Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers admitted their last-gasp 2-1 defeat by Lazio was a “devastating” blow after he felt they deserved to be in front.

Luis Palma thought he had given the Scottish champions an 81st-minute lead but it was ruled offside by a lengthy VAR check when the officials decided Daizen Maeda had helped on Alistair Johnston’s cross.

There was a bigger blow to follow five minutes into stoppage-time when Pedro robbed Cameron Carter-Vickers before spraying the ball out wide and running into the box to head home the resulting cross.

Kyogo Furuhashi’s early opener had been cancelled out by Matias Vecino following a 29th-minute corner.

Rodgers said: “I’m bitterly disappointed. I felt we totally deserved to take something from the game.

“We had a great start and scored a great goal. I’m disappointed with the goal we conceded, I felt we could do better with the corner.

“We were getting through them and it looked like a matter of time before we could score. We got a goal but unfortunately Daizen just got a touch on it and made it offside.

“I felt at that point we deserved to be in front, we had got into some good areas.

“To concede late on was harsh but there’s a learning there. You have to secure the ball late on. The learning is just managing the game at that late stage.

“We knocked on the door second half, if you can’t make the breakthrough just make sure in that late stage of the game that you are secure behind the ball.”

Carter-Vickers had come off the bench to make his comeback following seven weeks out with a hamstring injury.

Rodgers said: “There’s no blame on Cam, it’s one where they steal the ball from him but if we were in a better position, we deal with the cross.

“That’s the learning for the team – you can’t be coming out from the space unless you have good control of the ball.

“It was a devastating way to lose because we deserved something, but like every game there are learnings and when the Atletico game comes hopefully we can learn the lessons.”

Despite the finest of margins between potential victory and a ninth defeat in 11 Champions League group games at home, the facts remain that Celtic are on zero points from two games in Group E.

Rodgers said: “We were under no illusions at the beginning of the competition where we sat. I said at the beginning our idea was to qualify for European football, and that’s still the ambition and mentality.

“We have shown over the two games against good sides that we can compete. If we can just tidy up one or two moments and maybe get a bit of luck, we will still fight in every single game to get that qualification.”

Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray has challenged his players to keep their impressive run going after a 2-0 win over Watford kept them fourth in the Championship.

Full-back Niall Huggins’ thunderous first goal of his professional career put the Black Cats on course for three points two minutes before half-time.

Abdoullah Ba’s back-post header in the 62nd minute effectively sealed the points before the Hornets had substitute Ryan Andrews sent off for a reckless tackle on Jack Clarke late on.

It was Sunderland’s sixth win in eight matches, leaving them six points off the top two ahead of Saturday’s meeting with neighbours Middlesbrough.

Mowbray said: “I’m delighted for Niall. He has had a tough time in the year or so I’ve been here with injury. Yet he’s had really high moments too.

“We did huff and puff for 45 minutes but we got the job done. I thought the centre-backs were amazing tonight. I’m pleased with them all, we have goals all over the pitch.

“We have to keep going. We kept a clean sheet and got three points.

“The moment normally comes from Jack Clarke or Patrick Roberts, and yet Niall comes up with an amazing goal.

“We preserved what we were doing. Sitting here now with 2-0 feels good. It was a dangerous game.

“I’m not sure Watford’s results warrant the talent they have. I am just pleased we have three points and move on to the next one.”

Enzo Maresca praised his Leicester players after a 3-0 home win over Preston saw the Foxes equal the best start to a Championship season.

Two goals from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall either side of a Kelechi Iheanacho strike were enough to see the Foxes back to the Championship summit.

The victory lifted them above Ipswich, who had moved a point clear on Tuesday by beating Hull, and matched Sheffield United’s 27-point haul from the first 10 games of the 2005-06 campaign.

Maresca said: “To be honest I am happy. I just said to the players that what you have done today is something that is not normal.

“And not only because your club is Leicester have you achieved something like this – there are other clubs in the Championship who are important like us but they struggle.

“So it is something important, but it is early days. We have won nine out of 10, we are very happy with that, but now in less than 72 hours we have one more game and we need to be focused on that.”

Midfielder Dewsbury-Hall broke the deadlock on the hour with substitute Iheanacho doubling the lead 16 minutes later.

Dewsbury-Hall made it 3-0 in the 90th minute on the rebound after Iheanacho had seen a shot parried.

Maresca added: “I am especially happy for Kiernan because he is improving in decision-making – in the choice. If you remember – in the first game he was shooting from his house, from everywhere. Now on the edge of the box he is patient.”

Preston had a great chance to open the scoring late in the first half when Duane Holmes fired wide with only the goalkeeper to beat.

North End also had a late goal from substitute Ben Woodburn ruled out for a foul on Wout Faes in the build-up.

Preston’s defeat followed a 4-0 home loss to West Brom on Saturday, but manager Ryan Lowe made it clear he was pleased with his players.

He said: “It was definitely harsh. I thought we were fantastic for 50-odd minutes until they scored the first goal, which was disappointing on our behalf – we go to ground when we could probably have intercepted it.

“But Leicester have some quality, they are different class, and we nullified that early on – we caught them out a little bit.

“We didn’t have much possession but I can’t fault the effort. Late on we were out on our feet a little bit, which was expected.

“We had the best chance first-half – Duane’s had a fantastic opportunity and it’s gone just beyond the post – but they are a Premier League team in the Championship.

“They have got a player in Dewsbury-Hall who shouldn’t be playing at this level.

“But we didn’t fear them. We respected them. They are normal human beings but they have got different qualities to most in the Championship.”

Bashir Humphreys hammered home his first senior goal to make it three wins in a row for Swansea as they beat Norwich 2-1.

The 20-year-old left-back powered a half-volley into the roof of the net from an 82nd-minute corner to make it 10 points from the last 12 for Swansea and move Michael Duff’s men up to 15th in the Championship.

Last season it only took the Canaries 58 seconds to open their account in west Wales with a goal from their then Finnish star Teemu Pukki that turned out to be the winner.

This time it was Swansea who struck early as Jamal Lowe found the back of the net in the third minute.

Lowe nipped in to take the ball off a dithering Adam Forshaw to allow Matt Grimes to pick up the pieces and the home skipper then turned it into a one-two with Low, who scored his third goal of the season.

Norwich hit back in the 22nd minute when a long carry by Jonathan Rowe up the left flank engineered a goal for Gabriel Sara. Rowe’s initial cross was blocked by Ben Cabango, but a second from Dimitris Giannoulis took a slight deflection before finding the head of Sara on the six-yard box.

That sparked new life into David Wagner’s men and two minutes later they worked an overload on the right that enabled Jack Stacey to race up to the edge of the box before letting fire with a vicious right-foot shot that was heading into the top-left corner until Carl Rushworth in the home goal got a fingertip to it to push it past the post.

Swansea almost crept back into the lead in the 36th minute when a cross from the right was touched on by Jerry Yates, but went agonisingly wide of Angus Gunn’s far post.

Norwich started the second far more positively and put their hosts on the back foot. Referee Tom Nield issued three yellow cards to Swansea players in the space of seven minutes soon after the restart and a shot across goal from the dynamic Rowe almost gave the visitors the lead in the 57th minute.

Moments later Wagner made three substitutions, bringing on top scorer Adam Idah, Oriel Hernandez and Przemyslaw Placheta. Placheta presented Idah with a golden chance to score with a cross that he somehow header over the bar in the 75th minute, shortly after Jerry Yates had a goal ruled offside from a corner.

Shane Duffy somehow kept out a header from Yates at the far post, but in the 83rd minute there was no stopping Humphreys’ thunderbolt.

Substitute Ferran Torres snatched the only goal of the game as Barcelona extended their 100 per cent start in Champions League Group H with a hard-fought 1-0 win in Porto.

The hosts had most of the chances but were undone by a blunder from Romario Baro in first-half injury time which allowed Torres to go through and slide the ball past Diogo Costa.

It was not all plain sailing for the visitors, who had to survive a torrid late spell which culminated in Gavi being sent off in injury time for a second yellow card.

On a history-making night for Barca, Xavi named Lamine Yamal in his line-up, making him the youngest starter in Champions League history at 16 years and 83 days old, beating the previous record held by Celestine Babayaro.

The teenager provided plenty of threat in the visitors’ front line, as did former Benfica star Joao Felix, who was given a tasty reception on his return to Portugal.

Baro should have done better with a Joao Mario cross in the seventh minute but failed to get his shot off in the box, then Pepe’s touch also let him down after being fed by the dangerous Mehdi Taremi.

Barca keeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen comfortably gathered a tame effort from Stephen Eustaquio and it was not until the 23rd minute that the visitors fashioned a real chance when the ball fell to Felix on the edge of the box but he fired just over.

Robert Lewandowski’s night was ended by an apparent ankle injury on the half-hour mark and he was replaced by Torres, but it was still Porto who threatened with Wendell in particular posing problems down the left flank.

But Baro undid all Porto’s good work on the stroke of half-time, when his blunder allowed Ilkay Gundogan to intercept and he raced clear and fed Torres, who did the rest.

Barca came close to extending their lead early in the first half when Yamal poked a shot on the turn at Costa, then Felix almost sprang onto a Torres through-ball.

But the visitors were grateful to Jules Kounde on 54 minutes after the defender got a foot in to deny what looked like a certain equaliser after Pepe had been sent through on Ter Stegen.

As the game strayed beyond the hour mark, Taremi and Wendell had half-chances for the hosts, who also had a strong penalty claim rejected by VAR after Joao Cancelo appeared to handle in the box.

Porto continued to press and Taremi had the ball in the net in the 83rd from a sublime overhead kick but was ruled clearly offside.

In a torrid final few minutes Gavi was dismissed before Francisco Conceicao twice came close to an elusive equaliser.

Celtic suffered more Champions League pain at Parkhead as Lazio scored a stoppage-time winner soon after the home side were denied a goal following a lengthy VAR check.

With the score at 1-1, substitute Luis Palma fired home in the 81st minute after Daizen Maeda had attempted an overhead kick from Alistair Johnston’s cross, and the VAR officials decided he was offside.

There was a bigger blow to come when former Barcelona and Chelsea forward Pedro headed home from fellow substitute Matteo Guendouzi’s cross five minutes into stoppage-time to secure the Italian club a 2-1 win in Group E.

Celtic had taken an early lead through Kyogo Furuhashi but Matias Vecino levelled following a 29th-minute corner.

Brendan Rodgers’ side looked the likelier team to find a winner but their 10-year wait for a home victory in the Champions League group stage continues and the ninth defeat in that 11-game run would be the most difficult one to take after a largely encouraging performance.

The tie was a resumption of hostilities from four seasons ago when Celtic triumphed home and away against Lazio in the Europa League, their victory in Rome sealed by Olivier Ntcham, who appeared on a massive pre-match banner among the home fans in the standing section.

Celtic settled quickly and Furuhashi netted his first goal in eight Champions League appearances 12 minutes in.

The Japanese striker’s finish went through the dive of goalkeeper Ivan Provedel after he was played through by a first-time pass from Matt O’Riley after positive play from Maeda.

The atmosphere went up a notch but Celtic did not build on their advantage. Despite having plenty of possession in the aftermath of the goal, most of it was inside their own half and the occasional slack pass put them in danger.

They had a chance on the break when Yang Hyun-jun played Maeda in behind but the Japanese attacker mis-kicked his ambitious effort.

Lazio’s territorial advantage paid off when they won three headers in a row from Luis Alberto’s corner. Joe Hart appeared to have saved the third one from Vecino but the Lithuanian referee ruled the ball had spun behind the line before being clawed away.

Celtic got back on the front foot and O’Riley forced a good save from a first-time strike before getting back to make an important interception to foil a counter-attack.

The start of the second half was finely-balanced. Felipe Anderson failed to make the most of receiving the ball in yards of space inside the Celtic box before the home side came close from a free-kick. Provedel made a good stop from Reo Hatate’s low drive and Johnston fired over from the rebound.

Cameron Carter-Vickers made his comeback from a hamstring injury after a seven-week lay-off when he replaced Nat Phillips while Palma came on for Yang, who had enjoyed some good moments but generally failed to make the most of his possession.

Hart got down well to save Daichi Kamada’s 20-yard drive before Paulo Bernardo snatched at a half-chance at the other end moments after coming on.

Celtic continued to make the running. Palma was briefly bearing down on goal before Alessio Romagnoli slid in to win the ball, Liam Scales attempted an overhead kick which flew over and Furuhashi was denied from close range.

Palma thought he had scored what would have been one of the best-worked goals in the Champions League this week after a lengthy passing move that went from back to front and side to side.

The Honduran winger was booked for taking his shirt off in celebration before the VAR team delivered worse news, and a crushing blow would soon follow to leave Celtic bottom of their group without a point.

Tommy Conway scored in the sixth minute of injury time to earn Bristol City a last-gasp 2-1 win at Rotherham in the Sky Bet Championship.

Conway had opened the scoring in the 81st minute but the Millers quickly equalised through Tyler Blackett and it looked like it was heading for a draw.

But there was late drama at the AESSEAL New York Stadium as Conway struck at the death, flicking home Andy King’s cross.

It earned a third away win of the season and moves the Robins back into the top half, continuing their solid start.

Defeat was cruel on the Millers but typifies their troubled opening to the campaign and they are locked in the bottom three with a long winter looming in their battle to stay out of relegation danger.

Boss Matt Taylor celebrated one year in charge at the club on Tuesday, but he might now face questions about his future.

Any chance of retaining their Championship status appears to lie with their home form, which has been competitive.

They could have taken a 23rd-minute lead when Cohen Bramall’s cross was headed back across goal by Jordan Hugill but Andre Green was not forceful enough to turn home from close range.

Bramall was Rotherham’s biggest threat and he fizzed a dangerous ball into the near post which just evaded Hugill.

Another cross was headed over by Fred Onyedinma as the Millers continued on the front foot.

The Robins were able to get a foothold in the game, but that turned it into a dull, scrappy affair where neither goalkeeper was forced into a save.

That pattern continued into the second half, with neither side able to create any sort of domination.

The visitors did at least manage to improve going forward after the break and got into some good positions, but that did not translate into chances.

The closest they came was when Harry Cornick headed over from Sam Bell’s cross, while the first shot on target did not come until the 67th minute when Joe Williams shot straight at Viktor Johansson.

It was heading for stalemate until nine minutes from the end of normal time when Conway broke down the left, cut inside and curled a beauty into the far corner.

The Millers hit back with their first shot on target, Blackett converting from Arvin Appiah’s cross after the hosts had recycled a corner.

They fancied a winner, but instead it came at the other end as Conway had the final say, flicking home Andy King’s cross.

Geordies Dan Burn and Sean Longstaff both scored to help Newcastle put Paris St Germain to the sword as Champions League football returned to Tyneside with a bang.

More than two decades since the Magpies last played in the competition, they rekindled memories of their first ever outing, a 3-2 victory over Barcelona in 1997, by thumping the French champions 4-1 in front of a crowd of 52,009 at a delirious St James’ Park.

Miguel Almiron set the ball rolling with the club’s first Champions League goal since Alan Shearer’s double at Inter Milan in March 2003, but it was local boys Burn and Longstaff who put the Group F fixture beyond Luis Enrique’s side before Fabian Schar smashed home a superb fourth to secure three points to go with the one with which they had returned from AC Milan a fortnight earlier.

PSG, whose owners Qatar Sports Investments have poured so much money into an as yet unrequited quest for European glory, simply did not cope with the home side’s high press before the break and failed to utilise fully the inestimable talents of Kylian Mbappe and company even after Lucas Hernandez had given them a glimmer of hope.

The game kicked off amid a cacophony and the volume only rose as the industry of Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon caused problems for keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and defender Marquinhos early on.

However, it was the visitors who went agonisingly close to taking the lead with just five minutes gone when 17-year-old midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery broke from his own half and fed Mbappe, whose cross was volleyed inches wide by Ousmane Dembele with Nick Pope helpless.

Achraf Hakimi was relieved to see Almiron fire over from distance after intercepting his loose pass seconds later, but Newcastle went ahead with 17 minutes gone after the Frenchmen once again shot themselves in the foot.

Bruno Guimaraes got his head to Marquinhos’ poor clearance and although Donnarumma made a superb reaction save after Isak had spun and fired towards goal, Almiron pounced on the rebound to open the scoring with his third goal in as many starts.

PSG responded in determined fashion and Goncalo Ramos saw his effort deflected out for a corner seconds after Schar had whipped a first-time shot inches wide of Donnarumma’s left post from Kieran Trippier’s intelligent corner.

Isak was left bloodied after a clash of heads with Hernandez, but was able to carry on after having the wound bandaged and a change of shirt, and his side’s fortunes took a significant turn for the better six minutes before the break.

The Paris defence failed to deal with Trippier’s free-kick and Donnarumma clawed the ball out of his top corner and then saved at his near post as shots rained in, but although the keeper also managed to get a hand to Burn’s header after he climbed high to meet the excellent Guimaraes’ cross, the ball was adjudged to have crossed the line after a lengthy VAR review.

PSG returned knowing a sizeable improvement was required, but they fell further behind within five minutes when Almiron’s pace and the precision of Trippier’s pass to Longstaff allowed the midfielder to drill a shot towards Donnarumma’s near post, where the Italian could only help the ball into his own net.

They grabbed a lifeline with 56 minutes gone when Hernandez timed his run to perfection to glance Zaire-Emery’s lofted ball beyond Pope and instantly looked a more dangerous proposition with Mbappe, Dembele and substitutes Bradley Barcola and Vitinha injecting much-needed vigour.

But all too often, they lacked the precision to hurt their hosts and when they did create meaningful openings, as they did when Dembele span and fired towards goal with 13 minutes remaining, they found Pope in indomitable form.

Mbappe blasted impotently wide with five minutes remaining to the delight of the home crowd, who were on their feet once again in stoppage time after Schar had thumped a shot high past Donnarumma and into the top corner.

Crysencio Summerville’s early goal ensured Leeds returned to winning ways in the Championship with a 1-0 victory over QPR at Elland Road.

The first half seemed too easy for the hosts who were looking to make it consecutive home wins for the first time this season and had their opener inside 10 minutes thanks to Summerville.

The Whites missed a handful of chances in the second period through Patrick Bamford, Dan James and Pascal Struijk but held on to register their second home success of the campaign after goalkeeper Asmir Begovic was sent off in stoppage time.

Leeds opened the scoring in the ninth minute when QPR were dispossessed in the middle of the park and Georginio Rutter slid through to Summerville who lifted over Begovic.

Daniel Farke’s side were aiming to bounce back from their 3-1 defeat to Southampton at the weekend and they sensed blood in the early stages of the encounter – Summerville’s inswinging corner met the head of Liam Cooper who nodded just wide.

QPR were struggling for form and it showed in the opening quarter of the match. Leeds could have had another when Rutter set up Summerville for a second time but his effort was somehow blocked behind.

The visitors failed to make any impression in the first 45 but had their first sight of goal when Sinclair Armstrong raced through but his cross-shot ran comfortably out of play.

With just a one-goal margin, there was a shift in the atmosphere around the ground and QPR registered their first shot on target in the 66th minute when space opened up for Ilias Chair but his effort from 20 yards was pouched by Illan Meslier.

Substitutes Bamford and James provided some impetus off the bench and Leeds could have had a second, though the latter’s deflected shot was saved easily by Begovic with 15 minutes to play.

Two minutes later Bamford latched on to Rutter’s long ball forward before his first-time effort was parried behind as Leeds looked to turn the screw.

Leeds enjoyed their best spell of the game towards the end of the second half and moments after James’ goal-bound deflected cross was turned behind by Begovic, they ought to have scored again but Struijk somehow blazed over from three yards following a corner.

Leeds’ slender lead remained precarious and QPR almost made them pay with two minutes left when Jimmy Dunne knocked a long ball on to the onrushing boot of Lyndon Dykes but Meslier was on hand to keep the hosts’ clean sheet intact.

QPR were reduced to 10 men after Begovic brought last man Bamford down outside the area with the goal at his mercy and Dykes was forced to take the goalkeepers’ gloves for stoppage time, which Leeds saw out to move into the play-off places.

Manchester City struck twice late on to continue the winning start to their Champions League defence with a hard-fought 3-1 success at RB Leipzig.

Julian Alvarez finally settled City’s nerves in Wednesday’s Group G encounter with a fine strike six minutes from at the Red Bull Arena before fellow substitute Jeremy Doku wrapped up the win.

Phil Foden had opened the scoring midway through a first half the holders dominated but the hosts responded against the run of play through Lois Openda.

Foden hit the woodwork as City pushed for a winner but, with Erling Haaland faltering in front of goal, it looked like being a frustrating night until Alvarez struck.

That City would need such late heroics from the bench seemed unlikely as they controlled the first half.

The presence of Rodri, who is currently serving a domestic ban, brought a noticeable calm that was missing in his absence in Saturday’s defeat at Wolves.

Yet it was Rico Lewis, playing alongside him in midfield, who caught the eye with his determination to win possession and some driving runs.

Lewis had City’s first serious opportunity after a nice turn in the area but his shot was blocked. Foden drove the ball back across goal from the rebound but Bernardo Silva, returning to the side after injury, failed to turn it in at the far post.

City’s opener came after 25 minutes from another attack instigated by Lewis. The lively youngster pushed forward and played a one-two with Silva before pulling back for Foden in the area.

The England international met it with a first-time shot that bounced beyond Janis Blaswich.

City pushed for a second before the break, with Haaland twice breaking free on the left but the Norwegian first shot wide and was then denied by Blaswich.

It was not until the final minute of the first half that Leipzig had an effort on goal when Openda’s long-range shot was deflected over and City reached the break looking completely untroubled.

All their good work was undone within moments of the restart as Jack Grealish misplaced a pass and they were caught by a Leipzig counter-attack.

Yussuf Poulsen released Openda with a pass from the centre circle and the Belgium international raced through to beat Ederson with a low shot that went in off the base of the post.

Haaland threatened to restore City’s lead when he fired wide and then spurned an even better chance when he missed the target from a Foden cross.

Foden went closer when he curled a free-kick against the bar from a wide angle but Haaland’s frustration continued as he shot at Blaswich and skewed another effort over.

City were caught on the break again but were reprieved when Emil Forsberg failed to find a colleague in the box and Ederson needed to punch clear after substitute Timo Werner broke free.

Pep Guardiola’s changes made the difference as Doku teed up Alvarez to clip a fine shot over Blaswich from the edge of the area.

Doku then put the seal on victory when he finished off a quick break in injury time as Leipzig paid the price for pushing players forward.

Ben Earl admitted it was his England career igniting that convinced him to re-sign with Saracens and play his part in lifting the domestic club out of the doldrums.

Earlier this week Earl signed a long-term contract with the Gallagher Premiership champions to continue his upward trajectory in a 2023 that has produced his first Test start and selection in Steve Borthwick’s World Cup squad.

Now that rampaging displays against Argentina, Japan and Chile have impressed audiences in France, he has become one of Borthwick’s star performers, who is set to be restored to the back row against Samoa on Saturday.

Having struggled to convince Eddie Jones and then being discarded by Borthwick in the Six Nations earlier this year in order to work on his conditioning, the 25-year-old admits he was considering his options overseas until his England outlook changed.

“You never shut that door. I guess it is a lot easier to move abroad if you are not playing for England,” Earl said.

“If you are not in the picture, it can be nice sometimes to have a change of scene, but thankfully at the moment I’m playing for England and that made my decision for me.

“Steve has always been very honest with me about what it would take for me to play for England and hopefully I’m starting to make some steps in those directions.

“Now it is just a no-brainer, I’m fully focussed on playing for Saracens and hopefully for England for a long time.”

Earl has chosen to stay in the Gallagher Premiership during a period of upheaval.

Jersey Reds’ announcement last week that they had entered administration lifts the total of professional clubs to have gone out of business in the past year to four, painting a grim picture of the finances of the English game.

A closer relationship between the Rugby Football Union and Premiership Rugby is set to produce a series of ‘hybrid contracts’ that will give Borthwick greater control over around 20 of his Tests stars.

Earl would be a prime candidate for one of the contracts that would see a player’s club receive greater compensation and he believes his generation has a role to play in restoring the sport to health.

“We are hearing good things about the plans for the league over the next couple of years – salary cap stuff and commercial stuff. We are already seeing some small changes and that can only be a good thing,” he said.

“There have been times when players have shut themselves off from the commercial side of the game.

“And we as a younger generation in terms of coming through and taking on the mantle of the league, we need to be a bit more open by putting ourselves out there.

“We’ve had some talks with the league. We’re asking for a bit more, they’re asking for a bit more. Everyone is willing and saying the right things, so hopefully that’s a step in the right direction.”

Bill Sweeney is confident he remains the right man to lead the Rugby Football Union despite the English game being mired in crisis and claims that “we are on the cusp of something quite spectacular”.

Four professional clubs have collapsed in just over a year – Wasps, Worcester, London Irish and Jersey Reds – while in January the Rugby Football Union triggered a grassroots revolt through its handling of the tackle height being lowered at community level.

On the eve of England’s victory over Argentina that opened the World Cup last month, RFU council members sent a letter to the board raising concerns over the leadership of chief executive Sweeney and chair Tom Ilube.

Sweeney stated that the “cynical” rebellion had been faced down at Friday’s council meeting, adding that it was staged by a “small group of people who are no longer in the game or have agendas that are not necessarily in the best interests of the game”.

At the elite level England have not finished above third place in the the Six Nations since 2020 and sacked Eddie Jones in December, giving his replacement Steve Borthwick just eight months to prepare for the World Cup.

“It’s probably for others to say if they don’t feel I am the right person to do it,” Sweeney said.

“I personally feel I am given my experience, given my background and my balance of business and sport. I feel I am the right person to do that.

“I came into this role for one simple reason and it’s because I’m very passionate about this game.

“There’s probably a large number of my friends and family who would be quite happy if I didn’t do it any longer. But I do believe that we are on the cusp of something quite spectacular here.

“This has been a unique moment in time because of the financial challenges, because of the working relationship with Premiership Rugby, our ability to change that relationship around the partnership, to fix the things that have stopped us winning Six Nations on a regular basis.

“The work that we’re doing in World Rugby around Nations Cup, the global calendar – that all plays into this as well.

“I feel that I have the energy, I’ve got the passion and I’ve got the desire to see this through. Now if somebody else thinks differently about that, that’s also equally fine.

“You don’t wake up every morning enjoying it, but that’s the reason why I would like to carry on.”

Sweeney was accused by a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee hearing last November of being “completely asleep on the job” and told that he should consider resigning in response to the financial crisis that led to Wasps and Worcester entering administration.

The Twickenham chief has promised structural reform “to fix a number of issues that have been broken for some time”, thereby ending the “boom and bust periods when it is more based on hope”.

Sweeney confirmed that negotiations are proceeding for 25 England players to be placed on ‘hybrid contracts’ that would give Borthwick more control of his most important internationals.