England call on Easter for a World Cup resurrection September 29, 2015 COACH Andy Farrell has backed veteran No8 Nick Easter to make his mark on England’s bid to resurrect their World Cup hopes after being called into the squad to replace the injured Billy Vunipola. Saracens wrecking ball Vunipola was ruled out of the tournament yesterday after a scan revealed he had strained a knee ligament [...]
Farrell hits back at Carling over classroom swipe September 29, 2015 FORMER captain Will Carling aimed a swipe at the England camp and accused the current squad of lacking leadership quality yesterday, accusations which were subsequently rebuffed by coach Andy Farrell. Carling criticised the decision to opt for an attacking line-out as opposed to a kick at goal in the dying embers of England’s 28-25 defeat [...]
Wales add duo after further injury gloom September 28, 2015 WALES were dealt a double World Cup injury blow yesterday after centre Scott Williams and wing Hallam Amos were both ruled out of the rest of the tournament. Williams and Amos failed to recover from the knee and shoulder injuries respectively which they suffered during the second half of their side’s pivotal 28-25 victory over [...]
Wenger: Don’t blame league for Euro slump September 28, 2015 ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger insists it is too early to discern whether a highly competitive Premier League is damaging the results of English clubs in Europe. The Gunners and both Manchester clubs all lost their opening Champions League group stage contests, adding to fears that England could have its allocation cut from four places to [...]
Hodgson boost as Grealish opts for Three Lions September 28, 2015 ENGLAND manager Roy Hodgson’s attacking options have been swelled less than a year before the European Championships following the decision of Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish to pledge his international future to the Three Lions. The 20-year-old also qualified for the Republic of Ireland through his grandparents and played for their under-21 side, but turned down [...]
London pulls out of hosting Tour de France Grand Départ in 2017 September 28, 2015 London will no longer host the start of the Tour de France in 2017 after Transport for London (TfL) pulled out. Read more: Global interest in the Tour de France rises The capital was awarded the right to stage the cycling showpiece for the third time in a decade by race organisers Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), [...]
Axe will fall on under par stars, warns Mourinho September 28, 2015 CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho has warned his under-performing players that nobody is safe from the axe after his side’s uncharacteristically sluggish start to the season. The Blues will seek respite from an underwhelming opening to the Premier League campaign tonight as they bid to build on their Champions League Group A victory against Maccabi Tel [...]
Renault home in on controlling stake in cash-strapped Lotus September 28, 2015 RENAULT’S proposed takeover of cash-strapped Lotus moved a step closer yesterday after the French manufacturer signed a letter of intent to buy a controlling stake in the ailing Formula One team ahead of the 2016 season. Talks between Renault and Genii Capital-owned Lotus have been ongoing for several months, during which time the Oxfordshire-based outfit’s [...]
Michel Platini admits Uefa image could be damaged by “disloyal” Fifa payment as Sepp Blatter stays on as president September 28, 2015 Uefa president Michel Platini has admitted the governing body's reputation may have been damaged after Swiss authorities alleged he had received a "disloyal" payment from Fifa president Sepp Blatter in 2011. Meanwhile, Blatter has maintained his innocence and refused to step down from his role in charge of football's governing body despite facing criminal proceedings [...]
Championship club Wolverhampton Wanderers put up for sale by chairman Steve Morgan September 28, 2015 Wolves chairman Steve Morgan has put his 100 per cent shareholding in the Championship club up for sale, eight years after taking control. Morgan will continue to support the club financially as it looks for a new buyer, but will step down from the board and day-to-day activities with immediate effect. The founder of FTSE [...]