Coulthard wild in the sack (and on the track)

THE MAIN EVENT

IF Scottish racing driver David Coulthard is anything like as hot behind the wheel as he is in bed, he shouldn't have trouble catching drivers' championship leader Michael Schumacher in the Austrian Formula One Grand Prix today.

It seems Sean Connery, once touted as the world's sexiest man, isn't the only Scotsman with a secret under his kilt. I read that Coulthard, who on 28 points is eight behind Schumacher in the championship race, has paid his ex-fiancee R35-million in "guilt money" following the break-up of their engagement.

The lady who, in best-seller style, was rescued from an air crash by Coulthard a year ago, was heartbroken to learn that the Scottish ace "romped" with a buxom beauty in a champagne bath. Then, a week or so later, was involved with another lady with whom he spent "several days and nights of passion".

So watch out, Messrs Schumacher, Hakkinen and company! The track has been kind to Coulthard in the past - and the Alpine backdrop to this Grand Prix joust nicely reflects the peaks of form of which the wee Scottish lad is capable.

SOCCER

WHAT a great year it has been for Liverpool. League Cup champions, FA Cup final in Cardiff yesterday, and if the Reds are your team of choice you won't want to miss them bidding for Uefa Cup glory in the final against Alaves in Stuttgart on Wednesday.

Much of it, of course, is down to the wondrous ball skills of Michael Owen. Just last weekend he was bang on target again with a hat-trick in a 3-0 Premiership win against Newcastle to help Liverpool close in on a Champions' League spot.

o Here at home, Manning Rangers' fading hopes of staying in the Premiership and avoiding relegation will be put under the microscope when they face Bush Bucks this afternoon. It's an away game for the Durban team and will be a searching test. Catch the drama on Laduma!

On Wednesday, in a match that could go a long way to deciding who wears the PSL crown, TV fans can see champions Sundowns take on Pirates at Loftus Versfeld.

The race for top spot on the table is intensifying with each day. If 'Downs stumble, it could be their last chance.

They are still top of the table with 58 points, but have only two matches to play. Pirates on 56 points have four matches left.

Not out of the race are Chiefs on 50 and five games to play (they meet Free State Stars on Wednesday), and Jomo Cosmos, 53 points with two matches to play, oppose Santos on Wednesday.

RUGBY

CAN Rudolf Straeuli and Mark Andrews put the Sharks back on the Super 12 winning trail? Both have certainly performed wonders with a side that just 12 short months ago were utter no-hopers. The tournament's semi-finals take place on Friday and Saturday. In the super-fit atmosphere in which top players are expected to perform these days, there's no rest whether you're a good guy or one of the wicked ones. The final is just seven days later.

WEEK'S ACTION REPLAY

HE may be only the world's second best medium-close to the wicket fielder. Top spot still belongs to Jonty Rhodes, we in this neck of the woods like to believe - but Herschelle Gibbs will yet carve his name very deep in South African cricket. There was real majesty in his second successive ton in the fifth ODI against the West Indies at Barbados last Wednesday. It also went a long way towards securing South Africa the series.

It was a great week for South African sports stars. When did you last see Wayne Ferreira play as well as in the Italian Open in Rome? Elana Meyer gets better as she gets older, like good wine: witness her latest victory in the Lilac Bloomsday 12km in Spokane. Is it too much to hope that Ernie Els might start to come right today in the last round of the Byron Nelson in Dallas? He'll have to brace himself to get anywhere close to a well-rested Tiger Woods, who took a month off.

But best TV moment for me was the quiet way Boeta Dippenaar (pictured) went to another ODI 50 at Grenada in the fourth match of the series last Sunday. No bat-waving, no doffing of helmet - he just got on with the job. We're going to see more of this lad.