MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 SPORTS Tigers avenge Bath humiliation LONDON: Leicester avenged their humiliating 45-0 be drawn on speculation that Wales international five tries as Sale’s run of four wins from their previ- understrength Harlequins work far harder than they drubbing by Bath three months ago with a 17-8 vic- fly-half Rhys Priestland will join the team from the ous five games came to an end. can have expected for their 24-13 victory. tory over the Premiership high-fliers at Welford Scarlets after the World Cup. Back rowers Ashley Johnson and Nathan Hughes Karl Dickson, Marland Yarde, Tom Williams and Road yesterday. “Recruitment is ongoing, and we’ve got two or also touched down for Wasps, with Andy Goode replacement Kyle Sinckler scored tries for the Second-placed Bath’s run of five successive three (players) still to get in place for next season,” kicking 16 points. “All in all I’m really pleased with Quins with Tim Swiel kicking two conversions. league wins came to a halt as an early Tom Youngs was all Ford would say. Priestland, 27, has won 32 how it’s gone,” said Wasps director of rugby Dai Paul Rowley scored Welsh’s try with Will Robinson try and four Owen Williams penalties saw Leicester Wales caps, but is currently behind Ospreys star Dan Young of the team’s new Ricoh Arena home. kicking two penalties and a conversion. “We are claim a 17-8 victory. George Ford kicked Bath’s soli- Biggar in the Wales fly-half pecking order. “We’ve had two big performances here and two not a team that going to roll over as you saw tary penalty, but he missed the 80th-minute con- Wasps moved into the top five with a 41-16 win big crowds, we’ve got to keep that going and turn today,” said London Welsh coach Justin Burnell. version of Ross Batty’s try that would have at least over Sale to follow their 48-16 rout of London Irish this into a real fortress for us as soon as possible.” “We’ve got nothing to lose now and hopefully our given the visitors a losing bonus point. in their first match at their new Coventry home. London Welsh went down to their 12th performances can improve to put us in good stead After the match, Bath coach Mike Ford refused to Scrum-half Joe Simpson scored two of his side’s Premiership loss in 12 games but they made an for next season.” — AFP Qatar’sQatar’s Al-AttiyahAl-Attiyah mmaakekess wwiinnnniingng startstart ttoo DDaakkarar ARGENTINA: Peugeot’s driver Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz of Spain compete during the 2015 Dakar Rally stage one between Buenos Aires and Villa Carlos Paz. — AFP ARGENTINA: Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah in a Mini won the but we got off to a good start. We needed to know where Honda and 1min 12secs ahead of last year’s winner Marc were expected to prevent the Minis from completing first stage of the Dakar Rally yesterday between Buenos everyone stands,” said Al-Attiyah. “We might be able to be Coma on a KTM. “It’s difficult to judge your strategy based another clean sweep of the auto podium. Aires and Villa Carlos Paz as the annual race got underway more aggressive tomorrow. There were a few tricky spots on the first day because you still don’t know who’s pulled Peterhansel took second place last year for Mini behind in front of huge crowds. where we didn’t take any risks. The car worked perfectly.” out all the stops,” said Sunderland. then teammate Roma. Peugeot won the Dakar for four suc- Al-Attiyah, who won the title with Volkswagen in 2011, Peterhansel, an 11-time champion, admitted that he did “It’s also important not to go all in, you’ve got to leave cessive years from 1987-1990 when it was still staged in clocked 1 hour 12 minutes for the 170 kilometre timed sec- not drive flat out with a marathon stint to follow over the something for the other stages. “However, I think I had a Africa. This year’s event, the seventh in South America since tion of 833km stage. That was 22 secs faster than next two weeks. “It was a bit stressful to tackle the first spe- good special and that’s always a reason to be happy. The its enforced transfer for security reasons from Africa, is the Argentina’s Orlando Terranova, also in a Mini, and 1min cial when you don’t know how strong you are,” said the bike didn’t miss a beat.” This year’s rally features a gruelling 37th of all time. The 2014 race takes the Dakar caravan 04secs ahead of American Robby Gordon behind the Frenchman. “We eased into the race, without taking too 9,000 kilometres trek through Argentina, Chile and Bolivia from the Atacama, the driest spot on the planet, to the wheel of a Hummer. Veteran Peugeot drivers Carlos Sainz many risks, gently, keeping a watchful eye on all the dials... before arriving back in Buenos Aires for a January 17 finish. Iquique dunes and crossing the Andes at the highest point and Stephane Peterhansel placed sixth and seventh We’re trying to learn about the car. We had no clue how far Former winners Sainz and Peterhansel were spearhead- on Argentina’s Route 40, the 4,970m mountain pass of Abra respectively at 2 mins 06secs and 2 mins 35secs, but last we could go.” In the motorbike section, Britain’s Sam ing the Peugeot campaign as the French car-makers del Acay. In all, there will be 4,600km of special stages year’s winner, Nani Roma, struggled in his Mini to end the Sunderland on a KTM was fastest in 1hr 18min 57secs, five returned to the Dakar Rally for the first time in 25 years. including a 781km time trial from the Bolivian city of Uyuni day some 20 minutes behind. “The stage was a bit too fast, seconds faster than Paulo Goncalves of Portugal on a Their ultimate goal was to win but at the very least they to Chile’s Pacific Coast. — AFP Shiffrin dominates slalom ZAGREB: US teenager Mikaela Shiffrin won her second World Cup slalom race of the season in Zagreb yesterday with Austria’s Kathrin Zettel in second and Nina Loeseth of Norway third. Reigning Olympic and world champion Shiffrin from Vail, Colorado, produced a technically impec- cable performance to dominate the first run. She stayed focussed second time out and dominated the opposition with a 1.68 seconds overall advance over Zettel. It was the 19-year-old’s second slalom victory this season after she won at Kuhtai, Austria on Monday. It was also her second victory at Sljeme, a mountain peak over- looking Zagreb, where Croatia’s skiing stars-the Kostelic siblings Janica and Ivica made their skiing debuts. Shiffrin won the Zagreb slalom in 2013. Last year the race was not held due to unfavourable weather conditions. “If I enjoy it I know that I will be a good run” which was the case Sunday, a gleeful and smiling Shiffrin told reporters. “I feel like I’m in complete control of myself (on skis) for the first time in my life!” “I felt like I skied very well in the first run and I attacked the course” in the second, she said. “I try to go as fast as I can as soon as I can ... I like skiing fast!” Zettel echoed the American’s view: “It’s great to look at Mikaela. She is skiing smoothly, it looks easy. It’s impor- tant not to lose fun (in skiing).” The 28-year-old Austrian said she liked the Sljeme slope as it was long and steep. “I have problems with easy and flat slopes. I like this one. I’m glad I ended up second.” Norway’s Loeseth made the first podium of her career but said she hoped it was just the start. “It’s a good feeling. I’ve been fighting so hard. It came later than I anticipated. I’m not finished yet, but it’s a good start,” the 25-year-old said. “I love this hill, atmosphere ... the course is long and tough. I looked at Mikaela and how cool and cold she was, it inspired me.” Sweden’s Frida Hansdotter was fourth while World Cup overall leader Tina Maze, who was touted to be the favourite on Sunday along with Shiffrin, came in fifth. The 31-year-old Slovenian has ZAGREB: Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States crosses the finish line to win an alpine ski, women’s World Cup slalom in Sljeme. — AP one win in slalom this season, but has never won at Sljeme. For the win Shiffrin received a crystal crown as the Zagreb slalom is dubbed the Snow Queen Trophy in honour of Freitag wins Four Hills Janica Kostelic who was known as the “Snow Queen.” Kostelic, the first woman to win four golds in Olympic INNSBRUCK: Germany’s Richard Freitag won the third but the German pulled ahead after his second attempt — Veterans Simon Ammann, 33, and Japan’s Noriaki skiing history, retired from competitive skiing in 2007 at round of the Four Hills at Innsbruck yesterday ahead 132m to the Austrian’s 127m. Kasai, 42, tied for third place on Sunday. It was the 78th the age of 25 due to long-standing health and injury prob- of home hope Stefan Kraft who moved closer to the Kraft won the first leg in Oberstdorf on December 28 career podium for Switzerland’s Ammann.