Ashton and Youngs miss out again February 4, 2014 RUGBY UNION: Exiled duo Chris Ashton and Ben Youngs have been left out in the cold again for Saturday’s Calcutta Cup showdown with Scotland. Head coach Stuart Lancaster is to stick with the same 23-man squad narrowly beaten by France last weekend. Fly-half George Ford is one of 10 released to play for their clubs this [...]
Basketball funding extinguished February 4, 2014 OLYMPICS: Basketball, weightlifting, water polo and synchronised swimming have had their funding withdrawn by UK Sport for missing targets. Triathlon and fencing are set for cash boosts for the next two Games.
Premier League: Chelsea halt City’s title charge February 3, 2014 MANCHESTER CITY 0 vs CHELSEA 1 Mourinho credits club masseur for inspiring victory CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho revealed a team-talk from masseur Billy McCulloch inspired last night’s victory against their title rivals. Branislav Ivanovic’s first-half strike was enough to move Chelsea level on points with second-placed City, and two behind leaders Arsenal, as Manuel Pellegrini [...]
Defeat just a small setback, says Pellegrini February 3, 2014 MANCHESTER City boss Manuel Pellegrini feels his team’s title chances have not suffered despite defeat to Chelsea in last night’s top of the table clash. City, without injured stalwarts Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho, missed the chance to return to the top of the Premier League as Branislav Ivanovic’s first-half goal ended an eight-match winning run. [...]
May back to boost England ahead of meeting with the Auld Enemy February 3, 2014 ENGLAND wing Jonny May last night handed head coach Stuart Lancaster a boost, when declared fit to take on Scotland on Saturday. May was replaced in the early stages of last weekend’s Six Nations opening day defeat to France with a broken nose. But the 23-year-old has been cleared for an immediate return to action [...]
Exclusive: Double points rule is because Ferrari failing, says Eccelstone February 3, 2014 FORMULA ONE boss Bernie Ecclestone says he introduced controversial rules to award double points for the last race of the season in order to help Ferrari compete. The oldest and most celebrated team on the grid have not won a world championship since 2007 – a predicament Ecclestone says contributed to his passing the rule, [...]
Cricket Comment: Kirsten is pick of candidates for Flower job February 3, 2014 COACH Andy Flower’s decision to step down from the England job following a disastrous winter caused mild surprise but it was no shock. As I’ve detailed in this column more than once, I think it is the right move – the question now is who succeeds him. In an ideal world it would be Gary [...]
Injury concerns force changes to Sochi snowboarding course February 3, 2014 SOCHI winter Olympics chiefs have been forced to redesign a snowboard course on the eve of the Games after athletes complained it was too dangerous and one medal hopeful broke a collar bone. Athletes had already voiced fears over the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park slopestyle course before Norway’s Torstein Horgmo suffered a fracture yesterday that [...]
Star Thorpe sent to rehab February 3, 2014 SWIMMING great Ian Thorpe has been admitted to rehab for treatment of depression, his management confirmed yesterday. The Australian five-time Olympic champion, 31, who made an unsuccessful comeback bid for the London 2012 Games, was found disoriented near his parents’ home in Sydney. Thorpe’s manager James Erskine said the man dubbed “Thorpedo” had taken anti-depressants [...]
England women toast Ashes victory February 3, 2014 ENGLAND’S victorious women’s cricket team took a moment to savour their Ashes triumph in Australia yesterday before jetting home. Charlotte Edwards, the first England captain to win the women’s Ashes twice Down Under, said: “I’m still struggling to come to terms with exactly what we have achieved over the last five weeks. The emotions I [...]