Has Barca's Bubble Burst?

It has to be said that Barca's magnificent season has hit the skids rather dramatically in the last couple of days or so.

A 2-0 loss at the San Siro to AC Milan in the Champions League was followed less than a week later by a 3-1 drubbing at home to Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey.

Yes, they beat Sevilla 2-1 at home in the league in between those games but they weren't exactly convincing in that game, having to come from being behind to win to keep their massive lead on top of La Liga.

So what has suddenly gone so wrong for the so-called greatest football team in the world?

The answer is what has suddenly gone so right for two of their toughest opponents.

If ever there was an answer to stopping the tikka-takka football - and Wellington Phoenix owners Gareth and Rob Morgan should take note - it is by parking the bus and playing a quick, effective counter attacking game right from the kickoff.

This is what AC Milan and Real Madrid did so effectively - and to a certain extent, Chelsea last season. They soaked up the pressure Barca imposed so early on by filling the spaces in midfield so well, getting Barca to commit more players to counter the numbers in midfield, and then getting the ball up to the opposition end so quickly when they got the ball. Whether it's El-Sharawy, Ronaldo or Juan Mata, they all had a pacy winger to run at defences, bamboozling them while support quickly rumbled up.

Football is a vicious cycle and one where teams attempt to counter each other with answers. Right now, I think it appears the more defensive sides have got a slight upper hand on more attacking sides in the do-or-die cup games.

However, in the league where sides need to be a bit more positive to get a point or 3 to go up the table, sides need to be a bit more positive, and this is where Barcelona are still number one and probably will still win the league.

Nevertheless, the loss to Real Madrid will certainly send shockwaves through Catalonia and with the two set to meet again this weekend at the Bernabeu, who's to say that another loss to their great rivals could trigger a quite monumental collapse by the Catalans?

Unlikely perhaps given Real still must overhaul their potential city rivals and opponents in the Copa del Rey final - Atletico Madrid - on the league table too. Nevertheless, it has made things a bit more interesting in Spain.    

Au Revoir and Merci Beaucoup Ricki Herbert!

So one of the longest and most memorable episodes in New Zealand sport has drawn to a close today with the resignation of the Wellington Phoenix's manager, Ricki Herbert. It may have come as a shock but really it probably hadn't been coming for a while now given the Phoenix's season.

It's a shame that Herbert couldn't go out with a win he deserved with his last game their home match, a thrilling 2-2 draw against Adelaide United on a sunny Sunday afternoon in the capital.

Herbert delivered great success to the Wellington Phoenix 

Nevertheless, one must judge a manager on his overall stint and not just one season let alone one game. In that regard, Ricki Herbert has passed easily with a B+ grade which is actually far better than what other managers have tried to achieve with a New Zealand professional football club.

Herbert brought New Zealand pro football from the dark ages of the New Zealand Knights

In fact, New Zealand football owes Herbert a huge debt - if the Phoenix had lumbered on like their predecessors, the New Zealand Knights and Kingz, I think the sport would have been long buried by rugby and league by now. As it is, football has a reasonably firm footing in this country and certainly in the capital thanks to the success of the Phoenix and its fan club.

Herbert's peak at the Phoenix - the playoffs against Newcastle in 2009/10

And Herbert achieved his success through some effective football - and that is the most important mark every wannabe manager wants to have and many high-profile names have failed to achieve it. Sure it wasn't pretty but given the squad he has had throughout his tenure, Herbert played the right type of football for the team.

Ultimately, the semifinals would be as far as the Phoenix could go but in a tight league, that is something to be proud of especially when they did three seasons in a row between 2010 and 2012. The likes of the much vaunted Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory can only dream of such consistency.

Alas, the Phoenix this season have looked like a side devoid of ideas and motivation. Perhaps the premature retirement of Tim Brown had a huge factor in destabilising the team for this season and probably signalled the beginning of the end for Ricki Herbert with his inspirational midfielder for club and country no longer available for selection.

Can the Nix entice a guy of Alan Curbishley's calibre to replace Herbert?

At least now, the Phoenix have the kudos and potential to attract a manager of some calibre. But whoever they select, will have a tough job emulating a manager who made the Phoenix what they are today.

So thank you, Ricki, and best of luck with the All Whites and the future.

Should Dyer Have Taken the Penalty?

It was the only noteworthy moment of what was otherwise the most one-sided League Cup Final ever - no offence, but League Two midtablers, Bradford City were never really going to be a challenge at Wembley against a Premier League side in form and chasing European football in Swansea.

Nathan Dyer was on his way to a hat-trick when he was brought down by hapless Bradford keeper, Matt Duke in the penalty box. Swansea were 3-0 up by this time and cruising towards the club's first ever trophy and European football next season with Bradford looking like the Wellington Phoenix against Barcelona.

Dyer remonstrates with De Guzman

Jonathan de Guzman, Swansea's Canadian-Dutch midfielder, stepped up to take the penalty kick only for Dyer, on a hat-trick to rush up and demand to take the penalty and seal his hat-trick which would have been the first ever in a cup final in England.

A bit of an  argument ensued but de Guzman refused to budge to the demands of his teammate and history and took the penalty successfully. De Guzman would get two as well later on in the game while Dyer was substituted but would win the Player of the Match award.

So was de Guzman doing the right thing or was he being a right old dick to deny Nathan Dyer a shot at history that will never come again?

It seemed at first that de Guzman had done the right thing as it appeared that he was the designated penalty taker for the Swans - this was later denied by Michael Laudrup who said that he had no designated penalty taker and in fact, this was the first penalty awarded to Swansea all season.

Even if de Guzman was the designated penalty taker, the game was well beyond Bradford's reach and de Guzman should have let Dyer have his moment under lights - a hat-trick at Wembley in a Final that is as rare as Swansea's own appearances at Wembley.

If de Guzman just wanted a goal in the final, he needn't have worried as he would get one later on - a time when hindsight would have served him well.

Alas, one wonders what this will do for morale later on - you'd think nothing as at the end of the day, it's the result that matters and hat-tricks are really a side issue, just like being top goal or try scorer.

But on Swansea's big day, this is probably the one thing that most fans not from South Wales will remember. Nevertheless, well done to the Swans who have made quite a rise from the lower divisions of football to the very summit in little over 10 years.

Do the Blackcaps Have Any Hope in The Tests?

As February draws to a close, the Blackcaps now must face their toughest challenge yet from the best touring English side in a long while. 

The Blackcaps have shown to be reasonably competent against the English when a cricket game is short and simple. However, they still fell short in key areas like being unable to build batting partnerships of some substance and being heavily reliant on the likes of Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor and Martin Guptill for runs. 

Blackcaps badly missed Mitch McClenaghan in the last 2 ODI games

It is a shame really as their bowling lineup actually looked pretty effective especially when Mitch McClenaghan was in full flow. McClenaghan was as aggressive as most of the English fast bowlers and his absence was keenly felt as the Blackcaps struggled to hold off the English chase which was always going to be hard under lights anyway. 

The Blackcaps won't have to worry about lights for the next three weeks now - just as well as they've already got plenty to think about on their plate as they seek to avoid a potential whitewash at home to the English for the first time in a long time. 

Moments like this have been rare for New Zealand cricket fans since the last time they beat England in 2008

For so long, England have been a mediocre side, one vulnerable overseas, a team that everyone loves to beat simply because they're England, inventors of the game. However, since 2010, England have become a very clinical cricket team, superb in all forms of the game. In fact, only South Africa is better than the Poms in the traditional form of the game currently. 

New Zealand certainly has conditions not unlike those at home in England which will delight their fast bowlers, possibly some of the best in the world, in the likes of Stuart Broad, Steven Finn, Graham Onions and James Anderson. The signs were already there in the 50 over games - Finn was virtually unplayable when he bowled the right pace and length and only a cavalier attacking approach by Brendon McCullum would unsettle Finn. But such an approach is unlikely to work in the longer version of the game. 

Steve Finn has been phenomenal once he's kept his knee off the stumps

So is there any hope for the Blackcaps in the tests? As I said before, while our batting leaves much to be desired, our bowlers aren't actually too bad; in fact, I dare say they are amongst the best fast bowling attacks in the world. Our stocks probably haven't had it better with the likes of Doug Bracewell, Tim Southee, Trent Boult and the experienced Chris Martin available for selection. 

If the English bowlers can get as much juice as they can from the pitches seen so far, surely the New Zealand bowlers will be looking at that and thinking they have as much chance to cause damage to the English batting lineup as they will with ours?

Ultimately, the prediction will be that the lack of depth in our batting will ultimately be our undoing. England have far too many experienced campaigners in their batting lineup, including several of the world's best batsmen right now, e.g. captain Alastair Cook and the enigmatic Kevin Pietersen.

Whatever happens, expect to see our best ever crowds at test grounds with the large travelling contingent from England to make up most of the embankments in Dunedin, Wellington and Auckland. Hopefully the weather and Blackcaps can deliver too as the best summer in years draws to a close. 

Super Rugby Kicks Off!

After a long, enjoyable summer away from the boots and tipping competitions, Super Rugby made its symbolic comeback this weekend - even Aussie fans who saw 4 of their teams kick off the week before due to the impending Lions series would admit that  the season truly kicked off on this the last  weekend of February.

And what a start it has been. The Highlanders and Chiefs finally kicked off Super Rugby in New Zealand with a cracker of a match under the roof at Forsyth Barr Stadium, sold out with plenty of students enjoying Otago University's orientation week festivities. The Chiefs showed why they are champions and should continue to be the team to emulate in Super Rugby, showing all their class and quality in all areas to hold off a much improved Highlanders team.

Tim Nanai-Williams was exemplary in his new role at centre - one which could possibly put him in line for the All Blacks if he continues this form throughout the season given the loss of Sonny Bill Williams to rugby league and Tamati Ellison to injury. He scored a marvellous brace to help his team stay ahead of the valiant comeback from the team from the South.

As for the Highlanders, they should be encouraged by their showing in the first game although there will be plenty to work on in defence, set-piece and their ball handling skills. Let's not forget that the Highlanders beat the Chiefs in Hamilton last season in their first games of the season - and who was crowned champion at the end of the season?

While the Crusaders had the bye weekend to work on their Harlem Shake, traditional rivals, the Hurricanes and Blues kicked their seasons off under sunny, summery skies in Wellington. The Blues showed plenty of tenacity against a highly vaunted Hurricanes side at home to get the John Kirwan era to a winning start.

In a team full of novices, it was the experienced guys like Piri Weepu, Ali Williams and Rene Ranger who stood out, enabling young and upcomers, Frank Halai and Charles Piutau to express themselves fully. Halai, who was highly impressive on the Sevens circuit last year, was equally stunning in his Super Rugby debut with only a controversial (but correct) yellow card for intentionally knocking the ball dead in goal, the blemish on a good night for himself - one wonders why more interest was shown towards this guy.

There will be some concern too for the Hurricanes who came into this season with big hopes of going one better than last season, but appear to have dropped a game against the team everyone tipped to be wooden spooners. There is no Cory Jane to bail them out and Conrad Smith is also down and out with a head injury. With two senior players in the backs gone, Hammett will need to work really hard to get the young guys up and back into contention next week.

Elsewhere, the Reds looked like the champions they were in 2011, smashing the apparently refreshed Waratahs in Brisbane while the Brumbies revolution continues with a clinical win in Melbourne against the Rebels.

In South Africa, the Bulls and Sharks have drawn first blood in their opening matches of the season - the Bulls beating the Stormers at home in Pretoria in what will be a thrilling series between the two.

But the result of the round from a Republic point of view has to be the Southern Kings usurping fellow strugglers, the Western Force in their first ever Super rugby game. The Kings are the first expansion Super Rugby team to win their first ever game - the Force and Rebels lost their first games when they made their debuts in 2006 and 2011 respectively.

Perhaps, this was always going to be the Kings' best chance of victory - at home, against a side tipped to be challenging them for the wooden spoon, in front of a big crowd to welcome professional rugby to the East Cape. Alas, the Kings showed tremendous character and quality in the 2nd half to rally home and win quite comfortably against a Force side that seem to be going backwards.

The next challenge for the Kings will be much tougher; whether it is to win away from home, win more than one game in the season. Do both and it would be quite a respectable debut season for a team no one gave a chance.

The Crusaders kick off next week in Auckland against the Blues and after what happened in Wellington, this game could turn out to be much more entertaining and competitive than originally thought - mind you when has a Crusaders v Blues game ever been dull?

Oscar Pistorius - Crook?

If you have been reading Derek Seymour's posts on Stuff Nation (google "Derek Seymour Stuff Nation"), you'd have read his recent article about how we're wasting time looking up to these sportspeople and feeling sorry for them when they're in strife, when really it's often their fault that they're in that situation. Moreover, Derek says that sportspeople should not replace our parents as role models much as we like them to.

I do agree with Derek in some way and I do think we tend to exalt sportspeople more than they should, just because they're famous and have done well in a sport we love to follow, when they're human beings like you and me who are imperfect and have their own flaws that we don't see on the track or field.

What has been alarming in the last 6 months though has been the number of stories of high profile sportspeople - hang on let me rephrase that, "heroes" who have fallen to zero over criminal misdemeanors on and off the field.

Of course, we had the story of Lance Armstrong which really started late last year when USADA finally announced its findings and subsequently, the UCI stripped Armstrong of his 7 Tour de France titles. Armstrong remained in denial until earlier this year when he confessed on Oprah Winfrey's show that he did in fact cheat en route to his "victories" between 1999 and 2005.

Just as the media was recovering from the hype and hysteria around the Armstrong debacle, they received yet another one to whet their appetites with the news that South African Paralympian and Olympian, hero to many not just in his country but all over the world, the Blade Runner, Oscar Pistorius was arrested after a woman was shot in his house.

Pistorius in better times

Pistorius with Reva Steenkamp

Scene of shock and horror at Pistorius house on Thursday

This is quite possibly the most shocking relevation the world of sport has seen, especially given the fact that Pistorius' fame had only emerged in the last 9 months or so as a result of his success in London. And it is possibly the highest profile murder involving an athlete, former or current, as the key suspect since OJ Simpson's ex-wife and her boyfriend were found murdered in their LA home in 1994.

Time cover page at the time of former NFL running back, OJ Simpson 's infamous murder trial in 1994

The information received so far sadly appears to be quite damning. Initial reports that Pistorius accidentally shot his girlfriend in the head, mistaking her for a burglar have now been scotched by police in light of revelations of domestic violence earlier in the night, as well as the nature of the crime - Reeva Steenkamp was shot 4 times at different parts of her body, which does reduce the likelihood that Pistorius was just shooting a burglar - and the fact that the house is located in a neighbourhood with heavy security at the gate and is surrounded by high walls itself (why would a burglar go through all that trouble unless they had some inside knowledge - that is one that the defence will have to reveal if that was the case).

Nike was forced to pull out this ad in the wake of the shocking murder on Thursday

The final nail in the coffin has to be the collection of weapons at Oscar's disposal - cricket and baseball bats at every spot, a pistol in the bedside drawer and a machine gun (we're not sure yet which armed weapon was used in this murder at this time).

Why on earth do people feel the need to defend themselves with assault rifles?

I will say what I said at the time of the awful Newtown school murders last year - why on earth do you need an assault rifle, i.e. an automated machine gun, to defend yourself when those weapons are really designed for murder and not merely just to stop someone from stealing your gold?

However, this is a sports blog and not a judicial blog so we are not really qualified to speak on legal matters. What I am qualified to say is that Pistorius' career and hastily built reputation have now been flushed down the drain from the moment the arrest warrant was pulled out and yet another hero in sport has been consigned to the hall of shame - the 2nd high profile athlete in the last 9 months after Lance Armstrong.

It is these stories which the media thrives upon but it has certainly robbed the sport of another hero and reminded us again that sportspeople are as vulnerable as the rest of us apparently more "mortal" human beings. At the same it reminds us that fame does change people whether they like it or not with all their actions firmly under the microscope of the media and adoring public.

The Future of Cricket

Cricket is a sport whose future has always been up for debate, has always been tinkered with, changed to cope with the times. Twenty20 cricket is cricket's latest fad with change, a format of the game designed to reach out to the younger, busier generation who don't really have the time to watch a day of cricket or just want another form of entertainment that doesn't involve kicking a ball.

No doubt Twenty20 cricket is clearly on the ascendancy as its all-over-in-3-hours format is great for TV and for getting bigger crowds to stadia. Certainly, the emphasis on big hits has given marketing departments a dream to work with and more sponsors want to get involved in cricket's form of the Big Mac.

But where does that leave 50 over cricket? Some former players and commentators like former England captain, Mike Atherton, believe that 50 over cricket will have to be discarded as cricket will not be able to support and sustain 3 forms of the game in the future.

More in this article on Stuff.co.nz - http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/8310717/One-dayers-fast-becoming-elephant-in-room

One must remember that less than 40 years ago, 50 over cricket was what Twenty20 cricket is today. It helped to take cricket into the 21st century - no longer was cricket a sport that required a week to follow a game. 50 over cricket meant you could watch a game of cricket in a day and usually come away with a result. 50 over cricket also introduced bigger and riskier shots and certainly has helped to make the traditional test matches far more exciting affairs as cricketers have figured out new and novel ways to score runs faster and get out batsmen.

The days when 50-over cricket was the show to watch in town

It is obvious that 50 over cricket is a bit like the DVD - brilliant only so recently but superseded by better technologies, i.e. Blu-ray, hard and cloud disks. However, like DVDs, they still have some purpose in the current age and shouldn't be discarded.

For me, I thought 50 over cricket had had its day a couple of years ago when the ICC launched the Twenty20 World Series in 2007. Back then, the ICC had endured a torrid 50 over Cricket World Cup in the West Indies, scarred by controversy and some lacklustre cricket. However, 50 over cricket has surprisingly made a bit of a comeback thanks to rule changes and of course, players still keen to see that form of cricket played.

The 2011 Cricket World Cup was probably the best edition the world had seen in a long time and it certainly has helped to get interest back into the 50 over game.

New Zealand cricket's success in recent times has been in 50 over cricket

However, how long will 50 over cricket's mini-comeback last? While the likes of England and Australia still play series of five 50 over games bookended by one or two Twenty20s, the likes of New Zealand and South Africa have given 3 games of 50 overs and Twenty20s each, putting equal importance on both forms of the one day version of the game. In fact, you could say this was coming all along - and to be fair, I do prefer what New Zealand Cricket have done recently as we did have to endure too many meaningless 50 over cricket games in the past and those series did feel like they could just drag on and on.

Which brings me to my other point, the ICC and national cricket boards must be careful not to overwork the goose that laid the golden egg. Twenty20 cricket's slump will come - and in fact might be already evident in the likes of the IPL and KFC Big Bash League where crowds and interest have waned in the seasons after the first (this may be down to 2nd season syndrome though). Perhaps, 50 over cricket's decline was attributed by the fact that too many of them were played over time, that when Twenty20 cricket arrived, it was a bit of a release for the crowd who flocked to the new format.

One wonders what formats cricket administrators will come up in the future - 10/10 cricket? Surely not, but mind you no one would have thought that 20 overs a side constituted a respectable game of cricket say 20 years ago.  

Who Should Coach the Phoenix?

After starting the season with high expectations, the Wellington Phoenix's 2012/13 A-League campaign looks set to end on a disappointing note. With Gareth Morgan and his much-maligned Welnix organization now in charge and quite keen to see the Phoenix become the Barcelona of the Southern Hermisphere, change is the word of the day and for the first time ever, Ricki Herbert's job security is in question.

But what other alternatives do the Phoenix have? Here are some managers Gareth Morgan could approach.

Alan Curbishley
The former Charlton Athletic and West Ham United manager has been out of a job since leaving Upton Park in the summer of 2008, plying his trade in commentary. Curbishley's Charlton played a fairly attractive style of football if not quite up there with Barcelona. Curbishley certainly made the most of a squad built on a budget taking the former minnows back into the top flight of English football twice and then establishing them there at the 2nd attempt.

Curbishley's wife is a New Zealander and he would dearly love to get back into football management so a move to the other side of the world could be quite tempting. I have no doubt that Curbishley will make this Phoenix side very successful if he got the job.

Nigel Adkins
Surprisingly dumped by Southampton recently despite the Saints being unbeaten prior to Nicola Cortese summoning Adkins to his office. Cortese didn't think Adkins was a Premier League quality manager but he's still a fine manager to have look after your club by any stretch of the imagination. After all, he guided Southampton from League One and then the Premier League in two seasons.

The only trouble is that Adkins is essentially a teenager when it comes to football management so a move to the A-League would be a bit premature when there are plenty of clubs in England's lower divisions who would love to have Adkins in their dug-out. But if Gareth Morgan came up with a very convincing argument to fly 24 hours to the other side of the world to manage a football team, anything is possible.

Phil Brown
Has been out of a job since he failed to guide Preston away from relegation from the Championship a few seasons ago. But Hull City fans will have good memories of this very egoistical but superb manager. Brown guided the Tigers to the Premier League where in their first season they beat Arsenal and Tottenham away from home and were in the top 3 of the table at one stage.

Phil Brown's Tigers can play an exciting brand of football but his managerial style is quite unorthodox and controversial at times - who can forget that halftime talk he gave to his players when they were 3-0 down at Manchester  City. A mercurial choice but could work in Wellington.

Paul Ince
The former Manchester United and Liverpool midfielder's managerial career hasn't quite been as successful as his playing career - he probably took the top job at Blackburn too early in his career after enjoying success at Milton Keynes Dons. He has been out of a job since his second spell at MK.

Could the Phoenix provide a lifeline for the England midfielder - he would be open to adopting Morgan's tika-taka philosophy.

Ricki Herbert
To be honest, we're talking  about the other alternatives as if we are playing Football Pro Manager. Given the relative size of the Phoenix and the game in New Zealand,  Ricki Herbert is to us what Sir Alex Ferguson is to Manchester United. Herbert by far is still our best manager right now and probably ever. And I think Gareth Morgan bought the Phoenix with plans to have Herbert steering the boat.

Herbert has built the Wellington Phoenix and got them this far. I dare say that he will get them back to where they should be as long as Morgan enables him to use the money to get a decent midfielder to fill the void left by Tim Brown.

This winter will be one to reflect and clear out the deadwood and prepare the side to play the football that Gareth Morgan wants.



DON'T FORGET TO READ OTHER GREAT POSTS ON THIS BLOG FOR MORE INSIGHT INTO THE WORLD OF SPORT.

Can United overcome El Real?

It's the tie we've been waiting for for 10 years. Since that thrilling fortnight which saw Real Madrid just about triumph over Manchester United 6-5 on aggregate in that Champions League quarterfinal tie all those years ago, we've been eagerly awaiting the re-match between two of football's richest and most famous clubs.

A lot has happened in 10 years - Real Madrid still eagerly await their next European Cup win since Zinedine Zidane scored the greatest winner of all time in that final at Hampden Park in 2002, while Manchester United have gone on to make the final 3 times, losing twice against Real's great rivals, Barcelona.

However, Real Madrid remain one of football's superpowers and even more so in this age - it's a bit unfortunate that they play in the same league - and era - as the greatest club side the world has ever seen; I'm talking about Barcelona and Lionel Messi's merry men.

Here are a few stats to ponder..

Real Madrid's head to head record against Manchester United is 3 wins to 2 with 3 draws, 17 goals scored against United's 14.

Last 4 ties -
23/04/2003 - Manchester United 4 Real Madrid 3
08/04/2003 - Real Madrid 3 Manchester United 1
19/04/2000 - Manchester United 2 Real Madrid 3
04/04/2000 - Real Madrid 0 Manchester United 0

League positions
2002/03 -
Manchester United and Real Madrid won the league
- Man United were tied with Arsenal at the top of the Premier League when they played Real Madrid
- Real Madrid were leading Real Sociedad in La Liga

1999/00 -
Manchester United won the league
Real Madrid finished 5th in the league
- Man United were comfortably leading the Premier League ahead of Leeds and Arsenal
- Real Madrid were struggling behind eventual league champions, Deportivo la Coruna, Barcelona, Valencia and Real Zaragoza.

This season -
Manchester United, 1st in the league, 12 points ahead of Man City
Real Madrid, 3rd in the league, 16 points behind Barcelona and 4 behind Atletico Madrid

There are plenty of parallels between this season and the first time Real Madrid and Manchester United had met in the Champions League era back in 1999/00.

Raul and Ronaldo - Real Madrid's strikers have been United's nemesis in their last two clashes with the meringues

Manchester United is dominating the league while Real Madrid is struggling to catch up with the leaders. Real Madrid is nowhere as bad as they were back then - then manager John Toshack was actually sacked following a horrendous start to the season and replaced by current Spain manager, Vincente del Bosque who guided the Meringues to 2 Champions League titles.

However, Mourinho's men have certainly endured a disappointing league campaign thus far especially in contrast to their great rivals across the city and country. Away form has been disappointing - which may give United fans hope especially if the Red Devils get a decent result away at the Bernabeu.

Nevertheless, as always, Real Madrid are choked with talent all over the park and this time, they do have a former United favourite in Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo appears to have regained his form after a miserable start to the campaign and up against his former manager and team, he should be quite fired up to show United fans what they've been missing since 2009.

Then there's Mesut Ozil, one of the best midfielders in the world at the moment, along with ex-Liverpool hero, Xabi Alonso who would be very familiar with Manchester United, a back in-form Kaka if selected, Karim Benzema, Pepe, Coentrao, Marcelo, Sergio Ramos and of course the rock at the back if he is selected, Iker Casillas.  

Cleverley will be key to stopping Ozil's control of the midfield

But Manchester United appear to have an attack frontline to match Real's this season with Robin van Persie taking his form from the Emirates to Old Trafford. He is well backed up by now United stalwart, Wayne Rooney and the likes of Javier Hernandez, Shinji Kagawa and Tom Cleverley. Questions remain about the consistency of David de Gea at the back - last time around, inconsistency from Fabien Barthez in goal cost Manchester United dearly against Real Madrid, with (Luis) Ronaldo slotting in at Barthez's near post.

Another factor is Jose Mourinho. The Special One's record against Manchester United is quite superb; his record at Chelsea is 4 wins, 2 draws & 1 loss, and at Porto, he beat Manchester United over  two legs in a Champions League second round tie. Mourinho has got quite a good record when his team is playing an English side and with the league title pretty much out of the reckoning, Mourinho will be  quite keen to salvage the season through Europe - and quite possibly save his job.

So cue the first leg of what should be a thrilling tie. Here are a few games from the past to whet your appetite for this once-in-a-blue-moon clash.

Les Bleus Miserables

At the end of last November, France had clearly ensconced itself as the number 2 team in world rugby behind the All Blacks. They had just thumped the Wallabies and beaten Argentina and Samoa fairly comfortably.

By all accounts, it was a performance worthy of Six Nations Championship favourites.

Heading into the middle of February, France are sitting rock bottom of the Six Nations standings with 2 losses from 2 games against 2 of rugby's least in-form sides - an Italy side that were never going to be real contenders for the championship, and a Welsh side that hadn't won a game in a year prior to the weekend.

As the 2nd best team in world rugby, France should have won those games and be firmly in control of the Six Nations which they would win and head into their test series and World Cup Final rematch against the All Blacks, ready to show that their performance that October night in Auckland was not a fluke, and that the French are ready to be a consistent force in world rugby.

However, one must remember that we're talking about the French - the most mercurial and moody side in world rugby. The French have always had the habit of looking so bad in the last 3 games, and then play the best rugby you've ever seen in the game that seems to matter to the opposition - 1999 Rugby World Cup semifinal, 2007 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal, 2011 Rugby World Cup final, anyone?

Thus, the English will be on extremely high alert when the French come to Twickenham in two weeks time - depending on the result of their game against Ireland in Dublin, this game would be the next big step in England winning their first Grand Slam in 10 years.

The likes of Bastareud, Dusautoir and Szarzewski will return to the Top 14 pondering what has gone wrong to the French juggernaut that looked so impressive in the autumn, and be out to answer the critics from local and foreign media with a display to help avoid the wooden spoon at least.

Philippe Saint-Andre has winning pedigree at Sale Sharks and Toulon

There is no doubt the French still have a great team with a great coach in Philippe Saint-Andre even if they have quite a few new names in the squad at the moment - there is plenty of talent in the Top 14. However, it is clear they not only underestimated the Italians and Welsh but were almost disinterested in playing them. At the same time, the Italians and Welsh realised they needed to be far more defensive and quite negative to have any chance against the flair of the French which has been evident this autumn. That they did to great effect - in fact the Welsh game was quite possibly the worst game of international rugby seen in a long time - and while the French forwards were at their usual best, the backs haven't really fired.

Michalak must shoulder more of the responsibility as the most senior back in the team

Freddy Michalak has slotted straight into the French national side after several years playing for the Sharks. Michalak as a player epitomises the mercurial nature of French rugby. There is no doubt Freddy has the talent but he's never had the consistency to really push the likes of Carter and Wilkinson and be the best flyhalf. And in what is really the autumn of his career, nearly 10 years after electrifying world rugby at  the World Cup in Australia, is Michalak really the right man to lead the French backs?

All Blacks fans would much rather see a strong French side even if we love to beat them - we have seen too many lacklustre games where the French have fielded their B team and be thrashed by the All Blacks. Thus, it would be good to see the French lift their game and finish the championship strongly even if their title aspirations are almost at an end for another year.

Is Manchester City's Title Defence Over?

It appears that Manchester City's title defence could be nearly over even if it is a long way from being mathematically impossible. Even the most optimistic City fans who kept the belief during City's remarkable late run-in to their first title in years last season are probably writing this season off with their expensively assembled team set to be 12 points behind their bitter cross town rivals should United win at home to Everton.

To be fair, City were always going to find it hard to replicate the emotion and form that saw them end their long title drought in dramatic fashion last year. I don't think City are a worse team than they were last year - in fact, I think they've done the right thing and kept a fairly stable team. And they are still by far the 2nd best team in the country.

However, I think it has come down to the fact that United have made significant improvements this season and the signings they've made have made the biggest impact that we've seen at Old Trafford since even possibly the signing of Eric Cantona from Leeds United all those years ago - I'm referring to Robin van Persie's move from Arsenal of course.

RVP plus Shinji Kagawa along with the return from injury of Javier Hernandez and the rise in form of Tom Cleverley have suddenly turned Manchester United from a one-man brigade with Wayne Rooney tirelessly pulling the strings to a pretty decent team and one that might be one of the best Fergie has assembled yet.

To be fair, there is very little between the Manchester sides. Both sides have managed to match each other result for result for much of the season until now - it's just that Man United haven't really experienced the slump Man City are experiencing and it doesn't look they will yet.

A key result in this year's title race could be that 3-2 win to United in December when the sides met at Eastlands. While it is only just one game, it is possibly one that gave United a psychological boost, winning at a ground where the home side have been so good at. Not only that, United won the advantage of being the pace-setter rather than the chaser which is what City have been lumped with now.

Finally, history has shown that in the season after they've lost the title, United have often emerged as a very hungry and determined team. Chelsea, Newcastle United and Arsenal should be very familiar with this. Fergie certainly made haste in answering the deficiencies that cost United a title even if they did finish on the same amount of points as the champions - a lack of goals from supporting strikers, and a lack of strength in midfield. It appears Fergie has answered those comfortably as he bids to establish United as the superior side in Manchester once again.

City now have to hope for a historic and monumental collapse from the other side of Manchester - but even then, I'm not sure it's going to be enough for the current champions to retain their title. In a rivalry that is all about getting an advantage from the smallest of margins, it appears seasoned United have figured out when to take the opportunities that City have missed.

 

2013 Super Rugby Preview

Another season of Super Rugby is upon us with the Aussie teams set to kick things off a week earlier than the other teams due to the British & Irish Lions tour later in the year.

There is plenty to look forward to and plenty of questions to be asked.

Can the Crusaders go on without McCaw?

Can the Highlanders finally make the playoffs with their All Black rich squad?

Can the Chiefs win the title again without SBW?

Can the Blues regain respectability under John Kirwan?

Can the Brumbies make the playoffs now they have David Pocock?

Can the Kings perform credibly in their first season under the limelight?

Can the Stormers make it fourth time lucky?

Naturally being based in New Zealand, I'm better placed to comment on the state of the teams based here compared to those in South Africa and Australia. However, I can say that I do have a vested interest in what is happening in the 10 teams overseas - here are my thoughts.

SOUTH AFRICA

Southern Kings are set for a spanking on paper - but could cause the odd surprise

The biggest story obviously is the controversial disposal of Johannesburg's Lions in favour of the Eastern Cape's Southern Kings. For a long time, SARU has wanted a team based in the heart of black South Africa and finally have one after several failed attempts. The biggest concern is how competitive the side will be in its first season and you could probably bet the mortgage on the Kings finishing dead last. I don't think the Kings will have cricket scores put past them too often this season as there is some quality in Luke Watson, Steven Sykes, Nicolas Vergallo and promising Western Province first five, Demeteri Catrakilis, but like all new teams in their first season, they will find it tough going against the more experienced sides.

Can the Cheetahs defend as well as Johan Goosen leads the backs?

The other South African sides are where we expect them to be at this stage - the Cheetahs are enigmatic as usual although their porous defence means they're effectively the 4th best South African team, but the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers have all strengthened and should be in the running for the playoffs at the end of the season. The key for the likes of the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls will be to try and get as much home advantage as they can - as we saw with the Sharks last season, the long travel to and fro in a short space of time will take its toll in the end.

Hougaard and the Bulls may need to be more unconventional like their pink jerseys to return to a championship

The Bulls are South Africa's answer to the Crusaders - they are by far the most successful team to come out of the Republic and have put in place a factory of players who will be very good for South African rugby for years to come, along of course the regular players like Francois Hougaard and Pierre Spies. However, the problem with the Bulls is that their conventional style of rugby is no longer really a head-scratcher for opposition teams - they will need to take some risks if they are to win title number 4.

Francois Steyn is back for a full season with the Sharks

The Sharks should also be thereabouts and if key players including the returning Frans Steyn stays injury-free, a second tilt at the title in two years is not out of the reckoning. However, history has never been kind in the season after a team that finishes runners-up in the Final - expectations certainly are a factor as they would be inflated after the close  shave the Sharks had the season before. Nevertheless, the Sharks do have a stable squad and have strengthened pretty well. They're always in the race for the playoffs so it would be a big surprise not to see them there.

Habana must do more if he is to win his third career Super Rugby title

The Stormers remain South Africa's best chance at the title, but must overcome their jitters in the post season - twice now they've secured the top spot and home advantage for a significant period of the playoffs, and twice they've blown their opportunities against seasoned travellers and playoff teams, Crusaders and Sharks. With Western Province finally overcoming their hoodoo and winning the Currie Cup last season, one wonders if the bulk of that team can repeat that result at Super Rugby level. Otherwise, Alister Coetzee's Stormers could be known as Super Rugby's greatest chokers.

My tip: Stormers to head the Sharks and Bulls and possibly sow up top spot on the ladder. Given we've had two teams win their maiden Super Rugby titles in the last 2 seasons, surely, it'll be the Stormers' time this time round? The Bulls could miss out altogether if they can't get anything from their last two games after the bye against the Stormers and Sharks. The Cheetahs and Kings will probably be at the wrong side of the ladder.

AUSTRALIA
It is quite difficult to make of the shape of Australian rugby at this point of time. Consensus is that it is not quite at its strongest and an Australian team will be in the playoffs but only by dint of being winner of what is probably the weakest conference out of the three nations.

However, this is a make-or-break year for the Wallabies with the British & Irish Lions coming in the winter and keen on avenging their series defeat in 2001. So expect the Australian teams to be quite keen to start firing once they get the opportunity to kick the season off ahead of the other teams.

David Pocock being put through the paces at Brumbies HQ - is this the year he overtakes McCaw as no. 1 no. 7?

There have been some big moves around the big island with David Pocock crossing the desert from Perth to join Jake White's great Brumbies revival in Canberra, while Scott Higginbotham has moved from Brisbane to help make the Melbourne Rebels Australia's best chance of Super Rugby glory.

Folau will be key to getting back the Waratahs fans through the turnstiles in 2013

And then of course, there's the Waratahs who will be out to do some major PR work after a disastrous 2012 on and off the field. The Waratahs are certainly not one of the most popular teams on the Super Rugby circuit and new coach, Michael Cheika has a hard task to keep them relevant against the resurgent Rebels and Brumbies and ever-favourite Reds. He will be hoping that league/AFL star, Israel Folau will start his rugby union career on fire and help  the Waratahs get back into playoff contention.

Folau was  a great rugby league player and I think he has the potential to emulate the likes of Lote Tuqiri, Wendell Sailor, Mat Rogers and Sonny Bill Williams in making the transition between 13 and 15 men rugby like water off a duck's back. Realising that potential is quite a difficult thing although Folau looks quite keen to put aside a forgettable few years in AFL behind him - God knows why he made the switch in the first place anyway.

The Force will sadly have to get used to more scenes like this

It's difficult to know what to expect from the Force who seem to have stood still since the hoohah that surrounded their launch in time for the 2006 Super 15 season. They've continued to lose players of international quality and have ended up becoming a team of journeymen. It is amazing to think that their fan base is still pretty strong despite the mediocrity of the results in the last seasons. The Force can play attractive rugby but they don't really have the quality to make a push for the playoffs.

The Melbourne Rebels need Kurtley Beale to fire if they're to make the next step up

The Rebels as I said before have definitely strengthened having added Scott Higginbotham to their impressive collection of current Wallabies stars which includes James O'Connor and Kurtley Beale. The rest of the team is still generally quite average especially up front and then of course, there's that mental wall they have to overcome being still a very young outfit.

Reds and Brumbies are favourites for the Australian conference title

The Brumbies and Reds by contrast have experience of the playoffs and are Australia's favourites for the playoffs. The Brumbies made great strides last year under Jake White and were unlucky not to be in the playoffs having been pipped to the post by the Reds. David Pocock's arrival has been a big win for the Canberra franchise though who are eager to return to the glory days earlier this century when they were essentially the Wallabies side.

Reds fans will be hoping this motley crew fires when they get together again from April

However, the Reds will also be strong even despite a change in coach from Ewen McKenzie to Richard Graham - McKenzie is still involved with the Reds albeit as a technical director - and question marks over Quade Cooper's commitment to rugby union. Will Genia will be eager to get back to rugby in April after a long spell on the sidelines. The Reds had an average season as champions last year, not helped by the absence of Quade Cooper for much of the season. Yet they still made the playoffs as Australian conference winners, but were clearly second best to an in-form Sharks team.

With Cooper and Genia now back, the Reds will be looking at returning to the smashing form of 2011 that saw them finish top of the Super Rugby ladder and eventually finish as champions.

My tip: The Brumbies could take out the Australian competition this year with the Reds facing a big gap between their last 2 games due to the Lions series and the unfortunate timing of one of their byes - but expect that strong form in the run-in once Genia returns from injury to hopefully partner Quade Cooper. The break for the Lions will probably hurt the Rebels the most who will play their last game of the season against a Highlanders team who should be chasing a playoff spot. Waratahs and Force to round off the Aussie sides.

NEW ZEALAND

Chiefs will be strong in 2013 despite loss of Taumololo and SBW

The Chiefs finally broke New Zealand's drought last year - and did it in quite some style. Whether they can do it again remains to be seen even if they do have the same squad plus more. The loss of Sonny Bill Williams should be alleviated somewhat by the depth the Chiefs have in midfield as well as the strength they have in the forwards. The Chiefs have a horrendous finish to their season with two away games to the Crusaders and Blues - although they appear to have the wood on their big rivals across the Bombays in recent times; this will have a huge bearing on where they finish on the ladder. If the Chiefs are to retain their title, they need to finish top of the table; they were somewhat helped by the Stormers' latest choke at home.

Is Ma'a Nonu the final piece in the Highlanders championship puzzle?

The Highlanders on paper seem to be New Zealand's next strongest side thanks to their plethora of All Blacks, e.g. Tony Woodcock, Brad Thorn, Colin Slade, Hosea Gear, Ma'a Nonu, Ben and Aaron Smith. This is in addition to the fairly strong squad that Jamie Joseph has built over the last couple of years in the deep south. But the fact remains that the Highlanders have been dogged by some big injuries to key players in the last few seasons - Colin Slade and Ben Smith, and haven't made the playoffs in 11 years. They've already lost Tamati Ellison and Declan O'Donnell for a significant part of the season. To achieve great success, the Highlanders must overcome their playoff hoodoo - they could look no further than the Reds who overcame their long playoff drought and eventually became Super Rugby champions that same season. However, they do have a horrendous end to the season with the Crusaders being their last game at home before embarking on a road trip to Wellington and Melbourne  to wrap up the season.

Matt Todd needs a big year in Richie McCaw's absence

The Crusaders should be thereabouts but I don't think they're as strong as they have been in recent times - a lot of experienced players will not feature for the red and blacks this season, e.g. Ben Franks has gone to the Hurricanes, Quentin Macdonald to the Chiefs and of course, Richie McCaw is on sabbatical for 6 months and may return later in the season. But even so, expect this well-oiled machine to be in the running for the playoffs although I dare say as a wildcard. Having said that, they do have a nice finish to the season with all their last 3 games of the season being in the South Island and 2 in Christchurch so missing the playoffs would be an upset.

Julian Savea is now key to the Hurricanes try-scoring machine with Cory Jane out for the season

The Hurricanes made enormous strides last season and were unlucky to miss out in what was a tight race for the playoffs. However, they have been dealt a blow already with the loss of influential outside back, Cory Jane for the season. While the Canes do have depth in the backs, Jane would have been a pivotal figure in the Hurricanes' plays this season. With the New Zealand conference shaping up to be the toughest conference, the NFC East of Super Rugby this season, the Hurricanes will need some luck as well as be unbeaten at home to make the playoffs. Expectations also will be higher this season after what happened last year.

JK is hoping Charles Piutau has a great breakout 2013 for the Blues 

Finally, the Blues. While John Kirwan has said the right things and tried to bring in the personnel, the fact of the matter is that in a very tough conference, the Blues will probably miss out. They just won't have the quality and experience that the other New Zealand sides possess even if they should improve on last year's diabolical performance. 2014 is probably the Blues' main target - mind you how many times have we said that the season for the Blues is already a right-off before it has even started - but with low expectations this season, the Blues could be at their most dangerous as they always have been in their backs.

My Tip: Chiefs to win conference ahead of the Crusaders, Highlanders, Hurricanes and Blues. A bit of luck could see the Crusaders, Highlanders and Hurricanes all make the playoffs as wildcards but it is quite an unlikely scenario given the way the fixtures are set up - the South African sides would have to be abject away from home, and the New Zealand sides brilliant away from home for this to happen but it's not as far fetched as it seems. Blues to finish last in the conference but that could still mean a top 10 finish in the final ladder which wouldn't be a bad thing after last season's 12th.

My tip for the ladder?
1.Stormers
2.Chiefs
3.Crusaders
4.Highlanders
5.Sharks
6.Brumbies
7.Reds
8.Bulls
9.Hurricanes
10.Rebels
11.Blues
12.Waratahs
13.Cheetahs
14.Force
15.Kings

Stormers v Chiefs for the title, with Stormers to win their maiden Super Rugby title.