Sport magazine 329

Issue 329 | November 1 2013

KOP IDOL

We talk to the Premier League’s top scorer

Includes 60 minutes of exclusive gameplay only on PlayStation

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Contents Issue 329, November 1 2013 Radar 05 Fabricated face fuzz What sportsmen might look like if they decided to get stuck into Movember. It’s a big if, mind

06 Formula nostalgia Roman Polanski’s rereleased Jackie Stewart documentary revisits the good old days of F1

08 Dangerous driving?

Irish drift driver Buttsy Butler on driving bans and donuts of the calorie-free variety oFeatures this coming week

18

Daniel Sturridge The Premier League’s top scorer talks managers, money and, obviously, goals

27 Rugby League World Cup Counting down our top 10 moments in the history of the tournament, in the company of the great Ray French

Cover image: David Rawcliffe/Propaganda.This page: Ian Walton/Getty Images for Nike, Daily Express/Hulton Archive/ Getty Images, Matthew Stockman/Getty Images, David Rogers/Getty Images, Michael Yarish/AMC

18

32 ATP World Tour Finals We look at how Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are forging a game-changing rivalry

38

38 Stuart Lancaster We speak to the England head coach ahead of the Autumn Internationals

Extra Time

06

32

52 Gadgets The new iPad Air. Skinny, and weighs the same as a jar of pasta sauce

54 Kit A handcrafted (and by that we mean expensive) bike, and all you need to keep warm while riding it this winter

56 Grooming Some top-quality shaving products and a mud masque. Yes, it’s manly

60

60 Entertainment Assassin’s Creed IV and season six of Mad Men is finally out on DVD. Plus: ice skating next to a museum | November 1 2013 | 03

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Subject to availability, while stocks last. Prices correct at time of print. Please ask in store for more details. Limited edition steelbook subject to availability, while stocks last *Get Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag on XBOX 360 or PS3 when you trade in 2 of hmv’s most wanted titles before 7/11/13. Any additional trade value can be used immediately in store or the value added onto an hmv gift-card.

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Radar Face race T

here hasn’t been a moustache in F1 for far too long – possibly because the new breed of drivers aren’t old enough to grow one yet.

Mark Webber would be a good candidate, if this artist’s impression of him created for Movember is anything to go by.

A host of sportsmen have been tashed up by Gallery of Mo, who are supporting Movember by offering pictures of people with moustaches if they donate to the cause of men’s health.

Loads of sportsmen will be furnishing their faces with fuzz to support men’s health during the month, including Stoke centre back Robert Huth – who probably looks intimidating enough as it is.

See more at galleryofmo.com and find out more at movember.com

Sport tackles the big questions, like ‘What would George North and Edgar Davids look like with moustaches?’

p06 – Roman gladiator: Jackie Stewart on F1’s old days in a Polanski classic

p08 – Catch my drift: Buttsy Butler on ‘figure skating – but with a car’

Radar

Weekend warrior D

eath. He says it over and over again: “Death. Death.

Deaaaath.” Okay, so Jackie Stewart didn’t quite loom forward and whisper it in our ear like that, but he’s pretty clear on the biggest thing that’s changed since he was racing in F1 in the 1960s and ’70s. The sport was very different back then, of

course, and it’s a topic rich in drama and larger-than-life characters.

Controversial director Roman Polanski captured some of that in documentary Weekend of a Champion, which follows Stewart at the 1971 Monaco Grand Prix, which he won on his way to becoming world champion. The film has been

rereleased with added footage and modern interviews, including a revealing chat between Stewart and Polanski (not about that). If you liked Rush, you’ll love this authentic look at F1 back when it was dangerous, dirty and occasionally deadly.

Weekend of a Champion is released on DVD on Monday

Do try this at home

06 | November 1 2013 |

Victor Blackman/Express/Getty Images

V

ideo games are about escapism, and there’s nothing we like more than escaping to a world where we can smash an 18-stone muscleman over the head with a piece of flimsy office furniture without getting punched back in time.

Incidentally, WWE 2K14 lets you do some less painful virtual timetravelling through its 30 Years of Wrestlemania mode, which lets you recreate past events and play as some of the iconic characters who have graced the sport’s flagship production over the years. They include playground favourites The Undertaker, Hulk Hogan and The Rock. Can you smell what The Rock is cooking? It’s probably another terrible film.

WWE 2K14, out now on PS3 and Xbox 360

Radar e speak to Irish drift driver Buttsy Butler, who is competing in the European final of the Gymkhana Grid Series in Madrid this weekend.

W

How can drifting be competitive?

“You’re judged on your speed, your angle and your overall style, so it’s kind of like figure skating – but with a car.”

Buttsy Butler

burning rubber for a living

How did you get into it?

“I saw a car doing a donut and I was hooked.

When I turned 18, I went to the bank and took out a loan, got a car, hit the road and learned how to do it on the streets, really.

There were loads of us – we’d start off with donuts, then start drifting on roundabouts.”

You must have a lot of points on your licence.

[Sheepishly] “I was banned in the UK for seven years... but I’ve got my licence back now. I got caught drifting in Scotland, I got an 18-month ban and I had to redo a test.

And then I got caught again.”

We’re just amazed that they’ve managed to sustain their anger for this long.

“Yeah, is it seven movies now? The first one was kind of real – people would meet up across the world and race for cars.

But all the explosions and all that... they kind of went a bit off.”

What do you like about the drifting scene?

“It’s more grassroots – everyone helps each other out, and you don’t need to be wealthy to do it. I still don’t class it as a sport – it’s like the difference between wrestling in the Olympics and WWE. If someone does a WWE-style show with drifting, that’s when it’ll really take off.”

You’d need a nickname, a costume and a persona if that happened, though...

“Well Buttsy is a bad enough nickname [his real name is Derek] but yeah, that’d be hilarious. I’d be backstage pretending to unbolt a guy’s wheel, and then out on the track the wheel could come off...”

How accurate a portrayal of drifting do the Fast and Furious films give?

“I’m not a fan, to be honest – they’re a bit Hollywood. We wouldn’t have the money they have in the movies, you know. And the girls we hung around with weren’t that hot!”

Addicts beware t’s gone two in the morning on a work night and we’re trying to persuade Quinton Fortune to join us as assistant manager. He says no, which is humiliating – but not as tough to take as being rejected for the Salisbury job after failing at our interview. That’s right, there are now job interviews in Football Manager – you get a chance to set out a playing philosophy, and state changes you want to see made if hired.

There are further tweaks, too – most notably to transfer negotiations – while the sped-up Classic Mode returns for those who perhaps lack the time for the fully immersive game.

A great new feature in Classic Mode is the ability to cross-save your efforts on to the Playstation Vita version of the game. If it ever makes it to smartphones or tablets, our lives are basically ruined. The appeal is the same as ever – that fist-clenching moment of excitement when your team scores a late winner. But each new iteration also gives you more control, and makes it easier to see the effect you’re having on your club’s fortunes.

Football Manager 2014, out now

08 | November 1 2013 |

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Radar Editor’s letter Lone man standing: VillasBoas gestures in front of an underwhelmed crowd www.sport-magazine.co.uk @sportmaguk facebook.com/sportmagazine

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Home sweet home?

As Andre Villas-Boas suggests, playing at home may no longer be the advantage we think

Acting editor Tony Hodson @tonyhodson1

points on the road than they have at home. Among those are table-topping Arsenal (booed off against Aston Villa on the opening day of the season), both Cardiff and Swansea (Welsh fortresses, not so much) and a Fulham side long renowned for its toothless travelling.

Such teams are still in the minority, and clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester City remain significantly stronger on their home patch – but the words of Andre Villas-Boas after Tottenham struggled to a home win against Hull on Sunday have lingered into the week. His assertion that a perceived lack of atmosphere at White Hart Lane was having a negative impact on his team’s displays would have sounded like sour grapes after a defeat, but after a victory they have inevitably been afforded greater consideration.

To my mind, he has a point. Over the years, football has become a very different animal. Crowds are distinctly more sanitised than they used to be (a good thing, in the main), stadiums are larger and more cavernous, and the teams themselves are increasingly set up to play fast, counterattacking football that better suits playing away from

home. Next time you’re blindly ticking a bunch of home wins on your Saturday long list, you might like to think again.

Sebastian Vettel is a very talented racer, and his racking up of four consecutive F1 drivers’ titles in India last week is some achievement – but the boos the Red Bull star has received through the second half of a dominant season suggest he has some way to go before being universally appreciated within a sport whose fans are notoriously partisan. Time is a great healer, but if the German really wants the boos to stop then he probably needs to avoid any more stunts like the one he pulled on teammate Mark Webber in Malaysia this season. Given a choice between chequered flags and fewer catcalls, though, I think we all know which he’d opt for. It’s not a popularity contest, is it?

If he hasn’t already done so (he is about 10 short at the time of writing), then AP McCoy will very soon be hitting the 4,000 career winners mark. As a man, McCoy is dry, modest and unassuming; as a jockey, he is relentless, enduring and a giant of his sport. For as he long as he chooses to ride on, horse racing will be lucky to have him.

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Rugby league gets such

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in football

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Mick O’Hare, via email

10 | November 1 2013 |

@nickclarkayles

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A

fter nine games of the Premier League season, no fewer than eight teams have amassed more

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Radar Opinion

Flats on Friday

David Lyttleton

David Flatman

Cheap shots do Ferguson no favours

P

eople are constantly telling me I ought to write a book. Well, I say ‘people’ – I mean my mum. And I say ‘constantly’ – she said it twice in 2010.

Still, the notion was floated and it got me thinking: what would I write about? Everyone says children’s books are a good idea, but this market appears to be covered. I can’t write about my undercover exploits with the SAS, partly because I swore secrecy and partly because I wasn’t in it (taps nose with right forefinger and winks like Grandad used to).

The modern way for ex-pros seems to involve an offering replete with banal commentaries of the sporting life that went before, sprinkling in a few aggressive character analyses and accounts of events that, back then, caught the nation’s eye. It’s all really just about making a few quid. We all need to make money, but the fact that this now seems a reasonable way to do so disappoints me a little.

Let’s face it: gossip is fun, and speculation is a lot to do with what makes sport our country’s biggest driver of conversation. Yet I always hope the elite will rise above the habits of the many.

12 | November 1 2013 |

Three-hundred pages of managerial insight and management techniques from a bloke like Sir Alex Ferguson would make his book a must-read – so, to me, it feels like the sections in which one player or another is pulled apart are little more than tacky add-ons designed to force those extra few sales and nudge those numbers up just as far as they will go (it works, by the way).

Imagine if this book had in fact been a masterpiece of inflection: reams of printed wisdom from a man who did things nobody else could. There are sections that grip the reader so hard that nothing could seize you from the grasp of the ink, but these are not the bits about Becks and his missus. Reading how Ferguson handles certain situations – certain men – is incredibly interesting, and reveals a level of intelligence, conviction and clarity of thought that see his assumed pedestal justified in a blink.

Most sports books need controversy in order to sell. Diarised accounts of seasons are just not interesting enough to sell, so these products come and go without ever really being taken seriously.

The books that actually have an impact beyond some

people buying them and somebody getting some pounds for them are either those of real substance, or books ‘written’ by megastars. Sir Alex is a megastar, and I’m sure his book will sell by the zillion, but I still think he has missed a trick.

He is one of the few figures who could describe what he had for breakfast on cup final day and why, and it would be massively interesting. Everything he tells us adds a stroke to our picture of a legend and, ultimately, what it takes to make one.

I was mesmerised by Roy Keane as a player.

His drive was unparalleled, his blind aggression a stark contrast to the panoramic vision he displayed for so long. He was a force of nature, but part of his allure was that he was just so different. We couldn’t quite compute this individual, and that mystique made him a legend. Sometimes I think he can be too aggressive – too angry – but this time he’s got it right.

Sir Alex could have told us anything and we would have bought his book. But he chose to tuck into blokes who won him trophies and with whom he shared a life.

I love him as much as you all do, but I’m not having that. @davidflatman

Frozen in time

14 | November 1 2013 |

What a very smart bunch of young men we’ve sent to the other side of the world with the very simple task of retaining the Ashes. Alastair Cook’s team lined up in the Long Room at Lord’s before departing these shores, though some of them look more comfortable in a suit than others.

Graeme Swann, for example: he looks very comfortable indeed. Now hang on to that little urn chaps, whatever you do.

| 15

Tom Shaw/Getty Images

Dressed for success

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Daniel Sturridge

lucky Striker Since moving to Anfield in January, Daniel Sturridge has not looked back. Ahead of the visit to Arsenal this weekend, he tells us he’s enjoying every minute of his new life in Liverpool

six and a half years since he made his senior debut for Manchester City, yet within weeks he had suffered a serious hip injury that would keep him out of the game for almost a year. Upon his return, the then 18-year-old failed to establish himself at the Etihad; a subsequent move to Chelsea saw him frustrated more than fulfilled, leaving only a short loan spell at Bolton to suggest the qualities many in the game knew he possessed.

The contrast with the 10 months that have followed his arrival at Liverpool, then, is an obvious one. The 24-year-old has netted 21 goals in 27 games since moving to Anfield, including eight in nine Premier League appearances this season – goals that have helped fire his new club to third in the league ahead of their visit to table-topping Arsenal tomorrow.

If paying £12m for Sturridge represented something of a gamble for manager Brendan Rodgers, then it is one that has most definitely paid off. But, we ask the England striker, why have things gone so right? “I’m just playing in the position that I enjoy playing in,” he tells us. “When I went to Bolton, I was able to show what I can do because I was playing as a centre forward. At Chelsea, I never got the chance to do that, and I’ve got that opportunity here. My faith in God, my k | November 1 2013 | 19

David Rawcliffe/Propaganda

Y

ou wouldn’t know it to look at his form right now, but it’s been a long road to the top for Daniel Sturridge. It is more than

Daniel Sturridge

Centre of attention: Sturridge after scoring against West Brom

self-belief and the hard work I put in on the training field; they’ve all helped me become the player I am now, but I’d say the biggest difference is I’m back to my natural thoughts and I’ve got no clouded vision when I’m on the field. That’s probably the main thing that has changed.”

Sturridge is far from alone in being a forward who has been asked to play in different positions.

England teammates Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck have both found themselves required to play out of position for Manchester United in recent times; with that in mind, does Sturridge still see himself as an out-and-out striker?

“Yeah, definitely, I always have,” he confirms.

“And that’s what Brendan Rodgers has given me the opportunity to show. If you ask Rooney or Welbeck, they would say the same. None of us see ourselves as wingers or midfielders. We do a job for the team out there, of course – but it changes your game when you play out of position.

Sometimes it hinders your performance.”

20 | November 1 2013 |

In a gooD place

Working with Rodgers has clearly had a positive impact on Sturridge’s game – as has his time spent with respected sports psychologist Steve Peters, who has been brought in to help the Liverpool squad with the mental side of their game. The

result, after six years out of the limelight, is a player now thriving in it.

“It’s the same as when I wasn’t in it, to be honest,” says Sturridge, with a smile. “And I’m just loving it. You get plaudits here and there, but I’m not really bothered about them. I’m more worried about the team, and us winning games and challenging for the trophies and the title. I love the club, love the city, everything’s going great.

Everyone’s been so welcoming to me, the fans have been amazing, so I can’t say one bad thing about Liverpool.

“It’s great to be around the fans, and I always interact with them when I see them in the street – take photos with them, and all that type of stuff.

It’s just great to have people who appreciate you as a person, not just as a footballer – and then I look at the size of the club, its history and the fans all around the world. It’s amazing to be a part of it.”

We’re talking to Sturridge at a hotel in his adopted hometown, as he helps promote the new Call of Duty game. A smile is never far from his face as we talk life both on and off the field – the sense, we suggest, is that we are chatting with a man who is quite simply enjoying his football.

“That’s exactly it,” he agrees. “I’m just a football fan, and was a big one when I was younger. My dad was into his football, my brother played, my two uncles played at professional level.

“I was surrounded by the game, and always enjoyed watching my family play, or staying up to watch Match of the Day. Now, as a football fan, I love my job. For me, it’s not about the money, it’s about being able to live my dream.”

It’s impossible not to believe him. Sturridge is as enthusiastic on the subject of other footballers – and other goals – as he is on himself. We take him back to the previous weekend, when debate raged as to which goal had been the better: Pajtim Kasami’s wonder strike for Fulham at Crystal Palace, or Jack Wilshere’s immaculately crafted team goal for Arsenal against Norwich.

“Oh, that’s tough, but I think a team goal is more enjoyable,” he says, offering a player’s insight. “It’s a different feeling, but when you’re together as a team and you score a goal like that, the celebration of everybody coming together because everyone k Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

“I love my job.

For me, It’S not about the money, It’S about beIng able to lIve my Dream”

ONE GAME. ONE NIGHT.

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Daniel Sturridge

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has felt a part of it is different to doing your solo thing and going off celebrating on your own. When everyone is a part of it, you feel the vibrations and everyone’s got the same feeling inside – so yeah, I prefer a team goal. That one.”

LaSt week DiDn’t happen

Team or individual, Sturridge is scoring goals for fun this season. The only surprise in last Saturday’s 4-1 demolition job at home to West Brom was that he didn’t pop up with one until after Luis Suarez had completed a brilliant hat-trick. Is it a case, we ask him, of feeling like he’s going to score whenever he gets the ball?

“No, it’s not like that,” he’s quick to point out. “I try to have the same mentality every time I go out, whether scoring goals or not. If you get yourself in that mode where goals are what’s going to make you tick, then 10 matches without one and your game goes out the window. It’s doomsday. Whether I score or not, I go in as if last week didn’t happen.

“Steve Peters has played a big part in that.

He’s a really nice guy, and not just about the psychological side of things. He’s not one of those people who likes to tweak and push buttons and see what happens. He’s helped me to understand that you can’t always be great, that you will have bad times. I won’t let all his secrets out, but he’s definitely done a lot of things that have helped me get a clearer mind and enjoy my football more.”

Peters has done much to help Sturridge get his mind in the right place, but he always comes back to the man who took the gamble in the first place.

22 | November 1 2013 |

“LuiS anD i juSt Go out anD expreSS ourSeLveS, anD that’S important” Was working with Brendan Rodgers a part of the reason behind Sturridge’s move to Anfield?

“It was, yeah, because I knew about him from when I was at Chelsea, and the players who were there spoke so highly of him,” he confirms. “He had tried to get me on loan when he was at Swansea, so I knew he rated me. He knows how I work.

“He knows what I need. I needed to be believed in, to play as a centre forward at a club. I didn’t get that at Chelsea, and Brendan gave me the opportunity to do that here. We work well together, and it’s great to be part of his philosophy. He gets the most out of his players, and makes us want to win for him. He’s just very good at manmanagement as well as the tactics and team stuff.”

What of the one-liners and comedy moments Rodgers became so famed for in the wake of the behind-the-scenes documentary Being Liverpool?

He laughs. “I’ve never heard him say a line that’s made me struggle to keep a straight face, although I’ve heard others say different,” he says. “I’d say he’s got a few jokes, and he’s good with the banter. He’s a funny guy.”

GranD union

As much as Sturridge enjoys his work off the pitch with Rodgers, it is his work on the pitch with Luis Suarez that people are talking about. The new SAS

have scored 14 goals in a combined 13 Premier League appearances so far this season, leading many respected pundits to declare them the most dangerous strike force in the country.

“We just go out there and express ourselves, and that’s important,” he says of their blossoming partnership. “We both work for the team and we both drop off to get the ball, or make a run in behind and help each other out.

“It’s not about me doing this or him having to do that. We just play, and whatever positions we pick up, we work off each other. Philippe [Coutinho] offers something a bit different as well; hopefully we’ll cause a lot of problems for opposition defenders once he’s back fit and firing.”

Very possibly, but back to everyone’s favourite Uruguayan. We all know of Suarez’s previous, but what is he really like?

“He’s a cool guy, man,” Sturridge says with no little conviction. “His attitude is to win, and I think he does things people don’t agree with because he wants to win so bad. I can see where he comes from – maybe I’m not as extreme in terms of the things that he does, but some people have a temper they struggle to control. Seriously, his character off the field is totally different, and I really enjoy playing with him.”

That word again: enjoy. Sturridge is a man enjoying life, and no wonder. Liverpool are k Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Michael Steele/Getty Images

In the groove: Sturridge’s strike

Daniel Sturridge

flying, he’s scoring pretty much every week, and of course England have just secured their place at next year’s World Cup. If scoring in front of the Kop is a special feeling, what was it like to book a place in Brazil?

“Yeah, it was brilliant getting over that hurdle,” Sturridge explains. “It was really emotional; we all celebrated together, and it was an incredible feeling to have. To be in such great company was amazing.

“I look forward to the future England games and hopefully getting on the plane, but I’m not thinking that far ahead at the moment.

“I’ve got to worry about the Liverpool games first, but I’ll be working hard to make sure I’m on that plane.”

If he does board the plane to Brazil, he will be doing so alongside Roy Hodgson. Curiously, the England boss hasn’t had the smoothest of rides since his team guaranteed its place at the World Cup, but his new first-choice number nine is not short on praise for his international manager.

“I enjoy working with him,” he says. “It’s great to have a manager who believes in me like Brendan does, and who gives me the opportunities. He

CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES

24 | November 1 2013 |

With Gareth Bale’s trademarked hand signals off in Spain, Daniel Sturridge’s body-popping dance moves have become the celebration of the moment in the Premier League. It’s time to find out a little bit more about it.

became our thing. We all started doing it, then we went out and started doing it in clubs, and then that progressed to me doing it on the pitch. The fans started wanting to do it, and since then it’s just got massive.”

The celebration, then – where did it come from?

“It’s a really boring story. I was at my apartment with my cousins and my brother. We had some music come on and obviously we were having a little bit of banter and messing around, and I started doing that little dance move for some reason. It just kind of stuck, and

Is it here to stay?

“I’ll probably stick with it up until the new year or something, then I might change it up.”

Any chance of a preview?

“I don’t have one yet! I’ve got nothing lined up, but I’ve got other moves – so there’s going to be something new coming.”

speaks to me one on one, and lets me know what he thinks I need to improve on – which I like, because I think hearing it from a different manager in a different environment helps to broaden your game.

“He’s not watching me all the time, but when he does watch me he sees things that I may need to tweak. I’ve improved from working with him, so I appreciate the relationship I have with him. It’s similar to Brendan. If you have a good relationship, it makes things easier.”

So England are in Brazil, and on a personal level the goals are flying in. That just leaves the small matter of Liverpool, and we remind Sturridge that a victory at the Emirates this weekend could just see them at the top of the Premier League after 10 games.

He smiles: “It’s top four, isn’t it? That’s got to be the aim. We haven’t finished in the top four for a few years now, so we’ve got to aim for that.

Anything else is a bonus.”

Whatever happens in the next seven months and beyond, you get the feeling that Sturridge has turned a very large corner in 2013 – a year in which he has perhaps rediscovered an infectious love for the game.

“Football’s about enjoyment, not about the stresses,” he says. “You don’t have stresses when you’re a kid, so why should that change when you become an adult? That’s the mentality I try to have – to enjoy myself when I’m on the field.”

It’s been a long journey to get this far, but you get the distinct impression that Daniel Sturridge has only just begun.

Mark Coughlan @coffers83

Daniel Sturridge will be leading a squad of fans in a Call of Duty: Ghosts tournament at the IndigO2 on November 4. To get involved in the action search #CallofDutyTime, and to find out more, see Daniel throw down the gauntlet to the other Squad Leaders, and watch all the action live on the night, go to www.callofdutytime.com Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Michael Regan/The FA via Getty Images, Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

“I’vE IMpROvED fROM wORkInG wITh ROy, SO I AppRECIATE ThE RELATIOnShIp I hAvE wITh hIM. IT’S SIMILAR TO BREnDAn”

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The Top 10

Wales scare the Kangaroos Australia 46 Wales 22 November 2000 A semi final that looked a walk in the park for Australia, even more so as they crossed for a couple of tries in the opening 10 minutes (the first from Brett Kimmorley, left). But Wales hit back with three converted tries, and Lee Briers landed two drop goals to give his side a remarkable 20-8 lead after 27 minutes.

The greatest upset in World Cup history was on the cards, but Australia piled on the pressure in the second half, and a tiring Welsh

The Top 10 Rugby League World Cup Moments Le quagmire

Alex Livesey/Allsport, PA Archive/Press Association Images

France 7 Great Britain 2 June 1968 A World Cup had been scheduled for 1965, but it was cancelled by the Australians because they deemed France not up to standard. Three years later, the French were determined to address that slur.

They had beaten New Zealand, and now faced Great Britain in Auckland.

Britain needed to win to make the final, and were confident of doing that – but on a heavy pitch in driving rain, they unwisely tried to play football. It didn’t work. France won 7-2 and qualified for the final against Australia – which they lost, obviously.

09 Ray French “The game should never have gone ahead – the pitch was a quagmire and the rain was torrential. There was no real rugby played and it looked like neither side would score a try, until a ball spurted out of a scrum and a Frenchman dropped on it to score.”

defence eventually capitulated to the world’s best team.

Ray French “I was commentating for the BBC with Jonathan Davies, and as the game unfolded he got more and more excited. The Welsh team, brilliantly coached by Clive Griffiths, played out of their skins. The problem was that they only had a basic 13; as the game wore on and substitutions were made, they couldn’t quite hold it together.”

As England look to regroup after Saturday’s defeat to Australia, we reflect on happier times with this countdown of the great Rugby League World Cup moments – with a little help from legendary BBC commentator Ray French

Priest decides godless final Great Britain 7 Australia 12 November 1970 Great Britain were fancied to lift the 1970 trophy, but ace stand-off Roger Millward was absent through injury, and a close final turned when Aussie centre John Cootes, also a Catholic priest, went over for a try.

The game degenerated into a vicious affair. British centre Syd Hynes and Aussie scrumhalf Billy Smith were sent off for punching – and, when Australia full-back Eric Simms went to shake hands with Britain

winger John Atkinson at full time, he was met with a punch. The next day, the Daily Mail ran the headline: “Get these thugs off our TV screens”.

Ray French “A rough, tough British pack thought they could beat Australia, who had a brilliant set of backs – but that try

by Cootes proved crucial.” >

| November 1 2013 | 27

The Top 10

Dragons fired up on debut England 7 Wales 12 June 1975 The first time that Wales had appeared in the World Cup, and with a team featuring a number of rugby union players who had come over to rugby league. The two teams

5

Ray French “Alex Murphy was coach of England at the time, and he said in the build-up to this game that they would win it comfortably.

I was speaking to Jim Mills recently, and he said this really fired up the Welsh team – particularly the pack.”

A fatal error

3

28 | November 1 2013 |

A highly physical contest took place in an electric atmosphere, but the home side stood firm, with teenage full-back Harris (pictured, above) outstanding – he scored one of three tries and landed a drop goal.

Ray French “A very, very physical game in front of a full house, and the Samoans looked to batter the Welsh into submission. It was like a boxing match, but Wales would not be intimidated.”

Australia 12 Great Britain 26 July 1988 The 1980s saw a drawn-out World Cup confusingly spread between 1985 and 1988. Great Britain, on tour in Australia, had already lost two Tests and could barely raise a team for the third because of injuries. The Australian press wrote them off for what was to be a World Cup qualifying match, but the Brits rose to the challenge. The late Mike Gregory’s brilliant 70-metre touchdown secured a 26-12 victory, their first over Australia in 10 years. They may not have made the final later that year, but this win remains one of their greatest.

“There was a tremendous atmosphere at Wembley, and what felt like a genuine national interest in the game. In many ways, it was the day rugby league became a truly international sport.”

Triumphant(ish)

It may not have been the winning try, but the length-of-the-field touchdown

by Welsh wing Clive Sullivan in the 1972 final lives long in the memory.

It was, ahem, also the last time Great Britain won the World Cup. Defending champions Australia opened the scoring with a converted

A packed crowd at the Vetch Field turned out to see a host of former rugby union greats, including Jonathan Davies, Allan Bateman, John Devereux and Scott Quinnell, joined by Iestyn Harris, Anthony Sullivan and Keiron Cunningham in one of the best Welsh rugby league teams ever assembled. Ranged against them were former All Blacks John Schuster and Va’aiga Tuigamala, not to mention players of the calibre of Joe Vagana and Apollo Perelini.

Heroic exit

Ray French

Great Britain 10 Australia 10 November 1972

06

Wales 22 West Samoa 10 October 1995

04

Australia 10 Great Britain 6 October 1992 A world record international crowd of 73,631 turned up at Wembley to see the two best league nations battle for the world crown – and it turned into a tense, gripping affair. Three penalties from Deryck Fox saw Great Britain lead 6-4 with just 14 minutes remaining, but one slip was to cost them the game.

Britain wing Alan Hunte knocked on 22 metres from his own line, and from the ensuing scrum the ball came to Aussie centre Steve Renouf, who scored the only try of the game.

Captain Mal Meninga (left) converted, and Australia had yet another title.

Heavyweight clash

Ray French “On the morning of the match, there was an article in one of the Aussie papers telling people not to go because Great Britain were ‘imposters’ and should be sent home. But there was a real spirit in that team, and Gregory’s try was one of the most visually exciting I’ve ever seen.”

try, and before half-time it looked as though they would increase their lead when centre Mark Harris bore down on the line. He was stopped dead by a huge tackle from Great Britain forward George Nicholls, however, and the ball came loose. It was snapped up by British skipper Sullivan, who sprinted 80 metres down the touchline for a memorable try that put his team level.

The sides traded blows in a second half that ended all square at 10-10, and even after 20 minutes of extra time they couldn’t be separated – but Great

Britain were declared champs having earned most points from the qualifying matches. It was to be the last time they held the trophy, but what glory.

Ray French “I played both with and against Clive Sullivan: a terrific footballer with great pace. The tackle by George Nicholls was instrumental in that try; Sully picked up the loose ball, and off he went. It was a great TV shot because the camera was on that side of the pitch. It followed him all the way.” >

PA Archive/Press Association Images

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met in Brisbane in pouring rain, and offered up a bitter, bad-tempered contest.

The Welsh pack, including the fearsome Jim Mills as well as Tony Fisher, Bobby Wanbon and John Mantle, took the fight to the English and ran out 12-7 winners.

Ironically, the crucial try was scored by Clive Sullivan, who had hoisted the World Cup trophy as Great Britain skipper only three years earlier.

The defeat meant England trailed Australia by one point in the final roundrobin table. As such, Wales had effectively prevented them from taking the title.

The Top 10

The first final

Offside/L’Equipe, Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

France 12 Great Britain 16 November 1954 As with the World Cup and the Olympics, we have a Frenchman to thank for the first ever World Cup in either code. It was Paul Barriere, the president of the French Rugby League, who proposed the idea, staged the tournament in France and donated the famous World Cup Trophy.

France made the final, where they faced a Great Britain side labelled no-hopers at the start of the tournament. Most of the players, who had just come back from a gruelling tour of Australasia, made themselves unavailable. Only three – skipper Dave Valentine, Phil Jackson and Gerry Helme – took part, and they didn’t even have a coach. The Rugby Football League had refused to cover the cost of Joe Egan travelling with them.

An inexperienced team gelled beautifully, however, beating Australia and New Zealand and drawing with the hosts to set up an intriguing second match in the final.

In front of 30,000 spectators, two tries by stand-off Gordon Brown, plus one each from wing David Rose and Helme, gave them a famous 16-12 victory.

Ray French “This first World Cup was a huge gamble, but a real breakthrough for the sport.

Some people thought it was going to be a Mickey Mouse affair, and it’s unbelievable that the coach didn’t go with them, but it was a huge success. It was televised by the BBC via something called Eurovision – the start of international rugby league on TV. “We didn’t have a set, but my auntie had a brown Bakelite Bush set with a nine-inch screen. So me, my dad, and a few mates all went round there. We huddled around to watch the final, but there was a bus stop outside and every time the bus arrived it interfered with the signal.

“Gerry Helme scored a crucial try, but we didn’t see it because as he broke down the blind side a bus stopped outside and the screen was covered in what looked like snow. My uncle George went out to ask the driver to move, but he said: ‘I can’t, I’m early.’ So he stayed there for three or four minutes. We missed the try and the goal.”

Eight years after the previous World Cup and 31 years since they’d last staged one, Australia seemed invincible on home soil.

They had cantered through to what seemed a grand finale against New Zealand at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

All seemed to be going according to plan when skipper Darren Lockyer crossed to give the Kangaroos what would have been a 16-0 lead. The video referee ruled he hadn’t grounded the ball, however, and from that point on the game changed.

New Zealand shot ahead with two converted tries, although Australia hit back to lead 16-12 at the interval. In a second half dominated by the Kiwis, though, two incidents turned the game. First, star Australian full-back Billy Slater gifted a try to Benji Marshall with a silly pass; then Joel Monaghan tackled New Zealand full-back Lance Hohaia off the ball, resulting in a penalty try. Australia lost control, and New Zealand went on to win 34-20. A huge shock, and a first World Cup win for the Kiwis.

Ray French

All black Australia 20 New Zealand 34 November 2008

“There was controversy over some of the decisions. Video referee Steve Ganson was heavily involved, but I think his calls were correct. The Australians made mistakes, and in the end New Zealand won comfortably.

It was tremendous for the game.”

David Lawrenson

The Big Hit, featuring both Rugby League World Cup semi finals, takes place at Wembley on Saturday November 23. Get your tickets at www.rlwc2013.com/tickets

02

ATP World Finals

RivalRy ResuRRected The ATP World Tour Finals get under way at the O2 on Monday, with eight contenders battling for the final trophy of the season. But for two men who have spent all season battling for the top spot, there is far more at stake

t wasn’t supposed to go this way. At the start of 2013, while Novak Djokovic – then the world number one – was wrapping up a sixth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal was at home in Mallorca: a pale, sickly version of his former self.

Six months had passed since the Spaniard last competed – a troublesome left knee forcing him to take an extended break – and now a stomach virus had added illness to injury. “My comeback to the tour will happen when I find myself in conditions that allow me to compete,” said Nadal in a statement. “After all this time away, I prefer not to accelerate my return, and to do things properly.”

I

Written off While Nadal was ‘doing things properly’, the doom-mongers were out in force, including leading coach Brad Gilbert. “It’s giving more hope to other guys,” he said. “Tennis is like a treadmill. It just keeps going, and the longer you miss, the tougher it gets.”

The negativity simply added fuel to Nadal’s burgeoning fire. Fast-forward 10 months 32 | November 1 2013 |

and he holds half of the year’s Grand Slam titles, has added a total of 10 singles titles to his collection, and wrested the world number one ranking from a player who had recently celebrated his 100th (nonconsecutive) week in possession of it.

Doug Robson, tennis reporter for USA Today, has watched the drama unfold.

“It’s been a big thing for Nadal to realise that he can play at a very high level even if his knee hurts,” he tells us. “I think previously, he was afraid to push it too hard.

“That was a real mental hurdle for him.

All year he was saying: ‘My knee is not 100 per cent.’ But it’s not forcing him to pull back in matches or to pull out of them – he’s realised that he can play with a bit of pain.

“He also has an incredible ability to continually evolve his game. This year he’s not serving as hard as he was a couple of years ago, but he’s placing the ball better and moving in closer to the baseline because he knows that with his knees he has to shorten points. And he’s able to do that.”

“Nadal has realised that he can play at a very high level, even if his knee hurts” Cat and mouse For Djokovic, who has faced Nadal five times in 2013, and lost three of those (including two Grand Slam match-ups), that Melbourne moment in January is a distant memory as he heads to London’s O2 for the World Tour Finals. There, the rivalry between two players who have now met 38 times – a record in the open era – could take yet another twist.

For Tennis.com senior writer and author of High Strung, Steve Tignor, Nadal has turned the tables on Djokovic by adapting his

Return of the max: Nadal and Djokovic have been trading blows and titles all season

BEST OF ENEMIES How each player describes his biggest threat...

Djokovic on Nadal

“When you look at the pattern of wins between them, you see it’s a cat-and-mouse game,” he says. “One of them figures out something and will win three or four in a row, then the other one will figure out something else and go on a run of wins.

“A lot of it also comes down to confidence when the differences and margins are so small. The guy who is able to draw on his confidence in the most crucial moments of the match is the one who’s going to prevail.”

Both Tignor and Robson agree that Nadal has the Player of the Year title sewn up right now. “Whatever happens in London, Nadal has been the best player of 2013,” says Robson. Tignor adds one proviso: “If Djokovic beats him in London and somehow finishes the season as number one, then there would be a doubt. But I’m guessing that London will be less about this season and more about next. A win for either Nadal or Djokovic there would set the tone for 2014.”

Another year that, with any luck, will feature more momentum swings, more surprises and add more engrossing chapters to the lengthening tale of Messrs Nadal and Djokovic (with hopefully more than a cameo appearance from a Mr A Murray).

Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag

Monday > ATP World Tour FinAls | o2 ArenA | sky sPorTs 3 12Pm

Nadal on Djokovic “Our first Grand Slam meeting was in the quarter finals of the 2006 French Open. A year younger than me, Djokovic was a hell of a player, temperamental but hugely talented.

I’d been watching him in my rear-view mirror, looming closer, for a while now. Even then I had a strong feeling that he would be neck and neck with me before too long.

“A strong and fit Djokovic is a formidable opponent. He is a very complete player – more complete, (Uncle) Toni says, than I am – without obvious weak points. His greatest strengths are his sense of positioning and his ability to hit the ball early. His vision of the ball is so sharp that he plays with time to spare, more often than not inside the court, narrowing the angles for his opponents, making the game a lot easier for himself.”

Adapted from Rafa: My Story by Rafael Nadal and John Carlin, published by Sphere | 33

Lintao Zhang/Getty Images, Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images, Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images, Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

style. “He’s being more aggressive and staying out of the rally patterns that weren’t working for him against Djokovic,” he says.

“Also, Djokovic didn’t have the same confidence against him that he had in 2011, when he believed he would win the long rallies against Nadal. Then, he was able to be patient. This year he didn’t have that belief, so he lost patience more easily.”

Robson highlights the French Open semi final between Nadal and Djokovic as a particularly galling one for the Serb: “He had a lead in the fifth set but then lost the match and it unnerved him. He lost their next two matches, which were on hard courts – the one area where he had been able to prevail.

“But lately he’s turned the tide and shown he has to adapt if he’s going to get back on top. For a set and a half of their US Open final he played more aggressively and it was working. He did that again in China last month, and beat Nadal for the first time since Monte Carlo. Djokovic realises now that, against Nadal, he has to play a brand of tennis that he’s not comfortable with.”

After 38 meetings, the pair know each other’s game intimately. It means, says Robson, that they are constantly looking for the tiniest tweak that will give them an edge.

“Tennis is never tougher than when Rafa is on the other side of the net. He is the strongest player on the circuit and the most meticulous – a ball of nervous tics and superstitious rituals… while he’s calming himself with these rituals, he’s also driving his opponents to distraction. One reason is his cross-court forehand. Nadal hits that shot harder than anyone; it’s been clocked at 95mph.

“But that’s not even the scary part.

Nadal is left-handed, which complicates the equation. When two right-handed players battle, their cross-court forehands go to their opponent’s forehand. As a lefty, Nadal is driving his 95mph forehand to his opponent’s backhand. That means his strongest shot goes to most players’ weakest.”

Adapted from Serve to Win by Novak Djokovic, published by Bantam Press

Geoff Parling

A Premiership winner’s medal and a Lions series win equates to a successful year for Geoff Parling. Before he was ruled out of Saturday’s opening Autumn International against Australia, he spoke to Sport

I

f there’s one thing we take away from our chat with England, Leicester and now British and Irish Lions star Geoff Parling, it’s that he’s bored of talking about his beard. “It’s ridiculous, it’s all anyone asks about: ‘What’s with the beard?’

Well, I’m a grown man and I’ve decided to grow a beard. I had to stop one interview and ask if there were going to be any rugby questions .”

See what we mean?

Parling is joking, of course – at least we think he is – but the man who turned 30 earlier this week could be forgiven for getting a bit irked with all the labels he picks up. The guy with the beard, the joker in the pack (“I have no idea where that comes from – I like a laugh, but I wouldn’t describe myself as a joker”) and the man who’s obsessed with lineouts (“that one’s kind of fair”). Considering he has 17 caps for his country, three for the Lions in a series win and more than 70 appearances for Leicester since his move from Newcastle in 2009, you can understand why he might want to focus on the rugby side of things.

Not least because it’s been an incredible few years on the pitch for Parling. Having made his England debut in the 2012 Six Nations, he has seen his stock rise to such a degree that supreme athletes Courtney Lawes and Joe Launchbury are left to fight it out for the one remaining slot in the second row. And his lineout expertise, Parling reluctantly admits, definitely helps. “It’s part of the game I take more interest in than others,” he says

34 | November 1 2013 |

with a laugh. “And I’m sure it helps me get in teams.

I wouldn’t say it’s an obsession, but it’s something that I enjoy – and I think I offer a lot in that area.

Not in terms of opposition calls; it’s more a case of concentrating on my own team and getting our own stuff right.”

Voice of experience He might be slightly reluctant to talk about it, but his lineout expertise certainly helped cement his role in Stuart Lancaster’s squad – not to mention helping him get on the plane to Australia with the Lions. As a result, Parling now finds himself one of the more experienced players in Lancaster’s youthful squad.

“Experienced?” he interjects when we ask him about it. “Oh, come on – you just mean old!” Okay, so Parling is one of the older players in Lancaster’s squad. But it’s a role that the man from Stocktonon-Tees is very happy to play. “I just want to be playing, and whatever role I’m asked to do is one I’m happy with,” he says. “The lineout stuff already means that I have a lot of say on the set-piece side, but it is a youthful squad. So I’m always happy to help a younger player when it’s needed, or talk to the coach or captaincy unit when they want to.

It probably does highlight that I’m a little bit older when someone like Joe Launchbury is alongside me as well, considering he looks about 12.”

Parling’s place in the England squad looks pretty settled for now, then, and after the year he’s had

“It probably does highlight that I’m a bit older when Joe Launchbury is alongside me, considering he looks about 12”

– a Premiership title preceded the trip to Australia – it would be easy for him to feel on top of the world.

Despite his lineout love, however, this is a man who has his feet firmly on the ground. Most of the time.

“I genuinely don’t let myself get carried away with anything, to be honest,” he explains. “I got frustrated last year after we beat New Zealand.

It was a massive win, but people were saying we were one of the best in the world – then we lost to Wales and we were suddenly one of the worst teams in the world. It was massive to beat New Zealand, but we’d lost two games before that and we haven’t won a Six Nations title despite winning four out of five games two years in a row. I think you have to take a bit of a measured look at things, compared with the kind of stuff the press write.”

He pauses. “I know you’re in the press, but still…”

Hmm, this is awkward. Time, then, to tread some ground that we know he’ll enjoy.

A first Lions series win since 1997, and a tour in which Parling played all three Tests, starting two of them. Surely he allowed himself to enjoy that one?

“Obviously I loved it,” he says. Phew. “I had some pretty big lows, but there were some massive highs, and I loved the whole experience of the tour – a good bunch of blokes to spend time with, the traditions of midweek games and beers with the opposition afterwards. All of that was great, and to top if off with a series win was the icing on the cake, really. Being in that changing room after the third Test was amazing, and we probably > | 35

Geoff Parling

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

“We’re focusing on getting the first win of the autumn.

We need it, because things won’t be getting any easier” had two hours chilling out as a winning squad. That’s my favourite memory – on the rugby side, at least.”

The qualification at the end of his sentence is entirely intentional. That’s because Parling had other things on his mind during the build-up to the first Test – his wife was back at home giving birth to a baby girl, and Parling was left to follow events via the wonders of modern technology. Kind of.

“I had a FaceTime call before she was going into the room and a FaceTime call after, so it was a pretty nervous hour and a half,” he explains. “The worst thing is my wife’s auntie was in the room with her, but she didn’t know how to use FaceTime. She kept trying to ring me after the birth and the connection didn’t work. So that was a fun moment, as you can imagine! Luckily, I eventually heard her auntie laugh in the background and I knew everything was fine. It was surreal because I then had to switch on for the Test series. It was hard being so far away, but obviously having a baby girl was the real highlight of my tour.”

Not the tap tackle? Parling laughs when we refer to his tackle on Jesse Mogg, which stopped the Aussie from a near-certain try as the final decisive Test was balanced on a knife-edge. “No, no. I’m glad that went well, but if we’d lost, that wouldn’t have 36 | November 1 2013 |

meant anything. Winning the series was the only thing that mattered, not my personal moments.”

Welcoming the Wallabies What has been a busy year for Parling – both on and off the field – is not about to get any quieter, because the Autumn Internationals get under way against Australia tomorrow. Concussion may have ruled him out of lining up at Twickenham against some old foes from the summer, but when he does return to the fold he will do so fresh and ready to rock.

“I haven’t played as much as some of the lads because I’ve had a few niggles, so in that sense I’ll be fresher than most,” Parling assures us. “We had four weeks off at Leicester after the tour, which I enjoyed because I got to spend time with the family, and then it was back to business. It certainly felt like it came round a bit quicker than other seasons, but we’re all focused on the next few weeks. These games are massive, because you get to test yourself against the southern-hemisphere teams on your home patch.”

With a World Cup on these shores in just two years, playing on home soil arguably carries greater significance than normal to this England side – but it’s not something Parling likes to dwell on.

“I don’t think that far ahead because so many things can happen to a player in that time,” he says, with what turned out to be some prescience. “The management have a plan. As players, we just think about the next game.” And a meeting with an Aussie side desperate to avenge that Lions series defeat.

“The Aussies are always dangerous,” Parling agrees. “They have great playmakers who we have to stop, but the boys will be focusing on bringing their own game and getting the first win of the autumn on the board. We definitely need it, because things won’t be getting any easier. Argentina are a different side to the one that lost to England in the summer, while New Zealand are obviously always a huge threat, and they’re unbeaten since we turned them over last year.

“It’s going to be a tough autumn – there’s no point pretending it won’t be – but we feel ready for it.”

Clearly, England are up for the challenge ahead.

Beards and all.

Mark Coughlan @coffers83

Geoff Parling is a Brand Ambassador for Canterbury, the world’s leading rugby brand and official team kit supplier of England Rugby

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Stuart Lancaster

the nous of lAncA Ahead of the Autumn Internationals, we asked the England coach to talk us through his journey so far – and explain the challenges to come with the Six Nations and beyond

The early days in the job…

“Obviously there was a bit of pressure to do well when I took the role. But, because it was an interim job, and because I understood the culture and knew a lot of the players coming through – I’d been involved coaching the Saxons, worked with the academies and the players, and I’d been involved with the senior team – I had a good understanding of what I felt needed to change and what direction we needed to go to build towards 2015. I guess the ‘interim’ title gave me a freedom to put my mark on it the way that I felt it should have been done. What really motivates me?

“Winning the World Cup is a huge motivation, obviously, but so is building that long-term sustained success for England – one that runs right the way through the clubs, the academies, the international age grade teams and through to the senior team.

If we can have that, and emerge as a highly respected and feared international team, I think that will be the ultimate success.”

The Stuart Lancaster blueprint…

“All coaches have their own philosophy about the way they want to build the game.

Ultimately, when I look at the top end of the club or international game, there are a lot of different ways of playing the game to win – the Lions showed that you can play one way and win, and New Zealand play a different way to achieve success.

“What’s really important in teams is that you have a clear philosophy, and people buy into it. So I was very clear on that. The first two games after I took charge, we spent a lot of time talking about what playing for 38 | November 1 2013 |

England means and remembering the reason why. We did okay in the first year. But there’s no doubt about it – if you look at the way we were playing the game then, and the way we played in Argentina, for example, it is different. And we’ve shown that in patches – New Zealand and Scotland [this past year] in particular, where we’ve really moved the ball and played some attacking rugby.

“There are occasions when you have to win a different way, like in Dublin [in February], but there’s definitely been a development in the way we’ve played the game, which is pleasing. When you lose a game, particularly when you’re an international coach, I can assure you it is very disappointing because you feel like you’ve let the country down. When I look back on it, though, even going to South Africa and losing two Tests [17-22 and 27-36] by less than a score and drawing the third Test – I’m disappointed to have lost those. But, in the context of where we were, it was a pretty successful tour, and it really helped us to develop into the team we are now.”

“After the six nAtions, ArgentinA becAme A big focus.. i wAnted to finish the seAson winning seven out of our lAst eight gAmes”

The Argentina tour…

“After the Six Nations, Argentina became a big focus and we had three objectives from that tour. One was to win both Tests [pictured right]. I wanted to finish the season with a record of winning seven of the last eight games, which we achieved. The second was to develop a greater pool of talent in certain positions, so there are more options to choose from. It’s hard sometimes to put inexperienced players into an inexperienced team. I’m constantly wrestling with that in

the Six Nations, but now some lads have had more experience training and playing with us because you can’t just bring players into the squad to train. Players like Christian Wade, Marland Yarde and Kyle Eastmond hadn’t really been training with us because of the nature of the Elite Player Squad agreement, so to then put them in the team is a big step.

“Now they’ve had that experience, it gives us a great opportunity to create that

Saturday QBE IntErnatIonal: England v australIa | twIckEnham sky sports 2 2.30pm

Avengers assemble

STER

The halfback pairing of Will Genia and Quade Cooper carry Australia’s major threat in an Aussie team still smarting from defeat to the Lions.

Michael Hooper returns to a strong back row, but it is Genia who is the mastermind England need to halt – while Cooper is the enigmatic talent who could win the game for his side.

For England, reappointed captain Chris Robshaw has the chance to shine for his country after a slow start with his club – but revenge is in the air for the boys in white, too, after defeat to the Wallabies last autumn (below). The centre pairing of Billy Twelvetrees and Joel Tomkins holds the most intrigue for England fans, while Toby Flood’s retention at 10 – as opposed to the flair game of Freddie Burns – shows a level head is

strength in depth. The third area was to rest key players who were disappointed to not make the Lions, or tired after a long season.

This was the last break they’d get before the World Cup, and I’m sure people like Chris Ashton, Chris Robshaw, Danny Care and Toby Flood will come back fitter and fresher.”

still preferred by Stuart Lancaster .

Power is the order of the day for this England side, but expect them to open up the Aussies through the duo in the 12 and 13 shirts. Cross that gainline, and it’s up to Robshaw and co to stop Hooper turning them over.

After missing that Lions tour, the

The captain…

The autumn and beyond…

“We’re definitely a lot closer to the ‘ultimate goal’ than we’ve ever been before. Argentina showed that, but the proof will be in the pudding, in the Autumn Internationals and the Six Nations. The players have an

Harlequins man has a point to prove.

understanding of how we want to play, and I hope they’ll fit seamlessly back into it now we’re 18 months in. There’s still a long way to go to the World Cup, and we have to maximise the time we have together.

“Maximising home advantage is a key thing for us. We’re looking to create a playing style the crowd can connect with, and play in a way that they associate with that makes them proud to see the team. We’ve only got two home games in the Six Nations, then three games away in New Zealand next summer, then it’s suddenly one year out from the World Cup. Starting tomorrow, we have five games at home this season. Every one of them is of crucial importance.”

Chris Robshaw takes on France during the Six Nations in February: “I will always back him,” says Lancaster

David Rogers/Getty Images, Stu Forster/Getty Images, Tom Shaw/Getty Images

“In terms of picking Chris Robshaw to lead the team when I first took over, it wasn’t a hard decision at all. I didn’t make it until the end of the Leeds camp. The reason was that I didn’t know all the players, so I wanted to look at one or two and spend some time with them. Chris had captained Harlequins, obviously, and also England Saxons when I was in charge there. So, from that point of view, it wasn’t that hard.

“With the job comes profile, and you realise when you’re in that role that it isn’t just about captaining the team – there’s a whole load of other stuff. He’s managed it really well, and it was the right decision at the end of the season – having not made the Lions – to give him a break. When he looks back, the pros far outweigh the cons for Chris having not made the World Cup in 2011, and I’m sure he’ll become a better player again this season having not made the Lions.

I will always back him.”

Mark Coughlan @coffers83

BMW is offering fans the chance to win a lift home from the QBE Internationals in a BMW Sweet Chariot. For more information, visit rfu.com/BMWSweetchariots | 39

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

Saturday RUgBy LEAgUE | WoRLd CUP gRoUP A: EngLAnd v IRELAnd | JoHn SmITH'S STAdIUm, HUddERSFIELd | BBC onE 2.30Pm

Irish examiner England coach Steve McNamara was at Rochdale

dummy half. McNamara may use this game to give

on Monday evening, checking out Ireland in their

other members of his squad a run-out, and try a few

match against Fiji. He will have seen them go down

different combinations – although he will be forced

32-14 to a physical and unpredictable Fijian outfit,

into at least one change, with Sam Burgess banned

but show real commitment and heart in sticking to

for a feisty high tackle on Sam Thaiday last weekend.

their task up to the final whistle.

Leeds scrum-half Rob Burrow was one notable

On paper, England should blow away the Irish

gravity would surely have caused the Australians a

Huddersfield. But games aren’t won on paper, and

few problems, and may well be seen against the Irish.

McNamara will surely remind his players of their Michael Steele/Getty Images

absentee in Cardiff; his sharp pace and low centre of

challenge in this weekend's World Cup fixture at

shock defeat to Italy only two weekends ago.

They improved immeasurably in last Saturday's

Ireland only got together 10 days before the start of the tournament, and will improve from their first game, in which Australian prop Brett White was

tournament opener, however, losing 28-20 to

outstanding. Pat Richards is a big physical presence

Australia. Blockbusting forward George Burgess

on the wing, and if it comes down to goalkicking

(below, with brothers Sam and Thomas) was

there is none better. Given England's pedigree,

outstanding, with James Roby a constant threat at

though, it really shouldn't come down to that.

42 | November 1 2013 |

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Premier League

Saturday newcastle v chelsea st james’ park | bt sport 12.45pm

Title talk comes into play at the Emirates, while Wales gets its first top-flight derby and both Manchester clubs hope for a less stressful weekend than the last Saturday arsenal v liverpool | emirates stadium | sky sports 1 5.30pm

Chelsea’s defeat at St James’ Park last season was their first league defeat there in six visits. It was also their fourth game in all competitions without a win. The Blues are in a somewhat different place this time, heading to the northeast with last weekend’s hard-fought win over Man City boosting belief among the team. Belief in Alan Pardew, though, is waning at Newcastle after defeat to Sunderland meant the Magpies have just one win from their last five.

Saturday west brom v crystal palace the hawthorns | 3pm

After nine games of the season, these sides have

placed Tottenham. But this tie is justifiably described as

The 4-1 defeat to Liverpool was

been firmly placed into a box labelled ‘underdog title

each side’s biggest Premier League test thus far.

a blip for West Brom, who were

contenders’. With one defeat apiece in the league so

Brendan Rodgers holds the advantage of taking a

unbeaten in five before then – and if

far – Arsenal’s a slip at home against Aston Villa, and

fresh set of legs into the match, with Liverpool spared

there’s a side you want to face after

Liverpool’s also a home defeat, to Southampton –

a midweek League Cup outing (they were knocked out

a blip, it’s Crystal Palace. Changes

the reluctance to put them alongside Chelsea and

by Man Utd). He also has the best strike partnership in

have taken place, but three points

Manchester City in the ‘big boy title contenders’ box

the league (according to MOTD viewers, and other

from nine games leaves the Eagles

stems from the fact that both have enjoyed a relatively

non-United fans) in Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez,

rock bottom – and a record of just

gentle range of opening fixtures.

who have 14 league goals between them so far.

six goals tells its own sorry story.

Liverpool’s highest-ranked opponents have been an

With Suarez seemingly close to joining Arsenal this

Goals, and a point at the very least,

impressive fifth-placed Saints (the Reds also have a win

summer, it would be a bitter pill to swallow were he to add

are the order of the day for the away

over Manchester United on their record – but then, so do

to his haul at the Emirates. Still, the player Arsenal did

side here, so the pressure is on

West Brom), while the Gunners have a victory over fourth-

manage to sign hasn’t proved all that shabby, either.

Marouane Chamakh (above).

44 | November 1 2013 |

Saturday hull v Sunderland | kc Stadium | 3pm

Saturday man city v norwich | etihad Stadium | 3pm

Saturday Stoke v Southampton | britannia | 3pm

After a nervy win over Stoke, David

Although they’ve scored fewer

It was a managerless Manchester

Things aren’t going to plan for the

Moyes won’t be too confident ahead

goals than anyone else in the

City that Norwich beat on the final

Potters under Mark Hughes, and

of going to a ground where United

league, Hull under Steve Bruce

day last season. Their 3-2 win

defeat to old side Man Utd won’t

haven’t lost since 2009. A single

(above) are proving a tougher nut

inflicted City’s second home defeat

have helped his mood. That both key

goal separated the sides last time

than many expected, and have

in 48 league games, and the Blues

goals came via the aerial route is a

United played at Craven Cottage,

not lost at home so far this term.

are yet to be beaten at the Etihad

worry, considering Rickie Lambert

with Wayne Rooney’s winner giving

They’ve only lost by more than one

(on league business) since. The last

and co are in town this weekend.

him a fifth goal in his last five league

goal twice this season, at Man City

four meetings between these sides

Six of Southampton’s 10 goals this

appearances against Fulham. The

and Chelsea (both 2-0). Sunderland

have yielded a total of 25 goals, but

term have come from set-pieces,

Cottagers, meanwhile, played as if

will be buoyed by their first win of

with the Canaries only responsible

while they also boast the league’s

they’d used up their October goal

the season last time out – but, as in

for eight of those. Avoiding another

best defensive record. Mauricio

allowance at St Mary’s last time out.

tennis, a break of serve means little

hiding – against an in-form Sergio

Pochettino might not speak the

It’s November now though, lads.

unless you consolidate.

Aguero – will be job one on Saturday.

lingo, but his team are in full flow.

Saturday weSt ham v aSton villa | upton park | 3pm

Sunday everton v tottenham | goodiSon park Sky SportS 1 1.30pm

Sunday cardiff v SwanSea | cardiff city Stadium Sky SportS 1 4pm

Premier League tabLe P

W D

Pts

L

F

A

1

Arsenal

9

7

1

1

20

9

22

2

Chelsea

9

6

2

1

16

6

20

3

Liverpool

9

6

2

1

17

8

20

4

Tottenham

9

6

1

2

9

5

19

5

Southampton 9

5

3

1

10

3

18

6

Everton

9

5

3

1

14

10

18

7

Man City

9

5

1

3

21

11

16

8

Man Utd

9

4

2

3

14

12

14

9

11

Swansea

9

3

2

4

12

11

10 Hull City

9

3

2

4

7

10

11

11 Newcastle

9

3

2

4

12

16

11

12 West Brom

9

2

4

3

8

10

10

13 Aston Villa

9

3

1

5

9

12

10

14 Fulham

9

3

1

5

9

12

10

Five clean sheets are the good

What they’ve lost in Gareth Bale’s

It’s the first ever top-flight south

15 West Ham

9

2

3

4

8

8

9

news for West Ham, but four points

moments of magic, Tottenham have

Wales derby, but those hoping for a

16 Cardiff

9

2

3

4

8

13

9

from their last five games is the bad.

more than made up for in Roberto

goal-fest might be disappointed –

17 Stoke

9

2

2

5

6

10

8

Ricardo Vaz Te has joined Andy

Soldado’s penalties. That’s because

both come in after 0-0 draws last

18 Norwich

9

2

2

5

6

13

8

Carroll in the physio room, so a lot of

the Spaniard has now slotted three

time out. The Bluebirds have only

19 Sunderland

9

pressure will be on Ravel Morrison to

spot-kicks from three this season,

one point from their last three

continue his recent run of form. The

and all have earned AVB’s men 1-0

games, while Swansea’s only wins of

Villans have more points on the road

wins. For Everton, the man to watch

the season have come against sides

than at home under Paul Lambert,

is Romelu Lukaku (above), after five

in the bottom half – although both

but they need to start scoring goals.

goals in his last five games. Stop him

Michu and Wilfried Bony have

Christian Benteke’s penalty miss last

and Spurs stand a great chance –

somehow managed four goals

weekend summed it up for a side

especially if they can win (and score)

apiece. This is history, so sit back

that hasn’t scored in 285 minutes.

yet another penalty.

and enjoy the tan gwyllt (fireworks).

1

1

7

7

21

4

34

0

8

6

19

3

20 Crystal Palace 9

1

Premier League hat-tricks netted

by Liverpool and Arsenal players – more than any other clubs

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand | 45

All pictures Getty Images

Saturday fulham v man utd | craven cottage | 3pm

7 Days Champions League WEDNESDAY Group F: borussia DortmunD v arsenal | WestFallenstaDion | sky sports 1 7.45pm

Yellow and back Robert Lewandowski’s sucker punch at the end of

midfield. Further forward, Cazorla is feeling his way

Arsene Wenger is still lacking in width for the return

Dortmund’s 2-1 win at Arsenal leaves them tied on six

back to full fitness, but should be able to play a

fixture, with both Theo Walcott and Lukas Podolski

points along with Napoli at the top of an engrossing

greater role alongside Mesut Ozil and the freescoring

injured, so it will be interesting to see how he solves

Champions League group. The Gunners can take

Aaron Ramsey in Arsenal’s mouthwatering midfield.

that conundrum.

heart from their performance at the Emirates – they

Dortmund are still unbeaten at home this season

Arsenal’s own attacking thrust came mainly down

will feel they created enough to earn a draw, and could

and Jurgen Klopp, who will be back on the touchline

the right as well, with Ozil pulling into the channel to

have taken all three points if Santi Cazorla’s wicked

after serving his two-game ban, will be unlikely to

set up shooting chances for his teammates. Watch for

drive had arrowed a few inches lower.

change his approach. He was buoyed in the first

Dortmund pressing from the front through the tireless

Recreating that performance level in front of the

game by the returns of Nuri Sahin and Marco Reus to

Lewandowski, stopping Arsenal’s centre backs playing

German’s imposing ‘Yellow Wall’ is a different matter,

European action, and they will feature again behind

the ball into midfield. It’s no surprise that the most

even if the famous stand’s full capacity will be

Armenian tongue-twister Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who

frequently played pass in the last game, for either

curtailed by UEFA’s ban on standing areas. The first

will try to pick holes in the Arsenal defence.

team, was Laurent Koscielny to Per Mertesacker.

game was played at a breakneck pace, with both

Kevin Grosskreutz didn’t need to pick holes as

teams using their clever midfield players to attack

much as trot gleefully through the gaping chasm on

will be another game high on technical excellence of

quickly when winning the ball back. Mathieu Flamini

Arsenal’s left-hand side in the first game, culminating

the sort that gets us making strange noises, and the

might return from concussion to shore up the

in him delivering the cross for Lewandowski’s winner.

English FA hastily assembling a commission.

46 | November 1 2013 |

Don’t let that put you off, though. We’re certain this

Tuesday Group D: Manchester city v csKa Moscow | etihaD staDiuM sKy sports 2 7.45pM

Tuesday Group a: real socieDaD v Manchester uniteD anoeta staDiuM, san seBastian | itV 7.45pM

Manuel labour

Blues bounce back

Basque in glory

Jose Mourinho characterised Chelsea’s start to

Man City didn’t win a game in last season’s

Weirdly, for a man supposedly lacking in European

the season as ‘garbage’, presumably affecting an

Champions League, but victory here will virtually

experience, David Moyes actually seems to be

American drawl and stomping around in his special

assure knockout football at the third attempt. Their

handling Manchester United’s Champions League

cowboy boots. The shock defeat to Basel is a distant

2-1 win over CSKA a fortnight ago was a brave

campaign a lot better than Sir Alex Ferguson

memory, though, and the 3-0 win at Schalke showed

performance in difficult conditions (both on and

managed the last couple. If anything, it’s the one

intent – the Germans hadn’t conceded a Champions

off the pitch), and should be easier to replicate at

redeeming feature of his tenure so far, and his side

League goal before Torres’ fourth European brace,

home. Sergio Aguero is showing the sharpness with

can move a step closer to the knockout stages

but the return fixture falls in the middle of a testing

which he started his career in England, with eight

against Real Sociedad on the Spaniards’ home turf.

period in which they play Dortmund and a high-

goals in six games, while defending Russian

flying Hertha Berlin. Main striker Klaas-Jan

champions CSKA are struggling domestically, and

as fluent as they’ve been all season, with Wayne

Huntelaar is having knee surgery, so they’ll look to

defeat will leave them needing to beat Bayern

Rooney excelling and Shinji Kagawa showing flashes

Julian Draxler and the artist formerly known as

Munich to progress. That isn’t going to happen, so

of why he was bought in the first place. They need

Kevin-Prince Boateng to provide some attacking

they’ll be desperate for a result at the Etihad – their

to be more clinical, however; a lot of chances were

inspiration. If Chelsea find themselves lacking the

main threats will be Japanese international Keisuke

wasted in the absence of Robin van Persie, which

same, they can just get Samuel Eto’o to kick the

Honda, who looked dangerous in the first game, and

led to a few unnecessary scares in the second half.

ball out of the keeper’s hands again.

one-time Manchester United winger Zoran Tosic.

Against the Basques at Old Trafford, United were

Sociedad are on a dreadful run of form, though.

They’ve taken no points in Europe this season and haven’t scored from open play, their solitary goal

THe BesT OF THe ResT | sKy sPORTs 4 Match Choice

coming from a Carlos Vela penalty. Their domestic form is just as bad – they’ve won just two league

Juventus are in real trouble

the same against Vienna

Ibrahimovic (just as he likes it)

games all season – and another defeat will put them

– they’ve got just two points from

(Wednesday, 7.45pm), while

after his thumping hat-trick last

out at the first hurdle in their first Champions

three games and welcome Real

PSG can also go through with

time out. Milan against Barcelona

League campaign in a decade. United should sail

Madrid (Tuesday, 7.45pm), who

another win over the hapless

(Wednesday, 7.45pm) is always

through, and a victory will virtually confirm their

can secure qualification with a

Anderlecht (Tuesday, 7.45pm) –

enjoyable – the Italians secured a

last-16 status if Leverkusen beat Shakhtar. Maybe

win. City rivals Atletico should do

all eyes will be on Zlatan

creditable home draw last week.

this Moyes chap isn’t so bad after all, eh?

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

| 47

Mike Hewitt/Bongarts/Getty Images, Patrik Stollarz/AFP/Getty Images, Epsilon/Getty Images, Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Wednesday Group e: chelsea v schalKe 04 | staMforD BriDGe sKy sports 2 7.45pM

7 Days Friday > cycling | Uci track cycling World cUp: mancHester | BBc red BUtton 7pm

It’s coming home

The home of British Cycling (Stratford’s Velodrome hasn’t swiped that mantle just yet) hosts the opening round of the 2013-14 UCI Track Cycling World Cup series this weekend.

It comes hot on the heels of the European Track Championships in Apeldoorn, where British Cycling picked up eight medals, including another golden double for Laura Trott.

The double world and Olympic champion was part of the foursome that set a new world record in the team pursuit, before following up with a narrow victory in the omnium.

Trott is back for the Manchester World Cup, as are her fellow team pursuit riders Dani King, Joanna Rowsell and Elinor Barker. The GB men’s team pursuit squad, which also won gold in Apeldoorn, ride again in Manchester, while Trott’s boyfriend (and double Olympic champ) Jason Kenny will look to improve on the bronze he won for the individual sprint in Holland.

The World Cup moves to Mexico for the second round next month, before the final round in January. With qualifying points for the 2014 World Track Championships on offer, the Brits will hope for a strong start on home turf.

Saturday Horse racing | Bet365 cHarlie Hall cHase | WetHerBy | cHannel 4 3.35pm

Long sighted New month, new game. The

finished out of the top three

flat racing season may still be

in 26 career starts.

running, but November is when

his talented amateur jockey

cousin really takes off – and this

Sam Waley-Cohen will start

weekend sees the return to

favourites to take Saturday’s

action of one of jumps

three-mile contest – although it

racing’s biggest names.

may not be as easy as his skinny

Bryn Lennon/Getty Images, Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

Former Gold Cup and

odds suggest. He often needs

two-time King George winner

his first run of the season, and

Long Run is the star attraction

could face a bevy of grizzled old

at Wetherby on Saturday, for

campaigners (including Cape

the prestigious Charlie Hall

Tribulation and First Lieutenant)

Chase. He may have dropped

alongside talented second-

down the pecking order at

seasons chasers Unioniste and

trainer Nicky Henderson’s yard,

Harry Topper.

with Sprinter Sacre and Bobs

48 | November 1 2013 |

As such, Long Run and

its colder, hardier, tweedier

It’s a long season, and defeat

Worth the star new kids on the

here wouldn’t be a disaster –

block, but it is easy to forget

but a good win would serve as

he is still only eight years old

a reminder that Long Run is still

– and, indeed, that he has never

a horse to be reckoned with.

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Advertising Feature

Ground-BreakinG Moves as capital one, the credit card that supports the supporters, help to improve some of the worst local grounds, we uncover a few of Britain’s strangest football pitches ootball fans that play in Saturday or Sunday league, pub division, women’s team or youth matches each week do so for the love of the game. However, that love is often hard to remember when you’re stood outside in a park getting changed in the rain, shivering as you get your kit on, because your changing room roof collapsed a week earlier. Or when you celebrate a goal by sliding towards the corner flag only to realise that 10 per cent of your knees have been left in your wake due to the diamond-hard ‘turf’ that you’ve been playing on.

Local football grounds are beloved despite – sometimes even because of – their flaws. However, Capital One, the Credit Card that Supports the Supporters, are searching for the grounds most in need of repair. Their plan is to celebrate these character-filled local sporting coliseums – then to actually fix them up so that they’re worthy of the football supporters who commit to playing on them each week. The top prize is worth up to £75,000: enough to transform even the most dilapidated wreck.

To get the ball rolling – or at least bobbling

Alamy

F

unevenly forward – Sport scoured the office and pulled together our favourite tales of local footy grounds gone wrong.

Mole invasion A mole in a top-flight football team, spilling stories to the press, is terrible. But they present a different problem at the grassroots of the game. “We turned up to the park to play on our pitch once and it was full of holes,” recalls Simon from Watford about a game when he was 15. “We were told that an infestation of moles had caused it. None of them were actually seen during the match, but judging by the quality of the game – with both teams having to step over missing chunks of the pitch and the ball bouncing in all directions – the football may have put them off.”

Top corner “One of the goal frames at the other team’s ground had looked shaky all day,” admits Martin, 34, about an away ground in south London. However, what

happened next was an unfortunate coincidence, rather than any deliberately underhand tactic.

Probably. “I tried a lob that was perfectly flighted – I still claim to this day – to dip under the crossbar.

One of their players ran backwards to get on the goal line, bumped into the post and the whole goal frame toppled backwards. My lob went right into where the top corner would have been – except the top corner no longer existed! We had to stop the game, but I wasn’t awarded the goal.”

slope sTyle “Our pitch has always had a pronounced slope. It’s easier dribbling towards one of the goals, because you’re essentially running downhill,” says 26-year-old Joe about his local pitch in Kent. “But one winter, when the ground was frosty and wet, it just got ridiculous. We could hardly even get the ball to stay still for free-kicks. It just slipped towards one goal for most of the match and both teams had to sort of slide after it. It was like competing in winter sports!

We won 4-2 thanks to a second-half comeback when we were attacking down the slope – but I think we had to credit ‘gravity’ with all of the goal assists.”

Whether you play at your local ground or just pass by it, nominate it for a major upgrade thanks to Capital One by visiting: facebook.com/CapitalOneUK

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7 Days TUeSDAY > CRICket | AUstRALIA A v eNGLAND | BeLLeRIve OvAL, HOBARt | skY sPORts 2 11.30PM

Ashes options When Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower meticulously planned their conquest of Australia in the 2010-11 Ashes, a key target was winning their warm-up games. Too often in the past, it was felt, England touring teams had got off on the wrong foot, losses to the likes of Western Australia ominous portents of Test defeats to come.

As Flower is still coach, and England skipper Alastair Cook (right) is cut from a similar cloth to predecessor Strauss, we can expect the current England team to take the 2013-14 Ashes appetisers seriously. For certain players, matches such as this one against Australia A are also a chance to push for selection for the first Test on November 21. The position of third seamer alongside Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad is up for grabs, with towering leviathans Steve Finn, Chris Tremlett and Sport’s tip of Boyd Rankin all in contention.

England also need to decide on who to pick at number six. Jonny Bairstow did the honours for four out of five Ashes Tests last summer, but made just one half-century in seven innings. Yorkshire left-hander Gary Ballance may help to (sorry) balance the lower order, but keep an eye on young Ben Stokes in these warm-up matches. The talented 22-year-old all-rounder offers pyrotechnic batting and could help lighten the workload of England’s four-man seam attack.

SUNDAY FORMULA 1 | ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX | YAs MARINA CIRCUIt | skY sPORts F1 & BBC ONe 1PM

Cloud nine

He has three races left this season to hammer home his point. While the rest of us wait impatiently for next season, Vettel will be eyeing up more berths in the record books. If he wins the three remaining races of 2013, he’ll move level with Alberto Ascari’s record of nine straight victories set over 1952 and 1953. He would also pull level with Michael Schumacher for

In a cloud of smoke created by his celebratory spins on the finish line of

most races won in a season – 13 – and move closer to Ayrton Senna on the

last weekend’s Indian Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel climbed out of his Red

all-time race wins leaderboard (he has 36 to the Brazilian’s 41).

Bull and bowed down in front of it, paying tribute to the car that had

That task starts with Sunday’s day-night race in Abu Dhabi – where Vettel won his first, shock world title in 2010. Three years on and it would

Juan Manuel Fangio on that landmark – but, unlike that pair, there are

now be a shock if he didn’t win – testament to the excellence of Vettel

questions about Vettel, and exactly how much of his success he owes to

and his team, and a painful lesson for the rest of the grid, who will be

the sweeping curves of the Adrian Newey-designed car.

counting the laps until 2014.

Jeremy Ng/Getty Images, Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images

driven him to a fourth consecutive world title. He joins Alain Prost and

50 | November 1 2013 |

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Neither should anyone’s son.

Or Grandad. No cousins or nephews.

Not the boys from the rugby club or the lads from the pub. No boyfriends or husbands or father-in-laws. Not the chap from the chip shop or the noisy lads at the back of the bus. Not your best mate. Not a single stranger.

No one whatsoever.

No one should face cancer alone.

With your support, no one will.

Text DAD to 70550 and donate £5 today.

Texts cost £5 plus your network charge. We receive 94p of every £1 donated in this way. Obtain bill payer’s permission first.

Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604). MAC14175_07_13

ExTra TimE Making the most of your time and money

P60 Bend your knee to no man in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

Gadgets

Tablet topper

iPad air

Sardonically described as a ‘big iPad mini’, the Air boosts the performance of Apple’s flagship tablet with the same processor found in the iPhone 5S, while also stripping it of much of its bulk.

It’s sleek, slim, and a third lighter than its predecessors, weighing just 469 grams – about as much as a large jar of pasta sauce.

From £399 | apple.com

52 | November 1 2013 |

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There’s a coach in every watch.

Meet the GPS running watch with coaching features so dialled-in, it might know your abilities better than you do.

Forerunner 620 gives you essential running data like distance, pace and heart rate plus a touchscreen, VO2 max estimating and a recovery advisor. And when you pair 620 with HRM-Run you have access to advanced running form coaching data like cadence, vertical oscillation and ground contact time. The 620 is compatible with free training plans from Garmin Connect, which you can send to your watch, for real-time coaching.

To learn more, visit Garmin.com/ForerunnerCoach

©2013 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries

Forerunner ® 620

ET

Kit

roll Through ThE ElEmEnTs

Because, here at Sport, we prefer to delay our exposure to hostile conditions until we make it into the office

Comtat sartorial

The Savile Row suit of the bike world, claim its makers, the Comtat Sartorial racing bike features a carbon frame individually created to your exact specifications. Handcrafted in Italy by artisan framebuilders, you choose how you want the bike to handle and ride.

We recommend putting one together yourself using the Comtat Creator on their website – you can contact Comtat directly for advice on components and gearing. Then cycle along Savile Row smug in the knowledge you spent seven grand on a bike, not a suit.

Frameset £4,400, complete bike from £7,000 | comtat.co.uk

rapha Pro Team Jacket

Designed for high-tempo interval training in cold weather (and for when you want to look totally frickin’ boss), Rapha’s jacket features its Polartec softshell membrane on the chest, arms and shoulders. It’s designed with the idea that, when you are riding hard in low temperatures, breathability and protection from the elements are essential. £200 | rapha.cc 54 | November 1 2013 |

Aura lED safety Belt

Using an LED strip combined with hard-wearing, ballistic nylon, Aura’s belt was designed because “some riders may not want to wear clothing that might be more appropriate worn on a building site or by the emergency services”.

Your lights face front and back: this belt provides you with a 360-degree glow. £25 | auracyclesystems.co.uk

Altura night Vision City overshoes

Altura Team leg Warmers

A stretchable, reflective and waterproof overshoe designed to fit over a wide variety of footwear – because there are few things more miserable than cold, wet feet when you’re in the saddle (frozen, wet fingers aside). Made from polyurethane with an adjustable closure.

Next week: cycling gloves. £34.99 | evanscycles.com

Made with breathable stretch fabric, with grippers fastening for a secure fit (so they shouldn’t become baggy as you ride), these leg warmers from cycle clothing specialists Altura have the versatility to cope with the five degrees in the morning/10 degrees in the evening scenario. Simply roll up or down as required. £24.99 | evanscycles.com

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ET

Grooming

FAll Guy

A new range for the autumn, and some bathroom essentials as the seasons blur from one to the next

The successful fella

Aqua di Parma Collezione Barbiere

A full line of top-quality shaving products that fulfil the needs of the informed man who takes pride in his appearance, say AdP, and all with a fresh, neutral fragrance. From left to right, then, it includes the Collezione Barbiere razor handcrafted from water-resistant wengé wood and burnished brass (£170); shaving cream (£37 for 125g); shaving oil (£30 for 30ml – bottle and packaging featured); shaving brush, handmade with top quality badger bristles, wengé wood and burnished brass (£195); revitalising eye cream (£29 for 15ml); face cream (£37 for 75ml) and aftershave balm (£40 for 100ml). The essential accoutrements of the contemporary gentleman. We’d imagine. selfridges.com

The man down under VitaMan Face Mud Masque

Works to deep-cleanse and detox the skin with natural oils and mineral-rich Australian clay, which draws out toxins like a magnet.

Will hydrate and revitalise dull-looking, oily or problem skin, with sandalwood oil helping to treat infections and reduce puffiness.

The woody aromas of cedarwood oil, meanwhile, soothe and comfort, while grapefruit oil is a natural skin toner. £29.50 for 150ml | vitamangrooming.co.uk 56 | November 1 2013 |

The man of the forest Korres Cedar Shower Gel

Concentrated, rich-foaming and creamy shower gel with a lasting moisturising effect. Its high levels of wheat proteins help maintain natural moisture levels by forming a protective barrier over the skin, while active aloe helps to boost the skin’s immune system.

Skin is left feeling soft, moisturised and lightly scented with an aroma of rich, earthy and – importantly – manly forest tones. £8 | nivenandjoshua.com

The city dweller Gentlemen’s Tonic Daily Moisturiser

There is a whole host of good stuff in this.

Babassu oil, with the moisturising properties that heal dry skin and improve elasticity?

Check. Bergamot, the problem-solving essential oil with both antiseptic and stressrelieving benefits? Check. And gout kola, a herb used in Chinese medicine for its anti-inflammatory properties? Check.

Checkmate. Check it out. £26 for 100ml | gentlemenstonic.com

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urrently twirling her way through Strictly Come Dancing, Abbey Clancy has more links to the beautiful game than most.

Before Strictly, Clancy modelled the England shirt for the ill-fated 2010 World Cup – and her brother Sean is a non-league footballer currently turning out for AFC Telford in the Skrill North Division.

The 27-year-old, once ranked 10th in FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women Poll, is of course the significant other of Stoke striker Peter Crouch. Despite his goal at Old Trafford last weekend, Crouch is reportedly interested in being on the next series of the show.

We await the ‘good salsa for a big fella’ headlines.

Still, Abbey has made Saturday night BBC One must-watch television. Hopefully she’ll do the same for ITV on a Sunday at some point in the future.

Downton Abbey?

C

Extra time Abbey Clancy

58 | November 1 2013 |

Dan Kennedy/Lipstick Syndication

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ET

Entertainment

BlACkBEARD’S DElIGHT

Go face-to-beard with some legendary pirates in the latest Assassin’s Creed, while Don Draper comes clean. A tiny bit

Game

Film

Short Term 12

Tussle with sharks, attack enemy ships and smash grog bottles in bar fights in this piratical entry in the Assassin’s Creed series. You play as pirate Edward Kenway: a peg-legged, bulbous-nosed, hook-handed old drunk. Not really – Ed is a fearsome young Brit, as skilled with a flintlock pistol as he is with a blade.

However, the star of Black Flag is your vessel, the Jackdaw. The naval battles here are richly enjoyable, as you cannon

Event

Natural History Museum Ice Rink

It’s about that time of year when seemingly every outdoor space in London suddenly becomes a mulled wine-flogging skate rink.

Among the first to open is this one, outside the Natural History Museum. It’s a 1,000-metre rink and snug bar, overlooked by a dinosaur-packed building. What better place to fall on your arse?

Open now 60 | November 1 2013 |

down rival defences, leap deftly aboard their ships, attack the crews and plunder their vessels. You also have the option to dive into the ocean and explore the sea depths, giving this game a free, openworld feel in its vast Caribbean location.

Compared to Assassin’s Creed III, where you felt a little too locked into missions, it’s a breath of ocean air. The land-based action offers the high-quality stealth combat, but it’s in among the dazzling sea visuals where Black Flag flies highest.

Out now

Music

My Name Is My Name Pusha T He’s increasingly becoming a full-blown parody of himself, but Kanye West is still exceptional at his (original) day job of hip-hop producer. His grimy, ominous beats offer an ideal platform for Bronx rapper Pusha T’s elaborate storytelling in this addictive debut album. The only objection we have is the dumb title. Pusha, mate – your name is Terrence.

Out Monday

Blu-ray

Book

Mad Men Season Six

If there’s a criticism often levelled at this mesmerising HBO drama, it’s that it drifts by at such a leisurely pace. The upside to this is that we’re six series in and Don Draper remains an enigma.

Yet this return-to-form season actually shows its hand more than most. We get some detail on the Don’s troubled childhood, plus a poignant finale with his own kids.

Out Monday

The De-Textbook

You are an idiot. Or so say the people behind the witheringly funny cracked.com site. Their new De-Textbook sets out to debunk all the many untruths that you have been taught in life. It covers what velociraptors really look like, busts some health myths and offers an anatomy guide to “the meat suitcase you find yourself locked inside of”.

Out now

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© 2013 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2013 Marvel

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

Posh papers and film mags have broken out the five-star reviews for this US indie drama about a care centre for problem teens. Brie Larson gives a star-making turn as feisty-yetsensitive supervisor Grace. She’s adept at persuading kids to open up to her, not so hot at allowing supportive boyfriend (and coworker) Mason into her head, to his frustration. The arrival of a self-harming teen changes this dynamic, but if this sounds like a recipe for a cliche redemption story or gritty tearjerker, it isn’t.

A witty script and many lively performances keep Short Term 12 light, surprise-filled but still ultimately moving. Playful and powerful, all at the same time.

Out today

“This is the best smartphone in the world right now.� Sept 2013 Equipped with the latest cutting edge technology, the new LG G2 is a true powerhouse smartphone that delivers greater speed in a sophisticated, slim line design. With a unique rear key button that not only allows you to control the phone in its most intuitive way, plus a near zero bezel and a full HD IPS display that allows you to consume media better than ever before, the G2 demonstrates premium design sophistication at its very best.

Also available in white.

Visit lg.com/uk/G2