Six Nations Loom Large TIGER LOCKED up in OLD HABITS
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Saturday Vision, February 5, 2011 11 Sports Extra... [email protected] Rugby column GOLF Six Nations loom large TIGER LOCKED UP IN OLD HABITS seen exciting, open running play from olf fans their backline in attack. England’s leg- and endary efficiency at set pieces means they sponsors Peter can retain vast amounts of possession, may be have a five eight Toby Flood who can yearning Ofong control the game with his boot and now Gto see the a backline that can terrify opponents. dominant Working against England are injuries to player they call the “old” captain Lewis Moody, flanker Tom Croft Tiger Woods resurface, but and lock Courtney Lawes but they have Woods himself says too enough player depth to steady the ship. much “old” Tiger is just his he Northern hemisphere pre- England will also need to watch their problem. mier international ‘six nations’ over exaggerated belief about their abili- “The old motor patterns competition kicks off today. ties (today I will need protection from my are still there,” said Woods, This year’s has been billed as English mates). In Ben Youngs they have lamenting the fact that his the most open to date due to one of the best scrum halves in the world remodeled swing has yet the huge number of injuries. on current form and he is the kind of to stand up consistently to Who are the contenders? player who can turn a game on its head. tournament pressure. TWho will triumph? Prediction: First. Book maker’s “I’m going to have to fight favourite England will want to make a through that. I’ve done it France statement before the RWC and the six before, and there’s no reason TheLes Blues are the defend- nations will provide that platform. I can’t do it again.” ing six nations champions after last Woods, who undertook year’s grand slam. Coached by Marc Ireland the changes with Canadian Lievremont they are said to have state- Ireland have also suffered a lot of coach Sean Foley last year, of-the-art training facilities that are injuries with their backline virtually appeared to have made real the envy of the rest of their opponents. decimated with Shane Horgan, Tommy headway by the Chevron France have the size, power and flair to Bowe, Rob Kearney, Geordan Murphy World Challenge unofficial match any team in the world on their and Andrew Trimble all sidelined. The event in December. day. Last year their tactics were geared 2009 grand slam winners and runners up But he towards the power game, fielding one last year are a fire in the belly passionate finished tied for huge grizzly bear of a player after kind of team that can conjure up victories 44th - his worst another. As explained last week France even when they are off form but I’m US PGA Tour “I can do it on from what I did with Butch,” can be an awkward opponent as one afraid they will find this year a bridge too season-opener - the range, but it’s Woods said. never knows which line up the coach far on account of their huge casualty list. with an erratic a little different The 14-time major cham- will come up with each week and as Brian O’driscoll is the best outside center display at the when I’ve got pion, whose last victory was at such they become an unpredictable in the world and his leadership will be Farmers Insur- to bring it out the Australian Masters in No- team loosing the odd unlikely game. instrumental for Ireland ance Open last here and I’ve got vember 2009, acknowledged it With mounting injuries France have Prediction: Third week. to shape shots,” might be tempting to fall back the player depth to still maintain their He admit- Woods noted. on his old ways, but insists he’s quality and their scrum half Morgan Wales ted he had Woods, whose committed to the process of Parra is one to watch. Warren Gartland’s Wales have also expected more next scheduled change. Prediction: second. With the dis- been hit by a devastating number of inju- at Torrey Pines, tournament is “How else are you going to traction of the looming RWC, France ries and they just do not have the quality where he had the European get better?” Woods said. “You’ve may slip. replacements to do the job. With a fully won his last Tour’s Dubai got to do it. It takes reps and it fit squad, Wales has what it takes to win five starts in Desert Classic takes reps under competition. the Six nations but not this year. Their a stretch that which runs from You can’t be afraid to go ahead .. grizzly bear of a key player remains fly half James Hook. included his February 10-13, and try it.” Prediction: Fifth. Yes it will be that 2008 US Open has rebuilt his How long it might be before player... bad. triumph. game before, Woods can shed his old swing “I started with former habits and return to the habit I have run out of space but watch out out hitting it coaches Butch of winning remains to be seen. for dark horses Scotland who won five pretty good out Harmon and “It’s one of those things England out of their last six Test clashes including here this week, Hank Haney. where I don’t know where the England under RWC winner Mar- a win against World Cup winners South I really did,” “It’s tough. It’s end is,” Woods said. “You never tin Johnson have had mixed fortunes Africa. They will definitely have some- said Woods, who opened with one of the things I struggled know where the end is until and are very much a team in transition. thing to prove in this Six nations and the consecutive 69s before shoot- with when I worked with you’re done with your playing Their static game has now evolved as player to look out for here is flank John ing 74-75 on the weekend. “It Hank, trying to relearn some career.” they now employ some never before Barclay. progressively got worse. new things and going away AFP This weekend da’s impending participation Uganda’s players while in Rwanda. Football, Saturday FUBA BITING in the Zone Five All Africa To transport them? Yes. But to Nations Qualifiers in Kigali. give them a comfortable existence CHAN The fact that Uganda will be off-court to motivate their perfor- Uganda v Algeria 3:30pm OFF MORE THAN represented in both the men’s mances on court? No. Ghana v South Africa 5:30pm and women’s categories is good This, by the way, is not entirely Zimbabwe v Niger 8pm CAN BE CHEWED reason for crediting FUBA. FUBA’s fault. The body’s annual It is very likely that some of income is not enough to have en- Uganda’s counterparts in the abled them raise the sh60m which Cricket, Saturday Charles Mutebi says FUBA is zone will not have a single team they estimated for this event. Uganda Cricket Association polls at the tournament, let alone Whatever the circumstances, apparently too ambitious two. In fact, FUBA’s initial plan though, the players’ welfare should Tennis, Saturday was not to only participate but have been given priority. To be Uganda Tennis Association assembly t is difficult to make up one’s to host the event. It was an blunt, if FUBA knew they would mind on FUBA’s willingness Women’s captain Frances Nabulobi exciting prospect but ulti- struggle to raise money for two to give it a go. On one hand, mately proved too ambitious for teams, which they did, then they Rugby, Saturday you have to give the basketball But the other hand, you have to FUBA, who pulled out at the should have planned to take one. Rugby League governing body credit because question whether the ‘try and fail last minute for Rwanda. The issue of which team that Pirates v Impis this desire to always make an but never fail to try’ mantra can But that is only half the story. would be is irrelevant. The point Heathens v Rhinos Ieffort has significantly supported always be an alternative for realism. The other half is that there is is, it is no use biting off what you the growth of the game in Uganda. To illustrate this, consider Ugan- not enough money to support can’t chew. Nile v Kobs Mongers v Buffaloes .