Former Australia assistant coach Dan McKellar has departed the Wallabies to take charge of Leicester Tigers from next season.

The former Brumbies boss will become the permanent successor to England coach Steve Borthwick at the Premiership Rugby club.

McKellar exits the backroom staff of new Australia boss Eddie Jones, who returned to the top job at the Wallabies following his own exit at Twickenham.

The 46-year-old's arrival at Welford Road signals the end of a coaching reshuffle between the club and the two nations, just months ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

"We are delighted to be able to confirm Dan McKellar's appointment to the head coach role at Leicester Tigers from next season," club chief executive officer Andrea Pinchen said.

"This has been a rigorous process, over a period of almost six months, and always been about ensuring that we found the very best coach to lead this club into the future.

"His style of coaching, his interactions and passion for wanting to improve players, his interest in developing Tigers-made players and our connection with our community has shown he understands the uniqueness of this club.

"Dan is committed to long-term success at Leicester Tigers, and we are looking forward to welcoming him and his family in the summer, before getting to work together."

McKellar will not take charge until the end of the 2022-23 campaign at Leicester, with the Tigers set to continue under interim boss Richard Wigglesworth.

The former scrum-half is then set to link up with former coach Borthwick and fellow assistant Kevin Sinfield as part of the national set-up ahead of the World Cup.

After losing their opening Six Nations game to Scotland, England bounced back to give their new boss a maiden victory against Italy earlier this month.

They next play Wales on Saturday, before games with holders France and championship favourites Ireland in March.

Barcelona need no motivation ahead of their Europa League trip to Manchester United, with Xavi believing the chance to win at Old Trafford is enough.

The pair will meet in the second leg of their knockout round play-off fixture, after playing out a pulsating 2-2 draw at Camp Nou last week.

Xavi, who was a member of the Barcelona squad that defeated United in the Champions League final in both 2009 and 2011, is relishing the contest.

In making the trip to England and Old Trafford specifically, Xavi believes it will be more than enough to inspire his players, regardless of the first-leg result.

"I have very good memories of the games I played in England, simply because it is so special to play there," he told the Times. "It is the cradle of football.

"The stadiums, the fans who do not stop cheering, everything has a very special flavour that is not seen anywhere else in the world.

"So imagine, it is such a pleasure for me to go back to Old Trafford, one of the best stadiums and [one of the] biggest teams in the world.

"We are a brave team that likes to attack and always win. [This game] will not be an exception. It's like a big Champions League game.

"For the fans, it's a massively interesting match. For the players, [it is] one of those matches that everyone wants to play at least once in their life."

Barcelona were forced to come from behind to salvage a draw against United, who are a force revived under Erik ten Hag.

United have turned their home ground into a fortress, with no defeats on their own turf since early September.

Xavi is not cowed by their form however, adding: "Fear? Fear of what? On the contrary, Old Trafford motivates [you].

"It is one of those stadiums where you want to play at least once in your life, where you have to get the best out of yourself."

James Anderson has returned to the top of the ICC Men's Test Player Bowling Rankings, ending Pat Cummins' four-year spell atop the summit.

The England bowler, who first became the world number one in May 2016, tops the list for the sixth time in his career after seven wickets in the first Test with New Zealand.

Figures of 3-36 and 4-18 as the tourists recorded a 267-run victory in Mount Maunganui means Anderson dethrones Australia captain Cummins.

The 40-year-old was last at the summit in November 2018, and in returning there, becomes the oldest bowler to reach the top of the rankings since Clarrie Grimmett in 1936.

It marks the latest achievement for Anderson set during England's time in New Zealand, having also become the record holder for the highest Test wicket bowling partnership alongside Stuart Broad.

The pair dethroned Australia duo Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath for the pair of team-mates with the most Test wickets between them while playing together, with 1,009 to date.

Cummins meanwhile drops to third overall in the rankings, with India's Ravichandran Ashwin moving into second after taking six wickets during the latter's second Test victory against the former's side.

Elsewhere in the Test Player rankings, England trio Ollie Pope, Harry Brook and Ben Duckett have all moved up double-digits among batters after impressing in New Zealand.

There is no movement, however, amid the upper tier of the list, with Australia's Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith continuing to lock out the top two spots, ahead of Pakistan's Babar Azam.

Virgil van Dijk acknowledged Liverpool were at fault for their mistakes in their Champions League loss to Real Madrid but argued they cannot expect to perform like "robots".

Liverpool blew a two-goal lead at Anfield, slumping to a 5-2 loss in the first leg of their last-16 tie against the holders.

Amid a difficult season for Jurgen Klopp's side, their collapse against Madrid made for a chastening rematch of last year's final, which finished 1-0 to Los Blancos in Paris.

Van Dijk did not dispute another off-colour performance yet the centre-back stressed errors are to be expected when players are only human.

"[Across] the whole of the Champions League, there are quality players all over teams," he told reporters. "They can punish you, and can punish the mistakes that you make.

"That's what they did in the second half, and it is pretty clear to see. [There were] mistakes that we shouldn't make, but it happens in football.

"We're not robots, sometimes mistakes happen. That is the case. The only thing we can do is learn from it and focus on the next one to ensure it doesn't happen [again]."

After goals from Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah had given them a two-goal cushion inside the opening 15 minutes, Liverpool seemed on course for a memorable Anfield triumph.

Yet their defensive frailties came to the fore as Vinicius Junior curled in a supreme finish before pouncing on Alisson's mistake to restore parity.

Eder Militao put Madrid ahead early in the second half before Karim Benzema's double left the hosts with a mountain to climb in the return leg next month.

Klopp was less than impressed with cheap concessions, but did feel his side's first-half performance was among the best they have delivered this campaign.

"We gave all five goals away," he said in his post-match press conference. 

"All five. We could have done better there [but] in our situation where we are, it is really important we that see positive steps.

"I think the first half, aside from the two goals we conceded, was the best we've played [across] the whole season.

"The second half obviously was the game Real Madrid wanted to play, and that's how we came to the result."

The lasting image of Josko Gvardiol's campaign in Qatar isn't one that his performances warranted.

Gvardiol enjoyed a fine World Cup as Croatia reached the semi-finals, but like so many defenders before him, the 21-year-old came unstuck against Lionel Messi.

If one were to fall on British footballing parlance to describe how Messi turned Gvardiol one way, then the other, and then back again en route to teeing up Argentina's third goal in a 3-0 win, then the term "sent to the shops" would probably be fitting.

Gvardiol might be stronger, more athletic and 14 years younger than Messi, but the latter is considered by many to be the best player of all time, and his nimble feet and speed of thought left Croatia's star defender clutching at thin air on that night at Lusail Stadium.

Yet that incident shouldn't mar what was a stellar tournament for Gvardiol, who will be tasked with keeping more superstars on a tight leash when RB Leipzig host Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Gvardiol has been heavily linked with Chelsea in the past. It remains to be seen whether the big-spending Blues will be back in for the centre-back, or will it be City – who might well be in need of a versatile, left-footed defender in the wake of Joao Cancelo's seemingly impending permanent departure and with speculation over Aymeric Laporte's future.

Real Madrid have also been mooted as having an interest, but Gvardiol has his eyes on a move to England.

"I want to play in the Premier League," he told The Times, while reflecting on his decision to join Leipzig over Leeds United in 2020. "Chelsea were really interested, but Leipzig told me they didn't want to sell me. My dream is to get to the Premier League one day."

This meeting with City could just be the audition Gvardiol needs to pass for that dream to come true.

The crown jewel of Croatia's next generation

Luka Modric might have been the driving force in Croatia's semi-final charge, and ultimate third-place finish, but Gvardiol was arguably just as integral.

On the ball, Gvardiol was superb, and that's something that will certainly be of interest to potential suitors. The composure and passing ability he has shown at Leipzig transitioned onto the international stage and by the end of the competition he had made 21 progressive passes – only 14 players managed more.

Gvardiol topped the charts for carry distance and ball carries, with his stature and pace making him difficult to stop as he moved out of defence while in possession, giving Croatia a different dimension when attacking.

He made 202 carries for a distance of 1,985.3 metres, an average of 28.8 carries per game and 283.6 metres per match, with Gvardiol playing every minute of Croatia's campaign.

Gvardiol completed 24 long balls in Qatar, behind only four other defenders, while only Argentina's Nicolas Otamendi attempted and completed more passes.

His only goal at the tournament came in Croatia's win over Morocco in the third-place play-off, though it was not just on the ball that Gvardiol impressed.

The youngster made more clearances (37) than any other player and won possession back 48 times, the most of any defender.

Leipzig the ideal fit

"Here in Germany I feel good, I'm in a good club and I play almost all matches," Gvardiol said in his interview with The Times.

Since he made the switch from Dinamo Zagreb, Gvardiol has made 48 appearances for Leipzig, starting 42 times. He has scored two goals, both coming this season and at home, and teed up a further two as well. For such a young player, Gvardiol boasts an impressive disciplinary record, picking up just eight bookings.

Leipzig have won 25 of the 48 matches he has played in, losing 12 and drawing the other 11. 

This season, Gvardiol, slotting in alongside Willi Orban, has played a part in keeping five clean sheets, and ranks second out of Leipzig's defenders behind the Hungary international in that regard.

Of his fellow Leipzig defenders, Orban is the only one to have won possession back on more occasions (173) than Gvardiol (132), with 65 of those regains coming in the defensive third.

When assessing Gvardiol's statistics per 90 minutes, he betters his centre-back partner for interceptions (1.44 to 1.39) and possession won (6.6 to 5.9), while he has a defensive-unit high 77.4 successful passes.

Orban is more of a stopper, evidenced by his 4.1 clearances, 2.5 headed clearances, 1.6 tackles, 8.6 duels and 4.6 aerial duels per 90 minutes. Gvardiol is an ideal folly with his progressive, accurate passing, though he averages only one tackle per game, while his tackle success rate of 57.1 is the joint-lowest out of Leipzig's defensive options.

Breaking the lines is a key facet of Gvardiol's play, and though Orban betters his total number of carries in the Bundesliga this season, the Croatian has taken the ball further than any of his team-mates in the competition (3,334 metres), averaging 10.23 metres each time.

Leipzig have provided Gvardiol with an ideal environment in which to thrive and develop, though he is about to face a stern test in the form of Europe's deadliest striker.

Much ado about Erling?

Erling Haaland has scored 32 goals in 31 appearances since joining City from Leipzig's Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund last year.

Such has been his rich form, that one or two games without a goal for Haaland results in speculation as to whether City actually know how to get the very best out of their striker, or if he is suited to Pep Guardiola's approach.

This will not be the first time Gvardiol has gone up against the Norwegian, having done so previously in April last year.

On that occasion, Gvardiol formed part of a three-man defence that helped Leipzig to a stunning 4-1 win at Signal Iduna Park, with Haaland kept quiet.

Haaland had 27 touches, but only four of those came in Leipzig's area, while his only shot was off target (he was only limited to zero shots in a game on one occasion in the Bundesliga last term) and he finished with an expected goals of 0.15. 

Leipzig will have more than just Haaland to worry about on Wednesday, of course. Gvardiol will likely have Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez bearing down on him at some stage, but an elite performance against this calibre of opposition might just get him that dream move to England.

It could even be with City, and the two legs of this last-16 tie could go a long way to convincing Guardiola.

Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot believes it will be "impossible" to secure Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun on a permanent deal following his breakout season.

Balogun, 21, has enjoyed a stunning campaign in Ligue 1, with his 15 goals in 23 appearances tying him with Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe and Lille's Jonathan David for the league's most.

It represents a big emergence for the young striker after only managing three goals in 18 appearances on loan with Championship side Middlesbrough this past season, but Caillot explained to France Bleu how the club had been monitoring Balogun for years.

"We almost signed him for the club a few years ago when he was unsure whether he would have his first professional contract at Arsenal," he said. "We clung to it, we continued to be in contact with him [and] today he is here. 

"Everyone discovers Folarin Balogun, who was an illustrious unknown for the supporters a year ago, just like Hugo Ekitike, just like Boulaye Dia. It's all the strength of the recruitment cell to always have a new player to take on."

When asked about the chances of keeping Balogun in Reims, Caillot was realistic, although hopeful of maybe one more season on loan in an environment where he is clearly thriving.

"I think [signing him permanently] is impossible," he said. "The rules of the game are clear. These are boys that, when they join us, know that they're here to improve and that it's a step for them. 

"So even if I'm not deciding for him, either Folarin will return to his club to have his chance, he's loaned out, or transferred to a very big club. He is a player that should go even higher. 

"Obviously we'll ask him if he feels good here, and at his club, but I think that now, he will need to take a step up. 

"We are already working on life after Balogun, the day when he will leave our club. But if he and the club are open to another year at Reims, we'll do everything to make it happen."

Reims sit 10th on the table, with a league-leading 13 draws in 23 matches.

Erling Haaland should be licking his lips at the prospect of facing RB Leipzig when Manchester City continue their quest to lift the Champions League for the first time on Wednesday.

City travel to Leipzig for the first leg of their round of 16 tie smarting from slipping off the top of the Premier League table with a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

The combination of both City and striker Haaland's great record against the Bundesliga side would suggest they ought to secure a place in the quarter-finals of Europe's premier club competition.

Inter have home advantage when they face Porto in the other round of 16 first-leg clash on Wednesday and the Serie A side boast an impressive home record against Portuguese clubs.

Stats Perform pick out the standout Opta data to preview the matches at Red Bull Arena and San Siro.

RB Leipzig v Manchester City

Former Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland will return to Germany to come up against a club that he has fond memories of facing.

The Norway international's finishing let him down at the City Ground at the weekend, but Leipzig know all about the threat he poses.

Haaland has found the back of the net six times in four games against Leipzig, scoring three braces against them during his time with Dortmund.

City have only lost one of their previous 17 matches against German sides in the Champions League (W14 D2), with the Premier League champions scoring an average of 2.6 goals per game in those fixtures. Their only defeat came away to Leipzig in last season’s group stage, when Pep Guardiola's side had already qualified for the last 16.

Leipzig will fancy their chances of causing an upset, though, as they have won each of their past four Champions League matches – which is their best run in the competition.

Only Julian Nagelsmann in the 2019-20 season – when they reached the semi-final – has won more matches in a Champions League campaign (six) in charge of RB Leipzig than Marco Rose's four this term.

Inter v Porto

Porto travel to Milan on a magnificent unbeaten run that stretches back to October 21.

Sergio Conceicao's tally of 30 Champions League wins is more than any other Porto boss has achieved and his 50 per cent win rate in the competition is second only to Julen Lopetegui's 56 per cent during his tenure.

This will be the 10th time Inter have hosted a Portuguese side in European competition. They are unbeaten in the previous nine – eight of which have been victories. The only side to avoid defeat were Boavista, in a goalless UEFA Cup draw back in 1991.

Edin Dzeko has been directly involved in four goals in six Champions League games this season – scoring three and proving one assist. That is more than any other Inter player.

Porto have won four successive Champions League games and will be aiming to equal their longest winning run in the competition – a run of five between October and December 2018, which was also set under Conceicao.

Mehdi Taremi has been directly involved in seven goals in five games for Porto in the Champions League this term – with five goals and two assists. That is the most by a player in a single campaign for the club since Moussa Marega's eight in the 2018-19 campaign.

Left-arm spinner Ashton Agar is the latest Australia squad member to return home from the Test series in India having been deemed surplus to requirements.

Agar, 29, had been overlooked for selection in the first two Tests as India claimed a 2-0 lead to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The left-armer had played in Australia's final Test of the home summer against South Africa in Sydney but fell down the spin pecking order after a poor display where he failed to take a wicket.

Spinners Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy and fellow left-armer Matt Kuhnemann have all been used in India and Agar has been let go with leggie Mitch Swepson returning to the set-up after flying home for the birth of his first child.

Kuhnemann had been called into the squad when Swepson exited and leaped Agar for a spot in the XI for the second Test.

After losing the second Test by six wickets on Sunday, Josh Hazlewood and David Warner both exited the Australia camp due to injuries, while captain Pat Cummins flew back to Sydney for a family health issue.

Agar's departure will enable him to link up with Western Australia to play in the Sheffield Shield and their upcoming Marsh Cup final. He is likely to be part of Australia's ODI squad for the series in India from March 17 to 22 after the Tests.

Charlotte Hornets wing Miles Bridges hopes to return to the NBA next month, having not played all season while under an NBA investigation.

The 24-year-old was arrested in June for felony domestic violence and in November pleaded no contest to the charge. He was sentenced to three years of probation and no jail time.

Bridges was accused of assaulting his then-girlfriend in front of their two children. Two other charges were dismissed, but he has remained under NBA investigation with the threat of disciplinary action.

"It's been a long process," Bridges told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "I might be back in March."

Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak said earlier this month that they were letting the investigation take its course before making any decisions on Bridges' future.

"I don’t know when the investigation is going to end," Kupchak said. "When the investigation ends, we will have more information and we’ll go from there."

Bridges averaged career highs of 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists in the 2021-22 season before the arrest, coming just days before he entered restricted free agency.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will have to wait for elbow surgery after reportedly being advised that the inflammation is still lingering.

Purdy was the most impressive rookie quarterback in the league this past season after injuries to Week 1 starter Trey Lance and backup Jimmy Garoppolo pushed him to the top of the depth chart.

The very last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft went on to win his first eight starts for the 49ers, guiding them through to the NFC Championship Game, where he would suffer a serious elbow injury.

It occurred when he was hit on his throwing arm, overextending his elbow and ultimately producing an injury – a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) – usually seen in baseball pitchers.

The timeline for a typical UCL repair is six months, so it was scheduled for February 22 to give him a chance to recover in time for preseason camp in early August.

But Purdy was given bad news on the eve of that date, with NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reporting that the doctor recommended postponing the surgery because of persistent inflammation in the elbow.

The report states the parties will reconvene in March to re-assess the situation, and while he is still expected to make a full recovery in time for Week 1, any further delays would begin to eat into his preseason.

New Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken says he is not worried if quarterback Lamar Jackson skips offseason workouts if he receives their franchise tag.

Jackson's contractual situation with the Ravens remains unresolved, after Baltimore opted against handing the 2019 MVP a new five-year contract in 2022, with the QB playing out the fifth-year option of his rookie deal in 2022.

The Ravens were previously public in their confidence that they would secure Jackson to a new long-term deal, but nothing has been forthcoming, with no talks taking place since last offseason.

Jackson is understood to want a fully guaranteed five-year contract – similar to the outlier deal handed to Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson – which the Ravens are not willing to meet, meaning one of the parties will need to budge to agree to a new deal.

The NFL's franchise tag window opened on Tuesday running until March 7, with the Ravens expected to place the tag on their QB to prevent Jackson from becoming an unrestricted free agent should they be unable to agree to a new deal in the next fortnight.

That scenario may lead to Jackson, who represents himself in negotiations without an agent, opting to skip Ravens' offseason workouts and training camp and only report to practice in the week prior to the regular season.

"Sure, he'll be behind, but it's still just football," Monken told reporters. "Sometimes we make this out to be way too much. We'll cater to what he knows and play."

Monken was speaking at his introductory press conference, having only been appointed to the role last week replacing Greg Roman.

The new offensive coordinator would naturally need time to build rapport with Jackson, which that hypothetical scenario would not afford him.

"I mean it's like any player, the more time you spend with them, the more comfortable they get with any system," Monken said. "That's more relationship, and that's part of it.

"There's a big part of that relationship from a quarterback, coordinator, playcaller, position coach where they're comfortable and there's a trust. And that's built over time."

Jackson's past two seasons have ended prematurely due to injuries, with the Ravens missing the playoffs in 2021 following a late slump, while they lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card round in 2022.

The Ravens QB threw a career-best 36 touchdowns with a 66.1 per cent completion rate in his MVP-winning 2019 season from 15 starts, but only managed 16 and 17 TDs from 12 and 12 starts in his past two seasons respectively.

"He's got an elite skill set," Monken said. "I think he's underrated as a passer in terms of his ability to make plays and throw it down the field."

Sunday's Argentina Open champion Carlos Alcaraz was one game away from victory against Mateus Alves before heavy rain halted play at the Rio Open first round on Tuesday.

Alcaraz led 6-4 5-3 over the Brazilian wildcard, but was denied a shot at victory as rain interrupted play, which ultimately suspended for the day. Alcaraz's match is scheduled to resume on Wednesday afternoon local time.

The 2022 US Open champion had triumphed last week in Buenos Aires in his first tournament since November following injuries that kept him out of the 2023 Australian Open. Alcaraz is the reigning Rio Open champion.

Cameron Norrie, who Alcaraz beat in the Argentina Open final, progressed with a 7-5 6-1 win over Juan Manuel Cerundolo in one hour and 29 minutes.

Norrie had rallied from a 5-3 deficit in the first set to claim the opening frame, winning 10 of the final 11 games for victory.

Italian veteran Fabio Fognini's charge into the second round was also delayed on the brink of triumph, leading 6-2 5-2 against Chilean qualifier Tomas Barrios Vera when rain intervened.

Fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo won 4-6 6-3 6-3 over Roberto Carbellas Baena while Colombia's Daniel Galan and Peru's Juan Pablo Varillas were also winners on Tuesday.

Tiger Woods got some backing on Tuesday from two-time LPGA major winner and Solheim Cup captain Suzann Pettersen when asked about his controversial tampon stunt at the Genesis Invitational.

Woods received backlash after cameras caught him handing a tampon to playing partner Justin Thomas after out-driving him.

The 15-time major champion apologised when asked about the motive behind the joke, saying he did not intend to cause offence.

"If I offended anybody in any way, shape or form, I'm sorry," he said. "It was not intended to be that way. 

"It was just – we play pranks on one another all the time, and virally, I think this did not come across that way, but between us it was different."

Speaking to the media after being named the European Solheim Cup captain for the next two editions of the event, Pettersen said she knows Woods, and believes his "boyish" humour had no malice.

"I know Tiger quite well," she said. "I don't know Justin Thomas as well, but I know kind of Tiger's humour, and that's a very probably boyish joke between the two of them and I don't really take it too personal.

"I think that was supposed to be a gag between the two of them and unfortunately some cameras caught it in the heat of the moment. I don't know, I don't think he meant to be offensive in any way.

"I'm pretty easy on stuff like that. I'm sure it was meant as a joke, not as a harassment to women in general."

Pettersen's vice-captain, Dame Laura Davies, acknowledged that the joke was sexist, but said "it's just banter on a golf course".

"I think it's misplaced jokes, a laddy kind of joke," she said. "Maybe he misread the situation – I personally am not offended by it.

"People seem to be looking for things to worry about. It's a shame it happened. We are talking about this rather than them entertaining thousands of people – I'm sure Tiger meant no harm by it. 

"I can't believe there was any malice in it. It was really poorly judged, I am sure he would regret he did it now. He will be disappointed that he has been shown to be a bit sexist with what he did. 

"It's just a bit of fun, it's just banter on a golf course. When Tiger does it, unfortunately, everything gets magnified."