Sam Ewing and Stellar Story pounced in the very last stride to inflict Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle agony on Harry Redknapp and Ben Pauling at the Cheltenham Festival.
Pauling’s 18-1 outsider had led the field along from flag fall in the hands of Kielan Woods, with Gordon Elliott’s shock 33-1 winner one of those to track the pace setter.
The sedate early pace saw plenty in with chances as the runners descended towards two out, but one by one they dropped away as Woods upped the tempo aboard The Jukebox Man and made his bid for home.
Pauling’s charge held the advantage running down to the last, but the six-year-old got in tight and gave Ewing and Stellar Story a glimmer of hope and they took full advantage, rallying to reel in the brave runner-up in the shadow of he post.
It was Elliott’s second success of the week following on from Teahupoo’s Stayers’ Hurdle triumph on Thursday, but for young rider Ewing it was not only a first Cheltenham Festival success but also a maiden strike at Grade One level.
Ewing said: “Absolutely brilliant. He’s a horse that jumps very well, he loved that ground today and he battled very hard for me. He was brilliant at the last as well, when we needed it, so I can’t believe it.”
Paul Townend produced Absurde to perfection as last year’s Ebor hero got the better of L’Eau Du Sud in the BetMGM County Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton have dominated this event in the last decade, winning eight of the last nine runnings between them, so it was no surprise to see the week’s top two trainers involved at the business end once again.
Paul Nicholls’ Afadil had led the field into the straight where Skelton’s 7-2 favourite L’Eau Du Sud appeared to be travelling supremely in the hands of the trainer’s brother, Harry.
However, Townend was weaving a passage to the front and after the last it was Closutton’s dual-purpose star who pulled out extra to land the spoils at 12-1.
As well as winning the Ebor when given an equally-inspired ride by Frankie Dettori, Absurde finished seventh in the Melbourne Cup, and Townend said: “I got a lot of satisfaction out of that one. What a horse to travel the world and then come back and put in a performance like that on that ground.
“I thought I’d have the pace of them all on his Flat form, but the ground was a big worry.”
Mullins said: “Paul can’t have a warm bone in his body, he was so cold the whole way and delivered him at the right time. He just missed the last but everything else went right.
“I was very worried about the ground, that’s why I thought Risk Belle was the best of my squad, I’d more or less drawn a line through him.
“They went very slow and his Flat speed was a big factor at the end. When I saw where he was early on I thought it wasn’t the place to be, but they were doing 18-second furlongs so I thought he might have a chance.
“He had to find his way through and while he missed the last, it was one hell of a ride, it was the ride of the week for me.
“He’ll probably go to Punchestown and then back on the Flat I’d have thought. It might be hard to qualify for Melbourne – I’d like to go though.”
Skelton said of his runner-up: “Ten or 15 strides out from the last I thought it was on, but Townend suddenly appeared!
“We didn’t jump the last great, but it hasn’t cost us. Absurde was always cantering over us and if we’d jumped the last Townend would have looked even cleverer than he did, which is a big statement because he looked very clever coming from last!
“It’s been a magic, remarkable week. I’m very proud of the owners and horses.”
England and France clash in the climax to the 2024 Guinness Six Nations in Lyon on Saturday night, by which time it will already be known if anything is at stake on the match.
Here the PA news agency examines five talking points as England aim to snatch the title from Ireland’s grasp.
Farewell to Manu?
Manu Tuilagi’s first appearance of the Six Nations could also be his last for England. Although the Sale centre has remained tight lipped over his talks with French clubs Montpellier and Bayonne, he appears certain to leave at the end of the season, at which point he will be 33-years-old. England teams have been built around his marauding runs for over a decade and the national side are unlikely to field his like again. When he steps off the bench it will be only his 60th cap, a legacy of long spells out injured. Had he been fit for every match since his debut in 2011, he would have amassed 156 caps by now.
Ford holds on… for now
Marcus Smith emerged as England’s match winner when Ireland were stunned in round four, landing the deciding drop goal as well as providing a cutting edge in attack. But in a show of faith from Steve Borthwick, George Ford continues at fly-half to complete a full set of starts in the Championship. It is easy to forget amid Smith’s headline-generating intervention at Twickenham that Ford has performed well in this tournament, most notably orchestrating the comeback against Wales in round two and pulling the strings to potent effect last Saturday. But for all Ford’s influence, Smith is the coming man and a stellar performance will be needed against France to hold on to the jersey for the summer tour to Japan and New Zealand.
Bonus points fiasco
For the first time since bonus points were introduced in 2017, a scenario has arisen whereby the Six Nations winners can claim the title despite accumulating fewer victories than the side finishing second. That is the prospect facing England if they win at Groupama Stadium and Ireland claim at least a bonus point against Scotland. It is hard to envisage any outcome other than Ireland successfully defending their title, but if they do so with their closest rivals beating more teams, it will be a bad look for the tournament.
Unleash the big beasts
France’s starting and replacement forwards weigh a combined 1,000kg, a startling total that can be both a strength and weakness for the hosts. They field the four heaviest players in Uini Atonio, Emmanuel Meafou, Georges-Henri Colombe and Romain Taofifenua – each of them over 21 stones. But with such size and power comes vulnerabilities that can be exploited through clever half-back play, a good kicking game and superior conditioning.
The stats signpost home win
France are odds-on favourites to register their third win of the tournament and there is one statistic that helps explain why. Since becoming the Six Nations in 2000, Les Bleus have performed better than any other side in the final round of games, winning 17 of 24 matches. England, meanwhile, have the second worst record with just 10 victories. Whatever the data suggests, ‘Le Crunch’ is set up to be a humdinger with England lifted by a triumph over Ireland that is their greatest performance since the 2019 World Cup and France impressing against Wales in their last outing.
Majborough announced himself as a star of the future as he toughed it out to land a Willie Mullins dominated JCB Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Held in the highest regard by the master of Closutton, the juvenile went into plenty of notebooks when an eyecatching third behind Kargese at the Dublin Racing Festival, and it was that duo who fought out the finish at Prestbury Park.
With Danny Mullins keen to keep a tight hold on Kargese, Mark Walsh cut a relaxed figure aboard the JP McManus-owned Majborough and after the second-last they were chief among the Mullins-trained battalion that emerged to swamp the forward-going Salver.
Heading to the last it appeared Kargese held the advantage as Majborough wandered around, but they jumped the final flight in unison, after which the stamina reserves of the 6-1 winner came into play as he was pushed out by his rider to strike by a length and a half.
It was McManus’ third win in the Triumph Hurdle following the victories of Ivanovich Gorbatov and Defi Du Seuil and it continues the Closutton dominance of the race, with Mullins winning it for the fourth time in five years.
He said: “I’m surprised at his price of 6-1 – I expected him to be favourite, he was my pick of this race.
“A lot of mine have been improving all season for their second run. I couldn’t get him out at Christmas, but I got him out at the Dublin Racing Festival and I think he needed that and I think Mark learned a lot about him.
“He came back in and said he was going to make all the running on him next time, which was the plan today and he was only fifth or sixth going round, so that shows how strong the pace was, but he jumped beautifully.
“When he came in the yard and they said he was a Triumph hope, I thought he looked more like a Gold Cup horse – he’s some beast.”
Autonomous Cloud will bid to regain the winning thread when he returns to his beloved Uttoxeter for the bet365 Midlands Grand National Handicap Chase.
Fergal O’Brien’s eight-year-old got the better of Jonjo O’Neill’s reopposing Iron Bridge when scoring on this card 12 months ago and supplemented that victory when returning to the Staffordshire track on his seasonal return.
He was pulled-up when sent off 9-2 joint favourite for the Welsh Grand National over Christmas but connections are hopeful he can recapture his best form and provide O’Brien with his second victory in this valuable contest.
“I was disappointed with him the last day in the Welsh National, but we have trained him for this race and fingers crossed he will go through the ground,” said O’Brien.
“He loves Uttoxeter and has won twice there and placed there. He goes in any ground and hopefully he just needed to be freshened up. He’s not a big, strong 16’3 horse, he’s quite narrow and Chepstow took quite a lot out of him.
“We’ve been waiting for this race, so fingers crossed.”
Not content with dominating proceedings at the Cheltenham Festival, Willie Mullins will attempt to land one last big prize of the week with Mr Incredible, who has not been seen since unseating Brian Hayes in the Grand National last April.
Before that, he was building an admirable CV in staying contests, placing in both the 2023 Classic Chase and Kim Muir, and he is joined in the line-up by fellow Irish raider and 2022 runner-up Young Dev.
Harry Fry’s Exeter scorer Ask Me Early arrives in rude health, as does Jamie Snowden’s Farceur Du Large, who bids for a hat-trick having done the military chase double at Sandown earlier this year.
Snowden said: “He came over from Ireland, where he had some good back form but his recent form was uninspiring.
“I suppose a change of scenery has perked him up and dropping back into those military conditions races probably helped.
“He won those pretty nicely and the handicapper has had his say and stuck him up 6lb for them, but we thought it was worth a shot at a bigger race now and see how he gets on.
“He will like the ground and like the trip and we will just see if he can continue his recent form or slips back into his old ways. But he is in good order and we go there hoping for the best.”
Classic Chase heroine My Silver Lining narrowly failed to double up in Haydock’s Grand National Trial and has the chance to fill the vacancy of stable star at Emma Lavelle’s Wiltshire base following the retirement of Paisley Park.
Guetapan Collonges was third behind My Silver Lining at Warwick and Charlie Longsdon feels he is a stronger stayer than when fourth in this event 12 months ago.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him run and I purposely avoided some of those trials like the Eider and the Grand National Trial because of the ground and to keep him fresh,” said Longsdon.
“He was fourth in the race last year and hopefully he can go a few places better. He is definitely a stronger horse this year and I’ve put a tongue strap on him as he sometimes hits a flat spot in these big races and hopefully that will take that away, especially on the heavy ground.”
Champion trainer Paul Nicholls saddled Truckers Lodge to win this in 2020 and the admirable 12-year-old is back for his fifth crack at the contest in the hands of Freddie Gingell.
“He is a standing dish in this race, won it in runaway style off a mark of 141 in 2020 and here he is back again for a fifth time,” Nicholls told Betfair.
“The heavier the ground, the more it will suit Truckers Lodge, who is only a few years younger than his 18-year-old jockey Freddie Gingell.
“I then ran him a bit too quickly in the Coral Welsh National after his fine win in the London National at Sandown. Truckers Lodge has had a nice break since then and is fresh and bouncing now. He has an each way chance with conditions in his favour.”
Peter O’Mahony is determined to prevent the “torture” of another tense Guinness Six Nations finale but admits Ireland are aware of all possible permutations ahead of Saturday’s title decider against Scotland.
Andy Farrell’s men will retain the championship crown by avoiding defeat or claiming two bonus points on ‘Super Saturday’ in Dublin, while a single bonus point is also likely to be sufficient.
However, a pointless loss would leave Ireland sweating on the outcome of England’s clash with France in the final round-five fixture.
Captain O’Mahony was part of the Irish squad which endured an anxious wait to celebrate tournament glory in 2015, when only points difference ultimately elevated them above England and Wales.
“You have to discuss these things, especially the guys who are making decisions around refereeing calls, that kind of stuff, penalties,” said O’Mahony of the permutations.
“We are going out to win tomorrow, that’s what we do for every Test match.
“Of course, there’s a handful of us who might have to make a decision or need to know the permutations but we want to put in a performance tomorrow that’s capable of winning.”
Ireland defeated Scotland 40-10 at Murrayfield on the final weekend nine years ago to leapfrog Wales, who beat Italy 61-20 earlier in the day, at the top of the standings.
Joe Schmidt’s side then nervously watched on at Murrayfield as England – requiring a 26-point win over France at Twickenham to snatch the title – fell agonisingly short in a 55-35 success.
“That was the mad day, wasn’t it? Yeah, it was torture,” said O’Mahony.
“Wales went out and put up a big score, then we did the job and then it was pure carnage the last game.
“I’m sure it was a great watch for the rest of the world. I remember watching it from the stairwell in Murrayfield, praying to God, so, look, that’s what the Super Saturday means for the competition.
“It’s great that there are so many teams involved that can win it.”
Manu Tuilagi has declined to reveal his plans for next season amid expectation that Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations clash with France would be his final game for England.
Tuilagi has held talks with Top 14 clubs Montpellier and Bayonne in a move that would make the 32-year-old unavailable for Test selection by Steve Borthwick.
It has raised the prospect that if he wins his 60th cap by stepping off the bench in Lyon, it will be the powerful Sale centre’s farewell in a Red Rose jersey.
When asked what his plans for 2024-25 are, Tuilagi replied: “The plan is to hopefully get on the pitch on Saturday. I don’t really know what I am doing tomorrow to be fair!
“For me representing England and getting opportunity is a blessing and I can’t wait. Every time I get to represent England it could be the last game.
“Every game could be your last game, so you have got to make the most of it and enjoy it.”
As Tuilagi was speaking at the Groupama Stadium, the electronic curtain that formed the back drop in the press conference room unexpectedly started lowering.
It was an accidental moment of symbolism for a player that England have never been able to adequately replace during his long spells out through injury since making his debut in 2011.
He has been an automatic pick for four successive England coaches, bringing ball carrying clout to the midfield and proving unplayable on his day – even against the best opposition.
It will be hoped that his first appearance of the Six Nations after missing the opening rounds with a groin injury will be a fitting exit if he does follow former team-mates Owen Farrell, Henry Arundell and Joe Marchant across The Channel.
“I feel very blessed to be able to get back into the team. We’ve got an unbelievable team. For me to be able to get this opportunity again – I love it,” Tuilagi said.
“Whenever you get the opportunity to be a part of it it’s a blessing. It’s been an amazing campaign for us.”
When naming him on the bench for the final match of the 2024 Championship, Borthwick described Tuilagi as the social glue for his squad who has the ability to raise the game of his team-mates.
He also spoke of the time taken by the 2013 Lions tourist to help mentor younger players – a contribution appreciated by rookie wing Tommy Freeman.
“Manu is the nicest guy I’ve ever met in my life. The most compassionate, supportive bloke. Very good at coffee art as well,” Freeman said.
“Manu is a class lad to be around, he gives you a hand here and there, he knows exactly what Test rugby is all about, he has been a part of the game for years and he will definitely add wherever he can.
“The impact he has on the game is a big one – the way he moves his weight around gives us lads a bit of energy to spur from.”
Andy Farrell believes the chance to end a 34-year Triple Crown drought makes Scotland a major threat to Ireland’s Guinness Six Nations title bid.
Farrell’s reigning champions are on the cusp of retaining their crown and will do so on Saturday evening by avoiding defeat to the Scots or claiming two losing bonus points.
Gregor Townsend’s visitors, who have the slimmest of chances of snatching the title, will be desperate to bounce back in Dublin after being embarrassed by Italy last weekend.
While Scotland have not beaten rivals England, Ireland and Wales in a single championship since the 1990 Five Nations, Farrell acknowledges they have a track record of toppling Test rugby’s leading nations.
“They’ve been consistent at beating big teams over the years and playing a brand of rugby that’s been great for everyone to see,” he said.
“When you’re disappointed, all you want is an opportunity where there’s a trophy on the line.
“And I know that as far as the Triple Crown is concerned, they’ve not won that for some time now and that makes them dangerous in our view.
“We’ve got to be ready for them to be as good as they’ve ever been against us.”
Ireland are chasing a 10th consecutive victory over Scotland, having helped eliminate them in the pool stage of the last two Rugby World Cups.
“We’ve been lucky enough over the last few years to get on the right side of victory against Scotland,” said Farrell.
“But they’ve been tough, tough battles and hard-fought games, and you’ve got to be on point to make sure you continue in that manner.”
Scotland need a bonus-point win, a major swing in points difference and to avoid Ireland claiming a bonus point to overhaul their rivals.
Even then, Townsend’s men would be reliant on the result of France’s clash with England in Lyon, which concludes ‘Super Saturday’.
Although there are scenarios in which Ireland could finish top of the table in defeat, Farrell is determined to clinch championship glory in style after the pursuit of back-to-back Grand Slams was halted by England in round four.
“I love winning titles, there’s no doubt about that, but this is an occasion for us to perform when it really matters,” he said.
“We said it in the Grand Slam game last year (a 29-16 win over England) and we were able to get over the line but the performance wasn’t exactly white hot, so that’s what you’re always chasing.
“Of course winning matters a lot.
“Certainly winning Six Nations titles, however, means an awful lot but having said that, we pride on ourselves on performing well when it matters and I suppose that’s what we’ll judge ourselves on first.”
Lifting the trophy on St Patrick’s weekend for the second successive year would provide a springboard for what promises to be un unforgettable 2024 for Irish rugby.
Farrell’s men face a two-match tour against world champions South Africa in July before hosting New Zealand, Argentina, Fiji and Australia in the autumn.
“This year doesn’t get any better for Irish rugby, it doesn’t get any better,” said Farrell.
“Look at what we’ve got coming up.”
Ireland are within touching distance of retaining the Guinness Six Nations title ahead of hosting Scotland.
Andy Farrell’s men were denied potential back-to-back Grand Slams by last weekend’s 23-22 defeat to England but remain in pole position to win the tournament.
Here, the PA news agency picks out some of the main talking points ahead of Saturday’s match in Dublin.
Ireland’s title to lose
Ireland know victory or a draw will guarantee championship glory, while two losing bonus points would also be sufficient. Any other result would complicate matters and open the door for England to snatch the title. Steve Borthwick’s side, who begin the weekend four points off the pace, require a bonus-point win away to France in the final fixture of ‘Super Saturday’ on the back of halting Ireland’s 100 per cent record. Scotland and Les Bleus are also mathematically still in the title mix. However, their respective hopes of finishing top of the table are highly improbable due to Ireland’s vastly-superior points difference.
What might have been
The Aviva Stadium clash should arguably be a straight shoot-out for the title and could easily have been a Grand Slam showdown. Ireland were seconds away from remaining on track for a clean sweep before Marcus Smith’s last-gasp drop goal settled a Twickenham thriller. Scotland, meanwhile, are likely to still feel aggrieved about their controversial round-two loss to France, which was sandwiched between wins over Wales and England. The Scots’ campaign subsequently unravelled in disastrous fashion with a shock 31-29 defeat to Italy. Clinching a first Triple Crown since the 1990 Five Nations appears to be the only realistic achievement available to Gregor Townsend’s men amid a lingering sense of what might have been.
Testing times for Townsend
A major setback at Stadio Olimpico cast fresh doubt on the future of Scotland head coach Townsend. His side have produced plenty of statement results, including four consecutive Calcutta Cup victories. But he has also overseen successive World Cup pool-stage exits, while frustrating inconsistency means the Scots’ wait for a maiden Six Nations title goes on. The 50-year-old, whose contract runs until 2026, refused to entertain questions about his position after a calamitous second-half collapse in the Italian capital. Townsend insists he still believes in his players and will be desperate to end the championship by lifting silverware to alleviate mounting pressure.
Decade of dominance
Ireland have played pivotal roles in Scotland’s recent underwhelming World Cup campaigns during a decade of dominance of this fixture. At the 2019 tournament in Japan, the Irish began with a 27-3 win over Townsend’s men in Yokohama, before emphatically eliminating their rivals in France last year thanks to a crushing 36-14 Paris success. Ireland have won 13 of 14 meetings between the nations since 2014, including nine on the spin following a 27-22 Murrayfield loss in 2017. They are strong favourites to extend that streak as Scotland bid to become only the second away side – after France in 2021 – to triumph in Dublin during the Farrell era.
Concussion concerns
Ireland’s unchanged starting XV raised some eyebrows given Calvin Nash was forced off following a thunderous collision with England’s Tommy Freeman just six days ago. Concussion protocols remain a hot topic but Farrell insisted he trusts the medical experts as he moved to allay any concerns surrounding the Munster wing. The Englishman has also ditched his six-two split of forwards and backs on the bench in favour of a more conventional five-three selection. The bold call backfired in London due to head injury assessments dictating the withdrawals of Nash and his replacement Ciaran Frawley, who is not fit to feature this weekend.
Wales and Italy will contest the Guinness Six Nations’ least-wanted “prize” in Cardiff on Saturday.
Avoiding the mythical wooden spoon for finishing bottom of the table is front and centre for both countries, with Wales four points adrift of their fifth-placed opponents.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some key talking points heading into the game.
Wooden spoon stirs the pot
Wales have not finished last on the Six Nations log since 2003, when a 33-5 defeat against France in Paris meant they lost all five games under head coach Steve Hansen. The Wales team that day included players like Iestyn Harris, Gareth Thomas, Dwayne Peel, Gethin Jenkins and Martyn Williams as they suffered a heaviest reversal of the tournament. Wales have won the Six Nations title on six occasions since then, including four Grand Slams, which highlights this season’s demise, while Italy are striving to avoid a ninth successive wooden spoon after Scotland had that dubious distinction in 2015.
Farewell to George North
From the moment he arrived on the Test match stage as an 18-year-old against South Africa in 2010, North has proved an inspired presence for Wales and the British and Irish Lions. He will retire from international rugby after Saturday’s game, having helped Wales win four Six Nations titles – including two Grand Slams – and played in four World Cups. His Wales try-count stands at 47 in 120 games, and he has averaged almost one touchdown per game against Italy, with his sizeable haul including a hat-trick in 2015. North deserves every accolade he will receive as a modern-day Wales great whose pace, power and try-scoring prowess made him box-office entertainment.
Wales’ rebuild will continue
Whatever happens against Italy, short-term pain must be eclipsed by potential long-term gain as Wales head coach Warren Gatland continues moulding a new-look squad. Since the World Cup, Gatland has seen Leigh Halfpenny and Dan Biggar retire from Test rugby, with North to follow, Liam Williams and Gareth Anscombe head to club rugby in Japan, while Jac Morgan, Dewi Lake and Taulupe Faletau were among Six Nations injury absentees. Gatland has paraded five new caps during the tournament – including the exciting Cardiff trio of Cameron Winnett, Alex Mann and Mackenzie Martin – and he asked Welsh supporters for patience that has so far been reciprocated.
Italy need to do a job
Italy have shown some impressive form in this season’s Six Nations, beating Scotland, drawing with France away from home and going down by just three points to England. The victory over Scotland was their first Six Nations triumph in Rome since 2013, and players like centre pairing Juan Ignacio Brex and Tommaso Menoncello, wing Louis Lynagh and captain Michele Lamaro have excelled. The challenge now is to produce another performance of the type that almost defeated France and then accounted for Scotland. They return to Cardiff two years after claiming a dramatic 22-21 success, and there will be expectation in the Azzurri camp of a repeat performance.
Cardiff no longer a fortress
The Principality Stadium has played host to some memorable Welsh rugby moments, with Six Nations title triumphs and Grand Slam glory topping that list. Recently though, the Cardiff venue has seemingly lost its aura. Wales have suffered six successive Six Nations defeats there, with all five of their championship opponents winning on the road. It is 13 losses and one draw from the last 20 capped internationals at home, with victories only being recorded against Canada, Fiji, Australia, Scotland, Argentina and England (World Cup warm-up match) in full internationals during that time. The atmosphere remains among world rugby’s finest, but opponents are no longer fazed by what awaits them.
Leicester Tigers were fined £309,841.06 but avoided a points deduction for breaches of salary cap regulations on this day two years ago.
The punishment came after it emerged the Premiership club had entered into an arrangement whereby a third party made payments to the image rights companies of Leicester players.
The payments were made over the four seasons from 2016-17 to 2019-20 and should have been declared as part of the Tigers’ salary cap obligations, but were not disclosed.
Leicester, who led the Premiership at the time and went on to win the title in 2022, avoided a harsher sanction because the salary cap was exceeded by less than the ‘overrun’ limit.
It is when this ceiling – which ranges from £325,000 to £350,000 each season – is breached that more formal charges are triggered.
Leicester’s highest ‘overrun’ during the period was £147,750 in 2016-17 and their total across the four seasons was £391,941.06.
The Tigers accepted the outcome of Premiership Rugby’s investigation into the matter and did not appeal against the punishment.
Premiership Rugby had been given stronger powers to act two years previously after a review of salary cap regulations in the wake of the Saracens affair.
Saracens were fined more than £5million and relegated in 2020 for repeated breaches of the rules.
Leicester chief executive Andrea Pinchen said: “We accept the decision and the acknowledgement that there was no overrun in the most recent season of the review.
“We are thankful this matter has been brought to a conclusion and pleased that we can now focus all of our energy and efforts on the future of the club.”
Jaylen Brown scored 37 points and Jayson Tatum added 26 as the league-leading Boston Celtics rolled to a 127-112 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, becoming the first team to clinch a playoff spot.
Al Horford had 24 points with six of Boston’s season high-tying 25 3-pointers as the Celtics defeated Phoenix for the second time in a week to win its fourth straight.
Tatum and Brown combined for 43 of the Celtics’ 65 first-half points and Boston broke open the game with an 18-6 run in the third quarter for a 97-78 cushion.
Devin Booker scored 23 points and Bradley Beal added 22 and seven assists for the Suns, who have lost four of six on the road.
Brunson’s big game powers Knicks
Jalen Brunson poured in 45 points and the New York Knicks rolled to a 105-93 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Brunson shot 14 of 30 from the field and was 2 of 10 from 3-point range while making 15 of 17 free throws. He reached the 40-point mark for the sixth time this season.
Donte DiVincenzo and OG Anunoby each added 12 points for the Knicks, who won consecutive games for the first time since a nine-game streak from Jan. 17-Feb. 1.
Deandre Ayton had 31 points and 14 rebounds as Portland completed a 2-4 homestand.
Antetokounmpo leads Bucks over 76ers
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to propel the Milwaukee Bucks to a 114-105 win over the struggling Philadelphia 76ers.
Brook Lopez had 19 points and seven rebounds and Damian Lillard added 17 points and seven assists for the Bucks, who returned home after losing three of four on a West Coast swing.
Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points for the 76ers, who have lost 16 of their last 23 games.
Brayden Point had three goals and three assists to match a team record in points and the Tampa Bay Lightning picked up a key 6-3 win over the New York Rangers on Thursday.
Point scored Tampa Bay’s first goal of the game with 7:19 left in the second period and forged a 3-3 tie at 3:41 of the third. He completed his fourth career hat trick 2:03 later before assisting on Nikita Kucherov’s empty-netter with 3:38 left for a personal-best six points.
Kucherov finished with a goal and four assists to give him 112 points, three behind Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon for the league lead.
Steven Stamkos and Anthony Duclair also scored for the Lightning, who have won three of four to move four points ahead of the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.
Jack Roslovic had a goal and an assist for the Rangers, who fell to 14-3-1 in their last 18 games.
Andersen shuts out Panthers
Frederik Andersen stopped 21 shots for his first shutout in more than a year and the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Florida Panthers, 4-0.
Andersen notched his third win in as many starts after missing over four months with a blood clotting issue. He has stopped 63 of 66 shots in those games and is 7-1-0 this season.
Evgeny Kuznetsov scored his first goal as a member of the Hurricanes and Seth Jarvis, Martin Necas and Andrei Svechnikov also scored as Carolina won its fourth in five games.
The loss was just the second in 10 games for league-leading Florida, which is one point ahead of Boston for the Atlantic Division lead.
Matthews scores 55th in Maple Leafs’ win
Auston Matthews extended his NHL lead with his 55th goal and the Toronto Maple Leafs scored three times in the first period in a 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Matthews became the first Toronto player to score 55 goals twice in his career and is within five of matching his career-high 60 goals set in 2021-22.
Tyler Bertuzzi, Pontus Holmberg, Timothy Liljegren and William Nylander each had a goal and an assist for the Leafs, who have won eight of 10 on the road to tighten their grip on third place in the Atlantic Division.
Owen Tippett and Tyson Foerster had goals for the Flyers, who remained four points ahead of the Islanders in the race for third place in the Metropolitan Division.
The Los Angeles Chargers have traded veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen to the Chicago Bears for a 2024 fourth-round draft pick, multiple media outlets reported Thursday.
The move gives the Bears, who own the top overall pick in next month’s draft, a reliable weapon to line up opposite DJ Moore.
While Chicago has not announced their plans for the No. 1 pick, most assume that they will select USC’s Caleb Williams. Pairing Allen with Moore could set the rookie quarterback up for success.
Darnell Mooney was the Bears’ No. 2 receiver last season, but he signed a three-year, $39million deal with the Atlanta Falcons earlier this week.
Allen, who will turn 32 next month, was selected to his sixth career Pro Bowl last season and has made 683 catches since 2017. Only Davante Adams (709) has more over that span.
After an injury-shortened 2022 campaign, Allen bounced back last season with 108 receptions for 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games.
Allen, a renowned route-runner, proved his worth last season, but the Chargers reportedly asked the veteran to take a pay cut this year. After no deal could be struck, Los Angeles entered the trade market.
Trading Allen – along with his $34.7million cap hit – is the Chargers’ latest cost-cutting move after releasing fellow wide receiver Mike Williams and restructuring the contracts of pass-rushers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack.
Los Angeles also lost Austin Ekeler in free agency after the running back signed with the Washington Commanders.
The Chargers will need to find more weapons for franchise quarterback Justin Herbert and will hope that speedy wide receiver Quentin Johnston, last year’s first-round pick, develops this offseason.
Allen played 11 seasons for the Chargers. His 904 receptions and 10,530 receiving yards both rank second in franchise history, trailing only Antonio Gates.
World champion Luke Humphries delivered back-to-back nightly wins to move top of the Premier League with a 6-3 victory over Nathan Aspinall at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham.
Humphries, who also triumphed in Brighton, beat Michael Smith in his opening match and then comfortably saw off Peter Wright to reach a second successive final.
Aspinall had ended the hopes of Luke Littler with a 6-3 win in the semi-final, but soon found himself trailing against the world number one.
Humphries had secured an early break to lead 2-0 which he soon extended to 4-1 on the back of another maximum.
Aspinall clawed a couple of legs back to trail by just one with a break of his own by checking out on double top.
The world champion, though, made the most of some wayward finishing to take the next leg and move one away, which he set up for a 78 finish, landing treble 18 and double 12.
Humphries now moves two points clear at the top of the table, with Aspinall sitting fourth.
“I had two great performances in the first two games, and Nathan was fantastic against Luke, who is such an amazing player – it gets to the point where you are thinking ‘play with two darts’ so Nathan did well to beat him,” Humphries said on Sky Sports.
“It was not the best final, maybe as we had both played really well we felt the pressure was off us and relaxed a little bit, tried too hard.
“But back-to-back weeks in the Premier League is really tough, so I am really proud to have done that and to be top of the league.”
Humphries added: “What me and Luke have done since the worlds has been amazing for the sport. I think the sport is in the best place possible now, with all these players, and is in the best place it has ever been.
“Hopefully now the crowds can keep getting behind us and enjoying it, because it is going to be an exciting sport for the next nine months.”
Littler was looking to build on his Belgian Darts Open final victory over Rob Cross, which had included a nine-dart finish, and earlier recorded an impressive 6-2 win against previous league leader Michael Van Gerwen.
Aspinall, though, produced his own top form in their semi-final clash, landing five maximums with an average of just over 104 to see off the 17-year-old sensation.
Humphries, meanwhile, hit four maximums as he had little trouble in coasting to a 6-1 win over Wright, who had earlier secured his first points of the competition.
In the night’s opening quarter-final at the Motorpoint Arena, Wright ended his barren run with his first points on the board when he edged out Gerwyn Price in a last-leg decider after the 2023 runner-up had missed three match darts.
Steve Borthwick has urged Manu Tuilagi not to turn his back on England after priming the powerful Sale centre for a cameo role in Saturday’s clash with France in Lyon.
Tuilagi will make his first appearance of the Guinness Six Nations, filling the vacancy on the bench created when Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s concussion-enforced absence resulted in Elliot Daly’s return to the starting XV.
It could be his farewell appearance in a Red Rose jersey as he considers a lucrative move to the Top 14 at the end of the season – when he will be 33 years old – with Montpellier his likely destination.
Tuilagi has been a central figure for four-successive England coaches because of his carrying threat but he could soon be following former team-mates Owen Farrell, Henry Arundell and Joe Marchant across The Channel.
“I’m hopeful Manu will be staying in England. There are no plans confirmed as yet, to my understanding,” Borthwick said.
“Ultimately it’s up to Manu and the opportunities that present themselves. From my point of view, he knows I would want him to be in England – I want all our best players playing in England.”
Tuilagi would have been involved earlier the Six Nations had it not been for a groin problem sustained in mid-December, the latest in a long list of injuries that have made him unavailable for international duty for lengthy spells.
Although in the twilight of his career, Borthwick believes Tuilagi still has plenty to offer England – both on and off the field.
“Manu adds huge amounts to this squad. He’s a player who impacts upon people and he impacts upon games. I’m looking forward to seeing him impact upon this game on Saturday night,” Borthwick said.
“Manu has been training well and has looked sharper and sharper. His training, work ethic and what he delivers on the field are always excellent.
“We’ve got a number of young players in this squad and he takes the time and the care to help them and pass his knowledge on.
“The very best players make everyone else be five per cent or 10 per cent better because of their presence and Manu has that effect.
“He’s socially robust within the group, he’s brilliant at bringing people together. He’s the one at the coffee machine making coffee for everyone to sit, chat and spend time with each other. He brings people together.”
Borthwick has kept faith with George Ford at fly-half despite Marcus Smith’s match-winning contribution off the bench in the 23-22 upset of Ireland last Saturday.
Smith brought extra zip and creativity to England in the latter stages, as well as landing the decisive drop goal, but Ford was also excellent outside of his goalkicking problems and his growing understanding with full-back George Furbank is seen as key.
“The prime reason for the decision is that both of them played really well. George played a really good game in many ways and the blend of the two of them is an exciting blend,” Borthwick said.
“We are trying to build that consistency and cohesion. If players haven’t played with each other, you can’t expect them to read each other.
“Having consistency in selection helps this team build and that’s an important step for us.”
LeBron James believes the Los Angeles Lakers are still playing "good ball", despite a 120-107 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.
The defeat leaves the Lakers at 36-31, ninth in the Western Conference and three games back of the Kings, who currently occupy the sixth seed and would avoid the play-in tournament were the season to finish now.
The Kings' win on Wednesday means they have swept the Lakers 4-0 this season. Domantas Sabonis starred for Sacramento with 17 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists, while Harrison Barnes also hit seven 3-pointers as James finished with just 18 points.
The Lakers need an upturn in form if they are to avoid the play-in tournament, but despite suffering a defeat to a playoff rival in Sacramento, James still feels his team played well in some spots.
"We already knew we were in the gauntlet of our schedule," James told reporters.
"We already knew we had all the teams that were coming in, everybody positioning and jockeying, some of the best teams in the league. We knew it was a tough stretch for our ball club.
"But even with the loss to Denver, even with the loss to Sacramento both times, we've still been playing some good ball."
The win for Sacramento means Sabonis has now played against fellow center Anthony Davis 10 times during his career, winning all 10 of those clashes.
However, Sabonis hopes the growing talk of his impressive record against nine-time All-Star Davis quietens down, joking: "I don't pay attention to that.
"The more you guys bring attention to that, it makes my life harder. If anything, it will light a fire under him, so stop mentioning anything, please!"
Ireland will host World Cup conquerors New Zealand and Joe Schmidt’s Australia during a mouth-watering four-match autumn series against southern hemisphere opposition.
The All Blacks, who beat Andy Farrell’s side 28-24 in the quarter-finals of last year’s global tournament in France, will visit Dublin on Friday, November 8.
Former Ireland boss Schmidt will bring the Wallabies to the Aviva Stadium for the series finale on Saturday, November 30.
In between those stellar fixtures, the reigning Guinness Six Nations champions will take on Argentina, on Friday, November 15, and Fiji, on Saturday, November 23.
With a two-match summer tour against world champions South Africa already scheduled for July, Ireland will end the year having faced each of Test rugby’s other 10 leading nations.
The game against Australia has been arranged as part of the Irish Rugby Football Union’s 150th year celebrations.
Head coach Farrell, who is preparing for Saturday’s Six Nations title decider against Scotland, said: “This November’s line-up is a hugely exciting one for the Irish rugby public and we are looking forward to competing against four hugely talented sides.
“There is an added dimension to this year’s autumn series, with a fourth match against Australia set to mark the IRFU’s 150th celebrations.
“We look forward to testing ourselves against some of the most exciting teams in the world, with whom Ireland has such strong traditions and rivalries. It promises to be a series to remember.”
The matches will be the final fixtures before Farrell takes a break from his role to focus on leading the British and Irish Lions on their 2025 tour of Australia.
Series fixtures
Ireland v New Zealand, Friday, November 8, 8.10pm – Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Ireland v Argentina, Friday, November 15, 8.10pm – Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Ireland v Fiji, Saturday, November 23, 3.10pm – Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Ireland v Australia, Saturday, November 30, 3.10pm – Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Rory McIlroy insisted his conscience was clear after shrugging off a lengthy debate over a penalty drop to claim a share of the clubhouse lead on day one of the Players Championship.
Having started from the 10th at TPC Sawgrass, McIlroy looked set to lead outright when he covered his first 15 holes in eight under par, only to pull his tee shot on the seventh into the water.
It was not clear where the ball had bounced before entering the hazard and that led to a near 10-minute discussion with playing partners Viktor Hovland and Jordan Spieth, who appeared to question the location of McIlroy’s drop.
McIlroy eventually hit his third shot short of the green and ran up a double-bogey six, but made his 10th birdie of the day on the par-five ninth to match the seven-under-par 65 of Olympic champion Xander Schauffele.
“I think Jordan [Spieth] was just trying to make sure that I was doing the right thing,” McIlroy told reporters after the round.
“I was pretty sure that my ball had crossed where I was sort of dropping it. It’s so hard, right, because there was no TV evidence.
“If anything I was being conservative with it. I think at the end of the day we’re all trying to protect ourselves, protect the field, as well.
“I was adamant, but I guess I started to doubt myself a little bit. I was like, ‘OK, did I actually see what I thought I saw?’. It is a bit of a [television] blind spot. I think the best view was from the tee, which was the view that we had.”
Hovland and Spieth chose not to speak to the media after rounds of 73 and 74 respectively, but McIlroy – who faced a similar drop situation on the 18th – was asked if everyone in the group had been comfortable with the outcome.
“I think so, yeah,” McIlroy added. “I’m comfortable. I think that’s the most important thing.
“I feel like I’m one of the most conscientious golfers out here, so if I feel like I’ve done something wrong, it’ll play on my conscience for the rest of the tournament.
“I’m a big believer in karma and if you do something wrong, I feel like it’s going to come around and bite you at some point.
“I obviously don’t try to do anything wrong out there, and play by the rules and do the right thing. I feel like I obviously did that those two drops.”
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox had earlier made history as the first man to follow an eagle on the 16th with a hole-in-one on the 17th.
Fox holed from inside three feet for eagle on the 16th and then saw his tee shot on the next pitch around 10 feet beyond the pin and spin back into the hole.
Fox eventually carded a three-under-par 69, while England’s Tommy Fleetwood returned a 70 which included five birdies and a triple-bogey on the seventh.
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