Ireland too strong for Wales in Dublin

Ireland too strong for Wales in Dublin

 

Dublin (AFP)

 

Ireland ended Welsh dreams of a record third Six Nations title in a row, with a clinical display in Dublin's Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

 

Warren Gatland's men simply never got close to the hosts, who tactically outmanoeuvred the giants in red, and boasted raw strength and aggression to complete the rout.

 

Ireland have not begun a Six Nations with back-to-back victories since the Grand Slam year of 2009, and this comprehensive result will have them dreaming in Dublin.

 

Jonny Sexton's boot dominated the game, but the performances of Peter O'Mahony, Paul O'Connell, Andrew Trimble and Rob Kearney will give England boss Stuart Lancaster plenty to ponder ahead of the mammoth clash in Twickenham in two week's time.

 

Ireland were already in confident mood following their 28-6 opening day win over Scotland, reflected in Joe Schmidt's decision to make just two changes to the starting line-up.

 

Ireland captain O’Connell, who withdrew on the morning of the Scotland game with a chest infection, returned, while Gordon D’Arcy resumed his record breaking midfield partnership with Brian O'Driscoll, making what's likely to be his penultimate Ireland appearance on home soil.

 

Wales were boosted by the return to fitness of their own skipper, Sam Warburton, who was one of three changes in the forward line, alongside Gethin Jenkins and Andrew Coombs.

 

Ireland were the only team to beat Wales in 11 Six Nations clashes, but the hype surrounding this game was not about the theme of Welsh revenge, but an altogether different grudge match, pitting the 'coldhearted' Lions boss Gatland v 'scorned' centre O'Driscoll and Ireland's eight Lions v Wales' 12.

 

But the real edge to this game was that the winner could automatically become title favourites.

 

Perhaps it was that possibility that led to a scrappy first half that was largely devoid of rhythm or skill, but the home fans weren't complaining with their 13-0 lead at the break.

 

It wasn't quite the 27 point half-time lead they enjoyed last year, but it was merited, with O'Connell, O'Mahony and Trimble outstanding for the boys in green.

 

Ireland weathered a strong start by Wales, before Sexton racked up six points with two straightforward penalties before the 20th minute.

 

In between, the entire stadium took a deep breath as O'Driscoll was downed by a bone shaking tackled by Scott Williams, but the centre is going to go out on his terms this season and made it to the final whistle.

 

The ball was often in the air, with Sexton clearly intent on turning the Welsh on their heels, and it was one of those kicks that led to the opening try.

 

The execution was training ground perfection, with Devin Toner collecting the lineout and feeding Chris Henry, who was bundled over the line for his first international try.

 

Sexton added the extras, and then notched a key penalty after the break to put more than two converted tries between the sides.

 

Halfpenny finally got Wales on the scoreboard with a penalty on 56 minutes, but Sexton responded four minutes later to restore the 16 point gap.

 

Wales pounded the Irish defence, only to see Rhodri Jones's 'try' disallowed for a double movement in the build up, and the visitor's comeback efforts drifted away as the rain showers did.

 

Paddy Jackson, on the field just four minutes, did what Wales couldn't do in 80, and touched down on 78 to rub salt into the Welsh wounds.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 8 Saturday February 2014 The Roman)

 

BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2013: Andy Murray, champion of a great sporting year

BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2013: Andy Murray, champion of a great sporting year

 

Tennis player proves the greatest star in an almighty scramble for Sports Personality award that reflects a return to Britain’s Olympic glory

 

[caption id="attachment_10769" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Andy Murray poses with his award, in Miami, Florida (Photo AP))[/caption]

 

This afternoon, before hosting the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year show, Gabby Logan tweeted a picture of the set in Leeds.

 

And my, it looked impressive, suggesting that despite all available evidence there was some money left in the BBC’s kitty after sending out half the staff to cover Nelson Mandela’s passing.

 

A ravishing swirl of steel and glass, the centrepiece was a scaffolding structure resembling a giant water-wheel.

 

On its shelves sat some of the great trophies of sport.

 

The irony is these are trophies whose victory rites are these days largely broadcast elsewhere.

 

It is a paradox of our television times that the less sport the BBC has to show, the more lavish its annual sporting awards ceremony has become.

 

When it was first shown in 1954, when the corporation was the nation’s sole broadcaster, the BBC Sports Review of the Year ran for just 45 minutes, with the revelation of the leading individual tagged on to the end.

 

This year, when everyone from Sky through to Channel 4 to BT has cherry-picked off the BBC’s live portfolio, the 60th anniversary show ran for around three hours.

 

It was a ceremony filled with artful short films of the contenders shot in pixelated slo-mo, an event tailored for The X Factor generation, so bedecked in cutesy production flourishes Lady Gaga might consider it a tad over the top.

 

But even if the evening rarely passes off without manufactured bombast, ritual sycophancy and self-inflicted embarrassment, there is one thing about the BBC award: it still matters.

 

This is a piece of silverware every British sportsperson wants on their mantelpiece.

 

This is, moreover, an award that perfectly reflects the times.

 

The great peaks of British sporting history are writ large in the list of previous winners.

 

Bobby Moore won it in 1966, Ian Botham in 1981, Jonny Wilkinson in 2003 and Sir Bradley Wiggins in 2012.

 

But when the sport has been rubbish, when the year is characterised by a plucky Brit trudging home in a brave seventh place, then invariably the Sports Personality suffers.

 

In those times the show is dismissed as an embarrassment, an anachronism, a joke.

 

And the winner is hurriedly forgotten.

 

Not this time.

 

In brilliant refutation of the idea that 2012’s Olympic-driven glory could never be matched, this year the gong had been pursued with an almighty scramble of excellence.

 

What a year of British effort was reflected in those going for the honours.

 

There was AP McCoy, the jockey with his 4,000 winners; Justin Rose triumphing in the US Open golf; the cyclist Chris Froome picking up Sir Brad’s baton in the Tour; Mo Farah doing a clean sweep at the world athletics championships and Sir Ben Ainslie, the sailor who single-handedly turned around the America’s Cup.

 

If any of them had been doing what they did this year in 1997, the winner Greg Rusedski, whose principal claim was losing in the US Open tennis final, would have been lucky to get an invitation.

 

Yet they all went home empty-handed this time.

 

There was only ever one candidate for the supreme honour.

 

In the year he became the first Briton in three quarters of a century to win the men’s singles competition at Wimbledon, Andy Murray’s achievement was of such resonance it was always certain to see off even that stellar list of contenders.

 

Not that he was there to receive his invitation to the pantheon in person.

 

Murray did not win Wimbledon by curtailing his relentlessly masochistic winter training schedule.

 

Never mind the enormous commercial benefit in turning up in Leeds, he remained in his camp in Florida.

 

Across the years when he has been in contention, he has politely declined the invitation to break his training with a transatlantic flight and has stayed in the warmth.

 

Last year, things got toe-curlingly awkward when he was obliged to present himself with the runners-up gong after Lennox Lewis, who was supposed to do the honours, missed his cue.

 

Murray continues the award’s astonishing pattern.

 

The last six winners have been from, in order, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and England.

 

This is truly a British competition, a symbol of a united sporting nation.

 

In a great year, Murray is our greatest star.

 

(The Telegraph, 15 Sunday December 2013 The Roman)