ROBIN DAVEY SAYS: 2010 will be a year to savour (From South Wales Argus)

ROBIN DAVEY SAYS: 2010 will be a year to savour

12:10pm Wednesday 30th December 2009

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We can all look forward to excitement and drama aplenty on the local and international front as we anticipate the sporting year ahead.

The obvious highlight from a Gwent perspective is the Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor, though the overriding factor will now not be so much the event itself - that will come once the big day arrives in October - but the Tiger Woods saga.

The first six months or so will be dominated by Woods and when, or even whether, he returns to the sport he has graced for a decade with his towering performances.

But as the current year draws to a close it’s been his off the course activities which have captured the headlines worldwide. So extensive has been the coverage of an alleged series of affairs that he has gone to ground and taken a complete break from the game.

Will he return in time for the Masters in April? Will he pursue his goal of becoming the game’s most decorated player by overhauling Jack Nicklaus’ tally of 18 Majors victories? Will he make himself available for the Ryder Cup?

The questions won’t go away and at this moment even he probably doesn’t know the answers. Friends of his have been quoted as saying he intends taking a year out of the game. But will the lure of the game come back? Will his relentless pursuit of more Majors prove too much to resist? Given the loss of sponsors after a series of lurid revelations, and possible alimony payments of millions resulting from divorce proceedings, might he even need the money?

And even if he does return what kind of reception will he receive given that golf remains possibly the only sport where a real code of ethics still applies?

The reaction from Woods, or any other golfer for that matter, to a noise from the galleries, particularly in mid-swing, is at best an icy stare, at worst an official complaint. But some wag is bound to make a caustic observation at precisely the wrong moment. What then?

The possibilities as Tiger tries to see the woods for the trees in 2010 really are endless.

And what of Newport County? They head into 2010 an unbelievable 13 points ahead at the top of the Blue Square South League with no sign of them fouling it up this time.

In fact, there is every possibility they will become the first team in the top half-a-dozen leagues to earn promotion. They are pulling in crowds of over 2,000 and that ought to continue as they pursue their goal.

The County have rapidly become the success story of Gwent sport and it shouldn’t be long before they are up in the Conference, one step away from their ultimate ambition of bringing Football League status back to Newport.

But first things first, securing promotion this season is the obvious target. Then there will be a bigger mountain to climb as they challenge teams who have been established in the Football League - Oxford (if they don’t go up), Luton, Mansfield, Wrexham and York City to name a few.

And in all honesty that would be at a ground barely up to the required standard - more food for thought for those currently guiding the County so successfully.

On a wider front the obvious football highlight of 2010 will be the World Cup from mid-June to mid- July, with the focus here on whether England, under the firm guidance of Italian Fabio Capello, can at least reach the final stages.

Do they possess the necessary skills to go the whole way?

The biggest problem which will hover over the entire tournament will be the country where it is played - South Africa. Dubbed the murder centre of the world, it’s a pretty hostile place where visitors are urged not to go out alone.

Having been there twice for the Rugby World Cup and a Lions tour, it’s quite scary and the hostile environment in many places.

England’s cricketers are currently there and the players are making a far better fist of the second Test.

The summer highlight in these parts will be the second one-day international between England and Australia at the SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff on June 24. If it’s as successful as the first Test there between the old foes this June we’re in for a treat.

And so to the rugby, with the focus here on whether Newport Gwent Dragons can secure an automatic place in next season’s Heineken Cup by finishing no lower than third among the four Welsh regions.

They have fallen from grace in their last three games, losing heavily twice against Biarritz, then capitulating against Cardiff Blues in the second half.

It proves that trying to exist on a relatively small squad at this level will find you out at some stage. To be without three leading forwards in Luke Charteris, Joe Bearman and Dan Lydiate, as well as probably the best two props and leading scrum half, is too much of an obstacle to overcome.

Whereas the Ospreys and the Blues can bring on international players as replacements the Dragons (and the Scarlets, too) are in no such position. Tomorrow’s clash between the east-west rivals is massive in the fight for that Heineken Cup place.

Wales have a lot of ground to make up after a disappointing autumn campaign when they lost their biggest games against New Zealand and Australia and didn’t impress in the other two either.

Last season’s Six Nations was also an anti-climax after the Grand Slam greeted Warren Gatland’s opening season. Much of the aura has now disappeared and the first game of the Six Nations against England at Twickenham on February 6 could define the year.

Cefn Forest is already firmly in the picture with the happiest story of the holiday period when a syndicate from the area won the Welsh Grand National on Monday with the fulfilment of a dream as their horse Dream Alliance was first past the winning post.

Good on them after the 23-strong group forked out £10 a week simply to feed the horse having spent far more saving it when a serious injury put it’s future in jeopardy.

And Cefn Forest promises to be in the spotlight in 2010 when Wales’ hottest boxing prospect Nathan Cleverly further advances his burgeoning career.

The unbeaten 22-year-old is already British and Common-wealth light-heavyweight champion and travels to Italy at the end of January aiming to become only the seventh Welshman to add the European crown to those titles. Beat Italian Antonio Brancalion on his own soil and the world title will be in Cleverly’s headlights.

And we mustn’t forget the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October, plus what could be the most exciting sporting series of the lot - the Formula One championship when the illustrious Michael Schumacher returns to take on new world champion Jenson Button and former champ Lewis Hamilton, the two Brits together in the same team. Now that really should be worth watching. Happy new year!

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