News from New Zealand and South Africa

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	last updated: Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:36:21 GMT

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 12:04:00 +0200 Bucs look to improve on attack

Orlando Pirates coach Ruud Krol will be hoping to solve his goal-scoring problem ahead of Saturday night's MTN8 semifinal first-leg clash against old enemy Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium. Kick-off is at 8.15pm.

Krol shook his head in disbelief as his goal-shy strikers and midfielders wasted countless chances and had to settle for a 0-0 draw against hard-running Free State Stars in a disappointing Absa Premiership match played at the same venue on Wednesday night.

"It was a big pity we missed so many chances, maybe 10 or 12 good opportunities to score. Had we taken them and won this match as we should have, it would have been a fantastic boost for our match against Chiefs," said Krol.

"I have little time, but will try to work on the strikers and come up with an improvement for Saturday night. But I believe this is a South African problem as there is little happening at grassroots level to develop strikers in this country."

While Bucs should have wrapped up three points against the hard-working Stars, Krol will take heart in the fact Amakhosi also dropped their first points of the season when they were held to a 1-1 draw against Maritzburg United in their Wednesday fixture played at Pietermaritzburg's Harry Gwala Stadium.

While Krol is looking to his strikers to get back to form, Chiefs coach Vladimir Vermezovic has a class act in Zimbabwean Knowledge Musona, who was on target against United and will be a thorn in the side of the Buccaneers defence.

The 20-year-old Musona joined Amakhosi at the start of last season and has proved to be an inspired signing and is improving with every game.

Krol will be tempted to remove clumsy Nigeria-born striker Elena Otorogu, who struggled to get going and was badly let down with his first touch.

The big Nigerian looked sluggish against Stars, as did Ndumiso Mabena, and both missed gilt-edged chances.

They could make way for Thulasizwe Mbuyane, and Malawian international star Chiukepo Msowoya will have recovered from injuries and be available.

'At least he was creating chances'
However, Krol will persevere with another wasteful player against Stars in left wing Tlou Segolela, who missed chances that a schoolboy would have converted.

"I was concerned by the chances he missed, but at least he was creating them," said Krol.

Krol denied his players' minds were on Saturday's Soweto derby. "No ways, every game is important to us -- not just those against Chiefs. The reason we dropped points was because we could not finish."

Krol said the other problem was the stop-start way the league season has begun. "We played our first league match on August 27, then had a 12-day break due to Bafana Bafana playing in the African Nations Cup qualifier [against Niger] last Saturday, and now we play two big games in the space of four days.

"I am not complaining but it does take it out of the players."

One worry is the injury to his Zambian midfield star, Isaac Chansa, who was pulled off in the second half. "I am hoping Chansa will be fit. He was feeling the pain against Stars and I had no option but to replace him."

The Zambian international makes the Bucs midfield tick and his loss would be a severe blow to the club's hopes of taking a lead into the second leg of the competition, which carries R8-million for the winner.

Moroka Swallows play Ajax Cape Town at the Athlone Stadium on Sunday at 3pm in the other semifinal first-leg tie.

This will be the second of a triple-header involving the clubs. On Wednesday at Dobsonville Ajax edged out the Birds 3-2 in their league encounter. -- Sapa

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:44:00 +0200 Alonso expects Ferrari to bounce back

Spaniard Fernando Alonso insists that his Ferrari team have ironed out the issues that impeded them in Belgium two weeks ago, and is expecting a strong performance at this weekend's Italian Grand Prix.

The 29-year-old double champion, currently 41 points adrift of championship leader Briton Lewis Hamilton of McLaren, had a nightmare weekend in Belgium, qualifying just 10th and failing to finish the race after a series of disasters.

But he is confident that his team have improved the straight-line performance of his car and is hoping to finish on the podium in Italy this weekend.

"The test produced indications which led us to understand what did not work as it should have done, and we have put those elements right for the next event," wrote Alonso on the Ferrari website.

"I am therefore confident about our chances of getting back to fighting for a place on the podium."

Alonso admitted that it is important for him to get a good result this weekend if he is to have a realistic chance of winning the title.

"There is no denying that the Monza race will be very important.

"At our home circuit we will have to do everything to avoid losing any more points: a good result here would be a great boost. If things go badly, it won't be over but it would be a hard knock for team morale."

"I have always said -- and I repeat it now -- that in the course of the season, good luck and bad luck tend to balance one another out, so let's hope that from now on it's payback time."

Meanwhile, Red Bull driver Mark Webber, currently second behind Hamilton, is aware that the high-speed nature of the Monza track will play into the hands of his rivals, but he is confident that his team can come away with a decent result.

He said: "I think we can still do well at Monza but we might have a bit more in the way of opposition -- in addition to Ferrari, McLaren and Renault, Force India could also be in the mix for the top places."

Number of mistakes
His teammate, German Sebastian Vettel, who has been criticised after making a number of mistakes in recent races, insisted that his experiences have made him a better racer.

"If everything goes well, you are the greatest. If you make an error, and some people simply do not understand exactly the reasons why, then you very fast become the idiot.

"The most important thing is that I know the truth myself. In Hungary I was asleep during the safety car period and made an error, and in Spa, when I lost the car while overtaking Jenson Button, I made a mistake too, but I am open and honest enough to admit that.

"I'm not proud of it, but you cannot change anything other than try to make sure it doesn't happen again. In the end, the mistakes make you a better driver."

Vettel also expects a tough race this weekend but is still confident that he will be the number one driver by the end of the year.

"I do not worry about myself. I know how good we are and I will this year take the title."

Eager to make up lost ground
Having been taken out of the Belgian Race by Vettel, Button is eager to make up the ground he lost and expects his team to be very competitive this weekend.

He said: "Obviously, my non-finish in Spa wasn't ideal for my championship aspirations, so I head to Monza next weekend determined to put myself back in the hunt for the title.

"Our pace over the whole weekend in Belgium was extremely encouraging -- we're developing the car at a very rapid rate, and we're learning more about it all the time, so I'm optimistic that we'll be able to maintain that form in Italy.

His teammate, Hamilton, is also upbeat about his chances this weekend and will be going all out for the win.

"I've made no secret of my wish to win this race," he said. "Monza is an incredible circuit -- full of history and stories from the past. It has a special feeling in the air that you don't find anywhere else in the world."

"It's a circuit that inspires you to race at your limit, and I'll be pushing hard all weekend. -- Sapa-AFP

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:09:00 +0200 Federer blows hot at windy US Open

Roger Federer mastered the wild weather and his opponent to storm into the US Open semifinals on Wednesday and remain on course for another showdown with his great rival, Rafa Nadal.

Federer was at his brilliant best as he outclassed Sweden's dual French Open finalist Robin Soderling 6-4 6-4 7-5 to reach the last four at Flushing Meadows for the seventh year in a row in conditions better suited for flying a kite than tennis.

"It's not easy, you know. It's cold, everywhere it's blowing. You feel like it's blowing through your ears and into your eyes," Federer told reporters. "I used to dislike it so much [but] I'm on the other side now. I was able to turn it around and kind of take enjoyment out of playing in the wind."

Yet to drop a set in the tournament, Federer next plays Serbia's Novak Djokovic in Saturday's men's semifinals with a final against Spain's Nadal looming large. The US Open is the only Grand Slam where the pair have not met in the final.

Djokovic also advanced in straight sets, beating Frenchman Gael Monfils 7-6 6-1 6-2, but was unable to produce his best after gale-force winds turned the last Slam of the season into a lottery.

"These are the worst conditions at this tournament," Djokovic grumbled. "I don't think the crowd enjoyed the tennis too much."

Caroline Wozniacki and Vera Zvonarea steamed into women's semifinals but were more relieved than excited after being tormented by the elements as much as their rivals.

"This felt like playing in a hurricane," Wozniacki said after beating unseeded Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova 6-2 7-5. "It was just about surviving."

Zvonareva was almost apologetic after her 6-3 7-5 win over Estonia's Kaia Kanepi that was littered with 11 service breaks and 88 unforced errors.

"We both were trying our best out there," the Russian seventh seed protested.

Comical moments
The wind inside Arthur Ashe Stadium was blowing so hard that hitting winners almost became a secondary consideration.

Players were repeatedly having to re-toss after gusts blew the ball out of their reach when they were about to serve. Just landing the ball on the court became an achievement.

It lent itself to some comical moments but for tennis purists, it was a day to forget. The only consolation was that Mother Nature did not claim any victims and the four favourites all won easily.

Federer alone seemed unaffected by the conditions, thumping 18 aces past a bewildered Soderling. The fifth seed ended a run of 12 straight losses to Federer when he beat him at Roland Garros in June but normal service resumed on the hard courts of New York.

"I've played in such strong winds, I've practised in such hot conditions. Whatever you throw at me, I can do it," Federer said. "Obviously if it's snowing and tough, then it gets a bit different [but] I haven't had that yet, so I guess I would freak out when that starts happening."

The acrobatic Monfils provided Djokovic with some worrying moments when he grabbed an early service break, but the world number three was able to break back and win the first set tie-breaker before running away with the match.

After a slow start to the tournament, Djokovic is starting to show signs that he is getting back to the form that saw him reach the US Open final in 2007, but has to face Federer next.

The Swiss beat him in the 2007 final and the semifinals each of the past two years and will be an overwhelming favourite to win again.

"I like playing under the radar sometimes," Djokovic said. "It releases the pressure on myself."

'I really don't like losing'
After reaching the final 12 months ago and starting this year's championship as the top seed, Wozniacki automatically forfeited any hope she had of quietly sneaking through.

The Dane, who has not dropped a set in the tournament and remains on course to pocket a $1-million bonus if she wins the title, briefly lost her cool during an argument with the chair umpire in her latest match.

"I'm really competitive," she said. "I really don't like losing."

Wozniacki's opponent in Friday's women's semifinals is Zvonareva. The winner will play either the defending champion, Kim Clijsters, or Venus Williams in Saturday's final.

Zvonareva has been one of the most improved players on the women's tour this year and is Russia's highest-ranked player.

She made her first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon in July and is through to her first semifinal at Flushing Meadows.

"I guess I'm improving," she said. "I've been playing for a while, but I'm still out there and still working hard." -- Reuters

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 08:51:00 +0200 New Zealand plays down World Cup quake concerns

New Zealand on Thursday marked one year out from the Rugby World Cup, the biggest event it has ever staged, with one of the host cities still reeling from a huge earthquake and officials warning about price gouging.

Tournament organisers said there was a growing sense of excitement in the country as the 12-month countdown began to the tournament's opening match between New Zealand and Tonga at Auckland's Eden Park on September 9 2011.

"The foundations are being laid for a tournament all New Zealanders will be proud of," Rugby NZ 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden said.

Officials said New Zealand had never before hosted a tournament on the scale of the Rugby World Cup, billed as one of the world's largest sporting events.

While New Zealand helped stage the inaugural World Cup in 1987, it shared the event with Australia and the amateur code was yet to undergo the surge in growth it experienced after turning professional.

The 1987 event remains the only time the host nation's renowned All Blacks have won the tournament and the team will be desperate to transform its recent red-hot form into success for home fans.

Snedden said planning had not been derailed by Saturday's 7,0-magnitude earthquake that hit Christchurch, the venue for seven matches, including two quarterfinals.

"We are monitoring potential impacts on our planning for RWC 2011, but at this stage there is nothing to suggest the region will not be able to play its part in hosting this event," he said.

State of emergency
New Zealand's second largest city remains in a state of emergency after the quake, which caused billions of dollars of damage, but Snedden said engineers had given the local AMI Stadium the all clear.

He said preparations around the country were going well.

"I'd rather be where we are now than perhaps where the organisers of the Delhi Commonwealth Games are," he said, referring to the troubled lead-up to next month's event in India.

Snedden said ticket sales -- the main income for Rugby NZ 2011 -- had reached 500 000, bringing in revenue of about $55-million. About 100 000 tickets have been snapped up by overseas sports fans.

With up to 85 000 overseas visitors expected for the showcase, he urged businesses to reflect on the damage overcharging could do to the country's reputation.

"It's a time of peak demand ... during the tournament so it's perfectly reasonable that their pricing reflects that, but against that they need to ensure that they don't go overboard and start gouging," he told national news agency NZPA.

"I think the key message is that no one is going to make a fortune, but it will be very easy to make or break a reputation in the short time that the tournament's here."

Local media have reported cases of hoteliers charging exorbitant prices for accommodation during the tournament.

The New Zealand Commerce Commission last week fined two Christchurch car hire firms for ripping off overseas customers and said they would be closely watching the tourism sector in the lead-up to the event.

"As the country prepares for the increasing number of overseas visitors expected for the Rugby World Cup, the commission is paying particular attention to those sectors providing goods and services to tourists to encourage compliance with competition and consumer legislation," it said. -- AFP

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:07:00 +0200 Capello hails Rooney after England triumph

Fabio Capello heaped praise on Wayne Rooney after the striker ended a week of speculation about his private life by scoring the opening goal in England’s 3-1 victory over Switzerland.

There were serious questions being asked in England as to whether Rooney would be in the right frame of mind to play in the Euro 2012 qualifier after revelations he cheated on wife Coleen by sleeping with a prostitute.

But manager Capello stuck by his man and was rewarded as Rooney scored for the first time in almost a year for England, guiding them to a crucial victory in Group G.

"The pressure was on Rooney, but he played very well. He was always at the centre of our play and movement," Capello said.

"He was okay and it helped scoring the goal, too. I told you yesterday [Monday] that he had been okay in training. I'd seen that. Now he plays an official game really well. The players want to play without other things on their minds.

"They can focus on the game alone. He did that today. He was really happy at the end, as were the other players at the end. The result was really important."

Substitutes Adam Johnson and Darren Bent also scored and Capello believes he has now found the right position for Rooney following a disappointing World Cup.

The Manchester United man took up a deep role behind Jermain Defoe, just as he did last week when he set up all four goals in a 4-0 victory over Bulgaria.

"He played in a position that he played against Bulgaria, in the hole, and the other two midfielders helped him a lot when the Swiss had the goal," said Capello. "This position is good for him. It’s easy for him to get into positions to shoot at goal."

Untested centre-back combination
Capello was also delighted at the performance of the untested centre-back combination, which paired Joleon Lescott and Phil Jagielka.

"They had played together for many years at Everton and I spoke with them before the game, and the confidence and understanding between then was really high," Capello said.

Capello was understandably delighted with a victory that leaves England top of Group G with six points from two games.

And although they suffered injury concerns, with Arsenal's Theo Walcott and Tottenham’s Jermain Defoe both being carried off on a stretcher, the signs for both players are good.

"I just spoke with Theo. He tells me it’s not such a big problem. I said: 'Two weeks?' He told me less. Defoe was a little thing," he said.

X-Rays have already shown there are no broken bones in Walcott’s ankle while Defoe has been allowed to fly home and will have a scan on his ankle.

Ironically the injuries actually helped England because Walcott’s replacement, Adam Johnson, was hugely impressive and scored his country's second goal -- while Defoe was lying injured in the centre circle.

Then Darren Bent, who eventually replaced Defoe, came on to score the third.

The performance will raise questions as to why England were so poor in South Africa given their impressive record in qualifiers.

But Capello was quick to find an explanation.

"You know my answer. We are really good in this period because we are fresh. All the players can run, their minds are free. Everything they try to do comes off," he said. -- Sapa-AFP