Hollie Doyle has thrown her hat in the ring for the ride on Chris Waller’s Soulcombe in the Melbourne Cup.

The jockey partnered the gelding on his final start for former trainer William Haggas, with the duo winning the Melrose Handicap at York’s Ebor meeting last year.

Soulcombe then changed hands and is now trained in Australia for a group of owners that includes Ozzie Kheir, who Doyle has reached out to in order to put herself forward for the Melbourne Cup opportunity.

Since leaving England Soulcombe has gained valuable experience of the track at Flemington, winning the Group Three Queen’s Cup on debut for his new connections and then finishing second in the Listed Lexus Roy Higgins in March.

More recently the bay was a winner at Caulfield, landing the Listed Heatherlie Stakes on Saturday.

Doyle told racing.com: “I won the Melrose on him when he was trained by William Haggas, so I do know the horse.

“I don’t have high expectations to get the ride but if you don’t ask, you don’t get I suppose.

“Obviously, he won at the weekend, and it was just an idea, an ambitious one, but who knows?

“To just get a ride in the Melbourne Cup would be great let alone on a chance with a horse like Soulcombe.

“We’ve got a few people trying to help out, but I do know how hard it is to get rides at that (Cup) meeting, so I’m just hoping.”

James Doyle is relishing the prospect of being reunited with Shaquille as Julie Camacho’s speedball goes for a Group One hat-trick in the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock on Saturday.

Doyle rode the Charm Spirit colt in his first two starts of a whirlwind three-year-old campaign, winning a Newmarket handicap before taking the Listed Carnarvon Stakes at Newbury.

The jockey’s Godolphin commitments meant he missed out on riding Shaquille in the Commonwealth Cup and the July Cup when he completed a huge double, with Oisin Murphy on board at Royal Ascot and Rossa Ryan in the plate at Newmarket’s July Festival.

On both occasions he missed the break – rocking backwards in the stalls as they opened – and it is a measure of his remarkable ability that he still managed to recover and ultimately reel in his rivals at Ascot and Newmarket after giving them a significant head start.

Doyle is now free to take the ride again and following a pleasing stalls session at Camacho’s North Yorkshire base last month, with specialist horsemen Craig and Jake Witherford on hand to assist as a stalls rug was used, the leading rider is optimistic his big-race mount can cement his status as the season’s top speedster.

“I went to sit on him during York week and we just popped him in the stalls on the Malton gallops there,” he said on a press call organised by QIPCO British Champions Series.

“It was nice to sit on him at home, the guys have all said he’s completely different at home which was kind of hard to imagine.

“It was nice to experience that, he really is a calm and collected character in his own environment, it was nice to see him like that.”

Doyle added: “On the track he’s great in the prelims, he’s really grown up in that regard. He’s been foot perfect in terms of going to post, really relaxed and doing all those things right.

“In the stalls he can get a bit tricky and he’s just bunny-hopped out the last twice but thankfully the twice I’ve ridden him he’s actually broken fairly cleanly.

“On the track he’s a big, boisterous sprinter who knows he’s quick and he wants to be fast, whereas at home he knows his environment, he knows his routine and he’s so relaxed.

“The other week we popped out of the gates the first time and I had to squeeze away to get him to do even a half speed. The second time we jumped out was upsides another horse and I had to ask him to go past horses. He is a complete puppy dog at home.”

Doyle is hopeful that the schooling will ease Shaquille’s difficulties at the start, though of course the horse has demonstrated that a steady start is not enough to stop him from winning Group One races.

He said: “Going into Saturday the weight-for-age allowance is catching up with us – he got 6lb off the older horses in the July Cup and that’s brought back to 2lb. That does tighten things up, but you pray that you can jump off and get a clean start.

“Do I think he could still do it if he missed the break and gave them a bit of a lead early on? I genuinely believe in the engine this horse has, but it would certainly make things a lot trickier given we’re not getting so much weight.”

Naturally Doyle was disappointed not to be on board during Shaquille’s two previous wins and followed him home at Royal Ascot as his mount, Charlie Appleby’s Noble Style, finished ninth behind him.

The rider could not look on so closely in the July Cup as he was required to ride at Ascot and therefore had to rely on updates from the stalls handlers whilst he prepared to load for another race.

“It was tough. In the lead up to Ascot it looked like we would only run one horse in the Commonwealth and it looked like I’d be free, I remember being really excited for him and documented in the media that he was my best ride of the week,” he said.

“I was so delighted (when he won), I remember after the line catching up with him to gave him a pat on the head. I know how much this means to Julie and her whole team, they’re nervous before he runs and they’re elated when he wins – they really show all the emotions that make this sport so great.

“I didn’t get a chance to watch the race live at Newmarket, but when I cantered to the start (at Ascot) I asked the guys down at the stalls what happened and the first thing I heard was that he’d missed the break by five lengths and then they said he absolutely bolted up. I thought ‘well, he’s some machine’!”

Whilst Doyle is regaining the ride on Shaquille, next week he will miss out on partnering last season’s 1000 Guineas heroine Cachet when she is scheduled to make her long awaited return in the Sceptre Stakes at Doncaster, as he is otherwise engaged.

“I have spoken to George (Boughey) and I’ve seen pictures of Cachet and she looks in great form,” he said.

“Unfortunately I’m on duty that weekend, Martin Harley is getting married on the Sunday after the Leger so I’ll be over at Adare Manor for Martin’s wedding.

“It will be really sad to miss out on the ride but I think Martin would kill me if I wasn’t there!”

John ‘Shark’ Hanlon would “love to have another crack at the Gold Cup” with Hewick, as connections finalise plans for the upcoming season.

Famously purchased for just €850, Hewick has made a phenomenal rise through the ranks from useful staying handicap chaser to a bona fide Grade One contender over the past few seasons.

He enjoyed a fine 2022-23 campaign and having kicked off with Galway Plate success in the summer, would make a heroic raid on Far Hills to claim the American Grand National before being saved for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, in which he was still going well when falling two from home.

He gained big-race compensation for that Prestbury Park tumble when claiming the Grade Two Oaksey Chase at Sandown before going on to contest the Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil.

Hewick is currently enjoying a break at Hanlon’s County Carlow base after unsuccessfully trying to defend his Galway Plate crown and connections now need to weigh-up another trip Stateside or tailoring the eight-year-old’s campaign around a Gold Cup bid.

“He’s still having a break and we’re making decisions on which way we’re going to go with him,” said Hanlon.

“We might go back to America with him, but if not then I will just train him for a Gold Cup. I need to sit down and talk to the owner and see what he would like to do.

“He was a great horse last season for us and he came home from Galway perfect, the ground was just too soft there for him.

“We’ll either go to America or we’ll make a plan for the Gold Cup because he was running a cracker in the race last year. He was definitely going to be in the money and he wasn’t really trained for a Gold Cup last year because he went to America so we’ll have to make a decision.

“Do we want to go to Leopardstown at Christmas or in February and go for a Gold Cup? Or do we go to America? If we go to America, we probably won’t go for a Gold Cup so we have to make up our minds one way or the other.”

Hewick was sent off 40-1 for his shot at Gold Cup glory in 2023 but was massively outrunning his odds in the hands of Jordan Gainford as he was still in the mix, leading the runners into the straight, and only headed just before his challenge came to an end two out.

That huge effort came on soft ground and Hanlon is taking plenty of encouragement from that performance as he eyes up a return to Prestbury Park on a sounder surface.

“I would love to have another crack at the Gold Cup and when you have a horse of his class it is the race that everybody wants to win,” he added.

“He was running a cracker last year and the ground was the softest it has been in Cheltenham in years. The better the ground for us, the better the horse is so you have to take that into consideration.”

Full-back Hugo Keenan insists in-form Ireland must lift their performances “up a notch” as they chase glory at the Rugby World Cup.

The 27-year-old Leinster player has been virtually ever-present since his Test debut just under three years ago and has barely tasted defeat in the green jersey.

Ireland have beaten each of their major rivals in that time, including a historic series success in New Zealand last summer.

Yet Keenan concedes previous statement results count for little as the Six Nations champions seek to substantiate their status as the sport’s top-ranked nation over the coming weeks in France.

“You have to respect all the teams in the competition,” he said.

“I suppose you have to gain a bit of confidence from what we’ve built on in the past by beating the top teams around and let that build your confidence and belief going into it.

“But you can’t take anything for granted. A lot of teams will have improved in this big block they’ve had together, so we’ve got to take it up a notch ourselves.”

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Former rugby sevens player Keenan has been victorious in 25 of his 31 caps to date, with just two of the losses coming since the end of the 2021 Six Nations.

International team-mate Iain Henderson last month said Ireland’s new cohort of stars, such as Keenan, Caelan Doris and Dan Sheehan, have made pushing the top teams the “norm”.

Andy Farrell’s side arrived at their training base in Tours on the back of a national record 13 consecutive victories, albeit having failed to hit previous heights during warm-up wins over Italy, England and Samoa.

“Every team is going to have improved and going to have added little bits and pieces to their game,” continued Keenan. “We’ve got to do the same to ours.

“I don’t think we’ve shown our best in the Test games leading up to the World Cup so far. There’s been some good bits, but then a lot of work-ons.

“We’re ready to show an improvement on what’s gone before.”

Farrell’s men begin their campaign on Saturday afternoon against Romania in Bordeaux.

Ireland beat their upcoming opponents at the World Cup in 1999, 2003 and 2015 but have not faced them since the last of those matches – a 44-10 success at Wembley.

Keenan, who was present as a fan when Ireland exited the 2015 tournament with a quarter-final loss to Argentina in Cardiff, is braced for the team ranked 19th in the world to “throw the kitchen sink”.

“I wouldn’t have known too much about them but you have to do your homework on them, you have to get up to speed pretty quickly,” he said.

“We’ve known the schedule of games for a while now so we’ve been able to prepare for this for a bit.

“They’re a big powerful pack, they back their set piece, a few physical boys in the back line as well. It’s going to be a tough challenge. They’re going to throw the kitchen sink at us.”

Down Royal racegoers are in for a rare treat on Friday with Frankie Dettori set to make his first ever appearance at the Lisburn circuit.

The 52-year-old might be preparing to bring his glittering career in the saddle to an end later this year but he has shown absolutely no signs of slowing down, riding a whole host of big-race winners both at home and abroad in 2023 so far.

His farewell tour made an unlikely stop in Hungary last weekend, with Dettori performing his trademark flying dismount twice after riding a double at Kincsem Park in Budapest, and next on his agenda is a first competitive outing in Northern Ireland.

Down Royal’s chief executive Emma Meehan has been working on getting the legendary Italian to the track since the spring and is delighted those efforts have paid off.

She said: “We’ve been trying to get him in before his swansong as it will be the first time he’s ridden in the north of Ireland.

“In April of this year I reached out and we got confirmation that he’d welcome the visit and thankfully the interest from his camp hasn’t waned.

“It’s lovely for punters in the north to have him here at their local track and it’s great for us at Down Royal to have him here as part of our history.”

The first of Dettori’s two mounts at Down Royal is the Matthew Smith-trained No Thanks, who contests the two-and-a-quarter-mile Grant Thornton Ulster Cesarewitch Handicap.

In the following Children’s Heartbeat Trust Handicap he will partner Evening’s Empire for the father-son team of Eddie and Patrick Harty before sitting down for ‘An Evening with Frankie Dettori’ event in one of the track’s suites.

Meehan added: “He’s riding in two races and then after racing from 7.30pm we’re having an event which Kevin O’Ryan and Fran Berry are hosting. They’ll catch up with him about his career and there’ll be an audience, with tickets pre-sold.

“Sales are going well and we’re hoping to get a few more people through the doors as the weather looks like being on our side.

“It will be a great evening and it’s a special day for us. We’re just delighted he could attend.”

Topsy Ojo has backed under-pressure England head coach Steve Borthwick to turn his side’s poor form around at the World Cup in France.

England have won just two of their nine fixtures in 2023 and will look to ignite their World Cup bid in their crucial opening Pool D fixture against Argentina on Saturday.

Former London Irish and England player Ojo acknowledged Borthwick’s side have not won enough games of late but insists they have the tools to create an upturn in form.

“There’s definitely a lot of pressure on him (Borthwick) at the minute,” Ojo told the PA news agency.

“He’ll know that he’s not won enough games and the pressure comes down to how well this World Cup goes for him.

“If England don’t get out of the group then the pressure will increase tenfold and people will ask questions.

“I do (have faith in Borthwick and England), especially when I look at what he’s done as a coach and the playing group.

“I think the players will turn up and, having watched them every week in the Premiership, I know what they’re capable of.

“You can see what’s starting to gel on the pitch and as a group under Steve and as they get used to playing with each other over a long period of time, they’ll become more efficient, accurate and will start to take more of what they are creating”.

The former winger earmarked the number eight position as pivotal and called for improved defensive performances after England shipped 53 points to France in March and lost 30-22 to Fiji in their final warm-up game last month.

The ITV pundit highlighted the responsibility of Ben Earl and Lewis Ludlam in England’s opener as Steve Borthwick will be without Billy Vunipola, who picked up a suspension in England’s 29-10 defeat to Ireland in August.

“I think it will be Ben Earl initially or maybe Lewis Ludlam but whoever plays as eight has a huge responsibility in this team,” Ojo added.

“The power and physicality game in rugby is huge and you need your ball carriers to carry 10-15 times a game and make three to five metres every time to put your team on the front foot and gain momentum.

“If England can do that then they have the players and capability to run away with things but if they don’t get parity or dominance in that area then it could be a long day for them.”

“Defensively they need to be doing way better, they’re shipping far too many points and they’ll know that.

“If they are able to defend well and efficiently by ideally turning the ball over early then the momentum they’ll get from that will mean they can go and score points.”

The 38-year-old hailed England’s travelling supporters who will be eager to see them lift their first World Cup since 2003.

“It’s going to be great to see them,” he said.

“We’ll see support in numbers as the energy builds and I think England are very well supported and they are lucky in that regard.”

Rory McIlroy has pledged to take a “sensible” approach to a friend’s stag do just days before the start of the Ryder Cup.

And the world number two has also assured captain Luke Donald that he is close to full fitness after the back injury which almost forced him to withdraw from the Tour Championship in Atlanta.

McIlroy had previously joked that he would need “a few days to dry out” from his trip to Mykonos before travelling to Rome, where Europe will attempt to regain the Ryder Cup following their record 19-9 defeat at Whistling Straits.

“I’m sensible when I need to be,” McIlroy said with a smile in his pre-tournament press conference ahead of the Horizon Irish Open.

“48 hours, nice little trip, and probably needed as well. (I go) from here to practise in Rome next week, to Wentworth.

“I get back into London on Wednesday evening and then four good days in London to practise and get myself ready to go to Rome on the Monday.”

Donald also laughed off any concerns, adding: “It’s not like Rory is 22 or 21. He understands.

“There’s nothing wrong in going out and having some fun with your friends. But I think he’s got wise enough shoulders to know that he won’t go crazy, so no concerns there.”

McIlroy hit just 20 balls before his first round of the Tour Championship after suffering a muscle spasm two days earlier which left him unable to move.

The 34-year-old struggled to an opening round of 70 at East Lake but the injury gradually improved throughout the week and he closed with a 65 to finish in a tie for 11th.

“I would say it’s at 90 per cent, 95 per cent,” McIlroy said. “I just have to take care of it a little bit but it’s not preventing me from doing anything I want to do. Just being a little mindful, I guess.

“I’ve had much worse. I had much worse back issues when I was 21. This is a bit of tightness, a bit of a muscle spasm. I’ve had a herniated disc and I’ve had stuff that would be a lot more worrying than this is. It’s fine. It’s totally fine.”

McIlroy produced a sensational finish to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat the last time The K Club staged the Irish Open in 2016, having seen a three-shot lead turn into a one-shot deficit in the final round.

A stunning approach from 270 yards set up a two-putt birdie on the par-five 16th and McIlroy produced an even better shot to the last, his five-wood from 252 yards finishing within three feet of the hole for a tap-in eagle.

“The two shots I hit on 16 then the two on 18, that’s the way you want to try to close out a golf tournament. It was amazing,” McIlroy recalled.

“They had set up a sort of bar on the right side of 16 and when my ball hit the green I just remember the roar from over there was pretty cool.

“It was a great finish and for as long as I can remember the only tournament my mum ever wanted to see me win was The Irish Open. So for her to be there and for me to win it, it means a lot to her obviously and a lot to us as a family.”

McIlroy has a lead of more than 2,000 points over Jon Rahm at the top of the Race to Dubai, but will take six weeks off between the Ryder Cup and the season-finale in Dubai.

Strong performances in Ireland and next week’s BMW PGA Championship would therefore go a long way to securing a fifth money list title, three behind the record of Colin Montgomerie.

“I’ve got a nice little cushion at the minute but these two weeks are important,” McIlroy said.

“I want to play well for a number of reasons. I want to feel like I’m confident and in good form going into the Ryder Cup obviously.

“But yeah, I think it would be a pretty cool achievement to win The Race to Dubai for a fifth time and start creeping up on Monty.”

Soprano gets another opportunity to break her Group-race duck in the Ire-Incentive, It Pays To Buy Irish Dick Poole Fillies’ Stakes at Salisbury on Thursday.

An impressive winner on her introduction at Newmarket in early May, the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing-owned filly has since been placed in the Albany at Royal Ascot in June, the Star Stakes at Sandown in July and the Sweet Solera on the July Course last month.

Having seen the George Boughey-trained daughter of Starspangledbanner knock on the door on a few occasions now, Highclere’s managing director Harry Herbert is hoping she can finally enjoy her day in the big-race sun in Wiltshire.

“She seems in great shape after Newmarket. She ran a very good race that day and was just beaten by a better filly (Fallen Angel) on the day,” said Herbert.

“She’s working very well and Ryan Moore can ride her so it’s all systems go.

“I think a stiff six furlongs will really suit her and she’s got a wonderful action the filly, so she should really lap up the ground.

“All these races are pretty hot, but we go there thinking that she’ll be pretty competitive.”

Miaharris puts her unbeaten record on the line for trainer Owen Burrows and jockey Oisin Murphy.

Having supplemented her debut success at Sandown with a narrow victory in Listed company at Newbury last month, the Zoustar filly steps up to six furlongs as she goes in search of the hat-trick.

Burrows said: “We’re very happy with her and it looked as though she would appreciate the step up to six from her last run, so we’ll see.

“I wouldn’t mind to have been drawn in a little bit more, but it is what it is (stall 15).

“I’m not concerned about the ground really. She handled ground on the easy side of good at Newbury and it was similar at Sandown I think. It’s going to be a bit quicker at Salisbury, but I don’t have any worries about that.

“She’s always looked a talented filly. She was bought with Royal Ascot in mind, but as a typical breeze-up filly she just fell apart a bit and fair to play to the owner (Olly Harris) who has been very patient. Fingers crossed he’s going to reap the benefits now.”

Clive Cox is triple-handed, with the well fancied Symbology joined by a pair of bigger priced stablemates in Onthemoneyhoney and Unbreak My Heart.

York maiden winner Symbology has since finished third in the Princess Margaret at Ascot and the Lowther Stakes at York, while Onthemoneyhoney faces a rise in grade following a debut win at Windsor.

Unbreak My Heart won a minor heat at Bath on her second start before finishing a distant third in the Listed Empress Fillies’ Stakes at Newmarket.

Cox said: “I was really pleased with Symbology in the Lowther and I think she’s still progressing.

“It was a very pleasing effort at York and she’s come back well from there, hence the reason she’s turning out again on Thursday, and she’ll appreciate the dry conditions.

“Onthemoneyhoney won her only start and from a ratings perspective she’s got a lot to find, but she’s in excellent form and with the way the ground is I think she deserves a chance to run.

“Unbreak My Heart won on quick ground at Bath, they’re all in good order and a lack of alternative choices mean we’re going to give it a kick here.”

Kevin  Philippart De Foy’s unbeaten Alshinfarah will bid to enhance her growing reputation at ParisLongchamp on Thursday when she lines up in the Prix d’Aumale.

The youngster created a taking impression against her own sex at Doncaster on debut and remained unbeaten with another facile triumph when taking on the colts at Haydock last month.

The form of that victory has been given a timely boost by the runner-up and the Shadwell-owned daughter of Noble Mission now takes the leap up to Group Three company in a race won last season by dual French Classic winner Blue Rose Cen.

“It’s a logical next step and the filly won nicely first time out before confirming that against the colts a couple of weeks later,” said Philippart De Foy.

“The form of that race got boosted by William Haggas’ horse (Remaadd) when winning at Goodwood a week ago.

“The filly is in good form and obviously she is well bred so the next target is to get some black type with her which is the reason we are going to Longchamp.”

Christopher Head will saddle Freville in his quest for back-to-back victories in the contest, while Andre Fabre’s Mlle Moliere, Didier Guillemin’s Beatrix Kiddo and Philippe Sogorb’s Itsy Bitsy all arrive in the French capital with a similar profile to Alshinfarah and are unbeaten in two starts.

Gavin Hernon’s Dare To Dream made a winning debut at Deauville recently and Joseph O’Brien’s Kalispera adds further spice to an intriguing contest and Philippart De Foy is respectful of the opposition as his raider moves up to a mile for the first time.

Philippart De Foy added: “It is a competitive little race and Andre Fabre’s filly seems pretty good and Gavin Hernon’s filly won first time out as well. Joseph O’Brien is also sending a filly so it is a competitive race for the next step in her career.

“The family stayed much further and her half-sister ran over a mile and a half in the Arc. Noble Mission her sire stayed further as well so I’m not worried about running over a mile and the ground should suit her. She travelled over there well and it will be interesting to see her against a stronger field.”

Earlier on the card, John and Thady Gosden’s Ghara, Charlie Appleby’s Chalice Stakes runner-up Sunset Point and William Haggas’ two-time scorer Truthful will all head to post for the Listed Darley Prix Joubert over a mile and six furlongs.

Meanwhile Patrice Cottier will seek to add to his Group One success in Sunday’s Prix du Moulin de Longchamp with Grey Man, who lines up in the Group Three Prix des Chenes looking for his fourth win in five starts.

Scotland will stay humble as they look to battle past Cyprus and keep themselves in the driving seat to qualify for Euro 2024, according to former national team striker Charlie Nicholas.

Steve Clarke’s men are aiming for a fifth straight Group A win in Larnaca on Friday night, which, if other results go their way next week, could see Scotland’s place in the finals confirmed.

Nicholas, who played for Scotland at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, believes Clarke will not allow any thoughts of having already booked a ticket to Germany next summer as his team focus on showing the required mentality in the heat of the AEK Arena.

“This is the first time I can ever recall being in a position of comfort in a group like this. It is a kind of weird experience,” Nicholas told the PA news agency.

“Steve Clarke’s business as a manager is being serious, so the boys will stay humble – and I do think they will get it tough in Cyprus.

“Now this becomes the most important one, because it would give us a really nice buffer if we were to win it, but it will be tight.

“It will be in the heat, which obviously doesn’t complement us, but we have put ourselves in a great position so we must not let it slip now.”

Scotland’s assistant coach John Carver has branded the current squad the “most focused group” he has ever worked with, having seen them beat Spain at Hampden Park in March and then win away in Norway.

Nicholas added: “Looking at these guys, what you have got is a lot of important players playing at top football clubs – even with Kieran Tierney’s move, it is to a top club in Spain (at Real Sociedad).

“There is a lot of knowledge in there and also with that desire – they will be told the whole truth when it comes to these qualifying games, because we are so close to it.

“If we go and win in Cyprus, that doesn’t guarantee us (qualification), but it more or less does – and in Scotland we have learned never to take too much for granted.

“They are a well-respected group with what they stand for together. There is no faking with these guys, they are bang on the money and know where they are trying to get to.”

On September 17, Nicholas will be joining broadcaster Jeff Stelling when he takes on a 34th marathon Football March for Prostate Cancer UK, from Wembley to Wycombe Wanderers, in honour of the late Bill Turnbull.

Former Celtic and Arsenal striker Nicholas lost his father, Chic, to prostate cancer, which affects one in eight men, in December 2009.

The Scot stressed the importance of early diagnosis, which brings with it more options for advanced treatments such as radiotherapy and better life outcomes. 

“I think we (men) are a bit afraid about it, because you don’t want to turn up at the doctors and think you are going to get bad news,” Nicholas said.

“It is scary and it is not nice to go and find out – but the thing is if you have symptoms, then just go and get it checked.

“Because if you sadly have got it and they can spot it early enough, that actually puts you in a good position. It might not sound like it, but you really are.”

:: Jeff Stelling’s Football March 2023 is sponsored by specialist cancer care provider GenesisCare. You can sponsor Jeff to honour Bill’s legacy and help beat prostate cancer via – https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/JeffStellingsFootballMarch2023

Argentina’s scrum may lack of the potency of old but Dan Cole insists it remains a significant threat to England’s goal of making a triumphant start to their World Cup.

Two sides who take pride in their forward dominance collide in Pool D’s highest-profile fixture in Marseille on Saturday, with the winners placing one foot into the quarter-finals.

Argentina’s last great scrum was 2015 when feared props Marcos Ayerza and Ramiro Herrera helped them reach the World Cup semi-finals, but more strings have now been added to the Pumas’ bow.

But tighthead prop Cole insists that with his Leicester-mate Julian Montoya present in their front row at hooker, they are still a formidable set-piece unit.

“It’s a force. Whether it’s the force of your (Martin) Scelzos, (Rodrigo) Ronceros and (Mario) Ledesmas….. But you still have Montoya, who I know brilliantly well,” Cole said.

“You look at their team in the Rugby Championship, they’re dangerous. If you have one scrummage where you are not fully focused they will do you damage and get stuck into you.

“They’re a dangerous team and they’ve grown their game in other areas. We know what’s coming up front.

“They love the physical contest. You speak to some of their front five – Tomas Lavanini when he was at Leicester and Montoya – and they relish the physical part of the game.

“Marcos Ayerza could talk for days about the scrum, both the physical and mental aspect of it.

“That’s the tradition of their game, we respect that and we look forward to playing them because that’s the game.”

Cole will be in the front line of resistance to Argentina’s forward assault at the Stade Velodrome as he prepares to take part in his fourth World Cup, either in the number three jersey or as a replacement.

The 36-year-old’s Test career appeared to be over until Steve Borthwick’s arrival as head coach offered a route back and he made his first appearance since the 2019 final in the recent Six Nations.

England’s scrum was overwhelmed by South Africa in Yokohama four years ago and Cole appeared to have paid the price.

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“I didn’t think this would happen but now I’m here and I’m very happy and grateful to be part of it,” Cole said.

“It was a surprise to get the call from Steve because I hadn’t played for England for three years. I’d worked with him at Leicester but he didn’t give anything away.

“After 2019 and what happened in the final, I wouldn’t say it would have been easy to have packed it in, but it would have been easy to just drift.”

Borthwick names his starting XV on Thursday afternoon, with either Will Stuart or Kyle Sinckler joining Cole in the 23.

England’s head coach faces a difficult decision at scrum-half with no clear pick emerging from the trio of Ben Youngs, Danny Care and Alex Mitchell.

Manu Tuilagi is expected to be joined in the centres by either Ollie Lawrence or Joe Marchant, while two of Elliot Daly, Jonny May, Max Malins and Henry Arundell will fill the wing slots.

A leading Saudi Arabian human rights activist says Newcastle are being used as a “tool” to legitimise Mohammed bin Salman’s regime and urged supporters not to underestimate the power of protest.

Members of the NUFC Fans Against Sportswashing group are set to stage a demonstration outside St James’s Park on Friday night, prior to the first of two international friendlies set to be staged by the Saudis at the venue this month.

Lina al-Hathloul, whose sister Loujain was imprisoned and tortured after leading a campaign to allow women to drive in her homeland, was on Tyneside this week to stress that shows of dissent can still have a significant impact on the actions of the regime.

More than two years after Newcastle’s controversial takeover by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the small minority of dissenters among the club’s fan-base is refusing to give up hope of pricking the consciences of enough fellow supporters to make an impression.

Speaking at a public meeting close to the stadium, Hathloul said: “They (the Saudi regime) really think that they’ve bought everyone’s silence, but you should not underestimate the power one word can have.

“We’re still in a phase where image is important for the Saudi regime. That’s why they do as much as they can to cover up the (human rights) violations.

“We’re not asking you to choose to love your club or to speak up – both can work together. You can be happy about Newcastle winning and still criticise what is happening in Saudi.”

Saudi Arabia’s two friendlies, against Costa Rica on Friday and South Korea four days later, are widely regarded as further proof of the regime’s links to the takeover, despite “legally binding assurances” given to the Premier League in 2021 that it had no such influence.

Al-Hathloul called the Saudi claim a “lie”, adding: “I love my national team, and for me it’s always difficult to dissociate the regime and what I love about my country.

“[But] when has the Saudi national team played abroad in a friendly? It is very rare, and now it really is a coincidence that they are playing in Newcastle.

“So we see the Saudi government is using Newcastle as a tool now to push their agenda.”

Loujain al-Hathloul was released in February 2021 after spending 1,001 days in jail under counter-terrorism laws. Al-Hathloul and her family continue to live under restrictions that prevent them leaving the country.

Newcastle have been contacted for a response.

Manchester United are “taking seriously” allegations of domestic abuse made against forward Antony.

The 23-year-old was dropped by Brazil after accusations of physical aggression on a number of occasions since January towards his former girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin.

Antony, who has made 31 appearances since Cavallin made a complaint to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in January, has denied the claims.

“Manchester United acknowledges the allegations made against Antony and notes that the police are conducting enquiries,” said a club statement.

“Pending further information, the club will be making no further comments.

“As a club, we are taking this matter seriously, with consideration of the impact of these allegations and subsequent reporting will have on survivors of abuse.”

United have not said whether Antony remains available for selection.

In an interview with Brazilian website UOL – which also published photographs and screenshots of messages between the pair – Cavallin claims she was attacked by Antony “with a headbutt” in a Manchester hotel room on January 15, leaving her with a cut head which needed treatment from a doctor.

Cavallin, a social media influencer, also alleges she was punched in the chest by Antony, which she claims caused damage to a silicone breast implant which required corrective surgery back in Brazil.

Another alleged incident is claimed to have taken place at a house on May 8, with Cavallin saying she suffered a cut finger while trying to protect herself, accusing Antony of throwing a glass cup towards her as well as then taking her passport.

Cavallin is said to have filed a report to Sao Paulo Civil Police concerning allegations of physical and verbal abuse by Antony while on holiday in Brazil during June 2022, when she was pregnant, as well as making a separate complaint to GMP.

Writing on Instagram earlier this week, Antony, who signed for United from Ajax in an £85.5million deal in September 2022, dismissed the claims as “false accusations”.

“From the beginning I have treated this matter with seriousness and respect, providing the necessary clarifications before the police authority,” he wrote.

“However, I can calmly state that the accusations are false and that the evidence already produced and the other evidence that will be produced demonstrate that I am innocent of the accusations made.

“My relationship with Gabriela was tumultuous, with verbal insults from both sides, but I never committed any physical aggression.

“Therefore, I come to vehemently deny the accusations made and inform you that I remain at the entire disposal of the Brazilian authorities to clarify whatever is necessary.

“I trust that the ongoing police investigations will demonstrate the truth about my innocence.”