WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2017 SPORTS Niners, Colts name new top execs to rebuild clubs SAN FRANCISCO: John Lynch, a 15-year for the American Football Hall of Fame “Having already helped lead a team job will reportedly go to Atlanta Falcons two campaigns. NFL defender who won a Super Bowl for a fourth time. to a Super Bowl title as a player, John is offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan “I am so thankful to Mr. Irsay and his with Tampa Bay, was named Monday as He played for Denver and Tampa Bay equipped with tremendous insight into after the team faces New England in entire family for this opportunity,” general manager of the San Francisco but has spent the past eight years as a what it takes to create a culture that Sunday’s Super Bowl 51. Ballard said. The Chiefs were 12-4 this 49ers by chief executive Jed York. television analyst for Fox Sports before breeds sustained success.” At Indianapolis, Colts owner Jim Irsay season but lost 18-16 to Pittsburgh in The move came hours after the signing what reportedly is a six-year Lynch replaces Trent Baalke, who was named Ballard to replace Ryan Grigson, the second round of the NFL playoffs. Indianapolis Colts settled on their own deal. “During his 15 seasons as an NFL fired along with coach Chip Kelly on who was fired January 21 after five years “He’s a savvy, organized, and thor- new general manager, hiring Chris player, John epitomized what is so spe- January 1 after serving as the team’s in the post. Grigson selected quarter- ough talent evaluator, but beyond that, Ballard after four seasons as football cial about the game of football,” York general manager since 2006. back Andrew Luck with the number one he’s a terrific person our community will operations director for the Kansas City said. “A world-class competitor, his love Kelly went 2-14 in his lone season pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and the Colts be proud of,” Irsay said. Before taking Chiefs. Lynch, 45, is a nine-time Pro Bowl and respect for the sport are with San Francisco and while the 49ers made the playoffs the next three sea- charge of the Chiefs, Ballard worked 12 defensive back and this year is a finalist unmatched. have not yet hired a replacement, the sons but have stumbled to 8-8 the past years for the Chicago Bears. — AFP Ngatai still suffering from concussion symptoms WELLINGTON: One test All Blacks centre up a bit” and it was too early to consider Charlie Ngatai is still suffering from concus- looking for a replacement in the squad. sion symptoms with no timetable set for “He got the knock in May, so it’s a hell of his return, Waikato Chiefs coach Dave a long time ago,” he added. “Richie McCaw Rennie said yesterday. went through this, where he was out for a The 26-year-old has been sidelined since 12-month period, so his health is the most last May when he suffered a head knock in important here, so we’re not going to rush the Chiefs Super Rugby match against the it. “With Tim Nanai-Williams back, he can Otago Highlanders. cover midfield, we’ve got Anton (Lienert- The injury cost Ngatai his place in the All Brown) and Johnny Fa’auli, and Beaver Blacks last year. He had been named in (Steven Donald) has played a bit of 12 in Steve Hansen’s squad for their June inter- Japan recently, so we’ve got other options.” nationals against Wales but then released The Chiefs first match of the new season to continue his rehabilitation. is against the Highlanders in Dunedin on “He’s had a few setbacks over the last Feb 24. Ngatai joins Wellington Hurricanes period of time and there’s a bit of light at lock James Broadhurst as All Blacks players the end of the tunnel, but we’re not going still battling long-term effects of concus- to rush that,” Rennie told reporters in sion. Broadhurst, who made his test debut Hamilton yesterday. against South Africa in July 2015, suffered “What tends to happen if you push two head knocks in a provincial game the things a little bit too much you go back- following month and has not played since. wards a bit. So its been a frustrating time The Hurricanes said in December they for him.” had released him to continue his rehabilita- Rennie said Ngatai was not back in full tion away from the team, though he is still training but was “starting to ramp things contracted to the side for 2017. —Reuters Rossi, Lorenzo move up timesheets at Sepang MARCOUSSIS: France’s rugby coach Guy Noves, right, watches his players as they practice during a training session at the National Rugby KUALA LUMPUR: Suzuki’s Andrea Iannone ue working tomorrow.” Center in Marcoussis, south of Paris, yesterday. France will play against England during their Six Nations tournament match at Twickenham was the fastest rider on day two of the 2017 The Italian superstar is targeting an elu- Stadium on Saturday. — AP test season at Malaysia’s Sepang circuit yes- sive 10th world title in a new MotoGP sea- terday while Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino son dominated by riders switching alle- Rossi leapt up the timesheets. But the ses- giances and thereby changing bikes too. sion was briefly red-flagged after Spaniard Three-time world champion Lorenzo on Pressure on for Noves’ France Tito Rabat crashed and was taken to hospi- a Ducati was the eighth fastest at 2min tal. The Marc VDS Honda rider fractured his 00.484 seconds, an improvement from his hand and sustained injuries to his left knee, 17th standing on Monday. “I’m really hap- PARIS: Guy Noves’ France team will be under a lot of progress in one year, in our game and Since taking over Les Bleus in December 2015, right foot and wrists, and will not take any py with the progress,” Lorenzo said. “Today pressure to perform when it matters as they take spirit. But now we have to win games,” South Noves has overseen six matches, four ending in further part in the testing. I understand the bike a lot better and I can on England in their Six Nations opener on African-born fullback Scott Spedding said. “It’s defeat, and the former long-time Toulouse coach Iannone, logged 1min 59.452 seconds extract more performance from it, Saturday. A tough trip to Twickenham will be been some time since France played a good Six has decried the team’s lack of realism, saying he — 00.406 seconds faster than Spaniard although I’m still a long way off my limits.” just the tester Noves will want after seeing his Nations (last time winning in 2010). So that’s wants some “killers” close the opponents’ line. Maverick Vinales on a Yamaha. Damp conditions in the morning left riders team play some good rugby in the November very important. We mustn’t simply play good “We create opportunities for ourselves so Motorcycling superstar Rossi-debuting pushing for faster timings in the afternoon. internationals but freeze in the “red zone” matches, we have to win them as well.” there’s a level of frustration among the players Yamaha’s new fairing with “internal” Alvaro Bautista from the Pull and Bear against Australia and New Zealand. “We have to And it doesn’t get any tougher than a run-out when we held our debrief of the match against winglets following the ban on external Aspar Team was third fastest at 2 min go there without any complexes,” admitted lock at Twickenham against world second-ranked New Zealand,” Dubois said of that 24-19 defeat ones this year-registered 2min 00.254 sec- 00.218 seconds while current world cham- Sebastien Vahaamahina. England, who are on a run of 13 consecutive vic- when France dominated territory and posses- onds and was fourth fastest, an improve- pion Marc Marquez on a Honda was tenth Since those November defeats by the tories. France will have to do without centre sion for large periods of the game, blaming a ment from Monday’s eighth spot. on the timesheets, logging 2min 00.531 “We tried a different frame, different seconds. The third and final day of the test Wallabies and All Blacks, tempered by a straight- Wesley Fofana (achilles), the most experienced “lack of concentration and patience”. “There’s chassis, different tyres and I finished in session in Sepang will begin today. The forward victory over Samoa, French rugby has a player in the backline, “a leader”, according to always something missing in the final pass.” fourth and improved the lap time so it was second round of testing will be held on new federation head in the shape of former backs coach Jean-Frederic Dubois. Forwards coach Yannick Bru said it came down a good day,” said Rossi. “The fairing was not Phillip Island in Australia from February 15- international coach Bernard Laporte. And fur- Playing alongside Clermont teammate Remi to having “good reflexes at moments of stress”. a big difference but the new chassis was a 17 and a third round in Qatar from March ther pressure to perform comes from the May 10 Lamerat had also paid dividends, but Dubois did “That’s what separates average teams from good difference. Compared to the old one, 10-12. The 18-race MotoGP season gets draw for 2019 World Cup in Japan, with France not want to dwell on the cruel fate injury throws very good ones, and that’s the problem of all we’ve still not decided, we need to contin- under way in Qatar on March 26.