DM1ST
mirror.co.uk/sport SATURDAY 17.08.2019 DAILY MIRROR^57
BARRY
McGUIGAN
Joshua has
to focus on
just desert
SAUDI ARABIA is an unusual place from
the point of view of boxing culture.
There is no history of prize fighting in
the region and you feel that absence from
the moment you touch down.
From a technical point of view
everything works. The facilities and the
hotels are great.
The only thing that went against us
when George Groves fought Callum Smith
was the result, but we had no complaints
about the show.
So whatever concerns Andy Ruiz
(above, beating Anthony Joshua) about
the rematch, it is not the setting or
neutrality. You will never find a more
neutral location to defend a title.
I suspect good old boxing politics is
behind the Ruiz noise coming out of the
United States. His handlers are either
manipulating the circumstances for a
better deal, or they are testing the
strength of the contract.
Ruiz is managed by Al Haymon, who
also advises Deontay Wilder (below).
And Haymon wants the
big fights in the US, an
environment he knows
and can control.
In many ways
Joshua walked into
an ambush in the
first fight at Madison
Square Garden.
He was reckless. He
got caught trying to finish
the job and the whole fight went away
from him.
To me, Joshua didn’t look quite right at
any point that night. There was
speculation that he was hurt in his last
sparring session. He looked unsettled.
Critics say he is no good away from
home. I don’t believe that. People forget
how difficult it is to maintain form when
you are carrying the weight of the sport
on your shoulders.
That is how it must seem to him at
times. Joshua has become a huge star.
After being knocked down four times in
New York, Joshua recognised something
has to give and has said he will make
changes to his coaching team.
He said he needs to get back to basics,
to surround himself by boxing people and
rediscover his passion for the sport.
In that Joshua is absolutely bang on.
Wherever the rematch takes place, he
needs to be fully focused on the job. He
can’t afford to get careless a second time.
ATHLETICS: DIAMOND LEAGUE, BIRMINGHAM
MOLI’S ED OF STEAM
Resort as he seeks a fourth
European Tour title.
“I’m giving myself lots of
chances,” said Molinari,
who won twice in
Scotland in 2010 to
earn a Ryder Cup wild
card and also won the
Trophee Hassan II in
- “I’ve had a tough few
years but now I’m playing
well so life is good.”
ITALY’S Edoardo Molinari will
take a two-shot lead into the
third round of the D+D Real
Czech Masters after
another flawless display.
Molinari (right)
carded a second
consecutive 66 for a
halfway total of 12 under
par. The former Ryder Cup
player has yet to drop a
single shot at Albatross Golf
MUIR WILL TAKE ON WORLD
little more than six weeks away,
the flying Scot is in a race
against time to make the start
line and fulfil her clear medal
potential.
But she is back in training and
given that in the spring she went
from injury to clocking 3min
56sec – the world’s third fastest
1500m – in Rome six weeks later,
her camp are understood to be
unworried.
BY ALEX SPINK
LAURA MUIR will be fit for the
World Athletics Championships
despite her build-up being
disrupted by injury.
The European 1500m
champion damaged a calf at the
London Anniversary games and
is out of both tomorrow’s
Birmingham Diamond League
and next week’s British champs.
With the Worlds in Doha now
BEAT THE CLOCK
Muir is racing time
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GOLF: CZECH MASTERS, PRAGUE
SINCK
OR SWIM
Sinckler keen to get stuck back into
Wales despite losing the plot last time
KYLE SINCKLER
insists he was not
scarred by his Six
Nations experience in
Cardiff and is itching to
get stuck into Wales.
The fiery England prop,
26, is back at the
Principality Stadium for
the first time since Warren
Gatland branded him an
“emotional timebomb” in
February.
Sinckler responded by
tackling himself to a stand-
still before Wales got under
his skin, provoked him into
conceding two key
penalties, and Eddie Jones
quickly subbed him off
(above).
“I’m not perfect,” he said.
“Everyone makes mistakes.
For me I’ve got to let it go
and move on. I am itching
to get back out there and
show what I can do.
“I review everything to
see how I can improve.
Every detail, everything I
do. But I don’t hold on to
things, good and bad, as if
you do it will hinder your
next game and the next
game after that.”
Sinckler is a huge talent,
as Gatland knows well,
having capped him off the
bench three times for the
2017 British Lions before
he had even made his full
debut for England. And the
JONES: I CAN’T WRAP THE
PLAYERS IN COTTON WOOL
EDDIE JONES insists it is right his England
stars play Test matches so close to the
World Cup despite another injury fright.
Ruaridh McConnochie “pulled up sore”
in the final session ahead of today’s clash
with Wales and was rated a major doubt.
The uncapped wing joins Jack Nowell,
Mako Vunipola, Tom Curry, Sam Underhill,
Mark Wilson and Henry Slade as a crock.
But Jones said: “You can’t worry about
injuries, you just get on with it. It’s the risk
you take. It’s like a boxer – a boxer’s got to
box, rugby player’s got to play rugby.”
TV TIMES: Live on
Sky Sports Main Event, 2pm
WALES ENGLAND
L Williams Daly
North McConnochie
Jon Davies Joseph
Parkes Francis
J Adams Cokanasiga
Biggar Ford
G Davies Heinz
Smith Genge
Owens Cowan-Dickie
Francis Cole
Ball Launchbury
A-W Jones (c)^ Itoje
Wainwright Lawes
James Davies Ludlam
Moriarty B Vunipola
LIKELY LINE-UPS
15
14
13
12
11
10
9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
WALES REPS: Dee, W Jones,
Lewis, Shingler, Navidi,^
A Davies, Evans, Watkin
ENGLAND REPS: George,
Marler, Sinckler, Kruis,
Singleton, Youngs, Farrell,
Tuilagi
by rugby standards. He said: “I have
been doubted throughout my
career because of my size.
“I remember not getting an
academy spot because I was
too small. I thrive on proving
those people wrong.
“It keeps me going every day.”
DAVIES MAKES LIGHT WORK OF TEST
JAMES DAVIES aims to lay down a
World Cup marker today.
Wales flanker Davies (right)
will win his fourth cap and play
alongside brother Jonathan
for the first time at Test level.
The flanker, who is 6ft tall and
weighs 15 stone, is small and light
WALES v ENGLAND
WORLD CUP WARM-UP
PRINCIPALITY STADIUM, 2.15PM
Wales coach tried to bury
the hatchet ahead of
today’s World Cup warm-
up clash, seeking him out
at Twickenham last
Sunday.
“I saw him and shook
his hand,” said Gatland.
“I made a couple of
comments about him in
the Six Nations. I thought
he was brilliant and played
exceptionally well against
us for most of that game.
“There is no doubt he is
an outstanding player. His
work-rate was outstanding
with the number of tackles
and carries he made.”
Nobody, least of all
Sinckler (right, clashing
with Alun Wyn Jones),
would pretend he is the
finished article. He is
combustible, partly
because he cares so much.
“International rugby is
like a rollercoaster,” he
said. “When you win it’s
the best feeling in the
world. But when you lose
you carry
the weight
of the
country
on your
shoulders.
“We feel it
more than
anyone. It is
pretty
intense.”
FOLLOW Barry on Twitter at....
@ClonesCyclone @McGuigans_Gym
and @CyclonePromo
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