The Six Nations is upon us for 2022, as Wales bid to defend their crown.
Wales won in 2021 without completing the Grand Slam, just the second time they have tasted victory without beating all five opponents, as their success came at the expense of France, who were frustrated by Scotland at the last.
Wayne Pivac's men are by no means favourites this time, however. They come into this Championship without Alun Wyn Jones, their captain and a great of the game, while George North leads a glut of star names also absent through injury.
Should Wales triumph, they would match a feat previously achieved only by England, while France are looking to end a long drought of success in the tournament.
Using Opta data, Stats Perform digs into some of the most intriguing facts ahead of the Six Nations.
Wales set England's record in their sights
The past 11 editions of the Six Nations have been won by either England, Ireland or Wales.
England and Wales have won the Championship four times each during that period.
If Wales defend their title successively, they would become the second team, after England, to win the competition seven times since the turn of the century, when it became the Six Nations.
But Pivac has some big names missing – none more so than Jones. Saturday's match against Ireland will be first time since 2006 that Wales have played in the Six Nations without him, while only Sergio Parisse (also 15) has appeared in as many editions of the Championship as Jones.
Can France finally strike gold?
In total, 86 tries were scored in the 2021 edition, the most in a single edition of the tournament. However, despite the free-scoring nature of the games, eight matches were decided by margins of five points or fewer, more than in any other previous Championship.
France were on the wrong end of one such fine margin, as they saw their hopes of winning the tournament for the first time since 2010 dashed in a postponed meeting with Scotland, which was played after the rest of the schedule had been completed.
Les Bleus' 11-year wait to win the Six Nations is the longest such stretch in their history, having joined the tournament in 1947.
France's squad is stacked full of talent, though. After recovering from COVID-19, Antoine Dupont is in line to play against Italy this weekend – only Wales' Louis Rees-Zammit (nine) made more clean breaks than the scrum-half last year (eight), with three other French players in the top 12 by that metric.
Dupont beat a defender on 13 occasions and topped the charts for offloads (nine) and try assists (five), ranking second for kicks in play (41) after Scotland's Finn Russell (47).
Romain Ntamack missed much of last year's tournament due to a jaw injury but is also set to feature.
Time for Scotland to step out of the shadows?
Scotland have never won the Six Nations, but they impressed in 2021. They enjoyed more possession (58 per cent) and territory (55 per cent) than any other side, as well as managing the best tackle success rate (91 per cent), and their tally of 9.8 entries into the opposition 22 per game was also the highest.
Duhan van der Merwe beat 31 defenders, surpassing Brian O'Driscoll's record for the most in a single edition of the Six Nations (30 in 2000) – it was also the first time that a Scotland player has ended a campaign as the outright top try scorer (five tries; excluding years with joint top-scorers).
Van der Merwe also tallied both the most metres carried (482) and the most post-contact metres (208) of any player. Hamish Watson, meanwhile, has now completed 149 tackles in a row in the Six Nations, having not missed one since 2019. Only Lionel Nallet (154) has made more consecutive tackles without missing in the history of the tournament.
England and Ireland out to prove their quality
England have won three of the six editions of the Six Nations since Eddie Jones took charge at the beginning of 2016, with only Bernard Laporte (four) having coached his team to more Championship wins this century.
Jones' team had the best lineout success rate (95 per cent) in the 2021 tournament, losing just three of 58 throws. Luke Cowan-Dickie landed 32 of 32 throws, the most ever by a player in an edition of the tournament not to miss a throw.
Yet that proficiency in the lineout was not enough to propel England to success, as they won only twice to finish a disappointing fifth.
Ireland finished third, on the other hand, despite losing their first two games.
Andy Farrell's team converted 94 per cent of their kicks last year, the best rate of any nation, missing just one penalty goal attempt and one conversion (29 of 31). In fact, it was the best ever success rate by a team to attempt 25 or more kicks at goal in an edition of the tournament, with captain Johnny Sexton the top points scorer (65).
Italy just making up the numbers?
Italy lost all five games again last year, picking up a 16th wooden spoon. They have lost 32 successive Tests in the competition, the longest run in Five/Six Nations history.
The wooden spoon has been theirs in each of the past six years, this after finishing bottom of the Championship just once in the four campaigns before that.
Antonio Conte has urged Tottenham to be more careful in the transfer market after suggesting the club was guilty of making "mistakes in the past".
Spurs allowed Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Bryan Gil all leave the club on loan in January, while Dele Alli joined Everton on a permanent deal.
Alli undoubtedly flourished for a time at Spurs, but Lo Celso and Ndombele have so far proven to be expensive flops since joining in 2019.
Lo Celso, signed for an initial £27.8million (€32m) from Real Betis, was shipped off to Villarreal with a purchase option, while Ndombele – a club-record signing at £55m (€63m) – was sent back to Lyon, who retain the right to buy him for a reported €65m (£54m).
Spurs do at least appear to retain hope for Spain international winger Bryan, 20, whose temporary switch to Valencia does not include any purchase clauses or obligations.
However, Conte's general appraisal of the situation does not reflect especially well on any of them, nor those in charge of transfers at Spurs.
"Usually you buy players to reinforce your team," Conte told reporters on Friday. "But if you send on loan after two or three years, it is strange.
"It means that maybe in the past you have to see what you did and maybe to understand that there were some mistakes in the past.
"We have to pay more attention in the future when we go into the market. It becomes a fundamental importance if we want to enforce the team, otherwise you drop the quality of your team."
Tottenham were active with incomings as well, with Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski joining from Juventus. Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici previously signed both players during his spell in charge of the Bianconeri.
While neither player ultimately fitted the bill in Turin, Conte appeared excited by their respective arrivals in north London.
"We are talking about two players who are the right prospects for the club's philosophy, young players, talented players to develop and improve to then become important players in the future," he said.
"They have the right experience, Bentancur, for sure, has played many games for Juventus, Kulusevski as well. To be able to sign these two players was good, because they complete our squad.
"We needed to add another player in the midfield. We played with only three midfielders – [Pierre-Emil] Hojbjerg, Winksy [Harry Winks], [Oliver] Skipp.
"We needed to add another player, and we added a good player. Not only to add one player, but a good player.
"Rodrigo has a lot of space for improvement, he played for his national team, 200 games [for Juve and Boca Juniors] despite his age; he's only 24 years old. He's won in Italy. Yes, a good signing for us."
Winger Kulusevski had previously been tipped for a big future at Juve when initially signed from Atalanta amid a breakthrough loan spell with Parma in 2019-20, the year he was named Serie A's Young Player of the Season.
Conte is confident Kulusevski's versatility will be an asset, and he is even confident the wide attacker could operate effectively as a wing-back.
"Dejan has the characteristic to play, in my mind, behind the striker, one of the two number 10s we have behind our striker. At the same time, he has the capacity to play as a wing-back, on the right. He also likes to do this because physically, he's very strong, he has good quality," Conte said.
Conte was said to want to use Adama Traore, another winger, as a wing-back before he chose Barcelona over Tottenham.
Joe Ingles expects to return to the NBA but not necessarily the Utah Jazz following his ACL tear.
Jazz forward Ingles sustained the injury to his left knee in Sunday's defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Australian is already 34 and facing a lengthy lay-off, but he is determined to recover and play again at the top level.
Ingles was a Sixth Man of the Year finalist in 2020-21 – team-mate Jordan Clarkson won the award – and has been a key role-player in Utah for eight seasons.
Only 10 players have appeared in more games for the Jazz all-time than the injured Boomer (590).
He points out his game relies more on shooting from deep than driving to the basket; he is a 40.8 per cent career three-point shooter and his 1,071 made threes are the most in franchise history.
Therefore, the prospect of a return appears more likely. Klay Thompson, one of the NBA's great three-point shooters (41.8 per cent), recently came back from consecutive serious injuries – the first of which was a torn ACL.
"Literally no doubt [about returning]," Ingles told ESPN. "I know probably everybody says that when they're going through this. A few days post-injury, people might think I'm a little bit crazy.
"But you look at people who have been through this. The MRI was a little bit of a win, I guess, with it just being my ACL.
"Then the other part of it – and we joke about it – is my game. My game has never been based on athleticism, above the rim or anything like that.
"I'm not writing off what this surgery is and what the rehab looks like, but everyone around the league knows how I play and what I can do."
However, Ingles' contract was already expiring and could be considered a trade asset prior to free agency, meaning his next game may very well be in another team's colours.
"If I'm able to get someone back [in a trade] that would help them make a push for the end of the year, I understand that," Ingles said, with the Jazz fourth in the West.
"I'm not going to sit here and be sour and upset. I've built my eight years here of hard work and in the community and all that stuff, but I'm very well aware of the business side and all that."
He added: "Having an ACL obviously throws a bit of a spanner in the works with some of it, but I have good relationships with the Jazz and the front office and coach [Quin Snyder].
"I've got the best agent [Mark Bartelstein] in the league. It's a very fluid conversation, and we just have open lines of conversation."
The 24th Winter Olympics was declared open in Beijing after a spectacular ceremony packed with familiar schmaltz and well-meaning speeches, climaxing in an unexpected and controversial twist.
Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, in his welcoming speech, told the Olympians: "You the Olympic athletes – you will show how the world would look like, if we all respect the same rules and each other.
"There will be no discrimination for any reason whatsoever. In our fragile world, where division, conflict and mistrust are on the rise, we show the world: yes, it is possible to be fierce rivals, while at the same time living peacefully and respectfully together.
"This is the mission of the Olympic Games: bringing us together in peaceful competition. Always building bridges, never erecting walls. Uniting humankind in all our diversity."
Bach added: "In this Olympic spirit of peace, I appeal to all political authorities across the globe: observe your commitment to this Olympic truce. Give peace a chance."
The concept of the Olympic truce dates back almost 3,000 years and calls for peace during the Games period.
At a time when there are concerns over a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, it is particularly relevant.
Chinese Uyghur athlete Dinigeer Yilamujiang, a 20-year-old cross country skier, was chosen to light the Olympic cauldron alongside Nordic combined competitor Zhao Jiawen.
These Games are also taking place against a backdrop not only of a pandemic but of concerns over China's human rights record, notably with allegations of crimes against humanity being committed against the Uyghur population in the region of Xinjiang.
This has been described by the United States as a genocide against the Muslim ethnic minority, with Amnesty accusing China of "systematic state-organised mass imprisonment, torture and persecution".
Yilamujiang, who in 2019 became China's first cross country skiing medallist in an International Ski Federation event, joined Zhao in placing the Olympic torch at the heart of a giant snowflake.
The choice was swiftly condemned as a stunt by campaign group Human Rights Watch, whose China director Sophie Richardson wrote on Twitter: "The @Olympics cauldron was just lit by one person whose #Uyghur community #China govt seeks to destroy.
"You are a disgrace, @Beijing2022, and there is not a hell hot enough for whoever thought this up."
The cauldron lighting followed Xi Jinping, president of China, formally declaring the Games open.
Doubtless there will be much to enjoy about competition during the Games, but this has been a rocky build-up.
Away from the Uyghur situation, concerns also persist about the safety and wellbeing of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, after her accusations, since withdrawn, of sexual assault against a prominent former politician.
This was a ceremony that had been boycotted, officially by some and semi-officially in other cases, by several of the world's political leaders, with the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia among those who did not send such representatives to watch the spectacle.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin was in Beijing to meet with President Xi ahead of the ceremony, however, and was also on the guest list for the big show itself.
Friday night's ceremony was held at the Bird's Nest stadium, which also hosted the opening of the 2008 summer Olympics, with the show's artistic direction coming from film-maker Zhang Yimou.
Cross country skier Wang Qiang and halfpipe snowboarder Liu Jiayu were the athletes chosen to deliver the Olympic oath, while snowflakes dominated the show.
A version of John Lennon's Imagine, an inevitable staple of such ceremonies, rang out, and the show was a technological feast of treats, with its centre stage made up of 11,600 square metres of HD LED screen.
Competitors from Ukraine came in dancing and waving, while away from the politics there were flag-bearers with stories to tell, such as Jamaican bobsleigher Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian.
Jamaican bobsleighing is destined to be forever intertwined with the 1993 Hollywood hit comedy movie Cool Runnings, but for Fenlator-Victorian there was a sense of solemnity about this occasion.
"I have a lot of emotions," she said. "My sister recently passed away a few weeks ago.
"I wasn't sure I would even be able to walk in today, so to be standing here without getting too emotional is more than words can say. To have my team-mates backing me up and choosing me as one of the representatives to hold the flag is priceless.
"Back home we are all hustlers, we grind, some people still don't have running water. Different things happen, so instead of dwelling on those negativities we just try and uplift each other and keep the vibes up."
Keeping the vibes up might be as good as any motto for these troubled Olympics.
France talisman Antoine Dupont has recovered from coronavirus in time to captain Les Bleus in their Six Nations opener against Italy on Sunday.
World Rugby Player of the Year Dupont had withdrawn from his country's initial squad for the Championship having tested positive, yet he has now been cleared to return for matchday one.
The scrum-half, who is skipper in place of the injured Charles Ollivon, was the 2020 Player of the Championship and starred again in 2021 as France came agonisingly close to the title, leading the tournament with five try assists.
Four of those assists came in last year's meeting with Italy, becoming the first player to achieve that feat in a single game in Six Nations history.
Les Bleus are not quite clear of COVID-19 for this clash, however, as coach Fabien Galthie will be absent following his positive test, meaning general manager Raphael Ibanez is in charge.
He comes up against Kieran Crowley in his first Six Nations match as Italy coach in Saint-Denis.
Crowley has named a youthful Azzurri side, including two debutants in the XV in Tommaso Menoncello and Toa Halafihi.
Italy have only won one of 24 away Tests against France – back in March 1997 – and come into this match on a record 32-game losing run in the Six Nations.
France team: Melvyn Jaminet, Damian Penaud, Gael Fickou, Jonathan Danty, Gabin Villiere, Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont (captain); Cyril Baille, Julien Marchand, Uini Atonio, Cameron Woki, Paul Willemse, Anthony Jelonch, Dylan Cretin, Gregory Alldritt.
Replacements: Peato Mauvaka, Jean-Baptiste Gros, Demba Bamba, Romain Taofifenua, Francois Cros, Maxime Lucu, Yoram Moefana, Thomas Ramos.
Italy team: Edoardo Padovani, Tommaso Menoncello, Juan Ignacio Brex, Marco Zanon, Montanna Ioane, Paolo Garbisi, Stephen Varney; Danilo Fischetti, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Tiziano Pasquali, Niccolo Cannone, Federico Ruzza, Sebastian Negri, Michele Lamaro (captain), Toa Halafihi.
Replacements: Epalahame Faiva, Ivan Nemer, Giosue Zilocchi, Marco Fuser, Giovanni Pettinelli, Manuel Zuliani, Callum Braley, Leonardo Marin.
Reece James is still a few weeks from his return from injury as Thomas Tuchel confirmed the defender will not travel with Chelsea to Abu Dhabi for the Club World Cup.
James suffered a hamstring injury at the end of December and has been unable to return to team training since.
His absence proved a big blow for the Blues given James' importance in his right wing-back role – between the start of the season and December 29, he had a hand in the joint-most goals (11) across all competitions in their squad, while only Mason Mount (42) laid on more key passes than James (38).
James' injury was especially frustrating for Chelsea given they had already lost Ben Chilwell for the rest of the season after sustained a serious knee injury the previous month.
And James will not be back in the immediate future, Tuchel confirmed on Friday, though he did not seem too disheartened at Chelsea's inability to bring in extra cover for the wing-backs during the January transfer window.
"We tried and had ideas, but in the end we stick to what we have and are happy," Tuchel told reporters ahead of Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round clash with Plymouth Argyle.
"Reece will come back at some point [this season], unfortunately not Ben Chilwell, but Reece will come back and compete for a place in the squad.
"Azpi [Cesar Azpilicueta] at the moment is in fantastic form and a fantastic place. That is why it's fine. We try to find solutions in our squad.
"[James] is not in team training yet. After a couple of weeks, he will need some time in team training to get the rhythm and confidence back before we think about playing him.
"So he does not travel with us to the Club World Cup. For Reece, I am too long a coach to get overexcited by pure dates that are maybe out there.
"I know you can have setbacks and can take longer sometimes. The injury was a big injury and I felt it straight away. The diagnosis was straight away it was a big injury and from there we have to be patient.
"It's always a bit of a tricky one, and he is a physical player. He caught flu in the last week and lost days in his process of coming back to the team.
"We are patient and we want to have him on the pitch [on Saturday], of course, but it's not happening at the moment and we have to stay patient."
Although Chelsea did not sign anyone in January, Kenedy returned from a loan spell with Flamengo and will fill a void in the squad for the rest of the season.
Tuchel believes the winger could be a useful option as a wing-back and he was enthusiastic about giving the 25-year-old Brazilian a second chance at Chelsea, for whom he has played just 15 Premier League games since joining from Fluminense in 2015.
"It's a clean slate and I think he knows it," Tuchel said. "I followed Kenedy for many years, I followed him when he played for Newcastle.
"He was very promising in the early part of his career. He lost track a little bit and maybe couldn't fulfil the demands from the outside I had, but this is life.
"He gets a second or third chance to be here, and it's not about what happened. He was good in pre-season, he decided he wanted to go back to Brazil and try there. But having Kenedy and Emerson on loan, Kenedy was possible [to bring back] and now he is here.
"He is a very nice guy, very talented, and let's see where he is. It's a huge opportunity, and I am very happy to give it to him and help him make the best of it."
Pep Guardiola admitted it took him a while to work out Joao Cancelo as the Manchester City boss spoke of the "sensitive" full-back who has become a key component of his side.
Cancelo joined from Juventus in 2019, with the Portugal international initially struggling to establish himself in City's side.
Guardiola said there had been "mistakes" on his own part, and a lack of understanding from Cancelo about how City were looking for him to perform.
Both bridges were crossed long ago, and this week saw Cancelo and City agree to extend the player's contract by two years until 2027, with Guardiola saying such deals were "so important" for the team's future.
Cancelo has developed into one of the world's leading full-backs under Guardiola, currently deployed on the left but equally comfortable on the right, yet disagreements between player and coach stymied his start to life at the club.
"Everybody knows how important Joao is with us and what he has done in the last two seasons, especially this season," Guardiola said.
"We have struggled together in the first part when he arrived. We were not agreeing on many things, in part [because] of my mistakes. Now I'm so delighted he's fully happy here and can play in this club for the next years.
"He can play in many positions, and he can play every day. His physicality is impressive and of course the skillset he has, and he's beloved in the locker room because he's so funny.
"The club has to especially work for tomorrow, for the next months and the next years, and the decisions the club has made [regarding contracts] is because the club is working for the future and has to do this."
Where manager Guardiola and Cancelo once struggled to understand each other, now they are singing from the same hymn sheet.
"We know each other much better, and every player must be treated in a different way," said Guardiola, speaking in a news conference ahead of Saturday's FA Cup clash with Fulham.
"I needed more time to know him, how sensitive he is. He's an incredible person, has a big heart, so sensitive.
"Finally, I think now I understand him a little bit more. Especially because he's an important player for us. When he arrived, we have an instructor to understand the way we want to play, and he struggled a little bit to understand what we want to do.
"That was the reason why. There were not arguments. Every player's a world, and you have to understand them as much as possible. Sometimes you need time to understand each other."
Guardiola described Cancelo's enthusiasm as that of "an amateur player", pointing to his desire to play all the time.
"Like Phil Foden, it's the most important thing in his life," Guardiola said.
Cancelo directly contributed to eight goals for City last season (five assists, three goals), but he is stepping up his contribution this term.
He already has eight assists and three goals in 2021-22, also helping City keep 12 clean sheets across the 30 matches he has featured in.
Cancelo has created 87 chances in the Premier League since making his debut, which ranks him eighth in terms of defenders, with Trent Alexander-Arnold (211) leading the way.
Midfield prospect James McAtee, 19, was another City player to sign a new contract this week, and Guardiola thinks the youngster could have a role to play in the closing months of the season.
"Maybe we will need him. In the future we will see," Guardiola said. "It is important he's fully committed to the club. He arrived when he was a little, little boy, and he's a Man City supporter, and he loves to be here.
"We're more than delighted with the confidence he and his family have in the club and [that] he could extend his contract to stay here with us."
The 2022 Six Nations campaign begins with a mouth-watering contest between defending champions Wales and a well fancied Ireland side at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday.
Wales won the championship for a sixth time last March, narrowly missing out on a Grand Slam with defeat to France in their final game, but they enter this year's tournament as outsiders in the eyes of many.
Much like Ireland, France will be eyeing top spot after going 12 years since their most recent triumph – Les Bleus' longest-such run since joining the Five Nations in 1947 – with their campaign beginning at home to an Italy side without a win in 32 games in the competition.
A relatively inexperienced England side do battle with perennial dark horses Scotland at Murrayfield for the Calcutta Cup, meanwhile, with the hosts looking to record back-to-back wins in this fixture for the first time since 1984.
Ahead of the opening round, Stats Perform previews the upcoming matches with help from Opta.
IRELAND v WALES
FORM
Ireland have won four of their last five meetings with Wales, though their solitary defeat in that run came in the most recent match between the sides in last year's Six Nations when going down 21-16.
Wales have lost their last four away games against Ireland, their worst-such run since losing four in a row between 2002 and 2006, but never before have they lost five in a row away to Ireland.
Ireland have won 27 of their last 29 Tests at the Aviva Stadium, including their last six in a row, with their only defeats coming against England in 2019 and France in 2021 – both in the Six Nations.
ONES TO WATCH
Johnny Sexton will win his 102nd international cap for Ireland this weekend and remains a key player for his country. The 36-year-old recorded the best goal kicking success rate of any player (minimum of three kicks) in last year's Six Nations, finding the target from 25 out of 26 (96 per cent).
Wales are without a long list of players due to injury, most notably skipper Alun Wyn Jones. It's set to be the first Six Nations the Dragons have played without Jones since 2006, with fly-half Dan Biggar being left with big shoes to fill in his first game as captain.
SCOTLAND v ENGLAND
FORM
Scotland have won five of their last six Test matches, with their solitary defeat in that run coming against the world champions South Africa in November.
England have won 15 of their last 18 Tests, including their last five in a row, although their three defeats in that spell all came in last year's Six Nations – just the fourth time they had lost more than twice in an edition of the tournament since 2000 (also lost three in 2005, 2006 and 2018).
This will be the 140th Test between the rival nations in a fixture that dates back to the first ever rugby international back in 1871. Scotland have won on 44 occasions, compared to 76 victories for England, with the other 19 ending all square.
ONES TO WATCH
Scotland have named a near-identical XV to the one that ended last year's Six Nations, Duhan van der Merwe among them. The British and Irish Lions wing beat 31 defenders in the 2021 edition, surpassing Brian O'Driscoll's record for the most in a single Six Nations (30 in 2000).
In the absence of Owen Farrell and Courtney Lawes, Tom Curry will captain England at the age of just 23, making him the youngest player to do so since Will Carling in 1988.
FRANCE v ITALY
FORM
France and Italy have met on 45 occasions, with Les Bleus winning 42 of those matches. That 93 per cent win rate is their highest against any nation they have faced more than five times.
Italy have lost 23 of their last 24 away games with France in Test rugby, including their last 14 in a row. The Azzurri's only victory in France came in Grenoble in 1997.
France have won 12 of their last 13 Test matches at home, although their solitary defeat in that run came in their most recent Six Nations game against Scotland. They have not trailed at half-time in a home game since February 2018, going into the break ahead (17 times) or level (twice) in each of their last 19 such games.
ONES TO WATCH
Captain and recently crowned World Rugby Player of the Year Antoine Dupont will be looking to pick up from where he left off in 2021. He was directly involved in eight tries during the last Six Nations, more than any other player, scoring three and assisting a Championship-high five.
Sebastian Negri made 64 carries and 68 tackles during the 2021 tournament, his combined tally of 132 carries and tackles being the second most of any player in the Championship, behind only Taulupe Faletau (140). Italy could do with more of the same here to help avoid another loss.
China ended a 24-year wait for a women's ice hockey group game win at the Winter Olympics as the hosts earned a 3-1 victory over Denmark.
On the official first day of the Games in Beijing, it was a timely win for the home team at the Wukesong Sports Centre.
There has of course been action ahead of Friday's formal start, and China were beaten 3-1 by Czech Republic in their opening game on Thursday.
But on the day the world began to focus on the snow and ice show in Beijing, the home team raised their game to battle back from going behind to Malene Frandsen's early strike.
Lin Qiqi drew China level when she deflected home Yu Baiwei's shot in the 37th minute, and the teams remained level heading into the final minute. China went ahead with 51 seconds remaining in the third period as Lin Ni rattled in from close range, before Lin Qiqi struck a long-range shot into an empty net moments later to make sure.
Yu said: "It was a big win, also a special day. I think both teams played good. We did not give up until the last minute, last second. I just kept shooting and hoped I could help the team."
Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) beat Switzerland 5-2, and next for the Russians is a Saturday showdown with reigning Olympic champions the United States.
There was American success on Friday in figure skating as the three-day team event got under way, with the USA leading the way after the first three disciplines.
US star Nathan Chen edged out Japan's Shoma Uno in the men's short programme, while Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue led the way in rhythm dance, lifting the Americans to 28 points overall, two clear of ROC and seven ahead of China in third.
USA co-captain Evan Bates said: "Our team has great potential, and that was demonstrated in the great performances. I don't necessarily think we feel surprised to be leading. Looking at the roster, we know we have the potential to bring home the gold medal."
Italy remain the only team with a 100 per cent winning record in curling's mixed doubles after Amos Mosaner and Stefania Constantini fended off Norway 11-8 and scored a 10-2 trouncing of the Czech Republic team on Friday, making it four wins from four. Canada, Sweden and Great Britain each have three wins so far.
France head coach Fabien Galthie will miss the Six Nations favourites' opening game against Italy after a positive COVID-19 test.
The 52-year-old said he was experiencing only mild symptoms of the coronavirus, and the French Rugby Federation (FFR) stated Galthie would stay involved with the team from afar.
The FFR said: "Fabien Galthie tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, February 3, via an antigen test according to the established protocol. The result has been confirmed by a PCR test this Friday, February 4."
Galthie will be able to rejoin the squad from February 8, if he tests negative by then, or February 10.
France team manager Raphael Ibanez is set to stand in for Galthie when Italy visit the Stade de France on Sunday.
There were no more COVID-19 cases detected when the France squad were tested on Friday morning, the FFR said, with another round of testing planned for Saturday.
Galthie said: "This morning, I have tested positive for COVID-19. I'm feeling fine with mild symptoms. As a consequence, I'm isolating and will work remotely this week. Raphael Ibanez and all of my staff, in whom I have full confidence, will be my go-betweens on the pitch."
France cancelled their scheduled Friday news conference as a result of Galthie's test result.
Les Bleus, who finished second in last year's championship but have not won the Six Nations since 2010, are rated as favourites with the bookmakers for the title this time around.
Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea has been named the Premier League's Player of the Month for January after a string of fine performances.
Spain international De Gea has been United's most consistent player this season by a considerable distance, returning to the heights he hit earlier in his Old Trafford career.
De Gea's form over the previous few years had been patchy at best, with Dean Henderson dislodging him as first-choice for a period last season.
He also lost his starting berth at international level with Spain. Since the start of 2019, he has started just seven games for La Roja and been on the bench 28 times.
But everything points to the De Gea of old being back, and January was as good an example as any month this season, as he became the first goalkeeper to win the prize since February 2016.
Although he only kept one clean sheet in four Premier League matches, no goalkeeper tallied more.
Had it not been for De Gea's heroics, United may not have come through January with just one defeat, as the 31-year-old made 22 saves – over the month, Alvaro Fernandez (17) was the only other goalkeeper to register more than 11.
According to Opta, De Gea's stops contributed to a league-leading 'goals prevented' (excluding own goals) record of 2.6 in January, highlighting not only the crucial nature of his work but also the high standard of his saves.
Similarly, he boasted an 84 per cent save percentage – the only goalkeepers to play at last 180 minutes with better records were Jose Sa (84.6) and Martin Dubravka (88.9).
De Gea beat Jarrod Bowen, Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Harrison, Joao Moutinho and James Ward-Prowse to claim the gong and is the second United player to win it this season after Cristiano Ronaldo in September.
Robert Lewandowski insists Erling Haaland's impressive form at Borussia Dortmund does not necessarily mean the striker will be a world-class talent in years to come.
Haaland is one of the most sought-after talents in world football after scoring 80 goals in 79 appearances for Dortmund since joining the club in January 2020.
That is a goals tally only Lewandowski can match over that period among players from Europe's top five leagues, the Bayern Munich star having notched 107 goals in 90 games.
Haaland's 80 strikes have come from an expected goals (xG) return of 64, meaning he has scored 16 goals more than expected given the likelihood of the shot going in.
No player from the Bundesliga, Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A or Ligue 1 boasts such a large xG differential, with Lewandowski (12.3) behind Luis Muriel (12.4) in third.
While there is no disputing Haaland's quality in front of goal, however, Lewandowski has questioned whether the Norway international will remain as prolific in seasons to come.
"Haaland is a great player who is fun to watch," Lewandowski told Polish magazine PilkaNozna.
"But just because someone has great potential, it doesn't mean they will be a real star for many years."
Breaking down Haaland's goals with Dortmund further, he has scored 96 per cent of them from inside the box, compared to 84 per cent for Lewandowski over that period.
However, Haaland has scored far more goals with his left foot (80 per cent), whereas Lewandowski is predominantly right footed, netting 67 per cent of his from within 18 yards.
The duo are far from identical in terms of playing style, too, as pointed out by Lewandowski.
"I don't like comparing a 33-year-old player with a 21-year-old player because everyone has their own development," he said.
"But he's strong, fast, physical. His game is based on that. I have different qualities. And we don't know how he will develop..."
This season alone, Lewandowski has scored 10 goals more than Europe's next most prolific marksman in Karim Benzema (24 goals), with Haaland third on 23 goals.
The Poland international turns 34 in August, but in a warning to his rivals for the 2022 Ballon d'Or award, he does not believe he is yet at his peak.
"My performance tests are now giving better results than last year," he said. "As for the numbers, it seems my best time is yet to come. I feel better now than I did two years ago."
Egypt assistant coach Diaa al-Sayed has called for Sunday's Africa Cup of Nations final with Senegal to be delayed by a day to give his side more rest.
Record seven-time winners Egypt beat tournament hosts Cameroon 3-1 on penalties on Thursday after neither side could find a way through in 120 goalless minutes.
Carlos Queiroz's men have been taken to a shoot-out in two of their three knockout games, with the other going into extra-time. Senegal, on the other hand, have got the job done inside regulation time on each occasion.
And with Senegal having an extra 24 hours' rest between their semi-final win against Burkina Faso and Sunday's final in Yaounde, Al-Sayed wants the game moved to Monday.
"I ask CAF that the final be played on Monday," said Al-Sayed, who was speaking to reporters after Queiroz was sent off during the Cameroon clash.
"There is one more day of recovery for Senegal."
The third-place play-off between Cameroon and Burkina Faso was due to be played on Sunday, but it has been brought forward to Saturday following talks with local government, though no explanation has been given.
Al-Sayed added: "I hope that, as we have changed the date for the third game, we will now play [the final on] Monday."
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is excited for either Sadio Mane or Mohamed Salah to "achieve something really big" after reaching the final of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Senegal and Egypt will face each other for the right to be crowned champions of Africa on Sunday at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde.
Mane scored the third goal in Senegal's 3-1 semi-final defeat of Burkina Faso to take his personal tally for the tournament to three, while Salah helped Egypt to a 3-1 penalties win over hosts Cameroon after a 0-0 draw on Thursday.
Klopp has previously been accused of disrespecting the AFCON on several occasions. In 2020, he called the tournament's move from June to January a "catastrophe", then, in November last year, he referred to it as a "little tournament" before claiming he meant the comment in an "ironic" manner.
Now, with two of his best players set to grace the final, Klopp is thrilled to see both with the chance to create history for their nations.
Asked if he had arranged something of a viewing party with the squad, Klopp said: "I have nothing planned yet.
"I didn't think about it, but we've followed it pretty closely. It's a great achievement for both. Naby [Keita] played exceptional in the tournament, too.
"So far it's been a really successful tournament for our boys. It's exciting, but not so easy because one will be really happy after, one much less so.
"Both have a good chance to achieve something really big."
Speaking to the media ahead of Sunday's FA Cup fourth-round clash with Cardiff City, attention soon turned to when Salah and Mane will be available for the Reds again.
Klopp thinks there is a chance both could be available for Thursday's Premier League visit of Leicester City, though he accepts whoever loses in Sunday's final has a better chance of that.
"I think they will be available but we will see," Klopp added. "If one wins they'll probably fly back to home country for a celebration, that's how it is.
"I think Tuesday or Wednesday [is the] latest the winner will be back, the other one slightly earlier.
"Then I have to talk to them. One thing is they have rhythm, played quite a few games, but I have to speak to them."
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