Rugby stars dress down for day at Lloyd’s of London October 16, 2013 ENGLAND Rugby head coach Stuart Lancaster and backs coach Andy Farrell took to the Lloyd’s of London underwriting floor yesterday to announce the official QBE Internationals England squad in the shadow of the famous Lutine Bell. But it seems the team took the dress code for the Lloyd’s building – clearly stated on the invitation as [...]
England are the team big guns will fear, says Hodgson October 16, 2013 BRAZIL-BOUND England will be the team all the top nations will hope to avoid in December’s World Cup group stage draw, according to manager Roy Hodgson. England, currently ranked 17th in the world, are expected to be omitted from a list of the tournament’s top-eight seeds, which will include South American hosts Brazil, due to [...]
Fans stampede for tickets after qualifying win October 16, 2013 ENGLAND supporters have scrambled to find flights and tour packages for the World Cup since Tuesday’s win over Poland confirmed their place at next summer’s tournament in Brazil. Tour operator Thomson Sport said more customers had booked its packages in the hours immediately following the match than in the entire previous month. It added that [...]
Lancaster dispels fears year’s over for crocked front-row Corbisiero October 16, 2013 INJURED England prop Alex Corbisiero could yet play his part in the autumn Test series despite fears his international year is over, insists coach Stuart Lancaster. The 25-year-old suffered a recurrence of a long-standing knee injury during a Heineken Cup outing for Northampton last week, triggering concerns he would miss the visits of Australia, Argentina [...]
Plans hatched to stage US PGA Championship outside America October 16, 2013 AMERICAN golf chiefs are exploring proposals to stage the US PGA Championship outside of the United States on a regular basis. The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) of America said the tournament, one of the sport’s four Majors, could be taken overseas from 2020. “This is an exercise we are going through, an analysis,” said PGA [...]
Football Comment: Wilshere and Gerrard could be answer to middle riddle October 16, 2013 ROY Hodgson can take great, great positives from the wins over Poland and Montenegro that clinched England’s qualification for the World Cup. First and foremost, Wayne Rooney looks back to his form of two years ago. England’s No10 hasn’t learnt any new tricks; he has simply got his hunger back, there is dynamism in his [...]
Lancaster hands uncapped trio chance to shine October 16, 2013 ENGLAND coach Stuart Lancaster could turn to code-switching Saracens centre Joel Tomkins to solve his midfield conundrum in next month’s autumn international series at Twickenham. Tomkins has been included as one of three uncapped centres in England’s 34-man squad, along with Henry Trinder and Luther Burrell, with regular starters Manu Tuilagi and Brad Barritt sidelined [...]
England’s Rose concedes Grand Slam victory to sensational Scott October 16, 2013 MASTERS champion Adam Scott shot a sensational course-record final round of seven under par to win the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, £375,000 prize and champion’s pink jacket yesterday. England’s Justin Rose, victor at this year’s US Open, held an overnight two-shot lead from Jason Dufner in the four-player event at the Port Royal Golf [...]
Downton lands leading ECB role October 16, 2013 FORMER wicketkeeper and City-based stockbroker Paul Downton has been named England and Wales Cricket Board’s new managing director. The 56-year-old made 30 Test appearances for England, but was forced to retire after being hit in the eye by a bail and subsequently embarked on a career with Cazenove, who later merged with JPMorgan. Downton will [...]
Sport Comment: You’re giving us hope, Roy, and we don’t want it October 16, 2013 IT’S NOT the despair. I can stand the despair; it’s the hope, John Cleese once wailed. As, no doubt, have countless England supporters, judging by the current collective cautiousness. Because England seems fairly unanimous. We are not being lured into the trap of getting excited about next summer’s World Cup just because Roy Hodgson’s men [...]