MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2015 SPORTS Carter admits to nerves but thrives on Racing camaraderie

PARIS: All Black legend admitted to The 33-year-old, capped 112 times by New were good, it’s been an awesome first couple of competition, it’s about how we all gel together. “We nerves before his debut for in the Zealand, nailed three of his four conversion weeks and now I just want to keep playing. showed out there that we do come together well as European Champions Cup, but insisted the Parisian attempts, and looked comfortable sitting deep in “Hopefully I can keep building on this perform- a team and on our day we could beat anyone. club could beat anyone thanks to the camaraderie the pocket and letting Wales scrum-half Mike ance because it’s brilliant to be here playing for this “We’ve a great bunch of guys and there’s a really amongst his expensively assembled, multi-national Phillips dictate the run of play. Seventeen passes, great club. “Credit to my teammates, they helped good camaraderie in the squad. We’ve lots of amaz- teammates. five kicks out of hand and one run at the English me so well and to have such a comprehensive win ing individual players from different countries, An early warning shot already fired cross the club’s defence summed up Carter’s afternoon. was pleasing. “The forward pack laid the foundation there’s plenty of unity and overall, it’s a lot of fun for bow to three-time reigning European champions The New Zealander, however, also never shirked for all game and gave us go-forward and made it me to here.” Toulon, at the other end of France but with a simi- from his defensive duties, making 10 tackles, and pretty easy for the back line.” While insisting his team could beat anyone on larly rich president-cum-benefactor and loaded rode some challenges from England hitman The Racing backrow of Wencelsas Lauret, their day, Carter insisted that keeping focus was key. squad. “I was a little bit nervous before the game, I Courtney Lawess, lined up at blindside for Yannick Nyanga and ex-All Black No 8 Chris Masoe “Northampton will be disappointed and I’m sure was unsure about how I would go after having six the Saints. impressed, along with Wales lock Luke Charteris they will be a different side next week,” he said after weeks off after the World Cup. But the team made it “The first kick from the touchline wasn’t that and imposing ex- prop Ben Tamiefuna. Racing ran in five tries, including two from full-back pretty easy for me by the way they stepped up,” easy, but I just went through my usual routine and I Brice Dulin, to just a solitary JJ Hanrahan penalty for Carter said. was pretty happy that it sailed through. That took a ‘A REAL UNITED NATIONS’ the Saints. “We know it’s going to be pretty tough Test rugby’s leading points scorer and last sea- bit of weight off my shoulders,” Carter said of his “You look at the talent here, there are so many next week at Northampton, so it’s important that son’s world player of the year after leading the All first conversion. “The legs were a bit heavy and my French internationals, Kiwis, South Africans, it’s a we recover well. “We’ll enjoy this victory, but we’ll Blacks to a second World Cup triumph, Carter was at lungs were blowing a bit after six weeks not playing real United Nations,” Carter said of the club be concentrating on the return match we’ve won his effortless best in the 33-3 thumping of ... but it was good to get back out there.” Carter bankrolled by property tycoon Jacy Lorenzetti. nothing and it’s another huge game for us next Northampton on Saturday. added: “I really enjoyed the experience. The crowd “But talent is not going to be what wins this weekend,” he said. — AFP Hanyu heroics as Asada suffers GP Final meltdown

BARCELONA: Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu basked in and do better at the next competition.” The the glory of another record-breaking night at pressure is now on Asada, who is on the come- the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final as back trail after a season off, as the Japanese Mao Asada suffered a meltdown on the national championships begin on December Barcelona ice. The 21-year-old Hanyu took an 24 with only the top two qualifying for the unprecedented third straight men’s gold with world championships. Miyahara’s routine to Spain’s world champion Javier Fernandez tak- “Un Sospiro” by Franz Liszt saw seven clean ing silver, as he had last year, and Japanese triple jumps, intricate spins and footwork. newcomer Shoma Uno taking bronze. The reigning Olympic champion was in a ‘Absolutely majestic’ class of his own as he followed his world The 2015 world silver medallist achieved a record short programme of 110.95 points on new personal best 140.09 points and moved Thursday with a new free skate record of up from fourth to second with 208.85. “I was 219.48 for an overall 330.43. nervous at first but when I got the first jump I The performance came two weeks after his thought, ‘OK, I can do this’,” explained the 17- world record 322.40 at the NHK Trophy in year-old from Kyoto. Nagano, where he became the first skater to “I didn’t think I would get 140 points, so I break the 200-point mark in the free skate and am really happy. “Of course this gives me con- the 300- point barrier overall. But for Asada, fidence... but there is always room to improve. 25, it was a night to forget in the International “My next goal is nationals, and to get a higher Convention Centre, as she stumbled to last in score in the short programme.” the six-skater women’s field. The three-time Hanyu reeled off a quadruple Salchow, world champion was lying third, only 5.45 quadruple toeloop, quadruple-triple toeloop points behind Russia’s Evegenia Medvedeva and six triple jumps including two Axels in his after the short programme. exquisite programme to Japanese movie But it was a trio of teens who took the soundtrack “Seimei”. medals with Medvedeva winning her first On the road to reclaiming the world title major title at 16, ahead of Japan’s Satoko he lost last year to training-partner Fernandez, VAL D’ISERE: First placed Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen, center, celebrates with second placed Austria’s , left,and third placed Miyahara, 17, and Russian Elena Radionova, Hanyu will bid for a fourth straight national , of on the podium of a men’s World Cup slalom in Val D’Isere, France, yesterday. — AP 16. Asada was struggling from her opening title in Hokkaido. “I don’t feel absolutely triple Axel jump in her “Madame Butterfly” majestic yet. I realise there are only two spots free skate, popping the following planned for the worlds,” said the Toronto-based skater. Kristoffersen wins triple-triple combination. World junior champion Uno pulled out two She landed four triples, but the error- quads and seven triples to “Turandot”, scoring strewn presentation saw her achieve a below- 190.32 points, improving his personal best for par 125.19 in her free skate for a total of 276.79 overall. World Cup slalom race 194.32. “I’m very disappointed I couldn’t per- “I’m very pleased with today’s perform- form the way I wanted to,” said the 2010 ance, especially the jumps which are my best Olympic silver medallist, who was bidding for so far,” said the skater from Nagoya. “I was sur- VAL D’ISERE: Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway seventh in slalom at Val d’Isere, which is becom- and was a more comfortable .79 clear of a record fifth women’s crown a decade after prised to get over 190 points. I’m satisfied with easily protected his lead from the first run to win ing one of his favorite courses. Frenchman . Neither joined him she won her first GP Final gold. “I had a lot of what I’ve done today but this is not a goal it’s a World Cup slalom race yesterday, beating Veteran , the 2009 world on the podium. Foss-Solevaag’s second run end- mistakes, I have to change my mindset, refocus just a starting point.” — AFP Marcel Hirscher of Austria by 1.09 seconds. championship silver medalist in slalom, also had ed early when he straddled a gate. Pinturault set Hirscher, who earned a record fifth win in Val a good day, taking fifth place. It was the 36-year- off at a tremendous speed - drawing a massive d’Isere in the on Saturday, was old Frenchman’s first top-five slalom finish since roar from the home fans when he clocked 1.13 eighth after the morning run but powered down placing fourth at the German resort of Garmisch ahead of Hirscher at the first split - but then he the second run to keep the pressure on. Partenkirchen in 2010. Chodounsky’s impressive mistimed a gate and went up on his skis and out. The 21-year-old Kristoffersen won his fifth performance was also a welcome boost for the The conditions were not so good by the career race and fourth in slalom. His other win US team, softening the blow of another disap- lunchtime second run and taking risks proved was in GS at another French Alpine resort in pointing day for , who tied 20th with costly for some. Two-time world slalom champi- Meribel in March during the world finals, and his Austrian Michael Matt. Ligety failed to qualify for on Jean-Baptiste Grange, ninth after the first run, previous slalom win was at the Slovenian resort the second run in Saturday’s GS, having crashed stumbled badly on the top section and then of Kranjska Gora - a week before Meribel. in the Beaver Creek GS last weekend. Meanwhile, missed a gate lower down as he tried everything Kristoffersen is also an Olympic bronze medalist Kristoffersen enjoyed better luck than Saturday, to gain time. in slalom. Felix Neureuther of Germany when he was just .14 behind Italian Giuliano Razzoli, a contender for a improved from fifth in the morning to take third Olympic silver medalist Hirscher after the first podium spot, lamented his luck after also failing ahead of American David Chodounsky - who run but went out after straddling a gate on the to finish. Seeking a fifth straight overall World secured a career-best fourth place and a fifth top section in the second run. In clear and crisp Cup title, the 26-year-old Hirscher already holds top-10 finish. The 31-year-old Chodounsky’s pre- morning conditions on the choppy Face de a commanding lead, but Kristoffersen’s classy vious best was fifth at a City event in Moscow in Bellevarde course, Kristoffersen edged country- performance will give him something to think 2013. In December of that year, he also placed man Sebastian Foss-Solevaag by .31 seconds about in slalom. — AP Joshua wins heavyweight

BARCELONA: (L-R) Second placed Spanish skater Javier Fernandez, winner Japanese skater Yuzuru Hanyu and third placed Japanese skater Shoma Uno pose on the podi- title with 15th knockout um sporting their medals during the awarding ceremony after the Men Free skating program of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2015 in Barcelona. — AFP LONDON: Olympic champion Anthony Joshua his fellow British fighter beats Wladimir Klitschko were times when I hurt him in the first round and defeated former kick-boxer Dillian Whyte to take in their world title rematch. he hurt me in the second. It was a matter of who the British heavyweight title on Saturday with a “Yes I enjoyed it, more because it was about had that little more grit, determination and skill.” McGregor stops Aldo in 13 bruising seventh-round knockout and edge clos- bragging rights,” said Joshua who had lost to Saturday’s fight was the first time Joshua had er to a possible shot at the world crown. Whyte in 2009 during their amateur careers. been taken beyond three rounds in his profes- seconds, wins UFC belt The 26-year-old took his record to 15 knock- “There had been a lot of talking, all the way back sional career. “I took myself past three rounds and outs from 15 fights since turning pro after win- since 2009. We’d been patiently waiting for this felt that I carried the right engine through the LAS VEGAS: Conor McGregor stopped Jose their delayed bout, only to back up every ning 2012 Olympic gold in London. Joshua’s lat- moment and I enjoy being victorious and show- fight,” he added. “Even when I had been loading Aldo with one spectacular punch just 13 word he said. est win raises the prospect of a clash with WBO ing that talk is cheap, you have to back it up up and doing silly things, I still had enough pow- seconds into the first round Saturday night, “Precision beats power, and timing beats and WBA heavyweight champion Tyson Fury if when you’re in the ring. “He was tough, there er to knock him out in the seventh.” — AFP backing up his bravado and claiming the speed,” McGregor said. “Jose was a phenom- undisputed featherweight title at UFC 194. enal champion. He deserved to go a little McGregor (19-2) finished the fight with an bit longer, but I still feel at the end of the electrifying exchange shortly after the open- day, precision beats power and timing beats ing bell, slipping Aldo’s lead right and crack- speed. That’s what happened.” Luke ing Aldo on the jaw with a huge left hand. Rockhold also claimed the UFC mid- dleweight title with a bloody fourth-round stoppage of previously unbeaten champion Chris Weidman in front of a frenzied crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. But the sellout crowd was packed with thousands of screaming Irish fans who traveled to see whether their braggadocious countryman could back up his talk. McGregor, a former plumber who was fairly late to take up mixed martial arts as a career, has won 15 consecutive fights since November 2010 while building an interna- tional celebrity. He is 7-0 in UFC bouts, stop- ping his last five opponents with his vicious punching power. He picked one of the UFC’s most daunt- LAS VEGAS: Conor McGregor reacts ing targets in Aldo, who had made seven after defeating Jose Aldo during a consecutive title defenses. McGregor tar- featherweight championship mixed geted the imperious Brazilian champion martial arts bout at UFC 194, with a steady stream of trash talk and Saturday, in Las Vegas. — AP entertaining antics, infuriating Aldo while making himself into a pay-per-view draw Aldo (25-2) actually finished his punch and arguably the UFC’s second-biggest star and hit McGregor with a left, but the champ behind Ronda Rousey. fell senseless to the ground. McGregor McGregor and Aldo were scheduled to pounced, only to be pulled off in victory. meet at UFC 189 in July, but Aldo pulled out Aldo had won 18 consecutive fights over with an injury two weeks before the bout. the last 10 years, but nothing seems to slow McGregor stopped Chad Mendes to win the McGregor. The loquacious Irish brawler interim title belt but never stopped talking goaded Aldo throughout the promotion of about Aldo. — AP LONDON: British boxer Anthony Joshua (C) celebrates beating British boxer Dillian Whyte in the British and Commonwealth heavyweight title boxing match at the O2 arena in London. — AFP