I feel for Italy. If they want to build rugby up from the minority sport it is in Italy, then they have to have the national team playing against better opposition than themselves, its the only way to really improve. That and to have their players playing at high levels for their clubs. But they have to take the beatings along the way. They came 4th a few years back IIRC so its not always so dire for them.
I too feel for them but they haven't improved as much as I thought they would by now. Let's face it Italy produce world class football players and tennis players etc so should in theory produce a world class rugby team but they were no opposition for Ireland yesterday scoring only three points.
Argentina had a similar problem: there's no real competition for them in the Americas, as USA and Canada are amateur teams while Uruguay's rugby teams are better known for their dietary habits when stuck up a mountain than anything they do on the rugby pitch, so they only had real competition when the Rugby World Cup came around - until the Tri Nations became The Rugby Championship with their addition a couple of years back. On the other hand, looking at the Asian Five Nations, I can't see how Japan will improve: they obliterate the field in that competition (pick four of China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Phillipines, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, UAE, or Arabian Gulf - which is Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman bundled into one team), only to get ritually teabagged by various Six/ Nations/Rugby Championship nations.
The whole point of taking Italy into the now, 6 nations, is to improve their game. And to increase its popularity in Italy, obviously. It will take time, but Italy have already improved vastly from what they were a few short years ago. Similarly, Argentina were taken into the old tri-nations tournament for the same reason. They have come on very well and are now a side not to be underestimated by anybody - and, yes, that includes the Blacks!. Incidentally, the U.S.A. Eagles are now a side improving quite rapidly.
Harry Kane has won Goal of the Month for his first one against Chelsea in the 5-3 victory at WHL. That was this one, for those that can't remember: Edit: Now I've read that it was his second. Not sure, so I'll put that up, too:
Meanwhile on the Sutton front they have turned things around,Andy Sc ott a former Sutton youth and 1st team player sold us a striker before he got the boot from Aldershot and he has solved our striker problem with 5 goals in 4 games,and Sutton are now climbing the league,probably a bit to much to do for a play-off place,but there is an outside chance
I see that the TV money has gone up by a fairly silly amount, again. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31357409 No doubt this will be passed onto the faithful supporters who turn up in all weather and despite their teams often playing ****e, won't it? Ticket prices are bound to drop to more reasonable levels, like those of the Bundesliga, for example: http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/jan/17/football-ticket-prices-premier-league-europe I'm sure this is exactly what's going to happen...
Reading,cheapest ticket £ 37 pounds,Barca just under16 pounds,sounds like english football fans are being ripped off,big time
I think you are mistaken on Reading's prices tots. Their dearest ticket is £35 and members buying in advance can get in for £20.
17-year-old amateur footballer and Arsenal fan suffers a stroke and may never play again. http://www.standard.co.uk/news/heal...r-play-again-after-stroke-at-17-10025188.html His dad appeals on Twitter for any pros that see the story to pay a visit, as it would mean a lot to the kid. Follow please log in to view this image Nacer ChadliVerified account@NChadli With @Jlsrush today, get well soon my friend. #NC22 please log in to view this image Chadli does the decent thing.
I bet the Gooner twat that said Chadli would be beheading people for ISIS if he didn't play for Spurs feels like a right tit now. Or at least the left one.
Chadli's a really decent guy, I remember a couple of months back he gave away some of his allocated tickets for a Spurs home game to a couple of fans. Football could do with more guys like him. I hope more Spurs players, along with Arsenal and other clubs go see the kid - and others in similar situations. Rivalries and all that goes out the window in situations like this, hope and wish the kid a strong recovery. **Apparently** The guy who was appealing for players to come and see the lad at hospital had a response from Thierry Henry saying "what has it got to do with me?". Now it's not 100% confirmed so I won't criticise him as I saw no evidence of it but there was talk on twitter of that being his response to the people when they asked him. IF true what a disgusting thing to say.
There's an interesting stat doing the rounds about who's covered the most distance in a game this season. The top 10 in any Premier League fixture are as follows: 1. James Milner – MAN CITY v Stoke – 13.56km – 11.2.15 2. George Boyd – BURNLEY v Newcastle – 13.55km – 1.1.15 3. Tom Carroll – SWANSEA v Southampton – 13.47km – 1.2.15 4. George Boyd – BURNLEY v Stoke – 13.34km – 22.11.14 5. George Boyd – BURNLEY v Man Utd – 13.30km – 11.2.15 6. George Boyd – BURNLEY v Aston Villa – 13.24km – 29.11.14 7. Gylfi Sigurdsson – SWANSEA v Man Utd – 13.18km – 16.8.14 8. Christian Eriksen – TOTTENHAM v Swansea – 13.17km – 14.12.14 9. Harry Kane – TOTTENHAM v Swansea – 13.12km – 14.12.14 10. Marouane Fellaini – MAN UTD v Southampton – 13.12km – 8.12.14 Kane and Eriksen doesn't particularly surprise me, nor Milner or Boyd's repeat appearances, but I didn't expect Carroll to be in there. It's not the sort of thing that I really associate with his game, but it might be an indicator as to whether he'd fit Pochettino's philosophy.
