Cracking the Code

1888. An Irishman, Englishman, Welshman and a Scotsman walk into a bar. They have a chug and a chinwag, before you know it they agree to create a touring rugby team that will combine the best players from each nation. Delighted with their creation, they move on to discuss who would be selected for said team. They cannot agree. Rather, they agree to disagree in perpetuity. As much as on field unity is paramount to the ability of the British & Irish Lions to be successful on field. The disharmony when it comes to selection discussion is a key indicator that the brand is alive and well in the eye of the rugby public. We value the jersey. It matters who is picked. When it doesn't, it ends. So, with that backdrop, welcome to my inaugural Lions selection meeting/monologue. Conflicts of Interest Admit it. We all have them. Whether it be affinity to players from a certain nation or being a coach who has a son vying for selection. Ok, the latter scenario is unlikely to be appl...

77 minutes on the clock, Sam Warburton rips the ball in contact before putting a perfectly weighted nudge down into the French 22. France scuttle back and leather the ball into touch. Wales win the ensuing line out, retain the possession, Barnsey says time's up, ball goes off the park. Wales are victorious in Paris. Back to sleep. From a Welsh perspective, the above would have been a pleasantly mundane end to an average test match. Average at best. Instead Warburton's punt kept rollin, rollin, rollin (Durst 2000), off the green and into the drink - scrum to France back in Welsh territory. One last opportunity for Le Bleu - albeit the wrong shade of Blue, bring back Bleu de France. Stash is important. Rant required. Few phases later, France are camped meters from the Welsh line, the clock turns red and we enter the fifth quarter. The goings on of the nek twenty minutes, yes there was another twenty minutes, would be so farcical that they make the concept of five quarters s...

September 15 2008, Bank of America agree a deal to acquire Merrill Lynch. A deal which came as a mighty relief to US Treasury Secretary, Hank Paulson, and the then Chair of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke. Don't worry, I'll get to the rugby bit shortly. Paulson and Bernanke had watched on, as Investment Banking giant, Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy earlier that day. They were frantically aware that the aforementioned merger played an important role in stopping the next Domino from walloping Wall Street. The credit bubble had burst. Financial meltdown and that. To put it in a scenario with which we were all familiar, Merrill were Mufassa dangling on the rock edge. Fortunately, Bank of America had a more friendly outlook on matters than Scar, and saved them from falling into the on coming stampede. Rare that the moral compass of an Investment Bank will be given the thumbs up but Scar really was a bad bloke. This was a deal driven by preservation. And this fina...

With 70 minutes on the clock, I found myself bemoaning Wales' lack of self control, whilst I simultaneously jumped up and down, trying to keep the expletives to a whisper - albeit a shouty whisper. Pot kettle.... For those of you who have followed my Six Nations journey to this point, I opted against the casino for Saturday morning's 7am KO. Instead leveraging the Hola VPN service to stream the game on my ageing laptop. Upside, I watched the game in the comfort of my bed. Downside, buffering. A word that hasn't been met with a positive reaction since the internet begun. Coverage wasn't all bad, loving the work of Paul O'Connell on comms - impartial, insightful and relevant. Fair to say that my previous offering paid more than mere lip service to George North's involvement, or distinct lack of, against the Scots. I loved the metaphorical two fingers that he stuck up to me with his two tries, and overall impact against the Irish. Get him back on that list, War...