RUGBY SEVENS
Afrika red hot as ’Boks roll
Scoring sensation Cecil Afrika brought the Hong Kong Sevens alight yesterday with a scorching show of clinical finishing for South Africa to add 37 points to his already world-beating tally. The 23-year-old playmaker, the leading points and try-scorer in the Sevens World Series, touched down three times and notched 11 conversions as the Springboks ran riot over Hong Kong, winning 45-0, before trouncing Wales 42-12. Joint Sevens World Series leaders New Zealand and England also continued on their winning ways, but were both made to work hard on the second day. New Zealand laboured past Portugal 19-12, before beating France 19-7, while England got a fright from Japan, before winning 33-14 and then went on to down the US 37-12. Other games yesterday saw reigning Hong Kong champions Samoa remain unbeaten thanks to 24-17 and 31-14 wins over Tonga and Scotland respectively, while the Australians took a little time to find their feet, struggling to see off a determined Canada 26-24, before beating Argentina 21-14. Fiji, too, kept in the title race with a 29-14 win over Russia and a 40-0 victory over Kenya late in the day.
SOCCER
Estonia shock Uruguay 2-0
Estonia struck twice in the second half to hand World Cup semi-finalists Uruguay a surprise 2-0 defeat in a friendly international played on a snow covered pitch in freezing and windy conditions on Friday. Substitute striker Konstantin Vassiljev opened the scoring just past the hour soon after coming on with a strike from outside the area which Uruguay goalkeeper Juan Castillo misjudged. Estonia’s second goal came four minutes later in the 65th when Vjatseslav Zahovaiko scored from Vassiljev’s corner. The first half was a dull affair with Uruguay striker Abel Hernandez unable to find a way through the home defense. The tempo picked up after the break with Estonia coach Tarmo Ruutli sending on Vassiljev, who made the breakthrough, before Zahovaiko wrapped up the victory for the home side.
RALLY
Loeb off pace in Portugal
Reigning world champion Sebastien Loeb of France was off the pace after the opening day of the Rally of Portugal on Friday. Loeb, disappointing in the season-opening Rally of Sweden, where he could place just sixth, then won in Mexico and is looking to transfer that form to the third race of the campaign. However, the Citroen driver has work to do after Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala, in a Ford Fiesta, led the way in establishing an 11.5 second lead over compatriot and teammate Mikko Hirvonen. Seven-time world champion Loeb and fellow French Citroen racer Sebastien Ogier stood third and fourth respectively with 15 seconds to make up on early pacesetter Latvala.
GOLF
Lafeber in three-way tie
Maarten Lafeber shot a five-under 65 on Friday to climb into a share of the halfway lead at the Andalucian Open. Lafeber had four birdies and an eagle mixed with a lone bogey to join Rikard Karlberg of Sweden and Jeppe Huldahl of Denmark atop the leaderboard with an eight-under total of 132. The 36-year-old Lafeber eagled the 14th to help him move up 10 spots from the first round, when he shot 67. Huldahl had five birdies in the final nine holes to make up for a pair of bogeys and match his first-round score of 66, while Karlberg shot a 67. Former Open winner Paul Lawrie was one stroke behind along with Japan’s Tetsuji Hiratsuka and England’s Jamie Elson.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two