Gäste Forum » moving up to Double-A Akron for Frida

Former England captain Ollie Phillips has predicted that rugby Sevens will provide a cracking spectacle at the Rio Olympics. The Great Britain squads for mens and womens competitions are set to be announced in London on Tuesday.And Phillips, who skippered England during a glittering Sevens career that also saw him named 2009 world Sevens player of the year, is relishing a six-day tournament which starts at Deodoro on August 6.Its brilliant that rugby is part of the greatest sporting spectacle on the planet, and that both our men and women get a chance to be a part of that, he told Press Association Sport. To win a gold medal, for most sportspeople, is the biggest accolade you can have.I think the Olympics will get a cracking spectacle. There is nothing, really, that exists within the Olympics whereby the action comes very thick and fast, and there is always something going on. Sevens is short, sharp, with loads of points and a carnival atmosphere.GBs men and women have built for Rio by taking part in a series of preparation tournaments -- the men triumphed on successive weekends in Exeter and Gdynia, Poland earlier this month -- with final 12-player groups now ready for unveiling.The men have been drawn alongside New Zealand, Kenya and Japan in Rio, with the women facing Canada, Brazil and Japan during pool stages that will see the top two teams from each of three groups -- plus two best third-placed sides - securing quarterfinal places.Phillips ex-England Sevens colleague Simon Amor is head coach of the mens squad, and while injuries have ruled out two initial training squad members -- Wasps scrum-half Joe Simpson and Welshman Luke Morgan -- it is expected that Amor will be able to parade a powerful final contingent.What I like about Simons [training squad] selection is that most of the players have been playing Sevens all year for England, Scotland or Wales, so their fitness levels will be right up there, Phillips added. In Sevens, there is an expectation for players to be supremely fit.A lot of it in Sevens is just about the core skills that lots of people take for granted -- your handling, passing, tackling and how accurate you are at the breakdown.Sevens puts a huge magnifying glass over the core components of anyones game. There is no hiding. If you miss a tackle in 15-a-side, sometimes that can be recovered. In Sevens, more often than not, it cant be.Fifteen-a-side world stars like Bryan Habana and Quade Cooper failed in their attempts to secure respective Rio selection for South Africa and Australia, and while New Zealands Sonny Bill Williams made the final cut, Phillips has underlined how big the switch to rugbys abbreviated version can be.If you look at someone like Sonny Bill Williams, he came into the Sevens environment and it took him a good three tournaments to get used to the game in terms of what he was doing, how to play and what decisions to make, Phillips said. Players have almost become specialist Sevens players. There is a lot more focus on some players doing nothing but being out and out Sevens now, and that has seen the game grow.It is a challenge going from 15s into Sevens. You cover a lot more yardage, there is a lot more running. It is more about agility and speed. Also, the recognition of space. In 15s, there is less space and it is crowded with players, and on a Sevens field, it is all about appreciation of space, knowing when to take the gap between you and the defence or when to hold on and push out wide.The HSBC World Sevens Series has grown from six tournaments to 10, and the actual game of Sevens is really exploding. I think the Olympics will contribute massively to that. Antonio Rudiger Youth Jersey . Ibaka equaled a career high with 20 rebounds, adding four blocked shots and 15 points as the Thunder smothered the Milwaukee Bucks offence in a 92-79 victory Saturday night. Cheap Chelsea Shirt . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury. http://www.chelseafcshoponlineuk.com/pedro-youth-jersey.html . -- Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis was charged Thursday with driving while intoxicated, a day after he was suspended for an NFL substance-abuse policy violation. Marcos Alonso Youth Jersey . Hargreaves began his career in 2008 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and has played with the Edmonton Eskimos and last season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. David Luiz Youth Jersey . - Derek Wolfe says hes finally healthy after suffering a seizure in November that doctors now believe was related to the spinal cord injury he suffered in the preseason. MINNEAPOLIS -- The Cleveland Indians were one of baseballs biggest surprises in the first half of the season. After they limped into the All-Star break, Mike Napoli made sure they got the second half started on the right foot.Napoli had three hits, including his 19th home run, Carlos Carrasco pitched into the seventh inning and the Indians beat the Minnesota Twins 5-2 on Friday night.The Indians had lost four of their last five games before the break but they maintained their 6 1/2-game lead over Detroit in the AL Central.They used the four days off to recuperate from an intense first half that included 14-game winning streak from June 17 to July 1, but manager Terry Francona said he was guarding against the vacation mentality carrying over into the start of the second half.You kind of walk the fine line because you want them to have the rest, and you hope the rust doesnt get in the way, Francona said. I thought the guys did a good job of shaking it off.Napoli scored three runs, one on his solo shot into the bullpen in left-center in the eighth inning that stretched Clevelands lead to three runs.Everybody looked fresh, Napoli said. Its going to be a grind down the stretch, but for us to be able to get some rest, its nice.Carrasco (6-3) allowed two runs on four hits while striking out three in 6 2/3 innings. He won for the fourth time in his last five starts. Cody Allen pitched a perfect ninth for his 19th save in 21 chances.Twins starter Ervin Santana (3-8) was coming off a shutout in his last start. But the Indians chased him with three straight singles in the sixth inning, when they took a 4-2 lead. Jose Ramirez lined a pitch that kicked off the heel of Santanas glove hand and into center field to put Cleveland ahead 3-2, ending Santanas night.If it finds the glove instead of the wrist, you might get a double play and get off the field, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. But it made its way to center field.Brian Dozier drove in both of the Twins runs. He had a sacrifice fly in the first inning and a home run off an inside fastball in the fourth.Its the only one I saw, Dozier said of the fastball from Carrasco. He made some mistakes and I got that one. He made some more and we didnt exeecute on those times.ddddddddddddA NICE SURPRISERamirez continued to provide unexpected offense for the Indians with two more run-scoring hits on Friday. Hes driven in six runs in his last three games and is hitting .313 in July. The 23-year-old utility player has held down third base and the fifth spot in the batting order of late as the Indians wait for Michael Brantley to return from a shoulder injury.He sprays the ball all over the field. Thats why were hitting him where were hitting him, because regardless of whos pitching or what type, he puts the ball in play, Francona said. With (Brantley) gone, hes been hitting in the middle of the order for us. I think that speaks volumes.DONT RUN ON BUXTONNapoli led off the second inning with a drive to deep left-center field that looked like a sure extra-base hit. But Twins center fielder Byron Buxton played the ball on the first hop off the fence, spun and fired a strike to second baseman Dozier, who slapped the tag on a sliding Napoli.TRAINERS ROOMIndians: Brantley continued his rehab assignment, moving up to Double-A Akron for Friday nights game. Francona said he expected Brantley to play six or seven innings and that he was close to being able to play in back-to-back games.Twins: Buxton (knee) returned to the lineup after missing most of the last three games before the break. He had not played since slamming his leg into the center field fence trying to make a catch in the first inning of the Twins July 8 game against the Rangers.UP NEXTIndians: RHP Trevor Bauer (7-3) had won three consecutive starts before his last outing, a 5-4 loss to the Yankees on July 7. He gave up a season-high five earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. That raised his ERA from 3.02 to 3.30, which was still good for ninth-best in the AL at the break.Twins: Minnesota has scored 48 runs in the last four games started by RHP Tyler Duffey (5-6). The Twins have won all four, and Duffey has earned the victory in the last three. In his most recent outing on July 7 at Texas, Duffey threw six scoreless innings and struck out a season-high nine batters. ' ' '