Tom Curry will be available for England’s final World Cup group game after receiving a two-match ban for his dangerous tackle against Argentina on Saturday.

Curry was shown a red card that was upgraded from yellow upon review following a clash of heads with Pumas full-back Juan Cruz Mallia in the third minute at Marseille’s Stade Velodrome.

A virtual disciplinary panel gave Curry a three-game suspension that will be reduced to two if he completes World Rugby’s ‘Coaching Intervention Programme’, otherwise known as tackle school.

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It means the Sale openside will be available to face Samoa in Lille on October 7 in England’s final Pool D assignment.

Freddie Steward has revealed that England’s heroic defensive stand against Argentina was inspired by a blast from Kevin Sinfield that was delivered in the wake of their Fiji debacle.

Steve Borthwick’s team opened their World Cup campaign with a 27-10 victory on Saturday despite playing 77 minutes with 14 men after Tom Curry was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle.

It was England’s finest hour since Borthwick took over and it arrived just in time as, until that act of defiance at the Stade Velodrome, concerns were being raised over a defence that had leaked 30 tries in nine Tests.

A conclusive defeat by Fiji at Twickenham a fortnight earlier saw the team reach their lowest ebb – and Steward admits the players deserved the reaction from Sinfield that followed.

“We got a bit of a rocket after that game. There were no complaints about that, it needed to happen,” the Leicester full-back said.

“We had a very thorough review, which we needed, and we reaped the benefits against Argentina. It was necessary for that to happen.

“That’s what makes Kev such a good defence coach – he’s so inspiring. He motivates us so much and he’s the sort of bloke you don’t want to let down.

“That’s testament to him as a bloke. When you go out there, part of it is you do it for him.

“You don’t want to see a guy like that, who puts his heart and soul into us in his work with his defence, feel let down.

“Kev is big on covering each other’s backs. That’s his big thing. He wants a defensive unit that are going to work incredibly hard for each other and, when it goes wrong, cover up for each other.

“Inevitably, you can be as good a defender as you want as a full-back but there are going to be times where it doesn’t go to plan and that is where you get tested. That’s his main ethos.”

Now that England have successfully negotiated their biggest match since the 2019 World Cup final, they have been challenged by Sinfield to ensure their defensive masterclass in Marseille is not a one-off.

“It is just a start. We saw lots of what we had seen in training against Argentina, which is pleasing, but I still feel there is so much in this team – so much improvement, so much growth,” Sinfield said.

“To get the win, given the noise that has been around us and the way the group have really circled the wagons – metaphorically that is – is really pleasing.

“We saw a fight, a spirit and attitude that the people at home supporting us and in the ground would have loved to have seen, and for us as coaches that is particularly pleasing, (but) we know we need to be better.

“Part of our challenge as coaches and part of the challenge of the playing group is to ensure this is not an anomaly, it is the start.”

Curry faces a disciplinary hearing in Paris on Tuesday night when he is expected to learn the length of his ban for the dangerous challenge that led to a clash of heads with Juan Cruz Mallia.

England flanker Tom Curry will learn the length of his suspension for his red card in Saturday’s World Cup win over Argentina on Tuesday.

Curry was sent off in the third minute after a dangerous challenge on Juan Cruz Mallia that resulted in his yellow card being upgraded to red by the bunker review system.

England overcame their adversity to produce an impressive 27-10 victory, with George Ford kicking all 27 points, and next face Japan in Nice on Sunday, but will be without Curry, who will attend a disciplinary hearing in Paris on Tuesday evening.

A statement from World Rugby said: “England’s Tom Curry will appear before an independent Judicial Committee in Paris having received a red card, following a review by the Foul Play Review Officer, in England’s Rugby World Cup 2023 Pool D match against Argentina in Marseille on Saturday, 9 September for an offence contrary to Law 9.13 (dangerous tackle).

“At the player’s request, the hearing will take place on Tuesday evening, 12 September.

“The independent Judicial Committee that will hear the matter will be chaired by Adam Casselden SC (Australia), joined by former players John Langford (Australia) and Jamie Corsi (Wales).”

England and Argentina collide in their pivotal World Cup opener at the Stade Velodrome on Saturday with Steve Borthwick’s side in the unusual position of being considered underdogs.

Here the PA news agency examines five talking points heading into the fixture.

Moment of truth

England have been upbeat since their arrival in France, refreshed by the change of scenery that provided a locational reset in the wake of losing five of their last six Tests. The positive talk must now be backed up with action on the pitch but on the basis of recent evidence it is hard to see how the upset will be sprung given so many areas of their game are malfunctioning. The stakes are high – win and England suddenly have a cause to rally around, lose and each remaining game in Pool D brings do or die jeopardy.

Time to deliver

A curious feature of England’s dismal run of just three wins in nine Tests under head coach Borthwick has been the lack of form seen from stars such as Ellis Genge, Maro Itoje, Jamie George and Freddie Steward. If Argentina are to be dispatched, they will need to exit their slump with a bang. On paper, England have a strong starting XV but when so many are underperforming the odds are stacked against them.

Mitchell’s World Cup rollercoaster

Few shards of light emerged out of the gloom of a first defeat by Fiji, but the urgency brought at scrum-half by Alex Mitchell’s full debut was one of them. The Northampton player added zip to the game with speedier service and quicker decision-making and his selection represents a change in thinking from Borthwick, who was expected to pick England’s most capped player Ben Youngs in the number-nine jersey. Mitchell now has a central role in Pool D’s box-office clash despite not being included in the original 41-man training squad, his opportunity arising when Jack van Poortvliet suffered a tournament-ending ankle injury against Wales at Twickenham.

Curry reinforces England

It is a reflection of Tom Curry’s influence on England that he has been propelled straight into the back row despite missing the entire build-up campaign because of damaged ankle ligaments. The squad’s fittest player, his conditioning is never in question and he has experience of making a successful immediate return from injury lay-offs. Regarded as the team’s defensive kingpin, he will provide physical intent and add to England’s breakdown potency in his first appearance since Borthwick replaced Eddie Jones in December. A lot of hopes are being pinned on his return.

Pumas on the prowl

Argentina’s scrum may not be the force of old, but the Pumas have evolved their overall game significantly. Their appetite for forward combat remains undiminished, but is now led by the back rather than front row and their breakdown work has improved as a result. The threequarters possess genuine X-factor with the likes of wings Mateo Carreras and Emiliano Boffelli and they are a cohesive team who will fight until the final minute, playing with a sense of purpose grounded in their fierce national pride. There is much to admire about a team that stormed Twickenham in November and is capable of progressing deeper into the tournament.

England must leave everything out on the pitch as they aim to set the tone for their Rugby World Cup campaign against Argentina on Saturday, though Mike Tindall does not see Steve Borthwick's side as being among the favourites.

The 2023 World Cup gets under way in Paris on Friday, with hosts France taking on New Zealand.

England's campaign starts on Saturday, when they face Argentina in Marseille.

The Red Rose – who were runners-up to South Africa in 2019 – head into the tournament ranked eighth in the world, below Fiji and two places below Argentina.

After a disappointing Six Nations, England will be looking to put things right, and Tindall wants to see a fast start on Saturday.

"The first game against Argentina, they can't leave anything out there," he told Stats Perform. "They're not in a place where they can build something, they have to play [well].

"Imagine that is the World Cup final and then deal with the outcome of it and then rebuild to go into quarter-finals and semi-finals.

"Argentina for England is the World Cup final. 

"They have to play the biggest game in their first outing that should get them into a quarter-final and hopefully in that time you build momentum and they can then go on."

Asked if he fancied England's chances of going all the way, Tindall said: "To be honest, at the moment, I don't see them be the favourites.

"I think I think they can muster a challenge, and we are on the right side of the draw. France, New Zealand, South Africa, Scotland, Ireland, they're going to take chunks out of each other, and you don't know what's going to happen injury wise.

"So all you've got to do is try and stay in their strike, manage everything, and ultimately believe and if they can do that, I think they could create a shock. But I don't think that they're going in as anywhere near favourites."

For Tindall, New Zealand or France are the favourites.

He said: "Just from the grouping, I would say the winner coming out of the France, New Zealand group.

"Ireland are number one in the world but the schedule and the draw they're on is terrible. It's terrible for them.

"Even South Africa, who are built for big physical guys, I just think that France and New Zealand have that first big game and then they can sort of relax a little bit.

"Not relax, but they'll be able to manage their players and manage their time. And I feel that the winner could come out with those two."

Steve Borthwick insists England are ready to defy gloomy predictions for their World Cup by delivering a reaction against Argentina in Saturday’s pivotal opener.

The Pumas are in the rare position of being assigned favourites for the main event of Pool D, based on a strong year under the guidance of Michael Cheika and their 30-29 victory at Twickenham in November.

England, meanwhile, have gone into freefall following a run of five defeats in six Tests that no longer makes qualification for the knockout phase appear to be the formality it once was.

Borthwick, who has named Alex Mitchell at scrum-half and Tom Curry at openside for the Marseille showdown, insists the low expectations have sent ripples of indignation through the squad.

“I sense there is a feeling among the players they’ve been written off too early. People have called time on them a bit too early,” England’s head coach said.

“I sense the frustration about what people have been saying about them and right now I have an expectation that they will go and perform with the quality that they have.

“I sense from them that there’s a real determination to go and put their best performances on the park.

“There is a lot of class in this squad. The players have a hell of a lot more to go. They can’t wait to get stuck in on Saturday night.

“Our job is put in a performance that this team is capable of and I know these players are capable of. I know these players are determined to deliver on Saturday night. That’s our job now.”

Borthwick’s theme of an England side ready to exit their slump in time to make an impact at the World Cup was taken up by captain Courtney Lawes, who is leading the team in the absence of the suspended Owen Farrell.

When asked if the players are angry at recent performances, Lawes replied: “There’s definitely a frustration. We feel it as much as anybody.

“We are in the thick of it and we are doing everything we can to make sure, come this weekend, we are firing on all cylinders.

“It’s going to be a hell of a spectacle, so enjoy it. We are going out all guns blazing and we are going to give it everything we have got.

“It’s the first game of the World Cup and we’re going to be well up for it.”

Offering hope to England supporters is the selection of Mitchell ahead of Danny Care and Ben Youngs, with the 26-year-old half-back a more dynamic presence than his veteran rivals for the jersey.

The tempo and energy brought by Mitchell, both through his delivery and with the ball in hand, was one of the few highlights to emerge from a chastening defeat by Fiji last month.

Remarkably he starts in England’s biggest game since the 2019 World Cup final despite being overlooked for their original 33-man squad, with an injury to Jack van Poortvliet offering his route to France.

“Alex was a dangerous running threat against Fiji; everyone knows he is a dangerous running threat,” Borthwick said.

“Immense credit to Mitch in that he was incredibly disappointed not to make the original 33-man squad. An opportunity opened up.

“One of the positives that came out of that Fiji game was his performance. He played well and he’s trained exceptionally well. He’s ready to go.”

Curry’s influence on the team is evident through his promotion to the back row despite having missed the entire build-up campaign because of an ankle injury sustained in training.

“We have got players throughout this 23 who have performed on the biggest of stages and Tom Curry is one of them,” Borthwick said.

“He’s in fantastic physical condition; he missed a period of training but his movement is exceptional.”

England have taken a step towards igniting their attack by picking Alex Mitchell at scrum-half for their crucial World Cup opener against Argentina in Marseille on Saturday.

Mitchell was omitted from the original 33-man squad named by Steve Borthwick only to be given a reprieve when Jack van Poortvliet suffered a tournament-ending ankle injury.

Having impressed on his first Test start against Fiji, the 26-year-old has retained half-back duties with the aim of adding zip to England’s game, while Danny Care provides support from the bench.

Tom Curry makes his first appearance under Borthwick and his maiden outing at any level since Sale lost to Saracens in the Gallagher Premiership final in May after being given the nod at openside.

Curry has been struggling with an ankle injury sustained during training in early August but in an indication of his influence on England, he has been thrust straight into the back row.

Argentina’s scrum may lack of the potency of old but Dan Cole insists it remains a significant threat to England’s goal of making a triumphant start to their World Cup.

Two sides who take pride in their forward dominance collide in Pool D’s highest-profile fixture in Marseille on Saturday, with the winners placing one foot into the quarter-finals.

Argentina’s last great scrum was 2015 when feared props Marcos Ayerza and Ramiro Herrera helped them reach the World Cup semi-finals, but more strings have now been added to the Pumas’ bow.

But tighthead prop Cole insists that with his Leicester-mate Julian Montoya present in their front row at hooker, they are still a formidable set-piece unit.

“It’s a force. Whether it’s the force of your (Martin) Scelzos, (Rodrigo) Ronceros and (Mario) Ledesmas….. But you still have Montoya, who I know brilliantly well,” Cole said.

“You look at their team in the Rugby Championship, they’re dangerous. If you have one scrummage where you are not fully focused they will do you damage and get stuck into you.

“They’re a dangerous team and they’ve grown their game in other areas. We know what’s coming up front.

“They love the physical contest. You speak to some of their front five – Tomas Lavanini when he was at Leicester and Montoya – and they relish the physical part of the game.

“Marcos Ayerza could talk for days about the scrum, both the physical and mental aspect of it.

“That’s the tradition of their game, we respect that and we look forward to playing them because that’s the game.”

Cole will be in the front line of resistance to Argentina’s forward assault at the Stade Velodrome as he prepares to take part in his fourth World Cup, either in the number three jersey or as a replacement.

The 36-year-old’s Test career appeared to be over until Steve Borthwick’s arrival as head coach offered a route back and he made his first appearance since the 2019 final in the recent Six Nations.

England’s scrum was overwhelmed by South Africa in Yokohama four years ago and Cole appeared to have paid the price.

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“I didn’t think this would happen but now I’m here and I’m very happy and grateful to be part of it,” Cole said.

“It was a surprise to get the call from Steve because I hadn’t played for England for three years. I’d worked with him at Leicester but he didn’t give anything away.

“After 2019 and what happened in the final, I wouldn’t say it would have been easy to have packed it in, but it would have been easy to just drift.”

Borthwick names his starting XV on Thursday afternoon, with either Will Stuart or Kyle Sinckler joining Cole in the 23.

England’s head coach faces a difficult decision at scrum-half with no clear pick emerging from the trio of Ben Youngs, Danny Care and Alex Mitchell.

Manu Tuilagi is expected to be joined in the centres by either Ollie Lawrence or Joe Marchant, while two of Elliot Daly, Jonny May, Max Malins and Henry Arundell will fill the wing slots.

The Bahamas has never sent its men’s basketball team to the Olympics. The island nation is now one step closer to changing that.

Eric Gordon scored 27 points, Buddy Hield added 17 and Bahamas stunned Argentina 82-75 to win one of the five Olympic pre-qualifying tournaments that were wrapping up around the world Sunday.

The win sends Bahamas into another Olympic qualifying tournament in July 2024, one that will bring with it a chance to qualify for next summer’s Paris Games.

Deandre Ayton had 10 points and 21 rebounds for Bahamas in the win over Argentina.

Argentina, who took home Olympic gold in 2004, will miss the games for the first time since 2000.

Other pre-qualifying tournament winners Sunday included Cameroon, Bahrain, Croatia and Poland.

Next summer, Bahamas, Cameroon, Bahrain, Croatia and Poland will join 19 other teams — based on World Cup finish — in the final qualifying round. Those 24 nations will be split into four tournaments of six teams; the four winners go to the Paris Olympics.

Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield and Eric Gordon all starred as The Bahamas got a big win over hosts Argentina in their second group game at the FIBA Americas Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament on Wednesday.

The Bahamians overcame a 12-point deficit at the end of the first quarter to enter halftime with a 55-53 lead.

From there, they built on their advantage to lead 82-67 after the third quarter before completing a 101-89 win.

Ayton, the 25-year-old Phoenix Suns Center, shot 11-16 from the field on the way to a 22-point performance. The big man also recorded 15 rebounds, three blocks and two steals.

Eric Gordon, who will be Ayton’s teammate in Phoenix this upcoming NBA season, had a game-high 24 points while Indiana Pacers sharp-shooter, Buddy Hield hit four three-pointers on the way to a 23-point night while also getting six rebounds and three assists.

Travis Munnings also had himself an excellent game, shooting a perfect 8-8 from the field to finish with 20 points and four rebounds.

Nicolas Brussino led the way for the 2004 Olympic Gold medalists with 21 points and seven rebounds while Facundo Campazzo had a double-double with 18 points and assists.

The Bahamians are now through to the semi-finals of the tournament after winning their two group phase games.

The semifinals are Saturday and the finals are Sunday. Bahamas must win the tournament to advance to next year’s FIBA Olympic qualifying tournaments July 2-7, 2024.

Liverpool have landed two midfielders perfectly fit for their system in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, according to Reds legend John Barnes.

Jurgen Klopp secured the services of Mac Allister for a reported initial £35million from Brighton and Hove Albion, while Szoboszlai arrived from RB Leipzig for £60m (€69m) ahead of the 2023-24 season.

The pair will likely be utilised as multi-functional midfielders, adding energy to an ageing Liverpool midfield, which is expected to lose Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to Saudi Arabia.

Having initially played as a winger before moving to a central role, Barnes believes the versatility of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai makes the duo a tailormade fit for Klopp's men.

"Last season I think it was fairly apparent that we needed midfield players," Barnes told Stats Perform. "Of course, what you do is you use every opportunity to get who you can.

"So, in the strikers that we've got, I think that bodes well for the future. But I think you can see that we were a little bit short in midfield from an age perspective but also from a quality and intensity perspective.

"We knew we were going to lose two or three midfield players, so they are welcome additions to the squad from a positional point of view and also from the quality point of view too."

Mac Allister was also the only player to average two-plus shots (2.68), two-plus tackles (2.18) and 50+ passes (56.2) per 90 minutes in last term's Premier League, among players with 1,000 or more minutes.

That all-round approach and energetic demeanour makes the 24-year-old a suitable fit for Klopp's high-pressing philosophy, in the opinion of Barnes.

"It's not all about what impresses me, but he's the type of player who will suit our style," Barnes said of Mac Allister, who hit 10 league goals for Brighton last term.

"He may not be able to play for Manchester City but that doesn't mean he's better or worse. It's just that we have to sign players that suit our style and are hardworking all-action midfield players.

"He's not a Bernardo Silva type, but he suits what we want. Liverpool have always done that and looked to get players who suit their system, regardless of how other good other people think they are, or not.

"He suits our midfield profile and the template of a midfield player that we want. Hardworking, aggression and playing the ball forward quickly. He suits our style perfectly."

While Mac Allister impressed for Brighton and also Argentina during their triumphant World Cup campaign in Qatar, Szoboszlai arrives as a lesser-known star on English soil.

The Hungary international again fits Klopp's criteria for free-flowing aggressive football, having been involved in 163 open play shot-ending sequences in last season's Bundesliga – 49 shots, 48 chances created, 66 in the build-up – the fourth-highest figure of any player.

Barnes added: "I haven't seen much of him. But once again, you look at him in terms of his size, his aggression, his ability to get up and down.

"And once again, I trust in Jurgen Klopp and the staff to know exactly what they want. Not many people have heard of him, I'm one who didn't hear of him but they would have done their homework on him.

"So I have faith in them because they know the type of player they want. As I said, I haven't seen much of him but he seems to be quite impressive."

Pope Francis beamed with delight as he was presented with a Manchester United shirt belonging to his Argentine compatriot Lisandro Martinez on Thursday.

The gift was handed to the pontiff when an interfaith group from Manchester paid a visit to the Vatican, receiving an audience with the leader of the Catholic Church.

World Cup winner Martinez is resting up after surgery on a season-ending foot injury, but he sent a personal message with the delegation.

The shirt was handed over to Buenos Aires-born Pope Francis by Manchester's mayor, Andy Burnham, drawing a smile from the 86-year-old.

Argentina's World Cup final victory against France in December was described by the Vatican's news service at the time as "a truly herculean, titanic and historic example of the absolutely sublime athletic skill, reaching for the stars by the stars".

The United shirt received by Pope Francis was signed by Martinez and featured alongside pictures of him lifting trophies with United and Argentina, and a message – "Your holiness, with much love, LM".

At the meeting with the Manchester group, the pope spoke of the need to ensure "the environmental and social crises of our time are not two separate crises but one".

He said: "Your united witness is particularly eloquent, since the history of your city is closely linked to the industrial revolution, with its legacy of immense technical and economic progress, together with an admittedly negative impact on the human and natural environment."

World Cup winners Argentina have returned to the top of the FIFA World Rankings for the first time in six years.

Lionel Scaloni's side – who captured their third world title with a thrilling final win against France in Qatar last year – won friendlies against Panama and Curacao in the March international break.

Captain Lionel Messi brought up two milestones in those fixtures, netting his 800th career goal in a 2-0 victory over Panama before reaching 100 international goals as he scored a hat-trick in a 7-0 rout of Curacao.

Argentina last topped the rankings in 2017, but the Albiceleste dropped as low as 12th the following year after an underwhelming campaign at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Argentina replace rivals Brazil at the summit after the Selecao suffered a surprise friendly loss to World Cup semi-finalists Morocco in March, a result which sees them drop to third.

France are second in the rankings after their Euro 2024 qualification wins over the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland, while the rest of the top 10 remains unchanged.

Lionel Messi hopes the "craziness never ends" after scoring his 100th goal and ninth hat-trick for his country amid Argentina's homecoming World Cup celebrations on Tuesday.

La Albiceleste routed Curacao 7-0 in Santiago del Estero, with Messi's 20th-minute opener bringing up his 100th international goal, joining only Cristiano Ronaldo (122) and Ali Daei (109) in achieving that feat.

Messi became the first world champion to score 100 international goals, and he showed no signs of stopping there with further first-half strikes for a treble, taking him to 102.

The milestone came as Argentina rounded out their first two games back in their homeland since December's World Cup triumph with wild celebrations, initially in Buenos Aires for Thursday's 2-0 win over Panama.

The players emulated their celebrations from Qatar after the Curacao game, hoisting the World Cup trophy again after it came down from the stadium roof and doing a lap of honour to greet the supporters.

Messi was also presented with a plaque by Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia to acknowledge his 100th goal.

"What a nice way to close these dates, impressive today all the people in Santiago del Estero," Messi wrote on Instagram.

"I wish we can continue to share together many moments like these and that this craziness never ends!!!"

Messi's achievement comes after netting 21 goals in his 14 games for Argentina, along with seven assists. That has taken him to 156 goal contributions, which is the most in international football.

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni added: "As for Lionel Messi, what I want is for him to be on the pitch and be happy."

He added: "These days were different to the previous friendlies because the players were allowed to be with their people.

"We felt that they had that desire to go out to contact the outside, although that meant that it was difficult to prepare these two games. But in the end we got them through by playing with intensity."

Lionel Messi scored his 100th international goal before capping his performance with a first-half hat-trick as Argentina routed Curacao 7-0 during Tuesday's friendly in Santiago del Estero.

Messi came into the game on 99 international goals but did not need to wait long to bring up triple figures, netting a 20th-minute opener, in a lopsided match-up where the world champions raced to a 5-0 half-time lead.

The Argentinian captain played the entire 90 minutes, scoring three goals within 17 devastating first-half minutes, while he also laid off the assist for Enzo Fernandez's powerful strike among the flurry.

Messi was denied early on by Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room's sharp save, but soon after Giovani Lo Celso found him in space inside the box, setting him up to jink past two defenders and fire in a low right-foot shot for his 100th Argentina goal.

Nicolas Gonzalez added a second in the 23rd minute when he out-jumped Room to head home from a corner, before he played provider for Messi's second with a neat left-foot finish in the 33rd minute.

Two minutes later, Messi held up the ball and dished out a deft pass for Fernandez to lash home, with the Paris Saint-Germain star wrapping up his hat-trick when he raced on to Lo Celso's lofted pass and coolly converted after taking two touches.

Room brilliantly denied Lautaro Martinez twice early in the second half, while Leandro Bacuna fizzed Curacao's best chance over the bar from a 63rd-minute free-kick on the edge of the box.

Substitute Angel Di Maria added a sixth goal from the penalty spot in the 78th minute after Cuco Martina's handball, with Gonzalo Montiel side-footing home another from Paulo Dybala's cutback in the 88th minute.