Brisbane

An Australian woman was killed by a pet camel given to her as a 60th birthday present after the animal apparently tried to have sex with her, police said on Sunday. The 10-month-old male camel knocked the woman to the ground, lay on top of her and exhibited what police suspect was mating behaviour.

By the time the Wallabies get to France for next month’s Rugby World Cup, training and match days will look easy after their commando-style ”boot camp”. On their first night on Sunday, the players were woken at 10pm, forced to leave camp and taken on a 3km march before swimming 300m across a lake.

Australian captain Stirling Mortlock said Tuesday that the Wallabies would use their opening Rugby World Cup pool match against Japan as preparation for a key clash with Wales. Mortlock said Australia’s 2-0 Test series win over the Welsh last month would mean nothing when the two sides face off in Cardiff.

Former Wallabies’ coach Eddie Jones Monday parted company with Super 14 wooden spooners Queensland Reds by what Queensland Rugby said was ”mutual agreement”. Jones, who was axed as Wallabies coach in late 2005 after a series of poor results, offered his resignation to QRU chairperson Peter Lewis.

South Africa’s Sharks moved into third place in Super 14 rugby after a nine-try, 59-16 win on Saturday over Queensland, handing the Reds their eighth straight loss. ”I think this showed the difference between a top side and where we are,” said Queensland captain John Roe, who scored his team’s only try. ”It was very, very disappointing.”

Star all-rounder Andrew Symonds is set to be named in Australia’s World Cup squad after being thrown a selection lifeline by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Symonds seemed certain to miss the World Cup after undergoing surgery on Sunday to repair a torn bicep tendon. He was expected to be sidelined for at least six weeks.

Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist insists the Australian squad is not complacent despite being undefeated in the tri-nations one-day international series with England and New Zealand. The Australians continued their run of victories when they beat England at the Gabba in Brisbane on Friday by four wickets.

Mike Hussey has warned his Australian teammates to watch out for Monty Panesar’s ”Doosra” should he form a two-pronged spinning attack for England in Friday’s second Ashes cricket Test in Adelaide. England coach Duncan Fletcher said on Tuesday he was considering playing both left-arm spinners, Ashley Giles and Panesar, in Adelaide.

Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen were leading the resistance as England battled to save the first Ashes cricket Test against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane on Sunday. The tourists were recovering after the loss of three wickets to enjoy their best period in what has been a lopsided opening Test of the five-match Ashes series.

An infrared camera reportedly designed to track fighter jets has become the latest hi-tech gadget used to cover the Ashes series between Australia and England. Host broadcaster Channel Nine said the device, known as the ”hot spot”, could show whether a batman was out or not with 100% accuracy.

The waiting is almost over, with the much-hyped Ashes cricket series between Australia and England finally getting under way in Brisbane on Thursday after 14 months of mounting expectations. England’s magnificent series win over the Aussies last year has generated interest and ticket sales not witnessed down under since the halcyon days of Don Bradman and the 1932/33 ”Bodyline” series.

England’s Barmy Army of travelling supporters drew first blood in their Ashes campaign down under on Wednesday, trouncing Australia’s Fanatics in a 20/20 match. In a result they will hope is an omen for the Test series starting on Thursday, the English supporters set their Australian rivals a target of 214 then skittled them for 151.

An indignant Glenn McGrath says Australia doesn’t need an all-rounder to ease the workload on his 36-year-old body in Thursday’s Ashes Test opener against England at the Gabba. There have been suggestions that the selection of all-rounder Shane Watson, now in doubt with a hamstring injury, was made to reduce the bowling burden on McGrath and 37-year-old leg-spinner Shane Warne.

Michael Vaughan arrived in Brisbane, Australia, unannounced on Monday and laughed at suggestions he will play for England in Thursday’s first Ashes Test against Australia at the Gabba. The sidelined England captain told reporters at the airport he was in Brisbane only to receive treatment from England’s medical staff on his knee, reports said on Tuesday.

Australian daredevil naturalist Steve Irwin’s public memorial this week will not degenerate into a circus, the late crocodile hunter’s manager vowed on Monday. About 5 500 guests, including around 3 000 members of the public and VIPs led by Australian Prime Minister John Howard, will attend the final farewell.

New Zealand withstood a ferocious second-half assault from Australia to retain the Bledisloe Cup on Saturday with a 13-9 Tri-Nations victory. The All Blacks led 10-6 at half-time and held on for a gripping victory with Dan Carter’s 58th-minute drop goal their only score of a fiercely contested second half that saw the Wallabies dominate for long periods.

Wallaby coach John Connolly on Thursday condemned New Zealand’s controversial ”throat-slitting” haka as damaging for rugby. Criticism of their pre-match ritual, which in the Kapa O Pango haka climaxes with an apparent throat-slitting gesture, put the All Blacks on the defensive ahead of Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup match against Australia.

New Zealand, with one eye on the grand prize of next year’s rugby World Cup, are switching game plans to keep rival teams off the scent, assistant coach Wayne Smith said in Brisbane on Thursday. The All Blacks take on the Wallabies on Saturday, but rugby’s top-rated team is keen not to show too much in the countdown to the World Cup in France.

Prop Rodney Blake returns from an ankle injury for his third Test in the only Australian change announced on Wednesday to its team for the Tri-Nations rugby match against New Zealand. Blake, who will make his hometown debut at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on Saturday, replaces Guy Shepherdson. Blake missed Australia’s 49-0 victory over South Africa 10 days ago.

Referee Paul Honiss hit back at Jake White on Sunday after the Springbok’s coach laid part of the blame for South Africa’s 49-0 Tri-Nations rugby loss to Australia at the feet of the New Zealand official. White said Honiss had allowed the Wallabies to ”get away with murder” in Saturday’s Suncorp Stadium match in which the Boks slumped to their heaviest loss to Australia.

Hailed as a hero only a month ago, John Connolly now confronts the downside of coaching Australia. Connolly takes the Wallabies into Saturday’s Tri Nations rugby Test at Suncorp Stadium with many questioning his game plan, tactics and selections. The long-serving Queensland coach was seen to have turned around Australia’s fortunes last month.

South Africa’s Stormers scored three tries in three minutes in the second half on Friday to beat the Queensland Reds 24-20 in a Super 14 rugby match. Rodney Blake and Drew Mitchell scored first-half tries as the Reds led 13-3 at half-time, but the Stormers’ second-half burst of 21 points put the visitors ahead for good.

The most powerful cyclone to hit Australia in decades smashed into the country’s north-east coast on Monday, leaving hundreds homeless and causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. Packing winds up to 290kph Tropical Cyclone Larry tore roofs off houses, uprooted trees and terrified residents.

All Blacks flyhalf Daniel Carter scored two tries among 27 points on Saturday as the Canterbury Crusaders beat the Queensland Reds 47-21 in a Super 14 rugby. The final score line at Ballymore hid the fact that the Queensland Reds competed for most of the match and were still narrowly ahead with three-quarters of the match elapsed.