Sports Commentary - Times Online - WBLG

Did the better side prevail in Pretoria?

Frank Praverman

The injustice. The cruelty. The pain.

The Lions are licking their wounds this morning, knowing that the series is over. Five heroes lay in hospital and the rest are scratching their heads wondering what went wrong.

Saturday's match was one of the greatest internationals ever and arguments will rage long after the tour is ended.

Schalk Burger has since been given an eight-week ban for gouging Luke Fitzgerald's eye only 32 seconds into the match and Bakkies Botha has received a fortnight's suspension for a dangerous charge on Adam Jones.

Mike Phillips, the Wales scrum half, labelled Burger's behaviour "disgusting" and wants to know why he did not receive a red card. He's not the only one. And had the rightful punishment been meted out there and then, the Lions would have held a one-man advantage for almost the entire game.

David Hands, The Times Rugby Correspondent, asks "what if ...".

"What if Burger had been given a red card rather than a yellow for gouging Fitzgerald’s eye in the first minute? Or the game had not gone to uncontested scrums for nearly all of the second half, or the Lions midfield had remained intact?"

But South Africa are not world champions for nothing. Simon Shaw, who gave his best performance of his 15-year senior career, and Paul O'Connell, his captain, acknowledged that the Lions lost their way in the third quarter.

The Springboks took advantage - and this is what good sides do. They never let the Lions get out of sight, even when they were getting battered in the first half. They always looked like they had something in the locker, and so it proved when Bryan Habana sprung through.

So did they deserve their victory or were the Lions hard done by? Have your say below.

What will Michael Vaughan's legacy be?

Carrie Dunn

If the reports are true, Michael Vaughan will announce his retirement from cricket on Tuesday.

And the announcement would have been sooner - probably immediately after the Ashes squad was revealed without him in it - had he not had to extricate himself from a central contract with the ECB.

So is this the right time for him to retire gracefully? Perhaps it may even be a month or two too late. With his county form so below par this year, he could hardly have genuinely expected a call-up for the summer series. After his long-running ongoing knee problems, he has never recovered any kind of sparkling form with the bat. Yorkshire, pushing for silverware, don't need to carry any passengers not entirely focused on winning county honours, nor do they need any distractions from what happens on the field.

Having said that, in another sense the timing is fitting - stepping down immediately before a home Ashes series reminds us of how brilliantly he led his side in 2005. Reclaiming the urn after so many years of unrewarded toil against Australia will be many people's overriding memory of him; but his dynamic captaincy over several years, making England into a side that knew how to win, should not be forgotten. His team were unbeaten during 2004, including a run of eight consecutive victories; they beat the West Indies and South Africa away for the first time in years; and they won every single home Test against the West Indies and New Zealand.

Is this the right decision for Michael Vaughan - and what will his legacy be?

Can Andy Murray end 73 years of hurt?

Carrie Dunn

After he cruised to victory against Viktor Troicki on Saturday, the whispers are louder and the hype is getting stronger. Can Andy Murray become the first British man to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936?

There's no doubt that he has the talent. With 12 career titles - four of them this year - he is the most naturally gifted tennis player from Britain in several generations. Not only that, this year he has shown the dedication, application and inclination to work at improving his game even further. He now has a tight team assembled around him - including an agent to handle the increasing media interest in his life - and with the championships accruing, he's increasingly adept at dealing with the spotlight placed on the best in the world.

However, he has yet to win a grand-slam tournament. He finished runner-up to Roger Federer in the US Open - the man he is likely to face in the Wimbledon final if all goes to plan - but otherwise the best he can boast is a quarter-final finish at Roland Garros and at SW19. Is he liable to crack under the weight of expectation? He thinks this is his time. The world will be watching in the second week of Wimbledon.

Room 4-4-2: Wooden rackets

There was a time in tennis when touch and finesse were prized above power and grunting. And the weapon of choice was a wooden racket.

After years of experimentation in materials and shape, the wooden model dominated the game for some 100 years before the advent of metal, graphite and titanium.

Manufacturers such as Dunlop, Slazenger, Wilson and Spalding led the way with wood, producing rackets that were generally heavier than today’s, with much smaller sweet spots. The strings were made of natural gut, which proved expensive and inconsistent. However, the rackets had a great deal of flexibility, which allowed for delicate play.

Wilson produced the revolutionary T2000 steel racket in the late 1960s and the days of wood were numbered. Spalding’s aluminium Smasher continued the metal trend and John McEnroe became the last player to win Wimbledon with a wooden racket when he took his first title in 1981, beating Björn Borg 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-4. The last time anyone used a wooden racket at the All England Club was in 1987.

What would you like to see in Room 4-4-2’s summer show? Get in touch at room442@thetimes.co.uk

Words by Calvin Shulman

Back of the Net: McEnroe's rant

These days John McEnroe is an Establishment man: polite, thoughtful, scrubbed-up. Why, you could introduce him to your mother. But what everyone remembers him for are the tantrums, the wild hair and the way he wielded a wooden racket. What hypocrites. We criticise Andy Murray for the odd sulk, but we fondly recollect an American telling an umpire he is “the pits of the world”. It was such a piece of sporting history that Big Mac's catchphrase was even used to promote a Harry Potter film: “You cannot be Sirius.”

Room 4-4-2: Ainsley’s agony

A story to gladden the hearts of all recreational golfers is this week’s nomination for our treasure trove of summer sporting memories.
 
Ray Ainsley became the unlikely hero of the 1938 US Open when he took a record-breaking 19 shots at the par-four 16th hole at the Cherry Hills Country Club (above) in Englewood, Colorado.
 
The American’s approach shot went into the creek bordering the green — and then the fun started. Ainsley did not realise that he could take a drop so he began hacking away at the ball, which was submerged in running water. After 30 minutes in the stream he got the ball on to the fairway, pitched on to the green and holed his putt.
 
Bud McKinney, a fellow competitor, said: “He was hitting the ball like a wild man. It would occasionally jump like a fish and land on the bank only to roll back in.” Ainsley’s final score of 96 for the round was not too bad given the circumstances.
 
A sports columnist summed up the moment: “Ray Ainsley was the most beloved man in the United States. Five million golf duffers recognised him as the beau ideal.”
 
What would you like to see in Room 4-4-2’s summer show? Get in touch at room442@thetimes.co.uk
 
Words by Calvin Shulman

Room 4-4-2: Fred Trueman’s boots

This week’s entry into Room 4-4-2’s summer exhibition adds to our collection of footwear in the shape of the boots worn by one of England’s cricketing legends. 

They were nominated by Trevor Openshaw, who remembers them being specially reinforced with metal toecaps to cope with the strains put on them by Fiery Fred. Trueman (1931-2006) played for Yorkshire and England for 20 years despite problems early in his career with his feet and ankles that required him to wear tailor-made boots.

The cobblers in question did the job well because the fast bowler rarely missed a game and bowled more than 99,000 balls in his first-class career. He played 67 times for England and became the first man to take 300 Test wickets, finishing with 307 at an impressive average of 21.57. He believed that he could and should have played many more times for his country, but his forthright manner often led timid selectors to overlook him, especially for overseas tours.

After retiring from cricket he became an after-dinner speaker, radio summariser and television presenter.

What sporting trivia would you like to see in our close-season collection? Get in touch at room442@thetimes.co.uk

Words by Calvin Shulman

Debate: who should the Lions drop for the second Test against South Africa?

 

Richard Neale

The Lions must win the second Test in Pretoria on Saturday to retain any hope of winning the series against South Africa.

There are two ways of looking at the 26-21 reverse in Durban, depending on whether you are the sort of person who looks at the glass as half-full or half-empty.

The Lions were outplayed for an hour, they were hopeless in the scrum and the line-out, saw too little of the ball and at one stage looked like they were going to be on the end of a good hiding.

South Africa removed several of their influentuial players at three-quarter time, offering Ian McGeechan’s side a lifeline which they seized with both hands.

Indeed, had Ugo Monye’s hands been safer on the wing, they might have been looking at a famous and unlikely comeback victory as opposed to what might have been.

The question therefore, is whether you believe that the result flattered the Lions and whether changes need to made for the second Test, or if you think the likes of Phil Vickery, the prop, and Monye deserve a second chance to redeem themselves.

Please vote in our poll and we welcome your comments as to who you think would be deserving of a call-up for the next Test.

Online Surveys & Market Research

Online Surveys & Market Research

Back of the net: Jeremy Guscott's drop goal

Jeremy Guscott kicked three dropped goals in his ten-year international career but the only one that mattered was from within the South Africa 22 at Durban with four minutes remaining in the second international of the 1997 Lions series.

The Lions had won in Cape Town but trailed 15-9 in the second half in Durban. Neil Jenkins drew the touring side level with two penalty goals but time was ebbing away when Neil Back stole the ball at a ruck and Keith Wood hacked it downfield to set up a final attack. The Lions mauling was superb, sucking in men to give Guscott space for the series-winning kick.

Vote for your Lions XV

Richard Neale

Lawrence Dallaglio, David Walsh, Stuart Barnes and Stephen Jones of the Sunday Times have all listed their ideal Lions team to play the first Test against South Africa on Saturday.

Do you agree with their choices? Have a look at their sides then vote below for your starting XV and let us know in the comment box why you went for who you did.

Lawrence Dallaglio
Lee Byrne (Wales); Tommy Bowe (Ire), Brian O’Driscoll (Ire), Jamie Roberts (Wales), Ugo Monye (Eng); Ronan O’Gara (Ire), Mike Phillips (Wales); Gethin Jenkins (Wales), Lee Mears (Eng), Phil Vickery (Eng), Simon Shaw (Eng), Paul O’Connell (Ire,capt), Tom Croft (Eng), Jamie Heaslip (Ire), David Wallace (Ire).

David Walsh
Lee Byrne (Wales); Tommy Bowe (Ire), Brian O’Driscoll (Ire), Jamie Roberts (Wales), Luke Fitzgerald (Ire); Ronan O’Gara (Ire), Mike Phillips (Wales); Gethin Jenkins (Wales), Lee Mears (Eng), Phil Vickery (Eng), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), Paul O'Connell (Ire, capt), Tom Croft (Eng), Jamie Heaslip (Ire), David Wallace (Ire).

Stuart Barnes
Lee Byrne (Wales); Tommy Bowe (Ire), Brian O’Driscoll (Ire), Jamie Roberts (Wales), Ugo Monye (Eng); Stephen Jones (Wales), Mike Phillips (Wales); Gethin Jenkins (Wales), Lee Mears (Eng), Phil Vickery (Eng), Nathan Hines (Scot), Paul O'Connell (Ire, capt), Joe Worsley (Eng), Jamie Heaslip (Ire), Martyn Williams (Wales).

Stephen Jones
Lee Byrne (Wales); Tommy Bowe (Ire), Brian O’Driscoll (Ire), Jamie Roberts (Wales), Ugo Monye (Eng); Stephen Jones (Wales), Mike Phillips (Wales); Andrew Sheridan (Eng), Lee Mears (Eng), Phil Vickery (Eng, capt), Simon Shaw (Eng), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), Joe Worsley (Eng), Jamie Heaslip (Ire), Martyn Williams (Wales).

Is Roger Federer the greatest of all time?

Federer takes his place at game's summit | Simon Barnes: statistics back up artistry | Federer has a hand in women's title as well | Graphic: grand-slam roll of honour | Debate: is Federer really the greatest of all time? | Debate: is Federer really the greatest of all time?

Frank Praverman

Neil Harman says there is no doubt now who is the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time).

Simon Barnes says he has the stats to prove it, and the stats don't lie.

Roger Federer's 14th grand-slam title, achieved yesterday at the French Open, equals the record of Pete Sampras. It also completed his own personal slam of winning all four of the major titles - one of only six people to do it.

Now the talk is of how many Federer can win before it becomes a bit blasé. Wimbledon? He is the overwhelming favourite for sure, the more so if Rafael Nadal, the world No 1, does not play. The US Open? He has won the last five in New York. Six? Pah. That would be 16 in total, rendering argument as to his place in history fatuous.

But what about right now? Where does Federer stand in the pantheon of all-time greats? Does he surpass Sampras's boom-and-bang supremacy of the nineties? Or Roy Emerson's all-round superiority which won him 28 grand-slam titles in all, including 12 singles triumphs? What about Bjorn Borg, whose steeliness changed the face of tennis?

Is Federer the greatest of all time? Have your say now.

Debate: how important is Pietersen to England's Ashes hopes?

Kevin Pietersen once more underlined his value to the England team on Sunday, celebrating his return to the side by top-scoring with 58 from 38 deliveries against Pakistan at The Oval to help the hosts avert a humiliating early exit from the World Twenty20.
 
KP has been bothered by an old Achilles injury which has flared up again recently, and was given a cortisone injection to help alleviate the pain having missed the opening match against the Netherlands.
 
While England fans are no doubt grateful that his contribution helped at least preserve their interest in the tournament into a second week, would it surely not be better to have him rest up and guarantee he is in tip-top shape for the Ashes?
 
How important to you think a fit Pietersen is to England's chances of regaining the famous old urn and do you think they are right to risk his participation in the summer showpiece against Australia by playing him in the shorter form of the game?

Bentos's Moment: how the 1997 Lions tour was turned

Frank Praverman

The Lions’ crushing defeat of the Golden Lions was a step in the right direction but the smell of fear still hangs in the air as the first Test approaches in South Africa. Often, inspiration is found in the most unlikely of places. In 1997 it was provided by John Bentley, the unfashionable winger who is credited with turning the tour with his quicksilver, swerving 70-yard dash for the line. Have the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end as you watch “Bentos's Moment” again, and start to believe in the class of 2009.

Rafa Nadal leads the way, but who are the world's most sporting sportsmen?

Times Online

Rafa Nadal has won new friends around the world due to the graciousness with which he accepted his first defeat at the French Open on Sunday.

After four straight victories at Roland Garros, it would have been understandable for the world No 1 to shun the press, hop on a plane and sulk at home in Mallorca.

Far from it. Nadal, speaking exclusively in his Times Online blog, insisted his defeat to Robin Soderling in Paris "was not a tragedy". "It was only a tennis match," he said. "No big drama. It happens, and I knew it would happen one day. I played really bad and on top of that he played well.”

Readers of his blog have been quick to congratulate the Spaniard on his attitude. “The way that you and Roger Federer conduct yourselves, win or lose, is a great credit to you both and your sport. I wish people in other sports could learn from that,” said Chris.

Can Andy Murray win the French Open?

Frank Praverman

Opportunity knocks for the 12 remaining men at Roland Garros, says Neil Harman. Two of that dozen will fancy their chances more than most now that Rafael Nadal, the holder and world No 1, is out.

Roger Federer has been to the past three French Open finals and lost each one to his nemesis. His game is looking more assured as every round passes and there is the added incentive for the Swiss to prove his doubters wrong and claim a victory that would equal Pete Sampras's record of 14 grand slam titles.

Yet, given that he is the second highest-ranked player and has beaten the man above him six of the past seven times, why should it not be Andy Murray’s championship?

Murray’s progress to the quarter-finals for the first time was manifestly his best performance in the tournament, defeating Marin Cilic, the No 13 seed from Croatia 7-5, 7-6, 6-1. He barely put a foot wrong.

Fernando González, of Chile, has never played Murray on clay and so their meeting tomorrow is likely to be every bit as frenetic and dramatic as the third-round match in the US Open in 2006, which Murray won in five tough sets.

Buoyed by his world No 3 ranking and seemingly more comfortable on the red top, is it too soon to believe that Murray can go all the way or should we be preparing the bunting and ticker tape now?

Can Murray win the French Open? Have your say below.