Am I taking stupid pills?

Everyone is banging on about this double tackle, and whilst I'm impressed by Adam Ashley-Cooper's determination, why can no one see his second is a HIGH TACKLE!

ME AND MY KNEE - WEEK 2

I know I said I wouldn't make this that regular, but there have been some developments so I thought I'd chuck a little update out.

 

Self-perception

I saw the physio on Tuesday, not much to report on this front except for I have to have this leg brace on for the next two bleedin weeks. It wouldn't be a problem, except for the following concerns:

• It's starting to smell
• It's starting to squeak like a rusty gate
• I can't wear trousers to work so have to wear shorts and PE teacher gear
• The students I suspect are calling me Forrest Gump behind my back

Unamused, he gave me a few more exercises and sent me hobbling away.

Everyone else's perception

The real excitement came at the surgical consultation the next day. I arrived for my appointment at 10:30am, was finally seen at 11:30am. This would usually irritate me, but the nurses on the ward had obviously taken on board some suggestion box submissions and they were playing the movie 'Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief' on the big screen in the waiting room. Rubbish film, but was far better than reading a three year old copy of 'Women's Own'. 

I finally got called in by the surgeon and he took me through the X-rays and MRIs of the surgery which I found genuinely fascinating. He said the wounds looked healthy and the stitches could come out. This was a massive relief as they had started to catch and were actually causing more pain than the surgery itself. 

So off I went to the nurses room, where I was greeted by a very happy, but trainee nurse. She prepared the instruments of her torture in front of me. Scalpel, alcohol wipes, saline solution, spare dressings. I have not had good experiences with trainee nurses. Once, when I dislocated my shoulder, a trainee nurse gave me unsupervised access to the gas painkiller 'Entonox' for 40 minutes, I tugged away at it willingly, even having it by my bedside as I had an X-Ray. It's hard to overdose on such things, but I think I came bloody close to it. Another trainee nurse tried to give me pill-form painkillers when my throat had closed up as a result of contracting glandular fever. 

Anyway, the surgeon came in and increased the range of my brace a bit which means I'm more manoeuvrable. I'm still only partially weight bearing and on crutches. There won't be any real changes to my state until this contraption comes off so I'll update in a couple of weeks when finally, I'll at least be able to get into a comfy pair of slacks. 

Something else to practice before the warm-up...

This is an exceptional bit of skill picked up upon by those clever rugbytruck.com people. Being a front row, naturally I have always thought of myself as a closet fly-half. Luckily no one else ever did, thus saving me from a lifetime of disappointment and embarrassment. The below kick from Juan Martin Hernandez is further proof that kicking should be left to the experts. Quite spectacular.

Lions Watch

So, as if on cue, the powerhouse line-up at Sky Sports 'The Rugby Club' finally dropped their 'if the lions played tomorrow...' selections on us, and there were signs of consensus and conflict with RGN. Have a look below (bold writing means the most picked player amongst all pundits).

Gethin Jenkins is the player of choice in the loosehead position. I can see Stuart Barnes' point of view but we simply have to take the aussies on up front and whilst Jenkins and Healy are both solid scrummagers, Jenkins pips it. He may not offer as much in attack as Healy, but he's there abouts.

Hooker is a tough one as I believe we have some good ones in the British Isles but no stand-out. I still think Ross Ford is the man as he seems to epitomise the modern hooker. Hartley is a solid back-up but I think he lacks Ross' dynamism.

Adam Jones is another overwhelming favourite for the most important position on the pitch and rightly so. His experience with Wales and the Lions in South Africa will be crucial and he seems to adjust mid-game if experiencing problems and get back on top. Dan Cole definitely has a role but this will probably be from the bench. 

Richie Gray seems a slam-dunk for a second row birth but Sale are going to have to pick up in form if they are going to advertise his best assets. Paul O'Connell seems to be a favourite for the second slot, having captained the last tour and being of a very aggressive nature. However, I think with such a heavyweight front row, we can afford some athleticism in the lock position which is why I have opted for Lawes. 

Back-row seems to be locked down on the flanks, with Warburton and Ferris the overwhelming favourites. Both physical, fast, they get over the ball and are big game players. No.8 seems to have caused more of a debate. Faletau is a strong footballer, of which there is no doubt, but he feels to similar to the 6 and 7, so I'd pip for a bulldozing No.8, my choice being Morgan but Heaslip more than fits the same mould.

Scrum-half, Mike Phillips. No explanation needed. Ben Youngs needs to mix his game more and Danny Care's service is quicker. Youngs could struggle to make the midweek team given his recent international form. 

Jonny Sexton is the man for 10 at the moment. He leads the Leinster backs with guts, grace and nouse and when on the front foot is simply irresistible. He is also supremely combative, which may unnerve people like Quade Cooper if they end up in the opposite 10 shirt.

Centre also seems to have a degree of consensus, apart from a couple of shouts for Jonathon Davies. He has been in some excellent form but Roberts can do what he does from a physical and line running perspective and Brian O'Driscoll gives you more life in the centres. Plus the aussies always seem to struggle with ODs running lines. 

Leigh Halfpenney needs to be involved on some level, possibly on the wing. He is not the complete full-back as Kearney is but he is very fast and has a place kick like a howitzer. I cannot believe all the other pundits have overlooked Ashton so readily. George North had a good Six Nations but I think he faded a little towards the end and Ashton gives a more wiley option out wide. Ashton supporting players like OD and Roberts in the midfield is a genuinely exiting prospect. North as an impact sub definitely though. 

Rob Kearney, full-back. Catches 99.9% of anything sent towards him, loves to counter-attack from pretty much anywhere, has a great nudge and gets in people's faces. Everything you'd ever want from a loony sweeper. 

So some evidence of 'great minds...' and all that but I'm more interested in your opinions. Give me some comments with your teams and lets see how they match up. 

This Week on RGN

I am back at work full-time now so I may be blogging less but I will still be updating at least once a day so keep checking back. Don't forget we're on twitter (@ruckinggoodnews) and facebook (http://www.facebook.com/RuckingGoodNews) so get following to make sure you're always on the pulse!

So what do we have in store for you this week:

The BIG Interview

Last week's interview with Cyprus International Christo 'The Butcher' Kasabi was a massive hit with the RGN fans. In light of this, I have snared another big interview with Will Simpson, centre for RFU Championship side Doncaster Knights, former Leicester Academy and, until last season, a key cog in the Loughborough Students side that gained promotion to National One. We'll be discussing issues such as stepping up through the leagues, the future of union in the North-East and having played in New Zealand during his gap year, the real differences between the Northern and Southern hemisphere games.

Lions Watch

Gatland is apparently ruling no one out of making the tour. 

After the official appointment of Warren Gatland last week, every rugby pundit and their dog seems to be publishing their dream team. I'll be collating these under one post and seeing where RGN and its followers may disagree. The last 'Lions Watch' certainly caused some controversy so it only seems right to stoke the fires of debate once again.

Andy Powell looks to avoid being
pulled over by the fuzz again with his
'Flintstone' powered golf buggy

Mutant Rugby

I'll be looking at the size and power of the modern day professional and the impact this has had lower down the leagues. Is our sport still one for all shapes and sizes? I'll also be looking at how strength and conditioning coaches are taking a more pragmatic approach to match related fitness these days and how much of an impact on the physical resilience of the players this is having.

Me and My Knee - Week 2

Again this won't be every week, but with physiotherapy starting, post-surgical appointments happening and having the stitches out on Wednesday, this could prove to be another enthralling entry as we follow my 'not very intense at the moment' rehabilitation.

Aviva Premiership Round Up - Round Two

Leicester made life hard for themselves on occasion but their champion mentality won out in the end as they gained their second round of full marks against Worcester Warriors (34-26). Two early tries from Manu Tuilagi may have made Leicester a little over confident and former Tiger Andy Goode's boot and diligent tackling kept them in the game in parts despite two sin bins for the Warriors. This indiscipline seemed to play into Leicester's hands and they managed to keep in front of the struggling away team and get clear enough to deny them a losing bonus point.

Northampton were tested almost to breaking point but managed to hold on for their second win of the season (24-21). Man of the match Dylan Hartley, Ben Foden and Vasily Artemyev provided all the go forward the Saints needed and coupled with a dominant peformance in the scrums, it all proved too much for Exeter in the end. Northampton still can't nail down their fly-half issues with nervous displays from Ryan Lamb and Stephen Myler. However, the highlight of the match was new Northampton signing Luther Burrell's try, who made the most of a mismatch out wide and scoring a try displaying the power and speed he was brought in for. In the absence of Downey and Clarke, could he be the long term answer for the Saints in the centre?

Luther Burrell - Unit

Latest Highlights from the Rugby Championship

I remember the days when I didn't have Sky and the only Southern Hemisphere rugby I ever saw was an old VHS tape of the 97/98 Super 12 season which I wore out, fascinated by the style and skills on display. Now, if you subscribe to the right youtube channels, you can be inundated with loads of rugby from across the world on a daily basis. Part of my job is finding you the best the web has to offer!

So below are two sets of highlights, the first from the Austrialia vs South Africa game where the Aussies dug deep to overturn a half-time springbok lead for a deserved win (26-19).

The second set is from the New Zealand vs Argentina match-up in which the Pumas yet again proved why their inclusion in a top tier competition was well overdue. Unfortunately they could not convert their spirit and sometimes brutal defence into points and the All Blacks eventually cut loose in the closing 20 minutes (21-5).