Scottie Scheffler has been working hard on the one weak link in his game as he bids to win a third PGA Tour title this season.
Scheffler, who can reclaim the world number one ranking from Jon Rahm with victory in the AT&T Byron Nelson, defended his title in February’s WM Phoenix Open and also claimed the prestigious Players Championship at Sawgrass.
And the former Masters champion did so despite ranking just 89th in total putting on the PGA Tour, a stark contrast to leading the categories for strokes gained off the tee and tee to green, as well as greens in regulation.
“I just feel like I’ve seen a lot of putts that I’ve really thought were going to go in that haven’t,” Scheffler told a pre-tournament press conference at TPC Craig Ranch.
“I’m usually pretty dangerous when my putter gets hot, so I’ve been working on it pretty good. Yeah, just hoping to see some putts go in. Instead of lipping out, maybe lipping in.”
Scheffler made his PGA Tour debut in what was then called the HP Byron Nelson Championship as a 17-year-old amateur in 2014, recording a hole-in-one during the third round and eventually finishing in a tie for 22nd.
Nine years later he is the star attraction and the only member of the world’s top 15 in the field following the injury withdrawal of Jordan Spieth.
“It’s definitely a bit different than when I came here in high school,” Scheffler added. “I feel like I’m a little bit more a part of this thing than I was then, but I was just fortunate to get a spot and come out and play.
“Now I guess coming full circle out here is a little different scenario and it’s a lot of fun being able to play in front of the home crowd.
“Now that I’ve had some success out here on Tour, there’s a lot more people that will show up to watch me, which is great.
“I’m fortunate to be able to come out here and support an event that supported me from a young age, and I’m looking forward to going out there and playing in front of the home crowd and hopefully making some birdies.”
Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from May 10.
FootballBurnley celebrated their trophy parade.
And sealed a deal!
Manchester City players reflected on their trip to Madrid.
Beth Mead, Lucy Bronze and Luther Blissett were honoured.
CricketMorning motivation from Virat Kohli.
Kevin Pietersen marked his son’s 13th birthday.
GolfJustin Rose was back on the road.
BoxingA tip from Eddie Hearn.
Formula OneFlashback.
Valtteri Bottas was back on his bike.
Nice views from Williams.
Tiger Woods will miss the US PGA Championship as expected after undergoing ankle surgery last month.
Woods was not included in the 155-strong field issued by the PGA of America on Wednesday for next week’s event at Oak Hill Country Club.
The final spot will be filled by the winner of the AT&T Byron Nelson in Texas.
Jordan Spieth was included in the field despite withdrawing from this week’s PGA Tour event with a wrist injury.
Woods pulled out of the Masters during the third round in April, saying at the time it was due to plantar fasciitis.
However, the 47-year-old then had a subtalar fusion procedure in New York to address the problem caused by a previous fracture of his talus, a bone in the ankle joint.
Woods feared his leg would have to be amputated due to the serious injuries he suffered in a car accident in Los Angeles in February 2021.
He made a remarkable return to action 14 months later and finished 47th in the Masters, but withdrew from the US PGA following a third-round 79 and did not contest the US Open before missing the cut in the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews.
Woods has accepted that he can only play a handful of times a year going forward and is targeting majors and events with which he has a personal connection.
The US Open takes place at Los Angeles Country Club in June and Woods will hope to defy the odds and be able to compete in July’s Open at Royal Liverpool, where he won a third Open title in 2006 in his first tournament since the death of his father Earl two months earlier.
Katie Taylor believes her career has been shaped by pressure moments so the Irish fighter doubts she will be overwhelmed by her homecoming against Chantelle Cameron later this month.
Taylor (22-0, 6KOs) is headlining the first major boxing card in Dublin since 2016, attempting to emulate Claressa Shields in becoming an undisputed two-weight world champion on May 20 at the 3Arena.
It will be her first professional fight in Ireland but, from winning gold at London 2012 to taking on Amanda Serrano at New York’s Madison Square Garden last year, Taylor is accustomed to blazing a trail.
So the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO lightweight champion, who is stepping up to light-welterweight to challenge for Cameron’s four belts, is sceptical about succumbing to fight-night nerves.
“I have the experience of fighting in these big occasions,” the 36-year-old said. “I have the experience of fighting when there is a lot of pressure on my shoulders.
“I don’t really see it as anything too outrageous in terms of what I’ve actually experienced before. Every single time I step into the ring I feel like there’s a lot of pressure on me.
“I am just getting on with things, looking forward to the fight, I’m excited about it, I’m not feeling the burden right now, I’m just excited. This could be the biggest moment of my career so far.
“This is a huge occasion for me and I’m just delighted to have a chance to fight at home. A few years ago, I didn’t think this was ever going to happen so I’m just so excited about it.”
Taylor was initially supposed to fight Serrano again at Croke Park in a rematch of their epic first meeting, which was the first women’s contest to top the bill at the so-called ‘Mecca of Boxing’.
Security cost issues scuppered the initial plan while a switch of opponent was necessary after Serrano suffered an injury, but Taylor remains hopeful of one day fighting inside Ireland’s largest stadium.
“I definitely haven’t given up on it,” she said. “I would absolutely love the opportunity to fight at Croke Park, our most iconic stadium, but these things are genuinely out of my control.”
Taylor, who stepped up to the 140lb division and won the WBO title by beating Christina Linardatou in 2019, was taken to her limits by Serrano in April last year but earned a split decision victory.
She will face height and reach disadvantages against Cameron, who has won all 17 fights in the paid ranks, but Taylor insisted she is ready for whatever the Northampton fighter has to offer.
“I definitely believe this fight has the potential to be the hardest of my career so far and I am ready for that challenge,” Taylor added. “These are the kinds of fights that I am very, very excited about.
“I’ve had my eye on Chantelle for a few years now, this is a fight that I’ve always wanted. The motivation is as high as ever for this fight for me.
“It would have been a lot worse if I was going from Amanda Serrano to a mandatory opponent, a fight I can’t really get up for. This is a fight where I am genuinely motivated for and she is as well.
“I’m going to have to be at my very, very best on fight night. People are saying this is going to be an even better fight than the Amanda Serrano fight so there is a huge appetite.”
Joy Neville will make rugby union history in France later this year when she becomes the first woman to officiate at a men’s World Cup.
The Irish referee has been included among seven television match officials for the tournament.
Neville, 39, controlled the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup final between England and New Zealand in Belfast.
Wayne Barnes, meanwhile, will lead a four-strong contingent of English officials among the 12 referees selected.
Barnes has controlled a world-best 102 Tests and will officiate in a fifth successive World Cup, having made his tournament bow during the 2007 staging.
He is joined by Luke Pearce, Matthew Carley and Karl Dickson, with Carley and Dickson making their World Cup refereeing debuts.
The group of referees announced by World Rugby also includes Irishman Andrew Brace and Nika Amashukeli, who becomes the first Georgian to officiate at a World Cup, with England’s Christophe Ridley and Welshman Craig Evans chosen among seven assistant referees.
“The journey to Rugby World Cup 2023 is not an easy one for match officials,” World Rugby high performance 15s match official manager Joel Jutge said.
“There are fewer roles with as much public scrutiny, but I am proud of how the team has responded to the ups and downs, always being open and acting with integrity.
“Selection is one milestone, and we have a lot of work to do before the start of the tournament with warm-up matches and the Rugby Championship.
“But this team has a great work ethic, an unwavering spirit and a great bond, and we will all benefit from increased time together as we prepare for what will be a very special Rugby World Cup 2023 in France.”
The tournament kicks off on September 8 when France host New Zealand in Paris.
The NFL announced a handful of games for the 2023 season on Wednesday before the league’s full regular-season schedule will be unveiled Thursday night.
A first-ever Black Friday game will take place on November 24, as new Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers will lead New York against the visiting Miami Dolphins.
The defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles will host the New York Giants on Christmas Day, while the Kansas City Chiefs will host the Cincinnati Bengals on New Year’s Eve in a rematch of last season's AFC Championship Game.
The NFL also announced there will be five international games – three in London and two in Germany.
In London, the Jacksonville Jaguars will become the first team to play two games outside of the United States in the same season when they face the Atlanta Falcons on October 1 at Wembley Stadium and the Buffalo Bills the following week on October 8 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will also host the third London game on October 15 when the Tennessee Titans take on the Baltimore Ravens.
After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers played the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL’s first regular-season game in Germany last season in Munich, the league will return to Germany for two games at Frankfurt Stadium.
Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs will meet the Dolphins on November 5, and the New England Patriots will face the Indianapolis Colts on November 12.
The Jacksonville Jaguars will make NFL history this year by playing back-to-back games in London.
The UK has long been the Florida franchise’s home away from home and October will see them become the first team to play two of their regular season games outside of the United States.
The Jaguars kick off the 2023 International Games against the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley – their 10th game in England as part of a multi-year commitment to play in the region.
That October 1 fixture is followed with another London game the following week as the Buffalo Bills host them at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 8.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence said: “We are excited to again compete in the NFL’s International Games and face off against the Falcons and Bills in London.
“Hosting the Falcons at Wembley Stadium will be awesome only to be followed by playing on the road against the Bills at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“I’m pumped for the experience and know the support from Duval will be strong at both games.”
The Jags normally spend three days in London when they play across the pond, but this schedule means they are to set to spend 10 days in the capital around these games.
Jaguars vice president of UK operations Maria Gigante said: “We are delighted to be the first team to ever play back-to-back games in London, which is fitting as the Jaguars are very much the UK’s team.
“Playing in London is always a fantastic occasion, and we are committed to making Wembley the most authentic NFL home game experience for the fans and team, and with the addition of a game on the road versus the Bills we have a great opportunity to engage for a much longer period – and we have some very exciting things planned.”
The 2023 NFL London Games will wrap up on October 15, when the Tennessee Titans play the Baltimore Ravens at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
View this post on InstagramThe schedule then continues onto Germany, which successfully hosted their first regular season fixture last year in Munich.
This time around there will be two games, both being held at Frankfurt Stadium.
Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs face the Miami Dolphins on November 5, before the New England Patriots take on the Indianapolis Colts on November 12.
Alex Sanderson has described Sunday’s play-off clash against Leicester as “a game of grand magnitude” as Sale Sharks target a first Gallagher Premiership final appearance since 2006.
Sale beat Leicester 45-20 at Twickenham 17 years ago, helped on their way by 23 points from fly-half Charlie Hodgson, while captain Jason Robinson became the first player to win Grand Finals in both rugby codes.
The Sharks have featured in just one play-off occasion since that season, though, shipping 40 points against Exeter in 2021.
Standing in Sale’s way at a sold-out AJ Bell Stadium this weekend and a return to English rugby headquarters are the reigning Premiership champions.
When the clubs last met in Greater Manchester Sale ran out 40-5 winners, while Sharks finished second behind Saracens across the regular domestic season.
“Thankfully, this isn’t our first rodeo of recent times with this group,” Sale rugby director Sanderson said.
“We have learnt from two years ago how to manage these kind of moments better.
“It is a game of grand magnitude which we are looking to enjoy and embrace, not to be overwhelmed by. That is the challenge.
“Our excitement exists within this bubble. You don’t want to talk about the further reach because it can become overwhelming, as it did two years ago.
“You have to stick to process while being aware of the buzz around. It has been really, really busy around the ground and there is lots going on this weekend.
“We feel the support more than we ever have done. We have just got to come back to what has been working well for us, which is communicating well and training hard.”
It is difficult to under-estimate the drive that Sale have taken from their play-off loss against Exeter two years ago.
Had they beaten the Chiefs – also in Devon – during the final round of regular-season action a week earlier, then it could have secured a home semi-final.
Sanderson added: “We have been working towards it and building for this for two years, certainly since a year last Christmas when we realised we had a lot of work to do as an organisation.
“Since then, we have looked at how we can give ourselves these kind of opportunities.
“Now we are here, it feels like we have earned it. It’s less of a fairy-tale and there is less emotion around this occurrence than there was two years ago.
“We have referred back to the players, in particular seven or eight of them who have won the big trophies in the past, and how they have managed these weeks, how we can manage these moments better.
“It is a general understanding of how we deal with it, make sure it doesn’t change us, but be aware that it is there.”
Nikola Jokic scored 17 of his 29 points during the decisive third quarter and the Denver Nuggets gained the upper hand in their Western Conference semifinal series with a 118-102 rout of the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
Jokic followed his 53-point performance in Game 4 with another stellar display, adding 13 rebounds and 12 assists for his 10th career playoff triple-double, breaking a tie with Wilt Chamberlain for most by a center in NBA history.
Bruce Brown scored 25 points, one shy of his playoff career high, and Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray added 19 apiece as Denver improved to 6-0 at home this postseason for a 3-2 series lead.
The Nuggets turned a 52-49 halftime lead into a 91-74 advantage with a dominant third quarter in which Jokic made seven of eight shots, while Devin Booker scored three points on 1 of 8 from the field.
Booker finished with 28 points but missed 11 of 19 shots, Kevin Durant had 26 points and Deandre Ayton added 14. No other Suns player reached double figures.
Denver can earn a trip to the west finals with a win at Phoenix on Thursday in Game 6.
Visiting 76ers cruise past Celtics
Joel Embiid scored 32 points and Tyrese Maxey added 30 with six 3-pointers to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a surprisingly easy 115-103 victory over the Boston Celtics and a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Philadelphia led by as many as 21 points in the fourth quarter as the home fans showered the Celtics with boos.
James Harden had 17 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, Tobias Harris chipped in 16 points and 11 boards and little-used Danuel House Jr. contributed 10 points and five rebounds.
The 76ers can close out the series and advance to the East finals for the first time since reaching the NBA Finals in 2000-01 with a win at home in Game 6 on Thursday.
Jayson Tatum had 36 points but missed all five of his first-quarter attempts and made 11 for 27 from the field. He was part of a poor shooting effort by the Celtics, who shot under 40 percent overall and misfired on 26 of 38 from long range.
Boston cut the deficit to 92-81 with under 10 minutes remaining but Maxey and Embiid responded with consecutive 3s. After Jaylen Brown hit a layup, baskets by House Jr. and Maxey stretched Philadelphia's advantage to 104-88, effectively ending any hopes of a comeback.
Three weeks after being named the 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year, the Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. is the leading vote-getter to headline the NBA All-Defensive first team.
The league announced the All-Defensive first and second teams on Tuesday, and joining Jackson on the top team is Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley and Brook Lopez and Jrue Holiday of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Jackson, who boasted an individual defensive rating of 106.6 – the best among all full-time starters – received the most first-team votes with 96, followed by 94 for Holiday, 85 for Lopez, 50 for Caruso and 49 for Mobley.
The 23-year-old Jackson just completed his fifth professional season, and this is his second time selected to the All-Defensive first team.
Jackson’s former Memphis teammate Dillon Brooks was named to the All-Defensive second team, along with Boston Celtics guard Derrick White, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, Toronto Raptors forward O.G. Anunoby and Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat.
Jackson’s inclusion on the All-Defensive first team comes after he was announced the winner of the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy as the NBA Defensive Player of the Year on April 17.
Blocking an astounding 9.58 per cent of all opponent shot attempts, the 6-foot-11 Jackson averaged an NBA-best 3.0 blocks per game.
Lopez was the runner-up in voting for Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league with 193 blocks, an average of 2.5 per game – the highest mark of his 15-year NBA career.
Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from May 9.
FootballChristian Eriksen felt honoured.
View this post on InstagramDavid Ginola also enjoyed the Laureus awards.
View this post on InstagramWhen Peter met Ted.
Burnley celebrated.
Abdoulaye Doucoure made the podium.
Beth Mead brought a smile to Leah Williamson’s face.
Happy birthdays.
Charlie Adam saluted the retiring Glenn Whelan.
CricketSam Billings revealed he had skin cancer last year.
Somerset turned the clock back.
AthleticsDame Jessica Ennis-Hill reflected on her weekend in Paris.
View this post on InstagramGymnasticsSimone Biles shared her big day.
BoxingJoe Joyce made a vow.
Motor racingView of the day?
Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog missed the entire 2022-23 season because of a right knee injury.
That same injured knee will cause him to miss all of the 2023-24 season, as well.
Landeskog will undergo cartilage transplant surgery on the knee, the Avalanche announced on Tuesday.
Wednesday’s scheduled surgery will be the fourth on the knee for Landeskog, who initially hurt it when he was sliced by a skate in a 2020 playoff game against the Dallas Stars.
The last time Landeskog took the ice he was hoisting the Stanley Cup over his head on June 26, 2022, after helping Colorado to the franchise’s third title.
He missed the final seven weeks of the 2021-22 regular season after having surgery on the same knee in March, but was able to return for the playoffs.
He was instrumental to Colorado’s Cup run, tallying 11 goals and 11 assists in 20 postseason games.
The 30-year-old then had another surgery in October 2022, and was initially projected to miss 12 weeks.
He was never able to fully recovery, however, and announced during the final week of the 2022-23 regular season he would remain side-lined for the playoffs.
Without Landeskog this past season, Colorado still managed to win the Central Division, but its season ended with a first-round loss to the Seattle Kraken.
Landeskog, who has six seasons left on a $56million, eight-year deal he signed in 2021, was drafted second overall by the Avalanche in 2011, and ranks eighth all-time in franchise history with 571 points.
Leicester are ready to contest Chris Ashton’s red card that could rule him out of Tigers’ Gallagher Premiership play-off clash against Sale.
The 36-year-old former England wing was sent off for a high tackle on Harlequins’ Cadan Murley during Leicester’s 20-17 defeat three days ago.
Ashton, the Premiership’s record try-scorer, will retire at the end of this season, but he could now be banned by disciplinary chiefs.
If Ashton is suspended then his hopes of featuring in the play-off – and possibly the Premiership final on May 27 – will be over.
“When we get the date of the hearing, which I would have thought would be Wednesday, we will contest it,” Leicester boss Richard Wigglesworth said.
“It will be this week and if we get it turned around he will be available (for the play-off).
“The slipping and the dipping, there were mitigating factors in the tackle and the mitigating factors are why we think it is a yellow (card) and not a red.
“I am not calling anything dodgy. I know they have got a difficult job. We just want everything to be clear and obvious.
“If it is a high level of force and danger, then the red card is there to protect players. They have got to get it right, that is their job.
“We have got to get our tactics right, the players have got to get themselves right and they have got to get those decisions right.”
Wigglesworth would have no problem, given the time-frame, regarding Ashton’s readiness to face Sale on Sunday if he received a green light.
“Chris will know his stuff and be good to go,” Wigglesworth added.
“He is experienced and he will still have a training day knowing he is in the starting team, if that happens, so that wouldn’t be a problem for us.”
Premiership champions Leicester face a team that finished one place and 10 points above them across the 20-game regular season.
Saracens meet Northampton in the other play-off, meaning a repeat of last year’s final between Leicester and Saracens is possible.
Gregor Townsend admitted he had resigned himself to the likelihood that his time as Scotland head coach was drawing to an end before the Scottish Rugby Union recently moved to offer him a new deal until April 2026.
The 50-year-old’s previous contract was due to expire after the upcoming World Cup and, with no talks having taken place with the governing body, there was intense speculation during the winter that he would be leaving his post following the autumn showpiece in France.
However, tentative negotiations began in the middle of the recent Six Nations campaign and it was confirmed on Tuesday that Townsend – already Scotland’s longest-serving head coach after taking charge in 2017 – was set to remain at the helm for a further three years.
“I suppose the time when I wasn’t getting offered the contract, there was a lot of thinking going on there and a couple of stages in the season I thought ‘this will be my last season’, so to be able to at least have the discussion and think about the future has been a big positive and I’m obviously delighted to be able to stay with this group in this role for a few more years,” he said.
Townsend was linked with other jobs earlier this year but he insists there was never any likelihood he would commit to anything at that point.
“Not really,” he said, when asked if he was close to pledging his future elsewhere during his period in contract limbo.
“There were a couple of approaches between the Autumn Tests and the Six Nations but I don’t think there was any chance I was going to commit to anything before the Six Nations.
“The positive was that during the Six Nations, discussions started to happen between Scottish Rugby and myself. While I felt I wasn’t going to get a contract offer here, I don’t think I was going to commit to anything with a tournament on the horizon.”
Townsend, who will have been in charge for nine years if he sees out his contract, is thrilled to be remaining in a job he relishes.
“Not being able to make that choice or decision (to stay) was the difficult part,” he said.
“Me and the coaches focused on the rugby side of it because there wasn’t really any decision to make until we got to a stage where there was a contract offer.
“I love the job. You get ups and downs with it but I feel real sense of purpose being in the job.
“I’ve loved this season more than any other, the emotion down at Twickenham, seeing the way the guys came back in Paris, to have experienced a tour like last summer (in South America) with new, young players that breathed life into the team. We obviously want to build on that in the next few months ahead.”
British heavyweight Joe Joyce intends to jump straight back in with Chinese fighter Zhilei Zhang after activating his rematch clause.
Joyce’s hopes of a world title showdown against either Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk suffered a major setback when the Londoner was stopped in the sixth round by Zhang at the Copper Box Arena last month.
It was a first professional defeat after 15 straight wins for Joyce, whose right eye was almost swollen shut, which led to the bout being waved off after he was twice inspected by a ringside doctor.
Despite being outclassed by Zhang first time around, Joyce wants to immediately correct the record.
“Rematch clause activated. Taking back what’s mine,” the 37-year-old wrote on Twitter.
Zhang claimed Joyce’s WBO interim title and with it the mandatory position to face the sanctioning body’s full champion Usyk, who also holds the WBA and IBF belts in boxing’s blue riband division.
However, the WBA and IBF mandatories – Daniel Dubois and Filip Hrgovic respectively – take precedent, which may have left Zhang waiting for his shot for at least a year.
Zhang was rumoured to be in talks for a showdown with Tyson Fury, but a return bout against Joyce, which could take place in China, now looks the likeliest option.
Gregor Townsend is braced for a “difficult” task in whittling his 41-man Rugby World Cup training group down to 33 for the tournament itself, although the Scotland head coach is intent on finalising his pool for France in early August.
There were few major surprises in the 50-year-old’s provisional squad named on Tuesday. Glasgow back Stafford McDowall and Leicester lock Cam Henderson were the only uncapped players included, although both were involved in the Six Nations squad earlier this year.
Jonny Gray was the highest-profile absentee after the Exeter second row suffered a serious knee injury recently, while Fraser Brown, Johnny Matthews and Mark Bennett have been left out.
“It was really difficult,” Townsend said of his selection. “Certain positions required a lot of debate, not just yesterday but the last few weeks.
“I was really keen for a 38-man squad and then I suppose Jonny picking up his injury last week, and a couple of other things, it got to 40 and then it got finalised on 41.
“It just shows the depth we have that we’ve left out some quality players and we’ve still got so much quality in the squad.”
Scotland play four warm-up matches between July 29 and August 26 and Townsend hopes to cull eight players after the game at home to France on August 5.
“It will be difficult,” he said. “It would have been easier if it was 38 because then you only have five players to drop out the squad.
“My goal is to get that down to 33 quickly, maybe after the second warm-up game. That’s what I’m looking at, so we can start working with that 33 in training weeks, get used to them working together, with two games after that.
“If we can get down to 33, that will be really good for our preparations for the World Cup.”
Townsend confirmed he does not expect lock Gray to be fit for the World Cup after the 29-year-old dislocated his kneecap in Exeter’s Champions Cup semi-final defeat by La Rochelle a week past Sunday.
“I think it’s going to be at least four months from now until he’s back in full training and ready to play,” said the head coach. “We kick off in four months’ time against South Africa so who knows?
“It might be that a couple of weeks into the tournament we pick up an injury and he’s back in full training and played pre-season games, but I think that’s unlikely from where we stand today.
“Let’s hope he’s ready to go around September or October, whether that’s for us if we pick up injuries, or his club.”
Edinburgh wing Darcy Graham and Glasgow flanker Rory Darge are both back in the mix after missing the Six Nations through injury, while former Scotland captains Stuart Hogg and Stuart McInally – both of whom recently announced plans to retire from rugby to pursue other interests after the autumn showpiece – remain on course for World Cup swansongs.
Townsend admitted it was always unlikely there would be many newcomers to the World Cup squad given the number of players that have been integrated gradually but deliberately over the past few years.
“The form of players that have been in our recent squads,” said Townsend when asked why there were so few new faces.
“Argentina and Chile (the summer tour) last year was very important for a number of reasons, and one of the reasons was development of players that got opportunities there and have kicked on and are still in our squad.
“The Six Nations was more of a senior squad, we picked the best squad we could put together and didn’t make many changes because we wanted to keep as much cohesion as possible, so it was always going to be difficult for players outside the group to come in when the players were performing so well in games and training.
“There’s lots of depth there so if we do pick up injuries, we know we’ve got quality players just outside the squad.”
Mark McCall says Saracens’ defeat in the Gallagher Premiership final last season has proved a driving force behind their quest for an immediate Twickenham return.
Victory over play-off opponents Northampton on Saturday would land Saracens a ninth appearance in English rugby’s domestic showpiece on May 27.
Their title hopes last year were dashed by Freddie Burns’ dramatic late drop-goal that saw Leicester claim a 15-12 victory.
“I guess it wasn’t so much losing the final, it was how we lost it, which is the thing that is driving us, I think,” Saracens rugby director McCall said.
“It felt like we played within ourselves. It was how we lost, not because we lost.
“Anyone can lose a final – knockout games are hard to win – but when you don’t feel that you have given it a proper go, then you carry that all summer. I guess that has driven this season to a degree.
“We’ve enjoyed a couple of really good weeks’ preparation. The players are in good spirits.
“We don’t take these things (semi-finals) for granted and we are looking forward to it. To get a home semi-final is exactly what you want.
“They (Northampton) are a very good team, an unbelievably dangerous team, full of talented players in their squad. And this is their second semi-final in a row, so they have shown some really good consistency as well.”
Saracens go into the play-offs after topping the regular season table and finishing 16 points above Northampton.
Fly-half Owen Farrell, though, does not believe that Saracens require a trophy to validate their Premiership return three years after relegation following persistent salary cap breaches.
“I think we have performed consistently enough over the past two years since we’ve been back to be enough of a presence in the Premiership,” Farrell said.
“Do we want to win the Premiership? Yes, of course we do. We’ve got some big personalities maybe playing in their last games for the club and we want to make sure we do them proud.
“To come back and do it (win the title) within a year, we talked about it being special, and we didn’t do it.
“We are on another year now and I have not thought about it in that way too much if I am honest. We’ve been consistent enough over the past two years, without winning last year, to validate us being back in the Premiership.
“We want to be at our best, getting the best out of of ourselves, and I am sure Northampton are the same. We want to make sure we are playing some of our best stuff and we want to enjoy it.
“It’s tough to lose any final. We felt like we didn’t put the best out of us out on that day (last year) and that is obviously a credit to Leicester and what they did as well.”
Former Scotland captains Stuart Hogg and Stuart McInally remain on course for World Cup swansongs after the pair were named in Gregor Townsend’s 41-man pre-tournament training squad on Tuesday.
The experienced duo announced recently that they will retire from rugby to pursue other interests after this year’s showpiece in France.
While Exeter full-back Hogg was always expected to be included in the squad, there was some doubt about whether Edinburgh hooker McInally would be included.
In a squad of few major surprises, Glasgow back Stafford McDowall and Leicester lock Cam Henderson are the only uncapped players included, although both were involved in the Six Nations squad earlier this year.
Edinburgh wing Darcy Graham and Glasgow flanker Rory Darge are both back in the mix after missing the Six Nations through injury.
Exeter second row Jonny Gray has not been included after suffering a knee injury recently, while Fraser Brown, Johnny Matthews and Mark Bennett are among the most notable absentees.
The 41-player group will gather for an initial training camp on 29 May to begin preparations for warm-up matches at home to France, Italy and Georgia and away to the French in July and August.
The squad will then be trimmed to 33 ahead of the tournament in which Scotland will be in a group alongside South Africa, Ireland, Tonga and Romania. Their first match is against the Springboks in Marseille on Sunday 10 September.
Wales international back-row forward Dan Lydiate has sealed a return to the Dragons ahead of next season.
Lydiate, who was recently released by Dragons’ United Rugby Championship rivals the Ospreys, will rejoin a region he played for between 2006 and 2013.
The 35-year-old British and Irish Lion has won 69 caps and is part of Wales head coach Warren Gatland’s extended preliminary World Cup training squad.
The Dragons have not specified Lydiate’s length of contract.
“We are delighted that Dan is coming home to a club where it all started and a place that means a huge amount to him,” Dragons head coach Dai Flanagan said.
“Dan has enjoyed a fantastic career, playing at the very highest level, and he comes back to the Dragons producing some of his finest rugby, underlined by his recent call-up by Wales.
“He is a leader, someone who sets the standards, while his vast experience and approach to the game will be of huge benefit to our young squad.”
Lydiate said: “I’ve had a lot of positive conversations with Dai about what is being built here, and he is one of the reasons I wanted to return and sign.
“There is a good crop of young talent at Dragons, and now I am back on board I will hopefully add some experience, play my part and help them on their journey, too. I am looking forward to getting stuck in.”
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
