Lions coach: We’ll be better prepared than Springboks June 11, 2009 BRITISH and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland has taunted South Africa by saying he expects his team to be in better shape than the Springboks come the first Test. The Lions extended their uneaten tour run to four matches with a 39-3 victory over Natal Sharks on Wednesday and will have played six games before [...]
Moores: Flintoff is on track for Ashes return June 11, 2009 LANCASHIRE coach Peter Moores believes Andrew Flintoff is on track to be fit to play in the Ashes after the England all-rounder made a miraculous return from injury yesterday. Playing his first County match for six weeks since undergoing knee surgery, Flintoff had Durham opener Michael Di Venuto caught behind off only his second ball [...]
Murray’s ready for Mardy June 11, 2009 TENNIS: British No1 Andy Murray admits he is satisfied with his early grass court season form as he prepares for his Aegon Championship quarter-final at Queen’s today. The No1 seed needed just over an hour to dispose of Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4, 6-4 yesterday and now takes on Mardy Fish in the last eight after [...]
Sir Hoy handed knighthood June 11, 2009 CYCLING: Triple Olympic gold medalist Sir Chris Hoy collected his knighthood at Buckingham Palace yesterday. The 33-year-old claimed gold in the men’s sprint, team spring and keirin in Beijing last year, making him the first Briton to win three golds at one Games in 100 years. Sir Hoy’s cycling team-mate Bradley Wiggins, a double gold [...]
Redpath comes in for Ryan June 11, 2009 RUGBY UNION: Former Scotland international Bryan Redpath has been named the new head coach at Gloucester after Dean Ryan left the club “by mutual consent” yesterday. Underfire Ryan quit Kingsholme after seven years in charge and now leaves his former assistant Redpath to pick up the pieces from a disappointing Guinness Premiership season.
United agree to let Ronaldo join Real in 80m switch June 11, 2009 ONE of the longest-running transfer sagas of recent years edged close to conclusion yesterday when Manchester United accepted a world record-shattering £80m bid from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo. United said they gave Real permission to discuss personal terms with Ronaldo, 24, after the Fifa World Player of the Year informed the Old Trafford hierarchy [...]
Sir Alex is a transfer master June 11, 2009 MANCHESTER UNITED are undoubtedly losing one of their greatest players of all time in Cristiano Ronaldo, but manager Sir Alex Ferguson rarely gets his big transfer decisions wrong. Ferguson demands total commitment from his players and it is easy to understand if he has decided that this is the right time to sell Ronaldo. The [...]
Chelsea deny lodging late bid to hijack Villa’s Madrid move June 11, 2009 CHELSEA last night dismissed speculation they tried to poach David Villa from under the noses of Real Madrid. The Valencia striker is set to become the latest member of the Bernabeu ‘galacticos’, joining £140m duo Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo. But reports in Spain suggested Chelsea had crept in with an 11th hour offer to tempt [...]
SUMMER SALES June 11, 2009 Barry: I was honest with VillaMANCHESTER CITY’S Gareth Barry has rejected suggestions he betrayed Aston Villa, insisting he told them he would leave if they failed to reach the Champions League. Barry’s £12m move to City, who finished four places below Villa in the Premier League, raised eyebrows but the England midfielder insists he has [...]
Fearless Lions maul Sharks to fire stern Test warning June 10, 2009 NATAL SHARKS (3) vs. BRITISH LIONS (39) JUBILANT captain Paul O’Connell hailed his British Lions side for their best performance of the tour so far as they ran in a comfortable five-try victory over a stubborn Sharks side. The tourists led only 7-3 after a watertight opening half but turned on the style in the [...]