A patient Leeds United fan

It's been a good 2 weeks for patient Leeds United fans. We have had a good run in the Championship this year - steadily improving to a point where we have been in third place for sometime now and a place in the play-offs for promotion to the Premiership, looks pretty certain. But a place in the first 2, with automatic promotion to the Premiership looked too much to hope for, until recently. Reading are running away with the Championship and because Sheffield United had such a strong start before Reading caught them, Sheffield looked certain to finish second and to get a guaranteed promotion. Leeds were 14 points behind, albeit with a game in hand - but that was just too much to pull back, or so it seemed. Latest Table However, in the last two weeks Sheffield has dropped points and Leeds have picked them up. Yesterday Sheffield lost while Leeds won. So now we are 8 points behind with a game in hand - its looking like a close run thing. Watford are also giving it a good run - but Leeds look like they have a chance to get back into the premier flight, where they belong. But what are the remaining matches? Leeds probably has the toughest run-in, playing 5 out of 11 remaining matches against teams in the top six; 3 of these away from home. Sheffield have a much easier run-in with only 2 matches against the top 6 teams and both of those at home. Critical for Leeds will be the match away to Sheffield on the 18th April. Watford also have an easier run-in than Leeds, with only 2 matches against the top six teams although they are both away, and one is to Reading. Leeds also have an away game to Reading. So now is a time to hope; it's a time of possibilities and patience for all long suffering Leeds fans.

Ireland Vs Wales - A Win is a Win

Final Score
Picture by Ciarán Bohane.

A competent win - we were favourites and we won based on home advantage helped by the loss of Stephen Jones, replaced by a poor Gavin Henson. It was a nightmare game for him. So now we wait for what should be an easy win against Scotland; hope for a draw in Paris!!

Mal two handed
Photo by Ciarán Bohane.

Easterby
Photo by Ciarán Bohane.

That will set up a show down in Twickenham for the Championship and Triple Crown.

The dream is still alive!

Half Time - Ireland Vs Wales

Ireland leading 11-5. Its was a pretty good start by Wales. However losing Stephen Jones has bad a difference.
Gavin Henson playing at Outhalf is a bit of a joke. Ireland had a poor start - looking a bit better in the second quarter.

Photo by Ciarán Bohane. Watching the half time commentary on TV, George Hook has just said that Trimble is a 21st Century Tony O'Reilly!

Lets see what the second half brings - we're looking good, but not great, so far.

Today - its Ireland Vs Wales

Miracles at Murrayfield Originally uploaded by Monkey Images.

How things have changed since the strange affair in Paris. Yesterday, Scotland put on a Braveheart performance and beat England and Italy put in another credible, if losing, performance agianst the French in Paris. So today, we can believe that

• England are beatable;
• we were playing a better Italian team that we thought;
• the Irish team of strong individuals have discovered how to play as a team ...

Well we can dream like this for at least another 2 hours. By 5 pm today we will have reinforced that dream or started thinking about next year! I'm writing this with 30 minutes to kick-off. Unfortunately no ticket, so I will be shouting at the telly for the afternoon.

Ireland Vs France - What Happened?

The questions were answered in the first half - and the answers weren't good. France was so far ahead in the first half, through repeated Irish mistakes, it was tempting to turn the depressing performance off. Then something happened - the French eased up and the Irish started to play. However a loss is a loss (like a win is a win) and the best we could hope for was to win all of the rest of the matches. which includes beating England in Twickenham - yah, right. But then, England were only average when beating Italy, so maybe...

Ireland V Italy 4th February 2006

First game of the 2006 Six Nations Championship at Lansdowne Road.

Brian O'Driscoll Originally uploaded by eoghanmcn.

Paul O'Connell Originally uploaded by eoghanmcn.

It was a tough uninspiring victory. The truth is that Italy were robbed, but a win is a win. The team didn't play as one team, they were more like 2 teams (Munster and Leinster).

A lot of questions to be answered in Paris next week.