Uefa relents: Manchester City escape punishment for fans booing Champions League anthem November 20, 2015 Manchester City have escaped punishment after Uefa opened disciplinary proceedings into their fans booing the Champions League anthem. A match delegate reported the crowd's hostile response to Uefa for review following their match with Sevilla at the Etihad Stadium last month. Disciplinary proceedings were subsequently opened, triggering much derision and condemnation including from captain Vincent [...]
England’s appointment of Eddie Jones as head coach signals southern hemisphere coaching dominance of world rugby November 20, 2015 On February 6, 2016 history will be made at Murrayfield – for the first time in history, England's players will be directed by a head coach from abroad. The RFU has appointed Australian Eddie Jones as the man to lead England's recovery from a disastrous World Cup, succumbing to the temptation of sourcing southern hemisphere expertise [...]
Eddie Jones made England’s first foreign head coach with contract worth more than £1.8m November 20, 2015 Eddie Jones has become England's first foreign head coach after agreeing a four-year deal with the RFU thought to be worth in excess of £1.8m. The Australian, who takes over in December, succeeds Stuart Lancaster who resigned after England's early exit from last month's World Cup. "I hope to build a new team that will [...]
Eddie Jones poised to be named England rugby coach – but former Australia star David Campese brands RFU desperate for turning to their first foreign boss November 19, 2015 England rugby chiefs have been branded clueless by former Wallabies star David Campese after it emerged that Australian ex-Japan coach Eddie Jones is set to succeed Stuart Lancaster. Jones is believed to have held talks with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) in London yesterday and the appointment of England’s first foreign head coach could be confirmed [...]
Kevin Pietersen calls England selectors pathetic and ridiculous after Ian Bell is dropped for tour of South Africa November 19, 2015 Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen has blasted selectors and accused them of double standards after stalwart Ian Bell was axed from the Test squad for next month’s tour of South Africa. Pietersen called the decision to drop Bell, who is England’s eighth highest run-scorer of all time but has just two centuries from his last [...]
Premier League clubs to play La Marseillaise before this weekend’s games in tribute to victims of Paris terror attacks November 19, 2015 La Marseillaise is to be played before all of this weekend’s Premier League fixtures as a tribute to the 129 people killed in last week’s terrorist attacks on Paris. England football chiefs were praised for encouraging all 70,000 supporters to join in the French national anthem before Tuesday’s poignant friendly between England and Les Bleus [...]
Arsene Wenger considers dropping Laurent Koscielny from Arsenal team because France defender was “deeply affected” by Paris terror attacks November 19, 2015 Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger fears that defender Laurent Koscielny has been so deeply affected by the Paris terrorist attacks that he may need time away from the team. Koscielny was in the France side whose friendly with Germany was targeted, largely unsuccessfully, by suicide bombers last Friday night, when 129 people were killed across the [...]
England’s seam options set to be stretched as Mark Wood and Steve Finn ruled out of winter tour of South Africa November 18, 2015 England's seam bowling reserves are set to be tested on their winter tour of South Africa after pace duo Mark Wood and Steve Finn were both ruled out yesterday through injury. Finn has failed to recover from the bone stress problem in his left foot that sidelined him for the Test series against Pakistan this autumn, [...]
New Zealand great Jonah Lomu changed the face of rugby union forever, according to England World Cup-winner Will Greenwood November 18, 2015 Marauding New Zealand powerhouse Jonah Lomu will always be remembered for changing the face of rugby union in the space of one match, says former England centre Will Greenwood. Lomu died in his home city of Auckland on Wednesday at the age of 40 after suffering with health problems since his retirement from international rugby [...]
Influence of canny head coach Trevor Bayliss becoming more apparent as England close in on one-day series win November 18, 2015 Should England avoid defeat in the final 50-over clash against Pakistan in Dubai tomorrow, it will be their first victory in a one-day series on foreign shores since Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace took the coaching reins in the summer. The influence of those two and head coach Bayliss, in particular, is becoming increasingly apparent. [...]