Thema drucken
29.06.2019 02:44
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The Springboks completed another European rugby tour unbeaten and the Wallabies won three straight tests for the first time in a year in autumn internationals on Saturday. Meanwhile, Argentina halted its worst losing run by defeating Italy 19-14 in Rome, and Romanias bid for an unbeaten year was ruined in its final game in Bucharest by Fiji, which triumphed 23-7. South Africa celebrated its first win over France in France since 1997 after a gutsy 19-10 result. The Springboks made a perfect start with JP Pietersen dotting down barely a minute in from his chargedown of scrumhalf Morgan Parra. Left winger Yoann Hugets try just before halftime gave the French hope after they trailed 13-0, but the Springboks never looked like being overtaken and had two tries ruled out for knockons. Only penalties were added in the second half. "What makes this team special is that guys really step up if they need to. You win these games by being mentally very tough and struggling through," Heyneke Meyer said. He coached South Africa to 10 wins out of 12 this year, losing only to the All Blacks. They compounded Frances dismal season with an eighth defeat in 10 tests. "Were not at their level yet," France coach Philippe Saint-Andre said. "Were still missing that little bit extra." Australia shrugged off a troubled build-up and the absence of key players to scrape past Scotland 21-15 at Murrayfield. Coach Ewen McKenzies plans were disrupted by suspensions and injuries but the Wallabies patched-up backline scored tries through fullback Israel Folau in the first half and winger Chris Feauai-Sautia at the start of the second, with Christian Lealiifano booting the rest of the points. The Scots, looking for a third successive win over Australia, were only 13-12 behind at halftime thanks to Greig Laidlaws unforgiving boot and were never more than a converted try in arrears after the break. But a familiar lack of cutting edge out wide proved their undoing. "Im sick of being good losers," Scotland coach Scott Johnson said. Argentina could thank Nicolas Sanchez for helping to end its eight-match losing streak. Sanchez hit three out of four goalkicks plus a dropped goal to pass 100 points in tests for the Pumas, while Tommaso Allan, making his first start for Italy, nailed only three out of eight. The lead changed five times and both teams scored a try. But even after conceding 16 penalties, the Pumas prevailed again in Italy, where they havent lost for 15 years. Romania had won nine matches and drawn one this year but were undone by the Fijians, who scored three tries to a penalty try. In Tbilisi, Georgia beat Samoa 16-15 for the first time. A week after losing to the United States by a last-minute penalty, Georgia won with an injury-time penalty by Merab Kvirikashvili. Samoa scored two highlight tries in the first half, including a 30-meter solo effort past four defenders by flanker Jack Lam, but they couldnt shrug off the Lelos and suffered a fourth straight loss, and third on its European tour after falling to Ireland and the French Barbarians. Also, Japan hammered Spain 40-7 in Madrid, Canada handled Portugal 52-8 in Lisbon, and the United States topped Russia 28-7 in London, after which USA Rugby chief executive Nigel Melville called the lack of a live webfeed of the match disappointing, and promised the Eagles would not play in Europe "where we cannot get an appropriate feed." Darren Woodson Womens Jersey . -- Houston Rockets coach Kevin McHale searched more than three quarters for five guys who would play well together. Bill Bates Youth Jersey .ca. The NHL Play of the Year showdown kicks off with some slick moves going head-to-head with a combination of soft hands and endless patience. http://www.cowboysrookieproshop.com/Cowb...ewhouse-Jersey/. LUCIE, Fla. Tony Romo Youth Jersey . - Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr has nothing but good problems right now. Terrell Owens Jersey . - Hitting was supposed to be the Pittsburgh Pirates weakness coming into the season yet they lead the major leagues in home runs through the first 16 games of the season.DUNEDIN, Florida - Whether the approach translates to on-field success will only be revealed with the passage of time but its obvious to those whove been around the first two weeks of camp: the 2014 Blue Jays, constructed and built to win beginning in 2013, have no intention of repeating the misery that befell the ballclub a season ago. The attitude is all business. One of the major pieces of the clubs puzzle knows it ought to be, given whats happened and what could happen if Torontos fortunes dont turn around. "I think guys are singularly focused on trying to get the most out of what we have collectively here," knuckleballer R.A. Dickey told TSN.ca. "I think last year we were kind of handcuffed a little bit by a few different variables but this year guys are together and they know its basically we need to make this work or it could all get blown up. "We know that and we dont want that to happen so guys are focused." Theres been no speech alluding to a closing window of opportunity but the veteran players, all too familiar with the business of baseball, sense that after falling flat in the season after club ownership increased payroll by some $40-million, another failed year wont be tolerated. You can have one bad year as a group. A second consecutive down season and the "this team cant get it done" narrative cements itself in reality. Dickey, himself, is looking for a bounce back season. The trend is positive, dating back to last year. In 20 first half (pre-All Star Break) starts, Dickey was 8-10 with a 4.69 ERA, 20 home runs allowed and a strikeout to walk ratio of less than two-to-one. He threw 128 2/3 innings, averaging a little more than 6 1/3 per start. After the break, in 14 starts, Dickey went 6-3, 3.56, 15 home runs allowed and stuck out more than three-and-a-half hitters for every walk. Dickeys 96 second half innings work out to almost seven per start. While still prone to the long ball, everything else improved, including his health. Dickey pitched through a strained muscle in his neck, something that began in spring training but by mid-April had mushroomed into a pain that forced him to consider a stint on the disabled list. "You know how things progress," said Dickey. "It starts as something very mild and you just keep going on and thinking its probably going to go away and then something happens and it gets much more significant. It had been there in the spring. When everything gets cranked back up some things arent necessarily in the right places yet." There are no such concerns now. "Physically, Im stronger," said Dickey. Mentally, Dickeys refreshed. The trade to Toronto wasnt the only matter on his plate last offseason. He was promoting his book, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, working with child sex victims in Mumbai and by the time camp started, was being followed by a reporter and camera crew from 60 Minutes. Aside from a fundraiser in New York City and a family vacation to Florida, Dickey had a much quieter winter this year. "That was intentional," said Dickey. "Anne and I both felt like it was a season to be at home together. With the year before, with the trade and the book and India and the Cy Young and all of that, just really spread me very thin. Having a good mate, she realized that was one of the things that should probably change this offseason and sshe was right.dddddddddddd" When its pointed out to Dickey that the American League East likely will be stronger this year than last - the Red Sox are the defending World Series champions, the Rays have great starting pitching, the Orioles added pitching in support of a potent offense and the Yankees retooled - the knuckleballer acknowledged the Blue Jays will need a diamond in the rough, maybe more than one, to emerge. "I think that every championship club has to have a guy on the team that you dont expect a ton out of that steps up and does something special for you," said Dickey. "Whether its a position player or a pitcher, in our case I think the hope is theres going to be a pitcher that steps up and gives you something that you werent anticipating and its going to lift you into the next place." Drew Hutchison could be the guy, based on early camp returns. "I think Drews a name," Dickey concurred. "I think Todd Redmonds a name. There are others in this clubhouse that I think, by the end of the year, well have a conversation about this day and youll say, Yeah, that was the guy that you were talking about and heres what happened. Thats the hope. Thats what were hopeful for." JAYS HAMMERED BY TWINS The Blue Jays longest spring trip, not including two games in Montreal later this month, got out of hand early and finished with a 12-2 drubbing at the hands of the Twins in Lee County, near Fort Myers. J.A. Happ struggled badly, retiring one of only seven hitters he faced. He allowed four runs on two hits, walking four in a third of an inning of work. The game was the first played under MLBs new replay rules. In the sixth inning, manager John Gibbons challenged a close play at first base in which the Twins Chris Rahl was ruled safe when shortstop Munenori Kawasakis high throw brought first baseman Jared Goedert off the bag. After a review lasting more than two and a half minutes, the umpires upheld the call on the field. DELABARS BEARD While it isnt yet long enough or messy enough to be mistaken for the facial hair you see on Duck Dynasty, Steve Delabar is committed to the beard hes wearing in camp. Where this odyssey will take him, he doesnt know. "No plan," said Delabar. "Its not a bother to me. It doesnt itch. It doesnt get in my way. I get good comments from it." He wouldnt be the first late-game reliever to create a specific look but Delabar, typically low-key and easy going, isnt trying to strike fear in opposing hitters. This was a concoction for the hunting season. "Its not an intimidation thing at all," said Delabar. "I started growing it in the offseason, Ive trimmed it a couple of times and Im just letting it go." There will be no dying his facial hair, like Brian Wilson of the Dodgers. Itll have its natural tinges of red, white and brown. "Its going to become what it becomes on its own and Im going to let it do wha |
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