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Times
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Gabby Logan: ‘I was told I was too competitive for a woman'
Gabby Logan is posing in a pair of form-hugging PVC trousers and killer heels, with her shoulders adorned in fur. And as her last photo is taken she delivers a diva punchline to bring the house down: 'Well, that's my Match of the Day outfit sorted then.' If only. Logan takes the helm of the BBC's TV institution in August (along with Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman) following the recent departure of Gary Lineker. I dare you to wear that outfit, I say. 'The BBC don't say anything much about clothes, but they might say something about an outfit like that. So I don't think I'm going to rattle the cage,' she muses as we sit down to talk. MOTD is the longest-running football show in the world. To paraphrase Labour campaign watchers, she is about to walk across a highly polished floor holding a Ming vase. Is she nervous? 'Before any broadcast, I get just nervous enough to give a good performance. Before I had children I was quite superstitious. I'd wear the same coloured pants or walk the same route through the corridor to the studio for luck. But kids take you out of yourself. Now it's about being totally prepared so you feel adrenalised, excited.' Did Gary leave her a note, maybe some crisps? 'No. But our initials are the same so the door sign is the same.' When Logan was recruited by Sky TV back in the Nineties, her new bosses sent her out on the town with a fashion stylist. They drank champagne and then spent £5,000 on Prada, Armani and Kenzo clothes. Does MOTD do the same? 'Would it surprise you to hear the answer is no?' OK, one more, this time more serious: Lineker was the highest-paid BBC presenter, on £1.35 million a year. Has Logan demanded equal pay? 'That's all sorted,' she says. What does that mean? 'It's sorted.' A bumper summer of women's sport Her response is a swift reminder that we are not here to discuss MOTD but something possibly even bigger. Logan is about to front an unprecedented summer of women's sport coverage on the BBC. Women's football (the Euros begin in July), rugby (the World Cup is in August), not to mention cricket, tennis, athletics (the World Championships are in September) and netball. 'No sidelines, no second billing,' says the official Beeb announcement. There will be a grassroots campaign to get more girls and women participating too. 'Names will be made,' they predict. 'Think back to the women's Euros in 2022,' Logan enthuses. 'Lots of people didn't know who Alessia Russo, Chloe Kelly, Ella Toone or Ellen White were and it was such a joy to see them emerge as household names. Heroes, basically. And there are so many more to come.' Who might be the new stars? Look out for Aggie Beever-Jones (the England international and Chelsea star who recently scored a hat-trick against Portugal in the women's Nations League) and Ellie Kildunne (the England rugby union star and 2024 World Rugby's women's player of the year). 'A lot of these women are already very well known within sporting circles, but they really deserve wider recognition. And that means both women and men watching. With football particularly, I think sometimes the narrative can be: 'No men's Euros or World Cup this summer — it's going to be a quiet one.' It's really not. Across all these sports, there is amazing female talent waiting to be discovered.' Logan is of course a former international athlete herself — she was a gymnast for Wales at the 1990 Commonwealth Games but retired due to injury aged 17. Her father is the former Leeds United and Wales international footballer Terry Yorath and, as a young girl, she loved that game too. Could she have made it as a player with the right encouragement? It's easy to forget the FA actually banned women from using its facilities between 1921 and 1971. 'I was thinking about this recently,' she muses. 'Could I have made it? I would love to have played alongside England's all-time greatest, Kelly Smith. [The former England international was so determined to play football as a girl, she joined a boys' club in Watford aged seven. She became the top scorer, but was then kicked out after the parents of opposing teams complained.] But the determination you needed to succeed without facilities or media interest was incredible.' I spoke to Logan two years ago when she commentated on the women's World Cup final in Australia. At the time Neymar, the Brazilian star of the men's game, had just signed a deal worth £129 million a year playing for the Saudi Arabian team Al-Hilal; Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, earns more than £170 million a year at another Saudi Arabian club. Logan remarked that the men's game seemed 'a bit broken'. Can the women's game avoid that? 'This is the balancing act the women's game has got. They want the same brand deals as the men's game to bring more money in and grow the sport but without losing the connectivity with fans. I don't think anyone would disagree that the men's game has lost a little bit of that. You always see the women go to talk to the fans after a match. There are some amazing men too but it feels as though the stakes are so much higher — there's the whole 'talking behind the hand' thing because of lip-reading which is everywhere now. It feels harder to connect. But I would add: the fans in the men's game still care passionately. I have spoken to Sunderland, Manchester United and Nottingham Forest fans recently: the passion is still incredible.' Is any player worth £170 million a year? 'You're worth what someone decides to pay you. There's a lot of debate about players taking the money to play in Saudi Arabia but you can't walk in their shoes. You don't know if they're giving that money to the town they came from or building schools. So many players do that but it doesn't get the coverage because it's not exciting. And in terms of entertainment, would you apply that to the music industry and say Elton John isn't worth that money? Or that movie star isn't worth it for a film?' 'I want as many people to participate in sport in a safe and fair way' OK, women's sport can feel refreshingly wholesome — except perhaps in one area. It's been two months since the Supreme Court ruled that under equalities law, a woman is defined by biological sex, not gender identity. What is Logan's view on the ruling and what effect will it have on women's sport this summer? 'I'm not going to talk about that,' she says firmly. I am surprised. Logan has previously supported the former British Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies's stand on trans women in women's sport. 'I think we need to protect women's sport. That's why I think it's good what Sharron Davies is doing at the moment, in terms of talking about it,' she told a newspaper in 2019. 'We're dealing with science here. This is not about attacking a community; it's about saying: how can we make this a fair place for women to compete?' Is it fair to quote that as your rough position? 'I think that pertains to a conversation as much as anything,' Logan says. 'People having a forum to debate and have a conversation about something. I want as many people to participate in sport in a safe and fair way, whatever that looks like.' It feels like the Supreme Court ruling should make this issue easier to discuss. Why is it still so political and polarising? 'You tell me. Maybe there's a vacuum somewhere that's allowed it to become so polarising, which is disappointing.' We are sitting in a quiet corner of a photo studio. These exchanges feel like a half-hearted game of ping-pong in a very rundown youth centre. I get it. Logan is here representing the BBC and broadcasters are incredibly nervous about the gender debate. Days after we speak, the tennis legend and TV pundit Martina Navratilova is censored on ITV's X channel after posting comments about the controversial Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. But it's a shame because on social media and in her 2022 memoir, The First Half, Logan is often both funny and bolshy. On X she has variously questioned Brexit, trolled Melania Trump's fashion choices, denounced Donald Trump and come out in support of Marcus Rashford's campaign for free school meals during the Covid pandemic. 'I found the people opposing Marcus Rashford totally baffling,' she says, rallying. 'This is a kid who knows what it's like [Rashford was brought up by a single mother] trying to use his position in a positive way. I grew up when football players were constantly being bashed for their lavish lifestyles, so the 'stick to football' attitude was very disappointing.' 'After my brother died, I promised him to live my life for two people' The 'wild west' of social media is where you find no-nonsense Logan. In fact, swagger into Gabby's Bar with a bad attitude and you are probably leaving through the window. In her memoir she calls the BBC broadcasting legend Des Lynam 'the master', but is more than ready to put him straight now. Last year Lynam said he had 'no gripe' with female presenters but that, 'When you're a pundit and you're offering opinions about the game, you have to have played it at the level you are talking about — ie, the men's game.' 'It's really strange for Des Lynam to be coming at it from that angle when he's never played the game at that level, has he?' she says. Elsewhere the billionaire former Spurs chairman Lord Sugar expressed concern that, while women pundits often comment on the men's game, there were no men covering the women's 2022 Euros tournament. 'Given the viewing figures for the women's Euros and the excitement around the whole tournament, I think perhaps Sir Alan misjudged that one,' she says. That's Logan all over. She is diligent and head-girlish, but then she's had to be. Her early life was happy, exciting even. With her mum, Christine, and siblings — sister Louise and brothers Daniel and Jordan — she moved around while her dad played in Leeds, London, even Canada. But the day 15-year-old Daniel died suddenly while playing football in the back garden (he had an undiagnosed heart condition, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), things changed overnight. Daniel and his father were very close and, heartbroken, Terry Yorath's life spun out of control; he became depressed and drank to excess. The marriage eventually fell apart. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Logan pulled herself together. In the funeral parlour, seeing her brother for the last time, she made him a promise: 'I am going to do everything I can to make your life count.' 'Yes, to live my life for two people,' she says today. The tragedy and her sporting instincts drove her to achieve and yet Logan has learnt that competitive women ruffle feathers. The moment of truth, she says, came while appearing with her husband, the former Scotland rugby international Kenny Logan, on Strictly Come Dancing in 2007. While Kenny was lauded as the game bruiser twirling through the pasa doble in a kilt, she was seen as trying too hard. Kenny came 5th, Gabby Logan was eliminated early in 11th place. It really hurt her. In The First Half she says the day she left she cried, 'People really don't like me,' into her sofa. Why did it hurt so much? 'Because I was kicked out! And it was a harsh lesson, learning that sometimes not everyone likes you. You realise the parts of your personality that you thought were attributes as a sportswoman are not valued. I was told I was being too competitive, whereas I was thinking, 'I thought that was good. That's what I did in sport — and it worked — and that's what my husband is doing.' I actually reckon there was a societal shift between that show in 2007 and 2012. At the 2012 Olympics we started to appreciate tough, competitive women. We made heroes of them. But in 2007 I wasn't playing the game expected of a woman.' What would a woman 'playing the game' look like? 'Oh, it would have served me to say,' — she bats her eyelids and smiles — ' 'Oh gosh, whatever, that's fine! I'm just happy to be here!' rather than trying hard. But you have to decide if that's you, and that's something I'm not compromising on.' There was another significant fallout from Daniel's death: the disrupted relationship with her father led her into an unhealthy pattern when choosing men. 'For a few years I sought the company of not very appropriate, older men,' she writes in her book. Most notable was Gary Staines, a long-distance runner who took a shine to her at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand. She was 16. Staines was 26 and engaged. A year later his marriage ended and Logan moved into his London flat. Logan ended the relationship once she was at Durham University, where she read law. But by her early twenties, despite having cut her teeth on local radio and making a name for herself as a presenter at Sky Sports, Logan was feeling lost. With her husband and Prince Charles at a reception for the Prince's Trust, 2013 PA 'I didn't like myself very much,' she says. 'I was probably wanting to mend something because our family was quite broken, because of my brother dying. I felt I could create something like a family, a happy place. Those were the relationships I was pursuing. But a bit of guidance from a therapist helped me recognise those patterns were not healthy. That was a good time for it to happen, because in my early twenties I realised I wasn't enjoying relationships I was in. It didn't seem like a good way to be.' 'Thank God I am married to a normal bloke' Early in 1999 Logan was on her way home from dinner with a girlfriend who suggested a late drink in a bar. Logan didn't want to go; she was still queasy from an uncomfortable New Year's Eve dalliance: 'a cigar-smoking wide boy' she'd snogged and who wanted her to do cocaine in the lavatories at a London cabaret (she didn't). Nevertheless, she and the friend slipped into London's K Bar and she was introduced to Kenny Logan. Early portents weren't great. He was drunk and thought he was talking to the former Big Breakfast presenter Gaby Roslin. Nevertheless they hit it off. 'Thank God I am married to a normal bloke who isn't an addict,' she says in her book, and is very funny about Kenny bouncing her off the water bed in her London townhouse during their early years together. 'He's still my number one,' she says. In recent years her marriage to Kenny has become something of a minor sporting spectacle in itself. Logan has been disarmingly honest about how the menopause affected her sex drive ('Is this going to become a duty?') until she took HRT. And it was a 2021 edition of podcast The that prompted Kenny to get himself checked out for prostate cancer; he tested positive. He has made a full recovery but both have been refreshingly open about the impact of the disease on their relationship: Kenny talked us through his testicles growing to 'the size of tennis balls' and the month it took post-surgery to get any erectile 'movement'. 'We decided: we have a platform — let's use it for good,' Logan says. 'We get a lot of great feedback from people who say they took action [about their health]. I'm sure our kids have been teased about it more than we know, but they also feel grateful that their dad's life was, if not saved, at least spared from something more serious.' As a teenager herself she says she was too tall and flat-chested to be fancied by boys. She didn't drink and was dedicated to her sport. No wonder, as a 16-year-old at the Commonwealth Games, she was baffled as to why male competitors wanted to hang out with her and her sister Louise — who went on to become a model — or why the Sultan of Brunei's brother, Prince Jefri, sent her a Brunei team tracksuit as a gift along with his phone number. 'I just thought, 'Oh, nice tracksuit,' ' Logan recalls now. 'I only really read about him afterwards.' Prince Jefri reportedly owned more than 2,000 cars and enjoyed entertaining on a superyacht called Tits. Why did it take her so long to realise that, in her own words, many sports people at major tournaments are 'on heat'? 'I was very young, but when you step back it's obvious, isn't it? All these very fit, healthy people who train so hard — and, if my experience is anything to go by, miss out on so many social events because they are trying to get their gymnastics right — are suddenly ready to mingle. You're done training and there are lots of other fit, lovely people around who also want to let off a bit of steam. It's no great surprise that there are romantic liaisons. I believe the French handed out more condoms than ever at the Paris Olympics. It's the swimmers you have to watch out for — their events always finish first. And if you get up at 5am to train for your whole life and you are superfit and you finish your competition, you deserve to party, right? Just don't live next to the swimmers in the village if you want a good night's sleep.' Back then a young athlete could make mistakes — she is clear the relationship with Gary Staines 'should never have happened' — but we now live in a world of social media. As a leading broadcaster, the scrutiny and abuse are intense. Logan has been told to 'get back in the kitchen' on X; and in the last year alone she has been taken to task for wishing viewers a 'happy festive season' instead of saying 'Christmas' and for using the term 'cock-up' while commentating on last year's Olympics. 'You have to decide how much it's going to invade your sanity,' she says. 'The people that matter to me, I will always listen to their opinion. I am just glad I stopped my kids having phones till they were 16 so they could at least have a taste of what I had: the chance to be in the moment, even to make mistakes.' Dress, Shoes, Earrings, ROBERT WILSON FOR THE TIMES MAGAZINE Lois is at university and Reuben a rugby player for Northampton Saints (he joins Sale Sharks next season). They are relaxed about their mum's achievements, although there was a flurry of texts when she got the MOTD job. 'It's an institution, so of course it was huge for them too,' she says, smiling. But first, this summer of women's sport will be the fruition of years of determined, unrecognised effort. There are parallels with Logan's TV career. Aged 11, she watched a VHS tape of the 1984 Olympics over and over again, noting even then that only men seemed to be presenters. In her twenties, at Sky TV, her boss told her that her career would be over when she was 28, and in her early thirties she very nearly gave up after being sidelined at ITV. She took a 66 per cent pay cut to join the BBC. She had just had children when ITV let her go. Wasn't she suspicious? 'No. That's TV. I had a real crisis of confidence. I wondered, 'Am I any good at this job?' But the truth is, sometimes people just aren't into you.' No wonder her X profile simply says, 'Still here.' 'I owe my opportunities to some quite strident women in TV before me who said, 'It's not right that we get chucked off air just because we hit 40,' ' she asserts. 'Women like Kirsty Wark, presenting Newsnight into her sixties. Like the sportswomen we will hopefully celebrate this summer, I feel I am very much standing on the shoulders of giants.'
Daily Record
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Jordan Spieth forced to quit Travelers Championship in agony as he shares five words with Luke Clanton
Sickened Jordan Spieth forced to chalk up unwanted first in Connecticut Sickened and suffering Jordan Spieth was in agony before being forced quit at the Travelers Championship The three-times Major champion was full of apologies to playing partner Luke Clanton after having to give up on his fight against injury. Spieth looked to have trouble in the neck area during the round and was clearly in physical pain as he attempted to battle through the anguish. The Texan star, who won the Open in 2017, after 2015 wins at the Masters and PGA Championship, received physio from medical staff on the course during the round in his efforts to scrap through to the finale and conclude the round. However, Spieth just couldn't manage and apologised to Clanton walking down the 13th fairway as he had to admit defeat. He was heard saying: 'I can't do it anymore.' It was a bitter blow to the American who has felt that he is the right track and ahead of schedule with his form having come back from wrist surgery at the end of last year and working through rehabilitation during his enforced lay-off. Spieth had never pulled out of an event during play in 297 starts and Sky TV commentator and ex-professional Nick Dougherty said: 'That is terrible news for Jordan Spieth. "Let's just hope actually it's not too serious and he is back playing again soon. "But he is a withdrawal and Luke will be left to play the rest of this round on his own. "The first time he has ever withdrawn in 297 starts and he wouldn't have done it lightly, he certainly didn't look to.' Dame Laura Davies, also on the Sky commentary team, agreed as she added: 'No, I think he was wresting with himself. "He probably could have given up at any time, but you heard him say to his partner: 'I'm really sorry. I don't want you to play in a one-ball.' "That's just how professional this guy is and it is such a shame. But, hopefully, he'll be ready to go next time.' Spieth was excited for the tournament having been handed a sponsors invite to take part in the signature event. As a former winner of the event eight years ago, he recounted his coolest moment in the game so far with the holed bunker shot to win the 2017 play-off. He said: 'I have great memories here. I've had some mixed results, but coming in right now, I feel like it's a pretty important event for me. "I feel like I've been moving the right direction after kind of essentially missing an off-season, trying to kind of get back into it. "Every month's felt a little bit better. Structurally things are getting better. I'm seeing more consistent ball striking results. "Just need to pour in some putts. It feels like I just need to stay the course and good things are coming.'
BreakingNews.ie
19 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Alleged 'dodgy box' operator may have earned €450,000 per year, court told
Broadcaster and telecommunications giant Sky has claimed in the High Court that a Co Wexford man may have earned up to €450,000 a year from operating a so-called 'dodgy box' service. Sky TV Limited alleges David Dunbar has operated an illegal service providing thousands with access to its copyrighted broadcast material since 2018. Advertisement Last month, Sky was granted various orders aimed at gathering evidence of Mr Dunbar's alleged infringement, including permission to seize devices belonging to him. In a sworn statement to the court, a Sky anti-piracy investigator says Mr Dunbar is considered by Sky to be a 'top-level' copyright infringer, and that his activity 'is likely to have been to the very serious detriment' of Sky and broadcasters and legitimate streaming services in Ireland. Last November, investigators at Sky became aware of a social media account involved in selling an Internet Protocol television service (IPTV). IPTV is the technology behind 'dodgy box' services. This account was later linked to Mr Dunbar, the investigator says. Advertisement Separately, Sky investigators were informed of an anonymous tip-off received by An Garda Síochána's Crime Stoppers initiative, alleging Mr Dunbar's operation of the service. The investigator estimates Mr Dunbar to have up to 5,000 customers paying for his service, generating about €450,000 per year from the operation. Sky's investigation found Mr Dunbar allegedly charged two annual subscription rates for the service, priced at €80 and €100 respectively. The investigator says he believes Mr Dunbar has at least 1,682 customers, but the true number is likely much higher. On Thursday, barristers for Sky said Mr Dunbar, with an address at Manor Crescent, Roxborough Manor, Co Wexford, had breached a number of the court's orders, and was in contempt of court. Advertisement Theo Donnelly BL, appearing for Sky and instructed by Philip Lee solicitors, said statements made by Mr Dunbar in the proceedings contained inaccuracies and inconsistencies, and failed to explain certain breaches of orders. Mr Donnelly said bank statements exhibited to an unsworn statement, received by his side this week and due to be filed with the court, appeared to show a dissipation of funds, in breach of freezing orders granted by the court. Ireland 'Dodgy box' operator jailed for possession of over... Read More Mr Donnelly suggested that Mr Dunbar be given a final opportunity to clarify Sky's concerns, brought on by his statements. Adam Dodd, a solicitor representing Mr Dunbar, said his client had provided a 'fulsome' affidavit, 'warts and all'. He said his client had admitted to his contempt of court, and has indicated that he is seeking to comply with the orders of the court. Mr Justice Mark Sanfey said he was of the view that Mr Dunbar should 'put his best foot forward' and answer queries raised by Sky regarding his statements to the court. Mr Justice Sanfey warned Mr Dodd that there was a limit to his patience. The judge adjourned the case to next month.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
Man jailed for selling ‘dodgy boxes' with estimated loss to Sky of almost €750,000
A 47-year-old Polish man was jailed for three years for selling 'dodgy boxes' and other technical equipment that had the potential to deprive Sky of almost €750,000 in revenue. Daniel Oleskow, who has been resident in Ireland since 2007 but is of no fixed abode, appeared at Trim Circuit Court on Wednesday, accused of selling the boxes, which provide unauthorised access to TV channels and streaming services. The offences were alleged to have occurred in 2018. Det Gda Pat Muldowney told the court that he searched a shop named Mediatech at Brews Hill, Navan and found 586 decoders, 18 USB sticks, 18 micro cards, 47 Sky remote controls, and 198 low noise blockers. On April 3rd, 2018, he arrested the defendant and charged him with copyright breaches. The defendant initially denied committing any offence but in a subsequent interview admitted selling the boxes and equipment. READ MORE All the equipment seized represented a total loss of revenue to Sky TV of €746,760, Gda Muldowney said. The defendant was not an agent for Sky and did not have authorisation to have the equipment. The defendant told him he had bought the equipment 'in a market'. The court was told that defendant had 27 previous convictions for various offences and was currently serving a sentence. Defending barrister Shane Kelly said that while Oleskow's brother, who lived outside this jurisdiction, was a partner in the business, he did not take an active role in the shop. Mr Kelly said there was no camouflage in operating the shop and no underhandedness, and his client felt he was running a legitimate business. Judge John Martin commented: 'He wasn't a Sky agent and he was in possession of dodgy boxes and he thought that was legitimate? That's like saying I didn't realise when I broke into a person's house that that was wrong until I was charged with it. There was a degree of recklessness.' Mr Kelly said his client now realised he was wrong and he was asking for leniency. He had three children from two relationships. Separately, Det Gda James Morris told the court that he had recovered drugs valued at €63,049 from the defendant's then home on February 19th last year. On the 'dodgy boxes' charges, Judge Martin sentenced the defendant to three years' imprisonment dating from October 4th last. On charges relating to the sale or supply of drugs, he sentenced him to 2½ years, consecutive to the three years. He suspended the last 12 months of the second sentence.
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
England's World Cup conquerers dumped out as German pair dismantled after mega ticket rush
Interest rocketed in the German duo's blistering triumph over Luke Humphries and Luke Littler in the last 16 but the dreams were short-lived Glory hunting German darts fans had their dreams crushed by the brilliance of Northern Irish duo Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney. Home duo Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko's sensational wins over England and Australia had lifted belief the hosts could claim a famous first victory in the World Cup of Darts. Interest rocketed in the German duo's outstanding work and blistering triumph over Luke Humphries and Luke Littler in the last 16. Going onto their next match, the home team battled back from the brink of defeat to sink the Aussies and further inspire belief it could be their time. As soon as Schindler landed the winning shot against the Down Under duo of Damon Heta and Simon Whitlock on Sunday afternoon, eager punters snapped up tickets to go to the arena and join those who had already booked their spots in Frankfurt hoping to catch the magical moment. Sky TV commentator Dan Dawson revealed: 'Since Germany hit the winning double this afternoon against Australia, more than 3,000 tickets sold for tonight, another 10 per cent were sold in the time since the quarter-final. "People have been buying tickets thinking this is going to happen. They might have changed their mind in a short space of time.' However, their dreams were short-lived as Gurney and Rock dismantled the Germans and buried their chances of title glory. The Irish pair stormed into a 5-0 lead to make the chances of success disappear and completed an 8-1 triumph to book a spot in the Final. It was a savage blow to the home supporters who bought their tickets before and after the last-eight win for Schindler and Pietreczko, but it was joy for the victors. Gurney was sporting towards the punters afterwards and said: 'I know it didn't go the way of Germany, but the atmosphere was absolutely incredible. I'd just like to applaud everybody here in Frankfurt. They were super and so respectful. I am so pleased to be in the Final.' Gurney played down the move through and added: ' The only thing we have done is qualify for a Final. We have won nothing yet. We have won exactly the same as if you were playing in the first round. We will try our damnedest in the Final. You can't win a pairs competition without playing as pairs. "He might do all the scoring and I might do all the finishing and if we can do it in the Final, we will give ourselves a good chance. But this man has been phenomenal. I'm privileged to play alongside him and thanks to Josh and the crowd.' Rock said: 'As I keep saying, playing for your country is a passion and we are here as a team, that's the main thing.'
