Scrumbag

Should horse faced Princess Anne really be allowed to watch Scotland lose to Ireland at Croke Park?

She has a face like a pony, a portable solid gold toilet, and a burning love for Scottish rugby. Yes, Princess Anne really is one in a million. But should she really be allowed to Lord around Croke Park?

The caviar chomper will become the first royal to visit Croke Park, in Dublin EVER, when she attends the Ireland v Scotland rugby Six Nations match. Her visit is in her capacity as patron of the Scottish Rugby Union, but it could be seen as slightly insensitive. During the Irish War of Independence in 1920, Croke Park was the scene of a massacre by the British Army's Auxiliary Division. The force, known as the Black and Tans, opened fire on the crowd during a gaelic football game, killing 13 people.

Admittedly it was more than 80 years ago, but still, is it appropriate a British royal attends? Let me know what you think...

Six Nations Shit Lookalikes: Warren Gatland and Minty from Eastenders

One spends his entire existence either covered in grease or drinking beer, the other is Minty from Eastenders...

Would John Terry's "obscene wages" effect the stars of rugby?

Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe has been slagging off England's football captain for throwing sport into farce with his ridiculous wages this week. "Good luck to John Terry," he said, "but I think it is obscene to be on £150,000 a week." He may have a point, but John Terry isn't the flashest of coconut chasers. In fact, it got us thinking, if rugby's elite were to earn £150,000 a week would it change them?

Bryan Habana
Would £150,000 / week change him?  Brian's head seems pretty level, so we doubt it.

Mike Catt
Would £150,000 / week change him?  It might stop his desperate book flogging.

Johnny Wilkinson
Would £150,000 / week change him?  He's presumably already richer than Paul McCartney's divorce lawyer, so no...

Richie McCaw
Would £150,000 / week change him? We're not sure why, but we could just imagine Richie dripping in bling given half the chance. Look at him in this photo. He's like some kind of rock star. So maybe it would change him ...

Sebastien Chabal
Would £150,000 / week change him?  Well, he might be able to afford a hair cut at last...

Brian O'Driscoll
Would £150,000 / week change him?  No chance.

Shiny Sports Update.

Here's the latest from the other Shiny Media sports blogs:

Scrumbag: Bracken announces retirement, Morris hungry for international return, Wales to name coach on Friday. Probably.

Who Ate All The Bratwurst: Matthaus tips England to knock out Germany, News Balls, Bizarre Own Goal!

The Googly: Steve Waugh's autobiography, Sobers? Pah. The name's Hughes

Happy surfing!

One Season Wonder?

There is little doubt that Wales took the northern hemisphere by surprise during the 2005 Six Nations. Who, apart from the most fervent Welsh supporter, was really expecting that? Wales suddenly clicked, they came together and finished the tournament with the title of champions, a Grand Slam and the Triple Crown. But can they do it again?

There is also little doubt that their close victory over England inspired them on to greatness. Somehow, that win of England confirmed the whisperings of the previous year – this Wales team could play good rugby and could win games. The confidence they took from the England win carried them through the rest of the tournament on a high. Winning is a habit and one Wales didn’t seem able to break. Their victories over so-called ‘lesser’ opposition of Scotland and – particularly – Italy were displays of complete rugby. The ability to dominate and punish sparkled in the Welsh team as they notched up two victories on the road. They showed they could control a game totally and play the way they wanted to play.

However, Wales also showed an ability to come back from the brink with a wonderful victory over the French in Paris. The Welsh were beginning to show that they did have the ability of a complete team; they could both control a game from the off and also come back to win a tight game away from home. Then there was the manner in which they won; they took everyone by surprise with a mix of beautiful off-load heavy rugby and the power was in reserve when it was needed. The team were able to dig deep, they believed in themselves and their ability, and they finished the tournament the deserved winners.

Alas, 2005 was not a totally happy year for the Welsh. Their Autumn game against New Zealand was billed as the clash of the best; the style and pace of the New Zealanders and… um… the style and pace of Wales. Many a fan tuned in or turned up, expecting a real life clash of the Titans but instead they got a clash of great vs. hopeless. In truth, that New Zealand were simply unbeatable, as they went on the prove during the rest of their Autumn fixtures. However, many believe that the margin of victory should have been better from Wales. They were, after all, apparently the best that the Northern Hemisphere could offer – surely they should have at least been able to compete with the best of the South?

The faith in the Welsh wasn’t exactly stored as they managed to notch up a not-particularly-convincing 11-9 victory over Fiji. They continued their run of poor performances by losing to South Africa and then narrowly beating a poor Australia team, a team in the middle of one of their worst losing streaks of all time. Was this really the same Wales who had played some of the most beautiful rugby only a matter of months before? What had happened?

My personal belief is that Wales have become a confidence based team. We’re always hearing that rugby is 90% mental but Wales may have taken that a little too literally. For example, in the Six Nations they won their first game and had a hugely successful campaign. However, for the Autumn internationals they lost their first game and subsequently played very poorly for the rest of the matches.

I have also noticed a number of Welsh supporters getting their excuses in early. ‘We have too many injuries’, ‘Gavin Henson is banned’ etc. So maybe even the most passionate Welsh fan has a distinct worry that the greatness of the 04/05 season is perhaps a one-season-only special. The problem for Wales is that teams are ready for them now. Last year, teams didn’t have the chance to figure out how the beat the new Welsh style of play – they had the ultimate weapon of shock power. For the 2006 tournament, they are lacking that.

Remember Brian O’Driscoll’s debut Ireland tournament? He played like a dream, destroyed all in his path and generally owned the entire competition. However, for the 2001 season he still amazed, but teams had managed to work out how to stop him (usually by taking the extreme decision to double team him). O’Driscoll stumbled for awhile, suddenly aware that he was A Target, but he managed to come back from it and be brilliant in different ways. Perhaps Wales will do the same. Maybe for the first couple of games they’ll be shocked that the style that worked so well last year is no longer producing the goods, but then they’ll find their feet and develop new ways to be fabulous. Rugby is an ever-changing and ever-evolving game. What Wales did last season was new and impressive, this season it is just expected from international teams.

With the tournament just around the corner, all we can do is wait and see. Let’s leave this article with a ‘to be continued’ finish, and we’ll see what happens!

Munster Switch Quarter Final Venue.

Irish province Munster have decided to switch their Heineken Cup quarter final from usual home ground, Thomond Park, to Dublin's Lansdowne Road. The official reason is that Thomond Park only holds 13,200 fans, which apparently isn't enough for a Heineken quarter final.

I doubt I am alone in finding this decision bizarre. There is no doubt that Munster are a very intimidating team when playing at Thomond Park, surrounded by thousands of supporters who are basically on the field. The crowd create the 16th man - particularly in Munster's win over Sale that secured them a home quarter-final - and it seems strange to travel to Dublin (Leinster territory) to a bigger stadium where that fever-like atmosphere may be lost.

Oh well, on their heads be it...

Epi Taione Cited.

Sale Sharks centre-cum-flanker, Epi Taione, has been cited following his club's shambolic defeat to Munster at the weekend. Taione, who came on as a replacement, is alledged to have bitten opposition number eight, Denis Leamy.

The Tongan powerhouse will appear before a panel within the next few days.

The last known case of biting was during the summer of 2005, when Danny Grewcock was cited for an alledged bite on New Zealand hooker Keven Mealamu. Although no video evidence was presented, Grewcock was banned for two months. So I reckon Taione could be in some serious trouble if there is video evidence. The maximum penalty for biting is a whopping three years, so Sale must be keeping their fingers crossed.

Heineken Quarter Finals.

So we have it, the Heineken Cup quarter finals are set in stone and now all we can do is wait for the games. Leinster played themselves into the quarters with a convincing victory over Bath, which unfortunately knocked the jubilant Leeds out of the running. So now it's decided, the quarters will be...

Toulouse vs. Leinster Lions

Biarritz Olympique vs. Sale Sharks

Leicester Tigers vs. Bath Rugby

Munster Rugby vs. Perpignan

So that's three French, three English and two Irish. Congratulations to all the qualifiers, but wouldn't it have been nice to have a Scottish or Welsh team in the mix?

That brings us to the question of predictions, so, my predictions are in bold:

Toulouse vs. Leinster Lions

Biarritz Olympique vs. Sale Sharks

Leicester Tigers vs. Bath Rugby

Munster Rugby vs. Perpignan

Yes, aren't I predictable, going with the obvious. However, I do sense that if Leinster play against Toulouse like they did against Bath, there could be a upset in France.

Good luck to all (except Bath!)

Brian O'Driscoll - 'A Year In The Centre' Review

If I’m totally honest, when I purchased this book my expectations were low. Having read many interviews featuring Brian O’Driscoll, I had him down as the kind of player to ere on the side of caution and not saying anything that might raise a few eyebrows. Such a personality can sometimes make player books dry and uninteresting…

However, I am a huge fan of the Irish centre and purchased the book anyway. And may I say what a pleasant surprise it was! Written in true diary-style form, the book begins with O’Driscoll enjoying some time out over the Christmas period of the 04/05 season. Instantly O’Driscoll’s light-hearted humour begins to work it’s way in to the book and presents a real insight into what his life was like during that time. No stone is left unturned, no matter how dull, embarrassing or controversial.

The sheer honesty of the book is what makes it; O’Driscoll isn’t afraid to tell the truth, warts and all. Peppered with amusing anecdotes and looks into Irish rugby, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was most disappointed when I came to the end. Covering everything from the 2005 Six Nations, his Lions captaincy and disappointments in the domestic season with Leinster, this is perhaps the best rugby book I have read for a long time.

No long boring passages about certain styles of play and, thankfully, no minute-by-minute analysis of every game, a style which can leave a book feeling dry, empty and just like a long match report.

What more can I say than; buy it, you won’t regret it.

Rating:   4 Stars.

Welcome Welcome Welcome

Hello, and welcome to the opening of ‘The Scrumbag’. I suppose what I’m about to write is a mission statement of sorts, a way of letting everyone know what this site is about, who the heck I am, why we’re here and what we’re trying to do.

First things first – I’m Antonia Kelly (I was Stokes up until December 1^st ‘’05). I’ve been writing about rugby for five years and have been lucky enough to have had varying levels of success during that time. But this site is what I’ve always wanted; a chance to step away from the mundane match reports and player profiles, a chance to let loose and see what happens.

I’m a Leicester Tigers supporter by nature, but I will try to keep the Northampton jokes down to a minimum. Though I can’t guarantee one won’t occasionally slip out. I support England and Ireland in pretty much equal measure, though in a head-to-head I probably ere on the side of England, my home country.

This blog has been set up with Shiny Media; a media publishing company who are really beginning to make their mark on the online blog world. And I say that in honesty, not just because they're the people who hand out the pay cheque!

This blog will include all the necessary match previews and reports and the latest news from the game. However, this won’t just be a news round up. I want everyone to get involved in this site. What’s your opinion? What do you think of what’s happening in the game? What would you do differently if you were a head coach? What are your memories? In recent years I’ve realised that rugby supporters are a vocal lot, so if you want to wax lyrical about an issue or maybe write a retaliation over something I’ve written, please do.

Aside from the usual day-to-day stuff, I’ll be trying to churn out discussion topic essays regularly, look deeper into the laws of the game, talking about various players in detail and general sniping about the latest goings on. I’m looking for people to contribute similar essays, so if you’ve got a lot to say, get writing.

I’m planning on covering whatever games happen to show up on Sky and writing the match reports as quickly as possible, meaning this site will – unlike the rest of Shiny Media’s portfolio of blogs – be updated on the weekends. So that means sacrificing my weekends in exchange for up-to-the-minute news, which means that the site will not be updated on Wednesdays and Thursdays. A girl has got to have a break!

We’ve rushed to get this blog online in time for the Six Nations tournament, so that’ll obviously be our main focus for the next couple of weeks.

All in all, enjoy the blog and we hope to see you back soon.

Should anyone want to contact me to comment or send an article in, please:

• Send to: keepxdancing@hotmail.com
• Please put in a subject line that’ll let me know it’s to do with this blog, so I don’t delete your message along with the tons of spam I get every day. A subject line such as ‘The Scrumbag’ will do.
• Please send any articles in the body of the e-mail, not as an attachment.

Toni x

Would John Terry's "obscene wages" effect the stars of rugby?

Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe has been slagging off England's football captain for throwing sport into farce with his ridiculous wages this week. "Good luck to John Terry," he said, "but I think it is obscene to be on £150,000 a week." He may have a point, but John Terry isn't the flashest of coconut chasers. In fact, it got us thinking, if rugby's elite were to earn £150,000 a week would it change them?

Bryan Habana
Would £150,000 / week change him?  Brian's head seems pretty level, so we doubt it.

Mike Catt
Would £150,000 / week change him?  It might stop his desperate book flogging.

Johnny Wilkinson
Would £150,000 / week change him?  He's presumably already richer than Paul McCartney's divorce lawyer, so no...

Richie McCaw
Would £150,000 / week change him? We're not sure why, but we could just imagine Richie dripping in bling given half the chance. Look at him in this photo. He's like some kind of rock star. So maybe it would change him ...

Sebastien Chabal
Would £150,000 / week change him?  Well, he might be able to afford a hair cut at last...

Brian O'Driscoll
Would £150,000 / week change him?  No chance.

Shiny Sports Update.

Here's the latest from the other Shiny Media sports blogs:

Scrumbag: Bracken announces retirement, Morris hungry for international return, Wales to name coach on Friday. Probably.

Who Ate All The Bratwurst: Matthaus tips England to knock out Germany, News Balls, Bizarre Own Goal!

The Googly: Steve Waugh's autobiography, Sobers? Pah. The name's Hughes

Happy surfing!

One Season Wonder?

There is little doubt that Wales took the northern hemisphere by surprise during the 2005 Six Nations. Who, apart from the most fervent Welsh supporter, was really expecting that? Wales suddenly clicked, they came together and finished the tournament with the title of champions, a Grand Slam and the Triple Crown. But can they do it again?

There is also little doubt that their close victory over England inspired them on to greatness. Somehow, that win of England confirmed the whisperings of the previous year – this Wales team could play good rugby and could win games. The confidence they took from the England win carried them through the rest of the tournament on a high. Winning is a habit and one Wales didn’t seem able to break. Their victories over so-called ‘lesser’ opposition of Scotland and – particularly – Italy were displays of complete rugby. The ability to dominate and punish sparkled in the Welsh team as they notched up two victories on the road. They showed they could control a game totally and play the way they wanted to play.

However, Wales also showed an ability to come back from the brink with a wonderful victory over the French in Paris. The Welsh were beginning to show that they did have the ability of a complete team; they could both control a game from the off and also come back to win a tight game away from home. Then there was the manner in which they won; they took everyone by surprise with a mix of beautiful off-load heavy rugby and the power was in reserve when it was needed. The team were able to dig deep, they believed in themselves and their ability, and they finished the tournament the deserved winners.

Alas, 2005 was not a totally happy year for the Welsh. Their Autumn game against New Zealand was billed as the clash of the best; the style and pace of the New Zealanders and… um… the style and pace of Wales. Many a fan tuned in or turned up, expecting a real life clash of the Titans but instead they got a clash of great vs. hopeless. In truth, that New Zealand were simply unbeatable, as they went on the prove during the rest of their Autumn fixtures. However, many believe that the margin of victory should have been better from Wales. They were, after all, apparently the best that the Northern Hemisphere could offer – surely they should have at least been able to compete with the best of the South?

The faith in the Welsh wasn’t exactly stored as they managed to notch up a not-particularly-convincing 11-9 victory over Fiji. They continued their run of poor performances by losing to South Africa and then narrowly beating a poor Australia team, a team in the middle of one of their worst losing streaks of all time. Was this really the same Wales who had played some of the most beautiful rugby only a matter of months before? What had happened?

My personal belief is that Wales have become a confidence based team. We’re always hearing that rugby is 90% mental but Wales may have taken that a little too literally. For example, in the Six Nations they won their first game and had a hugely successful campaign. However, for the Autumn internationals they lost their first game and subsequently played very poorly for the rest of the matches.

I have also noticed a number of Welsh supporters getting their excuses in early. ‘We have too many injuries’, ‘Gavin Henson is banned’ etc. So maybe even the most passionate Welsh fan has a distinct worry that the greatness of the 04/05 season is perhaps a one-season-only special. The problem for Wales is that teams are ready for them now. Last year, teams didn’t have the chance to figure out how the beat the new Welsh style of play – they had the ultimate weapon of shock power. For the 2006 tournament, they are lacking that.

Remember Brian O’Driscoll’s debut Ireland tournament? He played like a dream, destroyed all in his path and generally owned the entire competition. However, for the 2001 season he still amazed, but teams had managed to work out how to stop him (usually by taking the extreme decision to double team him). O’Driscoll stumbled for awhile, suddenly aware that he was A Target, but he managed to come back from it and be brilliant in different ways. Perhaps Wales will do the same. Maybe for the first couple of games they’ll be shocked that the style that worked so well last year is no longer producing the goods, but then they’ll find their feet and develop new ways to be fabulous. Rugby is an ever-changing and ever-evolving game. What Wales did last season was new and impressive, this season it is just expected from international teams.

With the tournament just around the corner, all we can do is wait and see. Let’s leave this article with a ‘to be continued’ finish, and we’ll see what happens!

Munster Switch Quarter Final Venue.

Irish province Munster have decided to switch their Heineken Cup quarter final from usual home ground, Thomond Park, to Dublin's Lansdowne Road. The official reason is that Thomond Park only holds 13,200 fans, which apparently isn't enough for a Heineken quarter final.

I doubt I am alone in finding this decision bizarre. There is no doubt that Munster are a very intimidating team when playing at Thomond Park, surrounded by thousands of supporters who are basically on the field. The crowd create the 16th man - particularly in Munster's win over Sale that secured them a home quarter-final - and it seems strange to travel to Dublin (Leinster territory) to a bigger stadium where that fever-like atmosphere may be lost.

Oh well, on their heads be it...

Epi Taione Cited.

Sale Sharks centre-cum-flanker, Epi Taione, has been cited following his club's shambolic defeat to Munster at the weekend. Taione, who came on as a replacement, is alledged to have bitten opposition number eight, Denis Leamy.

The Tongan powerhouse will appear before a panel within the next few days.

The last known case of biting was during the summer of 2005, when Danny Grewcock was cited for an alledged bite on New Zealand hooker Keven Mealamu. Although no video evidence was presented, Grewcock was banned for two months. So I reckon Taione could be in some serious trouble if there is video evidence. The maximum penalty for biting is a whopping three years, so Sale must be keeping their fingers crossed.

Heineken Quarter Finals.

So we have it, the Heineken Cup quarter finals are set in stone and now all we can do is wait for the games. Leinster played themselves into the quarters with a convincing victory over Bath, which unfortunately knocked the jubilant Leeds out of the running. So now it's decided, the quarters will be...

Toulouse vs. Leinster Lions

Biarritz Olympique vs. Sale Sharks

Leicester Tigers vs. Bath Rugby

Munster Rugby vs. Perpignan

So that's three French, three English and two Irish. Congratulations to all the qualifiers, but wouldn't it have been nice to have a Scottish or Welsh team in the mix?

That brings us to the question of predictions, so, my predictions are in bold:

Toulouse vs. Leinster Lions

Biarritz Olympique vs. Sale Sharks

Leicester Tigers vs. Bath Rugby

Munster Rugby vs. Perpignan

Yes, aren't I predictable, going with the obvious. However, I do sense that if Leinster play against Toulouse like they did against Bath, there could be a upset in France.

Good luck to all (except Bath!)

Brian O'Driscoll - 'A Year In The Centre' Review

If I’m totally honest, when I purchased this book my expectations were low. Having read many interviews featuring Brian O’Driscoll, I had him down as the kind of player to ere on the side of caution and not saying anything that might raise a few eyebrows. Such a personality can sometimes make player books dry and uninteresting…

However, I am a huge fan of the Irish centre and purchased the book anyway. And may I say what a pleasant surprise it was! Written in true diary-style form, the book begins with O’Driscoll enjoying some time out over the Christmas period of the 04/05 season. Instantly O’Driscoll’s light-hearted humour begins to work it’s way in to the book and presents a real insight into what his life was like during that time. No stone is left unturned, no matter how dull, embarrassing or controversial.

The sheer honesty of the book is what makes it; O’Driscoll isn’t afraid to tell the truth, warts and all. Peppered with amusing anecdotes and looks into Irish rugby, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was most disappointed when I came to the end. Covering everything from the 2005 Six Nations, his Lions captaincy and disappointments in the domestic season with Leinster, this is perhaps the best rugby book I have read for a long time.

No long boring passages about certain styles of play and, thankfully, no minute-by-minute analysis of every game, a style which can leave a book feeling dry, empty and just like a long match report.

What more can I say than; buy it, you won’t regret it.

Rating:   4 Stars.

Welcome Welcome Welcome

Hello, and welcome to the opening of ‘The Scrumbag’. I suppose what I’m about to write is a mission statement of sorts, a way of letting everyone know what this site is about, who the heck I am, why we’re here and what we’re trying to do.

First things first – I’m Antonia Kelly (I was Stokes up until December 1^st ‘’05). I’ve been writing about rugby for five years and have been lucky enough to have had varying levels of success during that time. But this site is what I’ve always wanted; a chance to step away from the mundane match reports and player profiles, a chance to let loose and see what happens.

I’m a Leicester Tigers supporter by nature, but I will try to keep the Northampton jokes down to a minimum. Though I can’t guarantee one won’t occasionally slip out. I support England and Ireland in pretty much equal measure, though in a head-to-head I probably ere on the side of England, my home country.

This blog has been set up with Shiny Media; a media publishing company who are really beginning to make their mark on the online blog world. And I say that in honesty, not just because they're the people who hand out the pay cheque!

This blog will include all the necessary match previews and reports and the latest news from the game. However, this won’t just be a news round up. I want everyone to get involved in this site. What’s your opinion? What do you think of what’s happening in the game? What would you do differently if you were a head coach? What are your memories? In recent years I’ve realised that rugby supporters are a vocal lot, so if you want to wax lyrical about an issue or maybe write a retaliation over something I’ve written, please do.

Aside from the usual day-to-day stuff, I’ll be trying to churn out discussion topic essays regularly, look deeper into the laws of the game, talking about various players in detail and general sniping about the latest goings on. I’m looking for people to contribute similar essays, so if you’ve got a lot to say, get writing.

I’m planning on covering whatever games happen to show up on Sky and writing the match reports as quickly as possible, meaning this site will – unlike the rest of Shiny Media’s portfolio of blogs – be updated on the weekends. So that means sacrificing my weekends in exchange for up-to-the-minute news, which means that the site will not be updated on Wednesdays and Thursdays. A girl has got to have a break!

We’ve rushed to get this blog online in time for the Six Nations tournament, so that’ll obviously be our main focus for the next couple of weeks.

All in all, enjoy the blog and we hope to see you back soon.

Should anyone want to contact me to comment or send an article in, please:

• Send to: keepxdancing@hotmail.com
• Please put in a subject line that’ll let me know it’s to do with this blog, so I don’t delete your message along with the tons of spam I get every day. A subject line such as ‘The Scrumbag’ will do.
• Please send any articles in the body of the e-mail, not as an attachment.

Toni x