Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 12 March 12:30 pm

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

# We start off with rugby: French flanker Oscar Jegou has been handed a four-game ban and will miss Les Bleus’ final Six Nations clash against England on Saturday. An independent disciplinary committee found the 22-year-old guilty of making reckless contact with the eyes of Scotland’s replacement hooker, Ewan Ashman, during last weekend’s 50-40 defeat in Edinburgh. The committee handed Jegou a six-match ban, but immediately shaved off two games because of his good disciplinary record and the fact that he didn’t cause any lasting injury to Ashman.

More rugby news: Springboks’ assistant coach Duane Vermeulen says Saturday’s United Rugby Championship derby between the Bulls and the Stormers at a sell-out Loftus Versfeld will have a special edge because of last week’s first Bok alignment camp of the year. He believes the players attending the camp will go out firing because there are always spots up for grabs in the national team. Vermeulen expects a huge battle, but says although the Bulls are regarded as favourites because the Stormers are struggling lately, he feels anything can happen.

# Cricket: The International Cricket Council rejected suggestions of unequal treatment after South Africa and the West Indies’ squads were stranded in India for over a week after the T20 World Cup. The ICC says travel decisions have been driven by safety, feasibility and welfare. Airlines have cancelled or rerouted flights because of the Middle Eastern war, throwing international travel into chaos. England’s players departed 36 hours after their semifinal exit while the Proteas and the Windies remained in Kolkata more than a week after being knocked out.

Meanwhile, Iran’s government has indicated the possibility they may withdraw from the Soccer World Cup due to co-host America, and Israel, attacking the country. The tournament will take place in the US, Canada and Mexico, although most of Iran’s group matches will be played in America. US president Donald Trump earlier gave the assurance Iran’s team would be welcome in his country. But Iran’s minister for Sport, Ahmad Donyamali, says they cannot participate in a country which killed their Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

# And tennis: Defending champion Jack Draper eliminated world number three, Novak Djokovic, in the round of 16 of the Indian Wells Masters in the US. The 14th-seeded Briton had to work hard to defeat he 38-year-old Serbian in a final set tiebreak, denying Djokovic a place in the quarterfinals for the first time since winning the tournament for the fifth and last time in 2016. Draper will now face 11th-seeded Russian Daniil Medvedev. World number two, Jannik Sinner of Italy, faces local player Learner Tien in the quarterfinals.

Stay tuned for more news………….