Mercurial Toulon playmaker Frederic Michalak's stop-start international rugby union career received a boost when he was named ahead of Francois Trinh-Duc at flyhalf in France's team to play Australia tomorrow. "The selections follow the logic of the last test in Argentina, when we were happy with Maxime [Machenaud] and Frederic Michalak," coach Philip Saint-Andre said. Waratahs prop Sekope Kepu and lock Kane Douglas will get their first starts in the Australia team. AFP
Hooker Tom Youngs will make his debut and winger Ugo Monye returns after more than two years out as part of an inexperienced England line-up for tomorrow's rugby union test against Fiji at Twickenham. With his team decimated by withdrawals, coach Stuart Lancaster brings in Youngs - formerly a centre - to replace the injured Dylan Hartley, while Monye starts after Ben Foden was ruled out with injury and winger Chris Ashton was given a one-game ban. AP
The 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, will be the biggest and the most expansionist Winter Games with 12 new events, organisers said yesterday. Sports director Irina Gladkikh outlined the new events, ranging from women's ski-jumping to a figure-skating team championship. Only two new sports were added to the last Winter Olympics programme in Vancouver, which staged 86 events. Sochi will boast a total of 98 medal events in 15 sports - 69 in the mountains and 29 at the coastal cluster. The Games are scheduled to run from February 7 to 23. Reuters
