Sport

2011年7月2日星期六

Tahs sign Cheetahs half Pretorius

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Posted July 1, 2011 14:35:00

The New South Wales Waratahs have signed highly-regarded Cheetahs scrum half Sarel Pretorius for the next two Super Rugby seasons.

Pretorius has just completed his best season of professional rugby as the top tryscorer in this year's Super Rugby competition, equalling Bjorn Basson (Bulls) on nine tries.

The Waratahs said Pretorius will become the franchise's senior foreign player import and will join their squad following his 2011 Currie Cup commitments for Griquas in South Africa.

Pretorius, 27, will replace former Wallabies scrum half Luke Burgess, who is heading to France to play with the Toulouse club after this year's World Cup in New Zealand.

"This is an exciting opportunity which was just too good to refuse," Pretorius said.

"The Waratahs clearly have a culture of high performance and I'm looking forward to being a part of that.

"I had my best Super Rugby season so far this year, but I'd like to think that I am still improving as a rugby player and I'm looking forward to developing my game further in Sydney."

Pretorius will spark a Waratahs' backline containing Wallabies stars Berrick Barnes, Drew Mitchell, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Lachie Turner and Ryan Cross next season.

Pretorius was selected for the Emerging Springboks in 2008 and has played in every match for the Cheetahs over the past two seasons with an impressive strike rate of one try every 2.4 matches.

-AFP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, nsw, sydney-2000, south-africa

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Boomers set to lose Bogut

Superstar centre Andrew Bogut looks certain to miss Australia's upcoming Olympic Games basketball qualifiers because of a NBA lockout-related insurance wrangle.

Basketball Australia is resigned to Bogut missing the September series against New Zealand because of the American NBA wages dispute and an inability to insure the Boomers star for the tournament.

NBA team owners and the players' union have been unable to reach consensus on a new wages agreement, which keeps all players off the court until a resolution is reached.

And that means Milwaukee Bucks star Bogut has no insurance to play anywhere, including the three-game series from September 7 to 11 which will decide whether Australia makes next year's London Olympics.

Basketball Australia boss Larry Sengstock said Bogut would be disappointed to miss the series because he is committed to the national program.

"Bogut has always held his national commitments and the Boomers' program as a high priority throughout his career," Sengstock said.

"It's disappointing for us that we may not have him for the New Zealand series but it also highlights the level of player that he is."

Last season Bogut battled an elbow injury which required late-season surgery, as well as back and wrist problems.

Basketball Australia privately remains hopeful the NBA lockout can be resolved before the series.

That would then free Bogut to take part.

But Boomers head coach Brett Brown is confident other players can fill the gap left by their star centre, should he miss the matches in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

"The NBA lockout has made his insurance issues impossible for Basketball Australia and Andrew to feel comfortable that his contract would be fully insured in the event of injury and, as a group, we understand and support Andrew," Brown said.

"I am however excited to compete against New Zealand with the current group of players that are more than capable of representing Australia from a talent perspective and a spirit perspective that we all expect."

NBA team owners ordered a lockout of players to start on Friday as last-ditch talks failed, setting up a shutdown which threatens the 2011-12 season.

The first NBA work stoppage since the 1998-99 season was reduced to 50 games will also halt trades, free agent signings and contract talks.

It also prohibits players and clubs from having contact until the issue is resolved.

-AAP

Tags: sport, basketball, australia, united-states

First posted July 1, 2011 15:27:00

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Magnussen triumphs at short course titles

Rising swim star James Magnussen confirmed his status as Australia's fastest freestyler with victory at the national short course championships on Friday night.

Magnussen, dubbed 'The Missile', destroyed his opponents to claim the 100 metres freestyle short course crown in Adelaide.

But the competitive comeback of triple Olympic gold medallist Libby Trickett failed to produce instant results at the South Australian Aquatic Centre.

Trickett, in her first meet since her retirement in August 2009, twice finished sixth - in the 50m butterfly and the 100m freestyle finals.

Magnussen, who has clocked the third-fastest 100m long course freestyle time in the world this year, bettered the 47-second barrier in his heat and again the final, which he won in 46.98s.

"It just tells me that I'm on track for worlds," the 20-year-old said.

"Training has been going along really well and I haven't tapered for this.

"So add a little bit of bit freshness to that, and maybe drop out a few of those turns which aren't my biggest strength, I think I'm in good stead."

Renowned sprinter Eamon Sullivan was unperturbed about failing to make the 100m freestyle final - he put his 17th-fastest time in the heats down to being in a block of heavy training.

And heavy training is what Trickett said she needed after her finals.

Trickett clocked 26.72s in the 50m butterfly final, more than one second outside the winning time of 15-year-old Yolane Kukla.

And in the 100m final, Trickett's time of 54.18s was almost a second behind winner Marieke Guehrer.

"What is really exciting is that I have proved to myself again and again, my racing abilities are still there and are very fresh," Trickett said.

"For me I just really need to get fitter, stronger and leaner. It's exciting to recognise that.

"To know that technically, skill wise, racing wise, I have that ability, I just need to get faster.

"I know 100 per cent I will be able to do that in the next 12 months."

Eight-time Olympic medallist Leisel Jones captured the women's 100m breaststroke crown, while four Queenslanders also won titles: Christopher Wright (men's 200m butterfly); Christian Sprenger (men's 50m breaststroke); Mikkayla Sheridan (women's 200m backstroke) and Ellen Fullerton (women's 400m individual medley).

Sydney-sider Robert Hurley won the men's 400m freestyle and Victorian Hayden Stoeckel claimed the 50m backstroke.

- AAP

Tags: sport, swimming, australia, sa, adelaide-5000

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It won't happen overnight: Hird

Essendon coach James Hird is unrattled by the Bombers' sudden run of outs after an impressive start to the year.

The side has lost its past five AFL games and is headed for another defeat on Saturday when it tackles unbeaten Geelong at Docklands stadium.

Hird says he is less concerned about the string of losses and more interested in how the overall improvement of the players is progressing.

He says it will take around three years before the Bombers are likely to be in contention for finals wins.

Essendon rose as high as third on the league ladder with five wins in eight games, before tumbling down the table in recent weeks.

Hird says it was not unexpected that the team buckled when circumstances turned against them, whether through injuries or through players' lack of hunger.

"We're very realistic about where we're at and very realistic when we started about the process and how long it's going to take and where we're trying to get to," Hird said.

"It doesn't happen overnight. We're realistic about it. Some people aren't.

"We were also mindful that there was going to be a point in the year that the players went away or didn't play exactly how we wanted them to play.

"That's human nature - you get on a roll, things are going well, things get tough, you maybe don't do it as well as you wanted.

"We were mindful of that."

While the Cats have a number of high-profile players including Jimmy Bartel, Matthew Stokes and James Kelly returning for the game, Essendon has been hit by injuries.

Captain Jobe Watson and David Myers have hamstring problems and Sam Lonergan is out for the season with a knee injury.

However, Hird said the game is "winnable" and he is excited at the new group of younger players who will have to step up for the match.

"I look forward to a game where our players develop even further," Hird said.

"We obviously want to win the game and we think we're a chance to win the game but we want to improve and get better and this is part of the process."

Hird has persisted with out-of-form ruckman Paddy Ryder and has again dropped Tom Bellchambers.

However, he admits this time Ryder was fortunate to be named.

"Paddy's probably lucky to stay in the team but we want to develop him as a player as well and we think that this is the best way to do it," Hird said.

"Paddy knows that he's got to improve and he's the first to admit that.

"If you looked in the rooms after the game (last week against Hawthorn), the most disappointed player was Paddy Ryder.

"If his training is any indication, then he's in for a big game."

-AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, vic, essendon-3040

First posted July 1, 2011 13:54:00

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Hodges looking good for Origin III

Queensland continues to play down concerns over the fitness of strike centre Justin Hodges for State of Origin III after he was put on ice following a hamstring scare.

Hodges, who has a bad history with hamstrings, left training on Thursday to have treatment on his left hamstring which felt "tight" early in the team's training session on the Sunshine Coast.

The team's medical and coaching staff have modified Hodges' training program over the weekend to reduce his load but purely as a precautionary measure.

"We took Justin out of the (training) session yesterday because he has some hamstring soreness but he's good this morning," Maroons team doctor Roy Saunders said.

"He's got no pain. He's had a run this morning and basically he's done all we asked him to do today.

"He'll continue to train but obviously there'll be some modifications to his training because we're concerned he has a history of past hamstring problems.

"At this stage, though, everything looks extremely good."

Queensland will go into lockdown from Friday afternoon, with the media denied any access to players or training, as coach Mal Meninga wants them totally focused on Wednesday night's decider with four training sessions planned.

-AAP

Tags: sport, rugby-league, state-of-origin, nsw, sydney-2000

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Pearson makes winning start

Sally Pearson started her European build up to the world championships in style with a 100 metres hurdles victory at the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The Australian won from Americans Kellie Wells and Danielle Carruthers, who are ranked first and second in the world this year, while Jamaica's Asafa Powell recorded the fastest 100m this year.

Olympic silver medallist Pearson clocked a wind-assisted 12.47 seconds in winning the first of five races in Europe before she heads to Daegu, South Korea for the world championships starting on August 27.

Pearson, 24, said the world-class field had boosted her performance.

"The wind was pretty strong which in the hurdles can be a hindrance as you get too close to the hurdles and it puts your rhythm off, but a win's a win and I'll take it," she said.

"I felt Danielle (Carruthers) all the way ... It was really good having her there, having that competition.

"I didn't get my signature start but that's to be expected having just gotten off the plane from Australia, but I still came out with a really good time."

Meanwhile, Powell sent out a warning to Usain Bolt and his other world title rivals by blasting to the fourth-fastest 100m ever run.

Powell, who had already timed 9.72 seconds on the same track in 2008, clocked a world lead time of 9.78 sec.

Only Powell, Usain Bolt and American Tyson Gay have ever run faster, while Jamaican Nesta Carter has also run 9.78 sec.

Victory for Powell, the former world record holder, was never in doubt in blowy conditions.

The 29-year-old was smoothly out of the blocks and powered ahead of the field, keeping his lead comfortably through to the line.

"The weather wasn't perfect. It was a good race, a bit cold," Powell said.

"I managed to push my way through.

"I had a good time today: anything below 9.8 sec is really good. And it's only the second race of the season, so the future can only get better as the season progresses.

"My goal is to keep training hard and run faster."

Compatriot Michael Frater, who missed out on selection for an individual 100m spot for Jamaica at the world championships, was second with a personal best of 9.88 sec.

French sprinting hope Christophe Lemaitre, the European champion, clawed his way back to third in a national record-equalling 9.95 sec, while Carter and Norwegian Jaysuma Saidy Ndure both timed 9.99 sec.

-AAP/AFP

Tags: sport, athletics, australia, jamaica, switzerland

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Mariners to rest Amini for Celtic

Central Coast young gun Mustafa Amini will miss his side's clash with Scottish giants Celtic in an effort to be fit for Australia's upcoming FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Colombia.

The in-demand Amini, who is reportedly being courted by many European clubs - including Celtic, is feeling the effects of a hectic schedule and will take no part in Saturday's friendly at the Olympic stadium.

Mariners coach Graham Arnold said the 18-year-old is coping with a groin injury he sustained during a busy A-League off-season.

"We're quite upset he can't play because the kid was desperate to play," he said.

"But he's just had such a heavy program over the last year with A-League games, he's been involved in three national team set-ups in the last two months ... the developing Socceroos squad in Germany, under-23s and under-20s.

"Hopefully it's going to be fine (for the U-20 World Cup) but he's got quite a bit of discomfort at the moment and with something in that area, the groin, you don't mess around with it.

"It could end up real bad if you push it too far."

Australia opens its U20 World Cup campaign on July 31 and Arnold, a former coach of the Socceroos and the national Under-23 side, has an idea of the bigger picture.

"For the good of the Australian under-20 team, who have the World Cup soon, it would be stupid for me to play him," he said.

"He hasn't had a break and he just turned 18 ... the whole national team program stuff has been too heavy for him."

On top of national team commitments, Amini trained with German club Borussia Dortmund, whose initial offer of 100,000 euros ($137,000) was too low for the Mariners.

Arnold refused to apportion blame when it came to Amini's ailment.

"He never had a problem with us. It's nobody's fault but the kid just needs a break before he breaks," he said.

"I think it's all down to fatigue and overload, too much football."

The Mariners lost last season's A-League final on penalties to the Roar and the classic is likely to be a major talking point ahead of the season-opening rematch on October 8.

However it is the furthest thing from Arnold's mind.

"Not at all. That's history," he said.

"The team had a fantastic season, they were champions but didn't get the championship - that's how I look at it.

"We've already moved forward, we don't talk about it anymore, we don't even look at it any more."

Celtic will use its three-game tour of Australia to help build cohesiveness ahead of the Scottish Premier League season, which has an earlier start date this year, July 23.

Manager Neil Lennon is also keen to develop a series of youngsters and new recruits.

"James Forrest, he's very exciting. Adam Matthews is a new signing from Cardiff who came here on a free transfer. Young Richie Towell is an Irish kid who has just come through the academy," he said.

"It's important for them to gel with the first-team boys, and interact with them, because they're going to be, hopefully, breaking through and being a part of it."

The visitors will field an understrength side on Saturday, with Greek striker Georgios Samaras, South Korean Ky Sung-Yueng and Swede Daniel Majstorovic set to join the team in Perth on July 5.

- AAP

Tags: sport, football, aleague, australia, nsw, gosford-2250

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