England have given debuts to centre Fraser Dingwall and flanker Ethan Roots for Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations opener against Italy in Rome.

Head coach Steve Borthwick has also named three uncapped players on the bench in back-rower Chandler Cunningham-South, fly-half Fin Smith and wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.

“Winning a first cap for your country is always a very special occasion,” Borthwick said.

“We’re delighted for the debutants who have all worked incredibly hard to get themselves selected in the 23 to face Italy. I know Saturday will be a very proud moment for the players and their families.

“My message to them this week has been to be themselves, to grasp their opportunity, and to play with the strengths and skills that deservedly got them selected to a strong Six Nations squad.”

Alex Mitchell has overcome an infected cut on his leg to form a half-back axis with George Ford, who is named as one of two vice-captains alongside Maro Itoje with Jamie George leading the team out at the Stadio Olimpico.

Ford has edged rookie Fin Smith for the number 10 jersey after Marcus Smith was ruled out of the round one clash because of a calf problem and he will direct a midfield partnership of Dingwall and Henry Slade.

Tommy Freeman wins his fourth cap and first since 2022 on the right wing as reward for an impressive season at Gallagher Premiership pace-setters Northampton, who also supply Dingwall and Mitchell to the starting back line.

Joe Marler and Will Stuart are the preferred props, keeping Ellis Genge and Dan Cole on the bench, while Itoje and Ollie Chessum are paired together in a familiar-looking lock duo.

Roots has big boots to fill after being chosen to start in the number six jersey worn by Courtney Lawes until his international retirement after the World Cup, with Ben Earl continuing at number eight and Sam Underhill at openside.

Roots played for the Maori All Blacks but has been a revelation at Exeter this season after arriving at Sandy Park having spent two seasons at the Ospreys.

Italy have never beaten England in 30 previous attempts but Borthwick refuses to take victory for granted.

“After an excellent week’s preparation in Girona, we look forward to the challenge of playing Italy in Rome,” Borthwick said.

“The Azzurri are a dangerous team, with some talented ball-carriers and players who like to find space. We’ll need to make good decisions, keep our discipline, and maintain a level of intensity to our performance from the first whistle to the last.”

Royale Pagaille may not run again this season as Venetia Williams reports he is “still very sore” following his final fence fall in Cheltenham’s Cotswold Chase.

The 10-year-old holds an entry for the Gold Cup, as well as being seen as a potential Grand National candidate, and after a career-best performance to win the Betfair Chase in November, he was out to cement his claims for the blue riband at Prestbury Park last Saturday.

However, dreams of a fourth shot at the Cheltenham Festival’s main prize now appear to be on hold after his Trials Day fall, which came when staying on strongly in the hands of Charlie Deutsch, with Williams suggesting his recovery time will keep him off the track for the rest of the current campaign.

“I don’t know for sure, but he is still very sore,” said Williams.

“He should be all right, but it is going to need a bit of time and I’m not sure if we will see him out again this season. It’s a big shame.”

Despite Royale Pagaille looking likely to be out of the Gold Cup picture, there was better news about high-ranking stablemate L’Homme Presse following his successful Lingfield comeback.

Having brought the house down with a terrific display to better Protektorat in the Fleur De Lys Chase, he is now firmly on course for his scheduled pre-Gold Cup stop in the Betfair Ascot Chase on February 17.

Williams said: “He’s fine and I’m happy with him. Ascot is in two weeks and we will see, but all being well, that is what we will do.”

Alongside Shishkin, L’Homme Presse is seen as one of Britain’s best chances of claiming victory in the Gold Cup for the first time since Native River in 2018 and is a best price of 10-1 with the bookmakers.

Delta Work is to follow a tried-and-tested route when he returns to the track in the William Hill Boyne Hurdle.

Gordon Elliott’s 11-year-old ran in the Navan Grade Two event last year, finishing sixth to Blazing Khal, before going on to successfully defend his cross country crown at the Cheltenham Festival and is set to make his first appearance since November in the two-mile-five-furlong event on February 11.

He has finished his campaign in the Grand National the past two seasons and all roads seem to lead to a third crack at the Aintree showpiece in April, having finished third behind Noble Yeats in 2022 before unseating Keith Donoghue when travelling kindly on the second circuit last year.

However, Delta Work will have his well-being to prove on his return to the track this time, having arrived home lame following an outing at Cheltenham earlier in the season.

“He was lame after Cheltenham and is OK again now,” said Eddie O’Leary of owners Gigginstown House Stud.

“The plan is to go Boyne Hurdle, Cross Country at Cheltenham and then Grand National.

“Everything is fine at the moment but he was sore after (his run at Cheltenham). Hopefully we see him at Navan.”

Walbank bids for back-to-back wins at Meydan for trainer George Boughey in Friday’s Dubai Sprint.

The son of Kodiac looked a potential star juvenile a couple of years ago for Dave Loughnane, winning by seven lengths at York before finishing second in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot and third in the Molecomb at Goodwood.

However, he was well beaten on his reappearance last season and a switch to Dominic Ffrench Davis failed to yield improvement, prompting owners Amo Racing to move him from Lambourn to Newmarket.

After seven months off the track, Walbank made an impressive stable debut in handicap company four weeks ago and Boughey is looking forward to raising his sights to Listed level.

The trainer said: “He won well on his first start for us and it was one of those situations where you hope they transfer their work to the track, because he had been working nicely.

“He put it all together that day and they went a good gallop, which I think is what he needs stepping up to six furlongs. He is a fast horse though, and I think he’d be versatile over five and six.

“He’s drawn in the middle and I think there should be few excuses. Amazingly, it looks like there’s quite a bit of rain coming, so I just hope it’s dried out by Friday.

“I think the last day he produced a quicker time than Al Dasim did when he won on Super Saturday last year over the course and distance, but it is a step up.

“He was getting well beat in handicaps (last year) and didn’t beat much when he won the other day, so he’s certainly got it to prove, but I couldn’t be happier with how he’s training.”

Walbank’s rivals include Charlie Appleby’s Mischief Magic and the Johnny Murtagh-trained Ladies First.

Boughey has two other runners at Meydan, with Naxos making his second start on dirt in a seven-furlong handicap and stablemate Koy Koy tackling turf in a nine-furlong handicap.

The trainer is particularly keen on the chances of the former, adding: “Naxos drops in grade and drops in trip for the seven-furlong race. He showed up well on his first start on dirt and just didn’t get home over a mile and a quarter.

“He was taking on an absolute machine in the winner (Kabirkhan), who won a Group One last week.

“Naxos has adapted really well out there, he’s a pretty relaxed horse now and if he handles the preliminaries like he did the last day, I think he’ll be hard to beat.”

Wales centre George North has been ruled out of Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations clash against Scotland because of a shoulder injury.

North, who has won 118 caps and is comfortably the most experienced player in Wales’ Six Nations squad, was hurt during Ospreys’ recent European Challenge Cup victory over South Africa side the Lions.

Owen Watkin and Nick Tompkins will forge Wales’ midfield partnership, with Cardiff full-back Cameron Winnett handed a Test debut after just 15 games of professional rugby.

The 21-year-old features in a position vacated by Liam Williams’ move to Japan, while full-back option Louis Rees-Zammit recently quit rugby union to pursue a possible American football career.

Elsewhere, Winnett’s Cardiff colleague James Botham – grandson of England cricket great Sir Ian Botham – is recalled for a first Wales appearance since July 2021, packing down alongside back-row colleagues Tommy Reffell and Aaron Wainwright.

Dragons prop Leon Brown also starts, with uncapped Cardiff flanker Alex Mann among the replacements, where former Bristol back Ioan Lloyd provides fly-half cover for Sam Costelow.

Racing 92 lock Will Rowlands, whose partner recently gave birth, is not included in the match-day 23, with captain Dafydd Jenkins and Adam Beard forging Wales’ second-row combination.

At 21, Exeter forward Jenkins is Wales’ youngest skipper since a 20-year-old Gareth Edwards led Wales against Scotland in 1968.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland said: “George got quite a big stinger in terms of his shoulder and didn’t take part in full training last week, so Owen Watkin comes into the midfield.

“Will hasn’t come into the squad yet. His wife had a baby a couple of weeks ago in France.

“So the message to him has been ‘you stay home and be with your family’. We always talk about how important that is, and he will turn up when he is ready.”

Wales have beaten Scotland 11 times on the bounce in Cardiff, winning nine Six Nations games, a World Cup warm-up fixture and an autumn Test since the Scots triumphed in April 2002.

But Wales are now without the likes of Rees-Zammit, Williams and long-term injured trio Jac Morgan, Taulupe Faletau and Dewi Lake, while Dan Biggar and Leigh Halfpenny retired from international rugby after the World Cup in France.

Gatland added: “Cameron Winnett is just a lovely footballer, and I think he is going to develop into a quality international player in the future.

“He is young and there will be no pressure on him. It is also great that Alex Mann is on the bench, and will hopefully get his debut as well.

“Scotland haven’t won here in a long, long time, and it is an opportunity for us to continue with that record.

“The (stadium) roof is going to be open.

“Scotland want the roof open, which I think is a little bit disappointing from an atmosphere point of view because when that roof is shut it does tend to create a lot more atmosphere and noise in the stadium. But that is the decision that they made.”

Six Nations regulations state that both teams have to agree in order for the roof to be closed.

Wales team versus Scotland: C Winnett (Cardiff); J Adams (Cardiff), O Watkin (Ospreys), N Tompkins (Saracens), R Dyer (Dragons); S Costelow (Scarlets), G Davies (Scarlets); C Domachowski (Cardiff), R Elias (Scarlets), L Brown (Dragons), D Jenkins (Exeter, capt), A Beard (Ospreys), J Botham (Cardiff), T Reffell (Leicester), A Wainwright (Dragons).

Replacements: E Dee (Dragons), K Mathias (Scarlets), K Assiratti (Cardiff), Teddy Williams (Cardiff), A Mann (Cardiff), Tomos Williams (Cardiff), I Lloyd (Scarlets), M Grady (Cardiff).

Willie Mullins has decided to skip a clash against Marine Nationale with Gaelic Warrior in Saturday’s Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase at Leopardstown.

Positive noises had been made that the exciting Gaelic Warrior would drop down to two miles to take on Barry Connell’s unbeaten Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner.

However, Mullins will instead field Facile Vega, Il Etait Temps and Sharjah in opposition.

Two others will go to post, Gordon Elliott’s promising Found A Fifty and Vincent Halley’s Senecia.

Mullins’ Galopin Des Champs will only face three in his attempt to win the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup for a second successive year.

He bounced back to form to win at Christmas and will meet his Punchestown Festival and John Durkan conqueror Fastorslow.

The only two other runners are Conflated and I Am Maximus.

Also appearing on day one of the Dublin Racing Festival is A Dream To Share, one of the feelgood stories of last season as he went through his campaign unbeaten, culminating with champion bumper wins at Cheltenham and Punchestown.

He had been favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle for months but a setback delayed his hurdling career and he will remain in the bumper sphere for now.

A Dream To Share will be attempting to win the Donohue Marquees Future Stars Flat Race for a second successive year.

Mullins runs My Great Mate, You Oughta Know, Hens Tooth, Joystick and Redemption Day against him.

The champion trainer has four of the six in the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle over two miles and six furlongs.

Dancing City, I Will Be Baie, Loughglynn and Predators Gold will face Elliott’s Stellar Story and Jessica Harrington’s Jetara.

Mullins also fields six of the 11 in the McCann FitzGerald Spring Juvenile Hurdle.

Bunting, Ethical Diamond, Highwind, Majborough, Storm Heart and Kargese will face the most competition from Elliott’s Kala Conti.

The Closutton maestro is a big fan of the Dublin Racing Festival, stating: “It’s one of the best initiatives to come from HRI in the past few years – it’s two days of pure, hardcore racing.

“Grade Ones – bang, bang, bang, one after the other. I don’t think there’s any other festival in the British Isles or France that has high calibre horses in so few races, where you can see them all and it gives you an idea what’s best and what’s looking good for the other spring festivals.

“This is one of the best two days in Irish jump racing and probably English jump racing or French jump racing – it’s a fantastic festival.

“When you have a good horse, you have to run in good races and I’m a believer in that, you put them in and they have to take their chance.

“Some of them seem obvious that they’re going to win but then we get surprises every day of the week, that’s why bookmakers are so successful!

“Our opinions aren’t always right, we all have opinions; from the punter, to the trainer, to the owner. You’ve got to get out there on the track and prove which is the best horse.”

Lewis Hamilton is on the brink of a blockbuster move to Ferrari in 2025, the PA news agency understands.

Hamilton, 39, is entering the first of a new two-year deal with Mercedes worth £100million.

But it is understood the seven-time Formula One world champion is eligible to leave Mercedes at the end of the year.

PA has been told that confirmation of Hamilton’s transfer to Ferrari could be announced as early as February 1.

Both Mercedes and Ferrari declined to comment when contacted by PA.

Kevin Durant likes where the Phoenix Suns are trending after pouring in 33 points to seal a victorious return to Brooklyn.

The Suns won 136-120 over the Nets, as Durant shot 10 of 16 from the field and added eight assists in his first game in Brooklyn since being traded to Phoenix nearly a year ago.

Jusuf Nurkic had 28 with 11 rebounds, Devin Booker scored 22 points and Eric Gordon added 17 for the surging Suns.

The win at Barclays Center was the Suns' ninth win in 11 NBA games before they play the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night and the Washington Wizards on Sunday.

"We were just floating from two to three games under .500 and .500 for most of the year," Durant said after the game, per ESPN. 

"Now we look up, we're 28-20 with a good opportunity to be 10 games over .500 with our next two games on the road. 

"So, we're going home at the 50-game mark, hopefully we can be 30-20, and I like where we are. 

"It's a grind throughout the whole season, especially with the new group, new coaching staff, new team, guys in and out the lineup. You got to build some continuity, and we are on our way to that."

There was huge hype around Durant’s return to his former team, but Suns coach Frank Vogel was impressed by how he focused on the job at hand.

"Hell of a performance," said Vogel. "He put the team first.

"He went out and competed, played team-first basketball, had eight assists and several other plays where made the extra pass and allowed his teammates to play through his double-teams.

"He played a team-first type of game and ended up with 33 and eight."

Durant spent almost four years at Brooklyn, playing alongside James Harden and Kyrie Irving. But the stars only played 16 games together and the Nets won just one playoff series.

The two-time NBA champion gave his reflections on that time but said he did not ponder what might have been, instead focusing on the facts of his time in a Nets jersey.

Durant said: "No, I don’t think about what could have been, that's just a pointless exercise, in my opinion. What happened. That's what I thought about: what actually happened, the reality of it.

"We didn't have enough time together. That's just it. Guys wanted to go their separate ways. 

"We tried our hardest to salvage everything together. We had three or four different teams [from] when I signed here until when I left. 

"But at the end of the day, I enjoyed coming to work, playing for, being a part of this community and playing, representing Brooklyn; regardless of what went on, what was said or how I felt, I still came to work.

"I was an All-Star every year. I was the leading vote-getter every year in All-Star games. Sold a lot of jerseys. [Averaged] 50-40-90, averaged 30, [made] All-NBA. 

"I mean, was that successful? You know what I mean? But team success is a different thing.

"You'd like to put the team, how the team does, you'd like to put that on one of the best players and call it a failure, but if you want to talk about me individually, you can just look at the work that I put in here.

"I think I've grown as a player. I'm on my way to mastering the game. I think coming here helped me, pushed me far closer to that. So that's what I try to take from my time here."

The Nets played a tribute video for Durant before the game and he had a mixture of cheers and boos from the home crowd over the course of the night.

"That wasn't going to stop me from just doing my job regardless," Durant said about the video.

"But there's class people here. They appreciate everybody who donned the jersey and that shows a great organization. I respect that."

Cam Thomas scored 25 points and Mikal Bridges, who came to Brooklyn in the Durant trade, had 21 but the Nets (19-28) failed in their bid to win three straight for the first time since early December.

They next play at Philadelphia on Friday.

Reigning Grand Slam champions Ireland launch their Guinness Six Nations title defence against pre-tournament favourites France in Marseille.

Antoine Dupont and Johnny Sexton will be notable absentees as the two sides go into a new era on the back of agonising Rugby World Cup exits.

Here, the PA news agency picks out some of the main talking points ahead of Friday’s tantalising championship curtain-raiser.

World Cup hangovers? Grand Slam decider?

France versus Ireland was widely touted as a potential World Cup final. The two nations were Test rugby’s top-ranked teams in the build-up to the tournament before their campaigns ended in the space of 24 hours with enthralling quarter-final defeats. Ireland’s 17-match winning run was halted by a 28-24 loss to New Zealand in Paris, before the hosts were beaten 29-28 in the same city by eventual champions South Africa. Both will be eager to respond to those disappointments in a mouth-watering fixture which has ultimately proved to be a Grand Slam decider in the past two years.

Absent stars

Dupont’s decision to focus on France’s sevens squad for this year’s Paris Olympics has deprived the championship of its leading star. The scrum-half has been crowned player of the tournament in the three of the past four years. He will be replaced in the number nine jersey by Maxime Lucu, with Gregory Alldritt taking on the captaincy. Ireland, meanwhile, must move on following the retirement of talismanic former captain Sexton. The 38-year-old – the Six Nations’ record points scorer with 566 – has left a void on and off the field. Flanker Peter O’Mahony is Ireland’s new skipper, while Jack Crowley, Ciaran Frawley and Harry Byrne will compete for the fly-half role.

Sexton’s long-term successor

To coin an Andy Farrell phrase, Crowley is the “next cab off the rank” in the contest to become Sexton’s long-term successor. The Munster player served as understudy at the World Cup and has been selected for his full Six Nations debut. Crowley’s only previous championship appearance was a three-minute cameo away to Italy last February, while just three of his nine caps have come as a starter. Yet the 24-year-old is the most experienced out-half in his country’s 34-man squad. Frawley, who has been named on the bench, has only 40 minutes of Test action to his name, while his Leinster team-mate Byrne has not featured at international level since playing 56 minutes across substitute outings against the USA and Argentina in 2021.

Unfamiliar surroundings

Stade de France in Paris became a second home for Ireland during last autumn’s World Cup. Farrell’s men had hoped to play five successive matches there but had to settle for three following defeat to the All Blacks. There will be no swift return to Saint-Denis – the scene of memorable wins over South Africa and Scotland – for the Irish as France are this year playing their tournament matches away from the capital due to the upcoming Olympics. Stade Velodrome will be unfamiliar surroundings for many of Farrell’s squad, albeit the Leinster contingent suffered a heart-breaking, last-gasp loss to La Rochelle there in the 2022 Champions Cup final.

Opportunity knocks for McCarthy and Nash

In addition to the selection of Crowley, Farrell has handed Six Nations debuts to Test rookies Joe McCarthy and Calvin Nash. The head coach has shown plenty of faith in 22-year-old Leinster lock McCarthy by picking him ahead of experienced duo James Ryan and Iain Henderson. Meanwhile, Munster wing Nash has an opportunity to capitalise on the misfortune of injured star Mack Hansen. The 26-year-old won his only previous cap as a replacement in a World Cup warm-up win over Italy but has been in fine form for his province. “All you need in life is an opportunity, and it’s a big one for Calvin,” said Farrell.

Faugheen was no stranger to dazzling on the big occasion, but as the curtains began to close on his decorated career, he saved one more moment of magic for his adoring home supporters, lighting up the Dublin Racing Festival with a heroic display that sent Leopardstown into a frenzy.

One of the best Champion Hurdle winners of modern times, injury setbacks saw him reinvented first as a staying hurdler and then a novice chaser, as his trainer Willie Mullins eked out Grade One-winning performances with the twilight of his career approaching.

Although a dual Cheltenham Festival scorer, it was Leopardstown that played host to some of his finest displays and he arguably saved his best until last at the Dublin track when his final outing in the Irish capital saw him bring the house down with a brilliant swansong success.

Sent novice chasing at the ripe old age of 11, Faugheen had made the perfect start to fencing and arrived at Leopardstown having dispatched Samcro to taste Grade One glory at Limerick over Christmas.

Eyeing more success at the highest level, Faugheen was sent off the 13-8 joint-favourite for the Flogas Novice Chase and showed all of the qualities and class that had made him such a mainstay of the National Hunt racing scene as he held off stablemate Easy Game for a fairytale victory that would go down in Irish racing folklore.

“Going into Leopardstown, we knew he had been in good form, but for him it was a big day,” said Joe Chambers, racing manager for Faugheen’s owners Rich and Susannah Ricci.

“You were kind of harking back to the Danoli days and days of yesteryear where people were just leaping over tables trying to take advantage of every vantage point. There are a few wonderful pictures of the crowd and they were however many deep around the ring, and every balcony and vantage point was filled.

“Paul (Townend) nearly came off him at the back of the last and it wasn’t without drama, but it was a wonderful day and a pretty emotional day as well. It was a day where I saw Willie get emotional and you don’t often see that.”

It was also a huge occasion for Townend, who in the early stages of his tenure as Closutton number one, finally got his highlight-reel moment aboard Faugheen, having watched on as Ruby Walsh and many of his weighing room colleagues enjoyed great days alongside the popular gelding.

“It was great for Paul as well, because he hadn’t actually ridden Faugheen that many times,” continued Chambers.

“Faugheen was very much a part of Ruby’s career and David (Mullins) had won a Grade One on him and Emmet (Mullins) had won a Grade Three on him and Patrick had won a Grade One as well on him.

“Paul and Danny (Mullins) were somewhat the odd ones out and ultimately, when the music stopped, Danny was the only one left standing.”

The noise reverberating around Leopardstown as Faugheen made a triumphant return to the winner’s enclosure that day could be heard for miles around and although their great warrior will always be associated with the track, Chambers points out Faugheen often received a hero’s reception wherever he went.

He said: “I think you could be anywhere (in the world) with a crowd like that and a horse like that to celebrate and it was just one of those days where everything came together.

“He reincarnated himself as a novice chaser and he had two great days really – you can’t forget the Grade One he won under Patrick (Mullins) at Limerick when he beat Samcro.

“At some tracks in Ireland, the more rural you get, the greater the affinity can be with horses – especially ones who have been there, climbed to the mountain top, fallen back and then come back and managed to achieve again.”

So, having reached the summit of the sport once again at Leopardstown, there was one final peak left to conquer, with his Flogas triumph signalling one last return to the Cheltenham Festival in a quest to add a third Prestbury Park victory to his CV.

Sent off the 3-1 favourite for the March Novices’ Chase in what would be the final start of his career, Faugheen would go down on his shield to finish third, as Samcro gained Limerick revenge and conjured up his own resurgence story in a race where Closutton stalwart Melon also made the podium.

Chambers added: “I think at Cheltenham in the novice chase, but for a mistake at the second-last, where he just didn’t meet the fence quite right and Samcro winged it, he could have gone out in another blaze of glory as well.

“He got a wonderful reception that day. There might have been a few thoughts privately amongst people (about retiring after Leopardstown), but I don’t recall anything specific being discussed about it.

“Part of me thinks it would be the natural thing to do, but then again why would you do that having won a Grade One with Cheltenham round the corner.”

A winner of 17 of his 26 career starts, he was given the title ‘The Machine’ after mercilessly destroying the opposition as he racked up a 10-race unbeaten sequence at the beginning of his time under rules.

He won 12 of his first 13 outings before injury agonisingly kept him sidelined for almost two years when arguably at his pomp.

However, such was his resilience and brilliance, Faugheen was still able to win Grade Ones at two miles, three miles and over fences upon his return, thanks to the sublime handling by Mullins and those at Closutton.

Having captured the hearts of the racing public due to his on-track exploits, he now welcomes them into his own home, residing at the Irish National Stud in retirement alongside fellow Closutton icon Hurricane Fly and the likes of Beef Or Salmon and Hardy Eustace.

Chambers added: “The fact he had been so successful and had been unbeaten and had this ‘machine’ moniker and a fan base, combined with his trials and tribulations and still having the resolution to come back and do it, is a testament to the horse and also a testament to Willie’s training of him.

“He was a wonderful animal and he is enjoying a great retirement at the Irish National Stud.

“He’s there with Hurricane Fly and a couple of others and they take really good care of him – and the people who were associated with him, and also people who were fans of him, are able to go and see him as much as they see fit.

“He was absolutely brilliant on his day and the way he won the Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown beating Arctic Fire and Nichols Canyon – that was ultimately the day he hurt himself – but on the figures and ratings, it was a great performance.

“He gave us great days at Kempton when winning two Christmas Hurdles and also some wonderful days at Cheltenham – even the runs in defeat were great.”

Chris Dobey insists there is “no pressure” on him as he begins his Masters title defence on Friday.

The 33-year-old beat former World Champion Rob Cross 11-7 in last year’s final to claim his first major PDC crown in Milton Keynes.

Dobey remains “confident” going into the tournament, where he will face UK Open winner Andrew Gilding in the first round with a second-round tie against Michael van Gerwen at stake.

“I feel great, practice has gone well. I’m confident, so I’m hoping for another good tournament,” Dobey told the PA news agency.

“Everybody’s there for a reason, everybody knows how good everybody is in the competition, so there’s no pressure on me.

“I’ve got to go there, do what I do best and hopefully continue the form from the World Championships.”

Dobey comes into the Masters having endured a disappointing end to his World Championship hopes at the start of January where he was beaten 5-4 by Cross in the quarter-finals.

He had looked set to reach the semi-finals after taking a 4-0 lead, but Cross staged a memorable comeback to snatch victory.

“It’s still a hard one to take. Obviously I keep saying I should never have lost that, but I didn’t really do much different from 4-0 up to losing 5-4, I stayed at that same level,” Dobey said.

“Rob just went out there, given he had nothing to lose being 4-0 down, and he came back and played absolutely fantastic. You’ve got to take your hat off to him for that.

“I’ve put that in the past now, it’s all about this year and moving forward and hopefully I can get off to a good start from that defeat.”

Victory in that match would have set up a semi-final meeting between Dobey’s stable mate and teenage sensation Luke Littler.

Littler, who turned 17 this month, made headlines after reaching the World Championship final on debut and has since earned his first piece of silverware at the Bahrain Masters.

His incredible rise comes as no surprise to Dobey, who believes Littler has put “eyes back on the darts”.

“I knew he had the ability to go far,” Dobey said.

“Obviously with me, Nathan (Aspinall) and Luke being in the same stable you look at their draws, we’ve got a group chat to see what we think. I looked at Luke’s side of the draw (at Alexandra Palace) and thought it was a more favourable side of the draw.

“Then a couple of the big names went out on his side, which he’s got to take advantage of, and he did that for sure.

“He played a great tournament, fantastic. I think he was unlucky not to go 5-2 up in the final, he was millimetres away from the double two.

“It’s fine margins like that changes lives, changes the game, and that’s what happened.

“I was disappointed not to play him in the semi-final because we said a couple of days prior to our quarter-finals, ‘keep doing what we’re doing and we’ll play each other in the semi-final and hopefully it guarantees one of us in the final’.

“It just wasn’t to be, but the lad went on to do well and he’s made a name for himself. He’s changed the world of darts again and all eyes are back on the darts.”

Alex Turcotte scored his first NHL goal and assist and the Los Angeles Kings snapped a four-game skid with a 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Wednesday.

Turcotte – the fifth overall pick in 2019 – extended the Kings’ lead to 2-0 in the second period and assisted on Trevor Lewis’ goal with 6:40 remaining. He was playing in his second NHL game of the season and 14th overall.

Carl Grundstrom and Kevin Fiala also scored for the Kings, who head into the All-Star break on a 3-8-6 stretch.

David Rittich made 38 saves and is 5-1-3 as a starter this season.

Filip Forsberg and Philip Tomasino tallied for Nashville, which has one win in six games (1-4-1).

Senators edge Red Wings in overtime  

Shane Pinto scored on a lunging tip-in at 2:05 of overtime to lift the Ottawa Senators to a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings.

Brady Tkachuk and Mark Kastelic also scored and Joonas Korpisalo made 22 saves as Ottawa improved to 5-1-2 in its last eight games.

Daniel Sprong and Dylan Larkin had goals for the Red Wings, who finished January with a 9-2-2 record.

Larkin’s team-best 23rd goal extended his point streak to 12 games. He has 10 goals and six assists during that span.

Vatrano propels Ducks in overtime

Frank Vatrano scored with 53 seconds left in overtime and the Anaheim Ducks defeated the San Jose Sharks, 3-2.

Isaac Lundestrom scored in the first period and Troy Terry netted the equaliser with 61 seconds to play in regulation as Anaheim improved to 3-0-1 in its last four games.

San Jose got goals from Anthony Duclair and Marc-Edouard Vlasic and notched at least a point for the sixth time in seven games (4-1-2).