Battle of the codes

This weekend sees the northern hemisphere take on the south in both codes of rugby.

In the Rugby World Cup down in Australia, England are looking to avenge last week's defeat to New Zealand. While back in Blighty the Union boys are taking on Australia at Twickenham in what is Martin Johnson's first big test as head coach.

Down under England have had a tough time of it, edging past PNG before getting hammered by the Aussies and then throwing away a healthy lead against the Kiwis. Luckily for them, the absurdity of the tournament allows for them to forget those matches and just concentrate on producing two top level performances which could yet see them lift the cup, unlikely though.

Flair at HQ

Johnson's men are fairing better, with a resounding victory against a hard-hitting Pacific Islands team last weekend they will be hoping they can continue there dominance over their antipodean rivals.

Last week the Wallabies could only sneak past Italy thanks to a late try from debutant Quade Cooper. This week he is replaced by the ignimous Matt Giteau who can blow both hot and cold. An exciting game is in prospect and going on last week's efforts, Australia should not just be worried about the power of England's front three but also the pace of their back three.

Meanwhile France take on the Islanders, Ireland face New Zealand, Italy host Argentina and Scotland have the chance to get one over world champions, South Africa.

And don't forget the Guinness Premiership gets back under way this weekend after what seems like and infact has been an eternity. The week's fixtures are as follows:

Friday:
Sale v Worcester
Saturday:
Bath v Leicester
Sunday:
Bristol v Northampton,
Harlequins v Wasps,
Newcastle v London Irish,
Saracens v Gloucester,

A League of their own

The Rugby League World Cup kicked off in Australia at the weekend, and what a weird and pointless competition it is.

Four years in Leeds have given me an appreciation of the thirteen man game which was previously missing. The subtlety and skill required is often overlooked and although I feel Union is a superior game, League definitely has its merits.

The Super League is a great spectacle and the Grand Final is one of the sporting highlights of the year. Sadly a world cup in the sport fails to provide any interest for me.

The format is ridiculous. Three groups, one with Australia, England and New Zealand as well the unfortunate Papua New Guinea, and two further groups which include France, Scotland, Ireland and three Pacific nations.

The winners of the two small groups will fight it out for the chance to play the winner of group A while the second and third placed teams in the same group will lock horns for a place in the final.

So basically Australia will be in the final against either England or New Zealand. It is a bizarre set up and one that I don't feel benefits the sport. First of all, why are PNG given the short straw of being in the group of certain fatality?

BRUTAL HIT

The introduction of the Catalan Dragons and the Celtic Crusaders to the Super League has and should continue to develop the sport in Europe, but further progress must be made if the sport is to rival it's better looking brother, Union.

An annual five/six nations tournament should be established, or a Churchill Cup type affair, where England put out a second string team. Strides must be taken to push the game on, because a world cup should be the pinnacle of any sport, but in reality the NRL, Super League and the triangular series all rate higher than this farcical fortnight.

Guinness Round Five

Mid-week rugby is rare but due to the Lions Summer tour to South Africa, an extra round of games has been slipped in to make the season a week shorter.

Spread over three days all twelve teams played and the table now looks somewhat different after a couple of surprise results.

On Tuesday, Gloucester produced a delightful display of attacking rugby to dispatch a hard-working Newcastle 39-23. Ian Balshaw picked up a hat-trick in only his second game back after injury, while James Simpson-Daniel notched a brace.

The other big news of the night was that Jonny Wilkinson picked up yet another injury. Just when it looked like he was back and hitting top-form he has dislocated his knee and faces another lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Sharks bitten

Wednesday saw four games played. The least surprising result of the night was Saracens picking up a win at Bristol who still only have two losing bonus points.

Elsewhere, Leicester produced a spirited and trademark second-half comeback against east-midlands rivals Northampton. Trailing 16-9 at the break the Tigers came back to win 29-19 with Toby Flood scoring 19 of the home side's points.

The shock of the round saw league leaders, Sale, go down 28-6 at London Irish.Having not conceded a try all season, the Sharks let Irish cross their whitewash four times and with only two Charlie Hodgson penalties in reply they slip to third in the table.

Adams Park hosted the final game of the night, as Wasps welcomed back Danny Cipriani against Bath. A solid return for the young England starlet who was only denied a 100% kicking record by a dodgy referee. Sadly Cipriani's hour long cameo, watched by his new woman Kelly Brook, was not enough to see Wasps record their first home win of the season.

Bath held out for a tense 27-23 win to leave the London side still languising at the foot of the table with just seven points. Wasps will be hoping Cipriani's return can kick-start their season but with no Guinness rugby til November 14 now, they will have to hope some cup-success can give them some much needed respite.

With Wilkinson now out, Martin Johnson may now call up Cipriani to the senior squad, to complete what would be a remarkable recovery for the youngster.

Warriors wounded

Thursday saw the last game of the round played, and there were no surprises as Harlequins beat Worcester 30-23 with Ugo Monye scoring two tries for Quins.

Bath are now top of the league, three points clear of Sale, Tigers and Quins and a further point clear of Saracens and Irish. Bristol remain last with Warriors and Wasps just ahead with only one win to their names still.

As I said there is no league rugby till November 14 but there will be EDF and Heineken Cup to keep us entertained, and I will be sure to keep you updated.

Guinness Round-Up

This is the first Guinness Premiership Rugby round-up which I will now do every Monday, so look out for them, it saves watching Craig Doyle on ITV4.

There were three Friday night games this week, which may have caught some fans out, but if it did then they didn't miss much. Sale Sharks continued their excellent start to the season in beating Gloucester at home by 23 points to nine. Their dominant defence has now not conceded a try for four games (320 minutes), a Premiership record.

They also managed to triple their try count for the season as stand-in skipper, Sebastien 'The Caveman' Chabal crossed the white-wash along with former Wasps and Leeds flyer, David Doherty.

Although it may not be the most exciting rugby being played in the world, it is getting results for Sale and this win put them top of the league as the only remaining undefeated team.

Mr Reliable

Up in the North-East Jonny Wilkinson kicked Newcastle to their second win of the season, a mark some thought they wouldn't reach by Christmas. But the pre-season relegation favourites have proved the doubters wrong, tries from John Rudd and Adam Balding capped off a good win against Bristol.

Wilkinson has a 100% kicking record so far this season and his two conversions and penalty took him back ahead of Andy Goode as the all time leading Premiership points scorer.

For Bristol, the season couldn't have started any worse, rooted to the foot of the table with just one losing bonus point. They must beat Saracens at home on Wednesday if they want to avoid being left behind.

Stung Again

The last game on Friday night was a repeat of last year's Play-Off final and it produced the same result although by markedly different means.

London Wasps had suffered a dreadful early season, losing their first three, but this dogged win over unbeaten Leicester at Welford Road will give the whole club a real lift.

Jeremy Staunton was the hero for the London team as he didn't miss a kick, slotting five penalties, two drop-goals and the conversion of Damien Varley's try.The win lifts them to 10th and most importantly keeps them in touch with those ahead, another loss could have made the gap too big even at this early stage.

Leicester will soon have a complex when facing Wasps, after a Heineken Cup loss, a Premiership Final loss and back-to-back losses at the once impenetrable Welford Road.

They drop to third in the table and face Northampton mid-week. Wasps face Bath and could welcome back Danny Cipriani for the first time since his ball-breakingly nasty injury against the same opponents back in May.

We now finally come to some weekend fixtures which weren't played under the floodlights. And it seemed to make a vast difference to the quality of rugby.

Champagne Bath


Bath took apart Worcester with a dynamic and reckless performance at The Rec. The final score was 37-19 with the home side scoring five tries to record only the third winning bonus point in the league so far.

Bath coach Steve Meehan made a point of playing attacking rugby in an attempt to side-step the pitfalls of the ELVs.

"We must not be scared of going out and playing. We can't go into our shells, even if the ELVs can put you under a lot of pressure. The rewards of such an approach will outweigh the risks." He said.

Bath are now second and Worcester are languishing at the other end of the table with only Bristol between them and the prospect of League One rugby next year.

Care-less

In the game of the round, London Irish came from 20-8 behind to beat Quins 28-27 at the Stoop. Two Delon Armitage tries and a faultless display from Chris Hewat was enough for Irish to snatch a win from Dean Richard's grasp.

Both teams now sit mid-table, and the rugby they have played so far has made them two of the most exciting sides to watch.

Irish now have the task of taking on the Sale defence, while Quins face Worcester in mid-week.

Sarries march on

The final game saw Saracens beat new-boys Northampton 26-12 at Vicarage Road. Three penalties and a superb drop-goal from the half way line by Stephen Myler were not enough for Northampton as their discipline let them down in the second half.

Ben Foden's nightmare move to the Saints continued as the long-haired renegade who left Sale to get more time in a no.9 shirt was sin-binned only minutes after coming on as replacement. This ended any hopes of a comeback and they now face a tough trip away to Leicester.

Saracens look like they might challenge this year, and should have no problems overcoming Bristol on Wednesday.

Come back on Friday when I will review all the mid-week games, and look ahead to the weekend. This Monday slot is now regular though, so see you then.

Davis Cup relegation

Once again the dire state of British tennis was highlighted at the weekend, as the Davis Cup team went down meekly to a poor Austrian team, forcing their relegation to the Euro/Africa Zone.There is no need to say that Andy Murray is one of the world's best tennis players, ranked fourth in the world and a recent grand slam finalist he had little trouble winning his two rubbers.

But beyond that the men's game in this country is embarrassing. Alex Bogdanovic has always looked 'promising' but he is now 24 and has still not got past the first round of a grand slam, won a live Davis Cup game or broken into the top 100.

Andy's brother Jamie is a useful doubles player but by no means a world beater, a permanent teaming-up with Ross Hutchins could help though and give both players some top level practice and exposure.

Other than that there really is nothing, no-one, not even a glimmer of hope. And to make matters worse, the LTA refuse to admit the problem.

All about the kids

Crowds at the home-tie at Wimbledon at the weekend were extremely poor. Andy Murray is an amazing talent and the event should have been sold out, and if not, tickets for kids should have been issued, in fact an allocation should have been given anyway.

The team spirit in the camp was dreadful, every time there was a break the camera man had to go to the Austrian team as they were the only people in the stadium making any noise.

And as Murray pointed out Bogdanovic failed to get the crowd involved at all: "In both my matches I showed a lot of emotion and got the crowd involved.

"You have to take advantage of home support. It should be a huge advantage. That's why home teams win 82% of Davis Cup matches.

"The crowd in my match was very good. In Alex's match it looked as if a lot of people left and the atmosphere was not very good."

ATP Rankings

Basically it is a disaster all round, and it was not unexpected, the state of the game in this country has been awful for at least a decade with the strength in depth non existent.

Spain have five top 20 players (15 top 100), France have five top 30 (15 top 100) and Russia five top 40. GB have one player in the top 162, not quite the same.

Something needs to be done, and with most problems the first thing to do is admit there is a problem, something the LTA are having difficulty with.

Wasps drowning in Guinness

Played two, lost two. It makes sorry reading for defending champions Wasps, but that is the nature of the Guinness Premiership this season, no easy games.

However, there must still be an air of panic down at the training ground in Twyford, for these are the games that Wasps need to win if they want to be at Twickenham come next May.

They have a number of players who are going to be away on international duty soon, more than any other club, so while they have an almost full squad to call upon (bar Danny Cipriani) they must capitalise. They are not.

It has never been an easy league to win and with the end of season play-off system, it is all about pacing yourself, a skill Wasps have honed in recent years.

No outsiders

This year though, there are more teams challenging than ever before.

Sale, who are the only team to win the league and then go on to win the play-offs, have brought in quality like Dwayne Peel and Matthew Tait, to add to the majestic Luke McAlister and sprinkling of Gallic and Gaelic flair and grit elsewhere in the squad. And don't overlook Charlie 'the choker' Hogson to kill a game off with an hour remaining.

Gloucester and Bath both have gallons of potential, with delicately poised youth and experience combined. Although the Cherry Whites stole derby day honours at The Rec on Saturday both teams should expect to be top four come play-off time.

Although not as fancied as in previous years, Leicester Tigers are still a massive force in the game. The biggest club in the country is under new leadership, and if ex Falcon, Toby Flood can start dominating games then they will also be there or there abouts.

8-9-10

Normally the list then starts to fade, but not this season. London Irish, Saracens, Harlequins and even newly promoted Northampton all have squads and players capable to challenge.

The Nick Easter-Danny Care-Nick Evans axis at Quins is arguably the best in the league, and with Eddie Jones and Steve Borthwick now at Saracens the Fez's will be no push over.

Worcester, Bristol and Newcastle, will be the three teams who I fear may struggle. Newcastle rely on Wilkinson far too much, and he is unlikely to play more than half a season. Bristol just don't have the players, and Worcester don't seem to have the consistency.

That leaves Wasps, who could finish anywhere from first to last. Inspirational one week, dreadful the next. Dallaglio leaving is definitely no excuse, and McGeechan will not allow it to be. Playing in Wycombe, although also no excuse, is still ridiculous. They must return to the capital if they want to capitalise on their quality.

ET cricket

English cricket fans might have thought they had been punished enough recently, following the Three Lions dismal performance against the South Africans, but to compound matters, the ECB today announced their contract extension with Sky Sports for live games.
Back in 2006 the first contract with Sky to show all of England's live games was set up and it has now been extended until 2013, with Five holding on to the highlights rights.

The new contracts with both companies is worth an estimated £300m and will be up for renewal in five years time.

How the ECB possibly think this is a good decision for the sport, which is currently struggling for support, especially at test level, is worrying.

Burnt Ashes

The move from Channel 4's superb coverage, which included the momentous and historic Ashes victory in 2005 was disastrous in the first place and now it will go on for the foreseeable future.

After that Ashes series the sport was on a high, the nation was enveloped in cricket fever and like the rugby team two years previously the England players were treated like heroes.

The ideal time to flood the TV with the sport, push it in schools and really get a new generation of players involved. Instead it was yanked from terrestrial TV and dumped with Sky Sports.

OK, so those who are keen will probably have Sky and if not they may hit the pub, but that is not how to popularise something, it needs to be accessible it needs to be in the public eye.

Sky Sports is a remarkable thing that often brings sport to the public that may otherwise be lost, but national sports should be available to everyone. There should be an agreement 'somewhere' with 'someone' that all major national sports remain on terrestrial television.

Olympic show of strength

The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics is only a couple of weeks away, and once again a whole nation will be trying to impress the world by putting on the biggest show on the planet. This year the responsibility falls upon China to organise and fund the Olympics, but will they be able to match Sydney and Athens, and even if they can what will the long term cost be?

China have been preparing and anxiously waiting for this since 2001 when they were awarded the Games. Ever since that day a massive PR wheel was started rolling and no stone has been left unturned and no flower bed untended in order to show the world exactly what China can do.

It is no secret that in recent years the country has developed into a super power, in all senses.

With a population of over one billion, they have the depth of resources to achieve anything and that is the message they are furiously trying to get across.

Project 119

Efforts to compete in all events, and make a serious impact upon the US dominance of the medal tables have been evident and it is more than likely that for the first time they will come out on top.

Having finished fourth and then third in previous Olympics before their second place last time around, a major push is still needed to overturn the Americans.

In order to do this the government launched "Project 119" eight years ago.

The idea was that if China was to topple the US it needed to compete across a broader range of sports. Five medal-rich sports were identified as athletics, canoe/kayaking, rowing, sailing and swimming.

And these five sports accounted for 119 potential gold medals (now 122), one third of the total available. If China succeed in this project, which it looks like they will, then they will sweep the floor, leaving the US to lick their wounds.

Sacrifices

In all honesty, a country with over a billion people should dominate, and it would be a shock if they don't.The sad element of all this is the cost the Chinese government has put on this success, not only have billions of pounds been invested, but people have been kicked out of their homes, businesses have been ordered to close and communities have been destroyed.

In order to create the biggest show on earth sacrifices have had to be made, and it appears the Chinese government are unfussed what these are. With chronic pollution, political frailities involving neighbouring Tibet and nearby Burma, the success and smooth-running of the games is not certain making viewing that bit more exciting.

Money, Money, Money

This year's Wimbledon is well underway and once again proving to be a huge success, but one thing has been griping my mate. Money.

This is the second year at SW19 that men and women have been awarded the same prize money, with this year's victors taking away a ridiculous, £750,000 each.

Pressure on the LTA to pay women the same as men had been mounting for some time, when they eventually bowed last year.

David Cameron, Tessa Jowell and Richard Branson all supported the change and with little room for manoeuvre, Wimbledon followed in line with the Aussies and the Yanks. (The French still only pay the winners the same)

Members of the women's tour including the Williams sisters and chief exec, Larry Scott made their feelings unequivocally clear, Scott said: "In the 21st Century it is morally indefensible that women competitors in a Grand Slam tournament should be receiving considerably less prize money than their male counterparts."

Strong words, especially from a guy, you suspect there must be a strong willed woman in his life somewhere, and he must have a hard time of it at home when he casually asks 'Whats for tea dear?'.

Hard Work

What gets my mate (and me if I'm being honest, and a bit brave) is that there is no doubt the men have to work considerably harder for their money.

In 2006 Federer won 202 games on his way to the title, compared to just 142 for Mauresmo, and Federer doesn't hang around much on the grass.

Five set games are considerably harder and more draining than a mere three, and this is the one reason why equal pay is absurd.

If you were at work, (something I am on the look out for) and your female colleague went home at lunch everyday while you slaved away into the night, you would be pretty peeved if she was getting the same pay as you.

Well why should tennis be any different? It is their job, their profession, why should they be getting paid for doing half the work.

Poor Quality

The other factor in equal pay, which is more subjective, is the quality of women's tennis. This year like many others the quality of the women's game has been poor.

All the big names have choked, leaving a bunch of no-hopers to be demolished by the Williams sisters who will undoubtedly be meeting each other again come Saturday.

As I said, the quality issue is subjective, and if it just came down to this then I would not dispute the equal pay, but this is not the crux of the argument, it is the time and effort involved in winning games.

Either they should make women play five sets, (could be good for a laugh) or admit their mistake and start paying them less again. We the punters are the ones who probably suffer, through increased ticket prices.

Anyway, hopefully this will have stirred up some anger amongst both those who are pro and those against equal pay (in tennis), and I expect a tirade of abuse from any feminist friends (I really must do something about them).

Spanish magic ends title drought

Last night Spain became European champions with a display of football that will go down in history. Sadly they could only score one goal, through Fernando Torres, but if they had won 4-0 it would not have been an unfair reflection of the game.

Their passing is simply unbelievable, they moved it around as if they were on the training pitch, with a confidence and ease that Fabio Capello will look upon resentfully.

No matter how little space and time they have, they always want the ball at their feet. And even without Villa playing, they provided a constant goal threat from all over the pitch.

Germany's defensive flaws which I highlighted against Croatia never had a chance of holding up against the Spanish, and it really was a shame they didn't get thumped.

Sergio Ramos, a class player, had probably the best chance to put the game beyond Joachim Low's side, with a free header at the back post.

Domination

Iniesta, who was my player of the tournament closely followed by Senna, dominated the game, with an unrelenting desire to create space and opportunities for those around him.

There is no doubt now, that this relatively young Spanish side will go to South Africa in two years time as one of the favourites. And if Holland, Russia and Croatia can all continue to improve their squads then they will also provide a strong challenge to the South American teams at the 2010 World Cup.

England on the other hand will continue to struggle, and just reaching the finals will be a result for Capello's men. They play a boring, slow football, which entirely contradicts the style of the Premiership, but they still fail to win.
Even if Italy, France and Germany play dull football at least they can do it successfully, all of who have reached major finals in the last two years.

Anyway a thoroughly deserved win for Spain, and as both Alans said last night, rather embarrassingly, 'A win for football'.

Germany leaky at the back

Without any home nation representation I feared this European Championships might disappoint, but I have been proved wrong.

I was somewhat surprised to hear that Germany were favourites coming into the tournament. Fair enough, their record in major tournaments is impressive but with a defence about as watertight as Derby's, and a goalkeeper kept out of his club side by Manuel Almunia, Spain's fourth choice, do they really have a chance?
I have seen most of the games so far, and although they have not been gripping, one thing has stood out, there aren't many bad teams.

Romania, Poland, Greece, Turkey, and the host nations are going to find it hard, but of the other 10 teams it is impossible to pick a winner. I have however, rather predictably, plumped for Spain.

Their midfield is pure class, Iniesta, Xavi and Fabregas could grace any international team while Torres and Villa up front are irresistible.

Goalfest

Germany's weakness at the back was almost undone by Poland in their first game, and most definitely unlocked in defeat to the impressive Croatians. How Jansen has made it into their first team is unfathomable.

Croatia are one team who it could be worth putting a few quid on, with the inspirational Bilic at the helm, and Modric and Kranjcar bossing the midfield they could go all the way. And I hope they do.

Last orders for Guinness

This season's Guinness Premiership has been by far the most closely contested since the inception of the play-off debacle in 2003.

Sale are the only team to have topped the league at the end of the regular season and gone on to win the play-offs, that was in 2006.

Before that Wasps won three back-to-back titles having failed to prove themselves as the best side after 22 league games.

However, after a troubled and controversial childhood the true virtues of the play-offs are now beginning to show.

Cream of the crop

The fight for the top four has provided numerous clashes of epic proportions, and has seen the cream of English rugby slowly rise to the top.

In a season which has not only included the annual Six Nations but also a World Cup, many teams have had to draw upon the full quota of their squads to maintain momentum and now fatigue is beginning to show through, most notably at Leicester.

Wasps have done a better man-management job and once again look like they may have timed their run to perfection.

Bath and Gloucester have been consistent throughout the 22 games, and their clash at Kingsholm on Saturday should decide who finishes top.
Sale and Harlequins will probably fight out for the last spot, presuming Wasps dispatch bottom team Leeds and lowly Newcastle tomorrow night.

What ever happens, the semis are sure to be electric and the final on May 31 nothing short of a test fixture.

Sarries squeeze through

Saracens held off an inform Ospreys at Vicarage Road today to secure a spot in the Heineken Cup semi-finals.

The Heineken Cup is indubitably one the world's greatest rugby competitions and the nearest thing to test rugby outside of the international scene.

Saracens progress in the competition is all new ground for the north London club, yet they tackled the Welsh challenge surprisingly calmly and efficiently.

It is less than a month since the Ospreys decimated Saracens at the Millennium Stadium in the EDF semis, recording a 30-3 win. A result that made today's reversal even sweeter.

Even though the Ospreys, full of Welsh grand-slam winners, have been in scintillating form they could only convert their possession into one try late on.

Glen Jackson contributed 14 points towards the 19-10 win, but it has been a huge team effort for the club to reach this stage.

They will now have to face Munster at the Ricoh Arena after the Irish side used all their experience to see off Gloucester 16-3 at Kingsholm.

Old Heads

In the other two quarter finals London Irish produced a magnificent display to hold of Perpignan while perennial challengers Toulouse ended any Welsh representation by emphatically dispatching Cardiff Blues.

Toulouse are now firm favourites to lift the cup although Munster also now how to win the big games in Europe.

Having got this far though neither of the English teams can be written off.

Chambers circus continues

Dwain Chambers looks set to try his hand at yet another sport as basement Super League team, Castleford Tigers, show an interest in his abilities.

Following a drugs ban from athletics, Chambers looked to American Football as an alternative sport he could excel in.

In 2007 he signed for German NFL Europa side Hamburg Sea Devils, and although his pace was a clear asset his handling skills were not enough for him to crack into the NFL and when the the European league disbanded in June 2007, he was left in limbo.

His recent turbulent return to athletics proved successful as he won a silver medal at the World Indoors, but he never seemed convinced it was a long term move.

Eye of the Tiger

Why he should even get the chance of a trial at the club is beyond me.

Fair enough Castleford are struggling and the idea of having a world class sprinter in the team may seem like a good idea in the clubhouse after yet another thumping, but really?

There are so many young aspiring players in the country who would give anything for a trial at a Super League club.

This move by Chambers makes a total mockery of both the league and all the hard work put in by the players trying to make it in the sport.

I just hope the team don't go easy on him during his trial, I doubt they will.

Football crazy, Football mad

A bidder for Mansfield Town football club wants to rename the club Harchester United, in a tribute to the TV show The Dream Team.

John Batchelor is the man behind the scheme and he already has a history of controversy in the game.

When at York City, he changed their name to York City Soccer Club in an attempt to attract more interest and investment from overseas, especially the US.

Insulting

His new great idea seems fairly ridiculous and also fairly insulting to both the club and town.

Mr Batchelor said:"Harchester is more promotable than Mansfield. That's not any form of insult to Mansfield at all because it's a club with a long tradition but it's just a fact of life.

"Football supporters in general have to understand that if they want professional football in their town, they have to accept it has to be done on a commercial basis.

Although the team has always been a low-league team this should not limit their ambition to be a strong club in these leagues.

What cost?

If this bid is successful then they risk being the laughing stock of the whole football league. If you thought MK Dons was bad enough (looking for glory in Johnstone's Paint Trophy at Wembley this weekend), then this is just farcical.

A divide must be drawn between reality and fiction and the commercialisation of the country's main sport must not infiltrate and disrupt the integrity of the lower leagues.

Academy given European feel

West Ham have always had a successful academy and now with the appointment of Gianluca Nani as technical director they hope to tap the international transfer market as well.

Lampard, Cole, Carrick and Ferdinand (x2) all came through the ranks at Upton Park and even John Terry and Sol Campbell spent some of their youth there.

In earlier years, Hurst, Moore and Brooking all wore the 'claret & blue' in their embryonic stage as footballers.

Scouting Chief

Now with the appointment of the Nani, 45, the club have made their intentions of success clear.

The Italian comes from Brescia, where he has been the club's sporting director since 1999.

His career at West Ham will start in earnest in June, but he has already met up with the manager to discuss possible summer transfers.

Multi-lingual

Capable of speaking English, Spanish and French he is bound to be a real asset to the club as they look to put the horrors of last season and this season's injury blighted campaign behind them.

As well as provided scouting assistance Nani will also help develop "The Academy" and youth players at the club.

Hopefully he will be able to uncover such gems as Andrea Pirlo and Luca Toni as he has in the past, and The Hammers brush with glory in the FA Cup and ensuing UEFA cup of two years ago won't be a one off.

Hamilton Sets the Pace

Lewis Hamilton has carried over his searing pace from last season and stormed to the front of the grid for the first race of the F1 season in Melbourne.

Last season the rookie fell away in the last few races to hand Raikkonen the title. But Hamilton has already made his intentions clear for 2008 by claiming pole position in Australia.

It was not such a good qualifying session for the 'Iceman' who after problems with his Ferrari will start the race from 16th.

This gives Hamilton the ideal opportunity to score some points over the driver who is sure to be his closest rival for the championship.

The rest of the competition is fairly evenly matched and it should mean the points are shared around, allowing Hamilton and Raikkonen to go head to head for the title.

Alonso is not in a good enough car anymore, but if you want an outside bet for a driver then you could pick either of BMW's drivers, Kubica or Heidfeld.

Ashton dumps Balshaw and Regan

Following England's impressive victory against France in the last round of the 6 Nations, Brian Ashton has heeded my advice and ousted Ian Balshaw and handed Danny Cipriani the no.15 shirt.

'Even Cipriani would offer more in the 15 shirt, while gaining valuable experience on the international scene for what is expected to be a long and illustrious career.

I just hope Ashton is not too belligerent and complacent to recognise that Balshaw does not deserve his place in the squad.'

Cipriani is a straight swap for the maligned Balshaw who is fortunate to be handed a place on the bench.

It is the only change in the backs which dominated the French with a blitz defence and surprisingly expansive attack.

Clown Dropped

In the pack Lee Mears replaces Mark Regan who is unfortunate to be dropped from the match day 22, as George Chuter retains his place amongst the substitutes.

James Haskell has not fully recovered from the knock he suffered to his ankle against the French, and his replacement in that game, Tom Croft, will make his first start for his country against the Scots in Murrayfield on Saturday.

Scotland have only made two changes to their starting XV, with Simon Taylor making a welcome return in the back row, replacing Kelly Brown at number eight.

The other change sees inside centre Graeme Morrison make his first start in four years.

Croke Chokers

The most interesting and important game of the weekend sees Ireland take on Wales at Croke Park.

If Wales can produce another big performance and beat the Irish then they will fancy their chances to win the Grand Slam when they host France at the Millennium Stadium in the last round of the competition.

France will waltz past Italy, even with a host of uncapped players making their debuts as part Lievremont's radical selection policy.

My Predictions:

England beat Scotland by 17

France beat Italy by 35

Ireland beat Wales by 2

England win in Paris

England produced 80 minutes of quality rugby in Paris yesterday to see off a youthful French team by 11 points.

And today's comments by Marc Lievremont, that Mark Regan is a 'grotesque clown', simply highlighted the English success in getting under the skin of the home side.

As well as watching England beat France I also saw Wasps scrape past Bristol at Adams Park thanks to a late late try from replacement scrum-half Mark McMillan.

It was a thrilling game and one of the best live matches I have ever seen. A superb advert for the Premiership, especially during an international period when quality and consistency sometimes drop.

Carrying Passengers

The one thing that was apparent from the day's rugby was how on earth has Ian Balshaw made it into the England team?

His comical effort at catching a high ball followed by a ridiculous decision to let another high ball bounce before gathering could have easily handed the French easy points and a sniff of victory.

Quite what Brian Ashton thinks Balshaw brings to the team is unclear, and it is easy to name probably half a dozen players who could do better than the Gloucester man.

Lewsey, Tait, Morgan and Abendanon could all do a job.

Even Cipriani would offer more in the 15 shirt, while gaining valuable experience on the international scene for what is expected to be a long and illustrious career.

I just hope Ashton is not too belligerent and complacent to recognise that Balshaw does not deserve his place in the squad.

England look to wiggle past France

Richard Wigglesworth has been named in England's starting XV to face France on Saturday night. Andy Gomarsall has dropped out of the squad altogether and as a result Paul Hodgson takes his place on the bench as replacement scrum-half.

The game against Les Bleus is a re-match of the World Cup Semi-Final which was also an 8pm kick off at the Stade de France.

Brian Ashton will be hoping his team can come up with the same result, but to do this they will have to produce a more consistent 80 minutes of rugby than they have done recently.

England's front row has been strengthened by the return of Phil Vickery and more notably Andrew Sheridan, who has been the powerhouse of the front five for the past 18 months.

Ian Balshaw has remarkably kept his place in the side with Matthew Tait still on the sideline. The only other change to the squad that edged past Italy two weeks ago sees Tom Croft replace Luke Narraway as back row cover on the bench.

Gallic Guile

The French team has once again been given a shake up by new coach Marc Lievremont, although his hand has also been forced by a number of injuries.Vainikolo for Gloucester

The success of the new half back pairing of Morgan Parra, who makes his first Test start, and Francois Trinh-Duc, could prove pivotal to the outcome of the game.

If the English pack can provide a suitable platform then Wilkinson should be able to control the game.

Hopefully this will allow Paul Sackey and Lesley Vainikolo to be brought into the game more often and their explosive attacking potency can be fully exploited.
Welsh Wizardry

In the weekend's other games, Wales should have no problems seeing off Italy at the Millennium Stadium, while the Ireland v Scotland encounter is intriguingly balanced.

Warren Gatland has made an impressive start to his tenure of the Welsh team and his side should easily see of the challenge of the Italians.

Although England managed to make them look like world beaters a couple of weeks ago, the reality is Italy are still looking like wooden spoon favourites.

Problems At Number 10

Mike Blair will captain the Scots from behind the scrum as Jason White has failed to recover from concussion.

Chris Paterson has been brought into play alongside Blair at 10 while Dan Parks drops to the bench.In the back row Gloucester player, Alasdair Strokosch, comes in at six. Other changes include the return of Rory Lamont and Simon Webster from injury.

Irish Woe

The Irish have made two changes to their team, Tommy Bowe replaces Geordan Murphy and Ireland's most-capped player Malcolm O'Kelly is dropped for Mick O'Driscoll.

Ireland nearly made a remarkable comeback against France in the last round but a poor performance against Italy and a woeful World Cup campaign will still be fresh in the mind.

Home advantage might see the Irish through but Scotland desperately need to solve their issues in the number 10 spot if they are to make an impact on the International scene.

Predictions:

England to beat France by 8
Wales to beat Italy by 20
Scotland and Ireland to draw

Fresh Betting Scandal Hits Tennis

Three spectators were thrown out of the WTA Diamond Games in Antwerp this week for illegally betting on tennis matches.
They were caught using wireless laptops to bet on points which had not yet been registered online.

Faced with the option of handing over their computers or leaving, the trio decided to cut their loses and leave.

The two Germans and a Russian also had their photographs taken to stop them re-entering.

Advantage Scandal

This is the first case of such an offence taking place in tennis although the sport has been riddled with controversy involving gambling over the past 18 months.

Nikolay Davydenko, the world number four, is still under investigation by the ATP over match irregularities.

And three Italian players, Potito Starace, Alsip Di Mauro and Daniele Bracciali, have all been given bans for illegal betting.

Although this new story has a comedy tinge to it, it will still undoubtedly have a negative impact upon the already fragile sport.

Premier League Going Global

The Premier League have announced the possibility of adding an extra game to the already brimming fixture list.

This 39th match of the season would take place overseas in one of five locations around the world.

Cities from Asia, the Middle East and North America are expected to fight it out to host the matches.

A final decision will not be made until January 2009 and the games wouldn't slip into the campaign until January 2011, but the ball has definetly been set in motion.

Benefits

The obvious benefits are that it will globalise the league and undoubtedly bring huge revenue to the clubs and the League.

Many Premier League clubs already have affiliations with clubs overseas, especially in the US where academies and scouting missions have been set up.

The move shows clear echoes of the NFL's decision to host a game at Wembley, where the recently crowned Super Bowl winners The New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins.

NHL and NBA games were also hosted in London last year.

The success of these games is hard to measure, especially in the long term. It is also hard to decide how to gauge this success.

Is success simply more money in the pockets of the owners of the clubs? If so then you have to question the integrity and value of such decisions.

Doubts

This new proposal is unlikely to bring anything extra to the Premier League, except money. Surely there is enough of that flying around already.

One fear that must be lurking in the back of some of the relegation perennials' minds is that they will draw Manchester United in China while one of their rivals will draw Fulham (or another crap team, sorry) and sneak three crucial points.

When the American-sports-wagon came to London last year I found it intriguing but not captivating.

American sport and culture is totally different to our own, and I like that uniqueness.

I guess that is what it comes down to, do you want to see a world where everything and everyone shares everything, and looks the same.

Personally I don't, but I can see the attraction, especially for those with dollars flashing in their eyes.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? LET ME KNOW.

Rose Wilts under Dragon's Fire

Wales ecstatic with their first win at Twickenham for 20 years but England's abhorent second half performance steals the headlines.
England fielded a XV which promised to combine the dogedness of experience and the enterprise and vigour of youth, and for the first 50 minutes this promise shone through.

However as chance after chance slipped by for the home team one was compelled to begin fearing for the cost of those missed opportunities either side of the interval.

Control of the collision area, set pieces and a huge number of successful turnovers provided England with the sort of platform suited to gaining a 30 point lead, but this never materialised.

And then it went from bad to absolutely awful.

Schoolboy

A host of England's senior players including Gomersall, Wilkinson and Balshaw all conspired to produce rugby not worthy of a school boys fixture to hand the Welsh the game.
Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards are clearly two of the best coaches in the world but their expressions at the end of the game summed up the whole day. Amusement, they couldn't quite believe what England had just done.

Balshaw is one player who you feel has already used up his nine international lives and could be heading for the Saxons squad who performed remarkably better by finishing off the Irish on Friday.

Hopefully the rest of the team will be given a chance to redeem themselves, however a host of injuries could force Ashton's hand.

Heineken laced with Guinness

Three Guinness Premiership teams will host home quarter-finals in this years Heineken Cup following strong performances in the pool stages.

London Irish, Gloucester and Saracens will all have home advantage come April when the knockout stage of the tournament kicks off.

Gloucester, who beat Ulster to top group two, will be glad to be at Kingsholm when they face Munster who continued their imperious home form by dumping reigning champions Wasps out of the tournament.

Rematch

Irish will host Perpignan who came through the same group as the Exiles as top runners up. They both recorded home wins in the pool, so a tight game at the Madejski is expected.

The final team representing the Premiership will be Saracens who finished as top seeds in group one. It will be their first appearance in the quarter-finals and they will need to beat the Ospreys if they are to progress any further.

The remaining fixture will see Cardiff travel to perennial challengers, Toulouse, who have won the competition three times.
All three Guinness teams have a strong chance of making it to the semi-finals and the prospect of another all English final is looking a firm possibility.

Burmese Chinlone, Capello's Answer?

Chinlone is an ancient form of football originating from Burma that makes Ronaldo look like a Sunday league footballer.
Traditionally the Premiership is a fast paced, in your face league which doesn't take any prisoners.

Recently however, with the introduction of more foreign players and managers, the league has combined a skillful dimension to it which has added to its appeal.

Skillful that is, until you see someone play futsal or chinlone.

Futsal is basically five-a-side, but the emphasis is on improvisation, creativity and technique.

Most European and South American countries have professional futsal leagues and many believe this country should start promoting it in order to start producing more skillful and talented footballers.

Childs Play

Chinlone is slightly different, and more of an artform than a competitive sport.

A team of six players use their feet and knees in order to keep a mini 'football' in the air while walking in a tight circle.

It is a combination of sport and dance, and although it is a team sport there is never any opposition. The focus is not on winning or losing, but how beautifully one plays the game.

The sport is a Burmese legacy enjoyed by all ages of both sexes, and although Capello is unlikely to get Wayne Rooney and his chums wandering round in circles, the idea of introducing variations on the 11 man game should be welcomed.

This video shows how amazingly talented some of the players are.



This video shows how amazingly untalented some footballers are.

Volcano Ready to Erupt

Brian Ashton announced his 32 man squad for the Six Nations today and it included a number of surprise decisions.

The biggest shock was the inclusion of Tongan rugby league convert Lesley Vainikolo at the expense of World Cup winner Josh Lewsey.

Other notable omissions included Dan Hipkiss, Olly Barkley, Magnus Lund and the Gloucester pair of Anthony Allen and Ryan Lamb.

Although to be fair England are besieged by talented 10s and 12s at the moment so it must have been a tricky decision for Ashton to pick two from at least three in both those positions.

Tricky Conversion

Vainikolo's inclusion comes as two of his former rugby league counterparts leave the international scene, Jason Robinson by choice, Farrell by force.

This week Farrell's son Owen joined him at Saracens although it will be a while until they could line up alongside each other (Owen is only 16). Farrell senior's International career however, appears to have limped to its conclusion.

Lesley 'The Volcano' Vainikolo should have more than enough talent to fill both their boots however.

With the power and strength of Farrell and the pace and finishing instinct of Robinson he is likely to prove a massive hit with the fans.

Just ask those up in Bradford about his try scoring ability. While playing for the Bulls he scored 149 tries in 152 games, and having already scored 9 in 9 for Gloucester he could be England's answer to the Cheetah.

Notice how all the best players get cool nicknames... Billy Whizz, The Volcano, Caveman, The Cheetah, Schalk "Would you like a penalty with that" Burger...

Murray's Mint Perfection

Andy Murray reached the final of the first tournament of the season today at the Qatar Open.

He defeated Nikolay Davydenko 6-4 6-3 in the semis having already beaten Rochus, Schuettler and Johansson in Doha and he now faces Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland.

Last year Murray fell to Ivan Ljubicic in the final, but this year the Croatian was eliminated by the Swiss ranked 35 in the world.

If Murray can maintain his strong form then he will stand a good chance of breaking into the top five, which is his aim for the season. He will also have a realistic chance of winning a Grand Slam, for the first time.

Team Murray without a spearhead coach will have to ensure they contain the little dynamo and hopefully his girlfriend Kim Sears will also keep the boy from Dunblane on the path to glory.