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My leadThe rise of Chris Robshaw
Issue 296 | March 8 2013
issue 296, March 8 2013
20
68 06
33
radar
06 This week in sporting history Smokin’ Joe Frazier gets the better of The Greatest in the Fight of the Century 08 100 years of ‘Oh I say’ A century of tennis is brought to book by the ITF. The start of Sue Barker’s career scrapes in o this coming weekFeatures
20 Chris Robshaw England’s captain on his journey to the top of the international game, plus our preview of this weekend’s Six Nations ties
29 Premier stats Data specialists Opta crunch the numbers that tell us who’s ruled, who’s dribbled and who’s drooled in this season’s Premier League
33 Lucas Liverpool’s Brazilian midfielder on his adopted city, Luis Suárez and understanding Jamie Carragher
39 Cheltenham special Our eight-page preview of the festival’s biggest names and races – and the best (we hope) tips from an actual expert
extra Time
60 Gadgets The Sonos PLAYBAR breaks the sound barrier, and we try not to break Google’s Chromebook Pixel
62 Kit Our old and creaking bones have got into yoga in a big way. If it’s good enough for Giggsy...
64 Grooming Collections from Natio, Dove and Jack Black will leave you looking meaner and smelling cleaner 68 Entertainment Jude Law and Rooney Mara suffer serious Side Effects, and the Thin White Duke returns
| March 8 2013 | 03
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Grand old players
| March 8 2013 | 05
Radarp06 – This week in sporting history, Ali v Frazier: the Fight of the Century
p10– I AM PLAYR: live the life of a pro footballer on your commute
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With the buzz around Ryan Giggs reaching his 1,000-game milestone, we look at some of the other outfield footballers in the 1,000 club
1. Ryan Giggs Giggs signed his professional contract for
Manchester United in November 1990, the
same month that teammate David de Gea was
busy being born, making his first-team debut
later that season. Appearances for Wales
were limited to just 64 caps by a series of
mysterious pre-friendly injuries.
2. Pelé He’s allegedly scored more than 1,200 goals, so
a mere thousand games is a doddle for Pelé.
Hard data is tricky to find for the Viagra-
peddling Brazil icon, but 1,363 matches is
apparently the total. Looks much the same
now as he did in his playing days, leaving us to
conclude that Pelé is in fact a Highlander.
3. Javier Zanetti Total games played: 1,078. Total haircuts in
that time: one. The 39-year-old Argentine
right-back and Inter captain is still going
strong, despite being two years older than his
current club manager. Has been (correctly)
identified by Giggs himself as the most
complete opponent he’s ever faced.
4. Alan Ball Squeaky-voiced World Cup winner buzzed
around in midfield for a total of 1,054
competitive games, according to FIFA’s
records (and who can we trust if not good
ol’ Uncle Sepp?). Scored more than 200 goals
in his 12-club career and is a genuine,
much-missed England legend.
5. Paolo Maldini His playing career may have stretched from
1985 to 2009, but we barely recall this
majestic defender extending a leg in that time.
Perfect positioning meant Maldini rarely had
to even tackle opponents to stop them. Played
902 games for Milan and 126 matches for
Italy, keeping his kit immaculate in each one.
6. Steve ClaridgeSoftly spoken forward-come-lunatic has played
more than 1,000 games for 20+ clubs and
was still scoring goals for Gosport Borough
last year at the age of 45. In his younger days,
Claridge used to sell fruit and veg out of his
car boot after training – which we’re fairly
sure can’t be said of anyone else on this list.
2
3
6
4
5
p08 – Anyone for the ITF’s book on a century of tennis?
Radar
06 | March 8 2013 |
e’re all used to there being more
than one heavyweight champion in
modern boxing. Hell, you yourself
probably hold an alphabet version right now,
without even knowing it: the WTF world title.
Congratulations, slugger! However, back
in the 1970s, when boxing’s heavyweight
champion was the most high-profile man
in all of sport, it was all but unheard of to
have two genuine claimants to the crown.
Especially when that pair were two of the
greatest heavyweights ever.
Muhammad Ali, 29 years old and unbeaten
in 31 fights, had been stripped of his world
title four years earlier for his refusal to be
conscripted to the army during the Vietnam
War. During Ali’s absence from the ring, Joe
Frazier – like Ali, an Olympic gold-medallist
and an unbeaten boxer – won the title. After
two Ali comeback bouts, ‘the fight’, as it was
known, was scheduled for March 8 1971.
It didn’t so much capture public imagination,
as pin public imagination and eyeball it into
submission, dividing an enthralled USA on
sporting, social and political grounds.
Remarkably, the contest lived up to the
hype. Ali outboxed Frazier early, but could
never quite figure out Smokin’ Joe’s
bobbing, weaving style. Eventually, the
27-year-old Frazier began to outwork Ali,
punctuating his narrow yet conclusive points
win by knocking his rival down with a titanic
left hook in the 15th and final round.
The braggart Ali surprised some with his
grace in defeat, but the bad blood between
him and Frazier continued throughout their
epic trilogy. Ali won the two return bouts – in
New York in 1974 and the famous ‘Thrilla in
Manilla’ decider in 1975, but Frazier will
always be known as the first boxer to beat
‘The Greatest’ – and the winner of the most
famous boxing match in history.
WTHIS WEEK In SporTIng HISTory
1971THE FIgHT oF THE CEnTury
AF
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one in ahundredOther events name-
checked as century-lOng
highlights fOr their
spOrt include:
game Of the century
An injury-time equaliser for germany against Italy in the semi final of the 1970 World Cup was just the start of the excitement. From 1-1, an astonishing five goals were scored in extra time, as germany lost to their international bogey team 4-3. Franz Beckenbauer played all of extra time with his dislocated arm in a sling because germany had used both of their substitutions.
Ball Of the century
Shane Warne’s first ever ball in an Ashes series occurred in 1993, when the 23-year-old unleashed a leg-break that landed several inches outside of Mike gatting’s leg stump, then spun so fiercely that it clipped the top of off-stump. A disbelieving gatt walked off with a look on his face like someone had whipped the bacon out of his sarnie, the dying art of leg spin was revived, and a cricket great had announced his arrival.
swim Of the century
Despite it taking place in 2004, the swimming world seemed confident this race wouldn’t be bested in the following 96 years. Ian Thorpe, pieter van den Hoogenband, grant Hackett and a young Michael phelps now have a total of 29 olympic gold medals between them. At the Athens olympics, all four met in the final of the 200m freestyle, the Thorpedo edging out defending champ van den Hoogenband to win.
Radar
08 | March 8 2013 |
f, like Mo Farah, you’ve run
before, you’ll be aware of
the benefits of minimalist
footwear. We don’t mean economically
designed shoes, or ones made to look
like empty white rooms, but lightweight
gear that allows for greater agility and
movement. Merrell’s M-Connect range
combines that approach without
sacrificing the benefits of their outdoor
range. Kit is available for activities
such as hiking and ‘barefoot running,’
which is like running without shoes on,
but with shoes on. Mind: blown.
merrell.com
Serving time
Running riot
uch has changed in tennis in the
century since the International Tennis
Federation was founded. Rackets
of wood and catgut have been replaced by
unrecognisable titanium creations, and the men
and women holding them have changed in a
similar fashion: well-heeled aristocrats have
been replaced by muscled supermen,
and gleaming whites swapped for garish
branded clothing (except at Wimbledon,
a whole postcode that remains pleasingly
sequestered in a pre-war idyll).
A new coffee-table book delves into the
rich history of the sport, from its
aristocratic origins during the
Renaissance, through its own
enlightenment with the ‘sphairistiké’ set created
by Major Walter Wingfield in 1873. This marks the
birth of modern tennis – the major’s play-at-
home kit allowed families to try out the sport at
their leisure. The name didn’t catch on (replaced
by the much catchier ‘lawn tennis’) but the
sport certainly did, and this book is full of
photographs and information about
its history.
It covers the birth of the game, its
growth into a global sport and the ITF’s
continuing efforts to grow the sport in
places like Africa. It’s a fascinating story,
and beautifully illustrated, but it’s
safe to say it doesn’t make
great reading for fans of
British people winning stuff.
A Century of Contribution to
Tennis, £35, itftennis.com
Richard N Williams: son of Duane (one of
the ITF’s three founders), two-time US
Open winner and Titanic survivor
This image (top) of
‘Superbrat’ John McEnroe
opens a chapter on the ITF’s
role in enforcing the rules
I
M
WW
W.J
EA
NP
AU
LG
AU
LT
IER
.CO
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Discover the making of
Radar
10 | March 8 2013 |
Cheat at FIFAf you prefer your gaming in a
more sedentary format, this might
be more up your alley. Apparently
crafted with the iconic Predator boot in
mind, the Gioteck SC-1 Playstation 3
controller has been specifically designed
for sports games. The standout features
are the two programmable function
buttons at the bottom, which you can map
to your favourite tricks – so instead of
flailing around with the right stick while
your player does his best impression of
Shaun Wright-Phillips, you can get that
rainbow flick right every time.
Gioteck SC-1, £25, amazon.co.uk
I
e’ve picked out three
great sports games to
play on your phone.
1. I AM PLAYRA slickly produced online game
with millions of fans, I AM PLAYR
lets you live the life of a pro
footballer for the fictional River
Park FC – from training and
matches, to being interviewed
by Sport (genuinely coming soon,
on the app). The iOS app lets you
play mini-games to practise your
passing and shooting and
improve your players’ stats.
Free from iTunes store
2. Real Racing 3Beautiful graphics, a packed
roster of real tracks and cars,
and innovative multiplayer
options make the new Real
Racing 3 a must.
Free from iTunes store, Google
Play and Amazon Appstore
3. Super CricketLurid, bright and extremely quick
– Super Cricket is what Twenty20
must seem like to Test purists.
It’s much better commuting fun
than actual cricket, which got us
thrown off the bus, bat in hand.
66p from play.google.com
W
Game on
12 | March 8 2013 |
Radar Editor’s letter
Editor-in-chief
Simon Caney
@simoncaney
Sport magazine
Part of UTV Media plc
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Editor-in-chief: Simon Caney (7951)
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Don’t forget: Help keep public transport clean and tidy for everyone by taking your copy of Sport away with you when you leave the bus or train.
LAUNCH OFTHE YEAR
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N ow I fully appreciate that to many people, horse racing doesn’t constitute sport. They just don’t get it. To them, the Cheltenham Festival
means nothing at all.It’s fair enough. We all have sports we
like less than others. But I’d urge everyone
– especially those among you who are,
let’s say, ’horse-averse’ – to tune in to
Channel 4 on Tuesday afternoon.
The start of the festival – the booming
roar before the first race, the Supreme
Novices Hurdle – is one of the great
moments in any British sporting year.
I love racing, as Messrs Hill, Ladbroke,
Power and, er, 365 will testify. And, given
a choice, I’d normally opt for flat racing
over the jumps – but Cheltenham is my
favourite racing week of the year by a mile.
Its atmosphere is second to none,
and the quality of racing is incredible.
Yes, racing is dominated by betting, but
you don’t have to gamble to appreciate the
brilliance and bravery on show – both equine
and human. Jump jockeys, epitomised by
the legendary AP McCoy (interviewed on
page 40), are a different breed.
And then there are the horses. Every
decent jumps horse that is fit will be there,
because these are the thrilling races that
determine champions. It is unbeatable action
over four days, when reputations will be
made. In short, it is terrific sport.
On the subject of horses, much has been
written about the fact that the great Kauto
Star has now been retired from racing and
taken up dressage. There have been some
remarkably snooty comments about how
this is ’demeaning’ to a great champion, but
those people seem to forget he’s a horse,
not a person. As long as he’s happy,
stimulated, fed and warm, he’ll be fine.
Good luck to him in another sport.
One cricketer to watch closely over the next few weeks is Stuart Broad, who seems at a crossroads in his career. He needs a big series against New Zealand or the unthinkable – an Ashes without him – is a possibility. It’s unlikely, admittedly, but Broad is no longer an automatic selection.
Rory McIlroy dropped a clanger of some
proportions when he walked off the
course at last week’s Honda Classic,
citing toothache. It was an horrendous
PR blunder, but one he went some way to
rectifying with an apology that I, for one,
believe was genuine. He’s a young man
who for the first time in his life is feeling
real pressure, as he tries to prove he is
worth the vast sums that Nike is now
paying him to use its equipment. Faced
with one of the worst rounds of his
career, he fled the scene. He will be back,
though. He’s too good not to be.
Now this is real sportThe Cheltenham Festival is one of the highlights of the year. Embrace it, people!
Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
Ma
tt C
ard
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A win and a prayer? The start of the festival is an unmissable
spectacle – with or without divine intervention
Reader comments of the week
@simoncaney don’t say
Bale should leave!!! I hope
he’s right when he says he
doesn’t read press about
himself
@lauraoakley81
Wow, maybe
@simoncaney should drive
Bale to the airport! We
need to keep that sort of
talent to keep this the best
league in the world!?
@Broadinator
With all that’s been said
since @ronnieo147 made
his announcement, it’s
good to see @simoncaney
bothering to talk positively
in @sportmaguk
@GoodOldChuffy
@simoncaney Beckham
seems an odd omission
from list of British players
succeeding abroad. La
Liga not count?
@j_coatsworth
@simoncaney one more
British player to succeed
abroad: Owen Hargreaves.
@thomasjohnsonpr
Free iPad app available on Newsstand
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14 | March 8 2013 |
Radar Opinion
It is indeed exciting that England face Italy at Twickenham on Sunday, but I still feel a little bit sorry for the players.
I know they are suitably remunerated, fed like
medieval kings and massaged like the adonises they
are. But, still, this weekend they’re missing out.
Italy, you see, is just about the best away trip in
the game. Let’s start by thinking practically. The
flight is nice and short, so not too long is spent in
seats presumably designed for Jimmy Krankie.
And there is no need to consume the in-flight meal
– the appeal of which, frankly, even my dog would
take time to assess. No, it’s an in-and-out mission,
this one, and that works just nicely.
So you get there and you work through the
now-standard player-reaches-hotel-room
protocol: eat complimentary shortbread biscuits
before even sitting down, jump on to the bed to
test firmness, then check which TV channels are
available. A word to the wise: these Italian types
are not inclined to fork out for television packages
that include any English channels. Don’t worry, I
have a template complaint letter that I farm out to
every hotel that lets me down in this regard, so
they know all about what we expect.
Once the room is inspected, teams generally
meet up downstairs for a stretch designed to get
the journey out of the system. Having handed in my
gumshield for good, I can now reveal this session
to be an absolute waste of everybody’s time.
Lads sit and text, chat and sometimes even sleep,
as one fitness guru or another calls out which
body part needs releasing next. Waste of time.
Then your time is your own – and what a feeling.
Rugby players with time on their hands in foreign
countries do one of two things: they go back to
bed to play with their iPhones, or they go to the
nearest coffee shop to play with their iPhones.
Being one of the adventurous gang, I would
always look to sample the local espresso. Walking
around and soaking in the culture was never really
on the agenda – it all makes your legs a bit tired.
But coffee and cafes are non-negotiable, and
Italy’s offerings are world-class.
But really, it’s all about the post-match over
there. Whereas we might offer a warm can of beer
and some boiled chicken and broccoli with a stale
mini-baguette (how cute), the Italians serve up
tables of cold meats, beautiful bread, salty butter,
bottomless bottles of rouge and pasta made fresh
by highly expressive local men in big white hats.
Then it’s on to an Italian nightclub – which will,
invariably, be exactly like an English one from the
late 1980s. So long as you took advantage of the
rouge, this is no bad thing. It’s a one-off and you
don’t know anybody there, so admitting that
Europop music is cool and sweaty dancing is
attractive can be your little secret.
So, yes, these chaps are lucky to be playing for
England on Sunday. It’s just a shame they have to
do so in boring old London.
@davidflatman
Da
vid
Ly
ttle
ton
Flats on Friday
After the match, there is no place like Rome
My father was a bookie. That is to say, if I
was ever questioned by the mothers of other
kids, he was a turf accountant. As indeed
were both my brothers-in-law, one sister, a niece
and a nephew... and I’m the only one who likes a bet.
Strange, that.
Somebody else who very definitely likes a bet is
professional gambler Harry ‘The Dog’ Findlay, a man
who had a £14,000 betting tab by the age of 16 and is
reckoned variously and across any sporting event you
care to name to have won between £27m and £33m
in his time.
Now Cheltenham is finally here, will he be betting
on it? Will the new Pope
be a Catholic? It’s
odds-on with the bookies.
“I’d been to a few
meetings at Cheltenham,”
he told me. “But the first
time I went to the festival
was with your cousin
[another, ahem, turf
accountant].
“We left a nightclub at
about 3.30am and it was
pissing down. Desert
Orchid was going to be
racing the next day and
he didn’t like heavy
ground, so we laid off the
bets everywhere. It was
1989, and when he came
in I got the train home.
I was saturated and penniless, but I was still glad he won.”
Findlay can afford to be generous. Within a few years
he owned several racehorses and, in 2008, one of them,
Denman, won the Gold Cup. “If you’d told me I’d end up
owning horses I’d have said you were mad,” he says now.
“If you’d said I’d end up with one that won the Gold Cup,
I’d have said you were out of your f*cking mind.
But that’s how it ended up.”
So, having been to the festival as a punter, an owner
and a winning owner (he made £600,000 that
afternoon), it’s fair to say he knows his way around
Cheltenham. Any advice for Sport readers?
“Know what you’re going to bet before you get there,
and stick to it,” he says. “Don’t change just because
you’ve backed a couple of losers.”
There you go, straight from the horse’s.
@BorrowsSPORT
Plank of the WeekJosé Mourinho, Real Madrid manager
“The world will stop to watch this tie.” Or so reckoned
The Special One before the recent Champions League
game against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Sorry pal, big shop at Tesco followed by CSI Miami
and then back-to-back South Parks.
It’s like this…Bill Borrows
“Harry Findlay, a man who had a £14,000 betting tab by the age of 16 and is reckoned variously and across any sporting event you care to name to have won between £27m and £33m”
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16 | March 8 2013 |
Frozen in time
| 17
Man of the momentGareth Bale can do no wrong right now (unless you
happen to be an Arsenal fan, that is). His goal against
the Gunners last weekend helped Tottenham beat
their north London rivals and sparked jubilation in
the stands. He needs to work harder on that little
trademark handsy celebration, though. Only one
person in the crowd, the oh-so-enthusiastic
woman at the front – bothered to do it. Fail. Pa
ul G
ilha
m/G
ett
y Im
ag
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This
is
Your
CapTain
speaking
Chris Robshaw
| March 8 2013 | 21
Da
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Ro
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“A week’s a long time in sport, let alone
a couple of months.” Chris Robshaw is
addressing the journalists gathered at
England’s training camp in Surrey. He is
making reference to the media’s tendency
to hyperbolise every run of success or
failure, but England’s leading man could
just as easily be talking about his own
meteoric rise.
It’s hard to remember now, but going into
last year’s Six Nations tournament, Chris
Robshaw was making his second appearance
for England, and was far from everyone’s
first choice as captain. After two wins from
his first three games in charge, we sat down
with Robshaw during last year’s tournament
– when he was under no illusions about the
building job that lay ahead for English rugby.
“This project is about getting us back to
potentially being the best side in the world,”
he said then. “We know that won’t happen
overnight, but the plan is to be there ready to
compete at the 2015 World Cup. We are here
to take English rugby forward again.”
HIGHS AND LOWSSince then, Robshaw has led England on a
tour to South Africa, faced the southern
hemisphere’s big three at Twickenham,
led Harlequins to a first Premiership title,
and conquered the seemingly unbeatable All
Blacks. He now stands on the verge of Grand
Slam glory, with only Italy standing in the
way of the chance to head to Cardiff with a
perfect four-out-of-four Six Nations record.
If a week is a long time in sport, imagine how
the past year has felt for Robshaw.
“I’ve enjoyed it,” he insists. “There have
been tough times, there has been a lot of
learning – but the more you do something,
the more experience you get. Coming into
contact with guys like Richie McCaw or Jean
de Villiers means you can learn a lot about the
way they go about the job, from the way they
speak to the ref to little things such as the
way they deal with the media and the
post-game presentations. As long as I keep
learning and moving forward, it’s very helpful.”
The way he’s gone about the job so far, it’s
easy to argue that England’s captain doesn’t
need too much help at all. It hasn’t all been >
From international debut to a Grand Slam opportunity, it’s been an incredible 12 months for Chris Robshaw. With Italy next up for his side on Sunday, we caught up with England’s inspirational leader
22 | March 8 2013 |
rosy for the team bearing the red rose,
though, and Robshaw is quick to point out
that the harder times have helped make him
the man he is. After three defeats to South
Africa in the summer, England beat Fiji in
November before succumbing to Australia
and then those pesky Springboks again.
It was that South Africa defeat that brought
about what Robshaw terms his “first time in
a dark, negative place” after a game. With one
minute to go, England trailed by four points
when he opted for a kick at goal instead of
going for the corner – a decision that was
met with derision by fans and pundits alike.
“I don’t think you really appreciate what
those negative reactions are like until you
experience it yourself,” Robshaw explains.
“You learn best from your mistakes though,
don’t you? It makes you a stronger person
coming out the other side, and I had good
people looking after me. The players in
particular were great during that period.
Of course it’s hard, but you’re moving
forward and it can go one of two ways –
so you need to go out there and rectify it.”
Robshaw and his team did a pretty good job
of doing exactly that at Twickenham a week
later. With the All Blacks in town, England set
about a gameplan that has shaped their
pattern ever since: closing down, chasing and
pressuring every bit of opposition ball for 80
minutes. A bit of luck – and Kiwi tiredness
– might have played its part, but England put
a record 38-21 score on the visiting world
champions, and Robshaw was once again
the hero of the piece. “That’s sport,” the
ever-understated England man insists.
A year on from our interview with Robshaw
in March 2012, then, and with the wealth of
experience that those 12 months have
brought, how does he look back on his early
days leading England?
“Luckily I was captain of Harlequins before
I was first appointed, so that helped,” he says.
“When I was first made captain, I tried to
overdo things, though, and tried to do
everyone’s job and make every decision.
It took me a while to learn to trust the
experience of others. It’s about learning
to delegate responsibility, and we have a
leadership group in this side that helps make
those big decisions. As a captain, people
always assume you have to be the guy giving
the inspirational speeches or saying this
and that. First and foremost, though, you
need to put your hand up and ensure you own
your shirt. When you ask your players to go
out there and put their all into it, they’ve got
to know you’re willing to do the same.”
And what about his least favourite part
of the job? “Honestly? Things like this.” Oh.
“I love playing and going out there and
doing something I’ve always done, but the
media is a different challenge that you have
to be mentally switched on for.”
LEADING FROM THE FRONTWhen it comes to earning his shirt and
setting an example for others to follow,
Robshaw has lived up to expectations. After
victory over New Zealand, England came into
the Six Nations with a spring in their step.
They have dispatched Scotland, Ireland and
France with a ruthless efficiency. Robshaw,
meanwhile, has picked up two man-of-the-
match awards as recognition for his
incredible workrate and leadership. Stu
Fo
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“It’s been nice to get the awards,” he admits.
“But it’s one of those things that only comes
off the back of good team performances.
We want everyone to put their hand up, and
I think that’s what has happened so far.”
Victory over Italy at home this Sunday – a
fixture England have never lost – and the men
from Twickenham will be heading down the
M4 to Cardiff next Saturday with the chance
to win a first Grand Slam since 2003.
Succeed, and Robshaw’s rise to the top of
the game in England will be complete. And,
with a Lions tour this summer, he couldn’t
choose a better time to get there. Not that
he’ll admit it.
“Of course you know there’s a Lions tour,”
he admits. “But it’s been talked about since
the Premiership launch last year. Every player
wants to be in the Lions, and I’m no exception.
But it’s about what you do week in, week out.
If you deserve to be on that plane and you’re
playing well, then you will be. It’s out of your
control, though, so you need to go out there
and just play well.”
With New Zealander Warren Gatland set to
lead the Lions this summer, we have to ask if
Robshaw’s had a Kiwi voice on the phone yet?
“Yeah,” he says, as the gathered media
grab their pens and pads and lean in for an
exclusive revelation. “I had a call from Nick
Evans last week.” Robshaw is clearly set
on giving nothing away. Should he lead his
country to two wins in the next eight days,
though, you can be sure the New Zealander
that matters will be on the phone in no time.
That’s the good news for the England
captain. And the bad? If he does, there will
be many more media sessions to come.
Mark Coughlan @coffers83
The Six Nations
game against
France saw
Robshaw become
England’s eighth
most experienced
captain of all time.
He has a few more
in his sights...
59 WILL CARLING
39 MARTIN JOHNsON
22 LAWRENCE DALLAGLIO
21 BILL BEAuMONT
21 sTEvE BORTHWICk
17 MARTIN CORRy
15 PHIL vICkERy
14 CHRIs ROBsHAW
CAPTAIN
MATERIAL
Chris Robshaw
“WHEN yOu Ask yOuR
PLAyERs TO PuT THEIR
ALL IN, THEy’vE GOT TO
kNOW yOu WILL DO
THE sAME”
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2013 Six Nations
W i ith three wins from three, England have _only Italy standing in the way of a trip to
Cardiff with Grand Slam Glory in sight.
We take a look at the task in hand for
Stuart Lancaster’s men on Sunday.
EnglandWith Owen Farrell out injured, Lancaster has brought
in Toby Flood, while Danny Care is also in line for his
first start of the tournament. The structure will
remain the same for England – they have built their
team ethos on doing the simple things well and
letting the opposition make mistakes.
And, with three wins on the bounce, Lancaster
won’t change too much ahead of his side’s final
home game, with the new men set to bring more
of the same to the field.
With Care and Flood in situ, however, the pace is
likely to be upped behind the pack, because the duo
play a higher tempo than Farrell and Ben Youngs.
The back-row three were slightly quieter against
France two weeks ago, but they’ll be essential here
in wearing the Italians down early on, and ensuring
England win the battle of the breakdown to keep the
Azzuri quiet. Get that ball to the half-backs, and they
can unleash the likes of Manu Tuilagi (above), Chris
Ashton and Mike Brown. It won’t come easy, but keep
things simple, go through the phases and Italy will
tire. The second half is where the points will come.
OnE tO WatchChris Ashton
With two tries in 14 internationals, Ashton’s place is
coming under more and more scrutiny. If the game
opens up, though, what odds the flying winger
bouncing back with a couple of tries?
ItalyThe Italians have looked exhausted since their
opening-game victory over France, and with Sergio
Parisse still missing after his ban for insulting a
referee in a club match, they are missing the spark
that can see them surprise teams. Manoa Vosawai
has taken the number eight shirt and, after failing to
make an impact against Wales, he’ll be looking to
make a mark here. England struggled to keep Louis
Picamoles quiet, so Vosawai could be key to Italy
breaking the gain line. Beyond that, the visitors will
target England’s pack because they have struggled
to dominate games so far, while the half-back pairing
of Edoardo Gori and Kris Burton will be key in
controlling the game with the boot. The power up
front, and the control at half-back, are Italy’s main
weapons on Sunday. In truth, though, a win for the
men in blue would arguably be the biggest shock in
Six Nations history. Don’t hold your breath, Italy.
OnE tO Watch Edoardo Gori
Italy are going to spend a lot of the game on the back
foot and keeping things tight around the pack, so the
scrum half’s ability to keep his forwards going, and
England’s back row on the back foot, could be vital.
Sport’s prediction
England 34-9 italy
England v ItalyImproving
Azzurri
Sunday signals
England’s 14th Six
Nations encounter
with Italy, and the
points difference
between the two
shows the Azzurri
are getting closer.
Except for a blip in
2011, that is…
2000 47
2001 57
2002 36
2003 35
2004 41
2005 32
2006 15
2007 13
2008 4
2009 25
2010 5
2011 46
2012 4
SundAy
Six NatioNS:
ENglaNd
v italy |
twickENham |
BBc oNE 3pm
24 | March 8 2013 |
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2013 Six Nations
Scotland
Flying after their win over
Ireland, a third home victory on
the bounce would give Scotland
an albeit long final day shot at
the Six Nations title. The power
of the pack is key to their game,
with Jim Hamilton, Richie Gray
and Kelly Brown vital in keeping
the workrate up. Duncan Weir’s
selection at 10 highlights the
Scots’ gameplan – and his boot,
along with Laidlaw’s, will keep
the Welsh chasing high balls and
long kicks all day long. The Scots
will give the ball to Wales and
invite them to attack a blue line
in defence. With the scramble
defence they showed against
Ireland, they’ll back themselves
to keep Wales out.
one to watch
Richie Gray Jim Hamilton’s big
performance against Ireland
overshadowed his blonde-haired
partner. But Gray’s presence is
growing, and his power will be
central to Scotland’s attempts
to silence the Welsh pack.
waleS
After two wins on the trot,
Wales have their eyes fixed on a
Cardiff showdown next weekend.
With Dan Biggar and Mike Phillips
finding form at half-back, they
look a more threatening side
than they have in a long time –
although the manner in which
they put France and Italy away
was hardly beyond doubt. Ryan
Jones, Toby Faletau and the
returning Sam Warburton will be
tasked with starving the Scots
of possession at the breakdown,
while Alun Wyn Jones is back to
sure up the lineout. As for tries,
they’ll be relying on the backs.
one to watch
Alex Cuthbert With two tries
from three games, Cuthbert
(right) is rediscovering his best
form. If Scotland’s midfield is as
porous as it was against Ireland,
expect Cuthbert to finish off
another pulled-back Biggar pass.
sport’s Prediction
Scotland 12-18 Wales
Ireland
Will still be reeling from defeat
to Scotland, and will still not be
entirely sure how they failed to
come away with a win. A strong
start here will keep the French
quiet and should be enough –
if Ireland finish their chances.
If fit, Paddy Jackson will be key.
The number 10 got a lot of stick
for his kicking against Scotland,
but the way in which he opened
up the Scots means he deserves
another shot. In the forwards,
meanwhile, Sean O’Brien is
showing signs of his old form,
and his breakdown work – along
with Peter O’Mahony and an
under-pressure Jamie Heaslip
– will be essential to stopping
the French getting a chance.
one to watch
Luke Marshall After a great
debut against Scotland, Marshall
(left) needs to build on his
performance to help open the
French up, while his defensive
side will be important up against
the dangerous Wesley Fofana.
France
The England defeat will have
hurt more than their opening
two games, because Philippe
Saint-André’s men had the
chance to put England away
– but the roots of recovery
are there. The breakdown work
they showed in the first half
at Twickenham will need to be
central to their game again,
while the shackles are off in the
backs, giving the aforementioned
Fofana the opportunity to cause
defensive problems. Mathieu
Bastareaud needs to make more
of his half-breaks, while the
return of Maxime Médard spells
trouble for Ireland.
one to watch
François Trinh-Duc The fly half
is under pressure after three
defeats. He showed creative
flashes against England, but
more of those will be needed to
keep the Irish defence moving.
sport’s Prediction
Ireland 22-13 France
Scotland v WaleS
Ireland v France
Saturday
Scotland v WaleS |
Murrayfield |
BBc one 2.30pM
Saturday
ireland v france |
aviva StadiuM |
BBc one 5pM
26 | March 8 2013 |
23.08%minutes per successful pass
In Stats: The Season So Far
| March 8 2013 | 29
Number cruNcher
16.37
this weekend marks 10 premier league games to go. But, thanks to data specialists Opta, we can already learn plenty about which players are performing – and who is really struggling – in 2012-13
minutes per tackle
king lucas super suBs rule
It’s little shock that scurrying,
busybody midfielders monopolise the
list of the Premier League’s most
frequent tacklers, but the gap between
Lucas and the rest surprised us.
Despite an injury-disrupted season, the
Brazil international is the only Premier
League player to tackle at a rate better
than once every 20 minutes, putting in
a challenge every 16 minutes and 37
seconds. We do our best to tackle the
tackler with an interview on page 33.
You can see why Roberto Mancini, Brian
McDermott and Sir Alex Ferguson often
leave their poachers on the bench.
Despite not getting a regular run of
starts, Javier Hernández is lethal,
scoring at a rate better than a goal
every 90 minutes. Supersubs Edin
Dzeko and Adam le Fondre also
regularly cash in on their off-the-bench
freshness to help push Robin van
Persie – second in the league’s
scoring charts – out of the top five.
new BOOts, please schOles still has it
Mario Balotelli is excelling at Milan –
but, based on this season’s form,
Roberto Mancini did the right thing in
manhandling him out of the door. Of the
26 shots Super Mario pelted at goal,
just six were on target. He’s kept off
top spot in the wayward shooting
stakes only by Maynor Figueroa. The
Wigan defender has dynamite in his
boots, but this season he’s been
blasting the ball into the stands, leaving
the Honduran an ash-covered Wile E
Coyote figure. Of Figueroa’s 24 shots,
a mere five have been on target.
All the fuss is about Ryan Giggs right
now. But the stats seem to indicate
that, when he plays, ageing ginger
metronome Paul Scholes can still run
a game. He both gives and accepts
successful passes at a rate of one
per minute (though how many are him
and Michael Carrick doing their best
Chuckle Brothers “to you, to me” act is
not detailed). Scholes also pips Steven
‘Hollywood’ Gerrard in the amount of
long passes per minute. >
Minutes per tackle
1. Lucas Leiva, Liverpool 16.37
2. Steve Sidwell, Fulham 20.24
3. Mohamed Diamé, West Ham 20.32
4. Morgan Schneiderlin, Southampton 21.05
5. Claudio Yacob, WBA 21.64
Minutes per goal
1. Javier Hernández, Man Utd 85.50
2. Edin Dzeko, Man City 99.17
3. Romelu Lukaku, WBA 106.08
4. Luis Suárez, Liverpool 115.00
5. Adam le Fondre, Reading 116.30
6. Robin van Persie, Man Utd 117.00
7. Frank Lampard, Chelsea 117.64
8. Gareth Bale, Tottenham 132.13
9. Wayne Rooney, Man Utd 136.55
10. Demba Ba, Newcastle/Chelsea 137.33
Worst shooting accuracy*
1. Maynor Figueroa, Wigan 20.83%
2. Mario Balotelli, Man City 23.08%
3. Stewart Downing, Liverpool 25.00%
= Brett Holman, Aston Villa 25.00%
5. Glen Johnson, Liverpool 25.71%
*players with a minimum of 20 shots
Minutes per successful pass
1. Paul Scholes, Man Utd 1.0
2. Mikel Arteta, Arsenal 1.1
3. Aaron Ramsey, Arsenal 1.2
Minutes per pass received
1. Paul Scholes, Man Utd 1.0
2. Aaron Ramsey, Arsenal 1.2
= Yaya Touré, Man City 1.2
Minutes per long pass
1. Paul Scholes, Man Utd 5.2
2. Steven Gerrard, Liverpool 8.0
= Phil Jagielka, Everton 8.0
85.50
1.0minutes per gOal
wOrstshOOtingaccuracy
All
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30 | March 8 2013 |
In Stats: The Season So Far
Paul lambert gets it right
Forward Filth damien duFF: creative key saints oF Poor goalkeePing
minutes PersuccessFul
dribble
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has had
a rough season, but his sticking with
Christian Benteke over Darren Bent
(a decision he was pilloried for by
media types earlier this season) has
arguably been vindicated. The Belgian
has played a role in 58 per cent of Aston
Villa’s goals, with only the league’s top
scorer Luis Suárez also playing a key
part in more than half his team’s goals.
You can argue that this shows the poor
contribution of Benteke’s teammates to
the goal-scoring-and-creating cause.
To which we’d reply: also true.
Hats off to Hatem Ben Arfa for jinking
past rivals more than once every 20
minutes. As you might expect, Ben Arfa
also tops the highest attempted
minutes-per-dribble list (running at
opponents every 9.2 minutes). Second
on that list is Luis Suárez, who’s sixth
in terms of success. However, the
player who sits third on the list of most
frequent dribblers is Arsenal’s Gervinho
(an attempt every 12.3 minutes), yet
we’re struggling to find his name on this
list of the 10 most successful dribblers.
Mainly because it isn’t there.
Evidence here that either the Premier
League is packed with burly, all-elbows
forwards who commit many fouls –
or that referees are likely to give
defenders the benefit of the doubt
when they tussle with strikers. Take
your pick, but three of the Premier
League’s most frequent foulers are
attackers, with Grant Holt taking on the
Kevin Davis role as an effective striker
who nonetheless gives away a free-kick
every half hour he’s on the pitch.
When watching Fulham, we only have
eyes for languid fops Dimitar Berbatov
and Bryan Ruiz. So much so that we
hadn’t noticed it’s the 34-year-old
chuffing veteran who’s doing so much
to assist his team. Duff sets up almost
20 per cent of Fulham’s goals, but it’s
notable that none of the clubs currently
occupying the Champions League
qualification places have a player in the
top five (the closest is Chelsea’s Juan
Mata, in eighth spot) – predictably
indicating that the best-performing
sides have a wide range of players
contributing to their assist tally.
Ropey defending isn’t helping, but
Southampton have not one but two
statistically unimpressive keepers.
Kelvin Davis and replacement Artur
Boruc have both faced 43 shots apiece
and let in 19 and 20 goals respectively,
conceding a high amount of shots
faced. Wigan’s shellshocked Ali Al-Habsi
has let in 55 from 139 shots on target.
Percentage of goals involved in*
1. Christian Benteke, Aston Villa 58%
2. Luis Suárez, Liverpool 51%
3. Rickie Lambert, Southampton 44%
4. Michu, Swansea City 44%
5. Robin van Persie, Man Utd 42%
*excludes own goals
Minutes per foul lost
Grant Holt, Norwich City 30.1
Cheik Tioté, Newcastle 31.0
Marouane Fellaini, Everton 32.3
Carlton Cole, West Ham 32.6
Charlie Adam, Stoke City 33.1
Percentage of team’s assists
1. Damien Duff, Fulham 19.4%
2. Steven Gerrard, Liverpool 18%
= Lukas Podolski, Arsenal 18%
= Theo Walcott, Arsenal 18%
5. Jean Beausejour, Wigan Athletic 17.6%
Goals per shots on target
1. Artur Boruc, Southampton 0.47
2. Kelvin Davis, Southampton 0.44
= Rob Green, QPR 0.44
4. Ali Al-Habsi, Wigan 0.4
= Brad Friedel, Tottenham 0.4
Percentage oF goals involved in
58%
19.4%
17.8
0.47
30.1
Percentage oF team’s assists
goals Per shots
on target
minutes Per
Foul lost
dribbling all over
Minutes per successful dribble
1. Hatem Ben Arfa, Newcastle 17.8
2. Adel Taarabt, QPR 26.6
3. Abou Diaby, Arsenal 26.8
4. Jack Wilshere, Arsenal 29.5
5. Samba Diakité, QPR 29.7
6. Luis Suárez, Liverpool 31.0
7. Sergio Agüero, Man City 33.7
8. Mohamed Diamé, West Ham 35.9
9. Santi Cazorla, Arsenal 37.1
= Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arsenal 37.1
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Lucas Leiva
| March 8 2013 | 33
Liverpool’s former boo-boy has turned into one of the club’s favourite sons. The midfielder spoke exclusively to Sport about his journey from zero to hero kA
cti
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Ca
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Stand by me
He spoke very little English (aside from the
words ‘Liverpool’ and ‘The Beatles’) and had
no experience of league football outside of
Brazil’s Serie A, where he’d played for Grêmio
since the start of his senior career.
But then Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was
convinced – to the tune of some £5m – that
this was one Brazilian equipped to succeed in
England, where so many others before him
had failed.
It took some time, however, before the Kop
was similarly convinced. For Lucas’ first two
seasons at the club, he struggled to impress.
A formidable midfield trio of Steven Gerrard,
Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano did not
help the Brazilian’s cause. Benitez stuck by
him, but Liverpool fans were frustrated by
his performances. When he was booed
incessantly during a 0-0 draw with Fulham
at Anfield in 2008 – a moment Lucas calls his
worst in a Liverpool shirt – many felt there
would be no way back for the boy from Brazil,
for whom he has 20 caps.
And yet, five years on, Lucas is one of the
club’s most popular players. He was voted
Player of the Year by Reds fans at the end
of the 2010-11 season, and his shirt is
now one of Liverpool’s biggest sellers.
The turnaround became painfully clear in
December 2011, when Lucas was ruled out
for the rest of that season with injury.
Suddenly, Liverpool fans – and those from
outside the club, too – realised just how
crucial the Brazilian had become to his side.
With 10 games remaining of his ‘comeback’
season – one that Lucas admits has not been
easy from a team perspective – Sport caught
up with the midfielder for a post-training
chat about the highs, the lows and the Jamie
Carragher conundrums of life at Liverpool.
You had quite a battle to win the Liverpool
fans over in your first few seasons, but
things are very different now. What got you
through that difficult period?
“It was a combination of a lot of things. First,
my family, who gave me confidence to keep
going. And Rafa [Benitez] was crucial for me
– I always say that because maybe, if it was
another manager, I wouldn’t be here now.
I was also determined to show every day that I
wanted to improve, because I knew the level
I was at wasn’t good enough to have a
successful career in Liverpool. Of course,
there were a lot of moments when I thought
I wouldn’t be able to do it. But I think if you
work hard, always you attract more luck.
Also, the fans started to realise that the job
I was doing was important, so now it’s a
totally different situation.”
When you arrived at Liverpool it was as an
attacking midfielder, but you’ve now become
more of a holding player. Was there one
particular game in which you played in that
position and thought: ‘That’s it’?
“I think, during my time here, the holding
midfielder position was the position that I
felt most comfortable in. And, of course,
the competition for the place of attacking
midfielder was not easy. [Smiles] So I just had
to move back a bit, and I started to feel really
comfortable in the way I could play and be
important for the team. I’ve played in many
positions for Liverpool, but that was the one
I felt comfortable in – and, after that, I just
kept going and learning a lot. And today I feel
like it has always been my position.”
You moved from your home in Dourados
aged 14 to start your career some 750
miles away at Grêmio. How tough was that
at such a young age?
“It was very hard. I didn’t go straight to
Grêmio, though. I went to a small club in Sao
Paulo first. I was living at the training ground
with a lot of young players, and at that time
I didn’t know if I was going to become a
professional player. So, while I wouldn’t say
it was a risk, nothing was certain. At the
beginning, my parents were not so happy for
me to leave home because I was so young.
It wasn’t easy for them, but I asked them if I
could go and just try it. Then, when I was 16, I
had a chance to go to Grêmio. That was when
I started to really go forward in my career,
because it’s a big club in Brazil.”
How has that experience affected you?
“It helped me get life experience and learn to
make my own decisions. Because sometimes,
when you have your parents around, the
easiest way to make decisions is to ask them.
I think it helped me to become a man, really,
and to see life in another way. Leaving home
was the only way I would become a football
player, though, because if I’d stayed
in my home city I wouldn’t have had a chance.
I wasn’t lucky enough to be born in a city like
Porto Alegre or Rio, where the local teams
are big clubs, so I had to move away.” > 20
07
Ge
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Ima
ge
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dri
an
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is/A
FP
/Ge
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When the 20-year-old Lucas Leiva arrived in Liverpool in the summer of 2007, he knew just two things about the city for which he’d left behind his homeland of Brazil. One was the football club itself, and its rich pedigree. And the other? The Beatles.
Leiva-tation: Lucas in his
first season at Anfield
(above) and celebrating
winning a penalty at
the Emirates in 2011
34 | March 8 2013 |
Lucas Leiva
Lucas Leiva
Your second move was from Grêmio to
Liverpool. Was it a feeling of ‘now or never’
in terms of coming to Europe?
“A few people said I was a bit crazy to come
to England, actually, because normally we see
Brazilian players leaving Brazil for Portugal
or Spain, where the coaching is similar and
the language is easier. But Liverpool came
and I couldn’t say no, really. It was the same
as when I was 14 and moved away from
Dourados – that was my chance then, and I
thought: ‘This is my chance now, and I have to
take it.’ Of course it was a big move that came
with a lot of pressure, so it was another
stage of my career where I had to learn a
lot and be patient. I had to have determination
to get to where I wanted to be. And, I think,
after five years here I’m getting closer to
where I want to be.”
You post a lot of pictures on Twitter of
your jaunts around the city. We’re curious –
how does a boy from Brazil fall in love
with Liverpool?
“Liverpool is my home now. My son was born
here, and now when I go back to Brazil it’s for
holidays... and where I come back to,
Liverpool, is home. I post pictures just to
agree with him. So I said: “Yes.” He was very
surprised with my answer. He said: “Yes?!”
I could see on his face he was not happy, so I
said: “No.” He said: “No?” And I said “No.” And
that’s it. I have never asked him what he was
asking me. [Laughs] I don’t want to know.
He might not even remember it now, but
for me it was like: ‘What am I doing?’ It was
a funny story.”
Luis Suárez is such a competitor on the
pitch. Is he the same on the training ground?
Do you have to get out of the way quick if he
goes in for a tackle?
“Yeah, he is. It’s just his character, and that’s
why he’s so successful – because he has the
hunger to win all the time. He’s having a
fantastic season and we just hope he keeps
going and getting better and better. It’s
difficult to imagine if he gets better, where
he will be, but he is doing very well for us.”
You play Spurs at Anfield on Sunday. Is that
a game you think Liverpool have to win to be
in with a chance of a European spot?
“They are doing really well this season and
you can see they’ve won quite a few games in
the last few minutes – these things show
their confidence is very high. We know the
gap between us and the European places is
quite big now [Liverpool are five points from
fifth-placed Arsenal], but we just need to
make sure that we play well. And, if we do
that, we will have a big chance to win the
game and move up the table. Unfortunately,
we need teams to drop points now – but I
think they will. And, of course, we need to make
sure we drop less points than the others.”
Do the players see genuine development
under Brendan Rodgers?
“The season has been a hard one for us, but
we have a lot of positive things to take from
it, and good performances against big teams.
We are always trying to find the consistency
– that’s what we try to do for the next 10
games. If we can find it, then for sure the
next season will be a better one.”
Lucas was speaking to Graham Beecroft La
ure
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hy
Ltd
Lucas is an ambassador for the Liverpool FC
Foundation, which provides community, health
and education programmes that inspire positive
change and build better futures for young people
and adults. “When you see the projects the
foundation runs, you appreciate what you have in
life,” he says. “ When you have a bad game, you
realise that you have a lot of people around you
who have been in worse moments, and that’s why
you have to keep going. I love spending time with
the kids, because it’s good for them. But I think
it’s good for me as well. Even if you can only
spend an hour with them, you can see a smile
on the kids’ faces. It makes you very happy.”
Follow the Liverpool FC Foundation on Twitter at
@LFCFoundation
LiverpooL’s Foundations
share a bit with the fans and to show them
around Liverpool, because I don’t think a lot of
people know how nice it is. All they know is
The Beatles. Of course they are a big thing,
but there is a lot more about Liverpool than
The Beatles and the football. I didn’t know that
either when I came here, to be honest. I only
knew about the football club and The Beatles,
but then I found out a lot of good things about
the city and about the people – it’s a lovely city.”
All Liverpool players have a Jamie Carragher
story. What’s yours?
“I do have one, yeah. At the very beginning of
my career here I couldn’t speak any English,
and Carra came up to me in the dressing
room and asked me a question. I didn’t
understand a word, but I just thought I had to
“At the very beginning of my career here, I couldn’t speak any English. Carra came up to me in the dressing room and asked me a question... I didn’t understand a word”
| March 8 2013 | 37
Add some g-force to your internetting, without paying a hefty premium.
Our Ultrafast network speeds & coverage vary.
You’ll need an Ultrafast enabled device. See three.co.uk/network
Screamif you want to go
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| March 8 2013 | 39
Cheltenham 2013 The Festival
Leap of faith
The Cheltenham Festival: a glorious sporting week
during which every trainer, jockey and punter crosses
their fingers and hopes for things to go their way.
In our special eight-page preview, we speak with the
biggest names, look ahead to the biggest races and
feature tips from at least one genuine expert... >
Tuesday March 12-Friday March 15
Daily terrestrial coverage on channel 4 froM
12.35pM; all races are shown live on racing UK
40 | March 8 2013 |
Cheltenham 2013 The Festival
Think of AP McCoy, the greatest National Hunt
jockey of all time, and it is hard to picture him
in anything other than the green and gold hoops
of the legendary owner JP McManus. It is a
professional relationship that goes back the best part of
a decade, and one that won its place in racing history
when the pair combined with the great jockey-turned-
trainer Jonjo O’Neill to win the 2010 Grand National with
Don’t Push It.
It was an ironic name for a horse ridden by McCoy, a
man whose reputation has been built on an ability to push
his mounts to the absolute limit of their powers, but
there is no doubt how much winning such a huge race
for his chief employer meant to him.
“I’m very lucky to ride for a huge supporter of jumps
racing in JP, and feel privileged to be wearing those
colours every time I go out,” he told Sport in an exclusive
interview ahead of this year’s Cheltenham Festival.
“Barry [Geraghty] and Ruby [Walsh] are obviously
fortunate to ride for powerful stables, and both will have
exceptionally good rides through the week, but in the
past three years I’ve been lucky enough to win the Grand
National, the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup in those
colours. That has probably given me as much satisfaction
as anything in my entire riding career.”
A sport for wArriorsAnyone who watched McCoy’s victorious ride on
Synchronised in last year’s Gold Cup, a masterclass of
patience and persistence aboard a horse not obviously
built for jumping, will appreciate the satisfaction of which
he speaks. The 38-year-old is not prone to retrospection
or nostalgia, more interested always in where his next
winner is coming from, but he nods when we recall a
similar festival ride – on Wichita Lineman in the 2009
William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase.
“Those two in particular would be huge favourites
because of their attitude and their will to win,” he says.
“They were both great warriors. No matter how many
winners you ride or how good a jockey people think you
are, you can’t win races without the horse. I can’t take a
donkey to the Gold Cup and make it win. Once you’ve got
the right horse, all you can do is point it in the right
direction and try to make it go faster than the others.”
There is an element of poignancy as McCoy remembers
these great warriors, for both Synchronised and Wichita
Lineman were to lose their lives on the racecourse – the
former in front of millions of TV viewers in last year’s
Grand National. More recently, McCoy was on board the
hugely talented Darlan, a Champion Hurdle contender
also owned by McManus, when the horse suffered a fatal
fall at Doncaster.
“It’s the most difficult part of the sport, obviously,” he
admits. “I’ve unfortunately had not just horses, but also
good friends, who have been fatally injured. We wish
these things never happened, of course, and you always
wish you could turn back the clock and stop them from
ever happening again... but unfortunately it just isn’t
that easy. When you’re taking part in a competitive and
sometimes dangerous sport, accidents can happen.”
second coming?Five days after the tragic death of Darlan, McCoy was
back in the famous green and gold to ride My Tent Or
Yours in the prestigious Betfair Hurdle at Newbury.
With fate seemingly smiling on the McCoy-McManus axis,
the six-year-old duly destroyed a top-class field en route
to establishing himself as a strong favourite for the
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Twelve months on from the
champion jockey having to wait until the final day of the
festival to ride his first winner, McCoy is well placed to
get off the mark in the very first race.
“On official ratings he’s pretty good,” he smiles.
“He was impressive at Newbury, and will probably go to
the Supreme Novices’ as one of the highest-rated horses
ever to run in it. I hope the handicapper is right, and that
he is that good – because if he is then he’s going to win.
“I wouldn’t want to be picking another horse to finish
in front of him, if that’s what you’re asking me – and
certainly wouldn’t be swapping him for any other horse
at Cheltenham. Yes, there are short-priced favourites
like Sprinter Sacre and Simonsig, but I wouldn’t swap
My Tent Or Yours for anything else.”
Tony Hodson @tonyhodson1
the green-And-golden the most fAmous jumps jockey of them All mAy not ride As mAny winners As BArry gerAghty or ruBy wAlsh At this yeAr’s cheltenhAm festivAl, But Ap mccoy hAs A joB he wouldn’t swAp for Anything
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Best of the rest
Champion jockey AP McCoy gives us
the lowdown on some of his other
big rides at this year’s festival
BinocularChampion hurdle, Tuesday
“Binocular was never right last year; he
had a long time off after the Champion
Hurdle [in which he finished fourth], and
ran okay in Ireland in January. Heavy
ground wouldn’t have been ideal for him
then, but Hurricane Fly still beat him on
the bridle. He’ll improve for quicker
ground, but he’s going to need to.”
alBertas runryanair Chase, Thursday
“A great horse who has won three
times for me at the festival, and he
only just got pipped last year. He’s 12
now, and it would be fantastic if he
could win a third Ryanair, but it’s not
going to be easy. He’s a lovely horse
and is in good shape, but he does need
nice ground.”
at fishers crossalberT barTleTT noviCes’ hurdle,
Friday
“He’s been a good, tough, genuine
horse all season, beating The New One
at Cheltenham last time. He seems to
prefer soft ground, but hopefully he’ll
go okay if the ground does dry up. He
might not be the best racehorse we’ve
ever seen, but he knows how to dig it
out – whatever beats him will know
they’ve had a proper race.”
alderwoodGrand annual Chase, Friday
“It’s quite tough in those big-field
handicaps at Cheltenham, and you
want your horse to have plenty of
experience going into it. He doesn’t
really have that yet [having had only
four runs over fences], but he ran
okay in his first handicap in Ireland
last month and could definitely be
one to watch.”
touch
numBer of cheltenham festival winners ridden By aP mccoy. that Puts him second on the all-time list, seven Behind ruBy walsh27
42 | March 8 2013 |
Cheltenham 2013 The Festival
Three years after Binocular
returned from a muscle problem
to turn a supposedly competitive
Champion Hurdle into a procession,
his trainer Nicky Henderson might just repeat
the feat with his talented six-year-old hurdler
Grandouet. The gelding (above, in green) has
been seen only once on the track since the
end of 2011, and missed his intended prep
race for Cheltenham with a slight near-fore
injury; but the huge potential he has shown in
his hurdling career to date, coupled with his
trainer’s masterful record at the festival,
suggest it is worth keeping the faith.
If Grandouet is to earn Henderson a
record sixth Champion Hurdle win, however,
he will have to see off a competitive field.
The bookies are convinced that 2010 winner
Hurricane Fly is back to his best, despite him
beating nothing in Ireland this season, while
reigning champ Rock On Ruby needs to be
taken much more seriously than he was 12
months ago. Binocular is still around, but
perhaps the biggest danger to Grandouet
is a horse who would appear to have his
measure. The Paul Nicholls-trained Zarkandar
is three from three this season, including a
two-length win over Grandouet at Cheltenham
in December – but the former was carrying
four pounds less than the vanquished that
day, and looked a fitter horse. Granted good
ground and a strong pace behind which he
can use his impressive cruising speed,
Grandouet can finally have his day in the sun.
Elsewhere on a superb opening-day card,
the mighty Quevega will win her fifth straight
OLBG Mares’ Hurdle (4.40pm), Simonsig can
defeat the admirable Overturn in the Racing
Post Arkle (2.05pm), while the underrated
Dodging Bullets can get the meeting off to
a winning start for Paul Nicholls in the
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (1.30pm).
Day 1: Champion
hurDle 3.20pm GranD expeCtations
a fit anD firinG GranDouet Can return from a reCent injury sCare to take the feature raCe of Day one for a trainer who has previous on that sCore
expert view with paul kealy of the raCinG post
Day one of the Cheltenham
Festival features a cracking
Champion Hurdle, in which
the last three winners are
set to do battle – yet the
reigning champ is not even in
the first two in the betting.
Rock On Ruby caused a
minor upset when winning
last year, but there was no
fluke about it as he took up
the running a long way from
home and was further clear
at the line than he was at the
last flight of hurdles.
The bookies can’t see past
Hurricane Fly again, but
there remains the suspicion
that Cheltenham just isn’t his
track, even though he won in
2010. Binocular, the 2009
winner, has run just once
this term and needs to show
a lot more.
The opening Supreme
Novices’ Hurdle sees a short-
priced favourite in My Tent
Or Yours. He looked brilliant
on his last run at Newbury,
but was he flattered by
quickening up off a slow
pace? Time will tell, but
Grade 1 winner Melodic
Rendezvous looks good value
at around 10/1 against him.
In the Racing Post Arkle,
the ultra-versatile Overturn
– classy on the flat and over
hurdles – looks like being
just as good over fences and
should be up to giving
Simonsig a fright.
last year, roCk on ruby beCame only the fourth horse in the last 30 years to win the Champion hurDle havinG not run sinCe the start of the year
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No horse at the 2013 Cheltenham
Festival will start at shorter odds
than Sprinter Sacre, the jumping
machine who in seven displays
over fences has destroyed all opposition
to the combined tune of 95 lengths.
That represents an equine massacre –
and the likelihood is that Nicky Henderson’s
sensational seven-year-old will do the same
again in Wednesday’s Champion Chase.
“He’s getting a reputation that does put
the pressure on,” says Henderson. “Nothing
but the best will do – the spectacular – and if
he doesn’t do that then people aren’t happy.
But that’s what he’s come to do every time,
and it’s great to watch for everyone bar us.”
Few onlookers will share Henderson’s
nerves, as Sprinter Sacre should find little
to get him off the bridle – and that includes
defending champion Finian’s Rainbow or
2011 winner Sizing Europe, neither of whom
are certain to even run. The reality is that
whichever horses do line up to take on the
favourite will be racing for second place.
Sprinter Sacre’s likely dominance stands
alone on a card that is plenty competitive
elsewhere. The Neptune Investment
Management Novices’ Hurdle (2.05pm) looks
like being one of the contests of the week,
with Pont Alexandre, Taquin Du Seuil and
Puffin Billy all boasting claims in a race we
think can go to The New One.
The RSA Chase (2.40pm) is a three-mile
novices’ race traditionally won by battle-
hardened warhorses. That casts doubts
over the chances of favourite Dynaste, who
comes here off the back of a longish break
and after three facile victories. Irish horses
have won three of the past four runnings,
and Lord Windermere looks to have been
aimed at this all season – he’s great
each-way value at about 16/1.
Day 2: Champion
Chase 3.20pm stroller saCre?
With muCh of the opposition sCareD aWay, WeDnesDay’s Champion Chase CoulD be little more than a stroll in the park for the phenomenal sprinter saCre
expert vieW With paul kealy of the raCing post
Sprinter Sacre is quite
possibly the best two-mile
chaser we’ve seen for 30
years or more, but you
certainly won’t get rich
backing him in the Champion
Chase – he’s set to go off as
one of the shortest-priced
favourites in the history
of the race.
With only nine runners
entered well in advance of
the race, and most of those
having possible other
targets, the chances are
that he’ll face little more
than a victory dance.
If you’re looking for a
better-value bet on the
day, why not have a pop at
Houblon Des Obeaux at a
big price in the RSA Chase?
He has ground to make up
on favourite Dynaste, but
that one could yet run
elsewhere and this horse
had his best form over
hurdles at Cheltenham.
Champion trainer Paul
Nicholls has the first two in
the betting for the Fred
Winter Juvenile Handicap
Hurdle, and the word from
Ditcheat is that Saphir Du
Rheu is the one doing
everything right at home.
Don’t be surprised if he is
the mount of Ruby Walsh on
the day, for a stable that
took the race with a similar
sort in Sanctuaire back
in 2010.
Denman is the only rsa Chase Winner in the past DeCaDe to have gone into the raCe unbeaten over fenCes1
44 | March 8 2013 |
Cheltenham 2013 The Festival
He may be tHe most successful trainer in tHe History of tHe festival, but tHat doesn’t stop nicky Henderson’s nerves aHead of tHe most important week of His year
Handling witH care
When Bellvano romped home
in the final race of last year’s
Cheltenham Festival, it was the
perfect ending to a near-perfect
week for Nicky Henderson. Not only did the
win give the trainer a second victory in a
race named after his father, but it also
secured him a seventh win of the meeting
– not surprisingly, a festival record.
“Last year was a complete freak the whole
way through the week,” recalls Henderson
now, smiling. “If you could just go and get one
winner on the first day of the festival, you’re
the happiest, most relieved man in the whole
of Cheltenham... because then the pressure
comes off for the rest of the week.
“I think it was two years ago, we went into
the final day without a winner – but then
Bobs Worth won the Albert Bartlett and Long
Run the Gold Cup. But it’s not much fun going
in there after three blank days, I can tell you.”
There is little to no chance of Henderson,
the festival’s all-time leading trainer with 46
wins, having to suffer such a fate this year.
In My Tent Or Yours and Simonsig, the
62-year-old boasts strong favourites in each
of the festival’s opening two races, while the
majestic Sprinter Sacre is the certainty of
the week in Wednesday’s Champion Chase.
As we analyse below, it is not beyond the
realms of belief that Henderson could emerge
victorious from every one of the festival’s
four major races. Not that he thinks so.
“It’s not inconceivable, no, but it’s highly,
highly unlikely,” he says. “You’ve got the
ammo, sure, but all of those horses have to
be trained, to stay in one piece and then get
there fit and well on the day. You’ve got to
have an awful lot of luck.”
There is a nervousness to Henderson that
belies the strength of character required to
train nearing half a century of festival winners.
Perhaps it’s because Cheltenham means so
much to him. His father Johnny, after whom
the week-ending Grand Annual Chase is named,
was a high-ranking Army officer who later
worked in the City and was integral to the
safeguarding of Cheltenham racecourse long
before the festival became what it is today.
“I was meant to follow Dad into the City,
but I escaped,” says the Eton-educated
Henderson. “But he did an awful lot for
racing, and these days we all live around the
festival. Compared with flat racing, National
Hunt racing is top-heavy around this one
meeting. It all comes down to these four
days... it really does.”
Tony Hodson @tonyhodson1
we assess tHe Horses
tHat could give nicky
Henderson an
unprecedented victory
in all four of tHe
major cHampionsHip
races at tHis
year’s festival
cHampion HurdleLost his main hope Darlan
in tragic circumstances at
Doncaster, but still has two
chances. Former winner
Binocular has a bit to prove
after a lacklustre return in
January, while the talented
Grandouet has had a recent
injury scare. Hasn’t stopped
us tipping him up, mind.
cHampion cHaseDefending champion
Finian’s Rainbow should
line up to defend his crown,
but Henderson also trains
the outstanding (and
shortest-priced) favourite
of the entire festival in
Sprinter Sacre. The Black
Aeroplane will win this by
a street.
world HurdleJust Oscar Whisky to line
up for the Cheltenham
maestro here, in one of the
most intriguing races of the
week. Could start favourite
and is undoubtedly the
best horse in the race, but
doubts linger as to whether
he genuinely stays the
three-mile trip.
gold cupFormer winner Long Run
goes once more, but
long-time antepost
favourite Bobs Worth,
unbeaten in four starts
at Cheltenham, looks
the most likely to give
Henderson a second Gold
Cup. Don’t be surprised
if he does.
festival slam?
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Thursday at the festival has in
recent years been given over to
two things: St Patrick’s Day and
Big Buck’s. While the former will
still be celebrated – and in style – the latter
will be at home, injury depriving him of the
chance to win a fifth straight World Hurdle.
In his absence, punters are faced with a
conundrum. Can Nicky Henderson’s classy
Oscar Whisky stay the gruelling three-mile
trip? Will Reve De Sivola (pictured, clearing
the jump), who beat him at Cheltenham in
January, prove as adept on quicker ground?
Can Donald McCain bring former festival
winner Peddlers Cross back to his best? Or
can the Irish, represented by Monksland and
Solwhit, win for the first time since 1995?
Our preference, as indicated by the bold
up there, is for Reve De Sivola. His trainer
Nick Williams is long overdue a first festival
success – but it’s a tricky race, and one we
wouldn’t advise lumping heavily on.
Elsewhere on Thursday, the Ryanair Chase
(2.40pm) is another competitive affair.
Defending champ Riverside Theatre has run
two bad races since his dramatic victory 12
months ago, while two-time former winner
Albertas Run is unlikely to be improving at
the age of 12. First Lieutenant makes a
compelling case for the Irish, as does
former Champion Chase winner Sizing
Europe, who has never been out of the first
three in 21 chase starts. But our choice is
Cue Card, who ran Sprinter Sacre as close
as anything last year and looks well suited
to the two-and-a-half-mile trip.
Oh, and keep an eye on Vino Griego in the
Byrne Group Plate (4pm). Gary Moore’s
eight-year-old took an age to get off the
mark over fences, but he comes here on the
back of two very good wins and looks a
more trustworthy character these days.
ExpErt viEw with paul KEaly of thE racing post
The staying hurdlers get
their day in the sun today,
and Reve De Sivola looks
the one most likely to do
the business. Though not
taking to fences over the
past couple of seasons, he
has proved this term that he
is still top-class over hurdles
– and he’s won three of the
past four Grade 1s he has
run in. The only horse
to beat him in a three-mile
hurdle is the legend that
is Big Buck’s, but he’s not
here this year.
There’s another three-mile
hurdle on the Thursday: the
Pertemps Final, in which
Captain Sunshine should be
considered at big odds,
although there are risks
involved. He’s a bit quirky,
to say the least, and has
refused to race once already
this term. But his finishing
effort when second from the
back over three miles at
Newbury on his latest start
– coming home after the last
much faster than all of the
horses in the top-class
two-mile handicap hurdle on
the same day – had to be
seen to be believed.
The Ryanair Chase is
another Grade 1 on this
card. If First Lieutenant
gets the nod here, instead
of going for the Gold Cup
on Friday, he’d be the one
to beat.
fourtEEn of thE past 17 winnErs of thE ByrnE group platE havE carriEd 10st 10lBs or lEss – as did thE first thrEE homE last yEar14
day 3: world hurdlE 3.20pm thE King is dEad...
with injury dEpriving four-timE winnEr Big BucK’s of thE chancE to dEfEnd his crown, thursday’s fEaturE racE looKs to BE aBsolutEly widE opEn
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There will be an ineluctable sense
of absence around Cheltenham on
Friday, as the horsey world comes
to terms with the fact that, for the
first time since 2006, there will be no Kauto
Star lining up for the Gold Cup. The great
Kauto is now plying his trade in the murky,
largely unintelligible world of dressage,
while another former winner, the 2010 hero
Imperial Commander, sadly misses the race
with a lung infection. Long Run, champ in
2011 before finishing third to Synchronised
last year, is back for another crack, however.
It’s a younger horse’s game these days,
though – a fact reflected in the betting being
dominated by three horses that have not a
single Gold Cup appearance between them.
If you believe the bookies, the race revolves
around the Nicky Henderson-trained Bobs
Worth, twice a festival winner and unbeaten
in four starts at the track; Irish raider Sir
Des Champs (above), another to boast an
unblemished Cheltenham record; and
Silviniaco Conti, three from three this
season and the new great hope from the
yard of Paul Nicholls. The past 12 winners
of this race have come from the first three
in the betting, so we should probably expect
it to be between these three.
If you are looking to get out of jail on the
final day, then Salsify looks good to repeat
last year’s win in the Foxhunter Chase
(4pm), Our Vinnie can make the frame at a
decent price in the Albert Bartlett Novices’
Hurdle (2.40pm), and last year’s County
Hurdle winner Alderwood should go close
in the Grand Annual. If it all goes wrong,
however, don’t blame us.
See next week’s edition of Sport for a full preview
of the 2013 Cheltenham Gold Cup, with expert
analysis from Paul Kealy of the Racing Post
Day 4: Cheltenham
GolD Cup 3.20pm that FriDay FeelinG
FriDay at the Festival Doesn’t just mean the GolD Cup... it’s also last-ChanCe saloon For all those lookinG to enD the week in some kinD oF proFit
expert view with paul kealy oF the raCinG post
The final day of the festival
is the hardest of all for
punters because it will
feature loads of huge fields
– and that starts with the
Triumph Hurdle.
That race has been a lot
better for punters in recent
years, though, with only one
of the past eight winners
(last year’s, as it happens)
going off at double-figure
odds.
Word has it that Paul
Nicholls is very sweet on
the chances of Far West,
but Our Conor arguably has
the best form and certainly
has a good change of gear.
He is taken to improve the
admittedly poor record of
Irish-trained runners in
the race.
The County Hurdle will not
look any easier on the day
than it does now, but
Ifandbutwhynot is a horse
who travels very well off a
strong pace and should be
primed to challenge as they
enter the straight.
Bringing down the curtain
on this four-day punt-fest is
the Grand Annual, and Tom
George could have the
answer with the fast-
improving Rody. He was an
exceptionally easy eight-
length winner of his last
start at Warwick, and the
second, third and fourth all
scored next time.
niCky henDerson has maDe the Frame in the triumph hurDle
(1.30pm) in every year he’s haD a runner sinCe 2007. he runs rollinG star this year
2007
Cheltenham 2013 The Festival
46 | March 8 2013 |
48 | March 8 2013 |
Advertising Feature
Are you seeking a career that not
only gives you the opportunity to
travel, but also forces you to
challenge your personal and
professional capabilities every
single day? Then maybe it’s time you
thought about joining the Royal Navy
For many people, a career means little more than a way of earning the
money they need to enable them to do the things they want to do with
their life outside work. It’s more than understandable, too – not
everyone wants to be defined by the job they do, or the persona they
adopt in their professional lives. For them, the work-life balance means
keeping the two as far apart as possible.
If you are different, however, and view your life somewhat more
holistically, then you will want a career that matches your interests,
your values and your own personal goals. Such a career is not easily
discovered, perhaps, but they do exist – and nowhere is this potential
more obviously on show than in the Royal Navy.
Variety club
When we speak of new horizons, we don’t just mean the literal new
horizons you can see during a life spent travelling the world; we also
refer to the personal and professional development on offer in a force
that protects the nation’s borders while enabling those who serve
within it to push their own boundaries. There are few other careers in
which your own personal ambition is so linked to the idea of making a
difference in other people’s lives – and there are few employers who
can match the Royal Navy’s commitment to its servicemen and
women’s personal sporting interests. Whether you are a keen
footballer, cricketer or triathlete, or just enjoy regular visits to the
gym, the opportunities are there for you to challenge yourself.
And there is the link: the fitter you are, the better placed you will be
to perform well in whatever role you undertake within the Royal Navy.
The variety of opportunities is immense, from Weapons Engineer to
Mine Clearance Diver, Logistics Officer to Royal Marines Commando.
Elsewhere on this page, we take a look at some of the other
careers on offer within the Royal Navy, and speak to a current
servicewoman about her career as a Naval Nurse. If you think this
could be the life for you, then be sure to head online to the link below.
It could change your life forever.
New horizons
the royal Navy, a life Without limits
www.royalnavy.mod.uk/navyjobs
aircraft
controller
You are the critical link
between the aircraft and
its base, whether that’s
a ship at sea or Royal Naval
Air Station on land. You’re
involved in the mission at
every stage, from getting
the aircraft safely off
the deck or runway,
then co-ordinating its
movements before
bringing it safely in to
land. You are part of the
team keeping the Royal
Navy flying.
communications
and information
systems specialist
(submariner)
Using highly sensitive radio
and satellite systems, you
will send and receive vital
messages to and from
the shore, ships and
other friendly submarines.
Those messages will often
contain orders and other
information for those in
command – and, because
you’re part of a covert
operation, a lot of it will be
classified top-secret.
writer
(submariner)
As a writer on a Royal Navy
sub, you are a professional
administrator – but your
job is about as far away
from a desk job as you can
get. You’ll advise everyone
from the newest recruit to
the Captain on personal and
personnel administration
matters. You’ll be more
than just an administrator
though – you’ll also be
trained to operate the
steering and depth controls
that drive the submarine.
careers iN focus
| 49
For further
information
on Royal Navy
careers, call
08456 07 55 55
or search
'Navy Jobs'
online
Ariane is a Leading Naval
Nurse based at the Ministry
of Defence Hospital Unit in
Portsmouth†
Why did you join the Royal Navy?
“I had always had an interest in joining the
Armed Forces, but wasn’t sure what I could
offer or which branch I would be suited to.
On qualifying in September 2009, I began to
look into becoming a Naval Nurse. I was
inspired by the people I met during my first
job as a staff nurse – ex-servicemen and
women who, despite difficult times, still
displayed a sense of pride and loyalty.”
Tell us about your current role.
“I am posted at Ministry of Defence
Hospital Unit (MDHU) Portsmouth as a
Leading Naval Nurse. Having completed my
rotation, which included working on medical
and surgical wards to consolidate my skills,
I now work within a busy Medical Assessment
Unit, where I continue to train to ensure
I can deliver high-quality clinical care.”
What have you enjoyed about the training?
“As a direct entry to the Royal Navy, I was
fully trained in adult nursing already – but I
enjoyed basic training and learning about
life in the Royal Navy, and also expanding
my skills within the MDHU. I was proud to
represent the QARNNS [Queen Alexandra’s
Royal Naval Nursing Service] at November
Ceremonies in 2011.”
How have you developed since joining?
“Since joining the Royal Navy I have grown
in confidence and continue to work towards
developing as an effective leader within the
service. I have become a more motivated
individual and believe I can reach my goals.”
What skills can you take into everyday life?
“Royal Navy basic training at HMS Raleigh
provides an opportunity to gain many skills
that can be taken into everyday life. We
learn about discipline, respect and loyalty
to and for others, integrity, courage and
commitment. Having completed the
Leading Rates Leadership Course at HMS
Collingwood, I have also learned the skills
of leadership, organising, communicating
and working with others.”
What do you feel you have gained most
since joining the Royal Navy?
“Since joining, I have never been bored. It
has enhanced my career as a nurse, I have
gained confidence in my abilities, and had
the opportunity to work with and learn from
many different people in different situations.”
What sports do you play?
“Joining the Royal Navy has given me the
chance to try many sports, which I have
enjoyed. I attend the gym regularly, enjoy
running and was able to participate in a
Unit sports day, which brought our unit
together as a whole team. And in May last
year I participated in Adventure Training,
Exercise Caribbean Wings, sailing from
New York to Boston, and achieved my
competent crew award. As a novice I
found this challenging but enjoyable, and
would like to continue sailing in the future.”
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50 | March 8 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
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7 DaysMAR 8-MAR 14
HIGHLIGHTS
» Football: FA Cup Quarter Finals » p52
» Football: Premier League Preview» p54
» Football: Champions League Preview» p56
» Basketball: LA Lakers v Chicago Bulls » p58
» Snooker: Players Tour Championship Grand Finals » p58OUR PICK OF THE ACTION FROM THE SPORTING WEEK AHEAD
SATURDAY TENNIS | BNP PARIBAS OPEN | INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA | SKY SPORTS 4 9PM
Andy Murray hasn’t hit a
competitive ball since his
defeat to Novak Djokovic in the
Australian Open final, but that’s
not to say he’s been idle. The world
number three has bought a £2m
hotel in Stirlingshire and plans to
refurbish it into a five-star resort
that will reopen ahead of the 2014
Ryder Cup, staged a short drive
away at Gleneagles.
He’s also been training hard
with coach Ivan Lendl in Miami,
choosing not to follow the
tournament trail to Dubai –
a decision that’s not surprising
when you consider he’s failed to
make it beyond his first match in
Indian Wells for the past two years.
Holder Roger Federer,
meanwhile, is looking for a fifth
title in the desert. The 31-year-old
has already announced plans to
take a two-month break after the
tournament, explaining the need
to be “smart with his scheduling”
and to spend more time with his
wife and twin daughters.
Having thrashed David Ferrer in
the Mexico Open final, Rafael Nadal
has confirmed he will continue
his comeback in California, but
current world number one and
two-time winner Djokovic will
still be favourite to start off the
American hard-court season with
a trophy.
The Williams sisters are missing
from the women’s draw (they’ve
refused to play in Indian Wells
since Serena was booed by the
crowd there in 2001), so it will be
up to world number two – and 2012
winner – Victoria Azarenka to lead
the way. Maria Sharapova could
stand in her way, if she’s recovered
from her most recent outing at the
Oscars. Tough gig, this tennis lark.
Murray’s desert storm
52 | March 8 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
7 Days
It might have gone under the radar with many
outside west London, but Chelsea have actually
won four of the past six FA Cups. Roman
Abramovich can sack as many managers as he
wants, it seems, but his club’s recent penchant
for success in this great old competition (in
association with Budweiser) remains unaffected.
It’s not been a straightforward defence of the
cup they won against Liverpool last May, however.
They’d have gone out to Brentford in the fourth
round, were it not for the collector’s item of a
meaningful Fernando Torres strike, and now face a
stern test of their credentials against champions
elect Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Domestic cup ties between these two have gone
one way or the other in recent seasons. The 2007
FA Cup final was a desperate affair won by a Didier
Drogba goal late in extra time, thus depriving
neutrals of the penalty shootout that would have
offered at least a modicum of excitement. By stark
contrast, this season’s meeting in the Capital One
Cup was an absolute humdinger, Ramires (left)
netting the decisive goal in a 5-4 Chelsea win.
With Rafa Benitez seemingly secure in his
fundamentally insecure post of interim manager
for now, he is charged with getting enough out of
his allegedly mutinous charges to secure Chelsea
a first win at Old Trafford for three years. United
haven’t lost a domestic match since Norwich
turned them over in November, though – you
wouldn’t expect them to lose this one either.
No quarter
given
Saturday FA Cup: EvErton v WigAn | goodison pArk
itv 1 12.45pm
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Twelve months after a heartbreaking semi-final
defeat to neighbours Liverpool, Everton are on
the verge of a return to Wembley. All that stands
between them is Roberto Martinez and a Wigan
side fresh from their own mauling at the hands of
the red side of the city. The Spaniard says FA Cup
success has “helped us in the confidence and
belief we bring into the league”. His team are,
however, without a win in nine against the Toffees.
Expect that run to continue, with old boy Leighton
Baines a likely source of woe for the Latics.
Saturday FA Cup: mAnChEstEr City v BArnslEy | EtihAd stAdium
Espn 5.30pm
The 2011 FA Cup was Roberto Mancini’s first
trophy in England, and this year’s quarter-final
draw has given him ample chance of making the
2013 version his next. His side is not exactly
scoring freely of late, but Carlos Tevez and pals
should make hay against Championship relegation
fodder Barnsley. It’s five years since the Tykes put
both Liverpool and Chelsea out on their way to the
semis. Luke Steele, the goalkeeping hero behind
that run, remains, but reality says he and his
teammates are up against it here.
Sunday FA Cup: millWAll v BlACkBurn | thE dEn | Espn 2pm
The glamour tie of the round pits the
Championship’s longest-serving manager,
Millwall’s Kenny Jackett, against Michael Appleton,
the ringmaster who has brought some semblance
of normality to the chicken-funded circus that is
Blackburn Rovers. Neither side is setting the world
alight at the moment, both having lost at home to
the mighty Peterborough in recent weeks, but home
advantage could prove enough for the Lions. And,
for what it’s worth, they also won 2-0 at Ewood
Park back in November. How’s that for a form guide?
Sunday FootBAll | FA Cup QuArtEr FinAl: mAnChEstEr unitEd v ChElsEA | old trAFFord | itv 1 4.30pm
54 | March 8 2013 |
7 Days
SUNDAY liverpool v tottenham | anfield | SKY SportS 1 4pm
“He is a player who can make the difference,”
was the praise won by young Brazilian Philippe
Coutinho from his manager Brendan Rodgers last
weekend. But it’s a compliment that can also be
applied to a couple of other players who’ll be on
the pitch at Anfield this weekend.
Gareth Bale and Luis Suárez both lived up to
their billings as the main threat in their respective
sides last weekend, with Bale opening the scoring
for Tottenham in their win over Arsenal and Suárez
netting a hat-trick to help Liverpool thrash Wigan.
Rodgers was obviously in a generous mood
after the final whistle, when he said of Suarez:
“There isn’t a better striker in the Premier League.”
A certain Manchester-based Scot will beg to differ,
but Spurs boss André Villas-Boas might consider
himself forewarned ahead of his side’s trip to
the northwest.
Having picked up points at Anfield for the past
two seasons, and riding high on what their manager
called “an upward spiral in terms of confidence”,
Spurs sit third – and will be looking to widen the
gap between themselves and Chelsea in fourth.
Their defence-splitting tactics against Arsenal
yielded two goals in quick succession. Liverpool
could face more of the same on Sunday,
particularly if Jermain Defoe – who was only fit
enough to come off the bench last weekend –
plays from the start. Jamie Carragher and Daniel
Agger will be tasked with faring better than the
Gunners’ centre-back pairing (not too tricky),
while the impressive Liverpool attack that ripped
Wigan to shreds last weekend will look to get in
behind the Spurs defence more effectively than
Arsenal’s did (again, not exactly a challenge).
Tottenham are unbeaten in 12 in the league –
their best run since the Premier League began.
Liverpool, on the other hand, haven’t lost in eight.
Two teams on the up – it could be a cracker.
Two of the Premier League’s young managers go head to head this weekend, with two of the league’s best players in tow...
Premier League
Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand | 55
After scoring just four goals in their past 10 league games, QPR found the
back of the net twice in 90 minutes against Southampton last weekend.
Rangers’ third win of the season came amid allegations that a warm-weather
training trip to Dubai was (shock, horror) an excuse for a booze-up. The story
was dismissed as “a load of nonsense” by QPR manager Harry Redknapp, whose
team worked hard for a 2-1 win at St Mary’s. If it is to be the start of a great
escape, QPR need to consolidate that positive result with another one against
Sunderland. Martin O’Neill’s side have good memories of their last trip to Loftus
Road – they nicked a winner in the 89th minute in December 2011. And, with just
six points separating them from the drop zone, their own battle is far from over.
“This was never going to define
our season,” said Norwich boss
Chris Hughton after his side took
a 4-0 beating at Old Trafford last
weekend. He’s right – a win for the
Canaries against Southampton
would put them within five points
of the magic 40, and leave Saints
struggling. It was honours even
when the sides met in November,
when a mistake from Saints
goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga
gifted Norwich a point.
saturday norwich v southampton
carrow road | 3pm
West Brom are yet to beat Swansea
in the Premier League, and it’s the
Swans who have all the momentum.
The League Cup winners absorbed
plenty of pressure before scoring
the only goal of their win over
Newcastle last weekend – a result
that took them to eighth in the
league. The Baggies are level on
points, though, and boss Steve
Clarke will be keen for revenge after
Swansea outclassed them in a 3-1
defeat at the Liberty in November.
saturday west brom v swansea |
the hawthorns | 3pm
A game that marks a battle between two men who would have to share the
award for grumpiest middle-aged manager of the year this season, if it
existed (it should). It’s perhaps unsurprising, given that Brian McDermott and
Paul Lambert’s sides have spent much of the past seven months in the bottom
three. Reading have lost three on the trot, but are clearly up for a fight, scoring
eight of their last 11 league goals inside the last 10 minutes – though that’s not
much use if you’ve already conceded three.
With just one point separating the sides, it’s a classic six-pointer. Lambert’s
side were 1-0 winners when the teams met at Villa Park last year, with Christian
Benteke proving the difference. Will it be that man again?
P W D L F A Pts
Premier League tabLe
Liverpool’s total
of 53 goals from
28 games is their
second best at
this stage of a
Premier League
season53
Man Utd 28 23 2 3 68 31 71
Man City 28 17 8 3 51 24 59
Tottenham 28 16 6 6 49 33 54
Chelsea 28 15 7 6 56 30 52
Arsenal 28 13 8 7 53 32 47
Everton 28 11 12 5 44 35 45
Liverpool 28 11 9 8 53 34 42
Swansea 28 10 10 8 39 34 40
West Brom 28 12 4 12 38 37 40
Fulham 28 8 9 11 39 44 33
Stoke 28 7 12 9 26 33 33
West Ham 28 9 6 13 32 41 33
Norwich 28 7 11 10 27 45 32
Sunderland 28 7 9 12 31 38 30
Newcastle 28 8 6 14 38 49 30
Southampton 28 6 9 13 39 51 27
Wigan 28 6 6 16 33 55 24
Aston Villa 28 5 9 14 26 53 24
Reading 28 5 8 15 34 54 23
QPR 28 3 11 14 21 44 20
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saturday qpr v sunderland | loftus road | 3pm
Tony Pulis admitted his side have
“gone a bit flat” after their defeat
to West Ham last weekend. Some
might ponder whether they have
been anything but this season –
not us. We’re still impressed by the
Potters’ ability to remain a mid(ish)-
table side, no matter what occurs on
the pitch. It’s a skill. They have lost
their last two, though, and another
defeat to Newcastle on Sunday
could see them sink worryingly
south of the middle.
sunday newcastle v stoke |st james’ park | 3pm
saturday reading v aston villa | madejski stadium | 3pm
56 | March 8 2013 |
7 Days
Arsenal’s season is hanging by a single thread.
The derby defeat to Tottenham leaves them five
points off fourth in the league, and their impressive
record of 15 consecutive Champions League
qualifications looks under serious threat. There is
one way out, though: the route Chelsea memorably
used last season. Unfortunately for the Gunners, it
involves overturning a 3-1 deficit away at Bayern
Munich, and then winning the whole damn thing.
Over the top
Let’s break that down. First off, Arsenal will need to
score at least three goals. The Munich defence may
not have looked that organised when they farcically
allowed Lukas Podolski to head home in the first leg,
but they’re a tight unit. In nine matches in 2013, the
Germans have conceded on just one other occasion
– against Werder Bremen. They won that game 6-1.
Theo Walcott started up front in the first leg, with
the aim of testing the speed of Bayern’s defenders,
but he managed just one attempt on goal as the
Germans sat a little deeper than usual to counter his
threat. The Gunners looked far more of a threat with
the introduction of Olivier Giroud in the second half;
he could start in Munich, with Walcott providing
width on the right.
Pressing concern
The Germans pressed a high line to deny Arsenal’s
centre backs time on the ball in the first leg. Per
Mertesacker to Laurent Koscielny was one of
Arsenal’s most frequently played passes, indicating
the extent to which this tactic helped stifle them.
Jupp Heynckes’ tactic could change with Arsenal
having to chase the game. He could instead look to
ape Tottenham’s success with Gareth Bale and
Aaron Lennon with his own pacy wingers, and try
to get in behind the Gunners on the break. Thomas
Müller has generally been preferred to Arjen Robben
this season, but the Dutchman scored a cracking
goal against Dortmund in the German cup last week
and could be given the nod because of his pace.
Rearguard action
Even if Arsenal manage to score three, they’ll need
to keep a clean sheet – something they’ve managed
just once in their past 17 Champions League away
games. Their defence is still ravaged by injuries,
particularly down the left, with Kieran Gibbs still
injured and new signing Nacho Monreal cup-tied for
this competition. Bayern looked to exploit this flank
in the first leg, as Thomas Vermaelen was being
played out of position at left-back – two of their
three goals came from moves down that side.
Lukas Podolski is an experienced competitor at
this level, but didn’t provide Vermaelen with much
protection in the first leg. That’s something Arsène
Wenger will need to look at, even if he insisted
before the Tottenham game: “We don’t plan for
anybody. It is always the same – focus on our
strengths and forget about your opponent.”
Wenger can’t forget, however, about the
scoreline. He knows that, even if Arsenal play at
their very best, they’ll need a miracle to progress.
It’s worth remembering – if you’re a Gooner seeking
comforting thoughts – that Arsenal were in a worse
position last year and almost pulled back a 4-0
deficit against Milan. As Chelsea demonstrated so
dramatically last May, anything is possible.
Mission impossible
WEDNESDAY FOOTBALL | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST 16, SECOND LEG: BAYERN MUNICH v ARSENAL (3:1) | ALLIANZ ARENA | SKY SPORTS 2 7.45PM
Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
TUESDAY FOOTBALL | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST 16, SECOND LEG: SCHALKE v
GALATASARAY (1:1) | TURK TELECOM ARENA | SKY SPORTS 2 7.45PM
| 57
It’s been a bad few weeks for Barcelona. They’ve
lost three of their past four games, two Clasico
defeats compounding the misery of a shock 2-0
reversal to AC Milan in the first leg of this tie.
With manager Tito Vilanova receiving treatment
for cancer, it’s fallen to his assistant Jordi Roura to
take the reins, and Barca’s season seems to be
grinding to a halt. They crashed out of the Copa
del Rey to Real Madrid, and their league meeting
at the weekend descended into farce with
goalkeeper Victor Valdes red-carded after the
final whistle for screaming at the referee. As you
would expect, Barcelona dominated possession in
the first leg at the San Siro, but managed as little
as three attempts on target. AC Milan pulled off
the perfect anti-tiki-taka display – they sat deep,
pressed when required and were clinical on the
counter-attack. With Roura forced to deny
allegations that Barcelona’s players are suffering
a ‘crisis of confidence’, there’s every chance Milan
could repeat the feat at the Nou Camp. Then again,
there’s also every chance Leo Messi could turn on
the style and score a ludicrous hat-trick.
The most delicately poised of this week’s ties sees
Galatasaray’s new stars visit Schalke, who have an
away-goal advantage thanks to the 1-1 draw in the
first leg. The teams were evenly matched in the
Turkish cauldron, but Schalke have a formidable
home stadium of their own – they’re unbeaten at
the Veltins-Arena in Europe this season. The
additions of Wesley Sneijder and Didier Drogba,
however, mean Galatasaray are unbeaten in seven.
Their main threat could be former Schalke boy
Hamit Altintop – the Turkish midfielder was born in
Germany, and could pose a real threat to the club
that made him a star when drifting infield from the
right or shooting from distance. Much of their
good work in the first leg actually came down the
left, though, with former Liverpool winger Albert
Riera getting forward in support of Sneijder.
Schalke, meanwhile, offer a more fluid threat
than the Turks’ fairly traditional 4-4-2 – Michel
Bastos and Jefferson Farfan will look to feed
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who hasn’t replicated his
form from last season but still has four goals in
seven Champions League games this year.
TUESDAY FOOTBALL | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST 16, SECOND LEG:
BARCELONA v AC MILAN (0:2) | NOU CAMP | ITV1 7.45PM
Málaga are banned from European competitions
for next season because of some unpaid bills,
so they’re intent on getting as far as possible this
time around. The first-leg defeat to Porto was the
Champions League debutants’ only defeat in the
competition so far, and their league form has
suffered since the UEFA sanctions were
announced in late December. The Spaniards have
conceded just twice in Europe at La Rosaleda, but
will need to offer a lot more going forward if they
are to get through to the last eight.
Porto dominated possession in the first leg,
restricting their opponents to just one attempt
while hammering in 16 of their own. Six of those
were on target, but they found Malaga stopper
Willy hard to beat. The Argentine proved a stiff
opponent, letting just one well-worked João
Moutinho effort slip past him, and Porto will be
frustrated that they aren’t further in front going
into the second leg. If Malaga are to extend their
Champions League journey, their forward line of
Júlio Baptista and Roque Santa Cruz will need to
give big Willy a helping hand.
WEDNESDAY FOOTBALL | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST 16, SECOND LEG: MALAGA v
PORTO (0:1) | LA ROSALEDA | SKY SPORTS 4 7.45PM
Big Willy style
Hamit goes home
Falling apart
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58 | March 8 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
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Tuesday > Snooker | Dafabet PtC GranD finalS | bailey allen Hall, national UniverSity of irelanD, Galway | britiSH eUroSPort 2 10am
Snooker’s version of the Champions
League begins on Tuesday. After 13
best-of-seven tournaments in the UK,
Europe and China, the top 25 in the PTC
Order of Merit, top four in the Asian Order
of Merit and three Asian Players Tour
Championship winners have qualified
for the finals in Galway.
World number one Judd Trump (right)
qualified second in the UK/Europe Order
of Merit behind world number two Mark
Selby. The Ace looked the form player at
last week’s Haikou World Open, firing in
three centuries as he blitzed Nigel Bond
5-1 to reach the quarters, but broke his tip
early on against Matthew Stevens and
didn’t look comfortable from then on.
Stevens prevailed 5-3, but eventually
went down 10-4 to Mark Allen in his first
ranking final since 2008. But, despite
having beaten three of the world’s top
four in Haikou – Trump, Neil Robertson
and Shaun Murphy – Stevens has not
qualified for Galway. Allen, on the other
hand, qualified eighth in the UK/Europe
Order of Merit and faces Mark Davis and
then the prospect of Welsh Open
champion Stephen Maguire in round two.
Trump and Robertson are on the same
side of the draw, with one of them likely
to face Selby in the semis. There’s also
a potential quarter final between the
Jester from Leicester and one from John
Higgins and Ali Carter, who play each
other in the first round.
Holder Stephen Lee will not appear,
however, having been suspended by the
WPBSA while snooker’s governing body
decides whether he has a case to answer
over four allegations of match-fixing.
It’s not quite the 680 games under
investigation in European football’s
premier club competition. But it’s another
– unwelcome – similarity.
Snooker’s Big Ears
After winning their division for five consecutive
years, the mighty Los Angeles Lakers now find
themselves fighting tooth and nail to try and
scrape into the NBA postseason. It is unlikely to
be an easy ride as, with 19 games left, they still
have to face several playoff contenders. They do
though, have a team of marquee players. Kobe
Bryant is in excellent form and has (at time of
writing) the third best points-per-game average
in the NBA, while Dwight Howard boasts the top
rebound average. Their defense has also
improved since the turn of the year.
If the Lakers do make the playoffs, their roster
of ageing talent could test several of the best
teams. Their opponents at the Staples Center on
Sunday night are the Chicago Bulls, who are also
battling to reach the playoffs. They have a solid
team – including GB’s finest, Luol Deng – but have
played the season without star point guard
Derrick Rose, who tore his anterior cruciate
ligament last year. If he can return in good form
this season, he could reignite an offense that has
the third lowest points-per-game in the league.
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60 | March 8 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
Sonos PLAYBAR
A beautiful way to spruce up the
sound of your favourite television
shows, the PLAYBAR is Sonos’s first
– and highly acclaimed – move into
the home cinema market. Nine
speakers are hidden within its sleek
design, delivering richly textured
sound to match your HD set. The
cacophonous splash of Omid Djalili
belly-flopping into a swimming pool
in front of a live studio audience has
never sounded quite this good.
£599 | sonos.com
Google Chromebook Pixel
The search giant’s ongoing march towards
world domination takes an attractive turn
with their first high-end laptop. The Pixel is
optimised for the web – its touch-enabled
screen has an unusual 3:2 ratio better suited
to browsing, and it has a super-sharp screen
rivalled only by the Retina displays on Apple’s
MacBooks. Chrome OS is another selling
point – it’s quick to boot up, and syncs
seamlessly with cloud-based storage.
£1,049 | play.google.com
Beats by Dr. Dre Executive Headphones
As the good doctor has risen up the medical
hierarchy, he’s clearly found that his
signature line of headphones, while well
suited to the operating theatre, don’t
quite cut it at boardroom level. That’s why
he’s come out with an executive line of
headphones, crafted from soft leather and
stainless steel and with noise-cancelling
technology. With all that technology, Dre
will be running the NHS before too long.
£270 | store.universal-music.co.uk
Sony NEX-3N Compact Camera
Like a liger or a zorse, this camera is a hybrid.
It’s got interchangeable lenses from the
world of DSLRs and the compact size of a
more basic camera. Added to the mix are
a flippable 7.5-inch LCD screen to help you
aim your self-portraits a bit more easily;
a 16.1-megapixel high sensitivity sensor and a
new Auto Object Framing system for more
professional results. Mate the whole thing
with a zebra, et voila!
£TBC | sony.co.uk
EXtRA timEMaking the most of your time and money
P68
Warwick Davis
is left holding
the baby in
Willow
Sound barrier
62 | March 8 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
Yoga! Yoga! Yoga!
ET Kit Ryan Giggs does yoga, and he’s on the verge of his billionth game. Ergo, if you do yoga, you can play sports for years to come. That’s how it works, right?
Quiksilver HB3 Hoodie
Make those ‘irritating talkers’
in your yoga class a thing of
the past with this soft-brushed
cotton hoodie. The integrated
in-ear headphones mean you
can subtly listen to your own
relaxing sounds, while the clever
tech makes them fully washable
without dismantling. Clever.
£70 | quiksilver.com
alpineStars Howzit Tanktop
The motorsport kit makers
produced this tanktop to wear
under those pesky hot leathers,
but it works for yoga too. It gets
darned hot in those workout
studios, but going topless is
frowned upon – as we learned
the hard way. This cotton top
suits the task well. Even if you
don’t have the Top Gun arms.
£20 | alpinestars.com
EcoMatt Sr Yoga Mat
Yoga, lesson one: get a good
mat. And this blueberry and
banana-coloured number (yup,
really) fits the bill. It’s 100 per
cent biodegradable, recyclable
and latex- and PVC-free, while
the textures offer superb grip
to stop you slipping around as
you switch between postures.
£30 | amazon.co.uk
Puma aCTV Tights
Designed for high performance
and endurance sports, these
leggings also tick the boxes for
the yoga enthusiasts. A moisture
-wicking finish will keep you
dry, while the articulated knees
will help your flexibility and the
Puma tape interior aligns with
your muscles to maximise your
workout and reduce any pain.
£100 | shop.puma.co.uk
Patagonia Piton Bottoms
A pull-on, elasticised waist
offers comfort, while the
stretchy Polartec Power Dry
fabric helps to wick moisture
away and keep you dry when
things get a bit hot. A hidden
zip pocket means you can head
to the gym with just your house
key as well, which is a nice touch.
£75 | patagonia.com
Spiro Performance Quick
Dry Short Sleeve T-shirt
It all sounds a bit techy, but the
fast moisture-wicking control in
this top basically keeps your skin
cool and comfy as the room gets
hotter. Even better, the plain
design makes it ideal for getting
something printed on the front,
so you can make a statement.
‘Yippee for yoga’, anyone?
£6 | spiroactivewear.com
Pineapple SoF Hoodie
Getting in touch with your inner
Zen (that’s what yoga is about,
right?) doesn’t mean you can’t
be comfy. This Pineapple hoodie
will do the job nicely, thanks to
the soft cotton lining and the
loose raglan sleeves. It also
has a useful front pocket for
carrying all those joss sticks.
£18 | getthelabel.com
gaiam Super grippy
Yoga gloves
Not got a mat? Look up and left
– there’s one there! If not, these
gloves will help you. The blue
grip dots allow you to take your
mat with you – in a way – and
provide a non-slip surface to
help your balance and stability.
Sport tip: the grip makes them
good for lifting weights, too.
£8 | johnlewis.com
| 63
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MA
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Natio for MenLooking haggard and
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You know who you are.
Fortunately, so does
Natio. Its Age Renewal
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vitamin C reduces the
appearance of wrinkles,
while its lightweight
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firms, replenishes and
repairs. Its Muscle
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(£6.80, 110g), with
peppermint and ginger,
soothes and refreshes
your aching body, while
the Spice of Life Body
Wash (£6.40, 150ml)
with sage, clove and
pepper, cleanses, softens
and removes dead skin
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lookfantastic.com
64 | March 8 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
Dove Men+Care
Depending on your skin type, Dove has you covered: Hydrate+ for dry
skin, Sensitive+ for sensitive skin, Revitalise+ for tired skin and Deep
Clean+ for oily skin. We’ve picked out its Sensitive+ Moisturiser (£8.99,
50ml), because it absorbs quickly and isn’t greasy; its Hydrate+ Post
Shave Balm (£5.49, 100ml), because it reduces irritation and soothes;
and its Revitalise+ and Sensitive+ Shave Gels (both £3.49, 200ml)
because they help prevent razor burn and leave skin smooth. boots.com
Jack Black
This exfoliating Body Rehab Scrub and Muscle Soak (£24.50, 403g),
Turbo Wash Energising Cleaner for Hair & Body (for £16.95, 295ml of
it will “jumpstart the body and awaken the mind”), Dry Down Friction
Free Powder (£14.95, 170g) with a talc-free formula for chafe-free
workouts, and Dragon Ice Relief & Recovery Balm (£18.50, 118ml) is all,
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66 | March 8 2013 |
Extra time Leeann Tweeden
Anaheim
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APIX Syndication
| 67
68 | March 8 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
Sound City
Dave Grohl provides enthusiastic
insight into US rock’s Abbey
Road – LA’s Sound City Studios –
in this lively, funny documentary.
Neil Young, Nirvana, Metallica and
many more all recorded there
and – although the dilapidated
studio closed in 2011 – the sight
of a starstruck Grohl jamming
with Paul McCartney shows the
Sound City ethos endures.
Out Monday
The Servants Klak Tik
You expect the warm, overlapped
vocals from acclaimed alt-folk
band Klak Tik. What we weren’t
expecting is each song packing
in more playful melodies than a
runaway ice cream van, as well
as taking you in just as many
unusual directions. Tracks such
as Fire Souls have the depth and
rich power to wash any lingering
Mumford out of your ears.
Out now
Side EffectsSteven Soderbergh has said that Side
Effects will be his final film before he
takes a possibly permanent break from
directing. Good news that we won’t
have to endure Ocean’s 78, but bad
news if you enjoy intense, intelligent
thrillers – and that’s what Soderbergh
has served up as his parting shot.
Side Effects stars so-hot-right-now
Rooney Mara (above) as a woman
who tries to commit suicide despite
being apparently happy at the release
of her husband from a jail stint for
insider trading. She visits psychiatrist
Jude Law and is eventually put on an
experimental new drug, which helps
dramatically. However, as the title hints,
events soon take several dark turns.
We won’t reveal all here, but safe to say
– with an A-list cast and a director who
has an almost Hitchcockian hand when
it comes to crime, sex and a coiled,
twisting plot – this psychological drama
will keep you guessing right to the end.
Out today
Willow
It was the butt
of a few jokes
(we use the
term loosely) in
Ricky Gervais’
Life’s Too Short,
but Willow is a
fun, flawed, fast-paced fantasy
and very welcome on Blu-ray
25 years after its initial release.
Warwick Davis is the eponymous
Willow: a mocked, would-be
sorcerer who has to protect an
abandoned baby, but it’s Val
Kilmer who steals the show as
an arrogant, selfish, womanising
swordsman. Must have been a
real stretch for him to play the
role. The special effects have
aged, but all-new extras from
Davis and director Ron Howard
show that its creators definitely
still have a big soft spot for it.
As do we.
Out Monday
The Next Day David Bowie
Available to stream now and
to buy from next week, the
latest offering from the Brixton
chameleon doesn’t seem the
album of a 66-year-old recluse.
After kicking off with a jaunty
guitar riff, the concise pop songs
– such as Valentine’s Day – show
Bowie hasn’t lost his way. It’s no
Low, but it’s a better high than
we had any right to expect.
Out Monday
Aping the Beast
Camden Arts Centre
If this is modern art – a towering,
Godzilla-like monster puppet
handmade in latex – well, count
us in. This new, free-to-visit
project from British artist Serena
Korda is focused on fears of the
unknown. It consists of two films,
a series of performances and this
four-metre-tall behemoth. Pop
along and take it some Chewits.
Opens today
Film Blu-ray
DVD MusicMusic Exhibition
SouND AND ViSioN
ET Entertainment Jude Law and Rooney Mara serve up a visual treat, while
David Bowie proves there’s life in the old diamond dog yet