Issue 277 | October 12 2012

Alex Oxlade–Chamberlain on England, Arsenal and life in the fast lane

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issue 277, october 12 2012

radar

07 Energy drinks on ice Quite literally – and there’s rather a lot of it at the Relentless Freeze Festival

08 A sneaker peak At some of history’s famous trainers, including the original Nike Air Jordans

10 WRC 3 Take on Seb Loeb and beat him. Yes, it’s definitely a simulation

o this coming weekFeatures

16 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Our exclusive interview with England’s brightest young thing – wise beyond his years 30 No place like home Or like St George’s Park: the England football team’s state-of- the-art new training base 34 Ugo Monye The Harlequins man tells us why it’s so important for his team to perform well in the Heineken Cup

40 The right Price David, that is. He talks to us about his fight with Audley Harrison this weekend

extra time

54 Kit The Heineken Cup begins this week. We bring you the shirts you should be wearing 56 Coral Beary The Busted song Air Hostess was (probably) written about her. And she plays football, too 58 Gadgets An iPod dock seemingly inspired by Damien Hirst’s For the Love

of God skull. For the love of god...

62 Entertainment We get dark and dishonourable, and Noel Gallagher’s birds fly high

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| October 12 2012 | 05

n the winter of 1683, our fair city was so cold that the

Thames froze over for two months, and the citizens of

Restoration-era London held ‘frost fairs’ on the ice with

sledging, puppetry and horse and coach races. More than 300 years

on, and not much has changed – the Relentless Freeze Festival

features the modern-day equivalents of sledging (snowboarding) and

puppetry (dub-step) in the dilapidated icon that is Battersea Power

Station. The world’s best skiers and boarders will demonstrate their

talents on huge snow-covered ramps, there’s music and DJ sets from

the likes of Grandmaster Flash and Mark Ronson, and a massive retail

village where snow-lovers can stock up on winter gear before the

start of the season. It’s everything you need to party like it’s 1683.

Relentless Energy Drink Freeze Festival, October 26-27, Battersea

Power Station. Tickets from £40 available at relentlessfreeze.com

Radar p10 – WRC 3: no one else can beat Loeb. Can you?

p08 – The shoes that ran the first four-minute mile

p10 – Stuart Broad’s world in cricket: pushes no boundaries

I

London on ice

Cost -cutting measures hit the Northern Line extension hard

| October 12 2012 | 07

Co

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Ad

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Speed gentrification: posh kids being airlifted in straight from the piste

Gascoigne

Gascoigne

Anderton

McKimmie

Hendry

McManaman

Shearer

Redknapp

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1

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4

08 | October 12 2012 |

Radar

Step up

Score by numbers

ver wanted to get a closer look at

Roger Bannister’s shoes? No?

Well if the first footwear to be

propelled a mile in less than four minutes

doesn’t take your fancy, there’s plenty in

this exhibition of rare trainers that might.

There are more than 40 collector’s items

on show, including the first ever pair of

Nike Air Jordans, and Kanye West’s Nike

Yeezys, which fetched nearly $90,000 in

an auction. They say if you want to get to

know someone, you should try walking a

mile in their shoes. We really suggest you

don’t try that here – eyes only.

‘Sneaking Into Fashion’, Tracking The

Trainers’ Journey Through Popular Culture,

presented by javari.co.uk at Covent Garden

Piazza, Central Avenue, October 18-28.

For information, opening times or to view

the virtual version of the exhibition, go to

www.javari.co.uk/exhibition

oor Colin Hendry. More than 50

caps for his country (and the

brightest hair ever seen in football)

and his most famous act in a Scotland shirt,

to English memories at least, is having the

ball scooped over him by Paul Gascoigne at

Euro 96, during the build-up to that goal.

That goal, depicted here with full dentist-

chair celebration included, is just one of 100

featured in Back of the Net – a collection of

illustrations of iconic goals, from Dennis

Bergkamp’s preposterous pull-down and

finish against Argentina in the 1998 World

Cup to the same player’s ridiculous first

touch, spin and finish against Newcastle four

years later. There are some goals by other

players in there too, we can report.

Back of the Net, out now, Yellow Jersey

Press. For more info and to play along,

visit facebook.com/backofthenetapp

E

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Air Jordan I (1985) banned by NBA for not

conforming to uniformity rules. Nike paid

the fine as it was such good exposure

Nike Air Yeezy II (2012) a pair of these

Kanye West-designed trainers were bought

for $89,000, pre official release, on eBay

Converse All Star (1917) endorsed by

basketball player Chuck Taylor, starting the

trend of using icons to increase desirability

Kill Bill Onitsuka Tiger Asics (2003)

designed by Quentin Tarantino as a Bruce Lee

homage, worn by Uma Thurman in the film

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Customer Deposit £290.00 Option to Purchase Fee £65.00 Representative APR 4.90%

10 | October 12 2012 |

Radar

At the endof the road,turn left

t’s not at all the story of my life,

or an autobiography,” said Stuart

Broad when we asked him about

his new book, My World in Cricket. “It’s

more about how I play the game, training

techniques, life on the road and every side

of being a professional cricketer. When I

was a youngster growing up, I’d have loved

to flick through a book like that.”

If you’re looking for an approach with

which to tackle this tome, ‘flicking through’

just about hits the bail on the head. Few will

much care what Broad has to say about

hitting a perfect hard sweep,

but the insights he gives

into life as an international

sportsman are both

interesting and articulate.

Nowt juicy about KP, mind.

£20, Simon & Schuster

Broadly speaking

hile cowardly Formula 1 drivers balk

at the slightest hint of rain, their

braver (and, dare we say, more

skilful) counterparts are tearing around the

globe on pretty much any surface imaginable.

While you might think that would lend an

air of unpredictability to proceedings, you’d

be wrong – one man, Frenchman Sebastien

Loeb, has won the World Rally Championship

for nine years in a row. If, like us, you’re a

rally fan getting slightly irked by Loeb’s

continued dominance, you can try and

rewrite history in WRC 3.

The game engine has been completely

revamped for this year, boosting handling

realism; and, in conjunction with the

improved graphics, this makes for an utterly

immersive experience across 78 stages of

rally action. It’s so realistic, in fact, that

some of the other drivers might even be able

to get in a bit of practice and make the real

thing a bit more exciting next season.

W

Lift the lidveryone knows the three coolest things in the

world are riding a Vespa, wearing massive

sunglasses and adopting a rigorous

approach to road safety. That’s what makes

these open-face helmets from luxury brand

Ateliers Ruby so freakin’ rad; they’re

designed to be worn with glasses so you

can protect your precious moustache

but still let the world see just how edgy

you are as you ride to work on your

vintage motorbike, latte in one hand,

iPad in the other. The range of anti-death

headwear has a carbon fibre shell and

lamb leather interior,

which feels great

against your facial hair, while

the four colour options evoke

the golden age of motorsport.

The Castel full-face helmet by

Ateliers Ruby, from €710 at

ateliersruby.com

E

I

WRC 3 out today on

PS3, Xbox 360, PC

and Playstation Vita

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12 | October 12 2012 |

Radar Editor’s letter

Editor-in-chief

Simon Caney

@simoncaney

Sport magazine

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Editor-in-chief: Simon Caney (7951)

Deputy editor: Tony Hodson (7954)

Associate editor: Nick Harper (7897)

Art editor: John Mahood (7860)

Deputy art editor: William Jack (7861)

Digital designer: Chris Firth (7624)

Subeditor: Graham Willgoss (7431)

Senior writers: Sarah Shephard (7958),

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Staff writers: Mark Coughlan (7901),

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Picture editor: Julian Wait (7961)

Production manager: Tara Dixon (7963)

Contributors: Martin Barry, Martin Potter,

Simon Knights

Commercial

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Business Director: Kevin O’Byrne (7832)

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New Business Sales Executive:

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Distribution Assistant: Makrum Dudgeon

Head of Online: Matt Davis (7825)

Head of Communications:

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Managing Director: Adam Bullock

PA to Managing Director:

Sophia Koulle (7826)

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UTV Media plc takes no responsibility for

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Hearty thanks this week to:

Rachel Bradshaw, Louise Hewitt, Duncan

Ross, Dan French, Dave McCann

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.

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T here is, rightly, a great deal of optimism around the opening of St George’s Park, the FA’s new state-of-the-art training facility that brings our game

into the 21st century.Those behind it, notably David

Sheepshanks, deserve much credit for

pushing it through (turn to page 30 for

our behind-the-scenes look at the place:

it’s nothing if not impressive). It will result

in much better coaches and act as a

wonderful base from which to develop

the national team.

However, while coaches will learn their

trade there, and players will be able to use

facilities that are truly exceptional, what

happens next? Yes, Premier League clubs

themselves have academies and training

centres that are also brilliant, but there

are not that many of them. Go lower down

the leagues, go into the non-leagues, go

into youth football, into women’s football,

and the facilities, such that they are,

cannot be compared.

This is not to detract from what we

have at St George’s Park. Ultimately it may

help England win a World Cup, though that

may be some way off. The key, though, is

that this is not the culmination of anything,

but merely the beginning.

On the subject, it’s not been a great

couple of weeks for the game. After it

came together to show such solidarity and

dignity over Hillsborough, it then slipped

back to its bad old ways. Ashley Cole’s

mindless tweet did not help matters,

but then his colleagues did the game

no favours last weekend either. Just a

handful of games on Match of the Day 2 on

Sunday were depressing viewing: stamps,

dives, a flailing elbow... whether they like it

or not, players should be role models, and

right now they’re not doing a great job.

Paul Wood’s missing testicle is taking on mythical status. In case you missed it, the Warrington Wolves man ruptured it at the start of the second half of the Grand Final last weekend, played on for 20 minutes and then had to have it surgically removed. I don’t know where it is now, though I rather hope it’s in a jamjar on his mantelpiece. A bronze cast of it should be made, placed on a plinth and presented to the footballer who feigns the worst injury: Testicle of the Month.

Terrific to see the West Indies land the

World Twenty20 crown last weekend,

though it was not entirely unexpected.

A few commentators had tipped them,

and our own Alex Reid, in his preview

of the event, described them as ’dark

horses who could do damage’. The thing

is, they’re a very poor Test side. The gap

between Test cricket and the express

form of the game gets wider and wider.

A brave new world?St George’s Park is certainly impressive, but will it produce the goods for English football?

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Royal approval: the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge make sure

they are pictured with John Ruddy

Reader comments of the week

@simoncaney Please can I

retract my tweet printed

in @Sportmaguk today?

Cole has proved football &

footballers really are

THAT BAD after all

@tim_woodhouse

Twitter

Was all set to agree with

@simoncaney about

footballers v olympians

etc ..... and then Ashley

Cole piped up

#rolemodel?

@Si_Margolis

Twitter

@simoncaney Completely

disagree about the Ryder

cup - golf is a boring

sport, the Ryder cup

doesn’t change that!

@AlexRafCam

Twitter

@ParalympicsGB review

in @sportmaguk with

great @davidweir2012

illustration. What I’ve been

waiting for. There should

be more of this.

@shirleysauyinip

Twitter

Loving @sportmaguk

interviews this week with

the para champions -

@SChristiansen87 is

especially inspirational,

that girl’s awesome!

@Sportistblog

Twitter

Free iPad app available on Newsstand

Cover of the Year

14 | October 12 2012 |

El towerAnyone wondering why Spain’s economy is in

the toilet should study this shot, in which we

find our continental cousins buggering about

once again when they could be cracking on.

This time, instead of running with the bulls or

lobbing their rancid tomatoes around, we find

them constructing a large tower of human

people. Why? Just because (though they prefer

to call it the Tarragona Castells Competition).

Clearly economic growth and locating those

green shoots can wait. Mañana, señor, mañana.

Frozen in time

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

16 | October 12 2012 |

| 17

Since I’ve come to Arsenal, ‘The Ox’ has really taken off,” Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain tells Sport, with a grin. Taken out of context, it’s a line that suggests the young Arsenal and England

winger has started to believe his own hype; that before

long, he’ll be referring to himself as ’The Special One’ and

insisting on wearing a box-fresh pair of trainers every day.

Fortunately, the line is actually part of a wider

conversation about Chamberlain’s recently acquired –

and rather apt - nickname. It is not, as it might seem,

a sign that the 19-year-old is cultivating an ego big enough

to fill Wembley Stadium.

Which is exactly where he’ll be tonight for the third

instalment of England’s World Cup qualifying campaign.

Having been selected by manager Roy Hodgson to start

both of England’s previous qualifiers (a thumping 5-0

victory against Moldova and a tricky 1-1 draw against an

impressive Ukraine side), Chamberlain is hoping to make

it a hat-trick against San Marino at Wembley.

Not that the son of former England player Mark

Chamberlain is getting ahead of himself. Indeed, over the

course of the afternoon he spends posing for pictures and

being interviewed in a central London studio, it becomes

clear that Chamberlain junior is one young footballer who

knows exactly where he’s at, and where he’s headed.

That’s even more impressive, given that Chamberlain

has made the long-haul trip from Championship to fully

fledged England international (becoming a Premier League

and Champions League regular along the way) in less time

than it takes to say his full name after a night on the sauce.

It’s been a suitably rapid rise for the winger who ambles

into our interview room and – after the polite bits are done

with – throws himself on to a comfy chair. > Le

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up

Pace, power and fearless play saw Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain fast-

tracked into the England side for Euro 2012. Three months on, he’s

still there. Sport spoke exclusively to the winger about his rapid rise,

and why his new nickname has made his mum particularly happy

18 | October 12 2012 |

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The accompanying sigh is that of a man

who has spent the morning grafting on the

training ground. But the broad smile as he

hears our first question is that of a teenager

who’s determined to make the most of every

opportunity that comes his way.

You were called up to your first [under-18s]

England squad in 2010. Did you have a target

age in mind for when you wanted to be

playing for the senior side?

“I wanted to make sure I was in and around

the senior squad by the time I was 21. So for

it to happen when I was 18, you know, I was

happy with that. But the thing with England

is you can drop out of it just like that. If you

switch off or your performances with your

club don’t merit a squad place, then I don’t

think you deserve to be in it. If I take my foot

off the pedal, I know I might not be back in

that squad by the time I am 21.”

When Roy Hodgson selected you for his

Euro 2012 squad, you were yet to win your

first senior cap. How did it feel to find out

you were in?

“I was at my friend’s house when I got a

phone call from the boss. I had a hint I might

be getting a call because someone at the FA

had rung me the day before to make sure I

was around in the morning. But, at the same

time, I still didn’t expect it. The next morning I

was up waiting for this phone call and it was

the manager, Roy Hodgson. He let me know

that I deserved a place in the squad and that I

needed to prove him right. I was delighted, but

it hadn’t been announced yet and my friend

had other mates round who weren’t close to

me, so I wasn’t going to tell everyone – I kept

it to myself. I didn’t even tell my dad or anyone

– they found out when it was announced on TV.”

Did you go to the Euros feeling pressure-free

because you were so inexperienced, or does

putting on the England shirt bring a certain

pressure with it regardless?

“Even though I was going out there with the

least experience and no one – especially fans

who weren’t Arsenal supporters – really knew

what I was capable of, I still expected myself

to be able to take people on and do well if I

got a chance on the pitch. I always put a high

demand on myself. If I’m not playing well, I beat

myself up a bit. If I have high standards, I think

it’s always more likely I’ll play and train well.”

Were you still able to enjoy the experience?

“I enjoyed every minute. To go there and gain

experience from the likes of Steven Gerrard

and John Terry was amazing. Then to get

a call to play – it was a really big surprise.

I received a lot of support from fans, too.

Not just Arsenal fans, but England fans.

That helps you to relax, because you know

they realise your age and stuff. But age is

irrelevant, really. At a certain point you have

to prove that you’re good enough. If you are,

then it doesn’t matter how old you are.”

Hodgson tends to be seen as the good

cop in contrast to Fabio Capello’s stricter,

bad cop. Is there another side to Hodgson

that we don’t see, though?

“Definitely. He’s the old-school type of

manager – when something needs to be said,

he just says it. I think that’s why the boys have

so much respect for him. He treats the lads

as adults and the senior boys get to have a

say in how we feel as a team, which helps

the boys’ morale. He’ll give you down

time when you can go and play a round

of golf or see your loved ones – the boys

really appreciate those little things, and

it makes them want to do well for him. So

he’s really good at that side of things. His

man-management is excellent, but when it’s

business time, it really is.” >

Stuart BroadAlex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Want more?To see Ian Poulter explaining why he’s always late – and why the Americans ruin a bacon sandwich – download our app version of Sport magazine now

“Age is irrelevant, really. At a certain point you have to go in and prove that you’re good enough”

Want more?To find out who the Ox’s favourite all-time Arsenal player is, and what his best chat-up lines are, download the iPad app version of Sport now

Strong as an ox: Chamberlain makes his

England debut against Norway in May

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

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20 | October 12 2012 |

What about your manager at Arsenal,

Arsene Wenger – what were your first

impressions of him?

“The first time I met him was actually on

the day I signed. He’s a nice man, you know?

He’s very calm and has that aura about him –

you know he’s the boss. The way he speaks

is really intelligent and everything he said to

me on that first day was quite inspirational.

It gave me a lot of drive to come in and

prove that he made the right decision to

sign me.”

He seems like a manager who likes to be

quite involved on the training pitch…

“Yeah he does, but he does it in a clever

way. It’s not like you hear him shouting a

lot in training, but he’s always watching –

he doesn’t miss anything. And if he sees

something, he’ll always remember it and

bring it up next week or the week after –

to remind you what you weren’t doing or

what you need to be doing. So he’s very

clever in the way he watches training

and observes all of us.”

When you were at Southampton, you had

Arsenal and Manchester United fighting for

your signature. Was it hard to stay focused?

“It was a bit surprising at first, because I

used to watch all these clubs on Match of

the Day every week and dream of coming to

a massive club like Arsenal. But my parents

never let me get carried away, and at the

same time I had a lot of respect for all my

teammates at Southampton. We were trying

to get promoted, so when all the speculation

was coming out my number-one priority was

still to get promoted with Southampton and

develop there. It was nice to hear all those

clubs were interested, but it wasn’t hard for

me to keep my feet on the ground – I had a lot

of commitments at Southampton that season.

So I just kept my head down and focused on

that. You almost let everything take care of

itself, as it did in the end.”

Did it get to the stage where you had to

make a choice over where to go?

“I always favoured Arsenal. It’s a massive club

and I’ve loved the way they’ve played football

and brought players through. When I was

younger, I used to go and watch Southampton

versus Arsenal when they came to the club,

and loved watching Thierry Henry. I went

to the Emirates a few times, too, and the

atmosphere was just unbelievable. So it

wasn’t a hard decision for me.”

Have you always been known as ‘The Ox‘, or

is that only since you moved to Arsenal?

“Yeah, before that I used to sort of hide the

Oxlade name because everyone said it was

too long – but my mum never used to like it

being left out because that was her part of my

surname. Since I’ve come to Arsenal, ’The Ox’

has taken off. Before, everyone just called me

Chambo, but the Oxlade has stuck and I like it.

It’s a good nickname. Will I get it on my shirt?

[Laughs] I don’t think the boss will let me.”

Your Premier League debut came during the

infamous 8-2 defeat to Manchester United.

How difficult was that experience?

“Not difficult at all, really. I was just dying to

get on the pitch for Arsenal and to make >

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

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Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

“The fact the manager is bringing a lot of us into the squad now, when we’re young, means we can grow up together”

A seat at the top table: taking instruction from Roy Hogdson, taking on Sweden at the Euros (above, right) and promoting FIFA 13

Goals scored for England

so far – all at under-21

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22 | October 12 2012 |

my debut at Old Trafford was an unbelievable

moment. Obviously it was difficult after the

game, to realise we’d lost 8-2. You never

expect that to happen to anyone, let alone

Arsenal. So that was hard to take and it

did put a dampener on the occasion really,

because we were all gutted about the result.

In the end, making my debut didn’t really mean

anything at that time. Looking back at it now,

though, to be able to come on at Old Trafford

and try to help my team was a massive

experience – and I wouldn’t change it for

the world. I learned a lot that day, so soon

in my Arsenal career. I think we all did.”

Has it been difficult to handle the attention

since moving to Arsenal? Suddenly you’re

making headlines and crowds are chanting

for The Ox...

“I’ve noticed that coming into a big club and

when you play for England, stuff evolves on

to a bigger level – especially in the media.

But you learn to ignore it, to a certain extent.

You know what you need to do and what your

aims are, and you just have to get on with it.

If you read the papers too much – whether

it be good or bad – you can get distracted.

At the same time, when you do hear people

appreciating what you’re doing, it’s a nice

boost. When I warm up at the Emirates and

get a big cheer or the fans are singing for

me to come on, it’s a huge confidence boost

– because as a young lad coming into a big

environment, it can be daunting.”

Both your dad [Mark Chamberlain] and your

uncle [Neville] played professional football.

Do they give you advice on your game now?

“My dad does all the time. I’ll always try to get

a copy of my games for him to watch because

he’s always honest with me. Even when he

was my under-11s coach at Southampton,

he wasn’t biased towards me at all. We were

away at Tottenham one game and in the first

period – we used to play four periods – he

took me off because I wasn’t doing something

well enough, and he never put me back on.

I remember crying on the sidelines, but I never

made the same mistake again. So, right from

when I was younger, he’s always been honest

with me. And, if I’m not doing something well

enough, he’ll let me know. I let him watch my

games as much as I can.”

You play mostly as a winger, but you played

in central midfield for Arsenal’s Champions

League game against AC Milan last season.

Which do you think is your best position?

“I grew up playing in central midfield and

naturally I’m more of an inside midfielder. But

at the same time, when I play there, I like to

dribble. [Smiles] So playing out wide is good

for me because I get the licence to express

myself in that way. But for the boss to put so

much trust in me on a big occasion like the

Milan game was massive. I was dying with

flu that day too – I didn’t even think I’d make

the game. First half I was okay, but when

we stopped for half time I was coughing

and spluttering. Gaining experience in the

Champions League playing in a central midfield

role was a big eye-opener for me, though.

I think the boss sees me developing into a

central midfield player as I get older, but if

I stay on the wing I’m happy to do that, too –

we’ll just have to see where I’m best suited

and go with that.”

Back to England, then. When people talk

about the future, your name is among the

first mentioned, along with Jacks Wilshere

and Rodwell, and Kyle Walker. Can your

generation be trophy winners?

“Yeah, why not? There are boys from the

top football clubs in England. Everyone

raves about how highly rated English football

is, and those boys are all playing with

fantastic players from other countries at

their own clubs. The likes of Wilshere, Danny

Welbeck and Walker are strong players and

strong characters as well. There’s a lot of

talent, and the fact the manager is bringing

a lot of us into the squad now, when we’re

young, means we can grow up together. For

the next generation, it’s looking positive.

I think it is, anyway.”

Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag

Head to YouTube.com/EASPORTSfootball for

highlights of the #FIFA13CelebCup, including

Joe Hart, Tom Cleverley, Ashley Young and

The Enemy battling it out. EA SPORTS FIFA 13

is out now on all formats

“As a young lad in a big

environment, it can be

daunting”

Alex Oxlade-ChamberlainC

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Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Months between

Oxlade-Chamberlain‘s

first ever England game

for the under-18s in

November 2010 and his

first senior call-up in May

24 | October 12 2012 |

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All aboard: Hodgson is set to give Walker

(below, left) the opportunity to add to his three caps, while Defoe (below, right)

will provide England’s main goal threat

World Cup Qualifiers: England

As two of his most capped

defenders disappear over

the horizon, and another tweets

himself into trouble, Roy

Hodgson needs to focus his troops

Hodgson’scHoiceA

nd so John Terry and Rio Ferdinand are gone. of course, should england reach the World cup final we can expect Terry to

very quickly reverse his decision, but

for now Roy Hodgson must do without him

against the might of San Marino and the even

greater might of Poland.

After England’s contrasting performances

in their first two qualifiers (the 5-0 drubbing

of Moldova followed by a tepid 1-1 draw at

home to Ukraine), Hodgson needs to stress

that there can be no more slip-ups.

San Marino, we’ll no doubt be told, consist

of a teacher, a carpenter, a butcher, a baker

and a candlestick maker, and a few other

plucky-yet-nameless chaps, and will be

dispatched with ease at Wembley tonight.

Hodgson will experiment, partly out of

necessity. With captain Steven Gerrard

missing through suspension, and Frank

Lampard an injury worry, England’s lack of

experience is demonstrated by the captaincy

conundrum – a toss-up between Joe Hart and

Wayne Rooney. In defence, Kieran Gibbs has

withdrawn because of injury. Ashley Cole’s

tweets gave the FA a headache, but he is clear

to play. Whether he or Leighton Baines starts

at left back, then, is up to Roy. Joleon Lescott

and Phil Jagielka were shaky against Ukraine,

so Gary Cahill should start – as will Kyle Walker,

in for the suspended Glen Johnson.

Arsenal’s pacy duo of Alex Oxlade-

Chamberlain and Theo Walcott are likely to be

given the task of terrorising the part-timers’

defence: more exposure at the top table has

not made San Marino any better over time

(they lost 6-0 at home to Montenegro in their

one qualifying match so far) and they won’t

be able to cope, especially if Jermain Defoe

continues his club form. He’s the most

natural goalscorer at Hodgson’s disposal,

and alongside Rooney he’ll have plenty of

chances against San Marino.

Poland, on the other hand, will present a

stern test in the hostile National Stadium of

Warsaw. Defeat is not an option, with points

already dropped at Wembley, but in the

brave new world of Low Expectation England,

a draw would not be a bad result.

England will need to be much more

circumspect against the Poles. Cole will

certainly play, along with Johnson. Gerrard

will be back in as skipper, and the make-up of

the midfield will be crucial. James Milner may

add some stability, although Tom Cleverley

offers invention. Hodgson knows this is

where the game will be won or lost (or, more

likely, drawn).

Of course, England also need to be wary

of Poland. Borussia Dortmund’s Robert

Lewandowski is likely to pose problems, and

New England will be relieved to see his club

teammate Jakub Blaszczykowski ruled out

with an ankle injury. It’s almost 40 years

since Brian Clough was so appalled at

England’s inability to beat Poland in a crucial

World Cup qualifier, but times have changed.

Hodgson will be happy with a point.

“iT’s 40 yeARs since BRiAn clougH WAs so AppAlled AT englAnd’s inABiliTy To

BeAT polAnd in A WoRld cup quAliFieR”

Pl W L D F A Pts

Montenegro 2 1 0 1 8 2 4

England 2 1 0 1 6 1 4

Poland 2 1 0 1 4 2 4

Ukraine 1 0 0 1 1 1 1

San Marino 1 0 1 0 0 6 0

Moldova 2 0 2 0 0 7 0

Friday

England v San Marino iTV 8pM

MoldoVa v UkrainE

Tuesday

San Marino v MoldoVa

poland v England iTV 8pM

UkrainE v MonTEnEgro

group H

Rules of

How can we thank you Team Europe? How about by making Friday evenings half price for the rest of the year? Come

along and join the weekly celebrations. Step into one of our state-of-the-art aboutGolf™ simulators (as used by Luke “2

and 1” Donald) and play your own miraculous, match-winning round. Book your half-price Friday evening or find out more

about our other special offers by calling 020 7248 6800 or visiting www.urbangolf.co.uk. Urban Golf (and Team Europe) rules.

It is forbidden at all times for a player to consider a match a lost

cause, no matter how far he may be behind his opponent, no

matter how seemingly impossible the situation he lies in, and no

matter how many hours of premature victory chanting he has

been subjected to. (See Rule 1a: Conceding - Never!). Instead a

player is permitted to fix his opponent with the look of the Poulter,

reach deep within his golf bag and invoke the spirit of Medinah.

Lost Causes

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World Cup Qualifiers

| October 12 2012 | 27

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Destination BrazilIt’s not just England in World Cup action, of course. There is a full programme of European qualifiers, so we start our round-up of previews with a very British affair...

Group a

Group DGroup C

Group B

What always looked a close group has proven just that, with Serbia, Belgium and Croatia on

four points apiece from two fixtures. The first

two of those meet in Belgrade tonight, in what is

the pick of the games in Group A – although we‘re

going to be typically introspective and claim that

Wales v Scotland in Cardiff is of more interest.

The hosts are under some pressure, with Chris

Coleman removing AAron rAmsey as captain

after the 6-1 drubbing they took in Serbia, while

Craig Levein will be desperate to nick a first win

for a Scotland side already off the pace. With

both teams facing tough away trips on Tuesday,

tonight‘s game is a must-win for both.

This evening’s meeting of Ireland and Germany in Dublin is the obvious highlight in Group C, with the Irish looking to improve after they escaped Kazakhstan

with a richly undeserved three points last month. Coach GiovAnni

TrApATToni is under pressure to change the direct approach that failed

so miserably at Euro 2012, but whether he is willing to change tack against

the group favourites must be in some doubt. Germany host Sweden, the

team likely to battle the Irish for second place, on Tuesday.

A new-look Netherlands under the old-look Louis van Gaal have started their bid for Brazil

in encouraging fashion, thrashing Hungary away

before easing to a home win over Turkey last

time out. Tonight‘s penalty kick of a fixture at

home to whipping boys Andorra is followed by

a tough-looking trip to face currently unbeaten

Romania in Bucharest on Tuesday. >

Euro 2012 runners-up Italy lead Group B, having bumbled their way past Malta in

Modena last time out. Cesare Prandelli will

be looking for his side to do the same in

Armenia tonight, while hoping that Bulgaria

and Denmark – two of the sides most likely

to challenge the Italians for top spot – take

points off each other in Sofia. Perennial

dark horses the Czech Republic should

kickstart their campaign at home to Malta

this evening, but the pick of the games

is Italy hosting Denmark on Tuesday –

our money is a on a spawny home win.

p W D L F A pts

serbia 2 1 1 0 6 1 4

Belgium 2 1 1 0 3 1 4

Croatia 2 1 1 0 2 1 4

scotland 2 0 2 0 1 1 2

macedonia 2 0 1 1 1 2 1

Wales 2 0 0 2 1 8 0

p W D L F A pts

romania 2 2 0 0 6 0 6

netherlands 2 2 0 0 6 1 6

Hungary 2 1 0 1 6 4 3

Turkey 2 1 0 1 3 2 3

estonia 2 0 0 2 0 5 0

Andorra 2 0 0 2 0 9 0

p W D L F A pts

Germany 2 2 0 0 5 1 6

sweden 1 1 0 0 2 0 3

republic of ireland 1 1 0 0 2 1 3

Austria 1 0 0 1 1 2 0

Kazakhstan 2 0 0 2 1 4 0

Faroe islands 1 0 0 1 0 3 0

p W D L F A pts

italy 2 1 1 0 4 2 4

Bulgaria 2 1 1 0 3 2 4

Armenia 2 1 0 1 1 1 3

Czech republic 1 0 1 0 0 0 1

Denmark 1 0 1 0 0 0 1

malta 2 0 0 2 0 3 0

Friday

SeRBIA v BelgIuM 7.30PM

MACeDonIA v CRoATIA 7.30PM

WAleS v SCoTlAnD 7.45PM,

Sky SPoRTS 1

Tuesday

CRoATIA v WAleS 7PM, Sky SPoRTS 2

MACeDonIA v SeRBIA 7.30PM

BelgIuM v SCoTlAnD 7.45PM, eSPn

Friday

TuRkey v RoMAnIA 6.30PM

neTheRlAnDS v AnDoRRA 7.30PM

eSTonIA v hungARy 7.30PM

Tuesday

AnDoRRA v eSTonIA 6PM

hungARy v TuRkey 7.30PM

RoMAnIA v neTheRlAnDS 8PM

Friday

FARoe ISlAnDS v SWeDen 5PM

kAzAkhSTAn v AuSTRIA 5PM

RePuBlIC oF IRelAnD v geRMAny 7.45PM,

Sky SPoRTS 2

Tuesday

FARoe ISlAnDS v RePuBlIC oF IRelAnD 7PM

AuSTRIA v kAzAkhSTAn 7.30PM

geRMAny v SWeDen 7.45PM

Friday

CzeCh RePuBlIC v MAlTA 5PM

ARMenIA v ITAly 6PM

BulgARIA v DenMARk 7PM

Tuesday

CzeCh RePuBlIC v BulgARIA 7PM

ITAly v DenMARk 7.45PM

28 | October 12 2012 |

World Cup Qualifiers

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Group F One look at the current state of the Group F

table will tell you that this is a two-horse

race and no mistake – and those two

horses meet like a pair of prancing

stallions in Moscow this afternoon.

Whether Cristiano ronaldo and co will

enjoy the likely chilly temperatures in the

Russian capital is open to question – as is

their current form, being that they had to

come from behind to snatch a 2-1 win in

Luxembourg last month. If the Portuguese

do fail to get anything from today‘s match,

they can at least get back to winning ways

on Tuesday, when a struggling Northern

Ireland arrive in Porto.

P W d l F a Pts

russia 2 2 0 0 6 0 6

Portugal 2 2 0 0 5 1 6

luxembourg 2 0 1 1 2 3 1

northern ireland 2 0 1 1 1 3 1

azerbaijan 2 0 1 1 1 4 1

israel 2 0 1 1 1 5 1

Friday

RussIa v PoRTugaL 4PM

LuxeMbouRg v IsRaeL 8PM

Tuesday

RussIa v azeRbaIjaN 4PM

IsRaeL v LuxeMbouRg 5PM

PoRTugaL v NoRTheRN IReLaNd

7.45PM, sky sPoRTs 1

Group GIf you thought Group E was uninspiring, take a butcher’s at Group G

– where four goals in two games from Edin dzEko have helped

Bosnia-Herzegovina to the top of the table with a maximum six points.

That run might come to an end in Piraeus tonight, however, where unlikely

Euro 2012 quarter-finalists Greece await with the

lights on and a full complement of points in their

own otherwise empty sack. Slovakia can keep the

pressure on the ‘big‘ two with a home win

over Latvia tonight, before then hosting

the Greeks on Tuesday evening.

Group I

Group EIt’s hard to look at this group and feel anything but

indifference, but Switzerland are the team in

the best recent form and can take control of

matters with a home win over Norway tonight.

Captain Gokhan Inler has scored in both of

their fixtures thus far, and is a driving force in a

Napoli side currently sitting second in Serie A.

With the wily Ottmar Hitzfeld still in charge, and

the rest of a bog-average group likely to take

points off each other (as results to date

suggest), our money is on the neutrals to

storm clear and put Group E to bed before the

cuckoo clock strikes 2013. Your guess is as

good as ours as to who will finish second.

P W d l F a Pts

France 2 2 0 0 4 1 6

spain 1 1 0 0 1 0 3

Georgia 2 1 0 1 1 1 3

Finland 1 0 0 1 0 1 0

Belarus 2 0 0 2 1 4 0

P W d l F a Pts

Bosnia-Herzegovina 2 2 0 0 12 2 6

Greece 2 2 0 0 4 1 6

slovakia 2 1 1 0 3 1 4

lithuania 2 0 1 1 1 3 1

latvia 2 0 0 2 2 6 0

liechtenstein 2 0 0 2 1 10 0

P W d l F a Pts

switzerland 2 2 0 0 4 0 6

iceland 2 1 0 1 2 1 3

albania 2 1 0 1 3 3 3

Cyprus 2 1 0 1 2 3 3

norway 2 1 0 1 2 3 3

slovenia 2 0 0 1 1 4 0

Friday

FINLaNd v geoRgIa 4.30PM

beLaRus v sPaIN 7PM

Tuesday

beLaRus v geoRgIa 5PM

sPaIN v FRaNce 8PM

Friday

aLbaNIa v IceLaNd 6PM

sWITzeRLaNd v NoRWay 7.30PM

sLoveNIa v cyPRus 7.45PM

Tuesday

IceLaNd v sWITzeRLaNd 5.30PM

cyPRus v NoRWay 6PM

aLbaNIa v sLoveNIa 7.45PM

An 86th-minute winner from Valencia’s Roberto Soldado was required for reigning champions

Spain to get their 2014 campaign rolling in

Georgia last month, but they will need

to produce a better performance if

they‘re to maintain their 100 per cent

record through the next round

of qualifiers. A trip to Belarus

– two defeats from two – tonight

shouldn‘t trouble La Roja too

much, but the visit of group

leaders France to the Vicente

Calderon on Tuesday might. The

visitors, with Real Madrid striker

karim BEnzEma likely to start up front, would

rather like revenge after going out to Spain in

the Euro 2012 quarter finals.

Friday

LIechTeNsTeIN v LIThuaNIa

6.30PM

sLovakIa v LaTvIa

7.15PM

gReece v bosNIa-

heRzegovINa 7.45PM

Tuesday

bosNIa-heRzegovINa v

LIThuaNIa 7PM

LaTvIa v LIechTeNsTeIN 7PM

sLovakIa v gReece 7.30PM

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INSIDEENGLAND'SNEWHOME30 | October 12 2012 |

| 31

GymPlayers can work on their strength and

conditioning in this vast gym filled with

equipment designed to hit every single sinew

in ways you never even knew were possible.

The kit is all supplied by Technogym, which

stocked out the gym in the Olympic Village this

summer and supplies AC Milan, Ferrari and

McLaren. No stone has been left unturned

in ensuring muscle strength, movement

patterns and flexibility can all be improved

in this one giant room. Even the layout of the

machines has a purpose – it is designed to

enable groups of players to work on similar

things alongside each other. Bit of team

bonding over the squat rack? Maybe not. >

Wattbike races get the competitive juices flowing. Loser buys the (non-alcoholic) beers

An anti-gravity treadmill likethe one used by Mo Farah inhis training for the Olympics

This body composition monitormeasures body fat, hydrationlevels, muscle mass, metabolicrate and more

The layout of the gym’sequipment is designed soplayers can work on similarthings alongside each other

more than 11 years after the Football

Association coughed up £2m for the

Byrkley Park Estate in Burton upon

Trent, the England football team finally

has a new home.

St George’s Park – named to project

a sense of chest-beating national pride –

officially opened on Tuesday, and is to be the

mothership for all 24 of England’s football

teams. Such a place has been discussed for

years, according to Gary Lewin, England’s

head physiotherapist. He recalls the need for

a national football centre (NFC) being a hot

topic at the FA as far back as 1988.

The money pit that became the new Wembley

meant the idea was shelved. Only in 2008

did the FA make the decision to reignite the

project, and gave the green light for the NFC

to be built. Taking its lead from other centres

of sporting excellence around the world,

including France’s Clairefontaine academy, the

Aspire Academy in Qatar and the Australian

Institute of Sport, it would be a place where

a coaching network could develop and a team

of sports science and rehab specialists would

ensure players are at their best. Four years

on, it’s here. Allow us to show you around...

Human Performance LabIn a room adorned with inspirational quotes

(such as this from Mo Farah: “It’s just hard

work and grafting. Then anything is possible!”),

England’s finest have access to kit so

advanced, it’s actually from space. Sort of.

Take the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill

(right, second down), developed using

NASA technology originally designed to help

astronauts keep fit in space. It used differential

air pressure to increase the amount of gravity

felt, so space travellers could run a quick

5km before exploring a galaxy far, far away.

Reverse that technology and you have the

AlterG, which pumps air into the zip-locked

chamber that covers the treadmill below the

user’s waist in order to counteract gravity.

That means the user can offset their

bodyweight by up to 80 per cent, protecting

joints from high impact while still giving

them an effective cardiovascular workout.

Recovery time from injury can be reduced by

two to four weeks thanks to this contraption,

according to specialists at St George’s Park.

Roy’s boys will likely come to despise the

Altitude Chamber, in which oxygen is filtered

out of the air to simulate training at altitude.

This means players must work harder

to push the pedals round on the bikes in

there. Humidity and temperature can also

be controlled. So ahead of Rio 2014, for

example, Hodgson’s squad can adapt to

exercising in unfamiliar conditions.

Endorsed by British Cycling and used by

Jess Ennis as part of her training, Wattbikes

replicate the challenge of riding on the road.

They measure the power players push

through the pedals, and can tell if one leg is

working harder than the other. They’re also

great for racing, with a big screen on the

wall displaying riders’ progress.

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| October 12 2012 | 33

HydrotHerapy The hydrotherapy suite (right) is the “jewel

in the crown” of St George’s Park, according

to Gary Lewin. After a hard training session

on the pitch, players come here to refresh

and recover aching muscles using contrast

therapy – the contrast being that between

the intense stabbing feeling of ice-cold water

and the soothing warmth of a hot tub. Players

complete five laps of the horseshoe shaped

cold pool before they’re allowed to sit in the

warm water for two minutes. And then it’s

back into the ice water for another go. It’s

strictly a No Speedo Zone. Here’s the science:

cold water reduces any inflammation, while

the heat widens blood vessels, encouraging

more blood into tired, aching muscles. The

day after a tough session, players should feel

ready to go all over again.

The larger pool is the Variopool, which has a

moveable floor, so water depth and buoyancy

levels can be controlled. Players use this to

stretch and do some gentle swimming or

jogging, although the latter can also be done

on a HydroWorx underwater treadmill. Only

eight of these exist in the UK – one of them in

Olympic triathlon champ Alistair Brownlee’s

garden. He used it while recovering from

an achilles injury before the Games, but it

can also be used for resistance training and

massage, thanks to powerful jets under the

water. There are cameras under there too,

allowing video analysis of running style – and

choice of bathers. Again, it’s a No Speedo Zone.

reHabilitation gymThe room where injured players come to

rebuild is positioned to give the poor blighters

a birds’-eye view of the indoor pitch (left). The

idea is that they take inspiration from watching

their teammates train while they do endless

repetitions of one-legged squats – that line

between inspiration and frustration must be

thinner than we thought. Then again, there

are also two Batak boards to lighten up those

rehab sessions. Each board has 12 numbered

targets, which light up at random intervals for

60 seconds. The aim is to hit each one as it

lights up as quickly as possible, with adjacent

boards introducing an element of competition.

Batak boards improve reaction times, hand-eye

co-ordination and peripheral vision. Formula 1

drivers are, unsurprisingly, among the best

at it. Jenson Button has scored 136 in 60

seconds, but if Peter Crouch ever wins another

England cap, those go-gadget arms could have a

decent go at bettering him.

Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag

Perform is the official healthcare provider for

St George’s Park, home to world-class clinicians

and state-of-the-art equipment designed

for elite athletes but accessible to anyone.

Visit spireperform.com

The unoffical world record on the Batak boards is 155.

In 60 seconds. Rapid.

The rehab facilities overlook a lush indoorpitch – so injured playershave something to aim for

It looks inviting, but thosesteps lead to a whole worldof ball shrivelling pain

St George’s Park

34 | October 12 2012 |

Heineken Cup: Ugo Monye

“We’velearnedfrom our mistakes”

| 35

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Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

This is your 11th season at Harlequins.

How has the club changed over the years?

”It’s unbelievable. The stadium’s gone from

about 8,000 to just under 15,000, we’ve got

a full academy set-up and where we train is

amazing. On the pitch, too, we’re a different

side. Harlequins of old used to be known as

champagne-swigging City boys – and we still

are, to be fair – but we used to be a good cup

side who could cause an upset. Now we’re

a team others look to. We’re in great shape

compared with where we first started out.”

Does it feel like your 11th year in rugby?

[Laughs] ”My mind says no, but my body is

screaming yes! Time really has flown by, but I

guess those 11 years have been so eventful,

what with relegation, promotion, Bloodgate,

the Premiership, the Amlin Challenge Cup.

There have been lots of ups and downs, but

I love being here. I’m a big fan of the club as

well, so even when I stop playing I’ll always

try to be involved.”

And the club awarded you a testimonial year.

What does that entail?

”Yeah, we’ve had a couple of events already,

but there’s a big ball in the Grosvenor House

Hotel on October 31 and that’ll be my big

celebration. It’s amazing that they awarded

it to me, and it’s a great opportunity for me

to thank the charities and people who have

supported me.”

Back to the rugby side of things.

How big a step was it for this side

to win the Premiership?

”Yeah, I guess it’s the first major trophy

we’ve won, and Harlequins is such a massive

brand that it’s only suitable for the club to

have that on its honours board. It was a huge

achievement, and a little bit of relief to have

finally cracked it to be honest. But I guess as

satisfied as we were having done it, it’s now a

case of kicking on and repeating it. You look at

teams like Leinster; they’ve won the Heineken

Cup and, when they first won it, they said

they wanted to do it again. That’s what we’re

striving for.”

Premiership champions they might be, but failure to make the Heineken Cup knockouts last season hurt Harlequins. With this year’s tournament kicking off this weekend, Biarritz are first up for the Londoners – and winger Ugo Monye tells us his side are in no mood to fail again

How much are you looking forward to having

another stab at the Heineken Cup after

last year’s disappointment?

”Unbelievably so. To miss out on the quarter

finals down at Connacht, when we’d done the

hard work and won in Toulouse, was really

hard. We were bitterly disappointed, but

there’s no better place for us to be starting

than to be playing a team like Biarritz at home.

They’ve got a plethora of outstanding, world-

class athletes and they have a rich history in

the Heineken Cup. If we consider ourselves

to be the best team in the country, then we

have to challenge ourselves against the best

worldwide – and we’ll certainly be doing that

against Biarritz.”

The cliché goes that you target your home

games, then see what you can get away.

Is that true?

”I guess there’s probably a greater emphasis

on your home games because that’s where

you build your foundations. But when we go

away, we certainly don’t go with the attitude

of ’let’s see what we can get’. We don’t fear

anyone, and we go to win matches. That’s not

an arrogance, it’s just a real self-belief of

what we’re about and we’re capable of.

We’ve been to Munster and done a job, been

to Stade Francais and done a job, been to

Toulouse and done a job. We can look back on

those memories and those experiences to

know that, if we get our game right, we’re

a tough team to beat.”

And no disrespect to Connacht and Zebre

but, on paper, you have a pretty good pool...

”A lot of people looked at the draw and said

we have a good group, yeah. But I guess we

only have to look at last season to know how

easy it is to slip up when you think you’re over

the line. There were times last year when

there were some really big upsets in the

early stages, so we won’t take anything for

granted. You get what you deserve out of the

Heineken Cup, and we have to make sure that

we earn the right to be in a good position.”

What went wrong last

year? Anything you can

put your finger on?

”It was a bad day at the

office over in Connacht.

I guess 60mph winds

and horizontal rain don’t

help, but you get those

conditions and we know

we have to deal with it.

We took a long look at

ourselves after last

year’s slip-up and, if

anything, it spurred us

on to the Premiership

win. Thankfully, we used

the motivation well, but

we’ve parked that one and

moved on. We’re a team

that learns quickly, and

I’d be pretty upset if

we made that same

mistake again.”

On a personal note, are you happy with your

start to the season?

”Yeah, I’m pleased. I’m on good try-scoring

form, and my all-round game has improved.

For me, it’s about staying fit and playing

consistently well, and those two boxes have

certainly been ticked. I’m definitely happy, but

like the team as a whole I feel I have a lot more

to show and to offer the boys. So hopefully the

Heineken Cup can bring out the best in me.”

A piece in the papers said everyone at the

club loves you. What do you say to that?

[Laughs] ”Oh man, I’ve had so much stick for

that. I literally walked into the changing room

to a barrage of abuse from the boys. I’m just

interpreting that as a sense of endearment

– you’ve got to take the positives out of

everything! Seriously, though, there were a

couple of nice pieces about me. They weren’t

my quotes, someone else said it, but if that’s

the way I’m viewed, I’m a happy man.”

Is it true you call your mum before each game?

”I just find a corner and call her to say a little

prayer. It can be hard to do it some places,

depending what the changing room is like, so

I’ve been in showers, car parks and all sorts.

I’ve even taken my phone out on to the pitch

and sat by the posts before – I had to really

hide it when I did that. It gives me a real good

sense of security going on the pitch just

knowing I’m covered and everything will be

alright. It’s a nice crutch just to lean on.”

And what does the future hold for you?

”I’ve signed for three more years and I’m just

in the first year of that, then we’ll see what

happens after that. It feels a bit weird to

even talk about playing for someone else, to

be honest. We’ve gone through so much that

we’ve really built as a squad, so I’m planning to

be here for as long as they want me!”

Mark Coughlan @coffers83

Tickets are still available for Harlequins v

Biarritz this Saturday. Visit quins.co.uk

36 | October 12 2012 |

Heineken Cup: The Pools

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Euro vision

Week one Fixtures

Friday

Ulster v Castres

Sky Sports 3 8pm

Ospreys v Treviso

Sky Sports 3 (red button) 8pm

SaTUrday

racing Metro v

Munster

Sky Sports 1 1.35pm

Edinburgh v

Saracens

Sky Sports 1 (red button) 1.35pm

Zebre v Connacht

1.35pm

Leinster v Exeter

Sky Sports 1 3.40pm

Clermont v Scarlets

Sky Sports 1 (red button) 3.40pm

Harlequins v

Biarritz

Sky Sports 1 6pm

SUnday

northampton v

Glasgow

Sky Sports 1 12.45pm

Sale v Cardiff

Sky Sports 1 (red button) 12.45pm

Toulouse v

Leicester

Sky Sports 1 3pm

Toulon v Montpellier

Sky Sports 2 8pm

The Heineken Cup is back and, if the headlines are to

be believed, this might be our last chance to enjoy

it in all its glory. Ahead of the opening weekend, we

take a look at the six pools, with a little bit of help from Sky Sports commentator

Miles Harrison

1

23

POOL

POOL

POOL

| 37Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Miles Harrison says... Pool 1 and, already, it’s a tough one

to call. Edinburgh, last season’s semi-

finalists, know they have to try to build

on that significant breakthrough

achievement – both for themselves

and for Scottish regional rugby.

Standing in their way are European

giants Munster and English giants

Saracens. Both have points to prove –

Munster will be keen to show that their

European glories are not exclusively

former ones, and Saracens want to

move the club on to the next level, to

truly break into the Euro zone. Also,

Racing Metro should prove to be a

difficult opponent for all concerned,

especially when they are in Paris.

This is the classic ‘can’t afford to drop

any points at home’ pool – those that do

will undoubtedly live to regret it.

Miles Harrison says... There’s a real powerhouse showdown

between Toulouse and Leicester to

start things off, and this clash could

well be the one that decides things in

Pool 2. At the very least, their two

matches will have the greatest bearing

on the overall outcome. Ospreys are in

transition right now, although they are

never an easy proposition at the Liberty

Stadium. That said, Treviso might cause

them a few problems, as they did last

season; but if they are to do so, it will

most likely happen in Italy – and that will

have to wait, because the two meet

first in Wales in round one. All things

considered, two teams might well

get through from this pool, but don’t

expect Toulouse and Leicester to do

each other any massive favours along

the way. A tight one to call.

Miles Harrison says... Can English champions Harlequins

make Europe their stage this season?

I don’t think they will claim this is a bad

pool in which to be. But, despite their

troubles earlier in the year, Biarritz can

never be written off. We saw just how

much this qualification meant to them

through their Amlin Cup efforts at the

end of last season. Quins won’t be

taking Connacht too lightly either,

after what happened when the two

bumped into each other during the

last campaign. Zebre are rather an

unknown quantity when it comes to

Europe, but you would have thought

that this season is more about the

’experience’ for them. In summary,

Quins should fancy this if they have

ambitions to go a long way, – which

I’m sure they do. >

One to watchROnan O’GaRa Munster

He might not be

everyone’s cup of

tea, but the Munster

fly half has the

record for most

appearances and

most points in

Heineken Cup

history, so his

experience is

invaluable.

If the Irishmen

are to get out of

this pool, ROG’s

right boot will

have to be in

imperious form.

One to watchVinCEnT CLERC Toulouse

With 98 tries for Toulouse

under his belt, and 32

for France just

for good

measure,

Clerc is the

very epitome of a

dangerous finisher.

A quality backline

and powerful pack

means focus is

often elsewhere,

but leave a gap

for the poaching

master and he‘ll

be under your

posts before you

can decide how to

pronounce his name.

One to watchniCk EVanS Harlequins

If Quins are to win this

group and make their

mark on Europe,

their number

10 is the key.

Since he

arrived in

London,

Evans

has been

at the centre

of Harlequins’ rise thanks to

a metronomic right foot, a

sharp turn of pace and his

willingness to play from

anywhere. He can make the

difference between a win

and a loss.

Sport’s PredictiOn

SaRaCEnS

MunSTER

EdinBuRGH

RaCinG METRO

Sport’s PredictiOn

TOuLOuSE

OSpREyS

LEiCESTER

BEnETTOn TREViSO

Sport’s PredictiOnHaRLEquinS

BiaRRiTZ

COnnaCHT

ZEBRE

38 | October 12 2012 |

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Heineken Cup: The Pools

One to watchSoane Tonga’uiha

northampton

Northampton have an

impressive backline,

with the likes of Lee

Dickson, and George

Pisi – but it’s their

pack that does the

serious damage, and

Tonga’uiha leads from

the front. The Tongan

is as comfortable

smashing his

opposite man in

a scrum as he

is providing a

one-handed

offload – no team

will want to face him.

One to watchMorgan Parra Clermont

Clermont are full of quality

names, but like any good

French side they’re

cursed by their own

inconsistency. As

a result, Parra’s

ability to link the

forwards and

backs, and bring

some semblance

of a game plan

while all around him

are losing their

heads, makes him

a key figure. Oh,

and his pinpoint

accuracy from

the tee helps,

too.

One to watchSTeffon arMiTage Toulon

Tantalisingly outside the

England selectors’

grasp – thanks to their

self-made rules –

Armitage has been

playing his best

rugby in Toulon. A

powerhouse seven

who can shift up

through the gears

like a back (he

played sevens for Ben

Ryan’s England team), he

is also a master poacher

on the floor and

regularly bags the man

of the match award – no

mean feat in Toulon.

Sport’s predictiOn

LeinSTer

CLerMonT

exeTer

SCarLeTS

Sport's predictiOn

norThaMPTon

uLSTer

gLaSgow

CaSTreS

Sport's predictiOn

TouLon

MonTPeLLier

SaLe

Cardiff

4

56

pOOL

pOOL

pOOL

Miles Harrison says... ulster’s runner-up spot last year was

just reward for all that they put into

the competition. In the end, they did

not deserve to win the cup, but second

place is to be respected. However,

things have been put into perspective

with the tragic events surrounding the

death of Nevin Spence, and the thoughts

of everybody are still with Ulster.

northampton Saints were runners-up

two seasons ago and will look to put last

season’s disappointments in their pool

behind them. Castres away will not be

an easy fixture for any side, and it’s

about time glasgow did an Edinburgh

and made a European Cup impact. It is,

however, those games between Ulster

and the Saints before Christmas that

really catch the eye – those should

decide qualification from this pool.

Miles Harrison says... There are two other eye-catching

contests in the ‘back to back’ weekends

before the festive season: those

Munster versus Saracens battles in

Pool 1 and, in Pool 5, it will be Leinster

versus Clermont auvergne home and

away in December. In fact, in view of the

recent history between these two,

including last season’s epic semi final, it

doesn’t get any bigger in Europe these

days. Waiting like vultures to pounce will

be the Scarlets and the exeter Chiefs,

but Leinster and Clermont are unlikely

to offer any more than mere crumbs.

Exeter’s first taste of Europe is quite

a mouthful – their home game with

Clermont in round two will be a romantic

European night but, when it comes

to deciding the pool, you can’t really

look beyond those titans Leinster

and Clermont.

Miles Harrison says... Toulon’s Jonny Wilkinson and Danny

Cipriani of Sale are in the same pool,

so that will make the headline writers

happy. There is, however, a danger

of following those headline acts too

closely, because this is a pool that could

turn out to be the closest of the lot. The

presence of Montpellier, making it two

teams from France in this group, means

there will be no travelling freebies on

offer either there or in Toulon. Sale will

surely see this as a great chance to

really fire up their season after their

poor start in the Premiership. Cardiff

will probably look at what they are up

against and consider things could have

been worse. It is that kind of pool – with

everybody thinking they could progress.

So, as with Pool 1, don’t expect two

qualifiers from this one either.

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40 | October 12 2012 |

David Price

Saturday

david price v audley

harrison | liverpool

echo arena | box nation

Heavies

Unbeaten British champion David Price tells us he’s

closing in on world level, as we take a

look at boxing’s best up-and-coming

heavyweights

| 41

Sc

ott

He

av

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/Ge

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Ima

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s, D

ea

n M

ou

hta

rop

ou

los

/Ge

tty

Ima

ge

s

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

You’re defending your British title against

Audley Harrison on Saturday. What

challenges does Audley bring to the ring?

“He’s an experienced fighter and he’s a tall

southpaw, so he’ll be awkward. Plus Audley is

good defensively and he’s got a big punch with

his left hand. So he’s got a lot of qualities.”

He won an Olympic gold medal, but the

general view is that Audley Harrison’s pro

career has been a flop. What’s he lacked?

“The Olympic medal proves that, talent-wise,

he has as much ability as any heavyweight.

But it comes down to desire, hunger, heart

– and I think at times that’s something he

on the risehas lacked. That’s where he’s suffered as a

consequence – not achieving what he should

have in the professional game.”

So what are your keys to beating him?

“Don’t let him into the fight from the word go.

Put the punches straight on him. Every fight

I go into, I go in with intentions of throwing

hurtful, spiteful punches. This one’s going to

be no different: I’m going to be looking to land

big bombs on Audley Harrison’s head, face

and chin. Hopefully I’ll get him out of there

before the final bell.”

Speaking of knockouts, you’ve been stopping

opponents early in recent fights. What’s the

increase in power down to?

“I really can’t tell you. Maybe it’s because I’m

really starting to mature physically: turning

into more of a man. I’ve always been a late

developer, so at 29 I’m starting to mature

and get that strength that maybe I’ve lacked in

previous years. I’m doing a lot of strength and

conditioning work, so it’s probably a result of

how hard I’m working in the gym as well.”

How gutted were you that Tyson Fury chose

to vacate the British title rather than defend

against his mandatory challenger: you?

“Because it got right up to the deadline for

the purse bids and he hadn’t vacated, I had a

feeling that they were gonna put a purse bid

in and hopefully the fight would happen. >

42 | October 12 2012 |

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As it turned out, they decided not to bother

and he vacated the belt. That’s disappointing

for me and for fight fans, because they

wanted to see it. His team obviously didn’t. But

that’s for another day – it could still happen.”

The last 12 months have gone very well in

the ring, but there have been frustrations

outside – the Fury fight not happening, losing

a TV deal. So has it been a good or bad year

for you, on balance?

“It’s been really good. My dream doesn’t

revolve around fighting Tyson Fury – I’ve won

the British and Commonwealth titles anyway.

As far as the TV situation was concerned,

it was a bit of a kick in the balls – but we

have another broadcaster in BoxNation that

we’re really happy about. So it’s been a really

positive year for me, and I intend to make it

even better on Saturday.”

Providing you win at the weekend, how

far are you from world title level?

“It might come sooner, but realistically you’re

talking between 12 and 18 months. I’ll be a

30-year-old heavyweight by then, and that’s a

good age to come to world level. Another four

fights, maybe, but I can’t really say because

but that’s up to [my promoter] Frank Maloney.

I’m going in the right direction.”

Do you think fighters such as the Klitschko

brothers and David Haye will still be active

when you get to that level?

“It depends. Wladimir Klitschko will be around,

I think, but David Haye will probably be retired

by that stage. There’s not that many big fights

out there for David Haye now – and David is

all about the big fights. So I think if he gets to

fight Vitali, he could quit afterwards – unless

someone else pops up who could make him

a lot of money. But I feel Wladimir still has a

good few years left in him.”

So you don’t see a situation where you’ll ever

box your pal and old sparring partner Haye

in a professional fight?

“Well, we are friends, but if it’s a fight that the

public really want to see and will pay to see,

then that could secure it. If there’s money

on the table that can help the future of your

family, then you push friendship aside for

one night. It’s a business, after all.”

Look at the next generation of heavyweights

coming through – apart from yourself, who

would you tip as a danger man?

“I rate the Bulgarian, Kubrat Pulev. I’ve spent

time training and sparring with him and he

has a great engine, a solid chin and he has

great skills as well. He’s a well-schooled

amateur with a good jab and movement.”

There seems to be a buzz about you in

Liverpool right now. How important is it

you build up a real support at somewhere

like the Echo Arena?

“It’s a massive thing for me. This city has the

greatest sports fans in the world as far as I’m

concerned – and boxing is the second sport of

the city, after football. With me being the first

British heavyweight champion from Liverpool,

I’m just happy that I’ve been able to provide

some excitement. The fact that I’ve

been selling so many tickets

is proving that they’re

getting behind me.

I’m really grateful

and I want to make

a statement with

my performance on

Saturday night.”

Alex Reid @otheralexreid

Watch Price v Harrison live

on BoxNation – Sky ch 437

and Virgin ch 546 from 7pm

David Price

“You push friendship

aside for one night.

Boxing is a business,

after all”

Box to the futureSix of the best heavyweight contenders worldwide

Power Ranger: Price celebrates beating John McDermott in January this year

David PriceGB · 29 years old · 13-0 (11 KOs)

The 6ft 8ins Scouser has hit

form of late: each of his past five

opponents have been stopped

before the end of the fourth round.

A good amateur with a weighty jab

and a punishing right hand, the big

question mark is that we’ve yet

to see him tested under serious

return fire from an opponent.

Tyson FuryGB · 24 years old · 19-0 (14 KOs)

Big man, big heart, big mouth: the 6ft

9ins entertainer with the traveller

heritage can look clumsy, but

showed his grit and effectiveness

in beating Dereck Chisora in 2011.

Has faced criticism over his level

of competition since then, but his

conditioning has improved of late.

Seth MitchellUSA · 30 years old · 25-0 (19 KOs)

Put on boxing gloves for the

first time in 2006, but the hard-

punching latecomer – a former

college football linebacker – is a

natural athlete with an exciting

style. Still raw, but improving.

Fights US contender Johnathon

Banks in a crossroads bout next.

Kubrat PulevBulgaria · 31 years old · 17-0 (9 KOs)

Highly rated by Price, ’The Cobra’

may not punch with the venom that

his nickname suggests, but he’s

a fine technician with excellent

stamina. Having won the European

heavyweight title in April, Pulev is

the nearest boxer on this list to

challenging for a world title.

Vyacheslav GlazkovUkraine · 27 years old · 13-0 (9 KOs)

A super-heavyweight bronze-

medallist at the 2008 Olympics (as

was Price), Glazkov is relatively

shrimp-like for a heavyweight at

’just’ 6ft 3ins – but he’s developing

into a sharp, accurate boxer with

good footwork. Beat Price as an

amateur back in 2006.

Deontay WilderUSA · 26 years old · 25-0 (25 KOs)

The whipping power conducted via

the 6ft 7ins Wilder’s long arms is

illustrated by an unblemished KO

streak. Despite winning a bronze

medal at heavyweight in the 2008

Olympics, his technique can still be

sloppy. However the power – and

sharp jab – of the Tuscaloosa-born

’Bronze Bomber’ is undeniable.

44 | October 12 2012 |

Advertising Feature

Let the Lions lead you

Back in the summer of 2009, we were lucky enough to watch the second Test of the British & Irish Lions Tour of South Africa – an amazing

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Next summer, the British & Irish Lions take on Australia in their own back yard. In a series of three features, we look at why you should join them to discover a nation whose attractions are as diverse as they are unique

To find out more about the British & Irish Lions Tour of Australia, head online to

www.australia.com/lions

| 45

While you’re there... PerthVisiting Perth to watch the first game of the Lions Tour, against Western Force on June 5, doesn’t just enable you to enjoy one of Australia’s fairest cities; it will also act as a portal to the whole of Western Australia. Here is just a small selection of the delights on offer...

British & Irish Lions in Australia 2013Next summer’s Lions Tour of Australia comprises nine games, including the big three Test matches, played across six major cities. You can plan your big trip around the following schedule:

Tour match 1

Lions v Western Force, Perth, Wednesday June 5

Tour match 2Lions v Queensland Reds, Brisbane, Saturday June 8

Tour match 3

Lions v Combined NSW & QLD Country, Newcastle,

Tuesday June 11

Tour match 4

Lions v HSBC Waratahs, Sydney, Saturday June 15

Tour match 5

Lions v ACT Brumbies, Canberra, Tuesday June 18

First Test Lions v Australia, Brisbane, Saturday June 22

Tour match 6

Lions v Melbourne Rebels, Melbourne, Tuesday June 25

Second Test

Lions v Australia, Melbourne, Saturday June 29

Third TestLions v Australia, Sydney, Saturday July 6

Broome

Broome is a small town of about 15,000

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tourists in their thousands throughout

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Broome is 2,200km north of Perth;

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Margaret River

Visit one of the 60 wineries situated

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Margaret River is 277km (172 miles)

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Ningaloo Reef

A virtually untouched barrier reef

running 260km along the length of the

North West Cape, Ningaloo Reef is home

to more than 500 species of tropical fish

and 200 species of coral. If you get there

before the rugby, you may be able to

swim with the whale shark, the world’s

largest fish. If you go afterwards, you

may have to content yourself with hour

upon hour of the most spectacular

snorkelling you have ever experienced.

Get there

A two-hour flight from Perth will get you

to Exmouth, a modern outback town that

acts as the ideal base from which to

begin your Ningaloo adventure.

NexT Week!BrISBANe ANd The eAST coAST

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7 DaysOCT 12-OCT 18

HIGHLIGHTS

» Football: England Under-21s v Serbia » p48

»Horse Racing: Dubai Dewhurst Stakes » p48

» Formula 1: Korean Grand Prix » p50

» MotoGP: Japanese Grand Prix » p51

» UFC: Silva v Bonnar » p52OUR PICK OF THE ACTION FROM THE SPORTING WEEK AHEAD

46 | October 12 2012 |

SATURDAY > BRITISH SUPERBIKES | ROUND 12: BRANDS HATCH | BRITISH EUROSPORT 12.30PM

Season showdown If last year’s season finale is anything to go by, then the final round of the 2012 MCE British

Superbikes season should be a barnstormer.

Heading into the last of three Showdown

races, which conclude the British Superbikes

season, Kawasaki’s Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne

leads the standings by nine points from his

nearest rival, Aussie rider Josh Brookes.

The two-time British Superbikes champion

(in 2003 and 2008) secured a double

podium last time out at Silverstone to put

him in pole position for a third title, with last

year’s champion Tommy Hill 42 points behind

Byrne and fourth in the overall standings.

But with

three races at

Brands Hatch

this weekend,

all six of the

‘Title Fighters’

still have an opportunity to pick up plenty of

points, having seperated off into their own

mini-league after the regular season, taking

with them 500 points plus a total worked out

according to their finishes throughout the

season. “We definitely want to go to Brands

Hatch and turn things around,” said Hill. “I just

need to try and win all three races, and then

anything can still happen.”

Last year’s riders’ championship was

decided by just six-thousandths of a second,

in a race remembered as one of the greatest

motorcycle races ever seen. It came down

to a shootout between Hill and Samsung

Crescent Suzuki’s John Hopkins, with

whoever crossed the line first in the last

race of the weekend taking the title. And,

in front of 50,000 fans, Hill held his line

to win by just two points from Hopkins.

While Hill has struggled in the Showdown

races so far, Honda’s Alex Lowes has thrived,

rising to third in the standings with a huge

double win at Silverstone. The 22-year-old

pulled off a superb overtaking manoeuvre on

the final lap of the second race to relegate

Byrne to second – something the youngster

will remember for some time. “Ten years ago

he [Byrne] was my hero in World Superbikes,

and I was able to pull that cheeky move on

him,” he said after the race. ”I enjoyed that.”

Byrne will have to be on high alert for

Lowes as well as Brookes this weekend,

then, if he’s to make it a hat-trick of British

Superbike titles.

Brands Hatch

Superbikes

circuit length

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48 | October 12 2012 |

7 Days

FRIDAY FOOTBALL | UEFA UNDER-21 EURO 2013 PLAYOFF: ENGLAND v SERBIA | CARROW ROAD | ESPN 5.30PM

Doublejeopardy

Five years ago, New Approach established himself as the champion two-year-old

racehorse in Europe with victory in the

prestigious Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.

On Saturday afternoon, in the same race at

the very same venue, his son Dawn Approach

(pictured) will bid to do exactly the same.

The two-year-old, trained like his sire by Jim

Bolger in Ireland, heads to Newmarket unbeaten

from five starts, including an impressive

victory in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He still has a way to go emulate his old man,

who as a three-year-old produced a stunning

performance to win the Derby at Epsom; but

the signs are that he is something special,

and as such will be expected to see off a field

that could include Aidan O’Brien’s Cristoforo

Colombo and the John Gosden-trained Ashdan.

Elsewhere on a card dubbed ‘Future

Champions Day’, star two-year-old sprinter

Reckless Abandon puts his own unbeaten

record on the line in the Middle Park Stakes.

By contrast, a bunch of grizzled handicappers

take to the track for the two and a quarter

miles of the historic Cesarewitch. With a

decent draw, Martial Law can go well for

prominent jumps trainer David Pipe.

SAtuRDAY HORSE RACING | DUBAI DEWHURST STAkES | NEWMARkET | CHANNEL 4 & RACING Uk 2.55PM

Like father like son?

For Stuart Pearce’s young lions, there’s just a double-header against Serbia standing

between them and the Under-21 Euro 2013

finals in Israel next summer.

Tonight’s game at Carrow Road is the first

of a two-leg knockout tie that concludes

on Tuesday at the Mladost Stadium in

krusevac (also on ESPN, at 4.30pm). With

England having topped their group thanks

to a 1-0 win over Norway at Chesterfield’s

Proact Stadium last month, Pearce might

have expected a more favourable draw than

Serbia, who also won their group and were

unbeaten in all eight games.

It’s the first meeting between the sides

since a bad-tempered affair at Euro 2007,

when England’s 2-0 group-stage win was

marred by racist abuse (for which Serbia

were fined £16,500 by UEFA) and a brawl

after the final whistle (for which the FA

were slapped with a £2,000 fine).

Pearce’s 26-man squad includes a first

call-up for Liverpool youngster Raheem

Sterling, who was an unused sub for Roy

Hodgson’s senior squad against Ukraine

last month, while Spurs winger Andros

Townsend and Manchester United

midfielder Nick Powell also join up with

the squad for the first time.

Should England make it past Serbia,

they’ll qualify for their fourth straight

Euro Under-21 finals – and probably

land Pearce a job for life.

Now in nano sim Just £20 a monthUnlimited calls

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50 | October 12 2012 |

7 Days

SUNDAY FORMULA 1 | kOReAn GRAnd PRix | YeOnGAM | SkY SPORtS F1 7AM

This weekend the Formula 1 roadshow hits Korea and the Korean International Circuit. It may be the last time we see this track on the Formula 1 calendar, as despite it being

included on the provisional 2013 schedule,

circuit officials are struggling to secure

funding for its future.

Come Sunday, however, all eyes will be

on the duel between Sebastian Vettel and

world championship leader Fernando

Alonso, with the Spaniard holding a slim

four-point lead over his nearest rival.

With the championship reaching the final

stages, though, it looks like it’s advantage

Vettel and Red Bull. Alonso has failed to finish

in the top two since his win in Germany back

in July, while Vettel heads into the weekend

looking to make it three wins in a row.

Full points for the reigning world

champion will see him leapfrog Alonso in

the title race at the perfect time, as he

looks to emulate the heroics of Juan Manuel

Fangio and Michael Schumacher in winning

three drivers’ crowns in a row.

Sunday’s race holds importance for

drivers all over the grid though, as they look

to secure a drive for next season by

performing well in the final few Grands Prix.

Lewis Hamilton may already be confirmed

as a Mercedes racer for the next three years,

but the 2008 world champion will hope to

rectify his below-par performance last

weekend; while Jenson Button could do with

a good result as he takes on the mantle as

McLaren’s number one driver for next year.

Felipe Massa’s second place in Japan was

his first podium in two years, meanwhile.

The Brazilian will hope for more of the same

as he aims to keep his seat at Ferrari, while

the likes of Bruno Senna and Kamui Kobayashi

need to impress this weekend if they are to

keep their Formula 1 careers alive.

Korea over?

Korean Grand PrixSky Sports F1 commentators David

Croft and Anthony Davidson give the

lowdown on the Korean Grand Prix

DC: “This is probably going to be the

last time we go to Korea unless there’s

a minor miracle in terms of the funding.

Everything could have been lovely

about this circuit. We’ve been to Seoul;

it’s an amazing city, very cosmopolitan,

and would have welcomed Formula 1

with open arms. So they take it to a

place that’s four and a half hours from

the capital and hasn’t got the greatest

infrastructure to get you there, hasn’t

got the hotels to put you up. You just

think: ‘What are we doing in Mokpo?’”

AD: “It’s a real circuit of two halves

– in the first sector it’s that

traditional [Hermann] Tilke

circuit, the straights joined up

with tight corners basically in

between. And then you get to this

second half of the track that suddenly

opens up, and then there’s the flowing

undulating nature that we love. That

first and second sector is a fantastic

bit of circuit design; it’s really well

thought out and challenging.“

LAPS: 55CIRCUIT LENGTH: 5.615KMRACE DISTANCE: 308.630KMLAP RECORD: 1:39.605 – S VETTEL (2011)

DRIVER STANDINGS1 FERNANDO ALONSO (FERRARI) 1942 SEBASTIAN VETTEL (RED BULL) 1903 KIMI RAIKKONEN (LOTUS) 1574 LEWIS HAMILTON (MCLAREN) 1525 MARK WEBBER (RED BULL) 134

2011 RESULT1 SEBASTIAN VETTEL2 LEWIS HAMILTON3 MARK WEBBER

SCHEDULE (GMT)SATURDAYQUALIFYING 6AMSUNDAYRACE 7AM

StArt

| 51

Sunday MotoGP | JaPanese Grand Prix | MoteGi | BBC two 6aM

With four races to go in the MotoGP season, all eyes will be on Casey

Stoner (pictured) yet again this

weekend, even though he’s not in

the mix to win the championship.

The Australian is in his final MotoGP

season and has been sidelined by

injury for the past two months, so

expect him to come back firing for the

final four races, starting this Sunday

in Japan. And after the drama and

build-up that surrounded the ‘will

they or won’t they’ potential boycott

debacle that was last year’s Japan

Grand Prix, it’s nice to focus on the

action on the track this time round.

More than 100 points separate

Stoner and championship leader

Jorge Lorenzo, so the Australian’s

dream title-winning finish when he

retires from the sport at the end

of the season is long since out of

his reach. That being said, Stoner’s

teammate Dani Pedrosa trails

Lorenzo by just 33 points, so the

Australian knows wins will help his

teammate.

With two of Repsol Honda’s finest

to face instead of just one, Lorenzo

will have his work cut out to maintain

his lead over the coming weeks. The

good news for the Spaniard, though,

is that this weekend’s track suits his

racing style. The mixture of hairpins

and long straights mean a stop-start

race is assured, and nullifies Stoner

and Pedrosa’s faster bikes. Get a

good start, and Lorenzo should

have enough to hold off the two-

pronged challenge.

Beginning of the end

Psycho thriller

7 Days

Saturday UFC 153 | Anderson silvA v stephAn BonnAr | rio de JAneiro, BrAzil | espn 3AM

In the early hours of Sunday morning, UFC middleweight champ and the number one mixed martial arts fighter on the planet (Steven

Seagal aside, obviously), Anderson ‘The Spider’

Silva (dishing out the punishment, right), steps

up to light-heavyweight for the third time. He

takes on ‘American Psycho’ Stephan Bonnar in

a highly anticipated bout in Silva’s native Brazil.

While 37-year-old Silva may be the UFC’s

torchbearer, it was Bonnar – in his epic

Ultimate Fighter season one finale against

Forrest Griffin (which he lost on points after

a slugfest) – who first set the sport alight.

What makes this fight intriguing is the fact

that although 35-year-old Bonnar has been

defeated on seven occasions (with 14 wins),

he’s never been knocked out or submitted,

while Silva (32 wins, four losses) has won both

previous forays into the light-heavyweight

division by first-round stoppage.

While it lasts, this fight could well be

explosive, with Bonnar living up to his crazed

nickname and refusing to take a backwards

step. As brave as he is, though, expect to see

the psycho slain by the pinpoint-accurate Muay

Thai strikes of The Spider. That man Seagal will

also be cage-side, dispensing words of wisdom

to his charge Silva. Seriously.

FRIDAY

GolF turkish Airlines World Golf

Final: Final, Antalya Golf Club,

Belek, sky sports 2 6.30am

BAseBAll MlB postseason:

Alds/nlds: Game 5, espn America 10pm

SATURDAY

CYClinG tour of Beijing: stage 5,

British eurosport 8.15am

tennis Atp shanghai Masters: semi Finals,

Qizhong Forest sports City Arena, shanghai,

sky sports 1 9.30am

CriCKet Champions league t20: Kolkata Knight

riders v delhi daredevils, supersport park,

Centurion, British eurosport 2 4.20pm

dArts World Grand prix: semi Finals,

Citywest hotel, dublin, sky sports 2 7pm

rUGBY leAGUe Amlin Challenge Cup: Wasps v

dragons, Adams park, sky sports 1 8pm

SUNDAY

tennis Atp shanghai Masters: Final, Qizhong

Forest sports City Arena, shanghai,

sky sports 1 9.30am

CriCKet Champions league t20: Chennai super

Kings v sydney sixers, new Wanderers stadium,

Johannesburg, British eurosport 2 12.20pm

FootBAll league one: preston v MK dons,

deepdale, sky sports 2 1pm

GolF portugal Masters: day 4, oceanico victoria

Golf Course, vilamoura, sky sports 3 2pm

FootBAll league one: shrewsbury v Walsall,

Greenhous Meadow, sky sports 2 3.15pm

nFl: philadelphia eagles v detroit lions,

lincoln Financial Field,

sky sports 4 5.30pm

dArts World Grand prix: Final,

Citywest hotel, dublin, sky sports 1 7pm

tennis WtA linz: Final, intersport Arena, linz,

Austria, British eurosport 2 7.45pm

nFl: san Francisco 49ers v new York Giants

(featuring Alex smith, pictured),

Candlestick park, sky sports 4 9.15pm

BAseBAll MlB: national league

Championship series: Game 1,

espn 12.30am

BEST OF THE REST

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52 | October 12 2012 |

MONDAY

FootBAll league two: port vale v oxford,

vale park, sky sports 1 7.45pm

TUESDAY

CriCKet Champions league t20:

Chennai super Kings v highveld lions,

sahara park newlands,

Cape town, British eurosport 2 4.20pm

WEDNESDAY

FootBAll Johnstone’s paint trophy:

notts County v sheffield United, Meadow lane,

sky sports 1 7.45pm

THURSDAY

GolF perth international Golf Championship:

day 1, lake Karrinyup Country Club,

Karrinyup, sky sports 1 6.30am

CriCKet Champions league t20:

highveld lions v sydney sixers,

sahara park newlands,

Cape town,

British eurosport 2 12.20pm

rUGBY Union Amlin Challenge Cup:

Gloucester v Bordeaux-Begles,

Kingsholm stadium,

sky sports 1 7pm

The Spider spins his web around another victim

Sport Promotion

Our search for London’s best golfer, in association with Pebble Beach, is now

entering its final week of qualifying.

There have been plenty of good scores and

a thrilling final is guaranteed. Equally there

have been some less impressive scores,

with any success now depending on a

couple of good bounces in the draw to

become London’s Luckiest Golfer.

Life is full of ‘what ifs’: what if Geoff

Hurst’s goal hadn’t been given in the World

Cup final? What if Rory McIlroy had missed

his Ryder Cup tee-time? What if Maradona

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If you can’t be good, be lucky... The leaderboard (scores over nine holes)

1. Luke Donald 30 (-6)

2. Alistair Downes 34 (-2)

3=. Trevor Nelson 35 (-1)

David Andrews 35 (-1)

Fraser Devlin 35 (-1)

John Willcox 35 (-1)

Steve Sargeant 35 (-1)

8=. Sean Cook 36 (level)

Graham Harris 36 (level)

Matt Chaplin 36 (level)

11=. Tony Moss 37 (+1)

Mark Richards 37 (+1)

Nick Saunders 37 (+1)

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Extra time Kit

54 | October 12 2012 |

Making the most of your time and money

Dress up for Europe’s f inestSix English clubs in the Heineken Cup.

Six rugby shirts on this page

Making the most of your time and money

3 Sale Sharks Home Shirt

The season hasn’t started

quite as planned for the Sharks

– six defeats from six has left

them bottom of the Premiership

table – but European rugby

means a clean slate, and with

Danny Cipriani, Richie Gray and

Andy Powell among their number,

they do have quality. If nothing

else, their navy top is smart

enough to wear out and about.

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2 Saracens Home ShirtTheir rugby might not be

everyone’s cup of tea, but it

certainly does the job, so

the Sarries will be there or

thereabouts come the business

end of the season. With Nike and

Allianz involved in sponsorship,

Sarries are only going to get

bigger and bigger – now’s the

time to get involved with a

replica shirt, before you get

accused of glory hunting.

£55 | saracens.com

1 Harlequins Home ShirtThe self-confessed

champagne-swigging City boys

(well, confessed by Ugo Monye

on page 35, anyway) welcome

French giants Biarritz to town

tomorrow, so they can do with

all the help they can get. Grab

yourself a shirt and get down to

the Stoop. All you need to know:

Chris Robshaw is captain, Nick

Evans is star man and the Jolly

Hogg does superb snacks!

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Tigers are preparing another

assault on Europe in this snazzy

number. The tiger-stripe look is

prominent on a shirt that will

make its competitive debut

away in Toulouse tomorrow.

£55 | leicestertigers.com

5 Exeter Chiefs Euro Shirt

Exeter might be making their

European debut at Leinster

tomorrow, but they certainly

won’t be overshadowed in this

pink number, complete with a

large Chiefs logo on the front.

Apparently, Sireli Naqelevuki’s

a big fan, so we love them as

well (please don’t hurt us)!

£50 |

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4 Northampton Saints Cup Shirt

Dylan Hartley and pals will be

wearing this cup special into

battle with Glasgow on Sunday,

and the Cooldry technology

means the shirt will

absorb the players’

body moisture just as

well as it will absorb those

drinks you’re sure to spill up in

the stands. A true all-rounder.

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56 | October 12 2012 |

Extra time Coral Beary

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| 57

Photo by Arfa

58 | October 12 2012 |

Skeletal sounds

Damien Hirst called his gem-encrusted

skull For The Love of God. That was our

reaction to the green thing below

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

2

3

1. Jarre Aeroskull It looks like the kind of thing

future archaeologists might

find when they dig up the ruins

of Hoxton in about a thousand

years. It’s actually, however, a

pretty effective iPod dock, with

Bluetooth and auxiliary inputs

to speakers behind the

sunglasses. Loud, in both

senses of the word.

£349 | jarre.com

3. Libratone Zipp Soft to the touch, by contrast

to the hard lines of most Air

Play speakers, this might be for

you if you’re in need of some

gentle musical support. For an

extra £40, you can get two

different coloured woollen

jackets to change it into. Aww.

£330 | libratone.com

5. Bose SIE2i Sport

Headphones We can’t bear to

listen to music played

through inferior quality

audio equipment, and dragging

our hi-fi system behind us on

a trolley during our runs was

really starting to grate. Luckily,

these sweat-resistant sport

headphones combine great

sound with sports styling.

£130 | bose.co.uk

4. HTC Desire X The original rival to Apple, HTC

have always distinguished

themselves with their software

innovations. Their latest model

is no exception, with the ability

to capture photos and high-res

videos simultaneously, and

Beats audio processing to

boost your music. Cracking.

£ dependent on contract |

htc.com

1

54

2. Playstation 3 120GBDon’t worry, we’re not just

pitching you a six-year-old

games console – that would be

really lazy. The new-look PS3 is

even sleeker and cheaper, with

a 120GB hard drive that can

be expanded to 500GB – if you

have the time and the means.

£185 | amazon.co.uk

Stop searching,

start watching

The Humax Freesat+ box with <free time> features:

<free time> lets you roll backwards through the TV guide to fi nd shows that have

already been on. You can also enjoy On Demand TV with BBC iPlayer and ITV Player

(4oD and Demand 5 expected late 2012). Plus, with Clever Recording you can record

a personal library of your favourite shows.

Introducing the smart new TV Guide from freesat

that makes it easier to fi nd the programmes you love.

Find out more at www.humaxdigital.com/uk/freesat

500GB hard disk drive

offering 125 hours of HD recording.

Flexible playback

various video, audio and photo formats

(XviD, H.264, MP3, JPEG).

Applications

via Humax TV portal, access

applications such as: YouTube,

social networking, news,

magazines and games.

Low power consumption

under 0.5W power

consumption in standby.

Home network linking

share media content.

Nivea For Men Sensitive Protect

For those of you out there far too

nervous and sensitive for your own

good (you know who you are), Nivea

has gone and done you a solid with

its Sensitive Protect range of anti-

perspirants. They’re all enriched with

chamomile, recognised for its antioxidant

and anti-inflammatory properties, along

with nourishing avocado oil to help

moisturise your underarms and prevent

irritation. It’s not only what’s in there that

makes this selection a fine one, however –

it’s what’s not. Nivea’s formulas are free

of parabens and preservatives. Even the

stick and roll-on are fragrance-free.

And they’ll last for 48 hours, which by

our reckoning means you can pretty

much cut the time devoted to your

grooming regime in half. Time you

can spend watching Gone with the

Wind, or something similar.

niveaformen.co.uk

Calvin Klein: Encounter

CK’s latest offering is, it

says, at the centre of a

“story of unresolved

tension and desire

between a man and a

woman” – much like your

commute into work, then.

Unlike your journey from

the outer reaches of the

Northern Line to your

desk, however, Encounter

smells crisp and fresh,

blending as it does

spices with warm

cognac and sensual

woods. Its base of

agarwood, atlas

cedarwood and musk

underpin top notes of

mandarin cardamom and

rum. Wait a minute. Maybe

that last one does smell a

little like your journey in.

0800 083 6310

Braun cruZer Body

You know that all-in-one hair suit

you wear beneath your more

socially acceptable attire?

Well, step out of the bathroom

wearing it no more, sasquatch,

because you can actually use this

clever two-in-one gadget in the

shower. The cruZer Body

changes from a trimmer to

a shaver at the touch of a

button, and trims to three

lengths (0.6mm, 3mm

and 8mm) as well as

giving you the option of a

clean shave with Gillette

Fusion blades. Its small

teeth and sensitive comb

ensure your, er, safety. And,

while we’re not suggesting you

get too creative, it promises

to “boost your body looks –

including down there”. Does it

really say that? Yes it does.

braun.com/uk

60 | October 12 2012 |

Not the face!

But the underarms, the neck and, er,

most other areas are all catered for.

You’re welcome

the aNti-perspiraNts

the MOistUriserthe fragraNcethe razOr

Extra time Grooming

£2.03 for 50ml

£2.03 for 150ml

£2.49 for 40ml

£49 for 100ml

£49.99

LATEST NEWS

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Back Story David Mitchell

Known for ‘his look of permanent discomfort’ (the

book’s publicity spiel adds ‘on Channel 4 comedy

Peep Show’, but really it’s widely applicable), David

Mitchell has a memoir out this week.

The sharp-witted comedian uses it

to recount his Cambridge uni days,

pal Robert Webb’s wedding and the

pain of being denied a childhood

birthday party at McDonald’s. You

didn’t miss out on much, Dave.

Ian

Ga

va

n/G

ett

y Im

ag

es

International Magic Live At The O2 Noel Gallagher’s High Flying BirdsFor a man who spent much of his

Oasis career glaring moodily down

at his Gibson (even when he was

on vocals), Noel Gallagher has

proved himself a remarkably adept

live performer over the past year.

He and his new flock have played

a series of rousing, sell-out gigs,

and one of their London shows is

captured on the first disc of this

release – well worth it for Noel’s

stirring acoustic version of

Supersonic alone. Disc two

features live sets from Toronto

and the NME Awards, plus three

High Flying Birds videos. Great

value (making up for those last five

Oasis albums we invested in).

The Bat Jo Nesbo

The first novel featuring

the boozy but brilliant

inspector Harry Hole is

available in English for

the first time this week.

The Bat sees Harry in

Australia on the hunt for

the killer of a Norwegian

girl – only to discover

he’s on the trail of a

serial killer. A welcome

debut for an old friend.

Avatar 3D

A low-key hit in 2007,

Avatar has been

unavailable to buy in

its best-suited home

format (as a 3D Blu-ray)

until this Monday. No

matter what you think

of James Cameron’s

‘Thundersmurfs’ or the

film’s cheesy dialogue,

those Pandora action

scenes are worth the

price of a 3D TV alone.The Haunted Man Bat for Lashes

She’s unclothed on the cover (wearing a man, no

less: personally we’d have waited for a shirt to dry)

and Bat for Lashes has stripped down her lavish

arrangements for this third album. In songs such as

All Your Gold, it’s her gossamer

vocals that take centre stage,

backed by buoyant synths. Far

more fun than the somewhat

maudlin ballads, these pop songs

show Miss Lashes at her best.

Dishonored (PC/PS3/Xbox 360)

Dishonored starts with you framed for murder, so to

prove your innocence you get to go on a killing spree.

Thankfully, this is a game as engrossing as it is insane.

As a supernatural assassin, you

sneak through a grimy, plague-

ridden port, upgrading yourself

and your weapons in a range

of imaginative ways – from

short-range teleportation to

summoning an army of rats.

It’s a fetid world, but a breath of

fresh air as a game. Out today.

62 | October 12 2012 |

Music

A kind of magic

Noel Gallagher displays his guitar

wizardry, while Dishonored allows you

to have fiendish fun with the dark arts

DVD

GAME

BOOK BOOKBLu-RAY

Extra time Entertainment

uk.medalofhonor.com

© 2012 Electronic Arts Inc, EA, the EA logo, Medal of Honor and Danger Close are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Frostbite is a trademark of EA Digital Illusions CE AB. “2”, “PlayStation”, “PS3”, “Ã’’ and “À” are trademarks

or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. KINECT, Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, the Xbox logos, and the Xbox Live logo are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from

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