Category Sports News

British and Irish Lions v Western Force

In Saturday’s tour opener in Australia, Dan Sheehan has challenged his British and Irish Lions team-mates to match the enthusiasm of the Western Force underdogs.

Sione Tuipulotu and Tadhg Beirne, both of whom were starting for Argentina on Friday, will lead the Lions team.

The 26-year-old Irish hooker said, “I’m sure the Force will be 150% of what they normally are.”

They will be flying into it, according to the statement, “And that extra hunger can lead to some potent things.”

They probably first entered that Western Force change room, where they would have been looking for this game. They will be greatly affected by it.

“But I don’t want them to believe that we’ll be hungrier than we are.” We must show our own mindset back.

Western Force’s head coach, Simon Cron, said a large portion of their preparation had involved presenting the players with the magnitude of the opportunity. Western Force was the lowest-ranked Australian side in this year’s Super Rugby Pacific.

For many of these guys, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, Cron said.

We sat down as a group and discussed when we last sat down and when we were twelve years old [when the Lions lasttoured Australia].

Former Exeter scrum-half Nic White is included in the Western Force’s starting line-up, and veteran Kurtley Beale, who had previously been kept back with the Wallabies, has been replaced at full-back.

Sheehan, who for the first time faced Wales at this year’s Six Nations, believes the Lions’ dressing room will make his job easier rather than intimidating.

You look around the room and there are so many people who are more than capable of taking the captaincy of this team, he said, which helps a little bit lessen the nerves.

I just need to be myself, not make it too difficult.

I think I have a good understanding of who I am and what makes me tick, despite the fact that I am quite a quiet person. I kind of allowed these things to occur indistinctly. I realize that sounds like I’m about to sit back, but I just don’t really overthink it.

Following Saturday’s game against the Queensland Reds on Wednesday, the Lions’ schedule expands.

It’s the end of an era for Liverpool.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold joining Real Madrid and new signing Milos Kerkez placing Andy Robertson’s spot in danger, one of the Premier League’s great full-back combinations is over.

Summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen Jeremie Frimpong is likely to start at right-back next season, opposite Kerkez, with Robertson being heavily linked with a move away from Anfield.

Alexander-Arnold and Robertson played together on 279 occasions – an average of 35 games a season in all competitions in their eight seasons together.

And each of them only played more games with Mohamed Salah.

Robertson joined from Hull City for £8m in 2017-18 with Alexander-Arnold, an academy product, having made his debut the season before.

They won 185 of those 279 games, losing 43 times.

The two full-backs played attacking roles in former boss Jurgen Klopp’s high-energy football – and had a hand in nearly unprecedented numbers of goals.

In isolation their assist hauls would be remarkable but the fact they were both doing it at the same time is even more amazing.

In March 2019 Alexander-Arnold told the BBC: “We both thrive off each other’s performances.

“We have got a competition between ourselves this season to see who gets more goals and assists. It’s a healthy competition.”

Only on 10 occasions in Premier League history has a defender created 10 or more goals in a Premier League season – and Alexander-Arnold and Robertson have each done it three times.

They are the top two assisting Premier League defenders ever – with 64 for Alexander-Arnold and 60 for Robertson.

They are some way clear, with Leighton Baines (53) and Graeme le Saux (44) the only others to set up more than 40.

In all positions, only ex-Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, Reds team-mate Salah and Tottenham forward Son Heung-min assisted more goals since the full-backs linked up in 2017-18.

They feature second and third on the list of most chances created by Premier League defenders (since Opta started to record that data in 2003-04).

Alexander-Arnold created 516 chances, with 446 for Robertson – both featuring in the top 10 in all positions since 2017-18.

The now-retired Baines tops that list for defenders with 635 chances created.

And it is not just the assists, the pair were undroppable players in the most successful Liverpool team since the 1980s.

There have been plenty of other iconic full-back partnerships – so we want you to tell us the best one.

Here are a few you can select from – and if your favourites are missing tell us in the comments at the bottom of this page.

Left-back Roberto Carlos and right-back Cafu were absolutely iconic parts of the Brazil team in the 1990s and 2000s.

Bombing down each flank they won the 2002 World Cup and the Copa America twice.

Maldini, who could play at left-back and in central defence, and right-back Tassotti were members of one of football’s most memorable defences.

The pair flanked Franco Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta for the all-conquering AC Milan side of the 1980s and 1990s.

They won three European Cups together, five Serie A titles and famously had a 58-game unbeaten run in the league from May 1991 to March 1993.

In total Maldini and Tassotti played together 328 times for Milan between 1985 and 1997. In the 1993-94 season Milan only conceded 25 goals in all competitions.

Republic of Ireland left-back Irwin and England right-back Neville played together on 231 occasions for Manchester United.

They were regular team-mates between 1994 and 2002, at which stage Irwin went to Wolves.

Attacking Brazil left-back Marcelo and battling Spain right-back Carvajal linked up to win five Champions League titles together for Real Madrid between 2014 and 2022.

The wait is almost over. Euro 2025 kicks off on 2 July, with England and Wales among the 16 teams going for glory in Switzerland.

All that is left to do is study the fixtures, consider the permutations and keep track of the results using your essential piece of kit – the Women’s Euro 2025 wallchart.

Why not print out your own, follow the fixtures and fill in the results as the tournament plays out?

Oisin Murphy, the reigning champion jockey, has been accused of drink driving and failing to cooperate with the police following an April car accident.

In Hermitage, Berkshire, a grey Mercedes A Class slammed into a tree, making the 29-year-old man face arrest.

He was accused of driving a motor vehicle while over the legal alcohol limit and of failing to cooperate with a preliminary roadside test, according to Thames Valley Police.

A grey Mercedes A Class that struck a tree on Sunday, April 27, 2014, at 12:05 BST, is the subject of a charge, according to a statement from the police.

The BHA is informed that Thames Valley Police issued an update regarding Oisin Murphy, according to a statement from the British Horseracing Authority.

We are now attempting to gather as much information as possible to consider what, if any, effects this development might have.

Murphy described how much counseling had helped him in an interview with BBC Sport in October.

Cristhian Mosquera’s signing from Valencia is on the Arsenal radar.

The Gunners are interested in signing a defensive player this summer, and the 20-year-old Spaniard is emerging as a preferred choice.

Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace has attracted interest from Arsenal, but the England international may be reluctant to sign because of his limited opportunities behind Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba.

Mosquera, a Spain Under-21 international, has made 90 appearances for Valencia and was a regular player last year, playing 90 minutes in 37 of the team’s 38 La Liga games.

Arsenal have had a busy 24 hours, and they are also close to completing Christian Norgaard’s move to Brentford.

The Denmark international will have a medical under the guidance of a fee of up to £15million.

The signing of Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is also expected to be completed by Arsenal soon.

Myles Lewis-Skelly, 18, also signed a five-year deal at Emirates Stadium on Thursday.

The full-back established himself as a regular in Mikel Arteta’s side by making 39 appearances for Arsenal last season.

Cristiano Ronaldo will remain with Al-Nassr after his 42nd birthday by signing a new two-year contract.

After leaving Manchester United in agonizing circumstances and criticizing the club and declaring that he had “no respect” for manager Erik ten Hag, the Portugal captain, 40, joined the Riyadh-based team in December 2022.

There was a possibility that Ronaldo could leave Al-Nassr because his deal with Al-Nasr was going to expire at the end of June, but that has since been overturned.

Ronaldo stated in a post on X that “a new chapter begins.” Same desire and dream. Make history with each other.

Ronaldo’s five-time Ballon d’Or winner has scored a lot of goals for Al-Nassr, but the club has only recently won nine domestic titles.

Ronaldo led the league in scoring for a second consecutive year with 35 goals in 41 matches played across all divisions last term.

He has made 99 goals overall for Al-Nassr in 111 of his career’s 111 appearances, totaling 938 for club and country.

Ronaldo stated on social media that the chapter was over a month ago.

Al-Nassr finished third and trophyless once more after the Saudi Pro League was finished.

Ronaldo reportedly earned the highest annual salary in football history with a salary of £177 million when he joined, fueling rumors that he was ready to leave the league.

After Al-Nassr failed to make it to the extended competition that is taking place in the United States, Fifa president Gianni Infantino suggested Ronaldo join a team playing in the Club World Cup.

Ronaldo claimed to have been turned down by offers from participating teams.

Any chance of Ronaldo playing at the highest level in Europe is ruled out by the decision to stay until at least 2027, which is undoubtedly highly lucrative.