England full-back Max Malins will rejoin Saracens from Bristol Bears at the end of the 2024-25 season.

Malins made 36 appearances for the Bears over two spells with the club, scoring 22 tries.

The 28-year-old signed for the club permanently in 2023, having initially joined on loan for the 2020-21 campaign.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my two stints at Bristol this place has become a home away from home for me," Malins said.

Malins is currently recovering from a ruptured Achilles, meaning he has already played his final Bristol match, and admitted that has hampered his time with the Bears.

"It's sad that injury has prevented me from contributing more and knowing I have played my last game in a Bristol shirt. I would have loved to run out with my mates and say goodbye to the fans from the pitch one last time," he added.

"Nevertheless, I look forward to seeing you all down at Ashton Gate for the remaining games and watching what the team can produce for the run-in to the end of the season."

Malins began his career with Saracens, helping them win the Premiership title in his final season before switching to Bristol.

Perhaps most importantly, there is a huge cultural weight placed on rugby.

St Joseph's first team are presented with their festival shirts at a special assembly before singing, some in tears, to the rest of the school.

"It really is as close as you can get to a professional experience or lifestyle, without actually being paid for it," says Wenham.

The RFU has a network of rugby managers to try to embed the game in state schools.

Sixteen of the best compete in the ACE (Academy, Colleges and Education) League. England internationals George Martin, Joe Heyes and Harry Randall all rose up through that route.

But, those institutions are thinly spread and tight on resources.

Private schools, where fees can exceed 50,000 a year, will always have more to invest.

They are not entirely closed shops, however. You can attend, even if you can't pay.

Because top rugby-playing private schools don't just spend on facilities, they also invest in talent, offering highly sought-after scholarships and bursaries which can dramatically reduce fees.

So, while England captain Maro Itoje finished his education at Harrow, bumping up the team's percentage of private-school attendees, he arrived there at 16 on a scholarship from St Georges, a state school in Hertfordshire.

Ollie Lawrence and Tom and Ben Curry similarly finished their education in the private sector, after being awarded scholarships.

St Joseph's recent success story is Emmanuel Iyogun, who now plays for Northampton and has represented England A. He arrived on a scholarship from Woodlands School, a state school in Essex.

England international Anthony Watson and his former club and country team-mate Beno Obano, who went to Dulwich College on a scholarship at 16, valued such schemes so highly they set up their own, funding Harlan Hines' switch from a state school in south-east London to Marlborough College in 2022.

A large proportion of England's elite players may emerge out of private schools, but their talent wasn't necessarily born in them.

There may be fewer scholarships on offer in the future though.

Since January, VAT has been payable on school fees.

The move, which the government predicts will raise billions for state schools, has put pressure on private schools' registers and balance sheets alike.

Various figures in the industry have predicted that scholarships may have to be squeezed.

As headmaster of Mount Kelly School, a private school in Devon, Guy Ayling is already making difficult decisions around awards for pupils.

"Bursaries and scholarships have a cost attached," he says. "That is the bottom line. They are costs like food, utilities and teacher salaries, and it is therefore something we have to consider.

"It is the way of the world moving forward - there is potentially going to be less money in the system and when there is less money in the system, you don't spend as much, including on helping families with financial assistance."

Fewer scholarships would mean more kids in George Paul's position.

The 23-year-old grew up in Peterborough. He played at Wisbech rugby club, but as he and his ambitions grew in the game, he wanted more rugby than his school would provide.

He had a scholarship offer at Wisbech Grammar, a nearby independent school, but with family finances and siblings to consider he didn't take it up.

Instead, aged 15 and finding his club side weakened as other talented kids switched into the private school system, he chased competitive rugby through a different route.

MONTREAL -- Fans in Montreal booed the U.S. national anthem before the Americans' first game of the 4 Nations Face-Off against Finland on Thursday night, and Stanley Cup-winning forward Matthew Tkachuk had a simple reaction.

"I didn't like it, and that's all I got," Tkachuk said after the U.S. beat Finland 6-1. Tkachuk and brother Brady each had two goals.

The negative reaction to "The Star-Spangled Banner" came even after the public address announcer at Bell Centre made an announcement asking the crowd to show respect for the anthems and the players from either country.

"Our goal is to make sure that we create an environment and that hockey represents an opportunity to bring people together, and I think people understand that," commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday at a news conference prior to the start of the tournament. "In this building, initially there was some booing a couple of games ago and the club made an announcement asking people to stop and show respect for two great countries, and it stopped. And that's what we expect."

U.S. center J.T. Miller put a positive spin on the song getting booed.

"I think we like it, not politically, but maybe just at a sense of, we know where we're at in Canada and I think that fires us up more than anything," Miller said. "So, it's great."

There was no such reaction for Finland's national anthem that followed. Fans across Canada have booed the U.S. anthem at NHL and NBA games after President Donald Trump threatened tariffs against the country, prompting backlash from a close neighbor and longtime ally.

"It's unfortunate, obviously, and we wish it wasn't the case, but from time to time things happen, and people have strong feelings about it," deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Wednesday. "Obviously, we're aware of what's been happening here. I think the negativity has probably lessened over the last week. Hopefully it continues to lessen and that relations will be normal. But it's something obviously we're aware of."

U.S. captain Auston Matthews was booed during a pregame ceremony before Canada vs. Sweden on Wednesday and then again when he was shown on video screens during warmups. Matthews said after his team's morning skate that he expected that reaction.

"They might just be booing us because we're the U.S. team here, like Auston's getting booed a ton and whatnot," defenseman Zach Werenski said. "Obviously, I'm a proud American and I love playing for the USA and being an American. I don't want to get into the political side of it, but it is what it is. I like to just view it as they want us to lose because we're the U.S. team."

Coach Mike Sullivan said his players are proud Americans but did not credit the anthem booing as any sort of motivation that contributed to the result.

"The anthem, I'm not sure there's influence there," Sullivan said. "That's really not something that we can control. We just want to play hockey. We want to compete. We want to represent our nation in the right way."

The next U.S. game at the tournament is Saturday night against Canada before play shifts to Boston next week.

MONTREAL -- Brady and Matthew Tkachuk came out hitting, started scoring and put together a display of brotherly dominance playing together for the first time on a big stage.

The Tkachuks each scored twice, flourishing after being put on the ice at the same time, as the United States beat Finland 6-1 on Thursday night in each team's opening game at the 4 Nations Face-Off, a physical showdown played with edge throughout.

"That's the way we play, one of the reasons why we're on the team," said Matthew Tkachuk, a reigning Stanley Cup champion who finished with three points. "You don't change your game. You play your identity. It's up to us and the rest of the guys to play to your strengths. That's one of them."

Everyone was finishing checks, including Jack Eichel dumping Finnish captain Aleksander Barkov into the U.S. bench. Brady Tkachuk bowled over 6-foot-6 Niko Mikkola with one of his game-high eight hits, and Matthew Tkachuk gave Patrik Laine an earful before a faceoff as the Americans began to take over.

Matthew called Brady "a beast," and coach Mike Sullivan said the brothers "just have a funny way of dragging us into the fight."

"We kind of knew what to expect after watching [the Canada-Sweden] game that it was going to be fast and physical," said defenseman Zach Werenski, who had three assists. "We have some guys on this team that can do that, right? You have the Tkachuks. We got [J.T.] Miller. We got a lot of big bodies. Eichel was throwing his body around tonight. I thought the pace was really good. I thought the physicality was good, and I thought we responded well to all of it."

The scoreboard made it look like more of a rout than it was for the first two periods, when quality chances were at a premium and space on the ice was hard to find. Matt Boldy scored the go-ahead goal on a textbook deflection of Minnesota Wild teammate Brock Faber's shot late in the second, then the floodgates opened early in the third.

Many fans hadn't even returned to their seats from intermission when Matthew Tkachuk sailed a long shot in past Juuse Saros 15 seconds into the period. Saros gave up another softie to Jake Guentzel 11 seconds later, and Brady Tkachuk beat the struggling Nashville goaltender again to make it three U.S. goals in three minutes.

"The start of the third, it was -- I don't know how to say that, but we weren't ready for that," said Finland coach Antti Pennanen, who acknowledged he and his staff considered pulling Saros.

That onslaught quieted the very pro-Finland crowd full of Canadians eager to root against their country's biggest hockey rival. Some even booed the U.S. anthem before the game, and there was plenty more where that came from for Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews several times he touched the puck.

Matthew Tkachuk added another goal for good measure on the power play with 8:47 left, and that was enough for the "U-S-A!" chants to fill the bowl at Bell Centre. In the waning minutes, a few U.S. fans proclaimed, "We want Canada!"

They face off Saturday night.

"I think it's going to be the biggest game that I've ever played in my career," Brady Tkachuk said. "We've been talking about that game especially. Really excited to experience it."

Finland gave fans only one real opportunity to cheer, when late-added defenseman Henri Jokiharju beat Connor Hellebuyck clean on a shot 7:31 in to make it 1-0. Hellebuyck stopped the next 18 shots he faced to finish with 20 saves.

The same could not be said for Saros, who allowed six goals on 32 shots and could be replaced in net by Kevin Lankinen for Finland's game against Sweden on Saturday.

"Of course we need to think about that," Pennanen said. "It was a tough day for Juuse. He was really good the first 40 minutes, but I think we need to analyze this game and make those decisions tomorrow or Saturday."

The U.S. does not need to worry about making a switch there, but Sullivan made some keen midgame adjustments that contributed to his team moving to the top of the 4 Nations standings one turn through round-robin play.

During the second period, Sullivan moved Brady Tkachuk to left wing with Eichel and Matthew Tkachuk and sent Kyle Connor to the second line alongside Matthews and Jack Hughes. He flip-flopped his second and third defense pairs to put Noah Hanifin with Adam Fox and Jaccob Slavin with Brock Faber.

"We've been together for four days," Eichel said. "He's coached for quite a while. I think we're all trying to find chemistry and get comfortable with each other. That could mean some changes in lines and pairings and whatnot. I think everyone was prepared when their number was called and helped contribute to the win."

The Dallas Stars signed forward Sam Steel to a two-year, $4.2 million contract extension on Friday.

The deal with Steel, 27, starts with the 2025-26 season and runs through the 2026-27 campaign.

Steel has recorded 17 points (4 goals, 13 assists) in 53 games this season, his second with Dallas.

"We are thrilled to extend Sam for the next two years," Stars general manager Jim Nill said. "His versatility on both ends of the ice have proven to be a huge asset for our team. He is a player that we can count on to make a positive impact and do the little things that lead to wins."

A first-round pick by Anaheim in 2016, Steel has tallied 134 points (47 goals, 87 assists) in 392 career games for the Ducks (2018-22), Minnesota Wild (2022-23) and Stars.

The opening game of the 4 Nations Face-Off was a close one -- a 4-3 overtime win for Canada over Sweden. The second contest was also close ... for 37 minutes.

Finland and the United States were tied 1-1 until 17:04 of the second, but then the U.S. hit the afterburners -- and cranked up "Free Bird" on the Bell Centre sound system on repeat -- en route to a 6-1 rout.

The Finns will next take on their rival Sweden on Saturday (1 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+), and the U.S. will face Canada in the nightcap (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+/Disney+).

Before those games, let's digest the U.S. victory over Finland. Here are grades for both teams, our biggest takeaways, key players to watch for the next game as well as lingering questions.

Grading the teams

United States: A

Anything less than a regulation win against shorthanded Finland would been embarrassing for Team USA, especially after Canada left a point on the table against Sweden last night in an overtime win. For a while, that looked like a possibility: Finland was doing as Finland does against elite opponents -- grinding down the tempo and taking an early lead. One of the best signs for the Americans in this win: zero panic and plenty of poise for a team that doesn't have anything close to the "best on best" or NHL championship experience of a team like Canada.

Team USA found its swagger in the last 23 minutes, from Matt Boldy's expert deflection on Minnesota Wild teammate Brock Faber's point shot to make it 3-1, through their three goals in three minutes to open the third period and put away the game.

Some might say the final score doesn't tell the whole story because the U.S. scored four goals in the final period, but I think it does. The Americans were plus-15 in scoring chances and had an expected goals percentage of 72.5% at 5-on-5. Even when the game was close, it was inevitable. When there were breakdowns, Connor Hellebuyck (20 saves) was there. This was the statement the U.S. needed before facing Canada, in direct response to what its future foe did in its opener. -- Greg Wyshynski

Finland: D

Everything was going so well until the first 26 seconds of the third period. Finland had limited its mistakes. One of the goals it had given up was off a deflection. But even with that, Finland was working to take away space. But, Olli Maatta's late second-period hooking penalty led to the U.S. scoring on another deflection just 15 seconds into the third period ... before Jake Guentzel scored nine seconds later.

And just like that, the defensively responsible performance Finland deployed to be within a goal to start the third became a three-goal deficit less than a minute into the final period, all but ending its chances for a win. That became even more clear when Brady Tkachuk cut through the heart of Finland's zone for his team's third goal on its first four shots of the period for a 5-1 lead, and brother Matthew capped it off with another tally to make it 6-1. -- Ryan S. Clark

What we learned

The Tkachuks drive the bus

Coach Mike Sullivan finally gave the people what they wanted late in the second period when he flanked Jack Eichel with brothers Matthew and Brady Tkachuk. Sullivan had previously split the brothers in his lineup to give two lines their particular brand of whimsy. But as the Americans searched for more 5-on-5 offense, it was time to break glass on the Brothers Tkachuk -- and it paid off.

That line landed the knockout blow against Finland, combining for the third American goal in the first three minutes of the third period. Matthew fed Eichel, who threaded a pass to Brady for a point-blank goal.

Even when they weren't together, the Tkachuks drove the bus all night for Team USA. Brady evened the score at 10:21 of the first period after Henri Jokiharju gave Finland a surprising early lead, sneaking behind three defenders before scoring past Juuse Saros. Then it was Matthew scoring a critical power-play goal 15 seconds into the third period to give the Americans a 3-1 lead, firing a long-range shot that deflected off the stick of his Panthers teammate Niko Mikkola's stick.

It was Matthew again on the power play to make it 6-1, knocking down a Zach Werenski point shot and then cashing in his own rebound. Eichel picked up a secondary assist.

Between the Auston Matthews line with Guentzel and Jack Hughes and this Two Chuks and a Jack line, Team USA leaves the tournament opener with two potent scoring lines established. -- Wyshynski

Finland needs its top two lines to produce, and fast

Having Aleksander Barkov center a line with Artturi Lehkonen and Mikko Rantanen was supposed to give Finland a top line that had facilitators who could all score just as well as they distribute. Plus, it's a top-line trio that's experienced when it comes to finding success in tight spaces given all three are Stanley Cup winners.

Creating a second line with Sebastian Aho, Roope Hintz and Patrik Laine was a combination that would see two of the game's steadfast two-way forwards partner with a winger who possesses one of the game's most impressive shots. All together, this was supposed to be one of the bedrocks of Finland's identity.

Those six players combined for 10 shots. But ... nine of those shots belonged to Barkov (five) and Lehknonen (four). It amounted to Finland's top two lines -- which featured a 50-goal scorer (Rantanen), a 40-goal scorer (Laine), three 30-goal scorers (Aho, Barkov and Hintz) along with a 20-goal scorer on pace for his first 30-goal campaign (Lehkonen) -- scoring no goals.

Or to view it this way: Finland received no goals from four players (Aho, Barkov, Laine and Rantanen) who are all in the top 10 of NHL goals scored all time by Finnish players. -- Clark

Play "Free Bird"

As teased by USA Hockey before the tournament, the Americans have made "Free Bird" their official goal song of the 4 Nations Face-Off. While the 1973 rock anthem by Lynyrd Skynyrd is a staple of American classic rock, it also has become an unexpected hockey anthem for Team USA.

In the 2025 IIHF World Juniors Hockey Championship, the U.S. made "Free Bird" its signature goal song. University of Denver defenseman Zeev Buium suggested the option. "The first five or six minutes of that song are super mellow and not much going on. So we knew [the raucous guitar solo] was the part of the song we were going with," he said.

It paid off well for the U.S. at world juniors, as they won their second straight championship. The Americans are hoping it will help them fly high at 4 Nations.

But the song might also serve a more nefarious purpose: It's a Kendrick Lamar-level troll job, reminding Canadians of Team USA's world juniors glory at a time when their once-heralded team couldn't advance out of the quarterfinals. Say, Drake ... -- Wyshynski

A Finnish defense that entered the tournament with questions has more it must answer

Here's where it gets complicated for Finland. Those opening two periods prove that Finland does have the personnel and the structure capable of frustrating an opponent, while initially providing Saros with a manageable workload -- compared to what he faces on a nightly basis with the Nashville Predators.

But the three-goal barrage on the U.S.'s first four shots in the third period reignited the questions about whether Finland can navigate the 4 Nations tournament without All-Star Miro Heiskanen, Jani Hakanpaa and Rasmus Ristolainen, who are sitting out the event because of injuries.

It raises one major question for Finland before it faces Sweden. What is the more accurate representation? The first two periods against what is perhaps the most talented team in the tournament? Or the third period that doomed them? -- Clark

Players to watch

Auston Matthews
C, United States

Finland matched up Barkov, the best defensive center in the NHL, against Matthews throughout the game, which is one reason why the Toronto Maple Leafs star didn't score a goal. The fact is that it can take Matthews a little time to get cooking as a goal scorer in tournaments: In nine career Stanley Cup playoff series, Matthews scored a goal in the opening game of a series only once.

Though he didn't score himself, Matthews created Guentzel's goal scored just 11 seconds after Matthew Tkachuk's goal to open the third -- intercepting the puck at his blue line and then dishing to Guentzel after attracting Finland's defenders to the slot. Matthews' line with Guentzel and Hughes was consistently good all game for the U.S., combining for 14 shot attempts.

Saturday night against Canada is an opportunity for Matthews to lead his nation to an epic win -- and stifle critics who grumble about his performance in pressure situations. -- Wyshynski

Mikko Rantanen
RW, Finland

Entering the tournament, there were already questions about how Rantanen would perform given he has only two points in six games since being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes. Of course, Rantanen is one of the most gifted players Finland has ever produced: He's fourth among Finns in NHL goals, 10th in assists and seventh in points. He's a two-time 100-point scorer who could possibly get his third 100-point season this season.

But against the U.S., he had no shots while logging 19 minutes, 21 seconds of ice time, which was the second most of any forward behind Barkov. That can't continue if Finland is going to have any chance. -- Clark

Big questions for the next game

Was this enough proof of concept to confidently take on Canada?

Let's be honest: If the Americans defeated Finland in a tepid 3-1 squeaker buoyed by a late empty-netter, it would have meant three points in the standings but wouldn't have exactly put wind in their sails before facing Canada. Not after the latter's thrilling OT win over Sweden, in which Canada flexed its offensive depth, all-world talent and blazing speed despite an inconsistent effort.

But this was a resounding victory over the Finns, where patience was a virtue until the offense (and the power play) came to life in the third. The Americans played with physicality and swagger, and Hellebuyck was a model of serenity in the net.

Saturday night is going to be a different experience. Much different. The boos will be louder and the home ice will be a distinct advantage for Canada. Their lineup is filled with game-changers who will take advantage of American miscues in a way Finland couldn't. They have Sidney Crosby. They have Connor McDavid. They have them both on a power play that looked like the most unstoppable quintet in the history of hockey in the brief few seconds they needed before scoring on their only opportunity.

But now the Americans have a win. They have proof of concept. They enter the showdown against their archrivals with a different comportment than many previous "best on best" U.S. teams have against Canada. The U.S. won't be in awe. The players won't genuflect to their medals and Stanley Cup rings. They know they entered this tournament as co-favorites. And now they have all the confidence in the world, or at least among 4 Nations. -- Wyshynski

What changes must Finland make ahead of Saturday against Sweden?

Anytime a team gives up six goals, there's going to be a conversation about what went wrong and what must be done to avoid a similar result. That's the position Finland finds itself in with the idea that the next 48 hours could be extremely crucial when it comes to whether it can recover against Sweden or fall into a deeper hole.

There's two items Finland must look to solve. How it can score more goals while also trying to prevent more of them from being scored. Does Finland coach Antti Pennanen keep his top two lines together? Or does he shuffle them given how the group failed to produce? Especially when half of Finland's top six failed to even muster a shot on goal?

But then there's the defensive conversation. Does it behoove Finland to shuffle its defense pairings or does it concentrate more on how it found consistency through the first two periods and use that as a framework? And while not all six of the U.S. goals can be pinned on Saros, it does raise questions about if Finland will turn to Kevin Lankinen or continue to stick with one of the game's most reliable goalies in Saros. -- Clark