Gregor Townsend has called on his Rugby World Cup hopefuls to play their part in ramping up the feelgood factor of a nation in what promises to be a passion-stirring autumn for Scottish sport.

The Scots, who arrived in France on Sunday night, harbour genuine ambitions of going deep into the global showpiece after elevating themselves to fifth in the world rankings. They have never previously gone into a World Cup in a loftier position.

In addition, the buoyant Scottish football team are on the brink of qualifying for only their second major tournament since 1998, with Steve Clarke’s team able to set one foot in Germany for Euro 2024 if they defeat Cyprus this Friday, while Oban’s Bob MacIntyre will become the first Scottish golfer since Stephen Gallacher in 2014 to represent Europe at the Ryder Cup at the end of September.

Townsend knows his team, on the biggest stage in their sport, have a chance to rouse the public back home.

“It’s an exciting few weeks for Scottish sport,” the head coach told the PA news agency. “The football this week, rugby right through September and October, and Bob MacIntyre getting in the Ryder Cup team so we’ve got someone to cheer for.

“There are some massive events, the biggest tournament in our game, one of the biggest ones in golf just round the corner, and you’ve got the football team doing really well.

“It makes everybody who is interested in sport feel better when the team they support are doing well.

“We get a boost when we watch the football team do well and we’re another sporting organisation so I would imagine people that are big supporters of us, it gives them real hope and inspiration and lifts their mood for a day or a week and they can’t wait to get behind the team in the future. That’s certainly the feeling we get from our supporters.”

Townsend, who feels “very privileged” to be leading Scotland to a second consecutive World Cup, is thrilled with the way supporters have rallied behind his team in recent seasons. The head coach hopes his “humble” group of players can strengthen that bond and engage other more casual rugby observers by flourishing in France over the next two months.

“A lot of people say to me, ‘I don’t tend to watch rugby but I watch the Six Nations or the World Cup’,” he said. “I think there’s something about the national team, whether it’s football or rugby, that makes you go, ‘right, I don’t have to be a big supporter of it but I’ll switch it on because I know they’re representing us’.

“We’ve seen it with the crowds we’ve been getting at Murrayfield over the last few years but if we just take the last three home games over the summer, the crowd numbers there before the game were huge.

“They’re there two hours before the game and they stay there afterwards. It’s brilliant. I think there’s a different group of people coming to games.

“Maybe these games were different because they were in the summer but I saw so many families at our last game against Georgia and it was great to see.

“We had three generations of families coming to watch the team. A lot of that is from the way the team is playing but it’s also because of the players as people.

“They are the most humble, open and engaging guys you could coach. I see how much time they spend with supporters and that rubs off.

“If you have a group that is closed, won’t stay for autographs and ignore people who want to chat them, that is going to have an effect on what people think of you, whereas this group are brilliant. I believe that’s a big part of why the people in the country are behind them.”

One-time Derby favourite Reach For The Moon is set to pursue a career over hurdles this winter, having left John and Thady Gosden to join Jamie Snowden.

The son of Sea The Stars looked destined for the top following a brilliant victory in the 2021 Solario Stakes, but was beaten by Bayside Boy on his final juvenile start in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster – his conqueror on Town Moor winning last year’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

Despite that defeat, optimism remained he could claim Derby glory for the late Queen in her Platinum Jubilee year – but ultimately he did not make the trip to Epsom, not reappearing until a promising run in the Heron Stakes at Sandown before finishing second in the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot last season.

Having disappointed on his next start in France, Reach For The Moon was gelded during the winter – but he has again finished well beaten twice in the royal silks this term, most recently finishing down the field in the Royal Hunt Cup, and he is being readied for a change of code.

“He’s not with us yet, but he’s left John Gosden’s and has been down at Henrietta Knight’s learning to jump,” said Snowden.

“He is now back at Sandringham having a bit of a break and will come to us later on.

“It’s really exciting. He’ll have a couple of months at Sandringham I guess and then he’ll come to us and will hopefully be ready to run sometime in the new year.”

With the autumn drawing closer, Snowden is beginning to make running plans for three of his stable stars in Ga Law, Datsalrightgino and You Wear It Well.

Ga Law won last season’s Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham before losing his way in the new year, while Datsalrightgino was last seen landing Grade Two honours in the Jordan Electrics Ltd Future Champion Novices’ Chase at Ayr.

Your Wear It Well provided her trainer with Cheltenham Festival success when landing the Jack De Bromhead Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle in March before finishing fifth against the boys at Aintree.

Snowden added: “They were our big three from last year I suppose and they are all back in and in good order at the moment.

“Your Wear It Well will probably start off in that Listed mares’ race at Wetherby and we’ll work towards hopefully going back to Cheltenham in March.

“Ga Law is going to start off over hurdles in the West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby and then hopefully go for the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury.

“Datsalrightgino we’re hoping to start off in the Old Roan at Aintree and then go to the Paddy Power Gold Cup, perhaps.”

John ‘Shark’ Hanlon has expressed his delight that Cape Gentleman has settled in well to retirement in America.

Owned by Pierre Manigault, the seven-year-old was attempting to follow in the footsteps of Sergeant Murphy, who claimed Grand National glory for Manigault’s great uncle, Stephen ‘Laddie’ Sandford in 1923, when suffering a career-ending injury at Aintree in the spring.

Having struck into himself in between obstacles during the world’s most famous steeplechase, he was immediately transferred to Liverpool Equine Hospital where he began his recuperation, before returning to Hanlon’s County Carlow base to continue his recovery.

He has now headed to South Carolina for what is anticipated will be a long and happy retirement with his owner.

Hanlon said: “It’s brilliant because the man he has gone to in America, a lot of owners wouldn’t have done what he has done. He has minded him like a baby.

“We had him up until about 10 days ago and I want to thank the hospital in Liverpool for the job they did with the horse, they did a great job.

“We got him home about three weeks after the race and myself and all my staff at home, we minded him and have done a great job with him. We’re delighted to get him to America now where he will be retired.

“He’s out enjoying the sun now and that is very important and he’s having a ball. It’s great that Pierre put the money in to save the horse.”

Hanlon has been keen to document Cape Gentleman’s road to recovery via his stable’s social media channels over the past few months, believing it is crucial in combating any negative perceptions of both horse racing and the Grand National itself.

He added: “For that race (Grand National) it is important that these things happen and it is on us to highlight things like this because none of us want the race stopped.”

Leeds have released forward Zane Tetevano from his contract as he continues his recovery from heart surgery, the Super League club have announced.

The New Zealand international suffered a stroke during a training session in May.

It was then discovered the 32-year-old had a hole in his heart which required surgery.

The Rhinos had initially hoped the prop would be able play again before the end of the season, but that has not proved possible.

With his contract due to expire later this year, the club have allowed Tetevano to leave early and return home to New Zealand.

Tetevano said: “I would like to thank everyone at the Rhinos for the support they have given me over the last three years.

“Especially I would like to thank all the staff at the Leeds General Infirmary who have looked after me so much since my stroke and heart operation.

“I will always remember my time in Leeds fondly, and I wish (coach) Rohan (Smith) and the team all the best for the rest of this season and the years ahead.”

Tetevano made 47 appearances and scored three tries after joining the club from Penrith Panthers in 2021.

Last season’s 1000 Guineas heroine Cachet is set to make her eagerly-anticipated return in the Japan Racing Association Sceptre Fillies’ Stakes at Doncaster on Sunday week.

George Boughey’s filly won the Nell Gwyn before returning to the Rowley Mile to claim Classic glory in early May and she was only narrowly denied in the French Guineas a fortnight later.

The Highclere Thoroughbred Racing-owned daughter of Aclaim was fifth in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot the following month and has not been seen in competitive action since, but she is closing in on a comeback from her 15-month hiatus.

“Cachet is in full work, she’s going really well and she looks absolutely magnificent,” said Highclere’s managing director Harry Herbert.

“At the moment, touching wood everywhere, she’s on course to reappear in the Sceptre Stakes at Doncaster on the Sunday of the Leger meeting (September 17).

“She’s wonderful and she’s thriving at the moment. She’s had her setbacks, which she’s well and truly over – we haven’t seen her looking as well since she was in the parade ring before the Guineas.

“Now she’s a mature four-year-old she looks even better, so we’re really excited to see her back in action.”

Cachet holds a Group One entry in the Sun Chariot at Newmarket on October 7, but connections are not making any firm plans beyond her intended Doncaster return.

Herbert added: “We’ll take it one step at a time. She’s been off a long time and it’s not easy getting back to full race fitness after that time, but George is doing his best and she’s really pleasing him.”

William Muir has called time on the racing career of Pyledriver after his horse of a lifetime suffered a setback ahead of an intended appearance at Kempton on Saturday.

A dual Group One winner having landed the 2021 Coronation Cup at Epsom and last year’s King George at Ascot, the six-year-old has suffered more than his fair share of injury problems during his career, but has nevertheless given his connections some fantastic days.

He proved the fire still burns bright when making a successful return from 11 months on the sidelines in the Hardwicke Stakes in June, his second Royal Ascot success after landing the King Edward VII Stakes three years ago, before finishing fifth in the defence of his King George crown in July.

The son of Harbour Watch was due to contest this weekend’s Unibet September Stakes ahead of a potential tilt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, but Muir, who trains in partnership with Chris Grassick, feels it is now right for Pyledriver to be retired.

“He worked on Saturday and to be honest he was sensational. He’s never a horse we’ve galloped off the bridle and done anything stupid with, but it was just the way he did it, the way he moved, the way he looked and he marched off the gallops like a lion,” said Muir.

“I actually said to the owners ‘you’ve just seen your next winner’ and he was fine 90 per cent of the way home, but when he got back to the yard he was just a little bit sore in the same place we first got the suspensory injury before.

“I called my vet and he said he’d just tweaked it and had a bit of inflammation round it and he was really sore to touch it, but like Pyledriver does on Sunday morning he was 100 per cent sound and bucking and kicking.

“We had him on the walker on Sunday and cantered him on Monday and the vet came back and looked at him and couldn’t believe it.

“We could run him on Saturday and he might win, but the horse has done so much for us and I just feel if I ran him and he tweaked it there’s a good chance he could do some damage, or like all of us if you’ve got a little niggle somewhere do you put more weight somewhere else and cause a problem?

“This horse has been fantastic to all of us, to the owners, to me, to the yard and to the jockeys that have ridden him and he doesn’t deserve anything to go wrong, so I think it’s the right time.

“He’s been a fantastic servant, but it isn’t just him. I’d be the same if this was a small-time runner at Southwell on a Saturday night. It’s just the case that I’m in this game because I love animals, I’ve worked with horses all my life and we’ve got to do what’s right.

“My mind and my heart is telling me it’s the right thing to do at this time.”

Chris Dobey is desperate to become the local hero in Newcastle and one day parade a major trophy at St James’ Park.

The 33-year-old, born in Bedlington, is a lifelong Magpie and is keen to add to the feelgood factor in the city that was brought about by the football club’s recent success.

Dobey has also had some glory of his own this year, winning the Masters in January to earn a place in the 2023 Premier League line-up.

He was due to get a homecoming at St James’ Park but timings did not line up and is dreaming of earning another chance by winning the World Championship.

Dobey, nicknamed Hollywood, has recently joined the Target Darts stable of players and will wear a shirt that pays homage to his beloved Newcastle.

“It was only ever going to be black and white,” he told the PA news agency. “It’s a big, big part of me and it’s nice to be able to give that back.

“It is a one-club city, there are not many stadiums in the middle of a city centre, it is such a buzz, we have got our club back.

“Sam Fender had his gig there, he’s a local lad and there are two or three local lads playing as well. It is such a buzz just to be a Geordie. It’s just great to be involved.

“I was due to parade my Masters trophy but it was the semi-final of the Carabao Cup so they had a lot going on… and when they wanted to do it I was away with darts so we didn’t get around to doing it.

“Hopefully I can parade the big one around in the next year or so. It just gives you that buzz that your hard work pays off and hopefully one day I can get that big one and I can be up there with the other legends from Newcastle.

“Any trophy paraded around St James’ would be amazing but to take the big one here would be unbelievable. I believe I can do it, you can never say when you are going to do it.

“Each day is different, you can turn up one day and be brilliant and turn up and be shocking the next. I am hoping in the next few years I can compete for it.”

Ireland lock Joe McCarthy says wrestling matches and reassuring chats with his younger brother helped pave the way to his maiden Rugby World Cup.

The 22-year-old only made his international debut against Australia last autumn and was included in Andy Farrell’s 33-man squad for France despite just 129 minutes of Test experience across three caps.

McCarthy hails from a family of rugby fanatics, with junior sibling Paddy following in his footsteps at Leinster and elder brother Andrew playing tag for special needs side Seapoint Dragons.

A post shared by Joe McCarthy (@joetmmcc)

“We’d always be wrestling a good bit, me and Paddy,” McCarthy said of his childhood.

“Rugby is huge (in the family), my older brother Andrew plays tag rugby with a special needs team. My younger brother, it’s all we’ve done pretty much for our whole lives.

“Sometimes you get nervous for a game and my brother’s like: ‘Literally, this is all you do, for the last 15 years of your life, all you’ve done is rugby,’ so he usually calms me down.

“Me and my brother, especially, we’d watch rugby together, watch games on TV, get up for Super Rugby matches in the mornings, watch the internationals if the All Blacks play, all of that. It’s been a huge part of our lives.”

Paddy – a member of Leinster’s academy, who plays at prop – has represented Ireland at under-20 level.

Asked if he had spoken with his brother about potentially being future Test team-mates, McCarthy said: “Yeah, especially now that it is more realistic.

“We’ve never played together, he’s two years younger than me.

“We’ve definitely talked about that, it would be class if we get an opportunity to do that.”

McCarthy is pushing for involvement in Saturday’s Pool B opener with Romania in Bordeaux, having made his sole Test start in last month’s warm-up win over Italy.

Despite his rookie status, he was determined not to have to wait a further four years for a chance on the biggest stage.

“I was absolutely delighted the coaches trusted me to pick me in the squad,” he said.

“I rang my parents, they were delighted to find out, and my brothers. They were just really happy for me, it was a very cool moment.

“You’re never really looking too far ahead but World Cups, you get very few opportunities to have them.

“They’re every four years, so you’re looking at that and I’m like: ‘If I don’t make this one, it’s a long time until there is another opportunity to make it.’

“There are so many more eyes on the World Cup. It’s such a big deal. Everyone in Ireland is always talking about it.

“It’s all the best players playing on the biggest stage, so it’s definitely somewhere you want to get to.”

Mauricio Dubon and Jose Altuve hit back-to-back home runs on two different occasions to help power the Houston Astros to a 13-6 rout of the Texas Rangers in Monday's opener of a pivotal three-game series between American League West rivals.

Yanier Diaz added a three-run homer, part of a 16-hit barrage that enabled the defending World Series champions to bounce back after being swept at home by the New York Yankees in a three-game series over the weekend.

The win moved the Astros in a virtual tie with Seattle for first place in the AL West after the Mariners lost at Cincinnati on Monday. Texas, which is in the midst of a 4-13 stretch since mid-August, is one game back in the standings.

Houston trailed 3-0 after four innings before scoring three times in the fifth, highlighted by Alex Bregman's game-tying two-run single. After the Rangers went back ahead in the bottom of the inning on Corey Seager's second home run of the game, Dubon and Altuve each homered off Glenn Otto in the sixth to give the Astros a 5-4 edge.

Texas drew back even in the bottom of the sixth on Mitch Garver's solo homer, but the Astros scored six runs in the seventh to put the game out of reach.

After Seager's error allowed two runs to score to put Houston up 8-5, Diaz launched his 21st homer of the season to extend the margin to six runs.

Dubon and Altuve again went back-to-back in the ninth. The hit was Altuve's fourth of the day and he finished with three runs scored.

Seager ended 3 for 5 with three RBIs and Garver went 2 for 3 with two RBIs for Texas, which also got a solo homer from Josh Smith.

Steer's three-run homer helps Reds down Mariners

The Astros got help in their chase for the AL West lead from the Cincinnati Reds, who scored five early runs en route to a 6-3 win over the Seattle Mariners.

Spencer Steer delivered the big blow for Cincinnati with a three-run homer off Bryan Woo in the second inning that staked the Reds to a 5-0 lead. Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Renfroe drove in the first two runs with RBI singles in the first.

While Seattle lost sole possession of first place in the AL West with its third loss in four games, the Reds moved into a tie with Arizona for the National League's final wild card spot. The Diamondbacks kept pace with a 4-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies behind 12 strikeouts from starting pitcher Merrill Kelly. 

Renfroe and Tyler Stephenson each had two hits and an RBI to help Cincinnati withstand solo homers from Julio Rodriguez and Mike Ford.

Woo was handed the loss after surrendering five runs over a five-inning stint in which he walked three batters and hit three others.

Steele dominates Giants as Cubs gain ground in NL Central

Justin Steele allowed just two hits over eight scoreless innings to earn his 16th win of the season and lead the Chicago Cubs to a 5-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants in the opener of another key September three-game series.

Steele (16-3) struck out a career-high 12 while issuing only two walks to win his seventh straight decision and tie Atlanta's Spencer Strider for the major league lead in victories.

The left-hander's show-stopping performance also enabled the Cubs to pull within 2 1/2 games of first-place Milwaukee in the NL Central after the Brewers were dealt a 4-2 loss by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Seiya Suzuki supplied the offence for Chicago with a solo homer in the second inning, an RBI double in the seventh and a run-scoring fielder's choice in the eighth.

Slumping San Francisco was shut out for a second straight game and has now lost four in a row to fall out of a tie for the NL's final wild card spot. The Giants now trail both Cincinnati and Arizona by one game.

Giants starter Logan Webb lasted 6 2/3 innings but lost a third straight start after being charged with three runs on five hits.

Britain’s Jack Draper’s run at Flushing Meadows was ended by Russian eighth seed Andrey Rublev.

Wimbledon champion Martketa Vodrousova is through to the quarter-finals and will face Madison Keys.

But Ons Jabeur, last year’s runner-up, bowed out 6-2 6-4 to China’s Qinwen Zheng, who will play new world number one Aryna Sabalenka.

Here, the PA news agency looks back at day eight at the US Open.

Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova moved a step closer to back-to-back grand slam titles by beating Peyton Stearns to quarter-finals.

The 24-year-old Czech, seeded ninth here two months after becoming the first unseeded woman to win at SW19, fell a set behind to Stearns.

But the American youngster, whose powerful forehand accounted for Britain’s Katie Boulter in round three, won just five more games as Vondrousova triumphed 6-7 (3) 6-3 6-2.

Jack Draper’s breakthrough run came to an end in the fourth round after a four-set defeat by Russian Rublev.

The British number four, in the second week of a grand slam for the first time, fell 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4

But Draper’s performances this week will hopefully point to an upward curve in such a promising career hindered by fitness issues.

Forty and counting…

Women: Jessica Pegula (3), Ons Jabeur (5), Daria Kasatkina (13).
Men: Alex De Minaur (13).

The quarter-finals begin with Coco Gauff taking on Iga Swiatek’s conqueror Jelena Ostapenko. Novak Djokovic follows against Taylor Fritz, while in the night session there is an all-American showdown to savour between Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton.

Aryna Sabalenka has achieved one ambition already at the US Open, and now she has the chance to fulfil another dream.

Belarusian Sabalenka, the second seed, found out she will become world number one for the first time next week after Iga Swiatek’s defeat by Jelena Ostapenko on Sunday.

The 25-year-old then moved into the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows after a 6-1 6-3 victory over Daria Kasatkina.

“I had no doubt that Iga was going to make it to the final. I was sad that she lost, but becoming number one means a lot to me,” said Sabalenka.

“I’ve been pushing myself a lot this year to make this goal and I still can’t believe it, but I didn’t want to be distracted for tonight.”

Swiatek’s defeat also means there will be a new women’s champion this year, with Sabalenka the hot favourite.

She will face China’s Qinwen Zheng, who ended the hopes of last year’s runner-up Ons Jabeur, in the last eight.

Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova moved a step closer to back-to-back grand slam titles by beating Peyton Stearns.

The 24-year-old Czech, seeded ninth here two months after becoming the first unseeded woman to win at SW19, fell a set behind to Stearns.

But the American youngster, whose powerful forehand accounted for Britain’s Katie Boulter in round three, won just five more games as Vondrousova triumphed 6-7 (3) 6-3 6-2.

“She was playing great from the beginning and I just tried to stay in the game,” said Vondrousova.

“She is a very dangerous player, she has a great future ahead of her and it was a very tough match.

“I’m very happy. I didn’t expect this, after Wimbledon there was a lot of pressure but I’m feeling good and we’ll see what happens next.”

What happens next is a meeting with Madison Keys, a former Flushing Meadows runner-up who sprung a mild surprise against fellow American Jessica Pegula, the third seed.

Keys, seeded 17, is emulating the form which swept her to the final in 2017 and sunk the highly-fancied Pegula 6-1 6-3.

The 28-year-old said: “It’s always tough having to play a friend but we’ve been doing it all our lives. On court it’s all business but then we go back to being friends.”

Jack Draper is determined to finally put his injuries behind him and prove he can become one of the top players in the world.

Draper’s thrilling run at the US Open came to an end in the fourth round after a four-set defeat by Russian Andrey Rublev.

The British number four, in the second week of a grand slam for the first time, fell 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4 to eighth seed Rublev.

But Draper’s performances this week will hopefully point to an upward curve in such a promising career hindered by fitness issues.

The 21-year-old has endured an injury-hit year and slipped from a ranking of 38, in January, to outside the top 100.

A shoulder problem saw him miss Wimbledon and also threatened his participation at Flushing Meadows.

Yet despite serving well within himself in a bid to manage the problem, Draper was the only British player to reach the last 16, and he gave combustible Russian Rublev plenty of reasons to vent his spleen in a see-saw contest.

“With the amount of injuries I’ve had and the amount of times I’ve not been able to compete, and I’ve had difficult times in my career, it has honestly been tough to believe I can go all the way in a grand slam right now,” he said.

“It’s not my tennis which is something that is holding me back, it’s my physicality and being able to staying on court consistently.

“Once I do that I think I will prove to myself I will be able to be one of the best players in the world.

“My tennis is right there. I’ve barely played in the last couple of months and I’ve come here, made the fourth round and pushed a top-10 player today.

“If I just can get things right, still be being able to compete and train, I think I can go all the way in this sport, 100 per cent.”

Draper took time to settle as the first set raced away from him; Rublev does not only serve at 125mph but he seems to play at that pace as well.

But he played a brilliant set to level the match and broke again early in the third, only for the lack of court time this year to begin to tell as Rublev eventually triumphed in two hours and 45 minutes.

“The first couple of sets were a battle and I started to struggle physically after I broke him in the third set,” added Draper.

“I gave it all I had mentally, but I was pretty drained. That’s where, now that I’m fit, we can go back to base and try and work each day to be better with that intensity.

“It’s tough when you’ve been out so long and have no feedback. I can train with more intensity now remembering that match and how knackered I was after it.”