Ireland will be trying to run up a big score when they open their Rugby World Cup campaign against Namibia. The Africans want to preserve their winning record against the Irish.
Argentina's stunning 17-12 victory over host France in the championship's opening game means that it should be a neck-and-neck race to the quarterfinals for the three leading teams in Group D. So points difference could be decisive when it comes to reaching the knock out stage.
"It is a tight group and there is a chance that Ireland, France and Argentina will each lose a game and the games against Namibia and Georgia create an opportunity to create a points difference," Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan said.
"This is an issue that not every team has to deal with. It is on the back of our minds. If we lose a game the points difference is important," he said.
Although Ireland are expected to easily Namibia today in Bordeaux, history is not on their side.
The two teams have only met three times before with Namibia winning twice at home in 1991 and Ireland thrashing the Africans 64-7 at the World Cup in Australia four years ago.
Scrumhalf Dwayne Peel leads Wales for the first time in their opening World Cup Pool B match against Canada at the Stade de la Beaujoire today.
Captain Gareth Thomas has been dropped to the bench alongside flyhalf Stephen Jones, who has just recovered from injury. Both could see second half action.
Peel will be partnered at halfback by James Hook. The pair played together in Wales's last two warm-up Tests against Argentina and France.
Thomas' place was handed to 30-year-old New Zealand-born Sonny Parker who is partnered at center by Tom Shanklin.
"Gareth [Thomas] put in three royal performances for us during August but this is the first time Sonny Parker has been available to us to start a game so we are giving him a chance in the center," coach Gareth Jenkins said in a Welsh Rugby Union news release.
Canada, set for a shot at reaching the last eight for the first time since 1991, have the experience of several veterans of previous World Cup campaigns, notably Rod Snow, Jon Thiel and Mike James.
Portugal make their Rugby World Cup bow against Scotland today determined not to be the tournament whipping boys.
The Scots are hot favorites to devour Los Lobos, Portgual's Wolves, in what could be a one-sided contest.
Portugal, 5,000-1 outsiders to win the World Cup, are vowing not to make a limp entry into the tournament, although few give them much chance against the Scots.
"We're not worried. We're prepared to take a few knocks," prop Andre Silva said yesterday. "We will play to our strengths and our intensive defense. We want the other teams to know that it won't be easy for them to beat us."
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