New Zealand announced sweeping changes to its side for the do-or-die rugby league clash with Great Britain in Wellington on Saturday, with six alterations to the side which beat the Lions a fortnight ago.
The Kiwis must win to keep their slim title hopes alive after suffering back-to-back losses to Australia then winning their first Test against Great Britain but losing their points for fielding an ineligible player.
The most notable changes see South Sydney second rower David Fa'alogo earn his first Test start while West Tigers utility Dene Halatau comes in at hooker for Nathan Fien, who was exiled after being ruled ineligible.
Halatau started at dummy half in the Tri-Nations opener against Australia, but injured his shoulder during the match and has only now become available again for selection.
Injury concerns have also eased in the backline allowing Kiwis coach Brian McClennan to recall Shontayne Hape and Steve Matai, who missed the first Lions encounter.
Fa'alogo's starting debut at lock sees Frank Pritchard drop to the bench.
Melbourne Storm front rower Adam Blair is also back in favour, earning a bench spot at the expense of St Helens prop Jason Cayless.
New Zealand's setback after losing points for fielding the Australian-born Fien against Great Britain has been further compounded by the Lions' upset 23-12 win over Australia last weekend.
That result gave Great Britain a positive points differential of 28 over the Kiwis.
To have any chance of making the final, New Zealand must now beat the Lions emphatically on Saturday, then rely on Australia walloping Great Britain when they meet again on Nov. 18.
Australia have already booked a place in the Nov. 25 final in Sydney.
MOTHER KNOWS BEST: Warriors’ coach Kerr said his 91-year-old mother criticized him for his attitude toward officials that led to his ejection from Monday’s game Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Wednesday rescued the Oklahoma City Thunder with a game-tying buzzer-beater before finishing with 46 points in a 129-125 overtime victory against the Utah Jazz. The reigning NBA champions looked to be heading for a third straight loss after the Jazz inched into a 114-112 lead following Lauri Markkanen’s layup with just three seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. However, NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander drained a superb 13-foot jump shot to tie it up at 114-114 as the buzzer sounded to send the game into overtime. Gilgeous-Alexander then took over in the extra period with nine points as the Western
Mohamed Salah’s Egypt knocked reigning champions Ivory Coast out of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a 3-2 win in the quarter-finals on Saturday, while Victor Osimhen starred as Nigeria beat Algeria 2-0 to set up a clash with hosts Morocco. In Agadir, Morocco, a thrilling last-eight tie saw Omar Marmoush and Ramy Rabia net in the first half for the Pharaohs before an own goal by Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh brought the Ivorians back into it. Salah then got Egypt’s third early in the second half and they held on after Guela Doue again reduced the deficit. Egypt is to face Senegal
AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE: Sabalenka aims to follow up with a third Australian Open win, while Taiwanese Joanna Garland claimed a WTA 125 title in Canberra Aryna Sabalenka beat Karolina Muchova in straight sets to reach her third Brisbane International final in a row yesterday, a week ahead of the Australian Open. Sabalenka looked in great touch against the tricky Czech, who had won their last three meetings and went into the match as one of the few players with a winning record over the world No. 1. However, Sabalenka showed her class and power as she broke Muchova once in each set to take the semi-final 6-3, 6-4 in 89 minutes to face Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in the final. “I struggled against her a couple of times [in
His team were knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in agonizing fashion on Tuesday, but the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DR Congo) human statue Michel Kuka Mboladinga would be remembered as the tournament’s most remarkable supporter. The colorfully dressed Kuka has earned fame as the fan who stands completely immobile throughout his team’s games, looking toward the sky with his right arm raised and palm open. He has become a media star and on Tuesday was accompanied by a delegation of several hundred Congolese supporters whose trip to Morocco was paid for by the country’s government. They took their
RSS