Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban arrived in Australia over the weekend and has settled into his new surroundings at the Werribee quarantine centre.

Trained by Willie Mullins, who is also running the Ebor winner Absurde in Australia’s greatest race, Vauban has headed the market since his sparkling win in the Copper Horse Handicap, in which Absurde was second.

Since then Vauban, a three-time Grade One winner over hurdles, has won the Group Three Ballyroan Stakes in smooth style.

“Touch wood, he seems fine,” Mullins’ assistant David Casey, who has travelled to Australia, told www.racing.com.

“He travelled well, it seems he’s eating and drinking since he came and arrived. He didn’t lose a lot of weight and he’s put it all actually back on since he came. Delighted with him.

“(He) had a little hack this morning, nothing strenuous – so, so far so good.

“I went over and rode him last Tuesday before he left, gave him a nice bit of work and was very happy with him.”

Some European challengers often take in a warm up race but with both Vauban and Absurde confirmed of a place in the Melbourne Cup already, Casey feels there is no need to go down that road.

“I imagine it will be straight in, it’s looking that way,” Casey said.

“I imagine the next couple of weeks will be pretty quiet for him and then we’ll start building him up closer to the race.

“It was great that he won at Ascot and backed it up when he won in Naas – we’re here and we’re delighted to be taking part and obviously hopefully with a horse that can be competitive.

“We will be thrilled if we can be competitive in the race.

“55kg for Vauban is kind of what we expected – we kind of thought somewhere between 54.5 and 55.5.”

Casey, though, would prefer a bit of rain before the big day.

“They’re big, strong horses, both of them – maybe ground-wise, it might be a little bit of a disadvantage, because they might just hit it a little bit harder,” he said.

“I haven’t seen it this warm this early before out here. If there’s a drop of rain around, I won’t mind too much.

“I could do with it in five weeks’ time maybe!

“I think Absurde will probably handle it quicker – Vauban has run and he won on very quick ground in Ascot, which wasn’t an issue – but you’d just prefer not to be running on it every day, you know, when he is big and strong.”

What the papers say

Juventus are reportedly working on a new long-term deal for midfielder Adrien Rabiot. The Daily Mail, citing Tuttosport, says the Italian giant is looking to tie the 28-year-old down for a further three years, after he turned down an approach from Manchester United during the summer in favour of extending his time in Turin.

Chelsea are believed to be gearing up for an expensive January. According to The Guardian, the Blues are set to target Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and Brentford forward Ivan Toney, after already spending £1billion on new signings in a year.

And the Daily Mirror, via Cadena SER, says Luka Modric is on radar of multiple MLS teams, with Inter Miami believed to be especially keen on the Real Madrid midfielder.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Kalvin Phillips: Arsenal will chase the Manchester City midfielder in January, according to Fichajes.

Lamine Yamal: The Daily Mail, citing Fabrizio Romano, says Barcelona are eager to sign the 16-year-old winger to a further three-year deal.

The Kansas City Chiefs held off a brave effort from the New York Jets to claim their third win of the season 23-20 on Sunday night.

Having lost Aaron Rodgers in game one and staring down a three-game losing streak, pressure was mounting on under-fire Jets quarterback Zach Wilson to stand up against the NFL’s heavyweights.

The 24-year-old was able to do just that despite the narrow defeat, throwing for 245 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was below his best, giving up two intercepts with just one touchdown, but did just enough down the stretch to get Kansas City across the line with a late field goal.

Two of the NFL’s other best offences collided earlier on Sunday with the Buffalo Bills getting the better of the previously undefeated Miami Dolphins.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen was seemingly unstoppable, throwing for 320 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-20 win.

The Denver Broncos scraped past the Chicago Bears 31-28 to claim their first win of the season.

A 17-point fourth quarter lifted the Broncos to victory to leave the Bears winless through four games.

The early-season woes continued for the Cincinnati Bengals, who suffered their third loss of the season 27-3 to the Tennessee Titans.

There were also heavy losses for the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers, while the New England Patriots were steamrollered 38-3 by the Dallas Cowboys.

The Philadelphia Eagles stretched their winning streak to four with a 34-31 overtime win against the Washington Commanders.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for 319 yards and two touchdowns, but it was Jake Elliott’s 54-yard field goal which ultimately got the Eagles over the line.

The Los Angeles Rams also had a narrow escape against the Indianapolis Colts, a touchdown to Puka Nacua in overtime ultimately proving the difference.

Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Chargers beat the Las Vegas Raiders, the unbeaten San Francisco 49ers downed the Arizona Cardinals 35-16, the Minnesota Vikings kept the Carolina Panthers winless with a 21-13 victory and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cruised past the New Orleans Saints 26-9.

Europe regained the Ryder Cup after beating the United States by 16.5 points to 11.5 points at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the key questions surrounding the 44th contest.

How important was home advantage?

Massive and it shows no sign of changing. Eight of the last nine contests have now been won by the home side, the exception being the ‘Miracle at Medinah’ in 2012 where Europe recovered from 10-4 down to pull off a remarkable victory.

Nine of the US team did make a scouting trip to Marco Simone, but many of the European side had contested the Italian Open at the venue over the last three years, with Robert MacIntyre (2022) and Nicolai Hojgaard (2021) lifting the title.

Add in a partisan crowd and it is no wonder Rory McIlroy feels winning an away Ryder Cup is one of the biggest achievements in golf.

What about Europe’s big guns?

The home side boasted three of the world’s top four and 2022 US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick was also in the top 10, but that was no guarantee of success.

Fitzpatrick had lost all five of his previous matches, while Viktor Hovland halved two and lost three at Whistling Straits, where only Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia and Tyrrell Hatton won more than a single point.

McIlroy’s last two Ryder Cups had yielded three points from eight matches but it was a completely different story in Rome.

McIlroy was top scorer on either side with four points, Hovland and Hatton won three and a half points each and both Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood contributed three each.

Did Europe captain Luke Donald’s wild cards justify their selection?

In the vast majority of cases they did, although with six at his disposal a 100 per cent success rate was virtually impossible.

It was no surprise to see Fleetwood play well and Justin Rose did superbly to partner MacIntyre to one and a half points before running into a motivated Patrick Cantlay in the singles.

Ludvig Aberg, labelled a “generational talent” when selected by Donald, won a highly creditable two points alongside Hovland and MacIntyre fared even better with two and a half, the only disappointment being Hojgaard taking just half a point from three matches.

How about Donald himself?

It is fair to say Donald’s captaincy was an unqualified triumph.

He took over in difficult circumstances when Henrik Stenson was sacked after joining LIV Golf, but formed an instant rapport with his players and left no stone unturned in his preparation, even taking lessons to ensure he could deliver the first part of his speech at the opening ceremony in fluent Italian while counterpart Zach Johnson grappled with the few words and phrases he used.

As a former world number one who was never on a losing Ryder Cup side, Donald also had the respect of his players and made good use of the detailed statistics provided by vice-captain Edoardo Molinari.

What did the Americans get wrong?

Johnson was accused of pandering to a powerful clique of players when selecting Justin Thomas and Sam Burns over the likes of Cameron Young, Keegan Bradley and Lucas Glover, with Burns thought to benefit from his friendship with Scottie Scheffler.

They duly played together in the first session but lost convincingly and did not play together again.

In addition, only three of the US team had played competitively since the Tour Championship at the end of August; Max Homa was top scorer with three and a half points, while Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka each won one and a half.

Were there tensions in the camp?

Cantlay claimed reports that he was refusing to wear a USA-branded cap in protest at not being paid to play in the Ryder Cup were “outright lies”, but suggestions that all team members would play the first hole on Sunday without wearing a cap in solidarity proved hit and miss at best.

Cantlay and good friend Xander Schauffele had missed the scouting trip due to the former’s bachelor party and he was scheduled to get married in Rome immediately after the contest.

What impact did the lack of LIV players have?

None whatsoever on the European side, who did not have the chance to call on the experience of the likes of Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood, but did not miss the veteran trio in the slightest.

It is impossible to know whether Dustin Johnson – who won all five of his matches in 2021 – or Bryson DeChambeau would have made any difference to the outcome, although the fact that the United States have not won on European soil since 1993 offers a clue.

When is the next Ryder Cup?

The Black Course at Bethpage State Park will host the next Ryder Cup in September 2025, while the next on European soil will take place two years later at Adare Manor in Ireland.

The World Cup gets under way on Thursday with a rematch of the 2019 final as England take on New Zealand at Ahmedabad.

Here the PA news agency looks at who to keep an eye on in India.

Jasprit Bumrah (India)

The fast bowler with the greatest claim to be in a world XI in all three formats, his absence at last year’s T20 World Cup was palpable. While Mohammed Siraj is an ever-growing threat, Bumrah is India’s X-factor quick. Possessing an idiosyncratic action replete with toe-crushing yorkers and enigmatic slower balls, Bumrah has yet to hit the heights since returning from a year out with a back injury. But as long as he is not overburdened, a World Cup on home soil could be just the stage for Bumrah to shine.

Ben Stokes (England)

England’s go-to when the pressure is at its most intense, Stokes is back for one last ride in ODIs after ending a 13-month retirement. The lure of England defending their crown has proved too irresistible but he will operate as a middle-order batter only due to ongoing left knee troubles precluding his bowling. No matter. Whether he still has the appetite or the eye for this format was answered in emphatic fashion with a stonking 182 against New Zealand at the Kia Oval last month.

Kane Williamson (New Zealand)

Luck went against New Zealand in 201,9 while an anterior cruciate ligament rupture at the Indian Premier League in March left Williamson a major doubt to lead the Black Caps this time. He will not be ready to face England but should be available thereafter. The big talking point is whether Williamson can hit the ground running after six months out. But the 2019 player of the tournament has never cared much for outside noise and his return could galvanise a New Zealand line-up dependent on his runs and guidance.

Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan)

The 6ft 6in left-armer has pace to burn, can produce lavish swing with new ball or old and a flair for performing in Asia – although he has never before played in India. Being a star attraction has never been a problem for any cricketer with the surname Afridi but history suggests he will have to be carefully managed. A jarred knee in last year’s T20 World Cup final ultimately paved the way for an England win, while Pakistan head across the border already weakened with exciting paceman Naseem Shah ruled out.

Adam Zampa (Australia)

Ashton Agar being unable to shrug off a calf injury leaves Zampa as Australia’s only specialist spinner, with all-rounder Glenn Maxwell offering supplementary support. It is a bold gambit from the five-time champions but represents absolute faith in their leg-spinner, whose 74 wickets is the most of any bowler since the last World Cup among the teams to have qualified for this event. Thumped for a world record-equalling 113 in South Africa last month, conditions in India will be more to his liking.

Europe captain Luke Donald backed his Ryder Cup winners to have more success in the event after wresting back the trophy from the United States with a 16.5-11.5 victory in Rome.

For a large part of the build-up the Americans were strong favourites, with 10 of their 12-strong team ranked in the world’s top 20, but some of Europe’s players found some late-season form and it proved pivotal at Marco Simone.

World number two Rory McIlroy claimed four points from five matches, Viktor Hovland – partnering brilliantly with rookie Ludvig Aberg who claimed two from four – and Tyrrell Hatton both got three-and-a-half and another rookie, Robert MacIntyre, picked up two-and-a-half from just three matches.

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McIlroy is the oldest at 34 and Hatton is 31, but Hovland is 26, Aberg is 23 and MacIntyre is 27.

“Not many people gave us a chance after Whistling Straits. We were big underdogs, we started to show some form in the last six months and I couldn’t be happier with with the team I’ve got,” said Donald, whom the players want to lead the team in two years’ time.

“I think these guys will be around for a long time. We formed a bond from day one and they gave me everything. They trusted me and they delivered for me.”

After an emotional defeat in the United States two years ago, in which he won just one point, McIlroy was delighted to have wrested back the trophy.

“The scoreline – 19-9, that hurt, it really did. I didn’t feel like I gave my best performance and I didn’t feel like I did my part for the team,” he said.

“This wasn’t about revenge. This was about redemption and showing what we could do.”

The Northern Irishman now wants to build on the triumph and win in the US in 2025.

“I think one of the biggest accomplishments in golf right now is winning an away Ryder Cup – and that’s what we’re going to do at Bethpage,” he added.

Defeat extended America’s run without a win on European soil beyond 30 years – it will be 34 by the time they return to Adare Manor in 2027 – and captain Zach Johnson took full responsibility.

“I would love to start the week over but that’s not possible,” he said.

“You know, regret is a strong word, but I wish I would have done a better job of that.

“I don’t know what it looks like – never will – but it’s not a matter of anything other than Team Europe scored more points.

“I’m proud of my guys, they fought. It’s not them, it’s on me. Maybe it’s some poor decisions, something to reflect (on). I don’t know yet.”

Cristian Javier threw six scoreless innings as the Houston Astros clinched a third consecutive American League East title with Sunday's 8-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The defending World Series champions also secured the AL's No. 2 seed and a first-round playoff bye with a win in Sunday's regular-season finale, coupled with the Texas Rangers' 1-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners.

Both the Astros and Rangers finished the season at 90-72, with Houston winning the tiebreaker by virtue of taking the season series from Texas.

The Diamondbacks will also be headed to the playoffs but will be the National League's No. 6 seed due to the loss. Arizona ended with an identical record as Miami, with the Marlins getting the NL's second wild card by also winning the season series between the teams. 

Arizona, which is making its first postseason trip since 2017, will face Milwaukee in the opening round. The NL Central champion Brewers will host Game 1 of the series Tuesday.

Houston started fast by scoring four times in the first inning, highlighted by Alex Bregman's two-run homer off Kyle Nelson. Bregman tripled and scored in the second for a 5-0 lead, and Jose Abreu later added a two-run homer in the seventh after Kyle Tucker tripled and scored in the fifth. 

Bregman, Abreu and Tucker all finished 2 for 4 with two runs scored.

Javier earned his 10th win of the season by holding the Diamondbacks to three hits and two walks. Arizona didn't score until Jake McCarthy singled in the eighth and scored on Lourdes Gurriel's double.

 

Kirby dominant as Mariners deny Rangers AL West title

The Seattle Mariners prevented the Texas Rangers from capturing the AL West with Sunday's 1-0 win behind six stellar innings from George Kirby.

Kirby yielded just three hits while striking out seven to drop the Rangers to the AL's No. 5 seed and send them into an opening-round series against Tampa Bay. The Rays will host Game 1 on Tuesday.

Seattle, which was eliminated from playoff consideration with Saturday's 6-1 loss to Texas, scored the game's only run in the fourth. After Eugenio Suarez and Jarred Kelenic singled and Ty France drew a walk from Rangers starter Dane Dunning to load the bases, Dominic Canzone plated Suarez with a groundout.

Kirby made the lead stand before three relievers finished off the Mariners' MLB-leading 18th shutout. Isaiah Campbell worked the ninth to earn his first career save.

Dunning, working on three days' rest, was charged with the lone run while pitching 3 1/3 innings. Martin Perez threw 3 2/3 hitless innings in relief.

 

Braves tie MLB season record with Ozuna's two homers

Marcell Ozuna went deep twice to give the Atlanta Braves a share of MLB's record for home runs in a season, though the Washington Nationals rallied with three runs in the ninth inning to hand the NL's No. 1 overall seed a 10-9 loss in the regular-season finale. 

Washington trailed 8-7 entering the ninth before loading the bases off Michael Tonkin, who walked Drew Millas to force in the tying run before surrendering Jacob Young's go-ahead two-run single. 

Ozuna got Atlanta back within one by blasting his 40th homer of the season in the bottom of the ninth, which put the Braves at 307 for the campaign to match the mark set by the 2019 Minnesota Twins.

Young and Kelbert Ruiz each drove in three runs for the Nationals, who pounded out 15 hits on the afternoon. Lane Thomas went 4 for 6 with two runs scored and Ruiz finished with three hits. 

Ozuna's first homer, a three-run shot in the third, tied the game at 5-5. Matt Olson and Michael Harris each knocked in two runs for the NL East champs. 

Buck Showalter will not return as the New York Mets' manager in 2024, an expected outcome after the team that began this season with the highest payroll in Major League Baseball history failed to reach the playoffs.

Showalter told reporters of the team's decision prior to Sunday's season finale, a 9-1 home loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets released a statement following Showalter's announcement confirming their plans.

“We are heading in a new direction, with a new President of Baseball Operations and we let Buck know we’ll be parting ways. We will begin the search for a new manager immediately,” Mets owner Steve Cohen said in the statement. 

The move was widely expected after the Mets fell out of playoff contention before the All-Star break and finished with a 74-87 record, a steep decline from the 101 wins the team achieved in Showalter's first season in 2022.

New York entered this season among the National League favourites after Cohen increased the payroll to a record $355 million as the Mets brought in three-time American League Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander and star Japanese picher Kodai Senga, as well as re-signing center fielder Brandon Nimmo and closer Edwin Diaz to big contracts.

The Mets hovered around .500 for the first two months, however, before losing 19 of 26 games in June to drop further in the standings. That led to management's decision to become sellers at the Aug. 1 trade deadline and jettison off several prominent players, most notably Verlander and fellow ace Max Scherzer.

Showalter's fate was further sealed when the Mets hired former Milwaukee Brewers general manager David Stearns as vice president of baseball operations in September.

“I was honored to get a chance to manage a second New York team," said Showalter, whose 22-year tenure as a major league manager began with the crosstown rival Yankees in 1992. "I’m proud of what the Mets did. We won close to 180 games in two years. Especially last year, as much fun as I’ve ever had in the game. It reminded me why I’ve always loved this kind of work."

Cohen also praised Showalter's work in the statement announcing the change.

“Buck is a generational manager, and we value what he has done for our team, including leading us to a 101 win season and postseason berth last year." he said.  "The commitment and heart that Buck brings to the game will be felt by our organization for years to come. We wish Buck all the best in the next chapter of his career.”

The Mets were the fifth team the 67-year-old Showalter managed during his lengthy career, which also included stops with the Yankees (1992-95), Arizona Diamondbacks (1998-2000), Texas Rangers (2003-06) and Baltimore Orioles (2010-18).

Four of those teams reached the playoffs, though Showalter never guided one to a World Series despite making six total trips to the postseason and winning four Manager of the Year awards. 

Showalter's overall managerial record stands at 1,726-1,665, ranking him 19th in MLB history in wins. 

David Beckham has revealed he still cannot forgive himself for the abuse his family suffered amid the fallout from his red card at the 1998 World Cup, which left him a “mess”.

A new Netflix documentary series titled ‘Beckham’ is set for release on Wednesday, looking back on the former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder’s career as well as his marriage to Spice Girls singer and fashion designer Victoria.

In episode two, titled ‘Seeing Red’, Beckham, now 48, reflected on the “stupid mistake” which changed his life after he was sent off for kicking the back of Diego Simeone’s leg during the last-16 clash against Argentina in Saint-Etienne.

England went on to lose after a penalty shootout and Beckham found himself centre of a backlash – including a pub hanging up an effigy of the midfielder, who received a hostile reception from rival fans around the country when he returned to action for United the following season.

In the documentary, Victoria Beckham said the continued abuse left her husband “absolutely clinically depressed” as the then 23-year-old tried to deal with the fallout alongside becoming a father for the first time in March 1999.

Beckham admitted the saga “took a toll on me that I never knew myself”.

He said: “I wish there was a pill you could take which could erase certain memories. I made a stupid mistake. It changed my life.

“We were in America (on holiday after the World Cup), just about to have our first baby, and I thought, ‘we will be fine. In a day or two people will have forgotten’.”

Beckham added: “I don’t think I have ever talked about it, just because I can’t. I find it hard to talk through what I went through because it was so extreme.

“Wherever I went, I got abused every single day – to walk down the street and to see people look at you in a certain way, spit at you, abuse you, come up to your face and say some of the things they said, that is difficult.

“I wasn’t eating, I wasn’t sleeping. I was a mess. I didn’t know what to do.”

Beckham added: “It brought a lot of attention that I would never wish on anyone, let alone my parents, and I can’t forgive myself for that.

“That is the tough part of what happened, because I was the one that made the mistake.

“It is only now that I am 47 years old, it is now that I beat myself up about it (still).

“When I have gone through difficult moments, I was able to block it out, but inside it killed me.”

Beckham spoke of the support he received from then Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and the club as he looked to focus on his football.

“That was the only thing I could control – once I was on the pitch, then I felt safe,” Beckham said.

“Anytime I was kicked during that season, it was like the (opposition team) had got two goals.”

Beckham added: “As horrible as it was to look up to Victoria in the stand (getting that abuse), it was the one thing which spurred me on.”

The Netflix documentary also charts Beckham’s triumphant end to the 1998-99 season, which culminated with United having won the Premier League, FA Cup and a memorable Champions League final against Bayern Munich in Barcelona.

With Paul Scholes and Roy Keane suspended, Beckham played an integral role in United’s comeback win, which was secured by two goals in stoppage time.

Reflecting on the match, Ferguson said: “With David, that night there was something inside him saying, ‘I am not going to let this happen’. It was a personal thing that he had in him, that stubbornness and determination.”

Beckham’s former United and England team-mate Gary Neville was an executive producer of the Netflix documentary.

Neville recalled the way he and Beckham were “absolutely destroying teams” down the right flank for United.

“He was with his crossing. I was supporting him in a way which was to be fair, I would say I was a side dish really. Not the beef. I was the mustard on the side,” Neville said.

“I was subservient because I needed David to go and do something magical. He was practicing free-kicks and I was practicing throw-ins.”

Neville added: “It was telepathic on the pitch. Off the pitch as well, I knew where he was in his mind – it was not enough for him, he wanted to be more than a football player.”

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino says Mykhailo Mudryk is making a concerted effort to adapt to life in England and fulfil his potential as a “unique” player after an indifferent start to his career at Stamford Bridge.

The Ukrainian moved from Shakhtar Donetsk in January for a fee that could rise to £88million, but he has featured only inconsistently in the starting XI under successive managers and is yet to score his first Blues goal.

He arrived having missed a significant amount of playing time during the previous 12 months after the war in Ukraine caused the suspension of the domestic league, and at the time of Chelsea’s bid he had made only 44 professional appearances for Shakhtar.

It is the first time that the 22-year-old has lived outside of Ukraine, with Pochettino having previously made the point that young players in particular require time to settle into a new culture when moving abroad.

Mudryk has started each of Chelsea’s last three games and has shown flashes of promising in short bursts, including the beginnings of a burgeoning on-field relationship with new striker Nicolas Jackson.

And Pochettino said the winger is making the effort that he expects of his players to integrate as he waits for his expensively assembled side to gel.

“The life of these guys, when they are so young, (it) changed,” said the manager, whose squad with an average age of just over 23 is the youngest in the Premier League this season.

“You pay big money, big change form where they came. Also it’s not about to arrive and to perform when you are young.

“It’s about to adapt, it’s about to help them to settle. Then the most difficult thing is to understand what these guys need to settle and to feel comfortable and to express their talent.

“If you ask me about Misha, he’s a very talented player of course, but you need to go with him very slowly. Cultural and everything is completely different to Latin people, from different countries or part of the world.

“He’s now trying to be more open, to adapt and be more involved in every situation, not only on the field but outside also. I think he’s doing a massive effort to try to integrate himself and to understand better what it means to play like a team.

“He’s unique. I can’t find a player to say he is similar, I can’t remember one. It’s a good challenge for him, and it’s a good challenge for us.”

The manager again refused to blame injuries for his team’s slow start to the season, with as many as 11 players likely to be missing when Chelsea face Fulham at Craven Cottage on Monday in search of just their second league win of the campaign.

There were three players aged 19 or under with no first-team experience named on the bench when the team drew at Bournemouth two weeks ago, and since then Ben Chilwell’s name has been added to an extensive injury list after he limped out of last week’s win over Brighton with a hamstring problem.

“I cannot use the excuse of injuries,” said Pochettino. “The performances have been good. We cannot blame injuries, I think it’s not fair. We played well in every single game and we deserved more, but for different reasons, we didn’t score and we were not clinical enough.

“But we cannot blame injuries. Of course it’s a factor that we need to improve. When you have your whole squad, you increase the level of the team. You put pressure on the players that play because it’s another player waiting for your place. We’re not winning the games that we deserve, but not because of injuries.”

Ireland’s head of nutrition Emma Gardner believes “food is mood” as she attempts to fuel another World Cup triumph following her key role in England’s 2019 cricket success.

Gardner is tasked with managing the varied dietary requirements of Andy Farrell’s 33-man squad for their shot at glory in France.

The 37-year-old previously worked as a nutritionist for the England and Wales Cricket Board, a period which included Ben Stokes’ World Cup final heroics against New Zealand at Lord’s.

She clearly has a recipe for success, having also been involved with Great Britain Hockey when the women’s team clinched gold at the 2016 Olympics.

While diet plans are structured and relatively strict, Gardner, from Accrington, Lancashire, acknowledges there needs to be some leeway and feels “internet, food and sleep” are the main requirements for maintaining morale.

“I took a lot of learnings from both those environments, the Olympic Games and the Cricket World Cup,” she said.

“I’m used to the nature of the tournament, used to getting players ready for a match. Having to get them ready again is probably the main learning.

“It’s a long tournament. There’s a long time to concentrate and keep players focused. A big learning for me is ‘food is mood’, particularly in these campaigns.

“We obviously try to keep high quality all the time but there’ll be times where we go ‘let’s just calm it a bit’ and give them what they want and relax because that’s also important when you’re here for such a long time.

“Internet, food and sleep are the three things that tend to keep people happy.”

Ireland’s players have individual nutritional requirements based on position, body weight and expected playing time, with six eating windows per day.

Prop Andrew Porter, for example, can consume up to 600 grams of carbohydrates – a plate of pasta is around 80 grams – ahead of a game.

Gardner’s work involves devising bespoke plans and ensuring the squad are suitably replenished ready for the next fixture.

“In this squad, I actually haven’t had too many crazy requests,” she said.

“Other teams and other sports, I’ve had some very bizarre requests.

“You sometimes get people wanting steak for every single meal, as an example.

“But these guys are very straightforward, they love their food, they’re not fussy, my life is very simple in a way. They just like food and lots of it.”

Gardner, who started the job last October, began her career at Northampton Saints a decade ago when nutrition in rugby was “hugely” different.

A major challenge during the current tournament is that all but one of Ireland’s fixtures kick off at 9pm local time.

“There’s a psychology to a 9pm kick-off,” she said.

“Sometimes the challenge is overeating, feeling sluggish because the only thing you do is eat all day, so you have to tailor it.

“We’ve done a lot of work in that space with individuals, to make sure they feel good going into the game when it’s that late.

“It can feel like a very long day when you’re waiting around all day and eating is one of the only things to do.”

 

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Ireland’s squad often enjoy a post-match beer, while players were pictured drinking wine during their time off after beating reigning world champions South Africa.

 

Asked about alcohol consumption, Gardner said: “We don’t have rules, we have standards and the lads know those standards. They create those standards.

“They’re very professional, they also need to look after their own bodies.

“They know the time when they can slightly relax.

“They can do that with food, they can do that if they want to have a drink but they also understand what’s ahead of them.”