Sport magazine issue 284 by Sport Magazine

Issue 284 | November 30 2012

Seb Coe

The man who led London to its finest hour speaks exclusively to Sport

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“I DON’T EXPECT SUCCESS I PREPARE FOR IT” RYAN REYNOLDS

BOSS BOTTLED. FRAGRANCE FOR MEN

issue 284, November 30 2012 radar 07 Handling bereavement

When your beloved bike is no more, have its handlebars mounted by Bicycle Taxidermy

08 Rovers return

Less Coronation Street, more Roy Race and co – we relive their early years in digital form

10 Sk8er boi

Impress Avril Lavigne types with a foldable skateboard. Can we make it any more obvious?

oFeatures this coming week

20 Seb Coe

The man responsible for London’s greatest summer of sport looks back on it all – exclusively with us

27 David Brailsford

British cycling’s chief talks Team Sky, Wiggins, Cav... and why people can believe in the sport again

33 Richie McCaw

David Levene/Guardian News & Media Ltd

The legendary All Blacks captain wants one more win before taking a break from the game he loves

47 Tyson Fury

The unbeaten heavyweight looks forward to Saturday’s face-off with Kevin ‘Kingpin’ Johnson

extra Time

60 Gadgets

The Wii U: two-screen gameplay, because we have the attention span of... Look! It’s this week’s girl!

62 Lauryn Eagle

Being a water-skiing champion wasn’t enough for the Australian model – so now she’s a pro boxer

64 Entertainment

BOW LANE LONDON 48 - 51 BOW LANE EC4M 9DL

Shooter Far Cry 3 takes pride of place in our gaming special

66 Grooming

We bring you a scent that smells not unlike Bigfoot’s appendage | November 30 2012 | 05

Radar

p08 – Suits you, sir: Formula 1 champions auction their race gear

p08 – It is, quite literally, Roy of the Rovers stuff p10 – Dustin Hoffman rides his Luck

Rest in pieces A

fter his unfortunate accident earlier this month, Bradley Wiggins might just be in the market for a new bike. We’re willing to bet he didn’t chuck his mangled old one in the canal, mind. Bad press. If your bike suffers a terminal accident of its own, or you decide to hang up your too-snug lycra and stop cycling into work, don’t just leave the remains to rot in your garage; because you can now give your bike a fitting memorial, and

pride of place in your home. Ingenious new service Bicycle Taxidermy will mount your bike’s handlebars on a wooden plaque, antler-style, and lets you add a custom stainless steel engraving featuring the name of your dearly departed wheels, together with a suitable epitaph. Plaques are available in scorched or bleached European oak and come with chrome mounting brackets. Custom designs are also available if you have an unusually shaped machine such as the Chopper (left). It’s a perfect way to remember the good times you had cycling to work in the rain, and also a deer-friendly approach to pub decoration. From £40, bicycletaxidermy.com

Get to the Chopper! | November 30 2012 | 07

Radar

Suit up T

he off-season must be quite difficult for F1 drivers, what with them having to adjust to not being bombarded with marketing messages every time they look in the mirror. How are they meant to know where to bank? But if you too fancy being caked head to toe in corporate finery, or want a unique memento of the greatest Formula 1 season in history, then check out the Bonhams Automobilia Auction on Monday. All six F1 champions who lined up on the grid at the start of the season have donated their signed race kits to spinal cord charity Wings for Life, to be auctioned off to raise money for research. As well as the suits themselves, there is also other raceday memorabilia, including gloves and signed photographic prints. Everything you need, in fact, for that elaborate chat-up line where you pretend to be an F1 driver. wingsforlife.com

Blast from the past E

ven by Mario Balotelli’s standards, Roy Race’s career at Melchester Rovers stands out as exceptionally eventful. He had a scoring record of Pele-esque proportions (ie. largely fictional), was kidnapped on pre-season tours at least five times, and continued playing into his fifties, stopping only after his foot had to be

08 | November 30 2012 |

amputated after a helicopter crash. The weekly strip ended in the 1990s, but it’s been relaunched digitally so you can reimmerse yourself in Roy’s unlikely career, or gawp at the selection of 1970s haircuts. Roy of the Rovers: Issues 1-4 available now on iBooks for iOS and Kobo e-reader, £1.99, www.royoftherovers.com

Radar

Click, trick S

kateboarding to your high-powered job in the City probably isn’t socially acceptable, unless you’re a teenage business prodigy who was only meant to be going in for work experience but ended up saving the whole company. Luckily, thanks to the innovative new Snap longboard, no one has to know that you roll into work on a plank of wood. As you can probably see from the pictures, it folds up so you can slip it into a backpack (or a very roomy briefcase) as soon as you arrive at the office. Four strong locking hinges keep the 32-inch board from swaying, even on bumpy terrain, and the drop deck design is great for cruising – although less good for grabbing some sick air off a ramp. But if you are on your way to work, that’s probably not advised. “I grazed my knee” is not a valid excuse for calling in sick, apparently. Snap skateboard, $189, snapskateboard.com

Horsing around H

BO’s continuing mission to stylishly recreate every era of human history touched on the world of sport last year, with Luck – a nine-part series set in the late 1960s and focusing on the murky underworld of the horse racing scene in California. Dustin Hoffman plays ‘Ace’ Bernstein, a gruff felon fresh out of a three-year prison stint and set on revenge against the people who put him there – which he plans to get by taking over management of a struggling horse racing track. That’s not all, of course. As with all of HBO’s critically acclaimed drama series, there are subplots and get-rich-quick schemes galore – and the fast-paced trackside action sequences are a particular highlight. Luck: The Complete First Season, out Tuesday on DVD and Blu-Ray, from £30

10 | November 30 2012 |

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Radar

Sketches by Moz S

haring a room with two older brothers, I grew up quickly. I watched 18-rated films long before I should have and knew about beautiful women before puberty, thanks to [older brother] Chris’ posters next to his bed. He convinced my mum that they were art, but they were really just pictures of fit girls with their tits out.” Warrington Wolves veteran Adrian Morley is already an all-time great of rugby league, but he is now likely to enter the pantheon of literary legends with this, his newly released autobiography. In Moz: My Story, the 35-year-old reflects on his colourful life and career with a searing honesty that amuses and charms in equal measure. Moz is no angel – the book begins with him legging it over garden fences in a bid to flee the fuzz after being caught drink-driving – but then he never claims to be. He simply tells us how it has been for him. And you will not find a more entertaining or poignant read this winter. Moz: My Story is out now, Vision Sports Publishing, £18.99

he winner of the WIlliam Hill Sports Book of the Year was announced earlier this week. And, in a departure from our usual form, we called it correctly. We reviewed all seven of the nominated books earlier this month – and, like the William Hill judges, we picked out The Secret Race as our favourite. Although only because of the baffling omission of Green is the Colour: The Story of Irish Football. Tyler Hamilton and Daniel Coyle’s tome is an explosive first-person account that exposes the lies of Lance Armstrong, who until this year was begrudgingly recognised as a cycling hero, but has now had seven Tour de France titles stripped from him. Some question whether Hamilton should have been rewarded for telling the truth after a career built on cheating, but we think its impact, plus the sheer volume of headlines it generated, make it the most important sports book published for many a year, not just this one. The Secret Race, by Tyler Hamilton and Daniel Coyle (Bantam Press), William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2012

12 | November 30 2012 |

Free ride A

lthough it’s inspired by European street markets, you won’t find a huge amount of bratwurst at the Vulpine Fete tomorrow. Instead, the cycling brand has pulled together artists, photographers, publishers and equipment brands from across the pedalling world – and, best of all, it’s totally free to enter. Vulpine Cycling Fete, December 1, 3pm-9pm at Balham Bowls Club, vulpine.cc

Paul Thomas/Getty Images

A legal winner

Radar Editor’s letter

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Delivering his point: Poulter celebrates after carrying Europe to a win this summer

A glaring omission Yes, it was an Olympic year. But one non-Olympian produced the performance of his life in 2012

o, the shortlist is decided. It may be a meaningless award, but the Sports Personality of the Year still sets arguments raging. In a glorious sporting year for this country, the judges had a difficult – if not Editor-in-chief impossible – job in narrowing the list down Simon Caney to 12. It is packed with Olympians, of course, @simoncaney but there does seem to be one man missing who produced a display this year to equal almost anything else. What Ian Poulter did in the Ryder Cup was almost beyond comprehension. True, he was one man in a team of 12, but never before has one man won the thing almost single-handedly. For the first two days, as his star-studded teammates floundered, Poulter somehow kept Europe within touching distance of the USA. Late on Saturday evening, with his team staring an 11-5 deficit in the face (and only that, largely

thanks to Poulter), he produced a miraculous run of five consecutive birdies to drag the score back to 10-6. From there, the most improbable of victories could be achieved – and, naturally, Poulter also won his singles match on Sunday. Even non-golfers were screaming at their TVs on that Sunday night, as Europe swept the Americans aside to score possibly the greatest ever Ryder Cup victory. Nobody, not even the legendary Ryder Cup warrior Seve Ballesteros, had inspired a team in the way that Poulter did. For me, that performance was among the top five of the year. It’s hard to know who to take off the official BBC list, but Poulter would trump most of them – including Rory McIlroy, the partner he left stunned as he charged through that memorable Saturday. There will be a deserving winner – probably Bradley Wiggins. I just wish I had a chance to vote for Ian James Poulter.

So last week, when I claimed England’s cricket team looked inﬂexible and exposed, and maybe not that good after all, what I really meant was they are dynamic, destructive and more than capable of turning over India in their own backyard. True, they needed only four players to perform, but what a joy to see two top-class English spin bowlers working in tandem. Here’s hoping Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar can keep their partnership going through the next couple of years, and not just in India. They are matchwinners, and deserve a long run together in the team. Here’s your chance to have your say on this magazine: we’re setting up a reader panel and want you to be involved. You can win stuff just by signing up. But, most importantly, you’ll be giving us vital feedback as we continue to make the magazine better. Join up today at www.sport-magazine.co.uk/panel.

Editorial Editor-in-chief: Simon Caney (7951) Deputy editor: Tony Hodson (7954) Associate editor: Nick Harper (7897) Art editor: John Mahood (7860) Deputy art editor: William Jack (7861) Digital designer: Chris Firth (7624) Subeditor: Graham Willgoss (7431) Senior writers: Sarah Shephard (7958), Alex Reid (7915) Staff writers: Mark Coughlan (7901), Amit Katwala (7914) Picture editor: Julian Wait (7961) Production manager: Tara Dixon (7963) Commercial Agency Sales Director: Iain Duffy (7991) Business Director: Kevin O’Byrne (7832) Advertising Manager: Steve Hare (7930) New Business Sales Executive: Hayley Robertson (7904) Distribution Manager: Sian George (7852) Distribution Assistant: Makrum Dudgeon Head of Online: Matt Davis (7825) Head of Communications: Laura Wootton (7913) Managing Director: Adam Bullock PA to Managing Director: Sophia Koulle (7826) Colour reproduction: Rival Colour Ltd Printed by: Wyndeham Group Ltd © UTV Media plc 2012 UTV Media plc takes no responsibility for the content of advertisements placed in Sport magazine £1 where sold Hearty thanks this week to: Jessica Axe, Karen Geary, Katherine Patrick, Lee Squirrell, Niall Couper, Matthew Ingham, Bobby Gould

Cover of the Year

Reader comments of the week @GuillemBalague @Sportmaguk great article about Pep in the sport mag. Would love him as new Arsenal manager but don’t think it will happen.

Great stuff in @Sportmaguk from @GuillemBalague on the great man Guardiola

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16 | November 30 2012 |

Love the @Sportmaguk cover featuring pic by @F1Thommo of @GettyImages Bold choice by @simoncaney and team. Great stuff

@simoncaney @coffers83 @Sportmaguk Superb rugby piece this morning. Been saying for ages 7 is the only number that matters in today’s game.

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LAUNCH OF THE YEAR

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@Sportmaguk everything said in the mag is true. England rugby need to change their game. SIGNIFICANTLY to keep up with s.hemisphere

Frozen in time

18 | November 30 2012 |

Few British boxers in recent years have captured the imagination of the public quite like Ricky Hatton. So it was when he made his comeback fight last week: the overwhelming sentiment being not that he should beat opponent Vyacheslav Senchenko, but that he shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get hurt himself. Well, he did get hurt â&#x20AC;&#x201C; because Senchenko hit him in the face quite hard, several times â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but thankfully not hurt badly. This is the moment, then, that Hatton, who has battled so many personal demons, knew he would never fight again. And the rest of us breathed a sigh of relief.

| 19

Scott Heavey/Getty Images

One last hurrah

“There are some famous words you can find stamped on the bottom of a product. Words that, when you read them, you know mean high quality, mean skill, mean creativity. “We have stamped those words on the Olympic and Paralympic Games of London 2012: “London 2012. Made in Britain.”

David Levene/Guardian News & Media Ltd

With the above words, and in a voice brimming with emotion, Lord Sebastian Coe brought to a close the Games of the XXX Olympiad. Years of lobbying, building, arguing, fretting and cost-counting had ﬁnally come to an end, along with a summer in which London shrugged oﬀ its heavy grey trenchcoat and revealed the glorious goods hidden beneath... >

20 | November 30 2012 |

Seb Coe

| 21

Seb Coe For Sebastian Coe, the man at the centre of it all, it was also the end of a decade-long mission – or “journey”, as he prefers to call it. There had been moments of elation, starting with the International Olympic Committee’s decision to award London the 2012 Olympics over Paris (“My first thought was: ‘Have I heard this correctly?’” says Coe. “It was like an out-ofbody-experience...”), but there had also been difficult times; not least the day following London’s victory, when the capital was rocked by terrorist attacks. But while Coe’s public face had remained composed throughout those turbulent times, his emotions bubbled to the surface on that last day of the Games, when he stood in the centre of an Olympic Stadium that had in the preceding days and weeks been the scene of so many unforgettable performances. “It probably was my most emotional moment of the Games,” he says, nodding contemplatively. “Because it was the end of a personal journey as well. My youngest daughter was three when I started it, and she was 14 when I made that speech. It was an unbelievable journey for everyone involved – and of course everyone will tell their own particular stories from it. But, for me, making that speech was the end of a decade-long chapter. “They’re not easy speeches to write. I always try to make them as brief as possible, just because I tend to think that if you can’t say it in a minute and a half, then it’s probably not worth saying... I’d be an editor’s dream.” He chuckles, casting an eye over the sizeable tome that is his recently released autobiography, suggesting there’s someone out there who might beg to differ.

The last time Sport had an audience with Coe, there were 22 days remaining before the London 2012 Opening Ceremony – a time when the chaos behind the presumably steel-reinforced doors of security firm G4S was yet to be fully disclosed. Six days later, it was reported that the company with a £284m contract to supply 10,400 security guards to Olympic venues didn’t have enough trained staff to do the job. “Within an hour of Paul [Deighton, LOCOG’s chief executive] being advised that there was a problem, I knew about it,“ recalls Coe. “The thing we had in our favour was our strong relationships with the Home Office, Ministry of Defence and across government, which meant that we had contingencies in place. So, within a day or so of being alerted to the fact G4S had a problem, we had it completely resolved. But it was never a security issue; it was only ever about the mix of numbers in those security arrangements.

22 | November 30 2012 |

“And actually, looking back, the military presence and the work of constabularies from around the country was one of the defining memories for a lot of people who went to the Games. There’s no question that it added to the whole atmosphere.”

Grand opening Coe had been less confident, though, about the Opening Ceremony. Or, to be precise, about the way in which the phantasmagoria that was Danny Boyle’s Isles of Wonder would be received by an estimated television audience of one billion people worldwide.

“If you’re being honest, you’re always nervous about opening ceremonies,” he explains. “Because they tend to set the tone and style for everything that comes afterwards. You want a great opening ceremony so that it acts as the curtain-raiser. But the worry is that you could always end up with one everyone is talking about in a disparaging way long into those days where you should be focusing on sport. “But I believed we had something, I thought Danny Boyle and Stephen Daldry had created something very special. But, at that point, I was probably too close to it to see how it was going to be viewed by the public. >

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Call for the army

Seb Coe

Coe on...

Eternal gratitude In Sport’s pre-Olympics chat with Coe, he had been keen to emphasise just how heavily the task of organising a home Games was weighing upon him, saying earnestly: “This is the biggest project most of the nation will have witnessed in living memory, and we feel a big responsibility to deliver it and make people feel proud.” Responsibilities that, most people would agree, Coe and his team more than fulfilled. He’s reluctant to take the praise, though. “Yes, Games are delivered by really focused people,” he accepts, but he is also quick to turn it back on the millions who devoted their time to be a part of London 2012. “The spirit and humanity for which everybody now looks back at London is actually the millions of people of the UK who helped create the atmosphere, helped deliver the Games and helped local communities to make the most of them. “I’m proud of being part of the team that delivered a Games that has made a big mark internationally, but I’m equally proud about the country I was born in – one that helped create an extraordinary atmosphere. We had 15 million people out on the streets watching

the torch relay, and 70,000 of the most exceptional volunteers who weren’t just out for a Saturday afternoon on a bring-and-buy stall. This was session after session for eight or nine hours a day. My eternal gratitude will always be to the people of the UK who made the Games what they were.” It’s been almost three months since the curtain came down on London 2012, yet most days you’ll still find him in his Canary Wharf office, up to his eyeballs in the legacy-building he promised the Games would kickstart. One wonders, though, if having worked on something he was clearly so passionate about – and that had to be, if he was to do his job properly – there’s a part of Coe that rather misses it all? “No,” he says firmly. “Because I remember very clearly, and fondly, September 10 2012 as being the first morning I woke up in nearly a decade without having to think about winning a bid or delivering a Games. People have often asked me if I am sad the Games are over. And the answer is no, because I think the most exciting part of this story is still to be written. We went to Singapore not just to deliver extraordinary sport, which I think we saw, but to make sure the Games carried on working for local communities and future generations.” There will be many who are sad that the days of strangers sparking up conversations on the Tube are over, and that Super Saturdays and Thrilling Thursdays are already spoken about with nostalgic undertones. Lord Coe though, is moving on. Already appointed chairman of the British Olympic Association, there’ll be plenty more Coe speeches to come. None are likely to be spoken with quite so much feeling as the one he gave on September 9 2012, but you can rest assured they will all be short and sweet. He gave us his word on that. Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag

“When we saw the peach-coloured dress disappearing into the night sky under a billowing parachute, we looked at each other, both thinking: ‘Oh my God! What have we sanctioned here?’”

In Running My Life: The Autobiography, Lord Coe gives an insight into the juggling act of running an Olympic organising committee and how he convinced the IOC that polishing a turd was possible after all... On the visit of the IOC’s evaluation commission to the Olympic (building) site in February 2005... “It required considerable imagination to superimpose the architects’ model on to the blighted wasteland. The marker for where the stadium would be was a 50-foot pile of rotting fridges, and when I pointed out the site of the Aquatics Centre – beside a polluted river so thick with sludge it could have done duty as a crime scene – I felt like a time-share salesman on the Costa del Sol.” On Sepp Blatter and the doomed 2018 World Cup bid... “Most people get Sepp Blatter wrong. They say he hates England. He doesn’t. What he has a problem with is the English game. As president of an international federation, he sees the unwillingness of English clubs to release players for international duty. He sees the purchasing power of the English game... and he sees a national federation that, at the time of the bid, had no chairman or chief executive. Blatter once said to me: ’Your game is run by idiots. It’s not run by bright people.’” On Ken Livingstone and an awkward encounter with a delegation from Beijing... “Meetings involving Ken were often very funny. In his office he had a Hugo Chavez doll... You pulled a cord and it went into a robotic dance, and Ken thought this was hysterical... The interpreter was just doing the introductions when Ken cut in and beckoned them over to the doll. ’Have you seen my pride and joy?’ he asked, and pulled the cord. The Chinese minister looked on, not understanding a word and totally bemused. ’Do you know Hugo Chavez?’ Ken added. A pause while this was translated. Then the interpreter turned back to us: ’The minister says yes, he does. Who do you think put him there?’” On first seeing the Queen skydiving in a peach dress... “We were in the Portakabin in the stadium that was Danny’s makeshift editing suite, and even though we’d been involved at every stage from storyboard to final script, the wit, fun and sheer audacity left us speechless. And, if I’m honest, a little nervous. When we saw those shoes and the peach-coloured dress disappearing into the night sky under a billowing parachute, we looked at each other, both thinking: ’Oh my God! What have we sanctioned here?’” Running My Life: The Autobiography, by Sebastian Coe, is published by Hodder & Stoughton and is out now, priced £20

24 | November 30 2012 |

Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images

If you ask if I was surprised by the response to the Opening Ceremony, then the answer is probably ’yes’. It was just extraordinarily global, and to get lead photographs and stories in everything from the LA Times to the Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung, with that level of approval, is not what most opening ceremonies get. The creativity Danny brought, and the filmmaker’s eye with which he saw it, set it apart.” Not to mention the idea of parachuting the Queen into the Olympic Stadium from a helicopter – about which Coe admits princes Charles, William and Harry knew nothing until they saw mother or granny taking on the role of a Bond girl in east London.

Dave Brailsford

There has been little downtime for the head of Team Sky and British Cycling since the end of the Olympics, with his sport thrown into turmoil over doping revelations and one of his star names handing in his letter of resignation. But if anyone can handle all of the above – and more – it’s Dave Brailsford

t says a lot that, when asked where he’d like Team Sky to be five years from now, chief among Dave Brailsford’s concerns is that the sport of cycling will no longer be tainted by the legacy of its most famous – and now infamous – name: disgraced seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong. “Given the current climate, it would be great if we could reach a point where there were no doubts or raised eyebrows in terms of performances and that we’d helped the sport gain the trust and confidence of the fans and general public,” he says. The Team Sky principal is all too aware of the whispers that follow any outstanding performances on the road from his riders, such as those that this year elevated Bradley Wiggins and his sideburns to cycling superstardom. But he also believes they have the power to change that.

That’s because Brailsford is one of the most positive-thinking men you will ever come across. His glass isn’t just half full; it’s half full with the potential to be overflowing, given the right prodding, poking and cajoling. On the back of the Armstrong revelations, he interviewed every member of Team Sky – riders and management – asking them all to sign a pledge declaring they’d never doped. He ended up losing two key members of staff in director sportif Steven De Jongh and road coach Bobby Julich, both of whom confessed to doping during their pro careers, as well as long-term Team Sky rider Michael Barry. Brailsford is resolute, though, describing it as “a short-term hit on performance to get where we want to be for the long term“. But arguably the most difficult departure for the man who also heads up British Cycling was that >

| November 30 2012 | 27

Scott Mitchell

Mr BrIghTSIde

Dave Brailsford

Scott Mitchell, Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

of 2011 world champion, Mark Cavendish. Having battled so hard to get the sprinter’s signature on a Team Sky contract for the start of the 2012 season, Brailsford found himself having to tear it up one year later, the Manxman arguing that his staying with the team would “restrict both them and also what I want to do“. So it’s a somewhat altered Team Sky that will start 2013 with the mission of bettering a year in which they made history and were also made to suffer by it. Not that the boss is spending too much time dwelling on the negatives... There have been a few changes at Team Sky, most notably the departure of Mark Cavendish. Did you expect him to remain for longer than one season? “If you sign a three-year contract, then you go into these things with a positive attitude. But, equally, you have to be brave enough that if something’s not working very well, it’s better to step in and change it rather than just persevere. With Bradley [Wiggins] and Froomey [Chris Froome] in the team, we should be competitive for the overall general classification in a number of races next year. And we saw from the Tour that Mark would prefer to have a dedicated team around him for the sprints. You have to respect that – that’s his belief and it’s his career. We wouldn’t want to compromise Mark’s opportunities and career, and that’s why we didn’t stand in his way.” His arrival had led to the belief that Team Sky would challenge for the Yellow and Green Jerseys in the Tour. On the start line in Liege, did you believe it was possible to win both? “When we embarked on that project, we certainly believed it was possible. But what was becoming

28 | November 30 2012 |

clearer was that Bradley was going into the Tour as a real favourite. If you have to prioritise at any point, then you have to prioritise the race overall above winning the Green Jersey. So by the time we started the Tour, there was definitely a clear prioritisation, albeit when we first thought about it they were on an equal footing and the aim was to try to do both. As it panned out, we had to make sure that, given the opportunity to win the Tour, we didn’t do anything to jeopardise that.” Is that something you had to sit down and discuss with Cavendish before the race? “You only have to look at the way Mark was talking before the race to see he understood that being part of a team that could win the overall race might mean that at certain times the team might have to compromise to make that happen. I think he was aware of that – we talked about it plenty of times. We talked about it with his coach plenty of times, too, so I don’t think that came as any surprise, to be honest.” Is the hardest part of your job keeping everybody satisfied that they’re getting their fair shot at glory? “It’s certainly one of them. When you surround yourself with ambitious people who want to win, then inevitably there are going to be times when that can clash. But the key thing is to be honest with people – tell them exactly what the game plan is and what we’re trying to achieve. That clarity of purpose is absolutely critical. It’s very difficult to keep everybody happy all of the time – but that’s part of management, and you expect that. How you deal with it is the most important thing.” >

“We saW from the tour that mark Would prefer to have a dedicated team around him for the sprints. you have to respect that – that’s his belief and it’s his career... that’s Why We didn’t stand in his Way”

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Dave Brailsford

Did you feel just a little bit smug at having proved wrong those who scoffed at Sky’s ambition to win the Tour with a British rider within five years? “No, I don’t do it for other people. If people don’t want to share the optimism that I share, they’re entitled not to – but I’m not motivated by showing people who are sceptics or cynics that they’re wrong. That doesn’t give me any pleasure whatsoever. I enjoy the performance and the process of putting a team together and then winning the biggest race in the world. You always get sceptics and cynics, but I’m not going to run my life by virtue of their glass-halfempty world.” Where do you see Team Sky in five years? “In the current climate it would be great if, five years from now, we were proven to be consistent high-level performers; that we were a very disciplined, organised, well-structured team that was open and transparent; that we had got to a point at which there were no doubts or raised eyebrows in terms of performances; and that we’d helped the sport move forward in gaining the trust and confidence of the fans and general public in cycling. That would be a great place to be.”

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“You alwaYs get sceptics and cYnics, but i’m not going to run mY life bY virtue of their glass-halfemptY world” Do you worry that younger generations will be put off from pursuing a road-racing career after the Armstrong revelations? “Most people understand the fact that this is something from the past we’re dealing with. It’s not a current crisis where the sport has issues in the here and now – it’s definitely cleaned up its act. It’s a sport people can believe in now. There’s no doubt that what happened in the past has cast some shadows – we can’t ignore it. Team Sky is a clean team, though. And we’ll continue to run a clean team. But the importance of showing how we do it is incumbent on us.” Hence the behind-the-scenes TV programmes, photographs and books you’ve allowed to get up close and personal? “It’s a deliberate choice to allow those. Certainly there’s an element of risk, when you think about the competitive advantage we have. A lot of sports teams like to operate behind closed doors. But in a sport like ours, unfortunately, it’s important that we are as transparent and as open as possible so that, when you do win the bigger events and have seasons like we’ve just had, then we try and show how it’s achieved and what the processes are. It’s so that people can see for themselves that we are genuinely a clean team – and the riders work very, very hard to make sure they get to the level where they can perform like they do.”

And, after a season like that, is motivation an issue for Wiggins in particular – with him having won the biggest race out there? “It’s a bit like the first Olympic gold you win. The first time that you try and do something, it’s a very different experience to trying to repeat it or going for a different goal. It’s worked out nicely that Bradley’s targeting the Giro d’Italia next year, with a different race programme to this year – it’s healthy. Otherwise you go and do the same race programme leading into the Tour and it would be just a straightforward comparison; all the way through, people would be saying: ’Oh, he’s not where he was last year.’ Or: ’He’s ahead of where he was last year.’ From a mental point of view, to mix it up and have another big goal makes a lot of sense to me. And, fortunately, we have another very good rider in the team in Chris Froome who is focused on the Tour, so it works out well.” What about you? Having led a team to Tour glory, did you have to examine your own motivation to continue? “Within your career you always wonder what it would be like to run a team that wins the Tour. So when that happens, it’s quite something. But we had the Olympics days later, so it was straight from the Tour into London – we didn’t really have time to reflect. You feel like you’re pushing so hard at times in an Olympic cycle and it’s so intense that you think: ’Blimey, I cant keep doing this forever.’ So you build in a period of thought process after the Games to see where you are. I got there and realised this is what I enjoy doing. There’s a lot more of Team Sky to build, and a lot more bike races to win. The Rio Olympics are in the distance, too. And with the young generation of cyclists in the British squad, it’s a very exciting time – I’m still very much motivated to be a part of it.” Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag 21 Days to Glory: The Official Team Sky Book of the 2012 Tour de France is out now, published by HarperSport

Scott Mitchell

Wiggins won the Yellow Jersey on Stage 7 of the Tour and never lost it. At what point were you able to relax and enjoy the fact he was going to win? “Absolutely not until he crossed the line on the Champs Elysees. [Laughs] I think it was made worse by the fact that he’d crashed out of the Tour the year before [suffering a broken collarbone, again on Stage 7]. That had happened so quickly and it was such a shock – it was a reminder that, in cycling, you can crash at any moment. As the race went on, it became more and more obvious that unless something quite extreme happened, then the chances of him winning were becoming greater. But at no point did we think okay, we can relax and enjoy this now.”

Hannah Johnston/Getty Images

Richie McCaw

| November 30 2012 | 33

Richie McCaw is many different things to many different people, a relentless force of nature who divides opinion and inspires admiration in equal measure. But whatever you think of him, and indeed of the team he leads, one thing is incontrovertible: that this Saturday, against England at Twickenham, Richie McCaw plays his final game of rugby for at least six months. “When I renewed my contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union last year, I did so for four years,“ McCaw tells Sport in an exclusive interview ahead of Saturday’s game. “I wouldn’t have signed if I didn’t think I could see out those four years – but I did ask whether, if at some point I needed a break, they would be willing to allow me to take one. “I could probably carry on and am really enjoying my rugby at the moment, but I’ve been on the grind for 10 years now, and you don’t want it [the effects of that] to suddenly hit you in the face, and for it to be too late to come back from. I saw it as an opportunity to take a mental break as much as a physical one. In New Zealand you do live in a bit of a fishbowl at times, but I’m hoping I’ll come back realising how much I’ve

Cardiff 2007

The desire to keep moving forward underpins McCaw’s philosophy as a player and a captain, and is something that comes through as much in his newly released autobiography as it does when you speak to the man himself. But that doesn’t mean there >

Bright and Brave

Richie Mccaw is a Modest Man pRone to deflecting pRaise on to those aRound hiM, but few undeRstand his abilities as a playeR – and iMpoRtance to the all blacks cause – MoRe than his woRld cup-winning coach “Richie is the Most influential playeR in the woRld and hugely iMpoRtant to new Zealand Rugby,“ says Graham Henry, who stepped down after seeing McCaw lift the Webb Ellis Cup in Auckland last October. “This is a guy who has the rare ability to run the tank dry. He comes off the field and you think you need to get him in an ambulance and to the nearest hospital. That’s the ability he has to push himself to the absolute limit. And in the World Cup he did that playing on one leg. It was a remarkable achievement.“ What does Henry say to those who claim that McCaw’s mastery of the game’s dark arts, his ability to operate right on the edge of the laws, crosses a line into cheating? “That’s part of being a great number seven, and the sign of a great player,“ he argues. “You need to make that assessment of where a particular referee draws the line as quickly as possible in a game. I think sometimes the media gets that wrong, and starts talking about that player as a ’cheat’ – but that’s the nature of the position. I look at number sevens like Richie and I’m in awe of their courage, their ability to adjust their game from match to match depending on who’s refereeing. It’s a huge skill that we should applaud, not criticise.“ That’s that sorted, then. But can Henry identify the secret behind McCaw’s growth into a player many regard as the finest ever to grace the sport? “This guy is bright and very brave, which is an unusual combination,“ he says. “And his experience has given him the edge over anyone else in the world. But he also has a huge personal drive, a hunger to always be the best. This is an outstanding footballer who has played 115 Tests, and yet he’s not happy. He’s the leader of a great team but retains the hunger to improve as an individual. You’ve just got to respect that.“ Sir Graham Henry is an ambassador for The Rugby Site. Follow on @The RugbySite

34 | November 30 2012 |

Hannah Johnston/Getty Images, Phil Walter/Getty Images

World Cup-Winning Captain of the all BlaCks. the greatest openside flanker the World has ever seen. the most suCCessfully CyniCal player in the history of rugBy union.

missed playing and how much I love the game. Hopefully I can make the most of it and return just as good, if not better.“ Ominous words from a man who is still only 31 (he turns 32 on New Year’s Eve), but who is set to win his 116th international cap at Twickenham this weekend. That sees him move sixth on the all-time Test list (treat yourself to a protein shake if you can name the top five*), but McCaw has no intention of resting on his glittering laurels – a fact borne out by his team’s continuing dominance of world rugby. “After winning the World Cup last year, it would have been easy just to roll on into this year and hope for the best,“ he says. “But we sat down at the start of the year and saw that we had a choice: to push on and lift our level of performance, or just sort of meander along. We’re proud of the way everyone’s bought into that and done a pretty good job to this point. It’s been a lot of fun.“ It’s indicative of the captain’s demands – both upon himself and his teammates – that he refers to the All Blacks’ current unbeaten run of 20 Tests as ’a pretty good job’. It would be a record-breaking sequence of victories, but for an 18-18 draw against Australia in Brisbane last month. “It felt like a loss, to be honest,“ adds McCaw in passing. “We just didn’t quite perform, and the Aussies were pretty desperate. That’s what happens, though... we can’t do much about it now.“

*George Gregan (Aus) 139, Ronan O'Gara (Ire) 128, Brian O'Driscoll (Ire) 126, Jason Leonard (Eng) 119, Fabien Pelous (Fra) 118

Richie McCaw

"I'VE NEVER LoST AT TWICKENHAM. I'D QuITE LIKE To KEEp IT THAT WAY"

TWICKENHAM 2012

Words that may come as some consolation to McCaw’s opposite number at Twickenham tomorrow. Chris Robshaw has faced intense criticism for some of his decisions as the England captain this autumn, but the All Blacks skipper knows how hard it can be to always get it right in the heat of battle. “When you’re out there you’ve got to go with what you’re seeing and what you’re feeling,“ says McCaw. “Often I look back and see things I’d do differently, but my philosophy is that it’s fine to make the odd mistake. That happens in life, but it’s about being able

36 | November 30 2012 |

to learn from them, to know if you find yourself in that situation again you’ll make the right decision. “The other point is that you have a bunch of guys around you who have their own opinions. It’s about being able to use them to come to the right answer. Sometimes a captain just has to make a call, though, and I believe that if you have 15 men committed to carrying out whatever you decide, then they can turn that into the right decision anyway. If you stand around looking uncertain and indecisive, then people are going to wonder what you’re thinking.“ Not something McCaw has to worry about as he approaches his 79th Test as the All Black captain, but age and experience haven’t dimmed the great openside’s desire for success. “I’ve been lucky over the years I’ve played to have been in a pretty good All Black team,“ he reflects with trademark understatement. “There are a lot of guys who have done some very good things, but what I’ve really loved is the desire of these guys to always be the best they can be. I just go out and try to do my bit, and I feel a huge sense of satisfaction when I think I’ve done that. “I know the guys are excited about the physical challenge that’s coming from England this weekend. And personally, no, I’ve never lost at Twickenham. I’d quite like to keep it that way.“ Tony Hodson @tonyhodson1 The Real McCaw: The Autobiography by Richie McCaw (Aurum Press, £20)

TougH AT THE Top

n hIs new autobIography, The Real McCaw, the All Blacks captain gives an insight into his experiences of captaining one of the world’s most iconic sporting teams. Here he is during the 2008 Tri Nations, in which New Zealand lost two of their first three matches before bouncing back with a win at home to Australia... “The following week, we’re at the airport hotel for an early call to board the plane for South Africa. I call a team meeting for even earlier, 4.30am, which is apt, because I want to talk to them about not relaxing, not getting comfortable. There are no coaches or management, just me and the team. I tell them that last week doesn’t mean shit if we can’t do it again next week at Newlands. Preparing genuinely means being tough enough mentally to do what is required between now and next Saturday. We need to be tough bastards if we are to get what we’re after. “’I’m asking you all to be fucking genuine this week,’ I tell them. ’Before you leave here, just decide if you are willing to do that and, if you’re not, I suggest you don’t bother getting on the bus.’ “There’s silence, which I take as assent.“ That week, the All Blacks went to Newlands and won 19-0 – the first time South Africa had ever failed to score in a home Test match.

Hannah Johnston/Getty Images

aren’t lessons to be learned from the past – not least from a World Cup quarter-final defeat to France that sent shockwaves throughout the world in 2007. McCaw refers to that devastating reversal – the worst performance at a World Cup by any All Blacks team, and under his captaincy – simply as ’Cardiff’. “Oh, that was certainly a big moment,“ says McCaw when we put it to him that it represents the single most pivotal moment in his career. “I’d been captain for a season; things had ticked along pretty nicely, so I thought we’d just roll into 2007 with me knowing what was going on – but that defeat put me right back in my place. I look back to that point and know that some of the lessons I learned... well, you couldn’t have got them any other way. It was a whole lot of pain to go through, but having gone four years on and managing to win the World Cup, I think the fact that we went through it certainly helped us appreciate what we did in Auckland. Five years ago, had I been talking to you about Cardiff, it wouldn’t have been that nice. Now, we can look back and it’s not too bad.“

The colours of teamwork. AIG is proud to be the official insurance partner of the All Blacks. We’re proud to support the amazing men and women of the teams in Black. We’re behind them every kick, pass and try along the way. Learn more at www.AIG.com/allblacks

The Polymaths

And now For Something Completely diFFerent

CB Fry Cricket/Football/Athletics/Rugby Union You’ve probably never heard of Charles Burgess Fry – in your defence, he was born in 1872 and died more than 50 years ago – but as sporting crossovers go, his is arguably our all-time favourite. Not content with equalling the world long jump record in 1893, Fry also played play three times for the Barbarians rugby side and appeared in a total of 18 football matches for Southampton and Portsmouth – including the 1902 FA Cup final – and once for England. Cricket was his main game, though. Fry played 394 firstclass matches and appeared in 26 Tests for his country, captaining them on several occasions, and even tried to convince Hitler’s Foreign Minister that Nazi Germany should take up Test cricket. A shame – stopping the Third Reich is about the only thing that could have improved his CV.

miChAel JordAn Basketball/Baseball Six NBA titles, 14 NBA All-Star appearances, five-time NBA most valuable player awards, and one matchwinning basket to deny the Monstars. His Royal Airness was a basketballing legend, but we think it’s fair to say his time in the diamond wasn’t quite as successful. Jordan signed with baseball side the Chicago White Sox and spent a season struggling to a batting average of .252 (our American sports guru tells us that’s bad) in the minor leagues. Thankfully for his own legacy, he took the decision to return to the court after just one year, announcing his return with a typically low-key press release containing just two words: “I’m Back.” >

| November 30 2012 | 39

Allsport Hulton/Archive, Al Bello /Allsport

Ahead of cricket legend Andrew Flintoff’s first boxing bout tomorrow, we look at other athletes who have added more strings to their bows

The Polymaths

Bo Jackson Baseball/American Football

sonny BiLL WiLLiams Rugby League/Rugby Union/Boxing We know what you’re thinking, but we’re reliably informed that not all of Sonny Bill’s opponents have been this out of shape. The New Zealander has made his mark in both rugby league and union – he’s played for six different clubs, and amassed 26 international appearances and one World Cup winner’s medal in eight years across the two sports – but boxing is his passion, and Williams has won all five of his bouts since turning professional in May 2009. The current New Zealand Professional Boxing Association heavyweight champion, he is set to fight again in early 2013. It won’t be this guy.

reBecca romero Rowing/Cycling

sarah storey Swimming/Cycling She tore up the track and road events on her bike during London’s Paralympic extravaganza, but Sarah’s stor[e]y actually began in the pool. In fact, she first appeared at the Paralympics way back in 1992, when the 14-year-old stormed to two golds, three silvers and one bronze across various 100m, 200m and 400m events. Having collected 10 further swimming medals (three gold) at Atlanta, Sydney and Athens, Storey swapped water for wheels in 2005 and collected two golds in Beijing and four more in London. That’s 22 medals in two different sports across six Games. Of course, Storey has a male copycat, with Jody Cundy winning Paralympic swimming medals in 1996, 2000 and 2004 before achieving cycling success in Beijing and London. We’ll always remember him for that hissy fit, though.

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Now, we're not saying cycling is easy, but there is an alarming trend of athletes turning to two wheels for further glory in our list, with Sarah Storey, Jody Cundy and now Romero. Having won a silver medal at Athens in 2004 and been part of the crew that won the World Championships in 2005, Romero was forced to quit rowing because of a back injury. So she took up cycling, going on to win a World Championships silver medal in 2007 and then gold at Beijing in 2008 – thus becoming the second woman ever to win a medal in two different sports at the summer Games. But it was only in cycling. Anyone can do that (apparently).

sir GeorGe thomas, 7th Baronet

Badminton/Chess/Tennis This one’s a bit tough. Can you include chess as a real sport? And are badminton and tennis not a bit too similar to each other for inclusion? On the flip side, Thomas was twice British chess champion, so it’s not like it was a mere hobby, and he made the semi finals of the men’s doubles at Wimbledon and won 21 All-England badminton championships. Heck, badminton’s Davis Cup equivalent is even named after the man. He was the inaugural member of the Badminton Hall of Fame. And he’s a baronet, too. Right, we’re going to include him. Although you probably worked that out by now. Mark Coughlan @coffers83

LoLo Jones

Athletics/Bobsleigh In a plot twist that could have been plucked straight from Cool Runnings, the American hurdling star has turned to bobsled to keep fit in the winter months. Having shocked the sledding world with a silver in the World Cup opener earlier this month, Jones now looks set to miss the indoor athletics season in January to remain with her new sledhead (a phrase we may have just invented) pals. All together now: Feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme...

Gray Mortimore/Getty Images, George Rose/Getty Images, Sandra Mu/Getty Images, AP/Press Association Images, Mladen Antonov/AFP/Getty Images, Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images, S&G and Barratts/Empics Sport

US college sports stars often face a choice when they graduate – Bo did both. The first athlete to play in an All-Star game in two major US sports, Jackson spent the summer crushing baseballs for the Kansas City Royals and the colder months sprinting off with an oval ball for the LA Raiders. A genuine talent at both, it made Jackson a superstar and began a series of ’Bo knows’ Nike ads, featuring him excelling at various sports. A hip injury in 1990 wrecked his NFL career, but he made a baseball comeback for the Chicago White Sox. In his first game of 1993, Jackson hit a home run against the New York Yankees. Nike ran a full-page ad in the following day’s USA Today. It said: “Bo knew.”

bobby gould: “Wimbledon has a history that goes back longer than our era. There were many fans who were very upset with the move from Plough Lane to Selhurst Park. For them, this is a return to the origins of their club”

Pete winkelman: “AFC Wimbledon can’t claim Wimbledon FC’s history”

MK Dons v AFC Wimbledon t’s an FA Cup second-round match between two football clubs set 56 miles apart: one, a promotion-chasing League One side; the other hovering above the relegation zone in League Two. Nothing too incendiary in those raw details, but plenty in the fact that Milton Keynes Dons and AFC Wimbledon share what we might understatedly call a controversial back story. This Sunday represents the first time that the two clubs – both derived, via very different paths, from the old Wimbledon FC – will play one another. This is not your traditional rivalry. While most fans would lap up the chance to lord it on their adversaries’ patch, many AFC Wimbledon fans are boycotting the match entirely. “I find it difficult to go up there and offer them any kind of legitimacy as a football club,” says Niall Couper, author of the book This Is Our Time: The AFC Wimbledon Story. “Imagine if the league place of the club you support was stolen away to another town. What happened was a travesty.” It’s an understandable view, given how bitterly received an FA panel’s decision – to allow Wimbledon FC to be pulled away from its community, relocated and rebranded – was in 2002. However, it’s not one

Some contrition was also on show from MK Dons chairman Pete Winkelman, who helped foster the move a decade ago. “I’m not proud of the way this club came into being,” he admitted to the BBC ahead of the game, adding: “I’ve tried to make a bad decision a good decision by the things we have gone on to do.“ For Wimbledon fans such as Couper, however, this offers cold comfort. There is one crucial issue that is immediately brought up when Winkelman’s conciliatory statements are mentioned. “There’s a certain suffix with that club that shouldn’t exist, because there’s absolutely no relation of the name to the community that it exists in,“ he explains. “Calling them Milton Keynes ’Dons’ is like calling Crystal Palace the Seagulls because they’re 60 miles from Brighton. It doesn’t make sense. If Pete Winkelman has even one moral bone in his body, that suffix should disappear overnight.”

Phoenix from the flames It’s a view that Winkelman rejects. His stated belief is: “AFC Wimbledon can’t claim Wimbledon FC’s history.“ In private, a few of Wimbledon’s players of the 1980s and 1990s have also been heard to say that, while

how they were created. Unfortunately, at some of the bigger clubs, that’s not happening to the level that it should be.”

taking the positives It’s an interesting paradox facing AFC fans. They despise what happened to Wimbledon FC, but if that decision hadn’t been made, the AFC Wimbledon story – fan-owned and imbued with passion and purpose – wouldn’t exist in its current state. Another positive for them is that, despite what the newer club may strenuously claim, the Milton Keynes project has been widely seen as a failure. Nicknamed ’Franchise FC’, mocked by opponents, attendances of around 8,000 and a team that’s bobbed between the bottom two divisions of the Football League is – despite what the directors may claim – surely not what they dreamed of when the move was made 10 years ago. The decision at the time, plus the Football Association-appointed committee’s statement that resurrecting a Wimbledon club was “not in the wider interests of football“, have widely been derided. So if there’s a further silver lining to this cloud, it is that – given the criticism it has attracted and the lack of

Feelgood fixture shared by everyone associated with the club. Bobby Gould, Wimbledon FC manager when the old Crazy Gang won the FA Cup in 1988, takes a different perspective. “I’m delighted that AFC Wimbledon are back in the reckoning for the FA Cup,” he told us. “It’s great that Neal Ardley, an ex-Wimbledon player, is in the hotseat achieving all this. But I don’t see there’s a need to boycott the game – don’t do that. Go along. Watch the game and cheer for your team, be it MK Dons or AFC Wimbledon.”

history boys Gould admits, however, that his feelings were quite different back in 2002, when the decision on Wimbledon FC’s future was made. “There was a lot of sadness on my part,” he admits. “It was the first franchise buy-out that we ever experienced in this country, so it was a huge shock to us all. Should it have been allowed to happen? Possibly not, but I think we have to move on.”

they find AFC Wimbledon’s rise admirable, the old ’Crazy Gang’ they once played for no longer exists. “I can see that view,” says Gould, when it’s put to him. “But what you have to remember is that Wimbledon has a history that goes back longer than our era. There were many fans who were very upset with the move from Plough Lane to Selhurst Park [in 1991]. For them, this is a return to the origins of their club. And there’s no doubt who we’ll all be supporting at the weekend – it’s AFC Wimbledon, without a shadow of a doubt for me.” What nobody – not even Winkelman – disputes is that the rise of AFC Wimbledon is remarkable. However, it isn’t the five promotions in nine years in which Couper takes most pride. “It’s been great on the pitch, but it’s the infrastructure behind it that’s the real progress,“ he says. “The fans run this football club; we’re elected board members. It’d be wonderful if more and more clubs took the supporters’ trust route and honoured

significant success – it’s unlikely anyone would try to do a similar thing to another league club. Wimbledon FC’s legacy is that this need never happen again. Niall Couper admits he takes only a little comfort from this, but admits that life as a Wimbledon fan – both FC and AFC – has rarely been dull. “In my lifetime as a Wimbledon fan, I’ve seen something ridiculous like 14 or 15 promotions – and obviously a couple of relegations and one very, very significant fall,” he says. “But this has been all about battling the odds and proving people wrong. I’d love to see the Football Association come out and say that what AFC Wimbledon have achieved is a model that every football club could follow. There is a fantastic opportunity for supporter ownership in this country – and the AFC Wimbledon story has shown that.” By that measure, at least – whatever the score on Sunday – it appears AFC Wimbledon fans have already got the result they deserve. Alex Reid @otheralexreid

| November 30 2012 | 43

All pictures Getty Images, Bob Thomas/2010 Getty Images

SUndAy fa cup second round: mk dons v afc wimbledon | stadium:mk | itv 1 12.30pm

AFC Wimbledon and MK Dons share a divisive history, but a heartwarming tale can be found among the bitterness...

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10 Do It Yourself

The three cast-iron principles of DIY that every man must abide by are very simple. First, the right tool for any job is always the most powerful. Second, anything and everything can be fixed by duct tape. And third, if, when constructing anything flatpack you find yourself with a part left over, you haven’t constructed it wrong. The part should never have been included in the first place. Their mistake, not yours.

still water and a flat circular stone – the shape encourages more bounce. Entry into the water should be bang on 20 degrees, say boffins who have studied this. Anything less will drag through the water and lose energy, anything over 45 degrees will not bounce but sink, like a stone. In terms of technique, spin the stone in a clockwise motion (if you’re right-handed) with your index finger as you release it to increase its speed of rotation. The greater the flick, the greater the rotation and – look at that – the greater, more manly the skim.

9 lIft AnD CArrY HeAvY stuff 4 speAketH onlY sport The key rule here is simple enough: bend at the knees, never the waist. Simply lower, in one smooth motion, grasp and possibly gasp if it’s heavier than you thought, then elevate again, making it look as effortless as possible. Never attempt to lift anything bigger than you, and if you hear anything crack on either the object or your own body, put the thing straight back down and act accordingly. Because man must always know his limitations.

sHAke HAnDs lIke A MAn

Do note that ‘Like A Man’ doesn’t mean by attempting to break the other person’s hand – this is not a test of strength. Make eye contact, smile or say hello and extend your hand, held at a slight downward angle. Grip firmly but never squeeze, and shake using only the lower arm – bring the upper arm into it and it becomes more muscular and appears you have something to prove. Grip for two or three seconds and apply a couple of short, controlled shakes for sincerity. Any more or any less and they’ll think you’re weird. Maintain eye contact throughout, then withdraw the hand. One handshake should fit all occasions – but if shaking hands with a fine lady, or indeed any lady, lighten the grip ever so slightly so she doesn’t get scared.

7 HAve A HAIrCut

Though the short back and sides is clearly the only style a man should ever need, we are not here to judge. Whatever you ask for, remember just one thing. It should never cost you a penny more than £5: scientific fact. And that should include the tip. Note: Any attempt at facial hair should be literally applauded, regardless of the results.

6 DAnCe lIke A MAn 5 skIM A stone

Real men don’t dance. Move on.

To achieve this true Man Skill, which impresses women and children alike, you’ll need to register more than two sorry bounces. You need a stretch of

When viewing sport of any kind, the only subject of conversation between those watching should be sport. Not work, not your other half, not politics, quantum physics or Darwin’s theory of evolution. Simply sport. And those who need reminding of this twice should be banished from the room or stadium.

3 BBQ lIke A pro

We all think we know, but we don’t – not really. Cooking food over raging flames might seem manly, although you’ll end up charring but undercooking your food and poisoning your guests. That’s bad. The simple rule is this: always wait for the flames to die down and for the coals to become dusty white with a menacing red glow. Only now is your BBQ ready, and only now should you add your food – by which, of course, we mean a massive slab of MEAT.

2 BuIlD A fIre

To huddle round in the great outdoors after a day spent foraging for berries? Are you sure? There’s sport on the television and bacon in the fridge. What are you thinking? Well, if you must. Find a space well away from overhanging branches so you don’t set light to the entire forest, then place dry tinder (dead grass, straw) in a nice pile and build up a few small sticks and strips of wood into a nice little teepee over the top. Leave a space to get your hand in to light the tinder, and let it breathe as it burns. Keep adding tinder to build the fire up, then as the teepee burns, the outer logs will fall inwards, feeding the fire. Keep adding the smaller wood, then apply the bigger, bulkier bits until you have a raging fire. Where’s your bacon though? That’s right: at home in the fridge.

1 eAt lIke A MAn

Simple, this, and the true test of any man. Take two slices of bread and a pile of bacon – in itself a very fine sandwich. However, to transform it into a true show-stopper, finish with a good covering of HP Sauce and turn your humble sandwich into a manwich. And with that, my son, you truly are a Man.

Hp: A sAuCe of™ MAnlIness | 45

Tyson Fury

Ahead of his fight with Kevin ’Kingpin’ Johnson on Saturday, unbeaten heavyweight Tyson Fury talks to Sport about his big tests, big improvements and big plans

Nobody has ever stopped him, not even Vitali Klitschko [who inflicted one of only two defeats, both on points, in 31 fights]. Is there an incentive to be the first? “I’m not going to rush and look for a stoppage. I think that’s a mistake people make: trying to knock somebody out who’s hard to hit, never mind knock out. He’s got a good defence. It’s like a Floyd Mayweather defence, but at heavyweight, so he’s a hard man to land clean on. I’m just going to look to build the points up and, if I get him with a nice shot, then obviously I’ll jump on him and try and finish it.” Have you seen much of him? Do you watch a lot of your opponents in general? “Oh yeah, I’m a boxing encyclopaedia when it comes to heavyweights. I’ve seen a lot of Johnson and he’s very well schooled. He’s got that Philadelphia style, where the shoulder rolls and the backhand comes right round. It’s going to be an awkward night, because I’ve never fought anybody of Johnson’s skill before. All the fighters I’ve fought have been classic, come-forward fighters. It’s hard to fight somebody who’s

not looking to come forward because you’ve got to go and find him and trick him into making a wrong move. It will be a bit of a chess match in the early stages, anyway.” He’s said some things in the build-up to this fight: that he’ll beat you so badly you’ll want to retire, that you’re not in his class. Does that stuff fire you up, or is it all just part of the boxing hype? “To be honest with you, if Johnson could do anything as good as he can talk, he’d be a multimillionaire by now. I’m not really interested in anything he’s got to say. He’s coming over to me, and I’m going to smash him in and that is it.” But the chess match... “I know he’s going to talk, but if I wanted to watch a circus I’d go to one and see a clown there. I’m not really interested in anything he’s got to say, because he’s the biggest mug I’ve ever heard. I watched the press conference after the Klitschko fight, and he said: ’Yeah, he beat me, but I’ll beat him next time.’ And said he was a better man than Klitschko – after he just got smashed to bits. So he talks a lot of rubbish. It’s not going to get to me or make me change my gameplan.” You’re only 24 – young for a heavyweight boxer. What have you been working on improving of late? “My feet, my defence, my punch technique and my conditioning. I’ve been working on a lot of things over the past year and it’s >

| November 30 2012 | 47

PA Wire/Press Association Images

Sound and the Fury

Kevin Johnson has boxed at the very highest level, so is this an opponent who’s really going to test you? “Yeah, I’m really excited about this one. It’s one of those fights where I get to showcase my skills against a world-class fighter. If I come through this, I’m knocking on the door for a world title fight, so it’s a must-win.”

Tyson Fury

Your fitness is something that’s visibly improved over the years. What brought on the change? “It was after the fight against Neven Pajkic [in 2011] that I stopped all the bad things I was doing and hooked up with my uncle, who’s a conditioner, a trainer and everything else. I started to take things seriously. This will be my third fight under him, and everyone’s going to see a massive difference. In the past, I was just playing at boxing, even though I won the British title. I was going out, partying, drinking. I wasn’t doing it properly.” So through your first 17 fights, you weren’t taking boxing too seriously? “Yeah, I won my first 17 just on talent alone, because I was going into those fights as fat as anything. I was out of shape, I was gassed after four or five rounds. It was just my heart and determination that got me through.

“Price is just an arch rival and it’s not a big enough country for two 6ft 9ins heavyweights, so someone’s got to go. and the longer it simmers, the bigger fight it’s going to be” Since my uncle Peter has been involved, we’ve been in an almost constant training camp: eating, sleeping and breathing boxing. That’s why I’m going to win the heavyweight championship of the world in 2013.” David Haye is a potential opponent you’ve spoken about. Is that still a possibility, or do you think he’s more interested in chewing on kangaroo in the jungle than boxing now? “I don’t think he wants a fight unless it’s a Klitschko – and I know the Klitschkos ain’t going to give him a fight, because of all the carry-on he caused in Germany. I offered to fight David Haye and he turned it down. After this fight with Kevin Johnson, I should be [ranked] number one by the WBC, and I’m sure he’s going to start wanting to fight me then. But, you know what? It’s too late now, the ship’s sailed. It’s my turn to fight a Klitschko.” It’s another David – unbeaten Liverpool heavyweight David Price – with whom your name is often linked. Where does the bad blood between you two stem from? “It all started in the amateurs. I boxed David Price in 2006, when I was 18 and he was 23

48 | November 30 2012 |

or 24 and the Commonwealth champion, ABA champion and all that. He beat me on points, but it was a close fight. I had him over in the second round. I was gunning to get a rematch when I got more amateur experience, but he got selected to go to the Olympics and I didn’t. It’s all just spilled over into the professionals.” Do you genuinely dislike him? “To be honest with you, I don’t really know David Price as a person. I only know him as a character in my mind, if you know what I mean. He’s probably a nice, down-toearth fella, but I don’t know that side of him. To me, he’s just an arch rival and it’s not a big enough country for two 6ft 9ins heavyweights, so someone’s got to go. And the longer it simmers, the bigger fight it’s going to be.” So you think the two of you will fight? “After the Johnson fight, I’m gonna beat Wladimir. By then, he won’t have fought anybody better than Dereck Chisora anyway, so he’ll still have no experience. So I’ll take him out in a world title fight. I’ve had hard fights in my career and he’s just fought old people and has-beens. He doesn’t warrant being highly ranked. Just because he’s an undefeated, big, white heavyweight, why does he deserve to be in the top 10 in the world? There’s an American called Seth ’Mayhem’ Mitchell – he was undefeated in 25 fights, a big knockout puncher. Fought earlier this month and got knocked out in two rounds. It was his first step-up fight and he got chinned. The same thing will happen with David Price. He has no experience of boxing people who can fight back, so when he actually fights someone who’s going to hit him, you’re going to see him come unglued.” Your fights are live on on terrestrial TV. Is that really important to you, as it helps you build up a big audience? “It’s very good. Mick Hennessy has done a great job getting me a TV deal with Channel 5. I’m being watched by three and a half or four million viewers every time now. It’s a lot of people, and the general public get to see me – not just sports fans.” That puts you in the spotlight and you’ve had some criticism, which you’ve reacted to at times. Do critics get under your skin? “It’s just jealousy. Sometimes people start talking about my family and things like that, then I’ll get wound up and have a pop back at them on Twitter. But it’s all banter, really, I don’t wish harm to any of these people. They’re just going to eat their hat when I win the world title. It’s one of those things: anyone with a bit of success has their critics and their haters, so it doesn’t affect me.” Alex Reid @otheralexreid Tyson Fury takes on Kevin Johnson at the Odyssey Arena, Belfast, Saturday December 1. The show is live on Channel 5 from 9pm

PA Wire/Press Association Images

finally all coming together. My footwork is second-to none at the moment – there isn’t a heavyweight in the world that’s not named Klitschko who’s got footwork like me now.”

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7 Days OUR PICK OF THE ACTION FROM THE SPORTING WEEK AHEAD

NOVHIGHLIGHTS 30-DEC 6 » Football: Premier League Preview » p52 » Football: Champions League Preview » p54 » Rugby Union: England v New Zealand » p56 » Cricket: India v England, Third Test » p58 » Boxing: David Price v Matt Skelton » p59

SATURDAY CYCLING | REVOLUTION SERIES: ROUND 2 | NATIONAL CYCLING CENTRE, MANCHESTER | WEDNESDAY ITV4 8PM (HIGHLIGHTS)

Lizzie ArmitsteAd

mAriAnne Vos

Age 25 Born Hertogenbosch, Holland medal record (road) 2012 Olympic road race gold, 2012 world road race gold, 2007-2011 world road race silver, 2006 world road race gold medal record (track) 2011 World Championships gold (scratch race), 2008 Olympic gold (points race), 2008 World Championships gold (points race) strengths A smart and powerful rider with huge self-belief she says: “I haven’t met Lizzie that often on the track, but I think we’re quite similar as riders. She’s explosive, and that’s my strength too. It’s normally not so nice to know that someone has the same strengths, though, because you don’t know at what point in the race to make the difference.”

Age 23 Born Otley, England medal record (road) 2012 Olympic road race silver, 2010 Commonwealth Games silver medal record (track) 2010 World Championships silver (team pursuit, omnium), 2009 World Championships gold (team pursuit), silver (scratch race), bronze (points race) strengths Master tactician, good acceleration she says: “There’s definitely a rivalry between me and Marianne, although there are five women at her level who I see as my main rivals in all races. But obviously she beat me in London, so I guess it would be nice to get one back on her in Manchester.”

Stefano Rellandini/IOPP Pool Getty Images

road racers take to the track

It’s Lizzie Armitstead v Marianne Vos: The Rematch in Manchester on Saturday, as the gold and silver-medallists from the London 2012 women’s road race (above) take to the track in round two of the Revolution series. The four-event series features a league competition for men’s teams, with Armitstead and Vos appearing as part of a one-off omnium for female riders.

50 | November 30 2012 |

It was the Dutchwoman Vos who beat Armitstead in a thrilling sprint finish along the Mall this summer, and her status as the world’s best was assured when she added the world road race title in September. But this weekend the medals get put aside as both women take to the boards to see how their rivalry plays out on the track. See above for the tale of the tape...

7 Days

Premier League

saturday qpr v aston villa | loftus road | 3pm

This week, we’re keeping our ﬁngers crossed no one’s been ﬁred after Sport has gone to press. Good luck, Rafa... saturday west ham v Chelsea | upton park | sky sports 2 12.45pm

While Chelsea fans are not remotely happy about having a new manager who has won pretty much everything, QPR fans are delighted about having a new manager who has won, well, not much. Harry Redknapp will certainly receive a rapturous reception as he takes charge of his first home game for the Hoops tomorrow, and what a crucial match it is: Aston Villa are also deep in trouble. And Redknapp, a master of survival, will know that winning home games against fellow strugglers is vital. Goals will be at a premium: QPR have scored just four in six home games this term, and Villa have only three in seven trips on the road. That said, neither side is likely to be able to keep a clean sheet – so we’re sticking our necks out at 1-1, with an own goal and another off someone’s elbow.

Feeling blue

saturday west brom v stoke | the hawthorns | 3pm

At least when you’re booed by opposition fans, you’re expecting it – so Rafa Benitez will probably be looking forward to his first away match as Chelsea boss. He was never going to be a popular appointment among Blues fans, but he’s here now and has a job to do. His first priority, this weekend, will centre on stopping Andy Carroll. Carroll has not had many great games in the past two years, but one of his best half-hours was as a substitute against Chelsea in the FA Cup final in May. He hauled Liverpool back into the match, albeit in vain, and followed up by inspiring the Reds to a 4-1 win over Chelsea the following week. Carroll bagged his first West Ham goal last weekend against Tottenham, and will be relishing the chance to go up against the Chelsea defence again. It’s a defence that has leaked goals lately, although the partnership of Branislav Ivanovic and David Luiz at centre back helped secure a clean sheet against Man City last weekend. In attack, Chelsea have a wealth of options and none – all at the same time. Their midfield

52 | November 30 2012 |

is full of creativity and goals, but Fernando Torres appears to need a miracle to return to top form. If Benitez can again get the best out of him – and his best is, or was, as good as practically anyone – then Chelsea fans might rethink their opinions about their new boss. West Ham are still enjoying a solid season, but sadly it is their supporters who will be in the spotlight. After the shame of their chants at Tottenham, they would do well to leave the disparaging chants to the Chelsea faithful this time. Rafa’s in for another rough ride.

800 This will be Sam Allardyce’s 800th game as a manager. He has a 41 per cent win record

Let’s hear it for West Brom: riding high in the Champions League places and deservedly so. Steve Clarke might claim to be only ‘mildly happy’ with how the season has gone so far, but even the most ardent Baggies fan – yes, Chiles, we’re looking squarely at you – wouldn’t have imagined this in their wildest dreams. Not only are they winning games, but they are also doing it in some style: their attacking options of Peter Odemwingie, Romelu Lukaku and Shane Long, supported superbly by Zoltan Gera (above), have seen West Brom score in every game bar one (a 3-0 reverse against Fulham) this season. Stoke, as ever, will be troublesome opponents who won’t let West Brom play much football – but we still expect a home win. The Baggies’ European dream bounces on.

Somehow Man Utd manage to keep winning games despite going behind, but Sir Alex Ferguson is clearly not happy that week in, week out his team need a wake-up call to actually start playing. It even happened last week against basement side QPR (who might have been 2-0 up if Jamie Mackie had not strayed inches offside in the first half), but eventually United showed their class. Interestingly, Darren Fletcher was a key factor in the victory, not just by scoring the second with a fine header, but also holding United together in midfield as QPR harried them relentlessly in the first hour. He has been one of United’s most important – and underrated – players of the past few years, and Fergie will be very keen for him to stay fit. Reading, who simply find it very hard to actually win a game, are now favourites for the drop in the wake of Harry Redknapp’s appointment at QPR. They will struggle again here.

saturday liverpool v southampton | anfield | 3pm

Liverpool’s season is already the one that might have been. Too many draws means they are already thinking about rebuilding for 2013-14. As for Saints, a couple of wins go a long way when you’re struggling, and they are now giving the likes of Aston Villa and Sunderland cause to look over their shoulders. Record signing Gaston Ramirez (above) is the man making the difference right now.

saturday man city v everton etihad stadium | 3pm

It’s the champions against a team making a serious assault on a Champions League spot, but this match fails to truly whet the appetite. Everton, like their Merseyside rivals, have been drawing too many games, and throwing away too many leads – while City, a 5-0 win against Aston Villa aside, have been grinding out the points rather than sweeping teams aside. They should still hold too many cards for Everton, mind.

saturday arsenal v swansea emirates stadium | 3pm

saturday fulham v tottenham craven cottage | 3pm

Arsene Wenger, having to endure taunts of ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’ from his own supporters, needs to start winning games, and fast. Arsenal still have a very realistic shot of a Champions League spot, but it’s been a scratchy, in-and-out season. Swansea will come to the Emirates to play football, and these two sides may tip-tap their way through 90 minutes all the way to a 0-0 draw.

Another London derby, and one that should please the purists. Fulham’s early-season promise has plateaued somewhat, but they remain capable of lovely football, while Gareth Bale is doing his best to keep Tottenham in the hunt for a European place. Both teams are big entertainers on their day and among the league’s highest scorers – but they need to sort out their worrying defences if they’re to kick on.

sunday norwich v sunderland carrow road | sky sports 1 4pm

Norwich fans are having a thoroughly good time this season. True, they’ve taken the odd drubbing, but wins against Arsenal and Man Utd, and a point away at Everton last weekend – before the midweek run of fixtures, the Canaries had gone seven unbeaten, with keeper John Ruddy in miserly form – add up to a successful campaign. Sunderland, on the other hand, may have started scoring, but still look a poor outfit. It’s a home win.

monday newcastle v wigan st james’ park | sky sports 1 8pm

Newcastle are suddenly in a mess, sliding horribly down the table and with real injury worries. After the success of last season (the fact their relatively small squad was largely injury-free is no coincidence) they are struggling. Against perennial relegation survivors Wigan, they will be desperate for three points to give themselves a bit of breathing space. But if Demba Ba (above) doesn’t score for them, then who will?

| 53

All pictures Getty Images

saturday reading v man utd | madejski stadium espn 5.30pm

7 Days Champions League Wednesday Group E: ChElsEa v NordsjaEllaNd | stamford BridGE | sky sports 2 7.45pm

Rafa’s boos problem

54 | November 30 2012 |

With Manchester United and Arsenal having safely negotiated their respective passages into the last 16, and Manchester City’s slow and painful Champions League death finally achieved at the Etihad a fortnight ago, English focus on next week’s final round of group fixtures rests on Stamford Bridge. And that likely means another evening of domestic abuse in the spotlight for Roman Abramovich’s latest lamb to the slaughter, Rafa Benitez. Forget that the Spaniard has such an impressive Champions League pedigree, having taken a bog-average Liverpool side to two finals, most notably engineering the Miracle of Istanbul in 2005. Forget too that he inherits a position that couldn’t be much more precarious, the Blues relying on events in Donetsk on Wednesday if they’re to avoid becoming the first holders to exit at the group stage. Regardless of his past or present, Benitez’s future as interim Chelsea manager is likely to be played out against a backdrop of intense fan hostility. Heaven forbid if he does preside over a Blues exit from Europe on Wednesday. The reality, though, is that he probably will. Chelsea should see off the Danish minnows Nordsjaelland at Stamford Bridge, very possibly banging in a few along the way. But that abject defeat to Juventus in Turin two weeks ago, a result that finally saw Abramovich fire the figurative pistol he had been pointing directly at Roberto di Matteo’s head ever since employing him, means they would also need Shakhtar Donetsk to beat the Old Lady if they’re to make the last 16. Given that Shakhtar need just a point to top Group E, and that Juve need a single point to qualify, we shouldn’t be too surprised to see honours even – not that we’re suggesting a game involving Juventus might ever fall prey to anything untoward, of course. So there you have it. Chelsea’s defence of their Champions League title rests on the performance of a club owned by Ukrainian billionaire oligarch Rinat Akhmetov. What’s that you say about him being close friends with Roman Abramovich? The Blues’ cause may not be as hopeless as we first thought, then. Rafa’s, by contrast, very much is.

Wednesday Group G: CeltiC v Spartak MoSCow | CeltiC park | Sky SportS 4 7.45pM

Elsewhere on Matchday 6 Group A Big-spending PSG host Porto in a game that will decide which of the two tops the group, with the home side needing a win to do so. The only other remaining question is whether or not whipping boys Dinamo Zagreb can score their first goal or earn their first point of a dismal campaign. They host Dynamo Kiev in a game no one cares about.

Group B Another group from which two teams are already through, with Schalke needing a win in Montpellier to guarantee themselves top spot. Should the impressive German outfit slip up, then Arsenal could nab themselves an easier last-16 draw with a win at Olympiacos. That game is live on ITV 1 (Tuesday, 7.45pm), should anyone care.

Group C Penniless Malaga have already secured themselves top spot, while the perpetually ageing AC Milan are guaranteed second place. As such, respective home fixtures against Anderlecht and the desperately disappointing Zenit St Petersburg carry no intrigue at all.

Green shoots consecutive years in 2007 and 2008. Things would have been so much simpler had they not gone down to a late Ezequiel Garay goal against Benfica two weeks ago, but a home win against a Spartak Moscow side that sacked manager Unai Emery on Sunday should just be enough to see them progress. That is assuming that Benfica don’t do the unthinkable and beat already confirmed group winners Barcelona at the Nou Camp, of course. The Portuguese will take heart from Barca having absolutely nothing riding on the game whatsoever, but the Catalan locals don’t take kindly to those rampaging across their border and will expect a home win. Should Barcelona deliver that, Celtic would need only a draw to make the last 16 – but Celtic Park demands more, and Lennon and co would do well to deliver.

The aesthetically pleasing Borussia Dortmund have topped the group in some style, and should sign off with a celebratory victory at home to a Manchester City side presumably desperate to avoid Europa League ‘qualification’ on Tuesday. Real Madrid, who follow the Germans through in second, host third-placed Ajax.

Group F Last season’s runners-up Bayern Munich will top the group with a home win against the faltering BATE Borisov, with Champions League veterans Valencia also through. They travel to Lille for a game that, like most of matchday six, means little.

Group H Group winners Manchester United are again likely to rest a few big names at home to Cluj, who can still make the last 16 if they better Galatasaray’s result away at already-eliminated Braga. The tension, at least in Romania and Turkey, will be unbearable.

| 55

Ian Kington/AFP/Getty Images, Stu Forster/Getty Images

Football fans really are a fickle bunch. Only three weeks ago, Celtic manager Neil Lennon was being feted as a worker of miracles after overseeing an historic 2-1 win over the mighty Barcelona at Celtic Park. One of the greatest days in the history of the club, they said, and they were right. Fast-forward 17 days, though, and a home defeat by the equally mighty Inverness Caledonian Thistle had the Bhoys’ faithful screaming green murder at their combustible coach. Lennon’s team still sit atop the hugely competitive Scottish Premier League, but only seven home goals from seven home league games goes some way to explaining the fans’ unrest. Thank the good lord for the Champions League, then, where Celtic are within touching distance of a first visit to the knockout stages since Gordon Strachan (remember him?) took them there in

Group D

7 Days Saturday rugby union | england v new Zealand | TwickenHam sky sporTs 1 2.30pm

Saturday Horse racing | Hennessy gold cup cHase newbury | cHannel 4 3.10pm

Worth a few quid?

Time to step up

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images, Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images, Thearon W Henderson/Getty Images

Kick to the corner one week and come under fire for being too positive. Take the points the next and come under fire for not going to the corner. Life isn’t easy when you’re captain of your country. Still, after two losses in a row, at least it’s only New Zealand – a team who haven’t lost since August 2011 – up next for Chris Robshaw and his team. While he’s been under fire since that penalty decision last Saturday, Robshaw will come under more pressure on the field this

The Hennessy Gold Cup is a highlight of the pre-Christmas jumps calendar, a long-distance chase that traditionally attracts an intriguing mix of exciting new talents and grizzled old campaigners. And this year’s renewal, run at Newbury on Saturday afternoon, is just that. In the dark blue corner, then, representing the young guns, is Nicky Henderson’s dual Cheltenham Festival winner Bobs Worth (left). The sevenyear-old has the Cheltenham Gold Cup as his long-term target, but a win in this prestigious handicap would set him up beautifully for the rest of the campaign. Champion trainer Paul Nicholls saddles the enigmatic (but in-form) 11-year-old Tidal Bay to represent the old guard, with reigning champ Carruthers and 2010 winner Diamond Harry also among the veterans set to run. It’s a devilish race to call, but previous course winner The Package looks a tempting each-way price at around 7/1.

week, as he comes up against the world’s best seven in Richie McCaw. Robshaw’s decision-making isn’t a worry for Stuart Lancaster, but a big performance would go a long way to reassuring the boss that he is the right man to wear the England seven shirt. With the world champions in town, though, England do have other concerns. Atrocious conditions may have hampered the lineout in last week’s loss to South Africa, but they still kicked too much ball away with no semblance of a plan. A negative backline (Alex Goode aside) is fine, but the All Blacks will punish loose kicks all day – just look at Liam Messam’s try against Wales last week for proof. England will need to play clever rugby to trouble the All Blacks. And kick points when they get the chance. Unless they’re within six, then go to the corner. Unless time’s running out, then go for goal. Unless it’s too late to score twice. Over to you, captain.

Saturday FooTball | mls cup Final: la galaxy v HousTon dynamo | Home depoT cenTer, los angeles | espn 9.45pm

Becks bows out 56 | November 30 2012 |

LA Galaxy fans have probably already started contemplating a grim future in which Robbie Keane is their marquee player, but there’s still the small matter of the MLS title to be decided before David Beckham departs. This year’s playoff final is an exact repeat of the 2011 clash between LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo. Beckham’s Galaxy came out on top last year, running out 1-0 winners thanks to a goal from Landon Donovan. Neither side covered themselves in glory this year, finishing fourth and fifth in their conferences respectively, with Houston scraping into the playoffs by a single point. Since then, though, both have utilised their postseason experience to progress comfortably. Keep an eye out for Houston’s 23-year-old striker Will Bruin, who has scored four goals in five playoff games – and of course for Keane, who actually has five in five.

7 Days Saturday > Snooker | Uk ChampionShip | BarBiCan Centre, York | BBC one 1pm

Trump card Since Ronnie O’Sullivan announced at the beginning of the month that he would not be returning to the table this season, the big question Barry hearn will surely be asking is this: can snooker afford to lose the rocket? the head of World Snooker does, however, hold the ace in the pack in the shape of new world number one Judd trump. the Bristolian, according to 1997 world champion ken Doherty, is ready to step into the vacant cockpit and become the new people’s champion. “he’s flamboyant and quick and people love to watch him play,” Doherty told the BBC recently, after trump had taken the number-one spot in the same week o’Sullivan announced his season-long exile. he did so by reaching the final of the international Championship in Chengdu, China – recovering from 5-4 down to neil robertson before going on to win 10-8. trump is also the current Uk Championship holder, having beaten mark allen in the final last year. in defence of his title, he will have help replacing that o’Sullivanshaped hole from another former champion who will definitely be returning to the table – Steve Davis. the 55-year-old nugget even put in a 141 break in the qualifiers on his way to confirming his place at the Barbican, though he was upstaged by 21-year-old Jack Lisowski, who made a 147 in the third round of his own successful qualifying campaign. also joining the Barbican party will be Belgian wonderboy Luca Brecel, who became the youngest ever Crucible debutant in april. Between them, and particularly given the form of Lisowski’s practice partner trump, there is plenty to suggest the rocket won’t be missed – too much.

Spin to win It’s not good enough from Alastair Cook. The unflappable England captain may have scored two centuries in two Tests and led his team to a famous win to level this series at 1-1, but there’s something crucial he keeps getting wrong: the toss. He’s none for two with the coin and, despite the monumental Wankhede display, winning in India is a tough enough challenge without giving the home side the chance to bat first. That aside, there are tougher calls for Cook to make: Ian Bell is available again after parental leave and is likely to return – despite a poor subcontinent record –

58 | November 30 2012 |

with Jonny Bairstow or possibly Samit Patel making way. There’s also the issue of whether Stuart Broad will retain his place, given that Joe Root (with one catch as substitute fielder) has contributed to removing more Indian batsmen than the Twenty20 skipper, who’s wicketless after two matches. The selectors have shown strong loyalty to Broad, and he’s rewarded them in the past – but if Steve Finn is fit, we could see him make an overdue series debut. One selection is clear: Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann will play the remaining Tests, having outbowled India’s trio of slow bowlers in Mumbai. They were aided by a pitch that offered both turn and bounce, and the worry is that Kolkata could be a slower, lower turner. But with both causing such problems in Wankhede, Cook will have faith they can do the same here.

Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images, Punit Paranjpe/AFP/Getty Images

WedneSday CriCket | inDia v engLanD: thirD teSt DaY 1 | eDen garDenS, koLkata | SkY SportS 1 3am

Friday Boxing | DaviD Price v Matt Skelton | aintree equeStrian centre, liverPool | Boxnation for a few rounds, but the Bedford man is 45 years old and Price has graduated beyond this level. While the 6ft 8ins Olympic bronze-medallist is in spectacular form, there’s truth in Tyson Fury’s words (on page 47) that the likes of Skelton are a level below his own weekend opponent, American Kevin Johnson (who once took Vitali Klitschko the full 12 rounds). Price should showcase his ramrod jab and dynamite right hand, hopefully setting himself up for bigger challenges in 2013. A mouthwatering grudge match with his old amateur rival Fury would fit the bill nicely.

SHOW US YOUR

David, but no Goliath

CATWALK

Andrew Flintoff makes his boxing debut in Manchester on Friday, but it’s another Lancashire boxer who could be Britain’s next top-draw heavyweight. David Price has had a breakthrough 2012, winning the British title and scoring three knockouts in three fights. However, his year is set to end with a dull thud rather than a bang – and that thud is likely to be Matt Skelton’s ample rear hitting the canvas. Skelton, to his credit, is still a tough, awkward old slugger who might offer stout resistance

Helly Hansen in association with Fjord Norway are offering one lucky winner and a friend the chance to take an adventure trip of a lifetime to Norway. Find out more and submit your ‘Catwalk’ now at www.hellyhansen.com/fjordnorway

DRY EQUALS WARMER.

BEST OF THE rEST

FRIDAY

cricket australia v South africa, third test Day 1, Perth, Sky Sports 2 2.30am rugBY union emirates airline Dubai Sevens, the Sevens, Dubai, Sky Sports 3 1.30pm FootBall championship: Birmingham v Middlesbrough, St andrew’s, Sky Sports 1 7.45pm equeStrian european Masters Show Jumping, Paris, British eurosport 9pm

rugBY union england Women v new Zealand Women, twickenham, Sky Sports 1 5pm

FootBall Scottish cup 4th round: Hibernian v Hearts, easter road, Sky Sports 2 3.30pm

FootBall championship: leicester v Derby, king Power Stadium, Sky Sports 2 5.20pm

golF chevron World challenge Day 4, Sherwood country club, Sky Sports 3 6pm

FootBall la liga: Barcelona v athletic Bilbao, camp nou, Sky Sports 1 7pm

MONDAY

FootBall la liga: real Madrid v atletico Madrid, Bernabeu, Sky Sports 1 9pm

SUNDAY FootBall Scottish cup: rangers v elgin city, ibrox, Sky Sports 1 1.15pm

SATURDAY

Our Baselayers employ Lifa® Technology that moves the moisture away from your body and keeps you dry – and in the performance zone. There are three different kinds, optimized for all kinds of activities and temperatures. Nothing will keep you drier. Find out more at www.hellyhansen.com/baselayer

FootBall Fa cup 2nd round: cheltenham town v Hereford united, Whaddon road, eSPn 7.45pm nFl new York giants v Washington redskins, Metlife Stadium, BBc red Button, 1.30am

THURSDAY

Winter SPort luge World cup, koenigsee, germany, British eurosport 2 9.30am

FootBall Fa cup 2nd round: alfreton town v leyton orient, north Street, eSPn 2.30pm

HockeY champions trophy: quarter Finals, Melbourne, British eurosport 2 6.30am

rugBY union aviva Premiership: leicester tigers v Bath rugby, Welford road, eSPn 12.30pm

rugBY union aviva Premiership: Saracens v gloucester, vicarage road, Sky Sports 2 2.30pm

FootBall europa league: udinese v liverpool, Stadio Friuli, itv4 6pm

| 59

Fjord Norway – The most beautiful destination in the world. Whether you are skiing, trekking, climbing or boating, this is the most breathtaking scenery you will ever ﬁnd. Learn more about this magical corner of the world at www.fjordnorway.com

Extra time Gadgets

P66 They’ve done studies, you know. Sixty per cent of the time, it works every time

Extra time Making the most of your time and money

We don’t know where to look The Wii U is Nintendo’s dual-screen home game console. And it hits the shelves today

Wii U Nintendo are the first to break cover in the eighth generation of consoles – and, with the new Playstation and Xbox not due until next year or later, they have some clear air in which to hawk their family-friendly gaming system. Again, Nintendo have innovated with the Wii U GamePad. In addition to the motion-control features from the Wii, it has a built-in touchscreen that can

60 | November 30 2012 |

provide extra information about the game you’re playing – and can even be used as a standalone screen if someone else wants to use the TV. Plus, if you repeat the name of it over and over again, it sounds like a police car driving past with its sirens on. Almost as much fun as the console itself. Or, at least, that’s what you can tell the kids. £260 | game.co.uk

Extra time Lauryn Eagle

Lickerish/Roger Erickson

62 | November 30 2012 |

| 63

o excel at water-skiing is no mean feat. But to have the natural ability and derring-do to then become a professional boxer is worthy of Sport’s admiration in perpetuity. But we were never going to throw Lauryn Eagle in with Sonny Bill Williams and Bo Jackson (on page 39, in case you missed them) as a multi-sporter. And she’s no Beefy Botham. Having won the Australian Speed Championships and the Australian Marathon Champs, both at under-19 level, Eagle went on to finish third at the 2007 World Championship in the Formula 1 Division. She retired from the sport, however, after her father – 10-time Australian water-ski champion Peter – was tragically killed in a speedboat accident in Sydney Harbour in 2008. Eagle instead took up boxing, and turned professional in 2010. Her record stands at 5-2-1, with three knockouts to her name. She also has a passing interest in at least one other sport, currently stepping out as she does with Australian rugby league bad boy Todd Carney, of the CronullaSutherland Sharks. Water-skiing, boxing and now a shark. Two words, gentlemen: Eagle dares.

Eagle dares

Picdesk.com

Extra time Games

Desert island discs

In association with XboX 360, PS3, PC

Become socially stranded with PlayStation Plus, and Far Cry 3 is our sort of holiday

Sony PlayStation Plus

Far Cry 3

Create an instant game collection – up to 65 a year, in fact – with the Sony PlayStation Plus subscription service. At least 14 games (including MotorStorm Apocalypse, above) are available at any time, and you’ll receive the latest PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita system software and game updates – all at no extra cost. You can also store up to 2GB of game saves. That’s 2013 sorted, then...

There are worse fates than getting stranded on a tropical island, but when tourist Jason Brody is taken prisoner by a murderous band of locals, he’s forced to fight for his own life as well as the lives of his kidnapped friends. Over the course of this fierce open-world shooter’s 25-hour story playing as Brody, you transform him from student

XboX 360, PS3, PC

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed The sequel to 2010’s breezy kart game now lets players transform their rides mid-race. Fast approaching a massive drop? Your car will sprout wings and clear it in style. Choppy water ahead? It’ll ride the waves as a shiny speedboat. As in the last game, the roster is packed full of iconic mascots – 29 of them, to be exact – with some fan-pleasing surprises thrown in. Out now

64 | November 30 2012 |

on gap year to neck-slicing uberkiller. On the way, you hunt tigers, bears and Komodo dragons, seek hidden treasure, purchase new weapons such as bows, flare guns and bazookas from the more friendly locals, and raid enemy encampments with stealthy kills or blazing gun fights. Beautiful brutal. Released November 30

PS Vita

Wii U

Hawken

Nintendo Land

This intense and tactical first-person shooter sees you piloting towering bipedal robots in a dystopian planet industrialised to the point of collapse. The focus, however, is on multiplayer mayhem in free-for-all, team, or players-versuscomputer game modes. Released December 12

Like Wii Sports did with the Wii Remote, Nintendo Land successfully demonstrates the Wii U’s capabilities through a quickfire burst of fun and addictive minigames based on various Nintendo franchise. Donkey Kong, Mario... they’re all here. Released November 30

Black Ops: Declassified Thanks to the Vita’s new control schemes, Black Ops: Declassified lets players experience Call of Duty’s typically bombastic campaign in a whole new way: throw grenades by swiping the touchscreen, or hold your breath while sniping using the rear touch pad. Four-versusfour multiplayer with WiFi, including seven kill streaks, is a nice touch. Out now

” are registered trademarks of Sony Corporation. “make.believe” is a trademark of the same company. ” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “SONY” and “ ”, “PS3”, “ “2”, “PlayStation”, “PLAYSTATION”, “

Become a member of PlayStation Plus for only £39.99 per year and you get to download over 45 games a year for your PS3 including Motorstorm Apocalypse, LittleBigPlanet 2 and inFamous 2 PLUS over 20 games a year for your PS Vita. You also get access to online storage, themes and avatars, plus much, much more.

uk.playstation.com/playstationplus

Extra time Grooming

you stay classy, San diego

StingS the noStrilS

We don’t know how to put this, but we’re kind of a big deal... £29.99

Sex Panther It is, we’re told, illegal in nine countries. But we’re including this formidable scent because it’s quite pungent. And, yes, it stings the nostrils – in a good way. We’re going to be honest with you: it smells like pure gasoline. But it is made with bits of real panther, so you know it’s good. They’ve even done studies that show that, 60 per cent of the time, it works every time. Yes, it’s a tongue-in-cheek offering. But hell, it’s nearly Christmas. And this is the smell of desire. Time to musk up. firebox.com

if you have bad (facial) hair

trimS the noStrilS Sassoon for Men Hygiene Trimmer

£34.99

The Bluebeards Revenge Deluxe Shave Kit It’s not quite Blackbeard’s Delight – or London Gentleman, for that matter – but The Bluebeards Revenge luxury shaving kit provides all you need for a glorious shave, even if you do have the beard of Zeus. It includes pre-shave oil (125ml) that will help eliminate nicks and bumps, beard-reducing

66 | November 30 2012 |

shaving cream (100ml), soothing post-shave balm (100ml) , shaving brush and roll-on anti-perspirant deodorant (50ml). And, if you are wandering the streets looking like a miniature Buddha covered in hair, remember: milk is a bad choice. This, on the other hand, is a good one. shaving-shack.com

If you have a voice that could make a wolverine purr and suits so fine they make Sinatra look like a hobo, you are inches away from being a model newsreader. But, if those inches happen to make up your nostril hair, this hygiene trimmer, with its anti-bacterial nano silver blade and vacuum function to collect strays, will have you looking good. Hey, everyone! Come and see how good you look! amazon.co.uk

£9.99

Extra time Kit

Walk in a winter wonderland

If the John Lewis snowman wore boots on his journey, he’d wear some like these... 1. The North Face Nuptse Looking more like a sleeping bag for your feet, this boot boasts 700 fill goose down for incredible warmth, while the drawcord at the top ensures no loose flakes sneak into your socks. If that’s not enough, the lug soles react to cold and harden to increase traction, so you won’t slip and slide. £65 | ellis-brigham.com

2. Rohan Bhutan Considering we can’t judge the British weather from one hour to the next, Rohan’s promise that the Bhutans were designed specifically for the British winter is a big call. Still, they’re waterproof, boast a memory foam lining, offer a heavily lugged sole for traction and come with special technology in the footbed to reduce odour. So it’s hard to complain. £130 | rohan.co.uk

3. adidas Navvy Quilt The duck boot trend continues to grow, and adidas have produced another beauty. Available in two colours, the faux fur lining and cushioned ankle cuff offer comfort, while the waxed canvas synthetic upper can be wiped down with a cloth – no matter how muddy you manage to get. £100 | usc.co.uk

4. VivoBarefoot Synth Hiker Available in black or olive, VivoBarefoot’s boots are designed for a comfortable experience that maximises efficiency of movement in your foot. The brand is all about barefoot trainers, so utilises its tech knowledge to offer the most natural foot movement possible. In short: they’re comfortable. £99 | vivobarefoot.com

6 5. Cushe Baja Black Sheep Yes, you read that right – these bold-looking foot warmers are named after the nursery rhyme. And, after trying them on, you’ll want three bags full. Of them. Because they offer thermal lining and a fully waterproof outer, while the Vibram rubber soles stand up to any surface. £130 | cushe.com

6. Teva Raith Mid eVent If your Christmas is more long walks and country hills than TV dinners and family fights, these are perfect. Now for the science bit – a blended unit in the heel transfers the energy of impact away from that area, providing more power for push-off. Put bluntly, they’re good for long distances. £66 | snowandrock.com

68 | November 30 2012 |

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re proud to be part of the team. AIG is the official insurance partner of the All Blacks. www.AIG.com/allblacks

AIG is a trading name of Chartis Europe Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA number 202628). Registered in England: company number 1486260. Registered address: The AIG Building, 58 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 4AB. On 3 December 2012, Chartis Europe Limited will change its name to AIG Europe Limited. Within the UK, Chartis Europe Limited is one of the largest providers of general insurance. With offices throughout the country, we insure many of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top businesses, thousands of mid sized and smaller companies, as well as many public sector organisations and millions of individuals. For additional information please visit our website at www.aig.com.

Official sponsor of every kick, pass and try along the way to victory. AIG is proud to be the official insurance partner of the All Blacks. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re proud to support the amazing men and women of the teams in Black. Learn more at www.AIG.com/allblacks

AIG is a trading name of Chartis Europe Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA number 202628). Registered in England: company number 1486260. Registered address: The AIG Building, 58 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 4AB. On 3 December 2012, Chartis Europe Limited will change its name to AIG Europe Limited. Within the UK, Chartis Europe Limited is one of the largest providers of general insurance. With offices throughout the country, we insure many of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top businesses, thousands of mid sized and smaller companies, as well as many public sector organisations and millions of individuals. For additional information please visit our website at www.aig.com.