Scarlets 27-13 Blues. 20 Dec. 2008

The Blues selected a below full strength team to face the out of form Scarlets. The result was a poor game with nothing much to write about. In fact the best thing about the game was how well the home pitch held up in the rainy conditions. The pitch is a mix of grass and artificial fibre that provides a good playing surface in all conditions. I think it is the only rugby pitch of its type in the UK. In between admiring the pitch the Scarlets scored two tries and controlled the second half to record their first win at Parc y Scarlets.

My man of the match: Martin Roberts

Bath 24-20 Sale. 20 Dec. 2008

A chance to see how Dwayne Peel was settling in at Sale. He had a pretty good game and in typical Peel fashion took a quick tap penality to set-up the first Sale try. It was a fiesty game with Sale's Chabal and Bath's Justin Harrison stoking up both packs. Seabass was sin binned for foul play off the ball.
The home side are one of the form side's in the English Premiership at the moment but Sale more than matched them. It was also interesting to watch Bath's jumbo sized winger Matt Banahan. He's a converted forward and at about 6ft 7 ins and 17 stone he's one big lump in the Bath backline. Banahan played a crucial role in the outcome of the game. He was involved in both home tries. He lent his weight to a forward drive to the line and helped number 8 Browne score under the posts. Sale responded through Mark Cueto with two tries and it looked like they would run out deserved winners.
With very little time left Bath turned over ball in Sale's 22 and a neat kick-pass landed in Banahan's hands for a late winning try. If Banahan keeps on improving and gets a run in the England team he may even get selected for the Lions tour.

My man of the match: Matt Banahan

---

Matt Banahan for England ? - http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A45309297

Awards of the Year

Player of the Year - Shane Williams
Most improved player - Lee Byrne
Best game - Wales v Australia
Biggest disappointment - Not being at the Wales v Australia game
Worst moment of 2008 - Marc Stcherbina injury
Biggest hope for 2009 - Top players to hit peak form for Lions Tour
Six Nations champions in 2009 will be - Wales
Heineken Cup champions - Munster
Premiership champions - London Irish
Broadcasting highlight - Shane's tries in South Africa
Who should the 2009 Lions captain be - Ryan Jones
Your left-field Lions pick - Richard Hibbard
Who will win the Lions series - Lions

---
Originally posted at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/F12173056?thread=6178701&show=50

Dragons 30-24 Ospreys. 19 Dec. 2008

Welsh derby matches are usually scrappy games. The weather was poor with constant rain and a strong breeze. I wasn't expecting much of a spectacle but I was proved wrong. It was to be a night of surprises. The biggest of which was seeing Luke Charteris as Dragon's captain. Regular captain Willis was starting on the bench. I've never been a big fan of Charteris but obviously Paul Turner sees something in him. On the Ospreys side Henson and Mike Phillips were returning from injury.

The game saw six tries, Dragons got four for a bonus point. The Ospreys created a fine back line move with Bowe coming off his wing to create the extra man, then feeding to full back Henson to score a decent try. Gavin scored again in the second half after a powerful run from Sonny Parker. At that stage I thought the Ospreys would run out victors. The real story of the match was the Dragons defence and dominant pack performance. Captain Luke was excellent in the line-out and managed to nick a few Ospreys' throws. The crucial try came from a Colin Charvis cross kick that fullback Tovey caught. It was a smart bit of skill and rounded off a fine display by the home side.

In horrible conditions both sides played some excellent open rugby. One of the best Magners League games of the season so far.
My man of the match: Luke Charteris. Who would have thought it?

Scarlets 16-16 Ulster. 12 Dec. 2008

This Heineken Cup group match was effectively a dead rubber with both teams having very little chance of progressing beyond the group. The weather was filthy, heavy rain and swirly wind. It made for a forgettable match. There was alot of aerial ping pong with neither side able to exert any dominance. Ian Humphries for Ulster scored a good solo try. The Scarlets had enough possession but their attack lacked a cutting edge. Even the people that went to watch the game live won't have much more to say.
My man of the match: Ian Humphries.

Perpignan 26-20 Leicester. 14 Dec. 2008

All eyes were focused on Dan Carter as he made his debut for Perpignan. The home side were very good in the first twenty minutes. Backs and forwards combined beautifully for a superb team try as blind-side Britz scored the opening try. The boot of Carter helped Perpignan to a 16-3 lead and Leicester needed to respond to stay in the game. Just before half time the Tigers scored a try to narrow the gap.
The second half saw less free flowing rugby. Britz scored his second try and Leicester were again chasing the game. Carter seemed to have settled easily at his new club. Enter Harry Ellis from the bench. Leicester were attacking and Carter tackled and held up the player in a grapple. Ellis comes crashing in to clear out Carter and picks up both of his legs and drops him. It was an awful bit of play by Ellis. Wholly intentional and extremely dangerous. Thankfully Carter landed safely. Alan Lewis the referee stopped the game. It was a yellow card offence at least, and could easily have been a red card. But no, Mr Lewis didn't show any card, he just give his pathetic "Be very careful" speech. I've always considered Alan Lewis to be a good referee but this fiasco has tarnished his reputation. Also what were the assistant referees doing? If there's any justice Ellis will be cited by a disciplinary commission.
The home side held on to win a tight game.

My man of the match: Nathan Hines. Strong in the set pieces and showed up well in open play.

Blues 21-17 Biarritz. 5th Dec. 2008

It's not often a team concedes 2 tries, scores none and ends up winning but that's what happened to Cardiff in this game. It was a strange game. The Blues seemed to have alot of possession though they couldn't quite break the excellent Biarritz defence. The French team are currently struggling in their domestic competition but they showed admirable resistance on a cold night at the Arms Park. The first try came from turnover ball and the French backs finished off a neat move down the wing. In the second half Biarritz once again breached the home defence with a slightly soft try. The Biarritz outside half ran through some weak midfield defence to score under the posts. The Blues were definitely missing the injured centre Jamie Roberts.
Cardiff despite not scoring a try were never out of the game and picked up penalties and Nicky Robinson slotted two drop kicks. The French will probably wonder how they lost. The Blues were just pleased to scrape a win.

My man of the match: Ben Blair.

Barbarians 11-18 Australia. 3 Dec. 2008

Played at Wembley the Barbarians fielded a very strong team inlcuding players such as McCaw, Smit, Burger, Habana and Jerry Collins. As is the way in the professional era and at this time of the season the BaBas were entirely made up of Southern hemisphere players. Although Mark Regan and Ollie Smith were on the bench. These two players always get selected for some reason.
In the first half the BaBas threw everything at Australia. Burger and Collins were rampaging in attack though Australia was equal to the test. In fact the Oz defence was awesome. Captain George Smith was leading from the front and everyone was having a big game in defence. Gold two stood out with some mighty hits and one superb behind the back pass. Australia scored a fine break away try after turn over ball and the Babas were left wondering how they were going to score a try themselves.
The second half heralded the arrrival of newly crowned IRB World Player of the Year Shane Williams. Go Shane! He didn't manage to change the result of the game but he did contribute to a fine try for Jerry Collins. Come final whistle Australia emerged as more than worthy winners. Not quite the game most people were expecting though still enjoyable to watch.

My man of the match: George Smith

Wales 21-18 Australia. 29 Nov. 2008

Wales record a thrilling win in a great test match. The best game I've seen all season. Wales were on fire in the first ten minutes playing a high tempo off loading game to dramatic effect. Shane Williams crossed in the corner on five minutes after an excellent team try and some fine build up through the backs and forwards.

The game took an unexpected turn when Wales lost an attacking line out and Chisholm the Australian lock sprinted half the length of the field for a try. Totally against the run of play. Australia then had a decent fifteen minutes and Gitteau added a drop kick. Wales bounced back though and showed some classy play. Shane Williams was at the heart of the second try and found Lee Byrne on a superb angle for him to run in and score.

The first half was entertainment of the highest order and predictably the second was a more edgy affair. Stephen Jones missed two kickable penalties and we all began to wonder if things were going south again. Andy Powell was having another excellent game. He really has added some go forward to the Wales team. Gatland made a big call on 60 minutes to take Powell off. He had just given away a couple of soft penalties and in hindsight it was a good call by the coach to bring Daffyd Jones on. Wales showed real grit in the second half and Stephen Jones landed a difficult drop kick to push Wales into a five point lead. Australia fought back hard and looked to be on the brink of scoring five metres out from the Welsh line but they gave away a penalty. This spurred the home team on and shortly afterwards great chasing from Shanks and Mark Jones forced a penalty from Australia. With only three minutes to go Stephen Jones slotted the penalty and Wales had the game in the bag. Australia scored a late try but Wales ran out deserved winners.

My man of the match: Lee Byrne. Outstanding performance. A rock in defence. One of his clearance kicks from his own 22 was a highlight of the game. Superb in attack. Very pleasing to see him score a try.

Wales 9-29 New Zealand. 22 Nov. 2008

I went down to watch the game. Cardiff was buzzing with excitment and we went round the usual drinking spots. Made a first visit to the Nos Da pub opposite the Stadium across the river. A tidy pub. Saw Xavier Rush at Cardiff Rugby club.

Just before kick-off the All Blacks did their famous Haka. The Welsh team lined up to face them but when the Haka finished Wales did not get ready for the kick off. They remained in line and a dramatic stand-out ensued. The crowd went wild. I was cheering like mad "Wales!, Wales!". Nobody expected this, least of all New Zealand. They didn't know what to do. The referee tried to get the teams to start the game. Eventually after a very long minute or two, the All Blacks walked away. A moral victory for Wales and a classic moment in Welsh rugby. Truly special.

Wales played very well in the first half and forced a number of penalties. Stephen Jones kicked three to give Wales a 9 - 6 lead at half time. The second half was all New Zealand though. They played error free rugby and controlled the game. The crucial first try saw them take the lead. Wales had a man down injured and the crowd were willing the referee to stop the game. The All Blacks move actually went dangerously close to the injured player and from then they went through the phases to create the overlap for the try. Wales fought hard throughout the game but couldn't create enough to trouble the New Zealand try line. I can't really remember Wales spending much time in the All Blacks 22. As for exciting, breaking away moments from Wales, these were few and far between.

Overall, Wales put in a great effort in the first half, but were totally outclassed in the second. The scary thing was that New Zealand didn't really get into top gear.
My man of the match: Dan Carter. Mr reliable.

Ireland 3-22 New Zealand. 15 Nov, 2008

The first half was surprisingly full of errors by both teams. Carter missed some regulation penalties at goal, O'Gara was wayward kicking out of hand and the Irish line-out was poor. Worryingly for next week against Wales, the All Blacks set piece was strong. Ali Williams was bossing the game at line-out. Ireland were still very much in the game come the stroke of half time. New Zealand went through a few phases and found themselves in Ireland's 22. They had stretched the Irish defence and Nonu chipped to the corner for McCaw to score a try. Tommy Bowe raced across and stuck out a hand to knock the ball in touch. After a TMO decision the referee awarded a penalty try for deliberately knocking the ball out and handed Bowe a yellow card. Very disappointing, I was looking forward to see Bowe in attack. I guess he's not quite the complete player yet.
Tony Woodcock picked up a yellow card in the first two minutes of the second half and this seemed to spur New Zealand on. They scored two tries with 14 men in the next ten minutes. The game was more or less over and Ireland were playing for pride. The men in green never really got going and when talismanic forward O'Connell left the field there was no way back.
My man of the match: Ali Williams

Wales 34-13 Canada. 14 Nov. 2008.

A second string Wales took to the field in a bright yellow strip. Sadly this was about the only bright thing they did during the match. Wales were abysmal in the first half. Hook got injured early and Dan Biggar came on for his first cap. A good crowd of 59,000 were expecting some open free flowing rugby. Instead they got a turgid, stuttering display. Canada defended well and it took Wales 30 minutes to score the opening try through Stoddart. On the stroke of half time the ball found it's way to Halfpenny and he dazzled and danced to beat his opposite number and score his first international try.
The second half saw a slight improvement as the forwards finally upped their game. Andy Powell came on to replace Ryan Jones. The Wales captain has been in poor form this season. It looks like Powell could be playing no.8 for Wales for the 6 Nations. If Jones' form carries on he'll struggle to get selected for the Lions tour.
The pack earned two penalty tries from 5 metre scrums but still the back line was not firing. It took till the last move of the game to see some decent Welsh play. Jamie Roberts made a telling break, passed to Peel who flicked onto Halfpenny for an excellent team try. Why couldn't Wales play like that much earlier? Some credit must be paid to Canada. Thier no.7 Kleeburger was impressive throughout.

There was a good banner held up by some fans in the crowd: "Even in a credit crunch Halfpenny goes a long way"
Man of the match: Dafydd Jones.

Wales 15-20 South Africa. 8th Nov. 2008

I went down with my Dad to Cardiff to watch the game. It is customary for a home International to begin our day with a breakfast in Servini's cafe. The build up to the kick-off is spent drinking our way round Cardiff. This always includes a a few drinks at Cardiff Rugby Club. At 2pm we headed to the stadium. I was pleased to see a full capacity crowd. Last year's same fixture was well done on crowd numbers.

South Africa started the game much better than Wales and scored an early try. The opening signs did not look good when the Boks went 10 nil up within ten minutes. Andy Powell, on debut had a fine break in the first half. I was pleased with the set piece in the first half. By half time it was 3-13. With 30 minutes to go Gatland brought on Peel and Hook. The key moment of the game occured soon after. Hook's first pass was intercepted by De Villiers who sprinted in for a try. It was a crushing moment and I shouted in despair. I knew the game was all over then. Suprisingly Wales upped their tempo from that moment on and proceeded to dominate the possession for the rest of the game. The Boks almost went to sleep in attack though they did maintain a solid defence. Hook chipped away with some penalities and Wales, through Powell and Bryne had some good breaks. On another day, against lesser opposition Wales would have scored some tries but it just wasn't happening for them that day.

When the final whistle went it was quite disapointing. Wales were on the verge of beating South Africa. They were certainly the better team in the second half. Andy Powell was awarded the official man of the match.

My man of the match: Lee Byrne. From my position up high in the stands it gave a good view of the ground the full back was covering. Lee had a mixed day in attack, some fine runs, but it was his defense that impressed me most. He was a rock under the high ball and his game awareness was excellent.

London Irish 23-19 Ospreys. 2 Nov. 2008

The Ospreys managed to get a losing bonus point which was enough to qualify from their EDF group as winners. Nikki Walker played a big part in both halves. He managed to cause a mix-up in a backs move off a line-out that caused a turnover. He then failed to tackle the winger who proceeded to score a runaway try. Nikki went some way to redeeming himself by scoring a try in the second half. A big plus was the goal kicking of James Hook. He certainly had the right boots on in that game. He landed a huge kick inside his own half. The longest Hook kick I've ever seen.
My man of the match: Tommy Bowe.

Northampton Saints 33-20 Scarlets. 1 Nov. 2008

The Scarlets scored two tries in the first ten minutes through King and Stoddart. It wasn't particularly great just that Saints were still in the changing rooms, mentally at least. They soon recovered though and by half time the score was 13-13. This was a fairly typical Scarlets away performance for this season. Good in the first half. Awful in the second half. The Saints totally controlled the second half and outside half Stephen Mylor dominated the game. It was a bad day at the office for the Welsh team.
My man of the match: Stephen Mylor.

Blues 24-18 Bath. 31 Oct. 2008

An open and incident packed game. Molitika scored the first try after some nice interplay between the Robinson brothers. This was Tom James' first game back after a few months out with injury. He showed up well and looked hungry for action throughout the game. Bath were dangerous in attack during the whole game and it was only the Blues solid defence that kept them at bay. The turning point of the game came when the Blues already down to 14 men thanks to Shanklin being sin binned gave away a penalty try. The Bath wing was running in for a try and stepped inside the covering defender, Jason Spice, who flung out an arm and caught him high. It should have been a yellow card but the referee thought it was accidental. Spice survived and then even more dramatically Richard Mustoe charged down the conversion in front of the posts. I can't recall the last time I saw a charged down coversion. A real rarity.
In the last ten the homeside showed good compsure to close out the win. In their EDF group they beat Sale, Leicester and Bath. Not bad going.
My man of the match: Molitika

Autumn Internationals

On the eve of the first game there is great excitment and hope. Nobody knows what will happen. Wales have a daunting schedule. First up they play current World Champions South Africa, then it's Canada, followed by New Zealand and Australia. There was disappointing news today as Henson withdrew from the game tommorrow. He's not fully fit and Jamie Roberts will play at 12 with Shanklin coming into 13. I'm looking forward to the game tommorrow. I'm not too sure about playing Halfpenny and Shane Williams in the same team though. Having two small wings against South Africa could spell trouble. I suppose Mark Jones would have played if fit as he was in good form for the Scarlets. Elsewhere Andy Powell gets a deserved start at no.8. Hopefully he can provide parity with the strong back row of the Boks. He's been great this season and should certainly have a few good moments in the game. I predict a South Africa win but hopefully Wales can find some cohesion for the tougher test of the All Blacks in two weeks time.

The Canada game should be a comfortable win. The last twenty should see Wales put them to bed and score tries for fun. Though you never know.
England look to rebuild with Care and Cipriani showing the way. Ironic to see England with a pair of dynamic and skillful half backs.
I'm also interested to see how many current favourite player Tommy Bowe fares on the wing for Ireland. He's playing well for the Ospreys and needs to shine for Ireland to put his hand up for Lions selection.
At the end of New Zealand's Autmun tour of Europe they play Munster. This looks a very tasty clash. I've got a sneaky feeling that the Men of Munster can beat the All Blacks. I'm really looking forward to that game.

Ospreys 37-22 Worcester. 26 Oct. 2008

The Ospreys dominated the game and had alot of control. Jamie Nutbrown was back from injury to provide more experience at scrum half. Despite the majority of possession the Ospreys still look sluggish with the ball in hand. Shane Williams treated us to one truly fizzing run that nearly led to a try. Gavin Henson had a good game and showed his true class with a wonderful sidestep that left the full back Chris Latham on his arse and proceeded to dash over the line for a great individual try. Worcester hung on and contributed to the scoring and never looked like winning. It was all about getting four tries and the bonus point. The Ospreys left it to the last play of the game and Ulster legend Tommy Bowe finished off well after some constant pressure. What a signing Bowe is turning out to be.
My man of the match: Bowe.

Scarlets 27-10 Bristol. 24 Oct. 2008

The last ever game at Stradey Park was an EDF group match. The Scarlets enjoyed a comfortable victory on an emotional evening. Regan King created the first try for Morgan Stoddart. The Scarlets full back was looking sharp. He should have scored another try but started celebrating too early on a run in and the cover tackler got to him.
The last ever try at Stradey was ironically scored by Scarlets' wing Rob Higgit, an ex-Bristol player. A sad night for Welsh rugby. And to think I've never been to Stradey Park. I must go to the new stadium some time.
My man of the match: Mark Jones. A busy performance and some fine runs.

Tommy Bowe to the rescue ...

What would have the Ospreys done without Bowe this season? Initially bought from Ulster to strengthen the wing department he's had to provide cover and play at 13 for most of the season. In today's game at London Irish he played the second half at full back when Vaughton went off. He slotted easily into the position and his defensive work helped the Ospreys through. Bowe is fast becoming an essential player to the Osprey's squad. His place in the Ireland team on the wing looks pretty safe, and with a tidy 6 Nations he should secure a place in the initial Lions draft of 50 - 60 players. His play so far this season for the Osprey's has shown his versatility and superb skill set. This for me gives him the clear edge over other players such as Sean Lamont.

One man does not make a team but if the Osprey's lost Bowe their back line would be a poorer unit. I'm already predicting that he will walk off with the Osprey's Fans' player of the season award.

---

Originally posted at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A43051015

Blues 37-24 Gloucester. 19 Oct. 2008

27,000 people turned up at the Millenium Stadium and were treated to an entertaining game. The first half saw 5 tries. The Blues were in impressive attacking form. Andy Powell was in fine form and doing everything a coach could ask of a no.8. He was winning ball at the line-up, getting go forward off the base of the scrum, running supporting lines and putting in hard tackles. At half time Jerry Guscott singled him out for praise. The try of the game started from a high kick from Gloucster. This was snapped up by Ben Blair and he executed a trade mark side step and went on a searing run through the centre of the field. He linked up well with Jamie Robinson who fed Alfie for an excellent try under the posts. One of the best Blues tries of the year. Half time 27-17.
Gloucester tried hard in the second half and the result was in doubt for quite a while but the Blues ran out deserved winners. A fine game of rugby.
My man of the match. Andy Powell. His first half performance was immense.

Ospreys 15-9 Perpignan. 18 Oct. 2008

The Ospreys were involved in other tryless match, this time scrapping a win. James Hook was injured and Dan Biggar played. Biggar was quite impressive at 10 and controlled the game well for a young man. I acutally prefer him at 10 at the moment. James is having mixed season so far especially with his goal kicking. Lee Byrne and Tiatia played well. The Ospreys managed to control the game throughout but failed to score a try. The French time never really troubled the excellent homeside defence.
My man of the match: Byrne

Glasgow 16-22 Toulouse. 17 Oct. 2008

The homeside put in a sterling effort in the first half and had a lot of possession. The Glasgow winger Tom Evans caught the eye. He was sharp and looks one to keep an eye on for the future. It was only after the break that the French side starting playing. Kelleher scored a good try and then super centre Jauzion went over after a neat kick through from the full back. Toulouse are always exciting to watch. They can run riot at any moment and score some magical team and indiviual tries. Glasgow can be pleased with a losing bonus point.
My man of the match: Jauzion.

Yet another Lions XV

Now that the Gats and Stan have been confirmed on the Lions' coaching team it got me thinking about my starting XV for the first test. (again)

1. Gethin Jenkins
2. Jerry Flannery
3. Andrew Sheridan
4. Paul O'Connell
5. Alun Wyn-Jones
6. Ryan Jones
7. Martyn Williams
8. Denis Leamy
9. Mike Blair
10. Ronan O'Gara
11. Shane Williams
12. Gavin Henson
13. Brian O'Driscoll
14. Tommy Bowe
15. Lee Byrne

subs: Matt Stevens, Richard Hibbard, Donncha O'Callaghan , James Haskell, Mike Phillips, Danny Cipriani, Shane Horgan

I've gone for a quite a mobile pack. Most of the games will be played on dry fast pitches. Blair and O'Gara offer the best control at nine and ten. We await Phillips' return from injury but hopefully he can find a way into the starting 22. Henson is always a concern but if his form fades during the game BOD could move in to 12 with Bowe coming into 13, or Cipriani could come on with Ronan moving to 12.

I'm really undecided about captian. Can't split O'Connell and Ryan Jones at the moment.

---
Originally posted at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A42646485

Leicester 12-6 Ospreys. 12 Oct. 2008

A rare game without a try. Wellford Road has always been a tough place to get a result and in hindsight a bonus point for the Ospreys was very lucky indeed. Leicester were by far the better team and in the first half they created enough chances to score half a dozen tries. The final pass seemed to let the Tigers down. It was relentless one traffic in the first half and although no tries were scored Toby Flood managed to land four excellent penalities. Shane Williams responded with a cheeky drop kick on half time and the teams went in 12 - 3. The Ospreys improved in the second half but Hook was having an off day with his place kicking. Leicester were still held at bay by a determined Ospreys defence and they didn't score a point in the second half.
The moment of the match was when Tommy Bowe chipped over the advancing defensive line and hacked on towards the posts. It was a mad dash to ground the ball and would have been a rousing finish to the game but Geordan Murphy managed to scramble back to put pressure on Bowe, and he knocked on. At the final whistle Leicester seemed very pleased to have won. In reality they should have been 20 points clear.

My man of the match: Toby Flood. Solid first half performance.

Scarlets 22-29 Harlequins. 11 Oct. 2008

The Scarlets opened the game with some free flowing rugby and scored two early tries. Morgan Stoddart was in very good attacking form. The home side played a fast game and created alot of opportunities and it was only Quins' last ditch defence that prevented more tries. The turning point of the game came late in the first half. Darren Daniel was speeding away on the wing and look set to score a good try but Mike Brown the Quins fullback produced an excellent cover tackle. This was just before half time and going in to the break the score was 19 - 3.
The second half saw a remarkable improvement from the visiting team. Led by the pack and the always busy scrum half Danny Care, Quins bounced back to score tries and take the lead. As the game wore on they never looked like losing. It was a great Quins' comeback but a worrying drop off in form for the Scarlets.

My man of the match: Danny Care.

Calvisano 20-56 Cardiff Blues. 11 Oct. 2008

The Italians can be quite tricky teams to play. Especially the club sides as they wear rugby kits crammed with sponsors logo. It's quite ridiculous the number of logos on the kit. Even the shorts aren't spared. Calvisano's kit certainly played havoc with the Blues in the first half. They recieved to yellow cards. Come the second half the Blues had settled and they were scoring much too easily. It was always going to be a win for Cardiff and the game was quite boring to watch.

My man of the match: Andy Powell. His performances so far this season should see him into Wales' Autumn tests' squad.

Munster 19-17 Montauban. 10 Oct. 2008

Defending champions played host to a French side making their first appearance in the Heineken Cup. On paper it looked like an easy win for the Irish team. The reality was a whole lot different. Munster tried to play a fast off-loading game but their execution was lacking. They missed a few opportunites for tries in the first half. The French team's dogged defence was admirable and they hung on till the last part of the first half when Munster eventually scored a try.
After the half time break things got better for Montauban when they crossed the white wash. Strong defence from the French saw the ball come off a defending player's head and the winger chased on to put the visitors ahead. The game looked to be going Montauban's way when they were awarded a penality with five minutes to go. The kicked was slotted and they led 16 - 17. This was short lived as after the kick off Munster forced a penalty and O'Gara kicked the winning points. A bit hard on Montauban. It would have been a great victory for the underdog.

My man of the match: Scrum half Mitu. Ran the show for Montauban in the second half.

Ospreys 24-23 Harlequins. 5 Oct. 2008

A second string Quins team turned up to face a strong Ospreys team. It was another classic game of two halves. In the first half the home side were totally dominant although they failed to capitalise on their possession. They managed to score an exellent try after Alun Wyn-Jones hit a brilliant angle for a run. He passed on to Henson who fed Shane Williams to dot the try down.
The game was set-up for the Ospreys to run away with it in the second half but Quins scrum half Gomarsall had other ideas. He played a stormer in the second half urging his forwards on and gaining terrority with some probing kicks. Quins pulled back two tries from De Wet Barry and Fuga and made the Ospreys look a shadow of the team from the first half.
The game looked over but the last play of the game saw Bowe score a try in the corner and Hook kicked a difficult conversion. A real escape for the Welsh side.

My man of the match: Gomarsall.

Dragons 25-14 Newcastle. 3 Oct 2008

First round EDF Cup group game. Both teams put up weakened sides. They were essentially b sides. The Dragons opened the scoring from a Marc Stcherbina try after a chase from a kick up field. Newcastle came back into the game and Ringer recieved a yellow card for aggressive rucking. Jamie Ringer does tend to play right on the edge and he's usually a good bet to get a yellow card. The Falcons managed to get a penalty try for a collapsed scrum from the Dragons.
In the second half player coach Colin Charvis came on to provide fresh legs. He was dynamic in the loose and created the turning point of the match. Going into a ruck he secured turnover ball and proceeded to dash out and flick on a pass to the the supporting winger Tom Isaacs. He showed a quick turn of acceleration and darted over the line.
The Dragons added one more try through Tovey and the win was settled.

My man of the match: Colin Charvis. Great flanker play.

Worcester 23-30 Harlequins. 2 Oct 2008

A Thursday night Guinness Premiership game at Sixways. The commentators informed us that the new £8 million pound stand was being used for the first time this season. That's a lot of money for one side of a stadium. Worcester must have some big investors. The game started at a frenetic pace and Worcester opened the scoring with a neat drop kick from Matthew Jones after some exciting counter attacking. This seemed to spark Harlequins into life and in a breathless five minutes they scored 3 tries. Worcester couldn't cope with the quick ruck ball Quins were generating. The visitors ran amok with Danny Care feeding the sharp back line and strong support on hand to finish off the moves. The game was only 12 minutes gone and Quins were up 17 - 3. The homeside eventually managed to steady the ship and scored a well worked try from the base of the scrum. Quins then hit back with a classic turnover try from their own half. The ball was passed out to the centre and a long kick was put in for the winger Monye to chase. Latham made a valiant effort to cut the try off but Monye had too much pace and control and managed to touch down for an excellent try. Half time score 13 - 27.

The homeside made a good effort to come back into the game the second half with an early try. There was plenty of endeavour from both sides but no more tries were scored. Chris Malone missed a few kicks and in the last ten minutes Worcester earned a penalty that secured a losing bonus point. This was nothing more than the home side deserved. An enjoyable game throughout.

My man of the match: Ugo Monye

Ospreys 43-0 Ulster. 27 Sept 2008

The Ospreys shuffled their backline for this home tie against the league's bottom team. Dan Biggar came into the ten shirt and Hook and Tommy Bowe played in the centre. An interesting move. Personally I would always play Bowe on the wing. He's an out-and-out winger and has an excellent skill set. Shane Williams played and Marty Hollah started for the first time this season. The home side were competent and wore down the girtty Ulster defenece. Lee Byrne was solid as usual at fullback and if he has a good 6 Nations tournament must surely be worthy of place in the Lions squad. In the second half the game went off the boil a bit. Gavin Henson returned from a few months out with injury though the ball never seem to find him and it was difficult to assess his form. A comfortable win for the Ospreys.

My man of the match: Lee Byrne

Blues 58-0 Connacht. 26 Sept 2008

The Blues went into this game on the back of an excellent away performance at Munster. I expected the home side to win, it was just a question of whether they could score four tries to get the bonus point. The first half turned out to be one of the most one-sided games I've seen for a long time. From the moment Jamie Roberts crossed for the first try the Blues never looked like losing. Connacht were awful and the homeside played well to create a number of good tries through the backs and forwards. It got even worse for Connacht with ten minutes to go before half time when they were reduced to 14 men thanks to a sin-binning. The Blues ran roit before half time and managed to score seven tries in total in the the first half. It was actually a bit boring when the Blues ran in their seventh try.
In the second half things changed abit. The domination of possession was still with the home side but they only managed to score two tries. Connacht found the resolve to defend though failed to score themselves. A comprehensive victory. Enjoyable in parts but too one-sided for me.

My man of the match: Jamie Roberts.

Help for Heroes 29-10 International Select XV. 20 Sept 2008

Twickenham played host to the Help for Heroes charity rugby match hoping to raise £1 million for our injured Forces servicemen and women. The teams were a mixture of past legends, rising stars and current forces players. The game was quite enjoyable to watch though the second half was spoilt a bit by the constant changes of the players from the bench. Will Greenwood had a good game and was the stand-out player scoring a try and marshalling the Help for Heroes backline.
My man of the match: All the players.

Leinster 19-13 Ospreys. 19 Sept. 2008

At contest between the current Magners League champions and the Anglo-Welsh Cup champions. Two very good team line-ups and good playing conditions. The Leinster blackline looked very impressive on paper but sadly the Ospreys were missing Phillips, Henson and Shane (rested). I was expecting Leinster to win. The Ospreys were dominant in the first half and their scrum went really well. Sadly they were lacking the finishing power and failed to score a try. It was the home side that showed the way with brilliant interplay between Contepomi and Fitzgerald that enabled the winger to score the first try of the game.
The second half saw Leinster up their game and produce some well executed moves. They cashed in on some penalities and two drop kicks. The Ospreys huffed and puffed but their play lacked the precision of Leinster's and deep in injury time it looked like they were going home empty handed. All was not lost though and Nikki Walker set off on a run from his own half and proceeded to out sprint the defence. It was a quality peice of wing play and an excellent try. James Hook converted the difficult conversion and the Welsh side had a bonus point to show for their sprited peformance.
My man of the match: Contepomi. Doc Con as I like to call him.

Australia 24-28 New Zealand. 13 Sept 2008.

The Tri-Nations this year came down to a winner takes all game. Technically New Zealand could draw the game and still will the Tri-Nations though I doubt they thought much about that. Australia's last game was a massive defeat to South Africa away from home. I was not expecting a close game. I was glad to be proved wrong. It was an excellent game that first saw New Zealand take the lead. The game was really open despite the high stakes involved. The All Blacks were dominant in the first thirty with their defence proving especially strong. Australia picked it up at the end of the first half and managed to score a try to lead at half time. In the second half the home team scored early to take a surprise 17 -7 lead with the last quarter of the game to go. The key score looked like it might be the next one. Within ten minutes New Zealand scored a break away try from the half way line. Conrad Smith lost his man and passed out to Tony Woodcock (the prop) on the wing. He show a fine turn of pace to beat the covering defenders. This was a crucial score and Carter made light work of a difficult conversion. A contrast to the All Blacks ten, Gitteau missed a few kicks at goal. This would prove to be the difference between the two teams at the end.
Dan Carter put the icing on a great personal display when he score a try himself after good pressure from New Zealand. A late comeback from Australia proved to be in vain and New Zealand deserved their win and triumph in claiming the Tri-Nations again. It was an excellent match. A great advert for rugby union as they say.

Man of the match: Dan Carter. Well taken try. Exceptional place kicking.

Blues 16-15 Ulster. 12 Sept 2008

The Blues were made to work hard for their first victory of the season. Ulster put up a dogged fight, lacking in creativity but full of pride. There was a worrying moment when Martyn Williams went off with an injury. Wales cannot afford to lose him yet, there doesn't seem to be an obvious replacement for him at open-side.
Blues wing Halfpenny finished off a neat move in the Ulster 22 and the game looked to be heading Cardiff's way. Ulster then fought back through a Boss try. The Blues had to settle for a one point victory through a late Blair penalty. On this form the Blues won't make any dent in the Magners League this year.
My man of the match: Maama Molitiki

Dragons 25-27 Scarlets. 10 Sept 2008

This was your classic game of two halves. The home side were totally dominant in the first half scoring three tries. The Dragons were impressive in defense and created alot of pressure when the Scarlets had the ball. By half time it was 25-6 and I thought the game was pretty much over. How wrong I was. If any team can lose a good lead it's the Dragons and in the second half they went totally to sleep. All of the dynamism of the first half performance disappeared and the Scarlets were the team with all the possession.
The moment of the match came from Scarlets right wing Darren Daniel. He received the ball out wide and skinned his opposite number and proceeded to turn inside the covering fullback. This was all done with a tidy turn of pace and he looked to be in for a great try under the posts when Marc Strchbina brilliantly tap tackled him to end the run.
In the post-match interview Dragons coach Paul Turner summed it up very well - "It's difficult to do this interview. I'm quite numb at the moment". With that he walked off to ponder how his team had thrown the game away.

Man of the match: Marc Strchbina

Ospreys 32-10 Blues. 9 Sept 2008

The Ospreys lost Justin Marshall and their coach Lyn Jones during the off-season. New arrival Tommy Bowe from Ulster looks to be a shrewd signing giving the stellar back-line even more strength in depth. It didn't take long for the home side to find their form. After three minutes the ball found its way to Lee Byrne on the right wing inside the Blues' 22. Byrne deftly handed off to Shane Williams who coasted in for a simple run-in by his standards. Who else could score the first home try of the season. Shane has had an incredible year and I never tire of watching the mercurial little winger. Though after his try he had a quiet game even managed a few dropped catches under the high ball. Despite the Ospreys dominance in the first half it was only 5 - 3 at half time. The real fireworks did eventually come in the second half. Lee Byrne had a good run from inside his own half to set-up James Hook on a sublime support line to score under the post. Tommy Bowe opened his Ospreys try account with a clever bit of wing play, running onto a kick from Hook he deftly kick ahead himself and got a kind bounce for an easy run in. Nikki Walker came on in the second half for Andrew Bishop. This meant the Ospreys were playing with three international wingers from three different countries. Not bad. The home side were not even at full strength, players such as Henson, Phillips and Jonathan Thomas were absent, but still they made the Blues look very ordinary. A quality second half performace from the Ospreys and a good game to boot.

My man of the match: Lee Byrne

Northampton 21-13 Worcester. 7 Sept 2008

Northampton Saints returned to the Premiership after a season in Division One. They have made a number of good forward signings, lock Fernando Lobbe and three Ulster men, Paul Shields, Neil Best and Roger Wilson. Neil Best is a great signing for me. He's a real dog of a blindside. A hard working, no nonsense player. Destructive going forward and a beast in defense. On top form Best is a real animal, someone who you'd rather play with than against.

The first half was fairly scrappy though Carlos Spencer did his best to liven up the game with some crafty play. In the second half Northampton found more control and put together some good passages of play. The move of the game came from a clean line-out take from Best on the half way line. The ball was driven up the the backs and forwards for half a dozen phases to finally create an overlap for the centre Clarke to score on the right. An excellent team try. Worcester scored a consolation try late on to round off a fairly entertaining game.
My man of the match: Neil Best.

Blues 16-16 Leinster. 6 Sept 2008

The first thing noticeable about the Blues is the lack of new players. They’ve signed Ceri Sweeney from the Dragons and that's it. Hardly the most exciting player to bring in, though it does at least offer cover in the no.10 shirt for which they were lacking last season.
The Blues will look back on this game as one they should have won. They controlled most of the game and managed to play more free flowing rugby than Leinster. Jamie Roberts played at 12 for the Blues and he was effective on the crash ball. The experiment of playing him at inside centre should run for a few months at least.
Leinster never really looked like creating a try. They scored a lucky try in the second half when a high kick rebounded off a Blues wing to enable Leinster's full back an easy run in.

My man of the match: Andy Powell. Had an excellent game for the Blues at number 8. Covering for the injured Rush, he was energetic and helped the Blues establish a forward dominance.

Dragons 6-12 Glasgow. 5 Sept. 2008

The first televised game of the Magners league season is played in monsoon conditions. The rain did not relent. Most unseasonal for early September. The Dragons were led by their new captain Tom Willis, a hooker from New Zealand. Their other main new signing was no.10 James Arlidge, another New Zealand player from the Japan leagues.
It was a very forgettable game. No tries were scored and it turned into a battle for territory through the fly-halves. The Glasgow ten Dan Parks began to dominate the tactical kicking in the second half. The game was effectively over when the Dragons full back Shaun Connor was sin-binned for a professional foul with twenty minutes to go. Fussell and Bearman had solid games for the home side.
My man of the match: Dan Parks

Domestic rugby ahoy!

The domestic rugby season starts this weekend. Hasn't the summer gone quickly? When I say summer, in Britain it was just a few weeks in May. The kids had a very poor summer for their school holidays.

It's a Lions season this year and players will be busting a gut to try and get noticed for the squad selection. I expect to a see a great season of domestic rugby. It will be an interesting season for Wales' two big exports to the Guinness Premiership, Dwayne Peel and Michael Owen. Sale have snapped up the services of Dwayne and his increased exposure to an English audience will enhance his claims for Lions selection. If he has a good season I think he will be in with the mix for selection along with Mike Phillips, Mike Blair, Danny Care and Harry Elllis.

Michael Owen's move to Saracens was a surprise when it was announced last year. As a former Newport Dragons player Michael has been one of my favourite Welsh players for many years. For a forward he has great handling abilities and is a prominent player when the game is open and loose. His biggest failing, and it's a very big failing for a forward, is that he is too soft. He's one of the least aggressive forwards I've ever seen. For a man of size, approx 6ft 4ins, he's way too soft. He doesn't hit rucks and mauls with enough power and when carrying the ball he's not dynamic enough. Compare him with someone like James Haskell of Wasps and you can see the difference.

The Guinness Premeirship is more brutal than the Magners league and it will be interesting to see how Michael copes with the increased intensity. I've noticed Saracens have given him his debut this Saturday at number 8. I would have used him as a lock.
Good luck Dwayne and Michael.

New Zealand v Australia. 2nd August 2008

Richie McCaw comes back to Captain the team to a winning return to form. The All Blacks were dominant in all areas of the game. They were particularly impressive in the line-out. My man Kaino had a good defensive game, managing to nick a few on the opposition throw. He was playing at 6 as Rodney had reverted back to 8. Kaino had a solid game and even stayed on till the 75th minute. Has defensive work was very good but I'm sure Henry would like to see more runs and attacking play from him.
Tony Woodcock grabbed a brace for New Zealand and Ma Nonu also scored two. His last try was a controversial last minute score to ensure a bonus point for the fourth try.
Australia couldn't match the All Blacks at all. They struggled with New Zealand's well executed kicking game. Carter was excellent as ever. What a player!
Final Score. New Zealand 39 Australia 10

My man of the match: Ali Williams. A commanding line out performance and prominent in the loose.

Australia v South Africa. 19 July 2008

The Wallabies fought hard to earn a good win against a slightly tired looking Boks side. After two tough games in New Zealand, the Boks travelled to Perth to face a youthful Australia side.
The men in gold matched the Boks up front and George Smith and Rocky Elsom were doing a good job in the back row. I was impressed with the defensive work rate of Burger. Surely he has to be the best defensive back-rower in World rugby. A class act and a big loss when he went off in the second half.
The first try of the game came from excellent set play from the Wallabies. Loti Tuqiri rounding off the move on the wing.
South Africa huffed and puffed but failed to create any try scoring chances. Australia were excellent in defence and early in the second half Sterling Mortlock crossed over to extend their lead.
There was great cameo late on from replacement Boks prop Tendai Mtawarira, AKA 'The Beast'. What a cool nickname.
Berwick Barnes added a drop goal in the last 10 minutes to seal the win.
Final score: 16 - 9

My man of the match: Wyclef Palu. Gave the Wallabies go forward ball all game.

New Zealand v South Africa. 12 July 2008

The Boks bounced back to claim a thrilling win in the last 5 minutes. It was a close fought encountered play at the highest level. In this form both of these teams would have blown away any other team in the world.

Things started well for the All Blacks. They picked up where they left off last week and seemed to be in control. The turning point of the match came when Ali Williams, the New Zealand went off the field with an injury. This was crucial, as Brad Thorn was serving a ban from last weeks game. It left New Zealand with two rookie locks (2 caps between) against the Boks Matfield and Botha (over 100 caps). South Africa soon started to dominate the tight phases and their forwards were giving the All Blacks a hard time. It was only thanks to the brilliance of Carter and his fellow backs that the game was so tight.

Going into the last ten minutes either side could have won. Carter produced a drop-kick that looked to have won it for his side. Then the moment of the match, the Boks scrum-half Ricky Januarie burst through from the base of a ruck, started off on a searing run and chiiped over the last line of defence, and gathered to score for a great solo try. Steyn kicked the conversion and South Africa won. Test Match rugby at its Best. Final Score: New Zealand 28-30 South Africa
My Man of the Match: Ricky Januarie

New Zealand v South Africa. 5th July 2008

Tri-Nations 1st match. Live on Sky Sports 8.30am

I crawled out of bed to watch an eagerly anitcipated clash. Could the current World Champions win in New Zealand for the first time in 10 years?
The All Blacks hit the game running and dominated the first twenty minutes. On a wet night Carter controlled things as usual. The Boks found some form eventually and the ball found it's way out to Habana who sprinted in for a try on the wide-out. 9-8 to the Blacks at half time.

After the break the All Blacks found a new gear. Carter was forcing the Boks back with some searing kicks. Constant pressure in the Springbok 22 resulted in a try for number 8 Jerome Kaino. His first International try. I was pleased for him. He's been a favourite player of mine since I first saw him in 2005 on the Lions Tour. Hopefully he'll get a good run in the team. He was unlucky ten minutes later not to score a second try. He ran onto a Carter kick and touched down over the line. A ridiculous decision by the linesman adjudged Kaino to be offside from the kick.

The Boks failed to score in the second half and New Zealand ran out worthy winners. Final score 19-8. This was all without the supreme talents of Riche McCaw who was sidelined with injury. Rodney So'oialo did a solid job as his stand-in at 7 and captain.
My man-of-the-match: Dan Carter

---

Jerome Kaino - Greatness awaits? http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A37353846

Thoughts before the Ireland v Wales 6 Nations match

Can Wales win the Grand Slam?
This question was asked on Lycos IQ on 28.02.08.

My reply:

Yes then can. They are the only team this year that can still win the Grand Slam. Whether they achieve this is less certain.
Firstly they miss go to Croke Park in Dublin to play a resurgent Ireland team. Their last game against Scotland was impressive although Scotland have been very disapointing this year. Wales have a poor recent history in Dublin although this is the first game away from the home of Irish rugby Lansdown Road. Pundits point towards the Irish prop John Hayes as being the weak link. If Wales can keep him busy and disrupt his scrum and line-out work they will go a long way to winning the battle up front.
The prospect of the Irish backs against the in-form back division of Wales is mouth watering. The key man for Ireland in the backs is Ronan O'Gara. If he plays well Ireland play well. Expect Martin Williams and Gavin Henson to run into him all day.
Wales have had two comfortable home wins against Scotland and Italy. The real test is for them to take their home confidence to Dublin and perform the same. I'm expecting a very close game. The deciding factor may turn out to be the weather. If its raining I expect O'Gara to run the show and close the game down with the Irish pack keeping it tight. There is no better fly-half in the World than Ronan at playing in wet weather.

If Wales can come away from Ireland with a Win, and the Triple Crown, then the momentum should hopefully see them beat France. Though the trouble with our French cousins is that they always have the potential to produce incredible rugby. Just think back to the World Cup when they beat the All Blacks.

Even if they win the Grand Slam it doesn't necessarily mean a return to long-term Glory. The Grand Slam of 2005 was followed by 2 very lean years. We shall have to wait and see how Gatland develops Wales over the next few years. The next World Cup must be Wales aim. Picking up some more Grand Slams and Championships on the way would be very nice though.

---

http://iq.lycos.co.uk/qa/show/60722/Can+Wales+win+the+Grand+Slam%3F/?#a187929

Cymru Am Beth