Mat Rogers contributed 26 points, including a brilliant solo try, to lead the New South Waratahs to a 43-19 upset win over the Canterbury Crusaders in a Super 12 rugby union match yesterday.
Fullback Rogers maintained a perfect kicking record, converting the Waratahs' four tries and adding five penalties, two from halfway, in a strong individual performance.
The Waratahs' win was achieved against a Canterbury side which has won three recent Super 12 titles, were finalists last year and whose starting XI included 11 World Cup All Blacks.
PHOTO: EPA
Many of the All Blacks' short-comings were apparent in the Crusaders' play. Their forward pack, which included seven internationals, failed to dominate and was frequently forced backwards by an eager New South Wales eight.
Canterbury's defense was also weak -- they missed 30 tackles -- and the Waratahs repeatedly broke their line around the fringes of rucks and in midfield.
No. 8 David Lyons and halfback Chris Whittaker were both responsible for inside breaks which led to tries while center Nathan Grey and Rogers were strong and elusive in midfield.
The Waratahs' four tries gave them a bonus point and a perfect start to the 2004 season on a ground where they were beaten 96-19 by the Crusaders two years ago.
"The first game of the season is desperately important, especially so when it's an away game," said Waratahs captain Chris Whittaker. "We got a hiding here a couple of years ago and I guess we buried a few demons today."
The visitors, who had given up the wind on winning the toss, commanded lineouts, fielded a strong scrum and out-muscled the Crusaders in loose play.
Their early attempts at running the ball broke down through handling errors but when they shored up that part of their game, they were unstoppable.
Waratahs flyhalf Tim Donnelly scored a try on debut in the 57th minute, put into a gap after Whittaker's inside break. Two further penalties from Rogers, including his last from halfway, gave them an unassailable 36-12 lead.
"I kicked a few points in my league days but haven't done it for a few years with Matt Burke there, Rogers said.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
HSIEH MAKES QUARTERS: Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens of Belgium won in the women’s doubles and face Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sofia Kenin of the US Top-ranked Iga Swiatek and US Open champion Coco Gauff were knocked out of the women’s singles at the Miami Open on Monday, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced in the women’s doubles. Swiatek lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-2, hours after third seed Gauff fell in three sets to No. 23 Caroline Garcia 6-3, 1-6, 6-2. Alexandrova beat a top-ranked player for the first time and advanced to face Jessica Pegula, a 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 winner over Emma Navarro, in the quarter-finals. Alexandrova recorded her second win over Swiatek, following a 2021 victory in Melbourne. Swiatek had won their three matches since. “We played quite