Rangers gave themselves some much-needed respite with a 3-0 cinch Premiership win over 10-man St Mirren in Paisley.

Former Gers midfielder Steven Davis began his spell as caretaker manager with an embarrassing 2-1 Europa League defeat against Aris Limassol in Cyprus on Thursday night and there was a sense of foreboding about the trip to the SMiSA stadium.

Some Rangers fans unravelled banners early in the game which read ‘heartless passionless leaderless; not fit to wear our colours’ before skipper James Tavernier scored from the spot in the 29th minute after Saints’ Ryan Strain was handed a red card by referee Nick Walsh for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity.

Attacker Abdallah Sima added a second in the 70th minute for his seventh goal of the season before Tavernier smashed in a third in the 90th minute as the Light Blues leapfrogged Stephen Robinson’s side into second place, seven points behind leaders Celtic but the prospects of a genuine title race is another thing altogether.

Rangers will appoint a new boss during the international break and the Ibrox club clearly need fresh ideas, strategy and motivation going forward.

The only radical change Davis made to the team was to give a first senior start to 17-year-old attacker Zak Lovelace – he would go off injured in the first half – with John Souttar, Jose Cifuentes and Kemar Roofe also coming into a fragile Ibrox outfit.

Defender Richard Taylor and striker Toyosi Olusanya were reinstated into the Buddies side who clearly fancied their chances but there was little between the teams in the opening exchanges.

In the 21st minute St Mirren defender Scott Tanser, who signed a new deal until 2026 on Saturday, found himself alone at the back post from a Conor McMenamin free-kick but blasted his shot over the bar.

Rangers, however, would soon take the lead.

Lovelace found space on the right and blasted the ball across goal with Strain appearing to knock it away from in-rushing Sima with his hand.

After a long VAR check, referee Walsh checked his pitch-side monitor, sent off the St Mirren player and awarded a penalty to the visitors which Tavernier converted to the ire of the home supporters.

In the 34th minute Goldson met a Borna Barisic corner with his head but Buddies keeper Zach Hemming acrobatically tipped the effort over the bar and the home side ultimately escaped.

In the 41st minute Lovelace limped off the field and was eventually taken away from the sidelines on a stretcher, after being replaced by Ross McCausland.

In added time, the 20-year-old knocked a Barisic pass down to Nico Raskin inside the St Mirren box but the midfielder’s goal-bound drive was blocked by Hemming for a corner, which came to nothing.

There was no immediate improvement from Rangers in the second half and striker Cyriel Dessers replaced the anonymous Roofe on the hour-mark, while Saints soon brought on Mikael Mandron, Alex Greive and Caolan Boyd-Munce.

Rangers doubled their lead in the 70th minute with an unusually swift break, Tavernier sending Raskin scampering through the middle with a first time pass and he squared for Sima, on loan from Brighton, to beat Hemming from close range.

St Mirren were on their way to the first league defeat of the season.

Dessers ran clean through in the 86th minute only to have his unconvincing drive saved by Hemming but there was time for Tavernier to thrash in a second from the edge of the box, after his first effort was blocked, a fine goal out of keeping with the most of the game.

George Boughey will always be grateful to Cachet after his 1000 Guineas heroine brought the curtain down on her career at ParisLongchamp on Arc weekend.

The daughter of Aclaim provided the Saffron House handler with the biggest triumph of his training career to date when making all for Classic glory last May and the Highclere Thoroughbred-owned filly almost added to her big-race haul when agonisingly denied in the French Guineas on her next start.

Injury curtailed her progress after a run at Royal Ascot last year, but having been kept in training and nursed back to full fitness, she returned from 457 days off at Doncaster last month in the Sceptre Stakes.

Sent to the French capital in the hope of building on that encouraging comeback run, things did not go to plan for Cachet in a muddling Prix de la Foret and having finished down the field, she is now set to come under the hammer at Tattersalls in December.

“It didn’t go to plan as she’s a filly who likes to run on the front end, was drawn a bit wide and never really got into a position,” said Boughey.

“She will head to the mares sale at Tattersalls later this year and I have no doubt she will become a super mum. If she could produce something half as good as her then we will all be very proud.”

He went on: “She’s a filly who has been an absolute star for us – she’s my first Group One winner and first Classic winner.

“In this game she was a relatively inexpensive breeze-up purchase (60,000 guineas) who went on to win a Classic. She’s got 20 owners and they have all had an amazing time with her.

“We will keep trying to find another one for them, but it is very hard to do so. She was a real gem and they are very hard to find.”

Although there was disappointment for Cachet at ParisLongchamp, Boughey almost saw the Sally Nicholls-owned Perdika pull off a shock when second in the Prix de l’Abbaye.

The well-travelled three-year-old made a bold bid from the front in the hands of Mickael Barzalona and was only reeled in by an on-song Highfield Princess deep inside the final furlong.

She could now head back out to Dubai before attentions turn to her off-track career as a broodmare later in the winter.

“She’s gone from strength to strength and been a big traveller,” said Boughey.

“She went to Dubai and has been back and forth to France all year and it didn’t surprise me that she ran as well as she did. She was very well drawn and got a fantastic ride from Mickael.

“She’s a filly who has exceeded our expectations and she could end up back out in Dubai before she goes to the breeding sheds at the end of winter.

“She’s been a great servant for us this season and full credit to Sally Nicholls for breeding such a tough filly on a very inexpensive cross.”

Ireland centre Stuart McCloskey revealed he had considered retiring from international rugby as he savoured the special memory of making a World Cup debut in front of his newborn son.

McCloskey came off the bench to replace the injured Mack Hansen in the first half of Saturday evening’s 36-14 win over Scotland in Paris to help his country set up a quarter-final clash with New Zealand.

The 31-year-old Ulster player has endured a stop-start Test career and been forced to wait for opportunities behind Bundee Aki, Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw.

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With Henshaw sidelined and Hansen needing to be withdrawn, he finally made his first appearance in France, an occasion made even more memorable by the presence of 11-day-old Kasper, who was carried on to the Stade de France pitch at full-time.

“I’d say you’ll look at those pictures in 20-odd years and it will be pretty cool,” said McCloskey, who required special permission to return home for the birth. “He was fast asleep, he seemed all right

“I got home last Monday and my wife gave birth on the Tuesday. It worked out really well and then I was obviously back into the camp at the end of the week, and it was an unfortunate injury to get me in, but it’s been a brilliant week.”

McCloskey made his Ireland debut in 2016 but his cameo against the Scots was only his 15th cap.

Speaking of having to bide his time for opportunities, he said: “It was frustrating and it wasn’t.

“I always look back to what it was before last summer and I wasn’t involved at all and I was thinking about calling it a day with Ireland stuff and I came back in, played a load of games and finally became a part of the team I thought, so it’s nice.

“My goal was to get to a World Cup and I made that and whatever happens from now I’m fine with it.

“I know if you put me on the field I will perform well, but if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. I’m not going to sit in the shadows and be angry about it.”

Leigh Wood savoured the continuation of his “Cinderella story” as he signed off from the featherweight division by retaining his world title with a dramatic stoppage of Josh Warrington.

Wood revealed his battle with the scales had been as tough as the fight for the WBA crown in Sheffield, where Warrington’s bullish flurries put him up on the scorecards ahead of the second half of the bout.

Nursing a cut and swelling by his right eye, Wood remained composed and flipped the script at the end of the seventh with a savage right hook and a burst of punches that left Warrington flat on his back.

Referee Michael Alexander halted the contest despite Warrington’s howls of protestation as Wood celebrated his 28th win from 31 fights, adding another chapter to his late career resurgence.

It was not too long ago Wood was fighting down the card on small hall shows, while a points defeat against Jazza Dickens in February 2020 left him short of options at the wrong side of 30.

But a year later he was the British champion and, within 18 months of his loss to Dickens, Wood claimed a world title as he reaped the rewards of linking up with Ben Davison, Tyson Fury’s former trainer.

The 35-year-old said: “It’s some turnaround, kind of a Cinderella story. My team has changed me as a fighter. I know I wouldn’t have won the world title without them.

“I probably wouldn’t have won the British title without them. The time I had before that completely changed me as a fighter, changed my perception on boxing and how I view it and how I operate.”

Wood is no stranger to adversity after following up his upset win over Can Xu to become world champion with a stunning final-round stoppage of Michael Conlan last year when behind on the judges’ scorecards.

He was brutally stopped by Mauricio Lara in February but went straight back into the lion’s den for a rematch three months later and regained his world title, while his latest win brings plenty of options.

A fight at the City Ground, the home of his beloved Nottingham Forest, is the priority, but it will not be another defence of his title as boiling his 5ft 7in frame to nine stone has become too difficult.

He said: “This was a great fight, but am I ever in a dull fight? I’m not, so on that basis I think I’ve got the pick of the litter.

“I could give Josh another shot, I’d be open to that, but it wouldn’t be at featherweight, I can’t make it safely any more. Who isn’t really the bigger problem, it’s more where – the City Ground – and when.”

Wood was coy when asked whether a City Ground fight would be his last, adding: “I’m 35, I sacrificed lot to get here.

“There’s going to be a massive void in my life after boxing so we’ll see. We’ll do the City Ground, but the only other thing I can think of (after that) is a Las Vegas fight.”

Warrington came into this showdown having lost his IBF title last December but, in a cauldron-like atmosphere, the Leeds fighter controlled proceedings before the momentum was switched in an instant.

After his third defeat in 35 fights, Warrington, who insisted the stoppage was premature, intends to carry on and suggested he will also move up to super-featherweight and pursue a rematch against Wood.

He said: “I’m devastated. I was cruising the fight, up on the scorecards and I switched off for a split second. Maybe I got up too quickly, but my senses were all with me, I heard the bell go.

“I thought would have been at least given an opportunity to sit down (at the end of the round). I dominated most of those rounds. I just know I’ve still got plenty in the tank.

“This was probably my last fight at featherweight, I still make it comfortable but it’s been a long time and my better performances in sparring have come when I’ve been a bit heavier.”

Diogo Dalot believes the stunning late turnaround against Brentford can be a watershed moment in Manchester United’s season.

Erik ten Hag’s men were staring down the barrel of a third Old Trafford defeat in eight days as Saturday’s Premier League match headed into second-half stoppage time.

Mathias Jensen capitalised on a comedy of errors to put Brentford on course for a famous victory that would have ratcheted up the already intense pressure and scrutiny on out-of-sorts United.

But, unlike their previous defeats to Crystal Palace and Galatasaray, the Red Devils found a way to fight back as super sub Scott McTominay’s brace sealed a remarkable 2-1 triumph.

Trailing at 92 minutes 46 seconds, this was United’s latest ever Premier League comeback and Dalot echoed manager Ten Hag’s view that Saturday must be “a turning point” in their season.

“I think it means a little bit more than three points for us after these last couple of weeks,” the Portugal right-back said.

“I think the way that we won – obviously I didn’t mind scoring a few goals earlier than the 90 minutes – but I think it shows we are here to fight, we are here to suffer together.

“I think the fans were behind us every step of the way and I think this can be a turning point for us. We want to look at this as a turning point and we know it’s going to be difficult.

“That’s how it’s meant to be to be as a Manchester United player and today I think was proof we can fight until the end.”

United dug deep at Old Trafford, where after the game Ten Hag bemoaned a lack of hunger during their meek, error-strewn start to the season.

Those issues were clear in Tuesday’s 3-2 Champions League defeat at home to Galatasaray, increasing the external focus on Old Trafford that Dalot has previously called a “killing machine”.

“We did a lot of things together, everyone getting together,” he said of the build-up.

“We focused on what we have to do tactically.

“We always do that, but especially coming into the game, feeling like we had to be a proper team.

“Obviously we controlled the game, we created chances, we could have scored goals, but the most important thing for me was the way we fought until the end, the way the fans showed the support for us and that shows they are with us.

“They have been with us all the way and we have to give (back) like this.”

Dalot said it was clear to see the team “gave everything” on Saturday afternoon as McTominay’s 87th-minute introduction sparked a scarcely-believable comeback.

The 24-year-old says he sees a lot of himself in the selfless, hardworking midfielder, who was linked with a summer move but stayed to fight for his place at his boyhood club.

“When Scott comes in, with all the energy that he has, the mentality, that shows that we are a proper team and I’m very happy with the result,” Dalot said.

“I think if you’re a Manchester United fan you know that Scott will always love the club and will always fight for his place.

“I don’t know what was in his head (over the summer), but I’m sure that once he decided that he has to stay I think he will give 100 per cent.

“Now we just have to help him to get along every day with us and be together as a team.”

While United went into the international break on a high, Brentford were left reeling from a last-gasp gut punch and even later knockout blow.

Brentford midfielder Vitaly Janelt said: “We played a very good game and at 90 minutes we were leading at Old Trafford.

“Then, in five minutes, they turn around the game and win 2-1.

“We have to finish a counter or a set-piece to make it 2-0, that’s the only thing I would say we can do better.

“It’s nice to have a good performance but obviously we want the points.

“Sometimes I don’t care if we play s***, as long as we get three points. We can turn it around together.”

Aidan O’Brien’s star juvenile City Of Troy is firmly on course for next weekend’s Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.

The Justify colt shot to the head of ante-post lists for next year’s 2000 Guineas with a brilliant display in the Superlative Stakes in July and he has not been seen in competitive action since, having sidestepped a clash with stablemate Henry Longfellow in last month’s National Stakes at the Curragh.

City Of Troy will now bid to sign off an unbeaten two-year-old campaign by providing his trainer with an eighth Dewhurst success on Saturday.

“That’s the plan, absolutely – that’s always been his target. When he didn’t run in the National Stakes that is where we said he was going,” O’Brien said on Racing TV’s Luck On Sunday programme.

“He’s done well and he’s heavier and bigger now than he was (during the summer) – he’s maturing all the time. Everyone is very happy with him so far.”

Henry Longfellow, second in the 2000 Guineas market behind City Of Troy, also holds a Dewhurst entry – but he looks set to be put away for the winter.

O’Brien added: “I wouldn’t imagine they’ll run together, definitely not this year – I couldn’t see it happening.

“Speaking to the lads the other day they were saying he (Henry Longfellow) has had his three runs and has won his maiden, his Group race and his Group One.

“He’s still in full work and they can decide to do whatever they want to do, but listening to them he might not run any more this year.”

The master of Ballydoyle is also beginning to finalise plans for Qipco Champions Day at Ascot on October 21, with Queen Elizabeth II Stakes favourite Paddington poised to lead the team.

“Paddington looks like he’s going to go to the mile (QEII), Luxembourg could go to the Champion Stakes, the filly that got beat in France (Jackie Oh) could go to the fillies’ race (Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes) and Kyprios could go to the two-mile (Long Distance Cup). That would be the guts of it at the moment,” said O’Brien.

The trainer also confirmed the newly-named Kameko Futurity Trophy at Doncaster on October 28 as an intended target for Diego Velazquez, while Opera Singer – ante-post favourite for the 1000 Guineas off the back of her dominant success in last weekend’s Prix Marcel Boussac – could be bound for the Breeders’ Cup.

He added: “The lads (owners) are thinking about America. She (Opera Singer) did one piece of work at the weekend and we were very happy with her.”

Ireland have no concerns about potentially thrusting Test rookie Jimmy O’Brien into a World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand as they anxiously wait on the availability of first-choice wings Mack Hansen and James Lowe.

Hansen was forced off for a head injury assessment in the first half of Saturday evening’s 36-14 win over Scotland before suffering a calf issue on his return.

Lowe departed at half-time due to a bang in the eye after claiming the first of his side’s six tries in Paris.

Versatile back O’Brien, who made his international debut last autumn, is the only member of Andy Farrell’s 33-man squad yet to feature in France and has started just four Tests across seven caps.

The 26-year-old may well be needed against the All Blacks as, in addition to the fitness concerns for Lowe and Hansen, veteran wing Keith Earls is nursing a slight hamstring problem.

Defence coach Simon Easterby said: “It’s probably a little too early to say either way but, if they get ruled out, Jimmy’s been waiting in the wings and did an incredible job last November to come in with a couple of late call-ups.

“There’s no issue with Jimmy if he gets an opportunity. Hopefully we’ll have a full deck to choose from come Tuesday or Wednesday.

“It’s mad when there’s a late kick-off, we’re getting used to them, but it takes a bit of time for injuries to settle and then for guys to get assessed.

“In the next 24 to 48 hours we’ll be able to get a better read on those guys, but everyone’s in good form today, which is nice.”

Centre Garry Ringrose and scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park were deployed as makeshift wide men in the second period at Stade de France as Ireland breezed into the knockout rounds while eliminating the Scots.

Earls was absent from the matchday 23 along with centre Robbie Henshaw, who also has a hamstring problem.

“It’s one of those things that at a push he could have been involved this weekend, and it was probably one of those we felt wasn’t the right time to risk him,” Easterby said of Earls.

“But we were really pleased it was flagged when it was and we had the opportunity to make the call early enough.

“Fingers crossed he’s fully fit for this week.

“They’ll both be running today, Earlsy and Robbie, and will sort of be progressing into training Monday or Tuesday.”

Lock James Ryan, who injured his other wrist after sustaining a similar issue against South Africa a fortnight ago, is another player being assessed.

Ireland are preparing to face the “standard bearers of the World Cup” after topping Pool B thanks to four consecutive wins.

Three-time champions New Zealand defeated Joe Schmidt’s Ireland 46-14 in the quarter-finals of the 2019 tournament in Japan.

The All Blacks have extensive inside knowledge of Farrell’s men due to Schmidt joining their coaching set-up ahead of Ireland’s series success in New Zealand last summer.

“I’m sure Joe’s influence certainly has increased in the past 12 months, but we’ve got to be excited about playing the standard bearers of the World Cup,” said Easterby.

“Certainly Joe will know plenty about what we’re about, the individuals within our group, but we’ll have an insight as well into what they might try and do as well.

“So I think it’s finely balanced and it’s an interesting sub-plot to the game itself.”

Frankie Dettori insists he has no plans to perform a retirement U-turn as he prepares to bring the curtain down on his glittering riding career in Britain on Qipco Champions Day at Ascot on October 21.

The legendary Italian has enjoyed a sensational final year in the saddle, with victories aboard Chaldean in the 2000 Guineas, Soul Sister in the Oaks and Courage Mon Ami in the Gold Cup just a few of the many highlights of his farewell tour.

His latest Group One success aboard Inspiral in Saturday’s Sun Chariot Stakes – his 500th winner at Newmarket – led to further speculation that Dettori might delay hanging up his saddle.

But while the 53-year-old admitted to being emotional both prior to and after Inspiral’s success, speaking on Racing TV’s Luck On Sunday programme, he reaffirmed his intention to call it a day before the end of 2023.

“It goes without saying I had a knot in my stomach yesterday, maybe because I was riding a short-priced favourite in Inspiral and maybe I was overthinking the tactics a bit,” he said.

“Then obviously I realised I was one short of 500 winners at Newmarket and there was only 14 days to go before I ride my last race in England, so all of that played on my mind a bit and I wasn’t myself.

“I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t feel like this. After 36 years doing what I love, it’s very hard to come to terms with the fact it’s going to finish soon.

“I’ve been swept off my feet for the last six months, to be honest. When I said I was going to retire I thought it was going to become easy, but actually I’ve had twice as much workload as I’ve ever done!”

Before Champions Day Dettori is readying himself for one final appearance at Newmarket at this week’s Dubai Future Champions Festival, while beyond Ascot he has a number of international plans, with a the Melbourne Cup or an appearance in Hong Kong expected to be his swansong.

He added: “We’ve got Newmarket coming up this weekend, it’s going to be my last Newmarket and I think Newmarket are doing a bit of a drinks party for me after racing, which is good, as I can invite a lot of people that I’ve been working with.

“I’ll then be flying to Milan for my last ride in Milan, which is where it all started. My mum and dad and my sister are going and all my school friends, so that’s going to be pretty emotional, and then straight back into what is going to be my last week (in Britain). It’s going to be flat out as I have a million interviews to do and then we go to Ascot.

“I know I’m retiring, but I don’t want to take the gloss off Champions Day, because it’s all about coronating the best horses in every category – and lucky me, I’ve got some absolute weapons to ride that day, on top of my retirement.

“I’ve got to keep my eye on the ball because I’ve got some massive pressure rides, possibly Inspiral, King Of Steel, Kinross and Courage Mon Ami, so I’ve got to make sure I’m completely focussed.”

He continued: “I’m sure I will cry as it’s my last day. Then, of course, it doesn’t stop there because I’m flying to the States for the Breeders’ Cup, then to Melbourne and then I promised Marc Chan (owner) that I’d delay my retirement because he’s very keen to run Kinross in Hong Kong. If he doesn’t make it, Melbourne could be my last one (ride).

“I haven’t thought beyond Melbourne or Hong Kong. I’ve said I’ve retired and at the moment I’ve got every right to carry on with that. I’m looking forward to a good, decent meal and a nice holiday!

“Because I’m riding a few winners everybody is saying ‘you should be doing this’ or ‘you should be doing that’, but I’m 53 and for a jockey I’ve had a pretty long career.

“The time has come and I’m glad that I can finish like this. I didn’t expect to have a year like this, but I can’t predict the future.

“I will miss it, but at the other end I have enjoyed it. It would have been sad if I’d have been retiring not riding in the big races and just floating around at secondary meetings and not winning. It’s turned out to be quite a good send-off.”

For now Dettori is fully focussed on going out on a high at Ascot on what is sure to be an emotionally charged afternoon.

He said: “It’s a massive day and no one more than myself wants to do well and be calm and do the right things for every horse – that’s the challenge.

“I have 40 people coming, all my family and all my friends. There’s even more pressure to deliver, but I love it. I like the big days, I like to be nervous – I think I need that to get me to tick.

“Maybe I’m spoilt, but the mundane Mondays don’t excite me any more.”

Ben Earl admits memories of August’s shock defeat by Fiji flashed through England’s minds against Samoa until they continued their recent knack of winning from positions of adversity.

England completed the World Cup group phase with a perfect record after edging Seilala Mapusua’s Islanders 18-17, but it took a converted 74th-minute touch down by Danny Care on top of a last-gasp try-saving tackle from the replacement scrum-half to dig out victory in Lille on Saturday.

Samoa played their best rugby in the second quarter and at one point led 17-8 to evoke memories of Fiji storming Twickenham in the build-up to the tournament.

But, as against Wales at home in that same series and Argentina at the start of the World Cup, England were able to forge a path out of the crisis – a strength previously missing from their game.

“We probably had glimpses of that Fiji match at Twickenham not long ago,” said Earl, whose team had already qualified for the quarter-finals as Pool D winners.

“But the growth in the team is that we’ve learned how to find a way to win ugly. And we’ve shown that twice now in this tournament.

“What was most pleasing as someone who was on the pitch is that we never felt too stressed. We felt that there was going to be something that was going to break them.

“We said in the changing room that we know after this performance stuff is going to come out, that we’ve taken a step back, or whatever. But we don’t see it like that.

“The performance highlighted some holes in our game, but we knew they were there and we found a way to win ugly. Sometimes winning ugly is the most rewarding.

“That was always looking like a bit of a banana skin for us and and we’ve come away with the win and with four points.

“We’re four from four – and if someone had offered us that seven or eight weeks ago, we’d have snapped their hand off.”

Steve Borthwick has been given plenty to mull over for the quarter-final against likely opponents Fiji, not least whether the creative axis of George Ford and Owen Farrell should be retained in Marseille on Sunday.

In one significant lapse in concentration, Farrell saw the shot clock run down as he was taking a penalty, but otherwise it was an evening of personal triumph for England’s captain after his eight-point haul propelled him ahead of Jonny Wilkinson as the nation’s leading scorer with 1,186.

“As a player and as a friend, some of the knowledge and some of the standards Owen set for me as a young player coming through, I can safely say I wouldn’t be half the player I am if I hadn’t played with him for such a long time,” Earl said of his Saracens team-mate.

“Owen won’t want to shine too much light on it, but that accolade is huge. Some of the players on that list are among the greatest who ever played the game.”

Ireland captain Johnny Sexton is braced to face a wounded New Zealand side plotting revenge in a mouthwatering Rugby World Cup quarter-final.

Andy Farrell’s men have topped the Test rankings since securing a landmark tour success against the All Blacks last summer.

Ireland set up another meeting with the three-time world champions by dismantling Scotland 36-14 on Saturday evening in Paris to win Pool B ahead of South Africa.

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“They’ve already said it’s one that they want and when they’re hurting and they want to put it right, that’s the biggest challenge in rugby, to try and beat them when they’re in that frame of mind,” Sexton said of New Zealand.

“Two teams will both be under pressure for different reasons and it will be who copes with that the best and who can put their game out there on the biggest day when the pressure is on.

“We’ve played New Zealand plenty of times and they’ve come into some good form themselves over the last few weeks.

“It’s going to be a hell of a game and we just need to prepare right over the next few days and get the best performance we can out there.

“We need to be ready for it.”

Fly-half Sexton, who is due to retire after the tournament, prolonged his career by at least one more week by leading his country to a thumping Stade de France success which eliminated Scotland.

Ireland emphatically banished any fears of suffering their own early exit thanks to first-half tries from James Lowe and Iain Henderson, plus Hugo Keenan’s double, before Dan Sheehan and Garry Ringrose added to the Scots’ misery.

While Farrell’s side move on to a showdown with the All Blacks, the Springboks will take on hosts France in another tantalising last-eight clash.

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“We always knew most likely we’d play France or New Zealand,” said 38-year-old Sexton. “There’s no easy option there.

“All our focus was, ‘let’s win the pool’. You don’t pick and choose, you just do your best.

“We’re exactly where we wanted to be in terms of we won the pool and now we’re into the quarter-final.”

Ireland have injury concerns regarding wings Mack Hansen, Lowe and Keith Earls and lock James Ryan.

Head coach Farrell feels there is more to come from his in-form team and urged his players to embrace the upcoming challenge, describing it as “proper living”.

“I don’t think and neither do the team think that we’ve played our best rugby yet,” said the Englishman, following a 17th successive Test victory.

“We know where we want to go and want we’re trying to achieve. Will we ever get there? I don’t know.

“It’s days like next week that’s coming where we need to find out a little bit more about ourselves. These lads are certainly willing to do that.

“We’ll treat this week, I’m sure once we recover properly, with a spring in our step because if you can’t get excited about what’s coming…this is proper living now.

“This is exactly where you want to be and these boys have been waiting for opportunities, big games to show what they’ve learnt for a while now.

“It doesn’t get any bigger than next week so we’ll relish that.”

William Buick will partner Time Lock for the first time this season in the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot.

Narrowly beaten by fellow Juddmonte-owned filly Haskoy in the Galtres Stakes at York last year, the daughter of Frankel was beaten on her first four starts of the current campaign before registering a confidence-boosting Listed success in France last month.

That teed Time Lock up for the Group Three Princess Royal Stakes at Newmarket two weeks ago and she again impressed under Ryan Moore, to leave connections eyeing up a tilt at Group One glory on Qipco British Champions Day.

Harry Charlton, who trains the four-year-old in partnership with his father, Roger, said: “Time Lock is in good form and the Ascot race looks the obvious race for her to run in.

“As long as the Juddmonte team are happy and the filly is in good form then we’ll look to run her there and William Buick will ride her.

“William rode her twice last year, he rode her at Haydock and was second on her in the Galtres, and he’s been saying all year if there was ever a chance he’d love to ride her again.

“Charlie (Appleby) hasn’t got a runner in the Ascot race and Ryan Moore, who rode Time Lock last time, will ride one of Aidan O’Brien’s, I assume, so that’s really the reasoning.”

Charlton feels a combination of boosted confidence and the prevailing ground conditions at Newmarket contributed to her uplift in form.

He added: “The race she won in France was not a strong one, but she won it well and it might have just given her a little bit of confidence.

“More than anything, we ran on very quick ground at Haydock twice earlier in the year and then very soft ground at Goodwood. I think in the middle ground, like she got at Newmarket the other day, probably suited her on a nice, galloping track like that.”

Last weekend the Charlton team came mighty close to landing the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket, with ante-post favourite Greek Order beaten half a length by Astro King in the prestigious handicap.

The three-year-old son of Kingman could return to the Rowley Mile next month in a bid to go one better.

“He’s come out of the race great. He didn’t win, but he ran a super race and we couldn’t be happier with him really,” said Charlton.

“We were under no illusions that because he went off such a short price (5-2) it was sort of assumed that he would win, but we all know winning 35-runner handicaps is not that easy and there are plenty of variables at play.

“We would have loved some rain and it didn’t come, but we’re proud of him and it’s onwards and upwards from here.

“If he’s OK and as long as Prince Khalid’s family are happy, we’ll have a look at running him in the James Seymour Stakes at Newmarket on November 4. It’s a Listed race over 10 furlongs, which is probably more his trip, and the ground might be a little softer by then as well.

“It was the quickest ground he’s run on in the Cambridgeshire and he obviously handled it, but we think he might be a little bit better with some cut.”

Jonathan Humphreys admits that Wales’ mood after topping their Rugby World Cup group with an unbeaten record has been tempered by injuries to Taulupe Faletau and Gareth Anscombe.

Number eight Faletau, who suffered a broken arm during Wales’ 43-19 victory over Georgia, is out of the tournament.

Fly-half Anscombe, meanwhile, withdrew 45 minutes before kick-off in Nantes due to a groin injury.

No decision has yet been made on a squad replacement for Faletau, although Aaron Wainwright is likely to switch across the back-row from blindside flanker for next Saturday’s quarter-final in Marseille.

And full-back Liam Williams was on crutches after the Georgia game following a blow to his knee, but while he could miss training in the early part of this week Wales are hopeful about his quarter-final prospects.

“It is a big loss, he is a true world-class player,” Wales assistant coach and forwards specialist Humphreys said, of Faletau.

“He is great around the place, but in a tournament these things happen and we have been very lucky in terms of the amount of injuries that we’ve had.

“But it still doesn’t detract from the loss of him. We will have a look over the next 24-48 hours (about a replacement) and make a decision then.

“You can’t replace what Toby (Faletau) gives, in terms of his intelligence and what he does, how he always turns up at the right place and makes the right decision at the right time.

“There is a huge onus now on everybody else to bring more.

“We are delighted that we topped the group, but then when you have close members of the squad who have been injured you are clearly down about that. It affects the mood.

“It is a tough one for Toby, but hopefully Gareth won’t be too long. He felt something in the warm-up and (we) made the decision not to play him. We will know over the next 36 hours what his chances are.”

If Wainwright moves positions, the vacancy at blindside flanker could mean a recall for seasoned campaigner Dan Lydiate, while Exeter’s Christ Tshiunza is also an option, along with switching captain Jac Morgan from openside and handing Tommy Reffell the number seven shirt.

Humphreys added: “We are blessed with the options that we have, but it still doesn’t detract from fact that Toby has been a massive player for us. Whoever steps in I am sure will step up to the plate.

“I think Aaron has been exceptional, and I and he know there is more in him.”

Anscombe’s injury meant a late call to the starting line-up for Sam Costelow, while Dan Biggar is continuing his recovery from a pectoral muscle strain and should feature in Marseille.

“There is no thinking, you just have to do what you’ve got to do for the best of the team,” Costelow said, following his sudden elevation from the bench.

“Those senior boys talking to me, just telling me to do my job and to relax, that was massive for me, especially as a young 10. I am just glad we got the job done.

“You can never switch off, especially in this pressured environment. You have got to be ready at all stages. I did my homework, I knew the role and luckily it went well.”

There had been a lot of talk about Max in karting. The first time I saw him was in his opening Formula Three race at Silverstone in 2014.

I remember raising it to Helmut Marko – Red Bull’s motorsport consultant – that this kid looks the real deal. Helmut watched him at the Norisring in Germany and he was convinced.

There was interest from Niki Lauda and Mercedes, but Red Bull could take him to Formula One immediately. So, he came to us a very young age. He was 16. And I remember in his very first outing for us – a demonstration run in Rotterdam – he took the front wing off the car! But you could tell in the seat fitting the confidence he had for a young guy was exceptional.

All of the drivers that came through the junior categories learned their trade out of the spotlight, but Max became the youngest driver in Formula One ever. He was only 17. Every move and every mistake he made was scrutinised.

Jean Todt, who was the FIA president at the time, changed the regulations to ensure someone as young and inexperienced as Max could not enter F1. There will never be a driver that moves so rapidly from karting to F1 again. But the way he dealt with it mentally made him a standout character.

It was obvious in his first full F1 season when he drove for Red Bull’s sister team Toro Rosso, that he was an emerging talent, and at the beginning of 2016 he was performing beyond the capability of the car.

Daniil Kvyat was struggling, and there was a lot of interest in Max. We made the decision to move him to Red Bull at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Mercedes did their thing when Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg crashed into each other on the first lap and Max, who started fourth which was already stunning, made the one-stop strategy work to win in his first Grand Prix with the team. He became the sport’s youngest ever winner, aged 18. It was a fairytale. Max had arrived.

He won races in 2017 and 2018, and in 2019 he became the team leader following Daniel Ricciardo’s departure to Renault. He grew up, and it was a transformative year for him.

In 2021 we had a car and an engine that could take the fight to Mercedes, and that season will go down as one of the most competitive sporting duels the sport has ever had.

From the first race in Bahrain through to Abu Dhabi, Max and Lewis were like two heavyweights going up against each other. Max was a dog with a bone. He wouldn’t let it go. And you couldn’t script that they would head to the final race tied on points.

Max was very cool. He put the car on pole, and we took our opportunity under the final safety car. Max had one lap to get the job done. I don’t think Lewis expected Max to attack in the corner that he did, and people overlook that he still had to beat Lewis. He still had to win the race. It wasn’t about two unlapped backmarkers. It was about Max reacting to the circumstances and getting the job done. And under the most intense pressure he did just that. He sent it down the inside and the whole place went bananas.

To see him and his father, Jos, celebrate was a very special moment because it was the culmination of all the effort that his father had put into him at a very young age. Max achieved his goal, and anything after that was the icing on the cake, because for him, it was all about becoming a world champion.

Max has still got all the tenacity he had when he got in the car as a 17-year-old, but he now marries that with experience. Outside of the car, he is a normal guy, too. He has his feet on the ground and he hasn’t had his head turned by fame and fortune. He still loves racing, and he has got good, grounded principals.

He is competitive and wears his heart on his sleeve. He is very honest. He will give you everything, but he expects everything in return.

He can go on to achieve so much more. We are riding a wave at the moment, and we want to continue riding that wave for as long as we can.

Will Max be in Formula One for a long, long time? I don’t think so. He has ambitions beyond F1 and beyond racing. And at 26, 36 seems a long way away.

We have a long-term agreement with him until 2028, and he has always said he will be happy to start and end his career here, but motivation will be a crucial factor.