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Rugby Union: Loose forward James Haskell (picture) has been recalled to England’s starting team after an absence of 12 months for the opening match of their three-test series against New Zealand at Eden Park tomorrow. The 29-year-old Haskell will start at blindside flanker for Stuart Lancaster’s side, who have been shorn of several of their first-choice players due to the late arrival of 16 members of the squad after the English Premiership final at the weekend. Just seven of tomorrow’s lineup started against Italy in their final Six Nations match in March, though the return of British and Irish Lions players Geoff Parling and Manu Tuilagi will undoubtedly strengthen the team.
Winter Games: The International Skating Union (ISU) has dismissed South Korea’s complaint over the figure skating judging panel used at the Sochi Games that awarded Russia’s Adelina Sotnikova the gold medal ahead of defending Olympic champion Kim Yuna. At the Feb. 7-23 Games in the Black Sea resort city, 23-year-old Kim was beaten by 5.48 points by Sotnikova, who secured Russia’s first ladies singles gold despite a flawless performance from South Korea’s most popular athlete.
Ice Hockey: The ever-resilient Los Angeles Kings rallied from two goals down to beat the New York Rangers 3-2 in overtime in an action-packed Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals at Staples Center on Wednesday. Right wing Justin Williams scored the game-winning goal with a snap shot, on an assist from Mike Richards after a turnover by Dan Girardi, almost five minutes into the extra period as Los Angeles struck the first blow in the best-of-seven series. “Certainly it was not the start we wanted, but we got the result we wanted,” Williams, who is known for his remarkable Game Seven exploits, told NBC television after scoring his eighth goal of the postseason. “I was able to make a shot.”
Golf: Jay Haas will captain the US Presidents Cup team in 2015 while Zimbabwe’s Nick Price will return as International team captain, PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said. The biennial competition, which pits a 12-man team from the United States against a line-up of international players from outside Europe, will be played in South Korea from Oct. 8-11 at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Songdo, marking the first Presidents Cup to be staged in Asia. Price, who played on five Presidents Cup teams, was captain at the 2013 matches at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, won by the US team 18-1/2 to 15-1/2.
Table Tennis: Two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Andrew Baggaley will head a 10-strong England table tennis team at Glasgow 2014. The squad will also include world number 56 Liam Pitchford and fellow London Olympians Paul and Joanna Drinkhall and Kelly Sibley. Baggaley won both his gold medals at the 2002 Games in Manchester and went on to take silver in Manchester and two more medals in Delhi in 2010. Delhi 2010 competitors Hannah Hicks, Karina Le Fevre and Daniel Reed, plus debutants Tin-Tin Ho and Sam Walker, complete the line-up.