Aston Villa ended a 13-year European exile after a nervy 2-1 win over Brighton.

First-half strikes from Douglas Luiz and Ollie Watkins ensured Villa finished seventh in the Premier League.

Deniz Undav pulled one back – having also had a goal disallowed for offside – but the Seagulls were unable to find a leveller.

Seventh represents a triumph for Villa boss Unai Emery, having taken over a relegation-threatened side in October following Steven Gerrard’s sacking.

Villa have been transformed, booking their highest Premier League finish for 13 years, and with it a route into the Europa Conference League.

The Seagulls, in Sky Bet League One 12 years ago, are heading to Europe for the first time following their historic season.

A few weeks ago the Villa Park finale looked to be a straight shootout for a final European spot yet Brighton had already sealed sixth and the Europa League so all eyes were on the hosts.

It did not take long for them to threaten when Jacob Ramsey rampaged down the left and crossed for Leon Bailey to strike the bar from eight yards after four minutes.

It was a warning – one Brighton did not heed – as four minutes later Villa grabbed the opener.

Again, Ramsey was the architect when he was given too much time on the left to pick out the unmarked Luiz to guide in low from 15 yards.

The Seagulls then wasted a chance to hit back immediately when Evan Ferguson was sent clear, but he blazed over.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side refused to go quietly and were denied a leveller by a tight VAR call after 19 minutes when Julio Ensico’s cross was turned in by Undav, only for the provider to be ruled offside.

There had been more than enough to suggest Brighton would cause Villa problems – only for the hosts to double their lead after 26 minutes.

John McGinn won the ball in midfield and Bailey sent Ramsey scampering towards goal with Watkins in support.

Ramsey looked like had overrun the ball as Jason Steele came out, only to prod past the goalkeeper to give Watkins the easiest of finishes.

Boubacar Kamara’s last-gasp challenge denied Ferguson an instant reply before Brighton pulled a goal back seven minutes before the break.

Villa were caught napping from Pascal Gross’ quick free-kick and Undav darted clear to hook past Emi Martinez, the goal confirmed after a VAR check.

From a position of strength, Villa were nervous and needed Martinez to deny Undav a leveller just before the break.

Luiz nearly eased that anxiety seven minutes into the second half when his corner clipped the bar before Alexis Mac Allister drilled wide at the other end.

An open game continued to offer openings and it was Ramsey who missed the best of the lot after 56 minutes.

Bailey’s cross found the onrushing midfielder unmarked at the far post only for him to sky over from five yards.

It should have sealed the game, instead Brighton remained in the contention and with Kaoru Mitoma off the bench to cause problems.

Yet, despite finding good positions, the Seagulls failed to test Martinez and it was Steele who grabbed Watkins’ header to deny Villa a third before Lucas Digne curled a late free-kick wide.

Ethan Pinnock consigned Treble-chasing Manchester City to a final-day defeat as Brentford completed a Premier League double over the champions.

Defender Pinnock celebrated signing a new four-year contract earlier in the day by scoring an 85th-minute winner to snatch a 1-0 victory for the Bees.

With the title long since sewn up, Pep Guardiola rested some of his big hitters ahead of next weekend’s FA Cup final, and a potentially historic Champions League showpiece seven days later.

With Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish missing completely and Erling Haaland left on the bench, it was a scratch City side and those established stars who did play, like Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez, had little impact.

Brentford still had something to play for, by contrast, as they were in with a slim chance of qualifying for the Europa Conference League before wins for Tottenham and Aston Villa ultimately scuppered their hopes.

Their players applauded the champions onto the pitch, but that was as far as the respect stretched.

The Bees may still be adjusting to life without suspended striker Ivan Toney but they remain a potent threat, with Yoane Wissa beating Emerson with a curler against the far post before an offside flag was raised.

Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, who looks destined to leave the club this summer, had to make an early diving save to deny Cole Palmer before Kalvin Phillips, getting another run-out in a midfield three alongside Palmer and Rico Lewis, sent a low shot wide.

Emerson saved well from Vitaly Janelt’s snap-shot at a corner as Brentford pressed, and the German midfielder lifted another effort over the crossbar.

After the break Brentford, who won at the Etihad in November, felt they should have had a penalty after Lewis slid in on Ben Mee.

But referee John Brooks waved away the appeals – with VAR agreeing – and then booked Bees head coach Thomas Frank for his protests.

By now City well and truly had their eye on the bigger battles to come, but the Bees kept driving forward and Frank Onyeka’s drive flew over before Bryan Mbeumo just failed to get a touch on to Janelt’s chip into the area.

The winner came from a cross by substitute Kevin Schade which was headed back across goal by Mbeumo and emphatically finished by Pinnock.

City briefly woke up and Raya somehow denied Palmer an equaliser from close range.

Defeat meant City did not break the 90-point mark for a record fourth time in the Premier League, which will irritate Guardiola,  but if they win their next two matches – at Wembley and in Istanbul – even the perfectionist will have forgotten that.

Manchester United sealed third spot as Bruno Fernandes’ smart finish completed a 2-1 comeback win against Fulham on the final day of the Premier League season.

Having sealed Champions League qualification with Thursday’s 4-1 victory against Chelsea, Erik ten Hag’s men overcame west London opposition once again on Sunday.

Kenny Tete opened the scoring and Fulham had the chance to extend their lead, only for long-serving United goalkeeper David De Gea – whose contract has yet to be extended beyond the summer – to stop Aleksandar Mitrovic’s spot-kick.

That save inspired an impressive United turnaround, with Jadon Sancho putting the hosts level before Fred slipped Fernandes through to coolly complete a 2-1 triumph.

The three points saw United beat Newcastle to third place, while Marco Silva’s Fulham headed to the northwest already guaranteed to finish 10th thanks to a brilliant season following promotion.

United’s win was a club record-equalling 27th at Old Trafford in all competitions and maintains the Red Devils’ momentum heading into next weekend’s FA Cup final against treble-chasing rivals Manchester City.

A second trophy of Ten Hag’s first season would be huge, but there remains underlying issues at the club and the United faithful made it clear throughout Sunday’s match – as they always do – that the Glazer family must sell.

Their team began on the front foot and Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno stopped a fizzing early Diogo Dalot cross potentially being directed home by Fred.

The Fulham shot-stopper pawed away a well-struck Marcus Rashford free-kick from distance as United started brightly, only to then be caught cold from a 19th-minute set-piece.

Willian swung over a corner from the left and Tete got ahead of Rashford to all too easily head home at the near post in front of the stunned Stretford End.

Things looked set to unravel further for United in the 24th minute.

Harry Maguire’s poor pass out from the back led to a move that ended with Casemiro catching Tom Cairney’s leg in the box as the Fulham captain cut inside.

Referee Robert Jones pointed to the spot and Mitrovic stepped at Old Trafford, where his meltdown in Fulham’s FA Cup quarter-final defeat brought him an eight-match ban.

The Fulham frontman will also want to forget this latest trip to United as his firm strike was saved by De Gea, meaning he failed to score his fourth penalty of the Premier League campaign.

Old Trafford erupted at that save, enlivening United’s play in the process.

Rashford whistled a long-ranger narrowly wide and quick build-up play after winning the ball ended with Alejandro Garnacho curling just wide.

The 18-year-old went closer still in the 29th minute. Tyrell Malacia shifted the ball onto Garnacho in the box, with the winger opening his body up and curling a right-footed shot off the crossbar.

Leno denied Casemiro from an acute angle as Fulham appeared to see off United’s onslaught, only to be pegged back in the 39th minute.

Fernandes sent Fred darting into the box and Tete’s challenge on the midfielder inadvertently sent the ball onto Sancho to prod home an equaliser.

United returned from the break on top and took a 55th-minute lead through ever-reliable Fernandes.

Fred showed great skill and awareness to slip a pass through to the Portuguese, who had ran behind the Fulham backline and smartly clipped the ball over Leno after taking a touch.

Fernandes was denied a second from distance by Leno, with Rashford also seeing an attempt saved as United looked to put the result to bed.

Cairney had Fulham’s best chances, holding his head in his hands after one miss and seeing another tipped over by De Gea.

The United goalkeeper stopped substitute Carlos Vinicius’ strike unaware he had strayed offside, with the Spaniard again alert when fellow introduction Manor Solomon took aim.

Wout Weghorst, on for his final home appearance before his loan expires, turned a fine late chance wide.

Frank Lampard signed off as Chelsea manager with a 1-1 draw against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge that meant he failed to register a home win during his interim tenure.

It took a Kieran Trippier own goal, the defender deflecting the ball into the net midway through the first half, to cancel out Anthony Gordon’s early strike and spare the outgoing coach the ignominy of a ninth defeat in his 11 games in charge.

Newcastle had already sealed their objective and qualified for the Champions League, but they had not come to west London to hand Lampard the consolation of a victory to cap his brief reign, and so played with purpose and style.

For Chelsea at the end of an awful season, there were at last flashes of a brighter future with Noni Madueke, Lewis Hall and substitute Carey Chukwuemeka – none of them older than 21 – the outstanding trio.

Newcastle started the brighter. Allan Saint-Maximin ran at Trevoh Chalobah and, as the Chelsea defender backed off, slipped it through to Aleksander Isak, whose low shot was well blocked by the legs of Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Their opening goal was simple, but Chelsea made it so. A long ball out from the back was taken deftly on his left foot by Saint-Maximin who looked up and found Matt Targett overlapping on the left.

Cesar Azpilicueta and Chalobah seemed to leave the threat to one another to handle, and Targett had time to pick out Gordon, roaming free inside the six yard box, to tap home unmarked.

Newcastle were playing with the confidence of a side about to record their best finish in 20 years, and Isak nearly bent in a second minutes later, his arcing shot dropping just wide of Arrizabalaga’s left-hand post as Chelsea tottered.

Chelsea’s equaliser was a mix of brilliance from Raheem Sterling and misfortune for Trippier. Sterling collected the ball from a quick free-kick on the right of the penalty area and showed fine feet to slip inside and shoot left-footed low to the back post.

The effort looked to be going wide until a critical deflection off Trippier who, with help from Fabian Schar on the goalline, bundled the ball awkwardly with his arm past Martin Dubravka.

Newcastle should have restored their lead late in the half when Gordon’s header deflected off Hall into the path of Miguel Almiron. The forward has enjoyed his best season in black and white but could not cap it here with a goal, his effort instead ballooning high into the Matthew Harding Stand.

Chelsea, still unable to find the killer ball in the final third, looked rudderless in the first half.

Madueke tried to take matters into his own hands with a decent run and shot coming on off the right, but the strike dropped straight into Dubravka’s arms, before Almiron found himself in space again inside the box and produced a good, stretching save from Arrizabalaga.

The hosts were finishing the half the stronger. Hall’s deflected cross was met by Sterling, forcing Dubravka into a spectacular leaping save to his right, before Targett booted off the line from the England forward’s follow-up.

The final weeks of Chelsea’s campaign have largely been about looking for signs of promise among a squad whose confidence has been rocked, and Madueke gave a glimpsing reason for optimism when he cut from the right touchline and went close with a rocket shot early in the second half.

The January signing from PSV Eindhoven has started to find form after struggling for a place early in his Chelsea career.

Hall too at left-back has enjoyed a breakthrough year, and he went close with a shot that flew narrowly over the top after clever footwork to find space. It was his cutback 20 minutes from time that found Sterling free inside the box to shoot off target, that after fine work from the substitute Chukwuemeka who drove at Newcastle with purpose.

Sterling shot wide late on after the excellent Madueke had run the ball to the byline and crossed. Chelsea wanted a penalty for handball against Dan Burn but VAR ruled no infringement.

At the other end 17-year-old debutant Lewis Miley, on as a substitute, clipped the crossbar with a crisp drive from outside the box.

Joao Felix headed over with virtually the final action, perhaps a final touch in blue for the loan signing from Atletico Madrid.

But Chelsea could not find a home victory to send their outgoing manager off with. The rebuilding job starts here.

Boss Jim Goodwin insists strengthening Dundee United’s defence is imperative if they are to bounce back from the bitter disappointment of relegation.

United’s defensive frailties were evident again as Motherwell battled back from behind to claim a 3-2 win at Fir Park and condemn them to the drop.

“I think the game pretty much summed up the season to be honest,” said Goodwin.

“”It culminates what has been a disastrous season defensively from start to finish and that’s something that I now need to look at going forward to make sure we bring the right types of defenders in.

“Defenders who enjoy the art of defending, enjoy putting their bodies on the line, take pride in keeping clean sheets and that’s where my first port of call will be in terms of the recruitment side of things.

“Dundee United in the Premier League is an attractive proposition for any player, Dundee United in the Championship, maybe not so much for some of the high-calibre players that you would like to bring to the club.

“We’ve got decisions to make, but what I need to make sure is the type of players that are coming in during the summer have the right characteristics, right mindset and can handle the level of expectation at such a big club.”

Goodwin remains hopeful he can retain the services of Steven Fletcher, who netted his 10th goal of the season in the defeat to Well.

The former Scotland striker still has a year remaining on his contract, though there has been speculation that he will depart the club following their relegation to the Championship.

“I had a brief conversation with Fletch last week, just to see where his head was at and what the future might hold for him,” added Goodwin.

“He’s a player that I would love to hang on to, if you had 11 Steven Fletcher’s on the pitch then you certainly wouldn’t be sitting in this position and talking about relegation.

“Fletch is the one that is holding the cards at the moment, he is under contract, and I would love him to be here to help us bounce back up, but we have to give him a bit of time to decide what he wants to do.”

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell is hoping to build on the momentum gained from an incredible finish to their league campaign.

The Steelmen have lost just two of their 14 league fixtures during Kettlewell’s tenure – something he is keen to continue when his players return for next season.

“It’s obviously massive for us, that’s what we have to strive to do,” said Kettlewell.

“It’s not going to be easy; it’s going to be very difficult – there’s no doubting that.

“As much quality and continuity as I can keep within the group, I think it is evident that we are a pretty decent side.”

The Motherwell boss also again heaped praise on prolific striker Kevin van Veen, who extended his run of goals in consecutive games to 11 – setting a new Premiership record in the process.

“I have to pay testament to the run that Kevin has been on, it’s pretty breathtaking when you look at it,” he added.

“I know he’ll be disappointed not to get to that 30 mark, but if you are scoring 29 goals in this league you are doing something right.”

Steven MacLean insists St Johnstone’s 2-0 win over Livingston was the fitting ending for departing chairman Steve Brown and club legend Murray Davidson.

Drey Wright opened the scoring after 17 minutes when he capitalised on some poor defending from the visitors to rifle home from close range, before Chris Kane climbed off the bench to bag his first goal in 16 months after being sidelined with a long-term injury.

MacLean, who was handed the manager’s job on a permanent basis on Saturday after a successful spell as caretaker, admits plans are already in place for next season and is aiming to take the McDiarmid Park side to the next level.

He said: “It was excellent. Before the game you’re a bit apprehensive as there is nothing on the game but with the chairman leaving and it being Murray’s (Davidson) last game, I’m just absolutely delighted for everyone concerned with the football club that we managed to send them off with a win.

“I am always planning and trying to get better as a coach and manager. We set standards every day and I’m very proud of the players as they’ve given me absolutely everything, but we will be looking to improve.

“I won’t be resting on three wins and two draws, I want to keep pushing on and win every game going forward. I want to play attacking, front-foot football and want to enjoy football.

“I’ve already sat down with the new board already, so we have got plans in place ready to go and also have ideas as you’ve always got to look to improve. There’s players in contract and also out of contract so there’s a lot of work to be done and it’s going to be busy but I’m looking forward to it.

“I’ll speak to players who are in and out of contract. There will be tough decisions to make but they will be ones that I feel are right to try and make the football club better.”

Livingston boss David Martindale said: “Our away form, I am not going to sugar-coat it, has been wretched.

“Our away form has been absolutely horrible.

“I have tried different formations and different personnel. There were a lot of personnel missing today but it was an opportunity for others to go in and show they can come in and play for me.

“There are a few leaving but the budget still needs to be cut.

“I have found ways to cut that, but something will need to come off the squad budget.

“I am probably looking at another four or five players that I feel can come and play with me every week. Three or four probably need to move on.

“They have been told who they are, and their game time is going to be limited next season. They probably won’t be in training with the group, and it is best for them and the group if they move on. I will be looking at four or potentially five, but finances play a huge part in that.”

Point Lonsdale will head for the Dahlbury Coronation Cup on Friday, as Aidan O’Brien finalises his squad for Epsom’s two-day Derby meeting.

The Australia colt is unbeaten in two starts this season having followed up his reappearance success in the Alleged Stakes by adding the Huxley Stakes at Chester, to prove he still possesses all the high-class ability he showed when motoring to multiple victories as a juvenile.

He is one of three in the mix for O’Brien in the Group One contest alongside Dubai Gold Cup scorer Broome and last year’s Derby fifth Changingoftheguard.

However, it appears Point Lonsdale is Ballydoyle’s main hope for the race, trying a mile and a half for the first time.

“The plan is to go for the Coronation Cup with Point Lonsdale,” said O’Brien. “It looked the last day like a mile and a half might suit him.”

O’Brien also holds a strong hand in both of the Classics set to be run on the Surrey Downs with Savethelastdance the overwhelming favourite for the Betfred Oaks and Auguste Rodin high-up on ante-post lists for the Betfred Derby despite disappointing in the 2000 Guineas.

“Epsom is all about Auguste Rodin at the moment and everything has gone well since the Guineas. We have others in and it’s possible that something else will run with him,” said O’Brien when assessing his contenders.

“Covent Garden might run in the Derby as well along with Adelaide River.

“Gooloogong will go for the mile and six race, the (Queen’s) Vase, at Ascot.

“Savethelastdance has done well since Chester. Be Happy was second in Lingfield and may run as well.”

Jackson Wray believes new Gallagher Premiership champions Saracens deserve more respect for emerging from one of the bleakest episodes in the league’s history as a title-winning force once more.

Sale were defeated 35-25 in a gripping final at Twickenham on Saturday as Saracens claimed their sixth domestic crown with captain Owen Farrell producing a masterclass at fly-half.

It provided an element of redemption after they were shaded 15-12 by Leicester in last year’s showpiece, which they reached in their first season back in the Premiership having been relegated in 2020 for repeated salary cap breaches.

As part of their punishment they were fined £5.4million and while some players departed, the bulk of them – including their core of England stars – remained for the campaign spent in the Championship.

The loyalty shown has enabled Saracens to return to the summit of the English game and Wray, who is retiring after 13 years as a professional at his only club, has sounded a note of defiance.

“I don’t think people talk about this enough. It was the biggest fine in sporting history in a game where you lose money every year. Let’s just put that in perspective for a moment,” Wray said.

“And we have got through it. That says a lot more about the owners. They said, ‘we made a mistake and we will stay and put it right’.

“Together we have done it. We have done our bit as players – stayed and fought and gone against everyone.

“Even in this final. Everyone was with Sale. Every club in the land was with Sale. Do you know what? That’s how we like it. That is how we have always liked it. No one wants us to win and we don’t care.

“We want to do well for each other and well for the club because this club has given us everything. It has given me everything for 17 years and the least I can do is pull on this shirt with pride every week.”

Saracens’ celebrations spill over into Sunday, with the squad holding a retro sports shirt fancy dress event in London.

For Maro Itoje victory over Sale has placed the sight of Freddie Burns landing a last-gasp drop goal to clinch the title for Leicester 12 months earlier firmly in the rear-view mirror.

“I’m just happy. Last year we fell short, we got close, a drop goal was a painful way to lose,” Itoje said.

“I was tired of seeing that Freddie Burns drop goal every five minutes on BT Sport! Thank God I don’t have to go through another year of that. All in all, super happy!

“You can’t really hold on to the past too much but going through the pain of last year, I think it is fair to say we have been fairly consistent all throughout the season.

“Even when the internationals were away, the guys again stepped up. And obviously we have a few internationals, so those guys have been fantastic.”

Mark Cavendish won the final stage of his last Giro d’Italia to spark scenes of huge emotion in Rome as Primoz Roglic confirmed his overall victory.

Cavendish, who announced on the second rest day of this race that this season would be his last, made it look easy as he opened up several bike lengths over Alex Kirsch and Fernando Gaviria even before a crash on the final approach split the bunch.

It was a 17th career Giro stage win for the 38-year-old Manxman, who kept alive his record of winning at least one stage every time he had taken part in the Italian Grand Tour.

It was also Cavendish’s first win of the season and first with the Astana-Qazaqstan team, a timely confidence boost as he now turns his attentions to the Tour de France and his bid to take the stage win record there outright.

Astana may not have the greatest sprint pedigree or a lead-out train for Cavendish, but that hardly mattered when he had Geraint Thomas – who lost the pink jersey to Roglic on Saturday’s time trial – lending a hand, the Ineos Grenadiers rider offering a lead-out going into the final two kilometres.

The oldest ever stage winner in Giro history was a hugely popular one as Roglic and Thomas were quick to offer their congratulations.

Roglic takes the overall win by 14 seconds from Thomas, the fourth smallest margin of victory in Giro history.

Above The Curve made all the running under Maxime Guyon to land the Group Two Prix Corrida with an easy two-length success at Saint-Cloud on Sunday.

The Joseph O’Brien-trained four-year-old had been touched off when finishing third in the Prix de l’Opera over 10 furlongs in October before a lacklustre run in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

A daughter of American Pharoah, she had a bit to find after finishing last on her seasonal return in the Mooresbridge Stakes at the Curragh earlier this month.

Guyon, riding Above The Curve for the first time, kept things simple, setting a steady gallop before winding things up approaching three furlongs out.

Dual Group One winner Nashwa, making her first start since finishing fourth to Tuesday as favourite in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf having been one place in front of Above The Curve on Arc day, tracked the winner throughout.

However, Hollie Doyle was hard at work turning in and on ground quicker than she would have ideally liked, the John and Thady-Gosden-trained mare faded to fourth, with Mqse Se Servigne coming from last to briefly challenge the winner, with the keen-going India pipping Nashwa for third.

Thady Gosden was far from unhappy with Nashwa’s performance.

He said: “I don’t think we can be too disappointed. All the other fillies had one or two runs already this year and it has been a long time since her last run at the Breeders’ Cup in Keeneland.

“It was just the lack of a run and she’ll come on plenty for that. We’ll see how she comes out of the race and see how she travels back before making any hard and fast plans for her.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas survived a scare against Jiri Vesely in his opening match at the French Open.

The 2021 finalist seemed to have the contest well under control after a slow start when he moved two sets ahead of his Czech opponent but Vesely took the third and had three set points at 6-3 in the fourth-set tie-break to force a decider.

Fifth seed Tsitsipas saved all of them, though, before clinching a 7-5 6-3 4-6 7-6 (7) victory and roaring with relief.

The Greek knows he will need to play better going forward, saying: “It was a great comeback from me on that tie-breaker. I didn’t really play the way I wanted to play.

“I started just going more to the ball, being much more aggressive on my shot-making, and I kind of dictated a little bit better. The match was very inconsistent from my side. I felt like I haven’t played a match with so much inconsistency in a very long time.

“There weren’t a lot of rallies in play. He was serving big, so I had to find ways to change that. At times I felt like my footwork was lousy.

“But otherwise I’m happy with how things turned around, and my fighting spirit went on full display in those last few points of the tie-breaker. It was a great way to end it by just being patient and waiting for that chance to pop up.”

Tsitsipas has had an up-and-down season so far and struggled with injury after reaching his second grand slam final at the Australian Open but the clay-court swing has seen him find more consistency.

The 24-year-old revealed he is trying to play with a smile on his face having been influenced by Carlos Alcaraz’s positive attitude.

“I had a practice session with Carlitos the other day and did throw in a ‘thank you’ just randomly, and I don’t know if he understood that or not,” said Tsitsipas.

“I owe a lot to Carlitos because he’s such a breath of fresh air. He’s so competitive and he’s always with a smile on his face, and so much charisma to him and so much positive energy that he distributes.

“I think that’s contributed a lot to his growth as a tennis player and his consistency, too. I admire him for who he is. I have that capacity of being that person. I truly believe that.”

Eleventh seed Karen Khachanov, who has reached the semi-finals at the last two grand slams, had to fight back from two sets down to beat Constant Lestienne, and the vocal French crowd, 3-6 1-6 6-2 6-1 6-3.

Hubert Hurkacz also survived a five-setter against David Goffin while 24th seed Sebastian Korda saw off fellow American Mackenzie McDonald 6-4 7-5 6-4.

World XV coach Steve Hansen insisted Israel Folau should be able to move on from the anti-gay views that resulted in Rugby Australia terminating his contract.

Folau scored a try but was booed throughout Sunday’s 48-42 loss to the Barbarians by a group of around 100 banner-waving LGBTQ+ protesters, while the Rugby Football Union raised the pride flag on the roof of Twickenham.

The devout Christian was sacked by RA in 2019 for publishing a series of discriminatory posts on social media, including one telling “homosexuals” that “hell awaits you”.

He has switched national allegiance to Tonga ahead of this autumn’s World Cup and Hansen, who was wearing a pride wristband, said a line should be drawn under the episode.

“Everyone is allowed an opinion. We don’t necessarily have to agree with each other on our opinions but you are entitled to have one,” Hansen said.

“You can’t be punished for the rest of your life for having an opinion that most of us disagree with.

“I’ve always been a great believer that you can’t help somebody change by leaving them on the outside.”

A 32,597 crowd enjoyed a 14-try thriller as stars such as Charles Piutau, Semi Radradra and Sbu Nkosi caught the eye in glorious conditions.

It provided Barbarians coach Eddie Jones with a triumphant return in his first appearance at Twickenham since being sacked by England in December.

In previous years he coached against the Barbarians and he urged the RFU to be careful over how its traditional annual fixture against the Red Rose is marketed in the future.

“I can speak as a former England coach. I don’t think England should play the Barbarians, unless it’s a younger England team,” Jones said.

“At this time of the season you can never pick the England team, so it shouldn’t be called England. It should be called England President’s XV or something like that.

“Playing against the Barbarians is a great idea but to try and sell it as England is not honest. It’s not honest.”

Aidan O’Brien’s Drumroll was the beneficiary of a stewards’ inquiry at the Curragh on Sunday as he claimed the Heider Family Stables Gallinule Stakes.

The son of Deep Impact is a full-brother to Ballydoyle’s former 2000 Guineas hero Saxon Warrior and was upped to 10 furlongs in this Group Three contest having chased home Saturday’s Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Paddington on his previous start.

Ridden by Ryan Moore, he was tracking the pace set by Jim Bolger’s Cork scorer Young Ireland and first past the post Teutates in the early stages, and it was Donnacha O’Brien’s charge and the 4-5 favourite who emerged as the main players as the race entered the business end.

Having found top gear, Drumroll began to wear down his chief rival but was met with still opposition as Teutates refused to lie down in the hands of Gavin Ryan.

But the head-on viewing showed that Drumroll was bumped not once but twice in the closing stages and although Teutates prevailed by a short head, the 22-1 outsider of the field was demoted to second following an inquiry, with Drumroll awarded top spot.

Drumroll could now find himself on O’Brien’s Irish Derby teamsheet.

O’Brien said: “He’s progressing and a mile and a quarter looks a good trip for him. The Irish Derby is a possibility.

“He’s still a bit of a baby and ran a bit green.”

Meanwhile the younger O’Brien was proud of Teutates efforts and will now look at a Royal Ascot handicap for his Churchill colt.

He said: “He’s run a cracker. We always thought he was a stakes horse and works like that at home. To be honest I ran him in this to get him into one of the handicaps in Ascot as he had to go up a few pounds.

“As you can see there he can run around a little bit so he’s a hard horse to win with. I thought it would be easier to get him up in the weights by running in a stakes race rather than winning a handicap with him.

“He’s better on that kind of surface.”