Sports Digest

A round-up of the other sport news in brief

Home thoughts inspire All Blacks

RUGBY:Concern for family, friends and residents suffering after Christchurch's devastating earthquake will serve as motivation for the All Blacks to win the final Tri-Nations match against Australia in Sydney tomorrow (11am).

With Christchurch-based players talking of cracked houses and frantic scrambling last Saturday morning, dozens of aftershocks have kept the squad’s training camp in Sydney on edge and anxious about loved ones back home.

“A lot of us have a lot of family down in Christchurch as well and we know it’s not an easy time,” New Zealand hooker Keven Mealamu told Australian television. “So we’ll make sure we put on an extra effort for them at the weekend.”

Four of the players from the quake-hit Canterbury region on South Island, including captain Richie McCaw, have volunteered to front an advertising campaign to urge traumatised victims to seek help.

Curran called into Worlds squad

EQUESTRIAN SPORT:Capt Geoff Curran and The Jump Jet, who finished 17th at last weekend's Burghley Horse Trials, have been called up to join the Irish event team competing at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky.

Curran’s elevation from the reserve list came as a result of an injury to American owners Tom and Carol Henry’s Ballylynch Adventure, which has been withdrawn by rider Michael Ryan.

Confirming the change, eventing high performance manager Ginny Elliot said: “This is gutting for Mike Ryan and his owners and it’s a great pity as the combination had been going very well. However, Geoff and The Jump Jet put up a very strong performance in Burghley last week and we are fortunate to able to call on such an experienced combination at four-star level.

“The horse has come out of Burghley really well and there are four weeks between now and the start of the competition.”

Henson lawyers in Ospreys talks

RUGBY:Gavin Henson has instructed solicitors to negotiate an end to his contract with Ospreys, which has a season to run, writes Paul Rees. The Wales and Lions centre, who has not played for 18 months, admitted he would prefer to be playing than taking part in Strictly Come Dancing but, having reached an impasse with his region, said television was his only option.

Henson has been linked with Premiership clubs, but most have reached their salary cap level and Ospreys would want a transfer fee, or compensation, that reflects the commercial value of Henson, whose image was used this week by the Welsh Rugby Union to launch a new kit.

“I have had a tough couple of months with my personal life and career-wise with my rugby team,” said Henson. “It is all up in the air and all in the hands of solicitors. It is a pity, but I have to do this now (Strictly). I really wanted to be back on the rugby field and I will do so after learning how to dance.”

Ospreys declined to comment on how talks with Henson’s legal team were going.

Some Wales players attended the Wales kit launch this week and were less than impressed to discover Henson had been used as the model despite being out of the game.

Seeds crash out in Shanghai

SNOOKER:Stephen Maguire and Mark Williams both crashed out of the Shanghai Masters to lower-ranked opponents yesterday.

World number five Maguire squandered a 3-2 lead to lose 5-3 to Mark Davis, while Williams, ranked six, was always playing catch-up in his match against Graeme Dott who eventually won 5-4.

Maguire had to withdraw from the tournament last year due to injury and he had a short stay in 2010 before exiting despite being in pole position.

The scores were level after four frames before Scot Maguire went ahead after a break of 100, but his in-form opponent made it 3-3 before pulling ahead in the seventh and sealing victory 5-3.

Pakistan inquiry expands

CRICKET: Wahab Riaz will be the fourth Pakistani player interviewed by police in connection with their spot-fixing investigations.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt communicated the latest twist in the sport’s crisis.

He told a press conference in Lahore: “Police have . . . requested that Wahab Riaz be made available for interview on September 14th.”

'Uncertainty' over rules helped Ferrari keep points

FORMULA ONE:Ferrari escaped a points deduction for manipulating July's German Grand Prix due to past inconsistencies in policing the rules and support from rival teams, the sport's governing body has said.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) published the reasoning behind its decision to uphold a fine for Ferrari while lifting the threat of further punishment for the use of banned “team orders”.

Felipe Massa had been told to let team-mate Fernando Alonso past to win at Hockenheim.

The FIA made clear it believed Ferrari had carried out an illegal action, despite the team’s lawyer seeking to make a distinction between orders and strategy, but felt it could not justly impose a further sanction.

“The judging body of the WMSC (World Motor Sport Council) noted the uncertainty and complexity surrounding the ban on team orders, and the difficulties of detecting and policing,” the document said.