Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/318021
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 25 MAY 2014 54 Sport FORMULA 1 RUGBY mbank.com 2132 2100 FIMBank is an international trade nance specialist with an established reputation as a dynamic and customer-driven provider of trade nance solutions. FIMBank is headquartered in Malta and benets from a growing network of international oces. documentary collections bonds and guarantees treasury management structured trade nance commodity trade nance letters of credit ship nance payments forfaiting factoring Trade Finance Solutions engineered for business success FIMBank p.l.c. is a licensed credit institution in Malta with company registration C17003, is regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority and listed on the Malta Stock Exchange. Police continue unbeaten run against Malta XIII THE touring West Yorkshire Police Rugby League extended its winning streak abroad to 11 years as they took on the Malta XIII on Friday night at the Melita ground. After touring Australia, Jamaica, Latvia, Serbia and the Czech Republic, the Police team's last loss dates back to 2003 when they were beaten in the south of France. While Friday night's scoreline would suggest it was one way traffic, the lo- cals were allowed to trial their brand of rugby league, a reflection of the way the national team plays. The visitors, in Malta for four days, showed their abilities from the outset. The Jon Hamer coached Police were fit, well drilled, and worked as a unit in most parts, but the Maltese did cross for three tries, two in the open- ing half. Malta XIII captain and national team vice-captain Clifford Debattista dived over for a double, one a trade- mark dummy half move. And Pete Debono was on the end of a move- ment down the right side in the Mal- tese' other points of the night. Featuring a host of British Police in- ternationals that played at last year's World Cup, the Police took only two minutes to get on the scoreboard through Adam Eastham. It was a perfect evening for rugby league and a number of Maltese staked their claim for a place in the national team train-on squad to be named later in the week, none more so than the engine room, player of the match prop Dragan Cerketa and Jeremy Dela, Cerketa playing a full 80 minutes. Effectively, the Maltese team was made up of the majority of the local championship's reigning premiers, Malta Origin RL, but Stompers RL duo of Cerketa and Matthew Spiteri made their impact felt on field, and Micallef was satisfied with the 11 debutants. "We had a number of players that have never played against this level of opposition before, it was a good test for them and will benefit their game when they go back to playing in the lo- cal championship" said Micallef. The four national team players all played at the level expected of them, Paolella, Cerketa, Debattista and Keep. And alternate options present- ed themselves in the like of Christian Briffa and Darren Edmunds who showed good signs at five-eighth and fullback. The Malta coach wasn't fazed by the score line, instead focusing on the assessment of a number of players' hopes of selection in the Malta train- on squad. "A couple of those debutants have put themselves in contention for na- tional squad consideration. And one or two of them, probably played their way into the national team" said Mi- callef. "We're looking at the bigger picture, getting the results in European Cham- pionship C. This was always the start of preparations. And it was a great guide on what and where we're at" Police coach Jon Hamer commended the Malta Rugby League (MRL) after the match, "I would like to commend Malta for their efforts on the pitch and would also like to thank them for the hospitality they have shown to me and my team" "West Yorkshire Police always strive to assist developing Rugby League na- tions and I hope this game has gone some way towards showing Malta what can be achieved" The 2014 MRL Championship resumes next week with the second round at Pembroke's Melita FC. West Yorkshire Police RL 86 (Hughes 3, Eastham 2, Brentley 2, Lumley 2, Amos, Brook, Daniels, Dixon, Heeley, Stocks, tries; Newton 13 from 15 goals) defeated Malta XIII 14 (C.Debattista 2, P.Debono tries; S.Keep 1 from 2, D.Edmunds 0 from 1 goals) H-T: WYP 30-10 Best & Fairest: J.Brentley (WYP) and D.Cerketa (Malta XIII) Ref: P.Devine (Eng) Venue: Melita FC, Pembroke. Malta international Sam Keep feeding a scrum for the Malta XIII PHOTOGRAPHY BY JUSTIN CIAPPARA Rosberg takes second successive Monaco pole THE German made an error at Mirabeau on his final run, sliding up the escape road and bringing out the yellow f lags. Everyone be- hind Rosberg - including Hamil- ton who had just set a personal best first sector - were thus un- able to improve. After the session the stewards announced that the incident in- volving Rosberg was to be inves- tigated, meaning that Hamilton still retains a theoretical chance of claiming his first P1 start in Monaco. Behind the duelling Silver Ar- rows, the Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel took both slots on the second row, whilst the Ferraris of Fern- ando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen locked out the third. Such are the stakes at Monaco that everyone bar Mercedes and Red Bull opted to run their su- persoft t yres from the start of Q1, which complicated the issue by putting some unfamiliar faces in high places. Not least of these was Jean-Eric Vergne, who eventually beat the Mercedes to fastest time in 1m 17.557s as Rosberg edged Hamilton by just over a tenth. Kv yat was the first man to clob- ber anything seriously this week- end, when he got into a tank slap- per under braking for the chicane and damaged his Toro Rosso's nose against the inner wall. He got going, however, and redeemed himself by scraping into Q2 in 16th on 1m 18.616s. That left the Saubers out in the cold, with Esteban Gutier- rez beating Adrian Sutil by four thousandths of a second, 1m 18.741s to 1m 18.745s. Jules Bianchi was unable to match his morning time and took 19th ahead of Marussia team mate Max Chilton, 1m 19.332s to 1m 19.928s. Kamui Kobayashi was 21st on 1m 20.133s, leaving team mate Marcus Ericsson 22nd on 1m 21.732s. The Swede caused the other upset of Q1 when he dived past a slowing Felipe Massa at Mirabeau, only to nudge the Williams driver into the wall as he overshot the bend. The Brazil- ian was not amused - his session was over despite setting the 10th fastest time - but at least he could take some satisfaction from the fact that the stewards announced an investigation into the inci- dent. Also are under investigation are Sergio Perez and Esteban Gutier- rez and Pastor Maldonado and Kv yat for alleged impeding of- fences. As Hamilton beat Rosberg to fastest time by a tenth in Q2, Sergio Perez squeezed into Q3 at Force India team mate Nico Hulkenberg's expense. The Ger- man was 11th on 1m 17.846s from Jenson Button, on 1m 17.988s. It's worth pointing out that nine- tenths covered third down to 12th! Behind the McLaren, Williams' miserable day continued with Valtteri Bottas only 13th on 1m 18.082s, as the Lotuses of Romain Grosjean and Maldonado also failed to make the cut with 1m 18.196s and 1m 18.356s. Thus came the big showdown in The start of Today's race in Monaco will be an even more tense affair than usual after a mistake by Nico Rosberg, who had set the Q3 pace on the first runs, inadvertently protected his pole position from flying Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton.