England will make history at Twickenham on Saturday amid a call for the Rugby Football Union to ensure the financial rewards available in the women’s game match its growing value to the governing body.
The Red Roses host France in a Grand Slam decider with over 53,000 tickets already sold, surpassing the previous highest ever crowd of 42,579 seen for last autumn’s World Cup final against New Zealand in Auckland.
It provides another landmark moment in the expansion of women’s rugby, with England the standard bearers as they continue to pack out club grounds across the Six Nations.
In the process, it significantly outperforms the men’s game in research undertaken to find its ‘net promoter score’ – to what extent would those attending matches recommend the experience to others.
Rugby Players’ Association general secretary Christian Day is currently involved in discussions with the RFU over a new deal for women as their existing contracts expire this summer.
Day believes that the Red Roses are now an important asset to the RFU and are becoming key to the sport’s prosperity.
“To me, when you look at how rugby is going to grow, you look at the women’s game,” Day said.
“I don’t think anyone would have thought there would be 60,000 at Twickenham on Saturday and I wonder how many of those have been to an England game before.
“It’s a whole new market, a new demographic of fans, supporters and people who watch.
“Viewing figures on the BBC are all over one million, which is what the recent Saracens v Harlequins match did on ITV, so very similar numbers.
“The women’s game offers a huge opportunity for growth and who’s to say that there can’t be double-headers at Exeter, for example?
“That explains some of the investment but also why we need people to get behind this concept of women’s rugby being serious.
“We’re going through contracting now and we want a fair representation of what their value to the RFU is. I think it’s rising.
“I think they’re becoming a big part of the RFU brand and we know that it’s the players who generate the vast majority of money in rugby.”
Day insists that the Red Roses have emerged as superb ambassadors for the sport, noting that they “crave the support they’ve never had before” whereas for men “it’s a harder sell because they’ve always had it”.
A fixture of every England game is the players staying long after the final whistle to engage with fans, taking selfies and signing autographs.
“Huge credit goes to the RFU as well as the players for the ticket sales for Saturday. They’ve invested and that crowd hasn’t happened by itself,” Day said.
“I’ve used the tube countless times and all I can see is Zoe Aldcroft staring back at me selling tickets for Saturday.
“The girls may realise on Saturday that they can’t have 60,000 selfies but they’ll still try to get around the pitch to engage with everyone.
“I’ve been to games with my daughter and she’s had a selfie with every player. Huge credit goes to them.”
For England star Emily Scarratt, who misses the France showdown because of neck and ankle injuries, women’s rugby has its own unique selling point.
“Generally there isn’t as much kicking in it and there’s a bit more ball in play time,” Scarratt said.
“We try to find the edges and the width and there’s a bit more freedom in the play, which is a fantastic reason to come and watch it. People who come to the games generally really enjoy what they see.”
Gareth Bale has turned down the chance to come out of retirement and play for Hollywood-owned Wrexham.
Former Wales captain Bale was offered the opportunity to play for the Welsh club by actors and co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney following their promotion to the English Football League last weekend.
McElhenney wrote on Twitter: “Hey @GarethBale11 let’s play golf, where I totally won’t spend 4 hours trying to convince you to un-retire for one last magical season.”
Deadpool star Reynolds added: “I will shave a professional-grade golf course into Rob’s back if you’ll give Wrexham a season” before posting a picture of Bale in a Wrexham shirt and saying: “What if…”
But Bale, who ended his illustrious career in January after leading Wales to the World Cup, has knocked back the idea of coming out of retirement at the UK Sport Industry Awards 2023.
Asked if he was tempted to play football again at Wrexham, Bale said: “No I don’t think so. I think I was looking more for a free round of golf off Rob.
“I’m sure we’ll have a chat and a joke but I’m quite happy where I am.
“I’m spending a lot of time with my kids, my wife, time that I’ve lost so much over the years being committed to football. I’m just enjoying family life and playing some golf.”
Bale received the Outstanding Contribution to Sport Award at the London ceremony, while the Football Association of Wales were named Sport Organisation of the Year.
Asked if he missed football, former Real Madrid star Bale replied: “No. I’m enjoying my time away. I started at a young age and felt the time was right.
“We left Wales football in a great place and I’m sure they’re going to still continue to strive and do good things.”
Wrexham play their final game of the season at Torquay on Saturday, where a win will extend their National League points record to 113.
Everton manager Sean Dyche stressed his players have to handle the high stakes which come with playing for the club.
A 4-1 defeat at home to Newcastle means they head into Monday’s relegation six-pointer at Leicester, one point above them in 18th, having to win if they are to stand any realistic chance of extending their 69-year stay in the top flight.
It is a huge occasion which is likely to have a massive bearing on the futures of both clubs, and having seen his side crumble in the second half at home to the high-flying Magpies Dyche wants his players to understand just what the implications are.
“The stakes have been high since I got here,” said the Toffees boss, without a win in 10 matches.
“The stakes should be high, by the way. A club like Everton, the stakes should be high. That’s what the players need to remember. They need to be high at this football club.
“If we go down there, take on the game and win, then it creates a different atmosphere and the belief floods back in very quickly. It’s strange how quickly it can turn around.
“The key point is you making it happen, I can’t emphasise that enough. I say it to the players constantly – you make things happen in football.
“Now and again you get a lucky one but even that doesn’t really build belief. The ones that build belief are when you take it on, then deliver and get a result.”
Erik ten Hag has hailed Bruno Fernandes as the example Manchester United’s players must follow if the club is to build a winning culture.
The midfielder was pictured wearing a protective boot after injuring his ankle during United’s FA Cup semi-final win against Brighton on Sunday, but recovered in time to captain the side in Thursday’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham.
United were two goals up at half-time, with Fernandes instrumental in setting up Marcus Rashford to score after Jadon Sancho had given the visitors an early lead.
Spurs hit back after the break and claimed a point thanks to goals from Pedro Porro and Son Heung-min.
After watching his team let a two-goal lead slip, United’s manager praised his skipper’s readiness to suffer for the cause and called on the players to make Fernandes their inspiration if they are to find the consistency to compete on all fronts.
United lead Spurs by six points and have two games in hand in the race to finish in the top four, and in June will look to add the FA Cup to the Carabao Cup they have already won when they face Manchester City at Wembley.
“I think as Man United and as a top team then you have to compete and go for the win in every competition you are in, so that’s what we are doing,” said Ten Hag.
“That is the culture we want to construct, so that is what we are doing. It has to be in the mindset of every player and every employee who is working for Manchester United.”
Of Fernandes’s recovery he said: “It was tough, a big compliment on Bruno. He absolutely doesn’t want to miss this game and he did everything to get fit.
“I think he is the example, and that you have to suffer and you have to sacrifice when you want to play on the top level, you want to achieve something.
“So once again he showed there how great a captain he is, how he has taken responsibility, even when he is not 100 per cent fit.
“But he did the job, he was important in this game as well. Hopefully the team can, not learn, but see him as an inspiration and do the same.”
The draw with Spurs was the second time in two weeks that United had thrown away a two-goal lead, following their late collapse against Sevilla in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final.
They subsequently capitulated in the return meeting in Spain, losing 3-0 to crash out of the competition.
There have also been limp defeats to Newcastle and Liverpool, the latter a 7-0 hammering, but Ten Hag was quick to remind critics that his team have beaten the top two in the Premier League and the La Liga leaders this campaign.
“We had some games I like,” said Ten Hag. “Two weeks ago against Forest (a 2-0 win), I think that was almost optimum. You see it’s not so easy to play Forest, you see Liverpool struggling, you see Brighton struggling there. That was a very good performance on our side.
“We had more games, I would have to think which games. Especially I think City (at home), that was a brilliant game. We had more, I think Arsenal, both games we played very well. We had many games where we were very dominant.
“Betis, Barcelona. So we had our games where we played very good football.”
Sheffield United owner Prince Abdullah still intends to sell the club despite their promotion to the Premier League but admits a sale to Dozy Mmobuosi now looks “unlikely”.
The Nigerian businessman agreed a reported £115million deal to take over the Blades before Christmas but the Saudi is doubtful that will go through.
He is now looking for other buyers and would like something sorted before the start of next season.
“I can’t say it’s off but I think maybe now it’s unlikely. But everything is open,” the Prince told talkSPORT. “I can’t comment more than that.
“If we reach a decision I want it to be before we start preparations for the next season. It can’t affect the team next year. It has to be done now. If we are in the club, we are going to manage it the best we can.
“(To sell) is my intention, but nothing is guaranteed. I’m not going to sell to just anybody. I care about who owns the club next.
“The most important decision in any club is not hiring the right manager or the right players, it starts from the top. If the owner is a bad owner it can drive everything eventually to the ground.
“My intention is to sell but it’s not guaranteed yet.
“There are other parties interested I would rather do something in the next four weeks or do nothing, but these things never go as you expect, there are always complications. The most important thing is we are now in the Premier League.”
United have been suffering with financial problems throughout the season and were up until last week under an EFL transfer embargo due to unpaid transfer fees.
Reports have suggested Mmobuosi has already put a large amount of money into the club, but the Prince says he will not be owed anything if the deal collapses.
“No, this is not accurate but I don’t want to talk about that,” he said. “Dozy is a good man and hopefully he will be successful in whatever he does in the future. But we don’t owe anyone any money.”
Si Jiahui’s extraordinary run at the Crucible looked set to continue as he established an 11-5 lead over Luca Brecel after the second session of their World Snooker Championship semi-final.
The 20-year-old reeled off his third century of the match plus five more breaks of 50-plus as he moved to within seven frames of victory when they resume their last four clash on Friday evening.
Si, ranked 80 in the world, is aiming to become the youngest Crucible finalist in history and also the first debutant to win the tournament since Terry Griffiths in 1979.
And his stunning pot success had the pundits purring with former world champion Dennis Taylor telling the BBC: “I’ve been coming to the Crucible since 1977 and I’ve enjoyed watching this young player as much as anyone I’ve ever seen here.”
Showing no sign of nerves, Si got off to a quickfire start with a break of 64 before fluking a snooker by easing the white into the jaws of the top right pocket.
After failing to extricate himself, Brecel showed his frustration by slamming the white off the table, incurring a warning from referee Rob Spencer, but responded with a 65 to reduce Si’s lead.
A remarkable long blue was the highlight of a 122 break from Si in the following frame, and further back-to-back breaks of 89 and 58 moved the Chinese player five frames clear at 9-4.
Brecel, who was not doing a lot wrong, won the 14th frame in two visits but the irrepressible Si maintained his astonishing long-pot success rate as breaks of 55 and 71 moved him within sight of a place in the final.
Seventy-three of the Caribbean’s best shooters are set to battle for honours at the Spectrum Handgun Championship set for the Jamaica Rifle Association’s shooting range on Mountain View Avenue in Kingston, Jamaica on Saturday, April 29.
Shooters from Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago and the Cayman Islands will be competing at the Level III IPSC event, Jamaica’s first major international pistol match and highest-ranked competition to be staged since the Covid-19 pandemic emerged in 2020.
"Everyone is looking forward with great anticipation to the upcoming Spectrum Handgun Championship 2023 at the JRA,” said Match Director Paul Shoucair.
“We'll have all of Jamaica's top shooters versus top shooters from other islands in the Caribbean and the Ladies Division is looking pretty hot so looking forward to it and expecting some great stages."
The top gunners will compete in four divisions - Open, Standard, Production Optics and Production, which features the use of unmodified guns. The breakdown of the entry list shows eight overseas based shooters, eight female shooters and 57 local based male shooters are down to compete.
Among them is top-ranked master class shooter Ryan Bramwell.
"This match will in effect be a Caribbean championship and I am looking forward to competing against the best local and regional talent,” he said.
“The match itself promises to be a great event and I am really looking forward to doing my best on Saturday."
Among the other shooters vying for honours across the various divisions are Master Shooter Andy Yap and Darin Richards, and among the women, Alpha Angels Yeonie Campbell, Shayon Francis and Renee Rickhi.
Competition on the twelve-stage range will get underway at 10:00 am.
Formula One’s new all-female F1 Academy series has sparked controversy ahead of this weekend’s inaugural races after it was revealed they will not be broadcast live.
When it was announced in November, the seven-round, 21-race competition – which opens with three races at Austria’s Red Bull Ring on Saturday – was billed by organisers as having “intentions…to ensure aspiring female drivers have the best opportunities to reach their potential” with the eventual goal of seeing a woman back in F1.
Some, recalling the adage “if you can see it you can be it”, have pointed out the irony of there being no live or full-race footage for a series designed to raise the profile of female drivers and inspire the next generation – with others even suggesting it could be a worrying indicator of F1’s genuine commitment to its stated ambitions.
Females in Motorsport, a volunteer-run collective working to promote women across the sport, were among the critics on social media, tweeting: “We’re deeply disappointed that #F1Academy won’t be streamed live. This series is meant to inspire girls and women around the world and provide a platform for the 15 drivers on the grid.
“So many F4 championships have live streams but an F1-owned entity won’t. How are we meant to inspire the next generation if we can’t even properly follow the action?”
Academy driver Bianca Bustamante, 18, was singled out by F1 driver Esteban Ocon after she recently spent time at his training centre, with the Frenchman describing her in a video uploaded by the Filipina as having “a gift right away… she immediately managed to impress me.”
Bustamante understands why fans might feel let down by the coverage, but insists the initial lack of footage was a welcome and deliberate move designed to alleviate pressure as the young drivers – the series cut-off is 25, with several well below that age limit – adjust to what for many is already a huge step up in their careers.
She said: “In motorsport you always have to perform in the spotlight, and it’s always been so tough. For a lot of drivers to perform under pressure and to have this sort of worry gone and just focus on pure driving is what makes it so important. Now we don’t have to worry about anything else, we just focus on performance, and the minute you have that secured you can shine in the spotlight.”
PREMA’s Bustamante, one of 15 drivers across the five-team Academy grid, is one of several defectors from W Series, the all-female single-seater series that saw its third season curtailed due to financial issues last year.
W Series – also previously on the F1 support bill – had secured a multi-year broadcast deal with Sky Sports that saw it attract a peak UK TV audience of one million viewers to its Silverstone race in 2022.
In contrast, F1 Academy will release a 15-minute round-by-round highlights programme to rights-holding broadcasters the Wednesday following a race weekend, which will also be available on F1-controlled channels.
Additionally, a race highlights video will be made available across several F1 channels on a Monday following the race weekend, while competition organisers have also promised extensive live coverage on social media.
The PA news agency – which has contacted F1 Academy for comment – understands there are ambitions to live broadcast the season finale, taking place in support of the F1 Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas, with a target for more next season when the Academy will be on the support bill for a select number of F1 Grands Prix.
Asked if this year’s plan will be sufficient in recruiting girls to her sport, Bustamante pointed to the Academy’s driver development-first philosophy, saying: “For us to be the role models that these girls can look up to we have to perform at our best. They’re prioritising our performance, our mental health and focus on the track.
“For us to inspire the next generation, we ourselves have to believe it. We have to believe in ourselves first, and that’s what they’re doing.”
Max Verstappen edged out Charles Leclerc to finish fastest in the sole practice session at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Formula One bosses have changed the weekend format in Baku, with the introduction of two qualifying sessions – one to decide the order for Sunday’s grand prix, and the other determining the starting grid for Saturday’s sprint race, the first of six sprint events this season.
Practice has been slashed from three hours to just one, ahead of qualifying for Sunday’s main event at 5pm local time (2pm UK) on Friday.
The reduction in practice is designed to create greater jeopardy with the teams unable to gather as much data as they would like.
And the one-hour running on Friday was suspended for 13 minutes after Pierre Gasly’s Alpine caught fire with the Frenchman leaping out of his smoky machine at Turn 12.
In an incident-packed session, Yuki Tsunoda limped back to the pits on three wheels after he banged the wall, while Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz also brushed the armco at the tight and twisty street circuit on the Caspian Sea.
Double world champion Verstappen has won two of the opening three rounds to establish a 15-point lead over Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez.
On Friday, the Dutch driver pipped Leclerc to top spot by just 0.037 seconds. Perez finished third, a tenth down on his Red Bull team-mate, while Sainz recovered from his brush with the barrier to take fourth.
Lando Norris provided some encouragement for McLaren to finish fifth, eight tenths down on Verstappen.
But Lewis Hamilton could manage only 11th for Mercedes, 1.5 sec back off the pace with team-mate George Russell also struggling, taking the chequered flag 17th of the 20 runners.
Elsewhere, Nyck de Vries finished sixth in his AlphaTauri ahead of the Aston Martin duo of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso.
Rob Baxter accepts that Exeter will need to get “an awful lot right” when they tackle Heineken Champions Cup holders La Rochelle in this season’s semi-finals.
But Exeter will arrive at the 42,000-capacity Mahmut Atlantique stadium in Bordeaux on Sunday determined to underline their own rich European pedigree.
The 2020 champions are England’s sole survivors, having won five out of six games in Europe this season, including a gripping last-16 success against French champions Montpellier.
And they have got there despite patchy domestic form that undermined their Gallagher Premiership play-off bid as Chiefs missed out behind confirmed semi-finalists Saracens, Sale, Leicester and Northampton.
Exeter beat La Rochelle home and away during their 2019-20 Champions Cup-winning campaign, but the last-four represents Chiefs’ best European run since then.
La Rochelle, in contrast, lifted the trophy last term and were runners-up 12 months before that, confirming their status as strong favourites this weekend.
“They are a good team, and we are going to have to get an awful lot right and be massively resilient,” Exeter rugby director Baxter said.
“They are going to land shots, and we just have to get up and get on with stuff and not get hurt by any one thing that happens. That consistent level of intensity across 80 minutes is always the key in big games.
“We are going very much to overturn the tables, which is a nice challenge for us and one we should be relishing and looking to enjoy.
“We’ve got a pretty good record against French teams, and we’ve got to back ourselves with that a little bit and get on with stuff. We’ve got some good firepower in the team.
“We went to La Rochelle and won in our cup-winning year and we won in Castres this season. Occasions in France are brilliant – players love them, they are incredible experiences.
“I think you either thrive on the atmosphere, or you don’t. Every game has an ebb and flow around it, and you have got to stick in there sometimes for a long time before you get the benefits of scores.”
Sunday’s clash could be the final European game in Exeter colours for players like brothers Joe and Sam Simmonds, who are moving to France next term, England wing Jack Nowell – a major target for La Rochelle – and retiring Scotland star Stuart Hogg.
So the lure of a possible Champions Cup final appointment with Leinster or Toulouse in Dublin on May 20 cannot be underestimated for numerous reasons.
Baxter added: “We’ve got a collection of very good players. There is a lot of international quality in our team.
“The team we take over has got plenty of caps in it, plenty of players who have won important games.
“It is a big game for the club. It feels like a very tight group that is working very hard to make this game successful.
“That is the key, that is how you look after each other, whether you are staying or going, and it feels like we have got that kind of vibe around the place at the moment.
“They are going to come at us, and there are going to be times when we are going to have to weather it, stick together and hold our discipline, hold our work-rate and not take a breath.
“You stay in the fight when it is their moments, and then you take yours when it is your time. There is no way of dressing it up.”
England will welcome Tonga for a historic three-match Test series in October and November.
The contests, which will be played at St Helens on October 22, Huddersfield six days later and Headingley the following week, will mark a maiden international series between the two countries.
It is understood the initial plan was to invite New Zealand over and while that fell through, England head coach Shaun Wane, leading the side on Saturday for the first time since last November’s World Cup semi-final loss to Samoa when they take on France, insisted Tonga will pose a formidable challenge.
“Throughout my time as England head coach I have said we need to challenge ourselves against the best sides the international game has to offer – and Tonga are certainly one of those,” Wane said.
“They’ve been a real success story on the international stage in recent years, building on their exploits at the 2017 World Cup, and they will offer a real test.
“It’s also a great opportunity for us to get three high-quality Test matches under our belt as we continue to push towards the next World Cup in 2025.”
England were given a stiff test when they last played Tonga, who with seven minutes remaining in their 2017 World Cup semi-final trailed 20-0 before running in 18 points to set up a grandstand finish.
England held on to secure a 20-18 victory at Auckland while Tonga pushed eventual runners-up Samoa all the way in last year’s World Cup before going down by an identical scoreline in their quarter-final at Warrington.
Head coach Kristian Woolf is not underestimating how significant the series against England is for Tonga, who have recorded wins over Australia and Great Britain in recent years.
“There is no doubt that this is another historic moment for Tongan Rugby League,” Woolf said.
“This will be the first time one of the Pacific Nations has been invited to play in a full three-Test series against England, in the place where our great game began.
“It is easy to forget that this is an honour usually only reserved for countries like Australia and New Zealand.
“I know our players are excited by this challenge, and are also keen to go back to England to try and prove what we can do in the northern hemisphere. We feel we did not showcase our best at last year’s World Cup, and this will be an opportunity for Tonga to correct that.”
Jayson Tatum would not be drawn on talk that the Boston Celtics are the new NBA title favourites after clinching their first-round playoffs series against the Atlanta Hawks with Thursday's 118-110 win.
The Celtics clinched the series 4-2, setting up a date in the Eastern Conference Semifinals with the Philadelphia 76ers who swept the Brooklyn Nets 4-0.
The shock exit of the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, who boasted the league's best regular-season record at 58-24, to the Miami Heat has opened up the playoffs.
Boston made last year's NBA Finals and finished second in this regular season in the East behind the Bucks with the second-best record in the NBA at 57-25.
"Not looking past nobody," Tatum told reporters when asked about the Celtics being title favourites. "Taking it one game, one series at a time.
"We just had six tough games against the Hawks. Closed it out tonight, now it's time to get some rest and get ready for Philly.
"Not looking past them. It's going to be tough. They've had some time off. It starts with Game 1."
The 76ers benefitted from their sweep, having closed that series out on Sunday, allowing time for MVP candidate Joel Embiid to rest a sprained knee that kept him out of Game 4 against the Nets. The 76ers-Celtics series is due to commence on Monday.
Jaylen Brown, who scored 32 points against the Hawks in Game 6 alongside Tatum's 30, expected a tough test against their old rivals.
"We know they're going to bring the fight," he said. "Philly is a tough environment to win. Their crowd gets involved in the game. It's going to be fun.
"We already know they've got some great players, Joel Embiid, James Harden and company. It's going to be a test again. We've got to be ready to fight and I can't wait for it."
The Celtics were pushed all the way by the Hawks in not only Game 6, but the whole series. Boston needed a final-quarter 11-0 run, which Brown called "winning time", to pull away and punch their ticket into the next round.
"Winning time, I guess," Brown said. "Adrenaline, just that will and perseverance to finish the game. It was close and both teams was exchanging blows, we were both tired.
"And we didn't want to be the team going back home with an 'L.' So we just found a way to win."
Meanwhile, Hawks guard Trae Young was enthused by his side's end to their season after Nate McMillan was axed in February, before an admirable recovery under new coach Quin Snyder.
"Quin is the future," Young said. "I believe with him here, this city's going to win a championship."
New York Rangers coach Gerrard Gallant had no complaints with his side's effort in their 4-0 Game 5 loss to the New Jersey Devils who he said "played their best game of the series".
The Devils have flipped the script in their Stanley Cup first-round series after trailing 2-0 following back-to-back losses in Newark, taking a 3-2 lead with Thursday's triumph at Prudential Center.
Gallant blasted his side after their 3-1 home loss in Game 4 where they surrendered their advantage in the series, but he conceded the Devils were just too good on Thursday led by Erik Haula with two goals and an assist.
"I got no problem with their effort tonight. They competed," Gallant told reporters.
"Jersey played a hell of a game. You've got to give them a lot of credit. They played their best game in the series I thought tonight."
The defeat leaves the Rangers in danger of elimination on their home ice in Game 6. The Rangers rallied back from a 3-1 first-round series deficit last year against the Pittsburgh Penguins as well as when trailing 3-2 in the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes offering Gallant hope.
"The effort is there, we've been in this position before," he said. "We'll see what we can do, go back home on Saturday and rally the troops and get it going."
Rangers winger Chris Kreider also reflected on last year's playoffs after the game, demanding a response from his team.
"We've had a terrific fan base all year. We let them down, we let ourselves down at home," he said. "So it's up to us to show up and play the way we want to play from puck drop.
"All the cliches and euphemisms I throw at you guys all year, it's time to step up and do those things, right? It's time to play for a full 60 minutes. It's time to win a hockey game."
Beyond Haula's outstanding display, Devils goaltender Akira Schmid stopped 23 shots and Dawson Mercer had a goal and an assist. New Jersey captain Nico Hischier praised their approach.
"Tonight we did a lot of good things and that's exactly how we got to play," Hischier said.
"We knew if we use our speed, that's our strength. That's what makes us a dangerous team — if we play with our speed."
Game 6 is on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
Will Levis was expected to hear his name called on day one of the 2023 NFL Draft. That did not happen as both he and Hendon Hooker missed out on being taken as first-round quarterbacks.
Kentucky star Levis had been in the conversation to potentially go as high as the second overall pick, but will now need to decide if he wants to continue waiting in the green room on day two.
Levis battled injuries in his second and final season at Kentucky but, with an extremely strong arm and the athleticism to make plays with his legs, he entered the draft seemingly firmly in the top-10 mix.
Yet no team was even willing to take him in the top 31 picks, a surprising turn of events even considering Levis' often inconsistent deep accuracy and his struggles when his process was sped up.
Hooker was seen as more of a fringe first-rounder despite helping Tennessee lead the FBS in points and yards per game in 2022.
He suffered an ACL tear in November but has made good progress in his recovery and this week posted a video on Twitter of him dropping back to pass for the first time since his injury.
Despite Hooker's encouraging recovery, the NFL did not deem him worthy of a day-one selection, the pre-draft conversation around the 25-year-old the Virginia Tech transfer having been dominated by discussion about his age compared to his quarterback contemporaries in the class and the offense he played in at Tennessee, which asks players to do very little of what they will be tasked with at the highest level.
Both Levis and Hooker will be anticipated to go early on day two and eyebrows will be raised if their respective waits go on much longer.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the first wide receiver off the board in the 2023 NFL Draft, getting the chance to join a formidable group at the position with the Seattle Seahawks and prompting on a run on picks at the position.
Five wide receivers had gone in the top 10 over the course of the previous two drafts, but it wasn't until pick number 20 that the Seahawks finally selected Smith-Njigba.
He links up with a receiver group that already features two Pro Bowlers in D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, giving more ammunition to quarterback Geno Smith.
Smith-Njigba missed all but three games for Ohio State last season owing to a hamstring injury.
However, he was outstanding in 2021, racking up 1,606 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, his success coming in large part through his tremendously smooth route-running, excellent ball tracking skills and elusiveness after the catch.
The Seahawks, who earlier took cornerback Devon Witherspoon fifth overall, will look for Smith-Njigba to help lift them to the top of the NFC West. Seattle reached the playoffs last season with a 9-8 record, finishing second in their division to the San Francisco 49ers, whom they lost to in the Wild Card round.
Another wide receiver went with the next pick after Smith-Njigba as the Los Angeles Chargers selected TCU star Quentin Johnston and the run continued as the Baltimore Ravens took Zay Flowers from Boston College on the day that saw them finally agree to terms on a new deal with former MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson.
USC's Jordan Addison, maligned by many because of his 5ft 11in and 178-pound frame, was the next to go off the board as the Minnesota Vikings put those concerns to one side, betting on his route-running prowess and yards after catch upside.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both produced 30-point games as the Boston Celtics secured their spot in the Conference Semifinals with a 128-120 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday.
The Celtics clinched the series 4-2 with Thursday's road win at State Farm Arena, booking a date with the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals with Game 1 scheduled for Monday.
Boston will be relieved to have closed out the series in six after Trae Young's buzzer-beater in Game 5, with the 76ers having had time to rest after sweeping the Brooklyn Nets 4-0.
But it was not easy for the Celtics, who trailed 100-98 at three-quarter time but raced ahead in the blink of an eye with an 11-0 run on three straight three-pointers before Tatum's dunk with 2:07 left.
Dejounte Murray snapped that run with a triple to cut the score to 121-116 but the Celtics never surrendered that lead with Marcus Smart scoring their final seven points to close it out.
Tatum scored 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting with 14 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks. Brown posted a team-high 32 points, making six-of-eight from three-point range.
Smart added 22 points, while Al Horford scored 10 points including two three-pointers with 12 rebounds and three blocks.
Atlanta's Game 5 hero Young top scored with 30 points with 10 assists but went cold after half-time, shooting one-of-12 from the field in the second half. Murray went scoreless in the first half but finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists.
The Tampa Bay Rays re-discovered their free-scoring ways as Isaac Paredes managed a career-high five RBIs in a 14-5 victory over the slumping Chicago White Sox on Thursday.
The Sox fall to their eighth straight loss, even with Dylan Cease on the mound, pounded for seven runs from nine hits across four innings, with only three strikeouts.
Paredes started it off with a second-inning RBI single, grounded out to third to score Randy Arozarena in the fifth, before a three-run double in the sixth opened up an 11-2 lead.
Brandon Lowe maintained his excellent early season hitting with a 358-foot third inning homer along with a two-run single in the fifth. Lowe's solo shot took his season tally to seven homers.
Shane McClanahan (5-0) allowed two runs and struck out five across five innings, while Luke Raley went three-for-five with three RBIs including a ninth-inning homer, and moved from the outfield to the mound in the ninth.
The Rays, who started the season 13-0, had been beaten and shut out in consecutive games by the Houston Astros, 1-0 and 5-0 on Wednesday and Tuesday respectively.
Tampa Bay delivered 16 hits for the game and ended their scoreless run at 20 innings.
Ohtani's mixed game as Angels edge home
Shohei Ohtani responded after a shaky start on the mound to lead the Los Angeles Angels past the Oakland Athletics 8-7.
Ohtani (4-0) earned the win, although he gave up five runs in a rough fourth inning, with three-run blasts to Brent Rooker and a two-run homer to Shea Langeliers. He had thrown three perfect innings to that point and finished with eight strikeouts, allowing three hits across six innings.
The Japanese two-way star went three-for-five with the bat, including a triple, double and single, scoring two runs, with an eighth-inning shot caught by Esteury Ruiz on the warning track in center field.
Brandon Drury delivered a 409-foot three-run home run over left-center field in the first inning, with Ohtani scoring after his prior double.
Keller fans 10 as Pirates continue fine form
Mitch Keller matched his career-high 10 strikeouts as the Pittsburgh Pirates downed the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2.
Keller improved to 3-0, giving up two runs on five hits across six innings, as the Pirates continued their excellent run having won nine of their past 10, moving to an 18-8 record.
Pittsburgh rallied from an early 2-0 deficit, with three runs at the bottom of the first inning, before Connor Joe's two-run blast followed by Rodolfo Castro's 414-foot homer in the sixth.
In an NFL draft full of early surprises and trades, the Detroit Lions turned some heads Thursday by trading down in the first round and selecting Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the number 12 pick.
The Lions chose to double down on a team strength as Gibbs lands in a run-focused offense under coach Dan Campbell and joins a backfield that already features D’Andre Swift and former Chicago Bear David Montgomery.
Gibbs was the second running back taken Thursday after Texas' Bijan Robinson went to the Atlanta Falcons in the number eight slot.
The last time two running backs were selected that high in the draft was in 2017, when Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey were both taken in the draft’s first eight picks.
Gibbs began his college career with two seasons at Georgia Tech but broke out as a big-play threat for Alabama in 2022. His draft stock rose after the scouting combine, where he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds.
At 5-foot-9 and 199 pounds, Gibbs will likely continue to split time in the backfield after having only 383 total carries in three college seasons.
Detroit started the night with the number six pick – acquired from the Los Angeles Rams in the Matthew Stafford trade – and their own number 18 pick. They continued to defy conventional positional value with pick 18, selecting off-ball linebacker Jack Campbell out of Iowa.
Bijan Robinson did not have to wait long to have a team take a chance on him in the 2023 NFL Draft, as he was selected eighth overall by the Atlanta Falcons.
First-round running backs have grown increasingly rare in recent years, with the days of the position being viewed as a premium one long gone.
But Robinson's talent is such that he has long since been seen as an exception to the rule, and the Falcons made him the first top-10 running back since Saquon Barkley went second overall to the New York Giants in 2018.
There can be little doubt he has earned his selection with such a high pick.
Robinson racked up 1,580 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground in his final season with Texas in 2022. On top of that, he had 314 receiving yards and two further scores through the air. His 1,894 yards from scrimmage were second most in the FBS.
As a runner, Robinson wins with his scarcely believable change of direction quickness that allows him to evade defenders almost at will, along with contact balance to slip through tackles and field-flipping speed.
His X-factor is what he can do as a receiver. Robinson runs routes like a wideout and has shown the ability to go up and make outstanding grabs and the catch point.
Robinson can be a substantial weapon from anywhere in the offensive formation and, by adding him to a backfield that already included Tyler Allgeier - who went for over 1,000 yards in his rookie season -- the Falcons now arguably have one of the most dynamic running back rooms in the NFL.
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