Billy’s bravery can help England to bin their rubbish form
NINETEEN-MATCH WINNING RUN ‘ALL DOWN TO MONEY’
RUBBISH is the word Billy Vunipola has uttered this week regarding his own form. A brave statement to make as an England player, as various claimants to the number eight throne are consistently performing at club level.
Braver too when you imagine this has been playing on his mind for a while, and he has the courage to accept his form, and tell the world he too accepts their criticisms. He won’t be the only one within this England squad.
It is clear many have not hit the dizzying heights we have come to expect. A loss of form and confidence has hit this side, and swept the carpet from beneath them, but this is no time to play with fear, as this weekend sees the reigniting of one of rugby’s bitterest rivalries.
Wales are chasing the Triple Crown, and face England at their Principality fortress. Had we not watched their previous games nor read the news, it would seem the hosts must surely be firm favourites. But in reality that’s far from the truth. Wales have been incredibly fortunate to win their first two encounters in this year’s Six Nations.
With the added help of the referee’s back pocket, they have beaten Ireland and Scotland. A remarkable feat on the face of it, as Wales looked short of ideas and fluency before this tournament began.
In reality, even with the help of certain decisions they at times looked close to losing both games, but they won and are only three more red cards away from a Grand Slam.
In fact, this game is hard to call. England, scratching and searching for some form of attacking synergy, will head across the Severn knowing if they keep 15 men on the field, Wales are vulnerable.
And that even with the admission that some of their individual performances have been rubbish, Wales are not a better side.
However, England’s own nagging self-doubt and previous experiences in Cardiff will leave some of the squad a little nervous. It seems this weekend will be one for the brave, one that if you are willing to admit your faults and seize your opportunity, you have a chance of reclaiming your real identity.
In a stadium normally filled with more than 70,000 fiery fans, the game will be played in echoey silence.
A slugfest of a match which over the last decade has thrown up some of the most brutal Six Nations moments will not have the normal levels of anticipation. This game of all the games is where the crowd will be missed the most.
How quickly sport can change. Rubbish some of the preceding rugby may have been, but this one still looks like it could be a cracker.
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PIERRE-EMERICK Aubameyang laid to rest the ghosts of 12 months ago to score a late winner as Arsenal edged out Benfica to advance into the last 16 of the Europa League.
The Gunners were just three minutes away from crashing out on away goals – despite both legs being played at neutral venues.
Coronavirus travel restrictions meant they had to ‘host’ the second leg of their last-32 tie in Athens, where Aubameyang’s late header saw them win 3-2 on the night and 4-3 on aggregate. Tied at 1-1 following the ‘away’ leg in Rome last week, Arsenal went a goal ahead through captain Aubameyang, running onto a lovely pass from Bukayo Saka, only for Diogo Goncalves to level with a fine free-kick, after Dani Ceballos’ foul.
Things went from bad to worse for the Spain midfielder as his poor defensive header allowed Rafa Silva to race through on goal and put Benfica in front just after the hour.
The Gunners needed to score twice to progress into the next round and pulled one back through a low Kieran Tierney strike as the Scotland full-back marked his 50th appearance for the club in style.
Then Saka sent a cross up to the back post, where Aubameyang nodded in a dramatic 87th-minute winner, a year after his glaring miss with the last kick of the game against Olympiakos, in the same ground, effectively sent them out.
He told BT Sport: ‘I had this in my head but this is what gives me power every day, to take the error from the past and transform it to strength. I’m really happy we won the game.
‘The team showed character, a lot of character. What we showed tonight, I think it’s going to be an example for the future.’
PEP GUARDIOLA has sarcastically claimed Manchester City’s stunning recent run of victories is down to nothing but money.
City chalked up their 19th successive win in all competitions – a record for an English top-flight club – by easing to a 2-0 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday.
With manager Guardiola having a close to fully fit squad available, the Premier League leaders look formidable and talk of a trophy quadruple does not seem misplaced.
Guardiola has had to deal with accusations throughout his career that his successes at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and now City are largely down to the good fortune of having star-studded playing squads.
Yet rather than deny it, Guardiola chose to overlook the factors behind his achievements and play up to the cynics. Asked to explain the reasons behind the winning run, the Spaniard provided a simple answer after the game in Budapest.
‘We have a lot of money to buy a lot of incredible players,’ he said.
‘All the time we win for the money – that is true. Without good quality players we cannot do it.’
There was certainly no doubting the quality of a lot of City’s play as they outclassed the Bundesliga side in the Hungarian capital.
Joao Cancelo, ostensibly playing at left-back but operating more as a midfield playmaker, was outstanding and it was from his crosses both goals came. Bernardo Silva headed the opener before his header set up the second for Gabriel Jesus.
Defensively City, who host West Ham tomorrow, were again impeccable. Their clean sheet was their 24th this term, surpassing the tally for the entire 2019-20 season.
Guardiola added: ‘We have been incredibly solid and we’ve won 19 games in a row but, for the team, everything is involved.
‘For the defenders to concede just one [shot] on target, you have to earn this, all of them, because you made an incredible effort up front with Rash (Raheem Sterling), Phil [Foden], Gabriel, Bernardo, [Ilkay] Gundogan, everyone.
‘That is why the opponents come in those positions and have difficult problems. That’s why we defend well. Football is not attack and defence, it is all together.’
All the time we win for the money. Without quality players we cannot do it
ENGLAND were on the wrong end of cricketing carnage yesterday after being crushed by ten wickets in the shortest Test match since 1935 to go 2-1 behind in their four-match series in India.
Much of the tourists’ embarrassment was self-inflicted, having lost their 20 wickets for 193 runs and batted for less than 80 overs across two innings. However, the fact Joe Root’s occasional offspin also proved unplayable – as he took a staggering haul of five for eight – highlighted just what they were up against on a sub-standard Ahmedabad surface.
As it is, they were on the wrong end of only the seventh two-day finish in the last 75 years after 17 wickets fell on an unforgettable day in front of a raucous crowd.
It started with India just 13 runs behind with seven first-innings wickets standing but no sooner had they overhauled England’s 112 without further loss than they suffered a calamitous collapse of their own.
Ajinkya Rahane was pinned in front by Jack Leach, before the left-armer had overnight half-centurion Rohit Sharma lbw on the sweep for 66.
After an initial blast of James Anderson, skipper Root – aware he needed to have gone in with another specialist spinner – stepped up to fill the gap.
It is hard to imagine the overlooked Dom Bess or the departed Moeen Ali could have done better as Root snapped up three wickets without conceding a run. His first ball took care of Rishabh Pant, tossed up into the left-hander’s rough and clipping the outside edge, while his next drifted round the wicket to Washington Sundar found some serious bite off the pitch and pinged the top of the stumps.
Shortly afterwards, Axar Patel swung heartily at Root’s bowling but picked out Dominic Sibley at short cover.
Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah also fell into his trap as Root completed a first career five-for.
England’s joy at being back in the match quickly turned to trepidation with Axar bowling Zak Crawley – who had scored a first-innings half-century – first ball.
Axar thought he had a hat-trick, dating back to his last ball on day one, when he won an lbw decision against the sweeping Jonny Bairstow only for it to be overturned. But Patel simply bowled the Yorkshireman for a pair at his next attempt.
England were still in arrears when Dom Sibley followed but Root and Ben Stokes put on 31 to ensure India would at least have a target to chase.
The pair joined the long list of lbw victims, Ravi Ashwin getting Stokes (25) for the 11th time in Tests and Axar then worming his way through Root’s defence.
Once Ollie Pope lost his off stump to Ashwin, the end was nigh and none of the last five made it to double figures.
The tourists’ hopes of creating some drama as India chased a meagre target of 49 came to nothing. Sharma clubbed the winning six under the lights to set the seal on England’s humiliation and end any hope of qualifying for the inaugural World Test Championship final this summer.