RUGBY UNION
Drua defeat Crusaders
The Canterbury Crusaders yesterday were stunned 20-10 by the Fijian Drua for a third straight defeat, equaling their worst start to a Super Rugby season. The seven-time defending champions fell away in the second half in Lautoka. The only other time the Crusaders have lost their three opening matches was the competition’s inaugural season in 1996. Captain Scott Barrett said the humid conditions in Fiji played a part in their error-ridden display. “You give the Fijian Drua a sniff and they will really punish you,” Barrett said. In other Super Rugby Pacific games yesterday, The ACT Brumbies beat the Western Force 22-19, the Wellington Hurricanes downed the Auckland Blues 29-21 and the Queensland Reds defeated the Waikato Chiefs 25-19.
BOXING
Joshua KOs Ngannou
Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua yesterday stopped Francis Ngannou in the second round, dominating his matchup with the ex-UFC heavyweight champ. Joshua floored Ngannou in the first round and again in the second with right hands at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. He finished the fight with one punch immediately after the second 10-count, apparently knocking Ngannou out cold with an unblocked right hand. The 37-year-old Ngannou eventually got up to his stool, but he was dazed and clearly hurt after his encounter with Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) in only his second pro boxing match. Joshua and Ngannou embraced and talked afterward. “I told him he shouldn’t leave boxing,” Joshua said. “He can do well. Remember, he’s two fights in, and he’s fought the best. He can go a long way if he stays dedicated, but it’s up to him.”
CRICKET
Anderson’s feat soured
James Anderson yesterday became only the third bowler to reach 700 Test wickets, but his feat was soured as England lost by an innings and 64 runs against India in the fifth and final Test inside three days. India scored 477 runs in their first innings, while England made 218 and 195 in reply. Anderson joined the 700 club when he dismissed India’s Kuldeep Yadav at Dharamshala. The England veteran is the first pace bowler to reach the milestone and follows Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan (800 wickets) and Australia’s Shane Warne (708 wickets) to have achieved the mark.
CRICKET
Black Caps fight back
New Zealand opener Tom Latham yesterday hauled the Black Caps back into the second Test against Australia Saturday as they overhauled a 94-run deficit to lead by 40 at stumps. Latham was unbeaten on 65 in New Zealand’s second innings at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval after a partnership of 105 for the second wicket with Kane Williamson.
TENNIS
Swiatek thrashes Collins
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Friday moved on at the BNP Paribas Open with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over power-hitting Danielle Collins. Swiatek earned her fifth straight win over the 30-year-old American, who previously announced that she intends to retire after this season. On the men’s side, Andrey Rublev defeated Andy Murray 7-6 (7/3), 6-1, while Alejandro Tabilo, Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex de Minaur also won in straight sets.
Ademola Lookman on Thursday scored on his Atletico Madrid debut in a 5-0 rout of Real Betis Balompie that sent Diego Simeone’s team to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey. David Hancko, Giuliano Simeone, Antoine Griezmann and Thiago Almada also scored for Atletico as they advanced to the last four for the third straight season. Atletico are trying to reach their first Copa final since winning the competition in 2012-2013. Hancko opened the scoring for the visitors in the 12th minute and Giuliano Simeone added to the lead in the 30th, before Lookman got his first goal for Atletico on a fast
GUNNING FOR A WIN: The victory sending Arsenal to the final for the first time in six years was cathartic for a team who had lost their previous four semi-finals Arsenal on Tuesday reached the League Cup final for the first time in eight years as Kai Havertz sealed a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the semi-final second leg. Mikel Arteta’s side had put themselves in pole position in the first leg and Havertz came off the bench to finish the 4-2 aggregate victory in the closing moments at the Emirates Stadium. It was a cathartic triumph for the Gunners, who had lost their previous four semi-finals in last year’s UEFA Champions League and League Cup, the 2022 League Cup and the 2021 UEFA Europa League. In their first final for six years,
SUPERSTAR DELIVERS: Victor Wembanyama scored 29 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to propel the Spurs to a 135-123 victory over the Dallas Mavericks The Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday shook off the early exit of injured star Luka Doncic, rallying without him in the second half for a 119-115 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Austin Reaves, again coming off the bench in his second game back from a 19-game injury absence, scored 13 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, drilling a pair of back-to-back three-pointers to give the Lakers their first lead of the game early in the final frame. “Losing Luka, you know nothing’s going to be easy after that because he does so much for us, but we bonded together,” said
France head coach Fabien Galthie on Thursday lauded his team’s attacking performance after their dazzling 36-14 victory over Ireland in their Six Nations opener. A brace of tries from Louis Bielley-Biarrey and one from mercurial flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert helped France storm into a 29-0 lead before taking their foot off the gas and allowing Ireland back into the match, before winger Theo Attissogbe put some gloss on the victory late on. “In an attacking sense, with the ball, the team played with great accuracy,” Galthie said. “It was one of the most accurate attacking performances in a long time, despite the weather
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