A tale of two kickers - The bedtime story that keeps me awake at night

Two Sundays ago (I'm very late on this blog!!) both Billy Cundiff and Lawrence Tynes woke up in hotel rooms in strange cities. They, unlike 99% of the population, would have been excited about working on a Sunday. Especially a Sunday this late into the winter. It's not hard to assume that both men would have had similar first thoughts when they rolled out of bed on Championship Sunday - Please God give me the opportunity to kick a field goal that catapults my team to a Superbowl. By days end, both men would reflect on their day's work with startlingly different views.

Bearing in on the end of the fourth quarter, in an enthralling AFC Championship game, Billy Cundiff was the first to have his prayers answered. His Balitmore Ravens side had managed to claw their way back into the game and to be within three points with 11seconds remaining on the clock. The ball stood on the 25 yard line and after three failed scoring attempts, Cundiff was called into action. A field goal ties things up and brings the game to overtime. A familiar scenario no doubt but with one peculiar twist - minutes earlier John Harbaugh had turned down giving Cundiff the shot at glory by not sending him to attempt a 50 yard field goal. While this distance is to the extremity of Cundiffs distance, it is by no stretch a long shot. Harbaughs' lack of confidence in Cundiff undoubtedly put extra pressure on his kicker. By the time Cundiff steps forward not only is he trying to fire his team into overtime but he's also trying to prove his coach wrong for not having faith in him.

Over in San Francisco, coaches and players underwear weren't much cleaner. Like their AFC counterparts, the NFC championship game was turning into a cracker and had in fact reached overtime. Lawrence Tynes had seen it all before. Back in early 2008 his Giants team had traveled to Lambeau Field to take on the heavily fancied Green Bay Packers in the Championship game. With the game in overtime and the ball on the 40 yard line Tynes stroked over a field goal to take the Giants to the Superbowl. History has a funny way of repeating itself and so it came to pass that Tynes had another chance to kick the Giants into the Superbowl. I wonder had word of Cundiff made way to the Giants sideline because back in New England the kicking fraternity was about to collectively put their head in their hands.

After you strike a field goal - much like a soccer penalty, or golf shot - you know without looking up whether it was successful. However when it is not, you generally won’t give up hope until that ball drops left, right or short. As much as Billy Cundiff willed that ball he knew he'd hooked the ball left. With 0.04 left on the clock Cundiff had seen fate present itself in front of him, only for an over extension of his right boot to snatch victory away. As the Patriots celebrated, Cundiff was swarped by the media. Credit to him that later in the day he fronted up to the media and took the blame (consquently letting Lee Evens off the hook for dropping the game winning catch minutes earlier).

For Tynes, there were no such worries. Field goal kicking is no different to other aspects in American Football, in that it’s a team effort to get the ball over the bar. There is a kicking team made up of snapper, holder and kicker. If any one of that clog breaks down, the ball doesn't end up going through the sticks although its generally the kicker who ends up with egg on his face. The holders' role is crucial as the snap is very often not straight to his hands. At the Spartans I'm blessed to have one of the best, Touchy, holding for me. We struck up an instant comradery and I know when I start my run up he'll have the ball on the spot. Having this amount of confidence in your holder is key. Tynes clearly has this confidence in Steve Weatherford, his holder. The snap to Weatherford was manky at best but he managed to control it and place it perfectly for Tynes to kick them to the Superbowl. Nobody gave Weatheford any credit for this but to a kickers eye, he made that play not Tynes.

Two weekends ago highlighted how pivitol a kicker can be and how slim his margins are between being praised and being picked on. While I'm playing with smaller stakes, my efficency is still going to be judged by 45 team mates and a coaching staff and front office team. Let's hope I'm more Tynes than Cundiff.

Post by Seamus McDaid
Post by @fbspecial 

Six Nations 2012 Preview

And so it is here it is, the lines have been drawn, the tickets have been sold, the teams have been announced and now, we wait, the quiet before the storm if you like. The Six Nations is upon us and this year’s renewal is being keenly anticipated throughout the contesting nations and the wider, global rugby audience. This tournament, certainly in rugby terms, has no equal. The southern hemisphere can bleat on about their Tri Nations (soon to be, god help us, the Rugby Championship when Argentina join this year) being a superior competition in playing terms, which it may well be, but for shear excitement, passion, history and atmosphere the Six Nations is like no other. The competition’s structure whereby teams play against the opposition at home on alternate years adds a unique dimension because if a defeat is dished out at home you must wait two years for a shot at redemption.

So how are the teams shaping up for this year’s competition?

Pretty well in fact, there seems to be no concensus amongst the mainstream media about who is actually the best team and which team is the most likely victor. Even the bookies can’t seem to decide, okay France are short odds at 5/4 but for me that doesn’t reflect the real situation, Wales are second favourites at 10/3 with Ireland and England at 4 and 5 to 1 respectively. For me, and yes I am biased, Ireland represent great value at that price. If Ireland put in a good performance and get a win this Sunday against the Welsh they will be well set up for a tilt at the title.

Wales and France will pose serious threats, the French in particular as they have the strength in depth to allow them to withstand all bar the most serious of injury crises. Any side which can start with a back three of Maxime Medard, Vincent Clerc and Julien Malzieu with Maxime Mermoz in reserve has to be taken seriously. This attacking threat is allied with a pack which, on it’s day, rivals the world best. Journalists have been raving about the Irish backrow but for me the French one is the best in the championship. The trio of Louis Picamoles, Julien Bonnaire and Thierry Dusautoir appears more balanced and sure if there’s a problem they only have Imanol Hari’flippin’nordoquy on the bench! Whatever way you look at it France will be in the shakeup come the business end of the championship.

The Welsh have the look of a side that is about to really gel, they had a relatively good World Cup where they played with a vigour and joie de vivre that the Wales sides of old would have been proud of. The influx of young players into the side has paid massive dividends. George North, Rhys Priestland, Toby Faletau, Dan Lydiate and Sam Warburton have grabbed their Test careers by the scruff of the neck and look set to be fixtures in the side for the next decade. In the recent past Welsh teams have arrived into the championship under clouds and then sprung into life after a good first result and have gone on to with Grand Slams, the expectation is completely different for this side. There is an expectancy now which this team won’t have had to deal with before and how they cope will decide if they can win the title or fall flat on their faces. If they win in Dublin this weekend then the rest of the team’s best be on their guard.

Ireland come into the championship in optimistic mood, even in the absence of the great one Mr. O’Driscoll. The provinces have been flying and confidence is high. However this is Ireland and this is Declan Kidney. Kidney has been living off the 2009 Grand Slam win, yes there were some good perfomances in the World Cup but last year’s six nations was a disaster. The win against the old enemy, England, at Lansdowne put a gloss on events which masks the true events. Make no mistake, if Ireland do not get at least four wins out of five then the knives will be out for the head coach. On a positive note, guys like Cian Healy, Paul O’Connell, Stephen Ferris and Andrew Trimble have been in great form and if the team get a good start against this weekend they can challenge for the title which really should be the very minimum this group of players deliver.

As for the other sides, England are going through a period of transition and much will depend on how well interim coach Stuart Lancaster can get his young and inexperienced players to adjust to the rigours of Test rugby. The tournament represents a real step up in class for a lot this England team, the Premiership lags behind the quality of the other club competitions in Europe, as evidenced by the poor showing of the main English clubs in the Heineken Cup, and it will be interesting to see if Lancaster can get these players to rise to the occasion of Test rugby. The Scots and Italians will spring a surprise or two and push the top teams all the way but in reality they will dog it out to see who gets the dreaded Wooden Spoon.

So all in all it promises to be a great few weeks of competition, sit tight!

Post by Ross McGuinness
Follow me on twitter @rossmcguinness