But their lack of practice eventually proved too much in the second half of the race.The women's pair of Kate Mackenzie and Philippa Cross had to beat one crew to make the last 12 and they did it with something to spare. However, they will have to find a lot more pace in the middle 1,000 metres if they are to reach the final on Thursday.. This time Pooley was in the bow seat with Bobby Thatcher at stroke and for over 1,000m it looked like they might still qualify for the semi-final. She was led briefly by the German Meike Evers, but when the 19-year-old junior world champion showed her inexperience at this level, Batten was decisive and took third place.The men's double scull raced for the second time with Guy Pooley, the spare man, after Jim Cracknell was ruled out by the team doctor, Ann Redgrave, with a throat infection. "I saw his back lose its shape and turn into a C and with a fifteen-stroke burst I was ahead," Haining said.Haining finished four seconds behind the reigning world champion, Iztok Cop, from Slovenia.Guin Batten also took her place in the single sculls semi-final with a solid show to take third place in the repechage. Yesterday the last thing his coach, Miles Thomas, told him was: "It's a thinking man's race.

Don't forget to think." He was telling his light sculler that the head wind, which was brisk but straight, would tempt some scullers to go out too fast before running out of puff in the closing stages. From the start Haining was determined to stay out of the lead and to use as little energy as possible to stay in touch with the second qualifying place. At 77kg he was able to vary his tactics feeling strong enough to leave his push to the finish of the race instead of "scuttling" off at the start and trying to hang on.Haining shadowed Australia's David Cameron, who at 22 is 12 years his junior, and waited for him to weaken About 500m from the finish Haining took his chance. Peter Haining, the best lightweight single sculler the world has seen, took another step along the road to his target of a medal as a heavyweight in the 2000 Olympics, by qualifying for the semi-finals at Gainesville yesterday. Haining had been relegated to the repechage system in the heats, but had shown his mettle by chasing all the way even when his cause was lost.

"We were invited by the WRU to consider the options available to us We have done so carefully. No other option that has been promoted to us is as attractive," a spokesman said.. But Pugh also said that he believed the reputed package to be a "misunderstanding" and that the pact between the Union and their clubs formed a firm commitment to work together."We have received no official notification from First Division Rugby Limited and I do not believe they would even contemplate negotiating their own television agreement," said Pugh.However, FDRL believe the matter is settled - at least in principle. Rugby Union Leading Welsh rugby clubs are heading for a new showdown with the Welsh after agreeing a reported pounds 22m deal with BSkyB for the televising of matches. First Division Rugby Limited, an organisation of the top 12 clubs in Wales, claimed yesterday that each of their members will receive pounds 1.85m during the course of the five-year contract.That drew a rapid response from the WRU chairman, Vernon Pugh, who said that the clubs' decision reneged on a recent agreement between the two bodies and could lead to the clubs losing their Union membership. However, if Celtic are drawn at home for the first leg of the Uefa Cup preliminary round, which is due to be played on 6 August, then the rugby league game will very much play second fiddle.. The two teams met in Dublin a year ago with Ireland winning 26-22.The problems rugby league will encounter in trying to get a foothold in Scotland have already become apparent in attempts to schedule this match.It was to have been played on Wednesday 7 August, but was switched because it clashed with Rangers' game against Russia's Alania Vladikavkaz, in the preliminary round of the Champions' League.

Leeds' Alan Tait, the former Scotland rugby union cap, could be the star attraction as captain of the home side.The line-ups will be coached by the men who led them through the Halifax Emerging Nations World Cup - George Fairbairn of Scotland and Terry Flanagan of Ireland. International rugby league comes to Scotland for the first time in 85 years next month. Scotland and Ireland will meet at Partick Thistle's Firhill ground on Tuesday 6 August. It is only the third league international to be played north of the border, with the previous two in 1909 and 1911. However, the Rugby Football League is hoping the match can ultimately pave the way towards an eventual Five Nations Championship including England, Wales, France, Ireland and the Scots. "This will be a ground-breaking venture and hope we can attract a reasonable crowd," said Graeme Thompson, the RFL's recently-appointed development officer for Scotland.Scotland's team will be made up of players from Super League clubs and students.