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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014 SPORTS New England shirt features Victoria Cross design

LONDON: The design of the Victoria of the honour of playing international 1918 during the First World War. enhancing ball control and retention,” a the vast majority of their international Cross-the highest military honor avail- sport. National teams usually require Rugby Football Union spokesman told opponents. able to British and Commonwealth The former schoolmaster created the International Rugby Board approval to Britain’s Press Association Sport. “The Nevertheless they are set to wear armed services personnel-has been Arthur Harrison award, given after every display political or religious symbols or grip shape takes inspiration from the their red change kit against Samoa at incorporated into the new England rug- match by the coaching staff to the statements on team kit. Victoria Cross.” Twickenham on November 22 even by union team shirts unveiled Monday. England player responsible for the best However, it is understood the Victoria Meanwhile the traditional Red Rose though the Pacific Islanders usually turn England coach Stuart Lancaster has defensive performance. Cross-inspired grip areas across the emblem has been moved to the centre out in blue shirts. sought to utilise both the country’s rug- Harrison is England’s only rugby inter- chest of the new England shirt do not from the corner of the shirt for the first The new kits may only last one sea- by history and a series of outside speak- national to be awarded the Victoria need IRB authorisation. time. son though, with fresh strips set to be ers to help instil a sense of national pride Cross, bestowed posthumously after he “The new shirts have a ‘ball-deaden- England’s traditional white shirt usu- launched in time for the 2015 World Cup in his squad by making them fully aware lost his life in the Zeebrugge raid of April ing’ rubber grip area on the chest, ally means they avoid a colour clash with in England.—AFP Whitelock, Kaino set to return for All Blacks : Four injured All Blacks and Jeremy Thrush-with the injured headed by and Sam Patrick Tuipolutu and to Whitelock are set to return for their last return to the game by first playing two Rugby Championship matches away provincial rugby in . to Argentina and South Africa. Harris gets his chance to play his first and also All Blacks Test with incumbent starting came out of the infirmary to be in the 30- hooker to return home after man squad named Tuesday, while there the Argentina Test for the birth of his is one newcomer in hooker Nathan child. If the All Blacks beat Argentina it Harris. will give them the Championship title for With Ma’a Nonu out for the rest of the the third successive year. year, after breaking an arm in the 14-10 Forwards: Dane Coles, Nathan Harris, win over South Africa last weekend, , , Charlie is likely to start at inside Faumuina, , , Joe centre against Argentina. Moody, , Jeremy Thrush, Crotty, who coach had , , Jerome Kaino, indicated was the likely first choice to Steven Luatua, Richie McCaw, Liam replace Nonu, is still recovering from a Messam, cheek fracture and will not join the Backs: Tawera Kerr-Barlow, TJ squad until the Springboks Test on Perenara, Aaron Smith, , October 4. , , Ryan Fekitoa has limited experience in the Crotty, , Malakai Fekitoa, number 12 jersey, but Hansen has ruled , , Charles Piutau, out starting in the role even , Ben Smith. The All Blacks though he covered for Nonu last week- play Argentina in La Plata on September end. The squad contains only three spe- 27 and South Africa in Johannesburg on cialist locks-Whitelock, Brodie Retallick October 4. —AFP

NFL results/standings

AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE AFC EAST NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE W L T OTL PF PA PCT NFC EAST Buffalo 2 0 0 0 52 30 1.000 Philadelphia 2 0 0 0 64 44 1.000 Miami 1 1 0 0 43 49 .500 Dallas 1 1 0 0 43 38 .500 : Switzerland’s (right) hits a return alongside Belinda Bencic (left) during their first round women’s doubles match against NY Jets 1 1 0 0 43 45 .500 Washington 1 1 0 0 47 27 .500 Rika Fujiwara of Japan and Hsieh Shu-ying of Taiwan at the tennistournament. —AFP New England1 1 0 0 50 40 .500 NY Giants 0 2 0 0 28 60 0 AFC NORTH NFC NORTH Cincinnati 2 0 0 0 47 26 1.000 Chicago 1 1 0 1 48 43 .500 Baltimore 1 1 0 0 42 29 .500 Minnesota 1 1 0 0 41 36 .500 Radwanska off the mark in Pittsburgh 1 1 0 0 36 53 .500 Detroit 1 1 0 0 42 38 .500 Cleveland 1 1 0 0 53 54 .500 Green Bay 1 1 0 0 47 60 .500 AFC SOUTH NFC SOUTH Houston 2 0 0 0 47 20 1.000 Carolina 2 0 0 0 44 21 1.000 title defence Tennessee 1 1 0 0 36 36 .500 Atlanta 1 1 0 0 47 58 .500 Indianapolis 0 2 0 0 51 61 0 New Orleans 0 2 0 1 58 63 0 SEOUL: Top seed Agnieszka Radwanska Hingis, 33, and 17-year-old Bencic, who strengths and weaknesses are and how to Jacksonville 0 2 0 0 27 75 0 Tampa Bay 0 2 0 0 31 39 0 AFC WEST NFC WEST hammered yesterday as she reached the US Open quarter-finals two win matches,” Hingis said of the first set. Denver 2 0 0 0 55 41 1.000 Arizona 2 0 0 0 43 31 1.000 set out on a quest to successfully defend a weeks ago, combined to oust Rika Fujiwara “I think we got better throughout the San Diego 1 1 0 0 47 39 .500 Seattle 1 1 0 0 57 46 .500 title for the first time at the WTA Korea Open. of Japan and Taiwan’s Hsieh Shu-Ying 6-4, 6-2 match today. We’re really proud of that. We Oakland 0 2 0 0 28 49 0 San Francisco1 1 0 0 48 45 .500 The Polish world number five, returning to in the first round. have now next steps to take.” Bencic said, “In Kansas City 0 2 0 0 27 50 0 St. Louis 1 1 0 0 25 51 .500 action after her US Open second-round The all-Swiss pairing was announced as a the beginning I didn’t play that good. Then I defeat to China’s , won 6-3, 6-3 to wild card only last week after Hingis’s usual came more into the match and Martina was get her title defence off the mark. partner Flavia Pennetta of pulled out of helping me good.” Former Seoul champion Maria Kirilenko, the $1 million tournament with a right-foot “There was no reason to be really nerv- Eagles soar over Colts playing on a wildcard after missing three injury. With Pennetta, Hingis reached the US ous,” said Bencic, who has known Hingis months of the season with a knee injury, Open final but her bid for a 10th major dou- since she was only four years old. There were INDIANAPOLIS: The Philadelphia Eagles Sproles. Indianapolis responded with a beat Croatia’s Donna Vekic 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 to bles title was denied by the Russian pairing moments of great doubles play by the Swiss. rallied for a second successive week to seven-yard touchdown pass from reach round two. of and . Leading 5-4 in the first set, Hingis’s back- record a 30-27 victory with a Cody Andrew Luck to Ahmad Bradshaw and “It was a tough time after my injury last Hingis, whose mother Melanie Molitor has hand drop shot from the net hit cross court Parkey field goal as time expired to beat appeared ready for victory before Luck year. I haven’t played much this year and trained Bencic for 10 years along with the at set point after Bencic served. On Hingis’s the Indianapolis Colts on Monday. threw an interception deep in after Wimbledon it got worse so I couldn’t youngster’s father Ivan, said she was com- service, Bencic’s sharp passing shot landed The Eagles trailed 20-6 in the third Philadelphia territory. play much of the summer either,” said the mitted to play with Pennetta at least until inside a corner to put the team ahead 5-1 in quarter and were down 27-20 late in the That allowed Foles to lead another Russian. the end of this year. But a regular pairing the second set. fourth before Parkey’s 36-yard field goal march downfield and connect with “I really missed playing and I’m happy I with Bencic may be possible in the future. In the singles first round, sixth-seeded as time expired. Jeremy Maclin on a six-yard touchdown could win this match today, because it was “We’ll see. Maybe in the future there will Dominika Cibulkova of beat Philadelphia enjoyed a similar fight- that tied the game 27-27 with three and my first long match so far this year,” added be other opportunities for us to do this and Belgian Kirsten Flipkens 6-1, 6-3 and back last week when they overcame a a half minutes to go. Kirilenko, who lifted the trophy in 2008. that will be great,” Hingis said. eighth-seeded Carla Suarez of out- 17-point halftime deficit to beat The Colts were unable to score on In , former world number one The second-round opponents for the lasted Japan’s 6-1, 2-6, 6-2. The Jacksonville. “We don’t want to put our- their next possession and the Eagles Martina Hingis and rising star Belinda Bencic Swiss duo will be either the top-seeded pair top four seeds, including world number selves in that situation every week, but if then advanced 42 yards to set up the made their debut as a dream doubles team of Zimbabwe’s Cara Black and Indian Sania eight Angelique Kerber of and that’s what it comes down to we have to winning field goal. for Switzerland yesterday, winning their first Mirza or unseeded of eighth-ranked and US Open finalist execute and win games,” Eagles quarter- Indianapolis have fallen to 0-2 for the match together at the Pan Pacific Open. Australia and American . “We Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, took a bye back Nick Foles told reporters. first time since the 2011 season. Luck Four-time singles champion had to figure out each other and what our into the second round. —AFP “To go through adversity like this says tossed three touchdowns and the Colts something about our team.” Foles threw ran for 169 yards but it was the for 331 yards and a touchdown on turnovers that hurt them in the end. Monday to mastermind their second- “The turnovers were killers in the sec- Stosur stumbles in Guangzhou half fightback. ond half,” said Colts coach Chuck Foles led an 80-yard drive that saw Pagano. “You’ve got to finish games, put GUANGZHOU: Four of the LeSean McCoy score from one yard out people away.” top five seeds including and pull the Eagles within 20-13 in the Philadelphia, meanwhile, got a huge number one pick Samantha third. Philadelphia tied the game 20-20 spark from their own running back duo. Stosur crashed out of the less than two minutes later after recov- McCoy finished with 79 yards rushing $500,000 WTA Guangzhou ering an Indianapolis fumble and get- while Sproles caught seven balls for 152 Open in the first round yes- ting a 19-yard scoring run by Darren yards.—Reuters terday, as the former US Open champion’s poor run of form continued. Australian Stosur lost to home wildcard entry Wang Yafan 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, making seven double faults in a two-hour, three minute match. On a day of shocks fourth seed Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia lost to Romanian Monica Niculescu 6-2, 6-2, while of Kazakhstan, seeded five, crashed out to Hong Kong’s Zhang Ling 6- 4, 6-1. Third seed Sloane Stephens of the US lost 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to Spain’s Silvia Soler-Espinosa in the day’s last match. Stosur won the US Open in 2011, a season which saw her climb to number four in the rank- ings. But she is now at 20 after failing to get past the semi-finals of any of the 18 tournament she has competed in so far Cody Parkey this year. —AFP Samantha Stosur