Football Comment: Fans’ performance as important as the result March 10, 2015 I’ll be heading off to Stamford Bridge tonight with a spring in my step. Over the past decade or so, European nights have often brought out the best in Chelsea. We’ve taken an advantage from the first leg in Paris but nothing can be guaranteed when you’re up against such an expensively put together team, [...]
Giles: Approach to one-day format is not fit for purpose March 10, 2015 FORMER one-day international coach Ashley Giles insists England will continue to flounder in the 50-over game until cricket bosses develop a more strategic approach to the shorter format. Giles was overlooked for the top job when the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decided to combine Test and limited-overs coaching roles last April and Peter [...]
Lancaster drops World Cup hint over No10 Slade March 10, 2015 ENGLAND head coach Stuart Lancaster has dropped a sizeable hint that Exeter Chiefs’ fly-half Henry Slade is likely to feature heavily on his World Cup radar. The uncapped 21-year-old has been included in England’s 35-man training squad for Saturday’s Six Nations clash with Scotland at Twickenham after Saracens centre Brad Barritt was ruled out of [...]
Police investigate racist tweet aimed at Arsenal hero Welbeck March 10, 2015 GREATER Manchester Police have confirmed investigations are underway after Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck was the subject of a racist tweet following his match-winning strike against Manchester United on Monday night. Welbeck fired Arsenal into the semi-finals of the FA Cup with a goal on his first return to his boyhood club following a £16m move [...]
Rooney: We blew chance March 10, 2015 MANCHESTER United skipper Wayne Rooney believes his side blew a huge chance to win the FA Cup after succumbing to Arsenal at Old Trafford on Monday. United boss Louis van Gaal insisted in the build-up to the quarter-final tie that a top-four finish was more valuable than lifting the FA Cup, a competition Rooney is [...]
Gamble works for Walsh but late fall lets bookies off hook March 10, 2015 TOP jockey Ruby Walsh insisted victory in the Champion Hurdle vindicated his decision to ride Faugheen over Hurricane Fly in the opening day’s feature race at the Cheltenham Festival yesterday. The unbeaten seven-year-old gelding held off a late challenge from stable companion Arctic Fire to maintain his perfect record of nine wins from nine races, [...]
Thomas remains in contention as Wiggins slips further behind March 10, 2015 BRITAIN’S Geraint Thomas remained 10th in the overall standings of the Paris-Nice after Germany’s Andre Greipel sprinted to a second-stage victory yesterday. Thomas, along with Tony Martin and Lars Boom, had opened up a 13-second lead with a little over 5km to go, only for Griepel, assisted by Lotto-Soudal team-mate Greg Henderson, to reel in [...]
Duke Of Lucca to strike in Cross Country for Hobbs and Johnson again March 10, 2015 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS THE CROSS COUNTRY, FRED WINTER AND CHAMPION BUMPER OONE of my lasting memories from last year’s Cheltenham Festival was watching trainer Martin Keighley throw down his racecard in frustration. He’d just seen his charge Any Currency suffer defeat by the narrowest of margins to Philip Hobbs’ Balthazar King in a thrilling renewal [...]
Don Poli has the class and stamina to win RSA Chase March 10, 2015 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS THE RSA CHASE & NEPTUNE HURDLE EVEN the briefest glance at the roll of honour for the RSA Chase (2.05pm) proves that this race has long been a stepping stone for horses with the potential to go on and triumph in a Gold Cup. In fact, three of the last eight winners [...]
Vyta Du Roc looks the value call in wide-open Neptune March 10, 2015 ANOTHER Cheltenham Festival novice hurdle and another Willie Mullins-trained favourite. Nichols Canyon is a warm order to land this afternoon’s opening Neptune Novices’ Hurdle (1.30pm) and follow in the hoofprints of Douvan, yesterday’s hugely impressive Sky Bet Supreme Novices winner. The five-year-old son of Authorized looked very good when quickening up smartly from the front [...]
