Rugby union: Selby gear up for new season with Moortown clash

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Article source: http://media.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/rugby-union/lions-spots-still-up-for-grabs-4489302.html

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Rugby union: Selby gear up for new season with Moortown clash

James Horwill faces a new inquiry on stamping

Horwill, 28, was cited for an incident after which Lions lock Alun Wyn Jones needed stitches in an eye. Horwill argued it was accidental and caused by a loss of balance.

The Lions were baffled as the TV recording shows no evidence of any loss of balance. The appeal is to be heard by judicial officer Graeme Mew, of Canada, after the Melbourne Test.

In the meantime, Horwill is permitted to continue playing. But it will be no help in trying to save the series to have this hanging over him.

“Given its duty to preserve player welfare at all levels of the game, the IRB is compelled to further examine acts of foul play which either potentially or in reality impact on the preservation of player welfare,” said an IRB spokesman.

“It is important for the IRB to ensure there is full confidence that priority is given to player welfare and the values of the game.”

The IRB have taken such action before, notably when All Black flanker Adam Thomson’s one-week ban for stamping on Scotland’s Alasdair Strokosch last November was doubled.

The IRB are clearly concerned at the local leniency that is especially prevalent on Lions tours, most notoriously when nothing was done about Tana Umaga and Keven Mealamu when their double spear tackle broke Brian O’Driscoll’s shoulder and put him out of the 2005 All Blacks series in the first two minutes of the first Test.

O’Driscoll described Horwill as “a lucky, lucky boy” this week. Another Wallaby, centre Nathan Grey, went unpunished after removing Richard Hill from the 2001 Lions series with an elbow to the head in the second Test in Melbourne.

Australia coach Robbie Deans is under enough pressure without this – and players he regards as central to his team’s cause stepping so far out of line as to be in a burger joint at nearly four in the morning.

Article source: http://media.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/rugby-union/lions-spots-still-up-for-grabs-4489302.html

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James Horwill faces a new inquiry on stamping

Super Rugby: Riaan Viljoen"s last-gasp try sees the Sharks beat the Blues

Frank Halai: Notched a brace of tries but the Blues still lost

Riaan Viljoen: Scored a last minute try to beat the Blues

A last-gasp try from Riaan Viljoen saw the Sharks beat the Blues 22-20 and deal a hefty blow to their visitors’ play-off hopes.

The loss means the Blues have now lost their last nine games against the men from Durban in an unenviable record stretching back to 2005, while the victory was a welcome boost for the Sharks after a tough couple of weeks off the field that climaxed with coach John Plumtree leaving.

It leaves the Sharks in ninth position in the Super table, while the Blues are one place above their hosts.

Forward dominated

When the action got underway, the Sharks adopted a typically forward dominated approach at Kings Park and it paid dividends in the first-half, with their points coming via mauls.

First it was flanker Marcell Coetzee on the back of a set play – with a bit of help from Tendai Mtawarira – to cross after Odwa Ndungane had been denied a try a few minutes earlier. There was no stopping the Springbok though, and with Pat Lambie’s extras going over, the Sharks were 7-0 up.

The host’s advantage was doubled five minutes later when the elusive Charl McLeod darted over, with Lambie again adding the extras.

Frank Halai got a try back for the Blues with half-an-hour played but Lambie hit a penalty on the stroke of half-time to give the dominant Sharks a 17-5 lead.

Revitalised

The Blues came out revitalised after the break and Halai went over for his second try on 42 minutes, capitalising on an overlap.

Things would further improve for the Blues moments later as substitute Rene Ranger shrugged off Lambie en route to a simple run in off the side of a ruck five metres out, with Chris Noakes adding the extras to level the scores.

Lambie missed a long range penalty for the Sharks and the Blues took the lead for the first time in the game when replacement Baden Kerr hit his own penalty just after the hour mark after Coetzee failed to roll away.

But with time up on the clock, full-back Viljoen scored the match-winning try to give Grant Bashford and Hugh Reece-Edwards – in charge of the Sharks following Plumtree’s departure – a winning start.

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Article source: http://media.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/rugby-union/lions-spots-still-up-for-grabs-4489302.html

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Super Rugby: Riaan Viljoen"s last-gasp try sees the Sharks beat the Blues

Scotland Inflict 2nd Rugby Defeat on Hosts Russia

MOSCOW, June 29 (R-Sport) – Scotland’s rugby team battled to a 21-5 win over hosts Russia in their second match of the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow.

Russia recovered a modicum of pride after being beaten 31-0 Friday by South Africa, but their second defeat of the tournament leaves them last in Pool B. Only a win over Japan later in the day can rescue the Russian side, nicknamed the Bears, from playing in the third-tier bowl Sunday.

South Africa’s Springboks remain firmly in charge of Pool B after running in five tries in a 33-0 thumping of Japan, with pacy winger Seabelo Senatla grabbing his third and fourth tries of the tournament.

South Africa and Fiji are the only teams not to concede a single point in the tournament.

Scotland, who struggled to a 19-17 win over Japan in their first game, looked unconvincing against their Russian opponents.

Russia scored their first points of the tournament early in the second half with a try from fast Northampton Saints winger Vasily Artemyev, but remained 7-5 behind when Alexander Yanyushkin failed to convert.

The decisive try came from Scotland’s powerful Andrew Turnbull and, as Russia tried to push back, Mark Robertson punished them with another score.

All teams play their final two pool games Saturday but only pool winners are guaranteed a place in the quarterfinals.

The Rugby Sevens World Cup is the first major rugby tournament to be held in Russia, and is taking place in baking heat at Moscow’s vast Luzhniki stadium. It is the last such tournament before rugby sevens makes its Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Article source: http://media.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/rugby-union/lions-spots-still-up-for-grabs-4489302.html

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Scotland Inflict 2nd Rugby Defeat on Hosts Russia

Rugby World Cup Sevens: Wales edge Fiji to move into quarter-finals

Holders Wales reached the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup Sevens after topping Pool E in Moscow.

Having already

disposed of Uruguay 33-5 on Friday,

Wales beat Tonga 28-19 and then edged Fiji 19-14 in a thriller.

Fiji led 7-5 at half-time with Levani Botia’s converted try after Adam Warren had been sin-binned early on.

But tries from Alex Webber and Lee Williams, adding to Gareth Davies’s first-half effort, proved just enough despite a late Fiji fightback.

Earlier in the day, Wales defeated Tonga in a tough match with tries from Rhys Jones, Davies, Webber and Warren.

The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will all take place on Sunday.

Article source: http://media.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/rugby-union/lions-spots-still-up-for-grabs-4489302.html

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Rugby World Cup Sevens: Wales edge Fiji to move into quarter-finals

Former Wales and Lions star Andy Powell set to make rugby league debut for ...

Former Wales and British and Irish Lions forward Andy Powell could be poised to make his rugby league debut tonight.

The 31-year-old made the switch of codes in April, when he signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Wigan, but he did not start training with them until earlier this month after getting married and going on honeymoon.

He was expected to get his first taste of rugby league with partnership club South Wales Scorpions, but has been elevated into Wigan’s squad for tonight’s Super League match against Castleford due to an injury crisis.

Warriors coach Shaun Wane has been forced to make two changes to his original 19-man squad after prop Tom Spencer and hooker Logan Tomkins failed fitness tests.

Back rower Chris Tuson was brought in after recovering from a hamstring injury along with the former Cardiff, Wasps and Sale forward, who has been training with his new team-mates for the last fortnight.

Powell has been given the squad number 38, although Wane will not announce his match-day 17 until an hour before kick-off.

Former Wales and Lions star Andy Powell set to make rugby league debut for ...

O"Connor to continue at fly-half

O’Connor failed to impress in last weekend’s 23-21 defeat by the tourists but has been given another chance with Beale – a 39th minute replacement in Brisbane – coming in for the concussed Berrick Barnes.

Centres Adam Ashley-Cooper and Christian Leali’ifano start after recovering from their respective shoulder and concussion problems, both sustained at the Suncorp Stadium.

Leali’ifano was stretchered off after tackling opposite number Jonathan Davies inside the opening minute but has passed the required post-concussion tests and will relieve O’Connor and Beale of the goalkicking duties.

The Brumbies inside centre, who offers a playmaking option, was due to take the kicks at the Suncorp Stadium until he was knocked out. The second and final change to the starting XV sees Joe Tomane, who has recovered from a toe problem, picked on the left wing to plug the gap left by Digby Ioane’s series-ending shoulder injury.

Tomane, born in New Zealand but raised in Australia, returned to rugby union last year after four seasons in league. Former league sensation Israel Folau continues on the right wing following a stunning Test debut topped by two tries.

The pack is unchanged with returning 110-cap veteran George Smith unable to break into the 23 despite his recovery from a knee injury. Centre Rob Horne and full-back Jesse Mogg have been added to the bench to cover for the absence among the replacements of Pat McCabe – out for the rest of the year with a fractured neck – and Beale.

Australia team to face the British and Irish Lions: K Beale (Melbourne Rebels); I Folau (NSW Waratahs), A Ashley-Cooper (NSW Waratahs), C Leali’ifano (Brumbies), J Tomane (Brumbies); J O’Connor (Melbourne Rebels), W Genia (Queensland Reds).

B Robinson (NSW Waratahs), S Moore (Brumbies), B Alexander (Brumbies), K Douglas (NSW Waratahs), J Horwill (Queensland Reds, capt), B Mowen (Brumbies), M Hooper (Brumbies), W Palu (NSW Waratahs).

Replacements: S Fainga’a (Queensland Reds), J Slipper (Queensland Reds), S Kepu (NSW Waratahs), R Simmons (Queensland Reds), L Gill (Queensland Reds), N Phipps (Melbourne Rebels), R Horne (NSW Waratahs), J Mogg (Brumbies).

Article source: http://www.perthshireadvertiser.co.uk/perthshire-sport/2013/06/28/rugby-academies-for-perth-73103-33536266/

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O"Connor to continue at fly-half