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They have just 12 more games. Their home games remain shrouded in uncertainty. And they're coming off consecutive 45-plus point defeats.

Welcome to life with the Sunwolves: The Japanese Super Rugby franchise whose existence will cease - save for an unlikely run to the finals - on Friday May 30th when they face the Brumbies in Canberra.

Coincidentally, the Sunwolves face the Brumbies on Friday night in Wollongong, a match that was moved from Hanazono after the COVID-19 [Coronavirus] forced tournament organisers SANZAAR into action.

If the Sunwolves weren't up against it already, having back-to-back home games against the Brumbies and Crusaders moved to offshore venues - and the high likelihood that others may follow suit - has only added to the team's challenge in what is their farewell Super Rugby season.

"Management are dealing with it more than what the players have to; for us, we knew that we were going to be on the road most of the year anyway, so it was more just a change of scenery," Sunwolves back-rower Jake Schatz told ESPN from the team's current base in Coogee, Sydney.

"We were always going to be doing lots of travel, so it was more behind the scenes, they were working a lot harder than us [logistically]. We've just got to focus on rugby and the next week; we've had a couple of hard losses. So we just need to get back on the winning bandwagon and work out what we're doing right and what we're doing wrong."

The coronavirus is just another speedbump the Sunwolves have had to deal with since they were told they had no long-term future in Super Rugby midway through last season, a decision SANZAAR officials arrived at when the Japan Rugby Football Union refused to stump up $[U.S]10 million to bankroll the franchise's future.

How would the Sunwolves attract players for only one season? Would fans walk away from the club given it had no long-term future? How would they compete in a competition that still includes some of the game's greatest players?

They were all valid questions.

As for what he saw in the opportunity with the Sunwolves, Queenslander Schatz says the positives outweighed the negatives as he plotted his next career move following two seasons in England.

"I'd been overseas at London Irish and was looking to come home, so the Sunwolves presented an opportunity to come home and play Super Rugby again, that's how it all worked out," Schatz said.

Was there any hesitation then given the Sunwolves were, in effect, on the clock?

"Yes and no, like I said it was a bit of an opportunity either way. Rugby in Japan, especially, has grown so much, you get 20,000 people to your home games in Japan so you can't really complain on that front."

And that has been the effect of last year's Rugby World Cup in which Japan made the quarterfinals for the first time, having upset both Ireland and Scotland as they topped Pool A to book a knockout game against eventual champions South Africa.

Japan's Top League has enjoyed a surge in popularity as a result with crowd figures in some regions outstripping those of the long established J-League football competition, but there was always a question mark as to whether that support would transfer to the Sunwolves.

Those doubts were quickly cast aside in Round 1.

Playing their opening home match against the Rebels in Fukuoka, the Sunwolves drew more than 10,000 people while two weeks later they were greeted by a near-capacity crowd at their regular base: Tokyo's Prince Chichibu Stadium.

"They love it, the support's great, the people get around it; they buy the merchandise; they turn up to the games; you can't really ask for much more from the fans than that," Schatz said of the Sunwolves fans. "I'd say the rugby support in Japan in general has gone through the roof.

"Coming off the World Cup there was a bit of buzz around rugby in Japan, so to get that following just makes it even more special when you play in front of a good crowd.

"So hopefully that continues to grow and we keep our supporter base at least for the rest of the season, and hopefully we can do them proud."

Whether SANZAAR turns out to regret its hardline financial demand for the Sunwolves, will be seen in the run to the next five-year broadcast cycle in 2025, but there is little doubt the power struggle for new territories and redrawn competitions is well and truly underway.

SANZAAR boss Andy Marinos last week told reporters the alliance was doing its due diligence in assessing the opportunities in Japan but wasn't concerned by rumours the Six Nations had approached the JRFU, perhaps due to similar reports linking the Springboks with a move to the northern hemisphere.

"It's not about who gets there first, it's about growing the game in that market," Marinos said. "Ultimately we can do all the hard work we can because we want to align with Japan, we want to grow into the Asian market and their executives could turn around and say 'we want to align with the northern hemisphere,' and we can't control that.

"I think what we've got to be working hard towards is how can we best develop rugby in that country so that they can have a competitive national team. And then it's going to be about which hemisphere is going to have a bigger appetite to include them in their structures going forward."

All the Sunwolves can do in the meantime is give their absolute all for the remainder of the year and, in Schatz's case, play as well as he can so that he is left with more than one offer for his next professional move.

He says that could be in Japan - where a new Top League competition could commence as early as next year - or back home in Australia with another Super Rugby franchise.

Given the spread of the coronavirus and threats of travel bans, there may be a couple more curve balls to confront before the sun sets on the Sunwolves and the howls at Prince Chichibu fall silent for good. But Schatz and his fellow squad members from around the globe, will just get on with the job.

And that job continues against the Brumbies in Wollongong on Friday night.

"The Brumbies are always a tough challenge, they're forward orientated and that's probably the area where we have to aim up," he told ESPN. "I think last week we let ourselves down in first-up tackles; we've had some good starts to games and I really like to play the game plan we're playing, but we really need to keep ball in hand and be able to make those tackles.

"And the Brumbies biggest [strength] is really that set-piece area, so we really need to focus there as well."

Read more here:
COVID-19, No future and heavy defeats life at the Sunwolves - ESPN Australia

Joao Moutinho is targeting a second Europa League winners medal as Wolves prepare for their first knockout tie in nearly 50 years.

Moutinho lifted the trophy in 2011 with Porto and the experienced midfielder insists Wolves are determined to make a huge statement in this years competition.

Wolves progressed from the group stages as runners-up from Group K and face Spanish strugglers Espanyol in the first leg at Molineux on Thursday night.

Espanyol are bottom of La Liga and while Moutinho has warned Wolves to expect a difficult evening, he is on a mission to add some more silverware to his CV.

Moutinho, 33, has also won three league titles with Porto, a league title with Monaco and was a member of the Portugal squad which triumphed at Euro 2016.

Ive won it [Europa League] once before and we are in every competition to try and win every game, he said.

The direction of the club at Wolves is going up and up. There is a big difference between what the other clubs pay and its difficult for our budget to do it - but we have a young team, a very good group, and we want to try and catch the big teams.

We are now in the knockout stages and the feeling is good.

Espanyol is a good team, even though their position in the league is not a true reflection with the players they have. It will be a tough game and we have to do it 100 per centto pass.

Wolves have not competed in the knockout rounds of major European competition since the 1971/72 season and head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has insisted that Espanyol cannot be underestimated.

Nuno is also hoping that Wolves do not experience any further issues with the Video Assistant Referee, with the system to be introduced by Uefa for the knockout stages.

Wolves have suffered more than most at the hands of VAR this season, most recently with a controversially disallowed goal against Leicester last Friday night.

Nuno said: Losing the emotion part of the game is the big risk. Football is about goals and that cannot go away from the game.

It is part of us, it is here to stay and the only thing I hope [for] is improvement, to be more clear to everybody and especially the players.

Sometimes they are on the pitch and they dont understand. With the delays the fans are not happy and something has to be done.

Nuno is expected to field a strong starting XI against Espanyol, with wing-back Ruben Vinagre the only absentee with a hamstring injury.

This is a tough game and the table doesnt mean anything, he said. We have done well [so far], we started early in the competition and the group phase was tough but since day one we have embraced the challenge.

We are proud of what we have done and now know we want to compete well. We want to keep building and improving.

See the article here:
Joao Moutinho says Wolves determined to make a big statement ahead of first European knockout game in almost 50 years - Telegraph.co.uk

MADRID, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 18: Saul Niguez of Atletico Madrid celebrates 1-0 during the UEFA Champions ... [+] League match between Atletico Madrid v Liverpool at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano on February 18, 2020 in Madrid Spain (Photo by Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images)

Some of the sides Atltico Madrid have beaten at home in Champions League knockout ties under Diego Simeone: Juventus, Real Madrid, Barcelona (twice), Bayern Munich, Milan.

Liverpool.

The Spanish outfit fought from a well-organised base provided for them by their manager, and their opponents finished the game having not had a shot on target.

Another record which remains intact thanks to this result is that they have not lost a Champions League knockout game at home under the Argentine who joined the club in 2011.

To triumph here they needed to buck their own form, but also defeat a team who are defending European champions and have been literally unbeatable in their domestic league so far this season.

MADRID, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 18: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Jurgen Klopp manager of Liverpool ... [+] with Diego Simeone manager of Atletico Madrid before the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between Atletico Madrid and Liverpool FC at Wanda Metropolitano on February 18, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Liverpool did lose to Napoli in the Champions League in September, and Atltico set up using a similar 4-4-2 setup to the one used by the Serie A side who were then coached by Carlo Ancelotti.

Klopps side generally struggle against this formation, and most of their defeats in Europe in recent seasons have come against sides playing this shape.

Napoli in group stage matches, both this season and last season, Crvena Zvezda in the groups last season, and the 3-0 defeat in the first leg of last seasons semi-final against Barcelona at Camp Nouall 4-4-2

And so it was for Atleti here. It wasnt pretty but it was effective. It was typical Atltico Madrid. Typical Simeone.

The star at Atltico is the team. It could be argued it is Simeone, but with just one win in their last five La Liga matches, and a Copa del Rey exit at the hands of third tier team Cultural Leonesa, it was time for the coach and his team to step up.

Having the third best defence in Europes top five leagues is all well and good, but someone needs to score. Better call Sal.

The Spaniard pounced on a loose ball which had wriggled through to him via a couple of Liverpool defenders, and he finished well over Alisson and inside the far post.

MADRID, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 18: Thomas Partey of Atletico de Madrid competes for the ball with Sadio ... [+] Mane of Liverpool FC during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between Atletico Madrid and Liverpool FC at Wanda Metropolitano on February 18, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Diego Souto/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

The goalscorer and his midfield partners in crime, Koke and Thomas Partey, made their midfield contemporaries in the oppositions lineup appear meek and rendered them ineffective.

The crowd helped them, creating a cauldron of noise, bellowing down onto the field to support their own players and intimidate Liverpools.

Every poor touch and every lost ball from the defending champions was greeted with cheers, every good touch with jeers. A potentially demorsalizing feeling for those in black and something they werent able to overcome.

Many of Liverpools best passes came from the back, especially from Joe Gomez who finished the game having completed more dribbles and more key passes than his midfield team-mates combined.

Granted, that isnt too difficult when those midfielders created no chances and completed no dribbles.

MADRID, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 18: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Head Coach Diego Simeone of Atletico de Madrid ... [+] gestures during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between Atletico Madrid and Liverpool FC at Wanda Metropolitano on February 18, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Alejandro Rios/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Simeone gesticulated to the crowd, encouraging them to give one last effort in the final few minutes.

Meanwhile, Klopp was booked for protesting against a handball decision which was let go by the officials.

It summed up a night of frustration for Liverpool and a night of effective, well organised, hard work for the hosts.

Klopp will hope that the roles are reversed when the sides meet in the second leg at Anfield next month. It could prove even more difficult than overturning that 3-0 deficit against Barcelona on their way to glory last season.

View original post here:
How To Defeat Liverpool? Better Call Saul, Simeone And Atletico Madrid - Forbes

Liverpool can use their frustrating night in Spain as motivation to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Atletico Madrid, according to Andy Robertson.

The Champions League holders were beaten at Estadio Metropolitano as they found no way through a firm Atleti defence after Saul Niguez gave the hosts the lead just four minutes into the first leg.

Robertson rued the difficulties the Reds ran into as their La Liga opponents diligently sat deep and blocked space, but insists the tie remains very much alive.

Tough one, he told Liverpoolfc.com.

Obviously we couldnt have got off to a much worse start, especially for a team that likes defending leads and is really good at it. It was a tough one.

We kept going, I thought we dealt with some situations really well. We created chances of our own, we dominated large parts of the game but we just couldnt quite get the goal.

Its unfortunate but its only half-time. We need to go back to Anfield and we need to bring that same performance if not better. And hopefully we have enough to get through.

The left-back, who avoided a booking that would have ruled him out of the return match, continued: There were very limited chances at both ends, to be honest.

Hendos was probably our best chance, it just snuck by. A couple of situations we were in good positions and we just couldnt find that killer pass or the luck of the bounce didnt quite go for us. These are things that will hopefully change.

Weve got a couple of big Premier League games coming up but we look forward to the second leg. Were underdogs and weve proven before thats dangerous. Hopefully we can do it again but we know how tough its going to be.

Comebacks are nothing new for this team, of course.

The last European knockout game at Anfield saw them recover from a heavier defeat by Barcelona to win 4-0 and reach the Champions League final that they won in June.

Robertson acknowledged that the players will have to equal the energy in the stands on March 11 if they are to eliminate Atletico with another turnaround.

Yes, but we cant take that for granted, he said of the potential influence of Anfield. We cant rely on Anfield to get us through.

We probably need our fans more than ever, to be honest. We need them to be as loud as ever louder than Barcelona at home, louder than Roma at home.

And if we can create that atmosphere that might give the lads the extra boost we need. Its a Champions League night at Anfield, the lads will be up for it regardless but it always helps with the fans.

Continue reading here:
'It's only half-time, we look forward to the second leg' - Liverpool FC

Chelseas path to the Champions League places last season was not an easy one.

During a stormy season with Maurizio Sarri at the helm, the club managed to keep their nose ahead of their top 4 rivals through the spring.

They werent great, but they were better than their competition, and in the end the collapse of the rest of the chasing pack meant the Blues were able to stumble over the line.

Getting into the Champions League was one thing, and essential for attracting top players and keeping the clubs finances healthy. But its not just about getting in, its about making progress and trying to lift club footballs biggest prize for a second time.

Champions League odds for this season dont list us as one of the favourites. In fact, you wont find many past seasons where Chelsea have been bigger outsiders for the trophy.

The tough draw we got for this second round hasnt helped, with our old enemies Bayern Munich coming out of the hat to take us on next week.

The Bavarians will always be keen to avenge the 2012 final, and this year the added spice of the Callum Hudson-Odoi transfer saga that ended just 12 months ago will also add interest.

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard played in the 2012 final, as well as several high profile clashes before that. His spinning, chested control followed by a left-foot volley against the German giants was one of his most memorable goals in our colours, and this will be a special game for him too.

Its a first European knockout game for the rookie manager and for a lot of these players too. Fans arent expecting them to win the bookies certainly arent but they are expecting their team to put in a spirited performance, as they did repeatedly in the group stage.

This is all part of the teams growth, and its important that its a positive experience, whether they go through or not.

Lampard will hope to have Christian Pulisic back to full fitness by then, and hopefully Tammy Abraham will have shaken off the ankle problem that sees him playing with painkilling injections at the moment.

It will come too soon for Ruben Loftus-Cheek, unfortunately, and he will be desperate to see him teammates go through not only for the sake of the team, but also so that he has a shot at his own Champions League debut.

Whatever happens in the tie, Chelsea can come away a better team, more experienced and more prepared for next year, when we should be back among the favourites to win the competition.

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Chelsea can come out of Bayern tie a better team even if they lose - Talk Chelsea