■RUGBY UNION
Quins lose opener to Wasps
Harlequins’ first attempt to put “Bloodgate” behind them with victory ended in defeat as they lost 26-15 to rivals Wasps in their Premiership opener on Saturday. The defeat at Twickenham was compounded by lock George Robson being sent off for head-butting 46 seonds into the match. Harlequins forged a 12-5 lead thanks to tries from England wing Ugo Monye and newly signed Gonzalo Camacho, but Wasps fought back with former Leicester wing Tom Varndell scoring two tries before a late penalty try sealed victory. For Harlequins, there was no escaping Dean Richards. The former England No. 8 resigned from his post as Quins rugby director and was banned from rugby union for three years for his role in orchestrating the incident that saw now-suspended wing Tom Williams bite on a fake blood capsule during a European Cup quarter-final against Leinster in April. But on Saturday it was referee Dean Richards, a namesake of the shamed former British and Irish Lion, who took a decision with dispiriting consequences for Quins after Robson became involved in an off-the-ball scuffle and aimed a head-butt at Wasps scrum-half Joe Simpson. Richards, acting on the advice of a touch judge, then showed Robson the red card. In the first half of Saturday’s Twickenham double-header, Saracens beat London Irish, last season’s losing Premiership finalists, 18-14.
■RALLYING
Loeb wins Rally Australia
Five-time world champion Sebastien Loeb won Rally Australia by 12.5 seconds over Mikko Hirvonen, moving to within a point of the Finnish driver for the World Rally Championship lead. France’s Loeb of Citroen trails Hirvonen, driving a Ford, by 76 points to 75, with only the Spanish and British rounds remaining. Loeb began the season by winning the first five events before Hirvonen came back to win the past three before Australia. Spaniard Dani Sordo in a Citreon was third behind Loeb and Hirvonen, a further 4.6 seconds back. Loeb took an 18.4-second lead over Hirvonen with one stage left yesterday, a 22.41km finale in which he finished third behind Hirvonen. But the 5.9-second gap between the drivers wasn’t enough for Hirvonen to take the lead.
■FOOTBALL
Giants fire David Tyree
The New York Giants axed receiver David Tyree, whose remarkable catch contributed to the team’s triumph over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 42, 19 months ago. The Giants trailed 14-10 late in the fourth quarter of the National Football League championship game when Tyree reeled in a 32-yard pass from quarterback Eli Manning, clutching the ball against his helmet as defender Rodney Harrison pulled him down. The play set up Manning’s game-winning touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress. Tyree missed last season, unable to rebound after offseason knee surgery.
■FOOTBALL
Michael Vick on exempt list
The Philadelphia Eagles placed shamed quarterback Michael Vick on the exempt/commissioners permission list on Saturday, enabling them to keep reserve quarterback A.J. Feeley on their roster. The decision means Vick, who was released from prison in May after serving time for bankrolling a dogfighting ring, will not be able to practice with the team while on the list. “We can change that at any time,” Eagles general manager Tom Heckert told reporters of Vick, who is suspended for the first two games of the regular season but will be eligible to play in week three.
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