Sports FRIDAY, JULY 14, 2017 42 Farah to make Birmingham his British track farewell

LONDON: Athletics legend Mo Farah will in the 5000 and 10000 metres at the before he turns his focus to road racing, pri- something that means a lot to me and I hope run his final race as a track athlete in Britain Stadium. marily marathons. I can take everything in. “I’ve run many great at the Diamond League meeting in The championships-in the stadium where “I’m really looking forward to what will be races at the Alexander Stadium over the Birmingham on August 20, the organisers he memorably won double Olympic gold in my final track race in Britain at the Grand Prix years, and have a history there, so it’s a fit- announced yesterday. The 34-year-old—a 2012 — run from August 4 to August 13. Birmingham on August 20, and I’m sure it ting venue for my last track race. four-time Olympic champion—had been However, Farah-who warmed up for the will be a day I remember for the rest of my “The meet is only a week after the world expected to bring the curtain down on his worlds with a gritty win in the 3000m at last life,” said Farah on the Athletics Weekly web- championships, so it will be a great chance track career in Britain when he attempts a Sunday’s Diamond League meet in London- site. “To get the opportunity to say goodbye for the fans who didn’t make it down to third successive world championship double will give it one last hurrah in Birmingham to the track in front of a British crowd is London to see me race.” — AFP

Crusaders, Lions battle for top Super spot : Canterbury Crusaders and the Golden Lions are embroiled in a final-round battle this weekend to claim the top rankings spot and home advantage throughout the playoffs. The Crusaders, just two points ahead of the -based Lions, must beat defending champions to go into next week’s top-eight play-offs as top seed and in the box seat to host the final on August 5. Should the seven-time champions stumble in Wellington tomorrow then the Lions could leapfrog them to finish top of the final-season standings if they down the Coastal in Durban later that day. Eight teams have already qualified for the play-offs with the top four conference winners having home advantage in the first week of the finals against the fifth to eighth-placed wild card teams. Only the exact final places are to be decided this weekend. All Blacks TJ Perenara, and return for the Hurricanes against Crusaders, in the only changes to the team that started during last month’s 31-31 draw with the touring British and Irish Lions. The Crusaders are vying to retain their unbeaten Super Rugby record and ensure they finish top of the regular season ladder, giving them home advantage throughout the play-offs. A win for the Hurricanes would mean a trip to Canberra to play the in : File photo shows referee Roman Poite gestures as he talks to New Zealand captain during the the quarter-finals, while a loss would send the defend- third and final rugby Test between the British and Irish Lions and the All Blacks at in Auckland, New Zealand ing champions off to Cape Town to face the Western last week. —AP .

VENGEFUL SHARKS RUGBY The Lions face a vengeful Sharks, still rankled by their dramatic 34-29 loss at Ellis Park earlier this season. “We have been looking forward to this game for some time, All Blacks to bolster NZ teams especially after what happened at Ellis Park where we felt we should have won, so we are definitely excited about this one,” Sharks scrum-half Cobus Reinach said. in Super Rugby’s last round “In that Johannesburg game it did not work out. Hopefully we can put in a great performance and it will WELLINGTON: As many as a dozen All Franks, hooker and winger likely to finish as the No. 7 seed and the go our way this time.” The Sharks can avoid a long trip Blacks who played in last weekend’s third were under consideration. Sharks as the No. 8 seed if, as expected, to play the Crusaders in the first week of the finals if Test against the British and Irish Lions will While much has been decided in the 17- they lose to the Lions tomorrow. That they beat the Lions with a bonus point and the Otago line up for either the Crusaders or week regular season, much is at stake in would mean the No. 1 seed - either the Highlanders are upset at home by Australia’s Hurricanes tomorrow in a crucial New what may be a dramatic round in which Crusaders or the Lions - will likely host the . Zealand derby in the last round of the the playoff fate of some teams will depend Sharks in the quarterfinals and the No. 2 Centre Juan de Jongh and loose forward Sikhumbuzo Super Rugby regular season. on the results achieved by others. seed will likely face 2015 champions the Notshe will be available for selection for the third- The importance of the match for the The four conference winners have Highlanders. Things become complicated ranked Stormers against the Northern Bulls at Loftus defending champion Hurricanes is under- already been found - the Crusaders in New and more urgent from that point. Versfeld on Saturday. scored by the fact that all of their available Zealand, the Canberra-based Brumbies in The No. 4 seeded Brumbies will face Australian conference winners ACT Brumbies have All Blacks - including six who played in the Australia and the Lions and Stormers in either the Hurricanes or the Hamilton- made 12 changes to the team that was beaten by the drawn Test at Eden Park - are backing up South Africa - but seedings through the based depending on which of those Reds in Brisbane last week for their final game of the only seven days later. playoffs will be determined this weekend. teams finishes in fifth place. The regular season against the Waikato Chiefs in Hamilton. Fullback and center Hurricanes have to beat the Crusaders to Only winger , fly-half Wharenui Hawera , who both made their first HOME ADVANTAGE achieve that finish, while the Chiefs have and flanker remain from the side that went starting appearances for the All Blacks last If the Crusaders beat the Hurricanes, an easier assignment against the down by a point at Suncorp Stadium, as head coach weekend, return to the Wellington-based they will finish the regular season unbeat- Brumbies. The Chiefs have decided to rest rests players ahead of their home Hurricanes backline along with winger en and will take the No. 1 seeding which All Blacks , Anton Lienert- quarter-final against either the Hurricanes or the Chiefs , flyhalf Beauden Barrett and guarantees home advantage through the Brown and who played in all playoffs. If they lose, the Johannesburg- three tests against the Lions but have on July 21. scrumhalf T.J. Perenara. Backrower Ardie Savea was included among the forwards based Lions can take the No.1 seeding selected flyhalf , who came In this weekend’s other games with no finals bearing, and will start beside lock , who with a win over the Durban-based Sharks. off the bench in each of those matches. may play their final game in Super Rugby made his All Blacks debut against Samoa The Lions and Crusaders can’t be dis- The Brumbies, who can’t be displaced against the in , the last month. placed from the No.1 and No.2 seedings. from first place in the Australian confer- Rebels host Argentina’s in Melbourne and The Crusaders had still to name their The Cape Town-based Stormers and ence, are resting 12 frontline players to Japan’s take on the Auckland in . lineup but All Blacks lock Canberra-based Brumbies have the No. 3 ensure their fitness for the playoffs. That The Southern Kings and Central , already was expected to return to the captaincy and No. 4 seedings sewn up by virtue of may hand the Chiefs a win which carries officially dumped from the 2018 competition, play their and other veterans of the Lions’ series, their top placings in their conferences. them into fifth place and into a rematch final Super Rugby game in Port Elizabeth.— AFP including props and Owen The -based Highlanders are with the Brumbies in the quarterfinals.—AP