by Dugald Skene
Glasgow Warriors have won for the first time this season, beating the RaboDirect Pro12 champions the Ospreys in Swansea 28-10.
The game was a story of defensive resolve from the Warriors, a familiar tale from last season when the Scots built their season on a tight defensive game. The effort was epitomised by the Glasgow back row, led by the outstanding Chris Fusaro with cohorts James Eddie and John Barclay who outplayed their revered Osprey counterparts. Fusaro in particular made a constant nuisance of himself, constantly involved at the breakdown. Glasgow's tackle count outnumbered the Ospreys by 4:1.
To win though requires scoring and Glasgow took their opportunities when they presented themselves. And it was quite a gift they got as the Ospreys gave away the ball in the Warriors 22, gifted a loose pass to DTH van der Merwe who ran in from 80 yards to capitalise. Glasgows possession play was considered if a little conservative, but ultimately successful.
Man of the match Chris Fusaro went over the line for Glasgow following some persistent forward play to give the Warriors a 15-0 lead at half time, the extras added by Duncan Weir.
The second half saw a resurgent effort from the Ospreys, but Glasgow continued their defensive effort, resisting waves of Welsh pressure. In a rare second half break into Ospreys territory, scrum half Rhys Webb was judged to deliberately pat down a Glasgow pass, earning him a 10 minute cool off in the sin bin. Weir slotted the resultant penalty to take the Warriors 18-0 up.
The reduction in personnel seemed to galvanise the Ospreys as they launched another sustained foray into the Glasgow 22. Relentless pressure started to show as Glasgow began to infringe at the break down, James Eddie being judged the guilty party as the referee had seen one hand too many in the ruck. Both teams were down to 14 men for a few minutes.
Ospreys made the most of it, Dan Biggar converting the penalty from the breakdown offence and then scoring in the corner as the Ospreys attack stretched the resilient Glasgow defence to breaking point.
18-10, and the game was suddenly a lot tighter as the Ospreys were restored to their full complement. However, against the odds, Glasgow repelled again, forcing their way down to the other end of the pitch to see DTH van der Merwe crash over the line with the help of some of his forwards. The decision went to the TMO but it was a clear cut decision. Glasgow had restored their 2 try advantage and stretched it to 15 points as Duncan Weir stuck over the conversion.
With 15 minutes to go, it was all Ospreys as they kept knocking on the Glasgow door. But Glasgow stood firm in typically stoic fashion, either forcing Ospreys to make mistakes or backwards towards their own line. A late scramble up the pitch saw Glasgow get another penalty, made all the easier with an extra 10 yards after Ospreys captain Alun Wyn-Jones made himself a little too outspoken to the referee's mind.
A fantastic win for Glasgow, tarnished only by the news that Scotland international Chris Cusiter went off with a nasty injury in the first half, an injury that may see him out for weeks if not months.
After two losses at Ulster and at home in their new stadium at Scotstoun to the Dragons, teams Glasgow would be expecting to beat, an away trip to Ospreys would have been considered the toughest of the 3 on paper. But Gregor Townsends men have defied the odds and notch up their first win of the season, a win that should provide plenty of impetus going forward.
Friday, 14 September 2012
Can Cavendish & Co Repeat World Success?
by Dugald Skene
UK Cycling has announced the team bidding to defend the road race title at the World Championships next week in the Netherlands.
Included are Cavendish, Cummings, Dowsett, Froome, Rowe, Stannard, Swift, Tiernan-Locke, Wiggins
Perhaps the most surprising news in the omission of Geraint Thomas from the 9 man squad. Despite a successful Olympics for the Welshman, I can't help but feel his decision to opt out of the Tour de France with team Sky, also directed by UK boss Dave Brailsford, has counted against him. That said, he has plenty of road racing experience and he'll no doubt be devastated by the news.
Cavendish is the reigning champion, the UK's first for 42 years when he won in Copenhagen last year, and the British team will be going in full of confidence after a prolific year for UK cycling. With the setback of failure in the Olympic road race, they will no doubt be looking to make amends this time around.
With the calibre in their team, it would be foolish to bet against them.
UK Cycling has announced the team bidding to defend the road race title at the World Championships next week in the Netherlands.
Included are Cavendish, Cummings, Dowsett, Froome, Rowe, Stannard, Swift, Tiernan-Locke, Wiggins
Mark Cavendish clinches the World title in Copenhagen in 2011
Perhaps the most surprising news in the omission of Geraint Thomas from the 9 man squad. Despite a successful Olympics for the Welshman, I can't help but feel his decision to opt out of the Tour de France with team Sky, also directed by UK boss Dave Brailsford, has counted against him. That said, he has plenty of road racing experience and he'll no doubt be devastated by the news.
Cavendish is the reigning champion, the UK's first for 42 years when he won in Copenhagen last year, and the British team will be going in full of confidence after a prolific year for UK cycling. With the setback of failure in the Olympic road race, they will no doubt be looking to make amends this time around.
With the calibre in their team, it would be foolish to bet against them.
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
Scotland Draw Again To Leave Uphill Battle
by Dugald Skene
Scotland have come away from their Hampden double header with only 2 points garnered from matches against opposition that they should be beating at home. Serbia and Macedonia aren't the strongest in the group, and with Belgium and Croatia still to come, Scotland have it all to do in Group A.
Many of the questions over the performance, attitude and execution centre on manager Craig Levein. His 4-1-4-1 formation at home is negative, despite his insistence that 3 of the midfield 4 are attack minded players. Lone striker Kenny Miller isn't the chase-anything player he was and clearly struggled. Never blessed with the best first touch, he is rendered redundant when he has his back to goal and only poses any kind of threat when the ball is played ahead of him.
The strategy to revert to a standard 4-4-2 only when under the cosh seems like immature management, especially after it happened in the first game against Serbia. Levein will no doubt defend himself by saying that the decision to throw on Jordan Rhodes came 17 minutes earlier than it did on Saturday, but it doesn't defend the decision to play the starting formation to begin with.
Scotland now have time to reflect on their two draws. The calls to fire Levein may be premature, but he needs to affect the mentality currently in place in the squad and coaching staff. Some would argue he had his chance during the last qualifying campaign and that this was the time to adopt the lessons learnt then.
Scotland may only be 2 points behind Serbia, Belgium and Croatia, the latter two of which drew on Tuesday night, but there is such an emphasis to win at home particularly against those around you in the group. Put it this way; I'd rather have Macedonia's single point having played two away games than Scotland's brace after two home games.
Not only will Scotland have to rely on their unreliable away form, but more likely on the results of others in the group. Nothing is impossible, and all hope is not lost, but Scotland have got off to a poor start, and they'll need to pick it up if they harbour any aspirations to qualify for Brazil. Next up, Wales.
Scotland have come away from their Hampden double header with only 2 points garnered from matches against opposition that they should be beating at home. Serbia and Macedonia aren't the strongest in the group, and with Belgium and Croatia still to come, Scotland have it all to do in Group A.
Shaun Maloney competes for the ball in an
often outgunned Scottish midfield
Many of the questions over the performance, attitude and execution centre on manager Craig Levein. His 4-1-4-1 formation at home is negative, despite his insistence that 3 of the midfield 4 are attack minded players. Lone striker Kenny Miller isn't the chase-anything player he was and clearly struggled. Never blessed with the best first touch, he is rendered redundant when he has his back to goal and only poses any kind of threat when the ball is played ahead of him.
The strategy to revert to a standard 4-4-2 only when under the cosh seems like immature management, especially after it happened in the first game against Serbia. Levein will no doubt defend himself by saying that the decision to throw on Jordan Rhodes came 17 minutes earlier than it did on Saturday, but it doesn't defend the decision to play the starting formation to begin with.
Scotland now have time to reflect on their two draws. The calls to fire Levein may be premature, but he needs to affect the mentality currently in place in the squad and coaching staff. Some would argue he had his chance during the last qualifying campaign and that this was the time to adopt the lessons learnt then.
Scotland may only be 2 points behind Serbia, Belgium and Croatia, the latter two of which drew on Tuesday night, but there is such an emphasis to win at home particularly against those around you in the group. Put it this way; I'd rather have Macedonia's single point having played two away games than Scotland's brace after two home games.
Not only will Scotland have to rely on their unreliable away form, but more likely on the results of others in the group. Nothing is impossible, and all hope is not lost, but Scotland have got off to a poor start, and they'll need to pick it up if they harbour any aspirations to qualify for Brazil. Next up, Wales.
Tuesday, 11 September 2012
RGIII Impresses In The Battle Of The Rookies
by Dugald Skene
Opening weekend is always tough for rookies, not least the quarterbacks upon whom their respective franchises have gambled so much.
This is absolutely the case for this years first two draft picks, Indianapolis Colts' Andrew Luck and the Washington Redskins' Robert Griffin III. Two contrasting styles, it was always going to be interesting to see who would settle the quickest.
Conventional wisdom suggested that it would be Luck who was the more poised and accomplished QB coming into the NFL. Playing for a Colts team doing their best to forget the tribulations of last season, a trip to playoff contenders Chicago Bears at Soldier Field would provide the sternest of tests for Luck. And so it proved, as both teams struggled to get their offences clicking in the game. That aside, Luck grew into the game, throwing 23 of 45 for 309 yards, despite being picked off three times. His more experienced Bears counterpart, Jay Cutler, threw for 333 yards on his return to NFL action after crashing out with injury halfway through last season. The final score of 41-21 to the Bears fairly reflected the performances of the individuals, but Luck showed clear talent and isn't the sort to get down after a single loss. I see him leading the Colts to 7 wins this year, a distinct improvement on the 2 last year.
There were contrasting fortunes for Washington's RG3 as the Redskins travelled to the Superdome to take on perennial favourites New Orleans Saints. A far more athletic and faster quarterback in the mould of the Eagles' Michael Vick, Griffin showed that he is more than a fast runner, throwing to Pierre Garçon in the 1st quarter for a massive 88 yard touchdown, the longest for the franchise since 1988. His strong start was emphasised by his completion of his first 8 passes, finally finishing 19 of 26 for a total of 320 yards. He also rushed for 42 yards and finished with a final QB rating of 139.9.
There will be debate over whether the Skins winning in New Orleans was down to RG3's performance as much as the lack of head coach Sean Payton steering the Saints ship. Redskins fans will be happy though. A winning start, on the road against a strong Saints side who haven't lost at home since December 2010 represents a great statement of intent. With the Giants losing at home and the Eagles struggling against the poor Cleveland Browns, the Redskins will be looking at their division and eyeing up a playoff spot. There is still a lot to do, but winning is a habit and Washington have got it early.
Opening weekend is always tough for rookies, not least the quarterbacks upon whom their respective franchises have gambled so much.
This is absolutely the case for this years first two draft picks, Indianapolis Colts' Andrew Luck and the Washington Redskins' Robert Griffin III. Two contrasting styles, it was always going to be interesting to see who would settle the quickest.
Conventional wisdom suggested that it would be Luck who was the more poised and accomplished QB coming into the NFL. Playing for a Colts team doing their best to forget the tribulations of last season, a trip to playoff contenders Chicago Bears at Soldier Field would provide the sternest of tests for Luck. And so it proved, as both teams struggled to get their offences clicking in the game. That aside, Luck grew into the game, throwing 23 of 45 for 309 yards, despite being picked off three times. His more experienced Bears counterpart, Jay Cutler, threw for 333 yards on his return to NFL action after crashing out with injury halfway through last season. The final score of 41-21 to the Bears fairly reflected the performances of the individuals, but Luck showed clear talent and isn't the sort to get down after a single loss. I see him leading the Colts to 7 wins this year, a distinct improvement on the 2 last year.
Robert Griffin III celebrates his first NFL touchdown pass
There were contrasting fortunes for Washington's RG3 as the Redskins travelled to the Superdome to take on perennial favourites New Orleans Saints. A far more athletic and faster quarterback in the mould of the Eagles' Michael Vick, Griffin showed that he is more than a fast runner, throwing to Pierre Garçon in the 1st quarter for a massive 88 yard touchdown, the longest for the franchise since 1988. His strong start was emphasised by his completion of his first 8 passes, finally finishing 19 of 26 for a total of 320 yards. He also rushed for 42 yards and finished with a final QB rating of 139.9.
There will be debate over whether the Skins winning in New Orleans was down to RG3's performance as much as the lack of head coach Sean Payton steering the Saints ship. Redskins fans will be happy though. A winning start, on the road against a strong Saints side who haven't lost at home since December 2010 represents a great statement of intent. With the Giants losing at home and the Eagles struggling against the poor Cleveland Browns, the Redskins will be looking at their division and eyeing up a playoff spot. There is still a lot to do, but winning is a habit and Washington have got it early.
Andy Murray Clinches US Open Title
by Dugald Skene
Those in the know always said it would be more likely to happen at either the Australian or US Opens, and so it proved to be. Murray's prowess on the hard courts is only matched at the moment by his US Open Final opponent Novak Djokovic who hadn't lost on the surface in a grand slam in a couple of years.
Murray's game has been building up to this moment for a few years now, especially since reaching the same final 4 years ago, his first major final. He certainly seems to have an affinity for Flushing Meadows since winning the boys US Open title a few years before that. But 2012 has seen Murray Not only improve his game, particularly his forehand, but also his ability to stick it with the best in these highest profile showdowns.
Following an agonising 5 set defeat to Djokovic in the Australian Open semi final at the start of the year, it seemed despite the loss to show that he had the ability to mentally and physically match up. He should have won that game, up a break in the final set, but he has continued following the disappointment to build.
Last nights victory is the culmination of hard work over years, that has seen many a disappointment in the major tournaments. And yet it seemed inevitable that the fourth member of perhaps the greatest quartet of players to be active in the same period was going to get a slice of that victory pie.
Being Andy Murray, he didn't make it easy. The first set lasted as long as a football match, each player breaking each other's service games in tricky conditions. The resultant tie break was an epic match within a match, with Djokovic gaining early momentum before Murray came back to earn multiple set points, finally converting his sixth to win 12-10.
Suddenly, the swing of the match was in Murray's favour as he raced to a 4-0 lead in the second set, only to be broken twice and pegged back to 5-5. This one looked to be going to a tie break as well as Murray faced real pressure from a rejuvenated Djokovic to hold his serve before breaking the Serbian for the third time in the set. 7-5 to Murray.
This was epic tennis, both men really slogging it out. Nothing exemplified the effort more than a stunning 54 shot rally in the first set that eventually saw Murray force it wide. They were giving it their all.
And it seemed that Murray really had. After clutching his left hamstring towards the end of the second set, we feared the worst. And then Djokovic turned the heat up in the third, putting distance between himself and Murray to claim it 6-2.
The fourth was more of the same, Djokovic playing some sublime tennis to clinch it 6-3. After more than 4 hours of incredible tennis, it was down to a final set showdown.
Did Murray have enough? Would he learn from his defeat in Melbourne earlier in the year? Did he even have the energy?
As I mentioned before, if anything has improved in Murray, it's his capacity to never give up, and he certainly made Djokovic aware of that as he rallied himself in the fifth to take a 3-0 lead. He never looked back.
Tennis is a game of momentum, and Andy Murray is a confidence player. The belief he will have gained in Australia, at Wimbledon and after winning gold in the Olympics was all channelled into that final set.
A well deserved victory indeed, and a truly special sporting achievement for a man who has been knocking at the door for years now. One of the most consistent sportsmen the UK has ever produced in an incredibly demanding and often lonely sport, Andy Murray is a true champion. Congratulations.
Those in the know always said it would be more likely to happen at either the Australian or US Opens, and so it proved to be. Murray's prowess on the hard courts is only matched at the moment by his US Open Final opponent Novak Djokovic who hadn't lost on the surface in a grand slam in a couple of years.
Andy Murray clinches his first grand slam
title in New York at the 5th time of asking
Following an agonising 5 set defeat to Djokovic in the Australian Open semi final at the start of the year, it seemed despite the loss to show that he had the ability to mentally and physically match up. He should have won that game, up a break in the final set, but he has continued following the disappointment to build.
Last nights victory is the culmination of hard work over years, that has seen many a disappointment in the major tournaments. And yet it seemed inevitable that the fourth member of perhaps the greatest quartet of players to be active in the same period was going to get a slice of that victory pie.
Being Andy Murray, he didn't make it easy. The first set lasted as long as a football match, each player breaking each other's service games in tricky conditions. The resultant tie break was an epic match within a match, with Djokovic gaining early momentum before Murray came back to earn multiple set points, finally converting his sixth to win 12-10.
Suddenly, the swing of the match was in Murray's favour as he raced to a 4-0 lead in the second set, only to be broken twice and pegged back to 5-5. This one looked to be going to a tie break as well as Murray faced real pressure from a rejuvenated Djokovic to hold his serve before breaking the Serbian for the third time in the set. 7-5 to Murray.
This was epic tennis, both men really slogging it out. Nothing exemplified the effort more than a stunning 54 shot rally in the first set that eventually saw Murray force it wide. They were giving it their all.
And it seemed that Murray really had. After clutching his left hamstring towards the end of the second set, we feared the worst. And then Djokovic turned the heat up in the third, putting distance between himself and Murray to claim it 6-2.
The fourth was more of the same, Djokovic playing some sublime tennis to clinch it 6-3. After more than 4 hours of incredible tennis, it was down to a final set showdown.
Did Murray have enough? Would he learn from his defeat in Melbourne earlier in the year? Did he even have the energy?
As I mentioned before, if anything has improved in Murray, it's his capacity to never give up, and he certainly made Djokovic aware of that as he rallied himself in the fifth to take a 3-0 lead. He never looked back.
Tennis is a game of momentum, and Andy Murray is a confidence player. The belief he will have gained in Australia, at Wimbledon and after winning gold in the Olympics was all channelled into that final set.
A well deserved victory indeed, and a truly special sporting achievement for a man who has been knocking at the door for years now. One of the most consistent sportsmen the UK has ever produced in an incredibly demanding and often lonely sport, Andy Murray is a true champion. Congratulations.
Jets & 49ers Impress In Opening NFL Weekend
by Dugald Skene
It was a strong weekend for the AFC over the weekend, with conference favourites the New England Patriots and the Houston Texans starting strongly as expected, and the Atlanta Falcons racking up 40 points at Arrowhead Stadium.
But perhaps the most surprising and impressive win of the weekend went to the New York Jets, who powered past the hapless Buffalo Bills 48-28. Much of the preseason chat was about which of his two quarterbacks head coach Rex Ryan would plump for - franchise QB and last years starter Mark Sanchez or the newly arrived headline maker from the Broncos Tim Tebow?
It seemed we wouldn't be finding out as both quarterbacks took to the field, with Tebow lining up as a slot receiver. But it was Sanchez who called the shots, getting the offence up and running from the off, finishing 19 of 27 for 266 yards. Tebow's contribution from the pivot role amounted to 11 rushing yards from 5 carries and didn't throw a pass. It looked like the Jets contrasting stars may well work in the same team after all.
For all the positives in offence, it's the defence that suffered, allowing 195 rushing yards, 169 of which were racked up by the impressive CJ Spiller. His 56 yard TD was down to poor tackling as it was strong running. There is still a lot to work on for the Jets, but they'll get a lot of confidence from scoring their highest first week total in franchise history.
The NFC performance of the weekend came from the defensively dominant San Francisco 49ers. Lambeau Field is no easy venue to win at, not least against a heavily backed Green Bay Packers team led by Aaron Rodgers. But even the Packers number 12 struggled at times to overcome the ferocious 49ers defensive line.
We've come to expect a strong defence from the west coasters, and so it was a pleasant surprise to see them equalling their effort on offence. With the additions of Mario Manningham from the Giants and the veteran receiver Randy Moss over the off season, quarterback Alex Smith now has a more balanced array of attacking weapons at his disposal. No doubt boosted by his late season and playoff form last year when the 49ers were unlucky not to make it to Superbowl XLVI, Smith has continued where he left off. Completing 20 of 26 for 211 yards, Smith connected with Moss and Vernon Davis. Aaron Rodgers' stats may have been stronger, throwing for 303 yards, but the Packers didn't have the running to compete with the 49ers. RB Frank Gore ran for 112 yards against the Packers defence, including a 23 yard TD.
The Packers will be back, and despite losing the same number of games already this season as they did the whole of the last regular season, they will definitely be in the mix come the playoffs. A rematch against Rodgers childhood team the 49ers is still very much on the cards for the NFC championship.
It was a strong weekend for the AFC over the weekend, with conference favourites the New England Patriots and the Houston Texans starting strongly as expected, and the Atlanta Falcons racking up 40 points at Arrowhead Stadium.
But perhaps the most surprising and impressive win of the weekend went to the New York Jets, who powered past the hapless Buffalo Bills 48-28. Much of the preseason chat was about which of his two quarterbacks head coach Rex Ryan would plump for - franchise QB and last years starter Mark Sanchez or the newly arrived headline maker from the Broncos Tim Tebow?
Mark Sanchez calls the shots for Jets against Buffalo
It seemed we wouldn't be finding out as both quarterbacks took to the field, with Tebow lining up as a slot receiver. But it was Sanchez who called the shots, getting the offence up and running from the off, finishing 19 of 27 for 266 yards. Tebow's contribution from the pivot role amounted to 11 rushing yards from 5 carries and didn't throw a pass. It looked like the Jets contrasting stars may well work in the same team after all.
For all the positives in offence, it's the defence that suffered, allowing 195 rushing yards, 169 of which were racked up by the impressive CJ Spiller. His 56 yard TD was down to poor tackling as it was strong running. There is still a lot to work on for the Jets, but they'll get a lot of confidence from scoring their highest first week total in franchise history.
The NFC performance of the weekend came from the defensively dominant San Francisco 49ers. Lambeau Field is no easy venue to win at, not least against a heavily backed Green Bay Packers team led by Aaron Rodgers. But even the Packers number 12 struggled at times to overcome the ferocious 49ers defensive line.
We've come to expect a strong defence from the west coasters, and so it was a pleasant surprise to see them equalling their effort on offence. With the additions of Mario Manningham from the Giants and the veteran receiver Randy Moss over the off season, quarterback Alex Smith now has a more balanced array of attacking weapons at his disposal. No doubt boosted by his late season and playoff form last year when the 49ers were unlucky not to make it to Superbowl XLVI, Smith has continued where he left off. Completing 20 of 26 for 211 yards, Smith connected with Moss and Vernon Davis. Aaron Rodgers' stats may have been stronger, throwing for 303 yards, but the Packers didn't have the running to compete with the 49ers. RB Frank Gore ran for 112 yards against the Packers defence, including a 23 yard TD.
Aaron Rodgers gets sacked in the first quarter by the 49ers defence
The Packers will be back, and despite losing the same number of games already this season as they did the whole of the last regular season, they will definitely be in the mix come the playoffs. A rematch against Rodgers childhood team the 49ers is still very much on the cards for the NFC championship.
Monday, 10 September 2012
Akers Equals NFL Field Goal Record
by Dugald Skene
San Francisco 49ers kicker David Akers smashed his career best distance to equal the NFL record of 63 yards with a field goal that struck the crossbar as it went over. Great stuff
David Akers nails it from 63 yards
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