Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/817563
54 maltatoday SUNDAY, 30 APRIL 2017 Sport PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN STILON RUGBY FOOTBALL Malta fight for a draw against Croatia away from home BRYAN CORLETT IN the first half both teams were a little tentative in their play as they looked for weaknesses in the other. Mistakes were to the fore, with knock-ons and poor lineout throwing, not allowing the game to flow. With similar styles of play both teams were trying to go wide at every opportunity, but the respec- tive defences would not give an inch. Croatia were also using the boot trying to get down into the Mal- tese half and put pressure close to the line, but great defensive efforts by Busuttil(12) and James Kirk(14) rushing up to take out the ball carrier, thwarted some promising moves by Croatia's big backs. Ayoub(10) for Croatia was look- ing to run at Malta and one of his breaks ran out of steam as he looked for runners, with no one on his shoulder, he dropped a kick behind the Maltese backs and into touch. Malta's play seemed to struggle with a lack of communication, es- pecially in the lineout with a few miss throws by Halliday(2) in the absence of regular hooker Harry Collins, who was playing in the Army versus Navy game at Twick- enham. As Malta spread the ball through the hands a couple of near inter- ceptions by Croatia, luckily for Malta, were knocked on. The scrum was a powerful unit for Malta pushing the big Croatian forwards off the ball giving their scrumhalf possession, but going backwards. Watts(6), Apsee(7) and Davey(8) were strong over the ball and tackled well. Croatia were penalised after a series of pick and goes by the Mal- tese forwards and from 22 me- tres out and on 20 minutes in the half, James Morris(15) put the ball straight down the middle. Tom Holloway was having a busy game for Malta at scrumhalf trying to get his team going. The half time was score was 3 nil to Malta. In the second half Malta went out to a lead of 11 to 0, with anoth- er James Morris penalty from 40 metres out and then a try to Cap- tain Dominic Busuttil(12) in this game winning his 50th Cap. But the Croatians stepped up an- other gear and took the game to Malta, scoring wide out after a line break Rob Holloway(13) scythed down the runner, but an offload from the floor to Buljac(4) and he bashed his way over, the conver- sion was good. Malta 11, Croatia 7 and it seemed a wind of change had started. Croatia were now hot on the at- tack and from a lineout on the 22 line, a catch and drive that Malta could not negate, saw the hooker Altamirano score and with the conversion, Croatia now had the lead at 14 to 11. Malta lifted their game and at- tacked then were awarded a penal- ty inside the Croatian 22 and that man Morris stepped up and again and kicked it, making the score level at 14 all. Clayton Cassar(4) won a crucial penalty for Malta standing over the tackled player, but the Croatian player wouldn't release the ball, as Croatia mounted another attack. Croatia were looking dangerous out wide, as they went into fran- tic mode trying to score, throwing the ball around like a 7s game, but Malta's defence was up to the task, with some big tackles going in, by Robert Holloway(13), Kirk(14) and Dudman(11). Malta worked their way upfield with the hope of either winning a penalty or kicking a drop goal, but time ran out for them as the Refer- ee J. Molpeceres from Spain, blew for full time with the scores locked at 14 all. A great effort from Malta playing away from home, to get the draw and to go through the season un- beaten. Malta's Man of the Match: Robert Holloway(13) Croatia: N Jurisic(12) FIFA suspends audit official, opens probe into Caribbean head A member of FIFA's audit and compliance committee was handed a provisional 90-day ban from football on Friday, a day af- ter pleading guilty in a U.S court to taking bribes in exchange for using his inf luence within the global soccer body. In a further sign of continued problems in FIFA, the organisa- tion's ethics committee said it had opened formal proceedings against the president of the Car- ibbean Football Union, Gordon Derrick, in an unrelated case. FIFA's ethics committee said in a statement it had suspended Richard Lai, who is also president of the Guam Football Association (GFA), at the request of its chief investigator Cornely Borbely. Lai, 55, pleaded guilty on Thursday to wire fraud conspir- acy charges before U.S. District Judge Pamela Chen in Brooklyn, according to U.S. prosecutors who said he had taken close to $1 million (780,370 pounds) in bribes. As part of the plea, Lai, a U.S. citizen, has agreed to pay $1.1 million, prosecutors said. FIFA president Gianni In- fantino, in his own statement, thanked the U.S. prosecutors for their efforts in battling cor- ruption in the sport and said his federation would continue to co- operate with authorities. Lai was not among several doz- en officials and sports market- ing agencies, mainly from Latin America, who were indicted in the United States in 2015 in the biggest crisis in FIFA's history. President of the GFA since 2001, Lai sits on the committee respon- sible for checking FIFA's financial accounting. He was also suspended on Fri- day by the Asian Football Con- federation (AFC), where he is a member of the marketing com- mittee. The Pacific island of Guam is a U.S. territory, though its football association is a member of the AFC. As a full FIFA member, it holds a vote in FIFA presidential elections. Announcing Lai's guilty plea, the U.S. department of justice said his "breach of trust was particularly significant given his position as a member of the FIFA Audit and Compliance com- mittee, which must play an im- portant and independent role if corruption within FIFA is to be eliminated." Infantino, elected in February 2016 to rebuild FIFA, thanked the U.S. prosecutors "for their continued efforts to stamp out corruption from football, which is also the top priority of the new leadership of FIFA". "The new FIFA has been fully supportive of the U.S. authorities' investigations, and will continue to be," he said. "I am happy to confirm once again, that FIFA will provide whatever assistance is needed by the U.S. and any other authorities around the world." FIFA's ethics panel said in a statement that its investiga- tors had recommended a ban of at least four years and a fine of at least 15,000 Swiss francs ($15,120) for Derrick, who is president of the Caribbean Foot- ball Union and general secretary of the Antigua and Barbuda Foot- ball Association. The probe centres on alleged conf licts of interest, offering and accepting gifts and other ben- efits, mismanagement of funds, abuse of position and disloyalty, it said. Several Caribbean officials have been caught up in the U.S investigation including former presidents of CONCACAF, the confederation for North and Central American and the Car- ibbean, Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago and Jeffrey Webb of the Cayman Islands.