England ensured they ended 2024 on a high note as they claimed a 59-14 victory over Japan, and coach Steve Borthwick is taking the positives from a difficult Autumn Nations Series.

Borthwick's team lost three matches on the spin, going down to New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, earlier this month.

However, they at least rallied to wrap up their year with an emphatic victory on Sunday, ending a five-match losing streak.

Captain Jamie George crossed twice in the first half, with Ben Earl, Sam Underhill and Ollie Sleightholme also going over before the interval, while Marcus Smith was on form with the boot.

Japan, coached by former England boss Eddie Jones, did score through a fantastic try from Naoto Saito, but England kept their foot on the pedal after half-time.

George Furbank rounded off a slick move after latching onto Tommy Freeman's exceptional pass, while Luke Cowan-Dickie went over twice, either side of Tom Roebuck's maiden international try, with Kazuki Himeno grabbing another consolation for the visitors. 

While Borthwick knows England have plenty to improve on, he feels they are not too short of where they wish to be.

He said: "Reflecting on it, the obvious overriding feeling will be one of frustration to have come so close to getting results but not actually be able to convert them, I think that will be one aspect.

"The other aspect would be real positivity around some of the aspects we've seen the team play.

"I want them to be brave with the ball, I want them to play fast. I think we've seen growth in that area over the last four weeks."

Reflecting on Sunday's display, he added: "I'm really pleased with the way the players approached the game and the way they kept their discipline to play the way we want to play.

"You can see the identity they're trying to build as a team, one that moves the ball and can score in different ways.

"Some of the tries were exceptional. Over the past four weeks, we've scored some really outstanding tries. With the skill level that's in the group, I'm really pleased they took it onto the grass."

Roy Keane does not believe Manchester United will get back into the Premier League's top four under Ruben Amorim this season due to a "real lack of quality".

The Red Devils legend was speaking after United started life under the Portuguese with a 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town, as Omari Hutchinson cancelled out Marcus Rashford's second-minute opener.

Keane acknowledged Amorim has to be given time to turn things around at Old Trafford, but does not see United cracking the top four this season.

"You have to give the man a chance," Keane told Sky Sports. "But the threat going forward, it's a huge problem for Man Utd. It's not good enough.

"Do I believe they have the quality to get them back to top four? Absolutely not. The evidence is not there. It's the same old stuff. Predictable and a real lack of quality."

United created 0.9 xG compared to Ipswich's 1.75 and had fewer shots on target (four) compared to Ipswich (six) at Portman Road.

They did have more touches in the opposition box (16 to 11) but had fewer final-third entries (48 to 61) and big chances created (two to three).

Ipswich were extremely resilient opponents after their early setback, and Tractor Boys boss Kieran McKenna praised his side, particularly Hutchinson after he grabbed his first Premier League goal.

"I thought he (Hutchinson) was a big threat first half, naturally more a winger, but most teams are going to press us high and in the spaces in the middle of the pitch having a dribbler in the middle of the pitch who's elusive and hard to pick up can be a big threat," he told Sky Sports.

"I think it's his first goal in the Premier League he'll be happy to have that of his back and he's improving."

"The first half, it's a blow to concede the early goal but I thought as the half went on we grew in the ascendancy, and the intensity of pressing and work on the ball.

"I thought we were the dominant team in the first half and deserved to be going in at least level. Second half in fairness, Man Utd had more control. It was difficult, we had to defend with real discipline on shape."

Jannik Sinner capped his outstanding year by helping Italy retain the Davis Cup, beating Tallon Griekspoor to ensure Italy downed the Netherlands 2-0 in Sunday's final.

World number one Sinner overcame Griekspoor 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 after Matteo Berrettini had registered a 6-4 6-2 win over Botic van de Zandschulp in the opener.

Sinner saved the only two break points of the first set as Griekspoor put up a fight, but the Italian put on a show in the tie-break to inch ahead.

Griekspoor hit back after giving up an early break in the second set, but Sinner immediately responded with two further breaks, with the Dutchman double-faulting for the first then wildly miscuing with a backhand for the second.

Sinner was untroubled from then on, sealing a triumphant end to a spectacular season. 

The Italian has only dropped one set throughout that streak, finishing a year that saw him win the Australian Open, US Open and ATP Finals with a 73-6 singles record.

Data Debrief: Sensational Sinner leads the way

This has been a truly remarkable year for Sinner, who has become the first man in the Open Era to win at least one set in every match throughout a season since Roger Federer in 2005.

His victory ensured Italy became the first team to retain the Davis Cup since the Czech Republic triumphed in 2012 and 2013.

Italy also captured the Billie Jean King Cup earlier this week, and they are just the third nation to claim both trophies in the same season in the last 30 years, after the Czech Republic in 2012 and Russia in 2021.

Claudio Ranieri's Roma return was spoilt by Romelu Lukaku, whose goal against his old club sealed a 1-0 win for Napoli.

Ranieri was appointed Roma boss over the international break, with the 73-year-old coming out of retirement to take charge of the club for a third time.

Yet it was ex-Roma striker Lukaku who decided Sunday's contest at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, with his 54th-minute effort sending Antonio Conte's team back to the top of Serie A.

Lukaku was well-placed to convert from Giovanni Di Lorenzo's cutback, bringing up his fifth Serie A goal of the campaign.

Roma, who had just two attempts and managed only 0.07 expected goals (xG) in the first half, woke up after Lukaku's goal, with Artem Dovbyk powering a header off the woodwork from a free-kick minutes later, but the visitors' comeback attempts proved fruitless.

Ranieri's next task is to rally his troops for a Europa League clash with Tottenham on Thursday.

Data Debrief: Ranieri's underwhelming return

There was no sign of an immediate upturn for 12th-place Roma, if they were hoping for a new-coach bounce.

Roma ended the first half with fewer than 70 successful passes (68). It is the first time they have had so few successful passes in the opening half of a league game since 2004-05.

With only three wins to their name in the league, they have won fewer than four matches in their opening 13 Serie A games for the first time since the 1978-79 campaign (also three).

And of course, it had to be Lukaku, who was leading their line last season, that delivered the hammer blow. The Belgium international has been involved in nine goals in Serie A this term (five goals, four assists). Only his former Everton club-mate Ademola Lookman, now a star at Atalanta, has contributed to more goals in the competition (seven goals, four assists).

Ruben Amorim believes Manchester United were guilty of overthinking as his Premier League managerial bow ended in a 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town.

The Red Devils made a flying start to the Portuguese's tenure as Marcus Rashford netted in only the second minute at Portman Road.

But Omari Hutchinson's deflected equaliser restored parity and Andre Onana had to make a couple of big saves from Liam Delap to ensure Amorim started with a point.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Amorim said: "I think my players were thinking too much during the game, they were thinking not just with the ball, but, 'where am I supposed to be?'

"It is hard because the team has been together only two days, I think we needed more in the first half with the physicality, because they left us one against one up front so we have to use those moments to feel the opponent.

"I think we lost some balls without pressure and when you start a game like this, you score one goal, then you have to control the ball, you have to control the tempo of the game.

"We cannot do it at the moment but they tried, they really, really tried. I know for some guys it's hard to understand this but they're trying and they really want this."

Amorim conceded that United, who are 12th in the Premier League, need to be better in their game management moving forward.

"I think that is a concern because you can understand you don't need to coach them at this level (how) you have to keep the ball, put the momentum in to put the ball up front," he added.

"At the end of the game, we are around the box with two strikers, Josh (Zirkzee) has to understand he has to go to the box to have the crosses, so we are doing things not in the right moment. That is something we have to address. 

"Everyone talks about the 3-4-3 – that is not the problem, but the understanding of the game... we have to improve in this area."

Zimbabwe's spinners took centre-stage as they earned a crushing 80-run victory over Pakistan in the teams' rain-affected ODI opener on Sunday.

Torrential rain, thunder and lightning halted play after 21 overs of the Pakistan innings, with the tourists toiling at 60-6 after bowling Zimbabwe out for 205.

Sean Williams, Blessing Muzarabani and Sikandar Raza each scalped two wickets apiece as no Pakistan batter surpassed the 19 runs managed by Mohammad Rizwan.

The dismal weather would ensure no further play was possible, with Pakistan having completed the requisite 20 overs to ensure a result would be declared, ensuring Zimbabwe won on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

Richard Ngarava had earlier top-scored for Zimbabwe with a steady 48 off 52 balls, with Raza adding an important 39 from 56 deliveries after the hosts had been dropped to 99-5.

Salman Agha and Faisal Akram finished with three wickets apiece for Pakistan, but it was not enough to prevent Zimbabwe from being declared comfortable victors, with their total some way clear of the DLS par score of 141. 

Data Debrief: Zimbabwe end Bulawayo hoodoo

Zimbabwe's victory may not have come in the circumstances they would have envisaged, but it did end their dismal run against Pakistan at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.

They had lost each of their previous eight matches against Pakistan at the venue, only winning one of their last nine there overall (one draw, seven defeats), after winning three of their previous four.

They will hope to carry this momentum into Tuesday's second match at the same venue, as they bid to clinch victory in the three-match series.

Ruben Amorim was denied victory in his first game in charge of Manchester United as they played out a 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town on Sunday.

The visitors made a dream start to Amorim's tenure when Marcus Rashford opened the scoring in only the second minute at Portman Road.

But Omari Hutchinson's deflected equaliser sent Ipswich deservedly into the break on level pegging as the Tractor Boys responded well to the early setback.

United were grateful to Andre Onana for a couple of big saves in a game in which they struggled to test Arijanet Muric in the Ipswich goal after their flying start as the spoils were shared.

Rashford, chosen as a central striker, nipped to the near post to meet Amad Diallo's centre in a sublime start for the Red Devils.

Onana brilliantly kept out Liam Delap from eight yards but could do nothing to prevent Hutchinson's bending 20-yard effort finding the top-left corner via a deflection off the head of Noussair Mazraoui.

Muric smartly prevented Alejandro Garnacho restoring United's lead immediately after the restart, while at the other end Onana again thwarted Delap who thought he had scored with an ingenious flick.

Bruno Fernandes bent a free-kick wide and Conor Chaplin poked straight at Onana as both sides had to settle for a point.

Amorim matches Moyes as it's joy of six for Rashford

It could hardly have been a better start for Amorim, who joins David Moyes as the only manager to see his side score within the opening two minutes of his first Premier League game (Moyes having done so with Everton in March 2002).

However, it marked only the third time United have scored inside two minutes of a Premier League match and not won, with a 2-2 draw with Liverpool in October 1995 and a 6-1 hammering by Tottenham in October 2020 the other occasions.

Rashford was the man to get Amorim off to a flier and he has now scored under six different United managers having registered for Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag, more than any other player for the club.

Ipswich, meanwhile, now have four goals scored from outside the penalty area in the Premier League this term - a tally only bettered by Manchester City (7) and Nottingham Forest (5).

Wilfried Gnonto's stoppage-time strike fired Leeds United to the Championship summit as they beat Swansea City 4-3 in a contest defender Joe Rodon compared to a basketball game.

Daniel Farke's team were twice forced to come from behind in South Wales as a Manor Solomon strike and a Ben Cabango own goal saw them respond to first-half efforts from Harry Darling and Liam Cullen.

Solomon's second put Leeds 3-2 up with 73 minutes gone, but Florian Bianchini's 90th-minute leveller looked set to keep them third in the table, behind Sunderland and Sheffield United.

However, substitute Gnonto tucked home following an assist from former Swansea winger Dan James, sending the travelling fans into raptures and securing Leeds' second straight victory.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Rodon – who began his career with Swansea – said: "It was like a basketball game! Credit to the boys.

"Every game we want to keep a clean sheet, but you know how it is in the Championship, and Swansea made it difficult for us."

Gnonto now has eight goal involvements in the Championship this season, scoring three and assisting five. 

Only Norwich City's Borja Sainz (11 goals, two assists), Middlesbrough's Finn Azaz (five goals and seven assists) and West Brom's Josh Maja (10 goals, one assist) have more.

Arne Slot is relishing Liverpool's upcoming double-header against Real Madrid and Manchester City.

Liverpool came from behind thanks to Mohamed Salah's second-half double to beat Southampton 3-2 on Sunday.

That victory at St Mary's moved the Reds eight points clear of Man City, who were thrashed 4-0 at home by Tottenham on Saturday for a fifth straight defeat in all competitions.

Pep Guardiola's team visit Anfield on December 1, though first the Reds host European champions Madrid in the Champions League.

And Slot cannot wait for Liverpool to go up against two heavyweights.

"It's what you need in a league like this, with so many quality teams. You have to keep winning because if you don’t, the other ones will," the Dutchman told BBC Sport.

"That's what we try to do every game, now it's Real Madrid and next Sunday it's Man City.

"You couldn't wish for more than playing these two games in the upcoming week, at home."

No manager in Premier League history has reached 10 wins in fewer matches from the start of their career in the competition than Slot (12 games, level with Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti).

Liverpool were indebted to Salah, however, with the forward dragging them level and then converting the winner from the penalty spot after Mateus Fernandes had put Southampton into a surprise lead early in the second half, following goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Adam Armstrong before the break.

Salah became the first player to score in five successive Premier League appearances for Liverpool since the Egyptian himself in October 2021 (seven in a row). His second goal was his 100th away from Anfield for Liverpool in all competitions.

"It was very good that Mo scored in that moment," said Slot of Salah's first goal, which came in the 65th minute when he nudged Ryan Gravenberch's pass beyond the stranded Alex McCarthy.

"It was not the best period of the game so he helped us with that and then afterwards we dominated so much, they got tired.

"That is what special players do. They can score goals out of nowhere. It's not completely out of nowhere because the assist of Gravenberch is a great ball as well, but Mo is known for the timing of his runs, he feels the right moment to run behind the last line, and normally you know he’s not offside because he always finds the right moment, and then he scores the goal, which was very helpful for us."

While Slot acknowledged Liverpool were tested by the Premier League's bottom club, he felt his team were always in control.

He added: "It wasn't a surprise for us, we saw how they played against Man City, Arsenal and Newcastle in away games, never mind how they would play in a home game against a top team. But we dominated. Because we went down 2-1, it made it really difficult for us.

"We dominated the whole game, which is not that easy against Southampton because they want possession, they want to dominate the game as well, but they couldn't. Because the scoreline was as it was, it felt like a difficult match, but if you look at the underlying numbers we deserved to win."

Those metrics support Slot's point. Liverpool accumulated 2.9 expected goals from 27 shots, 11 of which were on target, while they also limited Southampton to 37.9% possession.

Yashasvi Jaiswal revelled in a "special" century as India took command on day three of the opening Test against Australia in Perth.

The opener made 161 as part of a 201-run opening stand with KL Rahul to celebrate a fourth hundred in the longest format.

Virat Kohli was also unbeaten on 100 as India declared on 487-6 before Australia finished 12-3 in reply and surely out of the game with 522 runs required for victory.

In quotes reported by BBC Sport, Jaiswal said: "For me all my centuries are amazing, but this is special because I really wanted to do it against Australia.

"I worked so hard in every practice session, I wanted to score runs here in Australia, so I really enjoyed it.

"I was just playing normally, I always trust in me and believe in me."

Australia's top-order frailties were exposed once more as captain Jasprit Bumrah dismissed debutant Nathan McSweeney for a duck and Marnus Labuschagne (three) before nightwatchman Patrick Cummins (two) fell to Mohammed Siraj in a devastating spell before the close of play.

Josh Hazlewood all but conceded defeat and said the hosts' plan for day four is now to stick at it as long as possible and, ideally, tire out India's quicks ahead of the upcoming Tests.

"I think it's just about the batters sticking to their plans tomorrow, batting some time," he said.

"It's obviously a long series so if we can put some overs into their top quicks, that's one of the goals.

"And if some guys find some form and score 80, 90 or 100, that's probably the positives we can take out of it."

The NHL’s in-season coaching carousel has made another turn.

The St. Louis Blues announced Sunday they have fired Drew Bannister and replaced him with the newly available Jim Montgomery.

Team president and GM Doug Armstrong announced the sudden change Sunday after the Blues’ disappointing 9-12-1 start to the season.

Montgomery, the 2022 Jack Adams Award winner, was fired by the Boston Bruins just five days ago.

Montgomery will join his new team in New York ahead of Monday’s game against the Rangers.

St. Louis fired Stanley Cup-winning coach Craig Berube last season and named Bannister the interim bench boss.

In May, the Blues removed the interim tag from Bannister’s title.

Montgomery spent the last two full seasons leading the Bruins to 100-point seasons and play-off appearances, but both post-season runs ended against the Florida Panthers.

Boston opened the season 8-9-3 under Montgomery before he was fired, and the Bruins have won both their games under new coach Joe Sacco.

Among the NHL’s 32 teams, this is the 23rd coaching change since January 2023.

After missing the playoffs last season, the Blues are 30th in the NHL in scoring this season at 2.36 goals per game. Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer haven’t fared much better in goal with a combined .885 save percentage.