RFTG Roundup with Jill Tipping
July 2009

Phew! Exciting times, what with Lions, Rugby League and Beach Rugby. No time to catch the breath.

What did you think about that last Lion's match. Awesome or what! The overall results should have been so different but the Lions left the Bok in no doubt as to who were the overall victors really. Well I think so anyway.

Who put what into Rob Kearney's tea? What a star! Could od with him in our under 17s at Dover - we're short of a full back. Could poor old injured Lee Byrne have made a better impression? I doubt it.

So who was your 'Lion of the Tournament'? Mine has to be the luscious Mike Phillips. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think he played the full 80 minutes each game. Even when Harry came on in the last test, Mike was still there in the centre position (I think - my memory's not what it used to be)

There's no getting away from it though - the Bok are tough! Half the Lion's squad suffered injury and had O'Driscoll and Jones not gone off in Test 2, things may have been very different.

So a good test series in all. One to be pretty proud of really.

My trip to The Stoop a couple of weeks ago was fun. Thank you Dianne Braiden for inviting me along as your guest and a big thank you to Abe Kerr from Triline Sports and Puma for being our hosts for the day. The weather was pretty fab and we sat in the evening sun watching some fast running rugby. The home team (Harlequins) were left wanting as Leeds Rhino's gave them a bit of a battering.

If you get the chance to go and see a rugby league match this summer, do make the effort. They are very exciting and once you have got your head around the rules the entertainment level is high (and the thighs are mighty fine!!).

We picked out our man of the match - Have you spotted Ryan Hall? We were most disappointed that he didn't come into the players lounge after the match and so we couldn't pounce on him for interview and pictures. However, we are making enquiries with the boys up north so watch this space.

I am off to Cornwall for a few days now and new RFTG recruit, Katy Tipping, is in charge. Keep your emails coming in and let us know what you want to see.

TTFN

June 2009

FIRST LION'S TEST!

It's the day of the first test in Durban and I am off to watch it on the big screen at The Stoop, Twickenham. Yes, lucky me, I have been invited by Dianne Braiden, who won the three top hospitality tickets for the Rugby League match between Harlequins and Leeds Rhinos later today. How nice is that!! So I will shortly be hopping in the car for a two hour trip and a great day out. Lions and League all in one day. Thanks go to Puma and Abe Kerr of Triline sports for making it all possible.

Twickenham is the nearest premiership rugby ground to us people that live nearer to France than any where else in the UK (Dover), so all in all, quite an adventure!

So what has been going on lately? Well, we have been entertained by a good batch of summer rugby, some of the best of which has been coming from the Churchill Cup in the USA. RFTG Fav James Prtichard (right) has been delighting us with some fantastic kicking for Canada. During the Georgia match I actually spotted him losing his temper after a great big prop sent him flying. Go James! (you are very sexy when angry!!).

England Saxons will face Ireland A in the Churchill Cup tomorrow (Sunday 21st) after beating Argentina Jaguars and the USA. They are playing in temperatures of 80-100 degrees! Blimey!

England looked reasonably good against Argentina at Old Trafford (see Lucy's report) but we were not able to see to the match played in Salta, Argentina, where England were knocked into second place by the home team, despite a late try by Matt Banahan. (See BBC match report). I remember talking to Matt 4 years ago when he was at Irish, playing Lock, and he was frustrated at not getting much match time. NOW LOOK AT YOU MATT! Two caps and two tries so far!

I was sad to note that Bath have been forced to lose 4 of their players after they brought the game into disrepute. What on earth were they thinking of to throw everything away like that? I was particularly sad to see one was Michael Lipman. My son Sam plays flanker and I have always pointed Lipman out to him as a player for him to watch. Some role model! Very sad.

The Lions will be revving up to get going in a few hours. Have you had a chance to browse our RFTG Lion's Gallery? Not the sort of pictures you will find on any of the other sports sites I am sure you will agree. (Thank you Action Images.) Let's hope the boys in red pull it off.

Until next time...

May 2009

Well, it has been quite an eventful end to the season hasn't it.

This weekend we saw Northampton win the European Challenge Cup against grumpy Bourgoin. Not bad after only coming back from National 1 into the GP this season. If you saw the match you would have been treated to a right blood bath, and I have to say that most of it was on the French side, that was until Saint's Courtney Laws came on in the second half and got a bit feisty!

I see that the  Bourgoin captain Julien Frier (who looks a bit too pretty to be playing rugby) was cited on Tuesday for punching poor little Euan Murray who I am sure did nothing at all to antagonise the situation!!!! Then, Bourgoin's backrow forward Thomas Genevois was sent off for punching Courtney Laws and as he went off he tried to slap the RED card, yes RED card out of the referees hands in a nervy spaz! Scandal! iI won't do you know.

Anyway, it was really good to see Northampton playing such fast rugby which was sadly lacking in the days prior to Jim Mallinder as coach. Young player of the year Ben Foden didn't shine too much but played his part as full back well. It was last match for Northampton and Scotland's Tom Smith, who is now 102 years old and has decided it is time to hang up his boots. Bless! Still not as old as Mike Catt though!

Then we had the Heineken Cup final at Murrayfield. The commentators worst nightmare, Leicester v Leinster, (my Mum watched the whole semi-final of Leinster v Munster and thought she had watched Leicester - that would have been odd because then Leicester would have had to face themselves in the final - never mind Mum).

Leicester had got to the final with a nail biting finish with a goal shoot out. I hate them. Can't stand the tension so I normally go off and clean something. Anyway, the day was saved by the incredibly cute Jordan Crane who tells us his nickname is Swede!! Good to see a number 8 kick so well.

The match itself was so very close and Leinster, the rightful winners, took the crown by just 3 points, 16-19. Not a remarkable match really, well from my 'bird's eye view' anyway.

Whislt all this was going on RFTG girlies were at Twickenham for the London IRB Sevens, which the England Team took the gold, and of course the legendry Bournmouth 7s was providing entertainment and excitement and lots of other things going on under canvas, down on the south coast. Apparently, my RFTG girls are insisting on me going to Bournmouth 7s next year, but Ihave told them I DON'T DO CANVAS! The nearest I get to camping is a luxury motorhome with it's own shower, TV and central heating, but we will see.....

In other news, our Ben (Cohen) has come home after an 18 month stint playing for Brive. He is back on his farm in Northamptonshire with his wellies on mending fences and building walls and that type of stuff. The mind boggles! After the summer break he will be travelling in the other direction up the M1 to start his 2 year contract with Sale. Now Ben, you are a try scoring machine, so let's see you zipping up the wing next season please and if Wally can get back into the England squad after retiring through injury, YOU SURE CAN HONEY!

At the same time a whole host of English players are heading south to play for French clubs. Jonny (poor Natalie), Tom May (poor Lucy), James Haskell, Tom Plamer and Riki Flutey. There is no doubt that the money is better that the English clubs can offer so you can't blame them really. It will be interesting to see how many of them shine down there though - ask Ben - the rugby is very different and the style of life takes some getting used to. But hey, it's an experience for them. We will miss you boys!

OK. The season is over for another year - bring on THE LIONS!