SUNDAY, JUNE 25, 2017 SPORTS

International rugby makes a comeback in soccer-mad Soweto

SOWETO: A hardy mix of French fans, 1994 and it was credited with helping to season. While the Orlando stadium- “This is not my first time in Soweto when the crowd began taking photos of Springboks diehards and locals braved ease tensions between the black majori- home of the Orlando Pirates football but it is my first time watching rugby the surreal scene and cheering the the cold in Soweto to see the return of ty and white minority. club-was just over one-third full for here,” he told AFP. group. “The welcome here is really international rugby to the sprawling “It’s like the rugby World Cup (in Friday’s encounter, players and specta- “I work for a very mixed company so lekker,” said the green-painted Theunis Johannesburg township, where football 1995) which came after a long time and tors were nonetheless treated to an I’m used to diversity but here it’s a great Kleinhans, 52, using the Afrikaans word usually rules. then the soccer World Cup-it’s a really eclectic range of vibrant singing and mix of people and a great atmosphere.” for “good”. As the game entered the sec- The friendly fixture Friday night good thing. You don’t see much rugby traditional dance. Despite being among just a handful ond half, a try and a conversion saw the between South Africa A and the French in Soweto so this is a good thing,” he And as well as attracting Sowetans of French fans rooting for the home side’s lead become unassailable- Barbarians-ahead of this weekend’s said. “I tend to watch more soccer but I more accustomed to watching football, Barbarians, his son and daughter fear- leading to a 48-28 victory for South -South Africa Test match-drew in follow rugby whenever I can.” the fixture saw French followers of the lessly flew large Tricolor flags inviting Africa A. And though the handful of a noticeably mixed crowd of both black Soweto, home to 1.3 million mostly three-match international Test series cries of “Viva Les Bleus” from a nearby French fans became noticeably sub- and white South Africans including sev- black residents, is better known for foot- make the journey to Soweto. group of South African women. dued, South Africa’s support reached eral school groups lured by 20 rand ball and last hosted international rugby France face South Africa today at Ellis “There’ll be thousands of French at Ellis fever-pitch as the match wrapped up. (1.40 euro) youth tickets. in 2010 when the South African Park in Johannesburg in the final match Park. I’ll be there with a trumpet-not a Neo Ponosha, 22, who was at the sta- William Thusi, a 58-year-old police played their semi-final and of that series. vuvuzela” horn, he joked. dium selling biltong-the typically South officer from west Soweto, said he hoped final fixtures in the township. Xavier Moreau, 47, originally from There was a brief moment of trepida- African cured meat snack-said he was to see more international rugby in the Traditionally a sport played and Pau in southwest France but now living tion when a shirtless South Africa fan surprised to see so many white rugby townships, pointing to the unifying watched largely by whites in South in Johannesburg’s upmarket Sandton covered in green bodypaint and sport- fans travel to Soweto for the game. legacy of the rugby World Cup. Africa, rugby has been growing in popu- suburb-some 20 kilometres (12 miles) ing a stuffed springbok atop a hard-hat “It’s a shock but it’s a good shock!” he South Africa hosted the tournament larity among blacks, who comprised a north of the Orlando stadium-said began to accost the small French con- said. “I don’t really follow rugby but I shortly after the end of apartheid in third of the Springbok Test team last township rugby was a first for him. tingent. But the mood was quickly lifted might do now.” — AFP Ireland thrash Japan to complete tour whitewash TOKYO: Ireland overpowered Japan 35-13 “We knew after last week Japan would yesterday to finish with a perfect record in bring a new level of intensity and test us,” their three-game summer tour. said Ruddock. “They certainly did that. It Joe Schmidt’s second-string side looked was a really tough game and credit Japan on course to rack up 50 points for the third for the pace and tempo they played at.” successive match as they ran in four first- Japan, who warmed up for the two tests half tries in Tokyo. The signs were ominous against Ireland by beating Romania 33-21 for Japan’s “Brave Blossoms” when Garry earlier this month, were once again given a Ringrose raced clear to score under the lesson in possession rugby by a team they posts and flanker Josh van der Flier wrig- will face in the pool stage of the 2019 gled over in the corner in the first 10 min- World Cup. utes. Bulldozing tries from Kieran Marmion “In terms of attitude we 100 percent left and stand-in skipper Rhys Ruddock further everything out there,” said Japan captain stretched the lead for Ireland, the bulk of Michael Leitch. whose regular players are on British and “Ireland are one of the top four teams in Irish Lions duty in New Zealand. the world and the way they keep the ball Japan’s sole glimmer of hope had been and the intelligence they play with are ’s fine try on 24 minutes things we need to learn from. Tactically we but after trailing 28-8 at half-time, the 2019 also need to sharpen up as we build to World Cup hosts offered significantly more 2019.” Japan had never beaten Ireland and resistance after the interval. the last time they met before last weekend Akihito Yamada tiptoed down the wing was in 2005. The Asian champions have to register Japan’s second try, while Ireland made real progress since then, shedding narrowly avoided going scoreless in the their tag as World Cup pushovers by win- second half thanks to Sean Reidy’s late ning three games at the 2015 tournament effort. Fly-half Paddy Jackson unerringly under Eddie Jones, including a stunning converted all five tries for Ireland, who upset of South Africa. crushed Japan 50-22 last weekend and also But they never seriously threatened broke the 50-point mark against the United Ireland and Japan coach Jamie Joseph cut a States in their opening tour game in New frustrated figure as his players committed a Jersey. string of elementary handling errors. —AFP

AUCKLAND: British and Irish Lions fullback Liam Williams is tackled by All Black defenders during the first test between the British and Irish Lions and the All Blacks at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, yesterday. —AP

RUGBY Ioane try double as

TOKYO: Japan’s Kotaro Matsushima, left, avoids a tackle on the way to scoring a try All Blacks maul Lions against Ireland during their rugby test in Tokyo yesterday. Ireland beat Japan 35-13 to sweep the two-match series between the 2019 Rugby World Cup group rivals. — AP AUCKLAND: scored two second- row on home soil since 2009 and no defeats at at goal, the All Blacks took a quick tap which half tries as the world champion All Blacks Eden Park since 1994. resulted in a try to Taylor in the corner. stamped their authority with a 30-15 victory in But it was a brutal, bloody encounter. The All After an exchange of penalties by Owen Australia scores 2 late tries the first Test against the British and Irish Lions Blacks lost both fullback (concussion) Farrell and Barrett the Lions launched their run- yesterday. Both tries were off the back of demoli- and outside centre Ryan Crotty (hamstring) in ning game with a counter-attack by Liam to clinch rugby win over Italy tion work by a powerful New Zealand pack. The the first 30 minutes. After being on the back Williams inside his own 22 which caught the All All Blacks outscored the Lions three tries to two foot for the first 10 minutes. the All Blacks gave Blacks off guard. He offloaded to Jonathan BRISBANE: Australia rallied for two late late tries to clinch the win. to maintain their 24-year unbeaten record at the Lions a taste of their own medicine with a Davies who took play deep into All Blacks terri- tries in an unconvincing and error-filled 40- Man-of-the-match Israel Folau had his Eden Park. After a fevered build-up to the game, series of charges through the middle which had tory, where the ever-present Sean O’Brien fin- 27 rugby test win yesterday over Italy. third consecutive two-try performance for the All Blacks made their mark early on with a the tourists scrambling before they eventually ished off a brilliant move. In a torrid second half It extended Australia’s perfect record Australia. “To Italy’s credit they fought their penalty and ’s converted try to lead conceded a penalty, which con- in the rain, the game broke open with Ioane’s against Italy to 17 consecutive victories. way back into the game,” Australia captain 10-0, and they were ahead 13-8 at half-time. But verted. Five minutes later, from a repeat of the tries on 55 and 70 minutes. Rhys Webb scored Their last match in Brisbane in 1994 was a Stephen Moore said. “It probably shows they were struggling to build on that lead in the same direct approach, the All Blacks won anoth- the Lions’ second try on full-time to at least give close win for the home side - 23-20 at where we are at, down on a little bit of con- second half before Ioane, selected ahead of pro- er penalty close to the Lions line. the visitors hope ahead of next week’s second Ballymore. Australia, leading 21-13 at half- fidence in some parts of our game. lific try-scorer Julian Savea, exploded into action. While the Lions switched off, expecting a shot Test in Wellington. — AFP time, looked to be coasting to victory when “We want to be able to back ourselves, “It was a bloody tough Test match. Certainly Sefa Naivalu scored his second try early in but you don’t want to make those errors, that first half had everything both teams throw- the second half for a 15-point lead. particularly in our own half. We’ll go away ing the ball around, two bloody good sides,” said But two Italy tries, both coming directly and look at that and work on it for the next All Blacks captain . “That’s one (win),” from Wallaby mistakes, reduced the margin couple of months.” The Wallabies don’t play he added. “We’ll go back to the drawing board down to to just one point, and a yellow card to again until the opening match of the tomorrow. Nothing’s been earned yet so we will replacement prop put the visi- Rugby Championship/ work harder next week.” crash Ford’s party tors in the hunt for their first win against against New Zealand in on Aug. 19. The Lions scored a running try for the ages Australia. First, Dane Haylett-Petty spilled a The Australians had a surprising 24-19 through Sean O’Brien in the first half, but captain high cross-field kick in the 64th minute loss to Scotland last weekend in Sydney Peter O’Mahony was left to rue a number of SUVA: A rare try from record-breaking hook- when prop Peni Ravai was sin-binned for col- while standing just forward of the try line, after opening their international season on missed chances. “We’ve plenty to play for, we’ve er was not enough for Scotland to lapsing a maul. Scotland immediately coughing the ball up to June 10 with a 37-14 win over Fiji in got to regroup now and move on to Wellington,” overhaul Fiji in a thrilling one-off Test in Suva launched another maul to take advantage of for an easy Italy try. Melbourne. O’Mahony said. “We were playing some good yesterday. Fiji edged a 27-22 victory, despite his absence and Ford, who had been at the Minutes later, a pass was rugby and it paid off, and (O’Brien’s) was a great Scotland scoring three tries to two, with five heart of a brutal forward battle, grabbed the intercepted by Tommaso Benvenuti, who Scores: try but I think we left a couple out there,” he penalties for the hosts’ fly-half pushover try. went on to score and make it 28-27. Australia 40 (Israel Folau 2, Sefanaia added. “I think we’ve got to be harder on our- proving decisive. Ford played his 110th Test It sparked Fiji’s renowned attack to life, But the pressure on the Wallabies was Naivalu 2, , Reece Hodge tries; selves to finish off opportunities we create.” for Scotland, overtaking Chris Paterson as with flanker scoring a superb try relieved when Abraham Steyn was yellow- Foley 5 conversions), Italy 27 (Tommaso their most capped player, and scored only the after forcing a turnover out wide with a per- carded for a deliberate knockdown, erasing Benvenuti, , Edoardo TACTICAL TWIST fifth try of his 13-year international career. fectly timed tackle on Damien Horland. Italy’s one-man advantage, and Bernard Padovani tries; 3 conver- Twelve years since the Lions were ‘black- But it was not enough as Scotland failed The ball went through 14 pairs of hands as Foley and Reece Hodge then crossed for sions, 2 penalties). HT: 21-13. —AP washed’ 3-0 on their last visit to New Zealand, to build on their shock 24-19 win over it moved to the other side of the field and the game turned on a brutal scrum by the All Australia last week, letting themselves down back, via several spectacular offloads, before Blacks. It led to Ioane’s first try and the second with an incredible 30 missed tackles. a diving Yato crashed over. came when the All Blacks forwards secured After struggling in the set piece against The hosts started the second half 11-7 up turnover ball. TJ Perenara, taking a leaf from the Italy last week, a much-improved Fiji applied and maintained the pressure, coming close to playbook of his Lions opposite scrum-half Conor early pressure through their line-out only to the line and settling instead for a Volavola Murray, put in a box kick which Ioane gathered have two attacks fail through handling errors. penalty. Scotland levelled the scores at 14-14 and raced away to score. Scotland, meanwhile, attempted to play when fullback Ruaridh Jackson pounced on a As expected, the Test was a collision of two the flying Fijians at their own game, feeding stray ball near the Fiji line then converted his distinct styles-enterprising running and auda- quick ball to the backs and working it wide. It own try. A penalty apiece made it 17-17 cious offloads, against box kicks and close-quar- was scoreless after 15 minutes when referee before burst through the ter charges-but with a twist. Pascal Gauzere lost patience with repeated centre of Scotland’s defence to set up the The All Blacks countered the renowned Lions’ fouls from Fiji and sin-binned lock Tevita simplest of tries for Henry Seniloli. defensive line speed by employing the visitors’ Cavubati for a dangerous tackle. Another penalty left Scotland trailing by tactics of direct crash-and-bash up the middle. The Scots laid seige to Fiji’s line but des- 10 in the final 10 minutes but their maul Murray’s clever box kicks, which caused the perate defence kept them out and they lost a again proved too much for Fiji as Fraser All Blacks much discomfort in the opening 30 man of their own when was yel- Brown scored their third try. The Scots minutes, faded as the Lions pack started to wilt. low-carded for a shoulder charge. mounted one last attack but Fiji managed to The convincing victory kept alive the All Volavola broke the deadlock with a penal- shunt wing over the touchline to BRISBANE: Italy’s is tackled by Australian players during their interna- Blacks’ phenomenal record, with 47 victories in a ty for Fiji, who were again reduced to 14 men seal a dramatic win. — AFP tional rugby match in Brisbane, Australia, yesterday. — AP