The penultimate round of Rugby Championship fixtures are upon us and it is all to play for with every side having won two and lost two of their opening four games.
An inconsistent New Zealand side are a point better off than Argentina, South Africa and next opponents Australia by virtue of picking up two bonus points.
Despite a thumping win over Argentina last time out, the pressure still remains on head coach Ian Foster heading into Thursday's contest with great rivals Australia in Melbourne.
The hosts are looking to bounce back from a 16-point loss against South Africa, who make the trip to Buenos Aires in the second of this week's fixtures on Saturday.
Here, Stats Perform previews both clashes in round five of the championship using Opta data.
AUSTRALIA V NEW ZEALAND
FORM
New Zealand may lead the way at the top, but their form this year has been very poor by their usual high standards. The All Blacks have lost four of their seven Tests in 2022 – only in 1998 (five) and 1949 (six) have they ever lost more in a calendar year.
Back-to-back victories would provide a major confidence boost for Foster's charges, and they have a good record in this fixture. Of the past 20 Tests meetings between the sides, New Zealand have won 16 and lost only three, a run that includes three wins in a row.
Australia have not lost back-to-back Tests with New Zealand since August 2017, however, and their return of three wins from their past six matches against the All Blacks on home turf is more than they managed in the previous 13 such encounters.
The Wallabies have won the opening game of the Bledisloe Cup – which New Zealand have dominated for the past two decades – only twice in the past 13 years. However, one of those victories came when they last hosted the opening game three years ago.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Australia will have to watch their discipline in what is a highly charged fixture. Skipper James Slipper has conceded 11 penalties so far in this year's Rugby Championship, which is four more than any other player in the competition.
All Blacks centre Rieko Ioane continued his good form last time out by scoring a try and setting up another in the 50-point win against Argentina. That could spell bad news for Australia, against whom he has been directly involved in 13 tries across 12 Test appearances.
ARGENTINA V SOUTH AFRICA
FORM
Argentina fell short of registering three wins in a row in this competition for the first time ever when falling heavily to New Zealand two weeks ago.
Los Pumas will take great confidence from beating Australia last time out at home, though, and are now seeking successive wins on their own patch for the first time since 2012.
South Africa may not be in full flow, but they have won 28 of their 32 Tests against Argentina, including the past four in a row. In fact, only against Italy (93 per cent) do they have a better win percentage than they do against Los Pumas (88 per cent) among teams they have faced at least 10 times.
The Springboks did manage to build a little momentum with their win over Australia two weeks ago, yet that was one of only three victories in their past eight games in the championship after winning six of the previous eight.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Matias Moroni has put in some strong displays to keep Argentina in the hunt for the title, his five dominant tackles more than any other player in the competition. The centre has also won five turnovers, a tally only Malcolm Marx (six) – who he will face off against this weekend – can better.
South Africa are the lowest points scorers after four rounds of matches. Willie le Roux could hold the key to finding a way through Argentina this weekend as he leads the way for try assists this tournament with three, while also providing six assists in his past six meetings with Argentina.
Patrick Mahomes and Saquon Barkley were recognised as the respective AFC and NFC Offensive Player of the Week after flying starts to the new NFL season.
Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to a dominant 44-21 Week 1 win at the Arizona Cardinals.
The 2018 MVP leads the league in passing touchdowns (five), passing yards (360) and quarterback rating (144.2) at this early stage.
Only Joe Burrow matched Mahomes' 22 passes for first downs, while he did not throw an interception and was not sacked, making him an obvious choice as the standout player in the AFC.
Minkah Fitzpatrick, who played a vital role in the Pittsburgh Steelers' wild win over Burrow's Cincinnati Bengals, is the AFC Defensive Player of the Year.
The Steelers safety caught a pick-six from Burrow's first pass of the game and later, crucially, blocked Evan McPherson's PAT to take the game to overtime.
Cade York was more accurate as time expired in the Cleveland Browns' dramatic victory over the Carolina Panthers, kicking the winning field goal to earn AFC Special Teams Player of the Week recognition.
In the NFC, New York Giants running back Barkley was the standout player on offense, stealing the show against a Tennessee Titans team featuring two-time rushing yards and rushing TDs leader Derrick Henry.
Barkley has the most rushing yards at this early stage with 164 and a score. His 68-yard run in the drive that culminated in his TD was the longest carry of the week.
The fifth-year superstar, who has been hampered by injuries since an outstanding rookie season, also caught a Daniel Jones pass for the decisive two-point conversion in a 21-20 Giants victory.
Also honoured in the NFC were debutant Seattle Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu and Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Zech McPhearson.
Nwosu sacked the Denver Broncos' former Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson and forced a fumble from Melvin Gordon at the one-yard line, while McPhearson fielded the Detroit Lions' attempted onside kick to set up a Boston Scott touchdown in an Eagles win.
Serena Williams joked NFL superstar Brady "started an amazing trend" as she hinted at a possible return to tennis in the future.
Williams, a 23-time grand slam champion, revealed before the US Open she was soon to retire from the sport, with her Flushing Meadows run widely expected to mark the end of her career.
The 40-year-old exited her home major at the hands of Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round but was unwilling to categorically state if she was retiring.
Speaking at a news conference after that loss to Tomljanovic two weeks ago, Williams said: "I've come a long way since last year at Wimbledon. I'm just not sure if that was my last moment or not."
Some of the biggest names from around the sporting world have since paid tribute to Williams, but she has offered a further indication she is not done just yet.
"Tom Brady started an amazing trend. That's what I want to say," Williams said during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
Brady announced his retirement in February after 22 seasons in the NFL, only to reverse that decision 40 days later by agreeing to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"I think retirement is something that is super earned and that people work really hard for," Williams added.
"I feel like I'm at an age where I definitely have a lot more to give and there's a lot more that I want to do, so I'm not going to be relaxing, there's so much more for me.
"I feel it's more of an evolution of Serena. There's many things I've been wanting to do for so many years, and I've had such a passion for tennis for so long I've never done them.
"Now it's time for me to start to enjoy those things."
The Indianapolis Colts have waived kicker Rodrigo Blankenship after his crucial missed field goal against the Houston Texans.
Indianapolis had the chance to beat their AFC South rivals on Sunday, only for Blankenship to send a 42-yard attempt wide right.
The Colts, who came into the season as division favourites, ultimately had to settle for a disappointing 20-20 tie.
Blankenship, an undrafted free agent in 2020, played all 16 games for the Colts in his rookie year but was restricted to five outings last season as he battled with a hip injury.
Chase McLaughlin and Lucas Havrisik have been added to the Colts' practice squad and one of those kickers will be selected to face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2.
Bayern Munich have been left with a hole after Robert Lewandowski's exit for Barcelona.
Sadio Mane moved to Munich from Liverpool in the close season but he is not a like-for-like replacement.
Bayern have started the new Bundesliga campaign in indifferent form, following up three wins with as many draws.
TOP STORY – NEGOTIATIONS UNDERWAY BETWEEN KANE AND BAYERN
Harry Kane is increasingly open to the idea of making the move to join German champions Bayern Munich, claims Sky Sports.
Sky Sports' Florian Plettenberg reports that negotiations have already been held by Bayern and Kane's brother Charlie, who represents him.
Bayern have made the Tottenham striker their number one target and can offer him the likelihood of silverware, in comparison to Spurs.
ROUND-UP
– Fabrizio Romano reports that Lionel Messi will not make a decision on his future until after the World Cup, but Paris Saint-Germain are planning to offer him a new deal, while Barcelona are interested in re-signing him. Messi is contracted until 2023 but there is the option of another year in Paris.
– Jude Bellingham's list of suitors is growing with Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool all keen on Borussia Dortmund's English talent according to AS.
– New Chelsea boss Graham Potter has approved the club's pursuit of RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, with the club to try to sign him again in June 2023 reports Fichajes.
– Germany international forward Max Kruse's contract with Wolfsburg is set to be mutually terminated during the Bundesliga break, claims Sport.
– The Guardian reports that Lens head coach Franck Haise is under consideration for the vacant Brighton and Hove Albion managerial post, along with Bodo/Glimt's Kjetil Knutsen and ex-Shakhtar Donetsk boss Roberto De Zerbi.
Denver Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett says he "definitely" made a mistake opting not to run a fourth-and-five play instead of going for a 64-yard field goal in the closing stages of Monday's defeat to the Seattle Seahawks.
Hackett decided to send on kicker Brandon McManus with 20 seconds left to play instead of allowing quarterback Russell Wilson – playing against his former team – to run a play.
McManus could only drag his long-range effort left and thus allowed the Seahawks to take the knee for a 17-16 opening-round victory.
Since 1960 there have been only two kickers who have converted field-goal attempts of at least 64 yards, while the longest made at Lumen Field stands at 56. McManus is just one-of-five from 60-plus efforts.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, rookie NFL head coach Hackett conceded he got the decision wrong.
"Looking back at it, we definitely should've gone for it," Hackett said.
"One of those things, you look back at it and you say, 'of course we should go for it, we missed the field goal'.
"But, in that situation, we had a plan. We had a plan, we knew the [46-yard line] was the mark."
Hackett explained how the plan to was to get into the 46-yard range, a target McManus said he was comfortable kicking from, and that he had more of an issue with a play earlier in the drive that saw Javonte Williams lose four yards on first-and-10 from Denver's 49.
"I'm more upset about that play before it, to lose yards," Hackett said. "Getting that there would've definitely been better to be able to call that same play and get extra yards.
"[Wilson] dumps it out to Javonte, Javonte makes a move, goes a lot farther than I think we had anticipated. We were expecting to go for it on fourth down.
"And then you hit the mark. The mark that we had all set before we started. We said, 46-yard line was where we wanted to be. And we got there, so we had to make the decision if we wanted to give it to Brandon. And we did. It didn't work. Sucks. But hey, that's part of it.
"Looking back at it, if you miss the field goal, you're always gonna wish you would've gone for it and if you would've gone for it and not gotten it, you wish you would've given him a chance."
Aaron Judge blasted two home runs to move another few steps closer to history as the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 7-6 on Tuesday.
The Yankees outfielder delivered his 56th blast in the sixth inning, taking another over the Green Monster in the eighth inning for his 57th of the season.
Judge remains on pace for 65 home runs this season, which would break Roger Maris' American League (AL) and Yankees single-season record of 61 set in 1961. The pair of solo blasts comes after Judge went without a homer across five games.
The 30-year-old also has 10 multi-homer games this season which is one short of the AL record held by Hank Greenberg from 1938.
"I'm out of adjectives," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "Just really impressive what he did."
Gerrit Cole, who came into the game with a 7.13 career ERA as a Yankee at Fenway Park, had 10 strikeouts across six innings.
Xander Bogaerts blasted Cole for a game-tying solo home run in sixth inning, before the game went to extras where Gleyber Torres had a go-ahead three-run double.
Trout misses out on eight-game HR streak
Three-time AL MVP Mike Trout fell one game short of tying the majors record for homering in consecutive games, going 0-for-3 in the Los Angeles Angels' 3-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians.
Trout, who walked on four pitches in his second at-bat, lined out to center on a 3-2 cutter from left-hander reliever Kirk McCarty.
The 10-time All-Star's streak ends at seven games, falling one shy of the record of eight held by Dale Long (1956), Don Mattingly (1987) and Ken Griffey Jr (1993).
Twins pair fall agonisingly short in no-no-bid
Minnesota Twins' pair Joe Ryan and Jovani Moran doubled up but fell agonisingly two outs short in their no-hitter bid in a 6-3 win over the Kansas City Royals.
Rookie Ryan was pulled after seven innings and 106 pitches, with the Twins crowd booing that call, before Moran got through the eighth and attempted to close it out, only to lose the no-no bid with Bobby Witt's RBI double.
The failed bid means there have five no-hit bids lost in the ninth inning this season, which is the most since 2017.
Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina came from a set down against Laura Siegemund to secure her place in the second round of the Slovenia Open.
Siegemund won the first set on a tie break, but Kazakhstan representative Rybakina stormed back to win the second before winning a tense 10-8 tie break in the crucial third set, surviving a match point in the process.
The world number 25's victory sets up a second round meeting with Tereza Martincova, who overcame a poor first set to beat Harriet Dart 0-6 6-4 6-1.
At the Chennai Open, top seed Alison Riske-Amritraj was beaten in straight sets in an upset defeat to world number 147 Anastasia Gasanova.
There were no such upsets for the second and third seeds though, as Varvara Gracheva and Magda Linette both cruised to victory to clinch their safe passage to the second round.
Elsewhere, Katie Swan beat Arianne Hartono 6-1 6-2 while India's number one singles player Ankita Raina was knocked out of her home tournament by Tatjana Maria.
Jamaica Olympic Association scholar, Brandon Sealy is quickly becoming a household name in taekwondo.
A 2019 Lima Pan American quarter finalist, Sealy, since then, has made tremendous strides under the watchful and expert eyes of his coach for over ten years, Master Tony Byon.
Quite recently, he earned historic podium placings in major international competitions. In July, at the Pan American sponsored Costa Rica Open, he not only copped the gold medal in fine style, winning all fights in the qualifying rounds, but was also adjudged the best male athlete.
In August, he secured the bronze medal in another Pan American sponsored tournament – the prestigious 2022 President’s Cup in Mexico where some of the best in the sport in the region assembled in combat.
As a result of his admirable performances, Sealy now ranks 27th in the world, a feat which has gained him an historic invitation to the Grand Prix, a competitive sanctuary reserved for the world’s top taekwondo athletes.
Sealy, humbled by his achievements and grateful for the opportunity to represent his country said “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and I wish to thank the JOA for selecting me for the solidarity scholarship and having faith in my ability to deliver on this Olympic journey.”
President of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), Christopher Samuda, who has been tracking Sealy’s progress, remarked “Sealy inspires confidence, engenders faith in his abilities and commands goodwill in combat and ‘at ease’ and by the 2024 Paris Olympic Games it should be “signed, Sealy sealed and delivered.”
A Princeton University grandaunt, the calibre of his performance has undoubtedly earned him the respect of his competitors. In responding to Sealy’s continued good form and accomplishments, JOA Secretary General/CEO, Ryan Foster, said: “Brandon is not only a scholar of whom the JOA is proud but a model and talented athlete whose humility, diligence and decency along with his skills will always, for us, earn him the MVP award.”
The local governing body for the sport, World Korean Taekwondo Jamaica, under the leadership of President Christopher Chok and First Vice President, Kenroy Clarke, is on an Olympic mission and Sealy, in recognizing their contribution to his successes, said “Big thanks to President Chok and First Vice President Clarke for their unwavering support and encouragement.
The JOA continues to invest and resource what some persons describe as the “smaller sports” which Samuda discounts in stating: “Taekwondo and those so called minor sports have an equal right to occupy the Olympic stage and create their own legacies and they will always have a solid partner in their governing body.”
Robert Sarver, the owner of the Phoenix Suns and the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, has been suspended by the NBA for one year and fined $10million after an investigation found he engaged in racist and sexist conduct at the workplace.
The report was published Tuesday and was initiated after the NBA commissioned a law firm to investigate Sarver's behaviour after ESPN reported last November allegations of racism and misogyny during his 18 years with the Suns.
The investigators interviewed 320 people, and Sarver, team management and employees "cooperated fully with the investigative process", according to the NBA.
The investigation found Sarver ''repeated or purported to repeat the N-word on at least five occasions spanning his tenure with the Suns,'' though added there is "no finding that Sarver used this racially insensitive language with the intent to demean or denigrate", concluding he said the word "when recounting the statements of others".
The study also determined that there were "instances of inequitable conduct toward female employees," including "sex-related comments" and inappropriate comments made toward a pregnant woman.
He also made inappropriate jokes about sex and anatomy, as well as yelled and cursed at employees in a manner that would be considered bullying ''under workplace standards".
Based on the findings by the probe, the NBA punished Sarver by banning him from any NBA or WNBA team facility, including any office, arena, or practice facility; attending or participating in any NBA or WNBA event or activity, including games, practices or business partner activity; representing the Suns or Mercury in any public or private capacity; or having any involvement with the business or basketball operations of the Suns or Mercury.
The league said it would donate his $10m fine ''to organisations that are committed to addressing race and gender-based issues in and outside the workplace".
''The statements and conduct described in the findings of the independent investigation are troubling and disappointing,'' NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.
"We believe the outcome is the right one, taking into account all the facts, circumstances and context brought to light by the comprehensive investigation of this 18-year period and our commitment to upholding proper standards in NBA workplaces.''
Sarver said he will ''accept the consequences of the league's decision'', though also stated he disagreed with some of the investigation.
"While I disagree with some of the particulars of the NBA's report, I would like to apologize for my words and actions that offended our employees," Sarver said in a statement through the Suns.
"I take full responsibility for what I have done. I am sorry for causing this pain, and these errors in judgment are not consistent with my personal philosophy or my values."
As part of his punishment by the NBA, Sarver will have to complete a training programme ''focused on respect and appropriate conduct in the workplace."'
''On behalf of the entire NBA, I apologize to all of those impacted by the misconduct outlined in the investigators' report," Silver said. "We must do better."
T.J. Watt could return to action sooner than expected after the Pittsburgh Steelers refused to put a timescale on his absence beyond the Week 2 clash with the New England Patriots.
The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year winner suffered a torn pectoral in the fourth quarter of a wild 23-20 overtime opening victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
According to NFL Network' Ian Rapoport, Watt tore a muscle but not the tendon, which could mean his absence is as short as six weeks. There had been concerns Watt's season could be over already.
The prospect of Watt avoiding surgery will be welcome in Pittsburgh, where Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin also pointed to positive news regarding the pass rusher.
Tomlin has yet to add Watt to the injured reserve list and said: "We're not in hurry to gather information too quickly. We will see how his body responds, we'll get second and third opinions and then at the end of the week or at some point we will do what's appropriate."
He added: "I can definitively say that T.J. won't play this week, but I won't make any commitments beyond that."
The clash with the Patriots takes place on Sunday, by which time the picture regarding Watt's likely return should be clear.
Watt shared an image on social media on Tuesday of Arnold Schwarzenegger's famous "I'll be back" catchphrase, from the Terminator movie. That has been interpreted as the 27-year-old suggesting his season is not over.
Tomlin further explained Pittsburgh's stance, adding: "Let me say this, we're probably in a lot better place than we were after the game and usually that's the case.
"That's why I don't always say too much after the game, even though there might be speculation out there."
Marc Marquez will make his competitive return at next weekend's Aragon Grand Prix after nearly four months out of action.
The six-time world champion has not raced competitively since the Italian GP on May 29 due to undergoing surgery on his right arm.
That was the fourth time Marquez had gone under the knife since breaking his arm in a crash at the Spanish GP in July 2020.
After completing a two-day test in Misano and intensive training at home, Repsol Honda confirmed on Tuesday the Spaniard will take part in the 15th race of the season.
Commenting on the news in a video message posted on social media, Marquez said: "As you can see, I'm smiling, which means I'll be at the Aragon GP. Racing, of course.
"After talking to the doctors and the team, we have decided that the best for my recovery is to continue on the bike, adding up kilometres for next year.
"Doing it in the Aragon GP in front of all the fans is priceless. I'm sure your support will help me go through the whole weekend. Looking forward to Friday and being on the bike."
Marquez has won the Aragon GP a record five times in MotoGP, but he finished second to Francesco Bagnaia in last year's thrilling battle.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones believes Dak Prescott could be back on field much sooner than initially expected.
Jones said during an interview with 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday that Prescott won't be placed on injured reserve because he could return from his broken thumb within four weeks.
"We want him to be in consideration for playing within the next four games," Jones said
Prescott was originally expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks after suffering a fracture near his right thumb in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 19-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
If placed on IR, Prescott would have to miss a minimum of four games, however, after Monday's surgery, Jones is optimistic the 29-year-old won't be out that long.
"We feel better about it than we did Sunday night," Jones said.
With Jones' new timeline, Prescott could be back playing in Week 5 against the Los Angeles Rams on October 9.
"Dak has a real chance to be back out there throwing the ball pretty quick," Jones said.
The Cowboys host the 0-1 Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday with Cooper Rush set to start at quarterback.
The 28-year-old Rush made his lone career start last season in Week 8 at Minnesota with Prescott nursing a calf strain and threw a winning touchdown pass to Amari Cooper in the final minute of a 20-16 victory.
Rush threw for 325 yards in that game and was seven of 13 passing for 64 yards Sunday after Prescott got hurt.
Prescott struggled against Tampa Bay prior to his injury, completing 14 of 29 passes for 134 yards with one interception, compiling a 47.2 passer rating – the lowest by any QB in Week 1.
Frances Tiafoe has replaced John Isner in the Team World line-up for next week's Laver Cup in London.
Isner has failed to recover from the wrist injury that forced him to withdraw from the US Open ahead of his second-round match against Holger Rune.
Fellow American Tiafoe knocked out Rafael Nadal en route to reaching the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows, where he was beaten by tournament winner Carlos Alcaraz.
The 24-year-old, now at a career high of 19th in the ATP rankings, will take Isner's place at the O2 Arena as Team World aim to end Team Europe's run of four triumphs in a row.
Tiafoe previously took part in the tournament in 2017 and 2018, but has missed the past two editions.
Team World captain John McEnroe said: "I am thrilled to have Frances on the team.
"He's raised his game to a whole new level and has shown he can compete and win against the best players on Tour. He brings a positive energy that should help the entire team."
Tiafoe joins Felix Auger-Aliassime, Taylor Fritz, Diego Schwartzman, Alex de Minaur and Jack Sock on McEnroe's six-man team.
Team Europe, led by Bjorn Borg, is made up of Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Roger Federer and Andy Murray.
The tournament is contested on an indoor hard court and runs for three days from September 23.
Anthony Joshua's management team says he has accepted terms to fight Tyson Fury on December 3.
Fury had originally wanted to face Oleksandr Usyk – who beat Joshua in Saudi Arabia in August – in a title unification bout, but the Ukrainian does not want to compete again until 2023, and Fury intends to fight before the end of the year.
That led to the Gypsy King going public with his proposal to Joshua as he pushed to set up a 'Battle of Britain' clash with the WBC heavyweight belt on the line before the end of 2022.
On Tuesday, Joshua's management team 258 announced that, along with Matchroom Boxing, the terms had been accepted, but negotiations had been postponed following the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday.
They tweeted: "258 and Matchroom Boxing can confirm, on behalf of Anthony Joshua, that we accepted all terms presented to us by Fury's team for a fight Dec 3rd last Friday.
"Due to the Queen's passing, it was agreed to halt all communication. We are awaiting a response."
Fury's promoter Frank Warren later replied on Twitter, writing: "Contract will be with you very soon."
Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn previously declared his fighter had accepted a proposed deal for the bout, with a 60-40 split in favour of Fury.
Fury had said his team secured provisional dates with Wembley Stadium and the Principality Stadium.
Bernard Foley is relishing "one more crack" at international rugby after the experienced fly-half was picked by Australia to face New Zealand in Thursday's Bledisloe Cup clash.
After three years out of the picture, since moving to play in Japan after the Rugby World Cup, Foley has been handed the chance to be the Wallabies' playmaker once more.
The 71-cap Foley's inclusion is one of eight changes made to the starting line-up by coach Dave Rennie for the tussle with the All Blacks in Melbourne.
Waratahs captain Jake Gordon comes in at scrum-half to partner 33-year-old Foley, with the home side looking to atone for a 24-8 loss to South Africa last time out, in Sydney.
Australia have two wins from four games so far in the Rugby Championship and complete their campaign with home and away battles against New Zealand, with the Bledisloe Cup on the line.
Wing Marika Koroibete will get his 50th cap, yet all eyes will be on Foley in the first instance.
"It's great to have Bernard's experience, and he brings plenty of voice and passion for the gold jersey," Rennie said.
Foley replaces Noah Lolesio who suffered concussion in the loss to the Springboks.
"It means so much," Foley said. "Not being a part of it for a couple of years, being a spectator overseas, you get to reflect on how much the jersey means to you and how you really appreciate the time and opportunity.
"I'm really excited. One thing when you go away is you miss the build-up, the anticipation of these big games, so I've enjoyed this week."
For his international return to come against New Zealand makes it all the more special.
"I think you definitely look at the games and you have some great battles," Foley said. "You always wish you can get one more crack, so for me to be back here is just making the most of it."
New Zealand coach Ian Foster has switched around his scrum, with Hoskins Sotutu coming in at number eight and Brodie Retallick handed a chance in the second row, as Scott Barrett moves to blindside blanker
Foster said of the high-stakes tussles with Australia: "We are incredibly driven to keep hold of this trophy which means so much to both countries.
"And when you factor in how tight this year's Rugby Championship is, all signs point towards another great Test match here in Melbourne."
Australia::Andrew Kellaway, Tom Wright, Len Ikitau, Lalakai Foketi, Marika Koroibete, Bernard Foley, Jake Gordon; James Slipper (captain), David Porecki, Allan Alaalatoa, Jed Holloway, Matt Philip, Rob Leota, Pete Samu, Rob Valetini.
Replacements Folau Fainga'a, Scott Sio, Pone Fa'amausili, Darcy Swain, Fraser McReight, Nic White, Reece Hodge, Jordan Petaia.
New Zealand: Jordie Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, David Havili, Caleb Clarke, Richie Mo'unga, Aaron Smith; Ethan de Groot, Samisoni Taukei'aho, Tyrel Lomax, Brodie Retallick, Samuel Whitelock, Scott Barrett, Sam Cane (captain), Hoskins Sotutu.
Replacements: Dane Coles, George Bower, Fletcher Newell, Akira Ioane, Dalton Papali'i, Finlay Christie, Beauden Barrett, Quinn Tupaea.
The Seattle Seahawks enjoyed a Week 1 win against the Denver Broncos at Lumen Field on Monday, but it was not all good news.
Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams left the game with what coach Pete Carroll later described as a "serious" knee injury.
Adams – who has suffered shoulder and finger injuries in recent seasons – had made three tackles by the time he had to leave the game, which Seattle narrowly won after touchdowns from Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson and a field goal from Jason Myers, all in the first half.
"[Adams] hurt his knee tonight," Carroll said after the game. "Not a typical knee injury. His quadricep tendon got damaged some tonight. He got hurt, it's a serious injury."
Fellow safety Quandre Diggs expressed sympathy for Adams, relating how he had witnessed his team-mate's eagerness to make his mark from close quarters.
"It sucks, man," Diggs said. "This guy's had a hell of a camp, he's had a hell of an offseason, and you hate to see it, especially with Jamal being one of my closest friends.
"It's tough. We kind of had the same offseason where it was just rehab and trying to get back to be the leaders of this team and the leaders of this defense.
"It's just hard to imagine. You go out there and you always have that doubt, like, 'Am I ready? Am I ready to go?'.
"It sucks the way it happened, and it sucks for him personally, because I know how much work he put in this past offseason and I know mentally he was in great space. He was the most comfortable he's been around here. It just sucks to see. I love him."
Russell Wilson did not begrudge the decision to attempt a field goal late in the Denver Broncos' 17-16 opening game defeat at the Seattle Seahawks on Monday.
Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett opted to send on Brandon McManus with 20 seconds left on fourth-and-5 for a 64-yard attempt, which McManus could only pull to the left, giving the Seahawks the chance to take the knee to victory.
Wilson impressed on his debut for Denver, making 29 of his 42 pass attempts for a total of 340 yards, throwing one touchdown and zero interceptions.
Despite being sidelined for the crucial moment late on, the 33-year-old quarterback believed it was still the correct decision, suggesting McManus could be the best kicker in the game.
"We got the best field goal kicker maybe in the game,'' Wilson said after the loss.
"We got there and unfortunately it didn't go in... I believe in coach Hackett, I believe in what we're doing, I believe in everything.
"I don't think it was the wrong decision."
Wilson – who spent 10 seasons in Seattle prior to his blockbuster trade to Denver – was on the receiving end of some boos from the home fans at Lumen Field, but still paid tribute to his former team.
"This was a special game, just because I got to see and play against some of my closest friends,'' Wilson said. "I wouldn't be where I am today without this place... but I didn't play for just this one game, I've got a bigger mission.
"[The booing] didn't bother me. It was a hostile environment, it always has been. I didn't expect to get a round of applause every once in a while.
"I gave everything I had here every day, every day, and anybody that says anything else, they're completely wrong."
Hackett was pleased with his new man's efforts, even in defeat, saying: "I think he played really well, he took care of the football, he made really good decisions, he had some explosive plays, he was able to distribute the ball all over the field.
"That's what makes me really frustrated for him."
San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell will be sidelined for eight weeks with a knee injury, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Mitchell sprained the MCL in his right knee in Sunday's 19-10 loss to the Chicago Bears, exiting the game in the second quarter.
The 24-year-old running back, who scored seven touchdowns across the 2021 season, had six carries for 41 yards in the game before being ruled out at half-time.
"We're estimating about two months, eight weeks, give or take a few," Shanahan said. "Hopefully, it goes well and it's earlier but you never know with those things, so that's what we're guessing."
Mitchell broke the 49ers' single-season rookie rushing record in 2021, rushing for 963 yards in 11 regular-season games, along with a further 169 yards in the postseason.
"He was pretty down," Shanahan said. "For obvious reasons, we're down for him. Elijah went through a lot last year, it's well documented the injuries he had.
"He really worked hard this offseason. He was feeling really good going into that game and I thought he looked really good before he got hurt.
"And just unfortunate hit that he had. I just tried to tell him to keep his head up. Anybody who would have gotten caught in that situation would have gotten hurt with the way his foot planted in the ground and the guy hit his knee. I think we were just real fortunate it wasn't worse."
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