Sport Magazine - Issue 238

Issue 238 | December 16 2011

Novak Djokovic

NEW MAN IN CHARGE

Sport’s Athletesof the Year 2011

MaRk cavENDiSH

aNDREW STRaUSS

HaYLEY TURNER

RoRY MciLRoY

LioNEL MESSi

SEbaSTiaN vETTEL

GRaHaM HENRY

+

BOSS BOTTLED. NIGHT. THE NEW FRAGRANCE FOR MEN

FEATURING RYAN REYNOLDS

BOSS. BOTTLED. FRAGRANCE FOR MEN

FEATURING RYAN REYNOLDS

Fast but not fast enough

Sam Hurrell 34.31 km/h

Charlie Marriott 32.49 km/h

Lee Dennison 31.39 km/h

Lee Grimwood 30.94 km/h

Craig Walker 30.94 km/h

Welcome to the team Christopher Gomes. You’re one of the fastest

players in the country this week with 34.99 km/h. Think you’re as fast

as Christopher? Prove it with the new adiZero f50 powered by miCoach

at adidas.com/football.

the hunt for fast

The fastest boot just got a brain.

issue 238, december 16 2011

radar

08 Villains of the year The morons, the mercenaries, the downright rotters

10 Chasing Sachin One man’s quest to finally bowl at the great Tendulkar

12 The Cobra speaks Carl Froch on preparing for the biggest fight of his life

14 Editor’s letter It’s time – finally – for football referees to get a little help to do this coming weekFeatures

22 Novak Djokovic It’s been a great year for sport, but one man has been way ahead of everyone else in the world...

24 Mark Cavendish ... and if you’re looking for the top Brit? Well, here he is...

27 Andrew Strauss ... though if it’s leaders you’re after, we’d suggest this man...

36 Sebastian Vettel ... in any other year, this chap’s dominance would be unrivalled 40 Pictures of the year Some of our favourite sporting images from 2011

extra Time

56 Sophie Horn The golfer-turned-Santa wishing you season’s greetings

58 Gadgets Your last-minute present ideas sorted (well, sort of)

60 Grooming Our favourite new products of the year – all in one bathroom!

62 Entertainment The Killing II and Joy Division: merry Christmas, everybody...

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Sport will be back on the streets on Friday

January 13 - but we will be available on the iPad through the whole christmas break.

| December 16 2011 | 07

4. villains

of the year

0 8 | December 16 2011 | Sport

p12 – Up close with The CobraRadar p10 – How not to track down Sachin Tendulkar

p10 – Alien vs. Designer

They’re not the messiahs...

1. Sepp BlatterManoeuvred his way to unopposed FIFA

re-election, told racially abused players

they should settle things with a handshake,

and suggested that gay fans at the Qatar

World Cup should “refrain from sexual

activities”. And that’s just this year!

Dishonourable mentionsSteve Williams Tiger’s ex-caddie managed to

make his former boss look like the good guy.

France 2 camera crew Specifically, the

drivers of the car that ran two Tour de

France riders off the road. Top work, fellas.

3. Fernando TorresFive goals in 35 games doth not a £50m

striker make. It feels a tad harsh to kick a

man when he’s down, but Torres’ occasional

flashes of form are nowhere near enough to

save a reputation that’s sinking fast.

Dishonourable mentionsUsain Bolt A false-start disqualification at the

World Athletics Championships is inexcusable

for a man of his calibre.

India’s touring Test team Didn’t put up much of

a fight during their visit to these shores – left

without winning (or drawing) a single Test.

4. Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif They betrayed their country, their sport and

their fans when they took part in spot-fixing

during a Test against England – and in 2011

they faced their judgement in court.

Dishonourable mentionsSteve Mullings The Jamaican was banned

for life after his second failed drugs test.

Isaac Luke New Zealand hooker tried to break

his cousin Rangi Chase’s leg during the Four

Nations. Christmas Day might be a bit

awkward this year.

2. Carlos Tevez Currently collecting £140,000 a week for

doing nothing. Linked with a loan move to

Milan, although it’s hard to see why he’d give

up such a dream job. Good riddance.

Dishonourable mentionsAsamoah Gyan Sold Sunderland down the

river, but can rest safe in the knowledge

that he’s fulfilling his potential at the ninth

best club in the UAE.

Nick Easter After losing a Rugby World Cup

quarter final to France, Easter allegedly

(that is, alleged by him) bemoaned England’s

lost financial opportunities. Priorities,

Nicholas, priorities.

5. Alain RollandThis one will be debated until the cows come

home (whatever that means), but Rolland’s

harsh red card for Sam Warburton ended

Wales’ Rugby World Cup hopes. That it was

to the letter of the law is one thing, but two

words spring to mind: ‘sense’ and ‘common’.

Dishonourable mentionsRFU We can’t even pin this on one name

because no one quite knows who’s in charge

here. Shambolic.

Stuart Attwell The ref’s name is preceded by

the words ‘poor decision from...’ too often.

...they're very naughty boys. To balance out our

sporting heroes of 2011, Radar picks a not-so-

magnificent seven from the past 12 months

1. Moron

of the year

2. Mercenary

of the year

3. flop of

the year

5. Worst

official of

the year

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10 | December 16 2011 |

Monkey business

aul Smith has worked with everyone

from Apple to Manchester United,

Mick Jagger to David Bowie, so it

was only a matter of time before he ran out

of earthly collaborators exciting enough for

him and started working with... aliens!

That’s to say, the British design guru has

teamed up with too-cool-for-this-planet

skateboarding company Alien Workshop to

create this deck, which had the Sport design

team panting like hungry hounds in front of

a sirloin. “Can we get one sent in?” came the

cry. “No,” came the reply. Because this fine

board – crafted from seven veneers of hard

rock maple – is limited to a total of just 200.

In response, team design pulled a gesture

similar to the one that the cheeky primate is

performing on the base of this deck. Never

mind; with their hefty, above-writer wages,

we’re sure they’ll be able to spring for one –

as will you, if you’re quick about it.

P

Paul Smith Alien Workshop Skateboard,

£89 via paulsmith.co.uk

From Jedi mind tricks to chicken suits, amateur cricketer Adam Carroll-Smith tells us about a summer trying to bowl a ball to his cricket hero

Why Sachin Tendulkar?

“He made his Test debut at 16 and was touted

in the way Joe Cole was: barely out of nappies

and hailed as the saviour of the sport – and

he’s never let anyone down. He’s always been

amazing as he is now. He’s had 20-odd years

at the top and there have never been any

properly lean periods or any off-field

controversies. Plus he’s a proper, old-school

superstar – he’s got that mystique.”

The hard sell“The way I tried to sell it was this: the make-up

of England’s team is Paul Collingwood is out,

so Jonathan Trott might be doing a bit of

bowling. Now, he’s rubbish at bowling, and I’m

rubbish as well, so it will be good for Sachin

to face someone who’s obviously not a

bowler. He’s in the nets facing Zaheer Khan

every day – has anyone made sure that he’s

okay against dibbly-dobbly rubbish? But I did

make it clear to the Indian Cricket Board that

I’m not mad and I did know my cricket.”

Oddest situation?

“There were bloody loads. At The Oval, I had

to get into the pavilion to speak to someone

who I was told was one of Sachin’s advisers.

Problem was, I was there with a stag do, so I

had a rubber chicken head and chicken feet

on. I also tried to do a pitch invasion at Hove;

I ended up sleeping in my car in Greenwich

and I met a mad Italian spiritualist who tried

to make me do some ‘cosmic ordering’ with

him – naked. Things just kept going tits up.”

Using the force

“I tried to get into the Indian dressing room

using the ‘these are not the droids you’re

looking for’ blag from Star Wars. I thought:

‘I’ve worked as a journalist and blagged my

way into all sorts of places. This is cricket;

it’s genteel – if I say things with enough

purpose, I’ll get in.’ But the man there wasn’t

having any of it. At least I didn’t try the old,

Darth Vader-style Force-choking. That would

have got me some press coverage – using an

archaic form of space murder.”

Chasing Sachin, one man’s account of his attempts

to bowl to Sachin Tendulkar, is out now, £9.99

Tendulkar hunt

Nuts to you

Radar

12 | December 16 2011 |

n the same way Alan Brazil could spot space in a crowded penalty

area, the former striker and talkSPORT legend has spied a gap in

the snack market – and he’s decided to squeeze his nuts in there.

Brazil’s Nuts are a new range of salted or dry roasted peanuts unleashed in

bars, pubs and clubs from this week. The great news is that part of Alan’s

plan is to raise money for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation for the early

detection and treatment of cancer – and who could say nuts to that?

alanbrazilsport.com

I

What’s the hardest part of training

for a world title fight?

“Sparring, because it’s almost like

a fight. You wake up the next day and your

arms are hurting, your back is aching, your

neck is sore. All your muscles are fatigued, so

it is hard, but I actually quite enjoy training.”

Your opponent Andre Ward got cut in training.

Have you changed strategy to target that?

“No, I’m going to be trying to punch him in the

face – and if I hit him in the eye, so be it. I’m

going to look to hit him in the head; that’s

either eye, the nose, the mouth – I can’t say I’ll

be aiming for his right eyebrow. It’ll be hard

enough just to hit him, the way he moves.”

You’ve dismissed his KO power. Is that mind

games to get him to go toe to toe with you?

“Well, that would be giving the game away,

wouldn’t it? But if you look at the statistics,

they don’t lie. He’s only got a 50 per cent

knockout ratio. That just means, if I have to,

I can come forward and take a couple of risks,

because I don’t think he can knock me out.”

How important is pre-fight psychology?

“At this level, it’s hard to get inside a top

fighter’s head. I mean, I’ve been in Ward’s head

in that he will know that any second of any

round, if I catch him sweet, I’m going to

seriously hurt him. But I’m thinking about him

as well – just not when my head hits the pillow.”

Do you change as a person on fight week?

“Of course you change, you’re a little more

steely and I pick and choose who I speak to –

but I don’t become a monster. I’m still quite an

easygoing, laid-back person. I’ve probably just

got a bit of a shorter fuse in fight week.”

What are you like in the dressing room on

fight night?

“Very relaxed – I’m not really worried or tense.

I know some people headbutt lockers or start

screaming and shouting, but I’m not like that.

Eye of the Cobra We ask Carl Froch how a world

champion prepares for the biggest fight of his life

I’m calm and confident. The hard work is

already done before you get in the ring.”

What about when you’re actually in the ring

– do you try to get a read on your opponent?

“You have a look at them, but it doesn’t mean

fuck all to be honest. If your opponent looks

nervous, you might think: ‘Oh he’s nervous –

good.’ But those nerves might mean he’s going

to be sharper, faster... and hit harder.”

Can it work the other way?

“Yeah, I’ve been in the ring with people who

look like they really mean business – then the

bell goes and they’re running, holding and don’t

want to be in there. It was a front. But at this

top level, we’re all psychologically switched on.

We’re all elite, confident fighters who can

punch hard. It’s just some punch harder than

others – like I punch harder than Andre Ward.”

Carl Froch v Andre Ward is live on Sky Sports HD1

from midnight on Saturday – our preview on p52

Eye of the Cobra

20

We ask Carl ‘The Cobra’ Froch how a world champion prepares for the biggest fight of his life...

Knockouts for Carl Froch in 29 pro fights

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Reader comments of the week

14 | December 16 2011 |

Radar Editor’s letter

Editor-in-chief

Simon Caney

@simoncaney

Sport magazinePart of UTV Media plc

18 Hatfields, London SE1 8DJ

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EDITORIALEditor-in-chief: Simon Caney (7951)

Deputy editor: Tony Hodson (7954)

Associate editor: Nick Harper (7897)

Art editor: John Mahood (7860)

Deputy art editor: William Jack (7861)

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)

Production manager: Tara Dixon (7963)

COMMERCIALAgency Sales Director: Iain Duffy (7991)

Advertising Managers:

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Head of Brand Solutions:

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Distribution Assistant: Makrum Dudgeon

Head of Online: Matt Davis (7825)

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Colour reproduction:

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Printed by:

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© UTV Media plc 2011

UTV Media plc takes no responsibility

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placed in Sport magazine

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Hearty thanks this week to:Nicola Arzani, Alison Hackney, Grant

Rowley, Gem Oakes and Cat Pia for

the doughnuts...

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 Net Distribution: 306,217 Jan-Jun 2011

www.sport-magazine.co.uk

@sportmaguk

facebook.com/sportmaguk

I n the past, I’ve argued against the introduction of technology to football. I had always thought it

unnecessary and somehow soulless

– one of life’s great perverse

pleasures is complaining/arguing about

dodgy decisions with a group of mates.

But the time has come for me to

change my mind. More than ever before,

football is being ruined by a litany of bad

decisions from match officials.

I don’t think the referees and linesmen

have suddenly got worse, and I certainly

don’t think any of them have an allegiance

to a particular club. I just think the game

in the past five years has changed

dramatically – more so than in the

previous 100 – and it’s no longer possible

to officiate as it’s always been done.

Players are now more athletic than

they’ve ever been. That means they’re not

just faster, but stronger too. Skill levels

probably haven’t changed, but is it

possible to imagine Glenn Hoddle or Matt

Le Tissier thriving in the modern Premier

League? Not only that, more players are

now setting out to deliberately deceive

the officials.

The game is played at a blur now

and, despite referees’ fitness levels

improving, they simply can’t keep up –

let alone make split-second decisions.

Almost every game this season seems to

have had a turning point based on a bad

call by the officials.

Whether technology is the answer,

or simply more recourse to a fourth man

in the stand, I’m not sure. It would make

the game more stop-start, which is

hardly ideal. But when a ref such as Chris

Foy – who I had always thought to be

pretty good – has a day like he did at the

Britannia last Sunday, it’s clear that our

officials need some assistance.

A quick word on the retirement from

international rugby of Jonny Wilkinson.

Few players in any sport genuinely

deserve the adjective ‘great’, but

Wilkinson certainly does. He will forever

be remembered for that drop goal in

2003, but such was his drive to improve

that he seemed unfulfilled after that.

Maybe attaining such an incredibly high

standard at such a young age was his

undoing. He simply couldn’t get much

better, but it’s to his eternal credit

that he never stopped trying.

A reminder that Sport won’t be around on the streets for a few weeks, what with Christmas getting in the way. The next mag will be available on Friday January 13 – but don’t despair, at least not if you own an iPad. We’ll continue to publish a digital version of the mag every Friday. Download it for free right now, before you forget...

Give refs a chanceAs more games are changed by bad decisions, it’s time to lend a helping hand to officials

Agree or disagree? Tweet us @sportmaguk

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‘Adebayor was this far offside. Definitely...’

Socrates was one of my

favourite ever footballers.

He was actually

underrated in that team.

Wonderful footballer.

Roger, via email

@simoncaney totally agree

with you about Tiger. People

are getting carried away.

He’s not ‘back’ and will never

be the same player he was

@Spookyfish

Twitter

You’re completely wrong

about Tiger – he may still

have some work to do but

nobody in the modern

game knows how to win

like he does. Guaranteed

to win a major in 2012.

Alan, via email

The article by

@davidflatman is in

today’s @Sportmaguk.

I went to school with

@davidflatman. Avoided

him during rugby lessons!

#sensible.

@Sportandlaw

Twitter

@simoncaney All female

list in the BBC Young

Sports Personality of the

Year category. It’s a

disgrace!

@MTFisher78

Twitter

16 | December 16 2011 |

In what looks like the tightest finish ever seen

in a women’s 10,000m, that woman at the far

end seems to have shaded this one on the line.

Incredible scenes. Truly, what are the chances

of seeing a finish like th... oh... hang about...

this image of Melbourne’s 2011 Zatopek

Classic looks like it might have been captioned

all wrong. This looks more like the start than

the end. Ah yes – we’ve just checked, and it is,

and they’ve only just begun! Even so, our

money’s still on that woman at the far end.Sc

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The ‘B’ of ‘Bang!’

Radar Frozen in time

| 17

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Look where we’re going.The Concept A-CLASS.Visit conceptaclass.co.uk

View all our awards at samsung.com/uk/galaxys2

Screen images simulated. ©2011 Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

Magically FastDual Core Processor

Glitteringly Bright

Joyously Slim

This year’s stocking filler.Galaxy S II, Phone of the Year.

And now the end is near, and so we face the final curtain. But before it finally falls on another year, allow us to celebrate the men and – get this, Auntie – woman who have made their mark most memorably on their sporting profession of choice in 2011. So here we go, in no particular order...

SPORT’S 2011 ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

| December 16 2011 | 21

He hardly came from nowhere, but Novak Djokovic’s almost complete dominance of tennis in 2011 took everybody by surprise – except, perhaps, the man himself

SEASONED TO PERFECTION

22 | December 16 2011 |

Novak, congratulations on

an unbelievable year. How

did it all fall into place?

“I think it was simply that

after the US Open in 2010,

I started to believe more

that I could win big matches

against the top guys –

so I had all the necessary

confidence in order to

approach the 2011 season

in the right frame of mind. The Davis Cup

win for Serbia last December was another

tremendous experience that gave me a lot of

positive energy and left me very eager to get

back to the tournaments after that, even

though the off-season was very short.”

So it comes down to confidence?

“In the end, tennis is a very mental sport.

Having played at the top level for the past

few years, I was aware of the importance

Sport’s Athletes of the Year Novak Djokovic

of having a very strong mental approach.

Obviously you need to have a very high level

of confidence and you need to believe that

you can win matches when you’re playing

against the top guys – especially when

you’re playing the Grand Slams. That’s

something that changed in my life, my game

and in my head in the past 12 months.”

Is there a real difference in how you feel

going on court now compared with before?

“It was after last year’s US Open that I

started to believe I could win the big

matches – like against Roger Federer in the

semi finals, when I didn’t give up and saved

a couple of matchpoints. I also played a

really good final against Rafa [Nadal]. I won

my first slam in 2008 and had a great first

six months that year, but then I had a lot of

ups and downs – I struggled, especially

mentally. I was always coming to the later

stages of a slam, like the semi finals, but I

DJOKOVIC’S YEARThere were signs last season that the 2008 Australian Open champion was ready to add to the one lonely Grand Slam trophy in his cabinet. At the 2010 US Open, for example, where Djokovic scored his first slam victory over Federer since 2008; and in the Davis Cup final, where his performances led Serbia to their first ever crown in the competition. But still no one could have predicted the run the Serbian would go on in 2011 – one that would bring him three Grand Slams, five Masters Series 1000 titles and take him to world number one. His defeat to Federer at the 2010 ATP Finals in London would be his last until the French Open, where he would lose to the Swiss again, in the semi finals. By then, though, Djokovic had racked up 43 matches unbeaten, including a ridiculous four wins in a row in finals against Nadal – two of those on the Spaniard’s strongest clay surface. His first Wimbledon and US Open titles followed - the latter requiring him to beat Nadal in the final, having come back from two sets and two matchpoints down against Federer in the semis. Djokovic finally hung up his racket for 2011 with a 70-6 record, injury and fatigue getting the better of him for the last few events of the season. In an era dominated by two of the greatest players the game has ever known, Djokovic this year burst through what many considered to be an impenetrable ceiling, ensuring his name can and will not be ignored when the tennis history books are written. G

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| 23

wasn’t making that extra step because I didn’t

have that positive mindset on the court when

I played the big guys. Now that’s changed.”

Many have called your season the finest in

tennis history. Are you comfortable with that?

Was there any temptation to end it after the

US Open, when you were suffering with injury?

“My season, even if I didn’t play anything after

the US Open, would still be incredible. That it

has been compared to some of the other

great tennis seasons in history is something

I am very proud of. Maybe it was the wrong

decision to play the Davis Cup semi final in

Belgrade after the US Open, because after

that I was not fresh on the court... not feeling

well and also partly injured. But it would have

been impossible to stop because there were

still important tournaments in Asia and in

Europe, and the ATP Finals in London. Obviously

I wanted to get ready for those, recover and

play my best tennis – but I wasn’t able to.”

Until this year, Nadal and Federer were the

dominant forces in men’s tennis – were

there occasions when you wondered if your

time would ever come?

“Nadal and Federer have been the two most

dominant players in the world over the past

few years – they’ve won most of the majors.

So sometimes it did feel a bit frustrating when

you got to the latter stages of a Grand Slam

and you have to meet them. They always come

up with their best tennis when it matters

most. But it was a process of learning and

developing as a player and as a person. I had

to find the way to mentally overcome the

pressures and expectations, because I always

believed I had the quality to beat those guys

and to win slams – that was the only way that

could take me to the position I am in now. Of

course I have full respect for Roger and Rafa,

and what they have done. Anytime I play them,

it’s a great match. But the mental approach

has to be positive. There’s no other way.”

SPRINT KING

Cavendish’s YearImagine a striker who scores (almost) every time he ventures into the box. Mark Cavendish has, in a nutshell, been cycling’s equivalent in 2011. Whether riding for his pro team (the now defunct HTC-Highroad) in the Tour de France or for his country in the World Championships, he’s been the man relied upon to get over the finish line first. He won five stages of this year’s Tour, taking his career tally to 20 and becoming the first person ever to win the prestigious final stage on the Champs-Elysées three years in a row. But it was the Green Jersey – the prize traditionally won by the Tour’s best sprinter – that Cavendish desired above all. Finally, this year, it was his. Two months later the Road World Championships in Copenhagen came down to a sprint finish, with the smart money on one man. Needless to say, Cavendish finished with aplomb – and even went on to pick up an MBE in November.

24 | December 16 2011 |

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Sport’s Athletes of the Year Mark Cavendish

“Has what I’ve achieved in 2011 sunk in?

A little bit, but not completely. I took a short

break when we finished the season and went

on holiday so I had time to reflect a bit, but

as soon as you get back it’s time to start

preparing for next year already. And I don’t

really like to reflect on what I have done too

much, because if you start looking back then

you get complacent about what you’ve got to

achieve next time.

“But it wasn’t just about me. It was a

special effort by a group of eight guys that

helped us win the World Championships in

Copenhagen. It’s not often that you put a plan

together and it’s 100 per cent executed how

you said it would be, and that one was – we

took control and rode on the front for 260km.

When you say three years before that you’re

going to do something and you then stick by

it – well, that’s a pretty rare thing.

“We had to win the worlds to qualify a

maximum of five positions in the Olympic

road race next year, so the plan was that

2012 would always be coming off the back of

a successful World Champs – and obviously

that part went to plan. Like the course in

Copenhagen, London was never going to be

too hilly, so it was obvious that if we could

provide a team to win the worlds then the

Olympics would be a knock-on of that. We’ve

got a strong team for next year, and I think

we can be the favourites going into it.

“In terms of my pro team, I think I’ll slot in

well at Team Sky, where my contract starts

in January. We’ve already had our first team

meeting, which I was pretty nervous about,

but it was okay; after an hour or so I was

comfortable. It really is a great group of

guys, and I’m excited about next year. I don’t

know why I was nervous to start with –

I suppose everyone is in new environments.

But you know, if that feeling don’t last long

then it’s a good thing.

“Obviously it’s a great honour to be named

one of Sport’s Athletes of the Year, and it

caps a brilliant 12 months for me. I really

enjoyed the recent cover shoot, and

for me to be up there with some of

the other names mentioned in the

magazine is very flattering, so

thanks very much.”

Mark Cavendish is represented

by Wasserman Media Group.

Follow him @MarkCavendish

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England’s all-conquering Test captain Andrew Strauss on winning, drinking and the best year of his career

THE CAPTAIN’S LOG

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Sport | December 16 2011 | 27

When the Ashes series in Australia

started just over a year ago, could you

have envisaged that you’d go on to achieve

so much in 2011?

“We were all a bit surprised by how quickly

we reached number one in the world, that’s

for sure. We set off for Australia very

hopeful and expecting to do reasonably

well out there, but the fact that we won

so comfortably gave us a huge amount of

confidence heading into last summer – and

we saw that in our performances against

India. It’s been a great run for us and there’s

a lot of pride in what we’ve achieved.”

What’s your own personal highlight of the

past 12 months?

“Well, where do you start? I suppose for

me it was lifting the Ashes in Sydney. Just

because winning a series in Australia had

become kind of a Holy Grail for English

cricket. So not just to win it, but to win three

games by an innings, to do it in that fashion

and to have so many fantastic performances

by members of the side – it was very special.”

What’s the real key strength of this

England team?

“If I had to say one thing, it would be how

much we all play for each other. It’s the sort

of phrase that sounds a bit wishy-washy,

but it’s crucial. If you want to win games

consistently, everyone has to buy into the

team idea. There’s a strong feeling of

togetherness, we’ve got some good

characters in the side and we’re really gelled

together. You still need individuals to go out

there and perform, but it makes it easier

when they’re performing for a reason rather

than just for their own personal glory.”

Sport’s Athletes of the Year Andrew Strauss

You’ve spoken about how you toast individual

successes with a beer at the close of play.

Surely you just spent most of 2011 drunk in

a dressing room...

[Laughs] “Yes, as soon as we brought that

in, the level of our performances seemed

to go up by about five or 10 per cent! But

things like that are important; if someone

gets a hundred or a five-fer, that’s going

to be one of the highlights of their career.

So for people just to tap them on the back

and walk off with a ‘well done mate’, I don’t

think you’re quite appreciating enough

what that guy has achieved for the team.

I think it’s worked really well for us

to sit down together for half

an hour afterwards, have

a drink and for someone

to give a bit of a speech.

Long may it continue.” >

ENGLAND TEST CRICKET TEAM

On Christmas Eve 2010, as England captain Andrew Strauss sat on Santa’s (metaphorical) knee, he shut his eyes tight and wished for several things. Firstly, to retain the Ashes in Australia (then poised at 1-1), plus series wins against Sri Lanka and India in the summer and – if he’d been a really good boy – maybe even knocking India off their summit and getting England top of the Test cricket rankings.

England didn’t just achieve those lofty aims; they surpassed all expectations. Australia were bested on their own soil in an Ashes series for the first time since 1986-87, as England pushed on to claim a 3-1 victory; Sri Lanka were beaten 1-0 in a rain-affected series, before a glorious summer finale: a 4-0 whitewash of India and the position of number-one Test team in the world firmly secured.

You can forget Father Christmas as well. The truth is that all this was achieved without the help of a tubby, bearded extrovert with a fondness for booze and pies. The days of the England team pinning their hopes on a messiah figure in the form of a spectacular individual talent – be that Beefy Botham or Freddie Flintoff – seem firmly in the past. This success was based not on one or two outstanding players, but on meticulous preparation and contributions from every single man in the side.

It says something about the success of the England team that, in 2011, James Anderson ended an Ashes series in Australia with 24 wickets, Alastair Cook scored 927 runs in just 11 innings and Stuart Broad had the series of his life against India, yet no individual has been pushed forward as the hero. Rather, under the watchful eyes of coach Andy Flower and skipper Andrew Strauss, individuals have taken responsibility for their performances, resulting in collective success. The England Test side are a well-organised unit, a team in the truest sense – and right now, there’s no one better in the world at what they do.

TEAM OF THE YEAR 2011

“wE’vE gOT TO bE dEspERATE TO sTAY On TOp”

If there was one moment of cricket that

summed up the past year, what would it be?

“The session that was most pleasing to

me was at Trent Bridge. India were on top

in the game, about 50-odd runs ahead of us

in the first innings with just four wickets

down. Then Stuart Broad came on, got a

hat-trick and we bowled them out very

cheaply. We went on to win from there. It

just demonstrated our belief that we were

still in the game, and that we all thought we

could still turn it around.”

Now that you’ve achieved the goal of being

the world’s number-one Test team, how

will you ensure standards remain high?

“We’ve got a very strong competition for

places in the squad, so that’s obviously one

good motivation to keep playing well. Also,

I think we all understand that getting to

number one in the world is great, but the

only way we got there was by concentrating

on every series, wanting to improve, keeping

our standards high, keeping our work ethic

and our ethos. We don’t have to do anything

all that different to remain there.”

Does being number one paint a big old

target on your back?

“Yes, the challenge is that now – because

we’re number one, everyone wants to beat

us even more than

they did before.

We’ve got to be

desperate to stay

on top, but I believe

we’ve got that in the

camp. We’ve also

got a lot of guys at

the peak of their

careers at the

moment. Our

expectations of ourselves individually has

risen too, and that’s a good starting point

for further success.”

Your overriding ambition is to make this

the greatest England Test team of all time

– how close are you to doing that?

“We’ll know a lot more in 12 months’ time.

We’ve got two series in the subcontinent and

we’re playing against South Africa at home

– if we come through those challenges

unscathed then we’re getting close, but

that’s a big ‘if’. There’s a lot of very tough

cricket ahead of us.”

Overall, though, has 2011 been the greatest

year of your career?

“Without a doubt. We’ve done so many things

that if you’d told me were going to happen

three or four years ago, I wouldn’t have

believed you. Also, it’s one thing getting to

the top, but it’s another thing getting to

share that with some great mates as well.

So it’s fantastic – but hopefully there’s still

more to come.”

Andrew Strauss was speaking on

behalf of WSM Communications, who

manage Brit Insurance’s sponsorship

of the England cricket teams.

See wsmcommunications.com

Sport’s Athletes of the Year Andrew Strauss

England’s 2011

Test record in full

Australia v England

Jan 3-7, Sydney,

England win (innings

and 83 runs)

(Win series 3-1)

England v Sri Lanka

May 26-30, Cardiff,

England win (innings

and 14 runs)

England v Sri Lanka

June 3-7, Lord’s, Draw

England v Sri Lanka

June 16-20,

Southampton, Draw

(Win series 1-0)

England v India

July 21-25, Lord’s,

England win (196 runs)

England v India

July 29-Aug 1, Trent

Bridge, England win

(319 runs)

England v India

Aug 10-13, Edgbaston,

England win (innings

and 242 runs)

England v India

Aug 21-25, The Oval,

England win (innings

and 8 runs)

(Win series 4-0)

28 | December 16 2011 |

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Racing ahead

Turner’s yearHayley Turner’s own website refers to her as “the UK’s number one female jockey”. She is indeed that, but she is also one of the UK’s finest jockeys full stop. Few jockeys win even a single Group 1 event, let alone two in swift succession, as Turner did this summer before breaking her ankle in a fall at the end of August. Having made headlines in 2008 by becoming the first female jockey in Britain to ride 100 winners in a calendar year, Turner’s big wins on Dream Ahead – a horse she found out she was riding only two days before the race – and Margot Did have ensured hers is a name held in high esteem... both by owners in search of a jockey and the rest of us in search of a decent bet.

30 | December 16 2011 |

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Sport’s Athletes of the Year Hayley Turner

On becoming the first woman to ride the

outright winner of a Group 1 event

(the highest level of British flat racing)

on Dream Ahead in the July Cup...

“When I got the call from my agent asking me

to ride Dream Ahead, I was out shopping and

I shouted down the phone: ‘That’s brilliant!’

Everyone wants to ride in and win Group 1

races, but with racing it’s not something you

can ever plan. It’s about getting on the right

horses. There was massive hype after I won,

which I wasn’t expecting. It was a bit like

after I had 100 winners in 2008. Back then I

thought I’d get ‘Star Performance’ in the

Racing Post or something simple, but they

really jumped on it – and this was the same.”

On winning her second Group 1 race

in six weeks, on Margot Did in the

Nunthorpe Stakes...

“Confidence definitely transfers to the horse

and can play a big part in racing, but I think

this was just Margot Did’s day. Everything

just fell right for her. She was 20/1 for the

race and I really believed she had it in her to

win, but there were a couple of contributing

factors in it too; I had figured out how to get

the best out of her [Turner had ridden the

horse in all 12 of Margot Did’s previous

races] and also the drop back in trip – I think

six furlongs has always stretched her a bit.

The win was amazing because it was for

Michael Bell, who’s been a big supporter and

helped me to get to where I am now. It also

showed that the first one was no fluke.”

On this season’s end and next season’s

beginning...

“It was frustrating to end with an injury

because I was having such a fantastic year

– I felt like I had more to give. The horse was

misbehaving, ran backwards and fell over,

landing on my leg. I didn’t immediately realise

it was broken though, because the doctor

had a poke around and said it was fine.

Mentally, it has probably done me good to get

out of racing for a few months; it has made me

even hungrier for next year. My main aim for

2012 is to stay healthy and see what happens.

A ride in the Derby? If I come across a Derby

horse, that’s great. Hopefully I will.”

On being named one of Sport’s Athletes

of the Year...

“It’s amazing, really. But I feel I’ve so much

more still to achieve. I wouldn’t put myself in

the category of the others named here at all,

but I’m working on it.”

Hayley Turner is an ambassador for Racing UK TV.

Join Racing UK today on Sky, cable and online. Go to

racinguk.com/join or call 0844 855 2977

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EXTRAVAGANZA

RORY THE STORY

record PLAYerAnyone in any doubt about the majesty of McIlroy’s US Open victory needs to just look at the records he set that week. He recorded the lowest 72-hole total (268) in the tournament’s history (he also set records for lowest 36-hole and 54-hole marks); his -16 score was the lowest winning score (no player in history had ever even reached -13, and at one stage McIlroy even reached -17); he was the fastest to ever get to -10 (a staggering 26 holes); and he hit more greens in regulation than anyone ever has at a US Open, with 62 out of 72. He was eight clear of the luckless Jason Day, whose -8 total itself has only been bettered once in history. It was a performance that took the breath away, and the terrifying thing about it was he made it look so easy...

| December 16 2011 | 33

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Rory McIlroy hit the highs and lows in 2011,

as he demonstrated that few golfers on

the planet have his talent or capacity to

self-destruct.

The great players always have a sense

of theatre, both in victory and defeat. Think

Jack, winning the Masters at 46. Think Tom,

coming so close at Turnberry in 2009. Think

Tiger at the Millennium Open. Think Seve –

just think Seve – doing anything.

And now, think Rory.

The young Northern Irishman takes his

place in this issue thanks to an incredible

US Open victory in June, but that tells just

part of the tale of Rory McIlroy in 2011. For

in winning the second major of the year, he

was able to exorcise the ghosts of the first.

At the Masters in April, he had one hand on

the trophy and was already being sized up

for a Green Jacket (small). That was when

we saw – not for the first time – that as

brilliant as McIlroy is, he is also fallible: he

began the final day four shots clear and,

Sport’s Athletes of the Year Rory McIlroy

although that lead had been whittled to one

with nine holes to play, there was nothing

to indicate what was coming. A horrendous

snap-hook off the 10th tee, though, put Rory

in someone’s front garden – and millions

watched as the 21-year-old crumbled live on

television. As he went triple-bogey, bogey,

double-bogey, with tears in his glazed eyes,

all chances of winning evaporated – and yet

it was unmissable viewing. Golf fans the

world over recognised in Rory something of

themselves; as beautifully as he had played

for the first three days, his game just fell

to pieces in the heat of battle.

The obvious claim was that he somehow

lacked the temperament to handle the big

occasion. Some even questioned whether

he would win a major at all.

It didn’t take long for him to answer his

critics: he arrived smiling at Congressional

Country Club for the US Open, and soon

it was clear why. His game was in better

shape than ever, and he knew it.

He routed the field to such devastating

effect that this time the back nine on Sunday

was an anticlimax. Never before has a

US Open course, always set up to provide

the toughest major in the calendar, been

made to look so toothless. Rory strolled to

victory almost unopposed.

But then, as he had already demonstrated,

Rory has flaws. At the Open Championship,

where he was a warm favourite, he

struggled in both the intense media spotlight

and the appalling weather, and stormed away

showing a first sign of petulance. As Darren

Clarke lifted the Claret Jug, Rory was still

making headlines as he declared: “I’m looking

forward to getting back to America...”

And, as the year came to a close, Rory

once again gave golf a shot in the arm. Only

by winning the Hong Kong Open could he

arrive at the European Tour’s final event of

the season in Dubai with a chance of winning

the money list from Luke Donald. And, sure

enough, he did just that – in typical theatrical

fashion, sinking a bunker shot at the final hole.

At some stage in 2012, he will almost

certainly become world number one – to

match the tennis ranking of new girlfriend

Caroline Wozniacki. The world is his –

or rather, theirs.

Close to greatness

34 | December 16 2011 |

Sport’s Athletes of the Year Lionel MessiD

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“I am a big fan of

Lionel Messi – a big

fan. Am I allowed to

say he is the best

player in the world,

given he is Argentinian

and I am Brazilian?

Of course I am, just as

I could say Maradona

was a great player

before him. That is fine, because we are

brothers. Brothers can sometimes have

problems getting along, but we are still

brothers – and we don’t lose sight of that.

“Clearly Messi is excellent and perhaps

the best player in the world at this moment

in time, particularly with the year he has

had. What I like most about him is that he is

a very technical player, very skilful, and he

always seems comfortable on the ball.

Nothing he does is ever rushed. I think this

is more remarkable because of the players

he has around him – the players marking

him – yet he still finds space. But just as

importantly, he always plays with a smile and

sets a good example to everyone watching,

which is more important than ever.

“If I am being critical of him, I’d have to say

he is obviously not the best in the air, but

that is no secret, because of his size. He is

also only one-footed for the majority of the

time. He’s very good with that left foot, but

still only one foot and not what you would

call a complete player.

“Too many players are labelled ‘great’

these days, and very few of them actually

are. I think the last truly great and complete

player we saw was Zinedine Zidane, because

he played at the highest level for 10 years or

more and could do everything. Messi is not

at that level – not yet – but he is the best

player in the world today, and the closest the

modern game has to greatness.

“I guess the question is whether Messi can

get better – next year and beyond. Personally,

I’m not sure he can – not at this stage of his

career. The thing about Messi is that he’s had

11 years at his club and he has prepared

himself for that time. I think he has reached

the maximum of his potential, but he is at an

extraordinary level and he just needs to stay

there. If he can do that, if he can maintain his

form, he will be a great player.”

Pele spoke to Sport at the launch of Pele

Sports, his new sportswear and lifestyle

clothing brand. Go to pele-sports.com

LIONEL MESSI By Pele

MESSI’S YEARIn the calendar year, from January 8 to December 14, Lionel Messi has scored 55 times in 62 games for club and country, including red-hot streaks of 13 in eight at the start of 2011 and 12 in his last 11 games. He’s scored six hat-tricks and nabbed nine two-goal hauls. But more than the extraordinary quantity is the quality and significance of his strikes – Messi scores crucial goals that are also, often, monumental. His Champions League final strike was key, so too his opener against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in the semi final first leg of the competition. His second in the same game showcased his God-given gifts – a breathtaking solo run at full pelt past five defenders that evoked memories of Maradona in his prime. And there can be no higher accolade than that.

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE

Christian Horner, Red Bull team manager, on Vettel“He has a large amount of natural talent – he’s intelligent, he has the ability to adapt. And he is very astute. He’s very focused, very dedicated and he applies himself tremendously well. He’s always hungry to improve, to develop, and he’s a real pleasure to work with. He pushes the team hard, he pushes himself hard. Even if he’s won a race he’s always self-analytical of his performance and the team’s performance to learn what we could have done better, and that’s remarkably impressive for somebody so young. It’s always difficult to make comparisons across generations. I can only really compare what he’s doing against some great champions in the likes of Alonso, Hamilton, Button and

Schumacher. He is the stand-out driver and he has propelled himself into that elite group of drivers who have achieved phenomenal things in F1. He’s achieved a double World Championship, he’s won almost a quarter of the races he’s entered, and he’s achieved the most pole positions of any Grand Prix season in the history of the sport. He’s been faultless in the way that he’s gone about his campaign, and the way that he’s driven this year has been hugely impressive.”

36 | December 16 2011 |

Sport’s Athletes of the Year Sebastian VettelM

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In 19 races this season, Sebastian Vettel secured 15 pole positions, 17 podium finishes and 11 wins, helping him secure the title with four races to spare. Sport did what most of his rivals failed to do in 2011 and caught up with Formula 1’s back-to-back world champion...

So, what was the highlight of the year for

you? Does any one moment stand out?

“It’s difficult to name only one race or one

event. I think we had a fantastic season; it

will still take some time to understand how

fantastic it was. It has been phenomenal. I

think it will be a season that we will look back

on and be very proud of. These kind of seasons

don’t come around every year. I’m sure when

we look back we’ll have one or two highlights

– races like Monaco or Monza were very

special for us... the championship decider in

Japan and the emotions afterwards. These

kind of things you will never really forget.”

Was there a simple secret to your success?

“I think first off you have to mention that this

year was pretty smooth, and nearly faultless;

we had no issues with reliability, except in

Brazil – where we still managed to finish the

race in second place. Other than that, nothing

went wrong from a car point of view – the

retirements we had were Mark [Webber]’s

crash in Monza and the puncture I suffered

in Abu Dhabi. But car-wise, engine-wise,

everything was better than expected.

Everything is built on the limit – you push in

every area, and sometimes, here and there,

things break. But this year everything was

working fine, and the target is to keep that up.

Hopefully [next season] it will be reliable from

the start, but the most important thing is to

make it fast. It’s easier to make a fast car

reliable than a reliable car fast.”

Would it be better for the sport if next

season is more competitive? Can yours and

Red Bull’s own dominance continue?

“I think it’s been extremely competitive –

much closer than the scoreboard indicated

– throughout the season. Sometimes this year

we had the first four cars in five seconds.

If you look exactly 10 years back, there was

probably a gap of 40 seconds between first

and second. Those days are over, and gaps in

qualifying have been very small most of the

time. Next year the others will be pushing

hard, and we need to push [again]. Otherwise,

with the speed of development in F1, you very

quickly go backwards. Adrian [Newey] and

the guys are pushing very hard to get the

car ready for next year. The last couple of

years have been very successful, but in F1 we

tend to look forward – so we look forward to

the future, and forward to the next year.”

VETTEL’S YEARVettel started the year as defending world champion in one of the strongest fields the sport has ever seen. He had to wait until the last race of 2010 to clinch that title, but it was an entirely different affair this time around, as he wrapped things up with four races to spare by finishing third at Japan’s Suzuka circuit. On top of his record of 17 podiums, 15 poles and 11 wins, Vettel also produced three fastest laps. Smooth, controlled and devastatingly quick, he immediately got to grips with the new tyres and rule changes to dominate the grid all year, leading for 739 of the season’s 1,133 laps and racking up an unmatchable 392 World Championship points.

| 37

HOORAY HENRY

HENRY’S YEARThe team he coached to glory this autumn may have been the best in the world, but the All Blacks have proved before that form means nothing when a World Cup comes around. With the number of incidents going on – Dan Carter’s injury, Richie McCaw’s niggles, Cory Jane and Israel Dagg’s drinking issues – Henry had a balancing act just to keep this team going. And, if nothing else, his brave decision to withdraw fans’ favourite Piri Weepu in the final deserves credit for ultimately leading to the Kiwis’ victory. Henry retires from All Blacks duty with a record of 88 wins in 103 Tests, but what will forever matter more is the fact that he brought the Webb Ellis Cup back to New Zealand after 24 years of hurt.

38 | December 16 2011 |

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Having coached New Zealand to World Cup

victory earlier this year – their first since

the inaugural tournament in 1987 – coach

Graham Henry is something of a hero in his

homeland. He sat down with Sport to talk

us through his blueprint for success...

STICK TO THE GAMEPLAN

“We played basically the same gameplan for

each match, but you make minor tweaks

depending on who you’re playing. We had to

look at the strengths of our opponents and

change our defence around a bit – but

basically the gameplan remained the same.

“In the pool stages, we changed a lot

of things from what we were doing in the

Tri Nations in terms of our attack; then

we went back to our Tri Nations setup –

a tighter gameplan – in the knockouts.

“The difference between 2007 and 2011

is that we were aware of not peaking too

early this time around.”

ExPERIENCE IS KEY

“This side was better than the 2007 side

because, as a unit, it’s more experienced.

Richie McCaw has captained the team

60-odd times now, whereas in 2007 he

had only been captain for a short amount

of time. That experience makes an awful

lot of difference, and it’s not a coincidence

that he was a key player in us winning

this championship.

“If you look at World Cup captains from

the past – Martin Johnson, John Smit,

Francois Pienaar, John Eales – they’ve all

had a huge amount of respect. Every

team that’s won the tournament has had

a captain who’s a remarkable person as

well as a player – someone who’s led from

the front. Richie was that man.”

PEAK AT THE RIGHT TIME

“I was worried because we’d had too much

rugby. Our guys came off a Super XV season,

Sport’s Athletes of the Year Graham Henry

then played 12 Tests in 14 weeks, so I

thought they were at a disadvantage

compared to the northern-hemisphere sides.

“As a result, we had to rest key players

at certain times. In 2007, we peaked too

early because our pool was too easy and we

went all out. This time, we had a decent

game against Tonga, Canada and Japan

were both competitive, and then we had

France. We ended up peaking in the semi

finals, against Australia.

“We had to be careful before the final,

because the players were buggered. If we’d

trained like normal, they’d have fallen

over. So we had to decrease the amount

of physical work. The psychological balance

going into the game wasn’t quite right

because we had beaten the French by 20

or so points and then come off that massive

game against Australia. So I was proud

of the players for digging deep and

fronting up.”

LET THE PLAYERS POLICE THEMSELvES

“We’ve got a leadership group of seven

people, and anyone who slipped up had to

front up to those seven and explain what

the situation was. Then they had to

apologise to the team. The best way of

dealing with incidents is to let the players

deal with it themselves. After the drinking

incident [less than 72 hours before New

Zealand’s quarter final against Argentina],

Israel Dagg and Cory Jane apologised to

everyone, then they were the best players

on the field in the next game. They knew

they had to prove themselves to their mates

and they didn’t want to let their mates down

– and that’s bloody important.”

Graham Henry joins the likes of Richie McCaw,

Dan Carter and Shane Williams at The Rugby Site,

a new website offering coaching videos from

some of the world’s most celebrated names in

rugby. See therugbysite.com

K E L L B R O O K

P R O F E S S I O N A L B O X E R

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S C O T T S M E N S W E A R . C O M

BLOOD ON THE TRACKSThe award for the bravest and bloodiest

athlete this year goes to Dutch Rabo rider

Laurens ten Dam, who finished the 14th

stage of this year’s Tour de France despite

falling from his bike and snapping his nose

clean off. There is no award, we should add

– but if there was, he’d definitely get it.

DARKNESS AND LIGHT Somewhere in this shot of Wales playing England at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium in August, there’s bound to be at least one B-list celebrity who didn’t pay for their ticket. Just for fun, with absolutely no prizes up for grabs, why not see if you can spot him? Or her. Or them.

If a picture truly is worth a thousand words, the following six shots must be worth at least 600,000 of them. For these are our six favourite sporting images of 2011. Of course, if that image-to-word ratio really is the case, we should probably stop chuntering on and let the pictures do the talking... PS. For many more exceptional images, see the Sport app (it’s free!) on December 30 for our mammoth 2011 Sports Photo Special.

THE BIGGER PICTURES

40 | December 16 2011 |

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| 41

FALLING DOWNSeconds after this shot was taken, Storm Warren’s shot dropped through the hoop and into the open mouth of Festus Ezeli, the young man lying on the floor labouring under the misaprehension he’s a Harlem Globetrotter. He isn’t, and that ball hasn’t been seen since.

RAGING BULLYeah, it’s Tiger Woods and a giant pretend bull. What of it?

ROUND THE HOUSESHaving tonked his tee shot at Augusta’s 10th into someone’s bushes, Rory McIlroy watches his second shot trundle between the trees and back towards the fairway. Sadly, the game was up when his approach to the green ended up in a neighbour’s dustbin.

ON THIN ICEThe longer you stare at this shot of five speedskaters racing in last March’s 1,000m heat in the ISU World Short Track Championships in Sheffield, the more you’ll start to feel like your eyes are about to implode. So, despite its aesthetic appeal, it’s probably best you look away now.

42 | December 16 2011 |

Sport’s Images of the Year

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Focus 2012 224 Days to go

44 | December 16 2011 |

THE VENUEOh, it’s just a little-known north London arena

by the name of Wembley. With Disney on Ice a

regular visitor to Wembley Stadium’s smaller

sibling, the classical elegance of the world’s

best twirlers and ball-tossers (yes, it’s a skill)

should fit in well.

THE EVENT Unlike artistic gymnastics, in which athletes

are required to perform on various forms of

apparatus, rhythmic gymnasts display their

talents only on the floor. They perform four

short routines set to music, using one of the

following pieces of equipment: a ball, rope,

hoop, ribbon or clubs – or no equipment at all.

Their aim is to keep the apparatus in constant

motion throughout the routine and to use it

in a wide variety of ways. So the ball can be

bounced, tossed (there you go) or rolled, for

example, and the ribbon can be used to create

a multitude of different shapes.

A panel of three judges combine to score

a mark out of 20 for difficulty, execution and

artistic quality. Penalties can also be incurred

either by stepping outside of the 13m x 13m

area or for going over the time limit, which is

one minute 30 seconds for individuals and

two minutes 30 seconds for groups.

There will be two gold medals up for grabs,

with prizes for the best all-around individual

and best team performances. In the latter,

teams of up to six competitors run through two

routines – one with team members using an

identical piece of apparatus, and the other

using a combination of two different pieces.

The ball and ribbon would combine well, we

imagine. A bit like the rock and paper in

rock, paper, scissors.

TEAM GB’S PROGRESSAccording to Tim Jones, British Gymnastics

Olympic performance director: “The BOA

gave us the green light to implement a policy

to nominate a gymnast for inclusion in

Team GB for the individual event, and a clear

performance standard that must be achieved

before we consider nominating a group.

This will not only ensure our performances

in the London Olympics are credible, but also

provide rhythmic gymnastics with a suitable

legacy for the future.”

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS AT LONDON 2012

DATES August 9-12

SEATING 6,000

HOW TO GET THERE National Rail, London

Underground, London Overground

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Rhythmic gymnastics

Francesca Jones

KEY EVENTS BEFORE

LONDON 2012

London 2012

Test Event

January 16-18 2012,

North Greenwich

Arena, London

GB hopeful

AGE IN 2012 21

MEDAL RECORD

Commonwealth Games

silver 2010 (hoop)

The 21-year-old five-time

all-around British champion

achieved the highest placing

of any Briton at September’s

Rhythmic Gymnastics

World Championships in

Montpellier...

One of seven members of the GB rhythmic

gymnastics team based at the University of

Bath, Jones brings valuable experience, having

represented Wales at two Commonwealth

Games. The squad is looking to be the first

rhythmic group to represent Britain at the

Olympics, but they face an uphill struggle with

little funding behind them. The BOA have

awarded them an individual host-nation place

(taken by Jones), but for the group to qualify

they must first prove they can compete with

the best. January’s Olympic test event at the

North Greenwich Arena has been identified as

the place to do that, with the BOA demanding

they achieve a preset benchmark score before

guaranteeing their spot at London 2012.

An event that’s just for the ladies, this is gymnastics with added ribbons, music and, er, rhythm...

Comment

46 | December 16 2011 |

between the posts

Picking my greatest sporting moments of 2011 is a tough task. It is made

even tougher because I know that,

above all else, the public just wants

to hear about my winning try against

Montpellier in the Heineken Cup a few weeks

ago. However, through a combination of

unimaginable humility and exhaustion at

having been talking about it ever since, I’ve

decided to leave it out. Forgive me – I’ll

chapter it in the memoirs instead: Flat Out

In Neutral – My Life in the Middle Lane…

robin red bestActually – and I promise this has nothing to

do with me being a semi-casual Arsenal fan

– one of the most beautiful moments

happened just days ago, as the Gooners took

on Everton. It was the 125th anniversary of

a hugely significant English sporting

institution, and present were legions of

legends past. The list of names was

staggering; never have the players in this

team been looked upon by such an expert

group of luminaries. The pressure must

have been immense but, just as it looked like

the home side would do everything but

score, Robin van Persie bulleted home a

volley of such power and such exquisite

technique that even the likes of Thierry

Henry and Patrick Vieira were left open-

mouthed. The ability to produce one’s very

best when the spotlight shines brightest is

a rare talent reserved for top athletes. Ad

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bath and england

prop david Flatman’s

not-so-inside take

on the year in sport

“who knows what wales would have achieved had warburton not been banished in the semis?”

the fighterAnother came just last weekend, as relative

underdog Lamont Peterson defeated our

own Amir Khan. Now I love Khan every bit as

much as the next pay-per-viewer, but it was

the life that had led Peterson to this point

that made it so special. Homeless and

sleeping rough with his brother at the age

of 10, he was taken in and given a bed by a

local gym owner. He would train, eat, sleep

and be grateful of shelter. Now, after what

must rank as one of sport’s great personal

turnarounds, he is champion of the world.

Certainly, there were some iffy refereeing

decisions in this fight, but history will not

remember that. Anyone who watched will

agree; Peterson is one hell of a bloke.

football from another worldWe’ve also seen some wonderful team

performances this year, not least the

Barcelona side that won the Champions

League. I remember watching them, hearing

my phone ring and not even looking to see

who it was. There was no time; the risk of

missing something otherworldly was too

great to risk any deviation of attention.

The sheer acceleration of Lionel Messi, the

frankly weird ability of both Xavi and Andres

Iniesta not to give the ball away, and the

brutish yet refined aggression of Carles

Puyol at the back. All in one team. It was

actually unfair at times; they were too good.

Every time they were televised it felt like a

fireman sam: only

warburton was igniting

it against france in the

world cup semis

| 47

Sponsored by

Rugby is a sport that demands character.

It had been 24 long years since New Zealand

had won their only Rugby World Cup. Going into

the 2011 final, the hosts had to overcome an

unfancied French team who had been less than

spectacular in the tournament, making the back

pages for all the wrong reasons. Les Bleus,

though, were desperate to prove their doubters

wrong – and, having broken All Black hearts

twice before at World Cups, this was never

going to be a walk in Eden Park for the Kiwis.

With star fly half Dan Carter ruled out of the

tournament with a groin strain, and understudy

Colin Slade also on the injury list, it was up to

rookie Aaron Cruden to wear the famed

number 10 jersey. As he was stretchered off

after 34 minutes, the game was balanced on a

knife-edge. The Frenchmen smelled blood.

Step forward the most unlikely of heroes.

Stephen Donald was a fine club player but had

struggled to establish himself in the national

side, with many questioning his ability to

handle the pressure at this level of the game.

Excluded from coach Graham Henry’s initial

squad, Donald had received his last-minute

call-up while fishing for whitebait. Now he

stood with his country’s destiny in his hands

– or, rather, at his feet. Donald slotted what

proved to be the decisive penalty as the All

Blacks went on to win by a solitary point.

Donald may not have broken scoring

records, but his three points might just be

the most important in All Black history.

Time for full ConTaCT

Scrum down for another ruck-and-roll rampage as

talkSPORT’s Mike Bovill is joined by some of the

biggest characters in the game to tackle rugby’s

hardest-hitting issues and discuss the latest news

from across the sport. The year is coming to an end,

but the action never stops.

full Contact with Mike Bovill, this Sunday from 8pm

to 10pm, on talkSPORT 1089/1053AM. In association

with the new Peugeot 308. Show some character.

a momenT of CharaCTer wiTh The new peugeoT 308

never settle.

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privilege to watch them. And you knew –

you just knew – that you were watching

something truly special.

killer waleSDespite not having won the thing, I thought

Wales were the team that went closest to

perfection at this year’s Rugby World Cup.

That quarter-final victory against Ireland

was poetic in its ruthlessness. Against all

the odds, the Irish had played unbelievably

well and beaten title contenders Australia

on the way to that clash. But they were

totally outclassed by a group of men who

knew exactly – to the millimetre – what

needed to be done, and delivered. They were

magnificent, and who knows what they

might have achieved had Sam Warburton

(left) not been banished in the semis?

puTTing The world To The SwordLuke Donald has rightly been the golfer in

the headlines this week. His achievements

are borne out of godly talent and remarkable

consistency, which is invariably the result of

a thunderous work ethic. But the one single

performance of the year I enjoyed the most

was Rory McIlroy’s demolition of the field en

route to victory in the US Open. To hammer

golf’s illuminati like that was so incredible

I found myself giggling as I watched. It was

better than breathtaking; it was the greatest

day of someone’s life played out before

our eyes. I felt lucky to be there (my lounge).

greene daySThe World Athletics Championships in

Daegu produced my biggest disappointment

of the year, as Usain Bolt false-started

his way out of the 100m. For me, there is

no more watchable athlete on the planet.

But it’s not the pre-race histrionics that

suck me in; it’s the sight of him in full flight.

This is the human body in excelsis, every bit

as wondrous as a cheetah at full pelt.

But Daegu was also the venue for what,

unexpectedly, was my favourite sporting

moment of 2011. In truth, I wouldn’t usually

tune in specifically to watch the 400m

hurdles. I had to do it once at my school’s

sports day, and it took me almost a quarter

of an hour, climbing over each hurdle like a

fence in the absence of the propulsion

needed for an actual jump. Anyway, it’s

invariably some lanky American wearing

a less-than aerodynamic gold chain and

wraparound glasses from The Terminator

that wins it, right? Well this year they were

all beaten by Dai Greene as he shocked all

but himself by taking gold. Looking back,

he was never going to lose; with

the strength of character that

shone out through his eyes on

that final straight in South

Korea, how could he?

That last 50 metres

was what sport is

all about.

@davidflatman

day of his life: only, in

rory’s case, we were

all there to witness it

gone in 48 seconds: greene is

just a blur as he races to

flatman’s favourite sporting

moment of the year

7 DaysDEC 16–22 HIGHLIGHTS

» Football: QPR v Manchester United » p50

» Boxing: Carl Froch v Andre Ward » p52

» Champions League: Last 16 draw » p52

» Snowboarding: LG FIS World Cup » p53

» Best of the Rest » p53OUR PICK OF THE ACTION FROM THE SPORTING WEEK AHEAD

Revenge missionSunday RUGBy UNION | HEINEKEN CUP: TOULOUSE v HARLEQUINS | STADE ERNEST WALLON | SKy SPORTS 1 3PM

48 | December 16 2011 |

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So the winning run is finally over, then.

What went wrong against Toulouse?

“We never really got ourselves going. It’s

disappointing, but the physicality they

brought was effective, and they took their

chances on the day. Their discipline was

good, too, so we didn’t really get a chance.”

Do you think you can beat them in France?

“It’s definitely going to be tough. The aim

in the Heineken Cup is normally to win your

home games, but we know we have to win

there to get out of our group. Hopefully we

can come up with a few ideas to exploit them,

and at least do ourselves a bit more justice.”

Why have Quins started the season so well?

“We weren’t missing as many key players as

some teams, so we knew we had to start

well, and we’ve just kept going because

we’ve set ourselves high standards. We’re

also playing with more control and cutting

out the silly passes, so we’re happy to go

through the phases and break teams down.”

How key is Nick Evans to the team?

“He’s pretty special. He’s definitely the best

fly half in the Premiership, and to have

that kind of player in your team really

inspires the younger lads. He’s

instrumental to our success.”

After Harlequins’ unbeaten run finally came to

an end last week, captain Chris Robshaw tells us

how his side are looking for some French revenge

And then it’s Saracens in the Big Game 4

after Christmas. Looking forward to it?

“yeah, it’s always a special occasion. As

a player, you don’t get many chances to

play in front of 80,000 fans, so you have to

make the most of it. Of course, having the

X Factor contestants perform and all that

stuff adds something for the fans, plus

it’s a London derby. And it’s first versus

second – so it should be a special day out.”

The Big Game 4 is at Twickenham

on December 27. For info, visit

thebiggame.co.uk. To buy tickets,

go to ticketmaster.co.uk

7 Days

Saturday Boxing | Carl FroCh v andre Ward | atlantiC City | Sky SportS 1 midnight

Friday FootBall | ChampionS league knoCkout draW | nyon, SWitzerland Sky SportS neWS 10.30am

Cobra timeIt’s a

knockout!

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For once, the group stages of the Champions League threw up some surprises, so it’s a somewhat

unfamiliar line-up heading into the last 16. Group winners can only meet second-placed sides,

and they cannot play teams from their own group or country at this stage. Arsenal and (eventually)

Chelsea topped their respective groups, so we take a look at the teams they could come up against...

Napoli admirably navigated the Group of Death, losing just once, to Bayern Munich. Edinson Cavani (four goals) and Marek Hamsik’s attacking flair make Napoli a very un-Italian proposition going forward, and neither English club would relish a trip to Naples.

CSKA Moscow beat Inter at the San Siro in the last game to scrape qualification with just eight points. They rely heavily on Seydou Doumbia, who scored five of their nine group goals. A lengthy away journey, but this is probably the dream draw for AVB and Arsene Wenger.

Basel proved they are a trickier proposition than many make out with their win over Manchester United last week – the ageing frontline of Alexander Frei (five goals in five games) and Marco Streller are capable of causing problems, although their 10 goals conceded is more than anyone left in the competition.

Lyon had scored only two goals in the group before their bizarre 7-1 destruction of Dinamo Zagreb. Two 0-0 draws with Ajax and an aggregate defeat of 6-0 to Real Madrid indicate that this Lyon are not as strong as the side of old.

Zenit St Petersburg collected seven points at home and conceded just one goal, so the away leg could be tricky. They will have just emerged from the depths of their winter break when the ties are played, so could lack match sharpness, but they’ve kept three consecutive clean sheets in Europe.

AC Milan are surely the horror scenario for Arsenal and Chelsea, despite collecting only nine points in their group. They were magnificent in both Barcelona games and were unlucky to collect just a point, and two late goals conceded in the meaningless final fixture against Plzen served to lower their total.

Marseille failed to score against both Arsenal and Olympiakos at home, and are struggling domestically (eighth in Ligue 1) too. Still, the fast and powerful Loic Remy and Andre Ayew could threaten Chelsea’s defence, which has been far from solid this term.

Bayer Leverkusen won all their home games but only collected one point away – and that was at Genk. They did beat Chelsea, though, and the physicality of Swiss forward Eren Derdiyok could cause Arsenal problems.

The Europa League draw follows the Champions League draw. Groups are yet to be decided as we

go to press, but Manchester’s giants can look forward to the likes of Legia Warsaw and Hannover 96

Hard handshakes, hard stares and dismissive references

to his rival’s “feather-duster

punches” – Carl Froch has gone

out of his way to get under

andre Ward’s skin. there’s

a reason for the ken dodd

comparison: unbeaten

super-middleweight and

olympic gold-medallist Ward is

arguably the finest boxer ‘the

Cobra’ has ever faced, and

luring him into a brawl is to

the nottingham-born tough

guy’s advantage.

that said, Froch has a height

and reach advantage and may

look to work off the long,

snaking jab that was so effective

for him against arthur abraham

in 2010. unfortunately, Ward is

nowhere near as static a target

as abraham. the sharp, stylish

american has an array of skills,

including a strong in-fighting

game (where he isn’t averse to

sticking his head in and playing

rough). Froch’s strengths lie in

his superb condition, granite

chin and an unbreakable will to

win. Whether he can bring that

to bear against a gifted opponent

seven years his junior is the

tantalising question that makes

this unification showdown an

unmissable contest.

Cobra time

Warsteiner International KG

Phone +49 (2902) 88-8888

www.warsteiner.com

A WORLD CLASS PILSENER

■ No. 1 Imported Premium Pilsener

among the German private breweries

■ Enjoyed in more than 60 countries

around the globe

You are passionateabout something. So are we!

BEST OF THE REST

Saturday

CRICKET

South Africa v Sri Lanka:

First Test Day 3

Centurion, Sky Sports 4 8.30am

FOOTBALL SPL: Aberdeen v Hibernian

Pittodrie, ESPN 12pm

HORSE RACING The Ladbroke Handicap Hurdle

Ascot, Channel 4 3.35pm

RUGBY UNION Heineken Cup: Leinster v Bath

Aviva Stadium, Sky Sports 1 6pm

BOXING Welterweight: Kell Brook v Luis Galazar

Atlantic City, Sky Sports 1 12am

WINTER SPORTS Luge World Cup: Men’s Run 2

Calgary, British Eurosport 12am

NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Dallas Cowboys

Raymond James Stadium, Sky Sports 3 1am

Sunday CRICKET Bangladesh v Pakistan: Second Test

Day 2, Dhaka, Sky Sports 4 3.30am

GOLF Thailand Golf Championship Day 4

Chonburi, Sky Sports 3, 6.30am

RUGBY UNION Heineken Cup: Munster v Scarlets

Thomond Park, Sky Sports 2 1pm

DARTS World Darts Championship Day 4

Alexandra Palace, Sky Sports 1 7pm

FOOTBALL Serie A: Napoli v AS Roma

ESPN 7.45pm

Monday CRICKET South Africa v Sri Lanka: First Test

Day 5, Centurion, Sky Sports 2 8.30am

FOOTBALL Championship:

Crystal Palace v Birmingham,

Selhurst Park, Sky Sports 1 7.45pm

EQUESTRIAN Olympia Horse Show, Olympia

Grand Prix, London, British Eurosport 9pm

NFL San Francisco v Pittsburgh

Candlestick Park, ESPN 1.30am

tueSday

DARTS World Darts Championship Day 6

Alexandra Palace, Sky Sports 2 7pm

FOOTBALL Serie A: Cagliari v AC Milan

Stadio Sant’Elia, ESPN 7.45pm

CRICKET Bangladesh v Pakistan: Second Test

Day 4, Mirpur, Sky Sports 4 3.30am

WedneSday

FOOTBALL Serie A: Inter Milan v Lecce

San Siro, ESPN 7.45pm

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| 53

Saturday > SNOWBOARD WORLD CUP | DECEMBER 17, RUKA, FINLAND | BRITISH EUROSPORT 2 11PM; DECEMBER 22, TELLURIDE, USA | BRITISH EUROSPORT 2 3.30PM

Chairman of the board

next summer, england’s football team will have to travel something

like 5,000 miles as they attempt to negotiate the group stages of the

European Championships. Spare a thought, then, for competitors

taking part in the LG FIS Snowboard World Cup, which is held in a total

of15 different countries and is yet to visit the US, Finland, Italy and

Switzerland, where it comes to a close in January.

Britain’s Jamie Nicholls (above) will be in action in the halfpipe –

which resumes in Ruka, Finland – having just missed out on a medal in

front of his home crowd after coming fourth in the 53-man field at

London’s Battersea Power Station in October. The 18-year-old’s

turn was the best ever big air performance by a British rider.

Elsewhere in the field, look out for Australian Nathan Johnstone,

the defending men’s halfpipe champion, who currently sits eighth on

the leaderboard; and China’s Xuetong Cai – in third – who holds the

ladies’ title. Failing that, sit back and enjoy a few backside buttslides.

Oh, and if it’s snowing come the weekend, do not try this at home.

Extra time Kit

54 | December 16 2011 |

Making the most of your time and money

P58

Strings attached, oh yeah!

It’s the Gibson Firebird X,

and it’s revolutionary...

Boardman women’scycle helmet£60 | halfords.com

Pedal gear. Solid.

Imagine how awesome the BMX Bandits

would have looked if they’d had this stuff

MFX Elite Series padded shorts£18 | sportsdirect.com

Louis Garneau Revo XR3 road shoe£90 | evanscycles.com

Team Sky 2011 short-sleeve jersey£43 | evanscycles.com

Louis Garneau Sotchi gloves£40 | evanscycles.com

Dare2b Verticity cycle jacket£40 | halfords.com

56 | December 16 2011 |

Christmas Horn

| 57

Ro

ry G

ull

an

Sophie Horn is something of a favourite at Sport magazine. She’s perhaps the busiest girl in golf

this year, what with her constant magazine and

TV work, not to mention a Twitter presence

that many would class as a full-time job in itself.

The four-handicapper, who grew up at a golf club

owned by her parents, is a regular fixture on celebrity

and charity circuits, and is now branching into golf

fashion with her own brand of belts (the Horn belt)

made by Druh Belts.

Not one to rest on her laurels, Sophie has also

produced a 2012 calendar that will see many a forlorn,

lonely, single golfer through the whole of the next

year. And if anyone questions her golfing credentials,

this is the girl who was county under-21 champion at

the age of 15 and eventually county champion three

years in succession. She can play, the Horn.

Get the Horn belt at dbbelts.com. Calendars from

glamourgirlcalendars.com/sophiehorn

Extra time Sophie Horn

Gibson Firebird XCould this be the most technologically advanced

guitar ever made? Quite possibly, for this limited-

edition instrument has a wide range of

revolutionary features. It lets you select

and control effects from the body of

the guitar, it can tune itself with

inbuilt robo-tuners, and you can

instantly post your riffs to Facebook,

Twitter or YouTube. Okay, we might

have made that last one up.

£3,299 | gibson.com

Beats Studio by Dr Dre headphonesWhen he’s not busy writing prescriptions,

performing complicated surgery or forging

medical qualifications, Dr Dre designs quality

headphones. And these are no exception. They

have advanced noise-cancellation technology

and, equally exciting, a mute button.

£187 | pixmania.co.uk

T-Mobile VivacityStill stubbornly refusing to relinquish your Nokia

3310? It’s time to let go of the monochrome

screen, leave behind your Snake II high score

and move into the world of smartphones. This

affordable option runs Android Gingerbread 2.3,

a horrifying robot-bakery operating system.

£99 PAYG | tmobile.co.uk/shop

Watch2PayAre you in so much of a rush that you don’t

even have time to pull a card out of your

pocket, let alone type in your PIN? Then this

watch with contactless payment tech might be

for you. A total gimmick? You bet. But buying

lunch from Pret never looked so cool.

£99 | watch2pay.co.uk

This week, a guitar that tunes

itself, some medically approved

headphones... and, yes, David

Hasselhoff’s in-car hands-free kit

Extra time Gadgets

58 | December 16 2011 |

Future music

Parrot MiniKit+Offering true hands-free synchronisation with

smartphones, this device lets you make and

receive calls, and can even read out texts.

So get a friend to text you and persuade other

people your car is KITT from Knight Rider.

£70 | halfords.com

DeoDorantRalph Lauren The Big Pony CollectionWhile the rest of the world

went crazy with new

deodorants promising 48, 72

and even 96-hour ‘freshness’,

Ralph Lauren took the

old-fashioned route of

releasing a range that looked

sensational and smelled

great. Simple but effective,

and our favourite launch of

the entire year.

July | £15 each | selfridges.com

FragranceMarc Jacobs Splash Curacao 300mlSummer seems a long time

ago now, but no fragrance

captured its mood better than

this soft, watery scent from

Marc Jacobs. A staggeringly

refreshing blend opens with

an enduring note of orange,

with violet, pear and apricot

leading into a base of white

moss and musk. Top of the

fragrance shop for 2011.

April | £48 | houseoffraser.co.uk

Haircarelabel.m Honey & Oat ShampooThe manuka honey in this

new release from label.m not

only smells great, but also

helps repair cell damage,

transforming dry and

dehydrated hair into a soft

and lustrous thatch. Throw

in the stylish packaging, and

this shampoo is comfortably

our pick of 2011.

July | £11.50 | labelm.co.uk

SHavingGillette Fusion ProGlide Power RazorGillette kicked off 2011 in

style with the launch of their

excellent new Fusion ProGlide

razor. The manual version was

fine, but the real star of the

show was the ProGlide Power

– which came with a special

microcomb to help guide hair

to the five super-fine blades.

Very much the Rolls Royce of

modern shavers.

January | £12.99 | boots.com

teetHOral B Pro Expert ToothpasteSomething of a leftfield

category, but the ladies

always look at a man’s teeth

– and this new superpaste,

the first to combine

stannous fluoride with the

Polyphosphtae System (no,

us neither) stands head,

shoulders and gnashers

above every other paste on

the market. A July miracle.

July | £3.49 | boots.com

inDulgenceSisleyum for Men Anti-age Global RevitalizerA first foray into the men’s

market for Parisian luxury

cosmetics brand Sisley back in

March, and one we very much

approved of. This anti-ageing

moisturiser may be more than

10 times the price of L’Oreal’s

impressive Vita Lift 5 (next

up), but if you have the cash to

burn you won’t find a better

formula on the market.

March | £150 |

houseoffraser.co.uk

SkincareL’Oreal Men Expert Vita Lift 5 Complete Anti-ageing Daily MoisturiserAnd not just for recruiting

Hugh Laurie as the face of the

ad campaign, although we did

like that. L’Oreal’s latest new

moisturising formula,

enriched with Pro Retinol and

ginseng, is both easy to apply

and effective – two things

that men across the nation

will always appreciate.

October | £12.99 |

Available nationwide

60 | December 16 2011 |

Best in show

For our last issue of the year, we name

our favourite male grooming launches of

2011 – starting with the best of the lot

rangeBaylis & Harding Fairtrade CollectionSome good new ranges have

launched this year, including

the excellent NGT by Nougat

London for Men, but this

fairtrade bath and bodycare

set from Baylis & Harding gets

the vote for its philanthropical

edge. Each purchase benefits

farmers’ co-operatives in

Pakistan and Nicaragua, not

to mention your skin.

June | £3 each |

baylisandharding.com

sport’S proDuct

oF tHe year

Extra time Grooming

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Subject to availability. Selected UK stores. Delivery charges may apply online. Clubcard Points: Minimum spend to qualify for Clubcard points is £1. See in store or www.tesco.com/clubcard for full details and terms.

Better than

Half Price

3-340 Male Shaver

Online no: 207-8369

• Advanced 3-stage cutting system

• SensoFoil captures hairs growing in different directions

• Shaves long hairs and stubble progressively closer

• For use in and out of shower

eeee

3333 ---- 33 33 4444 0000 MMMM aaaa llll eeee SSSS hhhh aaaa vvvv vvvv eeee eeee rrrrrrrr

OOOOOOOOnn ll ii nn ee nn oo :: 22 00 77 -- 88 33 66 99

£106.97

£49.97

£42.47

Ice Bear Kieran Mulvaney

If the Frozen Planet series piqued

your interest in the world’s largest

land predators, Ice Bear is for you.

This fascinating book by the leader

of three Arctic expeditions covers

all aspects of the polar bear: its

life, past and uncertain future. The

text gels perfectly with some amazing pictures of

the cuddly beasts – and it’s out in paperback on

January 5 (or in hardback now, if you can’t wait).

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of ShadowsGuy Ritchie’s reinvention of the great fictional sleuth was a global

smash, but this wasn’t Sherlock Holmes of your dad’s generation.

Rather, Richie created a sort of steampunk Iron Man, with Robert

Downey Jr’s Holmes using his inventions and razor-sharp mind to

assault bad guys more often than solve mysteries. The director

delivers more of the same in A Game of Shadows, pitting Holmes

against criminal mastermind Moriarty, but relying more on humour

and quickfire action than a brain-teasing plot. Thankfully, Downey Jr

and Jude Law have a natural chemistry together, while the most

eagerly awaited addition to the cast is Stephen Fry as the

intellectual Mycroft Holmes (who refers to his little brother as

“Shirley”). Hardly subtle, but this looks like another damn fun ride.

The Killing II

Tenacious crime-solver and walking

knitwear catalogue Sarah Lund

returned to the BBC of late for a

10-part second series. The run-time

is crucial as, superb as the original

was, a 20-hour duration really did

stretch the concept. The Killing II

covers similar themes to series one – a gruesome

murder with a political edge – but is taut and better

paced. Beneath the murky surface, there’s also

plenty here about cultural unease in modern-day

Denmark, but you don’t have to give a hoot about that

to relish this twisting thriller. Out on DVD on Monday.

+- Joy Divison

Next week sees a CD

release for this boxset

containing remastered

versions of all 10

Joy Division singles.

Ultimate first-dance

wedding song Love Will

Tear Us Apart may be

the band’s iconic track,

but Atmosphere and

Transmission still retain

their haunting brilliance

30 years on – and the

B-sides are a rare treat.

Grand Theft Auto 3 iOS, Android

The greatest Grand

Theft Auto game of all

screeches on to tablets

and smartphones this

week, 10 years after its

original release. Epic in

scope and revolutionary

as an open-world game,

it’s truly blowing our

minds that it now costs

just £2.99 to have the

chance to steal virtual

police cars and run

down pedestrians. This

truly is progress, folks.

The Dreamer/The Believer Common

It’s hard to marry the idea of Common – the socially

conscious rapper – telling us he wants his woman

“butt naked in the kitchen flipping pancakes”, but this

new album finds the Chicago native in playful form.

Stand-out track is Sweet, which

features a bouncing No ID beat.

Far from the most profound

Common production, but the

glee in his voice transmits

straight to your tapping toes.

62 | December 16 2011 |

MUSIC

Detective works

Sherlock Holmes, Sarah Lund and

tracking down the majestic polar bear

FILM

DVD

BOOK MUSIC GAME

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Ga

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Extra time Entertainment

EAU DE LACOSTE L .12 .12T H E L A C O S T E P O L O S H I R T I N A F R A G R A N C E C O L L E C T I O N