started out like the three-star horse that he is but he finish

Great art galleries, great architecture, great churches and some decent-looking domes, Michelangelo, restaurants, youll love it. That was my promise to the SuperSport broadcast team who are following the Springboks around this month. A week in Florence, hell, was I envious!But South Africans, being the passionate rugby people they are, will not be leaving one of the worlds great renaissance cities with many happy memories and Bach cantatas echoing in their ears. Instead, there was yet another day of Springbok humiliation. Sky Sports Black Friday sale Upgrade to Sky Sports now and get 12 months half price! One week earlier the largely second string All Blacks had carved Italy open in one of those games where tries are scored from every angle. But on Saturday, Italy reversed their fortunes with an astonishing victory against South Africa. Great credit to Italy, Conor O Shea and Mike Catt (how he must have enjoyed the win) but is it really so astonishing?The Springboks have now lost five of their six games away from home this season and drawn the other with the Barbarians. They have twice been blown away by their former deadly rivals New Zealand. It is time for the word crisis. The dejected Boks leave the field after their loss to the Azzurri They have dropped into fifth place in the world rankings and have only the one game left against Wales - away - before the World Cup draw is made next May. The European teams have the Six Nations in which to rise and fall. The odds are on the South Africans being a tier-two pool draw for Japan with the potential of another England scenario looming large. Allister Coetzee is in a dark place.2 At the other end of the international game there was absolutely no surprise that New Zealand bounced back and beat Ireland in Dublin. What surprised even me was the ferocity of the All Black display. They walked the line of legality and occasionally stepped over it. Who is the better European team, Ireland or England? England is ranked two but has not yet shown quite the level of performance we have witnessed from Ireland this autumn. Stuart Barnes There has been some outrage regarding their aggression but the greater concern is with the officiating that doesnt think the Sam Cane shoulder hit that took Robbie Henshaw out of the game deserved anything but a penalty.While not condoling dangerous and violent play there was something thrilling about a team caring that much about losing. Its up to the referees and their assistants to control their passions. Paul OConnell, Gordon DArcy and Sean Fitzpatrick analyse Irelands loss 3 If high tackles and Sam Cane was the dark side of the All Black performance, Beauden Barrett was their white magic - all good, all positive, and dazzling in nearly everything he did. The first half hour was startling.Eddie Jones wonders whether George Ford can become a better fly-half than Barrett. Superb as Ford was with ball in hand against Fiji, its fair to say that, on Saturdays evidence, he has a way to go... and I loved Fords performance at Twickenham. Highlights of Irelands clash against the All Blacks in Dublin 4 Ireland - losing three key players as they did against France in the World Cup - couldnt quite pull off another epic victory. But then again that was France, this was New Zealand. Disrupted by the loss of key players, still Ireland gave the All Blacks a great game.They lack the match-winning stardust even with those three on the field, but this was a powerful performance, even in defeat. Joe Schmidts team has more strength in depth than ever. He has done a fine rebuilding job post-World Cup. 5 Who is the better European team, Ireland or England? England are ranked two but have not yet shown quite the level of performance we have witnessed from Ireland this autumn. England do have that winning knack, however, and are on a steadily improving curve.We may have to wait for the final match of the Six Nations for some sort of answer, although Ireland will have home advantage. Ireland, meanwhile, have to forget the aches and pains and end the Australian winning run this weekend.Isnt that a fascinating game? If Ireland want to be going toe to toe with England for the status of world number two, this is the sort of game they have to grit out. 6 Lets hope Argentina can give England a work-out. South Africa was comfortable, Fiji a walk in the park. The Pumas are looking ragged. It has been a long year of Super Rugby and the depth of their squad is looking dubious.Individually they are equipped with talent, especially in the back row and midfield, but they are collectively mistake-ridden. If they play their rugby in the wrong parts of the field, England will make short work of them. Paradoxical as it seems, an inspired Argentina is exactly what Joness men need before Australia arrive with revenge in mind. Highlights of Englands Autumn International clash against Fiji at Twickenham 7 Scotland nicked the game against the Pumas with the last kick of the game. Its about time the last-minute break went their way. Vern Cotters team have been playing some good rugby for quite a while but ending up on the wrong side of the scoreboard.It was time for the performance to give way to the importance of the result. Psychologically Scotland will be a lot stronger for the last swing of Greig Laidlaws boot.8 Wales too won with the last kick of the game, this time a drop goal from Sam Davies, but there are few hymns and arias across the Severn Bridge at the moment. Jones: Wales complacent again England coach Eddie Jones blasts complacent Wales Eddie Jones weighed in, accusing Wales of complacency against a team containing seven or eight company players.You and I could play company rugby, said the stirring Jones.9 Tension will be unbearable in Cardiff this weekend. Wales cannot afford to lose against a South African team that are a faded shadow of their old legendary self, while the Springboks cannot afford to lose to a Welsh team that is struggling to find any kind of form.I fear the pressure, the fear of not losing, as opposed to going out and playing positive winning rugby, could limit the quality of the rugby. You can chuck all my normal performance talk out the window, winning is even more important for both teams Saturday than it was for Scotland last weekend. Wales need a last-minute drop goal from Sam Davies to secure a win over Japan 10 New Zealand are talking up the unpredictable French. Go look at Frances record in the last five or six years, study the DVDs of their inept performances. France have not been unpredictable for ages, they have been useless.It would be an infinitely greater shock for France to beat a New Zealand team in Paris than it was when Ireland won in Chicago.Upgrade to Sky Sports now and get 12 months half price. Hurry, offer ends December 4! Also See: Hansen: Strongest ever Lions Jones: Ford must be selfish Follow @SkySportsRugby Rugby on Sky Matthew Stafford Youth Jersey . MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez also will attend the session, which was announced Monday. The league has discussed placing its next two expansion teams in Miami and Atlanta. Will Harris Lions Jersey . The visitors took a deserved lead in the 16th minute with midfielder Yohan Cabaye curling the ball beyond Adrian from inside the penalty area. http://www.lionsfanspro.com/Black-Jarrad-Davis-Lions-Jersey.html?cat=920 . 31, the CFL club announced Monday. The team also has yet to decide on the future of Doug Berry, who began the season as a consultant to the head coach but took over the offensive co-ordinators duties in July. Austin Bryant Womens Jersey . -- Aldon Smith believes he is on the path to being sober for good. Matthew Stafford Jersey .com) - Richie Incognito has reportedly been admitted to a psychiatric care unit in Arizona. RIO DE JANEIRO -- William Fox-Pitts medal hopes took a hit Monday on a tricky cross-country course in the eventing competition at the Olympics.Fox-Pitt led after the dressage phase and seemed set to challenge for a first individual Olympic medal only 10 months after being put into an induced coma following a fall in cross-country.The 47-year-old Fox-Pitt, who returned to competitive action in early April, got off to a strong start on Chilli Morning but made a mistake on a jump, picking up 20 penalty points.Fox-Pitt also finished outside the time, picking up a further 10.9 time penalties and fell to 22nd position ahead of Tuesdays final showjumping phase of the competition.I hope (Chilli) jumps well tomorrow but its not quite so important anymore, Fox-Pitt said. Well be clutching at any chances weve got. So were not going to be in that enviable position defending a gold medal, were just going to be doing our best.Fox-Pitt, who helped Britain to two silvers and a bronze in the past three Olympics, was clearly disappointed after a run-out.I had a very good round. Its just annoying that I went past that third element, he said. Its just really unfortunate, its my fault entirely. I went too quickly I think for him. He didnt do anything wrong.Christopher Burton of Australia moved up to first on Santano II afterr finishing clear and inside the time.ddddddddddddI couldnt believe it, Burton said. For a horse with no blood in his breeding he is a rocket.He started out like the three-star horse that he is but he finished a four-star horse so were over the moon.Defending champion Michael Jung of Germany and Sam FBW were second, 3.3 penalties behind Burton and 1.2 ahead of Nicolas Astier of France on Piaf de bNeville.My horse feels good after the cross-country so Im looking forward to the jumping, Jung said. Normally he jumps really well.Those were the only three pairings who were clear and inside the time on what proved to be the toughest cross-country in modern era eventing, with only 40.6 percent completing Pierre Michelets course without any jumping penalties.Germany, which is bidding for a third straight Olympic title, slipped from the gold medal position to fourth in the team competition, with Australia, New Zealand and France occupying the podium positions.The United States is out of the team competition after two of its riders were eliminated, but its other two riders -- Phillip Dutton and Boyd Martin -- are fifth and sixth, respectively, just behind New Zealand veteran Mark Todd. ' ' '