England the chief threat to France’s title defence February 2, 2011 But don’t expect another grand slam, says former England scrum-half FOR RUGBY fans February means one thing, and that’s the mouth-watering prospect of another RBS 6 Nations Championship. It’s shaping up to be a two-horse race, but don’t expect to see yet another grand slam. England go into this year’s competition as favourites, a status [...]
THE FAMOUS FIVE – ENGLAND’S FOES February 2, 2011 Italy NICK MALLETT’S Italy remain a work in progress, and will have their work cut out again to not collect the wooden spoon, as they have done for the past three years. But there are some positives, and the Azzurri are becoming more competitive, thanks in part to domestic powerhouses Benetton Treviso and Aironi Rugby’s [...]
Strong squad keeps injury-hit England in pole position February 2, 2011 RUGBY TRADER DAVID WILD, CITY AM’S RUGBY TRADER, LOOKS AHEAD TO THE RBS SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP RATHER than those winning rucks, scoring tries and kicking goals, absent players could come to decide where the RBS 6 Nations Champion-ship trophy resides in six weeks’ time. A sizeable collective injury list has dominated the build-up to the [...]
Dragons will struggle against the Red Rose with weak front row February 2, 2011 ENGLAND vs WALES TOMORROW – 7.45PM BBC1 THE FIXTURE list committee have got it spot on this year. What better way to start the 2011 RBS 6 Nations than by sending England to Cardiff on a Friday night? Seventy-odd-thousand well-oiled Welshmen are capable of producing quite an atmosphere under the closed roof of the magnificent [...]
Arsenal show appetite for a title fight February 1, 2011 ARSENAL 2 vs EVERTON 1 And Wenger slams Abramovich spending spree ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger poured scorn on big-spending Chelsea’s disregard for looming financial fair play rules after seeing his team give the strongest indication yet that they have the stomach for a title challenge. Andrey Arshavin and Laurent Koscielny both scored in five second-half [...]
Chelsea sparkle but there’s still room for Torres, insists spoilt for choice Ancelotti February 1, 2011 SUNDERLAND 2 vs CHELSEA 4 CHELSEA manager Carlo Ancelotti may have seen his side run riot at the Stadium of Light but he insists there is still room in his forward line for £50m recruit Fernando Torres. The Spaniard didn’t travel with his new teammates to the north east, but Ancelotti confirmed he is in [...]
Youngs won’t be intimidated by Welsh physical onslaught February 1, 2011 ENGLAND scrum-half Ben Youngs admits he’s relishing the prospect of the physical battle which is likely to ensue when Martin Johnson’s side get their RBS 6 Nations campaign underway against Wales on Friday night. The 21-year-old cemented his place in Johnson’s side after following up his match-winning exploits in Sydney last summer with a set [...]
Carroll maintains he never wanted to leave Newcastle February 1, 2011 NEWCASTLE manager Alan Pardew and his former striker Andy Carroll were last night locked in a war of words over who initiated the 22-year-old’s record £35m move to Liverpool. Carroll maintains he was forced into handing in a transfer request to facilitate the move and insists leaving St James’ Park was never on his agenda [...]
SUPERSTAR TRADESMEN AND WINDOW PAINS February 1, 2011 THE Premier League is still catching its breath following the hysteria of Monday’s record-breaking £135m deadline day. But as the dust settles on a historic end to the January window, we look at the winners and losers. Who has injected fresh impetus into their flagging squad, and who looks likely to rue the business they [...]
Europe may prove Blues’ best chance February 1, 2011 NEVER mind their worries about qualifying for next season’s Champions League – Chelsea’s transfer window business has made them strong contenders to finally win the trophy in this campaign. The arrival of Fernando Torres in particular, and David Luiz, will rejuvenate Carlo Ancelotti’s squad at a time when they were also starting to show signs [...]