Stobart eye podium place for 2010

The Stobart M-Sport Ford World Rally Team are looking to push ahead of manufacturer rivals Citroen Junior Team at next week’s Vodafone Rally de Portugal.

The Cumbria-based squad are relying on drivers Matthew Wilson and Henning Solberg to close the one point gap between them and the French outfit in the manufacturer’s Championship when the WRC heads to the Algarve for the 6th round of this year’s rally calendar.

Wilson finished the 2009 Rally de Portugal on foot after he crashed off the road less than two kilometres from the finish line, but after a positive performance in New Zealand the Englishman is determined not to make a similar mistake:

“I’m really looking forward to going back to Portugal. My stage times were good in this rally last year and we are keen to keep the momentum going from New Zealand earlier this month” said Wilson, “The stages will be harder on the car than New Zealand and the amount of dust from the dry weather recently could be a potential problem. There is always a huge buzz at Rally de Portugal and the super special stages in the Algarve Stadium provide a fantastic atmosphere as there are huge crowds.”

Solberg’s fifth place finish in Portugal last year proved the Norwegian has the skill to navigate the 355km of gravel track that awaits him next week, but after handling problems in New Zealand, the dusty stages of the Algarve may cause the Ford Focus RS WRC driver a few difficulties:

“I had some problems with handling over in New Zealand but everything should be sorted for Portugal” he told WRC.com, “The rally has some very nice stages but I think the good weather there recently might have made some of the stages very dusty, which could be a problem. As always I will work my hardest to get points for the team.”

Villagra hopeful ahead of Rally de Portugal

Argentinean Federico Villagra is hoping to build on his consistent form this season with another steady performance at the forthcoming Vodafone Rally de Portugal. 

The Munchi’s Ford World Rally team driver has shown promise so far in 2010 with four consecutive points finishes, and has his sights set on a fifth when he tackles the 335km of tricky gravel in the Algarve next week.

After finishing the 2009 Rally de Portugal in a season’s best of 7^th, Villagra and his co-driver Jorge Pérez Companc will be looking to push their Ford Focus RS WRC even harder this year on the 18 technical stages, in an effort to leapfrog their closest rival, Henning Solberg, who is just two points ahead of the duo in the championship drivers’ standings.

“Last time I was in Portugal it was a good rally for me but the rally is difficult with a lot of technical stages”, said Villagra, “We weren’t able to find the right speed and I had to drive slower than I wanted to but I am hoping that this year I will be able to find the right rhythm early on.  I feel like I am steadily improving this year and have made no major mistakes so I just look forward to another steady performance in Portugal.”

Can the charge of the Red Bulls be stopped?

It was the defining image of this year’s F1 season. Two Red Bull cars - piloted by the in-form Mark Webber and German wunderkid Sebastien Vettel - crossing the finishing line at the Monaco Grand Prix with a trail of perplexed and exasperated drivers in their wake. It was the domination of the worlds most prestigious and glamorous racing circuit by the sport’s most formidable team, and was a victory that cemented the team’s ambitions.

There were always whispers on the F1 grapevine back in the pre-season that Adrien Newey and his team in Milton Keynes had crafted a car that would put Red Bull at the forefront of this year’s title contention, but it’s doubtful any of the teams were expecting the RB6’s pace to be as consistent and as dumbfounding as the last six races have proved.

Far out out in front

Webber and Vettel have stepped up to the podium three times each this season, and it could have been more, had they not been plagued by technical problems in Melbourne. This has amounted to156 points between them, splitting the pot with 78 each, and putting them at the top of the 2010 championship leader board.

That’s unsurprising seeing as though at every race (besides China), there has been a Red Bull car leading the pack when the red lights go out. This blistering pace in qualifying led to early season controversy over the RB6’s ride height system, but it was more a desperate attempt to try and justify why the other teams were falling behind by nearly a second on the hot laps.

Even Brawn’s aerodynamic advantage in the 2009 season (with its rear diffuser) only opened up a 0.4 sec gap between it and the Red Bull cars, and that was only in the first few races, after which other teams cottoned on. This year however, teams have made the upgrades to their machines, and they are still lagging far behind the Bulls.

Further bad news for the team’s rivals is that Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing’s team principal, has announced another upgrade package for the Turkish Grand Prix in a week’s time:

“We still don't have the blown rear wing or F-duct, so inevitably there is a research project that is going on into that," he told Autosport, "Istanbul could be a venue where that could be introduced”.

You can picture the race engineers at Ferrari and Mclaren chewing away at their already worn-down finger nails, and from what is being said in the press, some of the drivers are also. The 2008 World Champion - Lewis Hamilton - never one to back down from a challenge, has voiced the concerns of his fellow competitors after what was two -horse race in Monte Carlo:

“"They are still really far ahead," Hamilton told Reuters.”They have been so quick. They didn't even push in this race, they weren't even pushing. It's not scary, it just takes the mickey a little bit. It was a bit too easy for them.”

Missed Chances

As it stands, the championship title is still very much up for grabs. Despite the Red Bull’s flying start, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso trails by just three points, with Mclaren’s Jenson Button just five behind the Spaniard.

They should count themselves lucky though to be within even touching distance of Webber and Vettel. Until Spain and Monaco, the pair had struggled to convert position into points, with spark plug failures, braking problems and tyre issues all managing to halt their progress.

It’s clear that one of their biggest rivals is themselves. In 2009, their season was blighted by unreliability and if they carry on at the furious rate they have started the 2010 season, reliability might be the only thing that can stop them.

Of course the other drivers will do their best. Fernando Alonso’s dogged and determined race in Monaco showed that if he hadn’t crashed in practice he might have been a likely contender for one of the podium spots at least.

Jenson Button has also remained competitive for the first six rounds, but thanks to an overheated engine, was unable to finish last Sunday.

Mclaren have “some developments” in the pipeline, according to Hamilton, but there is nothing immediate.
The former World Champion does however feel that the Mclarens will fare better in the up and coming races:

“We're a lot more confident about what our pace will be like at tracks like Istanbul, Canada and Silverstone - we think our package will be a lot more competitive at those places, particularly in race pace, which has always been our strength.” he told Autosport.

Race pace has been good for Mclaren, Ferrari and Mercedes this year, but the qualifying pace is where Red Bull has led the charge. If the teams can buck this trend at Turkey in a week’s time (a track basically designed for Red Bull), then the championship’s destiny may slip from the grasp of Vettel and Webber.

If not then this season could be over by the time we leave Europe for the last few rounds of the race calendar. Only time will tell.

Bath back on the straight and narrow after time in the wilderness

The look on Steve Meehan’s face said it all.  His team’s hopes of a Guinness Premiership title had just been dashed in an error-strewn defeat against Leicester - Bath’s third semi-final loss in as many years and one that no doubt would cut them deeply -   yet the West Country club’s head coach was beaming with pride. 

And he has a lot to be proud about.  His team have scored the most tries out of any this season (49), and have clawed their way back from the lower end of the table to make this year’s playoffs with some stunning rugby.  Yet neither of these on pitch achievements compare to the turnaround the club has accomplished off the field.

A team plagued by scandal

This time last year – after the identical semi-final fixture at Welford Road - Bath rugby plunged itself into the darkest depths of scandal after an end of season party in London turned sour.  Allegations of drug taking ensued and four senior players resigned as a result, with one of them, Justin Harrison, admitting to taking cocaine.

Public opinion of the club had barely had a chance to recover following Matt Stevens’ two year ban for class A drug abuse just months earlier, but now it was at an all time low.  It was puzzling, why an institution of British rugby, steeped in history, was suddenly being blighted by a modern day temptation.  Most of all, it was also a stark realisation for the club’s fans, that the Man Mountains they worshipped week in week out, were human after all.

Coupled with the loss of forwards coach, Mark Bakewell, the club reached new lows, and despite the PR friendly facade that claimed confidence was at a high, in reality it had plummeted, and on the pitch it showed.

A string of losses kicked off their 2009/10 campaign, including a thorough beating at the hands of lifelong rivals Gloucester and a home defeat to Wasps.  It wasn’t until December that Steve Meehan’s men gained their first home victory, but it didn’t look promising as relegation loomed over the River Avon. 

Not only had injury sidelined some of their headline acts, but there was a lack of panache and innovation to Bath’s game.   Steve Meehan was clinging on to his job and the supporters were on the brink of revolution.  It seemed like the club had been dealt a heavy blow and was not getting back up.

New Year’s Resolution

The New Year marked a new era for the club, its form rejuvenated by the return of Butch James and Olly Barkley – two of the club’s stalwarts – and its bank accounts replenished by new club owner and wealthiest man in the Premiership, Bruce Craig.

On the pitch, James and Barkley catalysed the copious amount of talent within the club’s ranks which had remained latent in the run up to Christmas.  Players like Nick Abendanon, Joe Maddock, and Luke Watson all began showing why Bath are a team to be feared,  and helped propel them from 11^th to fourth, the team taking 49 points from 12 matches in the process.

Off the pitch, Craig began planning the team’s future, acquiring a 99 year lease on Farleigh House – an historic 17^th century manor house that is set to house the club’s new administrative HQ and training centre.  He also plans to move Bath to a new ground, with three options currently on the table- one of which is an extravagant renovation of the Rec, planning permitting of course.  With an estimated £300 million in the bank though, I imagine that these developments are just the beginning. 

However it’s not just the tangible improvements or even the resurgent form of recent that is causing widespread optimism across the city.  There is a real buzz and resilience amongst the fans that was vacant from the crowded out stands at the Rec earlier in the season.  People believe the club is back on the straight and narrow and is finally back doing what it does best; playing exciting rugby.  I’m sure I’m not the only one who is glad to have them back.

Murray in search of form before the green grass of Wimbledon

When Andy Murray walked out under the glaring lights of the Rod Laver Arena for the Australian Open final, he did so with a spring in his step.

He had swept aside Croatian Marin Cilic just two days earlier in the semi final with a supreme display of power, accuracy and a few trick shots for good measure, and was just one match away from writing himself into the history books as the first British player since Fred Perry to win a major title.

All that stood in his way was Roger Federer, arguably the most talented player in the sport’s history and for whom appearances in major finals are as predictable as the searing heat that arrives just in time for the tournament.

Three sets later, Federer was claiming his 16th Grand Slam title, whilst a dejected Murray was left in tears. It was a painful loss, but nonetheless a promising start to what British tennis fans hoped would be a golden year for the world no.4.

Fast-forward four months and you would be forgiven for thinking that the defeat in Australia may have cut the world no.5 more deeply than was expected.


LACK OF FORM

Since Melbourne, Murray has shown little reason for fans to fork out their hard earned British pounds next month, when players converge on the All England Lawn Tennis club for Wimbledon.

He was dumped out of the Miami Masters in March by the 28 year-old American Mardy Fish, and then managed just over three hours of play in Monte Carlo before going out in the first round against Philip Kohlschreiber, in a match Murray claimed was the worst he had ever played.

A marginally improved display in Rome at least got the Scotsman past the first round; eventually losing to the in-form Spaniard David Ferrer in the third, yet the consistency and dogged determination that led to his six titles in 2009 was still vacant from his game.

A handful of blistering aces and delicate drop shots coupled with solid baseline work showed signs of improvement at the Foro Italico, but there was not enough substance to worry the competition at Roland Garros next week and at Wimbledon next month.

In an interview with The Times, Murray showed that he wasn’t too worried about his form and lack of tournament endurance:

“I’m not worried at all,” he said. “I’d rather have played more recently, but there were eight weeks between the tour finals last year and the Australian Open and I reached the final. I took five weeks off after Wimbledon last year and won Montreal. The year before that I took five weeks after the US Open and won Madrid and St Petersburg.

“It’s all about practising and training properly, and being in the best shape, because that’s what gives me confidence, by hitting thousands of balls. I am a good player, I know that.”


CRUNCH TIME
Murray is about to embark on the most intense eight weeks of his competitive year, beginning with the Madrid Masters this week.

It’s a tournament he knows well - having won in 2008 when it was a hard court event- and with the French Open looming just days away it’s his last chance to gain some vital tournament hours and iron out the inconsistencies that have plagued his clay-court game.

With three of the top six absent, including world number two Novak Djokovic, number five Juan Martin Del Potro and number six Nikolay Davydenko, the likelihood of a comeback is already looking promising.

Away from the clay though is where Murray’s hopes for the rest of 2010 really lie. The grass court season kicks off with Queens next month - a competition he goes into as defending champion – followed closely by the main event of every tennis fan’s calendar, Wimbledon.

Mount Murray will be packed to the rafters with hoards of expectant fans, strawberries and cream in hand, all urging the Scotsman on to victory in every point. And maybe that’s what he has been missing.

The crowd at SW19 carried “Tiger Tim” to some of the best performances of his career, helping him to slay some of the tennis world’s giants. Now Murray, a player of Wimbledon-winning potential, must embrace them with open arms and hope they can help him bury the tennis demons that have troubled him on the clay.

That’s if they are not watching the world cup, which on Murray’s current form, might be a good thing.

Federer on course for Paris

Roger Federer has progressed comfortably to the second round of the Madrid Masters, beating 46th ranked Benjamin Becker 6-2, 7-6.

The current world No.1 has lacked the kind of form that won him the Australian Open and has struggled on clay, going out in both the Estoril and Rome Masters before the finals, but today’s dominant performance showed his intent before Roland Garros later this month.

He told reporters: “"It would be great to win here again if I could. But no matter what happens, I‘ll be prepared for Paris.”

Gulbis cruises to second round at Madrid Masters

Latvian Ernest Gulbis defeated Estoril Open champion Albert Montanes in straight sets in the first round of this year’s Madrid Masters this afternoon.

The 21 year-old dispatched the Spanish clay-court specialist 7-5, 6-1, showing the kind of resilience that put world No.1 Roger Federer out of the Rome Masters in April. 

The win moves Gulbis up to No.33 in the world, edging the youngster ever closer to being seeded at the up and coming French Open.

Poor Start

Montanes began the match strongly, breaking Gulbis’ serve on his first attempt, and had a chance to take the first set on 5-3.

Yet the Latvian – after smashing his racket in frustration- managed to maintain his composure and took advantage of the Spaniard’s unforced errors to take the first set 7-5.

He then continued to pile on the pressure in the second set with delicate drop shots and booming base line ground strokes.

His opponent took two medical time outs for a groin strain and eventually conceded the set 6-1.

Montanes will be frustrated with the loss as his form of recent on clay has been formidable, winning the Estoril Open on Sunday.

In head to head competition, Gulbis now leads Montanes 3-1, with the Spaniard’s only victory coming on clay.

Latvala wins Rally New Zealand in final day thriller

Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala has clinched victory at this year’s Rally New Zealand, finishing just 2.4 seconds ahead of Citroen’s Sebastien Ogier.

The Ford Focus RS driver was 6.2 seconds behind Ogier going into the final 29 km Whaanga Coast stage, but managed to edge into first when the young Frenchman spun and stalled his car just three corners from the finish.

It’s the Finn’s first victory since Rally d’Italia-Sardegna almost 12 months ago and puts him in second place in the driver’s standings after five events.

Latvala told reporters: “This is unbelievable. I spoke to [Ford team boss] Malcolm Wilson before the start of the last stage and he just told me to keep going like I had been. I tried not to be too hard at the start in case I made a mistake. At the last split I realised I was 2.7s down so then I did try. But at the end I could not believe it.”

After a mixed set of results so far this season and an inconsistent 2009 championship, Jari-Matti is now showing why he is regarded as one of the most promising young talents in the sport, much to the delight of his Team Boss, Malcolm Wilson:

“The consistency of his stage times is what's pleased me most. We know he's capable of doing stunning stage times, but then sometimes he might be 10 seconds off the pace. This year we're not seeing that because he's far more consistent. More than that, he's been a lot easier on the car. The whole package is completely different to where we were 12 months ago.”

Cox set for Gloucester Switch

Worcester Warriors back row forward, Matt Cox, is to join Gloucester Rugby for the 2010-11 season, adding further strength and depth to the Cherry and Whites squad.

The 22-year old Worcester academy graduate has made more than 20 1^st XV appearances for the Warriors since 2008 and featured in the side’s 23-22 defeat against his new club last Saturday.

The youngster has also made his mark on the international scene, playing in all five matches for England U20 in the 2008 six nations, as well as showing promise on the international 7’s circuit.

Gloucester Rugby’s Head Coach, Brian Redpath, said: "I first met Matt a couple of years ago and he's always been on our radar as one of the best young back row forwards coming through. He came on on Saturday and made an impression on the game with his physicality.

"Matt will challenge our group and the people who are in there. Youth can be good.

"He's a lineout forward, he's mobile and he's a dog. And I like that. People who are willing to front up, fight and put themselves in the mix."

WARATAHS IN SIGHT OF SEMI FINAL SPOT

Waratahs edged ever closer to a Super 14 semi-final spot with a dominant 46-19 victory over the Chiefs at the Waikato stadium in Hamilton. 

Seven tries secured a much needed bonus point for Chris Hickey’s men, who are now in third place in the league standings, one point ahead of rivals Hurricanes. 

Winger Drew Mitchell, no.8 Ben Mowen, and full back Kurtley Beale were amongst the scorers, helping to get the away-side back to winning ways after last week’s disappointing display against the Highlanders. 

The injury-stricken Chiefs - who have lost six in a row at home – showed their attacking potential in the latter stages of the match, with tries from full back Tim Nanai Williams and centre Jackson Willison, yet it was too little too late for the New Zealand side.

CLINICAL FIRST HALF DISPLAY

The Waratahs set the tone for the match early on with a brilliant individual score from Australian International Drew Mitchell, running in a try from inside his own half just two minutes into the game. 

Despite continued pressure from the Tah’s - including a 22 phase piece of play- it wasn’t until midway through the first half that they extended their lead, when Ben Mowen cut through a gaping hole in the stretched Chiefs defence to score under the posts, making it 12-0.

Unforced errors and a lack of fluidity in the Chiefs’ backline was soon capitalised on by the Waratahs’s pack, who mauled the ball over the line for a try from hooker Tatafu Polota Nau, his fourth of the season.

Berrick Barnes added a further three points to make it 20-0 at half time. 

BRILLIANT BEALE

If the 70% Waratah possession in the first half wasn’t enough to show their dominance, an interception try by Barnes in the first few seconds of the second half certainly put the nail in the Chiefs’ coffin, the fly half speeding to the line to make it 27-0.

It took over an hour for the home side to put points on the board thanks to full back Tim Nanai Williams, who took advantage of the wafer thin Waratah defence out wide, but it didn’t take long for his opposite number, 21-year old Kurtley Beale, to latch onto a Barnes grubber kick on 65 minutes to increase the lead to 39-5.

The young try-scorer turned provider just minutes later, as Beale’s scything run and delicately weighted kick set up winger Lachlan Turner in the corner for the fifth try of the night. 

Two late tries from Chiefs inside centre Jackson Willison were a minor consolation to what had been a lacklustre 80-minute performance by last year’s finalists, which was ended by a try from Tah’s replacement hooker Damien Fitzpatrick.

Waratah’s Captain Phil Waugh told Sky Sports:

“It was pleasing to come out and perform like we did tonight after last week’s disappointing performance in Invercargill.  I am very proud of the guys, the discipline was good and we stuck to our strategy.”