Established 1961 25 Sports Tuesday, September 24, 2019 open Rugby WCup campaign with six-try win over Victory sent out a signal of intent to main Pool D rivals Australia

TOYOTA CITY: Six Nations champions Wales opened ‘OUT OF THE BOX’ their campaign with a bonus-point The sole bright spark for Georgia in a grim first-half 43-14 victory over Georgia in Toyota City yesterday. display saw a rare break into Welsh territory by hook- The victory not only sent out a signal of intent to main er Shalva Mamukashvili, Gareth Davies twice on hand Pool D rivals Australia, who beat in their opener, with tapdowns to halt the foray. Skipper Alun Wyn but also dispelled any doubts there might have been of Jones, matching ’ record of 129 Wales a hangover in the Welsh camp over the sending-home caps, and No 8 were at the heart of the of assistant coach amid allegations of ille- effective Welsh rush defence to nullify the threat from gal betting. the ‘Lelos’. Four slick first-half tries from Jonathan Davies, Justin And it was instead Wales who had the last word Tipuric, and Liam Williams ensured the of the first 40 minutes, Liam Williams scooping up bonus point for Wales, who were given a stern exami- Jonathan Davies’ pass to dot down in the corner, nation by a strong Georgian scrum that came to life in Biggar making no mistake to stretch the score out the second period. “It was a good first half for us and to 29-0. we were pretty happy at half-time,” said Wales coach The Georgians opened the second-half exactly as . coach would have liked them, hooker “A little bit messy in the second half but the ball was Mamukashvili bundled over from an attacking line-out quite slippery out there and it was hard to hold on to it. for a well-received try that con- We scored a few nice tries and we’re happy with the verted. Wales roared back with their own driving maul, bonus point.” There were barely two minutes on the but fresh-on-the-field manipulated it clock when centre Davies was played in under the to a juddering halt, his dark art spotted by referee posts after a rocket of a pass by scrum-half and name- Luke Pearce who had no option but to yellow card to sake Gareth, decoys and the replacement hooker. bamboozling a leaden-footed defence. A raft of replacements disrupted the flow of the Biggar’s conversion surprisingly came back off the game, enabling Georgia to weather the 10-minute sin- posts, but the fly-half redeemed himself with a penalty binning without conceding any points. Despite their far shortly afterwards. Another well-drilled midfield move more combative half, it was replacement scrum-half saw winger Adams split the defence before offloading who chased down a to Gareth Davies. The scrum-half was brought down grubber for Wales’ fifth. short, but Tipuric was on hand to swoop for the ball Toulon prop responded Georgia and sidestep inside Giorgi Tkhilaishvili to run through when he bombed over from short range, but Wales had unmolested for Wales’ second try, Biggar converting. the last word when North finished well after some neat The third came soon after, Adams running in from footwork and an offload from Tomos Williams. almost halfway after an inside Biggar pass off a lineout, “I think we came out of the box as we went out into with the Georgian defence glaringly absent. Biggar hit the first half but I’m disappointed if I’m honest with the the extras and it was a point a minute after 22 minutes, second half,” said Jones. “We let a couple of tries in TOYOTA CITY: Wales’ wing George North scores a try during the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup Pool D the 35,545-strong crowd at a sultry City of Toyota and we didn’t really continue in a similar vein. It’s a match between Wales and Georgia at the City of in Toyota City yesterday. —AFP Stadium scenting a rout. good result but it’s plenty to work on. —AFP

the Tonga National Rugby League stood there will be a strong push by sacked. His firing proved hugely divi- Doubt cast on (TNRL) said on Facebook. members of the board of the Rugby sive. While many were outraged by his Folau, who was set to play a key role League International Federation to veto views, others, including the Christian shock Folau for Australia at the ongoing World Cup the move at an upcoming meeting”. lobby, defended his right to free in Japan before his fall from grace, said The NRL has previously made clear speech. Folau, who made similar he was excited by a return to the game. it was an inclusive sport and Folau offending comments last year, is pursu- look to rugby league “I don’t want to bring any of my per- would not be allowed to play rugby ing court action for unfair dismissal and sonal matters into this and I am grateful league in Australia again. restraint of trade, with a hearing set for Mitchell for inside return with Tonga that the RLIF (Rugby League Folau, who grew up in , next February. He is seeking up to International Federation) have began his sporting career in rugby Aus$10 million (US$6.8 million) in SYDNEY: Sacked Wallaby star Israel endorsed my availability,” he reported- league, making his debut for compensation, an apology and the right knowledge of USA Folau plans a shock return to rugby ly said in a TNRL statement. “What I Storm as a teenager in to play again. SAPPORO: England are set to call upon defence league, making himself available along- will do now is focus on playing great 2007, grabbing the winning try on his “These guys (Israel and John) are side his brother for Tonga in upcoming coach John Mitchell’s inside knowledge when rugby league and do my talking on the debut to telegraph his arrival. great footballers and bring size, pace they face the United States in their second Rugby Tests against Australia and Britain, the field.” Despite his optimism, RLIF During his meteoric rise, he broke and skill to the team,” Tonga coach World Cup match in Kobe on Thursday. The New Pacific nation said yesterday. deputy chairman Peter Beattie told the the National Rugby League’s record Frank Endacott told reporters. “They Zealander was Eagles head coach when they The devoutly Christian fullback, who Sydney Morning Herald the dual inter- for most tries in a debut season and will make a huge impact in the team qualified for Japan 2019. He then returned to club has Tongan parents, was fired by national had not yet been given clear- won rookie of the year. Folau played 90 and provide exciting attack options all rugby in South Africa before joining Eddie Jones’s Rugby Australia in May after he posted ance to play for Tonga. “As a current games in the sport with the Storm and over the park.” England set-up last year. online that “hell awaits” gay people and member of the RLIF board ... I can Broncos between 2007 and Folau’s brother John also used to England opened their campaign with a 35-3 others he considers sinners, with court assure you that this has never been dis- 2010, making eight appearances for play for the NSW Waratahs but quit Pool C win over Tonga in Sapporo on Sunday but action for unfair dismissal pending. cussed or mentioned around the board Australia before switching to Australian after his sibling was fired. He previous- Thursday’s match in Kobe will be the United “The chairman of the Tongan table,” he added. Rules and then rugby union with the ly played league for the Parramatta States’ tournament opener. England scrum coach National Rugby League, Mr George Australia’s National Rugby League NSW Waratahs. Eels in Sydney. Tonga are set to play Neal Hatley said former All Blacks head coach Koloamatangi, today announced that (NRL) also cast doubt on whether he He made his Wallabies debut in 2013 Britain in Hamilton, New Zealand on both Israel and John Folau will play for would pull on a Tongan jersey. It said in against the British and Irish Lions and October 26 and Australia in Auckland a Mitchell’s inside knowledge would prove espe- Mate Ma’a Tonga in the Oceania Cup,” a report on its website that “it is under- went on to win 73 caps before being week later. —AFP cially useful given England have just a four-day turnaround between matches. “Obviously having Mitch is handy and his Emilie Heymans, who became the first female div- historical knowledge having worked with them Whitfield heads er in the world to win medals at four consecutive just a few short years ago. There are a lot of Olympics, and Christine Girard, who is Canada’s first players he brought through and knows well,” ever Olympic weightlifting champion, rounded out Hatley told reporters at England’s hotel in list of Canadian the four athlete inductees. Sapporo yesterday. Girard’s bronze medal from the 2008 Beijing “The analysis on the USA has already been Olympic Hall of Olympics and gold medal from the 2012 done because this is their first match,” he added. Olympics were awarded several years after the com- “We have looked at what they did in the Autumn petition when athletes who had initially placed and their Pacific Nations Cup games. Things may Fame inductees ahead of her were disqualified for doping. get changed on the back of what happened last Now a passionate advocate for anti-doping in night but the work has been done. TORONTO: Former triathlon champion Simon sport, Girard shares her story and is actively “It was Tonga’s first game last night and this Whitfield and diving standout Alexandre Despatie involved in discussions with domestic and interna- will be America’s first game on Thursday. We are among this year’s class of nine inductees to the tional anti-doping advocates. expect them to come out like Tonga did — Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, the Canadian “These individuals remind us that the Olympic fizzing.” Olympic Committee announced yesterday. Movement is about more than just victory,” COC As for the short gap between matches, Hatley Whitfield, who announced his retirement in 2013 President Tricia Smith said in a statement. “It’s about said: “It’s a four-day turnaround, we’ve just got to after 16 years racing for Canada, unexpectedly won making an indelible impact on our communities, our get on with it. We’ve been looking at the combi- the inaugural Olympic triathlon event at Sydney in nation and the next generation.” nations potentially but selection is pretty fluid 2000 and added a silver eight years later in Beijing. The women’s ice hockey team that conceded just and things change. But we have plans in place.” In Sydney, Whitfield was in the middle of the field two goals en route to a gold medal at the 2010 England were far from their best against Tonga Olympics and women’s soccer team that in 2012 won after the swimming and cycling legs but used his Simon Whitfield but still secured a bonus-point win without con- sprint speed to pass the leader, German Stephan Canada’s first Summer Olympic team sport medal ceding a try to the Pacific islanders. “A scratchy Vuckovic, less than 300 metres from the finish line (bronze) since 1936 are also being inducted. start but a win, a bonus-point win — objective before pulling away for the victory. Hiroshi Nakamura, who is responsible for the winning journalist known for his coverage of ama- achieved, but plenty to work on,” said Hatley. Whitfield’s triumph is credited with sparking a establishment of judo as a competitive sport in teur sports, will both be inducted posthumously. “Defensively, we were very good, held them to massive growth in the sport across Canada. Despatie Canada and served as head coach at five Olympics is The induction ceremony will take place in no tries. Ball in hand, where we have been very became the first Canadian man to reach an Olympic also being inducted. Toronto on Oct. 23 and individual inductees will good, we made a few uncharacteristic errors that podium in diving when he won a silver medal in the Jack Poole, who played a key role in bringing the be commemorated with murals that will appear in we will have a look at.” individual 3m springboard at the 2004 Athens Games. Olympic Games to Vancouver in 2010 as chairman of their respective local communities across Meanwhile England back-row , He repeated the feat four years later in Beijing. the bid corporation, and Randy Starkman, an award- Canada. —Reuters who came off the bench in the 54th minute at the indoor Sapporo Dome to win just his third cap, said: “It was awesome. suspension by WADA the case will go to the Swiss- they are connected to. As far as we are concerned, we “I was really happy to get on the pitch and to Anti-doping body based Court of Arbitration for Sport, whose decision continue to help in any way possible,” he said in com- get the five points was really good and we’re off will be binding on sports bodies including the ments released by his ministry. Russia handed over to a start now and out of the blocks. “I wasn’t too International Olympic Committee. thousands of files from its Moscow anti-doping labo- nervous, just impatient and excited more than tells Russia to explain “Forensic experts have looked at what we got from ratory in January, fulfilling a key condition for its rein- anything. I wanted to get on the pitch, get out whistleblowers, what we got from Russia and they statement by WADA last September. RUSADA had there and show the coaches what I can do on a ‘inconsistencies’ noticed some inconsistencies,” WADA director gen- been suspended for nearly three years over revela- bigger stage,” he added. eral Olivier Niggli told AFP after an executive com- tions of wrongdoing including a systematic conspira- England found themselves in a physical battle mittee meeting in Tokyo. “Then they studied the dif- cy to switch tainted samples at the 2014 Sochi Winter on Sunday, with even powerhouse No 8 Billy TOKYO: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) ferences and this came to a situation where there are Olympics. Vunipola, son of a former Tonga international, yesterday gave Russia three weeks to explain “incon- some questions that need to be asked and answered.” During its suspension by WADA, Russia was knocked back in the tackle. sistencies” in a cache of laboratory data handed over WADA has previously warned that it would take the allowed by the International Olympic Committee to “They (Tonga) came flying at us, we knew that to investigators, raising the possibility of a fresh ban “most stringent sanctions” if any of the data was take part in the 2016 Rio Olympics, but Russian com- was going to be the case pre-game and watching on the country in the build-up to the Tokyo Olympics. found to have been tampered with. petitors at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games had them, they are big hitters,” said Ludlam. “I think Russia stands to be declared non-compliant by Russian sports minister Pavel Kolobkov said to take part under a neutral flag. However, athletics we coped with that physicality really well, both WADA if it fails to explain why evidence of some WADA and RUSADA, the Russian anti-doping body the IAAF has maintained a ban on Russia since sides of the ball. Billy got smacked a few times positive tests handed over by a whistleblower doesn’t agency, would look into ‘inconsistences’. “Digital November 2015, although many of its athletes are but he also bowled a few people off him so the show up in data provided by Moscow’s anti-doping experts from both sides, who are already in touch, given special dispensation to compete under a neutral physicality was good out there.” —AFP laboratory in January. If Russia challenges an eventual will see what the discrepances are about and what banner. —AFP