Warburton: Aussies are favourites December 1, 2013 RUGBY UNION: Wales captain Sam Warburton believes that Australia are now favourites to lift the 2015 World Cup, after experiencing the 30-26 home defeat to the Wallabies on Saturday. “People can rightly call them favourites,” said the Cardiff Blues flanker. “It’s extremely close, but they’re a tiny bit in front of us at the moment [...]
Defeated Kearney may step down December 1, 2013 RUGBY LEAGUE: New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney may step down after the weekend’s crushing 34-2 defeat to Australia in the World Cup final. “It has been five years at the helm, so I need to have a bit of a think and just see,” said Kearney, who had indicated earlier in the year that he [...]
Thompson and Hanks shine in awards-baiting Disney biopic November 28, 2013 FILM SAVING MR BANKS Cert PG | By Simon Thomson Four Stars SAVING Mr Banks is the true story of how, over two weeks in Los Angeles, Walt Disney persuaded P.L. Travers to turn her children’s book series, Mary Poppins, into a film. Starring double-Oscar winners Emma Thompson as Travers and Tom Hanks as Disney, [...]
Awkward laughs prove to be just what the doctor ordered November 28, 2013 THEATRE IN THE NEXT ROOM (OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY) St James Theatre | By Simon Thomson Four Stars IT’S THE dawn of the electrical age in a spa town near New York, and the enterprising Doctor Givings is treating hysterical patients. With vibrators. This is the West End transfer of Sarah Ruhl’s Tony-and-Pulitzer-nominated comedy In [...]
Where to Drink: Warm your cockles this Christmas with a cocktail or craft beer at one of these new bar openings November 28, 2013 THE PARTY train is chugging full steam ahead as Christmas approaches. Perhaps Nick House and Kelly Brook have been inspired by the season for their new City venture, Steam and Rye, which takes cues from the Roaring Twenties and the Wild West. The massive venue is spread over three floors. The main room resembles Grand [...]
Two charged as British FBI probe match fixing claims November 28, 2013 TWO men were charged with conspiracy to defraud and remanded in custody last night in connection with a high-level investigation into alleged match-fixing in English football. Singaporean Chann Sankaran, 33, and Krishna Sanjey Ganeshan, 43, who has dual British and Singaporean nationality, are due to appear before magistrates in Cannock, Staffordshire, today. Five more men [...]
French U-turn on new Euro rugby structure leaves English isolated November 28, 2013 ENGLISH rugby’s plans to form a breakaway European competition could be delayed after French top-flight teams yesterday vowed to continue playing in the Heineken Cup next term – provided their English counterparts did to. Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) said presidents of Top 14 sides voted “unanimously” to take part in a tournament run by [...]
Too soon to tell if World Cup will be delayed, say Brazil 2014 chiefs November 28, 2013 A DECISION on whether the timetable of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will be affected by the fatal stadium construction accident in Sao Paulo on Wednesday has been delayed until next week. Governing body Fifa said it was too soon to measure the structural damage caused when a crane collapsed onto the unfinished Arena [...]
Reformed Stokes is ready to fire England level in Ashes series November 28, 2013 ALL-ROUNDER Ben Stokes insists his bad-boy past is firmly behind him and he is ready to help England square the Ashes series in Australia next week. Following Jonathan Trott’s return home due to a stress related illness, Stokes, also an able bowler, is among the leading candidates to fill the vacancy in the batting order, [...]
Europa League: Villas-Boas tips goal-shy Soldado to rediscover his shooting boots November 28, 2013 TROMSO 0 vs TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 TOTTENHAM boss Andre Villas-Boas has backed out-of-form striker Roberto Soldado to soon justify his £26m price tag. The 28-year-old endured a goalless 90 minutes in the Arctic Circle last night, but Spurs cemented top spot in Group K thanks to an own goal and a first strike of the [...]