LONDON: England coach Eddie Jones accused Italy of using a game plan against the spirit of rugby during a Six Nations match on Sunday, comparing the tactics to an Australian cricketer who famously bowled underarm and along the ground to avoid conceding a six.
“I’m not happy with what happened: I don’t think that’s rugby,” Jones said after watching the underdog Italians frustrate England’s players with rarely seen tactics at the breakdown during England’s 36-15 win at Twickenham.
Instead of contesting the breakdown, Italy’s players decided not to compete to reclaim the ball. That meant no ruck was formed and it freed the Italians to get behind the tackle area onto England’s side and block any passes.
It was smart and innovative from Italy coach Conor O’Shea — and it bewildered England so much that some of its players asked the referee how they could combat it.
“I was remembering Trevor Chappell, mate,” Jones said when asked for his thoughts on his opponent’s game plan. “Remember Trevor Chappell, bowled underarm along the ground. Similar rules today.”
Jones was referring to an incident in an infamous one-day cricket match between Australia and New Zealand in 1981. The New Zealanders got to the final ball of the match needing six runs to tie, so Chappell was ordered to deliver the ball underarm and deny the batsman the chance to clear the boundary.
“It’s not a game of rugby, it ceases to be a game of rugby,” said Jones, an Australian. “Congratulations to Italy, they strategically were smart today. Well done to them but it’s not rugby, let’s be serious about this.”
Asked if rugby’s laws needed to change to prevent this happening again, Jones said: “No one likes to see rugby not played in its proper form so World Rugby will have to have a very close look at it.”
Former England scrumhalf Matt Dawson was also dismayed by Italy’s tactics, posting on Twitter: “Imagine the shambles at all the rugby clubs around the world next weekend!! (hashtag)shameonyouConor.”
O’Shea was unrepentant, though.
“We have to think differently, like we did today,” the Irishman said. “We were playing absolutely legally. What we did today, we played to the laws.”
“We have to be horrible to play against,” O’Shea added. “We’re here to win and not make up the numbers.”
At one point, England flanker James Haskell was heard asking referee Romain Poite: “For clarity, on the ruck thing, what do we need to do to make it a ruck?“
Poite replied: “I am a referee, not a coach. You will probably find the solution with your coach.”
Dylan Hartley also said he was “confused” by the situation.
“Italy were always going to come here and try different things, but we didn’t expect that and I’ve only seen it once before,” said Haskell, who added that it “wasn’t a great game for the fans.”
“I don’t think anyone knew what was going on. The only ones who knew what was going on was the Italians.”
England was losing 10-5 at halftime but dealt with Italy’s tactics better in the second half, attacking the thin defense around the fringes of the tackle area by using the so-called “pick-and-go.”
England scored four tries after halftime to claim a bonus-point win and maintain its perfect record over Italy in 23 meetings between the countries.
“We’ll go away and learn from this. That’s why it’s called a test match,” Haskell said.
“Every day is a school day.”
Just not rugby: Italy’s tactics anger England in Six Nations
Just not rugby: Italy’s tactics anger England in Six Nations
Rizwan to lead Pakistan in first T20I against Australia today after ODI series win
- Pakistan to play three-match series against Australia on Nov. 14, 16 and 18 in Brisbane, Sydney and Hobart
- Rizwan’s side defeated Australia 2-1 in three-match series last week to win first series in Australia since 2002
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan will lead his side for the first time against Australia in a T20I format at Brisbane today, Thursday, after steering the green shirts to their first ever ODI series victory against the 2023 world champions since 2022.
Rizwan will become the 12th person to assume Pakistan’s T20 captaincy when he takes the field in Brisbane for the first T20I. Pakistan’s cricket team, encouraged by stellar performances from fast bowlers Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, beat Australia 2-1 in the three-match series that concluded last week.
After Thursday’s match, Pakistan will play against Australia in Sydney and Hobart on Nov. 16 and 18 respectively. Pakistani cricketers Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufiyan Moqim and Usman Khan joined the T20I squad in Brisbane on Nov. 11 after undergoing a five-day training camp in the southern port city of Karachi.
“We are confident after beating Australia in the ODI series but international cricket is always challenging so we aim to do things as better as we can going into this T20I series against Australia,” Rizwan said a day before the match.
“We have determined the roles of various players in the team and look forward to executing our best plans not just in this series but also in the upcoming white-ball fixtures against Zimbabwe and South Africa.”
The Pakistan captain said he wanted to keep all the players involved in the series motivated.
“Of course, the conditions have helped the bowlers on this tour so far but we also want to prove our mettle as a batting unit and I look forward to an exciting contest in the three matches,” he said.
Pakistan last faced Australia in a T20 contest in March 2022 when the two teams played a one-off T20I in Lahore, which Australia won. In Pakistan’s last T20I series in Australia in November 2019, the hosts won 2-0 after the opening match ended in a no result.
Josh Inglis will lead Australia in the T20I series while Tim David and Nathan Ellis have joined Australia’s T20I squad. Josh Philippe, meanwhile, has replaced the injured Cooper Connolly.
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (captain – wicket-keeper), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan
It’s a quiet Mike Tyson as 58-year-old nears fight with Jake Paul, 31 years his junior
- Tyson had terse answers for all the questions Wednesday night, two nights before the fight against Paul, who is 31 years younger, at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys
IRVING, Texas: Mike Tyson wasn’t in the mood for talking in the final news conference before the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion faces YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
Tyson had terse answers for all the questions Wednesday night, two nights before the fight against Paul, who is 31 years younger, at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
The issue of Tyson’s health didn’t come up in a small concert venue about 20 miles from AT&T Stadium. A bout originally scheduled for July 20 was postponed to Friday night after Tyson had to be treated for a stomach ulcer when he fell ill on a flight.
Tyson said in a documentary promoting the fight that he lost 26 pounds while recovering, but Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder with Paul of Most Valuable Promotions, said Tyson had been cleared medically for weeks.
Bidarian also said Tyson was going through the same regular medical checkups of any sanctioned pro fight in Texas.
Several states wouldn’t sanction the bout. Texas agreed to a fight that was eight rounds instead of 10 or 12, with two-minute rounds instead of three, and heavier gloves designed to lessen the power of punches.
“I’ve said everything I had to say,” Tyson said in one of several attempts to get him to say more. “I’m just looking forward to fighting.”
“It’s cute,” Paul said of the terse Tyson. “I fear no man, so I want him to be that old savage Mike.”
Paul couldn’t even get Tyson to respond by wearing what the 27-year-old said was a “diamond-spiked ear cover.” It was Paul’s jab at Tyson over the Hall of Famer infamously biting the ear of Evander Holyfield in a 1997 fight.
Tyson did get briefly riled up when somebody asked twice what he would do if he lost. His last sanctioned bout was in 2005. Tyson fought Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition four years ago.
“I am not going to lose,” Tyson said, his voice rising the second time it was asked. “Did you hear what I said?”
Tyson was 50-6 with 44 knockouts before retiring 19 years ago. Paul is 10-1 with seven knockouts in less than five years as a pro, facing mostly mixed martial artists and journeymen boxers.
The fight is the first combat sports event to be streamed on Netflix. It will be available at no additional cost to the more than 280 million Netflix subscribers globally.
Paul is a minus-200 betting favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. That means the payout for a Paul victory would be about half the amount of any bet.
The co-main event is a rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano for the undisputed super welterweight title.
Taylor won a split decision that many questioned in a slugfest at sold-out Madison Square Garden in 2022 in the first women’s fight to headline at the famous venue.
Taylor and Serrano sat behind Tyson and Paul on the stage, with the 10 fighters from the undercards on either side of Tyson and Paul.
Football ‘world order’ is changing, says Brazil coach
- Dorival Junior: The top teams haven’t had as much room to grow, while the teams at the bottom are starting to make interesting and big strides
- After losing half of their initial eight games in South America, Brazil swung back to beat Chile and Peru and are fourth in the table with 16 points after 10 matches
SAO PAOLO: The “world order” of football is shifting, Brazil’s coach Dorival Junior said ahead of a World Cup qualifier Thursday against Venezuela.
“I don’t think we’ll have an easy game. Forget Venezuela, Bolivia recently. Right now the world order is changing a lot,” Dorival said on Wednesday in the Brazilian city of Belem where the team were training.
While pressure has been alleviated by Brazil beating Chile (2-1) and Peru (4-0) in the October doubleheader, the 62-year-old coach warned they, like Argentina, had to recognize they earlier lost ground to previously easier opponents.
“South American football has grown a lot overall. If you look at the majority of the national lineups, you see players playing in teams all over the world, which wasn’t the case until recently,” he said.
“The top teams haven’t had as much room to grow, while the teams at the bottom are starting to make interesting and big strides. This is levelling things a lot and making the matches tighter contests.”
Brazil are still being forged under his watch, meaning their performance will “fluctuate” while that is being worked out, he said.
But Dorival said they were heading toward becoming a “safe,” “strong” and balanced team.
After a bad start in the qualifiers, losing half of their initial eight games in South America, Brazil swung back to beat Chile and Peru and are fourth in the table with 16 points after 10 matches. The top six South American teams directly qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Brazil sit six points behind current leaders Argentina.
Venezuela rank eighth in the table.
“We’re not in a totally favorable situation, we’re coming from behind... (but) we’re gaining a greater sense of greater structure in the team,” Dorival said.
After Friday’s game against Venezuela, Brazil are to play Uruguay next Tuesday.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had a stroke earlier this month, is expected to make full recovery
- Popovich had the stroke on Nov. 2 at the arena where the Spurs play, the team said Wednesday
- The team released no other details, including what aftereffects of the stroke — if any — that he is dealing with
SAN ANTONIO: Basketball Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich is recovering from what the San Antonio Spurs described as a mild stroke, though there is no timetable for the NBA’s longest-tenured coach to return to the sideline.
Popovich had the stroke on Nov. 2 at the arena where the Spurs play, the team said Wednesday, and has already started a rehabilitation program with belief that he will make a full recovery. The team released no other details, including what aftereffects of the stroke — if any — that he is dealing with.
“It’s a difficult time for everyone,” Spurs general manager Brian Wright said. “Coach Pop has been the leader of this organization for the last three decades. We all have come across or know people that just have a different aura, a difference presence about them. Clearly, he’s one of those people. When we walk into the building each and every day, we feel that leadership, we feel that presence and so not having him there’s clearly a void. And we miss him.”
The 75-year-old Popovich is the NBA’s all-time win leader who has led the Spurs to five championships, plus guided USA Basketball to a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. He is in his 29th season as coach of the Spurs.
“He’s doing well. He’s doing well. ... He’s tough, he’s a fighter and he’s going to work,” Wright said. “We’re all here for him, but he’s doing OK.”
Assistant coach Mitch Johnson has been the acting head coach in Popovich’s absence. The Spurs play at home Wednesday against Washington, and that will be the seventh straight game in which Johnson will be filling in for Popovich.
“Mitch has been great,” Spurs rookie Stephon Castle said Wednesday, before the team announced the details about Popovich’s health. “Even when Pop was here, he’s always had a voice in our huddles and in our locker room. Our philosophies haven’t been changed.”
A stroke happens when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked or if a blood vessel in the brain bursts. That deprives the brain of oxygen which can cause brain damage that can lead to difficulty thinking, talking and walking, or even death. Strokes may lead to difficulty speaking, paralysis or loss of movement in certain muscles, memory loss and more.
It is unknown if Popovich is dealing with any aftereffects of the stroke.
Stroke was the fourth leading cause of death in the US in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more than half a million Americans have a stroke every year.
The Spurs were playing the Minnesota Timberwolves at home on Nov. 2, and Popovich’s medical episode occurred there in the hours before that game. Johnson took over for that night’s contest, which the Spurs won, after the team said Popovich was not feeling well.
Johnson and Popovich spoke on Nov. 3, and on Nov. 4 Johnson said Popovich is “in good spirits ... he’ll be OK. He is OK.” The Spurs had not released much in the way of details since, prior to Wednesday’s announcement about the stroke.
Wright raved about the way Johnson and the Spurs have bonded and dealt with the absence of the team’s leader.
“It’s exactly what Coach Pop would want us to do,” Wright said. “And so, it’s on all of us to play our part, to play our role, to continue to lean on each other, support one another and be there for one another.”
Popovich is one of only three coaches to win the NBA coach of the year award three times, Don Nelson and Pat Riley being the others. He’s one of five coaches with at least five NBA titles; Phil Jackson (11), Red Auerbach (9), John Kundla (5) and Riley (5) are the others.
Popovich has been part of the Spurs for nearly 35 years. He was an assistant coach from 1988 through 1992, then returned to the club on May 31, 1994, as its executive vice president for basketball operations and general manager. He made the decision to fire coach Bob Hill and appoint himself coach on Dec. 10, 1996.
He’s been the Spurs’ sideline boss ever since.
“We look forward to the day that we can welcome him back,” Wright said.
Popovich’s 29-year run with the Spurs is a span the likes of which has been nearly unmatched in US major pro sports history.
Connie Mack managed the Philadelphia Athletics for 50 years, George Halas coached the Chicago Bears for 40 years and John McGraw managed the New York Giants for 31 years. Those three tenures — all wrapping up well over a half-century ago — are the only ones exceeding Popovich’s run with the Spurs; his 29-year era in San Antonio to this point matches the tenures that Dallas Cowboys’ Tom Landry and the Green Bay Packers’ Curly Lambeau had in those jobs.
Lyon and Chelsea stay perfect in Women’s Champions League
PARIS: Lyon beat Roma 3-0 to maintain their 100 percent record in Group A of the Women’s Champions League on Wednesday, while Wolfsburg thrashed Galatasaray to pick up their first points.
In Group B, Chelsea came from behind against Celtic to preserve their perfect record and Real Madrid put seven past Twente.
Record eight-time winners Lyon traveled to the Italian capital with both sides level at the top of the group on two wins apiece.
Melchie Dumornay’s first-half brace put the French side firmly in control, her second coming three minutes before the interval via an audacious chip from inside the center circle.
Vanessa Gilles poked in from close range in the 52nd minute to rubber-stamp an authoritative performance by Joe Montemurro’s side.
Wolfsburg, the 2013 and 2014 Champions League winners, started their latest campaign with back-to-back defeats against Lyon and Roma — leaving them third in Group A with no goals scored and in real danger of elimination.
Their 5-0 win in Istanbul keeps them third place, three points behind Roma in second.
“We want to get out of the group by working hard and doing our best for the (three) remaining matches,” said Wolfsburg forward Rebecka Blomqvist.
“We are in a very tough group. But we also have the power to achieve this.”
Defender Joelle Wedemeyer’s 24th-minute header from a corner gave the Germans the lead. Blomqvist tapped in on 63 minutes to double the advantage.
The Swedish striker stroked home a third for the team with 13 minutes remaining and then rounded off her hat-trick six minutes into added time.
Vivien Endemann smashed home a fifth for Wolfsburg in the 97th minute.
“We are very happy with the result,” added Blomqvist. “I am proud to show my best out on the pitch. It’s great to contribute to the team.”
A third successive defeat in three outings leaves the Turks bottom of the table with just one goal scored and 14 conceded.
At Parkhead, Chelsea moved to nine points with a 2-1 victory over winless Celtic.
The hosts took a surprise lead with just over 20 minutes gone when Murphy Agnew raced through and lifted a finish past goalkeeper Zecira Musovic.
It took the English champions only six minutes to respond, first through Maika Hamano in the 28th minute and then Ashley Lawrence tucked home a rebound four minutes later.
Chelsea were unable to kill off the match in the second half but succeeded nonetheless in holding Celtic at arm’s length to see out a narrow victory, despite Aggie Beever-Jones picking up a second yellow card deep in injury time.
Real Madrid strolled past Dutch side Twente with a 7-0 win in Spain.
Signe Bruun opened the scoring in the third minute, before center-half Maria Mendez nodded in her first goal in European football 13 minutes later.
Naomie Feller guided in a third on 50 minutes and Caroline Weir soon after curled an unstoppable free-kick over the wall and into the top corner.
Mendez then doubled her tally in the competition with a second header from a corner three minutes after the hour, before Oihane Hernandez and Carla Camacho completed the rout.
The Spaniards sit second in the group with six points.
