There was a time when the words "That Drop Goal" conjured a rather different image in the minds of British rugby fans than that of Jonny Wilkinson's effort to break Australian hearts at the 2003 World Cup final.
Six years earlier, Wilkinson's erstwhile England teammate and predecessor as rugby 'Golden Boy', Jeremy Guscott, landed the goal which gave the British and Irish Lions a rare series win in South Africa.
Pre-Sydney 2003, it had been the most famous half-volley from the boot of an English rugby player.
The series had proved to be the pinnacle for a number of Lions players, and joy abounded amongst those clad in red on that night in Durban.
For instance, forward Lawrence Dallaglio's coruscating career was book-ended by winning World Cups in both sevens and 15s, yet he still ranks that 1997 Lions triumph as his zenith.
Already a legend in rugby league before returning to the code in which he started, John Bentley's star only shone relatively briefly in union.
He was never more luminous than on the tour of South Africa, when bone-crunching tackles, powerful running, and, most saliently, a starring role in the fly on the wall video Living With the Lions cemented his place in touring lore.
Despite all he achieved in the 13-man game and a preference for that code, he deems the 1997 Lions tour "without a doubt, the best rugby I ever played".
He says his memories are tinged with one minor regret, however: the identity of the match-winner. "Why bloody Guscott?" is his regular refrain.
"The Welsh, Scots and Irish seemed to like me, and I knew a lot of the English lads from before," recalled Bentley, 42, whose four caps on the wing for England were separated by a decade, and a career in rugby league.
"The one guy I didn't know was Jeremy Guscott. I had already formed an opinion of him, and it wasn't a positive one. I thought he was a little bit aloof and arrogant."
His perception was founded on Guscott's decision to opt out of two exhibition matches for his Bath club side against rugby league trailblazers Wigan, which were played to mark the dawn of professionalism.
"Importantly for me, when the curtain dropped on professionalism in union, he didn't play in those landmark games, when Wigan played against Bath at Maine Road, Manchester, and then at Twickenham," added Bentley. "He didn't play in either of them - and I thought he was soft.
"When I travelled down I asked a teammate about him, and he said, 'If he respects you, you will get on very well'.
"He turned to me and said, 'He will respect you'. I said to him, 'If he doesn't respect me by the end of the first week I will have gained his respect, because I will pick him as a training partner, and I will kick s*** out of him'. The second we met we got on like a house on fire."
pradley@thenational.ae
'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'
Rating: 1 out of 4
Running time: 81 minutes
Director: David Blue Garcia
Starring: Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham
Company%20profile
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Results
4pm: Maiden; Dh165,000 (Dirt); 1,400m
Winner: Solar Shower; William Lee (jockey); Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
4.35pm: Handicap; Dh165,000 (D); 2,000m
Winner: Thaaqib; Antonio Fresu; Erwan Charpy.
5.10pm: Maiden; Dh165,000 (Turf); 1,800m
Winner: Bila Shak; Adrie de Vries; Fawzi Nass
5.45pm: Handicap; Dh175,000 (D); 1,200m
Winner: Beachcomber Bay; Richard Mullen; Satish Seemar
6.20pm: Handicap; Dh205,000 (T); 1,800m
Winner: Muzdawaj; Jim Crowley; Musabah Al Muhairi
6.55pm: Handicap; Dh185,000 (D); 1,600m
Winner: Mazeed; Tadhg O’Shea; Satish Seemar
7.30pm: Handicap; Dh205,000 (T); 1,200m
Winner: Riflescope; Tadhg O’Shea; Satish Seemar.
STAGE%201%20RESULTS
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Company%20profile
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Everton
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
When: Sunday, kick-off 7pm (UAE)
How to watch: Live on BeIN Sports 11HD
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
The Dark Blue Winter Overcoat & Other Stories From the North
Edited and Introduced by Sjón and Ted Hodgkinson
Pushkin Press
US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Without Remorse
Directed by: Stefano Sollima
Starring: Michael B Jordan
4/5
Company%20profile%20
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'Midnights'
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SWEET%20TOOTH
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
