D Tuesday, October 27, 2009 METROSPORT 21 SPORTDigest Wilkinson: Regaining form at Toulon England reward pair for French renaissance RUGBY: World Cup winning duo Jonny Wilkinson and Steve Thompson have been recalled to the England squad for the autumn internationals against Australia, Argentina and New Zealand. Fly-half Wilkinson and hooker Thompson, who shared the Sydney field with England manager Martin Johnson in the 2003 World Cup triumph over Australia, have both found form in France, at Toulon and Brive respectively. Johnson, without 12 first-team candidates due to injury, has also included new caps in Leicester lock Richard Blaze, Bath prop David Barnes and 20-year-old Northampton second rower Courtney Lawes. Absentees include forwards Phil Vickery and Simon Shaw and backs Delon Armitage and Riki Flutey. Tennis star denies fix TENNIS: Caroline Wozniacki insisted her decision to quit a match while leading 7-5, 5-0 had nothing to do with betting. The Dane retired at the Luxembourg Open with a hamstring injury last week while leading Anne Kremer. The match saw a surge in online betting on Kremer, prompting a WTA investigation. Wozniacki said: There was no chance for me to finish, so I decided to stop. I dont have anything to do with betting ... so I dont see any problems. NFL eyes London double NFL: The sports UK boss Alistair Kirkwood is confident there will be two regular-season games in London next year following Sundays clash between the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Wembley. More than 84,000 saw the Patriots rout the Bucs 35-7, but the lopsided game did little to dampen the crowds enthusiasm. Kirkwood said: We now have a track record of teams coming over here and we have a great level of feedback as we look to move to two games a year. Pettitte hits right pitch BASEBALL: Andy Pettitte registered a record 16th play-off win to take the New York Yankees to the World Series. The 37-year-old left-hander gave up just one run in six and a third innings as the Yankees beat the LA Angels 5-2 on Sunday to win the American League Championship Series 4-2. They now start the best-of-seven World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies tomorrow night at Yankee Stadium. I am just so thankful that I could pitch this kind of game, said Pettitte, who will be pitching in his eighth World Series. Kimi keen to end on high FORMULA ONE: Former world champion Kimi Raikkonen hopes to end his Ferrari career in Abu Dhabi on Sunday by helping the team beat McLaren to third place in the Constructors Championship. Ferrari trail McLaren by a point with champions Brawn and Red Bull further ahead. The Finn (pictured) is to be replaced by Fernando Alonso and has yet to confirm a drive for next season. But Raikkonen said: The car wasnt as competitive as we wanted. At least we managed to win one race. Lets hope we can conclude with something nice to be remembered. Casey chases winning return at Match Play In the pink: Casey The top four players on the european Tour money list have all avoided each other in the draw for the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain this week. For the first time, the event starts with a round-robin group stage, with current Race to Dubai leader Lee Westwood is seeded second. Paul Casey, out of action since the Open with a torn rib muscle, is the top seed, while German Martin Kaymer and Irishman Rory McIlroy, who like Casey have the chance to take the No.1 spot off Westwood if they make it through their groups into the semi-finals, are the fifth and sixth seeds. McIlroys group is headed by Swede henrik Stenson and also contains Argentinas Masters champion Angel Cabrera and englands Simon Dyson. That gives McIlroy the chance to repeat last months Vivendi Trophy win over Stenson. World No.4 Casey said: This is the longest Ive been out of action and I am really eager to get back out on the course, said the 2006 champion. Ive followed all the medical advice and my first goal is to win the Race to Dubai, starting with the Volvo World Match Play. World Match Play Draw (seed in brackets) Group A: (1) Paul Casey, (8) Retief Goosen, (9) Anthony Kim, (16) Scott Strange Group B: (4) Sergio Garcia, (5) Martin Kaymer, (12) Robert Allenby, (13) Oliver Wilson Group C: (3) Henrik Stenson, (6) Rory McIlroy, (11) Angel Cabrera, (14) Simon Dyson Group D: (2) Lee Westwood, (7) Camilo Villegas, (10) Ross Fisher, (15) Jeev Milkha Singh golf world match play Begley tips Walsh to succeed Down UnderBy PAUL KEANE High-profile recruit: Walsh has joined St Kilda Picture: Sportsfile Former Aussie rules star Colm Begley has tipped Tommy Walsh to do what he could not and take Grand Finalists St Kilda by storm. Laois man Begley spent last season with the melbourne club and despite playing just once was offered a one-year extension. But while he has officially knocked that back to return home to his native Stradbally, the mel- bourne club will still have a strong Irish interest in 2010. Kerry sensation Walsh will ef- fectively replace Begley, 23, at the club as their high-profile rookie recruit. Begley believes the All-Ireland medallist and 2008 Young Player of the Year can make an instant impact in the first team as they chase AFL honours. Tommy has everything going for him so that he can play straight away for St Kilda, said Begley, who also played for the Brisbane Lions for three years. Tommy is very competitive, hes got the right personality, and just look at the physical size and presence of him, he can definitely do well down there. Naturally, he can work on the weights and that side of things like every new player. But hes already a strong man and I can see things going very well for him. Begley said he gained huge ex- perience from playing with Grand Finalists St Kilda and does not regret moving there despite his limited impact. People have said if I went to a weaker club I might have got more of a chance, accepted Begley, 23. But the way I see it, I played with the best team under a great coach with some great, great players. It was an absolutely amazing experience and I certainly see the whole experience as a good one. Begley has not ruled out return- ing to the AFL but says he has no plans to do so and is concentrat- ing on rebuilding his life here. He refused to speculate on his Laois career, insisting he is taking time out for himself now, but is sure to rejoin the county panel. my fitness has probably im- proved 20 per cent from being out there, revealed the International rules star. MIKE McNAMARA has confirmed he intends to remain as Clare hurling boss ahead of tonights potentially explosive county board meeting. The Scariff man is one year into a two-year term and is planning to remain in charge for 2010. But reports claim he faces resistance after a section of the Clare panel met earlier this month and are said to have opposed McNamaras retention unanimously. It remains to be seen how far disgruntled players are prepared to go to contest McNamaras position, with speculation some may retire. But as things stand, there is no opposition to McNamara at an official level, and the former Offaly boss is planning for 2010 as normal. When Mike Mac went into the job he went in on a two-year term, said board spokesman Syl OConnor. Our official line is that Mike Mac is half way through the two years and hes 100 per cent standing by that term. gaa motogp VALeNTINo roSSI could delay a possible switch to rallying after a ninth motorcycling world title failed to diminish his will to win on two wheels. The 30-year-old clinched another motoGP title with third place in Sundays malaysian Grand Prix but had kept his options open about what happens when his Yamaha contract ends in 2010. rallying has always appealed to the Italian and he recently fuelled rumours he would switch sooner rather than later after saying his future in 2011 was a mystery. However, after winning a seventh title he suggested he may stick with bikes until 2012. If I had to decide today I would sign up straight away for another two seasons, he said. Having achieved almost everything in motoGP, the only goal left for rossi in the sport is compatriot Giacomo Agostinis record of 122 wins. rossi is on 103 and would have to race on for at least two more seasons to break the record, a difficult task given the opposition from Ducatis Casey Stoner and Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo. Next year I want to defend the title and have other good battles with Lorenzo and Stoner, rossi said. maybe I can get close to that record, it depends what I decide in 2011, if I take a one or two-year contract. Rossi could delay rally switch Record chase: Rossi index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html