Fired upTheo Walcott on yet another

rollercoaster season at Arsenal

Bringing you closer to the

UEFA Champions League

Photos featured are from the UEFA Champions League Trophy Handover

captured by competition winner Andy Roberts on the new HTC One.

HTC_Sport_CoverWrap_v5.indd 1 23/04/2013 17:42

Your gallery brought to life

htc.com

HTC_Sport_CoverWrap_v5.indd 2 23/04/2013 17:42

08

Issue 302, April 26 2013

Radar

05 Picture perfect The best sporting snaps from the

Sony World Photography Awards

06 The day of reckoning... ... is on the way for Football League

clubs up and down the country. We

tell you who’s up and who’s down

08 Flashback

Martin Keown recalls giving it big

ones in Ruud van Nistelrooy’s face

o this coming weekFeatures

18 Theo Walcott

Arsenal’s flying winger on Wenger,

responsibility and his desire for

success with the Gunners

27 German football

Fairly priced tickets, an electric

atmosphere on the terraces and

European progress. We ask how the

Bundesliga has got it so right

33 Ghosts of the Crucible

With the World Championship well

under way, we revisit some defining

moments from the home of snooker

37 The British and Irish Lions Warren Gatland has some big

decisions to make come Tuesday

– we run through his options

Extra Time

52 Kit

We wrap our head around Nike’s

Free 5.0 flexible barefoot shoe – it

can wrap around almost anything

54 Gadgets Samsung’s heroic NX300 camera

has our speedy sense tingling

56 Grooming A pretty freaky collection of which

the Thin White Duke would approve

60 Games Prowl Moscow maiming mutants in

Metro: Last Light, or use your own

spine as a sword in Soul Sacrifice

18

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Contents

27

52

33

| April 26 2013 | 03

THE TASTE OF crAnbErry, limE Or bluEbErry.

THE EFFEcT OF rEd bull.

WingS FOr All TASTES.

RB_Special Editions_Sport_300x232_UK_AW 4 25/02/2013 16:06

Chasing the perfect picture

| April 26 2013 | 05

Radarp06 – Who’s on the up, who’s going down – our Football League cheat sheet

p08 – Martin Keown recalls the Battle of Old Trafford

Ad

am

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, Fe

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ver wondered what it would be like

to take part in an Olympic 100m

final? The picture above, from

London 2012, is an accurate depiction of how

it would go for most of us – the world’s top

sprinters racing away while you struggle out

of the blocks. Taken by Australian snapper

Adam Pretty, it is one of several shortlisted

in the sport category at the Sony World

Photography Awards, the winners of which

were announced last night. All entries –

including our pick of three other shortlisted

snaps, to your right – will be on display at

Somerset House until May 12.

p06 – Lions DNA: we pick apart previous squads by nationality

E

extra iPad content

Download the free

Sport iPad app for

more shortlisted

images from last

night’s awards

ll eyes will be on Lions head coach

Warren Gatland this Tuesday, as he

announces the band of merry men

he’s set to take to Australia in the summer.

And, with Wales having won the Six Nations,

the boys from across the Severn are set

to dominate the final teamsheet (for our

thoughts on who’s going to make the squad,

turn to page 37).

Not that it should be any surprise.

We’ve taken a look at the make-up of the

four Lions squads since the game went

professional in 1995*, and it’s clear that the

Celtic influence is growing by the tour – with

12 Welsh and Irish players in 1997 rising to

a dominating 27 in 2009. Will the Irish and

Welsh boys dominate again? All will be

revealed on Tuesday.

Radar

06 | April 26 2013 |

A

1997

(total players / 35)

2001

(total players / 37)

2005

(total players / 44)

2009

(total players / 37)

England - 52% (18)England – 49% (18) England – 47% (21)

England – 22% (8)

Wales - 23% (8)Wales – 27% (10) Wales – 22% (10)

Wales – 35% (13)

Ireland - 11% (4)Ireland – 16% (6)

Ireland – 24% (11) Ireland – 38% (14)

Scotland – 14% (5) Scotland – 8% (3) Scotland – 7% (3) Scotland – 5% (2)

Look of the Lions

*S

tats

are

fro

m t

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for

inju

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UP

DOWN

Cardiff (1st, 85 points) were confirmed

as champions last weekend, and Hull

will join them (2nd, 78) if they can match

Watford’s result this weekend. Brighton

(4th, 69) can secure their place in the

playoffs this weekend with a win, as

can Crystal Palace (5th, 67) and Bolton

(6th, 66) if results go their way – and

Palace have a game in hand on Tuesday.

Leicester (7th, 65) and Nottingham

Forest (8th, 64) are waiting to pounce

if any of that trio slip up (and play each

other next weekend).

Bristol City (24th, 41 points) are down,

but any two from 10 teams could join

them. Peterborough, Wolves and

Barnsley (21st, 22nd and 23rd, all on

(51) are the trio in the most imminent

danger, and all face must-win home

games this weekend. But anyone up to

Ipswich (14th, 57 points) can still be

dragged in to the mire. In fact, with two

games to go, only three sides in the

Championship are not – in theory – in

the running to go either up or down.

Bournemouth (1st, 82 points) are

already up and will seal the title with

a win at Tranmere, or if Doncaster

(2nd, 81) fail to win their automatic-

promotion/playoffs decider away at

Brentford (3rd, 79) – a game that will

decide the fate of the other automatic

spot. The loser of that game will join

Yeovil, Swindon and Sheffield United in

the playoffs, with only the order to be

determined on the last day.

Of the bottom four, only Scunthorpe

(21st, 45) can escape the drop – they

need to win against fifth-placed

Swindon and hope Carlisle beat

Colchester (20th, 48), with a

three-goal swing to make up as well.

Bury and Hartlepool are already down,

along with Portsmouth – whose 10

point deduction will be applied now,

leaving them bottom of the table but

with a fresh start next year.

It’s don’t-lose-or-bust, as six of the

seven relegation candidates control

their own destiny. Torquay and

Plymouth just need to avoid heavy

defeats, while York (20th, 52) are in

more peril because of their goal

difference (-11). A draw with Dagenham

(21st, 51) will secure safety. That

fixture means AFC Wimbledon (23rd,

50) and Barnet (22nd, 51) will be safe if

they win at home to Fleetwood and

away at Northampton respectively.

Aldershot (24th, 48) need a miracle.

Gillingham (1st, 83 points) were

confirmed as champions last weekend,

and barring a 28-goal swing, Port Vale

(2nd, 77) have joined them – which

leaves Rotherham (3rd, 76) and

Cheltenham (4th, 74) to battle it out for

the third automatic promotion spot. In

the playoffs, meanwhile, eighth-placed

Chesterfield are out of the running, so

the losing ‘-ham’ will join Burton Albion

(5th, 73), Northampton (6th, 70) and

Bradford (7th, 68).

Championship League One League Two

hings come to a head in the Football League this weekend,

with the final (okay, in the Championship, penultimate) round

of fixtures. With much to be decided. Here’s our cheat sheet...T

Win or bust

All

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Radar

08 | April 26 2013 |

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Arsenal play Manchester United this

weekend, almost 10 years on from the

infamous ‘Battle of Old Trafford’ – a 0-0 draw

that descended into ugly scenes after Ruud

van Nistelrooy crashed a last-minute penalty

against the bar. The miss particularly

delighted Arsenal stalwart Martin Keown, who

memorably screamed in the Dutchman’s face

like an irate baboon. After the game, five

Arsenal and two United players were fined.

Cautiously, we asked Keown to reminisce...

“Looking back, you do wonder... it was such a

long time ago and it does seem like someone

else reacting in that way. We obviously got

carried away with the situation. Patrick

Vieira, our catalyst and leader, had been sent

off – and van Nistelrooy was linked to that,

which I think created a hostility toward him.

I’m not saying that was acceptable, but it was

why we reacted in the way that we did.

“There had been a few previous bits and

pieces. Van Nistelrooy wasn’t a shrinking

violet in any way. He was difficult to read; at

times very strong and very physical, yet at

others he would collapse like a pack of cards.

So it was hard to get the balance right when

you were playing against him.

“It was a defining moment, because we

went unbeaten for the whole season. I think

you know the gravity of the situation – it

was even being discussed in the House of

Commons; I’m on every TV newsreel, so you

start to realise the impact that it’s had. All we

were trying to do was win a football match.

We were a very good team and it’s a shame,

really, that people still want to talk about that.

“On a football pitch, I think there is a

chemical change that takes place. With

testosterone, you’re fired up – sometimes

you can cross the line. But you know you’ve

got to be fired up to win football matches.

Around that period, if you bumped into a Man

Utd fan, you got a very silly reaction. It did

seem to change me in the eyes of their fans,

as much as it did in the eyes of Arsenal fans.

“The next time I saw him [van Nistelrooy],

I just simply shook hands with him and got on

with it. I didn’t hold any bitterness towards

anybody, and I didn’t expect anybody to

have a problem with me. I saw it in a sort

of professional manner, and I wasn’t holding

any grudges.

“I don’t regret it, I don’t think we can regret

anything. People might have been looking for

me to be the senior statesman I was at that

point. Maybe it troubled one or two of the

directors, but they certainly knew one thing:

I had Arsenal pumping through my veins.”

ESPN has live and exclusive coverage of Newcastle

United v Liverpool on Saturday April 27 from 4.30pm.

For details, visit www.espn.co.uk/tv

SEPTEMBER 21 2003

Martin Keown goes ape

As remembered by Martin Keown

<<FLASHBACK << Manchester United 0-0 Arsenal

10 | April 26 2013 |

Radar Editor’s letter

Editor-in-chief

Simon Caney

@simoncaney

Sport magazinePart of UTV Media plc 18 Hatfields, London SE1 8DJTelephone: 020 7959 7800 Fax: 020 7959 7942

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

EditorialEditor-in-chief: Simon Caney (7951)Deputy editor: Tony Hodson (7954) Art editor: John Mahood (7860)Subeditor: Graham Willgoss (7431)Senior writers: Sarah Shephard (7958), Alex Reid (7915)Staff writers: Mark Coughlan (7901), Amit Katwala (7914)Picture editor: Julian Wait (7961)Designer: Matthew Samson (7861)Digital designer: Chris Firth (7952)Production manager: Tara Dixon (7963) Contributors: David Lawrenson, Martin Potter

Commercial Agency Sales Director: Iain Duffy (7991) Advertising Managers: Steve Hare (7930), Kevin O’Byrne (7832), Aaron Pinto del Rio (7918) Sales Executive: Joe Grant (7904)Distribution Manager: Sian George (7852) Distribution Assistant: Makrum Dudgeon

Head of Online: Matt Davis (7825) Head of Communications: Laura Wootton (7913) Managing Director: Calum Macaulay PA to Managing Director: Deborah Dilworth (7826)

Colour reproduction: Rival Colour LtdPrinted by: Wyndeham Group Ltd

© UTV Media plc 2012UTV Media plc takes no responsibility for the content of advertisements placed in Sport magazine

£1 where sold Hearty thanks to: Nicky Higgs, Caroline McAteer, Vicky Coghlan, James Rickard, Raphael Honigstein, Hannover 96, Laura Haigh

Don’t forget: Help keep public transport clean and tidy for everyone by taking your copy of Sport away with you when you leave the bus or train.

LAUNCH OFTHE YEAR

2008

Total Average Distribution:

302,466 Jul-Dec 2012

www.sport-magazine.co.uk

@sportmaguk

facebook.com/sportmagazine

Luis Suarez is some footballer: absolutely terrific to

watch. He’s also off his rocker: a danger to himself

and damaging for football as a whole. The question

now – not just for Liverpool, but for any of us who love

football – is this: are those two things mutually exclusive?

Few players are in his class: without him this season,

Liverpool would have been in a right mess. A wonderful old

club – whose fans can, on occasion, still generate the best

atmosphere in the Premier League – would have been scrabbling

around hoping for nothing better than mid-table mediocrity.

But it’s precisely because Liverpool are such a famous club, the

world over, that Suarez’s future must be called into question.

Clearly he forgets that he is being watched by millions.

In fact, as the red mist descended, I suspect he forgot he was

even on a football pitch. It was shocking to watch: an assault

taking place in front of our very eyes.

That said, I don’t for one minute buy this idea that thousands

of children started biting their classmates during Monday’s

lunchtime game of headers and volleys. While I do think

footballers need to remember they are role models, all children

over the age of three know that biting people earns a spell on

the naughty step. If any of them are using the Suarez Defence

in front of the head teacher, then that’s more because they

just don’t know right from wrong.

Liverpool acted swiftly, remembering the mistakes they

made the last time Suarez was in the spotlight. Whether or not,

when the dust has settled, they decide it’s worth sticking with

him, only time will tell.

Meanwhile, along the M62, the remarkable Sir Alex Ferguson

notches up yet another Premier League title. I’ve said already

this season that I don’t think this is a vintage Manchester

United team by a long chalk. But, as their rivals went

backwards, they kept on winning games. The acid test comes

in Europe, though, where even die-hard Stretford Enders

knew this year would be a bridge too far. It sounds daft, but

Fergie needs to spend some serious cash this summer.

It’s a shame for Nick Bitel, the new chair of Sport England, that

his appointment is clouded in such controversy. Baroness

Grey-Thompson, a national treasure if ever there was one, said

she was “disappointed” not to get the role, but that appears to

be a very diplomatic understatement. Whatever has happened

behind the scenes, the Government has handled this one badly.

Will he stay or go?He may be one of the best players on the planet, but Luis Suarez is also a liability

Cli

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Eats, shoots and leaves: will

Liverpool stick by Suarez?

Reader comments of the week

Nice article on the mercurial

Ronnie O’Sullivan in

@sportmaguk. I was event

manager when he walked

off against Hendry in 2006.

Was mayhem!

@DanielMclaren

@simoncaney With

common sense articles like

the one you wrote in today’s

@Sportmaguk you do

realise you’ll never get a job

at The Sun!

@paulcruse07

A balanced view from

@simoncaney in this

weeks sport mag, he

doesn’t seem like a

bandwagon reporter who

loves an easy headline,

worth a read.

@elbow79

@Sportmaguk really good

insight into the enigma that

is Ronnie. Snooker needs

his class but more his

character to put bums on

seats/sofas.

@glvrmrk

Hope @TheNotoriousMMA

comes to London to sort out

lads from @Sportmaguk,

can’t believe he wasn’t in

#TopFive most exciting

fighters #BASH

@GField17

Free iPad app available on iPad, Kindle and Android devices

Cover of the Year

Front page of

@Sportmaguk. A nod to

Barker, Corbett & the

famous ‘Two Andy

Gorams’ terrace chant.

@AlexStone7

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

12 | April 26 2013 |

Radar Opinion

This weekend I am presented with a real problem, and I remain unsure how to deal

with it. Approaching my retirement, Mrs F would lie in bed and dream of rugbyless

weekends, of having me back around the place and

– more realistically – of handing over the children

come 6am on Saturday. Instead, what has actually

happened is that I work around 50 weekends of

the year, as well as spending Monday to Friday

pretending I can use the computer on my office

desk. Free time is minimal – and when I do get

some, I am obliged to use it constructively.

This means, sadly, that soldering my backside to

the sofa and watching reruns of Top Gear and

Schwarzenegger movies is not on the menu.

I have no work booked in this weekend, so I am

required to be a good bloke for two whole days.

Actually, in the interests of accuracy, this is a

three-day job. Family Flatman are going away to

a hotel. Now, I have a huge issue with paying stupid

money to stay in a room less than two hours from

my house, in which I also pay to live. At least let’s

go to a different country... but that’s a personal

problem and my therapist says I shouldn’t write

about that; he thinks weeping as I type isn’t

healthy. He’s vegetarian though, so I take all his

advice with a pinch of salt.

Laddishness forgotten, it will be a lovely time.

However, I will be missing two of the most exciting

rugby matches of the season. Saracens will take

on the Toulon galacticos, and that will be mega.

But, in terms of armchair value, Clermont’s clash

with Munster is the one. There are some

wonderful places to play rugby this side of the

Channel – and Munster’s Thomond Park is, in my

opinion, the very best of all. As much as it pains me

to say it, though, the big French clubs are where

it’s at for atmosphere. They just get it. If you

have never seen the pre-match ‘Pilou Pilou’ chant

at Toulon, or heard the drums and seen the

flares at Perpignan, then seriously, find a way.

The aggression is magnificent, and I am certain it

inspires the players to raise their game a notch.

I recall popping down to Agen for a pre-season

friendly, running out to a packed house and being

pelted with coins, batteries and even fruit as we

took the field. The crowd were wild, and it was a

bloody warm-up game! But their passion inspired

the team, and the match turned into what would

have been an 80-minute brawl, had the referee

not called it off after 60. Leaving the field with

a gashed head, a black eye and a badly broken

hand, all I felt was relief. Scrapping is knackering.

But I will never forget that atmosphere.

This match is being played at the wonderful

Stade de la Mosson in Montpellier, and it will be

bouncing. There is no tougher mission in European

rugby right now than beating Clermont, never mind

beating them in France. But if there’s one team that

can do it, it’s Munster. This is a massive, massive

game, and while it’s on I will be changing nappies

and singing nursery rhymes. Somebody help me.

@davidflatman

Da

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ton

, EM

PIC

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po

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Flats on Friday

How I miss the joys of a French pelting

I’d like to be the last person to congratulate Manchester United on their Premier League success, and here

are 20 reasons why this lifelong City fan is delighted

they’ve won the title this year:

Sidebottom, Timperley Big Shorts FC

Blimey! There are two films currently

being made about Frank Sidebottom.

One has Michael Fassbender in the

title role (really), while the other

needs some cash to get past the

finish line. Go to beingfrankmovie.com

to make this happen. Fantastic.

It’s like this…Bill Borrows

1. After so much Mancunian

dominance recently, it’s great

to see a team from just

outside the city finally

winning something.

2. The bandwagon jumpers

can go back to Old Trafford

– for 12 months at least.

3. Well done Giggsy. One of

City’s most successful junior

team products.

4. Prawn sandwiches at Old

Trafford now face a 20 per

cent price hike.

5. No more complacency

for City and Chelsea. It’s

chequebook time. Or, in the

case of Arsenal, Sainsbury’s

Active Kids voucher time.

6. The gentlemen of the

press, having been force-fed

humble pie last season, can

now bring it back up all over

Ferguson and United.

7. The £24m and

£200,000-a-week wages

United spent on Robin van

Persie to win the title sets

the bar for future panic buys

at Old Trafford.

8. The urge to win back

the title has left them with a

one-man team built around an

injury-prone 29-year-old.

9. The open-top parade of

the trophy (sets off from

Surbiton at 9am) will bring an

end-of-season boost to the

Manchester tourist industry.

10. The post-match wit and

wisdom of the millionaire

socialist knight of the realm

Sir Alex Ferguson…

11. “This has knocked 10

years off me!” That makes him

61, just a year younger than

Bob Paisley when he won the

European Cup for a third time.

12. “Rafael will end up being

compared to Gary Neville.”

Lucky boy.

13. “David De Gea has

developed fantastically well.”

Fergie’s on a roll now.

14. United can recycle the

‘Champions’ merchandise they

ordered last year. An important

consideration because…

15. Unemployment is a

terrible thing, and this title

win might temporarily keep

the wolf from the door at a

club with enormous debts.

16. Ferguson might change

his mind about retiring in the

summer of 2014.

17. Apparently, van Persie’s

second against Villa was the

‘Goal of the century’.

18. “Phil Jones can become

one of our best ever players.”

You’ve got to hand it to the old

boy, what a punchline!

19. The arrogance United had

to keep buried last year will be

back for all to see and despise.

20. It will be all the sweeter

winning it back next year.

@billborrows

S p o r t _ C a r l i n g _ 1 5 0 4 - 1 2 0 1 3 - 0 4 - 0 4 T 1 2 : 3 3 : 4 8 + 0 1 : 0 0

14 | April 26 2013 |

Frozen in time

| 15

Meet and greetIt’s a sobering thought that several of the Man

Utd fans clamouring to get a sight of Sir Alex

Ferguson in this image were not even born when

the great man took the reins at Old Trafford

(that said, nor were some of the players). He’ll

still be there when they’re drawing their old-age

pensions too, winning titles aged 109. Probably. Jo

hn

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Theo Walcott

18 | April 26 2013 |

Signed, Sealed, deliveredTheo WalcoTT speaks exclusively To sporT abouT conTracT sagas, The boss and Why he’ll never forgeT his firsT day as an arsenal player

photography by jon enoch

When I fIrst Walked Into the arsenal dressIng room, I Was absolutely...Well, I Was cackIng myself, basIcally.”Theo Walcott smiles as he remembers what

it’s like to be 16 years old and thrust into

a world in which Thierry Henry, Dennis

Bergkamp and Robert Pires are no longer

the players you watch wide-eyed from afar

– but your teammates.

“I looked around and saw guys like Jens

[Lehmann], Thierry, Ljungberg, Pires,

Bergkamp, Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole –

all people who have won things,” he

remembers. “That whole era is a bit

different to the one now.”

It’s a refreshingly candid appraisal of

how things have changed at the club a >

| 19

“

Theo Walcott

20 | April 26 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

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self-confessed “tiny, baby-faced” Walcott

joined from Southampton in January 2006.

He, too, is very different from the excitable,

eager-to-please teenager determined his

future lay at Arsenal, despite reported

interest from Chelsea, Manchester United

and Tottenham. The 24-year-old Walcott is

one who speaks with the belief of a man who

has been knocked down numerous times during

his Arsenal career – and always bounced back.

On the day Sport meets him in the pleasant

surrounds of the Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire

– a 20-minute drive from the home he shares

with his fiancée Melanie Slade – Walcott has

spent a tough morning with the Arsenal

fitness coach, preparing his body to bounce

back once more, this time from injury.

“It was probably a wake-up call – maybe I

was getting slightly tired,” he says of the groin

strain that put him out of action for slightly

more than three weeks before returning in

the 3-1 win over Norwich a fortnight ago.

THE DOTTED LINEAs Walcott speaks, he relentlessly stirs sugar

into a frothy cappuccino. “Sorry,” he says,

suddenly aware of the racket he’s making

with the tiny teaspoon. “I stir my sugar a lot.”

It’s the fourth apology Sport has had from

the Arsenal man in the 10 minutes that have

passed since his arrival, following those he’s

already issued for being 15 minutes late, for

wanting 10 minutes with his barber before

our photoshoot, and for only bringing one

choice of jumper.

Young gun: Walcott

makes his debut for

Arsenal as a substitute

for Freddie Ljungberg

in August 2006

“IT DID gET frusTraTINg. I DIDN’T waNT IT TO bE abOuT jusT mE aND THE cONTracT aLL THE TImE – IT’s abOuT THE TEam”

One thing he’s not apologising for,

however, is his form on the pitch so far this

season. “Personally, I’m very happy with

everything I’ve contributed,” he says. “It was

difficult at the start, having to deal with all

the contract stuff that was going on, and I

was obviously on the bench for about 10

games in a row. But once I was given the

chance, I knew I just had to make sure I

played well.

“I think I have 14 assists and 18 goals so

far, which is the best season I’ve had – and

that’s with not starting so many games.

I think I played 50-odd [it was 57] games

last year, and I’m not even close to that this

season [with 42 so far], so overall I’m fairly

pleased with that side of things.”

It was towards the end of last season

when Walcott seemed to be at his very best

– a patch of form that served only to heighten

the lengthy will he/won’t he speculation over

his contract at Arsenal. Although he insists:

“The contract side of it was never really on

my mind until about two or three weeks

before it was actually resolved.”

That didn’t stop Walcott being quizzed about

the contract in every post-match interview

he gave in the weeks leading up to January

18 2013, or ‘signing day’. And in every one,

he gave the same calm, considered response

that essentially amounted to: it’s not done yet.

I want to stay. It’s a complicated process.

“It did get frustrating,” he admits now.

“Because I didn’t want it to be about just me

and the contract all the time – it’s about the

team. If I’d scored, I would get asked

about the contract instead of

reflecting on the actual game.”

fILLINg THE VOIDWhile some players get itchy feet if

they’re at the same club for longer

than a couple of years, Walcott is

someone who clearly prefers

stability in his professional life –

and his home life, too. The Arsenal

forward has been with fiancée

Melanie since he was 15 years old,

with the pair set to marry this

summer. “I’m lucky to have Mel,”

he says when recalling how the

contract saga played heavily upon his mind

earlier this season. “Because I could just go

home and discuss everything with her if I

needed to. She was great through it all.

She keeps me relaxed by helping me to

forget about the football at times, so I can

just be at home with her and the dogs and

switch off – that was what I wanted.

“Don’t get me wrong – she knows her

stuff on football, too. She’s a trained sports

physio, so that side of it is great for me. >

Theo Walcott

22 | April 26 2013 |

And she has her own dream team, so she

knows what she’s doing. Is she beating me?

Nah – she’s probably about mid-table. She did

have me in her team, but when I got injured

she took me out. I hope she’s put me back

in now...”

With his immediate future at Arsenal now

secure, Walcott has been able to fully focus

on the team – and that growing space in the

club’s trophy cabinet. While plenty has

changed at the club since his arrival in 2006

(including the departures of messrs Henry,

Bergkamp, Cole et al), that abyss has not.

Indeed, it speaks volumes that our abiding

memory from Sport’s previous interview

with Walcott in August 2008 is the emphasis

he placed on the players’ determination to

turn Arsenal into a winning club once again.

So, are they getting any closer?

“I think this year we probably had the

chance to win something,” he sighs. “We had

Blackburn at home in the FA Cup and that’s...

that wouldn’t normally happen. I think nine

times out of 10 we’d win that, but Blackburn

just wanted it more and you’ve got to give

credit to them.

“But, for me, we need to be having a bit

more of a go at the league, definitely. We want

to compete, and we can do it. You saw when

everyone was against us we had a great

result like the one at Bayern – winning 2-0

away from home, and then doing the same at

Swansea. So we can do it; it’s in us. We just

haven’t been at that consistent level to do

it at times. We did need a little kick up the

backside to get us back on track. But, lately,

I think we’ve worked harder as a unit. We’ve

kept more clean sheets, everyone is in their

positions and there’s more communication.

I think you can see that the players want it a

bit more because they want to prove people

wrong. We want to show that we’re still a

top-four team. Next year, though, we want

to be right up there.”

The desire is there, as strong as it always

has been. But, as Walcott’s early memories

of the Arsenal dressing room suggest,

the players come and go. The departure

of a certain Dutchman last summer was

something that was widely predicted to have

a devastating impact on the club, and Walcott

is honest in his assessment that “when

you lose someone like Robin [van Persie] >

“you can see the players want it more because they want to prove people wrong. we’re still a top-four team”

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Theo Walcott

24 | April 26 2013 |

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– one of your best players – it’s obviously

difficult to replace the amount of goals

he scored and what he did for the team.

“But we’ve coped with it quite well.

Everyone is sharing the goal load, and we

haven’t relied on one player all the time.

We’re in a similar situation to last year, really,

when we finished third, only a point ahead of

Tottenham [on 69 points] and with Newcastle

and Chelsea not far behind [on 65 and 64,

respectively]. It has been an up-and-down

season, though. We’ve lost a few games at

home that you wouldn’t have thought we

would, but it’s still in our own hands. And we

do tend to end the season quite well. We’re

not looking at fourth, we’re looking at third

– that’s definitely a realistic aim.

BELIEVING IN THE BOSSWalcott’s spell on the sidelines at the start

of this month meant he was left suffering

with Arsenal’s supporters when the team

threatened to let things slip on the pitch.

“Ah, the West Brom game was horrible,”

he cringes. “I was listening to it on the radio

and now I know just how Mel feels when she’s

watching it at home, because I was biting

my nails with nerves. When we went down

to 10 men and then they got a goal back,

I thought: ‘This is going to be horrible for

the last 20 minutes.’”

“PEOPLE THINk THE BOSS dOESN’T LET LOOSE, BuT HE caN – juST IN a caLm way. wE uNdErSTaNd HOw mucH IT mEaNS”

“He obviously puts his message and

tactics across at training, but if we don’t do

the job on a weekend, it can’t be down to the

manager. We need to step up ourselves and

not always let the manager take the blame.”

Not that Wenger lets his players off the

hook entirely when they underperform.

“He definitely lets us know the following day,

that’s for sure,” nods Walcott seriously.

“There’s been a couple of those this year.

People think he doesn’t let loose, but he can

– just in quite a calm way. We all understand

how much it means to him, as well as to us,

and how much belief he has in us. That should

be enough to spur us on to do it for him.”

Indeed, it was Wenger’s belief in the talents

of a 16-year-old Walcott that led to his first

signature on an Arsenal contract. So how

does the England international compare the

player he is now to the young winger who

‘cacked himself’ walking into the Arsenal

dressing room? “I’d say I definitely take a bit

more responsibility now – for encouraging

the younger players and, if nothing’s

happening in a game, for trying to make

something happen out of nowhere.

“The technical side of my game’s changed,

too. The last three years have been my best

in terms of goals, so I know I can score – I

just want to do it more. I enjoy playing up top.”

While Walcott’s journey has not been

without its bumps and scenic diversions, it is

one from which young arrivals at the club

can take heart. “They can relate to me a bit

easier because I’m younger,” he explains.

“So I just tell them to believe in themselves.

They also need to have a good attitude and

want to work hard to improve.

“But, like my dad always told me, you have

to enjoy it. You don’t want to have too much

pressure on you at that age – and, if you’re

playing for Arsenal as a teenager, you’re

definitely a very good player. Although when

Sol Campbell cleaned me out in my very first

training session, I definitely had a moment

thinking: ‘What have I got myself into here?’”

Walcott now knows exactly what he got

himself into. But he also knows that if he is to

emulate the players he remembers from his

first day at Arsenal – the winners – he has to

keep on bouncing back from those knocks.

Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag

waLcOTT aNd THE uNdErwEar BaNdITSIt might sound like the name of one

of Walcott’s kids’ books (T.J. and the

Hat-trick, T.J. and the Cup Run, etc) but

the underwear bandits actually played a

big role in Walcott’s early playing career

– at Southampton’s academy. There he

shared a room with Spurs winger

Gareth Bale (“he’s a big

joker”) – the pair of

them would play a game

involving putting a pair

of pants on their head

and running into

someone else’s room to batter them

with pillows. “We’d call ourselves the

underwear bandits,” Walcott explains.

“I have no idea where it came from, but

if you were in your room watching a film

and someone burst in with their boxers

on their head, you knew you were in

trouble. Sometimes it wasn’t even

pillows – it was shoes and stuff like that.

Luckily I was always

quite quick, so I

tended to get

away with it.”

Having been guided by manager Arsène

Wenger for more than seven years, Walcott

knows only too well what the Frenchman’s

reaction would have been had their 2-0 lead

at the Hawthorns been squandered. This has

been the Arsenal manager’s most difficult

campaign so far – one that has looked at

times as though it might be reaching a

gloomy conclusion. But Walcott insists the

players should not hide behind the boss when

it comes to the team’s failings: “He always

puts it back on himself and protects the team,

but us players know that we’re the ones

who go out there and play – we do the job.

NATURE NEEDS HEROES

German Football A Study

| April 26 2013 | 27Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

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There are six minutes to go at the AWD-

Arena in Hannover, and the home team

has just scored against Bayern Munich.

Unfortunately for the majority of the

capacity crowd, they’ve also conceded five, and

Claudio Pizarro scores for the Bundesliga champions

straight from the kick-off to put the polish on a 6-1

rout. It’s the kind of frightening Munich display that

has happened so regularly this season that the news

has a special name for it: “another Bayern-Gala”.

Despite the score, there are no signs of any

Hannover 96 fans leaving early, and the thousands of

‘ultras’ packed into the vast ‘safe standing’ terrace

in the North Stand have been drinking beer, waving

flags and singing for the entire game. From afar,

both home and away terraces seem to move as

single entities, bouncing and dancing and drumming

– and directed in the Hannover end by a special

PA system installed for the ultras by the club.

“It’s a different world,” says Hannover defender

Johan Djourou, the focus of upcoming documentary

Djourou in Germany. The Swiss international is on

loan from Arsenal, and thus used to a rather quieter

matchday atmosphere. “The fans here are just

unbelievable – they keep singing the whole way

through, even if they lose. You get that in some

grounds in England, but here it’s everywhere.”

The experience is an eye-opening one for us, too.

The simple pleasure of being able to drink alcohol in

one’s seat, banned in England for 28 years, is vastly

preferable to hastily downing warm lager from

a plastic bottle on the concourse at half time.

It’s a superior fan experience in almost every way,

from the atmosphere to free train travel – and very

different to England, where the clubs’ main motive

for interacting with their fans often seems to be

purely financial. Tickets for the visit of Bayern Munich

started at just €13 (about £12), making it easy to

see why the Bundesliga is the best-attended football

league in the world, with average attendances of

more than 40,000. Hannover’s manager Mirko

Slomka tells us the Bundesliga is a “premium

product”; as we sip cold beer in the German

sunshine, we’re very much inclined to agree.

Fan powerA product it may be, yet clubs don’t treat the fans

like customers. That can be explained by one simple

difference between German and English football,

says Raphael Honigstein, German football

correspondent at The Guardian. “Supporters wield

real power because they control most of the clubs

indirectly in the membership model,” he tells us.

Unlike in England, where fan ownership is used as

a financial defibrillator for teams in trouble, in the

Bundesliga it is mandatory. The 50+1 rule means that

51 per cent of each club must be owned by members

– the exception being if a club has an association of

20 years or more with a particular company, such as

Wolfsburg with Volkswagen. Fan protests go beyond

booing and banners (although there is plenty of that,

too), as Honigstein explains: “You cannot have the

club ignore the fans because they will vote you out

at the next election. You have to listen to them.

“This is very much the German model,” he

continues, on the subject of heavily subsidised ticket

prices. “It’s capitalism, but always with a social

element. The clubs are very careful to try to be

seen as inclusive, and they charge less than the

real market value for fans who need to have that >

Beer at your seat, £12 tickets, and the best fans in EuropeHave we diedand gone tofootball heaven?

As two German teams try to reach the final of the Champions League next week, Sport investigates the rise of the Bundesliga and asks what it can teach the Premier League

German Football A Study

28 | April 26 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

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kind of protection because they add the noise, and

the real passion.”

Not everyone agrees on the merits of fan power.

Hannover president Martin Kind was the only

dissenting vote when the 36 clubs that comprise the

Bundesliga’s two divisions were asked if they wanted

to retain the 50+1 rule back in 2010. He argued that

it hampers the ability of German teams to compete

on the international stage, because it’s not possible

to get an injection of cash from rich owners such

as those enjoyed by Manchester City or Chelsea.

“This is not a club, it’s a business,” says Dirk Köster,

the club’s communications director. “We’re talking

about big money, and it needs a stable foundation.”

It is tough, says Köster, for clubs to raise the

funds for rapid expansion or improvement. By way of

example, he tells us that when Hannover’s AWD-Arena

was redeveloped ahead of the 2006 World Cup,

everything was built to the minimum specifications

required by FIFA to save money – and the club had to

continue playing at the stadium during construction.

“It takes years to get to the point where you can

compete with teams that can grow overnight, or

have had success internationally,” says Honigstein.

“All the things that make the Bundesliga great for the

local fans don’t always act as a conduit to having

competitive teams in Europe. You have to be very

patient; it takes a long time for the club to be

competitive with other teams in Europe.”

A Spanish situationBorussia Dortmund have broken through in the past

few years, but it’s generally difficult for German clubs

to regularly challenge Munich, the country’s biggest

and most successful club. Because they have the most

fans and regular Champions League cash, Bayern

have been able to secure players (and managers)

that other German clubs can only dream of.

Honigstein tells us that many in Germany fear a

‘Spanish situation’ – a Munich and Dortmund duopoly

akin to that of Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga.

“The problem is that the ‘second tier’ don’t even

seem competitive enough to beat these teams,” he

explains. “None of them can really trouble Bayern.”

Certainly, the way Bayern brushed aside Europa

League-chasing Hannover – on their way to what

will surely be a record points haul – suggests the

Bundesliga could be heading that way.

Djourou says it will be very tough for anyone to

challenge Bayern Munich’s domestic dominance when

we speak to him after that defeat. “They are way on

top at the moment,” he admits. “In the German league,

there is a massive difference between them and the

other teams. That wasn’t even a full-strength team.

This team has the potential to rule for a couple more

years – and they are only going to buy more players

because they are so attractive after getting to the

[Champions League] semi finals two years in a row.”

Of course, German clubs have been fan-owned

for years, so why the sudden progress in Europe?

“The quality overall has definitely improved, simply

because there are better players coming through,”

says Honigstein. “That’s really the underlying factor

in all of this. The Bundesliga has so many good

players that it’s easier for teams to play football,

and they don’t have to rely on imports.”

The emergence of bright young talents like Toni

Kroos, Marco Reus and Thomas Müller has a lot to do

with changes implemented by the German FA after

the country’s disastrous performance at Euro 2000.

German clubs have invested more than €650m in

youth development since the overhaul, which focused

on creating a system of youth academies around the

country and demanding clubs that want to play in the

Bundesliga invest in an academy. By the end of the

2010-11 season, more than half of the players in

the league were German academy graduates.

Young guns“We’ve had 12 years of professional and expensive

youth developments, and the kids who were six to

eight at the time are our new generation of players,”

says Honigstein. As in Spain, technical ability is

valued over strength and power, says Norbert Düwel,

assistant coach at Hannover and a former scout for

Manchester United.

“We Germans have always been very fit and had a

good mentality, so in the past few years technique

has had more priority,” he explains. “They’ve brought

in special programmes for youth players, and I think

the technical ability is better now. I watched youth

games in England, and was impressed by their power.

They are strong, but a lot of players have a deficit in

their technical ability.”

Inspired by Germany, the English FA has taken

belated steps to correct this deficit, with the opening

of the St George’s Park National Football Centre and

an overhaul of the academy system. But that won’t

suffice without an attitude change, says Honigstein.

“It’s important you have a culture in which these

players will be played,” he says. “That’s much easier

for a league like the Bundesliga, which is controlled

by Germans, with mostly German managers. That

creates an environment where the promotion of your

homegrown players is considered very important.

Take the Premier League as an example: what is the

motivation of a coach at Chelsea to promote English

players when given the option to bring in a superstar

during the next transfer window?”

What’s more, German prospects are more likely

to fulfil their potential compared with their English

counterparts, says Djourou: “Maybe in other countries,

young players leave too early because they don’t have

the chance to play for their team. You might have

young players who are good prospects, but don’t

always achieve what they hoped. The players Germany

has, it seems, all achieve what is planned for them.”

A new generation of players is emerging, helping

clubs beyond Munich overcome fiscal constraints to

make their mark in Europe. With Pep Guardiola – one

of the game’s most sought after managers – at Munich

from next season, the Bundesliga is “an attractive

proposition” for players and fans, believes Djourou.

The FA is taking stumbling steps towards its own

youth revolution, but the real lesson for the Premier

League comes from the stands. The atmosphere that

so impressed us is normal for German grounds,

Honigstein tells us. He adds, a bit cruelly, that this is

“how it used to be not too long ago in England”.

Somewhere, between the banning of terraces and

the formation of the Premier League, English fans

seem to have lost their power; as a result their

national game is an expensive plaything, while their

protests are ignored. The Premier League attracts

the biggest names and the most attention, but the

electric atmosphere and community feel of the

Bundesliga offers a tantalising glimpse of what we’ve

lost... something to mull over the next time you pay

£50 to sit in relative silence at the Emirates.

Amit Katwala @amitkatwala

Tune into TRACE Sports (Sky channel 442) to watch an

exclusive six-part series, Djourou in Germany, starting on

Friday May 17 at 9.25pm – trace.tv

“By the end of the 2010-11 season, more than half of the players in the Bundesliga were German academy graduates”

Thomas Müller (left) is just

one star graduate of the

German youth system

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See how Maximuscle can also help you

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To pick up your own 12 week challenge and see how

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s.

The late Margaret Thatcher had just sent the

task force to Argentina, but Alex Higgins needed

the limelight – so that was that. It was him

versus the world, as usual, but this time in the

establishment form of Ray Reardon, a veteran

of six finals and six titles. With the game tied at

15-15, Reardon thought: ”I was back in charge

of the operation… but when [Higgins] got back

out on that table, he was sizzling.” At 17-15 up,

Higgins potted a difficult black, the crowd went

wild and the title was his. An emotional Higgins

reached out for his wife and daughter. ”That

moment just had everything,” said TV critic Jim

Shelley later. ”Punk rock meets The Waltons.”

‘Bring me my baby’ 1982

The 150/1 outsider 1986

| April 26 2013 | 33

World Snooker Championship

Ghosts of the CrucibleFor gentleman of a certain age, the World Snooker Championship will always mean late nights in front of the television, unfinished homework, the assured commentary of Ted Lowe and Clive Everton, and the click of the balls as characters from Cliff ‘The Grinder’ Thorburn through to Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins chased one of the biggest prizes in sport over 17 days of increasingly intense competition.

The glory days of the 1980s and ́ 90s may have ebbed away, and today’s players might not be front-page news, subject to accusations of cocaine addiction (Kirk Stevens) or cross-dressing (Tony Knowles), but this year Sheffield has seen the return of Ronnie ‘The Rocket’ O’Sullivan and the tournament carries a prize fund of more than £1m. Tickets are reported to have sold out in record time.

Everton believes the intimacy of The Crucible is key to this. “There are only 980 seats and you feel that you can almost touch the players,” he says. “The atmosphere is hard to describe, but it is special and communicates itself to those watching on television. It has changed so little over the years that it’s like you’re in the presence of the ghosts of the past.” Ghosts like these…

More than 18.5 million tuned in to watch Dennis

Taylor (aka ’him with the funny specs’) take on

defending champ Steve Davis in 1985 – still a

post-midnight record for any channel in the UK.

Nobody expected to be up at that time – least of

all Taylor, as Davis raced into an 8-0 lead. The

fightback brought the scores to 11-11, 15-15

and 17-17 without the Northern Irishman ever

leading. He went out for a brandy to steady his

nerves before the final frame, saw Davis

overcut the final black to leave it over the

pocket, and became the world champion with

his next shot. ”It was like winning four world

titles rolled into one,” he has said since. Good

job really, because he never won it again.

Joe Johnson was a top-16 player going into the

1986 championship, but had never won a game

at the Crucible. He was playing the year after

the fire at Bradford City and, as a fan of the

club, wore a T-shirt with the slogan ’Bradford’s

Bouncing Back’. He overcame Terry Griffiths in

a quarter final in which he knocked in four tons,

giving him all the confidence he needed. With

Johnson leading 3-1 in the final against Steve

Davis, Everton intoned: ”People may already be

beginning to think the unthinkable.” They were.

Davis was mentally exhausted and Johnson went

on to win 18-12, the crowd cheering down every

colour of the final frame. ”It was crazy,” he

reflects. ”I’d gone from a nobody to a celebrity

overnight. I was on every TV programme going.

I never got a minute to practise.” >

‘Snooker from the gods’

1999

34 | April 26 2013 |

World Snooker Championship

After his 10-5 first-round defeat to Steve

James in 1990, and an estimated 27 shots of

vodka to the good, Alex Higgins refused to

leave his seat at the Crucible. Then, having

assaulted an official, he attended a rambling,

shambolic press conference – during which

he denounced professional snooker as

corrupt, and quit while referencing former

Tory minister Cecil Parkinson, the stomach

lining of a cow, the iniquities of a two-tier

education system, children from Amsterdam

and a catchphrase associated with comedy

double act Cannon and Ball. It wasn’t the end,

but it was well past the beginning of the end.

The ladies were divided between the rival

charms of Higgins and Cliff Thorburn – some

went for the vulnerable bad boy, others the

dashing antebellum dandy. Fans of the latter

still remember his 147 maximum clearance

in 1983 against Terry Griffiths almost as

fondly as his slightly-too-tight trousers.

It started with a fluke, but from such

unpromising beginnings Thorburn chased

down the reds and colours as the other

game – featuring fellow Canadian Bill

Werbeniuk – stopped play to watch the

unfolding drama. A long pot on the yellow at

120 (a shot worth £18,000 in terms of prize

money in its own right) was the key, and

the rest followed. ”Good luck, mate,” said

commentator Jack Karnehm as Thorburn

eyed up the black. No need.

Plenty more time, Paul 2003Of course, as Higgins demonstrated, some of the most poignant

action takes place away from the table. On this occasion it was

the press conference after Paul Hunter, nicknamed the

‘Beckham of the Baize’, had lost his 2003 semi final to Ken

Doherty despite taking a 15-9 overnight lead. Perhaps best

known for a revitalising sex session with his girlfriend during a

break at the 2001 Masters tournament, the universally popular

Hunter was crestfallen in Sheffield, but putting on a brave face.

”The feeling in the room was that he was on the brink of big

things,” remembers Everton. ”Of course, that wasn’t to be.”

Hunter died of stomach cancer three years later, aged just 27.

That’s how Everton described the 1999 semi

final between Stephen Hendry and Ronnie

O’Sullivan. If this was a fight, it would have

been a heavyweight bloodbath between a

sublimely talented young shaver and a

determined old stager, with haymakers

landing every round (there were eight century

breaks in the 17-13 match, four apiece). As

with the Rumble in the Jungle, experience

won out; Hendry went on to claim his seventh

world title, but O’Sullivan had served notice

that there was a new kid on the block. And,

several years on, like George Foreman but

without the Lean Mean Grilling Machine,

The Rocket made another comeback.

Bill Borrows @billborrows Ad

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CENTRES

The Test combination is the big question mark

here, with a quartet of centres all but guaranteed

a spot on the plane. Jamie Roberts and Jonathan

Davies rediscovered their spark as the Six Nations

went on – “their defensive link-up could be key to

the Lions”, according to Ieuan Evans – while Roberts’

combination with Brian O’Driscoll in 2009 means the

Irishman should have a spot on the plane, albeit

without the captaincy. The fourth spot goes to the

man Dewi Morris calls “our very own Jonah Lomu”

in Manu Tuilagi, whose power and pace also offers

an option out wide if needed. If Gatland plumps for

a fifth centre, the options are less clear, with a

variety of choices to pick from.

James Hook’s versatility is an

option (offering cover at 10),

while Brad Barritt’s solidity

provides decent back-up to

the power of Roberts.

Paul Wallace sums this one up nicely when he

says “the half-backs are the one obvious selection,

as long as [Jonny] Sexton gets some game time.”

Mike Phillips and Sexton are those obvious

selections, with Ben Youngs the all-but-guaranteed

second nine, not least after his barnstorming solo

try against Bath last weekend. The choices for

Gatland come after that, with Danny Care, Greig

Laidlaw and Conor Murray the front runners.

Care offers pace and tenacity to challenge

Australia’s Will Genia, while Laidlaw offers a reliable

boot and control of the pack. Murray is the intriguing

one: he is similar to Phillips, but his understanding

of Sexton from their time with Ireland stands him in

good stead, as does the way he asked questions of

Harlequins in Europe.

At fly half, Gatland has been hinting at a preference

for taking two, which leaves Jonny Wilkinson a likely

no-go. Owen Farrell’s Heineken Cup match-up

against Wilkinson this weekend could go a long way

to making Gatland’s mind up, but Dan Biggar is surely

in the running after leading Wales to Six Nations

victory. For now, Farrell is the more likely. >

You’re probably going to get bored of these words,

but the Welsh boys are nailed on. Leigh Halfpenny

is “fearless under the high ball, fast at the counter

attack and has a siege gun of a boot”, according to

Sky Sports’ Dewi Morris. And it’s hard to argue.

Bar injury, Halfpenny is the Lions full back, leaving

Stuart Hogg and Rob Kearney to fight it out for the

second spot, unless Warren Gatland chooses to

take both and utilise one of them on the wing.

That’s because George North and Alex Cuthbert

– “a one-man wrecking ball and a man who knows

where the line is”, as Morris respectively describes

them – might be guarantees, but elsewhere there

is a shortage of world-class wingers. Sky’s Paul

Wallace thinks Tommy Bowe “might still break in to

the back three” after his timely return from injury,

while Chris Ashton is in fine form for Saracens.

A Lions ’bolter’ is more likely than Ashton, though,

so Christian Wade will be watching Tuesday’s press

conference with interest, while Sky’s Ieuan Evans

thinks Simon Zebo “would bring something different

to the party, with pace and a strong left boot to

match the Australians”.

Rugby Union The British and Irish LionsA

ll p

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With the British and Irish Lions squad for Australia named on Tuesday, we look at the nailed-on options and the tough decisions facing coach Warren Gatland – with a little help from Sky Sports’ expert pundits

HERE COMES THE PRIDEBACK THREE HALF BACKS

| April 26 2013 | 37

Roar ambition (clockwise):

Leigh Halfpenny, Stuart

Hogg and Simon Zebo

Half a chance (clockwise):

Mike Phillips, Ben Youngs

and Jonny Sexton

Brian

O’Driscoll

Manu Tuilagi

While our pundits each went with a different

combination for their front rows, the same names

continue to pop up – with Cian Healy, Adam Jones,

Dan Cole and Gethin Jenkins the four definites either

side of hookers Richard Hibbard, Rory Best and Tom

Youngs. Healy offers “a workrate that’s second to

none, and has set the benchmark”, according to

Ieuan Evans, while Dewi Morris believes the call

between Jones and Cole is “too close to call, with

Cole’s extra pace around the field possibly giving

him a slight edge”. The fifth prop, and possibly a

sixth if Gatland so wishes, is likely to come from

north of the border, with Euan Murray the

ever-solid option (when the game is on a Saturday).

Mako Vunipola might be in with a shout as the

unpredictable option, but it’s more likely that

Ryan Grant – or even Andrew Sheridan – would

get the call for the sixth slot.

SECOND ROW

After all the talk of England’s dynamic duo during

the Six Nations, it’s the tried and tested faces of

Paul O’Connell, Ian Evans and Alun Wyn Jones that

look like the second-row guarantees in Gatland’s

squad. As Dewi Morris says: “Would Australia want

O’Connell in their side? Yes! He’s an outstanding

leader and dominates the middle position.” Ieuan

Evans, too, points out that the duo “played together

in the Lions before, and Jones added an edge to

Wales in the Six Nations”. Yet again, it’s the back-up

selections that will have Gatland scratching his

head, with Geoff Parling pushing for inclusion after

his consistency in the Six Nations. Jim Hamilton and

Richie Gray showed what they can add in terms

of the power that could disrupt the Aussie pack,

while there’s also the option of Tom Croft and

Ryan Jones going to cover the second row.

38 | April 26 2013 |

Rugby Union The British and Irish Lions

The entire Lions Tour is live on Sky Sports HD,

beginning June 1

ThE PuNDiTS’ TEamS

iEuaN EvaNS Paul WallaCE SCOTT haSTiNgSDEWi mORRiS

01. gethin jenkins

02. RichaRd hibbaRd

03. dan cole

04. paul o’connell

05. ian evans

06. sean o’bRien

07. sam waRbuRton

08. toby faletau

09. mike phillips

10. jonny sexton

11. geoRge noRth

12. bRian o’dRiscoll

13. manu tuilagi

14. alex cuthbeRt

15. leigh halfpenny

01. cian healy

02. RichaRd hibbaRd

03. adam jones

04. alun wyn jones

05. paul o’connell

06. tom cRoft

07. sam waRbuRton

08. sean o’bRien

09. mike phillips

10. jonny sexton

11. simon zebo

12. jamie RobeRts

13. jonathan davies

14. geoRge noRth

15. leigh halfpenny

01. andRew sheRidan

02. RichaRd hibbaRd

03. adam jones

04. nathan hines

05. paul o’connell

06. tom wood

07. sam waRbuRton

08. jamie heaslip

09. mike phillips

10. jonny sexton

11. geoRge noRth

12. jamie RobeRts

13. bRian o’dRiscoll

14. alex cuthbeRt

15. leigh halfpenny

01. cian healy

02. tom youngs

03. adam jones

04. paul o’connell

05. joe launchbuRy

06. sam waRbuRton

07. justin tipuRic

08. jamie heaslip

09. mike phillips

10. jonny sexton

11. geoRge noRth

12. bRian o’dRiscoll

13. jonathan davies

14. alex cuthbeRt

15. leigh halfpenny

The Lions are playing

Australia in the first

Test tomorrow – so

what’s your team?

That’s the question

we put to four of

Sky Sports’ experts

BaCK ROW

This is arguably the toughest selection call across

the squad, and those Welsh boys are – again – the

only ones with a guaranteed spot. The question is:

how many of them do you take? Sam Warburton

roared back into action after a poor opening to the

Six Nations and looks set to take the tour captaincy,

while Toby Faletau and Justin Tipuric are

guaranteed Lions as well. But what about Ryan

Jones? Elsewhere, Dewi Morris tips “the ball

carrier of excellence” that is Sean O’Brien; Paul

Wallace thinks “Jamie Heaslip’s form will improve

once he steps up a level and is free to play without

the captaincy”, and that “Tom Wood is a great

lineout player whose work at the breakdown has

him in the trio”. As for the more leftfield selections,

Tom Croft is surely on the plane after his recent

performances for Leicester. Meanwhile, Kelly

Brown’s Six Nations displays for Scotland were

nothing short of gigantic in a defensive masterclass,

and Peter O’Mahony shone in a poor Ireland team

throughout the tournament. As with Murray, a big

weekend awaits the Munster man down in France.

And we haven’t even mentioned Chris Robshaw!

FRONT ROW

Sam Warburton

Paul O’Connell

Dan Cole

Adam Jones

01.

02.

03.

04.

05.

06.

07.

08.

09.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

No competition throws up magic

moments more regularly than

the UEFA Champions League.

Borussia Dortmund’s amazing

comeback against Malaga in the

quarter finals was just the latest in a long line

of incredible drama – from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

stealing victory from Bayern Munich in 1999

to the cool way Didier Drogba sealed a penalty

shootout victory (also over Bayern Munich)

with his last kick in a Chelsea shirt.

The new HTC One, official smartphone of the

UEFA Champions League, is perfectly designed for

capturing such special scenes. Instead of still

snapshots that just sit stationary in a smartphone

gallery, the HTC One comes with HTC Zoe™, an

innovative way of bringing your pictures to life.

HTC Zoe™ lets you shoot high-res photos that

come to life in three-second snippets – when you

press the shutter button in Zoe mode, the HTC

One will capture up to 20 photos, and a three-

second HD video. The capturing process starts

a second before you’ve even pressed the button,

and you can even share individual frames from

the video. All the pictures you’ve taken are stored

in the brand new Living Gallery, which transforms

the traditional (but quite dull) photo gallery of still

images into a moving memory wall.

More memories will undoubtedly be made at

the UEFA Champions League Final at Wembley

next month, and one lucky fan was selected from

thousands of entries to document the handover

of the coveted trophy using HTC Zoe™.

Competition winner Andy Roberts followed the

cup as it travelled from Stamford Bridge to

Whitehall, where it was officially transferred to

the care of the City of London ahead of the Final.

In his role as HTC photographer for the day, he

captured the emotions of the general public as

they interacted with the trophy, and he’ll be on

hand again at the UEFA Champions League Final,

capturing all the drama and action as it unfolds.

Because it captures three seconds of video and

20 high-resolution photos instead of just one

snap, HTC Zoe™ is the perfect tool for recording

memories and bringing magic moments to life.

After all, a lot can happen in three seconds:

just ask Chelsea or Manchester United.

| 39

Advertising Feature

BriNgiNg yoU CLosEr to thE UEFA ChAmpioNs LEAgUE

Competition winner

Andy Roberts followed

the trophy as it

travelled through the

city (with the women’s

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the delight of any

Londoners lucky

enough to glimpse it.

thE UEFA ChAmpioNs LEAgUE trophy hANdovEr, BroUght to LiFE By htC ZoE™

7 DaysAPR 26-MAY 2

HIGHLIGHTS

» Football: Premier League Preview » p42

» UFC: Jon Jones v Chael Sonnen » p44

» Boxing: Amir Khan v Julio Diaz » p46

» Rugby League: Widnes v Wakefield » p48

» County Cricket: Somerset v Warwickshire » p48OUR PICK OF THE ACTION FROM THE SPORTING WEEK AHEAD

Saturday RUgBy Union | HeineKen CUP Semi FinAL: CLeRmont v mUnSteR | StADe De LA moSSon, montPeLLieR | SKy SPoRtS 1 5Pm

Not everything in rugby right now is about the

Lions – but this weekend's Heineken Cup semis

definitely have a Gatland twang to them, with the

New Zealander set to name his squad on Tuesday.

Munster are flying after their quarter-final win over

Harlequins, and head to the all-conquering Clermont

Auvergne (unbeaten at home for 59 games) with

confidence. Conor Murray, Peter O'Mahony and

Simon Zebo are the men looking to make a late

surge into Gatland's thinking, while another huge

performance from Paul O'Connell (winning the

lineout, above) could have those captaincy odds

shortening again. Expect a classic Munster

performance like we saw in west London a few

weeks ago, with power up front and a close

pick-and-drive game to set up Ronan O'Gara's boot.

The French sides, though, have upped their game

in Europe this season, and the men in yellow are

favourites to lift the trophy for a reason. Sitiveni

Sivivatu and Wesley Fofana are the ones to watch

with the ball in hand, but it's Clermont's ability to

stand up to Munster's pack that will decide this game

– something they showed in abundance in their

quarter-final showdown with Montpellier.

In the second semi final on Sunday, Saracens

welcome Toulon to Twickenham (Sky Sports 1, 3pm),

with Owen Farrell, Jonny Wilkinson, Chris Ashton

and Mako Vunipola just four of the names with

Australia on the brain. Sarries play a tight game and

will look to starve the French side of possession, but

in Steffon Armitage and that man Jonny, the visitors

boast one player who can pilfer ball at will and

another who can score points from almost anywhere.

Saracens' recent investment has all been for games

like this. When it comes to investment, though, the

French team still takes some beating. Anything other

than an all-French final will mean someone has done

something spectacular to catch Mr Gatland's eye.

40 | April 26 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Charge of the Lions brigade

Stu

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Untitled-5 1 23/04/2013 15:37

42 | April 26 2013 |

7 Days

It might be game over at the top of the table, but Arsene

Wenger should surrender his ‘Professor’ moniker if he

thinks that means Alex Ferguson’s team will give Arsenal

an easier ride than usual on Sunday. The Scot was still

wiping celebratory bubbles from his chin after Monday’s

victory when he said: “If we get to 96 points I’d be

delighted... that would be a fantastic season.” Hic.

That record haul would require United to win all four

of their remaining games, starting at the Emirates on

Sunday, where Danny Welbeck scored a late winner in

their 2-1 win last season. But it’s Robin van Persie who is

the man most likely to bring an end to Arsenal’s run of six

league games without defeat. The Dutchman has scored

in the past three meetings between these sides (once for

United) and – as Arsenal fans know all too well – is the

league’s top scorer.

The Gunners will be without one of their main goal

threats this season – Olivier Giroud misses out after he

was sent off against Fulham. His absence might pave the

way for our cover star Theo Walcott to get a taste of the

action up front, unless Wenger feels Lukas Podolski or

Gervinho (somewhat less likely) are more deserving.

Defeat for Arsenal could see them drop behind

Tottenham and Chelsea (if both win) in the race for fourth,

but more painful than that will be the guard of honour

Arsenal might be obliged to give their visitors.

WIgan won five of their last six

games to save their Premier League

lives last season. With matches

against Manchester City and Arsenal

to come after Saturday’s against a

Tottenham side with plenty to play

for, they might struggle to repeat

that – although the Latics have won

their last two at the DW and beaten

Spurs once already this season. The

Londoners have been impressive on

the road, though – only Man Utd

have won more away games.

saturday wigan v tottenham | dw stadium | 3Pm

By the time these teams meet on

Monday, the lie of the land in the

bottom half of the table will be a

little clearer. It’s two wins from three

for new Mackems boss Paolo Di

Canio, so they have the momentum,

but Villa have been pretty solid

when playing teams around them in

the table of late. Wins against Stoke,

Reading and QPR in their previous

six games have given Paul Lambert

belief that he can keep the Villans

in the top flight.

monday aston villa v sunderland | villa Park

sky sPorts 1 8Pm

The title race is over but the Premier League keeps on giving, with the fight for fourth heating up and a decent scrap between sides trying to beat the drop

Premier League

sunday arsenal v manchester united | emirates stadium | sky sPorts 1 4Pm

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

SATURDAY everton v fulham | goodison park | 3pm

| 43

The respective home and away

form of these teams suggests a

predictable result. Roberto

Mancini’s side has been beaten only

once at home this season, while

West Ham have won only once away

this year. But City’s late collapse

against Tottenham last weekend –

despite going into the match as the

team that had conceded the fewest

second-half goals in the league this

season – suggests that, with their

title gone, so has their mojo.

SATURDAY southampton v west brom | st mary’s | 3pm SATURDAY stoke v norwich | the britannia | 3pm

Assuming Luis Suarez is unlikely to

be available on Saturday, Liverpool

will be without the player who

secured them a point against

Newcastle at Anfield in November.

Beaten 2-0 by the Magpies at St

James’ Park last year, when Alan

Pardew’s side was aiming for

Europe, Liverpool need a win this

time if they’re to keep the pressure

on Everton (who they play next

week). Newcastle, meanwhile, are

now simply aiming for survival.

SATURDAY newcastle v liverpool | st james’ park

espn 5.30pm

Nigel Adkins’ reign at Reading

hasn’t gone to plan, with the Royals

having lost three of the four games

under his tenure. Harry Redknapp –

who will likely accompany him on

the drop down to the Championship

– hasn’t fared much better, winning

four of his 21 games in charge of

QPR . Neither man will want to go

down as the Premier League’s

bottom side, so Sunday’s game is

about playing for pride. Although

points are still handy too, obviously.

SUnDAY reading v qpr | madejski stadium |

sky sports 1 1.30pm

Fulham have never won a game

at Goodison Park in the Premier

League – an FA Cup win in 1975 was

the last time they were victorious

there. And, with the Toffees almost

unbeatable at home this term (they

have lost once), it’s a statistic that’s

unlikely to change. Martin Jol is

without Steve Sidwell (again) after

the midfielder’s second red card in

as many games against Arsenal. The

previous one came during Fulham’s

last league win, on April 1.

Unbeaten in their last six matches,

Southampton have also kept three

clean sheets during that time. It’s

a far cry from the start of their

Premier League campaign, when

they conceded 24 goals in their first

eight (winning once). It was in their

10th game that they were beaten

2-0 by a West Brom team with five

wins from their first 10. The Baggies’

form has dipped in the second half

of the season though, leaving Saints

as the form team here.

Norwich have conceded the lowest

proportion of goals from set-

pieces in the league this season

(10 per cent, excluding penalties).

Stoke are at the other end of the

scale, having let in 46 per cent

of their goals from set pieces

(including one from Norwich to give

them a 1-0 win at Carrow Road in

November). On the other hand, 57

per cent of Stoke’s goals have also

come from set-pieces (before they

played QPR last weekend).

P W D L F A Pts

PRemieR LeAgUe TAbLe

Javier Hernandez has the best mins/

goals rate of any player in Premier

League history (minimum 10 goals)

120.7

Man Utd 34 27 3 4 78 35 84

Man City 33 20 8 5 59 30 68

Arsenal 34 18 9 7 65 35 63

Chelsea 33 18 8 7 66 35 62

Tottenham 33 18 7 8 58 41 61

Everton 34 14 14 6 51 38 56

Liverpool 34 13 12 9 61 42 51

West Brom 33 13 6 14 43 44 45

Swansea 33 10 12 11 43 42 42

West Ham 34 11 9 14 40 47 42

Fulham 34 10 10 14 44 52 40

Southampton 34 9 12 13 47 54 39

Norwich 34 8 14 12 33 53 38

Sunderland 34 9 10 15 38 45 37

Stoke 34 8 13 13 30 41 37

Newcastle 34 10 7 17 43 60 37

Aston Villa 34 8 10 16 36 63 34

Wigan 33 8 7 18 37 60 31

QPR 34 4 12 18 29 56 24

Reading 34 5 9 20 37 65 24

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

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SATURDAY manchester city v west ham

etihad stadium | sky sports 2 12.45pm

Having failed to beat Swansea on

their three previous meetings this

season, Chelsea will be wary of their

visit on Sunday. It will be the Blues’

ninth game in April, and comes

sandwiched in between their Europa

League semi-final ties with Basel,

testing Rafa Benitez’s squad to its

limit. But Swansea are without a win

since March 2; their longest winless

streak since joining the Premier

League last term. For Chelsea, then,

fourth time could be the charm.

SUnDAY chelsea v swansea | stamford bridge | 3pm

44 | April 26 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

7 Days

Saturday UFC 159 | Jon Jones v Chael sonnen | PrUdential Center, new Jersey | esPn 1aM

On Saturday night, UFC light-

heavyweight champ Jon ‘Bones’

Jones takes on motormouth Chael

‘The American Gangster’ Sonnen.

We talk to Jones about an intriguing

fight and his future goals.

Southpaw glamour

“It’s going to be a great fight

because Chael Sonnen is a really

good fighter. He’s a southpaw,

which is something that I haven’t

fought against too much. That adds

an interesting dynamic. Everything

is different: the angles I’ll have to

use, the shots I’ll have to defend

against, the shots I’ll have to put

on him. It will be interesting for the

fans to see how I stack up against

such an aggressive, wrestling-

based style.”

Sonnen as challenger

“I don’t think he is the next

deserving contender, but I think the

fans appreciate this fight. Chael has

a pretty huge following. He’s top

four when it comes to pay-per-view

draws – and when you get two guys

[who are] top four, when it comes to

PPV sales there is going to be a lot

of fan interest. I think it breaks the

whole martial arts honour code a

little bit – but for the entertainment

factor, it’s going to be a big fight.”

Sonnen as trash talker

“Chael’s a politician, and the job

of a politician is to make people

believe in their product. He’s selling

the Chael Sonnen brand in a great

way – that’s why he has such a huge

following. I’m not surprised that he

has been able to brainwash so

many people. When I talk, I just try

to tell the truth. I try not to waste

my energy yapping on about

foolishness and rubbish. I don’t

have anything terrible to say about

Sonnen. I’m not here to badmouth

him, I’m here to defeat him.”

Pound-for-pound number one

“I’d like to be recognised as the

best fighter in the world one day,

but I also understand that I have a

lot of time to achieve that goal. I’m

25 years old, injury free, positive,

very motivated and determined.

I have a lot of time left to break

records. I would consider myself

top three with Anderson [Silva] and

George [St-Pierre].”

Entertaining fans

“It’s very important. It’s why I tweet

every day and try to stay in contact

and communicate with fans. A lot

of fighters don’t care about social

media, but I’m pretty big on [the

idea of] social media. It’s not for me

– it’s for the people who look up to

me and respect me. It’s my way of

giving something back, by staying

in touch with them. I think that

entertaining the fans is equally as

important as winning fights.”

Becoming a global superstar

“To help play a major role in

bringing the UFC to a mainstream,

gigantic level and become the star

athlete – that’s a great dream of

mine. I think it should be the dream

of every athlete: to not only be a

champion in their field, but to be a

star and something bigger than

they ever thought they could be.

It drives me, motivates me, and I am

seeking to be that guy in the future.

Getting into some acting would be

cool, too. I see Randy Couture and

Rampage [Jackson] getting these

A-level movies. I think I have a

little charisma and am fair-looking.

I think I could do that with the right

opportunity, the right guidance

and the right training.”

Martin Potter @theboxingbrain

UFC 159: Jones v Sonnen on

Saturday April 27, programming

starts from 1am on ESPN

Jim

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“I’m not here to badmouth him, I’m here to defeat him”

Not for profit. Registered charity no. 1001043. Registered in England and Wales no. 2551972

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7 Days

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

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Saturday Boxing | Amir KhAn v Julio DiAz | motorpoint ArenA, SheffielD | BoxnAtion 7pm

46 | April 26 2013 |

Three British boxers at different stages of

their careers have key fights on Saturday,

with Amir Khan’s homecoming fight against

Julio Diaz topping the bill in Sheffield.

Diaz is a tough Mexican who will look to

test Khan’s suspect mandible, but he’s 33 and

was at his best at lightweight several years

ago. A draw with unbeaten US prospect

Shawn Porter in his last bout shows Diaz isn’t

washed up, but the tide is coming in fast: he’s

lost three of his last eight fights.

Khan boxed with speed and precision

against Carlos Molina in December, but trainer

Virgil Hunter will know it’s defensive lessons

that need drumming into his charge’s head.

Diaz should be a stepping stone to a late 2013

superfight, but we’ve been here before with

Khan – these stepping stones can be slippery.

Audley Harrison is on the undercard, fresh

from his latest Prize Fighter resurrection

and taking on American ‘Bronze Bomber’

Deontay Wilder. The 6ft 7ins Wilder can look

awkward and gangly, and a skilled southpaw

like Harrison could – in theory – give him fits.

That theory collapses like, well, Harrison

himself when you take into account Wilder’s

punching power. The Tuscaloosa banger has

27 knockout wins in 27 fights. You don’t need

us to tell you how this one ends.

We have more reason to be optimistic for

Olympic bronze-medallist Anthony Ogogo,

who makes his pro debut on the card. The

charismatic 24-year-old is understandably

being matched easily in his first bout, but

given his amateur pedigree, he will hope

to progress quickly in the paid ranks.

Three lions

Friday horSe rAcing | rABoBAnK chAmpion hurDle | puncheStown | At the rAceS 5.30pm

The final hurdle

The curtain is close to being drawn on a vintage

season of jumps racing, but today offers one final

chance to see one of the stars of the campaign

in action. Hurricane Fly (above) became only the

second horse in history to reclaim the Champion

Hurdle crown at Cheltenham last month, and will

bid for a fourth consecutive Rabobank Champion

Hurdle at Punchestown this evening (Friday).

The nine-year-old has been beaten only once in

his last 13 starts, in the 2012 Champion Hurdle –

but his conqueror that day, Rock On Ruby, will be

lining up to take him on once more here. The

forecast quicker ground would be in the latter’s

favour, but the Fly has looked at his very best this

season and should prove mighty tough to beat

under regular big-race jockey Ruby Walsh.

On Saturday, meanwhile, Sandown hosts a card

famous for its combination of both flat and jumps

racing. The big race is the bet365 Gold Cup Chase

(Channel 4, 3.50pm), featuring a bunch of Grand

National also-rans bidding for compensation. If

the ground is good, though, keep an eye out for

the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Galaxy Rock – he is

lightly raced this season and stays very well.

48 | April 26 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

7 Days

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As the Super League approaches its

halfway point, thoughts inevitably turn to

the end-of-season playoffs. And Friday

night’s live game features two sides in the

lower half of the table who retain hopes of

making the hallowed top eight: Widnes

Vikings and Wakefield Wildcats.

Hosts Widnes, currently 10th in the

table, go into this game on the back of an

unconvincing 42-28 Challenge Cup victory

over Championship club Doncaster last

weekend. The Vikings lost at struggling

Castleford on their last Super League

outing, so need to find some form if they are

to move up the table. Speculation continues

to swirl around Gareth Hock (pictured,

making the tackle), who is on a season-long

loan from Wigan – the forward is being

targeted by Australian club Parramatta

Eels, but his loss would be a huge blow.

Sitting one place beneath their hosts,

Wakefield had an altogether easier time in

their own cup tie against Championship

One new boys Hemel Stags, running out

66-6 winners. They have lost three in a row

in the league, but rested most of their back

line last weekend and head for the Stobart

Stadium with a fully fit squad that can

trouble any team. Tim Smith and Paul Sykes

are a great half-back combination, while

wing Ben Cockayne’s form in the early part

of the season earned him a place in the

England squad. The Wildcats have plenty of

talent at their disposal, then, but the artificial

pitch at Widnes could just tip the balance in

favour of the home side.

The weekend’s other live action sees

Salford City Reds host Castleford Tigers

(Saturday 6.45pm, Sky Sports 3) in a

basement battle between the league’s

bottom two teams. Despite Salford owner

Dr Marwan Koukash promising “significant

investment” in his side, this remains one for

the purists only, perhaps.

Vikings seek higher ground

The top two

teams from last

year’s County

Championship

meet at Taunton in

this early-season

clash, but it is

Warwickshire, the

defending champions, who have made the more convincing

start to the new campaign.

The Bears endured a frustrating start to their title defence,

rain washing out their opening fixture against Derbyshire –

but they took out their frustrations on Durham at Edgbaston

last week, England Lions bowler Chris Wright starring with

6/31 in the second innings of his team’s 318-run rout.

Somerset have been less impressive, following up an

opening defeat to Durham with a draw away at Surrey.

Overseas batsman Alviro Petersen (pictured) starred with

258 runs in the latter match, and looks key to his side’s

hopes on his home debut here.

With early pace-setters Middlesex not in

action this weekend, this fixture represents an

opportunity for one of these two to build

momentum towards another title challenge.

It is a match neither side will want to lose.

Bears on the

rampage

Friday > CriCket | County Championship Division 1: somerset v WarWiCkshire | County GrounD,

taunton | sky sports 1 11.05am

Friday ruGby LeaGue | super LeaGue: WiDnes vikinGs v WakefieLD trinity WiLDCats | stobart staDium | sky sports 2 8pm

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52 | April 26 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Adidas Boost

Adidas’ all-singing, all-dancing

new shoe looks the business,

and offers a whole new running

feel (nb: sadly, it doesn’t sing or

dance). Hundreds of nuggets

of thermoplastic polyurethane

(TPU to its friends) make up a

foam sole, which allows the shoe

to absorb the stress of impact

and instantly return to shape,

meaning less energy lost and a

springy feel that lasts over time.

£110 | adidas.com/boost

Puma Mobium Elite

Continuing the theme of all-new

technology, Puma’s Mobium

expands and contracts, along

with your foot, in all directions.

It has three key components that

change in length, height and

proportion to match your foot’s

movement. Add an open-air

mesh for increased comfort and

breathability, and cushioning

on the forefoot, and you have

a pretty smart shoe.

£85 | puma.co.uk

Nike Free 5.0

You can try to escape it, but barefoot

running is all the rage – and Nike are

here to ease you in. Combining the

flexibility of a barefoot shoe with enough

cushioning to protect your feet, the Free

5.0 is a ‘barefoot for beginners’ trainer.

Its flex groove outsole – made up of deep

cuts along the length and width of the

midsole – enhances your natural range

of motion, encourages a smooth, efficient

stride and helps maintain stability. It also

comes in 32 different colour schemes.

All you have to do now is pick one.

£85 | nike.com

Reebok Sublite Duo Run

The Duo Run boasts two foam

densities to offer a comfortable

feel for your foot (softer foam

on the inner sole) alongside

increased responsiveness and

durability (harder foam closer

to the ground). Add in a padded

ankle collar and you have a

top trainer to rival the Boost.

But which is better? There’s

only one way to find out… Fight?

No. Try them on, you weirdos.

£60 | reebok.co.uk

Under Armour Charge RC II

Built for speed over long

distances (bet we’ve lost a few

of you already), the Charge II

boasts HeatGear technology to

keep your feet dry and cool in

the hottest temperatures, and

an upper that wicks moisture

away from your foot. Tongue and

toe padding, meanwhile, offers

protection and an articulated

flex mimics your foot movement

to reduce your workload.

£110 | underarmour.com

Cool runnings

ExtRA tIMEMaking the most of your time and money

P54

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54 | April 26 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Marvel Collector’s Edition Cases

for iPhone 5

Captain America’s shield, fashioned from

indestructible vibranium, would probably

do a much better job of protecting your

phone than Spider-Man’s Lycra onesie. Both

of these are, however, made of plastic – but

that doesn’t make them any less awesome.

£25 | firebox.com

Samsung NX300 Camera

Sprint superstar Usain Bolt is

supporting this camera, so hopefully

he won’t have to borrow them from

trackside photographers any more.

Like the Jamaican, it’s a speedy

number. Hybrid auto-focus makes

zooming in on subjects quick and

easy, and it can shoot almost nine

frames a second. With its 20.3

megapixels, it’s sharp enough to

capture even the world’s fastest man.

£600 | currys.co.uk

ASUS PadFone 2

Not to be confused with the ASUS FonePad,

this is a 2-in-1 smartphone and tablet for

people who want the best of both worlds.

An Android phone slots into the back of a

10.1-inch screen for when you want more

space to work. It even remembers and brings

up what you were last doing on your phone.

£599 | carphonewarehouse.co.uk

oUr SPEEdy SENSE iS tiNgliNg

Et gadgets This week, we drag a super-fast camera, some heroic iPhone cases and a mighty morphin’ phone/tablet from their secret hideout

tomtom runner + Multisport Watches

The sat-nav makers have applied their GPS

knowhow to a new range of watches that help

measure how far you’ve run, swum or cycled

and display the details in real time on an

excellent graphical display. Just make sure

you keep one eye on where you’re going,

or it could be a short outing...

£TBC | Visit sports.tomtom.com for more

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56 | April 26 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

The toothpaste

Oral-B 3D White Brilliance

For teeth shinier than one of Ziggy Stardust’s

sequinned space suits, this toothpaste will,

Oral-B tell us, give you visibly whiter teeth in

just two weeks. It gently tackles stains, while

fluoride helps repair damage. We think you’ll

like it. In fact we bet you do, you freaky old

bastard, you. £3.49 for 75ml | boots.com

The soap

Triumph & Disaster Shearer’s Soap

Has nowt to do with the former striker who

ruins Match of the Day every week, and all to

do with being incredibly gentle on your skin,

thanks to a translucent base high in glycerin.

Poppy seeds assist exfoliation, and it smells

triumphantly good – will lend you prestige.

£9.95 for 130g | Exclusive to mensphere.com

The body wash and lotion

Molton Brown Patchouli & Saffron

Like Bowie, Molton Brown has been “blending

with attitude” since 1973. They celebrate their

40th this month by reviving their Patchouli &

Saffron scent in a limited-edition body wash

(£18, 300ml) and body lotion (£25, 300ml).

It’s unisex, too – the ambiguous Thin White

Duke would approve. moltonbrown.co.uk

John VarvatosNot the only JV you’ll be hearing more from in the next fortnight, though this one is arguably

more interesting. John Varvatos’ collection features his eponymous fragrance (a woody, oriental

blend of spices with a hint of sweetness) alongside two ch-ch-ch-changes: the Vintage (warm heart

notes of oak moss and patchouli oils) and Artisan (a citrus fusion with floral heart notes) editions.

£60 each for 125ml | debenhams.co.uk from May

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58 | April 26 2013 |

Extra time Jessica Hart

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| 59

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60 | April 26 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

GRID 2

After five years, GRID finally

gets a sequel. Like the original,

GRID 2 strikes a careful balance

between realism and accessibility,

and the story-driven career

mode makes for a single-player

game that’s more compelling

than most. Throw in LiveRoute

tracks that change every you

time you race on them, and you

have a wheelman’s wet dream.

Released May 28

Resident Evil: Revelations

Originally released to near-

universal critical praise as a 3DS

exclusive last year, Revelations

has been given an HD lick of

paint for home consoles. The

third-person shooter, set on

an abandoned cruise ship,

follows the same survival horror

format of earlier Resident Evil

games, but with an emphasis on

exploration and puzzle-solving.

Released May 24

Metro: Last LightThe sequel to 2010’s Metro 2033 is

set in the ruins of post-apocalyptic

Moscow, where you play as Artyom

– a survivor living in the ruins of the

city’s maze of underground tunnels,

desperately trying to prevent an

imminent civil war.

Last Light stands out because it’s

designed to be a more considered

experience than most shooters,

favouring a focus on exploring its

superbly detailed environment rather

than all-out action. The shift in pace

is supported by clever gameplay

innovations, too, and the struggle

to survive – be it by replacing your

gas mask filters or sticking to the

shadows to sneak past enemies when

ammo is low – is just as pressing as

the urge to tackle fights head-on.

Indeed, ammo is also a much-

needed currency, so think twice

before pumping slugs into mutants

instead of ghosting silently past.

Released May 17

Far Cry 3:

Blood Dragon

Despite its title,

Blood Dragon

has little in

common with

Far Cry 3. Gone

are the natives,

pirates and tropical fauna of last

year’s shooter, replaced by a

neon-tinged wasteland, badass

dinosaurs and a healthy dose

of Reagan-era comic references.

What it does share with Far

Cry 3 is a huge open world

you’re free to explore, and a

dystopian 2007 the publisher

describes as “an 80s VHS vision

of the future” in which you must

“get the girl, kill the baddies,

and save the world”. We can’t

guarantee it’ll be quite as slick as

the original, but it’s certainly the

most outrageous game we’ve

seen in some time.

Released May 1

suRvIvaL InstInCt

Et Games Stalk mutants in the post-apocalyptic Moscow metro system, fight off zombies on a cruise

ship in the Med, or whip out your own spine to slay shiny demons. It’s all in a day’s work

soul sacrifice

Thanks to a combat system

that revolves around sacrificing

body parts to perform certain

abilities, this PlayStation Vita-

exclusive action-RPG will forever

be known as ‘that game where

you pull your spine out through

your mouth and brandish it as a

sword’. But don’t write this off as

wanton violence – at its heart is

a moving tale of unlikely hope.

Released May 1

Persona 4 arena

The beat-’em-up genre was

shaken up a couple of years ago

by quirky 2D fighter BlazBlue:

Continuum Shift. This brawler

from the same people blends

beautiful animé graphics with

an accessible story and unique

combat. If you fancy something

different from the likes of Dead

or Alive, look no further than one

of Japan’s fastest-selling titles.

Released May 10

In association with

Ps3, Xbox, PC Ps3, Xbox

Ps3, Xbox, PC Ps3, Xbox, PC, Wii u Playstation vita Ps3, Xbox