Click:Hinode 1000SPF315S 315A 1000Vac aR Fuses 1) Climb the rankings Eddie Jones’s aim when he took charge was to get England to the top of the world rankings before the start of the World Cup. Reaching the top three would be an achievement with Ireland following their Six Nations grand slam with victory over New…
Author: THEJOHNANTONIOBLOG
The All Blacks’ secret? Never stand still or you get overtaken
Everyone wants to know the All Blacks’ secret. How is it, exactly, they have won 83 of 93 Tests under their head coach, Steve Hansen, and held the mantle of the world’s No 1 ranked team for nine consecutive years? To put that dominance into perspective, since 2012 the next best record in world rugby…
Saracens have the look of champions and Bristol can make their mark
Bath Director of rugby Todd Blackadder Perhaps the most eye-catching signing Bath have made is on the coaching rather than playing staff with Girvan Dempsey arriving to sharpen the attack. Dempsey has considerable pedigree and Todd Blackadder is optimistic that, with the Irishman in position, his side can find the consistency needed for a top-four…
19 for ’19: unmissable sporting events to mark in your diary
Special Olympics World Games, 14-21 March, Abu Dhabi More than 7,000 athletes from 170 nations are due to compete at the largest multi-sport event for people with intellectual disabilities and one which in 2019 celebrates its 50th anniversary. There will be 24 different individual and team disciplines, ranging from athletics and badminton to cycling and…
Owen Farrell finally gets to run the show as England dig deep for options
The opening autumn fixture against South Africa at Twickenham on Saturday will, if nothing else, reveal the extent of English rugby’s strength in depth. Eddie Jones has picked thousands of sides in his time but with more than 400 high‑profile caps unavailable up front alone, he cannot recall ever digging deeper for victory at the…
Wing commanders: why Six Nations quicks are rolling back the years
Interviewing Maurice Richards, the Wales wing who scored four tries against England in 1969, was a warming return to days long gone, when matches that were clotted with set-pieces and punch-ups were invariably interrupted by moments of brilliance that endure in the memory. Richards kick-started the golden era for Wales when they won the triple…
World Cup squads face wait for players due to insurance dispute
An insurance wrangle between World Rugby and the Premiership is threatening to severely hamper World Cup preparations for nations such as Wales and Scotland who could be deprived of their players in the buildup to the tournament. If the dispute is not resolved, the Guardian understands Premiership Rugby Limited (PRL) intends to prevent players from…
Scotland’s Greig Laidlaw views Italy opener as launch pad for success
A fixture often positioned as an unloved epilogue to the Six Nations tournament has this year become an enticing opener for both teams at Murrayfield. Scotland and Italy have met in the last round of fixtures seven times since the five became six, but not since 2000 have they done so on the first weekend,…
England lead the way in turning to pace, not the set-piece, for tries
Spring has come early in the Six Nations. The opening two rounds have been relatively open, assisted by a sharp drop in the penalty count as referees look for fewer excuses to blow the whistle. With the emphasis this year on continuity rather than a contest for possession teams, led by England, are becoming less…
Cheika’s call for belief falls on deaf ears while Wallabies repeat mistakes
With almost religious fervour Michael Cheika implored long-suffering Walllabies supporters to “believe in advance” as they stumbled towards the World Cup in Japan next year. But the Wallabies’ are stretching their fans’ faith to the limit, their 37-20 loss to the All Blacks in Yokohama last Saturday making any successful World Cup campaign look incredibly…