Celtic captain Callum McGregor is relishing the pressure of keeping the Scottish champions at the top of the pile.

McGregor will lead his team out for their cinch Premiership opener against Ross County on Saturday looking to begin the process of adding to his 20 major honours.

Celtic face the challenge of a Rangers side who have added nine players, while Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibernian have also been spending money.

And McGregor is excited about the chance to meet the renewed competition head on.

“If you are in elite sport, you have to enjoy the pressure,” the 30-year-old said. “There is always a challenge. There’s challenges within the building, new players coming in trying to push the players who are playing. You get a real competitive edge within the squad.

“And then of course when you come together as a squad you have 11 other teams who are trying to beat you. That’s the pressure you want as a football player. You want to stay at the front. You understand how hard that challenge is but it’s something that you relish.”

Celtic won their fifth treble in seven seasons last term but McGregor knows that can quickly become irrelevant.

“I have been lucky enough to have that feeling a fair few times in my career but when you start a new season, you start afresh,” he said. “It doesn’t count for anything.

“Everyone is now looking at: ‘Can you win it again, can you do this, can you do that?’ You have to find the answers and if you play at a top club like this then you have to take that challenge on.

“You embrace it, you embrace it with your mates, the manager, everyone together, supporters. What is better than that challenge, to continue to push and improve every year?

“We have to. It’s simple. We had a tremendous season but we have to park that. It’s a new manager, some new players, and a fresh test of mentality, quality, finding a way to win. All of these things.”

Manager Brendan Rodgers returns to competitive action for Celtic against a familiar face in former Hoops defender Malky Mackay.

The Ross County manager worked under Rodgers at Watford before succeeding him as Hornets boss. The pair then managed Swansea and Cardiff at the same time before Mackay’s acrimonious departure from the Bluebirds set back his managerial career.

Rodgers said: “I am really looking forward to seeing Malky. Malky is a good man.

“I have to say Ross County are very, very fortunate to have someone of that calibre as a manager.

“He has had a real challenging decade, Malky, but what I know from working with him is what a first-class manager he is, and a coach and person.

“He has done a great job at Ross County with, I am sure, limited resources. He had a great finish a couple of seasons ago and obviously fought to stay in the league last season.

“But what I know about Malky’s teams, they always make it really, really difficult. He’s a top-class manager that Ross County are very fortunate to have.”

Highfield Princess belatedly opened her account for the campaign with a runaway victory in the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood.

John Quinn’s superstar mare won three times at Group One level last term, landing the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville, the Nunthorpe at York and the Flying Five at the Curragh.

She had to make do with minor honours in her first three outings of this season, but having placed in both the King’s Stand and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in June she was the 4-9 favourite to get back on the winning trail.

Those who took the cramped odds about the six-year-old will have had few concerns for the duration of the five-furlong contest, with Highfield Princess initially taking a lead Czech raider Ponntos before bursting to the lead.

White Lavender came from out of the pack and just briefly threatened to make a race of it, but Highfield Princess found another gear in the last half-furlong under her regular partner Jason Hart and had three lengths in hand at the line.

Paddy Power make the winner their 2-1 favourite from 11-4 to successfully defend her Nunthorpe crown at York on August 25.

Epictetus inflicted a shock defeat on the much-vaunted Nostrum to land the Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood.

Winner of his first two juvenile starts before finishing third in the Dewhurst, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Nostrum was considered a legitimate Classic contender at the start of the year before injury ruled him out of the first half of the season.

Having made a dominant comeback in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket last month, there was talk of a tilt at Group One glory in the Sussex Stakes, but connections instead elected to take another step forward in this Group Three contest.

For much of the one-mile journey the race appeared to be going according to script, with Ryan Moore adopting the same pacesetting tactics which worked so impressively at Newmarket three weeks ago aboard the 4-6 market leader – but it was a clear with a furlong to run he had a race on his hands.

Having sat in Nostrum’s slipstream throughout, the John and Thady Gosden-trained Epictetus produced the better finishing kick of the pair and passed the post with a length in hand under Frankie Dettori.

Of the vanquished favourite, Stoute’s assistant James Savage said: “Ryan thought he had the horse in the perfect place and that the race was for us, but in the last 100 yards he said it was like having a puncture.

“We always thought he would handle cut in the ground, but it found him out in the final 100 yards.

“He’s never not hit the line and we felt he just didn’t hit the line today. We’ll give him a good check over and regroup.

“All of our horses are trained to hit their heights at a certain time, and this horse – for sure he’s a very good horse this year, but he will be an even better horse next year.”

Epictetus, trained by John and Thady Gosden, was a 6-1 shot to notch a first win since making a successful reappearance at Epsom in April, having since failed to trouble the judge in the Dante, the French Derby or the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Dropping back to a mile for the first time this season Epictetus looked the real deal, much to the delight of his connections.

“The horse has shown plenty of speed over a mile and two (furlongs), we thought he’d progress to a mile and a quarter this year,” said Thady Gosden.

“Obviously it hasn’t necessarily panned out, he’s run good races without getting his head in front but dropping him down in trip today on ground he’s enjoyed has suited him well.

“It was a perfect ride. He broke well, sat where he was happy on the fence and it panned out, he followed Ryan and it was a Houdini move to get out of there with a furlong to go. Being Frankie, he obviously managed to do it!

“Obviously there is a mile race back here, the Celebration Mile, which fits in well.”

Dettori added: “We tried three times over a mile and two furlongs and we always had an excuse – the ground, the competition in the Jockey Club, and we thought maybe George (Strawbridge, owner) was right when he said, ‘Maybe you guys are running this horse too long!’

“John and Thady found this race over a mile and the favourite looked very hard to beat, I had a good passage and he passed the horse and was not stopping, I give him full credit

“He is ready to go up in grade – the Celebration Mile in three weeks springs to mind and then there are lots of races in the autumn – at Newmarket, maybe over Arc weekend. He has beat a decent field today in style and we can go back and make big plans.

“As he handles some ease in the ground, we can look to the autumn.”

Annabelle Hadden-Wight produced a composed performance to land the Markel Magnolia Cup aboard Scott Dixon’s Fosroc.

The 22-year-old, who is a work rider and racing secretary to trainer Jack Jones, partnered the seven-year-old gelding known under rules as Ebury.

The partnership got off to a good start over the five-and-a-half-furlong trip and travelled near the head of the field, pulling away two furlongs from home and holding on to narrowly finish ahead of the closing rival Eliza McCalmont.

“It has not really sunk in, it was so much fun, I want to do it all over again! I have only ridden the horse once and I didn’t know what to expect,” said Hadden-Wight.

“He jumped really well, we got a good start, and I was in front most of the way, and I had two each side and I decided that I was not going to let them come past.

“My legs were good, but I did jump off and my knees buckled. I am pretty tired now!

“It has been an amazing experience, a lot of cameras, but the whole thing has been really well organised and we have been very well looked after.”

The victory had a special poignancy for Hadden-Wight, who at one point thought she would never walk again, let alone ride, after falling ill with meningitis when she was 18.

“Four years ago I was in the Philippines and I got really ill on my 18th birthday on just the second day we were there,” she explained.

“I ended up spending months and months out there – I had meningitis with lots of complications and my legs weren’t working, I was in a wheelchair. They said I may never walk or ride again.

“After making a full recovery, I like to take every opportunity, it really changed my outlook on life. It was for the best, but at the time pretty scary.

“It is so nice to have my friends and family here, some I have not seen for ages.

“Mum is here, she is not horsey at all and has found the whole thing terrifying!”

Free Wind looks to put defeat at Royal Ascot behind her in the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes at Goodwood on Saturday.

A winner at Group Three and Group Two level in 2021, the daughter of Galileo made just one competitive appearance last season, claiming another Group Two prize in the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock.

She made a successful comeback in the Middleton at York in May and having seen the runner-up Rogue Millennium go one better in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes, Free Wind was a hot favourite to claim a Royal Ascot success of her own in the Hardwicke.

Supporters of John and Thady Gosden’s mare were ultimately left counting their losses, with the five-year-old beaten three lengths into fifth place by the popular winner Pyledriver – but hopes are high that she can get back her head back on track with plenty in her favour.

Thady Gosden said: “She won the Middleton over a trip below her optimum on her first run of the year and then she found the ground a little too fast for her by the Saturday of Ascot.

“Obviously we’ve had rain at Goodwood this week and there’s more forecast. Hopefully it doesn’t get too deep, but she seems to be in good form.

“She has course form and we’re looking forward to running her.”

Connections of Time Lock began the year with high hopes after the Frankel filly pushed fellow high-class Juddmonte-owned filly Haskoy close in the Galtres Stakes at York last summer.

She kicked off her campaign with a runner-up finish to Luisa Casati in a Listed race at Goodwood and has since finished fourth in both the Pinnacle Stakes and the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock.

Having expected the prevailing quick ground on Merseyside to suit the four-year-old, Juddmonte’s racing manager Barry Mahon is now looking forward to seeing her return to an easier surface.

“She’s in good form and we think a mile and six (furlongs) will bring out a bit more improvement in her,” he said.

“It’s similar opposition to what she’s met so far, apart from Free Wind.

“I think we’ve got her wrong ground-wise. Last year one of her most impressive performances was on quick ground at Newmarket and she looked to skip off it, but Ryan (Moore) felt she really didn’t like it at Haydock.

“Looking at her we always thought she wanted soft ground, but that performance at Newmarket had us thinking we were wrong.

“Over a mile and six with a bit of cut in the ground, I’m not saying she’ll win, but I think she’ll be competitive.”

Luisa Casati beat Time Lock at Goodwood in the spring, but finished a length behind her when fifth in last month’s Lancashire Oaks.

Her trainer Tom Ward also expects a return to softer ground to yield an improved performance.

“She’s in good shape and I thought she ran well the other day at Haydock, although she got back in a slowly-run race on slightly quicker ground than ideal,” he said.

“A step up in trip and slower ground should really suit her, so she’s going there with a nice chance on Saturday I hope.

“She likes the track, it’s not a big field and Richard (Kingscote) knows her well, so fingers crossed.”

River Of Stars is a leading contender for Ralph Beckett, having backed up a York success over Free Wind’s stablemate Mimikyu with a narrow defeat in a French Group Two three weeks ago.

Gosden second string Ghara, Roger Varian’s Peripatetic, Paul and Oliver Cole’s Sumo Sam and Divina Grace from Rae Guest’s yard complete the field.

Wales boss Warren Gatland has hailed Leigh Halfpenny as “the ultimate professional” ahead of him joining rugby union’s 100-cap club.

Halfpenny will reach three figures for Wales in Saturday’s opening World Cup warm-up game against England at the Principality Stadium.

Only eight other Wales players have clocked up a century of caps, with Halfpenny just the fifth back after Stephen Jones, Gareth Thomas, George North and Dan Biggar.

He made his Wales debut as a teenager against South Africa 15 years ago, while he has had to overcome a number of injury setbacks that meant lengthy absences from the game.

“If you are talking about role models as a professional, you could not get a harder worker than Leigh Halfpenny in terms of how he prepares,” Gatland said.

“The analysis, training and recovery, he is the ultimate professional. He started his career on the wing and then has been brilliant as a positional 15.

“He is a tremendous goalkicker and is probably still the best defensive full-back in the world. It’s a great honour for him and I am delighted for him.”

Wales assistant coach Jonathan Thomas was still playing when Halfpenny first arrived on the international scene, and he added: “The big thing when he first came in was how relentless he was in putting the extra hours in on the training field – after everyone else had finished – around his kicking, his high-ball stuff and his contact work.

“The contact-skill side of the back-three is much more important now, but 15 years ago it wasn’t high on the job description for back-three players. Even back then he was putting a huge amount of work in around his high-ball stuff and all of that.

“He has been the ultimate Welshman, the ultimate team man. I’ve got three kids and if you want to give them any anecdotes of what to look for, what to be like, it’s Leigh Halfpenny.”

While Halfpenny will be centre of attention in front an anticipated 65,000 crowd, considerable interest also surrounds some new faces.

Gatland has handed out Test debuts to centre Max Llewellyn, plus Cardiff props Corey Domachowski and Keiron Assiratti as the World Cup countdown continues.

And there is also an opportunity for 22-year-old Scarlets fly-half Sam Costelow, who won the first of his two caps last autumn, in a team led by first-time skipper Jac Morgan.

Gatland added: “He (Costelow) gets the ball through his hands really well and we’ve been impressed with his ability to the line when he becomes a running threat.

“He is brave and doesn’t take a backwards step defensively and he has spoken well when he presents to the group and shown some leadership skills.

“Max has impressed in training with the lines he is running. I’ve been really pleased with how he has started to step up and how vocal he has been.

“That is one of the big focus areas for this squad, how important your voice is, particularly under fatigue.

“I’ve seen a huge improvement in him and he has built some confidence. It’s not just the physical side, though. He is also a good passer of the ball and he can hopefully put us outside in space.”

Iain Henderson has backed Ireland and Ulster team-mate Jacob Stockdale to return to his devastating best as he bids to force his way into Andy Farrell’s World Cup squad.

Stockdale will make his first international appearance in more than two years in Saturday evening’s warm-up clash with Italy following a difficult period in his stalled Test career.

The 27-year-old wing was player of the championship when his seven tries helped Ireland clinch a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2018 and first choice on the left flank under Joe Schmidt at the following year’s World Cup in Japan.

But, in part due to injuries, he has struggled to make an impact during the Farrell era and has work to do to ensure he is on the plane to France having slipped behind James Lowe and Mack Hansen in the pecking order.

Lock Henderson, who will captain his country against the Azzurri, believes Stockdale still possesses the attributes and quality to rediscover top form.

“Jacob’s an incredible athlete, you still see him in training doing phenomenal things,” he said.

“At that time (2018), our team was in a hot run of form and Jacob finished off a lot of very well-created tries from the whole team.

“He still has all of those athletic attributes, he still has the mindset and desire, he still has age on his side.

“For anyone who knows Jacob personally, he’s not one to give up in terms of any sort of argument or fight you get into with him.

“Knowing his personality, knowing what he has, I don’t think there’s any reason why we shouldn’t see another 2018 Jacob Stockdale coming out again. I think that’s exciting for him, exciting for everyone else.

“He knows himself he has to be patient and continue to work away. He won’t throw the head up and I know Jacob will plug away at it.”

Only five men – Brian O’Driscoll, Keith Earls, Tommy Bowe, Denis Hickie and Shane Horgan – have scored more tries for Ireland than Stockdale.

Yet 14 of his 19 Test scores came in the first 17 of his 35 caps and he has become a peripheral figure in recent years, not helped by knee and ankle issues.

Henderson admits Stockdale has been frustrated by his international exile.

“After that ankle injury was the explosion of Mack Hansen, and James Lowe is obviously a phenomenal player too,” said the 31-year-old.

“The two wings are positions that are hotly-contested and there’s incredible depth, thankfully, in our country.

“Jacob fully understood that coming in last autumn, he knew he would have his work cut out, and again through the Six Nations both of those guys were in top form and injury-free.

“I know Jacob found it incredibly frustrating not being able to get an opportunity over the course of those two campaigns but he knew if he kept plugging away that he would eventually get one.

“He has trained incredibly well and he is rightly being rewarded.”

With Johnny Sexton suspended and James Ryan and Peter O’Mahony given the weekend off, Henderson will skipper Ireland for the second time.

The Aviva Stadium was empty due to coronavirus restrictions the last time he led out his country – a 15-13 Six Nations loss to France in 2021 – but around 42,000 fans are expected this weekend.

“Faz (Farrell) said I was going to be captain and I was over the moon,” said Henderson.

“This is going to be incredibly special for me to have my family at this.”

Ewan Ashman is aiming to stake his claim for a World Cup starting berth after being handed the number two jersey for Saturday’s warm-up match at home to France.

The 23-year-old – who will make just his second international start this weekend – is a notable inclusion in an otherwise established XV chosen by Gregor Townsend for the showdown with Les Bleus.

Ashman appears to be vying with the more experienced George Turner for a starting place, while Dave Cherry and Stuart McInally are the other two hookers battling to win a place in the final 33-man squad for the World Cup.

Head coach Townsend said earlier this week that the Canada-born Ashman – who moved to Edinburgh this summer from Sale – “has the attributes to start for us” and that he “absolutely” has a chance to play his way into a starting berth for the World Cup opener against South Africa in Marseille.

“The whole team is preparing for the World Cup but for individuals it’s about trying to put your best foot forward to get into that starting team,” Ashman said following the team run at Murrayfield on Friday.

“I’m just glad to have that opportunity because the competition is fierce for every position now with the depth we have. You have to view every game as an opportunity to try and get on that plane and into the team.

“I’m really excited. This is only my second start in a Scotland jersey and I’m really, really excited to get out there, especially at home.”

Ashman – whose father Jonathan is Scottish – scored a try on his debut as a substitute against Australia in autumn 2021 while he also came on against the might of New Zealand last November.

The hooker’s only start among his seven caps to date came against Argentina last summer, so this weekend’s match against France will be arguably his biggest for the national team so far. With his family in the crowd, he is determined to ensure his emotions do not get the better of him.

“It’s a big game but they’re all big games at Murrayfield,” he said. “My first start was over in Argentina which at the time felt like a big game but I’m a lot more experienced now.

“For me personally, it’s easy at Murrayfield to get quite emotional, like when you walk off the bus, and at the anthems, when the adrenalin is going and you’ve got butterflies in your stomach, so I try to play it down a bit more,” he said.

“I try not to treat games too differently. Obviously this is a big game but I try and play it down and relax and treat it as another game of rugby and perform my role for the team. I try not to get too up for it because that’s when I can make mistakes.”

Scotland play France away next weekend and Ashman believes back-to-back fixtures against the world’s second-highest ranked team will stand them in good stead for pool-stage matches against the heavyweights of South Africa and Ireland.

“Yeah, it’s perfect,” he said. “France are an all-star team. They’re going to be hugely physical and that should prepare us for Ireland and South Africa.

“They’re coming to Murrayfield and that gives us a real opportunity to set out our stall for the World Cup.

“It is going to be confrontational and physical. They pride themselves on their maul and they’re a huge team, just like South Africa, so it’s going to be a hugely challenging game. It’s the perfect opportunity to prepare for the World Cup.”

Charlie Hills has few qualms about either the ground or the draw for lightly-raced sprinter Orazio, who is a warm order for the ultra-competitive Coral Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood on Saturday.

The four-year-old, who came home sixth in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot, is the sponsors’ favourite for the six-furlong cavalry charge.

Jockey Jim Crowley will ride the Caravaggio colt for the first time, as he bids for another big-race victory, following successes with Hukum in last weekend’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot and Al Husn in the Nassau Stakes on Thursday.

Crowley partnered Khaadem to win the race in 2019 for Hills, who also landed the prize four years earlier with Magical Memory.

Drawn in stall six and proven on easy ground, Hills is confident of Orazio’s chance.

He said: “Orazio will like the ground, which was too firm at Ascot. He’s nicely drawn and though a short-priced favourite, the trip and ground should be perfect for him.”

The Lambourn handler also fields Tanmawwy, drawn in stall eight of the maximum 28-runner field.

The mount of Connor Planas, the five-year-old has won five of his 12 starts and bids to follow up a Windsor handicap success under a 6lb penalty.

Hills added: “Tanmawwy won nicely at Windsor and will like the ground. I think he’s entitled to go well and is no slouch. You can’t rule him out.”

Peter Charalambous, who owns and bred Apollo One, is happy enough with a draw near the stands rail in stall 27.

The five-year-old has won four and been placed on eight other occasions in 23 starts and has thrice gone close to picking up a big handicap prize this term, finishing runner-up on his last two, in the in the JRA Tokyo Trophy at Epsom and in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot.

Charalambous, who holds a joint training licence with James Clutterbuck, said: “I’m happy with the draw. We’d probably like to have some rain on Saturday to loosen up the sticky ground.

“He ran well at Ascot, but probably just did a bit too much in front and could have done with a little bit of a lead, but he ran a great race.

“The ground is the only slight concern. I wouldn’t put anyone off having a bet and I wouldn’t tell anyone to have a bet!”

Badri, drawn in stall 18, beat Apollo One by a neck at Epsom and was runner-up over five furlongs at Ascot last month.

“It is one of those lottery races, unless you happen to have a Group horse lurking there – which obviously we don’t!” said trainer Ruth Carr.

“You never know. He’s in good form and has held his form well. Hopefully the ground will dry out a bit. It had dried out at Ascot from what it was given as (good to soft).

“That six furlongs should suit and we go there on the back of a good run. We’d be hopeful that he could sneak a bit of prize money.

“I don’t think going up in trip will be a problem. There’s a lot of downhill and we won over a stiff six at Newcastle, albeit off a lower mark.

“He’s been consistent – the sort of horse you dream about owning and training, and even better he’s taking us to the bigger meetings.

“At the beginning of this year we thought we had an all-weather horse, and we wouldn’t be thinking he’d be a Stewards’ Cup horse.”

Mr Wagyu is 5lb below his previous winning mark, having had 13 races since taking a valuable handicap at the Curragh last July.

Beaten under three lengths in the Wokingham, Jason Hart’s mount, who is drawn in stall 14, will be one who will handle softer conditions.

Trainer John Quinn said: “He’s had three very good runs and ran very well in the Wokingham, where he had a hard race. I ran him back too quick (at Thirsk) – it was my fault.

“He won the Stewards’ Cup consolation race a couple of years ago here on soft ground, so soft ground won’t bother him. He’s pretty consistent and he bolted up off 91 and he is 95 on Saturday – he has a squeak.”

Ed Walker is delighted Came From The Dark, drawn in stall 10, gets into the race at the foot of the handicap.

David Egan’s mount has been dropping down the handicap despite a string of decent efforts in defeat this term and the Newmarket handler feels he will be one sprinter who will benefit from the recent rain.

“He’ll love the ground,” said Walker. “Now he is getting a bit older, he needs that step back up to six (furlongs). I’m excited.

“He is a horse who has plenty of problems and to be honest, he is a horse who has not got many runs left in him.

“But if he can recapture some of his earlier form this year, I reckon he will go close, because he has been tumbling down the weights. I think he’ll run a big race, I really do.”

Makanah, a close-up seventh last year for Julie Camacho, is 4lb lower this time and her husband and assistant Steve Brown, feels he could figure in the finish again.

“He ran really well last year and with the benefit of hindsight Paul (Mulrennan) might have done one or two things differently, as we were prominent throughout. We just got caught close home,” said Brown.

“Soft ground should be fine, he’s won on soft ground. My main concern it looks like being a real ‘draw’ race, with a bias up the stands side.

“He is in really good form and we’ve had this in mind since Newcastle. He’s been trained for the day. We hope he runs well. We were really proud of him last year and off a lower mark, you’d like to think he’d be a little bit closer this year on ground he doesn’t mind.”

England are confident that Tom Curry will play a role in their build-up to the World Cup as he recovers from a twisted ankle.

Curry sustained the injury in training this week and will be sidelined for up to a fortnight, potentially ruling him out of the opening two matches of the Summer Nations Series which begins against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.

The Sale flanker is a certainty to be picked in Steve Borthwick’s World Cup squad when it is announced on Monday, but England will take no risks with the fitness of one of their most influential players.

“We’re very hopeful (he’ll play this month). We don’t think it will be too long, but we’ll be smart with him as well,” defence coach Kevin Sinfield said.

Any concern over Henry Arundell’s hamstring injury has lifted after the explosive wing made a return to full training on Thursday.

England play the first of two Tests against Wales at the Principality Stadium fielding a line-up populated with players who are on the fringe of World Cup selection.

Only Freddie Steward, Marcus Smith, Danny Care, Ellis Genge and Will Stuart are assured of their places in the 33-man squad, while the others are hoping to make a final impression on Borthwick.

Sinfield, however, has downplayed the trial element of the visit to Cardiff as England look to build winning momentum.

“First and foremost, it’s a Test match. I’m sure some players will have selection in the back of their minds, but we want to show how we’ve improved,” Sinfield said.

“It would be unfair to say it’s all on this game because it’s not. We’ve got to take into account the last eight weeks, how players have performed throughout the season and exactly what we need going forward.

“There are some wonderful players who will miss out, sadly, because we can’t take everybody. We’ll try to get to the right place with the right balance within the squad.”

One player who has been making waves this summer is Northampton’s all action back row Tom Pearson, who Genge insists trains in the same we he plays – “like a man possessed”.

Pearson makes his debut on Saturday with a real chance of securing a place at the World Cup despite his inexperience.

“Tom’s been outstanding. We’ve all seen his physicality and how he plays the game and his explosive nature with London Irish last season. We’re all looking forward to seeing him play and he’s been excellent in camp,” Sinfield said.

World number two Peter Wright crashed out of the NZ Darts Masters after a 6-3 defeat to truck driver Jonny Tata in Hamilton.

Wright – who suffered an early exit at the recent World Matchplay in Blackpool – had edged 2-1 in front with a break of throw.

However, Tata, making his debut at a televised event, then produced a run of four straight legs before missing match darts in the eighth.

The 30-year-old qualifier, though, did not spurn a second opportunity, landing a fine 84 checkout to secure his place in the quarter-finals.

“It’s an unreal feeling,” said Tata, who is based in Lower Hutt on the North Island near Wellington.

“Even to compete against Peter Wright I was happy, so coming out with the win on top is something magical.”

Dimitri Van den Bergh also slumped to a first-round defeat as he was beaten 6-2 by Haupai Puha to the delight of the home crowd.

Puha landed a trio of 180s and three ton-plus finishes to knock out the Belgian world number 13.

World number one Michael Smith, though, did progress after coming from behind to edge past former PDC tour card holder Darren Penhall 6-5 in a last-leg decider at the GLOBOX Arena.

World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall made it into the last eight with a 6-2 victory over New Zealand youngster Kayden Milne.

Aspinall will take on Puha for a place in the semi-finals on Saturday.

Welshman Gerwyn Price, who won the tournament last year, beat Australia’s Simon Whitlock 6-1 and Dutchman Danny Noppert saw off Ben Robb 6-2 to also reach finals day of the PDC World Series of Darts event.

In the opening matches, former world champion Rob Cross defeated Warren Parry 6-3 and will play Tata in the last eight while Australian Damon Heta won 6-2 against Wellington’s Darren Herewini.

Treble winners Manchester City meet Arsenal in the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday.

The Gunners topped the Premier League for most of last season before being usurped by Pep Guardiola’s men en route to their fifth title in six years.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the talking points ahead of the clash.

City to pick up where they left off?

City finished last season in unstoppable form as they powered to the treble, winning 11 successive games after February’s 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest to pip Arsenal in the Premier League title race.

They also saw off Manchester United 2-1 in the FA Cup final and beat Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Inter Milan to claim Champions League glory.

Sunday brings a chance to see how Guardiola’s side appear to be shaping up as they prepare to hunt down further silverware, with Erling Haaland no doubt eager to open his account for 2023-24 after his astonishing 52-goal haul last season.

The Rice is right for Gunners

Arsenal reacted to their most sustained title challenge in years by getting their transfer business done early in the summer.

Kai Havertz joined from Chelsea and Jurrien Timber came in from Ajax but it was the club-record signing of West Ham captain Declan Rice for £105million that caught the eye – not least because City were also interested in landing the 24-year-old.

Rice will be seen as pivotal in taking Mikel Arteta’s side from nearly-men to trophy winners and what better way to prove your credentials than starring against the might of City’s midfield.

Gundgo-gone

An interesting alteration at City over the summer has been the departure to Barcelona of experienced midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, a key man in the closing stages last term.

The new recruit in that position is Mateo Kovacic, brought in from Chelsea, with City having opted to end their interest in signing Rice after bids reached a certain point.

Kevin De Bruyne proved last season he is one of the best players in Europe while John Stones has also been operating in a midfield role and Rodri – who hit the winner in the Champions League final win – is also a class act.

Eddie ready to go?

While the Community Shield is often referred to as the ‘curtain-raiser’ for the new league season – for Arsenal this is more of a dress rehearsal of their title ambitions.

They will have to perform, however, without first-choice striker and former City man Gabriel Jesus, who underwent minor surgery to address irritation from a more serious knee operation earlier in the year.

It means Arteta has a decision to make as to who leads the line at Wembley, with Eddie Nketiah the likely favourite – although he is without a competitive goal in 14 games, a run that stretches back to January and almost 10 hours of football.

Supporting the Jeff Astle Foundation

The funds raised by the Community Shield have been used to support plenty of causes in the past and this year the Football Association has announced the Jeff Astle Foundation will be one of the main beneficiaries.

Astle, who played for England and won the FA Cup with West Brom, died in 2002 and had been diagnosed with early-onset dementia.

The Jeff Astle Foundation was created in his memory and raises awareness of the impact caused by concussion in football, while also providing support to former players who suffer with dementia.

World Cup preparations will move up a gear for Wales and England when they meet in Cardiff on Saturday.

Their first tournament warm-up fixture comes five weeks before World Cup openers that see England face Argentina and Wales tackle Fiji.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some key talking points ahead of the game.

Last chance saloon

England’s line-up is littered with fringe contenders who have the opportunity to mount a compelling final argument for selection in Steve Borthwick’s World Cup squad, which is named on Monday. The identity of the 33 who will travel to France has mostly been decided, but a small handful of spots still have a question mark hanging over them. Debutant flanker Tom Pearson, wing Joe Cokanasiga and centre Joe Marchant are among those hoping to give Borthwick a nudge before the final selection meeting on Saturday evening.

Wales need a performance

Wales, to put it bluntly, lost their way after the spectacular high of a first away victory over South Africa 14 months ago. In 10 subsequent Tests, just two wins were recorded – against Argentina and Italy – while a miserable home defeat to Georgia effectively cost head coach Wayne Pivac his job. Warren Gatland was then appointed for a second stint as Wales boss, but an underwhelming fifth-placed finish in the Six Nations generated more questions than answers. Saturday’s Principality Stadium encounter might effectively be a ‘friendly’, yet the importance of a Wales win cannot be overstated in terms of restoring some confidence and optimism for suffering supporters.

Captain Morgan in charge

Ospreys flanker Jac Morgan will captain Wales for the first time in what is effectively the first of three World Cup leadership auditions. Gatland has said that he anticipates appointing a different skipper for each warm-up Test – England home and away, followed by South Africa in Cardiff – before announcing his final 33-player squad and leader later this month. Others in the captaincy frame include Dewi Lake, Dan Biggar, Will Rowlands and Adam Beard, but 23-year-old Morgan has been handed a golden opportunity to stake his claim. If Wales get it right, he could prove difficult to dislodge.

Smith calls the shots

Marcus Smith is not among those on trial at the Principality Stadium after Borthwick confirmed he will take three fly-halves to the World Cup. Unburdened by the need to pull a rabbit out of the hat to secure his place at the tournament, the instinctive Harlequins playmaker can focus on providing England with the generalship his position demands. Smith stands apart as an attacking fly-half, but his game management and organisational skills will have benefited from having worked alongside veteran ringmasters Owen Farrell and George Ford throughout the summer.

Century for Halfpenny

Full-back Leigh Halfpenny will become the ninth player to win 100 Wales caps when he runs out against England. It is a red-letter day for the 34-year-old, who has overcome major injury setbacks during recent seasons and now looks firmly on course to make Wales’ World Cup squad. He is just the fifth Welsh back to reach three figures after Stephen Jones, Gareth Thomas, George North and Biggar, while only Jones and Neil Jenkins have more amassed more points for Wales than Halfpenny’s current figure of 785. Almost 15 years after he made his Test debut, he now joins an exclusive club and can be guaranteed a rapturous reception for such an impressive achievement.