Six Nations

So far, only Scotland beating Ireland has impressed: witty, intelligent, running rugby, plus heroic defence against a considerably heavier pack.

In the second round Scotland never managed to deal with the French pack, and lost every scrum (just about). They also sinned too often, which meant more scrums, more agony.

Interesting point: unless my eyes deceive me, this is what kept happening: French scrum, ref signals put the ball in, scrum-half pauses for a second or two, then feeds scrum. Is that legitimate? Every extra second that a heavier pack is leaning on a lighter pack could be making a difference. Over 80 minutes quite an ordeal, while the ball is out of play.

The other games suggest that this is not a vintage year. England, Wales, Ireland have looked ordinary, Italy (apart from last Saturday) disappointing, France – jury’s out. Only Scotland seems to be performing better than usual. Further afield, but not long ago, Ireland beat the All Blacks. Does that tell us something?

The internet is full of treasures, one of which is the opportunity to watch three of the Test matches between the 1971 Lions and New Zealand (on You Tube). If a few of today’s international coaches were to have a look, they would see what “quick ball” looks like and the advantage it gives to the side that uses it.

I do not begin to understand the chaos that the England-Italy game turned into.  I was interested to learn that all the pundits knew about the perfectly legal way in which the game (the offside rule) could be manipulated to the advantage of the manipulating side (the Italians, coached by an Irishman). They all remembered previous examples of successful use of the stratagem, and they remembered how teams learned how to nullify the ploy by using the appropriate response.

At this stage, what can we conclude? First, England was completely unprepared for this unorthodox approach and could well have lost the game as a result. Second, their hitherto magical coach, Eddie Jones, was caught with his nether garments at half mast just as much as (if not more so than) his unfortunate players. Good for the soul.  I intend to learn all about the offside rule before the next Six Nations. But the real problem facing Rugby Union is how to put “the breakdown” back into Pandora’s box.

More important, the authorities really have got stuck into the menace of head injuries. They even refer to “unnecessary physicality”!

 

STARTING (Cheltenham. The Ultimate Test. Fingers Crossed)

The BHA officers are trying to do better, but (as far as we know) they cannot bring themselves to do a proper job at the start of big-field jump races – which would involve replacing the rotating Maul with a simple circular nose-to-tail walk approx. fifty yards behind the start.

Note that the TV viewer is the key player in this drama, as he or she has a perfect view of what goes on. Racegoers at the track, including BHA management, generally see very little of the starts. So feedback from ITV Racing and their audience would be much appreciated by Donec and will annoy the BHA, which would do that august body the world of good.

HERE’S A GUIDE FOR THE VIEWER

If the maul is formed, ask yourself how much the rear ranks are being penalised. The distance between the first rank and the last is often twelve to fifteen lengths. With the circular walk, that gross unfairness is eliminated.

If the maul starts rotating, note the proximity of horse to horse (dangerous) and the discomfort  caused to the horses on the outside of the wheel when they rotate. This is contagious, builds tension, and encourages chaos.

If the tension has risen, watch the starters’ attempts to calm things down. Often they are ineffective, always they beg the question “Why stir them up in the first place?”

If the maul has been employed and a large field is approaching the tapes in a great jig-jogging crush, ask yourselves, “How much of the first fence/hurdle can the runners see?”

[If you see 25 horses walking towards the tapes in line abreast, relaxed, with plenty of room and a perfect view of what lies ahead, pinch yourselves.]

 

TV COMMERCIALS

Betway. The astronauts. Not good enough. Possibly two floating parachutes, two space suits, one happily clutching its “Tablet”, might have added a certain je ne sais quoi? The point about the polar bear story was that it had a punch line.

William Hill. I worry a bit. Why has everything got to be in the dark? Does that encourage confidence in the old firm? I would have thought it would send the punters scurrying to Betway….

 

FEMALE JOCKEYS

How well I remember a fine figure of a mature woman weeping copiously as she interrupted a dinner party. Her problem? Outside in the dark children were rioting, and who were the worst? The girls. I refer to a Pony Club camp.

How well I remember my hunting days with an assortment of packs. If there were half a dozen very bold and competent riders regularly showing off their courage and talent, three of them would be female.

What about Eventing, possibly the most nerve-testing of horse-sports? Am I wrong in thinking that it is dominated by women?

Finally, women tend to be smaller than men. So girl jockeys generally don’t have the weight problems that make life so difficult for their male counterparts.

We shouldn’t forget the fundamental male/female difference. The male is always looking for ways to show off. He is brave, talented and quite stupid. If he wants to break his neck, good luck to him.

The female happens to be designed for reproduction and bringing up children (a long-term commitment), so she is almost certainly equipped with a better brain than the male, and there can be no doubt that she has potentially more options and responsibilities than the male. So it is obvious that riding horses at great speed will only attract a small percentage of girls.

That being the case, I suggest that an artificial weight advantage would be a mistake. It seems to me that each week we find more trainers using girl jockeys, and that the existing apprentice and conditional allowances are fair to both sexes. Was it not a year ago that the champion young rider over obstacles was a girl? Was it not in 2016 that the top apprentice on the flat was another?

Listen to Dr George Wilson, of Liverpool’s John Moores University, whose speciality is Sport and Exercise sciences. On the subject of hydration (the amount of liquid necessary to keep a body functioning efficiently) he refers to the number of male jockeys who are de-hydrated because of their efforts to lose weight, a condition which is virtually unknown among female riders.

He concludes that a dehydrated man might well be less effective as a jockey than a girl who is not short of liquid (euhydrated is the word).

Significantly he also noted that men may be stronger than women, but that there is no evidence that strength is more influential in race-riding than balance, timing, positioning and tactics – areas where men have no advantage.

The Donec Institute has always pointed out that man perched on galloping horse cannot apply full strength to making horse go faster. If he tried to do so he would probably fall off, or at least seriously unbalance the horse. Therefore girls may well have at their disposal quite enough strength to match their male colleagues when push comes to shove.

The intellectual among our readership should dial up www.thepja.co.uk

and study the various championships. Everywhere you look you will find women. All credit to them, and to the trainers and owners who have een the loght (seen the light).

 

BREAKING NEWS

I understand that Mr Bazalgette of Jockey Club Estates, not content with the Kempton putsch, has inspired one of his colleagues to propose moving certain prestige races (the Royal Hunt Cup was mentioned in a non-attributable whisper) to Oxford Street, West London. One mile, rising ground, virtually straight.  A brilliant example of the new thinking. Rationale? To create a “thrilling spectacle” which will “capture public attention” and therefore be in the best interests of dear old British Racing, as per the Jockey Club’s much trumpeted Royal Charter.

Exciting times! Traditionalists must make the most of Cheltenham 2017.  By 2018 the Gold Cup is likely to start at the Cutty Sark and finish up the Mall. Trafalgar Square’s fountain ideally placed for post-race ablutions and rehydration.

When the dust settles, this is a state of affairs that demands further scrutiny. The Jockey Club controlled racing for the best part of 300 years. Their influence at every level of government in the most powerful nation in the world was enormous, and they used that influence  simply for their own amusement, with never a thought for the needs of the industry which provided it. Hence the financial difficulties which British Racing faces today.

In the circumstances, recent indications that the sleeping giant is preparing for a come-back cannot help but alarm the racing industry and the racing public. One must hope that common sense will prevail.

 

Best wishes, Donec.