Lewis Hamilton is facing a second investigation by Formula One’s governing body for walking across the track at last weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix.
Hamilton, 38, was fined £43,350 – half of which is suspended for the remainder of the season – in the hours after the race in which he crossed the circuit following a first-corner crash with Mercedes team-mate George Russell.
But seven days on from the incident in Lusail, and in a largely unprecedented move, the FIA has said Hamilton’s actions are again under review.
A spokesperson for the governing body said on Sunday: “The FIA is revisiting the incident in which Lewis Hamilton crossed a live track during the Qatar Grand Prix.
“The FIA notes that Lewis was apologetic during the subsequent stewards’ hearing into the incident and acknowledged that the crossing was a serious safety breach.
“However, in view of his role model status, the FIA is concerned about the impression his actions may have created on younger drivers.”
Following the original investigation, in which Hamilton was also reprimanded, the stewards noted that “crossing a live track can cause extremely dangerous situations and the drivers have to be very cautious about it.”
It is thought that under the FIA’s rules, it is unlikely Hamilton will face additional penalties. But it is possible harsher punishments could be handed out in the future for a similar infringement.
Hamilton will be back in action at next weekend’s US Grand Prix in Austin.
Tears were always likely when the end eventually came for the retiring Johnny Sexton.
In a city synonymous with love, art and literature, the thrilling final chapter in the career of one of rugby’s finest creative talents was written.
The storyline – 14 years in the making – was packed with drama and emotion but finished abruptly with a lack of romance and the absence of a fairytale finale.
“It’s small margins and that’s sport,” said Ireland captain Sexton in the aftermath of Saturday evening’s agonising 28-24 loss to New Zealand.
“That’s life. It’s gutting, isn’t it?”
Sexton heads into retirement as arguably his country’s greatest player.
Yet he does so without realising his dream of becoming a world champion following the heartbreak of an all-too-familiar quarter-final elimination on the biggest stage.
The 38-year-old stood hands on hips, head bowed on the Stade de France touchline at the full-time whistle after his fourth such World Cup exit – his nation’s eighth.
Paris, where the influential fly-half spent two seasons with Racing 92 between trophy-laden spells with Leinster, was always destined to provide the backdrop for his last act.
Following successful sojourns in Bordeaux and Nantes, Ireland headed to Saint-Denis for the remainder of their 2023 World Cup fixtures – a minimum of two, a maximum of five.
The formidable All Blacks ensured it would only be three.
Sexton bid adieu by weeping in front of the watching world amid comforting words from his son Luca.
The 2018 world player of the year’s record-breaking Ireland career began against Fiji back in 2009 and brought 118 caps and 1,108 points.
His final months as a professional proved to be a gripping roller-coaster ride which, at times, appeared in danger of derailment.
Multiple injuries and a much-publicised suspension saga had to be overcome en route to France.
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Sexton was appointed Ireland skipper in the ashes of the last World Cup, which also ended with a last-eight loss to New Zealand, with some pundits and ex-players suggesting he was already past his best.
But the relentless taskmaster with a fiercely-competitive nature and a penchant for rubbing up opponents the wrong way had other ideas.
Following a slightly rocky start to his captaincy during the disruption of the coronavirus pandemic, he and the team flourished under the masterful man-management of Andy Farrell.
The summer of 2021 was perhaps a pivotal period.
Sexton – a two-time British and Irish Lion tourist, in 2013 and 2017 – was snubbed by Warren Gatland for the series in South Africa and later confessed it “hurt like hell”.
However, Ireland almost certainly benefited from that setback as the fired-up out-half instead enjoyed time off before returning revitalised.
He guided his country to a Six Nations Triple Crown in 2022 followed by a landmark series success in New Zealand, which propelled Ireland to the top of the global rankings, launched a 17-match winning streak, and led to his third nomination for world player of the year.
Sexton missed out on the award to team-mate Josh van der Flier but continued his renaissance by steering Ireland to a first Grand Slam triumph clinched in Dublin, sealed by a 29-16 win over England.
“It’s unbelievably fitting that in my opinion the best player ever to play for Ireland is able to sign off on a Grand Slam, on St Patrick’s Day, in front of his own crowd,” said head coach Farrell.
Sexton limped from the field that milestone day in what proved to be his final appearance on home soil.
England were always meant to be the opposition for his Aviva Stadium farewell – it just happened five months earlier than anticipated.
Fast-forward to August and the fit-again Sexton was forced to watch from the stands as Ireland defeated Steve Borthwick’s side in a World Cup warm-up fixture.
His three-match ban – punishment for “confrontational and aggressive” behaviour towards referee Jaco Peyper after Leinster’s last-gasp Heineken Champions Cup final loss to La Rochelle – was made more painful by nine-year-old Luca being a team mascot.
Sexton was sidelined for 175 days in total but demonstrated the no-excuses mentality so often championed by Farrell by seamlessly slotting back in at the start of his swansong tournament.
He became his country’s oldest international and leading World Cup scorer with a 24-point haul in the opening win over Romania before a week later taking the overall points record from long-time number 10 rival Ronan O’Gara in the triumph over Tonga.
Electrifying Paris victories against South Africa and Scotland, saluted with rousing renditions of the team’s World Cup anthem – ‘Zombie’ by The Cranberries – from tens of thousands of travelling fans, fuelled hope this could be Ireland’s year.
But the dream was crushed by the three-time world champions, leaving a despondent Sexton to hang up his boots amid a cocktail of emotions.
“Everyone runs into camp and never wants to leave – it’s an incredible place to be and that’s what I’ll miss the most,” he said of the environment fostered by Farrell.
Whether Sexton is foremost in the pantheon of Ireland’s all-time greats remains subjective.
That he leaves a lasting legacy and a void which will be extremely difficult to fill is undeniable.
Saeed bin Suroor secured his 500th Group-race winner as his 1000 Guineas heroine Mawj returned to action with a victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland.
Not sighted since beating Tahiyra at Newmarket, the diminutive filly showed she is still a force to be reckoned with and a Breeders’ Cup bid now beckons.
Making all the running under Oisin Murphy in the nine-furlong contest, she could either take on the boys in the Mile or step up to 10 furlongs for the Filly & Mare Turf.
Bin Suroor said: “Thank God. This is great (for me) to win 500 (Grade and) Group (races) and a Group One with the filly Mawj, a classic winner. To come to America, to Keeneland, to win is a great result for everybody.
“It looks to me she has plenty of speed as a miler and she made it today nine furlongs. But we’ll see. The mile might be the best for her, sure, but I want to decide closer to the race.”
Murphy said: “Saeed was delighted with her work at home and he asked me to sit on her last week just before she flew (to America) and she felt brilliant. She felt back to her best.
“We did quite quick sections in the first half of the race, but she is a superstar filly. She found plenty. She’s got a great heart and mind.
“I’m delighted to win for Godolphin and Saeed here; it’s his 500th Group winner, so for me to ride it for him means the world.”
PA SPORT BIRTHDAYS
Bob Cottam (cricket) – former England bowler and later bowling coach, also played for Hampshire and Northamptonshire, born 1944.
Terry Griffiths (snooker) – Wales’ 1979 world champion, born 1947.
David Unsworth (soccer) – former Everton defender and caretaker manager, who won one cap for England, born 1973.
Jacques Kallis (cricket) – former South Africa all-rounder who scored 13,289 runs and took 292 wickets in 166 Tests, born 1975.
Craig Pickering (athletics) – British sprinter who turned to bobsleigh, born 1986.
Dan Biggar (rugby union) – Former Wales and Northampton fly-half, born 1989.
Charles Leclerc (Formula One) – Ferrari driver from Monaco, born 1997.
Naomi Osaka (tennis) – two-time winner of the Australian Open and US Open from Japan, born 1997.
Zak Skinner (Paralympics) – competed for Great Britain in the 100m and long jump in the T13 classification at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, born 1998.
ON THIS DAY IN SPORT
1920: Jockey Gordon Richards had his first ride at Lingfield Park. In a 21,843-race career that lasted until 1954, he won a record 4,870 races – 14 of them Classics. Richards was champion jockey 26 times.
1968: Britain’s Lillian Board lost the Olympic 400 metres final by a narrow margin to France’s Colette Besson, and US sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos gave their ‘Black Power’ salute on the winners’ rostrum.
2001: Liverpool beat Dynamo Kiev 2-1 in a Champions League encounter in Ukraine just days after manager Gerard Houllier was rushed into hospital to undergo heart surgery.
2006: International Cricket Council chief executive Malcolm Speed confirmed Pakistan had withdrawn fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif from their squad for the ICC Champions Trophy following positive drug tests.
2011: English driver Dan Wheldon, 33, was killed in a crash at the Las Vegas Indy 300.
2014: Former France, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham defender William Gallas retired at the age of 37.
2016: Munster head coach Anthony Foley, 42, died at the team hotel in Paris before their European Champions Cup tie against Racing 92.
2018: Wales beat the Republic of Ireland 1-0 in their Nations League match in Dublin.
PA SPORT SELECTIVE TV LISTINGS
Today (Monday, October 16)
SOCCER: Euro 2024 qualifier, Gibraltar v Republic of Ireland – Viaplay Sports 1 1935.
CRICKET: World Cup, Australia v Sri Lanka – Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Cricket 0900.
GRIDIRON: NFL, Los Angeles Chargers v Dallas Cowboys – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports NFL and Channel 5 0100 (Tues).
BASEBALL: MLB, Texas Rangers v Houston Astros – TNT Sports 1 2100, Arizona Diamondbacks v Philadelphia Phillies – TNT Sports 2 0030 (Tues).
Tomorrow (Tuesday, October 17)
CRICKET: World Cup, South Africa v The Netherlands – Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Cricket 0900.
SOCCER: Euro 2024 qualifier, England v Italy – Channel 4 1900, Northern Ireland v Slovenia – Viaplay Sports 2 1915; International friendly, France v Scotland – Viaplay Sports 1 1930.
BASEBALL: MLB, Arizona Diamondbacks v Philadelphia Phillies – TNT Sports 2 0000 (Wed).
PA SPORT QUIZ
1. How many men’s Rugby World Cup tournaments have New Zealand won?
2. Where will the women’s football European Championships be held in 2025?
3. Who scored the only try of the game for Wigan Warriors to beat Catalan Dragons in this year’s Super League Grand Final?
4. In which city is the US Grand Prix currently held?
5. Who won the first Super Bowl in 1967?
6. Who is currently number one in the WTA rankings?
7. Which side won the 2023 Netball Super League?
8. At which venue does the World Darts Championship take place?
9. When did former England captain Charlotte Edwards retire from international cricket? A- 2013, B- 2015 or C-2016?
10. In the Winter Olympics, Which two sports are included in the Nordic Combined?
ANSWERS: 1. Three; 2. Switzerland; 3. Liam Marshall; 4. Austin, Texas; 5. Green Bay Packers; 6. Aryna Sabalenka; 7. Loughborough Lightning; 8. Alexandra Palace; 9. C- 2016; 10. Ski jumping and cross-country skiing.
Auston Matthews notched his second straight hat trick to open the season and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Minnesota Wild 7-4 on Saturday.
Matthews became the fifth player in NHL history to start a season with consecutive hat tricks, joining Alex Ovechkin (2017-18), Cy Denneny (1917-18), Joe Malone (1917-18) and Reg Noble (1917-18).
William Nylander added two goals and an assist for Toronto, which has scored 12 goals in winning its first two games of the season.
Jenner’s 3 goals help Vincent earn first win
Boone Jenner registered his second career hat trick to give Pascal Vincent his first coaching victory with a 5-3 win over the New York Rangers.
Jenner’s first goal of the game forged a 1-1 tie, and his second with 2:15 left in the opening period put the Blue Jackets on top for good.
He completed his natural hat trick with 7 ½ minutes remaining in the second period for a 3-1 lead.
Elvis Merzlikins made 24 saves before leaving with flu-like symptoms after the second period. He was replaced by Spencer Martin, who stopped 15 of 17 shots in the third in his Columbus debut.
Golden Knights beat Ducks to stay perfect
Chandler Stephenson, Shea Theodore and Jack Eichel each had a goal and an assist as the Vegas Golden Knights continued their unbeaten start with another 4-1 victory, this one over the Anaheim Ducks.
Jonas Rondjberg had the other goal and Adin Hill stopped 22 shots to help defending champion Vegas begin a season with three straight wins for the second straight year.
The Golden Knights’ three wins have all come by 4-1 scores.
Mason McTavish had the lone goal as Anaheim lost in Greg Cronin’s coaching debut.
Andy Robinson succeeded Sir Clive Woodward as permanent England rugby union head coach on this day 19 years ago.
A month after the shock resignation of World Cup-winning coach Woodward, Robinson stepped up from his role as caretaker on October 15, 2004.
The former Bath coach was handed a four-year contract barely 24 hours after being interviewed for the job.
Robinson had been assistant to Woodward at the 2003 World Cup and he immediately set his sights on making England the first team to retain the Webb Ellis Trophy.
“My challenge now is the next era and to ensure the World Cup remains at Twickenham in 2007,” Robinson said as he took the reins.
“It is a huge task ahead for all of us, and one I am excited about leading. I expect every rugby coach in England aspires to coaching their country one day, and I feel honoured to have this opportunity.
“Clive set a standard for all of us to follow. Clive’s successful record at the helm, culminating in us winning the World Cup, was unique and very special. It was my privilege, as his assistant coach, to be part of that.”
As a player, Taunton-born Robinson won eight England caps, toured Australia with the 1989 Lions and captained Bath to a domestic league and cup double in 1992.
After retiring in 1997, he moved into coaching with the club he had represented for more than a decade, and quickly delivered Heineken Cup glory with an upset of defending European champions Brive in Bordeaux in 1998.
He joined Woodward’s staff in June 2000 and was part of both the World Cup triumph in 2003 and the Six Nations Grand Slam.
But his own time in charge of the national team was not a happy one. He lost 13 of his 22 games in the job and stood down in November 2006.
If ever there were doubts about Blue Vinyl’s readiness for the major events at the backend of the season, those would have been erased, as the four-year-old colt threw down the gauntlet with an impressive 21-length win in the Mark My Word trophy feature at Caymanas Park on Saturday.
Piloted by Javaniel Patterson, Blue Vinyl, last year’s 2000 Guineas and St Leger winner, demonstrated his usual class in a bold front-running effort on this occasion which crippled rivals in the three-year-olds and upwards Open Allowance contest over nine furlongs and 25 yards (1,820m).
Now conditioned by Alford Brown, the Bern Identity -Bluefield progeny made it two wins in three starts for the trainer and third in four starts this season.
With the expected pacesetter I Realise scratched from the initial six-horse event, it was left for Blue Vinyl to dictate terms and the M.N.M Racing Stables-owned charge duly obliged.
Patterson got Blue Vinyl put well from the wide number six draw and the two comfortably laid the fractions with Outbidder (Phillip Parchment) in tow for most of the way.
However, when Blue Vinyl gradually injected some tempo leaving the half-mile and later powered home under a strong hand ride, it was D Head Cornerstone (Dane Dawkins) that finished best for the runner up spot. Miniature Man (Reyan Lewis) and Outbidder, completed the frame.
Blue Vinyl won in a decent 1:54.2 after splits of 27.1, 52.2, 1:17.2 and 1:41.1.
Brown expects nothing but the best from his charge going forward with the lucrative Mouttet Mile being his main target.
“It was very impressive and going forward now, the sky is the limit," Brown declared.
"We are preparing for the Mouttet Mile, that is the main goal so from here on it is just about keeping him sound and healthy and then we will see what happens.
“It is a possibility we might run him in the Jamaica Cup, but we have to see how he comes out of this one first. But we want to take it one day at a time," the trainer added.
Meanwhile, trainer Gary Griffiths and jockeys Raddesh Roman and Tevin Foster all won two races each on the nine-race card.
Griffiths saddled Exotic Light ridden by Devon A Thomas in the fifth race and the Foster-partnered Digital Light in the eighth event. Foster also won aboard the Fitzgerald-conditioned Sir John in the last race.
Roman’s winners were Rohan Kabir in the opening event for trainer Oral Hayden and Dale Murphy's Bella Bella in the sixth.
Racing continues on Sunday.
Tommy Fury once more overcame the challenge of a game YouTube fighter by claiming a majority decision win over KSI in a scrappy cruiserweight headliner at a packed-out AO Arena in Manchester.
Fury has concentrated on lucrative crossover contests in recent months, seeing off Jake Paul in Saudi Arabia in February and now dispatching British foe KSI to extend his record to 10-0 as a professional.
With brother Tyson, the WBC heavyweight champion, at ringside, Fury landed several eye-catching blows but the bout underlined the relative novice status of both combatants with multiple clinches.
Despite being docked a point for repeatedly punching to the back of KSI’s head while on the inside, Fury was given the nod 57-56 by two judges with a third scoring the contest 57-57 after six rounds.
KSI has built a substantial following on his YouTube page, becoming a successful entrepreneur and musician, while his Misfits promotion has sharply divided opinion between those upbeat about the fresh audiences being brought in and those who view the antics between raw fighters as an affront to boxing.
The build-up to the card has verged on farcical with unseemly insults flying amid the occasional brawl, which would have drawn short shrift with the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC). Instead its jurisdiction falls under the umbrella of the Professional Boxing Association.
The upsides were evident from the first bell of the evening with few spare seats to be seen and those that were vacant filled up long before Fury’s entrance after 11.30pm to Michael Jackson’s Thriller.
KSI, who came into the arena in a green Lamborghini alongside rapper Giggs, might have been the away fighter but his fans roared in support when he landed a solid overhand right early in the first round.
Fury responded with a decent left hook but his habit of landing a few rabbit punches when the fighters were tied up led to him being docked a point in the second after several complaints from KSI, who brought the crowd to life with another winging right hand.
Londoner KSI, whose real name is Olajide William Olatunji, was proving elusive from distance as Fury attempted to establish a jab, but in the clinch the Manchester fighter followed up a couple of blows with a swift left hook, right hand that momentarily seemed to stun his opponent.
Fury was using his left-hand jab to try to set up his best work and another combination drew shouts of encouragement from his fans but by this point the fight had already descended into a scrappy affair.
The pair traded punches while on the inside in the penultimate round but spent much of the round being separated by the referee, after which Fury found a stinging couple of blows to end the fifth.
KSI, whose previous wins have been against fellow YouTubers, was still sprightly in the final round and did find Fury with another big right hand but his rival responded in kind, then followed up with a short left.
Fury climbed the ropes, raising a fist at the final bell, and his confidence was rewarded after the judges narrowly sided with him.
On the undercard, Logan Paul was awarded a disqualification win over mixed martial arts fighter Dillon Danis, who lost all of the first five rounds before shooting for a take down in the last three minutes.
Danis, who made his name as Conor McGregor’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu sparring partner, was docked a point then attempted a guillotine choke in the final few seconds before tumbling to the floor.
Paul threw a punch on a grounded Danis, who ran straight at his adversary in retaliation prompting security to storm the ring. Because of Danis’ two infractions, he was disqualified.
Teary-eyed Ireland captain Johnny Sexton reflected on a “gutting” end to his glittering career following a heartbreaking World Cup exit at the hands of New Zealand.
Andy Farrell’s class of 2023 were bidding to make history in Paris by becoming the first Irish team to reach the last four of the tournament.
But the world’s top-ranked team trailed for most of an enthralling contest before falling agonisingly short as their quarter-final curse continued with a 28-24 loss.
Veteran fly-half Sexton, who travelled to France with ambitions of lifting the Webb Ellis Cup before retirement, tipped his team-mates to come back stronger in his absence during an emotional post-match press conference.
“The last couple of years have definitely been, in a green jersey anyway, the most enjoyable of my career. Definitely,” said Sexton.
“The group, the way Faz (Farrell) leads us with the other coaches, everyone runs into camp and never wants to leave.
“It’s an incredible place to be and that’s what I’ll miss the most. Going to work every day with those guys, but I’m just grateful as well.
“You can’t be 38 and sit here giving out too much. I’ve had lots of ups and downs in my career, lots of injuries, so I’ll probably reflect more over the next couple of weeks, take time off and spend it with my family and see what happens.”
Sexton, the 2018 world player of the year, bows out with 117 caps and 1,108 points, having surpassed Ronan O’Gara as Ireland’s record scorer earlier in the competition.
Speaking of the defeat, he said: “It’s gutting, isn’t it? It’s small margins and that’s sport. That’s life. It’s unfortunate, but this group will bounce back.
“They are an incredible bunch led by the man beside me (Farrell). It’s the best group I have ever been a part of. Bar none.
“These guys will go on and achieve great things and I’ll be sitting in the stand having a pint like you lads.”
Scores from native Kiwis Bundee Aki and Jamison Gibson-Park and a penalty try helped keep Ireland within touching distance for the duration of a tense encounter.
However, three-time champions New Zealand underlined their rugby pedigree, with Leicester Fainga’anuku, Ardie Savea and Will Jordan each crossing to pave the way for a nail-biting triumph.
Head coach Farrell revealed veteran wing Keith Earls will also retire as the curtain came down on the current era.
“The standards have been immense over the last four years, the players that we’ve used in that four-year cycle have been a joy to work with,” he said.
“And not just that, their connection with the fans, it seemed like it’s all one big family.
“I’m unbelievably proud to be associated with it all. I think the sad thing for us now is that for this group it’s probably the end.
“Obviously it is for Johnny and Keith Earls is going to retire as well, so things are going to change. Mick Kearney our manager is going to finish up as well.
“Over the next 24 hours, it’s time to make sure that we get a smile back on our faces as soon as we possibly can and celebrate what has been some unbelievable careers and what they have done for Irish rugby. It’s important to us, that.”
Ireland desperately pushed for a late twist to prolong their campaign and 17-match winning run but ultimately ran out of steam to suffer a first defeat since the opening match of last summer’s stunning Test series victory in New Zealand.
It could have been a different outcome had replacement hooker Ronan Kelleher not been held up on the line 10 minutes from time.
“Ifs, buts and maybes and all that,” said Farrell. “But at the end of the day it was two good teams out there playing some outstanding rugby, and unfortunately for us we came out on the wrong side of the score.
“Sport can be cruel sometimes I suppose, that’s why we love it so much.
“We want to congratulate New Zealand on a fantastic performance, it was a fantastic game to be part of, it was probably fitting of a final.”
New Zealand, who had Aaron Smith and Codie Taylor sin-binned, will face Argentina in the semi-finals.
All Blacks head coach Ian Foster: “This is a special day for us. Sometimes the sweetest victories are when your opposition plays very well and tests you to the limit.
“At the end of the day, we played a lot of that game with 14 players. And we looked in control of it and it felt good.”
Coach Matt Peet hailed game-breaker Jake Wardle as “awesome” after his starring role in Wigan’s Betfred Super League Grand Final success.
The centre capped a memorable first season with the club with a player-of-the-match display as the Warriors edged a tight tussle with Catalans Dragons 10-2 to be crowned champions at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Wardle made a number of telling breaks in the second half including one to set up the decisive try for Liam Marshall.
It is a far cry from last year when Wardle struggled for game time at Huddersfield and was loaned out to Warrington.
“He was awesome,” said Peet. “What I say to him is ‘thank you’. I’m really grateful for him trusting us and coming to Wigan. I’m really thankful for how he applies himself daily.
“I am not more proud of him because we won tonight – we love him daily. I’m really pleased for him to have his moment. That’s why we signed him and that’s why he chose us.”
Wardle, 24, showed similar gratitude to Peet for putting faith in him.
He said: “It is a really proud moment for me and my family. I am really grateful to Wigan and Matty for giving me the opportunity to come to the club and play in games like that.”
The encounter was tight with the scores locked at 2-2 at half-time.
Peet praised his side for limiting Catalans’ creative options.
“It was very much about our defence,” he said. “We had a few areas where we thought Catalans would have a bit of joy.
“We spoke about the importance of defending kicks and it was a recap on our message of recent months, which comes back to trusting one another and trusting the gameplan.
“I thought it was a good advert for us trusting one another.”
Wigan’s victory secured their first Super League title since 2018 and ended St Helens’ run of four successive triumphs.
Peet would not be drawn on whether his side could now go on to establish a dynasty.
He said: “You always want to build on success but when people are looking ahead to next year they are underestimating the quality on the field tonight. This will be reflected upon as a special group of players.”
Catalans’ defeat was their second in a Grand Final in the space of three years and denied them a maiden title.
It also meant there would be no fairytale ending to former Wigan full-back Sam Tomkins’ glittering career.
The Dragons had finished level on points with Wigan at the end of the regular season and coach Steve McNamara admitted the loss – in which they had two players sin-binned – was hard to take.
He said: “It was a huge tussle. It was not a great spectacle of a game but two teams were going at each other ferociously for 80 minutes.
“To concede one try and get beaten is tough to take. We didn’t throw enough at the opposition in attack but some of that was down to the fact we spent 20 minutes with 12 men.
“That probably took too much out of us but in the second half I don’t think we had one good attacking set and that’s probably credit to Wigan.
“Our last plays have been good all season but they weren’t good enough tonight. Last plays win big games.”
Ireland’s World Cup dream was crushed as their quarter-final curse continued with a heartbreaking 28-24 defeat to New Zealand in Paris.
Andy Farrell’s class of 2023 were bidding to make history by becoming the first Irish team to reach the last four of the tournament.
But they trailed for most of a thrilling contest at Stade de France and were unable to mastermind a stunning comeback as the formidable All Blacks progressed to a semi-final showdown with Argentina.
Scores from native Kiwis Bundee Aki and Jamison Gibson-Park and a penalty try helped keep Ireland within touching distance for the duration of a tense encounter.
However, three-time champions New Zealand underlined their rugby pedigree, with Leicester Fainga’anuku, Ardie Savea and Will Jordan each crossing to pave the way for a nail-biting triumph.
Eight points from the boot of Jordie Barrett and five from Richie Mo’unga helped the All Blacks over the line as they overcame yellow cards for Aaron Smith and Codie Taylor.
A devastating defeat in Saint-Denis halted Ireland’s remarkable winning run at 17 matches, while signalling the end of the career of veteran captain Johnny Sexton, who kicked seven points but missed a crucial penalty.
Ireland came into a mouthwatering contest in the unfamiliar position of being marginal favourites.
Following a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of Friday’s school attack in the northern French city of Arras, Ireland’s raucous travelling fans drowned out the Haka with a rousing rendition of the Fields of Athenry.
Yet New Zealand shrugged off the hostility and a few nervy mistakes in the opening minutes to lead through early penalties from Mo’unga and Barrett.
Ireland had repelled 30 phases in the build up to the first of those kicks but, despite plenty of possession, were struggling to fully find their usual attacking fluidity.
Ian Foster’s men had no such issues and duly increased their lead when wing Fainga’anuku – playing instead of Mark Telea, who was dropped for a disciplinary breach – exchanged passes with Rieko Ioane to finish a flowing team move on the left.
Ireland were quickly staring down the barrel of another last-eight exit to add to seven previous ones.
A routine Sexton penalty eventually got them up and running on the scoreboard before Aki superbly evaded five failed tackles to touch down and significantly cut the deficit against the country of his birth.
However, as the tide threatened to turn, the All Blacks were not about to roll over.
With five minutes of the half remaining, Savea dived over on the right to shift the momentum of a helter-skelter encounter back in favour of the southern hemisphere side.
Resilience is a major facet of Farrell’s Ireland and they emerged from an intense opening period just a single point behind.
In the aftermath of Smith’s temporary departure due to a deliberate knock-on, Gibson-Park brilliantly wriggled over from a line-out maul and Sexton again added the extras to leave the contest tantalisingly poised.
New Zealand were doing a decent job of keeping Ireland at arm’s length.
They again stretched the scoreboard in the 54th minute when the impressive Mo’unga exploited a gap between Josh Van Der Flier and Dan Sheehan following a line-out to burst forward and send the jet-heeled Jordan darting for the right corner for a 25-17 advantage.
Ireland suffered another setback when Sexton skewed wide with a three-point attempt at the posts. However, five minutes they were celebrating being awarded a penalty try as Taylor collapsed a maul and was sin-binned.
Barrett missed a penalty but landed another to keep the scoreboard ticking over for the All Blacks going into the anxious final stages.
Ireland desperately pushed for a late twist but ultimately ran out of steam to suffer a first defeat since the opening match of last summer’s stunning Test series victory in New Zealand, leaving a distraught Sexton heading for retirement.
Ben Earl insists England have noted their absence from composite Rugby World Cup teams as they look to prove their critics wrong in Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final against Fiji.
England completed their group campaign with a full set of four victories yet few are expecting them to challenge for South Africa’s global crown despite being placed in the easier side of the draw.
Earl has been Steve Borthwick’s star performer in France and would be pushing hard for inclusion in teams comprising the World Cup’s best players, but the general snub has not been overlooked by the squad.
“You see a lot of stuff on social media about world XVs and stuff and there’s probably not a huge amount of representation from England in that regard,” the Saracens back row said.
“A lot of people don’t think there’s that many of us in there. You always want to be in those conversations. In terms of voicing concerns about it? Not really. We know a lot of our team have been in those positions before.
“It’s just an opinion, but at the same time we know the quality we’ve got. We know that on any given day, when some of the players we have got on our team turn up we become a very, very hard team to beat.
“These are the stages that we want to be involved in. You find out a lot about your team-mates, find out a lot about yourself. We’ll be expecting big performances.
“We’ve been speaking a lot all week about it being time for our big game players to start turning up. We’ve all got a responsibility to do that.
“It’s kind of now or never. No one wants to be flying back to London on Monday morning, so we’re going to out there and perform our best and see what happens.”
Danny Care is among a number of senior players who could be making their final appearances for England and the veteran scrum-half admits there is no margin for error against Fiji, who stormed Twickenham 30-22 in August.
“It’s what you dream about, being involved in games like this. It’s the chance of a lifetime,” Care said.
“We’re fully focused on Fiji and we have to be because we know how dangerous Fiji are. If we’re slightly off it, then we will be going home. That’s the stark reality of it.
“We know the significance of this game and how much it means to us, how much it means to the people back home. We’re dying to get out there.
“For someone like me, you know this could be the last time I put on an England shirt so I’m going to give it my all.
“Any time I play for England, it means everything. But when you know you’re kind of coming to the end of your journey in that shirt you want to do yourself proud and your family proud.
“I want to make it worthwhile that I’ve been away for five months and you don’t do that by coming home after the quarter-final. We’re really excited to get out there and show what we can do.”
Sam Tomkins’ dream of ending his glittering career with one last Grand Final win was shattered by his former club as Wigan summoned a stirring second-half display to sink Catalans Dragons 10-2 at Old Trafford.
Liam Marshall grabbed the only try of the game to secure a hard-fought but ultimately comfortable win for Matt Peet’s men, sealing their sixth domestic showpiece and their first since 2018.
Tomkins, who was embraced by his friend and former team-mate, Wigan captain Liam Farrell at the final whistle, will head into retirement reflecting on a pair of yellow cards that effectively cost his side any chance of victory.
Adam Keighran was sin-binned midway through the first period and Tom Davies followed suit for an intentional block on Marshall in the second half as Catalans came up short for the second time in three years.
It was a tough night all round for Tomkins, who had been served an early reminder that he would be done no favours on his final appearance when he was taken out by Farrell in the process of punting a high ball forward in the third minute.
Warren Gatland felt the change in referee knocked Wales off their stride as they crashed out of the World Cup with a 29-17 quarter-final defeat to Argentina in Marseille.
South African official Jaco Peyper hobbled off with a calf injury after Wales had scored their first try in the 15th minute, taking a 7-0 lead in a match they had dominated.
But with Karl Dickson replacing Peyper their ascendency slipped away and Argentina came on strong in the second half with tries from Joel Sclavi and Nicolas Sanchez sweeping them into the last four.
Head coach Gatland was full of praise for the Pumas’ performance but also felt events had conspired against Wales.
“It probably didn’t help with the referee getting injured. That was a little bit disruptive in terms of the game,” said Gatland, who confirmed his commitment to remaining in charge of Wales until the 2027 World Cup.
“We were 10-0 up and were thinking that if we take a few of the opportunities that were presented to us. Unfortunately we gave away a couple of soft penalties.
“It does throw you off. We were comfortable with Jaco Peyper and the relationship we have with him in terms of his control of the game.
“It’s nothing against Karl but you do a lot of analysis through what referees tend to be tough on and what they are looking for.
“We hadn’t prepared for the change. Sometimes that happens in a game and you just have to deal with it. That is the way Test match rugby goes sometimes.”
A controversial refereeing decision saw Guido Petti hit Nick Tompkins in the head with his shoulder in the third quarter but Dickson and TMO Marius Jonker ruled there was no foul play.
It was explained that because the tackle had been called, Tompkins was falling and Petti entered legally while bent at the waist, there was no offence. Argentina went over from the same period of play to stretch their lead.
“It would be interesting to see what happens in terms of the feedback from the panel,” Gatland said.
“He (Dickson) felt that Nick has dropped his height and he said it wasn’t foul play. I would need to go back and look at it, but it was probably at least a penalty situation.
“Sometimes those things happen in a game in big moments and can swing things. That is just the way it is.”
Dan Biggar’s final match for Wales ended in disappointment with the fly-half eventually departing in the second half having taken a bang to the chest early on, possibly exacerbating a pectoral muscle injury he had been carrying.
“Dan has been a great servant for Welsh rugby. He has been through some incredible highs and some lows as well. To see him come into the side and mature and develop as a player, that has been pretty special,” Gatland said.
Argentina were transformed from the team routed 27-10 by 14-man England in their group opener and head coach Michael Cheika insisted the lessons of that defeat had been learned.
“We knew that first game would be rough for us and we learned a lot from it because we had a lot of World Cup first timers,” Cheika said.
“There hasn’t been a radical turnaround, we’ve just built from what we’ve learned. The progress hasn’t been lineal, but all that work we put in as a foundation has paid off.
“We’re starting to get a bit of flow and one thing this team has always had is lots of flow. We just didn’t handle the occasion against England well.”
Wales crashed out of the Rugby World Cup after Emiliano Boffelli inspired an Argentina fightback that saw them win a thrilling spectacle 29-17 at Stade Velodrome.
Warren Gatland’s team had high hopes of reaching a third World Cup semi-final in the last four tournaments, but Argentina ripped up the form book after struggling to qualify from their pool.
Wales led 10-0 through a Dan Biggar try, conversion and penalty, only for Boffelli to wipe out that deficit with four penalties during a damaging spell either side of half-time.
Scrum-half Tomos Williams’ try, again converted by Biggar, put Wales back in front, but Pumas prop Joel Sclavi touched down and replacement fly-half Nicolas Sanchez claimed an interception try during the closing seconds. Boffelli converted both and then Sanchez booted a last-minute penalty.
It all rubbed salt into a gaping Welsh wound, although the Pumas were fortunate to see lock Guido Petti avoid sanction for a shoulder-led hit on Wales centre Nick Tompkins 16 minutes from time.
Referee Karl Dickson, who had taken over from an injured Jaco Peyper early on, awarded no card following television match official consultation, and Wales’ players looked perplexed.
Wales’ defeat meant the end of Biggar’s international career, having announced in August that he would retire from the Test arena post-World Cup.
Highland Avenue completed a Group race hat-trick for Charlie Appley and William Buick when landing the Earthlight Darley Stakes at Newmarket.
Appleby has endured a quiet season by his own high standards, but following victories for promising juveniles Dance Sequence, Arabian Crown and Ancient Wisdom over the last two days, the Moulton Paddocks yard has plenty to look forward to in 2024.
While the two-year-olds have dominated, Highland Avenue struck a blow for the older inmates when cantering away with the nine-furlong Group Three.
The five-year-old won the Feilden Stakes back in 2021 but had not struck gold since, after struggling to make his mark in some tough tests.
However, he thrived on easy ground at Headquarters and fairly flew home to win by four lengths as the 11-4 favourite.
Appleby said: “Fair play to him, he led all those gallopers early in the season, Adayar and Hurricane Lane and the likes. Coming back to the track on this ground, we were confident he would run a big race and he deserved to win one himself.
“He won the Feilden Stakes here as a three-year-old and we lost our way slightly after that, but this year he’s been a hell of a lead horse and that’s predominantly what his job has been for the season.
“We came to this time of the year and we felt this race was there to suit him with the trip and the ground and as William said, he’s still got plenty of life in him – he dragged him to the two (furlong marker) and never felt like he was going to be beaten to be fair.
“Bless him, he’ll probably just stay around here over the winter and we’ll see him back in the spring on the Limekilns!”
Connections of Fair Angellica are dreaming of a possible appearance at Royal Ascot next summer after the Richard Hughes-trained filly maintained her unbeaten record in the Godolphin Flying Start Nursery.
Previously successful on the all-weather at Kempton and Chelmsford, the daughter of Harry Angel successfully switched to the turf to complete her hat-trick in the hands of David Egan.
Wendy Miller, the winner’s owner-breeder, said: “I’m a shaking wreck, I’m afraid. I foaled her, she’s a homebred and we just love her.
“She looked very gangly and Bambi-fied coming down the hill, but David said as soon as she hit the rising ground, she flew.
“Three wins on the trot, she’s unbeaten and that’s it for this year. Richard was pretty confident and black type will be next. Perhaps we could look at the Sandringham or something like that next year.”
Funny Story claimed the closing Pinatubo British EBF Boadicea Stakes for Ralph Beckett and Rossa Ryan.
It looked as though Sophia’s Starlight was going to take home the Listed prize, but Funny Story finished with a flourish to edge her out by a head on the line.
Beckett’s assistant trainer Joe Tuite said: “She travelled and relaxed well for Rossa (Ryan) and she toughed it out. She has been due a win as she has run some good races this year without getting her head in front.
“She ran well in a Listed race at Pontefract, but we feel she never settled when she went overnight to Ayr last time. She didn’t relax and you can put a line through Ayr as she didn’t take the overnight stay.
“Twice she has been up there and twice she has disappointed, so I don’t think she will be travelling up north again.
“She has shown a very good attitude, and she could improve again.”
My Eyes Adore You gained an all-important first Listed success in the RFL Steels Stakes at Naas.
Fozzy Stack’s charge had hit the bar already this term, twice making the frame at this level before the four-year-old finally enjoyed her moment in the sun.
Partnered by Andrew Slattery, My Eyes Adore You grabbed the initiative early on in the six-furlong contest and was not for passing, coming home a cosy four-length victor at odds of 11-2.
Slattery said: “She’s been knocking on the door, and she didn’t have her stablemate Aussie Girl to beat today. It’s good that she’s got her chance today and she’s well up to that level.
“It was very straightforward and I didn’t see another rival after the start. She has a high cruising speed and today we got it easy – she could float away and was happy.”
Glamorously was a surprise 20-1 winner of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Birdcatcher Premier Nursery Handicap for Jessica Harrington.
Having triumphed in first-time blinkers at Navan at the start of the month, the headgear once again head the desired effect as Glamorously ran on well at the end of six furlongs to take a three-quarter-length triumph.
Harrington said: “She battled the last day and she really battled today. She was under pressure a long way out.
“Blinkers have made a big difference to her. She seems to be one of those tough Mehmas’ that just love it.
“We’ll see if there is another nursery for her and judging by that she will go seven (furlongs). She needed every yard of it today.”
Frazil opened his account at the second attempt in the SOBAC Soil.ie Celebrating 5 Years Sponsoring At Naas Maiden.
As a full brother to Poetic Flare, winner of the 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes in 2021, Jim Bolger’s charge was not unfancied when fifth on his debut back in March.
Sent off the 9-4 favourite this time, he made no mistake as he overcame a lengthy absence to run out a cosy winner under Luke McAteer.
Ger Flynn, Bolger’s travelling head lad said: “We hold the horse in high regard, but he’s been coughing most of the year like a lot of our horses and its just been hard to get him right.
“Luke said he was a bit green and the ground is probably a bit too soft for him.
“It’s his first run since the beginning of the year and you can see he came over for the better ground. Once he hit the better ground on the stands side, he flew home and Luke felt he’ll get further
“It’s lovely for Clare and Una (Manning, owners) and the boss, they kept faith in him. Hopefully its onwards and upwards from here.”
Coolmore’s Michael Tabor described City Of Troy as “our Frankel” after his superb triumph in the Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.
The colt arrived at the track unbeaten after easy wins in a Curragh maiden and the Superlative Stakes, but he was far from a guaranteed contender as the soft ground threatened to scupper his run.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien eventually gave the son of Justify the go-ahead and under Ryan Moore he was sent off the runaway favourite at 8-15.
The juvenile made all the running to cruise to a three-and-a-half-length victory and now the Classics, and indeed a possible Triple Crown bid, beckon.
Owned by Coolmore, a group comprised of John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, the colt has exalted company to contend with but is still regarded as one of the best, if not the best, horse to have ever represented the owners.
Tabor was at the Rowley Mile track to witness the victory and was effusive in his praise for a horse he hopes can develop into Coolmore’s answer to the great Frankel, who bowed out unbeaten in 14 starts with 11 of those victories coming in Group One company.
“This horse is our Frankel, I really think that. There is no question in my mind, by his comments, that Aidan thinks this horse is probably the best he’s ever trained,” he said.
“He was nervous with the ground and when you tackle that unknown factor, there’s always a chance that they just won’t do it. He’s got that action, that very low action, but they say that a good horse goes on any ground.
“This is a good horse and he obviously does go on any ground, but I’d say he’ll be much better on top of the ground.
“I know the way Aidan speaks and we’re all optimists – you have to be in life in my opinion, in this game especially – but this horse is special. No question, he is special. He is the real deal.
“Let’s hope he is as popular as Frankel was but he’ll only get that popularity as time goes. Hopefully as time goes on he’ll win all the big races and the accolades will be given to him. I like to talk before the event and I really feel that this horse could be anything.
“It’s always been John Magnier’s dream to win the Triple Crown and we were very unlucky years ago with Camelot, he got beaten a three-quarters of a length in the St Leger.
“The St Leger trip can be a trip too far but let’s take one at a time, to me the Guineas and the Derby are very realistic. Get me a bookmaker that would lay me a price!
“Aidan says this horse doesn’t get tired! Aidan is very enthusiastic, if he doesn’t believe in something then the yard doesn’t believe in it and you have to give people confidence, but I know the way he is and this is something special.”
The owner’s son MV Magnier echoed the dream of finally winning the Triple Crown after Camelot’s agonising defeat.
He said: “It looks like it’s possible. Beforehand I was talking to Ryan and he said the horse that he rode in the Superlative was the best two-year-old that he’s ridden and he would beat any two-year-old he’s seen. That was some confidence going into the race and then afterwards he said he’s definitely the best two-year-old he’s ridden.
“His mother (Together Forever) won the Fillies’ Mile here a few years ago and her sister won the Oaks. Justify, Bob Baffert always said that he was a very good two-year-old but he got injured, he won the Belmont Stakes over a mile and a half so technically, he should get a mile and a half.
“It’s what everybody wants to do, it’s all about the Derby, it’s all about the Triple Crown, it’s really the pinnacle that everybody aims for. I’ll put it to you this way, we’ll keep trying to win the Triple Crown.”
Exeter Chiefs inflicted a record top-flight defeat on defending Gallagher Premiership champions Saracens as they ran amok at Sandy Park.
Rob Baxter’s side were in scintillating form, running in 11 tries including a hat-trick for Josh Hodge as they won 65-10.
In a dominant display from start to finish, Saracens simply had no answer to the power, pace and precision of the Devonians – who bagged a bonus point by the 16th minute and led 41-0 at half-time.
Handed what seemed a tough assignment in the season curtain-raiser, the new and youthful Chiefs were quickly into their attacking stride and scored in the first minute, winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso finishing off a slick home attack when he raced onto an audacious pass from Harvey Skinner down the right flank.
Moments later and with Sarries skipper Alex Lozowski in the sin-bin, the Chiefs struck again, number eight Greg Fisilau attaching himself to the back of a close-range line-out to double the lead.
Saracens were seemingly all at sea, struggling to contain the relentless waves of Exeter attacks. Debutant Ethan Roots bagged a third try, picking up from a few metres out, before Tom Hendrickson brought up the bonus point when he was given the pass from Henry Slade, who had latched onto a clever chip over the top from Tom Cairns.
England international Slade then got in on the try-scoring act himself, picking off a pass in midfield to race clear from halfway and extend his side’s lead to 29-0.
There was no let-up from Baxter’s side as they headed towards the break, Hodge helping himself to a quickfire double – the second after breaking four tackles on the end of a scintillating cross-field move.
The break could not have come at a better time for Saracens and they used the respite as the opportunity to not only regroup, but fathom out a new game plan for the second half.
Whatever was said, it initially had the desired effect as replacement Andy Christie and Alex Lewington combined nicely to send Olly Hartley cantering down the left wing for the score.
It was the spark Saracens had craved, but the Chiefs were soon back on the offensive themselves. Fisilau was held up on the line but Hodge soon claimed his hat-trick score with a jet-propelled burst from deep inside his own half.
Not content with that, the Chiefs continued to pile forward in numbers, bullying Saracens into submission with a brutal assault from all angles. The home pack did much of the donkey work, easing them to within sight of the line, the fruits of which were finished off by Rus Tuima.
To their credit, Saracens refused to throw in the towel, picking themselves off the floor to land a late blow of their own through Scotland international Sean Maitland. It was, however, a little too late in the grand scheme of things.
Indeed, it was the home side who would put the shine on a polished performance, bagging two more tries in the dying embers through replacements Ross Vintcent and Niall Armstrong.
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