Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 5 July 12:30 pm

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

# First up, we look at rugby: Irish head coach Andy Farrell has selected uncapped Jamie Osborne at fullback for tomorrow’s big clash against the Springboks at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. The Test is the first of two between top-ranked South Africa and second-placed Ireland. Craig Casey will start at scrumhalf ahead of Munster teammate Conor Murray after Jamison Gibson-Park was ruled out of the tour by a hamstring injury. Farrell is excited about Osborne’s inclusion:

Meanwhile, a feast of international matches awaits lovers of the game this weekend. Georgia will host Fiji in Batumi this evening, while seven Tests will be played tomorrow. America plays Romania in Chicago, followed by the matches between the All Blacks and England in Dunedin, and the Wallabies and Wales in Sydney. Then there’s the hugely anticipated encounter between the Springboks and Ireland in Pretoria. Argentina plays France in Mendoza, Chile faces Hong Kong in Talca, and Canada and Scotland will do battle in Ottawa.

# Soccer: Bafana Bafana will face Uganda, Congo Brazzaville and South Sudan in Group K to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The group winners and runners-up qualify for the tournament that kicks off on 21 December next year. Nigeria will get a chance to avenge a shock recent World Cup qualifying loss to Benin when they were drawn in the same qualifying group. There will be two qualifying matchdays in September, two in October and the final two in November.

# Tennis: Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia survived a stern test from British wildcard Jacob Fearnley to make the Wimbledon third round. American Ben Shelton battled past South African qualifier Lloyd Harris in five sets. Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas was knocked out. Meanwhile, Andy Murray was honoured on Centre Court after he and his brother Jamie lost in their first-round men’s doubles match. Murray says it feels like a good ending:

# And finally, motorsport: Young British sensation Oliver Bearman says his Formula 1 race number, 87, is very special to him. Haas yesterday announced the signing of the 19-year-old from next year. Bearman says his father used the number before him. He was born on the eighth of May, and his brother on the seventh of August. Bearman also revealed his compatriot, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, sent him a video nine years ago in which he encouraged him to keep pushing to make it to F1 one day.

Stay tuned for more news………….