Category: Uncategorized

Ashton is not good enough

admin

Dan Luger, the Rugby World Cup winning winner for the England Rugby Team has slammed laid into current England international Chris Ashton stating that he has lost that X-factor that his game had.

Luger scored 24 tries for the England national team during his five year spell with the national team during which time he managed 38 caps for his country and he seemed absolutely at a loss regarding Stuart Lancaster, the national team’s boss decision to persist with the Saracens FC player who has managed to score just three tries during his last twenty test appearances for England.

The former Northampton Saints player was given starts in all three of the England Rugby Team’s autumn internationals but there was a distinct possibility that he would make way during the team’s second match against Argentina but injuries to Marland Yarde as well as Christian Wade prompted Lancaster to start with the pairing of Ashton and Ben Foden on the two flanks and continued with the same partnership in the match against New Zealand as well.

But according to the former England man Luger, England should start looking for alternatives on the wing, adding that he doesn’t quite understand how Ashton is still in the squad. Luger also mentioned that Ashton burst on to the scene a few years back and did quite well but he hasn’t delivered on the promise and that is not acceptable.

Luger further mentioned that Ashton doesn’t have the X-factor anymore. He stated that the England Rugby Team flanker doesn’t break tackle and he can’t remember the last time he saw him break a tackle. Luger also mentioned that if Chris Ashton is the best option for the team at the moment, then it is a worrying sign because he just cannot defend while tracking back.

England Rugby

admin

There is some pretty good news for England rugby this time. Celebrated rugby player Sam Tomkins has decided and announced that he is planning to play for the England team, as they prepare for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Sam Tomkins is known for his exceptional rugby skills that have become very evident during his time playing for the Wigan Warriors and also Great Britain. So now, when it has been decided that he will be switching codes with intentions of playing for England, it really is a time for the English rugby circuit to rejoice.

Sam Tomkins first shone bright when his efforts while playing for the Wigand Warriors helped the team have a spectacular win against the Hull, while they were playing for the final game at Wembley during late August this year. Tomkins is the current reigning Super League’s Man of Steel, has confirmed that he will not be joining the NRL side New Zealand Warriors, as had been speculated and rumored. He has said that his main focus is to help England win the Rugby World Cup in 2015, and he will give it his best shot while playing for them. And besides helping the England rugby team win the World Cup, he also plans to help the Wigan Warriors win the Grand Final.

According to Tomkins, his vision is to follow Joel, who is his brother and former team mate as well. He plans to follow him in to the rugby union at some stage or the other, by starting with the England rugby team. When asked, he was of the opinion that he is not among those players who prefer only playing for the league, and not the union, as they feel that the union is rubbish. And aside from this, Tomkins is the ambassador for the Shock Doctor, which is a range of sports protection.

Lancaster happy with England Rugby Team’s progress

admin

Stuart Lancaster, the head coach of the England Rugby Team has hailed the progression of his star studded team after they won all of their last four matches. His side overcame the challenge of the Barbarians as well as beating a South American Select XI before going on to record a 2-0 test series win over the Argentina Rugby Team. According to Lancaster, one of his major objectives was to win all of the four matches on the tour and he is pleased to have achieved that objective.

He went on to add that the second objective he had for the England Rugby Team was to look at developing options for the team and increase his selection headache and according to Lancaster, that objective has been achieved as well. England overcame the challenge of Argentina 51-26 in the second test of the series to record their first series win against the Pumas in as many as 32 years away from home.

The England head coach also mentioned that in terms of the evolution of the team, the tour has been extremely critical. He mentioned that the objective of brining in so many young players on the tour was for them to get some experience and according to him, they have developed a lot on the tour and the England team can now boast of having a lot many leaders on the pitch, which will hold the team in great stead in the future as they prepare for the Rugby World Cup 2015 at home.

Lancaster stated that he is now looking forward to the autumn internationals after his England Rugby Team achieved seven wins out of eight in the last few months and the clean sweep against the Pumas has also added a lot of confidence to the players in the team.

Manu Tuilagi focused on Aviva Premiership final

admin

If you are being paid for doing what you love, then wouldn’t have to work a day in your life and if there is anyone who typifies this age old proverb, it is Manu Tuilagi, the centre for the Aviva Premiership Rugby Football Union club the Leicester Tigers. The big Samoan born Englishman is hardly seen without a smile in his face – even if he had half an ear ripped off, his shirt dripping in blood, he would still have that signature grin etched across his lips.

But then, one comes to realize he is just a youngster playing the game he loves day in and day out and that too, at the peak of his powers. Speaking to the media, the youngest of the six Tuilagi brothers who have pulled on the Leicester Tigers shirt stated that he just loves playing the game. Manu Tuilagi went on to state that being able to do something that you love and then getting paid for it at the end of the day is like living a dream and added that he is living a dream.

Tuilagi also mentioned that he is always happy and that is why he has the smile on his face, but added that underneath that smile, he is really focused as well. And that intense focus doesn’t waver at any time, becoming more and more intense as he prepares for one of the biggest matches of his life, getting ready to take on the eternal rivals Northampton Saints in the final of the Aviva Premiership.

And Manu Tuilagi is really focused after being a part of two finals till date and he is eager to right all the wrongs and get that Aviva Premiership medal around his neck by the end of the match and parade with the trophy.

England Rugby Team wary of unpredictable France

admin

France go head to head with the England Rugby Team at Twickenham Stoop on Saturday with the opportunity of throwing the championship race for the Six Nations wide open as they look to live up to their reputation of being the most unpredictable team in European rugby. Having started their own campaign in the Six Nations with surprise defeats at the hands of Wales and Italy, the French side went from being one of the top sides in the competition to being flops in a matter of just eight days.

In what is the worst possible start to a Six Nations campaign for the French side, the national team coach has urged the players to put an end to their inconsistent run and get some focus back into their game. However, it wouldn’t be a peculiar event for the French team to come away with a victory from Twickenham with a victory and dent the hopes of a Grand Slam title for the England Rugby Team. Philip Saint-Andre, the head coach of the French team has stated that the team is going through one of its difficult phases and it needs to come out of its slumber and get some hard ground underneath its feet.

The England team will perhaps have been as surprised as any other after witnessing the meltdown of the French side, with Stuart Lancaster, the England Rugby Team boss labeling them as arguably the team to beat in the tournament.

But with Lancaster wary of the French side’s inconsistency, he will hope that his side comes through in the end as they keep their hopes of securing a title alive and not let a repeat of last year’s meltdown of their own affect the psychology of the team as they take on their enemies from across the Channel.