Will Rowlands says it was Wales’ “minimum standard” to reach the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals.
Wales have arrived at the knockout phase for a fourth successive tournament. They went on to make the last four in 2011 and 2019.
Argentina await in Marseille on Saturday, when Wales will start as favourites following an impressive pool-stage performance that saw them collect 19 points from a possible 20 and secure a quarter-final place with a game to spare.
It is all a far cry from last season’s Six Nations, when Wales only avoided the wooden spoon by beating Italy in Rome.
“There has been a lot of confidence in the squad about what we want to do. A clear message from the coaches,” Wales lock Rowlands said.
“We train well during the week and try and deliver on the weekend. We are just playing to our strengths, and the results have been spot on for us so far.
“The performances can get better, but we are just excited now to kick on and get to the real meat of the competition next weekend.
“It feels really exciting, we want to keep going in the tournament. For us, it was the minimum standard to get to this stage.
“We were confident that if we played the right game-plan, got the right players going in the right direction, then we knew we could beat other teams. We have proved that.
“That Fiji game (opening fixture) was tough. They played really well and put us under a lot of pressure, but we got the result and we have played better and better since then.”
It is less than four years since Rowlands made his Test debut, but he has developed into a pivotal part of the Wales pack during an international career now closing in on 30 caps.
His leadership has also been to the fore, and combined with his performances it makes him undoubtedly one of the first names on Wales’ team-sheet.
Wales assistant coach and forwards specialist Jonathan Humphreys added: “He is a massive player for us.
“It is interesting to see his growth as a leader, and he drives a big part of the lineout defence.
“He is a big influence over this group, and he is a great character, he really is.
“To see him in terms of the effect he has on the game, in terms of the contacts and the physicality, he is a big player for us and he is turning into a big leader for us.”
Rowlands, meanwhile, even if he spends most of his time in close-quarter action, can readily appreciate the form of Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit.
Rees-Zammit has already scored five tries in the tournament, including a hat-trick against Georgia, to leave him one behind current pace-setter Damian Penaud.
“Give the ball to Zammo in a bit of space and you can almost stop running,” Rowlands said.
“Just let him run it in. He is electric and it is great to have him in the side.
“Zammo has probably been a bit frustrated the last few weeks with not getting the ball enough, but he was great (against Georgia).
“If we can get the ball to him more, then we know he will score more tries.”
Ireland hooker Ronan Kelleher admits a “do or die” Rugby World Cup quarter-final with New Zealand is the stuff of dreams but plans to treat the biggest game of his career like any other.
Andy Farrell’s men set up a mouthwatering last-eight showdown with the three-time champions by stretching their remarkable winning run to 17 games to top Pool B ahead of title holders South Africa.
Yet Ireland have never reached a World Cup semi-final and were stuffed 46-14 by the formidable All Blacks at the same stage four years ago in Japan.
Tournament debutant Kelleher won the first of his 25 international caps immediately after his country’s emphatic exit in Tokyo, having being selected for the 2020 Six Nations campaign by head coach Farrell.
“I suppose it is something you’d dream about, on the big stage, probably the biggest game of my career so far,” the 25-year-old said of facing the Kiwis.
“As we’ve chatted throughout the week with the lads, you have to take each game as it comes.
“You just have to play the game in front of you and for me personally it’ll be treated like another Test match, just make sure I get across all my detail and preparation and, if selected, make sure I’m able to do a job.
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“We know it’s going to be a massive challenge, a huge Test match but one we’re really looking forward to. It’s obviously do or die.”
Ireland have won three of four meetings against New Zealand during Farrell’s reign.
Kelleher was part of the team which defeated the All Blacks 29-20 in November 2021 before missing last summer’s 2-1 tour success through injury.
Overall, the Six Nations champions have been victorious in five of the past eight matches between the nations, including a historic first win in Chicago in 2016 under Joe Schmidt.
Kelleher was still a schoolboy back then and suggested the run of results has helped to diminish the aura around the All Blacks.
“Yeah, I suppose,” he said. “But obviously we know how good a team they are and particularly how they play in big tournaments.
“I’m just looking forward to this weekend, we know it’s going to be a massive challenge, a huge Test match, but one we’re really looking forward to.”
Kelleher is likely to provide back up for Leinster team-mate Dan Sheehan at Stade de France after performing that role in Saturday’s 36-14 success over Scotland.
His absence from last year’s series in New Zealand came amid a string of frustrating injury setbacks which he now hopes are behind him.
“It’s great to be back out there,” he said.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to get some time in each of the games so far, so I’ve been absolutely delighted with that.
“As far as contributing, it’s been absolutely great. It’s about keeping that momentum going forward and we’re happy with where we are at the moment.”
In what was a magnificent display of gymnastic excellence, a team of young gymnasts from Jamaica shone brightly at the COPA IGA tournament that concluded in Panama on Sunday. The team of 11 emerging talents wowed judges and spectators alike with several members of the team topping several disciplines.
Among the standouts was Selah Price, who while competing in the Beginners Group 2 category, was first in the All Around after topping the Floor Exercise (9.350), Beam (9.550) while finishing second in the Vault (9.375).
Also in that category, Marisol Hogarth finished third in the All Around having claimed second place in the Floor Exercise (9.350) and third in the Vault (9.300). She also did well on the Beam exercise. Joelle Williams placed fourth in the All Around. She was third on the Beam (9.400), fourth in the Vault (9.175) and sixth in her Floor exercise (8.550).
Harmony Burton finished in a commendable seventh place in the All Around. She was third in the Floor exercise (9.100) and sixth in the Vault (9.000). She scored an 8.75 on the Beam.
Not to be outdone, Dojanae Garwood, competing in the Beginners Group 3 category, was first in the All Around having topped the Vault with an impressive score of 9.8000 while finishing third in the Beam and Floor exercises with scores of 9.375 and 9.275, respectively.
Adriannah Bailey was second in the All Around in Group 3. She scored an impressive 9.550 to win the Beam and generated a score of 9.300 to finish in second place on the Floor. She was fifth in the Vault with a score of 9.500.
Not far behind was Leah Cowan, who finished in fourth place in the All Around. She impressed the judges while winning the Floor with a score of 9.350 and fourth in the Vault, scoring 9.525. She had a score of 8.900 on the Beam.
Emma-Marie Donaldson finished in sixth place in the All Around and had scores of 9.275 for fourth on the Beam, 9.250 for fifth place on the Floor and 9.175 in the Vault.
Lashay Chutcan shone brightly in the 12-plus category. She was first in the All Around and had excellent scores of 9.575 to finish first on the Beam, 9.450 to emerge victorious on the Floor and 9.700 for second place in the Vault.
Among the Beginners in Group 1, Harmonie-Jade Johnson was sixth in the All Around. She was fourth on the Floor (8.550), sixth in the Vault (8.675) and scored 9.110m on the Beam.
Meanwhile, Roshanique Ricketts was seventh in the All Around while finishing third in the Vault (9.350), fourth on the Beam (9.220) and seventh on the Floor (7.750).
The successful gymnasts are expected to return to Jamaica early Monday afternoon.
Hollie Doyle has been handed a one-month ban – suspended for year – having tested positive for traces of a banned substance found in a painkiller used to treat an elbow injury.
The charge relates to Doyle returning a positive test for Dihyrocodeine (DHC) following her return to riding from a lengthy injury lay-off.
Having undergone surgery on her elbow in February 2023, Doyle returned at Newcastle on March 31 having been prescribed DHC post-operatively.
Upon interview Doyle also said she had been taking what she believed to be ibuprofen tablets previously ‘over the counter’ in Japan and had used those as pain relief. These tablets are marketed as ‘Pabron Ace Pro’.
Following an investigation by the British Horseracing Authority it was thought the likely source of DHC was therapeutic consumption of Pabron Ace Pro and Doyle had attempted to check the ingredients using Google Lens.
Sarah Crowther KC, chair of the BHA’s independent disciplinary panel, said: “I agree with the BHA that in light of the investigative findings, it is appropriate to reduce the penalty from the entry point of two months’ withdrawal of licence to one-month suspension.
“The breach was unintended and Ms Doyle has been cooperative with the investigation and made appropriate and early admissions. There is no evidence to suggest that Ms Doyle’s suitability to hold a licence is affected and therefore withdrawal would serve no purpose.
“The period of one-month suspension reflects the seriousness of the breach and also the fact that there is an element of lack of care involved.
“This is a first offence and I am content that the penalty can be suspended for one year and maintain its deterrent effect. I am confident that Ms Doyle will have learned from this episode and the risk of recurrence is extremely low indeed.
“The BHA has given consideration to requiring Ms Doyle to take part in the Enhanced Sampling Programme, but in my judgement that would be unnecessary where all the evidence suggests that this was a one-off error rather than a situation of any potential underlying systemic issue and monitoring would serve no real purpose.
“I therefore approve the penalty of one-month suspension of licence, suspended for one year.”
In a statement, Doyle said: “In April, when returning to ride after my elbow injury, Dr Jerry Hill informed me that I had tested positive for traces of Dihydrocodeine, which is a painkiller used to treat moderate pain.
“I required elbow surgery in February and was prescribed dihydrocodeine, which I stopped consuming a few days after my operation as it made me feel unwell. In April I tested positive on my return to ride, and I stated that I has only been taking ibuprofen and paracetamol throughout my recovery to control some swelling.
“After some research we found that the contamination came from a packet of ibuprofen which I had purchased when riding overseas, that unknowingly contained small amounts of Dihydrocodeine. The BHA accepts that this was the likely source of the positive.
“The BHA also accepts that the breach was innocent and unintended, but due to it being a strict liability case, they found it appropriate to impose a one-month suspended suspension.
“I’m extremely grateful to my family, friends, and employers for the support and advice over the last five months. We’re all very glad it’s over.”
Marcus Smith has been completing sprint sessions with British Olympic great Daley Thompson in his effort to become one of the sport’s finest playmakers.
Smith has developed into England’s fastest player over short distances due to his searing acceleration, which has been on full display since his shift from fly-half to full-back at the World Cup.
The electric 24-year-old has made a series of influential cameos off the bench and also shone in his only start in the full-back position against Chile, producing a superb solo score as part of a two-try haul.
Smith reveals his pace is the result of sessions with Thompson, the two-time Olympic decathlon gold medallist, as he looks to emulate two famed New Zealand ringmasters.
“For the last five or six years I’ve been working hard on my speed,” Smith said.
“Guys like Richie Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett have the ability to score not just 10-metre tries but from 50 or 60 metres out. That’s something that I’ve wanted to add to my game.
“Credit goes to people who I’ve worked with down in Brighton and Daley Thompson and the guys that I work with in America.
“They put a lot of effort into me and I’ve loved every minute training with those guys. It’s been a joy and it has definitely opened my eyes to sprinting and speed work.”
Starting Smith at full-back in Sunday’s quarter-final against Fiji is one possible change as England coach Steve Borthwick considers his response to a disappointing climax to Pool D against Samoa.
England scraped past the inspired Islanders 18-17 but it was a backwards step in the wake of three comprehensive victories.
Borthwick has more pressing concerns than whether to swap Freddie Steward for Smith in the number 15 jersey, however, after his creative axis of George Ford and Owen Farrell fired blanks within a poor team performance.
Ford is England’s form fly-half, producing man of the match displays against Argentina and Japan, but the less impressive Farrell is the squad’s captain.
If the experiment of reuniting the duo is to be abandoned, then one of them must be dropped to accommodate the other as chief conductor.
While deficiencies abounded against Samoa, in England’s favour for this weekend’s Marseille showdown is that Fiji have got progressively worse through the group stage, culminating in their shock defeat by Portugal on Sunday night.
But Fiji’s first-ever victory over the red rose at Twickenham in August remains fresh in English minds.
“Fiji were very impressive in the summer and we learnt a lot from that experience. Watching them over the last few weeks I have learnt a lot as well,” Smith said.
“They have got dangerous runners, they have got power across the field, but so do we.
“We are going to prepare as well as we can to negate their threats and put our strengths on the park.”
Injured Ireland wings Mack Hansen and James Lowe are “making good strides” ahead of Saturday’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand, while James Ryan is seeing a specialist on a wrist issue.
As of Monday morning, no member of Andy Farrell’s 33-man squad had been ruled out of the clash with the All Blacks in Paris.
Ryan’s situation is expected to be come clearer in the next 24 hours, with Ireland hopeful the problem is not as bad as first feared.
Wing Keith Earls and centre Robbie Henshaw could be available to feature at Stade de France after missing out against Scotland on Saturday with hamstring injuries.
Team manager Mick Kearney said: “James Ryan is seeing a specialist and we’re hoping for better news than originally anticipated.
“Mack Hansen took a bang to his calf but is improving and both him and James Lowe are making good strides.
“Keith Earls and Robbie Henshaw are both in contention as they progress during the week and apart from that just some usual bumps and bruises after a physical Test match.”
Ireland secured their last-eight spot in emphatic fashion by topping Pool B thanks to a crushing 36-14 win over the eliminated Scots.
But that victory came at a cost as Hansen was forced off after returning from a head injury assessment before opening try scorer Lowe departed at half-time due to a bang in the eye.
Lock Ryan, who injured his other wrist in the 13-8 success over South Africa on September 23, then added to the list of concerns for head coach Farrell.
“We won’t have a definitive on James (Ryan) until after he sees the specialist but certainly there is more optimism around James than probably what was originally anticipated,” added Kearney.
“Within the next 24 hours we should have a clearer picture of where James is at.
“At this stage, no one ruled out for the match against New Zealand.”
Michael Dods will be targeting major prizes with Azure Blue next season, having seen the campaign of his improving sprinter come to a premature end.
The four-year-old – who found the scoresheet four times in 2022 – made a blistering start to the season, winning a Listed event at Newmarket before claiming the scalp of Highfield Princess in the 1895 Duke of York Clipper Stakes at York.
She was subsequently saved for Newmarket’s July Cup where she finished sixth but has not been since, having suffered a foot injury which has kept her on the sidelines and ruled her out of tilts at both the Nunthorpe and Haydock’s Betfair Sprint Cup.
Sights were turned to Qipco British Champions Day, but having lost the battle to fully prime the daughter of El Kabeir for Ascot action, Dods is now relishing the prospect of Azure Blue returning in 2024.
He said: “She’s fine, we just ran out of time to get her back for British Champions Day so we’ll leave her now and she will back.
“We’re looking forward to next season now.”
When asked if she will be campaigned as a Group One sprinter next season, Dods added: “That will be the plan, I would say so definitely.”
Quarterback Brock Purdy threw four touchdown passes as San Francisco 49ers stayed undefeated with a 42-10 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Purdy threw all but one of his touchdown passes to tight end George Kittle while Jordan Mason, Christian McCaffrey and Kyle Juszczyk all got over the line for a touchdown.
Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott was sacked three times and threw for three interceptions as the Cowboys suffered their biggest defeat since 2013 and their second of the season.
The Kansas City Chiefs added more misery to the Minnesota Vikings tough start to the season, but it was not without a scare as star tight end Travis Kelce went down with an ankle injury in the second quarter.
The Chiefs won 27-20 with Patrick Mahomes throwing for 281 yards with two touchdowns.
Kelce reportedly went for scans on his right foot but returned in the third quarter, scoring a touchdown to put the game out of the Vikings reach and securing the Chiefs fourth win of the season.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts put on a masterclass for the Philadelphia Eagles as they claimed a 23-14 victory at the Los Angeles Rams.
Hurts threw for 303 yards, including one touchdown pass and rushed for 72 yards, scoring a touchdown of his own.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for two touchdowns for 222 yards but the Hurts touchdown and a brave defensive performance in the second half kept Philadelphia’s perfect start alive.
The Cincinnati Bengals secured an away win with the help of Joe Burrows who threw for three touchdown passes and 317 yards to give them a 34-20 win against the Arizona Cardinals.
Ja’Marr Chase scored three touchdowns off Burrows’ arm and set a single-game franchise record for the Bengals with 15 receptions, lifting the Bengals to a 2-3 record.
The Miami Dolphins beat the New York Giants at home 31-16 with rookie running back De’Von Achane scoring a 76-yard rushing touchdown and amounting 151 rushing yards.
The win took Miami to the top of the AFC East with a 4-1 record while the Giants suffered their fourth loss.
Elsewhere, the New York Jets took care of the Denver Broncos 31-21, while the Atlanta Falcons pipped the Houston Texas 21-19 and the Pittsburgh Steelers took down the Baltimore Ravens.
The Indianapolis Colts beat the Tennessee Titans, while the New England Patriots were held scoreless in their 34-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints and the Detroit Lions handed the Carolina Panthers their fifth loss of the year, winning 42-24.
Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday all made their debuts with new teams as the NBA preseason began to ramp up with six games on Sunday.
Beal scored 11 points in 14 minutes as the Phoenix Suns opened their preseason with a 130-126 overtime win over the Detroit Pistons. The three-time All-Star joined a star-studded Suns roster in June after being acquired from the Washington Wizards, the team he spent his first 11 seasons with.
Another Suns newcomer, Grayson Allen, paced Phoenix with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting off the bench. Kevin Durant and Devin Booker each had 12 points as part of a starting five that also included Beal.
Porzingis, also traded out of Washington in the offseason, scored 17 points in his first outing as a Boston Celtic to help his new team to a 114-106 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 7-foot-3 veteran standout is part of a remade Celtics roster that also includes Holiday, whom the Celtics acquired last week from the rebuilding Trail Blazers after briefly being obtained by Portland in the blockbuster trade that sent Blazers icon Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Holiday came off the bench to play 22 minutes, though he shot just 2 of 10 from the field for six points.
Payton Pritchard sparked Boston with 26 points just hours after signing a four-year, $30 million extension. The fourth-year guard finished 6 of 11 from 3-point range.
Lillard did not play in the Bucks' preseason opener, a 105-102 win over the Chicago Bulls in which Marjon Beauchamp led Milwaukee with 18 points and nine rebounds.
The Bucks also sat Giannis Antetokounmpo, though the two-time MVP's older brother, Thanasis, contributed 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting.
Elsewhere around the league, Gary Trent Jr. scored 22 points to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 112-99 win over the Sacramento Kings in Vancouver; Utah's Kris Dunn made all seven of his field goal attempts for 15 points as the Jazz posted a 101-96 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in Honolulu, and Jake LaRavia scored the final five points of overtime as the Memphis Grizzlies outlasted the Indiana Pacers, 127-122.
Jarace Walker, the eighth overall pick of this year's draft, had 19 points and nine rebounds in his Pacers debut.
Mitch Garver's grand slam in the third inning provided a big early lead that the Texas Rangers held on to in Sunday's 11-8 victory over the Baltimore Orioles that put the American League's top playoff seed a game away from elimination.
Garver also had an RBI single to help Texas take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Division Series and remain unbeaten in four games this postseason. The Rangers advanced to the ALDS with a two-game sweep on the road over the Tampa Bay Rays earlier in the week.
The Rangers can wrap up this series when it shifts to Texas on Tuesday.
Texas pounded out 11 hits in Game 2 and took advantage of a season-high 11 walks from Baltimore pitchers, including four from starter Grayson Rodriguez in a short postseason debut for the heralded rookie.
Rodriguez got out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning, but walked Nathaniel Lowe to begin the second with the Orioles holding a 2-0 lead. Josh Jung followed with a single and Leody Tavares doubled in both runners to tie the contest.
Texas would score three more times in the second to move in front. After Corey Seager drew one of five walks on the day to load the bases, Garver, Adolis Garcia and Jonah Heim each delivered RBI singles to give the Rangers a 5-2 advantage.
Reliever Bryan Baker walked the bases loaded in the third before Garver blasted a 3-1 pitch into the left-field seats to extend the margin to 9-2.
The Orioles scored twice in the fourth before the Rangers got a run back in the top of the fifth, but Gunnar Henderson's solo homer off Texas starter Jordan Montgomery in the bottom of the inning pulled the AL East champions within 10-5.
Baltimore moved closer when Aaron Hicks' three-run homer off Jose Leclerc in the ninth made the score 11-8, but the Rangers' closer retired the next two hitters to end the comeback attempt and the game.
Garcia, Jung and Marcus Semien each had two hits for Texas, while Cody Bradford earned the win with 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of Montgomery.
Hicks also had a two-run single that drove in the Orioles' first runs, while Jorge Mateo finished 4 for 4 with an RBI and Austin Hays had three hits in the loss.
Rodriguez was pulled with two outs in the second and was charged with five runs on six hits.
Lopez, Correa help Twins even series with Astros
Pablo Lopez threw seven scoreless innings, Carlos Correa went 3 for 3 with three RBIs against his former team, and the Minnesota Twins drew even in their AL Division Series with the Houston Astros with Sunday's 6-2 win.
Kyle Farmer contributed a two-run homer as the Twins bounced back from Saturday's 6-4 loss in Game 1 of this best-of-five series, which shifts to Minnesota for Game 3 on Tuesday.
Correa, who spent his first seven seasons with the Astros before signing with the Twins in 2022, quickly staked Minnesota to a 1-0 lead with a two-out RBI double off Framber Valdez in the first inning. Farmer extended the margin to 3-0 an inning later when he followed Willi Castro's leadoff single with his first career postseason home run.
That was more than enough support for Lopez, who scattered six hits and a walk while striking out seven in his second straight playoff gem. The right-hander held the Toronto Blue Jays to one run over 5 2/3 innings in Minnesota's Game 1 win in the Wild Card round.
Correa hurt his ex-team again when he stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the fifth and delivered a two-run single for a 5-0 lead.
Houston's only scoring came on Yordan Alvarez's third homer of the series, a two-run shot off Brock Stewart in the eighth.
Valdez, who went 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA during the Astros' run to last year's World Series title, struggled before being removed with one out in the fifth. The left-hander was charged with five runs on seven hits and issued three walks.
Marland Nattie, Vice President of the Jamaica Basketball Association (JABA) died on Sunday after suffering a stroke just over two months ago.
In his early 60s, Nattie, who was also a former president of the association, spent most of his adult life serving the sport of basketball as a player, coach and administrator. He leaves behind his widow, Oberon Pitterson-Nattie, former national netball player and coach. They had been married for about 10 years.
His sudden passing early Sunday afternoon came as a shock because, according to JABA president Paulton Gordon, based on information he had been receiving, his vice president was making progress in his recovery.
“The basketball family is saddened at his passing. Nattie has served basketball at various levels over the years. He dedicated his life to basketball as a player, as a coach at Kingston College and elsewhere and in administration in various roles,” Gordon told Sportsmax.TV on Sunday.
“He was president for a couple of terms, in other capacities as general secretary and he was the current vice president. He also served regionally, most recently as a vice president in charge of development at the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) and prior to his passing he sat on the CBC Council so he is a true basketball man right throughout his life he had dedicated himself to serving basketball and youth development.
“He will be sadly missed as an administrator; his experience. You could always call on Nattie for advice, he has details that because of his skills in basketball, you could call on him for things that are useful in terms of planning, so we will certainly miss Nattie.”
Jamaica’s Sports Minister Olivia Grange expressed her regret at Nattie’s passing, saying she, too, was surprised at the tragic news.
“With Marland’s death, I again must express my deep regret at the loss of another of our outstanding sports persons,” she said.
“I spoke with his wife, Oberon, who was a former national netballer and coach of the Sunshine Girls, who said his death was unexpected as he seemed to be recovering from a stroke he had suffered. As I expressed my condolences to Oberon, I told her that I was sure that the entire basketball community and all of his friends and associates would join the family in mourning Marland’s death. Our prayers are with her, the rest of the family and the basketball fraternity.”
A US green-card holder, Nattie and his wife migrated to the United States some time ago but as vice president he would often return to Jamaica to carry out his administrative duties. After being in hospital for some time, Nattie was moved to a rehabilitation facility to continue his recovery and was reportedly doing well.
Hence, it was a shock to all concerned when he died on Sunday.
Luke Humphries claimed his first major title as he beat Gerwyn Price with a stunning performance to win the World Grand Prix.
The 28-year-old has been a star on the European Tour over the last 18 months, winning five titles, but has now transferred that to the PDC Tour.
He proved he belongs on the biggest stage after producing the performance of his life in Leicester, taking down the 2020 champion Price 5-2.
The foundations of the win were laid when he claimed 10 out of 12 legs, including a stunning 170 checkout, to move 3-1 clear and then he sealed his title with a sumptuous 138 finish.
Victory moves him up to fourth in the world and is the biggest title of a blossoming career, with a £120,000 payday.
Former world champion Price was the heavy favourite for a second Grand Prix crown, but could not keep up with Humphries’ heavy scoring.
And the triumph allows Humphries to give his son a special present on his first birthday on Monday.
“It is one of those feelings you can’t put into words,” he said. “I have imagined this moment all my career and to actually finally do what I have always dreamed of, you can’t put it into words.
“There are no superlatives to say, it’s unbelievable.
“Taking out 138 out under the most pressure that I have ever been under, just made the whole thing a lot better, there was no better way for me to win. I am so proud of myself.
“It’s my son’s birthday tomorrow, as much as he won’t know it his life has changed because his dad is a major champion now and that is quite massive.
“I would have loved to have him here, but he’s going to have a very good present, I’ll have to wrap the trophy up so he can see how great dad is.”
Price had to endure the usual hostility from the crowd, who were pro-Humphries in their support and will now be hit in the pocket after swearing during his on-stage interview.
“It’s one of those games, I am absolutely gutted but it’s what happens,” he said.
“I wish we could play these games in Wales, it’s frustrating sometimes. I didn’t help myself early on, Luke played fantastic, he’s a worthy winner. But I think I played better overall.
“He had a lot of support. I’ve got a good man cave to go back to, I don’t give a s**t.”
Danny Care saved England from disaster against Samoa on Saturday after realising he had to back up his Alan Shearer-style try-scoring celebration.
Care stepped off the bench at Stade Pierre-Mauroy to race over for the 74th minute touchdown that was converted by Owen Farrell, snatching an 18-17 victory which was kind to Steve Borthwick’s side.
Upon racing over from a five metre-scrum, the veteran Harlequins scrum-half raised his left arm aloft and looked up to the stands, mimicking England and Newcastle football great Shearer.
Care then made a crucial intervention seconds from full-time when he made a try-saving tackle on wing Neria Fomai as Samoa staged a last-ditch assault on the line that fell metres short.
“It has been on my mind that I haven’t scored many tries for England, especially recently being out of the fold for a few years you never think you’re going to get another opportunity like that,” Care said.
“I decided that if I did do it, I’ll enjoy it and if you do decide to do an Alan Shearer celebration across the stadium you better make that tackle after!
“I don’t really remember the tackle – it was a blur – but I remember thinking you can’t celebrate like Alan Shearer and not make that tackle!
“The boys put their body on the line for 80 minutes so the least you can do when you’ve been on the bench is run back and try and tackle.
“Hopefully that shows a bit about what we’re about as a team. Even though it wasn’t a brilliant performance, we work hard for each other.”
Once again England found a way to win when the game was slipping away – no mean feat for a side that in recent times was prone to imploding when the pressure came on.
And although it propelled them into the quarter-finals as Pool D winners, it was a deflating performance coming in the wake of feelgood victories against Argentina, Japan and Chile.
Borthwick claimed the full-blooded encounter against an inspired Samoa was the ideal build-up to the knockout phase and Care agrees.
“If we had won that game by 20-30 points and scored a load of tries, would that be great prep for next week? I don’t think so,” Care said.
“In a way, now we’ve probably had the perfect game to prep for next week. It was scrappy, Samoa threw everything into every breakdown, we gave away too many penalties, we lost the ball too many times and we know why already.
“We know what not to do. I hope the fans believe in us that we will be better. We have to be or we’ll find ourselves on a plane home.
“A lot of hard work starts this week but we’re four from four, in a quarter final and we can get out there and get to the next stage.”
Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson injured his right throwing shoulder in his team's 23-16 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Richardson was hurt with just over 4 1/2 minutes to go in the second quarter when he was tackled by two Titans on a 4-yard run. He took a hit to the left shoulder but appeared to land awkwardly on the right one.
Immediately upon being tackled he began rubbing his right shoulder and stayed on the ground while the trainers quickly came out to tend to him.
He stayed down for several minutes before making his way slowly to the injury tent. After being evaluated on the Colts sideline, he walked to the locker room with his right arm hanging down to the side as he tried to keep it immobilised.
The team officially ruled him out early in the third quarter.
X-Rays on the shoulder were reportedly negative and he is expected to get an MRI.
Gardner Minshew replaced Richardson and helped lead Indianapolis to a win - the second time this season he's done that.
In the Colts' 31-20 victory over the Houston Texans in Week 2 on September 17, Richardson suffered a concussion when he took a hard hit to the head at the end of a 15-yard touchdown run. Minshew came in and threw for 171 yards and a touchdown.
He was unable to clear the NFL's concussion protocol and missed Indianapolis' win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3 before returning for last Sunday's overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams - the first game of his young career he was able to complete.
Through five weeks of the 2023 NFL season, the dual-threat quarterback has shown glimpses as to why the Colts selected him with the fourth pick in this year's draft, but he's been a bit injury-prone.
In addition to exiting in the wins over the Texans and Titans, Richardson also suffered a knee bruise on a hard hit near the goal line in the final minutes of a 31-21 season-opening loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Colts coach Shane Steichen said he could have returned, however, and he was taken out as a precaution.
Prior to exiting Sunday, Richardson completed 9-of-12 passes for 98 yards. He also ran twice for 5 yards and was sacked once.
On the season, he has passed for 577 yards with three touchdowns and one interception and has rushed for 136 yards with four TDs on the ground.
Lance Stroll claimed he passed out at the wheel of his Aston Martin because of the extreme humidity in Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix.
American rookie Logan Sargeant was forced to retire through illness, French driver Esteban Ocon said he vomited in his cockpit, while London-born Thai Alex Albon was taken to the medical centre with acute heat exposure as the grid’s drivers battled the intense conditions at the Lusail International Circuit.
A statement from 27-year-old Albon’s Williams team read: “Following the Qatar Grand Prix, Alex was taken to the medical centre to be treated for acute heat exposure. He has now been assessed and cleared by the medical team.”
Williams also revealed Sargeant, 22, had suffered from “intense dehydration” following “flu-like symptoms earlier in the week”.
Aston Martin’s Stroll, 24, who fell over as he made his way to conduct his media duties, said: “I was passing out in the car.
“They painted the kerbs and made the track narrower but you can’t feel the kerbs. I couldn’t see where I was going because I was passing out. I was fading in and out. The temperature was too much.”
George Russell, who finished fourth following a first-lap collision with Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, also revealed he felt ill throughout Sunday’s 57-lap Grand Prix.
The 25-year-old said: “It was an absolutely brutal race and by far the most physical race I have ever experienced.
“I felt close to fainting in that race and I have never experienced anything like it before.
“I wasn’t physically sick in the car but I felt ill. I had to ask my engineer to give me encouragement to take my mind off of it.”
This was only the second staging of the Qatar race and the first of a 10-year deal. Next year’s edition will be held two months later in December when it is expected to be cooler.
Mario Andretti has moved to allay fears that Max Verstappen's dominance of the drivers' championship might put fans off Formula One, asserting there is "nothing boring" about the Dutchman.
Verstappen sealed his third consecutive world title on Saturday, finishing second in an incident-packed sprint race in Qatar to ensure he can no longer be caught by Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez.
After subsequently capping his title by winning the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday, the Dutchman has won 14 races in 2023, leaving rivals including seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz trailing in his wake.
He also put together an unprecedented sequence of 10 successive victories earlier this year, leading to suggestions the one-sided nature of this campaign may impact F1's popularity.
The sport enjoyed a surge in popularity amid Verstappen's dramatic 2021 title tussle with Hamilton, while the Netflix documentary Drive To Survive helped engage a new generation of fans.
However, 1978 drivers' champion Mario Andretti does not believe Verstappen's supremacy will have a negative impact on how the sport is perceived.
"There's nothing boring about Max Verstappen," Andretti told Stats Perform. "The only thing is, the next thing that is obviously of interest is who can beat him?
"That's the point, and that's interesting. You look forward to that every weekend, whenever the race is coming on, you say, 'I wonder if he's going to still be dominant?'
"The other teams are not sitting still with the other drivers. But right now, Max is in a very enviable position to just really keep going."
Red Bull retained the constructors' title in September, with the team boasting a massive lead over Mercedes in the team standings. Andretti, though, does not feel changes are required to make things more competitive.
The team has won 16 of the 17 races so far this season.
"I personally love Formula One the way it is because, let's look at it on the technical side, you look at the grid and sometimes there are 10 to 12 drivers inside a second [of one another]," Andretti continued.
"Each car, each team has different engineering, and the car looks different. Everybody obviously follows the same rules, but it's like a lawyer. A good lawyer obviously interprets a law maybe just a little bit better than the next one. That's what it's all about.
"I think Formula One has it all, it's got the technical side, but also, there's something to be appreciated there as to how close they come. I think that interest is there and will be prevalent."
Max Verstappen's third successive Formula One drivers' championship is "only the beginning", says 1978 title-winner Mario Andretti, who feels the Dutchman could go on to break records in the sport.
Red Bull star Verstappen wrapped up his third world title in as many years by finishing second in a dramatic sprint race in Qatar on Saturday, having left his rivals in the dust throughout a dominant 2023 season.
Verstappen capped off his championship triumph in style on Sunday by cruising to victory at the Qatar Grand Prix.
The 26-year-old has a long way to go to match the accomplishments of the sport's all-time greats, however, with Michael Schumacher's record haul of seven titles being equalled by Lewis Hamilton in 2020.
However, Andretti – who captured the world crown when driving for Team Lotus in 1978 – feels those are the names Verstappen will be looking to hunt down in the coming years.
Speaking to Stats Perform, Andretti said of Verstappen: "There's no question that he fits the category of the greats, and it's ongoing.
"Like you say, it's three championships in a row and he's still going. There's no sign anywhere that he has reached a peak.
"It's really fun watching someone like that, because he's just taking advantage of every single ounce that's at his disposal under any circumstance.
"The way I look at it, records are made to be broken. I never thought that Schumacher would have any rivals, not in my lifetime.
"I think Lewis Hamilton disproved that by tying that record, and Max is on his way, no question.
"I mean, if there's anyone that you could consider to be a record-breaker, it's going to be Max Verstappen. At 26, it's only the beginning."
Verstappen has won 14 races this season, including an unprecedented run of 10 successive victories starting with May's Miami Grand Prix and ending after he triumphed at Monza last month.
Andretti recalled Verstappen's very first race win – which came as an 18-year-old at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix – as he heaped further praise on the Dutchman for his dominant displays.
"What makes Verstappen a great driver is that he is something special," Andretti continued.
"As a matter of fact, when you say 'special', that's understating what this man is all about. He has shown something right from the very beginning.
"I remember in 2016, what he did that day, he revealed himself. After that, obviously the rest is history.
"He has been dominant and is taking advantage of every possibility in the best possible way. I think for any team on the grid, they're all envious of the fact Red Bull has a contract with this guy."
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott would welcome a return trip to London despite admitting his side seemed sluggish in their 25-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Buffalo, led by quarterback Josh Allen and seeking their fourth straight victory, entered Sunday afternoon’s contest on a high after beating the Miami Dolphins but found themselves up against an 11-0 deficit after the first quarter.
Though the ‘host’ Bills, who enjoyed the majority support of a raucous 61,273-strong crowd, twice found themselves a touchdown away from staging a fourth-quarter comeback it was the Jags – coming off last weekend’s 23-7 victory over the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley and perhaps better-adjusted to the time zone – who ultimately held on.
Asked if Buffalo, who only arrived in London on Friday, might have been affected by the travel, McDermott said: “We’ll see if, whatever comes up down the road in terms of us coming back here, but we need to evaluate everything because I didn’t feel like our energy was good enough early in the game.
“They had better energy than we did. We’re going to fly back tonight, watch the film on the way home and learn from this and we’ve got to get ourselves back where we need to be fundamentally. It’s just talking about throwing and catching, tackling, right?
“Most of the things that are at the forefront of some of the reasons why we got the result we did today.
“We would absolutely [come back]. We enjoyed just the opportunity to be over here. It’s an honour to be selected to play here and we’re certainly appreciative of our hosts in London.”
While Buffalo had not played in the UK since 2015, Jacksonville have contested at least one match in the British capital every year since 2013 save 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic prevented international matches.
With Sunday’s victory, the Florida outfit became the first team to win NFL international matches in back-to-back weeks, with some speculating they were given a boost both from their familiarity with the UK grounds and, against Buffalo, were the better-adjusted opponent due to remaining in London between contests.
The Jags certainly looked the sprightlier side in the first quarter and Trevor Lawrence the more effective quarterback, Zay Jones completing the first touchdown and Travis Etienne, who would later make two TDs of his own, adding the two-point conversion.
Buffalo, who lost key linebacker Matt Milano to a knee injury in the first quarter, rallied late in the second to make it 11-7 at the halfway point and a scoreless third quarter ensured it was all to play for in the final 15 minutes.
A game largely dominated by defence broke open, both sides adding two touchdowns apiece – the Jags’ from Etienne, while Allen and Gabe Davis added to Buffalo’s score.
Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who collected from Allen for Buffalo’s second-quarter, 15-yard touchdown, refused to blame the cross-continental trip for the result.
He said: “It’s easy to say that after the game. If we’d won would we be saying yeah, we were tired, we were this, we were that.
“It’s easy to use that as an excuse. I’m not a big excuse guy so I won’t say it, but you’re going to have to ask the other guys.
“Tired or not, you’re going to have to get up to play a football game. You get up to do this thing that you love and play this game because it’s a blessing.
“I will never use the excuse of, you can obviously look at the data or whatever, but I feel like we can play better. We will be better.”
A furious George Russell lashed out at Lewis Hamilton following a dramatic crash with his Mercedes team-mate at the very first corner of Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen, crowned champion of the world for a third time following Saturday’s sprint, started his title parade by racing to his 14th win from the 17 rounds so far.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri followed up his victory in Saturday’s 19-lap dash by taking second place while his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris completed the podium.
But Verstappen’s emphatic win and McLaren’s continued resurgence played second fiddle to Hamilton’s crash with Russell which left the seven-time world champion in the gravel. Russell fought back from last to fourth.
Hamilton, third on the grid, attempted to drive round the outside of Russell, one starting place higher, and pole-sitter Verstappen in a gung-ho bid for glory.
But Hamilton tagged the front-left of Russell’s machine. An out-of-control Hamilton was sent into the gravel with the right-rear wheel of his Mercedes flying off into the air.
Russell was sent spinning round before limping back to the pits for a new front wing. Out came the safety car and the inquest started.
“F****** hell,” yelled Russell, 25. “Come on! What the hell! I have got damage.”
Referencing their ding-dong battle at the last round in Japan, Russell added: “Guys, come on, f***! Two races in a row.”
Sitting in the sandtrap, Hamilton, 38, pointed the finger at his younger team-mate.
“Yeah, I got taken out by my team-mate,” he said.
Back on track and sitting at the rear of the field, Russell returned to the intercom.
“Sorry guys, I wasn’t even looking,” he added. “I was focused ahead and he came from nowhere.
“I am lost for words. Honestly. I have just seen the replays on the TV screen. I couldn’t do anything. Totally sandwiched.”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is absent from this race – his second in a row – as he recovers from knee surgery. But the Austrian came on the intercom in a move to calm Russell down.
“George, let’s race now and get the best out of it,” he said.
Forty minutes after the accident, Hamilton, 38, accepted blame for the coming together.
“In the heat of the moment, it was frustrating because I felt this tap from the rear but I don’t think George had anywhere to go,” said the seven-time world champion using a towel to mop the sweat from his brow.
“It was an unfortunate scenario and I am happy to take responsibility because that is my role. I need to go back and look at it, but I don’t feel like it was George’s fault.
“Before the race, we knew we were on different tyres so we wanted to work together. I had the soft tyre and everyone around me was on the medium and I needed to get by. I tried going round the outside of Max and it just didn’t work out.
“It was not our plan to come together. It is just really gutting for the team. I feel just really sad for everybody for my part in it.”
Hamilton insisted his partnership with Russell had not been damaged by the collision.
Mercedes announced at the end of August that Hamilton and Russell will continue alongside each other until at least the end of 2025.
He continued: “The relationship is not broken. I don’t have any problems with George. We have a great relationship and we always talk about things.
“This is just unfortunate and I am sure he was frustrated in the moment, as I was, but we will talk about it offline and move forwards.”
Amid safety concerns about the Pirelli tyres, Sunday’s 57-lap race took place against the backdrop of a flurry of mandatory pit stops – with the drivers only able to do 18 laps on a single set of rubber.
Yet, the disruption had little impact on Verstappen who sealed another comfortable win, taking the flag 4.8 seconds clear for the 49th win of his career.
Charles Leclerc finished fifth for Ferrari ahead of the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso.
Sergio Perez, whose crash in Saturday’s sprint officially handed Verstappen his third title, started from the pit lane and crossed the line ninth on yet another weekend to forget for the Mexican.
Perez was also handed a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits, demoting him to 10th.
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