Sport magazine 326 by Sport Magazine

Issue 326 | October 11 2013

On a knife edge. 1 to 11: the factors to decide whether England will make the World Cup cut.

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Contents Issue 326, October 11 2013 Radar 05 The Book of Mod A stellar 2012 duly celebrated in The Official Bradley Wiggins Opus

06 Four Four Jew The exhibition charting the historic links between Judaism and football

08 Polar Ben We speak to the man repeating Scott’s trek to the South Pole – only this lad’s hoping to return alive

1 1 Big-screen adventures Film festival showcases the antics of thrillseekers across the globe oFeatures this coming week

Destination Brazil Two qualifiers in five days could see England make the World Cup. We answer 11 crucial questions

18 Buda Mendes/Getty Images, Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images, Warren Little/Getty Images

Andrew Strauss On Alastair Cook’s captaincy, the relationship between players and media... and Kevin Pietersen

34 Jonathan Sexton

From Leinster to Paris via a Lions series in Australia – the Ireland fly half reflects on a busy summer

40 Daniel Negreanu One of poker’s biggest stars. He already knows what’s in your hand

Extra Time 52 Gadgets

Find out what stole off with the plaudits at the recent T3 Awards

54 Kit Canterbury have launched a new England rugby top – we take a look

56 Entertainment Benedict Cumberbatch as Julian Assange: creepier than the original

60 Grooming Catching a train at St Pancras? Get there early and have a wet shave | October 11 2013 | 03

Radar

p06 – Four Four Jew: Judaism and football at the Jewish Museum

p08 – Great Scott! Ben Saunders aims for the South Pole on foot

Tour Tome A

celebration of a heroic summer, The Official Bradley Wiggins Opus covers the Modfather of cycling’s historic Tour de France win and his Olympic Time Trial victory at London 2012. It unfolds over 360 leather-bound pages of photographs – many of which are previously unpublished – by Team Sky photographer Scott Mitchell and commentary from Wiggo himself. “We had an idea, me and Scott, that we should do a book covering the photos he’d done with me in the race and in the room and stuff,” Wiggins explains. “And then, because 101 was my race number and I won the Tour, this is how it ended up. Most of this is Scott’s work. I was just the bloke on the bike.” The Special Edition (£1,199) is limited to 101 copies and includes a piece of one of Wiggo’s Maillot Jaunes from 2012. The Signed Edition (£599) is limited to 300 copies, complete with a scribble from the man himself, and the Classic Edition (£199) is for cycling fans who would rather spend silly money on their own two wheels. www.wiggoopus.com | October 11 2013 | 05

Radar

Four Four Jew T

he ‘Y’ word has been in the news again, at the centre of a debate over whether Tottenham fans should still use it self-referentially. Even David Cameron has commented on the issue, although he does comment on absolutely everything. Those interested in the roots of the relationship between Judaism and football should check out the brilliantly named Four Four Jew exhibition at the Jewish Museum in London. It brings together a host of revealing memorabilia, including matchday programmes from the 1960s, showing how clubs like Arsenal would cater for their large Jewish support by rescheduling games. It also reveals how, by embracing differences in culture, football actually helped migrants integrate into local society – a timely lesson for Mr Cameron, perhaps. Open until February, jewishmuseum.org.uk

There’s a running joke in the Sport office about how to write best-selling sports books. Pick a random sport, a country and a vehicle at random, and before you know it you’ll be cycling in Rwanda, playing cricket in Cuba or managing a national football team on a Pacific Island (all real books). Some of those crazy adventurers, plus respected journalists and former pros, will come together for the first ever London Sports Writing

06 | October 11 2013 |

Festival next week, when they will give a series of talks on topics ranging from what makes a good sports book (the ol’ sport/country/vehicle combo) to Leo Messi. Speakers include Wales rugby captain Sam Warburton, Wisden editor Lawrence Booth, the prolific Jonathan Wilson and dozens of others from around the sporting world. October 17-20. Find out more and book tickets, from £10, at londonsportswritingfestival.com

Jewish Museum

Sport talks

Radar

Poles apart Intel will be powering Ben’s trip with its groundbreaking 4th generation Intel Core processor technology

Food “We’re eating 6,000 calories a day. It’s pretty high-tech – it’s all freeze-dried to save weight and we have a stove that burns liquid fuel. I think Scott’s men were eating just under 4,000 calories a day; they weren’t aware of things like vitamin C then, so scurvy was a big issue. They were, I would imagine, pretty malnourished for their whole journey, so there’s a huge difference there.”

the sledges are the easier our life is. The skis and ski poles are carbon fibre, too. Scott and his men were dragging wooden sleds and tin boxes and wooden crates and things – it was a different world.”

Clothes “In a lot of ways it hasn’t changed a lot – the clothing system is still layers of clothing with a fairly baggy windproof outer, and we still have fur round the hoods of the jackets. We cut the labels out of our clothes and cut the metal tabs off our zips and replace them with cords to save weight. Things like zips and Velcro would have been unimaginable to Scott. We’ve also got polarised lenses – they change according to the light, so that means the risk of snow blindness to us is trivial, whereas for Scott it was a huge concern. They were all suffering.“

Communication Kit “The sledges are about 200 kilos each – most of that’s food, and then the fuel is the next big chunk of weight. They’re carbon fibre – we’re obsessed about saving weight, because obviously the lighter

“I think that’s really the biggest difference. We‘re a very high-tech 21st-century expedition. We have a little wi-fi hotspot that sits in the sledge and, in the tent itself, we have two Ultrabooks – very small, very lightweight, high-powered laptops.

Dyer StraitS S

ince Sir Bobby Robson died in 2009, hundreds of thousands of pounds have been raised in his honour for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation. A new auction is trying to break the £1m barrier, and a host of sportspeople have donated prizes. You can win a pair of boots worn and signed by Jose Mourinho, a signed (and probably not worn) pair from Shinji Kagawa and, brilliantly, a trip for three to El Clasico with Kieron Dyer. As long as he doesn’t get injured on the way. Find out more at sirbobbysbreakthrough.com

08 | October 11 2013 |

Every evening in the tent we’ll be blogging and making videos to send back. Someone asked a while ago: “Would Captain Scott be tweeting?” Actually, if you look at Scott and [polar explorer Sir Ernest] Shackleton and all these explorers, they were all passionate storytellers. They all recorded their stories as best they could [in letters and diaries], and shared them in the media of that age. We use the computers for entertainment, too. As a reward for really bad days we can watch a movie. Maybe I’ll take the last series of Breaking Bad. Nothing too addictive, though.”

History not repeating “We have a safety net that obviously didn’t exist for Scott 100 years ago – aviation. We’re never out of reach of being picked up if anything does go wrong. It is still an extraordinarily remote place – it’s the same size as China and India put together, and it is pretty much uninhabited. Luckily for us dogs are now banned from Antarctica – they were blamed for introducing a virus there – so there’s no danger of us being beaten to it by a dog sled team! But physically, mentally and technologically, it’s a journey that is still at the very limits of what is possible.”

Ben Radford /Allsport, Bryn Lennon/Getty Images, Hulton Archive/Getty Images, Central Press/Getty Images

century ago, Captain Robert Scott and his team perished on their return journey from the South Pole after being beaten there by a Norwegian team using dog sleds. This week, adventurer Ben Saunders is setting off to do what Scott couldn’t and complete the trek to the South Pole and back along the same route – something that has still never been done successfully on foot. He talked us through how the challenges he faces will differ from Scott’s.

Radar

Mikey Schaefer, Mark Fisher/fishercreative.com 2012

Walking on the moon

ake a walk on the wild side this month, by going to the cinema and watching other people risk their lives while you wolf down snacks and soft drinks. The Thrillseekers Adventure Film Festival is a six-week celebration of all things dangerous, with three programmes of films covering things like tightrope walking in

Moonwalk (pictured, top) and exploring the way extreme athletes across the world have embraced the mountains in Way of Life (bottom). Still, nothing beats the adrenaline rush of almost choking on a piece of popcorn. Screenings around the UK start on Monday and run until the end of November: adventurefest.co.uk

| October 11 2013 | 11

Radar Editor’s letter Hands up: who wants to go to the World Cup? www.sport-magazine.co.uk @sportmaguk facebook.com/sportmagazine

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Final throw of the dice Failure to make the World Cup would spell the very end for the golden generation that never was

Acting editor Tony Hodson @tonyhodson1

golden generation of English footballers – or what’s left of it – will survive for one last hurrah in Brazil next summer. There never was a golden generation, though. There were two very capable groups of England players that emerged some years apart and then, for a short time, overlapped. The first featured the Manchester United trio of David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville, not to mention a youthful Michael Owen. In time, they were joined by Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard, Ashley Cole, John Terry, Frank Lampard and, of course, Wayne Rooney. Few remain, at least in the England set-up – and, in our cover feature this week, one of the questions we ask is who of Roy Hodgson’s current squad might face the end of the road should the unthinkable happen and the national team fail to qualify for Brazil. It’s an interesting debate, but for now I hope and pray it proves purely theoretical. A superb Super League Grand Final has put rugby league firmly front of mind in timely fashion, with a World Cup but

two weeks away. Congratulations should go to Wigan, who achieved the rare feat of a Challenge Cup/Grand Final double – and to Blake Green, who recovered from an early thump from Ben Westwood to put in a stunning display and waltz off with the Harry Sunderland Trophy. “Stopping down after a whack in his eye... he needs to get up and carry on,” said a gloriously unsympathetic Shaun Wane, the Wigan coach, afterwards. “He said he couldn’t see anything out of his eye. But in big games like that I expect him to carry on – and he did, got man of the match, did some good things. But I do expect it, if I’m honest with you.” The words ‘old school’ don’t even begin to cover it. People who have been to Paris for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe tell me it is one of the great occasions in sport. Well, last Sunday the famous old race enjoyed a winner worthy of the event when superstar filly Treve destroyed a world-class field in spectacular style. She may never race in England, but her French trainer Criquette Head-Maarek is an engaging character who has already confirmed that she stays in training next season. The sport may have found itself an heir to the mighty Frankel.

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here’s no need to bang on about it too much, so I won’t. But the next ﬁve days of international football will determine whether or not the infamous

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Flats on Friday

David Lyttleton

Radar Opinion

No smoke without bluster

he hysteria surrounding Jack Wilshere’s cheeky ciggy made me chuckle. There were some who questioned whether a professional sportsman ought to get away with such behaviour, while others wrote and tweeted about sporting legends who’d thrived on 60 a day. Actually, both sides had a point. In professional rugby, there’s a lot of pressure: pressure when the team is picked, pressure when the game arrives, pressure when you celebrate. I have one rugby buddy who doesn’t party in public at all. The last time he did, he was snapped and splattered all over the shop, looking blurry-eyed and, to some, unworthy of his status and salary. It became a risk to let his guard down, so now he has regular house parties, never daring to finish a night in a club for fear of smartphone cameras. What he hasn’t done, though, is stop partying altogether. Along with most pros, he feels he occasionally needs some release – and if it takes a few jars to achieve that, then a few jars it is. Footballers get a load more cash for their pains, but endure about a thousand times the pressure. Imagine being photographed every time you’re out with your mates. Imagine people automatically hating you because you play for the ‘wrong’ team. Imagine someone telling your boss via a national newspaper how drunk you got on Saturday, then showing them the pictures. However, because they

14 | October 11 2013 |

earn so much, people seem less sympathetic. To me, this is a nonsense. They are just lads who are good at footie, whatever their take-home. The justified question, I think, is on health: why would a sportsman damage himself by smoking? I have played with plenty of blokes who enjoyed a fag after training, and plenty who smoke the odd one after a few pints. I even tried it myself once or twice, but never really enjoyed it. A cigarette every so often will do very little harm, but it surely won’t help at all when it comes to exercising your lungs, so it seems a stupid thing to do. As a senior pro, all you want is for young lads to listen to your advice and avoid the mistakes you made. Some realise early on that their bodies are what will keep them at the top, so they commit to never doing a thing to compromise that vehicle. No booze, no fags, no white bread – you get the point. Others do the reverse, using temporary notoriety and disposable income to large it by night, impressing women and bystanders along the way. For me, neither approach works regularly enough. For the vast majority of professionals, there has to be a balance. They have to work like stink and perform, but they also have to let go sometimes. Old Jack shouldn’t really be smoking outside London bars, but he should be allowed to party a bit. After all, he’s just a lad. @davidflatman

It’s like this… Bill Borrows

egular readers of this column – yep, you two – will be astonished to find me lavishing praise on a Manchester United player. But it does look like they have a major talent on their hands in the form of 18-year-old Adnan Januzaj. Comfortable on the ball, assured and technically gifted, he could be one part of the answer when the RooneyVan Persie partnership inevitably dissolves/implodes. One thing that makes this potentially distressing situation almost palatable is that a flash-in-the-pan performance, particularly from a young striker, is no guarantee of anything – and United should know that more than any other team. ‘The New George Best’ is a label that has been around since Peter Coyne made his debut for another struggling United team in 1975. Never heard of him? Exactly. A schoolboy international who scored two hat-tricks for England, he eventually made just two appearances for United before dropping into non-league and washing up at Swindon. There have been many more since – most recently Federico Macheda, who exploded on the scene in 2009 with match-winning performances against Aston Villa and then, peculiarly enough, Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. He’s most recently been on loan at Doncaster. Despite David Moyes telling the gentlemen of the fourth estate that “this club will keep his feet on the ground because that is what we do”, there is, in reality, little he can do. And it’s not just United. Every club has its young stars who fail to fulfil their potential for a whole host of factors: too much too young; too much expectation; and, unavoidably but most tragic of all, injury. For every Wayne Rooney, there are 10 Wayne Harrisons. Boys with it all who end up with nothing. When Liverpool paid £250,000 to take Harrison from Oldham in 1985, he became the world’s most expensive teenager – but through rank bad luck and a series of injuries needing more than 20 operations, he retired from the professional game aged 22, with no appearances for Liverpool. He ended up turning out in the Stockport and District League, including once against yours truly. I was assigned to mark him, he scored two in the first five minutes and gave me the most torrid morning of my admittedly piss-poor amateur football career, before scoring another three and being substituted because he had to go to work. My point? That, as with Januzaj, potential is nothing more than potential until it is realised. @billborrows

Plank of the Week

Lewis Hamilton, Japan “I feel for the fans [today] because I remember watching when Michael Schumacher was winning,” opined Hamilton while referencing the merciless domination of Formula 1 by Sebastian Vettel. “I remember watching the start, going to sleep, then waking up when it ended because I already knew what would happen.” So that’s what’s happening. Can I suggest a can of Red Bull? Oh!

Frozen in time

Scott Heavey/Getty Images

Splat! “Tony’s got more chance of winning the Euromillions than beating me... I’ll prove with my fists that I’m the better man with the bigger balls... October 5 should be renamed Fireworks Night because I’ll be letting off some big rockets, straight at Tony Owen’s chin!” They were the words of Danny Connor before last weekend’s Southern Area Light Welterweight Championship. And then Tony Owen punched him hard on the nose and all those words went up in smoke. Who’d be a trash-talker, eh?

16 | October 11 2013 |

| 17

World Cup

This is England. From 1 to 11: the puzzles that need solving on the Three Lionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; World Cup quest

18 | October 11 2013 |

ngland’s footballing history is littered with unfortunate goalkeeping tales. In 1970, food poisoning robbed Alf Ramsey of Gordon Banks for a World Cup quarter final against West Germany, with unfortunate replacement Peter ‘The Cat’ Bonetti at fault for one of three goals the Germans scored in knocking out the defending champions. In 2007, with doubts over the form of Paul Robinson, then manager Steve McClaren opted to throw Scott Carson into the Three Lions’ den for a decisive European Championship qualifier at home to Croatia; a nervous Carson duly dropped a clanger in another 3-2 defeat, which dumped England out and left the head coach up the creek with nothing but an oversized umbrella to protect him. And, in 2010, Fabio Capello inexplicably refused to name his first-choice keeper until the day of England’s opening World Cup match against the United States. An unnecessarily intense focus on the eventual chosen one, Rob Green, must surely have played a part in the howler that gifted the opposition a 1-1 draw – and set the tone for a dismal team campaign. And so to 2013, when the supposedly untouchable Joe Hart finds himself experiencing a career-low dip in form that shows no sign of abating. Despite keeping six clean sheets in 12 appearances this season, the 26-year-old has made high-profile errors for both club – against Cardiff, Aston Villa and Bayern Munich – and country, against Scotland at Wembley in August. Increasingly uncertain under crosses and worryingly weak of wrist when faced

with shots of any significant power, Hart looks a shadow of the composed and confident figure who made more saves than any other goalkeeper in an impressive campaign at Euro 2012. With no great experience among the alternatives, Roy Hodgson has openly backed Hart as his number one – a move England goalkeeping legend Peter Shilton wholeheartedly supports. “Hart’s form is bound to be a hot topic with the sort of goals that have been going in,” he says. “But Manuel Pellegrini hasn’t criticised him at his club and Hodgson has backed him, which is the right thing to do. Joe knows he’s not been up to his usual standards, but those performances have gone now. All he has to concern himself with is getting in the right physical and mental shape for these two games. It’s vital we have an alert and confident Joe Hart between the sticks. “When he first came into the England team, his confidence spread through the whole side, and it’s all about that self-belief now. He needs to shrug off the criticism, work hard in training and get toughened up mentally. I hope he’s the kind of character who can do that. He’s still young and there are technical things he still needs to learn, but he has always shown confidence, and hopefully that is going to come through now. If you’re going to be a top-class international goalkeeper, you have to overcome these problems and be strong.” Hart retains the support of Hodgson and looks certain to start both of these qualifiers. Now would be a very good time to prove his manager correct, and display exactly the qualities Shilton speaks of.

What is the task at hand?

P England 8 Ukraine 8 Montenegro 8 Poland 8 Moldova 8 San Marino 8 Friday England v Montenegro (ITV, 8pm) Moldova v San Marino Ukraine v Poland

W 4 4 4 3 1 0

D L F A Pts 4 0 25 3 16 3 1 19 4 15 3 1 15 8 15 4 1 18 9 13 2 5 4 15 5 0 8 1 43 0 Tuesday England v Poland (ITV, 8pm) Montenegro v Moldova San Marino v Ukraine

he job is a very simple one for Roy Hodgson and his team in the next four days. Win their two remaining qualifiers, both at home against Montenegro and Poland, and they will qualify for next year’s World Cup as group winners – at which point we can all breathe a huge sigh of relief and look forward to a summer of high hopes, near misses and ultimate dismay. Ah, how we long for you all. Fail to do so, however, and England could be usurped at the top of the group by chief rivals Ukraine, who will fancy their chances of collecting maximum points from a home tie against Poland (Ukraine won the away fixture 3-1

in March) tonight and a trip to San Marino on Tuesday. First things first, however. A win against Montenegro tonight guarantees England a top-two finish in the group, and leaves qualification totally in their own hands when Poland come knocking on the Wembley door on Tuesday. A draw could see automatic qualification slip from their grasp, but still leaves the team in control of its own destiny with regards to a playoff place, while a defeat would likely leave Hodgson and co needing results to go their way on Tuesday if they are to sneak into the playoffs through the back door. The final option is almost too terrifying to contemplate, so let’s not bother. > | 19

Clive Rose/Getty Images

Is Joe Hart an accident waiting to happen?

World Cup

Montenegro: Dejan Damjanovic

Poland: Robert Lewandowski

The class of the Montenegrin team lies in captain and Juventus striker Mirko Vucinic and tricksy (if so far underused,) Man City imp Stevan Jovetic. But fitness concerns hang over both, so Montenegro’s main threat may come from someone who’s already given England a demonstration of his prowess. Dejan Damjanovic plays for FC Seoul in South Korea’s K League, where he’s highly prolific (more than 100 goals in 180-odd games). The 30-year-old forward changed the game when he came on at half-time against England in Podgorica in March this year, adding creativity and menace, and it was appropriate he scored the (admittedly scrappy) equaliser to make it 1-1. Damjanovic has also hit crucial goals elsewhere in this campaign: the sole strike in victory in the Ukraine, and the opening goal in a 1-1 draw against Poland. He’s in form, a natural finisher and a muscular handful.

Stand down, Lionel Messi. Take a back seat, Cristiano Ronaldo. Neither player produced the finest individual display of last season’s Champions League. That honour belongs to Robert Lewandowski. The Borussia Dortmund front man scored all four goals as his side bested Real Madrid 4-1 in the first leg of the competition’s semi final. A strapping 6ft with assured technique and a wide array of finishes, Lewandowski is also in form: eight goals in 10 games this season. Stopping a goalscorer of his quality isn’t easy, so the best thing for England to do is to close down the supply. That means restricting Lewandowski’s club mate Jakub Błaszczykowski: his preferred position is right wing, but it will be interesting to see if he switches during this match. Leighton Baines or (if fit) Ashley Cole are fine left-backs; Poland may see England’s right flank as a more vulnerable option.

New Wembley: a help or a hindrance?

ngland’s home advantage in these two qualifiers is offset by the theory that ‘new’ Wembley isn’t the intimidating fortress of old, where the Twin Towers would see Johnny Foreigner knock-kneed in terror. Rather, the modern Wembley is a spectacularly arched but essentially unintimidating, vacuous stadium that’s low on atmosphere, and high on quickly discontented fans. But the stats don’t bear this out. England’s win percentage at new Wembley since their first senior match there in June 2007 is 68.6 per cent – up on the 59.2 per cent at the old Wembley. In 16 competitive games in their new digs, England’s sole defeat is the 3-2 reverse to Croatia as the home side failed to get to Euro 2008.

20 | October 11 2013 |

On top of the strong home qualification form, England have managed to beat Brazil and Spain in friendlies at home over the past two years, even if a team of football scientists couldn’t actually explain how the latter result occurred. Spain themselves remain the benchmark for home form: they have won 24 of their 26 Spain-based internationals since June 2007. However, a more realistic barometer of England’s home record is the form of Russia: the closest European team above England in the FIFA rankings. Over the same period England have been at new Wembley, Russia have won 18 of 28 home matches, with four defeats. The reassuring conclusion is that England remain a daunting team in home conditions. >

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Who are the players England need to fear?

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World Cup

a) To take nothing for granted

b) To get the job done

c) That England can deliver

Much has been made of the heroic antics of Jan Tomaszewski in the Polish goal on that fateful Wembley evening 40 years ago, but that history still reports England as the unlucky non-qualifiers of the piece misses two important points. First, that, for all England’s heritage as world champions but seven years previous, they went into this game on the back of a home draw with Wales and an away defeat in Chorzow. Second, that this was a Poland team that would go on to finish third in West Germany the following summer. Yes, England missed a hatful of chances in the game, but this was a team that underestimated supposedly inferior opposition – and paid a heavy price.

The most painful thing about this awful night in late 1993 wasn’t the calamitous defending that saw San Marino score after eight seconds. No, it was the hope that Poland might yet beat Holland – a result that would have given England a slim chance of qualifying for the 1994 World Cup. They didn’t, of course (two goals from Dennis Bergkamp helped ease the Dutch to a 3-1 win), but the real damage to a campaign infamously led by Graham Taylor had already been done: in April, when a 2-0 home lead against Holland evaporated, the Dutch grabbing a barely-merited draw; in June, when Norway inflicted a 2-0 defeat on Taylor and co; and in October, when Holland won in Rotterdam.

Despite having lost to Italy at Wembley eight months earlier, England travelled to Rome knowing that a draw in the reverse fixture would be enough to secure them a place at France ‘98. Star striker Alan Shearer was missing through injury, and the failures of four years previous were to the forefront of people’s minds. On Glenn Hoddle’s finest night as a manager, however, an England team majestically led by a bloodied Paul Ince stood firm in the face of an Italian onslaught. They could have won it when a late Ian Wright shot hit the post, then lost it as Christian Vieri headed agonisingly wide just seconds later. As it was, they did neither: they went needing a draw, and they got one.

England 1 Poland 1, October 17 1973

Italy 0 England 0,October 11 1997

Why can’t English players keep the ball?

ormer England manager – and one of the greatest English passing players – Glenn Hoddle offers his thoughts on England’s struggle with retaining possession: "Other countries around the world have nurtured their young talent and coached them in the right way, to feel comfortable on the ball and in possession. Every year [in England], players come through with plenty of talent with the football, but we don’t have enough who are then encouraged to continue with their natural abilities on the ball and in possession. They have their gifts coached out of them by coaches looking for results, not to develop gifted footballers. "It needs the FA to take control of the elite group of young players and give them 22 | October 11 2013 |

San Marino 1 England 7, November 17 1993

an education in football in a residential academy. It needs five satellite academies under the control of the FA and not affiliated to any club. We now have St George’s Park, but I felt, on a smaller scale, the system at Lilleshall worked better with a residential element to it – and that needs to be rolled out on a far bigger scale. "Parents will be comforted by knowing that the FA-backed schools would not be controlled by the clubs, and the kids were being given a proper education at all levels. All their welfare, nutrition, physical development and schooling would all be done in-house, like a private elite finishing school for the very best young players. "Then, in 10 years, watch the benefits when these boys are placed into the system, and eventually play for England.

"We need to bring along more [Jack] Wilsheres, more [Ross] Barkleys. We need residential schools to educate players and revamp the way coaches teach them. If we don’t, we will continue to struggle at international level. "I am passionate about England, always have been as a player and manager. I still am. And I want to see the system revamped at every level. The mood is there to make changes – if we do, I believe we could change a generation of footballers within 10 years." > Glenn Hoddle is doing his bit to discover and improve young footballers with the launch of Zapstarz – a unique search for the next generation of players. zapsportz.com/#zapstarz Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

All pictures Getty Images

What does the past teach us?

World Cup

Can Roy Hodgson win these games?

es, yes he can. Liverpool supporters may disagree, but when viewed as a single body of work, Hodgson’s record in his 37 years as a manager shows that, when the pressure is on, he can deliver. He has won eight trophies and took an ordinary international team – Switzerland – to two major tournaments, being ranked as high as third in the world by FIFA. In recent years, his stint as Fulham boss best demonstrates his ability to keep his head when all seems lost. In his first season (2007-08) he was

faced with a relegation fight, but inspired his side to win four of their last five – including a 3-2 victory (with a Diomansy Kamara goal in the last minute) at Man City, having been 2-0 down after 70 minutes. Two years later, Fulham were in Europe and Hodgson gave Cottagers fans one of their greatest nights. Losing 3-1 to the mighty Juventus after the first leg, Fulham went further behind when David Trezeguet scored in the second minute at Craven Cottage – yet somehow, Roy galvanised his troops to score four unanswered goals.

A similar story ensued in the semi final against Hamburg, which was goalless after the first leg. The Germans scored an away goal early in the return fixture but again, Hodgson remained calm – and second-half goals from Simon Davies and Zoltan Gera saw Fulham to the final. It was a final they lost in extra time – against the more-fancied Atletico Madrid, boasting a forward line of Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan – but just getting there was an exceptional achievement. He may do it the hard way, but right now England fans will gladly take ‘just getting there’.

Do England have a surprise package?

All pictures Getty Images

oth Poland and Montenegro will be fully aware of England’s more obvious stars, but sometimes in international football a gifted young tyro can sneak under the opposition radar and cause havoc as a relatively unknown quantity. England have two dynamic young midfielders in their squad, neither of whom has started a full international game for their country, with the potential to fulfil the brief. Andros Townsend’s world-record attempt to play on loan for all 92 league clubs has finally come to an end, and he’s had an exciting start to the season with Tottenham. Harry Redknapp even compared the pacy, 22-year-old winger to Arjen Robben, which seems like slightly steep praise (perhaps he just means the prematurely receding hairline). Townsend’s advantage to England is his position: a natural wide right player not shy of taking on defenders. The absence of Theo Walcott and doubts about the somewhat rural qualities of James Milner means Townsend is definitely an option. On form, however, 19-year-old Ross Barkley is the young England player who really stands out. A refreshingly direct, skilful, powerful bag of tricks, the midfielder has thrived ‘in the hole’ for Roberto Martinez’s attacking Everton side. There’s a school of thought that suggests a player like this – immensely talented and clearly playing without the weight of expectation on his young but broad shoulders – should just be risked to cause chaos. But his position would seem to naturally clash with the likes of Wayne Rooney or Jack Wilshere. It seems unlikely he’ll start, but Roy Hodgson showed at times during Euro 2012 that he’s not afraid to put on attacking players. Barkley could well see some action off the bench. >

24 | October 11 2013 |

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World Cup

Who starts in attack?

question that so troubled all England fans ahead of the 0-0 draw in Ukraine, where Hodgson was without an injured Wayne Rooney, an also-injured Daniel Sturridge, an also-also-injured Andy Carroll and the suspended Danny Welbeck. Rickie Lambert got the nod and put in an admirable shift with little or no support, but three of the aforementioned quartet are back for these two huge games – and former England striker Alan Shearer is in no doubt as to who Hodgson should start with. “Roy is delighted to have Rooney and Sturridge available for these games, and the way that both have started the season I don’t think there is any other option,” he says. Should it be a concern that the pair have spent only 33 minutes as teammates, in the 1-1 friendly draw against Ireland in May? “Not necessarily,” says the Match of the Day pundit. “I had to really work at my partnership with Chris Sutton when we won the league at Blackburn, but I didn’t have to work at all when it came to playing with Teddy Sheringham for England – I knew Teddy’s game inside-out, he knew mine, and it just clicked. It looks as though Sturridge has that with Luis Suarez at Liverpool already, and hopefully he can find the same with Rooney over the next couple of games.”

10.

What if England don’t make it?

Michael Carrick Midfield, 32 Carrick has long been an international head-scratcher: a first-choice Manchester United midfielder trusted by Sir Alex Ferguson, but not by any England manager. He’s entering his autumn years, but the smooth passer doesn’t rely on his engine. There’s hope for him yet, if any England gaffer actually takes a shine to him. Verdict: Safe

Ashley Cole Left-back, 32 There’s competition for his place from younger legs (not just Leighton Baines, but also Luke Shaw and Kieran Gibbs) but Cole will not be cast aside lightly. That rarity – an England player who can reproduce superb club form for his country – and also the most consistent English international of his generation has a few more years left, we hope. Verdict: Safe

Jermain Defoe Forward, 31 Defoe’s record for England is positive: 19 goals in 54 appearances is especially impressive when you consider that more than half of his caps have seen him coming off the bench. However, England aren’t short of young forwards, and Defoe could be considered surplus to requirements for a rebuilding job aimed at success in 2016. Verdict: Gone

Steven Gerrard Midfield, 33 His England form is good – and the captain was a class act at Euro 2012 – but he’ll turn 36 before Euro 2016, so it seems illogical to build a midfield around Gerrard. Chances are that the Liverpool ace could call time on his own international career if England fail to qualify for the World Cup – or after Brazil 2014, even if they do. Verdict: Gone

Phil Jagielka Central defender, 31 A first-choice under Hodgson, even if he didn’t convince entirely in the 0-0 away game in the Ukraine. However, Jagielka has only just turned 31 and this isn’t like eight years ago, when England had Sol Campbell, Rio Ferdinand and John Terry to pick from. Decent central defenders are in short supply, so Jagielka is a keeper. Verdict: Safe

Rickie Lambert Forward, 31 We had the pan-faced audacity to bin fellow 31-year-old forward Defoe, but now we’re saying Lambert may survive. The logic is that, in the ongoing absence of Andy Carroll, a burly powerhouse up front is something the England squad lack. Lambert’s unlikely but likeable England career may just survive World Cup non-qualification. Verdict: Safe

Frank Lampard Midfield, 35 We’re still hoping that a central midfield partnership with Steven Gerrard might yet gel… but this is an easy call. Lampard turns 36 next summer and his England career will end within the next 12 months. After it does, the Londoner can put his Plates of Meat up and reflect on an England career rich in goals, if lacking in team glories. Verdict: Gone

Roy Hodgson Manager, 66 We double checked it on Wikipedia: Uncle Roy is definitely over 30. He’s also definitely fired if England fail to qualify for Brazil. We’re all too smart to just blame the manager for England’s woes nowadays, but questions will be asked of Hodgson’s inability to beat teams that aren’t the whipping boys during these qualifiers thus far. > Verdict: Gone | October 11 2013 | 27

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images,

If England fail to qualify for the World Cup, an axe could scythe through the squad’s 30-and-overs. So who survives for the Euro 2016 campaign, and who’s for the chop?

World Cup

“I

don’t think you’ll find many people saying they would expect us to go to Brazil and win the World Cup,” says Alan Shearer. “I think that’s us as a nation being as honest as we can; it’s going to take us time to gel as a squad and build towards winning a Euros or a World Cup again. Let’s just get there first and worry about winning it later on.” Shearer is of course right, but should we qualify it will be Hodgson’s job to ensure his team arrives in Brazil properly prepared and ready to banish the ghosts of an anaemic campaign in South Africa. With that in mind, the manager would have a number of issues to address with regards to his starting line-up. A return to form for Joe Hart in goal 28 | October 11 2013 |

would be very welcome, while Hodgson’s concern will grow if one of his chosen centre-backs, Gary Cahill, continues to sit on the bench at Chelsea. There are also decisions to be made in midfield. Steven Gerrard wears the captain’s armband and will always be picked, but the team’s inability to properly keep possession throughout Hodgson’s tenure (and for some years before it) suggests the current set-up needs to be looked at. The clamour for Manchester United’s Michael Carrick looks likely to continue, while Jack Wilshere needs to prove his form, Tom Cleverley his class and Frank Lampard that age is not finally catching up with him. And, if he continues the form with which he has started the season, it will be hard for the manager to ignore the

claims of Everton starlet Ross Barkley – Roberto Martinez's faith in the youngster has paid off richly for the Toffees. Much as he splits opinion, a returning Theo Walcott would offer the express pace that so terrifies defenders at international level; he would remain a favourite to start out wide on the right, which leaves the ongoing debate about the troublesome left-hand side. As things stand, your guess is as good as ours – but if Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge stay fit and work well together further forward, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Danny Welbeck (a Hodgson favourite) deployed there. Much to ponder, then. Here’s hoping the manager can still ponder it all come Wednesday morning. Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

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11.

What if England do make it?

Andrew Strauss

Dangers down under, media traps and his relationship with Kevin Pietersen – as his autobiography is published this month, former England cricket captain Andrew Strauss opens up to Sport

How was it commentating for Sky and critiquing players who were very recently your teammates? “For the first year or so, you’re given a bit of leeway, because what they want you to bring to the commentary is more of a [current] player’s view on things. That allows you to avoid overt criticism. Ultimately, though, if someone plays a bad shot, you’re stupid if you don’t say it’s a bad shot. The players understand that. Also, the type of character I am, if I criticise someone, I will try and do it in a way that’s constructive. I’m not going to try to nail anyone. Maybe there are people in the media who do have wider agendas.”

During your time as England skipper, who was the easiest player to captain – and who was the trickiest? “It’s funny. You connect easier with some players. For me, that meant people like Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Marcus Trescothick and so on. They had very similar views on life, and the game of cricket in particular, to myself. It’s a bit harder with the guys who see the game differently, because you’ve got to appreciate where they’re coming from. I suppose someone like Kevin Pietersen, for instance, would be harder to deal with in that respect. But having said that, the vast majority of the time that I spent with him, I think we had a pretty good and healthy relationship.” You cover the incident of Kevin Pietersen sending texts about you to South African players in 2012 in your book. How are things between you now? “I saw him quite a lot during the summer and there’s no problem. Life’s too short to worry about something that happened over a two-week period when I’ve known and played with a guy for more than 10 years. We’ve moved on and things are absolutely fine.” You’re clearly very close to current captain Alastair Cook. Does he ever pick your brains? “Occasionally we’ll have the odd little chat. But I don’t think he’s sitting there, > | October 11 2013 | 31

Hamish Blair/Getty Images

Ashes and Fire

You banned newspapers from the dressing room as England captain. Has your view of the media changed now you’re working in it? “In a way, but it’s also reaffirmed why, as a sportsman, you shouldn’t be concerned about the media. It’s not for you. If you spend all your time checking tweets, reading articles and being distracted, then you’re the only one to blame because you’re reading it. I suppose, working in it, I’ve seen that people in the media are generally much more supportive of English teams than you believe when you’re on the other side of the fence. But at the same time, I don’t think England players should go out of their way to court the media.”

Andrew Strauss agonising over a decision, thinking: ‘Oh, I should ask Straussy about this this’. He is forging his own way. I’m always at the end of the phone if he wants to chat about something, but by and large he doesn’t need or want to use me as that sort of confidant – and rightly so.” What makes cook the cricketer he is? “He’s one of those people who is incredibly determined. What’s amazing about him is that he doesn’t fail. He may fail for a short while, but he’ll overcome it. He’s done that all the way though his career. It’s probably the most important trait for any cricketer to have.” What did you think would be the hardest challenge for him when he took over the captaincy from you? “Talking to the media was never his strength, but he’s improved a huge amount over the course of the job, just because you have to do it so much. That was one area where he was conscious of [improving]. As England captain, you’re the mouthpiece of the side, so it’s quite important that you get that area right. I think he’s doing a good job of it, actually.”

Hamish Blair/Getty Images, Andrew Redington/Getty Images

What’s your assessment of Michael clarke as a captain? “I tell you what: one of the biggest problems with judging captains – and I think the media fall into this trap all the time – is judging them on what their field placings are. That is a relatively small part of the job. The main role you have as a captain is as a leader, and most of the time that’s done off the pitch, so we can’t see into that. We don’t know what goes on in the dressing rooms. I think Michael Clarke has a very good feel for the game of cricket and I quite like his positive attitude – although sometimes you could argue that it verges on the reckless. But I don’t know what happens in the dressing room. The players who play under him are the only ones who really know how good or otherwise he is.”

“I lIke MIchael clarke’s posItIve attItude – although soMetIMes you could argue that It verges on the reckless”

Driving Ambition, published by Hodder & Stoughton, is out now. Andrew Strauss will be signing copies of his autobiography at Chapter One Bookshop, Reading RG5 3JH on Saturday October 12, 12pm

clarke is good mates with shane Warne, who attacked cook a lot in commentary this summer. Was that warranted? “One of the things in the commentary box or in the media in general is that you’re looking for people to have opinions on things. You don’t always agree with them, but that’s not a problem. We all see cricket in different ways. Shane Warne played the game of cricket in a very similar way to Michael Clarke. It was very successful for Shane and he’s got every right to say that he didn’t think England were playing the right way. I would maybe argue that you just need to look at the Ashes scoreline.” Was england’s ashes performance a disappointment, despite the result? “I don’t think England played nearly as well as they can do, and a lot of the batsmen had poor series. You’ve got to give credit to Australia’s bowling for exploiting that. But we still won 3-0 without playing very well, and I expect England to play better in Australia. Although Australia have home advantage and they will be more competitive, in pure cricketing terms, England are still the stronger side and should have enough to win out there.” What are the challenges of captaining england in an away ashes series? “The whole Australian population will go quite hard at England, including the media. One of the real challenges in Australia is how you start. If you start badly, you just can’t get away from it. Everywhere you look, you’re being vilified and attacked – not physically, but it becomes a very hard and lonely place.

I’ve experienced it first-hand in the 2006-07 Ashes, so that first Test match is crucial. Keeping people out of trouble is crucial. Also, make sure you don’t get distracted too much.” looking back on your own playing career, is there anything you’d change? “The further I got with writing this book, the more I thought: I’ve just been unbelievably fortunate. First, to jump through all the hoops and get to international cricket having not really been part of the system [as a young player]. Then to play 100 Test matches, to captain England in 50 of them – it’s just been a ridiculous fairytale that I didn’t quite appreciate while I was going through it. So did I make every decision correctly? No. Would I like to have taken back some of the dumb shots I’ve played? Yes. But I had a pretty good run.” In the book, you mention seeing daniel radcliffe on tv in 2005, saying he watched so much cricket that he dreamed about you chasing him with a bat. ever dreamed about cricketers – or about wizards? “Well, I always dreamed about cricket. I had that anxiety dream of having to go out to bat and being late and not being able to get my pads on in time, and so on. I used to wake up and think: ‘Oh, not that dream again!’ But I didn’t have any nightmares about wizards or about Daniel Radcliffe. I mean, I had some real-life nightmares against people like [South Africa’s] Morne Morkel, who’s a bowler I don’t miss facing at all. But that was different.” Alex Reid @otheralexreid | October 11 2013 | 33

34 | October 11 2013 |

Jonathan Sexton

Star in stripes The shirt may be unfamiliar, the surroundings new, but Jonathan Sexton is settling nicely into life at Racing Metro. Ahead of this year’s Heineken Cup kick-oﬀ, we headed over to France to catch up with the new man in town

so good here. It was tough at first, because we had like 14 new players, new coaches and all new staff. So it took a few weeks to get to a good level. Now we’re starting to play some better stuff, which has helped me settle. No matter how good life is, if you’re not going well in your professional life, it can be tough.” And what of the new routine? How is Racing’s new number 10 enjoying the lack of rest time he would have been so used to in Leinster? “It’s pretty mad. All the guys I was with on the Lions tour – the Irish lads, anyway – are hardly even back playing yet, and I’ve played eight or so games. That says a lot.”

Johnny foreigner If the busy summer and lack of rest was tough, Sexton has had to step outside his comfort zone in other ways, too. A new language is top of his agenda, but after more than 10 years of playing with Ireland and Leinster he also had to introduce himself to two new squads: Lions and Racing Metro . “That’s been strange alright,” he admits. “I’m not used to getting to know so many new faces because a ’big change’ at Leinster would be three or four new faces coming in. On top of that, it’s strange being the foreigner. Once I get more comfortable with the language, and I guess more comfortable with my surroundings, I’ll get more vocal. But it’s been tough trying to talk much during training and meetings and so on. It’s very easy to sit down at lunch and not speak a word of French because there are South African and other home nations lads here, so it’s nice to not have to rack your brains all the time.” > | 35

Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images

h god, he doesn’t want to talk to us. We don’t want to sound paranoid, but as we’re shuffling nervously through Jonathan Sexton’s garden, having failed to get an answer at the front door, you can see where we’re coming from. After all, downtime has been at a premium for the Dubliner in a summer that has featured a successful Lions series, a wedding to his childhood sweetheart, a honeymoon in Vegas and a move to a new country and a whole new club. Why would he want to spend a free evening with us? Thankfully, one cup of tea later and we couldn’t feel more welcome as we sit chatting about life in Paris, our slightly odd arrival (the doorbell doesn’t work, apparently) and Sexton’s new book. What, then, has the 28-year-old made of his crazy summer? “It’s been brilliant, but I haven’t really had a moment to digest anything,” he laughs. “I was getting phone calls from Laura when I was with the Lions telling me: ’We’ve bought this couch, we’ve sent this over, I’ve booked this for the wedding.’ And it was all just: ’Grand, grand, grand.’ Laura did everything, to be fair. Absolutely everything.” Behind every great man, and all that. Married, settled in Paris and now one of the highest-paid players in Europe. Clearly, things are going well for Sexton, but it’s on the field where he will be judged. And, for a man who shies away from the limelight, that’s exactly how he likes it. To rugby matters, then, and how is life at Racing? “It’s good,” he confirms. “It’s great to go training every day because the facilities are

Jonathan Sexton Throw in players from as far afield as Argentina, Georgia and Fiji, and it is clear that Racing is a cosmopolitan environment. That mix of nationalities, and experience, will be tested this weekend, when Racing face Clermont Auvergne in their Heineken Cup opener. After failing to get out of their group for the past two years, are Racing targeting European glory this season? “Definitely,” Sexton says. “And it could be the last Heineken Cup, so I’m sure every team will be motivated. We’ve got a lot of new signings, but we’ve started playing a bit better and we know we’ve got to hit the ground running. We have a massive game to start the group. I know from experience that if you win your first game, it makes everything’s a lot easier. If you lose that first game, it’s a hard slog to get out of the group.” Sexton is a huge fan of the Heineken Cup – “it’s too big a competition for all the parties to not just sit down and work something out,” he says of its uncertain future – and it’s no surprise, because in many ways it’s the competition that has shaped his career. Sadly, though, last season saw Sexton and

And what of the Irish Rugby suits – the men responsible for the offer that saw Sexton’s head turn to foreign shores? “I dunno, it’s nothing too personal,” he offers. “At times, I probably took it too personal, you know what I mean? They were trying to do the best for the IRFU and every player is trying to do the best for themselves. I was angry at the time, but I don’t have any grudges and I felt like I finished on good terms with the IRFU. “I hope to still play for Ireland, I have huge respect for [new head coach] Joe Schmidt, and I think he’ll be brilliant for Ireland. Having said that, he was Leinster coach when I ended up leaving, so Christ knows what he’ll be saying to me next time I see him!” Sexton will have to wait until the Autumn Internationals before a potential reunion with Schmidt, but for now we want to move from the green of Ireland to the famous red of the British and Irish Lions. Sexton was fly half in a series-winning Lions side. How was it? “It was obviously incredible,” Sexton says. “We wanted to go unbeaten – Sam Warburton spoke about that when we first got together – so it was disappointing in that respect. But

David Rogers/Getty Images, Stu Forster/Getty Images

“The Heineken Cup is too big a competition for all the parties to not just sit down and work something out” Leinster fall at the group stages. “I thought it was there for the taking, especially with the final at the Aviva,” he admits. “I suppose the Amlin is improving as a competition every year, so it was nice to have a go at that. At the same time, after you’ve won the European Cup a few times, lifting the Amlin wasn’t the same. Once we missed out on the Heineken Cup, the big one for us was the Rabo final, because we’d lost it three times in a row. It was nice to win that, and a great way to finish for guys like Joe Schmidt, Isa Nacewa and so on. Those guys deserved a proper send-off.” As did Sexton himself, though you get the feeling the way things ended in Ireland still hurt. We wonder if the assumption that he moved for the money annoys him. He takes a deep breath – clearly this is a path he has been taken down several times recently. “The money represents how someone values you,” he says. “So it’s not about the actual money; it’s about how things were done at the start of the negotiations. Both parties probably could have done things better, but I still have a great relationship with everyone at Leinster, which is good.” 36 | October 11 2013 |

winning the series was amazing, and I have massive memories I’ll hold on to forever.” “Of the ones I can tell you about?” he laughs when we push him on the subject. “Walking around after the third Test, doing that lap of honour and thanking the fans. That was the match where everything was either a disaster or a massive success. It was like a cup final – and that’s always the day you remember in any cup competition, if you win it. That was definitely the highlight – that, and the party after.” We need more details. “It was a late one, and there are a few videos going round of a few of us draped in the Wales flag singing Bread of Heaven, because the theme of the night was that we’d played for Wales in the third Test. It was all just great banter. I wouldn’t be a big drinker, but you’ve got to drink on those nights. It’s important that you do because they’re the nights where you forge a good relationship. If you don’t enjoy the success, then what’s the point?” Mark Coughlan @coffers83 Becoming a Lion by Johnny Sexton is out now, published by Penguin, £20

EUROPEAN clUb RUgby fiNAls wEEkENd

Cardiff Arms Park Friday, May 23rd K.O. 20:00

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Tickets on sale NOw For more ticket information visit

Euro ﬁrewo Heineken Cup Pool Guide

Pool 1

Pool 2

Pool 3

Castres, Leinster, Northampton, Ospreys

Cardiff, Exeter, Glasgow, Toulon

Connacht, Saracens, Toulouse, Zebre

Castres and Ospreys both face monumental tasks to qualify, with three-time champions Leinster and a widely tipped Northampton side lying in wait. Winning their opening home ties are a must, then. Things at the top are likely to be decided when the big boys go head to head twice over Christmas. Leinster have lost a few big names (not to mention their coach, Joe Schmidt) but they’ve started the Pro 12 season well, and remain a team that knows how to play in Europe – plus last year’s failure to get out of the pool will drive them on. Northampton look the team to watch, though, with their power up front boosted by finishers in the backline. Stephen Myler looks a settled choice at 10, and he’ll be confident of leading the Saints to the top of the pool. Whoever comes second is likely to nick a best runner’s-up spot.

While it’s tough to look beyond defending champs Toulon in Pool 2, their talks with Leigh Halfpenny – coupled with Sam Warburton’s head slowly being turned – will make for two fascinating encounters in Wales and the south of France. The duo faced off at the same stage last season, with Toulon winning both encounters. Even with the two Lions heroes still on their books, Cardiff will be lucky not to face the same outcome. Opening at home to the Blues, meanwhile, means Exeter have their best chance to date of reaching the knockouts, as long as they bring a healthy points total into a tough Christmas head-to-head with Toulon. As for Glasgow, a hammering in France likely awaits this weekend, so they could struggle to make much of an impact here. They won just one game last season – don’t expect things to improve.

There’s no getting away from the fact that Zebre are the whipping boys of Pool 3, the Italians having conceded 224 points in six European outings last time out. They did push Connacht close on two occasions, though, losing 19-10 and 25-20 to the Irish side – so having them in the same pool again will boost Andrea Cavinato’s men, for whom one win will signify a big step forward. At the top of the group, meanwhile, Toulouse face the problematic trip to Galway over the Christmas period, where the weather and the environment makes a maximum five-point haul tricky. Saracens, then, are in the driving seat. The Londoners have started the season flying. A losing bonus point is the minimum they’ll expect against Toulouse, but the French side will be very wary after slipping up against Leicester at the same stage last season.

One to watch

Ian Madigan, Leinster Jonathan Sexton’s departure means it’s time for the young star to make his mark. Runs the game well at 10 – but it’s his ability to keep defences guessing, with both his speed and running lines, that sets Madigan apart.

Dean Mumm, Exeter Chiefs The new captain arrived from Waratahs last summer, and has had a huge impact since taking the leadership this season. With 33 Wallaby caps to his name, he brings an extra level of quality to a solid Chiefs outfit.

Gael Fickou, Toulouse Injury prevented the 19-yearold centre from having the expected impact last season, so keep an eye this time round. A clever runner with a fantastic pass, he can make or score tries from anywhere.

Opening games

Saturday Castres v Northampton | Sky Sports 2 (Red Button), 3.40pm Saturday Ospreys v Leinster | Sky Sports 2, 6pm

Sunday Exeter v Cardiff | Sky Sports 2, 12.45pm Sunday Toulon v Glasgow | Sky Sports 2, 3pm

Friday Connacht v Saracens | SS1 (Red Button), 8pm Friday Toulouse v Zebre | SS1 (Red Button), 8pm

38 | October 11 2013 |

Pool 4

Pool 5

Pool 6

Clermont, Harlequins, Racing Metro, Scarlets

Montpellier, Treviso, Leicester, Ulster

Edinburgh, Gloucester, Munster, Perpignan

Pool 4 is all about the money men from across the Channel, with this weekend likely to influence the outcome at the top, when Racing Metro host Clermont in Colombes. The Parisian outfit are full of new faces this season – Lions trio Jonathan Sexton, Dan Lydiate and Jamie Roberts included – but Clermont bring an experience and quality that Metro’s new boys might struggle to match. A big win for Racing this weekend would put the pressure on Clermont, and with Sexton calling the shots at 10, they have the class to do it. For Quins, getting something from the double-header with Metro is key to their chances. Defeat to Saracens and Northampton in their opening four games have highlighted their shortcomings – they might suffer for a lack of summer investment this time out.

The pick of the opening weekend sees Ulster and Leicester go head to head in Northern Ireland, and the pair should lead the way in this pool. Ulster have quality in abundance, and Ruan Pienaar will be desperate to sign off in style in his last season, while Leicester are showing good strength in depth during layoffs for both Tom Croft and Manu Tuilagi. An opening game at home puts Ulster in the driving seat, especially with their Christmas back-to-back ties against Treviso, who generally expect to finish the season with a scalp or two. Montpellier complete the pool, and it’s tough to know what to expect from the French side. A strong pack and a reliable boot form the basis of their game. Pick up a losing bonus point from their trip to Leicester in December, and they could steal a best runner’s-up spot for the second straight year.

One to watch

Jordan Williams, Scarlets The young winger/full back has been compared to Christian Cullen, and his try against Edinburgh two weeks ago showed why. Mesmerising running shone in Wales’ U20 World Cup run.

Robins Tchale-Watchou, Montpellier Big-carrying forward had a major impact at Perpignan before moving over the summer, and is likely to thrive among a pack boasting power wherever you look.

Andrew Conway, Munster Irish youngster has been tipped for big things. His direct running played a big part in Leinster’s trophy double last season. Should add a freshness to Munster’s back three, and could thrive with more regular rugby.

Opening games

Saturday Harlequins v Scarlets | Sky Sports 2, 3.40pm Sunday Racing Metro v Clermont | Sky Sports 3, 8pm

Friday Ulster v Leicester | Sky Sports 1, 8pm Saturday Treviso v Montpellier | Sky Sports 2 (Red Button), 1.35pm

Saturday Edinburgh v Munster | Sky Sports 2, 1.35pm Saturday Gloucester v Perpignan | Sky Sports 2 (Red Button), 6pm

Arguably the weakest of the groups, with none of the four sides having finished higher than fifth in their respective leagues last season. Edinburgh and Gloucester start favourites simply because they’re at home for the opening weekend. Gloucester are most likely to top the group, with the class they possess in their backline supplemented by Freddie Burns. Munster, though, have European experience in bucketloads, having lifted the trophy twice, and the way they took Harlequins apart in last season’s quarter final shows they haven’t faded as a force just yet – even if a lot of pressure sits on Ian Keatley’s shoulders now that Ronan O’Gara has departed. Elsewhere, Edinburgh and Perpignan look shadows of the sides that put together European runs in recent years.

| 39

All pictures Getty Images

orks

There’s every chance that this season’s Heineken Cup will be the last, so get ready to soak up the drama while you still can. We take a look at the showdowns in store

Daniel Negreanu

The mind reader How has the game changed since you started playing? “The biggest thing is the average age – when I started, there were about four guys in their 20s and the rest were much older. Now, you see a trend where it has really become a young man’s game.” Is that because players can start so young online? “Yeah, in the old days if you saw a guy you’d not seen before, you’re like: ‘Okay, he’s a sucker.’ But now I don’t know this guy – I don’t know that he’s played two million hands in the past year online, so he has a lot of experience.”

How do you stay ahead of those guys? “The more uncomfortable I make them, the better off I am. Against these young guys, I’ll make them as uncomfortable as I feel like I need to, just to let them know that [shouting] this is my turf, you are at my table and you will be grilled! It’s my way of asserting dominance – not like in a sexual way, but just like: ‘This is how it’s gonna be. You don’t have a choice.’” You’re famed for your ability to read people. How do you do it? “I look for subtle things – like when you were talking right now, your lip was pursed like you were unsure of the

question, and you kind of shook your head a little bit like you weren’t sure if you were delivering it in the right way. And now you’re fiddling with your pen in a weird way, because I’ve put you on the spot and you’re uncomfortable. So this is exactly it – whatever you’re doing differently than you normally would, I just pay attention to that.”

breaks down, when I’m not sure, I just trust my first instinct. There’s a book called Blink [by Malcolm Gladwell] about how your first instinct is generally the right one. When I’m not sure, I just think of what the first thought I had was. It’s seen this movie a thousand times before, so it’s telling you: ‘He’s bluffing!’ You just trust it.”

Can you ever turn that off? “Not really – I’ve been doing that since I was five, before I knew poker existed. We all have that ability: you notice things, you talk to a woman, you talk to somebody, you sense something. We all do that. It’s just a question of how much do you trust it.”

Does having that reputation help? “It helps a lot, because there’s an innate fear. I look at you and I say: ‘You have king, jack, don’t you?’ If you do, it’s gonna bother you for the next few hands we play together. It’s gonna make you uncomfortable, whether I’m doing anything or not. I feel like having that power over somebody makes it easier.”

So how does that help you figure out people’s cards? “I obviously focus on the betting patterns and what people have, and that’s what you do online. When that

Amit Katwala @amitkatwala Daniel Negreanu is a Team PokerStars Pro, pokerstars.com

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Five-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu has won more than $16m in career prize money. He’s in town for the European Poker Tour

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