Tag Archives: instalment

Ryan Bertrand says Chelsea have had a good start

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Unsavoury incidents mean Blues don't get credit we deserve, claims Bertrand

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UPDATED:

23:59 GMT, 4 November 2012

Chelsea defender Ryan Bertrand believes the Blues have not received the credit they deserve for their on-field performances due to the off-field controversies that have engulfed them.

The Stamford Bridge club have been embroiled in the fall-out from the Mark Clattenburg affair, with the club having accused him of using 'inappropriate language' towards John Obi Mikel last weekend, which has come hot on the heels of the John Terry racism scandal.

Saturday's 1-1 draw at Swansea, where Chelsea were denied victory by a late Pablo Hernandez strike, saw Roberto Di Matteo's side surrender top spot in the Barclays Premier League table.

Under the radar: Ryan Bertrand says Chelsea's performances are being overlooked

Under the radar: Ryan Bertrand says Chelsea's performances are being overlooked

But Bertrand believes the result is a rare blip, and that off-field distractions have deflected attention from their excellent start to the season.

'We've got off to a very good start this season and I don't think we have got enough credit for the start we have had,' he said.

'It's all been negative stuff. With the draw today we are a bit disappointed but we just look forward to the next game.'

The fixture in south Wales was the final instalment of Terry's four-match domestic ban for racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand.

Di Matteo is unsure of whether to throw the former England international back into the side for the Champions League meeting with Shakhtar Donetsk in midweek, but Bertrand admits the return of such an experienced defender can only help Chelsea.

He said: 'A player like JT would be a loss to any club in any league. But it has not affected us too much, thankfully, because we have very good players to fill in. Gary Cahill has been outstanding every time he has come in.

'But JT could still play for any team so it will be a massive boost for us when he does come back.'

While Victor Moses grabbed his first league goal for Chelsea since moving from Wigan, Fernando Torres drew another blank.

The Spaniard has now gone nearly seven hours without finding the net, although he has found the net nine times in his last 21 games.

He was well marshalled by Swansea captain Garry Monk, who impressed in his first Premier League start under Michael Laudrup.

No bother: Gary Monk dispossesses Eden Hazard

No bother: Gary Monk dispossesses Eden Hazard

But Monk, who has played for Swansea in all four divisions, defended Torres and believes the pressure of the 50million fee Chelsea paid to bring him to Stamford Bridge from Liverpool has placed extra pressure on him.

Monk said: 'It was good to play against him. I came here on a free when we were in League Two and he's cost 50million!

'That's what you're dealing with – living in different worlds. It's great to pit your wits against the best. And he cost 50million for a reason and I just enjoyed it. I didn't give him a yard and just kept with him.

Chasing shadows: It seems Fernando Torres is stuck in a rut

Chasing shadows: It seems Fernando Torres is stuck in a rut

'He clearly has quality, but, yes, there are hundreds of players overpriced. Yet that is not his fault that Chelsea paid that sort of money for him.

'Obviously with the price-tag comes a lot of responsibility. He will feel that on his shoulders to perform every week.

'Once you don't perform, everyone is on your back. You could see that with Suarez at Liverpool, he's a good player.

'Even though he is Marmite to a lot of people, but out of everyone he is the best.'

The best football documentaries

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As a new documentary claims to lift the lid on life at Anfield, here are some of the best fly-on-the-wall football films

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UPDATED:

12:42 GMT, 18 September 2012

The new Fox sports documentary ‘Being Liverpool’ gets its first UK airing on Channel Five this Friday, promising an ‘intriguing insight’ into the Anfield dressing room as Brendan Rodgers tries to mould the team in his image.

It is just the latest instalment in a rich tradition of fly-on-the-wall football documentaries going back over 50 years – some brilliant and some utterly bizarre.

Sportmail picks eight of the best from this unique genre.

ADVISORY: SOME OF THESE VIDEO CLIPS INCLUDE BAD LANGUAGE

QPR: The Four-year
Plan (2012)

If it was ever possible to depict the Premier League as
more chaotic and random that it appears on the surface, then The Four-Year Plan
certainly succeeds.

It tracks what happened when Formula One mogul Flavio
Briatore saved Queens Park Rangers from extinction in 2007 – and, perhaps
naively, announced he would deliver the ailing club to the Premier League with
a four-year plan.

Mat Hodgson’s behind-the-scenes film shows managers being
hired and fired in a farcical carousel and all manner of fan mutinies, moving from the ridiculous to the
sublime as Neil Warnock fulfils the prophecy by winning promotion to the top
flight in 2011.

CAUTION: BAD LANGUAGE

Accrington
Stanley: Exactly! (2009)

Narrated by the unmistakable voice of Stuart Hall, this
Granada series shows in gory detail the hand-to-mouth existence of League Two
Accrington Stanley and, in many ways, social life in the North-West.

The episodes examine, by turn, what it's like to be a manager, chairman, player and fan at the bottom of football's pile, with amusing consequences (and mandatory expletives).

CAUTION: BAD LANGUAGE

Big Ron Manager (2006)

Continuing the football swear-athon is this 2006 tale of Barry
Fry and Ron Atkinson’s double act at Peterborough. But despite a cacophony of
f-words from two of the most colourful characters in the game, it’s fledgling
manager Steve Bleasdale who is the star.

Instead of calling upon Big Ron’s experience, Bleasdale
tried to banish him and, inevitably, there are fireworks.

One memorable scene
sees a dressing room punch-up between player Mark Arber and Paul Carden, before
Bleasdale spectacularly resigns after Fry himself delivers the team talk before
a match with Macclesfield.

CAUTION: BAD LANGUAGE

Orient: Club for a
Fiver (1995)

A classic nineties documentary shot by film student Jo Trehearne
about her local club, Leyton Orient, which snowballed from a peek behind closed
doors to a warts and all documentary about one of the worst seasons in the
club’s history.

There’s gripping drama on and off the pitch. In the
boardroom, the chairman Tony Wood steps down after his coffee business goes
bust and a takeover by local businessman Phil Wallace rumbles along without
resolution – having a knock-on effect on underpaid players and under-resourced
staff alike.

In the dressing room, the foul-mouthed half-time tirades
of manager John Sitton, as the players lurch from one abject performance to
another, helped define the caricature of the vein-throbbing manager.

One half-time barb, with the team trailing 1-0 to
Blackpool, has passed into immortality on the clip below.

CAUTION: BAD LANGUAGE

England – Do I not
like that (1994)

A documentary that simply wouldn’t happen today. A camera
crew given unlimited access to the England dressing room for an entire World
Cup qualification campaign, especially following a European Championships
debacle, is just unthinkable.

Graham ‘Turnip’ Taylor was already drowning under the
weight of ‘The Impossible Job’ – sometimes literally: ‘I sweat a lot. I’m
waking up with the usual pyjamas wet through’ he confides.

Unfortunately this film does absolutely nothing to
improve the public perception of him as England fail miserably in their bid to
reach the 1994 World Cup.

Taylor is clearly a likeable, committed manager – in one
clip, he turns round to lambast a fan for criticising John Barnes: ‘He’s
another human being, you know’ – but he doesn’t help himself with unwittingly
comic soundbites that later inspired Mike Bassett, including ‘What sort of a
thing is going on here’ and the title, ‘Do I not like that.’

CAUTION: BAD LANGUAGE

Steel City Blues (1984)

A largely forgotten documentary which broadens the focus
beyond football to also examine the effect of the game in the local community.
It presents an interesting argument that Sheffield Wednesday’s fortunes are
linked to those of the city’s steel industry.

It includes footage of the 1935 FA Cup final against West
Bromwich Albion and the poignant line of commentary: ‘Inside three minutes,
Palethorpe scores for the Wednesday and this makes Sheffield almost a nice
place to live in.’

Things have come full circle by the time of this
documentary in the eighties, with one in four out of work and steel mills
closing every month. But what comes across is the unwavering support of
Wednesday’s fans despite the massive social upheaval of the time, helped by
successful times in the First Division.

City! A club in
crisis (1981)

Again, a state of affairs that is inconceivable today,
but this 1981 documentary follows cigar-chomping Malcolm Allison’s attempts to
cling on to his employment at relegation-threatened Manchester City.

He certainly has some unusual methods, including
delivering his pre-match team talk dressed only in a pair of tracksuit bottoms
and dragging the players to an indoor gymnasium to do some running drills at
half-time.

With results getting worse, he is relieved of his duties
and there’s a genuinely touching moment when he says goodbye to the players on
the training ground.

The documentary’s second part follows he side’s
resurrection under John Bond, which sees them reach the FA Cup final.

Meanwhile Back in
Sunderland (1973)

A film make before, during and after the famous 1973 Cup
Final when Sunderland stunned Leeds United 1-0, offering a nostalgic glimpse
not only into life in the North-East at the time, but also the enthusiasm the
FA Cup used to generate.

From fans sporting impossibly big red and white rosettes
and spinning rattles catching the Milk Train to Wembley, to shops closing early
so their staff could rush home to watch on TV.

From the crowd watching outside
Radio Rentals to the mental celebrations after Porterfield’s goal and
Montgomery’s save – this film evokes plenty of memories for those of a certain
age.

Ricky Hatton seeks redemption as he confirms boxing return for November 24

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'Haunted' Hatton seeks redemption: Pacquiao KO drives comeback as Hitman confirms November return

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UPDATED:

21:57 GMT, 14 September 2012

If he walks like he talks then the second instalment of Ricky Hatton’s career might just prove more dramatic than the first. Then again, that is some 'if'.

To listen to the former two-weight world champion, to hear how memories of one brutal night pushed him to consider suicide, was to appreciate just how ‘torturous’ moments of the past three years have been since Manny Pacquiao left him unconscious and needing treatment in a Las Vegas ring.

That bout, in May 2009, was the catalyst to his not-so-revelatory announcement in Manchester that he was coming back as a welterweight on November 24 to take on ‘an international level fighter’ who has not yet been determined. ‘There are several names,’ he said. ‘I’ll be able to tell you who in a week or two.’

Ultimately, the enormously ambitious objective for a man three weeks from his 34th birthday is another world title. Hatton admitted he has already visualised domestic blockbusters with Amir Khan and Kell Brook, not to mention rematches with Floyd Mayweather Jnr and Pacquiao, the pound-for-pound kings of his generation who remain, to date, the only men to have beaten him.

Scroll down for video…

Back in the game: Ricky Hatton confirmed his return to the ring on Friday

Back in the game: Ricky Hatton confirmed his return to the ring on Friday

Say cheese: Hatton announced his return in his hometown of Manchester

Say cheese: Hatton announced his return in his hometown of Manchester

For their part, Khan’s representatives have already stated a willingness to make the fight.

But Hatton’s greater motivation, he says of an extraordinary decision that has drawn reactions from scepticism to ridicule, is not the titles; it’s the need for ‘a happy ending’ in a story that has seen him battle depression and issues with drugs and alcohol since he ‘blew’ his shot at Pacquiao.

‘It’s about redemption,’ Hatton said. ‘I have so many regrets about how it ended last time. Even if I lose, it’s better than sitting around wondering if I should come out of retirement, thinking about my regrets.’ Those regrets, and issues in his personal life, drove him to ‘literally consider suicide’. At one point it was a regular deliberation.

He talks of being ‘haunted’, partially by a fair belief that his 10-round defeat against Mayweather was poorly refereed, but mostly by recollections of how his preparation and fight against Pacquiao went so horribly wrong, culminating in a second-round knockout.

Put one on me! The Hitman will fight on November 24

Put one on me! The Hitman will fight on November 24

Looking trim: Hatton has battled through drug and alcohol problems to be fit for the fight

Looking trim: Hatton has battled through drug and alcohol problems to be fit for the fight

‘Those are demons in your head, that
the two times I had the chance to be pound-for-pound No 1 in the world,
things got in the way,’ Hatton said. ‘That’ s haunted me for years.

‘With Pacquiao, it wasn’t just being
flattened in two, but it was knowing that I could have done something
about it. I was so overtrained (by Floyd Mayweather Snr, his trainer at
the time). Weeks earlier, before the fight, people were telling me to
take a week off. I had nothing left. I was even told I should pull out
of the fight. Super-featherweights were beating me up in sparring.’

He added: ‘I spent so long after the
fight on the couch at home crying about what went wrong. That stuff went
round my head non-stop, helped send me into that dark place. If you
could be in my head. Anyone who has had depression will know how hard it
is. I just couldn’t let go.’ Hatton attempted comebacks before but they
never stuck. This time, he explained, working as a promoter, then as a
trainer, helped rekindled his motivation. As it stands, he has lost
three stones and is now a muscular 11st 4lbs.

Fighting fit: Hatton says he is in the best shape he has ever been in 12 weeks before a fight

Fighting fit: Hatton says he is in the best shape he has ever been in 12 weeks before a fight

Fighting fit: Hatton says he is in the best shape he has ever been in 12 weeks before a fight

‘This is about redemption,’ Hatton
said. ‘I want people to say, “You know what, that Ricky Hatton, he boxed
in Vegas, he became two-weight world champion. His life turned to ****,
didn’t he blow it, but didn’t he come back well” That’s the story I
want. I want the world title but more than that I want to make people
proud again.’

Whether that is actually necessary seems to be beside the
point. What is in no doubt is the size of the task facing Hatton, who
claims he can be ‘better than ever’ despite all the anecdotal evidence
in boxing’s history that suggests otherwise.

A three-year break is long for any
fighter, not least one who would balloon three stone between fights and
who has always taken his share of punches. He was already showing signs
against Juan Lazcano in 2008 that his punch resistance was fading.

In that search for a title, it is
unlikely he could get anything out of Floyd Mayweather, the WBC
champion, and Timothy Bradley of the WBO is probably too good as well.

Paul Malignaggi, the WBA champion, is
better than he was in defeat against Hatton in 2008, but would pose
less of a threat to the Hitman’s health given how lightly he punches.
That would represent Hatton’s safest bet, though IBF holder Randall
Bailley would also tempt him.

It’s hard to see how Hatton would
beat any of those fighters at this point, but he is not lacking for
courage or confidence. As ever with Hatton, it will be fascinating to
see how it pans out.

Look back at the six fights that shaped Hatton's career with our picture and video special

Lights out: Hatton was hammered by Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas in 2009

Lights out: Hatton was hammered by Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas in 2009

Knockout: Pacquiao knocked Hatton down with a devastating blow in Las Vegas

Knockout: Pacquiao knocked Hatton down with a devastating blow in Las Vegas

RICKY HATTON FACTFILE

Ricky Hatton

1978 – October 6: Born in Stockport, Greater Manchester.

1996 – Captures bronze medal at the World Amateur Championships.

1997 – September 11: Makes professional debut under the guidance of trainer Billy Graham and knocks out Colin McAuley in the first round at Kingsway Leisure Centre in Widnes.

1999 – Claims first pro title with a second-round TKO win against Tommy Peacock for the vacant Central Area light-welterweight title.

2000 – October 21: Beats Jon Thaxton on points to win the British light-welterweight title.

2001 – March 26: Wins vacant 'fringe' WBU light-welterweight title with fourth-round stoppage of Tony Pep.

2002 – June 1: Suffers first knockdown of his career in opening round against Eamonn Magee, but battles back to win on points.

2005 – June 4: Shocks the world by beating Kostya Tszyu, considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, in Manchester, winning the IBF light-welterweight title.

November 26: Overcomes nasty cuts to beat Carlos Maussa and add WBA crown to his IBF title.

December 21: Becomes first British fighter to receive the prestigious Ring Magazine 'Fighter of the Year' award.

2006 – Moves up to welterweight division and labours to victory against Luis Collazo, claiming the WBA title.

December: Awarded MBE in New Year's Honours list.

2007 – January 20: Knocks out Jose Luis Castillo, retaining IBO belt and winning WBC international light-welterweight title, which was later vacated.

June: Hatton's team agree terms with the camp of Floyd Mayweather for a December 8 fight in Las Vegas.

December 8: Knocked out in the 10th round by Mayweather in the first defeat of his professional career.

2008 – May 24: Retains IBO light-welterweight title by securing a unanimous points verdict against Juan Lazcano in front of 55,000 supporters at Manchester City's Eastlands stadium.

July 29: Announces split from long-time trainer Billy Graham.

September 3: Announces he will be trained by Floyd Mayweather Snr for his November fight with Paulie Malignaggi.

November 22: Wins light-heavyweight bout with Malignaggi in Las Vegas after the American's corner retire him in the 11th round.

2009 – May 2: Hatton's reign as light-welterweight world champion comes to a brutal end as Filipino fighter Manny Pacquiao delivers a stunning second-round knockout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

August 11: Hatton confirms an all-British fight against Amir Khan is “a possibility”.

2010 – January 13: Hatton announces he will return to the ring in 2010.

September 13: A spokesman for Hatton confirms the fighter has entered a rehabilitation facility due to 'severe depressio' and a drink problem'. The announcement follows News of the World allegations of cocaine use by Hatton.

September 23: The British Boxing Board of Control announce they have withdrawn Hatton's boxer's licence.

2011 – July 7: Announces his retirement from boxing, more than two years after his defeat to Pacquiao.

2012 – September 14: Confirms at a press conference that he is to return to the ring, with a November 24 bout at the Manchester Arena against an as yet unnamed opponent.

VIDEO: It's on! The Hitman is back…

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Rory McIlroy sticking with Tiger Woods

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McIlroy sticking with rival Woods ahead of FedEx Cup play-offs

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UPDATED:

23:48 GMT, 5 September 2012

There have been times when Tiger Woods could barely bring himself to share a golf course with a rival, much less a breakfast table.

But the crack of dawn on Wednesday found him jabbering away over his cereal, as so often these days, with the man who has gone in the last month from being the heir apparent to claiming his crown.

'I know Tiger had a few issues with Phil (Mickelson) and Vijay (Singh) in the past, but we've always found plenty to talk about,' said the man in question, not to mention the man of the moment, Rory McIlroy.

Friends or foes: Rory McIlroy (left) idolises rival Tiger Woods (right)

Friends or foes: Rory McIlroy (left) idolises rival Tiger Woods (right)

'Having grown up idolising him, it is great for me, as you can imagine, to be able to think of him as a friend.'

The latest exciting instalment of their civil rivalry will be played out here at Crooked Stick – the course where John Daly rose to fame at the 1991 US PGA Championship – in the third leg of the FedEx Cup play-offs, where McIlroy leads the race for the $10million jackpot and Woods lies third.

Ian Poulter believes McIlroy has it within him to go on and establish a period of dominance at the head of the world rankings to rival the nine years managed by Woods.

McIlroy says that although Woods has had problems with other golfers in the past, he has no problems with him

McIlroy says that although Woods has had problems with other golfers in the past, he has no problems with him

'The golf we've seen from Rory over the last 15 months has been the culmination of everything we thought would happen since he came out on tour,' said the Englishman.

'He's the most talented player out here and I don't see anyone coming through who is close to him. He looks like a man on a mission – and that is to stay at the top for as long as he possibly can.

'When you're talking about Tiger, you're talking about the biggest shoes you could possibly be asked to fill. But I'd give Rory a good shot at it. What's he lacking from his game I don't see anything.'

Dominance: Ian Poulter believes McIlroy has the potential to be at the top for many years

Dominance: Ian Poulter believes McIlroy has the potential to be at the top for many years

The field of 70 here will be whittled down to just 30 for the final FedEx event, the Tour Championship, in the week before the Ryder Cup.

Poulter and Graeme McDowell are among those who need to play well to avoid that being an unwanted week off.

Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and the defending champion this week, Justin Rose, need to win to have realistic hopes of claiming the ultimate jackpot.

London 2012 Olympics: Empty seats at swimming venue investigation

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Olympic organisers launch investigation into swathes of empty seats at swimming venue

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UPDATED:

16:45 GMT, 28 July 2012

London 2012 organisers have launched an investigation into why there were so many empty seats at different venues including the Aquatics Centre this morning.

The opening session of the swimming programme featured the first instalment of the showdown between 14-time Olympic champion Michael Phelps and friend and rival Ryan Lochte.

Missing out: Empty seats were a familiar sight on day one at the pool

Missing out: Empty seats were a familiar sight on day one at the pool

There were also a number of home swimmers competing including Hannah Miley, a medal contender in the 400 metres individual medley, former world 100m freestyle silver medallist Fran Halsall and world 200m butterfly silver medallist Ellen Gandy.

However, there were hundreds of empty seats despite all public tickets having been sold.

Michael Phelps of the U.S. prepares to start his men's 400m individual medley

A LOCOG spokesman said: 'We are aware that some venues have empty seats this morning.

'We believe the empty seats are in accredited seating areas, and we are in the process of finding out who should have been in the seats and why they weren't there.'

Organisers confident David Haye v Dereck Chisora will go ahead

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Organisers confident Haye's grudge match with Chisora will go ahead despite threat of ban

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UPDATED:

15:26 GMT, 4 June 2012

The organisers of the controversial bout between David Haye and Dereck Chisora are certain that the July 14 grudge match will take place despite a threat to expel the Luxembourg Boxing Federation from the European Boxing Union.

Haye and Chisora, who clashed in an ugly press conference brawl in Germany four months ago, will face each other in a hotly-anticipated, yet highly-controversial bout at Upton Park this summer.

As neither fighter holds a British licence, organisers have had to get the fight sanctioned by the LBF – a move that has caused anger in the boxing community.

Set for ring time: Dereck Chisora's fight with David Haye is expected to go ahead on July 14

Set for ring time: Dereck Chisora's fight with David Haye is expected to go ahead on July 14

It was confirmed today that the LBF will be thrown out of the EBU if they do not pull out of sanctioning the fight.

A spokeswoman for the EBU said: 'There was a meeting of the general assembly on Saturday.

'As it stands the LBF are still in the EBU but if the July 14 fight does go ahead they will be out.

'The decision (the assembly came to) was with a great majority.'

Despite the EBU's hardline stance, It is understood organisers are certain that the fight will go ahead, and claim that the LBF are still fully committed to the bout.

Out of retirement: David Haye will step back in the ring for the first time in over a year to fight Chisora

Out of retirement: David Haye will step back in the ring for the first time in over a year to fight Chisora

Last weekend's events are the latest instalment in what has been a controversial build-up to the fight between the two Londoners.

The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) threatened to expel all those involved in the fight without a hearing, although they softened their stance over the weekend by claiming anyone charged would be able to answer their case.

Frank Warren, who manages Chisora, said that he intends to issue legal proceedings against the BBBofC.

WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko branded the bout a 'freak show', but Warren insists the fight is legal and is adamant that Chisora should be allowed to take on Haye as he has not been able to box since February.

Not backing down: Frank Warren is believed to be taking legal action against the BBBoC

Not backing down: Frank Warren is believed to be taking legal action against the BBBoC

The Finchley fighter brawled with Haye in Munich after he had lost on points to WBA champion Vitali Klitschko.

Haye has not fought since an embarrassing defeat to the younger Klitschko brother last summer – a loss he partly blamed on a broken little toe.

Chisora goaded his 31-year-old opponent yesterday when he wore a t-shirt that had the words 'Ain't toe stopping us now' emblazoned across the middle of it during a public workout in London.

School rivals Maurie Fa"asavalu and Alesana Tuilagi meet again in season finale

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Clash reunion! School rivals Fa'asavalu and Tuilagi meet again in season finale

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UPDATED:

21:50 GMT, 25 May 2012

When Harlequins attempt to round off a season of outstanding achievement by seizing a maiden Aviva Premiership title, the final will act as the grandest, last instalment in a personal rivalry dating back to Samoan schoolboy rugby.

Quins' iron-clad flanker Maurie Fa'asavalu has the distinction of being one of very few overseas players in the London club's overwhelmingly homegrown, table-topping side, albeit one who wound up representing England and Great Britain in rugby league. The 32-year-old will no doubt come into shuddering contact with his compatriot in the Leicester ranks, wing Alesana Tuilagi.

Handful: Quins' iron-clad flanker Maurie Fa'asavalu

Handful: Quins' iron-clad flanker Maurie Fa'asavalu

The pair first locked horns as teenagers in Apia soon after Fa'asavalu had finally begun playing rugby with a ball, rules and boots on, rather than barefoot with a stick.

In the build-up to this showdown between Conor O'Shea's team, who are into uncharted territory and the Tigers, in their eighth successive final, much of the focus has been on all-English match-ups – principally Danny Care versus Ben Youngs and Joe Marler versus Dan Cole. Yet the clash between the Polynesian giants is an intriguing sub-plot.

In reference to the Tuilagi clan, Fa'asavalu said: 'We are from the same club in Samoa -the Marist club in Apia. I used to play against Alesana in school games and then at the weekend I would play for Marist with Henry Tuilagi. I was at St Joseph's College in Apia and Alesana went to Chanel College.

'These days he is a winger but back then when we played against each other, he was at No 12. He was a big boy! We grew up together. It will be great for us to face each other at Twickenham.

Powerful: Leicester's Alesana Tuilagi has always been a big lad

Powerful: Leicester's Alesana Tuilagi has always been a big lad

'It's good that so many Samoans have done well and that is thanks to the first players who came here and gave us a way in. It started in 1991 when Samoa got to the quarter-finals of the World Cup and when the game went professional, guys like Freddie Tuilagi came here. I was at school and wanted to follow them. It was a dream and now it is happening.

'We weren't coached properly when we were young. I would watch players on TV, see what they were doing and use that to work out what I should be doing. I started playing in organised matches when I was 13, but before that we would just run around playing barefoot, with a piece of stick for the ball. Sometimes you would put the stick in your pocket to hide it from other players!'

These days, unable to hide the ball in his pocket, Fa'asavalu relies on his physical attributes to propel Quins forward as an effective ball carrier who also specialises in the sort of heavy-hitting defence for which players from the south Pacific are renowned.

Having made his mark as a junior member of the Samoa team who gave Martin Johnson's England an almighty fright in Melbourne on the way to their World Cup triumph in 2003, he took up an offer to cross codes and join St Helens.

captains Chris Robshaw of Harlequins and Geordan Murphy (R) of Leicester pose ahead of the AVIVA Premiership Final

captains Chris Robshaw of Harlequins and Geordan Murphy (R) of Leicester pose ahead of the AVIVA Premiership Final

Being part of so much success in the 13-man game just made him recognise the lack of personal fulfilment in union, which in turn was the catalyst for his move to Quins in 2008.

'One day I pulled out all the trophies and medals I had won and it made me realise that I had nothing like that from union,' he said. 'I decided I wanted to win something in the game that I was brought up playing and watching.'

Today's final gives Fa'asavalu that chance to add a prize from his favourite code. But to do so he must play his part in stopping a Leicester side given real clout by his old schoolboy rival, on his last appearance for the Tigers. Some pertinent facts and figures support the Midlands club – 11 straight wins in all competitions, 26 wins in 28 Premiership matches between these teams and most recently, a 43-33 victory in an epic at The Stoop.

They know their way around a final, too, but Quins were top of the table for most of the season and finished there. Everything is in place for a classic, close tussle.

Chinese Grand Prix: Nico Rosberg of Mercedes GP wins in Shanghai

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Thrills back on track: Rosberg stuns field in fight to the finish

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UPDATED:

21:59 GMT, 15 April 2012

After searching for the antidote to a processional 2011 campaign in which Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel romped to the title, the world of motor-racing has discovered the perfect formula.

At last year’s Chinese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton and McLaren did not miss a beat in ensuring Vettel did not win, but predicting the outcome of the 2012 instalment would prove to be an exercise in futility even for the most talented of soothsayers.

No one could have predicted that Mercedes, notorious for chewing their tyres across a race distance, would require just two stops to McLaren’s three, thus allowing Nico Rosberg to earn a maiden victory at the 111th attempt.

Champagne moment: Nico Rosberg celebrates his win in China with Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton

Champagne moment: Nico Rosberg celebrates his win in China with Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton

Champagne moment: Nico Rosberg celebrates his win in China with Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton

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Neither would they recall a time when, on lap 42, no fewer than eight cars behind the leader would each be separated by less than a second as contrasting fortunes during pit stops led to breathtaking overtaking and driver skill.

Hamilton and Jenson Button did their best to overcome a disappointing qualifying session by the time they reached the first corner, each making up two places: Button to third and Hamilton to fifth.

The first two rounds of pit stops for
the McLaren men were smooth and rapid, but such was the competitiveness
of this battle that both were required to demonstrate an ability to
cope with traffic like a Shanghai taxi driver.

Notable examples were Hamilton’s move
on Felipe Massa on lap 26 and Button’s DRS pass on Vettel into the
hairpin four laps later.

No 1: Rosberg recorded his first ever grand prix win in China having led from start to finish

No 1: Rosberg recorded his first ever grand prix win in China having led from start to finish

No 1: Rosberg recorded his first ever grand prix win in China having led from start to finish

In fairness to their rivals, such daredevil overtakes were repeated up and down the order and it is to the drivers’ enormous credit that Michael Schumacher, courtesy of a loose front right wheel, was the only driver not to finish in such testing circumstances. Mercedes were later fined 45,000 for allowing him to leave the pit lane without a front wheel being properly attached.

Second best: Button finished behind Rosberg in his McLaren in China

Second best: Button finished behind Rosberg in his McLaren in China

Button, however, could be forgiven for cursing his need to be quite as adventurous after a cross-threaded nut on his left rear wheel cost him six seconds in the pit lane during his third and final stop and more on the road as the delay ensured he was released into a 200mph traffic jam.

The misfortune at the end of lap 39 robbed him of an outside chance of overhauling Rosberg. Thankfully, however, the issue ensured that Button played a starring role in a barnstorming finish that will live long in the memory.

In the pack: Hamilton fought his way onto the podium after starting seventh on the grid

In the pack: Hamilton fought his way onto the podium after starting seventh on the grid

On lap 45, fans who made the trip to the Shanghai circuit, along with a global television audience well in excess of the sprawling city’s 23 million population, were treated to a battle royal between Hamilton and Mark Webber for fifth place while Button heaped pressure on Vettel for third.

Three laps on, hearts were in mouths as Vettel pressured Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus into running wide, allowing Button to sail through. Seconds later Hamilton took advantage of Webber running wide to pull off yet another pass.

‘Five laps to go’ flashed on the screen, the cue for Button to pinch second from Vettel under braking into the hairpin. One lap to go and it was Hamilton’s turn to cope with the pressure of being in a Red Bull sandwich before taking Vettel to make it a hat-trick of third places this season.

Depair: Michael Schumacher was an early casualty in China having started on the front row

Depair: Michael Schumacher was an early casualty in China having started on the front row

It really was racing as it should be, harking back to the halcyon days of the sport when driver skill and not technical wizardry was paramount. Such was the spectacle that even McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh was in no way depressed despite seeing Button robbed of the chance to fight for his second win of the season.

Standing tall: Rosberg celebrates his win in China, his first in Formula One

Standing tall: Rosberg celebrates his win in China, his first in Formula One

Standing tall: Rosberg celebrates his win in China, his first in Formula One

‘This is a season where you have got to take the chances and deal with traffic,’ said Whitmarsh. ‘You can’t just always drop drivers into clear air. You are having to drop them into traffic and they have got to do their job; they have got to overtake on the circuit. Both of our guys did a fantastic job of that. If that is what this championship is going to be about then we have got two great drivers for that.’

Leading the way: Rosberg got off to the best possible start in China

Leading the way: Rosberg got off to the best possible start in China

Pirelli tyres and the banning of the exhaust blown diffuser which Vettel and Red Bull used to such devastating effect last season have been instrumental in such a levelling of the playing field.
In a week when the sport’s power brokers handled the Bahrain issue poorly, they should at least be congratulated for providing grand prix racing with a set of rules which creates action of this calibre.

London 2012 Olympics: Britain v Australia Cycling

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The spying game: Aussies film Britain's foursome in pursuit of Olympic supremacy

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UPDATED:

21:30 GMT, 3 April 2012

The espionage out here has reached such farcical levels that our lot are filming their lot filming our lot.

Why the convoluted John le Carre pastiche It revolves around the World Track Cycling Championships that began Down Under in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Evidence of this nefarious surveillance was conveyed to me — no covert packages were exchanged, just a couple of coffees shared — by Dave Brailsford, the all-conquering performance director of British Cycling.

On track: The Great Britain women's cycling team prepare in Australia

On track: The Great Britain women's cycling team prepare in Australia

‘Look at this,’ he said, reaching for his smartphone. ‘That’s them filming us training.’ The ‘them’ in question are the Australians. So Brailsford brandished his own camera and snapped the spies at work as if to shame them.

‘It’s not that what they were doing was bad as such,’ he reasoned, ‘but come on! Really, I suppose we should take their close interest as a compliment.’ Over Brailsford’s shoulder gleamed the giant bowl of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a reminder of two things.

First, that there is probably no finer city in the world in which to watch sport than this games-mad metropolis, even if the Australian dollar is now so strong against the pound that you’re better off ordering your fish and chips from a mortgage adviser rather than a waiter.

Second, that we are in the right place to be talking about Ashes drama. These championships are the second in this year’s three-match Britain v Australia cycling series.

Chasing glory: The Great Britain men's pursuit side practice on the track

Chasing glory: The Great Britain men's pursuit side practice on the track

The first instalment came at the World Cup in London’s Olympic velodrome in February. Britain led the medal table with five golds, one silver, two bronzes. Australia came second with two golds, three silvers, one bronze. The final and crucial part of the drama will unfold at London 2012 itself.

At the heart of this rivalry is the ache the Aussies still feel from the drubbing they received at the Beijing Olympics in 2008: Britain’s 14 medals against their puny one.

The event in which they wish to assert their virility more than any other in London is in the men’s team pursuit. And this brings us to a second case of spying.

Another video, posted on YouTube, shows Britain riding at world-record pace over a 2,750 metres test run. Admittedly, it was shot at another Melbourne track, Darebin, not the Hisense Arena, near the MCG, where these championships are taking place.

Does this mean Britain are ready to regain supremacy over the full 4,000m and 16 laps, having lost four of their last five meetings to Australia’s reigning world champions

‘We don’t know the extent of the conditions, or how fresh they were, but they are definitely travelling well,’ conceded Jack Bobridge, holder of Chris Boardman’s old individual pursuit world record and, at 22, an elder statesman in a youthful quartet known as the ‘Boy Band’.

‘The British aren’t our only competition at the moment. You’ve got Russia and New Zealand. We get excited every time we win.

‘We’ve only seen one “effort” from the British so we can’t compare until after qualifying. We won’t share times before then. We’re riding well. We are fit and healthy.’

Barring a late change, the British pursuit team today will be Ed Clancy, Paul Kennaugh, Andy Tennant and Geraint Thomas. Revenge for their most recent defeat by the Australian foursome — Bobridge, Rohan Dennis, 21, Michael Hepburn, 20, and Alex Edmondson, 18 — in London seven weeks ago would set the tone for the five-day event.

Champions: Australia won the team pursuit in London in February

Champions: Australia won the team pursuit in London in February

‘I remember the sheer noise from the crowd for our boys in London,’ said Brailsford. ‘It still gets to me now. It was unbelievable. We have a chart and the guys went off so fast because of the atmosphere that there is a massive spike in the graph. It’s quite funny. The Australians will have to deal with that noise, that adrenaline rush this time around.’

Mind games Hints of it, though behind the competitive zeal there is a mutual respect and co-operation between the two nations. Australia lend non- performance-critical equipment, such as the warm-up rollers, to Britain when they are over here under a reciprocal arrangement.

There are also a handful of Aussies on the British backroom staff, led by Shane Sutton, the exuberant and likeable head coach whose brother, Gary, is a key component in Australia’s preparations.

Normally, Brailsford has a ‘little bet’ with Shane on any Ashes clash — whatever the sport, whatever the venue. ‘We always do it,’ said Brailsford, ‘even if we know nothing about what’s going on.’

Needless to say, in no regard was he talking about this week. All bets are off.

Rory McIlroy and Thomas Bjorn lead Dubai Desert Classic

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McIlroy and Bjorn lead the way as world's best dazzle in Dubai

One of the highlights of Thomas Bjorn's career was playing with Tiger Woods for all four days of the 2001 Dubai Desert Classic and beating him.

Looking at the men around him on the leaderboard this weekend, winning again might represent an even bigger feat.

Alongside him on 13 under par, for example, is world No 2 Rory McIlroy after both players followed up their opening scores of 66 with glorious rounds of 65 to set the halfway pace.

Easy: Rory McIlroy fired a flawless 65 to reach 13 under at the halfway stage

Easy: Rory McIlroy fired a flawless 65 to reach 13 under at the halfway stage

Just two behind is world No 4 Martin Kaymer, who had the first hole-in-one of his career during the course of a 67.

If that wasn't competition enough, world No 3 Lee Westwood is just three behind after a superb 65 of his own.

If Thursday was quiet at the classic, then Friday more than made up for it.

Some wondered if it was too easy but
what's to complain about when the leading stars of the modern game are
pulling out all the stops

McIlroy was at his irresistible best during the morning.

'Stress-free
and straightforward,' were words he used to describe his round and if
that sounds ridiculous when shooting 65 the only thing to say is that
was exactly how it looked.

Great Dane: Thomas Bjorn also had no dropped shots as he matched McIlroy

Great Dane: Thomas Bjorn also had no dropped shots as he matched McIlroy

Never once was he in any trouble; never once did he look like dropping a shot.

Virtually every hole produced a birdie opportunity and he accepted seven of them.

McIlroy versus Kaymer is a friendly
rivalry that seems destined to be a long-running feature of the European
game in the years to come. Who knows, perhaps we will see the fourth
instalment come Sunday.

If
so, McIlroy would welcome the development. So far he trails 3-0 in
head-to-heads between the pair, which is perhaps to be expected given
that Kaymer is five years older.

But Rory certainly looks in the mood to end all that.

Fan club: McIlroy's dad Gerry watches with Caroline Wozniacki - Rory's girlfriend

Fan club: McIlroy's dad Gerry watches with Caroline Wozniacki – Rory's girlfriend

'It should be a good weekend,' said the 22-year-old, with a hint of understatement.

'Martin is a great player who has
shown time and again that when he gets a sniff of a win he usually gets
the job done. So far I've been on a wrong side when we've both been in
contention.

'Twice I played alongside him when he won in Abu Dhabi and I was also right there when he won the US PGA at Whistling Straits.

'But my goal is to get one or two wins under my belt before the Masters and obviously I've got a chance to claim one here.'

Ace in the pack: Martin Kaymer waves to the crowd after a hole in one at seven

Ace in the pack: Martin Kaymer waves to the crowd after a hole in one at seven

Kaymer trailed McIlroy by four shots by the time he came to his 16th hole, the par-three seventh on the card.

Two weeks ago he had played with Sergio Garcia in Abu Dhabi when he had a hole-in-one.

'I asked him how many aces he had made and he said eight or nine,' said Kaymer.

'Then Miguel [Angel Jimenez] told me he had lost count of how many he'd
made. And there was me, still waiting for my first.'

One laser-like eight iron changed all that, as the ball hopped twice before finding the back of the hole.

It won him a handsome Omega watch, which must have delighted his sponsor, Rolex.

'It was a great feeling to finally manage one and it came at exactly the right time,' said Kaymer.

The future's bright: Lee Westwood is just three off the lead after a 65

The future's bright: Lee Westwood is just three off the lead after a 65

'You don't want to be too far behind the leaders and particularly someone like Rory.'

Watched by his dad Gerry, his girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki and assorted friends, this was one of those days when McIlroy had the ball on a string.

Playing partner Robert Rock was so impressed he described him as the best driver of a ball that he had seen and it was that aspect of his game that particularly pleased the Ulsterman.

Alongside Tiger in Abu Dhabi a fortnight ago McIlroy was all over the place off the tee but here his balance looked much better, and he was in control throughout.

For the second day running he struck two perfect shots to the par-five 18th and, as on Thursday, was unlucky not to walk off with an eagle.

Nicely done: Robert Rock was impressed by McIlroy's performance

Nicely done: Robert Rock was impressed by McIlroy's performance

No matter. There were a couple of nice bonuses on his back nine, the outward half on the course.

The sixth and eight holes are two of the toughest par fours but McIlroy walked off with a pair of splendid threes.

Bjorn and Westwood were out in the afternoon and the two veteran campaigners were equally good.

Westwood has struggled to hole putts of any decent length but came up with the answer over the last three holes, where he knocked his approach shots all but stone dead on each occasion.

'I've holed nothing over the first two days and I'm just three behind, so I've got to be happy with that,' he said.

'I hit a lot of good shots today. I think I gave myself a look at a birdie on practically every hole.'

Was he fired up before going out by the sight of his world ranking rivals McIlroy and Kaymer at the top of the leaderboard

'I think it is more a reflection of the fact the course is in magnificent condition and rewards good play, and we are three of the best players around right now,' he said.

Don't rule out Bjorn, however. One of the great shot-makers of the European game over the past decade, he won three times last year and has shown time and again he loves playing in the desert.

There's some finish in prospect this weekend, isn't there