London Irish pipped by undefeated Gloucester in difficult conditions

London Irish fell to a 20-19 defeat against Gloucester in the Aviva Premiership U18 league. Conditions were less than ideal as the entire game was played on a slippery surface in the driving rain. Despite the scoreline London Irish will be proud of the way in which they controlled the majority of the game. The result leaves Gloucester unbeaten at the top of the Southern Conference.

        Irish were still looking for their opening win of the U18 league season, but have put together some impressive attacking performances so far. London Irish have given a number of young players opportunity this season with half of the starting side including U17 players, featuring in the squad a year earlier than most. Those younger players include Will Sinfield and Sam Clough who were part of the England U16 squad last season.

Conditions made for a tough game at Dean Close School, Cheltenham

        Gloucester raced to an early 10-0 lead with a penalty kick and try from a charged down kick. Irish pinned Gloucester back however, as backrow Gwilym Bradley broke through a gap in the defence before putting in a neat chip through that winger Oscar Blanchard finished in the corner. Gloucester finished the half with a score as another charge down deep in Gloucester territory allowed the Cherry and Whites to race away to give themselves a 15-5 lead at the break.

        Despite Irish continuing the second half with the majority of possession and territory it was Gloucester who scored first. A driving maul from a penalty was defended well and stopped just short but quick handling from the backs saw a try in the corner. Irish hit back soon after with a deserved score and reward for the dominant forward pack. The 20 metre drive from a maul resulted in an Irish penalty, kicked to the corner and another powerful maul was stopped illegally by Gloucester and saw the referee under the posts for a penalty try.

        Despite the horrendous conditions both sides still endeavoured to shift the ball and put pressure on their opponent. Irish showed some solid defence on their own 5m line with Gloucester looking to restore their lead. Irish moved to within one point of Gloucester with the next score. The maul was used to great effect again, before replacement scrum-half Gruffydd Williams saw a gap and darted through the Gloucester defence to score. A difficult conversion slotted by Will Sinfield  made the score 20-19.

        Irish again went back to some solid defence work deep inside their own half before turning the ball over and attempting to attack from deep in the final play. Irish were finally put to bed as a tackle into touch saw the game end and Gloucester hold on to a 20-19 victory in difficult conditions.

        Irish should be proud of a well disciplined and dominant performance, with the majority of territory and possession, but just lacking the composure to finish off some opportunities in the pouring rain. The forwards produced a stunning performance up front, with prop Brandon Baker and backrow star Ben Donnell leading the line. Sam Clough, at scrum half, also stood out with good distribution despite the conditions.

        Irish will be pleased to have provided such resistant opposition to the best side in the conference, especially their defensive effort with the game on the line. They will look to build on the performance as they face Saracens at Hazelwood on Saturday 3^rd February.

Why VAR won’t work and how it could

Football has finally embraced video technology into the sport after years of waiting. Having been trickled in since 2016, starting in the MLS, it has been embraced as a useful tool that people have been crying out for since Lampard cannoned a ball off the cross bar and over the line in 2010.

Eight years later VAR has reached these green and pleasant lands. Kelechi Iheanacho becoming the answer to pub quiz questions across the country, having his goal given after VAR intervention earlier this week. However, the complexities of the system reared its ugly head as many saw a clear penalty not reviewed in Chelsea’s FA Cup win over Norwich.

Iheanacho has his goal reviewed by VAR after being initially given offside.

Video technology is not new in sport of course. Rugby, cricket, tennis and American football all have used video technology in some form to varying degrees of success. Overall it would seem that is has reduced the number of officiating errors across all sports. However, it may not fit into football as well as people may have hoped.

In some areas of sport VAR is perfect, quick and simple. If there is a need to monitor binary and factual decisions, video technology is a must-have. Whether it be a run out in cricket, whether a try is scored in rugby or whether Iheanacho was in front of, or behind the last defender.

In other areas things are not so clear cut. One of the beauties of sport, and the reasons for phone-ins and school ground arguments, are the more grey opinion-based decisions that crop up week in week out. Was it a dangerous tackle? Was it a foul? Was it a penalty? Should it be a red card?

VAR did not overturn the decision to book Willian for diving, when
most pundits believe a penalty should have been give.

Here is where the system falls down, and where football hasn’t learnt from the other sports. In the NFL reviewable decisions are limited to those that are more binary; you cannot challenge or review a pass interference decision. In rugby the laws are becoming far more defined, for good or worse; you cannot make contact with a players head if you want to stay on the field. Football is seeking to have its cake and eat it too.

The most popular sport in the world doesn’t want to sacrifice the tempo of the game, something that stands it out from its nearest rivals in rugby. Nor does it want to take away the autonomy of the referee and weaken his authority of a game with multiple officials. Yet, it does want to make sure it gets right all the controversial decisions in the game and protect officials from making mistakes.

If we want video technology in football, football will have to change in one of two ways. Either we have a slower game, a more fragmented game, but where there is time for the referee to check dubious and difficult decisions, not just clear and obvious mistakes. Or we limit the use to those clear cut decisions, like offside or mistaken identity and continue to let Gary Lineker and co continue to debate penalties on Match of the Day.

Ultimately it will come down to the fans reaction. If the powers at be seeing people being turned off the beautiful game because it becomes slower and less exciting then don’t expect to see technology around for long. We all love a bit of controversy anyway.

A fight for survival: London Irish

As the tickertape fell at the Madjeski Stadium on 24^th May 2017, London Irish had completed their mission of returning to the top flight of English rugby. In what was a largely untroubled season, Irish lost just one league game and stood out as a clear step above the vast majority of the Championship competition. They looked in good stead to return to the Aviva Premiership.

London Irish are based at world-class training
facilities at the Hazelwood Centre 

                 Fast forward eight months and the club are in serious trouble. They sit grounded to the foot of the Premiership table, nine points off Worcester and just one solitary win against Harlequins on the opening day of the season. For the most part, London Irish have lacked a competitive edge. They have not looked like the Premiership outfit that last season made them out to be, and if they are to have any hope of staying up things need to change.

                                London Irish’s season in the Championship may have provided false promises on three fronts. Firstly, the Championship is an underfunded and poorly performing league. While many top quality players have spent time in the Championship, and it has undoubtedly aided their development, it does not provide the quality of competition needed to prepare a side for the Premiership. With low attendance figures and clubs struggling to stay afloat, it is no wonder clubs aren’t able to develop to their full potential. Any Premiership club that drops is able to outperform opponents without too much effort.

                The second false promise is the growing strength of the Aviva Premiership. In complete contrast to the Championship, the Premiership is seeing growing funding from expanded TV deals from domestic and European rugby. While it is clear to see the quality in teams like Saracens, Exeter & Wasps, where the real improvement has come is further down the table. The perfect example coming this season is Newcastle. A side that has, for years, struggled toward the bottom of the table have found a new strength and confidence led by Dean Richards. It is this growth in the bottom half of the Premiership, making for an overall more competitive and exciting league, that is causing London Irish problems.

                The final false promise is the style of play London Irish have adopted. Brendan Venter is a masterful coach, an inspirational speaker and rugby genius. He, alongside Mark McCall, is responsible for large swathes of success that we have seen at Saracens over recent season. Venter has attempted to instil what he created at Saracens, in London Irish. A tight, direct, powerful and precise game, focusing on doing the simple things perfectly, Venterball. And while it may seem simple, and easy to replicate, London Irish are proving that is it not. In order to be successful as Saracens, the defensive effort needs to be outstanding and the attack has to be clinical, London Irish have so far failed on both these counts. While it may have been good enough in the Championship, this style of rugby not done perfectly will no longer cut it in the top flight.

                With 9 games left in the Premiership season, and a total of 45 points available, the nine point gap between London Irish and Worcester is by no means insurmountable. However, London Irish cannot go quietly into the night, they will need to change and change quickly. And there are signs of life from Irish. A competitive performance at Welford Road as well as the signing of a ball carrying back row Arno Botha and scrum-half Piet Van Zyl could kick start the fight. But the changes must go further than that.

                Irish need to move away from Venterball. They do not have the power or the precision to execute the style successfully. They are, however, stacked with creative and exciting backs. Alex Lewington and Joe Cokanasiga, when they have had the ball, have looked dangerous, but those times are few and far between. London Irish cannot be afraid to spread the ball wide, to attack off first phase ball. There are dynamic ball carriers in Max Northcote-Green, Blair Cowan & Franco van der Merwe. Rather than carrying ball into contact, allow them to look to keep the ball alive, keep the tempo high and unleash the backline. Let loose. There is nothing to lose here.

Irish need to relax. Easier said than done, considering the position they are in. But Irish have looked most dangerous this year when the game is lost. Irish seemingly set out not to lose games from kick-off, rather than win them. This creates immense pressure on players to complete every tackle and take every opportunity, and so far has failed. You cannot hide the league table from the squad, but survival cannot be the focus. The bigger picture will always look bleak, but boiled down it can ease the pressure. As New England head coach, Bill Belichick, puts it ‘do your job’. With Venter spending more time at Hazelwood, it will be hoped he can get the players doing just that. Not asking them save the club, but asking them simply to do their job.

The position London Irish are in is not irreversible. However, with three huge games coming up in February at home to Sale, against a poor Northampton side and hosting relegation rivals Worcester, time is of the essence. A four game period before the Aviva Premiership starts again could be exactly what Irish need. They have all the ingredients to survive. There are Premiership quality players, Venter is a world class coach, but can they get the recipe right in time?

Aviva Premiership Round-up - Round 13

Sinoti Sinoti scored the try of the round with an individual
solo burst as Newcastle stunned champions Exeter

The Aviva Premiership started 2018 with a bang as round thirteen saw a number of thrilling encounters and important results up and down the country. The results leave just seven points between Wasps in 3rd and Harlequins in 9th as teams break from domestic action for European fixtures.

Worcester Warriors 25-46 Bath Rugby

                Bath began the new year by ending their slide in form in emphatic fashion with a six try victory over Worcester Warriors. Bath were in clinical form as they continued to trouble the Worcester defence throughout the game. A Fotuali'i double put the game beyond doubt before Worcester fought back but fell just short of stealing a losing bonus point. The result sees Bath end their three game losing streak and compel themselves back into contention for the top four.

Leicester Tigers 19-15 London Irish         
                Leicester earned a hard fought victory over a battling London Irish side, thanks to an electric perform for Johnny May and a try for Manu Tulagi on his 100th appearance. Johnny May put any concerns about his ability at full back to bed with a confident performance that saw Tigers win their first league game in five attempts. A losing bonus point for Irish could prove invaluable but they are still seeking their first away victory in the Premiership since Feb 2015.

Northampton Saints 22-19 Gloucester Rugby    
                A last minute penalty try gave Northampton a much needed win over Gloucester at Franklin's Gardens. While it looked like Gloucester had consigned Saints to 8th successive defeat, referee Ian Tempest, after initially deciding the ball was grounded short, spotted Andy Symons pulling down the maul and awarded the penalty try. The win will give great delight to interim head coach Alan Gaffney, while the Cherry & Whites will rue the chance to cement their place in the playoff places.

 Sale Sharks 30-29 Harlequins   
                Joe Marler was sent off after 60 minutes, as Sale came from behind to pip Harlequins 30-29. Marler saw red for a dangerous clear out, making contact with the head of TJ Ioane. Harlequins were leading 22-17 at the time of the card but Sale came back and a Faf De Klerk penalty 5 minutes from time was enough to give Sale the win. The victory sees Sale leapfrog Harlequins in the table and move up to 7th.

 Newcastle Falcons 28-20 Exeter Chiefs
                Newcastle stunned league leaders Exeter with a sintilating first half display and sealed a 28-20 victory. Falcons continued to demonstrate their dangerous backline, with the pick of the tries a 60m solo dash from Sinoti Sinoti. The win, their sixth consecutive victory in all competitions, kept them in the top half of the table. Exeter battled back in the second half but had given themselves a mountain to climb, falling to their first league loss since September.

 Wasps 15-38 Saracens 
                Saracens, rejuvenated by the return from injury of Itoje & Vunipola, put together an impressive 38-15 victory over Wasps at the Ricoh arena. Eddie Jones will be pleased to see Vunipola back in fine form in time for the Six Nations, only outdone by an outstanding display from Alex Goode, bagging himself two tries. Saracens raced to a 18-3 lead before Wasps pinned them back to 18-15 at half time, but Saracens power and precision was too much for the Wasps defence. The bonus point win sees them apply pressure on Exeter at the top of the table.

The Aviva Premiership takes an extended break, as clubs continue their European competitions and Anglo-Welsh fixtures. With the Six Nations looming large on the horizon, clubs with fewer internationals will be keen to capitalise on opportunities for points when the Premiership returns in February.

NFL - Astounding 2nd half comeback sees Tennessee into divisional game

The Tennessee Titans produced a second half fightback and shocked the Kansas City Chiefs in the opening 2018 play-off game. The AFC South runners-up were 21-3 down at the half, before scoring 19 unanswered points in the second half to upset the Chiefs fans at Arrowhead Stadium. Marcus Mariota passed for over 200 yards, including a touchdown pass to himself, while Running Back Derrick Henry had a career high 156 rushing yards.

Magic Marcus Mariota continued to cause problems for the Kansas City defence.

Kansas City had regained their early season form toward the end of the regular season coming into the post season on the back of four straight victories. They began the game in the same form they finished the season, racing to a 14-0 lead before the end of the first quarter. The first touchdown, a one yard run for Kareem Hunt after big plays from tight-end Travis Kelce and wide receiver Tyreek Hill.  Following a quick three and out, the Chiefs went straight back at it with a 13 yard pass to Travis Kelce.

The Titans had only secured their playoff place as runners up in the AFC South with victory over the Jaguars last weekend, having spluttered toward the end of the regular season. Marcus Mariota finally got his opportunity to get the Titan offence going forward in the second quarter; but Kansas corner Marcus Peters intercepted a pass intended for Delanie Walker inside the Kansas City red zone. 

The Titans were soon back driving forward before a huge sack on 3^rd and 4 just before the two minute warning forced Tennessee to take three. However, the Chiefs continued to work the sideline with Aaron Smith and put together a scoring drive with just 3 seconds left on the clock in the half - Demarcus Robinson finishing a 14 yard pass with neat footwork to get in for the touchdown. The drive was not without its problems for the Chiefs as they lost influential tight end Kelce to a nasty collision resulting in a concussion. However, they led at the half 21-3.

Tennessee needed to score early in the second half, and they duly did. The elusive quarter back, Mariota, rushing for a vital first down on the drive, before receiving his own catch for an 8 yard touchdown to open the half. As Mariota scrambles left and aims a pass towards Corey Davis in the end zone, the ball is deflected back from the Chiefs defence and collected by Mariota himself who dives for the pylon, one of the most fortunate plays you are likely to see.

Shortly afterwards it looked like Tennessee had shot themselves in the foot as a fumbled punt return handed the Chiefs short field. But, unable to keep Hunt or Hill firing like the first half, they were forced to kick a field goal which bounced off the left upright and away. As the fourth quarter began Derrick Henry scored a touchdown with an electric 35 yard run through the middle of the Kansas defence. Tennessee elected for the two point conversion to get the score within three, but an unorganised attempt left them 21-16 down with 14 minutes still to play.

With Kansas receivers falling to convert for Aaron Smith it gave Tennessee the opportunity to drive for the lead for the first time in the game. Once again, Marcus Mariota starred in the game winning drive, scrambling as the pocket collapsed for a 25 yard rush, before threading a 22 yard pass into the end zone for Eric Decker to give the Titans a 22-21 lead. Again, an unorganised 2 point conversion failed, giving Kansas the chance to drive to regain the lead.

The Kansas drive led to a 4^th and 9 attempt but was broken up by a rejuvenated Titan defence with just 2 minutes left on the clock. The Chiefs thought they had earned themselves a reprieve as a fumble was returned to the house, but was brought back as the runner was clearly down by contact before the ball was stripped. It created a 3^rd and 10 for Tennessee where a conversion would see them enter victory formation. The two Titan stars combined as Derrick Henry rushed left for 20 yards aided by a crucial block by none other than, quarter-back Marcus Mariota.

The result stunned the passionate fans at Arrowhead stadium as the Chiefs gave up a 21-3 lead at the half. The Titans owe a huge amount to their defensive players who continuously stopped Kansas in the second half, as well as the elusive and dynamic running of Derrick Henry and the, at times, uncontainable Marcus Mariota. Many will have written off the Titans at the half, but the fightback will give pause for thought for either New England or Pittsburgh in the Divisional round next weekend. The Titans, led by the magic of Marcus Mariota are not to be underestimated.