Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou was delighted with his side’s composure as they made it back-to-back wins for the first time since October with a 2-0 Premier League victory at Nottingham Forest.
Dejan Kulusevski picked out Richarlison to head home the opener in first-half stoppage-time before turning goalscorer when he capitalised on a poor clearance from Matt Turner to double the advantage at the City Ground.
Tottenham then had to see out the final 20 minutes with 10 men after Yves Bissouma’s dismissal for a high lunge on Ryan Yates but they held on despite Neco Williams hitting the post late on.
Postecoglou told Sky Sports Premier League: “It’s a tough game here, you have to earn whatever you get. They’re obviously pretty desperate for points and the crowd get behind them.
“Every time they get a throw-in, you feel like you’ve conceded a goal and they’re launching it in the box. We had to deal with a lot of things we don’t normally have to deal with. Just great character.
“We had some adversity obviously to go down to 10 men. Some of our football was good as well, so a bit of everything.
“For the most part we stayed pretty calm and composed, the back four, Ben Davies and Romero were excellent, Vic was good when we needed him.
“We always had an outlet, we always looked dangerous, which meant we just didn’t camp ourselves in there. So really pleased.”
However, Postecoglou remained concerned about Tottenham’s lack of discipline as Bissouma was sent off for the second time this season and his 70th-minute dismissal was Tottenham’s fourth red card of the season.
Postecoglou added: “I haven’t seen it but I’m assuming they slowed it down and saw it. It’s been a little bit of an issue. It’s a fine line with those things.
“The players are aware of that, they don’t want to miss games. I think today was more of a desperation tackle than something nasty.
“We’ve had to deal with that a few times this year and you can’t go on doing it like that because eventually we’ll pay a price for it, and we did against Chelsea.
“It’s something we talk about constantly but it’s a fine line between their commitment to what we’re trying to do and not overstepping the mark.”
Forest boss Steve Cooper bemoaned the error that led to Tottenham’s second goal that left his side with a mountain to climb.
Under pressure from Heung-min Son, Turner’s attempted clearance went straight to Kulusevski, who rifled into the net to make it 2-0.
Cooper said: “The result is obviously the most important and will always write the narrative and we accept that.
“I think we sort of played the game we thought was the right one to play in terms of playing on a fairly closed pitch and not trying to give Spurs too much space to play in because we could see how dangerous they can be.
“Obviously the goal, we’ve come off the plan, we haven’t doubled up, we’ve let him come inside.
“It’s the one time they’ve put a real free cross in and we’ve not marked in the box. And that’s the level and that’s the bit that we’re not doing very well in terms of when we’re given moments in and around the opponent’s box, we’re not making it count.
“Then obviously we’ve come out and we started the second half well and then the second goal is not something you can do at any level, never mind in the Premier League.
“So that killed the momentum but I’ve got no complaints with the general performance.”
A big field of 60 of Jamaica's top gunners will do battle at Jamaica Rifle Association's (JRA) Christmas Hamper Shoot at Woodleigh Shooting Range in Clarendon on Saturday.
The competitors will use the time on the range to prepare for the International Practical Confederation World shoot in South Africa, which is scheduled for 2025, where only the world's best shooters will get the chance to compete for prizes and top honours, as well as ranking points, to move up the scale to reach the zenith of master shooter. The World Shoot is a Level V championship and Jamaica will have eight spots at that event. It is the highest level in practical pistol competitions worldwide.
Some of the shooters who will be on the rage include Ryan Branwell, Shayon Francis, Adrian Randle and Andy Yap in the Open Division; Yeonie Campbell in Carry Optics, as well as Michael Bradshaw, Anthony Johnson and Matthew Smith-Barrett in Production Division.
All those shooters have enjoyed good form throughout the year, both locally and overseas, where they bettered competitors from other countries.
Bramwell topped his division locally in the JRA's President's Cup IPSC Level III in late October, ahead of Chris Hart and Randle. Bramwell also did well in the US National Championship in November, when he won the Production Optics Senior Division to collect the championship plaque.
Female shooter Campbell, earlier this year copped the Production Division and Ladies Category in the Spectrum Handgun Championship on her home range at Mountain View Avenue. She bettered Johnson in a nail-biter with just one point separating them, while Rohan Wallace was third.
When she competed in the US Nationals, Campbell placed 32nd from a field of 149 shooters in the Production Division and was the first female in the division.
President Rohan Wilson took over the reins of the JRA mid-year after Major John Nelson demitted office ahead of the scheduled elections.
Wilson is upbeat about Saturday's shoot, as well as the high number of competitors who registered. Though not wanting to predict any specific winners, he said that the competition will be "fierce among the competitors in the various divisions."
Pep Guardiola has admitted Manchester City may need to seek a replacement for Kalvin Phillips in January if the England midfielder moves on.
Phillips, 28, is expected to leave the Etihad next month in search of regular first-team football, having been unable to force his way into Guardiola’s side in the 18 months since his £42million switch from Leeds.
And while Guardiola insisted he was not thinking about the January market, that might change if he was left short of numbers in midfield, where City have struggled any time their regular enforcer Rodri has been missing through injury or suspension.
“Right now I don’t have anything in my mind,” Guardiola said. “It depends if they leave or don’t leave. Some players stay, some players leave. It depends on the squad, it depends on young players and if you can rely on them or not in some moments.”
Only last week, Guardiola appeared to effectively confirm Phillips would not be able to turn things around at City, saying: “I visualise the team and I struggle a little bit to see him (in it).”
Several clubs have been linked with a January move for the Yorkshireman.
Asked specifically if Phillips’ situation could change things for City, Guardiola said: “Kalvin is a player with us, I don’t want to anticipate absolutely anything. Everyone knows the situation he has.
“It depends if it happens. If it happens we talk. The market in January is not easy…We still have incredible things to play for, and after we decide.”
Next week City will be playing for the Club World Cup for the first time in their history after last season’s treble success.
The team are due to fly to Saudi Arabia after Saturday’s match against Crystal Palace – with both Erling Haaland and the injured Kevin De Bruyne due to make the trip regardless of whether they will be fit to play.
“It’s a competition we have never won, everyone will be there,” Guardiola said.
“I want the players not to be desperate to win, (but) to play two games, win the first one and get the credit to play the final. If we don’t win it, hopefully we win the Champions League in the future to be back. Two football games, do what we have to do.
“We learn from the Champions League in the past. In life you don’t know what will happen… the motivation, the feeling we’ve never won, it’s important. Winning helps to win. Winning against Palace will help by far.”
As enticing as the prize on offer next week is, Guardiola warned against looking past Saturday’s match.
“This is my job, I will warn (the players) or let them know,” he said. “It has always been difficult with Roy (Hodgson), or Patrick (Vieira) before, Crystal Palace have always been tough.
“Everyone has to be involved to play quick, be patient, transitions, set-pieces, good on second balls, the physicality is amazing. Always we struggle.
“At Selhurst Park it’s normal, but at Selhurst Park we perform better than at the Etihad. It happened, we lost a lot of points, they do it really well.”
Tottenham moved level with Manchester City for the Champions League places after goals from Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski earned them a 2-0 over Nottingham Forest despite the second-half dismissal of Yves Bissouma.
After a relatively even opening 45 minutes, the visitors went ahead when Kulusevski picked out Richarlison to head home before turning goalscorer to double the advantage.
Bissouma 70th-minute dismissal for a high lunge on Ryan Yates made for a nervy final 20 minutes, but Guglielmo Vicario was relatively unscathed as Tottenham made it back-to-back wins for the first time since October.
Son Heung-min broke through early down the inside left channel, but saw his close-range effort well blocked by Matt Turner in the Forest goal.
Tottenham dominated the early stages, however, their patient build-up play failed to open up the Forest backline and was the home side who created a great chance to open the scoring with 18 minutes on the clock.
A quick break out of defence saw Morgan Gibbs-White feed an inch-perfect ball down the right to Anthony Elanga, but Vicario was quickly off his line to save.
The Forest counter-attack was a danger to Tottenham and another inviting ball forward just failed to pick out Yates as the visitors were given another warning.
Brennan Johnson came close to breaking the deadlock against his former club when his flicked effort midway through the half was clawed away by Turner, with Ben Davies heading the resulting corner harmlessly over.
Pedro Porro headed wide from Son’s cross, but it was Spurs who broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time.
A quick break down the right saw Kulusevski cut back inside on his left foot and his delightful cross was headed home from close range by Richarlison.
After a somewhat cagey opening to the second half, Forest thought they had drawn level in the 57th minute when Elanga turned home Neco Williams’ cross, but VAR intervention ruled the goal offside.
Son forced another save from Turner before Tottenham doubled their lead when a poor clearance from the Forest goalkeeper under pressure from Son went straight to Kulusevski and he made him pay when lashing into the net with his right foot.
Forest’s hopes of a comeback were then given a boost with 20 minutes remaining after Yves Bissouma was shown a straight red card for a high challenge on Yates following another VAR decision.
Tottenham reacted by withdrawing Richarlison for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to strengthen the midfield.
Williams saw an effort deflected wide before Harry Toffolo saw his header from the resulting corner somehow kept out by Vicario and Williams struck the post deep into stoppage time, but they could find no way through.
Juventus missed the chance to move into top spot in the Serie A table as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Genoa.
Juve’s only dropped points in their previous eight games had come in a draw against leaders Inter, and a win would have left their rivals playing catch-up in Sunday’s clash with Lazio.
Federico Chiesa put the visitors ahead from the penalty spot in the 28th minute at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, but Albert Gudmundsson levelled three minutes after half-time and Juve could not find a winner.
Massimiliano Allegri was without Adrien Rabiot, who joined Mattia De Sciglio and Moise Kean on the sidelines because of a minor foot problem, while Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli were both suspended.
Genoa’s options in the attacking areas, meanwhile, were limited by the unavailability of Kevin Strootman and Mateo Retegui.
The hosts had the first shot in the sixth minute through Ruslan Malinovskyi, but it was from a long way out and was comfortably saved by Wojciech Szczesny.
Chiesa looked the man most likely at the other end and he tried to catch out Josep Martinez in the home goal with a fierce shot from the tightest of angles that was pushed behind.
Chiesa then turned creator in the 22nd minute with a brilliant cross to the edge of the six-yard box, where Dusan Vlahovic met the ball but could not keep his effort down.
Six minutes later the visitors took the lead, with Vlahovic seizing on a heavy touch in defence to play in Chiesa, who had his legs taken out by Martinez.
The striker picked himself up and confidently found the bottom corner from the penalty spot for his first goal in Serie A since September.
Genoa tried to hit back, but the closest they came before the break was a Johan Vasquez effort from a corner that flew just over the crossbar.
Alberto Gilardino sent on Caleb Ekuban for the second half in place of Vasquez and within three minutes he had created the equaliser, chesting the ball down and then heading it on for Gudmundsson to fire into the net on the stretch.
Martinez made amends for his own mistake three minutes later, this time timing his challenge on Chiesa perfectly after he had given the ball straight to the Juventus forward.
He then pushed away an Andrea Cambiaso cross that just evaded the onrushing Vlahovic.
But Martinez saved his best for last, reacting very smartly to push the ball over the bar after a corner hit Gleison Bremer on the hip and securing an impressive point for Genoa.
The Texas Rangers will be without key pitcher Max Scherzer for possibly the first half of the 2024 season after the three-time Cy Young Award winner underwent back surgery this week, the team announced Friday.
Scherzer issued a statement revealing he had surgery Thursday to repair a herniated disk in his back that has been bothering him all offseason. The injury also forced his removal from the Rangers' roster prior to the end of the 2023 World Series, which Texas won in five games over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
"After returning to my offseason home in Florida, my discomfort in my back continued to get worse,” Scherzer said. “During this time I received the diagnosis of a herniated disk. After several conservative treatments and consulting with multiple specialists, I made the decision to have the recommended surgery.
"Getting this procedure done now will give me the best chance to pitch as much as possible for the Rangers in 2024. I look forward to putting in the rehab work and getting back on the mound next summer."
Rangers general manager Chris Young told reporters Friday that Scherzer will likely be sidelined into June or July.
Scherzer was forced out of his Game 3 start of the World Series after three innings with what was initially described as back tightness. The 39-year-old also missed the final few weeks of the regular season with a muscle strain in his right shoulder before returning for the American League Championship Series between Texas and the Houston Astros.
The eight-time All-Star also missed time with injuries in 2022 while then with the New York Mets, as he was limited to 23 starts and 145 1/3 innings that year. Discounting the COVID-19 shortened 2020 campaign, both totals were his fewest in a season since his rookie year in 2008.
Texas acquired Scherzer from the Mets near the trade deadline on July 30, and he posted a 4-2 record with a 3.20 ERA in eight regular-season starts before the shoulder injury. The veteran right-hander was 0-1 with a 6.52 ERA in three post-season starts.
Scherzer compiled a 13-6 record with a 3.77 ERA and 174 strikeouts in 27 overall regular-season starts between the Mets and Rangers in 2023.
The Rangers will now begin defense of the franchise's first World Series title with two former Cy Young winners on the injured list. Jacob deGrom, Scherzer's former teammate in New York, is recovering from Tommy John surgery performed last summer and is aiming for a return in August.
“We had hoped to have a healthy Max Scherzer at the beginning of the season, obviously,” Young said when asked if the injury changes the Rangers' offseason plans. "That said, we also recognised that we were going to need pitching depth. I'm not sure it changes much in terms of building out that depth. It thins us out a little bit on the front half of the season.
"Pitching will remain a focus and we'll continue to look for any way to improve our club.”
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be without two star players for the next several weeks after announcing significant injuries to point guard Darius Garland and forward Evan Mobley on Friday.
Garland suffered a fractured jaw after colliding with Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis on Thursday. Garland finished the game, but a scan on Friday confirmed the injury. The 2021-22 All-Star selection will undergo a procedure to repair his jaw and will be re-evaluated in four weeks.
Mobley has missed Cleveland’s last four games, listed on the injury report with left knee soreness. The Cavs announced Friday that the third-year big man will undergo arthroscopic surgery on the knee and will be re-evaluated in six to eight weeks.
Garland and Mobley have combined to score nearly 37 points per game this season, and their absence will place an even greater offensive burden on the shoulders of Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus and Caris LeVert.
The loss of two core players is a massive blow for a team off to a middling start this season.
After a disappointing first-round play-off exit to end last season, the Cavs opened this campaign 4-6. The team appeared to find its footing over the next few weeks, rising above .500, but Cleveland has dropped its last three games and sits at 13-12.
Garland was the fifth overall pick in the 2019 draft and is averaging 20.7 points – second on the team behind Mitchell – and 5.9 assists this season.
Mobley was the third overall pick in 2021 and immediately made a splash as an All-Rookie selection. He is scoring 16.0 points per game this season and is averaging career highs with 10.5 rebounds, 1.67 blocks and 57.3-percent shooting from the field.
Mobley is the Cavs’ best defender, and he was an All-Defensive Team selection last season.
Al Ahly turned on the style in the second half to sweep aside Karim Benzema’s Al-Ittihad 3-1 and secure a place in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-finals.
Benzema missed a penalty that would have levelled the score at 1-1 just before half-time and the Saudi Pro League champions paid a heavy price for the wastefulness of their France striker.
Ali Maaloul had fired Al Ahly ahead from the spot – both penalties were awarded for handball – but it was the period after half-time that set the Egyptians apart.
First to strike at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium was Hussein El Shahat with a curling shot into right of the goal that gave keeper Abdullah Al-Mayouf no chance.
And then came a slick finish by Emam Ashour after he had presented with a cutback by Kahraba.
Al Ahly suffered a late setback when Anthony Modeste was sent off for use of the elbow, meaning he will not be available for the semi-final against Fluminense, before Benzema grabbed a late consolation.
Manchester United midfielder Donny Van De Beek is set to join Eintracht Frankfurt on loan in January, the PA news agency understands.
The 26-year-old joined from Dutch giants Ajax in 2020 for an initial 39 million euros (£34.1m) but failed to make an impact at Old Trafford.
Not even linking back up with Erik ten Hag – the manager Van De Beek flourished under in Amsterdam – has been able to kickstart a career that looks set to continue elsewhere.
Frankfurt are understood to have provisionally agreed to take the Netherlands international on loan in January, subject to a medical. The deal reportedly includes a 15m euros (£12.9m) option to make the move permanent.
PA understands Van De Beek will remain part of United’s absentee-hit squad and continue training with them until that deal is completed.
The midfielder, whose contract expires in 2025, has made only two appearances this term and 62 in total during an injury-impacted spell with the Red Devils.
Van De Beek spent the second half of the 2021-22 season on loan at Everton and a United exit did not materialise over the summer despite interest from a number of clubs. He was not included in their Champions League squad.
The Los Angeles Chargers have fired head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco hours after the team was dealt one of the worst losses in franchise history.
Owner Dean Spanos announced the moves Friday, one day after the Chargers set a team record for most points allowed in a game in a 63-21 defeat to the AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders.
The loss was Los Angeles' fifth in six games and dropped the Chargers to the bottom of the division standings at 5-9.
"I want to thank Tom and Brandon for their hard work, dedication and professionalism, and wish both them and their great families nothing but the best," Spanos said in a team statement. "These decisions are never easy, nor are they something I take lightly — especially when you consider the number of people they impact."
The Chargers said interim replacements for both positions will be announced "within short order."
Staley led the Chargers to a 10-7 record and a playoff appearance last season, but a combination of injuries, poor defense and an inability to close out games caused the team to fail to meet expectations in 2023.
The 2023 Chargers ranked 29th in the NFL in total yards allowed per game and 27th in points allowed per game under Staley, who was hired by Telesco as head coach in 2021 following a succesful one-year stint as the Los Angeles Rams' defensive coordinator.
The Chargers also blew a fourth-quarter lead in three losses that were decided by three points or less. They were also on the wrong end of one of the largest comebacks in NFL playoff history last season, when the Jacksonville Jaguars rallied from a 27-0 deficit to end Los Angeles' 2022 campaign with a 31-30 loss.
"We are clearly not where we expect to be, however, and we need new vision," Spanos stated. "Doing nothing in the name of continuity was not a risk I was willing to take. Our fans have stood strong through so many ups and downs and close games. They deserve more. Frankly, they've earned more.
"Building and maintaining a championship-caliber program remains our ultimate goal. And reimagining how we achieve that goal begins today."
Staley went 24-24 over a three-year stint that ended with Thursday's 42-point loss, the third largest margin of defeat in franchise history. It was the Chargers' first game without star quarterback Justin Herbert, who fractured his right finger in last week's loss to the Denver Broncos and recently underwent season-ending surgery.
Telesco had served as the Chargers' GM since 2013. The team finished with a winning record in six of his 10 seasons and made three postseason appearances under his watch, though it never advanced past the divisional round of the playoffs.
Daryl Morey helped guide the Philadelphia 76ers through the drama-filled sagas of Ben Simmons and James Harden, and he will continue to shepherd the organisation into the foreseeable future.
The Sixers announced Friday that they have extended Morey’s contract as team president of basketball operations through the 2027-28 season.
The financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
In Morey’s three full seasons as the lead executive in Philadelphia, the 76ers have a .653 winning percentage, and last season’s 54-28 record was the franchise’s best since the 2000-01 campaign.
This season began with Harden demanding a trade and accusing Morey of dishonesty. Morey orchestrated Harden’s trade to the Los Angeles Clippers, and the 76ers are among the Eastern Conference leaders at 16-7 under new head coach Nick Nurse.
“Daryl is one of the best front office executives in sports and I greatly value his leadership,” managing partner Josh Harris said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to have reached an agreement to extend his contract and look forward to working together to maximize our chances of competing for an NBA title.”
The 2017-18 NBA Executive of the Year, Morey was the general manager of the Houston Rockets from 2007-2020.
In 17 seasons as a lead basketball executive, Morey’s teams have never had a losing season and have compiled a record of 810-489 (.624).
Despite his consistent success, a Morey-led team has never won an NBA title, and the 76ers have seen three consecutive second-round play-off exits.
“We are committed to bringing a championship to Philadelphia,” Morey said in a statement. “I love this franchise and the relationship my family and I have built with our fans and this city. There’s no place I’d rather continue this journey than here.”
Finn Russell’s latest World Cup disappointment has not dented his enthusiasm to play for Scotland as the talismanic stand-off declared he has no intention of making himself unavailable for the national team any time soon.
The 31-year-old was gutted at suffering a second successive pool-stage exit in France in October, but he told the PA news agency his desire to pull on the dark blue jersey remains as strong as ever.
“No, not at all,” he said when asked if his appetite for international rugby had been diminished by his World Cup experience.
“If anything it’s given me a bit more of an appetite to get back into it with the national team again and try to get a few more wins and try to win something.”
Fellow Scotland star Stuart Hogg retired from rugby in the summer aged 31 but Russell, who is just a few months younger than the former full-back, aims to still be operating at a level that allows him to go to his fourth World Cup in 2027.
The fly-half, who recently joined Bath following five years in France with Racing 92, will turn 35 a week before the showpiece in Australia begins.
“Hopefully,” he said. “Age-wise, I’ll be able to make that. It’s just about whether or not I’m playing well enough, so hopefully I am. I’ve got no inclination to finish up any time soon internationally.”
This year’s World Cup, in which Scotland were well beaten by South Africa and Ireland, cut deep for Russell.
Instead of taking a holiday immediately afterwards, he chose to throw himself straight into club rugby with new side Bath, making his debut as a substitute against Newcastle just a week after the demoralising defeat by the Irish.
But as one of Scotland’s vice-captains, he has been in contact with head coach Gregor Townsend to dissect the tournament with a view to improving for the upcoming Six Nations.
“I came straight into something new after the World Cup so that didn’t allow me to reflect on it as much as others might have,” he said. “I think that’s fine though. It’s always in the back of your mind.
“I had a call with Gregor just to chat and give my opinion on how we could have done better at the World Cup, how we could develop, and how we could use it as a learning curve for both of us and the whole team.
“We were both chatting about how we thought the World Cup went, where we can grow and develop from it, how we can get better as a team and us both as individuals – me as a player and him as a coach.
“It wasn’t like we were blaming each other or anything like that, it was just a good conversation to get us going in the right direction.
“The style of rugby we’re playing is very exciting and we’re scoring tries but obviously against Ireland in particular we had a disappointing result.
“We’ll have to address a few things from the World Cup that didn’t go as planned and we’ll have to grow as a group and get better but I’m looking forward to the Six Nations coming round and trying to achieve something.”
Russell himself is in a good place. Following five years in Paris, he and his young family have enjoyed “a very easy transition” to life in Bath over the past couple of months.
After starting seven of the in-form Gallagher Premiership side’s last eight matches, the stand-off feels fit and fresh.
“I’m feeling good,” he said, speaking ahead of Saturday’s Champions Cup trip to Cardiff. “I came straight back after the World Cup and played the next week so I didn’t have a week to dwell on the World Cup.
“I just wanted to get on to the next thing and get a new focus straight away.
“After a few games, I had a week off and went to New York with my partner so it was nice to get away and relax.
“Even though the World Cup was frustrating, it’s been good to get back in here and get some good results.
“It’s been a new challenge with a new team and I’m feeling fresh.
“I’ve settled in very smoothly, easily, quickly, which has been brilliant and rugby-wise we’ve been playing well. So far, so good. I’m enjoying it.”
In addition to the usual club and country matters, the prospect of a third British and Irish Lions tour will soon be on Russell’s horizon.
The Scottish superstar went to New Zealand in 2017 and South Africa in 2021 and is a likely contender to be involved again in Australia the summer after next.
“It’s something I know is coming up and it will be at the back of my mind but my main focus for now is doing as well as I can with Bath and Scotland and then we’ll get to the Lions when it comes round,” he said.
“I think everyone in the UK and Ireland will have that as their goal after the World Cup but it’s quite a while away. I just need to do my job for Bath and Scotland.”
Finn Russell reckons Scotland will benefit from having burgeoning backs Ben White and Blair Kinghorn plying their trade at the top level in France.
Scrum-half White, 25, joined Challenge Cup winners Toulon after the World Cup following the demise of London Irish, while 26-year-old full-back Kinghorn moved from boyhood club Edinburgh to Top 14 giants Toulouse earlier this month.
Russell returned to the UK to join Bath this season after establishing himself as one of the top stand-offs in the world during five fruitful years in France with Racing 92.
The 31-year-old believes it can only be a good thing for Scotland to have two key players – both of whom scored tries in the Champions Cup last weekend – spending their prime years in a league he holds in the highest regard.
“I think it’s good moves for the two of them, they’ll have great fun playing over there,” Russell told the PA news agency. “They’ll learn a lot and they’ll be challenged in a way they probably won’t have experienced before with the language, the lifestyle and the style of rugby.
“But I think both of them will adapt really well and they’ll grow as players as well as men. They’ll get to learn about the French mentality, French rugby and the individuals.
“That’s knowledge that you don’t really get until you’re out there playing. It will be great for the national team and it will be brilliant for the two guys personally.”
While Scotland have no issue with their players moving overseas, Rugby Football Union rules do not allow those based abroad to be selected for England.
That means 21-year-old winger Henry Arundell – who featured for Steve Borthwick’s side at the World Cup – will no longer be able to be picked for his country after this week extending his contract with Racing until 2026.
Russell is thankful he did not have to consider such a scenario when he moved to the Paris club from Glasgow in 2018.
“I don’t know what it’s like to be an Englishman and rule yourself out for playing for the national team but that’s obviously a decision he’s happy to live with,” said the Scotland talisman.
“He must be loving it out there. I was in Paris for five years and I loved every minute of it so I can understand why he’s staying.
“He’ll grow as a person and be challenged in a way he probably wouldn’t be over here with the language and the lifestyle. He’ll love it out there and I can understand his decision to stay.”
Russell will be reunited with some familiar faces next month when Bath host Racing – with Arundell in tow – and then visit Kinghorn’s Toulouse the following weekend in the Champions Cup.
“It will be good fun,” he said. “It will be different playing against Racing having been there for five years but I just need to treat it as another game.
“I can’t get caught up in the mental side of playing against my old team. Toulouse is another great place to go and play, especially in a European game, so I’m looking forward to both of those games.”
Walter Mazzarri feels Napoli can use qualification for the knockout stage of the Champions League to kickstart their Serie A camapign.
The Partenopei host Cagliari on Saturday in sixth place, well off the pace in their Scudetto defence.
Since marking his return to Napoli a month ago with victory at Atalanta, Mazzarri has seen his side lose back-to-back Serie A games against rivals Inter and Juventus.
However, after beating Braga 2-0 on Tuesday night at Stadio Maradona to progress behind Group C winners Real Madrid, Mazzarri believes his side can move forwards as he prepares to face one of his former clubs.
“Now another match awaits us that we must try to win against Cagliari, and also to get answers on the growth and path we are on,” said Mazzarri, who left Cagliari just before the end of a disappointing 2021-2022 campaign.
“We are heartened by this result (against Braga) and also aware that Napoli can still express themselves at high levels.”
Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo maintains the squad are fully behind Mazzarri.
“Certainly we have to grow and improve. We have been seeing positive signs since the new cycle with Mazzarri began,” defender Di Lorenzo said, quoted on Napoli’s official club website.
“We are working hard and we want to give everything for this shirt because the season is still long.”
Napoli look set to be without midfielder Elif Elmas, who did not take part in Friday’s training session as he manages as thigh problem.
Cagliari boss Claudio Ranieri is looking to build some momentum of their own in a bid to pull clear of the relegation zone after beating rivals Sassuolo with two goals in stoppage time at Unipol Domus on Monday night.
Ranieri, though, knows just what challenge is in front of them as the 72-year-old returns to one of his former clubs.
“Mazzarri has given the team back its dimension, with combinations at a thousand-miles per hour, great players and the ability to solve problems from one moment to the next,” Ranieri said.
“We will have to play a great game and have to come in at our best right away, which we failed to do against Sassuolo.”
Ranieri told a press conference: “I hope the last victory will give us even more awareness, knowing that we have to be focused at all times to make up for any shortcomings we may show.
“If we all help each other and make a little effort to focus, then we will still improve.”
On Friday afternoon, Cagliari announced forward Eldor Shomurodov was set for a spell on the sidelines. Scans confirmed a fracture of the second metatarsal in his right foot following a “blunt trauma” sustained during training.
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