Tag:

Europe

The 2024 UEFA European Football Championships has just taken lift-off at Allianz Arena in Munich where the hosts Germany was simply too good for the Scottish 5-1. Germany had a fantastic team effort from start to finish off the back of two early first-half goals including a successful penalty that puts them way in front ahead of half-time 3-0. Nothing has changed at all going into the 2nd half where the hosts continued to hold on up front & although they might have accidentally gifted Scotland their own goal to them in the 87th minute after that free kick deflection went so wrong but the Germans did however with the 5th and final goal to wrap up their first night and round of Euros. Germany’s next match will be against Hungary on Thursday morning AEST time in Stuggart while Scotland will look to bounce back v Switzerland next Friday.

Lots of attacking play and possession there from the hosts whom the Scottish just couldn’t stop them at their own end with goals after goals on the board. The wings have worked well for them including a few changes off the bench where the reserve striker has put up such a good threat against the keeper with one second half goal being bagged as the game goes on. Yes, they might need to be careful when looking to put away things next time rather than an own goal which is something the Germans will be tested in the knockout stages but so far, so good to kickstart the Euros campaign on home soil. Meanwhile, Scotland didn’t get what they wanted when they were really struggling to stop Germany in its tracks where that first goal should’ve easily been put away from the net but it went inside the goal instead. They were the only ones who couldn’t make the most out of their attacking opportunities despite the rare goal being gifted by centre-defender Antonio Rudgier off the free-kick not long before full-time. However, it’s just wasn’t their night unfortunately with lots more work to do in Group A.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Great to see Stephen Larkham announce his return back home as soon as the current United Rugby Championship wraps up in Europe mid next year at Irish provincial club, Munster, not only he’s doing that to prioritize his kids’s future but also will take up the Brumbies Head Coach role for the second time in 2023 by the time Dan McKellar fully commits to the Wallabies backroom setup especially during a World Cup year.

When Larkham first took the top job in Canberra, the Brumbies have been present to the Super Rugby Playoffs every year under his watch (2014-2017), although the round-robin ladder position has improved consistently when they finished 4th during his last two years but unable to get out of the Quarter Finals at the same time.

His highest Playoffs finish was the semi-final where the Brumbies was beaten twice by the eventual champions, Warataths in 2014 & Hurricanes in 2015 while at Munster as Senior Coach, Larkham continued to carry his strengths in the regular games having topped the Conference B group last season & gone one better to the final this time but only lost to Leinster.

Right now his Munster group has some work to do for the Irish Shield title where they sit 3rd behind Ulster and Leinster by 5 points (19) but that competition group is running hot in the same position when it comes to the overall ladder & have an extended shot towards the main trophy via knockout rounds.

If he can keep up the progress with Munster for the rest of the season and knick at least a silverware on their trophy cabinet, then there’s no doubt Larkham is going to come back as a better coach this time around that will send a huge warning signal to all other Super Rugby clubs.

He’s learned a lot from a variety of elite coaches both as a player and coach himself for a long time, now he’s ready to continue the hard work Dan McKellar set up & transfer all that European adventure into being the Brumbies’ own Crusaders-esque team in Australia.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail