Sport Comment: Denying kids competitive sport will only put them off January 26, 2014 PARENTS of sporting children beware! The spectre of the ultimate oxymoron, non-competitive competition, long-lost in Labour days of yore, is set to return. Surrey Rugby have just sent out invitations to their mini-festivals decreeing that their upcoming events will have no overall winners. If that is not enough, coaches are to tailor their teams to [...]
Industrious Saracens clip Falcons’ wings and glide into semi-finals January 26, 2014 SARACENS forwards coach Alex Sanderson hailed his side’s tireless work-rate after they sealed an LV= Cup semi-final place with a 41-8 victory over Newcastle Falcons. Two tries from Jackson Wray, a Ben Ransom score and Tom Jubb’s late effort, plus 21 points from Ben Spencer’s boot, saw Saracens take an unassailable lead at the top [...]
Captain Cook drops out of tour of West Indies after latest loss January 26, 2014 ENGLAND captain Alastair Cook revealed he will skip next month’s trip to the Caribbean after his side lost the final one-day international in Australia yesterday. Cook hit 39 in Adelaide, while decent innings from Joe Root and Eoin Morgan – adding 55 runs and 39 runs respectively – gave the tourists a good chance of [...]
Li Na looks towards career slam January 26, 2014 TENNIS: China’s Li Na has set her sights on a career slam after winning the Australian Open over the weekend, having won the French Open in 2011. “Of course if I want to win another one or two. I have to get back on the court working hard and even tougher than before, otherwise no [...]
Hurricane Fly extends record run January 26, 2014 HORSE RACING: Hurricane Fly overcame a bruised foot to win the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown yesterday, beating Our Conor in a thrilling finish. It was the fourth time he has won the race, and extends his world record run of Grade One victories to 19. The 10-year-old Irish thoroughbred has now won 23 out [...]
Garcia moves into world’s top 10 January 26, 2014 GOLF: Spain’s Sergio Garcia will move into the top 10 in the world when the rankings are updated today, having claimed victory via a play-off at the Qatar Masters over the weekend. Garcia finished on 16 under par, level with Mikko Ilonen, yet overcame the Finn after playing the 18th for a third time.
Where to drink January 24, 2014 Bars and clubs continue to open as London recovers from the post-Christmas blues. Chakana is a new Incan-themed nightclub next to Selfridges, spearheaded by Nick House (Steam and Rye, Mahiki), who recruited international clubland superstars Andrew Dax (London, Ibiza), Corrado Mozzillo (Italy) and Augusto Rosillo (Argentina) to create a nightlife experience akin to Tarantino’s From [...]
Coen brothers deliver the goods January 23, 2014 FILM INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS Cert 15 | By Alex Dymoke Four Stars INSIDE Llewyn Davis is an offbeat, directionless sulk through the unforgiving streets of early 60s New York. These 60s don’t so much swing as shiver: winter-time Greenwich Village is wan, washed-out, freezing. The aspiring musicians who shuffle through it aren’t carried forth by [...]
Chelsea move for Salah with Mata en route to Manchester January 23, 2014 CHELSEA agreed an £11m fee for FC Basel winger Mohamed Salah yesterday, freeing the way for playmaker Juan Mata to join Manchester United. Salah scored twice against the Blues this season in Champions League group matches with Basel and also netted in last year’s Europa League semi-final second-leg defeat at Stamford Bridge. A Chelsea statement [...]
Football Comment: Mata signing is David Moyes’s 999 moment January 23, 2014 LIKE the desperate Manchester United fan who dialled emergency services following Wednesday’s Capital One Cup elimination, signing Juan Mata feels like David Moyes’s 999 moment. Nothing against Mata, but I’m not sure he’s what United need, and I find it very hard to believe that signing him has been in their plans for long. Instead [...]