Rennie reported to be on his way to become Australia head coach
AFTER months of speculation, it looks as though the Wallabies have finally landed their man and Dave Rennie will be heading south from Glasgow Warriors to take over from Michael Cheika as the Australia head coach.
Reports in Australia say Scott Johnson, the former director of rugby in Scotland who now occupies the same role in Australia, has been telling staff that Rennie is on his way.
There is, however, no suggestion that Rennie is intent on walking out on his contract with Glasgow, where he is in his third season in charge. He knew about the interest from Australia when he signed his current deal, which takes him to June next year, and has always promised he would see it out.
That is still compatible with taking the Wallabies job since they don’t now have another Test until July. He did the same thing when he joined Glasgow – signing when he was still under contract with the Chiefs in New Zealand, finishing his time there and moving to Scotland only once his commitments were complete.
The assurances being given in Sydney, however, do fire the starting gun in the race to take over at Glasgow – a competition that could be complicated by the fact that Jim Mallinder, who will take over as the new director of rugby at Murrayfield and should be a key man in the decision-making process, doesn’t start until the New Year. It means they could be well into the spring before a decision is reached.
If the SRU decide to keep the appointment internal, then Jason O’Halloran is the most senior of
STEVE Hansen has laughed off spying suggestions from the England camp and described them as “the best clickbait in the world”.
It emerged on Tuesday that one of England’s training sessions was filmed by an unidentified cameraman who was spotted in one of the residential buildings overlooking the pitch.
England head coach Eddie Jones did not allege that New Zealand were responsible, and Hansen was in jocular mood on the subject.
“Eddie and I both know that all is fair in love and war,” Hansen said. “There is nothing better in war than to throw a wee distraction out that you guys [media] can’t resist.
“It’s the best clickbait in the world – someone’s spying on us. He didn’t call at us. He was very deliberate in not doing that.
“He talked about it being somebody else. It was probably the same bloke who videoed us when we were there, but everyone has jumped on it and he’s been successful in getting the clickbait.
“He was very particular about what he said, that someone had filmed their training. He said it could have been a supporter. He didn’t say New Zealand did it.”
SCOTLAND fighter Josh Taylor is “100-per-cent confident” he can knock out undefeated Regis Prograis during their superlightweight unification bout at the O2 Arena tomorrow night.
Taylor won the IBF title in his last fight, while Prograis holds the WBA and WBC belts, with this bout also the final of the division’s World Boxing Super Series for the Muhammad Ali Trophy.
With an impressive record of 15 wins from 15 fights, including 12 knock-outs, the Edinburgh-born boxer feels he can do the same against Prograis.
“One-hundred-per-cent I feel like I can knock him out,” said Taylor. “I’m going in there to do a job on Saturday and I really believe I can lay him out cold then and I just want to get in there and get it done there.”
The 28-year-old fighter was a Commonwealth Games gold medalist at Glasgow 2014 and has achieved notable victories against Ohara Davies, Miguel Vazguez, Viktor Postol and Ivan Baranchyk, and believes he can add Prograis to the list.
Taylor said: “I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in, switched on. I know he’s a good fighter, he’s a world champion, so all these belts on the line are going to bring out the best of me. So he’s going to get it on Saturday night.”
New Orleans fighter Prograis insisted he was better than Taylor in every aspect ahead of his first bout in the UK.
The American came over three weeks before the fight to adapt, and said: “The UK fans have been embracing me, I feel like I’m home. I feel like, I’m normal, I’m a home fighter or something.
SCOTLAND shook off the jitters last night to snuff out the challenge of Bermuda and revive their T20 World Cup qualification bid. Half centuries by George Munsey and Calum MacLeod were the foundations for the success in Dubai. Kyle Coetzer’s men rattled up 204 for four, then curbed the Bermudans to 158 for eight.
But the victory was tarnished when it was revealed that Scots spinner Tom Sole has been banned from bowling for the foreseeable
“It was a great thing for me to come over here in the three weeks because I got adjusted to the time, the weather, the culture, the people, everything.
“So now I feel like I’m very comfortable here and that’s the main reason I came to feel comfortable here.”
When asked about his opponent, Prograis said: “I don’t think he’s better than me in nothing, but he’s good.
“Even before the tournament started I felt like ‘Josh Taylor is the best in the world at 140 pounds after me’ and I’m going to prove it on Saturday.
“This fight, it won’t change nothing.” future due to an alleged illegal action. Sole was reported to ICC bosses following the encounter with Kenya this week. Despite the suspension, he kept his place in the side, but only as a fielder and batsman, if needed.
Safyaan Sharif made the initial breakthrough by clean bowling Dion Stovell with 16 on the board and he struck again to remove Terryn Fray with a brilliant return catch.
Hamza Tahir made an instant impact by trapping Oronde
RICKY Burns plans to roll back the years when he takes on one of his old sparring partners Lee Selby on the undercard of the Josh Taylor-Regis Prograis bout at the O2 tomorrow.
A former world champion at three different weight classes knows that realistically his last chance of contending at world level again could depend on taking care of business against Selby over a 12-round lightweight contest.
The former world champion at
Bascome with his second delivery to make it 60 for three, but Bermuda kept up the pressure through Delray Rawlins. There was another breakthrough when Mark Watt shattered the stumps of Allan Douglas and Ali Evans got in on the act, prompting Onias Bascome into offering an easy catch to Munsey.
The prized wicket of Rawlins, who was caught by Sharif off Mark Watt after a quick fire 46 off 21 deliveries, effectively ended the contest. super featherweight, lightweight and super lightweight, can’t wait to fight under the lights at this famous Greenwich arena for the first time.
“Big nights like this at the O2 are what I am in boxing for,” said the 36-year-old from Coatbridge. “I have never boxed here before but these are the big shows I have always said I want to be involved in.
“I know it is a tough fight but preparation has gone well, everything has gone well.”
Earlier, skipper Coetzer had holed out on the midwicket rope off Kamau Leverock for 12, but Oli Hairs scored a brisk 23, with Munsey and MacLeod bringing up three figures in the 12th over. The former was dismissed on 51 from 41 balls, while MacLeod’s 50 was raised in the 17th over from 27 balls. He and Richie Berrington (34 not out) maintained the momentum with a sparkling stand of 75, during which MacLeod passed the 1,000 run landmark in T20 internationals.
LEWIS Hamilton could clinch his sixth world championship in Mexico on Sunday.
The Briton holds a 64-point lead over Valtteri Bottas with just 104 available.
Here, we assesses the key talking points ahead of this weekend’s race. if he wins and Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas is fifth or lower, the title is his.
Despite being on the cusp of a remarkable triumph that takes him to within one of Michael Schumacher’s record, Hamilton has arrived here facing questions over his frame of mind following a number of posts on Instagram last week. The British star took aim at the state of the planet and agriculture farming before encouraging his fans to follow him into veganism.