New Zealand winger Zac Guildford scored four tries as the All Blacks temporarily lifted the dark pall over their rugby World Cup campaign with a 79-15 victory over Canada in their final Pool A clash yesterday.
With the All Blacks coming to terms with news that flyhalf Daniel Carter had been ruled out of the tournament after tearing a groin tendon in training, Guildford popped up all over the field and had a hand in three other tries against the Canadians.
“I think ... he played particularly well, which was very pleasing,” coach Graham Henry told reporters.
Photo: EPA
“He has put his hand up and is a selection candidate for next week. I’m very pleased for him,” he added, talking about the All Blacks’ quarter-final against Argentina on Sunday.
Carter’s exit from the tournament was described earlier by Henry as a “major” blow to the All Blacks, though the team also suffered a series of other injuries in the match.
Carter’s replacement Colin Slade limped off in the second half, as did utility back Israel Dagg, while loosehead prop Tony Woodcock was forced off following a head clash with Canada’s Adam Kleeberger.
Photo: Reuters
“His health is okay. He told me he is fine,” Henry told reporters of Woodcock, who appeared to be knocked cold in the collision. “He got a pretty severe head knock, but he recovered pretty quickly. I think he’ll be fine.”
Guildford, making his first start of the tournament, ran in a hat-trick of tries in the first half as the All Blacks backline cut the Canadians to shreds with their pace, width and ability to push their hands free of the tackle.
Guildford also helped set up tries for Dagg and veteran fullback Mils Muliaina, while Victor Vito smashed over after the All Blacks had demolished the Canadian scrum inside their own 22m area.
Slade had difficulty kicking in the swirling northerly breeze, adding just two conversions and a penalty in the first half.
Canada had defended for most of the first half, but managed to score just before the break when winger Conor Trainor crossed in the corner following a sustained buildup.
Trainor added his second try immediately after halftime when he fell on the loose ball from a kick ahead and slid over. Ander Monro converted to make it 37-15.
The All Blacks lost some structure in the second half, but still managed to post their highest score against Canada as Jimmy Cowan, Jerome Kaino (two), Sonny Bill Williams, Guildford and Vito all crossed.
Piri Weepu slotted four conversions as the All Blacks surpassed their previous highest score against Canada of 73-7, which they posted in 1995.
“It’s a bit disappointing the way we finished here today, but I’m really pleased with the guys the way they played as a team and as individuals,” Canada captain Pat Riordan said.
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and partner Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia yesterday advanced to the women’s doubles final at the Australian Open after defeating New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe and Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-3 in their semi-final. Hsieh has won nine Grand Slam doubles titles and has a shot at a 10th tomorrow, when the Latvian-Taiwanese duo are to play Taylor Townsend of the US and Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic in the championship match at the A$96.5 million (US$61 million) outdoor hard court tournament at Melbourne Park. Townsend and Siniakova eliminated Russian pair Diana Shnaider and Mirra Andreeva 6-7
The San Francisco Giants signed 18-year-old Taiwanese pitcher Yang Nien-hsi (陽念希) to a contract worth a total of US$500,000 (NT $16.39 million). At a press event in Taipei on Wednesday, Jan. 22, the Giants’ Pacific Rim Area scout Evan Hsueh (薛奕煌) presented Yang with a Giants jersey to celebrate the signing. The deal consisted of a contract worth US$450,000 plus a US$50,000 scholarship bonus. Yang, who stands at 188 centimeters tall and weighs 85 kilograms, is of Indigenous Amis descent. With his fastest pitch clocking in at 150 kilometers per hour, Yang had been on Hsueh’s radar since playing in the HuaNan Cup
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Coco Gauff’s dreams of a first women’s singles title in Melbourne were crushed in the quarter-finals by Paula Badosa. World No. 2 Alexander Zverev was ruffled by a stray feather in his men’s singles quarter-final, but he refocused to beat 12th seed Tommy Paul and reach the semi-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania and Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 in 2 hours, 20 minutes to advance the semi-finals. Hsieh and Ostapenko converted eight of 14 break
FINAL WEEK LOOMS: PSG rose to 22nd place to set up another tense challenge against 24th-placed Stuttgart, while Man City require victory against Club Brugge Manchester City are on the brink of a humiliating UEFA Champions League exit after a stunning loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, while Real Madrid is no longer at risk after routing Salzburg. Man City blew a two-goal lead in a high-stakes clash of super-wealthy underachievers that PSG won 4-2 in Paris, who could still be eliminated alongside the English champions after the final round of games next week. Only the top 24 in the 36-team standings are to advance. Man City, the 2023 champions, are in 25th place, but could squeeze into the knockout playoffs round by beating Club Brugge. “We will
RSS