Winning the World Cup may be the highlight of Jason Robinson’s career but even two decades later the cross code star has yet to watch a rerun of England’s historic victory over Australia.
Robinson was a central figure in the 20-17 victory, showing his acceleration to outpace Wallabies Mat Rogers and Wendell Sailor and touch down in the left corner shortly before half-time.
It was to be England’s only try on a gripping Sydney evening that was ultimately decided by Jonny Wilkinson’s drop-goal with 28 seconds of extra-time remaining.
Yet beyond snatched highlights showing the most compelling moments, Robinson relies on memory alone to shape his recollection of the pinnacle of English rugby history.
“I go to events and forever see the clips with me sliding in, Jonny’s kick and Johnno (Martin Johnson) lifting the trophy etc, but I’ve not watched the game,” Robinson told the PA news agency.
“All I’ve ever done is play a game and then it’s on to the next game, the next game, the next game. That’s how life has been. I’ve probably been conditioned not to get attached to any one game.
“Funnily enough my eight-year-old wants to watch the final so at some point I’m sure we’ll stick it on and watch it in full.
“Some games, you think they’re better than they are. And then you watch them and see that you weren’t that great! I might be seeing that in the 2003 game.”
It was far from the end of Robinson’s career and only a year later he became the first black man to captain England, with the last of his 51 caps won in the 2007 World Cup final defeat by South Africa.
The boots were eventually hung up in 2011 having paused retirement in order to play for lower league Fylde and while a spell in coaching was quickly aborted, he has continued to find work as a motivational speaker and brand ambassador.
For all that has happened since, however, it was that momentous night in 2003 that had the biggest impact on his own life while also touching a multitude of others.
“It was hard for your life not to change. You come back and see the impact that it’s made on grassroots sport and the impact it had on fans,” he said.
“You’re going to Downing Street and Buckingham Palace and getting honours. You go somewhere and can’t buy a pint – everyone wants to buy you a drink – and you’re not paying for restaurant bills.
“We had an exposure that we’d never had before and we were being recognised far more than ever before.
“That was good because it gave rugby a massive boost because it was the first time we’d won anything since 1966. It was fantastic for us as players and we got lots of opportunities off the back of it.
“There are very few days when someone doesn’t come to me and say ‘I remember where I was when…’
“And they start to tell the stories of what it meant to them and what they did as a result of it. That just shows that even 20 years on it’s still had such an impact, it’s been huge.
“Because it’s the 20th anniversary, I’m seeing a lot more of the boys. We’re doing a lot of stuff together and that’s been brilliant.
“When you get back together and start to reminisce, you learn stuff from each other even after 20 years – things like how you felt. It was a special time. The comeraderie is still strong.
“We are that special group to have won the World Cup and we’ll always be the first ones to have done it from the northern hemisphere. Winning it is the ultimate.”
England’s dramatic final push for Rugby World Cup glory in Sydney 20 years ago had one of Clive Woodward’s favourite acronyms laced all the way through it.
Woodward loved his buzz words and phrases – “doing 100 things one per cent better than the opposition” was one particular stand-out – but nothing came close to ‘T-CUP’.
Thinking Correctly Under Pressure was at the very heart of England head coach Woodward’s all-conquering team, and they delivered a masterclass during a nerve-shredding climax that culminated in Jonny Wilkinson’s drop-goal for the ages.
Locked 17-17 with host nation Australia as the extra-time clock ticked down, England triumphed with what they knew would be their final scoring chance.
Lewis Moody received the ball at the back of a lineout, then Mike Catt ran at Australia’s defence and scrum-half Matt Dawson gained further vital ground by slicing through a gap before he was halted and became trapped at the bottom of a ruck.
Amid no sense of panic, though, England captain Martin Johnson carried possession on into a wall of gold Australian shirts, giving Dawson time to regain his position before his pass found Wilkinson, whose winning strike – from the fly-half’s weaker right foot – sailed between the posts.
“I’d had a couple of goes before which were very much pot-shots, having a dig almost,” Wilkinson told the PA news agency on the 10th anniversary of England’s World Cup triumph in 2013.
“But for this one I was thinking that because of where the guys had put me, I can’t miss. This must go over.
“I knew I had hit it in such a way that it wasn’t going to be the most powerful kick, but it was going to be accurate. I knew from fairly early on it was going over.
“It felt like a surreal, dream-like situation. I had to ask ‘is this really happening?'”
Mission accomplished meant that England became the first northern hemisphere nation to be crowned rugby union world champions, but measuring their success accurately requires a rewind to events before Woodward’s heroes even set foot in Australia.
During the four-year World Cup cycle between South African Jannie de Beer drop-kicking England out of the 1999 tournament and Wilkinson’s clincher, England played 40 Test matches – and lost only five.
New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and France were beaten away from home, England won all 20 games they played at Twickenham during that time and landed three out of four Six Nations titles, including a Grand Slam just over six months before an opening World Cup appointment with Georgia in Perth.
If anyone still questioned England’s pedigree, they then removed all doubt about world title potential with victories over New Zealand in Wellington and Australia in Melbourne as the World Cup loomed.
For those of us there to witness every twist and turn, England’s World Cup campaign undoubtedly had its speed-bump moments – notably a major quarter-final scare provided by Wales in Brisbane before England prevailed 28-17 – but ultimately, defending world champions Australia, coached by Eddie Jones, stood between them and sporting immortality.
While the final might not have been a classic in pure rugby terms, its see-saw nature gripped an 82,957 audience inside Stadium Australia and millions watching on television worldwide, with home fans inspired by the Wallabies’ stonewall refusal to buckle.
They trailed 14-5 at half-time as Jason Robinson’s try highlighted English dominance, but Elton Flatley’s nerveless goalkicking kept Australia in contention and ensured extra time would be required.
Wilkinson’s fourth successful penalty put England back in front, only for Flatley to come up trumps once more, but even he ran out of time following a final English flourish with less than 30 seconds left.
At last, England could celebrate, not only on the night, but until Sunday sunrise and beyond as the full magnitude of their achievement dawned. The best team on the planet had won the World Cup.
More spectacular scenes awaited them at Heathrow and on a victory parade through central London as British sport basked in the glow generated by Woodward’s golden generation.
“We all said to ourselves before the game that we had to enjoy it, take it all in and remember it – because you probably won’t be back,” Leicester star Johnson recalled, as around 500 England supporters thronged the promenade outside England’s Manly beach-front hotel the day after the final.
“We were on the bus on the way back from the game last night. It was about 1.30-1.45 in the morning, the rain was coming down, it was pretty black and quiet, and we had no idea what was going on back home. I am sure we will find out when we get back.
“One similarity between Leicester and Sydney is that at five o’clock in the morning you couldn’t get a cab, and it was pouring with rain! So I had to walk home from where we were to my wife’s hotel. It took me about an hour.”
And with that, it was off to the World Rugby awards in downtown Sydney as the party continued – this time without a tea-cup in sight.
Stephen Kenny has admitted he does not expect to continue as Republic of Ireland manager when his future is decided next week.
The 52-year-old’s current contract effectively ended with Tuesday night’s 1-1 friendly draw against New Zealand in Dublin and the Football Association of Ireland’s board will meet next week to decide whether to stick or twist.
Public support for Kenny’s tenure waned as the Euro 2024 qualification campaign he had built towards came and went without the success he craved, and he acknowledges that the writing is on the wall.
He said: “Obviously the board are meeting next week. They’ve a decision to make and I respect whatever that decision is.
“Of course, it would be a dream to carry on and manage the team, of course it would, but my instinct is that’s not going to happen. That’s my own instinct and the evidence suggests that probably won’t happen, so I respect that as well.”
Kenny, who replaced Mick McCarthy as manager in April 2020, has presided over huge change but ultimately has won only six of the 29 matches for which he has been in charge.
He insists he has enjoyed the experience and is keen to carry on, but he is philosophical about the situation in which he finds himself.
He said: “From my point of view, there’s no greater honour than to manage your country, it’s a huge privilege.
“It was an emotional dressing room with the players there. Ninety per cent of the players, maybe over 95 per cent of players, their careers are on an upward trajectory and they’re only going to improve as players and as individuals.
“It’s been a privilege in that regard, the greatest honour you can have. Whatever you did in life, it would be a step down, no matter what you did, but that’s the way it is.
“We have had a lot of setbacks and I suppose that’s why I’m not getting a new contract if that’s the case. International football is ruthless, that’s the nature of it. I know that, I understood that, but that’s the way it is.”
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On a night when he needed a resounding victory to support his claims of progress, he instead got more of the same, a tepid, toothless display in which a supposedly inferior side in terms of world rankings at times out-played his and might have considered themselves unfortunate not to be leaving with a win.
Adam Idah’s third senior international goal had given Ireland a first-half lead despite defender Nando Pijnaker’s justifiable protests that he had been fouled by Mark Sykes in the build-up, but they were unable to build upon it and Matt Garbett’s 59th-minute equaliser was little more than the All Whites deserved.
If Kenny left the Aviva Stadium with regrets over results, he had none over his radical approach to his dream job.
He said: “I’ve always been a big-picture person. Rather than to build something step by step, you have to see what the picture is and what you can achieve and what can be attained and then work towards that. That’s the way I see life.
“When you do that and you set the bar high, your fall can be acute. That’s the nature of how I’ve always managed, really. It leads you to incredible highs and setbacks. That’s the nature of how I see things.”
Rob Page insists Wales can reach Euro 2024 by drawing on their successful World Cup play-off history.
Wales were consigned to the Euro play-offs in March after a controversial 1-1 draw with Turkey in Cardiff.
Neco Williams’ early strike was cancelled out by Yusuf Yazici’s second-half penalty – with Page suggesting Wales would have won with another referee – as the Dragons fell short in their bid to overtake Croatia for the second automatic qualifying place behind group winners Turkey.
Croatia secured automatic qualification with a 1-0 home victory over Armenia, leaving Wales in the play-offs with a home semi-final against either Finland, Iceland or Ukraine. Poland and Estonia will contest the other semi-final.
The identity of Wales’ opponents will be determined by a draw on Thursday – and boss Page hopes play-off history will repeat itself as Austria and Ukraine were beaten in Cardiff en route to reaching the 2022 World Cup.
“We will throw everything into the preparation for the play-offs now,” said Page, who will attend the draw at Nyon in Switzerland.
“I’m pleased it’s a home draw. What our supporters do is incredible and this place is a fortress. We never disappoint and the crowd never disappoints – Croatia, Turkey, the Austria and Ukraine games.
“The lads who were in the play-offs have had those experiences.
“They managed the emotions of the Ukraine game for obvious reasons and that will stand them in good stead for these games.
“We’ve had some big nights here and we go into the play-offs with confidence.”
Wales had three penalty appeals turned down in a nine-minute spell midway through the first half.
Harry Wilson went down in a tangle of legs with with Abdulkerim Bardakci before Brennan Johnson was floored by a sliding Samet Akaydin tackle when the defender did not make contact with the ball.
Akaydin then flattened Johnson from behind in a crowded goalmouth, but neither Slovenian referee Matej Jug nor VAR came to the conclusion it was a penalty.
To add insult to injury, Jug decided Ben Davies had pushed Kenan Yildiz over and awarded a dubious 70th-minute penalty.
Asked if Wales would have won with another referee, Page replied: “I have to be careful what I say. But I believe so, if I’m being completely honest.
“It’s a stonewall penalty, one of the most obvious penalties I’ve seen, against Brennan. The defender’s got the wrong side of him, he runs into him and takes him out.
“Then we’ve conceded the softest penalty you’ll ever concede. It’s so frustrating. The VAR check was over after 10 seconds.
“I can’t get my head around it, I can’t really understand how they’ve come to that decision.”
Wales will return to action in March on the back of an unbeaten six-game run, stitched together after back-to-back June defeats to Armenia and Turkey that ultimately cost them dear.
But Page was delighted by his side’s performance following a tepid display in drawing 1-1 away to Armenia on Saturday.
He said: “I think you saw from the first minute we were at them. I challenged JJ (Jordan James) and Ethan (Ampadu) to be a little more creative on the ball.
“I thought both of them stepped up to the plate – and then some. JJ went to another level and from the first minute there was no thought of ‘we’ve got the play-offs’.
“We weren’t taking our foot off the gas. We were going for the win.
“If we can recreate the performance we had against Croatia, home and away, and Turkey – even out there before we went down to 10 men – then we will be OK.”
Wimbledon’s expansion plans have suffered a setback after Wandsworth councillors voted unanimously to reject proposals for 38 new courts in neighbouring Wimbledon Park.
The seven councillors acted upon the advice of their planning chiefs despite Merton Council, in which the majority of the site is located, approving it last month.
The application will now be referred to the Mayor of London’s office and the All England Club remains hopeful that it will still be given the green light.
All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton said in a statement: “Naturally, we are disappointed by the London Borough of Wandsworth’s decision.
“Our proposals will deliver one of the greatest sporting transformations for London since 2012, alongside substantial benefits for the local community.
“We firmly believe the AELTC Wimbledon Park Project offers significant social, economic and environmental improvements, including turning 23 acres of previously private land into a new public park, alongside hundreds of jobs and tens of millions of pounds in economic benefits for our neighbours in Wandsworth, Merton and across London.
“Given the split council decision, with the London Borough of Merton resolving to approve our application last month, our planning application will now be referred to the Mayor of London’s office for consideration.”
The All England Club’s application, which included an 8,000-capacity show court on land previously occupied by Wimbledon golf course, had met fierce resistance from some local residents.
Wandsworth’s planning officers recommended councillors reject the proposals last week, after concluding that there were not the necessary very special circumstances to outweigh the harm and loss of open land.
The latest development was welcomed by the pressure group Save Wimbledon Park (SWP), whose members have campaigned against the proposals.
Despite acknowledging the process was far from finished, chairman Iain Simpson said: “This result is very heartening. The councillors unanimously recognised the crucial point that this application provides no justification for so much harm to metropolitan open land, our precious green belt.”
Richie Wellens felt Leyton Orient let down their fans after their rearranged game with Lincoln ended in a late 1-0 defeat.
Orient had been leading 1-0 in the original League One fixture on October 3 when the match was abandoned after 82 minutes due to a medical emergency. O’s fan Derek Reynolds suffered a cardiac arrest and was treated pitchside before he was later pronounced dead.
This time around, Ethan Hamilton struck in the 89th minute to earn a first win for new Lincoln boss Michael Skubala, and the performance left Wellens downbeat.
“It was a really disappointing night for us,” he said.
“I thought first half we were OK but just passed the ball for the sake of it and never got enough crosses into the box. We should have taken the lead with Joe Piggott through a header.
“Second half we were really, really poor.
“It wasn’t the performance that gave justice to the events which took place the last time we played them.
“And for our supporters to pay twice for that is not good enough and not acceptable from our players and the staff.
“Second half we just drifted and we could have won it and probably should have won it.
“Overall it was probably one of the most disappointing games I’ve had since I’ve been at the club.
“The squad is being tested at the moment (because of injuries) but no excuses we were poor tonight and we lacked energy.”
The visitors were indebted to goalkeeper Lukas Jensen for a couple of outstanding saves from Brandon Cooper and Ruel Sotiriou in either half that protected their clean sheet.
Skubala, who was appointed last week and was overseeing his second match in charge, praised his team’s display.
“I thought the lads were brilliant to a man,” Skubala said.
“It’s not an easy place to come here, particularly after the battle we had Saturday at Stevenage and we had to dig really deep and weather a few chances so I’m really proud of them.
“We tweaked a few things at half-time to try and give us more control in the game. I felt we didn’t have enough in the first half but second half we started to threaten and cause more problems for the opposition.
“We freshened things up with our substitutions and stopped them landing the ball in the box with all the players working hard.
“Our goalkeeper made a huge save for us at 0-0 which kept us in the game and we know he’s got that big performance. His kicking was excellent too but overall, it was a great team performance and everyone put in a team shift.
“It was a great finish for the winning goal from Ethan Hamilton.
“I said to the players we have to be sacrificial at times. Be good team mates to each other. That is a key part of a team’s journey.”
England Under-21 boss Lee Carsley threw down the gauntlet to Harvey Elliott after his brilliant brace.
The Liverpool midfielder scored twice as the Young Lions breezed past Northern Ireland 3-0 at Goodison Park.
Reds team-mate Tyler Morton, on loan at Hull, opened the scoring as Carsley’s men recorded a routine Euro 2025 qualifying win.
Elliott now has five goals in Group F, with England second behind Ukraine, and Carsley wants to see more of the same.
He said: “It’s important he keep scoring and assisting because he’s going to be that kind of player.
“His stats and data for us are very, very high in terms of his attacking actions around the box, the amount of chances he creates for other players but more importantly, his work rate and the way he presses the ball.
“He has to keep scoring and assisting, it’s a big part of his game. The most important thing for a lot of the players is just staying in the race.
“Making sure you keep yourself fit, making sure your attitude is in the right place and you’re trying to make yourself selectable.
“Then, when you get the opportunity, taking it. To be a young player and to play in the Premier League week in, week out is a big ask so making sure you’re putting yourself in a position to do that is a big thing.
“He’s come into camp looking really fit, really sharp. He’s doing the right things. That’s all he can do. When he’s come on for Liverpool he’s made a really good impact and I see that continuing.”
Morton opened the scoring after 31 minutes when he drilled in from the edge of the box as Northern Ireland finally buckled after a frustrating opening for the hosts.
They had to wait until five minutes after half-time for a second when Elliott curled a fine free-kick into the bottom corner from 25 yards.
The 20-year-old added a third with 10 minutes left, latching onto Morton’s pass and chipping goalkeeper Josh Clarke.
Carsley added: “You have to be patient and you have to keep probing. In the first 20 minutes I thought we were a little bit too safe.
“Once we got the first goal I thought we saw a different level.”
Gareth Southgate says England will be away from the tournament hubbub next summer with plans in place for a quiet European Championship base camp.
Monday’s 1-1 draw in North Macedonia rubber-stamped the Euro 2020 runners-up a place among the top seeds in the December 2 draw in Hamburg.
Southgate will be in attendance for a draw that will not only provide clarity on opposition and pathways but where England will be based during their stay in Germany.
This tournament is being regionalised for sustainability purposes, with priority given to teams whose preferred base camps are closer to their match venues.
England have registered their interest in a number of options across Germany and Southgate suggests their base will be off the beaten path.
“Really somewhere where we can be a little bit on our own,” he said looking ahead to his fourth major tournament in charge.
“We need that nice contrast of relaxation and areas where we can work.
“You want to minimise travel where you can but we are really, within the FA, our staff are really good at picking those venues that I think the players will enjoy and will feel comfortable in.
“You basically want to be somewhere where everything that’s going on around you, you can zone out from really but somewhere with facilities that are good for working.”
The camp sounds similar to the quiet, laid-back surrounds of Repino – a secluded area around 30 miles from downtown St Petersburg that provided England’s base during the 2018 World Cup.
It certainly will not be anything like the base for their last major tournament in Germany, with Baden-Baden becoming a media circus during the 2006 World Cup.
“I wasn’t involved in that tournament so I don’t know how all that was but we have a great environment with our players,” Southgate said.
“We want their families to be able to go and enjoy the tournament as well. We normally welcome them in at various times.
“It changes the dynamic of the hotel, especially if the kids come in, and I think those elements are important for the players.”
The Football Association has been scouring through the Euro 2024 base camp guide and has visited a number of potential destinations as it edges closer.
England will be sweating on the draw to see if they get their venue of choice, with Southgate saying there are various things that go into it.
“There is basically a catalogue and you’ve got to get in early, if you like, on certain venues or you can try and go off the catalogue and do something different,” he said.
“We’ve had both options available to us and we are looking forward to finalising all of our plans.”
As for the potential opposition in Germany, the pots could prove cruel or kind and Southgate is ready whatever the outcome.
“There looks like being really strong teams in pot two and pot three looks like it could be very strong,” he added.
“In the Euros we had Croatia in with us, who proved to be one of the best teams in the world over the last few years and we managed to navigate that, so we’ve just got to be ready for whatever comes our way.”
France’s hopes of ending their European Championship qualifying campaign with a 100 per cent record were denied as Didier Deschamps’ men were held to a 2-2 draw by Greece in Athens.
The visitors struck the woodwork twice in injury time, with Odysseas Vlachodimos tipping a Kylian Mbappe effort on to the crossbar as the play-off bound Greeks withstood a late surge.
Randal Kolo Muani had given France a half-time lead but a swift double from Anastasios Bakasetas and Fotis Ioannidis turned the game on its head before Youssouf Fofana fired France back level.
Deschamps’ men had gone into the game bulging with confidence in the wake of their record-breaking 14-0 win over Gibraltar at the weekend.
But it was quickly clear they would not find the sturdy Greek rearguard so accommodating and Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Vlachodimos dealt easily with early efforts from Ousmane Dembele and Theo Hernandez.
Antoine Griezmann came closer after 15 minutes with an effort that the Greek keeper turned round the post, but Greece fired a warning of their own just before the half-hour mark when Konstantinos Mavropanos headed just over.
Ioannidis also saw a half-chance go begging before Muani opened the scoring three minutes before the interval when he fired home from a tight angle.
With nothing to lose, Greece started the second half with freedom, Ioannidis blazing a chance over the bar before Bakasetas let fly from the edge of the box in the 56th minute to pull his side level.
Five minutes later Greece were in front when Ioannidis latched on to a fine cross from Dimitrios Giannoulis to make it 2-1 to Gus Poyet’s side.
Deschamps responded by bringing on big guns Mbappe and Kingsley Coman straight after the goal, but it was Fofana who hauled his side level with a superb long-range effort with 16 minutes left.
Coman thought he had grabbed a winner in stoppage time but his effort was ruled not to have crossed the line, before Mbappe was denied by heroics from Vlachodimos.
Matt Garbett ruined James McClean’s farewell party as the Republic of Ireland were held to an embarrassing friendly draw by New Zealand.
Both McClean – who was making his 103rd and final senior appearance for his country – and manager Stephen Kenny, out of contract on the final whistle and with seemingly little hope of an extension, might have hoped for a rousing conclusion at the Aviva Stadium.
But a paltry crowd of 26,517 saw NAC Breda midfielder Garbett cancel out Adam Idah’s first-half opener to claim a 1-1 draw on a night when Ireland, who have slipped to 58th place in FIFA’s world rankings table, were at times out-played by a side some 45 places below them.
A review of the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, which ended fruitlessly for the Republic with Saturday’s 1-0 defeat by the Netherlands, will be considered by the Football Association of Ireland’s board next week, but evidence of the progress Kenny believes has been made was in painfully short supply once again.
Ireland, starting with a flat back four, made an uncertain start as the All Whites enjoyed early possession in their opponent’s half, but as McClean and Celtic winger Mikey Johnston got the bit between his teeth down the left, they started to make an impression.
New Zealand defender Michael Boxall had to be in the right place at the right time to deny first McClean and then – from the resulting corner – central defender Shane Duffy, with the home side pinning the visitors back.
Kenny’s men continued to dominate possession but found space at a premium as the All Whites defended their box resolutely until the 28th minute when they were finally pierced, if with an element of controversy.
Sligo defender Nando Pijnaker felt he had been caught by Mark Sykes – making a first start for his country – as he dispossessed him, but his appeals for a free-kick went unanswered as the midfielder found striker Idah, who made no mistake.
The visitors might have been back in it seven minutes later when, after the Irish defence had struggled to deal with Tim Payne’s cross, skipper Chris Wood diverted Marko Stamenic’s shot wide with his knee as it sped across goal to the relief of goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
Kelleher was called upon for the first time three minutes later when he clawed the excellent Sarspreet Singh’s curling attempt out of his top corner and he saw the same man fire into the side-netting after being released by Liberato Cacace in a strong finish to the first half by Darren Bazeley’s men.
The Liverpool goalkeeper departed at the break to be replaced by Mark Travers and the newcomer suffered a scare within four minutes when Singh picked out Garbett with a cross and saw the striker lift a shot wastefully over the top.
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Jayson Molumby fired just wide after being set up by Johnston and Duffy headed a McClean corner straight at goalkeeper Max Crocombe with Ireland responding, but they were rocked with 59 minutes gone when Singh again stretched the home defence and when the ball fell to Garbett on the edge of the box, he smashed it past the helpless Travers to level.
Singh tested Travers with a 64th-minute strike and Kenny chose that moment to make two significant changes, the first to replace Idah with Evan Ferguson and the second to hand McClean a standing ovation as he made way for Ryan Manning as his international career drew to a close.
Andy Moran was handed a senior debut as Kenny looked for inspiration, but Travers had to rescue defender Andrew Omobamidele after substitute Max Mata went for goal and substitute Ryan Manning prevented Mata from winning it at the death, while the final whistle came as a merciful release for the home fans.
Marcel Sabitzer and Christoph Baumgartner scored in either half to ensure Austria a 2-0 victory over 10-man Germany in Vienna.
The home team broke the deadlock in the first period thanks to Sabitzer’s strike at the near post before Leroy Sane was sent off after shoving the head of Philipp Mwene.
The second half was largely dominated by Austria with the extra man and they made their opponents pay when Baumgartner sealed victory at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion.
Austria enjoyed a bright start to the match and had the first shot on target of the match a quarter of an hour in when Michael Gregoritsch’s effort from inside the area tested Kevin Trapp in the Germany goal.
The home side broke the deadlock just before the half hour mark when Baumgartner picked out Sabitzer, who finished expertly at the near post.
Germany looked to respond instantly and Sane’s drilled strike looked to be going into the bottom corner but Austria keeper Alexander Schlager did well to deny the Bayern Munich winger.
Germany’s Serge Gnabry then let fly from outside the area but his audacious effort flew way over the crossbar.
Austria came close to a second three minutes before the break, Sabitzer looked to repay Baumgartner for his earlier assist and fed him but the latter’s effort missed just wide of the top right corner.
Germany faced an uphill battle to get back into the match when they were reduced to 10 men just four minutes into the second period. After Mwene was fouled by Sane, the German sprung to his feet and pushed the defender in the face and received an inevitable red card.
Austria sought to make their man advantage count and almost had a second but Stefan Posch’s low shot from outside the area went a whisker wide of the post.
The hosts continued to create chances and for a while it seemed only a matter of time before Germany would concede a second after Gregoritsch and Posch both missed half-chances within a minute of each other.
Midway through the second half, Trapp was called upon again to deny Gregoritsch’s goal-bound effort and keep the deficit to just one.
Austria’s second arrived in the 73rd minute. After setting up the first, Baumgartner raced through on goal and dinked the ball cleverly over Trapp to make Austria’s advantage more comfortable.
The closest Germany came to a consolation goal was when Jonathan Tah flicked on for Thomas Muller but the veteran’s header was magnificently saved by Schlager.
Wales are heading to the Euro 2024 play-offs after drawing 1-1 with Turkey on a dramatic night in Cardiff.
Neco Williams’ seventh-minute goal – his third for Wales – offered hope they could bridge the two-point gap between them and Croatia for the second automatic qualifying spot.
But Yusuf Yazici’s controversial penalty 20 minutes from time – awarded after Wales had three stronger spot-kick appeals rejected – handed Turkey a share of the spoils and the point required to top Group D.
In the end, Yazici’s leveller did not matter in denying Wales qualification as Croatia kept their side of the bargain by beating Armenia 1-0 at home.
Wales go into the March play-offs where a home semi-final against Finland, Iceland and Ukraine awaits.
Thursday’s draw will determine who Wales will play, with Poland and Estonia contesting the other semi-final.
Wales had lost control of their destiny by drawing in Armenia on Saturday, with a performance that was as poor as the result.
Boss Rob Page reacted to that disappointment by making three changes, one of which was enforced with Chris Mepham suspended and Luton defender Tom Lockyer making his first competitive appearance for Wales since September 2021.
Brennan Johnson and Nathan Broadhead were also introduced on the back of Wales’ makeweight attack in Yerevan.
Turkey skipper Hakan Calhanoglu, the Inter Milan midfielder, was absent through illness but Vincenzo Montella had started his managerial reign with three victories – including taking the scalps of Croatia and Germany – and their travelling support was as noisy as ever.
Wales showed an intensity that was missing in Yerevan as Broadhead seized on a mistake and curled wide of the far post.
But Wales did not have to wait long for the breakthrough as Harry Wilson found Williams in space on the left.
Williams cut inside on his favoured right foot and with perfect placement found the corner of Ugurcan Cakir’s net from 16 yards.
Turkey were visibly rattled, losing Lockyer at a corner and letting discipline slip with some unnecessary shoving as tempers threatened to boil over.
Wales had no fewer than three penalty appeals in a frantic nine-minute spell.
Wilson went down in a tangle of legs with with Abdulkerim Bardakci and Johnson was floored by a sliding Samet Akaydin tackle when the defender did not make contact with the ball.
Akaydin then flattened Johnson from behind in a crowded goalmouth, the challenge somehow escaping the notice of Slovenian referee Matej Jug and VAR.
Turkey sent on Manchester United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir for the injured Cakir and fashioned their first opening three minutes before the interval when Kerem Akturkoglu fired over.
Bayindir was forced into action from Johnson, who was proving far more lively than his limp second-half showing in Armenia.
Johnson brought another full-stretch stop from Bayindir after the break, but Turkey should have been level after 58 minutes.
Akaydin met an Akturkoglu corner from six yards but planted his header straight at Danny Ward in the Wales goal.
Ethan Ampadu saw his header held by Bayindir before Turkey equalised in contentious circumstances.
Ben Davies was adjudged to have fouled Kenan Yildiz, an incredibly soft decision that was capitalised on by Yazici in nonchalant fashion. It was Turkey’s first goal in four visits to Wales.
Yusuf Sari skimmed the Wales crossbar and Johnson had the ball in the net from an offside position.
There were heated scenes at the final whistle and a rash of yellow cards.
Wales had extended their unbeaten run to six games, but that will be of scant consolation as the disappointment of missing out on automatic qualification sinks in.
Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott lit up Goodison Park as England Under-21s eased past Northern Ireland.
The midfielder’s classy brace inspired the Young Lions to a comfortable 3-0 win on Tuesday.
He now has five goals in Euro 2025 qualifying while Reds team-mate Tyler Morton, on loan at Hull, opened the scoring with his first for the Under-21s.
It leaves them second Group F, three points behind Ukraine who beat Azerbaijan 1-0.
In what looks increasingly likely to be a straight shootout for the group win, the pair play each other in the penultimate game in October, and the Young Lions are in the rare position of playing catch-up.
It is clearly a chase they can achieve and, while boss Lee Carsley will say otherwise, the last game with his youngsters until March was a stroll after they dominated from the off, the gulf in class obvious.
Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, captain on home turf, was the first to waste a decent opening when he failed to connect with Tino Livramento’s knock-back as England struggled to find an early way past the robust Northern Ireland backline, marshalled by Ruairi McConville and Michael Forbes.
Noni Madueke curled wide after 20 minutes and Jay Stansfield miscued a half-volley from Hayden Hackney’s cross but they were half-chances, rather than the Young Lions slicing through their opponents.
They continued to dominate and press, James Trafford a spectator in goal, and Elliott shot wide but the killer touch continued to elude the hosts – until Northern Ireland finally wilted under the pressure after 31 minutes.
That it came from a misplaced cross mattered little as Madueke’s centre evaded Stansfield but was only cleared to Morton on the edge of the area and the midfielder drilled low into the corner.
From there, an England victory was rarely in doubt. Without Cole Palmer and Rico Lewis, elevated to the senior squad last week, they were perhaps missing a zip centrally but Madueke and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens offered enough on the flanks.
Indeed, Chelsea’s Madueke teed up Hackney to shoot over before Elliott doubled the lead after 50 minutes.
The Liverpool man was clattered by Terry Devlin 25 yards out before exacting perfect revenge by bending a free-kick into the bottom corner.
Madueke was denied by Josh Clarke as England hunted a third and it was Elliott who found it with 10 minutes left. The 20-year-old ran onto Morton’s pass, exposing a gaping hole in the Northern Ireland midfield, and produced a fine chip to lob the onrushing Clarke.
There was still time for Elliott to hunt a hat-trick but he was thwarted by a fine Clarke save.
The Indianapolis Colts waived former Defensive Rookie of the Year Shaquille Leonard on Tuesday, ending the three-time All-Pro’s tenure with the team that drafted him.
The surprising move comes after Leonard, who had undergone two back surgeries to repair a nerve injury, complained about his lack of playing time.
Leonard was voted to the AP All-Pro team as a rookie in 2018, then again in 2020 and 2021, but his injuries limited him to just three games last season.
“Indy, I want to thank you for accepting me and my family with open arms," Leonard wrote on social media. “These past six years has been nothing but incredible! Through the good times and the bad y'all stood by my side. I apologize for not bringing that (Lombardi) trophy back to the 317.”
A second-round pick out of South Carolina State, Leonard has been known as a sideline-to-sideline tackler with a reputation for creating turnovers.
In 70 career games, Leonard has 15 sacks, 12 interceptions, 17 forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries.
“Shaq is the ultimate competitor and has been a fan favorite since he arrived as a rookie in 2018,” general manger Chris Ballard said in a statement. “We are incredibly grateful for his contributions to the team and the city of Indianapolis over the last six seasons.
“We wish him the best and he will always be a valued member of the Horseshoe.”
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