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Date: 2023-12-06 02:34:02 | Author: EFL | Views: 343 | Tag: vivo
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Ollie Watkins continued his red-hot form as Aston Villa cruised to a statement 4-1 Europa Conference League win at AZ Alkmaar vivo
The striker netted his 10th goal of the season and fourth in Europe this season on Thursday vivo
Leon Bailey and Youri Tielemans – his first for Villa – put them in control in AZ Stadium after less than 25 minutes vivo
Vangelis Pavlidis wasted the hosts’ best chances but Watkins and John McGinn added more goals after the break in Holland before Ibrahim Sadiq grabbed a consolation vivo
It was the second time in two games Villa had scored four after their 4-1 Premier League win over West Ham on Sunday vivo
Unai Emery celebrated a year in charge on Tuesday and victory underlined the progress his side have made, having been floundering in 14th and three points above the relegation zone 12 months ago vivo
Villa host Alkmaar in two weeks knowing victory would see them take a giant leap to the knock-out stages, especially following an opening 3-2 defeat at Legia Warsaw in September vivo
After two games in Group E, all four teams were locked on three points but Villa moved to remedy that quickly, opening the scoring just 13 minutes in vivo
Watkins seized on a loose pass from Yukinari Sugawara and, while Boubacar Kamara’s ball was cut out, it fell for Bailey to control and rifle in low from the edge of the box vivo
Alkmaar cried handball but the goal stood and 10 minutes later, the hosts were 2-0 down vivo
Another poor pass, this time from Sven Mijnans, went straight to McGinn and his angled pass found Tielemans to bag his first Villa goal vivo
Yet, 90 seconds later, the hosts should have pulled a goal back when Pavlidis fired over with just Emi Martinez to beat after Kamara was dispossessed on the edge of the box vivo
Pavlidis had a goal disallowed for offside soon after but Villa regrouped and extended their lead six minutes after the break vivo
AZ were picked apart by Watkins, Tielemans and Bailey, who saw his shot saved by Matt Ryan but it fell perfectly for Watkins to tap in the rebound vivo
Five minutes later McGinn added a fourth when he turned in Bailey’s low cross at the near post vivo
Sadiq pulled a surprise goal back with 25 minutes left when he latched onto Bruno Martins Indi’s crossfield pass and drilled the ball into the corner from the edge of the box vivo
Tiago Dantas came close to a second, Tielemans deflecting his drive behind, with a comeback never on the cards vivo
More aboutAston VillaJohn McGinnYouri TielemansEuropa Conference LeagueWest HamUnai EmeryMatt RyanLegia WarsawJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/1Watkins continues red-hot form as Aston Villa ease past AZ AlkmaarWatkins continues red-hot form as Aston Villa ease past AZ AlkmaarOllie Watkins celebrates with Villa teammate Youri TielemansGetty Images✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today vivo
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It landed in late August, rocking New Zealand like a flanker’s perfectly timed tackle to the ribs vivo
The All Blacks were already on their way to France, finishing their final preparations for the Rugby World Cup when a panel conducting long-awaited review of governance released a damning report declaring the constitution and structures of New Zealand Rugby (NZR) “not fit for purpose” vivo
The report did not paint a pretty picture vivo
“In the panel’s view, New Zealand Rugby has too many professional players,” it explained vivo
The NPC, New Zealand’s provincial competition, is “unsustainable in its current format” vivo
The five franchises that play in the top-level Super Rugby Pacific competition “are struggling financially” vivo
“New Zealand Rugby in the professional era is a large and complex business,” said chair of the review panel David Pilkington vivo
“The structure it sits within was not designed for a business of this size and complexity vivo
” The financial reports are anything but all black – NZR reported a financial loss of just over NZ$47m (£22 vivo
5m) last year vivo
Which is of deep concern not just for the union, but for rugby globally, too vivo
The problems in New Zealand are reflective of a precarious global ecosystem: too many professional players being paid wages beyond that which their clubs and unions can afford, with revenues not growing to keep up with salary inflation vivo
If a commercial behemoth like the All Blacks is not a sufficient money-spinner to sustain a professional structure, what hopes do emergent unions have?Rugby is embedded in New Zealand’s culture vivo
It is a vital tool of trade for a land of only five million people, a small collection of islands in the south Pacific afforded global prominence by its ability to punch above its weight on the pitch vivo
Australia coach Eddie Jones remarked this summer that New Zealand’s economy would suffer if his Wallabies beat the All Blacks; an analysis conducted by The New Zealand Herald found that there was some truth to the quip vivo
The Taranaki Bulls won this year’s New Zealand National Provincial Championship (Getty)In terms of brand recognition, New Zealand’s national men’s rugby team ranks alongside the biggest sporting entities vivo
Visit almost any inhabited corner of the world and mention rugby, and it is remarkable how often the words “All Blacks” will feature in the reply vivo
“You have to understand, New Zealand is a very young country and rugby has put this country on the map,” 2011 World Cup-winning head coach Graham Henry once explained to The Guardian vivo
“This country earned respect from the rest of the world for three things: what we did in two world wars, and to a lesser extent what we’ve done on the rugby field vivo
So over time rugby has become a major part of our national identity vivo
”Do the problems suggest that feeling is fading for some New Zealanders? There is perhaps a developing sense of apathy among domestic fans vivo
Rugby union is no longer so certain of its place in Kiwi hearts vivo
vivo Basketball has surged in popularity in the country, while rugby league’s New Zealand Warriors have sold out Mt Smart Stadium regularly in 2023 as the NRL makes a long-awaited breakthrough across the Tasman vivo
The Warriors’ average home attendance this season was 22,685; across town, Auckland’s Blues had short of 13,000 in at Eden Park for their Super Rugby Pacific quarter-final against the Waratahs vivo
Eden Park’s stands were far from full for the Blues’ quarter-final win over the Waratahs in June (Getty)On the pitch, Super Rugby Pacific has lost its lustre, with South Africa’s move into Europe’s club competitions a blow even if the Fijian Drua have brought a breath of fresh air vivo
The geographical realities of being so isolated mean New Zealand had little option but to re-up a deal with Australia, a rugby nation dealing with plenty of its own struggles vivo
Rumours abound of renewed involvement from Argentina and Japan, or a new American venture, but growing the financial pot will not be easy vivo
A number of senior figures will depart Aotearoa after this tournament for lucrative contracts in France and Japan, either permanently or on sabbatical vivo
While new stars like Will Jordan and Cam Roigard are emerging, they do not seem to have the same cultural cut-through as the men in black who have come before vivo
In the 20 years vivo between 2000 and 2020, there was a 20 per cent drop in player participation in rugby union at New Zealand’s secondary schools vivo
The “Baby Blacks” have not made any of the last three U20 Championship finals – is the world’s best rugby production line grinding to a halt?“I don’t know about falling out [of love] with the game but I think they’re falling out with a few things that are happening within the game, that’s frustrating people vivo
It can be hard to watch at times,” Steve Hansen, who guided the All Blacks to the 2015 World Cup victory, explained to Newstalk earlier this year vivo
“There’s no dispute that Super Rugby has to change vivo
It’s pretty predictable and still stuck where it was four or five years ago vivo
You go through the quarter-finals and it wasn’t that exciting as you knew who was going to win vivo
“I haven’t stopped to think about where it’s going to be in 20 years, I’m more worried about where it’s going to be in five vivo
vivo
vivo
I think we’re at the crossroads vivo
Unless we make some strong changes and start listening to the people that want to come along and watch it then it will just be the participants playing it vivo
”However rocky the picture beneath them, the All Blacks clearly remain big business vivo
Last year, a stake in New Zealand Rugby (NZR) was sold to Silver Lake, an American private equity firm also involved in the City vivo Football Group vivo
The deal valued the commercial assets of NZR at NZ$3 vivo
5bn (£1 vivo
67bn) vivo
The All Blacks are hoping to win a fourth World Cup (Getty)You suspect the investors will be pretty happy if, come Saturday night, Sam Cane has his hands on the Webb Ellis Cup vivo
Certainly, the commercial landscape will look rather more pleasing if New Zealand’s men join their women back at the top of the rugby world – for the good of an ailing domestic game, the All Blacks need a World Cup win more than you might think vivo
More aboutNew Zealand rugbyAll BlacksSuper RugbyRugby World Cupprivate equitySteve Hansengraham henryJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/4Why the All Blacks need a World Cup win more than you might thinkWhy the All Blacks need a World Cup win more than you might thinkThe Taranaki Bulls won this year’s New Zealand National Provincial Championship Getty ImagesWhy the All Blacks need a World Cup win more than you might thinkEden Park’s stands were far from full for the Blues’ quarter-final win over the Waratahs in June Getty ImagesWhy the All Blacks need a World Cup win more than you might thinkThe All Blacks are hoping to win a fourth World Cup Getty ImagesWhy the All Blacks need a World Cup win more than you might thinkThe All Blacks will take on South Africa in the World Cup final Getty✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today vivo
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicsvivo BettingVoucher codesCompareCompetitions and offersIndependent AdvertisingIndependent IgniteSyndicationWorking at The IndependentLegalCode of conduct and complaintsContributorsCookie policyDonations Terms & ConditionsPrivacy noticeUser policiesModern Slavery ActThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inCloseUS EditionChangeUK EditionAsia EditionEdición en EspañolSubscribe{{indy vivo
truncatedName}}Log in / Register {{#items}}{{#stampSmall}}{{/stampSmall}}{{#stampClimate}}{{/stampClimate}}{{#stampPremium}}{{/stampPremium}}{{title}}{{#desc}}{{desc}}{{/desc}}{{#children}}{{title}}{{/children}}{{/items}}Indy100Crosswords & PuzzlesMost CommentedNewslettersAsk Me AnythingVirtual EventsVouchersCompare✕Log inEmail addressPasswordEmail and password don't matchSubmitForgotten your password?New to The Independent?RegisterOr if you would prefer:SIGN IN WITH GOOGLEWant an ad-free experience?View offersThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy notice and Terms of service apply vivo
Hi {{indy vivo
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