Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points and the streaking Cleveland Cavaliers rolled to a 135-95 rout of the Milwaukee Bucks, who were without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo on Wednesday.
Georges Niang shot 13 of 14 from the field and scored a career-high 33 points as the Cavaliers won their sixth straight and improved to 11-3 since they lost Darius Garland (broken jaw) and Evan Mobley (knee surgery) with injuries last month.
Antetokounmpo sat with a bruised right shoulder, an injury that sidelined him for the first time since Nov. 15.
Jarrett Allen notched his 10th consecutive double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds for Cleveland, which completed a perfect six-game homestand and now plays the next four on the road.
Damian Lillard led Milwaukee with 17 points on 7-of-20 shooting and Khris Middleton scored two points on 1 of 10 from the field.
Doncic shines in return but Davis, Russell lift Lakers
Anthony Davis came up an assist shy of a triple-double and the Los Angeles Lakers overcame Luka Dončić’s triple-double in a 127-110 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Davis had 28 points on 12-of-17 shooting with 12 rebounds and nine assists, while D’Angelo Russell added 29 points with five 3-pointers.
LeBron James had 25 points, eight boards and eight assists as the Lakers won for the fourth time in six games.
Doncic had 33 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for his seventh triple-double of the season after missing three games with a sprained right ankle.
Celtics handle Spurs
Jayson Tatum scored 24 points and Jaylen Brown returned from a one-game absence with 21 as the Boston Celtics remained unbeaten at home with a 117-98 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Jrue Holiday added 22 points and hit 6 of 7 from 3-point range as Boston improved to 20-0 at home, extending the franchise record.
Brown returned after sitting out a 105-96 victory over Toronto on Monday due to a hyperextended right knee. The Celtics played without Kristaps Porzingis (right knee inflammation) and Derrick White (left ankle sprain).
Victor Wembanyama scored 10 of his 27 points in the first quarter and Devin Vassell had 21 for the Western Conference-worst Spurs, who dropped their third straight since winning two in a row.
Dylan Larkin scored a power-play goal 69 seconds into overtime and the Detroit Red Wings remained hot with a 3-2 win on Wednesday over the Florida Panthers.
Michael Rasmussen scored one goal and set up another by Robby Fabbri as Detroit improved to 6-0-1 in its last seven games.
The Red Wings snapped a 10-game losing streak in the series against the Panthers, having gone 0-8-2 since a 2-1 win on Feb. 20, 2021.
Sam Reinhart scored short-handed - his 33rd goal to put him one behind Toronto’s Auston Matthews for the NHL lead – and Gustav Forsling also tallied for the Panthers, who have lost three straight (0-1-2) following a nine-game winning streak.
Reinhart matched his career high in goals and extended his NHL-record streak of games with a goal on special teams to eight. It also broke Pavel Bure’s 2000-01 record for the longest goal streak in franchise history (seven games) and was his 500th career point.
Canadiens edge Devils on late goal
Cole Caufield snapped a tie with 4:31 remaining in the third period to lift the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils.
Luke Hughes and Alexander Holtz scored in a 52-second span early in the third period to give the Devils a 2-2 tie before Caufield’s team-leading 14th goal proved to be the winner.
Juraj Slafkovsky and Joshua Roy also scored and Sam Montembault stopped 28 shots as Montreal won its second straight.
New Jersey dropped its second in a row and is 1-3-1 in its last five games.
The Dallas Cowboys will not be making a change at coach after all.
The Cowboys announced on Wednesday that Mike McCarthy will return next season.
There had been speculation that McCarthy would lose his job after Sunday's stunning 48-32 wild-card loss to the Green Bay Packers, but he'll return for a fifth season - his final one under his current contract.
"I believe this team is very close and capable of achieving our ultimate goals and the best step forward for us will be with Mike McCarthy as our head coach," Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said in a statement. "There is great benefit to continuing the team's progress under Mike's leadership as our head coach."
The Cowboys rolled to their second NFC East crown in the past three years in 2023 by finishing 12-5 for the third year in a row. But this season ended like each of the previous two - with a play-off exit before the NFC conference title game.
With the latest post-season defeat, Dallas became the first team to lose to the No. 7 seed since the 14-team play-offs were implemented in 2020.
In four seasons at the helm in Dallas, McCarthy is 42-25. However, he is just 1-3 in the play-offs.
"Mike has the highest regular season winning percentage of any head coach in Cowboys history and we will dedicate ourselves, in partnership with him, to translating that into reaching our post season goals," Jones said.
Dallas hasn't made the conference title game since the 1995 season when it last won the Super Bowl.
"While we're all disappointed with the result on Sunday and with our play-off record, I am 100 percent supportive of him as our head coach and ability to reach our goals," Jones said.
Ali Carter will not have a grudge match with Ronnie O’Sullivan at the World Grand Prix this week after he exited to Mark Selby.
O’Sullivan and Carter have been embroiled in an ugly war of words following the former’s victory in the Masters final on Sunday, with both players saying the other had issues with their mental health.
They are both playing in Leicester this week and were on course to meet in another final, but Carter lost a final-frame decider to Selby, going down 4-3 in the last 16.
Carter looked to have the momentum going into the decider as he levelled at 3-3 with a break of 103.
But Selby delivered when it mattered, advancing to the quarter-finals in his hometown with a well-made 77.
O’Sullivan is next in action on Thursday against Zhou Yuelong.
Selby will play Judd Trump in the last eight after Trump whitewashed Lyu Haotian 4-0.
Selby, who has endured some mixed results told ITV: “I feel OK on the table, I am just so inconsistent from one match to the next which is frustrating. Physically I feel OK on the shot, which is scary because if you’re OK physically results usually follow, but I am in and out.
“I look forward to it, Judd is one of the all time greats himself, if you don’t play your best you are going home.”
Shaun Murphy was sent packing by Cao Yupeng in a 4-0 rout while Mark Williams beat Hossein Vafaei 4-1.
Defending champion Mark Allen earlier fired three century breaks in his 4-2 win over Jack Lisowski.
Ding Junhui had breaks of 70 and 81 as he came from behind to edge a 4-3 win over Ricky Walden, while Noppon Saengkham compiled four breaks over 80, including a 107 in frame four, as he overcame Xiao Guodong 4-1.
Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic has died at the age of 46.
The NBA club said the Serbian suffered a heart attack at a private team dinner.
“We are absolutely devastated by Dejan’s sudden passing,” head coach Steve Kerr told the Warriors’ website.
“This is a shocking and tragic blow for everyone associated with the Warriors and an incredibly difficult time for his family, friends, and all of us who had the incredible pleasure to work with him.
“In addition to being a terrific basketball coach, Dejan was one of the most positive and beautiful human beings I have ever known, someone who brought joy and light to every single day with his passion and energy.
“We grieve with and for his wife, Natasa, and their children, Nikola and Masa. Their loss is unfathomable.”
Milojevic was in his third season on the Warriors’ coaching team and helped guide them to the 2022 NBA Championship. He had previously been a star player for Serbia and assistant coach to the national team.
Warriors posted on X, formerly Twitter: “We are absolutely devastated by Dejan Milojević’s sudden passing.
“This is a shocking and tragic blow for everyone associated with the Warriors and an incredibly difficult time for his family, friends, and all of us who had the incredible pleasure to work with him.
“We grieve with and for his wife, Natasa, and their children, Nikola and Masa.”
Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic died Wednesday after suffering a heart attack. He was 46.
The NBA postponed Wednesday night’s game between the Warriors and Utah Jazz earlier in the day after Golden State said Milojevic was in the hospital after suffering a medical emergency at a team dinner in Salt Lake City on Tuesday.
“We are absolutely devastated by Dejan's sudden passing," the Warriors said Wednesday in a statement.
"This is a shocking and tragic blow for everyone associated with the Warriors and an incredibly difficult time for his family, friends, and all of us who had the incredible pleasure to work with him.”
Milojevic played professionally in Europe from 1994-2009, winning the Adriatic League Most Valuable Player Award three years in a row (2004-06).
He became a head coach in his native Serbia from 2012-20 and in Montenegro in 2021.
Milojevic joined Golden State head coach Steve Kerr’s staff in August 2021 and went on to help the Warriors defeat the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals.
The Indiana Pacers are acquiring Pascal Siakam in a trade with the Toronto Raptors.
As part of the deal, which was reported Wednesday by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pacers are sending Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora and three first-round draft picks to the Raptors in exchange for Siakam.
A third team in the trade, the New Orleans Pelicans, are swapping second-round picks with Indiana and shipping Kira Lewis to Toronto.
Siakam led the Raptors in scoring this season with an average of 22.2 points per game, along with averages of 6.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists.
Siakam joins a Pacers team that averages a league-high 125.6 points per game and will play alongside All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton.
With a 23-17 record, Indiana sits in third place in the Central Division and in sixth place in the Eastern Conference as it looks to make the play-offs for the first time since 2020.
A two-time All-NBA selection, Siakam had spent his first eight NBA seasons in Toronto and helped the Raptors win the NBA title in 2018-19.
Drafted 27th overall by the Raptors in 2016, the 29-year-old was named an All-Star in 2019-20, as well as last season, when he averaged a career-best 24.2 points.
Siakam is set to become a free agent this summer, and the Pacers are reportedly expected to re-sign him. He becomes eligible to sign a five-year deal that could pay him as much as $247million.
This is the second big trade in the last three weeks for the rebuilding Raptors, who sent OG Anunoby and Malachi Flynn to the New York Knicks on December 30.
Luke Littler is ready to get “back to business” as he begins life after his sensational World Championship campaign.
The 16-year-old took Alexandra Palace by storm over Christmas, bulldozing his way to the final on debut before losing to Luke Humphries.
His life changed forever during that run as he became front-page news, enjoyed celebrity status and has been given a seat at the top table of the sport.
That begins with an appearance in the Bahrain Masters, starting on Thursday, where he takes on Man Lok Leung in the first round.
Littler, who could play Nathan Aspinall in the quarter-finals, is refreshed after a holiday and raring to go.
“It’s back to business for me now,” he said. “I’ve chilled out and not really thrown many darts since the World Championship final, but I’m sure that once I’m in the practice room I’ll be alright.
“I like playing all the time but after the World Championship I wanted to get away, which me and the family did. Hopefully I can have a good event here to get back playing.
“I’m in this event in Bahrain, in the Dutch Darts Masters next week and then the Premier League. I don’t really have any goals, I’m just going to have to see what the darts do.”
Littler has continued living the high life during his break as he spent time with his beloved rugby league club Warrington while also getting the chance to meet Manchester United great Sir Alex Ferguson.
“It’s been crazy. Warrington Wolves invited me down and I went to the Manchester United game and met Sir Alex Ferguson,” he added.
“To meet him was amazing and he said some lovely things to me about staying dedicated and believing in myself.
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“The holiday was great to get away from everything and we did that. My life’s changed and my family’s life has changed and I’m grateful for the opportunities I’m getting.”
Michael Smith begins the defence of his title against Paolo Nebrida while world champion and world number one Humphries begins his reign against Abdulla Saeed.
Michael van Gerwen plays Hasan Haji, Gerwyn Price takes on Reynaldo Rivera, Aspinall is paired with Lourence Ilagan, Rob Cross has drawn Tomoya Goto and Peter Wright kicks off against Haruki Muramatsu.
Jamie George has been told to put his own stamp on the captaincy after being entrusted to lead a revamped England squad into the Guinness Six Nations.
George takes charge of team for the first time after filling the vacancy created by Owen Farrell’s decision to miss the Championship in order to prioritise his and his family’s mental wellbeing.
The promotion capped a special day for the 33-year-old having also signed a new two-year deal with Saracens that is to be accompanied by a central contract with the Rugby Football Union.
As undisputed first choice hooker, as well as an influential player in the English game, George was chosen ahead of nearest rivals Ellis Genge and Maro Itoje.
An element of the appointment process was instigated by Belgium manager and former Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany and now that he has risen to the top, Steve Borthwick insists George must lead in his own image.
“I was asked by somebody ‘have you given Jamie, any advice?’” said head coach Borthwick, who captained England 21 times as a second-row.
“The one thing I said is: ‘I want you to lead as you.’ And that one year, many many years from now, you will reflect and want to say you led as you.
“I’d say during my time as England captain, I don’t think I led as me. I want him to bring all his personality to it.
“Prior to the World Cup we did this study. We will do something similar again in the near future. It was a network analysis, for want of a better term. It was actually an idea given to me by Vincent Kompany.
“You basically give the players a series of questions. And then put the top three players you turn to in this situation.
“What it effectively produces is this network of how everybody connects and who connects with who the most.
“You could tell in different elements – in tactical elements, high pressure circumstances, off the field – you connect with different people.
“So I had this incredible amount of information and it said ‘I know where people turn to’. You’d be able to see and tell me who they turn to, who Ellis and Maro would turn to. And the number of people who connected with Jamie George is immense.
“He has this ability, across the whole squad, to make people understand him. That stood out to me as being exceptional.
“He’s a great people person. He’s got a positive nature. There’s always a smile very close in the way he is. And I want him to bring all of that into this role as the captain.”
Even allowing for retirement and injury, Borthwick has completed a significant overhaul in naming a 36-man squad for the Six Nations to begin the next World Cup cycle.
Kyle Sinckler and Billy Vunipola have been dropped, Henry Slade and Alex Dombrandt are back in favour and there are first time appearances in an England squad for some exciting rookies such as Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Ethan Roots.
Only 17 of the 34 who helped England finish third in last autumn’s World Cup are present.
“I look at this as the next step that we need to take. It’s the next competition and in terms of the development of the team, it’s important that we build on our game,” Borthwick said.
The NBA has postponed Wednesday night’s game between the Warriors and Utah Jazz after Golden State assistant coach Dejan Milojevic suffered a medical emergency at a team dinner in Salt Lake City on Tuesday night.
The Warriors did not provide any details on the emergency, but multiple reports said the 46-year-old Milojevic had a cardiac event.
Milojevic played professionally in Europe from 1994-2009, winning the Adriatic League Most Valuable Player Award three years in a row (2004-06).
He became a head coach in his native Serbia from 2012-20 and in Montenegro in 2021.
Milojevic joined Golden State head coach Steve Kerr’s staff in August 2021 and went on to help the Warriors defeat the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals.
The first foal of superstar stayer Stradivarius was born on Monday morning – and bears a striking resemblance to her father.
Owned by Bjorn Nielsen, trained by John and Thady Gosden and instantly recognisable with his big white blaze, Stradivarius won the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot three times under Frankie Dettori, as part of career prize-money haul that topped more than £3million.
He was retired to the National Stud in September 2022 and was visited by 120 mares in 2023. The first of his progeny are now appearing and the very first is a chestnut filly, bred by Wretham Stud out of the Bated Breath mare Give Me Breath.
Nielsen said: “I’m astonished at how much this first foal is like ‘Strad’ in both her colouring and movement, being chestnut with a big white blaze!”
Joe Bradley, head of bloodstock at the National Stud, added: “She is a lovely first foal for Stradivarius and looks to have his strength and athleticism which bodes well for future arrivals. We have two more mares due in the next week so it is an exciting time for everyone on the farm.”
Peter O’Mahony says being selected to succeed Johnny Sexton as Ireland captain is one of the proudest moments of his life.
The vastly-experienced Munster flanker will steer his country through the forthcoming Guinness Six Nations after Sexton retired following last year’s World Cup quarter-final exit to New Zealand.
O’Mahony, who first skippered Ireland in a 15-12 win over the United States in June 2013, has won 101 Test caps for his country, plus one for the British and Irish Lions.
Head coach Andy Farrell picked the 34-year-old for the role ahead of the likes of James Ryan, Iain Henderson, Garry Ringrose and Caelan Doris.
“Ever since I was a boy starting off in the game, I have always dreamed of captaining Ireland,” said O’Mahony.
“I have been asked to lead Ireland on a number of occasions previously and each of those 10 matches were special days.
“To be now asked to captain Ireland ahead of the Six Nations is without doubt one of the proudest moments of my life and I would like to thank Andy for this show of faith in me.”
O’Mahony guided Munster to last season’s United Rugby Championship title but stepped down as skipper of his province in November after 10 years in the role.
He also captained the Lions in their opening Test against the All Blacks in 2017.
O’Mahony’s future has been subject to speculation due to his central contract with the Irish Rugby Football Union being set to expire at the end of the season.
Yet Farrell, whose 34-man selection features no uncapped players and no real surprises, had little hesitation in choosing him to spearhead Ireland’s title defence.
“He is a born leader and someone who has been an influential figure for Munster and Ireland for many years,” said Farrell.
“I am confident that the squad will continue to benefit from his leadership skills, both on and off the field.
“He is thoroughly deserving of this honour and I know that he will relish working closely with the wider leadership group and squad over the coming campaign.”
Farrell has kept faith with 26 of the players who travelled to the World Cup in France.
Jack Crowley, who has just nine caps, is likely to step into Sexton’s shoes as Ireland’s first-choice fly-half, with inexperienced Leinster pair Ciaran Frawley and Harry Byrne providing back up.
Fellow number 10 Ross Byrne, front-row forwards Dave Kilcoyne and Rob Herring and backs Mack Hansen and Jimmy O’Brien miss out due to injuries, while Sexton and Keith Earls have retired.
In addition to Frawley and Harry Byrne, there are recalls for their provincial team-mates Cian Healy and Jordan Larmour, Ulster trio Tom Stewart, Nick Timoney and Jacob Stockdale and Munster wing Calvin Nash.
Munster pair Oli Jager and Thomas Ahern and Leinster’s Sam Prendergast are uncapped training panellists.
Reigning Grand Slam champions Ireland begin the tournament on February 2 against France in Marseille.
“We have a strong core of leaders who will all play a key role in driving the highest standards for the team over the coming weeks,” added new skipper O’Mahony.
“Competition is red-hot across the squad and we’re all hugely motivated to work hard when we meet up next week ahead of the opening game in Marseille.”
Lingfield’s all-weather meeting on Saturday has been put back by over two hours with doubts surrounding the meetings on turf.
What was the scheduled second day of the Winter Million weekend was scheduled to begin at 10.10am, but it will now take place at 12.15, subject to any divisions.
The first day of Lingfield’s Winter Million Festival on Friday was cancelled on Wednesday morning due to a frozen track.
Despite covering the whole course with fleece last Saturday, there are frozen areas under the covers and with temperatures not forecast to rise sufficiently before the meeting, the seven-race card has been cancelled.
Clerk of the course Stephanie Wethered said: “We’re really gutted that we’ve had to abandon Friday’s card, but with the lower than expected temperatures that we saw on Monday night of minus 7C, followed by last night’s frost of minus 1C, we do still have frost under the fleece.
“Tonight we could get down to minus 6C and on Thursday night we’re due to go down to minus 5C, so looking at that forecast, I don’t see there being sufficient improvement ahead of Friday.”
The final day of the Winter Million meeting on Sunday will now be further enhanced, with the British Horseracing Authority announcing the Grade Two Download The Racing App Lightning Novices’ Chase will be rescheduled for then, with original entries standing but new declarations to be made on Friday morning.
Wethered added: “Looking at the forecast, it looks to improve for Saturday and Sunday’s racing, with positive temperatures coming through Saturday itself and we’re forecast to be plus 3C overnight from Saturday into Sunday.
“We’re delighted that we’ve been able to move the Lightning to Sunday’s card.”
Friday’s card at Market Rasen is subject to a precautionary check at noon on Thursday, but Wednesday’s Southwell jumps fixture did get the go-ahead following a morning check.
Saturday’s feature Clarence House Chase card hangs in the balance at Ascot.
An update released on social media read: “The track is currently frozen in places under the covers in the shaded areas of the racecourse.
“This is an improvement on yesterday morning but the forecast indicates a more severe forecast over the next two nights with temperatures due to drop as low as minus 5C.
“The forecast beyond that remains conflicting with the possibility of milder conditions arriving. We will continue to monitor and update as we get closer to raceday.”
Officials at Taunton have announced an inspection for noon on Friday ahead of Saturday’s fixture, with the track currently unraceable and further frost forecast for the next two nights.
Thursday’s meeting at Fairyhouse has been called off, with the card transferred to January 24 as the track is frozen.
James Owen has raised the exciting possibility of Triumph Hurdle favourite Burdett Road running in the Unibet Hurdle next weekend.
A Royal Ascot winner for Michael Bell, he has been very impressive in two starts over timber to date in the hands of Harry Cobden.
While Cobden’s availability is not set in stone due to his link with Paul Nicholls, Owen is considering taking on the older horses as he feels he would learn more in a better race than if it was a small field in the JCB Triumph Trial on the same card.
With Constitution Hill no longer running in what is registered as the International Hurdle, run on Trials day for the first time this year, the race has suddenly opened up.
“He doesn’t need to run before the Festival, but it would be nice for experience. I think next time he’s going to put a better performance up, especially on better ground, it will help his speed and his jumping,” Owen told Sky Sports Racing.
“I’d like to get another run into him because he’s a fresh horse, he was too fresh at Huntingdon, another run then five or six weeks into the Festival would be great.
“I think Harry is keen to ride him and if he can’t, there’s plenty of good jockeys out there.
“He’ll be entered in two races on Trials day, the four-year-old race and the older race, where he gets all the allowances. It’s not a bad shout, he’d learn a lot in that race and if there were only four runners in the Triumph Trial we might run him in the other one where he’d learn a bit more.
“The Triumph is the aim this year, as long as we get there in the same health we are now – a bit more experience would be great, which way we get there doesn’t matter.
“Whether we go to Trials day or if we are not happy or it’s not on, that’s why he is in in Ireland (Dublin Racing Festival), that’s an option as well. The Adonis is there but personally I think that is too close, if we don’t go to Trials day or Ireland I think we’d go straight there.”
Love Envoi could be rerouted to the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday week after freezing temperatures scuppered plans to run at Lingfield on Friday.
Having finished second to Not So Sleepy in the rearranged Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Sandown on her reappearance, Harry Fry’s star mare was due to take on the boys once more in the £100,000 Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Hurdle on day one of Lingfield’s Winter Million Racing Festival.
However, a frozen track forced the abandonment of Friday’s card and while the Lightning Novices’ Chase was rescheduled to be run at the same track on Sunday, Love Envoi’s race was not.
Fry has yet to firm up an alternative target for the Noel Fehily Racing-owned eight-year-old, but raised next weekend’s Grade Two feature in the Cotswolds as a possible option following news earlier in the week that Champion Hurdle hero Constitution Hill will not be lining up.
“We’re in discussions with Noel Fehily and Dave Crosse and the owners about what we do next, we haven’t decided yet,” said Fry.
“Friday’s race was ideal, but it was not to be, so we’re discussing it among ourselves and deciding on a new plan.
“There’s a mares’ hurdle at Doncaster next weekend over two miles, but I think that’s very unlikely. There is the International (Unibet Hurdle) at Cheltenham and I think we’ll probably be putting an entry in for that, and then there’s a Listed mares’ hurdle at Warwick on February 10.
“We’ll continue to discuss it and work out where we go from here.”
Gloucester boss George Skivington believes that star wing Louis Rees-Zammit’s move to American football is not a “reflection on rugby”.
Rees-Zammit has rocked the rugby world by quitting a sport which brought him 32 Wales caps and a starring role for the British and Irish Lions on their 2021 tour of South Africa.
Wales and Gloucester, though, must now prepare for life without their prolific try-scorer as he heads to the United States, where the NFL’s International Player Pathway awaits him in his quest to forge a new career.
Skivington, though, does not think the sport losing such a box-office figure will start alarm bells ringing.
“I don’t think there are many people who have actually left the sport, really,” he said.
“This happens very rarely – Christian Wade would be the last time someone tried to move in this direction.
“I don’t think it is anything to do with rugby, his (Rees-Zammit’s) decision. It is just something he has always wanted to do.
“I don’t think it is a reflection on rugby at all, I think it is one person’s dream and the opportunity is there.
“I don’t foresee many rugby players going in that direction as a result of it. If it doesn’t work out, he will be back in the game, but I don’t think it is any reflection on rugby itself.”
Skivington confirmed that Gloucester would have discussions with Rees-Zammit, who made his Premiership debut for them as an 18-year-old, if things do not work out in the US.
In the meantime, though, he must plot the remainder of Gloucester’s season without a player whose dazzling try-scoring ability won worldwide admirers.
“We would talk to ‘Zam’ if things fall through, but his mindset is that he won’t be coming back and I think he has to have that mindset to go and do what he is going to try and do,” Skivington added.
“If it all changes, we will see where we are at.
“We would always welcome him back. If he comes back to rugby of course there will be conversations but his mindset as of Monday was very much that he is moving on from rugby and he is going to rip into American football.
“He desperately wants to go and do it and we are not going to stand in the way of someone with what is a pretty unique opportunity.
“He is changing sport. If it doesn’t work out, he might come back to rugby, but his mindset is he is leaving rugby for good.
“He is definitely not taking it lightly. He has got a 10-week programme and then hopefully he gets selected and he gets his foot in the door.
“We all hope he makes it, because it will be a great story if he does.”
Patrick Mullins has hailed Gaelic Warrior’s versatility – but as a result admits it means his Cheltenham Festival target is likely to be a late decision.
Having won from two to three miles over hurdles, he has shown both speed and stamina and his win in Grade One company at Limerick over Christmas marked him out as one of the best novice chasers at Willie Mullins’ Closutton yard.
However, he has shown a marked tendency to jump to his right and his only two defeats since joining Mullins have come at the left-handed Cheltenham.
He has been entered in the two-mile Arkle, the two-and-a-half-mile Turners Novices’ Chase and the three-mile Brown Advisory at the Festival.
“I think he’s very versatile. He won a very valuable two-mile handicap hurdle and then a Grade One over three miles as well,” Patrick Mullins, who rode him at Limerick, told Sky Sports Racing.
“The way he jumps, he could definitely go back to two miles but he does jump to his right. I think if you see any of the head on shots at Limerick, he does jump to his right.
“So, does going a stride slower on the new course over two and a half (in the Turners) help negate that? It might but if you just asked me what his best distance is, I don’t know. He jumps fast enough for two miles but he stays three miles. He’s just versatile.
“With regards to Cheltenham I don’t know, Willie has him entered in the Irish Arkle so that could be interesting if he goes there, we could get a feel on that but plans are up in the air at the moment.
“Willie always likes to leave it as late as he can so there are no more moving parts and it works well for him. For some horses a race sticks out and you can say that’s the race for him, but with others that’s not the case.
“This fellow is so versatile, he has lots of options so we won’t nail our colours to the mast too soon.”
Nico de Boinville is poised to make his return from a broken collar bone at Market Rasen on Friday.
The rider was injured in a fall at Doncaster on December 29 but should he pass the doctor on Thursday, De Boinville will make his comeback on two mounts for his boss, Nicky Henderson, at the Lincolnshire track.
However, not only does De Boinville need to get medical permission to resume riding, he also needs the meeting to pass a precautionary inspection at noon on Thursday due to the current cold spell.
De Boinville does appear to have won his race against time to take the plum mount on Jonbon in Saturday’s BetMGM Clarence House Chase at Ascot – although that meeting is also subject to the weather. He would clearly be in pole position to ride should the meeting be moved to Cheltenham the following week, as happened last year.
The situation neatly sums up the life of a National Hunt jockey as De Boinville has only taken the reins on Jonbon this season as regular partner Aidan Coleman remains sidelined himself.
Henderson said: “He’s got to pass his medical tomorrow and if he passes that then he’s fine to ride.
“Obviously James (Bowen) has stepped up brilliantly in his absence but Nico has been riding out since last weekend.
“Nico knows them all inside out but James is in here everyday as well, he knows them all too.”
De Boinville is scheduled to ride Jemura in the Read Nicky Henderson’s Exclusive Unibet Blog Handicap Hurdle and Kutaiba in the Listed Unibet 3 Uniboosts A Day Alan Swinbank Mares’ Standard Open NH Flat Race.
Looking ahead to Ascot, Henderson said: “It’s such a pain with the weather as everyone is really looking forward to it. We hope it will be all right.
“I don’t see why we wouldn’t go to Cheltenham next week if that is what happens. I’ve seen they’ve said El Fabiolo probably won’t travel twice, but it is pointless me speculating what they might or might not do.
“All I know is we are very happy with Jonbon, we couldn’t be happier and we were really looking forward to the race, I’m sure a lot of people were, and hopefully it will still take place with both of them running.
“We haven’t been held up by the weather, the only thing we can’t do is school on grass but we’ve got an all-weather schooling strip as well and an indoor school, so otherwise everything is fine.
“I’m trying to be an optimist, but I’m finding it quite hard.”
Ireland boss Andy Farrell has selected Peter O’Mahony as captain for the Guinness Six Nations.
Munster flanker O’Mahony takes on the role from Johnny Sexton, who retired following last year’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final defeat to New Zealand in Paris.
The 34-year-old, who first skippered Ireland in a 15-12 win over the United States in June 2013, has won 101 Test caps for his country, plus one for the British and Irish Lions.
“Ever since I was a boy starting off in the game, I have always dreamed of captaining Ireland,” said O’Mahony.
“I have been asked to lead Ireland on a number of occasions previously, and each of those 10 matches were special days.
“To be now asked to captain Ireland ahead of the Six Nations is without doubt one of the proudest moments of my life and I would like to thank Andy for this show of faith in me.”
Head coach Farrell’s 34-man selection does not include any uncapped players.
However, there are recalls for Leinster quartet Cian Healy, Harry Byrne, Ciaran Frawley and Jordan Larmour, Ulster trio Tom Stewart, Nick Timoney and Jacob Stockdale, and Munster wing Calvin Nash.
Reigning Grand Slam champions Ireland begin the championship on February 2 against France in Marseille.
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