Ma’a Nonu and Dan Carter deadly as race to French playoffs heats up
Photo: Getty Images (Ma’a Nonu scoring for Toulon who are in the thick of the race for the French Top 14 playoffs). Ma’a Nonu was at his vintage best as he helped Toulon to a thrilling and important win in the French Top 14.The former All Blacks midfielder scored the last of Toulon’s three tries with a brilliant solo 30m effort in their 33-23 win on Monday (NZ time).Tries haven’t been easy to come by for Nonu since he moved to France following the 2015 World Cup triumph.But he showed his mix of power and pace with this effort, side-stepping against the run of play and slicing through the Toulouse defenders to make his way to the line.The win sees Toulon in fourth place as the playoffs edge closer.Meanwhile Dan Carter and his fellow Kiwis turned it on to keep Racing 92’s hope of making the playoffs alive.Defending champions Racing moved to fifth on the table with a pulsating 34-32 win against Pau on Monday (NZ time).Pau collected a bonus point to be sixth on the table on points-differential with Racing.The top six teams qualify for the playoffs.Carter kicked two penalties and converted all four tries for Racing.Joe Rokocoko scored the opening try for Racing in just the fifth minute and former Chiefs prop Ben Tameifuna marked his return to action with a try.Pau came back from 34-13 to score three tries in the last 10 minutes in a desperate bid to catch their Paris opponents.Colin Slade was again missing from the Pau lineup with Tom Taylor playing at No 10 and kicking one penalty.Racing 92 coach Laurent Labit praised Tameifuna who has battled weight issues this season after suffering a stomach ulcer.Labit revealed Tameifuna had returned overweight in the offseason. He had been rested since March 11 to try to get him into better shape and the coach felt Tameifuna had delivered a strong performance against Pau with his scrum work, tackling and clean outs.
The Oil Search Games Relay made a special visit to Cairns on the weekend where the community hosted an informal picnic on the Esplanade of Cairns City.Team PNG athletes who are training in Cairns also attended the event.PNG Consul Rava Chapman thanked the team for remembering the large community living and working in North Queensland and wished Team PNG every success in the upcoming games.Athletes from squash and lawn bowls took a break from their training to join in the festivities, take photos with the Baton and to meet their PNG wantoks based in Cairns.
He lost to world ranked number one Safwan Khalil of Australia 8-5 in the semi-final. The Australian won the first round by two points 2-0 and the second round also by two points 4-2. Kassman, who is also the Australian champion, has settled for bronze instead. It was a close fight with Khalil leading all the way in a close margin. Kassman and Johan Hardel of New Caledonia will take out bronze in this category.
The first big storm of the year, named Gloria, keeps the entire country on alert. Although its effects are beginning to be noticed, the worst is yet to come. The State Meteorological Agency (AEMT) has activated the orange (significant risk) and red (extreme risk) notices for Sunday and Monday by rains and high winds, Specially in the eastern third, on the Mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands. You will notice the intense cold in much of the peninsula and the snow level will go down in this area from 300-500 meters of altitude.Civil Protection warns that wind gusts in these areas could exceed 120 kilometers per hour,while the General Directorate of Traffic recommends that citizens advance travel to this Saturday. The stormy Gloria could also compromise and hinder the return trips of the displaced teams. These are some of the matches by LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank held in some of the areas with notices from the AEMT. LaLiga Santander: Mallorca-Valencia (12:00 hours)The most threatened party in theory is that of LaLiga Santander, which is held tomorrow in Palma de Mallorca from 12:00 noon. Mallorca receives tomorrow, from 12:00 hours, to Valencia. The island of Mallorca has activated the red warning by strong winds, rains and even waves of six meters, so the return trip of the Valencian team could also be compromised.LaLiga SmartBank: Elche-Alcorcón (12:00 hours)The morning’s crash schedule can mitigate the threat. The risk announced is by wind, with yellow level alert. According to the predictions, the rainfall will arrive as the game progresses, with a rain forecast of one hundred percent from 1:00 p.m.LaLiga Santander: Villarreal-Espanyol (4pm)The risk level is at the yellow level, with rain warning, with a probability of precipitation of 80 percent and strong wind at the time of the game.LaLiga Santander: Barcelona-Granada (9:00 p.m.)The storm will also be noticed tomorrow in Catalonia. Barcelona receives Granada, starting at 9:00 p.m. The probability of rains is 55 percent and the warning due to high winds is yellow.
18 Alba spent half an hour playing and ordering. The side asked Riqui, Rakitic and Vidal when it came out that the line of four that formed together Semedo played much higher. Setién ended up stopping Barça in attack with a clear 3-1-4-2 in which De Jong was an anchor player; Semedo and Alba opened the field and Vidal Y Arthur They moved the ball. In the 94th minute, and after fending him several times with going deep, Griezmann was serious and Alba put a fine ball as if it were Messi. Rarely half an hour gave for more. Alba showed that, on the same lawn, players can also act as coaches. The first thing he did when he left by Carles Pérez was to caress Ansu Fati and calm him down. The Guinean had been fouled and the game was stopped, so Alba, aware that there was still half an hour and that the blur could be corrected, moved his hands asking for tranquility and took the opportunity to give two clear guidelines that could come from the bench or Be simple self-management. The first slogan went to Lenglet. Barça had not taken a long pass throughout the game nor had it been deep. Alba stretched the band and finally worried Ibiza. Not only that. He also claimed Ansu and Griezmann deep uncheck. In one of them came the Griezmann 1-2. Noted other times by his defensive oversights on black nights like Liverpool, this time it was Jordi Alba who took Barça out of trouble and saved him from a ridiculous one of unknown dimensions. It’s hard to do more things well in half an hour in a field. The side of L’Hospitalet The game changed, a circumstance that has more merit if it is done from a band, where the outcome in football does not happen. Copa del Rey* Data updated as of January 23, 2020
Therefore, the information that spoke of a possible suspension of the meeting has been happening. For the moment, it has been confirmed that the duel has not yet been canceled, although everything points to the fact that it will not finally be played. The four parties involved have explained how the situation is in a press release: “In accordance with the recommendations of the Department of Health of the Basque Government, which has advised not to practice outdoor sports in the areas of Eibar, Ermua and Zaldibar, and after holding different conversations between SD Eibar, Real Sociedad, La Liga and the Royal Spanish Federation, all parties have decided to wait for tomorrow’s day to see if the air conditions evolve favorably and thus make a decision on whether finally the match that the two Gipuzkoan clubs in Ipurua should play on Sunday is played “. LaLiga, RFEF, Real Sociedad and Eibar have issued a joint statement to inform the situation of the Basque derby, which, a priori, will be held next Sunday from 16:00 in Ipurua. In the middle of the afternoon, the celebration of said meeting was questioned due to a fire produced at the Zaldibar landfill, which has not yet been suffocated by law enforcement.Under that circumstance, the Department of Health of the Basque Government recommended, among other things, Do not do outdoor sports in the areas of Zaldibar, Eibar and Ermua due to the presence of dioxins and furans in the air. Although the sample was taken last Sunday, it is still advised against sports because it is worth forty times more than normal per cubic meter.
Espanyol arrives in Valladolid in an upset environment, especially because the good feelings of 2-2 against Sevilla without Raúl de Tomás vanished in Wolverhampton, on a cold night with a heartbreaking 4-0. Although Abelardo Fernández gave rest to the players who today would be the owners, except for some specific case, Espanyol has not done very well after playing European competition.Already in the previous European, the parrots failed to win against Sevilla (0-2) or Vitoria (0-0), in the middle of the tie against Zorya. Nor, with David Gallego on the bench, joined Valladolid (0-2) and Mallorca (0-2) after drawing against Ferencvaros (1-1) and winning in Moscow (0-2). The tables changed with Pablo Machín. Or so it seemed after winning in Levante (0-1) after doing so against Ludogorets (0-1) in the Bulgarian city of Razgrad. But again the parakeets stumbled on the same stones. They lost in the Wanda Metropolitano (3-1), did the same to Osasuna (2-4) and added a point to Betis (1-1). All those matches after also rotating in Europe.Abelardo opens after a European match with the Cup precedents. Espanyol tied against Athletic (1-1) after losing and being eliminated in Anoeta (0-2) against Real Sociedad.Apart from the elusive Espanyol season, which continues with 19 colista points, the trips alter the training plan and are more uncomfortable for the players than the accumulated minutes. Although other clubs like Getafe or Sevilla hardly suffer the European consequences: both enjoy a comfortable position in LaLiga.
The Classic paralyzed half the world and after the meeting the media around the world had something to say about the match (2-0). The covers of digital media have not taken long to praise Vinicius and the rest of soccer players Real Madrid in his encounter in front of Barcelona, of which they emphasize that they have lost the leadership. These are the headlines left by the world press: Daily MailThe British newspaper focuses on the end of the white drought in the Classics: “Vinicius and Mariano end the streak of seven Classics without winning.”Mirror“Vinicius Junior breaks Messi’s record and Madrid wins the Classic.” The 19-year-old Brazilian became the youngest player to score in a Classic in the 21st century.The sunThe English focus on how valuable the three points are to assault the Santander League: “Incalculable victory of Los Blancos in the Classic to beat the rivals.”The telegraphMore compliments to the Brazilian in England: “Real Madrid jumps to Barcelona and becomes leader thanks to Vinicius”.The timesCristiano Ronaldo was in the box witnessing the meeting and in the English newspaper include him in his headline: “Cristiano Ronaldo watches as Madrid jumps and crushes his rivals.” La Gazzetta dello SportIn Italy they speak of a change of roles both in the classification and with respect to what had been seen during the last duels: “A contrasted Classic. The pride of Real fuses Barça with Vinicius and Diaz.”TuttosportOne of the most similar means to Juventus also used the name of its star for the headline: “Real Madrid wins the Classic under the eyes of Ronaldo”.L’EquipeThe French media highlights the change of leader in the classification: “Real Madrid returns to reign in the Classic and leads the championship.” In their paper edition they dedicate a small space to the party under the headline: “Zidane breathes.”Le parisienThe newspaper focuses on the performance of French players, qualifying as “ghostly” the second half of Griezmann, of “disappointment” Umtiti’s match and highlighting the “solidity” from Varane.BildThe German medium focuses on the local Real Madrid player to title his chronicle: “Kroos starts the Royal party.”A BolaIn the Portuguese media they point out that whites return to the first position: “Real Madrid wins in the Superclassic and leads again.”Or jogoHolder similar to that of his fellow Russians: “Madrid wins in the Classic against Barcelona and returns to the lead.”OléThe Argentine newspaper entitled: “This is how Madrid wins.” In addition, in an additional news, they analyze the meeting of the crack of Barcelona: “Messi, surrounded and without aim”.Balloon supportIn Brazil they focus on one of their new stars taking advantage of their great performance: “Vinicius Junior shines in the victory of Madrid in the Classic against Barcelona”.
The white club is confident that the season can end from the month of May and is not in any scenario that prompts it to carry out an ERTE among its staff and club workers. The Real Madrid It does not consider taking any action for the expansion of the coronavirus and the slowdown in the world of soccer in Spain, Y for the time being, discard a temporary employment regulation file (ERTE), as they recognized EFE entity sources. The way forward for the top leaders of the Real Madrid is marked by the indications they receive from Health and, as they admit to EFE, they will not take any action that goes against the rules and the recommendations that all Spaniards are complying with due to the coronavirus.The players of the Real Madrid they will continue exercising in their respective homes, with a work plan supervised by the team that leads Zinedine Zidane, and there is no date marked on the calendar to return to the sports city of Valdebebas to complete in group sessions.As recognized from within the club, no one from Inter de Milan, as published in Italy, he would have contacted Real Madrid to discuss a possible reduction in wages in the months from March to next June.
The former Bayern midfielder campaigned for his former team in bidding for Madrid. “I would like to see him at Bayern”he admitted. He also aligned himself with the strategy that the Munich entity is using to convince Upamecano to accept his offer and dismiss Madrid. Bayern is playing the trick of offering the French the ownership, something that would not be guaranteed at the Bernabéu where the center pair is consolidated with Ramos (precisely the idol of Upamecano) and Varane. “Upamecano needs the improvement that the parties give”Matthäus analyzed. “If he leaves Leipzig, the club or coach where he goes has to give him the confidence that he will play regularly.”As this newspaper reported, Upamecano has no intention of speeding up a decision about its future amid the pandemic. Already he has told Leipzig that he does not want to renew (ends his contract there in 2021) and he’s pushing for it to be sold now. He looks ready to go to a big one, just what Matthäus says … In Germany they closely follow the game that Real Madrid and Bayern are playing for Dayot Upamecano (21 years old, Leipzig). As AS reported, the Bavarian giant is Madrid’s great rival by the French central defender that Zidane likes. A pulse that has entered a legend of the people of Munich, Lottar Matthäus. The German icon puts its seal of approval on Upamecano. “I see him playing in a big one”Matthäus said in a podcast of Sky Germany. 