Monday, 5 June 2017

The Blues

Nervous, rusty, not outscored
By New Zealand be not over awed.
Remember back to 71,
Be #Lions together #AllForOne!

Savaged in the local press,
Be fair it was an Eton mess,
No excuses mistakes acknowledged,
Moving on to franchise frolics!

Remember scoreline but game delete,
A win's a win but no repeat;
Dispose of any negative views
Tis Time for Tana Umaga's Blues!

Dickensian squad of;
Halfpenny, Nowell, Payne and Daly,
Owens, Haskell, Cole, Itoje
Biggar, Webb, McGrath and Henshaw;
Tipuric, Stander, Courtney Lawes.
Not Bleak, but Hard Times I suspect,
Hard graft, hard grind,  Mutual respect,
Curiosity with a Twist for home 4 nations,
Come on Lions we've Great Expectations!

Friday, 2 June 2017

The Changing Room

As you sit down in the changing room,, gathering your thoughts;
Staring at the concrete floor, focusing on nought.
This is just another game, but on this biggest stage,
Take your chance to write your name on this historic page.
Prepared for peak performance,
Mentally you bet!
Ready for All Black challenge, crouch mind set!

Your feet are gently tapping, no nerves would be untrue,
But the sound of studs on concrete floor, what does it mean to you?
There's no more nervous chatter, no banter to be found,
Nerves transformed and channelled, to that haunting tapping sound,
Of studded boots on hallowed ground, that echoes all around.
Calm yourself, control your thoughts, you mustn't peak too early.
There's experience in this changing room, deep breaths will now help surely!

You are only as good as this next game,
To the grind stone once again;
But remember your magnificence, of all past games and then:
Your skill and dedication, will certainly bring more.
Bottle all those positives, your greatest still in store:
This is your time get ready, you'll play your best game yet.
British and Irish Lions, crouch bind set!

The drip of perspiration, that collects on furrowed brow,
We know this salt like teardrop, but keep controlled for now.
Your passion, what it means to you, soon we'll see it flow
When the Haka starts, your toughened shell, emotion now on show.

Tight bonding in the changing room, just one last final squeeze,
As you step out of the changing room to Auckland's Winter breeze!

That sound of studs now echoes, as you walk out one by one,
But you know you are together, Lions in union,
The jersey and this honour. The roaring has begun,
Remember we are with you, you live our dreams and hopes:
The whole pride and you lucky ones, you 15 Glorious blokes.
You know you're not alone, Four Nations very best
British and Irish Lions let's take on Everest!

Monday, 15 May 2017

Centres

Twinkle toes, or go route one,
Bish, bash, bosh, straight down the middle!
Subtle soft hands, disguise the run,
Offload to a second fiddle!

Short ball, off the shoulder, stride
Create bulls eye for the forwards,
Suck in defence, make space out wide,
Recycle. Get up and onwards!

Arcing run, those outside lines,
or acting dummy runner,
Change of pace, oh tingle spines,
Fast feet, Oh how you've done em!

Choose wise angles. Pythagoras,
Use tangent, cosign rule,
Trigonometry for short pop pass
Make opposition fools!

Make them think, play what's ahead
Time for them take stock;
The opposition will be left for dead,
Be tight defence a rock!

Probing runs, pass into space,
Inside shoulder, good line speed,
Short or long, beat them for pace.
Outside backs be freed

Backs moves made of odd concoctions,
Understand the complex calls
Give fly half some other options!
Execute or clear the ball

Take ball in, or swiping kick,
You have extra eyes and ears
Centres what makes attacking tick
Tackle hard but buy the beers!

Second Row

Giraffes, the butt of those jokes,
As you scrum down together
with those forward folks.
Shove in your head,
Ears crushed by those hips,
Binding so tightlly,
Affording no slips.
Legs locking like girders,
No give is the key,
Fearless dark arts
Is the way that you'll be!

Ball in at scrum time,
The pressure, the urge
Feeling the power house
Of the second row surge!
Studs bite the turf,
Strong, solid as the rock;
Giving them nothing,
This second row lock!

Loloping from line out,
To ruck and to maul,
Dominate the line Call,
Recycling the ball.

Rolling maul champions,
Front, middle or back,
Lifted safely, leading the pack.
Jumping forward or taking the lob,
In tune with your hooker,
You give him the nod.

Do your set piece,
Run at the gain line;
Battering ram body
Built by design,
Beware body angles;
If tackling hit hard,
Knocking them backwards,
Like pack of house cards!

Gentle giants, stuck in engine room,
Pack down together,
Leave other scrum strewn;
Splintered, collapsed all left in a heap:
Actions, the answer, for talking is cheap:
Unsung heroes the damage is done
The second row giants, they too can have fun!

Tuesday, 9 May 2017

Open Side

Ubiquitous and in your face,
First to the tackle to be 2nd: disgrace!
All over it, a race and a dash;
Everywhere, like an unsightly rash!

A spoiler, disrupter, slowing possession,
Popeye forearms with spinach obsession:
Wreak havoc, choke tackle, fight for the ball,
Whether in ruck or marauding in maul.

The limpet, the octopus, will you just let go!
Annoyance, your stranglehold, stop slowing down flow
Nuisance, you're ruining best plans and best plays
Tackling attackers and leaving them dazed!

Instrumental, the link man, help flow in attack,
On shoulder of those and will take the ball back.
Security blanket for gas men out wide,
Stick up your jumper, protect ball with pride.

Hard nosed, hard nails, as fit as they come,
Boundless energy, they just run and run.
Like door mat, down trodden, selfless protectors of ball.
Open sides eveywhere they set out their stall!

Wingers

Give me the ball, give me the space,
I have the wheels to win any race.
Show me the outside, I'll do you for pace,
I'll take it if given there won't be a trace!

Put in the basket, put on a plate,
Hopefully the centres will make me look great.
Draw in the cover, leave the pass late,
Swallow dive finish my personal trait!

For work I'll go looking, time after time,
Changing the angles running fine lines,
Taking it open, using the blind,
Side step to fix them leave them behind!

Tackling well maybe, perhaps last resort.
I'm a thoroughbred animal the athletic sort,
A little demeaning, no tackling I thought,
I'm a finisher the icing, on the cake I was  taught!

Monday, 8 May 2017

Front Row Union

I've never been stuck at the coal face
Packed down in the engine room
I'm not quite built like a power house
It'll be grim is what I assume

Lifting big fella's in line outs
Ripping the ball in a maul
Neck as thick as a tree trunk
Second rows seven feet tall

Scrummage is where they will face off
Man for man hold their own
Pack down ready for take off
Seeds of strength they have sewn

They love these front row battles
It's where the games can be won
Hand bags, some tittle tattle
Up front is where there's much fun

Ball in hand they can trundle
Off load in the tight and the loose
Front row boys all stay humble
Hard graft is the secret, the truth

Clearing out when it's ruck time
Ensuring for others quick ball
Powering over the try line
Or sometimes with ball you will fall!

I've never been stuck at the coal face
To be honest I don't think I'll moan
The subtleties of front row union
Well, I guess it's each to their own!