England beware, Italy have grown in stature since their no-tackle tactics two years ago March 6, 2019 “Expect the unexpected” has been defence coach Jon Mitchell's advice to England this week ahead of their Six Nations game with Italy on Saturday, two years on from the no-tackle tactics which left Eddie Jones's side perplexed. Italy's game-plan on that day saw them refrain from competing at the ruck, meaning no offside line was [...]
The Hole in the Ground film review: An intense psychological horror that plays on our fears of motherhood March 6, 2019 This suffocating psychological horror sits alongside the likes of The Babadook and Hereditary in a wave of movies that take our fears of rearing offspring and makes them terrifyingly solid, Rosemary’s Baby or The Exorcist for the 21st century. Seána Kerslake plays Sarah, a single mother who moves to a small Irish village with her young [...]
Coventry City facing expulsion from the Football League over long-running and bitter Ricoh Arena dispute March 5, 2019 The clock is ticking for Coventry City. Crunch time has been sneaking ever closer for some time, but the lingering uncertainty around the Sky Blues has now turned into a pressing sense of urgency. On the pitch the past few years have been successful. Coventry were promoted last season for the first time in 51 [...]
Only one of Southampton and Cardiff will survive in Premier League relegation scrap March 5, 2019 It's turning into a two-way relegation fight between Cardiff and Southampton to fill the final place in the Premier League's bottom three. For Huddersfield and Fulham it is already too late. The former are long gone and will already be preparing for next season in the Championship, while the Cottagers have got every decision wrong [...]
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has given Manchester United a new-found resolve ahead of Paris Saint-Germain clash March 5, 2019 When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer suffered his first – and so far only – defeat as Manchester United caretaker manager against Paris Saint-Germain last month, it prompted doubts as to whether the rich vein of form his side had discovered was about to unravel. A lacklustre performance in the first leg of the last-16 Champions League tie [...]
Premier League scheduling does not favour English clubs in Europe, but whose fault is it? March 5, 2019 It is just as well that Tottenham take a three-goal advantage into tonight’s Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund, given their testing week in the lead-up to the last 16 second-leg match. While Spurs battle fatigue following hard-fought games against Burnley, Chelsea and Arsenal, Dortmund come into the fixture having had four days’ recovery. Such is [...]
Sam Torrance: Keith Mitchell and Kurt Kitayama find strong finishes to clinch landmark wins March 4, 2019 Keith Mitchell found himself in a familiar predicament at the Honda Classic on Sunday: facing a birdie putt from 15 feet for a victory that would change his life. The last time he had been in that position, back in August 2017, it was a title on the second-tier Web.com Tour – and, with it, [...]
Kyle Edmund, Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans all on the up and proving there’s life beyond Andy Murray March 3, 2019 For so long the success of Andy Murray was all consuming in British men’s tennis. At his peak the three-time Major winner battled, and prevailed, against some of the sport’s all-time greats. He attracted millions of fans and dominated headlines through his performances and personality. But injury has struck down the Scot, leaving him on [...]
Jurgen Klopp blames windy conditions after Liverpool blow chance to regain Premier League lead March 3, 2019 A prickly Jurgen Klopp preferred to focus on the blustery conditions inside Goodison Park after his team drew 0-0 with Everton on Sunday but there is no escaping the conclusion that the Premier League title that Liverpool so crave is slipping from their grasp. Having fuelled hope of a first top-flight crown since 1990 by [...]
Dorothea Tanning at the Tate Modern review: The feverish, psychosexual work of a bona fide genius March 1, 2019 Strolling through the Tate Modern’s latest show is like revisiting a barely remembered dream: familiar yet strange, perhaps a little frightening. This retrospective of Dorothea Tanning’s 70-year career is a hell of a show, in more ways than one. It’s filled with bizarre, nightmarish visions that hint at psychosexual forces lurking just beyond our conscious [...]