Sport magazine 310

Issue 310 | June 21 2013

We Can Be Heroes

Lions Captain sam WarBurton is ready to make History

THE LIONS VS THE WALLABIES. IT’S bEEN 12 YEARS SINCE THEY LAST MET. PRESENTED bY

The first Test of the Tour is almost here, so check out how things have changed since the last time The Lions took on The Wallabies in 2001.

It looks like the tables may have turned in our favour.

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30

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We’re very proud to be a sponsor of The British & Irish Lions on their Tour to Australia in 2013. That’s why we’re using Office 365 to bring you the best stats and facts from all the games.

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Find and share more field facts and rugby stats from The Lions Tour at microsoft.co.uk/graphingthegame

10 5 0 Games won

Average points per game

Largest win margin 1st Test

Lions Australia

2nd Test 3rd Test

#LionsOffice365

HOW THEY MEASURE UP. SEE THE SCORE bEFORE THE FIRST TEST. PRESENTED bY

THE TOP SCORERS.

ON FINE FORM.

KNOW THE PLAYERS WITH THE POINTS.

CHECK OUT HOW THEY’VE bEEN PERFORMING.

300

70 60

250

50 200 Win/loss margin

40

150 100 50

30 20 10 0

0 Leigh Halfpenny

Jonathan Sexton

Brian O'Driscoll

James O’Connor

Lions

Berrick Barnes

Adam AshleyCooper

Australia

-10

s s s a a a e g d hs rc ) in ) an ) ed ) ng ) ric ) ric ) ric ) ne ) ta ) Ki 009 Af 009 erg 009 Af 009 Af 009 ari 013 Fo 013 D R 013 bi 013 ara 013 n b n 2 2 2 2 2 h h h m ( r (2 L 2 2 2 2 r ( r ( ( Q ( Em s ( ut ( ut ( out ( te he Co W W W Ba vs es v s ok s S o So S ut vs NS vs S b W So vs N v vs g s s v v vs LD rin Q Sp

International Test points (to 14.6.13)

The Lions’ last 10 games (to 17.6.13)

THE TOUGHEST TACKLERS.

ON THE BALL.

MEET THE FIERCEST FORWARDS ON THE FIELD. 12

TRACKING THE LIONS SUCCESS.

100%

10

95% 90%

8

85% 6

80%

4

75% 70%

2 0

65% 60% Geoff Parling

Toby Faletau Lions

Sean O’Brien

Michael Hooper

Sitaleki Timani Australia

vs Barbarians

Wycliff Palu

vs Western Force

Scrum success %

Average tackles per game since January 2012

vs QLD Reds

Lineout success %

2013 Tour (to 17.6.13)

Tomorrow The Lions go head to head with The Wallabies for the first time in 12 years, but how do the two teams stack up?

Our boys are definitely on top in terms of tackles and points, and they’ve performed well on The Tour so far. Good luck, because this is still going to be one tough Test.

#LionsOffice365

vs Combined vs Waratahs NSW-QLD Country Tackle success %

Contents

16

Issue 310, June 21 2013 Radar 05 Christ Air: max Pro-skateboarder Danny Way performs that particular move, and many others, in a new documentary

06 Flashback: June 1963 Author and sports historian Norman Giller remembers the night when Our ‘Enry floored the then Cassius Clay

08 Vugar Huseynzade The man who turned Football Manager into a career, and not just a magnificently frustrating hobby oFeatures this coming week

16

Sam Warburton The Lions captain on his rapid rise, leading his side in Australia and why he believes they can emerge victorious from the Test series

31

The state of British tennis We ask Judy Murray, among others, why Henry VIII’s favourite pastime struggles to produce more UK talent

35 Wimbledon preview Our profile of the top five-ranked players in the men’s and women’s game, and their chances in SW19

Cover and main image: Jon Enoch. This page: Kanzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images

35

39

39 Laura Robson Looking ahead to her home Slam, the British number one says there is still room for improvement

Extra Time

05

50 Gadgets The new MacBook Air. Slightly more expensive than the new Nike Airs

52 Kit Tennis rackets that will give you a backhand like Federer. Possibly

54 Grooming Shower gels to keep you fresh this summer (until you get on the Tube)

60

60 Entertainment World War Z pits Brad against some distinctly unhandsome flesh-eaters | June 21 2013 | 03

Radar

p06 – Flashback: the most famous punch in British sporting history p06 – MotoGP13: get your adrenaline fix without risking life and limb p08 – Vugar Huseynzade: turning Football Manager into a full-time job

Parachute problems

Mike Bablac

B

rave though it was of pro skater Danny Way to try to emulate Felix Baumgartner’s leap from space, he should really have got it all signed off first. You are not, of course, actually watching what would surely be a disastrous world record attempt. This is Way performing what’s known as a ‘Christ Air’ in San Diego, and it’s just one of several outlandish stunts he’s performed during an illustrious career that’s seen him jump out of a helicopter on his board and ollie over the Great Wall of China. Brand new documentary Waiting for Lightning charts the highs and lows of the on-board life of one of the world's best boarders.

At selected screens from today. Find out more at waitingforlightningthemovie.com

| June 21 2013 | 05

Radar

<<FLASHBACK<< June 18 1963

Cooper crushes Clay

Henry Cooper: A Hero for All Time by Norman Giller is out now, £20 (Biteback Publishing)

Fifty years ago this week, Henry Cooper landed the most famous punch in British boxing history, sending Muhammad Ali to the canvas. Sportswriter Norman Giller, ringside at Wembley that night, tells us the true tale.

“The fight stopped the country at the time, because Henry was much loved and everyone thought Ali – Cassius Clay, as he was – was just a braggart. Henry was actually on top in the third round, but that was when he got the cut eye. In the fourth, he was desperate: he backed Clay on to the ropes and Henry’s left hook came over in an arc to his jaw... and it was as if Clay had been shot. He fell. Everybody in Wembley was up on their feet. It was chaos.

As he got up, we thought Henry would finish it, but the bell had gone to end the round.

“Clay staggered back to his corner as if he was drunk. He sat down then suddenly jumped up from his stool. We thought it was because his senses were still all over the place, but as [trainer] Angelo Dundee admitted years later, he’d stuck smelling salts – which were illegal – under his nose, and that’s how Ali reacted.

“Also, Angelo dug his finger into a rip in Ali’s glove and made it worse, then called the referee Tommy Little over and said: ‘Look, we can’t fight with this glove.’ [The plan was to create a delay]. Tommy was dithering, but he decided to let the fight continue. He did call for another glove, but it didn’t get there until after the fifth round had started.

“By then, Clay had his senses back, and he just went for the eye in the fifth round.

A tattoo of left jabs landed and it started spurting blood like an oil gusher – a terrible thing to see. The referee had no option but to stop it right away.

“The length of the delay gets exaggerated, though. I used to work in television; I got into their archive once, and was able to watch it in real time. The interval was 66 seconds. So he gained an extra six seconds with the glove.

Some people since have said it was an extra minute or more, but no way was it.

“The two became really big pals later on.

I have to be careful about how I used this word, but they really did love each other.

Ali was a wonderful man, as was Henry.”

T

here are few sports more thrilling or, indeed, dangerous to the limbs of their participants than MotoGP – especially not since Dodgeaxe was outlawed. Still, MotoGP13 gives you the chance to experience that rush from the safety of your own home, and with little danger of dismemberment (unless you’re really bad at it). The officially licensed game even has a career mode that lets you step inside the leathers of your favourite riders.

MotoGP13 on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC

06 | June 21 2013 |

David Cannon/Allsport

AdrenAline rush

Radar

H

Vugar Huseynzade

football manager addict turned football manager (sort of)

is mouthful of a name might not be memorable, but you’ll probably recall Vugar Huseynzade’s story. He made headlines last year, as the man who fulfilled all our dreams and supposedly turned his Football Manager prowess into a full-time job as manager of Azerbaijani Premier League club Baku FC. When we spoke to the 22-year-old, however, we were surprised to meet a sharp-suited articulate young man – and not the unshaven Dorito-dusted mess that we usually associate with Football Manager addiction (ourselves included).

Do you still use the game now to help you?

“The scouting system has helped me, because I can approximately know how good a player is. We signed one guy who I found on Football Manager, from Romania. He was a good transfer – he scored five goals in his first six games.”

You are widely reported as being ‘manager’, but what exactly is your role at Baku FC? “It’s something between sporting director and manager – everything but head coach.”

Tamworth seems an odd choice?

“I was at home one day watching Eurosport, and I saw them playing against Leeds in a cup game. They had nice shirts – that’s how kids get interested in things, you know – and they played okay against Leeds, which is a big team if you compare it with Tamworth. So I started playing with them.”

How has your gaming experience helped?

“I didn’t get the job because of the game, but it helped me with knowing the basics. Imagine if you start a restaurant business and you’d never had anything to do with it before – of course it’d be easier if you downloaded Restaurant Tycoon and try it on that first.”

Who are your managerial idols?

[Instantly] “Jose Mourinho.”

That explains the suit. Why Mourinho?

“He is a strong and attractive personality.

You don’t tire of looking at him, you know?”

Frankly, we’re sick of him already.

“I don’t understand you then!”

Iona Hodgson/Sports International

Did you have trouble getting players onside?

“I had some struggles with them at the beginning because of my age, but with time they learn to respect you when you show your personality.”

And your proudest in-game achievement?

“Well, when you’ve played since 2002... everything that’s possible. I even won the Champions League with Tamworth. They’d have named a stadium after me in reality.”

08 | June 21 2013 |

Lawn knower A

dense and lovely brick of a book that the All England Club would probably love to make required reading, the third edition of the the official history of Wimbledon takes the story of the famous tournament up to 2012 with photos, documents from the archives, and memorable moments from SW19’s grass courts.

In short, it’s a lovingly produced record of almost a century of British failure.

Wimbledon: The Official History, by John Barrett, £30 from visionsp.co.uk

| 09

Radar Editor’s letter Looking up: Rose said his US Open win was “a lot of boyhood dreams paying off” www.sport-magazine.co.uk @sportmaguk facebook.com/sportmagazine

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Bloomin’ great Beneath Justin Rose’s mild-mannered facade lurks a steely self-belief that netted a US Open

J Editor-in-chief Simon Caney @simoncaney

But golf’s history is littered by prodigies who never fulfilled their talent. We’re not talking Sergio Garcia and his inability to win a Major, we’re talking Gordon Sherry (remember him) and his inability to get the ball in the hole at any price. Or Sam Randolph. Or Lee James. Or Steve Scott. All of them, at one stage, were predicted for greatness. None of them managed it. And after Rose turned pro in 1998 (after finishing fourth in the Open Championship), it seemed he was destined to go down the same route.

In his first 21 tournaments as a professional, he missed 21 cuts. Lesser men (not necessarily lesser golfers) would have been broken. At the age of just 18, Rose was wilting in the public spotlight. It almost didn’t help that his Open exploits still made him box office, so tournament invitations kept coming. And his form made for car-crash viewing: everyone wanted to see if he could make a cut – and, if he couldn’t, how badly would he play?

Rose, though, kept believing in himself. Eventually, he did make a cut; then another. Then he started getting competitive. And in 2002 he won his first event: the Dunhill Championship in South Africa.

It has taken a further 11 years for him to land the Major championship that so many predicted would come his way when he was a mere child. But that is typical of Rose. He’s improved every year and he works incredibly hard at his game, despite his enormous natural ability. He’s one of the good guys in sport, and his success has been well-earned.

Personally, I can’t wait for the real stuff to start on the Lions tour. I know the squad, by its nature, needs plenty of practice games, but it has felt like a very drawn-out phoney war so far. One suspects the fireworks this weekend will be worth it, though...

And in the same week, we have Wimbledon starting.

Ah, the British sporting summer really can be wonderful.

Quite honestly, the fact that the first football fixtures of the season were announced this week depressed me somewhat. The days start getting shorter tomorrow, folks.

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10 | June 21 2013 |

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ustin Rose always was a terrific golfer. He had a handicap of plus-one aged 14, won countless amateur events and made the Walker Cup team as a 17-year-old. The path ahead seemed clear.

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Radar Opinion

It’s like this…

Bill Borrows

the trunks would have been of the suitcase rather than the swimwear variety.

But the standout item has to be the officially endorsed Gareth Bale walking stick – what could be more appropriate? An aid for staying upright for those who often find

David Lyttleton

The standout item has to be the officially endorsed Gareth Bale walking stick – what could be more appropriate?

Bale stretches meaning of intellectual property

A

nd so, in the same week that Andy Murray donated his £73,000 prize money from Queen’s to the Royal Marsden hospital – where his close friend Ross Hutchins is undergoing chemotherapy – and an emotional Justin Rose dedicated his US Open win to his late father, it was announced Gareth Bale had successfully registered his trade mark with the Intellectual Property Office.

Wow! That was my first response. How can you trademark falling over without any other human contact whatsoever? Heart attack victims, clumsy pedestrians, toddlers and pensioners – the legal system will grind to a halt within days. But then I discovered that, at this stage, it is just his heart-shaped hand thing that he invented after seeing it used by influential opinion-formers such as Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber.

Oh, and he has also trademarked the number 11. Who knew you could trademark numbers? Perhaps it counts only if both are used in conjunction.

12 | June 21 2013 |

I haven’t really got the time or space to go through trade mark UK00002657917 (www.ipo.gov.uk/tmcase/Results/1/ UK00002657917) in great detail, but the accompanying diagram looks like it might have been drawn by an out-of-work Scooby Doo fan on an acid trip.

However, it does talk about the use of the trademark in relation to “precious metals and their alloys and goods in precious metals or coated therewith, not included in other classes; jewellery, precious stones; horological and chronometric instruments, parts and fittings for the aforesaid goods.”

Stick with it… “Leather and imitations of leather, and goods made of these materials and not included in other classes; animal skins, hides; trunks and travelling bags; umbrellas, parasols and walking sticks; whips, harness and saddlery”, and concluding with “clothing, footwear and headgear”. So, that’s imitation leather trunks, whips, harness and [that’s enough of that, Ed]. I was actually going to explain that

themselves on the floor for no apparent reason. He should be commended for this, surely.

And much else besides, for several good things have come from Mr Bale’s decision to successfully apply for a trade mark. In the first place, we now know what it is supposed to be; many football fans have previously assumed that it was a ham-fisted attempt to indicate the amount of medals he has won or ever will win as a Tottenham player. Secondly, manufacturers of goods bearing this trade mark can now provide the general public with an important visual aid as to the particular mindset of anybody over the age of seven wearing said ‘branded items’.

And finally, in an entirely unintentional display of Olympic-level irony, he has now guaranteed that if you once used to think of the ‘heart’ thing when you heard the name Gareth Bale (I’m guessing Spurs fans, young girls and women of a certain age), the rest of us now automatically think of another – wildly more popular – hand gesture. Try and trademark that, Gareth. @billborrows David Flatman is away sulking after cycling 982 miles in nine days and losing only 0.6kg.

He will be back next Friday, we hope

Plank of the Week Mike Ashley, Newcastle United “I know what we need,” billionaire retail entrepreneur Mike Ashley must have said to himself after Newcastle secured their place in the Premier League for another year. “I need to bring in Joe Kinnear as director of football. Let’s face it, the dual management team of Dennis Wise/Kevin Keegan of 2008-09 was an outstanding success.” What could possibly go wrong?

Frozen in time

14 | June 21 2013 |

A forearm in the neck, a faceful of ice and all 6ft 9ins of Zdeno Chara mounting you like a randy bear: the ongoing Stanley Cup games have not been kind to the Chicago Blackhawksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Bryan Bickell. Boston Bruins bully Chara is the tallest player in NHL history, learned his trade in Iron Curtain-era Czechoslovakia and is so scary that his own helmet appears to be making a break for it. Bickell is probably still lying there now, too terrified to see if Chara has got up, frantically licking the ice as he was no doubt instructed to. | 15

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Not cool

Alexander Klein/AFP/Getty Images

Sam Warburton

18 | June 7 2013 |

CAPTAIN MATERIAL FRoM REd CARd CATAsTRoPhE To L I o N s L E A d E R s h I P, IT’s bEEN A hELL oF A jouRNEy FoR sAM WARbuRToN PoRTRAIT by joN ENoCh

| June 21 2013 | 17

T

wo years, 17 days, 20 hours, 35 minutes. When the British and Irish Lions take to the field to face Australia in the first Test tomorrow morning, that’s exactly how long will have passed since Sam Warburton first captained his country.

“It’s mad, isn’t it?” the man tasked with leading the Lions laughs when we remind him how short a time it’s taken him to earn the ultimate honour. “But I’ve been through quite a lot in two years, through injuries, changes in form, media appearances and all that – so I’m much much more relaxed now than I was in 2011. As time goes on… hang on, it’s only two years, and I’m talking like I’m 60!

As you get a bit more experience, though, you do appreciate things a bit more, really.

And that’s the way I feel about this tour.

I’m here to enjoy it.”

We’re sitting with Warburton on the eve of the Lions departure. Swathes of shiny new Lions kit and his smart new Thomas Pink suit aside, there’s something very different about the Cardiff Blues man: an extra confidence, a marked maturity, and a sureness of step that belie his 24 years.

18 | June 21 2013 |

Take me from my wales debuT To now aT The click of a finger, and i wouldn’T b e a b l e To d e a l w i T h i T. Things have jusT escalaTed

It might be only two years since he was first given the Welsh captaincy, and four since his international debut, but his career has already encompassed one World Cup, two Six Nations victories, a seven-match winless streak, World Cup ranking ignominy and a bucketload of injuries. There is a definite sense that the journey has made the man.

“I’ve definitely changed,” Warburton agrees. “I was recognised by one person in town the night I made my first Millennium Stadium start back in 2009, and I remember looking at my fiancée and being like: ‘This is crazy.’ Then suddenly there’s the captaincy, the World Cup, the red card, the Grand Slam, the second Six Nations title and the captain’s announcement for the Lions. If you’d taken me from then to now at the click of a finger, I guess I wouldn’t have been able to deal with it. But things have just escalated.

“The World Cup was the biggest shock for me, and the hardest, because the captaincy was such a big deal – and I got thrown into the public eye with everything that happened around that red card [in the World Cup semi final]. I think I definitely learned from that experience, because it was a tough one. >

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David Rogers/Getty Images, Stu Forster/Getty Images

Sam Warburton

Sam Warburton That’s what has made me so relaxed now, because I’ve been through those experiences – not many people have been through that much in their whole career. It’s good and bad.

But I guess it’s all prepared me for this.”

‘This’ being the Lions captaincy, of course, and Warburton is happy to admit he’s loving his new role. “It just feels right, and I guess because I’ve always wanted it to happen, being in this situation hasn’t surprised me,” he reflects. “I don’t mean that to sound arrogant, but I’ve always wanted it from a very young age, so I’ve always wondered what it’d be like. And, now I have it, I’m loving it.”

LEADER OF THE PACK

Having missed the first games with injury, and watched from the side as his team lost to the Brumbies on Tuesday, it’s not all been plain sailing for the Lions skipper. The first real test starts tomorrow, though, with... well, the first Test. And it’s a match that will see Warburton and his fellow Welshmen

dominate the make-up of the side. It’s one accusation that has been levelled at this squad a number of times: a Welsh bias that runs through from top to bottom, with three coaches from the Wales squad and no fewer than 15 Welsh players making up the original 37-man selection (even if injury subsequently ruled Gethin Jenkins out). What does the captain make of that?

“Everybody who complained probably isn’t Welsh, because everybody wants to see more of their countrymen picked, obviously,” Warburton readily admits. “Warren [Gatland] always says he likes to pick according to players’ form when they’re in the most pressurised situation, and you probably couldn’t have had a more pressurised situation than that Six Nations showdown between us and England. You get those rare players who can switch it on when the pressure’s on, and that’s what the coaches are looking for. That was the closest environment you could create to a Lions tour – having to perform under that pressure –

so I guess some 50/50 decisions went in the Welsh favour after that. It makes the transition easier for me as well, of course, because I’m very familiar with a lot of the players and lean on a lot of them.”

So, Wales won the Six Nations and the Wales coach was in charge of the subsequent Lions tour. Surely Warburton knew he was going to get the captaincy?

“No, I had no indication whatsoever, which is what made the whole thing more surprising,” he insists. “I would have put my mortgage on Brian O’Driscoll, and that’s what I was telling people prior to the announcement. Four days before I found out, the bookies closed betting on myself – and that’s when I realised I had a bit of a chance.”

And after he found out? “I lied to a heck of a lot of people,” Warburton laughs. “The day it was announced, I must have had about 100 texts from people saying: ‘You told me you didn’t have it.’ But what else could I do?

I don’t think it would have made a good first impression if I’d have told people and it >

Up, and under pressure: Warburton outjumps England’s Geoff Parling in March’s Six Nations decider in Cardiff

20 | June 21 2013 |

Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

yOu COuLDn’T HAvE HAD A mORE PREssuRisED siTuATiOn THAn THAT six nATiOns sHOwDOwn. THAT wAs THE CLOsEsT EnviROnmEnT yOu COuLD gET TO A LiOns TOuR

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Sam Warburton leaked out. I told my fiancée straight away, then my mum and dad and my brother and sister. After that, I kept my cards very close to my chest. Deny, deny, deny.”

Once the announcement was made, the naysayers emerged. How can a man who hasn’t been on a Lions tour lead the team?

It should have been [insert your own preference here]. Warburton just shrugs: “Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but I don’t agree. At the end of the day, you’re going to a place to play rugby where you’re going to have a ton of support. When you come together and bring four regions together for Wales, you have to gel. And it’s the same thing but on a bigger scale. I’ve got a very laidback approach to everything, so it won’t stress me out, but I don’t think you have to have past experience. Besides, there are other senior players in the group who can help in certain aspects anyway. I’m not taking absolutely everything on myself.

There is a leadership group there to spread the workload.”

EyEs on thE AussiEs

22 | June 21 2013 |

But what of the opposition? Crippled by injuries – and a few problems of the players’ own making – the Aussies are lacking the X factor of old, and are being written off by all and sundry. But Warburton, as you’d expect, doesn’t see it that way.

“Both teams are in the same situation in a way, with players missing injured,” he says.

“We’re coming off the back of a long season, so I think it’s a level playing field and there are no complaints. The worst thing that could happen is to win a nailbiting Test series and then for somebody to say afterwards that if [David] Pocock was playing, that would have made a difference. I don’t think those excuses will be there, though. The Super XV players have been performing brilliantly, and a few lesser-known names are putting their hands up for selection. It’s certainly not a coincidence, and I guess it shows how much it means to Australia.”

It clearly means a lot to Warburton as well, and leading out the Lions in Brisbane tomorrow will mark another huge step on his

incredible journey. The ultimate step, in fact.

It’s something we put to the man with four nations’ hopes in his hand – having reached the peak of his game, what comes next?

“Four years ago, I was on the development tour with Wales to the US and Canada during the Lions tour, so that does seem pretty weird when I think about it,” he agrees. “I do appreciate it is the top of British rugby, but I’m definitely not planning to stop just yet.

There are always more targets to reach for.

So what would motivate me is to do it again and again on consecutive tours, because I’m not sure how many times it’s been done.

I just want to keep going.”

After the impact he’s made in the past two years, it’s hard to see anything stopping Sam Warburton. Not even Australia.

Leading the charge: Warburton carries the ball during the Lions’ 47-17 defeat of the New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney last weekend

Mark Coughlan @coffers83 Sam Warburton is an ambassador for Thomas Pink, official outfitters to the British and Irish Lions. The Lions Collection is now available to buy at www.thomaspink.com

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David Rogers/Getty Images

Clearly, Warburton is a man who’s sure of himself – and he’s happy to share his considerable responsibilities. The buck, though, will stop with the man wearing the number seven shirt if the Lions come up short tomorrow. Or, even worse, come up short throughout the series.

“We know we have the makings to beat Australia,” Warburton reassures us.

“We came so close last time around with Wales [in December, losing 12-14], but we just came up short because of a few minor lapses in concentration. We came close enough to know we can win. And, hopefully, adding the players from other nations will tip the scales in our favour.”

There’s that Welsh bias again. It’s hard to get away from, as Warburton readily admits: “We’ve tweaked a lot of stuff, but obviously there are going to be some similarities to the way we play with Wales. There is some responsibility on us Welsh boys to help coach the others and to lead the way, but then we have the differences that make us the team we are. Brian O’Driscoll, Paul O’Connell, Manu Tuilagi, Stuart Hogg – these players add something different, and then there’s Andy Farrell coaching us the English defensive style, or Graham Rowntree leading the forwards in his way. It’s good, because it keeps everyone on their toes and keeps us learning.”

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Paul O’Connell

This is A TesT AustrAliA v British & irish lions | suncorp stAdium, BrisBAne | sky sports 1 11.05Am

Ahead of the first British & Irish Lions Test against Australia, we take a look at the challenge in store for Warren Gatland’s men

T

he honeymoon – if that’s what we’re calling it – is well and truly over now, and all eyes turn to Brisbane for the first Test tomorrow.

Defeat to the Brumbies on Tuesday will have hurt this squad, make no mistake, but the kick up the rear that it provided could be exactly what they needed after a relatively easy – dare we say dull – tour to date. History tells you that the first Test is all-important (the winner of the first Test has won four of the past five series), and with both sides coming in relatively undercooked – the Lions because

of a lack of quality opposition, the Aussies because of Robbie Deans’ decision to withdraw his Test players from the frontline – defeat is not an option.

dangerous player, but Deans has played it pretty safe. He’s clearly trying to suppress the Lions more than unleash the Wallabies.

Australia Having discussed the undercooked Wallabies who have been sat in camp for weeks on end, there is no denying that the Super XV form of the Aussies has been outstanding. The loss of David Pocock and Scott Higginbotham will be huge, but the back-up players have been on form and will cause problems. Up front, the Aussie scrum issues that have haunted them for so long have definitely been tweaked, and Stephen Moore leads the front row well. It’s behind the pack where the questions really come, however, with James O’Connor leading a safe, defensive backline that lacks the X factor of years gone by. Expect a lot of kicking and big carries, and expect the Aussies to play their rugby in the Lions half. Digby Ioane’s return to fitness is a huge boost, while Israel Folau is a

Lions For the Lions, meanwhile, injuries have caused their own issues. The power of the second row means they will cause problems at the scrum, and getting good ball on the front foot will be important to give Mike Phillips and Jonny Sexton the space to create chances. The pack boast ball carriers everywhere, with Sam Warburton the perfect foil thanks to his ability to spoil and turn ball over. The real question marks for the Lions hang over their lineout, which needs to click in a way it hasn’t so far on Aussie soil, and the lack of game time the centres have had together in recent weeks. If the centre pairing click, the Lions could unlock the Australia defence. Get in behind them, win the penalties and the metronomic boot of Leigh Halfpenny (above) could win this game.

Keys To success Three elemenTs The lions hAve To geT righT Tomorrow

24 | June 21 2013 |

seT-piece supremAcy sTop will geniA

geT The wingers inTo The gAme

The scrum will be a key area the Lions can target, but they need to sort the lineout as well. The lack of clean ball midweek ultimately cost them – they really need to get good ball to their world-class halfback pairing.

Tommy Bowe and George North (below) have proved what damage wingers can do on the hard ground, and it’s thanks to their ball-hunting style.

The creativity of the Lions centres will develop gaps, so the men tasked with the wing jobs need to run off the shoulder. Do that, and they can get behind the first-up defence.

James O’Connor lacks experience at 10, but the man inside him is the leader of this team and can unlock a defence with a turn of pace, a flick of a wrist or his accurate kicking.

If Warburton is targeting O’Connor, the rest of the back row need to watch Genia (right) closely and give him no space.

All pictures Getty Images

British & Irish Lions

British & Irish Lions

tommy bowe

again, which is nice’

‘The intensity has gone up’ Ahead of the first Test, the winger writes from inside an ever-growing Lions camp

I

t’s been a really frustrating time for me, not being able to take part in training. I got my boots on earlier this week

for my first run-out, though, and it was great to get out and moving again. My hand’s starting to feel a lot better – and resemble a normal hand again, which is nice – but I’m not putting any targets on it at the moment. Jamie Heaslip and a few of the boys have started to call me ‘Food Bill’ because all I’m doing is eating at the minute. So it’ll be nice to put that nickname to bed, if nothing else!

For the rest of the boys, training has really stepped up.

It’s been crazy with all the injuries, but we were on a real high after last week’s win over the Waratahs. It was always going to be a really tough match, and they really took it to us at the breakdown, but I thought we weathered the storm really well. To come away with 40-odd points was an amazing result. The disappointment of the loss against the Brumbies has been felt across the entire squad, and has reminded us of the challenge that awaits us on Saturday. The intensity has really stepped up this week ahead of the first Test.

My old Ospreys teammate Shane Williams coming down was a real shock for all the media, but he’s a class player and there have been so many injuries in the backline – so it was great to have him down. We now have seven wingers and six

26 | June 21 2013 |

centres on tour, so it’ll be really competitive when we’re all fit and raring to go. I thought Simon Zebo was tremendous last week; he showed just how professional players can arrive and step straight up to the challenge.

More on the social side, things have improved since we got to Sydney – we’re not travelling so much and training was cut back a bit last week because of our injuries, so we’ve had a bit more downtime to get out and enjoy the area. A few guys went to the rugby league last week as well, and our social committee is still coming up with little things like that.

Having said that, the restaurant I talked about last week didn’t go down too well with the boys. It was meant to be a top-class steakhouse, but Crofty came back to inform me it was a steak and a pint for 10 dollars, so I don’t think the quality was too good. I think I have a fine coming...

The music side of things has changed a bit on the bus, too.

We have Alex Corbisiero with us now, who’s a great rapper, so himself and Simon Zebo had a rap-off the other day.

Alex came out winner, but him and Zeebs clearly have some talent. It’s certainly different – Matt Stevens and Jamie Roberts are probably a little bit disappointed, but the singing has taken a back seat to rapping and beatboxing. @TommyBowe14

©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

My lions diary

‘My hand is starting to resemble a normal hand

The State of British Tennis

With Roger Draper stepping down from his post as the head of British tennis in September, Sport looks at how the sport is faring – and what needs to happen next

“O

ur new vision for British tennis is ‘Winning’,” declared

the Lawn Tennis Association in October 2006. It took some time for Britain’s players to start sharing that vision, but the past two seasons have seen British players win the Junior Davis Cup, junior Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and the US and French Opens, Olympic gold and silver medals and the crowning glory: Andy Murray’s Grand Slam success in New York.

And yet, at last month’s French Open, there was not one British player left in the senior singles tournament when the second round began. Murray’s niggly back muscles were partly to blame for that, but the reality is that he remains a one-man band when it comes to playing in the latter stages of the sport’s biggest events.

It’s a reality that the governing body of British tennis and their outgoing chief executive Roger Draper have spent welldocumented piles of money on trying to alter since making their bold statement.

The company line has always been ‘it will take time’. But when participation figures were found to have fallen by 25 per cent last April, it looked as though the only movement made by British tennis had been in the wrong direction.

A year on, and the latest figures from Sport England show a slight rise in the numbers of people playing tennis. But it’s still not enough, say those who devote their every waking hour to the game. “Compare us to France,” says Judy Murray, the captain of Britain’s Fed Cup team, a tennis

coach for more than 30 years and bearer of Britain’s only Grand Slam singles champion since 1936. “We have a similar population, but they have a real culture of tennis.

So they have 10 times as many players, 10 times as many clubs and probably 20 times as many competitions – and they are an incredibly strong tennis nation.

“For us, tennis is very much a numbers game. We have to work hard at creating more places for people to play in order to attract new people into the game, and that means taking tennis into areas where perhaps it hasn’t been as accessible before.

There’s a big job to be done there. Over the past 20 years or so, we’ve lost a lot of park courts and school courts because they haven’t been used enough. The interest wasn’t there. Now we need to find a way to get them back, so that there are places for people to play that are both accessible and affordable.”

A wider net More players is also the cry coming from Martin Weston, men’s tennis manager at the LTA. His focus is on player development from the age of 12 upwards, and he’s in no doubt as to what would make his job easier.

“More players,” he says. “If you can create the critical mass, then you start to get into the luxurious part of a sport where you can have what I grandiosely refer to as ‘organic development’. We spend a lot of time trying to create players through good coaching, good talent identification, good strength and conditioning. But if you can get lots of

people competing with each other, then a certain amount of that takes place naturally.”

How to create that critical mass is the real head-scratcher, though. Facilities are key, says Murray – but not in isolation. “We need to make sure there’s also a workforce on the ground that can create activity at those facilities,” she explains. “Because the facilities on their own won’t get the job done – you need organisers. People who organise fun nights or come-and-try sessions, or even just open equipment boxes in public courts so people who don’t have their own rackets or balls can borrow them.”

When it comes to getting more rackets into more hands, however, Weston believes Britain’s needs go deeper than simply handing them out to people whose interest in the game has already been piqued.

“Tennis isn’t particularly accessible in Serbia, but they still knock out players,” he says. “I wouldn’t indulge myself with any excuse – it’s partly about getting the British public to fall in love with tennis, and that is a big challenge. It’s a challenge for every sport.

The British public, it seems, are in love with football. We want them to fall in love with tennis. Because, if they saw what I saw in the game, then they would flood to the parks where they can play, and more people would go for the initiatives we’re putting together to make the game more accessible.”

Sun, sea and lots of balls It’s also about doing the right things with the players who do come through the door.

Andy Murray spent two years training at a tennis academy in Barcelona during his formative years – and his chief supporter, Judy, remains pragmatic about the advantages of leaving Britain’s unsporting climate behind. >

Opportunity knocks

| June 21 2013 | 31

iStockphoto, James Jordan/Lawn Tennis Association, Julian Finney/Getty Images, Tony Marshall/Getty Images

The State of British Tennis

“The weather is a challenge for us in terms of setting up a big performance academy,” she explains. “We have to invest a lot in indoor facilities that are expensive.

The bulk of the tour is outdoors and on different surfaces, anyway. We’re one of the few countries that still has grass courts, but we don’t have a lot of clay. We’re better off sending our players to a warmer country on the continent, and allowing them to do their clay training over there.”

It’s not only the higher temperatures that can benefit British players, though, as Murray makes clear. “These successful overseas academies work on numbers. We need more and better players in our country to create more competitive training environments.

We currently don’t have nearly enough.

And when kids get to world-class level, it becomes even more obvious that there are so few. We should be aiming to get to a stage where we have a number of top-quality

performance centres in our country, so that we can bring our best players together.”

The numbers game Weston believes there are five elements that are essential to turning juniors with potential into successful seniors. “Facilities, excellent sparring, phenomenal strength and conditioning, a good tournament schedule and a really good coach,” he says. “There are some players who have been able to find those ingredients in this country, and we strive very hard – through our international high-performance centre network and our base programme at the National Training Centre – to provide them. That said, if those ingredients can’t be found, then I’ve got no problem working with overseas academies that are able to provide them.

“But you can’t take it for granted that those five things will collide with a talent.

People have thought they could buy a golden

ticket – that if it worked for Heather [Watson, who trained at the Bollettieri Academy in Florida] and Andy, then it will work for us.

But that’s not the case. There are as many examples of bad practice as there are good.

So we make sure the players are in the best possible programme, wherever that might be.”

If ‘more numbers’ is the phrase that both Murray and Weston return to most, ‘good coaching’ comes a close second. It’s an area Murray is a particular expert in.

“If we had more good coaches, we’d have more good players,” she says. “It’s that simple. In terms of getting to the top of the game, investment in the coaching workforce is absolutely crucial.”

It’s one area to which the incoming head of British tennis should pay close attention.

Indeed, Draper’s impending exit after more than seven years at the helm seems like a golden opportunity to renew efforts all round. With Murray at the peak of his powers, and Watson and Laura Robson showing signs of being able to compete at the highest level, Murray sees “a huge opportunity to grow the game”.

She is at pains to stress, however, that Draper’s replacement needs to be someone with the right intentions in order to capitalise on that opportunity.

“It’s one thing having great role models to get people interested in playing,” she says.

“But if you don’t have enough places to play or people to teach the game, then you’re not going to capitalise on what the role models bring. I hope whoever comes in will address the participation side, because you’re only ever as strong as your grassroots.”

The future’s bright (clockwise from top left): Kyle Edmund holds junior doubles titles at both the US and French Open, and was part of the squad that lifted the Junior Davis Cup – with Evan Hoyt and Luke Bambridge (both also pictured) – in 2011; 2009 US Open juniors champion Heather Watson; 2008 Junior Wimbledon winner and British number one Laura Robson

Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag Judy Murray and Martin Weston will lead GB’s under-18 teams at the Aegon International. To book tickets, visit www.aegoninternational.co.uk/ tickets or call 0844 581 3015

WIMBLEDON

“Matches swing very quickly”

By players, for players 18+ GAMBLEAWARE.CO.UK

| June 21 2013 | 33

WimbledonPaul 2013O’Connell The Boys

All change?

All pictures Getty Images

Last year’s Wimbledon titles went the way of the two most trophy-laden players in the game. Sport asks if anyone else stands a chance of getting their hands on the prizes this year

Novak Djokovic (SRB)

Andy Murray (GB)

Roger Federer (SUI)

David Ferrer (ESP)

Rafael Nadal (ESP)

Ranking 1

Ranking 2

Ranking 3

Ranking 4

Ranking 5

Wimbledon best

Wimbledon best

Wimbledon best

Wimbledon best

Wimbledon best

Winner: 2011

Final: 2012

Winner: 2003-07, 2009, 2012

Quarter finals: 2012

Winner: 2008, 2010

2012 result

2012 result

2012 result

2012 result

2012 result

Lost in semi finals

Lost in the final, and subsequently wept in front of the world

Won his seventh Wimbledon title, and 17th Grand Slam

Reached the quarter finals, where he lost to Murray

Lost to world number 100 Lukas Rosol in the second round

How’s your form?

How’s your form?

How’s your form?

How’s your form?

How’s your form?

The Serbian will arrive at Wimbledon with the bitter taste of his semi-final defeat to Rafael Nadal at the French Open still lingering. But the world number one had been on a four-match winning streak against top-four opposition until that loss and, with a 33-5 record so far this season, he remains the favourite to add to his tally of six Grand Slam titles (he’s won five of the past 10) at Wimbledon this summer.

Lifting the ridiculously large Queen’s trophy last weekend proved Murray has recovered from the back injury that kept him out of the French Open.

It also means the British number one has reached the final of the past three tournaments he’s played on grass, winning two of them.

The return of Nadal (who has won all three of their meetings at SW19) could prove one of the biggest obstacles to the Scot bringing a glorious end to that Fred Perry stat.

Last year’s champion won his warm-up event in Germany to end a 10-month title drought and stir echoes of a decade ago, when his first Wimbledon championship came a few weeks after a win on the same German courts. Hasn’t played much this year in a bid to preserve himself for the big events, but Federer hasn’t reached a slam final since winning here last year. With points to defend in SW19, the next fortnight is crucial if he is to remain in the top three.

Didn’t drop a set en route to his first Grand Slam final in Paris, but was outplayed by Nadal once he got there.

The 31-year-old is one of the most consistent players on the Tour, but is yet to reach the last four at Wimbledon.

This year should see him enjoy a slightly easier draw than normal thanks to his top-four ranking, giving the Spaniard a great opportunity to add at least a Wimbledon semi final to his CV.

Pretty damn good, as it goes.

Nadal’s four-hour, 37-minute epic against Djokovic in the French Open semi finals was rock-hard evidence that the Spaniard’s assault on the Grand Slams is far from over.

Winning a record eighth title on his favourite surface might not have eased all the doubts remaining over his fragile knees. But it proved that, when the prize is in front of him, the Spaniard will do whatever it takes to get his hands on it (and teeth into it). >

WIMBLEDON

Money back if Murray wins

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1 8 + T & C ’ S A P P LY. M A X R E F U N D £ 2 5 . G A M B L E A W A R E . C O . U K

| June 21 2013 | 35

All pictures Getty Images

Wimbledon 2013 The Girls

Serena Williams (USA)

Victoria Azarenka (BLR)

Maria Sharapova (RUS)

Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)

Sara Errani (ITA)

Ranking 1

Ranking 2

Ranking 3

Ranking 4

Ranking 5

Wimbledon best

Wimbledon best

Wimbledon best

Wimbledon best

Wimbledon best

Winner: 2002-03, 2009-10, 2012

Semi final: 2011, 2012

Winner: 2004

Final: 2012

Third round: 2010, 2012

2012 result

2012 result

2012 result

2012 result

2012 result

Defeated Agnieszka Radwanska in the final to win her fifth Wimbledon title

Beaten in the semis by Serena Williams – her sixth straight defeat against the mighty American

Knocked out in fourth round by 15th seed, Sabine Lisicki

Took Williams to three sets in the final, but lost

Lost in the third round. In one set of her defeat to Yaroslava Shvedova, she failed to win a single point

How’s your form?

How’s your form?

How’s your form?

How’s your form?

How’s your form?

Probably the most in-form player in the world right now. Williams won her 16th Grand Slam singles title in Paris earlier this month, to complete a stunning 12-month turnaround since her shock first-round defeat at the French Open last year.

Last year saw Williams win Wimbledon, Olympic gold, the US Open and the seasonending WTA Championships – a run that sends her into this year’s Wimbledon with a record of 74-3. Do not bet against this woman.

Started the season well, winning her second Grand Slam title in Australia and following that with a 16th WTA Tour title in Qatar (recording her first win over Serena Williams since 2009 in the final). An ankle injury then disrupted her season until the clay-court swing, where she reached her first French Open semi final before losing to Maria Sharapova. Considered one of the few women capable of beating Williams, but questions over her mental strength remain.

The Russian has reached five finals so far this year, and lost three of them to you-knowwho, including the recent French Open final. In fact, Sharapova’s record against Williams is dire – she’s won twice in their 16 meetings, and both of those came back in 2004. Her Wimbledon record has been inconsistent, too – she’s reached the final only once since lifting the trophy there as a 17-year-old.

Another final is within her powers, but even if she does make it, there are no prizes for guessing what will probably happen next.

Reached the quarter finals of both the Australian Open and French Open, the latter despite starting her claycourt season with early-round defeats (one of those coming to Britain’s Laura Robson in Madrid). Claims her favourite surface is grass, though, and that last year’s final – her first in a Grand Slam event – has given her the experience she needs to take her career to the next level and win one.

With losing records against the three women ranked above her, however, it would come as a surprise if it happened just yet.

Last season was Errani’s first one finishing in the top 10, and saw her reach her first Grand Slam final, at Roland Garros.

This season so far has not quite matched up to that, with the Italian exiting the Australian Open in the first round and falling in the semi finals in Paris, where Serena Williams swatted her aside in just 46 minutes. Ouch.

Wimbledon has thus far been her weakest Slam. But, seeded higher than she’s ever been in SW19 going into this year’s tournament, Errani has a chance to put that right.

FOLLOW GORAN IVANISEVIC

U N I B E T. C O . U K / S P O R T 2

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36 | June 21 2013 |

Advertising Feature

ArmchAir experts

Looking for some good value on the Lions tour of Australia or at this year’s Wimbledon?

Allow Unibet’s armchair experts, Gavin Hastings and Goran Ivanisevic, to help you find it

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The Lions are looking good for 2-1

Heart says Murray, head says Djokovic

T

ndy Murray looked fit and well at Queen’s, and I expect him to go mighty close to becoming the first Briton since 1936 to win the men’s singles title at Wimbledon.

Unibet offer the biggest price on Murray lifting the trophy at 15/4. They are also offering money back on losing bets should he win the tournament.

That seems more than fair!

No player can be at their best for every game, but Murray can win Wimbledon. He has the game and, since last year, the experience of winning a Grand Slam event and also Olympic gold on grass. But Novak Djokovic (17/10), Rafael Nadal (13/4) and Roger Federer (6/1) can all win it too.

My heart says Murray, but my head tells me Djokovic, while in the women’s draw the only person who can beat Serena Williams is Serena Williams.

If she is in the right frame of mind, she is unbeatable on grass – and Unibet are right in making her a short-priced favourite (2/5) to lift the women’s title.

Those looking for an outsider to follow during Wimbledon could do worse than follow my fellow Croat

he Lions have really impressed me in their warm-up games. They look competitive and there seems to an excellent team spirit. But it’s about to become a whole lot more difficult!

Warren Gatland has a squad of experience and exuberance, while captain Sam Warburton wanted to stay unbeaten throughout the tour – something Unibet originally priced up at 15/2. That can’t happen now, of course, but I liked the ambition.

It’s vitally important the Lions win the first Test. Unibet make the tourists 3/5 to win at the Suncorp Stadium tomorrow, with Australia at 29/20 and the draw at 20/1. But I reckon they are well-equipped to take this first Test and then kick on – they could easily win the series 3-0 (11/5), but I’d be happy with a 2-1 win (9/5). It’s no surprise that Unibet have the Lions as short-priced favourites to win the series at 4/7 (Australia 17/11).

I expect all three Tests to be close, but I see the Lions having it up front and in the kicking departments – two crucial areas. I can see tries, too – you can bet there are more than 5.5 Lions

A

tries in the three-Test series, and with Alex Cuthbert (15/4 to score most Lions Test tries) and George North both looking sharp, I expect that to happen.

Gavin Hastings is a Unibet armchair expert – read his views on the Lions tour of Australia at www.unibet.co.uk

Bet on who will win the series, and Unibet will return any losing bets (T&Cs apply) if the Lions win 3-0.

Open a new Unibet account now and get a 100% deposit bonus (up to £50). Visit www.unibet.co.uk/sport for more details

Marin Cilic. He made the final at Queen’s, and could be worth following in the early rounds.

I’m really looking forward to the next two weeks, and not just the tennis... I just love those strawberries!

Goran Ivanisevic is a Unibet armchair expert – read his views on Wimbledon at www.unibet.co.uk

Unibet are offering money back on Wimbledon outright bets if Andy Murray wins.

For details (and T&Cs) on Unibet’s 100% deposit bonus (up to £50), visit www.unibet.co.uk/sport2

| 37

Laura Robson

After securing the British number one spot, Laura Robson tells Sport she has her sights set on making a mark at her home Slam > | June 21 2013 | 39

Julian Finney/Getty Images

e e r h e t t h e a w b e m ’ o I g “ sta nt t g ” a n e i w I eat yon b ver e

Congratulations on making the British number one spot. What does it mean to you?

“Um, I don’t want to say ‘nothing’, but at the same time it hasn’t really changed anything for me. I’m just focusing on the same things that I did when I was number two.”

It must have boosted your confidence going into Wimbledon. though. How much do you look forward to playing there each year?

“Yeah, it’s my favourite tournament of the year. I live down the road, and I get to stay at home – so that’s nice. Especially because my mum’s been away for two months, so it will be nice to have some of her home-cooked food again.”

How much does that home support help?

“Loads. The more support you have, the better. I’m very lucky to have a home Slam, and it’s great to have so many people rock up to watch. I think all my matches last year were pretty full, which was cool, and we had the same kind of support during the Olympics. Hopefully, some people who hadn’t seen much tennis before the Olympics will come down and support.”

And maybe rename Murray Mound… er…

Robson Rise?

“When I played in the juniors, people were calling it ‘Robson Ridge’. But, then again, it’s not really a ridge. I’ll let someone else come up with a better name than me. I’m not imaginative enough.”

40 | June 21 2013 |

Greater support obviously adds pressure.

Are you comfortable handling that?

“Yeah, I just get on with it, do my own thing, and take it match by match, really. I think with my game style – playing aggressively – you always have to be pretty confident and go for your shots, or else it just doesn’t work.”

You’re a power player, but some people say your mobility around the court could be better. Is that something you’re conscious you need to improve?

“Yeah. Well, you always have to work on fitness and movement around the court, so I’ve been doing a lot of that this year – and it’s something I worked on in the off-season too. It can always get better, though, so I’m trying to work on it as much as I can.”

You’ve beaten some top players this year, but also gone out in the first round of some tournaments to much lower-ranked players.

Can you put a finger on why?

“There’s just less to lose when you play against big players, so you can just go out there and do your best. Even if you lose, it’s like: ‘But she was number four in the world.’

Having said that, I’m at the level now where I want to be beating everyone – if I don’t go into a match expecting to win, there’s no point.”

You’re 19. Is it annoying when people give you stick for losing when you’re so young?

“I tend not to pay much attention to it. All I try to do is play my best when I’m on the court,

Laura Robson

and sometimes that doesn’t happen. I think that’s pretty normal; you just have to learn as much as you can from every match and take it into the next tournament.”

You’ve started working with Miles Maclagan, who is Andy Murray’s former coach, on a temporary basis. What are the key things you’ve been focusing on with him?

“It’s always good to work on everything, and you can always improve on your strengths – but definitely on your weaknesses as well.

I was definitely focusing on consistency and shot selection. But, yeah – just general things, really.”

Mark Coughlan @coffers83 Laura Robson was introducing the new Steam 99S spin racket as part of Wilson’s grassroots programme

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

“I’m very lucky to have a home Slam.

And it’s great to have so many people rock up to watch”

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

SATURDAY > ATHLETICS | EUROPEAN TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS |

JUN 21-JUN 27 HIGHLIGHTS » Rowing: Samsung World Cup II » p46 » Boxing: Paul Malignaggi v Adrien Broner » p46 » Rugby League: Warrington Wolves v Wigan Warriors » p48 » Football: U20 World Cup – England v Iraq » p49 » Cricket: ICC Champions Trophy Final » p49

GATESHEAD INTERNATIONAL STADIUM | BBC ONE 2PM

Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Playing for points Gold medal-winning Olympians Greg Rutherford

team crowned European team champions and

and Mo Farah are donning their GB kit once again

the bottom three teams relegated from the

– in 2011 – with Russia taking top honours, Germany

this weekend, for the first major athletics meet to

Super League to the First League.

second and Ukraine pipping Britain to the podium

The GB squad finished fourth overall last time out

take place on UK soil since the London 2012 Olympics.

Along with Rutherford (pictured) and Farah (who

The European Team Championships pits a GB and

will go in the 5,000m), the GB and Northern Ireland

prove to be the star of the show, with Christophe

Northern Ireland team against squads from 11 other

team will include Olympic 400m silver-medallist

Lemaitre looking to repeat his sprint double of two

European nations across 20 different events,

Christine Ohuruogu, Olympic 800m finalist Andrew

years ago. The 22-year-old claimed the unpopular

with athletes scoring 12 points for a first-place finish,

Osagie, world 400m champ Dai Greene and double

scalp of Justin Gatlin over 100m in Rabat earlier this

11 points for second, and so on. At the end of the

European indoor champion Perri Shakes-Drayton,

month, where he ran 9.98s. He is capable of going

event, teams will be given a ranking, with the top

who has been named as GB team captain.

even quicker – his PB currently stands at 9.92s.

44 | June 21 2013 |

by just two points. But it's a Frenchman who could

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

7 Days Sunday Rowing | SamSung woRld Cup ii | Eton doRnEy | BBC two 11.30am

Back to the scene

Less than a year has passed since British rowing

Triggs-Hodge, Peter Reed and Alex Gregory)

enjoyed the greatest week in its history, but many

who steered the men's four to gold last summer.

of those who starred at London 2012 are set for a return to the waters of Eton Dorney this weekend.

The second World Rowing Cup meet of the

Both crews will expect to double up on Sunday, when the three-day event comes to a close, although the 27-year-old Glover has admitted to

year offers a chance for some of Team GB's new

feeling the pressure. "To go back after winning

combinations to build on the successes gained at

Olympic gold, you put yourself in a position where

the first regatta of the season, in Sydney in March.

you can only keep winning," she said in the build-up

That included an impressive victory for Olympic

to this weekend. "In terms of motivation, it comes

champion Helen Glover and her new partner Polly

partly from the expectation on me."

Swann (pictured) in the women's pair, not to

Great expectations, then, but in recent years that

mention a start-to-finish win for the men's eight –

has rarely been a problem for our nation's rowers.

a boat featuring three of the men (Andrew

Another gold rush looks likely this weekend.

Saturday Boxing | paul malignaggi v adRiEn BRonER | BaRClayS CEntER, nEw yoRk | Boxnation 2am

Big mouths strike again

Ahead of their clash this weekend, US welterweights Adrien Broner and Paul Malignaggi have doled out trash talk so tasteless it would make Mike Tyson blush. Broner bragged about his insider knowledge of one of his rival's ex-girlfriends (and things went downhill from there), while Malignaggi's pre-fight threats have included: “Don't let me drop you because I will lift up my skirt and p**s on you.”

Fortunately for Broner, there seems little chance of that fate befalling him this weekend. Malignaggi (pictured) is on a five-fight winning streak since his 2010 loss to Amir Khan, but the Brooklyn slickster is a notoriously light puncher and, at 32, is a little The much-hyped Broner – 23 years old and unbeaten in 26 fights – is leaping up two weight divisions, but he was an enormous lightweight and could well still be the stronger man in the ring.

He doesn’t quite have the savvy defence of his idol Floyd Mayweather, but Broner has fast hands and gets terrific torque on his punches. Even if Malignaggi can land on Broner early and cause him problems with his movement, Broner will likely catch up with him and finish this before the end.

46 | June 21 2013 |

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Matt King/Getty Images, Paul Thomas/Getty Images

past his best.

Rugby, Football, Netball, Basketball, Hockey, Cricket, you name it – From the time you sign off your confirmed playing kit order with us, we’ll deliver it to you within 6 weeks. If we don’t, we won’t charge you a penny. That’s how confident we are.

So isn’t it time your team had a high-quality, great-value kit, designed specially for them and made in Europe?

Offer applies only to playing kit; not training/warm up or pitchside wear and only applies if our terms of business are abided by, and order remains unchanged after it is signed off. Applies to all orders received, quoting this advert before 1st September 2013.

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7 Days MONday Rugby League | supeR League: waRRington woLves v wigan waRRioRs HaLLiweLL Jones staDiuM | sky spoRts 1 7.45.pM

Monday mauling One of the biggest Super League clashes of the season sees leaders Wigan take on third-placed Warrington at the Halliwell Jones Stadium on Monday evening.

The Warriors look imperious at the moment, having opened up a five-point gap at the top of the table. They have been grinding out the wins even when down on first-choice personnel, their 33-32 victory over Widnes in their previous fixture being a prime example. Wigan have won their past 13 matches, in fact – and with Sam Tomkins and Josh Charnley (pictured) in their

SUNday basebaLL | st Louis CaRDinaLs v teXas RangeRs | busCH staDiuM, st Louis | espn aMeRiCa 1aM

Cardinals flying high

ranks, they always feel they can rattle up the points.

This is, then, a must-win game for the Wolves if they have any chance of overhauling the Warriors. By their lofty standards, Warrington have been somewhat inconsistent in the first half of the season – but they’ve put together three good wins recently, including an 82-10 thumping of the London Broncos in their previous outing.

Veteran prop Adrian Morley, together with Garreth Carvell,

In a rematch of the 2011 World Series, the St Louis

Chris Hill and Ben Westwood, will be looking to test the

Cardinals host the Texas Rangers for a three-game

Warriors up front, where injuries have forced them to field some

interleague series that begins today (Friday).

of their young forwards. Versatile back Stefan Ratchford has

The Cardinals were victorious in 2011 and currently

really begun to fulfil his potential this season and, along with

boast the best record in the Major Leagues,

England scrum-half Richie Myler, will have to take every chance

capitalising on the superb form of starting pitchers

that comes his way if his side are to overcome Wigan.

Adam Wainwright and Shelby Miller (pictured).

When these two teams met in February, they could not

Wainwright has clocked up 10 wins, walking

be separated, the game at the DW Stadium ending 17-17.

just nine batters in 103 innings, while rookie

Expect another close contest, with home advantage perhaps

flamethrower Miller's 97mph fastball has been

favouring the Wolves.

blowing batters away all season. The Cardinals’ offense hasn't been a problem either, with catcher

Paul Thomas/Getty Images, Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images, Scott Halleran/Getty Images, Julian Finney/Getty Images, Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Yadier Molina and second baseman Matt Carpenter hitting for average and Carlos Beltrán adding power with 16 home runs.

The Rangers are slumping, swept by the Toronto Blue Jays last weekend and losing six games on the trot before halting the skid against divisional rivals the Oakland Athletics. They desperately need to rediscover some of their early-season form, which saw them dominate the AL West throughout May.

48 | June 21 2013 |

THURSDAY > GOLF | US WOMEN’S OPEN | SEBONACK GOLF CLUB, NEW YORK | SKY SPORTS 3 RED BUTTON 8PM

A stroll for Park?

There are stirrings in women's golf. Could it be that someone is going to win the Grand Slam of five (yes, five) Majors in a single season?

Inbee Park of South Korea is the best player in the world by some margin, and has already bagged the first two Majors of the year – the Kraft Nabisco and LPGA Championships. She will head to the US Women's Open at Sebonack Golf Club in New York as a hot favourite to make it three from three. While (as ever in golf) there are no certainties, it is hard to see her not being involved in the final-day shakedown.

Park won the US Women's Open in 2008, but it was last year that she really made her mark on tour – leading the money list after two victories and 10 further top-10s. This season she has three wins already, two of which are those two Major titles.

Sebonack will be a tough test. A links-style course, it has vast fairway bunkers and undulating greens. Hitting the ball close will be key, otherwise there will be three-putts aplenty – but Park's short game is the best on tour. Is she about to make history?

SUNDAY FOOTBALL | U20 WORLD CUP : ENGLAND v IRAq | AKDENIz UNIvERSITY STADIUM, ANTALYA BRITISH EUROSPORT 7PM

Golden generation?

SUNDAY CRICKET | ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY: FINAL | EDGBASTON | SKY SPORTS 1 10.30AM

You'd be hard pressed to find two teams going into the U20 World Cup in Turkey with more of a gulf

in optimism. England's failure at the Under-21 European Championships has thrown the youth set-up in this country into sharp relief – not only are the media knives sharpened, but they're also covered in Stuart Pearce's figurative blood.

England's under-20s, led by Peter Taylor, open with this game against Iraq on Sunday, with Chile and Egypt completing Group E. Iraq will likely include several of the names that narrowly missed out on taking the Asian U19 title last year, losing the final on penalties to South Korea. England's squad includes Liverpool's Jon Flanagan and Southampton's James Ward-Prowse among the most experienced names, while

Final throw

Tottenham fans will keep an eye on Harry Kane (pictured).

Cricket is a curious beast.

a Test championship. However, it

The 50-over World Cup is a

seems a shame to lose such a

tedious, cumbersome animal

highly competitive tournament

that – in its last incarnation –

that has thrived at times, despite

started on February 19 and

the best efforts of the typical

finished in (no joke) April. In

British ‘summer’.

contrast, the ICC Champions

The final takes place this

Trophy has been a short, sharp,

Sunday and, without knowing

eight-team tournament wherein

who's in the final (let's assume

every match has seemed to have

India and probably – lord knows

something riding on it.

– Canada?), we can tell you that

And yet this is the competition

Peter Cockroft and his weather-

that will apparently be axed. It's

analysing buddies have

understandable, given the ICC's

predicted a 50 per cent chance

commitment to encouraging

of precipitation in Birmingham.

cricket among the non-Test-

Let's just hope that the rain

playing countries, not to mention

holds off and this enjoyable

the long-planned introduction of

competition gets a worthy finale. | 49

ExtrA tiME

P60 Brad Pitt chops up zombies.

With an axe.

Lad

Making the most of your time and money

Gadgets

Coffee shop computing MacBook Air

Coming soon to a Starbucks near you, the revamped MacBook Air keeps the same slender form, but now boasts beefed-up innards including quicker flash storage and new Intel processors.

The headline feature on both the 11-inch and 13-inch models is improved battery life – up to nine and 12 hours respectively.

So you can nurse that skinny hazelnut decaf latte all day, if you’re so inclined.

From £849 | apple.com/uk

Bowers & Wilkins 805 Maserati Edition

“I wish my speaker system looked more like an Italian sportscar,” said no one, ever.

Still, the Maserati edition of Bowers & Wilkins’ well-regarded 800 Series Diamond speaker range comes in polished maple and black leather, and would be a lovely addition to any living room (or garage).

Autumn | bowers-wilkins.co.uk 50 | June 21 2013 |

Fairphone

Coltan is an elusive mineral used to make smartphone batteries.

Some 80 per cent of it is found in DR Congo – and, sadly, the workers who extract it aren’t always treated the way they should be. Fairphone, the world’s first ethical smartphone, looks to change that by using only responsibly sourced minerals and components. Terrific. £277 | fairphone.com

Pentax K-50

SLR cameras tend to be dull in appearance, usually coming in a range of colours ranging from black to dark black. However, the weather-resistant Pentax K-50 is different. It is available in 120 different colour combinations with Pentax’s colour-to-order service. We’ve opted for a thrilling mixture of deep, serious black, and elegant, classy black.

From £529 | pentax.co.uk

Orbitsound M10 Lx

Space is at a premium in ever more cramped urban living areas. We actually live in the box that our TV came in, so the Orbitsound M10 LX is perfect for us – its sleek design is just nine centimetres square in cross section, and beams perfect sound from television or phone throughout our hovel without tearing the cardboard. £249 | currys.co.uk

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

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

ET

Kit

SERVICE WITH A SMILE

Wimbledon begins this weekend, so we asked Paul Hooper at Pro-Direct Tennis to talk us through the best rackets on the market – all available at www.prodirecttennis.com

Head YouTek Graphene Speed MP 16/19

Head YouTek IG Radical MP

£147.99 Novak Djokovic’s weapon of choice, the Head YouTek Graphene Speed is designed for players who hit the ball hard and love to generate spin.

YouTek technology infuses d3o smart material (which locks together on racket impact ) into the shaft for a softer touch and feel.

£135.99 British hopes at SW19 rest firmly on the shoulders of Andy Murray (again) – and his Head. His Head YouTek IG Radical MP racket, to be precise. This model is ideal for creative players who enjoy varying their shot selections.

Prince EXO3 Tour

£134.99 Designed with a large hitting zone, the Prince EX03 Tour gives players of all standards an opportunity to hit better shots more often. Spaniard David Ferrer used it to reach his first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros earlier this month.

Wilson Pro Staff Six One 100 BLX

£139.99 Used by arguably the greatest player of all time, Roger Federer's Wilson Pro Staff Six One delivers maximum control for players who demand precision. The racket is engineered with AmpliFeel technology for a better feel through the grip.

Babolat AeroPro Drive GT

£151.99 Known for helping generate power and topspin, the Babolat AeroPro helped Rafael Nadal win his eighth French Open a couple of weeks ago. Its Cortex Dampening System gives players a more accurate feel for the ball via a new handle construction.

52 | June 21 2013 |

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ET

Dove Men+Care Fresh Awake

Named after the two things we rarely ever are first thing in the morning, Dove’s new shower gel features Micromoisture technology that is clinically proven to fight skin dryness more effectively than regular men’s body wash. Dove even spell it out in capitals, so you know it’s good – as is its ultra-light formula, which rinses off easily. £2.80 for 250ml | boots.com 54 | June 21 2013 |

Grooming

Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo

Acqua di Parma’s Blu Mediterraneo “transports you to the crystal clear water and scented surroundings of the Italian Med”, they say. Great, then, if you can’t afford a holiday this summer.

We’ve chosen the shower gel based on the Mirto di Panarea fragrance, which also contains vitamin E to help prevent signs of ageing as well as moisturising skin. £26 for 200ml | selfridges.com

FRESH AS A DAISy

Wait. No one has used that term for 50 years – and even then, it was only little girls with blonde ringlets. Man up with one of these

Nivea Men Power Refresh

One to awaken the senses “for men who want extra freshness”, say Nivea. And, let’s face it, we could all do with more of that. Especially when it comes packed full of menthol, watermint and Hydra IQ, which helps support the skin’s own natural moisturisation. Time to give yourself a power shower in every possible sense of the word. £3.50 for 250ml | nivea.co.uk

Fish SportFish Hair, Face, Body

The grooming equivalent of the onesie, except you will look and feel anything but a douche when you’ve stepped out from under the shower. Developed by the Fish salon in Soho, it includes wheat proteins for glossy hair and conditioned skin, and comes lightly fragranced with coconut and vanilla.

Not a bad prefix for a Fish, either. £3.99 for 250ml | boots.com

Radox Men Mint+Tea Tree

Sport’s renowned for taking our time in the bathroom, but even we can’t match Radox’s 100 years of experience blending natural herbs and minerals.

They’ve put that time and effort into an invigorating mix of mint and tea tree here, and they’ve also crammed it into their Orange+Tea Tree, Lemon+Tea Tree, Watermint+Sea Minerals and Lime+ Ginger flavours. £2.05 for 250ml | boots.com

I Coloniali Regenerating

Is there an iPhone app that delivers content so rich and thoroughly cleansing as this?

We’ve had a go (download it free from the app store now, if you like), but I Coloniali’s effort – with calmskin phytoagent and white willow bark extract to soften and soothe – is still the only i-something we’ll be taking into the bathroom. £12 for 200ml | marksandspencer. com/beauty

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

ONLY THE BEST GET BETTER WITH AGE

NEW

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*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.

Advertising Feature

we have the tec Thinner Than a Surgeon’S Scalpel

Men’S beard hair growS faSTer

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Touch’s blades are that thin –

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that means they help reduce

say they have sensitive skin

than women’s underarm or leg hair

pull on facial hair, a leading

S

source of skin discomfort

port is no bionic man. But we do have the tools to make us feel like we’re worth $6m: and they’re all part of our grooming regime.

Those tools are the very ones we use in the everyday tasks that we rarely think twice about when we’re making ourselves presentable. Because there is a lot of science and a wealth of sophistication behind the simplicity that powers some of Britain’s best-loved grooming products.

In fact, we can count on a major global research and development centre devoted to honing the technology and precision engineering that make our grooming regimes a simple pleasure.

This centre is part of the strongest innovation and expansion plan in the history of P&G – the driving force behind the grooming fixtures featured on these very pages. And now they are lifting the lid on the stats, facts and science behind your style. Take the Gillette Fusion ProGlide, for example. It was tested by more than 30,000 men before it was launched. And that is exactly where we begin...

20,000 shaves a year are observed by P&G at their research and innovation facilities

56 | June 21 2013 |

6 Million hairS A Braun shaver will, on average, cut a total of 6 million hairs over a period of just 18 months

300cM2 That’s the area men

64MM per MonTh

cover per shave.

That’s the rate at which a

Over 60 years, that’s

man’s beard grows

the equivalent to the surface of two tennis courts

1,000

5 Billion

Dry beard hair can be as strong as copper wire, and is 1,000 times stiffer than skin.

Here is where science meets logic, then, with Gillette’s largest and most advanced Lubrastrip – part of the Fusion ProGlide SilverTouch – ensuring effortless razor glide. In fact, we consider the razor to be our bionic arm. It delivers an exceptionally close shave with less irritation, even on the most sensitive areas of the face – including the neck and jawline.

Gillette Fusion ProGlide SilverTouch Power | RRP* £14

That’s how many calculation steps the foils of the Braun Series 3 and Series 7 shavers took to design, and all so that pressure distribution across the surface is optimised in order to capture more hairs, while still being gentle on your face. It’s the perfect product for men who don’t shave over the weekend and find the Monday-morning stubble a particular challenge. Only thing is, it almost certainly works harder than you: within 18 months, it will have sliced through more than six million hairs.

It will not, however, cost you six million dollars.

Braun Series 3-380 shaver | RRP* £139.99

chnology 1969

Your humble grooming regime is at the forefront of scientific innovation.

Fact is, you’re probably the closest you will ever be to becoming a bionic man

PROTEIN

78 PER CENT

Our bodies need protein for growth and

An abundance of zinc pyrithione in

Oral B became the

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head&shoulders makes it 78 per cent

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travel to the moon

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when a number were

A healthy, balanced diet is essential

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Gum problems are the

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caused by dandruff

for tooth loss in people

has a direct impact

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on hair quality:

in the UK

scratching can

That’s how much more

damage the

plaque an electric

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toothbrush will remove when compared with a manual one

OPTIMISE Nioxin cleanses, optimises and treats your hair, making it look and feel thicker so you can make the most of what you have

Designed after seven years of research, the TriZone has been developed to feel like a manual toothbrush but with the cleaning power of an electric one. Much like infrared vision or a zoom eye lens, the innovative technology behind the brush lies in the head – the brush head, to be precise. Currently, Oral B tells us, 75 per cent of people in the UK brush incorrectly. This electric toothbrush negates this, removing up to 100 per cent more plaque compared to a manual toothbrush, no matter how it is deployed.

Oral B TriZone 5000 toothbrush | rrP* £199.99

50 Per cenT Thinning hair affects 50 per cent of people and, not surprisingly, causes stress. Relax yourself and your bionic brain, then, because Nioxin’s Scalp Revitaliser is a lightweight conditioner that increases hair resilience and controls moisture balance. It also strengthens against damage and breakage. Guaranteed to leave you with fuller, thicker-looking hair that will have you puffing out your super-strength chest with bionic pride. nioxin scalp revitaliser | 300ml rrP* £19.99

1 in 2 men That’s how many of us suffer from an itchy scalp caused by dandruff at some point in our lifetimes.

But, because head&shoulders have been around a lot longer than most of us (they started making serious inroads into scalp and hair science in 1950, since you ask), they have the knowledge to offer a solution: their Itchy Scalp 2in1 edition is rich in zinc pyrithione as part of its HydraZinc formula, making it a potent weapon in tackling the cause of dandruff and helping prevent itchy, flaky scalp. head&shoulders itchy scalp 2in1 shampoo | rrP* £2.79 for 225ml/£4.99 for 450ml

| 57

*RRP and pricing at the sole discretion of the retailer

7 years

er ario Barb

ication/M

Apix Synd

58 | June 21 2013 |

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| 59

ET

Entertainment

NighT oF ThE liviNg ZED

Brad Pitt tackles hyperactive zombies in World War Z, while Iain Banks leaves us with a much-anticipated parting gift

Film

Book

The Quarry Iain Banks

It’s high times for zombies right now.

They have branched out from horror and into comedy, drama and now this: a bigbudget action-thriller starring alongside Brad Pitt. World War Z gets off to a running start, with the zombie pandemic hitting in the first five minutes, but the film ups the tension by keeping the undead off-screen early on while panic sets in. When they do show up, they are less the shuffling creeps of yore and more the super-charged sprinters of

Blu-ray

Foxy Brown

‘A chick with drive, who don’t take no jive’ is the sell on this 1974 blaxploitation classic. The plot is a hoary (forgive the pun) old tale of sexy Pam Grier going undercover as a hooker in order to gun down crooks. It’s knowing, campy fun, but the underlying message that pimps were nefarious heels rather than cool antiheroes represented a new turn for the genre. Right on!

Out Monday 60 | June 21 2013 |

28 Days Later. Pitt plays a former UN worker who grudgingly leaves his family in order to trace the outbreak’s source.

This takes him from the US to South Korea, Israel and even Wales via some spectacular set-pieces – including the so-called ‘zekes’ storming Jerusalem like giant, angry ants, and a stunning plane sequence that makes you realise there are worse things even than flying Ryanair.

It all adds up to a tasty, super-scale addition to the zombie canon.

Out today

Exhibition

The Many Faces of David Bowie Opera Gallery

If you can’t face the V&A queues but haven’t yet had your fill of Bowie in 2013, this new exhibition at London’s Opera Gallery offers an eclectic range of portraits created by modern artists. Works on show include Bowie’s mush crafted from over 9,000 painted test tubes and a monochrome take on Ziggy Stardust (above).

Opens today

Film

Before Midnight

Music

The third in Richard Linklater’s cult film series, Before Midnight – like its predecessor – catches up with the tricky, ongoing romance between Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and his French flame Celine (Julie Delphy) after a nine-year gap. It may just be two people walking and talking, but this is a series brimful of wit, charm and intelligence. More in 2022, please.

Out today

Sistronix Deap Vally

Californian duo Deap Vally take the White Stripes route of fuzzy guitar riffs, generous hooks and snarled, urgent vocals.

This debut album is packed with short, sharp examples; the retro throb of Lies being foremost.

The two girls may have met in a crochet class (really), but there’s nothing at all flowery about this stripped-back, dirty blues-rock.

Out next Monday

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The London Police, All hail Sir David of Bowie

World War Z

The author’s death earlier this month at age 59 casts a shadow over the release of this, his final novel. It’s a bitter irony that Banks was unaware that he had terminal cancer when he began writing this story of Guy: a man dying of cancer, as seen through the eyes of his precocious teen son. While the subject matter is bleak, intrigues arise when Guy’s friends arrive and buried secrets are dug up. One of Banks’ gifts is that he was a master storyteller who could wow critics as well as enthral readers. We should just be grateful that he’s left us with one last, darkly delicious treat.

Out now

SOMETHING WITTY AND CLEVER. WRITE YOUR OWN HEADLINE TO WIN A JERSEY SIGNED bY WILL GREENWOOD. PRESENTED bY

JERSEYS VS HAPPINESS.

THE EFFECT OF JERSEYS ON JEALOUSY.

10

4 3.5 3 Happiness

2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0

5

0

1 2

Before competition

After competition

3 Length of time jersey worn (in hours)

4 Jealous friends

JERSEYS INCREASE HUGS.

% OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO WIN A JERSEY.

0 1 2 % of people who want to win a signed jersey Hugs from random Lions fans

3

% of people who do not want to win a signed jersey

Before competition

Microsoft Ambassador, Former British & Irish Lion and RWC Winner, Will Greenwood has signed five Lions shirts for our competition, and one of them could be all yours.

All you have to do is pick your favourite graph from our advertising campaign and write your own clever headline for it. Then simply share it on Twitter with #LionsOffice365. For full details on how to enter, plus all the previous graphs, go to microsoft.co.uk/graphingthegame

#LionsOffice365

After competition

WIN A JERSEY SIGNED

BY WILL GREENWOOD. JUST PICK A GRAPH AND WRITE YOUR OWN HEADLINE. PRESENTED bY

Microsoft Ambassador, Former British & Irish Lion and RWC Winner, Will Greenwood has signed five Lions shirts for our competition, and one of them could be all yours.

All you have to do is pick your favourite graph from our advertising campaign and write your own clever headline for it. Then simply share it on Twitter with #LionsOffice365.

For full details on how to enter, plus all the previous graphs, go to microsoft.co.uk/graphingthegame

#LionsOffice365