The heavyweight contest between the forwards lived up to the hype but England’s leader won a split decision against AustraliaHad things turned out differently, Ellis Genge and Taniela Tupou might have been lining up together in the same side when Australia and England took to the field in Brisbane. In 2014, Fe’ao Vunipola – father of Billy and Mako – had tried to persuade the 21-stone “Tongan Thor” to join the Premiership and, given he had not committed his international future at that stage, an England career would almost inevitably have followed.As it was, England was too far from his family for Tupou, Australia was not and eight years later, Genge and Tupou were lining up on opposing sides for...
England have made changes for the second Test in Australia with the World Cup in mind but the coach is on thin iceBacks against the wall, endless personnel reshuffles, constant talk about things coming good eventually. England are currently 12,000 miles away from Downing Street but their series against Australia is at a not dissimilar crossroads. Lose heavily on Saturday and, as in Westminster, public confidence in those in charge back in London may ebb away rapidly.Which is why Eddie Jones’s callow backline selection for the allegedly crucial second Test against the Wallabies has raised more than a few eyebrows. Three starting 21-year-olds, a 19-year-old “apprentice” on the bench and a debutant who used to captain the University of Sydney?...
What is the plan, the protocol, the policy when allegations about athletes are aired? The ATP is one governing body that must do betterSo much for the good times. The show will go on for Nick Kyrgios at Wimbledon, starting on Wednesday with a quarter-final against Cristian Garin, the first of three hypothetical steps towards a long-shot first grand slam title win. But for now the party, the bunting, the King Nick buzz, is over.Sport loves to spin these stories. Over the past 10 days Kyrgios had seemed to be turning into one of the English summer’s chief objects of fascination, a brilliant, charismatic tennis player; albeit a brilliant, charismatic tennis player with some obvious deference issues, clothing issues, politeness...
Australian remains box office but he let his tennis do the talking in a controlled fourth-round victory on Centre CourtJust when you think you know someone, that’s when they go and let you down. On a balmy afternoon in front of a fond, even – whisper it – quietly adoring Centre Court crowd, Nick Kyrgios confirmed his own mercurial nature, his basic inconsistency by remaining controlled, rigidly polite and an all-round model pro and steady guy throughout this fourth-round win against Brandon Nakashima.In victory Kyrgios was gushingly courteous towards his 20-year-old opponent. He paid tribute to his girlfriend (“the best girlfriend in the world”), referenced his many friends in tennis and namechecked his many excellent conversations with “Andy”. He even...
By moving to Western Sydney Wanderers the Serbian playmaker has ensured any bond built with the Sydney FC fanbase will evaporateWhat do Sol Campbell, Luis Figo, and Miloš Ninković have in common? They fill the not-so illustrious turncoat archetype; players that with one stroke of a pen abdicated their chances to become legends of their club and, at best, cast a cloud across their legacy. In swapping Sydney FC for Western Sydney Wanderers, Ninković has arguably come as close as any in the A-League Men to rivalling Campbell’s move from Tottenham to Arsenal or Figo’s switch from Barcelona to Real Madrid. Plenty have played on both sides of the Harbour City in the past, but none have possessed the kind...