Rugby Union: Ryan Crotty and Ben Smith scored two tries each as the All Blacks’ bench sparked a second-half revival to beat a combative Argentina 57-22 in their Rugby Championship clash in Hamilton yesterday. Flyhalf Beauden Barrett also scored a try and slotted six conversions, while Julian Savea, Charlie Faumuina and Luke Romano also crossed for the home side, who again battled to put the Pumas away before their bench provided some intensity.
Other result: Australia vs S. Africa 23-17.
Tennis: The US Tennis Association has joined in the partnership launching the new Laver Cup team competition and will help stage the second edition of the event in the United States in 2018. The Laver Cup, named after twice calendar-year grand slam champion Rod Laver, is a three-day team competition modelled on golf’s Ryder Cup, pitting a team of six top players from Europe against six of their counterparts from the rest of the world. For the first three years, Bjorn Borg will captain Europe and John McEnroe will lead The World.
Marathon: New York City Marathon organisers settled a lawsuit by runners who said their use of a lottery, in which non-refundable fees were charged to decide who gets to race, was illegal. Papers detailing the settlement with the non-profit New York Road Runners Inc were filed with the US District Court in Manhattan. The Road Runners agreed to provide $2.1 million of credits, ranging from $1.25 to $11, on entry fees to future marathons and other races it sponsors to runners who entered drawings for the marathon or New York City Half Marathon between 2010 and 2015.
Motorcycling: MotoGP’s reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo hailed the best lap of his career after claiming a record pole position for the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano yesterday. The Spaniard’s Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi qualified alongside, marking his return to his home circuit in eastern Italy with a special ‘Sweet Home Misano’ Blues Brothers-themed helmet design. The pole was the fastest yet at the Marco Simoncelli circuit in eastern Italy and Lorenzo’s 64th in grand prix racing, a record he had previously shared with Rossi and Honda’s championship leader Marc Marquez.