43 Sports FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2017 Wallabies skipper Moore plans international exit in 2017 NEWCASTLE: Stephen Moore has Moore is 10th on the list of most capped campaigns, was dropped to the reserves is no mean feat but it’s his work off the field announced he’ll quit international rugby at players in the game. “There’s still plenty of bench for two of Australia’s three tests in in his role as captain of Australia that has the end of the year and has already handed footy to go this year but I know the June, with Tatafu Polota-Nau starting, but really impressed me. the Wallabies captaincy over to Michael Wallabies will be left in very strong hands he remained leader of the Wallabies squad. “We now have to make sure we send him Hooper. The 34-year-old Australia hooker if we continue to work hard and stay Wallabies coach Michael Cheika said Moore off in the best way possible this year.” had a contract through to the 2019 World grounded,” Moore said in a statement had an important role in helping develop an Australian rugby has been in decline since Cup in Japan but has decided to move into released by the Australian Rugby Union on inexperienced squad for the remainder of losing the 2015 World Cup final to New retirement in steps, starting with an end to Thursday. “Succession is a really important the season. Zealand, and Cheika is making moves to international rugby after the Wallabies’ tour part of the leadership of any team and “This isn’t a farewell right now - he’s fully regenerate the national squad after a disap- to Europe in November and then finishing we’ve been working to that end for a num- committed to getting the gold jersey back pointing June series. Australia’s next major his Super Rugby career with the Queensland ber of years and having those discussions to the top this year,” Cheika said. “His contri- challenge is a Rugby Championship and Reds in 2018. for some time.” bution to this current team cannot be Bledisloe Cup test against the world cham- With 120 internationals to his credit, Moore, a veteran of three World Cup understated. What he’s achieved on the field pion All Blacks on Aug. 19. — AP PREVIEW Lions final incentive to tame Hurricanes SYDNEY: South Africa’s Golden Lions must overcome defend- ing champions Wellington Hurricanes on tomorrow if they are to host this year’s Super Rugby decider in their first meeting with New Zealand opposition this season. The Lions will stay in Johannesburg if they win a rematch of last year’s Wellington final and take on either the Canterbury Crusaders or fellow New Zealanders Waikato Chiefs. The Crusaders, bidding for a record eight Super Rugby titles, have home advantage in tomorrow’s other semi-final in Christchurch. The Lions, under outgoing coach Johan Ackermann, have won 15 of their 16 games and finished on top of this season’s standings to claim home ground advan- tage at Ellis Park should they win through to the final. It would be only the fourth time a Super Rugby final has been staged in South Africa since 1996. But the Hurricanes, expected to be strengthened by the return of dynamic All Blacks hooker Dane Coles, will be a tough nut to crack. Wellington were the last team to beat the Lions at home in Super Rugby, a spanking 50-17 win on April 30 last year. “The Hurricanes are a team that play in your face,” said Ackermann. “They like to put teams under pressure and they did that to us last year, so hopefully we’ll handle that pressure Novak Djokovic better this time.” Coles, widely regarded as the best hooker in the game, returned to action for the ‘Canes in their quarter- TENNIS final win against the Brumbies in Canberra last weekend com- ing off the bench. He is expected to start in Johannesburg for the first time since March after being sidelined with concussion issues. A Djokovic hopes to imitate key match-up will be between the fly-halves, with the Hurricanes playmaker Beauden Barrett up against Elton Jantjes for the Lions. take-a-break Roger Federer JANTJES THREAT “Elton has been consistently good this season. He just had PARIS: Novak Djokovic announces he is won the Australian Open this year and is week clay-court season which culminat- a bad game last weekend (against the Sharks), which happens shutting down his season to rest an elbow now back at three. ed in Rafael Nadal strolling to a 10th to all 10s,” Hurricanes assistant John Plumtree said. “He didn’t injury and will return in January 2018. So there is plenty of encouragement Roland Garros title. Murray, whose kick well against the Sharks last week but could easily knock Same day of the year, similar injury- there for Djokovic who will be a danger- Wimbledon title defence ended in a everything over against us. I know Elton well and he would connected storyline-but identical out- ous last-16 opponent for one of his top quarter-final loss to Sam Querrey, has have worked hard during the week.” The Crusaders have come? Djokovic, struggling on and off rivals at the 2018 Australian Open where taken part in 11 events this year with a named an unchanged side for their clash with the Chiefs. for 18 months with a right elbow injury, he has won six titles. “My body has its win-loss ratio of 25-10. It is the third time in Super Rugby these two rivals have and without adding to his 12 majors limits, and I have to respect that and be The world number one is also carry- faced off in a semi-final, with the Chiefs winning on both pre- since completing the career Grand Slam grateful for all that I have achieved so ing a hip injury which could yet see him vious occasions. Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson said it at the 2016 French Open, announced far,” said Djokovic, admitting that his on- also sit out the US Open. Djokovic has was a different time and different circumstances. “They used Wednesday that he won’t play again in court troubles are a brutal legacy of slugged through 12 tournaments, their home ground advantage on those occasions, but this 2017. over-playing. including two trips to the Davis Cup. He It will rule him out of the US Open When Federer called time on his has 32 wins on the season and eight time we have earned the chance to play in front of our own where he has twice been champion and 2016 campaign, he had played just 28 losses. supporters and that means a lot to us,” Robertson said. made six of the last seven finals as well matches. While he rested up, Andy Federer, who may play just one “To see so many of our supporters still come out to the as Serbia’s Davis Cup semi-final against Murray and Djokovic battled over three warm-up event before the US Open game last weekend in such miserable conditions was hum- France. His absence from New York will continents for the world number one which he has won five times, believes bling, so that is even more motivation for the team to put on a be the first time he has missed a Slam spot. British star Murray ended the year his 2016 sabbatical has helped extend performance to make the fans proud.” since 2004, ending a run of 51 succes- having fought through 87 matches his career despite his 36th birthday fast Chiefs coach Dave Rennie said he would much prefer to sive majors. When Federer skipped the while Djokovic played 74 times. approaching on August 8. But he face the Hurricanes in the final in Wellington, rather than mak- 2016 French Open, it ended his majors In 2017, Federer has featured in just doesn’t advocate lengthy breaks for all ing another long trek to South Africa, should his team over- streak at 65. seven tournaments, winning the players. come the Crusaders. “Clearly, we’d prefer to go to Wellington Djokovic, 30, will eventually see his Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami “Some players just need to play. They because it means we get to go home,” Rennie said. world ranking slip to around the 15 Masters, the Halle grass-court title and need to play every other day, otherwise “We’ve had success down there in the past, we know we’re mark-his first trip outside the top 10 his record eighth Wimbledon. they feel like they completely lose touch playing a really good side who’s probably been the form team since March 2007. Federer, five years his His win loss-record for the year is cur- with the racquet and the ball, the body goes but we’ll back ourselves.”— AFP senior, was 17 in the world when he rently 31-2. Federer also skipped the 10- all funny on them,” said Federer.—AFP.