Francezii vor invada Dublinul!

Da, il vor invada, pentru ca in cele doua finale, Amlin Challenge Cup(17 mai, RDS Arena) si Heineken Cup (18 mai- AVIVA Stadium), vor juca trei echipe franceze. Pe 17, norocoasa Stade Francais va da piept cu gazda si favorita publicului. Leinster. Iar pe 18, se vor infrunta primele doua ocupante ale clasamentului curent din Top 14, Clermont Auvergne si RC Toulon. Este a patra finala exclusiv franceza a istoriei HCup, ultima dupa intalnirea dintre 2010 intre Toulouse si Biarritz. Mai este interesant si faptul ca s-a ajuns la o astfel de situatie dupa ce, in Six Nations 2013, acum mai putin de doua luni , Franta a luat lingura de lemn iar acum cluburile franceze ajung sa domine rugby-ul european. Prima finalista HCup, cunoscuta de sambata, Clermont Auvergne a terminat meciul cu Munster cu inima stransa (16-10), fara sa convinga ca in jocul din sferturi (cu Montpellier). E adevarat ca Rougerie a stat pe banca dar si fara el, Nalaga si Sivivatu si-au facut jocul obisnuit. Munster nu a aratat ca o echipa obosita, dar nu a avut inspiratia de altadata a lui O'Gara (ajuns la o varsta la care ar fi trebuit sa se retraga onorabi). Cu chiu, cu vai, auvergnatii au reusit sa ajunga, in premiera intr-o finala importanta continental. Meciul al doilea, de duminica, a fost cu mult mai interesant. Saracens plecau cu sansa intaia mai ales ca jucau acasa, pe Stoop. Toulon venea dupa un sezon destul de ambiguu, pierzand din distanta pe care o aveau in clasamentul Top 14 pana la a ceda si primul loc celei dintai finaliste. Se anticipa ca nu va fi un joc deschis, spectacular si ca aeversarele se vor provoca reciproc la greseli penalizabile pentru a pune in valoare abilitatile de transformeri ale celor doua uverturi, Owen Farrell si Jonny Wilkinson. Asa a si fost in prima repriza. incheiata la 9-12. In minutul 39, Farrell rateaza o penalitate care ar fi adus echipele la cabine in conditii de egalitate. Dupa pauza, Toulon s-a trezit si a inceput sa controleze jocul, desi aspectul aglomerat nu s-a schimbat. La o faza muncita de atac, in minutul 49, Vunipola scapa singur in 22-ul francez si Chis Masoe incearca sa-l stopeze cu un placaj la umeri. Alain Rolland il elimina pe nedrept, pentru ca nu a fost placaj la gat, asa cum am putut vedea in cele patru reluari ale trasmisiei Fox Sports. Nedreapta decizie, la un asemenea nivel, Rolland ar trebui sanctionat de IRB, pentru ca ar fi putut influenta soarta jocului. Toulon se resimte ceea ce dovedeste rapiditatea cu care Sarries obtine o penalitate din care Farrel reduce, iar diferenta de scor la 3 puncte, 12-15. Imediat dupa, englezii simt oportunitatea si ataca. Vunipola scapa iar spre eseu dar farrel face un "inainte" in 10 metri pana la but. Din acel moment, Toulon preia hotarat conducerea jocului. Iar masinaria lor de atac devine cu mult mai insistenta. S-au remarcat toti din linia a treia, Rossouw, Masoe si Fernandez Lobbe si, in mod deosebit, Delon Armitage care pendula ametitor intre faza de aparare pe fundul terenului si atacurile in forta. Fernandez Lobbe a fost declarat omul meciului, contributia lui la superioritatea atacului Toulon-ului fiind acel plus care le-a conferit francezilor superioritatea in aglomerarile de la mijlocul terenului. Saracens s-a blocat in atacuri sterile si oarecum stereotipe,capul in jos si fortare de spargere. Dar, lipsa de suport incepe sa devina cronica, chiar si dupa intrarea in teren a experimentatilor Charlie Hodgson si Jonn Smit. Pentru Toulon, care a simtit blocajul englezilor, apare motivatia victoriei. In minutul 69, pe o faza de atac simple, Giteau executa un deplace, Rudy Wulf alearga in mare viteza dar face un inainte la 5 metri de but. Dupa alte doua minute, inca o sansa de eseu pentru francezi: o combinatie Giteau- Fernandez Lobbe, Palisson iese in afara terenului la vreo 10 metri in fata buturilor engleze. Era clar: Saracens se resemnase, Toulon era deja castigatoare. Scorul era inca 12-18. In minutul 73, o desfasurare de dupa o tusa castigata de echipa pe val, cu toata opozitia lui Farrel, Wilkinson reuseste un dropgoal de manual, aplaudat in picioare de tot stadionul. 12-21. Devenise clar cine va castiga partida. Si in minutul 77, o alta penalitate transformata de acelasi Golden Boy transeaza definitiv rezultatul, 12-24. Francezii din Var ajung , si ei, in finala. Visul frantuzesc se indeplinise, iar deceptia celor 20.000 de spectatori englezi devenea enorma. Inca un an fara participare britanica in Heineken Cup. In declaratiile de dupa meci, Wilkinson a declarat

Clermont e un iad de echipa. Ca si in meciurile cu saracens si Leicester, nu ai un moment de respiro, insa asta ne provoaca

(Reuters). La randul sau, Steve Bortwick, capitanul Saracens, a comentat

Am facut prea multe greseli iar pentru ca Jonny a sutat impecabil in fiecare situatie, ne-a fost extrem de dificil. Am muncit mult si sunt mandru de baieti, dar am fost pedepsiti pentru ca am facut prea multe greseli in fata unei echipe de calitate

Asa ca ne vedem la Dublin, prieteni!

Ceva stiri proaspete. Pe scurt.

* S-au fixat locatiile in care Scotia isi va face testele din iunie: Africa de Sud, Japonia, Australia. * Nominalizarile pentru jucatorul anului in Premiership sunt: Christian Wade (Wasps), Tom Youngs (Tigers), Danny Care (Quins), Steve Bortwick (Sarries), Julian Salvi (Tigers), Akapusi Qera (Gloucester). Printre cei mai recenti castigatori ai trofeului se numara: Chris Robshaw, Chris Ashton, Martin Castrogiovanni. * SARU a perfectat contractele cu nationala ale jucatorilor din echipa Springboks. Au ramas pe dinafara Brian Habana, Morne Steyn, J.P.Pietersen, Zane Kirchener, Andries Bekker, Juandre Kruger. Si asta pentru ca si-au exprimat dorinta/au semnat contracte in Japonia sau Europa. Alte plecari notabile din ultima perioada au fost c ele ale lui Francois Louw sau Ruan Pienaar. Toti acestia isi pierd locul "de drept" in reprezentativa Africii de Sud. Heyneke Meyer a declarat ca poate va apela la unii dintre cei plecati in functie de indisponibilitatile de moment. Printre cei care au semnat aceste contracte pentru 2013 se numara: fratii Bismarck si Jannie du PLessis, Pat Lambie si Tendai Mtawarira, Francois Hougaard. Adriaan Strauss, Flip van der Merwe, Duane Kermeulen, Juan de Jongh, Marcel Coetzee, Pierre Spiess, Jean de Villiers. In acest an, Springboks vor sustine nu mai putin de douasprezece meciuri internationale

Felipe Contepomi despre dopajul din rugby

Recidivez in a posta, in original, un articol publicat in Rugbyrama.fr, in care uvertura argentiniana, medic de profesie vorbeste despre recenta "problema" a dopajului din rugby-ul francez. Este un punct de vedere perfect coerent, care pune in discutie si incarcatura exceptionala pusa pe jucatori de sistemul competitional profesionist. Contepomi: "Aucune éducation sur la lutte anti-dopage dans le rugby" Pour Contepomi, la situation n’est pas évidente ces dernières semaines: " En ce moment, il y a de la suspicion partout. Il faut que l’on améliore la lutte pour trouver les tricheurs. Des fois, certains ont conscience que tel ou tel produit n’est pas autorisé, mais d’autre fois non. Il faut que l’on revoit l’éducation collective. Au rugby, nous n’avons aucune éducation sur la lutte anti-dopage. Dans un monde où il y en a de l’argent et des intérêts, il faut également être sévère envers les médecins et les préparateurs physiques car ils sont concernés par ce problème […] A mon avis, dans les sports individuels, les sportifs sont mieux renseignés et sont plus concernés sur la lutte anti-dopage que ceux qui sont dans les sports collectifs où certains vont prendre des produits car les autres les prennent. Dans des sports comme le foot, le hand, le basket ou le rugby, si le docteur arrive la veille du match et nous dit de prendre une pilule, on la prend sans demander pourquoi ni ce qu’il y a dedans". L’ouvreur du Stade français, également docteur, concède que les compléments alimentaires font partie intégrante de la vie de nombreux sportifs: "Il faut accepter une réalité: aujourd’hui 95% des sportifs prennent des compléments alimentaires. Je suis de la vieille école donc je n’en prends pas. Je n’en ai pris qu’en Angleterre au début de ma carrière car tout le monde en prend là-bas. En France, ce sont plus les Anglo-Saxons qui en prennent et les Français peuvent des fois suivre. Mais il n’y a pas de culture ici comme par exemple en Irlande. Les compléments dont je parle ne sont pas dans la liste des produits interdits […] Je crois que si l'on a une bonne alimentation, il n'y en a pas besoin. Il y a beaucoup de risques pour la santé mais nous n’avons pas encore de recul car ces suppléments sont arrivés depuis 15-20 ans. J’aimerais voir ce qui se passe pour quelqu’un qui prend ces produits au quotidien pendant 20 ans". Contepomi: "En France, il y a un souci avec les internationaux" Selon l’international argentin, il faut également faire une distinction entre les différents produits dopants: "Dans les personnes que l’on attrape, beaucoup sont pris pour des drogues 'sociales'. Il faudrait certainement réfléchir à quelque chose de plus efficace dans la manière de faire les contrôles […] La marijuana, pour moi, est une drogue sociale et elle n’aide pas pour les performances. A l’AMA, on discute actuellement pour savoir si on ne devrait pas l’enlever des produits prohibés. Pour moi l’alcool et la marijuana sont identiques sauf que l’alcool est socialement acceptée alors que la marijuana n’est pas légale. […] Quand tu vois que 60-70% des cas positifs dans le rugby sont dûs à la marijuana, il y a un problème mais plutôt d’éducation. Cela ne concerne pas le sport". Autre sujet mis en avant par Contepomi au cours d’une audition de 50 minutes environ: la cadence du calendrier pour les Internationaux. "En France, il y a un souci avec les joueurs internationaux. Les joueurs en sélection finissent leur saison le 22-23 juin et la saison commence le 18 août, deux mois après. Provale (syndicat des joueurs, NDLR) demande quatre semaines de repos après les matchs de juin. Si vous comptez un mois de congés, vous revenez le 20 juillet et vous reprenez le championnat un mois encore après. Ces joueurs-là n’ont pas eu une préparation parfaite pour enchainer sur 10 mois de rugby. A mon avis, après deux ou trois ans à ce rythme, tu ne peux pas progresser physiquement, tu ne peux pas t’améliorer, tu prends même des risques pour ton corps et tu vas être obligé de prendre des produits pour tenir le rythme car la préparation n’a pas été correcte. En Irlande, si un joueur finit le 20 juin, il prend ses vacances puis huit semaines de préparation. Il manque les trois-quatre premières journées mais il est bien physiquement à l’image de Brian O’Driscoll qui a joué pendant 10-15 ans au top niveau malgré ses 34 printemps". Décidemment, la lutte anti-dopage n’a pas fini de faire parler d’elle.

Franta cu doua echipe in semifinalele Heineken Cup. Primele doua din Top 14. Anglia cu una singura. Ca si Irlanda.

Se stiu deja semifinalele. Pe 27 aprilie, Clermont Auvergne-Munster. Pe 28 aprilie, Saracens-Toulon. Sferturile de ieri si azi au fost interesante. Dintr-un singur punct de vedere: cate echipe din Franta si cate din Anglia ajung in semifinale. Erau cate trei din Franta (Clermont, Montpellier, Toulon) si trei din Anglia (Saracesns, Harlequins si Leicester Tigers). Aidca primele trei clasate in Premiership. Si primele doua clasate in Top 14 plus locul 6, actuala revelatie a campionatului profesionist francez. Pana aici, logica informala a sportului a functionat. Cele doua campionate puternice din Europa si-au trimes reprezentantele in faza knock-out a Heineken Cup. Pe langa acestea si-a mai facut loc Munster, o echipa redutabila din Irlanda, departe totusi de gloria europeana a conationalilor de la Leinster si chiar Ulster, reprezentanta Irlandei de Nord, capabila si ea de suprize, dar doar in grupe. In primul meci al sferturilor Clermont au fost dezlantuiti in fata Montpellier-ului lui Mario Ledesma. Cu o linie de treisferturi imbatabila in fantezie -Sivivatu, Rougerie, Fofana, Nalaga (fiecare cate un eseu). auvergnatii nu au avut probleme in fata unei aparari stranse dar neinspirate. Parra a fost un bun conducator de joc si a cam facut legea in atacurile lui Clermont-Auvergne. Montpeliier nu a rezistat decat 25 de minute, cand chiar conducea cu 9-3. Trinh-Duc s-a accidentat repede iar Ouedraogo, Gorgodze si Amorosino s-au zbatut individual pentru o echipa fara inspiratie. Cam aceeasi regula avea sa domine si in a doua partida de sambata. O echipa inspirata, Saracens si un adversar venit sa faca fata si doar atat. Diferenta clara de obiective. Londonezii nu au impresionat dar a au fost eficienti. Doua eseuri si cinci penalitati le-au fost suficiente. Irlandezii s-au straduit doar prin cuplul de mijlocasi Ruan Pienaar si Paddy Jackson. Cam degeaba pentru ca nu au fost sustinuti. In schimb, Saracens s-au miscat in voie atat pe linia a treia- Fraser si Brown cat si pe treisferturi- Chris Ashton, in special. Dar, spre deosebire de adversar, au aratat ca o echipa. Cu o strategie clara-accesul in semifinala si o tactica de mentinere a scorului favorabil. Intre minutele 45 si 55 irlandezii au dominat copios dar englezii au rezistat asaltului care avea sa aduca irlandezilor 9 puncte consecutive. Scorul final a fost favorabil celor care au fost mai realisti pe teren, Saracens impunandu-se cu 27-16. Owen Farrell, a fost extrem de sters ca uvertura dar a transformat cinci penalitati si un eseu. Duminica , sferturile s-au deschis un un meci deschis oricarui rezultat. Campioana en-titre a Premiership 2011-2012 infrunta e echipa irlandeza in forma, cu principalii actori iesiti din accidentari (O'Connell, O'Donnell, Murray). Jocul nu a fost spectaculos dar s-a desfasurat intr-o mare tensiune pana la sfarsit. Ambele echipe au tacticizat jocul pe speculatii posibile ale greselilor adversarilor. In special in gramezi si maul-uri. Iar englezii au gresit mai mult. Quins au oferit irlandezilor 13 lovituri de pedeapsa contra 6 cedate de adversari. Iar O'Gara a fost in zi buna de sut. Internationalii londonezi (Easter, Robshaw, Care, Marler, Monye) au jucat steril si pe spatii mici ceea ce a permis ofensivei insulare sa preseze continuu. De eparte, cel mai bun "constructor" pe teren a fost batranul Paul O'Connell, declarat si omul meciului. Iar celalalt batran irlandez, Ronan O'Gara, a punctat 100%, 6 din 6. Finalul,12-18 trimete in semifinale echipa mai realista si mai motivata, Munster. Care nu va avea viata usoara in compania francezilor de Clermont-Auvergne. Ultimul meci, de duminica, avea sa aduca pe un teren impecabil, Stade Mayol, cele doua echipe de suflet ale mele, Toulon si Leicester Tigers. Meciul avea sa opuna un maestru de ceremonii, Jonny Wilkinson, si trainee-ul sau de la Newcastle Falcons, Toby Flood. Ambii jucatori de prim plan in elita rugby-ului international. Asa a si fost. Meciul, la fel de tacticizat ca si precedentul s-a jucat numai pe suturile celor doua uverturi. Tigers incepusera bine, fortandu-le pe gazde sa stea in terenul propriu si sa cedeze penalitati. Dar jocul s-a echiibrat pe mijlocul terenului, unde nici Tuilagi nici Bastareaud nu si-au transfoprmat renumele in puncte. Asa ca jocul a fost decis de loviturile de penalitate ale celor doi suteuri, Wilkinson si Flood. Iar batranul Wilko a fost mai bun: 21-15. Daca tonusul si antrenorii o vor tine in forma, Clermont-Auvergne va putea juca in finala. Cu, destul de probabil, Saracens. O finala rranceza nu ar fi exclusa dar cota ei este, asta seara, de 13/1. Se ne bucuram de rugby , prieteni!

Cum isi motiveaza un antrenor remarcabil jucatorii (preluare din lionsrugby.com)

Mai jos, in original -pentru a nu atenta la farmecul textului, un text omagial pentru unul din cei mai daruiti antrenori ai British and Irish Lions. Sir Ian McGeechan followed two tours as a player with five more as a coach and it is here that he really came into his own. He may have won Test honours as a centre in both 1974 and 1977 but it is his motivational techniques and his understanding of what makes players tick that ensured he earned the moniker 'The Lion King'. McGeechan knows the Lions inside out. He knows what the badge means to individuals and to all four nations combined. He knows why the Lions is special and, above all, he knows how to get the best out of those who follow him in wearing the famous red jersey. Here, we take a look back at some of his famous speeches from two of his handful of tours as a coach, namely the 1997 and 2009 adventures in South Africa. His words 16 years ago inspired a group of supposed no hopers to somehow topple the World Champions in their own backyard, while his efforts four summers ago saw the latest crop of Lions restore some much-needed pride into the world's most famous touring team. Here's an insight into what McGeechan told his Lions… Early tour speech in 1997 "Well boys, I said from the beginning, it's teams within teams. You've got the jersey. You carry the responsibility and you carry the challenge. "What you've got now is four countries playing as one. I think Jim (assistant coach Jim Telfer) and I both feel privileged, and to a certain extent humbled, about coming together with the most talented players in the British Isles. "The mantle that you carry and the challenge that you have is to put a marker down in South Africa about the way we can play rugby. "The whole thing should be a challenge. You've got to enjoy it. Look around at the shoulders you've been rubbing against the last couple of weeks, the talent. We're underestimated, I'm convinced of that. I'm quite happy. "But the ability for us to stay in this game and keep them under pressure and play at the pace we want is that when somebody goes into contact or hits the deck, there has to be three, four or five behind him. There has to be. There has to be that commitment to get behind the ball. "There has to be that commitment to knock them away. And then there has to be the commitment to get in behind and make the second wave. I want the marker down today. "But as Fran (team manager Fran Cotton) says, the f***ing hairs on the back of my neck will be up when you run out on that field. "A Lion in South Africa is special. The Lions are special, the legends go with it. "You're making history, you're putting the marker down, you, this afternoon, are saying what the '97 Lions are all about." Sir Ian McGeechan's words guided the Lions to one of their greatest triumphs back in 1997 Prior to the first Test in '97 - a 25-16 win in Cape Town "That badge, we always said, represents four. I think it represents something else. You carry one on your jersey. That is a very personal thing. What goes into that is your own country and three others. But what also goes into it is you. "You should be carrying that badge for people who have put you in that position. It might be a school master, mother, father, brother, sister, wife, girlfriend. Whatever's special to you, and people who have brought you to this place, that's who you should be wearing it for. That's who you should be playing for, because, in the end, they're the ones that matter. "They matter to you. And if it matters to you, it'll matter to all of us. If it matters to all of us, we'll win. "Go out, enjoy it, but play for everything that's in that badge. For you personally, and for all of us collectively. Good luck. Lets have a win and lets frighten them to death." Two hours before the second Test in '97 - an 18-15 triumph in Durban "There are days like this that many rugby players never have, they never experience it. It is special. "Jim and I have been involved in rugby a long time. I can tell you that these are the days that you never believe will come again. It has. And I can tell you that I've given a lot of things up. I love my rugby. I love my family. And when you come to a day like this, you know why you do it all. You know why you've been involved in this. It's been a privilege, it is a privilege, because we're something special. Because you'll meet each other in the street in 30 years time and there will just be a look and you'll know just how special some days in your life are. "We've proved that the Lion has claws and has teeth. We've wounded a Springbok. When an animal is wounded, it returns in frenzy. It doesn't think. It fights for its very existence. The Lion waits and, at the right point, it goes for the jugular, and the life disappears. "Today, every second of that game - we've talked about what they're going to do, or everybody else has - we go for the jugular. Every tackle, every pass, every kick is saying to a f***ing Springbok 'You're dying. Your hopes of living in this Test series are going'. "And on that field sometimes today, all it will be between you is a look. No words, just a look. It'll say everything. And the biggest thing it will say is 'You are special'. "You are very, very special. It has been, and is, a privilege. Go out, enjoy it, remember how you've got here and why. But finish it off, and be special for the rest of your lives. Good luck, go for it." Prior to the third Test in 2009 - a 28-9 win in Johannesburg (McGeechan ended the speech in tears but the Lions finished on an almighty high) McGeechan inspired the Lions to victory in their most recent Test outing four years ago "They've said there's nothing to play for, that it's a dead series. I'll remind you of what Gats (assistant coach Warren Gatland) said on Wednesday - I think we've got everything to play for. "Because today will determine what we are. It will say everything about us. The biggest thing you earn in this jersey is a respect and a reputation, and to any person, that's the biggest thing you can have, for what you do and what you stand for. "We can leave a legacy…in this last game, in this jersey, for the players to pick up in four years' time. For four years, we leave something that makes sure that when people think about the Lions, they think about the good. They'll think about you, they'll think about this performance and they can live with it for four years. "Some of you might be there to pick up the next jersey in four years' time. Some of us won't be. Please, please give them something to play for and something to understand. "Good luck, but play for everything we want that jersey to be and everything you've made it so far. All the best boys."