Australia MotoGP 2011: Super Stoner seals title on home soil

THE race for the 2011 MotoGP championship is over and it ended in style for Casey Stoner.  On home soil, he took the race win in Australia to seal his second title, four years after his last success on a Ducati.  It is his sixth victory in Phillip Island, giving him an unassailable lead over former champion, Jorge Lorenzo in the standings.

      Lorenzo didn’t race and will also miss this weekend’s event in Malaysia, after a nasty crash in the closing stages of Sunday’s warm-up session.  He came off his Yamaha at high speed, badly injuring his hand and was declared unfit to start.  With Ben Spies missing the event too, after he crashed heavily during qualifying on Saturday, the works Yamaha team had little to do for the race.  Lorenzo’s forced non-participation meant sixth or better was good enough for Repsol Honda rider Stoner, the class of the field in 2011 and that never looked in doubt.

      On his 26^th birthday, he cleared into the distance from pole position.  Attention quickly turned to a fierce battle for second place between Nicky Hayden, Marco Simoncelli, Alvaro Bautista’s Suzuki and Andrea Dovizioso.  Simoncelli eventually won this dice, before a bright sunny day turned into a damp event, as the unpredictable Phillip Island weather once again made sure all riders would have to keep their wits about them.  One who didn’t was Valentino Rossi, who passed Bautista, then promptly fell off to record his second successive DNF in what has been an incredibly frustrating season for The Doctor.  Later on, Bautista also became a victim of the tricky conditions, throwing away a certain fourth place.

      Ahead of them, Dani Pedrosa, who’d, had a very quiet weekend by his high standards, started to pressure Dovizioso for the final podium spot.  Eventually, Dovizioso, who is off to Tech-3 Yamaha for next season pulled clear of his team-mate and homed in on Simoncelli.  The pair entertained the excited crowd, having a clean and fierce fight in the dying stages for second.  By this stage, Stoner was already coasting towards another victory, his ninth of a dominant season to join a prestigious list of riders to have won two MotoGP titles.  Simoncelli held off Dovizioso’s late attack to finish second on his Gresini Honda; his best ever finish in the series.  Pedrosa trailed in a distant fourth, whilst both Colin Edwards and Randy de Puniet made the most of the unpredictable Australian micro-climate to finish fifth and sixth respectively.

CLASS: Stoner has shown himself to be the main man in 2011

       Australia and the motorcycling world has to hail Casey Stoner, who has shown this season, that with the top machinery in the paddock, he can win races and take titles for fun and I’d be surprised if this wasn’t his last championship.  The Repsol Honda team has been the class act and Yamaha and Ducati can’t make up any excuses.  They must respond in style over the winter, or Stoner and Honda will crush the opposition again.  Congratulations to Casey on a deserved 2011 MotoGP championship.

Rugby World Cup 2011 - Sorry England go home

QUARTER-FINAL weekend at the 2011 Rugby World Cup provided some great stories, some emotional heartbreak and some graceful and emotional goodbyes.  For England, they don’t fit into any of these categories.

     The death knell in their torrid time in New Zealand came to a painful conclusion at Eden Park on Saturday.  Their worst performance in the competition since the inaugural 1987 tournament was sealed by a 19-12 defeat at the hands of France.  Actually, the scoreline reflects quite positively on England, but if anyone had watched the game, they would have seen that the French were completely on top for 90 per cent of the encounter.  After a flying opening, the English failed to score a point and paid for a number of issues with their basic game.  Some woeful tackling, poor discipline and iffy handling came together to give the French a 16-0 half-time lead.  

DECISIVE: Maxime Medard's try ended England's sorry adventure

     The dangerous Vincent Clerc and Maxime Medard both crossed the try line as for the first time in this tournament; France looked like a decent side, which I had sadly predicted previously.  Matt Dawson; scrum-half in the 2003 winning England team summed it up on BBC Radio 5 Live; “England were blown away in the first half and probably got a proper telling off.  They came out with a little more pace and precision, but they made too many mistakes with knock-ons, penalties and turnovers.”  Ben Foden and Mark Cueto highlighted a slight improvement from England in the second half with tries, but the damage had already been done.  Martin Johnson has refused to answer questions about his future as head coach, but this tournament has been a flopping disaster.  The RFU has insisted it will hold a review into the shambles of this Rugby World Cup.  I hope Johnson keeps his job, but unfortunately, coaches are judged on World Cup success, not autumn internationals and Six Nations championships.  His future is looking very bleak.  To finish matters off, Manu Tuliagi, who had been one of the bright sparks in this dreary campaign, was arrested by police after deciding on Sunday night to jump off a ferry!  It cost him £3,000 for a stupid, daft and foolish piece of behaviour and sadly, if players do this, the media has every right to crucify them.  England have arrived home, a far sorrier and unruly bunch than it was when they left these shores at the end of August.

     Whilst England headed for the airport, Welsh fans were beginning to move from Wellington to Auckland for a World Cup semi-final.  Since that agonising opening weekend defeat to South Africa, the Welsh have been getting better and better.  They are a team that is gelling together at just the right, decisive moment.  Their first semi-final since 1987 was sealed by a very impressive 22-10 triumph against Ireland in what was the best quarter-final of the weekend.  Shane Williams put Wales infront after just two minutes and the Irish resistance got blown away by second half tries from Mike Phillips and Jonathan Davies.  At the start of the second half, Keith Earls had pushed Ireland onto level terms with his sixth try of the competition.  However, as the game wore on, the Irish began to run out of legs and the young, fresher Welsh squad prevailed.  It marks the end for a golden Irish generation, with the likes of Ronan O’Gara, Paul O’Connell and Brian O’Driscoll surely set for retirement now.  Ireland gave it their all, but it wasn’t enough on the day.  Although the final result was devastating for them, they made their mark in this competition by shocking Australia in the pool stages, so they shouldn’t be too disheartened.  Wales go from strength to strength and will fancy their chances against the unpredictable French on Saturday of making a Rugby World Cup final for the first time.

PACKING: JP Pietersen reflects on South Africa's painful defeat

     Sunday’s second semi-final will be between old rivals, Australia and New Zealand.  The Wallabies somehow managed to send the defending champions South Africa packing on Sunday morning.  They won 11-9 in a game full of bruising tackles and competitive build-up play, but lacked clinical scoring opportunities.  The only try of the match came early on, courtesy of Australia skipper James Horwill.  Afterwards, a heroic rearguard action by the Australians was enough to restrict the Springboks to kicking attempts.  Fly-half Morne Steyn sent over two penalties and a drop goal, which did have his side 9-8 in the lead with eight minutes remaining.  However, winger James O’Connor responded for Australia, with a brilliant penalty kick from near his own half to seal the victory for the Wallabies.  The Springboks will be wondering how they managed to have so much possession, yet lose the match, equalling their worst performance in RWC history, which was back in 2003.  It means that still no-one has ever managed to retain the Webb Ellis Trophy.  Coach Peter de Villers hailed an ‘incredible journey,’ but made an emotional goodbye to the job he loved in the post-match press conference.  Like Johnson, his failure to bring the big trophy home will be sadly what he will be remembered for in South Africa.

     As expected, New Zealand saw off a brave Argentina outfit, although the final 33-10 scoreline did flatter them.  Nerves looked to have got the better of the All Blacks, infront of an expected crowd and they trailed early on through Julio Farias Cabello’s try.  Gradually though, the Pumas resistance was worn away by the cup favourites.  Seven penalties from Piri Weepu showed that there is life after the much missed Dan Carter before tries in the last quarter from Kieran Read and Brad Thorn made the game safe.  Felipe Contepomi bids farewell to the rugby stage, after three World Cups where he showed that he was one of the best players to have graced the game in modern times.  Argentina were rightly praised by Graeme Henry, the New Zealand coach for the tough encounter he got and the South Americans can look forward to joining the former Tri-Nations series alongside South Africa, New Zealand and Australia in the newly named Four Nations next summer.

     So, four sides now remain after an intense quarter-final weekend.  All English fans will be gutted by this shameful early exit, but I urge them now to back Wales all the way!  Let’s see what France, Australia and New Zealand have to say about it in what is bound to be an even tenser semi-final weekend coming up.

QUARTER-FINAL RESULTS: Ireland 10-22 Wales, England 12-19 France, South Africa 9-11 Australia, New Zealand 33-10 Argentina

SEMI FINALS

Wales v France, Auckland – Saturday 15 October (9am) live on ITV1 and ITV1 HD

Australia v New Zealand, Auckland – Sunday 16 October (9am) live on ITV1 and ITV1 HD

Rugby World Cup 2011 - The Irish blow it wide open

RUGBY World Cup 2011 is warming up nicely and a shock result at the weekend blew the competition wide open.  Ireland produced a heroic display out of nowhere to defeat one of the pre-tournament favourites Australia in Auckland, 15-6.  Not only does it mean that the Irish should finish top of Pool C, it now means Australia, South Africa and New Zealand could well be in the same section in the quarter-finals.

LEADER: Brian O'Driscoll inspired Ireland to a famous win

    The Irish had laboured through their opener against the USA and few gave them much hope, but the scoreline didn’t flatter them either.  Two disallowed tries in the closing stages could have added even more gloss for the underdogs.  Two penalties each from Dave Sexton and veteran Ronan O’Gara, in addition to a Sexton drop goal were enough for glory.  Two penalties from James O’Connor was the only Wallabies response and by failing to get a bonus point for losing by less than seven points, it severely dents their chances of topping the pool.  Despite winning the Tri-Nations before the tournament, I didn’t predict much from Australia in this Rugby World Cup and perhaps, this result shows the inexperience at the highest level for this young crop of players.

     South Africa might have also made a very unconvincing start against Wales, but the defending champions are beginning to find their feet.  Six unanswered tries saw them easily brush aside a potential banana skin in Fiji at the weekend.  Their 49-3 demolition of the Pacific Islanders was followed this morning by a 12-try romp of Namibia at the North Harbour Stadium.  The 87-0 landslide of their African neighbours included a record-breaking try for Brian Habana, who became the Springbok’s leading try scorer in their distinguished rugby history.  However, Habana’s body language throughout was poor and he was substituted early in the second half, with doubts over the rest of his participation in the Rugby World Cup.  The margin of victory was South Africa’s biggest in RWC history and questions have to be asked of Namibia’s performance, as they simply rolled over and died.  I have to agree with Francois Pienaar, who is a leading pundit for ITV’s coverage and the winning captain of the 1995 South African team that Namibia are not up to this standard of rugby.  All the other minnows; Japan, Georgia, Russia and Romania have put in worthy efforts against teams of a higher standard in this competition, yet the Namibians continue to be left behind.

     Hosts New Zealand warmed up for their crunch Pool A clash with France at the weekend by overwhelming Japan 83-7 last Friday in Hamilton.  It was entertainment of the highest standard and Coach Graeme Henry will be delighted to see his side run in more points in the second half, following their stale performance after the interval against Tonga the week before.  John Kirwan, coach of Japan and part of the great All-Black team of 1987 was proud of the efforts his players put in and I don’t think there will be a more popular try scored in the competition than that by Japan’s Hirotoki Onozawa.  The whole crowd in the stadium cheered this try, which was nice to see.  Without Dan Carter, Miles Muliana and Richie McCaw, the All-Blacks looked very formidable.  Despite a 46-19 success over Canada in Napier on Sunday, the French still looked far from convincing, blowing more cold than hot.  They will do well on Saturday to repeat the stunning upsets of 1999 and 2007 against the hosts.

     Great is one word that can’t be used to describe England’s World Cup so far.  Unsavoury tabloid headlines of players drinking in bars and dangerous recreational activities such as bungee jumping dominated the build-up to the Georgia game at the weekend.  Martin Johnson was infuriated, but couldn’t really defend his players after a scrappy 41-10 triumph in Dunedin.  England did score six tries, with flying winger Chris Ashton and Shontayne Hape both crossing the Georgian try-line twice, as the European defence tired in the closing stages.  Despite the bonus point gained, the lack of discipline from England was shocking.  They gave away 11 penalties in the first half and if they do that in the knockout stages, forget winning the Webb Ellis trophy!  Toby Flood had a poor game at fly-half and has subsequently been dropped for the Romania game this weekend.  Johnson’s team need to put in a resounding performance on Saturday morning to silence the doubters once and for all.

    After their narrow and agonising loss to the defending champions the previous weekend, Wales bounced back impressively to overcome Samoa 17-10 in the early hours of Sunday morning.  A sole Shane Williams try was the difference in a hard-fought and bruising encounter, which was dedicated to the lives of the four Welsh miners who lost their lives in the tragedy last week.  This was a game that a Welsh side last year would have definitely lost, so it is encouraging to see them edge these narrow battles.

     Scotland didn’t play in this set of matches, but are injury-free ahead of their encounter with Argentina on Sunday.  No doubt they will have been interested to see the Pumas beat Romania 43-8 and signal their intent for this tournament.  Lastly, the Russian team has made its debut at the finals and despite two defeats; a narrow 13-6 reverse to the USA and a walloping against Italy on Tuesday, they have won the hearts of many neutrals for their intent to play proper rugby.  Apart from Namibia, the minnows of world rugby can be proud of their efforts at this Rugby World Cup as the gap continues to narrow between the heavyweights and the lightweights of the rugby union game.

THE WEEK’S RESULTS: Russia 6-13 USA, New Zealand 83-7 Japan, Argentina 43-8 Romania, South Africa 49-3 Fiji, Australia 6-15 Ireland, Wales 17-10 Samoa, England 41-10 Georgia, France 46-19 Canada, Italy 53-17 Russia, Tonga 31-18 Japan, South Africa 87-0 Namibia

My top ten RWC moments

By Simon Wright, (Sporting piece)

My selection of the best; the top ten from the Rugby World Cup.

1. France stun the All Blacks, Rugby World Cup Semi-Final, 1999

FRANCE had stuttered into the semi-finals of the 1999 Rugby World Cup and came in as massive underdogs against formidable New Zealand at Twickenham.  Many pundits before the match thought it would be no contest, with the All Blacks predicted to score more than 50 points against their opponents.  It went to form in the first half, with Jonah Lomu looking as formidable as ever.  However, Les Bleus ripped the best side in rugby apart in a devastating 30 minute spell in the second half, scoring three tries and scoring 31 unanswered points to produce the biggest ever upset in the whole of Rugby World Cup history.  The final scoreline; 43-31.  The rugby world was shaken by what France did on this day; undoubtedly the best ever match in the game of rugby union, let alone World Cup history.

2. Johnny drops England home, Rugby World Cup Final, 2003

TELSTRA stadium was the setting for the 2003 final between the hosts Australia and the favourites, England.  Australia made the dream start, as Lote Tuqiri scored a try after only five minutes.  Johnny Wilkinson’s reliable boot pushed England into the lead, before they ripped up pre-match critics of ‘boring’ rugby, by producing a great teamwork try for Jason Robinson.  At 14-5 up at half-time, silly errors from Clive Woodward’s side in the second half allowed the Wallabies back into the match.  Elton Flatley kicked the match into extra-time under intense pressure.  With the scores at 17-17, the prospect of sudden death loomed when a final surge from England allowed Wilkinson his moment.  At the fourth attempt of asking, he hit a sweet drop goal to ensure victory for a Northern Hemisphere side for the first time in this prestigious final.  England’s first major sporting success since 1966 was sealed by the golden boot of Johnny.

3. ‘We did it for 43 million South Africans!’  Rugby World Cup Final, 1995

HAVING been released from exile in sporting competitions after Apartheid, South Africa staged a colourful and spectacular Rugby World Cup in 1995.  They came into the tournament ranked tenth in the world, but by beating defending champions Australia in the opening match, they set out their stall.  Chester Williams became a national hero for his four tries against Samoa in the quarter-finals and the late Ruben Kruger dived over to win the swamp of a semi over France.  In the final, the Springboks had a plan to stop Jonah Lomu and New Zealand’s formidable frontline.  It wasn’t a great match, but the spectacle made up for it and it was the right result, as Joel Stransky kicked the winning points with a brilliant drop goal in extra-time.  The hosts had won the Webb Ellis Trophy, with delighted captain Francois Pienaar getting the cup from President Nelson Mandela, who was wearing a Springbok rugby top!  Afterwards, Pienaar claimed that his team had won it for the incredible support the country had shown throughout, but not just lucky enough to be in Ellis Park on the day, but for the 43million South Africans worldwide.

4. Lomu destroys England, Rugby World Cup Semi-Final, 1995

HE DESTROYED Wales, Ireland and Scotland in the preliminary stages and Jonah Lomu simply dismantled a shell-shocked England in the 1995 semi-finals.  His first try, which saw him shake off the attentions of Tony Underwood and Rob Andrew, before trampling all over Mike Catt to reach the try line.  For me, it is the greatest try in Rugby World Cup history.  He scored four in the match and Will Carling, England captain later admitted he didn’t ever imagine conceding four tries in the first fifteen minutes as worst case scenario.  The final 45-29 scoreline flattered England, as they were simply outclassed by the powerful All Blacks and the fearsome Lomu.

5. Gordon Hamilton’s Try, Rugby World Cup Quarter-Final, 1991

WITH skipper Nick-Farr Jones injured and watching from the stands, Australia looked on the ropes at Lansdowne Road in a quarter-final with Ireland.  In the last ten minutes, the Irish sensed an opportunity and Gordon Hamilton, not a prominent try-scorer, produced the greatest moment in Irish Rugby World Cup history.  The ground erupted in joy as the underdogs had just taken the lead.  Unfortunately for Ireland, Michael Lynagh scored a late try which took the favourites through and broke the crowd’s hearts.  Nevertheless, Hamilton’s moment of magic has remained in Irish folklore.

6. Serge Blanco’s last-gasp try, Rugby World Cup Semi-Final, 1987

AUSTRALIA must have fancied their chances of a final with New Zealand in the inaugural tournament, when they came up against the unpredictable French in a pulsating semi-final.  The game ebbed and flowed throughout, with David Campese breaking the all-time rugby point’s record during the match.  Seconds remained, when a mix-up in the Australian backline allowed the French a final chance.  Serge Blanco managed to find the corner to send France into the final, which they ultimately lost.  However, it goes down as the most iconic moment of the 1987 world cup.

7. Hastings blows it, Rugby World Cup Semi-Final, 1991

LET’S face it, England and Scotland don’t like each other and never will.  The 1991 semi-final was always going to be very personal and tight, as England wanted to seek revenge for a Grand Slam nightmare at Murrayfield the year before.  With nine minutes to go, the game was deadlocked at 6-6, when Gavin Hastings, a trusty penalty kicker, had an easy chance to put Scotland infront.  Amazingly, he sliced the kick and it sailed wide.  Even the English couldn’t quite believe what Hastings had just done.  Minutes later, Rob Andrew’s drop goal took England through to a final with Australia and Gavin Hastings was left to ponder what might have been.

8. England’s revenge at Table Mountain, Rugby World Cup Quarter-Final, 1995

THEY lost a narrow final on home soil in 1991, so England were desperate to settle the scores in a quarter-final at Table Mountain against Australia four years later.  The Aussies defeat to South Africa in the pool stages had given them a harder route towards the final, but with a team full of talent such as John Eales, Michael Lynagh, George Gregan, Tim Horan and David Campese, the Wallabies were still expected to go through.  The game didn’t disappoint and extra-time beckoned when Rob Andrew kicked a stunning drop goal to win the quarter-final.  English fans overjoyed, Australian fans desolate and for the likes of Lynagh and Horan; the end of an era as both legendary players retired from rugby after this devastating defeat for the holders.

9. Super Shocking Saturday, Rugby World Cup Quarter-Finals, 2007

ON PAPER, Australia were expected to steamroller England and New Zealand should comfortably put the French away, but when was rugby ever played on a piece of paper!  On ‘Super Saturday,’ Johnny Wilkinson’s boot once again did for Australia in a heroic English display in Marseille.  Following an embarrassing defeat to South Africa in the pool stages, English rugby had been seen as a game and a team in steep decline, so this must have made Australia look very poor.  Hours later, Yannick Jauzion crossed the line in Cardiff to seal a sensational 20-18 win for France over New Zealand.  The favourites by a mile had choked again.  They had gone out at the quarter-final stage on this ‘Shocking Saturday,’ for the first time in history and Coach Graeme Henry lost his job.

10. Argentina’s mammoth breakthrough, Rugby World Cup, 2007

OPENING night nerves really showed up on hosts France in 2007.  It was a match where they never looked strong enough and believed they could win.  As a nation toiled, Argentina rejoiced in its biggest moment in RWC history and their momentum continued.  The Pumas had been knocking on the door of the elite nations for a while, and they finished off Ireland’s shambolic tournament in the final Pool D match to top the pool.  The South Americans overcame a stiff Scotland challenge in the last eight and only an error-strewn performance against eventual winners South Africa in the last four blunted their hopes.  Nevertheless, this was a tournament where Argentina made a mammoth breakthrough.

WHETHER you are supporting the All-Black Haka, the Emerald Isle of Ireland, the English Rose, the stunning Springboks, the Welsh Dragon, the hard-hitting Pacific Island nations or the Walloping Wallabies, RWC 2011 promises to be another fantastic spectacle.

To New Zealand, South Africa, England, Australia, France, Argentina, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Fiji, Italy, Tonga, Samoa, Japan, Canada, USA, Romania, Georgia, Namibia and Russia, I wish you all a great tournament over the next six weeks and I’d like to unofficially declare the battle for the 2011 Rugby World Cup officially open!!

TV classics - Home and Away

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

SOME people may often forget that it was Channel Seven that launched the concept of soap in Australia.  The nostalgic Sons & Daughters started it all in 1982 and then it launched Neighbours three years later.  The latter wasn’t a success and defected to rivals Channel Ten the following year and became so successful that Seven decided to get its own back. Thus, Home and Away was born in 1988.

     Set in Summer Bay; a fictional seaside town on the coast of Melbourne, the concept behind the show was to aim it towards a family audience compared to Neighbours, which was targeted more at just the youth.  Early episodes largely focused on the Fletcher family, Tom (Roger Oakley), Pippa (Debra Lawrance) and their adoptive daughter Sally (Kate Ritchie) along with the Stewart couple of Alf (Ray Meagher) and Alisa (Judy Nunn).

START: A young Dannii Minogue made her breakthrough in Home & Away

     This initial plan didn’t really work and soon enough, the show extended towards other residents, along with the local businesses.  Several people got their big break through the show, including Dannii Minogue and the late Heath Ledger.  During the nineties, popular new characters came in, including Shannon Reed (Isla Fisher), Angel Parrish (Melissa George), Shane Parrish (Dieter Brummer), Marilyn Chambers (Emily Symons) and Fisher (Norman Coburn).

     Home and Away made its arrival onto British television in 1990 with ITV broadcasting the soap after the BBC turned down the rights to concentrate on funding for Neighbours.  Together with popular quiz show Blockbusters, with the ITN News sandwiched in-between, ITV had finally created a combination to take on the BBC on weekday teatimes.

     Going into the new millennium and Home and Away started a severe decline Down Under.  Constantly being thrashed in the ratings by Neighbours, it was criticised for trying to copy Ramsay Street’s way of storylines and then taking it over the top.  Meanwhile, it was rocked even further in January 2000 with the news that ITV wouldn’t be renewing its contract in order to fund for more original daytime programmes, namely a revival of the classic soap Crossroads.  Channel 5 duly picked up the rights, beating off stiff competition from Channel 4 and Sky.  However, due to legal documentation which I won’t go into, it would not return to UK screens until July 2001.  In the ten years that it has aired, Channel 5 has done a remarkable job to now only lie a few weeks behind Australian transmission.

     Over in Australia, Seven ordered a facelift of the show in 2004, but denied it was a “last chance” revamp.  Some of the sets were given neat makeovers, a whole host of new faces came in and the show switched into a new picture format, giving it a film-like effect that was being demonstrated in British soaps Hollyoaks and Doctors.  Bevan Lee, who was serving as series producer at the time of the revamp, left but decided to stay on until the end of the 2004 season to allow a strong transition into new producer Dan Bennett.  Bennett built on the wide praise from the 2004 relaunch, by continuing to dramatically extend the cast and commission storylines and plots that Home and Away had never touched before.  By now, the soap was being targeted to youngsters, with the arrival of popular teen characters such as Ric Dalby (Mark Furze), Cassie Turner (Sharni Vinson), Lucas Holden (Rhys Wakefield) and Matilda Hunter (Indiana Evans).

     One element that makes Home and Away standout from any other soap is disasters.  During the two and a bit decades it has been on the air, there has been an earthquake, a landslide, a hurricane, a cyclone, several fires, a helicopter disaster which left many characters stranded in a remote forest for over a month and countless car crashes.  It’s no wonder why Inside Soap magazine has labelled Summer Bay as soap’s most dangerous town!

     The murder of corrupt mayor Josh West (Daniel Collopy) in 2006 signalled change of direction in Home and Away.  Despite still being broadcast in a 7pm slot on Seven, and 6pm on Channel 5, more darker and grittier storylines were rolled out which included a continuing storyline the previous year of Eve Jacobson (Emily Perry).  Eve was a possessed stalker who coming back from the dead to enact revenge in blowing up the reception building at the wedding between Jack Holden (Paul O’Brien) and Martha Mackenzie (Jodi Gordon), leaving everyone’s lives at risk.  The end of the 2006 saw gangster Johnny Cooper (Callan Mulvey) begin to terrorise the town in a two-year period, during which Sally Fletcher was hospitalised twice for being stabbed.

     Despite these shock twists, it made compelling viewing and by now Home and Away was miles ahead of Neighbours in Australia and was often picking up awards for it.  The show’s 20th anniversary in 2008 promised a nostalgic element to the show throughout the year.  It also though saw the departure of many popular characters, especially the farewell of Sally, who left to travel the world.  Although new faces came in, many would argue that they would have a lot of work to do to better the class that began in 1988 and came in through the 2000s revival of what seemed to be a dying format.

STRONG: Home and Away still has a good following of fans

     Recently, the show has returned to its roots and although still features the odd dramatic element now and again; it has now taken a lighter and pleasurable approach.  Its reception in both Australia and the UK remains good and I predict that Home and Away should still be on everyone’s screens for many years to come.

F1 classic races - Australia

IN A new series, I will be looking back at six classic races every weekend from the country about to stage an event in the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship.  This is the first selection, of races in Australia between 1991 and 2010.  Enjoy the archive!

1991 (Adelaide)

TORRENTIAL: Senna holds off a determined Mansell

Winner: Ayrton Senna (McLaren Honda), 2^nd: Nigel Mansell (Williams Renault), 3^rd: Gerhard Berger (McLaren Honda)

THE final race of the 1991 championship was meant to be a happy and relaxed occasion.  In the end, it turned into a farce.  In fact, it was stopped after 14 laps, due to torrential rain.  It is the shortest race in world championship history and only half points were awarded.  Ayrton Senna started from pole and led the whole race, but came under pressure from Nigel Mansell’s Williams.  The rain intensified on the Adelaide street circuit and it wasn’t long before Jean Alesi, Nicola Larini and Pierluigi Martini all crashed in a straight line on the backstraight.  As aquaplaning got worse, Mansell was caught out and smashed backwards into the barriers just before the race was eventually red-flagged.  He was carried away in an ambulance with minor injuries.  The race was a sad end to Nelson Piquet’s distinguished career.  The Brazilian finished fourth for Benetton, but was bitterly disappointed to retire from the sport after three world titles in such a damp squib.

1994 (Adelaide)

DECIDER: Hill and Schumacher collide

Winner: Nigel Mansell (Williams Renault), 2^nd: Gerhard Berger (Ferrari), 3^rd: Martin Brundle (McLaren Peugeot)

THE first championship showdown in Adelaide since 1986 was between Michael Schumacher’s Benetton and Damon Hill’s Williams.  Only one point covered the two drivers coming into the race and they were in a class of two.  It ended controversially when Schumacher’s Benetton understeered off the track on Lap 36 at Westfield Bend.  Hill, unsighted lapping Heinz-Harald Frentzen’s Sauber missed the German’s contact with the concrete barrier and immediately dived for a gap on the inside at the next corner.  Schumacher turned in and contact was inevitable.  Michael’s car was launched into the air and ended in the tyre barriers.  Sadly for the British fans, Hill’s wishbone had been bent in the contact and after a slow lap back to the pits, was forced to call it a day.  Nigel Mansell, in his last drive for Williams had started on pole position and overtook Gerhard Berger on Lap 63, when the Ferrari driver went down an escape road.  He won fantastically to earn Williams the constructor’s championship.

1999 (Melbourne)

Winner: Eddie Irvine (Ferrari), 2^nd: Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Jordan Mugen Honda), 3^rd: Ralf Schumacher (Williams Supertec)

AFTER 81 attempts, Eddie Irvine won his first Grand Prix for Ferrari, but it was a gift given to him by the dominant McLaren Mercedes team.  Reigning champion Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard were 1.3secs ahead of the opposition and led by 16 seconds inside of 14 laps.  A spectacular rear wing failure for Jacques Villeneuve in the BAR Supertec saw the Safety Car obliterate the McLaren’s lead.  Seconds later, Coulthard pulled into the pits to retire with a gearbox problem.  When the Safety Car withdrew, Hakkinen was crippled by a throttle issue and Irvine took the lead into the first corner.  The Finn only lasted another three laps before retiring in the garage.  Michael Schumacher was also struck down by reliability problems including a puncture and recurring gear selection problems.  He finished out of the points in 8^th place, allowing Irvine to step out of Schumacher’s shadow and earn his day in the sun Down Under.

2003 (Melbourne)

Winner: David Coulthard (McLaren Mercedes), 2^nd: Juan Pablo Montoya (Williams BMW), 3^rd: Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren Mercedes)

THE biggest shake-up in the rules and regulations since 1997 mixed-up the field and put an end to the Ferrari F2002 dominance.  Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello grabbed the front row of the grid, but changeable conditions opened the door for the Michelin-shod cars.  Barrichello crashed on lap six and Schumacher made a late switch to dry tyres on a drying track.  Kimi Raikkonen came through from 15^th on the grid and took command of the race.  The Finn even managed to have the cheek to stick Schumacher on the grass at turn one during an epic scrap.  However, Raikkonen edged 1kmh over the pitlane speed limit and earnt himself a drive-through penalty.  Schumacher was back infront, but needed to pit again when his barge boards fell off like a broken down Meccano set.  Juan Pablo Montoya inherited the lead, but the Colombian spun his Williams on the exit on turn one and this allowed David Coulthard to come through almost unnoticed from 11^th on the grid.  The Scot recorded his second Australian Grand Prix triumph and his 13^th win in the sport, ultimately his last.  With Schumacher only managing fourth behind Montoya and Raikkonen, it was the first race since Nurburgring 1999 that neither Ferrari had managed to make the podium.

2006 (Melbourne)

Winner: Fernando Alonso (Renault), 2^nd: Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren Mercedes), 3^rd: Ralf Schumacher (Toyota)

JENSON Button produced a stunning lap on Saturday afternoon to secure pole position, but his Honda Racing car was all at sea in the cooler conditions on Sunday.  He was never able to get his tyres upto temperature after four Safety Car restarts and to compound his misery, his Honda engine exploded in a bull of flame on the penultimate corner of the race.  Fernando Alonso avoided all the chaos and led the majority of the race, to win in relaxed fashion.  Kimi Raikkonen came second, despite needing a new front wing during a pitstop and Ralf Schumacher recovered from a drive-through penalty to secure a great podium for Toyota.  Juan Pablo Montoya failed to finish, when he killed his engine by pressing an ignition switch following a wild and wacky trip down the grass.  Ferrari had a miserable weekend, as neither car finished in the top ten in qualifying and then, both Felipe Massa and Michael Schumacher crashed out of the race in dramatic fashion. 

2009 (Melbourne)

FAIRYTALE: Button and Barrichello complete an epic story

Winner: Jenson Button (Brawn Mercedes), 2^nd: Rubens Barrichello (Brawn Mercedes), 3^rd: Jarno Trulli (Toyota)

AVOIDING the controversy of the double diffusers, which erupted on the opening weekend of the 2009 season, a fairytale story was unfolding at Brawn GP.  In November 2008, Honda announced their immediate withdrawal from Formula One, putting the team up for sale and leaving many members of the team in limbo.  After tense and frustrating negotiations, Ross Brawn completed a management buyout and with limited testing, turned up at the final pre-season test nearly a second quicker than their rivals.  The car reignited the failing careers of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello and the pair secured the front row of the grid in qualifying.  In the race, Button led throughout, whilst Barrichello had to battle through the field, after making a poor start and making contact with Mark Webber on lap one, which damaged his front wing.  The race finished behind the Safety Car, after Sebastian Vettel and Robert Kubica tangled, whilst dicing for second spot with three laps to go.  This completed the Brawn fairytale, with Jarno Trulli winding up third after a pitlane start.  This is after Lewis Hamilton was excluded in Malaysia, following evidence was produced that he had lied to the Melbourne stewards after the race for a Safety Car incident with Trulli. 

F1 opener postponed due to Bahrain unrest

PROTESTS: The civil unrest in Bahrain has forced the decision

THE Bahrain Grand Prix, which was due to be the opening race of the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship, has been postponed.  The Crown Prince of Bahrain made the final decision yesterday, due to days of civil unrest within the country, which has engulfed the Gulf Kingdom.  Six people have died and protests in the capital Manama, where the race is staged meant that the safety and security of the F1 fraternity could not be guaranteed. 

The Hermann Tilke track, which cost £92million to construct, was due to stage the curtain raiser for the new Grand Prix season on March 13.  The Bahrain Royal Family had to pay nearly £40million to stage the event, some of that as part of beginning the F1 show in 2011. 

LEADER: Fernando Alonso on his way to victory last season

Bahrain bought Formula One to the Middle East for the first time in 2004, and has staged seven successful races on the Sakhir circuit.  It staged the curtain raiser when Australia was hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2006 and did so again last season.  The race, won by Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso was sorely criticised by team personnel, pundits and fans for its lack of action and overtaking opportunities.  A new layout for 2010 had failed to deliver, and the organisers had decided to return to the original, shorter track.  Alas, we may never know now how it would have developed.

“We are a little bit disappointed that it has been postponed, but when you look at what is going on in that part of the world, I think it’s the only thing that could be done.”  Bernie Ecclestone said, when speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live.  The Crown Prince, who owns the rights to the event said that ‘the country needs to focus on national interests first and foremost and leave the event to a later date.’  That remains unclear whether it will happen yet.  Ecclestone is adamant that he wants the race in Bahrain to be held around the time of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November.  However, with the championship already pencilled in to finish as late as November 27 in Brazil, it is unlikely that FOTA will allow the head of F1 to schedule three races together at the end of the tiresome year on three consecutive weekends.

The Formula One teams and drivers are busy testing ahead of the new season, which will now start at Albert Park for the Australian Grand Prix on March 27.  Speaking to journalists in Barcelona, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa backs the decision to postpone the race for now; “The human side of life is more important than the professional side of life and what has happened in Bahrain is serious.  I hope everything will return to normal soon.”  Michael Schumacher also backed the decision; “I consider it to be a good decision to call off the competition in Bahrain, these people have more pressing issues to deal with than Formula One at the moment.”

The Middle East continues to expand and grow in the sporting world, but whilst the turbulence continues in places such as Libya, Tunisia and Bahrain, the postponement of the Bahrain Grand Prix comes as little surprise to many.  Whether it still has a place on the F1 calendar in future remains to be seen.

Devastating floods worldwide leave many homeless

ANGER and massive clear-up operations are underway worldwide after some of the worst flooding to be seen for years, which has badly affected three countries.  Sri Lanka, Brazil and Australia are only now beginning to count the cost of such destruction, which has left some dead, and many others stranded, with their houses washed away.

DESTRUCTION: An aerial shot of the floods in Queensland, Australia

In Australia, Brisbane and Queensland have been the two most badly-hit areas in the country, with the floods leaving a trail of destruction that seems more akin to a hurricane.  Many communities are still cut off in the aftermath of the floods, which began just after Christmas Down Under.  Only from helicopter pictures can the horror of the mess caused can really be told.  The police in Australia have admitted that some people may never be found, but they are doing what they can to eliminate those chances.  For many in the affected regions, they have their own stories to tell, sadly – most of them end up being a sickening tale and an act of pure luck that they are still alive.  Some eyewitnesses have compared the floods to ‘tornadoes with miles of debris scattered like confetti at a wedding.’  The force of the water levels has swept away many bodies miles away from where they lived, meaning it will take a long while for the final official confirmation of the dead.  Currently, the total in Oz stands at 20, with 53 people still unaccounted for.  12,000 military are now in force with the rescue operation, more than double on the initial callout when the floods began.  Australia has taken a battering from the floods, but similar to the fallen Ashes cricket side, will bounce back and with the tough community spirit that they always show, can rebuild their shattered lives.

STRUGGLE: Many people have been left homeless in Sri Lanka

The same can’t be said in poorer countries like Sri Lanka.  An estimated 325,000 people have been forced to leave their homes because of flooding.  Towns and villages are submerged with gallons of water in the South and North of the country.  The Sri Lankan government has deployed 30,000 troops to help with the relief effort and has called for a quick response.  As the torrential downpours continue, the death toll is expected to rise.  11 more people died today, taking the current figure to 38 that have lost their lives in this flooding catastrophe.  The UN has urged for international aid to arrive, particularly bottled water and mattresses for those who are staying in emergency shelters. 

DEVASTATION: The landslides in Brazil have left a nation in shock

Brazil hasn’t got off lightly either, and has probably been devastated the most by this week’s floods.  Rescue teams in the South American country are working flat out, but tragically, it is to find bodies, rather than survivors.  The towns of Teresoplois and Petropolis have been the worst affected by Friday’s landslides.  Some survivors have been faced with the grim task of helping the rescue teams find the bodies of their own families and friends.  Communities have been overwhelmed, with 13,500 people made homeless, one of the worst natural disasters to have ever hit Brazil.  Like Sri Lanka, many cut-off communities are in desperate need for food, clean water and medicine supplies.  At least 500 people have died here, and with more rain forecasted, the death toll is set to rise.  Billions of dollars of damage has been caused and gives the newly-elected Brazilian president Dilma Rousseuf a major headache, only two weeks into her new role.  She will have to deal with the lack of supplies and frustration from families at the lack of flood defences available to the country, as Brazil deals with one of the worst landslides to hit the world in the last half a century.

Almost a year on from the earth-shattering earthquake to have struck Haiti, it seems like Mother Nature continues on its trail of destruction and it is many communities in Asia, Australia and South America that have felt the significant force of destruction, ripping apart many communities and killing many.  Thoughts go out to all those affected, some who now have the long and painstaking process of trying to rebuild their lives if possible. 

Excellent England thrash the Aussies to retain the Ashes

GRIP: Andrew Strauss continues to hold the urn tightly

ENGLAND’s cricketers completed a historic Ashes series victory in Australia in the early hours of Friday morning.  Andrew Strauss’s side won the fifth and final test by an innings and 83 runs in Sydney, to complete a crushing 3-1 series triumph and a first win Down Under since 1986-87.

2005 Ashes winning Captain Michael Vaughan handed the Ashes over to Strauss, as England completed their utter domination of the entire series in special fashion.  “All credit to the guys again, they have been outstanding, we’re delighted with the victory and we are certainly going to enjoy this evening;” Strauss told Australia’s Channel 9 in the post-match interviews.

The Barmy Army packed into the Sydney cricket ground and with only three Australian wickets remaining, it was expected that England would finish them off fairly quickly, which they did.  Alistair Cook was voted man of the series for scoring 700+ runs, whilst James Anderson took the most wickets.  Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott built on their reputations and even the mercurial Kevin Pietersen chipped in with some priceless runs and the odd wicket, despite not looking at his best.  

DOWNCAST: Australia's cricketers hang their heads in shame

The Australian press have ripped into the team, calling it their worst ever XI.  Ricky Ponting has now become the first Australian captain to lose three Ashes series in history, a sobering statistic.  The Herald Sun newspaper was especially damming; “It was such slow, painful torture that you wondered whether this is what it must be like to be squeezed to death by a boa constrictor.”

Australian cricket is in crisis, as the side has slipped from invincible to easily beatable in a few short years.  The dominant days of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden now are only a distant memory.  Just four years ago, England were crushed 5-0 in Oz, how quickly can things change, this was such a convincing victory, it made Australia look like Bangladesh in terms to test cricket level! 

PERFECT: The best way to finish Paul Collingwood's test career

Whatever happens in the coming months in the test game, Paul Collingwood won’t be part of the arena again.  The middle-order batsman, who by his standards had a dismal series, announced his retirement from this form of the game the day before the series victory.  He will continue to represent England at 20:20 and one-day level.  This is a great way to finish his distinguished career.  He told Sky Sports; “I’ve been involved in some tough times in Australia before, so to go out on this note is really sweet.” 

The Aussies can try and salvage some pride by winning the upcoming one-day and 20:20 series, but for England, they have the main prize and in some fashion.  Summer challenges at home to India and Sri Lanka are bound to prove stiffer examinations.  England has a winning habit in cricket and will not want to lose it anytime soon.

Freddie Says Goodbye To The Cricket Arena

Whilst the County Championship was being settled on Thursday afternoon, one of England’s greatest ever Cricket players was announcing his retirement from the game.  Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff has retired from the Cricket arena, on the recommendations of doctors and surgeons, due to a constant knee injury, that has plagued him ever since the Ashes triumph of 2005.

Flintoff’s career came to an end as it turned out in August 2009, when he played a minor role in helping England regain the Ashes last summer against Australia.  This was despite a fantastic five-wicket haul at Lord’s, and more memorably, running out the Australian captain Ricky Ponting on the final afternoon of the series at The Oval.  He bowed out of the test scene there and then, but he hoped to carry on playing 20:20 cricket for England, county championship action for Lancashire and in the fast-paced Indian Premier League for the Chennai Super Kings.  However, after two more surgeries required in the last twelve months, both unsuccessful, Freddie has decided to make the right decision and call it a day at the age of 32.  Bookmakers are already slashing odds on Flintoff appearing in some form of reality show like ‘I’m A Celebrity, Get Me out of Here,’ before the end of the year.

Rather than facing the press about his decision, Flintoff chose to tell the world via a released statement:

"The decision to end my career came yesterday after consultation with medical advisers."  "I was told that the problems I have been trying to overcome in rehab for the last year following the latest in a series of operations would not recover sufficiently to allow a comeback.  "I will now be taking a break before deciding which future direction to take."

In his charismatic career with England, Flintoff took 226 test wickets and 169 wickets in the one-day form of the game.  He played 79 tests, scoring nearly 4,000 test runs, averaging 31.77.  This included five flamboyant centuries, including a crucial century in the Trent Bridge test of 2005, that helped England earn the crucial 2-1 series advantage against Australia to win the coveted urn for the first time in eighteen years.  He was captain of his country for the doomed defence of the Ashes in Australia, losing 5-0 in the winter of 2006/07.  His Ashes exploits also earned Flintoff the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award for 2005.  Off the field, Flintoff was known to like a cigarette, and didn’t set the greatest examples of professional behaviour to youngsters on occasions.  Most memorably, he slurred through several interviews, having knocked back many in the 2005 Ashes celebrations.  He was also stripped of the England captaincy during the 2007 Cricket World Cup, for escaping from the team hotel and crashing a pedalo, whilst drunk. 

However, nothing can take out his dramatic effect on the game and although England have moved on fairly well since his departure from Test Cricket, his missing presence in this winter’s Ashes series will be felt, by both sides. 

After all, the remarkable Ashes Series of 2005 was truly the summer where we fell in love with the game of Cricket, and that was all down to the remarkable, outstanding Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff.

World Cup Report: Days 1-3

Three days in to the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and the tournament is well underway now, with half of the thirty-two teams, having started their campaigns for success in South Africa.  Apart from England (who will be covered in separate match reports), here are minor details of the other seven matches to be played over the weekend.

Friday 11^th June: South Africa 1-1 Mexico

After a colourful and spectacular opening ceremony in Soccer City, the hosts won an unlikely and deserving point in the Group A opener in Johannesburg.  Against the talented North Americans Mexico, South Africa overcame the expected early nerves to break the deadlock early in the second half, when neat build-up released Siphiwe Tshabalala, who fired in a thunderbolt of an opening World Cup goal.  Cue massive celebrations for Bafana Bafana.  Barcelona’s Rafael Marquez ruined the party, taking advantage of slack marking to score from close range with 12 minutes left, but South Africa had done a nation proud and kept them believing of an unlikely passage into the knockout stages.

Friday 11^th June: Uruguay 0-0 France

As in the 2002 Group Stages, Uruguay and France played out a dull goalless draw in Cape Town.  Sidney Govou went closest in the early exchanges, failing to connect on a wonderful Patrice Evra cross.  Despite Diego Forlan threatening on occasion, the South Americans failed to capitalise on Raymond Domenach bizarre decision to leave Thierry Henry and Florent Malouda out of his starting eleven.  Substitute Nicolas Loderio picked up two yellows in the last ten minutes, which saw the Uruguay player become the first player to be dismissed in the finals.  It was an awful match, and left the favourites happy to see the French pose absolutely no threat to the probable final outcome in the tournament’s later stages.

Saturday 12^th June: South Korea 2-0 Greece

In Port Elizabeth, South Korea made a confident start with an emphatic 2-0 success over ageing Greece.  The 2004 European champions made little impact on the proceedings, conceding in either half to Lee Jung-Soo and Manchester United winger, Park-Ji Sung.

Saturday 12^th June: Argentina 1-0 Nigeria

A dominant Argentina gave Diego Maradona a winning start to World Cup management at Ellis Park.  Africans Nigeria, who beat Argentina to win the Olympic gold in 1996, was no match for Maradona’s superstars, and ended up being lucky to lose this Group B encounter by just the one goal.  This was largely down to an inspired goalkeeping performance from Vincent Enyeama and poor finishing from the South Americans, Gonzalo Higuain and Lionel Messi especially guilty.  The only goal came in the sixth minute, with Gabriel Heinze powering home from Juan Sebastian Veron well-executed corner.

Sunday 13^th June: Algeria 0-1 Slovenia

England shouldn’t be too worried about their fellow Group C opponents, if this game has anything to go by.  Slovenia won their first ever World Cup match in a stinking match, settled by Robert Koren’s optimistic drive with ten minutes to go, which slipped through the grasp of Algerian goalkeeper Faouzi Chaouchi.

Sunday 13^th June: Serbia 0-1 Ghana

Africa received its first victory on day three, courtesy of Asamoah Gyan’s late penalty, earning Ghana a hard-fought 1-0 success against Serbia.  Raddy Antic’s side failed to cope with the powerful Ghanaian midfield, which dominated the game and were reduced to ten men, when defender Aleksandar Lukovic was dismissed for two yellow cards in the 74^th minute.  Gyan’s penalty came five minutes from time, when Serbia substitute Zdravko Kuzmanovic needlessly handled a dangerous cross.

Sunday 13^th June: Germany 4-0 Australia

Germany sent a message to the rest of the global opposition, with an impressive demolition of Australia in Durban last night.  Joachim Low’s gamble to play out-of-form strikers Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose paid off, as the strike duo answered any doubters, with two first-half strikes.  Klose’s goal was his 11^th in three FIFA World Cup tournaments.  Everton Tim Cahill was harshly dismissed for a mistimed challenge on Bastian Schweinsteiger early in the second half, which ended outside hope for the Socceroos.  Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller and substitute striker Cacau rounded off the rout midway through the second half, with two classy finishes to quality moves.  Make this note: The Germans must be taken seriously after this performance.