Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 18 July 12:30 pm

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

# We start with rugby: Springbok fullback Aphelele Fassi says they are preparing for a Georgian outfit that is traditionally forward dominant and direct when the ball goes to the backline. The 23-year-old is set to earn his 12th cap for the Boks when they take on Georgia in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, tomorrow afternoon. Fassi, who will form part of a back three with Kurt-Lee Arendse and Edwill van der Merwe, expects a physical battle:

Meanwhile, the British and Irish Lions will face the Wallabies in the first Test in Brisbane tomorrow without a single Welshman in the team – for the first time since 1896. Jac Morgan is the last remaining Welsh player in the touring squad after Tomos Williams was injured last month. The team consists of 11 Irish players, nine Englishmen and three Scots. Head coach Andy Farrell says Morgan, who excelled during the Lions’ recent victory over the Reds, lost out because there are so many brilliant loose forwards.

# Motorsport: South Africa’s Brad Binder is looking forward to racing in the Grand Prix of Czechia this weekend, which returns to Brno after a five-year absence. The KTM rider won the race in 2020, a victory which came in just his third MotoGP start. The 29-year-old has had a difficult season so far, with his best result being a sixth-place finish. Binder hopes the freshly resurfaced track and the nature of its layout can play to his strengths:

# Tennis: South Africa’s Davis Cup team will return to Pretoria in September for their World Group Two clash with Morocco. The tie will take place at the Groenkloof Club where South Africa beat Nigeria 3-1 in the play-offs in February. The winner will play for promotion to World Group One, while the loser will compete in the relegation play-offs. South Africa is currently 58th in the Davis Cup rankings and Morocco 51st. Tennis South Africa’s general manager, Anthony Moruthane, believes a homeground advantage can make a significant difference.

# And finally, road running: Women’s marathon world record-holder, Ruth Chepngetich, has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit. She tested positive for a banned diuretic and masking agent on March 14th. Chepngetich is facing a two-year ban, but has the right for her case to be heard at a disciplinary tribunal. The Kenyan stunned the world when she recorded a time of two-hours-9-minutes-56-seconds in the Chicago marathon last October that shattered the previous record by almost two-minutes.

Stay tuned for more news………….