A row has been brewing in the press between Wales’ rugby coach Warren Gatland and his Italian opposite number, ex-Springboks man, Nick Mallett.
Gatland has accused Italy of infringements at the breakdown during earlier Six Nations showdowns, and has threatened to have a word with the referee before Saturday’s match at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. Italy have countered that they must have the Dragons rattled for Gatland to even resort to such tactics.
Wales, who are favourites to win the match in our house - though probably not with the bookies - haven’t beaten the Azzurri since their 38-8 demolition job of 2005, ensuring this encounter will be edge of the seat stuff.
One thing’s for certain, with Wales chasing a Grand Slam the mind games will continue right up to the starting whistle.
And then Wales will win. Handsomely… maybe
Read all a’bhart it here
...and here
Showing posts with label rugby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rugby. Show all posts
Thursday, 21 February 2008
Monday, 11 February 2008
You mean the Italians invented rugby?!
During the dark days of the 2007 Six Nations - well they were if you were Welsh - it looked as if the Italian team were well on their way to the holy grail for northern hemisphere rugby teams, namely beating England.
So it's disappointing that despite a valiant effort, and given England's near cabon copy of their capitulation at the Millennium Stadium the previous week, the Azzurri simply ran out of time.
Funnily enough a few weeks back whilst reading the usual extravagant claims in the Welsh press about our national team's chances in this year's competition I noticed something that took me by surprise.
Apparently "forms of football involving hands and feet..." - that'd be rugby then - "were played in Italy from Roman times to the medieval era".
Digging a bit deeper I found that according to some historians it was likely the Romans may have introduced the game, which they called Harpastum, to Britain nearly 2000 years ago.
The Romans themselves apparently borrowed much of the game from Greece where it was variously called Phaininda (meaning to pretend) or Episkyros.
Who knew?
So it's disappointing that despite a valiant effort, and given England's near cabon copy of their capitulation at the Millennium Stadium the previous week, the Azzurri simply ran out of time.
Funnily enough a few weeks back whilst reading the usual extravagant claims in the Welsh press about our national team's chances in this year's competition I noticed something that took me by surprise.
Apparently "forms of football involving hands and feet..." - that'd be rugby then - "were played in Italy from Roman times to the medieval era".
Digging a bit deeper I found that according to some historians it was likely the Romans may have introduced the game, which they called Harpastum, to Britain nearly 2000 years ago.
The Romans themselves apparently borrowed much of the game from Greece where it was variously called Phaininda (meaning to pretend) or Episkyros.
Who knew?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)