Winger Waisake Naholo scored two tries and Beauden Barrett enjoyed a stellar return to form as New Zealand comfortably defeated Australia 38-13 in the Rugby Championship opener in Sydney on Saturday.
Trailing 6-5 at the break due to some dogged Wallabies defence, the All Blacks notched a record second half points tally against Australia in a six-try masterclass of running rugby at Olympic stadium.
Naholo played a huge part in the All Blacks' 13th successive win in the southern hemisphere tournament, grabbing a late pair of tries in two minutes.
The Fijian-born winger also sparked their second half onslaught by setting up their second try through Jack Goodhue before putting Wallabies full-back Israel Folau out of the game with a mid-air clash near the hour-mark.
Aaron Smith grabbed the All Blacks' first try late in the first half, with Barrett and Brodie Retallick also crossing after the break to bruise the Wallabies' confidence for a third successive Rugby Championship opener in Sydney.
The match also doubled as the first in the Bledisloe Cup, the annual series contested between the nations.
New Zealand have held the Cup since 2003 and the Wallabies will need to beat them at their Eden Park stronghold next week for the first time in 32 years to keep the series alive.
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"You come to Sydney and you expect an explosion and we sort of got a different type of an explosion this time," All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said.
"We haven't done anything tonight other than get the right to put one hand on the (Bledisloe) Cup and we've got to go back next week, work hard and earn the right to put the other hand on it."
The Wallabies battled hard in the opening period, but their set pieces were a mess throughout and they were quick to buckle when put under pressure in the second half, gifting the All Blacks tries with a slew of turnovers.
Debutant back Jack Maddocks scored their sole try in the 66th minute but the match was all but decided by then.
World Player of the Year Barrett came in with queries over his form after a subdued finish to the Super Rugby season with the Wellington Hurricanes. But he responded with a masterful display only tempered by some errant kicking.
He manufactured the All Blacks' third try in the 51st minute with typical enterprise.
Swooping on a handling error by winger Dane Haylett-Petty at midfield, Barrett toed the ball forward three times in an exhilarating sprint before collecting it a metre from the line and diving over to put his side 17-6 up.
The wheels then fell off for the Wallabies, with Folau limping off 10 minutes later, having rolled his left ankle after landing from an aerial clash with Naholo.
Lock Brodie Retallick capitalised on the Wallabies' disarray, thundering over for the fourth try.
Naholo had earlier done the damage deep in defence, stripping the ball off fellow Fiji-born winger Marika Koroibete two minutes into the second half.
The tackle allowed the All Blacks to switch the ball wide and then quickly downfield to give outside centre Goodhue his maiden try.
"There's no lying down," said a deflated Wallabies coach Michael Cheika. "We've got to improve on what we brought today and go out there with the attitude that we're going to win."
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Investors: EightRoads Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Sequoia Capital India
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Most wanted allegations
- Benjamin Macann, 32: involvement in cocaine smuggling gang.
- Jack Mayle, 30: sold drugs from a phone line called the Flavour Quest.
- Callum Halpin, 27: over the 2018 murder of a rival drug dealer.
- Asim Naveed, 29: accused of being the leader of a gang that imported cocaine.
- Calvin Parris, 32: accused of buying cocaine from Naveed and selling it on.
- John James Jones, 31: allegedly stabbed two people causing serious injuries.
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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.
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“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.”
MATCH INFO
English Premiership semi-finals
Saracens 57
Wasps 33
Exeter Chiefs 36
Newcastle Falcons 5
New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
New Zealand
Penalties: Barrett (7)
British & Irish Lions
Tries: Faletau, Murray
Penalties: Farrell (4)
Conversions: Farrell
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A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Du Plessis plans his retirement
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said on Friday the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in two years' time will be his last.
Du Plessis, 34, who has led his country in two World T20 campaigns, in 2014 and 2016, is keen to play a third but will then step aside.
"The T20 World Cup in 2020 is something I'm really looking forward to. I think right now that will probably be the last tournament for me," he said in Brisbane ahead of a one-off T20 against Australia on Saturday.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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