Shaun Edwards will demand deposed Guinness Premiership champions Wasps give themselves the "best possible chance" of Heineken Cup qualification by ending Gloucester's title hopes today.
A bonus point victory for the Londoners at Adams Park would seal seventh place, provided Northampton do not achieve an identical feat in beating Sale Sharks.
And that will be enough for a prized Heineken Cup place as one of seven English representatives, as long as French club Bourgoin win the second-tier European Challenge Cup next month.
A Wasps win would also end Gloucester's season, putting them out of the play-offs just a week after their EDF Energy Cup final humiliation against Cardiff Blues. Either way, Wasps' season will end today - a strange scenario for a club who have repeatedly contested domestic and European silverware this decade.
It is something the head coach Edwards is not used to, but he is pleased with a strong finish to the season.
"It is a bit disappointing, but to lose seven games by four points or less has broken our backs," he said.
"London Irish have not lost a game by more than seven points. It re-emphasises that the difference between success and failure is so small.
"We have gone 10 games unbeaten at home now, and we have to give ourselves the best possible chance for that last Heineken Cup spot, so that means it has to be a must-win game. Gloucester have been a bogey team of ours over the past 18 months.
"We haven't won many games against them, so we are pretty keen to get the advantage this time."
Gloucester must win with a bonus point and hope fourth-placed London Irish collect nothing more than a losing bonus from their trip to Worcester, otherwise the play-offs will prove beyond reach.
The fall-out could be considerable, with several players already thought to be leaving Kingsholm - including the England internationals Olly Barkley, Iain Balshaw and Anthony Allen - while head coach Dean Ryan would inevitably face an uncertain future.
Ryan has made seven changes from the side stunned 13-6 at home by Worcester on Tuesday night, but injuries sideline Balshaw, Mike Tindall, James Simpson-Daniel and Olivier Azam.
Sale, having had a point deducted earlier this week for fielding an unregistered player, must harvest a five-point maximum against visitors Northampton.
But even that is unlikely to be enough to break into the top four.
Leicester, guaranteed a home semi-final on May 9, need one point to finish top when they host relegated Bristol, whose team include departing trio David Lemi, Shaun Perry and Dan Ward-Smith.
"We have put ourselves in a position to finish top of the Premiership, and we want to take that," said the Tigers head coach Richard Cockerill. Harlequins will join the Tigers with home advantage if they see off Newcastle and claim a bonus point, but Bath could still pinch second spot by claiming five points at home to Saracens and Quins not securing a maximum.
Peter Grant scored a 70th-minute try to help the Cape Town Stormers all but end the Otago Highlanders' semi-final chances with an 18-11 victory in their Super 14 clash in Dunedin yesterday.
Grant went over unopposed after the Stormers had spent the best part of four minutes hammering away at the Highlanders' tryline to give his side the breathing space they need to hold on until the end at Carisbrook.
The Highlanders secured a bonus point for finishing within seven points to move equal with Australia's Western Force on 23 points, but remain in 10th place in the table, with other teams above them still to play over the weekend.
Western Force beat the Johannesburg Lions 55-14 in yesterday's other game.
There are four Super 14 games today, the Auckland Blues host the Queensland Reds, Pretoria Bulls play Waikato Chiefs, Bloemfontein Cheetahs take on the Canterbury Crusaders and the CA Brumbies travel to face the Wellington Hurricanes.
Hull FC look to end a six-match losing streak tonight when they head to Salford Sharks in Rugby League's Super League.
Salford are coached by Shaun McRae, who was previously in charge at Hull.
"They are not playing badly, they just can't get that win and they've been in the games which could have gone either way," he said.
"It's only round the corner, but I hope they've got to go round two corners to get to it!"
* Agencies
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Tour de France Stage 16:
165km run from Le Puy-en-Velay to Romans-sur-Isère
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.
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
'Tell the Machine Goodnight' by Katie Williams
Penguin Randomhouse
Australia squads
ODI: Tim Paine (capt), Aaron Finch (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye.
T20: Aaron Finch (capt), Alex Carey (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Andrew Tye, Jack Wildermuth.
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The biog
Most memorable achievement: Leading my first city-wide charity campaign in Toronto holds a special place in my heart. It was for Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women program and showed me the power of how communities can come together in the smallest ways to have such wide impact.
Favourite film: Childhood favourite would be Disney’s Jungle Book and classic favourite Gone With The Wind.
Favourite book: To Kill A Mockingbird for a timeless story on justice and courage and Harry Potters for my love of all things magical.
Favourite quote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill
Favourite food: Dim sum
Favourite place to travel to: Anywhere with natural beauty, wildlife and awe-inspiring sunsets.
The Dark Blue Winter Overcoat & Other Stories From the North
Edited and Introduced by Sjón and Ted Hodgkinson
Pushkin Press
Uefa Nations League
League A:
Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands
League B:
Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey
League C:
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania
League D:
Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar
More on Quran memorisation:
About Tenderd
Started: May 2018
Founder: Arjun Mohan
Based: Dubai
Size: 23 employees
Funding: Raised $5.8m in a seed fund round in December 2018. Backers include Y Combinator, Beco Capital, Venturesouq, Paul Graham, Peter Thiel, Paul Buchheit, Justin Mateen, Matt Mickiewicz, SOMA, Dynamo and Global Founders Capital
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 400hp
Torque: 500Nm
Price: Dh300,000 (estimate)
On sale: 2022
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
NATIONAL%20SELECTIONS
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Traces%20of%20Enayat
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Iman%20Mersal%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20And%20Other%20Stories%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20240%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The biog
Name: Marie Byrne
Nationality: Irish
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption
Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston
Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
The biog
Alwyn Stephen says much of his success is a result of taking an educated chance on business decisions.
His advice to anyone starting out in business is to have no fear as life is about taking on challenges.
“If you have the ambition and dream of something, follow that dream, be positive, determined and set goals.
"Nothing and no-one can stop you from succeeding with the right work application, and a little bit of luck along the way.”
Mr Stephen sells his luxury fragrances at selected perfumeries around the UAE, including the House of Niche Boutique in Al Seef.
He relaxes by spending time with his family at home, and enjoying his wife’s India cooking.
