About.com

Get Fit for Rugby, Part II

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 01:16:53 +0000

I've posted the second entry in series on Getting Fit for Rugby. This one focuses on strengthening the muscles around your shoulders and knees, and gives you a complete workout you can do by yourself, with another person, or with a team.

Snow Falls in Rome, Paris; Chaos Ensues

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:23:47 +0000

If you look closely at the above photo, you will see two unnatural elements. The first is the white stuff on the ground, which is apparently the remnants of a snowfall that hit Rome the afternoon of the Six Nations match between Italy and England.

...

Read Full Post

Getting Fit for Rugby Series Starts Today

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:00:50 +0000

Starting later today, I will be launching my new series "Getting Fit for Rugby," which will provide you with tips and exercises for getting in shape. The new season will be starting soon for most amateur players, so this is the perfect time to put that beer down (for the moment) and get started getting fit. Check back within the next 12 hours for the first installment, "The Thirty Second Rule."

...

Read Full Post

What's New, What's Coming: Movies, Cheating, Fitness

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:06:52 +0000

I wanted to make sure you didn't miss my piece on the Top Ten Rugby Movies of All Time (that may not have all that much or even anything to do with rugby). Spoiler alert: "Invictus" is number one. I know. Give it a read or I'll make you watch that new Madonna movie about how cool Wallis Simpson was.

...

Read Full Post

Heineken Cup Big Impact Players: O'Gara, Matanavou, and Farrell

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:19:00 +0000

The 2011-12 Heineken Cup wrapped up its pool play matches this weekend, and as we wipe the mud and sweat out of our eyes (someone should clean those barrooms more aggressively), we begin to get a clearer picture of the players who had the biggest impact on their clubs, and who will help guide them to knockout-stage success. Luckily for us, these players also fit into easily recognizable sports tropes: the Old Pro, the Islander Transplant, and the Fresh-Faced Coach's Son.

...

Read Full Post

Heineken Cup Weekend 5 Wrapup: Wheat, Chaff; You Know the Drill

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:20:00 +0000

The weekend of January 14-16 was the fifth of six rounds in the Heineken Cup competition, meaning we now have a relatively clear picture of who will advance to the knockout stage. For those of you who don't know, the Heineken Cup's playoff structure works like this: eight clubs advance to the quarter-finals - the winners of each of the 6 pools are clubs 1 through 6, ranked according to the total number of points they earned (don't ask; that's a whole can of worms we don't have space for here), plus the two top runners-up. As of right now, those clubs are:

1) Munster (20 points, 5-0 record). There's really no question here: the Irish club pounded Castres Olympique 26-10 before a home crowd of over 25,000 to seal their lead over Pool 1. Castres falls to last place with a 1-4 record, while Northampton's 29-17 victory over Scarlets in Llanelli brings the Saints and the Scarlets even at 2-3 and putting both out of the running for the knockout stage.

2) Leinster (20, 4-1). This Irish club likewise put themselves out of reach in Pool 3 with a 23-16 victory over the Warriors in Glasgow, giving the Scottish club a record of 2-1-2 and putting them out of the knockout running as well. Montpellier beat Bath 24-22 at home to move the French club into third place with a 1-2-2 record, while the English club slides into the basement with a 1-4 record.

3) Ulster (19, 4-1). Notice a pattern yet? If you're planning on betting on the upcoming Six Nations tournament, I'd go green. Granted, Pool 4 is still up for grabs between Ulster, Clermont, and, possibly, Leicester, but the Irish club pounded the Tigers 41-7 at Ravenhill, dropping the English club to a record of 3-2 and only 12 points. Luckily for all three, the fourth club in this pool is Aironi, who gave Clermont a nice juicy 82-0 loss in Monza, leaving the Italian club winless and possibly giving the French club the points it needs to get into the playoffs.

4) Toulouse (18, 4-1). Pool 6 is also still up for grabs, but the defending Heineken champs went a long way towards claiming their knockout spot with a 24-3 home victory over pool doormat Connacht. The Quins are not giving up so easily, though, beating Gloucester 20-14 at the Stoop and dropping Gloucester's record to 2-3 and out of knockout contention.

5) Saracens (18, 4-1). The Sarries have a firm grip on the top of Pool 5, beating Biarritz 20-16 at home, dropping the Basques to a 2-3 record and effectively ending their playoff hopes. Ospreys destroyed Benetton Treviso at Swansea 44-17, giving the Welsh club a 2-1-2 record and dropping the Italians to 1-1-3 and last place.

6) Edinburgh (17, 4-1). Finally, there's Pool 2, which is still very much up for grabs. Edinburgh won a tough one 27-24 in Paris against Racing Metro, putting the Scottish club in first place for the moment and dropping the French club to 1-4 and last place with 8 points. Edinburgh plays London Irish at Murrayfield next week, giving them a slight advantage over....

7) Cardiff (17, 4-1). The Blues, who also won an away match against the Exiles 22-15 to put them in an effective tie with Edinburgh at the top of Pool 2. They'll be hosting Racing Metro next week, and Cardiff has to at least win to advance to the knockout stages. Although - in all probability - both Edinburgh and Cardiff will playing on the road in the quarter-finals, even if they both win big, as the top four clubs get home-field advantage.

8) Harlequins (16, 4-1). The Quins will likewise have to beat Connacht in Ireland next week to advance to the knockout stage. If they lose, they'll probably lose their spot to....

9) ASM Clermont Auvergne (16, 3-2). The French club hosts Ulster in what is sure to be the match of the weekend (all the other clubs are playing to maintain their position, which is exciting, but not in the same way). A big victory could give Clermont first place and a guaranteed spot in the knockout stage. A close victory, a draw, or a loss could knock the French club out of the playoffs.

The fun part, of course, is that the quarter-finals don't start until April, so we'll have a few months to wait with nothing but the Six Nations and premiership play to occupy our attentions. So cruel.

European Premiership January 6-8 Wrapup

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:19:27 +0000

Aviva Premiership:

Nothing is guaranteed in this life, least of all the outcome of a matchup between two professional sports clubs. This truism is doubtless cold comfort to Harlequins fans after the mighty Quins 24-3 road stomping received from Northampton. The Quins are, however, still atop the table with an 11-2 record, while the win gives the Saints an 8-5 record, meaning they stay in third place. The Quins' nearest challenger, the Saracens, crept closer with a 26-19 home victory over Bath, giving the Sarries a 10-1-2 record and keeping them in second place, while the loss drops Bath to 10th place and a 5-8 record. Leicester likewise secured their hold on fourth place with a 29-11 home victory over London Wasps, giving the Tigers a 7-1-5 record, while the Wasps stay in 11th place with a 4-9 record.

...

Read Full Post

European Premiership New Year's Weekend Wrapup

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 23:10:28 +0000

Aviva Premiership:

The Harlequins rang out 2011 with another win in their remarkable season, beating Exeter at Sandy Park 11-9, pushing their record to 11-1 and keeping their grip on first place, while the Chiefs stay in 8th place with a record of 5-7 and 27 points. The Saracens stayed in second place with a 15-15 draw at home against Gloucester, giving the Sarries a 9-1-2 record while keeping Gloucester in 7th place with a record of 5-1-6 and 28 points. The Northampton Saints jumped all the way to third place with a 32-14 victory over Newcastle at Kingston Park, pushing their record to 7-5 while dropping the Falcons to a dismal 2-1-9 record, entitling them to sole possession of last place.

...

Read Full Post

European Premiership December 23-27 Wrapup

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:09:54 +0000

Aviva Premiership:

First place Harlequins suffered their first loss of the season against second place Saracens 19-11 at Twickenham before a sold-out crowd of 82,000. The loss drops the Quins to 10-1 and pushes the Sarries up to 9-2, making the race for the top of the table a lot more interesting.

...

Read Full Post

Heineken Cup Round Four Wrapup

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:36:40 +0000

Last weekend marked the two-thirds point for the Heineken Cup competition (and the last round of 2011), and not a whole lot changed, suggesting that not a whole lot is going to change from here on in. Pools 3, 5, and 6 saw no movement at all, and Pool 1 only saw movement at the bottom. The most excitement was in Pools 2 and 4, where the tops tightened up. If that's not enough detail for you, read on.

...

Read Full Post