Back and Key commit to Leeds

Andy Key and Neil Back: sticking around

Today is an excellent day for Leeds Carnegie fans like me.  Why?  Well because coaching duo Neil Back and Andy Key have pledged their future to the club by signing one-year contract extensions.

The new deals will see head coach Back and director of rugby Key both stay at Headingley until 2012.

I like this for many reasons.  Firstly, Backy and Kiwi have instilled a harder, more professional edge at the club since they dragged it up by its bootstraps in 2008.

Call it a Leicester mental toughness, call it what you like, but the pair, who joined from the Tigers, steered Leeds to promotion from the Championship before securing the club's position in the Premiership last term.  Now they are looking to consolidate and build and seal a top six finish complete with a Heineken Cup spot.

The fact the duo have committed their future to the club beyond the end of this season speaks reams about their dedication to the club and their vision for it.

I love a bit of positivity.  This pair are the best thing to happen to Leeds since the shock Powergen Cup win back in 2005.

And I'm not the only one who is excited by their new deals.

"This is an exciting time to be involved with Leeds," Back told BBC Radio Leeds.

"I am pleased to have agreed a new contract. Andy and I have a long-term vision for the club.

"We're two steps along the road in the first two years, and everyone is working tremendously hard to raise the additional finance so we can build a squad that can compete at the highest level.

"We need the support of the Yorkshire people as they can contribute to our success and bums on seats at our next home game are critical for raising the funds we need to buy the players that are necessary to compete at the top of the table.

"We see the infrastructure is in place to do that, we just need people to support and buy into it so they can contribute to our success."

Here here.  Without getting all Delia Smith about it, come on people of Yorkshire, start supporting your one and only Premiership rugby team.

What Gav did next...

Gavin Henson has been in the news twice today in two equally mystifying stories.  Put them together and the whole Henson Show veers into territory of the totally ridiculous.  I didn't think I could lose any more respect for the man who had such a bright rugby career ahead of him, but today has been a watershed in the fame-hungry quest of a player who was arguably one of the most talented in his generation.

Gav pulls on a Wales shirt for the first time in 18 months...

...before donning a glittery matador outfit and coating himself in Ronseal woodstain.

First up, the sometime Wales and Ospreys centre is the face of the Welsh Rugby Union's new shirt launch.  Pretty laughable as he hasn't represented Wales for a year and a half.  Still, I suppose it was a nice photo opportunity and gave him the chance to have his glowing orange face emblazoned on a 100ft poster which was draped across the Millennium Stadium.

So does this mean Henson is targeting a return to rugby after 18 months of unpaid absence from club and country?

Er, not any time soon.  The grand unveiling of the new kit coincided with Gav prancing out from behind a pair of crushed velvet curtains to be officially announced as one of the sequin-clad "stars" of the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing.  What a piece of timing that was.  The WRU must be thrilled, and they're not the only ones.

For starters, Gav's (former) Wales team-mates were perplexed by his Welsh rugby poster-boy status.  Jamie Roberts, his one-time centre partner, said: "Is this an insult to current Welsh international players... wonder what the Welsh public will think?!"

Speedy Welsh hobbit Shane Williams echoed the sentiment: "It is a little bit strange for us really having not seeing a lot of Gav, especially on the rugby field and training paddocks."

Yes, it is Shane.  And do you know why?  It's because Gav has been far too busy trekking up fjords and slapping on the fake-tan for ITV1's new show for fame hungry Z-listers, 71 Degrees North, which just so happens to air this Saturday.  Oh and who can forget the televisual gold that was Gavin Henson: Human Guinea Pig?  A show which could have seen him electrocuted if Bravo been slapdash with health and safety.
 
To my untrained eye it seems that Henson is stalking fame like a rabid Big Brother contestant who was tossed out of the house in the first week.  The former Mr Charlotte Church is hardly the most charismatic of sportsmen - if you read my review of his frankly quite dire Human Guinea Pig show you will know I think he is the personification of a fence: covered in a teak woodstain finish, just as wooden and probably about as bright.

By my calculations, if twinkle-toed Gav does go the distance with Strictly and makes it to the final, he will only have nine months to revive his rugby career before the start of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Is nine months long enough for a rugby rebirth?  Who knows, but if Henson is to stand any chance of getting on the plane to New Zealand he better quickstep back to training and stop fandangoing about trying to get in the limelight.

Just saying.

Cipriani to Conquer America?

Another day, another twist in the underwhelming sporting career of everyone's love-to-hate-him fly-half, Danny Celebriani Cipriani.

Today, ESPN.com reported that "rugby ace" Cipriani is keen to try his luck in Major League Soccer after training with MLS side Colorado Rapids.

Move aside David Beckham and Thierry Henry, the 22-year-old former Wasps stand-off has apparently been dazzling the yanks with his footballing skills following a brief stint training with Championship side Queens Park Rangers this summer.

Rapids communication manager, Jason Gilham, believes Cipriani could be serious about switching to the round ball on a more permanent basis.

"He is keen to explore opportunities in soccer in general and with the Rapids in particular," Gilham told The Times.

"I think he is looking at the possibility [of securing a contract with the franchise]. It is something that is being looked at from both sides."

However, Cipriani has signed with new Super 15 outfit the Melbourne Rebels for next season, and coach Rod Maqueen still expects the overly-hyped 10 to move to Australia.
"He is absolutely on board," Macqueen said. "We have seen no evidence to say that he is not coming. We are expecting him in about three weeks."

Well good luck with that.  The Cipriani media circus rumbles on...  Oh and is he still dating Alexandra Burke?  Quite frankly, who cares?

Summed up in a Sentence

Stuart Barnes: Everyone's favourite gap-toothed rugby pundit

With the start of the new Aviva Premiership season almost upon us, journos, pundits and bloggers alike have been eager to assess each team's championship winning pedigree or hopes of survival.

I have to admit I have cast my beady little eye up and down the league, looked at all the summer signings and departures and made a few predictions of my own.  Tea leaves not required.

However, instead of banging on for hours about the positives and negatives of each team, I decided that a more concise approach was the way forward. 

Therefore without further ado, here are my thoughts on each Aviva Premiership club in one handy sentence.

Ahem.

Leicester: Steamrolling their way to a third consecutive championship.
Bath: The cream of the West country will rise to the the runners up spot.
Saracens: Dazzling biscuit munchers but falling just short.
Northampton: Always the bridesmaid...
London Irish: Woefully inconsistent.
Harlequins: Occasionally inspiring, mostly frustrating.
Wasps: Dogged but lacking the crucial cutting edge.
Leeds: Most improved but just falling short of the top six.
Gloucester: Another season of mid-table mediocrity.
Newcastle: Dull.
Sale: Unexciting.
Exeter: DOOMED.

Of course I could be totally wrong as I ain't no Stuart Barnes.  Thank God.  But I will say this:  it's going to take a minor miracle for anyone to beat Leicester to the Premiership title this season.  I think Bath and Sarries will push them all the way but they will fall short as they lack that crucial championship winning mentality.

The gulf in class between the Premiership and division one will be shown in stark contrast and I think Exeter will become regular whipping boys (I hate that phrase) and find themselves playing Doncaster and Rotherham again next season.

But who knows?  Just don't call me Stuart.

Aviva Premiership Round 1: Previews & Predictions

It's here: the eagerly awaited and brand spanking new Aviva Premiership season.  It's difficult to predict which teams will fly out of the blocks, fired up and ready to build on last year's performances.  Likewise, with only the form of pre-season games to go on it's tricky to work out which teams will sleepily stretch their way through their first game like a bunch of bears waking from hibernation.

Regardless, it's time for me to wheel out my previews and predictions for another season.  This year I've got a certain element of added pressure as I've signed up to the SportGuru prediction league.  This means my haphazard predictions and punditry success will be there for all the world to see.  I suppose I shouldn't be worried, after all I won a three month's supply of Yazoo milkshakes for coming out on top with my Six Nations predictions.  I kid you not.

Anyway, moving swiftly on.  Here are are my predictions for Round 1:

Sale Sharks v Newcastle Falcons

The new Aviva Premiership Rugby season kicks off at Edgeley Park for the second consecutive year.  Cast your mind back and you might remember Sale beating Leicester 15-12 this time last September.
At the end of last season, both the Sharks and Falcons found themselves thrashing it out at the bottom end of the table, embroiled in the closest relegation dogfight for years.  As a result, both sides have a new chief this term in a backroom shake-up.  Mike Brewer is arguably Sale's most crucial signing of the summer and he will look to lead Sale to their first win over Newcastle since the 14-9 win at Kingston Park back in September 2008.
The Falcons, now coached by Alan Tait, have won on three of their last four visits to Stockport, most recently in the penultimate round last year where they ran out 32-30 winners.  However the absence of New Zealand prop Carl Hayman who moved to Toulon in the summer will hurt the Falcons, as will the return of Sale and England loosehead Andrew Sheridan.

My prediction:  Still pretty evenly matched but I think a newly invigorated Sale will shake off last season's woes and claim their first win.  Sale by 6.

London Irish v Saracens

The first of two games to be played at Twickenham on Saturday in the wonderfully billed "London Double Header".
Saracens' form was sparkling last season and Brendan Venter's men made it all the way to the Premiership final.  However Sarries were left wearing runners-up medals thanks to a late Dan Hipkiss try which sealed a 33-37 win for Leicester in the best final in years, if not ever.
This loss added another blot to Saracens' record at HQ, which reads two wins and four defeats.  However the fez heads have a slightly better record in previous London Double Headers, winning three and losing three.
In contrast, Irish's season petered out last term, slipping out of the top four in a lacklustre finish which saw them fall to three straight defeats.  The most notable of these was their woeful 23-13 loss at home at the hands of Leeds in April.

My prediction: History and last season's form don't count for much on the opening day, but I think Saracens will pick up where they left off.  Saracens by 9.

London Wasps v Harlequins

Game two in the double header sees Wasps clash with Quins.  Wasps have won on their last three encounters with Harlequins and also ran out victors on both the previous occasions when the clubs met at Twickenham.
In fact, Harlequins are winless in their last three visits to Twickenham since their 24-21 victory over Saracens in September 2008.  Last season was fairly inconsistent for the Quins and new boss Conor O'Shea is no doubt relishing his first full season in charge after picking up the reigns mid-way through last term.
With the seemingly never ending Bloodgate saga hopefully done and dusted, I think Quins, under the watchful eye of O'Shea will be pushing the top four all the way this season.
Wasps on the other hand, will undoubtedly miss the talent and work-rate of second-row George Skivington who left Adams Park to join reigning champions Leicester this summer.  Paul Sackey and a certain Danny Celebriani also parted company with the club, but the return of a fully fit Riki Flutey from Brive will bolster the backline.

My prediction: A tough one to call for the opening round as both sides ended up pretty much honours even last year.  Wasps to win by 6.

Exeter Chiefs v Gloucester

The first Premiership game at Sandy Park sees the cherry and white troops of Gloucester descend this Saturday afternoon.
It's going to be a tough season for the Chiefs as they embark on their fight to stay in the top flight.  Along with Leeds they have less cash at their disposal than the other clubs and as a result have not been able to attract any big name signings over the summer.  Of course they are an unknown quantity and could throw up a few surprises, but I think they will be few and far between.
Gloucester failed to win anything last season, plummeting to seventh in the Premiership table and falling to Northampton in the LV= Cup final.  However, boss Brian Redpath's side will be too experienced for the Premiership new boys, and I expect an easy win for the visitors which will set the tone for the rest of Exeter's season.

My prediction:  Gloucester by 12.

Leeds Carnegie v Bath Rugby

My beloved Leeds.  Zero wins from four in pre-season but who's counting?  These sides last met at the Rec in the final round last season where the boys in blue, black and white demolished Premiership survivors Leeds 39-3.
In fact, Bath have won their last five matches against Leeds in all competitions but despite a poor pre-season Carnegie finished strongly last season, winning three of their last four home games.
Sunday will be the third time Bath have visited Headingley in round one.  In 2001 they lost 10-6 before recording a 44-32 win in 2003.  Possibly the most memorable game between these two sides was in November 2004, where an Olly Barkley try in the dying seconds saw Bath came from behind to win 30-28.
New faces for Bath in the guise of former Leeds wing Tom Biggs and England captain and ex-Leicester flanker Lewis Moody will add a bit of extra spice to proceedings, but Leeds have England hooker Steve Thompson in their ranks now.  If the game involves any form of pie-eating contest then I think we'll know who will be the winners.
Leeds have not won on the opening weekend of a Premiership season since they defeated Leicester 26-13 at Headingley in 2002.

My prediction: A new season and time for Leeds to kick on.  I hate predicting the result for my team, but in round one I'm going to be positive.  Leeds by 3.

Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers

Last but by no means least, it's the East Midlands derby between reigning Premiership Champions Leicester and last year's somewhat surprise package Northampton.
The Saints' home form was outstanding last season.  They fell to only two home defeats in all competitions last term, interestingly both by Saracens in their last two matches.
Add to that the fact Northampton have won their opening Premiership game every year since 2002 with only one blip in 2005, a 32-0 loss against Leicester no less, and their case for a win is strong.
Leicester, have in fact lost their opening game of the season in three of the last four years and their only other visit to Franklin's Gardens in round one was in 1999 when the Saints won comfortably by 46-24.
However everyone knows just how irritatingly good the Tigers are.  They're not back-to-back Premiership Champions for nothing.

My prediction:  Another really tough one to call.  Leicester might have lost England captain Lewis Moody to Bath over the summer but they have strength in depth from one to 15.  Leicester to win by 6.

Man of the Month: September

September's man of the month is all round nice guy, comedy genius, tweeter and Bath beardy back-row forward, Luke Watson.

Luke has been handed the captaincy at Bath this term which comes as no surprise if you follow him on Twitter.  He is on a one-man inspirational tweeting mission, spreading news about team-mate Nick Abendanon's strange eating habits along with the word of God and a dash of rugby .  In fact, Luke is giving resident Aviva Premiership God-botherer Euan "The Reverend" Murray a run for his church collection money with his religious ruminations.

However, you can't get away from the fact that Luke is an all round nice guy.  And what a player.  He made a massive impact last season from the base of the scrum and is an excellent ball carrier.  I like captains to be a member of the pack so they can discuss the intricacies of the scrum with the ref, and I think Watson will flourish in his new role, linking up with last season's skipper, scrum-half Michael Claassens.

It's a big step up, but with former Leicester stalwart Lewis Moody alongside him in the back-row I think Watson will quietly get on with his business and help Bath build on last year's semi-final spot.

I'm back...

Powering into the new season...

It's been a while since I've blogged and good while since the end of last season. 

I'd like to say I've spent the summer months doing something worthwhile, like trekking through Borneo and helping to set up a Orangutan sanctuary. However that would be a lie.  Instead I've spent the off season gallivanting around East Yorkshire and watching Leeds Rhinos get ritually humiliated in the Challenge Cup Final.  Oh, and seeing my fantasy football team plummet to the bottom of my office mini-league after the first three weeks...

Well never fear.  The brand spanking new Aviva Premiership starts this weekend and I couldn't be more excited.

Picking up where they left off last season, my beloved Leeds Carnegie play Bath at Headingley this Sunday.  The fact that Leeds have failed to win one of their pre-season fixtures is not a massive issue.  I mean, they played against the might of teams like the Ospreys, Ulster, Agen, Doncaster....  Let's gloss over that.

I'll get back on the prediction horse later this week and tomorrow I will analyse each Aviva Premiership teams' chances for this season in one sentence.  I am nothing if not concise.

T minus two days 'til it all kicks off.  Happy days.