End of the road for battered and bruised Welsh October 16, 2015 Graham Reid with top tips for two titanic RWC quarter-finals THE RUGBY World Cup enters the quarter-final stage this weekend with four mouth-watering matches lying in wait. New Zealand look set for a strong win against France and, with a similar outcome expected for Australia against Scotland, it’s the other two fixtures that are attracting [...]
Rugby World Cup 2015: New Zealand coach Steve Hansen dares mercurial French to rekindle old flair October 15, 2015 New Zealand coach Steve Hansen has dared rivals France to rediscover their attacking flair when the two sides do battle for a place in the World Cup semi-final at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday. There are echoes of the 2007 tournament when France, runners-up in their pool, turned the tables on the much-fancied All Blacks to [...]
Rugby World Cup: Scotland launch robust appeal in aid of banned duo Ross Ford and Jonny Gray October 15, 2015 Scotland have promised a vigorous appeal against the suspensions handed out to forwards Ross Ford and Jonny Gray, which would rule them both out of the remainder of the World Cup. The duo were slapped with three-week bans for their illegal two-man tip-tackle on Samoa flanker Jack Lam, which precludes them from Sunday’s quarter-final clash [...]
Rugby World Cup: Warren Gatland happy to dole out harsh lessons to stoke Welsh pride October 15, 2015 Wales coach Warren Gatland insists that subjecting his players to a brutal review of their failings against Australia will stoke their desire to overpower South Africa in Saturday’s quarter-final. Two-time world champions South Africa will start as favourites against an injury-ravaged Wales, with a showdown with either New Zealand or France the prize on offer for [...]
Pakistan v England: Ian Bell hails skipper Alastair Cook’s masterclass as tourists retaliate in Abu Dhabi October 15, 2015 England stalwart Ian Bell eulogised the batting majesty of skipper Alastair Cook after the opener notched his 28th Test hundred to lead his side’s retaliation against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi. Cook batted throughout the third day and amassed an unbeaten 168, sharing century partnerships with fellow opener Moeen Ali and then Bell as England closed [...]
Unbeaten Twilight Son to be crowned king of the sprinters for Candy October 15, 2015 The story of this year’s Flat season has undoubtedly been the dominance of the three-year-olds in the big sprints. They have simply taken their elders to the cleaners. And if the betting market is right, the younger generation are going to plunder tomorrow’s British Champions Sprint (1.20pm) as well. Muhaarar took the Commonwealth [...]
Arsenal to win at Watford but will be made to work hard for it October 15, 2015 Arsenal's habit of bursting out the blocks and stumbling over the line has been a hard one to shift. Almost as difficult as Arsene Wenger has found shaking off the Emirates dissenters. The ‘Wenger Out’ brigade can point to a disastrous start in Europe, where the Gunners are staring at group stage elimination, [...]
Rugby World Cup 2015 injuries are a leveller but Ireland should still prevail over Argentina October 15, 2015 The Welsh injury list may be more substantial, but Ireland’s is surely more critical. Against France, talismanic captain Paul O’Connell was stretchered off, while Johnny Sexton limped from the field of play and remains a doubt for Sunday’s clash with Argentina. The back row looks bare too, with freight-train flanker Sean O’Brien banned, [...]
Rugby World Cup 2015: Investment bank forecasts Wales victory over South Africa in quarter-final – but New Zealand tipped to win tournament October 15, 2015 Wales' squad may be decimated by injuries, but an analyst at investment bank Macquarie has crunched the numbers and still sees Warren Gatland's men beating the Springboks in Saturday's Rugby World Cup quarter-final. Yet they will then be beaten by New Zealand in the semi-final, according to Macquarie, who predict the All Blacks to lift their [...]
Eugenie Bouchard sues US Tennis Association for “millions and millions” over US Open injury October 15, 2015 Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard is suing the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and the USTA National Center for "millions and millions" after sustaining a head injury at the US Open. Bouchard suffered concussion after falling on a tile floor in a therapy room at the Grand Slam event in September. The lawsuit alleges "a slippery, [...]