If the Wellington Hurricanes had any clue how to negate the ‘truck-and-trailer’ lineout drive employed by South Africa’s Blue Bulls this season, they were not letting on ahead of their Super Rugby clash in Napier on Saturday.
The Bulls’ set-piece, resembling the kind of lengthy, blue road-train seen barrelling along the dusty highways of Australia’s ‘Outback’, resulted in two tries against the Waikato Chiefs last weekend and has left opposition coaches scratching their heads as to how to counter it.
Flanker Deon Stegmann scored one of the tries, while the second was awarded by referee Craig Joubert after the Chiefs collapsed the drive metres before Stegmann crashed over for what would have been a certain try.
“I had a quick look at their game on the weekend and it’s no secret what they bring,” Hurricanes lock James Broadhurst told reporters.
“We’ll have to be pretty sharp with our lineout defence and our counter drive (and) ... competing in the air is one way of stopping it, so I think we’ll have to be really on to it with that.”
While the efficiency at their lineout drive is a concern for the Hurricanes, the Chiefs managed to battle back from a 16-point deficit to draw the game 34-34 and gave a hint on how to exploit the Bulls late in the match.
Pace out wide and quick interchanges between players in support allowed them to score three tries in the final 11 minutes.
The Hurricanes may be well placed to emulate the Chiefs. The Wellington-based side, despite having won just two of their six games, are the most potent attackers in the competition.
They are equal first in tries scored (20), first in clean breaks (52), defenders beaten (146), carries (736) and total metres gained (2928).
In contrast the Bulls are 10th, 14th, 15th, 13th and 14th in the respective categories.
Instead, the Pretoria-based side rely on their massive pack to bash their way forward before flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter kicks them down field.
With territorial gains, former Springboks lock Victor Matfield, who rejoined the team after retiring following the 2011 World Cup, then comes into his own as a world class poacher to put pressure on the opposition lineout.
Matfield also wins his own ball more often than not.
The 36-year-old Matfield is third in lineout takes this season with 27, behind the ACT Brumbies’ Ben Mowen (34) and Auckland Blues’ Steven Luatua (28). Matfield’s locking partner Flip van Der Merwe has grabbed 20.
The Hurricanes, however, showed last week against the Canterbury Crusaders they were more than a match at the set-piece and competitive from the start after starting slowly in their defeat to the Highlanders the previous round.
“We were right in it from the start and the result looked after itself,” Hurricanes assistant coach Alama Ieremia told reporters. “It’s a big shift.”
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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.”
Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
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Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Two-step truce
The UN-brokered ceasefire deal for Hodeidah will be implemented in two stages, with the first to be completed before the New Year begins, according to the Arab Coalition supporting the Yemeni government.
By midnight on December 31, the Houthi rebels will have to withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Al Saqef, coalition officials told The National.
The second stage will be the complete withdrawal of all pro-government forces and rebels from Hodeidah city, to be completed by midnight on January 7.
The process is to be overseen by a Redeployment Co-ordination Committee (RCC) comprising UN monitors and representatives of the government and the rebels.
The agreement also calls the deployment of UN-supervised neutral forces in the city and the establishment of humanitarian corridors to ensure distribution of aid across the country.
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo and dual electric motors
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Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
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Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
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if you go
The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
