Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/563633
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 30 AUGUST 2015 53 Sport RUGBY ATHLETICS Malta prepare to face Ireland in summer international MALTA'S international against Ireland at Pembroke will kick off at 9.00pm on Saturday 5, September, the Malta Rugby League (MRL) has announced. The Irish will play their second match in seven days after they took on Serbia this yesterday afternoon in Belgrade, with organisers push- ing the kick-off back to late evening to lessen the toll on the players dur- ing the match following the heat wave of the last month. The Irish Wolfhounds are ranked seventh in the world, with a Euro- pean ranking of number three, and are set to be Malta's strongest test on home soil. Last month saw Ireland crush Bel- gium 38-0, only three weeks after Malta pulled off a memorable 35- 34 win over the Belgians in Leeds, a result that is expected to bring supporters out to rally for the home side at Melita FC next Saturday. Malta captain Chris Parker, re- turning from injury, will assume caretaker coach responsibilities and has a number of familiar faces from the domestic scene to choose from. Parker commented, "We're look- ing forward to the challenge the Irish team will bring to Malta". "The Irish are probably the high- est profile side we have hosted on the island and we're hoping the Maltese rugby family comes out in force to support us. And we are go- ing to have to be on top of our game to get the result". "We have a strong contingent of the squad that played against Bel- gium in June but we are also look- ing forward to and building up to the Euro C games against Spain and Greece". Speaking of his elevation to coach the national team, Parker added, "It's an absolute honour to have been given the opportunity to coach my country for the next three games. I've had a taste of it when I took the reins against Belgium and I really enjoyed it". "Hopefully I can bring a few new ideas to the table and continue to develop the domestic talent we have". 32-year-old veteran halfback Mal- colm Attard, who captained the side in his last start against Belgium, said the Malta team is eagerly awaiting the clash against the Wolfhounds for the first time". "It's this type of quality opposition that will test us and better prepare the younger players for our upcom- ing World Cup Qualifiers" said At- tard. The clash against Ireland will be Malta's final warm-up before their World Cup qualifying campaign kicks off in late September away to Spain, where the Maltese are ex- pecting to come up against simi- lar weather conditions and a cagy Spanish lineup. Malta v Ireland Saturday 5 September Melita FC, Pembroke, Malta Gates open 8.30pm, kick-off 9pm. Admission, EUR 5 Malta in action against Belgium last June YOUR FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY www.maltatoday.com.mt Treble top for Bolt in relay USAIN Bolt stormed to his third gold medal of the World Cham- pionships on a night when poor changeovers extinguished the 4x100 metres medal hopes of the United States and Great Britain. With this being such a traumatic time in the history of athletics, the Jamaican star has been portrayed as the saviour of the sport against the man cast as its number one villain, Justin Gatlin. Bolt rode to the rescue with tri- umphs in the 100m and 200m, do- ing so again in the relay by anchoring the Jamaican team of Nesta Carter, Asafa Powell and Nickel Ashmeade to victory in a world-leading 37.36 seconds. Two-times drug cheat Gatlin again looked like he would have to settle for silver, but that was stripped from the USA just minutes after the race. A sloppy baton change between Tyson Gay and Mike Rodgers - sprinters who, like Gatlin, have served doping bans - saw them dis- qualified in a race the British team did not even finish. Richard Kilty, Danny Talbot, James Ellington and Chijindu Ujah had the potential to secure a po- dium spot, but once again a baton changeover proved their undoing. Ellington and Ujah messed up the on the last leg - two years after the former's changeover with the omit- ted Harry Aikines-Aryeetey saw bronze chalked off in Moscow. The British women fared much better 20 minutes earlier in their 4x100m final, although they too left without a medal. Asha Philip, Dina Asher-Smith , Jodie Williams and Desiree Henry underlined their class with a won- derful display, producing a national record of 42.10secs. It was an exciting display a year out from the Olympics and just seven hundredths of a second off bronze, won in a national record time by Trinidad and Tobago. United States took silver behind a Jamaica team brought home by Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in a cham- pionship record of 41.07s - the sec- ond quickest time of all-time. Usain Bolt and a delighted Jamaican relay team