Issue 326 | October 11 2013

On a knifeedge.1 to 11: the factors to decide whether England will make the World Cup cut.

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“I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE

BEYOND: TWO SOULS IN 25 YEARS AS A GAMER”

GOD IS A GEEK

05

Issue 326, October 11 2013

Radar

05 The Book of Mod

A stellar 2012 duly celebrated in

The Official Bradley Wiggins Opus

06 Four Four Jew The exhibition charting the historic

links between Judaism and football

08 Polar Ben We speak to the man repeating

Scott’s trek to the South Pole –

only this lad’s hoping to return alive

1 1 Big-screen adventures Film festival showcases the antics

of thrillseekers across the globe

o this coming weekFeatures

18 Destination Brazil

Two qualifiers in five days could

see England make the World Cup.

We answer 11 crucial questions

31 Andrew Strauss

On Alastair Cook’s captaincy, the

relationship between players and

media... and Kevin Pietersen

34 Jonathan Sexton

From Leinster to Paris via a Lions

series in Australia – the Ireland fly

half reflects on a busy summer

40 Daniel Negreanu One of poker’s biggest stars. He

already knows what’s in your hand

Extra Time

52 Gadgets Find out what stole off with the

plaudits at the recent T3 Awards

54 Kit Canterbury have launched a new

England rugby top – we take a look

56 Entertainment

Benedict Cumberbatch as Julian

Assange: creepier than the original

60 Grooming Catching a train at St Pancras? Get

there early and have a wet shave

18

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Contents

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| October 11 2013 | 03

| October 11 2013 | 05

Radar p08 – Great Scott! Ben Saunders

aims for the South Pole on foot

p06 – Four Four Jew: Judaism and

football at the Jewish Museum

celebration of a heroic summer,

The Official Bradley Wiggins Opus

covers the Modfather of cycling’s

historic Tour de France win and his Olympic

Time Trial victory at London 2012. It unfolds

over 360 leather-bound pages of photographs

– many of which are previously unpublished –

by Team Sky photographer Scott Mitchell

and commentary from Wiggo himself.

“We had an idea, me and Scott, that we

should do a book covering the photos he’d

done with me in the race and in the room and

stuff,” Wiggins explains. “And then, because

101 was my race number and I won the Tour,

this is how it ended up. Most of this is Scott’s

work. I was just the bloke on the bike.”

The Special Edition (£1,199) is limited to

101 copies and includes a piece of one of

Wiggo’s Maillot Jaunes from 2012. The Signed

Edition (£599) is limited to 300 copies,

complete with a scribble from the man

himself, and the Classic Edition (£199) is for

cycling fans who would rather spend silly

money on their own two wheels.

Tour TomeA

www.wiggoopus.com

06 | October 11 2013 |

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Radar

The ‘Y’ word has been in the

news again, at the centre of a

debate over whether Tottenham

fans should still use it self-referentially.

Even David Cameron has commented on

the issue, although he does comment on

absolutely everything. Those interested

in the roots of the relationship between

Judaism and football should check out the

brilliantly named Four Four Jew exhibition

at the Jewish Museum in London.

It brings together a host of revealing

memorabilia, including matchday

programmes from the 1960s, showing

how clubs like Arsenal would cater for

their large Jewish support by rescheduling

games. It also reveals how, by embracing

differences in culture, football actually

helped migrants integrate into local society

– a timely lesson for Mr Cameron, perhaps.

Open until February, jewishmuseum.org.uk

Four Four Jew

There’s a running joke in the

Sport office about how to write

best-selling sports books.

Pick a random sport, a country

and a vehicle at random, and

before you know it you’ll be

cycling in Rwanda, playing

cricket in Cuba or managing

a national football team on a

Pacific Island (all real books).

Some of those crazy

adventurers, plus respected

journalists and former pros,

will come together for the first

ever London Sports Writing

Festival next week, when they

will give a series of talks on

topics ranging from what

makes a good sports book

(the ol’ sport/country/vehicle

combo) to Leo Messi.

Speakers include Wales

rugby captain Sam Warburton,

Wisden editor Lawrence Booth,

the prolific Jonathan Wilson

and dozens of others from

around the sporting world.

October 17-20. Find out more

and book tickets, from £10, at

londonsportswritingfestival.com

Sport talks

08 | October 11 2013 |

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Radar

Poles apart

Dyer StraitS

century ago, Captain Robert Scott and his

team perished on their return journey

from the South Pole after being beaten

there by a Norwegian team using dog sleds. This

week, adventurer Ben Saunders is setting off to do

what Scott couldn’t and complete the trek to the

South Pole and back along the same route –

something that has still never been done

successfully on foot. He talked us through how the

challenges he faces will differ from Scott’s.

Food “We’re eating 6,000 calories a day. It’s pretty

high-tech – it’s all freeze-dried to save weight and

we have a stove that burns liquid fuel. I think

Scott’s men were eating just under 4,000 calories

a day; they weren’t aware of things like vitamin C

then, so scurvy was a big issue. They were, I would

imagine, pretty malnourished for their whole

journey, so there’s a huge difference there.”

Kit“The sledges are about 200 kilos each – most of

that’s food, and then the fuel is the next big chunk

of weight. They’re carbon fibre – we’re obsessed

about saving weight, because obviously the lighter

the sledges are the easier our life is. The skis

and ski poles are carbon fibre, too. Scott and

his men were dragging wooden sleds and tin

boxes and wooden crates and things – it was

a different world.”

Clothes“In a lot of ways it hasn’t changed a lot – the

clothing system is still layers of clothing with a

fairly baggy windproof outer, and we still have fur

round the hoods of the jackets. We cut the labels

out of our clothes and cut the metal tabs off our

zips and replace them with cords to save weight.

Things like zips and Velcro would have been

unimaginable to Scott. We’ve also got polarised

lenses – they change according to the light, so

that means the risk of snow blindness to us is

trivial, whereas for Scott it was a huge concern.

They were all suffering.“

Communication“I think that’s really the biggest difference. We‘re

a very high-tech 21st-century expedition. We have

a little wi-fi hotspot that sits in the sledge and, in

the tent itself, we have two Ultrabooks – very

small, very lightweight, high-powered laptops.

Every evening in the tent we’ll be blogging and

making videos to send back. Someone asked a

while ago: “Would Captain Scott be tweeting?”

Actually, if you look at Scott and [polar explorer Sir

Ernest] Shackleton and all these explorers, they

were all passionate storytellers. They all recorded

their stories as best they could [in letters and

diaries], and shared them in the media of that age.

We use the computers for entertainment, too. As a

reward for really bad days we can watch a movie.

Maybe I’ll take the last series of Breaking Bad.

Nothing too addictive, though.”

History not repeating“We have a safety net that obviously didn’t exist

for Scott 100 years ago – aviation. We’re never out

of reach of being picked up if anything does go

wrong. It is still an extraordinarily remote place –

it’s the same size as China and India put together,

and it is pretty much uninhabited. Luckily for us

dogs are now banned from Antarctica – they were

blamed for introducing a virus there – so there’s

no danger of us being beaten to it by a dog sled

team! But physically, mentally and technologically,

it’s a journey that is still at the very limits of what

is possible.”

A

S

Intel will be powering

Ben’s trip with its

groundbreaking 4th

generation Intel Core

processor technology

ince Sir Bobby Robson died in 2009, hundreds of

thousands of pounds have been raised in his honour

for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation. A new auction is

trying to break the £1m barrier, and a host of sportspeople have

donated prizes.

You can win a pair of boots worn and signed by Jose Mourinho,

a signed (and probably not worn) pair from Shinji Kagawa and,

brilliantly, a trip for three to El Clasico with Kieron Dyer. As long

as he doesn’t get injured on the way.

Find out more at sirbobbysbreakthrough.com

| October 11 2013 | 11

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Radar

Walking onthe moon

Take a walk on the wild side

this month, by going to the

cinema and watching other

people risk their lives while you

wolf down snacks and soft drinks.

The Thrillseekers Adventure Film

Festival is a six-week celebration

of all things dangerous, with three

programmes of films covering

things like tightrope walking in

Moonwalk (pictured, top) and

exploring the way extreme athletes

across the world have embraced

the mountains in Way of Life

(bottom). Still, nothing beats

the adrenaline rush of almost

choking on a piece of popcorn.

Screenings around the UK start on

Monday and run until the end of

November: adventurefest.co.uk

12 | October 11 2013 |

Radar Editor’s letter

Acting editor

Tony Hodson

@tonyhodson1

Sport magazinePart of UTV Media plc

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Email: firstname.lastname@sport-magazine.co.uk

EditorialPublisher: Simon Caney (7951)

Acting editor: Tony Hodson (7954)

Art editor: John Mahood (7860)

Subeditor: Graham Willgoss (7431)

Senior writers:

Sarah Shephard (7958), Alex Reid (7915)

Staff writers:

Mark Coughlan (7901), Amit Katwala (7914)

Picture editor: Julian Wait (7961)

Designer: Matthew Samson (7861)

Digital designer: Chris Firth (7952)

Production manager: Tara Dixon (7963)

Contributors: Jimm Leaf, Francesca Tye

Commercial Head of Sales: Iain Duffy (7991)

Advertising Managers:

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Sales Executive: Joe Grant (7904)

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© UTV Media plc 2013

UTV Media plc takes no responsibility for the content

of advertisements placed in Sport magazine

£1 where sold

Hearty thanks to: Gail Sullivan, Karen Geary,

Becca Mundy, Richard Lennon, Cliona Lewis,

Scott Dimbleby, Harriet Warwick, Harry Harris

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

2008

Total Average Distribution:

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@sportmaguk

facebook.com/sportmagazine

There’s no need to bang on about it too much,

so I won’t. But the next five days of international

football will determine whether or not the infamous

golden generation of English footballers – or what’s left of

it – will survive for one last hurrah in Brazil next summer.

There never was a golden generation, though. There

were two very capable groups of England players that

emerged some years apart and then, for a short time,

overlapped. The first featured the Manchester United trio

of David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville, not to

mention a youthful Michael Owen. In time, they were joined

by Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard, Ashley Cole, John Terry,

Frank Lampard and, of course, Wayne Rooney.

Few remain, at least in the England set-up – and, in our

cover feature this week, one of the questions we ask is

who of Roy Hodgson’s current squad might face the end

of the road should the unthinkable happen and the national

team fail to qualify for Brazil. It’s an interesting debate,

but for now I hope and pray it proves purely theoretical.

A superb Super League Grand Final has put rugby league

firmly front of mind in timely fashion, with a World Cup but

two weeks away. Congratulations should go to Wigan,

who achieved the rare feat of a Challenge Cup/Grand

Final double – and to Blake Green, who recovered from

an early thump from Ben Westwood to put in a stunning

display and waltz off with the Harry Sunderland Trophy.

“Stopping down after a whack in his eye... he needs to get

up and carry on,” said a gloriously unsympathetic Shaun

Wane, the Wigan coach, afterwards. “He said he couldn’t

see anything out of his eye. But in big games like that I

expect him to carry on – and he did, got man of the match,

did some good things. But I do expect it, if I’m honest with

you.” The words ‘old school’ don’t even begin to cover it.

People who have been to Paris for the Prix de l’Arc de

Triomphe tell me it is one of the great occasions in sport.

Well, last Sunday the famous old race enjoyed a winner

worthy of the event when superstar filly Treve destroyed

a world-class field in spectacular style. She may never

race in England, but her French trainer Criquette

Head-Maarek is an engaging character who has already

confirmed that she stays in training next season. The

sport may have found itself an heir to the mighty Frankel.

Final throw of the diceFailure to make the World Cup would spell the very end for the golden generation that never was

Mic

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Reader comments of the week

@sportmaguk any chance

of you doing a football

feature that is non Liverpool

related? There are other

clubs in England and indeed

the world.

@darryl1987

@tonyhodson1 Barkley’s

promising but to mention

Gascoigne in the same

paragraph even is

outrageous. More

imagination please!

@john_o_w

Today’s @Sportmaguk

extract from The Hate

Game: Benn v Eubank by

Ben Dirs is excellent.

If you into boxing or top-

notch sports writing, then

you need to buy the book.

@DarkDyson

I think a lot of athletes

especially football players

should take a leaf out of

#DerrickRose’s book on

rehab! @sportmaguk

@JoCalvino

We’re blessed with free

reads in London but

@Sportmaguk on a Friday

is a fantastic one!

@LewisCPS

Free iPad app available on iPad, Kindle and Android devices

Brilliant article in today’s

@sportmaguk by

@billborrows comparing

mid-prem teams to

budget airlines.

Pure jokes.

@tobijenkins

Get in touch @sportmaguk info@sport-magazine.co.uk

Hands up: who wants to

go to the World Cup?

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14 | October 11 2013 |

Radar Opinion

Flats on Friday

Regular readers of this column – yep, you two – will be astonished to find me

lavishing praise on a Manchester United player.

But it does look like they have a major talent on their

hands in the form of 18-year-old Adnan Januzaj.

Comfortable on the ball, assured and technically gifted,

he could be one part of the answer when the Rooney-

Van Persie partnership inevitably dissolves/implodes.

One thing that makes this potentially distressing

situation almost palatable is that a flash-in-the-pan

performance, particularly from a young striker, is no

guarantee of anything – and United should know that

more than any other team. ‘The New George Best’ is a

label that has been around since Peter Coyne made his

debut for another struggling United team in 1975.

Never heard of him? Exactly. A schoolboy international

who scored two hat-tricks for England, he eventually

made just two appearances for United before dropping

into non-league and washing up at Swindon.

There have been many more since – most recently

Federico Macheda, who exploded on the scene in 2009

with match-winning performances against Aston Villa

and then, peculiarly enough, Sunderland at the Stadium

of Light. He’s most recently been on loan at Doncaster.

Despite David Moyes telling the gentlemen of the

fourth estate that “this club will keep his feet on the

ground because that is what we do”, there is, in reality,

little he can do. And it’s not just United. Every club has its

young stars who fail to fulfil their potential for a whole

host of factors: too much too young; too much expectation;

and, unavoidably but most tragic of all, injury. For every

Wayne Rooney, there are 10 Wayne Harrisons. Boys with

it all who end up with nothing.

When Liverpool paid £250,000 to take Harrison from

Oldham in 1985, he became the world’s most expensive

teenager – but through rank bad luck and a series of

injuries needing more than 20 operations, he retired

from the professional game aged 22, with no appearances

for Liverpool. He ended up turning out in the Stockport

and District League, including once against yours truly.

I was assigned to mark him, he scored two in the first

five minutes and gave me the most torrid morning of my

admittedly piss-poor amateur football career, before

scoring another three and being substituted because

he had to go to work. My point? That, as with Januzaj,

potential is nothing more than potential until it is realised.

@billborrows

Plank of the WeekLewis Hamilton, Japan

“I feel for the fans [today] because I remember watching

when Michael Schumacher was winning,” opined Hamilton

while referencing the merciless domination of Formula 1

by Sebastian Vettel. “I remember watching the start,

going to sleep, then waking up when it ended because

I already knew what would happen.” So that’s what’s

happening. Can I suggest a can of Red Bull? Oh!

It’s like this…Bill Borrows

The hysteria surrounding Jack Wilshere’s cheeky ciggy made me chuckle. There were some who

questioned whether a professional sportsman

ought to get away with such behaviour, while others

wrote and tweeted about sporting legends who’d

thrived on 60 a day. Actually, both sides had a point.

In professional rugby, there’s a lot of pressure:

pressure when the team is picked, pressure when

the game arrives, pressure when you celebrate.

I have one rugby buddy who doesn’t party in public

at all. The last time he did, he was snapped and

splattered all over the shop, looking blurry-eyed

and, to some, unworthy of his status and salary.

It became a risk to let his guard down, so now he

has regular house parties, never daring to finish

a night in a club for fear of smartphone cameras.

What he hasn’t done, though, is stop partying

altogether. Along with most pros, he feels he

occasionally needs some release – and if it takes

a few jars to achieve that, then a few jars it is.

Footballers get a load more cash for their pains,

but endure about a thousand times the pressure.

Imagine being photographed every time you’re out

with your mates. Imagine people automatically

hating you because you play for the ‘wrong’ team.

Imagine someone telling your boss via a national

newspaper how drunk you got on Saturday, then

showing them the pictures. However, because they

earn so much, people seem less sympathetic.

To me, this is a nonsense. They are just lads who

are good at footie, whatever their take-home.

The justified question, I think, is on health: why

would a sportsman damage himself by smoking?

I have played with plenty of blokes who enjoyed a

fag after training, and plenty who smoke the odd

one after a few pints. I even tried it myself once or

twice, but never really enjoyed it. A cigarette every

so often will do very little harm, but it surely won’t

help at all when it comes to exercising your lungs,

so it seems a stupid thing to do.

As a senior pro, all you want is for young lads to

listen to your advice and avoid the mistakes you

made. Some realise early on that their bodies are

what will keep them at the top, so they commit to

never doing a thing to compromise that vehicle.

No booze, no fags, no white bread – you get the

point. Others do the reverse, using temporary

notoriety and disposable income to large it by night,

impressing women and bystanders along the way.

For me, neither approach works regularly

enough. For the vast majority of professionals,

there has to be a balance. They have to work like

stink and perform, but they also have to let go

sometimes. Old Jack shouldn’t really be smoking

outside London bars, but he should be allowed to

party a bit. After all, he’s just a lad.

@davidflatman

Da

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No smoke without bluster

Splat!“Tony’s got more chance of winning the Euromillions

than beating me... I’ll prove with my fists that I’m

the better man with the bigger balls... October 5

should be renamed Fireworks Night because I’ll

be letting off some big rockets, straight at Tony

Owen’s chin!” They were the words of Danny Connor

before last weekend’s Southern Area Light

Welterweight Championship. And then Tony Owen

punched him hard on the nose and all those words

went up in smoke. Who’d be a trash-talker, eh?

16 | October 11 2013 |

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Frozen in time

| 17

World Cup

18 | October 11 2013 |

This is England.From 1 to 11: the puzzles that need solving on the Three Lions’ World Cup quest

| 19

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England’s footballing history is littered with unfortunate goalkeeping tales. In 1970, food

poisoning robbed Alf Ramsey of Gordon Banks for a

World Cup quarter final against West Germany, with

unfortunate replacement Peter ‘The Cat’ Bonetti at

fault for one of three goals the Germans scored in

knocking out the defending champions. In 2007,

with doubts over the form of Paul Robinson, then

manager Steve McClaren opted to throw Scott

Carson into the Three Lions’ den for a decisive

European Championship qualifier at home to Croatia;

a nervous Carson duly dropped a clanger in another

3-2 defeat, which dumped England out and left the

head coach up the creek with nothing but an

oversized umbrella to protect him. And, in 2010,

Fabio Capello inexplicably refused to name his

first-choice keeper until the day of England’s

opening World Cup match against the United States.

An unnecessarily intense focus on the eventual

chosen one, Rob Green, must surely have played a

part in the howler that gifted the opposition a 1-1

draw – and set the tone for a dismal team campaign.

And so to 2013, when the supposedly untouchable

Joe Hart finds himself experiencing a career-low dip

in form that shows no sign of abating. Despite

keeping six clean sheets in 12 appearances this

season, the 26-year-old has made high-profile

errors for both club – against Cardiff, Aston Villa

and Bayern Munich – and country, against Scotland

at Wembley in August. Increasingly uncertain under

crosses and worryingly weak of wrist when faced

with shots of any significant power, Hart looks a

shadow of the composed and confident figure who

made more saves than any other goalkeeper in an

impressive campaign at Euro 2012.

With no great experience among the alternatives,

Roy Hodgson has openly backed Hart as his number

one – a move England goalkeeping legend Peter

Shilton wholeheartedly supports. “Hart’s form is

bound to be a hot topic with the sort of goals that

have been going in,” he says. “But Manuel Pellegrini

hasn’t criticised him at his club and Hodgson has

backed him, which is the right thing to do. Joe knows

he’s not been up to his usual standards, but those

performances have gone now. All he has to concern

himself with is getting in the right physical and

mental shape for these two games. It’s vital we have

an alert and confident Joe Hart between the sticks.

“When he first came into the England team, his

confidence spread through the whole side, and it’s

all about that self-belief now. He needs to shrug

off the criticism, work hard in training and get

toughened up mentally. I hope he’s the kind of

character who can do that. He’s still young and

there are technical things he still needs to learn, but

he has always shown confidence, and hopefully that

is going to come through now. If you’re going to be

a top-class international goalkeeper, you have to

overcome these problems and be strong.”

Hart retains the support of Hodgson and looks

certain to start both of these qualifiers. Now would

be a very good time to prove his manager correct,

and display exactly the qualities Shilton speaks of.

1. Is Joe Hart an accident waiting to happen?

P W D L F A PtsEngland 8 4 4 0 25 3 16Ukraine 8 4 3 1 19 4 15Montenegro 8 4 3 1 15 8 15Poland 8 3 4 1 18 9 13Moldova 8 1 2 5 4 15 5San Marino 8 0 0 8 1 43 0

FridayEngland v Montenegro (ITV, 8pm)

Moldova v San Marino

Ukraine v Poland

TuesdayEngland v Poland (ITV, 8pm)

Montenegro v Moldova

San Marino v Ukraine

The job is a very simple one for Roy Hodgson and his team in the

next four days. Win their two

remaining qualifiers, both at home

against Montenegro and Poland, and

they will qualify for next year’s World

Cup as group winners – at which point

we can all breathe a huge sigh of relief

and look forward to a summer of high

hopes, near misses and ultimate

dismay. Ah, how we long for you all.

Fail to do so, however, and England

could be usurped at the top of the group

by chief rivals Ukraine, who will fancy

their chances of collecting maximum

points from a home tie against Poland

(Ukraine won the away fixture 3-1

in March) tonight and a trip to San

Marino on Tuesday.

First things first, however. A win

against Montenegro tonight guarantees

England a top-two finish in the group,

and leaves qualification totally in their

own hands when Poland come knocking

on the Wembley door on Tuesday. A draw

could see automatic qualification slip

from their grasp, but still leaves the

team in control of its own destiny with

regards to a playoff place, while a defeat

would likely leave Hodgson and co

needing results to go their way on

Tuesday if they are to sneak into the

playoffs through the back door.

The final option is almost too terrifying

to contemplate, so let’s not bother. >

2. What is the task at hand?

World Cup

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England’s home advantage in these two qualifiers is offset by the

theory that ‘new’ Wembley isn’t the intimidating fortress of old, where the Twin Towers would

see Johnny Foreigner knock-kneed in

terror. Rather, the modern Wembley is

a spectacularly arched but essentially

unintimidating, vacuous stadium

that’s low on atmosphere, and high

on quickly discontented fans.

But the stats don’t bear this out.

England’s win percentage at new

Wembley since their first senior

match there in June 2007 is 68.6 per

cent – up on the 59.2 per cent at the

old Wembley. In 16 competitive games

in their new digs, England’s sole defeat

is the 3-2 reverse to Croatia as the

home side failed to get to Euro 2008.

On top of the strong home

qualification form, England have

managed to beat Brazil and Spain in

friendlies at home over the past two

years, even if a team of football

scientists couldn’t actually explain

how the latter result occurred.

Spain themselves remain the

benchmark for home form: they have

won 24 of their 26 Spain-based

internationals since June 2007.

However, a more realistic barometer

of England’s home record is the form

of Russia: the closest European team

above England in the FIFA rankings.

Over the same period England have

been at new Wembley, Russia have

won 18 of 28 home matches, with four

defeats. The reassuring conclusion is

that England remain a daunting team

in home conditions. >

3. Who are the players England need to fear?

Poland: Robert Lewandowski

Stand down, Lionel Messi. Take a

back seat, Cristiano Ronaldo. Neither

player produced the finest individual

display of last season’s Champions

League. That honour belongs to

Robert Lewandowski. The Borussia

Dortmund front man scored all four

goals as his side bested Real Madrid

4-1 in the first leg of the

competition’s semi final.

A strapping 6ft with assured

technique and a wide array of

finishes, Lewandowski is also in

form: eight goals in 10 games this

season. Stopping a goalscorer of his

quality isn’t easy, so the best thing

for England to do is to close down

the supply. That means restricting

Lewandowski’s club mate Jakub

Błaszczykowski: his preferred

position is right wing, but it will be

interesting to see if he switches

during this match. Leighton Baines or

(if fit) Ashley Cole are fine left-backs;

Poland may see England’s right flank

as a more vulnerable option.

Montenegro: Dejan Damjanovic

The class of the Montenegrin team

lies in captain and Juventus striker

Mirko Vucinic and tricksy (if so far

underused,) Man City imp Stevan

Jovetic. But fitness concerns hang

over both, so Montenegro’s main

threat may come from someone

who’s already given England a

demonstration of his prowess.

Dejan Damjanovic plays for FC

Seoul in South Korea’s K League,

where he’s highly prolific (more than

100 goals in 180-odd games). The

30-year-old forward changed the

game when he came on at half-time

against England in Podgorica in

March this year, adding creativity

and menace, and it was appropriate

he scored the (admittedly scrappy)

equaliser to make it 1-1. Damjanovic

has also hit crucial goals elsewhere

in this campaign: the sole strike

in victory in the Ukraine, and the

opening goal in a 1-1 draw against

Poland. He’s in form, a natural

finisher and a muscular handful.

4. New Wembley: a help or a hindrance?

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World Cup

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5. What does the past teach us?

a) To take nothing for grantedEngland 1 Poland 1, October 17 1973

Much has been made of the heroic antics of Jan

Tomaszewski in the Polish goal on that fateful

Wembley evening 40 years ago, but that history

still reports England as the unlucky non-qualifiers

of the piece misses two important points. First,

that, for all England’s heritage as world champions

but seven years previous, they went into this game

on the back of a home draw with Wales and an

away defeat in Chorzow. Second, that this was a

Poland team that would go on to finish third in West

Germany the following summer. Yes, England

missed a hatful of chances in the game, but this

was a team that underestimated supposedly

inferior opposition – and paid a heavy price.

b) To get the job doneSan Marino 1 England 7, November 17 1993

The most painful thing about this awful night in late

1993 wasn’t the calamitous defending that saw

San Marino score after eight seconds. No, it was

the hope that Poland might yet beat Holland – a

result that would have given England a slim chance

of qualifying for the 1994 World Cup. They didn’t, of

course (two goals from Dennis Bergkamp helped

ease the Dutch to a 3-1 win), but the real damage

to a campaign infamously led by Graham Taylor had

already been done: in April, when a 2-0 home lead

against Holland evaporated, the Dutch grabbing

a barely-merited draw; in June, when Norway

inflicted a 2-0 defeat on Taylor and co; and in

October, when Holland won in Rotterdam.

c) That England can deliverItaly 0 England 0,October 11 1997

Despite having lost to Italy at Wembley eight

months earlier, England travelled to Rome knowing

that a draw in the reverse fixture would be enough

to secure them a place at France ‘98. Star striker

Alan Shearer was missing through injury, and the

failures of four years previous were to the

forefront of people’s minds. On Glenn Hoddle’s

finest night as a manager, however, an England

team majestically led by a bloodied Paul Ince stood

firm in the face of an Italian onslaught. They could

have won it when a late Ian Wright shot hit the post,

then lost it as Christian Vieri headed agonisingly

wide just seconds later. As it was, they did neither:

they went needing a draw, and they got one.

6.Why can’t English players keep the ball?

Former England manager – and one of the greatest English passing players –

Glenn Hoddle offers his thoughts

on England’s struggle with retaining

possession:

"Other countries around the world have

nurtured their young talent and coached

them in the right way, to feel comfortable

on the ball and in possession. Every year [in

England], players come through with plenty

of talent with the football, but we don’t

have enough who are then encouraged to

continue with their natural abilities on the

ball and in possession. They have their gifts

coached out of them by coaches looking for

results, not to develop gifted footballers.

"It needs the FA to take control of the

elite group of young players and give them

an education in football in a residential

academy. It needs five satellite academies

under the control of the FA and not

affiliated to any club. We now have St

George’s Park, but I felt, on a smaller scale,

the system at Lilleshall worked better with

a residential element to it – and that needs

to be rolled out on a far bigger scale.

"Parents will be comforted by knowing

that the FA-backed schools would not be

controlled by the clubs, and the kids were

being given a proper education at all levels. 

All their welfare, nutrition, physical

development and schooling would all be

done in-house, like a private elite finishing

school for the very best young players.

"Then, in 10 years, watch the benefits

when these boys are placed into the

system, and eventually play for England.

"We need to bring along more

[Jack] Wilsheres, more [Ross]

Barkleys. We need residential

schools to educate players and

revamp the way coaches teach

them. If we don’t, we will continue

to struggle at international level.

"I am passionate about England,

always have been as a player and

manager. I still am. And I want to

see the system revamped at every level.

The mood is there to make changes – if we

do, I believe we could change a generation

of footballers within 10 years." >

Glenn Hoddle is doing his bit to discover and

improve young footballers with the launch of

Zapstarz – a unique search for the next

generation of players. zapsportz.com/#zapstarz

World Cup

24 | October 11 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

7. Can Roy Hodgson win these games?

Yes, yes he can. Liverpool supporters may disagree, but when

viewed as a single body of work,

Hodgson’s record in his 37 years

as a manager shows that, when the

pressure is on, he can deliver.

He has won eight trophies and took

an ordinary international team –

Switzerland – to two major

tournaments, being ranked as high

as third in the world by FIFA.

In recent years, his stint as Fulham

boss best demonstrates his ability to

keep his head when all seems lost.

In his first season (2007-08) he was

faced with a relegation fight, but

inspired his side to win four of their

last five – including a 3-2 victory (with

a Diomansy Kamara goal in the last

minute) at Man City, having been 2-0

down after 70 minutes.

Two years later, Fulham were in

Europe and Hodgson gave Cottagers

fans one of their greatest nights.

Losing 3-1 to the mighty Juventus

after the first leg, Fulham went

further behind when David Trezeguet

scored in the second minute at

Craven Cottage – yet somehow, Roy

galvanised his troops to score four

unanswered goals.

A similar story ensued in the semi

final against Hamburg, which was

goalless after the first leg. The

Germans scored an away goal early in

the return fixture but again, Hodgson

remained calm – and second-half goals

from Simon Davies and Zoltan Gera

saw Fulham to the final. It was a final

they lost in extra time – against the

more-fancied Atletico Madrid, boasting

a forward line of Sergio Aguero and

Diego Forlan – but just getting there

was an exceptional achievement.

He may do it the hard way, but right

now England fans will gladly take ‘just

getting there’.

8. Do England have a surprise package?

Both Poland and Montenegro will be fully aware of England’s more obvious stars, but sometimes in international

football a gifted young tyro can sneak under the opposition radar and

cause havoc as a relatively unknown quantity. England have two dynamic young

midfielders in their squad, neither of whom has started a full international game

for their country, with the potential to fulfil the brief.

Andros Townsend’s world-record attempt to play on loan for all 92

league clubs has finally come to an end, and he’s had an exciting

start to the season with Tottenham. Harry Redknapp even

compared the pacy, 22-year-old winger to Arjen Robben, which

seems like slightly steep praise (perhaps he just means the

prematurely receding hairline). Townsend’s advantage to England is

his position: a natural wide right player not shy of taking on defenders.

The absence of Theo Walcott and doubts about the somewhat rural qualities

of James Milner means Townsend is definitely an option.

On form, however, 19-year-old Ross Barkley is the young England player who

really stands out. A refreshingly direct, skilful, powerful bag of tricks, the

midfielder has thrived ‘in the hole’ for Roberto Martinez’s attacking Everton

side. There’s a school of thought that suggests a player like this – immensely

talented and clearly playing without the weight of expectation on his young but

broad shoulders – should just be risked to cause chaos. But his position would

seem to naturally clash with the likes of Wayne Rooney or Jack Wilshere.

It seems unlikely he’ll start, but Roy Hodgson showed at times during Euro 2012

that he’s not afraid to put on attacking players. Barkley could well see some

action off the bench. >All

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*Specifi cations verifi ed by Strategy Analytics’ SpecTRAX service as of 7th of August 2013, for more information on Strategy Analytics’ results go to: www.sonymobile.com/testresultsOnly valid with the purchase of Xperia™ Z Ultra, Xperia™ Z1 and Xperia™ Tablet Z. Redemption requires Xperia Privilege app, available on Google Play. This promotion starts on 16th September 2013 and shall run until 31st December 2013. The promotion can be redeemed till 31st January 2014. Exclusive movie access pass to the digital release available from Saturday 14th December 2013. Music Unlimited promotion is only available for users who have not previously subscribed to any Music Unlimited premium subscriptions nor Music Unlimited premium free trials. Titles are subject to change without prior notice. Promotions may vary by market, terms and conditions apply, please see in-store leafl et for more information or visit sonymobile.com/entertainment. © 2013 Layout and Design Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Amazing Spider-Man™, the Movie © 2012 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Marvel, and the names and distinctive likenesses of Spider-Man and all other Marvel characters: ™ and © 2013 Marvel Entertainment, LLC & its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved. © 2012 Visiona Romantica, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sony, make.believe, WALKMAN, Sony Entertainment Network and their logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Corporation. Xperia is a trademark or registered trademark of Sony Mobile Communications AB.PlayStation is a trademark or registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. All titles, content, publisher names, trademarks, artwork, and associated imagery are trademarks and/or copyright material of their respective owners and were available when this material was printed. All Rights Reserved.

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World Cup

| October 11 2013 | 27

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,

A question that so troubled all England fans ahead of the 0-0 draw in Ukraine, where Hodgson was without an injured

Wayne Rooney, an also-injured Daniel Sturridge, an also-also-injured

Andy Carroll and the suspended Danny Welbeck. Rickie Lambert got the nod

and put in an admirable shift with little or no support, but three of the

aforementioned quartet are back for these two huge games – and former England

striker Alan Shearer is in no doubt as to who Hodgson should start with.

“Roy is delighted to have Rooney and Sturridge available for these games,

and the way that both have started the season I don’t think there is any other

option,” he says.

Should it be a concern that the pair have spent only 33 minutes as

teammates, in the 1-1 friendly draw against Ireland in May?

“Not necessarily,” says the Match of the Day pundit. “I had to really work at my

partnership with Chris Sutton when we won the league at Blackburn, but I didn’t

have to work at all when it came to playing with Teddy Sheringham for England

– I knew Teddy’s game inside-out, he knew mine, and it just clicked. It looks as

though Sturridge has that with Luis Suarez at Liverpool already, and hopefully

he can find the same with Rooney over the next couple of games.”

9. Who starts in attack?

If England fail to qualify for the World Cup, an axe could scythe through the squad’s 30-and-overs. So who survives for the Euro 2016 campaign, and who’s for the chop?

10. What if England don’t make it?

Michael CarrickMidfield, 32Carrick has long been an

international head-scratcher: a

first-choice Manchester United

midfielder trusted by Sir Alex

Ferguson, but not by any England

manager. He’s entering his autumn

years, but the smooth passer

doesn’t rely on his engine. There’s

hope for him yet, if any England

gaffer actually takes a shine to him.

Verdict: Safe

Ashley ColeLeft-back, 32There’s competition for his place

from younger legs (not just Leighton

Baines, but also Luke Shaw and

Kieran Gibbs) but Cole will not be

cast aside lightly. That rarity – an

England player who can reproduce

superb club form for his country –

and also the most consistent English

international of his generation has

a few more years left, we hope.

Verdict: Safe

Jermain DefoeForward, 31Defoe’s record for England is

positive: 19 goals in 54 appearances

is especially impressive when you

consider that more than half of his

caps have seen him coming off the

bench. However, England aren’t

short of young forwards, and Defoe

could be considered surplus to

requirements for a rebuilding job

aimed at success in 2016.

Verdict: Gone

Steven GerrardMidfield, 33His England form is good – and the

captain was a class act at Euro 2012

– but he’ll turn 36 before Euro 2016,

so it seems illogical to build a

midfield around Gerrard. Chances

are that the Liverpool ace could call

time on his own international career

if England fail to qualify for the World

Cup – or after Brazil 2014, even if

they do.

Verdict: Gone

Phil JagielkaCentral defender, 31A first-choice under Hodgson, even

if he didn’t convince entirely in the

0-0 away game in the Ukraine.

However, Jagielka has only just

turned 31 and this isn’t like eight

years ago, when England had Sol

Campbell, Rio Ferdinand and John

Terry to pick from. Decent central

defenders are in short supply, so

Jagielka is a keeper.

Verdict: Safe

Rickie LambertForward, 31We had the pan-faced audacity to bin

fellow 31-year-old forward Defoe,

but now we’re saying Lambert may

survive. The logic is that, in the

ongoing absence of Andy Carroll,

a burly powerhouse up front is

something the England squad lack.

Lambert’s unlikely but likeable

England career may just survive

World Cup non-qualification.

Verdict: Safe

Frank LampardMidfield, 35We’re still hoping that a central

midfield partnership with Steven

Gerrard might yet gel… but this is an

easy call. Lampard turns 36 next

summer and his England career will

end within the next 12 months. After

it does, the Londoner can put his

Plates of Meat up and reflect on an

England career rich in goals,

if lacking in team glories.

Verdict: Gone

Roy HodgsonManager, 66We double checked it on Wikipedia:

Uncle Roy is definitely over 30. He’s

also definitely fired if England fail to

qualify for Brazil. We’re all too smart

to just blame the manager for

England’s woes nowadays, but

questions will be asked of Hodgson’s

inability to beat teams that aren’t

the whipping boys during these

qualifiers thus far. >

Verdict: Gone

World Cup

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“I don’t think you’ll find many people saying they would expect us to go to Brazil and win the

World Cup,” says Alan Shearer. “I think that’s us

as a nation being as honest as we can; it’s going to

take us time to gel as a squad and build towards

winning a Euros or a World Cup again. Let’s just get

there first and worry about winning it later on.”

Shearer is of course right, but should we qualify it

will be Hodgson’s job to ensure his team arrives in

Brazil properly prepared and ready to banish the

ghosts of an anaemic campaign in South Africa.

With that in mind, the manager would have a

number of issues to address with regards to his

starting line-up. A return to form for Joe Hart in goal

would be very welcome, while Hodgson’s concern will

grow if one of his chosen centre-backs, Gary Cahill,

continues to sit on the bench at Chelsea.

There are also decisions to be made in midfield.

Steven Gerrard wears the captain’s armband and

will always be picked, but the team’s inability to

properly keep possession throughout Hodgson’s

tenure (and for some years before it) suggests the

current set-up needs to be looked at. The clamour

for Manchester United’s Michael Carrick looks likely

to continue, while Jack Wilshere needs to prove his

form, Tom Cleverley his class and Frank Lampard

that age is not finally catching up with him. And, if he

continues the form with which he has started the

season, it will be hard for the manager to ignore the

claims of Everton starlet Ross Barkley – Roberto

Martinez's faith in the youngster has paid off richly

for the Toffees.

Much as he splits opinion, a returning Theo Walcott

would offer the express pace that so terrifies

defenders at international level; he would remain a

favourite to start out wide on the right, which leaves

the ongoing debate about the troublesome left-hand

side. As things stand, your guess is as good as ours

– but if Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge stay fit

and work well together further forward, it wouldn’t

be a huge surprise to see Danny Welbeck (a Hodgson

favourite) deployed there.

Much to ponder, then. Here’s hoping the manager

can still ponder it all come Wednesday morning.

11. What if England do make it?

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Andrew Strauss

| October 11 2013 | 31

You banned newspapers from the dressing

room as England captain. Has your view of

the media changed now you’re working in it?

“In a way, but it’s also reaffirmed why, as

a sportsman, you shouldn’t be concerned

about the media. It’s not for you. If you spend

all your time checking tweets, reading

articles and being distracted, then you’re the

only one to blame because you’re reading it.

I suppose, working in it, I’ve seen that people

in the media are generally much more

supportive of English teams than you believe

when you’re on the other side of the fence.

But at the same time, I don’t think England

players should go out of their way to court

the media.”

How was it commentating for Sky and

critiquing players who were very recently

your teammates?

“For the first year or so, you’re given a bit of

leeway, because what they want you to bring

to the commentary is more of a [current]

player’s view on things. That allows you to

avoid overt criticism. Ultimately, though, if

someone plays a bad shot, you’re stupid if

you don’t say it’s a bad shot. The players

understand that. Also, the type of character

I am, if I criticise someone, I will try and

do it in a way that’s constructive. I’m not

going to try to nail anyone. Maybe there

are people in the media who do have

wider agendas.”

During your time as England skipper, who

was the easiest player to captain – and who

was the trickiest?

“It’s funny. You connect easier with some

players. For me, that meant people like

Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Marcus

Trescothick and so on. They had very similar

views on life, and the game of cricket in

particular, to myself. It’s a bit harder with

the guys who see the game differently,

because you’ve got to appreciate where

they’re coming from. I suppose someone like

Kevin Pietersen, for instance, would be

harder to deal with in that respect. But

having said that, the vast majority of the

time that I spent with him, I think we had

a pretty good and healthy relationship.”

You cover the incident of Kevin Pietersen

sending texts about you to South African

players in 2012 in your book. How are

things between you now?

“I saw him quite a lot during the summer and

there’s no problem. Life’s too short to worry

about something that happened over a

two-week period when I’ve known and played

with a guy for more than 10 years. We’ve

moved on and things are absolutely fine.”

You’re clearly very close to current captain

Alastair Cook. Does he ever pick your brains?

“Occasionally we’ll have the odd little chat.

But I don’t think he’s sitting there, >

Dangers down under, media

traps and his relationship

with Kevin Pietersen – as his

autobiography is published

this month, former England

cricket captain Andrew

Strauss opens up to Sport

Ashes and Fire

| October 11 2013 | 33

“I lIke MIchael clarke’s posItIve attItude – although soMetIMes you could argue that It verges on the reckless”

Andrew Strauss

agonising over a decision, thinking: ‘Oh, I

should ask Straussy about this this’. He is

forging his own way. I’m always at the end

of the phone if he wants to chat about

something, but by and large he doesn’t need

or want to use me as that sort of confidant

– and rightly so.”

What makes cook the cricketer he is?

“He’s one of those people who is incredibly

determined. What’s amazing about him is

that he doesn’t fail. He may fail for a short

while, but he’ll overcome it. He’s done that

all the way though his career. It’s probably

the most important trait for any cricketer

to have.”

What did you think would be the hardest

challenge for him when he took over the

captaincy from you?

“Talking to the media was never his strength,

but he’s improved a huge amount over the

course of the job, just because you have to

do it so much. That was one area where he

was conscious of [improving]. As England

captain, you’re the mouthpiece of the side,

so it’s quite important that you get that

area right. I think he’s doing a good job

of it, actually.”

What’s your assessment of Michael clarke

as a captain?

“I tell you what: one of the biggest problems

with judging captains – and I think the media

fall into this trap all the time – is judging

them on what their field placings are. That is

a relatively small part of the job. The main

role you have as a captain is as a leader, and

most of the time that’s done off the pitch, so

we can’t see into that. We don’t know what

goes on in the dressing rooms. I think

Michael Clarke has a very good feel for the

game of cricket and I quite like his positive

attitude – although sometimes you could

argue that it verges on the reckless. But

I don’t know what happens in the dressing

room. The players who play under him are

the only ones who really know how good

or otherwise he is.”

clarke is good mates with shane Warne,

who attacked cook a lot in commentary

this summer. Was that warranted?

“One of the things in the commentary box or

in the media in general is that you’re looking

for people to have opinions on things.

You don’t always agree with them, but that’s

not a problem. We all see cricket in different

ways. Shane Warne played the game of

cricket in a very similar way to Michael

Clarke. It was very successful for Shane and

he’s got every right to say that he didn’t think

England were playing the right way. I would

maybe argue that you just need to look at the

Ashes scoreline.”

Was england’s ashes performance a

disappointment, despite the result?

“I don’t think England played nearly as well as

they can do, and a lot of the batsmen had poor

series. You’ve got to give credit to Australia’s

bowling for exploiting that. But we still won

3-0 without playing very well, and I expect

England to play better in Australia. Although

Australia have home advantage and they will

be more competitive, in pure cricketing

terms, England are still the stronger side and

should have enough to win out there.”

What are the challenges of captaining

england in an away ashes series?

“The whole Australian population will go quite

hard at England, including the media. One of

the real challenges in Australia is how you

start. If you start badly, you just can’t get

away from it. Everywhere you look, you’re

being vilified and attacked – not physically,

but it becomes a very hard and lonely place.

I’ve experienced it first-hand in the 2006-07

Ashes, so that first Test match is crucial.

Keeping people out of trouble is crucial.

Also, make sure you don’t get distracted

too much.”

looking back on your own playing career,

is there anything you’d change?

“The further I got with writing this book, the

more I thought: I’ve just been unbelievably

fortunate. First, to jump through all the hoops

and get to international cricket having not

really been part of the system [as a young

player]. Then to play 100 Test matches, to

captain England in 50 of them – it’s just been

a ridiculous fairytale that I didn’t quite

appreciate while I was going through it.

So did I make every decision correctly? No.

Would I like to have taken back some of the

dumb shots I’ve played? Yes. But I had a

pretty good run.”

In the book, you mention seeing daniel

radcliffe on tv in 2005, saying he watched

so much cricket that he dreamed about you

chasing him with a bat. ever dreamed about

cricketers – or about wizards?

“Well, I always dreamed about cricket. I had that

anxiety dream of having to go out to bat and

being late and not being able to get my pads on

in time, and so on. I used to wake up and think:

‘Oh, not that dream again!’ But I didn’t have

any nightmares about wizards or about

Daniel Radcliffe. I mean, I had some real-life

nightmares against people like [South Africa’s]

Morne Morkel, who’s a bowler I don’t miss

facing at all. But that was different.”

Alex Reid @otheralexreid

Driving Ambition,

published by Hodder

& Stoughton, is out

now. Andrew Strauss

will be signing copies

of his autobiography

at Chapter One

Bookshop, Reading

RG5 3JH on Saturday

October 12, 12pm

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34 | October 11 2013 |

Jonathan Sexton

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The shirt may be unfamiliar, the surroundings new, but Jonathan Sexton is settling nicely into life at Racing Metro. Ahead of this year’s Heineken Cup kick-off, we headed over to France to catch up with the new man in town

Star in stripes

Oh god, he doesn’t want to talk

to us. We don’t want to sound

paranoid, but as we’re shuffling

nervously through Jonathan Sexton’s

garden, having failed to get an answer at the

front door, you can see where we’re coming

from. After all, downtime has been at a

premium for the Dubliner in a summer that

has featured a successful Lions series,

a wedding to his childhood sweetheart, a

honeymoon in Vegas and a move to a new

country and a whole new club. Why would he

want to spend a free evening with us?

Thankfully, one cup of tea later and we

couldn’t feel more welcome as we sit

chatting about life in Paris, our slightly

odd arrival (the doorbell doesn’t work,

apparently) and Sexton’s new book.

What, then, has the 28-year-old made of

his crazy summer?

“It’s been brilliant, but I haven’t really had

a moment to digest anything,” he laughs.

“I was getting phone calls from Laura when I

was with the Lions telling me: ’We’ve bought

this couch, we’ve sent this over, I’ve booked

this for the wedding.’ And it was all just:

’Grand, grand, grand.’ Laura did everything,

to be fair. Absolutely everything.” Behind

every great man, and all that.

Married, settled in Paris and now one of

the highest-paid players in Europe. Clearly,

things are going well for Sexton, but it’s on

the field where he will be judged. And, for

a man who shies away from the limelight,

that’s exactly how he likes it. To rugby

matters, then, and how is life at Racing?

“It’s good,” he confirms. “It’s great to go

training every day because the facilities are

so good here. It was tough at first, because

we had like 14 new players, new coaches and

all new staff. So it took a few weeks to get to

a good level. Now we’re starting to play some

better stuff, which has helped me settle. No

matter how good life is, if you’re not going

well in your professional life, it can be tough.”

And what of the new routine? How is

Racing’s new number 10 enjoying the lack of

rest time he would have been so used to in

Leinster? “It’s pretty mad. All the guys I was

with on the Lions tour – the Irish lads, anyway

– are hardly even back playing yet, and I’ve

played eight or so games. That says a lot.”

Johnny foreignerIf the busy summer and lack of rest was

tough, Sexton has had to step outside his

comfort zone in other ways, too. A new

language is top of his agenda, but after more

than 10 years of playing with Ireland and

Leinster he also had to introduce himself to

two new squads: Lions and Racing Metro .

“That’s been strange alright,” he admits.

“I’m not used to getting to know so many

new faces because a ’big change’ at Leinster

would be three or four new faces coming in.

On top of that, it’s strange being the

foreigner. Once I get more comfortable with

the language, and I guess more comfortable

with my surroundings, I’ll get more vocal.

But it’s been tough trying to talk much during

training and meetings and so on. It’s very

easy to sit down at lunch and not speak a

word of French because there are South

African and other home nations lads here,

so it’s nice to not have to rack your brains

all the time.” >

36 | October 11 2013 |

Jonathan SextonD

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Throw in players from as far afield as

Argentina, Georgia and Fiji, and it is clear

that Racing is a cosmopolitan environment.

That mix of nationalities, and experience, will

be tested this weekend, when Racing face

Clermont Auvergne in their Heineken Cup

opener. After failing to get out of their group

for the past two years, are Racing targeting

European glory this season?

“Definitely,” Sexton says. “And it could be

the last Heineken Cup, so I’m sure every

team will be motivated. We’ve got a lot of new

signings, but we’ve started playing a bit

better and we know we’ve got to hit the

ground running. We have a massive game

to start the group. I know from experience

that if you win your first game, it makes

everything’s a lot easier. If you lose that first

game, it’s a hard slog to get out of the group.”

Sexton is a huge fan of the Heineken Cup

– “it’s too big a competition for all the parties

to not just sit down and work something out,”

he says of its uncertain future – and it’s no

surprise, because in many ways it’s the

competition that has shaped his career.

Sadly, though, last season saw Sexton and

Leinster fall at the group stages. “I thought it

was there for the taking, especially with the

final at the Aviva,” he admits. “I suppose the

Amlin is improving as a competition every

year, so it was nice to have a go at that.

At the same time, after you’ve won the

European Cup a few times, lifting the Amlin

wasn’t the same. Once we missed out on the

Heineken Cup, the big one for us was the

Rabo final, because we’d lost it three times

in a row. It was nice to win that, and a great

way to finish for guys like Joe Schmidt, Isa

Nacewa and so on. Those guys deserved

a proper send-off.”

As did Sexton himself, though you get the

feeling the way things ended in Ireland still

hurt. We wonder if the assumption that he

moved for the money annoys him. He takes

a deep breath – clearly this is a path he has

been taken down several times recently.

“The money represents how someone

values you,” he says. “So it’s not about the

actual money; it’s about how things were

done at the start of the negotiations. Both

parties probably could have done things

better, but I still have a great relationship

with everyone at Leinster, which is good.”

And what of the Irish Rugby suits – the men

responsible for the offer that saw Sexton’s

head turn to foreign shores? “I dunno, it’s

nothing too personal,” he offers. “At times, I

probably took it too personal, you know what

I mean? They were trying to do the best for

the IRFU and every player is trying to do the

best for themselves. I was angry at the time,

but I don’t have any grudges and I felt like

I finished on good terms with the IRFU.

“I hope to still play for Ireland, I have huge

respect for [new head coach] Joe Schmidt,

and I think he’ll be brilliant for Ireland. Having

said that, he was Leinster coach when I

ended up leaving, so Christ knows what he’ll

be saying to me next time I see him!”

Sexton will have to wait until the Autumn

Internationals before a potential reunion with

Schmidt, but for now we want to move from

the green of Ireland to the famous red of the

British and Irish Lions. Sexton was fly half in

a series-winning Lions side. How was it?

“It was obviously incredible,” Sexton says.

“We wanted to go unbeaten – Sam Warburton

spoke about that when we first got together

– so it was disappointing in that respect. But

winning the series was amazing, and I have

massive memories I’ll hold on to forever.”

“Of the ones I can tell you about?” he

laughs when we push him on the subject.

“Walking around after the third Test, doing

that lap of honour and thanking the fans.

That was the match where everything was

either a disaster or a massive success.

It was like a cup final – and that’s always the

day you remember in any cup competition,

if you win it. That was definitely the highlight

– that, and the party after.”

We need more details. “It was a late one,

and there are a few videos going round of a

few of us draped in the Wales flag singing

Bread of Heaven, because the theme of the

night was that we’d played for Wales in the

third Test. It was all just great banter.

I wouldn’t be a big drinker, but you’ve got to

drink on those nights. It’s important that you

do because they’re the nights where you

forge a good relationship. If you don’t enjoy

the success, then what’s the point?”

Mark Coughlan @coffers83

Becoming a Lion by Johnny Sexton is

out now, published by Penguin, £20

“The Heineken Cup is too big a competition for all the parties to not just sit down and work something out”

Cardiff Arms Park

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Pool 1

Castres, Leinster, Northampton, OspreysCastres and Ospreys both face monumental tasks

to qualify, with three-time champions Leinster and

a widely tipped Northampton side lying in wait.

Winning their opening home ties are a must, then.

Things at the top are likely to be decided when the

big boys go head to head twice over Christmas.

Leinster have lost a few big names (not to

mention their coach, Joe Schmidt) but they’ve

started the Pro 12 season well, and remain a team

that knows how to play in Europe – plus last year’s

failure to get out of the pool will drive them on.

Northampton look the team to watch, though, with

their power up front boosted by finishers in the

backline. Stephen Myler looks a settled choice at

10, and he’ll be confident of leading the Saints to

the top of the pool. Whoever comes second is likely

to nick a best runner’s-up spot.

One to watch

Ian Madigan, Leinster

Jonathan Sexton’s departure

means it’s time for the young star

to make his mark. Runs the game

well at 10 – but it’s his ability to

keep defences guessing, with

both his speed and running

lines, that sets Madigan apart.

Opening gamesSaturday Castres v Northampton |

Sky Sports 2 (Red Button), 3.40pm

Saturday Ospreys v Leinster | Sky Sports 2, 6pm

Pool 2

Cardiff, Exeter, Glasgow, ToulonWhile it’s tough to look beyond defending champs

Toulon in Pool 2, their talks with Leigh Halfpenny –

coupled with Sam Warburton’s head slowly being

turned – will make for two fascinating encounters

in Wales and the south of France. The duo faced off

at the same stage last season, with Toulon winning

both encounters. Even with the two Lions heroes

still on their books, Cardiff will be lucky not to face

the same outcome.

Opening at home to the Blues, meanwhile, means

Exeter have their best chance to date of reaching

the knockouts, as long as they bring a healthy

points total into a tough Christmas head-to-head

with Toulon. As for Glasgow, a hammering in France

likely awaits this weekend, so they could struggle

to make much of an impact here. They won just one

game last season – don’t expect things to improve.

One to watch

Dean Mumm, Exeter Chiefs

The new captain arrived from

Waratahs last summer, and has

had a huge impact since taking

the leadership this season. With

33 Wallaby caps to his name, he

brings an extra level of quality

to a solid Chiefs outfit.

Opening gamesSunday Exeter v Cardiff | Sky Sports 2, 12.45pm

Sunday Toulon v Glasgow | Sky Sports 2, 3pm

Pool 3

Connacht, Saracens, Toulouse, ZebreThere’s no getting away from the fact that Zebre

are the whipping boys of Pool 3, the Italians having

conceded 224 points in six European outings last

time out. They did push Connacht close on two

occasions, though, losing 19-10 and 25-20 to the

Irish side – so having them in the same pool again

will boost Andrea Cavinato’s men, for whom one

win will signify a big step forward.

At the top of the group, meanwhile, Toulouse face

the problematic trip to Galway over the Christmas

period, where the weather and the environment

makes a maximum five-point haul tricky. Saracens,

then, are in the driving seat. The Londoners have

started the season flying. A losing bonus point is

the minimum they’ll expect against Toulouse, but

the French side will be very wary after slipping up

against Leicester at the same stage last season.

One to watch

Gael Fickou, Toulouse

Injury prevented the 19-year-

old centre from having the

expected impact last season, so

keep an eye this time round. A

clever runner with a fantastic

pass, he can make or score

tries from anywhere.

Opening gamesFriday Connacht v Saracens | SS1 (Red Button), 8pm

Friday Toulouse v Zebre | SS1 (Red Button), 8pm

38 | October 11 2013 |

Heineken Cup Pool Guide

There’s every chance that this season’s Heineken Cup will be the last, so get ready to soak up the drama while you still can. We take a look at the showdowns in storeorks

Pool 4

Clermont, Harlequins, Racing Metro, ScarletsPool 4 is all about the money men from across the

Channel, with this weekend likely to influence the

outcome at the top, when Racing Metro host

Clermont in Colombes. The Parisian outfit are full

of new faces this season – Lions trio Jonathan

Sexton, Dan Lydiate and Jamie Roberts included –

but Clermont bring an experience and quality that

Metro’s new boys might struggle to match.

A big win for Racing this weekend would put the

pressure on Clermont, and with Sexton calling the

shots at 10, they have the class to do it. For Quins,

getting something from the double-header with

Metro is key to their chances. Defeat to Saracens

and Northampton in their opening four games have

highlighted their shortcomings – they might suffer

for a lack of summer investment this time out.

One to watch

Jordan Williams, Scarlets

The young winger/full back has been

compared to Christian Cullen, and

his try against Edinburgh two

weeks ago showed why.

Mesmerising running

shone in Wales’ U20

World Cup run.

Opening gamesSaturday Harlequins v Scarlets | Sky Sports 2, 3.40pm

Sunday Racing Metro v Clermont | Sky Sports 3, 8pm

Pool 5

Montpellier, Treviso, Leicester, UlsterThe pick of the opening weekend sees Ulster and

Leicester go head to head in Northern Ireland, and

the pair should lead the way in this pool. Ulster

have quality in abundance, and Ruan Pienaar will be

desperate to sign off in style in his last season,

while Leicester are showing good strength in depth

during layoffs for both Tom Croft and Manu Tuilagi.

An opening game at home puts Ulster in the

driving seat, especially with their Christmas

back-to-back ties against Treviso, who generally

expect to finish the season with a scalp or two.

Montpellier complete the pool, and it’s tough to

know what to expect from the French side. A strong

pack and a reliable boot form the basis of their

game. Pick up a losing bonus point from their trip

to Leicester in December, and they could steal a best

runner’s-up spot for the second straight year.

One to watch

Robins Tchale-Watchou,

Montpellier

Big-carrying forward had a

major impact at Perpignan

before moving over the

summer, and is likely to

thrive among a pack boasting

power wherever you look.

Opening gamesFriday Ulster v Leicester | Sky Sports 1, 8pm

Saturday Treviso v Montpellier |

Sky Sports 2 (Red Button), 1.35pm

Pool 6

Edinburgh, Gloucester, Munster, PerpignanArguably the weakest of the groups, with none of

the four sides having finished higher than fifth in

their respective leagues last season. Edinburgh

and Gloucester start favourites simply because

they’re at home for the opening weekend.

Gloucester are most likely to top the group,

with the class they possess in their backline

supplemented by Freddie Burns. Munster, though,

have European experience in bucketloads, having

lifted the trophy twice, and the way they took

Harlequins apart in last season’s quarter final

shows they haven’t faded as a force just yet – even

if a lot of pressure sits on Ian Keatley’s shoulders

now that Ronan O’Gara has departed. Elsewhere,

Edinburgh and Perpignan look shadows of the sides

that put together European runs in recent years.

One to watch

Andrew Conway, Munster

Irish youngster has been tipped

for big things. His direct running

played a big part in Leinster’s

trophy double last season.

Should add a freshness to

Munster’s back three, and could

thrive with more regular rugby.

Opening gamesSaturday Edinburgh v Munster | Sky Sports 2, 1.35pm

Saturday Gloucester v Perpignan |

Sky Sports 2 (Red Button), 6pm

| 39

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Daniel Negreanu

40 | October 11 2013 |

How has the game changed since

you started playing?

“The biggest thing is the average age

– when I started, there were about

four guys in their 20s and the rest

were much older. Now, you see a

trend where it has really become

a young man’s game.”

Is that because players can start so

young online?

“Yeah, in the old days if you saw a guy

you’d not seen before, you’re like: ‘Okay,

he’s a sucker.’ But now I don’t know

this guy – I don’t know that he’s played

two million hands in the past year

online, so he has a lot of experience.”

How do you stay ahead of those guys?

“The more uncomfortable I make them,

the better off I am. Against these

young guys, I’ll make them as

uncomfortable as I feel like I need to,

just to let them know that [shouting]

this is my turf, you are at my table

and you will be grilled! It’s my way of

asserting dominance – not like in a

sexual way, but just like: ‘This is how

it’s gonna be. You don’t have a choice.’”

You’re famed for your ability to read

people. How do you do it?

“I look for subtle things – like when you

were talking right now, your lip was

pursed like you were unsure of the

question, and you kind of shook your

head a little bit like you weren’t sure if

you were delivering it in the right way.

And now you’re fiddling with your pen

in a weird way, because I’ve put you on

the spot and you’re uncomfortable.

So this is exactly it – whatever you’re

doing differently than you normally

would, I just pay attention to that.”

Can you ever turn that off?

“Not really – I’ve been doing that since

I was five, before I knew poker existed.

We all have that ability: you notice

things, you talk to a woman, you talk

to somebody, you sense something.

We all do that. It’s just a question of

how much do you trust it.”

So how does that help you figure out

people’s cards?

“I obviously focus on the betting

patterns and what people have, and

that’s what you do online. When that

breaks down, when I’m not sure, I just

trust my first instinct. There’s a book

called Blink [by Malcolm Gladwell] about

how your first instinct is generally the

right one. When I’m not sure, I just

think of what the first thought I had

was. It’s seen this movie a thousand

times before, so it’s telling you: ‘He’s

bluffing!’ You just trust it.”

Does having that reputation help?

“It helps a lot, because there’s an

innate fear. I look at you and I say:

‘You have king, jack, don’t you?’

If you do, it’s gonna bother you for

the next few hands we play together.

It’s gonna make you uncomfortable,

whether I’m doing anything or not.

I feel like having that power over

somebody makes it easier.”

Amit Katwala @amitkatwala

Daniel Negreanu is a Team PokerStars Pro,

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7 DaysOCT 11-OCT 17

HIGHLIGHTS

» Football: World Cup Qualifiers » p44

» MotoGP: Malaysian Grand Prix » p46

» Boxing: Tim Bradley v Juan Manuel Marquez » p46

» NFL: New Orleans Saints @ New England Patriots » p48

» U21 European Championship Qualifier: England v Lithuania » p48OUR PICK OF THE ACTION FROM THE SPORTING WEEK AHEAD

42 | October 11 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Even Sebastian Vettel must be getting bored of this.

After his win at last weekend's Korean Grand Prix, his

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“wasn't thinking about the title”. Although he should

have added: “Because I've had it sewn up for weeks.”

Vettel, now completely dominant in the drivers'

standings, will move level with the great Alain Prost

with four World Championships if he wins again on

Sunday, provided Fernando Alonso finishes eighth

or lower at Suzuka.

He took a 'Grand Slam' there last year – leading

every single lap from pole position and setting the

fastest lap of the race. He's also won three of the last

four races at a stormer of a circuit that really deserves

more than the mere procession it is likely to get.

Still, fans of overtaking should enjoy some action

further down the field – Alonso and Lewis Hamilton

had a fascinating ding-dong in Korea, and Lotus now

seem to have stepped into McLaren's shoes near the

top of the grid.

There is still plenty of time for the mid and

lower-field drivers to catch the eye of bigger teams,

too – Nico Hulkenberg set the pattern with a battling

fourth place in Korea. And, with Lotus still to confirm

their replacement for Kimi Raikkonen, and McLaren

rumoured to be considering changes, there is plenty

to aim for as drivers and constructors alike begin to

look ahead to the 2014 championship. Hope always

springs eternal in the world of Formula 1, even if this

season has effectively proven a write-off.

Expect Vettel to coast to another victory at one of

his favourite circuits, then – but even if the action at

the business end becomes predictable, there should

be plenty to enjoy in Japan.

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44 | October 11 2013 |

7 Days

More than 200 countries started the World Cup qualifying process back in June 2011. Nine have made it through to join Brazil at next summer’s tournament, and 50 are still in with a shout for the remaining 22 places this week. Sport picks out some of the key games to watch

The last stretch

EuropE 11 placEs lEfT (4 Through playoffs)

group I: spaIn or francE

Our money is on Spain, and not just

because they have a game in hand.

They’re tied on points with France at

the top of Group I, so Les Bleus need

Spain to slip up against either

Georgia (Tuesday, BT Sport 2, 8pm)

or Belarus (Friday, BT Sport 1, 9pm).

The former is more likely – the World

Cup holders needed a late Roberto

Soldado goal to bag three points in

Tbilisi back in September. Fernando

Torres will miss both games with a

knee injury, but Spain won’t yet be

able to call up Brazilian-born striker

Diego Costa – linked with Liverpool

this summer and with 10 in eight

La Liga games for Atletico Madrid

– because he’s waiting for clearance

from FIFA. If Spain do falter, France

can capitalise with a home win over

Finland (Tuesday, 8pm), as long as

it’s big enough to overcome Spain’s

superior goal difference – a tough

ask, given the Finns’ solid defence.

group a: BElgIum or croaTIa

After storming through Group A,

Belgium and Croatia are the only

teams still in with a chance of

making it to Brazil. Belgium sit five

points ahead of Croatia with two

games to go, but the sides meet in

Zagreb on Friday (5pm) in what is

a must-win game for the Croats’

hopes of automatic qualification.

However, they will have to do it

without their suspended captain

Darijo Srna. Belgium need just a

point from their two remaining

games and host an Aaron Ramsey-

less Wales (Tuesday, Sky Sports 3,

8pm), while Croatia travel to

Scotland (Tuesday, Sky Sports 1,

8pm) hoping for a Belgian slip-up.

Wales will also face Macedonia

(Friday, Sky Sports 3, 7.45pm)

without Gareth Bale, who is staying

in Madrid to recover from what is

probably the most expensive thigh

injury in medical history.

group g: BosnIa or grEEcE

Bosnia and Greece are yet to be

separated at the top of Group G,

both teams locked on 19 points and

guaranteed a top-two finish with

two games left. The Edin Dzeko-led

Bosnia – the Manchester City man

has an impressive eight goals so far

in this qualifying campaign – play

whipping boys Liechtenstein

(Friday, 7pm) and then travel to face

Lithuania (Tuesday, 6pm). Their

already superior goal difference

(+20, as opposed to Greece’s +5)

means two victories would

guarantee automatic qualification,

no matter what the Greeks can

muster in two home ties against

Slovakia (Friday, 7.45pm) and

Liechtenstein (Tuesday, 6pm).

Assuming both sides get the

expected home wins tonight, the

pressure will be on Bosnia not to slip

up in Lithuania if they are to reach

their first World Cup finals.

group f: russIa or porTugal

Russia are on course to cause an

upset in Group F, and are currently

ahead of favourites Portugal. The

two nations are separated by just a

single point, with two games to play.

And the Russians will have only

themselves to blame if they don’t

make it, with trips to minnows

Luxembourg (Friday, 7.30pm) and

bottom of the group Azerbaijan

(Tuesday, 6pm). Portugal host

third-placed Israel (Friday, 8.45pm),

without their suspended top-

goalscorer Helder Postiga. An Israel

victory would see them move to

within two points of Portugal,

leaving the playoff spot up for grabs

with a single game to play.

Portugal’s final game is against

Luxembourg (Tuesday, 6pm), while

Israel have a visit from Northern

Ireland (Tuesday, 6pm), who are

in Azerbaijan tonight (Friday,

Sky Sports 3, 5pm).

Italy and the Netherlands secured their places in the

last international break, so they can put their loafers

and clogs up respectively. Four teams will have to

go through the playoffs. Germany are unbeaten in

Group C and should be efficient enough to get the

two points they need to secure qualification against

Ireland (Friday, 7.45pm) or away against likely group

runners-up Sweden (Tuesday, 7.45pm). Switzerland

are in similarly good shape – only defeats to both

Albania away (Friday, 7.30pm) and Slovenia at home

(Tuesday, 7pm) could put a hole in their World Cup

hopes, barring a spectacular eruption in form from

Iceland. That leaves five automatic places very

much up for grabs, hopefully including one for

England, who we cover in great depth from page 18.

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

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South AmericA 3 plAceS left

Rumours of UEFA inviting Brazil and Argentina to take part in the European

Championships will probably prove unfounded, but FIFA can at least look

forward to a summer with both South American giants present because

Argentina have qualified to join the hosts. That leaves four teams fighting for

the three remaining automatic places in the continent’s marathon round-robin,

with the loser going into a playoff against Jordan.

Excitingly, those four teams all play each other in the next round of fixtures.

Second-placed Colombia will qualify if they beat third-placed Chile at home

(Friday, 10pm) – Colombia’s strike pairing of Porto’s Jackson Martinez and AS

Monaco’s Radamel Falcao have fifteen goals in 18 appearances between them

for their clubs. They’re guaranteed at least a playoff place regardless of results,

and should they fail to defrost Chile, they will have a second crack away at

Paraguay in their final game (Tuesday night, 1.30am). Los Guaranies have fallen

a long way since the antics of free-kick taking goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert,

and sit bottom of the group with just three wins. They play Argentina tonight

(midnight, Premier Sports). Chile will be guaranteed qualification regardless

of their result in Barranquilla if they beat Ecuador at home in their final game

(Tuesday night, 1.30am). Aside from Barcelona’s Alexis Sanchez, they perhaps

lack star quality – but head coach Jorge Sampaoli has

continued with the exciting attacking style used by

Marcelo Bielsa in 2010.

Despite their talent, 2010 World Cup semi-finalists

Uruguay have made a right mess of qualifying.

They’re in the playoff spot at the moment, and they

have a straight shootout with Ecuador (Friday,

10pm), who are level on points but with a slightly

superior goal difference. Their previous

encounter, a 1-1 draw in Montevideo, was a

charged affair – nine yellow cards and a red

for Manchester United’s Antonio Valencia

(pictured, right) in the last minute of the game.

Luis Suarez, never one to shy away from

confrontation, is on a hot streak for Liverpool

and could help counteract his team’s dreadful away

form. They’ve won just twice on their travels so

far, and will have their work cut out at altitude in

Quito. Argentina await in their final group

game (Tuesday night, 1.30am).

North ANd ceNtrAl AmericA 1 plAce left

Mexico’s defeat to the United

States last month has left them in

real danger of missing out on the

World Cup. They’ve won just once in

this section of qualifying and find

themselves relying on other results

for automatic qualification. They

should, at least, be able to secure a

playoff spot with New Zealand if

they beat Panama at home (Friday

night, 2.30am). A recall for former

Barcelona centre-back Rafael

Marquez ignores the problems at

the other end. Three of El Tri’s home

games in the Hexagon have ended in

0-0 draws. Honduras are the

favourites for the final automatic

spot, despite having way more

Wigan players than you would

expect from a World Cup team.

Their fate is in their own hands –

they will attempt to preserve their

unbeaten home record against

already-qualified Costa Rica

(Friday, 10pm). They then head to

Kingston to take on The Reggae

Boyz, Jamaica (Tuesday night,

2.30am), who are bottom of the

group. Four points from their two

games will guarantee Honduras’

place, and if they miss out Panama

are poised to pounce. They’re level

on points with Mexico, who they

play tonight – a Panamanian win will

leave Mexico requiring a favour from

old adversaries the United States,

who head south for their final group

game in fine form. Under Jurgen

Klinsmann they have had nine wins

from their past 10 games and have

the 2013 Gold Cup title in the bag

to boot. They beat Panama 1-0 in the

final of that competition – a repeat

of that scoreline would give Mexico

a reprieve they really should not

have needed.

AfricA

5 plAceS left

The 10 group winners were seeded

and will play two-legged ties to

determine which five teams will be

going to Brazil, with the first legs

this weekend. Ivory Coast have

recalled Kolo Toure for their tie with

Senegal (Saturday, 6pm), with

Didier Drogba also in the squad

following his roasting form in Turkey,

alongside Swansea’s Wilfried Bony.

Their previous meeting with their

West African neighbours, who

will feature West Ham midfield

destroyer Mohammed Diame, was

marred by rioting that saw the

Senegalese banned from their home

stadium for a year. So of all the

stadiums in all the world, the return

leg in November will be played in

Casablanca, Morocco.

The other stand-out tie is Ghana

against perennial Africa Cup of

Nations winners Egypt (Tuesday,

5pm), who have regularly failed to

turn their continental dominance

into a place at the Big Cup. While

the Black Stars have a bevy of

international names, the Egyptian

footballing pyramid is very much

built on domestic strength – only

a handful of their players ply their

trade away from the Nile, including

Hull City’s Ahmed Elmohamady.

They did, however, win all six of their

group games in the previous round.

Elsewhere in Africa, Ethiopia host

Nigeria (Sunday, 2pm), Algeria visit

Burkina Faso (Saturday, 5pm) and

Tunisia, who got a reprieve after

Cape Verde were docked points for

fielding an ineligible player, host

Cameroon (Sunday, 6pm).

the plAyoffS – 2 plAceS

The final two spots will be decided

by playoffs between New Zealand

and North/Central America’s

fourth-placed team; and Jordan and

South America’s fifth-placed team.

AUSTRAlIA

SoUTH KoREA

JAPAN

IRAN

BRAZIl

ARGENTINA

NETHERlANdS

ITAly

USA

CoSTA RICA

AlreAdy quAlified

46 | October 11 2013 |

7 Days

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Saturday Boxing | Tim Bradley v Juan manuel marquez | Thomas & mack cenTer, las Vegas | sky sporTs 1 2am

Sunday moTogp | malaysian grand prix | sepang circuiT | BBc Two 9am

Four rounds remain of a MotoGP

season dominated by its newest

Spanish star – and while there seems

little doubt that Marc Marquez will be

crowned champion at the end of a

spectacular debut season, doubts

linger over whether he can claim the

title while retaining the respect of

his countrymen and chief rivals.

The prodigious 20-year-old

(pictured) takes a 39-point lead over

defending champ Jorge Lorenzo into

this Sunday’s Malaysian GP, but he will

arrive at the Sepang circuit as a

rider under the microscope.

“The mistake was not as serious as

others,” said Lorenzo of Marquez’s

involvement in the incident that saw

Dani Pedrosa exit the Aragon GP a

fortnight ago. “But if you sum them up,

then I say he is a very aggressive rider

who puts himself and others at risk.”

Strong words from a man who may

just be riled at the imminent loss of

his title, but there will be a greater

focus than ever on Marquez and his

Honda at Sepang – a fast, sweeping

track that witnessed the tragic death

of Marco Simoncelli two years ago.

Pedrosa should challenge for

victory, having won here last year,

but Marquez has podiumed in 13 of 14

starts and knows a continuation of that

run will end in his coronation. For the

young Spaniard, safety first should,

for once, be the order of the day.

Question Marc

When a heavily outweighed, 36-year-old Juan Manuel Marquez was

soundly outpointed by Floyd Mayweather Junior in 2009, it seemed

like it may be the beginning of the end for the classy Mexican. Since

then, however, he’s won five of six fights, his sole ‘loss’ being a highly

disputed points defeat to his old rival Manny Pacquiao. Marquez

followed this up by stunningly knocking Pacquiao out in

their fourth – and his most recent – fight (pictured).

All of this means that Marquez, newly buffed and filled out into the

welterweight division, is justifiably rated as one of the best pound-for-

pound fighters on the planet. Not that that makes his weekend’s task

any easier. At 30, American Tim Bradley is a decade younger than

Marquez; he is also unbeaten in 30 fights and has wins over top-notch

opposition such as Devon Alexander, Lamont Peterson and (in a

controversial decision) Pacquiao himself. Bradley is also teak tough,

with a high workrate and an awkward style – not something an ageing

boxer ideally wants to face.

Marquez, however, is no ordinary 40-year-old. Also, Bradley’s last

fight, against Ruslan Provodnikov in March, was an exciting slugfest in

which the Californian was wobbled several times. A precise-punching

technician such as Marquez will have noted how hittable Bradley was

and licked his lips. The older man starts a justifiable favourite here,

yet the tenacious Bradley is not to be underestimated. This looks

a match-up of the very highest quality.

Pacquiao conquerors collide

Outspoken talkSPORT host

Adrian Durham vents his

explosive opinions on the

biggest debates in football history,

at the same time revealing some

amazing facts and hitherto unknown

stories about the beautiful game.

Here’s a book that challenges some

of football’s most widely accepted

wisdom. Was Sir Alf Ramsey really any

good as a manager? Why doesn’t

anybody ask the obvious question

about Gary Lineker? Did Italy really

deserve all their four World Cups?

Who called a top-flight professional

footballer ‘a bottler’?

Whether it’s the myth of the Arsenal

‘Invincibles’, the true worth of David

Beckham, or Jose Mourinho’s

supposed brilliance as a manager,

Durham has a view. Just because

everyone else agrees that Pele is the

greatest footballer who ever lived

doesn’t mean that Durham will agree

– what’s more, he’s ready to unveil a

medley of intriguing reasons as to

why he’s right.

Lively comment, scintillating debate,

outrageous assumptions, passion for

the game – it’s all here in a book that

football fans will love to read and want

to argue about.

‘Anyone who listens to Drive on a regular basis, like I do, will know Adrian can make you laugh out loud or shout at your radio in despair…’

Jamie Carragher

Out now, published by Simon & Schuster in hardback, priced £16.99

Just two months into the Premier League season and we’ve already seen some memorable scorching drives, smashing volleys and intricate team goals. We’ll be picking out our favourite Premier League goal each month, in conjunction with Sun+

Goals, which lets you watch every goal first on your mobile, tablet or online.

Goals footage is near-live with goals available shortly after being scored except for footage from matches on Saturday from 2.45pm, this is due to UEFA restrictions. Footage from these matches will be available from approximately 5.30pm Saturday. Sun+ Goals is available in the UK only.

The thing about Arsenal is, when

they do manage to walk it in, it’s

usually spectacular. That was

the case with Aaron Ramsey’s

wonderful team goal against

Swansea – one that included no

fewer than three backheels.

The first, from Ramsey, released

Wilshere who slid in Giroud. The

Frenchman flicked the ball back

to Wilshere, who took a touch

on the edge of the area and

slipped it back. One more flick,

and Ramsey found space in the

area to finish high into the net

through a crowd. Liquid football.

The Sun+ Goals app is the only place

to see every goal scored in the

Barclays Premier League this season.

Join Sun+ for just £1 for the first month

and download the Sun+ Goals app

today for all the goals, highlights,

analysis and post match interviews. 

September aaron ramsey

Advertising Feature

premier League goaL of the month

thesun.co.uk/join

thesun.co.uk/join

48 | October 11 2013 |

7 Days

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TUESDAY FOOTBALL | EUROPEAN U21 CHAMPIONSHIP 2015 QUALIFICATION: ENGLAND U21 v LITHUANIA U21 | PORTMAN ROAD, IPSWICH | BT SPORT 1 5.30PM

SUNDAY NFL | NEW ORLEANS SAINTS @ NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS | GILLETTE STADIUM, FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS | SKY SPORTS 2 9PM

The New Orleans Saints are one of three teams

heading in to week six of the NFL season with a 5-0

win-loss record, and the only unbeaten team in the

NFC. Last Sunday’s hard-fought 26-18 victory on the

road at the Chicago Bears was possibly their most

impressive so far. With quarterback Drew Brees

(pictured) pulling the strings, the offense has been

as effective as ever. Brees completed 29 of 35 passes

against the Bears, while tight end Jimmy Graham had

his fourth consecutive 100-yard receiving game. It is

the Saints’ defense that has surprised many, however.

Revamped under new defensive co-ordinator Rob

Ryan, their blitzes against the Bears forced three

sacks and a fumble in the first half.

The Saints’ week six opponents are the New

England Patriots, who lost their own 100 per cent

record against the Cincinnati Bengals last weekend,

with Tom Brady sacked four times in a 13-6 defeat.

The Bengals also ended Brady’s streak of 52 straight

games with a touchdown pass, the second-highest in

NFL history (Brees holds the record with 54). Brady

will be determined to ensure that was merely a blip.

History is on his side, too – if the Saints win, it would

be their first victory at Foxboro since 1995.

Brees-ing it

Following an encounter on

Thursday night (October 10)

against San Marino, Gareth

Southgate’s side take on

Lithuania at Portman Road on

Tuesday, in their fourth match

of this qualifying campaign.

Southgate’s first two

matches in charge after taking

over from Stuart Pearce in

August yielded one win and

a draw. The 1-0 victory over

Moldova at the Madejski came

courtesy of a debut goal from

West Brom’s Saido Berahino

(the £850-per-week striker,

pictured, who sank Manchester

United last month), who also

scored in the subsequent 1-1

draw in Finland.

The new England head coach

has Tom Ince (back from injury)

and Raheem Sterling (senior

duty) available again, while he

has called West Ham’s Ravel

Morrison into the squad for the

first time – and given United’s

Wilfried Zaha the chance to

finally play some football.

Lithuania sit second in Group 1

on seven points, one behind

Finland, but have played two

more games than England.

Time to catch up.

Young lions on Euro duty

Advertising Feature

T wo final qualifying games stand between

the Vauxhall-sponsored England team

and the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.

First, on Friday night, the Three Lions take

on Montenegro at Wembley, before England’s

last qualifier against Poland back at Wembley

on Tuesday October 15.

Should it all come down to that final game, it won’t

be the first time Poland have stood between England

and a major tournament, as Peter Shilton knows. He

was in goal for five meetings between England and

Poland throughout his career, with one clash in

particular standing out: England 1-1 Poland, on

October 17 1973.

“The build-up to that tie suggested we should

win it pretty comfortably,” recalls Shilton now.

“Poland hadn’t qualified for the World Cup

since 1938.”

HIGH HOPESEven though they had lost the away

tie 2-0 in Poland, everyone expected

England to get the win at Wembley

that would qualify them for the

finals in West Germany the

following year. The expected

fall-guy was Polish

goalkeeper Jan

Tomaszewski, who

had been labelled a

“clown” by Brian

Clough before

kick-off –

50 | September 20 2013 |

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a comment that would come back to haunt the

“best manager England never had”.

“That was Cloughie being typical Brian Clough in

those days,” says Shilton. “Tomaszewski was a top

keeper. He was no mug – but, having said that, he did

live a charmed life that night, as we all know.”

Shilton is referring to the fact that, while he spent

much of the first half at Wembley twiddling his

thumbs in England’s goal, Tomaszewski was being

called into action relentlessly. “He made a couple of

decent saves, but luck just wasn’t on our side,”

he says. “It was one of those nights that you get

dotted throughout your career, when no matter

what you do the ball isn’t going to go in the net.

Everything that could have gone against us that

night did. People didn’t realise that Poland team was

a good side, though – they ended up finishing third

in the World Cup. But that England team was very

unfortunate, because I think we would have had

a great chance at the 1974 World Cup.”

MAY THE BEST SIDE WINThis time, England’s most capped senior men’s

player is expecting a different outcome when

the Vauxhall-supported England team take on

Poland: “Having seen England play Poland and

Montenegro in this qualifying campaign, I think

we’re a far better side than both those

teams. But if it does come down to the

last game and it’s the same scenario

as 1973, then you have to remember

that anything can happen. I’m pretty

confident we’ll be okay this time.”

THE WOrlD BEckONS fOr ENGlANDThe Three Lions are on the brink of World Cup qualification, but two hurdles remain before they can book their tickets to Brazil

WITH TWO HuGE GAMES fOr ENGlAND cOMING uP, SHOW YOur SuPPOrT ON TWITTEr u#SuPPOrTENGlAND. AND lOG ON TO WWW.VAuxHAllfOOTBAll.cO.uk fOr MATcH DAY INTE

50 | October 11 2013 |

| 51

wIn TIckeTs To england v PolandThanks to Vauxhall, the official England Team

Sponsor, you could win a pair of tickets to

England v Poland at Wembley on October 15.

Head to

www.vauxhallfootball.co.uk/petershilton

to enter before 11.59am on October 14.

er usIng @Vauxhallengland and y InTeracTIon, news and more

HTC One

This beautiful phone is a

shiny, techy equivalent of

Daniel Day-Lewis, having

picked up three prizes at

the T3 Awards last week.

Its aluminium case is

lightweight and lovely,

and the HD screen is

better than the iPhone.

In short, it’s the best

Android phone on the

market at the moment.

£30 on £46/month

contract | ee.co.uk

Sony NEX-6

The camera of the year

is one of the best of a

new breed that straddle

the amateur wedding

photography-filled

gap between regular

cameras and DSLRs.

Built-in wi-fi and a

touchscreen combined

with a range of lenses

mean the best of both.

Add a standard zoom

lens for an extra £130.

From £599 | sony.co.uk

Google Glass

Last week’s T3 Awards saw the tech

world’s best and brightest assemble

in one very nerdy room to hand out

gongs for the best gadgets of the

year (or, at least, the year so far).

Futuristic web-goggle Google Glass

was innovation of the year, although

we’re pretty sure Inspector Gadget

had something like this in the 1980s.

Glass reacts to voice commands,

takes pictures, navigates and has

a tiny screen sitting just above your

right eye that basically tells you

how to live your life. It should hit

shops next year, so expect 2014 to

be the year of bumping into people

in the street.

£TBC | google.co.uk/glass/start

iPad Mini

Apart from the lower-

resolution non-Retina

display, the iPad Mini

was weirdly quite an

improvement on the

original iPad because it

was light enough to slip

into your bag and carry

around all day. A sequel

to the tablet of the year

should be coming soon,

so don’t rush out and

buy one just yet.

From £269 | apple.com

Sony Bravia KD-

65X9005A 4K TV

A step into the future of

television will still set you

back about the same

amount as a small

second-hand car. At 65

inches, this Bravia is

nearly as big as one too

– but the picture quality

is breathtaking, boasting

four times the detail

of full HD. It’s almost –

almost – worth the cost.

£4,999 | sony.co.uk

Macbook Air 11-inch

Used almost exclusively

by bearded types in

coffee shops, the Air is

an ideal accompaniment

to a nursed hot drink.

Designed for email and

the web, it is powerful

enough to tackle

weightier calculations,

such as whether you can

make it to the Starbucks

toilet and back before

it gets nicked.

From £849 | apple.com

52 | October 11 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

EXTrA TiMEMaking the most of your time and money

P56

Benedict

Cumberbatch is

WikiLeaks founder

Julian Assange in

The Fifth Estate

Awardwinners

Gadgets

iPad edition on Newsstand now

ET

54 | October 11 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

scrum on downCheck out the flashy number England will wear for the Autumn Internationals, or just get your hands on a decent casual rugger top for the winter

Kit

Front up Vintage First XV

Potassium-washed for a worn look, this top

boasts chambray fabric in the hood for a

comfy wear and is available, if you’re quick,

at a ludicrously low price.

£20 | frontup.co.uk

canterbury England 1871 Biking red

Our pick of Canterbury’s 1871 collection

boasts a cut and sew construction and a cool

look. You can’t put a value on good looks.

Actually, you can – it’s £81.

£81 | canterbury.com

rhino rugby Varsity Hoody

This simple but effective cotton number

from the rugby experts at Rhino comes with

ribbed cuffs and waist for a fitted feel while

training. Lovely stuff.

£40 | rhinorugby.com

canterbury England Home shirt

Yup, it’s the shiny top that England’s rugby

boys will wear into battle this autumn –

and it’s all about an old-school style on a

modern design aesthetic. Midnight blue

detail on the cuffs is about as wacky as the

design gets, while the high-performance

fabric promises a light, stretchy feel that

moves with you – just try not to spill

a Guinness down it, eh?

£56 | canterbury.com

56 | October 11 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Lightning Bolt Pearl Jam

Eddie Vedder’s distinctive, richly

textured baritone has rarely

sounded better than on this –

Pearl Jam’s 10th album. Lightning

Bolt is an equal mix between

heartfelt rock ballads – a dubious

genre, but one the Seattle band

have a rare mastery of – and

muscular, guitar-driven numbers.

Hardly a leap into the unknown,

but very tasty Jam all the same.

Out today

Hatchet Job Mark Kermode

A few terse, film critic put-downs

(The Flintstones: “Yabba dabba

don’t”; The Postman: “Post-

Apocalyptic Pat”) are just a part

of this book about the role of

the reviewer. Why do scathing

reviews attract more attention

than positive ones? And has the

internet meant the pro critics are

now obsolete? Mark Kermode

analyses with with wit and élan.

Out now

The Fifth EstateGiven both the controversy and recency of its

subject matter (the shockwaves caused by the rise

of the WikiLeaks website), The Fifth Estate was

always going to be accused of bias. Some critics

have proclaimed it sympathetic to the site, others –

including WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange – see the

film as an attack. However, one thing that is generally

agreed upon is that Benedict ‘please, don’t call me

Sherlock’ Cumberbatch is riveting in the lead role. He

superbly mimics Assange’s Australian accent and his

mannerisms, portraying him as a zealously driven yet

egotistical whistleblower who claims his website is all

about exposing the

truth, even if there

are darker hints

that it’s also about

getting maximum

exposure for Julian

Assange. Watching

politicians sweat and

dweeby journalists

run around with

laptops may not sound like obvious thriller material,

but at least Cumberbatch keeps all eyes on screen.

Out today

One Leg

Too Few

William

Cook

Peter Cook

and Dudley

Moore’s

relationship

is arguably

even more

compelling

than their acerbic comedy. What

was behind that evil glint in

Cook’s eye when he tried to get

Moore corpsing during a sketch?

The duo’s bond is examined in

fine detail by William ‘no relation’

Cook in this dual biography of

a complex bromance/rivalry

between two fiercely intelligent,

troubled comics. With interviews

and previously unpublished

archive material following the

cleverly woven story, it’s a read

worthy of two fascinating men.

Out now

Paul Klee Tate Modern

An ideal antidote to winter blues

comes via the vibrant colours of

Swiss surrealist Paul Klee at Tate

Modern’s next major exhibition.

Watercolours, drawing and

paintings are on display, including

those in the ‘magic square’ style

– which we assumed was an Ajax

midfield system from the 1970s,

but which actually refers to Klee’s

patchworks of colour. Wonderful.

Opens Wednesday

Fanfare Jonathan Wilson

Not the football tactics egghead

Jonathan Wilson, but rather a

purveyor of sun-kissed, mellow

US folk music who returns with

a second album. Concise pop

songs such as Love to Love (with

Bob Dylan-styled vocals) work in

a fairly conventional way, but it’s

rambling efforts like the languid,

jazz-influenced Dear Friend that

really hit the spot.

Out Monday

Film Book

Music Book Exhibition Music

TaKE a LEaK

ET Entertainment Benedict Cumberbatch excels as Julian Assange, while a

pant-wettingly funny British comedy duo are biographied

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Actual size.

41 megapixels puts you pitch-side.Meet the Nokia Lumia 1020.

windowsphone.co.uk | #reinvented

Shot taken with the Nokia Lumia 1020.

AAAA ll ii

41 megapixel sensor takes maximum 38 megapixel image. Apps from the Windows Phone Store. Availability may vary.

Reinvented around you.

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58 | October 11 2013 |

Extra time Anara Atanes

Mis

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imp

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Andy Lesouvage/Lipstick Syndication

| 59

ET Grooming

60 | October 11 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Gives you wings

Dr. Hauschka at Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, Gatwick/Heathrow A range of face, hand and foot treatments as

well as therapeutic oil and hot stone massages

are surely healthier options than your regular

pre-boarding warm-pint routine. Sport has

sat next to strangers with unpleasant feet on

planes before, compelling us to recommend

the Regenerating Foot Treatment (£45/

complimentary to Virgin Atlantic customers).

drhauschka.co.uk and virgin-atlantic.com

Refine yourself

The Refinery, Mayfair and Knightsbridge Travelling not by air but on your own two

feet? The Refinery’s Ultimate Pedicure with

Sole Therapy treatment (£75) consists of a

manly scrub, massage and nail trim before

the Sole Therapy bit kicks in to rid you of

the hard skin from your heals and soles.

Combining the comfort of a gentlemen’s club

with the wellbeing of a health spa, you will

feel like you are walking on air after all.

the-refinery.com

No nonsense

Nickel Spa for Men, Covent Garden If we had a Nickel for every time someone

told us we look like a vagrant, then we

wouldn’t look like we do. Massage and body

treatments, facials and microdermabrasion,

manicures or pedicures are all on the menu

here. It’s also worth reading Nickel’s Do’s and

Don’ts to get a feel for their excellent no-

nonsense style and avoid crashing faux pas

or ceremonial frog-marching off the premises.

nickelspalondon.co.uk

TRAVEl FiRST ClASSYou know what your problem is? You’ve always been a bit scruffy.

Draw attention to yourself in transit – in a good way

Gentlemen’s Tonic Express, St Pancras Renaissance Hotel For gentlemen on the run/move looking for

speed, efficiency and quality, GT’s Express

option offers haircuts, colours and shaves

on the doorstep of St Pancras International

Station. Choose the Wet Shave (£28) and

enjoy GT’s expert barbers using luxury

products and steaming hot towels to ensure

a quality finish, or the GT Bespoke Hair &

Scalp Treatment (£30) to improve scalp

circulation, reduce tension and help repair,

moisturise and treat various hair conditions.

And should you not be running for your train,

hand and foot treatments, and a range of

massage packages, are also available at

GT’s Mayfair location. All aboard.

gentlemenstonic.com

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