Sport

Tasker and co miss out after crash

Published

9 years ago

March 4, 2016

Fast start: GB four-man had been destined for a medal (Pic. Mike Varey)

GREAT BRITAIN’s hopes of a first World Championship medal since 1939 ended in disappointment on Sunday after a third run crash saw them miss out on the podium in Igls, Austria.

Lamin Deen, Ben Simons, Bruce Tasker and Joel Fearon had been in fourth place overnight and looked to set to jump up the leaderboard until they derailed as they were moving to within a whisker of the gold medal spot.

The crash saw them miss out on Run 4 but fellow Brits John Jackson, Brad Hall, John Baines and Andy Matthews continued their improvement across each heat to finish 11th overall.

“It’s obviously hugely disappointing for those four guys to see things end that way but they are strong characters and I have no doubt they will bounce back from this and be better for it,” said GB Bobsleigh Performance Director, Gary Anderson.

“They have shown they are truly world-class and we need to make sure we remember that as we build towards the next Winter Olympics in two years’ time. They were on course to be within a tenth of a second of the leaders at the end of Run 3 and would have been ahead of the eventual gold medallists going into the final run.

“That realisation brings an added disappointment but that is the nature of elite sport and it is something everybody has to deal with at some point in their career.

“Jacko, Brad, John and Andy did exceptionally well to move up from a starting position of 17th to 11th and that is further proof that we have real strength in depth in the British programme now. I have said since I started in 2010 that we need strong internal competition and that’s a real positive to take forward towards Pyeongchang.

The team had gone into the final day confident of securing a medal after Tasker and Fearon finished fourth in the 2-man competition last weekend – the nation’s best result in that discipline for fully 50 years.

The confidence that success brought to the camp had been clear for all to see but speaking ahead of the 4-man race Tasker insisted the mentality of getting things right from the off was exactly the same seven days later.

“It was the same situation as the 2-man – we knew we had to start fast so that was our focus,” said Tasker.

“We had a solid first run that put us in the mix and we really fought hard in difficult snow conditions to get a decent start in the second run when many of the other teams were dropping off. I’m happy that we improved our start time position on the second run because it’s difficult to do that some times.

“The key now is to keep improving.”

Sport

Wales team announced for Six Nations opener against France

Published

2 days ago

January 29, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Adams, Williams, and Jenkins return

WALES head coach Warren Gatland has named his team for the opening match of the 2025 Guinness Six Nations against France at the Stade de France, Paris, on Friday (Jan 31). The game kicks off at 8:15pm GMT and will be broadcast live on ITV and S4C.

Josh Adams, Liam Williams, and Dafydd Jenkins return to the starting XV, with Adams on the wing, Williams at fullback, and Jenkins in the second row.

Jac Morgan leads the side

Captain Jac Morgan starts at openside flanker, joining James Botham at blindside and Aaron Wainwright at No. 8 in the back row. Will Rowlands partners Jenkins in the second row.

In the front row, Evan Lloyd earns his first Test start at hooker, while Henry Thomas is named at tighthead prop for his first start and his first Wales appearance since the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Gareth Thomas starts at loosehead.

Ben Thomas makes Six Nations debut

Tomos Williams starts at scrum-half, with Ben Thomas making his Six Nations debut at fly-half. Owen Watkin and Nick Tompkins form the midfield pairing, while Tom Rogers is named on the wing alongside Adams.

Among the replacements, Nicky Smith is set to win his 50th cap, while fly-half Dan Edwards could make his senior Wales debut. Freddie Thomas and Blair Murray are in line for their first Six Nations appearances, having made their senior international debuts in the Autumn Nations Series.

The front-row replacements include Elliot Dee, Keiron Assiratti, and Smith. Tommy Reffell covers the back row, and Rhodri Williams provides scrum-half cover.

Gatland said: “We’re excited for the challenge on Friday. The Six Nations is the best rugby competition in the world. Every game is a big occasion. We want to go out there, embrace that, and start our championship well.”

Wales team to face France

Starting XV:
15. Liam Williams (Saracens) – 92 caps
14. Tom Rogers (Scarlets) – 5 caps
13. Nick Tompkins (Saracens) – 38 caps
12. Owen Watkin (Ospreys) – 42 caps
11. Josh Adams (Cardiff Rugby) – 59 caps
10. Ben Thomas (Cardiff Rugby) – 7 caps
9. Tomos Williams (Gloucester Rugby) – 59 caps
1. Gareth Thomas (Ospreys) – 35 caps
2. Evan Lloyd (Cardiff Rugby) – 5 caps
3. Henry Thomas (Scarlets) – 4 caps
4. Will Rowlands (Racing 92) – 36 caps
5. Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter Chiefs) – 19 caps
6. James Botham (Cardiff Rugby) – 16 caps
7. Jac Morgan (Ospreys) – 18 caps (captain)
8. Aaron Wainwright (Dragons) – 52 caps

Replacements:
16. Elliot Dee (Dragons) – 51 caps
17. Nicky Smith (Leicester Tigers) – 49 caps
18. Keiron Assiratti (Cardiff Rugby) – 10 caps
19. Freddie Thomas (Gloucester Rugby) – 1 cap
20. Tommy Reffell (Leicester Tigers) – 23 caps
21. Rhodri Williams (Dragons) – 5 caps
22. Dan Edwards (Ospreys) – uncapped
23. Blair Murray (Scarlets) – 3 caps

This version is more structured, concise, and in line with a professional sports news style. Let me know if you’d like any further refinements!

News

Fun free sport sessions for kids in Fishguard

Published

2 days ago

January 29, 2025

Tom Sinclair

YOUNGSTERS can discover new sports to love at a free multi-sports session starting next week.

The sessions for children aged 5-8 will be held every Monday in term time between 4.15pm-5pm at Fishguard Leisure Centre.

The first session is this Monday, February 3rd.

Delivered by Sport Pembrokeshire Active Young People officers and assisted by

Young Ambassadors from Ysgol Bro Gwaun, the event is an opportunity to try fun activities, new sports and develop fundamental movement skills.

All are welcome to come along.

Contact [email protected] for more information or to register your child.

Sport

South Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls Association: Week 14 Results

Published

4 days ago

January 27, 2025

Herald Sport

THE SOUTH Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls Association, also known as “The Friendly League,” has released the results for Week 14 of the competition.

Match Results

Hundleton 8 v Badgers 2
Llanteg 2 v St Johns 8
Reynalton 8 v St Twynnells 2
East Williamston 8 v Carew 2

The match between Cosheston and Kilgetty was postponed, while Lamphey had the bye.

League Table (Week 14)

Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	S/D	Points
East Williamston	12	11	0	1	167	92
Carew	12	8	1	3	111	79
Reynalton	12	8	0	4	48	70
Hundleton	13	7	0	6	61	68
St Johns	11	8	0	3	76	66
Cosheston	11	6	0	5	33	54
Llanteg	11	3	1	7	-29	51
St Twynnells	13	3	1	9	-125	48
Badgers	11	3	1	7	6	45
Kilgetty	11	3	0	8	-129	40
Lamphey	11	2	0	9	-142	29