Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 14 July 12:30 pm

Good day, let’s look at the latest sports news and scores:

# We kick off with rugby: Welsh captain Dewi Lake is set to miss Saturday’s Nations Championship clash against South Africa in Durban. He suffered a groin injury in their 35-31 defeat to Argentina last weekend. Lake has started all eleven Tests since coach Steve Tandy took charge last year. Ryan Elias, who could make his first Test start since the opening round of the 2024 Six Nations against Scotland, is likely to play in the number two jersey, with Elliot Dee as cover. Jac Morgan will take over the captaincy.

Meanwhile, defending champions the Junior Springboks are through to the Junior World Championship final after beating England 53-37 in Tbilisi, Georgia. Kevin Foote’s charges ran in seven tries with winger Khuthadzo Rasivhaga crossing the line three times, and flyhalf Yaqueen Ahmed scoring 23 points. South Africa will face France in the final on Saturday evening, after the French edged New Zealand 26-22 in the other semifinal. England and New Zealand will face off in the third-place play-off on Saturday.

# Golf: South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen has withdrawn from both the 154th British Open and LIV Golf’s UK event in Rocester due to a back injury. The 43-year-old, who won the 2010 Open at St Andrews, says his priority now is to focus on his recovery so he can return to competition. South African Aldrich Potgieter will replace Oosthuizen as the first alternate for the Open starting at Royal Birkdale in England on Thursday. German Matti Schmid and Britain’s Andrew Wilson are now the first and second alternates, respectively.

# Soccer: The World Cup has reached the semifinal stage, with the four teams remaining all former champions. Tonight, two-time champion France and 2010 champion Spain will play in the first semifinal in Dallas, Texas, while defending champion Argentina, who won the tournament three times in the past, will face the 1966 champion, England, in Atlanta. The playoff for third place will take place in Miami on Saturday, while the two semifinal winners will compete for the coveted golden trophy in New York on Sunday.

# And cricket: Brendon McCullum has apologised for England’s poor Test results towards the end of his reign. A disappointing 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia, in conjunction with a string of eight losses in the last 12 Tests, saw the New Zealander sacked as the Test head coach. McCullum, who retains his role as coach of the white-ball teams, says it’s a results business and, unfortunately, they weren’t able to get the results they wanted:

Stay tuned for more news………….