The art of decoy running

Efter att ha sett England få storspank av Sydafrika på Twickenham under de gröngulas s.k. keltiska turné i november 2008 har jag några frågor:

1) Hur kan Sackey gå från briljant till fummelputte, till briljant igen inom loppet av två minuter? Snygga nerplockningar av satellitkickar, för att sen tappa pisslätta passningar framåt alternativt ut över linjen...man blir ju nervös av karln.

2) Hur tråkigt är det att vara Cipriani när han blir utklassad av Pienaar inför 80000 engelsmän?

3) När Habana tävlade mot en gepard, trodde han innerst inne att han kunde vinna? Och var han rädd att honan skulle föredra hans skinkor framför steken på snöret?

Over all ändå en match som var klart sevärd och kul, även om britten i hushållet störde upplevelsen med sina svordomar. Många snygga improviserade moves efter trassliga situationer... The art of decoy running! skrek kommentatorn i extas vid ett tillfälle, det är nog sånt man ska ta till sig och praktisera själv. Man kan i alla fall försöka.

Munster vs All Blacks

Keeping busy by trying to expand my - until now - close to non-existent rugby dvd library. Hence me on the train to work yesterday, not sleeping but watching last Novembers battle between irish club Munster and the All Blacks on my 2" iPod. Did a brilliant job keeping me awake, at times not the best executed attack or defence by any of the teams but really good to watch, anything could happen! I missed McCaw though. And Munsters logo with the three crowns looked confusingly swedish...with a bit of imagination that stag could be an elk!

Pre-season

Not much action at the moment, doing pre-season stuff like circuit training and looking forward to saturdays when we actually get to practise ballhandling and this seasons new moves. Trying to watch as much rugby as possible and from time to time I think about trying another position (no, not fullback!). Since I one night at the club was urged on by our 10, 15 and current 12 to take up the first center position when she goes abroad, I've been giving it some thought. Could be fun, since I crash better that I dodge, but guess the allmighty coach might have a word or two to say about it. Anyway, let's have some popcorn and watch Wales beat France in last years Six nations. And by the way, isn't Szarzewski the cutest little hooker in town, stubbornly running into the bigger guys round the rucks time after time?

Happy new rugby year

Lots of things happening in 2009...I move back to Sweden to play with my old team, and we've got a new coach which will be an experience. A fair few friends (english birds too) are playing in Stockholm 10's, and it's my first year there, will be good. And of course the tour of all tours, my reunioun with Saints in Belgium! Look out for the party train from St Pancras! Finally, I hope to do my very best at the swedish ladies annual training camp in October... Lots of things to look forward to!

Second row

Just wanted to mention something we did on wednesdays training, partly for fun and partly to be able to appreciate what the others do on the pitch, be more aware of the position everybody else should be in und so weiter. We were doing some game play with pretend opposition, and all forwards played as backs and vice versa - I had a great time! It was all a bit confusing to start with, as you can imagine, the pods weren't really working as they should =) Lineouts didn't include spectacular lifts and scrummaging was appalling (but since the only one pushing against us was Glyn the Coach it didn't really matter). I have done one training session as a second row very early in my career, so when it was time for the scrum I tried grabbing my props shorts because I've been told that's how you do it. Apparently my "prop" was not prepared for such a intimate grip and KP bounced off shouting not there, not there! Hilarious!

Anyway, it's something I wouldn't mind doing again. Try it. (not the grabbing, the whole exercise!)

Fullback

Söndagens match blev verkligen värsta möjliga scenario (eller ja, inga brutna nackar - men en usel dag för laget och för mig). Med flera spelare på ovana eller helt nya positioner (jag! jag!) och utan att ha tränat ihop oss var vi stundtals inget vidare motstånd för Woodbridge. De hade två bra spelare som deras spel hängde på och vi lyckades inte stänga ner dem. 12an bröt igenom gång efter gång och jag som fullback var inte glad. Efter att ha klappat ihop totalt tacklingsmässigt var det bara att jaga varje gång och olyckligtvis var hon nästan lika snabb som jag. 20 meter till så hade jag nog tagit henne innan linjen, men idag var inte en sån dag. Cookie kom in som avbytare i andra halvlek och åkte till sjukhuset strax efteråt när hennes axel dragits ur sockeln. Flanker Kat fick flytta ut på vingen, men haltade av snarast när hon fick vristen avtacklad och blev hämtad av ambulans. En usel prestation nästan alltigenom - vi hade en bra session på kanske 20 minuter i andra när vi gjorde tre försök och hoppades kunna komma ikapp, men förgäves. Jag hoppas kunna få lite positionsspecifik träning innan jag går på som fullback igen, typ en mot en-situationer please.

Have you ever played fullback?

No. Big fat no. The thought of it scares me a bit, partly because I'm not sure where to be or how the hell to catch the kicks, and partly because I still don't think I'm ready for all the bossing around. I still think about myself as a newbie, why would the back line listen to me - I don't know WHAT I'm doing! Coach tried to sweet-talk me into it today by calling me "a good tackler" (obviously low on numbers for sunday). Well, this might be the time to man up and do it. Ask me the question again next week and we'll see.

ps. Have also completely missed out on info about this week's 60's theme social. Am a bit short on flowery dresses so might have to go completely body painted. Free love, right?