MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016 SPORTS Wallabies coach attacks referee after loss to New Zealand WELLINGTON: Australia coach Michael Cheika wasn’t offered a similar meeting. hotel.” The All Blacks clinched the three-test Bledisloe an opportunity for me to talk to you?’ launched a blistering attack on referee Romain Poite Cheika made a similar charge during Australia’s Cup series with a match to play. New Zealand beat And he absolutely ignored him. “The referee may after his team lost to New Zealand 29-9 on Saturday, series against England in June, claiming England coach Australia 42-8 in Sydney last weekend, and Saturday’s not like the captain personally, that might be his pre- saying he was “bitterly disappointed” at the Eddie Jones secretly met with South African referee win extends to 14 years their grip on the Bledisloe Cup. rogative, but he has to afford him that opportunity if Frenchman’s treatment of Wallabies captain Stephen Craig Joubert. It was also Australia’s sixth straight loss, including he is affording it to his opponents. Moore. Hansen told reporters yesterday that he did not last year’s Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand “I don’t know if it’s subconscious or not, but it’s Cheika accused Poite of not liking Moore, ignoring meet with Poite. He said he and All Blacks scrum coach and a 3-0 series loss to England in June. “I was bitterly there, and it’s got to be dealt with because it can’t be the captain as he questioned rulings during Saturday’s Mike Cron met with assistant referee Jaco Peyper at disappointed, to be honest,” Cheika said. “I’m on record that the opponents can say everything to the refer- match in Wellington, and of having “pre-determined Peyper’s request to discuss elements of scrum rules with the referees’ boss Alain Rolland about the treat- ee. No one is saying anything bad to him but if attitudes” towards Australia’s players. but he had not met with a match referee before a test ment to our captain and our players, by Romain Poite, they’ve got pre-determined attitudes towards our The Australian Rugby Union was also reported to for almost two years. and also by Nigel Owens over this last year. players. ... I asked Alain Rolland last week when I saw be planning a complaint to World Rugby that Poite “It’s quite sad that that’s come out, because it’s not “I’m not quite sure why, but there was a time in the him in Sydney and he said, ‘No, that’s a surprise to held a “secret” meeting with All Blacks coach Steve true,” Hansen said. “Unless saying ‘g’day Romain’ in the game in a break in play when the national captain of me.’ But it’s pretty blatant to anyone listening to the Hansen in the days before the test, and that Cheika morning (constitutes a meeting). He stayed here at this Australia was asking the referee, ‘When might there be ‘refs’ ears.’” — AP Maia stops Condit in UFC Fight Night VANCOUVER: Demian Maia backed up his strongly suggested following his loss to calls for a welterweight title shot with an Maia that his days as a fighter could be over. early submission victory over Carlos Condit He stopped just short of confirming his in the main event of UFC Fight Night at retirement, saying he hopes the loss won’t Rogers Arena on Saturday night. be his “swan song.” Ranked third in the division, Maia said He said he’ll talk to his management this week that with a victory over Condit, he team and his wife and make a decision after should be in line for a fight for the title now that. But he said possible retirement has held by Tyron Woodley. And, at 38 years of been “in the back of my mind for a while.” age, Maia may get his wish later in the year “I don’t know if I have business fighting after forcing Condit to tap out at 3:08 of the at this level anymore. I’ve been at this for a opening round. really long time,” Condit said. “It’s been awe- Maia made quick work of the fight, some. I’ve got to do what I love for a living which was scheduled for five rounds. He for a very long time, but I don’t know if I broke down in tears in the middle of the belong here.” octagon when it was over. Now he will Anthony Pettis submitted Charles await word on when a potential title fight Oliveira in the third round in their feather- could take place. weight bout. Pettis, who flirted with a Maia said during a post-fight interview knockout win in the first round, was able to that if the UFC gives Stephen Thompson, roll Oliveira into a guillotine choke, forcing the No. 2-ranked fighter in the welter- his opponent to end the fight at 3:11 of the weight division, the next title shot, he third round. wants his opportunity right after that. After taking time away from the “I’m very grateful for everything I’ve Octagon to appear on Dancing with the accomplished in my life and very grateful Stars, Paige VanZant returned to UFC with a for my family,” said Maia, who has won six second-round knockout over Australia’s straight fights. “My life is complete already. Bec Rawlings. VanZant, who last fought on The title shot, that will be omething else, Dec. 10, 2015, when she lost by submission something amazing if it happens.” in the fifth round, was able to land a kick to Tom Wright, executive vice president the head of Rawlings, driving her opponent SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS: Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team’s German driver Nico Rosberg (C) celebrates winning next to second placed Red Bull and general manager for UFC Canada, to the ground. VanZant continued with a Racing’s Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo (L) and third placed Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team’s British driver Lewis Hamilton after the Australia and New Zealand, called Maia’s series of punches before the fight was Belgian Formula One Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Spa yesterday. — AFP performance “dominant” but said a decision stopped. Jim Miller opened the main card on a possible title fight for Maia has not with a split-decision victory over Joe been made. Lauzon in a rematch between the two Rosberg eases to victory Saturday’s fight may have been the last lightweight combatants following their for Condit. There has been speculation bloody, gruesome fight from UFC 155 four in chaotic Belgian GP about Condit’s future in the UFC, and he years ago. — AP SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS: German Nico Rosberg was briefly halted with nine of the 44 laps com- Ferraris and Verstappen into the pits and by the steered clear of the chaos unfolding behind him pleted after a massive crash for Kevin safety car and red flag deployed after to cruise to an unchallenged victory in a disrupt- Magnussen, who lost control of his Renault as he Magnussen’s crash. ed Belgian Grand Prix yesterday. crested the fearsome Eau Rouge. The Dane, who Nevertheless, the triple champion, who had His Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton, the was taken to hospital for routine checks after gone into the weekend gunning to become only world championship leader, finished third from suffering a small cut to his left ankle, slammed the third driver to score 50 career wins, was happy the back row of the grid, behind Red Bull’s violently into the barriers. to come away still ahead in the title race. Daniel Ricciardo. The pole-sitting Rosberg kept Officials deployed first the safety car then the Nico Hulkenberg finished fourth for Force India the lead at the start and was never headed, after red flag as marshals worked to repair the dam- ahead of team mate Sergio Perez, on a strong day his main rivals, fellow front-row starter Max age. Sunday’s win was the 20th of Rosberg’s for the Silverstone-based team that took them Verstappen and the Ferrari pair of Kimi career. It was also his sixth win of the season, ahead of Williams into fourth in the constructors’ Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel, collided at the but first since June’s European Grand Prix, and it standings. Vettel fought back to finish sixth ahead first corner. That elevated Ricciardo, starting cut the deficit to Hamilton to nine points in the of Fernando Alonso who also enjoyed a strong fifth, to second and the Australian kept that standings. race having started dead last. Ferrari’s Kimi place until the end, crossing the line 14.1 sec- The Briton’s rise through the order was Raikkonen was ninth and Red Bull’s Verstappen onds behind the triumphant Rosberg. The race helped by the first corner chaos that forced both finished a disappointing 11th. — Reuters 220 shooters participate in Sheikh Saad Al-Abdallah Shooting Academy By Abdellatif Sharaa VANCOUVER: Demian Maia, top, of Brazil, and Carlos Condit, of Albuquerque, fight during a welterweight bout during a UFC Fight Night event in Vancouver, British KUWAIT: President of Kuwait and Arab Shooting Columbia on Saturday. — AP Federations Eng Duaij Al-Otaibi attended the closing ceremony of Sheikh Saad Al-Abdallah Shooting Academy season and distributed medals and prizes to the winners of the tourna- Argentina down South ment in which over 220 shooters participated. Al-Otaibi gave medals and cups to first place Africa with late penalty winners, as Abdelrahman Al-Nimran won the skeet event, Abdelaziz Al-Daihani won the trap, while Mushari Shaheen won the 10 meter air SALTA: A late penalty by replacement much better and a good attacking rifle, and Fahad Nouri won the 10 meter air pis- flyhalf Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias gave move brought their first try after flanker tol.