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This week, Stuart Barnes explains why he is excited by the appointment of Nigel Melville as RFU’s director of professional rugby. Randy Moss Jersey . Plus, he looks at the winners and losers as the Premiership and PRO12 head towards the play-offs... 1. In England, the weekend rugby news was dominated by the imminent departure of Rob Andrew and his replacement, Nigel Melville. Andrew lost the faith of the general public and the media for not taking greater responsibility since his appointment in 2011.What I will say is that he had to take a share of criticism as a central protagonist in the appointments of Martin Johnson and Stuart Lancaster. Both were bad appointments for differing reasons. Nigel Melvilles USA experience will be invaluable, says Barnes To balance the negatives he is widely believed to have played the crucial role in the heads of agreement between club and country. That is no small achievement.However, more obvious rugby related results were expected. Melville will take back the development role Andrew lost. Great things are expected. Coming from Colorado to Twickenham, the very distance between the states and England will give him a fresh perspective.He has a sharp rugby mind, broad business experience and the knowledge of some of the most sophisticated sports thinking on the planet emanating from the US. The predominant reason for delight is Melvilles appointment, not Andrews imminent departure.2. Eddie has been setting out his time lines. The tour of Australia is a chance for England (as he sees it) to climb the world rankings.New Zealand, however, is in another league to every side and the target to overhaul them in Tokyo 2019 is ambitious enough. No more of this targeting 2023 nonsense, however. The age of excuses seems to have been left behind. Bring out the buntings! Jones plotting victory against Australia 3. Celebrations in Cardiff too where over 68,000 spectators were lured by a promise of exciting derby rugby and cheap tickets into the Principality Stadium for Cardiff Blues versus Ospreys; it is sad that such a great rugby nation as Wales needs something as corny as Judgment Day to lure the supporters, but in this instance it was a great success both on and off the field. Highlights of the Guinness PRO12 round 21 clash between Cardiff Blues and Ospreys Rhys Webb and the returning Scott Williams will have helped make the day of the Welsh management, too. Here is hoping Sam Warburtons injury is nothing too bad. Wales will need every man standing in New Zealand.4. It was billed as the shock of the weekend but was it really? Pat Lam rested most of his team against a Treviso side in a neck-and-neck battle with Zebre for the right to get hammered in the European Champions Cup. Highlights of the Guinness PRO12 round 21 clash between Benetton Treviso and Connacht. Any victories are rare for the Italian teams but a home win is hardly a once in a lifetime affair. Also, it has to be remembered that barring a draw against Glasgow next Saturday, nothing has changed in the Connacht versus Glasgow scrap for a home semi-final. The result in Treviso will not have knocked Treviso off their stride.5. The defending champions are in great form. I was starting to wonder whether there were any teams in the Pro12 league capable of giving them a game at the moment. Cue a trip to Belfast and a high paced, inventive, bustling and, more than anything else, an intelligent performance from Ulster. Highlights of the Guinness PRO12 round 21 clash between Ulster and Leinster This was only their second win in eight games against Leinster. The Dublin-based side have looked as if they would be vulnerable to good teams all season (as they were in Europe). With two sides playing so well I do not fancy their chances of regaining the Pro12 title this season; Glasgow remain my idea of firm favourites but if Ulsters half backs can keep playing as well as they did last weekend we have at the very least a serious challenger.Theyll need to play well just to make the play offs. The Ospreys have not given up on a European Champions Cup spot as they showed last Saturday and with Scott Williams back, the Scarlets have been reinvigorated ahead of their must win game in Limerick this weekend. Fourth place is in Ulsters hands but expect the Ospreys to make life incredibly difficult in Swansea.6. Saracens fans had a bit of a fright. Trailing 3-14 to Newcastle at half-time, there might have been a few worried Fez Heads but once they threw away their Dubrovnik holiday gear they stormed back to win the game and clinch top spot in the league table. All roads now lead to Lyon. Chris Wyles of Saracens shakes the hand of Jacques Burger as the Namibian walks off in his last match 7. I am sure they will have noted Racing 92s impressive win over Clermont. The Parisian side have a strong squad, some outstanding individuals and a determination to make this a memorable season. There is not much doubt a late Leicester breakaway in the semi-final would have made this an easier final for Saracens.8. It was Exeter who took a few weeks to put the misery of their last second European elimination at the hands of the Wasps behind them. On Sunday their quarter-final conquerors suffered the same fate after losing to Saracens in the semi-finals. One more win and the Chiefs will have the advantage of a home semi-final in the Premiership with Wasps expected to again be the visitors. However, Harlequins will be a tough final game. It will be Conor O Sheas Stoop farewell and the Quins will be looking to send him to Italy on a high.9. Wasps should have a fairly straightforward task of claiming maximum points with London Irish down and out. The Irish can start planning for an immediate return next season while Wasps must ready themselves for a tilt at the English title. Saracens are by some way the best team in England but with the European final before the domestic denouement who knows what victory or another defeat will do to them? Jack Tovey scores for Bristol against Bedford. 10. Bristol are overwhelming favourites to make it third time lucky after botching last years play-off finals against Worcester and, more unforgivably, London Welsh. Doncaster Knights are expected to face them in the final after an impressive away win of their own in Leeds. Bristol can enjoy next weeks second leg against Bedford before the pressure begins to pile on Andy Robinson and his heavily fancied team. Look at the respective squads of Bristol and the other three play-off teams. There are no excuses. Also See: WATCH Guinness PRO12 highlights Loss relegates London Irish Follow @SkySportsRugby Fixtures and results Custom Minnesota Vikings Jerseys .J. -- Kevin Gilbride retired Thursday as offensive co-ordinator for the New York Giants. Sheldon Richardson Jersey .com) - Avery Bradley scored 21 points and the Boston Celtics beat the Brooklyn Nets, 89-81. http://www.officialauthenticvikingsshop.com/authentic-mike-remmers-jersey.html .Michael Briscoe is serving a life sentence for sexual assault, kidnapping and first-degree murder in the death of 13-year-old Nina Courtepatte in 2005.CALGARY -- From the opening shift to the end of the game, it was clear the Calgary Flames were happy to be back home. Calgary scored on the first shift, and Michael Cammalleri scored twice as the Flames cruised to a 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday. Cammalleris first goal gave Calgary a 3-1 lead 13-minute mark of the first period. "I thought it was nice for us to come out with a high energy start," said Cammalleri, who was playing in his fourth game after missing the first seven with a hand injury. "(We) just came off a nine or 10-day road trip, quite a lot of travel and I thought it was a testament to the groups will to win the way that we were able to get going off the start." The Flames surprised by starting the season 3-0-2. But things didnt go as well on a difficult five-game road trip in which they were able to pick up just a single win. "We ended with two losses and that didnt feel good for anybody but at the same time, you regroup, youre excited to come home, excited to play in front of our fans and know that if we can put some wins together were right back where we want to be," said Cammalleri, who also had an assist and has five points (three goals, two assists) on the season. The Flames big achievement was holding Capitals star Alex Ovechkin to no points for the first time in eight career games against Calgary. In the first seven, he amassed eight goals and seven assists. "The start, we werent ready for it. They jumped on us right away, scored first shift. They had momentum and we kept making mistakes in our zone," said Ovechkin. Slow starts have been an issue for the Capitals all season. Theyve been outscored 12-6 in the first period. "I dont think we jump in right away. Something has to be happening. We have to score or there needs to be a big play by a goalie," said Ovechkin. "We were a little sleepy out there tonight." Not only did Ovechkin, the NHLs third leading scorer, get shutout, but so did the Capitals No. 2 ranked power play, which went 0 for 4 against a Calgary penalty kill that entered the night ranked 29th. "The plan was to not allow (Ovechkin) to get the puck. The only place in the game where it was pretty tough was on the power play. Hes so skilled and playing on the far side, he is basically impossible to cover," said Flames coach Bob Hartley. "Karri Ramo had a couple of big saves on him and I thought that 5-on-5, the Stajan line and whoever was playing on D against Ovie did quite a job." Also scoring for Calgary (5-4-2) was Kris Russell, Jiri Hudler and Curtis Glencross, with Russell and Dennis Wideman finishing plus-five. Calgary, which has yet to lose in regulation at the Saddledome (3-0-1), continues its three-game homestand Wednesday night with the Toronto Maple Leafs in town. Jalyn Holmes Jersey. Jason Chimera and Aaron Volpatti scored for Washington (5-6-0), which saw its three-game winning streak come to an end. The Capitals have two stops left in a five-game road trip, the in Vancouver on Monday. It was the second and final meeting of the season between the two teams and for Holtby, the night went similar to the first meeting, when he was pulled 16:22 into the first after three goals on 11 shots and the Capitals down 3-0. On this night, it was three goals in 12:50 and a 3-1 deficit. Calgary got off to a fast start, jumping out to a 1-0 lead on a superb opening shift by the line of Cammalleri with Calgary kids Joe Colborne and TJ Galiardi. The trio hemmed the Capitals in their end nearly the entire time and the persistent pressure led to Russells first goal as a Flame at 1:04. "We werent happy with the way we had come out to start the previous games. We knew that we were behind the 8-ball and we didnt want to have it happen, especially to a team like this," Russell said. "We did a good job of really making sure we were focused from the start and ready for that first shift." The shot onslaught continued and was up to 11-2 in Calgarys favour at 7:24 after red-hot Hudler converted Sean Monahans rebound. Hudler leads the Flames with 13 points and has points in 10 of Calgarys first 11 games. "Were going to have to realize as a group that we have to do something before the game to make sure were prepared because the majority of the games were losing, its because of the first period," said Holtby. "Its nothing to do with systems, its nothing to do with what the coaching staff can do, its what we do as professional athletes, professional hockey plays. You prepare yourself and were not doing a good enough job in here." Ramo finished with 27 saves to even his record at 2-2-1. Holtby suffered the loss and is 4-5-0. Notes: Calgary was without Lee Stempniak. Riding a five-game scoring streak (three goals, two assists), Stempniak was out with a lower-body injury. Already on the sidelines for the Flames and missing his third game was captain Mark Giordano (lower body) ... Derek Smith, who played Friday night with Abbotsford (AHL), caught an early flight and played his first game of the year ... Nate Schmidt picked up his first point with an assist on Volpattis goal ... In a Budweiser promotion, 3,000 red helmets with red lights on the top were given out to fans sitting behind the nets. They turned on the lights for Flames goals. Wholesale USA Soccer Jerseys discount uswnt jersey Wholesale AC Milan Jerseys Wholesale Arsenal Jerseys Wholesale A.S. 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