Lowly Otago stun Waratahs



The Otago Highlanders put a big dent in the New South Wales Waratahs' Super 14 semi-final ambitions with a shock 26-10 win yesterday. The Waratahs, who were lying fifth at the start of the round, never got to grips with the cold and wet conditions in Invercargill or the never-say-die spirit of the Highlanders.

The New Zealanders, who were 12th in the table, ran in three tries to one - including a pair by flanker Adam Thomson - for only their third win of the season after 11 games. Thomson was one of the Highlanders' standouts, along with hooker Jason Rutledge, who made crucial contributions all over the field. The Waratahs' semi-final hopes will now depend on their last two games, against the Waikato Chiefs and the Wellington Hurricanes, as well as the fortunes of the other hopefuls.

The Highlanders dominated much of the first half through their impressive forward pack, with the scrums the only area where the Waratahs had an advantage. In contrast, the Waratahs were sluggish, obviously not relishing the cold, wet and windy conditions in New Zealand's far south. The early forward dominance paid dividends after nine minutes when Steven Setephano, theHighlanders' No 8, forced his way over the line after breaking from the back of a scrum five metres out.

Three minutes later, Thomson collected a clever wide pass from half-back and fellow All Black Jimmy Cowan for a converted try that stretched the lead to 12-0. Waratahs full-back Kurtley Beale struck back with eight minutes to go in the spell, running inside the defence and just evading the despairing grasp of Cowan to narrow the deficit to 12-10 at the break after an earlier penalty from fly-half Daniel Halangahu.

In the second spell, the Highlanders used the wind advantage to keep the Waratahs pinned in their half for extended periods with long kicks. Thomson's second try came only five minutes after the break, when the Highlanders spread the ball to the right flank, with full-back Israel Dagg and lock Josh Bekhuis featuring before Thomson took the final pass to go over. Poor discipline from the Waratahs and relentless pressure from the home side saw Highlanders' fly-half Matt Berquist add three penalties.

In yesterday's other match, the second-placed Stormers pulled away after a close first half to beat Crusaders, who went into the game with the same number of points, 42-14. Seven penalties and three conversions by Peter Grant accounted for most of the Stormers' total. Today's action sees the Coastal Bulls take on eighth placed Sharks, while the Queensland Reds will look to cement their top four status with a win at sixth-placed ACT Brumbies.

In this weekend's other games, the Wellington Hurricanes host the Waikato Chiefs, the Central Cheetahs play the Auckland Blues in Bloemfontein and the Golden Lions take on the Western Force in Johannesburg. * AFP

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Company%20profile
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Generation Start-up: Awok company profile

Started: 2013

Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev

Sector: e-commerce

Size: 600 plus

Stage: still in talks with VCs

Principal Investors: self-financed by founder

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.

Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How will Gen Alpha invest?

Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.

“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.

Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.

He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.

Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”

Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Company Profile

Founders: Tamara Hachem and Yazid Erman
Based: Dubai
Launched: September 2019
Sector: health technology
Stage: seed
Investors: Oman Technology Fund, angel investor and grants from Sharjah's Sheraa and Ma'an Abu Dhabi

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

Which honey takes your fancy?

Al Ghaf Honey

The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year

Sidr Honey

The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest

Samar Honey

The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments


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