Brian O’Driscoll bade farewell to the Aviva Stadium a decade ago with a memorable last appearance in Dublin in Ireland’s Six Nations victory over Italy.
O’Driscoll’s vintage sleight of hand inspired a seven-try, 46-7 win to set up a title decider against France.
The then 35-year-old marked his world-record 140th Test cap by deftly setting up tries for Johnny Sexton and Andrew Trimble.
Chants of “one more year” rang around the ground at the final whistle, but O’Driscoll’s summer retirement was set in stone.
The outside centre, who made his Ireland Test debut in 1999, said: “I couldn’t have asked for a better close to playing at home in an Irish jersey.
“To score 46 points and only concede one try, it really made the day what it was. I’ll remember that for a very long, long time. I got emotional at the end, it was hard to take it all in.
“I think maybe when I go back and look over it again, I’ll probably get more emotional then. But it was very, very special, if a little embarrassing, but it was still great.”
O’Driscoll had a fairytale ending to his international career, with Ireland defeating France in Paris the following weekend for only the second time in 42 years to claim the Six Nations title.
He continued playing for Leinster until the end of May, with his final appearance coming in their Pro12 Grand Final victory over Glasgow Warriors.
Garnet Hathaway scored with 22 seconds left in regulation and the Philadelphia Flyers got 29 saves from Samuel Ersson in a 2-1 victory, ending the Florida Panthers’ six-game winning streak on Thursday.
Ryan Poehling had the other goal for the Flyers, who have points in three straight (2-0-1) after losing three of four.
Vladimir Tarasenko was pointless in his Panthers debut after he was acquired from Ottawa on Wednesday.
Florida, which had won six in a row at home, dropped to 12-2-0 in its last 14 games overall.
Flyers defenseman Cam York left late in the third after blocking a shot with his knee, while leading scorer Travis Konecny returned after missing six games with an upper-body injury.
Carolina’s Andersen sharp in return
Frederik Andersen turned away 24 shots after a four-month absence and Brady Skjei scored twice to lift the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens.
Andersen made his first appearance since Nov. 2 due to a blood clotting issue and improved to 5-1 on the season. He had been doing on-ice work for about a month in preparation for his return.
Stefan Noesen and Andrei Svechnikov also scored for the Hurricanes, who pulled within four points of the Metropolitan Division-leading Rangers.
Forsberg has hat trick in Predators’ win
Filip Forsberg recorded his ninth career hat trick to lead the red-hot Nashville Predators to a 4-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
Forsberg scored the game’s first goal at 3:53 of the opening period and scored twice in the third period, completing his first hat trick of the season at 6:43.
He extended his point streak to seven games, one short of matching his career high. He has seven goals and five assists during the run.
Luke Evangelista also scored and Juuse Saros stopped 26 shots to help the Predators improve to 9-0-1 in their last 10 games.
The Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves will be without star forward Karl-Anthony Towns for at least four weeks after he undergoes surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee, the team announced Thursday night.
With Towns expected to miss at least four weeks, he would, at minimum, be sidelined for at least 13 more games – the majority of the Timberwolves’ remaining schedule.
The team revealed after Thursday’s 113-111 win over Indiana that an MRI exam, performed Wednesday, showed the tear.
He will undergo surgery early next week.
“It’s not a plug-in one person to fill Karl’s role kind of situation,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “What I love about our team is that we have a multitude of options. We can go a lot of different ways based on matchups on any given night. We’ve started different guys through the season anyway.”
An All-Star for the fourth time, Towns is averaging 22.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game while sinking a career-best 42.3 percent from 3-point range. He is one five players in the league averaging at least 20 points, shooting 50 percent from the field and 40 percent on 3-pointers.
The Chicago Bears and star cornerback Jaylon Johnson have worked out a four-year, $76 million deal, two days after the team placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on the 24-year-old.
Johnson is guaranteed $43.8 million at signing and will make $28 million in the first year of the deal, according to sources.
“We’re extremely excited to be able to keep Jaylon here for the next four years,” general manager Ryan Poles said in a statement. “He’s an integral part of our defense and his leadership will help our team continue to ascend.”
Johnson would have been due $19.8 million in 2024 had he not agreed to extension prior to the July 15 deadline.
Johnson has started all 53 games he’s appeared in since the Bears selected him in the second round with the 50th overall pick in the 2020 draft.
He had four interceptions and returned one for a touchdown last season after picking off one pass in his first three years. Johnson had 10 passes defensed and forced one fumble and was selected second-team All-Pro.
The Bears finished 7-10 last season and missed the playoffs for the third straight season. They own the No. 1 and No. 9 overall picks in next month’s draft.
The Grand National remains the world’s most famous race and on International Women’s Day, a woman stands proudly at the helm in Liverpool.
Sulekha Varma was appointed clerk of the course at Aintree in 2019 after gaining years of experience in the racing industry.
As a teenager, Varma went on a work experience placement at the yard of dual Grand National-winning trainer Lucinda Russell. Upon graduation from Edinburgh University she gained a place on the British Horseracing Authority Development Programme, during which she spent time on the news desk at the Racing Post.
After returning to Russell’s yard as racing secretary and working for the Arabian Racing Organisation, Varma then began to take the first steps towards her current career with a trainee role at the Jockey Club that led to spells at Market Rasen, Nottingham, Warwick, Huntingdon and then Hamilton Park.
That experience stood Varma in good stead when the role of clerk of the course at Aintree became vacant and she subsequently became the first woman to hold the position, in the very thick of the action on the world’s most famous and watched day of racing.
“It’s a great honour. I can’t believe it’s been four years already since I took on the role,” she said.
“Working for Lucinda was a great grounding for me in horse racing. Learning about sport from the very grassroots; how a yard operates and what life is like at that end of the sport, and from then I moved into the administration side.
“I did the BHA Development Course in 2006, straight out of university, and my placement was at the Racing Post which was incredible, I got to write a double-page spread for the paper which was something I never thought was going to happen.”
Naturally Varma’s success is the result of drive and hard work, but she credits the industry with being filled with people who are willing to help those looking to advance their career.
“I met a huge number of people who were very willing to help me out, whether it be work experience or just talking through opportunities and learning about the industry,” Varma added.
“I think you have to open doors for yourself, but there are also a lot of people who, if you show enthusiasm and love for the sport, they will also open doors for you.
“Being the first female to fill this role is something that I’ll always treasure. Absolutely.”
Managing director of the Netball Super League Claire Nelson hopes netball can “capitalise on this moment for women’s sport” as it strives for professionalisation.
England Netball announced last year that the Super League will be relaunched in 2025 with the vision of clubs playing in bigger venues, enhancing live and TV audience experience and providing closer competition.
Professionalisation will also aim to provide “advancements in the elite environment to ensure players can choose and experience rewarding careers in netball”.
Nelson was appointed to her role in April last year having previously worked for Netball Scotland and Strathclyde Sirens and hopes netball can “capitalise” on its moment.
She told the PA news agency: “We have some amazing targets. We talk about our 10-year strategy, but we want to win golds on the world stage at World Cups and we want to build the most competitive, commercially vibrant, captivating league in the world.
“When you look at what we have as foundations, they’re so good and everything we’re doing now is to actually capitalise on this moment for women’s sport, but more importantly for our sport.
“This is a moment for netball, our bounce back post-COVID has seen us absolutely smashing our participation and membership numbers – we’re a big sport.
“We’ve now got this professionalisation opportunity where we can go into bigger arenas and take our sport to more households.”
The Super League is already three games into the 2024 season ahead of next year’s relaunch and Severn Stars and Manchester Thunder are the only unbeaten teams, sitting three points ahead of defending champions Loughborough Lightning.
The sport’s professionalisation ambitions follow in the footsteps of other women’s sports which are continuing to flourish at the highest level and Nelson believes netball is the “biggest untapped opportunity”.
“For me, netball’s the biggest untapped opportunity in women’s sport bar none,” she added.
“We’re in this moment where women’s sport is front and centre, so people are wanting to see, to experience, to consume, to support women’s sport.
“Then what we bring to the table is the opportunity to blank canvas, create this product which actually is an intersect from what happens on a court to what’s happening digitally and how we can become more lifestyle and music and fashion and entertainment, how we can unlock the talent potential in our athletes and tell their stories.”
Domestic professionalisation can only be helped by England’s Vitality Roses, who continue to enjoy success on the international stage.
The Roses earned an historic gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in a dramatic final against Australia and they finished third in the World Cup on home soil in 2019.
More recently, England took silver in their maiden World Cup final appearance in South Africa last year and Nelson believes the Roses are the “pinnacle” of England Netball’s aims.
She said: “This is the beauty of what we do here at England Netball, we’ve got the whole sport, we’ve got international, we’re going to have professional domestic and then we’ve got grassroots and community.
“All of these should be integrated and they should be complementary and that’s what we’re trying to build – this ecosystem of a sport where everyone can enjoy their experience and thrive in it, but the Roses are absolutely the pinnacle.
“I have to get the best performance programme and competition in the Super League because that is going to ensure that we have Roses success on the world stage. Roses success on the world stage makes people want to show up and support.
“It’s all interconnected and it’s all complementary, it makes my job a whole lot easier when we have great performances from these incredible athletes on the world stage.”
Exeter wing and Gladiators star Jodie Ounsley has targeted a place in the England 15s squad after hanging up her super-hero outfit and changing back into a rugby kit.
The 23-year-old from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, is already an England Sevens international and has set the bar high following her exploits as Fury on the revamped BBC show.
Ounsley, who became the first deaf woman to play for a senior England rugby side in 2019, told the PA news agency ahead of International Women’s Day: “I was straight back into rugby the week after filming finished last summer, but because of my injury I’ve been out.
“Quite a lot of people thought I’d given up rugby, which is not the case at all. I’m full-time rugby and part-time Gladiator.
“I’d love to do another Gladiators series, but right now it’s all rugby for me. I’ve still got a long way to go, but I’d love to be involved with the Red Roses 15s.
“I’m focused on getting back fit, hopefully getting some game-time in the Premiership with Exeter and then who knows?”
The multi-talented Ounsley is a former British jiu-jitsu champion, five-time world junior coal-carrying champion and represented Great Britain at the 2017 Deaf Olympics in the 100m and 200m sprints, aged just 16.
But after scoring a length-of-the-field try with her very first touch in her first rugby match for local club Sandal, she was hooked on the 15-a-side game and never looked back.
Ounsley was included in the England Sevens squad while at first professional club Loughborough Lightning and was snapped up by Sale Sharks in 2020 before joining her third top-flight club, Exeter Chiefs, in 2022.
“There’s so much competition in the Red Roses, especially the back three, so I’m not putting any expectation on it,” she said.
“I’m just going to work hard and let’s see what happens. First of all I just want to get back on the pitch and see where I can go with it.”
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Ounsley has long been blazing a trail for the deaf community and, since starring in Gladiators, her popularity has transcended to a wider audience.
She is grateful to her growing fan-base for helping her inspire the next generation of deaf athletes and change the perception of women’s rugby in general.
Ounsley, whose TikTok followers alone number over 176,000, said: “I just love showing young kids you can be a bad-ass rugby player, a bit savage, but also be a nice person and still be feminine. I like to show people that.
“I always wanted to be successful in sport, whatever that might be. But I never in a million years expected it to turn out how it did and have such a platform.
“In terms of the rugby community and kids now getting into rugby, girls playing it and having that ‘Fury mentality’ of smashing people and stuff… I love it!”
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Ounsley is completely deaf in both ears and wears a scrum-cap while playing rugby to protect her cochlear implant.
She is a “super-proud” honorary president of UK Deaf Sport and a patron of the Elizabeth Foundation, a charity which helps young deaf children learn to listen and talk.
“Being on Gladiators has meant so much to me, not because it’s on TV, but because we can be good role models to kids,” she said.
“We look a bit like super-heroes, so they’re perhaps more susceptible to us setting a good example, but the response has blown me away.”
As tough-tackling Exeter wing or as Fury the Gladiator, Ounsley is playing her part in the drive to raise the profile of women’s sport.
“The gap is massive, obviously, and I know there’s a long way to go,” she added.
“We’re sort of indebted to the Lionesses. They’ve taken it to another level. Women’s football is showing the support is there and women’s rugby has stepped it up over the last few years.
“Women’s sport is certainly becoming a lot more popular. More people are appreciating that there are some super-talented female athletes out there.”
Whilst most sports are now moving to develop and promote their women’s game independently of the men’s, racing has the rare distinction of allowing both sexes to compete directly against one another.
The majority of jockeys are male, but there has been breakthrough after breakthrough in the women’s ranks and responsible for much of that progress is the great talent of Hollie Doyle.
Doyle is not just a supreme female jockey, but a leading rider regardless of gender and is one of only a handful of jockeys to enjoy a retained role as the go-to for Imad Al Sagar’s Blue Diamond Stud.
It is aboard their star mare Nashwa that she has enjoyed great success in recent seasons, winning three Group Ones and collecting several placings at the top level in a career that looks set to continue when the Flat season really starts next month.
John and Thady Gosden train Nashwa but Doyle is the stable jockey for Archie Watson, for whom she has registered countless victories aboard big names such as Glen Shiel, Outbox and last year’s Royal Ascot scorer Bradsell.
With a stable jockey position and a retainer, Doyle could be expected to take only a limited book of outside rides, but her CV proves she is in demand whenever available and she is the rider associated with Alan King’s top stayer Trueshan.
Her status would also grant her the right to sit out the lower quality meetings and choose not to travel the length and breadth of the country for all-weather rides, but Doyle is arguably one of the hardest-working riders in the weighing room and took just shy of 800 rides last year in Britain alone.
During the window that determines the British Flat jockeys’ championship, she rode 89 winners last season, finishing fifth behind William Buick, Oisin Murphy, Rossa Ryan and her husband, Tom Marquand.
In addition to that, she has plied her trade in almost every significant racing jurisdiction that exists and last year brought home prize money from Japan, France, Germany, Sweden and Italy – something she does not take for granted.
“I get loads of support from everyone and it’s really nice to feel that I have such an open book of trainers that are willing to use me,” she said.
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“It is great to have the association I have with Imad Al Sagar and it’s even better that Nashwa is in training for another year, and that’s something to look forward to for the season ahead already.
“I’m really lucky, I’m attached to Archie’s stable and always busy in that regard, he has a nice team of horses to go forward with.
“I’ve been riding all around the world, I did a stint in Japan and I thoroughly enjoyed that – it’s something I’ll be hoping to do a lot more of.
“It’s great as it’s always hard to go to a new jurisdiction and pick up some good rides, you have to take it all in and adapt to the style of racing riding there.”
Hayley Turner broke many barriers at a time when there was some reluctance to use female jockeys, with her success then paving the way for younger riders like Doyle.
“Hayley was a massive trailblazer for everyone, especially when I was young and she was really at the peak of her career,” she said.
“She definitely carved out a path and that’s had an impact on us all.”
World and European champion Emma Finucane is hoping to inspire the next generation of young girls after helping to overhaul the fortunes of Great Britain’s women’s sprint squad.
Amid the dominance Britain has enjoyed in Olympic track cycling since Beijing, there had been a glaring weakness since London 2012, with the country failing to even qualify to race in the women’s team sprint at the last two Games as Katy Marchant was left to fly the flag alone in the individual events.
But a plan put in place after Rio to address that has begun bearing fruit since Tokyo, and Britain will head to Paris on the back of team sprint silver medals at both the World Championships in Glasgow last summer and at the European Championships in Apeldoorn in January.
Sophie Capewell, Lauren Bell and Milly Tanner have all earned their place on British Cycling’s Olympic Podium Programme alongside Marchant, and Finucane, 21, made herself the poster girl of the revolution with individual sprint titles at both world and European level in the last seven months.
“Women’s track sprinting has come on loads and I think that’s down to the strength in depth we have,” Finucane told the PA news agency while watching the next set of hopefuls race at the British National Championships in Manchester.
“Even at the nationals we have so many girls breaking personal bests and pushing each other on. We have that internal competition and it really, really helps the women’s sprint. Hopefully in Paris we will have a team sprint and that hasn’t been the case for the last two cycles.
“That is super exciting and I think it shows we can do it, we work just as hard as everyone else and the results will come.
“I hope to inspire younger people to get into sprinting because I didn’t really know a lot about it when I was younger. All you would see was Laura Kenny and the endurance riders, so I think it’s a huge thing for the women’s sprint.”
Finucane surprised herself with her victory in Glasgow last year, a title that thrust her onto the shortlist of favourites for Olympic success in Paris. But only three years ago she was a fresh-faced teenager trying to find her way around the Manchester velodrome after moving from home in Wales.
“I moved up in January of 2021 and I didn’t think Paris was a possibility for me,” she said. “I’m quite young and I’d just moved out of home and only just purely started track sprinting. My career progressed from there and I’m now trying to qualify for the Games so it really is exciting.
“I’ve just tried to take each race as it comes like I always do. I think there has been a part of my career that has happened quite quickly but I wouldn’t have it any other way, just living and riding my bike with these amazing girls around.”
The rainbow jersey has brought added attention and expectation but Finucane’s individual win at the Euros in January, again beating the German duo of Lea Friedrich and Emma Hinze who might expect to be the primary opposition in Paris, suggests she is handling it just fine.
“I’m aware of (the expectations) but I’m just going to try and enjoy the journey, not just focus on the outcome,” she said.
“I feel like that’s where people get lost. It’s a journey and there’s still a long way to go. I’m trying to enjoy the people around me, I still have my circle around me, and I just want to enjoy racing. I feel that’s when I’m at my best.”
Luke Humphries registered his first Premier League night win as the world champion defeated Michael Smith 6-3 in Brighton.
The final of the tournament’s sixth night saw world number one Humphries, a competition debutant this year, surge into a 5-1 lead.
Smith, the 2023 world champion and winner of night one in Cardiff, hit back but ‘Cool Hand Luke’ was not to be denied.
Humphries said on Sky Sports: “I felt like I haven’t played my best, since the Worlds maybe for the first six weeks, and I’ve come back playing a lot better. Sometimes it takes a bit of time.
“I think after the Worlds, the way I played, everyone expected me to win everything, and that’s not going to happen. There is so much great talent out there, so many great players, and winning nights like these is fantastic because they are really hard. I’m really proud the way I played tonight.
“My dad said ‘you look a million dollars, you look like you’re throwing like you were in the Worlds’.
“I did feel really good after the Worlds – unfortunately some things happened. My Nan passed away and that did have an affect on me. But that’s no excuse. You build again, you go again, and I think in the last couple of weeks my mind has been straight again and I feel really good.
“I felt really good at the UK Open (last weekend, when he was a beaten finalist), I just didn’t win, but tonight that’s the best I’ve played since the Worlds, and the best I’ve felt.”
Humphries, who averaged 101.04 against Smith, had advanced to it by defeating Rob Cross 6-3 with an average of 113.71. It was the same score as Smith won his semi against 17-year-old World Championship runner-up Luke Littler.
In the quarter-finals, Humphries got past Gerwyn Price 6-2 and Smith ended a three-match losing streak with a 6-5 victory over Peter Wright, who remains without a win in this year’s competition.
Defending champion Michael van Gerwen, winner of three of the first five nights, suffered a second successive quarter-final loss as he was beaten 6-2 by Cross, and night five winner Nathan Aspinall lost 6-3 to Littler.
Humphries moves up to second in the table on 12 points, three behind Van Gerwen, with Littler and Cross a further point back and Smith just outside the play-off spots on 10 points.
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has been ordered to go hunting for the ball when he makes his full England debut in Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations clash with Ireland.
With two replacement appearances in the bank, including a try-scoring cameo against Scotland in round three, the Cardiff-born 21-year-old is considered ready to start on the right wing at the expense of veteran Elliot Daly.
One of the most exciting young talents in the Gallagher Premiership was persuaded by Steve Borthwick to opt for the Red Rose over Wales in January – less than a year after he was playing in the third tier of English rugby for struggling Taunton Titans.
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Now that his rapid development has accelerated with a first Test start, he has been instructed to make his pace, power and work rate count against the Grand Slam champions.
“When I watch Manny, I see his ability to come off the wing and pop up off scrum-half – as he did against Scotland – and pop up inside and outside fly-half,” Borthwick said.
“I have seen him several times pop up in the middle and do a pick and go at the ruck because he wants the ball in his hands. That is the encouragement I have for him – get that ball in his hands.
“After I told him he was starting, he was very grateful and thanked me numerous times then asked me ‘what do you want from me?’.
“I said ‘find the ball and get it in your hands’. There are some nuances, but the message was ‘I want you to get the ball in your hands as many times as possible’.”
Feyi-Waboso missed last week’s training camp in York in order to sit an exam for his medical degree at Exeter University, and Borthwick believes he has the temperament to thrive against Ireland.
“Basically we think he’s one of those people who is good at everything. We’re yet to find something he’s not good at, but we’ll keep trying,” Borthwick said.
“We certainly asked him how his exam went, he said he felt it went OK, which I took as he’d aced it. But we’ll find out in due course when he tells us his results.
“I sense he’s a guy who takes things in his stride. He’s a really calm and composed character. And given everything he’s doing in his life, and what he’s gone through so far, it’s a real strength.
“Each challenge that has been thrown towards him, he’s risen to that level and I expect he’ll do the same again on Saturday.”
Emma Raducanu moved into the second round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells with victory in straight sets over Rebeka Masarova.
The 21-year-old Briton, given a wild card at this tournament, set up a meeting with Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska as she got past Spanish qualifier Masarova 6-2 6-3 in an hour and 45 minutes.
Raducanu claimed the opening three games with a double break, then was broken herself in the fourth before hitting back to secure the first set.
The second set followed the same pattern across the first four games, with the 2021 US Open champion going a double break up and Masarova replying by breaking back.
Raducanu subsequently wrapped things up with another break of Masarova’s serve, after her opponent had saved three match points, for her fourth win in eight matches in 2024.
She told Sky Sports: “Super important I think for me to get through that. I really think it’s one of the trickiest tournaments conditions-wise to play because it varies so much. I think I dealt with that really well and overcame a really tough opponent who is dangerous in these conditions.
“I really enjoy playing in America, some of my best results have been here, so I am very happy to be back here playing. I really appreciate all the love I was receiving.”
Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes team were fined nearly £13,000 – and the British driver was slapped with a warning – following a near “serious high-speed crash” in practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Williams driver Logan Sargeant was forced to take evasive action to avoid hitting the back of Hamilton’s slow-moving Mercedes.
Formula One’s stewards said Mercedes should have informed Hamilton that Sargeant was approaching him on a quick lap. The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is the fastest street track on the F1 calendar.
Carlos Sainz, who Hamilton will replace at Ferrari next year and who witnessed the incident, said over the radio: “What Hamilton did there is super dangerous.
“He was in the middle (of the track). He could have got out of the way. Sargeant nearly crashed because of him.”
Hamilton, who finished eighth in practice, six places behind team-mate George Russell – and 0.677 seconds adrift of fastest driver Fernando Alonso – was summoned to see the stewards.
A report from the governing FIA read: “The stewards heard from the driver of Car 44 (Lewis Hamilton), the driver of Car 2 (Logan Sargeant), team representatives and reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video, team radio and in-car video evidence and determine that Car 44 impeded Car 2 at Turn 11.
“As a result, Car 2 had to take evasive action by going off the track to avoid a collision. Had that not been done, there would have been a serious, high-speed crash.
“Having listened to the team radio, it was clear to us that the team of Car 44 failed to warn their driver of the fact that Car 2 was arriving on a fast lap. That was a serious failure on the part of the team, particularly given the speeds on this circuit and the nature of Turn 11, which is at the end of a series of high speed corners where driver visibility is impaired.
“We therefore issue a warning to the driver and impose a fine of 15,000 euros (£12,818) to the team.”
Christian Horner said he is certain Max Verstappen will see out his contract with Red Bull, despite the ongoing controversy at Formula One’s world championship winning team.
Horner also insisted it is in “everybody’s collective interest to focus on the future” after Verstappen’s father, Jos, claimed Red Bull will “explode” if Horner remained in his role.
Verstappen, who won last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix, has been linked with a shock move to Mercedes to replace Lewis Hamilton next season.
Hamilton said on Wednesday that the 26-year-old Dutch driver is on Mercedes’ “list”.
But when asked if he expected Verstappen to see out the remainder of his contract with Red Bull, which runs until 2028, Horner said: “I’m certain that he will. I mean, he’s got a great team around him, he’s got great faith in that team, and we’ve achieved an awful lot together.
“He’s committed to an agreement until 2028, and from a team side, and from Max’s side, we’re determined to build on the success that we’ve achieved already.
“His 55 victories have all come in Red Bull Racing cars and we are determined to build on that and add more wins in the future.”
Verstappen finished first in the opening practice session for this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso topping the time sheets in the day’s concluding running.
George Russell was second with Lewis Hamilton eighth in the other Mercedes.
Verstappen ended the day in third, three tenths back from Alonso but such is the superiority of his Red Bull machine he remains the favourite to extend his winning run here on Saturday.
Verstappen Snr is absent from the second round of the championship as he competes in a Belgian rally.
Following his son’s victory in Bahrain, he said: “There is tension here while he (Horner) remains in position.
“The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode. He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems.”
Horner held clear-the-air talks with Verstappen’s manager Raymond Vermeulen a day after Verstappen Snr’s comments were published in the Mail on Sunday.
But Horner, 50, hinted he has not spoken to his star driver’s father since he was made aware of the incendiary remarks.
Horner continued: “I spoke to Jos following the grand prix and obviously congratulated him on his son’s performance. And I think it’s in everybody’s interest, collectively, that we’ve agreed to move on, to focus on the future.
“We both have a vested interest in his son, to provide the best cars for him and to get the best out of him, and he’s started the season in the best possible way. He’s an outstanding talent and hopefully we can continue to provide him with a very competitive car.”
Ireland boss Andy Farrell insists under-fire England remain capable of representing one of the ultimate tests in world rugby ahead of a tantalising Twickenham showdown.
Farrell’s in-form side are odds-on favourites for a fifth successive victory over their rivals to stay on course for back-to-back Guinness Six Nations Grand Slams following bonus-point wins over France, Italy and Wales.
Amid ongoing criticism of their performances, Steve Borthwick’s hosts are battling to stay in title contention after suffering a 30-21 Calcutta Cup defeat to Scotland last time out.
Englishman Farrell has little interest in the negativity surrounding his native country and is preparing for “one hell of a battle” on Saturday.
“I’ve no doubt that England would have loved to have put the best performance out against Scotland and come away with the victory there,” he said.
“But I’ve no doubt now that over the last two weeks that concentrates their mind to have another chance to have a crack at us.
“You expect them to be at their best and if they’re at their best you expect them to be as hard as anyone in world rugby to beat.”
England were two minutes away from reaching the World Cup final in October but have struggled to fully convince since Borthwick succeeded Eddie Jones in December 2022.
“I don’t get involved with the criticism at all,” continued Farrell. “I don’t look at it.
“I look at the individuals the way that they’re playing, the coaching staff that they got, the plan that they’ve got, a fantastic side that is going to be preparing to give it everything they’ve got at the weekend, so that makes them unbelievably dangerous.
“We just prepare for them to be at their best and if that’s the case it’s going to be one hell of a battle.”
Ireland twice lost to Jones’ England in 2020 – the first year of Farrell’s reign – but have since dominated the fixture, including clinching last year’s championship clean sweep with a 29-16 success in Dublin.
Extending the winning streak could see the visitors retain their crown with a fixture to spare.
While Farrell was not entirely satisfied with his side’s performances in their last two Six Nations wins over the Red Rose, he refused to rule out another fragmented affair this weekend.
“I’m not Mystic Meg, I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he replied, when asked if he was confident of avoiding a repeat of the disjointed displays.
“You take every game on it’s own course really and judge it and England did very well at slowing us down last year.
“There were a lot of stoppages within the game and it wasn’t just errors, the game was slow.
“Whether that’s a tactic of theirs or not, I don’t know, but we’ll have to expect more of the same I would have thought.”
Farrell won eight England caps during his playing days and later served his country as a coach under Stuart Lancaster before being let go by Jones following a dismal home World Cup in 2015.
The former dual-code international dismissed any notion of sentiment as he prepares for his latest Twickenham return.
“It’s no different to any other game,” said Farrell, who has recalled fit-again full-back Hugo Keenan in place of Ciaran Frawley in the only change to his starting XV.
“We, and certainly I, concentrate on the week ahead and this game is no more important than the first game in Marseille or no more important than the Italy game or the Wales game at home.
“It’s another chance for us to go out there and show the best of ourselves, albeit a tough old task.
“Everyone knows it’s a tough place to go and get a victory. But that’s the challenge in front of us every week.”
Will Rowlands says Wales will relish “going toe-to-toe” with a juggernaut France pack in Sunday’s Guinness Six Nations clash.
France have dropped way off last year’s standards, losing comprehensively at home to title favourites Ireland before scraping a draw with Italy after narrowly beating Scotland.
And while Les Bleus have claimed four successive Six Nations victories over Wales, no-one knows if they will suddenly find top gear in Cardiff this weekend or continue to struggle.
Their forwards will look to dominate, and Rowlands knows what is coming after linking up with French Top 14 club Racing 92 following the World Cup.
“They have got a big team, but I think you’ve seen in the last few years that French rugby is about much more than just a physical threat,” Wales lock Rowlands said.
“I think the physical side of it is something I think we will be looking forward to going toe-to-toe with. We’ve got a big team up-front, so bring it on.
“Rugby is much easier if you can get some go-forward. It’s a self-fulfilling circle.
“It is something we are working on. We are trying to bring our best game to allow us to have physically-dominant moments.
“They are a team rammed full of quality, and I see that in the league. If they get it right, there is no reason why we won’t see a French performance like we have seen in the last six months this weekend.”
Wales head coach Warren Gatland has made changes to the pack, with Rowlands handed a first start of the tournament after being on the bench for defeats against England and Ireland.
Elsewhere, captain Dafydd Jenkins moves from second-row to blindside flanker – a position he has never filled for club or country – and hooker Ryan Elias returns instead of Elliot Dee.
France are expected to show wholesale switches, with absentees including suspended centre Jonathan Danty and injured fly-half Matthieu Jalibert, but fit-again skipper Gregory Alldritt is back.
Rowlands is set to face some familiar faces from the French domestic game, and he added: “Playing club rugby there is an absolute joy.
“One of the things I have to say that has been really enjoyable for me to experience is how much passion there is for rugby in France.
“Wherever you go, the people are mad for it, and I think that is reflected when you see how much it means to the players when they play for their clubs and country.
“Everyone talks about the bit of a myth, which is the glitz and glamour of the ‘Racing Galacticos’, but I don’t think that is really the case.
“There are some really high-profile players, but there are also a lot of local French young guys who have a lot of talent. It is an exciting place to be.
“From a rugby point of view, I feel like playing in the French league for Racing has meant I’ve already had to develop parts of my game.
“I think going forward it will make me a much better player.”
Anthony Joshua tipped the scales at 252.4lbs ahead of Friday’s heavyweight showdown against Francis Ngannou, who weighed in almost two stones heavier.
The 34-year-old former two-time world champion was just over a pound heavier than in his last bout against Otto Wallin during December.
Ngannou weighed in at 272.6lbs, slightly above what he was for the fight against Tyson Fury in October, a first boxing contest for the former MMA star.
Following the war of words between Ngannou and Fury during Wednesday’s final pre-fight press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, there was little drama as the fighters faced off following the weigh-in.
The winner of Friday’s ‘Knockout Chaos’ headline contest is expected to be in line to face Fury or Oleksandr Usyk, who will finally fight in their undisputed heavyweight bout on May 18 before a rematch takes place later in 2024.
Joshua insisted he had plenty of respect for Ngannou – who put Fury on the canvas in the third round before losing a split decision.
The Briton, though, but intends to remain fully focused on his own performance following on from three victories after the disappointment of defeat by Usyk in August 2022.
“Sometimes when you bow your head and make prayers, miracles do happen, that is all I can say – God is working in my favour,” Joshua said following the weigh-in on DAZN Boxing’s YouTube channel.
Joshua added: “Official prediction…? I deliver – I am the postman.”
Ngannou feels he can once again make the most of his underdog tag to prove doubters wrong.
“I have learnt a little bit from the last fight, the last camp, and leading up to this one, so I get a little bit of experience, but the mindset is still the same,” he said.
“This is just my second boxing match, even though I am taking on the two best guys in the world in boxing.
“I am the underdog, I am going out there to prove that you can be an underdog and stand your ground.”
Ngannou added: “Sometimes it just makes me laugh a little bit, because we are going to fight in boxing rules, but what would happen if it was a ‘free’ fight under MMA rules?
“I would smoke this guy. I am the only one to go in their backyard, none of them can come in my backyard. I would take two of them at once.”
Christian Horner called for an immediate end to the intrusion into his personal life, on the day it emerged his accuser has been suspended following Red Bull’s investigation into “inappropriate behaviour” against the Formula One team principal.
Horner, 50, was allowed to remain in his role after Red Bull Racing’s parent company GmbH said last Wednesday that the grievance against him had been dismissed.
The PA news agency understands the complainant, a female employee of the Milton Keynes team, has now been suspended on full pay as a direct result of Red Bull’s inquiry.
A Red Bull Racing spokesperson said: “We are unable to comment as it is an internal matter.”
Horner, who has always denied the claims made against him, was asked about the development in a press conference ahead of this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
He said: “I am afraid I can’t comment on anything that is confidential between an employee and the company.
“There is a grievance process that takes place in any company, and that process is confidential between the individuals and the company itself.
“I am not at liberty, due to those confidentiality (reasons) and out of respect to the company, and the other party, we are all bound by those same restrictions.
“So even if I would like to talk about it, I can’t because of those confidentiality restrictions.”
The complainant is understood to have received a legal letter at the beginning of this week, and now has five working days to appeal against the outcome of the investigation which has cast an enormous shadow over Red Bull and the sport.
Horner, who walked through the paddock hand-in-hand with his wife, the former Spice Girls’ singer Geri Halliwell, prior to last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix, added: “My wife has been phenomenally supportive throughout this, as has my family, but the intrusion on my family is now enough and we need to move forward and focus on what we are here for, which is to go Formula One racing.
“I am very fortunate I have a beautiful family and a very supportive wife – but I am the only one that has been named in this.
“It is very trying and it is very challenging when there are children involved and there are families and parents involved. It is not pretty.
“But the reality is, is that there was a grievance that was raised, it was dealt with in the most professional manner, by the group, not by Red Bull Racing, but by the owners of Red Bull Racing, Red Bull GmbH, that appointed an independent KC, that is one of the most reputable KCs in the land, and he took time to investigate fully all of the facts.
“He interviewed all of the people involved as well as others of interest. He looked at everything and he came to the conclusion where he dismissed the grievance.
“As far as I am concerned, and as far as Red Bull are concerned, we moved on and we look to the future.
“The time now is to draw a line under it.”
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns has been diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his left knee that could sideline the former NBA Rookie of the Year for the rest of the regular season.
Towns was originally ruled out for Thursday’s game at the Indiana Pacers due to left knee soreness.
The four-time All-Star hasn't put up his usual solid numbers lately, averaging 16.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in his last four games.
Coming into Thursday, Towns had missed just two games all season and was averaging 22.1 points and 8.4 rebounds in 60 contests.
Minnesota (43-19) is tied with Northwest Division foe Oklahoma City for the best record in the Western Conference.
The Timberwolves haven’t advanced past the first round of the playoffs since losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the West finals in 2004.
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