■SOCCER
Queens bow out in Denmark
Scottish minnows Queen of the South saw their UEFA Cup campaign come to an end on Tuesday in Denmark as they bowed out to FC Nordsjaelland in the second qualifying round, going down 2-1 on the night to lose 4-2 on aggregate. After the 2-1 home reverse the odds were against Queens pulling off the win but Bob Harris leveled the encounter with a piledriver of a freekick after just two minutes to give Gordon Chisholm’s men some hope. But they failed to capitalize as Paul Burns and then Harris allowed half chances to slip away. Martin Bernburg then missed for the Danes from inside the six-yard box but he had the last laugh with a pair of close-range strikes in the final five minutes.
■RUGBY UNION
Team eyes coup leader
Former Fijian coup leader Sitiveni Rabuka is in the running to be appointed manager of the Pacific Islands rugby team for its tour of Europe in November, the Fiji Times reported yesterday. Rabuka became Prime Minister of Fiji in 1987 after staging the country’s first coup. Pacific Islands Rugby Association Chairman Keni Dakuidreketi said that Rabuka was one of several candidates being considered as manager of the team, which brings together players from Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. Rabuka is a former captain of the Fiji rugby side, playing two internationals and 10 other matches for the Pacific Islands nation.
■RUGBY UNION
MacDonald set to miss Tests
Injured All Blacks fullback Leon MacDonald is unlikely to play in the next two Tests as he recovers from concussion, coach Graham Henry said yesterday. Henry said team management was unwilling to place the 56-Test veteran at risk after MacDonald was concussed during the All Blacks’ 28-30 loss to the Springboks in Dunedin on July 12. The 30-year-old is expected to miss a Test against Samoa in New Plymouth next Wednesday and the Tri-Nations decider against Australia in Brisbane on Sept. 13.
■RUGBY UNION
Toulouse start with defeat
French champions Toulouse opened the defense of their title with a surprise 16-11 defeat at Montpellier on the first day of the new Top 14 championship on Tuesday. Elsewhere, last season’s runners-up Clermont went down 16-22 to Toulon, back in the top flight after a two-year absence. Ambitious Toulon scored three tries, one from their new signing, former Australian rugby league backrower Sonny Bill Williams. Toulouse were unable to capitalize on their first half domination with Didier Nourault’s Montpellier coming out after the break to take and hold on to the lead. The fledgling table is headed by Montauban and Stade Francais, who saw off newly promoted Mont-de-Marsan 37-19 and Dax 31-9 respectively.
■SOCCER
Pavlyuchenko set for Spurs
Spartak Moscow’s Russian international striker Roman Pavlyuchenko is set to sign for English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, media reported yesterday. “I can confirm that I’m moving to Tottenham. I will fly to England as soon as I receive an English entry visa,” Pavlyuchenko said. Spartak spokesman Eduard Nissenboim confirmed that Pavlyuchenko was very close to the move but that no papers had been signed yet. “We have just reached a verbal agreement,” Nissenboim said. “But Pavlyuchenko is likely join Tottenham in the nearest future.” The 26-year-old forward has 22 caps for Russia, scoring nine goals.
■CRICKET
Bangalore Test going ahead
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