Will Greenwood: Beating Scotland and why change is good

Memories / Will Greenwood / 09 March 2011 / Leave a Comment

"That's my try!"

Will reflects on a memorable score against the Scots and explains why a team that can absorb change is often a winning team...

England v Scotland at Twickenham is always a great occasion but, as a player, I used to really enjoy the trip north of the border. That may have a lot to do with the fact that I never lost at Murrayfield but it was always a great place to go to, a fantastic stadium, filled with a passionate crowd. There was always a top night out in Edinburgh afterwards too.

I played against Scotland at Twickenham in 2001 and 2003. I scored a memorable try in the '01 fixture which was all about Jason Robinson's pace and finesse. Robbo came off the bench for only his second international appearance; I'd seen him play against Italy a fortnight before and noted how quick he was in training but he really was an explosive talent. If he took off there was no point in trying to keep up with him. The key was to run down the middle in the hope that he would make the most of my support. That's exactly what happened and I scored between the sticks, untouched from 50 yards. Of course, I had Austin Healy in my ear, saying: "That was my try."

Robbo became an important player in a great team but one of our key strengths under Clive Woodward was the way we absorbed changes. That challenge now faces the current England side.

Changes are part of a winning team's progress. While most people were in agreement in 2003 about the starting team, the side was never adversely affected by late changes, injuries, or week to week form. The ability to absorb change is a strength.

This weekend, Johnno is likely to make changes, if not to the starting line-up then certainly as the game against Scotland progresses. International rugby is no longer a 15 man game, it's all about building a strong 30 man squad with no weak links. Nowadays, you need two teams.

*

To follow Will on Twitter click here and to visit his website click here.

Will reflects on a memorable score against the Scots and explains why a team that can absorb change is often a winning team......

Will knows what it takes to beat France, having done it plenty of times at Twickenham. He also knows that there's a fine art to team changes and believes the French coach is being indecisive rather than bold......

Will Greenwood reveals his enduring affection for Italy and explains why he's more comfortable watching England beat the Azzurri from the sidelines than running in multiple tries......

Betfair website

Winner Stays On: Is beating Baby child's play?

Winner Stays On / Jamie "The Pacman" Pacheco / 26 February 2011 / Leave a Comment

Dirty Dancings' baby alongside the late Patrick Swayze

"So If Only has another shot at the £100 prize and is once more up against Baby Birch. Baby Birch comes from a long line of people who call themselves Baby but aren’t actually babies."

If Only is trying to beat Baby Birch and become the second winner of £100. But what has he gone for this week and what's all this Baby malarkey?

Last week's edition of Winner Stays On has been void due to an administrative error. That's the posh way of saying 'we made a bit of a hash of things'. It's a bit like Janet Jackson's infamous flash going down as a 'wardrobe malfunction' or an out-of-control band member who can't stand up on stage leaving his bandmates due to 'musical differences'.

So If Only has another shot at the £100 prize and is once more up against Baby Birch. Baby Birch comes from a long line of people who call themselves Baby but aren't actually babies. If he was a Baby he wouldn't be particularly up to date with Lille's home form this season and perhaps more to the point, he wouldn't be allowed to have a Betfair account.

For the record, other babies who weren't really babies include: Baby Spice and Baby from Dirty Dancing. Quite why someone would want to pretend to be a baby is pretty unclear. You don't get served in pubs, you go to bed too early to be able to watch The Ashes when it's played in Australia and you don't have enough money to go to the River Cafe because...well, you don't have any need for it. As we always say here at WSO, we're not judgemental people. Because if we were we'd say: it's time to grow up and act your age, you muppet.

This week's matches:

Arsenal v Birmingham
Lille v Lyon
Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund

If Only's Selections

Arsenal v Birmingham - Back an Arsenal clean sheet at 2.1
Lille v Lyon - Back 'yes' on both teams to score at 1.88
Bayern Munich v Dortmund - Back under 2.5 goals at 2.26

Baby Birch's selections

Arsenal v Birmingham - Back under 2.5 goals at 2.0
Lille v Lyon - Back 'no' on both teams to score at 2.04
Bayern v Dortmund - Back the draw at 3.8

If Only is trying to beat Baby Birch and become the second winner of £100. But what has he gone for this week and what's all this Baby malarkey?...

If Only is on the brink of major Winner Stays On success but history is riddled with tales of what might have been. Has our man got what it takes to go all the way?...

WSO isn't just about being the best tipster in the business. It's also about winning dosh. Here are WSO's selections as the best things to do with the £100 prize....

Betfair website

La Liga Betting: Another Real beating for Levante?

Spanish Football / Tobias Gourlay / 18 February 2011 / Leave a Comment

Levante should be able to improve on the result of their previous visit to Real Madrid.

"Mourinho's current team seems to have recovered its mojo and will be further encouraged by Barca's failure to beat Sporting Gijon"

Tobias Gourlay assays the weekend's Spanish Primera Division action, starting with Levante's return to the scene of an infamous defeat.

Valencia v Sporting Gijon (Saturday 1700 GMT)

Chronology demands this be our first match.

In-play bettors: don't forget Valencia's late-goal habit. Strikes in the last 15 minutes have changed the results of seven of their last eight matches.

Real Madrid v Levante (Saturday 1900 GMT)

Real Madrid get an opportunity to reduce Barcelona's lead at the top of La Liga to two points temporarily. Jose Mourinho's team is in action on Saturday evening, while the champions do not play until Sunday night.

Levante are the lambs to this weekend's slaughter at the Bernabeu. Earlier this month, Luis Garcia's men became the first to beat Villarreal at El Madrigal this season. That highly surprising result probably means little in the face of Real's toweringly perfect home record. Remember too that it is now eight years since one of Mourinho's clubs lost a league game at home. Ah, and also that Levante lost a Copa del Rey game 8-0 here just before Christmas.

Mourinho's current team seems to have recovered its mojo and will be further encouraged by Barca's failure to beat Sporting Gijon a week ago. You won't get much of a price backing them for the straight win, however. And the nature of their most recent home victories is erratic - they have scored four in a couple, while others have been 1-0s.

Time to get creative... What about Levante to score? They have found the back of the net in 10 of their previous 12 away matches this term, while Real have leaked three goals in as many games in the Spanish capital. A lay price of [2.04] in the Real Madrid Clean Sheet market looks too long for their Valencian visitors to grab a consolation at some stage.

Barcelona v Athletic Bilbao (Sunday 2000 GMT)

Barcelona lost to Arsenal in midweek. And last weekend they drew 1-1 with Sporting Gijon. Dani Alves says there is no need for alarm bells, but is the team now beginning the comedown from the peaks of physical fitness they scaled at the end of last year?

Even if that is the case, they will probably get by Athletic Bilbao at the Camp Nou on Sunday. The Lions might battle fiercely at home in San Mames, but usually roll over on visits to the Big Two. They lost 5-1 at the Bernabeu earlier this season and by the same score on last season's trip to the Camp Nou. Since Joaquin Caparros took charge in 2007, they have been beaten in all matches they have played away to Spain's biggest and best.

This column's been championing Pedro's work for a little while now and has picked up some support from a surprising source. Although he is now a couple of starts without a goal, he might still offer value in the To Score market, the more so because of Athletic's record of conceding heavily in this sort of fixture.

Real Sociedad v Real Mallorca (Monday 2000 GMT)

This week, you will have to wait until Monday evening for the best money-making opportunity in Spain. Real Sociedad have scored first in 10 of their 11 games at Inoeta this season, while this weekend's visitors to the Basque country, Real Mallorca, have conceded first in seven of their last eight away matches against teams in the middle third of La Liga. Look for a price somewhere close to evens when the Next Goal market matures and, if it's there, get involved.

It's an awfully long journey from the Balearics for Michael Laudrup's squad and losing won't improve their mood. Unfortunately for them, the numbers say the home side are excellent value for the win at [2.2]. Martin Lasarte's Sociedad have earned a lot of column space with their Barcelona-lite approach to the beautiful game, playing aggressive, attacking football from the first whistle. So long as they are underrated by the layers, that will continue to be the case.

Best Bet: Back Real Sociedad at [2.2] to beat Real Mallorca
Recommended Bet: Lay Real Madrid Clean Sheet at [2.04] v Levante

Tobias Gourlay assays the weekend's Spanish Primera Division action, starting with Levante's return to the scene of an infamous defeat....

Atletico Madrid's own coach does not really believe in them any more. And neither does Tobias Gourlay....

Real Madrid tried very hard to keep pace with Barcelona in the first half of the season, but are now paying for their exertions, reports Tobias Gourlay in his weekly Spanish football column....

Betfair website