Disastrous start to the tipping for the new season – anyone who replicated this bloggers’ bets lost 2.5 points last weekend. Manchester United were the only positive result. All the other games ended in draws. To be honest this is the reason I dislike betting on football – it is a proper three horse race. Rugby on the other hand virtually removes the draw.
Alex Ferguson won the first battle in what will hopefully be a long war with Jose Mourinho’s protégé Andre Villa Boas. The premiership could do with a rivalry as intense as the Mourinho-Ferguson one.
Chelsea and United are in my opinion the only teams who will this year’s trophy – so effectively the Reds have a two point head start. This should not be underestimated: two points gained now is the same as two points won on the last day of the season, they are both added to a club’s final tally.
Before sitting down to write this edition of the blog, I watched the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup (Barca-Real). Unfortunately, I was at work so I could not give it my full attention, but it looked an exciting game. Barcelona lead 2-1 at half time, Real equalised, before Lionel Messi scored the winner, 2 minutes from time. Once again though ugly scenes marred the fixture – Marcelo received a red card for a horrible tackle on Cesc Fabregas, unfortunately for the Madrid man, the referee was not an Arsenal fan.
The game then experienced a nasty “brawl” with 22 on-field players, the management and substitutes getting involved just off the pitch. Soccer is perhaps the only sport, where brawl could be written in inverted comas, no one was hurt, not one punch was thrown, however there was some heated pushing and shoving, Mehmut Ozil got sent off for his part in the charade.
La Liga still has nothing to offer in comparison to the premiership: the big two are so far ahead of their rivals that the two “el clasico” games are the only ones worth watching. However both of these sides will play a big part in the Champions League, hence it is satisfying to see that Real look like a serious force this season and Barcelona are as good as ever.
Full steam ahead to RWC 2011
Ireland lost their second rugby international in a row, 19 – 12 against France in Bordeaux, last Saturday evening. This was the last game of the world cup build-up where performance outweighs the result. The reverse fixture against the French, this Saturday, is all about winning.
The team played well in the second half and could have easily taken a massive scalp – Ireland should overcome France at home and minus 3points at 10 to 11 is my pick of the week. Unlike last weekend the side picked, is close to a first-choice fifteen, there is still the Sexton – O’Gara debate, however rotation means that Sexton is in the hot-seat this weekend. Likewise O’Leary’s selection could be argued, but he is definitely the manager’s first choice.
Ireland won the second half, last Saturday, and should take that momentum into the home game. If Ireland win and then beat England seven days later, they will get on the plane with serious plans about topping their group and reaching the semi-finals.
Declan Kidney announces his world cup 30, on Monday. Peter Stringer has not made the squad for either the France game nor for the test against Connaught. His international career is probably over. This is absolutely absurd given that in my opinion, he should be a serious contender for the nine shirt against Australia. Stringer’s experience alone should have assured him of a place in the squad.
It is sad to see that young Conor Murray does not make the squad for the international and is instead the replacement nine for the game against Connacht. He played well for twenty minutes against France, but it looks like he is the fourth choice scrum half – only three will be selected in the touring party.
The first choice front row, for the world cup, will be Mike Ross, Best or Flannery and Cian Healy. Ross, Best, Healy have been chosen against France. The scrum is one of the few areas where Ireland believe they can trouble Australia. These three should spend every second prior to that game practicing their technique, to the point where they are uninvolved in other aspects of training.
England ripped the Wallabies apart, in this facet of the game, at the last world cup. If Ireland could win numerous penalties at the scrum, it would demoralise the opposition and turn this into an ugly, but winnable contest. Even when Australia trashed France 59-16, last November, they conceded a penalty try at the scrum.
There is no point running the Wallabies close in an open game, which happened in 2003.
That is all for this edition, kind of a two in one, remember tip of the week is Ireland minus 3 points to beat France (10 to 11). This tip is also being promoted because France have made 13 changes to the side that played Ireland last week. I think the bookies are focusing too much on the fact that Ireland have a dismal record against the French. The side put out by Kidney should be stronger than that of the French and Ireland need the win more.
M.C.
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