TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2015 SPORTS Wallabies distractions test for champion Waratahs MELBOURNE: World Cup ambitions will hang he said in the off-season. “When I’m at Waratahs, machine last season and a backline boasting Israel outside of the Waratahs last season as they man- heavy over all sides in Super Rugby this year but physically here, I’m not doing anything to do with Folau and Kurtley Beale, and steered by flyhalf aged a club record nine wins after years of prop- arguably none more so than champions New South the Wallabies. And when I’m away from here I’m Bernard Foley, has enough firepower to trouble the ping up the table. While the Perth team also have a Wales, whose coach Michael Cheika must steer the able to do things with the Wallabies. “I will have a best sides in the competition. chance to make the playoffs Australia’s two other Waratahs title defence while planning for the physical divide, because if you cross those things The Canberra-based ACT Brumbies, who were sides, the Queensland Reds and Melbourne Rebels, Wallabies. over you’ll only get muddled.” beaten in the semi-finals last year by the Waratahs are likely to struggle. After guiding the Waratahs to their maiden title, Cheika’s coaching was instrumental in turning after a trip to the final in the previous season, will The Reds have picked up an exciting talent in Cheika was hastily appointed Australia coach last the Sydney-based team from a laughing stock into also be confident of nabbing one of the six spots in errant former Wallaby back James O’Connor and October after Ewen McKenzie quit with the national champions within two seasons, and their title the playoffs. The twice champions will have their Karmichael Hunt, a former rugby league interna- team in turmoil. Cheika now finds himself in the defence may rest on his ability to juggle the two fingers crossed that David Pocock, one of the tional who also made a successful conversion to unique position of managing his own Wallaby- roles successfully. Though New Zealand’s Chiefs are world’s best openside flankers before two consecu- Australian Rules football. Hunt may provide a badly- laden team through a gruelling season while keep- the bookies favourites to win the provincial champi- tive knee reconstructions, can stay on his feet after needed spark at fullback but the 2011 champions ing tabs on the other World Cup hopefuls in onship, the Waratahs should be able to win the managing only five games in two seasons. have suffered a huge blow with flyhalf Quade Australia’s four other provincial teams. Australian conference again to book a spot in the Although they missed out on a playoff berth, Cooper expected to miss half the season after “I’ve got to make sure I’m extremely disciplined,” playoffs. Cheika turned the team into a try-scoring Western Force were Australia’s biggest success story breaking his collarbone in training. — Reuters Sharks pack big bite CAPE TOWN: For the second year running through injury, while fullback Jaco Taute the Sharks will start the Super Rugby sea- sits out six weeks with a knee complaint. son with a new coach and the mantle of They have more worries at lock with South Africa’s most likely championship Eben Etzebeth and Manuel Carizza also car- contenders. rying injuries, and Gerbrandt Grobler serv- Jake White led the side to top of the ing a two-year drug ban. South African conference in 2014 but not The loss of Gio Aplon, Deon Fourie, beyond the semi-finals as they slipped to Peter Grant and Tiaan Libenberg will fur- defeat against Crusaders in Canterbury. ther weaken a squad that looks to be full of White resigned late last year and has promise but lacking experience. been replaced in Durban by former Stormers coach Allister Coetzee has Springbok assistant coach Gary Gold, who already said this will be his sixth and final has looked overseas for additions to the season with the side before departing for squad. In have come two South African- Japan. born former England internationals, prop Pretoria-based Bulls have loose-forward Matt Stevens and lock Mouritz Botha, as Pierre Spies back as their captain after he well as New Zealand-born wing Jack missed last season in its entirety with a torn Wilson, all from English club Saracens. bicep and the most of the year before too. Scrumhalf Conrad Hoffmann and centre They have also recruited experienced Lionel CronjÈ arrive after spending last sea- Springboks hooker Adriaan Strauss from son with Australia’s ACT Brumbies. The side the Cheetahs and have live-wire flyhalf is packed with Springboks and look the Handre Pollard to fill the number 10 jersey. best balanced of the South African con- With a draw that sees them play four of tenders. their first five matches at home at Loftus The Cape Town-based Stormers are Versfeld, early momentum will be key. already sweating over injuries with for- The Cheetahs struggled all last season wards Ruan Botha, Frans Malherbe, Nizaam and there is nothing to suggest much will Carr and Siya Kolisi, as well as utility back change in Bloemfontein, while the Damian de Allende all playing no part in Johannesburg-based Lions will do well to pre-season. Experienced centre Jean de repeat the seven wins they managed in last Villiers will miss the entire campaign year’s competition. — Reuters AUSTRALIA: Pakistan batsman Sohaib Maqsood (right) plays a shot as Bangladesh wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim looks on during a one-day international warm-up cricket match. — AFP Irfan and Maqsood star in narrow Pakistan win SYDNEY: Sohaib Maqsood spared Pakistan’s who hit nine fours and two sixes. Bangladesh scored a brisk 31 before Mohammad Irfan (5-52) blushes by hitting an unbeaten 93 to secure the posted a competitive 246 after opting to bat first ripped through the middle and lower order. team’s three-wicket victory over Bangladesh in but were all out with one delivery to go in their Towering Irfan’s five-wicket haul was a rare their first World Cup warm-up match yesterday. innings. positive in Pakistan’s otherwise wayward bowl- Maqsood’s 90-ball knock took Pakistan home They lost two quick wickets but Tamim Iqbal ing effort, underlined by the 17 wides they con- with 11 balls to spare but their top order looked (81) and Mahmudullah (83) added 168 runs to ceded. far from convincing as they chased 247 runs for consolidate the innings. Iqbal’s 109-ball knock Pakistan’s top order did little to convince their victory. will please captain Mashrafe Mortaza the most fans and the 1992 champions were 52 for three Having beaten the former champions in the as the left-handed opener was returning to in the 16th over before Maqsood and Harris 1999 World Cup, Bangladesh rekindled hopes of action after undergoing knee surgery in Sohail (39) steadied the innings with a 51-run another upset by reducing Pakistan to 199 for six December. stand. Umar Akmal fell after contributing 39 but in the 43rd over but were thwarted by Maqsood Down the order, all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan Maqsood guided them home.—Reuters South Africa edge Sri Lanka CHRISTCHURCH: South Africa beat Sri Lanka by bowlers, taking 3-37 while all-rounder Wayne they lost de Kock and Amla in the first over after five wickets with just three balls to spare in a Parnell bagged two wickets. When the rain play resumed, then three more wickets before thrilling rain-interrupted World Cup warm-up stopped and the South Africans started their the end of the 23rd over. yesterday. reply, they were initially set 230 to win off 30 Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath snatched Sri Lanka smashed 279 for seven in their overs under the Duckworth-Lewis method. three wickets for Sri Lanka, leaving South Africa innings, which was reduced to 44.4 overs after Despite being without their captain AB de requiring 21 off the last 14 balls, but Rilee rain stopped play at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. Villiers, who was rested as a precaution because Rossouw (16 not out) and Vernon Philander (13 Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan laid the founda- of tightness in his hip, the Proteas made a flying not out) safely guided the Proteas to victory. tions for a big Sri Lankan total when he belted start. South Africa will play their final warm-up exactly 100 off just 83 deliveries, which included Quinton de Kock (66) and Hashim Amla (46) against New Zealand in Christchurch on 15 boundaries and two sixes. put on 115 for the opening wicket in 15 overs Wednesday, while Sri Lanka will face Zimbabwe He was well supported by the Sri Lankan cap- before the rain returned, forcing another delay. the same day. tain Angelo Mathews, who made a quickfire 58 South Africa’s target was reduced to 188 off The World Cup starts on Saturday when co- off 49 balls, and Dimuth Karunaratne, who 25 overs, leaving them needing 72 of 10 overs hosts New Zealand meet Sri Lanka in chipped in with 46 off 61 deliveries. with 10 wickets in hand. What seemed like an Christchurch and Australia play England in Kyle Abbott was the pick of the South Africa easy chase suddenly began to look tricky when Melbourne. — Reuters SYDNEY: England’s batsman Ian Bell plays a shot during their Cricket World Cup warm-up match against the West Indies. — AP England crush West Indies SYDNEY: Chris Woakes took five for 19 as though, the writing was on the wall and England claimed a comfortable nine- two overs later Woakes claimed his fifth wicket victory in their first official World wicket when Andre Russell holed out for Cup warm-up match after dismissing a seven to end the innings.