THE PRESS, Christchurch Monday, July 21, 2014 SUPERSPORT B7 SPORTS RUGBY BRIEFS CBHS extend lead ❯❯❯❯ Christchurch Boys’ High remain Highlanders nine points clear at the top of the Press Cup secondary schools rugby standings after beating third placed St Bede’s College 31-15 on Saturday. Wing Fraser Scott scored two tries in the win, with Josh McKay, Jesse Houston and Will Jordan also dotting show grit down. Other results were: Nelson College 50, St Andrew’s 0; Timaru Boys’ 20, Marlborough Boys’ 20; Shirley Boys’ 19, Ashburton College 17; Christ’s College 12, Roncalli 12; St Thomas’ 15, Rangiora High 8; Waimea but Sharks College 14, Lincoln High 5. Burnside High bye. Pole stakes claim ❯❯❯❯ Panting hard with his jersey unzipped and wide open in the heat, too strong Polish rider Rafal Majka sped to a solo breakaway victory on Stage 14 Logan Savory ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● ● as the Tour de France wrapped up its foray in the Alps yesterday. The two On top of the shopping list for Highlanders SUPER RUGBY stages were expected to shake up coach Jamie Joseph will be a quality the standings, but Vincenzo Nibali tighthead prop. QUALIFYING FINALS was not only still wearing the yellow The curtain was brought down on the SATURDAY jersey, he was farther out front. In a Highlanders’ Super Rugby 2014 yesterday IN CANBERRA flip of their finishes a day earlier in morning as they lost 31-27 in the first BRUMBIES 32 the race’s entree to the Alps when round of the playoffs to the Sharks in Dur- Jarrad Butler, Robbie Coleman, Nibali won, the Pole and the Italian ban. Jesse Mogg, Nic White tries; crossed one-two after the 177km ride The Highlanders were given little hope Christian Leali’ifano 3 cons, 2 pens over the 2360m Izoard pass – the going into the game after two below par CHIEFS 30 race’s highest point – and a final performances against New South Wales Bundee Aki, Gareth Anscombe, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, ascent up to Risoul ski station. Waratahs and the Crusaders, but yester- Tim Nanai-Williams tries; Aaron Cruden 2 cons, 2 pens HT: day morning, despite losing, they were far 22-10 Kiwis feature from outclassed. SUNDAY They led 17-13 at halftime and even IN DURBAN ❯❯❯❯ Waikato professional Steve Alker with nine minutes to play held a 27-25 SHARKS 31 held a two-shot lead in the Boise buffer and an upset was on the cards. Tonderai Chavhanga, Marcell Coetzee, Open on the Web.Com Tour However, the scrum – or lack of it – cost Bismarck du Plessis tries; yesterday. Alker needed only a solid the Highlanders a place in the semifinals Francois Steyn 2 cons, 4 pens final round to secure his PGA Tour on Saturday night. The Highlanders gave HIGHLANDERS 27 card and join fellow Kiwis Tim up 17 points as a result of their under- Phil Burleigh, Malakai Fekitoa, Kane Hames tries; Wilkinson and Danny Lee on the big pressure scrum and it could have been 20 Lima Sopoaga 3 cons, 2 pens HT: tour for next season. Alker, 42, lit up if Sharks first five-eighth Francois Steyn 13-17 his third round, a six-under-par 65, had capitalised on one particular penalty. SATURDAY: SEMIFINALS with an eagle on the par-5 third at The Highlanders scrum has been a Crusaders v Sharks, Christchurch, 7.35pm the Hillcrest Country Club yesterday. problem in recent weeks and it was Waratahs v Brumbies, Sydney, 9.40pm. Meanwhile Lydia Ko was in good exposed by the power of the Sharks pack. shape sitting in fifth place with a Loosehead prop Kane Hames handled the Sharks frenzy with 20 minutes to play. round to play in the the Marathon himself pretty well at Super Rugby level He was solid early on but he too was put Classic in Ohio after rounds of 67, 67 and will be eyed as the frontrunner for the under plenty of pressure at scrumtime. and 70 on the par 71 layout. Highlanders’ No 1 jersey next year. Koen has plenty to play for during the However, it is on the tighthead side national provincial season with the Stags McIlroy magic where there is concern. to put his best foot forward for a fulltime Happy Sharks: Etienne Oosthuizen embraces his Sharks team-mate Tonderai Chavhanga after Chavhanga scored a try during the Super Rugby playoff Chris King struggled yesterday morn- callup to the Highlanders next season. match against the Highlanders in Durban. Photo: GETTY IMAGES ❯❯❯❯ From the time they faced each ing but he is France-bound anyway. The scrum struggles also highlighted other in the Walker Cup, a couple of Ma’afu Fia was the other tighthead in the how big a loss injured veteran Brad Thorn chunk of the season the counter-attacking, start of the season but Joseph said yester- is the way it is,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m really proud 18-year-olds with the world at their squad but he missed the final three games was this season. While the scrum demise led by fullback Ben Smith and supported day’s result still did hurt. of this team, it’s been a really good season feet, Rickie Fowler figured he’d clash because of a medical condition. was the negative to come out of yesterday by Patrick Osborne, Richard Buckman ‘‘We thought we were going to win that for our guys and they should be proud of again someday with Rory McIlroy in a Southland’s JP Koen was a left-field morning there was still plenty to like and Malakai Fekitoa, was superb. game. The guys are pretty gutted in the themselves. They’ve done the jersey jus- major championship. If only it was a callup late in the season and Joseph about the Highlanders’ performance. A playoff spot exceeded most people’s changing rooms about losing that match tice. The obvious work on for us is the set fair fight. Fowler played in the final showed confidence in throwing him into As has been the case throughout a good predictions for the Highlanders at the but the Sharks are a quality side and that piece, you’ve just got to get that right.’’ group of a major for the second straight time, but he faced a daunting six-stroke deficit at the British Open overnight. With a brilliant finish to the third round, McIlroy put himself in Smith on All Blacks coaching radar MOLESKINS, prime position to capture his third major championship. Fowler hoped he could put a bit of pressure on the Toby Robson declined to comment on whether Smith, ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● ● MOLESKINS leader. one of Graham Henry’s assistants at the Chiefs assistant coach Wayne Smith is 2011 Rugby World Cup, had been asked Plunkett shines on the All Blacks’ wishlist as they look to return to the coaching group. & more toward next year’s Rugby World Cup. The management group’s sole focus ❯❯❯❯ A maiden half century and two However, any return to the national was on the 2014 Rugby Championship wickets in two balls from Liam setup for a man widely regarded as one and end-of year-tour. Plunkett for England left the second of world rugby’s best coaches does not However, Smith would undoubtedly MOLESKINS cricket test finely balanced, as India appear to be imminent. bolster the All Blacks coaching setup. finished day three with a second- Chiefs head coach Dave Rennie The 57-year-old’s vast experience – he innings lead of 145. Opener Murali revealed on Radio Sport yesterday that is himself a former All Blacks head Famous Tussock Creek 15oz Moleskins Vijay was 59 not out, holding on after his assistant faced a tough choice coach – and winning record – he helped the pressure mounted on him at between staying with the Hamilton- the Chiefs to back-to-back titles after eas- Taupe, lovat, dark olive, beige Lord’s when India suddenly wobbled based Super Rugby side or answering ing out of the national side – would com- by losing three wickets for five runs the call to aid the All Blacks’ bid in Eng- plement the current group. MY price $109 in the last session. At stumps India land to win back-to-back World Cups. Smith could possibly provide a survived to 169-4 after conceding a ‘‘Obviously, now that we’re finished specialist defence coach allowing Aussie (seconds $73) first-innings lead of 24 to England at we’ll have a chat with Smithy. There’s McLean to continue his new role of ana- lunchtime. still a bit of acid on him from an All lysing opposition sides. Black point of view,’’ Rennie said in the The current coaching setup has Han- Tussock Creek 12 oz moleskin pants Sox in final wake of the Chiefs’ 32-30 Super Rugby sen as head coach, Ian Foster in charge qualifying final loss to the Brumbies in of attack, Mike Cron the setpiece and Mocha, beige olive, taupe, bone ❯❯❯❯ Canterbury hurler Ethan Johnston Canberra. forwards, and Mick Byrne on skills. has pitched the Junior Black Sox to ‘‘I think New Zealand rugby would Rennie suggested Smith had been MY price $64 to $99 the world junior softball probably like to get him involved for asked to return to an on-field role rather championships final. Johnston kept that World Cup and you can understand than being tasked with analysis. defending champions Argentina at why. Ultimately, he’s committed to New ‘‘If Smithy’s involved he’ll coach. bay for a 3-1 win to inflict the South Zealand rugby so he won’t be going any- He’s a guy who wants to be involved on Swanndri & Enrico Rossi moleskins Americans’ first loss of the where but I guess we [the Chiefs] have to the grass.