Samoa may have endured a disappointing World Cup that is almost certain to result in group-stage elimination but they will be determined to finish on a high against Pool D winners England in Lille on Saturday.
Here the PA news agency examines five talking points ahead of England’s last match before the knockout phase.
England go full bore
Steve Borthwick takes satisfaction in repeating his mantra that the next match is all that counts, but by going full bore against Samoa he has revealed his selection thinking for the quarter-final against probable opponents Fiji. One or two adjustments aside, this is the starting XV that will take the field in Marseille on Sunday week, shaped around the generalship of George Ford and Owen Farrell.
Back in the saddle
Explaining his decision to reunite twin playmakers Ford and Farrell as starters for the first time since the 2021 Six Nations, Borthwick pointed to their win ratio of 77.5 per cent across 40 Tests when paired together at fly-half and inside centre. England’s head coach believes a partnership that flourished under his predecessor Eddie Jones, reaching its apex in the World Cup semi-final destruction of New Zealand four years ago, can thrive once again.
History beckons for beefed up Farrell
Farrell has packed on extra muscle in anticipation of his new role at inside centre, where he will provide a carrying threat on top of assisting Ford to run the game with spells at first-receiver as well as offering midfield kick, run and pass options. Earlier this week scrum-half Danny Care gave an insight into how Farrell will be used when he said: “Owen is a big 10 so he will punch the line a little bit more”. Farrell is also assigned the goalkicking duties and needs only two more points to eclipse the England record of 1,179 set by Jonny Wilkinson.
England know their strengths
“Big boy rugby” is how Ireland prop Tadhg Furlong described the Lions’ first Test against South Africa in 2021 and that sentiment permeates through England’s dry run for the quarter-finals. Gone are the dazzling maestros of the 11-try rout of Chile – Marcus Smith and Henry Arundell – and in comes a win-at-all-costs mentality signposted by the inclusion of elite kickers at 10 and 12 and the squad’s two best kick chasing wings in Jonny May and Joe Marchant. Borthwick’s England are confident of their strengths, according to Courtney Lawes: “We’re a really strong defensive team. That’s our backbone. We’re an aerial kicking team and are very good at getting the ball back.”
Manu’s special moment
A big moment awaits for one of England’s greatest servants as Manu Tuilagi faces the nation of his birth for the first time in a Test career spanning 55 caps. Many of England’s finest performances of the last 12 years have had Tuilagi at their heart and while not the force of old, his pedigree as an international centre has enabled him to reach an important occasion. The 32-year-old left Samoa as a teenager but remains proud of his Islander heritage and has been an inspirational figure for both countries.
Wales play their final Rugby World Cup pool game when they tackle Georgia in Nantes on Saturday.
Warren Gatland’s team booked a quarter-final place by beating Australia in record-breaking fashion last time out and they require one point to finish top of the group.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the talking points heading into the game at Stade de la Beaujoire.
Wales in charge of World Cup pool
Wales’ World Cup form has proved a far cry from the misery of last season’s Six Nations, when they only avoided the wooden spoon by beating Italy in Rome. There were doubts whether Wales even would progress from a pool that also included Australia, Fiji and Georgia, but three-successive wins, a quarter-final place secured one game inside the distance and only one point now required to top the group highlight how dominant Gatland’s team have been. Given their struggles of earlier in the year, few could have expected such an impressive revival.
Quarter-final opponents to be decided
While Wales got the job done early in terms of progressing from their group, a race for runners-up spot in Pool D will come down to an eliminator between Argentina and Japan on Sunday. The Pumas have proved underwhelming so far, losing comprehensively to 14-man England, before edging out Samoa and then providing only glimpses of form when they eased past minnows Chile. Across their three games, Japan have looked more impressive, setting up an intriguing encounter in Nantes for the likely right to face Gatland’s team at Stade Velodrome, Marseille next week. Wales’ World Cup record against Argentina and Japan is strong – played five, won five.
Warren Gatland has weaved his magic
When Gatland returned for a second stint as Wales head coach at the start of 2023 – his first was laden with Six Nations titles, Grand Slams and World Cup consistency – he took charge at a time when results had dropped through the floor and confidence plummeted. The Six Nations played out against a back-drop of financial concerns in Welsh professional rugby and contractual worries for players, with strike action only averted just days before Wales met England in Cardiff. But after an uninterrupted World Cup preparation period that started in late May, Gatland has moulded a squad seemingly on course for a third semi-final appearance during the last four global tournaments, underlining his status among the game’s finest coaches of any era.
Gareth Anscombe at the controls
There would have been a collective holding of breath by Wales supporters when Dan Biggar went off injured after just 12 minutes during a record 40-6 victory over Australia in Lyon. A pectoral muscle strain forced the fly-half’s early exit, but Wales were in safe hands as Gareth Anscombe replaced him and equalled Biggar’s best of 23 points for Wales in one World Cup game, booting a drop-goal, conversion and six penalties. It was a wonderfully-assured display by Anscombe, who retains his place against Georgia, while Biggar recovers and remains on course to be available for the quarter-finals.
Wales mindful of Georgia threat
Wales know from painful experience exactly what Georgia are capable of. It was less than a year ago that Wales endured a calamity in Cardiff, losing 13-12 at the Principality Stadium as Georgia’s shock victory effectively signalled the end of Wayne Pivac’s coaching reign. It was an abject display, even allowing for Georgia’s impressive second-half performance when their forwards took charge and pummelled Wales into submission. Four of that starting XV will be in the line-up on Saturday – Louis Rees-Zammit, George North, Tomos Williams and Gareth Thomas – and while a repeat result looks highly unlikely, Wales know they must be on their guard.
Chicago Bears have paid tribute to “the ultimate Bear” Dick Butkus following the death of the Hall of Fame middle line-backer at the age of 80.
The Bears led a moment of silence before their win over the Washington Commanders on Thursday.
Born in Chicago, Butkus played his entire football career in the state of Illinois and in his nine years with the Bears, being the third overall choice in the 1965 NFL Draft, he was a five-time first-team All-Pro selection and an eight-time Pro Bowl honouree.
Butkus’ 49 total career takeaways from turnovers rank second in the franchise’s history and he was renowned as one of the fiercest tacklers in the NFL.
A right knee injury forced him to retire at the age of 31 following the 1973 season. Butkus was named in Hall of Fame All-Decade Teams for the 1960s and 1970s. In 1979, Butkus was added to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“Dick was the ultimate Bear and one of the greatest players in NFL history,” Bears chairman George H McCaskey said on www.chicagobears.com.
“He was Chicago’s son. He exuded what our great city is about and, not coincidently, what (former head coach) George Halas looked for in a player: toughness, smarts, instincts, passion and leadership.
“He refused to accept anything less than the best from himself, or from his team-mates.
“His contributions to the game he loved will live forever and we are grateful he was able to be at our home opener this year to be celebrated one last time by his many fans.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell paid tribute, with a post on X – formerly known as Twitter, reading: “Dick Butkus was a fierce and passionate competitor who helped define the line-backer position as one of the NFL’s all-time greats.
“Dick’s intuition, toughness and athleticism made him the model linebacker whose name will forever be linked to the position and the Chicago Bears.”
Following the Bears’ 40-20 victory on Thursday night – which ended the longest losing streak in the franchise’s history – wide receiver DJ Moore added a heartfelt message to Butkus.
Moore, who finished the game with 230 receiving yards and three touchdowns, posted on social media: “R.I.P Dick Butkus. Was looking over us Tonight”.
The Chicago Bears finally ended the longest losing streak in the franchise’s history with a dominant 40-20 victory over the Washington Commanders.
Dating back to last season, the Bears had lost 14 straight games heading into Thursday night’s clash.
But you would not have known that based on how they started against Washington, scoring three touchdowns and two field goals en route to a 24-point advantage at half-time.
The Commanders were able to offer some challenge in the third quarter, a touchdown and field goal closing the gap to 27-14.
However, Chicago found their offensive groove again in the fourth, clinching the win on a 56-yard completion from quarterback Justin Fields to wide receiver DJ Moore.
Having struggled through his first four games of the season, Fields was back to his brilliant best against Washington.
The 24-year-old threw for four touchdowns – including a hat-trick to Moore – without a turnover.
Washington’s Sam Howell had 388 passing yards and two touchdowns in the losing effort.
Peter O’Mahony feels a degree of embarrassment at joining Ireland’s “hugely inspirational” list of centurions and hopes even greater moments are to come as he targets Rugby World Cup glory.
Munster captain O’Mahony will become only the 10th Irishman to reach 100 caps when he lines up for Saturday’s pivotal Pool B showdown with Scotland in Paris.
John Hayes, Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara, Paul O’Connell and Rory Best were the first five players to achieve the feat, followed by current internationals Cian Healy, Johnny Sexton, Conor Murray and Keith Earls.
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O’Mahony, who made his debut against Italy in 2012, grew up idolising some of those greats and never envisaged emulating their longevity at Test level.
“I’m still kind of surprised,” he said.
“It’s almost a little bit embarrassing with the names that are ahead of me to be honest, people I grew up following and supporting, hugely inspirational characters.
“To be the 10th, it’s going to take some time to settle in. It’s nothing I ever expected or dreamed of. We all talk about having dreams but that one was way off the radar.
“I’m just trying to prepare as if it’s another Test match.
“I’m hoping there are going to be bigger moments in my career than this one – and hopefully in the near future.”
Ireland departed their group-stage base city of Tours for good on Thursday morning and will spend the remainder of the tournament in Paris.
Head coach Andy Farrell has consistently made a big deal of landmark appearances and O’Mahony’s wife, children and parents were guests at the current team hotel on the northern outskirts of the French capital.
O’Mahony, 34, concedes he is no longer physically able to keep up with younger players in training and therefore devotes his efforts to being in peak condition come match day.
Ireland will qualify for the quarter-finals, a stage they have never before gone beyond, with a win or draw at Stade de France this weekend, while a marginal defeat may also be sufficient.
Lifting the Webb Ellis Cup at the same venue in just over three weeks’ time remains the ultimate goal, with O’Mahony wary of suffering early elimination at the hands of the Scots following a statement success over South Africa.
“It’s our be-all and end-all and I’m not going to say that lightly,” he said of winning the tournament.
“Every team that makes this competition is in this country to win it and we’re no different and certainly people talking about us not being able to get past certain hurdles, this is the biggest hurdle of our tournament so far and that’s the way we’re considering it.
“We’ve had some good performances but we’re considering Scotland as the team they are: an incredible threat to our campaign and our journey.”
Visits to Paris are bittersweet for O’Mahony.
His former Munster head coach Anthony ‘Axel’ Foley died in his sleep at a hotel in the city in October 2016 ahead of the team playing against Racing 92.
“Myself and Johnny (Sexton) had a conversation about it, I think it was on the way to the South African game actually, about sometimes it is weird to be in Paris and to think about Axel and what happened,” said O’Mahony.
“It certainly is an incredibly sad memory, particularly for that Munster team who were in Paris that week.
“I’m not going to go into it now but Johnny made a couple of lovely gestures to the family afterwards but Axel is always somebody who is certainly in my head on a very regular basis and when you come to Paris he certainly comes to mind.
“I’ve the fondest memories that we had together and the amount of inspiration he gave, not to just to me, but to lots of young kids in Munster and Ireland.”
Chicago Bears legendary linebacker Dick Butkus, one of the most intimidating players in NFL history, has died. He was 80.
According to a statement released by the team, Butkus’ family confirmed that he died in his sleep overnight at his home in Malibu, California.
Butkus spent his entire nine-year career with his hometown Bears after he was selected third overall in the 1965 draft out of the University of Illinois.
Though his career was shortened due to multiple knee injuries and forced his retirement at age 31, Butkus still racked up 1,020 tackles, 22 interceptions and a franchise-best 27 fumble recoveries in 119 games with the Bears.
Named to the NFL’s All-Decade teams in the 60s and 70s, Butkus garnered a slew of individual awards with six All-NFL selections, two Defensive Player of the Year Awards and eight Pro Bowls.
His hard-hitting style of play earned him several nicknames, including The Maestro of Mayhem, The Enforcer, The Animal and The Robot of Destruction.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979 in his first year of eligibility and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1978.
His No. 51 jersey was retired by the Bears in 1994.
Butkus only experienced two winning seasons in the NFL and never made the playoffs.
In 1985, the Butkus Award was established to honor the top linebackers at the high school, college and professional levels.
He also had a career after the NFL, playing off his tough-guy image and appearing in commercials for Miller Lite, Prestone, Schick and Visa, as well as film roles in “Any Given Sunday,” “Hang Time” and “The Last Boy Scout.”
Butkus is survived by his wife, Helen and three children.
Warren Gatland says there is no secret to Wales’ Rugby World Cup consistency as they build towards a fourth successive quarter-final appearance under his direction.
Wales need a point from their final Pool C game against Georgia on Saturday to top their group.
A record 40-6 victory over Australia in the previous fixture secured a last-eight spot, with Argentina or Japan now awaiting them.
Wales made two semi-final exits and suffered one quarter-final defeat during Gatland’s first stint as Wales head coach, and they are once again on a similar path.
“I don’t think there is any secret, it’s just hard work,” head coach Gatland said.
“We’ve all spoken in the past about the opportunities in World Cup years, with the extended preparation and time you get with the players, and the detail you can put into things.
“These guys have worked extremely hard in the (training) camps we’ve had, which has put us in good stead and good shape in terms of being able to take our game forward, being confident and comfortable playing for 80 minutes.
“We are excited about where we are, and we are looking forward to going deep into this tournament.
“The message has been about continuing to improve as a side, just taking one game at a time.
“We know we are in the quarter-finals, but we want to finish top of the group and it is trying to win four from four.”
Georgia beat Wales 13-12 when the countries last met in Cardiff 11 months ago, and while Gatland says that game has had no bearing on Welsh preparations, he readily voiced his admiration for Georgia.
“We had a little bit of a history lesson this morning before training,” he added. “They are a small nation, a proud nation.
“We like to think when we are at our best it is sometimes with our backs to the wall, and they epitomise that sort of attitude.
“When the Vikings came to England, they didn’t want to come across the border to fight the Welsh because of how mad they were and how much they wanted to defend their own territory and space.
“The Georgians are very much like that. If you look at their history, they’ve had their own battles and wars as well. We are very aware of that and how proud they are as a people.”
Asked about November’s game, Gatland said: “We are not looking back. We haven’t spoken about that as a group at all. We are just completely looking forward from our own perspective.
“In all these games, it doesn’t matter who you are playing against.
“In that first 20 minutes of the game it can be pretty tight because everyone is pumped up. Everyone is fresh and making things difficult.
“It is about making sure we are accurate, and that is definitely something we’ve worked on.
“We talked about becoming a tough team to beat, and if you are a tough team to beat then often the performances and results take care of themselves.”
George Ford believes his playmaking axis with Owen Farrell is ready to stand the test of time after England reunited their creative brains trust for Saturday’s World Cup clash with Samoa.
Ford and Farrell will start together for the first time since March 2021 having won 31 of the 40 Tests in which they have been paired together – a success ratio of 77.5 per cent – and head coach Steve Borthwick is hoping that magic still lingers.
Having compiled man of the match displays against Argentina and Japan and then stepping off the bench for the rout of Chile, Ford has been restored at fly-half while Farrell moves to inside centre.
The first time the two operated together in tandem was also against Samoa in 2014 and Ford believes an attacking fulcrum that was particularly successful at the last World Cup can shine again.
“We’ve done it a lot of times and even though not as much in recent times, you can just feel it,” the Sale fly-half said.
“Even though there’s a bit of time where we haven’t actually played together the understanding and the connection would be as strong as its ever been.
“Not having done it for a period of time maybe could benefit us because it probably sharpens you up a bit.
“We’ve been having discussions all week about that partnership and combination – what do we need from each other?
“When you’ve been doing it for a period of time you probably take that for granted a little bit. It’s exciting because we’ve had some real success with it in the past.”
The last World Cup to be held in France took place in 2007 when Ford and Farrell practised with England as teenagers due to their family links with Brian Ashton’s squad.
George’s father Mike was an assistant coach while Farrell’s father Andy was a member of the playing squad.
“We spent time with the backs and the kickers. The lasting memories I have are kicking balls back for the kickers,” Ford said.
“That’s what made it so good, coming to France, in and out at the weekend like our families do now and then back to school on the Monday.
“It made it all a little bit more surreal, doing that at the weekend and going back to school on the Monday.”
Farrell, who leads the team and has been assigned goalkicking duties, believes the best might yet be to come from being asked to pull the strings in sync with his long-standing friend.
“I’m pretty close to George so we speak about everything rugby-wise, regardless of what the team is anyway. We’re on the same page. I’m looking forward to it,” Farrell said.
“People have talked about the amount of times we’ve played together before, but it’s not been for a while.
“We both hope we’ve kicked on since we’ve last played together. Hopefully we show that on the weekend.”
Farrell needs two more points to become England’s highest scorer of all time, eclipsing the mark of 1,179 set by Jonny Wilkinson.
An investigation is under way after a fire broke out at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club on Thursday, just days after the venue staged Europe’s victory in the Ryder Cup.
Social media footage captured a blaze and billowing smoke emanating from one of the buildings at the course and a Ryder Cup Europe spokesperson confirmed a temporary hospitality structure had caught fire.
The spokesperson added nobody was injured in an incident which occurred close to the first fairway of the course in Rome.
Thousands attended last weekend to watch Europe regain the Ryder Cup as a team captained by Luke Donald claimed a 16.5-11.5 victory over Zach Johnson’s United States in the biennial event.
“A fire was reported in one of the temporary hospitality structures to the right of the first fairway at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club earlier this afternoon,” said the spokesperson.
“Local fire crews were called to the scene at 17.07 local time and quickly brought the blaze under control.
“Nobody was injured in the incident and the fire did not spread beyond the hospitality structure. There was no damage to the golf course or any other structure.
“The cause of the fire is currently being investigated.”
Coco Gauff extended her winning run to a season-leading 15 matches with victory over Veronika Kudermetova at the China Open.
The US Open champion is bidding for a third successive title and saved four set points in the opener against last week’s Tokyo champion Kudermetova before clinching a 7-6 (5) 6-2 win in Beijing.
Gauff will next face sixth seed Maria Sakkari, who battled to a 6-4 2-6 6-3 victory over home hope Wang Xinyu.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka is also through to the quarter-finals after seeing off unseeded Italian Jasmine Paolini 6-4 7-6 (4).
That set up an Australian Open final rematch against fifth seed Elena Rybakina, who defeated 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday.
Sabalenka won one of the matches of the season in Melbourne but lost to her rival in the Indian Wells final.
“I know that I’ll have some chances to win this match,” said the top seed. “In the last match I lost, I got nervous a little bit and I rushed a little bit more. The key against Elena is just to stay calm, stay aggressive, and not over-rush things.”
Ninth seed Caroline Garcia is also through to the last eight after defeating Anna Kalinina 6-3 6-2.
Sheikha Hissa’s Shadwell operation went to 1,600,000 guineas to purchase a Frankel filly on the final day of the Book 1 sale at Tattersalls in Newmarket.
Consigned by Watership Down Stud, the chestnut is out of the Group One-winning Millisle, who took the Cheveley Park Stakes for Jessica Harrington in 2019.
It is the second-highest figure commanded by a yearling over the three-day sale and the buyers were delighted to get their hands on such regally-bred young stock.
“She is a lovely first foal, I saw her on the farm and loved her, I loved her every time we saw her here as did Sheikha Hissa,” long-standing Shadwell racing manager Angus Gold told Tattersalls.
“We knew she’d make a lot of money, but we need some fillies for the stud and a first foal out of Cheveley Park Stakes winner and by a great stallion, it was sort of fairly self-explanatory.
“She seems very athletic, very well-balanced and has a very good mind, so now she has got to be able to run!”
Shadwell have achieved notable on-track success this season with Hukum, Mostahdaf, Al Husn and Anmaat all registering Group One victories in the famous blue with white silks.
All four of those horses are aged five or six, showing a willingness of Shadwell’s Sheikha Hissa to extend a horse’s career beyond the typical three or four.
Their latest buy is part of the Shadwell rebuilding process and Gold added: “It is a period of rebuilding, it is a long-term project for Sheikha Hissa.
“We have been lucky this year with the older horses, and Sheikha Hissa is happy to take a different route to her father Sheikh Hamdan who did not like to keep the older horses and she is prepared to if we think there is more to come, and she has been rewarded with a Group One winner.
“It is exciting times for the stud, but you have to keep regenerating.”
He added of Sheikha Hissa’s ever-growing passion for the sport: “She has loved coming here, she can stand looking at the horses all day if someone did not come and move her!
“She loves coming to see the yearlings, we saw them all Monday and she has been back over the three days to see horses again. She is picking it up very quickly, like her father, and really enjoys the business.
Gregor Townsend said Scotland are “ready to play their best rugby” as he backed his team to rise to the challenge of having to beat Ireland for the first time in more than six years and prolong their World Cup campaign.
The Scots must either secure a bonus-point victory or deny the world’s top-ranked side a losing bonus point in the Stade de France on Saturday night if they are to get out of formidable Pool B and reach the quarter-finals.
Townsend billed it as one of the biggest matches his team have ever been involved in but feels they are equipped to deliver when it matters most and knock the rampant Irish – who have won 16 consecutive games – out of the tournament.
“We have got to deliver what we feel we are capable of which is their best performance as a team when it counts,” he said.
“They are in great physical shape, they have been training really hard for weeks and months and I believe we have had enough experiences now – both good and bad – to handle this occasion. We are really behind this team.”
Asked what makes him believe that Scotland can defeat a team who have beaten them in their last eight meetings, a run stretching back to 2017, Townsend said: “Well, why not? The players have performed in massive games before.
“We were underdogs but we have broken records before, whether it was not winning in Paris (for 22 years, before doing it in 2021), not winning at Twickenham (for 38 years, before doing it in 2021), we hadn’t beaten England for 10 years (before doing it in 2018).
“This is another opportunity to break another record. We believe in them, we believe in where they are mentally as a group and where they are physically. They are ready to play their best rugby.”
Scotland will either have to win by at least an eight-point margin or by scoring at least four tries. Townsend insisted that his team will not alter their game-plan significantly because of that situation.
“Our approach would be similar if we were just looking to win the game,” he said.
“There are two scenarios for us to get through, one is eight points and one is to score more tries so it suits how we would approach normal games, which would be to aim to score tries when we are in the opposition 22.
“It’s important that we get those opportunities, Ireland have been very good at not giving up too many opportunities inside their 22 over the last two to three years and that’s a goal for us, to make sure we are in there a few times this weekend.
“We definitely want to be the team that goes out there fearless with nothing to lose. That’s the way we’ve been thinking and planning this week.”
Several permutations could come into play as the match evolves, but Townsend has trust in his players to be able to make the right decisions about how to negotiate the business end of proceedings if the qualification situation remains in the balance.
“If it’s a tight game and defences are on top it’s likely to be the eight points gives us the best opportunity,” he said.
“The most important element is scoring points. If things change and go in our favour we have plenty of time to talk about that at half-time or in a huddle during the second half.
“We’re able to communicate with people on the sideline, whether they’re medics or water-carriers, but you want to create an environment where the players are making the decisions.
“We’ve got some very intelligent rugby players and very intelligent people in our team so they won’t need instruction from us. They’ll be coming together and nailing what needs to be done in that next action.”
Townsend expects a box-office occasion to illuminate the World Cup in Paris.
“There have been so many Scots at our last few games and there were a lot of Irish in Paris for their game against South Africa so it will be a cracking atmosphere,” he said. “And there’s jeopardy, there’s something at stake, so it will be one of the best games of the World Cup, I’m sure.”
England have encountered their first injury setback since arriving in France for the World Cup after Jack Willis was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament.
Willis suffered a neck problem in the 71-0 victory over Chile on September 23 – his only appearance of the group phase – and on Wednesday night England learned he would be ruled out for several more weeks.
Head coach Steve Borthwick will call up a replacement for the Toulouse back row, to be named in due course, who is likely to join up with the squad in Marseille for quarter-final week.
“We’re really disappointed for Jack because he’s been an important member of this team,” Borthwick said.
“He’s done really well, played an important role in the Chile game and is an important member of this squad over the last period of time.
“We anticipate the injury will be just a few weeks but given the timescales we’re operating to it means he will be replaced in the 33.”
Iain Henderson revealed Test centurion Peter O’Mahony has been dubbed the “Haggard Badger” by his Ireland team-mates.
O’Mahony will become only the 10th Irishman to earn 100 caps after being selected to start Saturday’s crucial Rugby World Cup clash with Scotland in Paris.
Head coach Andy Farrell and captain Johnny Sexton were among those to pay tribute to the Munster skipper ahead of his landmark outing.
Lock Henderson also offered a glowing testimony but could not resist divulging an unflattering nickname based on O’Mahony’s well-worn features and greying hair, which was reportedly invented by prop Dave Kilcoyne.
Asked about the 34-year-old, Henderson replied: “The Haggard Badger?
“The Haggard Badger, I think he’s been coined. I’m not 100 per cent sure where that came from.”
Scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park, who was sitting next to Henderson, confirmed Kilcoyne was responsible, before the Ulster skipper continued: “Pete’s a massive leader for our group.
“Not only in terms of rugby but in terms of what we stand for as players, the social side of things, how well knitted together we are, he’s a massive part of that.
“Obviously I’m sure a lot of the cliches will come out now, but Peter rings true to most of them. He’s deserving of every minute of the jerseys he’s played in and, to this day, still nailing that down.
“You can see in Faz’s (Farrell’s) selections and how highly Faz speaks of him, I think that all rings true to the type of person he is. And long may that continue.”
O’Mahony is poised to join Ireland greats Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara, Rory Best, Paul O’Connell and John Hayes on the select list of centurions, plus current team-mates Cian Healy, Sexton, Conor Murray and Keith Earls.
The flanker, who made his international debut against Italy in 2012, will seek to mark the milestone appearance by helping his country avoid an upset against the Scots to reach the knockout stages in France.
“We can sit here all day the two of us and talk about what he brings, what he means to us all, what type of bloke he is, what type of family man he is,” Farrell, sitting alongside Sexton, said of O’Mahony.
“But we’d be here the whole press conference. To sum him up, he’s selfless.
“You guys would see the performance on the pitch and it’s heroic from Pete. You can see what it means for him to play for Ireland.
“But we obviously see behind the scenes and he’s definitely, 100 per cent, one of the best I’ve ever seen at making the dressing room feel right.
“And it’s not just a skill. It’s him being himself because it’s genuine and I’m sure Johnny would echo this that there’s no better man that you would want sat at the side of you in the dressing room at the weekend than Peter O’Mahony.”
Sexton added: “I don’t think you guys get to see the real Peter O’Mahony.
“He gives very little away when he sits up here, one word answers, but he’s the life and soul of the dressing room behind closed doors and it’s a privilege to play with him all the time.
“We’ll be playing for him as much as we are for ourselves on Saturday.”
Palmar Bay could have a bright future having shown a game attitude to claim the feature British EBF Radcliffe & Co Conditions Stakes at Salisbury.
The Ralph Beckett-trained colt claimed the scalp of subsequent July Stakes scorer Jasour when getting off the mark at the Wiltshire track in May, but missed out on an intended run in the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury during the heart of summer when breaking out of the stalls prior to the off.
Sent off the 3-1 joint-favourite among a smart cast of juveniles, he produced a professional display in the hands of Hector Crouch to edge out fellow market principal Solar Aclaim by three-quarters of a length.
Palmar Bay was joined on the Salisbury scoresheet by stablemate La Pasionaria (8-1) who made a winning debut in division one of the Byerley Stud British EBF Novice Stakes, as the Kimpton Down handler enjoyed a double at a venue he enjoys both notable and regular success at.
Beckett said: “I like La Pasionaria, she has shown up well at home and really got her head down and toughed it out I thought. She will probably be put away for next year.
“Palmar Bay, ditto really. Off a break he did really well to overcome the pacesetter who is a nice horse as well and he could run in a stakes race before the end of the season.
“I don’t know where at this stage because he could go seven (furlongs) and I think he probably wants that.”
Elsewhere on the card there were maiden victories for Clive Cox’s Finbar Furey (9-2) and Ed Walker’s Ten Bob Tony (6-4 joint favourite), who both claimed divisions of the Radcliffe & Co British EBF Novice Stakes in eyecatching fashion, while the other juvenile contest went the way of David Menuisier’s debutant Goodwood Odyssey (20-1).
Just over a year after becoming a United States citizen, Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid has decided to play for the U.S. at next year's Olympics in France.
The reigning NBA MVP could have also played for his homeland Cameroon or France, which in July 2022 issued Embiid a French passport as “a foreigner whose naturalisation is of exceptional interest.”
“I’ve been here for a long time,” said Embiid in September 2022 after being sworn in as an American citizen.
“My son is American. I felt like, I’m living here and it’s a blessing to be an American. So I said, why not?”
Embiid and the 76ers started training camp this week after he earned his first NBA MVP award last season.
The 29-year-old averaged a career-high 33.1 points to lead the NBA while finishing seventh in the league in blocks (1.7), eighth in rebounding (10.2) and 20th in field-goal percentage (54.8).
Embiid also tied a personal best with 4.2 assists per game.
The United States is hoping more NBA superstars choose to play in France when the team will be chasing a fifth straight gold medal.
England have reunited playmakers George Ford and Owen Farrell in their backline for Saturday’s final World Cup group match against Samoa in Lille.
They start together for the first time since the 2021 Six Nations as Steve Borthwick revives the creative axis that has excelled for England in the past as he assesses his options for the quarter-final.
Ford starts at fly-half having produced man-of-the-match displays against Argentina and Japan while Farrell shifts to inside centre to accommodate his rival for the 10 jersey.
Farrell needs two more points to become England’s highest scorer of all time, eclipsing the mark of 1,179 set by Jonny Wilkinson.
Manu Tuilagi is picked at 13 to provide a ball-carrying threat in what will be a special occasion for the Sale powerhouse, who faces the nation of his birth for the first time.
Joe Marchant is squeezed out of the midfield but finds a home on to the right wing, meaning there is no place for Henry Arundell despite his five-try haul against Chile.
Arundell drops out of the 23 altogether, as does Elliot Daly with Jonny May winning the race to start on the other wing as part of a back three that sees Freddie Steward replace Marcus Smith.
The urge to give Smith another run at full-back has been resisted but the rapid Harlequins ringmaster is poised to complete another cameo off the bench at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
England are at full strength against Samoa and evidence of Ben Earl’s rise as a force on the Test stage is seen in his selection at number eight ahead of Billy Vunipola, who features on the bench.
Tom Curry is restored at openside after playing just 179 seconds against Argentina, at which point he was sent off for a dangerous tackle that resulted in a two-match ban which he completed against Chile.
A surprise pick in the front row sees Dan Cole preferred ahead of Kyle Sinckler at tighthead prop.
England qualified for the quarter-finals as Pool D winners on September 28 when Japan beat Samoa, allowing them to advance to a knockout appointment with likely opponents Fiji despite having a match to spare.
Borthwick said: “Whilst we are of course pleased with our results and qualification into the pool stages, we want to continue our improvement with a positive performance against a difficult and in-form Samoa team.
“Samoa are renowned for their physicality and this last game in the pool stages will be an excellent test for us as we continue in our World Cup journey.”
Ireland centre Robbie Henshaw is expected to be unavailable until at least the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup due to a hamstring injury.
The Leinster centre sustained the issue in training this week, ruling him out of Saturday evening’s pivotal Pool B clash with Scotland in Paris.
Ireland will monitor Henshaw’s fitness for the time being but head coach Andy Farrell is weighing up his options and could eventually make a change to his 33-man squad.
“He pulled up with a hamstring unfortunately at the end of the session on Tuesday and the diagnosis with hamstrings, they want to see how things settle down,” said Farrell.
“It probably takes about five days for that type of thing to happen but it looks like it could be a minimum of a couple of weeks at this stage.”
Asked if Henshaw will remain in France, Farrell replied: “Obviously, we’ll assess that as we go.
“Certainly he’ll be around rehabbing and we’ll see how the weekend goes with other injuries, etc, and assess how Robbie’s going along the way also.”
Ulster’s Stuart McCloskey has taken Henshaw’s place among the replacements for this weekend’s Stade de France showdown, while hooker Dan Sheehan and lock Iain Henderson have been selected ahead of benched pair Ronan Kelleher and James Ryan.
Vice-captain Ryan suffered a wrist injury in Ireland’s 13-8 success over South Africa a fortnight ago.
Farrell insists the Leinster second row is fully fit and has trained well, including coming close to flattening captain Johnny Sexton on more than one occasion.
“He’s fit,” Farrell said of Ryan.
“He had a bit of a niggle on a wrist but that’s fine and he trained the house down, actually trained the best I’ve seen him train in a good amount of years yesterday.
“He actually nearly took Johnny’s head off three or four times so he’s fit and raring to go, there’s no doubt.”
Ireland will progress to the knockout stages with a win or draw, while a defeat will leave them reliant on Scotland’s margin of victory and bonus points gained.
Farrell suggested the recalled Henderson, who came off the bench in the victories over Romania, Tonga and the Springboks, could be handy in calculating the permutations.
“We want to win,” said Farrell. “It’s a massive game. It’s so important to us and certainly obviously to them.
“But to the travelling fans and the people back home it’s a huge game.
“We have Iain Henderson in our group who is good at maths, so we’re across everything as far as that’s concerned.
“But the easiest way is to make sure that we perform well and deserve to win the game outright.”
Skipper Sexton will start for the fourth successive match following his return from injury and suspension at the beginning of the tournament, while flanker Peter O’Mahony will win his 100th Ireland cap.
“It is a knockout game,” said 38-year-old fly-half Sexton.
“We’ve viewed it as a last 16, we’ve spoken about it and that’s why it’s important we got our preparation right.
“We need to go out and get our performance right now.”
Scrum-half Ali Price has been handed a surprise start for Scotland’s World Cup Pool B qualification shootout with Ireland on Saturday, as regular number nine Ben White misses out on a place in the 23 altogether.
The 30-year-old Glasgow back made the number nine jersey his own for three years until losing his spot to the burgeoning White at the start of this year’s Six Nations.
But after scoring a try when a much-changed XV defeated Romania in Lille last Saturday, Price has remained in the team for this weekend’s Paris showdown.
White is not even listed among the substitutes, with c the replacement scrum-half.
Captain Jamie Ritchie returns to lead the team after going off with concussion in the first half of the Tonga match a fortnight ago.
Price in place of White is the only change to the team that started the match against South Africa on the opening weekend of the tournament.
The scrum-half had spoken in Nice earlier this week about how his improved maturity had helped him deal with losing his place just two years after being selected for British and Irish Lions duty.
But he now appears to have convinced Gregor Townsend that he is worthy of being pitched back into the thick of it for one of Scotland’s biggest games in years as they bid to get a bonus-point win over the Irish or deny their opponents a losing bonus in order to reach the quarter-finals.
Hamish Watson, another 2021 Lion who has fallen from prominence this year, has not made the 23 despite impressing against Romania last weekend.
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