Clive Cox was left beaming with pride after Get Ahead came agonisingly near to breaking her Group One duck at the Curragh on Sunday – and is now keeping a close eye on the weather with a trip to Paris a possibility for his progressive filly.
The daughter of Showcasing has always been a consistent performer for the Beechdown Stables handler and owners Hot To Trot Racing but has excelled this season in claiming the Listed Cecil Frail Stakes earlier in the campaign before going close in a Chantilly Group Two in her next start.
Further respectable efforts have followed, including when tasting Group One action for the first time in the Nunthorpe, but she took her form to the next level when beaten half a length by Ken Condon’s Moss Tucker in the Flying Five Stakes.
The unfancied 22-1 shot looked to have done enough to secure the big-race shock before being passed late in the day, but having displayed she is still progressing, Cox is now crossing his fingers that conditions remain dry at ParisLongchamp over the next few weeks so Get Ahead can take her chance in the Prix de l’Abbaye on October 1.
“It was a fantastic run and I was so proud of her,” he said.
“I was very concerned when the storms blew through just before. But she got into a nice rhythm and finished off really strong and for a moment I thought we had it in the bag before the winner came by us close home, it was a really exciting run.
“She’s a wonderful filly and has just strengthened and continued progressing. We always had belief she would come good at the best level and she put in a top-class performance.
“I’m pleased that she has come home fine from the race and the journey. She does have an entry in the Abbaye. We have always felt she is better on better ground than soft ground, but on Sunday we probably witnessed that good to soft ground is not too bad.
“The Abbaye is a possibility, if it was too soft then that would be out of her bounds, but who knows, with the weather we have been getting recently we hope it might just remain in her favour all being well. We’re in the lap of the gods and it is interesting, but you do get a dry Arc weekend occasionally.”
Another Abbaye possible for Cox is his Beverley Bullet scorer Kerdos, who has delighted connections with his progress this term.
He has a plethora of options including this Sunday’s Betfred Scarbrough Stakes at Doncaster and the Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes at Newbury on September 23.
“He only ran last weekend, so we are giving Doncaster consideration, but he does have a Listed penalty now,” said Cox.
“He also has an entry in the Abbaye and we have a Group Three at Newbury to consider on Dubai Duty Free day.
“We will just feel our way forwards with him having only run last week, but I was thrilled with how he equipped himself at Beverley and he has come out of the race really well.”
Ireland are optimistic sidelined number eight Jack Conan will be fit to feature in next weekend’s Rugby World Cup showdown with defending champions South Africa in Paris.
British and Irish Lion Conan, who suffered a foot injury in his country’s opening warm-up match with Italy, missed Saturday’s 82-8 win over Romania and will once again sit out on Saturday against Tonga in Nantes.
The 31-year-old was able to take part in basic on-field training on Wednesday morning following a series of gym sessions, raising hope of him being fit for the Springboks.
Team manager Mick Kearney said: “(It was a) very good training session today and everybody came through that really well.
“Jack was out running, which was a real positive.
“While Saturday will come a little bit early for him, I think the signs are really positive in terms of being able to train fully next week, and hopefully he will be available for South Africa.”
Every other member of Andy Farrell’s 33-man squad trained fully at Ireland’s base in Tours, including centre Robbie Henshaw, who was a late withdrawal from the Romania game due to a hamstring issue, prop Dave Kilcoyne and hooker Dan Sheehan.
Asked if it was Conan’s first on-field session since arriving in France, Kearney replied: “Not since we got to Tours, but it’s his first for the last few days.
“He has been doing most of his rehab in the gym with the physios.
“Today was obviously a very big day for him in terms of getting out and running. He ran really well, it’s really positive and he was in a good place afterwards.”
Sumo Sam bids to follow up her runaway success at the Qatar Goodwood Festival in the Betfred Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes at Doncaster on Thursday.
Paul and Oliver Cole’s filly was a widely unconsidered 25-1 shot for the Group Two Lillie Langtry Stakes, having been beaten in her first five outings of the season, but devoured the testing conditions on her way to an eight-and-a-half-length victory.
With the ground set to be on the easy side once more, Oliver Cole is hopeful of another bold showing in the ‘fillies’ St Leger’ on Town Moor.
He said: “She’s in good form, obviously she needs a bit of cut in the ground but it’s looking like she’ll get that and she’s pretty fresh after her last race at Goodwood. We’re looking forward to it.
“We were definitely expecting her to run better on that ground (at Goodwood), she is a very good filly and all being well she’ll go to the Prix Royallieu after this. The more rain the better for her.”
Sumo Sam’s rivals include Aidan O’Brien’s Irish raider Boogie Woogie, David Simcock’s Ching Shih, who was last seen chasing home St Leger candidate Arrest in the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury, and the William Haggas-trained pair of Golden Lyra and Crack Of Light.
Assessing the chance of his duo, Haggas told Sky Sports Racing: “Crack Of Light has basically been running in France this year and has won a Listed race and is Group Two placed and Group Three placed.
“She’ll run a good race. It’s her first time at a mile and six and I’m not so sure about that, and Mr Oppenheimer (owner) isn’t either, but we came to the conclusion that we’ve got little to lose by trying and quite a bit to gain.
“Tom (Marquand) has plumped for Golden Lyra, who was useful last year at the backend on soft ground. She should relish the step up in trip and she ran a much better race in France last time, her best race for a year, staying on all the way to the line.
“I think she’ll run a good race Golden Lyra, especially now the rain has come. I think it was the rain that swayed Tom to go her way.”
Boogie Woogie will be ridden by Ryan Moore, who told Betfair: “This is another difficult race to call, but Boogie Woogie had good form in deep ground earlier in the season, including in Group One company, and hopefully you will see a sharper, better filly than you did at Cork off a break last time.
“This longer trip is well worth a go, and she has the form to figure prominently if she stays.”
John and Thady Gosden also fire a twin assault, with One Evening and Lmay both declared, while Night Sparkle is stepped up in class on her first start for Andrew Balding after winning her last four races for Michael O’Callaghan.
High-class hurdler Goshen could revert to the Flat for a tilt at the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch at Newmarket next month.
Gary Moore’s talented performer has won 10 races in all, seven over obstacles and three on the level.
He notched his second victory at Grade Two level in the Coral Ascot Hurdle last season and was last seen pushing Knappers Hill close on the final day of the campaign at Sandown.
The trainer’s son Jamie Moore is Goshen’s regular pilot and is looking forward to renewing the partnership in due course, but not before a potential outing at Headquarters on October 14.
He said: “Goshen will always run his race over anything between two and a half and three miles when he goes right-handed.
“His worst runs have been when he has gone over fences or gone left-handed. I still 100 per cent believe there is another good race in him when he gets his conditions.
“He is in the Cesarewitch and that is a possible plan. We will see how the conditions are and how he is training over the next few weeks before deciding on that.
“If he ran in the Cesarewitch I imagine Hector Crouch would ride him as he has done a lot with him.”
Moore was speaking ahead of his bid to emulate his brother Ryan by claiming Derby glory at Epsom this year, with the 38-year-old set to partner The Whipmaster in Thursday’s Everyone’s Booking Fit Show 2025 Jump Jockeys Derby Handicap.
It is just over three months since his brother steered Aidan O’Brien’s Auguste Rodin to glory in the Betfred Derby in early June. Ten years ago he won the premier Classic on Ruler Of The World before his eldest sibling landed the Jump Jockeys Derby aboard Rossetti, and Jamie is hoping to repeat the double.
He added: “It would be great if I could win this race the same year that Ryan won the Derby. Although this isn’t quite the same as the main thing, I’d rather be winning it than not.
“I’ve won the race twice before and I enjoy riding in it. Epsom is not far from me, and it is a nice race to ride in with the track being a big part of British racing history.”
Moore’s most recent success in the race came aboard the Jim Best-trained Alberta in 2016.
He said: “I think the biggest difference between riding in this race and over jumps is that you have got to think sharper. Going downhill and round the bend at Epsom you are probably going as quick as when coming down the hill at Plumpton, but it is nice there is not a fence at the bottom!
“The Whipmaster has been a very consistent horse that has done well for us, and he has improved a hell of a lot.
“This race has fallen right for him and he ran well at Windsor last time out, so he goes into the race in good form.”
Adrian Keatley’s Ballymount Boy will head to ParisLongchamp in search of Group One glory after encouraging runs at both Goodwood and York.
The imposing Camacho colt demonstrated plenty of ability in his first two performances and made the step from a maiden victory to Group Two level when contesting the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood in August.
Vandeek won that event and went on to impress when winning the Prix Morny, but Ballymount Boy was just a length behind in second spot.
York was next on the agenda for the Acomb Stakes, a Group Three where he started as the 11-4 joint-favourite and was again the runner-up, beaten a length and a half on his seven-furlong debut.
The Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere is now the next step, over seven furlongs on Arc day.
“He’s doing very well after York, we’re very pleased with him and our plan is to go over to France for Lagardere,” Keatley said.
“I think that will suit him, seven furlongs on the track there, and when you look at the form, he has some of the best form there so we’d like to think he’d go very close.”
Keatley feels the Acomb did not suit tactically and with that knowledge Ballymount Boy will be positioned more handily in Paris.
“The way the race was run, he was just behind the pace,” he said.
“He was only really getting going and he ran the fastest final furlong, which shows you that was when he was doing his best work.
“He still ran a good race and now we can position him in the first few as he does take a while to hit top gear. We’re really looking forward to running him.”
McLaren were fined 100 million dollars (£49.2m) and stripped of their points in the constructors’ championship as a result of a Formula One spy scandal on this day in 2007.
However, the team’s drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, the reigning world champion, were cleared to continue in their battle for that year’s F1 crown.
The punishment, with what was an FIA record fine, was handed out by the World Motor Sport Council following the emergence of fresh evidence in the scandal.
McLaren were found guilty of fraudulent conduct at an initial hearing in July, namely being in possession of a confidential 780-page document belonging to Ferrari, but due to insufficient evidence, the team avoided any penalty on that occasion.
New evidence then surfaced, based around emails, and following a 10-hour meeting at the FIA headquarters in Paris, a statement read: “The WMSC have stripped Vodafone McLaren Mercedes of all constructor points in the 2007 FIA Formula One world championship and the team can score no points for the remainder of the season.
“Furthermore, the team will pay a fine equal to US100million, less the FOM (Formula One Management) income lost as a result of the points deduction.
“However, due to the exceptional circumstances in which the FIA gave the team’s drivers an immunity in return for providing evidence, there is no penalty in regard to drivers’ points.
“The WMSC will receive a full technical report on the 2008 McLaren car and will take a decision at the December 2007 meeting after what sanction, if any, will be imposed on the team for the 2008 season.”
After a conclusion to the season that saw Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen claim the 2007 drivers’ championship, McLaren on December 13 issued a public apology over their role in the saga and offered to put a freeze on developments that could be determined as deriving from the Ferrari information.
In February 2009, the matter drew to a close following an agreement made between the legal authorities in Italy and lawyers representing McLaren.
Charges against former McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan and three other senior employees of the team were dropped on a ‘nolo contendere’ (no contest) basis.
However, Coughlan had to pay 180,000 euros (£158,000) in exchange for not contesting charges of copyright infringement relating to Ferrari’s data.
Engineers Paddy Lowe, Jonathan Neale and Rob Taylor each had to pay 150,000 euros (£131,500).
Adam Wainwright worked around traffic on the bases to pitch five solid innings and earned the 199th win of his career as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the AL-leading Baltimore Orioles 5-2 on Tuesday.
Wainwright gave up seven hits and three walks but allowed just two runs, thanks in large part to his defense turning three groundball double plays.
The 42-year-old right-hander got win No. 198 on June 17 and had been 0-10 with a 10.72 ERA over his previous 11 games heading into Tuesday’s start.
Richie Palacios hit two solo home runs and Paul Goldschmidt hit his 24th of the season to provide support for Wainwright, whose quest for the 200-win milestone has become the last remaining point of interest for a disappointing Cardinals team.
As long as he remains healthy, Wainwright will likely have three chances to get his 200th win this season and his next start is scheduled for Monday against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Orioles left-hander John Means took the loss, pitching in his first game since April 2022 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Means gave up four hits and three runs in five innings while throwing 75 pitches.
Baltimore went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on.
Olson hits milestone homer in Braves’ win
Matt Olson hit his major league-leading 51st home run to match the Atlanta Braves’ season record in a 7-6 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in 10 innings on Tuesday.
Marcell Ozuna had a three-run homer and Ronald Acuna Jr. added a two-run shot to reduce Atlanta’s number for its sixth straight NL East title to one.
The Braves blew a 6-1 lead, but Eddie Rosario had an RBI single in the top of the 10th and Brad Hand worked a scoreless bottom half.
Trea Turner tied it at 6 in the ninth - his 11th home run in 13 games - off closer Raisel Iglesias.
Bryce Harper notched his 1,500th hit with his 17th home run in the eighth and Bryson Stott hit a two-run shot in the inning to draw the Phillies within 6-5.
Rangers’ Scherzer exits in win over Blue Jays
Max Scherzer pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings before leaving with a right triceps spasm and the Texas Rangers picked up a key 6-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Scherzer allowed three hits, walked one and struck out two while throwing 73 pitches.
He was removed after feeling discomfort on his first pitch to Bo Bichette in the sixth and will undergo an MRI on Wednesday.
Robbie Grossman hit a two-run homer and Corey Seager had three hits for Texas, which won its fourth straight to leapfrog Toronto in the AL wild-card race and pull within one game of AL West-leading Houston.
Prop Andrew Porter insists every member of Andy Farrell’s 33-man squad believes Ireland can win the World Cup.
Rugby’s top-ranked nation are among the favourites for glory in France but have never won a knockout match at the tournament following a string of disappointing last-eight exits.
The Six Nations champions launched their campaign by dispatching Pool B minnows Romania 82-8 and on Saturday face Tonga in Nantes before pivotal Paris showdowns with title holders South Africa and Scotland.
View this post on InstagramPorter believes Ireland’s current crop of players have no qualms about previous failures or the quarter-final “curse”.“I don’t think this squad does,” said the 27-year-old, who was part of the team eliminated 46-14 by New Zealand at the 2019 World Cup in Japan.
“We all have the belief that we can go and win. I don’t think anyone is too bothered with what’s happened in the past.
“Obviously there’s lads that have been in three World Cups and four World Cups, and it’s incredible to have their experience in the squad.
“But there’s not one player in the squad who doesn’t believe we can go and do this.
“I don’t think there is really any hang-ups about whatever you call it, ‘the curse’.”
Ireland face a major challenge to snap their unwanted World Cup record as they are likely to face a quarter-final clash with formidable hosts France or the All Blacks.
Farrell’s men must first secure progression from arguably the competition’s toughest group.
Ireland performance coach Gary Keegan, who works with players and management on mental preparation, believes head coach Farrell is “100 per cent convinced” of breaking new ground.
“It takes a leader who has the confidence in himself to want to break the mould and to want to reach for the stars,” said Keegan.
“Because if he’s not convinced that it can be achieved, it’s very hard to convince everybody else that it can be achieved.
“He’s 100 per cent convinced. That doesn’t mean there’s any guarantees in terms of where you end up.
“It’s about how we respond to difficulties as we face them. We’re not expecting the paths to be clear or easy. It’s not meant to be because it wouldn’t be worthwhile if it was.
“I think the group has always had that potential, there’s a lot of talent . One of the big changes is the empowerment that Andy provides to those players.
“There’s a very significant buy in to what we’re trying to achieve and a belief in how we’re trying to achieve it.”
Leinster player Porter shed around four kilograms and had a face “like a strawberry” during Saturday’s sweltering curtain-raiser in Bordeaux.
In addition to recovering from that gruelling experience, he and team-mates Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen and Joe McCarthy took time out from training to visit Clocheville Children’s Hospital in Ireland’s base city of Tours.
Porter, who aged 12 lost his mother Wendy to breast cancer and is involved with the Irish Cancer Society, found the experience “incredibly humbling”.
“It’s obviously a charity that’s close to my heart,” he said.
“It was a hospital for children with cancer, so it was incredibly humbling seeing how brave those kids were, and just kind of being able to brighten their day.
“It meant a lot to myself, and I’m sure the other players who were there as well.
“It’s obviously something I dealt with a lot when I was younger and didn’t have a lot of knowledge about it at the time.
“But, given my status, it’s incredibly important to use that status to benefit others and that’s what I’m going to try and do.”
Though the FIA Karting World Championships victory in the KZ2 (shifter kart) category slipped his grasp, young sensation Alex Powell still had much to celebrate, as he again etched his name in the annals of Jamaica’s sporting history.
Powell, who has been endured a series of mixed results throughout the season, placed second in the coveted championships in Wackersdorf, Germany on Sunday in what was another solid demonstration of his immense potential to rise to the occasion when it matters most.
While the American-born driver would have loved to top the podium and become the first Jamaican or Caribbean driver to win a World Championships title, the runner-up position sufficed for Powell, who knows that in a competitive category of this nature boasting over 125 drivers, the chances of winning fluctuate.
It was his first time finishing on the podium at the illustrious championships, as Germany’s Niels Troger finished tops, while Romania’s Daniel Vasile was third in the 26-lap final.
“The aim is always to ensure the Jamaican flag is displayed during the presentation ceremony and we made that happen. It's something that not many people are able to experience, but I am fortunate enough to have accomplished that and I am very grateful and proud that I am able to represent Jamaica and the Caribbean on this big stage,” Powell said as he reflected on the grueling weekend.
“I am just hoping that it inspires other kids coming up, not only from Jamaica, so they know, they too can do it because at the end of the day you know, I started from where they're starting now and I'm very proud of what I have been able to achieve. Sure, I still have a long way to go still, but I hope that I've been able to open a few doors for the kids coming up behind me,” he told Sportsmax.tv from his base in Italy.
The 15-year-old, who started his driving career in a parking lot in Trinidad and Tobago and his now a Mercedes-Benz AMG F1 protégé, also took into account the fact that this was his first, and possibly, only season competing in the shifter karts category.
As such, he welcomed the lessons as part of his growth process in a budding career that could see him transition to the Formula 4 ranks next year.
“This was my third FIA event in KZ2 this year and I was on the podium twice, so it is great that I was always a contender, challenging for victories in highly competitive category. Because at the end of the day, I'm racing experienced guys that are double my age, so even being around them, you know, I learnt a lot and I'm able to take away so much you know, sort of nibbling at their experience,” Powell shared.
“So, to finish runner-up in the World Championship was nice as you can imagine, it's probably a bit sour as well because you're so close, but then you know start to put it into perspective. So, I'm proud of the way that we were able to progress, not only from the weekend, but also from the beginning of this year, so like I said, hopefully next time, we can go one step higher,” he added.
This performance coupled with his third-place finish overall in the FIA European Championships, has boosted Powell’s confidence significantly, as he heads into the business end of the season in pole position in the five-race Champions of the Future (COTF) series, and still has the World Championships OK category to contest.
On that European Championships standing, Powell 191 points, behind Dutch driver Rene Lammers (278 points) and Italy’s Gabriel Gomez (213 points).
Meanwhile, he heads the COTF standings on 196 points heading into the final round in France. Great Britain’s Kean Nakamura-Berta (184 points) and Gomez (155 points) are his closest pursuers.
“I think that for the upcoming two races, we're in much better shape than we were before, so I'm quite confident, I have proven to myself that I can deal with the pressure and also produce strong results. So, to be honest, I think mentally, I'm in a strong place going into these last two events. So hopefully everything goes as well as it did this past weekend, but I'll be I'll be fighting hard,” Powell declared.
“Especially given the fact that this might be the last season in go-karts for me, so I would like to finish on the high and I'll be giving it my all. After so many years of trying and failing, to finally get on the podium of a FIA World Championship has taken off a lot of pressure and shows that we're moving in the right direction,” the cousin to former 100m World record holder and sub-10 sprint king Asafa Powell, ended.
Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from September 12.
FootballGary Lineker was feeling stylish.
A proud moment for Connor Roberts.
Yaya Toure felt honoured.
TennisFormer Wimbledon champion Simona Halep hopes to clear her name following a doping ban.
Stanislas Wawrinka was not happy.
Diminutive scrum-half Craig Casey is content to be the butt of the jokes after confirming his Ireland team-mates regularly “take the p***” regarding his height.
Casey is comfortably the smallest member of Andy Farrell’s 33-man World Cup squad at just 5ft 5in.
The 24-year-old was immediately teased after arriving in France when captain Johnny Sexton acted as though he was the team mascot during Ireland’s open training session in front of 12,000 spectators in their base city of Tours.
Munster player Casey, who emerged from the tunnel holding Sexton’s hand and then posed with him for a photograph, feels there is little point in rallying against the good-natured mockery, particularly with squad “sheriffs” imposing penalties.
“They like to take the p*** out of my height, as you can tell, but you just have to roll with it,” he said.
“I think if you don’t roll with it, you’ll probably be fined.
“There are a few sheriffs in the camp that keep everyone on their toes. I’d say if I fought against it, I would probably be in big trouble so I just get on with. It’s good craic.”
Casey, who is competing for action with Jamison Gibson-Park and Conor Murray, is still awaiting his World Cup bow after acting as water carrier during Saturday’s thumping 82-8 win over Romania in sweltering Bordeaux.
He hopes to be named in the matchday 23 for this weekend’s Pool B clash with Tonga in Nantes and believes it would be “unbelievable” to make his tournament debut.
“It’s exactly where you want to be as an Irish rugby player, at a World Cup being involved in this group,” he said.
“I think we’ve all talked about what the buzz has been for the last two or three years and it’s definitely increased since we got over here, the excitement levels within the group are brilliant.
“The first two weeks here were definitely hard work but we’re mixing it with the craic as well so it’s a very enjoyable place to be.
“It would be unbelievable to make my World Cup debut, if it happens. You have to be ready and when an opportunity does come, you’ve got to take it with both hands and try and cement your place.”
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After taking on Tonga, Ireland’s bid to reach the quarter-finals will be decided during pivotal Paris appointments with South Africa and Scotland.
Casey and the majority of his team-mates gathered to see the Springboks defeat the Scots 18-3 on Sunday afternoon.
He is braced for a physical encounter against the reigning world champions on September 23 at Stade de France, while also expecting similar this coming weekend.
“There was a good 25 of us in the team room watching it, so there was a good buzz around that, a very physical game,” he said.
“Scotland played very well first half, as well as South Africa, definitely physical.
“(They) just outmuscled them in the end, that’s what we’re expecting in a few weeks, that physical encounter.”
Speaking about Tonga, Casey added: “We know how tough the Pacific island teams are and we’re going to have to be at our best.
“We’ve got to go up another level (from Romania).”
Grosvenor Square looked a name to note in landing the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Galway – a race Aidan O’Brien has dominated over the years, including with the likes of Kyprios and Sovereign.
A Galileo half-brother to 2020 Irish Derby winner Santiago, he was made the 6-4 favourite under Killian Hennessy and after being ridden to take control inside the furlong pole he was nicely on top at the line.
Entries for Grosvenor Square include the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster, and a step up in class appears to be on the agenda next time out.
Stable representative Chris Armstrong said: “He is a lovely horse, he is only starting to develop and was just right for starting here. Aidan thought it would be a nice introduction to get him started, but obviously they went steady which wouldn’t suit.
“He is a brother to Santiago and on pedigree and home work he will be a lovely middle-distance horse next year. We’ll step him up into one of the Group races now and everything is building to next year.
“It took Killian a long time to pull him up and he was only doing his best work once he hit the line.”
He added: “We’ve started many of the good horses here including Kyprios, and Navy Seal won here at the last meeting (in August). It is a great introduction for them, especially the middle-distance horses, coming down a hill on sharp bends and then coming back up the hill.
“It brings them along mentally and it is good to get runs under their belts at this time of year.
“Seamus (Heffernan) has three suspensions in a row so is off until the end of this month and with Ryan (Moore) in England, it is nice to get Killian another winner. All the riders are in and working hard and in fairness to Aidan he looks after all of them.”
Will Rowlands played down his defensive heroics in Wales’ thrilling Rugby World Cup victory over Fiji, claiming “I just see it as me doing my job.”
Wales made a World Cup record of 253 tackles in the game, which they won 32-26, and lock Rowlands was at the heart it.
He delivered 27 tackles and missed none as Wales held on amid intense late pressure to claim a bonus-point win in their Pool C opener.
“I always find it a bit weird when the number of tackles becomes the headline because you defend in a system,” Rowlands said.
“Guys run at you and you tackle them. It’s nice people say nice things, but I just see it as me doing my job for the team.
“Five points against the Fijians is fantastic for us.
“We spoke about it today when we reviewed it that we did lots of things we wanted to do, and in the periods we were in control we built a nice little lead on them.
“And then there were parts of the game we need to look at and focus on which allowed them back into the game and set us up for a nervy finish, but game one, five points – very happy.
“We had gone into the World Cup feeling pretty confident, we had done some good work and we are in a good place going into the games physically.
“It was a big first game for us to play Fiji. They are a dangerous team. To get a win is fantastic, and now we focus on the next game with Portugal this weekend.”
Wales head coach Warren Gatland is set to name his starting line-up on Wednesday for the Portugal clash at Stade de Nice on Saturday.
And changes – possibly into double figures – could be made, especially considering the punishing nature of Fiji’s challenge and a six-day turnaround between games.
Wales assistant coach Jonathan Thomas said: “You will have seen for yourselves what a physical game it was and the amount of tackles we made. There are a number of sore bodies, but there are no injury concerns.
“The team gets named tomorrow but I think it is safe to say there will be changes. We’ve got complete and utter faith in our whole squad.
“I think what you will have seen from the Six Nations and then going into the three (World Cup) warm-up games, there have been opportunities for players.
“There were snapshots in those warm-up games where a number of players did particularly well.
“And that gives you the ability to make changes and freshen things up. It is a six-day turnaround, so it makes sense to make a few changes with the nature of the game we’ve just played.”
Players who could make their first starts of the tournament include full-back Leigh Halfpenny, wing Rio Dyer, centre Mason Grady, scrum-half Tomos Williams, lock Dafydd Jenkins and flanker Dan Lydiate.
Thomas added: “Are we satisfied with where we are at? There is always room for improvements for growth in our game. We are certainly not getting ahead of ourselves.
“Fiji are a team that hold possession particularly well, they are big powerful men with good ability, so they have the ability to maintain possession particularly well.
“We’ve got belief in our defensive structures. We are not afraid to play without the ball at times.”
Shane Lowry admits he was not best pleased to hear criticism of his Ryder Cup wild card after taking the chance to “shut a few people up” with his performance in the Irish Open.
Lowry received one of captain Luke Donald’s six picks having finished 11th on the European points list and eighth on the world points list, with only the top three on each qualifying automatically.
The former Open champion won the first qualifying event – and will defend his BMW PGA Championship title this week – but his sole top-10 finish in 2023 prior to The K Club came in February’s Honda Classic.
That led to criticism of Lowry’s selection, with former British Masters
winner Richard Bland among those believing that Adrian Meronk’s consistent form – including May’s Italian Open victory at the Ryder Cup venue – meant the Pole “deserves a pick over an out-of-form Lowry”.
“I know there was a little bit about that last week and…. I need to be careful here,” Lowry said in his pre-tournament press conference at Wentworth.
“Didn’t sit very well with me to be honest. I feel like, yes, my results have not been amazing this year, but I feel if you purely go down to statistics and go down the 12 best players in Europe, I’m one of them. And I feel like I deserve my place on the team.
“I didn’t feel like I had to go out and prove anything to anyone last week. The Irish Open is a huge tournament for me and a tournament I wanted to play well in.
“If it shut a few people up, so be it, but I wasn’t trying to do that last week. I wasn’t trying to finish third last week, I was trying to win the tournament. So last week was disappointing for me.
“This week is the same. I’m trying to win the tournament here this week. I know I deserve to be on that team and I know I’ll be good in Rome in a couple weeks and I’m very excited for it.”
All 12 of Europe’s team are competing at Wentworth after a flying visit to Marco Simone Golf and Country Club on Monday, where the thickness of the rough has proved a major topic of conversation.
Numerous balls were reportedly lost during the practice round and Lowry joked: “I only lost one so I was pretty happy with myself.
“Our group (Robert MacIntyre, Sepp Straka and Justin Rose) was actually pretty good, we didn’t lose that many, but one group had a bad day losing a few.
“It’s pretty brutal in spots but just off the fairways is no different to what you might see at the US Open or something like that. If you go a decent bit off the fairways that’s going to get very interesting.”
Asked if players thought the rough might need to be cut back, Lowry added: “No. If you hit a good drive down the fairway and hit a good second shot you’re on the green, that’s what golf’s about. That’s how I see it.
“If you look at the way the course is set up, Scottie Scheffler is number one tee-to-green in the world. So it should suit him. They have got some of the best players in the world.
“But we also have some of the best players in the world and I honestly think that it all comes down to who gets off to a fast start and who holes the most putts. That’s what Ryder Cups are about.”
Europe will certainly hope home advantage plays its part as seven of the last eight Ryder Cups have been won by the home side, with 2012’s ‘Miracle at Medinah’ the lone exception.
The United States stormed to a record 19-9 victory at Whistling Straits two years ago, but Lowry is confident a new generation of European players will prove a different proposition in Rome.
“If you look at their team, Scottie Scheffler was the worst player and he was 21st in the world, and he was world number one about five months later. That’s kind of what we are up against,” Lowry said.
“I feel like this is almost like maybe the next generation for European golf and I think that’s very exciting to see guys like Nicolai (Hojgaard) and Ludvig (Aberg) on the team and Viktor (Hovland).
“You look at Vincent Norrman winning last week, he’s probably going to be on future European Ryder Cup teams. I think European golf is better than what people have been talking about over the last couple of years.”
Tom Curry will be available for England’s final World Cup group game after receiving a two-match ban for his dangerous tackle against Argentina on Saturday.
Curry was shown a red card that was upgraded from yellow upon review following a clash of heads with Pumas full-back Juan Cruz Mallia in the third minute at Marseille’s Stade Velodrome.
A virtual disciplinary panel gave Curry a three-game suspension that will be reduced to two if he completes World Rugby’s ‘Coaching Intervention Programme’, otherwise known as tackle school.
https://x.com/EnglandRugby/status/1701621167746957521?s=20
It means the Sale openside will be available to face Samoa in Lille on October 7 in England’s final Pool D assignment.
Former Wimbledon champion and world number one Simona Halep has been banned for four years for two doping offences.
The Romanian, who triumphed at the All England Club in 2019, had been provisionally suspended since last October having tested positive for the blood-boosting drug roxadustat at the 2022 US Open.
She was subsequently charged with irregularities in her Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) and both charges have been upheld following an independent tribunal.
Halep, who has taken to social media several times over the past year to voice unhappiness at the time the process was taking, gave evidence at the tribunal in London on June 28 and 29.
She argued roxadustat had got into her system via a contaminated supplement but, while the tribunal accepted she had taken such a substance, it “determined the volume the player ingested could not have resulted in the concentration of roxadustat found in the positive sample”.
The Athlete Biological Passport programme collates various blood parameters over time in an effort to spot any inconsistencies in the data that could indicate a possible doping offence.
The charge was also upheld, with the tribunal deciding “they had no reason to doubt the unanimous ‘strong opinion’ reached by each of the three independent Athlete Passport Management Unit experts that ‘likely doping’ was the explanation for the irregularities in Halep’s profile.”
The 31-year-old, who also won the French Open in 2018 and is the highest-profile tennis player to fail a doping test since Maria Sharapova in 2016, quickly issued a statement confirming she would appeal.
“Today, a tribunal under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme announced a tentative decision in my case,” said Halep.
“The last year has been the hardest match of my life and unfortunately my fight continues. I have devoted my life to the beautiful game of tennis.
“I take the rules that govern our sport very seriously and take pride in the fact I have never knowingly or intentionally used any prohibited substance. I refused to accept their decision of a four-year ban.
“While I am grateful to finally have an outcome following numerous unfounded delays and a feeling of living in purgatory for over a year, I am both shocked and disappointed by their decision.
“I intend to appeal this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and pursue all legal remedies against the supplement company in question.”
Halep again criticised the International Tennis Integrity Agency, which oversees the sport’s anti-doping programme, saying: “The ITIA brought an ABP charge only after its expert group learned my identity, causing two out of three to suddenly change their opinion in favour of ITIA’s allegations.
“The ITIA relied solely on the opinions of these experts who looked only at my blood parameters – which I’ve maintained for more than 10 years in the same range.
“This group ignored the fact no prohibited substance has ever been found in my blood or urine samples with the sole exception of one August 29 positive test for roxadustat, which was present at an extremely low level and which, when considering my negative test three days prior, could only have been caused by accidental exposure to roxadustat.
“I am continuing to train and do everything in my power to clear my name of these false allegations and return to the court.”
If her appeal is unsuccessful, Halep will not be eligible to compete again until October 7, 2026, when she will be 35.
Karen Moorhouse, CEO of the ITIA, defended the handling of the case, saying: “After a complex and rigorous hearing process, we welcome the independent tribunal’s decision.
“The volume of evidence for the tribunal to consider in both the roxadustat and ABP proceedings was substantial.
“The ITIA has followed the proper processes as we would with any other individual – in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code – fulfilling our purpose and responsibility to uphold the principle of fair competition, on behalf of the sport.
“The panel recognised that appropriate procedure had been followed within the written decision.”
The New York Jets' worst fears have been confirmed.
Aaron Rodgers will miss the rest of the 2023 NFL season with a torn left Achilles tendon.
An MRI on Tuesday confirmed the severity of the injury one day after the four-time league MVP left the Jets' 22-16 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills after just four snaps.
At 39 years old, it's possible Rodgers' career ended on that fateful play.
The injury occurred when Rodgers was sacked by Buffalo's Leonard Floyd on New York's official third play from scrimmage. The star quarterback briefly remained on the turf holding his lower left leg before being helped to the sideline, then was later taken to the locker room on a cart before having his leg placed in a walking boot.
The Jets initially announced Rodgers was questionable to return before ruling him out midway through the second quarter.
After the game, Jets coach Robert Saleh told reporters that the team feared it was a torn Achilles tendon.
Rodgers final stat line for the 2023 season is 0-for-1 passing while being sacked once.
Rodgers arrived in New York to much fanfare after the 10-time Pro Bowler requested a trade to the Jets. The Green Bay Packers eventually sent him to New York on April 26.
With Rodgers on the roster, the Jets were a trendy preseason pick to end a longstanding playoff drought and contend for an AFC title. New York holds the NFL's longest active streak without a postseason appearance at 12 years, having last reached the playoffs in 2010.
The Jets will now press on with Zach Wilson.
Wilson's quarterback rating of 72.8 last season was the lowest among the 36 quarterbacks with a minimum of 175 pass attempts in 2022.
In Monday's opener, he threw a touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson with under five minutes remaining in regulation to tie the game at 13-13. The Jets eventually won on a 65-yard punt return touchdown from rookie Xavier Gipson with 9:02 left in overtime.
Zach Wilson finished with 140 yards on 14-of-21 passing with one touchdown and one interception.
Nicky Henderson is set to announce next week whether Constitution Hill will remain over hurdles or pursue a fencing career this season.
The undoubted star of National Hunt racing has won each of his seven starts over the smaller obstacles to date, including a brilliant victory in the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
With autumn fast approaching, connections must now decide whether to head down the same route this term or change tack – and the eagerly-anticipated news appears imminent.
Speaking to Newbury Today, Henderson said: “We’ll announce what we’re doing next week.
“We’re still to-ing and fro-ing, so many things have to go right so whatever we do is a bit of a risk.
“We won’t send him chasing unless we’re absolutely sure.
“He’s had a great summer and we’re still weighing up our options.”
The key to the decision appears to be whether the Seven Barrows handler feels the Michael Buckley-owned Constitution Hill possesses the required stamina to at some stage have a crack at the Cheltenham Gold Cup over three and a quarter miles.
Legendary mare Dawn Run is the only horse to win the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup, and only a potential repeat of that famous double will tempt Henderson to go over the larger obstacles with his pride and joy.
He added: “There’s no point switching to fences just to win the Champion Chase now, because you might as well win the Champion Hurdle again.”
Meanwhile, Nico de Boinville, who has been ever present in the saddle during Constitution Hill’s career so far, is relishing the opportunity to be reunited with the six-year-old in the coming months.
De Boinville – who will be in action on the Flat on Thursday when he rides the David Simcock-trained Fulfilled in the Everyone’s Booking Fit Show 2025 Jump Jockeys Derby at Epsom – said: “Last season with Constitution Hill was fantastic, everyone really enjoyed it and we have all had a bit of time to reflect on what he did.
“I thought last season’s Cheltenham Festival was great and it was fantastic to play our small part in it in winning the Champion Hurdle.
“Constitution Hill has spent the summer at Charlie Vigors’ (Hillwood Stud) and he has come back in looking well and I can’t wait to get going with him again. ”
On his upcoming mount at the home of the Derby, he added: “I’ve not ridden for David Simcock since my amateur days so I’m very much looking forward to it.
“It is my second ride in the race, but I’ve had a couple of other rides around Epsom as an amateur.
“It will be very competitive for sure, but I will be giving it a good go. As long as I beat David Bass I will be happy!”
John and Thady Gosden’s Arrest is poised to throw down a Classic challenge in the Betfred St Leger, with wet weather in the Yorkshire area helping to put conditions in his favour.
The Frankel colt entered the Leger picture when winning the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury in August, a length-and-half-success that came on good to soft ground and signalled a return to winning ways for a horse who was sent off favourite for the Derby having impressed when the rain was falling in the Chester Vase.
An Indian summer threatened to put his chance of lining up on Town Moor in jeopardy, but the heavens have since opened and Doncaster was good to soft, soft in places on Tuesday afternoon.
Barry Mahon of owners Juddmonte said: “He’s in good shape, I think John and Thady are both happy with how he’s training.
“We’re just keeping an eye on the weather forecast because it looks to be changing a bit, it looked a bit unlikely that we’d be running last week but I think they’ve had a bit more rain than was anticipated and there looks to be more to come.
“At the minute we’re very much on track for Saturday, we’ll just monitor the ground later in the week.”
While the final British Classic of the season was under consideration early for Arrest, his training team now look particularly well-stocked for the race with Gregory the current favourite and Middle Earth a supplementary entry.
Frankie Dettori, who has ridden Arrest in all of his starts this season, is engaged to partner Gregory, the horse he rode to land the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot.
With the race still taking shape and conditions likely to change between now and Saturday, Arrest’s rider remains unconfirmed.
Mahon added: “I asked John that question this morning and he said he’d go away and think about it over the next 24 hours and come up with a plan.
“I suppose the ground could dictate what Frankie will do, if it came up soft then he might change his mind, I don’t know.
“We’ll have to see in the next 24 hours what John and Thady want to do.”
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