Raphael Guerreiro edged Bayern Munich to a narrow victory over Union Berlin to take the champions to within four points of Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

On a night when on-loan Tottenham defender Eric Dier made his Bayern debut as a half-time substitute and England skipper Harry Kane saw a 23rd league goal of the campaign chalked off, Union coach Nenad Bjelica was sent to the stands after appearing to push Leroy Sane in the face, an offence which is certain to result in significant disciplinary action.

A 1-0 victory was the bare minimum in the wake of Saturday’s home defeat by Werder Bremen with head coach Thomas Tuchel, who it was announced before kick-off has abandoned his pursuit of Newcastle defender Kieran Trippier, reportedly under pressure after a testing run.

It took a double save by Union keeper Frederik Ronnow to keep the sides level when he first repelled Matthijs de Ligt’s header and then Dayot Upamecano’s follow-up from Joshua Kimmich’s sixth-minute corner.

Kingsley Coman saw an 11th-minute drive turned away and Konrad Laimer dragged another wide of the far post before De Ligt missed the target with another header from a corner as the home side pressed for an opener.

With Jamal Musiala and Sane prominent, Bayern probed away and Coman flicked just off target from a Guerreiro cross before Leon Goretzka curled another attempt over.

Kimmich shot tamely at Ronnow and Guerreiro fired another well wide with Union continuing to frustrate the hosts, although the visitors mounted a rare attack and Janik Haberer blazed over from distance after Robin Gosens had laid off Benedict Hollerbach’s cross.

Worryingly for Tuchel, Upamecano pulled up clutching his hamstring as he pursued Hollerbach, although the central defender managed to complete the half after treatment.

The sides headed for the dressing rooms – to the clear displeasure of some of the locals at Allianz Arena, with the deadlock unbroken – but with both Sane and Musiala having gone close in stoppage time.

Dier belatedly replaced Upamecano at the break and the jeers turned to cheers within seconds when, after Kane’s shot had thundered back off the post, Guerreiro forced the ball past Ronnow at the second attempt to ease the tension inside the stadium.

Kane thought he had extended his side’s lead when he dispatched Sane’s 55th-minute cross, but his effort was ruled out for offside after a VAR review.

For all the home side’s dominance, Union remained in the game as long as only one goal separated the teams, and that jeopardy was highlighted when Kevin Behrens appeared to be tripped inside the box, but not in the opinion of the VAR official.

Tempers frayed on the sideline with 74 minutes gone when Bjelica raised a hand to Sane as the pair wrestled for the ball and received a red card for his actions.

Ronnow had to dive full-length to keep out Goretzka’s 81st-minute header, but the final whistle left many questions unanswered for Tuchel.

Draymond Green's disciplinary issues this season have played a part in him missing out on selection for the Paris Olympics, so says Team USA chief Grant Hill.

Green, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, has not made the 41-man list, which was unveiled on Tuesday.

LeBron James, Stephen Curry and reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid all featured on the list, which will be whittled down to a 12-man roster ahead of the Olympics, which take place in July and August in the French capital.

But Golden State Warriors power forward Green, who helped Team USA triumph in 2016 and 2021, will not feature at another Games, with executive director Hill claiming the two suspensions the NBA has handed the 33-year-old's way in recent months have swayed that decision.

Having served a five-game suspension in November for grappling with Rudy Gobert, Green then missed a further 12 games after striking the head of Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic.

"His contributions have been significant, and he is a real part of the legacy of this organisation for his excellence," Hill said of Green.

"But I think just in lieu of sort of what's transpired this year, we made a decision to not have [Green] on this list with this particular point in time with the process."

Warriors coach Steve Kerr is set to take charge of Team USA at the Paris Games.

Girona were knocked out of the Copa del Rey in the quarter-finals as the LaLiga leaders fell to a 3-2 defeat at 10-man Real Mallorca.

The hosts took the lead in the 21st minute when Cyle Larin finished from close range having been teed up by Dani Rodriguez.

Mallorca’s advantage was then doubled seven minutes later by a wonder strike from Abdon Prats, who lashed the ball past Juan Carlos from around 25 yards out.

And Javier Aguirre’s side had a third another seven minutes on from that, Prats again the scorer as he converted a penalty following an Antal Yaakobishvili handball.

Girona pulled a goal back midway through the second half when Cristhian Stuani scored a spot-kick awarded after he was fouled by Antonio Raillo, who was given a second yellow card and his marching orders.

As Michel’s visitors looked to continue the fightback, they reduced the deficit further via a Savio finish in the sixth minute of stoppage time, but a last-gasp equaliser proved beyond them.

South Africa advanced to the Africa Cup of Nations last 16 with Tunisia crashing out as the sides played out a goalless draw in their final Group E match in Korhogo.

Tunisia substitute Haythem Jouini headed over from a great position late on as the 2004 champions failed to secure the win they required to keep their campaign alive.

While Jalel Kadri’s side finish bottom of the group with two points, Hugo Broos’ South Africa went through with four – claiming the runners-up spot behind Mali.

Namibia, with whom Mali drew 0-0 on Wednesday, have also qualified for the next round as one of the group stage’s four best third-placed finishers.

After a cagey start, pressure from Tunisia saw Ellyes Skhiri shoot too high and Elias Achouri put a header wide.

South Africa responded with Evidence Makgopa heading off target and Thapelo Morena unleashing a 33rd-minute strike that just missed the top corner.

Mothobi Mvala and Percy Tau produced further unsuccessful efforts for the Bafana Bafana towards the end of the first half.

Neither side was able to fashion much in the way of attack after the break until a flurry of attempts from South Africa that started with a Sphephelo Sithole drive that was parried by Bechir Ben Said with just under 15 minutes of normal time remaining.

Subsequent shots from Teboho Mokoena and Tau went wide before Ben Said kept out Makgopa’s header.

As Tunisia made a late push to save themselves, Jouini squandered a great chance in the 89th minute as he headed over from fellow substitute Sayfallah Ltaief’s cross.

Another header, from skipper Yassine Meriah, then had the same outcome in stoppage time as the Eagles of Carthage’s hopes of progress ended.

Winter Olympic athletes face “serious barriers” to speaking out over the climate challenges facing their sports, a leading ecology expert believes.

Research by the Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games revealed in October that climate change could result in the number of viable hosts being reduced to just 10 countries by 2040.

Rising temperatures have also hit venues serving the general public, resulting in truncated seasons, unaffordable prices or even closure which affects both the next generation of winter sport athletes and their audiences.

Speaking ahead of the Winter Olympics’ 100th anniversary on Thursday, Dr Madeleine Orr – founder and director of the Sport Ecology Group – told the PA news agency: “I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a winter athlete who is not (concerned). That said, it’s not always a conversation that’s coming up in the open for a number of reasons.

“Athletes have been on this for a long time. They’re not dumb. They know the risks, and they’re aware of it, and they don’t love it, but they’re hemmed in a little bit because there are some serious barriers to speaking up on this.

“You’re potentially risking funding, you’re potentially risking embarrassing people that you work with, it’s a very fine line to get your message across in a soundbite without stepping on someone.”

The IOC is exploring a number of options, including establishing a permanent group of “climate-reliable” sites, ideally ones with existing venues, which would rotate hosting duties.

Orr added: “If you’re one of these Olympic cities for the Winter Games, you will have a long-term use plan because you are going to become a guaranteed spot on everybody’s calendar, and that will keep people employed and it’ll keep it fruitful.

“It’s a reaction to climate change I think that makes sense. I do think it’s not perfect, but I do think it’s probably the best bet.”

Recent editions have relied at least partially – if not near completely in the case of Beijing 2022 – on artificial snow, but Orr said: “It’s not a solution when it gets too warm. You can blow snow out of your gun as much as you want, but ultimately if it falls on the ground and it’s more than three degrees outside and it’s melting, you’ve achieved nothing.”

Orr is concerned about how the IOC might address the potential competitive advantage for permanent hosts.

Establishing long-term hosts might encourage venues to invest in equipment to make access more equitable and affordable.

But as communities continue to lose accessible venues, from outdoor ice rinks to lower-altitude ski resorts forced to compensate for shorter seasons by raising prices, Orr fears the Winter Olympics risks losing out on both interest and the sponsors that allow a more diverse range of athletes to participate.

Asked if there will be a Winter Games in another 100 years, Orr replied: “While it’s not possible to predict at this stage, I would also say the economy of winter sports are going to shut it down faster than climate, which is to say it’s already expensive as hell. It’s already exclusive.

“In 100 years is it going to be climate change that shuts down the Winter Olympics? No, I think they could probably tech their way out of that and find a way to host it. I just think you might not have an audience for it.”

Namibia qualified for the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time after a goalless draw against Mali.

The Brave Warriors, whose victory over Tunisia had set up the prospect of knockout football, lived up to their nickname with a resilient display against the misfiring Group E winners.

After almost taking a surprise lead in the 16th minute when Prins Tjiueza’s angled shot was tipped onto the post by goalkeeper Djigui Diarra, Namibia focused mainly on damage limitation.

They knew as long as they matched Tunisia’s result against South Africa they would progress as one of the best third-placed sides and the first two goalless draws of the tournament ensured that is how it played out.

Mali dominated possession but their best first-half chances saw Fousseni Diabate cut in onto his left foot to force a good save from Lloyd Kazapua and Lassine Sinayoko plant a close-range header wide.

Having managed just one shot on target, Mali coach Eric Chelle replaced both his strikers just a few minutes into the second half, bringing on Kamory Doumbia and Ibrahim Sissoko.

With Namibia working hard to hold onto what they had and not over-extend themselves, the initiative remained with Mali but Sissoko’s main contributions were to balloon a shot way over from the edge of the area and then fail to connect with Nene Dorgeles’ cross into the six-yard box.

Mali did not force Kazapua into a genuine save in the second half until five minutes from the end when he tipped Amadou Dante’s low free-kick around the post.

Four individuals who racially abused AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan during a Serie A match at the weekend have been given five-year stadium bans by Italian police.

AC Milan players briefly left the pitch during their match away to Udinese on January 20 after alerting referee Fabio Maresca to the abuse being directed at their goalkeeper.

On Wednesday, the office of Udine police commissioner Alfredo D’Agostino announced that four people had been identified using security cameras from the stadium.

“There are four people, three men and one woman, aged between 32 and 45, against whom the police commissioner of Udine has issued banning orders for the duration of five years,” a statement said.

A five-year ban is the maximum penalty that can be handed to first-time offenders for racist abuse at football matches in Italy.

Udinese announced on Monday that one fan had been banned for life over the incident, and the club had said that any other offenders who were identified would face the same penalty.

On Tuesday, the club were ordered to play one match behind closed doors by Serie A’s sports judge, Gerardo Mastrandrea.

That judgement said the one-match stadium closure was the minimum sanction which could have been imposed, and was chosen to reflect Udinese’s active stance and willingness right from the start to identify those responsible.

Speaking after the game, which restarted after a delay of around 10 minutes, Maignan told Milan TV: “I heard them making monkey noises.

“After it happened a second time, I went to the dugout to inform them of what had happened behind the goal.

“This shouldn’t exist in the world of football, but unfortunately for many years this is a recurrence. We all have to react, we must do something because you can’t play like this.”

Finn Russell believes his appointment as Scotland co-captain is testament to the newfound harmony he and head coach Gregor Townsend have found following a fractious past.

The 31-year-old was named in the role on Sunday, along with back-rower Rory Darge, ahead of the upcoming Guinness Six Nations.

Russell being handed such a responsibility was particularly notable given he and Townsend have had a strained relationship at times, with the stand-off admitting there is no way he would have been considered for skipper duties back in 2020.

Four years ago, the pair had a well-documented fall-out when the fly-half left the squad ahead of the Six Nations after being disciplined for failing to turn up for training following a drinking session.

And then in 2022, Russell’s Scotland career looked in jeopardy once more when – in the wake of another unauthorised night out during the Six Nations earlier that year – he was surprisingly omitted from the squad for the autumn tests.

Russell and Townsend held clear-the-air talks midway through that series 15 months ago which led to a recall and they have managed to get themselves “on the same page” since then, culminating in the head coach choosing the Bath number 10 to lead the Scots into the Six Nations after opting to relieve Jamie Ritchie of the captaincy.

“I think 2020 would have been the closest to that,” Russell said when asked on Wednesday if he ever thought his Scotland career was over.

“I was still young enough then that I wouldn’t have said I’d have been done (with Scotland), but with the relationship me and Gregor had, it was potentially tough at the time to see a way back for both of us but I think it shows how well we’ve both dealt with it since then.

“At the time it wasn’t great for either side but it shows both our characters that we’ve managed to get over that to where we are now. Going back to 2020, you wouldn’t have picked me as captain three or four years later, would you?

“It shows how we’ve both changed and adapted off the back of that situation. These things happen in high-pressure environments when things are potentially not going as planned.

“A bust-up happened, that’s kind of all it was, but six months later we were back on good enough terms that I then came back that November.

“And then in 2022, there was another slight fall-out again I suppose, but then I came back again in the November and we were both back on the same page. It’s been great since then, that’s all in the past. It’s not something me and Gregor talk about much.”

Having put their stormy past behind them, Russell feels the fact he and Townsend have forged a genuinely strong bond can help Scotland prosper.

“I’d say our relationship is the best it’s ever been,” he said. “It’s much more relaxed now actually, if that makes sense.

“It’s still a player-coach relationship but it feels more relaxed and open than that in terms of just blethering away, whether it’s rugby stuff or just chatting about off-field things.

“I think the relationship between me and Gregor is in a great position right now for us to ideally drive the team on to a title.”

Doc Rivers has agreed to become the next head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday.

The report comes one day after the Bucks surprisingly fired first-year head coach Adrian Griffin with Milwaukee sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 30-13 record.

Rivers has been serving as an analyst for ESPN after being fired by the Philadelphia 76ers last May.

Rivers ranks ninth all-time in NBA history with 1,097 coaching victories in the regular season and fourth with 111 play-off wins.

He led the Boston Celtics to the NBA title in 2008 and back to the Finals in 2010.

The Bucks fired Mike Budenholzer last offseason after a first-round play-off exit and turned to Griffin, who had been an assistant coach in the NBA since 2008.

Milwaukee, though, has been criticised for its lacklustre defence this season.

The Bucks are allowing 120.5 points per game after giving up 113.3 points a contest in 2022-23. That decline of 7.2 points per game is the second largest in the league this season.

Paul Townend hit back with a treble of his own at Fairyhouse in his effort to keep tabs on Jack Kennedy in the battle to be champion jockey.

Kennedy moved 19 clear with a four-timer at Down Royal on Tuesday but just 24 hours later that was back down to 16, as Townend partnered three of his boss Willie Mullins’ four winners at the rescheduled meeting.

Spread Boss Ted (2-5 favourite) had to be ridden right out to justify cramped odds in the Easter Festival March 30th – April 1st Novice Hurdle, in which Kennedy’s mount Binge Worthy was a bitter disappointment and finished a tailed off last of four.

“I went out to settle him and thought I was after doing too good of a job at halfway!” said Townend.

Spindleberry (5-2) looked the Mullins second string in the HAY “How Are Ya” Campaign Mares Maiden Hurdle behind the Mark Walsh-ridden Jolie Coeur Allen but she was an impressive winner, with the favourite only third.

“Coming off a break, that will knock the freshness out of her and she showed a very willing attitude to stay going after being as keen as she was for the first mile of the race,” said Townend.

“She’s lightly-raced too and only had one run in a bumper, so I think she’ll improve away.”

O’Moore Park (8-11 favourite) brought up Townend’s treble with a nine-length win in the Fairyhouse Supporting Treo Eile Maiden Hurdle.

Townend said: “He benefitted from the run the last day, which knocked the freshness out of him and brought him on.

“He’s a chaser – he’s no respect for a hurdle when he meets one wrong.

“On that ground, to pick up like he did when I gave him a squeeze at the back of the last was nice. He’s progressing away and is going to be a chaser.

“I think he can go further.”

Walsh did get on the scoresheet himself when Mirazur West (8-11 favourite), a full-brother to high-class-but-fragile stablemate Ferny Hollow, won the Easter Festival Early Bird Maiden Hurdle.

There was a sad postscript to the race, with Gordon Elliott’s D B Cooper, the winner’s main market rival, suffering a fatal injury.

Mirazur West was left unchanged at 14-1 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle by Paddy Power and Betfair.

“He’s still learning and settled a lot better today than he did in Leopardstown,” said Walsh.

“He’s well able to jump, there is no issue with that anyway, it’s just keeping him relaxed.

“I only found out when I pulled up that Jack’s horse had gone wrong. It takes away from the race and is very unfortunate.”

The billionaire former owner of Tottenham Hotspur, Joe Lewis, has pleaded guilty in an insider trading case in the US, prosecutors have confirmed.

Lewis, 86, pleaded guilty in front of US District Judge Jessica Clarke on Wednesday to charges alleging he had committed securities fraud and conspired to commit securities fraud by insider trading.

“Today’s guilty pleas once again confirm – as I said in announcing the charges against Joseph Lewis just six months ago – the law applies to everyone, no matter who you are or how much wealth you have,” said US Attorney Damian Williams.

“Billionaire Lewis abused inside information he gained through his access to corporate boardrooms to tip off his friends, employees and romantic interests.

“Now, he will pay the price with a federal conviction, the prospect of time in prison and the largest financial penalty for insider trading in a decade.”

Separately, Broad Bay Ltd, a company which is owned by Lewis, pleaded guilty and accepted its participation in hiding the billionaire’s stake in a pharmaceutical company. It will pay more than 50 million dollars (£39 million) in financial penalties.

Lewis’s lawyer David Zornow said that his client still has the right to appeal if he is sentenced to time in prison, according to Reuters.

The billionaire had in July denied the 16 charges of securities fraud and three charges of conspiracy that he was faced with. He will be sentenced on March 28.

According to prosecutors, he allegedly orchestrated “a brazen insider trading scheme” and passed secrets to romantic partners, personal assistants, friends and two co-conspirators.

The information allowed them to bet on companies which he had invested in, using information only those with access to the business could have known. It helped them earn millions of dollars, the case claimed.

Lewis built his wealth through the investment company, Tavistock Group, and bought a controlling stake in Tottenham Hotspur in 2001.

In 2022 he ceded control of the club and formally handed his stake to a family trust and has no day-to-day involvement with the club. Spurs declined to comment.

He was worth more than £5 billion according to the 2023 Sunday Times Rich List, being ranked as the 39th richest person in the country.

Few sporting events can boast such unrelenting drama and consistent controversy as the Winter Olympics, which celebrates its 100th anniversary on Thursday.

From fearless bobsleigh pilots to sequined ice queens, cool-headed curlers and thrill-seeking snowboarders, the Games and its stars have chiselled their own unique place in the world’s sporting calendar.

Here, the PA news agency’s Olympic correspondent Mark Staniforth picks out eight of his favourite moments from the six Winter Olympics he has covered, starting with Salt Lake City in 2002.

Steven Bradbury, 2002

Bradbury’s claimed Australia’s first Winter Olympic gold medal in tumultuous fashion when all four of his rivals in the men’s 1,000m short-track final crashed out on the final corner. Veteran Bradbury, competing in his fourth Games and almost half a lap behind at the time of the incident, duly picked his way through the wreckage. “Oh my God,” Bradbury recalled thinking as he crossed the line, “I think I just won.”

Rhona Martin, 2002

Martin led her self-styled squad of east Ayrshire housewives into the Olympic curling final against all the odds, having languished on the brink of elimination in the heats. Cue messages from prime ministers and a curling-frenzied nation agog into the early hours as Martin delivered her famous ‘Stone of Destiny’, sealing a dramatic win over Switzerland and writing her name into British sporting folklore.

Lindsey Jacobellis, 2006

As if to emphasise the anarchic spirit of snowboard-cross, included in the Olympic programme for the first time in Turin, American favourite Jacobellis attempted a completely unnecessary trick off her final jump and fell, handing gold to Switzerland’s Tanja Frieden. In a (very) belated twist, Jacobellis would finally make up for her missed opportunity by winning gold in the same event in Beijing in 2018.

Kim Yu-na, 2010

Shimmering in a dress of cobalt blue, the brilliant South Korean figure skater lit up the Pacific Coliseum with a mesmerising and world record-breaking free skate. Kim’s performance, which earned a still unbeaten total score of 228.56, capped another dramatic and emotional women’s singles event, in which home favourite Jeannie Rochette took bronze, despite being told of the death of her mother within days of arriving in Vancouver.

Amy Williams, 2010

Just a week after the tragic death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili in a training accident, skeleton racer Amy Williams tamed the notorious Whistler track to become Britain’s first individual Winter Olympic gold medallist in 30 years. The unfancied Williams set a new track record during four dominant runs which saw her sweep away the rest of the field by a cumulative total of over half a second. “Speed is my friend”, grinned Williams afterwards.

Lizzy Yarnold, 2014

Britain’s improbable dominance of the Olympic skeleton discipline continued in Sochi in 2014 as Lizzy Yarnold built on a dominant World Cup season to emulate her since-retired compatriot Williams and win Winter Olympic gold. Yarnold went on to overcome a series of health problems and successfully defend her crown in Pyeongchang in 2018, when she was joined by team-mate Laura Deas on the podium.

Billy Morgan, 2018

Four years earlier in Sochi, Morgan had drowned the memory of a disappointing 10th place finish in the men’s snowboard slopestyle competition by indulging in apres-ski with a toilet seat hanging round his neck. Four years later, against all conceivable odds, he turned the toilet seat into an Olympic bronze medal, courtesy of one brilliant final jump in the inaugural men’s big air competition.

Figure skating, 2022

A 15-year-old delivering an unforgettable short program routine then floundering in front of the eyes of the world; a team-mate landing quads for fun then storming off dissatisfied with silver, vowing never to skate again but returning three days later in the post-Games gala dressed as Wonder Woman; Nathan Chen’s skate-perfect rendition of Elton John’s ‘Rocket Man’: the figure skating competition in Beijing set fire to an otherwise grim and Covid-stricken Games, and created a controversy that continues to burn.

Dafydd Jenkins has admitted he was left shaking after the phone call from Warren Gatland that elevated him to lofty heights as Wales’ youngest captain for 56 years.

The 21-year-old Exeter lock is set to lead his country against opening Guinness Six Nations opponents Scotland on Saturday week.

Not since a 20-year-old Gareth Edwards skippered Wales for the first time – also against Scotland in Cardiff – during the 1968 Five Nations, has there been such a youthful captain.

Jenkins, though, already has plenty of experience having first captained Exeter at 19 and this season steered them into Gallagher Premiership title contention and the Investec Champions Cup knockout phase.

Recalling the moment that he described as “a dream come true”, Jenkins said: “I was in Exeter, at the club and I had a call from a number I didn’t have (in his phone), and Gats obviously said who it was.

“So you’re just going along with it, really. I was not too sure it was actually him or one of the boys playing a prank.

“So I spoke to him and I was pretty convinced it was him, coming off the call.

“After I put the phone down a few of the boys around me were asking me who it was. I was shaking afterwards. It was class.

“I had it (Gatland’s number) on WhatsApp and we have a few other Welsh boys at Exeter like Joe Hawkins, so I compared the number with him.”

Recent Wales captains Jac Morgan, Dewi Lake and Ken Owens were soon in touch to offer congratulations, along with former Wales and British and Irish Lions skipper Sam Warburton.

Jenkins’ father Hywel was an outstanding back-row forward who gained Wales A recognition at representative level, while his grandfather played in the same Wales schoolboys side as Edwards.

“My mum’s dad played in the same team as Gareth Edwards – Welsh schoolboys – and went on to play for Aberavon. My father played for Llanelli,” he added.

“I like trying to lead by example on the field and around the training pitch. Obviously, the nines and 10s are great talkers and there are other leaders within the team, so I just try to do my bit on the pitch and hopefully people follow.

“I think you try and lead with your actions. There is no point telling other people what to do when you are not doing it yourself.”

Jenkins has just 12 caps to his name and he features in a highly-competitive second-row area with the likes of Will Rowlands and Adam Beard.

But Gatland has seen the same qualities in him as Exeter rugby director Rob Baxter, handing him the top playing job in Welsh rugby job barely a month after his 21st birthday.

He will take a charge of an inexperienced squad – almost half the 34-strong group have cap totals in single figures – while Wales’ Six Nations prospects have been dismissed by many, especially given the absence of players like Morgan, Lake, Taulupe Faletau, Dan Biggar, Liam Williams and Louis Rees-Zammit.

“I think a lot of people have written us off already, which is a dangerous thing to do with us,” Jenkins said.

“Obviously, with the young squad, they wouldn’t be in there if they weren’t talented enough and if Gats didn’t think they could do a job.

“I think a lot of people are underestimating what this team can do. They have in the past, and as a country we have proven people wrong time and time again.”

Wales, meanwhile, have eased any fears surrounding centre George North, who suffered a shoulder injury during Ospreys’ European Challenge Cup victory over the Lions in Johannesburg on Sunday.

Wales assistant coach Neil Jenkins said: “George is going to be alright. He might do a little bit this afternoon, but hopefully he will be able to train (on) Friday.”