Sport magazine issue 297

Issue 297 | March 15 2013

British invasion As Formula 1 races into action, we proďŹ le the four Brits out to make their mark in 2013

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issue 297, March 15 2013 radar 04 Subbuteo survivors

They’re out there, somewhere.

Tom Groves’ new book tracks them down and snaps them

06 This week in sporting history 1990: Norton’s Coin outruns Desert Orchid for the greatest of Gold Cup shocks oFeatures this coming week

17 Formula 1: The New Season We speak to Paul di Resta and Max Chilton, assess the other British contenders and run through the grid and new rules

29 Ryan Jones

This page: Paul Gilham/Getty Images, Tom Groves, Action Images / Andrew Couldridge

The Wales captain on his side’s Six Nations campaign so far... and quashing England’s Grand Slam ambitions in Cardiff

37 Chris Smalling The Manchester United centre back on life at Old Trafford and his first meeting with Sir Alex

43 Cheltenham: The Gold Cup All the runners in the festival’s showpiece and how we rate their chances – listen to us at your peril

29

extra Time 58 Gadgets

04

68

The HTC One takes on Motorola’s Kevlar-coated RAZR HD, which was clearly expecting trouble

60 Kit Ski jackets that make you look the part until you start moving.

Then things go downhill rapidly

62 Grooming Practical paraphernalia for the pavement-pounding marathon training ruddy heroes out there

68 Entertainment

Elijah Wood is a turtle-necked Maniac, Suede are back with Bloodsports and The Bay washes up plenty of rouge | March 15 2013 | 03

Radar

p06 – This week in sporting history: farmer milks cows and wins Gold Cup p06 – Three more sporting shocks that defied the odds p08 – Shoot hoops with the 94Fifty Bluetooth Basketball

Makes more sense than holding it in Qatar. A new book of photography intends to document the still-thriving European Subbuteo scene

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he world has moved on, but not for this band of unlikely comrades, united by a love of felt and plastic – the subject of In the Box. Tom Groves spent two years seeking out these reclusive types, travelling to Subbuteo tournaments across Europe to find and photograph the men and women (unsurprisingly, it’s mostly men) who have not yet consigned the plastic players to their attics and garages.

Groves is seeking funding through ‘crowdsourcing’ site kickstarter.co.uk for a limited-edition hard-copy print run, to be published with a felt cover reminiscent of the

04 | March 15 2013 |

pitches around which millions of youths spent their formative years huddled in the 1980s and 1990s (presumably while their more athletic friends were playing actual football).

We’ve had a sneak peek at some of the photos (right) and can tell you that, although the players are plastic, the tournaments play host to very real emotion and drama. We can only imagine what the skill level of these guys is like (lots of fancy flicks, probably). We find it hard enough just stopping the bloody pitch from getting creased.

In the Box is available on Kickstarter.co.uk for the next six days. Visit intheboxbook.co.uk

Photos: Tom Groves. Cover: Thomas Coombes and Thomas Austin

Host the World Cup on your kitchen table

Radar

The long shots More sporting triumphs that defied the odds Tyson busTed one month before norton’s Coin stunned Cheltenham, journeyman heavyweight James ‘buster’ douglas produced one of the greatest shocks in boxing history, knocking out the seemingly unbeatable Mike Tyson in the 10th round of their world title fight in Tokyo. The Mirage Casino in las Vegas, the only Vegas casino to bother running a book on the fight, had douglas as a 42/1 outsider of two on the night.

1990 THE gold Cup’S bIggEST SHoCK

06 | March 15 2013 |

into contention aboard his mount with two to jump, before pulling clear on the run-in to defeat 8/1 chance Toby Tobias (right) by three-quarters of a length, with the valiant Dessie four lengths further back in third.

“I can remember everything,” Griffiths recalled some years later. “I milked the cows in the morning as usual. When he moved into third place I kept saying to myself: ‘Just stay there. That would be lovely.’ When he came to the last, I felt that if he did a good jump he could win. I honestly did – and it happened.”

Griffiths enjoyed his time in the winners’ enclosure – “the Queen Mother was lovely, she knew I came from west Wales and had cows” – but lightning was not to strike twice.

Norton’s Coin was a faller when defending his crown 12 months later, before pulling up in his final Gold Cup in 1992. He died at the age of 20 in 2001, his place in racing history long since assured.

ashes To cashes (in) What do you do if you’re an Aussie cricketer with a tache, and part of a team stoving the old enemy’s heads in at Headingley in 1981? The answer seemed simple to dennis lillee and rodney Marsh: get a few quid on England to win at 500/1. Which, thanks to Ian botham and bob Willis, they did – earning lillee and Marsh some nice money, and a question or two about their integrity, into the bargain.

Bob Thomas/Getty Images

THIS WEEK T In SporTIng HISTory

he Cheltenham Gold Cup represents the absolute pinnacle of National Hunt racing. Take a look at its illustrious roll of honour, and you will see all-time legends of the sport such as Golden Miller, Arkle, Best Mate and, of course, Kauto Star. It’s a race for only the very best jumps horses in training, and one that is won exclusively by the best of the best. This is no place for outsiders.

Apart from Norton’s Coin (pictured, left), that is. Running in the 1990 Gold Cup only because owner and trainer Sirrell Griffiths – a Welsh farmer who had just three horses in among a big herd of cows – had forgotten to enter him in a much less valuable handicap at the festival, the nine-year-old started a 100/1 shot behind odds-on favourite and defending champion Desert Orchid.

Cue the biggest shock in the history of the Gold Cup, as jockey Graham McCourt coasted

shock sandwich It would have taken some prophet to pick out ben Curtis as the winner of the 2003 open at royal St george’s, Sandwich. The little-known American started the week as a 750/1 also-ran, but kept his head when all about him were losing theirs to record a one-shot win over Vijay Singh and Thomas bjorn. Eight years later, at the very same venue, a 42-year-old darren Clarke pulled his own major rabbit out of the hat with victory at a mere 200/1. The guinness and cigars were on him.

THE TASTE OF crAnbErry.

THE EFFEcT OF rEd bull.

THE rEd EdiTiOn FrOm rEd bull.

Radar

Future sport

Jump stats

W

orn by Marty McFly in Back to the Future II, Nike’s present-day Hyperdunk basketball shoes have been given a futuristic twist of which Marty would be proud with the incorporation of Nike+ technology. Nike Hyperdunk+ trainers, as worn by LeBron James (right), can measure your on-court movement thanks to sensors in the soles. Predictably, they link to an app, which means you can compare yourself to your friends – or sync it to video of yourself playing for the ultimate training tool. They’re still not as cool as those shoes with the lights in the heel, though. £225, nike.com

08 | March 15 2013 |

funding from kickstarter.com), the ball complies with weight, spin and size regulations, and includes an eight-hour battery that can be recharged wirelessly. The accompanying app tracks the progress and shooting skills of up to four players, and there will be more than 50 competition modes. It’s pricey, so just make sure you don’t accidentally chuck it on the roof. $200, 94fifty.com

Chip and charge

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e’ve long suspected Leo Messi isn’t human, but a cyborg sent back in time to play football (and kill Sarah Connor). Turns out we’re partly right – he does use Adidas’ MiCoach software, which slots into football boots and reports back to a website. £200 with boots, prodirectsoccer.com

Nick Laham/Getty Images

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hile the cavemen that run football are still scratching their brows trying to work out whether their glorified pig’s bladder has crossed a line, other sports are embracing the future. The 94Fifty Bluetooth Basketball uses Bluetooth technology to measure the force and spin on the ball, and send that information to an iPhone application for review. Launching in October (dependent on

THE TASTE OF limE. THE EFFEcT OF rEd bull.

THE SilVEr EdiTiOn FrOm rEd bull.

Radar Editor’s letter Obscure position: Rooney celebrates scoring from a wide free kick against Chelsea, but his role remains uncertain

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What now for Wayne?

Forget the rampant speculation – Rooney will still be plying his trade at Old Trafford next year

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ayne Rooney perhaps didn’t become the footballer that so many people hoped. It’s not so long ago he was bracketed alongside Ronaldo and Messi.

Indeed, when Ronaldo left Manchester Editor-in-chief United, plenty thought it a good thing, as it Simon Caney would free up Rooney to fulfil his potential, @simoncaney which many thought had been stifled.

But while Messi and Ronaldo have pushed each other to a different plane, Rooney’s career has faltered. Or has it? He may not be a classic number 10, but he scores goals.

He’ll get more than 20 this season, and last term he bagged 35. He is still capable of sublime football and is, with Robin van Persie, the most talented player at Sir Alex Ferguson’s disposal. United have scored a colossal amount of goals this season, thanks to a many-pronged attack of which Rooney remains a crucial part.

So why, then, as United limbered up for their biggest game of the season, did Fergie take Rooney aside and inform him he would not be required to start? It may have turned out to be the correct tactical decision, but it’s hard to imagine it happening elsewhere.

Rooney needs to play from the start. He is not an impact player as a substitute.

Naturally, the move led to intense speculation about Rooney’s future. If he wasn’t selected to start against Real Madrid, would he form part of United’s plans at all after this season? With Paris St Germain allegedly waiting in the wings, ready to bid whatever it takes, it’s not surprising that people started asking questions.

It might do Rooney good to leave (and PSG will be challenging for the very top honours soon), but it would still come as a surprise.

Ferguson has stuck by him so far, and been rewarded with a stack of goals. Gut feeling is that he’ll be a United player next season.

With apologies to our ocker readers, watching the Australian cricket team implode ahead of this year’s Ashes is hilarious. They have a couple of decent players, but they seem keen to get rid of them based on a lack of spreadsheets. Or something. It’d be nice to beat them at full ‘strength’. But really it will just be nice to beat them, full stop.

There is probably a sitcom waiting to be written about an old folk’s home occupied solely by retired football managers who spend their days bickering and squabbling, playing ever more desperate Scrabble-related mind games and generally acting mischievously, before retiring for the evening to share a bottle of expensive plonk. Until then, we have to make do with Sir Alex Ferguson and Rafa Benitez behaving like a pair of silly old men with each other. It’s not especially becoming, but it is at least amusing.

Editorial Editor-in-chief: Simon Caney (7951) Deputy editor: Tony Hodson (7954) Art editor: John Mahood (7860) Subeditor: Graham Willgoss (7431) Senior writers: Sarah Shephard (7958), Alex Reid (7915) Staff writers: Mark Coughlan (7901), Amit Katwala (7914) Picture editor: Julian Wait (7961) Designer: Matthew Samson (7861) Digital designer: Chris Firth (7952) Production manager: Tara Dixon (7963) Contributors: Simon Knights Craig Scarborough, Martin Potter, David Lawrenson Commercial Agency Sales Director: Iain Duffy (7991) Advertising Managers: Steve Hare (7930), Kevin O’Byrne (7832), Aaron Pinto del Rio (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) Managing Director: Calum Macaulay PA to Managing Director: Sophia Koulle (7826) Colour reproduction: Rival Colour Ltd Printed by: Wyndeham Group Ltd © UTV Media plc 2012 UTV Media plc takes no responsibility for the content of advertisements placed in Sport magazine £1 where sold Hearty thanks to: Matt Hocken, Duncan Ross, Rachel Frazer, Milly Baker, Leanne Williams, Alison Hackney, Louise Agran

Cover of the Year

Good effort by @simoncaney in today’s @Sportmaguk ... but horse racing is an anachronism, not a sport

@thatjimbradshaw Twitter

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@simoncaney @Sportmaguk Particularly good edition today and Cheltenham features excellent!

@alandelmonte Twitter

@simoncaney Sport mag never fails to deliver. #topreadeverytime

@AnimalSprint Twitter

Liking @Sportmaguk’s front & back cover pages today – getting me in the mood for #Cheltenham & #tweed

@PeterDGDavis Twitter

Great piece in this weekends @sportmaguk on best and worst performers in the PL so far this season #numbercruncher #infographic

LAUNCH OF THE YEAR

2008

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Reader comments of the week

THE TASTE OF bluEbErry.

THE EFFEcT OF rEd bull.

THE bluE EdiTiOn FrOm rEd bull.

Flats on Friday

David Lyttleton

Radar Opinion

Beat England: your night out depends on it

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he last time I had a night out in Cardiff, I was stunned. I am a worldly enough character after tours all over the planet and away trips to Newcastle, but Cardiff embraces the après-ski like no other city in Britain.

As we hopped out of our taxis, we saw whole roads cordoned off by police, and queues running the length of the street to get into one booming nightclub or another. Frankly, we wondered if we might be in for one of those endlessly frustrating nights, walking from bar to bar trying to get in.

Sure, we had Danny Grewcock with us – who, over there, might be considered famous. Unfortunately, he was mostly famous for punching Welsh people, so wasn’t a lot of help.

I’ll admit it: we stood at the back of the 312-mile queue and tried to think of ways we might be able to pull rank and bypass this inconvenience.

We came up short, so I made a call. Tom Shanklin, Welsh rugby legend and my old flatmate, answered the call and announced that he would save us: “Go get yourself some chips, fatty, and Shank the Tank will be there in 20 to save your bacon.”

Quite what he had in mind, we didn’t know, but we did indeed inhale some carbs as we waited for Cardiff’s version of a mountain St Bernard.

He arrived, fresh from the sofa, and told us to follow him into battle. At that point, we were so cold, so bloated and delirious from the overconsumption of pitta and chips (it was a ‘down’ week, okay?) that we would have followed 12 | March 15 2013 |

Blackadder over the top. “Now then, boys!” he shouted at the testosteroned-up doormen who, presumably, had just returned from a month in Kandahar, so bronzed were they. The big lumps lifted the rope, nodded to the steely-eyed lady with the clipboard (I looked... the paper on it was totally blank bar a few doodles, the biggest of which read: “I ‘heart’ Mike Phillips”), and we were in. Through the murderous glares from the rock hard-looking blondes at the front (who, though obviously naturally very pretty, looked as if they had loaded a pound of make-up into a shotgun and had a friend fire it at them), we waltzed in like Jordan and Peter.

Shanklin was as proud as hell: “Told you boys, didn’t I? King of Cardiff, see?” And, because we were indeed with Gareth Thomas’ albino doppelgänger, we were treated like kings and had a memorable night. He isn’t really quite as obnoxious as I make out, old Shank the Tank, but we mustn’t let that get in the way of the story.

What his presence did reveal was the affection afforded to rugby men of note across the bridge.

They are heroes, and they are adored. As long as they beat England. Tomorrow’s game is bigger than a Six Nations title, and it is bigger – dare I say it – than a Grand Slam. This is the Welsh against the English. And whatever the venue, whatever the stakes, these Welsh boys want to be able to show their faces in town come Saturday night. Beware, England. Pride is a powerful thing. @davidflatman

It’s like this…

Bill Borrows

I

t’s all in the name. Ask Rafa Benitez. “Chelsea gave me the title of ‘interim manager’, which was a massive mistake,” he recently vouchsafed.

And you can see his point. Upon appointment, all Chelsea managers should be correctly addressed as ‘former Chelsea manager’ to prepare them for their immediate future with a minimum of fuss.

But this is not about job titles or even sportsmen changing their names (although England Test cricketer Robert George Willis remains a favourite. Who? You may know him as Bob Willis or, to give him his full name as altered by deed poll, Bob Dylan Willis). It’s not even about stadium naming rights.

No, this is about messing with the name “Yorkshire of the team. As fans of the real Wimbledon Carnegie, now football club will attest, rebranded as the you just don’t go there.

Yorkshire Vikings, Even the 2005 Thai Premier League have embraced champions, the perhapsthe name of an too-honest-for-theirinvading force own-good Thailand Tobacco Monopoly FC, associated with kept the initials of their raping, looting former incarnation in and pillaging” their new name TTM Samut Sakhon FC. You can’t change history – in the case of the Ottawa TomaHawks, a new Canadian basketball team, you can’t even begin to create it. The name, chosen by a poll vote on the internet, was dropped the day after being announced last month due to cultural sensitivity associated with the weapon of choice favoured by Native Canadians.

No such squeamishness in Yorkshire, however.

The limited-overs side, previously trading as Yorkshire Carnegie and now rebranded as the Yorkshire Vikings, have embraced the name of an invading force primarily associated with raping, looting and pillaging.

“We did have an online poll to pick a new name,” explained Danny Reuben, head of media and marketing at Yorkshire. “But we had to ignore the results because it was hijacked by Lancashire supporters. Had it been up to them, we would have been called the ‘Yorkshire Puddings.”’

As I said, it’s a minefield best left unexplored. @BorrowsSPORT

Plank of the Week Rory McIlroy, MBE (Northern Ireland) Nothing to do with his wisdom tooth (or the rumour that he’s having one put in), but his performance on the new Santander advertisement. You can hear the director now: ‘Just eat an apple and read the lines off the back of the easel, Rory.’

Why? He can’t need possibly need the money.

WingS FOr All TASTES.

THE TASTE OF crAnbErry, limE Or bluEbErry.

THE EFFEcT OF rEd bull.

Frozen in time

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This could have been any one of a number of horses backed by the Sport team at the Cheltenham Festival this week. None of them seemed especially keen on jumping those fences, but none refused with such aplomb as Alvarado at Sandown last week. The first jockey Paul Moloney knew that his nag wasn’t going to take off was as he himself was sent flying over his ears. Even the look on the horse’s face says: “You want to jump this fence? You’re on your own, sunshine.”

| 15

Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

Flat refusal

he 2007 World Champion has spent pre-season testing with Mercedes “trying to learn people’s names”, and talking down his new team’s title chances, so eyebrows were raised when the 28-year old set the fastest pre-season lap at the final test in Barcelona. BBC F1 technical analyst Gary Anderson believes Hamilton was as surprised as anyone by how competitive the car is, and adds that the move is a huge opportunity for him. “He joined McLaren as a boy and he’s joined Mercedes as a man. His whole aggressiveness and talent can be unleashed in a different manner.”

T

David Coulthard agrees. “It will be the making of him as man and a racing driver,” the former McLaren driver told us. “He will be challenged in ways he wasn’t challenged before. Equally, he’ll have the opportunity to reset the working perceptions and relationships. He’s not the young kid going round any more saying: ‘Please, please give me a drive.’ He is going there as a world champion and as one of the fastest drivers in the sport.”

The move has improved Hamilton’s often volatile mood as well, says Sky Sports F1 pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz. “I think he’s been energised by a change of scene and he’s a happier driver, which is good for him. I think he’s made the right move.”

There are other benefits – Hamilton’s $100m contract reportedly includes a lot less media and

In two days, 10,000 miles from home, four British drivers with very different stories will line up for the first race of the 2013 Formula 1 season.

We speak to experts and the drivers themselves to find out what’s in store for the sport’s very own Team GB in 2013

sponsorship work than his previous one – which is perhaps part of a conscious decision to try and keep him out of the spotlight and focus on racing.

“I’ve known him since he was a kid,” says Coulthard.

“He’s obviously gone through a number of changes in his personal and managerial life, but it’s the natural process of growing up in the public eye. Suddenly you are a global figure and your every move is watched and analysed. That can be difficult to adapt to.”

After six years of adapting to the life of a global celebrity with McLaren, Hamilton’s success with his new team will depend on how quickly he can settle into the Mercedes set-up. The early indications are good, but the real measure of much he’s grown as a man, and as a racing driver, will be how he reacts if and when things start to go wrong. > | March 15 2013 | 17

Paul Gilham/Getty Images, Hoch Zwei

Britain’s got talent

F1 The Brits

F1 The Brits

why so serious?

We drove out to a Heathrow hotel on a rainy morning last week keen to meet di Resta as he prepared to fly out for the first race, with Anderson’s warning ringing in our ears. “I think Paul’s whole media way is very bad,” he told us. BBC commentator Ben Edwards, on the other hand, says he is becoming more open: “He’s a serious young guy, but he does have a nice sense of humour. But he sort of hides it.”

He’s certainly a serious man, but there’s a hint of a smirk when he touches on certain topics, and we can see what Brundle means when he tells us “there are two Paul di Restas – one who stands in front of the microphone, and the other who we know socially in Monaco”. Di Resta insists later that his biggest strength as a driver is his “focus and commitment”, and it seems his approach to interviews is simply an extension of that single-mindedness.

Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion, says di Resta’s seriousness might be because he “puts too much pressure on himself”. But, when we meet him, he is refusing to let the pressure of what could be a make or break season get to him. “People say there’s more pressure on my shoulders,” di Resta tells us.

18 | March 15 2013 |

“Yes, there is. I’m not gonna deny that, but F1 is a high-pressure environment. I’ve dealt with pressure all the way, coming up through the junior ranks.

And that’s what makes us stand out as elite.”

It was in the junior ranks that di Resta first caught the eye – competing with and beating Sebastian Vettel to the Formula 3 Euro Series title in 2006.

“We were teammates, and fortunately I came out on top,” says the Scot. “I won’t take away what Sebastian has done – he’s three times world champion, but he took a completely different route and he’s been fortunate enough to be in the best car.

I just want to be back at the front racing him.”

Di Resta was heavily linked with a step towards the front of the grid in the summer, and the seat vacated

by Lewis Hamilton. McLaren opted instead for young Mexican Sergio Pérez, perhaps because di Resta failed to really excel in his sophomore year – or possibly because of the cash Pérez brings to the team as a result of being bankrolled by Mexican business magnate Carlos Slim, ranked by Forbes as the world’s richest man. “He’s missed the boat,” says Anderson. “It’s musical chairs, and when the drives were handed out, he got left with no chair to sit on.”

cash-strapped

Lack of funding has already shaped di Resta’s career.

He became DTM touring car world champion in 2010, but admits that he took that route only because he didn’t have the funding to go into GP2, which would have been a more conventional path.

In contrast to, for example, Max Chilton – the newest British F1 driver (more from him later) – di Resta didn’t have ready financial support throughout his youth. “It was always a struggle,” he says. “My dad was a mechanic, and he was always running me – we never ran with a team because it was always budget-limited. We stretched ourselves to do a year in Formula Renault, and fortunately Mercedes Benz took me on their junior scheme at the end of that.”

You can tell di Resta cherishes those childhood hours in the garage with his father Louis, who was a

racer himself but gave it up to focus on his son’s career and now runs Force India’s driver academy.

“I was never in the park playing football – whenever he was in the garage, I was there,” di Resta says of his father. “It’s probably the smell of petrol and two-stroke oil that dragged me in there.

I loved every minute of it, and I have very fond memories. The biggest thing is my dad sacrificing his hobby to give me the opportunity.”

dreams on hold

Di Resta dreamed of driving for Ferrari as a boy, and admits to being disappointed that a move to a bigger team hasn’t been forthcoming. “You always want to be in cars that are winning races, but you have to accept where you are,” he says. “I’m proud to be a part of Sahara Force India, but I’m trying to get my reputation right under team principals’ noses – so should a drive come up, it’s offered to me.”

The only way for di Resta to pull the focus back to him, says Anderson, is to “thrash his teammate comprehensively”. Adrian Sutil was a late choice for Force India – his return to the team he left in 2011 was confirmed only earlier this month. Di Resta says he is pleased to have the experienced Austrian back, but is aware of the need to be ruthless. The return of Sutil gives him a chance to show he has progressed since his debut season after a difficult second year, says Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft. “It was 60:40 in terms of the percentage of points they shared in their first season together, but Paul was a rookie then – he doesn’t have that excuse now.”

Di Resta reckons he still has a couple of years until he reaches the peak of his powers – he tells us drivers peak between 28 and 33, because that’s when they’re most settled and have the experience. Coulthard, whom di Resta considers a “good friend and mentor”, says his fellow Scot is settled to the point that he is considered a “safe pair of hands”.

His challenge is to up his performances, beat his teammate and earn the seat his talent and focus deserve. If he doesn’t, it could be his last year in F1. >

Paul Gilham/Getty Images

O

ne man who’s never allowed media work to divert his attention from racing is Force India’s Paul di Resta. It’s the 26-year-old’s third season in Formula 1, and Gary Anderson says it is “the biggest challenge of his career,” as he seeks to fulfil his potential. There is a danger that If di Resta does not kick on this season, he will find himself replaced by a younger driver, says Sky Sports F1 expert Martin Brundle. “Look at what happened to Timo Glock and Bruno Senna. They did really solid jobs, but if you’re not looking like you’re going to the stars, then you might as well be replaced by a young guy with a chunk of change.”

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cLaren aren’t the only ones who have been hard at work at their Technology Centre, which sits aside a gleaming artificial lake a few miles outside the centre of Woking. Marussia driver Max Chilton, Formula 1’s newest Brit, has also been putting the facility to use – learning the tracks for this season on which he’s never driven. And he was preparing for another simulator session (learning the Australian circuit) when Sport spoke to him.

“There are seven tracks I haven’t driven,” he told us. “So the simulator sessions for those ones are of vital importance. If you can have a good simulator session, it’s sort of like you’ve done plenty of laps.

And, when you get there, it just kind of feels natural.”

The 21-year old from Surrey has made the step up to Formula 1 from GP2, where he finished fourth in the championship last year, and has been hard at work over the winter working on his fitness and strengthening his neck muscles. It’s going to be a tough year battling for Marussia at the back of the grid, and Chilton is aware that his team’s main challenge is to avoid last place.

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20 | March 15 2013 |

“We’ve kind of got our own championship against Caterham,” he explains. “They are kind of our main competitors now, so our main goal is to beat them and try and get our first ever points for Marussia.”

Chilton is well regarded within the paddock, and with unruly blonde hair and a well-spoken manner, he seems to be the natural heir to Jenson Button’s ‘thoroughly pleasant chap’ mantle. There have, however, been questions over whether Chilton has earned his place in the sport. As we alluded to earlier, he has been fortunate enough to have hefty financial backing throughout his career. His father Grahame is the multi-millionaire vice chairman of insurance giant Aon, which has given rise to the notion that Chilton is simply a ‘pay-driver’ – in the team because his presence brings funding.

talent show

The younger Chilton is defensive on this point, and he explains how his funding comes not from his father, but from 30 partners who will get a share of his future earnings. “F1 has changed. You need both – an F1 team’s not going to look at you and let you in their car unless you have talent. Then you need the backing, which does help. But you have to have the ability.

Plenty of new drivers have come in this year, and we’ve all come from the same area. It’s been like that for years. But the team wouldn’t have accepted me if I didn’t have the talent.”

Chilton has undoubtedly worked hard, and Martin Brundle believes he deserves his shot. “I don’t think anybody is kidding themselves that he would be in that car without a cheque behind him, but I think he’s deserved a chance,” he says.

Ben Edwards agrees – he knows the Chiltons well after years of commentating on Max’s older brother Tom, who races in the World Touring Car Championship. “It’s a wealthy background, but they’re a very grounded family who are in a fortunate position.

Both lads are lovely blokes who don’t take it for granted – they both work really hard at what they do.”

Like di Resta, Chilton’s performances this season will be measured against those of his teammate, Red Bull Driver Academy graduate Jules Bianchi.

“Getting to Formula 1 is all very nice,” says David Coulthard “But it’s not just about saying you were a Formula 1 driver. I give him half a season of finding his feet, half a season of comparing him with his teammate. If he is close to or beating his teammate, then that really will grab my attention. If he’s not, then you’ve got to ask questions.” >

Josep Lago/AFP/Getty Images

F1 The Brits

WITH GARAGE ROCK™

©2013 Oakley, Inc. 01727 795791 // uk.oakley.com

AVAILABLE IN OAKLEY PRESCRIPTION

FERNANDO ALONSO | FORMULA 1 DRIVER | CYCLIST

f Paul di Resta is right and F1 drivers do peak in their early 30s, then the clock is ticking for 33-year old Jenson Button.

His first three years at McLaren have been tough, but with Lewis Hamilton gone, he has a chance to assert himself as the team’s undisputed number one driver.

“Many people thought Jenson was crazy going from a winning Brawn team to McLaren, to go up against Lewis,” says David Coulthard. “He may not have the outright consistency, the speed in qualifying that Lewis has, but he has great vision. He’s a very safe pair of hands in a grand prix, and nobody can read a wet-to-dry race like he can. It’ll be interesting to see whether he ends up being the de facto number

I

one at McLaren or whether Sergio Pérez shows he is this incredible talent going forward.”

The problem Button has is that he needs the car to be in perfect order to get the best out of it, as Gary Anderson explains: “Jenson needs that car he can drive that bit differently. It’s so difficult to see, but he drives the corner a bit differently – he makes it smoother, and he brakes that little bit differently and takes more speed into it. He needs a car that’s balanced for longer in the middle of the corner.”

If his team can do that, Button will be “pretty much unbeatable”, according to Ted Kravitz. However, there are doubts over whether McLaren have actually delivered that car, counters Hill.

“Looking at that McLaren car, it did not look good over the bumps,” he says. “If they’ve got a dodgy front end issue, changing that takes around three weeks. If you’re Hamilton, you can get over that.

But if you’re Jenson Button, then you might have a bit of an issue with it.”

Certainly, based on the performances in the pre-season tests, none of the people we spoke to expressed great confidence in McLaren’s ability to challenge for the championship.

Croft told us they needed to approach the season in the same way as a cricketer trying to build a century, by taking it one race at a time. Both Kravitz and Anderson stressed the importance of consistency, however. Kravitz told us that reliability is going to be crucial. “Any more than three DNFs and you’re going to be out of contention for the championship,” he says. “If Jenson can be on the podium every race, or nearly every race – which isn’t impossible – then he could win the championship without winning so many races.” > Amit Katwala @amitkatwala

rule britannia While our experts might differ on their predictions for the season, they’re in agreement that there is an almost unprecedented level of homegrown talent on the grid this year. “It’s fantastic,” says Ted Kravitz. Going from a season [2010] where we had only Jenson and Lewis to one where we have four British drivers is fantastic for British motorsport, and

22 | March 15 2013 |

we’ve got some good prospects on the horizon in the lower categories, too.”

David Coulthard agrees: “I think it’s a great line-up – we’ve got the young opportunist in Max, we’ve got a great untapped talent in Paul, we’ve got Jenson as the man for all weather conditions. And, of course, we have Lewis taking a big step [moving to Mercedes], giving

us this opportunity to follow the fortunes of two top British drivers in different teams.”

Despite all that, though, we might have to wait a bit longer to see a British world champion again. With the rules changing very little from last season to this one (see page 24), it’s likely to be Red Bull who are again in the ascendancy. But don’t worry – there’s a reason for us

beleaguered Brits to be cheerful, even if Sebastian Vettel romps to a fourth straight world title, as Ben Edwards explains.

“The money is Austrian money, but it is a British team – they’re Milton Keynesbased, and built on the foundations of Stewart GP.” With Hamilton, Button, di Resta, Chilton and even Vettel flying the Union Jack in one

way or another – how can we possibly lose?

Additional reporting by Simon Knights. David Coulthard is co-commentator for the BBC’s Formula 1 coverage, which starts at 1pm on Saturday March 16, with extended highlights of Australian Grand Prix qualifying.

Race highlights, 2.20pm Sunday.

Sky Sports F1 has full live coverage of every session.

Josep Lago/AFP/Getty Images

F1 The Brits

F1 The Car

first-class upgrad rules

stepped noses fig.1

Rules to lower the nose for safety last year meant cars featured an ugly step between the nose and chassis. This year teams are allowed to fit a cosmetic ‘vanity panel’ over the step. Not all teams will use one.

pirelli tyres fig.2

Pirelli has a new range of tyres.

They are all slightly softer, therefore will be half a second a lap quicker – but will wear out faster.

Teams will have stop two or three times in a race – sometimes even more. And pit stops are likely to be as quick as two seconds this year.

Weight

Cars are slightly heavier to allow for the new tyres, which are around 2kg heavier per set.

drs

The top-speed boosting DRS (Drag Reduction System), which flattens the rear wing to reduce downforce and drag, can now be used only on the nominated straight. Last year, Red Bull and some other teams could even use DRS in the corners.

This will be a qualifying handicap for those teams.

trends

coanda effect fig.3

Last year, rule changes disallowed exhaust pipes from blowing directly at the diffuser to add downforce. Teams like McLaren and Red Bull found a solution using the ‘Coandă effect’, which uses curved bodywork to change the angle of the exhaust plume from pointing upwards to downwards in order to add grip. This year everyone is copying these designs.

It will be critical in deciding who’s fastest.

drag reduction devices (drds) fig.4 To recover

the performance lost from the limit on DRS use, some teams have an alternative, which directs air from the roll hoop to exit at the back of the car.

At a certain speed, air flow switches in the duct and blows air under the rear wing. This stalls the wing for a top-speed boost. It can be used on every lap and every time the car goes over a certain speed. It’s totally passive and legal. Lotus and Mercedes have led with this design, but Red Bull and Sauber have developed systems, too.

nose slots fig.5

To avoid turbulence created by the stepped nose, teams such as Red Bull and Ferrari have created a system to direct airflow up from underneath the nose to exit over the top of the chassis. >

24 | March 15 2013 |

fig.1

vaNity paNel

fig.5

Nose coNe

lower slot

upper slot

des fig.2

the teams and engineers have been hard at work in the off-season trying to squeeze the last 10th of a second from their cars. formula 1 technical expert craig scarborough talks us through the innovations

fig.3

fig.4

super soft

Drs rear WiNG WiNG staLLiNG sLot

soft

meDium

harD coaNDa eXhaust fLoW

DraG reDuctioN DeVice

Craig Scarborough

Duct

| 25

David Croft & Ted Kravitz

Despite only minimal rule changes during the winter break, there has been a lot of movement on the grid, with Formula 1 welcoming six new faces. Sky Sports F1 experts David Croft and Ted Kravitz give us the lowdown on everything you need to know about the teams for the new season

tEaM BY tEaM GUiDE RED BULL

FERRaRi

McLaREn

LotUs

MERcEDEs

saUBER

FoRcE inDia

WiLLiaMs

toRo Rosso

catERhaM

MaRUssia

DC: It’s not looking great for McLaren heading into the first race – they are setting themselves up for a bad year. If other cars have evolved, they’ve revolutionised. It’s bold and you hope it comes off, but for teams to have a strong season, someone has to have a bad year. You hope it’s not McLaren.

They’re off the pace at the moment, but no team plays catch up better – it’s just a case of how quickly Jenson Button and Sergio Pérez can do it.

DC: There is a lot of potential at Sauber. Nico Hülkenberg has gone there thinking that there are more podiums to be had. I hope he’s right, because I want to see Hülkenberg going upwards. They don’t have as strong a driver line-up as they did with Sergio Pérez and Kamui Kobayashi. Instead, what you have is a good driver and a kind of potential in Esteban Gutiérrez. The car looks reliable, but I’m just not convinced yet.

DC: The car looks good, it wasn’t particularly quick, but Jean-Eric Vergne has been able to push it and it was responsive. They have some stability and direction in their technical department and it’s a big year for them. Team owner Dietrich Mateschitz is spending a lot of money on Toro Rosso, so they have to deliver. And the two drivers [Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo] want something to attract Red Bull team principle Christian Horner’s attention.

TK: They seem to be in front at the moment.

We won’t know for sure until qualifying in Melbourne, but they have to be up there as favourites. However, you have teams that are only going to get fasterr, such as Ferrari, McLaren and potentially Lotus. Sebastian Vettel is just as motivated as ever, Mark Webber the same. I’d be amazed if Red Bull don’t take the Constructors’ Championship this year.

TK: Lotus finished fourth last year and their target is now to finish third. That means beating everyone apart from Red Bull and one from Ferrari or McLaren.

That’s a big target. When their car’s been running, they’ve had a very good winter test programme – it has been quick, but it has also been unreliable.

DC: They need Romain Grosjean to stay on the road. If he stays on the road [and Kimi Raikkonen performs], that target of third place is achievable.

DC: What interests me is that it was between Adrian Sutil and Jules Bianchi [for a race seat].

They’ve gone with Sutil, so we can assume that they are going to stay with Mercedes as a technical partnership. I expect Paul di Resta to spend the first six races beating Adrian, and then I expect Adrian to start showing what he can do as well.

Let’s see what a year out of the sport has done for him.

TK: They’ve got to be the disappointment of recent seasons. With a Red Bull gearbox, a Renault engine and quality people at the team, it really shows just how hard it is to make a top car that will perform.

Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde haven’t impressed in testing so far, but they say to wait until the upgrade comes for the Spanish Grand Prix in May before we judge them, so I’m willing to give them a break.

TK: They’re certainly not as bad as they were last season. I think it’s tightened up, the difference between Red Bull and Ferrari. They are my tip for the championship, because they focus on one driver [Fernando Alonso, ahead of Felipe Massa]. You can never discount Ferrari. A solid car, they’ve put a big emphasis on being right up there for the first race, which is where they always struggle. They’ve got a big upgrade package coming for Melbourne.

DC: They have a really good car for qualifying, and they probably still don’t know how good it is in a race. There was a theory that colder temperatures would help them, as it did in China last year, but I don’t know how true that is. If McLaren have lost out by losing Lewis Hamilton, then Mercedes have signed at least two-tenths of extra performance per lap in him. As a result, Nico Rosberg will raise his game as well.

TK: They are the dark horse of the season for me.

Technologically, they have an adventurous car and are trying some things that haven’t been done before. It’s nice to see that from Williams, who have produced cars a bit more tank-like over the years.

And there’s no reason that, with a Renault engine and two quick drivers [Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas], they can’t leap-frog into a top five team, which is their target for the season.

TK: It’s a nice car, with some nice touches on it.

Mechanically it seems good. Aerodynamically, they are way behind the leaders, but that will only come with time, research and money. In Jules Bianchi, they have a guy who could score a point for them this year, and Max Chilton will push him all the way.

At the moment, they are looking more like scoring a point than Caterham.

Simon Knights @SimonKnights | March 15 2013 | 27

All pictures Getty Images

F1 The Teams

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2013 Six Nations Ryan Jones

SLAM BUSTERS? England hEad to cardiff with a grand slam in sight. walEs havE a championship to dEfEnd. but what of ryan jonEs, thE man who should bE lEading thE homE sidE out? injury mEans hE’ll bE watching from thE stands

I

England are in town tomorrow on a Grand Slam hunt. Is it possible for the team to approach this like just another game? ”You have to, really, because essentially that’s what it is. I know it sounds daft, because there’s far more at stake, but you have to go through the process. You can’t waste your time and energy on emotion, if you like.”

Will knowing they’re after a Grand Slam give the Welsh team more motivation? ”Honestly, not really. Test rugby is about getting your own house in order first, >

| March 15 2013 | 29

AP Photo/Francois Mori

t’s not every week you sit down to chat to an international captain, only to see him pick up an injury in the days that follow.

To do so twice in one Six Nations, then – not to mention them being captains of the same team – is more than a little unlikely. Having caught up with Sam Warburton ahead of the tournament and then watched as injury saw him lose the captaincy and have to watch Wales’ revival from the sidelines, we spoke to replacement skipper Ryan Jones for his thoughts on this weekend’s Cardiff showdown. Cue the inevitable injury – a broken bone in his shoulder – and the Osprey is out of his side’s championship decider with England tomorrow.

Sport spoke to Jones before it was confirmed that injury had ruled him out, so some of his answers – ”I’m excited about this game, definitely… You go through your career and a handful of fixtures stand out… I can’t wait to lead the boys out into that atmosphere” – clearly had to make way.

One thing remains clear, though. After an up and down tournament, Wales are up for the fight tomorrow. And Jones will be going through the same rollercoaster of emotions as the 23 names on the Welsh teamsheet.

2013 Six Nations Ryan Jones

and not giving your opposition the opportunities to score, so we’ve been focusing on our game first and foremost.

The lads want to win the tournament, and we always enjoy playing at home, so we want to win for that reason.”

Action Images / Andrew Couldridge

Having won a Grand Slam, a lot of the Welsh players know the level of nerves that the English will be feeling. Does that help? ”In a way, yeah, but I don’t think it’s going to be any more pressure than the guys playing for Wales will face playing against England in front of a home crowd. The Grand Slam thing is a burden and a weight you have to carry, yeah, but they’ll be prepared to the Nth degree, and they’ve had experience of tight situations and big games. So I don’t think you can expect them to be overawed.”

“changing the captaincy has never affected us because this team is full of characters” In terms of the championship, how much did the mood in camp change after a few wins? ”Obviously it’s a much happier place to be.

The weeks tend to be just a little bit more relaxed when you’ve won, because it takes away that nervous edge and that

30 | March 15 2013 |

apprehension, so it allows you to get a bit more out of the week.”

Was it a case of sticking to the same principles, even when you were losing? ”Yeah, we knew we weren’t far away. We won a Grand Slam with some marginal results, and the bounce of the ball and a bit of luck favoured us. We then went on a bad run, but all those games were just as close and we were just on the wrong end of it. There was a belief that what we were doing was still right.

It was more down to the execution of it, game management and just being a little bit more technically and tactically accurate, I suppose.”

Does this side thrive on confidence? ”That’s a tough one. Being under pressure drags a bit more out of you as well, because there’s nothing like being up against it. But then playing with confidence gives you a little bit of freedom and a bit of belief, so a bit of both is the ideal scenario, I suppose. That puts us in a good position because we’ve had the lows and now we’ve got that confidence.”

How was it coming into the team and taking over the captaincy from Sam Warburton? ”It’s been a funny old year for me. I’ve had a couple of ops, so I’ve missed a fair bit of rugby. I was bitterly disappointed not to be involved against Ireland, and then took the captaincy against France. Changing the captaincy didn’t really affect us as a group.

I have a very good relationship with Sam – I’ve always tried to be supportive of him, and I like to think I’ve been there for him should he wish to bounce ideas off me. Sam’s a world class seven, and I’m sure he’s going to go on to captain Wales for many years to come.”

How do the two of you differ as captain? ”If you ask Gethin Jenkins or Adam Jones, I’ve probably got too much to say, but it’s difficult because you have 23 guys and you’re trying to cover all bases and appeal to everyone. It’s a difficult question. It’s not about the captain, though. This is our team – and I don’t mean mine and Sam’s, I mean all of us – and that’s why changing the captaincy doesn’t distract this side. You have characters like Gethin and Adam, then there’s Alun Wyn Jones, Leigh Halfpenny, Jamie Roberts, Dan Biggar. These are wonderful characters with a wealth of experience, so you’d be daft not to call on that and use it to your advantage.”

How important is it that the game is in Wales? ”It’ll be a factor, of course. We have incredible support, but when it comes down to it, it’s 15 against 15 on a patch of grass and enough teams have won away this year to show it doesn’t matter that much.”

Finally, Wales can win the championship if you win by seven. How early does that come into the equation? ”You have to be aware of it, of course, because there comes a point when your decision could have a huge effect. But first and foremost you go into a fixture trying to win it. If you don’t win, it’s irrelevant what the points difference is, so you have to win.

As the game progresses, though, you’ll start to think about what’s required and you can tinker with your tactics then.”

Mark Coughlan @coffers83 Guinness is the Official Beer of the RBS 6 Nations. Join in the latest rugby debate at facebook.com/GuinnessGB

Saturday Wales v eNGlaND MilleNNiuM staDiuM | BBC ONe 5pM

2013 Six Nations

a

championship, a Grand Slam and the age-old rivalry between Wales and england is all set to be decided in the best stadium in the northern hemisphere. yup, it’s safe to say this could be a good game...

WaleS Three wins on the bounce have seen Welsh confidence returning, and those in red tomorrow will have no doubt that their side are the favourites. In truth, though, Rob Howley will be well aware that the three victories came against poor opposition, and all three wins were founded more on opposition mistakes than Wales forcing the game. Dan Biggar’s growing influence is set to be tested to the limit tomorrow, but in front of a partisan crowd, his ability to unlock defences could prove crucial, while the boot of Leigh Halfpenny has been reliable from the first whistle of the tournament and will need to be on form once again.

Expect to see George North and Alex Cuthbert hungry for involvement after the problems Italy and France’s runners caused England’s backs, but it’s up front where the real titanic clashes come.

Adam Jones and Gethin Jenkins will have their

destructive heads on again and will look to get stuck into an England scrum that has faltered at times, while Justin Tipuric and Sam Warburton picked off isolated Scotsmen at will last week. They will target England’s pick-and-go game in the same way.

one to Watch Sam Warburton Forced to watch from the sidelines for two games after losing his captaincy, Warburton (pictured, below) bounced back to nullify Scotland’s tight game last week and will be out to do the same if England don’t support their runners.

enGland Owen Farrell is back, so expect to see less of Alex Goode in the 10 channel and more of a return to the gameplan that has been so effective so far, while Tom Croft offers a second battering ram of a runner.

The lack of a big number eight has seen England struggle to impact the gainline in recent weeks, so Croft can add something different to the more obvious option of Manu Tuilagi that Italy kept quiet so easily. Get behind that first line of defence, and it’s all about the support runners. In terms of defence, meanwhile, Chris Ashton has been

under the spotlight after two tries have come down his channel in the past two games, so England will need to be wary of Wales attacking their right winger.

Much has been made of the fact England have scored only one try in three games – but they’ve won all three of those games and won’t be looking to reinvent the wheel in a hostile Millennium Stadium. Expect a lot of pick-and-go ball with quick clearing out (if Warburton can be removed), and then big carries from the centres to give Farrell third or fourth phase ball with a chance to pin Wales back. Playing the territory and letting the pressure build on Wales should be the way England approach this one, because the pressure on England isn’t as great as people have made out. Lose, and this side still come out of the Six Nations with arguably the brightest future ahead of them.

one to Watch Tom Croft England’s back row have battled at every breakdown, but Croft’s return adds an extra dimension with his ability to turn a game in an instant.

A Paris 2012 moment could make the difference in what’s set to be a tight and tense match.

Sport’s prediction Wales 14-19 England

Saturday Six NatioNS: WaleS v eNglaNd | MilleNNiuM StadiuM | BBC oNe 5pM

Grand Slump Stuart LancaSter wiLL want to avoid the hiStory bookS – engLand have faLLen at the LaSt hurdLe on three of their four ShotS at a Six nationS SLam

murrayfield 2000, Scotland 19-13 enGland In dreadful conditions, the inaugural Six Nations threw up a huge surprise as duncan Hodge scored all 19 points to deny england’s grand Slam and help Scotland avoid a whitewash. dublin 2001, ireland 20-14 enGland Foot and mouth disease delayed three ireland games to the autumn, and made england wait for their grand Slam shot. in the end, Keith Wood’s try and Ronan o’gara’s boot combined to do the damage. dublin 2011, ireland 24-8 Ireland turned a poor tournament into a triumph as they blew england away to fly into a 19-3 lead by the 45th minute, topped off by Brian o’driscoll scoring to become the tournament’s all time top scorer.

| March 15 2013 | 33

Stu Forster/Getty Images, Gerry Penny/AFP/Getty Images

Wales v england

Six Nations 2013

Italy know they should have left Twickenham with more, and that defeat last weekend will hurt more than any before it. It was the return to form of Luciano Orquera at fly half that brought the most joy in west London, and the Azzurri will once again look to their general at 10 to pull the strings this week, with Alessandro Zanni and Sergio Parisse causing problems in the pick-and-drive game and willing runners off Orquera to break the gainline. The biggest worry for Italy, though, is how much they wanted victory over France and England – their two big performances. Are they as motivated to beat the Irish?

One suspects not.

One tO watch

Martin Castrogiovanni The Italians have shown a much more expansive side to their game, but Castro can still cause all sorts of problems up front.

Ireland should fear the beard.

Saturday Italy v Ireland | StadIo olImpIco | BBc1 2.30pm

Ireland

Motivation to avoid the Wooden Spoon is all they have left, having finished in the bottom three only once since the tournament’s inception 13 years ago. First and foremost, they have to get 15 fit men on the pitch, though, and the good news is the return from injury (we haven’t written those words many times this season) of Jonny Sexton and Craig Gilroy. The return of Sexton will add a new dimension to a side guilty of butchering try-scoring opportunities on too many occasions. Ireland need to close games out, having scored points past the 44-minute mark just once in the past four.

One tO watch

Jonny Sexton Declan Kidney’s men need to take the right options in the final 10 metres.

Sexton (right) has the ability – and experience – to do so.

Sport’s Prediction Italy 14-24 Ireland

France v Scotland France

The draw in Dublin last week has given the French a sniff of avoiding the Wooden Spoon. And, after fading to defeat in three consecutive games, the fact his side salvaged something from a losing position will please Philippe Saint-André. With the power Scotland possess, Louis Picamoles and his back row partners will have to be on form to keep the Scots at bay, while the flaky form of Freddie Michalak was balanced out by Morgan Parra’s pristine left foot last week. Get the number nine, along with his powerhouse number eight, firing and France could finish with a flourish.

One tO watch

Saturday France v Scotland | Stade de France | BBc1 8pm

35 | March 15 2013 |

Louis Picamoles After four performances to put the rest of his team to shame, the big man in the eight shirt needs one more to get his side over the line.

Scotland’s pack are big and brutish. Picamoles needs to lead France’s attritional response.

ScOtland

After winning a slog against the Irish, Scotland were exposed by Wales’ clever tactics in delaying their bind at the scrum (that surely need an IRB intervention) last weekend, and they’ll need a bit more nous about them. A clever kicking game and strong chasing is all well and good, but Scotland haven’t made enough use of their plan B. And, with their back three, they really should be doing so. Get the ball to Stuart Hogg, Tim Visser and Sean Maitland, and Scotland might just cause the French a few problems.

One tO watch

Stuart Hogg Yoann Huget struggled to sweep up effectively for the French last week, so the way Hogg mixes his kicking and running options could help expose the wide open spaces at the Stade de France.

Sport’s Prediction France 16-12 Scotland

Michael Steele/Getty Images, David Rogers/Getty Images

Italy

Italy v Ireland

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Chris Smalling

UnITEd UnCovEREd Chris Smalling gives us an insight into life behind the scenes at Old Trafford Smalling rises Since signing for Manchester United, the London-born Smalling has been surrounded by players who have come up through the academies of top-flight clubs. But this isn’t how he first made his mark. Fulham plucked the teenage defender from Maidstone United in 2008, where he’d been playing in the Isthmian League.

“It was quite daunting at first,” he says of his non-league experience. “I was 16 or 17, coming up against 30-year-old men who were probably double my size. Although, once I’d played a few games, I really relished the challenge. All throughout my career, there’s always been a new step up, whether it be playing for English schools, playing in Maidstone, the Premier League or for England. Each time you’re playing in bigger stadiums, against better players.”

Smalling may not have had a typically modern route to the top, but he is still keen to stress the importance of young footballers being taught the game properly.

He’s an ambassador for The Coaching Manual website, which works in partnership with the English Schools’ FA, but what was the most important piece of advice > | March 15 2013 | 37

Matthew Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images

C

hris Smalling had half an hour’s notice to prepare for his first encounter with Sir Alex Ferguson.

“Sometimes you hear about players knowing about a club’s interest in them for a while, but this was genuinely out of the blue,” he tells Sport. “I remember Fulham were were playing away to Blackburn.

We were going to the hotel, but Roy Hodgson pulled me up as we got off our coach and said that Fulham had accepted a bid from Manchester United – and that Sir Alex Ferguson was going to come down half an hour or so later.

“My reaction was one of real shock.

I couldn’t quite believe it. It was a real compliment that someone of that stature was taking note of me.”

As you might expect, it was among the most nervous waits of the young defender’s career: “From that moment of not knowing there had been any interest, then knowing I was going to speak to Sir Alex Ferguson 30 minutes later – it was mad. I just really tried to think of what to say to him, to be honest!

But he came into the room and, in his Scottish accent, he just put me at ease right away.”

Chris Smalling

Opening up Old Trafford Clearly Vidić and Ferdinand aren’t the only leaders among Manchester United’s playing staff. Despite the oft-spouted cliché that Fergie could take over at any Premier League side and instantly improve their results in a season, one of the United’s manager’s greatest feats is to have created a longstanding dressing room code of selfgoverning professionalism. The club’s senior players act as role models to the younger players, who follow their example – later to become the standard-bearers of similar habits in the future.

“It’s amazing to watch how Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes look after themselves,” says Smalling. “They do proper stretching with a physio, before and after training. They really look after themselves. It’s something just to watch them in training. Paul Scholes gives his 38 | March 15 2013 |

full commitment, whether it’s playing at Old Trafford on a Saturday or playing five-a-side in training. It’s an example to us to make sure that we train as hard as we play.”

Smalling isn’t adverse to getting involved in the old ‘downward-facing dog’ with Giggs either, admitting that he’s one of the United players who utilise yoga. “You might think yoga is something the older players do, but there’s quite a few of us who do it now,” he reveals.

“The sessions really help with your core and your stabilisation. To see someone like Ryan getting benefits from it, you just try and pick up on it. The longevity of his career is incredible, and I want to learn from that.”

Despite his initial trepidation on meeting Sir Alex Ferguson, one idea Smalling is quick to quash is the theory that United players tremble at the sight of their boss roaming furiously down the corridor: “It’s a bit of a myth that he rants and raves, and I think there are a lot of players who’ve worked with him who would give that statement. He’s very much a family man and he looks after his players. If you have faith in him and what he’s teaching you, he’ll put faith in you.”

Reluctant to throw our well-thumbed big book of football journalism clichés in the bin just yet, however, Sport asks whether Smalling has at least been on the warm end of the renowned hairdryer treatment. “Not on a personal one-to-one,” he muses. “But on a team level, we’ve had some games where it’s not been working out, and at half-time he’s given us a rollicking. It’s not so much intimidating, it’s more that if it happens you know you’re not doing your job. Our aim is to make sure that it doesn’t get to that stage.”

Red future After missing out on Euro 2012 and the start of this season through injury, Smalling admits that he’s just glad to be fit and ready again.

“He’s very much a family man and he looks after his players. If you have faith in him and what he’s teaching you, he’ll put faith in you” “We’re talking about training, but there’s nothing worse than missing football from being injured,” he says. “It was a massive disappointment not being at the Euros, because I’d worked really hard to try and be involved. I picked up an injury, then got another one in pre-season, so my season didn’t get really get started until November.

It just summed up that period of my career.

Hopefully, touch wood, I’m over that now and ready for the rest of this season.”

Being part of the same squad as Vidic and Ferdinand may be a great learning experience, but the presence of Jonny Evans and Phil Jones means United have five international central defenders competing for two regular spots. Smalling has been asked to play at right-back at times, but firmly insists he’s “under no illusions as to the position I’ll hopefully finish up in”.

Fortunately, at just 23, Smalling’s prime as a central defender is still ahead of him. He’s also aware of the areas he’d like to improve.

“I want to make sure I’m reading the game better and picking up positions,” he says. “I’m also working on quick feet: making sure that when you come up against very nimble wingers or strikers, you can turn quickly and react fast. Playing against the players I do every day in training is great practice for that, but I’m just trying to pick up on different aspects, to keep improving and progressing.

I’m ready to kick on.”

Alex Reid @otheralexreid

Chris Smalling was speaking at the launch of The English Schools’ FA partnership with The Coaching Manual, which provides coaching sessions from the professional game to teachers, students and grassroots clubs. Visit TheCoachingManual.com for more information

Clive Mason/Getty Images, Alex Livesey/Getty Images

the smaller Smalling was given as a keen youngster?

“To communicate,” he says firmly. “That was the main one, because as I was growing up I was sometimes a quiet lad. So I had to learn the importance of always talking to the teammates around you to keep them in their position, and to keep yourself alert as well.

Concentration, especially as a defender, is crucial. Every manager, even Sir Alex Ferguson, talks about concentration and communication.”

Ferguson once famously described Tony Adams as a Manchester United player in the wrong shirt, and Smalling shares his manager’s high opinion of the former Arsenal captain – naming Adams as a footballer he admired as a young centre back.

“It was the leadership of Tony Adams I looked up to,” he says. “Watching TV, you can’t always see how much a defender talks, but even on TV you could sense that he was a real leader. Of course, Rio [Ferdinand] and [Nemanja] Vidić are the guys I learn from as a defender now. They really are among the world’s best, and training with them each day is a real positive. I’m making sure I make full use of it for as long as I can.”

James Willstrop

British squash player James Willstrop topped the world rankings last year, but failed to hit the headlines in the uK. Ahead of next week’s canary Wharf classic, he told Sport about the battle to put squash in the spotlight and the Brit rivalry aiding the fight “Myself and Nick are the numbers two [Matthew] and four [Willstrop] in the world, so we do play each other a lot – but it’s not really all about that. Ours is the obvious rivalry because we’re the highest-ranked Brits, we’re both from Yorkshire and we don’t always get along. But we both know how much quality there is in the field at major tournaments now, so we don’t go into a competition thinking about each other – even though other people might be doing just that.”

Opposites don’t always attract “Nick and I present a great contrast, both in our disposition on the court and our mental approaches.

I’m quiet; I don’t give anything away or speak much.

He gives off a bit more. He’ll speak more, talk to the referee and show a bit more outward aggression.

We have different styles as well. He’s renowned for his athleticism and strength, and I’m probably known more for my racket skills. Away from squash I think we’re different characters as well. I don’t really know how he spends his spare time, but I would have thought it’s all quite different to mine.”

Nick’s been world champion twice, but has little to show for that in a media sense, and I was world number one all of last year. To be the world’s best is a special thing to own, so I’m pleased I was able to hold on to it for a year. Now the motivation is there to get it back.”

Fighting for our right “Squash missed out on being included in the Olympics for London 2012 and Rio 2016, and it’s baffling. I’m not sure what’s stopping it from getting in – I only know what it has going for it and why it should be in.

We’re bidding to get the sport included for the 2020 Games, and it’s like a political campaign. We have to put resource, money and effort into it, but if we don’t convey it properly to the International Olympic Committee, they’re not going to be convinced. I think this time we have done it as well as we could have.

So, if the IOC still thinks it’s not fit to be in, we really will be at a loss. It’s a sport that requires skill, stamina and endurance, speed and agility – it’s an all-round sport that gets to the bottom of any player.

Hopefully this time the IOC will see that, because we all desperately want to be at the Olympics.”

london 2012 was torture The Brits are more than alright “It’s unusual for Britain to have two athletes at the top of the world in their sport. Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of people who know that, in squash, that’s exactly what we have. It’s an outstanding record:

40 | March 15 2013 |

“At the time of the Games I was right at the top of my game, in my late 20s – the peak of my athletic years.

So it was very tough to sit there and know that I’m the best in my sport – a longstanding, traditional sport – but I’m not in the Olympic programme

because of one decision. We saw the profile that came for all those sports and medallists, and couldn’t help imagining what effect it would have had on our sport if we could have won medals. It’s almost too hard to think about. It would have given the whole sport a massive new lease of life. People would know who we are and our sport would grow because of it.

We enjoyed the Games, but it was hard to sit there and not take part in the biggest festival of sport on earth.”

No sport for old men “People have these visions of squash – the middleaged banker playing in his lunch hour, running around and sweating on a dowdy court shoved down in a basement. I went for a TV interview recently, and it was clear the interviewer had no idea what was going on in the pro game. He was talking to me about the sport as it was 20 years ago, when no one really cared and it wasn’t very good on TV and I just thought: ’This is absolute rubbish.’ We have a brilliant TV product now: it’s glamorous, it’s colourful and it translates brilliantly on to web streaming and live as well. People have this old-fashioned image of it, which is frustrating because it’s a sport that has moved on more than any other in the last 30 to 40 years.”

Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag James Willstrop will be in action at the Canary Wharf Squash Classic at East Wintergarden, London from March 18 to 22.

For more information, visit cwsquash.com

Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

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Golden days Friday 3.20pm | Channel 4 and raCing UK

The Grand National may be the biggest betting day of the year, but for racing purists there is nothing to get the juices flowing quite like the Gold Cup... and the 2013 renewal is a potential classic >

| March 15 2013 | 43

Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

Cheltenham Gold Cup

Cheltenham Gold Cup

ChanGinG of s mentioned in last week’s issue of Sport, this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup will carry with it an unavoidable sense of absence.

Kauto Star, one of the great steeplechasers of all time, the only horse to regain the trophy and the darling of the fans, will not line up in the big race for the first time in seven long years. His retirement in the autumn marked the end of an era in which he and his next door neighbour at the yard of trainer Paul Nicholls, the mighty Denman, had dominated the staying chasers division – but all good things must come to an end, and this year’s Gold Cup resounds to the beat of a new generation.

Not that the men training these exciting new beasts are new. Since the Cheltenham Festival extended from three to four days in 2005, only three men have ended the week as its leading trainer: the aforementioned Nicholls; Nicky Henderson, who last year set a festival record with seven winners; and the Irishman Willie Mullins, the only one of the three never to have won the festival’s most prestigious race.

It’s no surprise, then, that the three horses at the top of the market, the new generation of which we speak, are spread

A

44 | March 15 2013 |

across these three powerhouse stables.

Nicholls brings the talented Silviniaco Conti to the race, in the hope that he can become the heir to Kauto and Denman; Henderson saddles the long-time antepost favourite Bobs Worth, who has never lost at Cheltenham; while Mullins’ hopes lie with the improving Sir Des Champs (pictured), who has a 100 per cent record from two previous visits to the festival.

Something has to give between these three beasts of huge potential, then, and there is yet the possibility that all will be beaten. Former winner Long Run, also trained by Henderson, is back for another crack after finishing third last year – as is The Giant Bolster, who defied his outsider status to finish second 12 months ago.

But these two admirable animals are the only ones who have run in the race before, and look up against it when faced with the new breed.

If you need any help in finding your selection for the big race, then read on for expert advice from the excellent Paul Kealy of the Racing Post, and then on a little further still for our own not-soexpert musings on each and every runner set to line up at 3.20pm today. And the very best of luck, obviously...

thE Guard Gold Cup: ExpErt viEw with paul KEaly of thE raCinG post If there is a horse with the right profile to take home chasing’s Blue Riband event, it is surely Paul Nicholls’ Silviniaco Conti, who is unbeaten for the past year and has been very impressive this term.

He landed his Grade 1 when beating former Gold Cup hero Long Run in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November, and then cemented his claims when giving weight and an easy beating to last season’s Cheltenham runner-up The Giant Bolster at Newbury last month.

Favourite Bobs Worth is already a dual Cheltenham Festival winner and will be a tough nut to crack. He’s unbeaten at Cheltenham in four starts and has never been passed once he has hit

the front. He did miss his intended prep, though, and horses rarely take the big prizes without a smooth build-up.

The big hope from Ireland is Sir Des Champs, who is another dual festival winner, but his season hasn’t quite gone to plan. Though a perfectly plausible winner, he’s shorter in the betting than his form this campaign entitles him to be.

Long Run will have his chance again, but so too will Captain Chris, who was second to him in the King George on soft ground that he hates. A former Racing Post Arkle winner, if he gets the good ground that he likes and can put in a round without serious error (far from guaranteed), he could be the surprise package.

First lieutenant

(168) Second to Bobs Worth in the RSA Chase 12 months ago, and third behind the same horse in the Hennessy in December, this horse is another that would bring very solid form to the race.

At the time of writing, looks a more likely starter in Thursday’s Ryanair Chase over a slightly shorter trip.

If he was to line up here, though, he would definitely have an each-way chance.

sunnyhillBOy

(152) A winner over three miles at the festival last year, before running a heartbreaking second behind Neptune Collonges in the Grand National. The 10-year-old stays all day and is representing last year’s victorious connections, but he lacks the class of Synchronised and is unlikely to be close enough over the last to use his significant stamina.

(Official rating 171) Has been favourite for this race ever since winning the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury in December. He has won races at each of the past two festivals, is unbeaten in four runs at Cheltenham and his form is absolutely bombproof, all of which makes him a worthy favourite – but a 104-day absence since his last run leaves a question-mark over how race-fit he will be come the big day.

lOng run

BOg warriOr

(153) An intended runner in Thursday’s World Hurdle, so very unlikely that this particular Irish raider will line up in the final field.

If he does, he won’t be good enough to seriously worry the principals.

mOnBeg dude

(172) The former winner is still only eight and showed great courage to see off Captain Chris in the King George at Kempton, but was beaten by Silviniaco Conti at Haydock and only Kauto Star has successfully regained the Gold Cup crown. Won’t be far away, but can throw in the odd dodgy jump and tends to race lazily these days – the suspicion is that there is definitely something in this field to beat him.

(138) Won a competitive soft-ground handicap at Cheltenham back in November, then followed up with a dramatic Welsh National victory under a superb ride from Paul Carberry. The same jockey is likely to be on board here, but the horse’s rating of 138 puts him way short of his rivals, and his jumping can be erratic. Will still be going at the end, but long after some of the others have finished.

the giant BOlster (164)

wayward prinCe (147)

A heroic second at 50/1 last year, when we confidently predicted he would not be sighted come the finish – but 12 months on we are going to even more confidently predict exactly the same.

Not without ability, but has been well beaten by Silviniaco Conti twice this season and there’s no reason to expect any different third time round.

Will give his all, but don’t expect a repeat of last year.

Placed in the RSA Chase as a novice two years ago, but has won only once from eight starts since and was pulled up behind Cape Tribulation at Cheltenham back in January.

Rated higher only than Monbeg Dude in this line-up, and would appear to have little or no serious chance in a race as hot as this.

Cape triBulatiOn

(165) Disappointed in his first career as a chaser two seasons ago, but won over hurdles at the festival last year and has looked a different beast altogether over fences this time round.

One of the few in the race who is proven on really soft ground, winning the Argento Chase at Cheltenham on heavy ground back in January, and could be a lively outsider if the going remains testing.

Captain Chris

(169) Has looked as good as ever this season, narrowly losing out to Long Run in the King George and looking likely to beat Cue Card at Ascot before making a mess of the second-last fence. Won the Racing Post Arkle here in 2011 and was fourth in last season’s Ryanair Chase, but has a tendency to jump right-handed – if he does that over three-plus miles of a left-handed track like Cheltenham, he’d need to be Pegasus to win.

silviniaCO COnti

(175) The highest-rated horse in the race, unbeaten for more than a year, trained by multiple Gold Cup winner Paul Nicholls and ridden by the festival’s most successful jockey in Ruby Walsh... but neither Nicholls nor Walsh have had a chase winner at the festival since 2009, and this horse has never run at the festival before. Question marks, then, but not particularly strong ones.

Won’t be far away.

sir des Champs (162) Much like Bobs Worth, the Willie Mullins-trained seven-yearold is two from two at the festival. Has won only one from three races this season, but his whole campaign has been geared around peaking for this one race. You’d need a leap of faith to back a horse some way short of his main rivals on official ratings, but his trainer is openly confident about his chances and we are prepared to believe him.

verdiCt

The Gold Cup has gone to a horse in the first three of the betting in each of the past 12 seasons, and we don’t see that trend being bucked. That leaves Bobs Worth, Silviniaco Conti and Sir Des Champs (right). Our slight preference is for Willie Mullins’ Irish raider, who loves the Cheltenham hill and has been primed for this. Should anything go awry with any of those three, the revitalised Cape Tribulation could sneak a place.

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

Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

Our guide tO every runner in tOday’s Cheltenham shOwpieCe

BOBs wOrth

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46 | March 15 2013 |

*The Royal Navy believes in equal opportunities. This means we’ll consider your application no matter what your sex, race, ethnic origin, religion, sexuality or social background † Not the serviceman in the featured image

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Tell us about your role.

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What skills have you learned since joining, that you can take into everyday life?

“I was 24 when I joined the Royal Navy and had experienced a lot of things, but I have still learnt things I can use in everyday life – especially with regards to engineering, communications and helping others.”

What do you feel you have gained most since joining the Royal Navy?

“Having finished all my task books and done all that is needed to branch change to Diver, I feel I haven’t yet achieved all I want to in the Royal Navy. After focusing so much on that goal, I don’t intend to fail.”

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That must have been a great experience.

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| 47

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

MAR 15-MAR 21 HIGHLIGHTS » Football: Premier League Preview » p50 » Golf: Arnold Palmer Invitational » p52 » Rugby League: Leeds Rhinos v Wigan Warriors » p52 » UFC 158: Georges St-Pierre v Nick Diaz » p54 » Cycling: Tour of Catalunya » p56

Wednesday > SNoW SPoRTS | EURoPEAN x GAmES | TIGNES, FRANCE | ESPN 9.30Am

Make it a double

Aimee Fuller, the 21-year-old Brit competing at next week’s X Games, says she’s aiming to make history

For the uninitiated, what is slopestyle

three years when I’ve picked up bigger sponsors.

of practice in the States, where I landed it a few

snowboarding?

It’s been a crazy rollercoaster.”

times. So putting it down in the X Games is on.”

been introduced into the Winter Olympics for 2014.

You’ve been working on a double backflip – how

What was competing at the last US X Games

It’s a combination of jumps and rails and you get

did that come about?

in Aspen like?

scored on your way down the slope on technicality,

“I signed with Red Bull this September; started out in

“Really cool – it’s so American. You have the guys

style and amplitude. Each course can vary, so it’s all

New Zealand at one of their performance camps and

on the tannoy [puts on a hyped US accent]: ‘An’ it’s

about creativity.”

they had a great set-up there. Airbags, air awareness

Aimee Fuller from the yoo kay…!’ It was the all-

coaches, anything and everything you could dream of.

American competition experience! But X Games is

You grew up in Kent, a place not famed for its

I went up on the first day, did it like 15 times on to the

huge and just eight girls were there for slopestyle, so

snowy mountains. How did you start?

airbag, so it was the perfect chance to try it.”

to be invited in that select bunch is kind of insane.”

moved to the US and lived there for three-and-a-half

How did it feel when you first landed one?

Have guys ever not taken you seriously as a

years. I picked it up there and progressed. Then, when

“I was so pumped. There’s not many girls that have

snowboarder, or is it an inclusive sport?

I moved back to the UK six years ago, I just kept at it.”

done it yet [four in total]. Still to this day, no girl has

“It’s really inclusive. For my last trip, it was me and

landed it in competition, but I’ve been working on

one other girl for a week, then just me and the boys

it and I’ve got the X Games coming up.”

for a few days – and they’re super-supportive.

“Slopestyle snowboarding is a new event, it’s just

Lukas Pilz/Red Bull Content Pool

“I started on the dry slopes at age four, then later

When did it really hit you that you’d be good enough to do this professionally?

In other sports, girls play shorter matches or surf

“I had this random phone call from one of my main

So you’ll be trying to land one in Tignes?

smaller waves, but in slopestyle we ride the same

sponsors now, Roxy. They invited me to Switzerland

“For sure, if the course allows. I went for it at the US

courses as the boys. We’re riding the same sized

and I was like: ‘What? I can go to Switzerland and it’s

X Games, but I hadn’t quite got it tuned in well

jumps – and they are big – but it’s really cool for

a free trip, a free camp?’ Since then, it’s been the last

enough. But I’ve just come back from a great week

female snowboarding.”

48 | March 15 2013 |

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7 Days

Premier League

SATURDAY everton v man city goodison park | sky sports 2 12.45pm

Rafael Benitez goes toe-to-toe with Big Sam, but will a handshake get proceedings underway?

It is, frankly, unlikely SUNDAY chelsea v west ham | stamford bridge | 4pm

What better way for Everton to bounce back from a demoralising FA Cup exit than to face the reigning league champions? David Moyes’ side suffered their second home defeat of the season against Wigan last weekend, prompting Marouane Fellaini to cancel an autograph signing session with supporters on Monday night because he feared a backlash. With a title-chasing (just) Manchester City the visitors, he has an immediate shot at redemption.

SATURDAY aston villa v qpr | villa park | 3pm

“I don’t like him and the feeling is probably mutual,”

Juan Mata’s sweet strike helped Chelsea work their way

It’s that time when the statto types

said West Ham boss Sam Allardyce ahead of a meeting

back into the FA Cup tie.

look at how league positions would

with Chelsea manager, Rafael Benitez in 2010. Their

On Sunday, the Blues face a team who will be lacing up

be so different if only the season had

allegiances might have changed since then, but little else

their boots for the first time in 15 days. West Ham’s away

started five games ago, instead of

will have before the two meet again on Sunday.

form has been poor so far this season, too: their nine

29. In QPR’s case, had the season

defeats on the road is topped only by Reading’s 11.

started on November 27 (Harry

When West Ham beat Chelsea 3-1 in December, it was the seventh league match in a row Chelsea hadn’t won

A win away at Stoke last time out will have restored

Redknapp’s first game in charge),

– their worst run since 1995 – leaving Blues fans fuming.

some of the Hammers’ belief, and Allardyce will look for a

they’d be 10th, five points clear of

At one stage, all four sides of the Boleyn Ground spoke to

repeat of the three-goal second half display that stunned

the drop. In the real world, they’re

Benitez as one: “You’re getting sacked in the morning.”

Chelsea at Upton Park. The half-time introduction of

still bottom of the league. But two

He wasn’t, and Chelsea have lost just three league

Mohamed Diamé (who scored the winner) helped turn the

wins on the trot – hitting a combined

games since. But the discontent remains, with the same

game in their favour then, so expect the midfielder to put

five past Southampton and

chant ringing out at Old Trafford last weekend, before

in a full shift this time around.

Sunderland – have given them hope.

50 | March 15 2013 |

SATURDAY stoke v west brom | britannia stadium | 3Pm

SATURDAY swansea v arsenal | liberty stadium | 3Pm

SATURDAY manchester utd v reading old trafford | 3Pm

Brendan Rodgers’ resurgent side

Stoke’s sole away win of the season

The fourth meeting this season

Having lost their manager on

recorded their third straight league

came against West Brom last

between these sides sees Arsenal

Monday, Reading are rudderless

win against Spurs last weekend.

December. It was a result that

looking for a first win at the Liberty

for their trip to Old Trafford (at time

With the Champions League spots

robbed the Baggies of their chance

since Swansea’s arrival in the top

of writing). It could either prove to

coming into view, the Reds will look

to go third in the league and gave

flight. Arsène Wenger needs a result

be a genius move by Royals owner

to increase the heat on Arsenal and

Dean Whitehead a first goal in 59

too, if the Gunners are to contend

Anton Zingarevich or a disastrous

Chelsea. Southampton struggled at

games. Steve Clarke will travel to

for fourth spot (and indeed hold off

one – with the smart money on the

Anfield earlier this season – a

Stoke with high hopes of enacting

Liverpool in fifth). They need to take

latter. Reading have let 20 points

convincing 1-0 defeat in which the

some revenge on Saturday, with the

the threat of the Swans seriously

slip from winning positions in the

home side also hit the post and bar

Potters having won a total of four

though: they needed 180 minutes to

league this term. Indeed, they took

– and have won once in their past

points in 2013 – fewer than any other

squeeze past them in the FA Cup,

the lead in the reverse fixture before

eight in the league. With Chelsea

side in English professional football.

while a Michu brace at the Emirates

losing 4-3. Good luck to the new

next up, they’re on dodgy ground.

Dark times for Tony Pulis.

gave the Swans a 2-0 league win.

man in charge, then. He’ll need it.

SUnDAY sunderland v norwich | stadium of light sky sPorts 1 1.30Pm

SUnDAY tottenham v fulham | white hart lane | 3Pm

SUnDAY wigan v newcastle | dw stadium sky sPorts 1 4Pm

PRemieR LeAgUe TAbLe W D

L

F

A

1

Man Utd

28 23 2

P

3

68

31

71

2

Man City

28

17

3

51

24

59

3

Tottenham

29

16 6

7

51

36

54

4

Chelsea

28

15

7

6

56 30

52

5

Arsenal

28

13

8

7

53 32

47

6

Liverpool

29

12 9

8

56 36

45

7

Everton

28

11 12

5

44 35

45

8

West Brom

29

13 4 12

40 38

43

9

Swansea

29

10 10 9

40 36

40

10 Fulham

28

8

9

11

39 44

33

11 Stoke

29

7

12 10

27 35

33

8

Pts

12 West Ham

28

9

6 13

32

41

33

13 Newcastle

29

9

6 14

40 50

33

14 Norwich

29

7

12 10

27 45

33

Defeat to QPR would not have been

Spurs will want a result against

FA Cup semi finalists Wigan are

15 Sunderland

29

7

9 13

32

41

30

on the agenda for Sunderland boss

Fulham that proves last weekend’s

on their usual rollercoaster ride

16 Southampton 29

6 10 13

39

51

28

29

6

9 14

28 54

27

6

6 16

33 55

24

Martin O’Neill last weekend. The

defeat to Liverpool is not the start of

towards the end of the season,

17 Aston Villa

Black Cats still have Man United,

yet another late-season collapse.

rendering pre-match predictions

18 Wigan

28

Chelsea and Spurs left to play, so

Two defensive errors cost Spurs

largely pointless. Battered by

19 Reading

29

Sunday’s game against Norwich is

three points that seemed to be in

Liverpool one week and dishing it

one they can’t afford to lose. Chris

the bag at Anfield – mistakes that

out to Everton the next, Roberto

Hughton’s side are three points

manager Andre Villas-Boas’ side

Martinez’s side swing from dire to

better off than Sunderland, but have

can’t afford with Spurs fighting to

devastating seemingly without

struggled to score away from home

finish in the top four. It’s been

rhyme or reason. The Magpies have

this season (they have 11 in 14),

almost 10 years since Fulham last

one win on the road this term,

winning just once as a result – a

won at White Hart Lane, so AVB will

though, so maybe this is one result

depressing stat for Canaries fans.

expect to be back on track ASAP.

Wigan fans can be confident about.

5

5% 20 QPR

29

4

8 16

35 56

23

11 14

24 45

23

Van Persie’s conversion rate in his last nine games compared to 27% in the 28 games before that

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

| 51

All pictures Getty Images

SATURDAY southamPton v liverPool | st mary’s | 3Pm

7 Days FRiDAY RuGBY LEAGuE | LEEDS RHINOS V WIGAN WARRIORS | HEADINGLEY STADIuM | SKY SPORTS 2 8PM

THURSDAY GOLF | ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL | BAY HILL, FLORIDA | SKY SPORTS 3 7PM

Battle of the big kickers

Business as usual

Trying to predict anything in this

goals in this Super League contest – the

Tiger Woods and the Arnold Palmer

topsy-turvy Super League season is a

first try being his 150th for the Warriors.

Invitational go together. He won here

risky business. So when seventh place

Leeds are still suffering the effects of

last year (ending a three-year drought).

Leeds Rhinos take on second place Wigan

their defeat by Melbourne in the World

He won here when he was playing on only

Warriors at Headingley, don’t take a

Club Challenge, but if anyone can lift

one leg in 2008. And after knee surgery

Wigan win for granted.

them for what is always one of the

he recorded his first comeback win here

highlights of the Super League fixture list,

the following year. He won here in 2000,

it’s skipper Kevin Sinfield (pictured).

too. And 2001, 2002 and 2003.

They are undoubtedly the form team, having won their past three games, whereas Leeds were soundly beaten 8-32

It will interesting to compare Wigan’s

In short, Tiger wins here a lot. And he

by Huddersfield at home last week, just

Sam Tomkins at full-back with England

is bang in form, with two victories

seven days after an impressive victory at

teammate Kallum Watkins who, normally

already this season (the WGC-Cadillac

St Helens. Wigan’s goal-kicking wing Pat

a centre for Leeds, is filling in at the back.

Championship and the Farmers Insurance

Richards marked his 200th appearance

It might well come down to goal-

Open at Torrey Pines in January). It’ll be

kicking, with two of the best in the

quite the surprise if he doesn’t get his

38-0 demolition of Catalan Dragons.

business, Sinfield and Richards shooting

eighth Arnold next week: you have

Richards crossed twice and kicked five

it out in front of a capacity crowd.

been warned.

Alex Livesey/Getty Images, Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

for the club with an 18-point haul in the

52 | March 15 2013 |

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TICKETS FROM £11.50

SATURDAY 23 MARCH KO: 3.15PM

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SATURDAY 30 MARCH KO: 3.00PM

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VISIT WASPS.CO.UK OR CALL 0844 225 9555

7 Days Monday> Football | NextGeN SerieS quarter FiNalS | britiSh euroSport 6pm

The youth is out there Panic not, English football fans. The Champions League may not have seen our clubs in the best light (unless Arsenal pulled a remarkable rabbit out of the hat after Sport had gone to press this week) but there’s hope for our nation yet.

That’s because the second annual NextGen Series – a tournament featuring under-19 sides from 24 teams across Europe – has reached the quarter final stage, and four English sides are still standing. And they all have home ties, too.

Having conquered tournament favourites Barcelona in the last round, Chelsea will be confident of seeing off Juventus or Rosenborg in their last 16 tie. The young Gunners, meanwhile, are faring better than the seniors.

They knocked out defending champions Inter to reach the quarter finals, where they’ll face CSKA Moscow, while Spurs got the better of PSG (on penalties) in a tough away tie and are rewarded with a visit from Sporting Lisbon.

It’s Olympiacos next for Aston Villa who, in Michael Drennan, boast the competition’s top goal scorer (with six) and a player no doubt itching for manager Paul Lambert to throw him in with the big boys.

All quarter finals are one-off matches, with ties decided on the night by extra time and penalties if necessary.

An all-English semi final line up is probably too much to hope for, but three through with one team losing gallantly on spot-kicks is reasonable. And quite possible.

SaTURday uFC 158: GeorGeS St-pierre V NiCK DiaZ | bell CeNtre, moNtreal | eSpN 3am

Bad blood Long-standing UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre (23-2) defends his belt in front of an adoring home crowd on Saturday when he faces MMA bad boy and former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz (26-8).

On paper this looks like a routine victory for French-Canadian St-Pierre (right) – recently voted the second best mixed martial artist of all time by influential fight magazine Fighters Only. Diaz, meanwhile, lost his last bout to Carlos Condit, whom Claudio Marchese Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

St-Pierre beat unanimously last time out despite recently returning from a long injury lay-off.

However, their respective Condit bouts do not tell the full story: Diaz hadn’t lost for more than four years previously and was set to face St-Pierre. But, when injury forced out the champ, a de-motivated Diaz was matched with Condit as a late stand-in.

Diaz has chased a bout with St-Pierre for years, and will be nothing less than fully motivated to pummel a man he seems to actively dislike (although in fairness, Diaz appears to actively dislike everyone).

Diaz’s boxing skills will trouble the champ, but St Pierre – arguably the most well rounded fighter in MMA – should prevail on points.

54 | March 15 2013 |

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Completely free every Friday.

The UK’s top sport magazine The biggest interviews The best previews

iPad edition on Newsstand now

7 Days MONDAY > CYCLING | TOUR OF CATALUNYA | BRITISH EUROSPORT 2.30PM

The real Bradley Wiggins Tour de France winner Bradley

The race should give a more

Wiggins leads Team Sky at the

accurate reading of where Wiggins’

mountainous Tour of Catalunya next

form is at, compared to Oman – where

week. The 32-year-old has kept himself

he was in between two tough blocks of

under the radar this year, devoting his

training. His season is following a very

time more to training than racing.

different path to last year, when by

At last month’s Tour of Oman – a

mid-March Wiggins had already

race won by Wiggins’ teammate Chris

embarked upon a winning run that

Froome – the Olympic gold medallist

started with victory at Paris-Nice

was never in contention after being

(a race Wiggins skipped this year).

held up by a crash on the first stage.

It ended with his sensational

Wiggins lost a minute and a half on

Champs-Elysées and London double,

that opening day and, from then on,

one of which certainly won’t happen

devoted his energy to helping Froome

again, while the other is unlikely.

win his first stage race. Accused of

The official line from Team Sky is that

‘hiding’ in Oman by Italian rider

Wiggins’ main target this year is to

Vincenzo Nibali (the third placed

become the first British winner of the

finisher at last year’s Tour de France

Giro d’Italia in May. The build up to that

behind Wiggins and Froome), the

begins next week in the Spanish

Team Sky man will find himself under

mountains, where the real Bradley

some scrutiny in Spain.

Wiggins will surely stand up.

Cav aims for fast finish

56 | March 15 2013 |

One of the highlights of Mark

moving from Columbia-High Road to

Cavendish’s career came at this

Team Sky last season – when he

prestigious one-day race in Italy,

failed to finish the race – and now at

when he won it in 2009. “When you

Omega Pharma-Quick Step, where

win sprints, you prove you’re a great

he has started the season well.

sprinter,” said Cavendish on winning

Cavendish has downplayed his

cycling’s longest one-day race (at

chances of winning the race for a

298 km). “When you win a great

second time, insisting he’s nothing

one-day race, you’ve proved you’re a

more than “an outsider”. But he will

great rider.” The Manxman has

want to at least cross the finish line

changed teams twice since then,

this time.

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images, Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

SUNDAY CYCLING | MILAN-SAN REMO | BRITISH EUROSPORT HD 1.30PM

Advertising Feature

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| 57

Extra timE Making the most of your time and money

Gadgets

Head to head

HtC One

The sleek metal finish on HTC’s new 4G model fits perfectly with its claim to offer the best camera and audio experience.

The latter is assured thanks to frontfacing amplified speakers, and the former because of HTC Zoe – a picture mode that automatically captures up to 20 photos and a three-second video. £41/mth on 24-mth contract | ee.co.uk

58 | March 15 2013 |

P68 Elijah Wood is a killer with a mannequin store in Maniac

motorola raZr HD

With a Kevlar backplate, this phone’s made of tough stuff. It is just 8.4mm thick, which equates to about four 50p coins stacked on top of each other, and the battery lasts up to 24 hours – great if you’re a heavy user of apps and videos, and probably a bit more useful than knowing about coins. £TBC | motorola.co.uk

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

et

Kit

cover up for the slopes

Whether you’re taking your first slippery steps on to the mountain or you shred powder in your sleep, this collection of colourful jackets will keep you warm while you’re out there

Nevica

Quiksilver Atmosphere

oakley Great Ascent

enigma flow Down

Quiksilver Next Mission printed

result r69M Kelvin extreme

Taped seams and waterproof yet breathable fabric – with adjustable cuffs and hood (which is also removable) – mean this jacket will keep you well protected without being stifling. And it looks a bit like its design is modelled on planet earth. Apart from the goggle pouch. That’s just convenient. £200 | nevica.co.uk

One for the more serious skiers out there – and those with thicker wallets – the Enigma combines shell jacket protection with down insulation, but is anything but a riddle.

Insulated two-layer construction with waterproof-yet-breathable fabric make this a justifiably handsome purchase. £550 | hellyhansen.com 60 | March 15 2013 |

This nylon number features a fixed hood, mesh-lined vents, powder skirt, jacket-topant connecting loops, internal goggle pocket, sleeve pass pocket, glove loops, key clip, goggle wipe and an anti-avalanche mechanism as seen in The World is Not Enough. Okay, that last one’s not true. £120 | quiksilver.co.uk

All the usual ski jacket essentials are here – inner pockets, tight cuffs, insulated lining – but it also features a removable hood where many similar garments do not. Available in a variety of other wacky colour schemes, but this one’s our particular favourite. Why? Just because. That’s why. £98 | quiksilver.co.uk

Emulate the great Jake Blauvelt by wearing… what do you mean, you’ve never heard of him? Heathen! Blauvelt’s a big deal in snowboarding. This is his jacket of choice.

With adjustable venting, GORE-TEX for breathable waterproofing plus fleece in critical zones for comfort, we can see why. £175 | uk.oakley.com

Perfect for the chillier days on the slopes, the Kelvin jacket boasts waterproof and breathable material as well as serious levels of insulation. Pockets aren’t a problem, either – we eventually discovered eight, including a waterproof one that’s perfect for your iPod. Other music players are available. £120 | resultclothing.com Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

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Grooming

epending on your marathon training schedule, you should be running anything up to 150 minutes at a time by now. So, stop your incessant moaning about your sore feet in between runs with geldoctor liquid gel flosoles (£14.95, geldoctor.com), which massage feet and provide cushioning and comfort. But for god’s sake, man, keep your toenails short.

The stylfile S-Clipper (£8.99, stylfile.com) – the invention of Apprentice winner Tom Pellereau – helps you do just that while avoiding pinging

62 | March 15 2013 |

HAveN’t yOu ruN BeFOre?

Whether you’re a double Olympic gold-medallist or an uninformed TV presenter, this selection will help you prepare, repair and recover

your nails around the bathroom. Still whining?

Of course not, you ruddy hero, because you’ve hooked yourself up with Brave Soldier’s Friction Zone (12.50 for 74ml, jacksmalegrooming.com), which conditions skin and protects against blisters and irritations. That same brave ladiator also offers up an Antiseptic Healing Ointment (£9.50 for 28g) if the damage has been done – it prevents infection and relieves pain and itching associated with minor cuts, scrapes and burns. A tasty barrier you can clip

to a zip pocket comes in the form of Go Balmi lip balm (£4.99 for 10ml, boots.com), with SPF15 protection and soothing shea butter in blackcurrant, coconut (both pictured), mint, strawberry and raspberry flavours. When your valiant deeds are done, relax yourself with Natural Hero Hot Ginger Muscle Soak (£9.99 for six 18ml bottles, www.naturalhero.co.uk). Good to go again? You will be with Gehwol Foot Cream (£7.92 for 75ml, cressuk.com), which moisturises and shields your toes. Jawohl.

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

F

aced with former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, we could do no better than repeat the immortal words once uttered by Welsh warbler Tom Jones: what’s new, pussycat?

Not that Sport was fortunate enough to actually speak with Scherzy. But, if we had asked her that very question, the singer, songwriter, actress and “goofball extraordinaire” might have told us she has released a new single entitled Boomerang – sample lyric: “Even though I’m flying high/The sky can change one day/I can hit some turbulence/ But who I am is never gonna change.”

She most recently uttered those words of wisdom while doing her bit for charity and flying high at Let’s Give It Up for Comic Relief, the Russell Brand-organised gig to raise money for people affected by drug and alcohol addiction – making her, in our humble opinion, a pretty top cat.

Oh, and she is of course still former British F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton’s significant other.

Nothing new there, though.

Top cat

Extra time Nicole Scherzinger

64 | March 15 2013 |

Fabulous Magazine/NI Syndication

| 65

Creating Kratos Advertising Feature

The God of War is back, and this time he’s… well, less angry, actually is bloodlust is neverending, his rage epically recounted in story after story, and there is nothing he fears – nothing that will stand in the way of the vengeance he seeks. Basically, what we’re trying to say is Kratos is a pretty tough fella. But he wasn’t always like that, and the Greek anti-hero is set to show a different side in God of War: Ascension, out today.

Set 10 years before 2005’s original God of War, this sees Kratos as the broken warrior he was before he became the ‘Ghost of Sparta’ in later games. Having been tricked into killing his wife and kid by the god Ares, Kratos is angry – fair enough, really – and seeks to break the binds that tie him to Ares and Mount Olympus so he can seek vengeance.

The violence, for those who have played the God of War series before, will come as no surprise. But Ascension also features flashbacks to tender moments in the demi-god’s past, back to a time before he became the ultimate badass.

H

GOD OF WAR This will be the seventh time Kratos has landed on the PlayStation, and he’s come a long way since the original God of War. Based loosely on Greek mythology, the action/ adventure series has seen Kratos fight Greek gods, be betrayed by friends (and more gods) and battle to avenge his family’s death. The main protagonist of the series, Kratos was a Spartan captain who swore an oath to the Olympian god Ares to help him win a battle. But after being tricked into killing his wife and daughter by the same god, Kratos swore vengeance and was condemned to wear the ashes of his family forever – note the white appearance that earned him the nickname the ‘Ghost of Sparta’.

THE LEGEND BEGINS In Ascension, this background is explored further, as opposed to the bloodthirsty killing machine of previous instalments. Set six months after Kratos murdered his wife and child, the game tells the journey of his redemption from his sins and the rise of his rage against Ares. Pre-dating the other games in the series, Ascension is the perfect ‘in’ for

66 | March 15 2013 |

anyone new to God of War to get to grips with Kratos and his carnage. Hardened fans need not fear, however, as new features, a new game engine and a whole new combat style offer fresh content for everyone. Whether you’re new to the franchise or a longstanding member of team Kratos, the anti-hero’s violent streaks will blow your tiny mind.

With a revamped combat experience, Ascension offers the chance to build up your ‘Rage’ bar in order to unleash your herculean fists with greater power, not to mention the Blades of Chaos (attached to Kratos’ wrists), while you can also sling enemies around like ragdolls. Plus, a free-form attack system means that, when you go in for the kill, certain enemies will continue their assault, requiring you to evade and attack in real-time – up close and personal.

MULTIPLAYER The biggest source of excitement in Kratos’ latest adventure is the addition, for the first time in the franchise, of multiplayer. Unlike other games that see you blast your way past enemies, Ascension allows you to take your fighting skills to the multiplayer arena with more thought, as you are tasked with pledging allegiance to one of the four gods: Zeus, Hades, Ares or Poseidon – each of whom offers a unique combat style. With a number of multiplayer options available, you’ll have to utilise your teammates’ individual styles to maximise your battle prowess as you build up experience points to become the Champion of the Gods. Not a bad title.

Out today, Ascension offers enough new features to keep the most ardent fan happy, while God of War newbies won’t be left behind either. And by adding the multiplayer element, Kratos and co have taken a gigantic step to the top of the market. About time, too – it’s only taken around 3,000 years!

TAKE YOUR PICK

n God of War’s all-new multiplayer mode, your decision as to which of the four Gods you follow makes all the difference – to which one will you pledge allegiance?

I

ZEUS The father of gods and men alike, Zeus utilises his powerful lightning magic to destroy his enemies.

Become his ally to utilise spells that can stun opponents or disable their abilities.

HADES The Lord of the Underworld is all about the dark arts of warfare, so join his army and expect the chance to drain the health of your opponents, as well as unlocking all manner of sneak attacks.

ARES As you’d expect from the God of War, Ares is pretty focused on beating the living hell out of his enemies. Swear your allegiance, then, to improve your melee skills, increase your physical prowess and obtain fire magic.

POSEIDON As God of the Sea, Poseidon relies rather a lot on his foes being near the water.

Ascension uses ice to solve this – you can use Poseidon’s powers to build your resilience or wield ice as hard as stone to destroy your enemies.

OUT TODAY

DIsCOvER mORE AT www.gODOfwAR.COm

ET

Entertainment

BlooDY gooD TIME

Gory fun from a B-movie remake with art house stylings, while The Bay shows it’s still not safe to go into the water

Film

Maniac

Exhibition

Elijah Wood is best known for playing a winsome, saucer-eyed hobbit – but, as his turn in Sin City showed, he makes for a convincing psycho-killer when he leaves the hairy latex feet at home. Thus Wood is ideally cast as Frank, a loner who owns a mannequin store and, if that wasn’t creepy enough, spends his nights in LA scalping young women to sate his psychotic impulses. Not a revolutionary plot, but this reworking of the 1980s cult classic is an example of a

Music

The Invisible Way Low

Low have been expertly crafting slow-burning indie anthems for 20 years now, yet the Minnesota band’s latest album shows they’re still finding new ways to shiver spines. Lush piano chords, acoustic guitars and letting Mimi Parker’s soaring vocals take centre stage is a masterstroke, as songs like So Blue start softly but build up to a stormy climax.

Out Monday

68 | March 15 2013 |

Designs of the Year 2013 Design Museum

film that surpasses its original. The firstperson perspective means you’re forced unnervingly to see all of the brutal violence through Frank’s eyes, while the introduction of artist Anna as someone our loony leading man may care about takes the film into interesting territory.

Overall, though, it’s the grubby visuals, chilling synth score and unwavering commitment to creating a stylishly filmed disgusting mess that makes Maniac a cut above the standard slasher-horror.

Out today

Book

A Man Without Breath Philip Kerr

German private detective Bernie Gunther has been burning his way through booze, blondes and acerbic wisecracks for nine novels now. This latest involves a wolf digging up human remains and the possible uncovering of an horrific war crime, but the real pleasure in these books is in Kerr’s total mastery of the world he’s created.

Out now

From the Shard to the Olympic cauldron to the important stuff such as a revolutionary non-stick ketchup bottle, this exhibition honours the best in worldwide design over the past 12 months.

Covering architecture, fashion, graphics and much more, it offers a diverse range of saucy and splendid things to gawp at.

Opens Wednesday

Music

Bloodsports Suede

DVD

Meaty riffs and Brett Anderson’s jagged warble mean this first album in 11 years is of the quality of much of Suede’s best, postDog Man Star work. Musical progression is clearly not a goal, which seems a shame for a band that once seemed so risky. Still, Suede’s sleazy glamour endures: a return to form, if one unlikely to win over many new converts.

Out Monday

The Bay

Breathing some new life into the found-footage horror genre, The Bay asks what would happen to a quaint, US coastal town if the water was found to contain a deadly parasite that controls, then devours, its human host.

The result is a slick, darkly comic eco-terror with a few jump-off -your-sofa scares. Will have you sticking to the Evian for a month.

Out Monday

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

RUN TRAIN HIKE

MINIMAL DESIGN which contours to the shape of your foot for the ultimate natural ďŹ t and comfort.

MERRELL MCONNECT FOOTWEAR FEATURES MINIMAL HEEL TO TOE DROP helping you align posture, encouraging greater stability and sensory feedback when training for any activity outdoors.

LIGHTWEIGHT AND FLEXIBLE. All our shoes are designed to get you closer to the ground for better control, agility and responsiveness. For more info visit blacks.co.uk/merrellconnect

NEW MERRELL MCONNECT MINIMAL AND LIGHTWEIGHT FOOTWEAR

CONNECT TO YOUR WORLD

A great all rounder, ideal as an entry to barefoot running, on harder surfaces or for training.

A barefoot, road-specific design, connects your feet with the pavement below.

All the protection you need from rocks and roots when running barefoot off road.

A minimalist running shoe ideal to go from road to trail.

Gives the ideal balance of flexibility, stability and comfort when speed hiking, backpacking and whenever you are on the trail.