Stadium row forces Saracens to abandon South Africa tie but they plan to be back November 17, 2011 SARACENS chief executive Edward Griffiths insists the club will resurrect attempts to hold a European tie in South Africa, despite yesterday’s dramatic U-turn which saw the Premiership champions axe January’s Heineken Cup match at Cape Town Stadium. The groundbreaking fixture against Biarritz, due to take place on 14 January, had sparked a row in South [...]
SPORT | IN BRIEF November 8, 2011 No freestyle final for Thorpe OLYMPICS: Five-time Olympic champion Ian Thorpe suffered a blow on his first freestyle race since 2004 by failing to qualify for the 100m freestyle final in Beijing. The Australian finished sixth in his heat and 15th overall at the World Cup meet. The 29-year-old also competed in the 100m individual [...]
SPORT | IN BRIEF November 8, 2011 No freestyle final for Thorpe OLYMPICS: Five-time Olympic champion Ian Thorpe suffered a blow on his first freestyle race since 2004 by failing to qualify for the 100m freestyle final in Beijing. The Australian finished sixth in his heat and 15th overall at the World Cup meet. The 29-year-old also competed in the 100m individual [...]
SPORT | IN BRIEF October 25, 2011 France fined for Haka response RUGBY UNION: France have been fined £2,500 for advancing towards the All Blacks’ haka in the build-up to Sunday’s World Cup final. The International Rugby Board imposed the punishment after Les Bleus encroached within the required distance behind the 10-metre line in their own half. Gresini Honda sit out Valencia GP [...]
Johnson blow as critic Cotton to lead review October 12, 2011 UNDER-FIRE Martin Johnson’s hopes of retaining his position as England manager suffered a major setback yesterday when one of his harshest critics, Fran Cotton, agreed to chair an independent review of the entire England structure at the Rugby Football Union. Cotton’s team, which will comprise a two or three-man panel, will be charged with reviewing [...]
Andrew squirms in the spotlight but seems sure to live to fight another day November 16, 2011 AS he faced down the press pack at Twickenham for perhaps the last time, there was no hint of bitterness, injustice or anger etched into Martin Johnson’s most furrowed of brows. Instead he was dignity personified as he confirmed the end of his turbulent three-and-a-half-year reign, eschewing what must have been a temptation to blame [...]
Moody retires from Test stage October 23, 2011 ENGLAND captain Lewis Moody may have called time on his own Test career but the flanker insists under-fire manager Martin Johnson must not follow him out the door. Moody yesterday announced that the World Cup, which ended in the disappointment of a quarter-final defeat to France, would be his last action for the Red Rose. [...]
Coveted Edwards unsure of Welsh future October 17, 2011 HIGHLY-REGARDED Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards is unsure if he will remain in the role after his side returns from their World Cup adventure. The former rugby league star will be on the Welsh bench, potentially for the final time, on Friday for the third-place play-off against Australia. Edwards, also head coach at Wasps, has [...]
England’s World Cup mistakes mirrored by Twickenham chaos October 13, 2011 I WOULD like to see Martin Johnson keep his job and I think he will be asked to stay on, despite England’s disappointing World Cup campaign. But I also think he’ll be expected to make changes within the coaching staff and I’m not sure he’ll be happy to do that. One change I’d welcome would [...]
England’s World Cup mistakes mirrored by Twickenham chaos October 13, 2011 I WOULD like to see Martin Johnson keep his job and I think he will be asked to stay on, despite England’s disappointing World Cup campaign. But I also think he’ll be expected to make changes within the coaching staff and I’m not sure he’ll be happy to do that. One change I’d welcome would [...]