Gregor Townsend admitted Scotland are effectively playing knockout rugby already as he challenged his side to kick-start their World Cup campaign with a much-needed victory over Tonga on Sunday.
After losing their opening match to world champions South Africa, the Scots know they will almost certainly require three wins from their remaining pool B matches against the Tongans, Romania and Ireland.
Bonus points are also likely to be a factor in deciding which sides progress to the quarter-finals from a section containing three of the world’s five highest-ranked teams.
Two weeks on from their demoralising 18-3 defeat in Marseille, Townsend has called on his team – who touched down in the south of France at the start of September with high hopes – to belatedly signal their arrival at the tournament by turning on the style against Tonga this weekend.
“We need to get our World Cup started,” he said on Friday morning. “You can get your World Cup started with your first game but also your first win. This is obviously a crucial game for us.
“It’s our knockout stage now. If we lose a game, we’re out the tournament, and every game now ahead of us we have to approach it with that mentality.”
Townsend has made four changes to the side that started against South Africa, with forwards Rory Sutherland and Scott Cummings replacing Pierre Schoeman and Grant Gilchrist and backs Kyle Steyn and Chris Harris taking over from Darcy Graham and Huw Jones.
Schoeman, Graham and Jones are on the bench alongside George Horne and Ewan Ashman, both of whom are back in the mix after missing out against South Africa due to concussion. Gilchrist drops out of the 23 altogether.
“We know this is a really important game for us so we’ve put out as strong a team as we can to win it,” said Townsend. “We feel the last 20 minutes are going to be important so to have players like Darcy Graham, Huw Jones and George Horne coming off the bench to give something different for the Tongan defence could be as important as the guys who get to start.”
Gloucester centre Harris – a member of the British and Irish Lions squad in 2021 – is preparing to make only his second start of 2023 after losing the number 13 jersey to the resurgent Jones since the start of the Six Nations.
“Chris has done really well in training and I thought he played really well against Georgia (in the last warm-up match) when he came on,” said Townsend.
“There’s competition in every position and Sione (Tuipulotu) and Huw have been two of our best players in this calendar year.
“Chris will bring his own game, which is based on work-rate and his defence is always at a high level. We will have times where it will be tough for us defensively – especially in the wide channels – so having Chris in there can bring out his strengths.”
Another 2021 Lions squad member coming in from the fringes for Scotland this weekend is Sutherland, who will be making only his second international start in 19 months. The 31-year-old is currently without a club after a turbulent couple of years with Worcester and then Ulster.
“It’s been an interesting and challenging time for Rory with going down south and then the club that he joined going bust,” said Townsend. “He then did very well over in Ulster but I know it was a tough time for his family to make one move and then to come back to Scotland while he was over in Ulster.
“And he’s without a club just now. But I have to say, even with those challenges in the background on and off the field, Rory is the same person and he trains really well.
“He’s had other challenges with injuries and selection. He wasn’t in our 23 for the game against South Africa and he just applies himself so well in training.
“He’s obviously been competing with Pierre the last couple of seasons as well and Pierre has been playing really well for us but he’s now got an opportunity to start and it’s a great opportunity for him to go ‘right, this is what I can do from a starting perspective’.”
France captain Antoine Dupont’s Rugby World Cup campaign is in doubt after he sustained a facial fracture.
Dupont, 26, suffered the injury in France’s record 96-0 win against Namibia on Thursday following a clash of heads with Johan Deysel.
The Namibia centre’s yellow card for the collision in the 45th minute, with France leading 54-0, was upgraded to red following a review by the television match official.
The French Rugby Federation confirmed the extent of Dupont’s injury on Friday, but said it was uncertain how long the scrum-half will be unavailable for.
A tearful Dupont went to hospital in nearby Aix-en-Provence, and the French Rugby Federation said: “Specialised surgical advice was requested to assess how long he will be unavailable for.”
France’s final pool game is against Italy in Lyon on October 6, before a quarter-final – probably against Ireland or South Africa – the following weekend.
If Les Bleus reach the semi-finals, they take place in Paris on October 20 and 21.
Former world player of the year Dupont has been the star performer in a resurgent French team under the direction of head coach Fabien Galthie.
And while it is hoped he can return before the end of the tournament, there must also be doubts about his future participation as France target a first world title.
France attack coach Laurent Labit said on Friday: “We always have a hope that Antoine will continue the adventure with us.
“We will leave the time for two-three days to have the opinion of a specialist. It’s Antoine and the surgeon who will make the decision.
“For us, Antoine hasn’t finished the competition. We have three days in front of us. We hope to have good news after the three days.
“He is in hospital now. He will leave by the end of the morning.
“Antoine certainly imagined the worst before the first examinations. After the initial tests, Fabien (Galthie) went to see him.
“Today, we are just waiting for the appointment with the specialist to see what he can or can’t do, and when he can return to training. That is what Antoine is focusing on at the moment.
“Antoine stays with us. Everyone will be together. We will do as we have always done with short-term injuries in hoping that the opinion of the surgeon is positive for Antoine and us.
“The specialist will give the verdict and Antoine will make the decision. We will respect that.
“The specialist knows who Antoine Dupont is, what competition he is currently playing. It is not an average subject.”
David Haye expects Joe Joyce to come through his latest test with Zhilei Zhang, but has warned the British boxer could be frozen out of the heavyweight division if he loses again.
Joyce had been mandatory for Oleksandr Usyk’s WBO heavyweight belt before he lost for the first time in the pro ranks to China’s Zhang in April.
Referee Howard Foster called off the Copper Box Arena bout in the sixth round due to Joyce’s right eye being almost completely swollen over.
Joyce opted to immediately activate his rematch clause with Zhang and will try to win back his WBO interim heavyweight belt at Wembley Arena on Saturday but TNT pundit Haye echoed the sentiments of the Chinese powerhouse when he looked ahead to this contest.
Zhang promised to end Joyce’s career during Thursday press conference in London and ex-world heavyweight champion Haye admits it could be curtains for his compatriot if another L is added to the loss column.
“I believe Joe has enough to find a way to win if he boxes smart. If he doesn’t do that, he probably will get frozen out of the heavyweight division,” Haye told the PA news agency.
“What manager or promoter would want to risk their guy fighting Joe in a minor eliminator or in a 10-rounder. He would be too good for his own good.
“Look at his opponents, Joseph Parker, (Christian) Hammer, Lenroy Thomas, Carlos Takam; he has fought real live fighters who most people try to avoid. His record isn’t padded out with bums.
“He is a very world class fighter so young fighters coming through, he would be too much for them. No manager or promoter in their right mind would chuck their young fighter in with Joe if he loses this fight.
“It would be a long road back and a long road back you can’t afford at the age of 38.”
Haye felt it was “crazy” for Joyce to take the initial fight with Zhang (25-1-1, 20KOs) in the first place owing to the size and power of the 2008 Olympic silver medallist.
With Joyce (15-1, 14KOs) at the time one of the next in line to face Usyk, the gamble backfired with the Briton short of ideas against southpaw Zhang, but Haye is confident a better gameplan will be implemented this time.
“I definitely want to see big improvement in terms of the technical side of things going in against Zhang this time because he would need it moving up against some of the big names of the sports,” Haye admitted.
“Joe is an athletic man, he can do a standing backflip, he can do acrobatics, he is very explosive and dynamic. He does have quite good reflexes but for some reason in that last fight he chose not to use them and he come a cropper.
“On paper that was a crazy fight to take in terms of a fight before the big fight, the one that would give him the big pay check he hasn’t had.
“I respect the bravery of doing so because Zhang is a southpaw so if he fights a 6ft 6inch southpaw, it is good preparation for a 6ft 3inch southpaw in Usyk.
“Maybe if Joe had taken the fight against Usyk, he would have applied the same tactics of I’m the bigger man and I will walk through you, so maybe this has forced him to get a new game plan together.
“Move that head, come off the line, throw some punches from nice angles against a southpaw and work the body. That he could apply against Usyk, so fingers crossed Joe wins and not too much damage has been done.”
:: Watch Zhang v Joyce II live on TNT Sports 2 and discovery+ from 7:30pm on Saturday 23rd September. For more info visit: tntsports.co.uk/boxing
Khris Middleton is not getting caught up in speculation surrounding team-mate Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is uncertain over his Milwaukee Bucks future.
Antetokounmpo, a two-time NBA MVP, has recently cast doubt on whether he will be staying with the Bucks.
The 28-year-old has made it clear that he wants to win another championship, having helped the Bucks to glory in 2021.
But Middleton is staying focused on his preparations for the new season, instead of paying too much attention to the talk around the Bucks' star man.
"I think it's kind of business as usual either way," Middleton told ESPN.
"It doesn't affect me personally. I don't think it affects us as a team. I think this is something he said almost every year he's come up in contract extension talks.
"We always want him back for sure. Let's be for sure and let everyone know that. We want this guy to come back because he's one of the best players in the world.
"He's one of the best players in franchise history. So when he says things like that, I think he just wants to challenge the team, the organisation, to keep putting us in a position to win championships."
Middleton believes Antetokounmpo's comments are about keeping the pressure on, for both himself and the team.
"But I think it's just something that he just wants to keep putting pressure on everybody. That's himself also," Middleton added.
"He's not just pointing a finger at everybody else saying, 'You guys have to do this for me'.
"I think he's putting that pressure on himself to be better, to come in and be great every year. So there's no pressure on, there's no added pressure when he says that to us as a team, or me as a person, that I have to be better."
The Bucks won their fifth straight division title last season, yet lost to the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs, resulting in the departure of head coach Mike Budenholzer.
France captain Antoine Dupont’s Rugby World Cup campaign is in doubt after he sustained a facial fracture.
Dupont, 26, suffered the injury in France’s record 96-0 win against Namibia on Thursday following a clash of heads with with Johan Deysel.
The Namibia centre’s yellow card for the collision in the 45th minute, with France leading 54-0, was upgraded to red following a review by the television match official.
The FFR confirmed the extent of Dupont’s injury on Friday, but said it was uncertain how long its star scrum-half will be unavailable for.
A statement from the FFR, quoted by Sky Sports News, read: “Antoine Dupont has suffered a maxillo-zygomatic fracture.
“A specialist surgical opinion has been requested to determine the exact length of the player’s unavailability. Antoine Dupont remains with the France squad.”
France, who have beaten New Zealand, Uruguay and Namibia so far, play Italy in their final pool match on October 6.
Les Bleus are set to face world number one side Ireland or defending champions South Africa in the quarter-finals on October 14/15.
Moss Tucker is being readied for a second tilt at the Prix de l’Abbaye following his Group One breakthrough at the Curragh earlier this month.
Having landed the Phoenix Sprint at the track in August, the five-year-old followed up in the Flying Five Stakes to provide trainer Ken Condon with his first top-level success in over two years.
While Moss Tucker was undoubtedly aided by the fact the likes of Highfield Princess, Bradsell and Art Power underperformed in Ireland, he was not beaten far when fifth in last year’s Abbaye and Condon is looking forward to seeing him head back across the Channel on Arc weekend.
“All being well, he goes to Longchamp. He was good at the Curragh obviously, and he seems to have come out of the race well,” said the Kildare-based trainer.
“He did run well in the Abbaye last year. Obviously, the draw is very crucial there and we’ll just have to see how that works out, but we’ve been happy with the horse so far.
“He’s upped his form again this year. He won the Phoenix Sprint prior to the Flying Five, which was a career-best, and he obviously stepped forward again then to win a Group One.
“He’s five years old now and he’s had a good few starts, but he’s obviously on very good terms with himself and seems to be improving.”
While Moss Tucker appears versatile when it comes to underfoot conditions, Condon is keeping his fingers crossed the ground is on the soft side at ParisLongchamp to give him the best possible chance of success.
He added: “We got the rain on the day at the Curragh and maybe that inconvenienced some of the quicker horses, whereas when there’s cut in the ground we know our horse is capable of running very well.
“Nine times out of 10 it’s relatively soft on Arc weekend and that won’t be a problem for this horse. He’s tough and reliable and he tries, so he has all the attributes for soft ground.”
Moss Tucker’s Flying Five win was a first Group One triumph for Condon since Laws Of Indices landed the Prix Jean Prat in the summer of 2021 and he admits it was nice to be back in the big time.
Condon said: “Group One wins are hard to come by and those kind of horses that are competitive in Group Ones are difficult to come by.
“It’s been a couple of years since we won one and the likeable thing about this lad is where he started and where he’s got to. It’s definitely been a good journey, he’s kept improving, he likes training and likes racing and has given his owners fantastic sport.”
Novak Djokovic is just one grand slam away from becoming the most decorated player in history and Feliciano Lopez believes "the numbers don't lie" when it comes to debating tennis' greatest.
Serbia's Djokovic equalled Margaret Court's record of 24 grand slam triumphs after defeating Daniil Medvedev in straight sets at the US Open earlier in September.
That made the world number one, aged 36 years and 111 days at the time, the oldest winner of the men's singles title at the US Open.
It was also Djokovic's third major crown of 2023, winning a trio of grand slams in a calendar year for the fourth time in his career,
Davis Cup tournament director Lopez, who had previously hailed Djokovic for featuring at the "unique" competition, suggested no one in history compares with the 36-year-old.
Asked by Stats Perform if Djokovic was the GOAT – greatest of all time – Lopez said: "According to the numbers, yes. The numbers don't lie.
"If you look at the stats, Novak is the best. So, I mean, what can I say?
"I think the numbers are very clear, not only by the fact that he's won 24 slams, but also there are other numbers and other statistics that clearly show he's the best player who ever played the sport.
"According to the numbers, I cannot say anything different."
Djokovic triumphed at the Australian Open, French Open and US Open, only missing out on a clean sweep of the majors after losing the Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz.
As for Djokovic's chances for more major success going forward, Lopez believes the sky is still the limit.
"It's very difficult to predict honestly, but as long as he's feeling physically strong I think it's clear that his will in the last three or four years is to keep winning grand slams," Lopez added.
"If he is able to sustain his physical condition for the next two years, I can fairly say that he can win, I don't know, two, three or four, but it's very difficult to say one number because this year, for example, he could have won all four.
"He won in Australia, he won in Paris, he was very close to winning Wimbledon because of that second-set tie-break, and he just won the US Open.
"You ask me how many grand slams you think he will win in the future when he just won three of them in the same year!
"I don't know, maybe three or four more is fair to say, but it's very difficult to predict."
Fabian Edwards is a calm and composed character at all times but he confessed he could shed “a little tear” if he wins the Bellator middleweight title this weekend.
Edwards takes on the highly rated and undefeated Johnny Eblen at Bellator 299 at Dublin’s 3Arena on Saturday night, bidding to join older brother Leon, the UFC welterweight titlist, as world champion.
The younger Edwards recognises how far he and his sibling have come, from growing up in squalor in Kingston, Jamaica, to taking up mixed martial arts as a means of escaping gang culture in Birmingham.
He told the PA news agency: “I’m not emotional about it at all but on Saturday when I win that belt, I can’t promise you won’t see a little tear. It’s been a long journey.
“It’s really going to mean the world. I keep saying I’d be over the moon and all the usual stuff but I feel you can’t really put it into words.
“Once I go out there and I achieve that goal, I’d need to get a dictionary and look up a word in there that’s going to describe it but I probably won’t be able to find one.”
Despite a tough upbringing, Edwards has never lacked self-belief, even when his career was derailed following back-to-back defeats against Costello van Steenis and Austin Vanderford.
He rebuilt with three successive wins, beating two bona fide titans of the sport in Lyoto Machida and Gegard Mousasi in the process, to earn his shot against Eblen.
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Edwards said: “I thought I’d never lose. I went undefeated for six years. But I still always kept the belief of knowing I was world class and knowing I could get a world title.
“I feel like my tough upbringing could have contributed to my confidence, going from Jamaica to here and even while I’m over here, going through a lot of stuff that’s going to build you to be solid.
“I’m one of those guys who wants to feel f****d in training, I want to mentally push myself to that point where I think ‘f***ing hell’ and then carry on doing it.”
While Eblen has won all 13 of his contests, Edwards suspects his American rival is too full of himself.
Edwards said: “He believes he’s better than what he is in all areas. That’s what going to play right into my hands. When everything starts falling apart in there, it will be too late for him.”
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This is Edwards’ first title opportunity but he was in Salt Lake City 13 months ago when his brother delivered the head kick around the world to win UFC gold, defeating Kamaru Usman in a shock upset.
He added: “If it’s him fighting I’m more nervous and he’s the same when I’m fighting. When you’ve seen someone work so hard, let alone if they’re your family as well, you just want the best for them.
“But my brother always says the same thing, ‘it’s just a fight. Stop trying to build up the moment bigger than what the moment is.’
“I’ll be fighting with all my heart and all of my might to beat this guy, it doesn’t matter what is on the line, when you have that mindset you allow the moment not to get the better of you.”
:: Tune into Bellator 299: Eblen vs Edwards live from the 3Arena, Dublin, on BBC iPlayer from 9pm on Saturday 23rd September
Increasing female participation levels in golf shows the sport is in a positive place – but the drive for sustained growth in membership levels at clubs still has a way to go, according to women and girls manager at England Golf, Lauren Spray.
The number of women taking to golf courses around the UK more than tripled during the Covid-19 pandemic with nearly 1.5 million women playing at least one full round of golf that year.
However, only 13 per cent of club members are female. The average age of a female member is 64 – which is 10 years higher than that of a male member.
As part of the continuing drive to increase participation, particularly at grassroot level, England Golf, the national governing body for amateur golf, has introduced initiatives such as Women on Par and Girls Golf Rocks, which encourages beginner girls aged five to 18 to learn and play golf in a fun and friendly way.
Spray feels the work in breaking down barriers for girls and women to take up golf, as well as overcoming views that it is a male sport, are central to championing female participation.
“Golf was one of the first sports to return back (during the pandemic) and in terms of having that accessibility to the sport, we have had a lot more women join because their lifestyle and habit changes have been impacted,” Spray told the PA news agency.
“We have had a lot more younger women joining the sport and starting to get playing more confidently, getting out onto the golf courses, retaining scores and becoming members of golf clubs as well.
“Even in the last six months we have seen an increase in the number of affiliated members, but also across the sport playing at different levels of participation – whether that is going to a crazy golf facility or a driving range – there are many more women and girls taking part at each level of the game, which is great to see.
“The sport is in quite a healthy position. Obviously we have got a way to go in terms of having more women and girls into membership, but in terms of actually playing the sport it is in a positive place really. We are still continuing to grow and we are going in the right direction.”
English duo Georgia Hall, Women’s British Open champion in 2018, and Charley Hull, ranked number eight in the world, are both part of Europe’s Solheim Cup team taking on the United States in Spain.
Spray hopes the next generation of women golfers can be inspired to make a difference, both on and off the course.
“It’s not necessarily all about just playing the game – there are lots of careers within the sport as well where you can also make a difference and to challenge those misconceptions around the sport,” she said.
“Yes, there are more men that play the sport – but we are trying to make it more and more welcoming for women and girls to play.
“Through our Girls Golf Rocks programme, which targets girls who are beginners to come into the sport and learn in a girls-only coaching programme, they are supported by existing girl golfers as well who act as our peer role models and ambassadors to support them into the sport.
“There are lots of opportunities – it is just about making them aware of them and seeing that this sport is for them too.”
Today’s meeting at Newton Abbot has been given the all-clear following a precautionary morning inspection.
The threat of heavy overnight rain led officials to take an early look at the course but conditions did not deteriorate as much as feared.
Clerk of the course Jason Loosemore said: “We’re fine here, it’s a beautiful morning and we’re looking forward to a good day’s racing.
“We had some heavy showers yesterday that put the fear of god into us. They were pretty persistent and there was 7mm of rain overall.
“But it’s been okay overnight and we’re fine to go ahead, albeit on heavy ground with the second hurdle in the backstraight omitted.”
Today’s fixture features a first runner at the track for champion Irish trainer Willie Mullins, who saddles recent Galway winner Alvaniy in the Devondale Electrical Novices’ Hurdle.
“We’re very excited about that and it’s a first for us,” added Loosemore. “I’ve just seen him being led up and he looks well.
“Emmet Mullins sent Slate Lane over to win at our last meeting and this one is for the same owner, Paul Byrne.”
A “fired-up” Max Verstappen sent a warning to the rest of the grid that Red Bull are back on form as he set a searing pace to top the first two practice sessions at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Verstappen’s record 10-race winning run and Red Bull’s unbeaten season came to a shuddering halt last weekend in Singapore, where the team admitted they did not understand their struggles with the car’s set-up around the street circuit.
The 25-year-old was confident of a return to form around the high-speed corner track at Suzuka, where Lewis Hamilton predicted the Red Bull would be “phenomenal”, but all eyes were on the Dutchman who is closing in on a hat-trick of world titles.
His response to the struggles of Singapore was immediate and emphatic, finishing 0.626 seconds clear of Ferrari’s Singapore-winner Carlos Sainz in P1 before beating Charles Leclerc by 0.320sec in P2.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: “He dealt with (Singapore) very maturely.
“It was a difficult weekend but he raced very hard. It was what it was. He knew at some point we were going to get beaten and he dealt with the situation well.
“He has certainly come here pretty fired up as you could see from his outlap in P1 today.
“Max knew it was always going to come to an end at some point. That 10th victory meant a lot to him and certainly to the team so I’m glad Singapore wasn’t the 10th in that succession of races. I think he has just shown great leadership and great maturity.”
The second session was red-flagged with a little over two minutes remaining when Pierre Gasly crashed heavily into the barriers at Degner Two, bringing a premature end to the session.
McLaren had been tipped to be the closest challengers to Red Bull and Verstappen this weekend, with Mercedes’ George Russell even suggesting the British team could be favourites.
Lando Norris showed strong pace to finish the day third, albeit 0.464sec off the pace, while Oscar Piastri, who signed a contract extension earlier this week, claimed eighth in the second McLaren.
Red Bull will almost certainly clinch the Constructors’ Championship this weekend at the home race for their engine supplier Honda.
But Sergio Perez was over a second off the pace of his team-mate, finishing 11th in P1 and ninth in P2.
Fernando Alonso claimed sixth for Aston Martin ahead of the Williams of Alex Albon.
Mercedes pair Russell and Hamilton struggled in the opening session, finishing a lowly 13th and 16th respectively, with chief race engineer Andrew Shovlin admitting the team had work to do on the car setup.
Russell claimed fifth in P2 but Hamilton was only 14th, with the seven-time world champion a huge 1.141sec adrift off the pace.
British and Irish Lions pair Rory Sutherland and Chris Harris have been restored to the Scotland XV for Sunday’s World Cup pool B match against Tonga.
Head coach Gregor Townsend has made four changes in total to his starting line-up for the must-win encounter in Nice, with Scott Cummings and Kyle Steyn also added.
Prop Sutherland will make only his second start for the national team in 19 months after slipping down the pecking order since his involvement with the Lions two years ago. The 31-year-old takes the place of Pierre Schoeman, who drops to the bench.
Similarly, centre Harris, who also toured South Africa with the Lions in 2021, will make only his second international start of 2023 after losing his place to Huw Jones at the start of the year. Jones drops to the bench.
Wing Steyn is back in the team in place of Darcy Graham after declaring he was “absolutely gutted” to be left out of the 23 for the South Africa match.
The other change to the starting line-up sees lock Scott Cummings step in for Grant Gilchrist, who drops out of the matchday squad. Scrum-half George Horne and hooker Ewan Ashman are both on the bench after missing the 18-3 defeat against the Springboks with concussion.
Anthony Joshua defended his WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles with a seventh-round stoppage of Alexander Povetkin at Wembley on this day in 2018.
The then 28-year-old retained his belts after twice knocking Povetkin down to the canvas.
The British fighter earned his 22nd consecutive victory and remained unbeaten despite having his nose broken by the Russian in the first round.
Joshua fought back to win after knocking Povetkin down in the seventh round. The Russian beat the count of 10 before Joshua delivered a combination of punches to finish the bout.
After the fight, Joshua said: “Alexander Povetkin is a very tough challenger, and he proved that. But I’ve come in here to have fun, do what I’ve been working on in the gym and give it my best.
“I realised he was strong to the head, but I know that he was weak to the body, so instead of jabbing to the head, I was switching it up. He threw a good right, but let’s not worry about that, that’s out of the way.”
Nine months after his victory over Povetkin, Joshua suffered his first shock defeat after being knocked down by Andy Ruiz Jr in the seventh round before winning a rematch.
Last month, Joshua, now 33, produced a thunderous seventh-round stoppage against Robert Helenius to stay on track for a future bout with Deontay Wilder.
Manuel Margot singled to cap a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Tampa Bay Rays to a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday.
Trailing by one entering the ninth, the Rays rallied against Angels closer Carlos Estevez.
Pinch-hitter Harold Ramirez and Yandy Diaz opened the inning with singles and runners were at the corners after Curtis Mead’s fly ball.
Isaac Paredes singled home the tying run and after Randy Arozarena struck out and Josh Lowe walked to load the bases, Margot flared a single to right to win it.
Tampa Bay already holds the top AL wild card and pulled within 1 ½ games of AL East-leading Baltimore after the Orioles’ 5-2 loss in Cleveland.
The late rally kept the Rays from losing consecutive games to the Angels, who stopped a six-game skid with an 8-3 win on Wednesday.
Tampa Bay starter Zach Eflin failed in his bid to become the AL’s first 16-game winner, allowing two runs and six hits in five innings.
Cole sharp as Yankees cool Blue Jays
Gerrit Cole boosted his Cy Young Award resume with eight stellar innings and the New York Yankees snapped the Toronto Blue Jays’ five-game winning streak, 5-3.
Cole retired the first 16 batters and allowed a run and two hits in his longest start since pitching a two-hit shutout against Minnesota on April 16.
He struck out nine without a walk and lowered his AL-best ERA to 2.75.
Jake Bauers gave Cole all the offense he needed with a three-run homer in the first inning.
Toronto is one-half game ahead of Texas and Seattle for the second of three AL wild-card spots.
Acuna, Olson power Braves
Matt Olson hit his major league-leading 53rd home run and Ozzie Albies homered for one of his four hits as the Atlanta Braves rolled to a 10-3 win over the Washington Nationals.
Atlanta totalled 18 hits with every member of the lineup reaching base at least once.
The Braves need only two wins in their final nine games to reach 100 wins for the second straight season.
Olson’s solo homer in the eighth inning gave him 132 RBIs, matching Gary Sheffield in 2003 for the most by a Braves player since the club moved to Atlanta in 1966.
Ronald Acuna Jr. tripled and scored in the third inning for his 140th run, making him the first player to reach that total since Alex Rodriguez had 143 in 2007.
Christian McCaffrey grabbed a touchdown for the 12th consecutive game as the San Francisco 49ers saw off the New York Giants 30-12 for a 3-0 start to the season.
Brock Purdy threw for two touchdown passes – to Ronnie Bell and Deebo Samuel – as he extended his winning run as a starter in the regular season to eight from as many starts.
But he struggled at times, narrowly avoiding turnovers and relying on his receivers to make the bulk of the yardage.
Although the 49ers offense was not particularly smooth, they were too good for the Giants – without the injured Saquon Barkley – as the defence finished the job.
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones struggled to make any headway downfield as he threw for just 137 yards and an interception.
The Giants’ only scores came from an eight-yard Matt Brieda touchdown run and a pair of first-half field goals.
McCaffrey’s four-yard touchdown run, which opened a 17-3 lead in the second quarter, equalled Jerry Rice’s franchise record of touchdowns in successive games and is just three short of the NFL record.
The 49ers have now won 13 consecutive regular season games as they moved to 3-0 for only the second time in 25 seasons.
Max Verstappen appears set to return to form at the Japanese Grand Prix after posting a blistering time in the opening practice session.
Verstappen’s record 10-race winning run and Red Bull’s unbeaten season came to a shuddering halt last weekend in Singapore, where the team admitted they did not understand their struggles with the car’s set-up around the street circuit.
Lewis Hamilton warned on Thursday the Red Bull car would be “phenomenal” around the high-speed corner circuit at Suzuka and, while practice times must always be treated with caution, it appears the runaway championship leader could dominate again this weekend.
Verstappen, who is closing in on a hat-trick of world titles, was the first car out on track and it took the Dutchman just a handful of laps to set the fastest time in every sector.
He finished the opening running 0.626 seconds clear of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who clinched victory in Singapore.
McLaren had been tipped to be the closest challengers to Red Bull this weekend with George Russell even suggesting they could be favourites.
Lando Norris delivered an impressive final lap to clinch third for the British team, ahead of the second Ferrari of Charles Leclerc and home favourite Yuki Tsunoda in the AlphaTauri.
Oscar Piastri, who extended his McLaren contract this week, claimed seventh just behind the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso.
Red Bull will almost certainly clinch the Constructors’ Championship this weekend at the home race for their engine supplier Honda.
But Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez finished only 11th and a massive 1.396sec adrift of the pace-setter.
The second practice session gets under way at 1500 local time (0700 BST).
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is dealing with an ankle injury and is unlikely to play in Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Young missed his second straight day of practice Thursday, and the winless Panthers released a statement on social media saying he isn't expected to play.
The top pick of this year's draft evidently injured his ankle during Carolina's 20-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Monday night, but coach Frank Reich wasn't sure when. Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown said the injury occurred in the first half, but Young never came out and didn't tell anyone until after the game.
With Young expected to sit, Andy Dalton will make his first start with the Panthers after starting 14 games for the Saints last season.
Young has started each of Carolina's first two losses and is experiencing the growing pains that come with being a rookie quarterback.
He ranks 31st in QB rating (66.6) while throwing for 299 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He's completing 59.2 per cent of his passes and his average of 4.21 yards per attempt is the worst in the NFL among starting quarterbacks.
Without a viable passing game, the Panthers are 28th in total offence and are tied for last in scoring.
Dalton, a 13-year-veteran, is 83-77-2 as a starter with 244 TD passes and 144 interceptions. Carolina will be the fifth franchise he starts a game for following one-year stints with Dallas, Chicago and New Orleans from 2020-22 after spending his first nine pro seasons with Cincinnati.
Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs will reportedly miss the rest of the 2023 season after tearing the ACL in his left knee during Thursday's practice.
NFL.com reports that an MRI confirmed the extent of the injury, which Diggs sustained during a one-on-one drill. The fourth-year standout was later spotted on crutches at the Cowboys' training facility, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Diggs' absence is a major blow to a Dallas team that's outscored the opposition by a 70-10 margin in winning its first two games. The 25-year-old's 18 interceptions since entering the NFL in 2020 are tied for the most by any player over that span.
A second-round pick by Dallas in 2020, Diggs earned first team All-Pro honours in 2021 by recording a league-leading 11 interceptions, the most by any player in a single season since the Cowboys' Everson Walls also had 11 in 1981.
Diggs was off to another strong start in 2023, as he allowed just two completions on nine pass attempts thrown his way for a total of 26 yards to go along with one interception.
"Saw that I guess a couple of you saw (Diggs injured) out there on the field," Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott told reporters following Thursday's practice. "Prayers, hoping for the best, simple as that.”
Diggs had just signed a five-year, $97 million extension in training camp that will keep him under contract through the 2028 season.
The Cowboys do have depth at cornerback after acquiring 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore from the Indianapolis Colts in March to form a trio with Diggs and DaRon Bland, the team's leader with five interceptions in 2022.
Dallas could move Bland from the slot into Diggs' outside position with Jourdan Lewis taking over the nickel role. Lewis started 30 games over the previous three seasons, but has been eased into action in 2023 due to a foot injury that limited him to just six games last season.
England are ready to step up their experiment of playing Marcus Smith at full-back in the belief he is able to perform the fundamentals of the position.
Smith will make his first start in the number 15 jersey in Saturday’s Rugby World Cup clash with Chile having made cameo appearances off the bench in the previous four Tests, providing a lively counter-attacking threat and extra playmaking option.
On each occasion his arrival acted as a catalyst for England with the ball in hand, particularly in Sunday’s 34-12 victory over Japan.
While unlikely to oust first-choice full-back Freddie Steward, Smith has the opportunity to persuade head coach Steve Borthwick that he is a viable alternative.
Borthwick appears to have found an important role for one of the most exciting talents in English rugby and is confident that his dependability under the high ball and defence match his creative skills.
“Everyone knows Marcus’ ability with ball in hand. Everyone knows he’s got a great tactical kicking game,” Borthwick said.
“Having that ball in space at 15 gives him even more time to find opportunities and find more space.
“What we are seeing from him is that his ability under the high ball is very good and he’s a really tough, brave defender.
“You don’t want your full-back to make many tackles but when they do they are usually pretty important ones. Marcus has shown himself to bring a real intensity to his defence as well.
“Having Marcus as an option there is a great strength for us. Given the way he has come on to the field and played in the position, he deserves this opportunity.”
Owen Farrell returns from suspension to lead the team at fly-half as one of 12 changes in personnel for the clash against the lowest ranked side in Pool D at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
Borthwick has taken the opportunity to rest the bulk of his frontline stars such as stand-in skipper Courtney Lawes, full-back Freddie Steward, hooker Jamie George and centre Manu Tuilagi.
Ford is not among those rotated out, however, with England’s first-choice fly-half poised to step off the bench in the second half and be paired with Farrell in a playmaking axis for the first time since 2021.
“George Ford has been in superb form,” said Borthwick, who confirmed that Farrell remains the squad’s captain despite Lawes performing well in the role against Argentina and Japan.
“Will we see George Ford and Owen Farrell at 10 and 12? I think that could happen at some point in the game,” Borthwick said.
“They’ve been a great partnership in the past. They have been working together in training.
“They have known each other for a very, very long time and you have seen the way they can work together. There’s a great synergy between them.”
Henry Arundell makes his World Cup debut on the right wing with clear instructions from Borthwick to go hunting for the ball.
“Henry has got a special talent and ability to beat people. Henry is a very instinctive player so I talk about backing his instincts,” Borthwick said.
“If he makes a decision to go, then go. Beat people. It’s what he does so very, very well. He has added other dimensions to his game.
“His defence has really, really stepped forward, his high ball has really improved. He has been working exceptionally hard on it.
“His point of difference is his ability to beat people, so I encourage him to go and beat people.”
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