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36 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 15 FEBRUARY 2015 Sport TRIATHLON RUGBY - SIX NATIONS Hannah Pace continues to impress with encouraging performances FRESH from her recent nomi- nation for the prestigious Sport Malta Awards, young and prom- ising triathlete Hannah Pace started the New Year facing a busy scheduled calendar. Her recent performances have been such that her results have seen her stand on the podium on all occasions. The first multi-sport commit- ment for triathlete Hannah Pace was the Mochika Multi Sport Series Duathlon organised by Agones SFC where Pace took her first podium finish, placing first among females and fourteenth overall in a time of 01:01:03 in a race which saw a strong pool of athletes taking part. Consisting of a 4.6km run, an 18.6km cycle and another run of 2.3km Pace saw tough competi- tion from fellow triathlete Mar- garet Seguna who was hot on her heels. Pace's second outing of the season was the Agones SFC Cy- cling Criterium. Criterium rac- ing requires a lot of effort and needs athletes to be dynamic and skillful in order to keep up the pace. Pace placed second, in this highly tactical race, with recent- ly turned professional Michelle Vella Wood coming in first. Last weekend on Sunday Pace took part in the Savio Athletic Club 10km Road race which was held in Dingli. Whilst classified as a road race, the route is quite unusual due to its hilly sections in certain areas. Pace secured first place in 41 minutes 8 sec- onds, setting a course record in the process. "At the moment I am obviously focused on the up and coming triathlon season with such rac- es being incorporated into my training programme. I particularly felt in my element during last Sunday's Savio AC Road Race as I find myself in my element racing in this kind of ter- rain" said Pace. "Although I have always put in a lot of effort in my training this year the programme is very focused around the racing plans that I have for the forth- coming season." Pace's next major commitment will be the Tour of Malta, being held in March. In preparation for the event Pace will be competing in a number of club cycling races which will assist in the build-up for the upcoming tour. Hannah Pace races for Pem- broke Athleta and is supported by Garmin Malta, CF Fragrances and Mochika. Talented Triathlete Hannah Pace being presented first place trophy for her result in the Savio AC Dingli 10km Race. Photo by David Sant England surge back to thrash Italy at Twickenham Ireland resist heavy late pressure to secure 18-11 win over France JONATHAN Joseph scored two su- perb tries as England recovered from a stuttering start to hammer Italy 47- 17 to make it two wins out of two in the Six Nations championship and re- main on course for the first title since 2011. England scored six tries, and their backline showed some real pace and panache, but they looked shaky in defence at times as Italy started and finished strongly. There was also a late cameo from replacement fly-half Danny Cipriani who scored a try 22 seconds after joining the fray in his first appearance in the Six Nations since 2008. "At half-time we gave them a rev up, we said we needed to up the intensity, and I think we did that in the second half," England coach Stuart Lancaster told the BBC. "I'm slightly disappointed that we didn't do a bit better but I'm really pleased for Jonathan Joseph. He's hav- ing a great season so far and I'm de- lighted for him." It was a very different atmosphere at Twickenham to the bearpit of Cardiff last week when England impressively beat Wales but home fans expecting a repeat of last year's 52-11 Roman stroll were given a rude awakening as Italy captain Sergio Parisse scored the opening try after two minutes. After a backline shuffle caused by an early injury to full-back Mike Brown, England eventually settled and, after a George Ford penalty, went ahead after 24 minutes when Billy Vunipola got the benefit of a tight TMO call. Joseph, who made such an impres- sion against Wales last week, again showed the combination of speed and step that has been shredding Pre- miership defences all season to score a scintillating second after captain Chris Robshaw, yet again, had forced a halfway line turnover. Ford landed another penalty at the start of the second half but Italy looked livelier and were rewarded when cen- tre Luca Morisi burst through for his side's second try. Fly-half Kelly Haimona, however, missed his second conversion, having also missed two penalties, as Italy's long-standing goalkicking problem again dogged them. Then a lack of concentration after a collapsed scrum allowed quick-think- ing scrumhalf Ben Youngs to tap and scamper over untouched. Good work by Ford opened a hole that Joseph, shifted to the wing, roared through for his second before Danny Cipriani came on for his first taste of the Six Nations in seven years and within a minute was scoring a try after Jonny May's pace took him through an impossible gap. Fellow replacement Nick Easter then became England's oldest-ever tryscorer when the 36-year-old re- placement trundled over for England's sixth score but Italy had the last word with a well-taken second for Morisi. England now face a potentially deci- sive match away to Ireland next week while Italy visit Scotland. In the other match, Johnny Sex- ton negotiated two bloody clashes of heads with Mathieu Bastareaud to mastermind Ireland's stubborn 18-11 RBS 6 Nations victory over France in Dublin. Sexton fired 15 points in Ireland's ninth consecutive victory on his re- turn from a 12-week concussion lay- off to set up a potential Six Nations ti- tle decider with England on March 1. Fit-again Sexton fully vindicated Ireland's decision to throw him into action after an enforced three-month absence, leaving Joe Schmidt's men and England the only unbeaten teams in the tournament. France lock Romain Taofifenua bundled in for a late try to set up a fre- netic finish, but reigning champions Ireland held firm to keep their title defence on track. Former France star Laurent Ben- ezech branded Ireland's decision to field Sexton a "big mistake" as pres- sure mounted in midweek. Ireland provided evidence they had refused to risk their star asset in first- round action against Italy in a terse Friday night statement. When Sexton himself had chance to vindicate his selection, however, the former Leinster playmaker offered the most compelling argument of all. Now the Ireland juggernaut rolls on under taskmaster boss Schmidt, with the also unbeaten England pitching up in Dublin in two weeks' time. Sexton vowed in the week the "first tackle will get me into the game" after all the talk of France sending batter- ing-ram centre Bastareaud down his channel. Ireland's 29-year-old fly-half was as good as his word when that first challenge came, enveloping Toulon's express-train midfielder through the much-vaunted choke tackle tactic. Those partisan outside observers who had predicted pandemonium when 17-stone Bastareaud pounded into Sexton were left confounded as Ireland's peerless pivot forced a tell- ing turnover. Sexton consolidated his unflus- tered start by slotting a tricky pen- alty to hand Ireland first blood, before Camille Lopez levelled. Collected conductor Sexton re- sponded in kind to edge Ireland 6-3 ahead as Guilhem Guirado spoiled Ireland's ruck ball illegally. France were hounded by the choke tackle, Sexton constraining Bastar- eaud again, and Rory Best forcing an- other turnover. Sexton and Lopez traded penalties to leave Ireland 9-6 ahead, the hosts battling to diffuse France's preclusion for everything off-the-cuff. Sexton's fourth goal moved Ireland 12-6 ahead, and so the scores stayed until the break. Kearney hurtled on to Sexton's searching Garryowen to launch Ire- land's first attack of the second half, but a knock-on in Ireland's 22 sty- mied the move. Bastareaud felled Sexton in a nasty- looking but unintentional clash of heads, and both players had to leave the field for blood injuries. Both men copped cuts above their eyes, and a fair old clattering. France replaced their entire front- row in the 50th minute, sending the Six Nations' heaviest man, Uini Ato- nio, into the fray. Ian Madigan edged Ireland's lead to 15-6 from the tee with Sexton still receiving treatment, before France seized the initiative. Les Bleus' power replacements add- ed tempo and bite to the visitors, who ground into the home 22, but Peter O'Mahony forced a vital turnover. France lock Pascal Pape kneed Jamie Heaslip in a ruck and was sin-binned after video review. Bastareaud returned to the fray while Ireland quashed an attempted France break, allowing the break in play for Sexton to step back into ac- tion too. Sexton raced close straight away, only to fire a pass straight into Jared Payne's face, allowing France to clear their lines. Ireland hooker Best was sin-binned for a trip just past the hour, but Lopez shanked the resulting penalty. Best's yellow card buoyed France in- to a string of attacks, only for Ireland to hold firm once more. Ireland sent their front-row cavalry into action and gained immediate scrum dividend, winning a penalty to clear their lines. Ireland edged forward, forced a penalty and Sexton duly stretched the home lead to 18-6. The home resistance could not hold, however, replacement lock Romain Taofifenua claiming his first Six Na- tions try. Lopez scuffed the attempted con- version, leaving Ireland leading 18-11. Full-back Kearney's fly-hack clear- ance denied France once more, with Sexton again clashing heads with Bastareaud and needing his stitches tidied up. By this stage Ireland were desper- ately battling France's all-out on- slaught, with Les Bleus liable to strike on any phase. France forced their attack until overtime in the final play, only for Si- mon Zebo to force Yoann Huget into touch, sealing the victory. England's Jonathan Joseph (R) celebrates scoring a try against Italy