Ryan Tannehill will miss the Tennessee Titans' road trip to the Houston Texans through injury, meaning rookie Malik Willis is set to make his first NFL start.
Since becoming the Titans' first-choice quarterback, Tannehill has not missed a game for Tennessee.
However, earlier this week Tannehill was noted as questionable due to an ankle injury sustained against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7 and it was later confirmed he was also struggling with illness.
On Saturday, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network confirmed Tannehill has been downgraded to out and will not travel with the team to Texas.
Tannehill has completed 95 of 146 passes and thrown for six touchdowns for a Titans side who are 4-2 and top of the AFC South this season.
Willis will instead start under center for the Titans and he has been rep-heavy in practice with Tannehill unable to train.
His only action in the NFL came during Week 2 when the Titans were hammered 41-7 by the Buffalo Bills, with Willis completing one of four passes.
The 23-year-old was selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and 86th overall.
Blair Kinghorn missed a decisive late penalty as Scotland suffered a 16-15 defeat to Australia at Murrayfield.
The Wallabies held a 6-5 lead at the interval after Bernard Foley's pair of penalties nudged them in front following Ollie Smith's opening try, which Kinghorn failed to convert.
But Kinghorn seemingly put Scotland in command after the break, pouncing on a handling error by Australia to kick ahead for himself twice and scoop up for Scotland's second try.
He added the extras and then knocked over a penalty to make it 15-6, only for the sin-binning of Glen Young to put Scotland on the ropes.
Australia capitalised when man of the match James Slipper barged his way over. Foley converted and then made no mistake with a three-pointer to give the Wallabies a one-point lead.
Kinghorn, though, had the chance to have the final say after Australia were penalised at the breakdown, but his kick drifted wide of the left-hand post to give the Wallabies a first win in four against Scotland.
Dom Young starred as England secured top spot in their Rugby League World Cup group with a record 94-4 victory over Greece at Bramall Lane on Saturday.
The tournament hosts had already been assured of a place in the quarter-finals after beating Samoa and France in their first two matches.
But coach Shaun Wane wanted to put on a show and his side did so in Sheffield with 17 tries, Young responsible for four of those to climb to the top of the competition scoring chart.
The first of Young's tries arrived shortly after Matty Lees had opened the scoring, but Siteni Taukamo responded for World Cup debutants Greece, who have lost all three games.
England soon pulled away as Young crossed over three more times before half-time, and Ryan Hall, Tom Burgess and captain George Williams also dotted down.
The second half proved even more one-sided, with Marc Sneyd finding the chalk twice in quick succession, before Burgess and Hall doubled their personal counts.
Greece could not stem the tide on their way out of the tournament as Joe Batchelor, Andy Ackers (two), debutant Kai Pearce-Paul and Mike McMeeken rounded off England's biggest win in a Rugby World Cup.
Dexter Lawrence's assessment of his own skill set could be viewed by some as arrogant.
"I go into a game, honestly, knowing that I'm not going to be able to be stopped. I do feel like, right now, I'm unblockable," the New York Giants defensive tackle recently told NorthJersey.com.
"I'm gonna work all my technique. I'm gonna play strong, play fast and just whoop the guy in front of me. That's my mindset. I don't really care what he does. He can change it up mid-game. My whole focus is whooping that guy in front of me, I've always felt that way, but now, it's just showing."
However, confidence that borders on irrational is part of the deal with NFL players, and Lawrence is backing his words up with the finest season of his career so far.
Lawrence has already tied his career-high four sacks, serving as a cornerstone on defense for a Giants team that has stunned the league by surging to a 6-1 record.
But is he unblockable? Stats Perform dived into its advanced numbers around Lawrence's season to attempt to verify such a bold claim.
Aaron Donald-like production
Lawrence has typically been known for his run-stopping abilities from the nose tackle spot, but this season he is creating pressure at a level akin to arguably the finest defensive player of all time.
Indeed, among interior defensive linemen with at least 100 plays this season, Lawrence's pressure rate of 24.3 per cent is behind only that of three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald (28.8 per cent) and Quinnen Williams of the New York Jets (25 per cent).
His stunt-adjusted pass rush win rate is second only to Donald. Lawrence is deemed to have won his rush on 72.82 per cent of snaps, with Donald just ahead on a remarkable 74.02 per cent.
It is in the run game where his numbers are not as impressive.
Run defense disappointment?
Lawrence's numbers against the run could be viewed as a disappointment, considering his reputation for strength in that area.
He has a run disruption rate of 20.3 per cent, which is below the average of 23.1 for interior defensive linemen with at least 20 snaps.
Similarly, his run block win rate of 49.15 per cent is only just above the NFL average of 49.03, and it pales in comparison to Donald's incredible 84.21 per cent win rate.
Yet that is partly a symptom of the different jobs Donald and Lawrence are asked to do in run defense.
While Donald is constantly looking to knife through opposing offensive lines to bring down the ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage, Lawrence has played 81 of his 123 run defense snaps at nose tackle, lining head up on the center and tasked with holding ground and soaking up double teams at the point of attack to allow team-mates to slip through open lanes to the football.
Even if Lawrence's numbers are not what may be expected of him in the run game, it is a trade-off the Giants will take if he keeps delivering such tremendous highs as a pass rusher.
A consistent game-wrecker
Game-wrecking performances are becoming a norm for Lawrence, who also has three tackles for loss and a forced fumble to his name in 2022.
The Giants' Week 4 win over the Chicago Bears saw him rack up 10 pressures, recording two sacks, while he had six in the victories against the Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens.
Against Baltimore, he had a sack, two quarterback hits, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup, making a string of splash plays that ultimately proved key in the Giants producing a comeback versus a Ravens team who look increasingly like one of the best in the AFC.
Lawrence's sack of Lamar Jackson in that game saw him beat former Giant Kevin Zeitler with a rip move before flattening his rush to bring down the Ravens' dual-threat quarterback.
That came on the Ravens' final drive of the first half, which they started with 65 seconds left, and put them back on their five-yard line, taking away any realistic hope of them coming away with points.
On the first Baltimore drive of the second half, Lawrence displayed more of his pass rush weaponry to pressure Jackson again. Lawrence used an arm-over move to beat center Tyler Linderbaum and then ripped past Zeitler to bear down on Jackson inside the five-yard line, only for the quarterback to evade him in the pocket and scramble to the 25-yard line.
Rookie Linderbaum had consistent problems pass protecting against Lawrence. On the Ravens' penultimate drive, Lawrence defeated his block with an outside-inside move. Lined up on Linderbaum's left shoulder, Lawrence initially rushed towards that outside shoulder, before using his quickness and power to work back to the inside and get a clear path to Jackson, who got a short pass away for a four-yard gain on second-and-five.
The Ravens took a penalty on third-and-one and Jackson was then intercepted, setting in motion a dramatic collapse for Baltimore.
Lawrence is not 'unblockable', but the pass-rush numbers and his performances are illustrative of the 2019 first-round pick firmly justifying that selection by developing into an elite interior rusher.
Should he continue in this manner, the Giants will likely face the prospect of handing out a lucrative extension to keep Lawrence around beyond 2023. Though his emergence may complicate things financially for New York, the timing could otherwise hardly be better, with Lawrence breaking out in the same year they landed edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux in the draft. Thibodeaux forced the fumble that sealed the game against Baltimore.
With a top-tier prospect who is gradually having more of an impact on the edge and Lawrence rapidly becoming a pass-rushing force on the interior, the Giants have a combination that can make theirs a fearsome defensive front for years to come. Lawrence may not be unblockable, but his dominance has been critical to one of the most surprising storylines of the 2022 season and will be key to the Giants' hopes of sustaining their turnaround.
New Zealand could contest Brodie Retallick's red card in the win over Japan on Saturday as he faces the prospect of being banned for their tour of Europe.
The towering lock was dismissed for a dangerous clean-out on loose forward Kazuki Himeno in the 65th minute of the All Blacks' 38-31 victory.
New Zealand held on to avoid an upset, but they were far from convincing at the National Stadium in Tokyo.
The Rugby Championship winners will now travel to face Wales, Scotland and England next month, with a Test against Wayne Pivac's side first up at the Principality Stadium next Saturday.
Head coach Ian Foster says the All Blacks will consider whether to lodge an appeal in a bid to prevent Retallick from being ruled out of those encounters.
He said: "We're going to have a good look at it. I certainly didn't see any intention apart from trying to move a body. That's a process we’ll have to go through."
Retallick scored the first of five All Blacks tries, while 13 points came from the boot of Richie Mo'unga.
Foster was content with the way New Zealand dug in to see off the Brave Blossoms.
"I thought it was a day where we could have panicked a little bit," he said.
"But I thought they hung in there well and did what they needed to do at the right time."
Japan will now prepare to do battle with England at Twickenham on November 12 and head coach Jamie Joseph is relishing what he expects to be a bigger challenge.
He said: "The key for us really is to go to England now and replicate that performance against a better side."
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has praised the FIA for their "robust" decision to punish Red Ball for breaching the Formula One cost cap.
The constructor have been fined $7million and handed a 10 per cent reduction in permitted aerodynamic allowance for the next year after they were found guilty of breaching the sport's budget cap.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner called the punishments "Draconian", but acknowledged the team would accept them, having protested their innocence over the past few months.
Wolff was satisfied to see the sport's governing body come down on their rival for their offence, though he suggested sanctions could perhaps have been even tougher.
"I think the most important thing for me is there is a robust governance," Wolff told Sky Sports.
"They didn't bat an eyelid, they just followed the process.
"I know how rigorous they were with us, all throughout the year - that was a difficult process. It is good to see that there is a penalty, whether we deem it too low or too high."
Wolff shut down any suggestion that a lenient penalty could tempt Mercedes to commit their own breaches though, stating the whole affair had tarnished Red Bull's brand.
"I think what you see beyond the sporting penalty and financial fine, there is also a reputational damage," he added.
"In a world of transparency and good governance, that is just not on any more.
"Compliance-wise, whatever team you are, you are responsible for representing your brand, your employees, your partners. That's why, for us, it wouldn't be a business case."
J.T. Realmuto was "ecstatic" to seal a remarkable comeback for the Philadelphia Phillies after his extra-innings home run delivered a 6-5 win against the Houston Astros in the World Series opener.
The catcher struck in the 10th to cap a fine individual performance, as the Phillies drew first blood at Minute Maid Park, having trailing by five at the end of the third.
Realmuto had already been a standout for the Phillies, with a two-run double in the fifth to level things up.
But his 346-foot line-drive home run was the sort of moment the 31-year-old had been dreaming of since he was a child.
"[I'm] just ecstatic to put a good swing on that pitch, be able to give our team the lead," he said. "We did such a good job fighting back there.
"I mean, ball games in the backyard, the whole 3-2, bases-loaded, two-out situation - I probably had 7,000 at-bats in that situation growing up."
Realmuto is the first catcher to score an extra-inning home run in the World Series since Carlton Fisk achieved the feat in 1975.
Nick Castellanos says the Astros will not dwell on their first loss of the postseason.
"Let's go to work," he said. "We've been there before. I think that's what this team does so well.
"We know there's no quit, really. We really respect all 27 outs, and we take that seriously, and we take it [pretty] personal."
Kyrie Irving is being met with severe backlash, including from owner of the Brooklyn Nets Joe Tsai, after sharing a link on social media to a movie "full of anti-Semitic disinformation".
On Thursday, Irving tweeted out a link to a movie on Amazon Prime called 'Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America' – his tweet remains up as of Saturday - and he also shared the same image to his Instagram story.
The 2018 movie is based on a 2015 book of the same name, and includes troubling assertions.
In a team statement, the Nets said: "The Brooklyn Nets strongly condemn and have no tolerance for the promotion of any form of hate speech.
"We believe that in these situations, our first action must be open, honest dialogue.
"We thank those, including the ADL [Anti-Defamation League], who have been supportive during this time."
Tsai also released his own statement that he posted on his personal Twitter account.
"I’m disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of anti-semitic disinformation," he said.
"I want to sit down and make sure he understands this is hurtful to all of us, and as a man of faith, it is wrong to promote hate based on race, ethnicity or religion."
He then posted a follow-up tweet saying "this is bigger than basketball".
Irving is yet to comment on the situation, which is sure to dominate the lead-up to the Nets' home game against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.
With Joel Embiid out of the line-up for the Philadelphia 76ers' trip to take on the Toronto Raptors, it was third-year guard Tyrese Maxey rising to the challenge to set a new career-high points total in the 112-90 win.
Maxey, who prior to Friday had only ever scored more than 33 points once – a 39-point effort against the Denver Nuggets as a rookie – set a new personal-best with 44 points against the Raptors.
He was incredibly efficient, hitting 15-of-20 from the field and nine-of-12 from three-point range, while also leading the 76ers with eight rebounds and chipping in four assists.
Former league MVP James Harden was happy to cede the responsibility to his less-experienced running-mate, finishing with just 11 points, four rebounds and four assists as he assumed a supporting role.
It was also a breakout performance for De'Anthony Melton, who was given his first start in a 76ers uniform after being acquired in the offseason and made his presence felt defensively, snatching five steals to go with his 13 points, six assists and five rebounds.
Speaking to the media after the game, Maxey said his big night was simply the product of the offense running smoothly.
"It was [about] getting good looks," he said. "We got to the paint, sprayed off for threes, got in transition, and once you get stops, the game becomes way easier honestly, for not just myself, but for all of us.
"We were getting to the paint and driving and kicking, creating, generating offense for everybody. That’s why I got open threes, why [Melton] got open threes, Tobias [Harris] got open threes.
"I just know how good we can be, I know how talented we are, but we’ve got to match our talent with the energy that we play with, and defensive tenacity.
"Tonight we knew it was going to be extremely hard without Joel. That made guys step up, that made guys do things they don’t normally do."
Teammate Matisse Thybulle was thrilled to see Maxey shine, but he said it was no surprise.
"Every time he gets an opportunity, he does something big with it," he said. "You could even take it back to the COVID games we were looking at our bench, like who’s gonna be the one to step up?
"Tyrese Maxey did – and it’s like, time after time – Tyrese is the one that steps up, shows up big and he does it, obviously, as an individual, but for the team, and we all benefit from it."
Head coach Doc Rivers also enjoyed the show, and he pointed to it as an indicator of how well the 76ers adjusted without their star center.
"I just think he’s a heck of a basketball player," he said. "We came into the game knowing Joel wasn’t gonna play… we talked to [the rest of the team] this morning about trying to find matchups and then spacing the floor and attacking.
"They are a great help-defensive team and they can’t stop it. Us getting into the paint sucked everybody in, and that’s where we got shots. I thought we were ready for that and I thought we did a good job."
After starting the season with three consecutive losses, the 76ers have now won two of their past three to take a 2-4 record into their road trip against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.
The Philadelphia Phillies needed extra innings to complete a comeback victory in a thrilling opening game of the World Series, defeating the Houston Astros 6-5 after J.T. Realmuto's 10th-inning home run.
Despite the close finish, the Astros looked like they were going to run away with Game 1 early, jumping out to a 5-0 lead after Kyle Tucker hit a solo home run in the second inning, and then followed it with a three-run homer an inning later.
The Phillies had to respond, and they did so quickly, rallying with two outs in the fourth inning to string together three consecutive hits off Astros ace Justin Verlander, with a two-run double from Alec Bohm trimming the margin to 5-3.
With two runners on base in the fifth inning, Realmuto tied things up with a two-run double of his own to left-center, and from that point, the bullpens would take over.
Both starting pitchers had rough outings, and they posted nearly identical stat-lines. Verlander made it through five innings, giving up five runs from six hits and two walks, while Aaron Nola also gave up five runs from six hits and two walks, but could only survive four-and-a-third innings. Both starters also finished with five strikeouts.
Neither team scored in the final four innings of regulation, and after Phillies closer Seranthony Dominguez successfully navigated the ninth inning, Realmuto led off the 10th with a 346-foot line-drive home run.
Realmuto and two-time MVP Bryce Harper were the only two Phillies to register multiple hits, both finishing two-for-four with a walk.
David Robertson was tasked with closing the show for the Phillies, and he after his sharp curveball delivered two quick strikeouts, a double to Alex Bregman was followed by a walk and a wild pitch, putting runners on second and third.
But pinch-hitter Aledmys Diaz was unable to be the hero for the Astros, grounding out to third base after he was denied a free pass to first earlier in the at-bat when the umpire ruled he leaned too far into a pitch that grazed his elbow.
Paolo Banchero showed exactly why the Orlando Magic took him with the first overall pick in this year's NBA Draft, nearly posting his first career triple-double as his side defeated the Charlotte Hornets 113-93 on Friday.
With last year's fifth overall pick Jalen Suggs and starting point guard Cole Anthony both missing through injuries, Orlando opted to not start a traditional point guard and instead let their new star run the show.
He looked right at home as the focal point of the Magic's offense, scoring 21 points on eight-of-14 shooting while adding 12 rebounds and seven assists to deliver their first win of the season.
Even more impressive was the fact that almost all of that production came in the first three quarters, as Orlando built an 82-53 lead heading into the fourth and Banchero sat out the final nine minutes.
Through six career games, Banchero is averaging 24 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, and is yet to score less than 20 points in a contest.
Lakers lose again despite James' best efforts
LeBron James' 28 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals were not enough to bring an end to the Los Angeles Lakers' winless start to the season, falling to 0-5 after a 111-102 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
James shot 10-of-24 from the field and one-of-six from deep, and in his first game off the bench since his rookie season, Russell Westbrook was plagued by similar issues.
Westbrook shot six-of-17 for his 18 points, while also missing half of his 10 free throws and committing five turnovers.
For the Wolves, Anthony Edwards led the scoring with 29 points on 11-of-22 shooting, while Rudy Gobert was seven-of-11 for 22 points and 21 rebounds to lift their record to 4-2.
Antetokounmpo mounts case for third MVP
With two MVP trophies already in his display case, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo made it clear why he is one of the favourites yet again this season with a powerhouse performance in a 119-108 win against the New York Knicks.
Antetokounmpo led the Bucks in made field goals (11), made free throws (seven), points (30), rebounds (14) and assists (nine) in a true virtuoso showing. He was supported well, with six teammates making their way into double figures, including 12 points and 12 rebounds off the bench from Bobby Portis.
With the win, the Bucks are now 4-0, and the only remaining unbeaten team.
LeVert and Mitchell drop 41 each in overtime Cavaliers win
Caris LeVert and Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers went head-to-head with star Boston Celtics duo Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and emerged 132-123 winners in overtime.
While Brown and Tatum had 32 each at a combined 22-of-41 from the field (54 per cent), the Cavs pairing played even better, scoring 41 each off a combined 27-of-47 (57 per cent).
Second-year phenom Evan Mobley also had a big hand in the win, chipping in 19 points (seven-of-12 shooting) with 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Just two weeks after they exercised his third-year option, the San Antonio Spurs on Friday surprisingly waived second-year shooting guard Joshua Primo.
In a statement from Spurs Sports & Entertainment CEO R.C. Buford, he said: "It is our hope that, in the long run, the decision will serve the best interest of both the organization and Joshua."
The 19-year-old Primo was the 12th overall selection in the 2021 NBA Draft and averaged 5.8 points in 50 games – mostly off the bench – during his rookie season. He appeared in the Spurs' first four games this season and averaged 7.0 points, 4.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds as his role began to expand.
Primo’s release was particularly curious because the team picked up his third-year option two weeks ago, meaning his contract has been guaranteed for $4.1million this season and $4.3m next season. He can now be claimed on waivers, and if he clears, he can become an unrestricted free agent.
San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich was asked about the decision to waive Primo before the team’s game against the Chicago Bulls on Friday, but he declined to answer, stating the organization will not be commenting any further.
Ben Crane shot Friday's round of the day at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, with his nine-under 62 propelling him to the top of the leaderboard heading into the weekend at 14 under.
In his second trip around Bermuda's Port Royal Golf Course, Crane collected nine birdies and one eagle with his two bogeys to sit alone atop the leaderboard as the 46-year-old seeks his first PGA Tour win since the 2014 FedEx St Jude Classic.
He is one stroke clear of a five-man group at 13 under, including joint first-round leader Austin Smotherman, as well as rising talent Robby Shelton and Australia's Aaron Baddeley.
A strong international contingent is tied for seventh at 12 under, headlined by Ireland's Seamus Power, and he is joined by Taiwan's Kevin Yu, China's Zecheng Dou and Colombia's Nico Echavarria.
Belgium's Thomas Detry and Argentina's Fabian Gomez are at 11 under, while Harrison Endycott – who was tied with Smotherman for the first-round lead – followed his opening 62 with a disappointing 70 to enter the weekend four strokes off the pace.
Caleb Surratt is the top amateur in the field at seven under after enjoying a strong seven-under 64 in his second round, shaking off the nerves following his 71 on Thursday to sit well inside the projected cut-line.
Outstanding shooting from their eight-man Long Range Team team helped Guyana land the Milex Cup at the 2022 West Indies Full Bore Championships currently underway at Twickenham Park in Jamaica on Friday.
The shooters from South America aiming at targets at 900 yards were the only team to score over 700 out of a possible 800, with a total of 715.35 to take the title over Canada (682.32), Antigua & Barbuda (655.22). Hosts Jamaica finished fourth with a combined score of 652.16.
Four of their shooters score higher than 90 points during the competition - Sherwin Felicien shot 93.3, Roberto Tewari, 92.7, Peter Persaud, 91.5 and Dylan Fields 90.6 – as Guyana dominated the competition.
However, the best shooter on the day was Antigua & Barbuda’s Anderson Perry who scored 49.1 on the first detail and 48.2 on the second for a combined score of 97.3 out of a possible 100. His teammate Christopher Joseph was also excellent with a score of 96.6.
Karen Anderson was Jamaica’s top shooter with her score of 88.3.
Guyana will go for the sweep on Saturday in the Short Range Match at 300/500/600 yards in which Lennox Brathwaite is defending champion in the Wogarth Cup.
In the headline matchup from the first day of the LIV Golf Team Championship, Cameron Smith finished 1up against Phil Mickelson to help Punch GC advance past Hy Flyers GC in Friday's quarter-finals.
The format for the Team Championship has the top-four teams automatically advancing to Saturday's semi-finals, while teams five-through-12 battled it out on the opening day.
With teams of four, it meant there would be two one-on-one match play rounds, as well as a two-on-two foursomes played with alternate shot rules, with the team who wins two-out-of-three getting to advance.
For Punch GC, Smith was matched up with Mickelson, and they went onto the 18th hole tied, before Mickelson left the door open with a bogey to finish his round, allowing Smith to secure one win for his team with a par.
Smith's Australian teammate Marc Leishman enjoyed a much more dominant victory, working his way to a 4up lead through seven holes on his way to a 4 and 2 win against J.J. Wolf. Hy Flyers did salvage one point despite getting eliminated, with the duo of Bernd Wiesberger and Cameron Tringale beating Wade Ormsby and Matt Jones 3 and 2.
It was a three-to-zero clean sweep for Majesticks GC, with Ian Poulter beating Kevin Na 4 and 2, Lee Westwood defeating Sihwan Kim 4 and 3, and the team of Sam Horsfield with Henrik Stenson collecting a 4 and 2 victory over Sadom Kaewkanjana and Phachara Khongwatmai.
For Smash GC it was Chase pulling through for the Koepka clan as Brooks Koepka fell convincingly in a 4 and 3 loss to Niblicks GC's Harold Varner III.
But Smash GC will move on to the semi-finals after Chase Koepka and Jason Kokrak beat Turk Petit and Hudson Swafford 2 and 1, while Peter Uihlein hammered James Piot 5 and 3.
In the last quarter-final, Cleeks GC booked their semi-final matchup against Dustin Johnson and the top-seeded 4 Aces GC after winning two-out-of-three against Torque GC.
Joaquinn Niemann did all he could for Torque GC, cruising past Shergo Al Kurdi 5 and 3 after Al Kurdi stepped in for Cleeks GC captain Martin Kaymer, who was a late withdrawal.
But Laurie Canter kept his team in it with a narrow 1up win over Jediah Morgan, before Graeme McDowell and Richard Bland put Torque GC through to the next round with a 2up victory against Scott Vincent and Adrian Otaegui.
The eight remaining teams will compete in the same format in the semi-finals, with Cameron Smith against Fireballs GC captain Sergio Garcia shaping up as the main event.
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel will miss Sunday’s game against NFC West rivals the Los Angeles Rams with a hamstring injury.
Samuel, a first team All-Pro selection in 2021, was injured in the 49ers’ 44-23 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last week. The dynamic playmaker played through the issue during the game, but did not practice at all this week.
Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan on Friday said he is hopeful Samuel can return for San Francisco’s November 13 game against the Los Angeles Chargers following a Week 9 bye.
"He's not good enough to go," Shanahan said. "The fact that he even had a chance hopefully means he'll be good with the week off and be ready for the next game."
Samuel has compiled 387 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 32 catches so far this season, while adding 138 rushing yards and a touchdown on 24 attempts.
His best performance in 2022 came against the Rams in Week 4, when the fourth-year pro had six receptions for 115 yards and contributed a 57-yard touchdown catch to the 49ers' 24-9 victory.
Including the 2021 NFC Championship Game, Samuel has amassed 621 yards from scrimmage with five total touchdowns in five meetings with the Rams dating back to Week 12 of the 2020 campaign. The 49ers won all four of the regular-season matchups between the teams during that stretch.
Shanahan added that fellow wide receiver Jauan Jennings will be listed as questionable for Sunday’s game due to a hamstring injury of his own.
Jennings ranks fourth among San Francisco players with 14 catches and 180 receiving yards in seven games this season.
Christian Horner says Red Bull "begrudgingly accept" their "Draconian" punishments for breaking budget cap regulations but feels some rival Formula One teams owe them an apology.
Red Bull were on Friday fined $7million (£6.1m) and hit with a 10 per cent reduction in permitted aerodynamic research for overspending last year after coming to an 'accepted breach agreement' (ABA) with the FIA.
Motorsport's world governing body the FIA revealed that Red Bull were guilty of spending €2.2m (£1.9m) more than they were permitted to last season, which ended dramatically when Max Verstappen won his first world title.
Along with being slapped with a significant fine, the constructors' champions have also had the amount of time they can spend using their wind tunnel or computational fluid dynamics cut by 10 per cent for a one-year period.
"We could have been looking at a 12-month period to have this situation closed [if they had not accepted the ABA]," Horner said during a press conference at the Mexican Grand Prix.
"The amount of speculation, commenting and sniping that has been going on in the paddock, we felt that it was in everybody's interest – our interest, the FIA's interest, in F1's interest – to say, 'we close the book', and we close the book here and today.
"We accept the penalties, begrudgingly, but we accept them."
Horner says Red Bull will be significantly impacted by the punishment imposed next season.
"The more Draconian part is the sporting penalty, which is a 10 per cent reduction in our ability to utilise our wind tunnel and aerodynamic tools," he added.
"I've heard people reporting today that it's an insignificant amount. Let me tell you now, that is an enormous amount. That represents anywhere between a quarter and half a second of a lap.
"That 10 per cent will have an impact on our ability to perform on track."
McLaren chief executive Zak Brown last week stated that breaches of the budget cap amounted to "cheating", a claim which Red Bull principal Horner labelled "fictitious".
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, who was denied a record-breaking eighth world title when Verstappen claimed a dramatic and controversial win at the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi, warned a "slap on the wrist" for Red Bull would simply encourage further breaches.
Horner does not believe it is Red Bull that should be apologising.
"I think that we're probably due an apology from some of our rivals for some of the claims that they've made," he said.
"We make no apology for the way that we've performed, the way that we've acted. We do take on the chin that there are lessons to be learned, and potentially mistakes have been made in our submission, which with the benefit of hindsight and 20-20 vision, everybody can be a specialist.
"But there was no intent, there was nothing dishonest, and there was certainly no cheating involved, which has been alleged in certain corners. So I don't feel that we need to apologise.
"We've taken our pounding in public, we've taken a very public pounding through the accusations that have been made by other teams. We've had our drivers booed at circuits, and the reputational damage that's been made by allegations has been significant. The time is now for that to stop and move on."
World number one Carlos Alcaraz is through to the semi-finals of the Swiss Indoors Basel after easing past Pablo Carreno-Busta in straight sets.
Alcaraz took just under an hour and 40 minutes to overcome his fellow Spaniard and friend 6-3 6-4, getting 67 per cent of his first serves in and winning 77 per cent of those.
Carreno-Busta struggled to keep the US Open champion at bay, facing 12 break points in all, and although he saved nine of them, his defiance was ultimately in vain.
"It is difficult to play against a friend like Pablo," Alcaraz said on-court after his win on Friday. "Every day we go and have dinner, lunch, together. Every week and we train together, so it is difficult to play against him.
"I also support him and want him to win every match. On court, there are no friends. You have to be focused and go for the match and that is what I did."
Alcaraz will face third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final four after the Canadian defeated Alexander Bublik 6-2 6-3.
The other semi-final will see Roberto Bautista Agut play Holger Rune after the Spaniard beat Stan Wawrinka 7-5 7-6 (7-5) and the Danish teenager defeated Arthur Rinderknech 7-6 (7-0) 6-2.
In Austria, top seed at the Vienna Open Daniil Medvedev beat Jannik Sinner 6-4 6-2 to advance to the last four, where he will play Grigor Dimitrov after the Bulgarian overcame Marcos Giron 6-3 4-6 6-4.
The winner of that contest will face either Denis Shapovalov, who beat Dan Evans 6-3 6-3, or Borna Coric after the Croatian came through against Hubert Hurkacz 6-4 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-5).
The San Francisco 49ers are looking to continue their regular-season dominance over the Los Angeles Rams, and may need to lean on new running back Christian McCaffrey to help them do so.
San Francisco's trip to SoFi Stadium marks a critical game for these NFC West rivals, who have both struggled to produce their best this season.
After a bye week, the defending Super Bowl champion Rams are 3-3, while the 49ers are coming off back-to-back losses, which have dropped them to 3-4.
However, the 49ers have plenty of reason for confidence of getting back on track before their bye week against an opponent they defeated 24-9 in Week 4.
That victory made it seven straight regular-season wins over the Rams for the Niners, their second-longest streak against Los Angeles all-time (17 straight from December 1990 – December 1998).
But the 49ers will not have happy memories from their previous visit to Los Angeles, the Rams having prevailed 20-17 in last season's NFC Championship Game to book their place in the Super Bowl.
Wide receiver Deebo Samuel played a critical role in that game and has been a key feature in the 49ers' success against the Rams.
Samuel has accounted for seven regular-season touchdowns in his career against the Rams (three receiving, three rushing, one passing) but will be unavailable for San Francisco this weekend due to a hamstring injury.
The loss of the best running wide receiver in the NFL may see greater onus placed on arguably the best receiving running back, with McCaffrey sure to be an integral part of the gameplan after the 49ers traded four draft picks to acquire him from the Carolina Panthers.
McCaffrey averaged 6.2 yards on his 10 touches in his debut against the Kansas City Chiefs and, though the 49ers will look for him to boost a run game that has a disappointing success rate of 33.7 per cent through seven weeks, the absence of Samuel and their underwhelming ground game could see San Francisco feature the former Panther heavily in the passing game.
San Francisco's 44-23 loss to the Chiefs last week marked the first time they have lost back-to-back games by at least 14 points since Weeks 9-10, 2020. They followed those games up with a 23-20 win against the Rams in Los Angeles.
The 49ers will look for a defensive upturn after their struggles against Kansas City, though defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans' group is still battling injuries in the front seven.
Holding the Rams in check will be critical to San Francisco's hopes of overcoming their absences. Los Angeles have scored at least 20 points in all three of their wins this season and 10 or fewer points in all three losses.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford's record against the 49ers should also offer optimism to Kyle Shanahan's team. Stafford is 1-6 in his regular-season career against the 49ers, his worst record against any NFC opponent.
Stafford has thrown four touchdown passes and five interceptions in his three games against them since joining the Rams, losing each one. Whether he improves on Sunday is likely to have a huge say in which teams emerge from the NFC West.
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