Manager could not replicate his success at Bayern and while the DFB dreams of Klopp, Nagelsmann looks a more likely successorThe chorus of boos that ushered Germany’s team from the field at full time after Saturday’s humbling at home to Japan might have taken supporters of a certain vintage back 26 years, to Le Tournoi. It wasn’t only about Roberto Carlos’s banana free-kick and the emergence of Paul Scholes, but about French supporters venting their frustrations with their national coach, Aimé Jacquet. When France lost to a late Alan Shearer goal in their second game of the tournament in June 1997, cries of ‘Jacquet démission’ (‘Jacquet resign’) tumbled from the stands of the Mosson in Montpellier.If Hansi Flick had hoped...
Devastating injuries, a biting allegation and two of the best matches of the NRL era made for exhilarating weekend of football Rugby league in September rarely fails to deliver. It certainly did not on the opening weekend of the 2023 NRL finals series in what was one of the most brutal, dramatic, exhilarating and anxiety-driven weekends in recent memory. Two of the greatest finals of the NRL era were matched with an injury that utterly devastated the game, a stunning biting allegation and moments of reckoning that will take some intestinal fortitude to overcome.With the NRL set to showcase itself to the world in Las Vegas next year, it will unlikely ever get another weekend that demonstrates all that is...
Rough and tumble World Cup clash suited Eben Etzebeth and company, with Scotland sucked into playing opponent’s gameIt must be something about Marseille. For the second day running the city hosted a right rough and tumble game of rugby. It looked, for long stretches, less like a match than something dark going on down a back alley after hours in the old port, the sort of thing which you might cross the street to avoid. At one point it really did break out into a fight, when Ben White bundled Damian de Allende into touch and everyone came wading in after them. The Scotland captain, Jamie Ritchie, raced across to make his point and suddenly found himself in the unfortunate...
The tribunal hearing into Brayden Maynard’s role in the concussion of Angus Brayshaw will test the AFL on the ‘duty of care’ it owes to its playersBrayden Maynard’s airborne smother attempt in the qualifying final saw Angus Brayshaw carted off with concussion, drew the usual battlelines and exposed footy’s many fault lines. His tribunal hearing will test our tribal loyalties, our governing body, our football media, our former champions, our understanding of the laws of the game, and our definitions of ‘football acts’ and ‘duty of care’.It’s a test case for the AFL and its new General Manager of Football Laura Kane. For so long, the AFL has met these issues just short of halfway – they’ve done the sums,...
The coach was jeered by the crowd but happy after the Wallabies beat Georgia to give Jones his first win in six startsAustralia are away. They have their first victory of the season and points on the board in this 2023 World Cup. After easily accounting for Georgia 35-15 at Stade de France, Eddie Jones will be delighted with the potential of this performance. It is early days and far greater challenges lie ahead but his young side are starting to sprout wings.With his 82% win record at World Cups and his mad genius riffs, Jones is Australia’s greatest weapon at this Cup. The coach was jeered by sections of the 75,000 crowd when he appeared on the big screen...