defensive standpoint, opposing teams could expose the youth on Finland

Joe Marler insists he is back on the right track after making himself unavailable for the summer tour of Australia.The 26-year-old England prop found himself in regular disciplinary trouble last season, with bans for calling Wales Samson Lee gypsy boy during the Six Nations and then for kicking Grenobles Arnaud Heguy in the head on his comeback for Harlequins in the European Challenge Cup.Those issues, and the media scrutiny they brought, led to Marler falling out of love with rugby to the point he had to tell England coach Eddie Jones he did not feel mentally able to make the trip Down Under -- where England produced a first-ever 3-0 series win.Marler told several national newspapers: It dawned on me when we met up for that camp [before the tour]. I was driving home when I was like, I dont want to be here. I just didnt have it in me. It was tough, but not enjoyable tough.I told Eddie the following day and he was really good about it, wished me luck and that was it.I wouldnt want to be running around the field with someone who is there just to pick up a pay cheque. I thought about what I would have thought as a kid if I saw my hero, or a player I looked up to, just going through the motions.Marler is confident he has conquered his demons as he prepares for the resumption of club action with Quins -- but accepts he will be tested.It was well publicised how much trouble I was getting myself into, he said. I was just losing control of it all. it wasnt just those moments [with Lee and Heguy].Ive spent the entire off-season reflecting on the year and trying to establish the lesson I can learn from it. Everything is hunky dory at the moment but theres that Mike Tyson quote: Everyone has a plan until you get punched in the face.Come a week on Saturday against Bristol, I suspect someone might punch me in the face but I can cope with stuff under pressure now that things on and off the field are rosy. Womens Vapormax 2019 . On Mar. 16, coming off a "fight of the year" performance at UFC 154 the previous November, St-Pierre faced Nick Diaz at UFC 158 in what would be his eighth defence of the welterweight title. Using his superior athleticism, St-Pierre cruised to a five round, unanimous decision victory setting up a much-anticipated title defence against number one contender Johny Hendricks. Nike Shox Mens Cheap . White came in fourth place in the event. He was the two-time defending gold medallist. The gold medal went to Swiss snowboarder Iouri Podladtchikov. http://www.clearancenikeshoxcheap.com/clearance-mens-nike-shox.html . -- If Henry Burris has his way, he will be the starting quarterback to lead the Hamilton Tiger-Cats back to the Grey Cup next year. Wholesale Nike Shox . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. Cheap Vapormax For Sale . -- The goal posts lying flat on the field, Arizonas fans lingered on the field, congregating around the locker room entrance nearly 30 minutes after rushing out of the stands. Finland should be considered the dark horse of the World Cup of Hockey and a tough team to eliminate. In almost every international event, Finland seems to find a way to get into the final four, and this team includes many of the players who are coming off a bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.This roster is loaded with talent, skill, size, grit and solid goaltending. The Finns wont get pushed around by the North American teams; theyll push back. Finland could be among the top finishers in Toronto.How Finland could winGoaltending will be a key factor in determining the teams success. The tandem of Pekka Rinne and Tuukka Rask will be relied on to handle the netminding duties. Theres no clear-cut No. 1, but the two proved crucial in Sochi. Based on the pretournament, it appears likely that Rinne will get the majority of the playing time early in the round-robin.The biggest issue for Finland could be scoring goals, so its solid goaltending will need to steal games to advance. Its going to be interesting to watch the pro debut of Finnish prospect?Patrik Laine, the No. 2 overall pick in Junes draft.?The 18-year-old winger is the complete package and has high-end skill. At 6-foot-4 and 206 pounds, hes big and strong. He can skate. Hes a pure goal scorer and has a great shot. Hes also very confident in his ability. Laine wasnt too productive during the pretournament, but hell need to be during round-robin play for Finland to win.While most observers believe Team Sweden has the best overall defensive unit in the tournament, Finlands blue line is solid, too. Rasmus Ristolainen is evolving into a poor mans Shea Weber. Ristolainen has an incredible shot and is active in the offense. His presence is critiical on the power play.ddddddddddddow Finland could loseIts simple: If the Finns dont score, they wont win. The biggest question entering the tournament was whether Finland could generate enough offense. If it struggles in that department, it will put a strain on the defense and goaltending to shut down the opposition.Some have suggested that Finland doesnt have enough grit -- but thats not the case. The Finns need contributions from all four lines. If a player such as?Jori Lehtera, a classic Finnish two-way forward who can move the puck and has a nasty streak to his game, doesnt score goals, it could be a short tournament for Finland.From a defensive standpoint, opposing teams could expose the youth on Finlands blue line. Esa Lindell is a strong puck-moving defenseman, but he tends to handle the puck too much in his own end, and -- if hes facing a strong forecheck -- could run into trouble and turn it over. If he doesnt make quick decisions, it could hurt Finlands chances. And if Rinne and Rask are not at their best, Finland will be in trouble.What to watch for: Bite from BarksovGiven this teams solid mix of veteran leadership and young talent, along with its typical Finnish grit, dont be surprised if Finland makes noise. An early test against a highly explosive Team North America team in the round-robin will be a good indicator of what to expect from Finland. Top-line center Aleksander Barkov is on the verge of becoming a potential superstar in the NHL, and the tournament should be his jumping off point. It will also be good for Laines development that hes playing with Barkov. ' ' '