Ben Earl is unsatisfied with his rampaging display against Ireland as his pursuit of becoming world class demands he develops into the complete back row.
England’s number eight was named official man of the match for the second time in this Guinness Six Nations after providing the tip of the spear in Saturday’s 23-22 upset of Andy Farrell’s defending champions.
Using a combination of speed, power and footwork, he carried 19 times for 140 metres and crossed for a vital second-half try as he continues to prove an unstoppable force from close range.
While the 26-year-old Saracen says he is aiming for world-class status, his overall stats after four rounds of the Six Nations are evidence he is already there – more carries than any other player, second behind Ireland’s James Lowe for metres carried and sixth for metres gained.
But as the tournament’s most potent forward in attack, he heads to Lyon for Saturday’s clash with France aiming to elevate another essential part of his game.
“Ben can get a lot better,” said England’s head of strength and conditioning Aled Walters, who described Earl’s ability to move laterally and then “punch forward immediately” as his point of difference.
“He was happy with his performance in attack at the weekend but disappointed with his performance in defence. So his ceiling is way off.
“Ben is striving to become one of those players on the world stage. I remember the term ‘superior discontent’. That is what Ben has. It will be good to watch how he progresses.”
Earl was an outsider for England in the build-up to the World Cup with all 15 of his caps won as a replacement, but by the end of the competition he had emerged as the squad’s standout player.
That form has continued into the Six Nations despite the interruption of a knee injury to the point he is now one of the first names on the team sheet.
“I’m trying to take my game to a place it’s not been before. You have to nit-pick and look at your performance as a whole,” Earl said.
“That’s especially being a back row because it’s not all about what you do with the ball in hand, it’s not all about what you do without the ball, it’s a combination of both.
“I’m trying to get to a point where both facets of my game are at a world class standard. That’s not the case now and it’s certainly something I’m working very hard towards.
“I’ve made no secret to where I want to be in the game. Has wanting to be world class driven me more? Probably not, I think I put a bit more pressure on myself than most. It’s something I’ve just had to live with.
“It just feels like we as a team are just going to get better and better and the more I can contribute to that then the better.”
Self-belief has never been an issue for Earl, according to his former Saracens team-mate and current England attack coach Richard Wigglesworth, who insists an important aspect of his game has gone unrecognised.
“I actually sat next to him in the changing rooms at Saracens from when he was like 18 or 19 coming into the squad,” Wigglesworth said.
“He got essentially booted up the arse every day at training because he had some confidence. At 19 it was not always backed up.
“But he keeps getting into battles. He keeps wanting the ball, he keeps putting himself in great positions.
“And I don’t think he probably gets much credit for his toughness. Because whatever has just happened, he’ll do the next thing to the absolute best of his ability. There’s no going into his shell.
“For Ben, this is years of hard work that are allowing him to flourish at Test level. And he’s got more in him.”
Martin Odegaard insists Arsenal cannot head into a long-awaited Champions League quarter-final draw fearing any opponent and called for Tuesday’s penalty shoot-out win over Porto to act as the catalyst for a Premier League title tilt.
The Gunners ended a 14-year wait to reach the last eight of Europe’s top-level club competition after David Raya saved two spot-kicks to seal progression following a 1-1 aggregate draw with Porto.
Leandro Trossard’s first-half strike at the Emirates Stadium drew Arsenal level in the last-16 tie, but the two sides could not be separated until Raya took centre stage, with all four of the hosts’ penalty takers finding the back of the net.
Arsenal had crashed out at the first knockout stage for seven consecutive years under Arsene Wenger and went on to endure a seven-year exile from the Champions League until they finished second in the Premier League last season.
Mikel Arteta’s side sit top of the table at present and Odegaard, who converted the first penalty of the shoot-out, believes Arsenal cannot fear facing the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Manchester City in the next round.
“To be honest, we can’t think like that,” he replied when asked if there was anyone he wanted to avoid in Friday’s draw.
“It’s the biggest tournament in the world and, no matter what team we get, it’s going to be a good team. We will just take what we get and we will try to win.
“That’s where we want to be. We want to be on the biggest stage. We want to play the biggest games and fight for the biggest trophies.
“When I came here I believed in the project, in the club, what they were doing, everything around the club, I believed in it – and now we are here doing well.
“We just have to keep pushing each other and make sure we get a little bit better every day. We will see where it takes us.”
Those improvements could also yet take Arsenal to a first Premier League crown in two decades, having fallen agonisingly short last year.
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After leading the way for 248 days of the campaign, they were pipped at the post by Treble-winning City.
However, a 2-1 victory over Brentford on Saturday followed by a draw between City and Liverpool means Arsenal will be top heading into the international break.
They travel to the Etihad Stadium on March 31 and Odegaard wants the win over Porto to act as fuel for their title drive.
“I think it is a massive boost for everyone,” the Norway international added.
“The way we did it also, it maybe wasn’t the best game, but you just saw everyone pushing so hard, digging so deep.
“I think you saw the mentality in the team when we stepped up for the penalties. I am really proud of everyone. We have to use this in a good way.
“I think we have to use this, we have to grow off this. It is a massive night for everyone. We are still a young squad, but this was another big experience for everyone.
“We have to keep building on that and use it in a good way going into the end of the season. It should be a massive boost for everyone.
“Every time we play, we want to win. We want to fight for all the trophies we can.”
George North has been recalled to the Wales team for Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations wooden-spoon decider against Italy.
North, who was omitted from the starting line-up beaten 45-24 by France, replaces Joe Roberts, with his fellow centre Nick Tompkins returning instead of Owen Watkin.
Two other changes are in the pack, where Harlequins prop Dillon Lewis is preferred to Keiron Assiratti and Cardiff flanker Alex Mann packs down alongside back-row colleagues Tommy Reffell and Aaron Wainwright.
Wales captain Dafydd Jenkins, who featured at blindside flanker against France, returns to the second-row alongside Adam Beard, with Will Rowlands dropping to the bench.
Aaron Ramsey has been included in Wales’ Euro 2024 play-off squad, despite not starting a match for six months.
The 84-times capped Wales skipper suffered a knee injury in September and was out until February, making two substitute appearances for Cardiff before picking up a calf complaint.
Despite Ramsey playing only 72 minutes since September 16, manager Rob Page has named the 33-year-old midfielder in a 28-man squad as Wales seek to qualify for a third successive European Championship and fourth major tournament in five.
Wales host Finland in a Euro 2024 play-off semi-final in Cardiff on March 21, with the winners at home against Estonia or Poland five days later to determine a place in Germany this summer.
Ramsey, speaking to Sky Sports on Saturday about his playing return, said: “It’s coming along. Hopefully I’ll be back out on the grass next week.
“I’m optimistic and hopefully I’ll get back on that pitch as soon as possible.
“These play-off games at home are vital. We’ve had so much success of late over the last four tournaments.
“The expectation is on us now to keep qualifying for these tournaments.”
There are also recalls for Adam Davies, Charlie Savage, Dylan Levitt, Josh Low, Rabbi Matondo, Rubin Colwill and Wes Burns in an enlarged squad.
Low replaces Tom Lockyer, who played in Wales’ last Euro 2024 qualifier against Turkey in November.
Luton defender Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest in a Premier League game at Bournemouth in December.
Reading midfielder Savage and in-form Cardiff forward Colwill join Wycombe defender Low in being promoted from Matty Jones’ under-21 squad.
Burns, Davies, Levitt and Matondo are recalled with Joe Morrell, Niall Huggins and Tom Bradshaw missing out through injury.
Full squad: W Hennessey (Nottingham Forest), D Ward (Leicester), T King (Wolves), A Davies (Sheff Utd), B Davies (Tottenham), J Rodon (Leeds, on loan from Tottenham), J Low (Wycombe), C Mepham (Bournemouth), B Cabango (Swansea), N Williams (Nottingham Forest), J Dasilva (Coventry), C Roberts (Leeds, on loan from Burnley), W Burns (Ipswich), E Ampadu (Leeds), J Sheehan (Bolton), D Levitt (Hibernian), J James (Birmingham), C Savage (Reading), A Ramsey (Cardiff, capt), H Wilson (Fulham), R Matondo (Rangers), D Brooks (Southampton, on loan from Bournemouth), D James (Leeds), N Broadhead (Ipswich), L Cullen (Swansea), R Colwill (Cardiff), B Johnson (Tottenham), K Moore (Ipswich, on loan from Bournemouth).
Maurizio Sarri has resigned as Lazio head coach, with Giovanni Martusciello appointed interim boss.
Former Chelsea boss Sarri took charge of the Rome club in 2021 and guided them to the runners-up spot in Serie A last season – their highest placing since they won the title in 2000.
But after four straight defeats in all competitions and five losses in their last six games, the 65-year-old has stepped down.
“SS Lazio announces that Maurizio Sarri has resigned as head coach of the first team,” a Lazio statement read.
“The club would like to thank the coach for his achievements and for the work he has done, wishing him the best of luck in his personal and professional life.
“At the same time, the club announces that it has decided to entrust the technical guidance to Giovanni Martusciello.”
Speculation over Sarri’s future had been mounting during Lazio’s poor recent run, which has left them in ninth place the the table, and in a statement last week the club said “all the rumours that would link other coaches to S.S. Lazio are devoid of any foundation”.
Sarri won the Europa League with Chelsea during his one season in charge of the English club in 2018-19 and also led them to third in the Premier League and the League Cup final.
He steered Juventus to the Serie A title in 2019-20 and twice oversaw second-placed finishes for Napoli during his three years in charge of them.
Shishkin has not been declared for Friday’s Boodles Gold Cup at Cheltenham following an unsatisfactory scope.
Trainer Nicky Henderson had already ruled out Jonbon from Wednesday’s Champion Chase, among others, after five of his six runners on the first day of the Festival were pulled up.
The form of the stable had been a talking point heading into the biggest week of the season, hot on the heels of his brightest star Constitution Hill working poorly at Kempton and subsequently being pulled out of the Champion Hurdle.
Henderson posted on X, formerly Twitter: “Very sadly it will not be possible for Shishkin to run in the Gold Cup on Friday. He was scoped as have all our potential runners this week, but unfortunately he has shown an unsatisfactory picture on which he couldn’t possibly run.
“He appears to be 100 per cent in himself and has been working and schooling better than ever and we were really looking forward to Friday, it is hoped that along with all the other non-participants this week that they will be back in time for Aintree or Punchestown.
“Regrettably Champ has also succumbed and will not run in tomorrow’s Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle and the equivalent race at Aintree could be on the agenda.”
Nicky Henderson has reacted to his overall poor results on the opening day of this year’s Cheltenham Festival by withdrawing several runners on day two, including Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase hope Jonbon.
Henderson went into this year’s Festival under a cloud following the withdrawal of Champion Hurdle title holder Constitution Hill and a disappointing run of form from his stable as a whole.
Luccia provided the Seven Barrows handler with a boost when finishing third behind State Man in the Champion Hurdle, but his other five runners on Tuesday were all pulled up.
Henderson posted on X: “I’m afraid we have had to make some very tough decisions following the very disappointing performances of all bar one of our horses yesterday.
“It was there for all to see that there is obviously something affecting nearly all our horses and consequently we have reluctantly decided that Jonbon, First Street and Kingston Pride will not run today.
“It is impossible to identify any reason for all the disappointments and none of these horses have given us any cause for concern and all yesterday’s runners were scoped clean post race and I am glad to say all are sound this morning.
“There will unfortunately be further non-runners on Thursday and Friday.
“I hope everybody will appreciate that we have to do this in everybody’s interests, particularly the horses. It is very, very disappointing for everybody.”
Among Henderson’s high-profile entries for the rest of the week are JCB Triumph Hurdle favourite Sir Gino and leading Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup contender Shishkin.
A 76-year-old match programme from one of Rangers’ first post-war fixtures overseas is expected to change hands for a four-figure sum when it goes under the hammer next month.
The 16-page publication produced for the Ibrox club’s friendly against this week’s Europa League last-16 opponents Benfica in Lisbon on 10 February 1948 will be given a guide price of between £800 and £1,200 when details go live online this Friday ahead of its auction at Glasgow’s Trades Hall on 10 April.
It has been described by auctioneer and sporting memorabilia specialist David Convery as “one of the rarest Rangers and indeed Scottish post-Second World War match programmes in existence”.
Even allowing for the fact the spine has been taped, Scottish football memorabilia enthusiasts forecast that the programme, printed in an era of paper rationing across the world, will appeal to many Gers collectors and fetch significantly more than the reserve price.
It fell into the hands of fledgling Edinburgh collector Neil Brown when gifted to him by his Sunday school teacher as part of a random batch of programmes in the early 1960s.
The now 70-year-old Hearts supporter has no idea how such a rare item made its way back to Scotland following a match – some two and a half years after the end of the war – in which few of a Rangers persuasion beyond team and officials were in attendance.
“When I was 11 years old, my Sunday school teacher found out I’d started collecting programmes and brought in a bag of about 15 old programmes for me,” said Brown.
“I had no awareness at that point that it would be of any value in the future because in those days I was just collecting as a hobby.
“It was only probably in the 1980s, when people started to take a real interest in the value of such things, that I started to realise the significance of this particular programme and how rare it might be.
“I’ve collected all kinds of sport and music memorabilia over the years, such as comics, magazines, vinyl and football programmes, and it has all got a bit out of control!
“It has been fantastic to own such a rare item for so long but I’ve been trying to down-size for some time so now, unfortunately, is the time for it to go and let someone else enjoy it.”
Brown contacted the auctioneers in January and by sheer coincidence his prized programme – with a cover price of 1 Escudo – will be going under the hammer just weeks after Benfica and Rangers were reunited in the Europa League. The two sides are tied at 2-2 ahead of Thursday’s second leg at Ibrox.
Their encounter at Lisbon’s Estadio Nacional 76 years ago was the first ever meeting between the clubs and it represented Rangers’ second post-war match overseas – their first was against the Combined Services in Hannover in October 1945.
Bill Struth’s Gers side defeated the Portuguese 3-0 in front of an estimated crowd of 60,000, with Jimmy Duncanson scoring twice and Willie Thornton also on target.
As a romantic aside, former Rangers player and manager Willie Waddell met his wife Hilda when she was working as an air hostess on the flight to Lisbon for the match.
Today’s Glenfarclas Cross-Country Chase has been abandoned due to waterlogged ground on Cheltenham’s inside circuit.
Following 11mm of rainfall throughout yesterday, there has been no improvement in the conditions on the Cross-Country course and areas of the track remain unraceable.
The forecast for the remainder of the week continues to look unsettled, with further showers likely on both Thursday and Friday.
There will therefore be insufficient improvement to the Cross-Country course and the decision has been taken not to reschedule the Glenfarclas Cross-Country Chase at this year’s Festival.
Due to the abandonment, the revised race times for today are as follows: Race 1 – 1345, Race 2 – 1430, Race 3 – 1515, Race 4 – 1600, Race 5 – N/A, Race 6 – 1650, Race 7 – 1730.
The going on the regulation Old and New courses is described as soft, heavy in places.
What the papers say
Liverpool have expressed their faith in Colombian winger Luis Diaz after telling Spanish giants Barcelona that the 27-year-old is not for sale and is a part of their long-term plans, the Daily Mirror reports. Diaz has scored six goals and created three more in 27 games in the Premier League for the club this season.
The Mirror says Manchester United have set a price tag of £43million on striker Mason Greenwood with an unnamed Saudi Pro League interested in the 22-year-old’s signature. The forward has spent the season in La Liga at Spanish club Getafe on loan where he has scored six goals and assisted five more in 23 matches.
The Daily Mail reports Chelsea could be looking to offload several stars this summer including Raheem Sterling, Romelu Lukaku, Trevoh Chalobah and Marc Cucurella.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Viktor Gyokeres: Arsenal have made the Swedish forward their number one target this summer with the Sporting Lisbon player having a £85million release clause in his contract, according to Football Transfers.
Willian Pacho: Liverpool and Arsenal are interested in the 22-year-old Ecuadorian defender at Eintracht Frankfurt, 90min says.
Jessica Ennis became the first British woman to win indoor and outdoor world titles in athletics by taking pentathlon gold in Doha 14 years ago.
After triumphing at the 2009 World Championships outdoors seven months earlier, all eyes were on her as she attempted to back it up at the World Indoor Championships in Qatar.
The result was a new British, Commonwealth and championship record score of 4,937 points to finish above rivals Nataliya Dobrynska, Hyleas Fountain and Tatyana Chernova.
Ennis, who changed her surname to Ennis-Hill after marrying Andy Hill in 2013, won the 60 metres hurdles and high jump and took second place in the long jump and 800m to clinch a memorable victory.
The then 24-year-old, whose preparations had been disrupted by a foot injury, said: “I feel great to beat the three medallists from (the) Beijing (Olympics in 2008). It’s very special to win here and break the championship record.
“I had a great year in 2009 so everyone was expecting me to win.”
The Sheffield athlete finished second at the outdoor World Championships the following year but was promoted to first in 2016 after Chernova was disqualified for doping.
She then became one of the faces of London 2012 by winning Olympic gold on home soil.
She gave birth to son Reggie in 2014 but returned to the sport the following year and regained the world title before adding Olympic silver in Rio in 2016.
Ennis-Hill announced her retirement in October 2016 and was made a Dame in the 2017 New Year Honours.
World number one Iga Swiatek will take on Caroline Wozniacki in the BNP Paribas Open quarter-finals at Indian Wells.
It took little more than an hour for Poland’s Swiatek to beat Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva in straight sets 6-1 6-2.
Wozniacki, from Denmark, defeated three-time Grand Slam winner Angelique Kerber in 90 minutes 6-4 6-2, advancing to her first WTA 1000 quarter-final since 2019 after returning to the tour.
After her match, former world number one Wozniacki said she will have to play her “best tennis to compete” with Swiatek.
“I think I have obviously commentated some of her matches,” she said. “I know how she’s playing. Obviously she’s playing good tennis, playing powerfully.
“I practiced with her as well a few times after I have come back, during the US Open as well. I know how she plays, but it’s one thing knowing how she plays and also playing against her in a full match.”
Swiatek said on court that she has great respect for Wozniacki.
“I think she’s playing great even after the maternity break. She was fighting to come back.
“I have huge respect. I’m going to prepare like any other, but off the court she’s a great person.”
Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk defeated Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4 6-1, while Russian Anastasia Potapova defeated Italian Jasmine Paolini 7-5 0-6 6-3.
Anthony Edwards scored 37 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves rallied from a 22-point deficit for a 118-100 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker added a season-high 28 points and Mike Conley scored 23 with five 3-pointers for the Wolves, who bounced back from consecutive losses to pull within one game of the Northwest Division lead.
Kawhi Leonard left with back spasms between the first two quarters, the Clippers said. He played the entire first quarter, but he was seen leaving the arena during the second quarter.
Faced with a 57-35 deficit midway through the second quarter, Minnesota cut the Clippers’ lead to 63-55 at halftime and took control in the second half for the team’s largest comeback since November 2012.
Paul George scored 22 points for Los Angeles, which has dropped two straight for only the second time since Christmas.
Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert returned from a one-game absence with a right hamstring injury but then apparently injured his ribs or sternum at some point in the second half, heading to the locker room in pain.
Kings finally beat Bucks
De’Aaron Fox scored 29 points and Domantas Sabonis had 22 with 11 rebounds as the Sacramento Kings defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, 129-94, for their first win in the series in over eight years.
Sacramento posted its first win over Milwaukee since Feb. 1, 2016, with the 15-game losing streak being the longest active streak for any team.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 13 rebounds as the Bucks finished a 1-3 California swing.
Hart stars in Knicks’ rout of 76ers
Josh Hart registered his fourth triple-double of the season and OG Anunoby scored 14 points in his return from an 18-game absence as the New York Knicks rolled to a 106-79 drubbing of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Hart had 20 points, a career high-tying 19 rebounds and 10 assists, and Jalen Brunson added 20 points and nine assists for the Knicks, who bounced back from Sunday’s loss to the 76ers.
Anunoby played his first game since Jan. 27 due to a right elbow injury that required surgery. New York improved to 13-2 in games that he has played in since his acquisition from Toronto on Dec. 30.
Kelly Oubre Jr. had 19 points and Tyrese Maxey added 17 after missing the previous four games due to a concussion. Philadelphia has lost four of its last five games.
Aleksander Barkov scored his second goal of the game with 5:22 remaining and the NHL-leading Florida Panthers used a three-goal third period to defeat the Dallas Stars 5-2 on Tuesday.
Dallas held a 3-1 lead midway through the third period, but Barkov scored a power-play goal with 8:51 left and Sam Bennett netted the tying goal just under three minutes later. Barkov scored the winner just 38 seconds later on a power play.
Sam Reinhart added his team-leading 46th goal for the Panthers, who won for the 18th time in 21 games.
Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston and Joe Pavelski each had a goal and an assist for the Central Division-leading Stars, who had won five in a row.
Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky allowed more than two goals for the first time since Jan. 19, ending his personal 12-game stretch.
Shesterkin perfect again
Igor Shesterkin stopped 28 shots for his second straight shutout and the New York Rangers padded their lead in the Metropolitan Division with a 1-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.
Shesterkin, who blanked St. Louis on Saturday, turned away five shots in the first period, 11 in the second and 12 more in the third for his 14th career shutout.
Adam Fox scored the game’s only goal late in the first period as New York won its third straight to open a six-point lead over Carolina in the Metro.
Pyotr Kochetkov made 23 saves for the Hurricanes, who had won three in a row.
Rantanen’s big game powers surging Avs
Mikko Rantanen had two goals and two assists and the Colorado Avalanche scored five times in the second period in a 6-2 victory over the Calgary Flames.
Valeri Nichushkin had a goal and two assists and Nathan MacKinnon added a goal and an assist for the Avalanche, who have won four straight and six of seven to pull within two points of Dallas for the Central Division lead.
MacKinnon, who leads the NHL with 113 points, extended his point streak to 13 games. He has nine goals and 19 assists during that span.
The Flames dropped their third straight after winning six of seven.
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