Farewell, Winter Olympics

It’s not quite the same hollow feeling I had at the end of the London 2012 Olympics, but, four days on, I still miss the Sochi winter games.

A self-deprecating moment in Sochi 2014’s closing ceremony

 

The youth of the world have been exhorted to assemble four years from now in PyeongChang, British medal winners have received the customary Downing Street reception and a weird Eggheads spin-off is on BBC Two after work.

Generally I prefer summer sports to winter ones, and even in the final days before the opening ceremony I was finding it hard to get hugely excited about Sochi 2014. The parallel attraction of the Six Nations probably had something to do with that, as well.

But, cheesily, the whole Olympic ethos, of down-to-earth athletes coping admirably with both the pressure and the media which had ignored them for the previous 47 months, quickly won me over.

There are some sports I like – bobsleigh, curling and ice hockey – but I temporarily put aside my old-fashioned instincts to embrace even the snowboard halfpipe (rule of thumb: lots of big spinning are good).

Team GB also did plenty to keep interest high. They exceeded their pre-Games target of three medals and ended up with their best medal count since the very first Winter Olympics in 1924, but, even so, a British public spoiled by the third-placed Summer Olympic finish in 2012 was almost disappointed with that. Particularly so considering, as Great Britain’s chef de mission Mike Hay pointed out, more medals were almost within grasp before slipping, agonisingly, away:

“Some of us are disappointed that we may have left a couple of medals out there in Sochi. Our short-track speedskaters did fantastically well and were extremely unlucky not to come back with a medal.

“I’m very proud of the team. I’m not sure about the relevance of comparing with 1924, but we are delighted to have exceeded our target and come back a successful delegation.

“In performance sport you are measured by the medal table and how well you did, and I’m delighted to say our athletes did Great Britain proud.”

I don’t want to delve into the politics of Russia, but it’s worth noting that the nation seems to be establishing itself as a popular destination for sporting events: just witness the 2008 Champions League final, the Москва 2013 World Athletics Championships, Сочи 2014, the football World Cup in 2018…

Anyway, there’s no point in being all gloomy about the end of the Games for the next two and a half years, until the Olympic circus rolls into Rio: roll on the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympic Games!

Six Nations: ranking after week three

1. Ireland (=)

What a game. It won’t be any consolation to the defeated Irish for them to have been on the wrong side of one of the best Six Nations games ever, but, despite the narrow 13-10 loss, this year’s tournament is still theirs to lose. They’ll comfortably beat Italy at the Aviva next time out, meaning any win in Paris (against the newly hapless French) would probably be enough for the title. They’ll have been disappointed to lose at Twickenham, but Ireland remain in the driving seat. Meanwhile, France centre Wesley Fofana’s injury, sustained against Wales, will be a further boost ahead of the sides’ likely championship showdown at the Stade de France in just under three weeks.

2. England (+1)

No Euro 2016 excuses for Wales

Wales manager Chris Coleman has to be happy with the outcome for his side of the Euro 2016 qualifying groups draw, made in Nice this morning. But the pressure will be ramped up for Wales to earn a place in a major tournament for first time since the 1958 World Cup (and only the second time ever).

Belgium are the Group B name which sticks out most obviously, even if it was Bosnia and Herzegovina which emerged from Pot 1. But Wales can surely pick up results against any of our five opponents, and with the top two in each group automatically qualifying for the tournament in France, that should be a realistic target. A third-place finish, and a guaranteed play-off spot, should be the minimum target.

Wales

World ranking: 51st
Highest/lowest ranking since February 2012: 37th/82nd

Bosnia and Herzegovina

World ranking: 17th
Highest/lowest ranking since February 2012: 13th/31st
Last match: Wales 0-2 Bosnia and Herzegovina, Friendly, 15 August 2012
Last competitive match: none

Belgium

World ranking: 11th
Highest/lowest ranking since February 2012: 5th/54th
Last match: Belgium 1-1 Wales, World Cup qualifier, 15 October 2013

Israel

World ranking: 56th
Highest/lowest ranking since February 2012: 35th/82nd
Last match: Israel 3-3 Wales, Friendly, 8 February 1989
Last competitive match: none

Cyprus

World ranking: 122nd
Highest/lowest ranking since February 2012: 107th/135th
Last match: Cyprus 3-1 Wales, Euro 2008 qualifier, 13 October 2007

Andorra

World ranking: 198th
Highest/lowest ranking since February 2012: 198th/205th
Last match: none

Looking forward to the qualifying games now we have our group. Some great games to come, got a good chance… #EURO2016

— Aaron Ramsey (@aaronramsey) February 23, 2014

If Wales don't qualify from this group it's never going to happen.

— Oliver Hides (@oliverhides) February 23, 2014

Wales 27-6 France

Thoughts…

1. Wales generally defended superbly, particularly in the second half, when France dominated possession (apart from the Picamoles sin bin period). Rhys Priestland twice made excellent covering tackles after initial line breaks, and at other times France threw away try-scoring chance. But Dan “Chopper” Lydiate, replicating his 2012 form, Sam Warburton and Gethin Jenkins put in brilliant shifts in the loose
   

   Wales: still just about in with a chance of a third successive Six Nations title

2. Rhys Webb gave Wales a real boost, supplying much quicker ball than the backs have been used to. Mike Phillips’s steps before passing are really frustrating when you want to see Wales pick up the pace
3. Wales had a bit of luck with both tries – George North’s (to get into that position was thanks to the sort of back interplay that was totally non-existent last week, but it was reliant on a bad French mistake) and Sam Warburton’s (not convinced it was over the line before he rolled it forward. Still, the captain deserved it)
4. France weren’t great. To say the least. They weren’t quite headless chickens, but didn’t see much more clued-up than that. Rivalled Wales’s performance against Ireland in the fluffed lines stakes
5. But it ended up with Wales’s joint-biggest win over the French since 1931 (the other time was a 21-0 win in 1950). Les Bleus have now failed to score in four consecutive games against Wales, dating back to THAT World Cup quarterfinal
6. It’s a massive uphill task, but Wales are back in the hunt for the championship. From that point of view, an English win over Ireland tomorrow would be ideal…

That’s now FOUR consecutive games against France in which Wales have prevented them scoring a try

— Huw Silk (@huwsilk) February 21, 2014

 

Watch out, stat fans! A 21-point win for Wales would equal their biggest over France since 1931

— Huw Silk (@huwsilk) February 21, 2014

Six Nations predictions, week three

Wales 21-16 France

After an abject display against Ireland a fortnight ago, Wales will be glad to have the chance to make amends. On the other hand, there is also a lot of pressure on them to keep their championship hopes alive – and France are certainly beatable. After a turgid first half against Italy they managed to dispatch the Azzurri, but were somewhat fortunate to beat England.

Of course, the last time Wales played France they were coming off a dreadful run of form and a defeat to Ireland – and on that occasion the win in Paris set them up to defend successfully their Six Nations crown. Could that happen again? I’m saying yes, as Wales finally get up and running in 2014.

Wales turned their Six Nations around in 2013 with a win over France

 

Everyone’s hoping for a few kabooms in midfield – Roberts-North v Fofana-Bastareaud has the potential to be epic. Whatever happens, let’s just hope referee Alain Rolland isn’t making the headlines again…

Six Nations: ranking after week two

Boringly, there are no changes after the second round of matches compared to how I ranked them after the first weekend, although the gap between the top three and the bottom three has definitely increased:

1. Ireland

Dismantled Wales with ease, dismissing the defending champions in a similar manner to what they did to Scotland in week one. Joe Schmidt seems to be the difference for this Irish side, who can win the Triple Crown in a fortnight at Twickenham. After two games they’ve not been threatened and have conceded just nine points. Their forwards were formidable yesterday, and to bottle Wales up as much as they did demonstrates both excellent coaching and superb execution.

2. France

Italy’s Tomasso Allan and a pound of haggis

After what you might say was a fortunate win against England last week, the first half today was hugely frustrating, and if Italy weren’t kicking the ball like three pounds of haggis (copyright Bill McLaren) the visitors could have been leading at half time.

But three quick, quality tries sealed a comfortable French win. If they play like they did at the beginning of the second half against Italy, they’ll win at the Millennium Stadium a week on Friday, and the tournament could come down to a showdown with Ireland in Paris in the final game of the Six Nations.

3. England

You can’t really complain about a 20-0 away win in the Six Nations, particularly with the pitch in such an awful condition, but if anything England will be disappointed not to have won by more. Scotland were utterly appalling, and although England didn’t have to hit top gear, they will hope they are able to when they have to – i.e. next up against Ireland, a game they really have to win to keep their tournament hopes alive.

4. Italy

A good first half in which they matched France, and if they had been more clinical and composed they might have made a real game of it. As things turned out, the French were able to show their class in the form of Louis Picamoles and Wesley Fofana, but Italy are still ranked fourth because, despite losing to Wales, they’ve been far less of a disappointment than the Welsh so far this tournament. Apart from England last week, they’re the only side to show some fight in defeat.

5. Wales

Rudderless, one-dimensional and thoroughly beaten. After sneaking a win against Italy you were hoping they would have come out all guns blazing yesterday, but unfortunately they were almost as far away from that as it’s possible to be. It was their biggest Six Nations defeat for eight years.

6. Scotland

Woeful: woe·ful also wo·ful  (wō′fəl)adj… Deplorably bad or wretched. Scotland were indeed both deplorably bad and wretched, rolling over almost without a fight.