Metro confirm Wilko interest :- World Cup winner Steyn also in the frame

Ambitious French second division side Racing Metro are targeting a move for England star Jonny Wilkinson.

The Parisians, who are currently top of France’s second flight, are closing in on the double signing of France international forwards Sebastien Chabal and Lionel Nallet.

But they have also set their sights on bringing World Cup winners Wilkinson and South African Francois Steyn to the French capital.

“We will see about the arrival of Nallet and Chabal,” said Racing coach Pierre Berbizier.

“These are players who are interesting us, as are a good few others – Steyn and why not Wilkinson? I have to admit that all these links are good.”

Wilkinson, England’s World Cup-winning fly-half of 2003 who is currently out injured, and Steyn have been linked with moves to Racing for the past couple of months.

Marquee signing

Club owner Jacky Lorenzetti, who owns France’s biggest estate agency group Foncia, appears determined to match the financial muscle of city neighbours Stade Francais. Wilkinson would be an ideal marquee signing ahead of their expected return to the Top 14.

Steyn is believed to have already been offered a sizeable deal by Racing, although the player’s agent has insisted the Springbok will not be leaving the Sharks, at least in the next 11 months.

“Yes, Frans has been approached by Racing Metro and I have been in correspondence with them over the past few months,” Gerrie Swart recently told the Daily News.

Sharks

“However, Frans is contracted with the Sharks until the end of the Currie Cup and with the Springboks until the end of the year, so nothing can happen until then.”

Reports in the French media claim Nallet and Chabal, who have been second-row partners for Les Bleus in this year’s Six Nations Championship, have agreed to join Racing, provided the club are promoted into the Top 14 at the end of the season.

Racing are currently top of Pro D2, 10 points clear of second-placed Albi.

Wales see off brave England :- Fly-half Jones kicks five penalties to see Grand Slam champions home

Wales recorded an eighth straight win in the RBS Six Nations, though they were pushed all the way by England before triumphing 23-15 in Cardiff.

Despite only scoring one try to their opponents’ two, the hosts came out on top thanks to the prolific boot of Stephen Jones, who kicked five penalties.

Leigh Halfpenny also slotted over three points and grabbed Wales’ try during a crucial period of play right at the start of the second half.

England had threatened to cause an upset thanks to scores from Paul Sackey and Delon Armitage but in the end all they left the Millennium Stadium with was some restored pride, rather than two points.

Inspired Worsley

Having picked a team thought to be intent only on damage limitation, Martin Johnson’s line-up instead came close to being a masterstroke in team management.

The selection of Joe Worsley, who marshalled the dangerous Jamie Roberts superbly, certainly proved inspired, while the centre combination of Riki Flutey and Mike Tindall blossomed with ball in hand.

But, while there was improvement on the turgid efforts shown against Italy last weekend, the familiar problem of poor discipline was again apparent.

Just as they had done at Twickenham seven days earlier, England had two players shown yellow cards – the second to Andy Goode just after half-time being quickly followed by Wales’ solitary try.

Tindall had also been sent to the sin-bin in the opening half, the centre ordered off as referee Jonathan Kaplan finally ran out of patience.

Halfpenny, who had already missed a 50-metre effort, popped over the resulting penalty, his effort sandwiched in between two from Stephen Jones that gave Wales a deserved 9-0 lead.

Yet rather than be the building block for them to go on and exploit the extra man, the advantage only seemed to make the reigning champions ease up.

England took advantage of their rivals’ malaise to get themselves off and running, with Sackey winning a foot race against Mark Jones, playing in place of the crocked Shane Williams, to touch down.

It was Goode’s kick that had led to the opportunity and although the fly-half missed the conversion, his drop goal on the half hour meant it was a 9-8 scoreline at the break.

At that stage the game was firmly in the balance. Within four minutes of the restart Wales had scored eight points and England were again down to 14.

Goode night

Goode was the man to walk this time, for hanging on in the tackle, and his absence was felt immediately as it cost three points courtesy of the dead-eyed Jones and his trusty right foot.

Having paid the price for taking their foot off the gas in the opening half, this time Warren Gatland’s troops decided to step up the pace with the man extra – their reward being an easy run-in for Halfpenny in the right corner.

Jones failed to add the conversion but did succeed with a penalty attempt to make it 20-8, although, to their credit, England still refused to go away.

Benefiting from quick ball, something that has been such a rareity in recent performances, an overlap on the left allowed Armitage to throw a dummy and cut inside to head under the posts. Toby Flood, on for Goode, converted.

In the end there was to be no English revenge for the stunning loss suffered in the corresponding fixture last season, though, Wales following up that 26-19 result with a win on home turf to stay on course for back-to-back Grand Slams.

Fittingly it was Jones who hammered the final nail in the coffin, his fifth and final penalty extending the gap to two scores with little time left.

Lievremont stands by selection :- France coach rules out possibility of wholesale changes

Marc Lievremont is refusing to make a knee-jerk reaction to France’s second disappointing performance of the 2009 RBS Six Nations.

Les Bleus went down 30-21 to Ireland on the opening weekend of the championship and followed that up with an error-strewn 22-13 victory over Scotland on Saturday.

As his France team prepares to take on reigning champions Wales in Paris on February 27, Lievremont is ruling out wholesale changes.

“There will be continuity,” he said, when asked about his squad selection for the Wales game.

“I don’t see how, in this context, we could change a dozen players with just four days of training.

“We also have confidence in them. But I would have really liked to have kept the players this week.

“We are a bit bewildered, but we are going to continue to work in quite tricky conditions before hosting Wales on the Friday evening.”

The French squad have returned to their clubs for this week and will reunite at Marcoussis on Sunday, with Perpignan prop Nicolas Mas a major doubt with a thigh problem and props Lionel Faure and Benoit Lecouls also nursing injuries.

That could spell a return for Stade Francais’ Sylvain Marconnet when Lievremont names his 23-man squad on Wednesday.

Magpies handed triple boost :- Newcastle strike trio fit again

Newcastle United have been given a triple boost ahead of their all-important relegation run-in.

Strikers Obafemi Martins, Mark Viduka and Alan Smith could all return to action for the visit of in-form Everton on Sunday.

With fellow striker Michael Owen sidelined for another three-and-a-half weeks the return to fitness of the trio could not have been better timed.

The Magpies faithful will be hoping that the strikers can fire them away from the drop zone with the Toon just four points off the relegation places.

Martins has been out since mid-December with a hernia problem while Viduka and Smith have been plagued by injury all season.

The Australian has been restricted to just five appearances this term due to an Achilles injury but managed to make his comeback as a substitute in the 3-2 win over West Brom, while Smith has failied to make a single appearance because of persistent foot and ankle problems.

Positive

Despite their lack of match action Chris Hughton, who is in charge of first team affairs alongside Colin Calderwood while Joe Kinnear recovers from heart surgery, believes the players will still have a positive effect on the rest of the squad.

“Oba Martins, Alan Smith and Mark Viduka will all be fit to make an impact in the run-in and that’s a good boost for us,” he told the club’s official website.

“It’s very important to have them back in the frame. It’s immensely beneficial to us, they could be very important for us in the coming weeks.

“The group of lads we’ve got, they’ll look around them and see senior, quality and experienced players with them.

“Even if they are not quite up to full fitness, the lift they give the rest of the lads is obvious.

“Alan Smith has played in two friendlies and will play in the next one, while Oba will have had some training under his belt by the time of the next match.”

Further good news for Magpies fans is that defender Claudio Cacapa is also making progress in training after a knee injury has kept him out since early December.

Fergie considers Rooney return :- Star striker ready for action

Sir Alex Ferguson is contemplating whether to use Wayne Rooney against Fulham on Wednesday.

Manchester United face The Cottagers in the Premier League at Old Trafford and Ferguson is assessing his options.

He used a number of squad players as United came through their FA Cup fifth round clash against Derby on Sunday in convincing fashion as they cruised to a 4-1 win.

Now Ferguson’s attention is back on their league campaign and he is considering whether to use Rooney – more than a month after he was sidelined with a hamstring problem.

“Wayne should be ready for Saturday’s game against Blackburn,” said Ferguson.

“We’re quite confident of that, and he may have a slight chance of being fit for a place on the bench on Wednesday.”

Becks unsure of Milan stay :- England midfielder adhttp://sportsmanmad.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.phpmits situation is out of his hands

David Beckham has admitted that his future is ‘out of his hands’ as he looks to secure a move to AC Milan.

The England midfielder is currently on loan with the Rossoneri but he is due to return to Los Angeles Galaxy on 9th March.

He is keen to stay at the San Siro on a permanent basis and Milan are also hopeful of striking a deal.

A deadline imposed by Major League Soccer to reach an agreement has passed but negotiations are set to continue.

Beckham has not conceded defeat just yet and feels he has done all he can to secure an extended stay in Italy.

Gone well

“We’ll have to wait and see,” he said after Milan’s 2-1 defeat to city rivals Inter on Sunday night.

“I have enjoyed playing on the pitch and my performances and it has gone well for me. But there is nothing I can do. It is kind of out of my hands.

“The negotiations are not over. I know that the clubs will talk again over the next couple of weeks. “

Beckham admits he would be reluctant to return to Galaxy, adding: “I hope that things will go the way I want them to and I have already said it is my desire to stay at Milan.

Difficult

“Having clarified that I want to stay here, it might be difficult to go back to playing in the States.”

Beckham had to be replaced 10 minutes into the second half after suffering a slight hamstring injury but he loved the experience of playing in such a derby.

“It was great, a great occasion and one of the biggest games in football and the atmosphere was incredible,” he said.

“It is up there with both the derbies in Manchester and Madrid.

“These are the biggest games and you have got to enjoy them. I am just a bit disappointed to have come off injured and that we have lost.”

Brisbane agony for Kiwis :- Rain washes away New Zealand hopes of glory

Chappell-Hadlee Trophy
Brisbane
Australia 168-4 (B J Haddin 88 no, C J Ferguson 55 no) v New Zealand 123-6 (M J Guptill 64 no)
No result

Australia retained the Chappell-Hadlee trophy after rain ensured that the fifth and final one-day international at the Gabba finished with no result.

Trailing the five-match series 2-0 after the opening two fixtures, Ricky Ponting’s men fought back superbly to restore parity and with no result possible in Brisbane the series ended all square at 2-2.

After being set 156 for victory off 20 overs, New Zealand were well on course at 123-6 with opener Martin Guptill well set on 64 not out and debutant Brendon Diamanti unbeaten on 26.

However, with six overs remaining and the Black Caps needing just 33 more runs to clinch the series, a torrential shower halted the tourists charge and ended the match as a result.

The series therefore finished at 2-2, meaning Australia retain the Chappell-Hadlee series following their 2-0 win in 2007.

Dream start

The start of play was delayed by almost five hours due to rain in Queensland, and the day-night encounter was revised into a 22-over a-side contest.

Australia were indebted to makeshift opener Brad Haddin, who continued his fine form with an unbeaten 88 off 65 deliveries to guide the hosts to 168-4.

Haddin appeared in total control throughout his innings, striking five boundaries and three sixes, but it was perhaps his patience under pressure in the middle of the innings that was most impressive.

He didn’t do it all on his own, however, with Callum Ferguson continuing the dream start to his international career with a brilliant 55 not out off 35 balls in just his fourth ODI.

Having joined Haddin at the crease at 70-4, the pair put together an unbeaten 98-run stand to steal the upper hand at the midway point.

James Hopes (5) got the Australian innings going with a boundary in the second over but his aggression soon cost him his wicket when he skied a wild pull-shot to Daniel Vettori, who made no mistake.

Kyle Mills (2-22) kept the pressure on the home side when he removed Australia captain Ponting (2) caught behind with a well directed out-swinger.

David Hussey, who made a match-winning 79 in the previous match, found the going much tougher this time around and was bowled by Iain O’Brien for six.

Haddin continued to plunder the Black Caps attack, however Vettori (1-24) halted Australia’s momentum when Mike Hussey hit a long-hop straight to Diamanti at mid-wicket to depart for nine.

Anguish

Haddin momentarily went into his shell before bringing up his half-century with a single as he and Ferguson looked to set the launching pad.

The pair finished the innings with a flourish as Ferguson brought up his maiden ODI half-century to a standing ovation at the Gabba.

The 24-year-old blasted seven fours in his 35-ball knock of 55 and Haddin then finished the innings off in style by blasting O’Brien for 14 in the final over.

New Zealand, chasing a revised total of 156 from 20 overs, suffered an early setback when explosive opener Brendon McCullum was clean bowled by Ben Hilfenhaus with just the second ball of the innings.

Peter Fulton and Guptill then took the attack to Australia, the former blasting two huge sixes before he was dismissed by Nathan Bracken for 22.

Guptill was then forced to watch on with anguish at the non-striker’s end as Ross Taylor (4), Grant Elliott (0), Neil Broom (0) and Kyle Mills (1) all departed.

Reeling on 73-6, Diamanti and Guptill then launched an inspired counter attack to bring New Zealand close to what had earlier seemed an improbable victory.

Guptill passed his second ODI half-century and continued his assault with a flurry of destructive pull shots to put the Gabba crowd on the edge of their seats.

However, with just 33 further runs required from 42 deliveries, heavy rain forced umpires Steve Bucknor and Rod Tucker to abandon proceedings.

Scolari lifts lid on Chelsea :- Sacked Blues boss gives insight into Stamford Bridge spell

Sacked Chelsea boss has admitted that he had no relationship with his players away from training and matches.

In an interview with France Football magazine, given before he was axed by the Stamford Bridge outfit on Monday, the Brazilian gives an insight to his brief reign in West London.

Reports of dressing room unrest blighted the World Cup-winning coach’s time with the club, and Scolari has admitted that he was not close to his squad.

He said: “There are egos in the dressing room, but that is normal, isn’t it? We all have egos.

“But my relationships with the players are good on the pitch. It is true that they are not the same as the relationships I had with my players in Portugal, but I spent five years there.

“In Brazil (as a club manager) it was also easier. I knew everything about the players. Here, I don’t have a family relation with the players. Everything is on the pitch. Outside, there is nothing.”

Magical

Scolari also felt that the club were missing a creative force who could unlock opposition defences, with Chelsea’s summer move for Robinho hijacked at the last minute in the summer by Manchester City.

He said: “At Chelsea we don’t have the player who can make the difference by himself by producing something magical on the pitch.

“We miss that. I don’t know why. In the past (Arjen) Robben was at Chelsea and he could make the difference. But now there is no-one.

“Robinho could have been this player. He is not afraid to dribble, to take a risk, As a Brazilian, I like this.

“My team isn’t Brazilian enough. It is a ‘bureaucratic’ team. That’s the style of my players. That’s why Robinho would have done a lot of good for the team.”

Missing

Scolari went on to explain why he left striker Didier Drogba out of his starting XI even when he regained fitness after injury, and suggested that France winger Florent Malouda was also well below his best form.

He added: “Drogba lacks a lot of confidence at the moment. After two or three big injuries, he is missing something. Drogba doesn’t have enough confidence, so I choose (Nicolas) Anelka.

“Malouda, at Chelsea, isn’t the Malouda from Lyon. He is OK, but he isn’t the same that he was with Lyon. He doesn’t make the difference in games any longer.”

Jones up for England :- Determined skipper back to lead Welsh in Cardiff

Returning captain Ryan Jones insists Wales will not underestimate England on Saturday.

The Ospreys flanker is back to lead the defending RBS Six Nations champions at the Millennium Stadium after missing the opening round victory over Scotland.

England are underdogs for the match as Martin Johnson continues in his fledgling efforts to build the side, but Jones is adamant his side takes every contest seriously regardless of the opponent.

“We are under no illusions about what we can expect on Saturday,” Jones said.

“As far as we are concerned, we see everyone in this competition as a challenge.

“It will be hard to retain the title, and we totally understand what it takes to get there – hard work and honesty.

“There was a lot of hard work done in training during the two weeks leading up to the tournament, while we are more settled as a squad these days than we have been for a long time.

“The ambitions and the expectations are there with us. It will be noisy on Saturday, it will be physical, and we will have to retain our composure and be clinical.”

Challenge

But having claimed Wales’ first win at Twickenham since 1988 last season head coach Warren Gatland knows records count for nothing on the day.

“This fixture is a bit of a reversal from last year,” Gatland said. “It just shows that a lot of things can change in 12 months, but there is also a lesson there in that we were not tipped to win at Twickenham, but we did, and it sparked our season.

“We will need to play better all around the park than we did last week if we are to beat England.

“They are a side with a vast amount of experience and they will respond well to having their backs to the wall.

“We have reached fourth place in the IRB world rankings, and our challenge now is to stay there and maintain consistency of performance.”

Buchanan to reject England :- Former Australia coach douses English interest

World Cup winning coach John Buchanan has played down speculation he could take charge of England.

The former Australia boss, who left the Baggy Greens following their 2007 World Cup triumph, looked to be the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) top target to replace Peter Moores at the helm.

Andy Flower has taken over in the interim but, with the home Ashes series to come in the summer, finding a full-time successor is of pressing concern.

Buchanan, 55, has revealed there has been no formal communication with the ECB, though, and said he was “extremely unlikely” to accept the role anyway.

Doubt

“It is extremely unlikely for me to accept a full-time coaching role with the English cricket team for a number of reasons,” he said.

“I finished the coaching role with Cricket Australia because I believe in a shelf life for coaches, and in my opinion, I had reached mine by the completion of the World Cup in 2007.

“I am not sure I could travel that road again, and indeed with another country.”

His words are sure to have disappointed managing director of England cricket Hugh Morris – who spoke in glowing terms about elite cricket’s most successful coach earlier in the week.

“John Buchanan of Australia has won 75 percent of matches at all levels, far more than anyone in the history of the game,” Morris said.

“We are looking for the best man for the job, someone who can create a positive atmosphere for the team, manage people well, manage coaches well, perhaps coach as well, and I’m confident we will find the right person to do that.”

With the first Ashes Test set to start in Cardiff on July 8 the ECB will have to work fast to ensure the new coach gets time to make an impact before the summer.