Moving The Chains: My Weekly Take On The NFL - Week 3.

Week 3:

Hero of the week:

Christian Ponder.
Christian Ponder is this week’s hero of the week for putting up very respectable numbers in Minnesota’s upset 24-13 win over the San Francisco 49ers. Ponder went 21 of 35 for 198 yards and 2 TDs. He also scored the first rushing TD conceded by the vaunted 49ers defence. Ponder has always flashed promise, and is now living up to his billing as a first-round pick. If he plays the way he did on Sunday, the Vikings could have a quietly successful season up in Minnesota.

Villain of the week:

Rex Ryan and Tony Sparano.
This week’s villain of the week is split between the New York Jets coaching staff, in particular offensive coordinator Tony Sparano and head coach Rex Ryan, for blindly sticking with Mark Sanchez instead of Tim Tebow. Massive Tebow bias aside, it is clear that Mark Sanchez is not the option. After a decent outing in week 1 against Buffalo, Sanchez has been more than poor. While Tebow’s outings for the Jets have been less than spectacular, I feel this has only proven that Tebow’s future does not involve running trick plays or lining up as a receiver. Given the chance to actually lead – one of those intangibles that Tebow has in droves – the Jets’ offense, there is no reason that he couldn’t be a success. Even if it were to blow up in their faces, they would have at least attempted something different because what they are trying now simply isn’t working.

Disappointment of the week:

None.
This week the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers managed to disappoint once again, but I have extensively covered their failings here in previous weeks.

Moment of the week:
'Fail Mary on Monday Night Football.
Its already been discussed a million and one times, and will be continually for the rest of the season, but the ending to Monday Night Football is potentially one of the most significant moments and one of the most memorable refereeing decisions in NFL history. The referees just plain blew the ending of this game; they missed the pass interference on Sam Shields, and they missed the fact that Jennings had the ball fully under control after incepting Wilson’s Hail Mary. To make the call on the field is one thing, but to not overturn the call in the face of indisputable evidence is what makes it one of the worst calls in history.

Honourable mention:
Prior to the Monday Night Farce, Torrey Smith reaching the endzone twice against the New England Patriots mere hours after he learned of his brother’s death in a motorbike accident was unquestionably the moment of the week. Smith’s tough, emotional performance was supremely inspirational.

Fail of the week:

Joe Philbin.

Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin is the clear candidate here. Freezing the kicker is a tactic that rarely works, especially in a half-empty Dolphins stadium, and his decision to call a time out seconds before Jets kicker Nick Folk had his potentially game-winning effort blocked came back to haunt him. Minutes later, Folk would connect on a 33-yard attempt to win the game for New York.

'My team':

You’d never have thought that this was the second time the New York Giants had taken the field in five days – there were no signs of fatigue in a convincing 36-7 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

The Giants looked strong all across the board from the off, and the performances of unlikely contributors such as Andre Brown (113 yards, 2 TDs) and Ramses Barden (138 yards) were the exclamation point on a dominant first half.

Brown has been cut seven times from five teams, while Barden has been on the roster bubble in each of his three seasons with the Giants, having failed to really make an impact.

Brown’s 2 TD, 113-yard performance was sublime and it’s hard to envisage a situation where Ahmad Bradshaw walks back into a starting role when he returns from injury against Philadelphia next weekend. Martellus Bennett was another key contributor and is proving time and again why he was worth investing in during the offseason.

The Giants defence stifled Cam Newton all game with great pressure up front courtesy of Jason Pierre Paul, and was picked three times. In a game in which several Giants stepped up to the plate in a big way, it was appropriate that rookie Jayron Hosley registered his first career pick and Michael Boley registered his third in as many games. This bodes well considering the Giants face Michael Vick next week, a man with a very similar skill-set to Newton.

Despite the complete nature of this win, it’s hard to tell what it means for the Giants going forward. They were playing a completely disorganised team, who in no way looked ready to play. A poor defence was brutally taken advantage of by a Giants offence which was able to pass and rush at will. Philadelphia will be a far tougher ordeal.

But, a win is a win and most importantly the Giants have back-to-back wins over NFC opponents. The momentum that the Giants will take from this win is key in a league that has most teams posting records not far off .500. 

Moving The Chains: My weekly take on the NFL - Week 2.

Week 2:

Hero of the week:
C.J. Spiller.
Buffalo Bills’ running back C.J. Spiller is this week’s ‘hero of the week’. Coming out of college everyone knew he was a talented player, but things didn’t pan out as well as expected and he fell behind Fred Jackson (a decent running back in his own right) in the depth chart. ‘College Spiller’, as I’m going to be calling him from now on, is most certainly back. College Spiller put the team on his back in week 2, rushing 15 times for 123 yards and two touchdowns and caught three passes for 47 yards. He averaged double-digit rushing stats for the second consecutive week against two of the league’s more physical defences. ‘Impressive’ isn’t even the word.

Villain of the week:
Replacement referees.
Just to clarify: ‘villain’ is probably the wrong term for the NFL’s replacement referees, as they are in a tough spot and clearly in way over their head. Although I feel that they are doing the best they can, they are not top-level referees for a reason and their performance this week was downright ugly. There were bad calls across the weekend, but as Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis stated quite correctly: "We already have controversy enough with the regular refs calling the plays." The controversy isn’t the issue with the new referees however, but the lack of control they have on games. This past weekend, games simply became out of control and unquestionably too dangerous. The Falcons vs. Broncos, Eagles vs. Ravens, Rams vs. Redskins and Giants vs. Buccaneers games the level of animosity between teams reached uncomfortable heights and displayed clearly that they are losing control of the players.
Former NFL vice-president of refereeing Mike Pereira stated: "You can't expect replacements to know the intricacies of the NFL rule book in two weeks on the job. It takes years," Pereira wrote on his blog for Fox Sports. "But it doesn't take long -- two weeks -- to see this is not working." He isn’t wrong.

Biggest disappointment of the week: New Orleans Saints.

The New Orleans Saints were expected to be firing on all cylinders following a disappointing but close defeat to the Washington Redskins at home. They were facing a Carolina Panthers team that had successfully stifled the rushing threats of DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Cam Newton. The Saints managed to fire on no cylinders, and although they put up some points on Carolina, the Panthers never looked like losing this game. Cam Newton and the Panthers offence were free to do as they pleased, with the Jonathan Vilma-less Saints defence never disrupting their rhythm. Conversely, Drew Brees and the Saints offense rarely looked like the unit it normally resembles. The Saints now sit at 0-2 after a turgid, pedestrian display against division rival in a must-win game and are now officially in trouble.

Moment of the week:
Stephen Gostkowski misses 42 yard FG attempt.
It’s hard to believe that the New England Patriots, possibly the AFC’s best team, lost to the Arizona Cardinals. It’s harder still to believe that the Arizona Cardinals are now 2-0 and that Stephen Gostkowski had a chance to secure victory in the dying seconds and came up short. While the defeat does not rest squarely on the shoulders of Gostkowski – a whole host of errors led to a bad day at the office for the Patriots – the fact that the most accurate kicker in Patriots history and someone who has excelled in game-tying, or indeed game-winning, situations missed what was effectively a routine kick.

Fail of the week:
Josh Morgan, throws football, costs Redskins dearly.
For this week’s ‘fail of the week’ it is actually impossible to look any further than Redskins wideout Josh Morgan, who responded to notorious windup merchant Cortland Finnegan’s taunts by throwing the ball at him. Cue a 15-yard penalty moving the Redskins back to 4^th and 16, and forcing them into attempting a 62-yard field goal. Unsurprisingly Billy Cundiff didn’t make the mammoth kick, and the Redskins lost to the Rams. Morgan’s stupidity effectively lost them the game. Doesn’t get much more ‘fail’ than that.

'My team':

The Giants game against the Buccaneers was, in many ways, an entire Giants season condensed into an entire game. It had a horrendous first half, plagued with errors, dropped balls, interceptions and injuries, and followed up with an incredible second half dominated by a renewed focus, a ruthlessly efficient passing game and a team now accustomed to performing in the clutch.
There are a few concerning points going forward though, namely the mistakes that defined the first half, and the alarming lack of pressure from the defensive line. The Buccaneers have a revamped offensive line that is now one of the better units in the league, and they neutralised the threat of the Giants’ defensive superstars: Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora. Had the Giants not recovered and stole victory from the jaws of defeat, it’d be tempting to write off the season. However the Giants proved that they are made of tough stuff and will be a hard team to beat this year.

Moving The Chains: My Weekly Take On The NFL - Week 1.

Week 1:

Hero of the week:
Robert Griffin III.
Robert Griffin III’s debut for the Washington Redskins did several things, one of them being that it made us all forget about Cam Newton. Newton, whose 2011 was the superlative rookie Quarterback season, was relegated to an afterthought after Robert Griffin III’s 19-of-26, 320 yard, two-touchdown performance against the Saints in one of the toughest stadiums to play in. Griffin controlled the game effectively, and was ruthlessly efficient in sending a statement to the rest of the NFL: the Redskins have arrived.
Honourable mentions:
Art Modell.
The NFL lost another of its visionary owners on Thursday, and for all the controversy surrounding the relocation of the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore, Art Modell should be celebrated for his contributions to the game. Modell was a founding father of the NFL, a man who classy enough to leave the name, colours and heritage of the Browns to the city of Cleveland, and one of the creators of the footballing establishment that is ‘Monday Night Football’. Modell deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame, but it is a shame that it is in death that many have come to realise this.

Villain of the week:
The NFLPA.
For overturning the ban on the Saints players at the centre of the bountygate scandal. Ultimately the commissioner has, and has always had, the final say on matters in the NFL. So although his decision to suspend Jonathan Vilma for a year may have rightly been seen by many as overkill, the NFLPA’s move to override it is a farce. It completely undermines the authority of the commissioner and validates one of the more heinous crimes in the NFL’s long history. Whether this happens on a routine basis or not is irrelevant, the league rightly threw the book at the Saints to prevent bounty programmes from happening again, and this move undoes all of that. What’s worse is that the wider NFL community and the media are celebrating it as a triumph.

Biggest disappointment of the week:
Andrew Luck & the Green Bay Packers.
There is no shame in losing to tough opponents, but expectations were undeniably high for both Andrew Luck and the Green Bay Packers and they didn’t come close to living up to them. Few were expecting Luck and the Indianapolis Colts to walk away from Chicago 1-0 but then few expected the Redskins to get a win in New Orleans. Look what happened there.
Luck threw for a very respectable 309 yards and a touchdown in a losing effort, but his four turnovers were damning for the Colts. Luck was understandably disappointed with his performance, but his teammates see the bigger picture and the future remains bright for Luck. Ultimately I expected more – or maybe less, if we’re talking turnovers - from Luck, but the loss says more about the team than it does the man. Working behind a poor offensive line, with a nonexistent run game against one of the toughest defences in the NFL, it’s a miracle that the 22 year-old managed to be productive at all. He'll be alright, folks.
Green Bay receives a slightly less optimistic review. Like the Colts they were going up against one of the premier defences in the league, but unlike the Colts they have one of the best offenses. Surely this was to be more than a test for the 49ers? Ultimately it wasn’t. Aaron Rodgers may have thrown for 300+ yards but couldn’t find his biggest playmakers, Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson, all game, and the run game was nonexistent. Defensively the Packers put pressure on Alex Smith, registering four sacks, but the secondary was a mess.

Moment of the week:
David Akers equals 63-yard field goal record:
Week 1 of the 2012 delivered some amazing moments. The debut of Robert Griffin III, the return of Peyton Manning and a number of games being decided on the last play of the game or in overtime, but it was a kicker that delivered the most impressive moment of the week. Akers’ 63-yard effort stole the show. Although Sebastian Janikowski and Jason Elam have both made kicks of the same distance before, the fact that Akers’ effort didn’t take place at mile-high stadium in Denver makes his all the more impressive.

Fail of the week:
Celebration Fails:
Tight ends Vernon Davis and Rob Gronkowski share the inaugural ‘fail of the week’. Both scored touchdowns on the way to their respective team’s week 1 wins and both messed up their celebrations in spectacular fashion. Davis, despite being one of the most athletic tight ends in the league, failed to jump high enough to ‘dunk’ the ball between the posts. Gronkowski attempted his patented ‘spike’ and let the ball fly away from him comically early. Rejected.

‘My team’:

While the other categories of this weekly breakdown will be a neutrally-observed celebration of all things good and bad in the NFL, this one section will be devoted to my beloved New York Football Giants.

On Thursday night the eyes of the NFL were fixed firmly on Metlife stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. For many it would be appreciated simply as the first taste of competitive football since that distant February evening upon which the Giants were crowned the NFL’s latest champions, for others, it would be a chance to see if those champions are worthy of their billing.

This game was originally supposed to see the New Orleans Saints as the away team, but they were withdrawn in the wake of the ‘bountygate’ scandal and replaced by the Cowboys. Putting it bluntly, if the Saints had played we could have had a massacre on our hands.

Super Bowl XLVI this was not. When the eyes of the world were on them, the Giants choked and put in a sub-par performance that was downright ugly in places. To his credit, Eli Manning had a decent game – he finished 21 of 32 for 213 yards and a touchdown - behind a suspect o-line, an almost-nonexistent run game and receivers who dropped a more than their share of easy completions, all of which played a far greater role in this defeat than the performance of Manning. Thankfully Martellus Bennett, Domenik Hixon and, in the second half, Ahmad Bradshaw all stepped up and performed admirably

The Giants defence were unsurprisingly strong up front but were hindered by the need to play run defence for most of the game. An already-decimated secondary wasn’t assisted by an injury to Michael Coe, and Corey Webster delivered one of the worst performances by a Giants defensive back in recent memory. Collectively the Giants corners looked as if they had never seen a slant pattern in their lives.

The Giants met a much-improved Cowboys team but still had plenty of opportunities to finish the job. The goal-line 3-and-out following Boley’s pick, countless dropped passes and the inability to capitalise on twelve Cowboys penalties were all pivotal moments in which the Giants could have secured victory.

Dallas outplayed and outcoached New York, keeping the Giants off the field for all but three offensive possessions in the second half. In a reversal of fortunes, it was the Cowboys who displayed an uncharacteristic determination to close out the game. The Giants need to improve their offensive line, cornerback and receiver play immediately or risk starting the season 0-4. The game against Tampa is now must-win (not that it wasn’t before Thursday’s result) but thankfully the Giants have eleven days to put things right.

Sport: Have England's footballers gone soft?

Article published on Inquirelive.co.uk on 4th September 2012.
Have England's footballers gone soft?

Sunderland’s Adam Johnson is the latest England player to succumb to injury ahead of Friday’s World Cup qualifying fixture against Moldova. There are nine absentees from Roy Hodgson’s squad, and Johnson’s absence is the latest in a spate of recent injuries.

Wayne Rooney, set to return to England duty on a full-time basis after a cameo in Euro 2012, was sidelined with a frankly horrific cut sustained during Manchester United’s 3-2 win over Fulham on August 25th. His is the most high-profile of a long list of injuries to befall regular England players, and Scott Parker, Gareth Barry, Ashley Young, Phil Jones, Andy Carroll, Jack Wilshere and Ashley Cole all join him and Johnson on the physio’s table.

Some of these injuries are genuinely serious and the crocked players, like Rooney and Wilshere, are set to miss significant time. But the sheer volume of injuries – many of which players are due to be ‘fully recovered’ from in a matter of days - turns me towards the old debate over whether players prefer playing for their club or representing their country.

It’s an argument that can be traced back a few years to Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher’s assertion in his autobiography, published in 2008, that England players value their club over their country.

Carragher wrote: “Playing for Liverpool has been a full-time commitment. What followed with England was an extra honour, but not the be-all and end-all of my purpose in the game.”

It’s a stance that few have taken publically but it may still ring true to current players.

There are few people that expect England to struggle against Moldova on Friday, and Carragher’s comment may ring true to players only a matter of weeks into the start of a new Premier League season.

Fast-forward to recent times and discussion surrounding the commitment of international players has not gone away.

Prior to England’s friendly against Denmark in February of 2011 Geoff Hurst publically claimed, in an interview with The Telegraph, that: “Clubs have become more important than the national side...I find it astounding when players don’t turn up for England.”

It was a claim refuted by Chelsea’s Frank Lampard but re-iterated by former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp. Prior to the Denmark game a number of high-profile England players such as Steven Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand were absent, and what transpired then has alarming parallels with the current state of the England squad.

What’s worse is that there is continual evidence of this happening at the highest level of football. Gareth Bale shakily admitted that he was too injured to partake in the Olympics for Stuart Pearce’s GB team, but appeared for Spurs in a pre-season fixture in Los Angeles just days later. Contrast this with Manchester City and Argentina’s Sergio Agüero, who risks the wrath of his club for attempting to force his way onto the Argentina squad in spite of a knee injury.

Whether they are legitimately injured or not, many of England’s players past and present can certainly be accused of taking ‘the Gareth Bale approach’ as opposed to ‘the Sergio Agüero approach’ that harkens back to the days of Geoff Hurst in which players would go above and beyond to appear for their country, if not for a sense of patriotic pride, but simply because it was, and still is, their job.

Sport: Rugby In Rio

Article published on Inquirelive.co.uk on 13th August 2012.
Rugby in Rio: Team GB to prepare a 'sevens' squad

On October 9th, 2009 the International Olympic Committee approved Rugby sevens and Golf for inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

It is not the first time that Rugby has been included in the Olympic programme. Rugby made its debut in the second Olympic Games of the modern era in 1900, and would be contested again in 1908, 1920 and 1924. No more than three teams ever competed in each year, and gold medals were won by France, Australasia and twice by the United States.

Olympic Rugby then took a hiatus of almost a century, and is returning in four year’s time due to the recent successes of the sevens game. After several failed bids for Rugby’s inclusion in past Olympics, the abandonment of traditional fifteen-a-side rugby union in favour of the “short game” looks to have been the deciding factor in its recent inclusion.

The widespread accessibility of sevens, the IRB Rugby World Cup Sevens’ easily-adaptable format, and the IRB’s offer to drop the World Cup all worked favourably in the Olympic bid.

England, current world champions Wales and Scotland have all been a key part of these tournaments since their inception, and will no doubt unify as part of Team GB in Rio.

So what can we expect from Team GB rugby in four years time?

Scottish legend Gavin Hastings recently stated, in an interview with the Daily Record, that he expects Team GB to be a miniature version of the Lions squad. Of course, it will be a Lions void of any Irish influence. While the respective British and Irish Rugby Football Union’s may co-operate every four years in order to assemble the British and Irish Lions, Olympic ruling dictates that this will not be possible in Rio.

There exist potential complications regarding the status of Northern Irish players, who would be eligible to play for Team GB under Olympic ruling but otherwise represent Ireland as part of a unified Irish RFU. It is entirely possible that a player’s commitment to Ireland may cause a conflict of interest to emerge.

Team GB will face still competition from the dominant forces in international rugby – New Zealand, Australia and South Africa – but still have a realistic shot based on the strength of their respective component nations on the sevens circuit.

It is hard to predict what area players will be selected from. There are a crop of current internationals, many of whom have a past in sevens, and all possess the attributes necessary for success in the short code despite their experience playing fifteen-a-side. Sevens is built around pace, quickness, vision, handling, passing and defence, and players such as England’s Ben Youngs and Manu Tuilagi, Wales’ Leigh Halfpenny and George North, and Scotland’s Tim Visser all have these skills in abundance.

Tuilagi offers the team a level of physicality not often seen on the IRB sevens circuit, and he is not alone. A combination with Wales’ Jamie Roberts could prove particularly potent, and both men offer selectors the size needed to be dangerous in the loose and effective in set-pieces. England flanker Tom Croft has experience in the England sevens set up and has displayed an affinity for scoring throughout his career for England and the Lions.

There is much to be said for chemistry, too. North, Halfpenny and Roberts are likely to be standouts for Wales for the next four years, and Youngs and Tuilagi figure to be the same for England.

It is entirely possible that selectors will go for current sevens players due to the possibility of an imposed age restriction, as is the case with Olympic football. There are current sevens stars such as England’s Jamie Gibson and Scotland’s Colin Gregor who may feature in 2016.

But assuming there is not an age cap, it is my opinion that these seven men should be on the flight to Rio in four years time to represent Team GB:

Manu Tuilagi – England
Jamie Roberts – Wales
Tom Croft - England
Ben Youngs – England
Leigh Halfpenny - Wales
Tim Visser – Scotland
George North - Wales.

Sport: Scouting Underway For 2013 British And Irish Lions Tour

The now-balmy English summertime does not normally offer much to talk about in the way of Northern Hemisphere rugby. Many of the summer’s Sevens tournaments are wrapped up, and the home nations’ respective tours of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and the Pacific islands are done and dusted.

All eyes are turning towards the start of the Aviva Premiership and the Pro 12, but there is, however, an event that looms large on the sporting horizon. No, not the Olympics, but the 2013 British and Irish Lions tour to Australia, which rugby fans can all agree is a far more entertaining prospect than whatever happens in London this summer.

While it may seem like a long way off – the Lions first outing against the Barbarians in Hong Kong takes place little under a year from now – make no mistakes, the British and Irish Lions’ brass will already be looking at candidates for the Lions tour, and it ultimately comes down to form.

The autumn internationals and the Six Nations are of paramount importance in terms of Lions selection and you can expect many of the eventual tourists, including some of the men I am about to analyse, to have laid down their markers in the upcoming months, whether they be regular starters or fringe prospects.

England:

For many of England’s lions hopefuls’, separating themselves from their counterparts in Wales, Ireland and Scotland should be their main objective this autumn. Players such as Chris Ashton, Courtney Lawes and Tom Croft – the latter two both returning from injury in time for the upcoming domestic and international season – will likely make the team, but despite their recent successes the England team are still somewhat experimental and there are several England players who need to have a strong autumn in order to secure a lions place.

Ben Foden & Mike Brown

To put it simply, these two will be competing for the England number 15 shirt throughout the domestic season and in England training camp, and whoever wins it will more than likely be the full back invited on the Lions tour.

Both are a reliable presence under the high ball, are deft with the ball in hand, and have a knack for scoring tries. Both will be given ample opportunities to shine, but Foden will emerge as the Lions’ preferred option. Leigh Halfpenny and Rob Kearney are the expected incumbents, with the former sharing Foden’s ability to play on the wing. Brown is good, but Foden offers Lions’ selectors more options.

Ben Foden and Mike Brown are rivals for selection.

Ben Morgan

Anglo-Welsh number eight Ben Morgan finds himself in a sticky situation of sorts. Although he performed admirably in the Six Nations and in Englands tour of South Africa, proving to be a talented and robust presence at the breakdown and in the scrum, and a better-than-expected ball carrier.

He will need to maintain his good form throughout the Pro 12 season as well as during the QBE internationals, but Morgan also needs to push himself as a major presence in the England set up. The reason for this? He is in an incredibly crowded number eight picture that features Ireland’s Jamie Heaslip and Peter O’Mahoney and Wales’ Toby Faletau and Gareth Delve, and could easily get lost in the pack in the absence of a string of stand-out performances.

England play Fiji on November 10th, Australia on November 17th, South Africa on November 24th and New Zealand on December 1st.

Scotland:

Despite being the only northern hemisphere side to claim a major scalp down under, beating Australia 9-6 in Newcastle, New South Wales, it is almost a foregone conclusion that short of a Six Nations title, Scotland will send the fewest Lions tourists out of all the home nations. However, Andy Robinson’s squad still has some bright spots and several players could force their way into the touring party.

Richie Gray

Excuse the pun, but Richie Gray is almost a lock to make the Lions team.

Gray has been one of Scotland’s brightest spots, in a pack that features previous Lions tourists Euan Murray and Ross Ford, over the past year. On his current form there is no doubt that he will be picked but he will need to maintain it over a gruelling autumn schedule in order to secure his spot. His new coach at Sale, Bryan Redpath, has recently stated in an interview with The Scotsman that ‘reputation counts for nothing’. This is equally true with the Lions.

Much like England’s Ben Morgan, Gray faces tough competition due to the abundance of world-class performers at his position. Ireland have Donncha O’Callaghan and Paul O’Connell, Wales have Alun Wyn Jones, and England have an abundance of quality second row options in Tom Palmer, Courtney Lawes and Geoff Parling. Gray’s youth may make him an enticing prospect but he still has much to prove this autumn.

Tim Visser

If you need an example of how to make an impact on a rugby debut, look no further than Tim Visser.

The 2012 Pro 12 Player’s Player of the year made his much-anticipated debut for Scotland after three years of residency (Visser is Dutch and only became eligible after this period) against Fiji in June, and marked his debut with two tries in a 37-25 victory.

The flying Dutchman has been the Pro 12’s leading try scorer for three consecutive seasons, no small feat given that Shane Williams and Tommy Bowe both call the Pro 12 home, and it is clear that he is one of the more potent try scorers in domestic rugby in the Northern Hemisphere.

The key for Visser in terms of Lions selection is to translate his exceptional production for Edinburgh onto the international stage. No disrespect to the pacific islands, but Visser is yet to play any of the southern hemisphere’s ‘big three’ and strong performances will go a long way to disprove any claims that he is just a one-hit wonder.

Scotland play New Zealand on the November 11th, South Africa on November 17th and Tonga on November 25th.

Ireland:

Ireland, along with Wales, will likely provide the bulk of the touring party. They are strong in most positions, with a solid pack consisting of standouts Rory Best, Cian Healy, Donncha O’Callaghan, Stephen Ferris and Jamie Heaslip, and backs Jonathan Sexton, Tommy Bowe and Rob Kearney. While Ireland’s ‘golden generation’ have been criminal underperformers at international level, the fact that they hold such a title suggests that there is enough talent to build a Lions squad around them.

Brian O’Driscoll

One such player, even at the advanced age of 33 years old, is Brian O’Driscoll. Ultimately unless he picks up a serious long-term injury and ends up missing the autumn tests, a large chunk of the domestic season, and the six nations, O’Driscoll is as close to a certainty as any player in Britain and Ireland can be.

The reason why the mercurial O’Driscoll is on this list is because he faces stiff competition for another spot on the team. Its captaincy. Other than Wales’ Sam Warburton there are no realistic candidates for the job. Since being handed the Wales captaincy Warburton has been nothing short of brilliant, but on their recent tour to Australia, he was manhandled by David Pocock. Sure, Warburton was not 100% fit, but I doubt his ability to direct the flow of three pivotal test matches whilst fighting an unrelenting world-class opponent in Pocock.

Step forward Brian O’Driscoll.

His credentials speak for themselves, with an illustrious career at the helm of Ireland, and more recently captaining Leinster as they became a dynasty of European rugby. Despite recent periods of underachievement from Ireland, O’Driscoll’s importance is made far clearer when he is absent. Look at the 2005 Lions team and Ireland at the last six nations. BOD’s qualities as an experienced leader and battle-hardened veteran of three Lions tours make him the ideal captain for the tour to Australia.

Ireland play South Africa on November 10th and Argentina on November 24th.

Wales:

Wales’ tour to Australia this summer was arguably the most important of the summer internationals. Somewhat concerningly Wales had a sneak-preview of the Australian side and came away thoroughly beaten. Warren Gatland is expected to be the head coach of the Lions next summer, and he will probably bring with him a large contingent of Welsh coaches and players. As with Ireland, Wales will likely contribute the largest amount of players to the squad and like Ireland there are many players whose current form will have them already pencilled in for spots on the tour. But within the Welsh squad there are many position battles which will have an impact on the final selections for the Lions squad.

Gareth Delve

Despite making only eleven appearances for Wales in six years, Gareth Delve is surprisingly in contention to make an appearance on the Lions tour. Replacing the injured Toby Faletau, Delve was brought into the Wales team this summer and performed commendably.

Delve needs to establish regular playing time with Wales over the course of the autumn and the Six Nations in 2013, but fortunately for him his form throughout the past Super 15 season more than warrants consideration by Warren Gatland. Ironically, the very reason for his recent good form, his playing for the Melbourne Rebels, is arguably his biggest obstacle. In Australia he is arguably ‘out of the picture’ for Wales, and perhaps a move to Toulon, as was rumoured in 2011, may have increased his chances of being selected for Wales and by extension the British and Irish Lions.

But opting to stay in Melbourne could also be advantageous for Delve. He recently told the Western Mail that he hopes his ‘decent knowledge’ of Australian rugby will make him an attractive option to Lions selectors.

Delve will have to outperform Ryan Jones – whose career is undoubtedly in its twilight – and Toby Faletau. Faletau himself has been touted as a potential star for the Lions, and has performed exceptionally well for wales since his debut in June 2011. However, Delve has outperformed Faletau in their respective domestic competitions, and with Stirling Mortlock retiring, Delve is in line to become the Rebels’ captain. There are of course limited spots for back-row forwards, and whoever secures the Welsh number 8 job will likely be the one to go on tour.

Wales play Argentina on November 10th, Samoa on November 16th, New Zealand on November 24th and Australia on December 1st.

Sport: NFL - NFC East Predictions 2012

This rather lengthy piece was written for a friend who has his own NFL-centric blog. I am looking to expand my NFL-based output as the season nears, and I will be writing articles previewing several other NFL divisons, as well as opinion pieces.

New York Giants:

For those of you with a good memory, you may remember that the last time the New York Football Giants defended a Super Bowl title, they did rather well. In 2008 they finished the season 12-4 after a 10-1 start, including victories over the Baltimore Ravens, the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers at home, and Super Bowl runners up the Arizona Cardinals. But then Plaxico Burress shot himself in a nightclub and the team suffered a well-documented implosion of sorts. The Philadelphia Eagles got hot at exactly the right time, while the Giants floundered and crashed out of the playoffs.

So, I think I speak for Giants fans everywhere when I say ‘fingers crossed Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks don’t shoot themselves this season’.

The wide receiver partnership of Nicks and Cruz is arguably far more potent than the 2008 partnership of Burress and Toomer, and for the Giants to have a productive 2012 season they need to stay healthy. A second Super Bowl ring and a string of clutch victories have ended the discussion over whether Eli Manning is elite, but questions remain over his supporting cast. Nicks is arguably the Giants’ key player heading into 2012, but can still elevate his game after moments last season which no doubt left Giants fans pulling their hair out. Cruz exploded into one of the NFL’s premier wideouts but will need to maintain that standard this season to prove he wasn’t a one hit wonder.

The Giants of 2011 were ravaged by injuries before the season had started, and throughout the season key players such as Defensive Ends Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, and offensive linemen Chris Snee and David Baas all suffered injuries that limited their effectiveness. As of yet there have been no major training camp injuries, and a healthy Giants defence should be much improved from its points and yards rankings of 25^th and 27^th, respectively. It isn’t a surprise that the Giants end of season run coincided with a largely healthy defence.
Although the defensive line is arguably the best in the NFL, and will only improve with the return of a healthy Tuck and a Umenyiora with a new contract, the Giants still have a glaring weakness on defence – the secondary. A unit comprised of Antrel Rolle, Terrell Thomas (injured last season), Kenny Phillips, Corey Webster and Prince Amukamara should, on talent alone, be near the top of the NFL’s rankings. But it is not. They need to learn to play as a unit and not, as it has felt in recent seasons, a group of individuals. The running game has also suffered following the break-up of ‘Earth, Wind and Fire’ in 2008, but the explosive rookie David Wilson should provide a solid compliment to Ahmad Bradshaw and improve the units overall production. The offensive line is another area of uncertainty, with the largely unproven James Brewer and Mitch Petrus likely to take a starring role this season.

Speaking of offseason personnel changes, the Giants have made some shrewd moves that will have an immediate impact. Mario Manningham, Jake Ballard and Brandon Jacobs have been replaced by exciting rookie prospects Rueben Randle, Adrien Robinson and David Wilson, while the Giants brought in Keith Rivers via trade. Rivers is a solid linebacker when not injured (there’s a trend emerging here....) and should shore up the middle of the defence.

I think it is unlikely that the Giants will repeat as Super Bowl champions, but it is a safe bet that Tom Coughlin will have his men prepared to mount a hell of a title defence. Coughlin has proven in the past that he is as adept at psychologically preparing his team following periods of success as he is following periods of adversity. If history repeats itself, the Giants’ performance in 2012 could mirror that of 2008. If they can stay healthy and both the offense and defence play to the level that Giants fans know they can there is no reason Tom Coughlin’s men cannot win the NFC East and make a deep playoff run.

Dallas Cowboys:

It has become something of a tradition for football pundits to name Dallas as division champions/conference champions/Super Bowl participants before the season has started. In recent years they have fallen comically short of these estimations, and have reached the post-season only once in the past four seasons.

But I am going to submit to this trend only because this season it is true. The Dallas Cowboys of 2011 almost won the NFC East. If Miles Austin and Tony Romo connect on a key third down in the fourth quarter against the Giants in week 14, the Cowboys win that game and the Giants are eliminated from playoff contention. How different would the NFL landscape look if that had happened?

Make no mistake about it, the team – and not just Tony Romo - have fourth quarter and second half of the season issues and they could well be a deciding factor in how the 2012 Dallas Cowboys finish. However the Cowboys have a schedule which is one of the toughest in the division, but five of their last seven games taking place at home, which should give them an advantage heading into the latter part of the season.

I’m going to play the health card again and say that if Tony Romo can stay injury-free this season he can lead the Cowboys back to the playoffs. There are few quarterbacks who performed better in the regular season than Romo last year, and fans can look to him to improve further – particularly in his decision-making - in 2012. In a division dependent on good quarterback play, the Cowboys made a shrewd move in the acquisition of Kyle Orton: a more than dependable backup should Romo go down injured. His supporting cast remains largely unchanged and should cause problems for NFC East defences all season. It remains to be seen just how much of a headache Dez Bryant will become, however. If he remains injury-free and his ongoing legal issues wrap up prior to the opening game against the Giants, the Cowboys offense becomes infinitely more potent. Similarly, Demarco Murray needs to emerge as a three-down back in order to bring much-needed balance to the Cowboys attack.

But the Cowboys’ offence hasn’t been the issue over the past few seasons. No, their Achilles heel, particularly last season under Rob Ryan, has been their defence. But the ‘boys have seemingly made it an offseason priority to shore up some glaring weaknesses: Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr have been brought in via the draft and free agency in order to bolster a vulnerable secondary, Anthony Spencer was re-signed, and draft picks Tyron Crawford and Kyle Wilbur should help anchor the rest of the defence.

This prediction is entirely dependent on the Cowboys’ ability to cut out the costly mistakes that reared their head all too often last season. Much of this is dependent on the coaching staff and Tony Romo, but in terms of personnel the Cowboys have shored up key weaknesses and have more than enough talent to finish the season with double-digit wins and a spot in the playoffs.

Philadelphia Eagles: Another memory test here: remember when freshly acquired back-up quarterback Vince Young decided to declare the 2011 incarnation of the Philadelphia Eagles as ‘the dream team’, in the process placing biblical levels of pressure on the team before a single meaningful game had been played? Who doesn’t? Of course, it’s unlikely that Young intended his words to weigh as heavily as an albatross round the Eagles’ collective necks, but it certainly had a detrimental effect on the team’s performance throughout 2011.

Fast-forward to July 2012, and Michael Vick has crowned the Eagles the NFL’s next ‘dynasty’ team. Well, they do say it’s a copycat league, and Vick is doing his best Vince Young impression. It remains to be seen how this impacts the team however, and his claim could well end up mirroring Eli Manning’s 2011 pre-season assertion that he is ‘elite’. A lot of people ate humble pie after Super Bowl XLVI and a lot more could be eating it again after Super Bowl XLVII. Who Knows?

The ‘dream team’ however, is in a state of flux. Many of the players brought in last offseason are now gone, with players such as Ronnie Brown, Steve Smith and Vince Young leaving for pastures new, and marquee signings such as Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie underperformed for large parts of the season. But despite this, there remain a core of players whose presence makes Philadelphia a formidable opponent and ultimately playoff contenders. Players such as Evan Mathis, Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins, along with the addition of Demeco Ryans and the improved form of Asomugha and Rodgers-Cromartie, will no doubt see the Eagles remain competitive for most of the season. They also made some solid personnel moves with the acquisition of OT Demetress Bell, as well as re-signing DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy. The Eagles looked to shore up their defence through the draft as well, drafting exciting defensive prospects Fletcher Cox, Mychal Kendricks and Vinny Curry. Providing they stay healthy and play as a cohesive unit, the Eagles defence could easily be one of the league’s best in 2012.

But speaking of rookies, there is another who could see a fair amount of playing time in 2012: Arizona’s Nick Foles. I hear you, the Eagles have a perfectly good quarterback in Michael Vick, but Vick is someone who has completed only one full season since his rookie season in 2001. Much like his counterparts Manning and Romo, the Eagles live and die on the performance of Vick – compare the quality of his performances in 2010 and 2011 and their relation to the team’s success - and he isn’t getting any younger. No disrespect to Foles, but his NFL career is in its infancy, and if he has to take the reins, it is bad news for Eagles fans.

It may be in vogue to say that Andy Reid is on the ‘hot seat’ this season, but it’s hard to disagree. There is no doubt that Reid’s tenure is stagnating, and despite the fact that he is one of the league’s better coaches, his Eagles look no closer to winning a championship. It’s a situation reminiscent of Jeff Fischer in Tennessee. If we’re being realistic, if the Eagles finish higher than .500 Reid will keep his job. This is likely, but will they become Michael Vick’s dynasty team? With Andy Reid at the helm I can’t be so sure.

The Eagles no doubt have the talent to win the NFC East – their four game win streak at the end of last season could well be the real deal - but it’s hard to imagine them putting their egos aside and performing to the level that everyone knows they can. If they do, and Vick rekindles his 2010 form, there is no reason that they cannot amass at least 10 wins, and the NFC East will potentially see a team with double-digit wins failing to reach the playoffs (on the grounds that the NFC North is also extremely competitive). Failing that, 9-7 is a more realistic estimation.

Washington Redskins: Perennial basement-dwellers the Washington Redskins will remain that in 2012, and as much as Redskins fans won’t want to hear it, the Redskins will finish below .500 once again. The ‘Skins face a tough schedule in which they play five games against NFC East opponents (and Baltimore) in the space of seven weeks.

That isn’t to say that it’s all doom-and-gloom in DC though.

The Washington Redskins, at least offensively, are the Carolina Panthers of 2012. We all know how the Panthers came out of nowhere and lit the league up with an explosive offense, led by an exciting rookie prospect at the quarterback position. Well, the Redskins’ paid a king’s ransom to draft Robert Griffin III in a move that is clearly designed to emulate the success of Newton and a crop of highly-mobile quarterbacks around the league. Last season Newton rushed for 706 yards and 14 touchdowns. Tim Tebow rushed for 660 yards and 6 touchdowns. Michael Vick had 589 yards and a solitary touchdown. Even the pocket passers are getting in on the action. Aaron Rodgers, Josh Freeman and Christian Ponder all rushed for over 200 yards each with Rodgers and Freeman both registering multiple touchdowns. Colts rookie Andrew Luck ran a 4.59 at the NFL combine and appears to be in the same mould as Rodgers. All signs point to Griffin being a more than capable passer, but in a rookie season he may be forced to rely upon his legs as he adjusts to the nuances of the NFL game. Griffin will no doubt put up impressive numbers on the ground, and the whole Redskins offense will be the better for it.

As key to the success of the offense as Griffin is, there is no doubt that he can’t do it all by himself. To draw an obvious parallel, Cam Newton may have been in a similar situation last year in Carolina but he had a solid supporting cast of Steve Smith, Greg Olsen, DeAngelo Williams and Jeremy Shockey. Seemingly the Redskins recognise this and have made moves this offseason to give Griffin something resembling a receiver corps to utilise, something the team has lacked for several years. Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan have been brought in to complement veteran receiver Santana Moss, the promising but inconsistent Anthony Armstrong, and Tight Ends Fred Davis and Chris Cooley. The Redskins lack a home-run hitter at the position, but the group should put up decent stats and most vitally give Griffin no shortage of options. The ‘Skins also have a nice stable of running backs now that Tim Hightower is reunited with promising sophomore back Roy Helu following a torn ACL last season. Hightower and Helu looked dangerous in their brief time spent together and should perform well behind a decent offensive line anchored by Trent Williams and Kory Lichtensteiger.

Defensively the Redskins are underrated. The unit finished the 2011 season ranked 13th overall, but the front seven combine to form a formidable pass rush. Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett’s system is high-risk/high-reward and this is shown in the amount of pressure that the unit garner (according to Footballoutsiders.com the Redskins’ defence ranked first in pass pressure), but this also tends to leave the secondary dangerously exposed. With a pair of arguably talented but patchy safeties in Brandon Merriweather and Tanard Jackson, this could be a major weak point in an otherwise solid Redskins defence. London Fletcher is the heart of this front seven, leading by example in a ferocious linebacking corps that also contains Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan. Barry Cofield, Kedric Golston and Stephen Bowen are all dependable players on a staunch defensive line, but are surprisingly vulnerable against the run, an area in which the Redskins ranked 18^th last season.

Despite a lack of progression under Mike Shanahan, it is clear that the Redskins are making moves that will see an improvement in the 2012 season. The ‘Skins are still in the process of rebuilding, but they are now beginning to do things the right way and according to the wishes of Mike Shanahan and not owner Daniel Snyder. They have bucked the trend of ridiculous FA-singings and are building via the draft. Admittedly a league-imposed salary cap hit wiped out $18 Million dollars of cap space, making it particularly difficult for Snyder to bring in the next Haynesworth/McNabb/Portis/Hall (delete as applicable). Although they may be improving off the field, these moves are unlikely to have an immediate impact and will not translate into a winning season. The Redskins are team very much in transition, and inexperience and a tough schedule will combine to keep the ‘Skins at the bottom of the NFC East.

Sport: London 2012 - GB Olympic Football Team

PEARCE ANNOUNCES TEAM GB FOOTBALL SQUAD FOR LONDON OLYMPICS.

On Monday, Stuart Pearce announced his 18-man squad for the London 2012 Olympics.

Unsurprisingly, Craig Bellamy, Ryan Giggs and Micah Richards are the three players over the age of 23 selected to form an experienced nucleus within the side, with the rest of the squad composed of three Welshmen and twelve Englishmen.

In a similarly unexpected move, David Beckham and Gareth Bale were omitted from the squad. Beckham for what Pearce described as ‘footballing reasons’, and Bale for a back injury sustained days ago.

Beckham’s is of course the most notable omission. Widely expected to be picked by virtue of his work in the promotion of the London Olympic bid, Beckham has been excluded by Pearce on footballing grounds. While it is true that Beckham can still play, he does not fit in with Pearce’s vision. Pearce has stated the focus of his team will be on pace and versatility, traits that even the most ardent of Beckham’s fans must admit he does not possess. Micah Richards, Ryan Giggs and Craig Bellamy, however, all fit Pearce’s mold: the pace of the premier league has clearly prevailed over Beckham’s MLS.

Beckham, however, may still receive a place on the currently undisclosed four-man standby list.

Also notable is the absence of Northern Irish and Scottish players. In the past, hypothetical Olympic squads may have featured the name ‘Darren Fletcher’ on them, but illness has halted the Scot’s career for now. Another Fletcher, Steven, looked worthy of inclusion after scoring twelve goals for Wolves last season, but was omitted.

But, similar to his exclusion of David Beckham, Pearce is justified in his decision-making. Olympic selection in other disciplines does not work in this way, and players simply cannot be selected based on nationality in order to satiate home nations. However, the Scottish and Irish Football Associations could arguably be relieved by this move. Neither supported the idea of ‘Team GB’ and the SFA in particular wanted no Scottish players to participate.

Beckham is predictably upset about his exclusion, but one could forgive him for not being so. While the buzz surrounding the resurrection of a football team representing Great Britain at the Olympics is justified, from a footballing perspective the Olympics are a second-rate competition. While the summer Olympics are widely accepted as the zenith of athletic achievement, it can be seen that this does not apply to Football.

There are of course far more prestigious prizes in football. The World Cup, European Championship, and Copa América all immediately spring to mind, and one would be hard-pressed to find a footballer who values the prospect of an Olympic medal over a domestic title.

There has always been an undeniable lack of enthusiasm in Olympic football competition, shown not just by fans, but by athletes themselves. Welsh hurdler Dai Greene recently stated: “I don’t think the football team should be here”.      He almost has a point. Although the conditioning and preparation of footballers cannot be compared to that of other Olympians, it does not mean that the footballers present at the Olympics are not at the peak of the youth game. No one can deny that Brazil’s Neymar is not the world’s superlative young footballer.

However, even though players such as Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Ferenc Puskás have won medals, success at the Olympics remains a mere footnote in their careers. 

Regardless of the dispute over the status of footballers as ‘true’ Olympians, it can be seen that the resurrection of the GB Olympic football team came at the right time, at the London Olympics, and hot on the tails of a much-celebrated performance by England’s footballers in the European Championships. Despite that, the team will enter, and possibly leave, the tournament forever known as the team that David Beckham built but ultimately never played for.