Tottenham have completed the signing of key target Micky van de Ven on six-year deal from Wolfsburg.
The addition of the left-footed centre-back is a major coup for the club and helps satisfy the demand of new boss Ange Postecoglou to bring in defensive reinforcements.
Spurs have secured the services of Van de Ven on a contract running to 2029 in a deal worth an initial 40million euros (£34.5million), but with the final fee able to rise to around 50m euros (£43.1m) in add-ons.
The Netherlands Under-21 international has been tracked by the club all summer and, after weighing up a move for him or Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba, Tottenham pressed ahead with their pursuit of the 22-year-old.
Van de Ven started his career with Volendam before leaving his homeland to join Wolfsburg in summer 2021.
An encouraging 2022-23 season, in which Van de Ven featured 36 times for the Bundesliga club, brought him to the attention of several teams across Europe, with Liverpool also reportedly interested.
Spurs won the race for the Dutchman and he was in attendance for Sunday’s pre-season win over Shakhtar Donetsk after an agreement was reached with Wolfsburg over his transfer last week.
Van de Ven completed his medical at the club’s Enfield training base on Monday and is likely to be part of the travelling party to Barcelona for Tuesday’s friendly against the Catalan club.
Postecoglou refused to directly discuss the defender after the 5-1 victory over Shakhtar but has been open about the need for new centre-backs throughout pre-season.
Ben Davies has played the majority of minutes on the left side of the back four system used by the Australian head coach, but Van de Ven’s pace will be a welcome addition to a team that will also use a high defensive line this season.
Spurs retain an interest in former loanee Clement Lenglet and Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo, who only has one year left on his deal.
Tottenham continue to work on incomings but will listen to offers for centre-backs Davinson Sanchez, Japhet Tanganga and Joe Rodon.
Captain Millie Bright insists England have already moved on from learning they would lose Lauren James for at least Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final after the forward was sent off late in the last-16 victory over Nigeria.
The 21-year-old was shown a red after stepping on the back of defender Michelle Alozie, resulting in an automatic one-match ban that could be extended to three games by FIFA’s disciplinary committee, meaning her tournament could be over.
If there is one team-mate who truly appreciates what James is feeling it is Bright, who four years ago in France became the first player in Lionesses history to be sent off in a World Cup knockout encounter when she was dismissed for a second bookable offence in the semi-final against the United States.
“I think it is really important that we look after each other,” Bright said. “I have been through that. I know exactly how that feels.
“I think it is important that she has her space and lets her emotions settle. But it’s done now, we move on. We are through.
“It’s football. Listen, I have had red cards. Everyone goes through it as a player, everyone goes through it on the world stage. But for me, it’s not a situation that needs too much light shining on it.
“It’s happened. It’s in the past. We are through. All that matters is we come together as a group, we have each others’ backs, and it is just another challenge in football that the player has to face.
“But we have got her back completely and we will get ready for the next game.”
England will face Colombia in Saturday’s quarter-final after the world number 25 side beat Jamaica 1-0 on Tuesday to reach the last eight for the first time in their history.
The Lionesses were boosted by the return of Keira Walsh against Nigeria – a comeback from a knee injury few imagined possible after she was removed from the pitch on a stretcher in the first half of England’s second group match, a 1-0 triumph over Denmark.
Scans revealed the issue was not as serious as first suspected and Walsh managed 120 minutes against Nigeria, including the nervy 30 minutes of 10-woman extra time to force penalties, the result sealed 4-2 for England by Chloe Kelly’s emphatic spot-kick.
Though boss Sarina Wiegman’s switch to a 3-5-2 formation in Walsh’s absence seemed to spark the Lionesses into life in their 6-1 group-stage victory over China, her side did not play as well against Nigeria with three at the back, and in fact looked more controlled when they were short-handed.
Bright said: “Many asked, ‘Was that hard out there?’ Of course it’s hard, it’s a knockout game in a World Cup, and we knew that these games were going to be extremely tough coming into this tournament.
“But again, I have said it from day one, our character, our mentality, our resilience to give absolutely everything to the badge and to represent out fans at home, and ultimately find a way to win… we did that again.”
And while she agreed England ultimately were not at their best against Nigeria, Bright added: “To be honest, I don’t think we really care. We are through to the next round. Tournament football is about getting the job done.
“Of course, we all want to be better. We all want to play the perfect performance and be able to come to these interviews and say how fancy we looked.
“But ultimately, I am just bothered if we get through. We are prepared for any opponent, any challenge, that we face.”
Anthony Joshua will fight Robert Helenius at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday night after the Finnish boxer was confirmed as Dillian Whyte’s replacement.
Joshua was set to face fellow British heavyweight Whyte, but the bout had to be cancelled last weekend after “adverse analytical findings” were detected in a doping test conducted by Whyte, who has vowed to clear his name.
It left Matchroom in a race against time to find a new opponent but, 72 hours after Whyte’s failed test was made public, 39-year-old Helenius has answered the SOS from the promotion company despite having fought in Finland last weekend.
Former two-time world heavyweight champion Joshua said: “This wasn’t in the script.
“I respect Helenius and, may I say, I respect any male or female who steps into the ring.
“I am laser-focused on the win. I can make steps forward to bigger and better things but the road map has a check point – Saturday night. May the best man win.”
Helenius said: “I am excited about fighting Anthony Joshua on August 12.
“I am a true Viking that is willing to face any challenge at a moment’s notice. This is not an opportunity I was going to let slip away. I plan to make the most of it!”
Newcastle have completed the signing of Southampton defender Tino Livramento for an undisclosed fee.
The England Under-21 international has agreed a five-year deal with the Magpies after the two clubs agreed a reported fee which could rise to around £35million.
Livramento told the club’s official website: “I’m really excited to have signed for Newcastle United and I’m looking forward to playing in front of the fans.
“I was here for the games over the weekend; even though they were friendlies, there were so many fans and they were still so loud so I can’t wait to see what it feels like to play in front of them in a Premier League or Champions League game.
“The way the manager plays football is really attractive and I feel like it suits me as a player. And with how well the team did last season, the trajectory that we’re on now, I’m just looking forward to being a part of that.”
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has now added three new players to his squad this summer following the arrivals of Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali from AC Milan and winger Harvey Barnes from Leicester.
Livramento, 20, who signed a five-year deal when he joined Southampton from Chelsea for £5m in August 2021, missed all but the final two games last season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in April 2022.
He returned to action in May, making two substitute appearances in Southampton’s final two Premier League games before they were relegated.
Newcastle will play Champions League football next season after finishing fourth in Howe’s first full campaign in charge.
Howe added: “Tino is a very talented young player with an exciting future ahead of him so we are delighted to sign him.
“At 20, he already has lots of attributes that I admire but he also has the potential and drive to really grow with this team. I’m looking forward to working with him and to seeing him develop in a Newcastle shirt.”
Saint Lawrence will attempt to continue on his upward curve in Haydock’s Betfair Sprint Cup next month, with connections keen to praise Archie Watson’s influence since taking over training duties.
The five-year-old has been at the peak of his powers since switching to Watson earlier in the season and having won the Wokingham at Royal Ascot on stable debut, proved he could be a force in the leading sprint events with a near-miss in Deauville’s Prix Maurice de Gheest.
Although beaten half a length in third, things could have been different for Saint Lawrence granted a smoother passage in the contest, but the performance was enough to convince connections to continue campaigning the speedster in Group One company, with a trip to Merseyside on September 9 up next.
“He was probably a bit unlucky in the run,” said David Hilton, stud manager at owner John Deer’s Oakgrove Stud.
“The first and second probably got first run and he’s just had to wait and then he’s made up ground in the final furlong on ground which is probably not ideal for him, it was very tacky and holding ground.
“There will be stronger Group Ones but at the same time that might just suit him. They didn’t go that quick, probably sensibly on that ground, but his likely next target is going to be the Haydock Sprint Cup where they are bound to go very fast.”
Saint Lawrence is a son of owner Deer’s popular multiple Group One winner Al Kazeem, who last year was one of the leading British sires of three-year-olds in terms of winners to runners percentage.
However, even though Saint Lawrence’s achievements further highlight Al Kazeem’s impact in the breeding sheds, it is Watson’s handling of the resurgent sprinter that has been the catalyst for the gelding taking his form to a new level.
“It’s all credit to Archie and his team really,” continued Hilton. “They have found improvement in the horse and John and the Deer family are delighted, especially with the horse being by Al Kazeem. It’s very exciting.
“I think what Archie has done with him in a short space of time is astonishing really. He has run two lifetime bests in a row and he’s still improving. Both of those races since Archie has had him, he’s really tanked through the race and it’s possible we are maybe still learning about him and just scratching the surface.
“He does have some really good form as a young horse and then had a few problems mid-season as a three-year-old which probably led to the horse losing a bit of confidence.
“We decided as a team after his second run this year that a change of scenery was probably the right thing to do and Archie was probably the obvious choice given his track record of improving horses and also there is probably no better trainer of sprinters in the country at the minute. He has a fantastic record and a team going places.”
Ben Stokes may regret his attacking approach to the Ashes after what England great David Gower sees as a missed opportunity.
England have transformed their red-ball fortunes under captain Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, winning 13 of their 18 Tests after embracing a free-flowing, attacking mentality in the longest format.
An Ashes series victory proved a challenge too great, though, with England recovering from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 – a result that saw Australia retain the urn.
Stokes' tactics have come into question, with England's insistence on attacking sometimes their downfall, and Gower believes the all-rounder may look back with slight regret.
Gower told Stats Perform: "Stokes says that he doesn't want to worry about hindsight, which doesn't win you any games and all the rest of it.
"But there will be thoughts along those lines, because when they look at it next year, it says 2-2 and you were part of that team that could have regained The Ashes.
"Stokes could have been At The Oval, with that little urn in his hand saying I have regained the Ashes or you better say 'we' with this team ethic.
"That would be there again for all to see for the rest of history. But I'm afraid it’s not quite the case."
While Gower suggested Stokes may reconsider his plans at a future date, the former England captain still hailed the new approach against the red ball.
He added: "My view is a mixture of old and new. I love the new approach, especially the culture that Stokes and McCullum have bred in the team since that partnership came together last year.
"I'd imagine that playing in that dressing room must be an enormous pleasure because it takes the pressure off a bad day, takes the pressure off failure, and it encourages people to look ahead.
"The one thing that could have made this series different is being slightly more match aware, slightly smarter at key moments.
"England could have made more runs in the second innings at Edgbaston, put themselves further ahead, played Australia a little bit further out of the game made it harder for them to win the game. In the end, Australia win the game.
"England could have batted like Stokes did at Lord's when the bouncer barrage was coming, Stokes took the blows to the body, and others played shots that got them out.
"There was a collapse from 180 for none, as it were, suddenly were 200 for plenty. And things like that change games in Test cricket.
"Five-day cricket is all about sustaining the effort and the quality throughout, but a bad hour or a bad session can cost you games and that's what happened at Lord's."
A high-quality Ashes series was likely only robbed of a winner due to the rain at Old Trafford, where the fourth Test was washed out on the weekend with England in the ascendancy.
Australia return Down Under with the urn but Gower believes – despite the thrilling encounters – both sides may look back with some sense of a missed opportunity.
He continued: "I think for both teams, at the end of the series, Australia looked a bit muted, because although they retained the Ashes, they struggled in the last three games.
"Australia would have rued the fact they let things slide a little bit, at the same time I'd give all the credit to England, for the way they played their cricket to put the pressure back on Australia.
"It was interesting to watch the Australians, they had a very brief celebration in front of the crowd at The Oval but it wasn't sort of leaping up and down saying we've held the Ashes.
"You don't do laps of honour when you've drawn a series, you do laps of honour at the MCG when you have won The Ashes Down Under. Graeme Swann and the sprinkler and all the rest of it.
"It was probably almost a feeling of, actually, we've put everything on the field. They put everything into that series, both sides.
"At the end of it, not so much a relief but a sort of acknowledgement, that 2-2 is probably fair. You sit down and you feel relief, it's a shame that it's all over.
"People would have loved to see this thing, carry on almost you play 10 Tests, keep up the intensity, keep up the rivalry. But there's also a sort of sense of well, it's over now.
"You cast your mind back to all the ups and downs of six, seven weeks of high-pressure cricket."
Roy Keane has made an official Manchester United appearance for the first time in 18 years as he launched the club’s 2023-24 third kit.
The former captain’s successful stay at Old Trafford memorably ended in 2005 after an explosive interview with the in-house TV channel MUTV, in which he criticised his team-mates.
Keane has been back to the club many times over the years as a pundit, but his involvement in the promotional video for their third strip is the first in a formal capacity.
The Irishman is seen in the video asking the current crop of players whether they have what it takes to be a true red devil – reference to the return of the fan favourite red devil emblem on the jersey.
“So you’re a devil are you? Well let’s remind you of the terms,” Keane says. “The devil isn’t something you wear. It’s more like a pact, a deal, shall we say.
“It’s not for everyone. We expect a lot. And as sure as the sun will rise, we will know if you mean it. So have a good long think.
“What do you get in return? What’s on offer? It’s Manchester United.
“So there it is. No small print. Sign on the dotted line. But you already signed, didn’t you? Before you were even born.”
Keane ends the sequence sitting at a table in front a plate of prawn sandwiches – a nod to his famous “prawn sandwich brigade” comment, criticising a section of the Old Trafford support.
England defender Lucy Bronze revealed she made a post-match beeline to console “upset” Lauren James after the forward was shown what could be a World Cup-ending red card in the Lionesses’ nervy last 16 victory over Nigeria.
James will miss at least her side’s quarter-final clash with either Colombia or Jamaica after she was sent off late in Monday night’s knockout match in Brisbane for deliberately stepping on the back of Nigeria defender Michelle Alozie.
Bronze was one of the 10 Lionesses who doggedly defended their way through 30 minutes of extra time in the goalless draw before Bethany England, Rachel Daly, Alex Greenwood and Chloe Kelly wrapped up the 4-2 win on penalties.
Bronze said: “Obviously she’s going to be disappointed in herself. I went straight off the pitch after the game to make sure she was OK.
“Obviously she was a little bit upset and rightfully so and more than anything she just feels bad for the team. I said to her, ‘We’ve made it through. It’s a team, it’s not just one player.'”
James’ World Cup fate will now be decided by FIFA’s disciplinary committee, who could extend her ban to three matches, which would see her miss the rest of the tournament even if the Lionesses reach a first-ever final.
The first red card of the competition was shown in the group stage to Nigeria’s Deborah Abiodun for her tackle on Canada’s Ashley Lawrence, who will join James at Chelsea after signing a three-year deal with the Blues on 1 July.
Abiodun’s punishment was extended to three matches after she served the first game, so the same outcome for James, who boss Sarina Wiegman said “lost her emotions” in the incident, is a real possibility.
Bronze and Greenwood are the only two Lionesses to have featured in the past three World Cups, while this is the 21-year-old Chelsea forward’s first.
James is the younger sister of Chelsea and England defender Reece James and said before the tournament that she hoped to use the World Cup to carve out an identity separate from her sibling, whose name is regularly mentioned in tandem with hers but rarely, if ever, vice versa.
She had begun to do so in stunning style before she was sent off in the 87th minute of Monday night’s match-up, scoring the only goal in England’s 1-0 group stage victory over Denmark before netting two and picking up three assists in the Lionesses’ 6-1 win over China, in the process becoming the only England player of either gender to contribute to five goals in a single World Cup contest.
Bronze said: “Although LJ is the youngest in the team, she’s had to mature from a young age because she’s been thrown into the spotlight, whether that’s to do with her brother and her family, or that she’s a fantastic player on her own.
“In the last game, everyone put the spotlight on her. She deals with it very, very well. She likes hanging around with the older players, myself, Jordan (Nobbs), Alex Greenwood, we are the three that she comes to asking for advice.
“LJ didn’t start the first game, she didn’t feature at all during the Euros.
“She’s a massively talented player. We all know that and obviously we’re very disappointed to lose a player of her calibre going into the next game. No one’s going to be more disappointed than LJ. It’s important to support her.”
The Texas Rangers overcame a three-run deficit to extend their winning streak to a season-high seven games with Monday's 5-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics.
Mitch Garver led the comeback by going 3 for 4 with a two-run double, and the Rangers scored twice in the eighth inning to break a 3-3 tie and increase their lead over the second-place Houston Astros to three games in the American League West.
After drawing even in the seventh inning with the help of an Oakland error that led to the tying run, Texas put its first two runners on against reliever Dany Jimenez in the eighth before Travis Jankowski drove in pinch-runner Jonathan Ornelas with an RBI fielder's choice.
Leody Tavares followed with a sacrifice fly to increase the lead to 5-3 before relievers Aroldis Chapman and Will Smith kept the Athletics off the board over the final two innings. Smith notched his 21st save with a scoreless ninth.
Zach Gelof had a two-run double for Oakland, which has the majors' worst record at 32-81 but was coming off a two-game sweep of the Bay Area-rival San Francisco Giants.
A's starter Ken Waldichuk was in line for the win after holding the Rangers to two runs over six innings and striking out seven.
Twins win fifth straight to increase AL Central lead
The Rangers aren't the only AL division leader on an impressive run, as the Minnesota Twins won their fifth consecutive game with Monday's 9-3 rout of the Detroit Tigers.
Carlos Correa went 2 for 3 with a home run and four RBIs for Minnesota, while Pablo Lopez struck out eight over seven scoreless innings as the AL Central-leading Twins increased their lead over second-place Cleveland to 5 1/2 games. The Guardians were dealt a 3-1 loss by the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.
Ryan Jeffers added a three-run homer to help the Twins back Lopez with an 8-0 lead after 2 1/2 innings. Each of those runs came against Tigers starter Joey Wentz, who was tagged for 10 hits and lasted only three innings.
Detroit didn't score until Nick Maton delivered a three-run homer in the ninth. Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter each recorded two hits for the Tigers.
Betts' grand slam highlights Dodgers' drubbing of Padres
Mookie Betts capped an eight-run fourth inning with a grand slam as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a 13-7 win over the San Diego Padres in the finale of a four-game series between the National League West foes.
The division-leading Dodgers trailed 5-0 before breaking out against Padres starter Seth Lugo in the fourth en route to their sixth win in seven games.
David Peralta began the comeback with an RBI double and Jason Heyward later knocked in two runs with a double to cut San Diego's lead to 5-3. After Miguel Rojas' bases-loaded single brought in another run, Betts sent Lugo's final pitch of the day into the left field seats for his 31st homer of the season and an 8-5 Los Angeles advantage.
Kike Hernandez tacked on a solo homer in the sixth inning for the Dodgers, while James Outman finished 4 for 4 with two runs scored. Heyward, Peralta and Max Muncy each contributed two RBIs to help Los Angeles maintain a four-game lead on second-place San Francisco in the NL West.
Lugo was charged with eight runs and eight hits before exiting with one out in the fourth.
Luis Campusano paced the Padres offensively by going 4 for 4 with two homers and four RBIs, while Fernando Tatis Jr. had a two-run double in defeat.
England defender Lucy Bronze revealed she made a post-match beeline to console “upset” Lauren James after the forward was shown what could be a World Cup-ending red card in the Lionesses’ nervy last 16 victory over Nigeria.
James will miss at least her side’s quarter-final clash with either Colombia or Jamaica after she was sent off late in Monday night’s knockout match in Brisbane for deliberately stepping on the back of Nigeria defender Michelle Alozie.
Bronze was one of the 10 Lionesses who doggedly defended their way through 30 minutes of extra time in the goalless draw before Bethany England, Rachel Daly, Alex Greenwood and Chloe Kelly wrapped up the 4-2 win on penalties.
Bronze said: “Obviously she’s going to be disappointed in herself. I went straight off the pitch after the game to make sure she was OK.
“Obviously she was a little bit upset and rightfully so and more than anything she just feels bad for the team. I said to her, ‘We’ve made it through. It’s a team, it’s not just one player.'”
James’ World Cup fate will now be decided by FIFA’s disciplinary committee, who could extend her ban to three matches, which would see her miss the rest of the tournament even if the Lionesses reach a first-ever final.
The first red card of the competition was shown in the group stage to Nigeria’s Deborah Abiodun for her tackle on Canada’s Ashley Lawrence, who will join James at Chelsea after signing a three-year deal with the Blues on 1 July.
Abiodun’s punishment was extended to three matches after she served the first game, so the same outcome for James, who boss Sarina Wiegman said “lost her emotions” in the incident, is a real possibility.
Bronze and Greenwood are the only two Lionesses to have featured in the past three World Cups, while this is the 21-year-old Chelsea forward’s first.
James is the younger sister of Chelsea and England defender Reece James, and said before the tournament that she hoped to use the World Cup to carve out an identity separate from her sibling, whose name is regularly mentioned in tandem with hers but rarely, if ever, vice versa.
She had begun to do so in stunning style before she was sent off in the 87th minute of Monday night’s match-up, scoring the only goal in England’s 1-0 group stage victory over Denmark before netting two and picking up three assists in the Lionesses’ 6-1 win over China, in the process becoming the only England player of either gender to contribute to five goals in a single World Cup contest.
Bronze said: “Although LJ is the youngest in the team, she’s had to mature from a young age because she’s been thrown into the spotlight, whether that’s to do with her brother and her family, or that she’s a fantastic player on her own.
“In the last game, everyone put the spotlight on her. She deals with it very, very well. She likes hanging around with the older players, myself, Jordan (Nobbs), Alex Greenwood, we are the three that she comes to asking for advice.
“LJ didn’t start the first game, she didn’t feature at all during the Euros.
“She’s a massively talented player. We all know that, and obviously we’re very disappointed to lose a player of her calibre going into the next game. No one’s going to be more disappointed than LJ. It’s important to support her.”
Chicago's Tim Anderson has been suspended six games and Cleveland's Jose Ramirez has received a three-game ban by Major League Baseball for starting a fight that sparked a benches-clearing brawl between the White Sox and Guardians on Saturday.
MLB announced the penalties on Monday, which also included fines to Anderson and Ramirez. Both players are appealing.
Also receiving suspensions are Guardians manager Terry Francona, closer Emmanuel Clase and third base coach Mike Sarbaugh. All received one-game bans, as did White Sox manager Pedro Grifol.
Francona and Clase will serve their ban Monday, when the Guardians open a four-game series against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays, while Sarbaugh will sit on Tuesday.
Grifol will carry out his suspension Monday in the opener of a three-game set between the White Sox and New York Yankees in Chicago.
While the White Sox are out of the playoff picture, Ramirez's absence could hurt Cleveland's chances of reaching the postseason.
The Guardians enter Monday 4 1/2 games behind the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins, while the five-time All-Star third baseman leads the team in home runs (18), doubles (27), runs (67) and OPS (.861).
The incident that sparked all the discipline from MLB occurred in the sixth inning of the White Sox's 7-4 win at Cleveland on Saturday on a play that began innocently.
Ramirez slid headfirst into second base with an RBI double and Anderson stood over him, straddling Ramirez. Ramirez was reportedly upset at Anderson's late, hard tag and when he got up, he pointed his finger in the second baseman's face and yelled, prompting the two to square off like a boxing match.
Anderson dropped his glove and threw the first punch, setting off a melee that saw both dugouts empty onto the infield. While trying to be restrained by White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech, Ramirez swung blindly and connected with a right hand to the face of Anderson, who fell backward to the ground.
Anderson got back up incensed and tried unsuccessfully to get at Ramirez while being restrained by several teammates.
Tom Briscoe hopes he can pile more Challenge Cup final heartache on to Hull KR to round off a fantastic return to the big time for Leigh.
Hull KR’s only visit to the Wembley showpiece in this century ended in dismal fashion as they were routed 50-0 by Leeds in 2015, when Briscoe scored a record five tries to capture the Lance Todd Trophy.
While the Robins have another bite at the cherry on Saturday, they will once again have to contend with Briscoe, the ex-England wing who swapped the Rhinos for newly-promoted Leigh at the end of last season.
Briscoe has fond, if hazy, recollections of what happened in London eight years ago but is certain Hull KR will be a tougher test this time for Leigh, who are bidding for their first cup triumph since 1971.
“That 2015 final is probably the highlight of my career,” Briscoe told the PA news agency. “It’s always a special time to look back on and hopefully I can recreate some of that this weekend.
“When you’re in the moment it’s hard to take it all in, I’ve only got little snippets of what happened. It wasn’t until after that I realised that was the record.
“My lasting memory from that game will be when I went over for my last try and everyone just piled on under the sticks, that’s what will live on in my memory.
“But we’re expecting the best of Hull KR now. They have special players that can do incredible things from nothing. We know we’re in for a tough day and we’ve got to show them that full respect.”
Promotion from the Championship last season was Leigh’s fourth in the Super League era but they were immediately relegated back to the second tier on the three previous occasions in 2005, 2017 and 2021.
A change of name – from the Centurions to the Leopards – and the signings of several marquee players including Briscoe has brought a change in fortunes for Leigh, who are currently third in Super League.
It is their overall form in the league and cup – where Leigh defeated 2022 Grand Final winners St Helens in the semi-finals – that heartens Briscoe and not doing the double over Hull KR this year.
“You can never take that for granted,” he said. “I’ve been there in the past and beaten teams who have beaten us many times in the league.
“We’ll take the confidence from our form in the Super League and the way we were able to get past Saints in the semis. To get through that is obviously a massive confidence booster.
“But we’ve been doing that all season, the level we’ve been playing at and the intensity has been high. We’ll take a lot of confidence from that and the experiences from previous years in all the players.
“Getting newly-promoted, it’s a tough ask to come up and challenge but the squad that’s been put together is obviously a strong one and we’re living up to the potential we’ve got.”
Leigh have not reached the cup final since going all the way 52 years ago and Briscoe wants to give the club’s long-suffering fans something to cheer.
“It would mean a lot, it’s obviously a special occasion for the club,” he added. “To come into a newly-promoted team and achieve that in my first season would be pretty special.
“It’s been 50-odd years since Leigh last won it so to even get to the final is special for the town and hopefully we can go one more.”
Billy Vunipola could make his comeback against Wales on Saturday as England prepare the only specialist number eight selected in their World Cup squad for a heavy workload.
Vunipola, 30, has been sidelined since April because of two knee operations but head coach Steve Borthwick insists the bulldozing Saracen is in the shape of his life and could be in action at Twickenham in the second of four warm-up Tests.
Ball-carrying power, especially at close quarters, gives Vunipola a point of difference that is seen as essential for the tournament in France, even if the last of his 68 caps was won in November.
A cloud on the horizon at number eight is that there is no front-line alternative present in the 33-man squad picked by Borthwick, although Lewis Ludlam, Ben Earl and Tom Curry are options in the position.
View this post on InstagramIt was felt by Borthwick’s predecessor Eddie Jones that Vunipola benefits from playing as frequently as possible and there will be no deviation from that approach in order to get the best out of an influential forward.
“Billy is a guy who wants to play rugby and wants to play a lot of minutes,” said Borthwick, who revealed that Ollie Chessum’s return from a serious foot injury is also imminent.
“We want him to play as much as he possibly can and he’s desperate to play as much as he possibly can.
“Billy brings a certain skill set that’s different to the skill sets of other players and that’s why I picked him.
“I’m very clear about how we need to play in this tournament and that’s ultimately why I made the decision to go with Billy.
“He looks in great shape and is the fittest I’ve ever seen him. His experience will add to this squad.
“He’s a very mature player now. He’s taken a very mature approach to his recovery, and has been very determined to be fit for this World Cup.”
Borthwick will reveal at Thursday’s team announcement if the second instalment of the double header against Wales is the right moment for Vunipola and Chessum to be restored to the pack but Curry will definitely not be involved.
The Sale openside has been struggling with a twisted ankle incurred in training last week and will not be available until the appointment with Ireland on August 19 at the earliest.
Earl could secure a spot in the back row fielded at Twickenham, however, as he celebrates his success in securing World Cup selection despite ferocious competition at flanker.
It will be a moment to savour for the 2022 Gallagher Premiership player of the season, who was marginalised by Jones and only made two appearances under Borthwick in the Six Nations.
“Ben brings a point of difference in his attacking game, his athleticism and ability to work on edges in attack,” Borthwick said.
“He featured in the Six Nations and was in the training squad regularly. I asked him to go away and work on a couple of things.
“Richard Hill (team manager) and I checked in every week as part of a debrief process and Ben was so diligent in applying those things to his game.”
While England are blessed with options in the back row, at hooker they have been exposed by Luke Cowan-Dickie’s shoulder problem that means Jamie George is being supported by rookies Jack Walker and Theo Dan.
“I’ll be very clear, we’d want more depth and experience in that position, but that’s the situation we have found ourselves in,” Borthwick said.
Golden Trick showed plenty of guts to lead home a one-two for owners Bronte Collection in the valuable Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes at Naas on Monday.
There was €148,500 on offer for the winner of this fiercely-competitive two-year-old event, with Hugo Palmer’s raider holding off Kevin Ryan’s fellow British-trained runner Jungle Mate in a tight finish.
A winner at Chester last time, the winner was drawn on the far rail and stuck to the paint all the way up the six-furlong straight in the hands of Ben Coen.
Asked to kick on as the race entered the final furlong and a half, Golden Trick soon came to life under Coen and opened up a gap between him and the remainder of the field as the 20 runners were spread right across the width of the track.
Golden Trick’s advantage was diminishing by the stride inside the final stages as those on the far side were closing at a rate of knots. But the 13-2 scorer still had enough up his sleeve to come home a half-length winner and return to Palmer’s Cheshire base with the first prize.
Coen said: “I was hoping that they’d stay far side and not complicate things and go across.
“I had a lovely run the whole way. He came under me at halfway, I gave him a dig and kept him rolling. I probably got there too soon but he’s a hardy horse and he gets through that ground really well.
“In the last 75 yards he was having a look around and I’d say if something had come close to me, he would have went again.
“I had watched his couple of races. Hugo said he was straightforward and that he had come on from the last day and he’d handle the ground so to keep it simple. I’m delighted.”
In the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Rated Race, it was Adrian McGuinness’ Rush Queen that got the better of Aidan O’Brien’s 4-5 favourite The Caribbean.
The filly was seen racing over seven furlongs in a Group Three prior to this, but thrived when dropped back to the minimum distance and proved the perfect tonic for her handler who endured a testing time during the recent Galway Festival.
“It’s a bit of compensation (after Galway), it’s forgotten about now after today,” said McGuinness.
“Cian (MacRedmond, jockey) gave her a great ride, I know it was a small field. I thought it was going to be tactical and I told him to sit behind Ryan and try to come with one blast with her.
“Aidan’s horse had blinkers on, so we were saying that he might not be the most straightforward. That’s exactly what he did and she quickened up really well and went away nicely.
“We might hunt a bit of black type with her again and maybe even try to find something in England. She’s for sale as well, but if she’s not sold we will hunt blacktype.
“She’s a very genuine filly and she’s won a nice pot of money today so it’s great.
“She’s not slow, I’ve worked her with the Listed filly at home (Tiger Belle) and there is not a whole pile between them. She travelled very well today.”
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