Amateur rugby player pulls off amazing back-heel flick try - I take my hat off to Mr Alan Knuckey

An amateur rugby player pulls off amazing back-heel flick try - I take my hat off to Mr Alan Knuckey.

Thanks to TalkSport Radio's Hawksby and Jacobs for the spot.

England all-time leading Rugby Union point scorers

England all-time leading point scorers

Rank	Points	Caps	Player
1	1179	91	Jonny Wilkinson
2	400	32	Paul Grayson
3	396	71	Rob Andrew
4	301	60	Toby Flood
5	296	33	Jonathan Webb
6	280	26	Owen Farrell
7	269	38	Charlie Hodgson
8	240	25	Dusty Hare
9	210	85	Rory Underwood
10	203	14	Simon Hodgkinson

In case you didn't realise quite how exceptional Jonny Wilkinson was.

I feel dirty...

Sitting here cheering on France against Ireland in the Six Nations. I missed most of the first half, in fact whilst until I started watching France were ahead, now with 5 minutes to go Ireland are ahead... England will long rue their unnecessary late substitutions in the match against France that lost them that match and indeed cost them points today as well.

French try!!!!   No, forward pass?  Aagh but right call.

So tense...

Ireland win, and Ireland win the 6 Nations. If only England had not blown it against the French and also not brought Tuilagi on for Burrell rather than May. Surely more power was required... 

Oh well, great tournament, I'll post my team of the tournament tomorrow. 

England Rugby Inion coach Stuart Lancaster and Red Dwarf's Chris Barrie

Last year I posted this piece entitled 'Separated at birth - England rugby union coach Stuart Lancaster & Brittas Empire/Red Dwarf actor Chris Barrie'

Thanks to an anonymous commenter, I now have this piece of video to enjoy...




I wonder if Chris Barrie likes rugby.

Now that's a rugby tackle

Courtney Lawes tackles Toby Flood... Ouch



The closest tackle I can remember to this was this one,,,


Boris Johnson's rugby tackle during a game of football.

Cliff Morgan R.I.P.

I never saw Cliff Morgan play rugby, a little before my time, but I remember his voice as being one of the great commentator voices. Here he is describing the 'gretaest try ever scored' - It's 1973 and the Barbarians are playing the great All Blacks...

The greatest rugby try ever scored?

Gareth Edwards scoring a wonder try for the Barbarians against the All Blacks on 27 January 1973, 40 years ago today.

Have you ever seen a better try?

A Moody French Rugby Player

Sébastien Chabal - "We are in France, we speak French... OK ?" Except he said that in English...

In advance of the first serious challenge for England's Rugby team this season

If you don't understand that one then you shouldn't be watching the match.

Mrs NotaSheep will be sitting alongside me watching the match, she gets into most sport and worryingly becomes expert very quickly - keeps me on my toes...

What a match!

A great game of World Cup rugby at Eden Park. There were too many unforced errors by Australia but the New Zealand All Blacks were immense and I predict will go on to comfortably beat France in next week's final.

What is an Englishman to do?

No England in the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup, so who do I support from now on?
Australia - I could never support Australia at anything.
New Zealand - In rugby, I just couldn't.
France - Oddly in rugby I could support France (in the absence of England) as they play the most stylish, if inconsistent, rugby.
Wales - I suppose I should cheer for Wales but would a Welshman cheer England on?

Anthems - France have a very stirring anthem "La Marseillaise"

Allons enfants de la Patrie,
Le jour de gloire est arrivé !
Contre nous de la tyrannie,
L'étendard sanglant est levé, (bis)
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes
Mugir ces féroces soldats ?
Ils viennent jusque dans nos bras
Égorger nos fils et nos compagnes !

Aux armes, citoyens,
Formez vos bataillons,
Marchons, marchons !
Qu'un sang impur
Abreuve nos sillons !


Arise, children of the Fatherland,
The day of glory has arrived!
Against us of tyranny
The bloody banner is raised, (repeat)
Do you hear, in the countryside,
The roar of those ferocious soldiers?
They're coming right into our arms
To cut the throats of our sons and women!

To arms, citizens,
Form your battalions,
Let's march, let's march!
That an impure blood
Waters our furrows!

I have decided: today I shall be neutral and enjoy the match, tomorrow I will cheer on New Zealand in an anyone but Australia context...

A joke

An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman walk into a pub.

The Welshman would have joined them but he was still in New Zealand!


But for how long?

England v Scotland at the Rugby World Cup - Here we go

England should win but if Scotland can show enough passion and disrupt England's forward platform then they might steal it. England often manage to lose matches that they should win, is this the one?

England vs Georgia - Rugby World Cup - musings

England back in white - that's more like it? Just looked wrong in all black.
Should be a relatively easy victory but Georgia will be no walkover, they are tough up front and ranked seventh in Europe.
Having said that England must not be complacent, Georgia are too good for that, remember they nearly beat Ireland in 2007 and wil thrive if they get early points and/or manage to compete.
Simon Shaw in an England shirt with Lewis Moodly back as well - two players I approve of. Just as I felt England played better with Mike Catt in the team, so I feel the same about those two.
When did Shontayne Hape's surname stop being pronounced Harpay and beging to be pronounced Happy?

England vs Georgia - a word for Mrs NotaSheep

Rugby World Cup mistake

Oh I see that the England match versus Georgia is on Sunday morning not Saturday at 7am, shame that I had not checked last night!

World Cup Rugby - best advert so far

O2's 'Pie' advertisement - Mrs NotaSheep's favourite!


That was a tough match versus Argentina, I think people forget how good a rugby side Argentina are. Now Georgia and Romania over the next two weekends, before the final critical match versus Scotland on Saturday 1 October. England need to improve, a lot, if they are to progress beyond the Quarter Finals.

It's nearly here

After all the waiting, the Rugby World Cup kicks off in under three hours time. Unlike the recent World Athletics Championships which I missed almost all of, I have a fighting chance of watching all of England's games and maybe even some other pool games. All of England's matches are on at the weekend and none start before 7am so that should not be too difficult although some negotiating with Mrs NotaSheep may be in order as she is not a great rugby fan although she does try (pun intended).

Here are the Rugby World Cup Pools:
Pool A
New Zealand, France, Tonga, Canada, Japan

Pool B
Argentina, England, Scotland, Georgia, Romania

Pool C
Australia, Ireland, Italy, Russia, United States

Pool D
South Africa, Wales, Fiji, Manu Samoa, Namibia


Here are the Rugby World Cup fixtures:
9 September:
New Zealand v Tonga, Eden Park, Auckland (0930 BST)

10 September:
Scotland v Romania, Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill (0200 BST)
Fiji v Namibia, Rotorua International Stadium (0430 BST)
France v Japan, North Harbour Stadium, North Shore (0700 BST)
Argentina v England, Otago Stadium, Dunedin (0930 BST)

11 September:
Australia v Italy, North Harbour Stadium, Auckland (0430 BST)
Ireland v United States, Stadium Taranaki, New Plymouth (0700 BST)
South Africa v Wales, Wellington Regional Stadium (0930 BST)

14 September:
Manu Samoa v Namibia, Rotorua International Stadium (0330 BST)
Tonga v Canada, Northland Events Centre, Whangarei (0600 BST)
Scotland v Georgia, Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill (0830 BST)

15 September:
Russia v United States, Stadium Taranaki, New Plymouth (0830 BST)

16 September:
New Zealand v Japan, Waikato Stadium, Hamilton (0900 BST)

17 September:
Argentina v Romania, Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill (0430 BST)
South Africa v Fiji, Wellington Regional Stadium (0700 BST)
Australia v Ireland, Eden Park, Auckland (0930 BST)

18 September:
Wales v Manu Samoa, Waikato Stadium, Hamilton (0430 BST)
England v Georgia, Otago Stadium, Dunedin (0700 BST)
France v Canada, McLean Park, Napier (0930 BST)

20 September:
Italy v Russia, Trafalgar Park, Nelson (0830 BST)

21 September:
Tonga v Japan, Northland Events Centre, Whangarei (0830 BST)

22 September:
South Africa v Namibia, North Harbour Stadium, North Shore (0900 BST)

23 September:
Australia v United States, Wellington Regional Stadium (0930 BST)

24 September:
England v Romania, Carisbrook, Dunedin (0700 BST)
New Zealand v France, Eden Park, Auckland (0930 BST)

25 September:
Fiji v Manu Samoa, Eden Park, Auckland (0330 BST)
Ireland v Russia, Rotorua International Stadium (0600 BST)
Argentina v Scotland, Wellington Regional Stadium (0830 BST)

26 September:
Wales v Namibia, Stadium Taranaki, New Plymouth (0730 BST)

27 September:
Canada v Japan, McLean Park, Napier (0500 BST)
Italy v United States, Trafalgar Park, Nelson (0730 BST)

28 September:
Georgia v Romania, Arena Manawatu, Palmerston North (0730 BST)

30 September:
South Africa v Manu Samoa, North Harbour Stadium, North Shore (0830 BST)

1 October:
Australia v Russia, Nelson (0330 BST)
France v Tonga, Wellington Regional Stadium (0600 BST)
England v Scotland, Eden Park, Auckland (0830 BST)

2 October:
Argentina v Georgia, Arena Manawatu, Palmerston North (0100 BST)
New Zealand v Canada, Wellington Regional Stadium (0330 BST)
Wales v Fiji, Waikato Stadium, Hamilton (0600 BST)
Ireland v Italy, Carisbrook, Dunedin (0830 BST)

Quarter-final One: 8 October
Winner Pool C v Runner-up Pool D
(Wellington Regional Stadium, 0600 BST)

Quarter-final Two: 8 October
Winner Pool B v Runner-up Pool A
(Lancaster Park Stadium, 0830 BST)

Quarter-final Three: 9 October
Winner Pool D v Runner-up Pool C
(Wellington Regional Stadium, 0600 BST)

Quarter-final Four: 9 October
Winner Pool A v Runner-up Pool B
(Lancaster Park Stadium, 0830 BST)

Semi-final One: 15 October
Winner QF1 v Winner QF2
(Eden Park, Auckland, 0900 BST)

Semi-final Two: 16 October
Winner QF3 v Winner QF4
(Eden Park, Auckland, 0900 BST)

Bronze final: 21 October
Loser SF1 v Loser SF2
(Eden Park, Auckland, 0830 BST)

Final: 23 October
Winner SF1 v Winner SF2
(Eden Park, Auckland, 0900 BST)


If you watch rugby this is the most exciting six weeks of any four year cycle. I remember 2003 when England won the Rugby World Cup; I watched all of England's matches and a good many of the others but due to poor planning found myself on a long-haul flight for the final... I learnt of the result over the Atlantic and it was not for almost a week that I saw more than just the highlights, of course by then all the suspense had gone as I knew what Jonny Wilkinson was about to do. This year I plan to suffer no such issues - clients, friends and family please take note!

So 2011 was 2000 and 2001 revisited not 2003

Oh pooh!

Too many knock-ons, dropped balls and lack of intensity from England. Whilst Ireland were more up for it.

It's Six Nations Grand Slam match time

Ireland v England and memories of 2001 coming flooding back. Cam England win? Yes. Should England win? Yes. Will England win? I am not so sure.

In the meantime whilst we watch the match here's a rugby scrum related t-shirt that I spotted at Theo Spark...