Rory McIlroy knows he has "got the game" to be the man who lifts the Claret Jug at the 150th Open Championship on Sunday.
The Northern Irishman carded a second-round 68 at Andrews to sit three shots behind leader Cameron Smith.
McIlroy has not added to his major haul of four since 2014, when he was crowned Champion Golfer of the Year and won the US PGA Championship.
But he is confident he can change that on the Fife coast this weekend.
"I know I've got the game. That's all I need," he said. "I just need to go out and play my game and play my golf over the next two days and that's all I can do.
"Cam Smith goes out and shoots another two rounds like he did the first two days, I'm going to have a really hard time to win the tournament.
"I've just got to go out and do the best I can and worry about myself and hopefully that's good enough."
It was a day of low scoring at the home of golf, where Smith shot a blemish-free 64 to rise to the summit.
Australian compatriot Adam Scott also took advantage to sign for a 65, with McIlroy acknowledging it was important to be aggressive.
"It was one of those, you needed to go out and make birdies," he explained.
"It wasn't like you could be defensive at all. You had to go out and play well and make birdies because everyone was doing that.
"I just tried to play a little bit more on the front foot and be a little more aggressive."
But not everyone in the field managed to make the conditions count in their favour, with Tiger Woods labouring to a 75 as he missed the cut.
Afterwards, the 15-time major winner conceded he may never play an Open at St Andrews again, but Woods was heartened by the response he got from fans and his fellow professionals.
McIlroy was just starting his round and walking down the first when Woods was heading up the 18th to rapturous applause, with the two acknowledging each other.
"I've gotten pretty close to Tiger over these last few years," said McIlroy. "Especially after the accident, I think we've all sort of rallied around him down there in Jupiter and we all want to see him do well.
"He was our hero growing up, even though I'm maybe a touch older than some of the other guys, but we want to see him do well, we want to see him still out there competing.
"This week was obviously a tough week for him, but we're all behind him, we're all pulling for him."
Longtime offensive lineman Richie Incognito has retired from the NFL after a career filled with controversy, stating "I'm proud to retire with the Raiders".
The guard was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft, before joining the Buffalo Bills late in the 2009 season.
He played only three games for the Bills in the remainder of that season, before signing a contract with the Miami Dolphins.
Incognito made the Pro Bowl in 2012 after an impressive season with the Dolphins, but he was suspended during the 2013 campaign for his alleged bullying of team-mate Jonathan Martin.
He sat out the 2014 season before re-joining the Bills in 2015 where he enjoyed the most successful period of his career, making three Pro Bowls while his team made the playoffs in 2017.
His time at the Bills was also not without its controversy, with Incognito accused of racially abusing Yannick Ngakoue during a playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, for which he later apologised.
Incognito was also involved in an incident at an Arizona funeral home in which he was arrested and charged, while the police found firearms in the back of his vehicle.
The former Nebraska and Oregon lineman then left Buffalo to join the then Oakland Raiders, and stayed there through their move to Las Vegas before his retirement.
The 39-year-old released a statement through the Raiders' website, stating: "Since I played my first snap at 12 years old, nothing in my life was more important than football. The game always came first.
"After stepping away from football in 2018, I knew if I came back, it would be to finish out my career on my terms. It also had to be with the right team, which I found in the Raiders.
"I'd played so long, and I'd gotten this 'bad boy' reputation, but it just fit with the Raiders. They trusted who I was, and they let me play.
"I love the Raiders organization, and Mr. Davis means the world to me. It's why after four teams and 15 years, I'm retiring a Raider.
"I wanted to finish on my own terms. Not a lot of people get to do that in this league and that's why I'm so proud to retire with the Raiders."
Petra Martic beat home favourite Belinda Bencic to set up a semi-final against Caroline Garcia at the Ladies Open Lausanne.
Martic toppled the second seed with a 6-3 7-6 (7-2) victory on Friday.
The unseeded Croatian, who was beaten by eventual champion Elena Rybakina in the fourth round at Wimbledon last week, claimed the only break of the first set to lead 5-3 and held her nerve to serve it out.
Bencic twice came from a break down in the second set to force a tie-break, but Martic raced into a 6-0 lead and duly moved into the last four.
The 31-year-old Split native will come up against Garcia, who beat Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-4 6-1.
Frenchwoman Garcia also reached the last 16 in the grass-court grand slam at SW19 and has won 11 of her past 12 matches.
Unseeded duo Olga Danilovic and Anastasia Potapova will contest the other semi-final following victories over Simona Waltert and Wimbledon quarter-finalist Jule Niemeier respectively.
At the Budapest Grand Prix, Anna Bondar is through to the last four without dropping a set in her homeland after defeating Martina Trevisan 6-4 6-1.
Ninth seed Bondar will face Bernarda Pera, who beat Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-4 6-3. Yulia Putintseva had won all eight games before Lesia Tsurenko retired from their quarter-final due to injury and she will take on Aleksandra Krunic, who cruised past Wang Xiyu 6-0 6-1.
The Houston Texans have reached settlement agreements with 30 women who were willing to make claims against the team in relation to Deshaun Watson's alleged misconduct.
Quarterback Watson, who is now at the Cleveland Browns, was sued by 24 women who accused him of sexual misconduct during massage sessions in 2020 and 2021, when he was with the Texans.
Twenty of those civil lawsuits recently ended with confidential settlements, while Watson has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
Now ESPN have reported the Texans have agreed to settle with the 30 women, according to a statement from the attorney for the women, Tony Buzbee, who added the settlements were confidential.
"We were shocked and deeply saddened when we first learned of the allegations against our then franchise quarterback in March 2021," Texans owners Janice, Hannah and Cal McNair said in a statement, as quoted by ESPN.
"Although our organisation did not have any knowledge of Deshaun Watson's alleged misconduct, we have intentionally chosen to resolve this matter amicably.
"This is not an admission of any wrongdoing, but instead a clear stand against any form of sexual assault and misconduct.
"We hope that today's resolution will provide some form of closure to the parties involved, our fans and the Houston community at large.
"As an organisation, we will now turn our focus to the future and doing what we can to ensure respect for all."
A retired federal judge will make a decision on Watson's immediate NFL future, with a hearing already under way to determine whether he violated the league's personal conduct policy.
Cameron Smith holds the 36-hole lead at the 150th Open Championship after a day on which Tiger Woods likely waved a fond farewell to St Andrews.
A stellar 64 from Smith handed the Australian a two-shot lead on 13 under at the halfway point, with Cameron Young his nearest rival, while the likes of Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Scottie Scheffler are firmly in the mix.
But 15-time major winner Woods, who has his name etched onto the Claret Jug three times, missed the cut following an untidy 75, conceding afterwards that he would probably not be returning when the home of golf next hosts the sport's oldest major.
Woods was met with rapturous applause as he made the walk down the 18th fairway, with McIlroy tipping his hat to the American as he headed down the first at the start of his round of 68, which left the 2014 winner three shots behind, level with Viktor Hovland.
After early rain on the Fife coast, the conditions were conducive to low scoring and Smith was one of a host of players to take advantage, with compatriot Adam Scott's 65 moving him to seven under and Tyrrell Hatton's 66 leaving him one better off.
Johnson got to nine under with a 67, one ahead of world number one Scheffler.
Other big names to join Woods in missing the cut were reigning champion Collin Morikawa, six-time major winner Phil Mickelson and four-time major winner Brooks Koepka.
SHOT OF THE DAY
Smith headed to the par-five 14th on the back of three consecutive pars and looking for something to ignite his back nine to match the fireworks of the front nine.
And my word did he find it. His approach shot found the green but was a long way from the hole, leaving him with surely a lag putt just to put it close enough for a birdie.
But that was never going to be enough for the on-form Smith, who rolled it all the way up to the hole and in the cup for a spectacular eagle.
PLAYER OF THE DAY
Smith's 64 was Friday's lowest round on a day when his scorecard remained blemish-free.
The 28-year-old's putter stayed hot as he made six birdies and an eagle en route to a score that puts him in firm contention for a maiden major.
CHIPPING IN
Tiger Woods: "This is my favourite golf course. I fell in love with it back in 1995 and it hasn't changed. I just love how it can be played in so many different ways."
Mark Calcavecchia: "Forget about my golf. It wouldn't have mattered if I shot a pair of 75s or a pair of 85s, which I nearly did. It was about playing one more, my last one here at the home of golf, which is really cool to be able to end it here."
Cameron Smith: "I think there's going to be a few more gnarly pins, and I think being smart out there is definitely going to be the key to staying at the top of the leaderboard."
A LITTLE BIRDIE TOLD ME
- Cameron Smith's combined score of 131 is a record after 36 holes in an Open at St Andrews.
- All four past champions at St Andrews missed the cut: Zach Johnson (2015), Louis Oosthuizen (2010), Tiger Woods (2000, 2005) and John Daly (1995).
- From his 22 appearances at The Open, this was only the fourth time Woods failed to make the cut.
Fitness athlete Avernell Modest is still basking in her third-place finish in the Bikini Class of the Inter-Island Bodybuilding Fitness and Physique Championships held at the Maho Casino Royale in St Maarten on July 3.
The Kansas City Chiefs and offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. were unable to agree to a long-term contract, missing Friday’s deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign multi-year deals.
Brown will make $16.7million under the franchise tag in 2022, but his future beyond that remains unsure.
The Chiefs acquired Brown, 26, from the Baltimore Ravens last off-season, and he started 16 games last season protecting Patrick Mahomes' blindside.
According to reports, the Chiefs had offered Brown a six-year contract that could be worth over $131m, but Brown’s agent, Michael Portner, balked at the lack of guarantees, especially late in the deal.
"We got really close," Portner told NFL Network. "We enjoyed dealing with the Chiefs and we understand their position as well. I'm not gonna let these athletes sign a flashy contract without the substance or security there."
NFL Network previously reported that Brown would not report to the beginning of the Chiefs’ minicamp on July 26, but Brown has yet to declare his intentions.
The stand-off between Brown and the Chiefs comes after long-time right tackle Mitchell Schwartz announced his retirement due to complications from a lingering back injury.
Cameron Smith set a 36-hole St Andrews Open Championship record but predicts a "brutal" test in the third round.
The Australian started Friday three shots back of first-round leader Cameron Young but held the clubhouse lead after reaching 13-under for the tournament thanks to blemish-free second-round 64.
Smith opened with three birdies before adding another trio to go six-under through the first 10 holes.
The Players Championship victor managed pars on his next three holes, before sinking a remarkable long-range putt to eagle the 14th.
Rory McIlroy and Paul Broadhurst's Old Course low-round Open record of 63 appeared in danger, but Smith closed with four pars to finish eight-under for the second round.
Smith still managed to set the 36-hole record at a St Andrews Open, having taken just 131 strokes across his first two rounds, with 132 having been achieved on three occasions before Friday.
While Smith will head into the weekend leading the final major of the year, he expects a tough challenge with a later tee time on Saturday.
"I think being off late again tomorrow afternoon it's obviously going to be a bit firmer, more like the first day, I would say," he told reporters.
"So I would say it's going to be pretty brutal out there. I think there's going to be a few more gnarly pins, and I think being smart is definitely going to be the key to staying at the top of the leaderboard."
Smith remains in search of a major maiden win, with his best finish coming at The Masters in a tie for second in 2020, and believes his patience will again be key with tricky conditions and slow play on the course.
"I think just being patient. I obviously got off to a really hot start and it's very easy to just keep going, getting on the front foot and maybe trying to hit some shots that are a little bit too aggressive," he added.
"But I just stayed patient and holed some really nice putts. I don't think we can really do anything about [the slow play], to be honest, the way the course is set up.
"I'm a really impatient person. Everyone that knows me hates me for it. So I have to try my best out there to be really patient, with the pace of play, and with the golf course as well."
Smith is no stranger to being in contention at a major, having finished in the top five on five occasions across The Masters, U.S. Open, US PGA Championship and The Open.
While appreciating the historic occasion of the 150th Open, Smith insists he will not get caught up in the moment as he prioritises treating every round the same.
"It's obviously a really good spot to be in. I feel like I've been in this spot a lot over the past couple of years, and things just haven't quite gone my way yet," he continued.
"But like I said before, I've just got to be really patient over the weekend. I think the golf course is going to get a lot harder and a lot faster. So just be patient and make good putts.
"I think I've always done a pretty good job of just treating every round the same. I think it's going to be a really cool experience being out there. It has been this whole week.
"But I've always done a really good job of just doing the same thing, going through the same process every morning, making sure I feel the same – get on the range, hit the same shots. It's very boring, but it does the trick."
When prized free agent Johnny Gaudreau chose to sign a massive deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday, the hockey world was stunned by the news.
But Gaudreau himself did not give the decision a second thought, signing for seven years and $68million.
"I wanted to come here. This was always a place circled on my list," Gaudreau said during his introductory news conference.
The Blue Jackets have developed a reputation with some in NHL circles as struggling to retain talent after trading away young core players like Seth Jones and Cam Atkinson, and Gaudreau addressed those concerns head-on.
"I'm not really sure about any other players. We're not talking about why people don't want to be at Columbus; it's not a topic in the locker room," he said.
"For me, I just heard so many great things from former players, and it made me feel really comfortable with my decision to come here."
Since their inception in 2000, Columbus have never won a division crown and have yet to play in a Conference final series. The Blue Jackets missed the playoffs last season with a 37-38-7 record.
"I think there's a lot of potential," the 28-year-old winger said. "I thought it was a good spot for me personally. We can have a lot of success here.
"They've got good players on this team. And I'm really looking forward to jumping in with this group. I've heard a lot of great things.
"They're a close-knit group, and that's who you want to play with are guys who get along in the locker room and love coming to the rink and working together every single day, and it's just a healthy environment to be around, and that's exciting to me."
Gaudreau spent the beginning of his career with the Calgary Flames, tallying 609 points (210 goals, 399 assists) in 602 games. He set career highs with 40 goals and 75 assists last season.
A New Jersey native, Gaudreau had been linked to teams in the U.S. Northeast, including the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers, before ultimately choosing Columbus.
Emily Mayne enjoyed an excellent second day at the IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championships in the United States of America on Thursday.
Maybe carded a three-under-par 69 to move from 40th into a tie for eighth place and just two shots off the lead. The Jamaican teen has an overall score of 141 after shooting a 72 in the opening round.
Kelli Ann Strand of the USA was atop the leaderboard with scores of 71 and 68 for an overall score of 139.
Aman Dhiman is the other Jamaican at the championships. He is also competing in the 15-18 age group. He scored nine over par 81 and is tied at 158th at the end of the second round with a total score of 160.
Japan’s Taisha Motto leads with an overall score of 10 under par 134 (68, 66) after two rounds.
The championship, held at the Torrey Pines - South Golf Course in California, ends on Friday.
Both golfers have had a busy season. Recently, they competed at the 34th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships in Puerto Rico where Mayne topped the Under 18 age group - a first for any Jamaican female golfer.
As soon as they return from the current championships they will head off to the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships (for seniors) in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar eased off in their tussle for the yellow jersey on Friday, as Mads Pedersen won stage 13 of the Tour de France in style.
Having been involved in an early breakaway lodged by Filippo Ganna, Pedersen stuck at the front of the race on the 193 kilometre route from Le Bourg-d'Oisans to Saint-Etienne.
And he made the vital move at just the right time, attacking with 12km remaining, splitting the six-man breakaway in two and leaving him up against Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) and Hugo Houle (Israel–Premier Tech).
Trek–Segafredo rider Pedersen attacked just as the peloton stopped racing further back, with Jumbo-Visma – protecting the yellow jersey of Vingegaard and the green jersey of Wout van Aert – INEOS Grenadiers and UAE Team Emirates comfortable enough to take a steady approach after successive days of hard riding in the mountains.
Having been denied victory in his native Denmark in the opening three stages, Pedersen always looked good to go on and end his wait for a Grand Tour stage win, and he did so in style, executing another perfectly timed effort during the final sprint to ensure he was able to celebrate while he crossed the line.
"It's incredible to finally take a win," the 26-year-old said. "I knew the shape was really good and I definitely missed out on the opportunities in the first week.
"In the last two weeks of this race there's not a lot of chances for a guy like me.
"So to take the chance today and get the reward is really nice, not only for me but for the whole team. We came here with riders only for stages and now we have one, so it's such a relief."
Van Aert came over in seventh, easily winning a bunch sprint at the front of the GC group, to further consolidate his grip on the green jersey.
Wright idea, but not enough power for Fred
It was a spirited ride from 23-year-old Wright, who kept on Pedersen's wheel right until the end.
"I was trying to get Mads to do some of the work at the end, but it's hard man, I just didn't quite have it over the top of that kicker," Wright told ITV Sport. "All I could do was hug the wheel, I was surprised I didn't get dropped to be honest."
As for his tactics in the sprint, Wright added: "I don't know, to be honest, I was just going to try and surprise him."
Wright hit a top speed of 59km/h in the final 1,000 metres, whereas Pedersen clocked in at 59.2km/h.
STAGE RESULTS
1. Mads Pedersen (Trek–Segafredo) 4:13:03
2. Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) same time
3. Hugo Houle (Israel–Premier Tech) same time
4. Stefan Kung (Groupama-FDJ) +0:30
5. Matteo Jorgensen (Movistar) +0:30
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) 50:47:34
2. Tadej Pogacar (UAE-Team Emirates) +2:22
3. Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) +2:26
Points Classification
1. Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) 333
2. Tadej Pogacar (UAE-Team Emirates) 164
3. Fabio Jakobsen (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 155
King of the Mountains
1. Simon Geschke (Cofidis) 43
2. Louis Meintjes (Intermarche–Wanty–Gobert Materiaux) 39
3. Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) 36
An emotional Tiger Woods conceded he is unlikely to play The Open at St Andrews again after missing the cut at the 150th edition of golf's oldest major on Friday.
The 15-time major winner carded a second-round 75 to sit nine over par, well short of the projected cut mark at the home of golf.
Woods was desperate to compete in this landmark tournament after his career was nearly ended by a car crash in February last year, and he admitted this was probably his final outing at an Open on the famous links.
It was fitting, then, that the 46-year-old – who has twice lifted the Claret Jug at the Fife course – was given a stunning ovation as he concluded his round, which left him with tears in his eyes.
"It's very emotional for me. I've been coming here since 1995... I think the next one comes around in what, 2030? I don't know if I will be physically able to play by then," he said.
"So to me it felt like this might have been my last British Open here at St Andrews. And the fans, the ovation and the warmth, it was an unbelievable feeling.
"I understand what Jack [Nicklaus] and Arnold [Palmer] had gone through in the past. I was kind of feeling that way there at the end – just the collective warmth and understanding. They understand what golf's all about and what it takes to be an Open champion.
"I've been lucky enough and fortunate enough to have won this twice here, and it felt very emotional.
"I just don't know what my health is going to be like. And I feel like I will be able to play future British Opens, but I don't know if I'll be able to play that long enough that when it comes back around here, will I still be playing?"
Woods admitted he was choked up by the response of the fans and his fellow professionals, including Rory McIlroy.
"As I walked further along the fairway, I saw Rory right there," he said. "He gave me the tip of the cap.
"It was a pretty cool, the nods I was getting from guys as they were going out and I was coming in, just the respect, that was pretty neat. And from a players' fraternity level, it's neat to see that and feel that.
"And then as I got closer to the green, more into the hole, the ovation got louder and you could feel the warmth and you could feel the people from both sides. It felt like the whole tournament was right there.
"I had a few tears. I'm not one who gets very teary-eyed very often about anything.
"I put my heart and soul into this event over the years and I think the people have appreciated my play in the event. I've won it three times.
"Life moves on and I think that's what people understand, and they knew my circumstances this year, of just playing, period.
"I was very lucky to have had a great team around me to get me to where I was physically able to play three times this year and very thankful to all of them for getting me to this spot."
Scottie Scheffler hailed Tiger Woods' resilience despite the golf great enduring an Open Championship to forget at St Andrews.
Woods carded a disappointing,six-over par 78 in his first round on Thursday, leaving himself with plenty to do to make the weekend.
The 15-time major winner could not muster up a good enough second round, however, with his 75 meaning he missed the cut at nine over. He appeared to be wiping away tears as he received a huge ovation from the crowd on his way to the 18th hole on what could be his last professional visit to the home of golf.
Scheffler had no such issues as the 2022 Masters champion carded 68, meaning he was one shot off the lead when he headed to the clubhouse.
When it was put to Scheffler that Woods might well have made his final Open appearance at St Andrews, the world number one was quick to stress the resilience the 46-year-old has shown across his career, not least to return to top-level golf after sustaining serious injuries in a car crash in February 2021.
Scheffler told reporters: "I don't know if this will be Tiger's last one here. He may have spoken about it a bit.
"But he's a pretty resilient guy and he loves to compete. We'll see what he has in store for us the next few years.
"Any time you can see that guy out on the golf course, especially the Old Course, it's really special. For us as players, to have him around is pretty cool.
"When he got in that car wreck, didn't know if we'd have him back. Just to have him out here playing golf is pretty special for all of us."
Woods was the last player to win both the Masters and The Open in the same year – back in 2005 – though Scheffler is well in the hunt to achieve that feat in 2022.
"No, to be honest with you, I'm just here trying to do my best and put myself in position," the 26-year-old replied when asked if he had thought about such an achievement.
"Thinking about prior wins isn't going to help me play good this week. Just trying to stay in the moment and hit some good shots."
That composure and mentality is something Scheffler is planning to take into his final two rounds.
"For me, just coming in like I usually do and try to do my best, not overthink things and focus on the task at hand," he said.
Dustin Johnson has no plans to revisit memories of his 2015 St Andrews collapse after taking the lead at the 150th Open Championship.
The former world number one shot a second-round 67 to move to nine under and top of the leaderboard.
Johnson conceded he was unlikely to remain at the summit come the end of the day, but he will be out to avoid a repeat of his weekend slump at the home of golf seven years ago.
Back then, the American held the 36-hole lead but carded consecutive 75s to fall well short, and he was not keen to dig that out of the memory bank following Friday's fine showing.
"To be honest, I don't even remember the third round from seven years ago," he said. "I've played a lot of golf since then, and that was a long time ago.
"Obviously any time playing in a major and playing golf courses, you learn stuff about yourself, but that was quite a while ago.
"I don't want to go back to it, obviously. It wasn't very good."
Johnson is now waiting to see how the weather will impact his strategy for the weekend as he eyes a third major and first Open title.
"Once I see what the wind direction is and we get the pins later, we kind of go through and map out a game plan," he said.
"It's all based on the wind how you attack the golf course and kind of where you hit it and where you want to hit it.
"I feel like I'm swinging well. Obviously, it's just avoiding the bunkers as much as possible. It's really hard not to hit it in one of the bunkers. I've been in three so far, and two of them I had to chip out sideways, and the other one I had a shot.
"If I can just keep out of the bunkers and just keep playing kind of smart golf where, when I have a good number and a club that I can get it close to the hole, I can be aggressive. But when not, just kind of hit it to 30, 40 feet and try to two-putt."
World number one Scottie Scheffler's 68 kept him within one of the lead, while Tyrrell Hatton's 66 also had him at eight under.
Adam Scott, playing alongside Johnson, signed for a 65 to seven under, with Rory McIlroy a further stroke back ahead of his 14:59 BST (local time) tee-off.
After early rain, conditions have been proving favourable for low scoring, but Tiger Woods was primed to miss the cut after moving to seven over through 15 holes on Friday.
England head coach Eddie Jones has called for World Rugby to take action and stop the "incessant" interventions from the television match official (TMO) during matches.
Jones' side beat Australia 25-17 last weekend in a second Test that saw 26 penalties, two yellow cards and the TMO heavily involved throughout.
The contest spanned almost two hours, while Ireland's victory over New Zealand on the same day saw three yellows and a red dished out in the first half alone in Dunedin.
Speaking on the back of his side's victory in Brisbane that levelled up the three-match series, Jones said rugby union's laws are now "out of control".
And in his final news conference ahead of Saturday's decisive third Test in Sydney, Jones went one step further by urging the sport's top governing body to intervene now.
"I don’t want to see a New Zealand-Ireland game like that ever again," Jones said.
"Otherwise imagine at the next World Cup … you play a quarter-final, you get a red card and two yellows, you're down to 12 men and it's just ridiculous.
"I've been speaking to a few ex-coaches. The referees, coaches and players need to get together and say 'This is the game we want. This is the game people want to see'.
"I'm certainly going to be pushing for it because I've had enough."
The issues previously raised by Jones were further highlighted on Wednesday in the thrilling and high-tempo State of Origin decider.
"We've got to keep the game safe, don't get me wrong, but accidental head contact and this incessant use of the TMO, we've got to cut that out," Jones added.
"We've got to get a better balance in the game. There's a rhythm to how rugby is looked at and officiated and we've got to get in a good rhythm again.
"We don't have it at the moment. Every time we get a flow in the game, there's a stoppage.
"We've just gone too far down one road. There are discussions all the time and World Rugby are doing their best.
"But certainly before November I'm going to be agitating for something like [a summit]. Let's get the game going."
The Kansas City Royals overcame the absences of 10 unvaccinated players beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 on the road on Thursday night.
Foreign nationals who are not vaccinated against Covid-19 are not allowed to enter Canada, while unvaccinated MLB players are not among the limited exemptions that also require a 14-day quarantine.
Many teams have been affected by the restrictions this season, but the Royals had a far bigger contingent than other MLB teams to this point, with a subsequent slew of promotions from the minor leagues to compensate.
Double-A callup Angel Zerpa pitched five innings to claim his first win as a starter in the major leagues, allowing only four hits despite only striking out two batters over 73 pitches.
With 2022 All-Star Andrew Benintendi unavailable, Bobby Witt Jr. hit the tie-breaking home run off Kevin Gausman in the fifth inning, before Nate Eaton added another in the closing frame.
Carrasco helps keep Cubs to zero
Carlos Carrasco was again in impressive form for the New York Mets, as they claimed an 8-0 win over the Chicago Cubs.
Carrasco allowed only one runner to advance past first base in six solid innings, striking out six and allowing five hits over 90 pitches, before Trevor Williams closed out the final three innings for his first save in the major leagues.
Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso scored home runs in the sixth and eighth innings respectively to cap off the win, maintaining the Mets' 2.5 game lead over the Atlanta Braves in the National League East, while moving to within three games of the NL-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.
Pena propels Astros to win in Anaheim
Jeremy Pena drove in the game-winning run for the Houston Astros as they went into an extra inning, defeating the Los Angeles Angels 3-2.
The Astros effectively had to do it without eight-time All-Star selection Jose Altuve, who exited the game with a bruised left leg after he was hit with Reid Detmers' first pitch of the game.
Houston moved to within 3.5 games of the American League-leading New York Yankees, extending their record for the season to 58-30.
England head coach Eddie Jones returned serve at Australia's Nic White, who said he was expecting more off-the-ball "niggle" in Saturday's deciding Test in Sydney, describing the Wallabies scrum-half as "the biggest niggler of all time".
With one win apiece both teams are out to secure victory at the Sydney Cricket Ground to decide the three-game series and the preceding two games have set up what should be a fiery encounter.
The Wallabies' Darcy Swain was suspended for a headbutt in the first Test, before cameras caught England prop Ellis Genge driving his elbow into White, as the latter was lying face-down on the ground in the second encounter.
White addressed the situation, asserting that Genge leaning on him was a diplomatic way of putting it, before Jones laughed off his implication about the front-rower.
"He’s got plenty to say. I hardly think he’s entitled to make that comment," the England coach said. "He’s the biggest niggler of all time.
"That makes me laugh. The boy from Queanbeyan who niggles everyone, complaining about niggle. That's a bit like the pot calling the kettle black.
"Obviously he thinks that and his perception is reality, so he's got a funny way of looking at reality. He's just trying to look for something."
Australian captain Michael Hooper cited White's competitiveness to brush off Jones' comments ahead of the Wallabies' captain's run, but added the series had ultimately been played in a competitive but fair spirit.
"Whitey is just obsessed with rugby," he said. "The guy is an absolute footy nerd. He just wants to play. He's as competitive as you'll see. Most half-backs are. He'll be doing his usual thing tomorrow.
"It's been competitive and enjoyable. Both teams just want to win and we get a chance to see that tomorrow.
"[I am] expecting [niggle] to be an element in tomorrow's game but ultimately tomorrow is all about who is up on the scoreboard and who can do it for longer."
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell is hoping his side can provide "chaos" and bring doubt into the minds of New Zealand players ahead of their series-deciding Test this Saturday.
Farrell's side has a chance to claim an historic series win in Wellington, after Ireland's first-ever triumph over the All Blacks in New Zealand last Saturday, with a 23-12 victory in Dunedin.
Notwithstanding the win-loss record, New Zealand has been an otherwise perilous place for touring Irish sides, with three of their seven-heaviest defeats coming there –including a 60-0 defeat in Hamilton in 2012.
The gravity of the occasion is not lost on Farrell, who is looking for his team to rise to it, which could then potentially build pressure on the hosts.
"It really doesn’t get any better for us," he said. "We’ve talked about playing against the All Blacks when their backs are against the wall or they’ve come off a loss and we know what the history says about all that.
"But that’s exactly where we want to be. We know they will be hurting, we know that they bounce back unbelievably strong. We’ve played them enough times now to realise what’s coming. Everyone realises the size of the task in hand but there’s a lot of excitement in being able to deal with that.
"We’ll see whether there is that much improvement needed because we’re in control as well as them. They’ve got a plan, but it’s up to us to make sure we bring a bit of chaos to that plan. We’ve got to make sure that we put a bit of doubt in the All Blacks' minds as the game goes."
Meanwhile, All Blacks head coach Ian Foster is relishing the challenge and pressure.
The 57-year-old has responded to the Dunedin loss by recalling Sam Whitelock after his concussion, as well as tighthead prop Nepo Laulala, while winger Will Jordan has been added to the starting XV.
"It’s tough having a loss but the tough weeks are often the most exciting," he told the All Blacks' website.
"A series decider against a high-quality side is a great occasion for our growth as a team."
The Phoenix Suns have immediately matched the four-year, $133million offer sheet that the Indiana Pacers presented center Deandre Ayton in restricted free agency.
With Ayton being a restricted free agent, it meant the Suns would reserve the right to match any offer Ayton agreed to with another team, and it appears it was their plan all along to test if the market would actually view the former number one draft pick as a max contract player.
Ayton's representatives believed all along that they would be able to get a max offer sheet in restricted free agency, and they were proven right as the Suns tried to call their bluff. The Pacers' offer was the largest in the history of restricted free agency negotiations, trumping Otto Porter Jr's four-year, $107m deal in 2017.
It is unknown if the Suns could have signed him for a cheaper price, as ESPN's report claims the franchise made no offer to Ayton in the interim, likely in the hope that the limited amount of teams with cap space would mean they could match a more palatable offer sheet.
The Suns center is one of just nine players to average at least 15 points and 10 rebounds since he entered the league four seasons ago, while shooting just a hair under 60 per cent from the field for his career.
He will make $30m in the upcoming season, slightly escalating each year to eventually reach $35m in 2025-26.
Since the Suns opted to play out the process through restricted free agency, it now means Ayton will have significantly more control of any potential trades he could be involved in for the next year.
He is unable to be traded before January 15, and even after that he will have veto powers until the end of the season. Due to the Pacers presenting an offer sheet, they will be unable to trade for Ayton for at least one year.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
