Sale Sharks clinched an impressive bonus-point win against Clermont Auvergne to boost their hopes of qualifying from Pool One of the Investec Champions Cup.
Sale led 20-7 at half-time, outscoring their opponents by three tries to one in the first period despite the French side enjoying greater territory.
Tom O’Flaherty went over inside two minutes and although Yerim Fall replied for the hosts, Sale moved clear with scores by Marius Louw and Arron Reed.
Reed was yellow-carded early in the second half for making head-to-head contact with Sebastien Bezy when attempting a clearout at a ruck – an incident which meant Jacques Vermeulen’s try was disallowed.
Lucas Zamora crossed for Clermont while Sale were down to 14 men, reducing the deficit to six.
But, after surviving a spell of pressure from the hosts, Sale then scored 15 points without reply to secure an emphatic victory.
23 hours ago
A record of two wins from four pool matches has usually been good enough for a team to qualify for the last 16 of the Champions Cup.
Sale were on the back foot having lost their opening game at home to Glasgow and, given their final pool match is a daunting-looking trip to six-time winners Toulouse, the pressure was on to gain a positive result.
Rob du Preez again started at fly-half with England’s George Ford still injured, and he made the final passes for the first-half tries scored by O’Flaherty and Reed.
Scrum-half Raffi Quirke was the chief architect of Louw’s score, darting through Clermont’s line in the middle of the field to create an opening which the South African centre finished off.
What’s next?
In the January block of matches, Sale host South African side Sharks and then end the pool phase with a trip to Toulouse.
Although we didn’t exactly ask for her back, adult content creator Bonnie Blue has returned to the UK after causing a scene in Bali following her arrest on suspicion of breaking ‘morality’ laws
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Bonnie Blue lands back in the UK after deportation and threat of jail time in Bali(Image: Jam Press/@bonnie_blue_xox)
Bonnie Blue has returned to the UK after being deported from Bali, where she was arrested while on the Indonesian island. The 26-year-old ‘content creator’ and adult star, whose real name is Tia Billinger, was at the centre of a dramatic police raid, which saw a rented studio descended on by cops and cameras, vehicles and other equipment seized.
The social media star once again sparked widespread speculation, with questions over whether she would face jail time under the Muslim country’s strict anti-pornography laws. She has also previously been banned from Fiji and Australia after her ‘Schoolies’ campaign saw her target barely-legal 18-year-old boys.
But Billinger was eventually fined less than £10 for a traffic offence related to having no registration for her ‘Bang Bus’. The social media star bragged that she avoided a more serious charge thanks to being “rich” and being able to afford “good lawyers”.
READ MORE: ‘I snitched on Bonnie Blue in Bali – cops were baffled by one disturbing detail’READ MORE: Get 30% off Premier League kits of Man United, Liverpool, Arsenal and more this weekend
After being deported, she arrived back at Heathrow just after midday on Saturday, after flying from Dubai in the morning. Not one to avoid controversy, drama or attention, Billinger was seen revelling in the spectacle she’d created in footage from her legal proceedings.
Having arrived at court laughing, she spoke with onlookers with a kids’ lolly hanging out of her mouth, and was criticised for treating the country’s cultural differences like a press tour. Now she’s back in the UK, the content creator is mocking her critics.
In a defiant statement to the press, she said: “I’m rich and have good lawyers – did you really think I’d face jail time? From sharing fluids with barely legals to watching my content with corrupt men, let’s just say I’m excited to show you what got me in all this trouble.
“It cost me $20 to get out of prison, so I need to recuperate my huge losses. If you want to see what got me deported, you can for less than my fine.”
Confirming the OnlyFans star will only be further capitalising on the saga in Bali, she has already teased new footage and behind-the-scenes material from the experience on social media. In a bid to remain relevant, she has promised to reveal “the whole story” behind what happened on the island, which seems to be that she got arrested and then deported.
Despite being arrested on suspicion of breaking ‘morality’ laws in Indonesia, she got away with a traffic offence due to the lack of the bus’s vehicle registration. The controversial figure has also allegedly been ‘blacklisted’ from returning to Bali for at least a decade.
But while most travellers would be embarrassed to find themselves facing punishment overseas, Bonnie, who is known for performing extreme sex stunts, appears to have taken a more light-hearted approach. Unsurprisingly, the attention-loving OnlyFans creator could be seen grinning in photos following her arrest, and was heard making jokes about subscribing to her content, despite having just been faced with potentially grave prison time.
Criminologist Alex Iszatt told the Mirror: “Bonnie Blue’s operation thrives on a simple, relentless formula: all attention is fuel. Each public complaint, news cycle, and social media debate actively amplifies he brand. Even legal issues are repurposed as promotional material, whether deflecting accountability or, as in Bali, directly instructing an audience to ‘subscribe and find out’.”
“Her quip that ‘people are so stupid’ is less a boast than a diagnosis of her method; she understands that public fascination and outrage are two sides of the same coin in the real-life soap opera she scripts, and she has proven clever enough to dance along the line of the law without decisively crossing it.”
Four years on from the death of her father, reality TV star Chloe Ferry has shared a touching tribute to her dad as she opened up about her pain
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Chloe paid tribute to her dad 4 years after his passing
Chloe Ferry has paid tribute to her father four years on from his death. TheGeordie Shorestar’s dad passed awayafter losing his fight with cancerfour years ago, and the reality TV favourite says she faces an ‘ongoing battle’. The MTV favourite was flooded with messages of support as she opened up on the anniversary of her father’s death on Facebook.
She posted a throwback photo of herself, her sister and father all standing outside with a pink umbrella. Chloe herself looked far from the Geordie Shore star she is today.
The post had a heartfelt message which read: “4 years ago today my dad was taken away from me.” She continued: “No matter how many years pass it doesn’t get easier! Your family miss you deeply and we would do anything to have you back I cherish all of our amazing memories and how much you used to make everyone around you laugh I love you dad Until we meet again,” signing off with a red love heart and crying emoji face.
Her parents split when she was six-years-old, with the reality star raised by her mother Liz. But she was always close with her dad and she shared a touching tribute on the day of his burial. “RIP dad you were taken from us too soon you’ll always be in my heart miss and love you always,” she captioned the post. She had shared a throwback picture of her leaning on her father’s shoulder as they both smiled for the camera. On her Instagram Stories, the reality star shared a video of herself holding a feather she found on a staircase.
She was inundated with sweet messages from fans and friends after her latest one. Co-star Marnie Simpson wrote: “Love you. Always here for you” as Sophie Kasaei added: “U got this girl.” Another told her” “Here for you Chloe, you’re not alone my darling and there are a lot of people that go through this xx”
Chloe said she “would give anything to hold” her father again and that her “whole world came crashing down” when he got diagnosed a few years earlier. She wrote: “What I would do to hold you, to tell you things I didn’t before, to have our stupid jokes. I would give everything to do that.”
Chloe had shared the news of his death, taking to her Stories to provide a short statement. “I’ve struggled to write this and still can’t accept it what I’m about to say!” Chloe began. I’m a very open person and normally happy to share all details of my life, however, this is a time where I really need to have some privacy.
“I sadly lost my dad after his battle with cancer and it still doesn’t feel real! “I am going to take a break from social media and work commitments. As a family we are all dealing with this and trying to come to terms with it… I’d really appreciate it if I was given some time to deal with it in my own way!”
In October this year, Chloe sadly admitted how much she is struggling after her dog Ivy died during the week. The star shared that she has “cried for two days”. Taking to Instagram, Chloe opened up about her grief. She started with a selfie as she woke up late and wrote over the top that she had to “try my hardest to get up and get my house sorted”.
She then filmed a teary video where she shared that her grief “comes in waves”. “I have literally cried for the last two days. Losing a pet is so hard, it’s just like a human and it [the grief] comes in waves when you least expect it.
“One day you’re alright, the next you’re not. Today I’ve just tried to get on with jobs, my house has been a mess, so I’ve tried to clean it. It has actually made us feel a little bit better but then you sit and overthink everything, and think could I have done more.”
In both the first selfie and the video, Chloe added that it was hard for her other dog, Narla, too, as she could tell something was wrong but didn’t know what. She also shared that her dog Narla was the less independent dog, and “needed” Ivy. Later in the video, the star admitted to “smelling Ivy’s blanket” and said she was having “bits of breakdowns”.
When Ivy died a few days ago, Chloe took to Instagram to share that it was the “worst night of my life”. She hopped online begged followers for advice on how to help her dog, who had been rushed to the emergency vet.
But just hours later, she had to get back on the app to tell her fans that Ivy had died. Chloe wrote: “I can’t put into words how heartbroken I am to lose my baby girl so unexpectedly.
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“I’ve had the worst night of my life last night with the worst possible outcome. Losing Ivy, my first dog, who has seen me go through my worst times and always been there for me when I’ve needed her. She was the most caring loving dog and I’m absolutely devastated that she was taken from me so soon and so unexpected. RIP my girl, you will never be forgotten.”
If you have been affected by this story, Cruse Bereavement Support offers free help to make sense of how you are feeling. Click here for their website or call 0808 808 1677.
“Off the pitch she is a fantastic human,” said Arsenal manager Renee Slegers when questioned about her decision to start Alessia Russo over Stina Blackstenius at Everton.
Blackstenius came off the bench to score the winner against Liverpool at Emirates Stadium last week, but despite growing questions, Slegers opted to stick with first choice number nine Russo.
The England striker repaid that faith by scoring Arsenal’s second goal in a comfortable 3-1 win to mark her 100th Women’s Super League (WSL) appearance.
Slegers told Sky Sports: “We are very happy she is playing for us. She can do so many things on and off the pitch.”
‘Unselfish’ Russo’s WSL career to date
Russo has always been versatile, as evidenced by her goal contributions throughout her WSL career.
She provided an assist off the bench on her debut against Birmingham City in a 5-2 Manchester United win, before opening her scoring account in a 3-0 demolition of Brighton in the following game.
Russo would go on to finish with 27 goals and six assists in 46 league games for United before moving to Arsenal.
Since arriving in north London, Russo has averaged a goal every 1.86 WSL games, plus eight assists for good measure. A perfect blend of goals and providing for others.
Former England midfielder Izzy Christiansen summed it up on Sky Sports after the game at Goodison Park, saying: “I have loved watching her trajectory. Her reading of the game is second to none. She churns out these high-level performances, unselfish performances as well.”
‘The glue for the team to function’
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Russo’s performance at Goodison Park was delivered as if she had overheard her manager’s glowing pre-match praise.
She did “many things” all over the pitch in a dominant win for the Gunners, and was fully deserving of the player of the match award.
Russo registered an xG of 1, which accounted for 51.28% of Arsenal’s total 1.95 xG on Saturday afternoon, hitting the target with four of her eight shots, scoring once. She also had the most touches of any Arsenal player in the Everton box (16).
Often maligned for her lack of goals compared with fellow forward Blackstenius, Russo’s all-round play is what makes her a key component in Slegers’ system.
England team-mate Esme Morgan explained on Sky Sports: “Less is such a complete player. She offers so much to the team that is more than just goals.
“When we play at England, so many of the goals we score, Less is involved four or five passes before the finish. We rely on her so much.”
Gary Anderson booked his place in the second round of the PDC World Championship with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Adam Hunt.
Two-time champion Anderson, 54, was given a stern examination by world number 84 Hunt but the Flying Scotsman was able to battle back from 2-1 down to progress.
Anderson, seeded 14th, will next play the winner of the match between Connor Scutt and Simon Whitlock .
“That’s probably the best Adam has played all season. The first game is the hardest, but I’m through,” Anderson told Sky Sports.
Anderson, who won back-to-back world titles in 2015 and 2016, held his nerve to win the first set 3-2 against the 32-year-old Englishman.
However, he missed double top in the deciding leg in the second set and Hunt took his chance to level the match up with a confident 72 checkout.
Hunt won the third set as Anderson’s average plummeted but the Scot raised his game in the fourth and took control early in the decider as Hunt failed to recover from an early break of throw.
Elsewhere, Welsh amateur David Davies secured a dream tie with defending champion Luke Littler in the next round after causing a minor upset on his World Championship debut.
Davies claimed a 3-0 win over Belgium’s Mario Vandenbogaerde – 66th in the PDC rankings – thanks to a checkout average of 37.5%.
Andrew Gilding saw off a spirited effort from 22-year-old tournament debutant Cam Crabtree as he progressed with a 3-1 win over his fellow Englishman thanks to an average of 97.89.
Taylor Swift fans catch a glimpse into the pop star’s generosity in her new Disney Plus docuseries, which sees her handing out hefty bonus cheques to the Eras Tour crew
Taylor Swift The Eras Tour The End of an Era trailer
Inside the eye-watering figure Taylor Swift gave her Eras Tour crew in bonuses
Taylor Swift’s crew members were left stunned after receiving bonus pay cheques for their efforts during the record-breaking Eras Tour. The 35-year-old singer is taking fans behind the scenes of the beloved tour in a new Disney Plus docuseries, shedding light on the highs and lows of life on the road.
Titled Taylor Swift: The End of An Era, the six-part show dropped its first two episodes on December 12. Its following four instalments will air over the next two weeks. Episodes 3 and 4 will be released on December 19, while episodes 5 and 6 will be available to stream on December 26.
In the second episode of the series, Taylor is shown getting ready for ‘bonus day’ alongside her mum, Andrea Swift. She then shows viewers a collection of handwritten letters addressed to each team member, thanking them for their efforts.
The dancers looked visibly stunned as they opened their letters, which included bonus amounts that were bleeped out from the show.
According to People, Taylor gave out a staggering $197 million (roughly £147.3 million) in bonuses to everyone who helped the tour. This includes caterers, truck drivers, instrument techs, merch team, lighting, sound, production staff and assistants, carpenters, dancers, band, security, choreographers, pyrotechnics, riggers, hair, make-up, wardrobe, physical therapists and the video team.
While it is unclear how much each crew member received, pop culture account Pop Base posted a photo of one of the bonus notes back in January, claiming that one team member received an extra $100,000 (£74,783) from the singer.
