Dejected Bevo admits ‘stale' performance
AFL: Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge fronts the media after his side's shock upset loss to Hawthorn in Round 13.
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News.com.au
34 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Brumbies seal Super Rugby semi final berth with win over the Hurricanes
There's still a pulse in Australia's ailing Super Rugby teams. Not for the first time, the ACT Brumbies have saved Australian rugby's blushes with a thrilling 35-28 quarter-final win over the Hurricanes in Canberra on Saturday. They now face the dreaded prospect of having to win twice in New Zealand to take the title but that's a problem for another day because the good news is that at least they're still alive. Australia's other teams all folded like cheap suits and have already crashed out of the tournament, leaving the Brumbies to fly the flag alone against the three remaining Kiwi sides. If it wasn't for an officiating blunder that cost them victory in their final regular season clash with the Crusaders, the Brumbies would be hosting a semi next week but instead they're off to Waikato Stadium in Hamilton to tackle the Chiefs. It's a tough assignment but the Brumbies have always been a side willing to roll up their sleeves and grind out wins through hard work. Twice they found themselves trailing the Hurricanes inside the first quarter of the game but both times they levelled the scores with tries off the back of rolling mauls after spurning the chance of easy points from penalties. It's not pretty but it's a highly effective tactic that the Brumbies have mastered and the Wallabies should consider using in their upcoming series against the British and Irish Lions. Four of the Brumbies' five tries against the Hurricanes were scored by frontrowers, two by hooker Billy Pollard and one each from props James Slipper and captain Allan Alaalatoa, who returned to the side from injury. 'It felt good to earn ourselves another week,' Alaalatoa said. 'We knew it was probably going to take everything we had. Physically, we spoke a lot about our tackle area and our tackle completion from the last time we played them. 'We backed ourselves. We knew that if we were going to beat the Hurricanes, we had to score some tries. 'The last time we played him, we didn't get many A-Zone opportunities, so we wanted to take as many as we could.' Only Tom Wright, who had an impressive game at fullback, chalked one up for the backline after he combined with powerhouse backrower Rob Valentini. If the Brumbies have a weakness it's with their defence. They conceded 50 tries during the normal season and gave up four more against the Hurricanes to keep the visitors in the game right until the final whistle. There was some added pressure before the game when the Auckland Blues scored in the last minute to beat the Chiefs in New Zealand, meaning the Brumbies' match was sudden-death. Had the Chiefs won, both the Brumbies and the Canes would have been assured a place in the semis regardless of the result but it was the Aussies who survived to fight again. 'It's good for us to experience that pressure now, especially heading over to Hamilton now where it is going to be do or die,' Alaalatoa said. 'To have that feeling for the game I think it's gonna be good for us heading into next week.'
Daily Telegraph
38 minutes ago
- Daily Telegraph
Jess Tzaferis shines in wet conditions with early double at Morphettville Parks
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Jockey Jess Tzaferis travelled to Saturday's racing at Morphettville Parks with a good deal of confidence and it translated to success. A gander at the forecast and clouds on the way into the nine-race card gave Tzaferis plenty of hope with her book of rides all expected to handle the rainy conditions. Racenet iQ members get full access to our Pro Tips service, where Greg and our team of professional punters provide daily tips with fully transparent return on investment statistics. SUBSCRIBE NOW and start punting like a pro! Tzaferis, who also holds a licence as a trainer, was able to chalk up an early race-to-race double with Grand Host and High Society Girl before running third on Exalted Fire in the sixth race on the program. 'Not going to lie I was very excited coming to the races today and seeing the weather I was driving through and what was forecasted,' Tzaferis told post-race. 'I thought I had three nice rides and especially with the weather so it's a good day to be at the races.' The first of those wins came aboard veteran galloper Grand Host at his 65th career start. The seven-year-old son of Host enjoyed the wet conditions and fast tempo and was able to get the job done in style to chalk up win number 11. 'He's like fine wine because he just gets better with age,' Tzaferis said. 'Really great result for the team. 'He flew the gates today and I was really making sure he got that bum to switch him off and once he got that bum, I knew he would be very hard to beat. 'Especially given the conditions especially when it's getting wetter, he's only better. 'He's hard rock fit, a seasoned campaigner, knows his job and he's happy doing it.' Just 35 minutes later saw High Society Girl turn in a strong victory in a race where the jockey showed plenty of patience. Trainer Stephen Theodore noted to Tzaferis that High Society Girl is at her best when saved for one last dash and it's exactly what panned out. 'Steve honed it into me last start that she does have that one big dash,' Tzaferis said. 'Lachie (Neindorf) was under pressure quite early into the race and I knew I'd get a break into the corner. 'So I had to bide my time, which is sometimes hard to do when the horse is travelling so well underneath you, but you have to trust the trainers judgement and it paid off.' Originally published as Jess Tzaferis shines in wet conditions with early double at Morphettville Parks
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Cats back Stewart after bump sends Anderson to hospital
Geelong coach Chris Scott has launched an impassioned defence of Tom Stewart as the star utility faces AFL scrutiny over the bump that landed Gold Coast's Noah Anderson in hospital. Stewart crunched Anderson in a heavy collision during the fourth quarter of the Cats' dour 9.7 (61) to 5.7 (37) victory at a rain-soaked GMHBA Stadium on Saturday. Play was held up while Anderson was assessed by medical staff, before he jogged slowly off the ground. He was eventually taken to the Suns' change-room. The Gold Coast captain was cleared of concussion after his head hit the ground following the body contact from Stewart, but was later taken to hospital for scans on his chest region. Scott insisted Stewart showed the appropriate duty of care to Anderson and was adamant there would have to be a fundamental shift in rules for the five-time All-Australian to face sanction over the bump. "If it's a protective action where contact's unavoidable and you don't get them in the head, then you've done everything you can," Scott said after the match. "I sort of feel for Noah. Everyone loves him, he's a gun player and it was pretty heavy contact to the ribs, but it was to the body. "Stewy, I thought his duty of care to Noah was as good as it could have been, and he was good enough to hit him in the body." Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick didn't feel there was anything untoward in the bump from Stewart, who was given a four-match ban in 2022 for a nasty hit on Richmond's Dion Prestia. "The game's combative, accidents happen on the footy field. It's one of those things," Hardwick said of Saturday's incident. "We'd love Noah to keep playing (but it's) within the rules, still allowed to bump. "It was a reasonable hit, a solid hit. He's a big boy, Tom Stewart. "But once again, we'll make it very clear, it was chest. It wasn't head or anything like that - no concussion. "From our point of view he'll just go there (hospital) and see what that comes back at." Hardwick was more concerned with his team failing what he had termed a "litmus test" before the match, and ceding their top-four spot to Geelong in the process. The Cats never trailed and pulled clear after halftime to improve their record to 9-4 with a fourth straight win, while Gold Coast slipped to 8-4 with a second successive defeat. It was also the Suns' ninth loss in as many visits to Geelong's Kardinia Park base - eight of those against the Cats - since their AFL inception in 2011. Tyson Stengle (four goals) and Max Holmes (40 disposals, 10 clearances) starred for Geelong, while Tom Atkins (23, eight) and Mark O'Connor (21, seven) were also important. AFL great Gary Ablett Jr was among the 29,502 fans on hand to watch his two former clubs do battle, and witnessed a scrappy, stoppage-heavy encounter in wet conditions. Hardwick felt Geelong were better around the contest, conceding they were "too good, too clean and too strong" for the Suns. "We've got some work to do and I was really pissed off, to be perfectly honest," he said. "We knew the game that we needed to have, and we unfortunately failed the test." Geelong lost Shannon Neale to an ankle injury before halftime, and Gold Coast's Jed Walter could face scrutiny for late and high contact on O'Connor with a swinging arm. Geelong coach Chris Scott has launched an impassioned defence of Tom Stewart as the star utility faces AFL scrutiny over the bump that landed Gold Coast's Noah Anderson in hospital. Stewart crunched Anderson in a heavy collision during the fourth quarter of the Cats' dour 9.7 (61) to 5.7 (37) victory at a rain-soaked GMHBA Stadium on Saturday. Play was held up while Anderson was assessed by medical staff, before he jogged slowly off the ground. He was eventually taken to the Suns' change-room. The Gold Coast captain was cleared of concussion after his head hit the ground following the body contact from Stewart, but was later taken to hospital for scans on his chest region. Scott insisted Stewart showed the appropriate duty of care to Anderson and was adamant there would have to be a fundamental shift in rules for the five-time All-Australian to face sanction over the bump. "If it's a protective action where contact's unavoidable and you don't get them in the head, then you've done everything you can," Scott said after the match. "I sort of feel for Noah. Everyone loves him, he's a gun player and it was pretty heavy contact to the ribs, but it was to the body. "Stewy, I thought his duty of care to Noah was as good as it could have been, and he was good enough to hit him in the body." Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick didn't feel there was anything untoward in the bump from Stewart, who was given a four-match ban in 2022 for a nasty hit on Richmond's Dion Prestia. "The game's combative, accidents happen on the footy field. It's one of those things," Hardwick said of Saturday's incident. "We'd love Noah to keep playing (but it's) within the rules, still allowed to bump. "It was a reasonable hit, a solid hit. He's a big boy, Tom Stewart. "But once again, we'll make it very clear, it was chest. It wasn't head or anything like that - no concussion. "From our point of view he'll just go there (hospital) and see what that comes back at." Hardwick was more concerned with his team failing what he had termed a "litmus test" before the match, and ceding their top-four spot to Geelong in the process. The Cats never trailed and pulled clear after halftime to improve their record to 9-4 with a fourth straight win, while Gold Coast slipped to 8-4 with a second successive defeat. It was also the Suns' ninth loss in as many visits to Geelong's Kardinia Park base - eight of those against the Cats - since their AFL inception in 2011. Tyson Stengle (four goals) and Max Holmes (40 disposals, 10 clearances) starred for Geelong, while Tom Atkins (23, eight) and Mark O'Connor (21, seven) were also important. AFL great Gary Ablett Jr was among the 29,502 fans on hand to watch his two former clubs do battle, and witnessed a scrappy, stoppage-heavy encounter in wet conditions. Hardwick felt Geelong were better around the contest, conceding they were "too good, too clean and too strong" for the Suns. "We've got some work to do and I was really pissed off, to be perfectly honest," he said. "We knew the game that we needed to have, and we unfortunately failed the test." Geelong lost Shannon Neale to an ankle injury before halftime, and Gold Coast's Jed Walter could face scrutiny for late and high contact on O'Connor with a swinging arm. Geelong coach Chris Scott has launched an impassioned defence of Tom Stewart as the star utility faces AFL scrutiny over the bump that landed Gold Coast's Noah Anderson in hospital. Stewart crunched Anderson in a heavy collision during the fourth quarter of the Cats' dour 9.7 (61) to 5.7 (37) victory at a rain-soaked GMHBA Stadium on Saturday. Play was held up while Anderson was assessed by medical staff, before he jogged slowly off the ground. He was eventually taken to the Suns' change-room. The Gold Coast captain was cleared of concussion after his head hit the ground following the body contact from Stewart, but was later taken to hospital for scans on his chest region. Scott insisted Stewart showed the appropriate duty of care to Anderson and was adamant there would have to be a fundamental shift in rules for the five-time All-Australian to face sanction over the bump. "If it's a protective action where contact's unavoidable and you don't get them in the head, then you've done everything you can," Scott said after the match. "I sort of feel for Noah. Everyone loves him, he's a gun player and it was pretty heavy contact to the ribs, but it was to the body. "Stewy, I thought his duty of care to Noah was as good as it could have been, and he was good enough to hit him in the body." Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick didn't feel there was anything untoward in the bump from Stewart, who was given a four-match ban in 2022 for a nasty hit on Richmond's Dion Prestia. "The game's combative, accidents happen on the footy field. It's one of those things," Hardwick said of Saturday's incident. "We'd love Noah to keep playing (but it's) within the rules, still allowed to bump. "It was a reasonable hit, a solid hit. He's a big boy, Tom Stewart. "But once again, we'll make it very clear, it was chest. It wasn't head or anything like that - no concussion. "From our point of view he'll just go there (hospital) and see what that comes back at." Hardwick was more concerned with his team failing what he had termed a "litmus test" before the match, and ceding their top-four spot to Geelong in the process. The Cats never trailed and pulled clear after halftime to improve their record to 9-4 with a fourth straight win, while Gold Coast slipped to 8-4 with a second successive defeat. It was also the Suns' ninth loss in as many visits to Geelong's Kardinia Park base - eight of those against the Cats - since their AFL inception in 2011. Tyson Stengle (four goals) and Max Holmes (40 disposals, 10 clearances) starred for Geelong, while Tom Atkins (23, eight) and Mark O'Connor (21, seven) were also important. AFL great Gary Ablett Jr was among the 29,502 fans on hand to watch his two former clubs do battle, and witnessed a scrappy, stoppage-heavy encounter in wet conditions. Hardwick felt Geelong were better around the contest, conceding they were "too good, too clean and too strong" for the Suns. "We've got some work to do and I was really pissed off, to be perfectly honest," he said. "We knew the game that we needed to have, and we unfortunately failed the test." Geelong lost Shannon Neale to an ankle injury before halftime, and Gold Coast's Jed Walter could face scrutiny for late and high contact on O'Connor with a swinging arm.
