Sport magazine issue 306 by Sport Magazine

Issue 306 | May 24 2013

jul oct

tackles so far feb

751 may

Gareth Bale and Fernando Torres have predicted the ﬁnal. now it’s your turn.

Bale’s prediction

Torres’ prediction

goals

tackles

shots

fouls

cards

saves

headers

shirt-pulls

nutmegs

offsides

for the chance to win the ultimate prize, a 2013/14 UEFA Champions League season ticket for the club of your choice, make your prediction at adidas.com/allforthis or one of the adidas Performance Stores at Oxford Street, Westﬁeld White City and Westﬁeld Stratford.

headers

shirt-pulls

nutmegs

offsides

Take a d e e p b re ath o n... w w w.sp or t- e motions.c om

Contents

Issue 306, May 24 2013 Radar 05 Saddle up... ... without the saddle sores: with Le Tour on the Xbox and PS3 and Pro Cycling Manager on the PC

06 Europe: the ﬁnal countdown Jimmy Greaves on a time when European finals had far less importance and much more variety oFeatures this coming week

Rafael Nadal The greatest clay-court player of all time on his crack at an eighth French Open championship, doping in sport and good ol’ uncle Miguel Angel

27 Jimmy Anderson Cover image: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images. This page: Clive Mason/Getty Images, Kent Gavin/Getty Images

England’s newest member of the elite 300 Club ahead of his side’s second Test against New Zealand

34 Carl Froch The “sexual tyrannosaurus” looks forward to a brutal bout with Mikkel Kessler – and cream cakes

38 Ben Foden The Northampton Saints full-back is looking to end a disrupted season on a Premiership final-related high

Extra Time 52 Gadgets A spiffing new take on the classic radiogram, old sport, with Ruark Audio’s R7 Music System

54 Kit Waterproof golf jackets – will not, regrettably, improve your chances of avoiding a water hazard

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56 Grooming A fragrance from Ferrari, deodorant from Lotus and Bernie Ecclestone’s new talcum powder. No, not really

oct

60 Entertainment The wolfpack is back once more in The Hangover Part III, and Skeletor takes up residence at the V&A

| May 24 2013 | 03

4G is nice.

But our

network is built for more. Running at what we affectionately call 3.9G, our Ultrafast network is built to give you all-you-can-eat-data. So you won’t run out when sharing pictures of happy cheese graters. And when we roll out 4G, we’ll nudge you up without charging you for the privilege. Which is nice too.

Our Ultrafast network currently uses DC-HSDPA technology. The speeds you’ll get will vary by device, location, coverage, demand and TrafﬁcSense.™ See Three.co.uk

aces f e e #is

Radar

p06 – The best of British sports writing not currently available in this magazine p10 – Jimmy Greaves on the early years of English football in Europe p08 – The adidas football boot as light as a box of Cup a Soup

Tour de lounge he only thing that makes us sweat more than a slight incline is the sight of George Hincapie’s varicose veins, so maybe we’re not really cut out for professional cycling. Luckily, the upcoming Le Tour de France game (360, PS3) offers a taste of the race without the chafing. In multiplayer mode, you and a friend can break away from the peloton together, à la Froome and Wiggins – just make sure, unlike them, you’re friends afterwards. If you fancy yourself as more of a Dave Brailsford-type, the new edition of Pro Cycling Manager (PC) lets you manage the strategy for a whole team. Both released in June

| May 24 2013 | 05

Radar

British books or much of the last year, the printing presses of sporting publishers have been working non-stop, churning out millions of words about balls and bikes in an Olympic year. And, on Tuesday night, the 11th Annual British Sports Book Awards picked out some of the best for special praise across a range of categories. The winners are as follows – so, if you’re searching for some sporting summer reads, look no further.

Best illustrated

Best rugby

Best golf

21 Days to Glory, by Team Sky

The Final Whistle, by Stephen Cooper

Bobby’s Open, by Steven Reid

Contributions from Wiggins, Cav and Dave Brailsford, combined with photos, tell the story of Team Sky’s remarkable 2012.

Fifteen rugby players from a London club went to war and never returned. This poignant and lovingly researched book tells their story.

Explores how legendary American amateur Bobby Jones captured the attention of the sporting world at the 1926 Open.

Best horse racing

Best football

Best motorsport

Best cricket

Best new writer

Her Majesty’s Pleasure, by Julian Muscat

Barça, by Graham Hunter

That Near-Death Thing, by Rick Broadbent

On Warne, by Gideon Haigh

The country’s attitude to horses has taken a bad turn this year, particularly in Newcastle – but Her Maj still loves them.

Find out what makes (or made) Barcelona the greatest team in the world. Bayern Munich must have had a read of this in the

A frightening look inside the absolute madness of the Isle of Man TT – comes no closer to working out why people do it.

A thorough profile of the career of the divisive Aussie spinner, whose life has taken as many turns as one of his deliveries.

Running With The Kenyans, by Adharanand Finn

Total replay

? s l a o g y n a how m e ﬁnal may

feb

oct

t th League predicCh ampions FA

e 2013/14 UE

on ticket for th win a club seas

06 | May 24 2013 |

The author spent six months training with the best in the business to write this uplifting book on

t’s not quite up to Gary Neville-like levels of touchscreen analysis, but the updated Sky Sports iPad app is as close as you will get without him. Launching in time for the Champions League final on Saturday, the app will now let you replay goals and other key match incidents from up to 20 different camera angles. So, unlike the match referee, you’ll have the all information you

llforthis adidas.com/a

Outstanding contribution CMJ: A Cricketing Life, by Christopher Martin-Jenkins

The memoirs of the beloved TMS commentator are full of warmth and vigour.

Best biography/ autobiography Seven Deadly Sins, by David Walsh

Vindicated journalist tells the tale of his pursuit of Lance Armstrong – one of sport’s biggest cheats.

need when trying to decide whether Arjen Robben dived to secure that match-winning penalty (he probably did). Either way, the app will also let you survey the views of others on Twitter, and see match statistics to back up your insightful tactical points. It’s the perfect secondscreen experience. Available from iTunes Store. Free for Sky Sports subscribers, £4.99 per month otherwise

Radar

The booT oF The FuTure

e hoped that futuristic footie boots would have rocket propulsion, but adidas are sensibly focusing on making them lighter. This 99g concept is on show at the company’s UCL Innovation event today. For more information on the adidas innovation story, follow @adidasuk #adidaslab

weight is reduced by removing any unnecessary materials, with the boot being reduced to its essential elements in a similar way to an f1 car

high-tech composite materials like Zerotex reduce weight while still providing rigidity – the outsole is just 1mm thick

does f1 have a wheel problem? Answered by Ted Kravitz, Sky Sports F1 presenter and analyst

Technology such as the miCoach will continue to track player movement, and will work in conjunction with hi-tech balls and kit for a more complete picture of performance

“Pirelli have been under a lot of pressure from some pretty big teams in F1 to change their approach to making their tyres. A lot of teams can’t get them to work – they’re too delicate and they wear out too quickly. This is what Pirelli were asked to do, so it’d be pretty unfair for them to change their tyres just for the benefit of some teams. “So, what they’ve done is change the way the tyres are made, but not what they’re made of. Hopefully it won’t change too much. I think we’ll still have races where there are three stops per car, but not four. “Pit stops are all well and good, and they’re quite fun when a wheel falls off or something goes wrong, but it does interrupt the flow of a race. People are just about to get into a nice fight with somebody, and then they have to come in for a pit stop. “Hopefully it will mean the cars stay out on track a bit longer, and they are able to fight with each other without the fear the tyres will get destroyed if they do start racing each other. It rather defeats the point of motor racing – drivers have been told not to race because it ruins the tyres. That was something Pirelli want to fix, and hopefully they will have done with these changes.” The Monaco Grand Prix on May 23-26 is exclusively live on Sky Sports F1 HD

stud layout ensures quick movement in all directions when playing

? s l l u p t r i h s al how many predict the ﬁn may

feb

oct

jul

on ticket win a club seas

08 | May 24 2013 |

4 for the 2013/1

UEFA Champi

ons League

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Philippe Lopez/AFP/Getty Images

Football isn’t the only sport with some high-profile retirements – in Formula 1, Pirelli will soon be changing their tyres (get it?) after criticism resulting from an excessive number of pit stops at the Spanish Grand Prix. We asked Ted Kravitz to explain.

Radar

Memory lane

Popperfoto/Getty Images

The overall record

aturday‘s Champions League final will be played at Wembley to commemorate 150 years since the founding of the FA. This is ironic, because the English football authorities have spent a large part of that time turning their nose up at European football. The Football League discouraged English clubs from entering for some years, and so it wasn‘t until 1963 that a team from these shores first lifted a European trophy – when Tottenham won the Cup Winners’ Cup with a 5-1 win over Atlético Madrid. Jimmy Greaves scored twice that day, and he tells us European football back then was a world away from the glitz, glamour and Gazprom of modern times: “Football in Europe was quite young then. In fact, when I was at Chelsea, they won the championship in 1955 and never even entered the European Cup. In ‘63, when we won it, everything was pretty new. Nobody really knew about each other – there were

lots of teams that were playing, particularly behind the Iron Curtain. The Iron Curtain was well and truly up then, so if you got drawn against a side like that – from, say, Bulgaria or somewhere like that – you knew nothing about them, whereas everybody knows everybody else now. It was totally different. You know, we were a very good side. We felt that we‘d been robbed the year before in the semi final against Benfica, and we were determined to put it right. That‘s what we did. “We travelled on ordinary airlines. You didn‘t have your own plane or anything like that... didn‘t get first class, either! By the time we won it, it had become important to be known as a European-winning side. Of course, it went from strength to strength and you know now what it‘s like – in fact, I‘m still surprised there isn‘t a European League. I felt that that would have come in by now. It will eventually.”

Royal Mail Football Heroes Special Stamps are on sale now from royalmail. com/footballheroes

? s g e m t u n y n how ma al predict the ﬁn may

feb

oct

jul

10 | May 24 2013 |

ampions Leag

13/14 UEFA Ch

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espite the late start and the five-year ban imposed on English clubs after the Heysel disaster, Chelsea‘s win last week puts England level with Spain in the overall standings, taking into account European Cup/Champions League, the UEFA Cup/Europa League and the Cup Winners’ Cup.

1.Italy Total = 28 12 | 9 | 7

2.England Total = 27 12 | 7 | 8

2.Spain Total = 27 13 | 7 | 7

4.Germany Total = 18 7|6|5

5.Netherlands Total = 11 6|4|1

6.Portugal Total = 07 4|2|1

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Radar Editor’s letter

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Editorial

Tainted glory: Encke (in blue)

Editor-in-chief: Simon Caney (7951) Deputy editor: Tony Hodson (7954) Art editor: John Mahood (7860) 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) Designer: Matthew Samson (7861) Digital designer: Chris Firth (7952) Production manager: Tara Dixon (7963) Contributors: David Lawrenson, Mark Richardson, Douglas Rankine

won the St Leger last year, but a positive doping test this year renders it a hollow victory

Doubts still linger... ... thanks to fresh revelations over the scale of doping by trainer Mahmood al-Zarooni

Editor-in-chief Simon Caney @simoncaney

It often has a bad public image, and sometimes does little to help itself; many of those in the sport would rather have nothing to do with the public at all, let alone actively try to grow their fanbase. So we can only imagine their horror at racing’s closed doors being blasted off by the revelations of doping by trainer Mahmood al-Zarooni. Recently I wrote of how well I thought the British Horseracing Authority had dealt with the issue – briskly, efficiently and stringently. Maybe I spoke too soon. Since Zarooni’s eight-year ban was announced, further evidence has come to light, notably showing that last year’s St Leger winner Encke had been doped this year. This is significant in racing terms, for the horse Encke beat into second, Camelot, was bidding to become the first in more than 40 years to win the Triple Crown of 2,000 Guineas, Derby and St Leger. Thus we may have been denied a little bit of history. Would Encke have won anyway? Was he doped at all last year? We’ll never know. He may have passed a drugs test in August – but, as with humans, horses can benefit from anabolic

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steroids long after they have left the system. They help them recover more quickly from injury and train better. Thankfully, Zarooni’s old boss Sheikh Mohammed has acted quickly and appears to have taken control of the situation, at least internally. But questions over any horses previously trained by Zarooni will linger for some time to come.

© UTV Media plc 2012 UTV Media plc takes no responsibility for the content of advertisements placed in Sport magazine £1 where sold Hearty thanks to: Sara Lincoln, Christian Brown, Sportfolio PR, Lewis Davey, Rachael Bradshaw

I never quite understood the stick that David Beckham received. He maybe wasn’t truly great, but he was very, very good. Not only that, but he had a superb attitude and never stopped running for the cause. His off-pitch exploits, and the simple fact he became incredibly rich, made people dislike him and, for some reason, decide he wasn’t very good. Perhaps understandably, that’s his biggest regret – but he retires with his head held high. What a terrific career. On page 27 of this very magazine, you’ll find an interview with Jimmy Anderson. While his colleague Stuart Broad stole the headlines in the first Test, I can’t help thinking Anderson is the best paceman England have had in my lifetime, and that’s going back a while now. Broad is irresistible on his day, but Jimmy does it every single game. A worthy member of the 300 Club.

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12 | May 24 2013 |

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orse racing divides sports fans. It is proper Marmite stuﬀ – you love it or want nothing to do with it. I fall in the former camp.

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Radar Opinion

To the victors, the spoils

y experience of Premiership Grand Finals isn’t great. Well, my memories of semi finals are probably worse, having been sent home from a couple on the wrong end of a beating. At Leicester a few years ago, we were going toe to toe until about 60 minutes in – when, as my energy levels were being melted away by the scorching sun, they brought on Dan Cole, who promptly introduced my head to my colon. The referee’s arm went up, they kicked the points and I knew that the prospect of any and all glory had been promptly harpooned. That was a tough one to take, but not as tough as 2004. That season I played pretty much every minute of every game and we finished top of the log, so life was dandy. In those days, the top team had three weeks off, while those below scrapped it out in the playoffs to decide who was to contest the final. Having three weeks off was a terrible idea – and that approach was soon abolished – as the rust began to set in after about 10 days. But rust wasn’t my issue in ’04; I managed to get injured just before the final game of the season and was, with a few days to go, ruled out of the Big Dance. As it happened, that injury would keep me out for a further 18 months – but, on that day, it forced me to sit in the stands sweating in a suit while my buddies ran out to bring the title home. We lost 10-6, and I rarely felt more impotent as a sportsman; even getting hammered up at

14 | May 24 2013 |

Leicester felt better, as I at least had a chance to do something about it. And poor performances are often avenged in the end, anyway; I played against Leicester many more times after that and various scores were settled, but none of them allows me to forget that horrible day and the worst coach journey home of my career. This weekend, Leicester and Northampton will collide in a local derby relocated to southwest London, and one team will spend the bus trip back swilling warm beer, wrestling like hormonal badgers, likely stripping naked in a manly fashion and generally releasing a whole season’s worth of pressure from their cauliflower ears. Lions and England tourists aside, this party will probably continue until Monday or Tuesday; their wives can expect not to see them until then. The other team, though, will travel home in near silence. There will always be a couple of guys whose spirits are harder to dampen, but most will be found gazing ruefully out of the bus window into the night, devastated at what might have been but is not. It’s a tough old world, sport, but ours isn’t to sympathise too long with those proven unworthy. No, our job is to enjoy the occasion and to admire the victors. Spare a thought for those wanting the Twickenham turf to open up and let them disappear, but not for too long. This is survival of the fittest and, were it any other way, it wouldn’t be worth watching. @davidflatman

It’s like this…

Bill Borrows

o you remember what the close season felt like when you were a kid? No breaking news ticker on dedicated 24-hour sport stations, no exotic foreign players (until Ardiles and Villa landed), American financiers or oil-rich Sheikhs running riot. There was not even the distraction of the national team failing to bother the trophy engravers. Luckily, England contrived to avoid qualification for any major international tournament the entire time I was at primary school (and all memories of ‘Europa 80’* have been mysteriously wiped from my memory banks). How the hell did I survive? Well, first of all there was the Shoot! Summer Special, a bumper-size copy of the weekly magazine. If your team was featured in the action shot on the cover, that was almost as good as winning the League Cup. Other magazines and comics didn’t quite get it. They thought that summer was for cricket. Even Billy Dane, the eponymous hero of Billy’s Boots in Scorcher and Score (later Tiger and Scorcher), stretched suspension of disbelief to breaking point, when he also found a pair of cricket boots belonging to world-beating Victorian all-rounder ‘Dead Shot’ Keen in his commodious attic. Lucky Billy. All we got was playing ‘Wembley’ – or, every four years, ‘World Cup’ (with the worst player having to be either Scotland or Iran) – on the meticulous patch of closely mown grass that was supposed to be the cricket square. Don’t want kids to play football on it? Don’t put stakes that double as goals around it. And then we were cruelly ripped from our mates to be taken to the seaside for a fortnight. First question on the beach: ‘Who do you support?’ Within minutes there was a full-on 15-a-side match going on with that holy of holies – a 99p plastic ball screen-printed with the names of all the First Division teams. In north Wales it was normally Mancs versus Scousers, and usually a bloody affair. And that’s how it went until Shoot! produced the league ladders in early August, and everything returned to normal. Today, the close season has disappeared. Unusually, perhaps, part of me wants it back. A break from football 24/7. We made our own entertainment in those days, etc… and everything else our dads said. @billborrows

* I don’t recall being in hospital during the summer of 1980. Were the games shown on TV? Can anyone advise?

Plank of the Week Phillip ‘Phil’ Bardsley, Sunderland AFC And here’s the PFA poster boy, lying on his back in a casino covered in £50 notes the night his team escaped relegation. You total cock-knocker.

Frozen in time

16 | May 24 2013 |

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Up, up, up and away So you get a new job, but after a few months you decide to move on. You’ve not even had time to get to know everyone’s name yet, let alone where the toilets are, so there won’t be a leaving do. You’ll slide off quietly. But then everyone arrives at your work station and throws you in the air – even the fella from accounts who refused your expenses last month. And the temp on reception. And the workie. Ze crazy buggers. You don’t have to be mad to work at Paris Saint-Germain, but it helps.

| 17

ThE paIN aNd ThE Glory Rafael Nadal

Ahead of his bid to win an eighth title at Roland Garros this year, Sport spoke to the reigning champion Rafael Nadal about his tumultuous year on the sidelines

Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images

he first time Rafael Nadal stepped foot inside Roland Garros, he was not happy. It was 2004, and the

season after the ruling body of men’s tennis, the ATP, had named him “Newcomer of the Year”– an award earned on the back of a rapid ascent up the rankings, which had seen him rise from 199 to 109 in the space of four months. That year, Nadal says, he was “a teenager in a hurry, madly hyperactive, operating at a thousand revolutions a minute in training as in competition”. But the month before he was due to launch his first assault on the French Open, his body cried enough. A tiny crack in a bone of his left foot meant there was to be no Roland Garros for another year yet. Nadal’s agent, Carlos Costa, decreed that the future champ should go to Paris anyway, to familiarise himself with a setting that it was hoped would one day bring him much success. A nice idea, in theory – but it only served to ramp up the frustration Nadal was already feeling. “I hated not playing,” he explains. “I felt almost ill watching games 18 | May 24 2013 |

involving people who I knew I had it in me to beat. Carlos remembers me telling him: ‘Next year, this one’s mine.’” He wasn’t wrong. Sunday June 5 2005 heralded the beginning of the Nadal reign at Roland Garros. It has been a period of domination that has seen him lift the trophy a record seven times – and lose just once in 53 matches – on the brick-dust covered courts, and firmly establish himself as the finest clay-court player of all time.

TESTING TIMES

This year, though, when Nadal arrives in Paris, it won’t be with the unerring belief that one would expect from a player with his formidable record. Instead, it will be with the inevitable self-doubt of a player who hasn’t competed at a Grand Slam for almost a year, thanks to the troublesome knee joints that have so often been the chink in his otherwise sturdy armour. So when Sport travels to a sun-drenched Mediterranean locale to meet the Spaniard

ahead of a tournament that will reveal so much about his mental fortitude as well as his clay-court prowess, it is with a suitcase full of curiosity about what the coming weeks on the courts of Roland Garros might bring. If results since his comeback in February are anything to go by, Nadal’s lengthy lay-off has done him little harm. He’s reached eight consecutive finals, winning six of them, including his first hard-court tournament in a year at Indian Wells in March. Winning aside, the 26-year-old who greets Sport with the famed Colgate grin and warm graciousness with which he affords everyone who crosses his path is simply elated to be back in the game. “For the past seven months, the only sport I was really able to practise was golf,” he says, his words carrying an undertone of incredulity. “I enjoy playing golf, but I love to play movement sports – to move my body. And I didn’t have the chance to do that, except for in the gym. And in the gym is very boring a lot of times, no?” >

Sunday > French open | roland Garros, paris | British eurosport hd 9.30am & itV 11.30am

| 19

Rafael Nadal

“AS A bOY, I’d THROw fITS Of RAGE If I LOST. I STILL dO”

A SILVER LINING?

Is it safe to assume, then, that Nadal found his seven months in competition purgatory a painful experience? “No, nothing is negative,” he insists initially. “In everything in life – or almost everything – you can find something positive. If I am ready to keep competing at 100 per cent after the injury – and that hopefully will happen – we can analyse that this break in my career will be good for me. That it will allow me to come back fresher and to try to have a longer career. “These things are positive for my future. The negative things are that I lost a year. Almost a year, anyway, with a lot of important tournaments that I really wanted to play and didn’t have the chance to. And that, in tennis, is not coming back, because we don’t have a 25 or 30-year career like the golf players. 20 | May 24 2013 |

old came to me and said: ‘I will try to be a professional tennis player.’ Well, you can try, but you’re not gonna do it – you’re not gonna make it. It’s the same in golf. At 31, 32 or 33 – I don’t know when I will finish my career – I won’t have the chance to be a professional golfer. I will have the chance to improve my handicap to be even better than today for sure, and to play better than I do now. But to be a professional golfer is a completely different story. You have to start when you are a kid. I love the sport, though, because it’s so much about your mentality. You need to be focused in every moment, and I really like the sports that are so tough mentally.”

We have a short period of time... when you lose opportunities, they are not coming back.” A career as a professional golfer is something that many tennis players have flirted with upon retirement – Andy Murray’s coach Ivan Lendl being perhaps the most famous example. Having lowered his handicap during his time off (“It’s now 3.4, exactly,” he smiles) and won competitions – although he modestly insists they’re referred to as ‘events’ rather than tournaments – might Nadal satisfy his competitive urges on the links after his life in tennis comes to an end? He laughs, insisting: “No, I don’t feel I’m that good. It’s like if somebody at 18 years

bARÇA bOY

THE KEY QUESTION Nadal’s uncle Toni receives all the credit for developing his nephew into a beast of a player, but it was another uncle – Miguel Angel – who made the headlines when Rafa was growing up. A defender for Mallorca, Barcelona and Spain, he was nicknamed ‘The Beast’, which sounds familiar. “I never really thought much about his fame,” says Nadal who, incidentally, is a Real Madrid fan. “I met him a lot in Barcelona when he was playing, and I got to play with them all and go in the shower with the team. But I never saw it as him being famous really.”

In interviews that Nadal gave during that seven-month period when there appeared to be no scheduled timetable for his return, the 11-time Grand Slam champion was adamant that he didn’t want to come back until he felt 100 per cent fit. “I don’t want to keep playing every day with doubts, not knowing if my knee is going to answer all the questions,” he told The Daily Mail last September. His recent successes might suggest he achieved his aim, but at the Rome Masters last week – where he lifted the title – Nadal admitted that he has had to cut back on his practice sessions in order to nurse his knee through the busy clay-court season. >

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He was doing plenty of swimming – at least a kilometre every morning at one stage of his rehab – but it’s the competitive aspect of sport that a man like Nadal cannot bear to be without. “I need to compete,” he states, the smile completely erased from his now deadly serious face. In his book, Rafa: My Story, Nadal goes further: “As a little boy... I’d throw fits of rage if I lost; I still do. It used to amaze my family that, sweet as I supposedly was, I became transformed into a little demon whenever there was a game on.”

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Rafael Nadal The question of whether he is 100 per cent fit is a tricky one for Nadal to answer, though. As he searches for the right way to reply, he fixes his gaze on the table between us. “I cannot say I’m not 100 per cent when I won four tournaments or five,” he says. “Because then the rest of the players can say: ‘Look, this guy is very arrogant, no?’ “But I am not, seriously. You cannot be at 100 per cent after seven months without competing. But not only that, without practising too. I didn’t have a good chance to practise during all this period of time. So I need time. I need time to feel perfect in myself. But sure, I was at 100 per cent in the last rounds of Indian Wells, Madrid and Rome, because if not, then you cannot beat the players I did. “So if you ask me if I will be ready to compete over five sets at Roland Garros, I can only say that if I can compete well in best-of-three on clay and am able to compete in the full clay-court season and complete my calendar, then I will be ready for Roland Garros. “Do I feel any anxiety about it? No, not at all. I never had it, and I don’t think this will be the first time. It is true, this will be my first Grand Slam tournament in many months, but I am more looking at the form I will arrive with – nothing else.”

TRIPLE-STRENGTH

David Ramos/Getty Images, Alexander Klein/AFP/Getty Images

If you dissected Nadal (not that we’re suggesting it), you would discover a man constructed of three remarkably strong pillars: his nationality, his sport and his family. All three of these contribute to creating the fierce competitor that we see on the tennis court and the genuinely good-hearted man who would rather lose every one of his Grand Slam titles than be seen to be taking advantage of the fame and fortune that has come his way. At tournaments, for example, he has frequently been observed returning his empty plate to the canteen while other players will leave it to be cleared away – a small but significant detail. It is when he feels any one of these three pillars are under threat that Nadal’s strength of character emerges. As it does when he is presented with the troubling tale of Lance

22 | May 24 2013 |

“You caNNoT bE aT 100 PER cENT afTER SEvEN moNTHS wITHouT comPETING” Vamos, Rafa: Nadal on the way to winning his eighth Barcelona Open last month (above); after winning his ﬁrst title at Roland Garros (below)

Armstrong’s fall from grace – the former seven-time Tour de France winner having been banned and stripped of his Tour titles for doping charges he chose not to contest. It has inevitably left people wondering: if the American can get away with it for so long, who else is doing it? Nadal bristles at the thought that the profession that brings him so much joy, and which has been an intrinsic part of his life since the age of four, might now be spoiled in the eyes of others. “In the case of Armstrong, as a fan, I feel really disappointed – but as a sportsman, I feel much more disappointed,” he says forcefully. “That’s the real thing, because it’s true that what happened with Armstrong damaged a lot the image of cycling – but Armstrong is a big star of sport in general, so when he did what he did it affects sport in general. And nobody can say it doesn’t. “It was a big shock for everybody, and you feel very sad because these kind of things create a bad image of sport, and sport is not like this. I really know that sport is not like this. But other people have to know that too, so we need to do the right things to make the sport clean. We need to work together with the people who run the sports to create the best image of the sport – and to do that, the first thing the sport needs to be is completely clean. We have to work on this to be sure that all the sportsmen and sportswomen who are competing are doing it in the same conditions and fairly.” Fairness is something his competitors might feel they’re not afforded when coming

up against Nadal on a surface he has dominated for so long. “Rafa’s record on clay was incredible before the injury,” Andy Murray said recently, admitting that the Spaniard was “quite far ahead of the rest of the pack” on the red stuff – 100 per cent fit or not. So, despite taking his lowest seeding (four) since the 2005 French Open into his first Grand Slam in 11 months – unless Andy Murray fails his fitness test, which would bump him up a spot – Nadal remains the favourite with most oddsmakers to win an eighth French Open title in Paris on June 9. The man himself stubbornly refuses to accept the label, though, saying: “I think I am not the favourite, since the rankings are saying a different thing.” He won’t find many (if any) who agree. But even if he does emerge as ruler of Roland Garros for a record eighth time, uncertainty over Nadal’s future remains. For one of the greatest champions the men’s game has ever seen is physically flawed. Whether or not it turns out to be fatal is the one question nobody wants answered for many years yet. At least, not until he’s ready for the Senior PGA Tour, anyway. Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag Rafael Nadal is the Bacardi Limited Global Social Responsibility Ambassador, leading the “Champions Drink Responsibly” campaign – an award-winning global social responsibility campaign by Bacardi Limited. Visit www.facebook.com/champions drinkresponsibly to find out more

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LeS big queStionS French Open 2013

You Lifted the tRophY at RoLand gaRRoS twice. how wouLd a Jim couRieR in hiS pomp go about beating a man who haS LoSt JuSt once in 53 matcheS at the fRench open?

“You have to be bullish on Rafa’s chances given how his season has been since he’s come back from injury. He’s been the dominant player on tour and certainly on his favourite surface – clay. Other than the Monte Carlo final (which he lost to Novak Djokovic), he’s been invincible on the dirt this spring. So he’s definitely the favourite, wherever he’s ranked. “Djokovic is a very strong second favourite, which makes the flip of the draw this week – when we will see which half Nadal ends up in – pretty massive. At the moment it feels like Djokovic is the only man capable of beating Nadal over five sets on clay, because players who can overpower someone like Rafa are very few and far between. Although you always have to hold out chances for an outlier – like we saw at Wimbledon last year – when Lukas Rosol beat Nadal.”

“There’s no way to beat him if you can’t dominate him. We saw him get dominated by Robin Soderling at the French Open in 2009, when he just wasn’t allowed to play. And he has been pushed by players that you wouldn’t think had a chance to beat him. John Isner took him to five sets at the French Open in 2011, and he’s another player who can really prevent Nadal from dominating the rallies. The only guy that matches up with him right now, though, and who has an advantage when they’re at neutral in the baseline rallies, is Djokovic – everyone else is at a pretty substantial deficit.”

24 | May 24 2013 |

SeRena wiLLiamS haS been aLmoSt unbeatabLe So faR thiS SeaSon, but at LaSt YeaR’S fRench open She SuffeRed heR fiRSt eveR opening-Round exit fRom a gRand SLam. wiLL that be pLaYing on heR mind? “This year’s tournament is different for her because it was after that defeat to Virginie Razzano that Serena made a big change, in getting a new coach. Since she started training with Patrick Mouratoglou, she’s been virtually unbeatable. I just think she’s seeing the court differently now, with the new coach’s mind working alongside hers, and she is certainly proving that she can play on this surface with wins in Madrid and Rome recently. She’s the heavy, heavy favourite to win, and it would be hard to see someone knocking her off. Serena’s biggest danger is that she could knock herself off if she is having a bad day and not managing herself. She can handle the people on the other side of the court as long as she handles herself.”

SeRena haS a 13-2 winning RecoRd oveR maRia ShaRapova, the defending fRench open champ, and a 12-2 RecoRd oveR woRLd numbeR thRee victoRia azaRenka. how can heR cLoSeSt RivaLS cLoSe the gap? “Azarenka probably matches up better than Sharapova does against Serena. Sharapova has the shot-making ability, but she doesn’t move quite as well as Azarenka or Serena. If Sharapova can control the rallies, she can dominate people. But it’s harder for her to do that against players like Serena and Azarenka, who can defend as well as play well offensively. For Azarenka, it’s a question of tightening a few things up. She has a great game and she’s a tremendous athlete, but mentally she’s a level below Serena when Serena’s at her peak. The other players have to go on court believing that they stand a chance against Serena, that maybe she’ll have an off day and they can take advantage of it, because every now and then you’re going to get a look in. But you have to be ready to take those chances.”

who aRe the pLaYeRS that couLd thRow a few SpanneRS in the woRkS foR the top SeedS? “Look out for a player like Jerzy Janowicz of Poland, who’s very tall [6ft 8ins] and very powerful, but who also plays with a lot of finesse. He beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet on his way to the quarter finals in Rome, and I think he could definitely pose a threat. On the women’s side, I think Laura Robson is a pretty crafty player. I’m not just saying that because she’s British and I’m talking to you. She’s a lefty, and there aren’t a lot of lefty female players out there, which makes her tricky for a lot of female players. She could make a run to the round of 16 or quarter finals, possibly. She could also lose first round, though – but that’s sort of the nature of dark horses, isn’t it?”. Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag

Jim Courier is a pundit for ITV’s live coverage of the French Open, which starts on Sunday across ITV and ITV4

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RafaeL nadaL iS RefuSing to accept that he iS the favouRite to win RoLand gaRRoS foR an eighth time. doeS he have a point, conSideRing hiS Ranking?

Ahead of the year’s second Grand Slam, we asked two-time French Open champion Jim Courier the burning questions we know you want answered...

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Jimmy Anderson

Leader of the pack Ahead of the second Test against New Zealand, England’s main strike bowler spoke to Sport about reaching 300 Test wickets, the challenges of bowling at Headingley and why he’s not a fan of batting at number 11

tuart Broad may have walked away with the man-of-the-match award after England’s first Test victory over the touring Kiwis last weekend, but it was Jimmy Anderson who perhaps left Lord’s with the greater accolades.

“I know Dale Steyn is an outstanding bowler, but when you watch Jimmy and the way he went about things at Lord’s the other day, he has more skills,” said David Saker, England’s bowling coach, after the 170-run win. “When he gets things right, there is no better bowler.” The truth is that Anderson has now been getting things right for the best part of a decade. Last Friday, just five days short of the 10th anniversary of his Test debut, he joined an elite band of English cricketers to have taken 300 wickets in Tests. He is just the fourth, after Sir Ian Botham, Bob Willis and the late Fred Trueman – so it felt an appropriate place for us to start our questions...

You received a standing ovation from the crowd at Lord’s that day. How does it feel to be the subject of such warmth? “It was an incredible feeling, yeah, but it was also quite an emotional moment for me – especially because I was surrounded by guys who I’ve played with for years. That was pretty special.” > | May 24 2013 | 27

Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Congratulations on reaching 300 Test wickets. How special was it to hit that milestone? “Thank you. It’s obviously a huge achievement, and it was a very proud moment for me. I think what made it even more special was the fact that I did it at Lord’s, too – the ground where I got my first Test wicket [against Zimbabwe, back in May 2003].”

Jimmy Anderson

David Saker has said you have the fitness and desire to get to 400 Test wickets, while Ian Botham thinks you should be aiming at 450. How many do you think you can get? “Well, both 400 and 450 seem quite a long way off right now. I try not to look too far ahead, but staying fit is the biggest thing. We play so much cricket these days; I’m lucky that our team management are excellent at their job, and know exactly when to rest me to try and keep me as fresh as possible. If I can stay fit and keep my form, then hopefully I can carry on for a few more years.” Has the management of players’ fitness changed over the decade you’ve been playing Test cricket? “It’s definitely changed, yeah. There’s more cricket played now, which is obviously a difficult thing for every team to manage. You obviously want your best XI on the field at any given time, but unfortunately that sometimes isn’t possible – and there might come a point where teams have to start prioritising certain games or series. You want your best XI out on the field for the important series.”

After England’s first innings at Lord’s, you fair sprinted off the pitch. How eager were you to get out there to bowl on that pitch and in those conditions? “It wasn’t that, more that there is just such a short turnaround between getting off and then heading back on to bowl. It was strange really, because we didn’t think it looked that bad a pitch at Lord’s; it looked pretty decent, and I think if both teams are honest they’d admit to not batting as well as they would have liked. There wasn’t a huge amount in the pitch, I didn’t think... but enough to take some encouragement.”

You are on the brink of taking your Test average below 30. How much would you love to do that? “Hugely. Again, that’s something you can look back on more at the end of your career – but you see people’s stats who have played in the past, and if their average as a bowler in Test cricket is under 30, then you look at them and think they’ve had an exceptional career. It’s something that every bowler looks to achieve.” Graeme Swann’s average is just under 30. There must be some competition between you about that... “That’s not really something we talk about that much – we probably look more at our five-wicket hauls. I think we’re both on about 13 at the moment [Swann is actually on 14], but obviously I’ve played a few more games than him – so he gets on to me about that quite a lot.” Your record at Headingley, where the second Test against New Zealand is being played, isn’t great [eight wickets at an average of 55.62]. Is there any reason for that, do you think? [Smiles] “Apart from getting a nose bleed every time I cross the Pennines, I’m not sure. It’s similar to Lord’s, though, in that people tend to think of it as a seamer’s pitch – but it’s changed a lot in recent years, and now I think it’s one of the flattest pitches in the country. It’s not an easy place to get wickets; there have been some huge scores in county cricket there this year, and I think Joe Root has got a couple of double-hundreds already. Even this early in the summer, it’s still a pretty flat wicket – I’d expect it to be similar this week.”

“Headingley is not an easy place to get wickets”

42.9

Jimmy Anderson’s strike rate from nine Tests against New Zealand – better than against any other Testplaying nation other than Zimbabwe, who hardly count

You certainly looked pretty encouraged as you steamed in on Friday. What can the team do to improve the batting performance at Headingley? “I think we need to get big first-innings scores, because that’s how you win games of cricket – getting runs on the board and putting the pressure on the opposition. We’ve got some world-class batsmen in our line-up, though, and they’ll have done all they can to ensure they’re in the best frame of mind possible to score big runs this week. From a bowler’s point of view, we’ll be working hard too – like you say, my record isn’t that great at Headingley, and in the last few years the wicket’s not been renowned for being that seamer-friendly.” The first Test represented a welcome victory after the 0-0 bore draw in New Zealand. How important was it for the team to get back on a winning track? “I think it was our first win in five Tests, actually, so it was definitely nice to get back to winning ways. Like you say, it was a disappointing series in New Zealand – we didn’t play anywhere near as well as we knew we could, so it was good to get back here and show people a bit of what we can do.” Do you enjoy bowling at the other end when a teammate is in the middle of one of those magic spells, as Stuart Broad was on that fourth day? “Yeah, he’s pretty good when he gets going like that. I kind of got the feeling that it was his day as soon as he started bowling the other day, so it was my job to keep the pressure on at my end, not go for many runs and let him just attack. There are not many better bowlers out there when he gets going.” Finally, rumour is you’re not enamoured with coming in at number 11. Is that true? “We all take our batting seriously, because you never know when you’re going to be needed. There have been games in the past when you’ve got to bat for a decent amount of time to save a game or score valuable runs down the order, so we all work really hard on our batting. But no, I’m not overly fussed about being number 11 – Finny’s much better at it than me.” Tony Hodson @tonyhodson1

28 | May 24 2013 |

Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images

You now have 305 Test wickets, putting you only two behind Fred Trueman. As a Lancastrian, how satisfying would it be for you to go past him at Headingley, his beloved home ground? “I’ve not thought about that, really – and to be honest, I’m just happy taking wickets. I try not to think about the milestones. If I can just keep taking wickets and putting in performances that help England win matches, then I’m happy. That’s my main job – I’ll let the media and everyone else talk about the other stuff.”

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Champions League Final

German invasion In a glass cabinet in Borussia Dortmund’s brilliantly named club museum, the Borusseum, there’s currently an incongruous bit of red among all the yellow and black. It’s the Manchester United shirt of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, occupying the space where the Bundesliga trophy sat until Bayern Munich snatched it back a few weeks ago. It comes from Dortmund’s 1997 meeting with United, but was placed there with another meaning in mind – it’s a definite dig at their opponents in tomorrow’s Champions League final. Bayern Munich have a knack for bottling it – three times they have had their hands on the trophy, only to lose it late on. Solskjaer’s volley is probably the most famous example, but you can look to Porto in 1987, and also to Arjen Robben’s penalty miss and Didier Drogba’s heroics last year. The cheeky placing of the shirt is exactly the kind of gesture that has made Dortmund one of the most likeable teams in Europe. However, this year

30 | May 24 2013 |

their young manager and crop of homegrown talent have found it hard to keep up with the recalibrated machine from Munich. Under outgoing manager Jupp Heynckes, Munich are on for a treble – and it’s tempting to see this match as their coronation as the new kings of Europe. The dismantling of Klopp’s highly coveted team will begin with the final whistle at Wembley, whatever the result. Mario Gotze is the jewel in Dortmund’s yellow and black crown, but he is set to move to Munich in a €37m deal – and Robert Lewandowski could yet be joining him. Klopp’s team has had a chance to adjust to life without Gotze already, because of the hamstring injury that could also rule him out of playing tomorrow. Marco Reus is a fine replacement, but Gotze has provided five assists in the competition this season. Dortmund are likely to adopt the same approach whether their baby-faced playmaker features or not – they will try to attack quickly and

fluently, feeding into Lewandowski, who has scored 10 Champions League goals this season. Further back, Ilkay Gundogan will prompt attacks from deep. Munich have already dealt with the similar (but much more hirsute) threat of Andrea Pirlo this season, and will make sure he’s muzzled. Bayern haven’t conceded a Champions League goal for more than six hours now, and their defence also offers an attacking threat, with Philip Lahm and David Alaba complementing Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery. It’s no surprise that Bayern top the tournament charts for headed goals, with six. And don’t think of Thomas Muller only as a playmaker – he is his side’s top scorer in Europe with eight. Wembley has rarely seen two teams as exciting as these face off. Klopp reckons the neutrals will be behind his young team. Munich are favourites, but Klopp and his Dortmund side are well versed in having the last laugh. All statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com

SATURDAY Champions League FinaL | Borussia DortmunD v Bayern muniCh | wemBLey sky sports 1 anD itv 7.45pm

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Bayern'S road to the final

Their group comprised three other league champions – but they topped it undefeated, winning all three home games and drawing away at Real Madrid and Manchester City, while also beating Ajax away. A late Mats Hummels goal salvaged a 2-2 draw at Shakhtar Donetsk in the first knockout stage, before a 3-0 home win saw Klopp’s men easily into the last eight. They were rewarded with an easy-looking tie against rapidly imploding Malaga. A 0-0 draw didn’t begin to hint at the drama awaiting in the second leg, where injury-time goals from Marco Reus and Santana saw them snatch a semi-final place from their Spanish opponents. Klopp admitted his side were lucky to win that “crazy” game, but the tie that followed against Real Madrid was equally mental. Four Robert Lewandowski goals in the first leg gave Dortmund a lead as commanding as it was unlikely. They held on to it for the second leg, too – although late goals from Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos for Madrid made the last few minutes of their road to the final nervy ones.

Last year's beaten finalists took a while to get into the swing of things in the Champions League – they beat Valencia at home in their first group game but then lost 3-1 away at BATE Borisov before a narrow win over Lille. They turned on the tap marked goals after that, scoring 11 goals in their last three group-stage games to top the group ahead of Valencia on head-to-head record. Three away goals at the Emirates in the second round seemed to have put the tie to bed, but Arsenal put up a valiant fight in the Allianz Arena. Still, away goals helped the Germans set up a hotly anticipated tie against Italian champions Juventus. Munich scored in the first and last minute of the tie for a surprisingly comfortable 4-0 aggregate victory. Surprise turned to disbelief at the semi-final stage – four goals at home to Barcelona all but ended the tie, with Thomas Muller finding the space to score twice. Three more goals in the Camp Nou made for a 7-0 aggregate win – many have labelled the result a passing of the baton from Barcelona to Munich. Find out if it is tomorrow...

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Carl Froch

“i want my F**king revenge” Sport talkS cream cakeS, kidS and vengeance with carl Froch ahead oF hiS big rematch in london thiS Saturday SATURDAY BOXING | Carl FrOCh v MIkkel kessler | O2 areNa, lONdON | sky BOX OFFICe 8PM TO BOOk, Call 08442 410 888, Or vIsIT skysPOrTs.COM/FrOCh

34 | May 24 2013 |

his stuff will make you a goddamn sexual tyrannosaurus, just like me,” Carl Froch announces to the world, tearing open a packet of antioxidant powder after he finishes a training session. Moments earlier, Nottingham’s ‘Cobra’ had been flicking out jabs with the alacrity with which he’s now firing out quotes from Predator. Froch’s trainer Rob McCracken is the man responsible for holding the pads as his charge fires off crisp four and five-punch combinations. “Feet, shape, movement,” McCracken intones calmly as they move around the ring. “Relax. When you force things is when you f**k them up… that’s better!” The pattern is three minutes’ work, a minute of rest, then they go again. Then they repeat the treatment on the heavy bag, Froch smacking non-stop blows into the dense bulk held in place by his trainer. Afterwards, speaking to Sport, Froch has a sheen of sweat but his breathing is regular. He rarely goes far above his fighting weight and, now, with a world title fight on the immediate horizon, the 35-year-old looks in terrific condition – his body chiselled and his punches sharp. That’s probably for the best, because this weekend Froch fights Mikkel Kessler, a man he openly calls “a warrior, a gladiator”. The Dane is also the man who inflicted Froch’s first professional defeat back in April 2010.

MINd GAMEs

“It still plays on my mind – of course it does,” says Froch of their first contest in April 2010. “It wasn’t a nice time when I lost my world title to Mikkel in Denmark. So it’s going through my head, especially in the build-up to the rematch, because I can’t think of anything worse than losing twice to the same guy. You’re not going to get a third chance.” Their first contest was the type of bout from which the stature of both fighters emerges enhanced. A battle of will and skill, the pair traded ferocious punches for 12 rounds, before Kessler was announced a points winner. Despite the result, Froch has warm memories of the tear-up. “I enjoy fights like that,” he admits. “There’s moments when you get hit with a couple of shots and think: ‘Bloody hell, this could be the end of the fight here.’ But then you turn it round and land some good shots yourself and the crowd changes. The bell goes, you sit back in your corner and you think: ‘What a great round that was!’” His appetite for destruction can be counter-productive, however. With a granite jaw and thudding power, Britain’s super-middleweight king has at times in the past neglected his boxing in favour of a scrap. McCracken calls his last performance against Kessler “sloppy”, and Froch concurs. “Tactically, I’ve got to do things differently,” he explains. “I’ve got to move to my right, I’ve got to throw more punches and I’ve got to be defensively more aware of the shots he’s throwing – particularly the body shots.” Having rewatched the first fight numerous times, Froch is convinced he’s seen things he can exploit in his opponent: “He’s not very good on his back foot. If you throw a few punches, he can deal with that, but when you double up your attack – put him on his back foot, then attack him again – he goes back in straight lines and he falls apart. He gets hit with the last two or three shots. He stands and shoots from the hip, opens himself up, and he’s there to be hit when you’re standing in front of him, having a bit of a fight.” That last line could also be said of Froch, reinforcing the idea that these are two fighters cut from the same cloth. Fortunately for Froch, he has a strong bond with the man charged with keeping his overly aggressive instincts in check. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Rob as a coach and as a man,” he says of the trainer also responsible for Britain’s Olympic boxers. “We don’t clash. He is very much the boss. > | 35

Carl Froch He’s the master, I’m the pupil. He’s the sensei, I’m the student. That boundary hasn’t ever been crossed in the 11 or 12 years I’ve known Rob. I wouldn’t have turned professional if I hadn’t met Rob, because I wasn’t really going to turn pro. He didn’t talk me into it, but when I was weighing it up, he was there to say: ‘If you turn pro, you’ll do well – you can do this.’” The pair have worked together since Froch’s first fight – and, to this day, no formal contract exists between them. “I could have my last fight, owe him a big wedge of money and not pay him, but we both know that’s not going to happen,” says Froch. “We’ve never needed any business arrangement, which is unique, but he’s like a brother. I can consider Rob as part of my family. It’s great to find that in boxing, because there are lots of fighters over the years who go through loads of trainers. “They get beaten and say: ‘Oh, I need to change trainer because I’m doing this wrong.’ Don’t blame the trainer if you get beat. The trainer tells you why you’ve lost – you’ve got to respect that, listen and learn. How many fighters change trainers then just get beat again? It’s a load of rubbish.” A situation that McCracken and his boxer have dealt with through most of this fight camp is that Rachael Cordingley, Froch’s partner, has been pregnant through much of its duration. She gave birth on May 3, but has this not been a distraction? “For about four or five days towards the end, I was thinking: ‘Hurry up now, the due date’s been and gone.

I hope this baby comes before the fight,’” says Froch. “But then she came. Rachael went into labour. I was at the gym at the time, but Rob ignored the phone calls for about three hours. He let me do my 14 rounds of sparring, then said: ‘Oh, by the way, your missus is in the hospital – you better get off.’ So he made sure I did my work! “I got to the hospital about half-past five and she was born at 7pm. So I couldn’t be happier, because I missed all the build-up, all the aggro, tears and screaming. By the time I got there, it was short and sweet. I got home that night, went to sleep, got up and did my run in the morning. So I didn’t miss a session. Perfect; it couldn’t have gone better.”

Child’s play

Maybe so, but it did cause Kessler to comment in the build-up to this bout that being a father of two could work against Froch. He observed: “When you have children, suddenly you have responsibility. So you can’t put it all in the ring. You can’t have that ‘I don’t care if I die tonight’ [attitude], because now you have a kid to take care of… that would be a weakness for me.” Froch shares a genuine friendship with Kessler – “respect before the fight, respect after, none during”, as he puts it – but he bridles slightly when the quote is relayed. “He’s not in a position to talk about how I would feel about having kids, because he’s not got kids of his own,” says Froch. “It’s like me talking about rocket science. I haven’t got the first clue about physics, especially not designing rockets, so he should steer clear of talking about family or kids. 36 | May 24 2013 |

Cream buns

It’s about time Sport finished up with the IBF champion ourselves, but before we leave him to the second part of his workout, we ask him what he’s most looking forward to when the fight is done and dusted. “The first thing that’s coming to mind is a cream cake out of the local bakers,” muses Froch, as he massages his left bicep. “It sounds stupid, but one of the sacrifices you have

to make when you’re boxing is your diet, and I’ve got a sweet tooth. I’ve even been known to sleepwalk to the fridge at 3am. Because I go to bed thinking about food, your body just awakens, you sleepwalk to the kitchen and you wake up rooting around in the fridge. I’ve even woken up in the morning with food smudged into the pillow – it’s disgusting! I’ve got a chocolate chip cookie around my mouth, and I’m thinking: ‘Did I eat that?’ And it’s there – half eaten! “It’s not like I have to starve myself, because I do the weight quite well. But especially now I’m a bit older, I am really strict with my diet for the last month or six weeks [before a fight]. It’s hard, so the immediate thing I’m looking forward to is getting stuck into a cream cake. Then, on a more serious note, it’s spending time with Rachael, my son Rocco and my new baby Natalia. Because I’ve got a baby girl at home now, and I feel like I’ve not quite bonded with her yet. I’m looking forward to spending some quality time with my family.” Not quite yet, though. Froch’s reflections on his family are right now a fleeting thought, put aside as he turns his tunnel vision back on to the fight. The two boxers are remarkably evenly matched in size, age and skill – Kessler the more polished and technically precise, Froch the more instinctive, with his low-slung hands poised to strike. However, the impression that the affable Kessler can sometimes give is of a proud, dedicated athlete, but a man perhaps comfortable with where boxing has taken him. Froch might fancy a cream cake, but the hunch here is that he’ll have enough hunger to polish off a Danish before then. Alex Reid @otheralexreid

Carl Froch is an ambassador for Betfair. For the latest pre-fight odds for Betfair’s Warriors’ Call: Froch v Kessler II, visit www.betfair.com/sport

John Gichigi/Getty Images

“he let me do my 14 rounds of sparring, then said: ‘oh, by the way, your missus is in the hospital’”

“It’s fantastic, having kids. Everything I’ve achieved in boxing and all the material things, I’d give it all up for my kids. I’d go back to living in a two-bed terraced house in the middle of wherever and be with my beautiful partner Rachael and our two kids. So it does put things into perspective, and makes you realise that money can’t buy happiness. But the fact that I’ve got kids makes no odds to me when I’m fighting. I’m not thinking about them when I’m in the ring. I’m thinking about me, my opponent and concentrating on what I need to do to win. “I want to beat Mikkel Kessler because he beat me in the first fight [pictured above] – and I’m a warrior and I want my f**king revenge. It’s as simple as that.” Despite saying that he sees this fight as another brutal, savage war, Froch is – unsurprisingly – adamant that the outcome will be different this time. “I gave him the hardest fight of his career, he retired after that fight,” he says, referring to the 14-month break between fights Kessler, now 34, had after their first match-up. “He’s had three fights at mediocre level since and gone 10 [full] rounds. I’ve done more than 40 rounds at elite class. “I just have to come out the blocks early. The faster I start, the harder the fight will be early on for both of us – but he will run out of steam before I do. I was 80 or 90 per cent going into that first fight for a couple of reasons. I don’t think he can stay with me at 100 per cent. He’s talking now like he can only train once a day, so he’s changed his training to one quality session a day and he feels great – but I don’t see how somebody who does half of what I do can be physically as strong as me. If he’s not doing what he needs to do to stay with me, I will force a late stoppage. I can’t see him going the distance.”

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Ben Foden

Magic man Ben Foden on his determination to end a topsy-turvy season on a high – and why Northampton might have a trick up their sleeve for the Aviva Premiership final How much are you looking forward to this weekend’s final? “I’ve been involved in a Premiership final before, winning with Sale, but I played a minor role in that victory. At Northampton, I’ve been here from what feels like the beginning: since we came back into the Premiership and built this team, so I feel like part of the heartbeat of the squad. Now we’ve finally made it to a Premiership final – the first one in the club’s history – it’s very exciting for us.” As someone with a lot of experience in big matches, have you had any words of advice for any of the younger players? “We’ve spoken about it before and we just say: when it gets to knockout rugby, it’s anyone’s game. We know we’re up against a very good outfit in Leicester Tigers, because they’ve been to nine consecutive finals or something crazy like that. Hopefully the environment will bring out a bit more in our players; I think the players we have will embrace being on the main stage in front of 84,000 people at Twickenham.”

Saturday aviva premiership final: leicester tigers v northampton saints twickenham | espn 3pm 38 | May 24 2013 |

How do you set about beating a team like Leicester? “There’s no doubt they’ll be going into the game favourites after what they did to us at our place a month and a half ago [Leicester won 36-8], so we know we’re going to be up against it. At the same time, they’ve got a lot of players who’ve probably got minds elsewhere: five or six of their players are in the Lions squad. We have a massive belief in our squad that we can win. We’re a match for any side on our day, and we’re quite happy going in as underdogs. I think we surprised a few people with the way we came out against Saracens in the semi final – hopefully we’re going to start with an intensity that Leicester can’t live with.”

Do you adapt your game to the opposition, or are you more a team that tries to impose your style of play on a match? “A bit of both. But in knockout rugby, I think it’s time to pull tricks out of the bag – to surprise teams. Leicester have 24 games to look back on over the course of the season that we have played, and the same could be said for us about them. So I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a few tricks and a few cards pulled from sleeves. In finals, it’s important to surprise teams. I’m pretty sure that they’ll be conjuring something up in the coaching rooms of both teams.” On a personal level, how important is this game given the disrupted season you’ve had? “This season has been very much up and down for me. With the injury and the lack of international rugby, it would be a nice way to finish the season off, because it has been quite a disappointing one. But at the same time, we’re in a Premiership final, so if we can get the win, I’ll be delighted. Especially knowing that we’re going off to Argentina [for England’s summer tour] in a few weeks, so I can start trying to get my England spot back – hopefully take it up where I left off 12 months ago.” You’re the most experienced player in that England squad, with 30 caps. What’s going on, Ben? You’re still a young buck of 27. “It makes me feel old! It’s quite scary when I look at the backs and the amount of the caps the players have, but at the same time it’s exciting as well. I’m looking forward to playing with guys like Christian Wade, Jonny May; these guys are so quick and bring a lot of ability. A lot of comparisons have been made between the likes of [Kyle] Eastmond and Wade, and Jason Robinson... these are speedy guys who can really beat players.” It is good news for England, having such a crop of young players... isn’t it? “It’s very exciting for me – and yeah, I think Stuart [Lancaster] will be looking for me to take a senior role in terms of showing them the ropes. Playing your first international game can be quite daunting, but I’m hoping they will relish the opportunity. It will be a tough test out there; Argentina are never a team you take lightly. They’re so dogged in their performances and they’ve got a very different style to the way we’ll go out and play – so it will be a very good way to blood these guys into international rugby.” Alex Reid @otheralexreid

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

MAY 24-MAY 30 HIGHLIGHTS » Football: Championship Playoff Final » p44 » Formula 1: Monaco Grand Prix »p46 » Golf: BMW PGA Championship » p48 » Cricket: England v New Zealand – Second Test » p48 » Athletics: Great CityGames » p50

WEDNESDAY FOOTBALL | iNTErNATiONAL FriENdLy: ENGLANd v irELANd | WEMBLEy STAdiuM | iTV 8PM

Wayne Rooney makes it despite his club turmoil; he

Lansdowne Road, of course, rioting England fans

will want to take the opportunity to show that his

tore out the stadium fittings and used them as

talents these days stretch beyond scowling.

missiles after a disallowed goal in a politically charged friendly. The match was duly abandoned. Some time apart was probably justified, but it's

Ireland have a qualifying game against the Faroe Islands coming up, but this one might get the emotions running a bit higher. Their industrious

safe to say Anglo-Irish relations have cooled

squad is, however, sorely lacking in goals – star

Like a recovering alcoholic righting those they've

somewhat since the mid-1990s – and a friendly

striker Robbie Keane is their only player with more

previously wronged, the FA is using its 150th

meeting at the new Wembley feels long overdue.

than one digit in the international column. That's one

birthday celebrations to renew its relationship

There are no real surprises in Roy Hodgson's

reason why the fare served up by both these sides at

with Ireland. It's a fixture not played since 1995, and

England squad, Reading keeper Alex McCarthy the

Euro 2012 was as stodgy as cold colcannon. If it's

not completed since 1991 (when Lee Dixon and Niall

only new face in a selection geared towards tuning

unlikely anyone will be ripping out their seats, they

Quinn got the goals in a 1-1 draw – a European

things up for the World Cup qualifying campaign.

may not exactly be on the edge of them either.

42 | May 24 2013 |

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Scott Heavey/Getty Images

Friends again

Championship qualifier). Eighteen years ago at

7 Days Monday Football | Championship playoFF Final: Crystal palaCe v WatFord | Wembley stadium | sky sports 1 3pm

Club football takes its final bow for the season

Premier vision

this weekend, but what a way to finish – a straight shootout in a game worth an estimated £120m to the winners. Two very different sides head to Wembley on Monday, with Premier League football the reward for the winner. For Watford, it's a case of picking themselves up after missing out on automatic promotion in heartbreaking fashion on the final day of the regular season – when they lost to Leeds, with Hull pipping them to the line with a 2-2 draw at home to Cardiff. The manner in which Gianfranco Zola’s dream team of loanees – built using a loophole that Ian Holloway in the opposition dugout has publicly attacked – won their semi final against Leicester, with the very last kick of the game, will give them confidence. As will the attacking football that saw them fire in the most league goals over the season: a whopping 85. Holloway's Crystal Palace were not exactly goal-shy themselves, however, with 52 at home in the league helping them finish fifth. The loss of top goalscorer Glenn Murray to injury is a huge blow for the Eagles, but any team with the likes of Wilfried Zaha, Jonny Williams and Yannick Bolasie among their attacking options won't struggle to hit the back of the net. This Palace side is built on solidity and can be devastating on the break, while Watford come with more of a team ethic, confident in playing their way out from the back. The Hornets will be the favourites, but then Palace thrive on being the underdogs. It’s the beautiful game versus a refusal to accept defeat. Zola versus Holloway. Your guess is as good as ours.

The key men

Manuel Almunia

Almen Abdi

Matej Vydra

Julian Speroni

Mile Jedinak

Wilfried Zaha

The former Arsenal

The Swiss international

Troy Deeney is a man

Palace’s longest-serving

Watford have the ability

The man who has made a

keeper has played a

is key to Watford's

reborn up front, but it is

player is arguably the

to open Palace up, but

thousand headlines this

vital role in the Hornets'

possession-heavy style

his partner Matej Vydra

best keeper outside

the Australian could hold

season will hope to make

defence (the fifth best in

of play, dictating the

who Palace fans need to

the top flight, keeping

the key to shutting the

one more before leaving

the league), and his quick

tempo and keeping the

watch. The Udinese man

opposition at bay almost

Hornets out. His strength

for Manchester United.

distribution starts many

ball moving from the

has contributed 20 goals

single-handedly during

and aerial ability help

Has the ability to beat

of Watford's counter-

middle of the park. Has

this season, and was

Palace’s leaner days.

him break up the play

defenders at will on his

attacks. His 97th-minute

the ability to open Palace

back to his sparkling best

Now part of a rising side,

and provide a constant

day, and showed in the

penalty save led to

up, and he can score as

when he grabbed a brace

Speroni’s wonder saves

menace in the middle of

semi final that he can

Troy Deeney’s dramatic

well – as his 12 goals this

to help see off Leicester

are already legendary in

the park. His clash with

finish on the big stage.

semi-final winner.

season have proved.

in the semi final.

south London.

Abdi could be pivotal.

Can he do it at Wembley?

44 | May 24 2013 |

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All pictures Getty Images

Crystal Palace

Watford

The British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia 2013 Live and exclusive national radio commentary of every match only on

Sat June 1 Lions v Barbarians (Hong Kong, 12:30am) Wed June 5 Western Force v Lions (Perth, 11:00am)

Sat June 8 Queensland Reds v Lions (Brisbane, 10:30am) Wed June 12 Combined NSW & Queensland Country v Lions (Newcastle, 10:30am)

Sat June 15

NSW Waratahs v Lions (Sydney, 10:30am)

Tue June 18 ACT Brumbies v Lions (Canberra, 10:30am)

Sat June 22 1st Test: Australia v Lions (Brisbane, 11:00am)

Tue June 25 Melbourne Rebels v Lions (Melbourne, 10:30am)

Sat June 29 2nd Test: Australia v Lions (Melbourne, 11:00am)

Sat July 6

3rd Test: Australia v Lions (Sydney, 11:00am)

1089 / 1053 AM, on digital radio and online at www.talksport.co.uk facebook.com/talksport

#livelions

@talksport

7 Days SUNDAY FORMULA 1 | MONACO GRAND PRIX | MONTE CARLO | SKY SPORTS F1 1PM

Yawning rubber

Celebrity parties, multimillion-pound yachts and a

can make it four straight front-row starts, they could

keen to make the most of their current window of

sun-drenched seaside settings are well and good,

have a real chance of victory at a circuit that’s less

opportunity before their competitive advantage

but everyone knows what really draws the fans to F1:

punishing on the tyres than most.

is erased.

weeks of furious arguments about tyre degradation. Unfortunately for the die-hards, the famous street

That’s not to say that the rubber rings won’t be a

The sport has been in a fractious mood in the wake

deciding factor – with overtaking difficult, teams that

of the Spanish tyre meltdown, with some accusing

circuit that winds its way around Monte Carlo is one

want to move up will have to rely on their pit-stop

Red Bull of wielding undue influence to improve their

of the slowest of the year, and thus relatively easy on

strategy to do so. Red Bull have done this well in

lot, and others suggesting that drivers being asked to

the rubber. The exciting debate about whether

previous races to keep Sebastian Vettel at the top of

ease off in order to preserve their tyres goes against

Pirelli’s new tyre plans are in contravention of FIA

the standings, but the teams that have had the most

the very nature of motor racing. Those concerns will

regulation 12.6.3 will have to be put on hold for a

pit success are probably Lotus and Ferrari. With

be put on hold for Monaco’s annual procession – we

while (although we’ve delved into it in slightly more

changes to Pirelli’s tyre compound looking set to

guess it all looks the same if you’re watching from a

depth on page 8).

come in for the Canadian Grand Prix, they’ll be

superyacht in the harbour anyway.

So, the good news is that the cars probably won’t did in Spain a fortnight ago. Unfortunately, they’re

MONACO

unlikely to be overtaking each other much either – the narrow nature of Monte Carlo’s streets make it notoriously difficult. There were just 12 successful moves in the race last year, the fewest of the season. It’s only when it rains on the French Riviera that things really liven up – but with typically sunny weather predicted for Sunday (at time of writing), whoever qualifies on pole will have an even bigger advantage than usual. The Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg have shared the last three pole positions between them, but have thus far

LAPS 78 CIRCUIT LENGTh 3.340km RACE DISTANCE 260.520km LAP RECORD 1:14.439 – Michael Schumacher (2004)

SChEDULE (GMT) Saturday May 25 Practice 3 10am; Qualifying 1pm Sunday May 26 Race 1pm

2012 RESULT 1 Mark Webber (Red Bull) 2 Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 3 Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)

DRIvER STANDINGS Sebastian vettel (Red Bull) Kimi Räikkönen (Lotus) Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) Lewis hamilton (Mercedes) Felipe Massa (Ferrari) Mark Webber (Red Bull) Romain Grosjean (Lotus) Paul di Resta (Force India) Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) Jenson Button (McLaren)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

89 85 72 50 45 42 26 26 22 17

failed to turn any of them into race victories. If they 46 | May 24 2013 |

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Mark Thompson/Getty Images

be visiting the pits quite as often as the 77 times they

7 Days FRIDAY > CRICKET | SECONd INvESTEC TEST: ENGLANd v NEW ZEALANd | HEAdINGLEY | SKY SPORTS 1 11AM

The consistent excellence of Jimmy

spectators – their free-scoring ways put

Anderson and an Ambrosian spell of

opposition bowlers on the back foot and

7/44 from Stuart Broad (pictured)

ease the pressure on their partner at the

contrived to make England's 170-run

other end. Without that dash of KP genius

victory in the first of this two-Test series

in it, England's top six has an obdurate

against New Zealand look a lot more

look – and that allowed a consistent Kiwi

comfortable than it actually was. Aside

attack to settle into a good rhythm.

from a 123-run partnership of relative

New Zealand had even more damaging

serenity from Jonathan Trott and Joe

batting problems, however, and even the

Root, England's batsmen struggled for

introduction of seven-toed wonder Martin

fluency. The Lord's pitch did offer swing

Guptill may not be enough to stand up to

and seam movement, however – on a

England's pace attack. To truly feel this

Headingley wicket that plays a lot flatter

series has been a success, it would be great

than in years gone by, both batting

if Alastair Cook and his batting buddies

line-ups could find some respite.

were able to show more aggressive intent

In truth, England are missing Kevin

before Aussie skipper Michael Clarke – and

Pietersen. Attacking batsmen aren't just

those he deigns acceptable to play cricket

helpful for clearing bars and entertaining

around him – show up for the Ashes.

Genius required FRIDAY > GOLF | BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP | WENTWORTH | SKY SPORTS 1 10AM

Goldmine way out West Finally, the European Tour rolls into the British Isles for the one tournament of the year to take place in England. The BMW PGA Championship remains the flagship event of the season, taking place on the famed West Course at tour HQ Wentworth and with a total prize fund of £4.75m. In the Race to Dubai, this is one of the biggest events of the year. Mike Hewitt/Getty Images, Ian Walton/Getty Images

Luke Donald (right) is the man to watch. The former world number one (now ranked sixth) is seeking a hat-trick of wins on the West Course – he beat Lee Westwood in a playoff in 2011 before cruising to a four-shot victory last year. But as ever, the PGA boasts a terrific field. Rory McIlroy leads the charge, but Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose, Ian Poulter and the in-form Graeme McDowell will all make the defending champ work hard. With Donald looking curiously out of touch with his iron play this season, he will do well to make it three in a row.

48 | May 24 2013 |

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Play with the great man at Royal Portrush Here is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to win a round of golf on one of the world’s best courses with a former Open champion. Sport has teamed up with Your Golf Travel & Tourism Ireland to offer one lucky golfer and three friends an amazing trip to Royal Portrush to play with 2011 Open Champion Darren Clarke on June 24. The Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush is famed as one of the finest tests of golf on the planet, and nobody knows it better than local man Clarke, who grew up nearby. Not only will you get expert advice from the five-time Ryder Cup player, but great course knowledge too!

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| 49

7 Days SATURDAY ATHLETICS | BT GREAT CITYGAMES | MANCHESTER CITY CENTRE | BBC ONE 1PM

Life after LOCOG A non-ticketed, completely free

longer to say than it does for her to

sporting event on the streets of a

cross the finish line, became only the

bustling city centre... welcome to

third woman in history to retain the

LAL (that’s Life After LOCOG).

Olympic 100m title when she won gold

The fifth edition of the BT Great

in London last summer. She splits

CityGames will see world-class athletes

the difference with Olympic 200m

– including a host of Olympic and

champion Allyson Felix over 150m;

Paralympic gold-medallists – compete

young British sprinter and former world

on an IAAF-certified, purpose-built

junior champion Jodie Williams has the

track along Deansgate, and in a pop-up

unenviable task of trying to keep pace

athletics arena in Albert Square.

with the formidable duo.

Usain Bolt blitzed down the track to

Britain's long jump gold-medallist

set a new world's best time over 150m

Greg Rutherford and Paralympic T44

in 2009, while Tyson Gay did the same

100m champion Jonnie Peacock are

thing over a 200m straight in 2010.

also on the bill, for what will be their

This time, the blitzing will most likely

first competitive outings on home soil

come from the pint-sized Jamaican,

since a crowd of 80,000 roared them to

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. The five-foot

victory in Stratford. Manchester, it's

sprinter (right), whose name takes

over to you. And no excuses – it's free.

SATURDAY RUGBY LEAGUE | SUPER LEAGUE: HULL FC v HULL KINGSTON ROVERS | ETIHAD STADIUM | SKY SPORTS 3 4.30.PM

Could it be magic? continues to sparkle for Hull FC, while

the first day of the Magic Weekend at

young wing Tom Lineham has impressed

Manchester's Etihad Stadium. Derby

with his strength and pace. Scrum half

fixtures between Hull FC and Hull

Michael Dobson, meanwhile, will be

Kingston Rovers are never less than

crucial to the fortunes of Rovers.

full-blooded, physical confrontations. Both go into Saturday’s contest on the

50 | May 24 2013 |

Hooker Danny Houghton (pictured)

most emotionally charged fixture on

The final match on Sunday sees Super League leaders Wigan Warriors take on

back of victories, with Hull FC having

Leeds Rhinos (Sky Sports 4, 7.30pm).

won six of their last seven league games

The Warriors look to be in a class of their

and lying sixth in the Super League

own right now, while Leeds have stumbled

table, three places above Rovers. But

in recent weeks – having been knocked

they lost heavily to their east Hull rivals

out of the Challenge Cup by Huddersfield,

at the KC Stadium on Good Friday, and

they then suffered a shock home defeat to

are probably still smarting from their

St Helens on Monday. This is not the ideal

defeat in this same fixture last year.

fixture for a team looking to stop the rot.

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Eric Feferberg/AFP/Getty Images, Ben Hoskins/Getty Images

No prizes for guessing which will be the

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Ruark Audio R7 Music System

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Tylt PowerPlant

If you ever get stranded somewhere with just your smartphone for company, and find yourself weighing up whether to use your last two per cent of battery life to call for help or to finish your game of Snake, this pocket-sized gadget could help. It will provide enough extra juice to charge most smartphones not once, but twice – so now you don’t have to choose between emergency medical assistance and that new high score. £60 | amazon.co.uk 52 | May 24 2013 |

Nokia Lumia 925

Promising ‘more than your eyes can see’ (which seems a bit of a waste), the Lumia 925 is Nokia’s new high-end smartphone. Its Windows Phone operating system isn’t to everyone’s taste, but combined with the 925’s new metal body and top-quality hardware, it makes for an alluring package. The camera is probably the stand-out feature – it takes multiple photos so you can erase background objects or make sure everyone’s smiling. £TBC | nokia.com

Canon PowerShot N

The petite PowerShot N is packed with almost as many features as the smartphones it’s designed to share your pocket space with. It can capture Full HD video from a variety of angles thanks to the tiltable touchscreen, while Creative Shot mode will give an Instagram-style treatment to your chosen subject, and Wi-Fi connectivity means you can upload photos from your camera to your phone with ease. Lovely. £269 | amazon.co.uk Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

kit

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Galvin Green has now established itself as the number-one manufacturer of wetweather golf gear. And, with tops like this, that's hardly surprising. The Alex GORETEX jacket is available in sizes S-4XL and five different colour combinations. £299 | galvingreen.com

abacus stretchlite

Swedish firm Abacus is an official supplier to the European Tour and says the jacket you see here is the "ultimate all-round waterproof". Its two-layered, unlined stretch fabric makes it extremely light and soft, not to mention quiet. £249| abacussportswear.com 54 | May 24 2013 |

adidas climaproof storm

sunderland of scotland Whisperdry

ping response

Nike storm-fit

This stylish number from adidas has adjustable cuffs and side-zipper gussets, zip pockets and even – wait for it – articulated elbows. Most importantly, it's fully seam-sealed, as waterproof as you like and breathable. £150 | adidasgolf.com

The Response uses Ping's latest innovation, HydroPro Dynamics. The jacket has a 100 per cent polyester outer with Teflon coating, and MicroFleece and Stretch Mesh lining for outstanding comfort and flexibility. Ping! £120 | ping.com

Sunderland of Scotland's new 2013 collection is the most technically advanced it has ever produced. The new Whisperdry Hush jacket breaks the mould – it's a hoodie – and claims to be the quietest waterproof in the world. £155 | www.wesellgolfgear.com

If it's good enough for Tiger and Rory, eh? This full-zip jacket is designed with comfort and breathability in mind – not to mention keeping out the water. It's fully seamsealed, so you finish the round as dry as when you began. Apart from your hair. £200 | nikegolf.eu Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

iPad edition on Newsstand now

Grooming

NEw car SMELLS

Fit right in on the streets of Monte Carlo this Sunday by a) being really, really ridiculously rich, or b) getting your hands on this lot

The fragrance

Ferrari Essence Musk

Smell like you own a Ferrari (or, at the very least, a bottle of it) with the ol’ stallion’s scent that “evokes the spirit of the Ferrari Gran Turismo”. So what, exactly, does this magniﬁcent hoofed beast smell like? Top notes of white grapefruit accentuated by bergamot and mandarin leaves; heart notes of cool white mint with refreshing hints of watermelon, lavender and nutmeg; and base notes of white musk enveloped by the woody warmth of amber and Bourbon vetiver. And there we were thinking it would be a mixture of engine oil, rich leather and Fernando Alonso’s hair wax. £79 for 100ml | harrods.com

The deodorant Sure Men Lotus F1

Oﬀering long-lasting protection (and let’s face it, F1 drivers need all the protection they can get from Romain Grosjean), Sure’s special-edition range comes in a roll-on (£1.77 for 50ml), anti-perspirant spray (£2.61 for 150ml) and stick (£2.85 for 50ml) that will leave you feeling fresh, dry and as conﬁdent as ice man Kimi Raikkonen. Available nationwide

The anti-ageing ﬂuid Novexpert

Monte Carlo is, of course, the playground of the beautiful people. Join them, do, by using a formula that targets embryonic wrinkles, micro-furrows, deep wrinkles, slackened skin, acne and blemish-prone skin. It’s brimming with moisture and replenishing ingredients, and Bernie Ecclestone’s been using it for years – probably. £35 for 40ml | novexpert.co.uk

How do you face your problem if your problem is your face? This moisturiser isn’t the whole answer, but it’s a start.

56 | May 24 2013 |

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

ONLY THE BEST GET BETTER WITH AGE

NEW

WORLD’S

N1 O

MEN’S SKIN CARE BRAND*

*Source: Euromonitor International Limited; Nivea by global brand name in the category Men’s Skin Care; in retail value terms 2012.

Only available at Boots Shop online at boots.com

Available at larger Boots stores. Subject to availability.

58 | May 24 2013 |

ohnny Depp. Han Solo. Any actor who’s played James Bond, but particularly Roger Moore. There are precious few acceptable man crushes, but this, ladies and gentlemen, is the king of them all. You see, when we look at David Beckham – or Becks, to give him his full name – modelling his H&M kecks, we don’t see a vain, gym-toned, squat-thrusting tool. We know that those abs have been sculpted by lungbusting runs down the ﬂank for his country; his thighs honed by hours of swinging in crosses and perfectly placed free-kicks; the sock he’s clearly stuﬀed down his pants likely soaked in the sweat of giving his all in 718 club games and 115 matches for England. So for this, and for much more, we thank you, Goldenballs. If we must have some chap’s bag of sweets pointing at us from a billboard at four-times life size, we’re glad that it often seems to be yours.

Feel the crush Extra time David Beckham

H&M

| 59

Entertainment

HAIr OF THE DOG

A third Hangover instalment looks to cure the second ﬁlm’s ills, while Skeletor and his chums take over part of London

Film

Exhibition

War Games V&A Museum of Childhood

The second Hangover film went the Die Hard II route of simply remaking the same film in a different location, so it’s refreshing that the third part takes us staggering down a different path. There’s no bachelor party this time, just bushybearded oddity Alan coming off his meds and his beloved wolfpack stepping in to take him to rehab. Cue perennial lame wolf Doug being kidnapped by a crook who’s trying to track down camp, cocaineloving criminal Leslie Chow, leaving us to

Blu-ray

My Left Foot

Moving without being mawkish, this 1989 biopic of Christy Brown is a long-awaited Blu-ray release. Born with severe cerebral palsy, working-class Dubliner Brown became a successful artist and poet despite only having full control of his left foot. We just wonder whatever happened to that young Daniel Day-Lewis chap who excels in the lead role. Out Monday 60 | May 24 2013 |

do nothing but watch the chaos unfurl. Professional scene-stealer John Goodman is the villain – and a top addition to any comedy cast – but the original’s strength was the chemistry between the trio of leads. If the third can recapture that – and taking the series back to Vegas should help – then we’ve no reason to believe this really will be the series ﬁnale. Frankly, they’ll probably keep going until The Hangover Part VII: Mission to Moscow. And you know what? We’d pay to see that, too. Out today

Music

Once I Was An Eagle Laura Marling

Prodigious, lauded, 23-year-old folk singer releases fourth album and shows exactly why the Joni Mitchell comparisons abound. The stripped-back production illustrates Marling’s confidence in her songwriting prowess, the lush, finger-plucked guitar an ideal background for her richly textured voice. Captivating stuff. Out Monday

Music

False Idols Tricky

DVD

A musician on his 10th release trying to recreate the magic of his ﬁrst rarely works, but Bristol trip-hop boss Tricky’s new album is a natural and – remarkably – classy successor to Maxinquaye. The ethereal female vocals are present, as is Tricky’s trademark whispered menace, but it’s the polished, punchy pop hooks that steal the show. A return to form. Out Monday

The Last Stand

Schwarzenegger breaks out the Lethal Weapon-style “I’m old” quips in this flick about a smalltown sheriff who has to stop a gang of crooks headed to the Mexico border, armed with just his reading glasses, a few crazed locals and, oh, some almighty firearms. Proof that Arnie can still deliver action and one-liners like no other. Come back soon. Out Monday

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

The Hangover Part III

Gawp at war toys from 1800 to today at this new exhibition that explores the intriguing relationship between conﬂict and children’s play. Items on display include toy guns, scale-model ﬁghter planes and even mighty Skeletor (pictured). Lest you worry that Masters of the Universe was a harrowing docu-drama based on real events, know that old bones is actually in the From Reality to Fantasy section. Secret Weapons, meanwhile, examines the murky role of war toys as propaganda. Opens Saturday

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