IRELAND WERE BEATEN 21-13 by England at Twickenham in their final World Cup warm-up clash. Read our match report here.
England rule in the air
It was clear from early in the game that Ireland were keen to gain territory through their usually effective kicking game, but England ruled under the high ball at Twickenham this afternoon.
Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO
Though the likes of Dave Kearney had impressive one-off catches, the Mike Brown-led English dealt with Ireland’s kicking game superbly. The ever-improving Jonny May was excellent in covering the backfield too whenever Ireland looked for distance on kicks.
The chase from Joe Schmidt’s side was uncharacteristically poor, as they failed to hit the exacting standards the Kiwi places on them to get off the ground and disrupt. Brown consistently dismantled the danger.
Another concern was when Ireland kicked the ball, particularly on exits. England seemed to dictate the terms and when Schmidt’s side might have used an extra phase to get chasers on their feet, they instead kicked from weak positions and put themselves under pressure as England bounced back.
First-half failings
The loss of the aerial battle was only one element of a desperately poor first half from Ireland in which the error count was off the charts. Dropped passes constantly stunted attempts to regain momentum, while ball carriers had little impact on the gainline.
Source: Billy Stickland/INPHO
Defensively, the same disjointedness we saw in the earlier warm-up games against Wales and Scotland was evident again. This may still be pre-season but with two weeks until the tournament begins, that was a concern.
Making the system errors even more telling were missed one-on-one tackles, though England deserve credit for giving their carriers chances to win those battles with good ruck speed and their clever rugby league-style diamond shape in phase attack.
To go into the break just 12-3 down was, in truth, a good return for Ireland based on their first-half display.
Ireland lose the breakdown
Perhaps the key issue again today, following on from last weekend’s defeat to Justin Tipuric and Wales in this area. England were ferocious at the breakdown in defence for the first 40 minute in particular, consistently slowing the Irish ball.
Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO
That fed into the aforementioned lack of gainline impact from Ireland and Schmidt will have been hugely disappointed with some of the rucking from his players.
It’s a fine art, and even when Ireland vastly improved in this department after the break, there were moments when they had too many players in the ruck. Finding the balance is essential, but we can rest assured that Ireland have done so on numerous occasions in the past.
The likes of Jamie Heaslip got a better handle on England’s rucks in the second 40, managing to slow their possession and force George Ford to kick the ball slightly more. That was certainly a positive sign.
Rory Best’s sublime piece of rucking for Paul O’Connell’s try, when the hooker opened up a huge hole for his captain by driving the England defender deep beyond the breakdown point, is the standard Ireland will aspire to in the coming months
Did we see more?
This summer has, of course, partly been about what we’re not seeing from Ireland. A simple game plan against Wales last weekend came up just short in attempting to deliver a win and Schmidt realised that more was needed as Ireland looked to mount a comeback in Twickenham.
Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO
The maul play that led to O’Connell’s try was hugely welcome, particularly in an area where Ireland have previously excelled but stalled more recently.
A week after something similar-ish almost saw Sean O’Brien score against Wales, the signs are that Ireland’s maul will have many tricks ready for the World Cup.
In phase play too, there was some growth in Ireland’s tactics as they reverted to some of the linking plays we saw against Scotland in Dublin. The likes of Devin Toner and Peter O’Mahony were asked to pass rather than simply trundle into big English defenders and those plays give Ireland so much more potential in attack.
Still, we await the strike moves Schmidt has concocted for his backline and off lineout and scrum platforms at the World Cup.
Dave Kearney is a starter
This performance surely nailed down Dave Kearney’s status as a starter for Ireland in the biggest games at the World Cup. Over on the right wing, Tommy Bowe may have ensured exactly the opposite.
Source: Billy Stickland/INPHO
Kearney was incredibly effective in defence, forcing carriers back in almost every single tackle he made. Combine those moments of big contact with some magnificent reads and it was stunning stuff from the Louth man in defence.
Going forward, Kearney was similarly effective, making yards with each of his touches and positively bursting with energy. The 26-year-old looks to be in the shape of his life and promises so much at the World Cup.
Bowe, meanwhile, appeared to be struggling with the pace and physicality of the contest, such a rare thing for the Monaghan native. He was brushed off by Jonny May for the England wing’s try and had some poor touches with hand and boot.
Schmidt has put pressure on Bowe to deliver after a poor pre-season had seen him come close to missing out on the World Cup altogether and with Simon Zebo, Luke Fitzgerald, Keith Earls also competing for the wing spots, Bowe needs to find form.
Here’s the final instalment of Jean De Villiers’ inspirational Road to Recovery docAndrew Trimble launched a rampaging Stuart McCloskey try for Ulster
THE UPCOMING TOURNAMENT hosted by England, looks set to be the biggest and most competitive in Rugby World Cup history.
The All Blacks have been dominant in the years between World Cups, and are 5-4 favourite to retain the title, however the rest of the world looks to be catching up to the world champions.
The 2014 Northern hemisphere tour displayed just how competitive world rugby has become, with the European teams helping themselves to a number of ‘upset’ victories over South Africa and Australia.
Now, with the competition drawing ever closer and the anticipation reaching fever pitch, what better time to look back and rank the Rugby World Cups that have come before it.
7. 1987 RWC – New Zealand and Australia
Source: AP/Press Association Images
No team has ever dominated a Rugby World Cup in the manner the All Blacks did in 1987. It was the inaugural tournament, held in New Zealand, and the home team were head and shoulders above the rest from the very beginning.
The All Blacks racked up a total of 269 points on their road to the final. They won all six of their games in convincing fashion, including a 29-9 defeat of France in the final.
England made it all the way to the final in 2007, as they looked to win back-to-back Rugby World Cups. But they came up against a far superior South Africa team in the final.
South Africa, who had hammered England in the group stages, were comfortable enough winners with a scoreline of 15-6. But it was a largely forgettable tournament, particular if you were an Irish fan.
It was a disaster of a tournament from the start. After two unimpressive wins against Namibia and Georgia, Ireland were easily dispatched 25-3 by France. They had a mountain to climb going into their final group game with Argentina. They lost that game 30-15, crashing out at the pool stage for the very first time.
5. 1999 RWC – Wales
Source: Billy Stickland/INPHO
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was not one to remember for Ireland. The loss to Argentina , the darlings of the tournament, particularly stands out. In truth, the tournament wasn’t a memorable one in general but it did feature one sensational weekend of rugby with two of the best games in the history of the competition.
The semi-finals will be long remembered for the French upsetting New Zealand, and the day before that, a truly classic encounter between Australia and South Africa.
4. 1991 RWC – UK, France and Ireland
Source: Billy Stickland/INPHO
The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the first to be staged in the northern hemisphere. It was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France – who were at the time, the five participants in the Five Nations Championship.
The tournament was not dominated by any one team, unlike the 1987 tournament. An example of this was Western Somoa’s upset victory over Wales in Cardiff, which saw the Welsh eliminated from the tournament.
The match of the tournament was, arguably, the match between Ireland and Australia in Lansdowne Road. It took a last-gap try from Michael Lynagh to secure a 19-18 victory for the Aussies. But the moment of the match, and one of the most memorable in RWC history, is when Gordon Hamilton outpaced Australian winger David Campese over half the length of the pitch to give Ireland the lead.
Source: New Century Publishing/YouTube
3. 2011 RWC – New Zealand
Source: Simon Baker
The 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand had something for everyone. For Irish fans, there was the inspired performance in which they defied all the odds to beat Australia.
There was no shortage of excitement matches and moments. From the semi-final between Wales and France, which featured an extremely divisive refereeing decision, to Tonga’s unlikely victory over France, it was an extremely exciting tournament.
The lasting memory of the tournament, however, will be the emotional scenes after the game as New Zealand celebrated their first World Cup win since 1987 on home soil.
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was staged in Australia. It was the first time a team had attempted to defend the Webb Ellis trophy on home soil. There was also a change in the tournament layout, with the competition now consisting of four pools of five competing nations.
The most memorable moment of the whole tournament took place in the closing moments of the final. Jonny Wilkinson wrote himself into the history books with a successful drop goal to help England become the first northern hemisphere team to win the World Cup.
Source: England Rugby/YouTube
1. 1995 RWC – South Africa
Source: ALLSPORT/INPHO
The Rugby World Cup in 1995 was so good it inspired a book and subsequent film. But it is significant for a number of other reasons. Not only was it the last tournament of the amateur era, it features Jonah Lomu at his peak and featured a number of memorable matches.
There are few moments in sporting history as poignant as when South African captain François Pienaar received the Webb Ellis Trophy from new President Nelson Mandela.
ULSTER LOST THEIR opening friendly of the season as they conceded five tries in a 29-17 defeat to Premiership side Gloucester at Kingspan Stadium this evening.
Two sides showcasing plenty of young talent mixed with veteran squad players, including the fresh-faced 17-year-old winger Aaron Sexton on the home side, met in Belfast for a well-contested exhibition, which was edged by the forward power of the English outfit.
A slow start to the game, with both sides showing the ring rustiness of summer, was finally punctuated in the 12th minute when Mark Atkinson’s inside pass set his centre partner Jack Reeves through into empty space.
He in turn fed scrum-half Ben Vellacott, however a superb covering tackle from Jonny Stewart prevented a certain try, and a brilliant counter-ruck by Angus Kernohan stole possession back for the hosts.
Ulster were then let off again 10 minutes later, this time Ollie Thorley butchering a certain seven pointer when Vellacott put him clear down the left wing, only for the winger to refuse to pass back inside to his supporting scrum-half and get tackled by Pete Nelson.
But the dam eventually burst and it came in the 26th minute, Gloucester flexing their powerful forward muscles at the maul and, with the penalty advantage, it was all too easy for former Munster lock Gerbrandt Grobler to force his way over.
Having shown very little up to this point, Ulster pulled level just before the half hour mark when Kernohan was stopped just short of the line from a strike move, with prop Tom O’Toole taking it on further, and academy flanker Marcus Rea spotting the gap to dive over the line for the try.
Three minutes later they had a second when Nick Timoney issued a vicious fend on Reeves, leaving the centre on the floor and a clear path to the line that the impressive back row gladly took.
Henry Purdy crossed for the visitors. Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO
The visitors would lead at the break, however, and it came much in the same way to their first as with the penalty advantage, out-half Owen Williams stepped inside and beat both Rea and Timoney to cross for the try.
Seven minutes after the restart, Gloucester had a third, fullback Tom Hudson stabbing a kick in behind and when Nelson misread the bounce of the ball, winger Charlie Sharples took full advantage to hack through and finish.
As the raft of substitutes came on, as they usually do in friendlies, Ulster began to get on top as they sought a try to draw level and, after nearly 10 minutes of trying, they found it on the hour mark when three replacements combined.
Taking the ball to the line, out-half Billy Burns’ pass back inside set winger Sexton through, the Bangor Grammar student juggling before controlling, and his pass put academy centre James Hume over for the score.
That would prove to be Burns’ last meaningful contribution though, as he hobbled off clutching his groin with just over 10 minutes to play, looking in considerable pain, and Ulster soon lost their other out-half Lowry when he was removed as well after seemingly being checked illegally off the ball.
And the English visitors secured the win when replacement hooker Todd Gleave steered another dominant maul over the line for a debut try, capping an excellent night for their pack, before adding some icing to the cake when Henry Purdy sprinted over with the final play of the game.
Ulster scorers:
Tries: Rea, Timoney, Hume Conversions: Nelson [1 from 3]
Gloucester scorers:
Tries: Grobler, Williams, Sharples, Gleave, Purdy Conversions: Williams [2 from 3], Twelvetrees [0 from 2]
ULSTER: Pete Nelson, Craig Gilroy, Stewart Moore, Darren Cave, Angus Kernohan, Michael Lowry, Jonny Stewart; Schalk van der Merwe, John Andrew, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor, Alexander Thompson, Marcus Rea, Chris Henry, Nick Timoney.
Replacements: Adam McBurney, Kyle McCall, Eric O’Sullivan, Marty Moore, Ross Kane, Kieran Treadwell, Jack Regan, Caleb Montgomery, Clive Ross, Sean Reidy, Greg Jones, David Shanahan, Billy Burns, Angus Curtis, James Hume, Aaron Sexton, Jack Owens, Will Addison.
GLOUCESTER: Tom Hudson, Charlie Sharples, Jack Reeves, Mark Atkinson, Ollie Thorley, Owen Williams, Ben Vellacott; (1-8) Alex Seville, Henry Walker, Ciaran Knight, Tom Savage, Gerbrandt Grobler, Freddie Clarke, Jake Polledri, Gareth Evans.
Replacements: Franco Marais, Val Rapava Ruskin, Fraser Balmain, Mariano Galarza, Ruan Ackermann, Callum Braley, Lloyd Evans, Jason Woodward, Todd Gleave, Ed Slater, Lewis Ludlow, Ben Morgan, Billy Twelvetrees, Henry Trinder, Matt Banahan, Henry Purdy, Jake Morris.
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— WWE (@WWE) January 24, 2019
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— $asha Banks (@SashaBanksWWE) January 24, 2019
It’s been a while since we heard from Roman Reigns but after Dwayne Johnson yesterday revealed that his cousin has a role in the upcoming Hobbs & Shaw movie, the former Universal champion wrote a post on social media about the “family healing.”
“I cannot thank my family, friends and my new Fast & Furious family enough for all the love and support I have received while on this exciting Hobbs & Shaw project. The time I‘ve spent with my cousin on this wonderful island has truly been a healing grace,” Reigns wrote.
He thanked WWE, The Rock, Universal Pictures, and everyone on the set of Hobbs & Shaw for allowing him to be part of the franchise. “All of your outreach and support has been a blessing and it’s only pushed me to get back in the ring as soon as possible. But until then…I’m excited for this movie to premiere this summer, our culture and mana in this film is strong!”Click Here: shopskm
Members of the Hart family took to Twitter to address the unfortunate incident from yesterday at the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony after Bret was attacked by a fan from behind while he was giving his speech.
Natalya, who took the bump with Bret after the attacker dragged both of them, wrote, “I’m so proud of my uncle @BretHart tonight during our HOF ceremony. Bret is a cancer survivor, a stroke survivor and one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. He didn’t deserve to be attacked or have his moment or my dad’s diminished. We got it back on track. Thank you, guys.”
Several of Nattie’s friends came to the rescue, including Ronda Rousey and Beth Phoenix, who helped calm down the situation.
Georgia Smith, the daughter of The British Bulldog, also tweeted, “Everyone is ok. But f*ck that asshole!!!! And thank you to my brother for running in and knocking that prick out. Cannot believe that happened.”
Her brother, Harry Smith, better known as Davey Boy Smith Jr, unloaded on the individual while he was on the ground. “Glad I was able to help my Uncle @BretHart tonight at the WWE Hall of Fame,” he wrote. “That ‘fan’ was lucky I was being held back. As Rickson Gracie said ‘If we fight for money, I’ll stop hitting you when you ask me to. If we fight for honor, I’ll stop hitting you when I feel like it.’”
Bret Hart has not publicly commented about what happened yet.Click Here: gold coast suns 2019 guernsey
Click:cement block machine In an interview with Al Jazeera, Rey Mysterio spoke about representing the Mexican people in the wrestling world and how awkward that might be if he had been selected by WWE to represent Donald Trump back at Wrestlemania 23 in the Battle of the Billionaires. Bobby Lashley was chosen instead, and would go on to defeat Umaga at the event. Here are highlights:
On representing Mexican Americans: “I am representing my people. I feel it, I know it, I’ve known it from day one, and it’s the most important part of my journey. Doing my part in the entertainment world to be able to be a distraction whether for a second or forever for my people, it’s a blessing to be able to do that. It’s very hard to have everybody tuned in in the same state of mind, where we all get equal opportunities and we all get equal love from each and every race that is out there. Unfortunately, some people do not think that way.”
On almost representing Trump: “Imagine some of those images popping up at this time if I was that person. It would have been interesting to see those pictures floating around these days; Donald Trump with the Mexican-American wrestler Rey Mysterio.”
On his legacy: “I want to leave something behind. A lot of fans will still be talking about Rey Mysterio after I am gone. But my purpose isn’t just to leave memories behind. My purpose is to help those up-and-coming Latino superstars that are bringing in this lucha libre style, and help them revolutionize the sport.”Click Here: japan rugby shirts
Click:通义千问api Carmella is launching her own wine company. The Smackdown star announced the news on Fridayvia her Instagram stories. The company is titled Capo Cagna and has its own Instagram account here. A couple of posts from her Twitter account on the company are below:
I have HUGE NEWS!! Head on over to my IG story for all the details!! 🍷
— MELLA I$ MONEY (@CarmellaWWE) March 29, 2019
Starting with a Chardonnay and an AMAZING Cabernet that I’m so obsessed with!! https://t.co/BSMQVaOalR
— MELLA I$ MONEY (@CarmellaWWE) March 29, 2019
ESPN HAS SECURED the American TV rights for the Guinness Pro14 for the next three seasons.
The new deal means the Pro14 will be shown in the US on the streaming service ESPN+, as well as ESPN’s television networks, up until 2021.
Leinster are the defending Pro14 champions. Source: Inpho/Billy Stickland
It’s a positive announcement for the Pro14 ahead of the 2018/19 season kicking off this evening with Leinster’s visit to the Cardiff Blues and the Ospreys hosting Edinburgh.
News of ESPN’s move to secure the broadcasting rights is also likely to be greeted enthusiastically by an ever-growing rugby fanbase in the US.
The Pro14 has new primary broadcasting partners in eir Sport and Premier Sports this season, and while the revenue from this deal with ESPN is not close to the value of those, The42 understands that it is the most lucrative deal for rugby TV rights in the US yet.
While it appears that the Pro14′s hopes of expanding to include an American franchise have cooled for the immediate future as they focus on South Africa, the US remains an increasingly attractive market.
With Major League Rugby having enjoyed an encouraging first season in 2018 and the US Eagles impressing in a June Test series that included victory over Scotland, rugby continues to grow in the States.
The Pro14 provinces, regions and clubs are sure to welcome the new ESPN deal as an opportunity to gain new supporters in America.
Indeed, it’s understood that some of the Irish provinces have already held informal discussions with clubs in the US about establishing stronger links in the future.
The Ireland national team is returning to Chicago this November to play Italy, having beaten the All Blacks there in 2016.
ESPN are onboard for three years. Source: PA Archive/PA Images
ESPN’s new deal means that all 152 games in the Pro14 each season will be available in the US, with around 140 games screened on ESPN+ and 10 showcase games set to be shown in HD on ESPN networks.
“ESPN is synonymous with epic sporting moments and this new partnership will be remembered as a significant day in the history of the Guinness Pro14,” said Pro14 CEO Martin Anayi.
“We know how popular the Guinness Pro14 is in North America, particularly now with the US Eagles’ duo of Blaine Scully and Samu Manoa playing at Cardiff Blues.
“Rugby is growing in popularity all of the time in the US and we know rugby fans there are just as eager to see our games as supporters in Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales.
“We are thrilled to know that so many games will be available on ESPN+ with some of our best games of the season also screened on ESPN’s linear network.
“The Guinness Pro14 is one of the most exciting rugby union tournaments in the world which is going from strength to strength and we’re thrilled that American fans will see that for themselves.”
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Chimène Badi a beaucoup fait parler ces derniers jours. Sur les réseaux sociaux, la chanteuse de 37 ans a partagé différentes photos. Et ses fans n’en ont pas cru leurs yeux. Face aux nombreux commentaires, l’artiste a réagi.
Le 27 juillet 2020, Chimène Badi a publié une photo sur laquelle elle apparaissait en jean et T-shirt, tout sourire, avec une demi-queue de cheval et des converses. “Bonne soirée, les amis“, avait-elle simplement légendé sa publication. Parmi les nombreux commentaires, beaucoup d’internautes lui ont fait savoir qu’elle était “méconnaissable” et qu’elle avait perdu énormément de poids. D’autres ont mis en avant le fait qu’on ne la reconnaissait plus ou qu’elle était passée par la case chirurgie esthétique pour avoir cette nouvelle silhouette. “Certains optent pour la facilité… La chirurgie par exemple“, a écrit la personne en question. “Ce n’est pas Chimène, ouvrez les yeux“, a même écrit l’une de ses abonnées après avoir vu un cliché de la fiancée de Julien en salopette, en train de poser sur une voiture. Autant de commentaires qui ont visiblement agacé la principale intéressée.
Mercredi 29 juillet, Chimène Badi a publié une nouvelle photo. On l’y découvre en train de fixer l’objectif, les cheveux lâchés, en tenue décontractée. “Laisse-les dire“, a-t-elle écrit en légende. Un moyen de répondre à ses détracteurs et de faire un clin d’oeil à son album et single qui portent ce nom, tous deux sortis en 2010. Ses fans les plus fidèles ont salué sa réaction. “Tu as raison Chimène, laisse-les dire. Tu es libre de faire ce que tu as envie. Si les gens te connaissaient, ils sauraient la belle personne que tu es et ne diraient rien de mal sur toi. Bisous“, “Ceux qui t’aiment te reconnaissent par ton regard, ne te diront jamais ce que tu dois faire, ni comment tu dois être habillée et comment tu dois être coiffée. (…) Oublie les imbéciles, tu es une femme formidable. Le plus important c’est d’aller à l’essentiel et être positive“, “Tu as bien raison ce ne sont que des jaloux“, a-t-on notamment pu lire.
