A stunning 65-yard kick return touchdown by rookie Xavier Gipson handed the New York Jets an overtime win against the Buffalo Bills in a thrilling game on Tuesday.

The Jets came away with the 22-16 win over the Bills at home but it was not without loss, with quarterback Aaron Rodgers succumbing to an Achilles tendon injury just four plays into the game.

Asked about the injury after the game, Jets coach Robert Salah simply said: “It’s not good.”

Before the exciting finish to the game, the Bills forced overtime after they were down by three points with just seconds left.

But Bills kicker Tyler Bass rose to the occasion and nailed a 50-yard field goal to tie the game with two seconds remaining.

The Bills started the match the better of the two teams, with two field goals by Bass and a touchdown by wide-receiver Stefon Diggs giving them a 10-point lead at half-time.

However the Jets rallied in the second half with a touchdown by Garrett Wilson in the fourth quarter and a field goal from Greg Zuerlein putting them three points ahead.

It was not until the final seconds of the game that the Bills scored their first points of the second half.

The kick-return from Gipson ended a dramatic first week of the NFL with the Jets taking on the Dallas Cowboys next week, while the Bills will play the Las Vegas Raiders.

After four months of intense buildup, Aaron Rodgers' first game with the New York Jets lasted all of four snaps.

Rodgers will not return to Monday's season opener against the Buffalo Bills after injuring his left ankle on the Jets' opening series, a sudden and stunning ending to one of the most anticipated player debuts with a new team in recent memory. 

Rodgers was injured when sacked by Buffalo's Leonard Floyd on New York's official third play from scrimmage. The four-time NFL MVP briefly remained on the turf holding his lower left leg before being helped to the sideline, then was later taken to the locker room on a cart.

The Jets initially announced Rodgers was questionable to return before ruling him out midway through the second quarter. The team said in a statement that X-rays on Rodgers' ankle were negative but did not elaborate further.

Zach Wilson replaced Rodgers, whose only pass of the night landed incomplete.

Rodgers put together a Hall of Fame-worthy 18-year career with the Green Bay Packers that included five All-Pro selections, 10 Pro Bowl honours and a Super Bowl title during the 2010 season in addition to his four MVP awards.

The 39-year-old requested a trade to the Jets during the offseason, which the Packers eventually agreed to on April 26.

Under terms of the trade, which included the Packers moving up from No. 15 to No. 13 in this year's draft in a swap of first-round picks, Green Bay would receive a conditional 2024 first-round choice from New York if Rodgers plays 65 per cent of the Jets' plays this season. The Packers would get a 2024 second-round pick if that condition is not met. 

With Rodgers on the roster, the Jets were a trendy preseason pick to end a longstanding playoff drought and contend for an AFC title. New York holds the NFL's longest active streak without a postseason appearance at 12 years, having last reached the playoffs in 2010. 

After four months of intense buildup, Aaron Rodgers' first season with the New York Jets may be over after only four snaps. 

Rodgers was injured on the opening series of the Jets' 22-16 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills in Monday's season opener, with head coach Robert Saleh telling reporters afterward the team fears the four-time NFL MVP tore his left Achilles tendon.

Saleh said Rodgers, who was traded to New York in April following a stellar 18-year tenure with the Green Bay Packers, will undergo an MRI Tuesday to confirm the severity of the injury. 

"We're concerned with his Achilles," Saleh said. "An MRI is going to confirm what we think is going to happen, so prayers tonight. But it's not good."

Rodgers was injured when sacked by Buffalo's Leonard Floyd on New York's official third play from scrimmage. The star quarterback briefly remained on the turf holding his lower left leg before being helped to the sideline, then was later taken to the locker room on a cart before having his leg placed in a walking boot. 

The Jets initially announced Rodgers was questionable to return before ruling him out midway through the second quarter.

Zach Wilson replaced Rodgers, whose only pass of the night landed incomplete, and threw a touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson with under five minutes remaining in regulation to tie the game at 13-13. The Jets eventually won on a 65-yard punt return touchdown from rookie Xavier Gipson with 9:02 left in overtime.

Zach Wilson finished with 140 yards on 14-of-21 passing with one touchdown and one interception. 

Rodgers put together a Hall of Fame-worthy career with the Packers that included five All-Pro selections, 10 Pro Bowl honours and a Super Bowl title during the 2010 season in addition to his four MVP awards.

The 39-year-old requested a trade to the Jets during the offseason, which the Packers eventually agreed to on April 26.

Under terms of the trade, which included the Packers moving up from No. 15 to No. 13 in this year's draft in a swap of first-round picks, Green Bay would receive a conditional 2024 first-round choice from New York if Rodgers plays 65 per cent of the Jets' plays this season. The Packers will get a 2024 second-round pick if that condition is not met. 

With Rodgers on the roster, the Jets were a trendy preseason pick to end a longstanding playoff drought and contend for an AFC title. New York holds the NFL's longest active streak without a postseason appearance at 12 years, having last reached the playoffs in 2010. 

The Kansas City Chiefs and All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones agreed to a new one-year contract, multiple media outlets reported Monday, ending the star defender’s holdout.

The club later confirmed Jones’ new contract by posting on social media.

Jones will presumably make his season debut on Sunday when the Chiefs visit the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the team has yet to confirm his availability.

Jones, who missed all of training camp and sat out the Chiefs’ Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions, did not get any years added to his deal, but the new agreement reportedly carries additional incentives that will allow for possible bonuses.

The four-time Pro Bowl selection can still become a free agent after this season.

Jones, 29, has emerged as one of the most disruptive interior defenders in the NFL and has helped the Chiefs win two of the last four Super Bowls.

“Chris is an elite player in this league, and over the last seven years, he’s really developed into a leader on our team,” Kansas City general manager Brett Veach said in a statement.

“He’s been instrumental to our success and Super Bowl championship runs, and it was a priority to keep him in a Chiefs uniform.”

Jones lost over $1.6million during his holdout in fines and forfeited salary and bonuses. Each additional week of holding out would have cost him $1.1million in lost salary.

A second-round draft pick out of Mississippi State in 2016, Jones is on the last season of the four-year, $80million deal he signed in July 2020.

Jones had perhaps the best season of his career last year, totaling 15 ½ sacks and 29 quarterback hits while playing in all 17 games and earning a second Super Bowl ring.

In 107 career games, Jones has 65 sacks, 65 tackles for loss, 12 forced fumbles and two interceptions.

Freddie Steward has revealed that England’s heroic defensive stand against Argentina was inspired by a blast from Kevin Sinfield that was delivered in the wake of their Fiji debacle.

Steve Borthwick’s team opened their World Cup campaign with a 27-10 victory on Saturday despite playing 77 minutes with 14 men after Tom Curry was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle.

It was England’s finest hour since Borthwick took over and it arrived just in time as, until that act of defiance at the Stade Velodrome, concerns were being raised over a defence that had leaked 30 tries in nine Tests.

A conclusive defeat by Fiji at Twickenham a fortnight earlier saw the team reach their lowest ebb – and Steward admits the players deserved the reaction from Sinfield that followed.

“We got a bit of a rocket after that game. There were no complaints about that, it needed to happen,” the Leicester full-back said.

“We had a very thorough review, which we needed, and we reaped the benefits against Argentina. It was necessary for that to happen.

“That’s what makes Kev such a good defence coach – he’s so inspiring. He motivates us so much and he’s the sort of bloke you don’t want to let down.

“That’s testament to him as a bloke. When you go out there, part of it is you do it for him.

“You don’t want to see a guy like that, who puts his heart and soul into us in his work with his defence, feel let down.

“Kev is big on covering each other’s backs. That’s his big thing. He wants a defensive unit that are going to work incredibly hard for each other and, when it goes wrong, cover up for each other.

“Inevitably, you can be as good a defender as you want as a full-back but there are going to be times where it doesn’t go to plan and that is where you get tested. That’s his main ethos.”

Now that England have successfully negotiated their biggest match since the 2019 World Cup final, they have been challenged by Sinfield to ensure their defensive masterclass in Marseille is not a one-off.

“It is just a start. We saw lots of what we had seen in training against Argentina, which is pleasing, but I still feel there is so much in this team – so much improvement, so much growth,” Sinfield said.

“To get the win, given the noise that has been around us and the way the group have really circled the wagons – metaphorically that is – is really pleasing.

“We saw a fight, a spirit and attitude that the people at home supporting us and in the ground would have loved to have seen, and for us as coaches that is particularly pleasing, (but) we know we need to be better.

“Part of our challenge as coaches and part of the challenge of the playing group is to ensure this is not an anomaly, it is the start.”

Curry faces a disciplinary hearing in Paris on Tuesday night when he is expected to learn the length of his ban for the dangerous challenge that led to a clash of heads with Juan Cruz Mallia.

Wales kept their Euro 2024 qualification hopes alive with a 2-0 win in Latvia as Aaron Ramsey’s 100th career goal and a David Brooks clincher lifted the pressure on under-fire manager Rob Page.

Ramsey stroked home a 29th-minute penalty – his 21st goal for Wales – before Brooks, on as a substitute for the injured captain, settled matters in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

The victory was Wales’ second in 14 attempts and gives them renewed hope that they can claim a top-two place in Group D.

On a night when Wales simply had to win or be left with a play-off route to Germany next summer, there was further good news before kick-off as group leaders Croatia did them a favour by winning 1-0 in Armenia.

Croatia are Wales’ next Euro opponents in Cardiff next month, and Page can now look forward to that game after heading to Riga with huge question marks over his future.

The 49-year-old was feted as a national hero after leading Wales to their first World Cup for 64 years, but poor performances at that tournament and in this campaign had prompted large parts of the fan base to call for managerial change.

Page had drawn encouragement from Thursday’s friendly with South Korea – and he named 10 of the side who started that goalless draw in Cardiff.

Captain Ramsey returned in place of Nathan Broadhead as Burnley’s Connor Roberts won his 50th cap.

Jordan James made his first competitive start and the 19-year-old suggested he may be a mainstay of the Wales midfield for some time to come.

Latvia had drawn a complete blank in Euro 2024 qualifying, losing all four games, with three of them – including a 1-0 away defeat to Wales in March – by a single goal margin.

The tiny three-sided Skonto Stadium, with cars parked behind one goal, seemed at odds with what was such an important night in Welsh football. But over 1,000 Wales fans were in a crowd of 6,464.

There had been a mood of sporting celebration in Riga throughout the day as Latvians turned out to honour their basketball players, who had recorded a best finish of fifth at the sport’s World Cup, in the city.

Wales should have had the perfect start inside 75 seconds when Ethan Ampadu released Brennan Johnson but Tottenham’s new striker skied over on his unfavoured left side.

Ampadu was off-target from a Harry Wilson corner but Wales were threatening at set-pieces.

Chris Mepham met another Wilson corner at the far post and Ben Davies reached the deflected ball first to force Roberts Ozols into a flying save in the Latvian goal.

Chances continued to come and go for Wales with Johnson wayward again and Ozols producing stops to deny Wilson and Roberts.

There was a danger that frustration would creep in, but Latvia provided a helping hand when Kaspars Dubra bundled over Wilson after 28 minutes.

The incident survived a VAR check for a potential offside in the build-up and Ramsey coolly converted for his landmark goal.

Wales should have been out of sight in the next 10 minutes as Neco Williams and Johnson fired wide when well-placed and Ozols denied Wilson again.

Latvia had shown nothing as an attacking force for 41 minutes before suddenly bursting into life.

Ward shovelled out a Janis Ikaunieks header that Roberts had to clear as the Latvian striker prepared to pounce for the rebound, while Raimonds Krollis almost profited twice after being left unguarded.

Wales suffered a blow four minutes into the second half when Ramsey signalled to the bench to come off, with David Brooks taking his place.

The worry was that Wales would miss Ramsey’s stabilising influence and Krollis went close after Johnson had driven wide.

Latvia might have been reduced to 10 men when Ikaunieks aimed a wild kick at James.

Slovakian referee Michal Ocenas brandished a yellow card before being asked to review the decision at the VAR monitor. After a two-minute check Ocenas stuck with his original decision and Ikaunieks escaped further sanction.

The final quarter became very fragmented with a series of niggly fouls.

Ikaunieks’ 20-yard shot flew into the side netting and, while that would have represented the cruellest punishment for Wales, Brooks ended matters by racing on to Wilson’s pass and scoring with the most delicious of chips.

Paul Pogba could face a lengthy ban after failing a drugs test, according to reports in Italy which emerged shortly after the Juventus midfielder revealed he almost walked away from football after allegedly being blackmailed by an organised crime gang.

It is claimed the France international tested positive for testosterone in a random drugs test following Juventus’ Serie A game against Udinese on August 20, when he was an unused substitute.

Elevated levels of testosterone were reported to have been found, which means Pogba’s second sample would also need to be checked.

According to Italian media, Pogba has three days to produce a counter-analysis of the result. If found guilty of doping, a suspension of between two and four years could reportedly be handed out.

The PA news agency has contacted Juventus and the Italian Football Federation for comment.

Earlier on Monday, former Manchester United midfielder Pogba said he was almost driven to walk away from football after allegedly being blackmailed by an organised crime gang.

The 30-year-old’s brother Mathias was detained in September 2022 on suspicion of involvement in the alleged plot, which Paul Pogba claimed amounted to a bid to extort £11.1million from him.

Mathias Pogba was released in December and denies the charges.

Paul Pogba reported the incident to Turin prosecutors in July of last year, shortly after leaving Manchester United on a free transfer in order to rejoin Juventus.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Paul Pogba said: “When there is money you have to be careful. Money changes people. It can break up a family. It can create a war.

“Sometimes I was just by myself thinking: ‘I don’t want to have money anymore. I just don’t want to play anymore. I just want to be with normal people, so they will love me for me – not for the fame, not for the money.’

“Sometimes it’s tough. This life, you have to go through it. It will only make me stronger.”

Laure Beccuau, a Paris prosecutor, said the investigation was looking into allegations of “blackmail by an armed gang, kidnapping and membership of a criminal conspiracy”.

Mathias Pogba is himself a professional footballer, with the 33-year-old having represented Crewe, Crawley, Wrexham and Partick Thistle, as well as the national team of Guinea.

He is currently without a club after leaving French lower-league side Belfort in 2022.

Gareth Southgate says Harvey Barnes is a player England “like a lot” and Kieran Trippier praised Elliot Anderson’s potential amid talk of a possible tug-of-war with Scotland for the Newcastle duo.

There is an increasing number of players that have been part of the English set-up that have gone on to represent another country, including Jamal Musiala and Wilfried Zaha.

Angus Gunn was called up to the England senior squad by Southgate before switching allegiance to Tuesday’s opponents Scotland, who are now reportedly targeting Barnes.

The 25-year-old has yet to add to the solitary senior England cap he won in 2020 but remains on the manager’s radar, as does Newcastle team-mate Anderson.

The Whitley Bay-born 20-year-old spent two days with Scotland last week before withdrawing from the squad due to injury.

“Both are very good players,” England boss Southgate said of the Newcastle pair in the bowels of Hampden Park ahead of Tuesday’s friendly.

“In terms of Harvey, he’s obviously a player who has played for us. We have a lot of competition in that area of the pitch so he is a player we are always monitoring and he’s a player we like a lot.

“With Elliot, I think he’s a player who has progressed really well. We’ve previously spoken with him, but of course he was named in the squad here so assumed that was that.

“I thought he had an excellent pre-season with Newcastle as well.

“You could see that evolution that he has got as a young player and the potential he has got. I know at Newcastle they rate him very highly.

“I don’t know the answer to the ultimate question for either player, but there are going to be more and more of these sorts of situations.

“There are so many players with dual or triple nationality now.

“It is very complicated for every country and sometimes you can’t offer the player something as quickly as they like.

“We have benefited from it and we have lost players because of it and I think that is always going to be the case, really.”

The pair’s club team-mate was sat alongside Southgate in Glasgow, with right-back Trippier full of praise for homegrown Newcastle talent Anderson.

“As the gaffer said before, in pre-season he’s been unbelievable,” Trippier said of a player who has represented both nations at youth level.

“I think it was good for him last year to stay with us and not go out on loan again, to gain that experience.

“He’s a young lad with great potential. Obviously we’ve had talks but, like Gareth said before, he went away with Scotland.

“Ultimately that’s his decision. He’s a young lad with great potential so that decision is ultimately up to him.”

Gareth Southgate says it would be “ridiculous” to overly experiment as England head to hostile Hampden Park to face in-form foes Scotland in a so-called friendly.

Both sides are on the cusp of qualification for next summer’s European Championship as they meet on Tuesday evening for the 116th edition of the world’s oldest international fixture.

Southgate sees England’s first friendly fixture since March 2022 as an important test and learning step for his side, fresh from Saturday’s challenging 1-1 draw against Ukraine.

Scotland have won their last five matches and will be roared on by a sold-out Hampden Park crowd on Tuesday, when the 53-year-old knows he has to get the balance right with his selection.

“We’ve got to find the right balance of physical freshness – we’ve had a day less preparation – experience, finding out about some players, winning, playing well,” Southgate said.

“So, the usual things that are expected of us with England, really.

“But I think the first thing is we can’t fiddle around with the team because we’re playing a top-level side, who are going to be at full tilt and giving us a really high-level challenge.

“So, you can’t overly experiment because that would be ridiculous.”

Southgate largely stuck with the tried and tested with his squad selection for this September double-header, leading to starts for Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson against Ukraine.

It was the former’s first competitive start of the season and the first time the latter had represented his country since swapping Liverpool for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq.

Southgate was criticised by some for selecting the pair against Ukraine, while a disjointed, toothless performance hardly set pulses racing.

“I haven’t seen it, so the reaction for us is, we’re top of the group,” said the England boss, who could hand Levi Colwill and Eddie Nketiah their debuts in Glasgow.

“I think we’re the top scorers in Europe. The boys did a really good job in a difficult environment and we know that our attacking play didn’t quite click.

“I think some of that was the surface, really, because to make those really incisive, quick passes at times you just needed a little extra touch or there was a little bobble.

“I’m very conscious I wasn’t going to be too harsh on my internal review with the players.

“Because you could see moments when we’re watching it back where the ball pops over players’ feet or (someone) goes to play a ball first time, and it lofts in the air.

“Equally, that wasn’t the case with everything that we did, so we’re always challenging. We want to be better and better and we’ve got to set a high standard.

“We weren’t as happy coming away with the point as we might have been but it’s still a really good result.

“We saw what happened in our group later that night (with Italy drawing 1-1 with North Macedonia).

“When we beat North Macedonia people were questioning the quality that they had and the standard of the opposition, but Italy went there and couldn’t get the win.

“So, we kind of know the cycle, frankly, with England. I’ve been in the job long enough now.

“It’s constant, it’s never-ending, but we have to really focus internally on what’s important for us.

“Review to our own standards, review and make sure that we know what we’re working towards, and what we’re comparing ourselves against, really.”

Southgate believes the trip to Glasgow will help in that on a night when England and Scotland will commemorate the 150th anniversary of their first meeting on November 30, 1872.

The former defender admitted he was briefly a member of the Tartan Army in his childhood.

“I mean, this is horrendous what I’m going to say here ahead of tomorrow, but I was supporting Scotland in 1978 because obviously we hadn’t qualified,” the England boss said.

“I kind of followed that through the trauma of Peru and the Netherlands.

“Then we were back in ’82 and all of a sudden, you know, for me then onwards it was all about England.

“But, yeah, great fixtures. I’ve met so many of the former players over the years – worked with some of them, played with some of them.

“It’s a fabulous game. I know there’s a rivalry and I know people will be wary of it crossing a boundary, but it’s a brilliant sporting rivalry and it’s a great game to be involved in.”

Reece Topley wants to consign his injury woes to the past but admits there will be some trepidation at boarding the plane to India for the defence of England’s World Cup crown.

Having overcome four separate stress fractures in his back, Topley appeared primed for a leading role at last year’s T20 World Cup in Australia but he had to watch England’s triumphant campaign from afar.

A freak trip over a boundary cushion ahead of their final warm-up caused ankle ligament damage and, when he was on the comeback trail, Topley dislocated his shoulder at the Indian Premier League in April.

Despite returning to fitness and England duty, the 6ft 7in left-arm seamer remains understandably wary of a setback especially with the 50-over World Cup getting under way in less than four weeks’ time.

“You could say I have a bit of PTSD about getting on the plane again because it was pretty emotional coming back from the last (World Cup) injured,” the 29-year-old said.

“But injuries happen in sport. You can only do so much to prevent them. I don’t really think about it too much. It’s just the nature of it: you get good days and bad days at the minute.

“As you get older, the injuries do get a bit harder to come back from – just the nature of just being years older. It’s not like you won’t ever come back from it, it’s just always a bit trickier.

“I definitely wouldn’t say I’m out of the jungle in terms of my ankle and my shoulder but it’s a case of doing the right things. Hopefully, the bad days just become less and less.”

Topley owes his selection in England’s provisional World Cup squad to last summer’s stellar form, where he claimed 13 wickets in seven ODIs at an exceptional average of 16.38, going at less than 4.5 an over.

He is still getting back up to speed at international level again after a stop-start past year but after going wicketless in four ODIs, he impressed in Sunday’s series-levelling victory against New Zealand at the Ageas Bowl, taking three for 27 in seven overs.

After an economical first five-over burst, Topley dismissed Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra within seven balls in his second spell as New Zealand lost their last seven wickets in 39 balls to lose by 79 runs, leaving the four-match series delicately balanced at 1-1.

While drawing satisfaction from his impact in a contest reduced to 34 overs per side because of rain, Topley believes he is still a long way off his best.

“I’ve got to thank the guys for showing that what I did last year didn’t go unnoticed,” Topley said. “My record in the format is pretty good. I like to think that I can contribute whenever needed.

“It’s tricky playing and getting yourself back into it mentally and physically after some injuries. The game moves on and people move on and you obviously don’t get the chance to because you’re sidelined.

“It’s nice to be finding my feet again, hopefully just at the right time for India. It’s not the end of it now, it’s just another good day. It’s still a long way to go to be performing how I’d like to.”

Topley has opened the bowling in every one of his 24 ODIs but backs himself to “take wickets in all stages”, putting himself in the shop window for one of the fast bowling spots at the World Cup.

England have six specialist options, including three left-armers in Sam Curran, David Willey and Topley, who recognises competition is fierce.

“I can only do so much as a new-ball and death bowler that it’s hard to leave me out,” Topley added ahead of Wednesday’s third ODI against the Black Caps at the Kia Oval, his home ground.

“That’s what all of us in the changing room want to do is just to make those decisions tough, but with the talent that we have, it’s always going be a tough decision – for the 15, or the 11.”

Dan Biggar has revealed that England’s stirring victory over Argentina helped underpin Wales’ mindset against Rugby World Cup rivals Fiji.

Wales dug deep in adversity, making more than 240 tackles as they held on for a thrilling 32-26 win that strengthened hopes of reaching a fourth successive World Cup quarter-final.

And England’s demolition job on the Pumas 24 hours earlier, which came despite them having flanker Tom Curry sent off during the early minutes, did not go unnoticed in the Wales camp.

“I thought England were absolutely magnificent after going down to 14 men,” Wales fly-half Biggar said.

“We spoke about having a little bit of a similar mindset – whether we lose a player or go down a bit, still working your absolute socks off.

“I think it was quite good for us watching that game, to be honest, as a team.

“It was almost like the red card was better for England than Argentina. I thought it galvanised them and they absolutely worked their socks off.

“They defended in twos and threes extremely well, scrambled well and forced a lot of errors.

“We knew we were going to concede turnovers and have moments when we were up against it.

“We said that we needed to have a similar sort of mindset (to England) to really grind it out and dig in in big moments.

“Results are the only thing that matter in this tournament. We are off to a good start, and if we win next weekend (against Portugal) it will be a really good start and we can build to the final two games then.”

It was an emotional time for Biggar in Bordeaux, with the Fiji game taking place on his late mother Liz’s birthday.

“I think she was looking down on us in the last passage of play with that dropped ball. You don’t see Semi (Radradra) dropping too many of those in open play,” he added.

“Not so much during the match, but I found the game quite difficult because she would have been here making a big weekend of it. It was at the back of my mind.”

Wales’ fourth World Cup win in a row against Fiji sets them up for a major tilt at winning Pool C, with Portugal, Australia and Georgia their remaining opponents.

Biggar, though, knows the importance of Wales not switching off when they arrive on the French Riviera and a week in Nice, where they face Portugal next Saturday.

“I just felt that we were nowhere near perfect, but you saw the character, the desire, the commitment of the group. We just never gave in,” Biggar said.

“We were pretty pleased to see that last ball dropped because we were certainly under the heat and it felt like everything was imploding in that last 12 minutes or so. We did well to get across the line in the end.

“We are going to enjoy it because there has been a lot of pressure on this group, a lot of things written, a lot of people said we weren’t good enough to win.

“I think it is important that this week, especially going to a very nice place in Nice, that it can turn into a bit of a holiday mode and that is the exact opposite of what we need.

“We probably need a fair bit of work on the training pitch this week.”