The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Rugby: New Zealand's McCaw misses Canada match with injury
- Olympics-Boxing body asks BBC to assist medals probe
- Frans Steyn blow for South Africa after Samoa ordeal
| Rugby: New Zealand's McCaw misses Canada match with injury Posted: 30 Sep 2011 05:53 PM PDT WELLINGTON, Oct 1 (Reuters) - New Zealand's Richie McCaw will miss their rugby World Cup game against Canada on Sunday because of an ongoing foot problem but the skipper is confident he will be available for the knockout stages of the tournament. Flyhalf Dan Carter will take over the captaincy from McCaw, who has been replaced by flanker Victor Vito for the game in Wellington. McCaw missed part of this year's Super rugby season due to the injury and had surgery in an attempt to fix the issue. "My foot is a bit niggly. It's something I have managed all the way through," McCaw told reporters in Wellington on Saturday ahead of their final Pool A match, which the All Blacks are expected to win easily. "If I had to play tomorrow in a knockout game I would have, but the decision was to make sure I'm right next week." The All Blacks have already secured top spot in Pool A and a quarter-final berth with wins over Tonga, Japan and France. They will play the runners-up in Pool B, likely to be Argentina, in the quarter-finals next week. "I probably could have played (against Canada) but it's the cumulative effect where it might take an extra day (to recover) because of the extra load I have had," McCaw said. "You play at times with niggles every week, it's just the reality of every player, you play with those things. "(But) there is a difference between tough and playing because you're a bit sore and being stupid. "At times you just play when you can do your job properly without doing anything silly. But there comes a point where you don't play because obviously you can't do your job." The match will be the second McCaw has missed at the World Cup after he was a late withdrawal from the side to play Japan but he was confident he should be available for every game through the knockout phases. "You haven't got a crystal ball but if it has been like it has all week then it should be okay (to play three successive knockout games if needed). "It's something I have dealt with up till this point and it's something I have to deal with. "I've had my head around it for a long time and if you're going to play it's something you have to manage." (Editing by Peter Rutherford. To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com) |
| Olympics-Boxing body asks BBC to assist medals probe Posted: 30 Sep 2011 05:47 PM PDT Sept 30 (Reuters) - Amateur boxing's world body has formally asked the BBC to provide evidence behind its allegations that Azerbaijan was promised two gold medals at next year's London Olympics in exchange for a $9 million loan. The claims, strongly denied by the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA), were aired on Sept. 23 on BBC's Newsnight programme. The BBC said it had uncovered evidence of 'secret payments' from a mystery source in Azerbaijan to World Series Boxing (WSB), a competition run under the auspices of AIBA. Despite dismissing the allegations as "preposterous and utterly untrue", Swiss-based AIBA has set up a committee to investigate and said in a statement on Friday that the first meeting would be next week. "The Committee Chairman has written to the BBC to formally request that it assist the Committee in its investigation by providing all evidence relied upon by the BBC in support of its allegations," AIBA said. "The Committee will hold its first meeting on 6 October," added the body, currently busy with the amateur world championships in Baku. "For the time being, and until the Committee has conducted its full investigation, AIBA will not be in a position to make any further communications regarding these allegations." |
| Frans Steyn blow for South Africa after Samoa ordeal Posted: 30 Sep 2011 05:45 PM PDT AUCKLAND, Oct 1 (Reuters) - South Africa's Frans Steyn is likely to miss the rest of the rugby World Cup after injuring his shoulder in the win over Samoa that secured the world champions' place in the last eight, coach Peter De Villiers said on Saturday. Steyn, who can play at flyhalf but is normally a fullback or winger, played in the centres in the bruising 13-5 victory over the Pacific Islanders at Albany on Friday night and kicked a penalty from 55 metres. Apart from Steyn's versatility, the 24-year-old's ability to convert penalties from well within his own half is a potent weapon in the kind of pressure game that South Africa play. "Frans Steyn is likely to go home," De Villiers said. "His shoulder isn't that good. The doctor will confirm it 100 percent this morning, but it's 95 percent that he's on his way home and that is a big blow for us." Bryan Habana, who scored the only try of the game, and fellow winger JP Pietersen also suffered knocks in the match but De Villiers was cautiously optimistic they would recover in time to be available for next weekend's quarter-finals. De Villiers has spent much of the international season scrabbling around to fill his second row after a string of injuries to locks, however, and bemoaned the misfortune of again being depleted so badly in one department. "All those kind of guys they've got battle scars and that's all," De Villiers added. "I don't know what's wrong with us, when we get an injury in one position we get it in one position. We had a lock (problem), and suddenly we lost three wings in one game. "When lady luck turns her back on us, she turns it properly on us." South Africa are likely to meet Australia in their first knockout game in Wellington next Sunday. The Wallabies beat South Africa home and away on the way to claiming the Tri-Nations title earlier this year but De Villiers said his team would be encouraged by Australia's defeat to Ireland in their second pool match. "It's now about only one game, the only game that can either take you forward or stop you," he said. "We're playing against the (Tri Nations) champions. That's fine. But Ireland beat them so that's something to look out for." |
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