Chicago Bulls All-Stars DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine both described Thursday's 126-108 win against the Detroit Pistons in France as a "beautiful" experience.
Playing at the Accor Arena in Paris, the Bulls were too strong as LaVine, DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic all put together stylish performances in front of a crowd packed with celebrities, including former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique and future top NBA Draft pick Victor Wembanyama.
LaVine scored a game-high 30 points on 10-of-20 shooting, DeRozan posted 26 points (nine-of-18) with nine rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Vucevic snatched a game-high 15 rebounds to go with 16 points and six assists from the center position.
It was a disappointing homecoming for Detroit's Killian Hayes, who was drafted out of France, as he shot two-of-13 from the field, but nobody had more than his eight assists.
While it may be a long flight home for the Pistons, the Bulls were left with a great taste in their mouth as they enter the second half of the season.
"It was amazing," DeRozan said. "One of those games I'll look back years down the line and think about how great it was. It was a beautiful atmosphere and a privilege to be here and be part of this whole thing."
LaVine echoed those sentiments, highlighting the team bonding during this kind of trip.
"It was great for us, going into the second half of the season, spending time together, bonding," he said. "Everybody seeing each other's family, who they brought and care about. It was a great experience overall.
"The atmosphere was great, and the Bulls' brand recognition… it was great to see. You see how much the game is growing, and how much people are locked in to see the players.
"It's beautiful – I'm definitely coming back to Paris again, maybe for a wine trip."
With the win, the Bulls are now 21-24 and sit 3.5 games behind the Miami Heat in the race for the Eastern Conference's six seed.
Christian Wood will miss at least one week after the Dallas Mavericks announced on Thursday he had suffered a fractured thumb.
The injury occurred during Wednesday's loss against the Atlanta Hawks, which was Wood's 42nd appearance this season out of 46 possible opportunities.
In his 17 outings since being introduced into the starting line-up, the Mavericks' key offseason addition has averaged 20.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game, functioning as his side's second option behind superstar Luka Doncic.
While primarily known for his offensive ability, Wood has begun to become a more imposing shot-blocking presence, tying his career-high with 1.3 blocks per game, while trending towards a career-best season.
He averaged 1.6 blocks during the month of December, and has taken it up another notch in the new year, averaging 2.3 blocks during his eight games in January.
That 2.3 blocks figure would have him fourth in the NBA if he could maintain it over a full season.
Out of the four games Wood has missed this season, the Mavericks have only won one, and their next week of action includes fixtures against playoff contenders the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Phoenix Suns.
LeBron James remained the overall leader in the third fan returns of NBA All-Star Game voting announced Thursday.
In the Eastern Conference, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo passed Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant for the top spot.
Los Angeles Lakers talisman James has received 6,506,682 votes and Antetokounmpo is now up to 5,970,196, which is 132,014 votes ahead of Durant in the East.
Durant’s status for the All-Star Game on February 19 in Salt Lake City, Utah is unknown as he’s currently sidelined with an MCL sprain in his right knee.
The top three frontcourt players along with the top two guards in the East and West will be the starters in the All-Star Game. The overall leading vote-getters from each conference will be named captains and then pick their teams.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (4,718,218) and the Lakers' Anthony Davis (3,838,171) are behind James in the West among frontcourt players. Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors leads all West guards with 5,151,822 votes, 246,167 ahead of the Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic.
In the East, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (4,521,414) trails Antetokounmpo and Durant among frontcourt players. Brooklyn's Kyrie Irving (3,968,041) and Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers (3,851,233) lead in voting for guards.
Fan voting, which accounts for 50 percent in determining the starters, ends on Saturday. NBA players and a media ballot account for 25 percent each.
The captains and starters will be announced on January 26.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fired offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich as part of a slew of changes made by head coach Todd Bowles.
After an 8-9 regular season and swift exit from the playoffs, the Bucs will assemble a new-look coaching staff for the 2023 season with several notable departures.
Leftwich was among six coaches to be dismissed, along with running backs coach Todd McNair and assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust.
The Buccaneers have also lost three coaches to retirement, quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen among them, with Bowles plotting for the future after falling short of their objectives.
"We appreciate the hard work and contributions that all of these coaches made to our successes over the past four seasons," he said.
"As a collective group, we did not meet the high standards that had been set for this past year and my focus now is on doing what is needed to ensure a successful 2023 season.
"These were very difficult decisions but something that I felt was necessary for our football team going forward."
In the first of four seasons with Leftwich running the offense, Jameis Winston threw for 5,109 yards.
Tom Brady's first year alongside Leftwich saw the Buccaneers win Super Bowl LV, but Tampa Bay lost in the 2021 Divisional Round, and signs of a decline started to emerge.
Injuries ravaged the Tampa Bay offensive line in 2022 and the team struggled to find a rhythm, looking at their best when forced to run the two-minute drill, where Brady stepped up.
The Buccaneers' turnover ahead of 2023 may not just be in the coaching department, with Brady's status uncertain, so a significant rebuild is on the cards.
Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman announced his resignation Thursday after six seasons with the team and four as its primary play-caller.
Roman said he is leaving to pursue other opportunities in a statement released by his agency, Athletes First. The 50-year-old’s job security had been a topic of speculation after the Ravens struggled to consistently produce points during the late stages of a season in which star quarterback Lamar Jackson missed the final six games with a knee injury.
"After visiting with coach [John] Harbaugh and after huddling with my family, I have decided that now is the right time to move on from the Ravens so that I can explore new challenges and opportunities," Roman said.
"I'll truly miss Baltimore, but at the same time I am excited to attack my next opportunity with passion and focus."
Roman’s tenure as offensive coordinator began with a flourish, as the Ravens set an NFL season record with 3,296 rushing yards and averaged a league-high 33.2 points per game in 2019.
Jackson was named the NFL’s MVP that year after setting a league season record for rushing yards by a quarterback (1,206) and leading all players with 36 touchdown passes.
Baltimore finished seventh in scoring the following season and sixth in total yards in 2021, but slipped to 19th and 16th, respectively, in those categories this season amid injuries to Jackson and the team’s top two wide receivers, Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay.
Those struggles were most prevalent after Jackson went down in Week 13, as the Ravens averaged just 13.1 points over the final seven games of a season that ended with Sunday’s 24-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Wild Card round playoffs.
Baltimore ended the campaign 28th in passing yards and 30th in touchdown efficiency within the red zone.
"Greg has led the development and success of a record-setting offence in Baltimore for several seasons," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said in a statement. "He is a tremendous football coach, as well as family man and person.
"Greg devised and led our offence to no fewer than 26 historical and franchise achievements. He established an identity for our offence."
Andy Murray does not believe night matches dragging on into the early hours is beneficial to anybody.
Murray came back in stunning fashion at the Australian Open in a second-round match that started late on Thursday but dragged well into Friday in Melbourne.
The former world number one reached the third round with a marathon 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 7-5 victory over Thanasi Kokkinakis.
At five hours and 45 minutes, the five-set thriller was the longest match of Murray's career and the second-longest in Australian Open history, as the Briton claimed victory shortly after 04:00 local time.
Murray, though, sees no benefit of playing so deep into the night.
"I don't know who it is beneficial for," he said in a press conference. "We come here after the match, and that's what discussion is [about], rather than it being [on an] epic match.
"It ends in a bit of a farce. Amazingly, people stayed until the end. I really appreciate people doing that, creating an atmosphere for us.
"Some people need to work the following day. If my child was a ball kid for a tournament [and] they are coming home at five in the morning, I'm snapping at that.
"It's not beneficial for them, it's not beneficial for the umpires, the officials. It's not good for the players. We talk about it all the time. When you start the night matches, these things are going to happen."
Murray's career appeared to reach a potential end at this very tournament four years ago due to his longstanding hip issues, and it is a testament to his determination that he remains capable of going the distance in matches.
But he acknowledged there could be a health risk from long encounters such as this one, adding: "Potentially. It's strange because the courts are fast.
"When we started tonight, it felt like there was no pressure in the ball. It's just difficult to hit winners. There was a 70-shot rally yesterday, which is not normal. [We] probably need to look at that."
Kokkinakis was blunter in his assessment, posting on Twitter: "This f****** sport, man."
Murray, a five-time finalist in Melbourne, will face Roberto Bautista Agut in the third round, having progressed to that stage of the Australian Open for the first time since 2017.
Andy Murray made a record-breaking fightback in the longest match of his career to beat Thanasi Kokkinakis in an Australian Open thriller in the early hours of Friday morning.
After finding himself two sets down, Murray drew on the fighting spirit he has produced so many times over the years to secure an incredible 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 7-6( 7-5) 6-3 7-5 win on Margaret Court Arena.
The battling Brit came off the ropes to become he first player in Open era history to win 10 grand slam matches from two sets down.
With the clock having ticked past 4am local time, the 35-year-old finally triumphed in what was the second-longest match (five hours and 45 minutes) in Australian Open history, only beaten by the 2012 final between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal (five hours and 53 minutes).
Here, Stats Perform takes a closer look at some of the numbers from Murray's incredible win.
Murray's unbeaten grand slam streak against Australian players continues
Murray's success over Kokkinakis ensured his unbeaten record against Australian opponents at majors remained intact, making it 12 out of 12.
The former world number one has lost all five of his finals at the Australian Open, but he is now into the third round at the tournament for the first time since 2017.
His victory over Kokkinakis made him just the fifth male player in the Open era to win more than 50 main-draw matches at the Australian Open, joining illustrious company in Roger Federer, Djokovic, Nadal and Stefan Edberg.
Murray's greater experience shows against big-serving opponent
Kokkinakis seized control of the match by taking the first two sets, but as Murray dragged the contest into the later stages, the Brit's experience in big matches showed.
The 37 aces fired down by Kokkinakis was his highest career tally in an ATP-level main-draw match and 27 more than Murray served up. Kokkinakis racked up an astonishing 102 winners to Murray's impressive 69.
Three-time grand slam champion Murray became just the seventh male player to feature in 250 grand slam main draw matches, roaring back to surpass Todd Martin and Federer for the most major victories from two sets down. It was his first such triumph at the Australian Open.
Murray has now won both meetings with Kokkinakis, after also defeating him in the 2015 Davis Cup, and sets up a third-round clash with Roberto Bautista Agut, with whom he holds a 3-3 head-to-head record.
Andy Murray could scarcely believe he managed to fight from two sets down to topple home favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis in five sets at the Australian Open.
In an epic match that began on Thursday but ticked well into the early hours of Friday in Melbourne, Murray prevailed 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 7-5 in the second-longest match in Australian Open history.
With the clock having ticked past 04:00am local time, the five-time finalist finally triumphed to become the first player in Open era history to win 10 grand slam matches having lost the opening two sets.
"I don't know. Unbelievable that I managed to turn that round," said Murray, who has reached the third round of the Australian Open for the first time since 2017.
"Thanasi was serving unbelievable. I don't know how I managed to get through it. Yeah, I have a big heart.
"I'm aware I don't look particularly happy when playing but I'm at my happiest on the inside.
"I've always loved competing and always showed my emotions when I've played. I've been criticised a lot for it over the years but that's who I am."
Finally, in a message to the fans that stuck around at Melbourne Park, Murray said: "Thanks so much to everyone for staying. It's ridiculously late. You didn't need to do that but it really helps me and Thanasi when we have all of you creating an amazing atmosphere. I think we should all get off to bed now."
Kokkinakis was in cruise control when he doubled his lead with a tie-break victory in the second set.
But he then appeared to start feeling the pressure in the third set, smashing his racquet following an angry dispute with the umpire after receiving a time violation.
Taking advantage of his opponent's loss of composure, Murray battled back from 5-2 down to force another tie-break, where Kokkinakis lost four points on his serve as the match was pushed to a fourth set.
Having been one game from defeat, the tide was turning in Murray's favour, as he teed up a decider that had looked so unlikely.
Murray spurned his first seven break points but brilliantly won his eighth attempt with the set tied at five games apiece, putting the former world number one on the verge of a stunning success.
He made no mistake as he clinched victory with a forehand winner, ending the match after five hours and 45 minutes.
Only the 2012 final between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal (five hours and 53 minutes) beating it in terms of longevity in the tournament's history.
Max Verstappen is confident Red Bull will use the punishments issued for budget cap breaches as "extra motivation" to succeed in 2023.
The team, who won the Constructor's Championship for the first time since 2013 last season, have been hit with wind tunnel testing restrictions and CFD limitations after they were judged to have breached financial regulations.
The full impact of those punishments is unclear but a reduction in time allowed in the wind tunnel could lead Red Bull to fall behind their rivals in aerodynamic developments, causing them to lose time on the fastest sections of Formula One tracks.
Rivals Ferrari are reported to have made significant gains ahead of the 2023 campaign, with their car said to be a second faster than their 2022 vehicle, while Mercedes made clear improvements at the back end of last season.
However, Verstappen, bidding to win a third consecutive championship, expects Red Bull to be in the running and feels the punishments issued can provide additional encouragement for the team.
"Well, I mean, it will affect us, but how much? I don't know yet," he told the F1's official website.
"I'm confident that the team, and the people we have, can use that as extra motivation to try and do even better. I know, of course, they always give their best.
"But we have a very competitive car, we have a lot of great ideas, I think, already for next year as well with the car, and hopefully it’s going to be enough."
F1 teams head to Bahrain in February for pre-season testing, before the new campaign begins in Sakhir on March 5.
Ons Jabeur became the latest big-name casualty at the Australian Open when she suffered a second-round defeat to Marketa Vondrousova.
Jabeur has been hampered by knee and back injuries at the start of the season and the second seed suffered more pain on Rod Laver Arena, where the excellent Vondrousova sealed a 6-1 5-7 6-1 win in the early hours of Friday morning in Melbourne.
Vondrousova has been troubled by multiple wrist injuries since she was a runner-up at the French Open in 2019, but appears to have put those issues behind her.
The Czech left-hander dominated the first and final sets after Jabeur showed her fighting spirit in the second to force a decider at Melbourne Park.
A runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open last year, tenacious Tunisian Jabeur appeared to be in some pain and struggling for breath during a match in which she made 50 unforced errors.
The world number two struck 27 winners to her opponent's 17, but followed the likes of Rafael Nadal, Casper Ruud and Emma Raducanu in making early exits when she overcooked a forehand.
Vondrousova, ranked 78th after an injury-hit 2022 season in which missed three of the four grand slams, will face compatriot Linda Fruhvirtova in round three.
The New England Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs are the among the five teams set to host matches in London and Germany as part of the NFL's 2023 International Games.
The Buffalo Bills, the Tennessee Titans, and the Jacksonville Jaguars complete the quintet heading to Europe as designated home teams during the 2023 season.
London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will welcome the Bills and the Titans, while the Jaguars return to their home away from home at Wembley Stadium as part of their multi-year commitment to playing in the UK.
The 2023 season will mark a landmark 10th appearance for Jacksonville in London, while the Bills (2015) and Titans (2018) will make their second appearance in the city.
Two games will also take place in Germany, with the Chiefs and the Patriots set to feature, though venues are yet to be confirmed.
The NFL previously announced that Munich, which hosted the clash between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks in 2022, and Frankfurt will stage games in Germany over the next four years.
Details on the dates, opponents and kick-off times will be announced later in the year when the full schedule for the 2023 NFL season is announced.
Aryna Sabalenka was stuck in the biggest crisis of her tennis career 12 months ago, but the Belarusian big-hitter has found light at the end of a dark tunnel.
In a second-round win over Wang Xinyu at the 2022 Australian Open, Sabalenka served 19 double faults, and it was remarkable that she still pulled off the victory.
But it was no blip. In four matches, stretching from the 2021 WTA Finals to two tournaments in Adelaide at the beginning of the 2022 season, Sabalenka served a total of 74 double faults.
She considered it a success in round three at the Australian Open when she served 10 double faults against Marketa Vondrousova, such was the extent of her problem.
"I think it's more mental," Sabalenka said at the time, "because I put a lot of pressure on myself about my serve, and the last matches I was trying to control everything on my serve; my legs, my arm, the ball toss. And it was overthinking."
A year on, and Sabalenka is looking a different player, one that perhaps might finally be ready to win a singles grand slam.
That breakthrough might come this fortnight, with Sabalenka in scintillating form on Thursday as she beat Shelby Rogers 6-3 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena.
And here's the thing: she served three aces and not one double fault.
The yips have been cured.
"I worked a lot on my serve," said the 24-year-old after the Rogers match. "Like, really a lot. You can't even imagine how much I worked. I'm just super happy right now that everything is working.
"Oh, my God, I did almost everything to try to fix my serve. The whole year we were trying different things mentally, mental stuff, technique, technical, trying to breathe differently.
"I tried a lot. I watched a lot of different videos, from when I had no problems, when I had problems, trying to understand what is different."
Sabalenka had three double faults in her first-round win over Tereza Martincova, but three is fine, normal even. Zero in round two is something special.
The fifth seed will tackle Belgium's Elise Mertens on Saturday for a place in the last 16, knowing she managed to make it through to round four last year with a malfunctioning game.
The sky is the limit for Sabalenka if the serve is reliable. A three-time slam semi-finalist, her all-round numbers against Rogers were good, with 32 winners against 18 unforced errors a healthy ratio.
She reached the title match at the WTA Finals in November, a big moment at the end of a challenging year. Now a bigger goal is in her sights.
Eddie Jones has revealed he held talks with Australia while he was England head coach and is relishing a "great rivalry" with his former team.
Jones was sacked as England boss last month and has been replaced by Steve Borthwick, who was employed as the Australian's forwards coach with the Red Rose and his assistant during his Japan tenure.
The 62-year-old Jones this week sensationally returned for a second spell as Wallabies head coach, with Dave Rennie fired eight months before the Rugby World Cup starts in France.
Jones was due to end his England reign after the World Cup and had already spoken to Rugby Australia about the possibility of returning to his homeland prior to being shown the door by the Rugby Football Union (RFU).
"I don't know of anyone who doesn't think about their future," Jones, who said the talks were with a view to taking over once his England duties had ended, told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"I can't see how that is being disloyal or whatever people want to portray it as being."
Australia could face England at the quarter-final stage of the World Cup and Jones would welcome a reunion.
"I think the nice thing about playing against a team you have coached previously is that you've got these relationships with players and maybe with some staff," he said.
"It creates a really good rivalry. I enjoyed coaching against Australia and coaching against Michael Cheika, and I'll enjoy coaching against Steve Borthwick and England."
Novak Djokovic described his hamstring injury as "not good at all" after the muscle caused him fresh concern during a second-round win at the Australian Open.
The nine-time Melbourne Park champion needed off-court treatment in set two of his match against French qualifier Enzo Couacaud.
He lost that set, but Djokovic was able to step it up to complete a 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-0 victory over the world number 191.
Speaking afterwards, Djokovic was asked about the left hamstring and painted a bleak picture.
He told Eurosport: "It's not good at all, to be honest with you. I take it day to day. It was better last match, the feeling, than tonight.
"It's really up to God to help me, and the physio and everyone. I hope I'll be able to recover and be ready for a tough match-up next match."
Grigor Dimitrov awaits Djokovic in round three, with the Bulgarian a tricky customer, albeit one who trails 9-1 in the rivalry between the pair.
Djokovic's latest win, his 23rd match victory in succession at the Australian Open, was nothing if not eventful, with Couacaud turning his ankle early on and looking in danger of having to abandon the biggest match of his career.
Later on, Djokovic demanded the umpire take action after claiming rowdy fans were distracting him by shouting out.
"There was a lot happening in tonight's match," Djokovic said in an on-court interview.
"Enzo deserves credit for the fight. He played some great tennis, especially in the second set. I managed to respond well in the third and especially in the fourth. Let's keep it going."
Novak Djokovic avoided becoming the latest Australian Open seed to fall as he survived an injury scare to see off French qualifier Enzo Couacaud.
After Casper Ruud, Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz were all sent packing earlier on Thursday, the question was whether Djokovic would become the ultimate casualty on a day of shocks.
The nine-time champion was troubled by his left hamstring problem during the second set, which went the way of world number 191 Couacaud, but Djokovic reasserted himself to secure a 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-0 victory on Rod Laver Arena.
The Serbian became increasingly incensed by shouting from the crowd during the match, pinpointing one fan as a chief culprit and telling the umpire during the fourth set: "The guy is drunk out of his mind. I'm asking you what you're you going to do about it. You heard it at least 10 times; I heard it 50 times."
Djokovic appeared to be pointing towards a group in 'Where's Wally?' fancy dress, who were reacting as though they were enjoying the moment before being spoken to by tournament officials.
It was a surprise the match reached a fourth set.
Mauritius-born Couacaud turned his ankle in the fourth game of the contest and retreated to his chair, seemingly in tears as he looked to cover his face with his towel.
The 27-year-old received medical treatment, getting the ankle strapped up, and he gamely battled on, albeit struggling initially.
It was then Djokovic who needed an injury timeout in the second set, going off court when trailing 5-4 and feeling some discomfort in the hamstring that has been troubling him during the last fortnight.
Couacaud took advantage and won the set, but from that point on it became all Djokovic, as he moved through to round three.
Data Slam: Djokovic sets up Dimitrov clash
Next for Djokovic will be a battle with the 27th seed, Grigor Dimitrov. He described the Bulgarian as a good friend and said they were "Balkan brothers". The rivalry on the court has been emphatically one-sided between Djokovic and Dimitrov, though, with nine of their past 10 meetings having gone the way of the Serbian.
Dimitrov's lone win came on clay in Madrid in 2013, while it will be a third grand slam match between the pair, with Djokovic having notched up previous victories at the French Open and Wimbledon.
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Djokovic– 9/6
Couacaud – 7/2
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Djokovic– 63/36
Couacaud – 36/32
BREAK POINTS WON
Djokovic– 7/21
Couacaud – 0/1
Joey Carbery and Robbie Henshaw have been omitted from Ireland's Six Nations squad but the uncapped Jamie Osborne has been included.
Carbery has been seen as the long-term successor to fly-half Johnny Sexton, who will retire after the Rugby World Cup in France this year.
There is no place for the Munster number 10 in Andy Farrell's 37-man Six Nations squad, though, as Ross Byrne and Jack Crowley were given the nod as back-ups to captain Sexton.
Centre Henshaw has endured an injury-hit season and is currently sidelined with a wrist problem, so he was overlooked by head coach Farrell.
Fellow centre Osborne, 21, is the only uncapped player in the squad as the top-ranked team in the world target a first Six Nations title in five years.
Ireland start the tournament with a trip to the Principality Stadium for Warren Gatland's first game since returning for a second spell as Wales head coach on February 4.
Farrell said: "The Six Nations is a huge competition for us and another opportunity for us to grow as a group. 2022 was a busy year as we got to work with a larger group of players as we continued to build our squad depth and competition for places.
"While there are a few players carrying knocks and others that have missed out on selection for the start of the tournament, they will have the opportunity to push their case playing for their provinces in the URC over the coming weeks as no doubt we will need to call upon the wider group as the tournament progresses."
Ireland squad:
Forwards: Ryan Baird, Finlay Bealham, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Gavin Coombes, Caelan Doris, Tadhg Furlong, Cian Healy, Iain Henderson, Rob Herring, Ronan Kelleher, Dave Kilcoyne, Joe McCarthy, Peter O'Mahony, Tom O'Toole, Andrew Porter, Cian Prendergast, James Ryan, Dan Sheehan, Josh van der Flier.
Backs: Bundee Aki, Ross Byrne, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, Keith Earls, Jamison Gibson Park, Mack Hansen, Hugo Keenan, Jordan Larmour, James Lowe, Stuart McCloskey, Conor Murray, Jimmy O’Brien, Jamie Osborne, Garry Ringrose, Johnny Sexton (captain), Jacob Stockdale.
Casper Ruud followed Rafael Nadal out of the Australian Open and admitted his decision to play through much of December rather than have an off-season may have been a mistake.
The Norwegian second seed, who reached finals at the French Open and US Open last year, had been hoping for another deep run this fortnight, only to run into an in-form Jenson Brooksby.
After a 6-3 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 defeat in three hours and 55 minutes on Rod Laver Arena, Ruud was asked about his decision to head to Latin America for a lucrative exhibition jaunt with Nadal at the end of the 2022 campaign.
He planned to take a break in February instead, but can now begin that early after going out in round two in Melbourne.
The same goes for top seed Nadal, who was already heading for defeat to Mackenzie MacDonald on Wednesday before an injury compounded his misery.
Ruud's initial reaction to being questioned about his busy December was to be defensive, saying: "It's very easy to sit here now and say that was bad for maybe both Rafa and I due to the fact that we lost early here.
"At the same time, I see no reason why we couldn't have a good Australian Open or made better results down here. I think it's coincidental sometimes."
He spoke of the talent among fellow tour players making every player vulnerable, and the "small margins" between victory and defeat.
Asked whether he had any break at all, Ruud outlined how he left for the Latin America trip on November 21 and returned in early December, before heading off on a week's holiday to the Maldives. He then stopped for a training block in Abu Dhabi on the way home and played two matches at the Mubadala exhibition event.
At the end of this season, Ruud might insist on a longer break and a focused training block.
"It was maybe not enough to be able to perform well here this year," Ruud said. "So it will be considered by me and my team what we will do in December this year, and if this was the right way to prepare for Australian Open or not.
"Maybe it looks like it was not the right way, but there are many factors that come into play. I have done what I felt was the right preparation but wasn't able to perform and win as many matches as I hoped here this year."
Taylor Fritz and Alexander Zverev were sent packing from the Australian Open as wildcard Alexei Popyrin and lucky loser Michael Mmoh sprang major shocks.
Australian Popyrin said he was living a dream after beating the fancied Fritz in an epic second-round match lasting four hours and two minutes on John Cain Arena.
American Mmoh, whose mother has Australian citizenship, knocked out former world number two Zverev just moments later on Margaret Court Arena.
Their exits followed the shock defeat for second seed Casper Ruud earlier in the day, as Novak Djokovic's half of the draw lost a host of big names.
Wildcard Popyrin won 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 6-7 (6-8) 6-2 against American eighth seed Fritz, revelling in the chants of "Popy" from the crowd afterwards.
The 23-year-old was close to tears, his voice breaking, after reaching the third round of a grand slam for the fifth time.
"This win, it means so much to me," Popyrin said. "I had the toughest year last year, didn't win many matches. I've won as many matches this year as I won in the whole of last year, and it's only January.
"Pre-season I put my head down and worked as hard as I could. I don't want that feeling I had last year ever again.
"I wrote that down to myself in my head, and I'm going to keep working, I'm going to keep pushing, I'm going to keep trying to go all the way."
Addressing the crowd, Popyrin added: "I love this feeling. I want more of this feeling. I want you guys to have this feeling more. I love you guys so much, thank you."
He is coached by former top-20 star Xavier Malisse and felt the Belgian's influence against Fritz.
"I was playing four hours, and me and my coach were locked in, it was like two against one against Fritzy. We had the same thoughts all the time," Popyrin said. "This is the dream for me and I don't want to wake up at all."
Mmoh was beaten by Aleksandar Vukic in the final round of qualifying but received a call into the draw at the last minute, after a late withdrawal, allowing him to cancel a flight home.
The world number 109 will face fellow American JJ Wolf next, for a place in round four, having ousted 12th seed Zverev 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 6-3 6-2.
Mmoh's father, Tony, represented Nigeria and won a match at the Australian Open in 1988.
"Life is crazy," Mmoh said. "Right when you think everything is looking dim, everything is looking dark, there's light at the end of the tunnel.
"My week is proof of that. I could easily have been in the States, was ready to be in the States, had my bag packed, my flight booked, I was meant to leave yesterday morning. The fact I'm playing Margaret Court is insane.
"If you look at my box over there, there's about five to seven Aussies. I used to come every single Christmas to visit them, unfortunately my mum couldn't be here, I feel like I'm half Australian because of them and I love you guys. This is like my second home now so might as well make it a homecoming.
"It's the biggest win of my career hands down. Coming out I felt the nerves a little bit. I settled down at the end of the first, and at that point I told myself I shouldn't even be here. I told myself on match point if I get a chance just go for it, because I shouldn't even be here."
Nikola Jokic wants to be remembered as a "really good team player" after making franchise history in the Denver Nuggets' 122-118 triumph over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The two-time reigning NBA MVP contributed 31 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds as the Nuggets improved to 32-13 on the season to sit top of the Western Conference.
Jokic now has 3,686 career assists, surpassing the tally of Alex English who had 3,679 in Nuggets colours. Moreover, he has reached his tally in 568 games as opposed to English's 837.
English himself paid tribute to Jokic's achievement, intimating he foresees a third MVP accolade in the near future, posting on Twitter: "I knew that eventually my all-time assist record would be broken. I'm honored to see that it's 2 time, I mean 3 time MVP of the NBA do it. Congrats big fella."
Jokic was typically humble when asked what it meant to earn a piece of Nuggets history.
"When you have a lot of assists, it just shows that you're a good team player," he said.
"That's something I want to be. I want everybody to remember me as a guy who was a really good team player."
Team-mate Jamal Murray, who nailed a game-tying three-pointer with a little over two minutes remaining, then hit the bucket that put the Nuggets into a lead they did not let go of, said of Jokic: "We clapped a little bit. That's a lot of passes. That's pretty impressive."
The Nuggets are next in action against the Indiana Pacers, who are 23-23 and ninth in the Eastern Conference, on Friday.
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