Andy Murray believes Great Britain can win the Davis Cup again this season and is happy to play his part on or off the court.
The former world number one is among a five-man team for this week’s group stage in Manchester, along with Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans, Jack Draper and Neal Skupski.
Quite what Murray’s role will be remains to be seen and, speaking after his disappointing second-round loss to Grigor Dimitrov at the US Open, the Scot questioned whether he deserved his place.
But the 36-year-old cut a much more positive figure at a press conference at the AO Arena on Monday, saying: “At that moment, straight as I came off the court, I wasn’t in a great place after losing in a slam.
“I said (to captain Leon Smith), if I’m not needed, I completely get that. But, for whatever reason, he asked me to come and I said I would come.
“I’ve always loved playing Davis Cup and any event where you’re competing for your country. We have a great group of guys, I love being part of this team, we’ve got great staff as well. Everyone gets on extremely well.
“I do genuinely believe the team can win the event. That’s huge motivation to be a part of it. I want to help the team in any way I can, whether that’s on the court or off. We’ll see what happens.”
Britain have been drawn in an intriguing group with Australia, France and Switzerland and must finish in the top two to book their spot at the finals week in Malaga in November.
It is now eight years since Murray led Britain to the Davis Cup title virtually single-handed.
There is no doubt Britain have a stronger overall team now, but with that come selection difficulties for Smith and he faced criticism for choosing Murray and Joe Salisbury as his doubles pair as they crashed out at the same stage in Glasgow 12 months ago.
Salisbury won his third consecutive US Open title with American Rajeev Ram on Saturday but did not make the team, with Smith likely to rely on Skupski and Evans in doubles, while the most intriguing question mark is whether he will throw in 21-year-old Draper fresh from his run to the fourth round in New York.
He has had a hugely frustrating season with injuries but is a major talent who will surely lead the team in the not-too-distant future, while Norrie and Evans have both had patchy seasons.
“I think we’ve got our best five here,” said Smith. “Obviously we’ve got strength in depth, especially on the doubles side. In terms of selection for the matches, it’s good. You want a strong squad, different options, because it is a long week. I’m just delighted they’re all here.”
Draper was named in the team for the first time for February’s tricky assignment away in Colombia, where victory secured their progress to this point.
“I feel great,” said the Londoner, who was hitting with fit-again former British number one Kyle Edmund on Monday.
“Obviously New York gave me a real boost after quite a tough season. When Leon asked me to join the guys I was really excited and wanted to be here.
“I haven’t been part of a Davis Cup group playing at home. It’s amazing to be part of this team and I’m very grateful for the selection and happy to be around these boys for sure.”
Britain’s biggest challenge is likely to come on Wednesday when they take on last year’s runners-up Australia, led by in-form world number 12 Alex de Minaur.
Crowds of around 8,000 are expected for that tie and the one on Friday against Stan Wawrinka’s Switzerland, while a sell-out of more than 13,000 on Sunday for the final match against France will be the biggest for a Davis Cup contest in Britain.
There are other groups taking place in Bologna, Split and Valencia, where Serbia and Spain will do battle, although a Wimbledon final rematch between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will no longer happen following the Spaniard’s withdrawal.
Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot is viewed as the “end game” for Nashwa following another excellent run in defeat in Saturday’s Irish Champion Stakes.
Having claimed her third Group One win in the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket in July, John and Thady Gosden’s filly was beaten a length into third place in the Nassau at Goodwood and finished the same distance behind her stablemate Mostahdaf when runner-up in the Juddmonte International at York.
She was sent to Leopardstown for another top-level assignment and stormed home from the rear to again pick up minor honours in third, finishing on the heels of the Aidan O’Brien-trained pair of dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin and defending champion Luxembourg.
Nashwa has the option of return to Paris on Arc weekend for the Prix de l’Opera, in which she was touched off as a hot favourite last season, while she also holds an entry in the Sun Chariot at Newmarket the following week – but it is the big day at Ascot that connections are focussing on.
“She ran a super race on Saturday, she really did. She’s proven herself in top-class company against the colts and has come out of the race really well,” said Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Imad Al Sagar.
“We’ll look at the options, but I think possibly the end game would be Qipco Champions Day, whether that be for the QEII or the Champion Stakes.
“I don’t think it would be necessary to have another run between now and then, but she is in the Sun Chariot or there’s the Prix de l’Opera.
“The Opera does come up quite quick, so we’ll see.”
Last term Nashwa finished fourth at the Breeders’ Cup, but a trip to California appears less likely this time around, and a decision on whether she will race on next season has yet to be made.
Grimthorpe added: “It (Breeders’ Cup) certainly hasn’t been discounted because you never know what may or may not happen, but I think at the moment Ascot would be the main aim.
“Nothing has been decided (regarding next year), we’ll see how she is and see how she goes and Imad will decide nearer the time.”
Goran Ivanisevic believes Novak Djokovic transcends tennis and is one of the greatest in the history of sport.
Djokovic won his 24th grand slam title when he beat Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev over three gruelling sets at the US Open.
His Croatian coach, Ivanisevic, says Djokovic’s fighting spirit and will to win make him a sporting “genius”.
“I don’t think you can work on that,” said 2001 Wimbledon champion Ivanisevic.
“You are born. You know, some people who are born, he’s a genius. He’s one of kind. There are not too many people in this world like him sport-wise.
“This is one of the biggest achievements in sports history. We’re not talking about tennis. We are talking generally in sport.
“He’s a winner. He’s the guy who is motivating himself. He had luck to have guys like Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer, they came before him, so they pushed each other.
“But he’s a born winner. For him, when you tell him he cannot do something, it’s even worse. Then he’s going to show you that he can do it. It’s no excuses.
“He always tries to find a way to win, how to fight, even when he’s not feeling well, injured, not injured.
“It’s just something I cannot say that we’re all like that from the Balkans, because we are not. But he’s one of a kind, and that’s why he’s the best.
Banned from the US Open in 2022 due to Covid vaccination laws, Djokovic returned to become its oldest champion a year later.
The 36-year-old Serbian, back at world number one, avenged his defeat in the 2021 final against Medvedev.
He said: “I guess people love comeback stories. I love them too. They motivate me.
“I hadn’t played any tournament on American soil for two years, and the last time I was here I lost in the finals against the same player I beat.”
Djokovic has now won seven of the last 10 grand slams he has competed in despite the emergence of the likes of Medvedev, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
“You need to reinvent yourself, because everyone else does,” he added.
“As a 36-year-old competing with 20-year-olds I probably have to do it more than I have ever done it in order to keep my body in shape, in order to be able to recover so that I can perform on the highest level consistently.”
Rogue Millennium could be headed to Paris after her gallant second-placed run behind Tahiyra in the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.
The Tom Clover-trained four-year-old was a 12-1 chance for the Group One on her sixth start of a successful season in which she has only once been out of the top three for owners The Rogues Gallery.
A Group Two winner in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot, the daughter of Dubawi was then fifth when stepping up a grade on soft ground in the Prix Rothschild at Deauville.
Conditions at Leopardstown were more to her liking, however, and she showed a brilliant turn of foot to accelerate away in pursuit of Tahiyra – the 5-6 favourite and a multiple Group One winner.
Rogue Millennium was a length and quarter behind when the line came, a valiant run in defeat and a performance that may inspire a step back up in trip.
“She’s taken us on a terrific journey, she’s given us some fantastic days,” said Clover.
“After the race we were a little bit disappointed but we shouldn’t be, the form was so strong, there were a few little things that didn’t go in her favour but I loved seeing her on that quick ground.
“She showed a terrific turn of foot and we were as happy as you could be after finishing second.
“You win a maiden and then you want to win a Listed race, you do that and you want to win a Group race, then you want Group One black type.
“You always want more, but we’re thrilled with her. It was a fantastic day and she ran a great race.
“I suppose what’s exciting is that she’s a filly that still looks like she’s improving and that’s great to see. She’s so game, she tries her heart out and she loves the game.”
Rogue Millennium has form over 10 furlongs having been placed at Pattern level over the trip earlier in the season and connections will now consider whether to return to that distance for the Prix de l’Opera on the same day as the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp.
Clover said: “We always felt that nine furlongs would be her optimum, she’s been finishing well over a mile and has now been second in a Group One over a mile but we felt like she was making up ground the whole time and had it been over nine, we would have been getting closer a lot further away.
“She’s in the Opera and we’ve got her in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, those are our two options.
“We’ll look at the Opera and see how she is, three weeks is a reasonably tight turnaround with the travel and so on, but if she’s OK we’ll be tempted to go to Longchamp, I think.”
Ed Bethell is planning to give his Sprint Cup hero Regional a well-earned break before targeting further big-race honours on Dubai World Cup night in March.
The five-year-old provided his young trainer with a first taste of Group One success at Haydock on Saturday, his third win from as many visits to the Merseyside venue.
Connections have the option of supplementing for next month’s Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot, while he also has foreign options at the Breeders’ Cup and in Hong Kong.
Bethell, though, is unsure about the suitability of any of those three races and would prefer to keep his powder dry for the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in the new year.
Reflecting on Haydock, he said: “Things like that don’t happen very often and I probably was in a bit of shock. We celebrated on Saturday night, but I think I was so shattered from the whole occasion I went to bed quite early.
“The horse is absolutely fine – he came out of the race sounder than he went into it.
“I would imagine he’s probably going to go on holiday now. I don’t think the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita would really suit him. He got rushed off his feet in the Nunthorpe at York last month and I think if he went there the same would apply.
“We’re not entered for the Champions Sprint at Ascot, so we’d have to supplement, but for however many years it’s been run it’s been run on soft ground and he doesn’t like soft ground, so we don’t run him on it.
“After that there’s only really Hong Kong left and again, I’m not sure Sha Tin would be his bag, whizzing round that bend. I have nominated him, but I would rather end the year on a high.”
Although not ruling out the possibility of a prep run, the Middleham Moor handler is currently in favour of heading straight to the Al Quoz before bringing Regional back to Europe.
He added: “I’ve said to the lads that own him I’d quite like to train him for the Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai on World Cup night. Of all these international tracks I think Meydan would be the place for him as it’s very similar to Haydock and York – a big, flat, open, galloping track, which is what he likes.
“I’ll see how he is. You’ve got that Super Saturday meeting you might fly out for. He’s travelled before, having been to Qatar and finished second for us out there, so we know he’s good off an aeroplane.
“He’ll be targeted at all the top sprints next year, starting off with the Duke of York maybe if he comes back from Dubai all right.
“He’ll get an entry in both sprints at Royal Ascot (King’s Stand and Jubilee) I would think and then hopefully all roads lead back to trying to defend his crown at Haydock.”
Louis Rees-Zammit admits undisciplined Wales survived a major scare and have significant room for improvement after edging an “absolutely brutal” Rugby World Cup classic against Fiji.
The 22-year-old tournament debutant claimed the third of his country’s four tries to help build an 18-point advantage with just 10 minutes to go on a breathless evening in Bordeaux.
But ferocious Fiji roared back and threatened to pull off a stunning Pool C comeback before falling agonisingly short as Semi Radradra’s costly late knock-on saw Wales scrape a thrilling 32-26 success.
Wing Rees-Zammit, who was limping following the full-time whistle, was the exposed man tasked with stopping the rampaging Radradra before gleefully booting the fumbled ball into touch.
“I was stressed,” he told the PA news agency. “They had a massive overlap and I was trying to call players round, but we were getting sucked in.
“When I saw the ball go over, I was like: ‘I’m going to have to try and go low on him here and hopefully get him out’.
“Unfortunately for him he knocked it on and we won the game.
“It was absolutely brutal. It lasted 82 minutes and we had to dig deep and in the majority of our game our discipline let us down, but I think ultimately to get a win is the most important thing.
“You could see it was a brutal game and I’m a bit sore, but a decent recovery now and hopefully I will be ready for next week.”
Wales conceded 17 penalties across the course of a gripping curtain-raiser against opposition who recently upset England at Twickenham.
Rees-Zammit, who was floored by a thunderous tackle from Vinaya Habosi minutes before his score, will look to shrug off his knock in time for next weekend’s match against Portugal in Nice ahead of meetings with Australia and Georgia.
“I don’t think we played at our best at all,” continued the Gloucester player.
“We’ve got a lot to improve and that’s the best thing because we can get a lot better.
“To beat Fiji at not a hundred per cent is great. We know they are a devastating team.”
The Prince of Wales was among a capacity crowd treated to undoubtedly the most entertaining match of the competition so far.
Josh Adams, George North and Elliot Dee were also on the scoresheet for Warren Gatland’s men, while fly-half Dan Biggar added two penalties and three conversions in an engrossing bonus-point victory.
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North, who was on the receiving end of an outburst from team-mate Biggar for not kicking the ball into touch just before the break, echoed the relief expressed by Rees-Zammit at the end of a “must-win” encounter.
“That was a proper Test match,” said the centre. “We’re chuffed to get the result, we needed that to start us off well in this World Cup.
“But we’ve got to look at ourselves very quickly. We know what the issues are: discipline and playing in the right areas.
“It was a must-win for us, we needed that to get us on the right path. It was huge for us and we’ve got to tidy up and turnaround to the next one.
“The way Fiji have developed, they were probably the favourites. They’ve got the physicality and flair that they’re known for but they’re also a well-drilled side.
“They’ve got the set piece now to fight and compete with the best of them and their form coming into the World Cup really showed.”
Speaking of Radradra’s late error, the 31-year-old Ospreys man added: “That’s Test-match rugby, you play on the edge of sword, it’s the one per cent (difference).
“You’ve got to take your opportunities and luckily enough they didn’t take that one.”
A first Classic winner for the King and the Queen this weekend remains a possibility, with Desert Hero one of nine confirmed for the Betfred St Leger at Doncaster on Saturday.
The William Haggas-trained Sea The Stars colt has already entered the record books once this season, when winning the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot.
On that occasion, it was the first time the King and Queen’s colours had been victorious at the Royal meeting since the death of the late Queen, and having enhanced his reputation in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood he now has the chance to follow in the footsteps of Dunfermline, who carried the royal silks to glory in 1977.
Simon and Ed Crisford’s Chesspiece is the sole Godolphin representative and was second behind Desert Hero on the Sussex Downs, while John and Thady Gosden could saddle three in the race having confirmed both market leader Gregory and the Juddmonte-owned Arrest as well as supplementing Melrose winner Middle Earth.
Gregory has the chance to give Frankie Dettori one last Classic success and although losing his unbeaten record in the Great Voltigeur at York last month, he won the Queen’s Vase over this distance at Royal Ascot.
Great Voltigeur winner Continuous is one of four in the mix for Aidan O’Brien alongside Denmark, Alexandroupolis and Bahrain Trophy runner-up Tower Of London.
Highfield Princess could bid to get back on track in the Prix de l’Abbaye providing she is fine following her below-par performance at the Curragh.
John Quinn’s star mare was tasked with defending her Flying Five Stakes crown on day two of the Irish Champions Festival, but nothing went to plan for the evens favourite who finished midway down the field in fifth as Ken Condon’s Moss Tucker landed a surprise victory.
Slipping on exiting the stalls, Jason Hart’s mount was immediately on the back foot, and although she quickly made up ground and was still giving her all at the finish, was never able to land a telling blow in a race she won with supreme style 12 months prior.
It was a rare disappointment from the ultra-consistent six-year-old who has been a real force on the sprinting scene over the past two seasons and, although reported to be coughing and showing signs of being in season by the vet post-race, Quinn believes Highfield Princess’ troubles at the start played a key role in her bad day at the office.
“She was scoped afterwards and was absolutely fine so the coughing was just mud that was kicked back because she got behind early on so she was fine on that front,” explained Quinn.
“Missing the break did not help her. Jason said she lost her hind legs when she came out and with the first stride she took her hind legs went. She was on the back foot straight away and did well to finish where she did in the end. It’s just one of those things and these things can happen.”
She will now be given a thorough check by the team at Quinn’s Highfield Stables, with a run at ParisLongchamp on October 1 pencilled in for her next start.
Quinn added: “She’s fine this morning. We’ll have a good look at her and if she is OK we will run her in the Abbaye.”
Josh van der Flier would rather play at midnight than endure the scorching temperatures which caused him to ditch his distinctive red scrum cap in Ireland’s Rugby World Cup opener.
The world player of the year bolstered his side from the bench as they launched their campaign with a thumping 82-8 win over Romania on a baking-hot afternoon in Bordeaux.
Ireland’s other three Pool B fixtures – against Tonga, South Africa and Scotland – will each kick-off at 9pm local time, something Van der Flier was initially uneasy about.
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But, after enduring heat of 36 degrees Celsius, the flanker has had a change of heart, having felt ready to come back off just 15 minutes into a challenging Saturday afternoon cameo.
“I was thinking before the tournament that 9pm is so late, it’s a really long day,” he said.
“But then when I saw the weather in the captain’s run (on Friday), I said I’d happily play at midnight if it’s a bit cooler.
“In the first half, most of the pitch was in the sun, second half you were in the sun and it almost felt like a break when you got into the other half of the field where it was a bit shaded.
“It will definitely make a big difference (kicking off later).
“A lot of credit has to go to the lads who played 80 minutes out there. After 15 of my 20 minutes, I was nearly ready to get subbed off again. It was tough.”
Van der Flier looked slightly unfamiliar as he emerged without his customary scrum cap to replace Leinster team-mate Caelan Doris.
The 30-year-old also felt compelled to remove the distinguishing head gear, which was initially chosen to match his school’s kit, during Ireland’s pre-tournament training camp in the Algarve.
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“I tried wearing it in training in Portugal and I really, really struggled,” he said.
“It’s just an extra bit of heat and it makes a big difference when you take it off.
“I did notice that it just feels different not having a scrum cap on but definitely glad not to have it in this heat.
“Last World Cup, I didn’t wear it for the first game, then I got a cut on my head so I had to start wearing it.
“I had done it before but I would probably be more comfortable wearing it.”
Ireland take on Tonga in Nantes before Paris showdowns with reigning world champions South Africa and Scotland.
Wing James Lowe is braced for tougher tests against some “scary teams” and is not yet contemplating a potential quarter-final clash with his native New Zealand.
He said: “It’s not going to get any easier now, the further we get, is it?
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“Tonga are physical, we struggled against Samoa (a 17-13 win) a couple of weeks ago and Tonga are a very similar outfit: physical, combative.
“They’re going to run hard and tackle hard, so we’re going to have to be smart there, and the week after it’s South Africa, so it’s not going to get any easier the longer we last.”
Asked about possibly facing the All Blacks in the last eight, the 31-year-old replied: “There’s a fair few scary teams before we even think about a quarter-final.
“People are labelling our pool as the ‘pool of death’, fair play.”
Kevin Sinfield believes England are ready to accelerate their development at the World Cup now that they have shown their true colours.
England have reported no fresh injury problems after Saturday’s spirited 27-10 victory over Argentina but are expected to see Tom Curry suspended following his dangerous tackle on Juan Cruz Mallia.
Curry’s red card meant Steve Borthwick’s side played all but three minutes of the Pool D opener at Stade Velodrome with 14 men, yet they rose to the challenge magnificently to produce their most resilient display since Sinfield was placed in charge of the defence 10 Tests ago.
It was a department of England’s game that was under close scrutiny after they had conceded 30 tries in nine matches, but even with Curry watching from the stand their tryline remained intact until the final minute.
“We showed a bit of what we’re about and I still feel there’s loads of improvement in us,” Sinfield said.
“We’re disappointed to concede at the end, but I thought we did a really professional job.
“We knew that performance was coming and to have to do the vast majority of it with 14 men shows the fight and the spirit that we have spoken about for some time now. However, it wasn’t being transferred onto the field.
“It was pleasing to see some aspects really improve, but more so for the players because they’ve seen what this group is capable of.
“And we need to ensure we get more of that and keep moving forward in each of our training sessions.”
Curry is to attend Tuesday night’s independent disciplinary hearing in Paris in person as England seek a favourable outcome to his dismissal after a clash of heads with Mallia.
The Sale flanker, who was making his first appearance since the autumn because of hamstring and ankle injuries, is facing a suspension in the region of three matches, which is likely to be reduced by one if he attends tackle school.
Offsetting his unavailability, however, is number eight Billy Vunipola’s return from his ban for a dangerous tackle against Ireland for Sunday’s second group match against Japan in Nice.
George Ford is the man of the moment after he masterfully guided England to victory against Argentina, who entered the match as favourites but proved to be a disorganised rabble.
Ford’s brilliance poses a selection conundrum for Borthwick given squad captain Owen Farrell comes back from suspension – also incurred for a dangerous tackle – against Chile on Saturday week.
Both are vying for the fly-half duties and while Ford is sure to be rested against the South Americans due to his heavy workload, Borthwick will need to make a difficult decision for the Pool D finale against Samoa.
“It was a masterclass from George. He really grabbed hold of the game for us. He managed it really well and he was faultless with the boot,” Sinfield said.
“He brings a calmness to us. You want your leaders to step up in a variety of different ways in big games and George certainly did that.”
Amo Racing has dispensed with the services of Kevin Stott as retained rider.
Stott, who replaced Rossa Ryan in the role earlier this year, rode Amo’s first Group One winner on Bucanero Fuerte in the Phoenix Stakes just last month and has enjoyed plenty of success in the purple and white silks.
However, Kia Joorabchian, the driving force behind Amo, voiced his displeasure at the ride Stott gave Derby runner-up King Of Steel in Saturday’s Irish Champion Stakes, in which he was beaten a length into fourth place by dual Derby hero Auguste Rodin.
Joorabchian told Sun Racing: “I told Kevin thank you very much. This was a collective decision on and off the racetrack.
“We have decided not to renew his contract for next season. It was always a one-year contract.”
Stott partnered King Of Steel to win the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, won the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes on Persian Dreamer, and the Craven on Indestructible among plenty of other big-race winners this term.
The 29-year-old had been stable jockey to Kevin Ryan in Hambleton before announcing he was to move south and ride freelance last autumn.
Joorabchian added: “We have done everything that we promised, he (Stott) has done everything he promised and we have parted ways, nothing more than that.
“I’ve never had a problem with jockeys. I never fell out with Rossa (Ryan), I love him more than anybody, he rode at Royal Ascot for me.
“He was my only retained jockey, he needed to go out on his own and get experience. I have supported him and he is thriving.
“But you know, Kevin is not a young boy, he has experience. For reasons outside of racing, I have to decide what’s best.
“I don’t know what jockeys we’ll use now, I’ll leave it to the trainers to pick the best available.”
Jonathan Humphreys insists the pressure is not off Wales after a thrilling victory over Fiji increased hopes of a fourth successive Rugby World Cup quarter-final appearance.
Wales’ 32-26 success came after they repelled a ferocious Fiji fightback that saw them score two tries during the last seven minutes.
And had Fiji’s star centre Semi Radradra not spilled possession with the line at his mercy just seconds from time, then it could have been a totally different outcome.
Wales face remaining Pool C games against Portugal, Australia and Georgia, and the knockout phase is now undoubtedly in sight following a statement win.
“The big one for us is Portugal. We did well in a lot of areas, but there is still massive room for growth for us,” Wales assistant coach and forwards specialist Humphreys said.
“We are not thinking anywhere close to what possibly could be. We know what’s definitely going to be, and that is Portugal in a few days’ time.
“It is not an easy game, it is their first game in this tournament. They are a tough side to play against, they are very skilful.
“We don’t see this as pressure off. It is just the next game and we have to perform.”
Wales made more than 240 tackles in the game, with 71 of those attributed to just three players – lock Will Rowlands, prop Gareth Thomas and captain Jac Morgan.
And that punishing defensive effort ultimately thwarted Fiji’s attacking brilliance in a game that produced eight tries and no shortage of high-octane entertainment.
Humphreys added: “You can’t make that many tackles if you are not fit and have the ability to get up and go again. The mindset and fitness was excellent.
“I don’t think many people had probably given us a shot at that game, but we had a belief.
“We knew to an extent what Fiji were going to bring, but it is still so hard to stop them. Their footwork is so late and so good, so we knew it was going to be an unbelievably tough game.
“But to get through it with a bonus point is massive for us.
“It was a hell of a relief at the end, but the next thing is Portugal. We need to play better, we need to be more accurate. That is the next focus for us.”
Rowlands was at the forefront, making 27 tackles and missing none as he delivered a performance that defined Wales’ unflinching attitude in defence.
“He is an exceptional athlete,” Humphreys said. “It is very rare you get such a big man who is such an athlete with such a big engine.
“He has turned into a very important player for us. He came to rugby late – he was early 20s when he started playing rugby. He is brilliant around the group.”
Frustrated Finn Russell hopes a two-week break between matches will allow Scotland to regroup and get Sunday’s demoralising World Cup opener against South Africa out of their system.
The Scots were unable to spark their swashbuckling attacking game as they crashed 18-3 to the Springboks in Marseille, losing the second half 12-0.
It was Gregor Townsend’s side’s lowest-scoring outing since their first game of the 2019 World Cup when they were defeated 27-3 by Ireland.
Talisman Russell said: “I’m very frustrated with the result but also with the second-half. I don’t think we showed a true reflection of the team that we are. It’s very frustrating.”
The Scots do not play again until they face Tonga in Nice on Sunday, 24 September.
When they return to action, they know they must win all three of their remaining games – the other two are against Romania and Ireland – if they are to have a chance of emerging from the formidable Pool B to reach the quarter finals.
“This was potentially the situation we were going to be in after the first game,” said Russell. “Ideally it wouldn’t have been, but now we’re in this situation we need to pick ourselves back up, we need to get going.
“We’ve got Tonga then Romania so we need to go into these games as best prepared as we can and looking to play as best we can.
“We had a 10-minute period where we let South Africa get two tries so we’ll chat about how we can get better after that second half and coming out firing straight away (after half-time) so that doesn’t happen again.
“As frustrated as we are, there is a lot to work on and still everything to play for.”
The Scotland players have been given time off with their families in the early part of this week to recover from the mental and physical demands of facing the world champions in their first game.
Russell, competing at his third World Cup, has vowed that they will come back ready for their must-win game against Tonga.
“We’ve got two weeks now so we’ll have the next few days just getting away from rugby,” said the 30-year-old. “That was very physically demanding and mentally as well.
“The next few days we’ll get away from rugby, refresh ourselves and come back on Thursday and start preparing for Tonga. That’s a massive game for us.
“We’ve got everything to play for now and to an extent nothing to lose. As tough as it is to take, in sport you have to bounce back as quick as you can and I think the boys will do that.”
Stand-off Russell was in the wars on Sunday and it looked like he may be forced off in the first half after a heavy collision left him grounded and receiving lengthy treatment.
“I’m alright,” he said. “I got a shot in the ribs and I think I was just pretty badly winded thankfully.
“The second one was a stinger which happens in rugby. These collisions happen and that’s part of it. Thankfully there’s nothing that bad.
“I’ll be good to go the next game.”
Novak Djokovic matched Margaret Court’s record of 24 grand slam singles titles with his fourth US Open win.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the Serbian’s record.
Grand slam record
Djokovic has won seven of the last 10 major tournaments he has played and came up just a Wimbledon final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz short of a season slam this year.
That extends his record to 65 wins and three defeats since the start of 2021. He missed last season’s Australian and US Opens due to his Covid vaccination status but has otherwise been in a class of his own in the last three years.
He won 2021’s first three slams and reached the final in New York, only for Daniil Medvedev to deny him a calendar year grand slam – making this year the second time he has gone within one match.
Perennial French Open champion Rafael Nadal defeated him in last year’s quarter-final in Paris, since when he has won four out of five slams and reached the final of the other.
In his career as a whole, Djokovic has won 88 per cent of his grand slam matches, 361 of 409, and one-third of the major tournaments he has entered with 24 of 72.
He is now two clear of Nadal for the most grand slam titles by a male player and moves ahead of Serena Williams for all players in the Open era. Court’s 24 wins were split almost equally between 13 in the amateur era and 11 in the Open era.
Man for all surfaces
Djokovic enjoys a stunning record at all four grand slams, as the only man to win each on at least three occasions and one of only three to hold the four titles simultaneously.
He has not matched the calendar slam feat achieved by American Don Budge in 1938 and Australian great Rod Laver in both 1962 and 1969, but did win Wimbledon and the US Open in 2015 before adding 2016’s Australian and French Opens.
Melbourne is where Djokovic has bulked up his grand slam total with an astonishing 10 wins, the third-most of any player at a single slam after Nadal’s 14 French Opens and Court’s 11 titles in Australia – only four of which came in the Open era.
Djokovic has won Wimbledon on seven occasions and the French three times.
The Dallas Cowboys sent a message to the competition in their opening game of the NFL season with a dominant 40-0 victory over the Giants in New York.
It was the Cowboys’ 11th-straight win over the Giants and their biggest opening season victory when keeping the opposition to nil, breaking a record set back in 1978.
The defence from Dallas was their most impressive attribute, forcing three turnovers and sacking quarterback Daniel Jones seven times to keep their opponents scoreless.
The Cowboys scored two touchdowns in the first quarter through DaRon Bland and Noah Igbinoghene, running back Tony Pollard scored in both the second and third quarters and KaVontae Turpin scoring a touchdown in the last.
Elsewhere in Sunday’s slate of games, the Raiders started their 2023/24 campaign with a one point win over the Denver Broncos in Las Vegas with Denver’s new coach Sean Payton failing to open his tenure with a win.
Penalties and missed opportunities hurt the Broncos, who are desperate to put themselves into playoff contention this year after seven seasons without qualification.
A last quarter touchdown gave Raiders wide-receiver Jakobi Meyers his second for the game and a 17-16 victory for his team.
In Chicago, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Bears 38-20 with four touchdowns in the second half, pushing their first half lead of four points out to 18 by the game’s end.
Two of those touchdowns from Aaron Jones in the third quarter to give the Packers an unassailable lead.
The Miami Dolphins took victory out of the grasp of the LA Chargers’ hands with a late touchdown to Tyreek Hill earning them a two-point win.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw for 466 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, leading his team to a 36-34 victory.
The LA Rams had more success, defeating the Seahawks 30-13 in Seattle.
The Rams were trailing at half-time but scored 13 unanswered points in the second half to start their season in the winning column.
The Philadelphia Eagles opened their season with a 25-20 victory over the New England Patriots in Boston, while the New Orleans Saints beat the Tennessee Titans 16-15 at home.
The San Francisco 49ers put on a dominant 30-7 display against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with the Jacksonville Jaguars getting the win over the Indianapolis Colts 31-21.
The Washington Commanders beat the Arizona Cardinals by four points, while the Atlanta Falcons scored two touchdowns in the last quarter to beat the Carolina Panthers 24-10.
The Cleveland Browns beat the Cincinnati Bengals, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won against the Minnesota Vikings and the Baltimore Ravens made easy work over the Houston Texans with a 25-9 win.
Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets will close out the first round against the Buffalo Bills in the season’s first instalment of Monday Night Football.
Emma Raducanu completed her fairytale in New York by winning the US Open singles title on this day in 2021.
The 18-year-old produced one of the greatest sporting shocks of all time when she beat Leylah Fernandez 6-4 6-3 in the final.
Playing in just her second grand slam tournament, the 18-year-old from Kent won all 20 sets she played in qualifying and the main draw to become the first British woman to win a grand slam singles title since Virginia Wade lifted the Wimbledon trophy in 1977.
Raducanu was sitting her A Levels little more than three months previously and had not played a competitive match for more than a year but she burst onto the big stage like no one before her.
Her achievement was unprecedented. No qualifier had ever reached a slam final before while she became the first woman ever to win a title in as few as two tournaments, and the youngest since Maria Sharapova triumphed at Wimbledon in 2004.
“I’m still just so shocked, still in the moment,” she said immediately afterwards. “I can’t believe I came through that last service game. It honestly means absolutely everything to hold this trophy. I just don’t want to let go.
“Yesterday and this morning there were a few weird feelings that I couldn’t put my finger on, I didn’t know what it was, but I think that’s just normal and when I came out on court I felt completely at home, business as usual, I was just focusing one point at a time.
“I think the level was extremely high, both of us were playing unbelievable tennis. I had to fight really hard to cling onto that first set and then just keep my nose in front in the second.”
Raducanu’s victory saw her achieve great commercial success, earning lucrative partnerships with a number of high-end brands such as Dior, Porsche and Evian.
But success on the court has not been as easy to come by and her career has stalled since her unlikely win, with injuries severely restricting any progress.
Ireland intend to give veteran captain Johnny Sexton as many minutes as he can manage during the Rugby World Cup.
Fly-half Sexton returned from an absence of almost six months due to injury and suspension to lead his country to a crushing 82-8 victory over Romania in their Pool B opener in Bordeaux.
Tougher tests await the world’s top-ranked nation as next weekend’s clash against Tonga in Nantes is followed by pivotal Paris appointments with South Africa and Scotland.
Ireland face a balancing act of wanting the 38-year-old on the pitch as much as possible while ensuring he is in peak condition for the critical moments.
Defence coach Simon Easterby said: “Johnny’s not got potentially many more times wearing the green jersey and – those of you who know him – he wants to play every minute that he can.
“That will be a conversation between him and Faz (head coach Andy Farrell) and making sure that he and Faz are happy with the discussions and how they want to map out the next couple of weeks.
“But certainly from our end, he’s the captain, he’s the talisman in the squad and the more minutes he can play the better.”
Sexton scored two tries as part of a 24-point haul on Saturday afternoon to surpass Ronan O’Gara as Ireland’s leading World Cup points scorer.
The oldest international in Ireland’s history, who will retire after the tournament, was replaced by Jack Crowley in the 65th minute to a standing ovation.
“I think it’s great that he got that many minutes,” said Easterby.
“He looked good, he looked fresh, he was energetic and I guess because of his age and his experience, he doesn’t tend to need a huge amount of rugby to get himself back into the swing of things.
“Training throughout the pre-season has helped that and has given him plenty of opportunities to play the game, as it were, as opposed to just training and running and doing fitness.
“It is different in a game and it’s different against opposition that we don’t know what they’re going to do all the time, that makes it a little bit more unpredictable.
“But certainly if Johnny is fit and available then it’s great for us and it means that he can keep on playing.”
Ireland fielded 10 World Cup newcomers against Romania, with rookie lock Joe McCarthy claiming one of their 12 tries.
“It is great to have so many debutants,” said Easterby. “They all produced some brilliant rugby at times.
“From that perspective, it’s more about us going week to week and having the right blend, the right dynamic in the side.
“Tonga will be a very different proposition to what we faced (on Saturday).”
Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his Achilles tendon in the team's Week 1 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh confirmed Dobbins' injury following his team's 25-9 victory.
Dobbins was injured early in the third quarter after being tackled following a short reception. The fourth-year pro was taken immediately to the locker room with the help of trainers before being ruled out of the game shortly after.
The 24-year-old scored Baltimore's first touchdown earlier in the game and finished with 22 yards on eight rush attempts along with two receptions totalling 15 yards.
"I feel bad for him, this is not the way we expected this to go," Harbaugh said during his post-game press conference. "I'm kind of crestfallen for him. He was playing well. We'll put our arms around him. He'll get into rehab. And he will be back; he's a young guy."
After rushing for 805 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie in 2020, Dobbins has missed much of the past two seasons with injuries. He did not play the entire 2021 season after tearing the ACL in the Ravens' final preseason game, then was limited to just eight games in 2022 due to further problems with his surgically repaired knee.
Dobbins also began this year's preseason on the physically unable to perform list before being activated on Aug. 14. The 2020 second-round pick is in the final year of his rookie contract.
"It's the ugly part of this game," Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. said of Dobbins' injury. And these people are your brothers; you [go through] blood, sweat and tears with them. It's a sick feeling that I have over me just to know that that's what happened. So, my prayers go out to him and his family."
Gus Edwards and Justice Hill figure to split snaps at running back in Dobbins' absence. Edwards rushed for 32 yards on eight carries in Sunday's win, while Hill scored a pair of rushing touchdowns.
Novak Djokovic made history with a record-equalling 24th grand slam title at the US Open.
The 36-year-old Serbian tied Margaret Court’s tally with a 6-3 7-6 (5) 6-3 victory over Daniil Medvedev.
Here, the PA news agency looks back at day 14 at the US Open.
Pic of the dayShot of the dayQuote of the dayStat of the dayNumbers gameBrit watch
There was guaranteed to be British success in the men’s wheelchair singles with Alfie Hewett facing compatriot, and doubles partner, Gordon Reid.
It was Hewett who triumphed 6-4 6-3 to take his fourth US Open crown and eighth grand slam singles title.
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