That was 2011...for me!

By Simon Wright (Personal piece)

I WENT into 2011 hoping to have a memorable year, one that I could lookback on full of positives.  As we head into the final ten days of another year, I have to reflect on what for me has been a turbulent year by any sense of the imagination.  There have been phenomenal highs, but also some lows which brought me close to the brink of making some serious errors of judgement.  Generally, I am very thankful that I have got through another year full of health and joy, but ultimately, feel it hasn’t quite lived up to the high expectations I set.

THE LOWS

Well, I thought I should start with the highs, but then it might be better to end it in a positive view.  The main problem has been not being able to settle at times and act as if something minor was the end of the world.  At my age now, I shouldn’t be making these misdemeanours and should be able to deal with life better.  Let’s be fair, life throws a lot at us and then there’s me – generally trying to blow things out of proportion.  That’s not a good sign!  A laptop charger not working is very annoying and frustrating; especially in the midst of a University year, but to go around everywhere feeling like the world has come to an end is not the right attitude.  In my case during 2011, when things went wrong, they generally went wrong for far too long by my liking.  I had a crisis of confidence in March and came very close to walking away from my second year at University.  Looking back at it now, I’m glad that I got pushed into such a position, because it made the final two months of my course go very swimmingly and made me change my outlook on how I was approaching matters.  March’s issues began with a failed laptop charger, combined with a severe lack of motivation to do any work, my general displeasure at the lack of contact with my lecturers, then a severe falling out with a close friend of mine where I really did get the wrong end of a comment and showed my raging or ranting colours shall we say.  After a weekend away from it all, I came back to Northampton a better person, stronger individual and appreciating things far more.  Those who are on my course at Uni can vouch that I was a different person throughout April and May, a time where everything did go right.  In October, things went rotten again.  This time, it was more difficult to explain.  I guess I felt everything was so distant and once again, the lengthy summer break hadn’t done me any favours.  Things got so bad; I needed a three week break from Facebook and what a relief that was.  Facebook had taken over so much and by having the extended break made November not only flyby, but made my life easier.  I now also know that I can cope without Facebook and I’m proud of that.  Twitter is the way to communicate now, especially for my professional career I hope to build in future.  As for Facebook, well I still use it, but it isn’t the attitude of desperation now; more a luxury.  These dips in my morale, confidence and attitude could have wrecked me, but on both occasions, I feel like I turned satisfying corners and that’s a good thing.

THE HIGHS

The Balestra nights out in May were wonderful memories

For me, there are four highs that standout personally for me over the course of the past twelve months.  First, was the two consecutive Thursday nights that as a journalism group, we went out together to the Balestra nightclub.  It was May time and everyone was rushing around to finish projects and beat deadlines.  As I would say, I was as cool as an ice cube and had everything handed in and organised days before!  The nightlife experience was brilliant, because I doubted whether we could do something as a group like go out, dance, drink champagne and have a memorable night/nights.  I’d forgotten what a good night out was upto that point.  I have so many great memories from those nights out on the 11^th and 18^th May and something I will take away from when we graduate next summer.  I’d like to think that we might do a few more like this in the remaining weeks of our degree in 2012.

The page I did that got into RW's October magazine

     Secondly was my work placement experience in London.  I was so nervous in the middle of July, when I went to Runner’s World magazine, part of the NatMags Company.  I didn’t know what to expect, how the staff would be around someone like me, let’s say – not your average everyday person.  There was no need to worry.  I had a brilliant fortnight with everyone there, got on well with 99 per cent of the staff, understood and undertook the tasks given to me with minimum fuss and gained a lot more skills and confidence than what I could have ever imagined.  Some of my work even got into October’s edition of the magazine, something very precious for my portfolio.  I see Runner’s World as the first stepping stone into my future career.

     Thirdly, it was working on the group project documentary for one of my journalism modules.  I had so much fun filming and especially, editing the project with massive contribution from the likes of Tamika Short and Chris Ola within our work.  It didn’t quite get the A grade we were hoping for, but it is the best piece of work I did in 2011 and the one piece in my two years that I take so much pride and place out of.  I am my strongest critic and always have been.  Looking back at my second year work at Uni; it did feel like a case of ‘not good enough, could do better,’ especially from some of the constructive and very harsh feedback I received.  However, I don’t think there was much else I could have done better on the documentary, which leaves me full of vindication and satisfaction.

Enjoying my summer holiday in Fuerteventura

     Lastly, the family summer holiday to Fuerteventura was amazing and the timing couldn’t have been better.  At the start of the year, I didn’t think I’d have time for a family holiday, then decided in April after a hard day at Uni; ‘Nuts to this, I need one!’  I left the country two days after the heist of the UK riots which were sweeping across the country.  I never wanted to leave England so badly and when Fuerteventura was over, part of me never wanted to come back to England.  It’s the first time I’ve ever felt like that after a foreign holiday.  I loved it out there, was so relaxed and really do feel like that in the future, I have a place where I can return for a break, or even set up some sort of holiday home.  So, if things get tough in later life, I can just say; ‘I need to go to Fuerteventura!’  Sorry, but it beats Yarmouth, Dover or Portugal hands down!  (P.S: No offence to any people from those destinations who read this.)

OVERALL FEELING

Am I pleased with how this year has gone?  Generally, it’s been okay.  Could it have been better?  Yes it could have, I mean, I still don’t have a clear future in mind, still single (AGAIN!) and world events this year were pretty grim to witness or hear/read about.

How would I sum up my 2011?  Character building and turbulent, with some great memories and periods where I would rather just forget I existed.

Thanks for reading my thoughts!    

That was 2011...in sport

THE world of sport has had to deal with a lot of aspects in 2011.  We said goodbye to some stars at their prime and other legends who had made their mark.  There were shocks, sensational returns to form and superstars who had years to remember.  Sport has seen some vintage moments in 2011, though for some – they would rather forget it ever existed.

BACKSEAT: Nadal has had to watch Djokovic take over in tennis

     The tennis year has been dominated by Serbian, Novak Djokovic.  Djokovic had an incredible season, which saw him rise to the top of the ATP rankings and win three of the four Grand Slams (Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open).  He became only the sixth individual in history to win three Grand Slams in a single year, only losing six matches in his season.  He also took control of the ATP tour, winning six events.  Rafael Nadal had to play second fiddle this year, but he was beaten in two finals by Djokovic at the Grand Slams and took his traditional title at Roland Garros.  This meant that for the first time since 2002, Roger Federer went through a season without a Grand Slam title.  Despite this, the Swiss Master still showed flashes of his best with an epic semi-final success over Djokovic at the French Open and winning the season finale ATP finals in London.  Andy Murray’s ATP season was inconsistent, littered with several early exits.  However, he did win the Aegon Championships at Queen’s and strung together his best ever Grand Slam season.  Murray reached three semi-finals and was a gallant runner-up to Djokovic in Australia.  However, he needs to raise his game otherwise he will be left behind by the three masters of the men’s game.  In the ladies singles, there were four different Grand Slam winners.  Kim Clistjers took the honours in Australia, before injury wrecked her season.  China made its breakthrough in the major honours, when Na Li overcame Francesca Schiavone to win the French Open.  At Wimbledon, the relatively unknown Petra Kvitova got the better of a rejuvenated Maria Sharapova to become the first Czech since Jana Novotna in 1998 to win the main prize.  Sam Stosur continued the run of maiden winners, when she was too powerful for Serena Williams at the US Open in Flushing Meadows.  However, this year belonged to Novak Djokovic.  

     Rugby union’s greatest showpiece took place in New Zealand during the autumn and produced a fairytale story.  New Zealand had suffered a devastating year, with the earthquake in Christchurch and the River Pike mining tragedy.  However, despite not being the greatest All Blacks side to ever take part in a World Cup, they were able to produce what many haven’t; win the Webb Ellis Trophy.  They beat France in a close final 8-7, allowing inspirational captain Richie McCaw to lift the coveted prize, their first success since the inaugural tournament in 1987.  Defending champions South Africa disappointed, but were unlucky to bow out to Australia 11-9 in the quarter-finals.  The 2011 tournament was a mixed bag for the Home Nations.  Scotland bowed out at the group stages after failing to score tries in three of their four pool matches.  Ireland shook the tournament up with a shock and deserved win over Australia in the pool stages, but came up short in the quarter-finals against Wales, who were the story of the tournament.  Warren Gatland’s young side came so close to defeating South Africa on the opening weekend and played some fantastic rugby en route to a heartbreaking semi-final defeat at the hands of the improving French.  Wales cause was not helped by the controversial red card of Captain Sam Warburton.  England’s 2011 year was a disaster.  It started well with success in the RBS Six Nations.  Even that was tempered by losing a chance at the Grand Slam in Dublin on the final weekend.  At the world cup, off-field antics got in the way of their playing performances.  They laboured to wins over Argentina, Georgia and Scotland and eventually, it was old enemy France who got the better of England in convincing fashion in the last eight.  The fallout has continued since returning from Down Under, with The Times publishing media leaks of confidential reports, Martin Johnson quitting as team manager and Johnny Wilkinson announcing his retirement from international rugby.  So, it was a year to forget for English rugby, but one that New Zealand will hail a new golden generation.

CHANGE: Long Run won both the King George VI and Cheltenham Gold Cup

     There has been a changing of the guard in horse racing, as Long Run has taken jump racing to another level.  He won the delayed King George VI at Kempton in January and then held off Denman to succeed in a thrilling Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.  Sam Wahey-Cohen nearly completed a unique double in the John Smith’s Grand National.  The amateur jockey was pipped into second place by Jason Maguire’s ride, Ballabriggs.  It was another triumph for the McCain dynasty, with Donald McCain training the winning horse in humid conditions at Aintree.  His father Ginger was there to witness it, but it would turn out to be his last attendance at the National.  He sadly passed away from cancer in September, two days before his 81^st birthday.  On the flat, the 4-1 second favourite Pour Moi won the Epsom Derby in June whilst Frankel was named Horse of the Year after stretching an unbeaten run to nine, which included success in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Royal Ascot.  The main storm in horse racing has come through an amended ruling on the whip system.  Leading jockeys included AP McCoy threatened to go on strike which brought the sport on a potential collision course with the authorities.  After some tough negotiating, the rules have been changed so jockeys can use the whip seven times in flat races and eight times over jumps.  Although the jockeys still weren’t delighted with the tweaks, they decided to agree reluctantly and carry on competing.  The year ended with Paul Nicholls announcement that Denman was to be retired after injury.  Despite a recent brilliant win at Newbury, his stablemate Kauto Star might also be bowing out soon after a year of fluctuating form.

SHOCK: Usain Bolt false starts in Daegu and is disqualified in 100m

     Daegu in South Korea was the setting for the IAAF World Athletics Championships during August and September.  With it came the biggest shock of the sporting year.  World record holder and defending champion Usain Bolt unbelievably false started in the final of the men’s 100m.  As he tore his vest off his torso, Bolt could only watch his training partner Yohan Blake collecting the gold medal.  In true Bolt fashion, he bounced back to win the 200m, and be part of the Jamaican team that broke a world record in the 4x100m relay.  It was a mixed championship for Great Britain, with the biggest success coming from Dai Greene, who won the men’s 400m hurdles and from Mo Farah.  Farah was pipped into second place by Ibrahim Jeilan in the 10,000m, but went one better in the 5,000m.  Pre-event favourites in the men’s triple jump and women’s heptathlon, Phillips Idowu and Jessica Ennis had to settle for silver, despite season bests and points records.  There was also a bronze for Andy Turner in the men’s 110m hurdles after Cuba’s Dayron Robles was disqualified for an infringement and Hannah England took a surprising and sensational silver medal in the women’s 1500m.  In all, the championships were a major success with London just a year away.  Next year’s Olympic host had more reason to celebrate when it was awarded the 2017 World Championships in November.

     By its high standards, football has had a quiet year, but that doesn’t mean nothing happened.  Manchester United made history by finally breaking Liverpool’s record of 18 league titles.  A 1-1 draw at Blackburn Rovers in May secured another Premiership title for Sir Alex Ferguson.  Their noisy neighbours, Manchester City currently lead the new title battle by two points and stunned United in October, with an amazing 6-1 derby victory at Old Trafford.  City also ended their long drought for silverware by beating Stoke City 1-0 at Wembley to win the FA Cup.  Birmingham City ended up as the surprising winners of the Carling Cup, with Obafemi Martins last minute winner meaning Arsenal went through another year without silverware.  Sadly, this wouldn’t have a happy ending, as Birmingham got relegated from the Premiership, along with Blackpool and West Ham United.  QPR and Norwich City returned to the top flight and a 4-2 success over Reading in the Championship play-off final meant Swansea City became the first Welsh club to reach the Premiership promise land.  Like Arsenal, Chelsea went trophy less, wasted £50million on Liverpool’s wantaway striker Fernando Torres and then sacked Carlo Ancelotti.  He has been replaced by Andre Vilas-Boas, who led FC Porto to Europa League glory in Dublin in May.  Arsenal sold Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona in the summer and it was the Catalan side who stole the football limelight.  They cantered to La Liga success again, won the FIFA World Club Championship in Japan recently and produced an exhibition masterclass at Wembley to beat Manchester United 3-1 in the UEFA Champions League final.  On the international scene, England qualified for Euro 2012 and went through the calendar year unbeaten.  The Republic of Ireland will also be at the major European party next summer.

TRAGIC: Simoncelli and Wheldon's deaths rocked motorsport

     MotoGP was meant to be saluting Casey Stoner for an incredible season, in which the Australian and his Repsol Honda team blitzed the opposition.  Stoner won 11 races and clinched the title in his homeland of Australia.  A week later, the sport was rocked by the tragic accident in Malaysia that robbed motorcycling of one of its brightest stars.  Marco Simoncelli crashed on the second lap and was struck by Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi.  He died an hour afterwards from his injuries and his death sent shockwaves through motorsport.  Simoncelli’s flair will be missed in the paddock in 2012 and it came just a week after a dreadful pile-up at the IndyCar season finale in Las Vegas.  The 15-car crash claimed the life of British driver Dan Wheldon, who was only competing in his third event of the season.  Wheldon had won the Indianapolis 500 in sensational fashion earlier in the year.  Las Vegas may have lost its race next season, but it won’t bring Dan back.  Dario Franchitti’s third successive championship was made academic.  In Formula One, Sebastian Vettel was in a class of his own, winning 11 races, taking a record breaking 15 pole positions in a season and winning a second world championship.  In a year full of vintage races and countless overtaking, Sebastian stormed to success with a third place finish in Suzuka, Japan in October meaning he became the youngest back-to-back champion.  Britain’s Jenson Button won three events, including a sensational last lap triumph from the back In Canada and he was the runner-up in the final positions.  Fellow Brit Lewis Hamilton had a troubled year, which included a high-profile split from his girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger and many on-track altercations with Felipe Massa.  However, he won in China, Germany and Abu Dhabi to remind everyone of his capabilities.  Sadly though, 2011 will be remembered for tragedy rather than records in motorsport.

     In other sport, British golfers came of age in 2011.  Luke Donald became the world and European no.1, whilst there was an emotional and popular success for Darren Clarke at The Open Championship.  Having thrown away the US Masters at Augusta in April, Rory McIlroy produced a breathtaking display to win the US Open in June.  It was his first major and certainly won’t be his last.  Following their winter success in the Ashes, England’s cricketers had a summer to remember, recording a whitewash summer over Sri Lanka and India and establishing themselves as the no.1 ranked test team.  However, their performance at the Cricket World Cup was less impressive, which included shock defeats to Ireland and Bangladesh in the pool stages.  India won the trophy, beating Sri Lanka in a one-sided final.  For once, Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor was usurped in the PDC World Darts Championships, being knocked out in the quarter-finals.  Adrian Lewis won the tournament, beating Gary Anderson 7-5 in the final.  Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in February to take the honours in Superbowl XLV.  Australian Cadel Evans became the first Wallaby to win the Tour de France since the war, but the headlines were made by Mark Cavendish.  The Brit won the most overall stages and ended up winning the prestigious green jersey at the end.  Boxing has had better years, which saw David Haye lose his World Heavyweight title to Vladimir Klitcshko, then retire from the sport and Amir Khan recently lose his titles in controversial circumstances to Lamont Peterson.  Lastly, John Higgins bounced back from a match-fixing scandal to win his fourth World Snooker championship, defeating Judd Trump 18-15 in a thrilling final.

     Sport has had its moments of controversy and surprise, its moments of triumph and tragedy and its moments where you will remember where you were.  2012 includes the Olympics in London and the European Football Championships in Poland/Ukraine, so it promises just as much as 2011 ended up delivering.                 

Advert of the year 2011

SOMETIMES, the adverts are the most annoying part of a commercial TV show, especially during a tense gameshow or dramatic soap episode.  Normally, these three minute interludes are the perfect excuse to use the toilet, put the kettle on, text someone important on your phone and so on.  However, sometimes adverts, despite being at times, completely pointless, can have you in stitches or even leave you feeling emotional.  Here are my favourite 20 adverts of 2011;

20           Virgin Atlantic – Star Role

Virgin Atlantic's advert isn't quite as good as BA, but they needed to try something if they want to keep getting customers interested in their flights.  This is called 'living the high life.'  It works for me!

19           BMW – 6 Series

This advert is really uplifting and uptempo, promoting the 6 Series model from BMW, with catchy music and dynamic water fountains, alongside the stylish machinery.  It does what the advert says, promotes the joy of driving.

18           Lynx – Perspiration

As men, we all want to have fun and get the most attractive girl possible and when it gets in the way, it really does get in the way.  Like Suremen Xtra Cool, I'm not entirely sure about how or if it would work, but I guess I've never been in that position before.

17           Santander – Lego Car

Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton help their dedicated workers build a lego version of a Formula One McLaren in this advert.  Ignore the announcer's promotion of its banking deals, appreciate the art in 60 seconds.

16           Suremen Xtra Cool – Ice Skater

I'm not 100 per cent convinced by the product, but it is a catchy way to promote it, by having an individual go through a day on his ice skates.  It certainly would go with the current type of weather we are experiencing in the UK!

15           Direct Line – Free Cake!

Comedians Chris Addison and Alexander Armstrong's first entry is where a pitch needs reworking for Direct Line's car insurance.  So, what better to do that than by promoting free cake to your customers, even if the salesman doesn't know anything about this incentive!

14           Boots - Soltan

When I first saw this, it had me in stitches and I certainly don't want to look like this in future!  That is all!

13           Fiat – Fernando Alonso

Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso has a busy and very social lifestyle, as indicated in this commercial.  Someone doesn't know how to take it easy, but then again, life would be boring if it was too easy.

12           Halfords – Crocodile

Easter's promotion at Halfords was to release a crocodile into a family home and force them into the car and off to take advantage of their 'stunning' deals.  Let's be honest, it's not everyday that you get a crocodile in your home!

11           Skoda – Made of Sterner Stuff

Skoda's famous cake car advert is replaced by a meaner version in 2011 of how to put a car together!  Obviously, the makers didn't want the company to have a soft feel to this advert and it had to be made of sterner stuff.  It's not a favourite of mine, but even still, would draw the attention of the normal individual.

10           Cravendale – Cats!

To many of us, cats are seen as lovely pets to have, even if they can do their business in the most inappropriate places!  This commercial sees the cat show their frustration at not getting the milk they crave for.  As the narrator says; 'Jog on Kittens!'

9              Specsavers – Space Shuttle

'Should have gone to Specsavers!'  Well, Luton Airport will never get a Space Shuttle land on their airport runway anymore.  Maybe these astronauts don't realise that having vision is an important part of our lives.

8              British Airways – To Fly, To Serve!

British Airways have had mixed fortunes in recent years, but have a distinguished history, which is reminded in this advert through the ages.  It provides us with a memory of flying with privilege with the world's favourite airline.

7              Vauxhall – Supporting a Nation

British manufacturer Vauxhall began sponsoring Home Nations football in February and promoted their commitment to the England team, with this advert which has the nation lining up everywhere, with pride and tradition.  Features England players, both old and new and ends in Wembley Stadium.  Throw in Noel Gallagher's new song with his new band, and it makes it a memorable advert.

6              Argos – Christmas 2011 (Aliens)

Panic buying is at the top of many people's stresses around this time of year.  It could be so much easier if you reserved and collected your xmas shopping, especially when Argos and the aliens come into the equation.  Apparently, it's just as popular as Justin Bieber, but I'm not surprised by this!

5              Direct Line – Hoax!

Comedians Alexander Armstrong and Chris Addison make the list for a second time, with this advert in the mini Direct Line series.  This time, the customer produces a publicity stunt which goes horribly wrong and to the salesman's annoyance, brings the police in!  Until now, car insurance adverts were boring, so thank you Direct Line for bringing these two funnybones together!

4              Muller Yoghurt – Wonderful Stuff

When I first saw this advert, I wasn't gripped by it, but it is actually catchy and I don't even like yoghurt!  As we all know, Muller is clearly made of Wonderful Stuff.

3              Pepsi Max – Business Meeting

Pepsi Max have a history of producing commercials that are totally ridiculous.  However, these made me laugh.  'What the heck is that parrot doing here?'  Let's be honest, drinking Pepsi Max and watching the racing is a million times better than a tedious Friday afternoon business meeting.

2              Carling – Refreshed

A long day at work, yep we all know the feeling!  So, what's the best feeling to become totally refreshed, well it's simple.  Has to be over a pint of Carling according to the makers.  It's not a bad vision, I must admit.

1              John Lewis – Christmas 2011

This is my advert of the year and such a touching and memorable commerical too.  It is one of the best ever Christmas adverts I've ever seen.  A young child is waiting for the big day to arrive, but it isn't to receive gifts, but to give one to his parents.  His anguish in the slow countdown is clear to see and it reminds us that Christmas is totally more than receiving presents.  A masterpiece of an advert if there ever was one.

English rugby exposed by embarrassing media leaks

AFTER three and a half years in one of the most pressurised hotseats in sport, Martin Johnson elected to stand down as England’s rugby union coach last week.  Johnson, who had no previous coaching experience before this role has made the decision after a dismal World Cup in New Zealand, which included off-field issues involving captain Mike Tindall and Manu Tuliagi jumping off a ferry.  Quarter-final elimination at the hands of France was the final straw for Johnson, whose decision gives Rob Andrew and the RFU the chance to find a replacement in time for next year’s Six Nations.

     At a press conference to explain his decision, Johnson said; “While we’ve had our most successful season with ten wins from 13, we are disappointed with how we ended it with the World Cup.  I think it’s the right decision at this time.  It’s a thoughtful and considered opinion.”  On Twitter, former England captain Will Carling was disappointed with the final outcome; “Sad for MJ, the man was an awesome player, an incredible captain and one of the greatest England players.” 

RESIGNING: Martin Johnson has decided to leave after World Cup failure

      As a player, Martin Johnson had considerable success with Leicester Tigers at club rugby level and England on the international stage.  He won 84 caps in test rugby, with the big moment seeing Johno captaining England to victory in the 2003 Rugby World Cup.  In his 38 game reign as coach, he only won 21, coming out with a 55 per cent win conversion since succeeding Brian Ashton in 2008.  Under Johnson, England did beat Australia home and away last summer and won the Six Nations in 2011 for the first time in eight years, but even that success was tempered by being denied the Grand Slam in Dublin by Ireland.

      Rob Andrew now needs to look for a replacement, but that looks like being a difficult challenge.  New Zealand World Cup winning coach Graeme Henry ruled himself out of the running in midweek, saying he only wants to be involved in an advisory role with a Heineken Cup team.  Jake White, who won the Webb Ellis Trophy with South Africa in 2007 and former England boss Sir Clive Woodward have already said they aren’t interested in taking over the reins.  The favourite with many seems to be Northampton Saints coach Jim Mallander, who already looks after the careers of England stars such as Chris Ashton.  Mallander has indicated that he is interested in the role, but the RFU seem reluctant at the moment to make a decision.

       What seems to be a more pressing concern for the RFU is the damming leak to The Times newspaper of player comments made by the squad during the disaster in New Zealand.  The leak contains information that would normally be handled in a confidential manner and will leave Andrew being asked some serious questions over his already tricky position.  We don’t know how much The Times got hold of, nor how many players views have been published, but some of the comments below make for grim reading for the RFU;

“The man-management was absolutely terrible.”

“There wasn’t enough focus on basic skills.”

“I really can’t believe we lasted as long as we did in the tournament. We played like c##p.”

“To go into World Cup games not having a game-plan, any structure or clear idea of what we were going to do in attack was astonishing.”

“Coaches did not put enough trust in players on the field.”

“We just wanted Johno to have the b######s to take action, especially after the Tindall night. He was too loyal and that was his downfall.”

“It was amazing how some players who couldn’t play due to an injury were doing back flips into the swimming pool and playing golf.”

“It’s our own fault we came back so unpopular.”

That is only a selection of what has been released, but it is hugely embarrassing for everyone connected with English rugby.  At a time where there is no structure in place, players are trying to win back reputation and multi-million sponsorship contracts from the likes of Nike and O2 waiting for urgent renewal, this comes at the worst possible time.

      While we say goodbye to Martin Johnson and wish him the best for the future, English rugby has got a lot of soul searching to do in the nine weeks before the start of the 2012 RBS Six Nations.

Rugby World Cup 2011 review

THE seventh IRB Rugby World Cup concluded with the right result at the weekend; a victory for the tournament hosts.  New Zealand ended 24 years of hurt, misery and underachievement at rugby’s top level with an 8-7 triumph in the final against France on Sunday at Eden Park.  It was a successful campaign for the All Blacks, but just how good was the 2011 showpiece. . .

Good, but not great

ALTHOUGH there were some shock results and the second-rate teams did better in restricting the heavy landslide scores that are normally associated in the pool stages, the quality of rugby in 2011 had decreased on 2007.  The 07 tournament saw plenty of memorable matches, terrific tries and some sensational scalps.  It didn’t happen this time around, for a variety of reasons.  Teams seemed to focus more on defensive, rather than attacking rugby.  This meant a lack of try-scoring activity, especially in the knockout stages and aside from Tonga’s pool win over France and Ireland humbling Australia, the expected results took their course without too much distress.  There were close scrapes along the way; as Wales pushed the world champions South Africa all the way, Canada beat Tonga and gave France a match and both Romania and Georgia came within an inch of upsetting Scotland, but the 2011 edition will not be remembered for the underdog’s success.

A nation reborn

EXAMPLE: Captain McCaw led New Zealand's road to glory

NEW Zealand’s success in the final completes a proper story, at a time where depression is in the news a lot.  The country has had to deal with a horrible year, which has including a mining disaster and the devastating earthquake in Christchurch back in February.  Finally, the rugby team have managed to put smiles on the Kiwi public, which has had a lot of trauma to put up with this year.  By far, this isn’t the greatest All Blacks side ever put together, but what it does have is not just the abundance to turn on the style, but hold on when it needed to.  Consistently, they played the best rugby over the six weeks, delivered when it counted and got the ultimate prize at the end, a deserved reward for a nation that can feel reborn on its success.

What went wrong for England?

EVERYTHING pretty much went wrong for England; their time in New Zealand was a disaster.  The players have to take the blame for some average performances.  The first half nightmare in the quarter-final against France finally sealed their fate.  Martin Johnson will probably pay for the lack of performance, with his job.  The media didn’t help the team either, with some unsavoury headlines about late night antics involving Mike Tindall.  The team were allowed to enjoy themselves, but maybe they did it too much.  Words fail me with what Manu Tuliagi was thinking when he decided to jump off a ferry even after elimination.  Johnny Wilkinson looked well past his best, Matt Stevens is a liability and indiscipline cost the team on the pitch too, with both Courtney Laws and Dylan Armitage serving suspensions after being reported.  The RFU has to produce an urgent review into the failings of the side and on the evidence of this tournament; England will do well to retain the Six Nations title next spring.

Other disappointments

SCOTLAND had a challenging pool and didn’t get any luck against England and Argentina when they needed it the most.  However, they only scored four tries in four matches and didn’t make the quarter-finals for the first time in RWC history.  Another disappointment was Fiji, who laboured past Namibia, then were simply dreadful against Wales, South Africa and Samoa.  They were expected to challenge seriously for a quarter-final berth, but it never materialised.  Defending champions South Africa looked like a side that was past its best and Peter de Villers has quit off the back of failing to retain the trophy.  Finally, despite reaching the last four, Australia never looked convincing either.  The Aussies have a promising crop of young players and were also desperately unlucky with injuries throughout, but they didn’t hit the heights they looked capable of from the Tri Nations series.  Perhaps this tournament was a bit too soon for the current young generation.  However, the Aussies must continue to invest in this development, as it might make them favourites to regain the trophy in four years time.

Redemption for France

FRENCH rugby looked to be in yet another crisis, especially after that shocking defeat to Tonga in the pool stages.  They scraped into the quarter-finals, but while the rugby experts continue to write them off, I never did that.  They saved their best performance for the final and came within an inch of causing their own upset and clinching the golden prize for the first time.  Three weeks ago, the French deserved to fly home in standard class to a chorus of boos at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.  Now, they return to their homeland as heroes.  Rugby can be a fickle game at times!

Argentina perform at the highest level

AT LAST, Argentina has got into the Four Nations, formerly known as the Tri Nations next year.  I’m sure South Africa, Australia and New Zealand will appreciate the extra competition, if not the daunting trip to Buenos Aires.  Unfortunately, I do feel this decision has come four years too late.  The Pumas may have not looked at their best, as they did in 2007, but a run to the quarter-finals, giving the All Blacks their most challenging encounter until the final showed that progress has been sustained at least.  The story of the South Americans is once again, among the success stories of a Rugby World Cup.

Improvements from the ‘B’ teams

DELIRUM: Canada surprised Tonga in the pool stages

NAMIBIA aside, there was some great performances from the lower-ranked sides.  Canada beat Tonga and pushed France all the way, Samoa came within an inch of shocking South Africa and even though they didn’t win any matches, the flamboyant Japanese side won many fans in New Zealand.  So did debutants Russia, whose defending was pretty abysmal, but didn’t mind giving it a go and scored tries in all of their four pool matches, including 22 points against Australia.  There was the occasional thrashing, but the days of regular landslide scores in the pool stages of the Rugby World Cup is a thing of the past.

The Welsh journey

TURNED: The Welsh dream ended with this cruel red card for Warburton

NEW Zealand might be world champions, but the story of the Rugby World Cup is the rebirth of Welsh rugby.  Warren Gatland’s side returned with a fourth placed finish and had it not been for a diabolical decision to send off Captain Sam Warburton in the semi-final against France, it could have been even better.  The youngsters in the Welsh pack are incredibly talented and they showed that in abundance.  The likes of Faletau, Halfpenny and Warburton also brought the best out of the experienced players such as Shane Williams.  Wales have now given themselves a massive platform to build on and start February’s Six Nations as overwhelming favourites.  Previously the laughing stock of Northern Hemisphere rugby, they have to be taken seriously now as leading lights in world rugby.

So there you have it, six weeks of cracking rugby is over.  The atmosphere was electric and New Zealand lived up to the billing, being absolutely sensational hosts of the premier competition in world rugby.  The action might not have lived upto the standard of 2007, but there are still many fond memories for fans to take away, especially for the hosts, who can once again claim to be, world champions.

Rugby World Cup 2011 - Sorry England go home

QUARTER-FINAL weekend at the 2011 Rugby World Cup provided some great stories, some emotional heartbreak and some graceful and emotional goodbyes.  For England, they don’t fit into any of these categories.

     The death knell in their torrid time in New Zealand came to a painful conclusion at Eden Park on Saturday.  Their worst performance in the competition since the inaugural 1987 tournament was sealed by a 19-12 defeat at the hands of France.  Actually, the scoreline reflects quite positively on England, but if anyone had watched the game, they would have seen that the French were completely on top for 90 per cent of the encounter.  After a flying opening, the English failed to score a point and paid for a number of issues with their basic game.  Some woeful tackling, poor discipline and iffy handling came together to give the French a 16-0 half-time lead.  

DECISIVE: Maxime Medard's try ended England's sorry adventure

     The dangerous Vincent Clerc and Maxime Medard both crossed the try line as for the first time in this tournament; France looked like a decent side, which I had sadly predicted previously.  Matt Dawson; scrum-half in the 2003 winning England team summed it up on BBC Radio 5 Live; “England were blown away in the first half and probably got a proper telling off.  They came out with a little more pace and precision, but they made too many mistakes with knock-ons, penalties and turnovers.”  Ben Foden and Mark Cueto highlighted a slight improvement from England in the second half with tries, but the damage had already been done.  Martin Johnson has refused to answer questions about his future as head coach, but this tournament has been a flopping disaster.  The RFU has insisted it will hold a review into the shambles of this Rugby World Cup.  I hope Johnson keeps his job, but unfortunately, coaches are judged on World Cup success, not autumn internationals and Six Nations championships.  His future is looking very bleak.  To finish matters off, Manu Tuliagi, who had been one of the bright sparks in this dreary campaign, was arrested by police after deciding on Sunday night to jump off a ferry!  It cost him £3,000 for a stupid, daft and foolish piece of behaviour and sadly, if players do this, the media has every right to crucify them.  England have arrived home, a far sorrier and unruly bunch than it was when they left these shores at the end of August.

     Whilst England headed for the airport, Welsh fans were beginning to move from Wellington to Auckland for a World Cup semi-final.  Since that agonising opening weekend defeat to South Africa, the Welsh have been getting better and better.  They are a team that is gelling together at just the right, decisive moment.  Their first semi-final since 1987 was sealed by a very impressive 22-10 triumph against Ireland in what was the best quarter-final of the weekend.  Shane Williams put Wales infront after just two minutes and the Irish resistance got blown away by second half tries from Mike Phillips and Jonathan Davies.  At the start of the second half, Keith Earls had pushed Ireland onto level terms with his sixth try of the competition.  However, as the game wore on, the Irish began to run out of legs and the young, fresher Welsh squad prevailed.  It marks the end for a golden Irish generation, with the likes of Ronan O’Gara, Paul O’Connell and Brian O’Driscoll surely set for retirement now.  Ireland gave it their all, but it wasn’t enough on the day.  Although the final result was devastating for them, they made their mark in this competition by shocking Australia in the pool stages, so they shouldn’t be too disheartened.  Wales go from strength to strength and will fancy their chances against the unpredictable French on Saturday of making a Rugby World Cup final for the first time.

PACKING: JP Pietersen reflects on South Africa's painful defeat

     Sunday’s second semi-final will be between old rivals, Australia and New Zealand.  The Wallabies somehow managed to send the defending champions South Africa packing on Sunday morning.  They won 11-9 in a game full of bruising tackles and competitive build-up play, but lacked clinical scoring opportunities.  The only try of the match came early on, courtesy of Australia skipper James Horwill.  Afterwards, a heroic rearguard action by the Australians was enough to restrict the Springboks to kicking attempts.  Fly-half Morne Steyn sent over two penalties and a drop goal, which did have his side 9-8 in the lead with eight minutes remaining.  However, winger James O’Connor responded for Australia, with a brilliant penalty kick from near his own half to seal the victory for the Wallabies.  The Springboks will be wondering how they managed to have so much possession, yet lose the match, equalling their worst performance in RWC history, which was back in 2003.  It means that still no-one has ever managed to retain the Webb Ellis Trophy.  Coach Peter de Villers hailed an ‘incredible journey,’ but made an emotional goodbye to the job he loved in the post-match press conference.  Like Johnson, his failure to bring the big trophy home will be sadly what he will be remembered for in South Africa.

     As expected, New Zealand saw off a brave Argentina outfit, although the final 33-10 scoreline did flatter them.  Nerves looked to have got the better of the All Blacks, infront of an expected crowd and they trailed early on through Julio Farias Cabello’s try.  Gradually though, the Pumas resistance was worn away by the cup favourites.  Seven penalties from Piri Weepu showed that there is life after the much missed Dan Carter before tries in the last quarter from Kieran Read and Brad Thorn made the game safe.  Felipe Contepomi bids farewell to the rugby stage, after three World Cups where he showed that he was one of the best players to have graced the game in modern times.  Argentina were rightly praised by Graeme Henry, the New Zealand coach for the tough encounter he got and the South Americans can look forward to joining the former Tri-Nations series alongside South Africa, New Zealand and Australia in the newly named Four Nations next summer.

     So, four sides now remain after an intense quarter-final weekend.  All English fans will be gutted by this shameful early exit, but I urge them now to back Wales all the way!  Let’s see what France, Australia and New Zealand have to say about it in what is bound to be an even tenser semi-final weekend coming up.

QUARTER-FINAL RESULTS: Ireland 10-22 Wales, England 12-19 France, South Africa 9-11 Australia, New Zealand 33-10 Argentina

SEMI FINALS

Wales v France, Auckland – Saturday 15 October (9am) live on ITV1 and ITV1 HD

Australia v New Zealand, Auckland – Sunday 16 October (9am) live on ITV1 and ITV1 HD

Rugby World Cup 2011 - Scottish hearts broken by Ashton

THE pool stages at the 2011 IRB Rugby World Cup are over and so are the hopes of twelve teams who were dreaming of reaching the final.  Quarter-final weekend will ultimately see eight of the top nine sides in the IRB rankings do battle; Ireland, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Wales, Argentina, Australia and France.  The team missing out is Scotland, who lost their proud record of having at least made the last eight of every Rugby World Cup competition. 

CRUSHED: Ashton finally put the knell in Scotland's hopes

    For a while on Saturday morning, it looked like the impossible might become possible, as Dan Parks kicked Scotland into a 12-3 lead against England in Auckland.  However, the English dug in throughout another scrappy performance from our boys.  Once again, Johnny Wilkinson had a shocking day with his kicking and surely, Martin Johnson has to consider picking Toby Flood as his no.1 choice at fly-half.  In the end, it was Chris Ashton who once again managed to bail out England.  Trailing 9-12 with three minutes remaining, Ashton finished off the one flowing move England were able to put together in the entire match.  It makes him the leading try scorer in the tournament and earnt us a 16-12 triumph.  It comes at a cost; with a dangerous tackle on Chris Patterson, Dylan Armitage was cited and since been banned from this weekend’s quarter-finals.  Scotland has been unlucky at the tournament, but when you fail to score any tries against Argentina, Georgia and England, I’m afraid it has to be an early flight home.

UPSET: Tonga celebrate a historic victory over the dismal French

     It could be worse, as you could be French at the moment.  They may be in the last eight again, but at the height of a national embarrassment.  They were dominated by a resolute and magnificent Tonga in Wellington and fell to a 19-14 defeat; one of the biggest upsets in Rugby World Cup history.  Only a late try from Francois Clerc was even enough for Les Bleus to secure the losing bonus point.  The French have looked atrocious from their opening match, but knowing them, they have a performance in them, so England shouldn’t take them too lightly.  For Tonga, victory meant like winning the World Cup to them.  It secures them an automatic place for the 2015 finals, at Canada’s expense.  However they will be regretting the loss to the Canadians, otherwise they would be deservedly in the last eight.  Unless they progress on Saturday, France’s rugby players deserve similar treatment to their football counterparts in the 2010 football World Cup; fly home in standard class!

     New Zealand received a hammer blow as arguably, the best player in the world at the moment, Dan Carter was ruled out of the tournament.  He looked in agony and limped away in tears after an Achilles tendon ruptured finished the 29-year’s old participation in his home tournament.  You wonder whether this is his last attempt at the World Cup, after injury ruined his 2007 campaign too.  The All-Blacks didn’t need him against Canada though, cruising to a comprehensive 79-15 victory, scoring twelve tries in the process.  Four of these came from Zac Guildford, while Miles Muliana returned from injury to cross once in his 99^th test for the hosts.  We’ll see how much Carter’s absence will now affect the New Zealand squad and also, the fans. 

    Wales banished their nightmare of Nantes 2007 in their revenge rematch against Fiji.  Samoa’s luckless and narrow defeat to world champions South Africa on Friday meant a bonus point was only required for the Welsh to progress.  The potential banana skin turned into a no contest encounter, with the Welsh cantering to 66-0 annihilation in Hamilton.  Welsh centre Jamie Roberts scored two tries in this emphatic performance.  The Welsh have looked very impressive in the pool stages, and can look forward to a very intriguing quarter-final showdown with Ireland on Saturday.  Fiji; quarter-finalists themselves four years ago, have had a dismal tournament.  No wonder; they even let Namibia score over 20 points!

     In the final pool match of this World Cup, one more quarter-final spot was up for grabs.  Ireland sealed it and it turned into a mismatch against Italy.  Once Brian O’Driscoll crossed the Italian try line in the opening stages of the second half in Dunedin, there was little doubt who was going to be the winning team.  On his birthday, Keith Earles touched down twice, as Ireland scored 27 unanswered points in the second half.  The Emerald Isle eventually won 36-6 and deservedly ended top of Pool C, leaving Australia with a much harder route now to the final. 

     Quarter-final weekend looks a very tasty one and at least three of the games look too close to call.  The final gets closer and with the hard-working minnows dispatched, the real action starts this weekend!  Good luck to the remaining teams left fighting it out for Rugby World Cup glory in 2011!

THE FINAL POOL RESULTS: Georgia 25-9 Romania, South Africa 13-5 Samoa, Australia 68-22 Russia, France 14-19 Tonga, England 16-12 Scotland, Argentina 25-7 Georgia, New Zealand 79-15 Canada, Wales 66-0 Fiji, Ireland 36-6 Italy

CLOSER: Just eight teams can still dream of lifting the trophy in 2011

THIS WEEKEND’S QUARTER-FINALS

Ireland v Wales, Saturday 8 October, from Wellington, 6am UK time, live on ITV1 and ITV1 HD,

England v France, Saturday 8 October, from Auckland, 8.30am UK time, live on ITV1 and ITV1 HD,

South Africa v Australia, Sunday 9 October, from Wellington, 6am UK time, live on ITV1 and ITV1 HD

New Zealand v Argentina, Sunday 9 October, from Auckland, 6am UK time, live on ITV1 and ITV1 HD

Rugby World Cup 2011 - Favourites begin to show their class

WITH the pool stages at the 2011 Rugby World Cup coming to a close, the quarter-final line-up begins to take rapid shape.  In the last week, we’ve seen evidence that the cup favourites have taken their game up a notch and some more landslide results as a consequence.  Although to the neutral, this can be seen as disappointing in light to a true contest, the underdogs know that barring a disaster, it’s four games and then an early flight home, whilst the heavyweights play out the latter stages. 

RETURN: Cueto made a successful comeback, with a hat-trick

     Having scathingly criticised England for their opening two performances, Martin Johnson’s men finally arrived at this Rugby World Cup with a ten try whitewash of minnows Romania in Dunedin.  The 67-3 scoreline didn’t flatter the English either, with signs that their A game has now been brought to the pitch.  Mark Cueto marked his return to the test side, with a devastating hat-trick in the first 30 minutes.  The flamboyant Chris Ashton also crossed for his own hat-trick, as Romania simply couldn’t cope with the onslaught.  To not concede a try and only three points in total also underlines that the defensive work in training is beginning to pay off.  Let’s not forget that Romania is a lower-ranked side, but the performance was much better than the one witnessed in beating Georgia six days earlier.  Only against sterner opposition, like Saturday’s crunch encounter with Scotland in Auckland can we truly assess where England are at in comparison to the other favourites.

TORMENT: Scotland have to look on, as the Pumas celebrate

       Sadly for the Scots, it will now take a miracle to qualify for the quarter-finals.  In conditions more akin to rallycross, they were narrowly beaten 13-12 by Argentina in Wellington.  It was a game of few chances and that was always going to be the case between two well-matched sides.  The crucial, game breaking moment came with nine minutes remaining.  Dan Parks had come off the bench to kick Scotland 12-6 ahead.  The Pumas response was absolutely scintillating.  Lucas Gonzalo Amorosino weaved his way past three Scottish tackles, before diving over for the pivotal try; one of the best individual ones of the World Cup so far.  Stalwart Felipe Contepomi, playing in his last World Cup kicked over the conversion.  In the dying stages, Contepomi looked blatantly offside during the final Scottish attack.  Rather than wait for the certain penalty, Parks attempted the drop goal which wasn’t even close.  The advantage went and with it, so did Scotland’s hopes in cruel fashion.  They now must beat England, score four or more tries and prevent Johnson’s side from gaining any points.  It has to be considered as a long shot.

      If they don’t underestimate Georgia, Argentina’s prize for escaping Pool B will be an exhilarating quarter-final clash with the favourites and the hosts.  New Zealand dispatched France with consummate ease in their Pool A decider at the weekend.  In fact, they were so clinical; the bonus point was wrapped up shortly after the interval.  Israel Dagg was the star man for the All-Blacks, crossing for another two tries.  They won the match 37-17 and by five tries to two; one of those being an intercepted try for the French.  Dan Carter looked back to his best and it was a celebration for Richie McCaw, who was playing in his 100^th test match.  As for France, they will have to seriously improve if they want to advance past the quarter-finals.  However, knowing the French, they have the capabilities to turn in a performance of magic at some point.  England still has to be prepared for the quarter-final bruiser that awaits them.

       In the battle of the Pacific Islanders, Samoa beat a desperately poor Fiji outfit 27-7.  However, they failed to score a crucial bonus point in the match, when it was there for the taking.  Although they will give South Africa a physical and bone-rattling test on Friday, expect the South Africans to finish their hopes off and progress as Pool D winners.  Wales looked impressive again, especially in the second half of their 81-7 destruction of a very tired Namibia yesterday.  Namibia’s tournament has been forgettable, but they did play four games in sixteen days, which is a big ask for a second-rate, amateur team. 

      Pool C is the one pool that looks very interesting going into the final weekend.  Australia had been expected to coast past the USA and did so on Friday morning, dispatching the Americans 67-5.  Adam Ashley-Cooper highlighted their clinical approach, with a hat-trick as the Wallabies ran over 11 tries.  The match was overshadowed by what looked to be a horrific injury to Anthony Faingaa in the closing stages.  He went off on a stretcher, with the likelihood of not only his tournament being finished, but the possibility of his rugby career being in severe doubt.         

     Finally, both Canada and Japan may be going home, but they provided those who got up at 4.30am this morning with a cracking match.  In a keenly-fought contest in Napier, a late penalty from Ander Monro was enough to earn a 23-23 draw for the Canadians.  It is only the third draw in RWC history and incredibly, these sides couldn’t be separated in 2007 either, drawing 12-12 on that occasion.  For me, Canada and Japan have given us plenty of memories in the pool stages and look to be the two most improved teams in world rugby.  Hopefully it won’t be long before they can begin to seriously threaten the real rugby elite.  With one more weekend of pool matches remaining, all rugby fans will be looking forward to an intense final weekend, some emotional farewells and then the real fun begins.   

THE WEEK’S RESULTS: Australia 67-5 USA, England 67-3 Romania, New Zealand 37-17 France, Fiji 7-27 Samoa, Ireland 62-12 Russia, Argentina 13-12 Scotland, Wales 81-7 Namibia, Canada 23-23 Japan, Italy 27-10 USA