PUMAS BITE BACK ...
Perhaps the ideal way to wind down after a thrilling Rugby World Cup on offer on Saturday as the Barbarians take on Argentina at Twickenham (Sky Sports 2, 3pm). Playing an expansive, joyful game made the Pumas a pleasure to watch and they will be free to enjoy themselves even more against the Baa-Baas. The latter, expected to include All Blacks Nehe Milner-Skudder, Waisake Naholo and Lima Sopoaga will be coached by Michael Cheika who did such an extraordinary job in turning Australia round in such a short time. Ignore England’s current machinations and revel in this instead.
DAVIS CUP DISCOVERED ...
With Great Britain set to play Belgium in the final of the Davis Cup in Ghent on 27 November the team, due to be announced by Tuesday, will be looking to win for the first time since Fred Perry led them to the title in 1936. Indeed Great Britain last contested a final in 1978 and in 2010 were unceremoniously biffed out by Lithuania, a country at the time that boasted only four professional players. Given that record and as a reminder of quite how long it has been, the BBC is reliving the dark times in Davis Cup – The Wilderness Years on Wednesday (5 Live, 9pm).
FOOTBALL, SEX, MONEY ...
Where did it all go wrong? – long simply the punchline to everyone’s favourite George Best joke here given a makeover by Amal Fashanu, John’s daughter and niece to Justin. She has previously made a documentary on homophobia in football and in Football, Sex, Money: What’s Gone Wrong? she addresses whether the culture of the modern game is damaging to young players (BBC3, Tuesday, 10pm). Fashanu examines the vast sums of money they earn and their sexual promiscuity, questioning whether it puts them in any position to be regarded as role models and whether the clubs themselves cultivate degrading attitudes towards women. These are valid and uncomfortable questions that lie behind the huge spending on younger and younger players.
CHELSEA COMEBACK TRAIL ...
With the men’s side lurching around the lower reaches of the Premier League, Chelsea’s women had been quietly showing just how it was done earlier this year with a string of successes. They won the league, pipping rivals Manchester City and Ji So-yun was named PFA Women’s Players’ Player of the Year. A strong run in the Champions League followed and they were looking to secure a quarter-final place against Wolfsburg. The latter, however, winners of the trophy twice in the last three years, had other ideas and won the first leg 2-1 away. All to do then for Chelsea to keep the winning run on track in the second leg (Wednesday, Eurosport, 2.45pm).
RACE OF CHAMPIONS ...
Motor racing’s very own Mario Kart comes to the London 2012 Olympic Stadium, as the Race of Champions takes place in London (Friday-Saturday, Sky Sports F1). Pitting top racers, including Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, Jorge Lorenzo, Tom Kristensen and celebrities such as Chris Hoy and Ben Ainslie against one another on a tight circuit in identical purpose-built cars. The knockout format ensures every race counts, while the stadium venue means the whole course can be viewed from the stands. The drivers love it and revel in being able simply to enjoy themselves (tickets: raceofchampions.com).
