All articles by: Ieuan Ivett

New Zealand Maori v British & Irish Lions – Match Preview

June 16, 2017 by Ieuan Ivett·Comments Off

17th June 2017 – Roturua International Stadium, Roturua 8.35am

New Zealand Maori v British & Irish Lions – Match Preview – The British and Irish Lions will play the fifth match of their 2017 New Zealand Tour against the Maori All Blacks at the Roturua International Stadium, Roturua. Warren Gatland will be hoping his side can avenge the nail-biting 23-22 loss against The Highlanders in their last outing. The Maori All Blacks are not to be taken lightly by the Lions, who only have one more week until the first test match against New Zealand.

British and Irish Lions Head Coach Warren Gatland Photo Credit: skysports.com

Matches such as this can see players lose their spot in the starting squad come the first test match, and the British outfit have already confirmed that the starting XV will be the ‘closest selection yet to the test side yet’.

Welsh Flanker, Sam Warburton, is unlikely to make the squad for the match this Saturday following an ankle injury along with English second row, Courtney Lawes, who took a nasty blow to his head attempting to make a try saving tackle in the recent loss to the Highlanders, could his Tour be over?

Outside centre, Jonathan Joseph, has turned plenty of heads on the Tour so far, proving his defensive value with some concrete tackling as well as some great direct running and line breaks in attack. He is being rested this match and replaced by fellow England team-mate, Ben Te’o, in the centre, however many expect Joseph to start in the first test next week.

Another Lions centre option, Jonathan Davies, returns to the starting XV having only re-joined training on Wednesday afternoon.

The Lions completed 129 total runs in the last match, covering 399 metres; a statistic the Lions coaching team will look to improve for this match against the Maori’s. The Lions will also look to continue improving on their set pieces with the scrum being the big question ahead of this match. Attacking coach, Rob Howley’s, ideology of trying to produce ‘rugby chaos’ with unstructured plays is yet to have an impact but could become more noticeable this time around. Can the Lions grab victory in the ‘unofficial fourth test of the tour’?

Skybet Match Result – British and Irish Lions to Win – 8/15

Maori All Blacks Head Coach Colin Cooper Photo Credit:radiosport.co.nz

Struggling for consistency, the time for dabbling with his squad is nearing the end for Gatland who worries that the physicality of the Maori All Blacks could prove a big threat. Maori All Blacks head coach, Colin Cooper, has an experienced squad with three new debutants to choose from; Rob Thompson and halfbacks Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi and Bryn Hall. Can these help the Maori All Blacks cause a huge upset for the Lions following their defeat to the Highlanders?

Skybet Match Result – New Zealand Maori to Win – 13/8

Summer Transfer Rumours – Diego Costa

June 16, 2017 by Ieuan Ivett·Comments Off

Chelsea’s first choice striker, Diego Costa, seems to be out the door this summer, having joined the London club in 2014 from Atletico Madrid. After 89 games for Chelsea, the striker has become a clear favourite showcasing a unique set of skills during his time at Stamford Bridge. Often referred to as a bully, Costa’s sheer brute force and strength makes him the ideal target man for many clubs. The once-Brazilian now-Spanish player was reportedly dumped by Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte, over text message hence all the transfer commotion.

Diego Costa made headlines back in the January transfer window, being heavily linked with a move to the Chinese super league for an astronomical weekly wage; understandably, he was tempted. The temperamental striker then fell out with the club and trained on his own for a few days until they patched it all up and he went back to scoring goals. Now making more headlines, here are some of the odds that SkyBet are offering on Diego Costa’s future come September 3^rd 2017:

AC Milan- 11/8

Italian giants, AC Milan, have been chasing the Chelsea star ever since the transfer saga began. Costa’s agent, Jorge Mendes, is hoping Chelsea get another offer from San Siro after the London club rejected the first. However, it is reported the player wishes for a return to Atletico Madrid but following the news of Antione Griezmann probably remaining at Atletico, that is now seeming less likely. The player hasn’t expressed much desire for a move to Italy, but maybe the bookmakers think differently.

Any Chinese Club- 6/4

After the drama of the January transfer window, Diego Costa was obviously going to be linked back with a move to China. Diego doesn’t have a history of illustrating the best morale’s, after changing nationalty from Brazil to Spain as it appeared easier for him to get into the starting eleven. It would be a shame to see a player of Costa’s calibre leave for China but he has demonstrated before how tempted he was by the big wages over there. Will he follow old Chelsea team-mate, Oscar, over to China?

To Stay at Chelsea- 9/2

With the stories that the newspapers are reporting, this is seeming implausible. With Chelsea hunting down Everton star, Romelu Lukaku, it seems Diego Costa is being pushed out of Stamford bridge with a lot of Chelsea fans coming to terms with the loss. His sour relationship with Antonio Conte also doesn’t give this much hope, however could they mend their differences as they did back in January?

SkyBet are also offering odds on Costa to move to:

Borussia Dortmund- 9/1

PSG-12/1

Arsenal- 18/1

Juventus- 18/1

Manchester United- 18/1

Any MLS Club- 20/1

Bayern Munich- 33/1

Inter Milan- 33/1

Real Madrid- 33/1

Summer Transfer Rumours – Alexis Sanchez

June 16, 2017 by Ieuan Ivett·Comments Off

Chilean attacker, Alexis Sanchez, is surrounded by plenty of rumours suggesting he will be leaving Premier League club, Arsenal, this summer. The striker has illustrated his World class talents throughout the season, often spearheading the Arsenal attack and ended the season as the clubs’ highest league goal scorer; with 24 goals and 10 assists.

Undoubtedly Arsenal’s most valuable asset, Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, will have a tough time trying to fend off clubs for the Chilean’s signature. At times this season, the 28-year-old was a picture of frustration as he would often find his teammates under performing in many Premier League matches. With all the transfer speculation, here are some of the odds that SkyBet are offering for Alexis Sanchez’ future come September 3^rd 2017:

Manchester City- 10/11

According to the Daily Express, Pep Guardiola is preparing a bid for the Arsenal star around the figure of £53 million. Manchester City would benefit hugely from this signing, as it seems Guardiola is building something rather special at the club. Alexis Sanchez would fit into the system at the Etihad, surrounded by players such as Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus. Also, Pep used to manage Alexis back at Barcelona which would only make the two feel more comfortable about the transfer. But will Arsenal sell their best player to a direct rival?

Bayern Munich- 9/4

Bayern Munich haven’t been subtle in their interest of the Arsenal star. It has been reported that international teammate of Sanchez, Arturo Vidal, has been trying to persuade Alexis to move to Bayern Munich. The German giants could profit from attaining the Chilean, with both their legendary wingers, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben, nearing their retirement. Few people know what Alexis wants as his next move, but Bayern could be too tempting an offer to turn down.

To Stay at Arsenal- 11/4

It’s what every Gooner will be dreaming for this summer. Alexis Sanchez has been without a doubt Arsenal’s best player this season but with only one year left on his contract, Arsene Wenger will have to do something to keep Sanchez at the club. After a disappointing season, Arsenal haven’t qualified for the Champions League which could be a key factor that could see Sanchez wave goodbye to the Emirates. Europe’s biggest clubs all have their eye on the Chilean but will he remain loyal to North London?

SkyBet are also offering odds on Sanchez to move to:

Chelsea- 15/2

Juventus- 33/1

Manchester United-33/1

PSG- 33/1

Liverpool- 40/1