42 Friday

Sports Friday, May 25, 2018 Stakes high as , face off in blockbuster Whiteley blow for Boks as comeback put on hold

WELLINGTON: There was no hiding the eager- Moody and Owen Franks but Shields felt the Cru- ness of Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd in saders would not veer far from their usual game- the leadup to today’s Super Rugby blockbuster plan today. “Winning those small, brutal battles,” against the champion Canterbury Crusaders, a Shields said yesterday when asked what would be clash that could do plenty to shape the Super the key to the game. “They’re going to be niggly at Rugby playoffs. the rucks, they’re going to try and turn our ball over, The match in Christchurch not only pits the two they’re going to try and smack us.” best sides in the competition but resumes a rivalry Finishing top of the dominant New Zealand con- that has become intense in recent seasons. “Some ference is likely to mean home advantage all the way games you get a bit more excited about than others through to the Aug. 4 title-decider, given the third- ... that’s just human nature,” Boyd said this week. placed team, South Africa’s leading Lions, are well The eight-time champion Crusaders lead the off the pace and with less games to play over the Super Rugby standings final weeks of the regular on 46 points, one ahead season. of the Hurricanes who “We are expecting have a game in hand. everything,” Crusaders While the Hurricanes Crusaders lead coach Scott Robertson said. have won eight of their standings on “They are tough, physical. last 11 matches against This is what we play for. We the Crusaders, Boyd and 46 points enjoy it. I love these weeks.” Coach Chris Boyd and of Hurricanes at the post match interview. his captain Brad Shields In Johannesburg, an are mindful that playing in expected comeback for a wet and cold Warren Whiteley this DC and three subsequent tests at home to the He missed the entire Rugby Championship cam- Christchurch produces major hurdles against an weekend has been put on hold, effectively ending touring English. paign against Argentina, Australia and New All Blacks-laden home pack. his chances of an international return when South It would have been a timely return, but Whiteley Zealand, plus away tests against Ireland, France, In the corresponding match last year, the Cru- Africa play Wales and England next month and was left out of the Lions line-up without explana- Italy and Wales in November and December. saders attacked the Hurricanes in the contact areas opening up the Springbok captaincy. tion when the team was named yesterday. He Eben Etzebeth took over as Springbok skipper and strangled the supply of clean, quick ball to TJ Whiteley, 30, participated in full training this missed six months last year with a groin injury and but he, too, has not played this year, having under- Perenara and , preventing them week and was expected to be in Super Rugby ac- has sat out most of this year with a troublesome gone surgery on his shoulder. Though speculation from unleashing the tournament’s most explosive tion for the Lions against the Stormers in Cape knee injury. around the captaincy continues, there have been backline. Town on Saturday, hours before new national Whiteley was named South Africa captain last local media reports saying that Etzebeth could be The home side will be without captain Sam coach Rassie Erasmus is to name his squad for the year but was injured in the build-up to the final test named in the squad after stepping up his training Whitleock (concussion) and suspended props Joe June 2 international against Wales in Washington of the three-match series against France last June. regime in recent weeks. —Reuters

But 14-times Uber champions China came China to play back strong, with Olympic champion Li Xuerui finding her rhythm in her comeback tourna- ment to beat Natalia Koch Rohde 21-7, 21-9 in Ricciardo leads Thai hosts in 30 minutes. “I was definitely better prepared today,” Li told organisers after the match. Uber Cup semis Heavyweights Japan and South Korea com- Red Bull one-two plete the semi-final line-up, both also stutter- BANGKOK: Defending champions China will ing through their quarter-final ties on in Monaco practice face dark horse Thailand in the last four of the Thursday. Japan’s women clawed back a win Uber Cup after a dramatic day in the women’s following the first match 21-19, 21-16 defeat of MONACO: Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo event yesterday, while South Korea will play world number two Akane Yamaguchi by Tai- produced a record lap around the streets of top seeded Japan in the semis. wan’s Tai Tzu-ying, who ranks higher than her. Monaco yesterday as Red Bull dominated open- Daniel Ricciardo Thailand edged into the final four, with Bu- The top-seeds bounced back with doubles ing free practice for Formula One’s most glam- sanan Ongbamrungphan sparking jubilation pair Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota tearing orous grand prix. among the home crowd by winning the final through their rivals in the next match, followed The 28-year-old mastered the winding, metal- records would tumble thanks to the new hypersoft women’s singles 9-21, 12-21 to seal a 3-2 win. by a routine 21-11, 21-12 win by singles world fenced streets with a best time of one minute tyres which are making their competitive debut Star player world number four Ratchanok In- champion Nozomi Okuhara. South Korea also 12.126 seconds, already quicker than Kimi Raikko- this weekend and track resurfacing. tanon started the tie well for the home side, struggled to get started against Canada, but nen’s 2017 pole position of 1:12.178 for Ferrari. Ricciardo was third in Monaco last year, after demolishing Indonesia’s Fitriani Fitriani in the eked out three wins against their unfancied Dutch team mate Max Verstappen was second taking pole and finishing second in 2016, and is first game. But the visitors won the next two opposition. quickest, 0.154 seconds slower. The 20-year-old aiming to take the final step on Sunday. “Both points, before a Thai doubles pair clawed back Victory was sealed by 16-year-old An Se- was also summoned to stewards after reversing drivers have got a good feel for the car, the car’s a point and Busanan powered her team to vic- young, who celebrated exuberantly after her onto the track after running off at the first Sainte working quite nicely, but it’s only Thursday morn- tory. “I am really happy that I can make one 21-13, 19-21, 21-11 win in the third singles over Devote corner. ing,” Red Bull principal Christian Horner told Sky point for my team,” 22-year-old Busanan said Canada’s Brittney Tam. “I told coach Kim (Ji- Championship leader Lewis Hamilton and Sports television. after the match, adding that the home support hyun) that I would dance on court if I won,” closest title rival Sebastian Vettel were third and “We have had a competitive chassis all year helped “a lot”. As for their chances against she said after the match, according to a Bad- fourth, with the Mercedes driver lapping in and of course the straights are a bit shorter here, China, she said it would be “very tough.” minton World Federation press release. 1:12.480 and Ferrari’s German managing a best ef- so that concertinas it all together.” Raikkonen was “But I think everyone in my team can do it. The prestigious biennial event has brought fort of 1:13.041. fifth fastest with Renault’s Carlos Sainz sixth and I will try my best,” she added. China recovered together 16 top teams from five continents for Hamilton leads Vettel, last year’s winner in Valtteri Bottas seventh for Mercedes. Mexican from a nervy start to beat Denmark 3-1. Mia a week of intense competition for the men’s Monaco, by 17 points after five races. Drivers had Sergio Perez, who holds the race lap record of Blichfeldt drew first blood, taking apart world Thomas Cup and the Uber Cup which is con- predicted before the session started that lap 1:14.820, was eighth for Force India. —Reuters number 5 Chen Yufei in the opening singles. tested by the women. —AFP