12 Established 1961 Sports Sunday, March 18, 2018 Scotland deny Italy in Six Nations thriller

Italy finish at the bottom for third straight year

ROME: Scotland denied Italy by snatching a last- hosts after 21 minutes. gasp 29-27 win in a thrilling Six Nations finale at the Scotland’s Fraser Brown (10) and John Barclay (25) Stadio Olympico in Rome yesterday. both scored tries, in the first half for Scotland, with Italy had led 17-12 at half-time but suffered their Sean Maitland (61) and Stuart Hogg (71) adding two 17th straight defeat after a 79th minute penalty by more in the second half. Greig Laidlaw handed Scotland victory. Scotland led 5-3 after ten minutes when Brown “I’m destroyed for the lads and the fans but we’ve touched down after Allan’s opening penalty, but seen our future, the style and the game that we want, Laidlaw sent the conversion wide. the quality of our young players,” said Italy coach But Allan pulled Italy ahead 12-5 after quarter-of- Conor O’Shea. an-hour to the delight of the 60,000 crowd with Scotland move provisionally second in the Six Minozzi slotting down as the hosts opened up a 17-5 Nations table but a win for lead after 22 minutes. either France or Wales, who Back after the break play each other in Cardiff Sebastian Negri looked to later Saturday, will move have scored a try as he them to third. burst through the post to Italy finish bottom of the I’m destroyed dot down but it was disal- table for the third straight lowed because of a knock- year with five defeats in five for the lads on in the build-up. games, with captain Sergio But two minutes later Parisse suffering his 100th and the fans Allan broke as newcomer Test defeat. Jake Polledri created an Italy’s losing streak in the opportunity from following Six Nations stretches back a sloppy turnover in the ROME: Italy’s Sergio Parisse vies with Scotland’s Tim Swinson during the Six Nations international to 2015 against Scotland in Murrayfield. Scottish midfield offloading to Allan who raced match between Italy and Scotland at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, yesterday. — AFP The Italians had gotten off to a blistering start with through and then converted to open up a 12-point Tommaso Allan, who played for Scotland at U-20 lev- lead after 46 minutes. el, winning the man of the match award as he Maitland pushed through for another try with Allan edged Italy ahead again with a penalty but Scotland’s title hopes had been extinguished with accounted for 22 of of Italy’s points. Laidlaw converting from a tight angle to pull Scotland Laidlaw slotted in a penalty in the dying seconds for defeat to Ireland last week, as Italy took the Wooden The 24-year-old touched down after 14 and 45 24-19, before Hogg pulled the Scots level and Laidlaw his ninth point of the afternoon to break Italian Spoon for the 13th time even if they had managed a minutes with Matteo Minozzi getting a third for the converting. hearts. win at the Stadio Olympico. — AFP

Victorious Kuwait shooting team returns home

within five points. Brumbies Three Hawera penalties appeared to make the game safe for the down Sharks Brumbies, but Sharks fullback Curwin Bosch showed some electrifying pace to score in the corner with four min- to get season utes to go. Du Preez converted and suddenly the visitors had a chance to back on track get an unlikely draw. But some desperate Brumbies WELLINGTON: The under-per- defence in the closing stages ensured forming ACT Brumbies got their sea- the home side held on for the win. son back on track with a 24-17 win “Tonight was a good match to win-the over the Natal Sharks in their Super Sharks are a quality side and in good Rugby clash in Canberra yesterday. form too so it’s nice to get a win at After starting the season with a win home,” Brumbies captain Christian over the Sunwolves in Japan, the Leali’ifano said. Brumbies then suffered two demoral- “(Hawera) was excellent tonight ising losses to Australian rivals the and confident the whole way through. By Abdellatif Sharaa Reds and the Rebels. He played an outstanding game.” But in their first home game of the KUWAIT: The Kuwait National men and season, the Brumbies dug deep in HIGHLANDERS DOWN women teams arrived to a hero’s welcome defence to hold off a late surge from yesterday after participating in the Arab the Sharks. With both teams scoring Earlier, two late penalties by Lima Shooting Championship that was held in two tries apiece, flyhalf Wharenui Sopoaga sealed a dramatic 25-17 vic- Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt in the 10m Air Pistol Hawera’s four penalties-two of them tory for the unbeaten Otago and Rifle. from beyond 50 metres-proved the Highlanders over the Canterbury The team were received by President of difference. Crusaders in a bruising clash in the Arab and Kuwait Shooting Federations The home side opened strongly Dunedin. In a frantic finish, the All Engineer Duaij Al-Otaibi, Secretary General and were well on top in the first 20 Blacks’ fly-half, who shifts to England Obaid Al-Osaimi and Kuwait Shooting Sport minutes, enjoying most of the posses- at the end of the season, stepped up Club officials. sion and nearly all of the territory. after the Crusaders had narrowed the Engineer Duaij Al-Otaibi said Kuwait They took an early lead with a Hawera gap to two points with 25 minutes Shooters results during the Arab penalty and a converted try to winger remaining. Championship were good, and he thanked Lausii Taliauli. The Highlanders scored three tries the head of the delegation Dr. Nedal Asem, The Sharks eventually began to get to two in the fast-paced, entertaining officials, coaches and players who partici- into the contest and were rewarded New Zealand derby as the defending pated in the tournament. with a Robert du Preez penalty, but champions Crusaders suffered a sec- He congratulated the team on their results despite the Brumbies being reduced ond successive loss. It is the first time as they proved to be competitive in the rifle to 14 men when Lachie McCaffrey in three years the Crusaders have suf- and pistol. individuals 10m air rifle silver medal with Hamad Al-Namshan, Ali Al-Mutairi and was shown a yellow card, the visitors fered back-to-back defeats, having Eng Al-Otaibi dedicated the win to HH the score of 615.7 points. Meanwhile the Saad Al-Ajmi took third place with the couldn’t take advantage and the ACT gone down 29-19 to the Wellington the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber team of Mariam Erzouqi, Fatima Emad and score of 1690 points. led 10-3 at the break. last week. Al-Sabah, HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Zahraa Al-Saffar won the silver medal with The tournament saw 300 shooters repre- McCaffrey made amends soon after “It was a hell of a game. We knew it Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and the 1826.7 points. senting 12 countries, they are: Saudi Arabia, the restart when he set up Wallabies was going to go down to the wire,” Kuwait people. In the air pistol event Hamad Al- Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Iraq, Algeria, Tunis, winger Henry Speight to put the said a relieved Highlanders skipper Meanwhile, results of the tournament Namshan won the silver medal in the indi- Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Oman in addition to Brumbies out to a 15-3 lead. The Ben Smith. “We’re still learning and it’s were: shooter Mariam Erzouqi won the vidual event with 575 points as the team of the host country Egypt. Sharks came storming back when still early in the competition. We just prop Thomas du Toi crashed over and needed to make sure everyone was du Preez converted to get back to getting the right messages.” — AFP

target at the end of each round can pick up final to win gold while Canada beat South Wheelchair points. There is one key difference in the Korea 5-3 in the bronze medal game, leaving Paralympic version, however-there is no the hosts in fourth place. ing an extra man early in the second half sweeping, where athletes use a broom to vig- The crowd was particularly boisterous Highlanders beat when All Blacks winger curling sets orously rub the ice in front of a sliding stone during South Korea’s match, cheering loudly was sin-binned for a head-high tackle on to better direct it. every time their side was doing well, and per- Crusaders in Heiden Bedwell-Curtis. While the Pyeongchang More than 54,000 tickets were sold for forming Mexican waves. The South Koreans’ Highlanders had bossed the early the wheelchair curling at the Games, while good performance has helped to bolster exchanges, the Crusaders opened the Mr. T-who tweeted about his love of the sport crowd sizes, with more home fans coming to frenetic match scoring from a well-worked move with pulses racing during the Olympics-has swung back into watch. “The team got good results, making winger George Bridge ghosting through action, urging his followers to watch it at the people even more interested in the game,” a gap from the blindside. Paralympics. Only para-ice hockey, a fast and said coach Beak Jong-chul. As well as a lot of DUNEDIN: Otago Highlanders flanker The Highlanders, who were dominat- PYEONGCHANG: It’s probably the slowest furious sport that sees athletes competing in spectators, wheelchair curling attracts by far provided a vital second-half ing the collisions, however, replied with sport at the Winter Paralympics, but curling double-bladed sledges, has been more popu- the most ageing athletes of any sport at the spark with some storming runs and a try Liam Coltman and Lima Sopoaga both has proved an unlikely hit, with spectators lar at the Pyeongchang Games. “It’s a very Paralympics, with a good number of competi- while his side was reduced to 14-men to crossing in quick succession to give flocking to watch wheelchair-bound athletes entertaining game,” Canadian wheelchair tors over 50. give them a 25-17 Super Rugby victory them a 14-7 lead. Mitch Hunt narrowed skillfully slide stones over a sheet of ice. curler Ina Forrest, who lost the use of her legs The oldest athlete in Pyeongchang com- over the Canterbury Crusaders in the gap to 14-10 with a 20th-minute The popularity of the niche sport has aged 21 after a traffic accident, told AFP. “I peted in wheelchair curling-Germany’s Harry Dunedin yesterday. penalty that ended the first half scoring exploded in South Korea since February’s think there’s been a huge increase in the cali- Pavel, aged 67. And Canada’s team included a Flyhalf Lima Sopoaga added a try despite a frantic tussle up to the break, Olympics when their women’s side, nick- bre of wheelchair curling.” mother of four and grandmother of 10 — and slotted two late penalties for the highlighted by plenty of attacking intent, named the “Garlic Girls”, had a fairytale run Marie Wright, 57. Curling-mad Mr. T, who home side, who moved to the top of the punishing spot tackles and lightning and won a silver medal. Curling’s new-found ‘WHEELCHAIRS CURLING, MORE made his name playing big-hearted toughman New Zealand conference with their third counter attacks. fame has spilled over to this month’s COOLER!’ B.A. Baracus in 1980s TV hit “The A-Team”, straight victory. The Crusaders were The Crusaders were unable to capi- Paralympics in Pyeongchang where 12 mixed The Gangneung Curling Centre was has seemed even more enamoured of wheel- defeated just once last year on the way talise on Naholo’s absence as the home teams, consisting of male and female athletes packed out Saturday for the final two match- chair curing than of the able-bodied version. to a record-extending eighth Super side extended their lead when Dixon with leg impairments, have competed. es of the Paralympics, with spectators waving “I said it before and I’ll say it again.. curl- Rugby title but have now lost successive was put over after props Siate Tokolahi The rules are similar to able-bodied curl- flags and banners, and roaring with excite- ing is cool fool! But wheelchairs curling, more games after they were beaten 29-19 by and Aki Seiuli had produced storming ing. Athletes slide stones over the ice, and ment every time a stone slid into the target. cooler!” tweeted the star, known for his gold the Wellington Hurricanes last week. open-field runs and superb passes to whoever gets them closest to the centre of a China defeated Norway 6-5 in a nail-biting chains and mohican haircut. — AFP They failed to take advantage of hav- put runners into space. — Reuters