Latest news with #World Cup
BBC News
4 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Second-string shine but familiar problems for Scotland
Two wins, one narrow and one commanding, and a bruising defeat. It's been a mixed bag for Gregor Townsend and his players on their summer sojourn to the southern were clinical against the Maori All Blacks, ill-disciplined against Fiji and dominated both sides of the ball against will focus on the humbling loss in Suva. The Scots were second best in every department, with a match plan that seemed to play to Fiji's remember, this is a squad without at least 10 first-choice players due to a combination the British & Irish Lions tour and although the world rankings may have been harmed, the new World Cup format means Scotland will, most likely, not face another 'pool of death' like they did in not too bruising in the end, then. Plus, there are plenty of positives. Let's look through them. Second-string shines in New Zealand "Those are the two best performances on tour, so we obviously like playing in New Zealand!" Townsend joked after the 41-12 win over Samoa in first and last games of the tour were the matches in which far more game time was given to Scotland's back-up brigade and a fair few excelled."You rise to a challenge and you show your true identity when you've got that challenge of backing up a defeat and the players showed that," added Townsend."The way they came together during the week with just a six-day turnaround and one training session, they were really aligned and focused on delivering a better performance."Andy Onyeama-Christie looked back to his best, with the back-rower returning from a horrific leg break sustained playing for Saracens last Smith was another on the comeback trail and immediately made an impact. Given Scotland's lack of depth in the back-three, his recovery is a Samoa, the midfield partnership of Stafford McDowall and Rory Hutchinson did their best impression of Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones, with McDowall equally adept at trucking forward like an angry rhino, or showing the delicate hands of a important relationship that blossomed was in the half-backs, between Jamie Dobie and Fergus they struggled with the game plan against Fiji, the duo look to have cemented themselves as second-choice behind Lions' tourists Ben White and Finn inclusion in the starting XV against Fiji - his first Test start at nine - suggested a reshuffle in the scrum-half pecking order and his all-action performance against Samoa only boosted his fly-half, there have been plenty of contenders for the second violin spot, but with Townsend saying Burke "is up there with the best 10s" it looks like he's going to get his shot in the coming months. Old ghosts continue to haunt The problems in the loss to Fiji will keep Townsend awake at we saw the good stuff that has kept Scotland fans dreaming of a Six Nations triumph; smooth backline running and powerhouse performances in the back-row - there was also all the bad stuff that keeps crashing us back down to ill-discipline was horrendous. Townsend called it "unusual" but the man in the middle was Ben O'Keeffe, a referee who once gave 17 successive penalties against enormous defensive pressure, teams do start to creak but at some stage, players and coaches have to wise up. Why were so many offsides given away? What are we doing that this referee doesn't like? Questions to be set-piece also continued to struggle. Although hooker Ewan Ashman has been called up as cover for the Lions tour, the line-out has been a problem area for Scotland for a long a decent set-piece, Scotland don't have a solid foundation to build upon. It has to be sorted before they can ever be Six Nations was also the shaky restarts, something that predates Townsend's eight years in charge. When spilled, or not gathered at all in some cases, any confidence from scoring at the other end immediately evaporates. They need to get over the nerves. 'Pool of death' unlikely at next World Cup A lot was made of the game against Fiji and the damaging impact on ranking now looks a lot harder for Scotland to be inside the top six when the World Cup pools are drawn in December, something that Townsend admitted was the what does finishing outside the top six actually look like now? It's certainly not the same as 2023, given the expanded 24-team edition of the next top two teams will go through from the six four-team groups, as will the four best third-placed means it's highly likely that Scotland will qualify for the knockouts, regardless of whether they're in the top six or course, if they were one of the best-ranked sides the group would be easier and give them a better path deeper into the tournament. But let's put one foot in front of the other though, it's important to rest. "It's end of the season for a lot of guys, it's been a long season," Townsend said."They put their bodies on the line right to the last play of the game and they deserve a good rest."After some of those bone-juddering, neck-snapping collisions in Suva, they'd be forgiven for sleeping in ice baths until the autumn Tests.
CBC
6 days ago
- Sport
- CBC
Norwegian ski cross racer and 2010 Olympic medallist dies at 49 after lightning strike
Olympic ski cross medalist Audun Groenvold has died after being struck by lightning, the Norwegian ski federation announced Wednesday. He was 49. Groenvold won bronze at the 2010 Vancouver Games. "It is with great sadness that we have received the news of Audun Groenvold's untimely passing," the federation said. "The former national Alpine skier and ski cross athlete was recently struck by lightning during a cabin trip." The federation said Groenvold was "quickly taken to hospital and received treatment for the injuries he sustained in the lightning strike" and then died Tuesday night. Groenvold was a member of Norway's alpine skiing team before he moved into freestyle and ski cross. He had one podium finish as a World Cup alpine skier, finishing third in a downhill in Sierra Nevada, Spain, in 1999. He also won a bronze medal in ski cross at the 2005 world championships, and the overall ski cross cup in 2007. After his career ended, he became a national team coach and a TV commentator.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Great Britain's most successful alpine ski racer Dave Ryding to retire
Dave Ryding, Great Britain's most successful alpine ski racer, will retire at the end of the 2025-26 season. The 38-year-old made history in January 2022 by becoming the first British alpine skier to win World Cup gold thanks to victory in the Kitzbuhel slalom. Advertisement He hopes to compete at the fifth Winter Olympics of his career in February next year at the Milan-Cortina Games in Italy. 'Competing internationally, representing my country on the World Cup circuit, and going to four Olympic Games so far has been the privilege of a lifetime,' Ryding said in a statement. 'I've always said that I'd only carry on for as long as I think I can perform to my best level, and making this decision now frees me up to give one last push to try and go one step further over the next season.' Lancashire-born Ryding has been a regular on the World Cup circuit since 2009 and achieved seven podium places, including his landmark gold. Advertisement The slalom specialist finished sixth in the 2025 Alpine World Championships – Britain's best men's result since 1934. 'It's been one hell of a journey, and I've loved every second of it,' he said. 'Now it's time to make this final season a special one.'
The Independent
12-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Great Britain's most successful alpine ski racer Dave Ryding to retire
Dave Ryding, Great Britain's most successful alpine ski racer, will retire at the end of the 2025-26 season. The 38-year-old made history in January 2022 by becoming the first British alpine skier to win World Cup gold thanks to victory in the Kitzbuhel slalom. He hopes to compete at the fifth Winter Olympics of his career in February next year at the Milan-Cortina Games in Italy. 'Competing internationally, representing my country on the World Cup circuit, and going to four Olympic Games so far has been the privilege of a lifetime,' Ryding said in a statement. 'I've always said that I'd only carry on for as long as I think I can perform to my best level, and making this decision now frees me up to give one last push to try and go one step further over the next season.' Lancashire-born Ryding has been a regular on the World Cup circuit since 2009 and achieved seven podium places, including his landmark gold. The slalom specialist finished sixth in the 2025 Alpine World Championships – Britain's best men's result since 1934. 'It's been one hell of a journey, and I've loved every second of it,' he said. 'Now it's time to make this final season a special one.'
