Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag hailed the defensive discipline of his team despite them once again conceding more than 20 shots in their 2-0 Premier League victory over Everton.
James Tarkowski hacked down Alejandro Garnacho inside the box 12 minutes in and Bruno Fernandes tucked into the right corner from the resulting spot kick to put United 1-0 to the good.
Garnacho won another penalty in the 34th minute after Ben Godfrey flew in on the Argentinian and this time Fernandes handed the ball to Marcus Rashford who sent Jordan Pickford the wrong way for his seventh goal of the season.
Everton continued to press in the second period but their 23 shots were in vein as United bounced back from two defeats on the spin.
Manchester City had 27 shots at their goal while winning the derby last week, but after allowing a number of chances again today, ten Hag said: “If you see their xG is not that high and ours is much higher.
“It is their gameplan, obviously. We have players who feel comfortable to defend low. But you have to be disciplined and you have to incorporate it very well.
“It was a team performance, especially our back four with the keeper and Casemiro. They have done very well.
“You see the chances, they had some, also I think the way we defended set-plays was very good.
“We were really organised and we were focused – everyone did their job. There was one or two second phases where they we had some opportunities, but all over we did quite well.”
Garnacho went over in the box to win both penalties and was by far United’s best player in another sub-par performance at Old Trafford.
Boss ten Hag expressed his joy of working with the Argentinian but knows there are still vast areas to improve.
He added: “I love to work with Garnacho and many other players in the squad but he is a player who likes a challenge. Brave, confident and our job is to push him to high level but he is doing this. He has high potential.
“When you are young you don’t know what it is to play in a high competitive league and perform every third day.
“You don’t know you have to perform every training session. You need a lot of skills to be the best.”
Everton’s woes in front of goal continued despite their best efforts, including good chances from Abdoulaye Doucoure, Amadou Onana and Dwight McNeil.
The Toffees have scored just 14 open play goals this season and boss Sean Dyche knows his side have to find confidence in front of goal.
He said: “Very frustrating, as you can imagine and we have had a run of that where we have been performing correctly in so many ways.
“The most important thing is the scoreline, that’s the biggest stat and we’ve got on the wrong side of it, we have to work on it.
“I don’t know what teams have come here and had that many efforts on goal and chances but we’ve got to get hurt to score goals as sometimes Brian Clough used to say. That’s what I’m not seeing.
“They are working, the shape is good, the football played is pleasing and so it’s frustrating to not see that come to fruition with scoring more goals because they’re doing a lot right.”
Scotland’s Guinness Six Nations campaign unravelled in disastrous fashion in Rome as they crashed to a first defeat against Italy since 2015.
Gregor Townsend’s side looked set to tighten their grip on second place – and keep themselves on course for a first top-two finish this century – when they held 14-3 and 22-10 leads in the first half following tries from props Zander Fagerson and Pierre Schoeman either side of a score from Kyle Steyn.
However, the Scots completely lost their way after the interval as they fell to a 31-29 loss against an Italian side who – despite several encouraging displays that helped draw a capacity crowd to the Stadio Olimpico – had not won a Six Nations match since victory in Wales two years ago.
This chastening defeat in the Eternal City is sure to crank up the heat on head coach Townsend five months after exiting the World Cup at the group-stage.
Italy got the chance to get the scoreboard ticking over just seconds into the match when Scotland were penalised on their own 22 immediately from the kick-off. Paolo Garbisi saw the ball fall off the tee while the clock was running but the fly-half kept his composure to re-tee and send his kick between the posts.
Scotland soon gained a foothold, however, and they got themselves in front in the sixth minute when Fagerson powered his way over from close range after a sustained spell of pressure inside the Italian 22. Finn Russell converted.
The visitors crossed the whitewash again five minutes later when they worked the ball out to the right and Blair Kinghorn fed Steyn, who bundled his way past two Italians to cross the line. Russell converted again.
The Azzurri summoned a swift response as scrum-half Martin Page-Relo lobbed a clever kick over the top and centre Juan Ignacio Brex ran gleefully over just to the left of the posts in the 15th minute. Garbisi converted.
Shortly after Russell kicked a close-range penalty, Scotland scored their third try of the match in the 28th minute as Schoeman finished things off after being fed by George Turner in a driving maul. Russell’s conversion drifted wide.
Italy finished the first half strongly and reduced their interval deficit to 22-16 with a couple of penalties kicked by Garbisi and then Page-Relo, who was on target from close to the half-way line.
Scotland thought they had extended their advantage two minutes into the second period when scrum-half George Horne – on his first start since the 2019 World Cup – bolted over after excellent play by Huw Jones to release him but it was subsequently chalked off after Schoeman was adjudged to have committed a foul in the build-up.
The prop’s needless indiscretion was to prove hugely pivotal. Just two minutes later, Italy closed to within a point when debutant Louis Lynagh – son of former Australia international Michael – ran on to Garbisi’s kick-through and darted over the line. Garbisi – with the chance to edge his team in front – saw his conversion attempt come back off the post.
The Scots found themselves in trouble in the 57th minute when the Italians got themselves in front as replacement scrum-half Stephen Varney found a gap between Andy Christie and Jack Dempsey to nudge his way over. This time Garbisi was on target.
Garbisi then scored a huge penalty from distance to put the hosts nine points ahead with seven minutes to play, placing the Scots in a state of desperation.
Replacement lock Sam Skinner – denied a match-winning try against France a month previously – pushed over with two minutes left and Russell converted to bring the Scots back to within two points and set up a tense finish.
Townsend’s team were unable to find another score, however, and – as the Azzurri celebrated a rare and deserved victory – the Scotland players slumped to their knees in abject despair as a campaign had that promised so much was reduced to rubble in Rome.
Kieran McKenna highlighted “erratic” time-keeping in the Championship as Ipswich suffered stoppage-time despair with a 2-1 defeat at Cardiff.
Ipswich appeared to be heading back to second spot after Kieffer Moore’s fine finish against his old club 11 minutes from time.
But Ryan Wintle equalised in the fifth added minute and it got worse for Ipswich as Cardiff claimed a fourth successive win.
With eight minutes of stoppage time added, Callum O’Dowda volleyed home in the 10th extra minute played to leave Ipswich one point behind Leeds – 2-0 winners at Sheffield Wednesday on Friday.
Ipswich boss McKenna said: “I haven’t given any thought to the eight minutes, but it is inconsistent this year. It is erratic.
“There have been some games where I’ve thought there have been lots of stoppages and maybe you get plus-five. Other games there have been much less.
“I wouldn’t be able to guess what it is within a couple of minutes margin when the board is going to go up.
“I can’t say it was wrong today, but it has been inconsistent this season.
“But my focus is on my team and what we can control. We’ve been very good at seeing games out, today we weren’t.”
There was a lengthy stoppage at the start of the second half when Moore and Cardiff centre-back Dimitrios Goutas clashed heads.
Moore continued with his head bandaged and the former Cardiff striker scored his sixth goal since arriving on loan from Bournemouth in January.
Asked if defeat was a costly blow to Ipswich’s promotion bid, McKenna said: “Who knows? We’re not focusing on a promotion race.
“We’re just thinking about ourselves, our journey, the next game. We’re focusing on winning next week, and the next nine.
“If the game finishes after 90 minutes we’d be talking about a really strong away performance. But it doesn’t end there and, in the last 10 minutes, we didn’t do what we needed to.”
Cardiff’s win keeps them in the play-off hunt and provides a further boost before next week’s South Wales derby at Swansea.
“I say the same, we go game by game,” said Cardiff manager Erol Bulut, who confirmed Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey would be available after this month’s international break following a calf issue.
“Maybe this was the best. We have been really prepared and I never felt we were going to lose it.
“When you play well and concede, it’s not good, but how my players started, they finished the game.
“Confidence is very important. When you see a few weeks before, confidence was not good.”
Max Verstappen will not leave Red Bull, according to the crisis-hit Formula One team’s group CEO Oliver Mintzlaff.
Verstappen cast doubt over his future when he claimed he will quit the world champions if motorsport adviser Helmut Marko is forced out.
The PA news agency understands 80-year-old Austrian Marko, an instrumental figure in Verstappen’s career, faces a Red Bull investigation following the probe into claims of “inappropriate behaviour” against Christian Horner.
Verstappen’s deal with Red Bull runs until 2028 and, when asked by the PA news agency ahead of Saturday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix if the Dutch driver will remain with the team, Mintzlaff replied: “Of course. He has a contract.
“Max is a great driver and hopefully we will win tonight. I am here just for racing. That’s it.”
Horner’s female accuser was suspended earlier this week as a direct result of Red Bull’s inquiry which exonerated the 50-year-old team principal.
Marko is employed by the F1 team’s parent company, Red Bull GmbH.
Asked if he could be suspended following the race in Jeddah, he told Austrian broadcaster ORF: “Ultimately, I’ll decide for myself what I do. The theoretical possibility always exists.”
PA has approached Red Bull Racing for comment.
“I have a lot of respect for Helmut, and what we have achieved together,” said Verstappen after putting his Red Bull on pole position for Saturday’s race.
“It goes very far. My loyalty to him is very big, and I have always expressed this to everyone within the team, everyone high up, that he is an important part in my decision-making for the future.
“It is very important that he stays. I feel like if such an important pillar falls away, and I have told the team this, that it is not good for my situation as well.
“Helmut built this team together with (Red Bull’s late owner and founder) Dietrich (Mateschitz) from day one, and he’s always been very loyal to the team.
“It is very important that you give the man a lot of respect for what he has done, and that comes back to loyalty and integrity, so it is important that he stays.”
Real Madrid are continuing their fight against Jude Bellingham’s red card with boss Carlo Ancelotti calling his two-match ban “overzealous and inappropriate”.
The 20-year-old England midfielder was sent off against Valencia last weekend after he remonstrated with referee Jesus Gil Manzano, who blew for full-time seconds before Bellingham headed in what would have been a winner for Real.
Madrid saw an initial appeal against a two-match suspension rejected by the Spanish Football Federation’s (RFEF) competitions committee on Friday.
Bellingham has not been named in Madrid’s 20-man squad for Sunday’s LaLiga visit of Celta Vigo but the league leaders are not letting the issue lie and, according to reports, have launched an appeal with Spain’s sports administrative court TAD (Tribunal Administrativo del Deporte).
“We’ve appealed because we believe the sanction is overzealous and inappropriate,” Ancelotti said on the club’s official website on Saturday.
“He wasn’t insulting anyone, as is reflected in the report.
“They have looked at the way he approached the referee and I hope they haven’t singled him out because Bellingham protests in the same way as anyone else, in fact there are lots who do far worse.
“We think the sanction is not correct, and that’s why we have appealed.”
Ancelotti has also defended Vinicius Jr, who has attracted criticism for his recent performances.
“I’ve looked back at the statistics and I’ve never seen a player who has been so poorly treated,” the Italian said.
“He gets kicked, insulted, jeered… He scores goals and sets them up. I think everyone should rethink their attitudes towards Vini Jr.
“Never before has a player with that level of talent been so harshly treated. When something needs to be looked at, we don’t need to be making t-shirts.”
Despite being denied victory against Valencia, Madrid still hold a comfortable lead at the top of the table but Ancelotti admits his side, who have drawn three of their last four games in all competitions, have taken their “foot off the gas” in recent weeks.
“Following the Girona match, which was our best performance of the season, we’ve struggled and perhaps we’ve stepped our foot off the gas a bit,” he said.
“We have to think about where we haven’t been doing things so well, that’s how we’ll improve. We’re not concerned, we evaluate things in the most critical manner and we have to improve.
“We lacked intensity and a good attitude on Wednesday and tomorrow we have to make sure we get those things right.”
Celta make the trip to the Bernabeu lying 17th in the LaLiga standings but boosted by their 1-0 home win over Almeria last time out.
Paris St Germain coach Luis Enrique knows his side cannot allow their standards to drop as they head into the defining part of the season.
After securing their place in the last eight of the Champions League, the Ligue 1 leaders host Reims on Sunday and then face Nice aiming to reach the semi-finals of the Coupe de France.
Enrique insists the players must stay focused on delivering the required performance levels during such a crucial run of fixtures.
“Against Reims, the tension will be high because we played in the Champions League this week” the PSG coach said.
“We need to take this factor into account. We will need to be at our best tomorrow.
“And against Nice, in the Coupe de France afterwards, there will be a lot at stake since we want to win everything.”
Enrique added in a press conference: “We are pleased to have qualified (in Europe), but we are focusing on the present, we need to concentrate on the upcoming match against Reims in the league.
“I remember the first match against them, it was also after a Champions League match. We won in a not-so-easy encounter.
“We will need to be at our best once again and we expect a tough match, also because we used up a lot of energy on Tuesday.”
PSG will again be without centre-back Marquinhos, who has been managing an Achilles problem and was an unused substitute for the Champions League win over Real Sociedad, while Marco Asensio continues his recovery programme on a hamstring strain.
Kylian Mbappe scored twice on Tuesday night, having been taken off at half-time of the previous Ligue 1 game at Monaco.
Enrique feels PSG need to maintain flexibility as they look to sustain challenges on all fronts.
“Players may change on the field, but the intentions remain the same,” he said.
“We also want to be as unpredictable as possible and we are all working together on this approach.”
Reims coach Will Still says his side must not believe their season is over already following a run of just one win in the last six league games.
“We have to remove the idea that we have nothing left to play for,” Still told a press conference.
“We are ninth, a few points behind the teams in front – just because results have been more frustrating lately doesn’t mean we should question everything.
“We are not going to go there and crash, but to play and try to give the best image of Reims.”
Go Dante snatched the Betfair Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle on the nod for Olly Murphy and Sean Bowen.
The eight-year-old was the 5-1 joint-favourite for the contest and was patiently ridden by Bowen in a field of 15 rivals.
The bay did not always jump with fluency and did not look the obvious winner as they turned for home, with plenty of horses ahead of him and two hurdles left to jump.
He was gaining ground constantly, however, and began to close in on Dan Skelton’s Faivoir at the head of affairs.
The two horses drew level as the post neared and a photo finish was required to split them, with Go Dante coming out on top by a nose.
Murphy said: “Horse and jockey were both very good there and my best friend (jockey) Harry Skelton has finished second, so it’s a good job I didn’t get a lift down with him.
“It was a great horse race and Faivoir is a tough horse and has won a County Hurdle.
“Go Dante has progressed well and we always thought he was going to be really good and he’s come here today off a mark still in the 120s. I’m not saying I would have been disappointed if he didn’t win, but I thought he was better than his mark just yet to prove it.
“He’s won a good pot today and these are the races you want to win aren’t they.”
Go Dante holds entries in both the County Hurdle and Martin Pipe at the Cheltenham Festival, but Murphy will resist the temptation to head to Prestbury Park, instead thinking of one more run elsewhere before a possible chasing campaign next term.
He continued: “The first thing I said to Barbara (Hester, owner) is we won’t be running next week and the only reason I left him in was in case he bolted up.
“He’s a horse who has not underachieved, but he’s had a lot of problems and it’s a big well done to my team at home. He’s been a tough horse to train and he broke his pelvis in a nasty schooling incident. He’s been through the mill this lad.
“I think he will improve for a fence (next year) and I imagine he’ll have one more run over hurdles this year. Where that will be I don’t know, but I would imagine we might have a look at something at Aintree or Punchestown, or maybe the Scottish Champion Hurdle – something like that if it is soft.
“He’s had a very good year and hopefully he will be a very nice chaser next year.”
Ipswich failed to reclaim second place in the Championship as Cardiff struck twice in stoppage time for a remarkable 2-1 victory.
Kieffer Moore seemed to have returned to haunt his former club 11 minutes from time and put Ipswich on the brink of collecting three precious points in the Welsh capital.
But Ryan Wintle punished slack marking in the fifth minute of stoppage time as Ipswich failed to deal with Rubin Colwill’s cross and Callum O’Dowda’s knockdown.
But that was not the end of the drama as five minutes later, and with virtually the last kick of the match, Perry Ng hooked the ball towards the far post at a chaotic corner and O’Dowda volleyed home.
The defeat leaves Ipswich a point behind Leeds, who had moved in to second spot after Friday’s win at Sheffield Wednesday and possess superior goal difference than the Tractor Boys.
Cardiff were high on confidence after three successive wins and their lively start reflected that.
David Turnbull’s rasping effort from distance was saved with some discomfort by Vaclav Hladky, and the Ipswich goalkeeper was again needed from the resulting corner to keep the Bluebirds at bay.
The ball fell to Josh Bowler at the far post and Hladaky kept out his volley with an outstretched foot.
Ng seemed certain to convert the rebound with the goal gaping, but his scuffed shot allowed Moore to clear off the line.
Karlan Grant set up Josh Wilson-Esbrand for an opening blocked by Luke Woolfenden’s intervention and Hladaky held on to Bowler’s drive at the second attempt.
Ipswich did not look like a side that had scored in 12 consecutive games, struggling to play through midfield and supply Moore with tempting crosses against his old club.
Moore had managed an early header collected with ease by Ethan Horvath – Ipswich’s solitary on-target effort in the opening period – while the towering target man flicked wide after Wes Burns had raided down the right.
Ipswich began to get a foothold in the contest as half-time approached, but Cardiff went close again as Grant wriggled free just outside the box and fired over.
There was a lengthy pause after the interval as Moore and Dimitrios Goutas clashed heads.
Moore came off worse and was only able to continue after being patched up with a couple of headbands.
Ipswich sent on Omari Hutchinson and Nathan Broadhead, fit again after a two-game injury lay-off, to find some fluency in the final quarter.
Cardiff goalkeeper Ethan Horvath had to react to bat away Hutchinson’s howitzer but he was left helpless after Harness spotted Moore.
Nat Phillips stood off Moore for the first time in the contest and the Wales striker took his opportunity, burying a left-footed shot across Horvath.
But there was a lethal sting in the tail and the late goals from Wintle and O’Dowda ensured Cardiff maintained their late bid for a play-off spot.
Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford struck from the spot as sloppy Manchester United rode their luck in an unconvincing 2-0 win against relegation-threatened Everton.
Erik ten Hag’s side stuttered on Saturday lunchtime but managed to end a run of back-to-back Premier League defeats and keep their Champions League qualification quest alive.
United struggled for large periods against out-of-form Everton, who had 23 shots but paid the price for twice shooting themselves in the foot in the first half.
James Tarkowski clumsily brought down Alejandro Garnacho after a bright Toffees start, with captain Fernandes converting the resulting spot-kick in front of the Stretford End.
Sean Dyche’s men settled and continued to threaten, only to be punished by a Rashford penalty after Ben Godfrey fouled lively Argentina international Garnacho.
United continued to offer Everton a way back into the match but they failed to capitalise – something you would not expect Liverpool to struggle with in next weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final.
The Toffees began this topsy-turvy encounter on top, but the sleepy hosts still managed a couple of efforts before taking a 12th minute lead at Old Trafford.
Tarkowski caught Garnacho as he cut back and, after a swift VAR check, Fernandes’ hit a spot-kick just out of Jordan Pickford’s reach into the bottom right-hand corner.
Dwight McNeil volleyed narrowly wide as Everton looked to put that disappointment behind them, with United academy graduate James Garner testing Andre Onana before Amadou Onana mishit the follow-up.
McNeil lasered across the face of goal as Everton continued to prove a nuisance, although that effort came shortly after Pickford stopped Fernandes scoring his second.
The United skipper took aim with a 22 yard free-kick that was heading home in front of the Stretford End until a one-handed stop that drew applause around the ground.
But Pickford can only do so much, and Everton were soon made to rue their missed opportunities.
Godfrey’s clumsy attempt to halt Garnacho drive led referee Simon Hooper to point to the spot, with Rashford stepping up to send his England team-mate the wrong way.
Everton were perhaps fortunate not to concede a third penalty before half-time after Vitalii Mykolenko stopped a Garnacho a cutback with an arm.
United, too, walked a fine line in the closing stages of the first half, with Jonny Evans coughing up possession and McNeil seeing a strike blocked.
Play continued in a similarly open, chaotic pattern after the break.
Abdoulaye Doucoure was denied by Andre Onana at his near post in-between Garnacho lashing narrowly over and just failing to cleanly meet a teasing Fernandes cross.
The United skipper saw a low shot tipped around the post by Pickford, who did well to stop United stabbing home during a melee from the corner that followed.
Andre Onana had to deal with pinball in his own box soon after and United just avoided an Everton goal in the 76th minute.
Godfrey’s header was met by a Lewis Dobbin cross-shot that just evaded fellow substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin at the far post.
Everton continued to knock at the door and United tried to expose the gaps they were leaving, but neither side had the quality to add to the scoreline.
Ben Pauling dominated the European Breeders’ Fund Betfair ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final, saddling the first two horses home.
The winner Champagne Twist was ridden by Ben Jones at 11-2, whereas stablemate Pic Roc was the mount of Kielan Woods at a price of 10-1.
The latter horse made the running throughout, leading the 17-runner field over every obstacle and gaining himself a significant lead as the race progressed.
He was challenged by Champagne Twist in the home straight, however, who loomed up on the centre of the track to pass him just a few strides ahead of the post.
It was a special moment for Pauling who is enjoying a rich vein of form and he said: “It’s a brilliant result and I couldn’t split them beforehand. Woodsy wanted to ride one and Ben wanted to ride the other, so it kind of worked quite well.
“This is for a crew of my great mates so it’s pretty special, but Emma’s (Kendall, owner) horse Pic Roc ran a great race as well and probably just got a bit lonely having done plenty out in front and just got nabbed on the line. They both ran really well.”
Ben Jones has been one of the beneficiaries of Pauling’s fine string of results since joining the Naunton Downs handler and he was thrilled to have chosen the right mount.
He said: I’ve been very lucky with the opportunities I’ve been given and luckily it’s paying off.
“There wasn’t much between them and obviously coming down to the last there still wasn’t much between them!
“I think Pic Roc will end up being a lovely horse and Champagne Twist is probably a bit more streetwise and that’s why he’s won today. He’s not short of a turn of foot either and I think on better ground, you would see a better horse.
“We both jumped the last really well and there were no hard luck stories. Kielan said well done pulling up and he’s a good sportsman. He thought he was on the best one, I thought I was on the best one and luckily it worked out my way.”
Jodie Burrage will miss the next “few months” of the season after undergoing wrist surgery.
The British number two revealed the news on Instagram, posting a picture from her hospital bed with her left arm in a sling.
Burrage suffered the injury prior to a first-round qualifying loss in San Diego a fortnight ago and took the difficult decision to go under the knife.
View this post on Instagram“Little update: I don’t know where to start,” wrote Burrage. “My first practice in San Diego, I hit one backhand and felt something pop in my left wrist. After advice from multiple doctors and surgeons, surgery was the best option.
“Making the decision to get my 4th surgery was brutal…accepting it will take time.
“But smiling here because everything went well yesterday (and I was high on drugs), and the recovery process can start.
“It won’t be easy but I’ve got people around me who I know will help get me through it. Thank you to everyone who continues to support me and hopefully see you in a few months.”
It is rough timing for Burrage, who had been held back by repeated ankle problems before breaking into the top 100 for the first time last year.
The 24-year-old is currently ranked 86th, only one place below her career high, but will now tumble down the standings and is likely to miss the grass-court season, where last year she reached the final of the WTA Tour event in Nottingham.
Craig Butler revealed that his wish was for his son Leon Bailey to join Ajax, but has no regrets that he has found a home at Aston Villa.
The comments came ahead of Aston Villa's goalless stalemate with the Dutch club in Thursday’s Europa Conference League Round of 16 match at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
Bailey, 26, was subject of transfer interest from Ajax during his time at Genk before joining Bayer Leverkusen in 2017. But the Dutch giants continued to follow Bailey throughout the years, and he nearly joined the club on three separate occasions.
Butler revealed that the last potential switch came in 2022, a year after the winger joined Villa and struggled under former boss Steven Gerrard.
"Bailey was indeed already in the picture at Ajax, but also at Genk, to whom I eventually sold him. Ajax did want him, but not according to the agreements that were in place," Butler told Voetbal International.
"We were always very close, but the final push from Ajax was missing. I would have liked to see it happen. Who knows how it would all have turned out, but we stand by the choices we made. In retrospect, it was the steps that were necessary.
"Leon’s transfer to Aston Villa has turned out well. He’s doing well and he loves the fans. Who knows where Leon would have been now if he had gone to Ajax, because Ajax has produced great players worldwide. If Leon had signed with Ajax, he would probably have been sold for a lot more money, but money isn’t everything,” he added.
Bailey himself revealed that being at the Birmingham-based Villa under Unai Emery's leadership is the happiest he's been in his career.
“I would say yes. I think at the moment things have been going really well for me. I've been scoring goals and I've been getting assists," Bailey told the media ahead of the European clash.
"I've been really showing up for the team whenever I call up. And right now, I feel good, and I would say it's the best moment of my career,” he declared.
Warren Gatland believes that Antoine Dupont’s absence from the Guinness Six Nations has proved “a massive loss” for France.
Les Bleus’ mercurial World Cup captain has joined the sevens circuit ahead of the Paris Olympics later this year.
And France have struggled without him, being beaten comprehensively by Six Nations title favourites Ireland and then drawing at home against Italy, either side of narrowly defeating Scotland.
They tackle Wales at the Principality Stadium on Sunday, when Gatland’s team will target a first Six Nations victory over them since 2019.
“It just shows when you are with a team – and we have been lucky enough with this in the past and it is the challenge going forward – that having two or three X-factor players in your team can make a massive difference,” Wales head coach Gatland said.
“Sometimes you get two relatively even teams, but it is the individual brilliance of someone who can change a game.
“There is no doubt for me that Dupont is a massive loss for them. He is probably the best player in the world.
“We have already seen what he has done with the French sevens team. They won the sevens tournament (in Los Angeles).
“(Romain) Ntamack is a big loss for them in terms of that nine-10 partnership. It is difficult to put your finger on it.
“They have made some changes. They have probably thought they don’t feel like they can win the Six Nations, so there is a chance to give players in their squad an opportunity.”
Whether Wales can take advantage of France’s current position remains to be seen.
Gatland’s team have yet to win in this season’s tournament, raising the potential scenario of a wooden-spoon decider against Italy next weekend if they do not triumph on Sunday.
It is 21 years since Wales last finished bottom of the Six Nations table, although they were fifth in three of the past four seasons.
Considerable interest will surround the appearance of a new centre pairing, with Six Nations debutant Joe Roberts partnering Owen Watkin after Gatland left out George North and Nick Tompkins.
And captain Dafydd Jenkins has been moved from lock to blindside flanker as Will Rowlands and Adam Beard team up in the second-row.
Gatland added: “We’ve spoken to the two boys (Roberts and Watkin) about their roles. They have got a chance to make a statement.
“The big thing for them – what I am looking for – is not about them playing, but them being vocal, making sure they communicate to the 10s and take that communication from the outside.
“That is a massive thing for us in terms of work-on, but also them realising how vocal they need to be in attack and defence.
“We had spoken early in the tournament about giving Daf that chance (at blindside). He was pretty excited when we did talk about it in one of the earlier games.
“When we said we were playing him at second-row, he joked we didn’t have the guts to put him in the back-row!
“It is a good chance as a young player to get that opportunity in a different position.
“We know what a big pack France will put out and particularly that first 20 or 30 minutes. They were really direct against Italy in that time and could have been three tries up.
“We have got to expect a real physical challenge, particularly in the early exchanges of the game.”
Galopin Des Champs is one of 13 confirmations for the Boodles Gold Cup on Friday, as he seeks to defend his Cheltenham crown.
Willie Mullins’ star got the better of Bravemansgame last year, with the Paul Nicholls-trained runner-up on course to renew rivalry next week.
Martin Brassil’s Fastorslow is another leading contender for Ireland, having twice accounted for Galopin Des Champs since the Gold Cup, although he had to settle for second place in the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Shishkin is all set for Nicky Henderson, who was left wondering what might have been when his former crack two-miler slipped on landing when leading in the King George VI Chase.
Bargain-buy Hewick swept home to win the Kempton showpiece on Boxing Day and has been kept fresh by Shark Hanlon.
Gordon Elliott’s Gerri Colombe was second to Patrick Neville’s The Real Whacker in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase last season and they both feature, as does Gentlemansgame for Mouse Morris, who struck with War Of Attrition in 2006.
L’Homme Presse is right in contention for Venetia Williams and Charlie Deutsch, after a winning return from the sidelines at Lingfield and an encouraging prep over a trip short of his best in the Ascot Chase.
Deutsch said: “I’m looking forward to it. Although things weren’t suitable for him at Ascot – the distance and the way the race was run – he didn’t feel completely at his best that day and still did fine.
“I think his prep is all going well so far. I haven’t sat on him, but Jess who rides him at home knows him well and says he is going along OK.
“It’s nice to know he can do it at Cheltenham and over the distance and he will be suited by going back up in trip.
“It’s a Gold Cup, so that’s the unknown – you are going up against the best. I just hope he runs well and wherever he comes, he has run to his full potential.”
Monkfish is still in for Mullins, with Lucinda Russell being represented by Grand National hero Corach Rambler. Jungle Boogie and Nassalam complete the contenders.
Ahoy Senor, Conflated and Protektorat were the three withdrawals at the confirmation stage.
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