Men against Boy's?

The only match played in the Men's Elie Series this weekend turned out to be a stroll in the park for Hammarby. According to reports, Spartacus only managed to to bring 15 players to Arsta for this clash and as a consequence had nobody available on the bench. Although Hammarby took the lead within the first few minutes, the visitors attempted to take the game to the opposition and at times managed to gain some ground. However it did not take long until the home side scored again and with an injury suffered to a front row player , the game had to resort to un-contested scrums. With the Hammarby 10 controlling the game, the visitors struggled in many aspects of the game, although to give them credit, they still attempted to attack and scored two fine tries and a penalty, through some fine work by their forwards. Nothing though was going to stop Hammarby and they eventually ran out 59-13 winners.
This fine win sees Hammarby go 2 points clear at the top of the league and with two games left to play before the semi-final against Goteborg and Enkoping, it is difficult not to see them finish there.
Spartacus on the other hand have away games against Enkoping and Exiles, both away. They will need to have a full compliment of players if they are not to suffer similar results as this.

South Africa 44 Australia 31

First, the plaudits. This was a worthy victory for the under-pressure world champions. It was South Africa’s first success after four defeats and, to claim it, they twice came back from a 14-point deficit.

That’s not all. The Springboks also had to wait until the 50th minute of a pulsating fixture to get their noses in front, and it wasn’t until the final minute that the Boks were assured of victory when JP Pietersen went over in the corner.

As a jubilant Pietersen touched down, it was impossible not to reflect on the game last week when New Zealand, in a similarly tight encounter, finished the stronger side to defeat the Boks. Even on their week off, the Blacks cast a dark shadow.
Once again South Africa played to their strengths. The huge and athletic back row of Pierre Spies, Schalk Burger and Juan Smith were outstanding in defence and dominated the close-quarter exchanges.
There was greater cohesion, too, in the midfield, brought about by the returning Jaque Fourie, and it was Springbok physicality generally, forcing Australia to attempt flamboyant attacks from long range, which turned the game.
No surprises there, and this is where Wallaby coach Robbie Deans comes under fire. Deans, a spectacularly convincing operator with the Crusaders in New Zealand on the provincial circuit, is struggling to make an impact at Test level.
After posting 28 points in the first half, the Wallabies faded badly to grab just three in the second. Yet again they struggled on the tight head at scrum time against a weakish Bok front row.
Yet again the back five of the scrum, despite occasional sparks from Rocky Elsom and David Pocock, were shaded as an outfit. These are not new concerns, and Deans is plainly still some distance away from solving the problems.
Drew Mitchell had a try disallowed after 1 minute 36 seconds and there were .4 tries inside the first 10 minutes, seven by half time. It was a startling example of the new-look rugby which has been an impressive feature of a wonderful Tri-Nations tournament.
Critics, and there are bound to be some, will point to serious individual errors which led to several scores. Bryan Habana, one of the darlings of the global game, dropped a restart to gift James O’Connor a score. Victor Matfield, on the occasion of his 100th cap, failed to cling on to Will Genia, and the Springbok prop, Gurthro Steenkamp, barreled through at least three weak Wallaby efforts as he finished off a cleverly worked Bok lineout scam.
The match also threw up what appeared to be another innovation in international rugby in that several Springboks deliberately went into contact back first to protect the ball.
Burger was the clearest and most regular exponent, using his back as a shield, and Spies and Pietersen also adopted the technique. In a game where the focus is increasingly on the tackler trying to dislodge or strip the ball on the hit, the back to front method might be the way forward.
The same two sides are at it again this Saturday, the weekend the English Premiership begins. If the entertainment is only half as good in this part of the world, we’re in for one heck of a season.
 

By Paul Ackford
Published: 6:17PM BST 28 Aug 2010 in the Daily Telegraph.

Saturday's Big Game

Whilst most people will believe that it is the Tri-Nations match between South Africa and Australia, they would be wrong. There is a much more important game taking place in Stockholm this weekend. Yes, it's the delayed match from the beginning of the season, between Hammarby and Spartacus. The only elite series match that is on this Saturday. Naturally, Hammarby will be the favourites against the upstarts from the West. With the home side surprising their close and near neighbours, ( Exiles and Enkoping) they will be full of confidence going into this match. Having won a close match against the visitors earlier in the series and with the two best players in Sweden available to them, following their return from abroad the home side should run away with the game. But will they? Sparatcus have proved to be a difficult team to play against, with some outstanding defence. If they field their strongest team, (always a difficult thing for away teams in Sweden), then Hammarby could find this a difficult encounter. However we are going to predict a home win following a tough battle. Will we be correct? time will tell.
If you are in the Stockholm area, try to watch the match as you could be seeing the future champions.

Men's Elite Series Results.

Surprise result of the day? It had to be Exiles thrashing of Enkoping.  Both teams were at full strength and this game was expected to be a tough battle. But with Exiles running everything at the visitors they soon  had the opposition under pressure and gained the first point after 5 minutes with a superbly executed pass leading to a converted try. With their tails up, Exiles began to dominate the game and only tremendous defence managed to keep the rampant home team out. However the defence was finally breached following another fine move resulted in the second try. Then just before half time Exiles produced another converted try to lead 19-0.
Despite some heavy rain, the home side scored again within 2 minutes of the restart. 13 minutes later they added another converted score. The home side then relaxed somewhat and Enkoping tried to get back into the game but never really threatened to go over the whitewash. To add to the humiliation the home side added another 2 tries in the final minutes to record a fine 41-0 win.

Hammarby made the long trip to Trelleborg for their clash against Pingvin. As expected, they managed to handle the journey and the opposition to win 7-29. Although they did not have it all their own way and some  fine rugby by Pingvin made the visitors work hard for the win. Hammarby are playing with some flair and will obviously be happy to have returned to winning ways, whilst Pingvin will take heart from this performance. Next up for Hammarby is a home match against Spartacus and they will be very confident of a positive result to put them back on top of the league. Pingvin will have to battle it out against Goteborg to ensure that they don't finish bottom, this performance will give them the confidence to succeed.


Spartacus were still missing some players but had a large enough squad to overcome this factor against a full squad from Goteborg. Within 5 minutes of the start, Spartacus were awarded a penalty and took a 3-0 lead, this seemed to spur Grf on and they came back to score a fine try, despite some missed tackles a well executed move saw them cross the line in the corner and suddenly they were in the lead 3-5. That was to be the only success they were to enjoy as the home side slowly took control of the game and playing to a simple but effective game plan they applied pressure to the visitor's defence scoring a converetd try under the posts. Soon after they were awarded another penalty and at half time led 13-0.
The second half followed a similar pattern as the first, but Goteborg were becoming increasingly frustrated by the defence of the home side and began to push their passes. Eventually this led to a dropped pass and the hosts took advantage to kick the ball downfield, from the resultant chase Goteborg conceded yet another penalty which was kicked to touch. From the line out a well worked move saw the home side go over the line to score another converted try. Not long after a further penalty was kicked and Spartacus earned a well deserved win and to advance them to the play offs. Whilst Grf must lick their wounds and hope they can overcome Pingvin to avoid relegation.

South Africa 22 New Zealand 29

An astonishing ending to a wonderful match, played out in front of 95,000 raucous spectators in Soweto, the venue for the final of the football World Cup between Holland and Spain.

New Zealand scored two tries in the final two minutes to win 29-22 and secure their tenth Tri-Nations title, leaving South Africa still searching for a victory after four attempts. Richie McCaw levelled the scores at 22-22 in the 78th minute before Israel Dagg killed off the Boks with a try in the 80th that has piled question upon question on the future of Bok rugby.

It was a tale of two skippers: McCaw an irresistible force, peerless and indefatigable, up against the aging, fiercely proud John Smit, a comparison made all the more poignant by the fact that Smit was winning his 100th cap, his 74th as captain of his country.
There was no doubt who came out on top. McCaw rode the waves of brutality better, emerging to guide his team home by being smarter, more up-to-date, more savvy. Smit and his Springboks, trapped in a time when physicality was the only game in town, couldn’t see it through, though the effort the team put in was mighty impressive.
The opening scenes were almost as remarkable as the climax, as Smit, in celebration of a century of appearances, was allowed to line up for the national anthems cradling his youngest child, not quite two-years-old, in his right arm.
If anything demonstrated Smit’s iconic status, that did. We are accustomed to see hordes of players’ kids accompanying their fathers on laps of honour at the end of tournaments. But before the game had even started? A game in which Smit’s reputation as well as his team’s was at stake. It just didn’t seem right.
For some years now, stretching right back to the Lions tour of South Africa in 2009, there have been rumours of a rift deep in the Bok camp.
The word was that coach Peter de Villiers was at odds with his senior players, principally Smit and lock Victor Matfield. No matter how vehemently successive Bok spokesmen played down the speculation, each occasion Smit and de Villiers were wheeled out to pontificate about their team’s prospects ahead of big games, it was Smit who talked sense, Smit who had the charisma.
But time seems to have caught up with the guy. He can no longer drag a game his country’s way as he did in the World Cup and against the Lions.
Facing Wales back at the start of the summer, in that ludicrous money-grabbing match hosted by the Welsh Rugby Union in Cardiff, Smit appeared vulnerable, and his performances in the Tri-Nations have merely confirmed that frailty.
Yesterday Smit was as good as he has been in ages. There is no sense he has lost his players. He did as much as anyone to smash the Blacks back in the tackle and, if the lineout wobbled occasionally, he also had a good day in the scrummage. But that’s the sadness of it all, the reason why he and this great Bok side, world champions and Lion-tamers both, need to move on.
Rugby is no longer about bash and bosh. The All Blacks have proved that. France have proved that. For over an hour South Africa tried to subdue New Zealand with brute force to prove to themselves as much as anyone else that the old ways are the right ways. But in the end they came up short.
The Blacks notched tries through McCaw, Tony Woodcock and Israel Dagg. South Africa managed one from Schalk Burger. End of story.
New Zealand were far from their best. There was no doubt that they struggled to cope with the battering they received from the Boks. But cope they did to confirm their status as the world’s best team by some distance. As for Smit? He was on one knee at the end, and there wasn’t a child in sight.

This article by Paul Ackford was first published in the Daily Telegraph on the 21st August 2010.

Saturday's Match Preview

First up this weekend is the visit of Hammarby to Pingvin.
After both sides suffered close losses last week they will be eager to earn a morale boosting win. Pingvin are difficult to beat at home and from all accounts a large squad to choose from last week. If that is the case again this Saturday, then they could well get a positive result. Hammarby though will be keen to put last weeks reverse behind them. They also have a large squad and will no doubt ensure that as many as possible make the trip. Having their confidence shaken slightly, they will be up for this encounter and we take them to record an away win, but will have to fight all the way for it.

Enkoping make the short journey to play Exiles and as they are sitting once again at the top of the tree, they will be very keen to remain there. Exiles will of course have their focus set on taking over that perch from the visitors and this could well be a dogged encounter. Both teams have quite a bit of flair in the backs so should be able to create opportunities, will nerves get the better of them?  Erk's look to have more natural talent whilst Exiles work their lines well. Will the Enkoping forwards be able to dominate their counterparts? A very close game we think, but we will go for an away win, but only just.

Lastly, the local derby of Spartacus against Goteborg. Both teams will be up for this as whoever wins will have bragging rights for a year, at least in the West. Spartacus have been the surprise package this season, running the Northern teams close in the three matches they have played against them so far, with 2 narrow losses and 1 draw. Goteborg have not had too good a season winning just once against their neighbours, by a close margin and suffering some heavy defeats. However they have bought back some old faces for this encounter, so that could prove interesting. So we guess that it be a case of who wants it most? After a mighty battle we will opt for a home win, but once again a close game.

Let's hope for some exciting rugby!

Weekend Round Up

The results went as predicted and as a consequence we see new leaders of the league albeit by points difference.
However Hammarby do have a game in hand and should they win that, they will leapfrog back to the top, providing that they do not suffer any more losses.

In an exciting match between Exiles and Hammarby there were plenty of tries 6 in all culminating in a 26-22 result. By all reports a good match to watch for the spectators with Exiles managing to hang on for the win after coming from behind, after conceding two tries in the first half and  another early in the second half. Having a reliable kicker obviously helped Exiles cause and it was this that finally made the difference. Hammarby will be disappointed o have run up a convincing lead, only to lose the match, but this setback could also be an inspiration for them. Whilst the Exiles will be starting to become more confident in their hopes to finish at the top of the league.

Goteborg put in a spirited performance against the current champions Enkoping, but it still was not enough to avoid another defeat. With the return of a some old faces the home side managed to score 23 points whilst conceding 41. Whilst the visitors do not appear to be the force of last year, all credit should be given to the home side for not lying down and having the courage to attack the visitors. With this win Enkoping are back on top of the league for the time being, can they stay there? Grf are going to struggle to avoid the ending up in the bottom two.

Pingvin entertained Spartacus in what was a crucial match for both clubs. Having never won at Pingvin's home it was a tough call for the visitors. However they came away with a 9-15 win and thereby put daylight between themselves and the bottom two. In a hard fought contest in very poor conditions Spartacus managed to score two tries and with some outstanding defence stopped the home side from touching down. Although Pingvin crossed the whitewash twice a knock on and a foot in touch came to the assistance of the visitors.

A fair start to the resumption of the Elite series,we look forward to next weekend and some more exciting rugby.