Sunday Mercury - Offside

Lions Lions Lions, The Greatest Final Ever, and roll on the Ashes!

2009-07-07T16:12:16Z

One word to describe what went down at Ellis Park on Saturday afternoon.........PRIDE!

The boys wearing red put absolutely everything into the game and showed the potential they had promised all tour, and the Springboks simply had no answer.

Yes it was technically a dead rubber, but I don't think that took anything away from either side's performance as they played out one of the most physical and fast paced games of rugby I have ever seen. There was redemption for players like Vickery and Monye, there was a huge battle won up front by our forwards, Rob Kearney looked world class at full back and some of our backs play was simply breathtaking (Riki Flutey take a bow for the touch that set up Williams second!). More important to me was how they fronted up in the contact area, never taking a backwards step and showing what they are really made of........top stuff.

Of course now people will look back and the "Ifs and Buts" will do the rounds about whether we could have won the series, but that's pointless, the fact is these guys have shown everyone what a real Lions tour is all about, and they have done us proud.
Roll on the next one in 4 years time!

Onto Wimbledon, where everyone's favourite "Greatest player of all time" faced off against the man who shall forever hence be known as the Murray Masher............oh okay for the sake of this I'll call him Roddick.

Greatest Final EVER!!! They just couldn't be separated all the way through the game apart the incredibly rare break of serve in sets one and four, and then there was that final set. Has there ever been a tenser end to tennis match? It was like a penalty shoot out in the World Cup Final, you just had to see who would blink first, and the tension and drama was unbelievable.

Roddick had the disadvantage of always having to come from behind, and in the end it was his undoing as Federer won the 4,1778,8997th game to take the set 79-78...........well it felt like that!

It felt very weird on Monday sitting down after work and not having any sport to watch, and immediately I was a little bit low, that was until I remembered it would only have to be for two days, as the Ashes starts tomorrow............7 weeks of sheer sporting bliss!

A lot has been made of the loss of Lee from the Aussie side, and that England might play two spinners, and yes while Lee is a blow, I don't think you should ever write off an Aussie side, and as for the spinner debate, if the pitch is going to take turn, then it could be a master stroke as that's the one department where Ponting lacks a real world class option.

To be fair, I can't wait for all the hyperbole to end, and for that first ball to be bowled tomorrow, and I for one will try not to miss a single one for the rest of the series!
This week I am on drive 4-7pm on Kerrang, before I start my daytime show next week, and I must I can't wait for it to begin! I'm also supposed to be back in the gym beginning my rehab on my ruined neck, but I have had to put it on hold for a few days while I rest it that tiny bit more.........god I'm getting old!!!

I'll write back Thursday to update you on how I think the Ashes have gone so far, and don't forget to check out my other blog the Motorcycle Diaries, as this week I have been on the back of a nice classic Harley, and well tomorrow I get delivered one of these.....a custom built Harley one off Fat Bob - bring it!!

The Best Sunday Ever, "Vaughan-y" Calls it a Day and Murrays the Man!

2009-06-30T18:18:42Z

After just about managing to recover from the Lions loss on Saturday, which in hindsight was probably one of the very best games of rugby I have ever seen, I needed something to cheer me up!

So Sunday after my show I headed to the World Superbikes at Donnington as the guests of the very cool people at Express Insurance, sponsors of WSB rider Shane "Shakey" Byrne, and wow what fun I had!! I have written about the whole experience on my other blog the Motorcycle Diaries, and I also managed to grab loads of pics, so got check it out here!

After the thrill of the races, I was always going to need some very dramatic sport on my Monday to get me excited, and my goodness Andy Murray delivered. Wimbledon this year has already shown signs of being one of the best tournaments ever, not only do we now have the roof (I never thought I would hear a cheer from the crowd at Wimbledon when it rained - oh and anyone else see Cliff Richard looking really crestfallen because his karaoke skills wouldn't be required when it had closed...........genius, if I would have known that was the reason it was there I would have paid the reported £80 million myself!), but some of the tennis has been breathtaking.

Plus for the first time in my lifetime (sorry Jeremy and Tim!) we actually have a player who is good enough to win the tournament. Does anyone else find that really weird, actually supporting one of the favourites for once, and not some underdog, it almost feels dirty, as if the novelty has worn off, although it was clear he was made to work very hard on Monday night. Lots of people seem to dislike Murray, and say he comes across as too focussed and aggressive, and some would even have the temerity to say he is arrogant....................my answer is of course he is!

Unlike Bates or Henman, who on their day could be top class, Murray is actually one of the world's best players and not just for two weeks in June /July either. I remember reading Ian Botham's autobiography, and in the first chapter he talked about being accused of being arrogant, his response was simple, "of course I'm arrogant, do you think I would have the temerity to pull off some of the stuff I did if I didn't have total and utter confidence in myself?"

Never a truer word spoken, obviously everyone one is different, but look at some of the top sportsmen in the world over the last few years, Tiger Woods, Michael Schumacher, Kevin Pietersen etc, are all people who don't exactly lack confidence.

Oh and as for him being aggressive, that's called being competitive, and it's what helps give him the edge over opponents, so if you don't like Murray because he seems grumpy, well I'm sorry but the simple fact is that to be as good as he is, you can't afford to be nice. You have to push yourself day in day out in training, when all of your mates might be down the pub or relaxing at home, you have to be able to dig deeper, be incredibly selfish and single minded and have the ability to motivate yourself when others would simply stop, and all from a young age, it's not exactly conducive to developing a really social personality! Being a sportsmen can be a very lonely and exhausting experience, so I always find it funny when people say, well it would be nice if he smiled from time to time.........if he had time to smile I would say he wasn't focused enough!

I know people will say, well in the past it didn't seem to matter, yeah and in the past rugby players used to drink every night and eat what they like, but professional sport has moved on so much in the last few years, there is no room for a Mr Nice Guy anymore!

Anyway, I also saw Laura Robson win in the second round of the Girls tournament today, and my goodness this 15 year old girl has got a whole world of talent, let's just hope the English Hype machine doesn't ruin her before she is old enough to not have to think about homework!

Commiserations to Stuart Pearce's England U21 side that got trounced 4-0 in the European Championships Final by a very impressive German side, the boys have played really well over the past two weeks, and it's a shame that they were on the end of a hiding, but the German midfield playmaker Mesut Ozil made sure of that...............geez he is good, I hope Arsene Wenger was watching!

I love my cricket, as you know, and it's a sad day today as England's most successful ever Test Captain Michael Vaughan has decided to retire from the sport. He was determined to make this Ashes series, but the combination of his debilitating knee injury and lack of runs, must have meant he had got to the point where he could not see the light at the end of the tunnel anymore.

Vaughan was a top captain and incredible batsmen on his day (anyone who doubts that should watch the 2002/3 Ashes series out in Oz, where at times he was a one man batting line up) and the way he inspired others and got the best out of his team was simply awesome.

Oh I also found some brilliant Pictures on SkySports.com of the Lions on Safari in SA and playing with................well real life Lions......................to be honest after Saturday I'm surprised the boys didn't shove Ronan O'Gara in the cage, but instead Tom Croft and a few of the lads got up close and personal with their hairier (Welsh Front Row excluded) counterparts...........madness!

Right I'm off to London tomorrow to see a specialist about my neck, although it started to feel a bit better, so I am planning on doing some very light training next week, to see how it responds because 5 weeks of no exercise is driving me insane, but I shall be blogging back on Thursday, and I will leave you with a lovely quite from Michael Vaughan from his retirement press conference earlier:

"Two weeks ago, I was in the garden with my little lad Archie. He bowled a ball which hit a weed and knocked my off stump out of the ground - and when a three-year-old's bowling you out, it's time to move over."

Nice!

What a Week!!

2009-06-28T06:21:50Z

Okay, firstly apologies for the lack of manic sports bloggage this week, its all been a bit hectic, what with the changes being announced at Kerrang and myself taking over from the legend that is Emma Scott from the 13th of July.

I'm going to miss Emma, Christian, Nick, Tim and the other's who are leaving Kerrang like you wouldn't believe, not only as they are great friends, but are also part of the best damn radio team I have ever worked with!! I can't wait to bring you the new show, and don't worry, I'll still continue bringing you Offside to give you your sport fix for a Saturday afternoon.

So first up Lions.........Lions......Lions......so close and yet so far! On Saturday we witnessed a truly epic game of rugby, and while my boys may have come out second best in the most dramatic fashion, they should still take a lot of credit for the performance, which makes it even harder to swallow the result.

On Facebook about 10 seconds after the final whistle, the O'Gara hating began, with everyone looking at him for those two missed tackles, and of course THAT penalty.

Missed tackles are inexcusable at this level of rugby, and while it's very easy to lay the blame on O'Gara for the whole series loss, really he was trying extra hard to make up for his mistakes when he conceded the final penalty with which the Boks won the game.

You could see in his face, all he was thinking about was trying to win the game, and he was just frustrated, still its no excuse, but you could look at 50 different factors over the last two weeks to see where we lost the series, so I think it's a bit harsh to blame it all on R'OG, especially as you could see how devastated he was at the end.......poor sod!

I thought the boys played out of their skin though, and for most of the game their defence and aggression levels were spot on, while the Boks did not know what hit them for the first 50 minutes. That's the sign of a great side though, the fact they were on the back foot, and trailing, but managed to get a foothold in the game, and wow did they mount a comeback at the end. You always got the feeling the Lions were trying to hold on from half time, and unfortunately they just couldn't last.

It's a real shame, as I truly hoped that they would not only win this match but the series, but now we travel to game 3 with just pride at stake, and in a Lions test that's no small matter, so don't exactly expect it to be a dead rubber come Saturday!

Wimbledon has been in full flow for a week now, and it must be said, Andy Murray's progress has been very un-British, in other words.....he hasn't lost yet. In fact he has looked imperious, and what started off as a bit of typical national patriotism, thinking he might win the whole damn thing, has turned into a real possibility!

Also we had the MotoGP yesterday, as "the Doctor" made it 100 wins in an imperious display that saw him lead home his championship rivals Lorenzo and Stoner in 2nd and 3rd respectively. It may not have had the grandstand finish of last weeks epic race, but it was still a great race, with the battle for 6th being a particular highlight, and one which I am pleased to say was won by our very own Jamie Toseland, equalling his best ever finish place on his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 bike.

I'm pumped because I'm off to Donnington today to watch the World Superbikes, and literally as soon as I finish my show at Kerrang at 10am, I will be heading straight there on the Buell to pick up all the action!!!

Also this week sees my hopefully getting one step closer to recovery from my neck injury with my MRI taking place down in London on Wednesday, which will hopefully let me know what's wrong with it so I can stop feeling like such an old git, and get back in the gym! Although on the flip side that does mean I would have to start pre season training.........ouch!!

Right, I'll blog back tomorrow to tell you about the fun I will have at Donnington later, so until then my illustrious compadres..oh and here is waht I am goign down on...........nice!!!

Sir Chris Hoy, Eddie Jordan, and Lions Lions Lions!

2009-06-20T10:19:44Z

So once again Saturday rolls around, and as I write this I am anticipating an awesome afternoon of sporting entertainment as always, and I'll be covering it all for you on Offside! Apologies for lack of blogage this week, but it has been rather a manic one, and I haven't had time to sit down for ten minutes with my laptop, but all is good again now!

So what's on the show today??

First up guests, this week on the show I have Sir Chris Hoy, the newly knighted Olympic Legend who will be popping in to tell us all how he got involved with cycling, how you could be the next Olympic Champion, and what his plans are for the next year. If a genuine knight on the show wasn't enough, we also have ex Formula one team boss and now cheeky chappy commentator and all round top bloke Eddie Jordan on the show looking ahead to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, and giving his thoughts on the current pay row that is engulfing the sport.

Oh I also have a pair of guest list places to come and see the Enemy Live at Kerrang on Tuesday up for grabs, and of course a whole world of rock music..............and erm...........I know there is something else..........oh yeah.......SPORT!!!

It's the big one, after a long 4 year wait, a gruelling 6 warm up matches and more selection dilemmas than you could shake a stick at, the Lions will finally take on South Africa in the first Test come 2pm today. I think the Lions have prepared well, they have done everything they can by winning all their games so far on tour, and must fancy their chances against a Bok's side that hasn't had a lot of game time together recently.

It promises to be one hell of a game, with both sides prepared to give no quarter, and this may be blind optimism, but I think we will pip it by 7, as we simply should be more on the boil than the Saffers who have hardly played any competitive rugby for 6 weeks. Honestly as a proud and passionate rugby fan it doesn't get any better than this, and I can't wait to relay all of the drama and tension from Durban on the show!

There is also qualifying for the British GP taking place at 1pm, with Button looking to make it 7 from 8 wins on his home circuit, and of course the small matter of the US Open in golf, which is the last remaining Major Tiger still holds, and you can bet he won't be giving it up without a fight! Ill also keep an eye on the county cricket scores and everything else that just happens to be happening in the world of sport, as well as any breaking major transfer stories.

So it looks like I have one hell of a show - catch you on Kerrang from 1pm!

An Epic final Lap, a bruising encounter with the Kings, and same old England!

2009-06-16T20:05:12Z

Wow so this has been a crazy-busy start to the week for me, as I am in for Emma Scott at Kerrang doing 11-3pm, as well as doing my normal 3-5am show and covering my mate Johnny Doom on the Late License from 1-3am!!!!

So yeah, very busy, but that doesn't mean I haven't been able to keep one crafty eye (it's the left one) on all the sporting action that has been going on.

The MotoGP on Sunday in Catalunya was simply epic, you had the three top riders in the Championship going at it hammer and tongs at the front until about halfway, when a very ill Stoner had to drop off the pace a bit to make sure he made it through the race, leaving the two teammates from Yamaha to go head to head.

Rossi is one of the greatest riders to ever grace two wheels, but I must admit, the young pretender to the throne Lorenzo is looking pretty tasty too, and it all came down to a final lap where the lead changed hands three times on the last lap before Rossi came from behind to win it on the final corner.

It was brilliant riding from both the Italian and the Spaniard, it's almost a shame that one had to lose, and while this round went to the more experienced Rossi, getting revenge for his home defeat last week, you can be pretty sure he hasn't won the war.......yet! Roll on the next round in the Netherlands in two weekends time, and if only the F1 was this exciting, the only shame of the whole weekend that a so far very impressive Jamie Toseland finished down in 13th, somewhat of the pace, but he will be back!

After the excitement of the Grand Prix, it was a real shame to see England limp out of the Twenty 20 World Cup against the West Indies, especially as they are a team we thrashed earlier in the tournament. They have been on form since then though, and once again England were left to lament not having a big hitter down the order, as we were probably 20 runs short of a winning total.

In the end it came down to the Duckworth Lewis method and a 9 over slog for the Windies, but if nothing else I think England should take a lot from this tournament. Sure we haven't fired with the willow in hand, but I do feel that our bowling and fielding at times has been world class, and if nothing else at the least we lasted longer than the Aussies! Oh and does anyone think that Foster looks a bit good? On these performances I think he will have gone a long way to persuading the selectors to give him a chance in the Ashes.

So on to today and one of the most bruising games of rugby I have seen in a while, when the Lions made it six out of six after beating the Southern Kings 20-8. I think a lot of credit should go to the boys that played today, as most of them knew they were probably out of the Test 15 for Saturday, yet they took everything a very fired up talented side could throw at them (including Punches and boots!) and managed to come back and secure the win.

Some of the hits in the first half were savage, and the contact area was a warzone, but the boys stood firm, and despite injuries to Hook and Murray, came through a very tricky period really well to win the match. Did anyone throw a last minute spanner into "Geech's" selection plans for Saturday? Probably not, although Monye did himself no harm in his pursuit of the left wing berth after being a late call up for Williams, and he can't stop scoring on this tour, which for a winger is a great feeling. I have doubts about his all round game, but so far he has looked dangerous with ball in hand, and while not a natural footballer like Williams, his pace and power should be enough to get him into the starting line up, especially when you have Bowe and Byrne in the other back three places to cover for him.

Whoever gets in, it is going to be one hell of a game on Saturday afternoon, and I for one, can't wait!

I going to get my head down as I am up early to get some bike work in before the show tomorrow, so enjoy the sun!!!

Not a bad start to the summer!

2009-06-14T06:07:02Z

So as I write this, we are what, not even half way through June, and yet already I can't believe some of the sporting action that has graced out screens. Often when there is no big football tournament, or Olympics, summers can pass by without much drama, with the occasional thwack of leather on willow as England go and lose another test series............not this year!

Firstly we experienced a great end to the footy season, and the drama is set to continue in what should prove to be one of the most exciting transfer window periods ever, especially after Ol' Winky himself has finally decided to cash in his chips and go and live the cushy life out in Madrid. Expect to see a whole wealth of teams displaying their new found............erm........well wealth, in a game of serial one up-manship that will reach such dizzy heights that I really do expect to see the headlines in the back of the papers to be "Man City sign Nelson Mandela and the Pope to play up front", well think of the revenue it would create just in attendances alone, although to be fair I don't think either of them has an electric turn of pace anymore.

The Twenty Twenty World Cup has arrived with a bang in the UK, even if it has been greeted by typical English weather (what a shame it wasn't played two weeks earlier in bright sunshine!) and it's fair to say that this new version of cricket has taken the country by storm and for good reason too. Its proper rock and roll, over in three hours and you even get to see scantily clad dancer's at the games...........albeit scantily clad dancers actually wearing a lot of clothes or else they might catch hypothermia.

Even England's rather up and down performances have not detracted from the overall good times created by the tournament, I mean, who else would have the guts to lose to Holland, that extremely famous cricketing nation, just so we could all enjoy watching the underdogs win......that takes real class!

It's the perfect afternoons entertainment, and truly, for once, addresses the fact that even as a madly passionate cricket player and fan, I understand the longer versions of the game to be about as fun to the un-initiated as watching grey paint dry while having your wisdom teeth taken out by Stevie Wonder.

If that wasn't enough, there is also the small matter of the Lions tour, which so far has been one of the most entertaining I have watched especially as now with the wonders of modern media, you can actually read about all of players trials and tribulations in the blogs, which adds an extra dimension to a team that are shrouded in tradition and mystique. Oh and if you think things are tasty now, you best wait till the Test matches!! Ding Ding round 1!

We also have a Brit storming the Formula Championship, albeit not the one we probably would have predicted at the end of last year, to be fair I would have said my 13 year old arthritic dog had a better chance of topping the standings than Jensen "I have so much money but can't afford a razor" Button. Hats off to him though, and it must be said it's been like finding £20 down the back of the sofa its been such a nice surprise.

Oh and Wimbledon is just around the corner, the MotoGP is looking like it will be the closest fought for years (and if you haven't checked it out, I find it gets a lot more exciting than F1 in regards to racing) and then of course there is the event that in 2005 united a whole nation against a common enemy..........those whinging blooming Aussies, it's the Ashes!!!

I for one am one very happy sports fan!

Tuffers previews the Ashes while it's the last chance for the Lions Hopefuls to stake a claim!

2009-06-13T11:54:43Z

Saturday is here once more, and the usual phalanx of sporting action will be taking place which I will be covering on my Offside show on Kerrang Radio from 1pm.

What sporting delights are in store for us today then?

Well out in South Africa the Lion's play their penultimate game before the first test, and with the last game only four days ahead of the big match, today's match up against Western Province represents the last real chance for the Test hopefuls to stake a claim for a starting place.....in other words expect some pretty fired up performances!

Players such as Vickery, Monye and Flutey will have to shine if they want to be included in the squad, while Rob Kearney would pretty much have to singlehandedly win the game, and then marry "Geech's" daughter to take the 15 shirt off Lee Byrne. Mike Phillips as well can probably relax, and a good performance from Stephen Jones should see him pip O'Gara to be the number 10. It's a lot more hotly contested in the forwards, and I reckon there will be some big guys out to prove a point against a very talented, but deprived of its international stars, WP side.

I know at times the Lion's have struggled to fire on all cylinders, but I have been impressed with the foundations they have been building, and as the players are getting to know each other more on and off the pitch, you will see the little things start to click too.

I can't wait, but due to the whole relativity of time, and us being in a fixed point within a relative space-time dimension, I kind of have to, so roll on 2pm!

The MotoGP circus, which I have to say is providing as many, if not more thrills for me this season than even the F1, moves on to Cataluñya, and Rossi has looked very sharp in practice, but in one of the most hotly contested and even seasons ever, qualifying today should be a pretty special event! I will let you know who nicks the pole from 1pm.

Andy Murray continues his preparation for Wimbledon (have you seen those ad's proclaiming the next British winner on telly? Very stirring!!!) by taking on Juan Carlos Ferrero in the Semi Finals at Queens today. I'll keep you posted on the score, and possibly make lots of bad jokes about Andy Murray's guns too, as we all get behind a Scot for once!

The Super Eights in the Twenty 20 have already provided some surprising results, well apart from England losing, and today see's two mouth watering matches in prospect. First game see's the sensationally on form West Indies take on some peoples (including Phil Tufnell......more on him later.........I'm such a tease!) favourites South Africa. All I know is that with players like Gibbs, Morkel, Bravo and Gayle, expect lots of maximums, catch all the action from 1.30pm!

Next up two fiercely competitive teams face each other when New Zealand take on Pakistan at 5.30pm, with the former looking to have better adjusted to the shorter format of the game. NZ just never give a game up, and although Pakistan can beat anyone on their day, I just get the feeling the Kiwi's consistency in the field will tip the game in their balance.

Oh and did I mention Phil Tufnell is on the show? I caught up with the England legend during the week to get his thoughts on England's preparations for the Ashes and the impact of the Twenty 20 World Cup!

So there you have it, I'm foaming at the mouth just at the prospect of what's in store, and join me from 1pm on Kerrang Radio for Offside to live through it with me......well in a "You can hear me on the Radio" type way........yay!

Ouch!!!

2009-06-11T15:10:46Z

It was Kerrangs 5th birthday celebrations yesterday, and I must admit it got rather messy!

That's the problem with working with such a bunch of amazing people, when you go out you never exactly do things quietly.......even if you have made plans to be sensible!

I had persuaded myself not to drink at all at the event, to keep myself focused on getting ready for pre season, and I managed to last a whole 30 minutes of arm twisting until I finally succumbed to my boss practically pouring some sort of cider slush puppy down my throat, and then it all is rather blurry after that!!

But what a night......now if only someone could tell me where my frontal lobe is, as I seem to have misplaced it last night, then that would be nice!

Anyway, in amongst all the very bad break dancing and machismo that was on show, I did manage to keep an eye on the sport, including a pretty polished performance from the Lions against the Sharks.

Yeah, it wasn't perfect, but I thought that they defended superbly, and not allowing the Sharks to cross for a try will have been a big bonus for Shaun Edwards the defence coach, after some sloppy tackling earlier in the tour. In fact I thought the boys looked pretty well organised, and a few people certainly put their hands up for a starting place against the Springboks next weekend.

Mike Phillips had a stormer, and surely has done enough to be the starting number 9, plus Jamie Roberts looked a real danger all game and the combination of him and O'Driscoll in the centres is looking like it has real potential. Talking of Brian O'D, what a player, honestly I keep on being surprised by just how good he is, and its great to see him in the form of his life on this tour, although I do get the feeling that he should be captain, and that's not saying anything against Paul O'Connell, but he just seems a more natural leader.

After the Lions I managed a quick glimpse at the football before I got lost in a world of Jagermeister depth charges, and surely Capello can start thinking about the World Cup in South Africa now after a really professional performance which saw England run out 6-0 winners against the minnows Andorra at Wembley.

Top work to all 58,000 fans who made it to Wembley too despite the Tube Strike, and they were rewarded with a consummate performance by a team of players who are really starting to believe in themselves. Capello really has worked wonders in the dressing room, turning around the psychology in the team from a "Need to avoid failure" ethos to a "Need to achieve" ethos, and I am supremely confident now, with 7 wins from 7, that we will be in really good shape come 2010.

Oh and once I had emerged from my "Pit" this morning feeling very sorry for myself I was greeted by the news that Christiano Ronaldo is about to become the worlds most expensive player in the world ever when he signs for Real Madrid for £80 million later on in the week.......a top bit of business from Sir Alex Ferguson, as I feel once more he has got the best out of a player before he sells them on, and with that kind of cash he can sign the players he really wants like Antonio Valencia and Karim Benzema, and still have enough change for some fish and chips and the bus fare home!

To be fair it will be a shame to not see one of the most talented players in the world week in, week out in the Premiership, but hell, as an Arsenal fan I'll be very glad to see the back of him. Although I will miss his ridiculous play acting, as he has to be responsible for some of the best dives ever, Tom Daley eat your heart out!

Right, I'm off to try and get some rest before DJ'ing in Worcester tonight in the Velvet Lounge, I'll be there from 10pm playing the best in rock and metal until the wee hours, come down if you're in the area and say hi!

I'll blog back on Saturday morning to preview the weekends big sporting events, and also to let you know what's coming up in my Offside show, until then......has anyone got any paracetemol????

Happy 5th Birthday Kerrang Radio, I speak to Tuffer's plus a preview of tonight's sporting action!

2009-06-10T14:51:54Z

I'm so excited!!!!

Kerrang radio is 5 years old today, and it has been an honour to be involved with what I consider the greatest radio station ever invented (and I should know, I've worked at loads!) at two stints in my career, for 8 months back when it launched in 2004/5 and also since Jan last year in this current era of greatness!

I can't tell you how lucky I feel to come in each day and work with some of the funniest, most down to earth people in the media industry, and I am not joking when I say that we really do all get on with on with each other and all hang out outside of work......well apart from me.....but that's cos I smell!! In fact I have the feeling tonight could be rather messy, but not for me, as I am in detox now for Pre-Preseason, so I reckon I might have to be responsible for taking some very embarrassing photos for when everyone else is messed up!

Another reason I am pumped today is that I have managed to get through three whole days of cycling (how exciting!) without my neck causing me to cry like a little girl, which is nice!

With pre season for the Bees kicking off a week Monday, I have a lot of catching up to do, but hopefully the lovely physio Emma will let me know how long it will be till I can get the lycra on and walk round the gym saying "OOCHHAAAA!"......aka weight training...because not being able to lift is driving me crazy!

It's a strange thing when you train loads, because you really get addicted to it, and its so frustrating to have been training so hard with the Bee's and with the Legend that is Scott at Arch 20 Gym in the Jewellery Quarter only to have to take loads of time off due to an annoying injury, and it starts to affect you in strange ways.

Your mind plays tricks on you, even though you actually won't have lost much strength or fitness, you become paranoid that you are turning in a lazier version of a three toed sloth, and that when you return your muscles will have wasted away and you wont even be able to lift your colour coded water bottle to your lips.

Actually noticed that this morning, what is it with people putting effort into their outfits for the gym??? Am I an exception to the rule? I go to the gym to work out, to push myself harder each day and try and obviously get stronger and fitter for rugby..........I don't go for a fashion parade!! That's what I love about my gym, its proper hardcore, people go there with no other agenda than to mess themselves up and I love it!! None of this standing around admiring yourself in Lycra......well unless I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror to be fair, then I might be there for a while!!

Anyway, I'm also excited as today you have some great sporting action to get your teeth into, first up the Lions take on the Sharks out in Durban, and of course England take on Andorra in another crucial World Cup Qualifier.

First up the Lions, I really like the look of the team "Geech" has picked, I think it shows a good balance between power and pace, although they will face a much sterner test against the Sharks than they have so far on this tour. There has been a lot of talk about how the Lions must dominate the breakdown, and its true, if you do this well you are going to win games.....simples!

The problem is that a lot of factors have to come together for you to get on top in the contact area, and it's not just a case of going out there and running into every ruck like a madman. If your going forward, and making sure you are taking the ball at pace and getting across the gain line, then it pretty much looks after itself, the problem comes when the defence gets on top of you and starts making you go backwards.

There are so many little factors in rugby that all contribute to how your team performs, but my dad always said, and I stick by this, if you do the basics well then the rest takes cares of itself.

Look at the game on Saturday against the Cheetahs, for the first twenty minutes we tore them apart, then suddenly we were down to 14, they had a bit more confidence up front and starting gang tackling around the fringes, and our forwards found it very hard to generate quick ball. This is where you need leaders on the pitch to just get people to reset, and start thinking, right we need to get the advantage back, lets hit the big runners, make sure they have a lot of support and start knocking them back again!

Anyway, I'm a winger, so while all of those forwards are bashing the living bejesus out of each other in an almost primeval way, I'm too busy doing my hair and making sure my nice manicure doesn't get ruined when I catch the ball!

Almost straight after the rugby, Cappello's men kick off against Andorra, in what should be 3 points written blind! England will probably rest a lot of players, but even if they rested say Rooney and played his cousin we will should still walk it..........hell even if they played his cousin's girlfriends mums friend called Dave's pet goldfish they should still nick it!

I would also like to see Theo Walcott get another chance to show what he can do after his rather lacklustre performance in Kazakhstan, this boy is class and if there is space for him to exploit, expect him to cause havoc!

It will be a good chance for some fringe players to push there cause, and it's going to be great going into the game against Croatia next season having won all 7 of our qualifying matches! Oh but it might be a bit quiet at Wembley due to the Tube strike.......although I have no idea what a Tube is now I live in Brum, oh and if they lose, I will eat my hat okay???

God please don't let them lose!

I also just had one of the best ever chats with England cricket legend Phil Tufnell, or "Tuffers" as he is better known, what a top bloke, highly amusing and I can't wait to welcome him back for the Offside show on Sat, to talk about the Twenty Twenty World Cup and also to preview the forthcoming Ashes series..........sweeeeeeeeeet!

Check it out from 1pm on Saturday on Kerrang, and don't forget you can catch me doing my specialist new music show from 3-5am during the week too, and if that's a bit early for you, why not spend your lunchtime with me on Q radio from 1-3pm Mon-Friday!

I get everywhere! Right I am off to take out the new Triumph Rocket 3 Tourer I have this week for the Motorcycle Diaries (independent.co.uk/motorcycledairies)out for a spin, then its all about the sport and Kerrang Birthday Party!!!

I'll blog again tomorrow to let ya know what I think of everything that goes down tonight!

Word!

England Bounce Back, the Lions need to Sharpen their Claws, and the Joys of Pre-Pre-Season!

2009-06-09T15:32:37Z

Hell yeah, I'm back!!!

When I managed to, in the most technical terms, bugger my neck a couple of weeks ago doing some weights, I didn't know how long it would be until I managed to get back into the old rugger training.

Supposedly it's a herniated disc, and I am awaiting an MRI for it, but the good news is that after two weeks the constant migraines have finally stopped and I actually feel semi human again...well as human as I ever feel.

I have even managed to get to the gym this week, although to be fair I am limited to sitting on the bike for 30 minutes, but it's a start! I can't tell you how mad I have been going over the last two weeks not being able to train, especially as for the last 2 months I have been going crazy with the idea of being able to hit the ground running in pre-season with the Birmingham & Solihull Bee's as we get ready for our first season in rugby's new Championship!

Although I must admit, I hate cycling (I ride motorbikes for crying out loud, I don't pedal!), but at least it has given me a chance to fall in love completely with the new Silversun Pickups album "Swoon", as I have had it on repeat while I pound out the miles, and wow is it a grower, so many different layers of sounds, and if you like the Smashing Pumpkins, you should give it a go!

Its just nice to feel like I can do some exercise again, but with preseason kicking off a week on Monday, I reckon its all a bit too little too late, so no doubt all the Bee's boys will be ripping the Mick out of me as I pass out ten seconds into the first session, but at least it will make a change for them ripping the piss out of me for wearing an Alice band! Actually having just received the pre season schedule in an email......oh my God it's hardcore......I might not even make it through the first week.......tell my mother I love her!

One upside of being injured, as I wrote the other day, is that it gives you a huge amount of time to sit around and eat cake...........D'oh.......I mean.....watch sport, that's it!

And what a smorgasbord of sport there was over the weekend! First up lets focus on the Lions, they beat the Orange Free State Cheetahs 26-24 over in Bloemfontein, but they were literally one kick away from being beaten, with the Cheetahs missing a drop goal in the last minute.

Sure they could have lost, but they didn't, and in fact in the first twenty minutes before the sin binning of Ferris, I thought we looked awesome! Our forwards were hitting the rucks hard, providing go forward ball for our lively backs, who simply cut them to shreds. Sure after the yellow card we struggled, the Cheetahs started coming in to their own in the breakdown and in the end the boys in red were holding on for their lives in up against some incredibly passionate play from the home side....but they won. Let's not forget that in this area of South Africa, rugby is more important than oxygen, so just to come away with a win is a top result. Nuff said, lets move onto the next game, and it gets interesting this week as "Geech" and the boys will be starting to get an idea who will be making up the Test 15, so expect some fierce competition amongst the players, and some slightly better opposition as things get cranked up a notch!

Ahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahaha!!!!!

I love nothing more than keeping my professional sports journalistic unbiased-ness up, but sod it, take that you Aussies!!! Unceremoniously dumped out of the Twenty 20 World Cup, they now face two weeks in Leicestershire to get ready for the Ashes, and as Punter himself said "No one really wants that!" I am sure they will bounce back from this, but you could still see how much it hurt them, and if you're anything like me, seeing an Aussie suffering is one of the greatest things in the world!

Oh and top work from England, to see them perform under pressure against a potentially very good Pakistan side was awesome, and they certainly banished the embarrassing defeat by the Netherlands on Friday from their minds. I must admit this tournament has been awesome-tacular and I should know as I have pretty much watched every game, so bring on the Super Eights!

Federer put his name in the annals of tennis history on Sunday by winning the French Open, and becoming only the 5th player of all time to win all of the Grand Slams, and a lot of people are now saying he is the best tennis player of all time...........D'uh!!!!

Of course he is!!! I don't care what sport you play, but times move forward, and sport evolves, so if you really think that someone like Bjorn Borg would be able to live on the same court as someone like Nadal, well you're crazy!. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that sportsmen from the past aren't any good, of course they are, but sport has changed so much now, the training methods, the science behind it, the nutrition, and of course the level of professionalism now that I doubt any player in any sport from say 20-30 years ago is comparable to an athlete today.

Training methods have moved on so much, and the sport itself evolves, I mean imagine legendary England Number 8 Dean Richards, one of the finest players the world has seen, trying to play today, he would simply not be able to compete with the athleticism of players like Croft or Ferris and his meandering to the breakdown would be pointless anyway as there are no mauls now anyway......sorry Dean.....I still love you though.

Unless of course you are Geoffrey Boycott who would never admit that anyone was better than him, past or present!!!!

England also managed to survive a bit of a scare out in Kazakhstan to come through and win convincingly in the end and make it 6 out of 6 for Capello, which means we already have one foot in South Africa for 2010. I must admit though, its almost a shame that we are doing so well, I mean our nation loves a good moan, and we are not getting the chance at the moment!

We are walking it this time out and I miss the drama and excitement that comes from supporting a team of under achievers! Who can forget that famous free kick against Greece from Beckham that put us through, or that game out in Italy where we held out for a draw to qualify? These moment of tension that are so crucial to England footy fans are simply non-existent when we actually win easily.....so sort it out Capello, actually, don't worry about it, I'm sure we will get to South Africa nice and easily, and then when we get out there it will all go Pete Tong!

Oh and if that wasn't enough, I thought Button was absolutely amazing out in Turkey, and its going to take a hell of a lot to stop him winning the F1 title this year. Yes it is a shame to see Lewis struggling so badly, but I thought after a lacklustre start he started to get back into it, but there is no doubt that Button is the man of the moment, and his incredibly smooth driving skills are reminiscent of a certain Michael Schumacher, who had a certain Ross Brawn as his team manager at Ferrari.

To be fair I kept wanting to tell the commentators in Sundays race to shut up, as they kept trying to jinx the Brit by saying things like "He hasn't made a single mistake all season" and "Surely he will go on to win now!" Unbelievably though he really does seem able to handle the immense amount of pressure on him, and really doesn't make mistakes which are so crucial at this level, as Vettel learnt after his slight mishap early on was enough to lose him the race, and I cant wait for the F1 circus to arrive at Silverstone in two weeks.

Anyway, I best get back to watching the Twenty Twenty, and I will blog tomorrow to preview the big footy and Lions game, so until then my illustrious compadres, rock on!

Transfer Fireworks are about to start!!!

2009-06-07T06:22:48Z

So with the first big transfer move of the season now done and dusted, perennially want away Villans midfielder Barry joining the new richest club in the world Man City, experts are predicting that this could be the biggest summer ever of transfer spending.

Normally I scoff in the general directions of experts, preferring to make up facts and generally lie about things instead....it's more fun, but for once I reckon they may have something.

First up the Barry saga, having been involved ion the press front down at Villa in the last season, I can tell you MON was just getting sick of constantly having to answer questions on Barry's future, and in some ways, although he will be a big loss, I don't think it will effect Villa too badly. In fact, some might say.....okay I say, its probably for the best, as its clear, although he had given lots to Villa over the last few years, his heart wasn't in it, and his desire to play Champions League footy in the end meant he just had to leave for a club that finished 4 places above Villa........on no hang on........it was 4 places below Villa??

Did Barry know that?? He did? Oh right, well I suppose the ambition of the club, and the fact they are paying him over £100k a week might have helped!

Anyway, his move may have only been for £12 million, but I think it will the start of a record summer of spending, and it wont just be Man City and Chelski who may go a bit mad on the transfer front.......as Real Madrid have got Florentino Perez back as President after an absence of 3 and a half years. Remember Perez?

He was the man that ushered in the first era of Galacticos at the Bernabeu club by signing Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo and Beckham for a combined £132 million within four consecutive seasons, and he has made his intentions clear by making a £56 million pound bid for Brazilian superstar Kaka, plus he has said he wants Christiano Ronaldo, David Villa, Vidic and Alonso, and the construction magnate has the money to do it, and the desire as he wants Real to dethrone Barcelona at the top of La Liga.

Of course the fact that the pound against the Euro is about strong as Mr Muscle, and the old version, not the new superhero animated one (which really freaks me out to be fair!) should mean that there will be a lot of movement of players between English clubs, as they look to take advantage of the fact that you wont be able to afford a newspaper and a coffee from Europe soon, let alone a striker.

Will Villa, Wolves, and the Blues have the clout to buy big against the likes of Man City for big names like Villa and Kaka? No, is the answer, but if they are clever they should be able to strengthen their squad with some top British talent instead of buying abroad, and maybe that's not a bad thing. The big question is though, can they hold on to their best talent?

Its a shame nowadays that in football it is more about who can pay the biggest wage than which club the player actually has any passion for or loyalty to, but I suppose that is the nature of professional sport, and so often you will see clubs bringing through top class talent, or nurturing a player through a lengthy injury, only for them to move on to the highest bidder when a club with a bigger cheque book comes in.

Although with the amount of money touted around as possibly being spent this summer, and in the current financial crisis, I think we should abolish traditional transfer fees, and instead try and buy players with items of equal worth.

For instance you could see Walcott being traded for a Ferrari due to his silky skills and pace, or John Terry being involved in a transfer saga with a brick wall as he is so solid at the back....see where I am going with this? It would allow clubs without the financial clout to compete with the big boys a chance to still secure some big names, as each transfer would only be limited by the manager's imagination!

Actually I think I could be onto something here, it would certainly make the close season a lot more interesting for the smaller clubs.

You could swap Titus Bramble for a donkey ( I know he has a good season), Steven Gerrard for a thoroughbred race horse, John Carew for the Colossus of Rhodes, the whole of the Baggies defence for a Colander, Gomes for..........well I don't know......a plank of wood? And of course, the big deal of the summer would be the emergence of Didier Drogba's huge move to Accrington Stanley in a direct swap for Tom Daley...........he is a diver....ba da boom.

If that fails, why not have some sort of Top Trumps system where any club can challenge another to a "duel" between two players, and then the club that is challenged gets to pick the category that they then have to compete against each other in.......say for instance.........height, and then if the challenger wins they get the player they went in for, but if they lose the challenged team gets to keep the challengers player!

Simples huh??? You could include loads of cool categories, as long as it was possible to have a quantative measurement, so everything from length of fringe, to IQ and amount of words spoken in a minute could be included (Reigning undefeated champion being John "Gets-to-the-thirst-fast" Barnes) and it would allow any team to possibly end up signing some of the biggest names around!

I can just see it next year, Lionel Messi signs for Blue Square Conference side Oxford United after they do a swap for an unknown teenage youth team player who happened to have really long toe nails..............

What have Heikki Kovalainen and Chris Waddle got in Common?

2009-06-06T11:51:07Z

They're both on my Offside show today on Kerrang, that's what!

Yes I know I always get the big guests pestering me, and often have to tell them to stop texting me outside of office hours as I do have a private life......you know who you are Lewis Hamilton, but its always nice to get a couple of legends on Offside on a Saturday afternoon!

So this week I am rolling out the red carpet as I spoke to McLaren Formula One driver Heikki Kovalainen ahead of today's qualifying for the Turkish Grand Prix on his thoughts about the big race, and how the season has gone so far, plus of course I'll let you know who has nabbed pole, and what twists and turns await us in the next round of an already amazing F1 season!

He is a top fella, and if your into F1 then you don't want to miss this chat, as he reveals some awesome behind the scenes details.

If that wasn't enough I also have Pfeh efefefefefefef Chris Waddle on the show!!! Yes the former England winger is at the Stadium in Almaty ahead of England's crucial World Cup qualifier against lowly minnows Kazakhstan. I will get him to give us a summary of what we can expect of our opposition as he has been out there for a few days watching them train, to give us his thoughts on the England team and how Capello has done so far in his eyes, and also obviously preview the big match which kicks off at 4pm!

There is also game three of the Lions tour as the GB boys take on the Free State Cheetahs at 2pm BST, and of course at Old Trafford a youthful and inexperienced England side will take on a very dangerous Argentina side, with KO at 4pm.

Twenty Twenty cricket anyone?? After England's calamitous loss in the first game of the World Cup yesterday, who knows what we can expect from NZ vs. Scotland and Australia vs. West Indies both taking place at the Oval......weather permitting, with the Kiwis getting under way after a rain delay at 12.30pm and the Aussie game following! I said this tournament would have a few surprises up its sleeve; can any of the minnows do the same as the Dutch and join the party??

Oh there is a small matter of the Welsh playing Azerbaijan in the WCQ too, and in my home town of Epsom we have the Derby at 4.15, and what promises to be an immense final between Safina and Kusnetsova out in Paris in the French Open tennis!

Wow, I reckon that's a show! I best get myself in the studio, catch me from 1pm on Kerrang!!!!!

Welcome to Rock n Roll Cricket - the Twenty Twenty World Cup!

2009-06-05T14:15:38Z

What with everything else going on in the World of sport at the moment, the F1, French Open, Lions Tour, not to mention England's footy game against Kazakhstan tomorrow, you'd almost be forgiven for not noticing that a World Cup takes place in this country over the next few weeks, starting today!

What World Cup is this you ask? Is it the Crown Green Bowls tournament, maybe it's a face off between the best around in darts? Or maybe Politicians are going to have a tournament to see who the biggest liar and cheat is between them.......yeah right, they would all win!

But no, the World Cup is in fact in for our nation's beloved sport of cricket. I say that rather tongue in cheek, as for someone who has loved and played the game since I could put a pair of pads on, I also realise that its probably not the most exciting to watch...compared to say....well watching paint dry...........and not very exciting paint either........a kind of off grey.

Anyway, that will all change this year, as not only do we have the unbridalled national hysteria of the Ashes to look forward to at the end of the month, which if it is anything like 2005, will get the whole nation behind that man Freddie Flintoff and his mates, but we also have the most rock n roll form of cricket ever taking place over the next 2 weeks.

Yes the Twenty Twenty World Cup kicks off today with England versus Holland, and while they might have as much chance as winning the tournament as my mum, even in a mismatch like this, you're guaranteed some amazing action. If you haven't seen it before you are in for a treat, scantily clad dancers, hot tubs, and blaring music, it is a far cry from the sport that WG Grace played while stroking his ample beard back in the day....thank God!

I love my test match cricket, and my one dayers, but I appreciate that I play cricket, and it's a game very much like golf, that once you dip your toes into you get hooked, its addictive, but if you haven't played it its about as much fun as a broken rollercoaster. The problem lies with the fact that 5 and 4 day games, and even One Day matches, are about as accessible to the non cricket fan as Fort Knox, and understandably fail to get newcomers excited about this great sport.

Well Twenty Twenty addresses that, and while people will say it's a concession to the instant consumerist society we live in, well wannabe philosophers who are trying to impress chicks might say that....like me, I argue that this provides the perfect "Gateway" into cricket, and who cares what form of the game that kids are playing, as long as they are playing it.

Yes you will get huffy old blokes wearing blazers with really cool moustaches sitting in the Long Room at lords crying into their Gespactcho soup bemoaning that it wasn't like this in their day.........and yeah, I suppose that's right, but dinosaurs roamed the earth then too, and you don't see many of those about now!

In sport you have to move with the times, and as long as Test cricket is still played, I truly feel that 20/20 will not detract from it one bit, in fact it should hopefully swell the interest in the sport and make it the most popular game in the world.......mwahahahahahahahahaha...okay maybe not, but it's a start!

I mean loads of people play 5 a side football but that hasn't taken over the full version of the game, yet it's probably how most kids get into the game by kicking a ball around with their mates down the park. If 20/20 can allow people to try a new sport, and not have to take 8 hours of your day to play it, and having to take out 3 mortgages for the equipment, subs and tea fee's, then that can only be a good thing.

Look at the England rugby 7's team, I spent some time with them ahead of their win at Twickenham the other day, and it's so much more than just a team of talented guys having fun. It's an incredibly professional setup plus it gives a chance for players with potential to cut their teeth at international level, playing against the best in the world, in front of huge crowds, and it provides a conveyor belt of talent to the full 15 side, which is surely a great example of what this shorter form of cricket can achieve in the long run.

Onto the tournament itself, well the favourites are India who won the inaugural competition 2 years ago, and they look in top form having blown away their finalists from 2007, Pakistan, in a warm up match just this week. They have some explosive batting, and of course an amazing bowling attack who are specialists at bowling toe crunchers at the death and in Dhoni, one of the best and most innovative captains around in this shorter form of the game.

It will take a lot to beat the Indians, but then again there are some amazing teams in the tournament too, with Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa all having start studded squads capable of beating the best on their day.

I actually, and I know this is probably just my inane national pride, really think we have a chance this time. We are used to the conditions, we have an in form side all jostling for a place in the Ashes team, and we did invent this form of the game.........oh but then that doesn't count for much as we invented the full version of the game as well!

I hope we at least get into the Super Sixes, as from there anything can happen and we are capable of beating anyone in a one off game......dare I say it...... even the Aussies! Yes we will miss Flintoff, but KP is due a few runs and will be looking to put a marker down, and with Luke Wright and Ravi Bopara, we have the top order batting to destroy teams, plus our bowling team isn't bad, although we are lacking a few death bowlers, but watch out for Anderson is he is a man on fire!

Oh and keep an eye out for Bangladesh, Ireland and the rest of the minnows who will be out to add to their impressive giant killing scalps of two years ago, and in this form of the game anything can happen!

Anyway, we kick off the whole event today at 5.30 against that famous cricketing nation..............the Netherlands at the home of cricket, Lords, and I for one can't wait!

Plus I will be covering the Australia vs. West Indies game at the Oval tomorrow on Offside on Kerrang from 1pm, with the game commencing from 2 o'clock, and don't forget to check back tomorrow for my preview of the weekends sporting action and what is coming up on the Big Show!

The Lions Roar Back!

2009-06-04T16:16:51Z

Never take a backward step, never say die, never give in, don't walk off the pitch with anything left in the tank and be prepared to hit anything that moves, including the ref, when you here a "99" call.

Those are the rules of Lions tours in the past, along with a few more that revolving around drinking which I obviously cant disclose, and it's a code that have made the fans fall in love with this representative side over the last few decades with a fervour and passion that is not really seen anywhere else.....well except for maybe on the Ryder Cup.....but they don't get to hit each other.

Therefore it wasn't a great start on Saturday as a hastily thrown together side from the third tier of South African rugby managed to do the unthinkable, not only score against the GB side, but also come within about 10 minutes of winning against the start studded tourists.

Against the Royal 15 on Saturday afternoon the Lions had barely sharpened their claws, let alone actually worked up any sort of appetite for destruction, and the lacklustre performance they put in, in which the 37-25 score line flattered the GB side massively, would have hugely worried the fans and management.

Not only did they look about as aggressive as 3 week old kittens after a particular hard day of chasing wool and scratching stuff, they simply did not click, and immediately I started thinking back to the last ill fated Lions tour where too many players, lack of time together, and numerous other problems meant that it ended up feeling like a touring side of individual superstars who had never played together, not a team, and we all know what happened there!

Lots of standard excuses were rolled out, they were jet lagged, they hadn't had time to click yet, some players are allergic to South Africans etc, but the fact is they were lacking the desire and the commitment to play, and missed a huge opportunity to lay down a marker for the forthcoming weeks. What they needed was to show the Saffers that they mean business from the word go, and also show that even if the rest of the bits will take time to click, that the DESIRE is there from the start....and more importantly the unbridled aggression.

That's one of the main reasons why I love rugby, yes it is a huge game of skill, well maybe not in the forwards where its al about bashing the living hell out of each other until you regress back to a caveman mentality and can only utter the words "Me Hungry" and "Me Smashey", but definitely in the backs where us pretty boys stand around doing our hair and comparing nails. Yet it doesn't matter if you're the most skilful player in the world, even more skilful than say Skilly McSkill from Skillsville, you'll find it pretty hard to run through someone who "Wants" it more than you, simply down to the fact that its quite hard to run with broken legs, you see aggression and violence is a wonderful playing field leveller.

Hell if your not that good at running with the ball in hand, just make sure you tackle like a train and run round with a bit of "Mad Dog" in you and any coach will pick you over an X factor metro-sexual wannabe who may have moves slicker than John Travolta covered in grease, but will bottle it at the first sign of contact.

Therefore when you have world class professional players, it seems crazy that they can turn up to a match and not be fired up, but it happens in rugby, for a number of reasons. If there was a switch that allowed you to turn it on or off at he drop of a hat, that would be ace, but there isn't and it all eventually comes down to preparation. In other words they got it wrong against the Royal 15, but the key in any sport, is to realise when you have got something wrong, put your hand up and learn from your mistakes....something which McGeechan and his charges are very much aware of.

If anyone was remotely worried that the Lion's seeming hangover would roll into game two of the tour against the Golden Lions, you needn't have, as right from the word go it was pretty obvious that this was a different set of guys, with a very different mentality who clearly had had a rocket put up their backsides by a rather upset McGeechan, Edwards and co.

When you play for the Lions it's an incredible honour, as it comes around once only every 4 years for our players, but imagine what it must be like for the guys playing against the boys in red in SA, they only get a shot at this every 12 years, so you can imagine for the local players and fans, this is a once in a lifetime chance to show the world what you have got!

This makes the Lions performance last night all the more impressive as these guys were a step up from the Royal 15 played on Saturday, being an actual Super 14 side albeit not a great one, but right from the whistle it was obvious there was only going to be one winner, well two if you include rugby.........ohh that's cheesy!

Sure you can point to the fact that the Golden Lions had finished bottom of the Super 14 table, or that they sacked their coach at the end of the season, or that they were missing a few key players, but the fact remains the GB boys still ran in ten tries, and looked world class in doing so.

It was obvious from the off that the preparations for this match had been a tad better, with the hits flying in from the word go, and the defence actually looking top notch throughout the game. Sure B'OD and Monye got sucked in for the Golden Lions try, but otherwise it was an almost perfect display. One thing that really cheered my heart was the way in which the Lions defended against the Saffers with a couple of minute to go right on their own try line.

The crowd were urging the home side on to score another consolation try with the game already wrapped up, the Lions were also down to 14 men as Monye had left the pitch with a knock, but they didn't budge or give an inch, exemplified (that's a big word for me) by the last ditch tackle from Jenkins that ensured the oppo didn't cross the line.........simply awesome!

That shows a pride in defending your line, and a professionalism that would have had defence coach Edwards smiling (well maybe not smiling as that's not something you imagine Edwards doing...it would be much too human), not that you would know it by the way he was bouncing up and down and shouting at his charges, even after they were 62 points in front! Now that's passion!

Anyway, I thought the whole team looked top notch, with Croft, Heaslip, Powell and Ferris (whose breakaway try showed just how quick he really is - outrunning the Golden Lions winger in process) in the back row showing that you really can ally mobility with power, and the much fancied 6, 7 and 8 combo of the Saffers will have taken note and it looks like Pierre Spies and co might have a bit of competition.

I actually think that pretty much all of the forwards played superbly, with people like Vickery, Hines, and Wynn Jones all having stormers around the park, as well as looking extremely solid and making a huge impact in the tight.

The backs were on fire too, and it will take a LOT to displace Phillips and Jones in the half back positions, with the Welsh combo clicking beautifully together. Phillips service may be a little laboured, but his powerful running combined with his natural attacking instincts really gave the forwards go forward ball to work off, and I thought he had a top game.

Jones is truly looking world class at the moment, he was always a very gifted kicker and tactician, but over the years he has really worked on his running game and distribution skills too, and his link up work with the centres was immense.

Roberts and O'Driscoll also looked like an established partnership in the centres, where there lines of running allied with their silky skills and brute strength created massive wholes in the oppo's defence. Plus Tommy Bowe not only scored two but pretty much set up 4 others, and even Monye looked sharp with his two try debut for the GB Lions.

In other words, it looks like that first game really did give the boys the "slap round the face with a wet kipper" that they needed, now the coaches face the tough task of keeping the momentum rolling into Saturdays match, and it will be interesting to see the team they go for ahead of next weeks big test match.

Either way, its good to see the Lions "Purring" and "hungry" and having "sharpened their claws".......sorry to be fair I am just trying to get as many Lion sounding animal related clichés in as possible......erm........they need to ensure this "Pride" remains within the "Pride" (two meanings, one word - get in!) and that they are not "toothless" before they come face to face with the actual Springboks next week.........okay that's enough now I suppose...............oh one more....they should keep their "paws" on the ground!

Anyway, all the signs are there that this Lions team could be on for something very special out in SA, and it will be key for them to keep this momentum going against the Cheetahs on Saturday afternoon, and as always I will keep you updated on the score of the Match on my Offside show, and check back on Sat morning for my preview of all the sporting action for the weekend, and a preview of what's coming up on Offside!

Plus check back tomorrow for my preview of the most rock and roll version of cricket there is, complete with Day-Glo pyjamas, scantily clad women (yeah right), music blaring from speakers and more party vibes than you could fit in an ice bucket, and its all taking place right here in the UK, I am of course referring to the Twenty Twenty World Cup!

From My Sunday Column : The Joys of Being Injured!

2009-05-31T05:42:25Z

Over the years I have been pretty lucky with injuries, in fact in the past few rugby and cricket seasons I have only missed 4 weeks of games because of it, and that was down to a silly tap tackle in training which gave me a spiral fracture in my left hand.

Even that wasn't too bad, as it fell over Christmas, so I only missed one actual league game in rugby, and to be fair the x-rays made a wicked souvenir. I remember having a habit of getting knocked out quite a bit in egg chasing games for my school, setting a new record once of four in one season, to be fair though one of those was my via my own player anyway.

The moral of the story there is not to get your head in the way of one of your props with steel toe cap boots, when he is trudging to the next breakdown, and the others were........well down to me being a mouthy scrum half and playing against guys 4 years older than me as I was captain of the 6th form side when I was in year 8.........still it was fun!

So I have been extremely gutted this week to find out that I have managed to, in highly technical terms, ruin my neck. I am not sure how it happened, although playing a game where I make a habit of running head first into very big blokes probably didn't help, but it finally went in the gym the other day, and now I face a long wait on the sidelines.

The main feeling I have is of frustration, not only at the fact that by the time I get an MRI on the NHS I would have been better off writing a letter to a Mr Claus of the South Pole and asking for one under my tree, but mostly because I now can't do what I love doing most.....namely playing sport.

I unfortunately have to rest from all exercise, but to be fair, until the migraines go away, the thought of running anywhere or even breaking into a sweat is about as appealing as a night out with Vanessa Felts.

"Them's the breaks" as they say, and of course it does mean one thing, which however upset I may be, does give me some cheer, and that is that I now have a lot more time to sit down and actually watch a lot more sport over the next few weeks.

The Lions tour, the Ashes, and having my Sundays back from cricket to actually get to watch the rest of the Formula one season! Don't get me wrong, I would much rather be out on a pre pre-season training run (that's how old I am - I have to train to get fit for.....well......for training!) in the boiling heat, sweating off 800 calories as I pound the roads for 10k, but as I write this I am sitting on my balcony with a nice cold glass of something in my hand, because I don't have to get up and train at stupid o'clock tomorrow), catching some rays after a long week at Kerrang....................suddenly things don't seem so bad!