Nico de Boinville will miss Friday’s action at Sandown and the plum ride on Jonbon at Cheltenham on Saturday to give himself more time to fully recover from the broken collarbone he suffered in a fall at Doncaster last month.
The leading jockey returned from nearly a month on the sidelines at Lingfield last Sunday and has since taken up a total of 11 rides, including a winner at Warwick on Monday.
However, having suffered a narrow defeat aboard 11-8 favourite Ilfu Un Mome at Chepstow on Wednesday – his only ride on the card – De Boinville has made the difficult decision to withdraw from the upcoming action, meaning James Bowen will take over aboard Jonbon in Saturday’s Clarence House Chase.
“Nico was sore after yesterday, so he won’t be riding this weekend,” said De Boinville’s agent Sam Stronge.
“We’ll just take it day by day and see how it is next week. It’s unfortunate, we obviously tried to do our best as quickly as we could, and after riding for a couple of days he obviously wasn’t quite right.
“The sensible thing to do when you’ve got big rides like that (Jonbon) is to not let everybody down. It’s a very difficult decision, but we’ll take it day by day and hopefully he’ll be back next week.”
Novak Djokovic puts his 33-match unbeaten Australian Open run to the test against Jannik Sinner on Rod Laver Arena on Friday.
The world number one has not been beaten at Melbourne Park since a fourth-round loss to Chung Hyeon back in 2018, with only two opponents in the intervening six years managing to push him to five sets.
Djokovic appears to have recovered from the illness that was troubling him at the start of the fortnight, but was tested in a four-set quarter-final win over Taylor Fritz and, if anyone is going to end his streak, Sinner appears a prime candidate.
The 22-year-old beat Djokovic twice in successive weeks at the end of last season at the ATP Finals and Davis Cup, where he led Italy to the title, and is the only player in the men’s draw yet to drop a set.
“This is what I practise for, to play against the best players in the world,” said Sinner. “Obviously he has an incredible record here, so for me it’s a pleasure to play against him, especially in the final stages of the tournament where things are a little bit more interesting.
“I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be tough. This, I know. I will control the controllable, which is giving 100 per cent, having the right attitude, fighting for every ball. And then we see the outcome. More than this, I cannot do. It doesn’t really matter who my opponent is.”
Sinner reached his first slam semi-final at Wimbledon last summer but lost in straight sets to Djokovic, who is tantalisingly close to a record-breaking 25th major title.
This has not been one of his more straightforward paths through the draw in Melbourne, but his desire to continue racking up the biggest titles remains unquestionable.
“I’m aware of the streak that I’m on and the amount of matches that I have won in my career on the Rod Laver Arena,” said Djokovic.
“I don’t want to let that go. The longer the streak goes, the more that kind of confidence, also expectations, build, but also the willingness to really walk the extra mile.”
The second semi-final pits two very familiar opponents against each other in the shape of third seed Daniil Medvedev and sixth seed Alexander Zverev.
Medvedev is bidding to reach his third final at Melbourne Park in the last four years while Zverev crashed the top-four party by defeating Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday for his best victory at a slam.
Medvedev and Zverev, who are certainly not the best of friends, have played each other 18 times previously but strangely never at a slam.
Russian Medvedev leads the head-to-head 11-7 having won five of the six matches they played last season, but Zverev took time to get back to his best after a serious ankle injury.
“A lot of matches were extremely close,” said the German, who lost his only grand slam final at the US Open in 2020.
“A lot of the times it came down to him being extremely confident last year, him playing some of the best tennis of his life, and me coming back from injury and not having the confidence in deciding moments and not being able to finish matches.
“He’s obviously extremely difficult to play. No question about it. He’s one of the best players in the world right now. But I’m happy in the position I am, and I’m going to do everything I can to win that match on Friday.”
Nathan MacKinnon scored three of his four goals consecutively and added an assist and Mikko Rantanen had a goal and four assists to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 6-2 rout of the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.
MacKinnon’s first goal of the game at 2:39 of the second period extended Colorado’s lead to 2-0, and he made it 3-0 at the 7-minute mark. He notched his third goal of the game 2:16 later and completed his second four-goal game of the season with 3:46 remaining in the third period.
MacKinnon, who drew an assist on Rantanen’s third-period goal, leads the NHL with 82 points, two more than Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov.
The Avalanche superstar extended his home point streak to 24 games to break a tie with Joe Sakic for the franchise record. MacKinnon has 11 goals and 15 assists during an overall 12-game point streak.
Cale Makar set the franchise record for goals by a defenseman with his 76th and Colorado improved to 10-1-0 in its last 11 home games.
Canucks rally to extend point streak in OT loss
Pius Suter completed his hat trick with 52 seconds left in regulation and the Vancouver Canucks pushed their point streak to 10 games with a 4-3 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues.
Brayden Schenn scored the game-winner at 1:54 of overtime after Vancouver battled back from a 3-1 deficit in the third behind Suter’s two goals.
Jake Neighbours had a goal and an assist to help the Blues win their third straight.
Quinn Hughes had a pair of assists as the Canucks moved to 8-0-2 in their last 10 games and increased the league’s highest point total to 69.
Hurricanes cool Bruins with late goal
Jordan Martinook scored with 2 ½ minutes remaining and Spencer Martin made 26 saves to win his Hurricanes debut as Carolina ended the Boston Bruins’ six-game winning streak, 3-2.
Boston rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period on goals by Brad Marchand, but Martinook beat Linus Ullmark on a breakaway for the winner.
Martin Necas and Teuvo Teravainen also scored for the Hurricanes, who have won five straight road games.
Marchand’s goals gave him 395, tying him with Ray Bourque for fifth on the team’s all-time list. Bourque scored 395 of his 410 career goals with the Bruins.
On this day in 2008 six-time champion jockey Kieren Fallon was banned from racing for 18 months after testing positive for a banned substance.
He initially failed a test following Myboycharlie’s success in the Group One Darley Prix Morny the previous August.
A B-test sample confirmed the original positive test for a banned substance and France Galop imposed the ban.
Fallon had previously served a six-month suspension imposed by France Galop for testing positive for a metabolite of cocaine in June 2006.
Speaking about the ban, he told the Racing Post: “It’s not a tragedy, you know. Far from it.
“There’s no doubt I’ll bounce back. It’s very silly of people to talk of retirement. I’m young at heart and have many years left.
“I’ll use the duration of the ban to get back on track, and when I do come back I’ll be stronger, both mentally and physically.”
He immediately launched an appeal against the ban which was heard the following month and subsequently upheld.
Fallon returned to the sport in September 2009 and made his return to action at Lingfield.
Wales will go into the Guinness Six Nations with a new-look squad containing five international rookies and a 21-year-old captain.
But head coach Warren Gatland believes it is “incredibly exciting” as his players embark on the long road towards World Cup 2027 in Australia.
Although the last World Cup finished just four months ago, only 18 of that 33-strong squad feature for a Six Nations campaign that Wales kick off against Scotland before facing successive appointments away from home with England and Ireland.
The list of absentees is startling, highlighted by wing Louis Rees-Zammit’s career switch to American football, Dan Biggar and Leigh Halfpenny retiring from Test rugby and Liam Williams now playing in Japan.
There are tournament-ending injuries to the likes of World Cup co-captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake, plus number eight Taulupe Faletau, with France-based props Tomas Francis and Henry Thomas also missing out.
The uncapped contingent comprises Cardiff quartet Cameron Winnett, Evan Lloyd, Alex Mann and Mackenzie Martin, in addition to Bath prop Archie Griffin, while almost half the squad have eight caps or fewer.
It could well be a case of short-term pain leading to long-term gain for Wales, but Gatland is relishing what lies ahead.
“It is incredibly exciting,” said Gatland, who named Exeter lock Dafydd Jenkins as his skipper. “If you look at the squad we have got some talent, we’ve got some experience there from players we had with us at the World Cup.
“We have lost a lot of experience, but it is a new cycle for us to go through. We probably need a little bit of time and a little bit of patience from the Welsh public.
“I hope they can see that given some time together we can develop a squad over the next few years.
“I think this for us, looking at Wales having such a small group of players in terms of a Tier One nation, it is something that we need to plan and look at how we implement that plan over the next three or four years.
“Some of that is doing it right from the start. I think that despite all the negativity around Welsh rugby I think there are a lot of positives.
“There are a lot of negatives financially, but the financial challenges mean that we are giving opportunities to lots of youngsters that we may not have seen a few years ago, and for me that is a massive positive.
“We are not going to benefit in the short term, but I think that in the next three or four years we are going to benefit from us giving them those chances.
“Despite what people are talking about, the financial challenges, I see it differently as a real positive and a real chance for a reset in Welsh rugby that is going to put us in good stead over the next few years.”
With Biggar having departed the Test scene, considerable attention will focus on his fly-half successor – 22-year-old Sam Costelow – and his fellow squad number 10s Ioan Lloyd and Cai Evans.
Gatland added: “We are pleased with the progression of Sam in the time that he has been with us, but he has still got a little bit of learning.
“With Ioan it has probably been a little bit difficult for him over the last couple of seasons in terms of nailing down a position. He has played a lot of 10, he can cover 15 as well.
“The important thing for him is just to be playing regularly in one or two positions, and we are also thinking we can spend some time with Cai Evans in terms of giving him a little bit of time in that 10 position just to give us an option.”
Steve Borthwick feels that England supporters “deserve better” when it comes to performances and results in the Guinness Six Nations.
While England’s seven Six Nations titles put them top of the tree, the tally also gives a slightly distorted picture.
Three of those successes came during the competition’s first four seasons – and before England won the 2003 World Cup – and it has been a mere 20 per cent success-rate since then.
One title over the past six years underlines how tough England have found it and they have their work cut out again this time around, given the dominant form of Ireland and France.
“What has happened sometimes is England have been coming into the tournament and we are often talked about being favourites, and essentially England’s performance has not been anywhere near that level,” England head coach Borthwick said.
“The team knows that and the team wants to deliver better and the supporters deserve better.”
England will arrive in the competition after a third-place finish at the World Cup, an outcome that exceeded many expectations.
And the fixture schedule has been relatively kind as games against opening opponents Italy in Rome and Wales at Twickenham could see them generate early momentum.
But given it is then a Murrayfield appointment with Scotland, chasing four successive victories over England for the first time since 1972, then Ireland before a finale against France in Lyon, starting well is pretty much non-negotiable.
With World Cup captain Owen Farrell deciding to miss the Six Nations as he prioritises his and his family’s mental well-being, hooker Jamie George takes over as skipper.
Borthwick’s 36-strong squad includes seven uncapped players, headlined by 21-year-old Exeter wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, with only 17 survivors from the World Cup.
Experienced forwards Kyle Sinckler and Billy Vunipola missed out, while Courtney Lawes, Ben Youngs and Mako Vunipola retired from Test rugby, but approaching half the squad have each won 30 caps or more
Borthwick added: “I think you can see from my selections that I value the importance of having experience in there with younger, less experienced players and having that sort of support around them.
“I think that’s really important on the international stage. I think it is important at any level.
“You look at the effect Jamie George has in gluing the team together. It is just awesome. And I am delighted that we have got Joe Marler and his experience around the group, Dan Cole as well, just to mention a few.
“So I think getting that balance right with the experience and with these exciting players, younger players coming in is going to be really important.
“Our intent is to hit the ground running in Rome the way we want with the intensity that we want to, which is something that England have not done in recent years.
“At times, we have not jumped into this tournament and have been caught in that first game.
“We want this to be a different mindset for England, a different way of approaching the game and the tournament.
“We are taking a different approach because we need different results to previous tournaments.”
The Rugby World Cup done and dusted until 2027, attention now turns to this season’s Guinness Six Nations and a battle for European supremacy.
Ireland and France, who meet in the competition’s opening game, are favourites for silverware, while a host of new captains include England hooker Jamie George, Wales lock Dafydd Jenkins and Ireland flanker Peter O’Mahony.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some key talking points ahead of the tournament.
No Owen Farrell for new-look England
England will head into the Six Nations without their World Cup captain and fly-half Farrell, who has decided to miss the tournament in order to prioritise his and his family’s mental wellbeing.
Farrell’s Saracens colleague George takes over leadership duties, heading up a squad that includes Exeter pair Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Ethan Roots among seven uncapped players, but experienced forwards Kyle Sinckler and Billy Vunipola have been left out. Italy away and Wales at home suggests England should make an unbeaten start, but life then gets infinitely tougher with Scotland at Murrayfield being followed by Ireland on home soil and France in Lyon.
The World Cup bronze medallists have their work cut out to shake up principal title contenders Ireland and France, but with players like Alex Mitchell, Henry Slade and Tommy Freeman in blistering form for their clubs, Steve Borthwick’s men could make a strong impression if everything clicks.
Big boots to fill for Ireland’s fly-halves
Andy Farrell’s approach with reigning Grand Slam champions Ireland is very much evolution, not revolution following 29 wins from their last 32 fixtures. Farrell has retained 26 of the 33 players he took to the World Cup, with the alterations all enforced due to injuries and retirements.
Yet the major transition facing Farrell is undoubtedly in the most influential position. Johnny Sexton’s departure has left a void at fly-half and is expected to result in Munster’s Jack Crowley being elevated to first choice. The exciting 24-year-old has impressed when selected, but just three of his nine Test outings have come as a starter.
With Ross Byrne out due to an arm issue, Crowley’s rivals – Ciaran Frawley and Harry Byrne – also lack international experience, having won only three caps combined.
All change for Warren Gatland’s Wales
Wales’ player turnaround from World Cup to Six Nations is considerable. International retirements, injuries, unavailability and selection calls mean that head coach Gatland will go into the tournament without 15 of his squad that were on duty in France.
They will be minus the services of players like NFL hopeful Louis Rees-Zammit, Liam Williams, Dan Biggar, Dewi Lake, Tomas Francis, Jac Morgan and Taulupe Faletau, with Gatland’s group including five uncapped players.
Wales kick off against Scotland in Cardiff, before successive appointments with England, Ireland and France. Gatland frequently weaves his magic and Wales often punch above their weight, but it will be a tall order for them this time around.
Scots need to banish World Cup blues
Scotland are in need of an uplifting Six Nations campaign after having the wind removed from their sails by a deflating World Cup pool-stage exit. The recently-retired Stuart Hogg is the only notable absentee from the side that generally performed well in last year’s championship, finishing as best of the rest behind the big two of Ireland and France.
Most of their pre-tournament injury concerns have cleared up, so they have the personnel to compete strongly, particularly with back quartet Blair Kinghorn, Ben White, Finn Russell and Ali Price all thriving after their recent moves to Toulouse, Toulon, Bath and Edinburgh respectively.
In a tournament where a strong start is often so crucial, much will depend on whether Gregor Townsend’s side can get off on the right foot against Wales in Cardiff, a city in which the Scots have not tasted victory for more than two decades.
Absent friends have left fond memories
While inevitable excitement surrounds the 2024 Six Nations tournament, it will unfold with some notable names missing, highlighted by France World Cup captain Antoine Dupont.
The Toulouse scrum-half will not be part of Les Bleus’ campaign after deciding to push for selection in France’s sevens squad for the Paris Olympics. Dupont is likely to take part in two World Series tournaments while the Six Nations happens, with Maxime Lucu favourite to replace him in the number nine shirt. La Rochelle number eight Gregory Alldritt is the new skipper.
Dupont’s fellow former world player of the year Sexton has retired, with another high-profile playmaker – Wales number 10 Biggar – stepping away from Test rugby, in addition to vastly-experienced England trio Courtney Lawes, Ben Youngs and Mako Vunipola.
Top referees Wayne Barnes and Jaco Peyper, meanwhile, have blown the whistle on their careers, and there will also be no Stade de France on this year’s Six Nations schedule as it is being prepared for the Olympics. France’s home games will take place in Marseille, Lille and Lyon.
Ireland begin the Guinness Six Nations as reigning Grand Slam champions but on the back of familiar World Cup quarter-final disappointment.
Head coach Andy Farrell has kept faith with 26 of the 33 players who ultimately suffered a last-eight defeat to New Zealand in France less than four months ago as he opts for evolution over revolution.
The Englishman, whose squad alterations are enforced by retirements, including that of former captain Johnny Sexton, and injuries, believes “completely cutting the legs off” a system which previously brought sustained success would be detrimental.
He has appointed veteran Munster flanker Peter O’Mahony as his new skipper and is very much focused on immediate challenges, rather than the next World Cup cycle as a whole.
“I was unbelievably proud how we connected with our fans and did it together (at the World Cup) – that for me continues with how we get back on the horse,” said the 2023 World Rugby coach of the year.
“What I’m talking about is being proud of how we go about our business to want to keep evolving our game. The journey continues.
“I think completely cutting the legs off something and starting again can damage not just the team but the individuals within that.
“Dealing with the here and now and the medium term is pretty important to be able to get to the long term in good shape, in my opinion.
“I could be wrong but that’s my experience of it over the years.”
Ireland once again failed to win a World Cup knockout match, suffering a fourth quarter-final elimination in a row and an eighth overall.
Yet they have been victorious in 29 of their last 32 Tests, including a historic tour triumph over the All Blacks in 2022, and spent a prolonged period at the top of the world rankings.
While Farrell plans to build on existing foundations, he is eager to keep generating competition for places and ensure players do not become complacent.
“I think the best thing you can do for the squad as a coach is stay open minded because if you’re fixed on (selection decisions) then people tend to get downhearted or too comfortable,” said the new British and Irish Lions head coach.
“The pressure that they put on each other is the main thing really because ultimately all you’re trying to do as a professional is get the respect of your peers.”
Ireland’s title defence begins on February 2 against France in Marseille.
The major transition facing Farrell is undoubtedly in the most influential position following the departure of talismanic fly-half Sexton.
Munster’s Jack Crowley, who has started just three of his nine Test appearances, is expected to begin as first-choice number 10, with Leinster pair Harry Byrne and Ciaran Frawley, who have only three caps combined, as understudies.
The injury absence of Connacht wing Mack Hansen is a major blow, while front-row forwards Rob Herring and Dave Kilcoyne, fly-half Ross Byrne and versatile back Jimmy O’Brien are also sidelined.
Captain O’Mahony has urged the squad to learn from the World Cup exit at the hands of the All Blacks.
“All the good that we did last year, that’s not gone, far from it,” said the 34-year-old.
“You’ve got a decision to make, do you want that game to make you better? Or do you want to leave it hanging over you?
“Of course we’re going to grab it and be better for it and getting ahead of the game is where you have to be to be competing for championships, which is exactly what we want to do.”
It is difficult to look beyond Ireland and France as the principal contenders for this season’s Guinness Six Nations title.
The tournament’s most eagerly-awaited opener for years will unfold between the main two teams on a Friday night in Marseille – and everyone else could be playing catch-up from day one.
There will undoubtedly be many twists and turns along the way, but whichever team triumphs at Stade Velodrome can expect to be nailed on as Six Nations favourites.
In many ways, it should be no surprise given that Ireland are ranked second on World Rugby’s official rankings and France fourth, while Les Bleus won a Grand Slam in 2022 and Ireland replicated the feat last year.
Both teams will also be driven by memories of crushing World Cup disappointment. Backed in many quarters as possible winners, they made quarter-final exits with Ireland losing to New Zealand and France being toppled by South Africa.
Their recent dominance of European rugby cannot be understated, although the bid for silverware this time around takes place without talismanic figures.
Ireland no longer have imperious fly-half Johnny Sexton at the helm following his post-World Cup retirement, and his fellow former world player of the year – genial France scrum-half Antoine Dupont – is playing sevens in pursuit of a Paris Olympics dream.
Both absences will inevitably be felt, yet there is still comfortably sufficient squad depth for Ireland and France to remain a good furlong or two clear of the field.
They are not the only nations dealing with key losses, as retirements, injuries and tales of the unexpected have taken centre stage.
The pre-Six Nations headlines were dominated by Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit’s shock decision to quit rugby and target a career in American football.
It all unfolded during a frantic hour ahead of Wales head coach Warren Gatland’s Six Nations squad announcement, and Rees-Zammit was added to a list of absentees that included Test rugby retirees Dan Biggar and Leigh Halfpenny, Liam Williams, who is now based in Japan, and an injured trio of Taulupe Faletau, Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake.
England knew in late November that their World Cup skipper Owen Farrell would miss the Six Nations, having opted to take an international break as he prioritised his and his family’s mental wellbeing.
The Saracens fly-half has subsequently signed for French club Racing 92 on a two-year deal from July, which will extend his spell away from Test rugby as Rugby Football Union rules prevents players plying their trade abroad playing for England.
Outside of Farrell’s situation, Courtney Lawes, Ben Youngs and Mako Vunipola – more than 300 England caps between them – have left the international stage, but a crop of exciting newcomers include Exeter wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Northampton fly-half Fin Smith and Sale’s Tom Roebuck.
England appear best-equipped to head the chasing pack, but like Wales and Scotland, who meet on the opening weekend in Cardiff, they will need to start strongly in a competition where momentum is key.
Italy, meanwhile, face a tall order to avoid finishing bottom of the pile for a ninth successive campaign, although they have a new head coach in Gonzalo Quesada and leading Italian club Benetton, who contribute 17 players in the national squad, have won seven out of nine United Rugby Championship games this season and hold second spot.
Giannis Antetokounmpo notched his third triple-double in four games and the Milwaukee Bucks ended the Cleveland Cavaliers’ eight-game winning streak Wednesday with a 126-116 victory in their first game since the firing of coach Adrian Griffin.
Antetokounmpo had 35 points, a season high-tying 18 rebounds and 10 assists for his seventh triple-double this season. He came up one assist shy of having four consecutive triple-doubles after he had 31 points, 10 boards and nine assists in Saturday’s win at Detroit.
Joe Prunty served as Milwaukee’s interim head coach after Griffin was fired on Tuesday despite the Bucks leading the Central Division with a 30-13 record. The team was finalising negotiations with Doc Rivers to take over.
Damian Lillard added 28 points and Khris Middleton had 24 for the Bucks, winners of six of seven.
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 23 points and Jarrett Allen had 21 and 12 assists.
Booker scores 46 for streaking Suns
Devin Booker scored 22 of his 46 points in the third quarter and the Phoenix Suns won their seventh straight game, 132-109 over the Dallas Mavericks.
Bradley Beal had 20 points and Kevin Durant added 12 and 10 rebounds as Phoenix matched its longest win streak of the season by turning a 16-point deficit in the second quarter into a 22-point lead after outscoring Dallas 43-20 in the third.
Luka Dončić tallied 34 points, eight rebounds and nine assists but didn’t get much help with All-Star sidekick Kyrie Irving out with a right thumb sprain.
Gilgeous-Alexander keeps Thunder hot
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 32 points, 10 assists and six rebounds as the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled away for their fourth straight win, 140-114 over the San Antonio Spurs.
Aaron Wiggins scored 22 points and Chet Holmgren added 17 and nine rebounds as the Thunder remained tied with Minnesota atop the Northwest Division.
Victor Wembanyama had 24 points and 12 rebounds as the Spurs rookie faced off against Holmgren in a matchup of two of the top contenders for Rookie of the Year.
Taiwan’s Kevin Yu fired eight birdies as he took a one-shot lead after the first round of The Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego.
Yu carded a bogey-free 64 on the North Course at Torrey Pines, a birdie at the last edging him ahead of America’s Patrick Cantlay and Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune.
Ireland’s Shane Lowry and England’s Aaron Rai are among a group a further shot back after opening 66s, along with former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, Germany’s Thomas Detry and Alejandro Tosti of Argentina.
Nicolai Hojgaard, who finished seventh at the Dubai Desert Classic, and America’s Nick Hardy were the best of those who started on the more difficult South Course – their 67s leaving them amid a large group on five-under-par.
Hojgaard’s first start as a full-time member of the PGA Tour came despite jetlag and just nine holes on the North Course in practice.
“You’ve got to try to find a way,” the Danish Ryder Cup star told the PGA Tour website. “I’ll just push myself until we feel like the jetlag’s gone.”
“I think sometimes you can take advantage of not knowing the golf course and you’re just thinking about your execution. I felt like that was the only thing I was doing today.”
Jim Harbaugh wants to win the Super Bowl.
He can't win one coaching in the college ranks.
Harbaugh will reportedly become the next coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, leaving Michigan just over two weeks after leading his alma mater to the NCAA national championship.
The 60-year-old had his second interview with the Chargers on Wednesday and the two sides agreed to a contract, according to multiple sources.
Harbaugh, who played for the Chargers in 1999 and 2000, takes over for a Los Angeles team that fired Brandon Staley on December 15, a day after the Chargers were crushed 63-21 by the Las Vegas Raiders.
Harbaugh was one of the hottest names for a possible head coaching job after many speculated he was looking for a new challenge after achieving the highest level of success at the college ranks.
This will be his second stint coaching in the NFL after he was in charge of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-2014. In those four seasons, he led the 49ers to three play-off berths, two conference title games and an appearance in the 2012 Super Bowl, where he lost to the Baltimore Ravens, coached by his brother, John.
The Chargers, meanwhile, have only made the play-offs three times in the last 14 seasons, and haven't won the AFC West since 2009.
Harbaugh, who spent the last eight years at Michigan, where he went 86-25, will get to coach one of the NFL's top young quarterbacks in Justin Herbert.
Herbert helped the Chargers to a 10-7 record and play-off berth in 2022, but he broke a finger on his throwing hand late this past season and the team stumbled to a 5-12 finish.
Draymond Green's disciplinary issues this season have played a part in him missing out on selection for the Paris Olympics, so says Team USA chief Grant Hill.
Green, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, has not made the 41-man list, which was unveiled on Tuesday.
LeBron James, Stephen Curry and reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid all featured on the list, which will be whittled down to a 12-man roster ahead of the Olympics, which take place in July and August in the French capital.
But Golden State Warriors power forward Green, who helped Team USA triumph in 2016 and 2021, will not feature at another Games, with executive director Hill claiming the two suspensions the NBA has handed the 33-year-old's way in recent months have swayed that decision.
Having served a five-game suspension in November for grappling with Rudy Gobert, Green then missed a further 12 games after striking the head of Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic.
"His contributions have been significant, and he is a real part of the legacy of this organisation for his excellence," Hill said of Green.
"But I think just in lieu of sort of what's transpired this year, we made a decision to not have [Green] on this list with this particular point in time with the process."
Warriors coach Steve Kerr is set to take charge of Team USA at the Paris Games.
Finn Russell believes his appointment as Scotland co-captain is testament to the newfound harmony he and head coach Gregor Townsend have found following a fractious past.
The 31-year-old was named in the role on Sunday, along with back-rower Rory Darge, ahead of the upcoming Guinness Six Nations.
Russell being handed such a responsibility was particularly notable given he and Townsend have had a strained relationship at times, with the stand-off admitting there is no way he would have been considered for skipper duties back in 2020.
Four years ago, the pair had a well-documented fall-out when the fly-half left the squad ahead of the Six Nations after being disciplined for failing to turn up for training following a drinking session.
And then in 2022, Russell’s Scotland career looked in jeopardy once more when – in the wake of another unauthorised night out during the Six Nations earlier that year – he was surprisingly omitted from the squad for the autumn tests.
Russell and Townsend held clear-the-air talks midway through that series 15 months ago which led to a recall and they have managed to get themselves “on the same page” since then, culminating in the head coach choosing the Bath number 10 to lead the Scots into the Six Nations after opting to relieve Jamie Ritchie of the captaincy.
“I think 2020 would have been the closest to that,” Russell said when asked on Wednesday if he ever thought his Scotland career was over.
“I was still young enough then that I wouldn’t have said I’d have been done (with Scotland), but with the relationship me and Gregor had, it was potentially tough at the time to see a way back for both of us but I think it shows how well we’ve both dealt with it since then.
“At the time it wasn’t great for either side but it shows both our characters that we’ve managed to get over that to where we are now. Going back to 2020, you wouldn’t have picked me as captain three or four years later, would you?
“It shows how we’ve both changed and adapted off the back of that situation. These things happen in high-pressure environments when things are potentially not going as planned.
“A bust-up happened, that’s kind of all it was, but six months later we were back on good enough terms that I then came back that November.
“And then in 2022, there was another slight fall-out again I suppose, but then I came back again in the November and we were both back on the same page. It’s been great since then, that’s all in the past. It’s not something me and Gregor talk about much.”
Having put their stormy past behind them, Russell feels the fact he and Townsend have forged a genuinely strong bond can help Scotland prosper.
“I’d say our relationship is the best it’s ever been,” he said. “It’s much more relaxed now actually, if that makes sense.
“It’s still a player-coach relationship but it feels more relaxed and open than that in terms of just blethering away, whether it’s rugby stuff or just chatting about off-field things.
“I think the relationship between me and Gregor is in a great position right now for us to ideally drive the team on to a title.”
Paul Townend hit back with a treble of his own at Fairyhouse in his effort to keep tabs on Jack Kennedy in the battle to be champion jockey.
Kennedy moved 19 clear with a four-timer at Down Royal on Tuesday but just 24 hours later that was back down to 16, as Townend partnered three of his boss Willie Mullins’ four winners at the rescheduled meeting.
Spread Boss Ted (2-5 favourite) had to be ridden right out to justify cramped odds in the Easter Festival March 30th – April 1st Novice Hurdle, in which Kennedy’s mount Binge Worthy was a bitter disappointment and finished a tailed off last of four.
“I went out to settle him and thought I was after doing too good of a job at halfway!” said Townend.
Spindleberry (5-2) looked the Mullins second string in the HAY “How Are Ya” Campaign Mares Maiden Hurdle behind the Mark Walsh-ridden Jolie Coeur Allen but she was an impressive winner, with the favourite only third.
“Coming off a break, that will knock the freshness out of her and she showed a very willing attitude to stay going after being as keen as she was for the first mile of the race,” said Townend.
“She’s lightly-raced too and only had one run in a bumper, so I think she’ll improve away.”
O’Moore Park (8-11 favourite) brought up Townend’s treble with a nine-length win in the Fairyhouse Supporting Treo Eile Maiden Hurdle.
Townend said: “He benefitted from the run the last day, which knocked the freshness out of him and brought him on.
“He’s a chaser – he’s no respect for a hurdle when he meets one wrong.
“On that ground, to pick up like he did when I gave him a squeeze at the back of the last was nice. He’s progressing away and is going to be a chaser.
“I think he can go further.”
Walsh did get on the scoresheet himself when Mirazur West (8-11 favourite), a full-brother to high-class-but-fragile stablemate Ferny Hollow, won the Easter Festival Early Bird Maiden Hurdle.
There was a sad postscript to the race, with Gordon Elliott’s D B Cooper, the winner’s main market rival, suffering a fatal injury.
Mirazur West was left unchanged at 14-1 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle by Paddy Power and Betfair.
“He’s still learning and settled a lot better today than he did in Leopardstown,” said Walsh.
“He’s well able to jump, there is no issue with that anyway, it’s just keeping him relaxed.
“I only found out when I pulled up that Jack’s horse had gone wrong. It takes away from the race and is very unfortunate.”
Doc Rivers has agreed to become the next head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday.
The report comes one day after the Bucks surprisingly fired first-year head coach Adrian Griffin with Milwaukee sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 30-13 record.
Rivers has been serving as an analyst for ESPN after being fired by the Philadelphia 76ers last May.
Rivers ranks ninth all-time in NBA history with 1,097 coaching victories in the regular season and fourth with 111 play-off wins.
He led the Boston Celtics to the NBA title in 2008 and back to the Finals in 2010.
The Bucks fired Mike Budenholzer last offseason after a first-round play-off exit and turned to Griffin, who had been an assistant coach in the NBA since 2008.
Milwaukee, though, has been criticised for its lacklustre defence this season.
The Bucks are allowing 120.5 points per game after giving up 113.3 points a contest in 2022-23. That decline of 7.2 points per game is the second largest in the league this season.
Dafydd Jenkins has admitted he was left shaking after the phone call from Warren Gatland that elevated him to lofty heights as Wales’ youngest captain for 56 years.
The 21-year-old Exeter lock is set to lead his country against opening Guinness Six Nations opponents Scotland on Saturday week.
Not since a 20-year-old Gareth Edwards skippered Wales for the first time – also against Scotland in Cardiff – during the 1968 Five Nations, has there been such a youthful captain.
Jenkins, though, already has plenty of experience having first captained Exeter at 19 and this season steered them into Gallagher Premiership title contention and the Investec Champions Cup knockout phase.
Recalling the moment that he described as “a dream come true”, Jenkins said: “I was in Exeter, at the club and I had a call from a number I didn’t have (in his phone), and Gats obviously said who it was.
“So you’re just going along with it, really. I was not too sure it was actually him or one of the boys playing a prank.
“So I spoke to him and I was pretty convinced it was him, coming off the call.
“After I put the phone down a few of the boys around me were asking me who it was. I was shaking afterwards. It was class.
“I had it (Gatland’s number) on WhatsApp and we have a few other Welsh boys at Exeter like Joe Hawkins, so I compared the number with him.”
Recent Wales captains Jac Morgan, Dewi Lake and Ken Owens were soon in touch to offer congratulations, along with former Wales and British and Irish Lions skipper Sam Warburton.
Jenkins’ father Hywel was an outstanding back-row forward who gained Wales A recognition at representative level, while his grandfather played in the same Wales schoolboys side as Edwards.
“My mum’s dad played in the same team as Gareth Edwards – Welsh schoolboys – and went on to play for Aberavon. My father played for Llanelli,” he added.
“I like trying to lead by example on the field and around the training pitch. Obviously, the nines and 10s are great talkers and there are other leaders within the team, so I just try to do my bit on the pitch and hopefully people follow.
“I think you try and lead with your actions. There is no point telling other people what to do when you are not doing it yourself.”
Jenkins has just 12 caps to his name and he features in a highly-competitive second-row area with the likes of Will Rowlands and Adam Beard.
But Gatland has seen the same qualities in him as Exeter rugby director Rob Baxter, handing him the top playing job in Welsh rugby job barely a month after his 21st birthday.
He will take a charge of an inexperienced squad – almost half the 34-strong group have cap totals in single figures – while Wales’ Six Nations prospects have been dismissed by many, especially given the absence of players like Morgan, Lake, Taulupe Faletau, Dan Biggar, Liam Williams and Louis Rees-Zammit.
“I think a lot of people have written us off already, which is a dangerous thing to do with us,” Jenkins said.
“Obviously, with the young squad, they wouldn’t be in there if they weren’t talented enough and if Gats didn’t think they could do a job.
“I think a lot of people are underestimating what this team can do. They have in the past, and as a country we have proven people wrong time and time again.”
Wales, meanwhile, have eased any fears surrounding centre George North, who suffered a shoulder injury during Ospreys’ European Challenge Cup victory over the Lions in Johannesburg on Sunday.
Wales assistant coach Neil Jenkins said: “George is going to be alright. He might do a little bit this afternoon, but hopefully he will be able to train (on) Friday.”
French star Theleme has been ruled out of the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Trained by Arnaud Chaille-Chaille and owned by the Leeds-based Gordon family, the seven-year-old was being prepared for a crack at the Festival’s day three feature having dominated over the smaller obstacles in his homeland.
The seven-year-old has struck Grade One gold five times in France, including victory in last year’s French Champion Hurdle and successive wins in the Grand Prix d’Automne at Auteuil.
He was due to appear on the Flat next month to add the finishing touches to his Festival preparations, but will now not make the trip to the Cotswolds.
On having to sit out the action at Prestbury Park, Bertand Le Metayer, the owners’ racing manager, said: “It is disappointing, but that is what racing is all about, you have ups and downs.”
Carlos Alcaraz insisted he was happy with his Australian Open efforts despite falling to a quarter-final loss against Alexander Zverev.
The Wimbledon champion had been in excellent form in Melbourne and threatened a comeback after a slow start but it was Zverev who moved through to the last four thanks to a 6-1 6-3 6-7 (2) 6-4 victory clinched at 1.19am.
In his seventh grand slam semi-final, Zverev will take on third seed Daniil Medvedev, who earlier battled past Hubert Hurkacz in five sets.
Alcaraz was heavily fancied to make it an all top-four semi-final line-up but he looked very tight at the start and Zverev took full advantage, barely missing a first serve and striking his groundstrokes with power and precision.
The German has faced a lot of off-court scrutiny regarding his forthcoming domestic abuse trial – he denies the allegations – but his ability as a tennis player is unquestionable.
Alcaraz briefly rallied in the second set but he was staring at defeat inside two hours when Zverev served for victory at 5-3 in the third.
The Spaniard was not done yet, finally breaking the Zverev serve and then playing a sublime tie-break, but ultimately there were too many errors from his racket.
This was Alcaraz’s best run in Melbourne, and he said: “It has been a good tournament for me, making quarter-finals, playing good tennis.
“I’m sad with my level today, because I have been playing good tennis, the round before this one with a lot of confidence. Serving pretty well.
“But in general I leave the tournament happy. Forgetting about today’s level. Obviously quarter-final of a grand slam is good. It’s not what I’m looking for, but it’s not bad.
“It’s a shame that I started the match like the way that I did and ending the way that I did. But it’s tennis.”
Alcaraz played down the impact of being without his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, who is back in Spain recovering from knee surgery.
“It didn’t affect (me) at all,” said the 20-year-old. “As I said, I was playing great tennis without him. I had Samuel (Lopez), that is a pretty good coach as well. I trust him 100 per cent.”
Zverev, who lost his only grand slam final to Dominic Thiem at the US Open in 2020, received treatment for blisters on his foot at the end of the third set but rallied well, helped by a phenomenal serving display.
“When you’re up 6-1 6-3 5-2, you start thinking,” said the sixth seed, for whom this was a first win over a top-five opponent at a grand slam.
“It’s not always helpful but I’m happy I got there in the end. I fought back quite well in the fourth set.”
Earlier, Medvedev struggled in the heat of the day against ninth seed Hurkacz, who was looking to make the last four at a grand slam for only the second time.
The Pole twice fought back from a set down but Medvedev came out on top 7-6 (4) 2-6 6-3 5-7 6-4 after three hours and 59 minutes.
The Russian finished it off with a drop shot before blowing kisses towards his box.
Medvedev will now try to reach the final for the third time in four years, and he said: “I’m so destroyed right now. I was feeling very tired physically at the end of the second set already.
“In the fourth set, he played good, I wasn’t beating myself up. I had no more concentration, I thought, ‘I just have to try my best to do whatever I can. If I lose, I lose and I go home. It’s OK’.
“I’m happy that like this I managed to win and I really liked the match point.”
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