.  Edinburgh Rugby have boosted the revenue this year with their Heineken Cup run last season which saw them host Toulouse in front of nearly 50,000 in their quarter final.  This however, is not a guaranteed income.  The teams league games attract around 3,500, a crown drowned by the size of the theatre around them.  I can’t help but think the fate of the team in the league, which has been poor in the past few seasons, is affected by the emptiness of their home ground on a bi-weekly basis, despite the best efforts of their fans.

With the refurbishment of an excellent facility at Scotstoun in Glasgow, even the World Cup 7’s has been relocated from Murrayfield, losing a weekend’s worth of valuable revenue in a sparsely populated calendar.

A prospecting sponsor will be hard pushed to be attracted to plastering their name on a stadium that draws small crowds only up to 20 times a year and large crowds seldomly.  The question then would be whether a company’s name will in turn attract further events?  Unless it can, I see very little incentive.

Murrayfield currently supplements it’s income by hosting single one-off events, particularly music concerts but again, these are seldom.  An obvious alternative money maker is football, the best supported sport in Scotland.  But here in lies another problem – for such a small country, it seems more than a little crazy that we have developed two separate national stadiums for rugby and football. Each has their reasons for the way they have developed to what we know now, but the upshot is that both are underused.

 

The SRU may entertain the idea of selling the naming rights, and I believe that it’s only right they do so for every avenue needs to be explored.  However, I really struggle to imagine any company that would be enticed unless the SRU can attract more events to fill out their calendar.  In my opinion, it’s a fantastic stadium which struggles with its own inflexibility and it’s that which may mean it won’t attract any suitors at all.

The Final Nail In Armstrong's Coffin

by Dugald Skene

The International Cycling Union (UCI) finally confirmed today that Lance Armstrong has been stripped of his 7 Tour de France titles.  UCI president Pat McQuaid stated emphatically while reading his statement that "Armstrong has no place in cycling.  He deserves to be forgotten."  In addition, Armstrong has been stripped of all other titles won since the 1st of August 1998 and banned for life for doping.

They also announced that they will meet at the end of this week to decide whether the titles and prize money, gained from 1999 until 2005, will be reallocated in his place.  However, it has been intimated by Tour director Christian Prudhomme that the titles would be vacated.  It also means that 9 of the last 14 Tour titles have been 'won' by drug cheats.

Armstrong has been stripped of his Tour titles and banned

for life by the UCI

 

In the space of a few months, Armstrong has gone from being the greatest cyclist of all time to the most disgraced figure the sport has ever known, in a sport that is littered with its fair share of disgraces.

McQuaid went on to say "I’m sorry we couldn’t catch every damn one of them red-handed and throw them out of the sport at the time", conceding that the ever-growing anti-doping movement has still work to do to catch up with the drug users in the sport.

What does this all mean for cycling?

The optimist in me likes to think that this is surely the last possible high profile doping charge in cycling.  In a sport that has struggled with drugs since the start of the 20th century, maybe the conviction, albeit a few years late, of the so called 'greatest' ever cyclist is the sign to all others now and in the future that there's just no point in cheating.  Whether it be while they are active, or years after, they will get caught and any achievements in the sport will be spoiled and reputations forever marred.

The reality, however, is that cycling may never recover from this, despite McQuaid's pleas for the sport to 'start anew' all over again.  Yes, we are used to cyclists being stripped of titles and chucked out of tours, but this is somehow different.  The sheer depth of the deception is almost unfathomable.  Armstrong has been held in such high esteem over the years, boosted by his work outside of cycling, that no one ever really thought that it were possible he could have cheated. Now that it has come out that so many fellow riders not only knew but participated in the doping schemes, it seems to bring to light a ruthless and controlling influence that Armstrong and the men behind the scheme have had over those around them.

All this comes in the wake of the United States Anti-Doping Agency's (USADA) 1000 page report which condemned Armstrong for doping offences, based on the testimony of 26 fellow riders.  Armstrong has never been caught for doping, and has claimed his innocence throughout, finally 'giving up' the fight claiming that he has always been a marked man and can never influence or change that.

There are still holes in both sides stories which have done nothing to improve the image of either. The number of tests conducted, the validity of the sworn testimonies - there is still a lot to be accounted for.  No matter what comes out in the future, there is already sufficient doubt around Armstrong and his achievements for not only the authorities to take action, but for the public to question anything he has done or may do in the future.

Cycling as a whole now has a huge job to pull itself out of the mess once again.  More than ever, fans will take emphatic stage wins and tour wins with a pinch of salt, knowing that despite the efforts of the anti-doping authorities, there are always cheats ahead of the game.

What Next For The Ravens Defence?

by Dugald Skene

It has been a noticeable season already in the NFL for the number of high profile injuries, and it seems that the Baltimore Ravens defence has suffered more than it's fair share in recent months, dating back to when Terrell Suggs (last season's NFL Defensive Player of the Year) tore his Achilles.

More recently, it's the ageing but infinitely talismanic linebacker Ray Lewis (torn tricep) and starting cornerback Lardarius Webb (torn ACL) have been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

For Lewis, at 37 years old and in his 17th season in the NFL, his on field ability isn't quite what it was and as such, the Ravens will be able to replace him relatively easily. However, it's his unrivalled experience, leadership and influence on his whole team that will be most missed.  In his absence, the Ravens defence will be looking for a new leader, with big shoes to fill.

The obvious candidate is Ed Reed, veteran safety who has also excelled in the twilight of his career, much like Lewis.  But to add insult to the literal injury, it was announced yesterday that Reed has sustained a shoulder injury that should see him out.  The twist is that the Ravens have failed to place him on the injury roster, which if injured, is against NFL rules.

Cornerback Lardarius Webb has been ruled out for the season

The replacement of Webb is an altogether harder prospect.  One of the outstanding players in any position in the NFL, particularly playing in a nickel defence. The cornerback's aggression and tackling will be hugely missed by the Ravens in their defensive lineup which has bucked the trend in the NFL which has seen teams successfully expose the nickel defence.

Corner Jimmy Smith is the obvious like-for-like replacement for Webb though his effectiveness in the nickel defence is far less than that of the starter.

So what does this all mean for the Ravens?

There are two things.  Firstly, head coach John Harbaugh has to resist rushing any injured players back before their time.  Terrell Suggs returned to practice yesterday after being taken off the 'physically unable to perform' list, and although unlikely to be playing for another few weeks yet, there has to be caution coming back from such a serious injury.  For such an explosive game, where big men move very fast for short periods of time, a tear to the Achilles tendon is not something you want to rush back from.

The Ravens have also sprinkled seeds of hope over Lewis' injury this week, placing him on the injured reserve list and tagging him 'designated to return'.  Whether or not he will be in a position to come back during the course of this season is yet to be seen, but all realisitc signs indicate bad news.  In the meantime, the Ravens need to rest Ed Reed or risk having another of their key defensive players out for the season.

Let's not forget, the Ravens are sitting atop the AFC East with a 5-1 record and although games can never be sacrificed, players can and they shouldn't be risked for short term benefits.

The second thing for the Ravens is that the offence needs to step up.  Quarterback Joe Flacco has probably had his best start to an NFL season in his career, but will have to carry on that momentum and the burden of the franchise a little more in the absence of fellow captains and players.  The key to that is establishing early leads in games, giving an underpowered defence the chance to defend a lead, far easier than preventing a game get away from them.

The Ravens are ranked 7th for first half score differential, but most of that advantage has come in the second quarter and they are average at best at putting points on the board in the first quarter. This is what needs to change and the likes of Flacco, running back Ray Rice and outstanding wide receiver Torey Smith will be the key men tasked with achieving that goal.

The season is far from over for the Ravens, but it has got a little harder.  It'll be interesting to see in the coming weeks how a patched up defence and a far more relied upon offence cope with the injuries.

Craig Levein To Face His Fate

by Dugald Skene

The SFA announced today that they are set to discuss the future of Scotland manager Craig Levein in the coming days following Scotland's 2-0 defeat to Belgium in Brussels on Tuesday night, the latest in a string of disappointing results for the national team. Keen not to make any knee jerk reactions, they released a statement including the following:

"It's important that we just reflect on the start to the campaign, sit down with the manager and with the board and actually look at what's happened over the last few matches and, in particular, what's happened in the last two games and then decide on our course of action.

"It's important that we actually sit down, look at the facts and then decide on the next steps."

Craig Levein's days as Scotland coach may be numbered

So what are the facts? 

Levein's record in competitive games is shocking, achieving only a 36.1% win rate (43.5% for all games), far poorer than the much maligned Berti Vogts (48.8%) and the short lived term of George Burley (42%). 

Whether the causes of this poor form can be blamed entirely on Levein is the subject of much debate, but he certainly has to accept that a lot of that blame does fall at his feet.  With a similar, if not more talented group of players available to him than in recent years, he has failed to find a preferred, consistent and successful starting XI. 

In this most recent campaign, his decision to play with one man (Kenny Miller) up front in the opening two games, both at Hampden, was an immediate sign of painful pragmatism that quickly backfired on Levein, achieving a disappointing 2 points from 2 games. 

Although an improvement on the crippling 4-6-0 formation fielded against the Czech Republic in the previous campaign for Euro 2012 qualification, this immediately forced him and the Scotland team on to the back foot in the group, in turn making the manager swallow his pride and invite the outcast and in form Sunderland striker Stephen Fletcher back into the squad. Other players who have been in form for their clubs but not recognised by Levein made it back into the fray, including Celtic playmaker Kris Commons. 

His decision to drop Paul Dixon at left back, one of Scotland's better players in the first 2 games for Southampton's Danny Fox only added to the growing list of odd decisions made throughout his tenure.

Levein also used the long awaited return from illness of midfielder and captain Darren Fletcher to mask over the inconsistencies of selection and strategy.

For me, Levein has had his chance. 3 years and 23 games has provided ample opportunity to cement an ethos, an ethic and a successful record. Never fully embraced by the tartan faithful, he has arguably always been facing an uphill struggle, but that shouldn't deter from the fact that he has not fulfilled his own ambition and the nations expectation to win football games when it matters.

Levein must go, and the SFA need to see this as a black and white issue. Whatever their deliberation, it needs to be quick and decisive. Should he go, the challenge of recruiting a new manager must be made quickly, but not rashly - the next round of qualifying matches doesn't come around until March. I highly doubt that Craig Levein will be at the helm come the spring.

Packers Back In Business

by Dugald Skene

Green Bay Packers   42-24   Houston Texans

It's taken 6 weeks of the 2012 NFL season, but the Green Bay Packers finally seem to have found the kind of form that took them to a 15-1 record last season. In what was a must win game, the odds were stacked against them as they travelled to Houston to take on a Texans side unbeaten all season and owners of a prolific offence and devastating defence.

In the past 9 games with quarterback Matt Schaub starting fit, the Texans have won by an average of 20 points. On the flip side, the Packers have one of the poorer defences in the league, ranked 31st out of 32 teams last year.  Their success last term was predicated on the idea that how ever much the opposition would score, the Packers would just score more.

That sort of offensive form has not been on show this season, and most predicted the Packers slipping to a 2-4 record.  But Green Bay, led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers, had other ideas.

By the end of the contest, Green Bay had amassed 42 points against one of the toughest defences around, and in their own back yard. Rodgers threw for a Packers record equalling 6 touchdowns (matching Matt Flynn's effort at the tail end of last season in a game Rodgers sat out in the run up to the playoffs), notching up 330 yards with no interceptions in the process.

Aaron Rodgers led the offensive rout on the Texans

Despite all 6 TD's coming from passes, the Packers did not disown their running game, with tailback Alex Green carrying 22 times. Like in previous weeks, the emergence of a running game in the Packers offensive arsenal has provided the added dimension that has allowed Rodgers to exploit defences more with the pass.

The Packers dominated this game and led from the front. The Texans got 3 TD's of their own. their defence had limited success but linebacker JJ Watt did have another fine outing, notching up two sacks on Rodgers.  Quarterback Matt Schaub was less on form, particularly after being picked off twice.

The Packers now go to 3-3 and back to a .500 record.  They will certainly see this as a major turning point in their season and will look to extend this win into a series over the coming weeks.  The Texans, on the other hand, will not be dwelling too much on last night's defeat. They are still going to be one of the toughest teams alone will face and I still see them making it to the AFC Championship game come January. Their defeat leaves the Atlanta Falcons as the only undefeated team in the NFL, but they will be back. Nobody will want to be at the receiving end of their backlash.

The Problem With Playoffs

by Dugald Skene

I'll start with a question: is it fair that league titles be decided by a playoff system?

On Saturday, the Leeds Rhinos clinched their second successive Super Rugby title having finished 5th in the league on both occasions. Congratulations to them, but their win highlights the fundamental problem with playoffs: they undermine the reward of consistency in a league format.

Leeds Rhinos clinch their 6th Super League title

Increasingly over the last decade, and particularly in both codes of rugby, leagues around the world have adopted a playoff system. In the UK, the English Premiership introduced the knock out structure in 2003, followed by the Celtic League in 2009.

I have no doubt that a tournament style format at the sharp end of the season adds some extra excitement and heartbreak for players and fans in equal measure, and that it prevents any runaway league winners, but what's wrong with a runaway winner if they are clearly the best team in the their division and therefore deserve any title they rightly earn?

Look at a team like Gloucester, who came top of the then Guinness Premiership in the 2006/07 and 2007/08 seasons, only to lose in a playoff final and then a semi-final against the Leicester Tigers on each occasion. Gloucester have never won the premiership title since the introduction of playoffs in 2003 despite twice topping the table. Alnong with Leeds and other examples, this proves that playoffs distort the reflection of form over the course of a season.

Then there is the question of strategy. Taking a cynical slant, it could be argued that teams will strategise their season in an effort to finish in the top 4 of a league rather than first place by potentially resting players for the bigger games, ensuring they are available for the winnable ones.  What does that do for competition and generally upping the standard of the league and the sport as a whole?

I like the climactic nature of the playoff system.  I like that there is something to play for until the end and that it comes down to a showpiece event, a one-against-one all out shootout.  It's certainly great commercially, but for me does nothing to reward the team who more often than not, it seems, comes top of their league only for it to be taken away from them.

Scotland Reveal New Alternative Strip

by Dugald Skene

Scottish Rugby has revealed it's latest alternative strip by Canterbury.  With the upcoming Autumn tests, it's likely to be worn against New Zealand in Scotland's first match on November 11th.

What do you think?

Scotland's new alternative strip design

NFL Week 4: Things That Caught The Eye

by Dugald Skene

By any previous season's standards, the 2012 NFL year has got off to a sensational start and has seen many preseason favourites got off to varying degrees of success and a few of the unfancied sides claim some impressive scalps.

Week 4 has seen the return of the regular NFL officials, and not before time.  Despite some fantastic games, the replacement officials came up short too many times culminating in the terrible decision to award a game winning touchdown to Seattle over the Packers last Monday night.  The NFL saw this as the catalyst to resolve the issues and so we now we are back to normal.

Week 4, like all previous weeks so far, has thrown up some interesting results, but here are a few things that caught my eye over the weekend.

Drew Brees Breaks An 'Unbeatable' Record

The 0-3 New Orleans Saints travelled to Wisconsin to take on Green Bay on Sunday in an effort to stop the rot and prevent them going 0-4.  The Packers themselves were under pressure having lost (controversially or not) 2 of their first 3 games, 2 of them at home.  It may only be Week 4, but this was a must win game for both.

Drew Brees throws himself into the record books

As predicted, the first half was a bit of a shootout between two of the leagues greatest quarterbacks, the Packers' Aaron Rodgers and the Saints' Drew Brees.  And despite the Saints ultimately losing in a tight contest 27-28 after missing a last minute field goal on the third attempt, it was Brees that came away having broken Johnny Unitas' long standing record of throwing a touchdown pass in 46 consecutive games. His pass to Colson in the first quarter was number 47, and adds another remarkable accolade to his already lengthy list.  His team may be struggling without their head coach, but Brees keeps on proving his class.

The Rams Prove Their Home Worth

After clinching their second win of the season last week against the Packers in debatable circumstances, the Seattle Seahawks travelled to St Louis to kick on. But new head coach Jeff Fisher has got his fairly fresh Rams side competing well and home form clearly seems to be a priority for them. 

After beating the Washington Redskins in Week 2 in a high scoring contest, the Rams were at it again, this time using a little nouse to out-fox a stubborn Seahawks defence with a clever dummy play from a field goal set up to throw to a wide open Danny Amendola in the end zone.  The touchdown proved the difference as the rams ran out 13-19 winners.  No one will fancy going to St Louis this season.

Texans Continue To Show How It's Done In The AFC

Coming into Week 4, the Houston Texans were the only NFL team to rank in the top 10 on total defence and total offence.  On paper, they are the best team in the league.  Backing that up by being the only AFC team witha 3-0 record, the Texans entertaineda Tennessee Titans side buoyant from their high scoring win over the Detroit Lions in Week 3.

The Titans were brought down to earth, with a thump.  This was literally the case for starting QB Jake Locker who fell awkwardly after being hit, damaging his left shoulder and leaving the game after the first quarter.  Experienced stand in Matt Hasselbeck is far from the worst replacement quarterback in the league, but his lack of match time was clear against such an aggressive Texans defence. 

Texans linebacker JJ Watt was outstanding once again

JJ Watt was once again outstanding and for me, is the best linebacker in the league at the moment.  On the other side of the ball, Arian Foster had another solid rushing performance and Andre Johnson was superb again at wide receiver.  The Texans ran out 14-38 winners to go 4-0 in the league, a record for the young franchise.

Eagles Show Their Potential

The late kick off on Sunday night saw the Eagles welcome divisional rivals the New York Giants to Philadelphia.  With both teams on a 2-1 record coming into this, a win would be crucial for either with playoff aspirations in this incredibly tight division.

It was the Eagles that grabbed the initiative with accident prone QB Michael Vick having his best game of the season so far.  His offensive line protected him better than previous weeks, not something too hard to achieve given the number of times Vick has been hit so far, 78 times in 3 games.  Despite a late rally from Eli Manning and the Giants in the fourth quarter, the Eagles held out to record an impressive 17-19 victory.  The Eagles now go to 3-1, the Giants to 2-2.  With the Redskins winning to go 2-2 and the Cowboys looking to go 2-2 on Monday night, the NFC East is looking every bit as tight as we hoped preseason.

The Cardinals & Falcons Keep On Winning

Both NFC teams the Cardinals and the Falcons waon last night in games that saw both almost lose out on going to 4-0 for the start of the season.  For Atlanta, it was an up and down performance against the up and down team of the league, divisional rivals the Carolina Panthers.  The 28-30 win sees them go to 4-0 for the first time since 2004.

In Arizona, it was a Miami team that is making a habit of making a pest of themselves that drove the Cardinals to overtime but only after Arizona QB Kevin Kolb mustered up two touchdown strikes in the fourth quarter.  It was Jay Feely who slotted the 47 yard field goal in ovretime after Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill was picked off in overtime by Kerry Rhodes.  Despite a very average 3 and a bit quarters from Kolb, the Cardinals have mastered a way to get the job done.  That's now 11 wins from the last 13 games.

Cedric Benson Provides Packers A Much Needed Running Option

The Packers are a passing team, that much we know, and with Aaron Rodgers at the helm, who would blame them?  But the effectiveness of the Packers offence became all the more potent as Cedric Benson produced his best performance of the season to provide a rushing option that has been so lacking for a slightly one dimensional Packers offence.  His running with and without the ball meant the Saints defence was exposed at times and allowed Rodgers and co to capitalise.  A fine performance that head coach Mike McCarthy will be looking to see improve in coming games.

Despite only 84 yards from 18 attempts, Benson provided the impetus

for the Packers 27-28 victory over the Saints

NFL Needs Officials Back Before Someone Gets Hurt

by Dugald Skene

It has been an outstanding start to the 2012 NFL season, with the first 48 fixtures throwing up more than its fair share of thrills and spills.

But the season so far has been dominated not by the plays or the touchdowns, but the officiating of the games.  The NFL is still in a lockout with the regular NFL standard officials and there doesn't seem to be any sign of the dispute being resolved until at least Week 5.

In the meantime, games are suffering for poor and lengthy decision making.  The first half of the Denver Broncos at Atlants Falcons game last Monday for example took a full 2 hours, around 45 minutes longer than usual due to the prolonged periods of review, and the sheer number of reviews required by the more inexperienced officials.

The effects of lengthy games are more tedious than any. It's the calls that are made that are wrong that are causing the real problems.  Things seemed to come to a head last night as the final play of the Packers at Seattle game came down to a 60 yard 'Hail Mary' pass from Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, lofted into the end zone in a 'hit and hope' effort.  The ball came down and appeared to be caught by defensive Packer MD Jennings, with Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate appearing to miss out as his hand came down on the ball, but not in control of it.

NFL's replacement officials have been dropping the ball in

more ways than one



The two officials on the scene gave conflicting signals, one indicating a Seahawks touchdown, one an interception. After a lengthy review and multiple replays, the score stood, and the Seahawks took the game 12-14 and relegated the Green Bay Packers to a second loss of the season.

This is probably the highest profile bad decision made so at, but there will be others.  And it seems the players are catching on to the opportunity to take liberties and play on the replacement officials inexperience at this elite level.  We've seen bad tackles and hits that have beggered belief, most notably the shocking and illegal hit on Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub by Broncos linebacker Joe Mays, who has since been fined $50,000 and suspended for only one game by the NFL, small change in reality.

With such a focus on player safety, it's contradictory that the league refuses to ban players for longer rather than fine them for committing potentially career ending tackles. Luckily, Matt Schaub got away with a cut ear and somehow only missed out on one play.

These high profile and dangerous tackles are one thing, but petulance also seems to be setting in, with lots of small scraps and fracases happening around the field with the knowledge the officials don't have the authority they are necessarily used to having to cut them out on the field of play.  Players are taking advantage of the replacement officials, and whether it be dangerous tackles, petty scraps or just bad decision making, it is harming the game and the precious reputation of the sport.

While they may be discipline players for dangerous plays, the NFL has come out and backed the decisions made by the replacement officials, but of course they would.  They can't be seen to be standing opposed to the men tasked with holding the fort while they are still at loggerheads with the people that are supposed to be on the field.

The sooner the usual officials are back, the better it will be for everyone; players, coaches and fans alike.

Non-Selection Of Fit Players Only Goes To Hurt The National Game

by Dugald Skene

Tim Visser, the Edinburgh and Scotland winger, and top try scorer in the RaboDirect Pro12 this season, confirmed on Twitter on Friday that he was not going to be playing for Edinburgh in their league clash away to European Champions Leinster in Dublin.

Visser wasn't injured, it was a decision taken by the coaching staff not to take him to Edinburgh.

It is exactly this kind of decision, however, that baffles me in any sport, not just rugby. Tim Visser represents the real strike threat in the Edinburgh back line, having scored 6 tries in 3 games, and yet it has been decided not to take him to one of the hardest places to play rugby in Europe, a place where his ability to make a difference in a game could be all the more important.

Not only this, but tough rugby tests against the likes of Leinster represent the exact sort of game to stretch players of quality in an effort to improve.

Leinster beat Edinburgh 22-16 in a hard fought game

Many see Visser as an automatic selection for Scotland in the autumn tests coming up in 6 weeks, and based on current form, rightly so.  However, I struggle to see the benefits both for Edinburgh and Scotland by not fielding a player of his quality in the big league games.  They can only go help to improve their game and strengthen their resolve in the tightest of game scenarios.

So why leave Visser out? Are Edinburgh 'saving' him in an effort to concentrate more on European competition?

This raises a deeper question that has been discussed at length in European rugby - why should all teams represented in the multinational RaboDirect automatically be eligible for the Heineken Cup, the premier European club competition?

The Welsh Rugby Union took the decision last season to only allow the 3 highest ranked teams from their 4 professional outfits in the league to qualify for the Heineken Cup. It's a start, but in my opinion, it's not enough.  I believe in the proposed system that each country represented in the league should allow half of their teams in the league to qualify, based on where they finish relative to each other in the league. This would mean that a team like Edinburgh, who quite deliberately concentrated on their run in the Heineken Cup over their aspirations in the league last season, would not have qualified this season over their rivals Glasgow Warriors who finished in the top 4 of the league.

All this means that only 2 Welsh, 2 Irish, 1 Scottish and 1 Italian team would qualify from the Rabo Direct Pro12.

It would also provide incentive for the teams competing in the league to play their best players in every game they are available in an effort to achieve European qualification.  The net effect on the league would be increased competitiveness, a resultant increase in quality and ultimately revenue for all the teams.

As the league provides the majority of players for their respective nations of Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Italy, increased competitiveness in the league would raise the standard of quality of player, and no one could deny that would ultimately benefit the national teams.

Leaving out your best players in big games when they are available to play only goes to emphasise the complacency of teams in a system that allows them to play in the biggest European competition, even if they come bottom of the league.  Something has to change, and I can only see the league and the national unions treating the Heineken Cup as an exclusive competition and restricting access to those who deserve it on merit being the way forward.