Rugby in Kenya

North focused on series win

2013-05-21T15:13:00.002+03:00

Wales winger George North is relishing the prospect of going head-to-head against Australia with the British and Irish Lions this summer but the youngster is only focused on bagging that all-important series win.
The Lions have not come away from a tour with a series win since they came out on top against South Africa back in 1997 but the latest Lions Rugby betting odds suggests the current crop of players to end that long wait for success.
North, who is set to join Northampton Saints this summer, has emerged as one of the most exciting players in the northern hemisphere and the 21-year-old is currently getting used to playing with his Lions team-mates.
The winger is certainly a player the Wallabies will be looking out for and North is determined to make sure the potential in this Lions squad is recognised as they hope to end a 16-year wait for a series win.
He told Sky Sports: "We want to go down there as part of a successful tour and a winning tour.
"As somebody said to us earlier we want that winning mentality. It starts from day one which it has.
"Along the way we must have fun along the way so it's been good having a laugh with the boys in camp. We've been working hard, but also enjoying the time while we're here."
North looks set to pull on the famous red jersey for the first time on June 1, when the Lions tour 2013 kicks off with an encounter with the Barbarians in Hong Kong.
It gives the Scarlets trymachine an opportunity to set a marker for other wingers to chase ahead of that first Test against the Wallabies on June 22 in Brisbane.

The old Lions set to shine through

2013-05-15T14:57:00.000+03:00

Warren Gatland’s British and Irish Lions squad is for the most part a youthful side with some of the most exciting players in the northern hemisphere.

Scotland full-back Stuart Hogg is the youngest member of the squad at just 20-years-old and Wales winger George North is just a year older.

Even the skipper Sam Warburton, at just 24-years-old is a spring chicken and is now preparing for his first Lions tour.

However there are two old heads in the 37-man squad who will have a massive impact on how successful the Lions will be in Australia this summer.

Irish duo Paul O’Connell and Brian O’Driscoll at 33 and 34 respectively make up the oldest players in the squad and their experience both on and off the field will invaluable to the squad and Warburton.

There was plenty of speculation on whether the Ireland veterans would make the squad but clearly Gatland and his management team see the value of a sprinkling of experience in an otherwise relatively youthful set-up, especially after Jonny Wilkinson’s decision to pull out. O’Driscoll has been on three previous Lions tours but is still waiting to secure his first series win.

You get the feeling that the worldclass centre still has some unfinished business in the red jersey and he will be doing everything he can to end his Lions career on a high with a series win over the Wallabies, something worth thinking about if you are considering a free Lions rugby bet .

As for O’Connell, he missed out on the entire Six Nations campaign this season with a back injury but still managed to do enough for Munster in recent weeks to earn a call.

Both these players have skippered the Lions and don’t be surprised to see them in the Test side for that first encounter with Wallabies on June 22 in Brisbane.

Accept and Move On

2013-05-15T11:05:00.002+03:00

I think I need to get back to doing this regularly, and with frequent reminders. Yet another post from exactly a year ago foresaw quite a bit. And I had warned, even before the mantra became "accept and move on" in all things Kenyan. As many writers say, our leaders are a direct reflection of us and we cannot pretend to be any different from them. Given the same chance, we would behave in exactly the same way, as that is what we seem preconditioned to do. We are genetically wired to be so predictable that it is painful to watch goings on. The faint hearted like myself are inclined to give up, accept and move on. But the perennial palpitations I get keep me awake at night, wondering, what my role in this life has been. In the end, it may not be what we did, but more what we failed to do. Read this past Weekly Ramble.

Let my mojo return, or my stress reduce. Will surely be back.

Bamburi Rugby - 4 Years On!

2013-05-08T13:25:00.000+03:00

I just thought I would dig up a post from 2009 when I was still passionate about the Bamburi Rugby Super Series and realised that not much has really changed. The commercial arm of the tournament is thriving but the technical seems to be lagging far behind. We do not really know what we want out of the tournament and seem to have turned it into some sort of PR, development or affirmative action event.

Something needs to be done, and not just a change of names!

O’Gara still Unsure over Retirement Plans

2013-05-01T11:49:00.003+03:00

Legendary Ireland fly Ronan O’Gara confirmed he is “still unsure” over plans to retire this summer after Munster’s Heineken Cup defeat to Clermont Auvergne cast doubts over his future in the sport.

The 36-year-old battled hard during Muster’s semi-final clash last weekend and despite kicking a conversion and penalty during a late fightback his exploits weren’t enough as the Irish side crashed out 16-10.

After the game he was asked for his reaction and whether or not this spells the end of his long career.

“I don't know, today’s not the day to be thinking about it,” he told Betfair Rugby. “I will sleep on it until the end of the season and then make a decision.”

O’Gara has once again been a pivotal member of Munster’s squad in both the Heineken Cup and Pro 12 league yet at 36 his body is starting to feel the strain of 15 years of top-flight rugby.

The Munster legend has seen it all over an illustrious career, winning two Heineken Cups, three Celtic Leagues, the 2009 Six Nations Grand Slam and making three Lions tours.

One more Heineken Cup was just too much for O’Gara and co. this time around and no doubt over the next few weeks the fly will sit down and consider his options. He has the quality to play another top-class season in the Pro 12 but with Munster way off the pace of a Heineken Cup finish it’ll be two years minimum before he is back on the European stage.

Come 38 O’Gara is unlikely to meet the standards he set himself over the past 15 years and, even if he wants to play on, his body may make the retirement decision for him.

Trending on Betfair at present is the British Lions betting: Wilko should have been in not out.

Haskell holding on to Euro dream

2013-04-26T15:37:00.004+03:00

London Wasps were on the verge of dropping out of the Aviva Premiership last season but now the side are pushing for a return to Heineken Cup rugby, in a competition flanker James Haskell is determined to play in once again.
Having seen some of the club’s most successful players leave the club in a short space of time with the likes of Lawrence Dallaglio, Joe Worsley, Rob Howley and Josh Lewsey (to name just a few) calling time on their careers, it was understandable to see a dip in fortunes for these former Premiership and Betfair Heineken Cup title holders.
However few Wasps supporters would have ever expected to be watching their side come as close to relegation as they did last term.
But with a bit more stability financially off the field and the squad settling under head coach Dai Young, Wasps are back on the up.
Since his return from a spell across the Channel, Haskell has been a key figure in the pack at Adams Park and is now one of the most experienced players in the team, with the latest rugby betting suggesting that a return to European glory will arrive sooner rather than later.
The England international knows Heineken Cup rugby is important for the club and feels an imminent return would be a real boost for everyone concerned with the London outfit.
Haskell told london24.com: “Finishing in the top six and qualifying for Europe are the most important things to all of us now.
“For me, if we manage to achieve that you can put this season down as a massive success.
“To come from being on the verge of relegation to qualifying for the Heineken Cup within a year would be a huge step forward.”

Flood committed to Tigers cause

2013-04-24T17:16:00.000+03:00

Amid speculation about a potential move to France this summer, England fly-half Toby Flood has insisted the Leicester Tigers at this moment are the only team for him.
The former Newcastle Falcons No.10 has established himself as a key figure in the squad at Welford Road and the latest rugby betting suggests the Tigers look like they will be challenging for the Aviva Premiership crown once again this season.
Currently sitting in second place in the table, Leicester were well fancied in Europe to according to the Heineken Cup odds but they can only focus on claiming the English crown now having been knocked out of the Heineken Cup in the quarter-final stage by Toulon earlier this month.
Flood has been at the heart of much that has been good about the East Midlands club this season and will be a player pushing for British and Irish Lions selection ahead of their tour of Australia this summer.
Over recent weeks the 27-year-old has been linked with a move across the Channel to join one of the French powerhouses, which are starting to take a strong grip on the European game.
The lure of moving to France has been strong, especially for many top players in the Welsh game, who have decided to make the switch to the Top 14.
However Flood has insisted that for now he is going nowhere and is enjoying life with the Tigers, who will be looking for a strong end to their 2013 campaign.
He told BBC Radio Leicester: "I love it here. In some regards it is nice to been linked with France but nothing has been said.
"There is always speculation but I am enjoying my time here and for me there is only one club in England you want to be at and it is this one."

Sarries secure Streather services

2013-04-24T16:55:00.000+03:00

Saracens are building towards a crucial stage of the season in both the Aviva Premiership and the Heineken Cup but they have one eye on the future and Nottingham’s Tim Streather is set to be a new face at the club next term.
The 24-year-old has been a standout performer in the Championship with Nottingham, who themselves are pushing for promotion to the Premiership this year and currently sit in second place in the table.
Streather has been a prolific try-scorer for the East Midlands outfit and his creative play has clearly caught the attentions of scouts from the top flight as well as punters on Betfair rugby markets.
Sarries director of rugby Mark McCall has certainly been impressed with Streather’s performances in the Championship this term and is looking forward to having the talented back at Allianz Park next season.
He said: "We have been watching Tim for some time and he has proved himself one of the most impressive centres in the Championship. We're delighted he's chosen to advance his career at Saracens."
Streather’s main goal will be to have a strong end to the season and he has the opportunity to take his current employers to the Aviva Premiership before making the move to the Allianz Arena.
The Meadow Lane star is looking forward to testing himself in the English top flight and he will be pushing for silverware with a team like Saracens, who have emerged as one of the strongest club sides in the European game over recent years.
Streather said: "Saracens are a fantastic club, who consistently challenge for top honours, and I am extremely excited about adding something to a group of players who are of the highest calibre."

Frustrated Burrell Eyes Strong Finish

2013-04-18T12:24:00.002+03:00

It has been largely a season to forget for Luther Burrell but the Northampton Saints centre is now looking to have a strong end to the campaign and try to help the East Midlands outfit to Aviva Premiership glory.

The former Leeds and Sale centre has spent a large spell of the ongoing campaign out on the sidelines but made an impressive return for the Saints in their 31-14 victory over London Welsh last weekend to send the Exiles down into the Championship.

The 25-year-old managed to cross the whitewash twice on his return, as he looked to impress head coach, Jim Mallinder, and prove that he should be part of his plans for the last two games of the Premiership season and beyond.

With Northampton sitting in fourth place in the table, the Franklin’s Gardens outfit have their destiny in their own hands if they want to secure another semi-final playoff place.

Burrell, who made a decent start to the campaign, was pleased to fill the void left by the injured Dom Waldouck in their victory over Welsh and, having got some game time under his belt, he is hoping to end the season on a real high.

He told BBC Radio Northampton: "I spoke to Jim Mallinder and the coaches this week and it was massive for me to come in and fill that slot [whilst Dom Waldouck is injured]. I'm happy to be in there. It's tough with competition for places.

"It's been very frustrating but you've got to stay positive. We've all got one goal - to win the league. It's about me finishing the season the way it started."

Read the Will Greenwood column on the Betfair website for all the latest odds, picks, and news for the Aviva Premiership: http://betting.betfair.com/rugby/

Sale need Improvements before next Season

2013-04-16T14:59:00.003+03:00

After a disappointing campaign in the Aviva Premiership, Sale Sharks fans are desperate to see their side improve over the summer and they are rightly putting pressure on director of rugby, Steve Diamond, to get the job done this offseason.

Sale finished second bottom in the Premiership this term, eight points above relegated London Welsh but nevertheless a long way off a top six finish. Over the years, improvements have been promised but never come to fruition and rugby betting fans are wondering if they’ll ever return to the top of the English elite.

Put simply, Sale have transformed into an exporting club of late and are suffering off the back of that policy. Diamond oversaw nine player departures last summer and had to recall young prop, Lee Imiolek, to the side after an injury nightmare ravaged the squad early on in the season.

Four more players left in during the campaign and all Sale fans saw in return were five additions plus Daniel Braid, who scored 10 points in three appearances at the back end of this season.

Looking to the future, Diamond has confirmed investment will be made into the squad but there is still concern it won’t be enough to see Sale rise into the top six:

"We've got three or four imminent signings and we're in the marketplace for two or three internationals who are close to coming to us," he told BBC Radio Manchester.

All Sale have to show for their transfer activity this year is the guarantee Welsh’s Tom Arscott will join in the summer, while Andy Powell and Richie Vernon are set to leave.

With high-profile names exiting Salford and few confirmed replacements filling the void, Betfair’s Will Greenwood believes that these are dark days for Sharks fans desperate to return to winning ways.

No Protocols Required

2013-04-08T12:28:00.000+03:00

So, what was all the furore, name calling, influence peddling or whatever it was we saw all over Tweeter a few weeks ago? So much weight was thrown around we thought it was the end of civilised rugby as we knew it. Some people knew more than others and others were more on the players' side than others. Fighting in cyberspace was easy, I wonder what went on in the round table meeting. Suddenly player welfare was not an issue? No threats of suspension or contract cancellation? And the match winning try from and exhausted, jetlagged and potentially burnt out player?

Congratulations to Mwamba for winning the Enterprise Cup and to their opponents for a thrilling and worthy final.

Bath Capture Exiles Talent

2013-03-28T14:21:00.003+03:00

Bath’s hopes of progressing far in next season’s Heineken Cup have received a real boost after the club revealed it has signed centre, Jonathan Joseph, from London Irish this week.

Despite the current Premiership season being still weeks away from ending, Bath have taken the plunge early and acquired Joseph in the hope they can use his talents to the full should they qualify for next year’s Heineken Cup.

The team currently sit in seventh place and they are chasing both Gloucester and London Wasps to secure one of those remaining Cup spots. Yet their ambitions evidently stretch further than this season, as head coach Gary Gold revealed.

“[Joseph] is one of the most exciting young English talents around,” Gold told BBC Radio Bristol. “He’s one of those players who has got such an attacking flair.”

“We’re pretty excited that he’s been capped already and hopefully we can play a small part in developing English rugby players.”

London Irish fans will no doubt be disappointed a player of Joseph’s quality and age has decided to move on after just three years at the club but with Bath’s capacity to fulfil the greater ambition of this centre there is no disputing why he chose a transfer.

From 41 Premiership appearances he has scored 13 tries, earned a senior debut for England against South Africa last year and only missed out on the 2013 Six Nations because of injury.

The centre is set for great things and at Bath he can fulfil those ambitions, starting with a good run in the Premiership and Heineken Cup next term.

For fans in the betting world, there is nothing more exciting than a young talent pushing his way up the league and into the international set-up. Sadly, a Lions call-up is out of the question but England fans should expect to hear a lot more of Jonathan Joseph before the Six Nations next year.

Interested in rugby betting? Find the latest odds, tips, and news at http://betting.betfair.com/rugby/rugby-union/heineken-cup/

The Tryranny of Numbers in Rugby

2013-03-27T14:58:00.001+03:00

The KRU Elections are on today and the starring cast is as uninspiring as ever. It appears we are all happy with the status quo or have been beaten into submission. No desire for change or improvement or is this as good as it gets? All the hallowed brains, minds and senior rugby personalities have no interest in the top seat, or is it the tyranny of numbers at play again? Quite disappointing, but then again, I had also shut up for some time. Anyway, all the best to the incoming committee and hope you are able to grow the game to greater leaps and bounds. The only ingredients lacking in the current setup are accountability, consultation and all inclusiveness of all stake holders.

Have a Happy Easter.

Semantics - A Matter of Meaning?

2013-03-26T11:27:00.002+03:00

Congratulations to the Kenya 7's side for their sterling performances this season. They have consistently made it to the semi finals with one finals appearance and that says a lot for consistency. And speaking of which, what is this obsession with rankings? Are there rankings for a tournament? Are there rankings for the circuit? Are there World Rankings for the 7's game? Or is it just a table with standings?

Potato, potatoe, tomato, tomatoe, rankings, standings, we are among the best in the world and I'd say have been the most consistent side this season.

Let's hope we're Big in Japan!

Trimble Staying with Ulster

2013-03-20T17:39:00.002+03:00

Andrew Trimble has committed his future to Ulster Rugby after signing a new two-year contract with Ireland that will keep him at the club until at least 2015.

Ulster fans in the betting world will be delighted with the news, which effectively insures the team will remain an attacking threat in the Pro 12 and Heineken Cup over the next couple of seasons at least.

For Trimble is one of a handful of talismanic players in the Ulster squad who know how to play world-class rugby and in committing himself to two more years should help this side grow even stronger than its current healthy state.

With a record 50 tries for Ulster in 155 games, the 28-year-old winger has performed exceptionally over his eight-year career in the province yet there is still work to be done before Betfair pundits can justifiably call him a legend.

Currently second in the Pro 12, Ulster are chasing their first major honours since claiming the Celtic League in 2005/06 which just happened to be Trimble’s first season.

Since then the side have come close but on the whole have failed to live up to their Heineken Cup odds, although this year could be different. Along with their domestic efforts Ulster face Saracens in the Heineken Cup quarter finals hoping to go one better than last season’s 42-14 final defeat to Leinster.

Trimble himself will admit to not having the best of games that day and no doubt wants to make amends for the nightmare Ulster put their fans through in Twickenham.

With the team fully focussed on the league and cup there is no reason why Ulster cannot win both competitions this season and go on to replicate that feat in coming years – a party Trimble wants a part of and may get now he’s signed this new deal.

Wales Won’t Win if “Bloodbath” Arises

2013-03-15T17:08:00.003+03:00

Welsh winger, George North, has stoked the fire ahead of the Red Dragons’ Six Nations title decider with England this Saturday by claiming that fans want to see a “bloodbath” at the Millennium Stadium.

North, who will start for Wales this weekend, spoke to BBC Sport on Friday and suggested the home support want nothing less than to “kick [England’s] heads in” on course to winning the Championship title.

“Wales is a massive rugby nation, and whenever we play England there seems to be this long, long rivalry that everyone just wants a bloodbath, really,” North said to Heineken Cup betting pundits.

Indeed, Saturday’s clash should produce a tough tackle or two, but North is wrong if he thinks Wales can win the game through simply beating England into submission.

For England, across their previous four Six Nations games this year, have scrapped and battled their way to gritty victories. They have not played pretty and needed a ferocious pack to bypass both France and Ireland.

They have only really shown ball-playing quality against Scotland and that result was a foregone conclusion thanks to the Scots’ inability to keep their discipline.

Against Wales this weekend, head coach, Stuart Lancaster, will pit a group of young men on the field looking to make history. Wales will make it tough but will come out second-best if the game descends into North’s “bloodbath” – for the Welsh would easily lose focus from their ultimate task in order to please the home crowd.

Granted, fans of the Six Nations betting like a strong tackle or two – it’s part of the game – but what Welsh fans most crave is a win and the team should concentrate on its own game rather than trying to win personal battles that would effectively lose them the title.

To Blog or Not To Blog

2013-03-14T14:52:00.001+03:00

I've been fighting with this for a long time now. My passion may have died, and maybe the things I was fighting for have come to pass. Does that mean I am no longer needed? My fellow bloggers got fatigued and died off. I felt the same. Maybe I'm now part of the establishment, who knows? However sometimes even the establishment needs to be rocked from within. With the proliferation of social media, and other blogs as well, I felt hard put to find things to write on. Match schedules and socres are not readily available, even local ones. Squad namings are also very public now. Speculatiors are a dime a dozen. Not to forget that fights are now public.

Anyway, my mail address is still active, so any suggestions are welcome. As I contemplate... to blog or not to blog!

Can Scotland win the Six Nations?

2013-03-07T16:05:00.001+03:00

Scotland head into their clash against Wales this weekend with history to play for as they seek to not only win three successive Six Nations games for the first time, but also maintain a fighting chance for the ultimate Championship crown.

Having beaten both Italy and Ireland to banish memories of their humbling defeat to England in Round One, Scotland have the chance to draw level with the Red Rose at the top of the table should Stuart Lancaster’s side lose to the Azzurri this weekend.

Although the Six Nations odds indicate that a Scotland win and England loss are slim, fans are nevertheless hopeful the Scots can finally make headways into the tournament since it switched from five to six teams.

This sentiment is reflected by captain, Kelly Brown, who sees the opportunity to record three successive victories as a major incentive ahead of their clash with Wales.

“It’s a huge challenge, but it’s one we’re really looking forward to,” Brown told BBC Sport.

“The main thing for us was to get the win [against Ireland]. In the past, we’ve worked really hard, but we’ve not been winning the games. So, to win the last two has given us a massive boost.”

Indeed, should Scotland keep a tight pack on Saturday and stifle Wales’ expansive play, there is every reason to believe that Greig Laidlaw can kick this side to victory again.

It’s not pretty rugby but, so far, it’s winning them games and Scotland fans in the Betfair forums are loath to change that system. A final fixture later this March away to France will prove as much a test as Wales will this weekend, but if Scotland can pick up two vital points at Murrayfield they have a chance of winning a first Championships title since 1999.

Saint-Andre relishing underdogs tag

2013-02-22T15:39:00.000+03:00

France are clearly underdogs for their RBS Six Nations clash with England on Saturday and Les Bleus head coach Philippe Saint-Andre is more than happy with that scenario.

With defeats to Italy and Wales in their opening two rounds of the championship, France are now unlikely wooden spoon contenders on www.betfair.com this season, as they look down the barrel of a third consecutive defeat.

However Saint-Andre, who has made seven changes from the side which lost to the Welsh earlier this month, is confident his team can spoil the party and defy the rugby betting at Twickenham, as England go in search of their first Grand Slam title since 2003.

He said: "The English will start favourites.

"We will have to show all our qualities of being French on Saturday - that means being brave, daring, unpredictable and to take the fight to them.

"When we are able to do that, we are able to pose problems for any team in the world.

"To be honest, it's always a good thing when we French have our backs to the wall. That forces us to regroup and to better prepare individually for what will be a bruising contest.”

Saint-Andre has made chances in the half-backs with Francois Trinh-Duc and Morgan Parra coming in to try and give the French more stability in key areas.

The combination of Frederic Michalak and Maxime Machenaud has clearly not worked in the opening two games and now it might be too late for France to turn things around in the Six Nations this term.

A win for the French would change the whole dynamic of the championship and Saint-Andre will be desperate to relieve some of the pressure on his shoulders with a win at Twickenham on Saturday.

Davies backs selection policy

2013-02-20T19:01:00.003+03:00

Having already named his Wales side who will face Italy in the RBS Six Nations clash on February 23, interim head coach Rob Howley has been backed by centre Jonathan Davies.
The reigning champions had a first-half to forget against Ireland in their opening fixture and gave themselves too much work to do to claw back the match in Cardiff.
However their trip to the Stade Francais in the second round of fixtures proved to be far more fruitful, as they came away from Paris with a 16-6 victory over the French.
Having claimed this first victory since winning the Grand Slam last year, Howley has decided to name the same side for the upcoming clash with the Azzurri, who will still be hurting after their 34-10 defeat to Scotland and are vast outsiders according to the Six Nations 2013 betting.
Davies believes the players now have more time to gel and work on combinations ahead of the encounter at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
The Scarlets centre said: "It's just an opportunity for the boys to have more time to prepare as a XV really.
"You know weeks come round quickly and you don't have many sessions together, this has given the boys an opportunity to run together and just get more familiarity and fluidity.
"We know what's needed now. We can just get on with the game."
As France found out on the opening weekend of the RBS Six Nations, the Rugby Union odds do not always play out in results. Wins in the Eternal City do not come easy and Wales will have to be on their game.
However a win for the Welsh would put them right back in the race for the championship title, with remaining games against Scotland and England then to follow.

Laidlaw Looking Forward

2013-02-07T12:44:00.001+03:00

Scotland scrum-half, Greig Laidlaw, is pleased to be back in the number nine jersey and is looking to make the position his own after impressing against England.

"I enjoyed being back at nine. I was pretty comfortable in there. I've held on to my place and hopefully I can build on that this week, keep the jersey for longer, and get that win that we desperately want,” Laidlaw, who kicked two penalties and a conversion in Scotland’s 38-18 defeat to England last weekend, told the sports betting news.

Laidlaw, who filled in at fly half during last year’s six nations, looked right at home at number nine against England and, after the retirement of former captain, Mike Blair, the 27-year old is keen to become the long-term option for Scotland at scrum half.

"I'd now say scrum-half is my out-and-out position. First and foremost, I want to play as a nine,” Laidlaw said. "I'd fill in elsewhere if required, I won't shy away from that, but nine is my preferred position."

Despite his own positive showing against England, Laidlaw was clear that there are still plenty of areas that the Scotland coaching staff are keen to work on ahead of this weekend’s fixture against Italy.

"There were parts of the game in London that were encouraging and parts that we need to improve on,” Laidlaw said. "We realise what they are and that is what we have been working on in training this week. The training will come through in the game and hopefully give us the result we want.”

Consistency of selection is vital if Scotland are to start challenging on a regular basis again. Over recent seasons, the Scots have chopped and changed their team with great regularity but little discernible impact.

If Greig Laidlaw is given time to build a partnership with Ruaridh Jackson, then Scotland will cause problems during the remainder of the Six Nations and, with Italy, Ireland, and Wales all to play at home they can be confident of picking up at least a couple of wins, a point worth remembering if you are gambling with bet365’s in-play bet offer.

Play Eastmond in the Six Nations

2013-01-28T14:40:00.002+03:00

Bath’s tricky winger, Kyle Eastmond, is the next best thing since Jason Robinson and Stuart Lancaster must give the 23-year-old a chance during the Six Nations.

The Rugby League convert, who made the move from St Helens to Bath, has been lighting up the Rec this season for the West Country side and is now in the England Saxons squad.

However, Lancaster should be much more progressive and call the player up to the full squad and give him a run out this February. Granted Eastmond has struggled with hamstring injury but there is no doubt that the player is pure class.

Eastmond played four internationals as a league player but if the union side do not allow him to play at least ten times that amount for them then they are missing a trick!

Quick, tricky and with a low centre of gravity, watching Eastmond is like watching a young Robinson, the last man to score a try in a World Cup final for England, back in 2003 against Australia.

Lancaster’s options at full-back are currently Saracens’ Alex Goode and Harlequins’ Mike Brown. Punters on Betfair think Eastmond is way better than both those players, and when England host the 2015 Rugby World Cup he should be one of the first names on the timesheet.

The Betfair 6 nations betting odds suggests England will win this year’s Six Nations easily as, barring France, the competition is woeful.

It is the perfect time to allow new players, like Eastmond, get good competitive international experience.

His trickery and running with the ball are a pleasure to watch and that should not be confined just to Bath and the England Saxons.

Heaslip given the nod for skipper

2013-01-21T19:36:00.002+03:00

Ireland head coach Declan Kidney has decided Jamie Heaslip will be the man to lead Ireland in this season’s RBS Six Nations, thus ending Brian O’Driscoll’s spell as captain of the national side.

Injuries have hampered O’Driscoll’s position in the Ireland side over the last few months and the Leinster man was forced to watch from the sidelines during the Autumn International Series last year.

Heaslip led the Irish to a fine win in their last outing against Argentina in Dublin and Kidney believes the powerful back-rower is the man to lead the side into what is a highly anticipated Six Nations championship, where the latest Betfair Rugby Union markets suggest at least four teams could realistically challenge for the title.

The Ireland boss said: "Jamie had done a really good job for the squad and management during November and I felt that now was the correct time to do this.

"Brian has had very little rugby in the last number of months and I think he deserves the space and time to concentrate on getting himself back playing fully fit.

"We need Brian the player just as much as we need Brian the captain and typical of the man and the selfless way he has contributed to Irish Rugby and the Ireland team, he has said that the captain and the team would have his full support."

O’Driscoll has thrived on being Ireland captain for a large part of his international career but, as the centre comes to the end of his time with the national side, he can focus on giving everything for Ireland in what the Six Nations odds suggest could be his last Six Nations campaign.

Giants Would Sacrifice a Strong Start for a Strong Finish

2013-01-16T15:32:00.000+03:00

Huddersfield Giants captain Danny Brough has revealed his frustration at the club’s recent inability to turn a strong start to a Super League season into success at the end.
Last season the Giants set the early pace in the Super League and lost only three of their opening thirteen fixtures.

Their march to the top of the table included impressive wins against Wigan, Leeds and St Helens but the second half of the season saw a slump in fortunes for the team from the John Smiths Stadium.

"We've let the club and the fans down over the last few years by dying off at the back end," said Brough to sports betting news reporters.

"When you get in that losing habit, it goes downhill and it's not a nice place to be. People lose confidence and things are getting said but it's been addressed” he added.
Brough, who recently took over the reins as captain from Kevin Brown, saw his side eventually finish in seventh place after a woeful end to the year, and their dreams of a first Super League title were ended in the first round of the play offs by Hull FC.

"Instead of winning our first 10 and then losing nine, we won't be fussy if we win our first six and lose four and then kick on from there,” Brough said."I'm looking for a nice peak in mid-season and a strong finish, which is something we haven't had over the last few seasons.”
Huddersfield’s dip in form last season was in no small part due to the departure of coach Nathan Brown and the disruption caused by speculation over Brough’s own future at the club. It seems that the Giants (and Brough) have finally found some stability heading in to the 2013 season but their confidence will certainly have been knocked by last year’s capitulation.

If the Giants fail to find their form early this year then it could be another long season for Paul Anderson’s men.
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Youngs should be an England star

2013-01-10T13:36:00.002+03:00

With hype and anticipation starting to build up around the start of the Six Nations in February, there is only player that deserves a real chance in England’s side and that man is Tom Youngs.

The 25-year-old Leicester Tigers player has been named in Stuart Lancaster’s 33-man squad ahead of the tournament. But that is not enough. He must be in the starting XV.

Youngs impressed punters betting on Rugby during the autumn internationals, where he made his debut as hooker against Fiji in a game that included his brother Ben.

The Tigers’ hooker previously played centre but swapped that position for the centre of the front row under the keen eye of club coach Heyneke Meyer, his former boss at Welford Road.

Now that Youngs has been given the chance to make the number 2 jersey his and take it away from the erratic Dylan Hartley, England will be a better side. He must be given the chance to do that. With time on his side at only 25 he could well be the nucleus of a World Cup winning team in 2015.

It is no secret that England are favourites in this year’s Six Nations betting. Building the core of a side now and allowing them to taste victory and get into a winning mentality is absolutely crucial.

The one thing that could hold Youngs back is his ability to throw. However, it would be a weak and not well thought out reason to ignore him in place of Hartley – his current competition.

Before the autumn internationals where England finished with a record breaking 38-21 win against New Zealand, a game in which Youngs played, he admitted to working day and night to improve his throwing. Surely being part of that historic win dispels any worries over his line-out throwing?
Youngs is the way forward and he should be integral to England at this Six Nations and beyond.