bbc--2020-01-29--Zverev beats Wawrinka to reach first Grand Slam semi-final

Alexander Zverev is through to a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time after defeating Stan Wawrinka in four sets at the Australian Open .
The German seventh seed beat the Swiss three-time Grand Slam champion 1-6 6-3 6-4 6-2 , dropping a set for the first time in Melbourne this year .
He lost the first five games in only 16 minutes but bounced back to convert five out of 13 break points .
The 22-year-old will face Rafael Nadal or Dominic Thiem in the last four .
World number one Nadal takes on Austrian fifth seed Thiem on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday .
In the other semi-final , 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer will face last year 's Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic on Thursday .
Wawrinka , who won the Australian Open in 2014 , has now been knocked out at the quarter-final stage in three of the past four Grand Slams .
The 34-year-old started strongly against Zverev , racing through the opening set and winning 16 out of 19 points on his serve , even though his first-serve percentage was only 32 % .
But Zverev really stepped up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point in five service games and breaking once to level at one set all .
Both players lost their opening service games at the start of the third , before Zverev moved 4-2 up and then served out the set .
The German opened up a 4-0 lead in the fourth as Wawrinka sprayed shots all over the court , possibly feeling the effects of two five-set matches earlier in the tournament against Andreas Seppi and Daniil Medvedev .
Zverev , who had not gone beyond the fourth round in Melbourne prior to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't know what to say .
I 've done well in other tournaments , I 've won Masters , I 've won the ATP Finals , but I never could break that barrier in a Grand Slam .
I 'm happy to be in the semi-finals . ''
Addressing the crowd , he added : `` You guys can not imagine what this means to me and I hope it will be the first of many . ''
Before the tournament , Zverev pledged to donate the full winner 's prize fund @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he claimed the title .
When asked whether he intended to keep his promise following victory over Wawrinka , he said : `` I hope I can make it happen .
I made the people of Australia a promise .
I will keep that promise .
`` I 'm not a money-driven person .
My parents always taught me with money you should achieve things that help others and help the people that need the money .
For me right now , four million Australian dollars would be nice , very nice - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of something .
`` But there are people who actually need it for their homes , for rebuilding wildlife , houses and the life they once knew , so it 's much more important that they get that money . ''

Alexander Zverev won the season-ending ATP Finals in 2018
2020 Australian Open Venue: Melbourne Park Dates: 20 January to 2 February Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra and online; Live text on selected matches on the BBC Sport website and app; Watch highlights on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
Alexander Zverev is through to a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time after defeating Stan Wawrinka in four sets at the Australian Open.
The German seventh seed beat the Swiss three-time Grand Slam champion 1-6 6-3 6-4 6-2, dropping a set for the first time in Melbourne this year.
He lost the first five games in only 16 minutes but bounced back to convert five out of 13 break points.
The 22-year-old will face fifth seed Dominic Thiem in the last four.
Austrian Thiem beat world number one Nadal 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 7-6 (8-6) in the Rod Laver Arena night session.
In the other semi-final, 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer will face last year's Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic on Thursday.
Wawrinka, who won the Australian Open in 2014, has now been knocked out at the quarter-final stage in three of the past four Grand Slams.
The 34-year-old started strongly against Zverev, racing through the opening set and winning 16 out of 19 points on his serve, even though his first-serve percentage was only 32%.
But Zverev really stepped up in the second, not dropping a point in five service games and breaking once to level at one set all.
Both players lost their opening service games at the start of the third, before Zverev moved 4-2 up and then served out the set.
The German opened up a 4-0 lead in the fourth as Wawrinka sprayed shots all over the court, possibly feeling the effects of two five-set matches earlier in the tournament against Andreas Seppi and Daniil Medvedev.
Zverev, who had not gone beyond the fourth round in Melbourne prior to this year, said: "I don't know what to say. I've done well in other tournaments, I've won Masters, I've won the ATP Finals, but I never could break that barrier in a Grand Slam. I'm happy to be in the semi-finals."
Addressing the crowd, he added: "You guys cannot imagine what this means to me and I hope it will be the first of many."
Before the tournament, Zverev pledged to donate the full winner's prize fund to the Australian bushfire relief appeal if he claimed the title.
When asked whether he intended to keep his promise following victory over Wawrinka, he said: "I hope I can make it happen. I made the people of Australia a promise. I will keep that promise.
"I'm not a money-driven person. My parents always taught me with money you should achieve things that help others and help the people that need the money. For me right now, four million Australian dollars would be nice, very nice - I could buy myself a few cars of something.
"But there are people who actually need it for their homes, for rebuilding wildlife, houses and the life they once knew, so it's much more important that they get that money."


bbc--2020-01-29--Who is Man Utd target Fernandes? And will he shine on Old Trafford stage?

At the age of 21 , Bruno Fernandes walked into one of Italy 's most famous clubs and declared he would be wearing the number 10 shirt .
The Portugal midfielder , now 25 , is poised to join Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon in a £47m deal which could rise to £67.7m - and he is a player not afraid to take on responsibility .
After joining Novara in Italy from Boavista at the age of 17 , without having played a first-team game in Portugal , he moved to Udinese .
He stayed for three years before causing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by taking on the jersey forever connected with club legend and current Italy boss Roberto Mancini .
`` It was quite a big thing at the time moving to Sampdoria and demanding the number 10 shirt , '' says Italian football writer Danielle Vieri .
`` At Udinese he played a number of roles and at times operated in an Andrea Pirlo type position in front of defence .
`` So he showed confidence because people were talking about it being Mancini 's shirt and if he was capable of living up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Again in the Rio Olympics in 2016 with Portugal , he decided to wear the number 10 shirt and I think he started to see himself very much as someone who could perform in that playmaker role . ''
With Fernandes ' on-off January transfer saga about to end , can he go on to translate his standout talent - and confidence - from the Italian and Portuguese leagues into success at Old Trafford ?
Fernandes joined Sporting from Sampdoria for £7.2m in 2017 but until then had enjoyed a relatively low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surprise was Portuguese clubs did not look at him seriously until Jorge Jesus , the current Flamengo boss decided to sign him , '' said Portuguese football writer Jose Delgado .
`` In the media we were asking why Benfica , Sporting or Porto were not going for Fernandes because you could see he was a fantastic player .
He was a sure bet and it has proved a great success . ''
The numbers back that up .
Since the start of the 2017-18 season , Fernandes has topped the Portuguese Primeira @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 67 ) , most goals outside the penalty area ( 9 ) , most chances created ( 239 ) , most shots ( 271 ) and most shots on target ( 114 ) .
And that 's before you get to the 32 goals he scored in all competitions last term for Sporting or the 14 goals he has racked up in 28 matches for club and country this season .
He was captain of a Portugal under-21 side brimming with talent , with the likes of Joao Cancelo , Ruben Neves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playing alongside the midfielder before Sporting took him to the Estadio Jose Alvalade .
`` I first saw him play when he was at Udinese in Italy but he used to come back to Portugal to play for the Under-20 side and the Under-21 team , '' said Delgado .
`` We had strong teams but it was noticeable that he better than most of the other players . ''
Fernandes ' involvement in 33 league goals in the 2018-19 season was higher than any other midfielder across the top divisions of Europe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Spain , Germany , France , Portugal and the Netherlands .
And given his penchant for scoring goals , it has led to invariable comparisons with Frank Lampard , Chelsea 's record goalscorer .
`` He is a player who scores lots of goals and in terms of his attributes he is very good from 25 yards out , '' added Delgado .
`` He finds space better with a classic number six working next to him and is more of a Lampard than say Paul Scholes type of player .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position , I would not say he is as physically as strong as Lampard was but Fernandes will be ready to play immediately .
He played on Monday and he could play tomorrow , he is in fantastic condition . ''
However , former England winger Chris Waddle is hesitant to make that specific link .
`` When I watched him with Sporting Lisbon he goes and gets the ball and has a wonderful range of passing , '' Waddle said on BBC Radio 5 Live .
`` To compare him with Frank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Frank was a player you felt , if there was an attack , he would get in the box and score .
With Fernandes , he has wonderful vision but I 'm not sure he 'll score as many goals as Lampard did .
`` United will have looked at him and thought he 's a creative player and , for the pace they have got ( in attack ) , he should suit them . ''
Fernandes has been a shining light for Sporting , even as the team struggled and also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June 2019 - the big question now is whether he can deliver for United ?
`` He is a good player with potential to grow , '' added Vieri .
`` What he has done in Portugal he has to prove he can do the same on a bigger stage .
The pressure will be higher , opponents will be stronger and his team-mates will be better .
`` I do n't think he can say he has proven he can do it in a big European league yet but that 's his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Portugal he has been a revelation so it is the right moment to buy such a player . ''

Bruno Fernandes has made 19 appearances for Portugal and helped them win the Nations League in June 2019
At the age of 21, Bruno Fernandes walked into one of Italy's most famous clubs and declared he would be wearing the number 10 shirt.
The Portugal midfielder, now 25, signed for Manchester United on Thursday from Sporting Lisbon in a £47m deal which could rise to £67.7m - and he is a player not afraid to take on responsibility.
After joining Novara in Italy from Boavista at the age of 17, without having played a first-team game in Portugal, he moved to Udinese.
He stayed for three years before causing a stir on his arrival at Sampdoria by taking on the jersey forever connected with club legend and current Italy boss Roberto Mancini.
"It was quite a big thing at the time moving to Sampdoria and demanding the number 10 shirt," says Italian football writer Danielle Vieri.
"At Udinese he played a number of roles and at times operated in an Andrea Pirlo type position in front of defence.
"So he showed confidence because people were talking about it being Mancini's shirt and if he was capable of living up to the expectations that came with that.
"Again in the Rio Olympics in 2016 with Portugal, he decided to wear the number 10 shirt and I think he started to see himself very much as someone who could perform in that playmaker role."
With Fernandes' on-off January transfer saga about to end, can he go on to translate his standout talent - and confidence - from the Italian and Portuguese leagues into success at Old Trafford?
Dominating Portugal
Fernandes joined Sporting from Sampdoria for £7.2m in 2017 but until then had enjoyed a relatively low profile in his homeland.
"The surprise was Portuguese clubs did not look at him seriously until Jorge Jesus, the current Flamengo boss decided to sign him," said Portuguese football writer Jose Delgado.
"In the media we were asking why Benfica, Sporting or Porto were not going for Fernandes because you could see he was a fantastic player. He was a sure bet and it has proved a great success."
The numbers back that up.
Since the start of the 2017-18 season, Fernandes has topped the Portuguese Primeira Liga rankings for the most goal involvements (67), most goals outside the penalty area (9), most chances created (239), most shots (271) and most shots on target (114).
And that's before you get to the 32 goals he scored in all competitions last term for Sporting or the 14 goals he has racked up in 28 matches for club and country this season.
Bruno Fernandes at Sporting Lisbon Competition Games Played Goals Assists League 83 39 28 Portuguese Cup 13 7 0 League Cup 13 5 6 Uefa Europa League 19 11 7 Champions League 6 1 1 Total 134 63 42
He was captain of a Portugal under-21 side brimming with talent, with the likes of Joao Cancelo, Ruben Neves, Renato Sanches and Goncalo Guedes all playing alongside the midfielder before Sporting took him to the Estadio Jose Alvalade.
"I first saw him play when he was at Udinese in Italy but he used to come back to Portugal to play for the Under-20 side and the Under-21 team," said Delgado.
"We had strong teams but it was noticeable that he better than most of the other players."
Lampard-esque - or not?
Fernandes' involvement in 33 league goals in the 2018-19 season was higher than any other midfielder across the top divisions of Europe's leading leagues - England, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Portugal and the Netherlands.
And given his penchant for scoring goals, it has led to invariable comparisons with Frank Lampard, Chelsea's record goalscorer.
"He is a player who scores lots of goals and in terms of his attributes he is very good from 25 yards out," added Delgado.
"He finds space better with a classic number six working next to him and is more of a Lampard than say Paul Scholes type of player.
"He plays in the same box-to box position, I would not say he is as physically as strong as Lampard was but Fernandes will be ready to play immediately. He played on Monday and he could play tomorrow, he is in fantastic condition."
Bruno Fernandes has scored 39 league goals for Sporting Lisbon since the start of the 2017-18 season
However, former England winger Chris Waddle is hesitant to make that specific link.
"When I watched him with Sporting Lisbon he goes and gets the ball and has a wonderful range of passing," Waddle said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
"To compare him with Frank Lampard? I'm not sure. Frank was a player you felt, if there was an attack, he would get in the box and score. With Fernandes, he has wonderful vision but I'm not sure he'll score as many goals as Lampard did.
"United will have looked at him and thought he's a creative player and, for the pace they have got (in attack), he should suit them."
Can Fernandes shine on big stage?
Fernandes has been a shining light for Sporting, even as the team struggled and also helped Portugal to Nations League success in June 2019 - the big question now is whether he can deliver for United?
"He is a good player with potential to grow," added Vieri.
"What he has done in Portugal he has to prove he can do the same on a bigger stage. The pressure will be higher, opponents will be stronger and his team-mates will be better.
"I don't think he can say he has proven he can do it in a big European league yet but that's his challenge. In Italy he did well. In Portugal he has been a revelation so it is the right moment to buy such a player."


bbc--2020-01-29--Six Nations: The young stars to watch out for at the 2020 tournament

And so it begins again .
Three months on from England 's final defeat by South Africa in Yokohama , rugby 's World Cup cycle starts another spin .
Back in 2016 , with England recovering from a far less impressive World Cup campaign , Maro Itoje came into the Six Nations as a 21-year-old uncapped wannabe .
Huw Jones , then 22 , was still playing rugby in South Africa , off Scotland 's radar .
Ross Moriarty , 21 , was included in coach Warren Gatland 's Wales squad with just one Test start on his CV .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ goals on the horizon , who are are the bright young things in the class of 2020 looking to seize their chance and take this year 's tournament by the scruff of the neck .
Rees lightning .
King Louis .
As good as Zammit .
It is fortunate that his name lends itself to headlines because Gloucester 's try-scoring sensation looks set to be a star for years to come .
Back in April , the 18-year-old was producing coast-to-coast wonder scores for his club 's second-string , but nobody expected him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or so assuredly .
However , five tries in December earned him the Premiership player of the month award and a swiftly put together senior deal from the Cherry and Whites .
`` My dream is to represent Wales at an international level , '' admitted the Penarth-born teenager as he put pen to paper .
Wayne Pivac was clearly listening , calling him up to Wales ' Six Nations squad two days later .
Standing six foot three inches tall , he combines dragster acceleration with intelligent running lines to poke holes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the donkey work either , showing appetite for defence and breakdown shifts .
Former England wing and Rugby Union Weekly co-host Ugo Monye : `` Everything that he does is class .
At 18 , it is really obvious to focus on the physical attributes and he has real stand-out pace .
`` But he also seems to have a really good rugby brain , the way that he gets involved in the game is impressive .
He comes off his wing , looks really hungry , makes good reads and looks good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next best thing since George North ? '
A couple of weeks out from the Six Nations , the England back row looked locked down ; the 'Kamikaze Kid ' axis of Sam Underhill and Tom Curry on either flank with Billy Vunipola , perhaps short of his best form but a key man for Eddie Jones , at eight .
That changed when Vunipola suffered another broken arm playing for Saracens .
Without a stand-out specialist number eight replacement in Eddie Jones ' squad , it could be Earl who steps into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ captain , he lacks the sheer ball-carrying heft of Vunipola but has a prodigious defensive work-rate , breakdown street smarts and the athleticism and nous to make metres out wide .
He completed a literature degree last summer comparing epic poetry from Ancient Greece and the modern Caribbean .
Saracens head coach Mark McCall : `` He 's always going to have moments where he takes your breath away .
He 's so explosive and athletically-blessed , he is always going to do things that are eye-catching and will wow the crowd .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ determination to blood his young stars more obvious than in the number 10 position .
Listed as his three possible fly-halves for the Six Nations were Romain Ntamack ( age 20 , 12 caps ) , Matthieu Jalibert ( age 21 , one cap ) and Louis Carbonel ( age 20 , zero caps ) .
While he is awaiting his first taste of international action , Carbonel has packed a lot into his career already .
Trusted with the keys to Toulon 's high-end machine , he has guided the star-studded squad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At age-grade level , he has won back-to-back World Under-20 Championships with France , preferred at fly-half to Ntamack when he lifted his first in 2018 .
He is shrewd kicking out of hand , relentlessly accurate off the tee and a deceptively dangerous runner , packing pace and power into his nuggetty frame .
French sports paper Midi Olympique : `` A reliable points scorer , strong defender and perfect game manager , the Toulon man has all the hallmarks of a great future , following in the footsteps of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Toulon in 1987 and 1992 . ''
Minozzi has already had one stand-out Six Nations .
Back in 2018 , the-then 21-year-old scored tries against Ireland , France , Wales and Scotland to earn a place in the team of the tournament and on the shortlist for the player of the tournament .
Now , he needs another .
He spent a year on the sidelines after injuring the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in August 2018 .
For a player with an ankle-icer of a side-step and blurring fast-twitch top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set-back that his career never fully recovered from .
Fortunately it seems he is firing on all cylinders .
He has scored five tries in six matches since making his comeback for Italy and has been slicing and dicing defences for new club Wasps .
Wasps director of rugby and former Wales prop Dai Young : `` He has got some great attacking flair , fantastic footwork , plenty of pace , a good kicking game , the versatility to play wing or full-back .
Being so young he is only going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of Scotland 's Six Nations opener against Ireland after a breach of team discipline , Hastings is likely to be the man to step in at 10 .
It is a job he has already done at club level .
Since Russell headed to France , Hastings has put together a string of fine performances for Warriors , combining his instinctive play-making and free running with measured game management and precise place-kicking .
Hastings , the son of legendary Scotland full-back Gavin , has made just seven international starts , the latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Rugby World Cup win over Russia .
His passing arm was strengthened by a schoolboy athletics career in which he represented Scottish Schools in the javelin .
Scotland coach Gregor Townsend : `` Adam has been outstanding over the last few weeks .
`` I thought his game against Exeter was up there with the best performances I have seen from a stand-off over the last year or two .
He will be more than ready to start for Scotland . ''
With Leinster team-mate Jack Conan out with a fractured foot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Caelan Doris ' time has come .
The sound and fury of the Aviva Stadium for Ireland 's opener against Scotland on Saturday is a long way from the tiny coastal village of Lacken , population about 500 , where Doris grew up .
The number eight recalls being in a class of just two at the local school .
Doris moved on to Blackrock College - the alma mater of Brian O'Driscoll and others - and his career hit hyperdrive , representing Irish Schools and captaining Ireland Under-20s .
A footballing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong shoulder in defence , he has three tries in 10 starts for Leinster this season .
There is another weapon in his arsenal as well .
His father Chris is a conceptual artist and psychotherapist who has passed down a mindfulness habit to his son to help him control and understand his emotions .
Ireland coach Andy Farrell : `` The key point for any young player at international level is 'can they be themselves ? '
Can they take the field and play their game and not just hope it goes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything .
He does n't accept coming second best . ''

Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union
Matteo Minozzi, Adam Hastings, Louis Rees-Zammit, Ben Earl and Caelan Doris are all 23 or under
And so it begins again.
Three months on from England's final defeat by South Africa in Yokohama, rugby's World Cup cycle starts another spin.
Back in 2016, with England recovering from a far less impressive World Cup campaign, Maro Itoje came into the Six Nations as a 21-year-old uncapped wannabe.
Huw Jones, then 22, was still playing rugby in South Africa, off Scotland's radar.
Ross Moriarty, 21, was included in coach Warren Gatland's Wales squad with just one Test start on his CV.
With new coaches in position and new goals on the horizon, who are are the bright young things in the class of 2020 looking to seize their chance and take this year's tournament by the scruff of the neck.
Louis Rees-Zammit - Wales
Rees-Zammit has overcome an ankle injury to be available for Wales' opening match against Italy
Age: 18
Club: Gloucester
Position: Wing
Caps: 0
Rees lightning. King Louis. As good as Zammit. It is fortunate that his name lends itself to headlines because Gloucester's try-scoring sensation looks set to be a star for years to come.
Back in April, the 18-year-old was producing coast-to-coast wonder scores for his club's second-string, but nobody expected him to make the step up so soon or so assuredly.
However, five tries in December earned him the Premiership player of the month award and a swiftly put together senior deal from the Cherry and Whites.
"My dream is to represent Wales at an international level," admitted the Penarth-born teenager as he put pen to paper.
Wayne Pivac was clearly listening, calling him up to Wales' Six Nations squad two days later.
Standing six foot three inches tall, he combines dragster acceleration with intelligent running lines to poke holes in defences. He doesn't mind the donkey work either, showing appetite for defence and breakdown shifts.
Social snapshot
They say:
Former England wing and Rugby Union Weekly co-host Ugo Monye: "Everything that he does is class. At 18, it is really obvious to focus on the physical attributes and he has real stand-out pace.
"But he also seems to have a really good rugby brain, the way that he gets involved in the game is impressive. He comes off his wing, looks really hungry, makes good reads and looks good in the air."
Ben Earl - England
Earl has scored six Premiership tries this season - more than any other player
Age: 22
Club: Saracens
Position: Back row
Caps: 0
A couple of weeks out from the Six Nations, the England back row looked locked down; the 'Kamikaze Kid' axis of Sam Underhill and Tom Curry on either flank with Billy Vunipola, perhaps short of his best form but a key man for Eddie Jones, at eight.
That changed when Vunipola suffered another broken arm playing for Saracens.
Without a stand-out specialist number eight replacement in Eddie Jones' squad, it could be Earl who steps into the breach.
A former England under-20 captain, he lacks the sheer ball-carrying heft of Vunipola but has a prodigious defensive work-rate, breakdown street smarts and the athleticism and nous to make metres out wide.
He completed a literature degree last summer comparing epic poetry from Ancient Greece and the modern Caribbean. external-link
Social snapshot:
They say:
Saracens head coach Mark McCall: "He's always going to have moments where he takes your breath away. He's so explosive and athletically-blessed, he is always going to do things that are eye-catching and will wow the crowd."
Louis Carbonel - France
Carbonel has won back-to-back under-20 World Championships with France
Age: 20
Club: Toulon
Position: Fly-half
Caps: 0
Nowhere was coach Fabian Galthie's determination to blood his young stars more obvious than in the number 10 position.
Listed as his three possible fly-halves for the Six Nations were Romain Ntamack (age 20, 12 caps), Matthieu Jalibert (age 21, one cap) and Louis Carbonel (age 20, zero caps).
While he is awaiting his first taste of international action, Carbonel has packed a lot into his career already.
Trusted with the keys to Toulon's high-end machine, he has guided the star-studded squad to third in the French Top 14.
At age-grade level, he has won back-to-back World Under-20 Championships with France, preferred at fly-half to Ntamack when he lifted his first in 2018.
He is shrewd kicking out of hand, relentlessly accurate off the tee and a deceptively dangerous runner, packing pace and power into his nuggetty frame.
Social snapshot
They say:
French sports paper Midi Olympique: external-link "A reliable points scorer, strong defender and perfect game manager, the Toulon man has all the hallmarks of a great future, following in the footsteps of his father, Alain, double French champion with Toulon in 1987 and 1992."
Matteo Minozzi - Italy
Minozzi has scored nine tries in his 16 Test appearances for Italy
Age: 23
Club: Wasps
Position: Full-back/wing
Caps: 16
Minozzi has already had one stand-out Six Nations.
Back in 2018, the-then 21-year-old scored tries against Ireland, France, Wales and Scotland to earn a place in the team of the tournament and on the shortlist for the player of the tournament.
Now, he needs another. He spent a year on the sidelines after injuring the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in August 2018.
For a player with an ankle-icer of a side-step and blurring fast-twitch top speed, it could have been a set-back that his career never fully recovered from.
Fortunately it seems he is firing on all cylinders. He has scored five tries in six matches since making his comeback for Italy and has been slicing and dicing defences for new club Wasps.
Social snapshot:
They say:
Wasps director of rugby and former Wales prop Dai Young: "He has got some great attacking flair, fantastic footwork, plenty of pace, a good kicking game, the versatility to play wing or full-back. Being so young he is only going to get better.
Adam Hastings - Scotland
Hastings began his rugby career with Bath before moving north to Glasgow in 2017
Age: 23
Club: Glasgow
Position: Fly-half
Caps: 16
With Finn Russell ruled out of Scotland's Six Nations opener against Ireland after a breach of team discipline, Hastings is likely to be the man to step in at 10.
It is a job he has already done at club level.
Since Russell headed to France, Hastings has put together a string of fine performances for Warriors, combining his instinctive play-making and free running with measured game management and precise place-kicking.
Hastings, the son of legendary Scotland full-back Gavin, has made just seven international starts, the latest of which featured a 26-point haul in the Rugby World Cup win over Russia.
His passing arm was strengthened by a schoolboy athletics career in which he represented Scottish Schools in the javelin.
Social snapshot:
They say:
Scotland coach Gregor Townsend: "Adam has been outstanding over the last few weeks.
"I thought his game against Exeter was up there with the best performances I have seen from a stand-off over the last year or two. He will be more than ready to start for Scotland."
Caelan Doris - Ireland
Doris has held off competition from Leinster team-mate Max Deegan to take up the number eight role with Ireland
Age: 21
Club: Leinster
Position: Back row
Caps: 0
With Leinster team-mate Jack Conan out with a fractured foot and critics questioning CJ Stander's dynamism, Caelan Doris' time has come.
The sound and fury of the Aviva Stadium for Ireland's opener against Scotland on Saturday is a long way from the tiny coastal village of Lacken, population about 500, where Doris grew up.
The number eight recalls being in a class of just two at the local school. external-link
Doris moved on to Blackrock College - the alma mater of Brian O'Driscoll and others - and his career hit hyperdrive, representing Irish Schools and captaining Ireland Under-20s.
A footballing number eight with deft hands and a strong shoulder in defence, he has three tries in 10 starts for Leinster this season.
There is another weapon in his arsenal as well. His father Chris external-link is a conceptual artist and psychotherapist who has passed down a mindfulness habit to his son to help him control and understand his emotions.
Social snapshot:
They say:
Ireland coach Andy Farrell: "The key point for any young player at international level is 'can they be themselves?' Can they take the field and play their game and not just hope it goes OK? Caelan is not fazed by anything. He doesn't accept coming second best."


bbc--2020-01-29--The 'sports bank' helping mega-moves happen

A few steps from London 's West End , and just a couple of miles from the capital 's financial district , is a company helping football 's elite seal some of the world 's biggest transfers .
Joao Felix moved from Benfica in Portugal to Spain 's Atletico Madrid as the world 's second-most expensive teenager , thanks to a loan processed in trendy Fitzrovia .
Less than a fortnight after making that £113m deal a reality last July , 23 Capital were helping Barcelona meet Atletico 's £107m buyout clause for Antoine Griezmann .
`` It was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involved in some of the biggest and best moves , '' chief executive and co-founder Jason Traub told BBC Sport .
`` We call ourselves a capital and solutions company for sport , music and entertainment - a sports bank , for lack of a better term .
`` We help affect deals but we are not changing the way deals are done , or whether they do or do n't ultimately happen .
But we are certainly helping . ''
Traub , who spent 13 years with Investec Bank , and partner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked with the Olympic Games and sports management company IMG , have made an impact .
Last summer 's window saw a record £5bn spent across Europe 's top five leagues , and they were involved in two of the biggest moves .
Atletico broke their transfer record for Felix just two years after moving into their £220m Metropolitano home .
Going to a lending company was an alternative way to fund his arrival without having to raise money by offloading French World Cup-winning forward Griezmann first .
Barcelona took out a bridging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time for a money-spinning pre-season tour of Japan and the United States after their request for more funding from Spanish banks was reportedly turned down , having already borrowed more than £500m for stadium renovations .
`` In truth , the real pressure at that time , for that transfer , was the start of pre-season , flying off to the Far East and the knock-on effects of not being able to unveil a superstar signing for the year as you land and what that would mean for exposure and sales .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Traub said .
`` We do n't love being asked to make sense of transactions within a short timeline , particularly for those amounts , but for very good clubs that we know intimately and understand their credit strengths , if it makes sense we can move quickly . ''
Neither transfer was dependent on the other and so the domino effect which can often define a transfer window was reduced .
`` In the old days you would have some of these deals happening in the last five days or even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Traub said .
`` Do n't get me wrong , we 've all been glued to the TV watching the reporter in a car park waiting for that first deadline day move to happen and loved it .
`` But it is not helpful or good for the game to rely on that first shot across the bow .
So now clubs have a better means to a credible finance partner and are not as reliant on waiting for a Real Madrid , Barcelona or Manchester United to make that first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We have distilled down the pressures that used to exist .
Taking away some of that pressure in negotiations is much healthier in any event . ''
Helping clubs finance transfers or stadium improvements by lending against future broadcast income and the value of players as intangible assets is nothing new , and there are a number of lenders to whom clubs can turn .
Traub says an already established relationship with Benfica , having helped restructure their balance sheet , played a part in their involvement in the Felix transfer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help because it was an opportunistic transaction '' .
He continued : `` In this market place there are a number of brokers and banking groups that see this as a quick way to make money because they see these deals as being very visible and you might not need a world of credit expertise to understand that Barcelona or Real Madrid , at face value , will pay you back next year for a transfer . ''
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire , of the University of Liverpool , describes the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has spotted a gap in the industry .
`` They have realised that the transfer market and the club transaction market is unregulated , often unprofessional and contains people who see football as an opportunity for an easy profit .
If anyone can then come in and run a professional service and effectively provide a one-stop shop , then there is a gap in the market , '' he said .
`` Whether that will be successful in generating the level of income they are looking for , I 'm not so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry and there are unusually close relationships between agents , management and clubs , and that particular dynamic will be difficult to break .
`` But for clubs that do operate with integrity and do things by the books , then there is potential for a company like 23 Capital to be involved .
`` A boutique operation , and that is what they are , do n't have to go through so many layers of approval , do n't have to go through governance rules you may see at JP Morgan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very risk concerned and will have a compliance department , which to a certain extent is the tail wagging the dog in corporate lending . ''
When Traub and Duval went about founding a business that could work as effectively in football as it could in Formula 1 and tennis or the music industry and in Hollywood , they did so with a 'high end ' focus .
Traub says more than £2.3bn has been provided by 23 Capital since its inception , evenly split between sport and the entertainment industry - in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kobalt Music Group , which has Childish Gambino and the Red Hot Chili Peppers on its roster , and holds publishing rights to the late Elvis Presley 's recorded work .
Since its beginnings in London in 2014 , the company has expanded to open offices in Barcelona , New York and Los Angeles .
`` We have always wanted to position ourselves very much in the blue chip , '' Traub explained .
`` We have been able to get great traction at the very top and a profile with industry leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real challenge was how we saw ourselves .
We wanted to be principle lenders , we wanted to build our own balance sheet , we did n't want to be brokers or fund managers for other people - we effectively wanted to set up a banking model so that we could own that risk . ''
With backing from billionaire philanthropist George Soros , Traub and Duval got the business up , running and positioned where they wanted .
Ensuring they made a success of it took a considered approach to recruiting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' or specialist lenders across sport , music and entertainment .
`` We have pulled individuals from places like Universal Music , people who have worked in football , within the business as much as pulled credit specialists , '' Traub added .
`` We are a business , not unlike a bank in some ways .
But an individual at a bank may get a deal done because they can get a bonus at the end of the year or maybe go to a different bank if it does n't work out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We are truly aligned to our clients , the football industry , to drive value for them in a symbiotic relationship , and that is what credit should be . ''

Joao Felix has been called the most exciting Portuguese player since Cristiano Ronaldo
A few steps from London's West End, and just a couple of miles from the capital's financial district, is a company helping football's elite seal some of the world's biggest transfers.
Joao Felix moved from Benfica in Portugal to Spain's Atletico Madrid as the world's second-most expensive teenager, thanks to a loan processed in trendy Fitzrovia.
Less than a fortnight after making that £113m deal a reality last July, 23 Capital were helping Barcelona meet Atletico's £107m buyout clause for Antoine Griezmann.
"It was a strong summer for us, we were involved in some of the biggest and best moves," chief executive and co-founder Jason Traub told BBC Sport.
"We call ourselves a capital and solutions company for sport, music and entertainment - a sports bank, for lack of a better term.
"We help affect deals but we are not changing the way deals are done, or whether they do or don't ultimately happen. But we are certainly helping."
Traub, who spent 13 years with Investec Bank, and partner Stephen Duval, an Australian who previously worked with the Olympic Games and sports management company IMG, have made an impact.
Last summer's window saw a record £5bn spent across Europe's top five leagues, and they were involved in two of the biggest moves.
Atletico broke their transfer record for Felix just two years after moving into their £220m Metropolitano home.
Going to a lending company was an alternative way to fund his arrival without having to raise money by offloading French World Cup-winning forward Griezmann first.
'Distilling transfer-market pressure'
Antoine Griezmann's move to Barcelona from Atletico Madrid was regarded the worst-kept secret in Spanish football last summer
Barcelona took out a bridging loan to ensure they landed Griezmann in time for a money-spinning pre-season tour of Japan and the United States after their request for more funding from Spanish banks was reportedly turned down, having already borrowed more than £500m for stadium renovations.
"In truth, the real pressure at that time, for that transfer, was the start of pre-season, flying off to the Far East and the knock-on effects of not being able to unveil a superstar signing for the year as you land and what that would mean for exposure and sales. That impact was a factor for them," Traub said.
"We don't love being asked to make sense of transactions within a short timeline, particularly for those amounts, but for very good clubs that we know intimately and understand their credit strengths, if it makes sense we can move quickly."
Neither transfer was dependent on the other and so the domino effect which can often define a transfer window was reduced.
"In the old days you would have some of these deals happening in the last five days or even last five hours of the transfer window," Traub said.
"Don't get me wrong, we've all been glued to the TV watching the reporter in a car park waiting for that first deadline day move to happen and loved it.
"But it is not helpful or good for the game to rely on that first shot across the bow. So now clubs have a better means to a credible finance partner and are not as reliant on waiting for a Real Madrid, Barcelona or Manchester United to make that first payment to allow the rest to follow.
"We have distilled down the pressures that used to exist. Taking away some of that pressure in negotiations is much healthier in any event."
'Boutique lenders'
Helping clubs finance transfers or stadium improvements by lending against future broadcast income and the value of players as intangible assets is nothing new, and there are a number of lenders to whom clubs can turn.
Traub says an already established relationship with Benfica, having helped restructure their balance sheet, played a part in their involvement in the Felix transfer ahead of others "desperate to try to help because it was an opportunistic transaction".
He continued: "In this market place there are a number of brokers and banking groups that see this as a quick way to make money because they see these deals as being very visible and you might not need a world of credit expertise to understand that Barcelona or Real Madrid, at face value, will pay you back next year for a transfer."
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire, of the University of Liverpool, describes the firm as a "boutique" lender that has spotted a gap in the industry.
"They have realised that the transfer market and the club transaction market is unregulated, often unprofessional and contains people who see football as an opportunity for an easy profit. If anyone can then come in and run a professional service and effectively provide a one-stop shop, then there is a gap in the market," he said.
"Whether that will be successful in generating the level of income they are looking for, I'm not so certain because football is a very insular industry and there are unusually close relationships between agents, management and clubs, and that particular dynamic will be difficult to break.
"But for clubs that do operate with integrity and do things by the books, then there is potential for a company like 23 Capital to be involved.
"A boutique operation, and that is what they are, don't have to go through so many layers of approval, don't have to go through governance rules you may see at JP Morgan, where a bank of that nature is very risk concerned and will have a compliance department, which to a certain extent is the tail wagging the dog in corporate lending."
'Blue-chip focus'
Grammy-award-winning rapper Childish Gambino, also known as Donald Glover, has a publishing deal with the Kobalt Music Group
When Traub and Duval went about founding a business that could work as effectively in football as it could in Formula 1 and tennis or the music industry and in Hollywood, they did so with a 'high end' focus.
Traub says more than £2.3bn has been provided by 23 Capital since its inception, evenly split between sport and the entertainment industry - in which they have provided finance for the Kobalt Music Group, which has Childish Gambino and the Red Hot Chili Peppers on its roster, and holds publishing rights to the late Elvis Presley's recorded work.
Since its beginnings in London in 2014, the company has expanded to open offices in Barcelona, New York and Los Angeles.
"We have always wanted to position ourselves very much in the blue chip," Traub explained.
"We have been able to get great traction at the very top and a profile with industry leaders in the three sectors.
"A real challenge was how we saw ourselves. We wanted to be principal lenders, we wanted to build our own balance sheet, we didn't want to be brokers or fund managers for other people - we effectively wanted to set up a banking model so that we could own that risk."
With backing from billionaire philanthropist George Soros, Traub and Duval got the business up, running and positioned where they wanted.
Ensuring they made a success of it took a considered approach to recruiting in an effort to become "pure play" or specialist lenders across sport, music and entertainment.
"We have pulled individuals from places like Universal Music, people who have worked in football, within the business as much as pulled credit specialists," Traub added.
"We are a business, not unlike a bank in some ways. But an individual at a bank may get a deal done because they can get a bonus at the end of the year or maybe go to a different bank if it doesn't work out - but this is our livelihood.
"We are truly aligned to our clients, the football industry, to drive value for them in a symbiotic relationship, and that is what credit should be."


bbc--2020-01-29--Wales' new coach Pivac - by the men who know him best

From policing the mean streets of Auckland to coaching Wales .
It has been a long road for Wayne Pivac , taking in Suva in Fiji , sub-tropical Northland in New Zealand and Llanelli on his way to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff .
As he prepares for his opening Six Nations match against Italy on 1 February , BBC Sport has spoken to players and coaches who have seen Warren Gatland 's successor first-hand , starting with a World Cup-winning coach .
If it takes an ex-copper to know an ex-copper then Steve Hansen is in a unique position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rugby coach .
As well as being a former policeman , Hansen coached Wales at the 2003 World Cup and guided New Zealand to the 2015 title .
The pair met through their involvement in the New Zealand police side after rugged back-rower Pivac was forced to retire from playing at 27 because of an injury .
`` He was always a very good coach , inclusive and sought out your ideas , '' said Hansen .
`` He had his own ideas as well , so not too bad a coach back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of us he 's improved .
`` He 's a good man and he enjoys life , but he 's got a serious side to him as well .
`` He is straight up and down , what you see is what you get so it 's your choice whether you like what you see . ''
Hansen was initially coached by Pivac before the duo coached together .
`` I was in my 30s by that stage and the old body had a few miles on the clock , '' recalled Hansen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it was entertaining and very enjoyable to go on tour with a good group of like-minded people .
`` While it was n't as intense as provincial rugby , it was a pretty full-on experience . ''
Pivac has spoken about how his 15-year police experiences helped his rugby career .
`` One thing the police does do for you is give you some people skills , '' said Hansen .
`` It does put you under pressure from time to time and both those things are needed in international rugby ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and you 've got to be able to understand there will be pressure and how to deal with it . ''
Hansen and Pivac became coaching rivals in New Zealand provincial rugby through their respective stints at Canterbury and Auckland .
Pivac 's early coaching stints with Takapuna , Northland and North Harbour helped take him to Auckland , where three provincial crowns were secured during his successful tenure .
Pivac was named New Zealand coach of the year in 2003 .
`` We coached against each other quite a bit , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good footie , they wanted to play 15-man rugby , but they were well drilled and I would expect that nothing has changed . ''
Xavier Rush was Pivac 's captain during those Auckland days .
`` I was coached by Wayne for about five years and his captain for about four years , '' recalled the former New Zealand and Cardiff Blues number eight .
`` He wants to enjoy the journey and get the team to enjoy it as well .
Each player will want to play for him .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and connects with players .
He also has the ability to talk with board members as well as the guy coming to his first training session out of school .
`` He is a people person , but also no fool .
`` He brings very good people in around him and he has already done that with Wales .
If you look at some of his early selections he has brought in Welsh icons into his backroom staff and he will bring in the best specialists he can to each area .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ coach who will want to change everything on day one and he will get a feel for it before he makes changes . ''
After his success in the provincial game with Auckland , Rush believes Pivac should have had a chance with the Auckland Blues in Super Rugby - but he has never been a head coach in the southern hemisphere 's premier competition .
`` I thought he was the ideal man when Graham Henry left and why they did not secure him I will never know , '' said Rush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big enough name , but he would have been the person I would have chosen after he coached Auckland ( in the NPC ) to that success . ''
Pivac 's next major move was an introduction to international rugby with Fiji in February 2004 to replace Mac McCallion .
Fiji won the Pacific Tri-Nations in his first year and only just lost 11-10 to Wales in a 2005 autumn international in Cardiff .
Pivac also contributed to the World Cup Sevens win in Hong Kong in 2005 with a final victory over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home .
It was his man-management skills again which impressed some of the top Fiji players , as Pivac realised this unique rugby nation needed a certain approach .
`` He came with a big reputation as a hard man and a big team guy and it was all true , '' said fly-half Nicky Little , who won 71 caps between 1996 and 2011 and enjoyed a club stint with Pontypridd .
`` He settled in fine because he had been in Auckland with all the Islanders so he knew how to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few game plans which is always nice .
Wayne was a bit more strict on this because us Fijians when we get a feeling we like to go with it .
`` He was just a good bloke , which is what I remember most . ''
Pivac lasted almost three years before quitting in January 2007 , citing family reasons .
He returned to New Zealand for further provincial coaching stints with North Harbour and Auckland before his life-changing move to Wales .
'One of the best ' - John Barclay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to appoint Pivac , but that never materialised .
It was not long , though , before he arrived in Wales .
Pivac was originally hired by Scarlets as forwards coach in 2014 to work under Simon Easterby but immediately found himself thrust into the top job when Easterby joined Ireland 's backroom staff .
Scotland flanker John Barclay had joined the region the season before and the pair were involved in a successful stint with the Welsh region that included the Pro12 title in 2017 .
`` It was quite tricky for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smoothest transition , '' said Barclay .
`` He is one of the best coaches and one of the best men I have worked with .
`` The main thing he did was the way he monitored and controlled our culture and how we changed it .
`` He put a lot of trust and faith in me .
I loved my time at the Scarlets and he was a big part in that .
`` He made it enjoyable and somewhere you wanted to come and work .
When people moved on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was such a great place .
`` He had the right people doing the right jobs and never shied away from the tough decisions .
He was always very honest with you .
`` Part of the success we had with Scarlets was that it was definitely one team and everyone was in it together .
`` Even the guys who were n't playing still felt valued . ''
Pivac 's achievements resulted in him being appointed as the man to replace Gatland - Wales ' most successful coach .
That is something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Every time Wayne walks through the stadium he walks through the Gatland Gates , which is a reminder of the great success he [ Warren ] has had , '' said Jones .
`` Wayne has a good pedigree with the Scarlets and coached well at provincial levels and with Fiji , but it will be a step up . ''
Pivac is not short on belief though as a Welsh Rugby Union behind-the-scenes video demonstrated on the opening day of the Six Nations squad coming together .
He walked into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the table and told his side their sole goal was to win the competition again .
Pivac will become Wales ' fourth New Zealand coach after Graham Henry , Hansen and Gatland .
Hansen coached Wales between 2002 and 2004 and understands the pressure he will be under .
`` There 's a far bigger expectation in Wales than there is in Fiji , '' said Hansen .
`` Particularly following on from Gats , you know he 's been very successful and people expect - and rightly so - that should continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` He 's a reasonably calm , cool-headed bloke , not too many things ruffle him and he 's had a good introduction to it with Scarlets so he knows what it 's like .
`` But international coaching at that level , tier one ?
Wales and New Zealand are similar , you know there 's a lot of scrutiny on what you 're doing and how you 're doing it and expectation to do well .
`` So that 'll be something new .
You can talk about handling it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it and experiencing it you do n't know how you are going to act . ''
So is there one piece of advice Hansen would give Pivac ?
`` Do n't get too far ahead of yourself and enjoy the whole experience . ''
Wales will be hoping Pivac will do exactly that .
For the latest Welsh rugby union news follow @ BBCScrumV on Twitter .
Ca n't see this selector ?
Follow this link .

Last updated on .From the section Welsh Rugby
Wayne Pivac ready to roll up the sleeves in his first campaign as Wales head coach
Dates: 1 February-14 March Coverage: Watch live coverage on BBC TV, S4C, BBC iPlayer, Connected TVs and online; listen to match commentaries, shows and podcasts on BBC Radio 5 live, sports extra, BBC Scotland, BBC Ulster, BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and BBC Sounds; follow text updates on the BBC Sport website and mobile app.
From policing the mean streets of Auckland to coaching Wales.
It has been a long road for Wayne Pivac, taking in Suva in Fiji, sub-tropical Northland in New Zealand and Llanelli on his way to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
As he prepares for his opening Six Nations match against Italy on 1 February, BBC Sport has spoken to players and coaches who have seen Warren Gatland's successor first-hand, starting with a World Cup-winning coach.
On police patrol
If it takes an ex-copper to know an ex-copper then Steve Hansen is in a unique position to asses Pivac the man and the rugby coach.
As well as being a former policeman, Hansen coached Wales at the 2003 World Cup and guided New Zealand to the 2015 title.
Steve Hansen (centre) led the All Blacks to the World Cup title in 2015
The pair met through their involvement in the New Zealand police side after rugged back-rower Pivac was forced to retire from playing at 27 because of an injury.
"He was always a very good coach, inclusive and sought out your ideas," said Hansen.
"He had his own ideas as well, so not too bad a coach back in those days. Obviously like all of us he's improved.
"He's a good man and he enjoys life, but he's got a serious side to him as well.
"He is straight up and down, what you see is what you get so it's your choice whether you like what you see."
Pivac had two spells coaching Auckland
Hansen was initially coached by Pivac before the duo coached together.
"I was in my 30s by that stage and the old body had a few miles on the clock," recalled Hansen.
"Police rugby was always good, it was entertaining and very enjoyable to go on tour with a good group of like-minded people.
"While it wasn't as intense as provincial rugby, it was a pretty full-on experience."
Pivac has spoken about how his 15-year police experiences helped his rugby career.
"One thing the police does do for you is give you some people skills," said Hansen.
"It does put you under pressure from time to time and both those things are needed in international rugby; you've got to have people skills and you've got to be able to understand there will be pressure and how to deal with it."
Hansen and Pivac became coaching rivals in New Zealand provincial rugby through their respective stints at Canterbury and Auckland.
Pivac's early coaching stints with Takapuna, Northland and North Harbour helped take him to Auckland, where three provincial crowns were secured during his successful tenure. Pivac was named New Zealand coach of the year in 2003.
"We coached against each other quite a bit," recalled Hansen.
"Auckland played some good footie, they wanted to play 15-man rugby, but they were well drilled and I would expect that nothing has changed."
Wayne Pivac and Xavier Rush spent several years together with Auckland
Auckland success
Xavier Rush was Pivac's captain during those Auckland days.
"I was coached by Wayne for about five years and his captain for about four years," recalled the former New Zealand and Cardiff Blues number eight.
"I liked him instantly.
"He wants to enjoy the journey and get the team to enjoy it as well. Each player will want to play for him.
"He has a good way about him and connects with players. He also has the ability to talk with board members as well as the guy coming to his first training session out of school.
"He is a people person, but also no fool.
"He brings very good people in around him and he has already done that with Wales. If you look at some of his early selections he has brought in Welsh icons into his backroom staff and he will bring in the best specialists he can to each area.
"He is not the sort of coach who will want to change everything on day one and he will get a feel for it before he makes changes."
After his success in the provincial game with Auckland, Rush believes Pivac should have had a chance with the Auckland Blues in Super Rugby - but he has never been a head coach in the southern hemisphere's premier competition.
"I thought he was the ideal man when Graham Henry left and why they did not secure him I will never know," said Rush.
"Maybe he was not a big enough name, but he would have been the person I would have chosen after he coached Auckland (in the NPC) to that success."
Flying Fijians
Pivac's next major move was an introduction to international rugby with Fiji in February 2004 to replace Mac McCallion.
Fiji won the Pacific Tri-Nations in his first year and only just lost 11-10 to Wales in a 2005 autumn international in Cardiff.
Pivac also contributed to the World Cup Sevens win in Hong Kong in 2005 with a final victory over New Zealand that sparked spectacular scenes back home.
Wayne Pivac celebrates 2005 World Cup Sevens success with Fiji
It was his man-management skills again which impressed some of the top Fiji players, as Pivac realised this unique rugby nation needed a certain approach.
"He came with a big reputation as a hard man and a big team guy and it was all true," said fly-half Nicky Little, who won 71 caps between 1996 and 2011 and enjoyed a club stint with Pontypridd.
"He settled in fine because he had been in Auckland with all the Islanders so he knew how to handle us.
"He brought in a few game plans which is always nice. Wayne was a bit more strict on this because us Fijians when we get a feeling we like to go with it.
"He was just a good bloke, which is what I remember most."
Pivac lasted almost three years before quitting in January 2007, citing family reasons. He returned to New Zealand for further provincial coaching stints with North Harbour and Auckland before his life-changing move to Wales.
'One of the best' - John Barclay
Rush had tried to get Cardiff Blues to appoint Pivac, but that never materialised. It was not long, though, before he arrived in Wales.
Pivac was originally hired by Scarlets as forwards coach in 2014 to work under Simon Easterby but immediately found himself thrust into the top job when Easterby joined Ireland's backroom staff.
Scotland flanker John Barclay had joined the region the season before and the pair were involved in a successful stint with the Welsh region that included the Pro12 title in 2017.
"It was quite tricky for him at first and probably not the smoothest transition," said Barclay.
"He is one of the best coaches and one of the best men I have worked with.
"The main thing he did was the way he monitored and controlled our culture and how we changed it.
"He put a lot of trust and faith in me. I loved my time at the Scarlets and he was a big part in that.
John Barclay lifts the Pro12 title in May 2017 with his Scarlets team-mates Jonathan Davies, Scott Williams, Gareth Davies and Liam Williams
"He made it enjoyable and somewhere you wanted to come and work. When people moved on they were gutted to leave because it was such a great place.
"He had the right people doing the right jobs and never shied away from the tough decisions. He was always very honest with you.
"Part of the success we had with Scarlets was that it was definitely one team and everyone was in it together.
"Even the guys who weren't playing still felt valued."
Entering Gatland's Gates - Eddie Jones
Pivac's achievements resulted in him being appointed as the man to replace Gatland - Wales' most successful coach.
That is something not lost on England coach Eddie Jones.
'If you could pick one player from another nation to be in your squad, who would it be?'
"Every time Wayne walks through the stadium he walks through the Gatland Gates, which is a reminder of the great success he [Warren] has had," said Jones.
"Wayne has a good pedigree with the Scarlets and coached well at provincial levels and with Fiji, but it will be a step up."
Pivac is not short on belief though as a Welsh Rugby Union behind-the-scenes video demonstrated on the opening day of the Six Nations squad coming together.
He walked into the room with the tournament trophy on the table and told his side their sole goal was to win the competition again.
Pivac will become Wales' fourth New Zealand coach after Graham Henry, Hansen and Gatland.
Hansen coached Wales between 2002 and 2004 and understands the pressure he will be under.
"There's a far bigger expectation in Wales than there is in Fiji," said Hansen.
"Particularly following on from Gats, you know he's been very successful and people expect - and rightly so - that should continue, so the pressure will be on.
"He's a reasonably calm, cool-headed bloke, not too many things ruffle him and he's had a good introduction to it with Scarlets so he knows what it's like.
Steve Hansen (left) was Graham Henry's Wales assistant before replacing his fellow New Zealander in the top job in 2002
"But international coaching at that level, tier one? Wales and New Zealand are similar, you know there's a lot of scrutiny on what you're doing and how you're doing it and expectation to do well.
"So that'll be something new. You can talk about handling it, but until you are actually in it and experiencing it you don't know how you are going to act."
So is there one piece of advice Hansen would give Pivac?
"Don't get too far ahead of yourself and enjoy the whole experience."
Wales will be hoping Pivac will do exactly that.


bbc--2020-01-29--Trump's Middle East peace plan: 'Deal of the century' is huge gamble

At times the atmosphere in the East Room at the White House was more a party than a news conference .
The host , US President Donald Trump , and the guest of honour , Israel 's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , backslappingly beamed at each other .
The guests drawn from the entourages of the two leaders clapped and whooped .
The biggest cheers were for President Trump 's reminders of what he has done for Israel .
Prime Minister Netanyahu said the day would be remembered in the same breath as Israel 's day of independence in 1948 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one of the most important moments of his life .
President Trump says he has found a new way to make peace between Israel and the Palestinians .
Israel will get the security it needs .
Palestinians will get the state they crave .
So far so good - except that the Trump plan gives Mr Netanyahu all he wants - and offers Palestinians very little ; a sort-of state that will be truncated , without proper sovereignty , surrounded by Israel 's territory and threaded between Jewish settlements .
Peace seemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , truly and without doubt , that he is offering the `` deal of the century '' .
It is a great deal for Mr Netanyahu and his government .
Their positions on the Palestinians , more than ever , are America 's positions .
• Smiles and sorrow on the ground • Can the Jewish settlement issue be resolved ?
• Are there alternatives to a two-state solution ?
Through all the years of mediation in peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians , the top US priorities have always been Israel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all its security .
But successive US presidents accepted that peace required a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel , even if they were not prepared to allow it equal sovereignty .
Israel argues the Palestinians turned down a series of good offers .
The Palestinian negotiators say they made huge concessions , not least accepting Israel 's existence in around 78 % of their historic homeland .
A negotiated peace did seem possible once , almost 30 years ago .
A series of secret talks in Norway became the Oslo peace process , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House lawn in 1993 presided over by a beaming President Bill Clinton .
Yitzhak Rabin , Israel 's greatest war leader , and Yasser Arafat , the human embodiment of Palestinian hopes for freedom , signed documents promising to negotiate the future , not fight for it .
The two bitter enemies even shook hands .
Rabin , Arafat , and Israel 's Foreign Minister Shimon Peres were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize .
Oslo was a historic moment .
The Palestinians recognised the state of Israel .
The Israelis accepted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
Cracks soon appeared in the Oslo edifice .
Benjamin Netanyahu called it a mortal threat to Israel .
The Israelis accelerated their project to settle Jews in the occupied Palestinian territories .
Some Palestinians , like the academic Edward Said , condemned Oslo as a surrender .
The Palestinian militants of Hamas , the Islamic Resistance Movement , sent suicide bombers to kill Jews and wreck the chances of a deal .
The atmosphere in Israel turned ugly .
Yitzhak Rabin was demonised by some of his fellow Israelis as no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at demonstrations as an officer of the SS .
Months of incitement culminated in his assassination by a Jewish extremist on 4 November 1995 .
Rabin 's killer wanted to wreck the peace process , and he believed the best way to do that was to eliminate the Israeli best equipped to make it a reality .
He was right .
Even if Rabin had lived , Oslo might still have failed , defeated by small details as well as huge issues like the future of Jerusalem , by leaders on both sides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the violent reality of a continued Israeli occupation and Palestinian opposition to it .
The timing of the announcement of the Trump initiative suits the political and legal needs of Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu .
Both men face elections .
As well as that , Mr Trump gets a distraction from his impeachment , and from his trial in the US Senate for high crimes and misdemeanours .
Mr Netanyahu faces criminal charges of corruption , bribery and breach of trust .
President Trump wastes no chances to boast about America 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military and economic strength allow him to impose his will .
He wants to smash old orthodoxies , like the ones that lay behind many failed attempts to make peace .
The Trump document also sweeps aside inconvenient facts , like UN resolution 242 that emphasises the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war , or international laws that say that occupiers can not settle their people on occupied land .
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas rejected the document almost immediately .
Palestinian rights and hopes , he said , were not for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told to take it or leave it .
They are being given a surrender document , told to accept that Israel has won , and with its American friends will shape the future .
If Palestinians refuse , the message continues , Israel will still get what it wants and they will be even worse off .
There is a chance Palestinians will be afflicted by more anger , despair and hopelessness .
In a combustible part of the world , that is dangerous .
The Trump plan is a gamble .

Essentially the Palestinians have been told to take it or leave it. They are being given a surrender document, told to accept that Israel has won, and with its American friends will shape the future. If Palestinians refuse, the message continues, Israel will still get what it wants and they will be even worse off.


bbc--2020-01-28--Netanyahu reacts to Trump peace plan

Netanyahu reacts to Trump peace plan

US President Donald Trump has presented his long-awaited Middle East peace plan , promising to keep Jerusalem as Israel 's @ @ @ @ @ a two-state solution and said no Israelis or Palestinians would be uprooted from their homes @ @ @ @ @ Mr Trump in Washington DC on Monday , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the @ @ @ @ @ friend that Israel has had in the White House '' .
`` The deal of @ @ @ @ @ of a century , and we 're not going to pass it by , '' @ @ @

US President Donald Trump has presented his long-awaited Middle East peace plan, promising to keep Jerusalem as Israel's undivided capital.
He proposed a two-state solution and said no Israelis or Palestinians would be uprooted from their homes.
After holding talks with Mr Trump in Washington DC on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the president as "the greatest friend that Israel has had in the White House".
"The deal of the century is the opportunity of a century, and we're not going to pass it by," he said.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed the plans as a "conspiracy".
Read more: Trump releases Middle East plan with Netanyahu


bbc--2020-01-29--Coronavirus: Whole world 'must take action', warns WHO

The `` whole world needs to be on alert '' to fight the coronavirus , the head of the World Health Organization 's Health Emergencies Programme has said .
Dr Mike Ryan praised China 's response to the deadly outbreak , saying : `` The challenge is great but the response has been massive . ''
The WHO will meet on Thursday to discuss whether the virus constitutes a global health emergency .
The Chinese city of Wuhan is the epicentre of the outbreak .
But the virus has spread across China and to at least 16 countries globally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Australia .
More than 130 people have died in China and close to 6,000 have been infected .
There is no specific cure or vaccine .
A number of people have recovered after treatment , however .
• Coronavirus : How worried should we be ?
The WHO 's Dr Ryan said an international team of experts was being assembled to go to China and work with experts there to learn more about how the disease is transmitted .
`` We are at an important juncture in this event .
We believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interrupted , '' he said .
Scientists in Australia have managed to recreate the new coronavirus outside of China , raising hope that it could be used to develop an early-diagnosis test .
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , who visited China this week , said most people who contracted the virus were suffering only `` milder symptoms '' , but about 20 % had severe effects such as pneumonia and respiratory failure .
He said that China `` needs the world 's solidarity and support , '' and that `` the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , building on lessons learned from past outbreaks . ''
The director-general added that the WHO `` deeply regrets '' referring to the worldwide risk from the virus as `` moderate '' in three reports last week instead of `` high '' .
He described the person-to-person spread of the illness in Germany , Vietnam and Japan as worrying , and said experts would consider it on Thursday when deciding whether to declare a global emergency .
The city 's residents are enduring an isolated , frightening time .
Most forms of traffic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are shut up in their homes , trying to minimise the spread of the virus .
Videos have emerged online of neighbours shouting `` Wuhan jiayou ! ''
out of their windows - roughly translated to `` Stay strong Wuhan ! ''
or `` Keep on going Wuhan '' .
The phrase has been trending on Weibo , China 's Twitter-like social media site , with people from around the country posting supportive messages .
`` We will get through this .
Wuhan jiayou , the whole country is supporting you , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` This is the first day since the lockdown that I 've had to go out , '' a man in his 50s told the AFP news agency on Wednesday , on a mostly-deserted street .
`` I have no choice because I need to buy food . ''
Analysis - Why do n't we know the death rate ?
How deadly is this virus ?
It is a basic question , but the answer is elusive .
It is far too simplistic to take the 130 deaths and the 6,000 cases and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 % .
We 're in the middle of the outbreak and thousands of those patients are still being treated .
We do n't know if they will live or die , so they ca n't be used in these calculations .
We also do n't know how many mild and undetected cases are out there .
`` It is very early to make any statements on what the overall mortality rate may be , '' the WHO 's Maria Van Kerkhove has warned .
Also , the deadliness of the new virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Flu kills hundreds of thousands of people each year not because it is super-deadly , but because it is able to infect so many people .
Who is being evacuated from Wuhan ?
Hundreds of foreign nationals are being evacuated from Wuhan , where the virus first emerged , with Japan , the US and the EU among those repatriating their citizens .
Some 200 Japanese nationals have landed at Tokyo 's Haneda airport , and 240 Americans - including workers from the local US consulate - left Wuhan on Wednesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ military base and was met on the tarmac by emergency vehicles .
The defense department said those on board would be monitored and sent to local hospitals if they fell ill. • Wuhan : The London-sized city where the virus began • Britons will not fly home from Wuhan on Thursday Australia plans to quarantine its evacuees on Christmas island , 2,000km ( 1,200 miles ) from the mainland .
Two aircraft to fly EU citizens home have been scheduled , with 250 French nationals leaving on the first flight .
South Korea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave on four flights this week .
Both Malaysia and the Philippines have also pledged to evacuate their citizens in and around Wuhan .
Canada has chartered a plane to bring home around 160 of its nationals , but said it could take several days to get permission to land near Wuhan .
On Tuesday , Hong Kong announced plans to slash cross-border travel between the city and mainland China .
British Airways has suspended all flights to and from the Chinese mainland , and the UK 's Foreign Office warned against `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Several other airlines have taken similar measures .
United Airlines and Cathay Pacific are restricting flights , while Lion Air - one of Asia 's biggest airlines - is stopping flights to China from Saturday .
Cathay Pacific has also suspended in-flight trolley services , changed some aspects of its meal offer , and stopped giving out hot towels , pillows , blankets and magazines in an effort to prevent the virus spreading .

The US flight landed at a California military base and was met on the tarmac by emergency vehicles. The defense department said those on board would be monitored and sent to local hospitals if they fell ill.


bbc--2020-01-29--Two hundred Americans to face quarantine in California

Some 200 US citizens are due to be quarantined in California after arriving from Wuhan , China amid the coronavirus oubreak .
The passengers , mostly diplomats , were evacuated via a chartered flight that landed on US soil on Wednesday .
They will be quarantined for at least 72 hours , but could be kept isolated for up to two weeks if they have any symptoms , officials said .
The flight landed at a US air base near Riverside , California .
Earlier , the flight stopped in Anchorage , Alaska , to refuel while the 201 were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ None exhibited any signs of the coronavirus , according to the state 's chief medical officer .
Five cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the US as of Tuesday .
The Department of State , which chartered the flight , said places aboard were offered to government workers , with unfilled seats sold to US citizens on a `` reimbursable basis '' , though it was unclear if the agency was offering to pay back the reported $ 1,000 per ticket cost .
• ' I 've been told my wife must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to land at the civilian Ontario International Airport , some 30 miles ( 48km ) from Los Angeles , but was diverted to the March Air Reserve military base .
The Ontario airport had prepared for the arrival of the chartered flight on Tuesday by setting up showers , bathrooms and beds in a hangar .
The decision to move the flight to the air base came that evening .
The switch was made for logistical reasons , Curt Hagman , a San Bernardino county official said .
Mr Hagman had earlier said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two weeks .
The US Department of Defence said they will work with Health and Human Services officials to care for the evacuees .
Any passengers who fall ill will be transported to a civilian hospital .
Alex Azar , the US Health and Human Services secretary , said : `` Americans should know that this is a potentially very serious public health threat . ''
The CDC will be carrying out screenings at 20 commercial airports .
As the severity of the outbreak deepens , the White House is considering temporarily banning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The UK , Australia , Japan and EU nations have also been repatriating citizens .
The virus has caused more than 130 deaths , spreading across China and to at least 16 other countries .
During the 2003 global Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( SARS ) outbreak , US patients were isolated to contain the spread , but as there was limited transmission in the country , there was no population-based quarantine , according to the CDC .
In 2014 , fears over Ebola prompted a number of US states to impose @ @ @

Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.


bbc--2020-01-29--Trump Middle East plan: What he gets out of it

The Palestinians have roundly rejected Donald Trump 's Middle East proposal , feeling the cards are stacked against them .
The plan recognises and legitimises the Jewish settlements built on occupied Palestinian territory , which are regarded as illegal under international law - although Israel disputes this .
It would see Israel annex large swathes of the most fertile Palestinian land and gives complete security control of the West Bank to Israel in any future `` state '' .
Those are just the headlines , and none are acceptable to the Palestinians .
• Trump 's 'deal of the century @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposal on Tuesday , Mr Trump even intimated that he knew Palestinian leaders would feel that way and would reject it .
So why release the plan at all ?
How does it all help the US president ?
And why now ?
Israeli opposition figures have not shied away from suggesting that the timing of the proposal 's release was aimed at helping Benjamin Netanyahu in a general election to be held on 2 March .
Prime Minister Netanyahu could barely contain his glee at the news conference as he stood beside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The unprecedented concessions offered to Israel under the plan are something he can sell back home as a result of a close and influential relationship he has with the White House .
Trump administration officials have rejected the notion that the timing is designed to boost Mr Netanyahu , pointing to the fact that they had already waited two inconclusive Israeli election cycles before announcing the Middle East plan .
There is little doubt though that the Israeli prime minister will hope this will distract from the charges of bribery , fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - charges he portrays as `` fake news '' and a witch-hunt by the left and by the media .
That , of course , has been a familiar refrain of President Trump with regards to the current inquiry into his own behaviour .
The impeachment allegations suggest sordid and dishonourable use of his powerful position for personal political gain ; withholding hundreds of millions of dollars of military assistance to Ukraine until Kiev opened investigations into Joe Biden and his son , Hunter .
Mr Trump might hope the unveiling of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his skills as a statesman , delivering `` the deal of the century '' .
White Evangelical Christian Americans formed a strong voting block for Donald Trump in 2016 , with around 80 % voting for him .
Many Evangelical Christians believe that God promised the Holy Land to Jews and that their return to power across the whole territory will bring about the Second Coming of Christ .
But that is not only helping to shape policy because President Trump wants their votes again in November .
There are also Evangelicals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vice-President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , who have reportedly been pushing for the kind of support for Israel 's expansionist aspirations as detailed in the new plan .
Those aspirations all but do away with the notion of having sovereign Palestinian and Israeli states existing side by side , as previous US administrations had said they wanted .
Evangelical Christians were huge financial backers of the Trump campaign in 2016 , but there were others who would have wanted to see some return on the support they gave during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Aipac , the powerful pro-Israel lobbying group , has already endorsed Mr Trump 's Middle East plan , saying it appreciated the efforts of the president .
And among those in the East Room of the White House as the plan was unveiled was `` megadonor '' Sheldon Adelson .
The casino billionaire paid tens of millions of dollars into Republican coffers and an estimated $ 20 million to the Trump campaign in 2016 .
He was vocally supportive of the move to recognise Jerusalem as Israel 's capital , even offering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embassy there .
He cheered on the president as details of the new proposal were read out .
Whether the plan and the timing of its release is about backing Mr Netanyahu , distracting from impeachment troubles , playing domestic politics or if it is indeed driven by ideology , it comes with huge risks .
It can be seen as a proposal that gives Israel the authorisation to broaden its occupation , already a source of misery for so many .
The fear is that a proposal that gives Palestinians so little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the region .

Prime Minister Netanyahu could barely contain his glee at the news conference as he stood beside President Trump, his entourage cheering rapturously. The unprecedented concessions offered to Israel under the plan are something he can sell back home as a result of a close and influential relationship he has with the White House.


bbc--2020-01-29--White House pushes back as Bolton book threatens revelations

The White House is pushing back against the publication of a book by former national security adviser John Bolton , citing security concerns .
National Security Council officials told Mr Bolton the book included `` top secret '' details that must be removed .
A manuscript of the book reportedly claims that President Donald Trump linked freezing military aid to Ukraine in exchange for a political favour .
The book row comes as the questioning period of the impeachment trial begins .
On Friday , senators will hold a key vote on whether or not to allow witnesses in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testify in the wake of these claims , and some Republicans have also suggested they would like to hear from the former adviser .
The president has denied all the allegations against him .
What did the White House say ?
National Security Council ( NSC ) senior director Ellen Knight said in a letter to Mr Bolton 's attorney that following a preliminary review , the `` manuscript appears to contain significant amounts of classified information '' .
`` It also appears that some of this classified information is at the top-secret @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She went on to warn that the `` manuscript may not be published or otherwise disclosed without the deletion of this classified information '' .
• Could John Bolton be an impeachment game-changer ?
 • Trump impeachment trial : All you need to know • Who 's who in the Trump-Ukraine story ?
A senior White House official said on Wednesday that the letter was not a `` threat '' to the former national security adviser .
But President Trump 's defence in his impeachment trial has been imperiled by the reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is said to contain an account of the president directly telling Mr Bolton him that he would withhold US military aid to Ukraine to pressure Ukraine to help him win the 2020 US election .
Senior figures in Mr Trump 's Republican Party are now fighting to prevent Mr Bolton being called as a witness at the impeachment trial , while a small handful say they will vote for witnesses to appear .
A copy of Mr Bolton 's manuscript was reportedly sent to the White House weeks ago for review .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent to Mr Bolton prior to revelations from his book being reported by the New York Times last week .
The president lashed out at his former national security adviser on Twitter on Wednesday , calling his book `` nasty & untrue '' .
He insisted he `` NEVER '' told John Bolton the military aid was tied to getting dirt form Ukraine on his domestic political rivals .
What does the Bolton manuscript allege ?
On 26 January , the New York Times reported excerpts from the unpublished book by Mr Bolton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House in September 2019 .
They included claims that Mr Trump told Mr Bolton in August that he wanted to withhold $ 391m ( £300 million ) in security aid to Ukraine until officials there assisted with probes into Democrats , including 2020 Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden and his son .
The revelations , if true , are significant , because Republicans have argued that no first-hand witnesses had connected the president to the alleged scheme to withhold aid for political benefit .
But Mr Bolton reportedly makes it clear in his book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president to withhold the aid in order to pressure Ukraine .
The Senate impeachment trial has entered a two-day period of questioning , during which each party will alternate for up to 16 hours throughout Wednesday and Thursday .
Lawmakers are barred from speaking themselves , and must submit written questions to Chief Justice John Roberts , who then reads them aloud .
• Trump impeachment trial : All you need to know In one key moment on Wednesday , Trump attorney Alan Dershowitz argued that `` if a president does something which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the public interest , that can not be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment '' - effectively arguing that any action taken to aid re-election could be considered to be in the public interest , and therefore not impeachable .
A vote on whether or not to call witnesses in the trial is expected on Friday .
A vote on the articles of impeachment themselves could follow immediately after if witnesses are blocked .
Four Republicans would be required to vote with the Democrats to reach the necessary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moderate senators have appeared more prepared to do so in the wake of the Bolton book reports .
US media report that in a closed door meeting with Republican senators on Tuesday , Republican leader Mitch McConnell said he did not have enough votes to block witnesses , but senior Republicans later said they were confident of securing the votes .
A two-thirds majority in the Senate is required to remove Mr Trump from office at the end of the process .
With Republicans holding a 53-47 majority in the Senate , removal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third president in US history to be impeached and go on trial in the Senate .

In one key moment on Wednesday, Trump attorney Alan Dershowitz argued that "if a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment" - effectively arguing that any action taken to aid re-election could be considered to be in the public interest, and therefore not impeachable.


bbc--2020-01-29--Watch live: US President Trump's impeachment trial

Five possible twists in impeachment trial Many believe President Trump will be acquitted at the end of this process .
@ @ @ @ @ from the script ?

Live coverage from Washington DC, as President Donald Trump's impeachment trial continues in the Senate.
The impeachment is in its final stages as senators prepare to cast their final vote on Wednesday, with acquittal almost certain.


bbc--2020-01-29--European politicians sing Auld Lang Syne

Members of the EU Parliament sang Auld Lang Syne as the Brexit withdrawal agreement was approved .

Up Next. Watch: Scare as child plays on high-rise window ledge. Video, 00:00:18Watch: Scare as child plays on high-rise window ledge


bbc--2020-01-29--Pentagon says 50 US troops injured in Iranian attack

The Pentagon has said the number of troops suffering from traumatic brain injuries ( TBI ) after an Iranian attack on a US base in Iraq on 8 January has risen to 50 .
The new total is 16 more than previously announced .
President Donald Trump initially said no Americans were injured and cited this in his decision not to retaliate against Iran .
The attack came amid tensions over the US killing of an Iranian general .
In a statement released on Tuesday , Pentagon spokesman Lt Col Thomas Campbell said that 31 of the injured were treated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including those most recently diagnosed .
• What is the future of US troops in Iraq ?
• Huge rally as Iraqis demand US troops pull out • Iran attacks base once known as 'Camp Cupcake' Eighteen others were sent to Germany for further evaluation and treatment , the spokesman said , while another was sent to Kuwait and had returned to duty .
Speaking last week about his initial statement that no troops had been injured in the Iranian missile strike on the Ain al-Asad base , President Trump said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and a couple of other things , but I would say , and I can report , it 's not very serious . ''
When asked about possible TBIs he said : `` I do n't consider them very serious injuries relative to other injuries I have seen . ''
The Pentagon says no Americans were killed in the incident , with most sheltering in bunkers as missiles rained down .
A defence department spokesman announced on Friday the initial figure of 34 injured , saying at the time that US Defence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aware of the injuries in the days after the attack .
The non-profit organisation Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America criticised the Trump administration for taking so long to reveal the extent of casualties following the initial announcement .
`` This is a big deal , '' its founder Paul Rieckhoff tweeted .
`` The American people must be able to trust the government to share information about our sons and daughters in harms way .
Nothing is more serious and sacred . ''
TBIs are common in warzones , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a TBI for deployed soldiers is an explosive blast , writes the US Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center .
They are classified as mild , moderate , severe or penetrating .
A mild TBI is also known as a concussion , and can be caused by a blast 's `` atmospheric over-pressure followed by under-pressure or vacuum '' .
The air vacuum is capable of penetrating solid objects , making it possible for soldiers to avoid blunt force trauma but still receive an invisible brain injury .
On Friday , tens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ streets of Baghdad against the presence of some 5,000 foreign troops in the country .
The Iraqi parliament has urged all foreign troops - including those from the US - to leave .

Speaking last week about his initial statement that no troops had been injured in the Iranian missile strike on the Ain al-Asad base, President Trump said: "I heard that they had headaches, and a couple of other things, but I would say, and I can report, it's not very serious."


bbc--2020-01-29--Lungs 'magically' heal damage from smoking

Your lungs have an almost `` magical '' ability to repair the cancerous mutations caused by smoking - but only if you stop , say scientists .
The mutations that lead to lung cancer had been considered to be permanent , and to persist even after quitting .
But the surprise findings , published in Nature , show the few cells that escape damage can repair the lungs .
The effect has been seen even in patients who had smoked a pack a day for 40 years before giving up .
The thousands of chemicals in tobacco smoke corrupt and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - slowly transforming them from healthy to cancerous .
The study uncovered that happening on a massive scale in a smoker 's lungs even before they had cancer .
The overwhelming majority of cells taken from a smoker 's airways had been mutated by tobacco , with cells containing up to 10,000 genetic alterations .
`` These can be thought of as mini time bombs , waiting for the next hit that causes them to progress to cancer , '' said Dr Kate Gowers , one of the researchers at UCL .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Exactly how they avoid the genetic devastation caused by smoking is unclear , but the researchers said they appeared to `` exist in a nuclear bunker '' .
However , after someone quits smoking , it is these cells that grow and replace the damaged cells in the lungs .
• Pledge to end smoking in England by 2030 In people who quit , up to 40 % of their cells looked just like those from people who had never smoked .
`` We were totally unprepared for the finding , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute , told BBC News .
He added : `` There is a population of cells that , kind of , magically replenish the lining of the airways .
`` One of the remarkable things was patients who had quit , even after 40 years of smoking , had regeneration of cells that were totally unscathed by the exposure to tobacco . ''
The researchers still need to assess how much of the lungs are repaired .
The study focused on the major airways rather than the small structures called alveoli , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into our lungs .
There are about 47,000 cases of lung cancer in the UK each year .
Nearly three-quarters of them are caused by smoking .
Studies have already shown that people cut their risk of lung cancer almost from the day they quit .
The assumption had been that this was simply because any further mutations caused by smoking were avoided .
Dr Rachel Orritt , from Cancer Research UK , said : `` It 's a really motivating idea that people who stop smoking might reap the benefits twice over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lung cells , and by giving their lungs the chance to balance out some of the existing damage with healthier cells . ''

Dr Rachel Orritt, from Cancer Research UK, said: "It's a really motivating idea that people who stop smoking might reap the benefits twice over - by preventing more tobacco-related damage to lung cells, and by giving their lungs the chance to balance out some of the existing damage with healthier cells."