There are plenty of similarities between England's national football team and their rugby playing compatriots.
They both play in white, obviously. They both have grouchy managers with expressive foreheads who are pragmatists rather than romantics and are more than happy to travel to major tournaments with injured players in tow.
Neither team wants for anything. When the footballers played at the World Cup in South Africa last summer, their hotel was fitted with a games arcade containing all their favourite video games. Meanwhile, a stash of comfort food, including 30kgs of custard, was flown out especially.
The England rugby team have enjoyed similar comforts ever since Sir Clive Woodward, their 2003 World Cup-winning coach, espoused the importance of looking after the "thousand critical non-essentials" which contribute towards success.
This time around....
England have freighted their own scrum machine all the way with them to New Zealand - a country so in thrall to rugby there is one of the tank-like contraptions on almost every street corner.
There is a method to England's thinking: they do not want to be seen to be using a rival brand of scrum machine.
Perhaps the most important similarity between the 11-man code and the 15-man code in England, however, is the fact that both play well in October.
This is, of course, also what sets them apart.
For the overpaid, underachieving footballers, it is more a source of angst than something to celebrate.
Because nothing of any worth ever really happens in football in October. When summer comes around and major championships are there to be won, they surrender.
In rugby, however, October once every four years is when the main real action takes place.
And England, who remain the only northern hemisphere nation to have won the World Cup, have made a habit of doing well at this time of year.
We say "well". That probably needs qualifying. They play well in a "let's win the game at any cost even if it makes people turn off their televisions" type way.
Not a "let's throw the ball around and keep everyone on the edge of their seats" way.
England have hardly set the world alight in the nearly four years since they reached the last World Cup final in Paris.
But that does not really count for much.
Before the tournament in France - and indeed most of the time during the competition - they were dire, yet they still found a way to muddle through to the final.
There are no secrets to it. They win the forward battle, do not let the ball go any wider than their fly-half, and get Jonny Wilkinson to kick the points. It is what they call "tournament rugby".
It should have been harder for sides to shove the ball up their jumpers since, at Woodward's prompting, skin-tight rugby shirts became de rigueur.
But England still stuck steadfastly to the 10-man game plan which has served them so well since they came unstuck in the 1991 final by trying to entertain instead.
By the look of the squad Martin Johnson, the manager, has named for this competition, they are not about to grow any frills any time soon.
As Jeremy Guscott, a World Cup finalist in 1991, said of his long-time former teammate, Johnson, in Dubai this week: "He's from Leicester. He's a second-row forward. Let's be honest, he's boring."
Plan A may look like it is going to be boring, but it is much better than plan B - because there isn't one.
But in the past plan A has usually been just about good enough.
Author: Paul Radley
ALSO READ: Playing for England is not just a birthright
THE%C2%A0SPECS
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Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Date: Sunday, November 25
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
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THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm
Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: Dh146,999
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How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
- Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
- Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Copa del Rey
Barcelona v Real Madrid
Semi-final, first leg
Wednesday (midnight UAE)
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
Why are you, you?
Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
We are a twenty first century wonder.
Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
Now is the turning point of cultures and hopes.
Come with questions, leave with visions.
We are the link between the past and the future.
Here, through art, new possibilities are born. And
new answers are given wings.
Why are you, you?
Because we are mirrors of each other.
Because together we create new worlds.
Together we are more powerful than we know.
We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.
Ben Okri,
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Credits
Produced by: Colour Yellow Productions and Eros Now
Director: Mudassar Aziz
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jassi Gill, Piyush Mishra, Diana Penty, Aparshakti Khurrana
Star rating: 2.5/5
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Read more about the coronavirus
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THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
On Instagram: @WithHopeUAE
Although social media can be harmful to our mental health, paradoxically, one of the antidotes comes with the many social-media accounts devoted to normalising mental-health struggles. With Hope UAE is one of them.
The group, which has about 3,600 followers, was started three years ago by five Emirati women to address the stigma surrounding the subject. Via Instagram, the group recently began featuring personal accounts by Emiratis. The posts are written under the hashtag #mymindmatters, along with a black-and-white photo of the subject holding the group’s signature red balloon.
“Depression is ugly,” says one of the users, Amani. “It paints everything around me and everything in me.”
Saaed, meanwhile, faces the daunting task of caring for four family members with psychological disorders. “I’ve had no support and no resources here to help me,” he says. “It has been, and still is, a one-man battle against the demons of fractured minds.”
In addition to With Hope UAE’s frank social-media presence, the group holds talks and workshops in Dubai. “Change takes time,” Reem Al Ali, vice chairman and a founding member of With Hope UAE, told The National earlier this year. “It won’t happen overnight, and it will take persistent and passionate people to bring about this change.”
FIGHT%20CARD
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TOP 5 DRIVERS 2019
1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 10 wins 387 points
2 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 4 wins, 314 points
3 Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 3 wins, 260 points
4 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 2 wins, 249 points
5 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1 win, 230 points
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
FA Cup fifth round
Chelsea v Manchester United, Monday, 11.30pm (UAE), BeIN Sports
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Tales of Yusuf Tadros
Adel Esmat (translated by Mandy McClure)
Hoopoe
