England may have felt aggrieved at missing out on topping New Zealand’s 18 consecutive wins, but they would still have been five behind the mighty MouflonsThe report on the official website of the Cyprus Rugby Federation of the team’s resounding victory over Azerbaijan in 2008 makes for interesting reading. Among the indignities endured by the travelling team in Baku were “two hours at immigration awaiting entry visas, four hours’ sleep, poor accommodation and no real food”, singing their anthem “to the bemusement of the opposition”, who didn’t bother with their own, their flanker having “his cheekbone smashed by a stray elbow” – “his assailant went unnoticed”, it is noted, while the victim “will require surgery to correct his smashed face”...
The theory was that Eddie Jones’ side would be weighed down by hunting a win milestone but it is Ireland who have so far failed to deal with Six Nations pressureIn the gap between rounds three and four of this Six Nations Championship, the former Ireland centre Gordon D’Arcy put together an interesting column in the Irish Times on the pressure weighing down England. Related: Ireland fail to set up showdown while Wales must convince against France | Paul Rees Related: George Ford says England are in no mood to ease up against Ireland Continue reading...
New Zealand’s superior statistics in their 18-game winning run do not deter England’s Eddie Jones from insisting his team aspire to end up as world No1Back in the early 1980s, there were few more futile things a man could do than try to pursue a career in competitive squash. Because to be the best, you had to beat Jahangir Khan. And between April 1981 and November 1986 Khan won so many consecutive matches that even statisticians lost track of the exact count. Most figure it was around 555, making it the longest winning streak in the history of sport. “It wasn’t my plan to create such a record,” Khan once said. “All I did was put in the effort to...
With two weeks left to impress the coach, which players have put their hands up in the Six Nations and who might miss out on the tour to New Zealand?Leigh Halfpenny looked the Test full-back from the start in 2013, not least because of his goal-kicking, but with Owen Farrell able to fill that role it is more open this year. Stuart Hogg offers the most in attack but his defence is suspect while the reverse is true of Halfpenny, whose threat with the ball in hand seems to diminish every year. Mike Brown’s “they don’t like it up ’em” approach is not likely to be enough in New Zealand while pace is an issue for Rob Kearney. Full-back may...
England have harnessed the power of their squad as they close on the All Blacks record and it may come down to Scotland to halt their grand slam chargeEddie Jones will soon have a bigger record collection than the late John Peel. If England beat Italy at Twickenham next Sunday, and it is all but a case of when, it would be their 10th consecutive Six Nations victory and would equal the longest winning run in the tournament’s 134-year history.The Tasmanian has added devil to England since taking over as head coach 14 months ago but the transformation from World Cup laughing stock to a side that are two home wins away from equalling New Zealand’s record of 18 successive...