November 2014 ~ InulPoker Sleeping

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Rugby Union on the BBC

By GSpot66611:57 PMRugby, UnionNo comments

BBC Sport will have comprehensive coverage of the Six Nations on television, radio and online.

As well as live matches, there will also be on-demand highlights online, selected Connected TVs, mobiles, tablets and the BBC Sport app.

There will also be live text commentary on every match.

Details will appear here when announced.

NB. Fixtures and event start times are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made. For more details of forthcoming coverage, visit the specific sport's page on the desktop website.

You can view BBC Sport output as well as listen to our radio sports programming on the BBC iPlayer.

The BBC Sport website is available via desktop, mobile, tablet and app, giving fast and easy access to the live stream, text commentaries, news, reports, schedules, videos, as well as highlights of the day's action. The BBC Sport app is available free for Apple and Android devices.

National and regional variations have been included in this list where possible. Please check your local listings for more detailed information.

To find out the latest about rugby union coverage, please visit our What's on BBC Sport page.

England’s midfield minefield

By GSpot66611:54 PMEnglands, midfield, minefieldNo comments

Centres of excellence may have been pivotal in the successes of much British sport in the past decade - in cycling, in athletics, in rowing.

The same cannot be said of the England rugby team. For all the individual skills of those selected in the 12 and 13 shirts since the 2003 World Cup win, this has been less about productive partnerships and more a midfield minefield.

Since that triumph in Sydney in late 2003, England have tried 43 different combinations at centre. And as they prepare for the 2015 tournament, the churn appears to be accelerating: five different partnerships in six Tests, three different pairings at fly-half and inside centre in three.

This weekend against Australia it is Billy Twelvetrees' turn to be recalled at 12, Brad Barritt outside him.

England 28-9 Samoa highlights

It is a pairing with promise. It is also one that few England fans would bet on being in place when the World Cup begins next September.

England's centres were once the unshakeable backbone of their XV: Will Carling and Jeremy Guscott in harness 43 times, Will Greenwood and Mike Tindall the brain and brawn in Sir Clive Woodward's World Cup winning side.

The list since then reads like a litany of lost promise and injury, young talent tossed away and steady stagers unable to step up.

There are those stalwarts all will remember - Jamie Noon, Rikki Flutey, Toby Flood. There are those who bring back memories of brief experiments under Andy Robinson - Anthony Allen, Stuart Abbott, Henry Paul - and then the short-term solutions of Martin Johnson: Shane Geraghty, Dan Hipkiss, Matt Banahan and Shontayne Hape.

There are the great what ifs - Mathew Tait and James Simpson-Daniel - and there is the name that would serve you best as a contestant on BBC TV show Pointless, Ayoola Erinle.

What there isn't is consistency. Tindall had 12 different centre partners after 2003. With just nine games to go until the World Cup kicks off, current coach Stuart Lancaster appears afflicted by the same indecisiveness.

Design or dithering? Hard luck with injuries or poor selection in the first place?

"The way it's going at the moment is because we virtually started again two years ago," says Lancaster's assistant Andy Farrell, as a player one of the inside centres given a handful of games, but no more, in the last decade.

England's Will Greenwood takes on South Africa's Conrad Jantjes

Will Greenwood (right) was the midfield brains in Sir Clive Woodward's 2003 World Cup-winning side

"You start off with one or two combinations, and then you try a different way of playing with a different full-back, and it changes the balance.

"We had Alex Goode at full-back as a ball-playing 15, who could step in as an alternative fly-half. Then Mike Brown went to full-back and was outstanding, and that changed how we worked things.

"Where we've been over the two years, we've had players come onto the international scene, like Twelvetrees, playing quite a few games with Manu Tuilagi, and then Manu's injured so Luther Burrell comes on the scene.

"We've got to see if that can flourish in training and match situations. All of a sudden Kyle Eastmond plays well for Bath at the end of last season and is on fire at the start of this one.

"So it's less an element of chopping and changing as such, it's more trying to find out at such a young stage of the team's development.

"Ideally you'd like to get to a place where you could say, this is the group, off you go, but it's hard when you're a young side."

It is hard too for those who are picked to remember who is alongside them. Tuilagi has had seven different partners for England, Barritt and Twelvetrees four. Even Eastmond, in just five starts for the national side, has had three.

Injuries have played a part in that. Players too have to bear responsibility; Tuilagi and Burrell apart, few have made a consistent and unarguable case for inclusion.

Starting pair Played Won Lost Win %

But whereas Welsh supporters know their long-term first-choice pairing is Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies, and Ireland could until the latter's retirement pick Gordon D'Arcy and Brian O'Driscoll in their sleep, England are still searching for their ideal blend.

Do they want a kicking inside centre, like Twelvetrees, or a dashing stepper like Eastmond? Should the man outside him be a defensive rock, like Barritt, or a battering-ram like Tuilagi? Could Tuilagi and Burrell, both direct runners, play together without the team missing the silkier, more subtle skills of a traditional passing 12?

"The logical feeling in rugby now is, get your best players out there," says Farrell. "And that means your best players at centre might be much of a muchness.

"You'd like them to have some speed, you'd like them to have a voice so they can organise, but what you'd hope is that the 10, 12, 13 and 15 would complement each other.

"It ain't just about that centre partnership. Because how does that partnership work? It works from first phase in attack and defence, and that's about it.

"It's how they gel with the rest of the team that is the bigger picture. And that has to come from what your best players have got."

It is certainly true that the great centre pairings were blessed with rich talent around them. Wales's princes Steve Fenwick and Ray Gravell could look inside to see Phil Bennett and Gareth Edwards.

Tim Horan and Jason Little were one part of a Wallabies back line that also featured Nick Farr-Jones, Michael Lynagh and David Campese. The All Blacks' brilliant Walter Little and Frank Bunce were fed and supported by Andrew Mehrtens, Jonah Lomu and Jeff Wilson.

"We will progress, because everyone's had their fair share training time and game time," insists Farrell.

Mike Tindall takes on France's Jerome Thion

Mike Tindall had 12 different centre partners with England after the 2003 World Cup win

"There's quite a lot of our players in the infancy of centre play in the Premiership, never mind the international game. So you have to go with it, to make it flourish together."

Not all are convinced. "England's back-line selections for the autumn internationals have been bizarre," said Jason Robinson, World Cup winning full-back and occasional partner of Greenwood at centre afterwards. "I haven't got a clue what they are trying to achieve."

Neither is there consistency further out. Lancaster has selected 13 different starting wings since the start of his reign, and 12 wing combinations in 33 matches.

He has certainly given players a chance. Whether he has given them long enough, in the right environment, is more debatable.

Eastmond was given an opportunity only against the best two sides in the world, New Zealand and South Africa. He was playing outside a fly-half in Owen Farrell who was short of form and confidence. When his Bath club-mate George Ford came in at 10, a much more natural fit for his running game, he was out of the squad.

Eastmond has been criticised for lacking a kicking game. But he has never had a kicking game. There is talent out there. Is it being harnessed as it should?

"Kyle is new to the game, and new to the position," says Farrell. "It wasn't easy for him - those games were raining, the opposition were on the front foot.

Brad Barritt (right) and Manu Tuilagi have played together the most since 2003, featuring 11 times

"He found his feet at Bath last year, and he's even closer to finding his feet, and his voice, this year. Transferring that to another group is another challenge in itself. But it is something he will flourish with and learn as he goes.

"We give all our players work-ons. For Billy, it was about being accurate with his decisions, and accurate with the execution of whatever it is we want to do.

"Improving his communication skills, not just to the ball-player but to the forwards around him, so that things are done properly rather than going through the motions. That's what a second receiver - be it a full-back, a 13 or an inside centre - has to do.

"The main thing that needs to be said is that the player has to be able to be himself. So you don't try to make them something they're not. Whatever X-factor they have, make sure that they bring that to the party.

"Manu is a go-forward destructive, break the line sort of player, Brad is a go forward man and unbelievably strong at the breakdown. Within that they have to be able to organise, they have to be able to ball play, they have to be able to unlock defences.

"But first of all they have to get their X-factor out there and make a difference. Because ultimately centres are all about making things happen - whether it's making things happen for other people or themselves.

"And it's not just about the centres. The partnership is one of many. We talk about Greenwood and Tindall - well, that combination is useless without them being on the same page as Dawson, Wilkinson and Robinson.

"That's what that group had - a settled team that grew together for six or seven years. Us? We're at the start."

Zebre 18-10 Edinburgh

By GSpot66611:50 PMEdinburgh, ZebreNo comments

Tries: Bisegni, Visentin Pen: Haimona 2 Cons: Haimona

Try: Grant Pens: Heathcote Cons: Heathcote

Edinburgh conceded two tries in the final 20 minutes as Zebre ended a run of four defeats to move up to 10th in the Pro12 table.

A Roddy Grant try helped the visitors to a 7-3 interval lead and a Tom Heathcote penalty extended their advantage early in the second half.

But, having recovered from three yellow cards, Zebre replied with tries from Giulio Bisegni and Michele Visentin.

The second score was awarded after a long wait for TV replays.

It was just a second win of the season for the Parma-based side, while Edinburgh slumped to a fifth defeat from their nine outings.

Kelly Haimona's penalty, which hit the post on its way over, gave the hosts a 10th-minute lead.

Heathcote missed the chance to level but Alan Solomons' side managed to build a head of steam, with Valerio Bernabo in the sin-bin.

The breakthrough came shortly before the break, with Grant ploughing over and Heathcote was successful with the conversion.

Edinburgh threatened another score early in the second half, with winger Dougie Fife stopped just short of the line.

And Heathcote knocked over a penalty after Hennie Daniller was shown a yellow card by referee David Wilkinson.

Repeated infringements at the scrum then saw a player from each side sent to cool off, with Rory Sutherland joining Zebre's Dario Chistolin on the sidelines.

Haimona reduced the deficit with a penalty before the Italians moved in front with an impressive counter-attack.

WP Nel fumbled to send the hosts rushing forward and centre Bisegni finished a slick move off under the posts, with Haimona converting.

The home side had their tails up and replacement centre Visentin completed the scoring as he bundled over in the corner while Haimona missed the extras as Edinburgh lost for the third consecutive game to Italian opposition.

Zebre: Hendrik Daniller, Leonardo Sarto, Giulio Bisegni, Matteo Pratichetti, Giulio Toniolatti, Kelly Haimona, Brendon Leonard, Samuela Vunisa, Filippo Cristiano, Valerio Bernabò, Marco Bortolami (capt), George Biagi, Dario Chistolini, Andrea Manici, Andrea Lovotti.

Replacements: Oliviero Fabiani, Andrea De Marchi, Lorenzo Romano / Luca Redolfini, Quintin Geldenhuys, Andries Van Schalkwyk / Jacopo Sarto, Guglielmo Palazzani, Luciano Orquera, Michele Visentin / Giovanbattista Venditti.

Edinburgh: Nick McLennan, Dougie Fife, Matt Scott, Andries Strauss, Tim Visser, Tom Heathcote, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne; Rory Sutherland, Ross Ford, Willem Nel, Ollie Atkins, Ben Toolis, Mike Coman (capt), Roddy Grant, Dave Denton.

Replacements: James Hilterbrand, Grant Shiells, John Andress, Fraser McKenzie, Tomas Leonardi, Grayson, Hart, Greig Tonks, Sam Beard.

Bath 25-6 Harlequins

By GSpot66611:46 PMHarlequinsNo comments

Tries: Banahan, Eastmond, Batty, Houston Cons: Devoto Pens: Devoto

Cross-code signing Sam Burgess came on to make his debut and help Bath overcome a Harlequins side that was briefly down to 12 men.

Burgess, 25, who fractured a cheekbone guiding South Sydney Rabbitohs to their NRL Grand Final win last month, only resumed training recently.

Tries from Matt Banahan and Kyle Eastmond put Bath 13-3 up at half-time.

Quins' hopes faded with three players sin-binned before Ross Batty and Leroy Houston crossed over for Bath.

Nick Evans' second penalty made it 13-6 and Kyle Sinckler, George Robson and Will Collier were then yellow carded.

While the London side resisted the home side's pressure with three men missing, Batty eventually crashed over when Sinckler returned to the action.

The bonus-point try from Houston came against a full complement, completing a dominant performance which lifts Bath to the top of the table overnight.

Victory moves Bath ahead of Northampton and Exeter at the summit, with the Saints taking on bottom side London Welsh on Sunday after the Chiefs face Saracens on Saturday.

Touted as a potential England prospect for next year's World Cup, all the focus ahead of Quins' visit to the Rec was centred on the Dewsbury-born Burgess.

Sam Burgess played on with a broken cheekbone to help deliver an NRL Grand Final for the South Sydney Rabbitohs - a club co-owned by Hollywood actor Russell Crowe

Having agreed to join Bath in February on a three-year deal his arrival was eagerly anticipated even before he produced one of Australian sports' bravest performances by guiding the Rabbitohs to their first premiership win since 1971.

Burgess played the full 80 minutes, despite suffering the facial injury with the first hit-up of the game, to become the first non-Australian to win the Clive Churchill medal for the man of the match.

By the time Burgess took the field for his rugby union debut, replacing Semesa Rokoduguni at inside-centre on 63 minutes, the game had a distinct rugby league feel to it as Bath had space to exploit with Sinckler, Robson and Collier in the sin bin.

Argentine Horacio Agulla, who was a late injury replacement at full-back for Wales international Gavin Henson, made an early impact as he weaved through Harlequins' defence before dishing the ball off for Banahan to score the opening try.

While Ollie Devoto failed to add the extras, he produced a neat flick pass to send Bath's other cross-code convert Eastmond over on 18 minutes.

Devoto then hit the post with his conversion attempt before trading successful penalties with Quins' Evans.

A second three pointer from Evans put the London side back within striking distance of their fellow play-off hopefuls, but poor discipline cost Conor O'Shea's side any real chance of battling back into the contest.

Bath: Agulla; Rokoduguni, Joseph, Eastmond, Banahan; Devoto, Cook; Auterac, Batty, Thomas; Hooper (capt), Day; Garvey, Sisi, Houston.

Replacements: Dunn, James, Palma-Newport, Ewels, Fearns, Stringer, Burgess, Woodburn

Harlequins: Chisholm; Walker, Hopper, Casson, Tikoirotuma; Evans, Care; Lambert, Ward, Sinckler; Matthews, Robson; Clifford, Wallace, Easter (capt).

Replacements: Buchanan, Marfo, Collier, Twomey, Trayfoot, Dickson, Swiel, Turner-Hall.

Attendance: 12,900

Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)

Newcastle 13-18 Sale

By GSpot66611:41 PMNewcastleNo comments

By Matt Newsum BBC Sport at Kingston Park

Pens: Cipriani (2) Cons: Cipriani

A moment of magic from England hopeful Danny Cipriani helped Sale Sharks record a third straight Premiership win at the expense of Newcastle Falcons.

Cipriani's chip ahead and smart pass wide started the move that put Jonny Leota in for a match-winning try.

Falcons had led through Juan Pablo Socino's solo score and Rory Clegg's eight points with the boot.

Sale's other points came from Dan Braid's try, added to eight kicked by forgotten England fly-half Cipriani.

Dean Richards' side had been starting to reap the rewards of their artificial surface at Kingston Park, with back-to-back home wins prior to this game.

"I feel that the England coaches have been a little bit conservative," Diamond told BBC Radio Manchester.

"They've not taken the risk of having Danny and I think it's their loss."

However, they were unable to keep Steve Diamond's men out in a battle of the Premiership's northern outposts but picked up a losing bonus point.

Falcons' 18th try of the season came when Argentine centre Socino dummied and danced through the slightest of gaps to score, and Clegg added the extras.

With decent conditions, albeit cold, both sides hit the ruck and carried with intensity but errors - notably from the Falcons - made for a scrappy game.

Errors in turn led to penalties, with Sale looking to turn the screw with kicks to the corner and a push for tries, rather than taking the points.

Those choices yielded mixed results, as Braid went over on the left after sustained pressure, but the option not to kick penalties eventually led to Sale going in 10-8 behind at the break.

Clegg had clipped a penalty through the posts to extend Newcastle's lead, then full-back Mike Haley saw a score chalked off for Sale before Cipriani's place kick as half-time approached.

The second period began with the same physicality but was not matched by points, with Clegg's effort from near halfway on 57 minutes the first addition to the tally.

Cipriani, who was not in England head coach Stuart Lancaster's squad for this month's autumn internationals but is keen to win a recall with next year's World Cup approaching, found the target with a three-pointer of his own shortly after and then he single-handedly turned the score, and the game.

He chipped ahead of the black-shirted Falcons ranks, slipped a Clegg tackle and fed a team-mate out wide who then moved the ball back inside for Leota to steam across the whitewash.

That proved enough to settle the match and end Newcastle's home revival.

Newcastle Falcons: Tait; Sinoti, Tiesi, Socino, Alesana Tuilagi; Clegg, Blair; Vickers, McGuigan, Tomaszczyk; Green, Barrow; Wilson, Saull, Hogg (capt).

Replacements: Rogers, Fry, Wilson, Thompson, Furno, Fury, Powell, Hammersley.

Sale Sharks: Haley; McLean, Leota, Tuitupou, Cueto; Cipriani, Cusiter; Lewis-Roberts, Jones, Cobilas; Mills, Ostrikov; Braid (capt), Lund, Beaumont.

Replacements: Mamukashvili, De Marchi, Harrison, Easter, Fihaki, Cliff, Macleod, Jennings.

Referee: Dean Richards.

Attendance: 5,572.

Connacht 14-8 Scarlets

By GSpot66611:38 PMConnacht, ScarletsNo comments

Tries: Robinson Pens: S Shingler

Connacht defeated the Scarlets for the first time since 2011 thanks to an impressive second-half display in the Pro12 encounter at the Sportsground.

Steve Shingler's penalty and an unconverted Harry Robinson try put the Scarlets 8-0 ahead after three minutes.

A Jack Carty penalty left Connacht trailing 8-3 at the break and he added another penalty before Matt Healty's try edged the hosts in front.

Carty's third penalty sealed a comeback victory for the Irish side.

Connacht failed to gather the kick-off and the Scarlets quickly set up a lineout maul, with George Naoupu's infringement punished by Shingler's only three-pointer of the night.

Worse followed for the westerners as Carty allowed a kick to bounce in front of him and his opposite number Shingler swooped on it to send winger Robinson over to the left of the posts.

However, the fly-half missed the conversion and a subsequent penalty, while Carty slotted over a penalty before Shingler failed with a drop-goal attempt.

A couple of noteworthy carries from Denis Buckley brought Connacht into scoring range early in the second period, and Carty clawed back another three points following a strong scrum.

Connacht conjured up a smashing try just moments later.

The Scarlets lost ruck possession over halfway, Michael Kearney fed Dave McSharry and his well-timed pass released Healy, who showed excellent pace to win the race to his own kick through.

Carty was unable to convert from the left touchline but Connacht continued to earn penalties at scrum time and they gained 15 metres from a monster maul towards the right corner.

As the rain came down Jacobie Adriaanse infringed a five-metr

e scrum, allowing Carty to make it 14-8 and man-of-the-match Aki hurtled into tackles to keep the Scarlets contained.

Frustratingly for Wayne Pivac's charges, they lacked the possession and territory to respond.

After Carty pushed a drop goal effort wide and missed a late long range penalty, Connacht's pick-and-drive efforts wound down the clock to copper-fasten their first win in six meetings against the Llanelli outfit.

Connacht: Muliaina, Poolman, Aki, McSharry, Healy, Carty, Marmion, Buckley, McCartney, Ah You, Roux, Browne, Muldoon, E. McKeon, Naoupu.

Replacements: J. Cooney for Marmion (75), Bealham for Ah You (45), Kearney for Browne (45), D. Leader for Muldoon (75), Faloon for Naoupu (71). Not Used: Heffernan, Loughney, Ronaldson.

Scarlets: S. Evans, Robinson, Tagicakibau, King, K. Phillips, S. Shingler, A. Davies, John, Myhill, P. Edwards, Earle, Snyman, A. Shingler, J. Davies, Barclay.

Replacements: Owen for King (48), W. Jones for John (78), Elias for Myhill (76), Adriaanse for P. Edwards (51), Rawlins for Earle (71), Pitman for A. Shingler (66). Not Used: Hardy, Lewis.

Att: 5,631

Referee: Leighton Hodges (WRU)

Assistant referees: Nigel Correll, Brian MacNeice (both IRFU)

Citing commissioner: Eugene Ryan (IRFU)

TMO: Seamus Flannery (IRFU)

Boks give Wales a World Cup boost

By GSpot66611:35 PMboost, Wales, WorldNo comments

After the pressure the release, as Wales came to the boil to end their autumn series on a high with a much-needed win over South Africa.

Wales coach Warren Gatland had fielded numerous questions about pressure leading up to Saturday's 12-6 win. Was he feeling it, could he handle it?

Those questions had been sparked by two more defeats by Australia and New Zealand this autumn as winning positions disappeared in the blink of an eye, in what has become a familiar and depressing pattern against the big southern-hemisphere teams.

"Today we made it a little bit hard on ourselves but we deserved the win."

But in the Millennium Stadium, Wales produced a stirring reply by claiming just the second win in their history over the Springboks, adding to the previous solitary success in 1999 at the same venue.

"We thrive on pressure at this level. That's what it's all about," Gatland took great pleasure in saying in his post-match press conference.

"We pushed the three best teams in the world right to the end in two games, we were leading and weren't able to finish it off.

"Today we made it a little bit hard on ourselves but we deserved the win."

While the coach's record against the big three - now two wins from 28 encounters - still makes for grim reading, Saturday's win over South Africa is a huge boost a year out from the World Cup.

Ireland's 29-15 win over South Africa earlier in November may have been more spectacular, but Wales kicking their way to just a second Springboks scalp is just as noteworthy.

The physical side of Wales' game is always impressive, but on Saturday it was at last married to a mental toughness that lasted for the full 80 minutes.

Wales's Leigh Halfpenny tackles Eben Etzebeth of South Africa

As well as kicking all of Wales' points, Leigh Halfpenny's tackle on Eben Etzebeth prevented a Springboks try

With just a six-point lead going into the final five minutes, Wales remained vulnerable.

Wales have seen a winning position snatched away so many times at the death that hearts were in mouths when South Africa were awarded a five-metre scrum - after Scott Williams tried to pluck a touch-finder out of the air but could only put the ball over the dead-ball line.

But the Wales pack put in one last magnificent shove to disrupt the Springboks and clear the danger, while every other man in a red shirt kept his cool to close out the game.

"We've been in that position so many times it actually didn't feel alien or a pressure situation," said Wales captain Sam Warburton.

"We still knew exactly what we had to do and what I was pleased with was there was more talk in that last five minutes than I've ever heard in any Test match I've played in.

"Players were constantly telling each other what to do and that's where we've made mistakes in the past.

Captain Sam Warburton described the victory as one of his best achievements in a Wales shirt

"We were also physically in a really good place in that last five minutes and that was one of the pleasing things, I felt if the game had to go into extra time for whatever reason we felt decent and could apply pressure even when we were defending."

The half-back partnership of Rhys Webb and Dan Biggar has grown at the Ospreys and is now blossoming for Wales, and the pair's control and management was hugely impressive.

That they were given the opportunity to show their skills was down to a fine performance from the Wales forwards, who had the upper hand in the scrum and scrapped and tackled their hearts out in the loose.

Leigh Halfpenny turned the good work into points, the full-back metronome kicking all but one of his five penalties and hitting the post with the one attempt that went astray.

Wales under Gatland have long had the skills, physique and fire in the belly to make them formidable opponents, as two Grand Slams and a further Six Nations title under the New Zealander's stewardship can testify.

If they have now been able to add ice-cool minds to that mix then Wales may at last be able to mount a challenge to the southern hemisphere powers on a regular basis.

With a rare victory over South Africa now under their belts, Wales are now set fair for February's Six Nations as they continue to build towards the ultimate prize of next year's World Cup.

England and Australia await in their pool, and Saturday's win will have given both those sides fresh food for thought on the challenge Wales will provide.

Wales 12-6 South Africa

By GSpot66611:30 PMAfrica, South, WalesNo comments

By Bruce Pope BBC Sport Wales at the Millennium Stadium Wales claimed only their second ever win over South Africa with a display of guts and cool control in Cardiff.

Leigh Halfpenny kicked all of Wales' points, converting four of his five penalty kicks before going off injured.

South Africa were limited to two Pat Lambie penalties as Wales largely contained the Springboks attacking threat.

The tourists had a late five-metre scrum but the Wales pack disrupted the set-piece to seal a famous win.

Perhaps of more concern, however, was the injury to captain Jean de Villiers, who was carried off having dislocated his kneecap.

Much of the build-up to the match featured Wales coach Warren Gatland fielding questions about whether he was under pressure because of losses this series to Australia and New Zealand, taking his record to just one win in 27 matches against the southern hemisphere big three.

This win, to add to Wales' previous victory over South Africa in 1999 - also at the Millennium Stadium - provided a perfect riposte and kick-starts their build-up to next year's World Cup in England.

Opposite number Heyneke Meyer had not been under quite the same scrutiny, although their 29-15 defeat by Ireland in their opening tour game had raised some questions that were answered in subsequent wins over England and Italy.

Both sides were missing players because of injuries and recalls to clubs, as this match took place outside World Rugby's official international window.

Captain Sam Warburton described the victory as one of his best achievements in a Wales shirt

With George North concussed, Liam Williams stepped into the vacant Wales wing slot, given the opportunity to redeem himself after conceding the last-gasp penalty try that denied them victory in June's second Test in Nelspruit.

Gatland had also suffered a run of injuries among his loose-head props, while Paul James had to depart back to Bath, but he could still call on British and Irish Lion Gethin Jenkins to fill the number one shirt.

Hooker Richard Hibbard had also been recalled to Gloucester, while South Africa had to change their entire back three with wing Bryan Habana and full-back Johan Goosen returning to France and JP Pietersen departing for Japan.

Wales full-back Halfpenny and Springboks fly-half Lambie exchanged early penalties, with Halfpenny unfortunate to hit the outside of the post with a later effort.

Space for the backs to work in was at a premium in a hotly contested first half, with both sides up quickly with some typically fierce defence.

Wales had lost 16 consecutive games to the Springboks prior to this match in Cardiff.

The win ends Wales' run of 22 successive defeats against New Zealand, South Africa and Australia.

It is only the second time Wales have beaten South Africa in 30 attempts and their first in 15 years.

South Africa had scored 15 tries in their last five games but failed to cross the line against Wales.

Wales' best moments came from chips ahead to turn the Springboks, the tactic enjoying particular success down the left wing.

Twice Williams came close to collecting the bouncing ball to plunge over the try line, but each time Lwazi Mvovo was there a split-second before, covering across to snuff out the danger.

South Africa almost broke the deadlock when Eben Etzebeth surged through the midfield, but he knocked on as the lock was scythed down by Halfpenny's thumping tackle on the 22-yard line.

Lambie missed a long-range penalty that would have sent the Boks into the changing rooms with a narrow half-time lead, leaving the match delicately poised at the halfway stage.

Halfpenny and Lambie again exchanged early penalties after the restart, with the Springbok stand-off showing his range by slotting from the halfway line.

Wales enjoyed the best period of the game after that, keeping the ball in hand to pressurise the visitors into conceding two more penalties that Halfpenny converted.

Through all of this, the Wales half-back partnership of Rhys Webb and Dan Biggar shone, using possession wisely and keeping a level of control that South Africa found hard to wrest away.

Meyer used his bench early, making four changes including putting Handre Pollard on at fly-half in place of Lambie.

The win was Gatland's second as Wales coach against one of the southern hemisphere's top three

But the Springboks coach was forced into another change soon when captain De Villiers was carried off, replaced by Damian de Allende.

South Africa suffered a further blow when Cornal Hendricks was sin-binned for taking out Halfpenny in the air.

The Wales 15 was clearly shaken by the collision and left the field soon after, with Scott Williams coming on and Liam Williams switching to his preferred full-back position.

Spurred on by their man advantage, Wales laid siege to the Springboks line but met furious resistance as first Jamie Roberts and then Scott Baldwin were stopped just short.

In the closing minutes, South Africa earned a five-metre scrum that threatened to undo all Wales' hard work and deliver another gut-wrenching late loss to a southern hemisphere side.

But the Wales pack rose to the challenge, making a mess of South Africa's platform and allowing the ball to be cleared upfield.

Wales kept their heads and kept the Springboks at bay for the final few moments to seal a well-deserved, and long overdue, win.

Wales paid tribute before the match to cricketer Phillip Hughes, who died this week

penalty apiece by Leigh Halfpenny and Pat Lambie ensured the score was 3-3 at half-time

South Africa captain Jean de Villiers dislocated his kneecap at the beginning of the second half

Leigh Halfpenny is tackled by Cornal Hendricks

Wales' hopes of victory were aided by the controversial sin-binning of Cornal Hendricks for a high tackle

Wales: Halfpenny (Scott Williams 67), Cuthbert, Jonathan Davies, Roberts, Liam Williams, Biggar, Webb, Jenkins, Baldwin, Lee, Ball, Alun Wyn Jones, Lydiate, Warburton, Faletau.

Replacements (not used): Emyr Phillips, Jarvis, Rhodri Jones, Charteris, King, Mike Phillips, Priestland.

South Africa: Le Roux, Hendricks, Serfontein, De Villiers, Mvovo, Lambie (Hougaard 58), Reinach, Mtawarira (Nyakane 54), Bismarck du Plessis (Strauss 58), Oosthuizen (Redelinghuys 70), Etzebeth (De Jager 69), Matfield, Coetzee, Mohoje (Carr 54), Vermeulen.

Replacements (not used): Pollard, De Allende.

Att: 58,235

Ref: John Lacey (Ireland).

Burgess to 'knuckle down' after debut

By GSpot66611:27 PMafter, Burgess, debut, knuckleNo comments

Sam Burgess is focused on mastering playing at centre after making his Bath debut.

The former rugby league star, 25, came on in the 63rd minute as the home side eased to a 25-6 win over Harlequins.

He told BBC Sport: "I think centre is best for now, but as I keep picking things up about the game we'll keep working on things."

After making his debut, Burgess also admitted to thinking about playing in the Rugby World Cup.

"I think everyone's got an eye on the World Cup," Burgess said. "I'm not going to be naive and dismiss it, but it would be stupid to waste energy looking at that.

"I'm using all my energy to focus on training here with the guys, knuckling down and working hard with my team-mates at Bath."

The former South Sydney Rabbitohs player had only resumed training recently, having fractured a cheekbone in the opening minute of his side's NRL Grand Final win last month.

Born: Dewsbury, 14 December 1988

Clubs: Bradford Bulls (Super League), South Sydney Rabbitohs (NRL)

Despite coming on at centre for Bath, the Dewsbury-born player is still working on exactly which role he will play in the team on a long-term basis.

"I've been mixing it up in training but I think I'll stay at centre for now, certainly over the next few games," Burgess said.

"But we've got a lot of time. It's certainly not an overnight transition and the worst thing we could do is rush it."

Bath coach Mike Ford says the former Rugby League star's time at inside-centre could be short-lived, with a space in the back row an option he'll be exploring.

"Personally, I think that will suit Sam personally more. It's a gut feeling of mine as he's a guy who carries and tackles a lot and I don't want to stick him out in the centre to do nothing.

"My vision is for Sam to be a barnstorming back row and we'll see how it unfolds, it'll be a good journey."

Burgess came on in the 63rd minute

It was Burgess' first appearance since fracturing a cheekbone playing for Sydney Rabbitohs in October

Harlequins were briefly reduced to 12 men during the game at the Rec

Burgess celebrates with his Bath team-mates

Bath moved to the top of the Aviva Premiership league table with the win

England could do better - Lancaster

By GSpot66611:22 PMbetter, could, England, LancasterNo comments

England head coach Stuart Lancaster insisted "we've still got lots to work on" despite his side beating Australia 26-17 at Twickenham.

England dominated at set-pieces and secured victory thanks to two tries from Ben Morgan and 16 points from the boot of the 21-year-old George Ford.

"We played intelligently, the boys executed the game-plan. The scrum and maul were excellent," said Lancaster.

"But that was the game today - you have to play rugby in different ways."

England played to strengths - Lancaster

England lost their first two autumn internationals to New Zealand and South Africa - the top two sides in the world rankings - but ended with wins over Samoa and Australia.

Asked to rate his squad's recent performances, Lancaster responded: "Could do better, but it was never as bad as people were making out.

"Against New Zealand and South Africa, our game management let us down. Today our game management was much better."

England's forwards coach Graham Rowntree told BBC Radio 5 live sports extra that victory over Australia was "desperately needed".

"It was vital, because at times our performance levels haven't been as high as they should have been this autumn.

"The best thing to restore belief is winning. We had very frank discussions after New Zealand and South Africa, but you always need to look forward.

"We've got a great young set of lads and today it was all about getting a win against a big nation."

England face Wales on 6 February in the Six Nations curtain-raiser, opponents who also feature in their World Cup group.

Australia are in the same pool and their captain, Mike Hooper, admitted Saturday's defeat was hard to stomach.

"We couldn't get any ascendancy," he said. "There's a long time before we come back together as a group, so this is a disappointing way to finish.

"We just couldn't finish for the majority of the game and that lead to our downfall."

After defeats early in the month by New Zealand and South Africa, this was a precious southern-hemisphere scalp for England.

England flanker Tom Wood (r) and Australia's lock Rob Simmons (l) clash

England next face Australia at the 2015 World Cup, again at Twickenham, on 3 October 2015.

"We've got a great young set of lads," said England forwards coach Graham Rowntree. "I have worked them hard and I'm proud of how they've adapted."

Cardiff Blues 36-25 Treviso

By GSpot66611:19 PMBlues, Cardiff, TrevisoNo comments

Argentina international Joaquin Tuculet was making his debut for the Blues.

Tries: L Williams, Tuculet, Smith, Dacey, Watts-Jones Cons: Anscombe, Davies (3) Pen: Davies

Tries: Carlisle, Minto (2) Cons: Carlisle (2) Pens: Carlisle (2)

Cardiff Blues survived a second-half fight-back by Treviso to claim only their second Pro 12 win of the season.

Tries by Lloyd Williams, Joaquin Tuculet, Richard Smith, Kristian Davey and Rory Watts-Jones earned a bonus point with Gareth Anscombe and Gareth Davies kicking the rest.

Blues led by 16 points on the hour but were pegged back by two tries by Francesco Minto to add to Joe Carlisle's first-half touchdown.

Fly-half Carlisle kicked 10 points.

The Blues' first home win of the season helped them open a six point gap over Welsh rivals Newport Gwent Dragons in the table.

The match had significant interest for the Blues with Argentina international Tuculet making his debut and Anscombe making his first appearance in the number 10 shirt.

And with the Welsh region dominating possession against winless Treviso in the opening exchanges, both were in the thick of the action.

However, the home team's dominance was fruitless with the first points coming from the boot Treviso fly-half Carlisle after Macauley Cook stopped a promising breakout with a deliberate knock on.

Cook received a yellow card, but while he was in the sin bin scrum-half Williams dummied over from close range after 16 phases of possession in the Treviso 22.

And the impressive Tuculet marked his debut by twisting and stretching for a fine try wide on the left after a simple passing move.

But the Blues were hampered by a series of unforced errors and were punished when a poor kick from deep gave the Italian team a chance to counter-attack.

Carlisle's speculative chip bounced awkwardly for Anscombe and the fly half re-gathered and scored out wide and converted before kicking a penalty to give Treviso a 13-12 lead at the interval.

Anscombe did not emerge for the second half, and his replacement Davies quickly got into the action with a penalty to put the Blues back into the lead.

And on the 51st minute a superb run and pass by centre Gavin Evans put Smith over in the right corner, Davies converting.

And when Dacey crossed after a well-worked lineout move, the game appeared to be in the bag.

But substitute flanker Minto's two touchdowns in six minutes pegged the score back to 29-25, before Watts-Jones calmed home nerves with a try from a lineout drive.

Cardiff Blues: Joaquin Tuculet, Richard Smith, Adam Thomas, Gavin Evans, Geraint Walsh, Gareth Anscombe, Lloyd Williams; Sam Hobbs, Kristian Dacey, Adam Jones (captain), Filo Paulo, Josh Turnbull, Macauley Cook, Ellis Jenkins, Josh Navidi

Replacements: Rhys Williams, Thomas Davies, Craig Mitchell, Miles Normandale, Rory Watts-Jones, Tavis Knoyle, Gareth Davies, Tom Isaacs

Treviso: Jayden Hayward, Angelo Esposito, Enrico Bacchin, Sam Christie, Ludovico Nitoglia, Joe Carlisle, Alberto Lucchese; Matteo Zanusso, Davide Giazzon, Rupert Harden, Tomas Vallejos-Cinalli, Corniel Van Zyl, Marco Barbini, Meyer Swanepoel, Dean Budd

Replacements: Amar Kudin, Matteo Muccignat, Romulo Acosta, Marco Fuser, Antonio Pavanello, Francesco Minto, Andrea Pratichetti, James Ambrosini

Referee: Andrew McMenemy (SRU)

Assistant Referees: Neil Hennessy, Rhys Thomas (both WRU)

TMO: Gareth Simmonds (WRU)

Polar Pioneers

CURRENT CASINO REWARDS PROMOTIONSPolar Pioneers
www.inulpoker.com | agen poker terpercaya | poker terpercaya | poker dan domino online indonesia terpercaya | poker dan domino terbaik |

Starts: Saturday, 22nd February 2014
Ends: Thursday, 27th February 2014

This tribute to the great arctic explorers of our time is a 5 reel, 25 payline slot with 35 winning combinations. The symbols on the reels include an explorer, a ship, ice boots, a compass, huskies and an ice axe. When 5 Explorer symbols line up in an active payline, your expedition will be rewarded 15,000 coins for your bravery!

Play Polar Pioneers this week, and the Top 5 Wagerers each day will receive £€$100 into their Rewards Account.

TERMS TO QUALIFY: You must have a real player account and have purchased a minimum (or total of) £€$20.00 in Real Account casino chips during the promotional time period (see rules).You must play at a Casino Rewards Partner Casino to qualify.You must have played on Polar Pioneers to qualify.Casino Rewards retains the sole ability to determine if you qualify for this giveaway.RULES: The promotion time period is between 12.01am GMT Saturday, 22nd February 2014 and Midnight GMT Thursday, 27th February 2014.5 winners are selected everyday for being the top five wagerers during the time period specified in point 1.Winners will be notified by email each day.Prizes of £€$100 will be credited into players' Casino Rewards Accounts on Friday, 28th February 2014.If this week's featured game is not available in your casino, you may participate in this promotion by playing on Adventure Palace instead.You must be playing at a Casino Rewards partner casino during the promotion time frame to be eligible.The Casino will not be responsible for telephone, technical, network, online, electronic, computer hardware, or software failures of any kind, misdirected, stolen, incomplete, late, illegible, garbled or delayed Internet computer transmissions on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website, or any combination thereof or for incomplete, lost, late or misdirected submissions.Promotion is valid once per casino account.This promotion may not be used in conjunction with any other offer(s).Loyalty Points may not be cashed in, and must be played at a Casino Rewards Partner Casino.Winners agree to have their first name and image used for promotional purposes.Wagering requirements apply.Player must meet the casino minimum deposit requirements depending on their casino of choice.Gamble responsibly.This offer is only available to players not residing in the USA.

The grind to Supernova Elite

I've been writing frequently in my posts about my goal of reaching Supernova Elite in 2013. Well, I did it! Here's a tweet I sent out shortly after I finally got there:

Just got Supernova Elite @Pokerstars. Can't describe how happy I am. Worked really hard for this http://t.co/NdkAcNYKeH
— Lex Veldhuis (@RaSZi) December 23, 2013
www.inulpoker.com | agen poker terpercaya | poker terpercaya | poker dan domino online indonesia terpercaya | poker dan domino terbaik |

It was a pretty sick grind at the end. It was such a relief and a huge weight off of my shoulders after working the second half of the year to reach that 1 million VPP mark. I was really proud of it, too.

As I got near the end I knew I wanted to finish before Christmas so that I could spend the time with my family and friends and not have to stress about it or think about having even one more day that I would to grind to get there. Also my birthday is December 29th, so I knew I wanted to be done before the holidays.

I had planned my schedule pretty carefully all year, so I knew I could do it. That was the key to reaching Supernova Elite, I think -- planning a schedule and sticking to it.

I was just talking with Team PokerStars Pro Chris de Meulder who is thinking of trying for Supernova Elite this year, and the main piece of advice I had for him was to be smart about how he planned his schedule for playing.

I told him not just to start grinding and think just about how many VPPs you need to get in a month to keep pace. Rather the way to go is to plan your days off and your travel days, then figure out how many days you'll actually be playing and work out the average to know how many VPPs you need per day. If you don't account for those days off -- and you need to take some off, for sure -- you'll fall behind and before long you'll give up on it.

I found the whole process of planning and playing kind of fun, and in fact I'm already planning my schedule going forward for 2014. I've already worked out the first three months of the year, and I'm also planning not to play at the end of June and July so I can watch the World Cup. Creating a schedule like this makes you feel more like a professional which I think ultimately helps you play well, too.

Looking back on that last push near the end, two moments stand out.

There was a day when my mom came over to make food and I was completely tired. I had only slept about five hours, and I had decided I was going to take a break for a few days. I would get a long night's sleep, then the next day go out with some friends for drinks and to watch some indoor soccer. That was a Thursday, and my idea was I wouldn't play again until Sunday.

I went for a short walk outside to get some fresh air, then suddenly I thought to myself how if I did take that break of a few days I would be stuck needing about 20,000 more VPPs by the time Christmas arrived. This isn't going to work, I realized.

Screw sleep, I thought. I'm going to play.

I went and stocked up on food, snacks, and drinks, then sat down and played what turned out to be about a 50-hour session! I actually went from needing about 48,000 VPPs down to having just 12,000 VPPs to go.

That was December 22nd, and that's when I knew it was a lock that I would make it. I felt so good. I was sitting at the computer with a big smile on face was playing. I was so exhausted, but I was so happy.

I took Saturday off and then played again on Sunday, and it was that night I finally got to 1 million VPPs and the finish line. But I was so worn out when the congratulatory pop-up came on my screen I didn't even react or feel all that much. I was just like "Okay, cool," and I even played for three more hours.

So, no, actually getting there wasn't the other memorable moment. I finally signed off and went to bed and slept about three hours. Then I woke up, and that's when the other memorable moment happened.

As I rubbed my eyes open, I realized I felt completely relaxed. My mind was utterly blank except for one thought...

"Hey... I'm off today! I'm just going to watch TV all day long today, and it's fine!"

NEIL3776__PCA2014_Lex_Veldhuis_Neil Stoddart.jpg

Then I thought further how I was off the next day and Christmas was coming after that. And I thought about how I was just going to relax and enjoy having reached my goal.

Of course, the funny thing is once you achieve a goal like that, you immediately start thinking of the next goal. That's just how the brain works -- you get that endorphin release and that great feeling of being proud of something you've done, and immediately you want to give yourself a new challenge and try to feel that way again.

So like I say, I've already started to plan for the next Supernova Elite and in fact I'm ready to play again and work on that next goal. But for now I'm enjoying having achieved this one.

Lex Veldhuis is a member of Team PokerStars Pro

Ramesses Riches

CURRENT CASINO REWARDS PROMOTIONSRamesses Riches
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Starts: Saturday, 1st March 2014
Ends: Monday, 31st March 2014

Take a trip back in time to ancient Egypt with this exciting 5 reel, 20 payline slot. Ramesses was the greatest, most celebrated and powerful pharaoh of the Egyptian Empire. Your job is to uncover his riches by creating winning combinations of the well-illustrated symbols, which include the Eye of Horus, a Scroll, an Ankh symbol and an Egyptian Cat. During the Free Spins round, all wins are Multiplied up to 3x your bet!

Play Ramesses Riches this month and you will be credited with Double Points.

TERMS TO QUALIFY: You must have a real player account and have purchased a minimum (or total of) £€$100.00 in Real Account casino chips during the promotional time period (see rules).You must play at a Casino Rewards Partner Casino to qualify.You must have played on Ramesses Riches to qualify.Casino Rewards retains the sole ability to determine if you qualify for this giveaway.RULES: The promotion time period is between 12.01am GMT Saturday, 1st March 2014 and Midnight GMT Monday, 31st March 2014.You must have a real account and have purchased a minimum total of £€$100.00 into your real account in one of the weeks during the promotional time period.Double Points will be credited every Friday of the promotional month, except on the first Friday (7th March, 2014).Double Points are capped at 2500 for the month.If this months's featured game is not available in your casino, you may participate in this promotion by playing on Thunderstruck II instead.You must be playing at a Casino Rewards partner casino during the promotion time frame to be eligible.The Casino will not be responsible for telephone, technical, network, online, electronic, computer hardware, or software failures of any kind, misdirected, stolen, incomplete, late, illegible, garbled or delayed Internet computer transmissions on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website, or any combination thereof or for incomplete, lost, late or misdirected submissions.Promotion is valid once per casino account.This promotion may not be used in conjunction with any other offer(s).Loyalty Points may not be cashed in, and must be played at a Casino Rewards Partner Casino.Winners agree to have their first name and image used for promotional purposes.Wagering requirements apply.Player must meet the casino minimum deposit requirements depending on their casino of choice.Gamble responsibly.This offer is only available to players not residing in the USA.

Stash of the Titans

CURRENT CASINO REWARDS PROMOTIONSStash of the Titans
Starts: Saturday, 1st March 2014
Ends: Sunday, 2nd March 2014

In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of supernatural immortal creatures who ruled during the legendary Golden Age. Spin the reels on this exciting 5 reel slot and these powerful warriors may even share their stash with you! The Stash of the Titans symbol is a Wild and also a Multiplier. This means it substitutes for other symbols to complete winning combinations, and in addition it multiplies your payouts!

Try your hand at Stash of the Titans this weekend and 10 Lucky Players will be chosen to receive £€$100 per day.

TERMS TO QUALIFY: You must have a real player account and have purchased a minimum (or total of) £€$20.00 in Real Account casino chips during the promotional time period (see rules).You must play at a Casino Rewards Partner Casino to qualify.You must have played on Stash of the Titans to qualify.Casino Rewards retains the sole ability to determine if you qualify for this giveaway.RULES: The promotion time period is between 12.01am GMT Saturday, 1st March 2014 and Midnight GMT Sunday, 2nd March 2014.10 Players will be randomly chosen to receive £€$100 per day.Winners will be notified by email on first Monday following release of newsletter.Prizes paid into casino account on Monday, 3rd March 2014.If this week's featured game is not available in your casino, you may participate in this promotion by playing on Silver Fang instead.You must be playing at a Casino Rewards partner casino during the promotion time frame to be eligible.The Casino will not be responsible for telephone, technical, network, online, electronic, computer hardware, or software failures of any kind, misdirected, stolen, incomplete, late, illegible, garbled or delayed Internet computer transmissions on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website, or any combination thereof or for incomplete, lost, late or misdirected submissions.Promotion is valid once per casino account.This promotion may not be used in conjunction with any other offer(s).Loyalty Points may not be cashed in, and must be played at a Casino Rewards Partner Casino.Winners agree to have their first name and image used for promotional purposes.Wagering requirements apply.Player must meet the casino minimum deposit requirements depending on their casino of choice.Gamble responsibly.This offer is only available to players not residing in the USA.

The importance of keeping fighting fit

Someone was asking me the other day if I'd been doing much kickboxing since the big match with ElkY. It's hard to believe that was almost a year ago.

That fight was a pretty intense experience, really. For the couple of months leading up to it my profession essentially changed entirely from poker player to kickboxer. Not only did it take up all of my time preparing for the fight, but it took a lot of strength out of my body. During the training I would sometimes just be laying on the couch shivering because my immune system was all busted up, if you can believe that.

Lex and ElkY

It also took a lot out of me mentally -- it was really the only thing I was focusing on for a long time. And so for the past year I've continued to train but I haven't really done anything quite as intense as far as kickboxing is concerned. After all, I am a professional poker player, and want to be able to continue what is my real profession.

I have been keeping active, though. I actually started playing tennis a lot, four or five times a week. I used to play tennis quite a bit when I was younger, and so it's kind of a passion of mine. Perhaps eventually I'll find someone who is on a similar level to me and we'll stage some kind of side bet there.

Others have pointed out how keeping physically active helps with your mental edge, which is obviously great for poker. That's something I really underestimated in the past, to be honest. I played sports a lot as a kid and as a teenager, and probably took for granted how good playing sports and being active can make you feel. I just didn't know any better. I'd play football and tennis and basketball and other sports for at least a couple of hours every day, and I always felt really good. It kind of creates this really big buffer or reserve of energy, which is useful when you aren't playing sports.

Veldhuis fighting fit on the set of The Big Game

I started to realize the benefits of physical activity after I began playing poker full-time. It took a while, but I eventually understood how during the long sessions of playing I was depleting my energy and getting tired and burned out. And the connection is obvious -- you're a lot more sharp and focused, and even calmer because the physical activity helps lessen stress, too.

Tennis is like poker in some ways. You're playing heads-up a lot of the time. It's a physical game, but it's also a mental game that involves lots of choices. Tennis is also like poker in the way it is really kind of an ageless game -- you can play it well into your older years. I see these guys who are in their 60s and retired playing doubles every day.

It's definitely one of those activities you can continue into your later years -- more so than kickbocking, haha!

Lex Veldhuis is a member of Team PokerStars Pro. You can read his bio here.

Relaxing in Toronto with no NHL

Greetings from Toronto, where I'm spending the holidays this year.

Toronto is kind of like the Bermuda Triangle for me. That is to say, it's a place where I can go and feel like I'm unplugged from responsible life -- like a vacation, but with all the luxuries you have at home. This is where I focus on playing online the most, because there aren't the usual distractions and I can play for longer periods than when I'm on the road.

Toronto is a very European-feeling city, really. And people here are very multicultural and welcoming to foreigners, too. The other day a cashier asked me where I was from, and when I said I was from Holland three other people started asking me questions about Holland. You always hear people say Canadians are among the nicest people in the world, and it's true.

I'm planning to enjoy the city a little more on this visit, including going to some NBA games. Daniel Negreanu promised to take me to a hockey game as well (but that was before all the games were canceled until at least January 14), which I'm anxious to do because I've never been to one before.

I'm not a big sports bettor, although that can add to the enjoyment especially if you don't have a rooting interest otherwise. Then again, betting on sports can actually make them less enjoyable to watch sometimes, too.

I remember a while back I had this idea to start a sports betting career. Ajax is the home team from Amsterdam, and we were playing Manchester United and there were really good odds on Man. U. So I put down 5K on Manchester and they won. Then I had 10K, and went all in again on another match and was right again. Then came this seemingly easy match to pick -- it was like the #1 team versus the #17 team (out of 18), and I got 2-to-1 odds. It was right before a poker trip and I remember putting the full 20K on the match before leaving.

So I'm at the airport and I'm reading how a player for the #1 team was sent off in the third minute of the game and the other team had scored. Then 10 minutes later my flight's about to leave and I see it's already 3-0. And so my sports betting career was very short-lived, but it was a good lesson, I think. It's really something you can't do just on the side, but you have to know all of the players' injuries and tendencies, the match-ups, the home-away records, and so on in order to succeed.

But betting small for entertainment purposes can be fun. I imagine Daniel might invite me to make a small wager with him if the NHL ever comes back and we ever make it to a hockey game.

Now I'm getting ready to head down to the PCA next week. Here's hoping your holidays have been as similarly relaxing and fun.

Lex Veldhuis is a member of Team PokerStars Pro

Laxxed

I spent some time in Canada this spring trying to get in some relaxation time. I've been playing a lot online, but also trying to take breaks, too, to keep myself alert and focused.

One thing I like to do when not playing is to watch various television series like House of Cards, Vikings, or Survivor. I read a lot, also. I tend to enjoy fantasy books like the Game of Thrones series which kind of provide an escape, something completely disconnected from regular life which I find relaxing.

Sometimes with certain TV series I'll grind through them like a long poker session. I remember once watching about 30 hours of Lost in a row one time, if you can believe that.

In fact, I'm remembering my friend Fredrik "HALLINGGOL" Halling and I once watching the second season of 24 together. That series was set up so that a season lasted exactly 24 hours in real time, and it started at 3 a.m. So we started it at 3 a.m. and actually watched it straight through so we could have the correct nighttime/daylight atmosphere from start to finish.

I know some people think if a show is good they can only watch one episode at a time, but I don't think that way. It's partly a generational thing, probably -- a little like with online poker and newer players being able to multi-table and grind long sessions as opposed to older ones who are more comfortable playing one table and for shorter periods.

Of course, the TV business has changed a lot, with shows being produced like movies and becoming a lot more absorbing and with top-level actors. Much as online poker changed the way people approach the game, so, too, has TV changed in a way that is training viewers differently and causing them to watch shows differently.

I also sometimes like to play video games like Starcraft or Dota 2, which again provide kind of an escape and allow me to relax my mind. Often when I end a poker session, before I go to bed I'll play a game for a while or watch a TV show as a kind of transition between poker and going to sleep. Doing that lets me wind down and makes it easier to rest.

Besides reading, watching TV, and playing video games, I'm also working out more. I'm using an elliptical machine, and I'm thinking of getting back into mixed martial arts this fall. Years ago I had no trouble remaining focused while playing even if I was tired or even sick, because it didn't seem to cost me a lot of energy to play. But now I find I need remain physically active to help me stay focused at the tables. Eating well is also obviously important, too, when it comes to one's physical health.

So that's what I'm up to these days -- playing a lot, but also filling up those hours away from the table staying mentally fit with shows, books, and games, and physically fit with exercise and a good diet.

Lex Veldhuis is a member of Team PokerStars Pro

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Sunday, November 30, 2014

Rugby Union on the BBC

England’s midfield minefield

Zebre 18-10 Edinburgh

Bath 25-6 Harlequins

Newcastle 13-18 Sale

Connacht 14-8 Scarlets

Boks give Wales a World Cup boost

Wales 12-6 South Africa

Burgess to 'knuckle down' after debut

England could do better - Lancaster

Cardiff Blues 36-25 Treviso

Polar Pioneers

The grind to Supernova Elite

Ramesses Riches

Stash of the Titans

The importance of keeping fighting fit

Relaxing in Toronto with no NHL

Laxxed

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