Why the Rugby World Cup could force up player wages and bring legal challenges to the sport’s salary cap October 31, 2019 When Japan and South Korea hosted football’s World Cup in 2002, it precipitated a significant increase in Asian investment in the sport. Takeovers of high-profile European clubs followed, as did multi-million pound Asia-only sponsorship deals with star players. With the first Rugby World Cup to be held in Asia about to conclude, this milestone could [...]
England v South Africa: Rugby World Cup final victory can top the achievement of 2003 October 31, 2019 It’s the eve of the Rugby World Cup final and I could hardly be more confident. England come into their clash with South Africa on the back of a near-perfect performance in the semi-final, while their opponents did the bare minimum to reach the showpiece in Japan. England were sensational in beating New Zealand 19-7 [...]
Liverpool 5-5 Arsenal: Klopp’s side win on penalties as Mustafi and Keita flop and Ozil and Origi impress October 30, 2019 It’s probably unwise to draw any firm conclusions from a game that open, unpredictable and madcap but both Jurgen Klopp and Unai Emery learned something about their players after making 11 changes to their starting XIs. Tonight’s match at Anfield was a contest for a place in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, and yet [...]
Chris Tremlett: Darren Gough is a perfect fit as England bowling consultant October 30, 2019 Darren Gough has been brought in by England head coach Chris Silverwood as a bowling consultant for the upcoming test series against New Zealand and I think it’s an appointment which makes a lot of sense. Former England bowler Gough may have spent his time in the media in recent years, rather than coaching, but [...]
Artist Gavin Turk on getting arrested, collecting junk and trying to save the planet October 30, 2019 A generation of artists and musicians and filmmakers are starting to engage with climate change in the way creators in the mid-1960s engaged with the anti-war movement. You couldn’t move during this year’s Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy, for instance, without falling over an oblique reference to the planet dying. But in the case [...]
England v South Africa: What previous meetings can tell us about this weekend’s Rugby World Cup final October 30, 2019 When pondering England’s Rugby World Cup final against South Africa on Saturday there is one obvious point of reference to consider. The two teams met in the 2007 tournament showpiece in Paris, where the Springboks kicked five penalties to England’s two in a 15-6 win remembered for Mark Cueto’s disallowed try. But whether Cueto’s foot [...]
Chelsea v Manchester United: Lampard showing Solskjaer how to succeed with a blend of youth and experience October 29, 2019 When a strike from Daniel James deflected into the back of Chelsea’s net to put Manchester United 4-0 up at Old Trafford in August, the road to rejuvenating his new side looked like being a long one for Frank Lampard. But just two and a half months on from that defeat on the opening weekend [...]
United States Grand Prix key part of Liberty Media’s grand plan for Formula One expansion October 29, 2019 Formula One returns to Austin, Texas this weekend for the United States Grand Prix, a race with a growing symbolic significance for owner Liberty Media’s ambitions for the sport. An exciting track designed specifically for F1 by German engineer Hermann Tilke, it is one of only five anti-clockwise circuits on the calendar and has seen [...]
Granit Xhaka must apologise or lose the Arsenal captaincy October 29, 2019 Captains tend to be brilliant leaders, have great communication skills, or a bit of both. I’m not sure that’s Granit Xhaka but Arsenal aren’t blessed with a host of players who fit that description and someone’s got to wear the armband. In fact I’m not sure what Xhaka is great at. Yes, he comes up [...]
Ben Spencer’s late call-up for World Cup final raises the stakes after Eddie Jones’ gamble October 28, 2019 Eddie Jones admitted it was a “gamble” back in August and, on the eve of his biggest match as England head coach, the stakes have duly increased. Jones raised some eyebrows when he named only two scrum-halves in his 31-man squad for the Rugby World Cup and, with Saturday’s final against South Africa on the [...]