One Barrett back, another out
TWO-TIME World Player of the Year Beauden Barrett will make his first Super Rugby appearance of the season when the Hurricanes take on the Brumbies tomorrow, but his younger brother Jordie has been left out of the side.
The elder Barrett, got married in the off-season and only returned to the Hurricanes last week after having an extended break. He told reporters last week he had negotiated a late return because of the World Cup in Japan later in the year.
The flyhalf had been keen to play in last weekend’s 38-22 defeat to defending champions the Crusaders, but coach John Plumtree decided to wait another week before bringing him into the side.
Fullback Jordie, who played the full 80 minutes in each of the Hurricanes first two games, was left out of the side. All Black players are limited to 180 minutes of playing time in the first three weeks of the season.
All Black blindside flank Vaea Fifita will make his first appearance following a slow return from a hamstring injury. He managed to play 50 minutes for the Hurricanes’ development side last week.
Fellow loose forward Ardie Savea, who missed the Crusaders game, has shifted to No 8 from his usual openside flank role with Gareth Evans sidelined with a calf injury.
Plumtree said yesterday his team must improve against the Brumbies, who have been labelled one-dimensional in recent years with a reliance on a driving maul, but enjoyed a scintillating 54-17 win over the Chiefs in Canberra last Saturday.
“It was a bit of a surprise for them to put 50 (past the Chiefs),” Hurricanes wing Ben Lam told reporters yesterday.
“But we know they have the personnel (to do that) and ... any team with that kind of personnel will do that on their day.” | SRI LANKA batting great Sanath Jayasuriya has been banned from all cricket for two years after breaching two counts of the ICC’s anti-corruption code, the world governing body said on Tuesday.
The ICC said the former captain and chairman of selectors had refused to cooperate with any investigation conducted by its anti-corruption unit (ACU) under Article 2.4.6 of the anti-corruption code.
It added in a statement that the 49-year-old had also been sanctioned for trying to conceal, destroy or tamper with evidence that could be crucial to an anti-corruption investigation under Article 2.4.7 of the code.
“This conviction under the code demonstrates the importance of participants in cricket cooperating with investigations,” ICC General Manager Alex Marshall said. “Compelling participants to cooperate under the code is a vital weapon in our efforts to rid our sport of corruptors.”
Jayasuriya later issued a statement saying that although he had admitted the charges for the good of the game, he was keen to emphasise there were “no allegations of corruption, betting or misuse of inside information”.
“I reiterate the fact that I have always maintained a high degree of integrity throughout my cricketing career,” he posted on his Facebook.
“I have always put country first and the cricket loving public are the best witnesses to this aspect.
“I profusely thank the public of Sri Lanka and my fans for having stood by me during this difficult period.”
Jayasuriya played 110 Tests, scoring 6 973 runs with 14 hundreds before his retirement from the longest format in 2007. It was in the shorter form of the game that he really stamped his name on cricket, though.
In a formidable opening partnership with wicketkeeper Romesh Kaluwitharana, Jayasuriya was a key member of Sri Lanka’s breakthrough 50-over World Cup triumph in 1996.
In all, Jayasuriya scored 13 430 runs in 445 one-day internationals.
In January, the ICC granted Sri Lankan cricketers a 15-day amnesty to report previously undisclosed information relating to corruption in the sport.
“I am very grateful to those who participated in the amnesty and as a result of the information shared we now have a much clearer picture of the situation in Sri Lanka and our investigations are continuing,” Marshall added. |