Eddie Jones says his next step will be "the right job at the right time" following his England exit, as rumours of a return to the Australia national set-up rumble on.
The coach was dismissed on the back of a frustrating 2022, less than a year out from the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
As England move to find his successor, with Leicester Tigers boss Steve Borthwick considered the frontrunner, talk has swirled over Jones potentially linking up with the Wallabies.
The 62-year-old however is happy to wait on his future, having also mooted a cross-code switch to rugby league, and suggests he will not rush into a decision.
"Everyone knows I love a scrap, and I'm up for whatever challenge is next," he told the Sydney Morning Herald. "I'm open to looking at everything in rugby, and I've made no secret of my wish to give the NRL a go, too.
"Nothing is off the table. Nothing. It's all about the right job at the right time, and I'll look at it all."
Reflecting on his departure, Jones acknowledged his pride for his England achievements, while stressing he will not adapt to please his cynics.
"In this job I've learnt it's impossible to avoid being moved on," he added. "It comes with the gig. But I'm proud of what we accomplished in my time here, and I wish I had the opportunity to finish what I started.
"All the critics are having their say. My only response is that I have coached a certain way my whole career and I'm happy with that. I'm not about to change anything."
Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan confirmed he had contacted Jones on Saturday, but refused to disclose what he had discussed with him.
Jones previously led his home country between 2001 and 2005, and was in charge when they lost the 2003 Rugby World Cup final to England.
Ockie Strydom clinched his maiden victory on the European Tour on Sunday, as the South African held off the challenge of Adrian Otaegui to win the Alfred Dunhill Championship on home soil.
Strydom matched Scott Jamieson's course-record 63 in Saturday's third round at Leopard Creek Country Club to join the Scot in a share of the lead ahead of the final day.
However, Jamieson tailed off badly by carding a four-over-par 76 on Sunday, leaving Otaegui as Strydom's closest competitor ahead of a tense finish.
Laurie Canter set the clubhouse target when he moved to 15-under with a terrific 64, but Otaegui looked set to take the spoils when Strydom double-bogeyed the ninth, allowing the Spaniard to draw level.
However, Strydom recovered with four birdies in five holes to retake the lead, leaving Otaegui in his wake.
Having established a three-shot advantage with two holes to play, the 37-year-old made sure of his victory with a simple putt on the 18th, clinching his first title on the tour.
Six South African players found themselves in the top 10 by the end of the final round, with Louis Oosthuizen among them after claiming a share of seventh place.
Ben White has resumed training with Arsenal following his early departure from England's World Cup camp in Qatar.
The 25-year-old returned home on November 30 "for personal reasons" without playing a single minute in any of England's three group matches.
Widespread reports suggested White's premature exit from England's Al Wakrah headquarters came after a falling out with assistant manager Steve Holland.
Commenting on those rumours earlier this week, Southgate said: "The article written used words like 'alleged', so whoever wrote it didn't feel strongly enough it was correct.
"Ben left for personal reasons. We made that very clear and I think especially in this day and age it is very important that a situation like that is respected."
England went on to beat Senegal 3-0 in the last 16 but were eliminated by France at the quarter-final stage on Saturday with a 2-1 defeat.
A day on from the Three Lions' tournament exit, White took part in a training session with Arsenal at their warm-weather camp in Dubai.
White has started all 14 Premier League games this season for leaders Arsenal, who resume their campaign against West Ham on Boxing Day.
Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey and United States goalkeeper Matt Turner also resumed training with Mikel Arteta's side on Sunday following their own World Cup exits.
Arsenal have friendlies with Serie A sides Milan and Juventus to come before facing London rivals West Ham.
England's World Cup exit came despite the Three Lions outperforming every other side at the tournament, says Jamie Carragher, who felt Gareth Southgate could have been "braver" in Saturday's defeat to France.
Harry Kane scored a penalty and missed another as England suffered more quarter-final heartache, despite outplaying the world champions for long periods at Al Bayt stadium.
Despite amassing double the number of shots (16 to eight) and expected goals (2.41 to 1.01) than France, England succumbed to their seventh World Cup quarter-final elimination – a tournament record.
Former Three Lions defender Carragher was present for one of those exits, missing a penalty in a 2006 shoot-out loss to Portugal, but he believes Southgate's men played at a higher level than past England sides.
Recounting England's previous World Cup exits in a column for The Telegraph, Carragher wrote: "The biggest compliment I can pay Southgate's side is that they do not belong with such company.
"This England team was no underdog going toe-to-toe with the world champions. This England team leaves the tournament having played better than any side in Qatar over their five games, a genuine contender that could and arguably should have gone all the way.
"France won on the night because of moments – a stunning goal from distance and a cross from Antoine Griezmann that would have troubled any defence in the world.
"Then England missed a penalty, knowing that had Harry Kane equalised for a second time, it would have carried positive momentum into extra time."
While praising the quality of England's displays in Qatar, Carragher said Southgate should have made better use of his squad when Saturday's game was poised at 1-1 in the second half.
"When you lose a game there's always things you look back on and think you could have done differently," he told Sky Sports.
"That's easy to say after the event, but I did feel before the game that England had to be brave from the bench. I just felt that in the period between the two goals, we could have been braver from the bench.
"With five substitutions, it's a big part of a manager's role to try to influence or change a game. I know Gareth's been criticised for that in the past, after the games against Croatia [in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals] and Italy [in the Euro 2020 final].
"Both those sides, if we're being totally honest, were better than us. I don't think France were better than us, and I felt the change should have been to try to go and win the game.
"England certainly had the strongest bench in the competition, I firmly believe that, and I just think we could have been a little bit more proactive in that period where it was 1-1 and we were playing really well."
Eddie Nketiah is ready to step in for the injured Gabriel Jesus and stake his claim again within the Arsenal frontline.
Former England youth international Nketiah had appeared to be headed for the exit last season before a slew of late-campaign performances secured his Arsenal future.
With the arrival of Jesus from Manchester City, though, Nketiah has found himself down the pecking order as Arsenal have pushed on to top the Premier League.
However, an injury on World Cup duty with Brazil has seen Jesus sidelined following knee surgery, opening the door for his team-mate, who is prepared to seize his chance with both hands.
"Of course, it is an opportunity for myself," Nketiah stated. "These things happen in football, unfortunately, so you've just got to be ready for the moment when it comes.
"I have been working hard, I've been working hard all season and I'm sure when I get the opportunity I'll be able to come in and help the team."
Nketiah scored five goals in the club's final seven league games last term and signed a new contract through to 2027 in June.
Arsenal are currently on their mid-season break enforced by Qatar 2022, but are hopeful they can pick up where they left off when the Premier League resumes.
Arteta's men sit five points clear of rivals City at the top of the pile, with both teams having a game in hand on fellow top-four outfits Newcastle United and Tottenham.
They resume their campaign in a London derby against West Ham on Boxing Day, before facing Brighton and Hove Albion on New Year's Eve.
Bruno Fernandes acknowledged Morocco as deserving World Cup semi-finalists after seeing Portugal's campaign cut short by the Atlas Lions in Saturday's quarter-final.
Youssef En-Nesyri headed home the game's only goal as Morocco caused another upset at Al Thumama Stadium, becoming the first African side to reach the final four in tournament history.
The defeat provoked a furious reaction from some Portugal players, with Pepe describing the appointment of Argentinian referee Facundo Tello as "unacceptable" after he opted against awarding a penalty when Fernandes went down under a challenge from Achraf Hakimi.
The playmaker echoed Pepe's thoughts in the immediate aftermath of the loss, saying the officials had "tilted the field" against Fernando Santos' men.
However, the Manchester United man struck a different tone when he took to social media on Sunday, praising Morocco's display and outlining his pride in Portugal's efforts.
"It's difficult to express in a few words everything we felt yesterday after the game ended," he wrote on Twitter. "Our dream fell apart when we did everything to make it end differently.
"It's sad and painful because representing our team means much more than just playing football.
"Despite the elimination, I am very proud to be Portuguese and even more proud of all those who represented our country with me in this World Cup.
"I would also like to congratulate the Moroccan team for the great game and for deservedly qualifying for the semi-finals of the World Cup."
Portugal's defeat to Walid Regragui's men was their first at the quarter-final stage of a World Cup, with the Selecao having progressed from their two previous last-eight ties at the tournament.
England held off Pakistan's fightback to end day three of the second Test on top, with the late dismissal of Imam-ul-Haq teeing up a nail-biting finish in Multan.
Pakistan made a flying start as England were bowled out for 275 in the opening session, and despite being reduced to 83-3 after lunch, the hosts appeared to be in the ascendency thanks to a fine partnership between Imam (60) and Saud Shakeel (54 not out).
There was a final twist as the light drew in, however, as Imam handed Joe Root a simple catch at slip, leaving England requiring six wickets for a series victory as the momentum shifted once more.
The fact England began the day 202-5 owed much to a fine knock from Harry Brook, and the right-hander wasted little time in bringing up his second Test century as the tourists built a 355-run lead.
However, Pakistan soon had their first wicket of the day when Mohammad Ali produced a terrific catch in the deep from Ben Stokes (41), before the Test's breakout star Abrar Ahmed claimed his 11th of the match to remove Ollie Robinson (3).
But it was Zahid Mahmood who took centre stage with a three-wicket haul as England were all out for 275, bowling James Anderson (4) lbw after handing Shakeel a catch from Brook (108).
Pakistan's hopes of chasing down their target looked forlorn when England claimed three quickfire wickets after lunch, the highlight being Robinson's terrific seamer to skipper Babar Azam (1).
The hosts initially made light of those dismissals as Imam and Shakeel took up the mantle, but the former's wild swing at Jack Leach's routine delivery could prove costly.
Root was on hand to make the catch at close quarters, dealing a serious blow to Pakistan's chase at the end of a topsy-turvy day.
Brook repeats the trick
Brook made the third-fastest Test century in England history as Brendon McCullum's men got off to a flying start to the first Test last week, and while his second ton was not quite as emphatic, it could prove equally crucial.
The 23-year-old's century – his second in three Test appearances – gave England something to defend as Pakistan began their fightback.
Zahid and Imam efforts in vain?
Zahid was the star of the opening session as his three-wicket haul helped cut England's second innings short, with this display representing a vast improvement on his underwhelming debut in the first Test.
Imam, meanwhile, looked to have put Pakistan on course for a successful chase with his knock of 60, but his late swing at Leach's ball may end up costing his side the match.
Louis van Gaal says he leaves a Netherlands squad with close bonds but not enough wingers after he retired in the aftermath of their World Cup exit.
The Oranje went unbeaten throughout regulation time at Qatar 2022 and were only eliminated on penalties by Argentina in the quarter-finals on Friday.
Van Gaal's side boasted an array of defensive and offensive talent, with Cody Gakpo finishing the tournament with three goals to his name up front in attack and Wout Weghorst snatching a dramatic brace versus La Albiceleste.
But though the veteran coach feels he departs a team that can rely on each other, he acknowledges they lack the crucial players out wide to exploit the full breadth of the pitch.
"What do I leave behind with the Oranje?" he told AD. "I leave a good, close-knit group with a lot of footballing ability.
"But I leave without wingers who can pass an opponent at the highest level. You need wingers who can pass those men.
"Dutch football doesn't have that at the moment, not when it comes to the very highest level of a World Cup. That's why I started playing differently."
Van Gaal noticeably favoured a direct approach in the closing stages of the Netherlands' game with Argentina, forcing extra-time after two late goals forged through the middle.
The 71-year-old will now be succeeded by former Oranje boss Ronald Koeman, who returns to the helm of the national team, having left for an ill-fated spell with Barcelona in August 2020.
Harry Kane appeared "weighed down" by the presence of his Tottenham team-mate Hugo Lloris as his late penalty miss saw England exit the World Cup against France, says Alan Shearer.
Kane equalled Wayne Rooney's record of 53 England goals from the spot nine minutes into the second half at Al Bayt Stadium, but he blazed a second penalty over the crossbar 30 minutes later as France held on for a 2-1 quarter-final win.
Shearer believes the sight of Kane's club team-mate between the sticks impacted his ill-fated second kick, which he says will hurt the Three Lions captain "for the rest of his life".
"Having taken one already, the difference was the difference itself. It becomes a mind game, not only with the goalkeeper but with yourself," Shearer wrote in a column for the Athletic.
"It's human nature. Who blinks first? To me, Harry looked weighed down for his second. Heavier, somehow.
"In that situation, you're confronted with a new set of problems and a new set of siren voices. You think 's***, what do I do now?'
"Do I do the same as last time, do I stick with what I'm good at, do I change it up?
"In Harry's case, he's playing against his Tottenham Hotspur team-mate in Hugo Lloris and that sense of familiarity is treacherous. Yes, he'd already scored, but Lloris knows his routines, how he practises, the side he naturally favours.
"Trust me, all that plays on your mind in the sparse seconds between the whistle going and you starting your run-up.
"It will hurt Harry for the rest of his life. A day won't go by without him thinking about it or being reminded about it."
Having taken responsibility for England's exit in the aftermath of their defeat, Kane pledged to learn from the experience as he took to social media on Sunday.
"Absolutely gutted. We've given it everything and it's come down to a small detail which I take responsibility for," Kane wrote on Twitter. "There's no hiding from it, it hurts and it'll take some time to get over it, but that's part of sport.
"Now it's about using the experience to be mentally and physically stronger for the next challenge. Thanks for all the support throughout the tournament – it means a lot."
Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham also expressed his support for Kane – as well as for England boss Gareth Southgate – in a statement released on Sunday.
"Like all England fans, we feel the pain of losing a quarter-final, along with the coaches, players and support team who are hurting this morning," the statement began.
"Gareth and Steve [Holland] prepared the team exceptionally well throughout the tournament. The players were committed to winning the trophy and were led very well by Harry Kane.
"But sport can have fine margins, and on the day, against the current world champions, it was not to be.
"This is a very exciting young English squad, and despite the intense disappointment of last night, they should be incredibly proud of their performances in Qatar."
FIFA has confirmed a new match ball will be used for the final stages of the World Cup, replacing the existing model that has been used throughout the tournament so far.
The Al Hilm, which succeeds the Al Rihla, will be used in the semi-finals, third-place playoff and final of Qatar 2022, having been introduced for the last four games by Adidas.
The existing ball, which has been implemented with technology to assist in tracking and helping referee decisions across the tournament, has been used so far across the group stages and initial knockout rounds.
But the Al Hilm, which will come with a gold base design and triangular pattern paying tribute to the deserts surrounding major host city Doha, will now take its place.
"Al Hilm represents a beacon of light on the power of sport and football to bring the world together," Adidas general manager Nick Craggs said in a statement.
"Millions will tune in from almost every country around the globe, united by their passion for the game. We wish all teams involved in the final stages of the tournament the best of luck."
The semi-finals have been set for Qatar 2022, with 2018 winners France and runners-up Croatia both potentially in line for a rematch in the final four years on.
The pair will play Morocco, the first African nation to reach the last four in the tournament's history, and former winners Argentina respectively.
Tiger Woods fell to a 3 and 2 loss alongside Rory McIlroy on his return to the course, after the pair were downed by Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas in The Match.
The 15-time major winner partnered the world number one, friend and fellow PGA flagbearer for the televised exhibition contest, played over 12 holes at Pelican Golf Club in Florida.
The event, which raised money for Hurricane Ian relief efforts, is the third edition of the event, with Woods a mainstay of the competition.
But having sat out the Hero World Challenge through injury last week due to plantar fasciitis, the 46-year-old and his partner were outmatched across the contest.
Spieth and Thomas took the second, third and fourth holes to race into an early lead, and although Woods and McIlroy pulled back the seventh, the former pair restored their advantage on the eighth.
It marked a good-natured battle between the four, who have emerged as major players on the PGA Tour following a slate of defections to the breakaway LIV Golf tour.
Woods and McIlroy in particular have been vocal critics of the Saudi-funded series of events, which have attracted several of the sport's best players and sparked a bitter civil war in golf.
The duo have suggested reconciliation could be possible, but only if LIV Golf figurehead Greg Norman was to relinquish his position as CEO and stand down.
Woods will next play in the PNC Championship later this month, where he is expected to partner his son Charlie at the family event.
Jude Bellingham and Harry Maguire both believe referee Wilton Sampaio was not at the level needed for a World Cup quarter-final following England's loss to France.
The Three Lions saw their quest for a third successive semi-final appearance in major tournaments brought to an end by the holders, who claimed a 2-1 win in Al Khor.
Though England controlled a tight encounter for long periods, they often found themselves pegged back by a vigorous French defence, with referee Sampaio happy to let several industrial challenges slide.
Bellingham acknowledged any official can have a tough match afterwards, but felt the Brazilian was not up to scratch for a match of such prestige.
"Anyone can have a bad game, players and referees," he told ITV. "[But] I think he wasn't where he should have been today in terms of the level for a game like this.
"There are more factors as to why we lost. This definitely isn't me putting it all on him, [as] we were the ones who played the game. But I don't think he was at the level tonight.
"I think there were a few [fouls] around the box in the first half. We are deadly at set pieces, and I think any one of those can make the difference."
France scored their opening goal on the back of a contentious no-foul call for a tackle on Bukayo Saka, while England's second penalty - which Harry Kane decisively missed - needed a VAR intervention to be awarded.
Maguire was less than impressed too, telling BBC Sport: "From minute one, there were five or six fouls not one yellow card. It's a foul for the first goal, leading up to it on Bukayo.
"I can't really go into explaining how bad his performance was. I don't want to go into too much because I'll end up getting fined.
"But even though the big decisions were wrong, he never gave us anything. Throughout the game he was really poor."
Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan was magnanimous in victory after his side inflicted a 144-115 rout upon a Dallas Mavericks team missing star man Luka Doncic.
The hosts ran rampant across a record-breaking first half, posting their highest points haul in franchise history with 82 at United Center.
DeMar DeRozan led the individual efforts with a 28-point haul, but it was a concentrated team performance as the Bulls backed up their prior win over the Washington Wizards.
The Mavericks were stung without Doncic, who was ruled out ahead of the match with a quad strain, and Donovan acknowledged his side's opponents had enjoyed less-than-ideal preparations for their matchup.
"Clearly, they had a tough game against Milwaukee and then a tough turnaround, and [with] some integral players out," he stated.
"But for us, I thought we generated good shots, found the open man, spaced the floor well. I think there's always things you can take from these games."
In addition to Doncic, the Mavericks were missing Maxi Kleber and Josh Green, with the pair also ruled out following Friday's one-point loss to the Bucks.
Meanwhile, the Bulls produced impressive displays across the board, with DeRozan one of seven players to post double-figure hauls.
"We scored 144 points, and it was spread around," Donovan added. "Zach [LaVine] and DeMar are unselfish players, and it gets other guys involved.
"It's not that we've got to lead the league in three-point shots, [it is] just that there are opportunities for us to take more threes that are good shots. I thought we did a good job taking the ones we should take tonight."
Steve Kerr acknowledged the Golden State Warriors "needed a game like that" after they ran out 123-107 victors over the Boston Celtics.
A Klay Thompson-inspired attack snapped a two-game losing run on their home patch, in a rematch of last season's Finals series.
It saw the Warriors move to 14-13 for the season and takes them eighth in the Western Conference after handing the Celtics just their sixth loss of the season.
With his side in need of a morale boost on the court, head coach Kerr acknowledged the performance will have done wonders for their confidence following a tough few matches.
"I thought we needed a game like that," he stated. "We've been a little bit stuck in the mud. The crowd was excited, we were excited.
"The feeling of going against the team you just played in the Finals, especially with the way they've played this year [and being able to win]. They've just been so good, so dominant."
While Thompson and Stephen Curry fronted up with hauls of 34 and 32 points respectively, it was the defensive performance of Jonathan Kuminga that drew plaudits from his coach and team-mates.
"I thought JK was great," Kerr added. "His athleticism and size and strength [is terrific]. To be able to bring him off the bench and put him on for either [Jaylen] Brown or [Jayson] Tatum [is great].
"JK has really helped solidify our defense and given us another weapon [where] we can put on the best players on the opponent."
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