Category Sports News

The Champions Cup final aftermath had a surreal quality because of Damian Penaud’s celebrations astride a model zebra.

Henry Pollock was attempting to understand a strange new reality while on the touchline.

He told 5 Live Sport, “Sometimes it’s not your day, I suppose.” “Sport can be cruel,” he said.

Or at least he has been told.

The back row star has received only glory and garlands this season.

Pollock had already started 17 games winning in this breakout campaign.

He will complete it on a tour of the British and Irish Lions, beginning with the Saints bench.

On his England debut, he scored two tries in his final appearance at this venue.

He stunned Sam Prendergast with an astonishing try in the final round of this competition, which he came away with.

Last weekend, Saracens’ back row assaulted him, but he still won. However, his streak came to an end this time.

On BBC Radio 5 Live, Paul Grayson, one of the last Northampton team to win Europe’s premier competition, said, “Every time Pollock was anywhere near the ball there was an acceleration in the Bordeaux players getting to him.”

“He was the focus of everyone’s eyes,” he said.

They made a difference, and as his career progresses, he’ll have to figure out how to deal with it.

Pollock’s performance wasn’t bad. None of the Northampton players did so.

The 20-year-old made more yards than any other forward on the pitch. In the shadow of his own posts, he turned over one ball and played a crucial role in a brave rearguard.

Northampton defended their line like they had been pushed over the edge for the majority of the second half.

At the opposite end, Pollock twice ran away for scores that racked up the Principality’s rafters and threatened to upend Saints’ resistance to an all-out rebellion.

The overworked television match official intervened on both occasions to prevent them.

The results were inconsistent. And Saints didn’t even know it by the time Leinster beat them in their final game.

Their path to victory was always difficult and dangerous.

Prior to this week’s game, Bordeaux’s heavy brigade had earlier stated that his side needed to maintain a high tempo and ball movement.

However, he acknowledged that doing so sounded like another risk.

Because Bordeaux’s backline, which is led by Mathieu Jalibert and is laced with Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s pace off turnover ball and in broken field, is the most dangerous in the competition.

No opposition has yet succeeded in achieving that balance.

In the knockout stages, Bordeaux averaged 42 points per game. More than eight times as many times did they try in the pool. Seven games and seven unwavering victories follow.

Nobody even came close.

Saints, however, did come close.

After a shaky opening half, they were at 20-20. Parity was achieved for them when a quick start, a few sluggish kicks from Jalibert, some doughty defense, and a willingness to compete with Bordeaux for ambition.

The underdogs might have their day when Pollock slammed through for a score that never came close in the second half.

Bordeaux, however, had prepared.

A Bordeaux bench buzzing with power and six forwards defied Northampton’s attempt to recharge their batteries. Northampton were forced back into their own half as they unloaded their replacements.

A lack of luck and discipline also hampered Saints’ plan.

James Ramm and George Furbank lost two of their back three and some fluidity in the first five minutes due to injuries in their first five.

A yellow card for Ed Prowse’ replacement in the second half for overtaking Yoram Moefana put them on the back foot.

Northampton needed to have everything in place. In the end, too few things actually happened.

By the end of the third quarter, Penaud may have been riding a boa constrictor, which would have been more appropriate given how his team had stifled the game’s vitality and kept Saints pointless in a dominant second half.

After the final whistle, the stadium’s public address system roared to Sash’s 90s dance group Encore En Fois, promising that Bordeaux will be successful in the coming years thanks to their upwardly mobile lineup of stars.

Pollock and Dingwall conducted their post-game interviews together.

The skipper found the right words to end Saints’ miserable Premiership run, as he has done throughout the run.

He said, “I believe we will celebrate our accomplishments tonight”; Although we didn’t win the victory, there is still a lot to be proud of.

“We will remain united.”

That might be enough after David Ribbans, Lewis Ludlam, and Courtney Lawes all lost at the end of last season, respectively.

Pollock, Fin Smith, Tommy Freeman, Ollie Sleightholme, Alex Coles, Tom Pearson, Emmanuel Iyogun, and George Hendy make a good, young core to build on if they continue to function as a unit.

After undergoing negotiations with the Scottish Premiership club, former Feyenoord manager Brian Priske has begun a bid to take over as the next Rangers manager.

The Ibrox hierarchy is looking for a permanent replacement for Philippe Clement, who was fired in February, according to the 48-year-old.

Priske is one of several candidates linked to the position, and no decision has been made as of the moment that interim boss Barry Ferguson has been confirmed.

Former Ibrox defender Russell Martin and former manager Steven Gerrard, who won the title in 2021, have also been mentioned, along with Davide Ancelotti, the son of new Brazil head coach Carlo.

The search is “progressing well,” according to Rangers’ CEO Patrick Stewart, who spoke last week, and we look forward to the completion of our process in the near future.

Priske left Feyenoord in February, having won 17 of his 33 games under his leadership before being replaced by Robin Van Persie.

He left Sparta Prague in June 2024 and was able to recover from a 3-0 deficit at Manchester City in November by drawing 3-3.

Priske left a few weeks later after Feyenoord defeated Bayern Munich 3-0 in the league stage, with the team citing inconsistent results and a lack of chemistry.

What do Rangers fans think about Priske’s potential discussion?

Would the club be the best fit?

After leading Aberdeen to astorstoric Scottish Cup triumph, Graeme Shinnie claims he “could retire today and be a happy man.”

Shinnie, 33, led the Pittodrie side to a stunning penalty shootout victory over treble-chasing Celtic on his 300th appearance for the club.

The veteran midfielder says a decade on “means everything” how he led the Inverness Caledonian Thistle to Scottish Cup success.

In the immediate aftermath of Hampden, Shinnie said, “I haven’t been afraid to say it, but this is what I’ve been desperate for.”

I didn’t want to continue my career and not contribute silverware to this organization. Knowing that my family is there is pure relief. The sensation is the best in the world.

Before Saturday, Shinnie had lost to Aberdeen in four previous domestic cup finals, including three against Celtic.

However, the former Derby County man claims that “all that heartache is well worth it” in leading the Pittodrie side to their first Scottish Cup triumph in 35 years.

As Aberdeen fell behind when Alfie Dorrington headed home in the first half, it appeared as though Shinnie would have had another difficult game to play.

However, a Celtic side that had at least five goals past them on three occasions this season was severely repressed by their switch to a 5-3-2 formation.

When Aberdeen’s goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel palmed Shayden Morris’ cross into his own goal, the game was tied at halftime.

Both Dimitar Mitov and Jimmy Thelin, the team’s manager, and Shinnie applauded the team’s decision to alter its strategy.

Everyone doubted our ability, Mitov told BBC Scotland. But we were certain that if we worked hard, followed instructions, and had a good game plan, we would win.

“We won,” he said. Penalties can sometimes be applied to good. We honed our abilities. Nobody cares how we did it because we are cup winners.

Thelin is by far the best manager I’ve ever had. How he manages us, how he trains us, and how little things he takes care of us daily.

“Lambs to the slaughter,” some people said, “A lot of people wrote us off today. We’ve put a spanner in the works.

Jack Milne, a defender for Aberdeen, described it as “the best feeling of my life.” The belief was present.

“All of us knew that this outcome would be possible.” It is incredible. It’s a true dream.

Leighton Clarkson, a midfielder for Aberdeen, described it as “absolutely incredible. No one backed our cause. We always had faith that we could accomplish it when we arrived.

We entered this game believing, and we succeeded. I’m so happy.

Dante Polvara, the midfielder for Aberdeen, said: “We’ve been through a lot.

Lando Norris, who has struggled with form since the start of this season, described his pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix as “a step in the right direction” and “quite a big thing.”

After four victories over Norris, the McLaren driver trails team-mate Oscar Piastri by 13 points in the championship.

Piastri has won three poles, Norris’ first since the start of the season’s Australian Grand Prix, while Piastri has just three.

You also need consistency of results, according to Norris.

I have two ways to look at it. It makes sense that I had a good Saturday, which is a breakthrough. It’s at least a step in the right direction for me, and I’m very, very happy about it.

“But it’s only a weekend,” he said. I’m confident in every session that I can perform like I did today because I believe my performance was at a very, very high level, and that’s a big part of it.

My goal is to compete at this level if I can enter Barcelona, Canada, and the following races.

However, today is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, regardless of whether it is a small or large step, and that is all I need right now.

In a thrilling session in Monaco, Norris defeated Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by a 0.109 second advantage.

McLaren chose to do two laps, staying off the track while cooling their tires between, and Leclerc did one. Before the Briton grabbed the pole back, Norris grabbed it, Leclerc grabbed it from him, and the pair exchanged it.

After explaining that he has been having trouble believing the McLaren car enough to carry it consistently to the limit in qualifying, Norris has been working diligently to improve his qualifying performance this year.

When asked to explain his step forward, he responded, “Things from the car, just it being Monaco with a very different layout, a very different kind of driving that’s needed here.” In some ways, it’s much more risk-taking than just absolute car balance.

“As well as things that I’ve been working on to improve and perform better.”

“Never because I’ve not had the pace; just more because I’ve never put it together in Q3. I probably put it all together for the first time since Australia today.

“I’m driving in a better, smarter way, not because I’m driving more quickly,” he said.

However, a lot of work has already been done. Even if I had been pole in any other track, I believe it to be the pole that has had the biggest impact on me.

“It probably means even more than Monaco, but more because of what has transpired recently. Although it may not seem like much, I think it’s a lot. So, yes, that’s a very, very good moment, as I once said.

He claimed that he always believed he would solve the issue.

Norris said, “I don’t think I’ve ever doubted what I can do.” I’ve gotten frustrated, he said. I’ve been unhappy, which is normal when you’re not happy, especially when you should be, because you can’t win and don’t win. The goal is exactly that.

Andrea Stella, the head of the McLaren team, described Norris’ performance as “an important step in the process” that will somehow reassure Lando, saying that he had done a “fabulous job” by applying the work the team had done with him in recent weeks.

However, he continued, “I kind of have a sense that there is quite a lot to be extracted, so I take this very positively. I’m excited and looking forward to the steps that we will be able to take in the future.”

Because overtaking is so challenging, Norris could have a good chance of turning his pole into a win on a typical Monaco weekend.

However, new regulations this year require a minimum of two pit stops in an effort to raise the degree of uncertainty.

Stella argued that McLaren’s chances of winning were “tough” and a “material threat” due to the teams’ current circumstances.

We might see cars helping other members of the same team as a function of red flags, safety cars, and team work, Stella said.

Betfred Super League

Catalans (0) 0

Wigan (20) 48

With a clinical, if not dazzling, display in Perpignan, the Wigan Warriors fought off Dragons and Catalans to move within two points of Super League leaders Hull KR.

Les Dracs had plenty of the ball in Joel Tomkins’ first game as interim head coach, but Jai Field, Sam Walters, and Liam Marshall each scored with a score of 20-0 after the break.

The Warriors were 36 points clear going into the last quarter thanks to scores from Kruise Leeming, Junior Nsemba, and Marshall.

Clement Martin made his debut at the age of 20 after Steve McNamara’s spell with the eighth-placed Dragons was ended by a 40-0 hammering at St Helens.

The hosts struggled to overcome some obstinate defense after dominating the first half for extended periods of time. In contrast, a subpar Wigan won the Super League for the seventh time in a row.

When Field ran 40 metres to the posts for his 15th try of the season in all competitions, Catalans fell behind after four furious minutes.

Adam Keighran converted eight of his nine penalty kicks, which gave the Warriors an even greater advantage.

When Marshall sprinted into vast spaces and gave Walters a simple scoring passing inside, it appeared to be too easy for Wigan.

The champions were ruthless and opportunistic in their attack, but they also had a habit of making mistakes, once slogging up three repeat sets of their own half.

Catalans, however, did not take advantage of the gifts, and instead remained even longer after Marshall intercepted Theo Fages’ long pass and sprinted 90 meters to the line.

Following the break, Wigan made their first attack, Jake Wardle’s brilliant run, and Leeming’s simple score, with a simple score.

Nsemba added a fifth try after finishing with a superb 20-metre cut-out pass for Marshall’s second try on the hour.

Rouge, Seguier, Dezaria, and Maria swap.

Wigan: Field, Eckersley, Keighran, Wardle, Wardle, Marshall, Marshall, French, Smith, Byrne, O’Neill, Thompson, Nsemba, Farrell, Ellis, and others.

Havard, Mago, Leeming, Walters, and others.

Tommy Watson’s defeat at Sunderland would have been the match-winner, fewer spectators at Wembley for the Championship play-off final.

Even less so after sifting through the team list, which does not even include his name, in the official program.

The 19-year-old signed for Brighton and Hove Albion last month for a £10 million deal, with Watson sealing the deal later in the summer.

In contrast to his younger team, whose position in the top flight was guaranteed despite what transpired in the final.

Another interesting thing is that Watson was booed by some fans in the first home game at Stadium of Light last month in light of his planned move to the south coast.

Marco Gabbiadini, a former Black Cats striker, described that reaction as “brainless,” but Watson has undoubtedly had the last laugh in an unforgettable way.

The teenager scored in the most impressive way in his 22nd and final game for the club, which included his other two goals against Stoke City in December.

The key thing for Regis Le Bris was that the squad was unconcerned about Watson’s continued involvement in these crucial final weeks.

The Frenchman said: “It was probably a difficult decision for him, but it was obvious in our minds and his minds that he was still a Sunderland player.”

Although Watson acknowledged the difficultness of the season’s conclusion, he delivered a champagne moment that will stick with him forever.

He told BBC Radio Newcastle, “I’ve been dreaming about that moment for the past few weeks.”

“I’m really happy that this monster of a club is back where it belongs,” I said.

Dan Neil, Anthony Patterson, and Chris Rigg all feature in the starting XI, making Watson the latest of a long line of Academy of Light graduates to join the club.

Jordan Pickford, a former England international, and Jordan Henderson, a former Liverpool player, were both present as part of the crowd to watch his hometown side earn promotion.

With sporting director Kristjaan Speakman leading the charge toward a more youthful approach, that production line has been successful for Sunderland.

Before the final, he claimed that promotion would uphold the strategy used by Sunderland to reclaim their position in the top flight.