Kategori: Football

Gregor Townsend’s Scotland came from 21-3 behind at half-time, to beat France at Murrayfield in RWC warm-up after tries from Darcy Graham, Pierre Schoeman, Dave Cherry; Captain Finn Russell added two conversions, two penalties; Scots win despite 51st min red card to prop Zander Fagerson

Darcy Graham was among the tries again as Scotland came from 21-3 behind to beat France 25-21

A Rugby World Cup warm-up Test of two halves saw 14-player Scotland roar back from 18 points down to beat a youthful France team 25-21 at Murrayfield.

French 20-year-olds Emilien Gailleton and Louis Bielle-Biarrey, at centre and wing respectively, lit up Murrayfield in the first half, combining to create a try for scrum-half Baptiste Couilloud, before Bielle-Biarrey scored one himself, and lock Cameron Woki added a third French try before the break.

It left them 21-3 ahead at the break, but Scotland came back with tries by wing Darcy Graham, loosehead Pierre Schoeman and hooker Dave Cherry to wrestle a lead themselves, despite losing prop Zander Fagerson to a red card.

Tighthead Fagerson became the first player to be red carded via World Rugby’s new in-play review system – which will be in operation at September’s Rugby World Cup – where foul play that meets a yellow card threshold sees the player sin-binned, before the TMO has an eight-minute period to upgrade to a red card or keep the decision at yellow.

He will now face a suspension which will likely see him miss some of the World Cup, while further concern for Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend came in the form of scrum-half Ben White limping off in the first half with an ankle injury, five weeks before their World Cup opener vs South Africa in Marseille.

Finn Russell kicked the opening points of a first half dominated by France

Finn Russell kicked Scotland into an early 3-0 lead but an experimental France side hit back in style, as a counter-attack from their own half saw debutant backs Gailleton and Bielle-Biarrey combine at searing pace, with scrum-half Couilloud finishing a wonderful attack on the inside.

Batiste Couilloud finished a stunning France move for the opening try

Only a desperate tackle from Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe denied centre Yoram Moefana a try in the corner, but by the 25th minute, France had a second as Bielle-Biarrey showed his pace to run on an angle and race in through a gap.

Louis Bielle-Biarrey impressed hugely in the first half on his Test debut

Past the half-hour mark, Scotland lost starting scrum-half White – their No 1 in the position – after he was forced to limp off with an ankle injury, and, by the half-time break, France had a third try.

Having turned down the chance to kick out and head in 14-3 ahead, close-range attacks eventually gave way to Woki diving over in the final play. When Matthieu Jalibert struck over his third conversion, France led 21-3 at the break.

Cameron Woki got over to score France’s third try before half-time

Rapid Scotland wing Graham – who scored twice vs Italy last week – gave the hosts an ideal start to the second half, though, as he outpaced Ethan Dumortier to reach a clever Russell kick into in-goal and get downward pressure on the ball to score.

Russell converted immaculately, and though Scotland forced a knock-on the next time France were attacking in the 22, Pierre Bourgarit jackalled at the breakdown to halt the Scots down the other end.

Graham did brilliantly to get to the ball and score Scotland’s first try, early in the second half

In the 51st minute, Fagerson was sin-binned for catching Bourgarit in the face in a ruck clearout – the first time the new yellow card/red card review system was in operation – with the Scotland tighthead’s action later upgraded to a red card due to the high degree of danger and no mitigation.

Zander Fagerson was forced to remain off as his yellow card was upgraded to a red card

Despite the player deficit, Scotland loosehead Schoeman forced his way over the try-line for their second try, with questions over a double-movement quickly dismissed between referee Ben O’Keeffe and TMO Ben Whitehouse, even though there might well have been.

Pierre Schoeman forced his way over for a try, which was given despite the suspicion of a double-movement

Confirmation of Fagerson’s red card came after the try was scored, but Scotland had moved within four points and in the ascendency, and on the hour mark Blair Kinghorn forced his way past Brice Dulin to score after more lengthy spells of pressure, only for the try to be chalked off for a prior Graham knock-on spotted by the TMO.

Within four minutes, Scotland had their third try for the lead as replacement Cherry got over to score via a rolling maul in the corner, and though Russell missed the conversion, he then stretched Scotland’s lead to four with seven minutes to go via a penalty from close-range.

Dave Cherry gave Scotland the lead with a try which came via a rolling maul

France finally forced a spell in attack before the end of the game, but successive five-metre lineout and scrum attacks came up short in the face of a superb Scotland defensive effort.

Russell Henley cards four-under 66 to hold on to lead; Billy Horschel shoots career-low 62 to see him just one shot back on 11 under and throws him into the FedEXCup mix; Watch live coverage of day three of the Wyndham Championship from 5pm, Saturday on Sky Sports Golf

Two-time major champion Justin Thomas has kept his FedExCup playoff hopes alive by carding a second-round 65 to make the cut at the Wyndham Championship.

Entering the week, Thomas sat 79th in the FedExCup standings, with only the top 70 qualifying, after failing to make the cut in five of his past seven starts. His efforts on Friday have nudged him up to 75th were these results to be final, so there’s still work to be done.

Thomas is currently seven shots behind Russell Henley, who tops the leaderboard for a second-straight day after a four-under round of 66 took him to 12 under for the tournament.

Justin Thomas has given himself a chance of making the FedExCup playoffs after a second-round 65 to make the cut at the Wyndham Championship

One shot back in second place is Billy Horschel after shooting a career-low 62. The 2014 FedExCup champion is another fighting to get into the top 70 and had appeared to give himself a mountain to climb when ranked 117th coming into the week. He’s now projected to jump all the way up to 65th to qualify.

“We’ve talked about this enough and it’s been well-documented, this year’s been a real struggle for me,” Horschel said.

“Listen, I know I have to win or finish solo second… If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”

Billy Horschel carded a career-low round of 62 to propel himself into second spot on the leaderboard and into the projected top 70 for the FedExCup

As for other members of the playing field pushing to earn themselves a late FedExCup place, England’s Matt Wallace – 80th in the standings prior to the tournament – is tied with Thomas at five under after carding 68 on Friday.

Australia’s Adam Scott (81st), who has qualified for every edition of the playoffs since they were introduced in 2007, is one shot further back on four under after a one-over second round of 71.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry (76th) is three under, having flirted with the cut line following a double-bogey on the 16th before finishing his second round with a birdie.

2019 US Open winner Gary Woodland (97th) and Netflix series ‘Full Swing’ favourite Joel Dahmen (82nd) are also three under, while Ryder Cup hopeful Alex Noren (102nd) only just made the cut at two under and has a lot of work to do.

Henley holds on to narrow lead

Henley’s four-under second round was good enough to see him hold onto his one-shot lead at Sedgefield Country Club despite Horschel’s career-low round propelling him up the leaderboard and into second on Friday.

Brendon Todd (63), Lucas Glover (64), Adam Svensson of Canada (67) and Byeong Hun An of South Korea (67) are tied for third at 10 under, while Swedish up-and-comer Ludvig Aberg is in seventh place at eight under after carding a second-straight 66 for the week.

Henley finished strongly after going out with a one-under 34 on the back nine. He birdied three of his last five – holes five, eight and nine – to wrap his second round.

“I haven’t looked at the stats but I think my putting has been really solid and I feel like my approach game when I’m in the fairway has been pretty good,” Henley said, “I’ve made a lot of good par saves and made a decent amount of 10-, 15-footers.”

Henley, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour, has finished in the top 10 at the Wyndham Championship three years running and is hoping to avoid letting his lead slip this year like he did in 2021. The American led after each of the first three rounds two years ago before faltering down the stretch with a final-round 71 seeing him finish in a tie for seventh.

Horschel holed out for eagle at the par-four eighth hole and made seven birdies and a single bogey in his hugely impressive round.

It’s a welcome return to form for Horschel who, until tying for 13th at the 3M Open last week, had not finished better than tied for 40th at a non-team, stroke-play event since the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February.

Notable names to miss the cut in Greensboro, North Carolina, included former Masters winner, England’s Danny Willet (two over), and compatriot Callum Tarren (level par) – both of whom harboured hopes of still qualifying for the FedExCup playoffs.

Canada’s Adam Hadwin (two over) and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (five over) are also headed home, but they’re already inside the top 70 so will be in the field for next week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Watch the Wyndham Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage from day three begins on Saturday from 5pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the PGA Tour with NOW.

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Tries from Adam Keighran, Tom Davies, Mitchell Pearce, Matt Whitley and Matt Ikuvalu helped Catalans Dragons make it 10 wins in 11 Betfred Super League matches to stay four points clear at the top of the table

Gary Chambers’ first game as interim Warrington Wolves head coach ended in a 30-10 defeat at the hands of Betfred Super League leaders Catalans Dragons.

Tries from Adam Keighran, Tom Davies and Mitchell Pearce put Catalans in control in the first half, but the Wolves, beginning a new era following Daryl Powell’s departure as head coach, gave themselves a glimmer of hope when Ben Currie crossed two minutes before the interval to make it 18-6.

Tyrone May’s grubber kicks then led to converted tries from Matt Whitley and Matt Ikuvalu, who had another possible score chalked off by the video referee, in the second half to make certain of the win before Josh Thewlis grabbed a late consolation score for the hosts.

A 10th victory in 11 Super League matches kept the Dragons four points clear at the top of the table, while Warrington moved up to fifth on points difference courtesy of results elsewhere despite suffering a sixth-consecutive loss.

Story of the game

Warrington gave a debut to on-loan forward Jordy Crowther and Thomas Mikaele came back into the squad after returning to the club from Australia, while Connor Wrench was recalled in place of Matty Ashton, Joe Bullock and Adam Holroyd.

Catalans made three changes from the side that routed Salford 42-0 with Mickael Goudemand, Bastien Scimone and Arthur Romano coming into the squad in place of Michael McIlorum, Mike McMeeken and Jordan Dezaria.

The Wolves started with plenty of intent, roared on by a vociferous home support as they looked to right the wrongs of the last few weeks but the French side weathered the early onslaught.

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Barrie McDermott and Kevin Brown discuss the candidates to replace Daryl Powell as Warrington Wolves head coach.

The league leaders drew first blood after 13 minutes when Pearce’s crossfield kick was missed by the Wolves defence and the ball bounced into the grateful hands of Keighran to score, with the centre also adding the conversion.

As errors crept into the Wolves’ game it got better for Steve McNamara’s side five minutes later when some crisp handling across the line allowed Davies to dive in at the corner. Keighran was off target with the conversion but added a penalty soon after to give Catalans a 12-0 lead.

They increased that advantage when more excellent approach work ended with Davies’ inside pass sending the supporting Pearce over and Keighran kicked his third goal of the half.

Warrington gave themselves hope of a comeback when a George Williams pass finally broke the Dragons defence as Currie charged through to score three minutes before half-time and Ratchford converted to reduce the arrears to 12 points at half-time.

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Mitchell Pearce extended Catalans Dragons’ lead with his second try of the season

The visitors extinguished any hopes of a comeback with the first score of the second half as Whitley touched down from May’s kick.

Half-back May repeated the dose when another kick split the Wolves defence and allowed Ikuvalu to score, with Keighran adding both conversions before Thewlis claimed a late consolation try for the Wolves two minutes from time.

What they said

Catalans Dragons head coach Steve McNamara

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Catalans Dragons head coach Steve McNamara believes his side won ‘at a tough place in tough circumstances’

“What tonight showed was we can win at a tough place in tough circumstances. There is always that rebound effect, the opportunity when the opposition change coach to come out and play a bit free, but we snuffed that out.

“We’ve got a lot of players missing and I’m really happy with the players who came in today who haven’t played for a long period of time.”

Warrington Wolves interim head coach Gary Chambers:

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Warrington Wolves interim head coach Gary Chambers felt the team ‘worked hard’ and backed them to turn things around.

“Obviously you’re a bit disappointed, but we’ve not got the time with these lads at the moment. I thought they worked hard and I’m going to stand up for them that way.

“What they’ve done this week, the passion they’ve shown in the changing rooms and the commitment, this will change.”

Player of the match Ben Garcia

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Catalans Dragons captain Ben Garcia believes his side’s victory over Warrington Wolves was ‘a great performance from the group’.

“It was a great performance from the group. It’s tough to come here…but we are a close group and we showed that tonight.

“It’s the attitude week in, week out. We turn up for each other.”

What’s next?

Both teams have a week off next week for the Betfred Challenge Cup final, with Catalans returning to action on Saturday, August 19 away to Leigh Leopards in a match which is live on Sky Sports Arena (3pm). Warrington play again the following day when they travel to Leeds Rhinos (3pm).

Liam Smith has warned Chris Eubank Jr that his new trainer can’t save him in next month’s rematch.

They will box a second time on September 2 at the AO Arena in Manchester, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Eubank has now linked up with a new coach, Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre, the trainer of Terence Crawford, the fighter now widely regarded as the best boxer in the world after his victory over Errol Spence on Saturday.

But Smith does not see McIntyre, despite being one of boxing’s most successful coaches, making much of an impact on Eubank Jr.

“Again just Chris being Chris. Looking for the names. If Crawford didn’t win at the weekend would he probably still have chosen BoMac? Maybe not,” Smith told Sky Sports News.

“But I couldn’t care less who Chris brings. Chris can have BoMac, Chris can have Terence Crawford, the best fighter in the world in his corner. I don’t feel that helps Chris. Chris is too egotistic to listen.”

When Eubank Jr spoke to Sky Sports this week he maintained: “I’m very excited and I trust these guys. They have a great track record. So I’m listening.”

But Smith is unconvinced. “He can have the best coaches in the world, the best fighters in the world in his corner, I don’t feel like it makes a difference,” he said.

Smith scored a stunning victory in January when he halted Eubank inside four rounds. It means the Brighton man will have to find a new approach if he is going to defeat Smith in their September rematch.

“I’m interested myself, to be honest, as much as you are and a lot of other people are to see what Chris can come with differently than he came with last time,” Smith said.

“Because he has to come differently. If he doesn’t come differently it’s a foregone conclusion the outcome.”

Though the Liverpudlian star cannot countenance defeat.

“If he comes to have a fight with me, he’s there to be caught,” Smith said.

“He knows full well I can hurt him in a heartbeat really. I didn’t really load up or nothing on the last shot and put him over. If he wants to come and stay in the firing line then you better make me miss.

“If he tries to box me – he boxed me last time, he makes too many mistakes.

“I look at Chris and when I strip everything down, whatever way he comes, I don’t think he beats me.”

Don’t miss Smith vs Eubank II live on Sky Sports Box Office on September 2.

The 2023/24 Scottish Premiership season promises to be another intriguing one and Sky Sports pundits Kris Boyd and Chris Sutton have predicted where each side will finish…

It once again looks to be between the choice of two sides for the title, but there is plenty at stake for all the Scottish Premiership sides.

There is the battle for the top six and European football and who will be the team to drop into the Championship come the end of the season?

Aberdeen

Kris Boyd – 4th

After a fantastic end to the season under Barry Robson, Aberdeen will be looking to kick on again. Duk proved last year he was a handful, Bojan Miovski as well but losing Matty Pollock defensively is a big blow, as is Ross McCrorie moving on. Aberdeen have spent money and they’ve started to rebuild the squad again and they’re going to need that if they’re going to be successful. They have guaranteed European football until Christmas which can cause its own problems, and I do think it may be role reversal with Hearts this season.

Chris Sutton – 3rd

It’s a real positive for Aberdeen that they still have Duk and Bojan Miovski as they both really impressed last season. Barry Robson made a real difference to the side when he took over and he’s managed to bring in a number of good players. The fact they have held onto the strikeforce means I see them finishing best of the rest once again.

Celtic

Kris Boyd – 2nd

Brendan Rodgers has been here before – he knows exactly what to expect – he only lost once against Rangers in his last spell in Scotland. I’m sure Brendan will feel he can be all-conquering again but if it doesn’t start well and there are points dropped, the ones who were vocal about him coming back won’t take long to find their voices. There is no doubt Brendan is an outstanding manager and Celtic have done really well to get him after Ange Postecoglou moving on because I don’t think there are many who would have backed themselves to take over from his success. It’s safe to say Brendan Rodgers isn’t lacking in confidence, but if Rangers find a way to beat them consistently this season it will be a very different season for him.

Chris Sutton – 1st

It’s very different for Brendan Rodgers this time around in terms of the team he’s taken over, he’s taken over a treble-winning team. I don’t think anybody would argue that Brendan isn’t a good appointment and he’s come back with a point to prove. Is Brendan a good coach? Absolutely. Is he taking over a good team? Yes, albeit he is a player down and the standards of Postecoglou were so high. We know Glasgow is unforgiving and there can only be one winner so it’s going to be a really interesting season. The most important thing is Celtic start strongly as they don’t have the burden of the Champions League qualifiers while Rangers do.

Dundee

Kris Boyd – 10th

I think it will be very difficult for Dundee coming up. No disrespect to the Championship, but they made hard work of that last season. Similar to a lot of clubs at the bottom end of the table, I don’t see them scoring a lot of goals and ultimately they’re going to have to depend on their defenders to defend really well. Keeping clean sheets was an issue for them last season. There is a new manager and structure and it could be a tough season, but I do think they will at least get a play off.

Chris Sutton – 12th

I think it’s going to be a real baptism of fire for Tony Docherty in his first season as a manager. I really admire him for taking the job but I think he’s going to find it really tough. He will probably have one of the smallest budgets, but he has overhauled the squad as he looks to keep Dundee in the league. I do think it will be too big an ask for them and they’ll go straight back down.

Hearts

Kris Boyd – 3rd

There does need to be some real clarity about who is actually in charge. It always seems to be when Hearts get themselves into a position to kick on then something happens and they’re on the back foot again. I can though see them recovering this season. Lawrence Shankland will score goals and they have had a pre-season to work on the changes they started to make after Robbie Neilson’s departure. I think they’ll have enough to finish third because I don’t think they’ll qualify for Europe and that allows them to focus on the league.

Chris Sutton – 5th

I felt a bit sorry for Robbie Neilson. I know a lot of Hearts fans wanted him out, but I thought he did a good job overall and they because more expansive. Lawrence Shankland is of course is really important for them, but they’re going to miss Josh Ginnelly after his move to Swansea. Have they replaced him? I’m not so sure. I think their start is really important in terms of building belief and momentum. I think they will find this season a little bit tougher though.

Hibernian

Kris Boyd – 5th

They would have been under a lot of pressure if they hadn’t overturned their first-leg defeat to Inter Club D’Escaldes in Europa Conference League qualifying. There is no doubt a lot of Hibs fans are fed up with Lee Johnson but they have allowed him to spend money to try and make an impact. The fixtures were kind to Hibs and they need to get off to a strong start before facing the likes of Hearts, Celtic and Rangers.

Chris Sutton – 4th

I quite enjoy watching Hibs play and the fact Lee Johnson plays quite expansive football and trying something a bit different. They need to remain in European competition to keep the fans on side, but they are playing an entertaining brand of football at times. They’ve also made some good signings over the summer, although it will always be difficult to replace a striker like Kevin Nisbet. I see them getting one over their city rivals this season.

Kilmarnock

Kris Boyd – 7th

Derek McInnes has recruited well, bringing in players that know the league and if he can keep Kyle Magennis fit it’s a good signing. I look at their defence and that’s one thing Derek prides himself in, defending well. Bringing in Robbie Deas from Inverness is decent business. The signing of Stuart Findley is a big one for me. He’s been there before and he’s a leader. If Kilmarnock can find a settled starting XI then they will be in a battle for that top six. I do though see them just missing out.

Chris Sutton – 8th

Derek McInnes is a really clever manager. There have been a lot of changes at Kilmarnock, he’s brought a lot of defenders in which could be key for them. They will need to improve on their away record though, two wins on the road last season was far from good enough. Derek though has been around the block enough times to make sure he keeps them in the league. He will be looking to evolve and kick them on and I think they wil finish a bit higher up the table this season.

Livingston

Kris Boyd – 10th

Livingston have lost a lot of players again and David Martindale will be hoping he can hold onto Joel Nouble. He’s been working with a reduced budget this summer and it is showing but, that said, he has managed to add some experience to his squad. It’s the first time I’ve looked at Livi and thought this is the season they might struggle. It will be tough but I think they will just manage to do enough to keep themselves in the league once again.

Chris Sutton – 11th

Livingston always manage to do enough to stay in the league but this season they might struggle. David Martindale works wonders and will have them well organised. They will pick up points at home on that terrible plastic pitch, but I think it might be a season too far. I predict the playoffs for Livi.

Motherwell

Kris Boyd – 6th

I feel sorry for Motherwell in terms of Kevin van Veen leaving after the unbelievable season he had and they will never be able to replace that. Losing Max Johnston is also a huge blow because he was a huge talent. One who could be a bright spark for them in young Lennon Miller. He’s only 16 but he’s got the physique and the power to make an impact. go in there. As I said for that young kid and there’s no doubt we’ll see him feature. Despite losing players I think they’ll build on their strong finish too last season under Stuart Kettlewell and will sneak into the top half.

Chris Sutton – 7th

Trying to replace Kevin van Veen’s goals will be a real issue for Motherwell. Stuart Kettlewell did a really good job last season, coming in and really galvanising the team when they really needed it. They have recruited some players, but have also lost a lot of talent in the likes of Max Johnston and Connor Shields. I think they’ll do ok this season but won’t have quite enough to make it into the top six.

Rangers

Kris Boyd – 1st

Rangers won the last Old Firm game of last season and they need to find a way to start winning these meetings on a regular basis to go and challenge for trophies. Rangers have been playing second fiddle to Celtic for a number of years and they need to rectify that quickly as when you’re not winning big games and not delivering trophies it can become an issue. The club have backed Michael Beale in the summer and they’ll need to deliver. The fixtures have been kind to Rangers at the start of the season and it gives them an opportunity. If they can go to win the games up until that Old Firm then you’re able to beat Celtic at home, then you never know.

Chris Sutton – 2nd

Michael Beale will have learned from last season, he was quite bullish coming in and I think he ended the season with his tail between his legs. He will have taken a lot from last season’s League Cup final and Scottish Cup final defeats to Celtic and his “lucky Ange” comments. Rangers have some seriously good players and so do to Celtic so I think it’ll be close this season. Rangers have brought a lot of players in but it’s all about whether they come in and hit the ground running.

Ross County

Kris Boyd – 9th

It was a close call for Ross County last season but they found a way to win football games to stay in the league. I think Malky Mackay has strengthened really well and he has players who will create chances and score goals. If he can keep the likes of Eamonn Brophy, Simon Murray and Yan Dhanda fit then they’ve got a chance. Defensively they do look vulnerable though. I want them to survive again this year and I think they will.

Chris Sutton – 9th

I think Ross County will stay in the league and will be a lot more comfortable than they were last season. It’s always going to be difficult for Malky Mackay to convince players to move to Dingwall. He is an astute manager and he knows how to turn things around, as we saw at the end of last season with that impressive playoff comeback against Partick Thistle. They’ve got some streetwise players and he will have them well-organised.

St Johnstone

Kris Boyd – 12th

The alarm bells started ringing at St Johnstone after they lost to Stenhousemuir and Stirling Albion and failed to make it past the group stages of the League Cup. Steven McLean needs help, he needs to get more players in. I just hope for his sake he is given the backing that his previous managers have been given to have the best opportunity to survive. Sadly though I think it might be time up for St Johnstone, I hope I’m wrong but I just get the feeling they’ll struggle to recover from that League Cup exit.

Chris Sutton – 10th

St Johnstone’s League Cup showing doesn’t bode well for the season ahead. Steven MaLean suggested he played a weakened side against Stirling Albion, but there is no way they should be losing 4-0 at home to a side who have just been promoted to League One. I think they will really be up against it this season, but will do enough to secure their survival once again.

St Mirren

Kris Boyd – 8th

I tipped St Mirren to go down last season and I was completely wrong. They had a fantastic campaign, Stephen Robinson is very good at creating a team that is very hard to break down. He managed to do that while also still having a threat at the other end of the pitch as he had Curtis Main, but he’s moved in. Defensively I think they’ll still be ok but scoring goals might be a problem for them. I don’t think they’ll get anywhere near where they finished last season, but they’ll still have enough to be more than safe.

Chris Sutton – 6th

Stephen Robinson is a really good manager. St Mirren will miss Curtis Main as he was a big part of their success last season. He has added Mikel Mandron and he has high hopes for Conor McMenamin after his move from Glentoran. They are not a great watch, they play some quite direct football at times but it works for him. They will finish in the top six for the second successive season.

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Japan’s Hinako Shibuno leads the FREED GROUP Women’s Scottish Open from Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom after the first day of play in Ayrshire; watch the second round of action at Dundonald Links on Friday from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf

Hinako Shibuno fired an opening round of 64 (-8) to lead by two strokes at end of the first day of the FREED GROUP Women’s Scottish Open at Dundonald Links in Ayrshire.

The Japanese star, who won the AIG Women’s Open in 2019, was bogey-free on day one at Dundonald Links rolling in eight birdies.

Shibuno, who teed off from the 10th hole, began with a birdie and then made four on the trot on holes 13 through 16. The major winner finished her round with a flourish making another three birdies in-a-row on holes six, seven and eight to sit at the top of the leaderboard on eight-under-par.

“It was really good overall,” said Shibuno. “I putted well. I like Scotland and I like playing in Scotland and the UK. I surprised myself with the four birdies in a row.

“My finger is getting better, it’s healing now. My fingers and upper body was a little tight, but my sequence is getting better. I’m just being relaxed and more thinking about the sequence, the swing.”

Sagstrom sits in outright second place on six-under-par after firing a 66 on the first day at Dundonald.

Madelene Sagstrom fired in 66 on the first day

The 30-year-old got off to a hot start with birdies on 10, 11 and 12 before adding another on the 16th hole. There was a dropped shot on the first for the Swede, but she soon bounced back with birdies on three, seven and nine for her round of six-under.

“It started really solid with three birdies right away,” said the LPGA Tour winner. “I made some really good iron shots today. It kept the driver in play and not fantastic, but I think my iron shots kept me in it. I made some easy putts and overall, a pretty easy day.

“I think it’s taken me a few years to figure links golf out. As an amateur, I hated it. I can’t hit it low, but I started working with Shane, my caddie who is Irish, two years ago.

“We’ve really been pushing it since and been able to be much more creative on the golf course and he’s helping me see the different shots now, so it’s really improved over the years. It’s been a journey.”

Madelene Sagstrom sits in outright second place on six-under-par

Broch Estrup, Hedwall and Inglis in joint-third

Three players are in a share of third place with Nicole Broch Estrup, Caroline Hedwall and Caroline Inglis all on four-under-par. It was a bogey-free round of 68 (-4) for Hedwall, who rolled in birdies on holes two, nine, 10 and 14.

The seven-time LET winner said: “I played really solid. I was driving it really well. I hit a lot of fairways and it just felt good overall. I missed a couple of shorter birdie putts, but then I made a couple of longer par putts as well. I think it evened out, and I’m just happy with four-under today. It felt like a good start.

“It’s definitely a test for my patience, but I think I did really well today and just kept staying in the moment and just hitting good shots. My game is shaping up, and it’s nice to put a good score this first day now. It feels decent.”

Caroline Hedwall is joint third going into Friday

It was also a good day for Denmark’s Broch Estrup who only had one dropped shot and five birdies on her scorecard.

“It was pretty solid and to shoot four-under on a links course, you have to get a little lucky here and there,” said the LET winner.

“I made a long putt on seven for birdie, and it just held on to the green, it could have been a tough up-and-down. But overall, it was solid out there. There were lots of fairway, lots of greens and I putted pretty well as well.

“I like it when the wind is up because it means that you have to work with the ball, and you have to be somehow a good ball-striker to get around, and I consider myself that. I like it when it gets a little tough. I feel like my golf is in a good place at the moment. Today I was really good at doing my things mentally, there’s obviously three more days, but I’m really, really proud of myself today.”

Six players end the first day in a tie for tenth place on two-under-par including France’s Agathe Sauzon and Sweden’s Linnea Strom.

However, there was an unfortunate incident during the round for Broch Estrup’s husband and caddie Kasper, who had to stop carrying the bag after 16 holes after he sprained his ankle.

She added: “Going from 16 to 17, I actually twisted my foot half first and I looked back, and Kasper was like in complete pain, and he twisted his ankle really bad. He was trying to put pressure on his foot, and just there was no chance he could. He was trying to just make it to the 17th tee box and couldn’t.

“Luckily one of the guys from the Danish golf team is here watching, and he was happy to step on the last few holes. I hit it to like three feet on 17 and then to three meters on the last.”

Watch the Women’s Scottish Open throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Friday from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf and stream it on NOW

Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton is looking forward to an “interesting” first season with Sky Sports as Brendan Rodgers returns with “a point to prove.”

The Northern Irishman is back in charge at Parkhead after Ange Postecoglou made the switch to Tottenham Hotspur after a treble-winning season.

He has made five new signings so far, while influential winger Jota has left the Scottish Champions for the Saudi Pro League.

Saturday 5th August 11:30am


Kick off 12:30pm

Rodgers enjoyed a perfect domestic record during his first spell as Celtic manager, winning two Scottish Premiership titles, two Scottish Cups and three League Cups.

Ahead of their season opener against Ross County, live on Sky Sports, we asked Chris Sutton to assess what the fans can expect…

Summer recruitment

I’m like everyone else I read up about them and watch them on YouTube, but I looked good on YouTube at Chelsea so you can’t read too much into that because there is always a positive spin on them.

The fact Hyun-Jun Yang was Young Player of the Year in the Korean league bodes well. Maik Nawrocki looks, from what I’ve seen, accomplished on the ball and I think defence is an area where Celtic did need to strengthen.

There’s a reason Celtic are signing these players, they will have their reputations and Brendan likes to develop players.

Are they going to miss Jota? Of course, he was a unique player in the way that he actually played the game. Do Celtic have a like-for-like replacement? No, but there’s always an opportunity for somebody to come in and show their best attributes.

We didn’t see the best of Liel Abada last season. His numbers were still good and he’s only young and will feel he’s got a point to prove.

Other players have another year of experience and development so Celtic aren’t in a bad position at all.

You are always looking to add and that does become an issue the closer you get to the start of the season as new players then don’t have time to bed in. They have to make sure that the performance levels are high and they hit the ground running. It’s not always easy.

Rodgers’ style vs Postecoglou

From what we’ve seen in pre-season, there is a difference in Brendan’s style to Ange Postecoglou’s style in terms of the inverted full-backs.

There has been a fair bit made about the changes as people enjoyed watching Ange’s team play their fast-flowing football. They do forget they also enjoyed Brendan’s team play the first time around, especially the invincible season.

In terms of the demands that Celtic make, they’ve always been pretty much the same. Celtic are expected to take the game to the opposition and try and attack and I don’t think that that mindset will change at all under Brendan.

Will Celtic continue their dominance?

Going into every season you just don’t know what to expect. There are so many different aspects which can come into the equation, recruitment is a really important part of that and both managers will hope that they’ve absolutely nailed it.

Celtic did it under Postecoglou and look at the impact that that had on his team.

He took over a side in decline, they were falling apart. I remember watching a game in pre-season where they lost 6-2 and he’s talking about playing this particular brand of football. I’m thinking that’s great, but how on earth on you going to do that in a short space of time? He did it through clever recruitment and really excellent coaching. They were a joy to watch.

It’s different for Brendan this time around in terms of the team he’s taken over, he’s taken over a treble-winning team.

I don’t think anybody would argue that Brendan isn’t a good appointment, they would just argue the fact that he should never have left when he did and I thought he was wrong to do that.

I do though admire the fact he’s come back with a point to prove.

Is Brendan a good coach? Absolutely. Is he taking over a good team? Yes, albeit he is a player down and the standards of Postecoglou were so high.

We know Glasgow is unforgiving and there can only be one winner so it’s going to be a really interesting season.

Michael Beale will have learned from last season, he was quite bullish coming in and I think he ended the season with his tail between his legs.

He will have learned from last season’s League Cup final and Scottish Cup final defeats to Celtic and his “lucky Ange” comments.

Rangers have some seriously good players and so do to Celtic so I think it’ll be close this season.

The most important thing is Celtic start strongly as they don’t have the burden of the Champions League qualifiers while Rangers do.

Will Brendan Rodgers win over his doubters?

There will always be an element of the support who won’t be happy with an appointment, no matter who it is.

You could get Pep Guardiola at Celtic and if he loses his first four games they’ll say he’s a dud. That’s just the way it is.

I didn’t see Brendan coming back because of the way he left and because of the anger from the fans, but I think it’s really admirable that he looked beyond that.

He’s come back and will have a big point to prove and I think it makes it absolutely fascinating.

The sensible thing to do from every aspect of the Celtic fan base is to get behind the team.

It’s not going to be good at the first game of the season against Ross County live on Sky Sports if there’s an element within the support, who have negative banners about the appointment or signing songs against him.

What good does that do for team on the pitch? The most important thing everybody wants the team to win.

Dermot Desmond made a brave appointment and, on the face of it, nobody is doubting Brendan’s ability as a manager.

Making an impact in Europe

We say the same every year and it’s so difficult. I actually enjoyed some aspects of last season’s Champions League campaign, despite Celtic not managing to win a group match.

Brendan had some harrowing nights during his first spell at Celtic, but he’s talked about learning from his experiences in the Premier League. Leicester City beat Manchester City 5-2 and he spoke about adapting in that game where they became more of a counter-attacking team.

That suggests he’ll set up a little bit differently and be a little bit more cautious.

I do think that the home form has to improve. I get sick and tired of going to Celtic Park and telling everyone it’s great on a Champions League night and then they don’t perform.

It’s really important to get that fear factor back as I’m fed up just going there for the music!

Scottish Premiership and SWPL on Sky Sports

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Lando Norris’ long-term future with McLaren appeared to be in doubt before a stunning recent turnaround in form for the British team; the 23-year-old says he believes he can achieve his goal of winning a world championship, with the Woking outfit

Lando Norris has admitted leaving McLaren has been “in the back” of his mind but says a recent upturn in form has left him “confident” of winning Formula 1 world championships with the team.

In February 2022 Norris signed a long-term contract extension to remain with McLaren until the end of 2025, but the team’s failure to provide him with a competitive car following the agreement of the deal has led to much speculation over the 23-year-old’s future.

However, after Norris was able finish above ninth just once in the opening eight races of the 2023 season, major mid-season upgrades to the MCL60 have had a remarkable impact, enabling the British driver to take back-to-back second places in July.

Asked whether he agrees with McLaren chief executive Zak Brown’s belief that the MCL60’s newfound speed would convince Norris to “stick around”, he told Sky Sports F1: “Of course. I want to win races with McLaren. I want to win in papaya, I want to win championships.

“I want to achieve my success and I want to achieve my goals with McLaren. That’s been my target since I’ve come here, since I’ve entered Formula 1 with this team.

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After Lando Norris broke Max Verstappen’s trophy at the Hungarian GP, take a look back at his previous bottle-slamming celebrations on the podium

“I guess I’m a loyal guy from that point of view, that I’ve joined the team, they gave me a chance in Formula 1 and I want to deliver and achieve success for them.

“And I think it’s a cooler story at the same time, to go from where we were a few years ago, a team that was really struggling, to fighting back and being that first team to really come back from a long way and fight for championships and wins. I think it would be just a cool story to look back on in 10, 20 years.”

Before McLaren’s recent surge into podium contention, Norris had been talked about as a potential future team-mate at Red Bull for Max Verstappen, who has won eight successive races to leave himself all but assured of a third successive drivers’ title.

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Go onboard with Lando Norris as the McLaren driver overtook Max Verstappen at the start of the British Grand Prix to take the lead of his home race

Norris added: “But in the back of my mind, there’s that impatient game of, ‘do I stick it out for another few years, or is it time to look at something different?’

“But the more we achieve things like we have done over the past few weeks, the more I’m very confident with the decision I made to stay until 2025, and the more confident I am that we can achieve our goals together in the future.”

Norris expects McLaren to remain in podium contention

While Red Bull have delivered a historic run to win all 12 Grands Prix, along with three Sprints, going into the summer break, McLaren are now part of a fierce battle taking place behind Verstappen.

Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari have each at times appeared to be Red Bull’s nearest challenger, but the hierarchy has fluctuated with the arrival of upgrades and depending on the suitably of tracks to each team’s car.

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Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton treated the Silverstone crowd to an epic battle, following the safety car

Asked whether McLaren’s July performances had confirmed they will be in podium contention for the remainder of the season, Norris said: “I want to give a straight answer, yes. There’s definitely going to be some races that we’re going to struggle a lot more.

“The same with every team, every year – sometimes they’ll be like, ‘yeah, I’m definitely confident we can do it,’ and there’s going to be some where you’re like, ‘this just doesn’t quite suit us enough to confidently be there.’

“And we have two cars, two Red Bulls that basically should be one-two every single race this year. So it’s like kind of fighting for third place and if things happen with one of those two drivers, then maybe you’re fighting for second or first.

“But really, there’s only one spot that you’re kind of actually looking at, and you have two Mercedes who have been very consistent all season, and then you can never count out Ferrari and Aston, especially this year.”

‘Fans should be happy with McLaren progress’

Norris’ warning that there would be difficult races was proven to be wise, as the team endured a relatively disappointing weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix as he only managed seventh, and team-mate Oscar Piastri retired after a first-lap collision.

However Norris is adamant that he is, and the team’s fanbase, should be very happy with the progress that has been made,

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Lando Norris shows his frustration, as he struggles to build momentum at the Belgian GP

“I think they [McLaren fans] should still be very happy that we’re not fighting for 18th and 19th,” he said.

“I’m very happy, even if we were behind Mercedes now, I’m still very, very happy with the progress we ‘ve made.

“From where we were, I would say it’s one of the biggest turnarounds in the middle of a season for many, many years in Formula 1, and that’s a very good thing to have done.”

Formula 1 returns after the summer break with the Dutch GP and all sessions will be live on Sky Sports F1 from August 25-27. Stream the biggest sporting events with NOW

Arsenal ended their pre-season campaign by beating Monaco on penalties to win the Emirates Cup after the game finished 1-1 in normal time. Eddie Nketiah was on target after Gabriel Jesus was ruled out with a knee injury.

Manager Mikel Arteta confirmed after the game that Jesus will miss the start of the Premier League season and be out for a few weeks.

In Jesus’ absence against Monaco, Nketiah played the full 90 minutes and grabbed an equaliser after Youssouf Fofana headed Monaco in front.

The game went to a penalty shootout and Gabriel netted the winning spot-kick in a 5-4 win after Takumi Minamino’s miss proved costly.

Declan Rice was handed his first start at The Emirates in an Arsenal shirt and played 60 minutes on the left of the Arsenal midfield three while fellow new recruit Jurrien Timber started at left-back in the continued absence of Oleksandr Zinchenko.

How Arsenal prepared for Man City opener…

With Arsene Wenger in attendance to celebrate his new statue outside the stadium, there was a feel-good factor to the game with excitement about Arsenal’s prospects of once again going close in all major competitions this season.

However, Arsenal despite some bright moments from Gabriel Martinelli, failed to stamp their usual authority on the game. It was Monaco looking the more threatening on the counter and after good work from Mohamed Camara, his cross was whipped in for Youssouf Fofana to head home the opener.

Arsenal did level before the break after Rice’s effort was blocked behind for a corner. Martinelli picked out Nketiah from the set piece and the strike coolly volleyed home.

Wissam Ben Yedder somehow managed to strike the woodwork when sliding in from close range after the break as Monaco continued to test a shaky looking Arsenal backline. An array of changes that saw Kai Havertz make his Emirates bow disrupted the flow further as the game wore on with only Leandro Trossard testing visiting goalkeeper Phillipe Kohn.

It meant penalties were needed to decide the outcome and Minamino was the only player denied in the shootout as Aaron Ramsdale punched clear his well struck effort.

Arteta: We were leggy

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta: “For the new players to play for the first time at Emirates Stadium it was special, you could feel the atmosphere and how excited the fans were. In terms of the game, we struggled a little bit to dominate completely and have the game that we want, we had much better periods in the second half.

“I think we were still a bit leggy and jet legged. We trained really hard the last three days to be fair and we wanted that task for us, when we are not fresh enough to play, how can we compete. So, it was a good test for us and we’re happy with the outcome.”

What’s next for Arsenal?

Arsenal are heading to Wembley to face Premier League and FA Cup winners Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday; kick-off 4pm.

Arsenal’s pre-season fixtures and results

Arsenal start season against Nottingham Forest

Arsenal will start their 2023/24 Premier League season at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday August 12.

The Gunners then face two London derbies against Crystal Palace and Fulham before hosting Manchester United in their first ‘Big Six’ match of the season in on September 3, live on Sky Sports.

The first north London derby of the season takes place at the Emirates Stadium on September 24, live on Sky Sports, with the return fixture on April 27 – the fourth last game of the campaign.

How to watch free Premier League highlights

Throughout the 2023/24 season, you can watch Premier League match highlights for free – without being a Sky Sports subscriber.

You’ll find highlights from every Premier League game in the Score Centre, as well as on the Sky Sports website and Sky Sports app shortly after full-time, or from 5.15pm for midday Saturday kick-offs. You can also watch them on the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel.

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Follow the summer transfer window with Sky Sports

Who will be on the move this summer when the transfer window opens on June 14 and closes at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?

Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.

Sky Sports Racing ambassador Hollie Doyle and her Classic-winning filly Nashwa bid for a second successive win in Thursday’s Group One Nassau Stakes at the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

A second consecutive victory in the Qatar Nassau Stakes (3.35) at day three of Goodwood on Thursday would elevate my Classic-winning filly Nashwa up among the greatest fillies of recent decades.

She gave me one of my most special moments in the saddle this time last year when she comfortably justified her short price in the Group One showpiece, supplementing her success in the French Oaks.

This time she looks unlikely to go off favourite as she steps back up to 10f despite her fantastic performance in the Group One Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket last month.

She proved to the world that day that she was back to her brilliant best after taking a couple of runs to really come to herself, but she will probably need to produce a similar level of performance to get the better of ace French filly Blue Rose Cen – the one the bookmakers think we have to beat.

This season’s Prix de Diane winner gets an 8lb age allowance from Nashwa and her other older rivals including Al Husn, who got up to beat us in the Group Three Hoppings Fillies’ Stakes at Newcastle a month ago.

I haven’t sat on my boss Imad Alsagar’s lovely daughter of Frankel since her Falmouth romp, but John and Thady Gosden report her to be in great shape for her return to the Sussex downs. She goes on any ground, is proven on the track and has an ideal draw in stall four, so everything is in place for another big performance.

Weights rise no Dilemma for Evans’ speedball

I’m confident speedball Democracy Dilemma will take plenty of beating in the World Pool Handicap (5.55).

Dave Evans’ sprinter, who I’ve won twice on already this season, comes into the race on the back of a flawless display on the All-Weather at Chelmsford City and is perfectly drawn in stall 13 in the five-furlong dash.

He gave me a great feel on the Polytrack and is equally effective on turf, so I don’t see his latest 8lb rise being a problem, even though this demands a career-best performance.

Baltic ready for step up in Grade

Although Baltic Voyage is among the outsiders in the opening Coral Kincsem Handicap (1.50), I’m hopeful of a good run.

Ralph Beckett’s gelding won emphatically for Ben Curtis over the same 10f trip at Ripon last month and is worth his chance in this better grade. We don’t have the kindest of draws in stall 12 but have plenty of better fancied rivals around us on a track he promises to be at home on.

Later, Phone Tag looks an interesting contender in the Jaeger-Lecoultre Nursery Handicap (4.10). I’ve never ridden Hugo Palmer’s two-year-old before but he could prove well treated on a mark of 75 on this handicap debut.

He’s been gelded since finishing behind Godolphin’s well regarded Great Truth at Leicester and races in blinkers for the first time. It looks an open race and I’m happy enough with my draw in stall seven.

Sangster filly could be hot in maiden

Young trainer Olly Sangster has made a flying start to his career, so it’s great to pick up a nice ride for him in the Tatler British EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (5.20).

Nick Bradley Racing’s filly Really Darn Hot starts out at the scene of her sire Too Darn Hot’s Sussex Stakes win in 2019.

Olly’s having a great time of things, having saddled his first pattern winner when Shuwari landed the Listed Star Stakes at Sandown Park last week, and it would be great to help him follow that up at another high-profile meeting.

Earlier in the afternoon, Amanda Perrett’s Dream Of Mischief heads to his local track on the back of a win at Windsor but faces a tough challenge from his bad draw in stall 20 in the Buccellati Handicap (4.45).

You become a hostage to fortune from out there over a mile, so all I can do is hope for a good start and see where I find myself.

Thrilled to see Tom’s brilliant Cup success

I was thrilled to bits to see my husband Tom Marquand win the Group One Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup in such spectacular style on one of his old favourites Quickthorn.

He gave Hughie Morrison’s outsider a brilliant ride from the front, kicking clear at halfway and keeping up the gallop to win by six lengths to score his fourth Group success on the six-year-old.

I’m also delighted for Hughie, who once again proved on the biggest stage what an excellent trainer he is. Well done also to owner Lady Blyth and all the team at East Ilsley.

Hollie Doyle was speaking to Sky Sports Racing’s Simon Mapletoft.