Queensland Reds torpedoed Western Force’s playoff hopes with a 29-12 upset victory in an all-Australian Super 14 rugby match yesterday.
The Reds bounced back from a troubled season for their third victory of the campaign, scoring three tries against the bumbling, try-less Force.
While the Reds have little chance of reaching the semi-finals, the Perth-based Force were up until recently considered Australia’s best provincial team, yet three successive defeats have them dropping out of contention.
Force skipper Nathan Sharpe lambasted his team’s attitude.
“[They] didn’t turn up mentally and paid the price,” he said, describing the limp performance as their worst of the season.
Queensland, with little to play for but pride, dominated territory and possession in the second half and ground out a determined victory, keeping the Force scoreless in the second half after leading 13-12 at halftime.
The Reds scored after just two minutes through No. 8 Leroy Houston off a driving lineout win and made the game safe with second-half tries to center Morgan Turinui and replacement back Andrew Walker.
Rugby league convert Clinton Schifcofske chipped in with 11 points from a conversion and three penalties, while Wallaby Berrick Barnes landed a penalty.
The Force, who did not score a try for the second straight week, scored all their points through four penalties from fullback Cameron Shepherd. They have now slipped to a 5-5 record.
Queensland were well served by inside halves Barnes and Quade Cooper, who swapped the first receiver role during the game, while veterans John Roe and David Croft were effective in the forwards.
The Force began the season well with two wins in South Africa and a creditable 24-29 loss at home to the six-time champions the Canterbury Crusaders. But they now have just three matches left to press for a semi-final spot after a bye next weekend.
They play at home to the in-form Waikato Chiefs, an away match to the Wellington Hurricanes and a final home game against the ACT Brumbies.
The Reds have a testing match in New Zealand next weekend against the Chiefs.
“Please love us. Please cheer us on. We have been working hard. Do not give up on us.” Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien’s heartfelt plea echoed across the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 tournament after a historic victory. Rather than boasting, Chen was making an earnest appeal after leading Taiwan to a 4-0 victory over Japan to claim their first major international baseball title at the senior level. Chen’s decisive three-run homer in the fifth inning and his Premier12 leading .632 batting average secured him the Premier12’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) title. He was also named one of the tournament’s outstanding defensive players
WELL-AGED: Although the youngest team in the tournament, Taiwan featured several veteran stars, including Sunday’s home-run hero Chen Chieh-hsien “I will never forget today,” veteran Taiwanese pitcher Chen Kuan-yu said after Taiwan on Sunday night blanked Japan to secure their first ever gold in the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 championship. Chen, who at 34 is the oldest member on the team, said Taiwan “made every difficult step to come to today’s victory. I will never forget today.” Taiwan made history when they won their first gold medal of the Premier12 tournament, beating Japan in a 4-0 shutout victory in the final at the Tokyo Dome. It was a jaw-dropping victory for many baseball commentators who went into the game with
Nikola Jokic on Saturday scored 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to spark the Denver Nuggets over the Los Angeles Lakers 127-102, continuing their dominance of the NBA rivalry, while Scotty Pippen Jr scored a career-best 30 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies past the Chicago Bulls, 142-131. The Nuggets won for the 13th time in the past 14 contests against the Lakers, including ousting the Lakers in the playoffs the past two seasons. Serbian star Jokic failed to achieve his sixth consecutive triple-double, managing only eight assists, but his effort was plenty as Michael Porter Jr added 24 points and 11
Major League Baseball (MLB) star Shohei Ohtani wants his former interpreter to hand over hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of baseball cards he says were fraudulently bought using his money. The Los Angeles Dodgers star is also requesting Ippei Mizuhara, who previously pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud for stealing nearly US$17 million from the unsuspecting athlete, return signed collectible baseball cards depicting Ohtani that were in Mizuhara’s “unauthorized and wrongful possession,” court documents filed on Tuesday said. The legal filing alleges Mizuhara accessed Ohtani’s bank account beginning in about November 2021, changing his security protocols so that he