Clan-Members » ith those words ringing in his ear

Fiji claimed their first ever Olympic medal in impressive fashion as they cruised to victory over Great Britain in the mens rugby sevens final.?Fiji, coached by former England Sevens supremo Ben Ryan, were in rampant form as they coasted home 43-7 to be crowned inaugural Olympic mens champions in the event.Britain barely got a look-in, such was seven-try Fijis dominance, but they will return home as runners-up after a competition that also included sevens powerhouses such as New Zealand, South Africa and Australia.Britain skipper Tom Mitchell kicked off the first rugby sevens final in Olympic history, but it was Fiji who were rapidly into their stride as their captain Osea Kolinisau pounced for an opening try after appearing on an unmarked overlap.There was no immediate prospect of things improving for Britain. Unable to get their hands on possession, a second try soon followed for the South Sea Islanders as Jerry Tuwai crossed.Britains normally watertight defence leaked holes everywhere, and Fiji almost added a third try in five minutes, but Leone Nakarawa was hauled down just short of the line.Britain badly needed a score before the break, yet they were pinned inside their own half and Fiji picked them off with another try, this time from Jesa Veremalua.All the Fiji players wanted a part to play, and it was pretty much game over when Nakarawa pounced for try number four a minute before half-time.It was very much damage-limitation for Britain, yet they were breached once more as Valerno Ravouvou sprinted clear, and with two conversions also being kicked, Fiji changed ends 29 points ahead.Josua Tuisova added another try shortly after half-time, and although Dan Norton claimed a consolation score for Britain, Fiji inevitably had the final word when Viliame Mata crossed the whitewash.The bronze medal match, meanwhile, was won by South Africa, who demolished Japan -- shock opening day conquerors of New Zealand -- 54-14.Kevin Huerter Jersey .C. -- When North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer reported to training camp in August he was a little miffed to learn he was third on the depth chart at punt returner. Jabari Parker Jersey .C. Lions has come to an end. Banks told TSN on Jan 2 that he had no interest in playing out the option year of his contract with the Lions in 2014, and he again made that clear in a conversation with Lions GM Wally Buono last week. https://www.thehawkslockerroom.com/Alex-Len-City-Edition-Jersey/ . The parade and rally were held to celebrate the Saskatchewan Roughriders 45-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday in the CFLs championship game. DeAndre Bembry Hawks Jersey . Once again, DeLaet finished tied for second at a PGA Tour stop on the weekend, this time at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The pride of Weyburn, Sask. Josh Smith Hawks Jersey . MORITZ, Switzerland -- Fog prevented downhill racers from getting their Olympic dress rehearsal.Shaun Marsh deserves this Test selection. Those are words that have not always been true. At his lowest, at home to India in 2011-12, Marsh was to Test batting what Eric Moussambani was to Olympic swimming. Yet chances kept coming, and now, at 33, Marsh is repaying that faith. When he replaced the injured Usman Khawaja last summer, he made 182 in Hobart. His next Test innings was 130 when recalled in Colombo. Then came a Sheffield Shield ton this week.So yes, Marsh has earned his opportunity this time. He is David Warners incumbent Test opening partner, and has given the selectors no reason to drop him. At the WACA next week, Marsh will face South Africa in what will be his first Test at his home ground since that miserable 2011-12 summer.And when he does, spare a thought for Joe Burns.In Australias last Test before the tour of Sri Lanka, Burns was Man of the Match, his 170 and 65 in Christchurch having helped secure Australia a series win over New Zealand and the No.1 Test ranking. And he was coming off a home season in which he scored two Test hundreds and averaged 45.70, a very encouraging return in his first summer as a Test opener.But on a selection whim, Burns was axed in Sri Lanka, one of two men - along with Khawaja - who paid the price for Australias collective poor batting in the first two Tests. They were, in Khawajas words, scapegoats.At this point, lets revisit the comments made by chairman of selectors Rod Marsh after Sri Lankas win in the first Test in Pallekele. What else can we do really? Marsh said. We send them off to India, we send them to other parts of the world where the ball turns, we played Australia A series in India last year and they batted well against good spin bowling.That statement is worth dissecting.Who is the they of whom Marsh is speaking? Indeed there was an Australia A tour of India last year, during which two Tests were played. Burns and Khawaja were the only two batsmen from that series who also played in the Tests against Sri Lanka. So they must be the they. Did they indeed bat well against good spin bowling? Khawaja batted four times with a high score of 41*. Burns played just one game and batted only once in it, for 8. He barely had a chance.Perhaps Marsh was referring to the one-day portion of that tour, in which both men scored more freely. But since when has 50-over white-ball cricket been relevant to picking a Test side? It is a game of different tempo, different fields, different attacks. Completely different.In any case, consider the one-day game in which both Burns and Khawaja scored hundreds in Chennai. ESPNcricinfos Alagappan Muthu was at the match, and described the situation thus: An India A bowling attack which relied on medium pace and non-turning spinners proved incredibly appetising, and the two bbatsmen were ravenous.dddddddddddd Hardly valuable preparation for a Test series against Rangana Herath and co.It is true that there were Australia A batsmen who performed strongly in the Tests against India A. Cameron Bancroft scored Australias only century, a fine innings of 150, and was one of five men to also post fifties: Callum Ferguson, Marcus Stoinis, Travis Head and Peter Handscomb were the others. But none of those batsmen were in the Test squad in Sri Lanka. If they were the they of whom Marsh spoke, then they were irrelevant. In fact, Burns embarked on the Sri Lankan tour with just a single first-class match in Asia to his name: the game against India A in which he scored 8 in the first innings and did not bat in the second. Before he was a scapegoat, he was a lamb to the slaughter. Still, he warmed up for the Test series with 72 against a Sri Lanka XI in Colombo, and then made 29 in the second innings of the first Test in Pallekele, which earned praise from Rod Marsh.I thought Joe Burns played really well in that second innings after perhaps not looking too sound in the first innings, Marsh said after the first Test. He went to plan B and he looked really good until he didnt hit one. But in Galle, Burns fell in the first over of both innings - first against pace, then against spin - and was dumped. Could his second-innings method of dismissal - driving Herath in the air to cover - have cost him his place?That would seem especially harsh given the batsmen were told by captain Steven Smith and coach Darren Lehmann not to waste time in their chase of 413. On a Galle wicket that was spinning quite a bit, the skipper and the coach asked the batting group to be a lot more proactive with the way we went about things, Adam Voges recently said of that innings. With those words ringing in his ears, Burns went hard from the first over.In the same innings Khawaja shouldered arms first ball and was bowled, failing to pick a Dilruwan Perera arm ball. Khawaja has now been given quite a few chances in first-class cricket in Asia, including two Tests in Sri Lanka in 2011, yet has passed 50 just once from 15 innings. Burns has just the one fifty, too, but from only six innings. And four of those were in the recent Sri Lankan Tests.But on very scant evidence, Burns was viewed as expendable in Asian conditions. And thanks to Shaun Marshs Colombo century, he remains expendable at home. Like Marsh, Burns made a Shield century this week. Unlike Marsh, he will be playing a Shield game again next week. And probably for most of the summer. Khawaja, meanwhile, is back in the Test team.Yes, spare a thought for Joe Burns, the real scapegoat. ' ' '