Sports Desk

Dubai World Championship
For three days every two years, the Ryder Cup is the most obvious competition between the U.S. PGA Tour and the European Tour. The history, snide remarks, and God Bless America vocal patriotism make it the undisputed focus of the rivalry, but outside of these three days there is an ongoing battle between the powers. The struggle to be regarded as the major force has had a decidedly one-sided feel to it. With Tiger Woods rarely leaving the shores; the money, coverage, and luster have gravitated towards the U.S, leading to a somewhat unfair presumption that they produce the better overall product. Once the myth is out there, it has gathered pace and the European Tour has looked like a destitute neighbour as opposed to the credible rival it should be.

The Dubai World Championship is the culmination of the Race to Dubai on the European Tour and an attempt to get the big names in golf making the trip across the pond more often. Initially it was announced that it would have a prize fund of $10,000,000, that has been credit-crunched to a mere $7,500,000, but it’s unlikely to alter the guest list too drastically. It will boast a field worthy of the majors.

Picking a winner seems incredibly difficult in such a high quality event. Even without a major to his name in 2009, Tiger Woods is still easily the best player on the planet, but he will never offer genuine value for the remainder of his career. One player likely to give value for money is Ross Fisher. His worst finish in the 2009 majors was a creditable tied 30th when debuting at Augusta, and his fifth place at the U.S. Open suggested real potential. There might very well be a familiar look to the leader board of this new event by the end, but Fisher is one to watch out for in the future.

Autumn Rugby Internationals
For all the talk of the gap closing between the standards of the south and the north, the arrival of the All Blacks, the Springboks, and the Wallabies to these shores brings with it the true global superstars and the names that thousands are willing to pay for to witness in the flesh. The Autumn Internationals give the countries that make up the Six Nations to get an assessment of where they stand in relation to their southern counterparts. That may appear dismissive, but with no silverware of importance up for grabs, the northern hemisphere sides can’t take much from the games. It’s the end of the southern season and if allowed to speak off the record, the players might even admit they’d rather not be there. Coaches will experiment and performances will suffer.

There are opportunities for the punter. England face Australia, Argentina, and New Zealand. For all their recent difficulties, one win is a must, two wins a distinct possibility, and the hat-trick not as unlikely as we might have recently thought. The Wallabies and All Blacks looked fragile at times during the Tri-Nations, and morale-boosting wins are a possibility, even with a team in transition like England.

Wales host New Zealand, Samoa, Argentina, and Australia. Three wins looks within their compass, but a hectic schedule may mean the full sweep falls at the hands of either the All Blacks or Wallabies. Ireland take on Australia, Fiji, and the Springboks. To illustrate the point about the Autumn Internationals being an unreliable measure of progress, Ireland claimed both the scalps of South Africa and Australia in November 2006, fueling hopes that a World Cup win was possible.

That was proved dramatically wrong in France months later. This year, under Declan Kidney, a sweep of the visiting trio is attainable and, after the heights of the Six Nations, almost expected. Such is their woeful recent form, Scotland might offer the best value of November matches. Andy Robinson has taken the helm and at the very least motivation will be high among the players to impress. The games against Fiji and Argentina may not capture the imagination to the same extent, so the main effort will surely be reserved for the test match against Australia, making the Scots extremely backable. It may not end in World Cup success, but it could pay to take advantage of the northern lights getting a rare opportunity to shine.