Lewis Ludlam has urged booing fans to keep the faith after admitting that England could have shown more enterprise in their 34-12 World Cup victory over Japan.
Head coach Steve Borthwick declared it was job done as England took a stranglehold on Pool D through a bonus-point win, but after the 14-man rout of Argentina it felt like a backwards step had been taken on a messy evening at the Stade de Nice.
Early in the third quarter supporters groaned when Alex Mitchell – a live-wire scrum-half whose instinct is to run – booted the ball dead and the jeering grew in volume when the kicking continued.
England then ignited, defying the humidity-soaked conditions that made handling treacherous, to stage a thrilling all-out assault on Japan that was directed by George Ford and replacement full-back Marcus Smith.
The gameplan was to grind down unorthodox opponents and then take them apart when they were out on their feet. In that sense it worked, but for lengthy periods it was also a hard watch that clearly alienated some fans.
When asked for his message to supporters, Ludlam said: “I just say stick with us.
“We are a team that is learning every week and there are probably opportunities in there when we could have run that ball.
“However, it was hard to see how greasy that ball was. It was humid in that stadium and a couple of times we tried to play and ended up straight back on our tryline.
“George Ford is very good at putting us in the right areas and putting us in behind so that we have better opportunities to attack farther up the pitch. It’s hard to get the fans excited about that and we understand, but we’re building.
“That was probably not the performance we wanted – it was not a complete performance – but we are happy to get the win and the five points.
“We will take more opportunities and we want to be a better team next weekend and play in the right areas of the pitch.”
For the second successive weekend Ford was named man of the match as he single-mindedly executed England’s gameplan, but his stellar form presents Borthwick with a conundrum.
Owen Farrell returns from suspension against Chile on Saturday and while Ford will surely be rested for the showdown with Pool D’s weakest opponents, Borthwick must decide who to start at fly-half in a tricky appointment with Samoa a week later.
As England’s captain and talisman Farrell demands selection, but his return would alter a winning team that has been well led by the indomitable Courtney Lawes.
Borthwick’s likely solution is to reunite Ford and Farrell in a playmaking axis against Samoa on October 7 with the Saracens ringmaster reacclimatising to Test rugby at 10 in Lille on Saturday.
“Owen’s always chomping at the bit to get involved whether he’s banned or not. He’s always there and always leading the team forward,” Ludlam said.
“It is massive that we have got him back. He’s a massive leader for us. It’s just brilliant adding to that competition at 10 which is so fierce at the moment.
“Owen’s a proper competitor. He’s one of the most competitive blokes I have had the pleasure of playing with or against.
“You know he’s going to fight to the end and lead the team in the right way. He’s a massive character around the place and we are happy he’s back from his ban now.”
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard welcomes the increased competition within the squad – highlighted by manager Mikel Arteta now choosing to rotate his two goalkeepers – as he believes it will make them stronger.
David Raya, who signed on loan from Brentford and on whom the Gunners have a £27million option to buy, made his debut in the 1-0 victory at Goodison Park, which extended their unbeaten start to five matches.
It means England international Aaron Ramsdale’s position as established number one is likely to be challenged over the coming weeks, but Odegaard said that principle should apply to the whole squad.
That was evident as Leandro Trossard came off the bench for the injured Gabriel Martinelli to score the only goal in the second half, but it is the position of goalkeeper which is set to remain the major talking point.
“I think it showed the depth in the squad now. We have so many quality players, the players on the bench can come on and change the game if we need it,” said the Norway international.
“The competition for places is huge and I think that is a great thing for us and helps a lot.
“You see in training every day the quality we have so everyone has to be on their best every day in training and that’s a good thing and will help us improve as a team as well.”
On Ramsdale’s response to being dropped at Goodison Park, having started England’s friendly victory over Scotland just a few days previously, Odegaard added: “I think he will just keep working hard, like he is always doing.
“He was there supporting us, cheering for us, helping us. He is a great character and he showed a very good response today by backing his team-mates, being there and giving us energy.
“Excellent from him. We have two good goalkeepers there and it’s big competition.
“Two top goalkeepers, different qualities, and both so good on the ball and in the goal as well.
“We are lucky to have two such good goalkeepers and we will see who will play, but both of them are excellent.”
Victory at Goodison Park, where they had not won in their previous five visits, was psychologically important to keep pace with the rest of their top-four rivals and the manner of the performance, having to grind out three points despite not being at their best, was pleasing for the Gunners captain.
“It was a tough one. We knew it was a tough place to come, it’s been a tough place for Arsenal for a long time, but I think we did really well and deserved the win as well so very happy,” he added.
“It’s a tough team and they play a bit different, and we had to deal with a lot of different things.
“But we knew it would be a tough game, but were ready for it and I think we did really well on the pitch to fight and get the goal in the end so credit to the team and happy for the win.”
Great Britain are dreaming of more Davis Cup glory after pulling off a remarkable victory over France to book their spot in the quarter-finals.
Needing victory in their final tie at a sold-out AO Arena in Manchester to reach the knock-out stages, it went all the way to a final-set tie-break in the last rubber, with Dan Evans and Neal Skupski saving four match points against Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin before triumphing 1-6 7-6 (4) 7-6 (6).
When a final French return flew long, Evans and Skupski fell to court before leaping into each others’ arms then celebrating with the rest of the team.
Evans was Britain’s key man across the three ties, winning four rubbers, including two against France having battled from behind to see off teenager Arthur Fils in the opening singles.
“It was nuts,” said the 33-year-old. “The singles is the singles and I feel comfortable on that court but the doubles was chaos. I just kept saying to Neal, ‘We’ve got a chance, we’ve got a chance’. We both kept going. We stuck together.
“It was an amazing day, an amazing feeling. Emotional more than anything. You want to be with these guys in the finals and you know what happens if you lose, it’s not ideal being at home as well. You feel that. It’s an immensely proud moment for me and the team.”
Evans talked after beating Fils about how attending Davis Cup matches as a boy in Birmingham had made him want to play professional tennis and this was his 25th tie across 14 years.
His has been one of the more tumultuous careers in British tennis and last year he annoyed captain Leon Smith and his team-mates by publicly airing his grievances about not being picked in doubles after Britain crashed out in the group stage in Glasgow.
Smith gave the 33-year-old a chance alongside Skupski in February’s play-off in Colombia, where they claimed an important victory, and two wins in decisive rubbers this time have seen him put his money where his mouth is.
Smith remains unhappy with the way Evans made his point, saying: “Am I glad he did it? No I’m not glad he did it and he knows that.
“You can’t get every decision right as captain. What’s important I think is how we came together not just here but when we were in Colombia together.
“I’ve always known Evo and Neal are a good pair. That’s why I think what’s happened this week is really good for us because it was really, really disappointing last year, it hurt a lot.
“Everyone feels it, it comes out in different ways. But for me the most important thing is moving forwards. Me and Evo are great and the team spirit has been brilliant.”
Having a strong doubles team is central to success in the new Davis Cup format, where ties are played over three rubbers rather than five.
Tuesday’s draw will determine who Britain face in the final eight week in Malaga from November 21-26, although they already know it will either be Italy or Novak Djokovic’s Serbia.
Whoever they come up against, Smith will believe that his team, with its improved strength in depth, can have a chance of matching their historic 2015 title run, when Andy and Jamie Murray made it virtually a family affair.
“It’s absolutely brilliant we’re going to Malaga,” said Smith. “We’ve definitely got a chance. We’ve got a really good team.
“We had the benefit at one point of having the best player in the world in our team. Obviously Jamie and Andy doing those things and winning a lot of matches, then the others pitched in and we became really strong.
“We’ve got a chance against anybody. It’s really tight, matches can go either way. Every single tie we’ve had here could have gone either way.”
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The only negative was two defeats for British number one Cameron Norrie, whose Davis Cup record now stands at an underwhelming seven wins and seven losses.
Norrie’s lack of recent wins was evident in Sunday’s loss to Ugo Humbert, where he played well for long periods but made errors at key moments, including double-faulting on match point.
Smith is not concerned, though, saying: “He’s amazing. He works his socks off. Every practice this week – bang on it. Every time you watch him, his intensity, his focus, his discipline.
“Some parts will just go like that. But that’s why he’s got top 10, why he’s top 20, because he goes at it every single day. He’ll be fine. He just needs to keep doing what he’s doing.”
South Africa-born Ireland hooker Rob Herring insists there will be no split loyalties among his family and friends when his side face the Springboks at the Rugby World Cup in Paris.
Andy Farrell’s men are seeking to secure a quarter-final spot with victory over the defending champions on Saturday evening following bonus-point wins over Romania and Tonga.
Herring’s mother and two of his three sisters have travelled from Cape Town for the tournament, while a number of his friends will be at Stade de France for the standout fixture in Pool B.
The 33-year-old Ulster player has twice before lined up against his native country – Dublin victories in 2017 and last November – but will do so on the biggest stage for the first time.
And he is in no doubt about where his relatives’ allegiances lie.
“They’re all supporting Ireland,” Herring told the PA news agency.
“All of my friends that are coming over and my family, they’re all in Irish jerseys so there will be no divided support. They will be fully behind us.
“It will be great. I’ve played against them a few times now and it’s always a good battle.
“I just want to be a part of the squad, contribute any way I can. It will be a good atmosphere, we’ll have our Irish fans there in full force.
“Every week we think we need to step things up and it’s going to be like that going into the long run of the competition. We’ll keep getting better and it will be another big challenge for us.”
Herring, who qualified for Ireland through a grandfather from Belfast, missed out on selection for the World Cup in 2015 and 2019.
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He is already making up for lost time, having claimed tries in the 82-8 opening-weekend win over Romania and Saturday’s 59-16 success over Tonga.
“I keep saying to myself, I’ve got to enjoy these moments,” he said.
“I’ve missed out before and I’ve worked so hard to be here over the last four years so I’m going to put in big performances when I get the opportunity and other than that I’m ready to take it all in and enjoy it.
“This group of boys, we love playing for each other so it’s a great team to be a part of and hopefully we’re going to go into the deep end of the comp.”
Herring’s rival hooker Dan Sheehan could return to contention for the South Africa showdown.
The 25-year-old has been sidelined since sustaining a foot injury in last month’s warm-up win over England but Ireland’s coaching staff are confident he will be available.
Back-rower Jack Conan (foot) and prop Finlay Bealham, who was forced off by a head knock against Tonga, will also be assessed ahead of the visit to the French capital.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy will face questions from supporters at a Fans Forum at the club’s stadium on Tuesday night.
It will be a rare public appearance from Levy with this set to be the first Fans Forum hosted by Spurs since Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure with Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo, Antonio Conte and now Ange Postecoglou all sitting in the managerial hotseat since.
Postecoglou will be alongside Levy as part of a panel that includes new captain Son Heung-min, women’s head coach Robert Vilahamn and newly appointed women’s captain Bethany England, who helped the Lionesses reach the World Cup final last month.
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While Levy took part in a Q&A session at The Cambridge Union Society earlier this year, this will be an opportunity for Tottenham supporters to quiz the club’s long-serving chairman following a tumultuous 12-month period.
Spurs have enjoyed an excellent start to life under new boss Postecoglou this season, but Levy was forced to part company with Conte in March while several fan protests occurred during the latter stages of the 2022-23 campaign with repeated chants at matches for the chairman to leave.
A demonstration over increased match day ticket prices occurred before last month’s win at home to Manchester United and Tottenham remain without a director of football following Fabio Paratici’s resignation in April after he was given a worldwide ban for allegations of false accounting at Juventus.
Levy also sanctioned the sale of record goal-scorer Harry Kane in August, but he did attend a Fan Advisory Board meeting with members from Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust, Spurs REACH and Proud Lilywhites earlier this month at Lilywhite House.
It was revealed during the two-hour long meeting on September 5 that Spurs were set to replace Paratici with the appointment of a technical director while Scott Munn, the club’s chief football officer, will start later in September.
Levy was asked during the meeting by THST representative Steve Cavalier what does success look like for the club and how is it measured?
“This changes over time, but the most important thing for the club is to be a highly competitive team that wins and, importantly, entertains fans,” Levy replied according to minutes of the meeting.
Levy later expanded: “The strategy to date has been to invest in the playing squads, build a new training centre and increased stadium capacity.
“The focus now is to optimize those investments – both tangible and intangible – and drive revenues that enable the club to reinvest in players and create a winning club.”
Meanwhile, Levy provided an insight into potential plans for the women’s team this season with scope to host more matches at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium due to the men’s side only having Premier League commitments between now and January.
“With no European fixtures this season, more women’s first team fixtures could be held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium,” Levy told the FAB meeting.
On the women’s team, Levy stated “it is a long-term project” and “while it currently loses a lot of money is a way of engaging a new fanbase” with an initial goal to challenge for the top-six in the Women’s Super League.
Ahead of Tuesday’s Fans Forum, which will be a 90-minute Q&A session in front of 250 Tottenham supporters selected by a ballot, it was revealed by Spurs director Donna Marie-Cullen that a “full ticketing review” was in hand.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff will be absent from this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix as he undergoes knee surgery.
The 51-year-old is set to have an operation in his native Austria to restore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left leg.
Wolff damaged his knee a number of years ago and blamed it for a cycling accident during Formula One’s summer break which left him with a fractured elbow.
Wolff’s role will be divided between a number of the team’s staff – including driver development director Jerome D’Ambrosio, the Belgian who took part in 20 F1 races in 2010 and 2011, and Mercedes’ long-serving British chief communications officer Bradley Lord – often seen shadowing Wolff at the back of the garage. It is understood Wolff will be on the team’s intercom across the weekend.
Mercedes will head to Suzuka perhaps fearing that their best shot at victory this year may have escaped them following Carlos Sainz’s triumph at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Ferrari’s Sainz became the first non-Red Bull driver to win this season – ending the world champions’ unbeaten streak and Max Verstappen’s record run of 10 consecutive victories.
Lewis Hamilton finished third, just 1.2 seconds behind Sainz, after George Russell – who at one point looked likely to win following Mercedes’ roll of the strategy dice – crashed out on the final lap.
Verstappen qualified 11th and finished fifth, 21 seconds adrift of Sainz. But Hamilton fears Red Bull’s lack of speed on the streets of Singapore is because they have already turned their attention to next season.
While Verstappen can now not be crowned champion of the world for a third time in Japan, it is possible he could clinch the title in Qatar on October 8 with five rounds still left.
And asked if Red Bull’s blip provided him with hope Verstappen’s dominance could be coming to an end, Hamilton, 38, said: “If you think about it, they probably haven’t been developing their car.
“McLaren brought an upgrade here. Other teams are still bringing upgrades, and they’re working on next year’s car. They would have definitely migrated to 2024 before us.
“So it is just one of those things. They are so far ahead that maybe they’re not developing their car, while we are still pushing to develop our current one.”
Verstappen, who warned in the build-up to Sunday’s city-state race that the high-downforce street track would not suit Red Bull, said he expects to be back on top in Suzuka.
Wolff, who is likely to return for the Qatar GP, added: “They will be strong again. The track in Singapore was an outlier for us when we were dominant and I have no doubt they will be strong on conventional race tracks.”
Soprano will bid to hit the right note at Newmarket later this month where she will attempt to register her first Group-race success.
George Boughey’s youngster was a fast-finishing third in Salisbury’s Dick Poole Stakes on her most recent run, but connections were left frustrated after their charge reared in the stalls and gave away plenty of ground at the start before storming home to be beaten just one and a quarter lengths in the hands of Ryan Moore.
She will now attempt to set the record straight in either the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Rockfel Stakes on September 29 or shoot for Group One gold in the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes a day later on the Rowley Mile.
“It was just really unfortunate and such a shame,” explained Harry Herbert, managing director of owners Highclere Thoroughbreds.
“She seemed to anticipate the gates and they didn’t open and she sort of got a bit of a fright, went up and then the starter let them go which was infuriating.
“Ryan probably thought he was just going to come home in his own time and then suddenly realised he had an awful lot of horse under him, so it was a hell of a performance under the circumstances.
“I think everyone can see she would have won if she had broken on level terms.”
He went on: “We’re looking at either the Cheveley Park or Rockfel and I think we’ll see the entries for both first.
“At the moment, if you were talking to George, he would probably be edging more to the Cheveley Park. But we want to take our time and see who is doing what and the ground and everything.
“Fingers crossed she is taking her races so well and she’s so tough and as long as George is happy, we will go to Newmarket for one of those two races.”
Soprano burst onto the scene at Newmarket earlier in the season, but since being upped immediately in class for the Albany at Royal Ascot, she has been thwarted in four subsequent outings when running in Pattern company.
Connections feel Soprano certainly does not lack talent and are confident there is plenty to look forward to with the versatile daughter of Starspangledbanner.
“She’s a very very good filly and very special,” continued Herbert.
“She’s had the most extraordinary year where things just haven’t gone right for her. She could have had a few Group races by her name, but that’s racing and sometimes the cards don’t fall quite right for whatever reason.
“Everyone can see how talented she is and she has a size and scope to her so should be even better next year.”
As well as Soprano, Highclere also have Believing housed at Boughey’s Saffron House stables and Herbert was thrilled with her third-placed effort in the Betfair Sprint Cup.
Supplemented into the Haydock Group One at a cost of £20,000, the daughter of Mehmas defied her odds of 66-1 to earn just shy of £46,000 for making the podium.
“She’s such a tough and talented filly and she had worked so well coming into this race and ran a blinder,” said Herbert.
“She showed incredible natural speed and finished her race off really well. Had she been a bit closer to the two in front of her who were racing away from her, who knows, she might have got closer still.”
Believing holds an entry for Ascot’s Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes on October 21 which will form the centrepiece of the filly’s end-of-season programme, but a tilt at ParisLongchamp’s Prix de l’Abbaye on October 1 will now also be considered – despite the progressive speedster again needing to be supplemented.
“Ascot would be the main target and we will look at the Abbaye,” continued Herbert.
“We would have to be forking out again because she’s come forward at such a rate of knots and we didn’t put her in initially. So we would consider supplementing and see how the land lies nearer the time before making a decision about the Abbaye.
“She’s a very, very good filly, a fast filly, and like her father, has this most incredible attitude for the game.
“The way she holds her head is extraordinary and reminds me so much of Mehmas, who stuck his neck out and was really tough. She’s definitely inherited that trait and is a really exciting filly for her shareholders.
“Those horses who give their all are worth their weight in gold. She goes on any ground, has a wagon load of speed and, touch wood, she’s been so far very sound. Everyone had a great day at Haydock and hopefully there is a lot more to come.”
What the papers say
Potential ins and outs at Manchester United continue to attract plenty of attention with Scott Mctominay again linked with a move away from Old Trafford. The Daily Mirror reports the Scotland midfielder, 26, is a potential alternative for Bayern Munich if they are unable to lure Joao Palhinha, 28, from Fulham in the January transfer window.
Israel youngster Oscar Gloukh is being linked with a move to Old Trafford, according to The Sun. Arsenal and Liverpool are also believed to be tracking the 19-year-old attacking midfielder from Red Bull Salzburg.
Brighton are poised to swoop for Boca Juniors teenage left-back Valentina Barco, reports The Sun. The Seagulls are expected to make a fresh move for the 19-year-old Argentine before the transfer window opens.
Nottingham Forest have reignited their interest in 17-year-old winger Tom Watson from Sunderland, according to The Sun.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Nico Williams: Aston Villa have joined Liverpool and Barcelona in monitoring the 21-year-old Spain winger at Athletic Bilbao.
Hugo Ekitike: The 21-year-old Paris St-Germain striker is interesting West Ham and Crystal Palace.
Liverpool signed Spain midfielder Thiago Alcantara from European champions Bayern Munich on this day in 2020.
The Spain international was in the last year of his deal with the Bundesliga club and arrived at Anfield for an initial fee of £20million.
Thiago’s signing had been anticipated by supporters for some time and he went straight into the squad to face Chelsea, playing 45 minutes in a 2-0 win.
Thiago told the club’s website: “I think it’s an amazing feeling.
“I was waiting for this moment for a long time and I am very, very happy to be here.
“When the years are passing, you are trying to win as much as you can – and when you win, you want to win more.
“I think this club describes what I am as well. I want to achieve all of the goals, win as many trophies as possible.
“It also (has) this kind of family (feeling) that I need because we (like to) have a very close relationship with the club and I think I will feel this, I will have this feeling, with this club as well.”
Thiago, who played in Liverpool’s FA Cup final success in 2022, has made 97 appearances in his injury-hit three years at Anfield.
Raheem Mostert grabbed a pair of rushing touchdowns as the Miami Dolphins held off AFC East rivals the New England Patriots 24-17 for a second win on the road to start the season.
The Patriots, who drop to 0-2 for the first time since coach Bill Belichick’s second season in charge in 2001, mustered just three points in the first three quarters as Tua Tagovailoa connected with Tyreek Hill for a 17-3 Dolphins lead.
A touchdown pass from Mac Jones to Hunter Henry and a Rhamondre Stevenson touchdown run, either side of Mostert’s second score from 43 yards, cut the gap to seven points.
But after Miami had missed a late field goal, a final home drive was cut short in the final minute when Cole Strange was ruled short of a first down on review when Mike Gesicki flipped the ball back inside after catching a fourth down pass.
Elsewhere, Daniel Jones threw for two touchdowns and 321 yards as the New York Giants fought back to stun the Arizona Cardinals 31-28.
Having lost their opening game 40-0 to the Dallas Cowboys, the Giants shipped another 20 points without reply in the first half and trailed 28-7 in the third quarter.
Saquon Barkley caught one touchdown pass and ran for another as the Giants completed their biggest comeback since 1949 with Graham Gano’s last-minute field goal.
The Cowboys continued their hot start to the season as they inflicted more misery on New York sides.
Dak Prescott threw for two touchdowns as the Cowboys followed their record-breaking opening win with a 30-10 success over the Jets.
Zach Wilson, starting at quarterback for the Jets after star signing Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending Achilles tendon injury, was intercepted and sacked three times each.
The Washington Commanders are 2-0 for the first time in 12 years as they came from behind and survived a dramatic finish to beat the Denver Broncos 35-33.
Denver opened a 21-3 lead in the second quarter, but Sam Howell threw for two touchdowns as the Commanders rallied to lead 35-27 after a Broncos safety was thrown out for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Logan Thomas in the end zone.
Russell Wilson’s 50-yard Hail Mary pass as time ran out bounced off several players before Brandon Johnson claimed the touchdown, but the Broncos could not connect from much nearer on the game-tying two-point conversion attempt.
Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs bounced back from their opening-week loss to the Detroit Lions, sacking Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence four times in a 17-9 win.
The Lions were brought back down to earth from that opening success as Geno Smith’s second touchdown pass to Tyler Lockett sent them crashing to a 37-31 defeat in overtime to the Seattle Seahawks.
Cincinnati Bengals, the AFC North champions, slipped to 0-2 as they went down 27-24 to division rivals the Baltimore Ravens.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson threw for two touchdown passes as opposite number Joe Burrow, who also threw for two touchdowns, appeared to aggravate a calf injury.
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua set a rookie record with 15 catches in a game, but it was not enough to stop the San Francisco 49ers chalking up a second win of the season 30-23.
The Chicago Bears slipped to a franchise-record 12th-straight defeat in a 27-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while the Tennessee Titans ended an eight-game losing run as veteran Nick Folk kicked a 41-yard field goal in overtime to clinch a 27-24 win over the winless San Diego Chargers.
The Buffalo Bills eased to a 38-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders – keeping last year’s leading rusher Josh Jacobs to minus two yards – while Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud was sacked six times and hit nine more as they lost 31-20 to the Indianapolis Colts.
And a 25-yard field goal from Younghoe Koo edged the Atlanta Falcons to a 25-24 win over the Green Bay Packers, rookie Bijan Robinson rushing for 124 yards and catching four passes for the Falcons.
The Baltimore Orioles pushed home a run in the 11th inning to earn a 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday and split a crucial September four-game series, though both American League East contenders secured playoff spots prior to the outcome.
A 9-2 loss by the Texas Rangers to the Cleveland Guardians earlier in the day clinched postseason berths for both Tampa Bay and Baltimore, which maintained the two-game advantage it held on the Rays for first place in the division entering the series.
The Orioles, who tied for the major league lead with 110 losses just two years ago, are in the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The Rays will be making their fifth straight appearance.
Tampa Bay was one out away from creating a virtual tie in the AL East, but Austin Hays singled off Rays closer Pete Fairbanks with the Orioles down 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth and Adam Frazier followed with an RBI double to force extra innings.
After both teams scored once in the 10th, Baltimore's DL Hall kept the Rays scoreless in the top of the 11th and Cedric Mullins drove in Adley Rutschman with the deciding run with a sacrifice fly in the Orioles' half of the frame.
Tampa Bay took a 3-1 lead in the top of the eighth on back-to-back solo homers from Tristan Gray and Christian Bethancourt, but Rutschman homered off Fairbanks in the bottom of the inning to cut the Orioles' deficit to one. Baltimore's All-Star catcher finished the day 3 for 5 with two RBIs.
Gray's homer was the first of his major league career, while Brandon Lowe also had a solo shot for the Rays.
Chisholm hits another slam as Marlins finish sweep of Braves
Jazz Chisholm hit a grand slam for a second consecutive game, one of four Miami homers as the Marlins cruised to a 16-2 rout of the Atlanta Braves to complete a three-game sweep of the current National League leaders.
Jake Burger added a three-run homer and Jorge Soler and Nick Fortes also went deep in the surging Marlins' 12th win in 17 games. That hot stretch has moved Miami into a tie with the slumping Chicago Cubs for the NL's final wild card spot.
Miami's 17-hit outburst was more than enough support for starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo, who struck out eight over six scoreless innings while yielding just four hits and two walks.
After connecting for his second career grand slam in the Marlins' 11-5 win on Saturday, Chisholm repeated the feat with a drive off Atlanta starter Charlie Morton in the third inning that staked Miami to a 5-0 lead. The center fielder is the first player in franchise history with a grand slam in back-to-back games.
Fortes finished with a career-high four hits and four runs scored, while Luis Arraez went 3 for 5 with two RBIs for the Marlins.
Marcell Ozuna had two hits, including his 35th home run of the season, for Atlanta. Morton was tagged for six runs and walked five in 4 2/3 innings.
Diamondbacks leapfrog Cubs in NL wild card race after completing sweep
The Arizona Diamondbacks have now moved ahead of the sputtering Chicago Cubs in the NL wild card standings after completing a sweep of a three-game series between the teams with Sunday's 6-2 victory.
Arizona struck for three first-inning runs against Cubs rookie Jordan Wicks, while four relievers combined for 5 2/3 scoreless innings to help the Diamondbacks move a half-game ahead of Chicago and Miami for the NL's second of three wild-card spots.
Ketel Marte tacked on a two-run homer in the sixth inning for Arizona and finished 2 for 4 with two runs scored.
Luis Frias was credited with the win after throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings after taking over for Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson, who allowed two runs in 3 1/3 innings.
Wicks struck out five in 4 1/3 innings but issued four walks while permitting Arizona's three early runs.
Ian Happ went 3 for 4 with a run scored for Chicago, which has now lost five straight and eight of 10. That stretch includes losing three of four meetings to the Diamondbacks at Wrigley Field earlier this month.
Courtney Lawes insisted England are beginning to show their teeth in attack after they posted a bonus-point victory over Japan in their World Cup clash at the Stade de Nice.
England defied greasy conditions caused by the high humidity to emerge 34-12 winners, a messy and occasionally bewildering victory placing them in full control of Pool D.
A barrage of kicking in the first-half gave way to three tries being added when the match opened up, including Lawes’ comical try which he touched down after the ball had struck Joe Marler’s head.
“It was quite a lucky try but I’ll take them how they come. It was a good bit of luck for us and in these conditions, you take what you’re given,” Lawes said.
“I saw it ricochet off Joe’s head so I went to score the try just in case, but I was pretty sure that it had gone backwards and then come off his head. I had a good idea that it was going to be given.
“The conditions were tough. Even when you’ve got a good grasp of the ball you’d go into contact and you could feel it almost spinning out of your hands, sometimes even before you’ve made contact.
“It’s actually really challenging at the moment because it’s just so greasy. It’s hot and humid and you’re already really sweaty. It pretty much makes it like a wet weather game out there.
“We showed glimpses of how good our attack can be and we’ll continue to work on it.
“We’re getting better every day and that’s the main thing – that we’re taking steps forward.
“Come later on in the competition we’ll hope that we’re firing on all cylinders.”
England were booed by their own fans during the early stages of the second-half in response to the sheer volume of their kicking, which was eventually replaced by all out assault on the Japan line.
“The players did tremendously well,” said head coach Steve Borthwick, who revealed that Ben Earl suffered a dead leg.
“That was a really tough Test against a really well coached Japanese side who clearly came with a tactical plan and who play the game differently to anyone else in the world.”
Japan head coach Jamie Joseph admitted the Brave Blossoms paid the price for failing to show more ruthlessness in attack.
“We put them under a lot of pressure and we created opportunities but we didn’t take them because we made too many mistakes. That’s Test rugby,” Joseph said.
“England are an experienced Test side and over time they wore us down. That’s the nature of the game at the highest level.
“It’s disappointing for us because we put a lot of emotion into this week, but we’ll take the learnings from it.
“I was happy with the intensity but we just made too many mistakes when we were under the pump. The players are hurting but that’s footy.”
Shericka Jackson will have to settle for a meet record instead of a world record after another dominating performance at the Diamond League finale in Eugene, Oregon on Sunday.
Fans were on world-record watch for the 200m world champion, who has run times of 21.41, 21.82 and 21.48, heading into Eugene but after winning the 100m Diamond League trophy in 10.70 on Saturday, Jackson seemingly didn’t have much left in her legs a day later but still sped to a meet record 21.57.
Florence Griffiths-Joyner world record of 21.34 set in 1988, survives for another year, but Jackson will undoubtedly challenge it again next season as the Olympic Games in Paris beckon.
Marie Josee Ta Lou ran a season-best 22.10 to finish second with Bahamian Anthonique Strachan finishing third in 22.16.
Natoya Goule-Toppin shattered her own national record while finishing third in a fantastically fast 800m at the Diamond League final in Eugene, Oregon on Sunday.
Goule-Toppin took the Jamaican national record into new territory eclipsing her previous record of 1:56.15 when she clocked 1:55.96 to claim third behind Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson and the USA’s Athing Mu, who battled down the stretch in a desperate bid for the Diamond League trophy.
The American just edged ahead late to win in 1:54.97, a USA national record and world lead. It was also a new meet record and a personal best for Mu.
Hodgkinson finished second in a national record and personal best 1:55.19.
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