I called for Warren Gatland’s men to be brave last weekend and to be fair, they were. Yes, Sonny Bill Williams’ red card gave the British and Irish Lions a significant advantage in terms of numbers but they were still facing a mammoth task. Beating the All Blacks is difficult at the best of times but beating the All Blacks IN New Zealand is almost impossible.

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Like the Lions, referee Jerome Garces also needed to be bold on that fateful drizzly day in Wellington. Williams was rightfully dismissed for his shoulder tackle on Anthony Watson but it still needed Garces to make that mammoth call. So often regarded as the golden boy of New Zealand rugby, Williams became the first All Black to receive a red card in 50 years.

Can the Lions defy the odds and win at Eden Park? Bet here

And yet, despite territorial advantage and an extra man for the vast majority of the game, the Lions needed All Blacks kicker Beauden Barrett to miss not one, not two but three straightforward penalty attempts at goal. On another day, Gatland’s side could have lost – but they weren’t about to let their one opportunity to defeat New Zealand go amiss.

But enough about last week. All of the focus and attention should be on Saturday’s return to Eden Park. The Auckland stadium has been New Zealand’s fortress for so long but are the Lions, who became the first team to beat the All Blacks on home soil since 2009 last week, about to do the unthinkable and secure a dramatic series victory?

They are a 33/10 shot to do just that. Once again, Gatland’s men must be both bold and brave but added sparkle would also help, especially in the final third of the pitch. Johnny Sexton was simply sublime last weekend whilst Owen Farrell appeared to relish his move to inside centre and the Lions boss has opted for an unchanged side for the third Test.

Some have criticised Gatland’s decision, stating that the All Blacks won’t be as bad this time around. True as that may be, why change a winning formula? After all, the Lions were good enough to hand New Zealand their first home defeat in 2489 days so why can’t they do it again? This Lions side could push the All Blacks close but once again, they will rely on good fortune to get them over the winning line.

But to beat New Zealand, the Lions MUST cut out the cheap penalties. The vast majority of Gatland’s squad were reliable on defence last weekend but England star Mako Vunipola struggled to cope with the relentless All Blacks pressure. Simply put, the Lions won’t get away with giving 13 penalties away at Eden Park. Gifting New Zealand territory and the chance to put points on the board is never a good idea...

Are the Lions, hunting a first series win in New Zealand since 1971, value at 33/10?

With Sonny Bill Williams ruled out through suspension, the All Blacks have been forced to tinker with their own system. While Gatland was happy with his Lions effort, New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen wasn’t overly amused by his side’s wasteful approach – especially after the Lions were also reduced to 14 men after Vunipola’s sin bin in the second period.

The Lions will now have to cope with a different All Blacks threat and that could play into the hands of New Zealand. Gatland’s men probably expected Hansen to wring the changes after the second Test and the Eden Park showpiece could be a spectacular encounter. The All Blacks will be out to get revenge and defend their Auckland dynasty but the Lions might have enough quality to do the unthinkable and secure a come-from-behind series win.

“I’ve played in the Premiership and the Top 14 and believe me they are two different games. Sometimes you just need a little bit of difference in a team to spice it up. Over here I play with and against some of the best players in the world and they teach me things and it’s always good to look at it from a different perspective. If they had given me a chance I’m telling you 100% I would have given everything I had.”

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Speaking ahead of the opening games of this year’s Six Nations the 30 year old has rarely discussed the controversial exclusion that followed a sensational season in France and was based on a short-sighted policy that precludes overseas players. Yet the decision still evidently burns and especially so after watching England meekly exit the tournament at the pool stages. His post-mortem verdict will strike a chord with rugby fans from Cornwall to County Durham.

“Everyone was too friendly and sometimes you need a nasty side to you when it comes to playing rugby and to further your career. You can’t be friends with everyone and that’s just the way professional sport is. If one of your mates is in the same position you have to do what it takes to get ahead of him. So maybe they were too nice with everyone saying it was a big family and a tight group. Maybe that was one of the problems.”

The dismal campaign saw the end of Stuart Lancaster’s reign as head coach and in Eddie Jones there was optimism for a new dawn with exciting new talent being given a chance to shine. Sadly his final 23 for the forthcoming Calcutta Cup clash with Scotland has a very familiar look to it with emerging stars such as Matt Kvesic not making the cut. Armitage is clearly frustrated. “I’ll back England but I’m disappointed not to see a few faces in the team for the first game. Kvesic is a really good young player who is coming along nicely and he will be one of those players up there. He deserves a shot at playing in the Six Nations but now he has been released back to his club. He was one of the guys I was looking forward to seeing. Elliot Daly has been one of the stars of the Premiership and in Europe this year. Maro Itoje has been outstanding.”

“Not to see them in the group….I don’t know what kind of message it’s sending because they’ll be wondering what they have to do to get in there. But hopefully those guys will come back stronger. They’re great players with a lot ahead of them.”

“You have to put these players in when it’s their time and you feel with Itoje that he’s got there. He’s doing it week in, week out for Saracens. Sometimes it’s best to throw them into the deep end because otherwise when are you going to do it? This is the perfect time to do it.”

While he may disagree on the Australian’s lack of faith in youth there is however a decision he is wholly behind and it is one that has divided England fans. The naming of Dylan Hartley – who missed the World Cup due to disciplinary problems – as captain caused quite a stir with many questioning his leadership credentials. Armitage remains firmly in favour of the move. “It is definitely a risk but who else would you have? Dylan Hartley wears his heart on his sleeve and gives everything in the game. Sometimes he goes a little bit too far but that’s because he’s a passionate guy who wants to do everything for everyone. This could make him a much better player because he’s got much more responsibility now at international level. When he’s on his game he’s the best hooker in England.”

As for Armitage himself, a magnificent back row forward who would undoubtedly add to England’s quality, he admits there has been no contact with Jones and is concentrating entirely on playing the best rugby he can for Toulon, a club he claims gave him the ‘will to keep going’ after a perceived rejection from England following injury. He still monitors developments closely of course from across the channel but though the disappointment is still evident perhaps time has added a philosophical slant on the matter. “If it happens somewhere down the line then everyone’s dream is to play for their country. I’ve played five times and millions haven’t so for me to say I should be there or deserve it…nah. I’ve just got to keep playing and loving it.”

Quick-fire questions:

How will England fare against Scotland?

England to win.

Who will start at 7 for England against Scotland?

I would have said Kvesic but he’s not playing. So Clifford.

Bet on England against Scotland

Who will win this year’s Six Nations?

Ireland

Bet on Six Nations winner

Which player will be the tournament’s top try scorer?

Anthony Watson

Bet on Six Nations top try scorer

Which player will be the tournament’s top points scorer?

Dan Biggar

Bet on Six Nations top points scorer

Who will win this year’s European Champions Cup?

Toulon

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Throughout the years, the Formula 1 pit stop has continued to develop. Due to an increase in available technology, teams are able to complete their repairs and upgrades in exceptionally quick times and this has meant that the importance of the pit stop is greater now than ever before.

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To those who are unfamiliar with the sport, or motorsports in general for that matter, the mechanics complete these stops in ‘impossible’ times. But gone are the days of ‘x’ second-long pit stops, as the average lasts no longer than 3.1 seconds in today’s era. But just how have pit stops evolved so much in modern times? We investigate.

A change in mindset 

For most of racing history, it was believed that drivers would only stop in the event of a problem, with extremely rare changes for fuel or scheduled tire changes. However, motor racing would take a dramatic change early in the 1980’s.

It was discovered that softer tires allowed more grip through corners than harder ones, although they wore out rapidly. Meanwhile, teams started to realise that less fuel in the tank meant that the car would be lighter and faster – ensuring that they would be running at a much quicker rate per lap.

After taking these factors into consideration, calculations showed that teams would save time in the race by changing tires and refilling the tank, which would also improve the performance of the car. Although Formula One had been around since the inaugural season in 1950, this would be the first major advance in the sport.

The idea catches on 

The teams began to realise that the tests were accurate and pit stops suddenly started to become an integral part of racing. F1 fanatics have always understood that pit stops can win or lose you a race, but the majority probably would not realise that the difference in times would be so vast once refuelling was banned.

The ban on refuelling, which came about mainly due to safety concerns, arrived in 1984 but fuelling mid-race was reinstated just 10 years later. However, this decade showed teams that it was significantly quicker to avoid refuelling during the race. The average pit stop, even back then, was just four seconds long before Formula 1 reverted back to the ‘no refuelling’ policy and the stage was set for exceptionally quick pit stops and tyre changes.

Optimisation leads to rapid changes 

Suddenly, pit stops are taking three seconds, with some even faster than that. The main reason? They decided to optimise the entire process. Engineers began to think like scientists, and evaluated every miniscule part of the car. The advancements in technology most certainly helped the progression – for example, the self-positioning pneumatic guns that remove and tighten the bolts and nuts on the wheel. 

But it wasn’t just the technology. They focused on optimising the pit crews and mechanics too, and they were right. After all, the mechanics were just as much part of the process as the technology. They made subtle changes that ultimately made a huge difference to the times, and treated it like an assembly line. 

Suddenly, garages were putting teams of three on each wheel in order to ensure the process went smoothly. The first mechanic’s job is to remove the old tyre, the second must position the new tyre and the third operates the gun. Nothing is left to chance, and their moves are slick and choreographed to perfection – there are usually only split second differences, bar a major catastrophe. 

In today’s races, there are sometimes as many as 20 people working on the car during a pit stop – all in the space of two seconds. It is astounding how the engineers and mechanics have developed the process, and the garage staff certainly deserve plaudits for their role in the process too, especially when one considers that the average pit stop in 2009 was around 6-10 seconds longer than today’s stops. 

Personal insight 

There haven’t been many drastic changes affecting pit stops in the last few years, and pit crews have fully adapted to the latest rules. The video below is from GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) official Youtube page and gives an insight into the life of a typical pit crew member during a Grand Prix. 

Paul James, the Chief Race Mechanic of McLaren Mercedes in 2013, provides his own account from life as part of an F1 pit crew. He says “It’s quite strange actually, because you would think it would be really high pressure but from in my own experience, you actually stop breathing.” 

He goes on to reveal: “It all happens in less than two and a half seconds, and then it’s gone again – so you don’t even think about it. The car comes in and you try to focus on all four corners to see that everything is finished and then all of a sudden, it has gone. You’ve already pressed the release button and hopefully, everything is fine.” 

Records tumble, but will they fall further? 

The fastest pit stop on record has been broken many times, but there are a couple that received more attention than others. At the 2012 Grand Prix, McLaren performed a stop on Jenson Button’s car in just 2.3 seconds. This ensured that the British driver made up around a second on the other competitors during the pit stop phase, and the 2009 World Champion went on to secure a spot on the podium. 

Meanwhile, Red Bull broke McLaren’s record twice in the following season. They performed a full pit stop in just 2.05 seconds on Mark Webber’s car at the Malaysian Grand Prix, before recording a phenomenal 1.923 second stop at the United States Grand Prix in Austin. It is hard to see that time being beaten, but the majority of people involved in the sport never believed that there would be pit stops under 3 seconds, and here we are.

The great thing about sport isn’t always the action, but the names of the people involved! Here’s the top ten most epic sporting names in the history of the world!

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IRINIA SLUTSKAYA – The Russian ice skating star was known for her great open stance.

RUSTY KUNTZ – Ended baseball career as a first-base coach.

FANNY CHMELAR – Nothing stinky about the Alpine Skier’s podium finishes.

TOKYO SEXWALE – Probably wouldn’t mind being beached with a name like that.

RICKY VAN WOLFSWINKEL –Norwich fans have been howling their disapproval at the misfiring striker.

MISTY HYMAN – Remarkably, her name didn’t break her spirit and she won a swimming gold at the 2000 Olympics.

RON TUGNUTT – Had a ball in the NHL, playing for eight teams.

STUBBY CLAP – Baseballer put on many a clinic in the Canadian minor leagues.

DICK TRICKLE – NASCAR legend never gave a thought to prematurely retiring.

GAYLORD SILLY – Seychelles distance runner who always had a smile on his face.

FIRST PUBLISHED: 2nd May 2014

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