The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Under-strength All Blacks not taking Fijians lightly
- Blade Runner qualifies for the world meet in his final attempt
- Voeckler still in yellow as Contador attacks again
| Under-strength All Blacks not taking Fijians lightly Posted: 20 Jul 2011 06:29 PM PDT DUNEDIN: The All Blacks open their World Cup build-up with a Test against Fiji tomorrow, resting key players but stressing they will not fall into the same trap as Australia against Samoa. The one new international is Otago Highlanders' lock Jarrad Hoeata while team–mate and fly-half Colin Slade gets his first start in his second Test. But coach Graham Henry has enough depth in his squad to have 531 Test caps among the run-on side with another 216 to call on from the bench. "This is an important test for us as we kick off this year's Test season," Henry said following the team announcement yesterday. "You just need to look at how Fiji's Pacific neighbours Samoa played against Australia on the weekend to know that if we underestimate Fiji, we do so at our peril." Samoa last weekend scored an upset 32-23 win over the Wallabies, who rank third in the world behind the All Blacks and South Africa, but fielded a vastly under-strength side against the Pacific islanders. Henry has taken the opportunity to rest several members of the Canterbury Crusaders, who played in the Super 15 final less than two weeks ago, and there is an experimental look about the forwards to face the physical Fijians. Wyatt Crockett, in the squad as injury cover for Tony Woodcock, returns to the All Blacks for the first time since 2009 to join Andrew Hore and Ben Franks in the front row. In the middle row, newcomer Hoeata will partner 61-Test veteran Ali Williams, who is making his comeback after being sidelined by injury for two years. Richie McCaw, who missed most of the Super 15 season because of a foot injury, will captain the team from the flank but his regular loose forward partners Jerome Kaino and Kieran Read have been replaced by Adam Thomson and Liam Messam. But in anticipation of what could be expected from the bruising Fijians, Henry has opted for five forwards on the bench and only two backs. "We have got some real competition for places and it's exciting for those players picked and they will be keen to put their best foot forward," Henry said. – AFP Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
| Blade Runner qualifies for the world meet in his final attempt Posted: 20 Jul 2011 06:26 PM PDT RALEIGH (North Carolina): With his final attempt, South African double amputee Oscar Pistorius qualified for next month's World Athletics Championships by smashing his 400m personal best in Lignano, Italy on Tuesday. Pistorius, known as the 'Blade Runner' because he runs with carbon fibre prosthetic running blades, clocked 45.07 to record a time inside both the world meet and 2012 London Olympics qualifying mark. "It was just a dream race," Pistorius, 24, told Reuters in a late night telephone conversation from Lignano. "I just have not been able to sleep. I must have 300 messages congratulating me. "I am sure tomorrow when I wake up it (the accomplishment) is going to hit me. "It is really humbling to know I have gotten so much support from everyone." The performance enabled Pistorius to become the first amputee sprinter to qualify for the World Championships, which begin on Aug 27 in Daegu, South Korea. His achievement was all the more dramatic as his qualifying time was recorded on the final day of eligibility for the South African team, he said. "See you in Daegu sounds so wonderful," said Pistorius, who had both lower legs amputated when he was 11 months old. A multiple Paralympic gold medallist, the South African had sought for years to compete in the World Championships and Olympics. The Court of Arbitration for Sport gave him a chance in 2008 when it ruled in his favour after a long legal battle with the International Association of Athletics Federations over the use of his running blades, which the IAAF said gave him an unfair advantage. But after the CAS decision, he failed to record a time inside the Olympic qualifying mark and missed the Beijing Games. On Tuesday, those previous disappointments were forgotten when he booked his place at the worlds and London Olympics with one final composed surge. "With 180m, I just decided to set out for the end, and I really ran a very comfortable last 100m," Pistorius said. "It is kind of strange because I broke my personal best by half a second, which is ridiculous," he said with a satisfying chuckle. – Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
| Voeckler still in yellow as Contador attacks again Posted: 20 Jul 2011 06:25 PM PDT PINEROLO (Italy): Luxembourg's Schleck brothers Andy and Frank soaked up a late attack from yellow jersey rival Alberto Contador as the Tour de France moved a step closer to the final two mountain stages yesterday. Europcar leader Thomas Voeckler avoided two late crashes in the hectic finale of the 17th stage, won by Edvald Boasson Hagen of Team Sky, to keep a hold of the race leader's yellow jersey ahead of two mountaintop finishes in the Alps. But during a dramatic finale on the tricky 8km descent to the finish from the Col de Pramartino the Frenchman gave up 0:27 to his rivals as he flirted with disaster three times. As Boasson Hagen celebrated his second victory of this year's Tour, Voeckler lost 0:27 to a nine-man group which contained the Schleck brothers Andy and Frank as well as Contador, Samuel Sanchez and Australian Cadel Evans. "Mountain biking is not my speciality!" said Voeckler, who on the third near-miss misjudged a bend and ended up in the courtyard of a house. "I left the road three times and the third time I was lucky. If there had been a wall in front of me, I wouldn't have had time to stop. "If I'd taken fewer risks I would have finished with Evans and the others. But (losing) 27 seconds is not too bad, it could have cost me a (broken) collarbone." Contador's attack late on the Col de Manse outside Gap on Tuesday helped salvage a yellow jersey bid that had looked severely compromised following a series of crashes inside the first nine stages. Yesterday the Spaniard went on a downhill attack again after cresting the 6.6km Cote de Pramartino, only for the Schleck brothers – who had lost time to Contador and Evans on stage 16 – to counter. Once over the summit Contador was followed by Euskaltel leader Sanchez and together they took all the risks on the tight, technical turns of the descent to open up a gap on the Schlecks and Evans. With Voeckler showing the peloton how not to take the turns, the chasers were nervous. But as the road straightened out the chase was on, with the Schlecks and Evans closing the gap to the Spaniards inside the final kilometre. Evans admitted it had been a "confusing" descent but he was ultimately happy not to lose any time. "We closed the gap on the flat there, but it was a bit confusing with people coming and going and crashing and so on," said the Australian. Their nine-man group came over the finish 4:26 behind Boasson Hagen, who had soloed across the line alone having attacked his breakaway group before the summit of the Pramartino. After his runner-up place to compatriot Thor Hushovd on Tuesday, he was all smiles. "I was very close to winning on Tuesday. I was frustrated, and so I really wanted to do something," said the Norwegian.n — AFP Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
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