Not: London Irish
It's time for our weekly wrap up of who has their name in lights at the moment...and who is making the headlines for the wrong reasons.
They're smokin'....!
Brian O'Driscoll: He's back! Ireland's most capped player made an awesome return to the Test fold in Cardiff. BOD certainly silenced his doubters and gave more evidence to support the claim that he is the game's greatest ever centre.
England Sevens team: After a dismal showing in the three previous legs of the World Sevens Series, Ben Ryan's side turned things around in emphatic style at the Wellington Sevens last weekend.
Luciano Orquera: Italy's pivot remained calm under pressure against France and delivered a superb all-round display. What was most refreshing, however, was his goal-kicking which was on target - unlike last season's Italian kickers.
Stuart Hogg: Played a blinder in a losing cause at full-back for Scotland. His run from deep inside his own half to set up Sean Maitland's try will still be talked about in years to come.
Owen Farrell: Was the official Man of the Match at Twickenham and showed why he's England's first-choice at fly-half. Impressed with his kicking and combined well with debutant Billy Twelvetrees on his outside.
Geoff Parling: The Leicester Tigers lock had a big game for England against the Auld Enemy. Parling was at the heart of his team's forward effort. His performance included a try, and he led the way on defence for England with 11 tackles made - the most by an English player.
Sergio Parisse: The glue that held the Azzurritogether and was rewarded with a try for a fantastic performance. Italy's captain fantastic was in the thick of the action - on defence and attack - and it's no wonder that he is topping our poll for the world's best number eight.
Someone turn up the heater...!
French attitude in the last 20 minutes: Despite being behind on the scoreboard, Les Bleus did not give any indication that they wanted to win their Six Nations opener in Rome. There was no urgency from Phillipe Saint-Andre's side, especially the forwards, who were strolling to line-outs while the clock was running down.
LV= Cup format: Put your hand up if you understand how this competition works because most of us at Planet Rugby are battling to figure it out. What's the point of having a tournament where teams are drawn into pools but don't get to play against each other?
London Irish: Topped their LV= Cup group before last weekend's matches, but choked in Cardiff against the Blues and missed a spot in this season's semi-finals.
South Africa Sevens: The Blitzbokke failed to live up to their fanatical supporters' expectations with a below-par performance in Wellington which saw them exiting the Cup at the quarter-final stage. Paul Treu's charges will have to improve considerably if they want to be a force in Las Vegas this weekend.
By David Skippers
Comments
startledwombat says...
+1 for teh Kenya 7 team
also to the NZ Sevens crowd who applauded the fine play by the teams in the final, rather than getting agitated that their team got knocked out.
also (based on PR match reports) the officials' performance in the 6N opening round.
Posted 12:18 06th February 2013
lawynd says...
@rockman - maybe that's because England spent so long with the ball? Just saying...
Posted 10:47 06th February 2013
TheGreatOne says...
PR should include its own staff in the Not Hot section for their refusal to investigate match fixing in rugby. We have just witnessed how literally hundreds of games were fixed in football matches across Europe yet PR turns a blind eye to odd results in rugby games. If the world's biggest sport is rotten to the core, why would rugby be immune to this scourge?
Posted 07:31 06th February 2013
Cdn_content says...
Not sure I'd be as cynical as thegreatone but the worlds greatest ever centre might be stretching it. Greatest Irish player ever, one of the best of his generation perhaps. But then again, you also suggested mccaw mIght be the best player of all time
Posted 04:27 06th February 2013
jockstrap says...
"BOD certainly silenced his doubters and gave more evidence to support the claim that he is the game's greatest ever centre"
I have to agree, can't think of anyone past or present better than him.
Posted 01:38 06th February 2013
ben7 says...
@Sasquatch and Fattysock
You should have realised by now that PR will stop at nothing to make SA look bad. They always have been anti-SA and always will.
Posted 01:24 06th February 2013
missionary says...
Agree with a lot of the comments here. What is PR thinking. Actually, this is a very lazy article. What about Italy in general. And England. Both were outstanding performances. Kenya yes. BOD as the greatest ever centre...he could well be. And the England women?? Come on PR - show a bit of balance and put in a bit more effort.
Posted 22:21 05th February 2013
PatrickH says...
@ TheGreatOne..
You must be the man himself!!
No one else would laugh at that statement.
Posted 21:57 05th February 2013
Jhamer25 says...
Wales = Not Hot. Actually Freezing
Posted 19:24 05th February 2013
LondonWasp says...
@APV1
I agree, the 76-0 womens result should have definately got a mention
Posted 19:14 05th February 2013
NHsaints says...
Parling definitely deserves a mention, he was top tackler, excellent in the lineouts and the loose and understated but effective at the breakdown. Kenya 7's deserves a mention in the 'hot' and fiji 7's deserves a mention in the 'not hot'.
Posted 19:10 05th February 2013
davodiablo says...
Parling was also instrumental in Englands win against the ABs.
A mention for Kenya ...they're Hot right now .
Posted 17:58 05th February 2013
fattysock says...
South Africa's 7s team gets a mention in the "Not" category for losing in the QFs.. but somehow Fiji's 7s team doesn't get a mention for failing to make it out of the group stage for the FIRST TIME EVER?
Odd
Posted 17:37 05th February 2013
Miladiou says...
I think the French performance needs to be put in some context rather than lambasting them for giving up in the last 20 minutes.
The Italy France game had over 45 mins ball in play time. Of which France was defending for 70% of the time. No other team this weekend had to defend do long. Other than perhaps the All Blacks and Aussies any team would have been on its knees by the last 20 minutes.
Add to that that French players have no proper pre season to build fitness due to their calendar and that most had played the weekend before and for quite a few the nine weekends before that it might explain they were walking about.
France needs more access to their internationals who BTW play more rugby per year than any other professional players. Accusing them of not trying is off the mark. They were knackered and rightly so....
Posted 16:37 05th February 2013
Sasquatch says...
Blitzbokke...fanatical supporters? Huh? Wasn't this recent tournament in Wellington, New Zealand? Did the first placed host's not get knocked out in the semi's? Did Fiji not make the cut for the first time? Am I reading the wrong article here? Come on PR.
Posted 16:19 05th February 2013
Madman says...
Kenya Sevens?
Posted 16:11 05th February 2013
APV1 says...
Hot:
England's Women:
76 - 0 win over Scotland in 6N opener
29 -12 win over USA in Houston 7s Final
(Any other "hotness" is purely coincidental!)
Not Hot:
England Saxons for letting us all down and ruining our clean sweep of the weekend - U20s, Womens' & Mens' 7s and Calcutta Cup. Useless, the lot of 'em!
Posted 16:01 05th February 2013
mlbp says...
I would say the attitude of the full French team the whole match, not just the forwards in the last twenty minutes. Very generous, Mr Skippers.
Posted 15:54 05th February 2013
TheGreatOne says...
"BOD certainly silenced his doubters and gave more evidence to support the claim that he is the game's greatest ever centre"
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA !!!!!
Posted 15:43 05th February 2013
rockman says...
So Geoff Parling "led the way on defence for England with 11 tackles made - the most by an English player." and you rave about him, yet this only puts him tenth in tackles for the weekend, behind 5 irish players, two welsh and one Scot and frenchman! Nonsense!
Source: http://www.balls.ie/rugby/rugby-nerds-recap-of-wales-v-ireland/
Posted 15:41 05th February 2013