Six Nations 2021: Eddie Jones says playing style 'poison' must be removed from players' minds

 

Guinness Six Nations 2021 - Ireland v England
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin Date: Saturday 20 March Kick-off: 16:45 GMT
Coverage: Listen to commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio Ulster; live text commentary and post-match video highlights on the BBC Sport website and app.

England head coach Eddie Jones says "poison" about playing style must be removed from players' minds before Saturday's game against Ireland.

The 2020 Six Nations champions found their best form in this year's tournament so far to claim a thrilling victory against France last weekend.

But they cannot retain the title after defeats by Scotland and Wales.

"There's a story around the game," Jones told BBC Sport. "You guys fill players' heads full of poison."

Jones was referring to the praise his England team earned for the way they played against France, in contrast to earlier performances in the tournament.

He added: "We're trying to take the poison out of it."

Jones believes the match in Dublin could be more attritional than the free-flowing win against France.

"We know what the game is going to be like, we've got an idea," he continued.

"But sometimes when all the narrative is about 'fantastic, free-flowing, this is how we want to play all the time' - that seeps into players' heads."

• Elliot Daly will replace injured Henry Slade at outside centre for England
• Stockdale and Aki return to Ireland team to face England

'Sometimes you've got to win ugly'

Following England's win against Italy in their second match, former captain Matt Dawson said the side lacked "an attacking instinct".

But Jones' men appeared to turn things around against France, with Dawson calling the win a "lightbulb moment" for the team.

"The expectation is that the next game is going to be like that - that it's going to be free-flowing," Jones continued.

"But generally speaking, when you've played like that in a game, the opposition will try to take that away from you in the next game, so it becomes a tough, grinding affair.

"I'm not criticising what the media does and the fans have got to have their own opinion. Of course they're entitled to their opinion but the reality of the game is different to that.

"Sometimes you've got to win ugly. Do you think the players put their body on the line because they want to play terrible rugby?

"We all want to play good rugby but sometimes it doesn't happen like that."

France and Scotland's round three fixture was postponed, leaving them with an extra game still to play

Daly for Slade 'like for like'

Centre Henry Slade - a key component in England's attack - will miss the Dublin game through injury and is replaced in the starting XV by Elliot Daly.

Daly usually plays at full-back for Jones but was demoted to the bench against France, replaced by Max Malins who will remain at 15 for the Ireland game.

Jones said the choice to move Daly to the centre was in anticipation of a "strong aerial battle".

"It's a like for like selection," he explained. "We feel like having a left-footer at 13, which Slade gave us, will be handy. Elliot is a high work-rate player which is important in a kicking game."

Ben Chilwell

 Ben Chilwell

Footballer

Description

Description

Benjamin James Chilwell is an English professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Premier League club Chelsea and the England national team. Wikipedia

Born: December 21, 1996 (age 24 years), Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

Height: 1.78 m

Nationality: British

Weight: 77 kg

Current teams: Chelsea F.C. (#21 / Defender), England national football team (Defender)

Dates joined: 2020 

CHILWELL: THIS IS BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN US

BEN CHILWELL ON THE ATTACK AT LEEDS

The next chance to do that comes on Wednesday night at the Bridge when the Blues will look to build on our lead from the away leg against Atletico Madrid.

‘One-nil away was a good result but we are only halfway done,’ says Chilwell, ‘and if we can get that win then that will be massive for that final push going into the last stretch of the season.

The run of results, which has included eight wins and four draws, has restored the Blues into a top-four position in the Premier League, it has us with a first-leg lead in our Champions League tie with Atletico Madrid, and it has earned a place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

Chilwell, who helped keep a clean sheet in our most recent game – the 0-0 draw at Leeds on Saturday – has been personally affected by the stiff competition for a starting shirt, with Marcos Alonso’s increased involvement meaning reduced minutes on the pitch for the England left-back compared with earlier in the season, but he can see the strong squad benefitting the club as a whole.

‘The manager has come in and every weekend going into the game no one knows who is going to be starting and in what position, and that is a positive thing because we have a massive squad of very talented players who are all fighting for 11 spots.

‘That just brings the best out in all of us because in training everyone is fighting for one of those starting shirts. That is why coming into the weekend we are sharp and defensively we are doing well, and that is why we are unbeaten

 

‘We have been training hard. Tactically the manager is spot on. Defensively we do look solid and I can’t put my finger on what it is apart from we are training hard and everyone is fighting for 11 spots and everyone is getting a game. It is important that we are getting clean sheets but on the flip side we want to be scoring more goals and winning more games.’

Chilwell      admitted straight after the game at Leed  that he should have scored with at least one of the chances that came his way.

‘I’ve had a few chances that I probably should have scored and I think that is the same for a lot of people in attacking positions,’ he adds.

‘Once we get up there we need to be a bit more clinical. ‘We need to get more bodies in the box and try to be a bit more clinical with the final pass and the final shot.’

BEN CHILWELL ON THE ATTACK AT LEEDS

The next chance to do that comes on Wednesday night at the Bridge when the Blues will look to build on our lead from the away leg against Atletico Madrid.

‘One-nil away was a good result but we are only halfway done,’ says Chilwell, ‘and if we can get that win then that will be massive for that final push going into the last stretch of the season.’

 

 source: cheseafc.com

Beckham and Ballack among Europe's showstoppers

 

Spain-Denmark, 1993: Danish dreams dashed again by La Roja

"What Spain gave me in club success, it took back with its national team," Denmark's Michael Laudrup once told FIFA.com. With good reason too, the Scandinavian side having fallen victim to their bête noire in the Round of 16 at Mexico 1986, two years after losing out in the semi-finals of UEFA EURO 1984. Then, in November 1993, the teams crossed paths again – with Denmark a point clear of Spain in Group 3 ahead of this final qualifier. European champions in 1992, the Danes had already defeated La Roja1-0 in Copenhagen and boasted the greatest generation in their history, so would they finally turn the tables?

17 November 1993, Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Seville, Spain 1-0 Dent began to look like mission impossible for Javier Clemente's Spain after just ten minutes, when Andoni Zubizarreta passed a clearance to Michael Laudrup and brought the forward down, trying to limit the damage. The goalkeeper was shown a straight red card and suddenly a young Santiago Canizares, denied the time to warm up, was sent into the fray. Despite the pressure, Canizares pulled off an exceptional performance as Denmark laid siege to his goal for the 80 minutes that remained.

It began to look like mission impossible for Javier Clemente's Spain after just ten minutes, when Andoni Zubizarreta passed a clearance to Michael Laudrup and brought the forward down, trying to limit the damage. The goalkeeper was shown a straight red card and suddenly a young Santiago Canizares, denied the time to warm up, was sent into the fray. Despite the pressure, Canizares pulled off an exceptional performance as Denmark laid siege to his goal for the 80 minutes that remained.

At the other end, ten-man Spain relied exclusively on set-pieces to create danger. And, with just over an hour gone, it was from an Andoni Goikoetxea corner that they broke the deadlock, Fernando Hierro finding the net after Peter Schmeichel's misjudged attempt to claim the ball. Thanks to a defensive stalwart and a novice keeper, Spain had thwarted Denmark once again, denying them the point they needed to reach USA 1994

Germany-England, 2001: Owen's hat-trick heroics

In October 2000, Germany triumphed 1-0 in the very last game at the old Wembley Stadium, a result that spelled the end of the road for England manager Kevin Keegan and brought Sven-Goran Eriksson into the hotseat. The return fixture at the Olympiastadion – where Germany remained unbeaten since 1973 – would prove critical to the Three Lions' chances of reaching Korea/Japan 2002.

1 September 2001, Olympiastadion, Munich, Germany 1-5 England

Goals: Carsten Jancker 6' (Germany); Michael Owen 12', 48', 66', Steven Gerrard 45+2', Emile Heskey 74' (England)

To nobody's great surprise, Germany kicked off the encounter with confidence, and it did not take long for Carsten Jancker to open the scoring. Just a few minutes later, however, England struck back via Michael Owen. Their tails now up, the visitors were starting to grow in belief when, on the cusp of half-time, Steven Gerrard fired in a powerful effort from distance. England increased their lead two minutes after the restart, Owen pouncing on Heskey's headed lay-off. The Liverpool striker was at the peak of his powers and completed his hat-trick after latching onto Gerrard's through-ball. And an eye-catching turnaround became a football lesson when Heskey got his own name on the scoresheet.

"I've never seen an England team play better," said Franz Beckenbauer. "They had pace, aggression, movement and technique. It was fantasy football. When they scored their third goal, they started to play football that would have beaten anyone in the world." Four days later, England defeated Albania to take top spot in the group on goal difference – and second-placed Germany would ultimately be left facing the play-offs.

Mazahir's Lock Down Walkaway

2020 FIFA Club World Cup

2020 FIFA Club World Cup

Tournament

Description

The 2020 FIFA Club World Cup is scheduled to be the 17th edition of the FIFA Club World Cup, a FIFA-organised international club football tournament between the winners of the six continental confederations, as well as the host nation's league champions. The tournament will be hosted by Qatar in December 2020. Wikipedia

Location: Qatar

Date: December 2020

Teams: 7

he 2022 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to be the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international men's association football championship contested by the national teams of the member associations of FIFA. It is scheduled to take place in Qatar in 2022. This will be the first World Cup ever to be held in the Arab world and the first in a Muslim-majority country.^[1] This will be the second World Cup held entirely in Asia after the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan.^[2] In addition, the tournament will be the last to involve 32 teams, with an increase to 48 teams scheduled for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The reigning World Cup champions are France.^[3]

This will also mark the first World Cup not to be held in May, June, or July; the tournament is instead scheduled for late November until mid-December.^[4] It is to be played in a reduced timeframe of around 28 days, with the final being held on 18 December 2022, which is also Qatar National Day.^[5]

Accusations of corruption have been made relating to how Qatar won the right to host the event. A FIFA internal investigation and report cleared Qatar of any wrongdoing, but the chief investigator Michael J. Garcia has since described FIFA's report on his inquiry as "materially incomplete and erroneous".^[6] On 27 May 2015, Swiss federal prosecutors opened an investigation into corruption and money laundering related to the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.^[7][8] On 6 August 2018, former FIFA president Sepp Blatter claimed that Qatar had used "black ops", suggesting that the bid committee had cheated to win the hosting rights.^[9]

Additionally, Qatar has faced strong criticism due to the treatment of foreign workers involved in preparation for the World Cup, with Amnesty International referring to "forced labour" and stating that workers have been suffering human rights abuses, despite worker welfare standards being drafted in 2014.

2022 FIFA bidding (majority 12 votes)

Bidders	Votes
	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4
Qatar	11	10	11	14
United States	3	5	6	8
South Korea	4	5	5	Eliminated
Japan	3	2	Eliminated
Australia	1	Eliminated

There have been allegations of bribery and corruption in the selection process involving members of FIFA's executive committee. These allegations are being investigated by FIFA (see § Bidding corruption allegations, below).

Qatar is the smallest nation by area ever to have been awarded a FIFA World Cup – the next smallest by area is Switzerland, host of the 1954 FIFA World Cup, which is more than three times as large as Qatar and only needed to host 16 teams instead of the current 32.

Possible expansion

On 12 April 2018, CONMEBOL requested that FIFA expand the 2022 FIFA World Cup from 32 to 48 teams, four years before the 2026 FIFA World Cup as initially planned.^[21][22] FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed willingness to consider the request.^[23] However, the FIFA congress rejected the request shortly before the beginning of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Infantino said the global football governing body would not discuss the possibility of having a 48-team World Cup, and that they would first discuss the matter with the host country.^[24]

In March 2019, a "FIFA feasibility study" concluded that it was possible to expand the tournament to 48 teams, albeit with the assistance of "one or more" neighbouring countries and "two to four additional venues." FIFA also said that "while it cannot rule out legal action from losing bidders by changing the format [of the tournament], the study said it 'concluded that the risk was low.'" FIFA and Qatar would have explored possible joint proposals to submit to the FIFA Council and the FIFA Congress in June 2019. Had a joint proposal been submitted, FIFA's member associations would have voted on the final decision at the 69th FIFA Congress in Paris, France by 5 June 2019.^[25][26] However, on 22 May 2019, FIFA announced it will not expand the tournament.^[27]

Source: Wikipedia

FIFA, others defeat U.S. football concussion lawsuit

(Reuters) - A U.S. judge has dismissed a lawsuit by football players and parents seeking to force FIFA and other governing bodies to change the sport's rules to limit the risk of concussions and other head injuries, especially for children.

In a decision on Thursday, Chief Judge Phyllis Hamilton of the federal court in Oakland, California, said the plaintiffs could not use the courts to change FIFA's "laws of the game," noting it was their decision to play football.

"Plaintiffs have acknowledged that 'injuries' are a 'part of football,'" Hamilton wrote, citing the complaint. "Those who participate in a sporting activity that poses an inherent risk of injury generally assume the risk that they may be injured while doing so."

The judge also said FIFA was not a proper defendant because there was "no connection" between the lawsuit and any activity that the sport's international governing body, which is based in Switzerland, undertook in California.

Claims against FIFA were dismissed with prejudice, meaning they cannot be brought again.

Hamilton said claims against bodies such as the United States Football Federation and various youth and club football organizations can be brought again if the plaintiffs show they have standing to sue, including by demonstrating injury.

"We will amend the complaint to satisfy the court's order and appeal the FIFA ruling," Steve Berman, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in an email.

FIFA said in a statement that it welcomed the decision, and through its medical committee would continue monitoring issues affecting players' health. Lawyers for the other defendants did not respond to requests for comment.

The lawsuit is not related to the ongoing corruption scandal at FIFA, whose full name is Fédération Internationale de Football Association.

Hamilton's 46-page decision is a setback for efforts to make football, considered the world's most popular sport with roughly a quarter billion participants, safer to play.

The proposed class-action lawsuit was brought on behalf of seven players, including four under the age of 17.

They sought a variety of rule changes, including limiting headers by players under 17, and making it easier to substitute during games for players experiencing head trauma.

The plaintiffs also sought medical monitoring for people who have played the sport since 2002. Money damages were not sought.

THOUSANDS OF CONCUSSIONS

According to the complaint, 46,200 U.S. high school football players suffered concussions in 2010, more than from baseball, basketball, softball and wrestling combined.

At least 30 percent of football concussions come from heading or attempting to head balls, the complaint said.

But only one of the seven plaintiffs claimed she suffered a concussion from playing football, and Hamilton said this appeared to be a one-time injury that ended with a full recovery.

She also called it "too speculative" to assume the other plaintiffs might suffer concussions in the future, and thus they did not deserve standing to seek rule and protocol changes.

Other lawsuits over concussions have been filed in recent years against the National Football League, the National Hockey League and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

A recent settlement between the NFL and roughly 5,000 retired players could reach $1 billion.

Though the football lawsuit was dismissed, "this is not the end of the day for claims against the football federations," said Michael Kaplen, a lawyer specializing in traumatic brain injuries who teaches at George Washington University Law School.

"Groups are trying to market these sports as safe, when they are not," he said in an interview. "Unless and until officials and medical professionals testify under oath, the truth will never come out."

The case is Mehr et al. v. Fédération Internationale de Football Association et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 14-03879.

The 7 Oldest NFL Quarterbacks of All Time

Nearly all sports, when played at the highest level, are pursuits for the young. Professional careers overlap with athletic peaks, which tend to occur early, and the aging process will eventually force everyone, no matter their skill level or determination, to retire. That said, retirement comes at different times for everyone, and for every Rashard Mendenhall, who retired at 26 to travel the world and write, there’s a Brett Favre, who, well,couldn’t stay gone.

The game of football isn’t easy for anyone, and it’s particularly difficult for quarterbacks, who spend the start of every possession staring down 11 guys who are being paid to take him off his feet with extreme prejudice. When we look at the already injury-riddled careers of guys like Sam Bradford and Robert Griffin III, the idea that anyone could play as long as someone like Favre, who retired, for the last time, at 41, seems absurd. And that’s in the modern-day NFL, which is routinely dressed down as “touch football” or “flag football” by those in the fandom who don’t see why making a game safer is probably a good thing.

What’s really wild about Favre is that he doesn’t even come close to the oldest quarterbacks ever to suit up in the NFL. Using information gathered by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, here are the seven oldest quarterbacks in league history.