Johnson calls for Hodgson amid Wilkinson injury fears February 22, 2010 ENGLAND are sweating on the fitness of fly-half Jonny Wilkinson for the crunch Six Nations clash with Ireland on Saturday. Boss Martin Johnson drafted Sale’s Charlie Hodgson into the squad yesterday after Wilkinson suffered from muscle tightness. The World Cup-winning No10’s place was already the subject of debate following England’s lacklustre win in Italy earlier [...]
Bob girls eye a gold rush February 22, 2010 ANYONE can be a hit on YouTube – a talking dog, a cackling but cute baby and even Susan Boyle. But long jumper and pole vaulte-turned-Olympic bobsleigh hopeful Gillian Cooke is determined to move on from her brush with internet fame. Over six million have watched her high-profile wardrobe malfunction at a recent World Cup [...]
Wildcats star Newton handed two-year ban February 22, 2010 FORMER Great Britain hooker Terry Newton has been banned from all rugby for two years after failing a drugs test. The 31-year-old Wakefield star tested positive for a banned substance in November and after being charged by UK Anti-Doping, on Friday admitted taking human growth hormone. The Wildcats terminated Newton’s contract with immediate effect yesterday [...]
English golf on ultimate high February 22, 2010 THERE were two big winners at the WGC Match Play at Tucson this weekend – champion Ian Poulter and European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie. Poulter’s victory in the first all-English final with Paul Casey capped a fantastic weekend for golf on these shores and would have left Monty beaming from ear-to-ear with his near-certainties [...]
SPORT | IN BRIEF February 22, 2010 Murray wins on Dubai return TENNIS: Britain’s Andy Murray made a winning return to action in his first match since finishing runner-up at last month’s Australian Open. Murray beat Russian Igor Kunitsyn 6-2, 6-3 to reach the second round of the Dubai Championship. Novak Djokovic, who assumed top seed status after Roger Federer withdrew, also [...]
Poulter beats Casey to win Match Play February 21, 2010 IAN POULTER clinched the biggest triumph of his career last night when he beat Paul Casey 4&2 in all-English final of the WGC Match Play in Arizona. Poulter, who becomes the first Englishman to have won any of the four individual World Golf Championship titles since their inception in 1999, scooped a cheque for $1.4m [...]
City and Liverpool both lose ground in battle for fourth February 21, 2010 MANCHESTER CITY (0) v/s LIVERPOOL (0) MANCHESTER City boss Roberto Mancini admitted his side were struggling in the absence of star striker Carlos Tevez after their top-four ambitions were stifled by Champions League rivals Liverpool. Both sides came into the match desperate for the win that would fire their hopes of qualifying for Europe’s biggest [...]
Battling Wasps sink Sarries February 21, 2010 WASPS head coach Shaun Edwards insists Danny Cipriani’s impending departure will not derail their play-off charge after the fly-half kicked them to a 9-0 victory over Saracens. England outcast Cipriani scored three penalties as Wasps completely shut out the Premiership’s early pacesetters and climbed into fourth place. The talented No10 confirmed last week that he [...]
Roman puts Spurs back in driving seat February 21, 2010 WIGAN ATHLETIC (0) v/s TOTTENHAM (3) FORGOTTEN man Roman Pavlyuchenko reminded manager Harry Redknapp and suitors alike of his talent with a two-goal cameo that thrust Tottenham back in front in the scramble for fourth place. Jermain Defoe put the visitors ahead in controversial fashion but it was Pavlyuchenko, without a league start all season, [...]
Electric Villa run riot as Clarets have a shocker February 21, 2010 ASTON VILLA (5) v/s BURNLEY (2) MARTIN O’Neill hailed an “electric” 13-minute spell in which his Aston Villa side tore Burnley to shreds and reignited their top-four charge. Villa fell behind early on to a Steven Fletcher goal but equalised through Ashley Young before running in four goals in less than a quarter of an [...]