Assistant coach Mike Catt admits injured hooker Dan Sheehan is “instrumental” in Ireland’s style of play and would be a “big loss” for the Rugby World Cup.

Sheehan put a dampener on Saturday’s 29-10 victory over England by limping off shortly before half-time, with Ireland’s coaching staff still anxiously waiting to discover the extent of his foot issue.

The 24-year-old remained in Dublin for treatment as Andy Farrell’s men flew to France to prepare for this weekend’s final warm-up match, against Samoa in Bayonne.

Rob Herring, Ronan Kelleher, Tom Stewart and the uncapped Diarmuid Barron have travelled and will seek to stake their claims for the number two role.

Catt insists Ireland’s coaching team have full confidence in the back-up options but concedes potentially losing “world-class” Sheehan for part or all of the World Cup, which starts on September 8, would be a major blow.

“I think what you get from Dan, he’s one of the best hookers in the world currently, so he’s going to be missed in whatever team he plays in,” he said.

“But we’ve got full faith in Rob Herring and Ronan Kelleher and Tom Stewart.

“It gives these guys an opportunity, they’ll have a pop this weekend and, depending on the diagnosis, we’ll see how we go on the back end of it.

“But he (Sheehan) is a world-class rugby player, he’s been instrumental in terms of how to play our game, so he’d be a big loss for everybody.”

South Africa-born Herring, Ireland’s only hooker remaining from the 2019 World Cup in Japan, came off the bench to replace Sheehan in the 37th minute against Steve Borthwick’s side at the Aviva Stadium.

Sheehan’s Leinster team-mate Kelleher is yet to feature at Test level since the Six Nations but head coach Farrell is positive he will be fit for the World Cup in spite of a hamstring issue.

Stewart made his Ireland debut off the bench in the 33-17 win over Italy on August 5, while fellow international rookie Barron is awaiting his maiden outing having trained in camp this summer.

Speaking of Sheehan’s condition, Catt continued: “We still haven’t got a confirmation on what it is. He’s still seeing the specialist, he’s obviously being rehabbed back in Dublin.

“Hopefully Andy will have a bit more of an outcome-based answer (later in the week). As we currently stand, he’s seeing specialists and getting the proper treatment.

“We’ll have much clearer idea tomorrow or Thursday in terms of where he’s at and what his return dates are.”

Ireland’s World Cup opener is on September 9 against Romania in Bordeaux. Farrell will name his final 33-man squad for the tournament on Monday.

Duhan van der Merwe admits he could never have envisaged a rise to prominence that means he is going to his first Rugby World Cup as a talismanic figure within a Scotland backline loaded with “X factor”.

The 28-year-old South-Africa-born wing was relatively unheralded when he first joined Edinburgh in 2017 following an underwhelming year in France with Montpellier.

But his career has taken off emphatically since then. After impressing in the Scottish capital, and following three years of residency in Scotland, the swashbuckling back earned an international debut for Gregor Townsend’s team against Georgia in October 2020, who return to Murrayfield this Saturday for a pre-World Cup warm-up match.

Van der Merwe – who had a stint at Worcester before returning to Edinburgh almost a year ago – was part of the 2021 British and Irish Lions squad, is seventh on Scotland’s all-time try-scoring list, and is cast as one of the most exciting wings on the planet as he heads to his first World Cup in France at the start of next month.

“I’m absolutely buzzing,” he told the PA news agency, reflecting on the recent confirmation that he is in the World Cup squad. “It’s something I’ve been working towards over the last couple of years in the back of my head so getting the phone call from Gregor was really special for me and my family.

“If you’d told me about six years ago when I first joined Edinburgh that I’d be playing for Scotland and going to a World Cup, I’d probably laugh at you and say, ‘no chance’.

“I think a lot of it is down to coaches having belief in me and a lot of it is down to hard work and dedication to get where I am today. I was a pretty raw player when I first joined Edinburgh, so fair play to all the coaches throughout the years for helping me improve my skills and understand the game more. I’ll always be thankful to them.

“As a young player, I always strived to be the best player I could be. I always knew I was quick and strong but I never thought I’d be where I am today. I’m just absolutely buzzing.”

Van der Merwe is intent on showing in France, on the biggest stage of all, why his stock is so high, and he believes that opposing teams planning to stop any of the Scottish backs will have a problem.

“I absolutely love going up against the best of the best,” he said. “That’s where I can showcase what I can do. But most importantly, my number one job is just to do my best for Scotland and hopefully all the other bits will come.

“I guess teams and players analyse you as a player and that’s when it gets quite fun because you have to find ways of beating defenders, getting line-breaks and scoring tries. It just makes it more exciting for me.

“But if teams want to focus on me, that potentially means there is space for someone else. I think with the players we have in this squad, you can’t just look at one, two or three players and just focus on them because throughout our backline everyone’s got X factor.”

Darcy Graham, Kyle Steyn, Finn Russell, Blair Kinghorn, Ben White, Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu are just some of the Scottish backs who have excelled in the lead-up to the World Cup.

“It’s absolutely brilliant to play with these guys,” said Van der Merwe. “Having Finn at 10 is always special. As a winger, you always think you’ll definitely score with him at 10.

“And then Blair at full-back, I’ve played with him at Edinburgh for years and he’s unbelievable, he’s got real X factor. Kyle Steyn, Ollie Smith, all these guys, the competition among the backs is really good at the moment.

“I wouldn’t say there’s anyone who is definitely going to start against South Africa because everyone is pushing for that starting jersey. I absolutely love that competition between us.”

The Scots, ranked fifth in the world, are in a top-heavy World Cup pool with Ireland and world champions South Africa, but Van der Merwe is adamant his team believe they can get through to the quarter-finals and beyond.

“Oh yes, 100 per cent,” he said. “If you want to be the best in the world, you have to beat the best in the world. What a challenge it is for us in our pool stage to go up against South Africa and Ireland and Tonga, who are a brilliant team as well.

“If we want to get to the quarter-finals we have to beat them. It’s a real test for us but I believe with the players we have in our squad we can beat any team on our day.”

Asked how far away Scotland are from being viewed on the same level as the top teams in the world like Ireland and France, Van der Merwe, with no hesitation, said: “Really close, really close.

“We’ve showcased that against France (in Saint-Etienne earlier this month). We probably dropped off for five to 10 minutes and good teams will punish you when you drop off but that’s something we can work on.

“We’ve showcased what we can do as a team, coming from behind and almost beating France in France. We’ve got a very special group.”

Savethelastdance and Bluestocking will renew rivalry at York on Thursday with the pair among 10 fillies declared for the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks.

Aidan O’Brien’s Savethelastdance ground out a half-length win over the Ralph Beckett-trained Bluestocking in an attritional renewal of the Irish Oaks at the Curragh a month ago.

The rematch is set to take place on far less demanding ground on the Knavesmire though and there is little between the duo in the market.

Al Husn bids for back-to-back Group One wins for Roger Varian after causing a minor upset in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, while Karl Burke fires a twin assault, with Lancashire Oaks heroine Poptronic joined by her stablemate Novakai, who dominated a Listed contest at Newmarket on her latest outing.

John and Thady Gosden will be hoping Free Wind can bounce back to her best after floundering in the Goodwood mud three weeks ago and Rosscarbery is an interesting contender for Paddy Twomey after chasing home Emily Dickinson in the Curragh Cup.

O’Brien’s second string Warm Heart, the William Haggas-trained Sea Silk Road and Stay Alert from Hughie Morrison’s yard complete the quality field.

Day two of the Ebor Festival gets under way with the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes, for which nine juvenile fillies are set to go to post.

Relief Rally is a major contender for the Haggas team after running away with the Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury, while O’Brien runs Cherry Blossom, who could hardly have been more impressive when opening her account at the second attempt at the Curragh.

Star Of Mystery (Charlie Appleby) and Beautiful Diamond (Burke) also feature.

Cal Raleigh homered twice and drove in a career-high six runs to lead a 15-hit outburst by the scorching Seattle Mariners, who rolled to a 14-2 rout of the Chicago White Sox on Monday to extend their winning streak to seven games.

Raleigh went 3 for 5 with three runs scored and accounted for half of the Mariners' four homers as Seattle won for the 15th time in 18 games. Teoscar Hernandez and Dominic Canzone added solo shots with Hernandez finishing with two hits and three RBIs.

The Mariners' surge has moved them past the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL's final wild card and within two games of slumping Texas for first place in the American League West. The Rangers twice blew late leads in a 4-3, 11-inning loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday.

Seattle also received strong pitching from ace Luis Castillo, who struck out nine while holding the White Sox to one run in seven innings to win his third consecutive start.

Chicago starter Touki Toussaint was tagged for five first-inning runs and seven overall before being removed with none out in the fifth.

Diamondbacks rally twice late to stun struggling Rangers

Tommy Pham's walkoff two-run double in the 11th inning capped a second late rally that catapulted the resurgent Arizona Diamondbacks to a stunning 4-3 win over the reeling Texas Rangers to open a key two-game series.

After forcing extra innings on Ketel Marte's solo homer in the ninth inning, the Diamondbacks trailed 3-2 with two outs in the 11th when Pham drove Rangers closer Will Smith's pitch into the gap in right-center field to plate Marte and Geraldo Perdomo and give Arizona an improbable eighth win in 10 games.

The Diamondbacks closed within a half-game of the San Francisco Giants for the National League's final wild card spot.

Texas, meanwhile, was dealt a season-high fifth straight loss and saw its lead over second-place Houston in the AL West reduced to 1 1/2 games after the Astros recorded a 9-4 win over the Boston Red Sox on Monday.

The Rangers got eight shutout innings from Jordan Montgomery and a solo homer from Adolis Garcia to carry a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth, but couldn't hold it as Marte homered off reliever Aroldis Chapman with one out.

Texas regained the upper hand on Nathaniel Lowe's two-run double in the top of the 11th, but Smith intentionally walked Marte to put two on in the bottom of the frame before Perdomo delivered an RBI double to trim the lead to 3-2.

Montgomery yielded just four hits and a walk while striking out six in a tough-luck no-decision.

Harper's inside-the-park home run highlights Phillies' rout of Giants

The Philadelphia Phillies hit four home runs, including an inside-the-park shot from Bryce Harper, in a 10-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants that opened a three-game series between National League playoff contenders.

Edmundo Sosa, Alec Bohm and Kyle Schwarber also went deep to back seven strong innings from Aaron Nola as the Phillies strengthened their hold on the NL's top wild card spot. The defending NL champions now own a 2 1/2-game advantage on the Chicago Cubs, who moved past San Francisco by a half-game for the No. 2 wild card with Monday's 7-6 win over the Detroit Tigers.

Sosa gave Philadelphia a 3-1 lead with a two-run homer off Sean Manaea in the second inning, and the Phillies increased the margin with a two-run fifth highlighted by Harper's second career inside-the-park homer. The two-time NL MVP raced around the bases to extend the advantage to 5-2 before Bryson Stott doubled home Bohm for a four-run cushion.

Schwarber's 33rd homer of the season followed Johan Rojas' two-run triple in the seventh to give Philadelphia a commanding 10-2 lead.

Nola surrendered solo homers to Joc Pederson and Lamonte Wade Jr. over his first three innings before shutting out the Gians over the remainder of his stint. The standout right-hander scattered seven hits and one walk while striking out five.

The Indianapolis Colts have granted disgruntled running back Jonathan Taylor permission to seek a trade as the team and the 2021 NFL rushing champion remain locked in an ongoing contract dispute, multiple outlets reported Friday.

Taylor, the runner-up for the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year in 2021, initially requested a trade upon reporting to training camp in late July with the Colts unwilling to discuss a contract extension. The fourth-year pro is entering the final season of his rookie deal and is scheduled to earn $4.3 million in 2023.

According to ESPN, the Colts are seeking a package equivalent to a first-round pick for Taylor, who ran for a franchise-record 1,811 yards in 2021 to become the first Colts player to lead the NFL in rushing since Hall of Famer Edgerrin James did so in back-to-back seasons in 1999 and 2000. 

The Colts' reluctance to extend Taylor seems to stem from injuries that lessened his production this past season. The 24-year-old is currently on the physically unable to peform list while recovering from ankle surgery that ended his 2022 campaign in December.

Taylor also briefly left camp last week for what the Colts said was an excused absence to attend to a personal matter. He previously was away from the team for a short period to undergo therapy on his ankle through an outside source. 

Ankle issues limited Taylor to 11 games last season, which he finished with 861 rushing yards and four touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards per attempt.

Taylor averaged 5.5 yards per carry during his superb 2021 season in which he also tied for the NFL lead with 20 total touchdowns while playing in all 17 games.

Since entering the NFL as a second-round pick of the Colts in 2020, Taylor's 33 rushing touchdowns are tied for second in the NFL and his 3,841 rushing yards are the fourth most of any player, trailing only Derrick Henry, Dalvin Cook and Nick Chubb. 

Dina Asher-Smith admits she was left baffled after her 100m failure at the World Championships.

The USA’s Sha’Carri Richardson stormed to the title in Budapest in a championship record of 10.65 seconds on Monday to leave Asher-Smith trailing in eighth.

The title – her first major crown – was redemption for the 23-year-old after she missed the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for marijuana during the US trials in 2021.

Jamaica pair Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the defending champion, completed the podium.

It was more disappointment for Asher-Smith after she finished fourth at last year’s championships in Eugene despite equalling her personal best of 10.83 seconds.

“I’m almost in disbelief. I know myself and I know that I feel good. I came here for a new personal best,” said the 27-year-old after running just 11 seconds.

“I know I’m in great shape. I ran 10.8 a few weeks ago. It doesn’t really happen to me. That’s why I’m so surprised.

“I was just running and towards the end of the semi I just couldn’t feel my legs anymore which was a bit strange.

“I don’t want to make a huge deal because at the end of the day I crossed the line, felt fine, got on with it, made the final, and felt absolutely fine during the final.

“I felt great but a mad day, mad day.”

Asher-Smith, who is ranked sixth in the world, a place above team-mate Daryll Neita, struggled in a favourable semi-final and ran just 11.02s to come third.

She needed to rely on a fastest-loser spot, along with Richardson after the American finished third in her heat, to make the final.

There was earlier disappointment for Neita as she failed to make it past her semi-final after running 11.03s.

“It’s sad. It was crazy to be honest with you. I don’t see what I did majorly wrong, I just feel like I wasn’t fast, I didn’t run fast enough,” she said.

“It’s a big surprise because I should be there. I came here to be in that final. The fact that I am not is super disappointing and it honestly feels like a repeat of last year in Eugene.

“That was at least a faster run. The thing keeping me on my feet right now is the fact I have the 200m to come back. It is keeping me going. It fuels a lot.”

A tearful Holly Bradshaw failed to reach the pole vault final after only clearing 4.35m following illness at Great Britain’s holding camp last week, although Molly Caudery qualified after passing 4.65m.

The 31-year-old, who crashed out of the event at last year’s worlds when her pole snapped in the warm up, failed at 4.50m before two unsuccessful attempts at 4.60m.

She said: “My mental health is really suffering from doing this sport right now. I am not near my family, I’ve still got four competitions but I wanted to try and get the Olympics qualification.

“I don’t really know how I feel right now. At the moment, I don’t want to compete or think about the pole vault or do anything.

“I’m really gutted and heartbroken. I felt really good coming into this. I had some good sessions out in Slovakia but I picked up some stomach bug on Thursday and was basically being sick the whole night.

“That’s quite unusual for me. I have not really been able to eat much since. I have not trained because I have been trying to conserve my energy and I felt awful.”

Jessie Knight won her 400m hurdles heat in 54.27 seconds to reach Tuesday’s final at the National Athletics Centre.

She said: “It is probably the best mentally and physically that I have ever been coming into any Championships.

“I am starting to feel quite at home in this environment now. I had previously felt like a bit of a newbie in the major championships but I am settling in nicely now.”

Sha’Carri Richardson stormed to the world 100m title in Budapest as Dina Asher-Smith was left trailing.

The USA’s Richardson set a new World Championships record of 10.65 seconds to win ahead of Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

Asher-Smith could only manage eighth after running a disappointing 11 seconds on Monday night.

Asher-Smith is sixth in the world, a place above team-mate Daryll Neita, struggled in a favourable semi-final and ran just 11.02s to come third.

She needed to rely on a fastest-loser spot, along with Richardson after the American finished third in her heat.

There was earlier disappointment for Neita as she failed to make it past her semi-final after running 11.03s.

“It’s sad. It was crazy to be honest with you. I don’t see what I did majorly wrong, I just feel like I wasn’t fast, I didn’t run fast enough,” she said.

“It’s a big surprise because I should be there. I came here to be in that final. The fact that I am not is super disappointing and it honestly feels like a repeat of last year in Eugene.

“That was at least a faster run. The thing keeping me on my feet right now is the fact is I have the 200m to come back. It is keeping me going. It fuels a lot.”

A tearful Holly Bradshaw failed to reach the pole vault final after only clearing 4.35m following illness at Great Britain’s holding camp last week, although Molly Caudery qualified after passing 4.65m.

The 31-year-old, who crashed out of the event at last year’s worlds when her pole snapped in the warm up, failed at 4.50m before two unsuccessful attempts at 4.60m.

She said: “My mental health is really suffering from doing this sport right now. I am not near my family, I’ve still got four competitions but I wanted to try and get the Olympics qualification.

“I don’t really know how I feel right now. At the moment, I don’t want to compete or think about the pole vault or do anything.

“I’m really gutted and heartbroken. I felt really good coming into this. I had some good sessions out in Slovakia but I picked some stomach bug on Thursday and was basically being sick the whole night.

“That’s quite unusual for me. I have not really been able to eat much since. I have not trained because I have been trying to conserve my energy and I felt awful.”

Jessie Knight won her 400m hurdles heat in 54.27 seconds to reach Tuesday’s final at the National Athletics Centre.

She said: “It is probably the best mentally and physically that I have ever been coming into any Championships.

“I am starting to feel quite at home in this environment now. I had previously felt like a bit of a newbie in the major championships but I am settling in nicely now.”

New world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson must still up her game for Olympic glory, according to her coach Aston Moore.

The 30-year-old grabbed a stunning heptathlon gold at the World Championships to cap her comeback after an injury nightmare.

An Achilles tear in December 2020 threatened her career while a calf injury at the Tokyo Olympics forced her to withdraw after the first day.

Sunday’s win in Budapest saw her regain the title she first won in 2019 after beating favourite Anna Hall.

Johnson-Thompson admitted pre-championships it could be her last heptathlon before next year’s Paris Olympics and Moore believes the biggest challenge is to come.

“Nafi Thiam (Olympic champion) isn’t here and you know Anna Hall is going to come back probably better than she has been right now, so Kat has still got to step her game up,” he said.

“But the thing is this is just one of the steps on that journey of coming back. It’s good that the comeback partially has brought about a world champion but we still have a fair way to go yet. She’ll be one of the favourites but let’s see what happens.

“This is Kat’s moment back to, let’s say, the top, where she’s hunting for something. She’s not a spectator.

“Last year she was in a really bad place for her, where she was just looking at other people picking up medals. This time she was actually hunting for one of those places. That changes your psyche.

“It’s been a tough journey for her. I think a lot of people probably thought it wasn’t possible for her to come back. But you never know what’s possible until you’ve actually done it.

“And you might as well believe it’s possible until you don’t do it. She’s actually proved a lot of people wrong.”

Johnson-Thompson beat Hall by just 20 points after running a personal best of two minutes 5.63 seconds in the 800m to ensure the American did not snatch gold.

She also threw a personal best of 46.14m in the javelin and Moore believes Johnson-Thompson’s quiet confidence was key.

He said: “I was almost in tears. It’s just a fantastic performance. Especially the way it was done.

“An athlete has belief about themselves but you never know what you can bring out of yourself until you’ve actually done it.

“For a while she’s had 2:05 in her head, thinking ‘I can do this, I can do this’ – and Anna Hall brought it out of her. We’re so happy about that.

“We knew that the job was possible. We just quietly got on with it without any fuss. This is the fruits of those labours.

“I’m a believer in getting to that zen moment and literally do. Process, process, process. Follow the process and you’ll get what you want.”

And Johnson-Thompson credits Moore’s gruelling 800m sessions for preparing her for victory.

“I love running fast and then having a load of the rest. But your weaknesses are something that you need to work on,” she said, after officially receiving her medal from World Athletics president Seb Coe on Monday.

“It was just a lot of aerobic stuff where you have a short rest and go again, short rest, go again, and that’s still the case. We were ready for that battle.

“I didn’t think I could run that time but I hate the feeling of not being ready to fight.

“I’ve had about six hours sleep over the last two days. I went to bed instantly but then I woke up, like, within an hour and I was just like ‘OK, this is me all night’. I was just awake. Just trying to make sense of it all.”

Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from August 21.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson celebrated her remarkable World Championship gold.

Runners-up England were proud of their World Cup exploits.

A new arrival for Jacob Murphy.

Raheem Sterling was moving on from Chelsea’s defeat at West Ham.

Coco Gauff ended her week in style.

Novak Djokovic got the better of Carlos Alcaraz in another classic.

Joy for Viktor Hovland.

Team USA is taking shape.

David Warner was still on the attack.

F1 is back!

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell enjoyed some time on the water.

As did Alex Albon.

And Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon.

Valtteri Bottas put in some graft.

Breaking news: A change of driver at Alfa Romeo?

F1 turned the clock back.

Wales prop Corey Domachowski recalled “bittersweet” emotions after gaining World Cup selection on the same day as his great-grandmother’s funeral.

The 26-year-old Cardiff prop was among 16 players in head coach Warren Gatland’s 33-strong squad who will have a first taste of World Cup action during September and October.

But while there was family joy over his call-up, it also came at a time of great sadness as they said farewell to Domachowski’s 88-year-old relative.

“It was a bit of a weird one,” Domachowski said.

“It was my nan’s funeral today, so we were all in the living room waiting for the hearse to turn up.

“My missus had the phone next to me and I was like ‘look this is probably not the right place to do it’ but all the family were like ‘no chance, we want to know whether you are in or not’.

“As soon as my name was announced, it erupted. It was quite nice really because it was a sad day and everybody was a bit down, it kind of lifted the mood a bit.

“It was a bittersweet day, really. The family are really upset, but this came along and brought a smile to everyone’s face.”

Domachowski was only called into his first Wales squad just over three months ago, which followed a period of insecurity as Welsh professional rugby found itself engulfed by chronic financial issues and huge uncertainty over player contracts across its four professional regions.

“I think there were about six weeks left in the season before I secured a new deal,” he added.

“With all that was going on I was two weeks away from calling it a day. I sat down with my partner and I said I would probably have to start looking at going down a different route in my career.

“I spoke to a few semi-professional clubs to see what they had on the table and it wasn’t even worth trying to play semi-pro.

“That is how bad it had got financially. It was tough to take in and you can imagine the stress everyone was going through. Luckily, I managed to secure something at the end.

“I think I use it a lot for motivation, what we all experienced at the start of the year with finances, not knowing if you’ve got a job, securing food on the table for the kids.

“This has been an eye-opener for me. You never know when you are going to finish and it has given me a kick up the backside.”

Wing Rio Dyer, meanwhile, has joined Domachowski in being selected for a first World Cup – but admitted to some anxious moments after being yellow-carded during Wales’ heavy defeat against South Africa on Saturday.

Referee Andrew Brace also awarded the Springboks a penalty try after Dyer batted the ball into touch under pressure from opposite number Canan Moodie.

“I had a few boys trying to reassure me that it was going to be alright but in the end it was a penalty try and a yellow card,” Dyer said.

“Walking off in front of all the fans and with the pressure of selection coming up on the Monday, I was sat on that chair thinking ‘I have probably just butchered my chance and cost my team’.

“All of the pressure was back on me, so when I came back on, I put my all into it. I wanted to make sure I gave 110 per cent because it was my fault I got the yellow card, not the team’s.

“I could have easily just had a yellow card, thrown my toys out of the pram and put my head under the shed and thought ‘it is what it is, it’s done now’.

“Sitting on that chair in front of your home crowd, under the pump as it was, knowing what was coming around the corner, you have been training for 14 weeks – it was a pressure point for me.”

Christopher Head is delighted with Ramatuelle after her valiant run in defeat in the Prix Morny at Deauville on Sunday.

The Justify filly went into the race unbeaten having won a string of good quality contests, including the Prix du Bois and the Prix Robert Papin.

The latter two victories were by considerable margins, five and four lengths respectively, and the two-year-old lined up for the Group One Prix Morny the evens favourite as a result.

There she crossed paths with Simon and Ed Crisford’s Goodwood winner Vandeek, who triumphed in the Richmond Stakes on what was only his second start.

The two horses were engaged in a battle in the final strides of the race and Vandeek just edged past the filly to score a short-head success and become the first horse to defeat her.

Head was nonetheless impressed with his chestnut, who ran an admirable race against an increasingly highly-regarded rival.

“I’m very happy with the race because it was such a strong field, we have seen a very nice colt,” he said.

“Of course it’s a bit enraging to be beaten like that in a Group One, one has to accept there are horses that are better than Ramatuelle but she had a very pleasing run.

“The times are crazy, in that kind of ground having that kind of turn of foot – it’s just madness.

“I’m really happy with her run and I can’t wait to see her on the rest of her programme.”

The Deauville turf was officially very soft, conditions Vandeek was proven on after his Goodwood run but Ramatuelle had less experience of having mainly encountered good to soft going.

Head said: “We know that Vandeek can show a very, very nice performance on that type of ground and Ramatuelle was a question mark.

“It’s not the same soft as the beginning of the season at Chantilly, it was a very good race and well done to the Crisfords because they are brilliant trainers.”

There are no confirmed plans for the filly’s next outing, with Head keen to discuss the rest of the season with her owners, who include NBA Hall of Famer Tony Parker, before plotting a next step.

“We will have to discuss with the owners before we plan the rest of the season, that was pretty much the plan regarding the Morny,” he said.

“We have a few opportunities now, we will have to see how she comes out of the race and then we will plan the rest of the season.

“She is very well, she had a pleasant night and is very settled.

“She didn’t look like she had a hard race, she was very ready for the challenge. We will see in a few weeks what we will do.”

Marshman will miss the rest of the season having suffered a suspected pelvic injury while tuning up for an intended outing in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

Trained by Karl Burke, Marshman has won three of his nine career outings, striking Group Three gold in France earlier this season, which gave hope the colt could take high-rank in the sprinting division this term.

Although not adding to his tally, he continued to perform with credit in defeat, with connections deciding after Royal Ascot to stick to the minimum distance with the speedy son of Harry Angel.

Following a below-par effort in Sandown’s Coral Charge in July, the three-year-old was being prepared for a crack at a stellar renewal of the Knavesmire Group One on Friday and a return to a track at which he has twice performed with real credit – including when second in the Gimcrack Stakes at the Ebor meeting last season.

However, Marshman suffered a setback during training, with the injury set to keep the speedster sidelined for the rest of the campaign.

“He went for a breeze early last week and came back sore,” explained Nick Bradley, managing director of Nick Bradley Racing.

“We sent him for a bone scan and it’s not conclusive, but it looks like a suspected pelvic injury. I think that will be him done for the year.

“We’ll bring him back next year. Three can be a hard age for sprinters, so we’ll try again at four.”

Wales boss Warren Gatland has broken new ground in his long and successful coaching career by naming co-captains for the Rugby World Cup.

Gatland has turned to Ospreys forwards Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake to lead a 33-strong squad that includes recent international newcomers in centre Mason Grady, fly-half Sam Costelow and prop Corey Domachowski.

But there is no place for scrum-half Kieran Hardy, with Gatland deciding to select just two nines in Tomos Williams and Gareth Davies.

On the captaincy, Gatland said: “They are two young players who will complement each other really well. They are good mates and have a good relationship.

“It is something that I have never done before and it is a good opportunity for them. They have got a big future ahead of them.

“Whoever is in charge on the day, he will make the final decision. The captain has the final decision on the day.”

Hooker Lake, meanwhile, said: “Me and Jac have played together for a long time – (Wales) Under-20s, Ospreys and we have roomed together through these mini camps.

“We are quite straight and honest with each other. If something needs to be said, we are happy to say it, coming from a place of friendship.

“I couldn’t think of anyone better to share this role with. I can’t the fault the man in any way.”

And flanker Morgan added: “Dewi is great as a captain. He leads from the front and when something needs to be said, he will say it.

“I probably would have never have thought of this four years ago. It’s great to be here with him.”

Gatland has cut 15 players from his training squad, with that list featuring the likes of Hardy, Ospreys wing Alex Cuthbert, Gloucester centre Max Llewellyn, Dragons lock Ben Carter and Scarlets back-row forward Taine Plumtree.

And Gatland confirmed that Costelow would provide scrum-half cover for the tournament, which Wales begin against Fiji in Bordeaux on September 10.

“We’d had a discussion with the players right from the start that the tipping point could be that we take two nines or three tens,” Gatland said.

“We know that we have taken a risk. Other teams have done the same thing.

“You have got a pinching point in the squad somewhere in terms of the numbers, but those nines have been pretty robust and we are confident they are going to be fine.”

Fly-half Gareth Anscombe and number eight Taulupe Faletau have won Gatland’s vote despite not featuring during Wales’ three-game August schedule due to injuries.

And he has named Lake – who is currently recovering from a knee injury – and his fellow hooker Ryan Elias (hamstring), plus lock Dafydd Jenkins (knee), who at 20 is the squad’s youngest player.

Centre George North, meanwhile, will head to his fourth World Cup, putting himself in illustrious company alongside the likes of Jonny Wilkinson, Brian O’Driscoll, Dan Carter and Richie McCaw.

Also heading to France are Scarlets centre Johnny Williams, who watched the last World Cup four years ago from a hospital bed – while he was treated for testicular cancer – and former England prop Henry Thomas.

Thomas, whose father is from Swansea, won seven England caps in 2013 and 2014, but new World Rugby regulations enable players to appear for another country either of their birth, parent or grandparent provided a minimum three-year period has elapsed since last being selected elsewhere.

“There was always going to be some disappointed players, but for those who have missed out, it is just make sure they keep working hard and there is always potentially an opportunity,” Gatland added.

And on the tournament itself, he said: “It’s one step at a time. It’s about getting out of your pool first and then see where you are.

“We are pretty clear how we want to play against Fiji. We know how dangerous they are.

“We are well aware of how important that first game is. If you can win that game, you get some momentum and then you can get some confidence and hopefully you have a chance to win the group.”