George Ford insists goalkickers will be compelled to modify their routines after he was the victim of a controversial refereeing decision in England’s Guinness Six Nations victory over Wales on Saturday.
Ford was lining up the conversion of Ben Earl’s 20th-minute try and having taken a small step left as part of his pre-kick ritual, wing Rio Dyer came racing off the line to prevent him from completing it.
England’s fly-half looked to James Doleman to intervene in his favour, but the Kiwi referee instead told him that his movement meant Wales were free to charge down the kick.
World Rugby later clarified that the relevant law, updated in 2020, dictates that movement in “any direction” enables the defending side to begin their run.
Ford was left bemused by Doleman’s decision, which could have been decisive in an ebb-and-flow game that England won by only two points.
“It doesn’t make sense to me. I’m trying to use the full shot-clock time as we’ve got men in the (sin) bin,” Ford said, with Ollie Chessum and Ethan Roots both having been off the field at the time.
“You’re at the back of your stance, you have your routine, and if adjusting your feet like that is initiating your run-up then…
“Some of us kickers are going to have to stand like statues at the back of our run-up now.
“As a kicker you want to get a feel and sometimes you don’t quite feel right at the back of your run-up, so you adjust it a bit and think ‘right, I’ve got it now’. You want your chest to be at the ball and all those things.
“What it means for us kickers is that we’ve got to be ultra diligent with our setup and process because if they’re going to go down that route and look for stuff like that, we can’t afford that.”
Jusuf Nurkic hit out at Draymond Green after the pair exchanged words and taunts during the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry-inspired win over the Phoenix Suns.
The resurgent Warriors won 113-112 thanks to Curry's 33-foot 3-pointer in the dying seconds on Saturday.
But while Curry wrote the headlines, and received high praise from all involved, including former teammate Kevin Durant, Green and Nurkic were involved in a verbal tussle.
Green has been careful with his behaviour since he returned from an indefinite NBA suspension in January. He had been banned because he had hit Nurkic in the face during a clash between the Warriors and the Suns in December.
But Nurkic does not believe Green has learned any lessons.
"It's sad," he said. "He didn't learn anything. It's just a matter of time.
"He's going to hit somebody else again. I take everything back, what I said. He doesn't deserve a chance."
Nurkic taunted Green by slapping the floor twice with a "too small" gesture during the third quarter, with the Warriors star returning the favour when he scooped the ball over the Suns center two minutes later.
"You can't be a nothing defender if you're going to do that," Green said of Nurkic.
"You probably outweigh me by 70 pounds and you get put in the rim? Got to be more careful.
"I thought I was great tonight. He tried to get in my head, and it didn't work. If he wants me to walk around quiet, like him, I'm never going to do that. Quiet guys don't win.
"He can keep rocking with that same horse that he rode in on. He can ride his a** right out of here on that same horse. It's not working."
Curry laughed off Nurkic's comments.
"He's given us a lift every game he's been back," Curry said of Green. "He connects, obviously, our defense, but you can talk about his defense every game.
"What he did offensively tonight, especially in the fourth quarter, he gave us great energy in the sense of having that competitive spirit you need to win a game like tonight, to meet the moment.
"Draymond knows how to walk the line that he needs to walk. This is probably the best game that you've seen it.
"You can tell when someone is in your head when you go out of your way to celebrate. Then Draymond comes back at him. All of the talk, Draymond was in his head, plain and simple."
Warriors coach Steve Kerr likewise defended Green.
"That month off, that suspension was real," Kerr said. "[Draymond] knew that his career was on the line or is on the line. He understands that he's got to be the guy he's been the last nine years, not the one he's been the last year. I see him doing that."
Ultimately, it was Curry's quality that settled the contest. The two-time MVP finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists, with his match-winning moment coming when Bradley Beal missed an attempted steal, after Brandin Podziemski had picked out Golden State's talisman.
"He's the best to ever shoot it," Beal said. "So you know the result after that."
For Durant, who played alongside Curry with the Warriors, there was not much more the Suns could have done to deny his former teammate.
"You give him a look like that for the game, he's licking his chops," Durant reflected. "I still think we could've had that steal. It's a tough play. Sometimes guys are just that great."
Kerr added: "We were due. We were due for one of these tight games to go our way. But the guys earned it. It didn’t just happen."
The Warriors have now won their last four games and sit 10th in the Western Conference with a 25-25 record, while the Suns are sixth on 31-22.
Dan Skelton has all but ruled out a Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup bid with Protektorat – but he could still line up in the Ryanair Chase if showing his well-being prior to the Festival.
The nine-year-old has finished third (2022) and fifth (2023) in his two previous cracks at the blue riband but, after only finishing a well-held third in Newbury’s Denman Chase won by Shishkin, connections will now change tack and seek an alternative to the Friday feature.
One option is to drop back in distance for a Ryanair Chase renewal that has an open feel due to the absence of Willie Mullins’ dual winner Allaho.
However, Skelton is willing to let his charge provide the biggest guide as to whether an outing at Prestbury Park is on the cards, or if they will wait for the Aintree Bowl over a course and distance he has previously tasted success.
“I’ve spoken to all the owners and at the moment we are not going for a Gold Cup,” said Skelton.
“We’ve got the entry and there are no more scratching stages, so I shall leave him in until confirmations. But he isn’t going for a Gold Cup unless something ridiculous happens.
“The options are Ryanair or Aintree. He will be going to the Ryanair if he is super well and we really think it is the right thing, so we will be led by the horse.
“That race has taken a funny shape and how does he compare against the others in there? I believe Hitman is going for the race, but how short in the betting is Hitman? We will take a look at the Ryanair and if we don’t go there, then we will wait for Aintree.”
Despite seemingly giving up on Gold Cup ambitions for this year, Skelton retains plenty of faith in his star stayer, who provided him with Grade One glory when landing Haydock’s Betfair Chase in 2022.
That was the last time the gelding entered the winner’s enclosure, but he has been campaigned much more aggressively this term, with his Newbury run the fourth of his season so far – something his handler envisages paying dividends at some stage.
Skelton continued: “What you have to remember with this horse is, he is running really well, we are running him more often and he’s maintaining his form, he’s just that little nugget short of being top, top.
“A race is made up of the winner, but it is also made up of horses that push the winners and you must not lose sight of the fact he has danced a lot of big dances, he will dance a lot more to come and he will be winning some big races, there’s no doubt about that – it’s just very hard at the top level.”
Protektorat’s Cheltenham participation may still be up in the air, but one of Skelton’s string fully on course for the spring showpiece is star novice chaser Grey Dawning, who will head straight to the Cotswolds having skipped Sandown’s recent Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase.
A winner of the Grade Two Hampton Novices’ Chase last month, Skelton would like to continue plying the talented seven-year-old’s trade at three miles, with the sure-footed grey currently a best price of 5-1 for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase on the second day of the Festival.
“He will go straight to Cheltenham now and I have a slight preference for the three miler, but I have not ruled out the Turners just in case,” explained Skelton.
“The track would suit him better on the Thursday, but the distance might just be better for him on the Wednesday.
“Of those novice chasers this year, he’s our highest rated one and one of the highest rated in the UK, so we have every right to be bullish about him.”
Caldwell Potter will not be in action at the Cheltenham Festival next month, with Paul Nicholls already setting his sights on a novice chase campaign next season.
The Grade One winner was top lot at the Andy and Gemma Brown dispersal that took place last week, with Highflyer Bloodstock’s Anthony Bromley going to a record €740,000 on behalf of long-time Ditcheat owners John Hales, Ged Mason, Sir Alex Ferguson and Peter Done.
The big-money acquisition came just 48 hours after leading novice chaser Hermes Allen suffered a fatal fall in the Scilly Isles at Sandown and connections now appear to have a ready-made replacement to fill the void next season.
And with the six-year-old’s future lying over the larger obstacles, the champion trainer is in no rush with his new recruit – which means the Cheltenham Festival is off the table this term.
Nicholls said: “The lads sadly lost Hermes Allen last weekend and I guess they felt it’s a lot of money, but between the four of them it is not that bad. He’s a nice horse to replace Hermes Allen to go novice chasing.
“He won’t go to Cheltenham because he won’t acclimatise in time. He might go to Aintree if we are happy, but he has been bought to go chasing, that is his job. He’s next year’s chaser.”
Former Manchester United manager Ferguson was no stranger to record signings during his time in the Old Trafford dugout and now is jointly responsible for ensuring Caldwell Potter became the most expensive National Hunt horse ever sold at public auction.
However, Nicholls points out that cost is spread amongst four of his longest-standing owners and, rather poignantly, it is Hermes Allen’s groom Mike Couchman who has been entrusted with helping the yard newcomer adjust to life at Ditcheat.
“Was he that much more than the horse Darren Yeats bought the other year? Probably not, and horses get sold for huge numbers privately that you never hear about,” continued Nicholls.
“He’s a Grade One winner, has got huge potential and it’s a lot easier when you can spread the cost between four people, so I’m excited to have him.
“He arrived on Monday and Mike, the lad who used to look after Hermes Allen, is looking after him and he is thrilled to bits – we just hope we are lucky with him.”
Meanwhile, Nicholls has given his backing to Harry Cobden’s title charge, having seen his stable jockey close the gap to just one behind Sean Bowen in the race to be champion jockey.
“I’m 100 per cent behind Harry and, to be honest, I’m fond of both lads,” added Nicholls.
“Sean worked for me for a good while and rode a number of winners for me but is now on a different team.
“We’re supporting Harry as our stable jockey and he’s gone, I think, from being 49 behind to only one now and has done incredibly well.
“Harry is doing well and that’s youth. He’s still a young man, he’s only 24, but as he’s getting more and more experience and is getting older and stronger, he is riding really well.
“Obviously, Sean has had an injury and let’s hope both lads stay sound now until the end of the season and we have a good battle until Sandown.”
Wales’ young team may have shown genuine promise for the future two rounds into the Guinness Six Nations but captain Dafydd Jenkins insists there is no sugar coating the results.
England ran out 16-14 winners at Twickenham on Saturday despite trailing 14-5 at half-time after a penalty try and Alex Mann’s touch down had placed Warren Gatland’s team in the driving seat.
The defeat came a week after Wales amassed 26 unanswered points having fallen 27-0 behind Scotland, which left Cardiff wondering how had they allowed one of the Championship’s great collapses.
A clash with champions Ireland in Dublin on February 24 is their next assignment and, while Jenkins is impressed by his side’s fighting spirit, he knows that ultimately they have come up short.
“It’s extremely disappointing, but I’m proud of the boys for sticking in it every time. But it’s international rugby and it’s all about winning. Two losses hurts a lot,” Jenkins said.
“It’s a special game, Wales against England. As you grow up you always want to be a part of it and get the win. Unfortunately we didn’t do that.”
Wales’ great frustration is that, having put themselves in a position to claim their first victory at Twickenham since 2015, they allowed the hosts to take control of the second-half through their kicking game.
Gatland believes a challenge lies in instilling into his overhauled side the belief they can get over the line even if the same players are rarely successful with their regions in the United Rugby Championship and Europe.
“Our focus is getting better from game to game and I think we’ve done that,” Gatland said.
“The boys are desperate to get a win and probably the challenge for us is just knowing how important winning is.
“A number of players are coming from regional teams that haven’t had a lot of success.
“They’ve probably got used to not having that ‘W’ next to their name after performances. So it’s important we start doing that and be positive about doing that.
“One of the great things about playing for Wales is, having spoken to a number of players, when they come into this environment, they come in with confidence believing they’re good enough to win. We’ve just got to keep building on that.”
England number eight Ben Earl was the official man of the match but that accolade could easily have gone to Wales openside Tommy Reffell, whose expertise on the ground is now being matched by growing influence in attack.
“We know how good Tommy is defensively but we want him to be comfortable getting the ball in his hands a little bit more,” Gatland said.
“He has come on as more of an option as a running threat. We saw that last weekend and again against England.
“I’m absolutely delighted for him because he’s starting to get a nice balance to his game and that can take him to the next level.
“He was outstanding against England and he just keeps going for 80 minutes.”
Fraser Dingwall insists England will move deeper into the Guinness Six Nations emboldened by the knowledge they can dig out wins if they they stick to the script.
England stride into the first fallow week after recording victories over Italy and Wales that keep them in title contention, albeit with the toughest assignments of the Championship still to come against Scotland, Ireland and France.
On both occasions they were forced to fight back from half-time deficits and while they prevailed by a combined total of only five points, amid the deficiencies Steve Borthwick’s new-look team have shown resilience and more ambition in attack.
Both wins were too close for comfort and Scotland will justifiably be confident of retaining the Calcutta Cup in a fortnight but Dingwall, who dived over for a crucial try at Twickenham on Saturday, insists belief is growing.
“This results against Wales will give us a massive boost because it shows that if we put on to the pitch what we want, then we can beat teams,” the Northampton centre said.
“In the first half we didn’t get the outcomes but we stuck at it, so we can go into each game with that intent to stick at what we want to do and knowing that if we do that, we’ll be OK.”
England made an impressive start to the round two match against Warren Gatland’s men but their entries into the 22 failed to produce any points and their prospects then deteriorated when Ollie Chessum and Ethan Roots were sent to the sin bin.
Wales seized control through a penalty try and a brilliantly constructed touchdown for Alex Mann – but with Ben Earl powering over from a scrum and then Dingwall crossing, the stage was set for George Ford to kick the match-winning penalty.
“We actually did a lot right in the first 10 minutes and then momentum swung against us and we didn’t really get anything,” Dingwall said.
“We put on the pitch what we wanted, we just didn’t get the outcomes and that’s what frustrated us.
“We stuck at how we wanted to play and then the rewards started to come our way and we were able to turn that into points.”
England’s kicking game directed by Ford was key to their comeback, as was Dingwall slipping over in the left corner in the 63rd minute for his first try in two outings in a Red Rose jersey.
“Essentially the forwards were battering the door down and created space, so we as backs just had to pick it off,” he said.
“I just managed to put myself on the edge. I kept Elliot Daly inside me knowing the ball would end up with me and I could hopefully get the score.
“It’s all bit of a blur but the emotions that ran through me after were crazy, everything came out of me.
“It’s unbelievable. These whole couple of weeks have been unbelievable. To get the win as a group and to score as well has been a whirlwind.”
England hope hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie, centre Manu Tuilagi and second-row George Martin will be in contention to face Scotland at Murrayfield on February 24.
Finn Russell admitted Scotland should not have got themselves into a position for the officials to effectively decide the outcome of their dramatic Guinness Six Nations match against France.
Ben White’s try gave Scotland a seventh-minute lead and they felt they should have been more than 16-10 in front by the time the French – who had prop Uini Atonio sin-binned just before half-time – turned Saturday’s game in their favour in the closing 10 minutes.
Les Bleus – whose tries came from Gael Fickou and Louis Bielle-Biarrey – held on for a 20-16 victory but only after an astonishing finale in which Scotland were convinced substitute Sam Skinner had scored a match-winning try in the game’s last action.
Referee Nic Berry’s initial call was “no try” and after several minutes of deliberating with TMO Brian MacNeice amid incredible tension, it looked like they were about to award the score before eventually deciding the images were inconclusive.
The Scots were livid but co-captain Russell conceded the game should never have boiled down to that last-gasp flashpoint.
“Personally I believe it was a try at the end, but it’s up to the referee to decide that,” said the stand-off.
“We can’t let the referee decide what happens in a game, it’s up to us to play better and make these matches a victory.”
Although disappointed, Russell believes it was a sign of Scotland’s resilience that they almost dug out victory despite relinquishing their long-held lead in the closing stages.
“It was a bit of magic from France (for Bielle-Biarrey’s 70th-minute try), but I think the way we got back into the game and the way I believe that we scored, it shows the character we’ve got,” he said.
“We didn’t lose belief when we fell four points down with three minutes left. I’m proud of the boys for the performance but we need to take our learnings from it going into the England game.”
The Scots host their old rivals a week on Saturday knowing they will need a Calcutta Cup victory to hoist themselves back into championship contention.
“We’ll take it easy next week,” said Russell. “Some of the boys have got to train, some haven’t. We just need some time away from rugby. It’s an intense competition.
“We’ll take some time away and then come back to get ready for that England game. A massive challenge awaits us and we’ll need to be ready.”
One man who may have played his way into contention for the England showdown is 22-year-old Edinburgh back Harry Paterson, who produced an impressive debut after being summoned to start at full-back on the morning of the match when Kyle Steyn’s wife went into labour.
“It’s one of the best debuts I’ve ever seen,” said head coach Gregor Townsend. “Going up against that French backline on a wet day at Murrayfield, he was excellent.
“I gave him a heads-up that he could be playing about 9am then confirmed it at 10am.
“To play like that was fantastic and gives us a lot of encouragement about where Harry can go over these next few years.
“He knew he’d have a lot of kicks to field due to the way France play and with the weather being wet, but he just got stronger and stronger as the game went on.
“But Kyle Rowe deserves a mention as well. That was only his second Test start and, like Harry, I thought he was excellent.
“We are building depth in the back three.”
Jonjo O’Neill has pencilled in a trip to Kelso for leading Randox Grand National contender Monbeg Genius.
The British Horseracing Authority confirmed on Friday the gelding would be permitted to run as he will not be affected by a restraint order placed on the assets of owners Baroness Michelle Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman.
Monbeg Genius, who carries the Barrowman Racing silks, was last seen finishing third in the Coral Gold Cup back in December, with a setback scuppering any plans for a run subsequently.
However, O’Neill reports his charge to be nearing a return, with the bet365 Premier Chase at Kelso on March 2 – plus a possible Cheltenham Festival stop – under consideration en route to Aintree in April.
“He was always going to run as far as I was concerned and no one told me or him!” said O’Neill.
“He might go to Kelso for the Listed chase and then hopefully he will go for the National – that’s the plan.
“He might go back to the Ultima, but we will see how we get on at Kelso first. That would probably be a bit too close together, but we will see.
“He seems fine in himself at the minute anyway and we will take each race as it comes.
“We will go to Kelso and then take it from there. He’s in good form, jumps well and is a good stayer.”
Monbeg Genius is as low as 14-1 joint-favourite for the Grand National on April 13.
Alex Ovechkin passed Wayne Gretzky with his NHL-record 57th empty-net goal and the Washington Capitals snapped a six-game losing streak with a 3-0 win over the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
T.J. Oshie scored his 299th career goal and Charlie Lindgren made 18 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Capitals won for the first time since defeating St. Louis on Jan. 18.
Ovechkin’s goal was his 12th of the season and 834th of his career, leaving him 61 shy of surpassing Gretzky’s NHL record.
The Bruins were outshot 27-7 through two periods and lost for the third time in their last four home games.
Red Wings win on penalty shot in overtime
Jake Walman scored on a penalty shot in overtime to complete the Detroit Red Wings’ comeback 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.
Detroit trailed 3-1 entering the third period, but Daniel Sprong scored on a power play at 2:34 and Michael Rasmussen scored the tying goal five minutes later.
The Red Wings improved to 3-0-1 in their last four games and won for the seventh time when trailing after two periods.
Patrick Kane had an assist in his 1,200th career game in his return after missing the last seven games with a lower-body injury.
Filip Hronek and Elias Pettersson each had a goal and two assists for the league-leading Canucks, who had a 12-game point streak snapped with a 4-0 loss to Boston on Thursday.
Senators beat Leafs before wild ending
Shane Pinto scored one goal and set up two others to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 5-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in a game that ended with Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly cross-checking Ridly Greig for using a slap shot to score into an empty net.
Claude Giroux, Vladimir Tarasenko and Josh Norris also scored as the Senators matched a season high with their third straight victory.
Greig decided to use a slap shot to score from short range and Rielly took exception. As Greig headed back up the boards toward the bench, Rielly hit him high with a cross-check.
He was given a five-minute major for cross-checking and a game misconduct.
Jarrett Allen scored 18 points to lead eight players in double figures and the Cleveland Cavaliers rolled to their ninth consecutive victory, 119-95 over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.
Evan Mobley had 17 points and 11 rebounds, Donovan Mitchell scored 15 and Max Strus contributed 14 points for Cleveland, which has won 22 of its last 26 games and improved to an NBA-best 17-8 on the road.
The Cavaliers are 11-0 this season when holding opponents below 100 points.
Scottie Barnes scored 20 of his 24 points in the first half for Toronto and matched his season high with 10 assists to go with 10 rebounds for his fourth career triple-double.
The Raptors had won four straight and 10 of the past 11 home meetings against Cleveland.
Warriors win on Curry’s last-second 3-pointer
Stephen Curry drained a long 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds remaining – his ninth of the game - and the resurgent Golden State Warriors stunned the Phoenix Suns, 113-112.
After Bradley Beal missed a 3-pointer, Curry grabbed the rebound and the Warriors called time out with five seconds to play trailing 112-110.
Brandon Podziemski’s inbound pass was a little behind Curry, but he grabbed the ball and put up a 33-foot heave that hit nothing but net with the clock down to 0.7 seconds left.
Curry finished with 30 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and Jonathan Kuminga added 21 points to help Golden State win its fourth straight and sixth in seven games.
Devin Booker had 32 points for the Suns, who fell just short of a fourth consecutive victory.
Gafford has strong debut for surging Mavericks
Luka Dončić scored 32 points and Daniel Gafford had 19 and nine rebounds in his Mavericks debut as Dallas defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 146-111 for their fourth straight win.
Kyrie Irving added 25 points and Maxi Kleber had 12 points and 12 boards for Dallas, which led 47-30 after the highest-scoring first quarter in franchise history.
The Mavericks are 4-0 with Doncic and Irving in the lineup since Irving’s return from a sprained thumb.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points for the Thunder, who shot 38.8 percent from the field and were outrebounded 54-40.
Canadian Nick Taylor is leading the field at the Phoenix Open, one shot ahead of American Sahith Theegala.
Play closed on Saturday night due to darkness at TPC Scottsdale Stadium, with the two only managing to finish six holes of their third round.
The pair battled it out on Saturday, with the Canadian finishing the day at 13 under after Theegala briefly overtook Taylor thanks to a second-round 64.
Theegala then bogeyed his first two holes of the third round but pulled off a birdie on the fourth hole to stay within one stroke of Taylor and the top spot.
Further delays due to frost may be on the cards, which could force play pushed over into Monday.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner can join Novak Djokovic as members of a new 'Big Three' in men's tennis over the coming years, before taking up the Serbian's mantle when he retires.
That is the view of four-time grand slam semi-finalist Tommy Haas, who believes Sinner's sheer power will help him build on the Australian Open title he captured last month.
Sinner recovered from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev in a thrilling Australian Open final in January, claiming his first grand slam title at the age of 22.
The Italian's triumph made him the third-youngest man to win the event since it moved to Melbourne Park in 1988, older only than Djokovic in 2008 and Jim Courrier in 1992.
That breakout victory led to suggestions that Sinner could join Alcaraz in becoming a regular challenger to Djokovic, who has largely dominated men's tennis in recent years, with Roger Federer retiring in 2022 and Rafael Nadal beset by injury problems.
While Haas believes Alcaraz is currently a more rounded player than Sinner, he feels the Italian has every chance of adding to his first major crown in the coming years.
"Maybe with Al, it's a bit more of an all-round game, but I think Sinner is going to continue to work on his," Haas told Stats Perform.
"He's already done a great job on movement, on defence. Maybe he doesn't actually need to learn to get to the net and finish more, but I'm sure he's going to try because of his powerful groundstrokes.
"If he keeps playing like he does, it's just so powerful. You're going to be reacting pretty much all the time against him.
"He's going to try to improve his serve, he's going to try to improve physically. If he stays healthy, if Alcaraz stays healthy, these two are going to be the ones playing for a lot of the big titles."
However, Haas also thinks there are other contenders capable of pushing for major honours, adding: "Then you have Holger Rune, you have these other young players coming up.
"He now has to step it up a little bit. I think there's been lots going on with his team, with lots of chefs in the kitchen, but he's got the right mindset, he's got the will, he's got the potential.
"You have [Alexander] Zverev, who obviously still believes he can and should win a slam, so there's a lot of nice contrast there.
"Medvedev, on hardcourts you can never count him out, and he's only 27. I think there is still potential for those guys to keep doing well.
"[Andrey] Rublev, I feel like he's getting better on defence as well. He pounds the ball like no other. So if he gets a little bit tougher mentally, don't count him out. There's a lot of good storylines there."
Fernando Alonso could be the ideal 'short-term fix' for Mercedes as they look to replace Lewis Hamilton, particularly after Lando Norris signed a new long-term contract with McLaren.
That is according to former Force India and Williams driver Paul di Resta, who even believes an ambitious swoop for three-time world champion Max Verstappen is not out of the question.
Seven-time drivers' champion Hamilton has activated a break clause in the two-year contract extension he signed with Mercedes last year, and the 2024 season will be his last with the team before he makes a blockbuster move to Ferrari.
For Mercedes, attention has turned to the candidates to replace Hamilton. Carlos Sainz – who will leave Ferrari to make room for Hamilton at the end of this year – has been touted as a possible target, though other names are also in the frame.
Norris was long thought to be a natural fit if either Mercedes or Red Bull found themselves with an empty seat, but the 24-year-old penned a "multi-year" extension with McLaren last month.
Di Resta thinks Norris would have been the go-to name for Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, but with his future seemingly secure, long-term options appear thin on the ground.
"Where do they go? They found themselves a bit stuck because I think it was unexpected," Di Resta told Stats Perform of Mercedes' driver hunt.
"When you look at the driver market, I was surprised to see Lando sign with McLaren for as long as he did, given there were Red Bull seats and potentially a Mercedes seat coming up.
"The obvious choice for me, if I was Toto, would have been to go for Lando. Last year, I actually think he was next-best to Max in terms of the performance and where he was.
"I think he was a step up even from Lewis over the course of the year, in what he was able to achieve. He had it under control, so that would have been where my attention went.
"You can see Lando doesn't turn up to odd events and excel, he is very consistent over the course of the year and I think he's ready to fight for championships, but obviously that's gone."
Some believe Mercedes could promote 17-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli from their junior team, but Di Resta thinks it is too soon for the teenage prodigy, suggesting two-time world champion Alonso – who is contracted to Aston Martin until the end of this year – as an alternative.
"They need a short-term fix, they probably need a good name," he continued. "I wouldn't be surprised if Fernando fit that bill for the next year or two, until they reassess where they are if they're bringing through some young guys.
"I've heard people talk about Antonelli, I can't see how he's ready, I can't see if somebody like that is ready to go up against Max and Lewis.
"With the weight of a manufacturer like that on top of you, you don't want to hit that too hard too soon, you want to build the foundations of how you go about your Formula One racing first."
Di Resta does not expect Mercedes to rush their search for a successor, and he even suggested they could enquire about Verstappen's availability, pondering whether the Dutchman has a similar break clause to that recently activated by Hamilton.
"They've got some time. I don't think it's a decision they can rush into," Di Resta said.
"At the start of the season, we're already talking about next year, but you never know, you could go and chase Max!
"I'm sure somebody like Max could equally have an option like Lewis had got, because when they are like Lewis, Max and Fernando, they mean as much as the team does."
Lewis Hamilton may have endured a strained relationship with former team-mate Fernando Alonso, but Paul di Resta does not expect a repeat when he links up with Charles Leclerc at Ferrari.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton stunned Formula 1 fans earlier this month with the announcement that he will leave Mercedes for Ferrari after the 2024 season.
Hamilton has failed to win a race since Red Bull's Max Verstappen beat him to the title in contentious circumstances in 2021, and the move to Maranello surely offers the 39-year-old his last chance to pull clear of Michael Schumacher by winning a record-breaking eighth crown.
Hamilton will take Carlos Sainz's seat with the Scuderia, racing alongside Leclerc, who finished second in the drivers' championship back in 2022.
The Brit memorably clashed with fellow big name Alonso when the duo were team-mates with McLaren for the 2007 season, but Di Resta does not foresee a similar feud developing with Leclerc.
"I don't think you will see fireworks. I think they've both got tremendous respect for each other," the former Force India driver told Stats Perform.
"They're both fast. They're both very clean drivers. I think how they go about their racing is different to how others would go about it.
"I think Charles has proven he's definitely one of the fastest guys that can pull a lap out of a car. Can he do that over the course of every Grand Prix?
"I think you can see that probably only Max and Lewis have been able to do that recently. Fernando is probably another one out there, with that extra bit where you can pull race wins out of nothing.
"I'm interested to see whether Charles can go on top of it, maybe Charles will lift himself with the pressure, but there's one thing for sure, it's going to be the hardest team-mate that he's had to go up against.
"I'm sure Lewis doesn't fear going up against Charles. I think the biggest thing is getting that Italian culture around them, but Lewis has been around this business a long time and he knows this."
Reports have suggested Ferrari are also looking to bring in Hamilton's race engineer Peter Bonnington to help him settle, and Di Resta would not be surprised if other staff members follow Hamilton in leaving Mercedes.
"I'm also interested to see what personnel he's going to take with him to make him feel comfortable. He's already talked about the engineer," Di Resta said.
"Are there other people he's talked to? Maybe that was the key to getting [Ferrari chairman] John Elkann and [team principal] Frederic Vasseur to make it happen."
Jamie George insisted England are ready to take on the Guinness Six Nations’ big hitters after Wales were dispatched 16-14 at Twickenham.
England fell 14-5 behind but fought back through a Fraser Dingwall try and two George Ford penalties – the second the decisive kick in the 72nd minute – to make it two wins in as many matches.
Only Ireland also remain on course for the Grand Slam but the competition is about to get harder for Steve Borthwick’s men with Scotland next up in Edinburgh before closing with clashes against France and Andy Farrell’s defending champions.
“There is belief. We have got a good opportunity to rest up a bit in the fallow week and then focus on getting better because we know we are going to need to get better going up to Murrayfield,” George said.
“The foundations that we have laid have allowed us to believe in what we are doing and believe in the England way. We want to continue what we are doing and keep growing.”
When asked about facing Scotland, France and Ireland, George said: “I don’t think it is a huge leap.
“Obviously we have got three difficult games coming up but I don’t think we are in a place to say it needs to be a quantum leap to get a load better.
“We are two from two, we have done well and we know we have got a huge amount of growth left in the squad so our focus is on making sure we optimise that.”
England showed resilience to claw their way in front despite conceding the half-time penalty count 6-0 and seeing Ollie Chessum and Ethan Roots sent to the sin bin, the overlapping yellow cards reducing them to 13 players for five minutes.
“This is a team that stays in the fight and a team that finds a way. Were there improvements on Italy last weekend? Yes, I think there were,” head coach Borthwick said.
“The work we’re doing each day is paying dividends. But the biggest lesson here is the trait the players are developing in themselves, which is one that stays in the fight.
“I always sensed from the players there was a confidence to find the way to get the result.
“Prior to the World Cup we identified that England’s second-half performances had deteriorated since 2018. Last weekend and here we’ve seen it consistently improve.”
While England have built a 100 per cent record, Wales have headed in the opposite direction with losses to the Red Rose and Scotland by a combined total of just three points.
Had they shown more composure in the second half, they might have registered a first victory at Twickenham since 2015.
“It’s pretty disappointing really. I’m proud of the performance and the effort of the players out there, but we’re disappointed we didn’t come away with the win,” head coach Warren Gatland said.
“It’s part of the journey we’re on in terms of developing as a team. I said to the players we’re not there yet but we’re going to be a bloody good team going forward.
“And this was part of that process in terms of learning about game management. I’m really proud of the effort.
“We felt really good at half-time and didn’t feel under pressure. On a few occasions we didn’t get the rub of the green in the second half and that’s rugby.”
Winning an eighth Formula One world championship with Ferrari would cement Lewis Hamilton's legacy, but that will be no easy task as the Scuderia go through an overdue rebuild.
That is the view of former Force India driver Paul di Resta, who believes Hamilton's move to Maranello will be "box office" for all F1 fans.
The upcoming 2024 season will be Hamilton's last with Mercedes, with the seven-time drivers' champion activating a break clause in his contract with the team in order to join Ferrari from 2025.
Hamilton has endured a frustrating couple of years since missing out on an eighth world title – which would have seen him surpass Michael Schumacher for the outright record – to Max Verstappen at the end of a hotly contested 2021 season.
While Di Resta thinks Hamilton is joining Ferrari with the belief that they will offer him a better chance of returning to the top of the standings, he has warned things may not be so straightforward, with the team rebuilding after finishing third in the constructors' standings last season.
"I was surprised," Di Resta told Stats Perform. "For somebody who's been so successful and has driven a car powered by a Mercedes-Benz engine for every lap, for every bit of success he's had… To change that over at this point in your career, I think it's a big thing.
"I think he and Toto Wolff bounced off each other very well. You could see there was one goal, they seemed like they gelled together in the sense of where they wanted to go, to win this eighth title for Lewis.
"I think they set that up well, and it was good to have George [Russell] alongside him as well, who I think pushes Lewis, and I think Lewis excels under pressure.
"That's the difference with him; when pressure is added, he steps up more than others. But somewhere within this, he's felt uncomfortable, to be persuaded to go to Ferrari.
"They're a team going through a rebuild at the moment, going through a big change in terms of how they go about racing… they had to because they let themselves down on a lot of occasions."
Taking Carlos Sainz's seat after the Spaniard failed to agree a new contract with Ferrari, Hamilton will race alongside Charles Leclerc, who finished second in the drivers' championship in 2022 but dropped to fifth last year.
While Di Resta is certain Hamilton has received assurances from Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur, he says there are no guarantees that the move will work out.
"Lewis has been convinced. He's obviously been given security, he's obviously been given something that's driven him," Di Resta said.
"I think it's great news for Formula 1, to see him go there. It would be another step up if he wins another title, that would rubber stamp what has already been an incredible career, but it's a big task.
"He's obviously got to get on top of Charles as well, who's been part of that family for a long time. I'm excited to see it. It could be box office."
Di Resta did, however, admit Hamilton made the right move when leaving McLaren for Mercedes in 2013, noting how his former McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso has failed win a title since leaving Renault in 2007.
"If you look at what Lewis did, going from McLaren to Mercedes, there was a bit of vision there," he said. "I've always said, 'Is it skill or is it luck?'
"You look at Fernando versus Lewis, Fernando seems to have made the wrong decisions at the wrong times. Lewis has made the right decisions and stepped forward.
"Mercedes have lost out because it was unexpected, and if you look at what's been promised to Lewis from the Ferrari side, he's going there with a belief that they're going to do it.
"With how it plays out, I think the early days are going to be key to how successful it will be."
Lewis Hamilton may have endured a strained relationship with former team-mate Fernando Alonso, but Paul di Resta does not expect a repeat when he links up with Charles Leclerc at Ferrari.
Seven-time Formula One champion Hamilton stunned fans earlier this month with the announcement that he will leave Mercedes for Ferrari after the 2024 season.
Hamilton has failed to win a race since Red Bull's Max Verstappen beat him to the title in contentious circumstances in 2021, and the move to Maranello surely offers the 39-year-old his last chance to pull clear of Michael Schumacher by winning an eighth crown.
Hamilton will take Carlos Sainz's seat with the Scuderia, racing alongside Leclerc, who finished second in the drivers' championship back in 2022.
The Briton memorably clashed with Alonso when the duo were team-mates with McLaren for the 2007 season, but Di Resta does not foresee a similar feud developing with Leclerc.
"I don't think you will see fireworks. I think they've both got tremendous respect for each other," the former Force India driver told Stats Perform.
"They're both fast. They're both very clean drivers. I think how they go about their racing is different to how others would go about it.
"I think Charles has proven he's definitely one of the fastest guys that can pull a lap out of a car. Can he do that over the course of every Grand Prix?
"I think you can see that probably only Max and Lewis have been able to do that recently. Fernando is probably another one out there, with that extra bit where you can pull race wins out of nothing.
"I'm interested to see whether Charles can go on top of it, maybe Charles will lift himself with the pressure, but there's one thing for sure, it's going to be the hardest team-mate that he's had to go up against.
"I'm sure Lewis doesn't fear going up against Charles. I think the biggest thing is getting that Italian culture around them, but Lewis has been around this business a long time and he knows this."
Reports have suggested Ferrari are also looking to bring in Hamilton's race engineer Peter Bonnington in order to help him settle, and Di Resta would not be surprised if other staff members follow Hamilton in leaving Mercedes.
"I'm also interested to see what personnel he's going to take with him to make him feel comfortable. He's already talked about the engineer," Di Resta said.
"Are there other people he's talked to? Maybe that was the key to getting [chairman] John Elkann and [team principal] Frederic Vasseur to make it happen."
England’s ambition of making a fresh start on their return to Twickenham failed to produce the hoped for fireworks but they at least had the resilience to dig out a 16-14 victory over Wales.
For the first time in Guinness Six Nations history, Warren Gatland’s team led at the interval in their great rival’s stronghold after storming 14-5 ahead through a penalty try and Alex Mann touch down.
But the favourites hit back when Fraser Dingwall went over in the left corner before George Ford stepped up to land the decisive penalty in the 72nd minute, rewarding a more polished second half.
Having finished third at last autumn’s World Cup, England saw their first outing at Twickenham since rebuilding their team as an opportunity to reconnect with fans, but this scruffy afternoon was too close for comfort.
Championship history was made when Hollie Davidson became the first female member of an officiating team for a men’s match – and what the hosts would have given for her assured performance on the sideline.
Wales must come to terms with an eighth successive defeat at Twickenham dating back to 2015 and their inability to score a point in the second half, but despite the outcome there was enough on display to encourage Gatland.
From the moment Freddie Steward carved through the visiting defence in the opening seconds, it appeared as though Wales were in for a long afternoon.
Only timely intervention from Rio Dyer thwarted England in the right corner, Elliot Daly raced clear and a crash ball intended for Henry Slade close to the whitewash just failed to find its target as the the assault continued.
Yet for all the early dominance, points proved elusive and then the tide turned when Ollie Chessum was sent to the sin bin for a dangerous tackle before a penalty try was awarded to Wales.
Ethan Roots was singled out by referee James Doleman for bringing down the maul and as a result was shown a yellow card, reducing England to 13 players for five minutes.
Remarkably, the hosts hit back immediately when Ben Earl powered over from the base of a scrum, breaking four tackles before touching down with an outstretched arm.
A dramatic opening quarter ended with George Ford failing to take the conversion when Wales chased down the kick, even though England’s fly-half had yet to start his run up.
Ford was bemused that Doleman found in the visitors’ favour and England then had to steel themselves for a lengthy period of defence, although there was a lack of cutting edge to really trouble them.
Daly and Slade kicked long to relieve the pressure on Steve Borthwick’s men, who were struggling to escape their half, but there was no stopping Wales when their attack clicked into gear on the cusp of half-time.
Josh Adams launched the move but the key moment came when the brilliant Tommy Reffell took an inside ball which he then slipped out of the tackle, allowing Tomos Williams to gather and send Alex Mann over.
England emerged for the second half with greater purpose and Daly almost went over in the left corner, but soon after Ford landed a penalty.
A defensive lapse by Daly waved Wales through and they almost scored, but successive scrum penalties settled the home team, with the second providing the platform to engineer their second try.
Once the forwards had weakened the red wall with carry after carry, the ball was swept left where an unmarked Dingwall was able to cross.
And the tide turned when Mason Grady was sent to the sin bin for a deliberate knock-on and up stepped Ford to kick England ahead for the first time, consigning Wales to defeat.
Gregor Townsend felt Scotland were robbed of victory over France as he expressed bewilderment that the officials failed to award them a try in the last action of a dramatic Murrayfield showdown.
Les Bleus claimed a 20-16 win in Edinburgh to get their Guinness Six Nations campaign up and running – but only after referee Nic Berry and TMO Brian MacNeice spent several minutes deliberating over whether home substitute Sam Skinner had grounded the ball on the try-line before deciding that it had been held up by the boot of French replacement Yoram Moefana.
Scotland’s supporters, players and staff – having seen pictures of the incident on the big screen – were convinced they were about to be awarded a match-winning try, and the officials were loudly booed by the home crowd when they stuck with the original call not to give the score.
“We were celebrating in the coaches’ box having seen the pictures of the ball being placed down on the tryline after having been on the player’s boot,” said head coach Townsend, visibly angered.
“That was also after hearing the communication to the referee from the TMO to say that the ball started on the foot and then went on the ground.
“The ref then says, ‘I can also see that (ball) on the ground’ then their last interaction was ‘hang on, let’s look at that other angle….yeah, it’s inconclusive now, stick with your on-field decision’.
“It was TMO-driven. If the referee is seeing the pictures we were all seeing in the stadium, maybe it’s on his shoulders as well to say, ‘that’s the ball down, that’s a try’. But the TMO was the one who changed his mind and said, ‘stick with your on-field decision.’
“I don’t understand the rationale. When you see the pictures, and when you also see the conversation, they have already said between them that the ball has been placed on the tryline.”
The Scots led for most of the match after taking a seventh-minute lead through Ben White.
France, who also scored a first-half try through Gael Fickou, managed to survive 10 minutes with 14 men after Uini Atonio was sin-binned just before the break and eventually got themselves ahead for the first time in the 70th minute through Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s try.
“I’m absolutely gutted for the players,” said Townsend. “The way the game was going in the second half, I didn’t think there would be any points scored at one stage – we were in control.
“But we did make an error that led to a scrum that led to a try. At the time, I thought it was going to be really difficult to score the required five points.
“It was then a fantastic effort to win the ball back, for Kyle Rowe to make his break and for Finn (Russell) to win the ball back and set us up on the tryline.
“The emotions straight after that when I saw the pictures were, ‘what a fantastic win, what a team to come back.
“To play so well, go behind and come back, what a great victory for our supporters, then it’s taken away from you.
“It’s sport, we know that, and we have to be better. That’s why you play and coach – to win but also to get better. We have to make sure we take winning and losing out of the hands of referees and TMOs.”
Asked if he felt the officials had done their jobs properly, Townsend said: “I’ll leave that to you guys to decide.
“All I can say is that we were celebrating a win, our players and a lot of our supporters were by the pictures we saw. We could hear the conversations.
“Gavin Hastings (former Scotland international) was in front of us, and the media were turning round a few times as well to ask, and I’m saying, ‘yeah, it’s a try’.
“I’ll leave it to you guys to make any comment more than that, but we believe it was a try.”
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