National rowing championship

DYLAN HARTLEY could be sent for knee surgery if he can't get fit for the Six Nations. The 97-capped England co-captain will miss the first two games against Ireland and France, with boss Eddie Jones praying he is fighting fit to take on Wales in Cardiff. Northampton Saints have described their hooker as having a "grumbling knee" and have not put any time on his recovery. The 32-year-old has been out since December 21 and has been rehabbing in the gym since. Trying to clear things up, Jones said: "He’s 32 and he’s probably played 300 games for Northampton and he’s played 90-odd for England, plus a few for Worcester, so it’s just wear and tear. "That’s all it is. He might eventually need an operation to clean it up, but at this stage they’re doing what they call passive rehab and we’re confident that he should be fit to play in the Six Nations."The first thing is he has to get healthy – he’s not healthy yet. Then he’s got to get … [Read more...] about Dylan Hartley faces knee operation if he can’t prove fitness for England’s Six Nations campaign

Ben Simmons High School Basketball Highlights 9,071 views 1:49 Video: Ben Simmons high school highlightsAustralia native was the 2014-15 MaxPreps National Player of the Year.Ben Simmons became the first former MaxPreps National Player of the Year to go No. 1 in the NBA Draft on Thursday night since Greg Oden was taken with the top pick in 2007.The Philadelphia 76ers are pinning their hopes on the 6-foot-9 forward, who spent a year at LSU after winning MaxPreps POY at Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) following the 2014-15 season.Simmons' arrival at Montverde Academy in 2013 signaled the beginning of one of the most successful runs in high school basketball history. With Simmons on the floor, the Orlando-area program accumulated a record of 62-1, captured three Dick's Nationals crowns and earned national championship recognition from multiple media outlets three years in a row.As a senior at Montverde Academy, the new 76er tallied 27.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per … [Read more...] about Former MaxPreps National Player of the Year Ben Simmons goes No. 1 in NBA Draft

JONNY WILKINSON, the man with the golden boot, quietly and without fanfare called an end to his glittering England rugby career last night. After more than a decade as the guy who set the standard for all English sport, not just his own, Wilkinson slipped without fuss into international retirement. "To do so fills me with great sadness," admitted the World Cup winner and national treasure, a man who behaved impeccably from start to finish. "But I know that I have been blessed in so many ways to have experienced what I have with the England rugby team" On his watch, England won a Grand Slam, four Six Nations titles and, unforgettably, the 2003 World Cup final, when he dropped for glory as time ran out. "I never ever believed that I would be able to give up on this dream which has driven me to live, breathe, love and embrace the game of rugby from the earliest days that I can remember," he said. "Playing the game, representing the team, giving my all and never letting go has meant … [Read more...] about World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson admits to ‘great sadness’ as he brings curtain down on glittering England career

1) Lawes needs to be at top of his game for England Second-guessing the complexities of Eddie Jones’s attacking strategy is often a bootless errand. Is Elliot Daly selected in the hope that George Ford and Owen Farrell can stretch the heavy South Africa forwards and unlock space for him or to add his booming left boot to what will be a heavy reliance on kicking? Or is Jonathan Joseph’s groin niggle simply not worth the risk? What is clear, however, is England’s lineout has been nigh-on flawless since Jones took over, thanks in the main to George Kruis and Maro Itoje. England do not want for second-row depth but in the absence of the Saracens pair much rests on the shoulders of Northampton’s Courtney Lawes. He wins his 50th cap on Saturday but, unlike his second-row partner, Joe Launchbury, who is as steady as they come, Lawes has a habit of producing either excellent performances or average ones with little in between. He has been hindered by a swollen knee … [Read more...] about Rugby union: 10 things to look out for in autumn internationals

Had Argentina started the way they finished, like runaway bulls storming across the unfamiliar pampas of south-west London, this would have been one of the great Rugby World Cup knockout games. Instead an early mixture of suicidal mistakes and overenthusiasm played into Australian hands and ensured it will be the Wallabies, also grateful for a hat-trick of tries from the winger Adam Ashley-Cooper, who face their trans-Tasman rivals, New Zealand, in Saturday’s final. If four tries to nil sounds like a drubbing on paper, it was rather closer in reality. The second half was a real test of antipodean nerve as the Pumas scrum finally exerted some concerted pressure but Australia had enough strength in depth on the bench to extend their unbeaten record at this tournament. Argentina, who now face South Africa in Friday’s bronze final, suffered a clutch of injuries to some key individuals and there was ultimately no escape from 14-3 down after 11 minutes. Australia will be pleased … [Read more...] about Australia’s Adam Ashley-Cooper sees off Argentina with hat-trick