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-->First up for the new look England next Saturday will be the Pacific Islands and anyone who sees this game as a gentle warm up leading up to the big games against South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, is sorely mistaken.
The Islanders team is made up of representatives from Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, 3 sides which caused some major upsets during the world cup last year and who possess some of the most talented and athletic players in world rugby.
This game was never going to be a quiet affair. North London derbys are always fairly feisty and this match pretty much had it all.
Arsenal looked home and dry at 4-2 before Spurs came back to level dramatically. You literally couldn't write it.
For me the highlight though was this spectacular strike from David Bentley. He has had his critics since joining Spurs and rightly so as he has failed to come anywhere close to his form at Blackburn last season.
However, perhaps with Harry Redknapp's arrival this could be the turning point for his season and indeed his England ambitions.
Here is the goal in question. Enjoy!
Hull 0 Chelsea 3
Some things can come back to bite you in the arse and last night Hull found this out to their detriment.
Prior to last night's game, Hull's star player, the Brazillian Geovanni, was talking up his side's chances against the might of Chelsea.
"Hull’s bright start to the season is not about luck but rather about hard work", he said.
Portsmouth today announced Tony Adams as their new manager, just four days after bumping Harry Redknapp off to Tottenham for five million pounds. They haven’t wasted much time trying to secure the ship that the previous manager steadied over a split six year period taking the Fratton Park fans to heights not seen for fifty years.
Adams, seen as a demi-god by Arsenal fans for his excellent defensive and captain duties, is a strange choice given other managers that are available or who may have become accessible. His record at Wycombe as manager was poor and he blamed it on the club losing money each week. He then had two short spells coaching abroad before taking up the number two job at Portsmouth which he’s held for just over two years.
Blimey, it seems it's all kicking off out in Antigua.
Leading up to Saturday's winner takes all, mulit-million pound 20-20 game between England and The Stanford All Stars, it appears everyone's getting a little stressed and tetchy.
During their game against Middlesex, the England players were reportedly furious at images displayed on the giant screen which showed Sir Allen Stanford flirting with the players' wives and girlfriends. Matt Prior apparently took great afront given that his wife was seen perched on Stanford's knee as the American had her in fits of giggles.
Yesterday, Martin Johnson unsurprisingly confirmed Steve Borthwick as England captain for the forthcoming autumn internationals.
Borthwick is a sold, if unspectacular, selection but he is the right man to lead the team for the time being. The term of his tenure has not been given a specific length and one can fully understand why. The England boss will be keen to monitor how he fares whilst he will also be hoping that some other leadership contenders emerge.
Well, it has certainly been one of those weekends. So much happened that it's difficult to know where to begin but let's start with good old Harry.
Always one to enjoy a bit of controversy, Harry Redknapp quit his post at Portsmouth and took charge of Spurs on Sunday , duly guiding them to their first win of the season, with a 2-0 result against Bolton at home.
It was a much needed victory and it will give Spurs fans something to finally cheer but tougher challenges will lie ahead and next up is a derby game against Arsenal who also won at the weekend beating West Ham 2-0 away.
It is hardly suprising, given their dismal start to the season, that the lions share of football's gossip columns this season have focussed on Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs have managed just 2 points from their first 8 games and the knives have been out for the key names responsible for such terrible, and unacceptable, form.
"Who is to blame"?...has been the question asked by many a journalist over the last few weeks. Is it Juande Ramos, their Spanish Manager? Is it Gus Poyet, Ramos' assistant or is it Damien Comolli, the club's "Sporting Director"?
You have to feel for James Simpson-Daniel. Just when it finally seemed like he would get a richly deserved run in the England side, he goes and gets yet another injury.
It has been confirmed that Simpson-Daniel will have to undergo surgery on damaged ankle ligaments which will restrict him to the sidelines for 3 months. Thus, bang goes his opportunity to represent England in the Autumn Internationals and nail down the wing sport which has been alluding him for so long.
It must be tough being a manager of a mid to lower tier team in the Premier League. Such is the strength of the top 6-8 sides, it will be a constant battle to acquire the points needed to keep your team in the top echelon.
And so it must be feel for Steve Bruce. Wigan, on the face of it, have been having a decent season. They've not been on the end of any real thrashings and Bruce has assembled a strong looking 1st XI that will give most teams a good run for their money.
It must be galling then to read that your best player, the top scorer in the premiership this season, is being courted by other clubs.
If you're mad about sports and want to write for The Dollop then please get in touch.
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