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Joined October 2013
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Played in, coached & watched countless games of rugby. One of a handful of Australians who support Southampton.
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After 38 matches and countless goals, the EPL team of the season is... not Chelsea. Yes, they won it. They're probably still singing their…
This season's Premier League has a surprise element, an unusual suspect for once. Southampton, my team since 1976, a team usually referred to in…
The English Premier League has been dominated by the four or five teams for that past several seasons. Smaller clubs barely rate a mention,…
As a history teacher it has been wonderful to see the increasing reverence and popularity of Anzac Day in recent decades. The day has…
Cancer. Just typing those six letters sends a chill down my spine. Everyone has a story about that horrible disease and mine is inexorably…
As we enter another summer of tennis there will be the inevitable men's tennis versus the women's game debates. Millions more words will be…
Last round's EPL clash of the titans had all the hallmarks of a 'big game' – star players, David Moyes' job potentially on the…
Last Saturday's Bledisloe Cup Test barely registered a blip on the radar of Australia's sporting conscience. The proverbial “dead rubber” was played in Dunedin's…
1) Backs who run straight. Everyone is lauding the Poms defence, but we made it easy with so much cross field running in the backs. Left outside backs with no room.
2) Forwards who can off-load. Much of the game looked like unlimited tackle League. Forwards just bashing into a white wall. The Poms were able to spread their defence by not committing to the ruck, then go for the turnover once they had a dominant tackle. (much like the old Crusaders teams)
3) A bit of agro. Several times in the opening minutes we had a golden opportunity to ruck the *&^% out of a Pom lying in the way of the ball. Might cost a penalty, but sends a message!
4) A playmaker at 12. Links to my first point. Giteau worked so well at 12 in the World Cup-why have we changed? Puts too much pressure on Foley
Roar Forum: What changes should the Wallabies make for the third Test?
“Through thick & thin” Really? Try being a Southampton supporter. I’m regularly amused by the vast majority of Australian EPL supporters who claim to support Man U, Arsenal, & Liverpool but who can barely name a player. Of course the rise of Chelsea & Man City fans in the last decade, might just coincide with their success, possibly?
Why I switched teams - and why you should too
It amazes me that the real (test match) cricket finishes around Jan 6/7 in Sydney & what follows is one-dayers, 20/20s, Big Bash Circus etc. That’s 1 month & 1 week into summer. Imagine if the football season finished in early July & was followed by 7-a-side games & touch footy.
Re-shaping the summer of cricket
The EPL has essentially split into 3 mini-leagues. The Big 5 with their bottomless pockets chase the title. Another 5 or so teams (Spurs, Everton, Southampton, etc) chase the dubious honour of the Europa League. Everyone else fights to avoid relegation. Its the same every season. Yawn.
Why this EPL season was the worst yet
My article is not meant to be an opportunity for plastics & glory hunters to gloat about their purchased success. It’s for supporters of everyone else, the likes of Southampton, Palace & Stoke to say “bloody hell I’m proud of my team”.
Chelsea may have won the EPL, but they were not the team of the year
No great surprise really. Not a lot to ask/discuss about a 6-3 6-0 pizzling is there? If women’s tennis was more competitive , there might be a sports story, not a fashion story.
Give us a break, not a twirl
Even the FA Cup, for so long promoted & venerated for Cinderella stories & upsets has been dominated by the same Big 5. Since the Premier League stated in 1992, only 3 FA Cup winners (Everton, Portsmouth & Wigan) of the previous 22 have come outside of the Big 5.The notion that Saints will “fall away” & miss out is pessimistic & only serves to re-inforce the inevitability of the EPL.
Get behind the Saints as they march into the Champions League
You’d probably have to go back to the late 80’s & early 90s when Norwich & Wimbledon managed top 3 or 4 finishes. Recent times have seen the big clubs with extensive squads dominate the EPL. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City & Man United have filled the top 4 (& hence Champions league spots) for years. Would like to know the last club to break this monopoly.??? I’d like to think that supporters of the “other 15” clubs would be right behind Saints-then again I’m a biased Southampton supporter!
Is it time to take Southampton seriously?
As a life-long Saints supporter, this season has been amazing.
I wrote this back in Nov http://www.theroar.com.au/2014/11/17/the-saints-are-marching-in/, still early in the season
We’ve taken 13 points from our last 5 games, inc. wins over Arsenal & Man U + a draw with Chelsea.
As much as I love the EPL it has becoming terribly predictable with the top 4 spots filled on a rotational basis by 5 clubs. Seeing someone else, esp Southampton, break that sequence would be fantastic for us, & give hope to lots of other clubs.
Seeing I support Southampton & whoever’s playing Man U, Sunday was especially enjoyable. It is interesting/worrying how little media coverage Saints receive. Commercial TV is particularly bad for its “Man United + 19 others” approach to the EPL. It is bloody good to start looking at the top of the table, not the relegation zone. Go Saints
Is it time to take Southampton seriously?
Good to get a point . We (Saints) stay second; still can’t believe that. Our next 3 games are Man City, Arsenal & Man United. After that we’ll either be on our way to a top 4 finish or headed for mid-table mediocrity. Here’s my article about Southampton’s great start & oiur lack of media coverage for it. http://www.theroar.com.au/2014/11/17/the-saints-are-marching-in/
Aston Villa vs Southampton: English Premier League live scores, blog
Great article. Its very pleasing to see interest in the Saints, seeing that most of the Aust media see the EPL as Man United + 19 “others” .I wrote this http://www.theroar.com.au/2013/11/20/supporting-epls-small-clubs-has-more-downs-than-ups/
about the “joys” of being a Southampton supporter. I’ve been on board since ’76. When we win (like most of this surprisingly joyous season… so far) its a great surprise-not an expectation, like its is for the “big” clubs.
Southamptom and the Patron Saint of futile ambition
Wallaby & Sandy B claim I have an AFL bias. No. I’m a rugby man through & through. For the on field action I watched all of the Waratah’s debacle then 90% of the Brumbies win, about 20 mins of the AFL & none of the league. I thought he AFL’s service was superb, but felt let down by the rugby, esp in Auckland.
Anzac Day commemorations - three codes from the couch
I’m old enough to remember ANZAC days in the 80’s when protests against the glorification of war, by women’s groups & indigenous groups were an unfortunately large part of the day. No sport was played. Crowd numbers at marches were tiny. The welcome home march for the Vietnam Vets in 1987 saw the beginning of a turn-around.
Next years centenary will be huge. I just hope the bureaucrats organizing it turn up to an office banner & screensaver with
“Don’t F*** This Up” everyday. Endless speeches by politicians & a jingoistic “celebration” (which it clearly is not) should not be the order of the day.
Anzac Day commemorations - three codes from the couch
Oh Harry! The dancing girls “crack’ was sarcasm. The complexity & size of the NRL’s on-field appearance was over the top when compared to the simplicity of the AFL’s commemoration. With everything that had to be taken in it seemed like dancing girls were all that was missing. The simpler & more dignified the better.
Anzac Day commemorations - three codes from the couch
Instead of tinkering with points values for pernalties, conversions etc, my suggestion wold be for a maximum of 1 penalty attempt per player. Instead of a team’s super-boot dominating the game, teams will have to think carefully about when & who has a shot at a penalty. Might actually encourage kicking for touch & a lineout, instead of yet another low percentage shot from 45 mts
SPIRO: ARU kicks an NRC goal, Aussies power on in Super Rugby
Super Rugby has sold it soul to pay-tv, which only 20% of Australians have. It has no free-to-air presence. Teams have no geographical identity, which takes away from the tribalism of sport. I remember telling friends to watch the Crusaders play (when Robbie Deans was coach) & most had a) no pay TV & b) no idea where the Crusaders were from.
Less is more the key to reviving interest in rugby
Cutting to 15 teams is a good start. I’d like to see 14 teams, no conferences or pools & a simple play everyone once formula. 13 weeks. Semis of 1st v 4th & 2nd v 3rd, then straight to the final. Yes, the old Super 14 format. Also, Super Rugby MUST have a free-to-air presence. Game of the Week, Fri 5.30pm NZ game or even a highlights package. I know the Kiwis have resisted this- & its OK for them- but teams need an identity. For far too long my League fan mates have been asking “Where are the Bulls (or insert any generic team name) from?’ Having the Cape Town Stormers play the Tokyo Sunwolves only enhances rugby’s international image.
The future of Super Rugby: Great on the field, hopeless off it