The week in review: Sport

WHILE the British Lions rugby union side were being heralded as favourites for the series against New Zealand, the England football team received much criticism after the World Cup qualifying matches against Poland (1-1 on Saturday) and Norway (0-2 on Wednesday).

There was the usual level- headed response to an England loss - computer graphics of vegetables and puns along the Norse / Nordic line. Less surprisingly, the FA gave him the traditional vote of confidence.

Things have gone as well for Ian McGeechan's men as they have badly for Graham Taylor's. They extended their unbeaten run to four with a remarkable comeback against the NZ Maoris and a Jeremy Guscott-inspired win against Canterbury.

While Norman Lamont enjoyed some corporate hospitality at Epsom, thousands of punters combined to find out how to lose millions as Tenby, a 4-5 odds-on favourite, finished a distant 10th in the Derby. Another horse owned by Khalid Abdulla and trained by Henry Cecil, Commander In Chief, won instead.

Nigel Mansell almost won the Indianapolis 500 at the first time of asking but was pipped by another former Formula One driver, Emerson Fittipaldi. Experience proved the key as Mansell dithered at a restart 16 laps from the end and was overtaken.