Brendan Venter brings his Saracens credentials to the Italian defence for Six Nations. David Rogers / Getty Images
Brendan Venter brings his Saracens credentials to the Italian defence for Six Nations. David Rogers / Getty Images

Six Nations: Italy defence gets a boost with new coach Brendan Venter



DUBAI // Italy’s chances of finally becoming a serious force in the Six Nations have been boosted by the recruitment of a coach who succeeded in domestic rugby where even Eddie Jones failed.

Brendan Venter, Italy’s new defence coach, turned around a failing Saracens side, and set in motion the transition that has seen the London club become European champions.

It was a transformation that had proved beyond Jones, who had two stints with a club who were conspicuous for underachievement before they started on their present ascent.

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Venter, who is also a qualified doctor, took over from Jones as Saracens director of rugby in 2009. Alex Goode played under both, and he thinks Venter’s force of personality could help transform Italy into a “dangerous” proposition.

“He was working with a tough organisation,” Goode said of Jones’ spell at Saracens between 2007 and 2009. “It was a failing organisation. That sounds harsh, but it is true.

“It took characters like Brendan and Ed Griffiths [the Saracens CEO] together to achieve that [improvement]. Somebody so supremely confident, that even if he got sacked, he could just go and become a doctor. He didn’t worry about that, so he could implement radical change.”

Six Nations fixtures and UAE kick-off times

• Saturday, February 4: Scotland v Ireland (6.25pm), England v France (8.50pm)

• Sunday, February 5: Italy v Wales (6pm)

• Saturday, February 11: Italy v Ireland (6.45pm), Wales v England (8.50pm)

• Sunday, February 12: France v Scotland (7pm)

• Saturday, February 25: Scotland v Wales (6.25pm), Ireland v France (8.50pm)

• Sunday, February 26: England v Italy (7pm)

• Friday, March 10: Wales v Ireland (11pm)

• Saturday, March 11: Italy v France (4.30pm), England v Scotland (7pm)

• Saturday, March 18: Scotland v Italy (3.30pm), France v Wales (5.45pm), Ireland v England (8pm)

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Date of birth: April 18, 1998

Playing position: Winger

Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda

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1) Phishing

Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.

2) Smishing

The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.

3) Vishing

The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.

4) SIM swap

Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.

5) Identity theft

Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.

6) Prize scams

Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.

Turkish Ladies

Various artists, Sony Music Turkey 

The Beach Bum

Director: Harmony Korine

Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg

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Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

World Sevens Series standing after Dubai

1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Fiji
5. Australia
6. Samoa
7. Kenya
8. Scotland
9. France
10. Spain
11. Argentina
12. Canada
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The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
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Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

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- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

Key facilities
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  • Premier League-standard football pitch
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Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
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Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

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World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
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Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
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International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack

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Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

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Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
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Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

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TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

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Price, base: Dh1,731,672

Engine: 6.5-litre V12

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm

Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm

Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km