Both Scottish teams continue impressive runs at Edgbaston
By JULIE O’HARE

The second day’s play of the 2019 European Team Championships at Edgbaston Priory Club in Birmingham saw all the Division One teams playing their third and final pool matches, with the outcomes determining the line-up of tomorrow’s semi-finals.

While Women’s and Men’s top seeds England and France confirmed their places in the last fours, it was Scotland who stole the show with wins to back up yesterday’s upsets to also book both teams into the semi-finals. They’ll be joined by third seeds Spain (men) and Belgium (women).

The day opened with England’s men taking on Spain. In the opening match Iker Pajares took the game to Declan James, who fought back from losing the opening game and took the third and fourth on extra points. England took the next three matches more comfortably to record their third win and top Pool B at Spain’s expense.

In Pool A, Scotland, who had upset Germany then snatched a dramatic draw with top seeds France last night, despatched Hungary 4-0 to confirm their place in the semis. Meanwhile France fell behind to the Germans as Simon Roesner fought back from a game down to win. Baptiste Masotti, as he did last night against the Scots, let a two game lead slip but this time recovered to take the fifth and put France back on track as they eased through the final two matches to top the group on games countback ahead of Scotland.

“We knew the pool stages would be tough without our top players, so we were ready for that,” said French manager Renan Lavigne. “We made it harder for ourselves with yesterday’s draw with Scotland but I’m proud of how the boys came back in today’s match to finish top of the group.”

The semi-final line-up is : 14.00 [1] France v [3] Spain, 17.00 [2] England v [5] Scotland

England’s women won their third straight Pool A match, beating the Netherlands three-nil, although Sarah-Jane Perry was taken to four games by Milou van der Heijden in the top string.

Second place would be taken by the winner of Wales and Scotland, and after the first two matches were shared a tense decider ensued. It was Scotland’s Georgia Adderley who prevailed, coming from a game down to beat Stacey Gooding for a second successive Scottish seeding upset and a semi-final spot.

“I feel privileged to be able to lead this team out for the semi-finals tomorrow,” said Scotland’s number one and captain Lisa Aitken, “they all inspire me in different ways. “It’s a pity I couldn’t win the second match so it went to a decider, but the team did great.

“We’re all ecstatic at the moment but we need to just try to hold it in so we can perform tomorrow.”

Second seeds France, who have met – and lost to – England in the last five women’s finals – also won for a third time, but Belgium came so close to creating a massive upset.

Tinne Gilis – who won the decider in their first two matches – put Belgium ahead, and then elder sister Nele took world #4 Camille Serme to the brink of defeat. Nele had game balls in the first, won the second then had game balls in the third before Camille took that 15-13 before taking the fourth. Melissa Alves wrapped up the match for the French.

The semi-final line-up is: 10.00 [1] England v [3] Belgium, 12.00 [2] France v [8] Scotland

With Scotland creating double upsets on Day 2, the last word goes to Scottish National Coach Paul Bell:

“This is what we’re aspiring to do, challenging at the major events and this is the first step. We’ve come with two young teams and for them both to reach the semis is a tremendous achievement. Hopefully we’re setting our stall out for the future.”

More information, results and photos are available here:

Official website (featuring draws, results, photos and more): www.edgbastonpriory.com/etc2019
Twitter: https://twitter.com/2019ETC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/etc2019
Daily updates via www.thesquashsite.com
Streaming: Watch the action via SquashTV: Facebook and SQUASHTV from 1-4 May

Pictures courtesy of  Edgbaston Priory Club 

Martyn Williams struggles to remember the exact details of his ill-fated role in professional rugby union's first ever shootout.

He has two Grand Slams, 100 Wales caps and three tours with the British and Irish Lions to his name, and yet he still gets asked about his miss which cost Cardiff Blues their Heineken Cup semi-final against Leicester.

It is now 10 years since that agonising defeat, and the particulars are a little hazy, so Williams has been delving back into the archives.

"I've watched it back a few times and laughed about it," Williams tells the BBC Scrum V Podcast.

"It was so surreal at the time, I don't really have a good memory."

On Sunday, 3 May 2009, under a baking sun at what is now Principality Stadium, Cardiff Blues and Leicester Tigers played out an epic 26-26 draw in a Heineken Cup semi-final which entered extra time.

Neither side had much left in the tank and, drained after fighting back from a 14-point deficit, some Blues players were oblivious to the impending shootout.

"Nobody knew what was happening because we hadn't spoken about it," says Williams.

"We'd spoken about extra time, but not what happens after. [Referee] Alain Rolland told us we'd have to pick our five kickers."

'Dupuy was having a fag'

Leicester seemed a little more prepared for this eventuality.

Their French scrum-half Julien Dupuy had kicked two conversion and four penalties before he was replaced in the 74th minute of normal time.

But with just two minutes left of extra time and the prospect of a shootout looming, he was allowed to return to the field as a blood replacement for centre Dan Hipkiss, who would not have been among their first choices to take a kick.

"Julien Dupuy, and this is God's honest's truth, was sat in the changing room, typical French, in his shorts having a fag and they had to go and get him back on," says Williams.

The Tigers reintroduced Dupuy just in time for the shootout, where he would take his side's first kick.

As footballers had been doing for decades before, both sets of players gathered near the halfway line for the shootout, unprecedented scenes in rugby union.

One by one, players from either side would have to take a place kick at goal, on the 22-metre line in front of the posts.

First up was the Blues' Ben Blair, who had been kicking brilliantly from far more difficult positions all afternoon and he duly stroked the ball over with minimal fuss.

For some reason, the TV cameras panned to Williams, who was not listed among the Blues' chosen five kickers. Was this a sign of things to come?

Former England fly-half Stuart Barnes, Sky's co-commentator that day, seemed to think so.

"This straight in front of the posts routine, you think it's going to exact a horrible toll on a non-kicker," he said.

"Pressure is a funny thing. I sense agony and heartbreak."

The specialists safely navigated their kicks: Blair, Nicky Robinson, Leigh Halfpenny and Ceri Sweeney for the Blues; Dupuy, Sam Vesty and Geordan Murphy for Leicester.

The first to blink was Tigers back Johne Murphy, pulling his effort wide and presenting Blues wing Tom James with a chance to win it.

"In training, he'd knock them over from 50 metres. Hell of a footballer," says Williams.

"I remember thinking this was in the bag. And then he missed and I thought 'What happens now?'"

James' miss meant the shootout was now in a sudden death situation. If one side scored and the other missed, the game was over.

It was down to the non-specialist kickers - the "least skilful backs like Richie Rees and Tom Shanklin" as Williams jokes - or the forwards, who would almost never take a shot at goal during a match.

Shanklin and Rees - only just - were successful, as were Leicester's Aaron Mauger and Craig Newby.

Now it was Williams' turn. The open-side flanker had never taken a place kick during his illustrious career but, as a relatively skilful forward, he was a willing participant.

'It wasn't nerves' - Williams

"I backed myself. I'd kicked for Pontypridd youth, believe it or not, I was okay at kicking," he says.

Barnes seemed to agree, saying in commentary: "This would be the cruellest thing if Martyn Williams was to miss it. A brilliant footballer, I say Martyn Williams gets it."

He did not. Williams hooked his effort wide, a horrible miss-kick.

"I can categorically say it wasn't nerves," the former Wales captain says.

"Everybody says it was nerves, but I didn't have time to think about it. It happened so quickly, I didn't grasp the enormity of the situation."

Once he had missed, it soon dawned on Williams, who covered his face with his hands.

'There was not pressure on me' - Crane

Up next for Leicester was a back-rower of their own, England number eight Jordan Crane.

"Martyn Williams - you wouldn't expect him to miss - so there was no pressure on me," Crane recalls.

"It was so surreal in the way that it finished, as a forward you'd never expect to be kicking at goal. You mess around in training, but you never practice for that.

"If you go on the training field on the 22 in front of the posts you think 'Easily, not a problem' but, that day, looking at the posts, they looked a lot smaller."

Crane kept his cool, bisected the posts and lifted his arms in celebration, albeit somewhat mutedly.

"It was such a good game and for it to come down to that, you felt sorry for Cardiff," Crane adds.

Leicester seemed almost embarrassed to win in such circumstances, and head coach Richard Cockerill made it his priority to console Williams.

"Cockerill was absolute class. He came over to me, as did Lewis Moody, Geordan Murphy," says Williams.

"I just remember Leicester being class about it. I take my hat off to them."

Twice champions of this competition, Leicester went on to lose to Leinster in the final, but the sense of regret seemed even stronger for a Blues side packed with Wales Grand Slam winners and Lions.

"My biggest regret as a player is not winning a Heineken Cup," Williams admits.

100% record

For Crane, meanwhile, his kick did not lead to further silverware, but it did secure his place in Leicester - and rugby union - folklore.

"It's a claim to fame, and people still talk about it," he says.

"It's a big part of my rugby career, but it's not up there as one of my lasting highlights.

"It was nothing about my rugby ability or Martyn Williams' ability. He had an unbelievable career and he won't be defined by that."

Crane left Leicester having won four Premiership titles, joining Bristol in 2016. There's just one thing left to ask: Has he taken any more kicks since that semi-final in 2009?

"No, not in a game," he laughs.

"I'm retiring from kicking with a 100% record!"

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series invades Fayetteville Motor Speedway on May 10-11 for the richest dirt late model event in North Carolina, the $25,000-to-win First in Flight 100.

Fayetteville promoter Jim Long created the event with World of Outlaws officials last season, when Jimmy Owens captured the big money in a green-white-checkered thriller over 2017 series champion Brandon Sheppard.

Races that manifest themselves into headliners like these on a national tour always have very telling backstories.

For the town of Fayetteville, there’s no one better to illustrate that story than someone who’s been covering auto racing in the area and at the track since the late 1970s – multi-time motorsports journalism award winner and current Fayetteville Observer Sports Editor Thomas Pope.

“From the day Jim Long took over as promoter, he’s constantly been thinking of ways to raise Fayetteville Motor Speedway’s profile on the national scene, and I think he certainly reached the bar with the First in Flight 100 last year,” Pope said. “He and his staff have spent countless hours in recent years doing whatever they could to improve the facility, including track prep, creating more outside pit parking, giving racers of all types a place to compete and giving the fans a steady diet of Super Late Model racing.”

As a whole, the new “crown jewel” event means a lot to the racing community in eastern North Carolina.

“The fans in this part of the Carolinas are treated to a schedule that’s hard to match anywhere, and the quality of the racing has steadily improved,” noted Pope. “That’s always a crapshoot with a dirt track because of weather, but you can go back and watch videos of previous events here and find some top-shelf stuff. Sheppard vs. Clanton in the first heat of the Outlaws race here in 2017 was as good as it gets.”

A stacked field of cars battled for the $25,000 top prize in 2018, and it’s expected to be even bigger this year. While many of the veteran racers from the southeast have turned many laps around Fayetteville’s half-mile dirt oval, top rookie contender Ricky Weiss from Manitoba is going to be seeing the track for the first time.

“I actually like the bigger speedways,” Weiss said. “I like the speed and the finesse that it brings out of the driver – it just seems to fit my driving style. That, and the dryer [the track] gets, the smoother it gets, the longer [the race] gets and the better we are.”

As always, a host of national, regional and local super late model talent is expected to join the Outlaws at the track, including Jimmy Owens, Devin Moran, Don O’Neal, Ross Bailes, Chris Ferguson, Dustin Mitchell, Willie Milliken, Ben Watkins, and Dennis “Rambo” Franklin.

Four-time series champion Josh Richards tops the win list at Fayetteville as the only driver to win more than once. He took the Outlaws’ inaugural visit in 2008 and won again in 2010.

Since then, Darrell Lanigan, Chris Ferguson, Brian Shirley, Brandon Sheppard and Owens have all visited Victory Lane.

DOVER, Del. – Raphael Lessard and Johnny Sauter led the way during a pair of NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series practice sessions at Dover Int’l Speedway on Thursday.

Sauter posted the fastest speed of the day, turning a lap of 22.936 seconds (156.958 mph) with his No. 13 Tenda Heal Ford F-150 around the one-mile, high-banked concrete oval.

The 2016 Truck Series champion topped the charts during final practice.

In fact, the top five speeds overall were all turned during the second practice round, with defending Truck Series titlist Brett Moffitt following Sauter on the speed charts at 23.002 seconds (156.508 mph) with the No. 24 ISM Connect Chevrolet Silverado.

Canadian Stewart Friesen was third-quick (23.044/156.223), followed by Harrison Burton’s Toyota Tundra and part-timer Jesse Little’s Ford F-150.

Seventeen-year-old Raphael Lessard, making his second of three Truck Series appearances this season in the No. 46 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports, was sixth-fastest overall and topped the speed charts in first practice. He was also sixth in final practice.

Lessard’s best lap of the day was 23.226 seconds (154.999 mph) with the No. 46 Spectra Premium Toyota Tundra.

Sauter has won the last two Truck Series races at the Monster Mile, leading 170 of 410 laps during that span. This will be his first race with ThorSport Racing at Dover since 2015.

Of note, Kyle Busch has been victorious in the last four Truck Series races held this season, but Busch is not entered for Friday evening’s event. NASCAR Xfinity Series regular Brandon Jones will pilot the No. 51 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

Qualifying for the JEGS 200 is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET on Friday.

ANDERSON, Ind. – Fourteen-year-old Brenden Torok will step onto the biggest stage of his young racing career during this weekend’s Must See Racing Sprint Car Series season opener at Anderson Speedway.

After a year’s worth of serving as a crew member for veteran owner John Reiser and working on Charlie Schultz’s machine, Torok will take the steering wheel in his own right for his series debut with the 410ci winged asphalt sprint car series during Saturday’s Must See Racing 50.

Torok will pilot the No. 99 for Koyan Racing, under the guidance of car owner Dave Koyan as well as Reiser as he embarks on his maiden voyage at the quarter-mile, high-banked bullring.

“I’m really excited for this weekend and I know it’s going to be a really cool experience,” Torok said in advance of the race weekend. “I know we have a 605 crate (engine) compared to the typical 410s, but what definitely helps us is that this is a small track where the power doesn’t matter quite as much on the straightaways as it does on some of the bigger tracks.

“This weekend is exciting because a lot of the sprint cars from my home track (Lorain County Speedway) are coming up as well to compete, so there will be a lot of familiar faces,” he added. “Hopefully we’ll be able to put on a show racing one another, as well as all the Must See veterans I’ve gotten to know over the past year of being at the race track on a regular basis.”

Though the prospect of his first Must See Racing event is admittedly, a little intimidating, that factor hasn’t stopped Torok from preparing as much as he can to be as ready as possible on Saturday.

However, that preparation came with a bit of a funny snag along the way.

“I’ve watched a lot of video to help prepare myself for this weekend,” explained Torok. “It’s actually a funny story. I was on YouTube … and apparently there’s two tracks named Anderson – there’s also one in South Carolina – and for a while I was watching the wrong track! I finally texted Charlie (Schultz) a photo of the video I was watching, and he told me I didn’t have the right one.

“I felt a little dumb after that, but we had a good laugh about it.”

Though Torok knows he’s a bit down on power compared to the top stars of the Must See Racing ranks, he knows that his primary goal is to go to school every time he hits the race track.

“I think at the beginning we’ll have a good race going on, but for sure if the race goes into long runs, the 410s will start to gap us some,” Torok admitted. “This weekend, for me, is all about getting experience and gaining respect from the veterans as much as I can. It’s exciting to have this opportunity, especially at just 14 years old. I would have never thought I’d be here back in my quarter midget days.

“I want to get my name out there, and this weekend will be a big start to that process.”

To that end, Torok doesn’t have a specific finishing position in mind that he’d like to achieve. Completing laps and not damaging his race car are the main objectives come race time.

“I just want to have some decent luck and not crash the car,” said Torok of his weekend mission. “I want to roll the thing back in the trailer in one piece and just have fun in the process. I know it’s going to be a new experience, so I just hope to learn as much as I can and soak it all in along the way.”

While Torok won’t make a full run for rookie-of-the-year honors, he did say that he and Koyan Racing plan to make additional selected starts this season, beyond just Saturday’s season opener at Anderson.

As he transitions from crew member to driver in the Must See Racing pit area, Torok was quick to note and look back on what it means to have come as far as he has in so short of a time period.

“The whole weekend is going to be awesome. To be racing with Charlie and Adam (Biltz) and all the people I’ve been helping all this time is pretty special to me,” noted Torok. “I can’t wait to get started.”

CONCORD, N.C. – After slimming down to just two full-time entries in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East this season, Rev Racing will expand back to three cars for this weekend’s Twin 100s at South Boston Speedway with the addition of 17-year-old Nick Sanchez.

Sanchez, who has competed primarily with Rev Racing’s late model program this season in the NASCAR Whelen All American Series, will make the step up at the four-tenths-mile Virginia oval this weekend for his first time in competition with the regional touring series.

The Miami, Fla. teenager is a third-year member of the NASCAR Drive 4 Diversity program. He’ll drive the No. 2 Max Siegel Inc. Toyota Camry on Saturday.

Though the deal was announced a bit late in the game, Sanchez is eager to continue his progression up the ladder and test his skills against the top drivers in the K&N East ranks.

“I’ve only known for sure this was going to happen for a couple of weeks, but this deal is something that has been talked about for a little while,” Sanchez told SPEED SPORT. “The team has a ladder system in place that has worked very successfully, so their end goal from the time that I joined them in Legend cars was to move me from Legends into late models, and then eventually into K&N.

“I’m super excited that we’ve finally gotten to this particular step on that ladder and I can’t wait to hit the race track on Saturday.”

Sanchez started his tenure with Rev Racing as part of the team’s Youth Development Program in 2017 and 2018, piloting a Legend car during the Bojangles’ Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

He then moved up into late models this year, and has not finished outside the top five in six starts so far, along with winning one pole as well.

While all of that doesn’t necessarily mean fast success in the K&N Pro Series this weekend, Sanchez is hoping for a smooth transition, despite the learning curve he’ll face.

“The difference in power between the late models and the larger K&N cars will definitely be the biggest difference that I’ll be looking to adjust to this weekend,” Sanchez noted. “I know the K&N cars are heavier and may drive a little bit differently, but the hope is that I can adapt quickly and find some speed as the day goes on from practice through the race.”

Sanchez also isn’t setting a specific bar for his K&N efforts this season, particularly considering that the South Boston twins are the only East races on his schedule at this point.

“My goal is simple: learn and take in as much as I can as the weekend goes on,” Sanchez said. “I don’t even have a specific finishing position in mind because I don’t know what to expect until I get out there and get going on Saturday.

“We’ll just see how it goes and hopefully have something to write home about when it’s all over,” he added. “I really think it’s gonna be a fun two races out there.”

Beyond Saturday, Sanchez will continue to compete full time in late model action for Rev Racing this season.

STUART, Iowa – Bobby Pierce was not going to be denied during Thursday night’s Midwest Latemodel Racing Ass’n stop at Stuart Int’l Speedway.

Pierce charged forward from 13th on the grid to win the 40-lap main event at the high-banked, quarter-mile clay oval, beating Chris Simpson to the checkered flag.

In the process, Pierce picked up Casey’s General Store Hard Charger honors on the night.

Simpson chased the familiar red No. 32 valiantly but was forced to settle for second in the end, followed by Tyler Bruening, Will Vaught and Jordan Yaggy.

National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Billy Moyer finished sixth in the 23-car field.

The finish:

Bobby Pierce, Chris Simpson, Tyler Bruening, Will Vaught, Jordan Yaggy, Billy Moyer, Chad Simpson, Mitch McGrath, Richie Gustin, Logan Martin, Jake Neal, Jeremy Grady, J.C. Wyman, Allen Murray, Brian Kosiski, Dave Eckrich, Jay Johnson, Chad Holladay, Jesse Stovall, Andrew Kosiski, Terry Phillips, Payton Looney, Joseph Gorby.