■ Rugby Union
HADDEN NAMES SQUAD
Scotland coach Frank Hadden has named a 44-man squad for a training session at Murrayfield on Dec. 17 to begin preparations for next year's Six Nations. Hadden has stuck with the players he used for Scotland's World Cup preparations and has added four new players who have performed well this season in the Magners League. Number eight Johnnie Beattie, whose father John Beattie played in the same position for Scotland and the British and Irish Lions, received a call-up along with fellow backrow player Ross Rennie, Edinburgh flyhalf Phil Godman and Glasgow tighthead prop Moray Low.
■ SOCCER
Australia woos Troussier
Globe-trotting Frenchman Philippe Troussier has held talks in Australia about the vacant Socceroos job, heightening suggestions that he is the frontrunner to become the team's new coach. Troussier arrived secretly in Sydney on Sunday for talks with Football Federation Australia (FFA) officials before departing on Monday, the Australian newspaper reported yesterday. It said his talks with FFA chief executive Ben Buckley and others signalled that German Jurgen Klinsmann and Italian Fabio Capello were now out of the running due to pay demands and their lack of experience of Asian soccer.
■ RUGBY UNION
Cohen signs for Brive
England and former Northampton winger Ben Cohen has signed for French Top 14 strugglers Brive, the club confirmed on Tuesday. The 29-year-old 2003 World Cup winner has agreed a deal that will keep him in France until June 2009 with the option for an additional year. Cohen had been without a club since leaving relegated Northampton in August. He bought himself out of his Saints contract so he could join Leicester, but his testimonial earnings would have broken their salary cap. Cohen said he was excited to be joining a club with a tradition such as Brive, stating that he was ready for "an attractive and interesting challenge."
■ SOCCER
Beckham souvenirs on sale
A single french fry, reportedly dropped by David Beckham during his recent stay in New Zealand, is among souvenirs of the soccer superstar's visit offered for sale on Internet auction sites. A single bidder has offered NZ$1 (US$0.76) for the slightly salted piece of fried potato, which the seller claims was dropped by Beckham during a stroll around Wellington. The seller vouches for the item's authenticity and suggests it is ideal for anyone "who actually cares about David Beckham." Sharp-eyed souvenir hunters also pounced on items left behind by Beckham when he dined with Los Angeles Galaxy teammates at a Wellington fried chicken restaurant.
■ RUGBY UNION
Mark Regan sanctioned
England World Cup hooker Mark Regan has been sanctioned by Bristol for disobeying orders and playing for the Barbarians against South Africa at Twickenham last weekend, the club said on Tuesday. "We had a meeting with Mark today and, as a result, he has been sanctioned in accordance with a breach of the disciplinary conditions of his contract," Bristol said on their Web site. "We now consider the matter closed and will not be making any further comment on the matter." The club did not reveal details of Regan's punishment.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
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