Manu Tuilagi scored a fortunate try as England remained on course for a Six Nations Grand Slam with a 23-13 win over France at Twickenham on Saturday.
Owen Farrell kicked 12 points and replacement fly-half Toby Flood landed two late penalties as England inflicted a third straight defeat of the tournament on bottom-of-the-table France - their worst start to a Championship since they lost their opening three games in the 1982 Five Nations.
Much-improved France turned round 10-9 in front after Wesley Fofana's superb solo score provided the only try of the first half.
The game was still in the balance, with England leading 12-10, when recalled centre Tuilagi scored a try that might have been disallowed for a ruck offence in the build-up.
Owen Farrell and scrum-half Morgan Parra exchanged early penalties before the Englishman struck again to give the hosts the lead.
But France had a try thanks to a brilliant 30th-minute effort from Fofana, released after Vincent Clerc expertly gathered a high ball. Fofana evaded Courtney Lawes and sped past Chris Ashton before avoiding an attempted tap tackle by England captain Chris Robshaw.
Fofana handed off to scrum-half Ben Youngs and the recovering Chris Ashton's desperate dive could not derail a run of more than 60 metres to the line.
Parra converted and France were 10-6 in front.
Farrell's third penalty reduced France's lead to a point at half time and France were made to pay for penalty misses either side of half time when, after a drive off a lineout, Farrell made it four goal kicks from four to edge England 12-10 in front.
Tuilagi extended that lead to 17-10 as the hosts finally crossed France's line.
Yannick Nyanga dropped a high ball and in the ensuing ruck the ball was kicked forward by Tom Wood on to England replacement Mako Vunipola.
However, South African referee Craig Joubert let play continue and the ball squirted out to Tuilagi who powered his way over from 40 metres.
Farrell missed the conversion and France replacement fly-half Frederic Michalak landed a penalty but two late Toby Flood penalties saw England home.
Halfpenny kicks Wales to victory over Italy
Only a fortnight after looking buried, a revived Wales have impetus and a winning streak going in the defence of their Six Nations rugby title after beating Italy 26-9 in rainy Rome.
Wales wore down Italy with two second-half tries and 16 points from Leigh Halfpenny’s trusty boot for a second successive win in the championship.
Only two weeks ago, Wales went to France with last rites ringing their ears over their chances of defending the title. But they won in Paris to end an eight-Test losing streak, and won at the Stadio Olimpico to achieve a fourth successive win away from home for the first time since the tournament expanded in 2000.
Interim coach Rob Howley’s squad still were not close to dominating like they did last season en route to the Grand Slam, but wins by any margin on the continent were precious.
Italy at home have also given Wales fits for a decade, and despite missing suspended captain, Sergio Parisse, were back in the same stadium where they humbled France this month.
“We showed patience and composure and we took our opportunities,” Howley said. “Our scrum was very impressive and gave us the platform.
“International rugby is about fine margins, and it was testament to the attitude of the players today and their application in difficult conditions. The adaptability of the team is very good, and they were once again very well led by Ryan [Jones[.”
Parisse missed his first Six Nations rugby match in nine years without injury as an excuse after he was banned for 30 days by the French Top 14 for swearing at a referee last weekend after being sent off.
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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.”
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The Voice of Hind Rajab
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MATCH INFO
Manchester City 0
Wolves 2 (Traore 80', 90 4')
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Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
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Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
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Price: From Dh590,000
The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House
