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Mo Farah seeks sixth success at Great North Run

Published in Athletics

Tuesday, 03 September 2019 12:10

Multiple global gold medallist aims for a record number of wins, while Mary Keitany and Brigid Kosgei are set for a big clash in the women’s race

Mo Farah is poised to create Great North Run history on Sunday (September 8) if he wins his sixth title in the iconic half-marathon race.

The 36-year-old will also be looking for a confidence-boosting run ahead of his Bank of America Chicago Marathon title defence next month.

Farah has a winning streak that dates back to 2014 in the 13.1-mile event between Newcastle and South Shields. Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has also won five titles in the Great North Run in the women’s wheelchair race but Farah now has the chance to become the only athlete to win six titles.

Farah’s rivals on Sunday include Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia. The 28-year-old won Olympic bronze in the 10,000m behind Farah in Rio in 2016 and then 12 months later went on to take silver behind Geoffrey Kirui in the marathon at the IAAF World Championships in London.

Tola also has an impressive marathon PB of 2:04:06 and is training for the TCS New York City Marathon in early November.

Callum Hawkins is the second-fastest British half-marathon runner in history behind Farah and will be hoping to break the one-hour barrier for the first time this weekend. He ran 2:08:14 in this year’s Virgin Money London Marathon and has been focusing on training during the summer months as he builds up to the marathon at the IAAF World Championships in Doha.

Bashir Abdi finished third behind Farah and Jake Robertson of New Zealand at the Simplyhealth Great North Run 12 months ago and the Belgian athlete, who trains with Farah, returns to the North East of England this weekend to race again.

Jack Rayner of Australia won the Commonwealth half-marathon title in Cardiff last autumn and will be trying to improve his best of 61:01 this weekend.

Further British entries include Charlie Hulson, Derek Hawkins, Dan Studley, Nick McCormick, Mohamed Mohamed, Nigel Martin and Adam Clarke.

In the women’s race, three-time Great North Run champion Mary Keitany faces the recent London Marathon winner Brigid Kosgei in an exciting clash.

Keitany, who is defending her New York City Marathon title in November, has run 64:55 for the half-marathon, whereas Kosgei, who is gearing up for Chicago next month, clocked a best of 65:28 for 13.1 miles earlier this year.

Linet Masai, the 2009 world 10,000m champion, plus Magdalyne Masai also bolster the Kenyan presence on Tyneside.

There is big British interest with Charlie Purdue using the race as part of her build up to the World Championships marathon in Doha.

Steph Twell will be hoping to blast through the 70-minute barrier en route to the World Championships 10,000m in Doha. Other domestic challengers include Hayley Carruthers, Rebecca Robinson, Eleanor Davis, Rebecca Murray and Hannah Doran, while world 50km champion Alyson Dixon is aiming to break another world record, this time wearing a Wonder Woman costume.

Brits David Weir, JohnBoy Smith and Simon Lawson take on multiple world champion Brent Lakatos of Canada in the men’s wheelchair race and in the women’s race Martyna Snopek of Poland will defend the title she won last year against Shelly Woods, a former winner who is returning from having her first child last year.

Timetable

10:10am Wheelchair races start
10:15am Elite women start
10:40am Elite men and masses start

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Murray & Mattek-Sands into mixed doubles semi-finals

Published in Tennis

Monday, 02 September 2019 18:14

Defending champions Jamie Murray and Bethanie Mattek-Sands are through to the US Open mixed doubles semi-finals having beaten Mate Pavic and Gabriela Dabrowski in a match tie-break.

Murray and Mattek-Sands defeated the second seeds 2-6 7-5 10-4.

The British-American pairing will face Rajeev Ram and Sam Stosur or Henri Kontinen and Demi Schuurs next.

Coco Gauff and Catherine McNally lost to Victoria Azarenka and Ashleigh Barty in the women's doubles third round.

Americans Gauff, 15, and McNally, 17, were blown away 6-0 6-1 in just 48 minutes by Belarusian Azarenka and Australia's Barty.

In the men's doubles, Murray and fellow Briton Neal Skupski will face Jack Sock and Jackson Withrow in the quarter-finals after the American pairing defeated Bob and Mike Bryan 6-4 7-5.

Colombian top seeds Robert Farah and Juan Sebastian Cabal beat Dutch 13th seeds Robin Haase and Wesley Koolhof 6-4 6-4 and will play Briton Luke Bambridge and Japan's Ben McLachlan in the last eight.

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Nadal powers past Cilic into US Open last eight

Published in Tennis

Monday, 02 September 2019 19:36

Spanish second seed Rafael Nadal responded to the challenge thrown down by 2014 champion Marin Cilic as he battled to reach the US Open quarter-finals with a four-set win.

Nadal, 33, ultimately had too much quality for the Croatian 22nd seed in a 6-3 3-6 6-1 6-2 victory in New York.

Cilic, 30, briefly rediscovered his best form to level before wilting.

Nadal, the 18-time Grand Slam champion, will play Argentine 20th seed Diego Schwartzman in the last eight.

"For some moments in the second set I felt there were too many points in his hands, he was pushing me back, more aggression than me and he hit every ball very strong," said Nadal.

"After that second set I thought something needs to change or I would be in his hands. I started to return the second serve inside the court and that created a different perspective."

After 2018 champion Novak Djokovic retired injured from his last-16 match against Stan Wawrinka on Sunday, Nadal is considered the joint favourite for the men's title alongside Swiss great Roger Federer.

Nadal is aiming to close the gap to 20-time major winner Federer with his fourth title at Flushing Meadows.

The illustrious pair remain on course to meet in Sunday's final which, remarkably, would be the first meeting in New York of their enduring rivalry.

First Nadal must see off Schwartzman, who reached the last eight for the second time by beating German sixth seed Alexander Zverev.

Federer, 38, plays his quarter-final against Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov at about 02:00 BST on Wednesday.

Nadal's resilience - and brilliance - leaves even Tiger impressed

Nadal encountered few problems in a straightforward opening set, only to see the powerful Cilic find his range in the second as he cut down on the unforced errors and pinned the Spaniard back.

Cilic has recently looked a shadow of the player who was a constant fixture inside the world's top 10, a knee injury in 2018 contributing to him sliding to his lowest ranking in more than five years.

That previous form returned as he pushed Nadal back with heavy groundstrokes and backed them up with pinpoint winners to level the match.

Yet the momentum was suddenly dragged away from him by some remarkable returning from Nadal in an exhilarating fourth game of the third set.

Nadal scurried forward to reach a drop shot and then produced a twirling overhead for 0-30, topping that by somehow returning a smash which Cilic should have buried before swatting away a cross-court backhand winner for three break points.

Golf great Tiger Woods, who was animatedly supporting Nadal throughout, leapt to his feet as Ashe rose to acclaim the sheer brilliance of the Spaniard.

A deflated Cilic limply handed over the break with a double fault, producing another as Nadal broke again for a 5-1 lead on his way to a two-set lead.

That familiar problem returned on break point in the first game of the fourth set, giving Nadal a crucial break which he doubled for a 4-0 lead after seeing off a break point.

All hope was lost for Cilic by that point, Nadal teeing up match point with a stretching forehand winner around the net post which left Ashe incredulous again before he wrapped up victory in two hours and 49 minutes.

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Konta hoping for 'big court' inspiration as she aims for last-four place

Published in Tennis

Monday, 02 September 2019 16:16

Johanna Konta believes playing on Arthur Ashe Stadium can inspire her to beat fifth seed Elina Svitolina and reach the US Open semi-finals.

The British 16th seed meets Ukrainian Svitolina on the world's biggest tennis court at 17:00 BST on Tuesday.

Konta, 28, has reached the quarter-finals in three successive majors.

"I'm lucky to have played on all the Grand Slam centre courts and it is another opportunity to play on one," she said.

"Ashe is a big court, it is a bit quicker than the other courts and I'm really looking forward to it.

"It is a tremendous achievement and I'm looking forward to trying to go one, two, three steps further."

If Konta wins, she could face 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams in the semi-finals.

American Williams takes on Chinese 18th seed Wang Qiang in the first night session match on Ashe at 00:00.

Konta had never gone beyond the fourth round at Flushing Meadows, but dug deep to beat Czech third seed Karolina Pliskova and reach the last eight here for the first time.

She has now reached at least the quarter-final stage in all four Grand Slams, although she has yet to convert one of these runs into a final appearance.

Seven-time major winner John McEnroe said during her win over Pliskova he believed she had the ability to go all the way in New York.

Konta only dropped two service games in her opening three matches and, although that level dipped against 2016 finalist Pliskova, she progressed after a free-hitting display which saw her strike 45 winners.

She is now aiming to match Jo Durie's run to the 1983 semi-finals at Flushing Meadows.

Standing in her way is 24-year-old Svitolina, who reached her first major semi-final at Wimbledon in July and won the WTA Finals title last year.

The Ukrainian has not dropped a set on the way to the last eight, with seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams and 2017 runner-up Madison Keys among her scalps.

"Wimbledon helped me because the injuries that I had a little bit took away my confidence physically," said Svitolina, who struggled with a knee problem earlier in the year.

"Playing well there gave me a little bit of a push and confidence on my footwork and I would say in general it was an amazing run for me.

"Jo is a very tough opponent. She strikes the ball very good, and I have to react very quickly with my feet."

Swiss 23rd seed Stan Wawrinka, who beat an injured Novak Djokovic in the men's last 16, will face Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev following Konta and Svitolina's match.

Five-time champion Roger Federer's meeting with Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov is after Williams and Wang in the night session.

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The flicks of the trade: A Tactics special!

Published in Table Tennis

Monday, 02 September 2019 17:47

by Massimo Costantini, ITTF High Performance Manager

It all started about ten years ago, when players in East Asia, and more precisely in China at the National Championships, began to make systematic use of the backhand opening on the table, moving in advance to the centre of the table or even to the forehand area: it was the so-called backhand side flick, then also known as the “banana flick” because of the technical figure that the racket/wrist/forearm produce in performing this shot.

Of course, this kind of action is not a new occurrence on the table tennis scene; we can think of players like Petr Korbel or Tibor Klampar. Since then, the so-called “pivot” or “step around” – the footwork movement on the body axis to permit and perform the more powerful forehand topspin – has been pushed into the background.

In my opinion, and I would like to start a debate here, there is a possibility that the steady decline of China’s dominance has already begun. China’s mixed results are very evident across various tournaments. I already reported this trend in 2013 in one of my technical essays. Then I predicted the decline to happen within the next 8 to 10 years. The full extent of my argument can be found in one of my articles, recently posted on LinkedIn.

The Chinese style

In earlier days, we used to expect the usual phenomenon of a Chinese player, only barely out of their teens, playing internationally for the first time and leaving the Europeans and rest of the world defeated in their wake, then rising towards becoming one of the world’s top players in a very short time.

Today, however, we have Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto born in 2003, and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju born in 2001, who started playing table tennis with a mentality of opening the rally and actually frustrating any attempt by the opponent to attack after their own serve. The Chinese, masters of the third ball of attack, saw themselves threatened by this show of strength on their own turf, one where they had prevailed for the past ten years.

Why then, are champions like China’s Ma Long or Fan Zhendong still the most credible candidates for the World Championships and the Olympic Games? The reason is that they have not been influenced by this trend, which I do not consider to be a good evolution of our sport. They have maintained their nature while capitalizing on the most effective of Chinese skills: making the best use of the forehand from the backhand side, which relies on the primordial use of footwork movement. This is the reason why they remain the best players.

What of Europe?

And Europe? Europe has failed to take the train of the aggressive game of the second ball – or maybe they missed it. There are too many players who, after serving, even find themselves pushing long and then hoping for the fifth ball of counter attack, or worse: playing fishing or lobbing.

If Asia expresses itself in a school in terms of theory and efficiency of the game, Europe still relies on individual talents. Hence extraordinary examples such as German legend Timo Boll, his compatriot Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Belarusian Vladimir Samsonov can still have their say.

But let us examine then what kind of “pasta” those like Harimoto and Lin Yun-Ju are made of. Later I will also discuss the Chinese players Wang Chuqin and Xue Fei, and Sweden’s Truls Möregård.

Evolution of styles

One does not need to have analyzed the most recent matches of the World Tour in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic to say that the short or long push on the serve-return is now part of the past, reminiscent of the playing style just more than a decade ago. Both have the sense of a backhand attack on the table, forcing the opponent to “defend” and pressing him with other shots at close range from the table, all for a rally of just 1.5 seconds or even less. And hence the serve is not so elaborate, but more simple, maybe 50% short and 50% long, just to allow them to be ready for the acceleration of the third ball.

It is a one-way game, an imposition of one’s own dictate in any situation, an extraordinary show of willpower. But it may be perhaps precisely because of a player’s young age that this can happen and therefore their freedom to express themselves reaches levels that remain out of reach for others. They think fast, act suddenly, move quickly: an explosive mix.

In my opinion, Wang Chuqin is a “threat” for everyone simply because he, like the other two mentioned above, grew up with a backhand flick and with the ability to impose his own game, and on top of that, he is a left-hander which, for that style, is a plus. Chuqin was lucky enough to grow gradually in terms of results, starting with the 2018 Youth Olympics Games in Buenos Aires, where he defeated Harimoto in a challenge at the highest level.

In fact, he was extremely comfortable to think like Harimoto and to play like Harimoto; the pen holder Xue Fei, born in 1999, was not as lucky. He was another promising star of the future with as formidable a potential as Chuqin, but his greatest opportunity was shattered just two years ago, in Olomouc, when he led 3-1 8-4 against the great Boll, but eventually losing. Winning that match would have projected him to the Olympus of the Chinese superstars, but with that defeat things went into a different direction.

Sometimes you got to have luck on your side. Here I have to make a technical clarification: the pen grip has the indisputable double advantage of loading the “sidespin backhand flick” with high rotation and providing the forehand with a powerful topspin. In fact, with the pen grip, the excursion of the racket reaches almost 360 degrees and the transition to the forehand is a natural motion, if only for the tradition of the Chinese masters.

Last in my list is Truls Möregård. The young Swede, also son of great traditions of medals and world titles, has opted for the game of control with a tireless effort to put the point in the pocket. Unlike that of his Asian colleagues, his effort is prolonged. Comparing the two different approaches is to compare runners competing in the 100 metre event with middle distance runners, whereby Truls would play the part of the middle-distance runner.

Another example of this approach would be Romanian Cristian Pletea. The protagonist of the unexpected victory against Harimoto, he has the same great ability as Möregård: to bring a “100 metre sprinter” player competes as if he were a middle distance runner. What are the chances they will make it?

To conclude, we are less than 11 months away from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. I think the Chinese are once again favoured for three reasons: the habit of winning, maturity (age factor) and the presence of Liu Guoliang. It would not surprise me to see the President of the Chinese Association in the training hall to make many-balls drills and not even to see him on the bench, maybe just for Ma Long or Fan Zhendong’s men’s final, with – who knows?- Harimoto or Lin Yun-Jun or… perhaps someone else?

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Camille Serme excited to make Nantes debut

Published in Squash

Tuesday, 03 September 2019 02:44

Camille Serme is looking forward to playing in front of a home crowd

‘I can’t wait to see this new, iconic venue’
By MATT COLES – Squash Mad Correspondent

French No.1 Camille Serme is looking forward to making her debut at the Open de France – Nantes 2019 Presented by Tailor Capital when the country’s most prestigious PSA event takes place from September 9-14 at the Chateau des ducs de Bretagne.

The Open de France – formally known as the Open International de Squash de Nantes – featured on the PSA Challenger Tour in 2018, but has this year upgraded to a PSA World Tour Silver event, meaning it has attracted a number of the world’s leading players. The tournament will also use a best-of-three game format up to and including the quarter-finals, before reverting to the traditional best of five format for the semi-finals and beyond.

This will be Serme’s first appearance at the tournament, and the World No.3 is excited to play in Nantes for the first time on the PSA World Tour.

“I am looking forward to play a big event in France. I’ve been hearing a lot about this tournament from other players, so I’m happy to be able to play it this year,” Serme explained.

“The venue is going to be an other iconic squash scene on the tour. I can’t wait to see it for real.”

Serme will come into the tournament as the leading Frenchwoman in the game, sitting inside the top three in the World Rankings after reaching the final of both the Allam British Open and the CIB PSA World Tour Finals at the end of last season.

The Open de France draws in one of the most vocal crowds on the PSA Tour, and the 30-year-old believes that she will thrive on the support of her home spectators.

The Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne will be hosting the glass court

“I’m not thinking about it yet, but for sure it’s gonna feel special to play in front of my staff, my parents and my home country. I will use it as an extra boost, not pressure,” she explained.

The Open de France is the 2019-2020 season opener on the PSA World Tour, and the French No.1 is looking forward to getting started with her campaign after a quick turnaround in the off-season.

“This summer has gone so fast it’s crazy!” she admitted.

“It has been great to be able to work on different things with my new fitness coach, such as gym sessions and on track as well. I really love the training part of our job so I enjoyed the last two months.

“I am currently in Seattle for an exhibition tournament, so although Nantes will technically be the first PSA event of the season, I will have really good matches in the legs already.”

The Open de France features equal prize money for the first time, with $147,000 up for grabs across both draws. La Maison du Squash will host round one matches, while round two matches will be split between there and the Chateau des ducs de Bretagne. The Chateau des ducs de Bretagne will host all matches from the quarter finals onwards.

All of the action from the Chateau des ducs de Bretagne will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour.

Tickets are available for purchase via the tournament’s official website.

Article by MATT COLES (PSA). Edited by ALAN THATCHER.

Pictures courtesy of PSA

Posted on September 3, 2019

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PSA unveils 2019-20 World Tour calendar

Published in Squash

Tuesday, 03 September 2019 03:22

The 2018-19 PSA World Tour Finals at Cairo’s Mall of Arabia

Busy season ahead as prize money grows
By SEAN REUTHE – Squash Mad Correspondent

The Professional Squash Association (PSA) has announced the calendar for the 2019-20 PSA World Tour season, which will see 29 tournaments take place across five continents between September 2019 and June 2020.

The PSA World Tour is the pinnacle of professional men’s and women’s squash and makes up part of the new PSA Tour structure – which came into effect in August 2018 – alongside the PSA Challenger Tour and the WSF and PSA Satellite Tour.

In addition to the PSA Men’s and Women’s World Championships, the PSA World Tour comprises eight Platinum tournaments, seven Gold events, five silver events, seven bronze events and the season-ending PSA World Tour Finals, which will take place in Cairo, Egypt in June.

The reigning PSA World Champions and all Platinum event winners automatically qualify for the PSA World Tour Finals, which features a men’s and women’s event, both containing eight-player draws. The remaining places are allocated to the highest ranked players on the Road to Egypt Standings, and points will be on offer at all PSA World Tour events during the season.

The Canary Wharf Classic is always a sell-out in London

The announcement of the 2019-20 PSA World Tour calendar comes off the back of the release of the season’s broadcast schedule, which will see 18 PSA World Tour events broadcast live on SQUASHTV, Eurosport Player, the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour, DAZN and a selection of mainstream broadcast channels across the globe.

“Since putting the new tour structure into place at the beginning of the 2018-19 season, we have seen an increase in prize money and playing opportunities across the tour and we fully expect that trend to continue throughout the upcoming season.” said PSA Tour Director Hannah Ridgard-Mason.

“The 2019-20 campaign promises to be one of the most highly-competitive and exciting seasons in recent memory, and we look forward to watching all of the action unfold over the next nine months.”

Prize money on the PSA Tour increased by 10 per cent last season to $7,600,000 and this is projected to grow once again during the 2019-20 campaign.

About PSA:
The Professional Squash Association (PSA) is the global governing body responsible for the administration of both men’s and women’s professional squash around the world. With over 950 registered players and more than 200 events taking place around the globe every year, the PSA World Tour and the PSA Challenger Tour – both managed and run by the PSA – showcases the game of squash at its highest level in some of the world’s most unique and stunning locations.

2019-20 PSA World Tour Calendar.

J.P. Morgan China Squash Open, PSA Platinum – Shanghai, China: September 4-8, 2019
Open de France – Nantes 2019 presented by Tailor Capital, PSA Silver – Nantes. France: September 9-14, 2019
Oracle NetSuite Open, PSA Gold – San Francisco, United States: September 24-30, 2019
FS Investments U.S. Open Squash Championships, PSA Platinum – Philadelphia, United States: October 5-12, 2019
CIB PSA Women’s World Championship – Cairo, Egypt: October 24 – November 1, 2019
CIB Egyptian Squash Open, PSA Men’s Platinum – Cairo, Egypt: October 25 – November 1, 2019
PSA Men’s World Championship – Doha, Qatar: November 8-15, 2019
Channel VAS Championships at St. George’s Hill, PSA Men’s Gold – London, England: November 19-24, 2019
Everbright Sun Hung Kai Hong Kong Squash Open, PSA Platinum – Hong Kong: December 2-8, 2019
J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions, PSA Platinum – New York, United States: January 9-17, 2020
Pittsburgh Open, PSA Men’s Bronze – Pittsburgh, United States: January 22-26, 2020
Carol Weymuller Open, PSA Women’s Bronze – Brooklyn, United States: January 22-27, 2020
CCI International, PSA Men’s Gold – Mumbai, India: Dates TBC
Cleveland Classic, PSA Women’s Bronze – Cleveland, United States: January 30 – 3 February, 2020
Bahl and Gaynor Cincinnati Gaynor Cup, PSA Women’s Bronze – Cincinnati, United States: February 20-24, 2020
Canada Cup, PSA Men’s Silver – Toronto, Canada: February 21-25, 2020
The Walter Family Windy City Open, PSA Platinum – Chicago, United States: February 27 – 4 March, 2020
Canary Wharf Classic, PSA Men’s Gold – London, England: March 8-13, 2020
Black Ball Squash Open, PSA Women’s Platinum – Cairo, Egypt: March 8-14, 2020
Grasshopper Cup, PSA Men’s Gold & Women’s Bronze – Zurich, Switzerland: March 17-22, 2020
Macau Open, PSA Bronze – Macau, China: Dates TBC
El Gouna International Squash Open, PSA Platinum – El Gouna, Egypt: April 8-17, 2020
Manchester Open, PSA Silver – Manchester, England: April 21-26, 2020**
Sports Internacional Guatemala, PSA Men’s Silver – Guatemala: Dates TBC
Motor City Open, PSA Men’s Silver – Detroit, United States: Dates TBC
Wimbledon Open, PSA Men’s Bronze – London, England: Dates TBC
British Open, PSA Platinum – TBC, England: May 25-31, 2020
Mauritius Open, PSA Men’s Gold – Grand Bay, Mauritius: June 3-7, 2020
PSA World Tour Finals – Cairo, Egypt: June 29-26, 2020

**Dates subject to change

Website: www.psaworldtour.com

Report by SEAN REUTHE (PSA). Edited by ALAN THATCHER.

Pictures courtesy of PSA

Posted on September 3, 2019

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'Squad selection, snoring and sushi - my first World Cup'

Published in Rugby

Tuesday, 03 September 2019 04:56

In his latest BBC Sport column, Wales centre Hadleigh Parkes looks forward his first World Cup, waxes lyrical about sushi and talks about his search for a new room-mate in Japan.

Now the wait for the squad announcement is over, I'm so excited about my first World Cup.

It's going to be an amazing tournament: a lot of fun but also a lot of hard work. To hear your name read out is something very special and I'm just excited about getting out to Japan and getting stuck in.

No matter who you are and what your status in the squad, you certainly have those nerves when you're waiting to find out if you've been included.

You'd like to be confident but, until you hear your name read out, you don't get that sense of relief. You have to be on edge a little bit and that's a good thing because it shows how much depth there is in Wales at the moment.

We found out on Sunday, live and at the same time as all the fans watching online. Then on Monday morning it was back to training.

When we all saw each other, there were a few 'congratulations' here and there and a few handshakes or fist-bumps. It's a pretty special thing to be able to go to a World Cup.

Then we had our team photo and got given our new training kit and bags with the World Cup logos on them. Those little bits of detail help it all sink in.

We'll need to pack that this week because it will go to Japan separately from our flight. A little bit of organisation will be required, which could test a few of the boys!

We have to organise a big bag for Japan and then a bag to go to Ireland for this weekend's game - hopefully the boys will be able to plan ahead.

Mixed emotions and the search for a room-mate

All 31 of us selected were delighted on Sunday, but we were all disappointed for the nine guys who missed out.

You feel for those boys and, to be fair to them, they all sent us a message on our World Cup WhatsApp group to wish us all the best in Japan.

There were some tough calls for the coaches to make, having to give those players that bad news. Difficult decisions are part of the job for coaches, and it's our job as players to make those decisions difficult.

One of those who missed out was Owen Lane - my room-mate, 'The Lane Train' - and I thought he played really well against Ireland on the weekend. He scored his try and put in a great effort on his debut.

The competition is pretty fierce on the wing and, unfortunately for him, he missed out. But I do think he has a massive future.

On a personal note, it's another roomie down for me after my original room-mate, Gareth Anscombe, was ruled out of the World Cup because of injury.

We'll have to wait and see what happens now.

I heard that James 'Cubby' Davies said he doesn't want to room with his brother Jonathan because he's too "boring".

I couldn't possibly comment on that, but it could mean I'll be on 'Cubby Tours' in Japan. Maybe he'll lead me astray!

As there's an odd number of players with 31 in the squad, the captain Alun Wyn Jones gets his own room.

That's always the case, unless there's a big snorer! If there is someone who snores a lot, they tend to sleep in a room on their own.

Bring on the sushi!

Apart from the rugby, what I'm most looking forward to about my first trip to Japan is the food!

I'm a massive fan of Japanese cuisine. I like sushi, chicken teriyaki, salmon teriyaki - all that kind of stuff. I think we'll be looking at a few food blogs, seeing what's out there. Hopefully the weight I've lost this pre-season won't come back on!

When you're touring, it's all part of it, experiencing different cultures and cuisines. In Argentina, for example, the steaks were amazing.

And then you go to South Africa and you try the meats and the braai and stuff like that. It will be awesome to experience some Japanese culture.

Sometimes we won't have seats at dinner time and we'll be sitting on the ground, so you've got to embrace that kind of thing.

You don't always have to eat at the hotel. The way I look at it, at the start of the week, I like to eat somewhere a bit different, but then towards the end of the week in the lead-up to the game, I tend to eat at the hotel.

You're not always going to eat out - we are there for a purpose, it's not a jolly - but you do want to experience new cultures.

My parents will be flying over, as will my three brothers at different times, but my wife Suzy won't be able to come because she's expecting our first child in November.

It's gutting because it would have been amazing to have her there, but both of us were very keen to start a family, so it's only a small sacrifice to make.

To go to a World Cup, with all the fans from around the world and all the teams, it's going to be really exciting and something you have to pinch yourself about.

Hadleigh Parkes was speaking to BBC Sport Wales' Dafydd Pritchard.

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'If Wales win World Cup, maybe I'll get Webb Ellis tattoo' - Davies tackles tournament with brother

Published in Rugby

Monday, 02 September 2019 14:19

He is the Olympic silver medallist preparing for his first Rugby World Cup after being named in Wales' 31-man squad.

And the breakthrough is even sweeter for James Davies who will share the experience with his brother Jonathan.

Elder sibling Jonathan is a double Grand Slam winner, and was a British and Irish Lions series winner in Australia in 2013 and Lions man of the series against New Zealand four years later.

James is a relative novice at international level - with five Wales caps compared with Jonathan's 75 - but is no stranger to the big stage after his experience in rugby sevens.

Davies the younger was a key was part of the Team GB squad that reached the final in Rio 2016.

In Brazil, he rubbed shoulders with some of the greatest sporting athletes on the planet, all ideal preparations for rugby's biggest global tournament.

"I'm pretty relaxed and take everything in my stride," said Davies.

"They call the Olympics the biggest show on Earth, so it's probably good preparation.

"I think it'll be a lot different to walking round and seeing [swimmer] Michael Phelps."

Davies has an Olympic rings tattoo among his well-documented collection of body art, and will add another if Wales reach the World Cup final in Yokohama on 2 November.

"We'll see how it goes first; if the squad makes it to the final or wins the World Cup maybe I'll get a massive 'Webb Ellis' on my back," said Davies.

The Scarlets flanker is wary of covering up his tattoos to adhere to Japanese culture. Last September, tournament organisers said players had been asked to cover up tattoos, which have an association in Japan with the notorious yakuza crime syndicates.

"I've heard about the mafia [with tattoos] so hopefully I don't get kidnapped!" joked Davies.

"I've been to Japan before, there's a lot of sushi and a lot of traffic.

"It's very different to Westernised countries but hopefully we can see a bit of it and have a good time while working hard."

While Davies was celebrating his call-up, he has also thought about his Scarlets team-mates who were left out of the squad, including props Rob Evans and Samson Lee.

"It's great for the 31 but it's savage for the boys who are missing out so it's important for everyone to realise that," said Davies.

"There's a lot of players who don't get the opportunity. When we went to the Olympics, the squad was more than halved so it was savage, it's the rubbish part of it.

"For one reason or another, Rob Evans and Samson Lee haven't been picked and they're world-class players so I know they will be gutted."

It was all celebrations in the Davies' household, though, with the brothers set to become only the third Welsh siblings to be part of the same World Cup squad.

Richard and Paul Moriarty were part of the travelling party to Australia and New Zealand in 1987 followed by Craig and Scott Quinnell 12 years later when the tournament was hosted by Wales.

"There are two good sets of brothers there so hopefully we can do it justice," said Davies.

"It's nice for the family, mum and dad are over the moon, and to share the journey with a family member is quite special.

"The family atmosphere has been congratulatory, it's hard to put into words for mum and dad. Jon and I just get on with it and we're chuffed to see each other going but it's on to the next job now.

"I think Jon was more nervous about me getting picked than he was for himself.

"I remember watching the Lions selection and being on pins for him because it would have been more difficult for him to get in.

"You just look out for each other, and because he missed the last World Cup it's great to see him here fit and raring to go."

The Davies brothers played together for Wales for the first time against England in August 2019.

It did not end well for James, who was forced off with a head injury in a challenge that involved his brother, and which could have derailed his World Cup ambitions.

"That summed up my season, I don't want to moan or whinge but it's been one of those years," said Davies.

"I had a knock on the head from 'Goldenballs' and I think he wanted to keep the limelight on himself!

"It was frustrating but it hasn't done too much harm. From the year I've had with injuries, I'm pleased where I am.

"I don't know if surprised is the right word for how I felt after being selected, I've trained well and gave myself more of a chance than most people did.

"Just to find out I got the nod when there are so many good players in the back row has been great.

"It's just the start now and I'm happy to be among it all."

The older brother is a proud man.

"I don't think he seems that excited, but I'm chuffed to bits for him," said Jonathan.

"He struggled last year with injuries and worked extremely hard over the last few months to be on the field training.

"He's been in a lot of pain but hopefully he can keep improving and giving a great account of himself."

But there will be no chance of the brothers sharing a room in Japan.

Jonathan said before the England game that his younger brother was too messy. A riposte was inevitable.

"I am happy I am not rooming with him and that's fine by me," James said. "There is no comeback to that because I am pretty messy.

"I would never room with him though because he is too boring.

"What would you rather?!"

Boring is never a word you would apply to James Davies.

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McInally to captain Scotland at World Cup as Jones & Hutchinson miss out

Published in Rugby

Tuesday, 03 September 2019 06:41

Stuart McInally has been named Scotland captain for the Rugby World Cup, but centres Huw Jones and Rory Hutchinson are among the squad's major omissions.

Forwards Josh Strauss, Matt Fagerson and Magnus Bradbury also miss out after coach Gregor Townsend announced his 31-man squad on Tuesday.

Edinburgh hooker McInally has been chosen ahead of John Barclay and Greig Laidlaw to captain the Scots in Japan.

"I was injured for the last World Cup, so this makes it sweeter," he said.

"It was a very proud moment when I was asked to be captain."

Adam Hastings travels as cover for Finn Russell at fly-half.

Nine men were always going to be left disappointed as Townsend whittled the squad down from 40 when the final player pool for the competition, which begins on 20 September, was presented at Linlithgow Palace.

"It's been a tough process getting down to 31 players, but we are very happy with the squad we've selected," Townsend said.

The battle for midfield slots was the most competitive in this squad and it is where some notable omissions were inevitable.

Glasgow Warriors' Jones made an explosive start to his Test career, littered with tries in big games, but his poor form over the past year has cost him a World Cup place.

Hutchinson seemed to be the coming man, with the Northampton Saints' centre scoring twice on his first Test start against Georgia at the weekend.

However, Townsend has chosen Peter Horne and Chris Harris as back-up to the expected first-choice pairing of Sam Johnson and Duncan Taylor.

The back-row was another fiercely contested area that was always going to be tough to narrow down.

Strauss, now back in his native South Africa with Bulls, and Glasgow's Fagerson showed up well in Tbilisi, but that was not enough to book a seat on the plane to Japan.

Edinburgh's Bradbury has paid the price for a lack of match action after a rib injury ruled him out of the first three World Cup warm-up games.

Scotland squad

Forwards: John Barclay (Edinburgh), Simon Berghan (Edinburgh), Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors), Allan Dell (London Irish), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Stuart McInally (capt) (Edinburgh), WP Nel (Edinburgh), Gordon Reid (Ayrshire Bulls), Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh), Blade Thomson (Scarlets), Ben Toolis (Edinburgh), George Turner (Glasgow Warriors), Hamish Watson (Edinburgh), Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors).

Backs: Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), Chris Harris (Gloucester), Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors), Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs), George Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Peter Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Sam Johnson (Glasgow Warriors), Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh), Greig Laidlaw (Clermont Auvergne), Sean Maitland (Saracens), Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors), Finn Russell (Racing 92), Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Taylor (Saracens).

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