LONDON // The prolific winger Chris Ashton scored four tries as rampant England routed Italy 59-13 at Twickenham to register a second straight win in the Six Nations and maintain its perfect record against the Azzurri.
The Northampton star took his test tally to nine tries in nine matches by going over twice in each half, adding to the brace he scored in the 26-19 victory over Wales in the competition's opening game.
Ashton even risked the wrath of England manager Martin Johnson by celebrating two of his tries with his renowned "swan dive," something he received an ear-bashing for for doing against the Welsh.
"I thought it was the right time to do it; I thought 'Why not?,"' said Ashton, who became the first player to score four tries in the Six Nations.
The hosts crossed eight times in all - with Mark Cueto, Mike Tindall, Danny Care and James Haskell also dotting down - and impressive flyhalf Toby Flood landed six kicks from six to keep up his flawless record in this year's Six Nations.
But Ashton was undoubtedly the star of the show, demonstrating an instinct he learned from his formative years in rugby league to pop up on the shoulder of his teammates time and again.
"The guys gave him the chances but he's definitely a finisher," Johnson said.
Beleaguered Italy's only try came through Fabio Ongaro in the 70th minute, while winger Mirco Bergamasco converted to add to two first-half penalties for a personal haul of eight points.
But the visitors' defense was porous all match and any hopes they had of keeping England on a leash, like they did Ireland in a narrow 13-11 defeat in Rome last week, were dashed very quickly.
Ashton acknowledged this week that Johnson was unhappy with his over-the-top try celebration in Cardiff but it didn't stop him doing exactly the same thing eight days on after just three minutes against Italy. He did the dive again in the 76th to complete the rout.
"I'll have him in the office for that on Tuesday morning," Johnson joked. "No, it's OK, it's a bit of fun."
Ashton's first try came when sprightly scrumhalf Ben Youngs set free Flood, whose inside pass sent the winger through. The capacity crowd waited to see what he would do as he went over the line and he didn't disappoint, diving high into the air with the ball tucked in his left hand before safely grounding.
Bergamasco and Flood exchanged quick penalties before Italy's center-turned-winger knocked over another three-pointer to make it 10-6 in the 14th.
England was in control, though, and made that dominance count on the scoreboard in the 25th when Shontayne Hape barged through some powder-puff midfield tackling before offloading to Ashton, who span Bergamasco to go over from five meters.
The floodgates then opened and Cueto, without a try in his previous 18 tests, made sure he didn't miss out.
The Youngs-Flood combination sent in the popular Sale wing, who scorched over from 10 meters and was mobbed by his ecstatic teammates.
There was still time for Tindall, England's captain for the second straight game with Lewis Moody still out injured, to take Easter's pass and rumble over for a try Flood converted for a halftime score of 31-6.
A yellow card for Martin Castrogiovanni at the start of the second half hardly helped Italy's cause and in the prop's absence, Ashton made hay by completing his hat trick. Replacement center Matt Banahan barged through more holes in the Azzurri midfield and although he was stopped three meters short, Ashton was on his shoulder to pile over.
A raft of changes by both sides took some of the sting out of the game but England still looked dangerous and Care, the substitute scrumhalf, darted off the side of a ruck to cruise over from 20 meters in the 58th.
Ongaro's close-range try in the 70th was a consolation for Italy, but England had the last laugh.
Haskell crowned a solid allround display by grabbing the seventh try and the stage was set for Ashton to wrap up proceedings in the 76th, running onto Banahan's pass to sprint in from 40 meters - finishing with a "swan dive" that brought a wry smile from Johnson.
Replacement winger Jonny Wilkinson, a 55th-minute replacement for Flood, converted the final three tries for six points.
Wales shine at least with win over Scotland
Wales brought a wretched eight-match winless run to an end by beating Scotland 24-6 at Murrayfield with a try in each half from winger Shane Williams in the Six Nations.
James Hook, brought in by Wales to provide some creativity at flyhalf, set up Williams' seventh-minute try and kicked three penalties to push the visitors to a 16-3 halftime advantage.
Two penalties by Scotland No 10 Dan Parks reduced the deficit, but Williams grounded Jonathan Davies' kick through in the 70th to grab his 55th test try and kickstart Wales' campaign, following its 26-19 loss to England last week.
The win will take some of the heat off under-pressure Wales coach Warren Gatland, while Scotland suffered its second straight defeat in the competition after going down 34-21 in France. It was also the Scots' eighth defeat in nine matches against Wales and they will rue not taking full advantage when the Welsh went down to 13 men during the first half, following quickfire yellow cards to lock Bradley Davies and fullback Lee Byrne.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Key facilities
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
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- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
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Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
The%20Boy%20and%20the%20Heron
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
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The specs: 2018 Audi Q5/SQ5
Price, base: Dh183,900 / Dh249,000
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder / 3.0L, turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic / Eight-speed automatic
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Fuel economy: combined 7.2L / 100km / 8.3L / 100km
RACE CARD
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Turf) 2,200m
5.30pm: Khor Al Baghal – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Khor Faridah – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
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German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Tom Fletcher on 'soft power'
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
RESULT
Deportivo La Coruna 2 Barcelona 4
Deportivo: Perez (39'), Colak (63')
Barcelona: Coutinho (6'), Messi (37', 81', 84')
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5