ANTIQUES SHOPS

The pair are as mad as hatters with Balotelli world renowned for his wacky antics, including setting fire to his bathroom with fireworks and walking into a school full of children and asking for the toilet.

Former wildman Cassano has calmed down slightly now he is married with a child but he loves nothing better than dancing around the pitch in only his underpants after a big game.

Thursday's match is no laughing matter, though, and coach Cesare Prandelli is considering splitting the duo up after forward Antonio Di Natale replaced Balotelli off the bench to score in the 1-1 draw with Spain in their group opener.

Croatia, who beat Ireland 3-1 in their first match, pose a very different threat to Spain given their aerial prowess and Prandelli must decide if Balotelli's strength and height outweigh the fact he struggled against the holders.

"He is a guy of 22 years of age, he is on the road to finding maturity. What I ask is for him to play simply. To help the team and to stretch the play behind the opposition defence," Prandelli told reporters while reflecting on Balotelli's bad miss against Spain when he was caught in two minds and tackled.

"When he makes a mistake he must think that there will be other opportunities...and find the conviction to make the right decision next time.

"The thing to underline is that he won the ball himself (in that chance). When you have two choices it slows you down."

MORE RELAXED

The moody Balotelli, who at time produces outrageous skill, is not the only player who risks being dropped in Poznan.

Cassano returned in May from five months out following heart surgery and although he played well against the world champions, he failed to manage the 90 minutes.

"I want to understand who is most tired," said Prandelli, whose forwards are all on the small side except for Balotelli.

Prandelli even said he was re-evaluating his new three-man defence for the Croatia test but wholesale changes after a well-received display against Spain would worry Italian pundits.

Croatia were also praised for their fast-paced but disciplined dismantling of the Irish with striker Mario Mandzukic impressive in the air and Nikica Jelavic always dangerous as Luka Modric pulled the strings in midfield.

Coach Slaven Bilic thought his side came close to perfection against Ireland but he has been in charge too long and is too much of a tough task master not to motivate his charges.

"We will be more relaxed and not under such pressure after the opening victory, but it can't be much better than this in the next game," he said.

"Italy are strong, they think about us and about our play. Prandelli respects us. They have a team and players who can dominate on the pitch. For me, they are not weaker than Spain, especially with Prandelli in charge."

(Editing by Ed Osmond)

Acknowledging there is still a "long way to go" to repair the damage done by a recession he inherited, Obama insisted the American economy was on the right track despite recent signals that the country's recovery might be fading.

"What we have been able to do over the last 3-1/2 years, after a decade in which we had been moving in the wrong direction, is to begin to point towards a trajectory where here in this country, everybody is getting a fair shot," he told supporters at the first of a string of fundraising events.

His remarks to supporters, after what some political pundits say has been the worst week of his presidency, took care not to deny the subdued tone of recent economics indicators, but remained upbeat about the country's future.

Disappointing May jobs data has challenged Obama's claim that his policies are healing the economy. His own comment to reporters on Friday that the private sector is "doing fine" helped Mitt Romney, his Republican challenger in the November 6 election, argue that the Democratic president is out of touch with ordinary Americans.

Obama later tried to explain that comment, saying he meant the private sector has seen some momentum while other areas of the economy need help more urgently.

He returned to the issue on Tuesday, saying "there are a lot of folks out there who are hurting, a lot of folks who are looking for work or are underemployed, a lot of folks whose homes are underwater." But he pinned the blame firmly on the policies of the previous Republican administration.

TOUGH WEEK

Republicans, buoyed by polls that show the election will be very close, have been hammering the president for that rare verbal misstep amid other news that could spell trouble for Obama.

Democrats suffered a heavy defeat last week in a gubernatorial recall election in Wisconsin, Romney raised more money than Obama did in May and Obama's commerce secretary, John Bryson, took medical leave on Monday after getting into two car crashes over the weekend in California.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll on Tuesday showed that concern over the economy has depressed his approval rating and almost erased the president's lead over Romney.

But reminding supporters at a later event in Baltimore that Romney, one of the richest men to ever seek the White House, had argued against using taxpayer money to rescue the U.S. auto industry, Obama said "better days are ahead of us."

"It's been tough but the American people are tougher. So while some people were saying let's go ahead and let Detroit go bankrupt, we said let's make our bet on the American worker and American business," he said.

He also said that spending rose more slowly on his watch than under any president for the last 60 years, repeating an assertion that has been criticized by budget specialists and flatly denied by Republicans.

"President Obama saying he's been fiscally responsible is like saying that declining job growth and record-level unemployment shows we're ‘doing fine,'" said Romney campaign spokesman Ryan Williams.

Obama attended three fundraising events in the Baltimore area and then traveled to Philadelphia, where he did three more.

Republicans want to make the November election a referendum on Obama's economic stewardship, but the president showed no sign of straying from his re-election argument that he would do a better job of restoring the fortunes of ordinary Americans.

"We're going to need another term to make sure that we consolidate these gains and we lock in the kind of progress that we need to ensure that America's middle class is growing again," he said.

(Writing by Alister Bull; editing by Will Dunham and Mohammad Zargham)

Haskell has spent the last six months playing with the Otago Highlanders in New Zealand following stints in Japan and France. The 27-year-old will return to London Wasps at the end of the Super Rugby season.

"We have the talent and passion, but it's those little nuances and mental stuff that we need. Like learning from other countries what they do well and speaking to other coaches," Haskell said in an interview.

"We can maybe not be so robotic. I've learned from Adam Thomson and Andrew Hore at the Highlanders that, bar knowing what foot they kick off and their basic pattern, they don't know anything about the opposition.

"They just worry about their game plan. You can become caught up in talking about your opposition too much."

Haskell earned 42 test caps between 2007 and last year's World Cup and is one of the few of the old guard retained by England coach Stuart Lancaster after he took over the team for this year's Six Nations championship.

"I've always said that my reason for playing rugby is to play for my country and this is a very exciting new setup. I was told Stuart wanted to rebuild the passion and mentality of the team, and I want to be a part of that, it's very exciting," he said.

"Stuart has made it like the All Blacks - the shirt is not yours, you have to fight for it and I'm happy to fit in with that. I may have 42 caps, but I'm back right at the bottom of the ladder and in this team, experience doesn't count for much,"

SMALL PERCENTAGES

While the well-travelled Haskell is clearly built for physical confrontation at 114 kgs and 1.94 metres tall, he believes he has become a better player now for more cerebral reasons.

"The difference is in small percentages and in things that aren't so tangible. I hope I'm more consistent and my game understanding is better," he said.

"They have a very attacking mentality in New Zealand, they get a lot of quick ball and it's all about one-on-one battles and pace and speed. If they can beat their opposite number, then it's a try."

While Lancaster is not expected to tamper with the current test loose trio led by captain Chris Robshaw, Haskell will be out to impress on Wednesday against the Southern Barbarians in

Kimberley.

"There's a lot of competition in the back row but there's no

rush. I'll just play on Wednesday and do my best to live up to Stuart's expectations," he said.

Although he is playing in the number six jersey on Wednesday, Haskell says the proof of his ability will be in far more than just stealing the ball at the breakdowns.

"I played eighthman in Japan and a bit at six for the Highlanders, but at seven for the rest and that's my favourite position. I love the battles and the speed of the game, but the

England captain is currently number seven," he said.

"But the days of a flank just trying to get over the ball are probably gone. You need to be a ball carrier and disruptive on to the ball. Just look at (All Blacks captain) Richie McCaw, he carries the ball well and reads the breakdown brilliantly."

While New Zealand's brand of rugby has clearly stolen Haskell's heart, he also has admiration for the steel of the Springboks.

"South African rugby, especially the Bulls and Stormers, is more about physical attrition. You know what's coming, there's a certain predictability, but you have to be on top of your game to stop it," he said.

"If you don't match their intensity then they'll boss the gain-line and then play from there." (Editing by John Mehaffey)