Gregor Townsend lamented Scotland’s inability to lay a glove on South Africa after a deflating 18-3 defeat in their World Cup opener in Marseille.
The Scots went into the match with genuine belief that they could get the better of the world champions, but they struggled to get their much-vaunted attack going.
The Springboks led 6-3 at the break and then pulled away with tries from Pieter-Steph du Toit and Kurt-Lee Arendse in the the third quarter, and Townsend’s team were unable to summon a response.
It was the first time since losing to Ireland at the 2019 World Cup that the Scots – renowned for their potency – had scored as few as three points.
“I’m really disappointed,” said Townsend. “We were slow to get going in the first half. There was a bit of inaccuracy in our play, but then we built into the game and I felt physically we were more than up for the challenge that South Africa bring.
“We started to win penalties at scrum-time, which was a real bonus. There were opportunities but not many in our attacking game, but there were a couple in the first half. We spoke at half-time about the need to build on the way we finished that second quarter.
“But we started with a bit of inaccuracy and then South Africa dominated possession for a period and put on points, and it then became difficult in those conditions. The defence had to play from deep and it became risky, and we never had the accuracy to trouble them on the scoreboard.”
Townsend was frustrated that the TMO did not intervene after Boks centre Jesse Kriel appeared to clash head-on-head with Scotland back-rower Jack Dempsey in the first minute. Replays indicated it could have been a red card.
“I saw it from two screens away and it did look like it was a head-on-head collision and I was expecting the TMO to come in to make the referee aware of that,” said Townsend.
“Who knows (if it could have been a game-changer)? There was a red card (for England against Argentina) on Saturday and it didn’t help or change the game much in terms of Argentina’s favour so who knows?
“There are still inconsistencies in seeing these things so we are obviously frustrated by that, but we are more frustrated by our own performance.”
Scotland must now win all three of their remaining matches against Tonga, Romania and Ireland to have a chance of getting through to the knock-out phase and Townsend admits they must tighten up their game if they are to do that.
“Accuracy in attack (needs to improve) and in defence we would be relatively satisfied with the effort which went in but I still think there is more in us with that,” he said.
“Our attack in general starts from our set-piece, winning possession and what we did when we had that possession has got to improve. We only scored three points and that is unusual for us.”
Stand-off Finn Russell received treatment after taking a bang to his midriff late in the first half, but he soldiered on for the remainder of the match.
“It looked like he was coming off initially,” said Townsend. “He had a rib injury which seemed like it was going to stop him from continuing, but he dug deep and fought really hard.
“I thought some of his defensive work in the second half was outstanding and it shows how much he cares for his team-mates and playing for Scotland.”
Sweden’s Vincent Norrman surged through the field to win the Horizon Irish Open as Rory McIlroy’s bid for a second victory in the event came to a shambolic end.
Norrman carded a flawless closing 65 at The K Club to finish 14 under par and a shot ahead of 54-hole leader Hurly Long, with former champion Shane Lowry part of a four-way tie for third on 12 under.
McIlroy began the final round two behind Long and birdied the first and fourth either side of a 90-minute weather delay to share the lead, but found water on the seventh, 11th and twice on the 16th as he stumbled to a 74.
Norrman started the day six behind Long but made six birdies in the space of eight holes from the seventh and then two-putted the par-five 18th for another to set the clubhouse target on 14 under.
Long was briefly on the same score thanks to a birdie on the 12th, but bogeyed the next two holes and was unable to make an eagle on the last to force a play-off.
“It means everything,” Norrman said after his second DP World Tour title in two months, the first coming in the co-sanctioned Barbasol Championship in July.
“It’s such a cool event to play, the fans have been incredible and I really had a fun week out there. It was a long wait (for everyone to finish) but I’m super happy. I can’t believe this happened. I’m over the moon.
“I was starting off a little so-so and I made two birdies and got a rain delay, had a coffee and then went out and flushed it.
“I knew there were a few chances out there. I didn’t really have a number in my head. I just tried to press on with some birdie looks and saved a few great pars too to keep the momentum going.”
McIlroy, who lifted the trophy the last time The K Club hosted the event in 2016, followed his early birdies with a double bogey on the seventh and a bogey on the 11th before reviving his chances with a birdie on the 13th.
However, the world number two then hit his second shot on the 16th into the water for the second day running and amazingly flew his fourth shot from the drop zone over the green and into the same hazard, eventually getting up and down from a greenside bunker for a triple-bogey eight.
Lowry, who began the week facing questions about his Ryder Cup wild card after recording just one top-10 finish in 2023, carded a third 68 of the week which featured a tap-in eagle on the fourth and four birdies.
“It’s obviously a tournament that I would love to win again,” Lowry, who was still an amateur when he won in 2009, said.
“I’m a little disappointed now because to be honest I didn’t see a scoreboard for a long time out there. There was not many out there and 13 under was still leading when I got to the 16th green.
“I did my best and it’s been a great week. The crowds were incredible. It’s one of the best Irish Opens I can remember.
“All in all it’s been a good week for me and a step in the right direction and I’ll be back to defend my (BMW PGA Championship) title at Wentworth next week, which is exciting as well.”
Scotland suffered a demoralising start to their World Cup campaign as world champions South Africa squeezed the life out of them in Marseille.
The Boks kicked off their defence of the Webb Ellis Cup with an 18-3 victory on Sunday evening after two tries from Pieter-Steph du Toit and Kurt-Lee Arendse in the third quarter took the game away from the Scots following a tightly-contested first half.
The defeat leaves Gregor Townsend’s side with no margin for error in their remaining three matches against Tonga, Romania and Ireland if they are to qualify for the quarter-finals.
The two sides went into the tournament in confident mood following encouraging summer campaigns which left the Boks ranked second and the Scots fifth in the world, but with Ireland – the top-ranked team – also in Pool B, the pressure was on both nations to start with a victory.
The Springboks started in more assured fashion and had a chance to get the scoreboard up and running in the 11th minute when the Scots were deemed to have collapsed the scrum, but Manie Libbok hooked his penalty wide from 40 metres.
The South African stand-off made no such mistake, however, when presented with another opportunity two minutes later after Finn Russell was penalised for a deliberate knock-on as he sent his kick soaring between the posts from a central position 35 metres out.
Tempers flared on the side of the pitch just after the midway point in the first half after Damian de Allende was slammed into touch but referee Angus Gardner – after reviewing the skirmish – spoke to four players, but decided no further action was required.
Libbok doubled the Boks’ lead to six points shortly afterwards with another penalty after Sione Tuipulotu failed to release.
After South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth limped off to be replaced by RG Snyman, Scotland, who had been struggling to get their attacking game going, carved out a brilliant chance to score, but Darcy Graham opted to go himself and ran into trouble when fellow wing Duhan van der Merwe, on his outside, was crying out for a pass and appeared to have a free run to the line.
Despite being unable to impose their game on the Boks, the Scots were generally standing up well to the physical challenge of their opponents and they cut their deficit to three points in the last action of the first half when Finn Russell – who had earlier needed treatment following a bang to the ribs – kicked a penalty from 45 metres right on half-time.
Two minutes after the restart Libbok attempted to kick a penalty from almost five metres inside his own half, but he failed to get enough distance on it and the Scots were able to gather.
South Africa got their first try of the match in the 47th minute when Du Toit pushed over on the left after a sustained spell of pressure. Libbok was off target with his conversion attempt.
Thing got worse for the Scots four minutes later when Arendse ran in to touch down in the right corner after a lovely cross-field kick from Libbok set him free. With the stand-off having missed three of his five attempts at goal, scrum-half Faf De Klerk took over kicking duties and duly pinged the conversion between the posts.
Scotland have made a habit in recent times of mounting impressive fightbacks, but this time they were unable to find a way of breaching the obdurate Boks.
A trip to the Breeders’ Cup looks to be on the agenda for Auguste Rodin following his thrilling return to form in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes.
On the weekend Aidan O’Brien became just the third Irish trainer to reach the 4,000 career winners landmark, the dual Derby winner provided the Ballydoyle handler his fifth straight victory in the 10-furlong Group One contest, denying stablemate Luxembourg back-to-back wins in the Leopardstown feature.
The success was made all the remarkable as it was the second time this season O’Brien and his team had conjured up a piece of magic on the training grounds as the son of Deep Impact once again proved his doubters wrong to bounce back from a bitterly disappointing display in Ascot’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
With a preference for a sound surface, the high-class colt could now have booked his ticket to Santa Anita in early November, with O’Brien believing that could be the perfect spot for the apple of his eye.
He said: The lads love the Breeders’ Cup and he’s a lovely horse for it. They will decide, but he’d love that ground.
“He’s a beautiful mover. He won in Doncaster on heavy and we couldn’t believe that he did it, but it was probably just sheer ability.
“We’ll take our time and see how he is, but I’d imagine it will be something like that (Breeders’ Cup).”
Luxembourg, meanwhile, could bid to better last year’s seventh in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
O’Brien added: “He could go to the Arc. He wouldn’t mind as long as the ground is not heavy, and over a mile and a half we know to ride him like a horse that just gets a mile and a half.
“He doesn’t want to go any further, but we are learning about him all the time. It was a massive run yesterday.”
Coco Gauff says Serena and Venus Williams are the reason she has won the US Open.
American teenager Gauff picked up her first grand slam title at her home major, coming from a set down to beat Aryna Sabalenka 2-6 6-3 6-2.
Gauff’s father Corey used to take his young daughter to Flushing Meadows to watch the Williams sisters in action.
And the gilded duo, with eight US Open titles between them, inspired an eight-year-old Gauff, filmed dancing in the stands inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, to follow in their footsteps.
“It’s crazy. I mean, they’re the reason why I have this trophy, to be honest,” said Gauff.
“They have allowed me to believe in this dream, you know, growing up. You know, there wasn’t too many black tennis players dominating the sport.
“It was literally, at that time when I was younger, it was just them that I can remember.
“Obviously more came because of their legacy. So it made the dream more believable. But all the things that they had to go through, they made it easier for someone like me to do this.
“I mean, you look back at the history with Indian Wells with Serena (when she was booed in 2001), all she had to go through, Venus fighting for equal pay.
“Yeah, it’s just, like, it’s crazy and it’s an honour to be in that same kind of line-up as them.”
Gauff’s day of destiny saw her became the first American teenager to triumph at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams in 1999.
The latter’s final farewell to tennis at the same championships last year left a colossal void in tennis in the US.
So it felt entirely appropriate that Gauff, the heir apparent to the 23-time grand slam winner, stepped into her shoes 12 months later.
Gauff used her acceptance speech to thank “the people who didn’t believe in me”.
The 19-year-old was at a low ebb after losing in the first round at Wimbledon, but she has since won 18 of her past 19 matches and picked up three titles, including the big one in the Big Apple.
“I would say for sure a little bit after the Wimbledon loss, honestly I just felt people were like, ‘oh, she’s hit her peak and she’s done’. It was all hype,” she added.
“I see the comments. People don’t think I see it but I see it. I’m very aware of tennis Twitter.
“Honestly after that, I was like, OK, I have a lot of work to do. So I think this means a lot to me. I wish I could give this trophy to my past self so she can be, like, all those tears are for this moment.”
Richard Fahey’s Native American demonstrated a great deal of promise when coming out on top in the Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sale Stakes at the Curragh.
The juvenile had not been seen since his debut at York in May, a novice race he won by a facile five and a half lengths over six furlongs.
Partnered by Colin Keane this time around, the colt was the 4-5 favourite and made light work of the task in hand, streaking away from 11 rivals to cross the line two and a half lengths ahead of the runner-up.
Fahey said of his Wathnan Racing-owned youngster: “He was workmanlike, I thought, but he did it well in the end to be fair.
“He grew and just wasn’t scoping great so I couldn’t get stuck into him, but he’s done plenty of cantering and we were pleased with him. I’m sure he will improve again.
“He’s quite a nice horse, we do like him but he’s a work in progress.
“We won some sales races with Wootton Bassett and he ended up winning the Lagardere. That was in my mind before the race so we’ll see how he is and decide whether he goes or not.
“The jockey felt the ground was just dead enough for him and felt he wanted better ground.”
Charles O’Brien’s Big Gossey won for the first time this season when taking the Irish Stallion Farms EBF “Bold Lad” Sprint Handicap under teenage apprentice Robert Whearty.
The six-year-old, who claimed the same race in 2021, is a regular over sprint trips at the Curragh and was third over the same course and distance under Whearty last time out.
With a slicker exit from the stalls this time the pair were victorious, striking at 16-1 to land a valuable prize for owners the Allegro Syndicate.
Whearty said: “He was a bit unlucky the last day. He went up in the gates a small bit and I missed the break. I had a bit of ground to make up and probably used him up at the wrong time.
“I had a lovely position today and he travelled into it lovely. He had a bit of a look when he got there but thankfully he stayed going.
“It’s brilliant to be riding (this weekend), never mind have a winner.”
The final race of the meeting, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF “Northfields” Handicap, was claimed by the Irish Cambridgeshire third Crystal Black.
Ridden by Colin Keane for his father, Gerard, the gelding came home the winner having started as the 5-1 joint-favourite.
Fantastic Moon entered the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe picture as he flew the flag for German trainer Sarah Steinberg when a decisive winner of the Qatar Prix Niel at ParisLongchamp.
The son of Sea The Moon emulated his sire when taking the German Derby earlier in the year, after which he was second to Nations Pride in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis at Munich – another Group One.
He was an intended runner in the Grosser Preis von Baden last weekend, a race that led the German-trained Torquator Tasso to Arc success in 2021.
The going scuppered that Baden-Baden entry and Plan B was deployed when Fantastic Moon rerouted to Paris for the Group Two Prix Niel, a long-time pointer to the Arc.
The decision proved a wise one as Fantastic Moon carried Arc-winning rider Rene Piechulek to a convincing two-and-a-half-length victory, cruising around the final bend to reel in the front-running King Of Records and hold off his well-regarded stablemate Feed The Flame.
Fantastic Moon is not among the Arc entries at present and would therefore need to be supplemented, with the ground a key factor in the decision as the Breeders’ Cup and the Japan Cup are on the table also.
“He is fantastic, what a horse, what a day,” said Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten of owners Liberty Racing.
“Arc, yes or no? We are not sure, we will decide. The Arc is an option, the Breeders’ Cup is an option and the Japan Cup is an option.
“We will discuss when the horse is back in Munich, he is a wonderful horse.
“Everybody saw that today and he is untapped at the moment, nobody knows how good he is.
“We will decide in the next days what we do but we need good ground, that’s important for him – no soft ground.
“That is the question for the Arc, what will the weather be in Paris for the next two weeks?”
Pascal Bary was not too downhearted at defeat for Grand Prix de Paris winner Feed The Flame, saying: “He wasn’t quite as ready as I thought. With the heat, Feed The Flame asked for a breather during the race. He picked up well, even if the last 100 metres perhaps seemed a bit of an eternity for him.
“Christophe Soumillon made sure of the fact that the colt was given a lesson when it came to racing between horses, which is a good form of preparation. Furthermore, he wasn’t hard on him. Of course, it’s always better to win than to be second.
“That said, the winner, Fantastic Moon, has every right to be considered a good colt. Feed The Flame will line up in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. If the ground were to ease that would be even better.”
Andre Fabre’s Place Du Carrousel may also have earned herself a spot in the Arc after landing the Qatar Prix Foy, again over course and distance.
The Lope De Vega filly, who is owned by Al Shaqab Racing and Ballylinch Stud, was partnered by Mickael Barzalona for the Group Two that Waldgeist won for Fabre in 2019 before flooring Enable in her bid to win the Arc for the third time.
Place Du Carrousel now looks likely to follow the same path after a neck success over a worthy opponent in Iresine – twice a Group One winner himself.
Rupert Pritchard-Gordon of Al Shaqab Racing said: “The filly showed that she’s in good form. She’s still fresh because she hasn’t run much this year, due to a slight setback in the spring.
“The weather conditions are exceptional today, and Monsieur Fabre preferred to go for the Qatar Prix Foy rather than the Qatar Prix Vermeille, anticipating that there would be less pace in the Foy.
“When we decided to keep her in training at four, after her success in the Prix de l’Opera Longines last year, the idea was to aim her at the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
“If all goes well between now and then, we’ll be heading to the race of dreams!”
Eldar Eldarov made a successful raid on the Comer Group International Irish St Leger at the Curragh, as Kyprios finished a brave second in his eagerly-awaited return to the track.
Aidan O’Brien’s five-year-old dominated the staying scene last season, but had been off since his staggering 20-length success in last year’s Prix du Cadran.
But despite Kyprios being sent off the 4-6 favourite in his quest for back-to-back Irish St Leger victories, the afternoon belonged to Eldar Eldarov as Roger Varian’s charge served a reminder of his own class.
David Egan’s mount was bidding to add the Irish equivalent to the Doncaster Classic he secured 12 months ago and having travelled powerfully throughout, he ran on strongly for a three-and-a-half-length triumph.
It was a welcome upturn in fortunes for Varian who saddled King Of Steel to finish fourth in Saturday’s Irish Champion Stakes, while Eldar Eldarov was back in front for the first time since his finest hour on Town Moor.
Betfair shortened Eldar Eldarov to 7-1 from 14s for the Long Distance Cup on Qipco British Champions Day, with Kyprios unchanged at 6-1.
Henry Longfellow brushed aside his rivals to give trainer Aidan O’Brien his 4,000th career winner with an imperious display in the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh.
The master of Ballydoyle was on the brink of the milestone following a fantastic four-timer on the opening day of the Irish Champions Festival, but was made to wait until the two-year-old showpiece on day two of the showpiece weekend to reach the landmark figure.
The race had looked like being a surprise showdown between Henry Longfellow and stablemate City Of Troy – who not only dominated the ante-post lists for this Group One event, but also next year’s Classics.
However, Henry Longfellow is also a talented operator in his own right and after the late defection of City Of Troy on account of the ground, Ryan Moore wasted little time switching mounts as the son of Dubawi demonstrated his class with a bloodless demolition.
Sent off the 10-11 favourite, the Futurity Stakes scorer travelled with supreme ease as outsider Cuban Thunder led along his Adrian Murray-trained stablemate Bucanero Fuerte on the front end.
As the field approached the two-furlong pole, Kevin Stott was already asking the Phoenix Stakes winner for maximum effort, whereas Moore and his high-class partner were only just warming up and with Bucanero Fuerte soon left in his wake, Henry Longfellow was allowed to give a glimpse of what is lurking under the bonnet as he sailed home to a five-length success over a running-on Islandsinthestream.
Paddy Power and Betfair make the winner 7-2 from 5s for next year’s 2000 Guineas, with both also going 6-1 from 8s for the Derby.
Fallen Angel stayed on strongly to land the Moyglare Stud Stakes in impressive fashion at the Curragh, as Aidan O’Brien’s Ylang Ylang folded tamely to give up her unbeaten record.
Ylang Ylang went into the race as the ante-post favourite for next year’s Classics following two impressive displays and was sent off the 6-5 market leader in a bid to give the master of Ballydoyle his 10th success in the Group One event.
Ryan Moore sent the daughter of Frankel to the front where she was joined by Danny Tudhope aboard the eventual 9-2 winner and the duo matched strides until Ylang Ylang began to falter approaching the final furlong.
Despite Ylang Ylang falling quickly to the back of the field, the race was far from over and Willie McCreary’s Vespertilio was soon alongside Fallen Angel launching her challenge, with the duo embroiled in a real tussle to the line.
It was Karl Burke’s filly who pulled out extra when it mattered most to provide both the North Yorkshire trainer and owners Clipper Logistics with their second winner of the Irish Champions Festival following Flight Plan’s Dullingham Park Stakes success at Leopardstown on Saturday.
The winner now enters the equation for next year’s 1000 Guineas, with Coral going 8-1 and Betfair 7-1 from 25s.
Moss Tucker stayed on strongly to land a decisive blow for the home team in the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Flying Five Stakes.
The Curragh Group One was stacked with British talent, but it was Ken Condon’s unheralded five-year-old who scooped the €236,000 first prize at odds of 16-1.
Although now an eight-time winner, it was just the second time Moss Tucker was appearing at the highest level and while all eyes were on the near-side group where Art Power was being closely attended by Bradsell and Highfield Princess, Moss Tucker was getting the ideal tow through the race by Charlie Hills’ Equality.
The two groups merged with two furlongs to run, but whereas distress signals were being displayed by the fancied runners, the Billy Lee-ridden Moss Tucker still had plenty in the tank and he proved his stamina to deny Clive Cox’s Get Ahead in the closing stages with the front-running Equality going down bravely in third.
Warm Heart’s brilliant season continued as she landed the Qatar Prix Vermeille at ParisLongchamp for Aidan O’Brien.
The Galileo filly came into the Group One off the back of a Yorkshire Oaks success on the Knavesmire in late August, a race that was her first under rider James Doyle.
Prior to that she was fifth in the Irish Oaks, but her year has included plenty of winning as she took both the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Haras De Bouquetot Fillies’ Trial Stakes at Newbury.
Her trip to Paris was also a success as she reunited with Doyle and was given a fine ride, finding plenty when pressed to defeat Francis-Henri Graffard’s Melo Melo by a neck at 11-4.
England flanker Tom Curry will learn the length of his suspension for his red card in Saturday’s World Cup win over Argentina on Tuesday.
Curry was sent off in the third minute after a dangerous challenge on Juan Cruz Mallia that resulted in his yellow card being upgraded to red by the bunker review system.
England overcame their adversity to produce an impressive 27-10 victory, with George Ford kicking all 27 points, and next face Japan in Nice on Sunday, but will be without Curry, who will attend a disciplinary hearing in Paris on Tuesday evening.
A statement from World Rugby said: “England’s Tom Curry will appear before an independent Judicial Committee in Paris having received a red card, following a review by the Foul Play Review Officer, in England’s Rugby World Cup 2023 Pool D match against Argentina in Marseille on Saturday, 9 September for an offence contrary to Law 9.13 (dangerous tackle).
“At the player’s request, the hearing will take place on Tuesday evening, 12 September.
“The independent Judicial Committee that will hear the matter will be chaired by Adam Casselden SC (Australia), joined by former players John Langford (Australia) and Jamie Corsi (Wales).”
Joseph O’Brien notched back-to-back victories in the Moyglare “Jewels” Blandford Stakes, with Lumiere Rock the beneficiary of a smart ride from Dylan Browne McMonagle.
O’Brien, who won this race aboard his father’s Up during his riding career, saddled Above The Curve to land the Group Two contest 12 months ago and was enhancing his fine record in the Curragh contest with the Royal Ascot runner-up, who thrived in first-time cheekpieces.
Owned by Michael O’Flynn, the three-year-old was always well placed tracking the pace set by the front-running Red Riding Hood and when McMonagle asked his mount to set sail for home two furlongs out he had a willing partner.
The duo were clear entering the final furlong and although those from the rear, including 16-5 favourite Jackie Oh and British raider Araminta, tried to close the gap, they had no answer as Lumiere Rock galloped home to a three-length success over Jackie Oh in second.
The 6-1 scorer holds an entry for the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot on October 21 and she was shortened to 12-1 from 25s for that Group One assignment by Coral.
O’Brien said: “She was running consistently well in real good company all season. She was just beaten in Ascot and just beaten in France the last day. She really did deserve her win in Group Two level and won today like a filly that will hold her own in Group One company as she gets older.
“She has two obvious targets for the autumn, one in France on Arc day and one in the fillies’ race in Ascot on British Champions Day.
“We’ll see how she pulls up and she’ll tell us which way we go. She’s an exciting filly and will hold her own in either of those two big races in the autumn.
“We think that potentially she’s a filly that can win a Group One so whether that is later this year or next year she’s a very solid consistent filly. She’s a joy to train and I’m sure to own for Michael.
“I thought in France the last day she just waited a little bit in front and I think she was sharper today. I think they (cheekpieces) helped her.”
World Cup organisers have apologised to fans caught up in the chaotic scenes outside the Stade Velodrome before England’s match against Argentina on Saturday night.
Thousands of ticket holders missed the start of the Pool D opener because of the limited number of entry points and turnstiles, insufficient staffing levels and extensive security checks.
The weight of numbers led to crushes outside the ground and while France 2023 announced there were no incidents and all 63,118 seats were eventually taken, many supporters were concerned for their safety amid the potential for the situation to escalate.
“Fans are the heartbeat of the tournament and we would like to apologise to fans impacted by yesterday’s access challenges,” a statement read.
“We are working hard to enhance the experience for all visiting Marseille for Rugby World Cup 2023.”
Organisers have stated there will now be more service volunteers in place to assist with entry as well as increased announcements on public transport, including in English.
Other measures are also being taken to sure there is not a repeat of the scenes that took place before England beat Argentina 27-10 in the opening match of Pool D, which was staged in a hot and humid Marseille.
Although the crowds were well behaved and the atmosphere respectful, many supporters feared the consequences if the crushes intensified.
“When we got out of the station at the stadium there was an overwhelming number of people as there are just two entry points,” said England supporter Tim Chamberlain, who was attending his fifth World Cup.
“It felt like there were just not enough turnstiles and not enough people working. We stood in the melee for 45 minutes and it was really hot.
“You could see when we got in that it was potentially dangerous and there were occasional crowd surges, which were worrying, but people were generally pretty respectful.”
The Stade Velodrome was due to host Scotland’s Pool B tournament opener against reigning world champions South Africa on Sunday with the match scheduled to kick off at 1645BST.
Max Verstappen can cement his place in the Formula One record books by surpassing Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, so says Jody Scheckter.
Red Bull driver Verstappen broke another record with his victory at the Italian Grand Prix, tallying up a tenth straight race victory, overtaking Sebastian Vettel's previous best of nine.
Verstappen extended his lead in the drivers' championship standings to 145 points and looks on course to win his third title in a row - having triumphed in 2021 and 2022 - and Scheckter sees no reason why the Dutchman's run will end here.
"It really depends on the cars, to a large extent. There's no question he's good enough but has he always got the winning car," he told Stats Perform.
"To think Lewis [Hamilton] had a dominant car for a long period of time, not to take anything away from him. I also think he's brilliant and smart. You can get in a bad car now and then, doesn't matter how good you are, you're not going to be winning.
"Right now, he's got the car to win. Granted, you can't put anything against it. If he has this dominance all the time, it could be maybe eight drivers' championships."
Verstappen became the youngest driver in F1 when he made his debut aged 17 at the 2015 Austrian Grand Prix, but Scheckter believes that the 25-year-old has had to refine his technique and tactics on the track to fulfil his championship-winning potential.
"He's obviously quick as anything, but he's aggressive. But he's also smart and comes out on the top in these different very difficult situations. At the beginning, he was too aggressive. But now he seems to get it all together and real championship material," Scheckter added.
"I think at the beginning, when you get into Formula One, you just want to prove that you're faster than everybody and so that's what you do. And then you realise you don't win championships like that.
"You tune yourself and he's a smart guy. So he's got it together now and obviously got the car at the moment to do it."
With Verstappen closing in on his third successive title, it has reignited debate surrounding the competitiveness of F1.
Prior to Verstappen's win in 2021, Hamilton had won six titles in the space of seven years, with Vettel also winning four in a row between 2010 and 2013.
According to Scheckter, who won the drivers' championship in 1979 during a nine-year career in which no F1 rival successfully defended their title, changes should be made to try and level the playing field during this era of Red Bull dominance.
He said: "One thing that frustrates me about are these penalties that they mean they have to go back on the grid, and if the gearbox goes, it just doesn't make any sense to me at all.
"It spoils the spectacle of the racing, you want to see people racing on the track. If he breaks down in practice or qualifying he can't get back up to race. Why?
"Everybody wants to see them racing side by side. Just doesn't make any sense from a spectator's point of view that I can see."
The Shaquille team remained puzzled on Sunday by their stable star’s uncharacteristic effort in the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock.
The Julie Camacho-trained colt has been superb all season, with a four-race winning streak including two Group One titles, in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and the July Cup at Newmarket.
He missed the break on the latter two occasions and was schooled through the stalls at home to remedy the issue, with the session seeming to be a success and confidence high as he headed to Haydock as the 11-10 favourite.
Shaquille was taken to post early by James Doyle, who then had to dismount before the market leader entered the stalls.
This time he did not miss the break and led in the early stages, but as the race unfolded he faded abruptly two furlongs from home before he was eased up by Doyle, coming home last of the 16 starters.
He pulled up sound, with no obvious issues, leaving connections still looking for the cause of an inexplicably heavy defeat.
“Nothing has come to light immediately, he was fine post-race – he was sound and his heart rate was normal,” said Camacho’s assistant and husband, Steve Brown.
“He seems bright and breezy this morning, he’s his normal self, he’s pretty fresh and well if anything.
“It’s all a bit of a puzzle at this moment in time, we’ll take some more tests this week and see if we can find what was amiss.
“He obviously wasn’t himself, he didn’t run any sort of a race and James did the right thing and looked after him thankfully.”
“I’m sure something will come to the surface at some point, but at the minute it’s in the mystery column, I’m afraid.”
Ireland expect Robbie Henshaw to be available for next weekend’s Rugby World Cup clash with Tonga as part of a potentially fully-fit squad.
Andy Farrell’s side launched their Pool B campaign in commanding fashion on Saturday afternoon by dispatching Romania 82-8 in a 12-try rout.
Centre Henshaw was a late withdrawal from the bench due to a hamstring issue, resulting in a recall to the match day 23 for the initially overlooked Mack Hansen.
Prop Dave Kilcoyne (hamstring), hooker Dan Sheehan, and back-rower Jack Conan (both foot) were also sidelined at Stade de Bordeaux.
Ireland appear to have come through their tournament curtain-raiser, which was played in sweltering heat, without any further fitness issues and are optimistic about their ranks being bolstered ahead of their next fixture.
Defence coach Simon Easterby said: “I’d say we haven’t ruled anyone out for next week. We’ll certainly assess more people today and tomorrow.
“It’s usually the case that things are maybe flagged 24, 48 hours sometimes after a game as opposed to straight after the night of the game.
“So as far as we are aware everyone came through pretty unscathed, so it was great in that respect in terms of getting players game time in the heat, the conditions.
“We’re hopeful that Robbie and others who haven’t taken part for whatever reason are available to us next week and that’s credit to the guys conditioning the boys and also the medics, the way that they’ve worked over the last few weeks in particular.
“At the moment we’re in pretty good shape.”
Farrell’s men were forced to come from behind against Romania following the shock of conceding an early score to scrum-half Gabriel Rupanu.
Johnny Sexton, Peter O’Mahony, Bundee Aki and Tadhg Beirne claimed two tries apiece in Ireland’s biggest World Cup win, while tournament debutants Jamison Gibson-Park, Hugo Keenan, Rob Herring and Joe McCarthy were also on the scoresheet.
“It was a good start I guess, in terms of the 80 minutes,” said Easterby. “First up, any World Cup match you want to get off to a good start.
“We obviously didn’t quite get that start we wanted considering the early try but certainly as the game went on we grew into the game and I think the second-half performance was right up there.
“We have to take into account what we were up against and the conditions but we’re really pleased with the way we finished the game. Not quite as much the way we started.”
Following temperatures of 36 degrees Celsius on a baking-hot Bordeaux afternoon, Ireland’s other three group-stage fixtures will kick-off at 9pm local time.
The Six Nations champions travel to Nantes to take on Tonga before Paris appointments with South Africa and Scotland.
George Ford had Jannie de Beer and England team-mate Danny Care in his sights as he masterminded a stunning 27-10 victory over Argentina in their World Cup clash at the Stade Velodrome.
Steve Borthwick’s men entered the Pool D opener as underdogs for the first time in the history of the fixture yet emerged conclusive winners despite seeing Tom Curry sent off in the third minute for a dangerous tackle.
Confronted by crisis yet again – Curry was their fourth red card in six Tests – they responded defiantly by matching spirited defence with smart, on-the-hoof game management.
Ford took command of an ugly spectacle by kicking the shambolic Pumas into oblivion, landing six penalties and three drop goals while intelligently steering his team around the field.
It was the drop goals – all landed in the second quarter – that infused England with belief and in the process evoked memories of when South Africa’s De Beer slotted a record five to boot them out of the 1999 World Cup.
But Ford joked that an internal rivalry also drove him on in a win that offers clear sight of the knockout phase.
“Jannie de Beer is the guy who got five in a game? I thought I was on track at one point. Five is incredible!” the Sale fly-half said.
“I’ve not kicked three in a game before. We were actually laughing in the changing room afterwards because Danny Care out of the squad was the guy with the most drop-goals for England (three).
“So I thought that’s not right, I need to put an end to that! Maybe that was the meaning behind this win!
“The crucial one was the third one that took us more than seven points ahead. That’s the life of a kicker sometimes. Some days you can’t hit a barn door, some days you can’t miss.
“In a game like this where it was dead greasy, it wasn’t going to be easy to hold the ball, move the ball and score tries. To get more than seven ahead was critical for us.”
Along with his fellow fly-halves Owen Farrell and Marcus Smith, Ford has been drilling drop-goals in training in the knowledge they could prove decisive in tight games at the World Cup.
“Marcus, Owen and myself, after every session we are doing drop goals. It’s part of what we do, it is part of our plan,” Ford said.
“We get the nines to pass us the ball and we get some guys to come over and put pressure on us. So we try and make it as realistic as possible.
“The thing with drop goals is when the opposition least expect it. It is to try and disguise it a little bit then you give yourself a little more time and space and hopefully try and kick it.”
“It’s such a crucial and critical weapon at times, especially when you see how influential they have been at World Cups.
“It’s something we have spoken about a tiny bit more, but the whole plan wasn’t about drop goals, it was just about imposing pressure and trying to come away with points in any way we can.”
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