Quins duo get England nod May 27, 2009 HARLEQUINS duo Chris Robshaw and Jordan Turner-Hall have been rewarded for their outstanding seasons with a place in Martin Johnson’s England side to face the Barbarians on Saturday. Blind-side flanker Robshaw and centre Turner-Hall were inspirational in Quins’ second-place finish in the regular season and were consequently named Premiership Player of the Season and Young [...]
‘The best team won’, concedes Ferguson May 27, 2009 GRACIOUS Sir Alex Ferguson admitted his Manchester United team lost to the better side after his dreams of retaining the Champions League trophy were dashed by classy Barcelona. But for a bright opening spell, the Premier League champions were second best to the Catalan superstars, who deservedly ended the English dominance in Europe with goals [...]
Pearce stokes Walcott row May 27, 2009 ENGLAND Under-21 boss Stuart Pearce has risked the wrath of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger by naming Theo Walcott in a strong squad for next month’s European Championships. The tournament comes just days after the senior team’s World Cup qualifying double-header with Kazakhstan and Andorra, and Wenger fears the striker faces burn out for the start [...]
Murray beats a wobble to mash Potito May 27, 2009 BRITISH No1 Andy Murray admitted his relief after battling back from the brink of an upset to reach the third round of the French Open. Having swept to the first set against world No104 Potito Starace, Murray won just three of the following 14 games, losing the second set and going 5-1 in the third. [...]
Rashid replaces Flintoff for T20 May 27, 2009 CRICKET: Yorkshire leg-spinner Adil Rashid has been drafted into England’s World Twenty20 squad as a late replacement for the injured Andrew Flintoff. Flintoff is recovering well following knee surgery but the tournament, to be held in England starting on 5 June, will come too soon for him. ECB Chief Medical Officer Nick Peirce said: “Andrew [...]
Williams suspended by FOTA May 27, 2009 FORMULA ONE: Williams were yesterday suspended by teams’ alliance FOTA after breaking ranks and confirming their entry into next year’s championship. The deadline for entries is tomorrow, with FOTA still at loggerheads with governing body the FIA over proposed sweeping changes, including a voluntary £40m budget cap. Ferrari are one of several teams threatening to [...]
Halfpenny poised to rejoin Lions May 27, 2009 RUGBY UNION: Injured Wales wing Leigh Halfpenny could rejoin the British and Irish Lions squad as early as this weekend. Halfpenny, sent back to Cardiff Blues to recover, is almost over his thigh problem and poised to fly to South Africa to join the squad in the next few days. Blues physio Tim Atter said: [...]
Windies win is a warning, says Strauss May 26, 2009 CAPTAIN Andrew Strauss believes his England side are an “outside bet” to win the World Twenty20 next month after completing their one-day demolition of West Indies at Edgbaston. Wicketkeeper Matt Prior top scored with a career-best 87 as England racked up 328-7 – their sixth highest ODI total – to set up a 58-run victory [...]
Brit Murray ‘good enough to challenge Nadal and Federer’ May 26, 2009 BRITISH No1 Andy Murray is heading all the way to the top, according to the man standing in his way today at the French Open. Italy’s Potito Starace, who faces Murray in round two, believes the world No3 has the potential to surpass the two men ranked higher than him: Spanish powerhouse Rafael Nadal and [...]
Brilliant Button set to land new deal May 26, 2009 JENSON BUTTON is to be rewarded for his storming start to the Formula One season with the offer of a new contract. The British ace swept to his fifth win in six races in Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix and now leads the overall standings by 16 points. Button is only serving a cut-price one-year contract [...]