Sport magazine 333

Issue 333 | November 29 2013

Bale We speak to Real Madrid’s newest superstar

THIS IS FOR THE GAME-CHANGERS THE ROOKIES AND THE VETERANS

ONLY ON

ONLY ON

NEXT GEN EXCLUSIVE

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT: One hour of extra gameplay exclusive to PlayStation.

OVER 180 GAMES IN DEVELOPMENT AND 23 LAUNCH TITLES CONFIRMED TO DATE INCLUDING KILLZONE™ SHADOW FALL, EA SPORTS™ FIFA 14 AND CALL OF DUTY®: GHOSTS.

Contents

16

Issue 333, November 29 2013 Radar 05 Unbeatable

Paying homage to the All Blacks of 2013 with a look at other sporting heroes that just refused to lose

07 The Class of ’92

We review the new documentary about the Man Utd kids with whom, it turned out, you could win plenty

08 Brands match

The most iconic sponsorships in British sporting history – featuring a load of booze and fags. And milk

oFeatures this coming week

16

Gareth Bale

We speak exclusively to Britain’s most expensive footballer about life at a new club and in a new country

30 Sonny Bill Williams

A World Cup-winning All Black in union – can he repeat the feat in rugby league this weekend?

33 Kate Richardson-Walsh

The England women’s hockey team are off to the World League Final in Argentina. We speak to its captain

Cover page: Mark Robinson/MDR Photography. This page: Mark Robinson/MDR Photography, Paul Thomas/Getty Images, Tom Shaw/Getty Images

07

35

35 Sir Ranulph Fiennes

The world according to a man who has seen almost every corner of it

Christmas Gift Guide

30

48 Gadgets

48

Our 12 pages of Christmas kick off with a spread of gadgetry – including all you need for the dream living room

54 Cycling

Gift ideas for the friends and family who take their fitness more seriously than you do – which is most, lardarse

62 Watches

Two pages of them, to be as precise as the timepieces we’re featuring

68 Food & Drink

The two things without which Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas | November 29 2013 | 03

Join us in celebrating the outstanding achievements of women in sport, including elite performers, volunteers, and inspirational female figures.

Watch the Sportswomen of the Year Awards ceremony live on on Thursday, December 5 at 8pm.

Radar

p07 – We review The Class of ’92: an actual Golden Generation

p08 – Football associations and other classic sporting sponsorships

perfection Brazil, 1969-70

Okay, it’s not technically one season, but the best Brazilian team of all time – featuring the likes of Pele, Jairzinho (pictured, above) and Rivelino – are the only side to triumph in every single game, including qualifiers, en route to World Cup victory. Their journey, completed at the Mexico World Cup, included 23 goals in six qualifying games, victories at the finals over England (1-0) and Uruguay (3-1), and a 4-1 win over Italy in the final.

Sprinter Sacre, 2012-13

Horse racing needed a hero in the wake of Frankel’s retirement last autumn, and in Nicky Henderson’s star two-mile chaser it found one. Sprinter Sacre had been an unbeaten novice over fences, but in among the big boys last season he proved himself without peer. He won five from five, including races at the Cheltenham and Punchestown festivals, and will almost certainly repeat the feat this time round – starting with the Tingle Creek at Sandown next Saturday.

May-Treanor & Jennings, 2003

When it comes to superstars of the sand, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings are the duo to beat – and most people couldn’t. After years on the Federation Internationale de Volleyball tour, the duo moved to the Association of Volleyball Professionals in 2003, and proceeded to win all 39 matches of their debut season, with eight tournament wins. They went on to win 112 matches, and 18 tournaments, between June 2007 and August 2008.

Miami Dolphins, 1972

Rumour has it that every season, when the last remaining undefeated NFL team loses its first game, members of the ‘72 Dolphins team raise a toast, because their 17-0 win-loss record as the only Super Bowl-winning NFL team to go through a full regular and postseason unbeaten is safe. What’s remarkable is that they did much of it without star quarterback Bob Griese, who spent the majority of that season out injured. | November 29 2013 | 05

Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images, Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images, Danny Moloshok/Getty Images, Neil Leifer /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images

T

hose lucky enough to be at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin last weekend witnessed sporting history – through their fingers, their nerves shredded – when New Zealand converted an 82nd-minute try. That capped a perfect season for the All Blacks, with 14 wins from 14 games. In our own small tribute, we take a look at those who have matched the Kiwis – the men and women who, from the opening day to final curtain of a single season, won every single game.

Radar

T

here is an opening of the floodgates, or a rewriting of history, that accompanies the end of any great regime. And, with Sir Alex Ferguson retired, the Manchester United stories can start to leak out.

Fergie largely declined the opportunity to instigate the process in his bland autobiography, but new documentary The Class of ‘92 prises open the dressing room door to tell the story of the kids from Manchester (and Cardiff and Leyton) who won it all in 1999. It brings together the six players from their famous FA Youth Cup-winning team of 1992 who made it: David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Gary and Phil Neville.

Pass the salt

They get together to tell stories of their time as apprentices at United’s old training ground The Cliff, such as the times they locked Butt in a suitcase and shut Scholes in an industrial dryer (there’s a theme). It also provides a fresh perspective on some classic moments from the treble-winning season – including Phil Neville trying in vain to offer Giggs an option on the overlap as he tore through Arsenal in that FA Cup tie, or Beckham talking through his corners in the last minutes of the Champions League final.

The directors – brothers Gabe and Ben Turner – set the rise of Fergie’s Fledglings in the context of Britain, and Manchester in particular, emerging from the dark Thatcher years. This can feel a bit

heavy-handed at times, despite the high-profile talking heads including Danny Boyle, Tony Blair, and a languid, laconic Eric Cantona. The players aside, the real star is Eric Harrison, the coach who brought them through the youth system.

It’s a wonderful film that will soften the impression you might have of some of the players as mindless company men. Even the staunchest United haters will find it hard not to smile at the camaraderie that remains between the players who grew up together, while fans will be left with a warm glow of nostalgia and Champions League final goosebumps all over again.

Class of ‘92 is out Sunday in selected cinemas and on DVD from Monday (Universal)

T

here’s a rich tradition of condiments being co-opted for football matters. Its peak was arguably 1993, when then Chelsea goalkeeper Dave Beasant ruled himself out for two months with a severed tendon in his big toe after trying to control a bottle of salad cream. Now it reaches its logical conclusion with these Subbuteo-themed salt and pepper grinders, which will make it much easier to explain the offside rule to a confused companion over a full English breakfast at Cafe Cliche.

Subbuteo Salt & Pepper Grinders, £30 plus postage from thabto.co.uk

| November 29 2013 | 07

John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images

First class

Radar

WARMER. COOLER. LIGHTER.

sponsor me!

H2FLOW allows you to control your body’s temperature. The concept is based on insulation that uses air to provide warmth, and ventilation that lets you control the airflow to cool you down when necessary. hellyhansen.com/h2flow

CONFIDENT WHEN IT MATTERS

08 | November 29 2013 |

Hennessy Gold Cup One of the biggest events in jumps racing dates back more than 50 years and has been won by equine legends including Arkle, Denman and reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup champion Bobs Worth. Its first running in 1957 was won by Mandarin – a horse owned by Peggy Hennessy (above, with the Queen Mum), who just happened to be a member of the family that founded the firm that still sponsors the race. How apt.

Sharp, Manchester United An honourable mention to Crown Paints, who managed to sponsor a dominant Liverpool for much of the 1980s, but the Japanese electronics giant just trumps them for a 17-year association with the side that knocked the Reds off their perch. Between 1983 and 2000, United won six Premier League titles, five FA Cups and, of course, a Champions League – all with Sharp plastered across the shirt.

Marlboro, McLaren Back in the old days, when fags and booze sponsored pretty much everything, the red and white livery of cigarette brand Marlboro adorned the Formula 1 cars of McLaren (when they were good). The association ran from 1974 to 1996, arguably reaching its peak in 1989 – the year in which ‘teammates’ Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna famously ran each other off the track at Suzuka.

Gillette Soccer Saturday Originally Sports Saturday, the show that’s entertained armchair football fans for 20 years has, since 1996, been sponsored by shaving brand Gillette. A concept relying on the popularity of middle-aged Hartlepool fan Jeff Stelling and his merry band of screaming cohorts sat watching games we can’t see shouldn’t have had legs.

But it did, and Gillette have reaped the rewards ever since.

Flora London Marathon Perhaps surprisingly, margarine brand Flora became the fifth different title sponsor of the London Marathon when they took the reins in 1996. They retained them until 2009, after which Virgin took over, but held the naming rights during a boom period for the race – including the 2002 running, when Paula Radcliffe bobbed her way to glory.

Embassy World Snooker Championship By the time Embassy’s sponsorship of the World Snooker Championship came to an end in 2005 (two years after legislation restricting tobacco’s sponsorship of sporting events came in), the cigarette brand had been emblazoned across the Crucible arena for the best part of 30 years. Smoking is neither big nor clever, but its synergy with snooker was one of the defining sporting relationships of the 1980s.

Team Sky Founded only in 2009, but the money Sky have put into the British-based team has acted as the catalyst for a revolution in professional cycling, an explosion of interest in the sport on these shores, and the turning into stars of the likes of Sir Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish and Chris Froome.

They may just dominate the Tour de France for years to come.

Milk Cup More than 20 years after the League Cup came into being, the Milk Marketing Board became its first title sponsor. It has since been followed by Littlewoods, Rumbelows, Coca-Cola, Worthington, Carling and current sponsor Capital One – but what could be better than an event sponsored by milk. Milk!

John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images, Adrian Murrell/Allsport

T

his weekend, cognac purveyors Hennessy mark 57 years of sponsoring the Gold Cup horse race that bears their name. Reason enough for us to pick out the most iconic sponsorships in British sporting history.

Radar Editor’s Letter Life in a bubble: the pressures of a Test tour may have exacerbated Jonathan Trott’s illness

www.sport-magazine.co.uk @sportmaguk facebook.com/sportmagazine

Free iPad app available on iPad, Kindle and Android devices

Sport magazine Part of UTV Media plc 18 Hatfields, London SE1 8DJ Telephone: 020 7959 7800 Fax: 020 7959 7942 Email: firstname.lastname@sport-magazine.co.uk

Editorial Publisher: Simon Caney (7951) Editor: Tony Hodson (7954) Art editor: John Mahood (7860) Subeditor: Graham Willgoss (7431) Features editors: Sarah Shephard (7958), Alex Reid (7915) Staff writers: Mark Coughlan (7901), Amit Katwala (7914) Picture editor: Julian Wait (7961) Designer: Matthew Samson (7861) Production manager: Tara Dixon (7963) Contributors: David Lawrenson, Francesca Tye

Commercial

Black dog still barks Jonathan Trott has fallen victim to a condition that has plagued cricketers for generations

Editor Tony Hodson @tonyhodson1

has seen Jonathan Trott return home from the Ashes, citing a need to take a break from cricket and spend time with his family, is one that the sport has struggled to deal with for a century and more. Far from being the first cricketer to suffer from such a condition, Trott isn’t even the first cricketer with his surname to do so. Take a moment, if you have one, to read up on his namesake Albert, who took his own life 100 years ago next July.

Test cricket, even without the unnecessary and pitiful ‘banter’ that has sullied the early skirmishes of what could prove a compelling Ashes series, is an unforgiving arena.

Failure lingers in the mind, an overseas tour affording even the smallest seed of doubt the time and space it needs to put down roots and grow into the kind of serious affliction that Trott has seemingly been fighting for some time.

So no, he didn’t jump on a plane home because of a few bouncers from Mitchell Johnson or a cheap but ultimately harmless dig from David Warner. He went because he needs to deal with a genuine psychological illness.

In that, the whole of cricket should unite to wish him well.

Wherever you turned last weekend, there was another bout of sporting heartbreak waiting to slap someone in the face. I was at Wembley on Saturday afternoon, where an England rugby league team that had finally found its A-game suffered the agony of a last-minute defeat to defending champions New Zealand in the World Cup semis. Later that night, I listened on the wireless as George Groves was cruelly stopped in the ninth round of a world-title fight against Carl Froch that he had largely dominated. Then, on Sunday afternoon, Irish eyes went from smiling to weeping as their rugby union team was denied a first ever victory over the All Blacks in the 82nd minute of an 80-minute match. Heartbreak, heartbreak, heartbreak – sport at its most glorious, its most beautiful, its most ugly. Love it.

Finally, Ryan Giggs is 40 today. Forty years old. He is by no means the greatest player of the Premier League era (Cristiano Ronaldo, for my money), and those looking for a moral compass should be jogging on. But in the relentless and brutal world of elite modern sport, for an athlete to be operating at his level, at his age, is frankly staggering.

Just ask the 39-year-old Prince Naseem Hamed.

Reader comments of the week

Get in touch @sportmaguk

Colour reproduction: Rival Colour Ltd Printed by: Wyndeham Group Ltd © UTV Media plc 2013 UTV Media plc takes no responsibility for the content of advertisements placed in Sport magazine £1 where sold Hearty thanks to: James Clifford, Laura Mansbridge, Florence Partridge, Duncan Ross

LAUNCH OF THE YEAR

2008

Prostate Cancer UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1005541) and in Scotland (SC039332). Registered company 2653887

Total Average Distribution: 305,684 Jan-June 2013

Don’t forget: Help keep public transport clean and tidy for everyone by taking your copy of Sport away with you when you leave the bus or train.

info@sport-magazine.co.uk

@Sportmaguk

Fantastic preview of Froch

Fab feature in @sportmaguk

Great @simoncaney’s

A passionate passage,

Where’s the rugby union in

Absolutely outstanding

v Groves in @Sportmaguk

on Froch v Groves. Both

article about the World Cup

strengthened by common

@Sportmaguk at the

stuff on the Froch v

and an in depth look at the

great for the sport, but

2022 in Qatar. A lot of

sense and logical flow

moment? Seriously

Groves fight in the mag.

pre-fight psychology.

Froch oozes character and

questions without answers.

@simoncaney – will

lacking.

is indeed the ‘premier

The hot in the summer will

#Qatar2022 survive?

pugilist’ #Cobra

be terrifying.

@glvrmrk

@danimc1988

Proper insight.

@themugpunter

@kgannon1

@BHSport

@KatHolloway

| November 29 2013 | 11

Patrick Hamilton/AFP/Getty Images

D

epression. A stress-related condition. The black dog. However you want to term it, the malady that

Head of Sales: Iain Duffy (7991) Advertising Managers: Steve Hare (7930), Graeme Pretty (7908), Ally Weeden (7918) Sales Executive: Joe Grant (7904) Distribution Manager: Sian George (7852) Distribution Assistant: Makrum Dudgeon Head of Online: Matt Davis (7825) Head of Communications: Laura Wootton (7913) Sales Director: Adam Mills Managing Director: Calum Macaulay Office Manager: Deborah Dilworth (7826)

Flats on Friday

David Lyttleton

Radar Opinion

Sledging a path to respect

H

aving attended a zillion black-tie dinners over the years, there are some questions that seem to pop up every time. “What does go on in that front row?” is a popular one, as is “Do you have to watch what you eat?” I always try to ensure I’m holding a white bread roll smothered in butter for the second question, while I’m never quite sure how to answer the first. “Er, loads of stuff,” seems about right.

Recently, I was asked to name the best sledging I ever received as a player. I couldn’t remember many on the spot but, having had time to think, one moment sticks out. I recall playing against France ‘A’ in Toulouse on a wet, cold Friday night in one of the dirtiest (televised) games I ever played in.

My opposite number, a spiteful individual who went on to win a boatload of French caps and with whom I struck up a respectful friendship, decided to check my eye socket was in good order by inserting a forefinger into it until it disappeared. I was face down in the mud while this was happening, having my calves and ankles stamped to pieces by another, unidentified Monsieur Meanie. It was a pleasurable experience rounded off by a stinging smack on the jaw that left me unable to eat the post-match meal.

Naturally, I stood up looking for trouble. I was ready to start something and, with the red mist fallen, red or yellow cards were just fine by me.

But something unbelievably annoying happened.

12 | November 29 2013 |

A teammate had seen the incident(s) unfold with me pinned to the deck and, primarily because he was a back, decided retaliation could only make a bad situation worse. He held me back as I did my best to pile into anything in blue, believing he was saving me from either being punished or filled in again.

As I struggled in vain, said prop forward stood but a yard from me, arms hanging loosely by his side, grinning all the while. “Kiss me, Daddy,” he whispered as all hell was breaking loose. “Kiss my lips.” His calmness was eerie, and what he said genuinely threw me a bit. Needless to say, we had a manly embrace after the game – and we indeed kissed for the cameras after a few bottles of red, which I drank through a straw.

I love reading reports of sledging in cricket – partly because there are some classics, and also because I know they’re just words. Not like rugby, where chat is historically backed up by the real thing. I remember playing for Saracens against Bath and coming up against John Mallett, an extremely tough individual. We had a decent scrum and drove them backwards, at which point the referee decided to reset us. “London w****r,” said Mallett. “Actually, I’m originally from Kent,” I replied cockily. “That’ll do – you’re still a w****r,” he growled. Then it landed. The left hook that left me seeing stars and taught me to respect my elders. @davidflatman

It’s like this…

Bill Borrows

I

tired of players wearing garish football boots at some point in the mid 1990s.

Indeed, I put my objection to a well-known Premier League manager of the time. “I’ve a dressing room full of the prima donna [expletives deleted] downstairs,” he said. “If I had a pound for every time I’ve told them to worry about their day job rather than what they are wearing on their [another expletive deleted] feet, I’d be able to retire.” He was sacked a week later.

The thought recurred on Sunday, as Manchester City demolished a Tottenham team that long-suffering Spurs fan and talkSPORT presenter Paul Hawksbee described in a heartfelt text as “gutless and pitiful”. In what might have been the most wounding response I’ve ever sent a fellow football fan, I just said: “Sorry.”

Every team can have a bad day at the office (and I’m thinking City at Cardiff, Villa and Sunderland here), but if you’re going to turn up at the ground of the only team in the top four divisions with a perfect home record, the best you can do is keep your head down and go about your business with an anxious but ruthless discipline.

That is to say, don’t turn up attempting to flatter to deceive like 80 per cent of the Spurs back five, with luminous football boots that seemed to scream: “Look at me, aren’t I the dog’s nuts?” Alvaro Negredo can wear whatever he wants on his feet – he scores goals – but when you are part of a zonal defensive unit stumbling around like a hen party from Sunderland on a ferry back from Calais, you need camouflage boots – not ‘hi-viz’ anything. When 40,000-plus people are taking the piss out of your choice of footwear, something’s wrong.

Alex Ferguson used to insist that the young players at Old Trafford wore old-school black boots until they had proved themselves on the pitch. When Alan Ball wore white boots, he’d already won the World Cup. When Alan Hinton – yeah, me neither – wore a pair while playing for Derby County under Brian Clough, he at least had the good grace to explain: “The background to me wearing them was simple. A company called Hummel approached me and offered me a grand… I also supplied Marks & Spencer quality seconds pullovers to Cloughie [as a business sideline].”

You’ve got to earn the right to the wear the boots.

But perhaps not that literally. @billborrows

Plank of the week

Wojciech Szczesny, Norf Larndon Not satisfied with possessing the highest-value Scrabble surname in the Premier League – 31 points to the aggrieved Ricky van Wolfswinkel and Adnan Januzaj (an embarrassing 30 each) – Szczesny has taken to social media to belittle Tottenham. “Wonderful scenes at the Etihad,” he tapped into his mobile phone on Sunday, seemingly unaware that Arsenal are supposed to define themselves by rather more exacting criteria than just finishing above Tottenham.

Frozen in time

14 | November 29 2013 |

Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images

Gutknecht to you

If last Saturday’s war between Carl Froch and George Groves wasn’t reminder enough that boxing is a tough old game, here’s a grisly visual memorandum. On the same evening in Germany, Eduard Gutknecht bravely tried to continue his light-heavyweight bout, despite his left eyelid looking like it had swallowed a golf ball.

Thankfully, medical sense prevailed and the fight was stopped before the fifth round. We can only hope Gutknecht has spent this week resting up and getting some much-needed shut-eye.

| 15

Gareth Bale

16 | November 29 2013 |

Living the dream We sit down with Gareth Bale to talk football, the future and what it’s really like to play with Cristiano Ronaldo k

Gareth Bale

I

t could be a storyline taken straight from the pages of Roy of the Rovers.

Local Cardiff boy done good, gets his dream move abroad and returns to fire his country to the top of the global game.

Okay, the international part might have to wait – at least for now – but the rest of the fairytale is going exactly to script for the boy from Cardiff, one Gareth Frank Bale.

And if Bale’s fairytale truly is being played out on the global stage, then the latest chapter was finally opened on September 1 2013 – the day he put pen to paper on a reported £85.3m deal to move from Tottenham to Spanish giants Real Madrid.

It remains an unconfirmed figure but, regardless of the price tag, the fact is the boy from Wales has done pretty darn well. A protracted transfer it might have been, but for Bale it was, he says, “a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to play for Real Madrid, because I’ve watched them pretty much every season since I was young.”

While it might sound a bit like Robbie Keane Syndrome for Bale to talk of Madrid as his boyhood club, photos of him wearing the famous white shirt as a boy have gone some way to silencing his doubters, because his love of the club is genuine. And anyway, who’s to begrudge Bale a move to the Biggest Club In The World™? After all, he was the star name in the Premier League last season, and Tottenham’s standout performer from the moment he tore Inter Milan apart with a Champions League hat-trick back in October 2010.

That was impressive enough, but it was last year’s haul of 26 goals in 44 games that saw him named PFA Young Player and PFA Players’ Player of the Year, and finally persuaded Tottenham that their star had outgrown his north London home. They waved him off to Madrid, where an army of fans waited to welcome him at his unveiling.

“It’s an experience I’ll keep with me forever,” Bale says of that 20,000-strong welcome to the Bernabeu. “You watch players in the past go through it and it looks amazing, then suddenly you go through it yourself. It was an amazing turnout from the fans, and it helped me to feel at home straight away, especially because it was all quite last minute after it went through right at the end. It was a massive occasion, but it was something I really enjoyed.”

He pauses, before laughing: “Although there was a fair bit of pressure on those kick-ups in front of the cameras.”

Denis Doyle/Getty Images, Mark Robinson/MDR Photography

“It was an amazing turnout from the fans, and it helped me feel at home straight away”

18 | November 29 2013 |

Finding his feet

The laughter, along with the smile and relaxed attitude, is a constant throughout our chat with Bale. Clearly this is a man who is enjoying his new surroundings. We’re talking to him at Real Madrid’s training ground, where he’s telling us about his rise to the top of the world game, how he’s settling in at the Bernabeu and – almost as important for a man who enjoys his gaming – his appearance in FIFA 14. How much better, then, have the game’s producers EA Sports made the Madrid Bale than the Tottenham incarnation of last year?

“I think I’m a bit better actually,” he says, with a smile. “Which is handy, because I play a lot online to stay in touch with my friends back at home.

There’s plenty of banter, so you want your own ratings to be as strong as possible.”

If his ability in the video game has continued to rise, his status on the world stage has certainly followed the same trend. Having been thrust into the limelight with the transfer saga that dragged on over the summer, we wonder how it feels for the 24-year-old to find himself the centre of the world’s attention?

“I’m just getting on with everything as normal,” Bale assures us.

“I play for the biggest club in the world now, and I’m enjoying it and looking forward to doing a lot more with them. But I’m here to play my football, to concentrate on my game and to become a better player, and that’s purely what I’m focusing on doing.

“I spoke to a few people before I came over, to get an idea of what it’s like to move to a new country and such a big club, and the best advice I was given was to try to learn the language as quickly as you can, and settle into life off the pitch as quick as you can. It always helps to show people from other countries that you’re trying. Their appreciation will help you settle in.”

So how are those Spanish lessons coming along? We saw Bale say a few words in the local tongue at his unveiling, telling the watching world: “Es increíble estar aquí. Es un sueño hecho realidad. Hala Madrid!” (‘It’s incredible to be here. It’s a dream made reality. Go Madrid!’). So is he now fluent, and calling the shots on the training ground?

“I’ve only been here two months, not two years”, he laughs. “It’s coming along slowly but surely, but I have to keep putting in the hard hours in the classroom and I’ll hopefully be speaking it in no time. At the moment, it’s just English for me.”

Does that cause a problem on the training ground, we wonder? Bale, after all, is surely used to being one of the most influential players on the training pitch, having been a key player for both Tottenham and Wales in the past few seasons. Has the language barrier affected his influence on the training ground, and thus hindered his ability to settle in quickly? k Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Gareth Bale

Jose Jordan/AFP/Getty Images, Lluis Gene/AFP/Getty Images

“It was a dream to score on my debut – it just helps take the pressure off”

“Not really,” he insists. “Wherever you play these days, there are so many languages because players come from all over the place. It’s normal in that respect, but there are a lot of players here who speak English, and the manager and the coaching staff speak English, so that’s obviously helped out a lot and made me settle in that much quicker. It obviously takes a small bit of time to settle anywhere, but I feel like I have now. I’ve got somewhere to live and all that stuff sorted off the pitch, so that means you’re purely able to focus on everything you want to do on the pitch. I feel good now, and I think it’s showing” A debut goal – Bale found the net just 38 minutes into his first Real Madrid start at Villarreal in September – must have made for a smoother bedding-in period, too. “Yeah, for me there was just so much joy in getting that goal (pictured above),” he confirms. “It was a dream to score on my debut, and it just helps take the pressure off because it kind of gets you off that mark and stops people talking about you in the papers in the future: ‘He hasn’t scored...’ this, that and the other. It was good to get that in in the first game.”

It’s not hard to see how that debut goal helped take any pressure off Bale in his new environment – he has now notched five goals and has five assists in just 11 appearances for the men in white, including a cleverly taken finish in last week’s 5-0 demolition of Almeria. If there were 20 | November 29 2013 |

still any doubters out there as to Bale’s ability to step up to the big time at the Bernabeu, their voices are growing ever more silent by the week.

Tougher times

That’s not to say Madrid life has been all plain sailing for Bale. Just two games after his debut, he picked up an injury that ruled him out of four of Madrid’s following five games, before he was eased back into action.

“It was frustrating to have that happen so soon after arriving,” he admits.

“I didn’t have a pre-season because of all the transfer stuff going on, so I didn’t have any training or any games – it was inevitable that I was going to suffer at some point. I’ve done a lot of hard work in training now; that’s starting to pay off, and I’m starting to get fully fit and show what I’m capable of.”

If there’s one thing that Bale must have noticed has changed since arriving at Real, it’s the increased pressure to perform every time he takes the field. After being the star player at a club with ambitions of a top-four finish, Bale is now part of a team striving for the top. Anything else is not good enough, and a defeat to Barcelona – Bale’s first start after his return from injury (left) – saw both the team and the man himself come under fire from the passionate local media. k Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Gareth Bale “Obviously there was a lot of responsibility on me last year,” he says. “I think I can relax a little bit more and not have the whole pressure of it. For me, I still need to perform every week, still need to do what I was doing last season, and still keep on improving. But I have better players around me here, and that will bring better games and better performances out of me. Everybody’s here for a reason, because we all want to be the best and we all think we are the best.”

Speaking of the best, Bale finds himself surrounded by some of the world’s top players day in, day out: Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema and former Tottenham teammate Luka Modric, to name but three. There’s only one man, however, who embodies Real Madrid right now: the Portuguese genius that is Cristiano Ronaldo. With 32 goals in 22 games for club and country this season – and 60 in 49 this calendar year – the Ballon d’Or looks like it’s a nailed-on certainty for him.

“It’s unbelievable playing alongside him,” Bale says of the former Manchester United man. “For me, he’s the best player in the world right now, and the amount of goals he’s scored has been incredible.

The things he does are just amazing, and playing and training with him every week means I’m hopefully going to learn stuff off him and become a better player myself.”

So much for the rivalry between the two. Bale’s arrival at Real Madrid went hand in hand with media stories that the duo were in competition for one shirt. This town ain’t big enough for the both of us, and all that. Well, clearly it is. Both players have fitted seamlessly into Carlo Ancelotti’s preferred line-up. It’s not just on the pitch, though, where the duo are working well together.

“We’ve obviously had conversations between ourselves and he’s helped me in every aspect of settling in on and off the pitch,” Bale explains when we ask about their relationship. “As someone who’s been in the limelight a lot, he’s given me some good advice, too. I’m enjoying playing alongside him, so hopefully there is a good partnership developing there for the future.”

“For me, he’s the best player in the world right now – the amount of goals he’s scored has been incredible”

The future’s bright

“I think you always have to prove people wrong,” Bale says when we ask him about the increased level of scrutiny. “Somebody always has something negative to say. For me, though, I just purely concentrate on what I’m doing, and that’s the most important thing. It’s obviously a little bit different here than it was at Tottenham, but when you’re playing for the biggest and the best club in the world, you’re expected to be winning every game – and rightly so.“ Sensible words from Bale, who during our chat refers repeatedly to the challenge he’s accepted on moving to Madrid. As a man who has played in nine north London derbies, though, we wonder how El Clasico compares. In fact, can it even be spoken about in the same terms?

“It’s hard to compare, to be honest,” Bale explains, diplomatically. “Obviously the game against Barcelona was a great experience for me. I think we deserved to win, but obviously it was disappointing not to. But in terms of the build-up, there was an extra level to what you get in London. It’s probably the biggest game in the world, and the most talked-about and most watched. There’s a lot of media attention leading up to it, and rightly so. It was great to experience it, and now I’ve had a taste of it, I want to play in more – and win, obviously!”

Superstar teammates

Talk of winning comes up several times during our chat with Bale, and it’s easy to see that a big part of his motivation to move was the chance to seriously challenge for silverware. After the pressure of carrying a team at Tottenham – one he stepped up to time and time again – the pressure is now on the team as a whole, and it’s something Bale is clearly enjoying.

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

With all the talk of the future and his plans at Madrid, it’s clear that there’s a maturity to Bale that far exceeds his 24 years. At such a young age, he is now a star name at one of the biggest clubs in the world, and finds himself at the centre of football’s media landscape. We put it to Bale that this move abroad could be the making of him as a man.

“As you get older, you grow up and learn new things,” Bale explains. “But yeah, I do feel like I’ve matured recently. Obviously moving abroad is going to make me grow up that much quicker, and it’s an experience that I’m enjoying right now.

At the same time, I also feel like the same person I always was. I’m enjoying my football, I approach life off the field the same as I always have. As long as you’re doing that, then you’re going to be doing well on the football pitch.”

And what of his changes on the pitch? After moving from left back to left midfield, and finally to a free role as his influence at Tottenham grew by the season, has Bale had to change his game again with his move to Spain?

“Not too much,” he explains. “Obviously the way I play is suited to the way Madrid play perfectly, and that’s a big reason for me being here. I enjoy playing anywhere across the front line, and the attacking positions I had with Tottenham last year are similar to what I’ve been given so far at Madrid. I’ve really enjoyed the challenge so far, and I’ve had some real highlights already, but hopefully the best is to come in the future.”

And with that, we leave him to return to his new life in Madrid. Bale is enjoying life in the Spanish capital, and he looks set to go on to bigger and better things with Madrid in the years ahead. It’s been a long journey for the Welshman, but the fairytale ending is within reach.

Mark Coughlan @coffers83

Gareth Bale is an ambassador for EA SPORTS FIFA 14. Next Generation FIFA 14 is out now on XBox One and PlayStation 4. It just got real!

| November 29 2013 | 23

Xbox.com

The future called.

It wants its Xbox back.

Xbox One is not just another version, update or upgrade. It’s a leap. Or rather, a jump. The ďŹ rst of its kind. An invitation to a new generation. Where your games and entertainment are no longer separated, but together in one. Where games push the boundaries of realism. Where your television obeys your every command. Where you can go from TV to music to movies to a game in an instant. This is an invitation to own a piece of tomorrow, today. From the all-in-one, Xbox One. Jump ahead.

Scan here for exclusive Xbox content

Xbox One coming this November. Advanced TV hardware required. Games and media content sold separately. Xbox Live Gold membership (sold separately) and/or other requirements apply for some features.

See xbox.com/xboxone.

Michael Dawson

Popstars: the rivals Michael Dawson talks exclusively about the influx of talent at Tottenham after Gareth Bale's departure, his England ambitions and being mistaken for a member of a boyband

All pictures Getty Images

S

port meets Michael Dawson the morning after day one of the first Ashes Test, when things looked promising for England. Knowing that he’s a big cricket fan, we ask if Tottenham’s captain and longest-serving player caught any of the action (he did – seeing the highlights of Stuart Broad’s five-wicket haul). But what we really want to ask him about is being mistaken by cricket commentator David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd for a member of a boyband during the previous Ashes series in the summer.

“I was walking round doing a few interviews,” explains Dawson. “And Bumble said: ‘Are you in a boyband?’

I didn’t know whether to take it as a compliment or what. I must have been looking alright. Next thing he’s come back and said: ‘I’m sorry, I’ve just realised [who you are]…’ And that was it. But, being a Yorkshireman, I love my cricket. I grew up playing it – played for North Yorkshire.”

From one wholly unexpected defensive collapse at the Gabba in Australia shortly afterwards to another, and Tottenham’s 6-0 loss away to Manchester City last weekend. It’s not the first time this season that Dawson’s team have leaked goals, having also conceded three in 13 minutes at home to West Ham in October.

That defeat at the Etihad was Spurs’ heaviest in the Premier League for 17 years. Dawson is confident they can achieve their ambition of a top-four finish, however, even without last season’s pop idol.

We have to ask you about Gareth Bale. How early in the summer were you aware he was on his way out of the club?

“We knew the speculation was going to be there. Put the TV on and there’s no hiding it. It doesn’t matter who you are, you see it. But as players, you concentrate on doing your own jobs – and pre-season is about getting ready for the start of the season. The lads have done well.”

Given the players you’ve signed, are you arguably stronger without him?

“Good question. Gaz is world class.

I’ve always said that. I put him up there with Cristiano Ronaldo and

Lionel Messi. He is that good. Look at the goals he scored last year. Gaz has moved on – good luck to him. He made it clear he wanted to go to Real Madrid, but then the players we’ve brought in are top class too.”

Was it a case last season of, when you were in a tight spot, getting the ball to him in the right position – in any position – and he would do the rest?

“No, I wouldn’t say that. I mean, Gaz scored some really important goals – but look how many goals the team scored apart from that. You win and you lose together as a team.”

The sheer number – and quality – of signings Tottenham made over the close season made it a tremendously exciting summer. What was it like from the players’ point of view?

“It’s been great. The players that we’ve brought in are great characters, great lads and it’s a great honour for me to lead the boys out. We want to be successful together.”

There are times when it seems you haven’t quite clicked as a group.

How do you explain results like the West Ham game, given that you had previously been so defensively solid?

“Yeah, it was bizarre really, because it was 60 minutes [of Tottenham

supremacy] and they’d had one chance in the first half. So to lose 3-0 was an absolute disaster. The game just got stretched and maybe we went chasing it too early. It was certainly a bad day.”

That game [and last week’s 6-0 defeat] aside, you've been strong at the back.

Spurs haven’t hit a purple patch yet.

You can still win the league, can't you?

[Laughs] “It’d be nice! Our aim at the start of the season was to be in the top four. That hasn’t changed. There’s teams in and around with a similar number of points and it’s really tight.

There’s a long way to go and a lot of football to be played, but we’re still right in the mix.”

If you could win a trophy this season or qualify for the Champions League, which would you rather?

“It’s a tough question, because at the start of the season our aim was to qualify for the Champions League – that’s where everyone wants to be.

The manager has a group of players big enough to compete in every competition: the League Cup, the FA Cup and the Europa. And we’ll be doing that. The manager’s not hiding that – when we’re in Europe, he takes a strong squad away and he wants to win things. But I think it’s too difficult.

You’ve put me on the spot there.” k | November 29 2013 | 25

Michael Dawson

All pictures Getty Images

“Our aim is to qualify for the Champions League – that’s where everyone wants to be”

But on a personal level, wouldn’t you rather be a captain lifting a trophy?

“Oh wow [Dawson looks to the ceiling with a big grin on his face]... my word.

The way we felt when we beat Man City to get in the Champions League [clinching fourth with a game to spare in May 2010 by beating City at the Etihad, above right] was unbelievable – it was like winning a trophy, the celebrations. But then there was also the Carling Cup feeling, when we beat Chelsea [2-1, in extra-time, in 2008] – that was unreal. Finish fourth and win a trophy. I’ll take that.”

You were close to leaving the club about this time last year [QPR had reportedly agreed terms with Spurs].

Fast-forward 12 months and you’re back in the first team as captain and you’ve just signed a new contract.

How do you explain the turnaround?

“Last year was a strange summer for me – to be linked here, there and everywhere after being at the club for so long. But I stayed strong and the 26 | November 29 2013 |

manager gave me a chance against West Ham. And I always remember a year ago, when we beat them 3-1 [in November 2012, at White Hart Lane], as the turning point in my Tottenham career. I was back in the team and I never looked back. So I told him I wanted to stay and fight for my position and that’s why I respect the gaffer – he was honest with me.

We had five top centre-halves; you can’t play five at once. That’s football.”

Let’s talk about England. You have four caps. You must have ambitions to add to that total.

“Of course I want to be in the England squad. There’s no hiding that. To put that shirt on with the Three Lions is a massive honour. But also, when I’m not there, I’ll be an England fan. I’m English through and through and playing for Tottenham… we’ll see come the end of the season. There’s a lot of football left to be played, and a lot of things can happen from now until the summer.

But I’ll be doing everything I can to

affect the manager’s choice, and hopefully I can do that and be on the plane. It would be a dream come true, but I’m realistic: I haven’t been in any of his squads yet, but that doesn’t mean I stop trying.”

Is there unfinished business there with the World Cup, having been to South Africa as an unused squad member?

“That was a great experience for me.

We had two weeks away preparing [with the preliminary squad], then I get the call to say I’m not going, then I get the call the next day to say I am going [after Rio Ferdinand pulled out injured].

It was quite bizarre. But then, as I say, football’s a strange thing – anything can happen overnight. Given those experiences and how much I loved it, it would be great to go to Brazil.

But you have to earn the right and perform. Hopefully I’ll do that with Tottenham and see where it takes us.”

Graham Willgoss @grahamwillgoss

Michael Dawson was speaking at the launch of the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Black toothbrush, available from boots.com. For more information see www.sonicare.co.uk

Sonny Bill Williams

codebreaker New ZealaNd forward SoNNy bill williamS talkS to Sport ahead of thiS weekeNd’S world cup fiNal – a game that could See him cemeNt hiS legacy aS a legeNd

S

onny Bill Williams will be on the threshold of sporting greatness when he steps out at Old Trafford on Saturday, for the Rugby League World Cup Final. If the New Zealand forward helps the Kiwis retain their world crown against Australia, he will become the first player to be a World Cup winner in both rugby league and rugby union.

Already one of the most iconic players of his generation, this quietly spoken, extravagantly gifted athlete has become one of the players of the tournament less than a year after moving back to league with the Sydney Roosters.

He was an influential figure in New Zealand’s 20-18 win over England in the semi final at Wembley last Saturday – a match widely regarded as the best game of rugby league seen at the rebuilt stadium. Trailing 18-14 with just seconds remaining of a pulsating, gripping contest, the Kiwis snatched victory through a try and conversion from half-back Shaun Johnson.

“It was an awesome game, a physical game, but I enjoyed every minute of it,” says Williams. “It was such an intense game. I think in big tournaments or competitions, you need an element of luck – and we certainly got that. You also need talent, and I think we’ve got some talent.

“Obviously there was the magic of Shaun Johnson coming up with a clutch play at the end, but full credit to the boys to get us in the position. Full credit to England too. They were awesome.”

The 28-year-old, Auckland-born Williams began his rugby career playing league and was soon snapped up by the Canterbury Bulldogs in Australia’s NRL competition.

A back-rower, he made his debut for them in 2004, but four years later he controversially left them to play rugby union for French club Toulon.

Playing mainly as a centre, he was an instant success, and in 2010 signed with the New Zealand Rugby Union. Williams played provincial rugby before making his debut for the All Blacks against England at Twickenham. He became part of their World Cup-winning team in 2011, and played briefly in Japan before returning to rugby league with the Sydney Roosters at the start of this year.

“I definitely fell back in love with rugby league this year, and earned a lot of respect for the way I carried myself,” he says. “I grew up a lot as a person.”

A superb athlete standing 6ft 4ins and weighing 17st, Williams has great footwork, balance and good hands, with a remarkable ability to offload in the tackle. However, he never shies away from the physical demands of the sport.

Being such a high-profile player coming back to league from union, Williams finds himself targeted by the opposition, k

28 | November 29 2013 |

Paul Thomas/Getty Images

target maN

Honestly I don’t want to carry two devices.

HP Split x2

That’s why I went with this Windows 2 in 1. It does all the fun stuff a tablet does, but it’s also a laptop with the Desktop and Start button I’m used to. And with a touch screen, it makes everything better.

Windows.com

Internet connection required. Office sold separately.

Sonny Bill Wiliams

Patrick Hamilton/AFP/Getty Images, Michael Steele/Getty Images, Paul Thomas/Getty Images

SATURDAY RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP FINAL: NEW ZEALAND v AUSTRALIA OLD TRAFFORD, MANCHESTER BBC ONE 2.30PM

as was the case against England. But this is something he relishes. “That’s what I enjoy about footy,” he says. “I’m a pretty competitive guy and I definitely won’t take a backward step. I got through a lot of work, held my own, got given some but I gave some as well – as you can see from the scars on my face and my body.”

Being banged up is something he knows all about. As well as playing both codes of rugby at the highest level, Williams has boxed professionally (above, left). He has won all six of his heavyweight bouts and is currently the New Zealand Professional Boxing Association (NZPBA) heavyweight champion. So, was the Wembley game similar to going rounds in the ring? “It sure was like that,” he says. “I don’t think I’ve felt like that before on a footy field. The biggest thing is that, when I go out there and play on big occasions, I play for my family and the fans – but I also play for the boys I’m with.

“I want to earn their respect. I want to walk off the field and be able to look them in the eyes and know that I’ve given my all.

That’s the best feeling in the world. When I retire, probably the biggest thing I’ll miss is walking off the pitch knowing you’ve given your all. They look at you, you get that look and you know you’ve got their respect.”

KIWI UNDERDOGS

No player has ever won both the rugby league and rugby union World Cups, so would it be a dream come true if he were able to achieve that? “Definitely. These things are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and you’ve got to try and take them with both hands. It would top everything off. But win or lose, it’s been a great experience.

30 | November 29 2013 |

“I GOt thROUGh a lOt Of WORK, hElD my OWN, GOt GIvEN SOmE bUt I GavE SOmE aS WEll – aS yOU caN SEE fROm thE ScaRS ON my facE aND my bODy”

“It is such a special thing to come away, enjoy time over here with the brothers and put that Kiwi jersey on.”

The mighty Kangaroos lie in wait at Old Trafford, and are favourites to regain the title they lost to the Kiwis in 2008.

“We are the reigning world champs, but in the past four years they haven’t lost too many games,” says Williams.

“They have definitely had the wood over us. That’s why I’m here, because I want to play against the best. At the moment, Australia are definitely setting the standards.”

Following their victory over England in the opening game of the tournament, Australia haven’t really been tested on their march to the final. Apart from injured full-back Billy Slater, who has an outside chance of making the team, they should be at full strength.

New Zealand, on the other hand, fought a bruising battle against England (top, right) and did so without fearsome prop Frank Pritchard and blockbusting wing Manu Vatuvei.

The 20-year-old wing sensation Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, who scored two tries against England and left Wembley on crutches, is a serious doubt for the final.

The odds seem to favour Australia, then, but a special performance from Williams could be crucial in New Zealand’s quest to hold on to their world crown. “I just go out there each week and try and do my thing and put my best foot forward,” he says. “I guess at times it can look a little bit flashy, but I just do what I can to hopefully help the boys get over the line.”

Earlier this week, Williams was named International Rugby League Player of the Year. A win at Old Trafford would round off a remarkable year for a remarkable athlete.

David Lawrenson

Honestly I can work where I want.

Surface 2

My Windows tablet includes OfďŹ ce, lets me do two things at once, and with SkyDrive I can access my stuff everywhere I go.

Windows.com

Internet connection required. Microsoft Account required for SkyDrive, terms apply.

Surface 2 comes with OfďŹ ce Home and Student 2013 RT.

Kate Richardson-Walsh

sticks ’n’ stonEs As England head to Argentina for the World League Final, team captain Kate RichardsonWalsh tells Sport why the benchmark of olympic bronze is the least her team expects

Ady Kerry/England Hockey

“Pain is a funny thing, because you forget it,” says Kate Richardson-Walsh, whose jaw was broken during Team GB’s opening game of London 2012.

“I remember things like my teeth feeling like they were up inside my mouth – not in the right place.

And I got cramp, which was the most bizarre thing, so I remember those sensations more than I remember actual pain.”

After going under the surgeon’s knife to insert a metal plate into her jaw, the Team GB captain was back in action in time for their fourth match of the Olympics, a protective mask and pre-match nerve-blocking injections offering the only clues to her injury. A bronze medal – the first podium finish for the GB women’s team in 20 years – proved due reward for Richardson-Walsh’s troubles. Now, some 18 months later, a European silver has been added to her haul of medals (this time as captain of England, rather than Great Britain) – and Richardson-Walsh is confident there’s plenty more to come.

The World League Final features the world’s top eight teams. With Team GB having won Olympic bronze and England European silver, is gold a distinct possibility for this side?

“Definitely. We’ve built some momentum coming in, but we are still in a transitional phase with this group of players – we had eight or nine retirements after London 2012, so it’s been about getting the youngsters in and building again. There was a time when I thought I might also stop after London, but with how the tournament went for me – with the injury – it just didn’t feel like the right time. I didn’t want to go out with that being the last tournament I played in.”

How tough was it to get over that European final defeat to Germany, having come so close to winning gold?

“Now, looking back, I think it maybe hurts even more. Defeats like that always stay quite close to the surface for me. I used to go into schools and talk about overcoming adversity, so I’d talk about when Great Britain didn’t qualify for the 2004 Olympics. But every time I talked about it I’d cry, and I could see the kids thinking: ‘This was years ago – get over it.’ But it stays with you because it means so much. I’m quite an emotional person, too – I have to try and contain it quite a lot, being the captain.”

How big a step was it to reach England’s first European final in 22 years and come so close to victory [Germany won in a penalty shootout – of course – after the game finished 4-4] back in August?

“We beat Holland in the semi finals [also in a penalty shootout, after a 1-1 draw] – that was the first time in my long career that we’ve beaten them in a tournament, so it’s all about that belief. For the youngsters coming in, they now know we can beat those teams. We weren’t in that position when I came into the team. You can work with sports psychologists as much as you want, but you need the results to build that real belief.”

Your Olympics looked like a painful experience.

How much pain were you in for the remainder of the tournament after taking such a whack in the face?

“Pain is a funny thing because you forget it – otherwise women wouldn’t go through multiple childbirths. After I had the operation, I felt uncomfortable because of the swelling. I had to sleep upright for the duration of the Games, too, and have nerve blockers injected before every game. When I first found out my jaw was broken, I thought my Games were over – but the surgeon was really confident that I could play again. That was all the encouragement I needed.”

It’s the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games next year. Does one take priority for you?

“It’s funny. For the TV viewers, the Commonwealth Games will be the big one. But it doesn’t have any world ranking points attached to it. So, for us, it will be the World Cup. The Commonwealth Games is always a good standard of hockey, though. I’d love to get something other than a silver or a bronze there, too – gold’s the only one missing from my collection.”

You recently married Helen Richardson, your England teammate. Can that make life difficult ?

“It’s just like anyone who works with their partner.

At hockey or at work, we’re just Kate and Helen – part of the team and not a couple. The squad has always been great at understanding that, and great at treating us as individual people. Then, when we’re away from the pitch, we’re a couple again.

We do talk about hockey at home, though – we can’t get away from it. It’s what we eat, sleep and breathe. It’s useful, though. We think differently on lots of things, so we have discussions about stuff and come to a really good point of view.”

Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag

Investec, the specialist bank and asset manager, support women’s hockey from grassroots level through to Great Britain – www.investec.co.uk/ hockey or on Twitter @investec_sport | November 29 2013 | 33

SHOP 24 HOURS A DAY > NEXT DAY DELIVERY > 14 DAYS HOME APPROVAL > FREE RETURNS

CHRISTMAS? WE’RE READY! Get everything you need this Christmas in sizes small to 5XL

10%

OFF

YOUR FIRST ORDER

SIZES S to 5XL

JACAMO.CO.UK

CALL

0871 984 9926 VISIT US IN STORE

Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras. Lines open 7am –10pm 7 days a week. *Discount excludes homewares and electricals. JD Williams & Company Limited trading as Jacamo is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered address, Griffin House, 40 Lever Street, Manchester M60 6ES. Company Reg No: 178367. Your request for a catalogue will also act as a request for us to open a credit account for you subject to status. Right to refuse application is reserved. Orders from Ireland are welcome. For customers from Ireland standard delivery will be free on their first order with subsequent orders being charged at £4.99. Calls may be monitored or recorded for training purposes. We search the files of credit reference agencies who record the search and we share information about you and the conduct of your account with them, other lenders and relevant third parties. Information about you and those with whom you are linked financially will be used to verify your identity and for credit assessment of you or other members of your household. We will also use your information, including shopping habits, to open and run your credit account including payment recovery, fraud prevention and debtor tracing and for our marketing. If we are unable to accept your application for credit, we reserve the right to pass your details to carefully selected financial services organisations who may contact you with details of their services. If you do not want this to happen, please write to the Data Protection Compliance Officer at Griffin House, 40 Lever Street, Manchester M60 6ES. We may share your information with other organisations. We or they may contact you for marketing purposes by mail, telephone, e-mail or otherwise. If you do not wish to be contacted by other organisations for marketing purposes please write to the Data Protection Compliance Officer at Griffin House, 40 Lever Street, Manchester M60 6ES. 3766

been W there done t h at Everest. Antarctica. Rediscovering lost cities. Sir Ranulph Fiennes has done it all. We caught up with him to talk about it – in England, thankfully

here to start? That’s the question facing Sport as we sit down in a quiet room of a London hotel to talk to legendary British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes. After years in the army and the SAS, Fiennes turned to exploring in the 1960s to make ends meet. He’s gone on to lead more than 30 expeditions and earn a CV that redefines the modern-day bucket list: three Everest attempts, seven marathons in seven days and sawing off his own frostbitten fingertips are just the tip (no pun intended) of the iceberg. In the presence of a man with so many tales, it’s best to let him do the talking. Over to you, Sir Ranulph.

“I escaped by wading down the river, but when I got back to my car, it wouldn’t start. I saw a police car nearby, so I got changed into dry clothes, went up the village, then came whistling back down and asked the policeman if he could give me a hand to get my car going. The officer came up and said he had to do this quickly because they were on a mission, but when we got to the car, he said: ‘Oh, you must be Captain Fiennes.’ He’d been given my number plate! I was fined £1,600 and was thrown out of the SAS for that one. If it had been one year later, though, when the IRA started blowing stuff up, I’d have been in the nick for seven years.”

I c a u s e d a lot o f t r o u b l e w h e n I wa s a yo u n g s t e r

n e a r ly b e c o m I n g b o n d g ot m e I n to e x p lo r I n g

“I got in trouble a few times in my youth. One I often get asked about is back when Castle Combe had just been voted the prettiest village in Europe, and we found out 20th Century Fox had dammed up the town and ruined it to make a film. A friend of ours lived there, so we decided we’d show the world that the villagers didn’t like it. We planned to sneak in and lay charges to blow the dam up.

“I had just finished a course with the SAS where we had learned to blow up a lot of stuff by using not a lot of explosives, so I still had loads left over in my car. Unfortunately, we got sold out by one of the lads who was meant to be part of the team, and as we put the charges down the police moved in.

“George Lazenby was James Bond for one film, but then he asked for too much money, so Cubby Broccoli – the producer of the Bond films at the time – asked an agency to trawl for people who, in his own words, did ‘Bond-like activities’ but weren’t actors. His idea was that he could train them on the acting stuff and they wouldn’t need much money. I was one of the 260 people who got audition notices.

“At the time, I had left the army and lived in Scotland with very little money. I had heard about an expedition leaving from London that needed an ex-army man to lead it – all expenses paid – but I didn’t have the train fare to get down there. k | November 29 2013 | 35

2012 Rex Features

Sir Ranulph Fiennes

Sir Ranulph Fiennes

“ yo u a r e m e a n t to ta k e t wo p i l ls at a t i m e – i to o k 8 0”

This Bond audition gave me the chance to get down there for free. To my amazement, every time there was another round of auditions, I got through until I was one of the final six in the running.

“I ended up in a room with Cubby Broccoli and Guy Hamilton, who was the director of Bond, but Broccoli immediately just said: ‘This guy looks like a farmer – have you seen his hands?’ Hamilton told me to leave the room, Roger Moore got the job and I ended up leading the expedition to the Headless Valley [in Canada] with a BBC film crew.”

Shaun Curry/AFP/Getty Images

i t to o k m e t w o d ay s to s aw o f f m y t h u m b

“I got frostbite on my solo expedition in the Arctic.

I was in trouble and my sled fell into the ocean, so I had to get it out because it had everything in it. As soon as I touched the water, I was in trouble.

Anyway, the doctors faffed too much and said I’d have to wait ages to get the tips of my frostbitten fingers cut off, so I thought to hell with it and went and got a Black & Decker microsaw to do it myself.

“It was on Exmoor, in my tool shed. My wife was there, bringing me cups of tea and that, and I did it all really slowly. It took two days to cut off my thumb. I was doing tiny bits at a time, then turning the fingers around and attacking a different part for a few hours. It took five days in total, but that was less painful than leaving it for a few months.

When you can’t touch anything at all without being in extreme pain, you find a way to deal with it.

“On my recent trip, I took my mitts off for 12 minutes and one hand went totally white and wooden, while the other one was fine. It turns out I have diabetes, which is fair enough considering I eat more chocolate than any other human being out there. Even so, it was a surprise. I lost a bit more of my fingers after that one. It’s not going to stop me, but from now on we’ll probably use handwarmers and other artificial stuff.”

e v e r e s t wa s e a sy – the third time around

“I failed Mount Everest twice before finally succeeding in 2009. In 2005, my colleague Sibusiso Vilane from Swaziland got to the top, but he got hypoxia on the

way down. They found him by the side of the narrow trail next to a Canadian bloke, talking to him without realising that this bloke was dead. Some sherpas rescued him and got him down, but on the last night I got a heart attack on a nasty bit in the dark within 300m of the top. I hate pills, but my wife had made me take some [with me] – so I had done, just to keep her quiet. I’d had a bypass before and when they do that, they cut you open, do the operation and then sew you up with wire. The wire stays with you until you’re dead, and it now felt like someone was tearing the wire apart.

“I just panicked, because I realised I was going to get another heart attack. Then I remembered her pills, but it’s not as simple as that. You’ve got lots of pockets, you’ve got mitts on, you’ve got a mask on and whatever. By the time I located the pills, I was really in a bad way. I took them and I foamed like hell, but I survived and luckily got back down to camp. I realised later that you are meant to take two pills at a time – I took 80! That same night, on the other side of where I was climbing, [elite climber] Rob Milne had a heart attack and died.

“I tried Everest again in 2008, from the easier Nepal side, and on the last night I passed the body of Milne. There hadn’t been much snow the previous winter, so the bodies had started to reappear, as it were. When we came up to a ledge, another body that had been buried for eight years came up. It was the father of my sherpa. Then we got up to the buttress, which is only a few hours from the top, and they were burying a famous Swiss climber who had just been to the top with no oxygen and had got hypoxia on the way down.

I think it had some kind of effect on me, seeing all these bodies, and I started to think about how knackered I was already, so I turned back.

“Then in 2009, I worked out what I had been doing wrong, which was to climb with Europeans and other guides. I’m naturally competitive, and when you get past a certain age, you don’t want to get involved in that. You’ve got to just plough on.

Once I did that and went just with a local sherpa, it was dead easy. It felt great to finally reach the top.

“The BBC were covering the climb, but I had forbidden them from mentioning it until I reached the summit. It’s bad PR and the papers just say

that I am too old and it’s irresponsible of the charity and what have you. Anyway, we finally got up there and my sherpa Tundu wanted to leave straight away, but the BBC had given us a camera to record some footage. When we got to the top, sunlight was still three hours away, so Tundu and I just had to sit up there and wait it out. I told him that if we went down without the footage, the Beeb would kill us anyway!”

t e c h n o lo gy h a s c h a n g e d e x p lo r i n g f o r e v e r

“There’s still a tent involved, and you still have to go from A to B, but the modern stuff has changed exploring forever. The introduction of GPS in 1994 changed the face of it more than anything before or since. Until then, the navigator – normally me – would have to set up a theodolite on a tripod after a long day of trekking and in the freezing cold, just to find the altitiude of the sun or three stars, and then work out on a map where you are using mathematics and what have you. I could go into much more detail of how difficult it was, but it was basically a serious pain in the neck. Now it’s just press a button and that’s it.

“Don’t get me wrong – I don’t like being uncomfortable, so the new stuff is all great, of course.

I remember managing 16 nautical miles each day for three months, with a 450lb sledgeload, where at the end of each day you’ve used 8,500 to 11,000 calories, so you’ve lost all your body fat and you’re cannibalising your muscle. Compare that to now, where – with the same loaded sledge – I’ve used modern parasail things and done 130 miles in four hours and not felt hungry at the end of it. You hear about an expedition now reaching the South Pole or what have you – it just isn’t comparable [to how challenging it once was].”

i t ’ s h a r d to p i c k a fav o u r i t e e x p e d i t i o n

“I’ve been lucky to be on some amazing trips. In one way, finding Ubar – the Atlantis of the Sands [a lost city on the Arabian Peninsula] – was the most monumental, because it took 26 years to get there.

Each expedition had the Land Rovers, the sponsors, the money raised, the permission from the Sultan – all this stuff to get sorted. After the fifth attempt, I had pretty much given up, but my wife was an Arabic speaker and was very keen. On the seventh attempt, 26 years after starting, we eventually found it. So in terms of rewarding trips, that was probably up there.

“In terms of physical problems, being against the elements and the ice and what have you, the first unsupported crossing of the Antarctic with Dr Michael Stroud in 1992 is a huge achievement.

“In terms of the most historic, though, it was back in 1979-1982, when a group of us went 52,000 miles, never flying one metre, to do the first journey around the world on its vertical axis. Nobody has ever done it by any means before or since, whereas all the other records we’ve broken have been broken time and time again, because people start using wind kites and what have you. Look at Everest – previously the unconquerable mountain, now lots of people’s grans have been up Everest on the weekend!”

Mark Coughlan @coffers83

Cold: Extreme Adventures at the Lowest Temperatures on Earth is out now, published in hardback by Simon & Schuster, priced £20 | November 29 2013 | 37

LG,THE ONLY SMART TV WITH NOW TV T

he living room is getting a lot smarter.

Viewers are no longer at the mercy of the schedulers, and can stream whatever they want to watch over the internet, whenever they want to watch it.

But not all smart TVs are created equal. Only LG TVs have NOW TV – the pay-as-you-go service from Sky that lets you watch top-quality live sport and the latest movies with no contract required. Make sure you never miss out on a big day of sport – with NOW TV, viewers can get access to a 24-hour pass for all six of Sky’s sport channels, including Sky Sports F1, for just £9.99 – cheaper than a round at the pub.

With the heat rising in the Ashes, and a thrilling Barclays Premier League season heading into a crucial phase, there’s no smarter way to enjoy Sky Sports without the need for a satellite subscription.

Of course, Christmas also means watching films with the family (if you can fit it in around all the sport) – and usually involves scrolling through the TV guide with a grim face as you contemplate having to watch Love Actually for the 15th time.

Thanks to LG, however, movie fans can enjoy a monthly pass to Sky’s full movie catalogue through NOW TV for just £8.99 a month. It features 70 of the top 100 films in the UK box office last year.

That’s films like Argo, Skyfall and Silver Linings Playbook. There are up to five new movie premiers every week – 12 months before they appear on LOVEFiLM or Netflix – and so there’s bound to be something to keep everyone in the family happy this Christmas and beyond. Also, when you buy a 2013 LG Smart TV*, as a thank you, LG will give you seven Sky Sports Day Passes and three Sky Movies Month Passes.

ards 2013 Aw

NOW TV also allows you to subscribe to a range of top Sky Entertainment TV for an introductory price of just £4.99 per month, on a dip-in-and-out rolling monthly contract. That means you can watch blockbuster American TV such as Boardwalk Empire, European productions like The Tunnel, content from the Discovery Channel such as The Best of Bear Grylls, and Comedy Central productions such as Two and a Half Men. As well as exclusive access to NOW TV only on LG TVs, you also get to enjoy the rest of LG’s unrivalled Smart TV features. There’s catch-up services like BBC iPlayer, music catalogues from Napster and Spotify, and social media services like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

Also, LG’s unique Magic Motion Remote Control makes controlling the wealth of options at your disposal a seamless process, with voice and gesture control that’s like stepping into the future.

Now that’s Smart. www.lg.com/uk/smarttv

38 | November 29 2013 |

Advertising Feature

Model Shown: LA740V For more details on the terms and conditions for the promotion, please visit www.lg-promo.com. *Available on all 2013 LG Smart TV models and 84LM960V. The NOW TV service is compatible with 2012/2013 LG Smart TVs. For further information please visit www.lg.com/uk/smarttv. You must have a NOW TV account or sign up to redeem the offer. 18+, UK only. Offer subject to availability. Starts on Thursday 15th August 2013 and expires on 21st August 2014 or when 72,500 have successfully claimed the promotion, whichever occurs earlier. Further NOW TV terms apply.

| 39

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

NOV 29-DEC 5 HIGHLIGHTS » Football: Premier League » p42 » Cycling: Becky James interview » p44 » Snooker: UK Championship » p44 » Horse Racing: Hennessey Gold Cup » p46 » Rugby Union: Wales v Australia » p46

Wednesday > CRiCKet | AUStRALiA v enGLAnd: SeCond teSt | AdeLAide ovAL | SKy SPoRtS 2 midniGHt

40 | November 29 2013 |

line-up England choose, they will have to show more

Test slaughter at the Gabbatoir with batsmen shaken,

authority against Australia’s express pace attack.

bowlers cowed and ears ringing with Aussie wit.

Stuart Broad will also need more help from his fellow

They also have a rather large hole to fill with long-term

bowlers, and you’d expect Tim Bresnan to come into

number three Jonathan Trott out of the series with a

the team if fit. More of a worry is Graeme Swann,

stress-related condition.

scourge of Australia for the previous two Ashes series,

Yet all is not lost. England have a habit of making

but targeted by David Warner and Michael Clarke

horror starts to tours. Ignoring Bangladesh, England

in Brisbane. The nagging thought occurs that, much

haven’t won the opening Test of an away series since

like Swann himself, this England team is a superb

South Africa in 2004. They bounced back against

cricketing animal, but one that’s slightly passing its

India this time last year, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1

peak rather than getting better.

series win. The team should also be aided by the fact

One thing they do possess, however, is plenty of

that the drop-in wicket in Adelaide is likely to play

competitive spirit. Expect more of a fight in Adelaide,

slower and lower than Brisbane.

yet with the trampoline pitch at the WACA coming up

Still, that won’t matter if England can’t address their

for the third Test, England will know it’s a fight they

problems. Ian Bell or Joe Root seem the likeliest

can’t afford to lose if they want to have a realistic

candidates to fill the three slot, but whatever batting

chance of keeping hold of the urn.

Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Shaken and stirred

England stumbled away punch drunk from the first

7 Days

Premier League

Saturday aston villa v sunderland | villa park | 3pm

Tottenham try to put a northwest nightmare behind them on Sunday, but with Manchester providing the opponents once again, it could be a horror sequel Sunday tottenham v manchester united | white hart lane | bt sport 12pm

After failing to score in four league games, Aston Villa have now scored four goals in their past two. And after coming back from a two-goal deficit against West Brom on Monday, they’ve now won more points from losing positions than any other team this season. Sunderland have lost five of their six away games this term and haven’t finished either of their previous two away ties with 11 men. Keeping a full complement of players on the pitch would be a start.

Saturday newcastle v west brom | st james’ park sky sports 1 5.30pm

After 12 games of the season, it seems Tottenham

Premier League. And, having seen the ease with which

With three wins in a row, Newcastle

manager Andre Villas-Boas has finally realised that he

their city rivals cut through a Spurs defence that had kept

are on their best league run since

has a problem: “We never had a proper chance to score,

seven clean sheets in the league this term, United boss

March 2012, when Papiss Cisse was

we have to look into it more in depth.” His words came on

David Moyes will expect their scoring trend to continue.

often the hero. This year, it’s Loic

the back of a 6-0 hammering at Manchester City – a result

United missed their chance to return to the top four

Remy (pictured) who has helped

that, combined with the surprise emergence of Emmanuel

for the first time since August last weekend after

dispatch Norwich, Tottenham and

Adebayor from his home among the Spurs reserves, won’t

conceding a late equaliser at Cardiff. That ended a run

Chelsea. West Brom were denied

do much to quieten AVB’s growing army of critics.

of three straight wins, but they are unbeaten in 10 in all

their own Chelsea scalp by a late

competitions and remain in touch with the top while they

penalty and then threw away a 2-0

comes at a pivotal time for the Londoners, then, who have

await the arrival of inevitable January reinforcements.

lead over Aston Villa on Monday for

drawn one and lost two of their past three league games.

With a crunch match against his former Everton side

another 2-2 draw. Steve Clarke won’t

coming three days after the Spurs game, Moyes will hope

enjoy his return to Tyneside if the

to meet ‘the ex’ with his side back to winning ways.

Magpies steal the points .

The champions’ visit to White Hart Lane on Sunday

In Manchester United they face a team that has failed to score at the Lane on only two visits since the start of the

42 | November 29 2013 |

Saturday everton v stoke | goodison park | 3pm

Saturday norwich city v crystal palace carrow road | 3pm

Saturday west ham v fulham | upton park | 3pm

Arsene Wenger’s side last visited

Roberto Martinez has overseen

Chris Hughton’s Norwich have now

Fulham are without a league win at

Cardiff in 2009 in the FA Cup fourth

one defeat in 12 league games as

conceded more goals in the league

Upton Park since 2001 and have lost

round. It ended goalless, despite a

Everton boss, and took the Toffees

(23) than every other team except

four in a row in the league, with

late barrage from the Gunners.

to the brink of a Merseyside derby

Sunderland. Crystal Palace are only

Martin Jol favourite to be the next

Aaron Ramsey (pictured) struggled

win last weekend. Mark Hughes

two goals short of that – just one

top-flight manager sacked. His

and was replaced after 59 minutes

hasn’t enjoyed quite the same start

thing new boss Tony Pulis (pictured)

opposite number on Saturday also

on his first return to his former club.

at Stoke, but he does arrive at

will look to address in his bid to

sounds worried, however. After

The midfielder will hope for better

Goodison on the back of a third win

preserve the ‘never been relegated

losing a fourth home game this

this time, although Cardiff’s

of the season for the Potters. Recent

as a manager’ line on his CV. The

season last weekend, Sam Allardyce

resilience against both Manchester

meetings between the sides have

Eagles did get their first win in five

said his team played with fear,

sides at home this season suggests

been tight affairs, but with Everton

games away from Selhurst Park last

adding: “It’s dangerous when you

this could be a tough away day for

embracing Martinez’s attacking

weekend, though, and won on their

see that body language.” Dangerous

the Premier League leaders.

football, this one could be different.

last visit to Carrow Road in 2010.

to play without a striker too, Sam.

Sunday hull city v liverpool | kc stadium sky sports 1 2.05pm

Sunday chelsea v southampton | stamford bridge sky sports 3 4.10pm

Sunday man city v swansea | etihad stadium | 4.10pm

Premier League tabLe P

W D

L

F

A

1

Arsenal

12

9

1

2

24

10

28

2

Liverpool

12

7

3

2

24

13

24

3

Chelsea

12

7

3

2

21

10

24

4

Man City

12

7

1

4

34

12

22

5

Southampton 12

6

4

2

15

7

22

6

Man Utd

12

6

3

3

20

15

21

7

Everton

12

5

6

1

17

13

21

8

Newcastle

12

6

2

4

17

17

20

9

Tottenham

20

Pts

12

6

2

4

9

12

10 Swansea

12

4

3

5

17

16

15

11 West Brom

12

3

6

3

14

14

15

12 Aston Villa

12

4

3

5

13

14

15

13 Hull

12

4

2

6

9

15

14

14 Stoke

12

3

4

5

12

14

13

Hull suffered a first home defeat

“These things happen,” said

Man City have scored 26 goals in

15 Cardiff

12

3

4

5

11

17

13

of the season last weekend, amid

Southampton boss Mauricio

six home league games. “It is

16 Norwich

12

3

2

7

10

23

11

12

2

4

6

9

14

10

growing unrest over their imminent

Pochettino of the dithering from

impossible to play better,” said

17 West Ham

name change to Hull City Tigers.

goalkeeper Artur Boruc (pictured)

Manuel Pellegrini after his side’s 6-0

18 Fulham

12

3

1

8

11

21

10

Boss Steve Bruce has more than that

at Arsenal. At least, that’s the

Sunday roasting of Spurs. It’s a

19 Crystal Palace 12

2

1

9

7

21

7

20 Sunderland

2

1

9

8

24

7

to keep him awake at night, with Hull

message the translator passed on.

tough prospect for Swansea, who

scoring just four goals in six home

Had Petr Cech tried something

have just one league win in a

games this term. Liverpool’s form on

similar, Jose Mourinho might not

post-Europa League weekend.

the road, meanwhile, has been solid,

have been quite so diplomatic.

Sergio Aguero has scored 14 times

with two wins, three draws and just

Although with Chelsea seemingly

in his past 12 games and notched two

one league defeat – to Arsenal.

unbeatable at the Bridge, Cech

in the Swans’ first visit to the Etihad.

Hull’s pussycats need to find some

might as well give it a try – just to

On the plus side for Swansea, Joe

bite if they’re to survive this one.

show some solidarity with Boruc.

Hart could be back in goal.

12

78

Excluding a penalty, Tottenham have failed to score with any of their past 78 shots in the Premier League

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand | 43

All pictures Getty Images

Saturday cardiff city v arsenal cardiff city stadium | 3pm

7 Days THURSDAY > CYCLING | UCI TRACK WORLD CUP: ROUND TWO | AGUASCALIENTES, MEXICO | LIvE STREAMING AT WWW.UCI.CH

BECKY JAMES

Fast and furious Becky James, Wales’ track cycling double world champion, speaks to Sport ahead of the second Track World Cup event of the season in Mexico next Thursday Were you happy with your results at the

At Manchester, I felt like I was out on my

first round of the Track World Cup in

feet by the last day. I was so tired, but the

Manchester earlier this month?

week after I could feel the benefits of doing

“Yeah, to be honest I didn’t expect to be

three days of really hard racing.”

putting in those performances because I had been in Japan [racing on the keirin

You missed out on London 2012 after

circuit]. So I didn’t feel like I had got

illness and injury disrupted your build-up.

enough training in, but my form just

Looking back at that now, was it a

seemed to get better each week going

make-or-break period for you?

into the World Cup. I knew it was going

“I was so upset at the time. There were lots

to be a tough weekend, because it was

of tears when I first got told. I went home

the first chance people had to pick up

for the weekend and just cried. But by the

qualification points for next year’s World

Monday, I was ready to start training again.

Championships. So to come away with the

I just accepted it and put it behind me.

bronze [in the sprint] and two silvers [in the

It was hard when the Games were actually

team sprint and the keirin], it couldn’t have

on, but I used it as motivation and drive.

gone much better really.”

Seeing everyone achieve what they did made me want to be able to achieve that

As a double world champion, do you still

one day. So I stayed in Manchester and

need to qualify yourself for the World

trained really hard with all the boys,

Championships next year?

which just pushed me on.”

“No, I get automatic qualification, but I like getting the racing in. Racing is the best

The 2013 Sunday Times & Sky Sports

training, so to have three days of really

Sportswomen of the Year Awards are live on

hard, solid racing helps my performance.

Sky Sports 1 HD from 8pm on December 5

SATURDAY > SNOOKER | UK CHAMPIONSHIP | BARBICAN CENTRE, YORK | BBC TWO 1PM

Teenage dreams It’s an all-new format for snooker’s second most prestigious tournament, yet we see some familiar faces in this weekend’s televised matches. The top 16 seeds are playing from the first round in this UK Championship, so we get all of 128 players involved and Bryn Lennon/Getty Images, Warren Little/Getty Images

opening matches such as defending champion Mark Selby against talented 15-year-old prodigy Shane Castle on Saturday.

Pre-tournament favourite Ronnie O’Sullivan also faces teen opposition first up. Now apparently back on the snooker circuit on a full-time basis, O’Sullivan starts his bid for a fifth UK Championship against 19-year-old Scot Rhys Clark on Saturday. Clark will be making his TV debut against a player he calls his idol, so it’s a big task.

Then again, recent Champion of Champions champion (that’s right) O’Sullivan is just as likely to rattle off six centuries and win 6-0 as he is to implode and storm straight out of the York Barbican mid-match. You never know what may happen. But, as usual, it’s all eyes on The Rocket this weekend.

44 | November 29 2013 |

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

7 Days Saturday Horse racing | Hennessy gold cup | newbury | cHannel 4 3pm

Saturday rugby union | wales v australia | millennium stadium, cardiff | bbc two 5pm

NoT You AgAIN! Wales haven’t beaten the Australians in eight attempts since November 2008, and have the Wallabies in their World Cup pool in two years’ time. Time to put things right then, as defence coach Shaun Edwards puts it: “We’re up for this game, but also have to put a marker down for the [2015] World Cup." The manner in which Wales saw off Tonga last week might not have the Aussies quaking in their boots, but a victory – and an injury-free one – was the priority. This weekend will see a stronger side take to the field, with the pack ready to fire and defence the priority in the backs.

And then there’s George North and Izzy Folau. The Australian won’t need reminding that he was humiliated by North in the Lions series this summer – and, after a star turn in recent weeks, Folau is looking back to his bushy-tailed best at 15. Expect the duo to butt heads again tomorrow.

The Lions series adds another twist to an already tantalising tale, of course. The Aussies are still hurting, and after facing Ireland and England in recent weeks, head to Cardiff with revenge in mind. Ten Welsh players started that decisive third Test this summer – don’t think the Wallabies have forgotten it.

Windermere cruise?

The Cheltenham Festival has become a

this week. “He did a blinding piece of work at

more than happy hunting ground for Irish

the Curragh last week, and it’s all systems go.

horses in recent years, so it is perhaps

I think he has a great chance.”

Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images, Scott Barbour/Getty Images

surprising that the Hennessy Gold Cup – one

If Lord Windermere is to bring Ireland’s

of the most prestigious jumps races outside

poor Hennessy run to an end, he will have

the festival – has thrown up only one winner

to see off a typically strong domestic

from across the water since the mighty Arkle

challenge headed by representatives of all

won it for the second time way back in 1965.

the heavyweight stables. Alan King saddles

That run of dismal luck could come to an

long-time antepost favourite Invictus, who

end on Saturday, however, with trainer Jim

returns from a near two-year absence

Culloty confident his seven-year-old stable

through injury, while Paul Nicholls is sweet on

star Lord Windermere (pictured) can follow

his seven-year-old inmate Rocky Creek.

up his RSA Chase win at Cheltenham in March

Nicky Henderson relies on the strong-staying

with victory in the Newbury showpiece – a

Hadrian’s Approach, but the likeliest threat

feat achieved by both

could come from David Pipe’s enigmatic Our

Denman and Bobs Worth in recent years.

Father – the talented grey tends to run only

“He has done plenty of work and is as fit as

one good race per season, but it is always

you’d expect any horse to be first time out,”

first time out and he comes here as fresh as

said Culloty, who as a jockey rode Best Mate

a daisy. If you can get anything approaching

to win three Cheltenham Gold Cups, earlier

10/1, we advise you take it.

46 | November 29 2013 |

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

The Sport magazine Christmas gift guide Helping you draw up your wishlist for Santa 2

Gadgets

A

1

G E

D

C

B

4

H

F

6

9

3 5

8 13 7 10

16

11 14

15 48 | November 29 2013 |

Photography by James Lincoln, jameslincoln.co.uk

12

17

18

1. Canon EOS 70D (body only) One of the best all-round cameras £874.98 | amazon.co.uk; 2. The ultimate living room: A. Sony Bravia KD65X9005 LED 4K Ultra HD 3D Smart TV, 65” Stunning pictures from one of the first 4K televisions on the market £4,999 | johnlewis.com, B. Q ACOUSTICS2000i 5.1 Pack Small but mighty surround-sound speakers £785 | richersounds.com, C. Onkyo TX-NR626 Surround Sound Amplifier The perfect partner to the Q Acoustics speakers £299 | richersounds.com, D. Sony PlayStation 4 Immerse yourself in new gaming worlds £349 | amazon.co.uk, E. Marantz MCR610 Melody Media Player Mini System Plays CD, FM, DAB and network files alongside streaming services and Apple Airplay £499 | superfi.co.uk, F. Sky+ HD 2TB Box Top-of-the-range Sky+ Box collection by different designers (this one by Roland Mouret) £149 | designerbox.sky.com, G. Alphason FW1350 3 Shelf AV Rack A striking stand for your pride and joy £279.95 | superfi.co.uk, H. Logitech Harmony Ultimate Ditch your stack of remotes for the ultimate control £229 | logitech.com; 3. WD 3TB My Cloud Personal Cloud Storage Plugs into your home network and stores files from all your devices £146.98 | dabs.com; 4. XSories Weye Feye Wireless Remote Control Connects to most Canon and Nikon cameras, so you can control the camera via your smartphone (iOS and android) £195 | amazon.co.uk; 5. Sonos Play:1

20

The latest addition to the Sonos speaker family. Exceptionally loud, despite its diminutive size £169 | sonos.com; 6. Beats Studio Red

19

Sturdier and more comfortable than previous models £269.95 | uk.beatsbydre.com; 7. Nokia Lumia 1020 Take unbelievable photos with a mobile phone Free with contract from £33 per month | carphonewarehouse.com; 8. Ruark MR1 Bluetooth Speaker System Perfect system for your bedroom or home office £299.95 | johnlewis. com; 9. Apple iPad Air Still the best tablet on the market. Apple have shaved a third of the weight compared with the previous iPad £399 | apple.com; 10. Bose QuietComfort 20i Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones Contains the most advanced noise cancellation technology in in-ear headphones £259.95 | amazon.co.uk; 11. Denon D500 Cocoon Home Wireless iPod Dock with Apple Airplay Stunning

21

looking dock with sound to match its looks £399.95 | johnlewis.com;

22

23

12. Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 Touchscreen 13.3” Ultrabook 2 in 1 Can’t decide between a tablet or laptop? Here’s the best of both worlds £999 | currys.co.uk; 13. Huawei E5756 MiFi Portible WiFi hotspot with five-hour battery life From £15.60 a month | three.co.uk; 14. Dyson DC59 Animal Cordless vacuum cleaner £349.99 | dyson.co.uk; 15. Mini Jambox Baby brother of the Jambox is the perfect speaker to take on your travels £149 | jawbone.com; 16. Kindle Paperwhite Faster and more readable than before, still the best e-reader around £109 | amazon.co.uk; 17. Buy a projector now. Your other half won’t say yes

26

closer to the World Cup (from top to bottom): A. Epson EH-TW5200 £729 | pixmania.co.uk, B. BenQ W1500 £1,430 | benq.co.uk, C. JVC DLA-X35BE £2,899 | sevenoakssoundandvision.co.uk,

25

D. Sony VPL-VW500ES £8,500 | sony.co.uk, 18. Microsoft Surface Pro 2 Microsoft have ironed out the issues from the first generation, making this a viable alternative to the iPad £799 | In store at John Lewis; 19. Samsung Galaxy S4 16GB Active Rugged version of the S4 is dust and water-resistant From £413.99 | amazon.co.uk; 20. Apple iPhone 5c Comes in a range of bold-coloured plastic cases From £19 on 28

24

Vodafone Red 4G ready, plans from £42 per month | vodafone.co.uk; 21. Hudl Tesco has entered the tablet market with this quality 7” model £119 | tesco.com; 22. Pure Jongo Kit out your house with quality

27

mulitroom audio from Pure From £99.99 to £299.99 | pure.com; 23. Back to the Future Grays Sports Almanac iPad Case Just don’t let Biff get his hands on it £19.99 | firebox.com; 24. UE Boom 360 Speaker Wireless speaker that offers powerful sound and pairing with another speaker for stereo sound £169 | ultimateears.com; 25. Monster Inspiration Titanium Crisp highs and booming bass from the bestlooking headphones around £249.95 | store.universal-music.co.uk; 26. Spiderpodium Tablet Holds your tablet safely in a multitude of situations £24.95 breffo.com; 27. The best TVs to spend your Santa 29

money on (from left to right): A. Panasonic 60” Plasma TX-P60ZT65 £3,099 | hispek.com, B. Samsung 55” F8000 Series 8 Smart 3D Full HD LED TV £1,899 | johnlewis.com, C. Toshiba 58” L7365 3D Smart LED £1115.50 | Ebuyer.com; 28. HTC One Red The best phone HTC have produced, now in red From £26.50 per month | htc.com; 29. Sphero 2.0 A little smartphone-controlled ball, perfect for annoying your dog £99.49 | iwantoneofthose.com Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand | 49

Entertainment

2

1

7

8

4 3 6

9

5 11 10 13

15

12

14

1. Breaking Bad: The Complete Series Deluxe Why is it in a barrel? You’ll find out in series five. £110 | amazon.co.uk; 2. Playstation Vita (3G + WIFI) Still the best handheld gaming device £149 | amazon.co.uk, On-screen game: Tearaway From the makers of LittleBigPlanet £19.99 | amazon.co.uk; 3. The Stone Roses: Made of Stone (2-Disc Collectors Edition DVD) Relive the reunion shows from last summer, directed by Shane Meadows £14 | amazon.co.uk; 4. Channel 4 News Team Mug I love mug £9.99 | firebox.com; 5. Blinkbox Vouchers Watch TV and movies without subscription From £5 | blinkbox.com; 6. Creative Recon 3D Omega Wireless Immersive headset that might improve your Call of Duty skills £209.99 | creative.com; 7. Our Microsoft Xbox Games of the Year (left to right): Battlefield 4, £42.99; Madden NFL 25, £44.99; Call of Duty: Ghosts, £44.99; Batman Arkham Origins, £34.99 | All available from game.co.uk; 8. Our Nintendo Wii U Games of the Year: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, £39.99; Super Mario 3D World, £42.99 | Both available from game.co.uk; 9. Crystal Head Vodka Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary Limited Edition Gift Set Crystal Head Vodka and two live CDs £84 | amazon.co.uk; 10. Our Sony PS3 Games of the Year (from left to right): The Last of Us, £24.99; FIFA 14, £42.99; Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, £44.99; Grand Theft Auto V, £41; Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14, £15.99 | All available from game.co.uk; 11. Peter Strain – Walter White Print Illustrator of Sport covers past turns his hand to Heisenberg £20 | peterstrain.co.uk/Breaking-Bad; 12. Microsoft Xbox One Worth buying for Forza 5 alone £429.99 | amazon.co.uk, 13. Thrill Murray Colouring Book For grown-up fans of Bill Murray £9.99 | firebox.com; 14. Sony PlayStation Store Gift Card To be redeemed at the PlayStation Store From £5 | game.co.uk; 15. Nintendo 64 x Lëkki Pack includes a revamped version of the N64, one controller and Mario 64 game €150 | www.lekki.fr 50 | November 29 2013 |

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

I take this train every day.

But I don’t want to hear the other passengers or the squeaky wheels or the voice on the loudspeaker overhead. I’m not antisocial.

I’m a nice guy. It’s just this is the only time in the day that’s mine, and

all I want to hear is

my music.

NEW

Bose

®

QuietComfort 20 ®

Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones

®

The first in-ear noise cancelling headphones from Bose.

With revolutionary technology that lets you enjoy better sound every day, everywhere you go. ©2013 Bose Corporation

Bose.co.uk

Sport

4

1

3

2 6

5

7

10 8 15 9

11 14

13

12 1. Nike Fuelband SE Designed to measure whole-body movement no matter what your age, weight or gender £129 | nike.com; 2. Yurbuds Inspire pro Features a 3-button sweat and water-resistant microphone £44.99 | wiggle.co.uk; 3. Belkin Ease-Fit Armband for iPhone 5 Safely holds your iPhone while you work out £19.99 | belkin.com; 4. Four of the best football boots to buy this Christmas (from left to right): Under Armour BLUR CARBON III, £150 | underarmour.com, adidas F50 AdiZero TRX, £159.99 | kitbag.com, Nike Mercurial Vapor IX CR, £170 | kitbag.com, Warrior Superheat, £109.99 | kitbag.com; 5. Merrell Alpino Top Quick-drying fabric on arms and sides enhances mobility, wicks and moves moisture £70 | merrell.com/uk; 6. adidas Climaproof Convertible Running Gloves Can convert into mittens if the temperature drops £22 | adidas.co.uk; 7. Aquabeat Underwater 4GB MP3 Player (comes with earphones) Play your tunes in the pool £100 | speedo.co.uk; 8. Puma Faas 600 Glow Ideal for a heel-striker looking for an everyday running shoe £89.99 | prodirectrunning.com; 9. adidas Two-Tone Duffel Roomy classic duffel bag £45 | adidas.co.uk; 10. Merrell Mix Master 2 Waterproof Trainers Designed for running trails or for the road £110 | merrell.com/uk; 11. Camelbak All Clear UV Water Purifier Bottle Turns nearly any tap or clear natural water source into potable drinking water in just 60 seconds £78.79 | amazon.co.uk; 12. Jawbone UP24 Wristband helps you understand how you sleep, move and eat so you can make smarter choices £99.99 | jawbone.com; 13. HERO3+ Silver Edition The most advanced GoPro ever £279.99 | gopro.com; 14. Nike FLYKNIT LUNAR 1+ Sneakers Fit your feet like a second skin £140 | mrporter.com; 15. Jack Wolfskin Vertical Outburst Jacket Clever 3-in-1 jacket that’s ready for any weather £400 | jack-wolfskin.co.uk 52 | November 29 2013 |

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Cycling

2

1

3

4

5 6

7 8

10

9

12

11

13

1. Wahoo Kickr Take the back wheel off your bike and connect for accurate power measurement. An iPhone app-controls resistance £949 | uk.wahoofitness.com; 2. Boardman Elite Series SLS 9.8 Sub-UCI weight limit masterclass in endurance race bike design. Full high-modulus carbon-fibre monocoque construction means a frame weight of about 850g £4,000 | boardmanbikes.com/road; 3. TomTom Multi-Sport GPS Watch Extra-large, scratch-resistant, high-contrast display so you can easily see your stats £199.99 | halfords.com; 4. Cafe du Cycliste Yolande Merino Jersey: Green Style and fit make it an essential element of your cycling wardrobe. Made with merino TecnoWool €150 | cafeducycliste.com; 5. Oakley Mark Cavendish Radar Lock Path Edition Glasses With Jade Iridium Vented Lenses. Interchangeable lens technology for fast lens changes £163.99 | evanscycles.com; 6. Air Pro 3 Wi-Fi Attach. Press record. Do epic stuff £349.99 | uk.ioncamera.com; 7. adidas Supernova Windbreaker Jersey Made for long days in the saddle, with an emphasis on light weight, comfort and reflectivity £64 | wiggle.co.uk or 0845 240 4204; 8. Cliiiimb Pro with Sportiiii Fuel your Strava fever with real-time audio and visual feedback while you’re out on a segment. You’ll know instantly if you need to push harder or if you’re cruising to conquer a KOM $199 | 4iiii.com; 9. Bagaboo Workhorse Indestructible messenger bag with an inner layer of truck tarpaulin €140 | bagaboo.hu; 10. Wattbike Trainer 2013 Uses a combination of air and magnetic resistance to create a realistic ride feeling £2,250 | wattbike.com; 11. Eastway RD1.0 Carbon Disc Road Bike Disc brakes on a road bike? Yes, along with speed and superior durability £1,999 | eastwaybikes.com; 12. Mio Cyclo 505 The best experience in bicycle navigation £329.99 | mio.com; 13. Muc Off 8 Piece Bike Cleaning Kit Everything you need to get your bike looking fresh £36 | halfords.com 54 | November 29 2013 |

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Christmas gifts don’t get better than this!

Be inspired at the world class Lee Valley VeloPark or experience the ultimate adrenalin adventure at Lee Valley White Water Centre.

From £15 BUY YOUR giFt VOUCHERS ONLiNE NOW visitleevalley.org.uk

Golf

2

1

B

A

C

D

2 A

3

5

B

4 12

C

D

8

9 6

7

13 11 10

1. Motocaddy M1 Pro Trolley The most compact trolley yet from the market-leading brand From £400 | motocaddy.com; Clubs: A. Callaway X2 Hot New range of woods going for distance and speed Fairway woods £189, driver £279 | callawaygolf.com, B. Ping Scottsdale TR Craz-E Putter 10th anniversary special design of the popular Craz-E mallet From £149 | ping.com, C. Taylor Made SLDR Driver The most adjustable driver out there £300 | taylormadegolf.eu, D. Mizuno MP-T4 Wedge As used by Luke Donald £100 | golf.mizunoeurope.com/store; 2. Balls: A. Lynx Boom Boom 2 High speed with a soft feel £35 | lynxgolf.co.uk, B. Titleist Pro V1 The softest Pro V1 ever £51 | titleist.co.uk, C. Bridgestone e7 Longest ball yet from Bridgestone £25.99 | bridgestonegolf.com, D. Titleist Pro V1x Low driver spin, high iron spin £51 | titleist.co.uk; 3. Urban Golf ‘Gimme’ Vouchers for beginners, party golfers and fanatics From £10 | urbangolf.co.uk; 4. Garmin Approach S4 Touchscreen golf GPS that links to your smartphone £289.99 | garmin.com; 5. Dunlop Pro Winter Golf Gloves Keep your hands warm with these flexible gloves £8.99 | dunlopsport.com; 6. Men’s Coldgear Elements Storm Pants Play in the middle of a storm with these windproof and water-resistant trousers £60 | underarmour.com; 7. Maui Jim Stone Crushers A light, durable and tough pair of shades £139 | mauijim.com; 8. Royal and Awesome Belt Hold up your trousers stylishly £19.99 | royalandawesome.co.uk; 9. Paul Smith Golfer Resin and Metal T-Bar Cufflinks Post-round dinner wear, featuring golfing figurines £95 | mrporter.com; 10. Puma Zero Limits As worn by Ian Poulter £170 | www.puma.com/golf; 11. Ralph Lauren Custom-Fit Striped Polo Stylish shirt for next spring £85 | www.ralphlauren.com; 12. Nike Hyperadapt Storm-Fit Jacket Stretches like a sweater with impenetrable outer layer £210 | nike.com; 13. GolfBuddy LR3 Rangefinder accurate to within one metre £219 | gpsgolfbuddy.eu 56 | November 29 2013 |

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Get a half price tablet and set it free.

Tablet and MiFi

£99.97

With our mobile internet starter kit.

Gemini D7 tablet. Now only £49.98.

MiFi 1GB Pay As You Go starter kit. Only £49.99.

This Christmas, get an Android tablet and your own personal Wi-Fi hotspot that lets you go online when you’re out and about.

The Gemini D7 tablet is half price when you set it free with our MiFi 1GB Pay As You Go starter kit. With tablet and kit all for £99.97, you can afford to be generous.

0800 358 4265 Visit a Three Store or go online

Half price tablet (£49.98) only available when purchased with our MiFi 1GB starter kit by 20 December 2013. Data lasts 30 days then Pay As You Go. Offer limited to two per customer

Accessories

3

1

2

4

5

9

6 7

8 10 11

13

12 14

15

17

16 1. Etre Fivepoint Wool Gloves Control your smartphone without taking your gloves off £45 | etreshop.com; 2. Bedroom Athletics William Harris Tweed Mule Slippers With sheepskin linings to keep your toes cosy £60 | johnlewis.com; 3. Bill Amberg Aston Overnight Bag Inspired by classic English sports cars £645 | billamberg.com; 4. Original Penguin Christmas Jumper Everyone needs one £90 | johnlewis.com; 5. Beams Plus Cable-Knit Wool Beanie Hat Insulating hat will be your saviour throughout the coldest months £75 | mrporter.com; 6. Bill Amberg Explorer iPhone 5 Sleeve Simple and elegant £50 | billamberg.com; 7. London Undercover Umbrella Compact, collapsible umbrella with bamboo handle £60 | mrporter.com; 8. Simon Carter Horizontal College Scarf Made from 100 per cent Scottish lambswool £65 | simoncarter.net; 9. Paul Smith Camouflage Print Leather Billfold Wallet Fine leather wallet with subtle camo print £140 | mrporter.com; 10. ST Dupont Defi Rollerball Pen You’re old enough to stop stealing pens from the office and buy a nice one £225 | harrods.com; 11. Thornback & Peel Stag Handkerchiefs, Pack of Three A festive stocking filler or a special treat for yourself £15.95 | johnlewis.com; 12. Penrose London Richmond Pocket Square All the smartest men sport a blazer with a pocket square £40 | johnlewis.com; 13. Paul Smith Leather Keyring Featuring the iconic Naked Lady motif £45 | paulsmith.co.uk; 14. Brooks Brothers Cedar Shoe Valet Handsome box filled with shoe-shining essentials: two horsehair brushes & daubers, two polishing cloths, black and brown shoe cream £135 | brooksbrothers.com; 15. Hugo Boss Braided Belt A dapper way to complement your trousers £55 | harveynichols.com; 16. Ted Baker Shoes Leather, blake-stitching, with a rubber outer sole £150 | sarenza.co.uk; 17. Polo Ralph Lauren Rugby Stripe Socks, Pack of Two You’re getting socks, so might as well make it a nice set £22 | johnlewis.com 58 | November 29 2013 |

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

GEN MO STANDS FOR ONE THING - CHANGE TO ACHIEVE THIS HISTORIC EFFORT MOUSTACHES WILL BE GROWN ON THE LIP OF EVERY MO BRO FOR THE 30 DAYS OF MOVEMBER WE WILL GROW FOR GOOD TIMES

DONATE TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT MOVEMBER.COM NO MO - NO MERCY

CHANGING THE FACE OF MEN’S HEALTH PROSTATE CANCER. TESTICULAR CANCER. MENTAL HEALTH.

Grooming

2

1

3 4 2

5

6

7

8 11

9 10

12

16

14

13

15

1. Brooks Brothers Large Manicure Set Premium set to keep your nails and wayward nosehair in check £268 | brooksbrothers.com; 2. Murdock Luxury Wet Shave Gift Certificate A 60-minute service including a facial, available in London branches £55 | murdocklondon.com; 3. DiamondClean Rechargeable Sonic Toothbrush Because black is the new white £125 | philips-shop.co.uk; 4. Stoke Park Country Club and Spa The perfect location for a weekend of relaxation – and a round of golf stokepark.com; 5. Osprey The Rugger Leather Wash Bag In the shape of a vintage rugby ball £55 | ospreylondon.com; 6. Gillette Fusion ProGlide Styler Gift Pack The perfect tool to keep your facial fuzz neat and tidy £16 | boots.com; 7. Elemis Art of Travelling for Him A collection of travel essentials to cleanse and hydrate skin, in a luxury leather wash bag £49.90 | timetospa.co.uk; 8. Sex Panther Aftershave Stings the nostrils – in a good way 50ml, £29.99 | firebox.com; 9. Wahl Lithium Ion Stainless Steel Grooming Station For hair, stubble, beards, trimming, outlining and all-over body use (if that’s your thing) £59.99 | boots.com; 10. Gucci Made to Measure EDT Spicy, oriental fragrance tailored to make a lasting impression 90ml, £65 | Available nationwide; 11. Ermenegildo Zegna Haitian Vetiver EDT Fragrant vetiver oil makes for an earthy, woody aroma 125ml, £140 | In store at Harrods; 12. Victorinox Swiss Unlimited EDT Light, fresh top notes lead to a woody base 75ml, £54 | victorinox.com; 13. Arko Shaving Cream Soap Stick King of the inexpensive soaps £2.99 | amazon.co.uk; 14. Acqua di Parma Collezione Barbiere Deluxe Stand, Brush and Razor Elegant badger bristle brush with wenge wood and burnished brass-handled razor £349 | In store at Harrods; 15. Braun Series 7 Shaver The closest shave possible from an electric shaver £199 | boots.com; 16. Pankhurst Deluxe Wet Shave Traditional wet shave with hot towels and a facial massage £60 | pankhurstlondon.com 60 | November 29 2013 |

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Watches

Christmas time: on this page and next, our favourite watches of 2013 From left to right: Rotary Jura £210 | ernestjones.co.uk; Movado Vizio £1,940 | ernestjones.co.uk; Tissot T-Complication Squelette £1,240 | creativewatch.co.uk; Police Atlanta £149 | watchshop.com; Hamilton Viewmatic Skeleton £880 | beaverbrooks.co.uk; Dreyfuss & Co Rose Gold Plated Skeleton £1,595 | ernestjones.co.uk; Breitling for Bentley £8,810 | breitlingforbentley.com, 020 7518 7010; TW Steel Grandeur Diver TW704 £475 | twsteel.com; Seiko GPS Solar Astron £1,995 | seiko-astron.com 62 | November 29 2013 |

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

you are the power.

dedicated to perfection SPORTURA. Thanks to a rotor that spins at up to 100,000 rpm, Seiko Kinetic converts your every movement into power, so no battery charge is ever required. The new Sportura Kinetic GMT also offers a screw see-through case back, 10 bar water resistance and a sapphire crystal. The perfect watch for sport at the highest level. seiko.co.uk

Watches

From left to right: Alpina Pilot Heritage Limited Edition Mechanical Watch £1,340 | watchshop.com; Ralph Lauren Sporting £2,150 | thewatchgallery.com; Rado Hyperchrome UTC XL £2,700 | jurawatches.co.uk; Omega De Ville Hour Vision £4,550 | beaverbrooks.co.uk; Nixon The Sentry £120 | watchshop.com; Mondaine Vintage Automatic £675 | watchshop.com; Larsson & Jennings Kolmården Woodland Camo £265 | www.larssonandjennings.com; Casio Men’s Premium G-Shock Gravity Defier £350 | watchshop.com 64 | November 29 2013 |

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Kitchen

2

1

3 4

5

6

8

7 9 11

10

12 14

13

15

16 17

19

20

21

18 1. Pantone Ketchup Red Coffee Maker For designer types who enjoy coffee £25 | designedinlondon.com; 2. KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer in Raspberry Ice Like The Great British Bake-Off; love this £430 | johnlewis.com; 3. GreenPan Milan 3D Meat & Poultry Frying Pan Fry your steaks to perfection £55 | johnlewis.com; 4. Hamburger Press Make burgers at home, save on trendy restaurants £16 | www.roullierwhite.com; 5. Smart Herb Garden Grow your own herbs! $79 | clickandgrow.com; 6. Cuisinart SSB1U Soup Maker Create homemade soup in 20 minutes £129 | amazon.co.uk; 7. Tefal OptiGrill Makes grilling the perfect steak easy £130 | johnlewis.com; 8. Belkin Chef Stand+Wand for iPad Keeps your iPad clean and away from spillages £21 | pixmania.co.uk; 9. Sage by Heston Blumenthal Tea Maker Steeps teas at different temperatures £199.99 | sageappliances.co.uk; 10. Nest Protect Smoke and Carbon Dioxide Alarm Burned your dinner? Just wave at this alarm to turn it off £109 | nest.com; 11. Sage by Heston Blumenthal Toaster Even Heston needs one £130 | sageappliances.co.uk; 12. Bodum Bistro Herb Chopper Chops better than you £25 | johnlewis.com; 13. Kenwood kMix Handmixer Strong little mixer £65 | amazon.co.uk; 14. Zoku Quick Pop Maker Freezes ice pops in seven minutes £42 | amazon.co.uk; 15. Russell Hobbs Platinum Grind and Brew Coffeemaker Grind your beans and set your coffee to brew at any time £99 | amazon.co.uk; 16. Joseph Joseph Record Player Worktop Saver Protect your counter from poor knife skills £17 | josephjoseph.com; 17. Green Pan Egg Expert Single egg-sized frying pan £8.25 | amazon.co.uk; 18. Condiment Gun Shoots your favourite condiment £15.99 | firebox.com; 19. Joseph Joseph TriScale Clever folding scale that saves room £30 | josephjoseph.com; 20. Pure Evoke D4 with Bluetooth DAB/FM radio that can play tunes from your phone £149.99 | pure.com; 21. iRobot Braava 380 Floor Mopping Robot Does what it says on the robot £259.99 | irobot.com 66 | November 29 2013 |

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Food & Drink

2 H

F

I

E

K

G

1

B M

J

A

L C

D

4

5

6

7

3 10

8

11

13

12 9

1. Marshall Fridge Coolest amplifier ever £399 | firebox.com; 2. Stock up with this selection of drinks: A. Martell VS Cognac £22.15 | thewhiskyexchange.com, B. Grey Goose Vodka £47.99 | selfridges.com, C. Bootlegger White Grain Spirit £37.50 | harveynichols.com, D. Port Duo: Late Bottled Vintage & 10 Year Old Tawny £50 | harveynichols.com, E. Isake sake £31.50 | harveynichols.com, F. Glenmorangie Signet Whisky £119.77 | masterofmalt.com, G. Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Whiskey £44.95 | thewhiskeyexchange.com, H. La Maison Fontaine Absinthe Chocolate Liqueur £30.25 | thewhiskyexchange.com, I. Langley’s No. 8 London Gin £29.95 | masterofmalt.com, J. Whyte & Mackay 30 Year Old Oldest Whisky £160 | thewhiskyexchange.com, K. Mumm Cordon Rouge Champagne £33.49 | waitrose.com, L. Champagne Stag Ice Bucket £95 | roullierwhite.com, M. Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Solera Reserve Whisky £34.88 | masterofmalt.com; 3. Whisky Advent Calendar Don Draper’s calendar of choice £149.95 | masterofmalt.com; 4. The Gentleman’s Hamper With Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia £150 | fortnumandmason.com; 5. Nando’s Gift Card For those not famous enough for the Black Card £20 or £50 | nandos.co.uk; 6. Chillsner Beer Cooler In-bottle chillers £24.99 for two | firebox.com; 7. Tipplesworth Mince Pie Martini Cocktail Case All ingredients included £185 | tipplesworth.com; 8. Stanley Classic Pocket Flask For sneaky drinkers £14.73 | amazon.co.uk; 9. Wine Pairing Tea Towels Which vino to pair with your food? £23 | roullierwhite.com; 10. Vinopolis Wine Tasting Gift Sets Learn about wine on the South Bank From £60 | vinopolis.co.uk; 11. Duff Beer 24 Pack Mmmm beer £24.99 | firebox.com; 12. BACtrack Mobile Breathaliser Check your levels £99.95 | amazon.co.uk; 13. Hawksmoor Gift Cards The best steak in London From £50 | thehawksmoor.com 68 | November 29 2013 |

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

A GUIDE TO PLAYSTATION®4 180 GAMES IN DEVELOPMENT

MORE THAN ANY OTHER NEXT-GEN CONSOLE INCLUDING GAMES FROM NAUGHTY DOG, MEDIA MOLECULE & SANTA MONICA STUDIOS

WHAT IS THE SIZE OF THE HARD DRIVE?

500GB Which can be replaced & upgraded.

REMOTE PLAY Will enable users to stream their PS4 gameplay to their PS Vita system via WiFi, freeing up the television for other uses.*

SUPPORTS UP TO PS4 HAS

2,000

23 CONFIRMED

LAUNCH TITLES

PSN ONLINE FRIENDS

TO DATE, MORE TO BE ADDED

(VIA WI-FI OR ETHERNET)

THE MOST POWERFUL NEXT-GEN CONSOLE 1.84 Teraflops and 8GB of GDDR5 RAM.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? Allows for complex physics and particle effects, leading to better graphics with a higher resolution and frame rate.

WHAT COMES IN THE BOX?

PS4 SUPPORTS HDMI OUTPUT & 5.1 SOUND (VIA OPTICAL DIGITAL OUT)

PLAYSTATION®4 SYSTEM (JET BLACK), DUALSHOCK®4 WIRELESS CONTROLLER, 14 DAY PLAYSTATION PLUS TRIAL, HDMI CABLE, AC POWER CORD,WIRED MONO HEADSET & USB CABLE

BLU-RAY & DVD PLAYBACK

PLAYSTATION CAMERA Allows you to login with your face and use in-built voice commands. Check it out on the pre-installed Playroom.

PLAYSTATION PLUS Access to online multiplayer on PS4, top-rated** games on PS4 (Resogun and Contrast at launch), PS3 & PS Vita, exclusive PS Store discounts & more.

THE PS4’S COOLING SYSTEM IS MUCH

QUIETER THAN THE PS3 THE DUALSHOCK 4

TOUCH PAD Supports drag and drop, flicking, & multi-touch input.

PLAY AS YOU DOWNLOAD UP TO NATIVE 1080P RESOLUTION & 60 FRAMES PER SECOND

Supported titles will be playable after only a portion of data has been downloaded, while the rest of the game is downloaded in the background.

PS4 SUPPORTS UP TO EIGHT USERS FOR CROSS-GAME PARTY CHAT Works across both PS4 & PS Vita platforms.

15 MINUTES OF FAME Share your epic triumphs with a touch of the share button. *Internet connection required. Some games may not support this feature **metacritic 70+

REDESIGNED DUALSHOCK

TRIGGERS, ENHANCED RUMBLE & MOTION SENSORS All contribute to a more immersive experience.

THIS IS FOR THE GAME-CHANGERS THE ROOKIES AND THE VETERANS THE TROPHY COLLECTORS. THE BUTTON-MASHERS

FOR THOSE THAT ARE DIVIDED IN

BATTLE, BUT UNITED IN PLAY THIS IS FOR THE COLLECTORS OF NEXT LEVEL SECRETS

AND THE FANS OF JAW-DROPPING GRAPHICS

FOR THOSE THAT WANT THE POWER AND FREEDOM TO PLAY ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

THIS IS FOR THE INNOVATORS

THE CREATORS

#4ThePlayers