Ospreys v Ulster

Shamelessly, here's a link to my match report in the Irish Mirror. The full piece can be seen in the Irish News too.

Scarlets on the march in the quest for European success

Llanelli Scarlets rounded off their 100% successful Heineken Cup group campaign with a hard fought yet sloppy win over London Irish at Stradey Park.

The Scarlets rushed into a 17-3 lead but were pegged back by the Exiles in the second half and at one stage, an away win was the more likely. However, the Scarlets regrouped and regained their composure to win 20-17.

This victory sets up a quarter-final home clash against the reigning Heineken Cup winners, Munster, at the end of March. The Scarlets have shown they can play with different styles, free-flowing in Toulouse and fantastic upfront in Belfast but to go all the way and defeat O'Gara's Munster, they will have to produce a much better performance than this.

Rodney Parade

My first trip on Friday night to watch the Newport Gwent Dragons means it's three of the four regions visited and only one to go. I will complete the Welsh tour when I stumble across the Liberty Stadium in Swansea to see the Ospreys at the end of January.

The European Challenge Cup is a competition which is considered on the same level as the UEFA Cup in football. It's a cup filled with also rans but is a fantastic opportunity for teams such as Newport, a club attempting to make forward steps, offering its young players the chance to pit their wits against foreign opposition in intimating venues backed by partisan supporters but most importantly, laying down a foundation to build on in years to come.

A cross-border match against Bristol attracted great rivalry, not only on the pitch and the terraces, but also in the heaving press box. Surrounded by Bristol hacks, I took my sheltered position on the halfway line. I was glad to be undercover as playing conditions were severely hampered by swirling winds and driving rain meaning possession of the ball by the forwards and handling by the backs became vital leaving ball skills to a minimum.

Newport scrapped their way to a hard-fought 17-11 win over the current English Guinness Premiership leaders to leave them top of the Pool with one game remaining. Let's hope it's the first, tentative step on the way to sustained future success for the Dragons.

The Magic of the FA Cup

The first weekend of January. 3rd Round Proper. The world's most famous cup competition. It's the weekend the smaller football league clubs dream of, possibly their only chance of meeting one of the big guns, earning the financial windfall and hopefully having their 15 minutes of fame.

As a Manchester United fan, the closest I've come to witnessing an FA Cup upset was when lowly Premiership club Barnsley deservedly beat us in a 5th Round replay at Oakwell in 1998. In the last two years, draws against Conference outfits Burton Albion and Exeter City also stand out as embarrassing days.

However, usually, I've been fortunate to be at the other end of the spectrum, watching the Reds on cup final days at either Wembley or the Millennium Stadium seeing Steve Bruce, Eric Cantona or Roy Keane lift the trophy in 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2003 or walking away empty-handed in 1995 and 2004.

I am proud to say I was part of one of the most famous giantkillings in FA Cup history. 15 years ago, 4th January 1992, I went to the Racecourse Ground as a young lad to watch Wrexham versus Arsenal. The lowest club in the football league taking on the First Division champions. Brian Flynn against George Graham. When Arsenal striker Alan Smith netted in the first half, many inside the capacity crowd, felt the hope of a cup upset had gone for another season.

Ten minutes remained and Wrexham had other ideas. Step forward 37-year-old midfielder Mickey Thomas who scored with a phenomonal free-kick which beat the despairing dive of England international David Seaman. Delighted little Wrexham were looking forward to a money-spinning replay at Highbury but with only seven minutes left, striker Steve Watkin controlled and turned in an instant to steer home into the bottom corner. The crowd went wild, it was Wrexham's finest day in their history and surely will be a motivation to all the smaller teams in the draw today that anything can happen this weekend.

Whitewash

By the early hours of tomorrow morning, I expect the Ashes test series to be complete. An embarrassing 5-0 scoreline, the first in 86 years, should spark severe ramifications for English players and management alike. Undoubtably, heads will roll and some players such as Trescothick, wicketkeeper Jones and Giles may never wear an international shirt again.

Playing the biggest series in world cricket should not have been approached with an amateur sunday league football team attitude and for all Duncan Fletcher's excuses, the time has come to admit the mistakes made by the management and touring board.

The captaincy although over-worked Freddie Flintoff gave everything he had, taking a chance on several unfit and undercooked players, poor preparation, bizarre indecisive team selections, that first ball, leaked tactical plans, what else could have gone wrong for a team who did not look focused and ready for the ultimate challenge of their lives? At least, the fanatical never-stop-singing Barmy Army have been a sole credit.

Unlike in 2005, this has not been a competitive top-notch sporting contest. England have played reasonably well in short, sharp bursts but when the crucial moments have surfaced, England have typically wilted back into their bad old ways of the 1990's and cracked under any pressure. The disgraceful defensive batting in the second innings at Adelaide springs to mind as the turning point of the series when an easily achieveable draw would have kept the Aussie's wondering whether they would regain the urn.

Contrast the wild celebrations by the Australians in what Shane Warne described as the "best test match he had ever played in" and Flintoff's shattered face after Kevin Pietersen's pathetic four over-throws off his bowling which signalled England had been broken - There was no way back.

Albeit, Australia have been magnificant in playing some fantastic cricket. Anyone could have foreseen that they would come out with all guns blazing, raging with anger from their bitter disappointment at losing the Ashes at the Oval. Victorious captain Ricky Ponting has led his troops in bullish, ruthless style, backed up by his old guard of Langer, Warne and McGrath. Hussey and Clark have been revelations for the home side, whereas we have only seen glimpses of the abilities of Cook and Monty.

Where do England go from here? Well, a one day series followed by the World Cup in the West Indies which will hardly boost the nation's pride judging by England's lame performances in the shortened version of the game in the last year.