Ollie Phillips: Grand Slam winners Wales show England and Ireland the benefits of impeccable leadership March 21, 2019 Like most teams, England want to win the World Cup and become the No1-ranked side in rugby union. The dramatic conclusion of the Six Nations last weekend showed just how lofty those ambitions currently are. Eddie Jones’s side flew out of the blocks against Scotland and held a 31-0 lead after as many minutes, but [...]
Horse Racing Betting Tips: King’s long term plan can pay off with Elysees at Newbury March 21, 2019 FOR RACING fans, this weekend always has that feeling of after the Lord Mayor’s show. Cheltenham is so all-encompassing that for the past three months it is pretty much all anyone talks about. Last week’s Festival, as is often the case, had its share of highs and lows. A slightly subdued opening day was followed [...]
David Pipe on his runners over the weekend March 21, 2019 WE ONLY had a couple of runners at last week’s Cheltenham Festival and I was delighted with the way that EAMON AN CNOIC ran when fourth in the Plate. As I mentioned in my column, the trip was the slight question mark, but he battled all the way to the line and I was delighted [...]
Horse Racing Betting Tips: Morning looks best bet on a tough afternoon March 21, 2019 AFTER last week’s rain it seems extraordinary they are watering at Newbury to maintain the current going described as good to soft, good in places. I suppose it should come as no real surprise after the dry winter and this afternoon’s field sizes have held up well considering. Champion trainer Nicky Henderson is always to [...]
Football Betting Tips: Southgate can keep the Three Lions roaring March 21, 2019 FOR SO long, the start of an England qualifying campaign was met with that oh-so-forgettable feeling of here we go again. Slow, boring and lacking in enthusiasm are some of the thoughts that spring to mind when recalling some of England’s football over the past decade or so. So when Gareth Southgate was given the [...]
Amazon brings in BT Sport for Premier League matchday coverage March 21, 2019 Amazon has hired BT Sport to produce its studio and live action matchday coverage for Premier League games next season. The tech giant last year revealed it had secured exclusive rights to livestream 20 matches per season, which will be available to its Prime customers. Read more: Disney closes $71bn takeover of 21st Century Fox But [...]
Men’s tennis at a crossroads: The ousting of ATP president Chris Kermode has left the sport in a period of flux March 20, 2019 On the face of things, men’s tennis seems much the same as it always has been. The same players are dominating the grand slams. The same youngsters trying to break through. The same tournaments being contested in the same order as always. But turn your attention away from the courts and the men’s game is [...]
Chris Tremlett: The Indian Premier League is a brilliant opportunity for England’s best to find form ahead of the World Cup March 20, 2019 The Indian Premier League starts on Saturday and with 11 Englishmen competing there should be plenty of interest in this country. My experience of the IPL is limited. I entered the auction process in 2011, but back then English players weren’t particularly popular, with Kevin Pietersen, Stuart Broad and Paul Collingwood among the lucky few [...]
England’s Six Nations campaign leaves Eddie Jones with a number of selection headaches March 20, 2019 England’s runner-up finish at the Six Nations may not spell disaster but, having beaten Ireland in their opening game, losing to Wales and sacrificing a 31-0 lead at home to Scotland have left Eddie Jones with more questions than answers just six months before the World Cup. What had looked like a marked improvement in [...]
Trevor Steven: Callum Hudson-Odoi may not have started a Premier League game but his England call-up makes sense March 19, 2019 Some players just stand out; everyone in the game knows they are a special talent and there is no split opinion about it. Callum Hudson-Odoi, who could make his England debut this week, is one of them. Having starred at age-group level for Chelsea’s successful youth teams and the World Cup-winning England Under-17 side, Hudson-Odoi [...]