Rugby and Cricket News
Living With The Lions Sports Travel

Its early days at the moment but there is talk of an LWTL 2009 Lions reunion taking place before the Wales v England game on Friday 4 February, 2011. Watch this space for more news, but if all goes well there will be a pre-match party before the game and hopefully maybe even a game to watch! Rob Jones and John Bentley have both offered to dust off their boots so at this stage, anything looks possible!

As usual the England v Ireland match at Twickenham on 27 Feb 2010 has resulted in a shortage of hospitality packages being available. Having once sold out, we have managed to source a very limited amount of official places for the game on Saturday, so call today!

Ireland narrowly defeated Scotland to keep alive their hopes of a Grand Slam in the Six Nations, what would be their first for sixty-one years. The Irish now need to defeat current Grand Slam champions Wales in Cardiff next Saturday.

The Irish battled all the way to edge out the Scots, who have improved drastically during this rugby tournament. It was very close for the Irish, as they trailed Scotland 12-9 at the break, all the points coming from the respective boots of Chris Paterson and Ronan O’Gara.

Ireland took the lead in the second half as Jamie Heaslip went over for an Irish try, which was followed by a conversion, a drop goal and another penalty from the trusty boot of O’Gara. This was enough to Ireland home to victory.

Their trip to Wales will be anything but a formality though as Wales themselves can lift the Six Nation’s trophy if they defeat Ireland by thirteen points in Cardiff. It’s almost a shame that Wales couldn’t have beaten France a few weeks ago to set up a Grand Slam decider, in much the same as a potential decider between Wales and Ireland was averted in 2005 when it was Ireland who slipped up on route to the meeting in Cardiff.

In what has been a season to forget so far for England, Martin Johnson’s men salvaged some pride with a demolition of fancied France. The first half of the game was all England, as they ran in four tries to lead 29-0 by half time. The French, always unpredictable, had no answer to an England side that managed to marry passion and aggression, with control and temperament. This is something England have struggled to do so far this campaign.

However the victory against France was a magnificent one for the English, and even threatened to set a new record for a win against France, had it not been for a mini French revival in the second half.

It didn’t start too well for the French after the break, as England ran in another try straight away, but the visitors soon got to grips with the game, scoring their first points with tries from Dimitri Szarzewski and Julien.

In truth, the flurry from the French was more to do England relaxing than France finding any form. It could have been much worse for the French, who can consider themselves lucky to escape with just a 34-10 defeat.

Incredibly England are now the top try scorers for this 2009 tournament, going over thirteen times.

English rugby slipped to its all-time lowest ebb this week after the humiliating defeat to Ireland on Saturday. The days of the Rugby World Cup triumph in 2003 seem like a distant memory to a side that failed to trouble a brilliant Ireland, and could only kick away possession at every opportunity. England have now dropped to their lowest ever ranking in international rugby, eight, behind home nations rivals Wales and Ireland, and France, Argentina, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

England were ranked sixth at the start of the year, but now sit just one place above Scotland, who scored a victory over Italy at the weekend.

England sat on top of the World rankings after their success in 2003, but as the old guard retired from the game, England’s fortunes have change drastically.

Matters could get much worse for Martin Johnson’s men if they were to succumb to France and Scotland in the remaining two games of the Six Nations, as defeat would see them drop to ninth place in the rankings. It at least ensures that England have something to play for in the remaining two fixtures, as they cannot now lift the Six Nations trophy, or the Triple Crown.

The Six Nations Rugby Championship for 2009 is due to begin very soon and all rugby fans will want to be there to witness one of the biggest sporting events in Europe. Competitive and pulsating matches are what await thousands of eager fans. Scottish fans will be anticipating the 28th of February when Scotland take on Italy at Murrayfield.

This match would definitely make a good spectacle for just about any rugby fan because both teams are sure to go head on right from the very start. The opportunity to watch two of the biggest rugby teams in the world would also be great for young, rising rugby players.

Scotland has a lot to offer its visitors and time spent in this beautiful place will be worth every minute. There will be thousands of rugby fans from both countries to lend their support to their teams and the atmosphere is sure to be a vibrant one. So push aside everything else on your schedule and put this high on your to do list.

Italy, well known for its history, buzzing tourism, spectacular landscapes and of course the pizzas will soon host a very important match in the 6 Nations Rugby tournament. Playing hosts, the country will take on Wales, and rugby followers will definitely want to be part of this match. Taking place in the splendid Flaminio Stadium, which is in close proximity to the Olympic Village, the match will definitely be a must watch.

Rome, also known as the “Eternal City”, is one of the most beautiful and exciting places in the world. So you could easily make the rugby tour your excuse for being there. Booking your rugby tour to watch the match between Italy and Wales up close and personal will earn you two wonderful benefits. First, you get to be part of a great game and second, you get to be part of a wonderful city at a great time.

Booking your tickets for this rugby tour well in advance is the right thing to do. At a reasonable price you will be able to enjoy the clash of two rugby giants and Rome has always been a great place to enjoy a quick holiday break with its beautiful buildings, pavement cafes, pizza restaurants and friendly locals.

Rugby lovers all over are eagerly anticipating the coming of the 6 nations Rugby tournament 2009. Patriots will be there to cheer their team on and rugby followers will be eager to witness these great matches. An interesting match to watch out for will be France versus Wales. With nothing to lose, both teams are sure to go all out to clench a historical win.

The match between France and Wales will take place at the magnificent Stade de France stadium and will have a huge number of supporters from both teams. Taking place in the beautiful city of Paris, this rugby match will offer more than just some great action. It will be the perfect way to show corporate hospitality. With the growing popularity of the sport throughout the world, there is an increasing rate of rugby tours available.

Those rugby enthusiasts who live for the game will want to make an early booking for this rugby tour as tickets are selling out really quick. On the whole the game is surely going to be exciting as the two teams will be battling it out at one of the most prestigious rugby tournaments. The action in Paris promises to be good, the food awesome and rugby lovers will find it to be the perfect way to spend a weekend.

The Dragons, who look forward to welcoming England on their rugby tour to Cardiff on Valentine’s Day, will begin their Grand Slam defence on the 8th of February against Scotland at Murrayfield.

Shane Williams said that the Six Nations rugby tour was very important to them. He also added that Warren Gatland and his men were keen on keeping their title. He said that though they managed to move on from their success the previous year during the autumn internationals, they were looking forward to the new season.

He also added that looking at things from a positive side, Gatland’s men won many games last year, therefore there should be no reason for which they cannot reach that level this year.

Talking about the team, Williams said that there was more to be expected from them. He also added that though their coaches have been in charge of them for only a year, the squad undergoes improvement with every campaign.

He also said that though the team was quite settled with good players, he looked forward to welcoming back a few of his quality players like Gavin Henson, Jonathan Thomas and Mike Phillips, because of his belief of a tougher Six Nations.

Williams added that the team was under pressure of winning, something that they had to handle.

The newly appointed Lions assistant coach Warren Gatland has warned Grand Slam winning players that they will have to earn their place in next year’s team for the rugby tour of South Africa.

Gatland, who is originally from New Zealand, was named the Lions forward coach on Wednesday in Dublin. Of course there were plenty of accusations against him for taking up the job, as he is also the head coach for Wales, but Gatland was quick to dismiss them. Although Gatland is quite a young coach, he feels that this experience from the South African rugby tour will help him to grow and gain knowledge as a coach.

Gatland stated that he although he coaches the Welsh team, it does not mean that he is going to go easy on them. In fact, he has said that the Welsh players will have to work extra hard. He also stated that he was surprised at the number of Welsh players selected and that there were not too many Irish players on the team. The final team which will consist of 35 players will be announced this coming April following the Heineken Cup quarter finals.