Chatecke » You dont know how down I am

Kelly Russell knows younger sister Laura is never too far behind her on the rugby pitch. Discount NBA Jerseys . And thats good news for Canada. Kelly, who plays No. 8 at the back of the scrum, is captain of the Canadian womens team. Younger sister Laura is a prop, plying her trade at the forwards coal face. "We know each others tendencies on the field so its always great to play with her," said Kelly, who at 27 has two years on her sister. "Shes a hard worker, so anywhere Im around the pitch shes there too. I always know shes got my back." Kelly Russell has 24 more women behind her as Canada gears up for Fridays Womens Rugby World Cup opener against Spain in France. A quiet leader, Russell has the respect of her Canadian crew. "Kellys amazing," said veteran centre Mandy Marchak. "Shes very focused, very strong-minded. She understand what it is to be a part of such a big team and she leads by example. Shes quiet but when she speaks, it speaks volumes. She backs everything she says by how she plays. "Shes very strong on the field -- individually and for the team. Shes a really important part of the team. Kelly and I have been friends for a pretty long time and (shes) somebody I look up to." Marchak and Russell share a moment before each game. "Something I feel I personally have shared with Kelly throughout the years has been the final minutes before running onto the pitch, I turn to Kelly and she gives me this nod," Marchak wrote in a 2012 blog. "I know this nod very well. Its a nod saying were ready, we know what we need to do, lets just go out and do it. "It has actually been the one thing I feel I look forward to, as it calms me and gives me that last ounce of believe." Russell, who also played in the 2010 World Cup as well as two sevens World Cups, sees good things ahead for this Canadian team which she describes as a mix of experience with "want-to-impress" new blood. Originally from Bolton, Ont., Russell is one of about 20 women, all tied into the sevens program, who are centralized in the Victoria area. Other players have moved west to train with them. Part of their regimen involves working with UFC bantamweight Sarah Kaufman at the ZUMA gym in Victoria. Kaufman helps them with condition and grappling -- wrestling takedowns are similar to tackling to rugby. "A real help," said Russell. Canada, which finished fourth in 1998, 2002 and 2006 and a disappointing sixth in 2010, is in a pool with England, Samoa and Spain. The three pool winners and the runner-up with the best record advance to the semifinals. New Zealand has won the last four tournaments, defeating England in the last three finals. The Russell sisters -- including an older sibling -- followed their fathers footsteps into rugby with the Toronto Nomads. Kelly was 14 or 15 when she took up the sport. Now she leads Canada out on rugbys biggest stage. "When I started, it was just about playing rugby and trying it out. And I just loved it right away," she recalled. "So the natural progression was just to keep pursuing higher levels." She got her first cap in 2007 and has 35 going into the World Cup -- no small feat considering womens rugby internationals are few and far between. Named to the 2010 World Cup all-star squad, Russell was named Rugby Canadas Womens Fifteens Player of the Year for 2013. Canada last faced Spain at the 1991 and 2006 World Cups, winning 79-0 and 19-4. "Were expecting Spain to play a lot of rugby (Friday) with a lot of ball in play, fast pace and a lot of running, similar to the style we play and they play with no fear," Canadian coach Francois Ratier said in a statement. "This is the World Cup. And its important for us to set the tone with a big effort against Spain. We need to focus on our game and dont change our style or philosophy because its been working -- just push up the intensity." Clearance NBA Jerseys . Coaches are now allowed to challenge both called and potential defensive pass interference fouls under certain conditions. Wholesale NBA Jerseys . With nothing tangible at stake, the Raptors turned in their most impressive outing of the fall in their seventh and second to last exhibition tilt against their stiffest competition yet, but they lost a couple starters in the process. https://www.nbachinajerseys.us/ .ca. In addition to the game being aired in its entirety on CTV Two Vancouver Island and TSN.ca, TSN2 will also have coverage of Whitecaps FC immediately following NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Toyota Owners 400.LONG BEACH, Calif. - Tempers flared all around the streets of Long Beach, where drivers declared friendships over after a surprisingly physical race. Simon Pagenaud refused to accept a post-race apology from Will Power, and Justin Wilson was furious with Scott Dixon. James Hinchcliffe tried to be diplomatic but failed to hide his displeasure with teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay. The one team smiling at the end of Sundays race? Ed Carpenter Racing, which got an unexpected victory from Mike Conway. Conway, hired this year when team owner and oval specialist Carpenter decided to get out of the car on road and street courses, started 17th and overcame an early broken wing to win the Toyota Grand Prix for the second time in his career. The British driver was chasing Dixon over the final few laps, then got the lead when Dixon stopped for fuel two laps from the finish. "I didnt know whether he had the fuel to finish or not," Conway said. "The guys were telling me he was saving fuel and they werent sure that he could make it, but at the same time, you dont want to rely on that. I was kind of trying to make things happen and maybe get by him. But when I saw him pull in I was like, OK, the guys are right and just have to bring it home. "Second would have been good, but this is awesome." The race was shaping up to be a Hunter-Reay rout until he triggered a seven-car accident 24 laps from the finish. Hunter-Reay started from the pole and led 51 laps, and had Andretti Autosport teammate Hinchcliffe right behind him when the race took a bizarre turn. Josef Newgarden had raced off pit road in a successful bid to get back on the track in front of Hunter-Reay and Hinchcliffe, who had swept the front row in qualifying for Andretti. But on cold tires, Newgarden wasnt going to be able to hold off Hunter-Reay for long. Only Hunter-Reay decided not to wait and tried to pass Newgarden as they entered a tight Turn 4. The two cars collided, Newgarden was sent into the wall and Hunter-Reay bounced into Castroneves path. Hinchcliffe ran into the back of Newgarden — Will Power and Conway successfully squeezed through the wreckage — but three more cars were collected as they all ran into the crashed cars long after the accident began. Newgarden was polite when he returned to his pit stand. "I was on cold tires, its very hard to control the car, I knew Hunter-Reay was on hot, and at some point he was probably going to get me," Newgarden said. "But I didnt expect anyone to come up on the inside of four. Theres so little room there, you normally cant make a pass, even if something like that is going on ... the next thing I knew I was in the wall and I was just getting plowed into by everyone. "That shouldnt happen up front. It really shouldnt. You shouldnt have incidents like that when you are running up front." Team owner Sarah Fisher was composed when asked about the incident on television, but let her true feelings be known on Twitter shortly after: "It was our race to win and we got robbed by immaturity. Period,&qquot; she posted. Cheap NBA Jerseys. Michael Andretti seemed shell-shocked at two of his cars being wrecked, "you need to be a little more patient," he said, and Hinchcliffe didnt mince words for his teammate. "At the end of the day, patience is a virtue and someone wasnt very virtuous today. It was a rookie move," said Hinchcliffe, who suffered a sprained left thumb and will need to be re-examined before hes cleared to drive again. Hunter-Reay didnt exactly accept responsibility. "I went for it. I could have waited a little bit later, maybe thats my fault," he said. "Its down to me to make the pass, I guess, Im not sure. A lot of people say its my fault. I made the decision at that split second when he had some wheel spin to go for it, thats the type of driver I am. I go for it. "You dont know how down I am. Just very, very disappointed. Ill look at it again, but a racing driver, when hes in the moment and he sees a chance to go for it, I went for it because I want to win the race." The accident opened the door for Dixon to score his first career win at Long Beach, until he stopped for fuel as a precaution. "The last thing I wanted to do was run out of gas in front of the whole field and cause a big accident," Dixon said. He had to mend fences with Wilson, who was enraged over contact with Dixon "that is so deliberate and blatant," and angry IndyCar did not penalize Dixon. Pagenaud also was furious with Power, refusing to accept his apology, and angry that IndyCar did not penalize Power for contact between the two. "I think we had a car to win and he pretty much ruined our race, our chance," said Pagenaud, who did not accept an apology from Power. "We were friends until now. We wont be going on vacation together, I guess." Power insisted he thought Pagenaud had an issue with his car. "I honestly thought he had a problem because he went back really slowly and so I went up his inside and then realized he was just going to turn and try to back out. I got him. My bad," Power said. "I feel bad. I dont like to be raced like that and Im surprised I didnt get a penalty. But I honestly thought he had a flat tire or something because he was really slow and I didnt understand why." Pagenaud, who rallied to finish fifth, dismissed Powers claim. "Racing, green flag, and I slowed down? Good for him," Pagenaud said. Power finished second — his fourth consecutive race dating to last season that hes finished either first or second. Rookie Carlos Munoz finished third and Juan Pablo Montoya was fourth for his best showing — in a test, practice or qualifying session — in his return after seven seasons in NASCAR. Montoya climbed to fourth early in the race, but a penalty for pitting when pit lane was closed dropped him to 20th and he had to drive his way back. "I could have been a little more aggressive at the end, but I really wanted to make sure we didnt get in any trouble and got a decent finish," Montoya said. ' ' '