Walcott fit to face Swansea September 7, 2011 ARSENAL have been given a timely fitness boost with the news that Theo Walcott will be ready to face Swansea this weekend. The 22-year-old was left out of England’s 1-0 win over Wales on Tuesday as a precaution due to a hamstring niggle. Walcott, unlike his team, who are still searching for their first Premier [...]
Corry warns England not to take Pumas threat lightly September 7, 2011 ENGLAND manager Martin Johnson will take his most significant step yet towards global domination today when he names his team to take on Argentina on Saturday with a warning from former skipper Martin Corry ringing in his ears. Johnson has been hampered by injuries to his captain Lewis Moody, scrum-half Ben Youngs and winger Mark [...]
Murray and Nadal unite to criticise tournament chiefs September 7, 2011 DEFENDING champion Rafael Nadal and British No1 Andy Murray spearheaded an angry players’ revolt at the US Open with the pair claiming tournament organisers had jeopardised their safety by forcing them to play on unsuitable courts. With Tuesday’s play completely lost to the weather the prospect of the tournament stretching into a third week already [...]
Football’s big spenders risk transfer ban September 7, 2011 EUROPEAN football clubs could be banned from making transfers or have prize money withheld if they fail to meet Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, they were warned yesterday. Governing body Uefa clarified the range of sanctions at the annual congress of the European Club Association (ECA), which represents 200 leading teams, in Geneva. Uefa has [...]
Coe brushes off Pistorius dual Games row September 7, 2011 LONDON 2012 chief Lord Coe has sidestepped the row over double amputee runner Oscar Pistorius, who wants to compete in both Olympics and Paralympics next year. British Paralympic great Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has called on the South African, nicknamed Blade Runner, to opt for one or the other. Asked yesterday whether Pistorius should choose, Coe [...]
SPORT | IN BRIEF September 7, 2011 Russia hockey stars among crash fatalities ICE HOCKEY: A leading professional ice hockey team was on board a Russian plane which crashed on take off yesterday, killing 43 people. The plane was carrying the Lokomotiv team, who play in the Kontinental Hockey League, whose website confirmed that Canadian coach Brad McCrimmon and Czech Republic internationals Jan Marek [...]
Back All Blacks for tries not trophies and England to reach last four September 7, 2011 RUGBY TRADER DAVID WILD, OUR RUGBY BETTING EXPERT, SURVEYS THE MARKET AHEAD OF THE BIG KICK-OFF WILL hosts New Zealand finally manage to shake off their underachiever status at the 2011 World Cup? An entire nation of devoted rugby union fans expect them to go all the way and lift the Webb Ellis Cup for [...]
RUGBY UNION COMMENT September 7, 2011 ENGLAND have had some difficult moments in the build-up to this World Cup but I think they should be fairly happy as they prepare to get their tournament underway tomorrow in Dunedin. There have been injuries, but not too many, and results in warm-up matches – those games that matter but not really – are [...]
England look to take world by storm September 7, 2011 Time for manager Martin Johnson to prove a year of improvements has not been a false dawn IN the autumn of 2003 an England squad jetted off Down Under, marshalled by Martin Johnson, then captain, and propelled by the unerring boot of one Jonny Wilkinson, on a mission to bring back the Webb Ellis Cup. [...]
False start not an option for Scots September 7, 2011 SCOTLAND are protecting a proud tradition of having never failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the World Cup, but the physically demanding nature of their schedule is likely to threaten that record. For a coach as meticulous as Andy Robinson it would seem he has taken a gamble by arriving in New Zealand [...]