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Sources: Waiters to Grizz in Iguodala Heat deal

Published in Basketball

Thursday, 06 February 2020 09:30

The Miami Heat have agreed to trade Dion Waiters, Justise Winslow and James Johnson to the Memphis Grizzlies for Andre Iguodala, Solomon Hill and Jae Crowder, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Thursday.

Along with the trade, Iguodala has agreed to a two-year, $30 million extension with Miami, sources said. The extension includes a team option.

Miami, Memphis and Oklahoma City have been working on a three-team trade that would land the Heat both Iguodala and Danilo Gallinari, but the Heat and Thunder have not been able to reach an agreement, league sources told Wojnarowski.

If Miami and Oklahoma City could reach a deal on Gallinari, there is still time to make this a three-team trade. However, those talks are fully stalled, league sources told Wojnarowski.

In an interview with The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears on Wednesday night, Iguodala said he will take a physical for the Heat on Friday and will need "a couple of days" before he's ready to play.

Iguodala, who did not play for the Grizzlies after joining them in an offseason trade, also said he is "really excited" to be joining the Heat and playing with Jimmy Butler.

Winslow has played in only 11 games for the Heat this season because of injuries and is averaging 11.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists.

Waiters joins the Grizzlies after playing in only three games for the Heat following three suspensions this season, including one for taking cannabis-infused gummies on the team plane and needing emergency medical attention when that flight landed in Los Angeles.

Johnson was averaging 5.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 18 games this season.

Crowder was averaging 9.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game for the Grizzlies, with Hill averaging 5.7 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.

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Source: Muncy, Dodgers agree to 3-year deal

Published in Baseball

Thursday, 06 February 2020 09:24

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers have reached agreement on a three-year, $26 million contract with infielder Max Muncy, which provides both parties with cost certainty through upcoming arbitration years, a source confirmed to ESPN.

The new contract, first reported by The Athletic, includes a $13 million club option for 2023, which would be Muncy's first offseason of free agency, and a $1.5 million buyout.

Muncy, 29, spent several years toiling in the minor leagues, but emerged as a legitimate slugger in 2018 and is now a catalyst in a dangerous Dodgers lineup that also includes Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, Corey Seager and -- when the blockbuster three-team deal is finalized -- Mookie Betts.

Over the last two years, the left-handed-hitting Muncy has contributed a .256/.381/.545 slash line with 70 home runs and 177 RBIs in 278 games. His 146 weighted runs created plus is the eighth highest in the majors during that time. With Gavin Lux in the mix, Muncy now looks like a fixture at first base. But he can also contribute at second and third base.

Prior to this deal, Muncy and the Dodgers were relatively close on a contract for 2020 that would have been decided by an arbitration panel. Muncy filed for $4.675 million; the Dodgers countered at $4 million.

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Dart ready to 'step up' as GB bid for place in Fed Cup Finals

Published in Tennis

Thursday, 06 February 2020 03:55

British number three Harriet Dart says it is her "time to step up" as Great Britain chase a place in the Fed Cup finals without top-ranked player Johanna Konta.

Dart, 23, is part of the British squad who face Slovakia in a qualifier in Bratislava on Friday and Saturday.

The winner will join 11 other nations at the new Fed Cup finals, taking place in Budapest on 14-19 April.

World number 14 Konta has opted to sit out the Fed Cup to protect her body.

The British team will also be without former British number two Katie Boulter, who was sidelined for six months with a back injury sustained in the play-off victory over Kazakhstan in April.

Heather Watson, 74th in the world, is the highest ranked player in the British squad and is set to play in the singles rubbers alongside Dart, who has only ever played two Fed Cup doubles matches.

"I've been able to implement a lot of what I am practising in my matches and results have shown that," Dart told BBC Sport.

"I've been putting myself in a position where I am able to play against the best players in the world on the biggest stages - I think that gives me extra confidence that I am on the right path. It's an exciting opportunity for all of us here."

How will the tie be played?

Britain's play-off victory over Kazakhstan in April saw them return to the World Group for the first time since 1996.

They are among eight seeded nations in the qualifiers, which is a best-of-five format.

Two singles rubbers will be played on Friday and the reverse singles rubbers and a doubles match take place on Saturday.

The rubbers are best-of-three tie-break sets and will be played on a clay court under a mobile roof at the AXA Arena in Bratislava.

Who's in the British squad?

British captain Anne Keothavong has called up Naiktha Bains, 22, and Emma Raducanu, 17, for the first time but is sure they "will rise to the big occasion".

Watson is the only British player ranked inside the top 100 but Dart reached the third round at Wimbledon for the first time in 2019 before losing to world number one Ashleigh Barty and also took on fourth seed Simona Halep in the second round of the Australian Open last month.

Swan, 20, played alongside Dart in the Fed Cup doubles back in April.

"We'll definitely take some experience from Heather," said Dart. "She has played a lot of Fed Cup ties. She is used to situations and a lot of us are quite new.

"Obviously tennis is an individual sport. All year it's about yourself whereas here it's different - it's about coming together and being able to feed off each other and bring the best out of each other."

Watson faces Anna Schmiedlova, ranked 199, in Friday's opening singles rubber before Dart takes on Slovakian number one Viktoria Kuzmova.

Debutants Bains and Raducanu play Kuzmova and Magdalena Rybarikova in Saturday's doubles.

How does the new Fed Cup format work?

A brand new 12-team Fed Cup finals will take place on clay in Budapest, Hungary this year, involving 20 teams.

The eight winners of this week's qualifying ties will join 2019 finalists Australia and France, hosts Hungary and one wildcard nation.

There is an $18m (£14.2m) prize fund up for grabs and of that, $12m (£9.5m) will go to the players, and the other $6m (£4.75m) to their national associations.

Under the previous format, the champions needed to negotiate three home or away ties. Now they play no more than one.

The Laszlo Papp Budapest Sports Arena will host the finals until 2022 and there will be four groups of three teams, with the winners of each group progressing to the semi-finals.

The Davis Cup - the men's equivalent team competition - has also undergone significant reform. In November, 18 teams competed for the title and $20m (£15.8m) of prize money in the inaugural finals in Madrid.

Dart says it would be "really cool" to run the new Fed Cup format alongside the men's Davis Cup and hopes to get more exposure.

"The new format is quite exciting - it's a bit similar to the Davis Cup," she said.

"The game is constantly evolving and you don't know what's going to happen in the future but I think it could be a really cool thing to run the Davis Cup alongside the Fed Cup. However, it's pretty hard to get the schedules aligned."

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Busy time in Asia, regional Hopes activities in full swing

Published in Table Tennis

Thursday, 06 February 2020 06:01

Proceedings commenced at the National Table Tennis Centre in Kathmandu, Nepal with the South Asia Regional Hopes and Cadet Week and Challenge, no less than 42 players from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Maldives and Nepal trained and competed together.

Expert on duty was Matjaž Šercer, a morning and afternoon training session each day, the focus was on basic technique and movements, as well as serve and receive.

All participating coaches were eager and willing to help and collaborate with each other, this enabled many sessions of multi-ball training. Motivation was high and created a buzz throughout the whole week; a fact appreciated by the dignitaries present. Notably, Mr. Ramesh Kumar Silwal (Membership Secretary of the Nepal Sports Council) and Mr. Chaturananda Raj Baidya (President of the All Nepal Table Tennis Association and Vice-President of the Nepal Olympic Committee) attended.

Overall it was a good working experience for all coaches and players.

Namangan, Uzbekistan

The road continued in the Central Region, where the host was the city of Namangan in Uzbekistan.

Conditions were impeccable, ranging from good transport, excellent hotel to hall preparation. Three hour sessions were held twice daily and consisted of a warm up and training at the table in addition to a theoretical part for players and coaches. Matters concluded with physical exercises.

In the evenings, coaches met for educational sessions with expert, Austria’s Dmitrij Levenko. However, theoretical education wasn’t limited only to after hours but extended into the training hall, where coaches and players were encouraged to implement their newly acquired knowledge.

Significantly, owing to the general level of physical strength, co-ordination and technique, the training sessions focused on balance and footwork techniques, along with service training and multi-ball exercises. The training week concluded with the Challenge tournament, a competition which showed that the players and coaches had potential in working on the mental aspect of the game.

Major progress, for the West Asia Regional Hopes, Cadet Week and Challenge, it was watershed.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Organised in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia staged the first ITTF Continental Development activity for both boys and girls.

An achievement, it was further underlined by the attendance of Albslooshi Asma, the United Arab Emirates Table Tennis Association Women’s Committee member. She travelled to Riyadh with the team from the United Arab Emirates. Participation also increased from five national associations last year to eight this year.

The working atmosphere was fantastic, as all national coaches were eager to co-operate. Matjaž Šercer, returned to Asia to once again lead matters. He was assisted by Mohammed Atoum, ITTF Asia Participation Officer and Egypt’s Youssef Rabie of Egypt. They were met with excellent conditions provided by the host. Training session consisted of footwork exercises, basic techniques, serve and receive, complemented by multi-ball and coordination sessions.

Takeaways

Five days of intensive training concluded with the Challenge tournaments for Hopes and Cadets; the takeaway in the Central region being a recommendation for better mental preparation. Players and coaches of the Western region were asked to focus more on physical preparation.

The Hopes road continues, with many more regional events yet to come, followed by stages through five continents, Latin America already having concluded their continental event. We are looking forward to seeing all our Hopes again very soon.

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Matching the greatest of all, task for Timo Boll

Published in Table Tennis

Thursday, 06 February 2020 08:27

Timo Boll has won the tournament six times; the man he is trying to catch is Sweden’s Jan-Ove Waldner, the winner on no less than seven occasions.

Now Timo Boll tries for the second time; last year it was the same but he fell just fell short. He was beaten at the semi-final stage by Dimitrij Ovtcharov; bronze was the colour of the medal, he overcame Austria’s Daniel Habesohn in the third place contest.

Judging by recent form at the 2020 ITTF World Tour Platinum German Open, Dimitrij Ovtcharov, the men’s singles runner up, is the player to beat but does not Timo Boll enter the fray with perhaps more confidence than last year? The year 2019 was one of consistency, the highlight being winning the men’s singles title at the European Games and thus immediately reserving his Tokyo 2020 Olympic place.

Changes

Experienced, now 38 years old, able to adapt; that has been a crucial factor in the career of Timo Boll, crucial with regards to the current tournament which has witnessed a variety of formats. Notably, of the successes, Timo Boll won on five excursions when the event was known as the Europe Top 12, the tournament becoming the Europe Top 16 in 2015 in Baku.

2002 Rotterdam
2003 Saarbrücken
2006 Copenhagen
2009 Düsseldorf
2010 Düsseldorf
2018 Montreux

Commencing in 2001, four groups formed the initial stage, players finishing in first place progressing to the semi-finals, one year later players finishing in first and second places advanced; the quarter-final round commencing the main draw. In 2018, there was a further adaptation when the tournament was first held in Montreux; the current system of knock-out from start to finish was introduced.

Different systems

Similarly Jan-Ove Waldner won in different systems; from 1971 until 1989, the all-play-all format was used, a demanding schedule, no less than 11 matches scheduled for each player. On four occasions Jan-Ove Waldner won when that system was in operation.

1984 Bratislava
1986 Södertälje
1988 Ljubljana
1989 Charleroi
1993 Copenhagen
1995 Dijon
1996 Charleroi

In 1990 and until the end of the century, the policy of two initial stage groups, each of six players was adopted, first and second placed player progressing to the semi-finals; three times the legendary Swede succeeded.

Recent times

Now in recent times Dimitrij Ovtcharov is very much the man of the moment. He has won on five of the most recent seven editions and four of the most recent five.

2015 Baku
2016 Gondomar
2017 Antibes
2019 Montreux

Moreover, on the most recent five, he has always reached the final, in 2018 he finished in runners up spot; he is the only player to win the men’s title on three consecutive occasions.

Win in three different decades the target

Playing under different systems; there is one player on duty in Montreux who has played under more different formats than any other, the fourth in the order of merit, Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus. He has won four times.

1998 Halmstad
1999 Split
2001 Wels
2007 Arezzo

Now in 2020 can he become the only man to win the title in three different decades? He came mighty close last year; in the final, he held two match points in the seventh game before losing four in a row as Dimitrij Ovtcharov prevailed (6-11, 11-8, 11-3, 14-16, 6-11, 11-7, 12-10).

Repeat performances; it is well within the bounds of possibility. Timo Boll, Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Vladimir Samsonov have the experience, moreover they have the class, they have the quality; their records speak for themselves.

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Home hopes halted as European invaders take over Motor City Open

Published in Squash

Thursday, 06 February 2020 01:51

George Parker drops one on Todd Harrity in Round One at the MCO. (MCO photo)

Parker and Lake meet top two seeds in Detroit
By MATT SCHOCH – Squash Mad Correspondent

Bloomfield Hills, Mich. – It was an opening day to remember for the French and English on Wednesday as they dominated Round One of The Motor City Open presented by Sturbridge Capital.

Seven of the last 10 champions in the 21st annual Birmingham Athletic Club event have come from Egypt, but Europeans went 5-0 with three Englishmen earning wins, along with two Frenchmen.

Egypt’s Mohamed ElSherbini, India’s Vikram Malhotra and Qatar’s Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi also earned wins while the event’s three Americans were all eliminated.

Americans Todd Harrity and Shahjahan Khan were shown the exit in late matches with England’s George Parker topping Harrity, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9, and Malhotra closing out Khan, 14-12. 11-9, 11-5.

Parker came up with big shots when he needed to against Harrity to win all three games. “I think I was probably a bit clever on crucial points,” Parker said. “It was pretty much 50/50 squash, I just think he made three or four errors a game.”

Khan, who was born in Pakistan but lives in Boston, battled a shin injury during his loss. England’s Richie Fallows opened the sweep of the Yankees by topping Chris Hanson, 11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7. Fallows battled a back injury throughout, but came through in the physical match after taking an injury timeout late in the third.

“It’s a court that’s quite quick and it’s a bit of a leveler,” said Fallows, who is playing in the MCO for the third year. He gave a shout-out to his host family, the Barrs, who make him feel right at home in metro Detroit.

“So I knew that I was going to have to play some good squash, hit some winners. I just kind of dug in today, waited for my opportunity, and luckily it came up.”

Still, despite quick exits for the Americans, Parker said squash in the MCO’s home country is on the rise. “Definitely, the younger generation I can see coming up, I’ve heard there’s quite a lot of young 13, 14, 15 year-old lads coming who are going to be testing us,” mused the Englishman.

“You’re always going to because (US has) the massive players, and now you’ve got the funding involved in the college squash. It’s bound to come through in the end. Numbers work, it’s what Egypt shows, they’ve got numbers, and you’ll have some that can play.”

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Englishman Nathan Lake made quick work of India’s Aditya Jagtap in the opener, losing just 11 points in the 33-minute match.

Lake is coming off a tournament championship at the E.M. Noll Classic in Philadelphia on Sunday and is looking to continue his solid form.

“I’ve got miles on my legs, so I wanted to come out a bit intense,” said Lake, back in Michigan for the third time in four years. “It’s good to be sticking around for at least a few more days.”

France’s Benjamin Aubert did Lake six minutes better, beating India’s Ramit Tandon in 27 minutes, 11-4, 11-2, 11-4.

“It was a strange match, I think my opponent was a bit injured,” Aubert said. “I tried not to focus on him because he was hurt. I played my game, and tried to play as early as possible.”

Aubert’s countryman Sebastien Bonmalais won a four-game, 53-minute match against Mexico’s Arturo Salazar, which included 18 straight points won by the Frenchman.

Al Tamimi fought from 10-8 down in the first game to win it 12-10, taking the next two games much easier by 11-5 counts. El Sherbini topped Michael McCue, who lives in nearby Toronto.

Action continues Thursday with second round matches beginning at 5 p.m. Seeded players will make their MCO debuts in the second round against the eight players who advanced through Wednesday’s opening day.

Third-seeded defending champion Mohamed Abouelghar is in action at 6 p.m. against Al Tamimi, while 2018 MCO champion Marwan El Shorbagy, the second seed, plays Parker at 8 p.m.

Top-seeded Diego Elias of Peru, who lost to Abouelghar in last year’s final, opens play Thursday against Lake at 5 p.m. Miguel Rodriguez of Colombia, the 2015 champion, is also in the field, playing Fallows at 7 p.m.

PSA World Tour Silver $76,000 Men’s Motor City Open 2020, Birmingham Athletic Club, Bloomfield Hills, Detroit, USA.

First round:
[1] Diego Elias (PER) bye
[9/16] Nathan Lake (ENG) bt Aditya Jagtap (IND) 11-7, 11-2, 11-2 (33m)
Sébastien Bonmalais (FRA) bt [9/16] Arturo Salazar (MEX) 15-17, 11-3, 11-0, 13-11 (53m)
[8] Cesar Salazar (MEX) bye
[6] Zahed Salem (EGY) bye
Benjamin Aubert (FRA) bt [9/16] Ramit Tandon (IND) 11-4, 11-2, 11-4 (45m)
[9/16] Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT) bt Karim El Hammamy (EGY) 12-10, 11-5, 11-5 (37m)
[3] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bye
[4] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) bye
[9/16] Richie Fallows (ENG) bt Chris Hanson (USA) 11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7 (65m)
[9/16] Mohamed Elsherbini (EGY) bt Michael McCue (CAN) 10-12, 11-3, 13-11, 11-6 (56m)
[5] Gregoire Marche (FRA) bye
[7] Leo Au (HKG) bye
[9/16] Vikram Malhotra (IND) bt Shahjahan Khan (USA) 14-12, 11-9, 11-5 (51m)
[9/16] George Parker (ENG) bt Todd Harrity (USA) 11-8, 11-9, 11-9 (44m)
[2] Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY) bye
Second Round:
[1] Diego Elias (PER) v [9/16] Nathan Lake (ENG)
[8] Cesar Salazar (MEX) v Sébastien Bonmalais (FRA)
[6] Zahed Salem (EGY) v Benjamin Aubert (FRA)
[3] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) v [9/16] Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT)
[4] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) v [9/16] Richie Fallows (ENG)
[5] Gregoire Marche (FRA) v [9/16] Mohamed Elsherbini (EGY)
[7] Leo Au (HKG) v [9/16] Vikram Malhotra (IND)
[2] Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY) v [9/16] George Parker (ENG)

Pictures courtesy of Henry Payne (Motor City Open)

Posted on February 6, 2020

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'It's going to be a war' - England's Ludlam throws down gauntlet to Scotland

Published in Rugby

Thursday, 06 February 2020 00:30

Lewis Ludlam says England bring just as much hatred and aggression to Saturday's Calcutta Cup fixture as Scotland, promising the hosts a "war".

The flanker, 24, disagreed when it was suggested Scotland bring more fury to international rugby's oldest rivalry.

"We are emotionally there. They hate us and we hate them. There is no difference," he said.

"We're revved up. We want to be brutal. We don't want to give them an inch to breathe. We're coming for them."

Ludlam was a second-half replacement in England's 24-17 defeat by France on the Six Nations' opening weekend.

Head coach Eddie Jones had called for "brutality" from his side before the match. His comments caused controversy in France, where they were taken by some to have connotations of violence.

However Ludlam continued the fighting talk, explaining how desperate his side are to avenge their loss in Paris.

"It wasn't the result we wanted against France. The best teams don't roll over and take a performance like that. They come back fighting. That is something we are thinking about," he added.

"It's a battle. It's going to be a war and it's something we're excited for and we'll be ready for.

"We are going out to get stuck into them and they are going to do the same to us. I don't think there is any difference in the passion between the two sides."

England's last visit to Murrayfield was a 25-13 defeat in 2018 with the match preceded by a tunnel scuffle between Owen Farrell and Ryan Wilson and followed by Jones being abused by Scotland fans as he returned home the following day.

England have won on only three of their last seven trips to Murrayfield, suffering defeats in 2006 and 2008 and sharing a 15-15 draw in 2010.

Ludlam says such difficult away trips only bring out the best in him.

"I love being the team that everyone is rooting against," he added.

"People being against you has got a way of really revving you up.

"For my second cap away at Wales there were old ladies and kids giving you the finger going into the stadium.

"That gives you goosebumps and gives you something to say: 'We will shut you up with the rugby'."

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Moriarty and Tompkins - ex-England Under-20 team-mates reunited with Wales

Published in Rugby

Thursday, 06 February 2020 08:15

Ross Moriarty had something of a surprise when Nick Tompkins turned up in the Wales Six Nations squad.

Before that, the 25-year-old Dragons back rower did not know his former England Under-20s team-mate was qualified to do so.

"I was very surprised when he was called to the squad because I didn't know that he was Welsh. I don't even think he'd been to Cardiff before," joked Moriarty, who was raised in Swansea but represented England's age-grade teams during his time with Gloucester's youth set-up.

"But it's nice to have him here, he's a good boy and we have all welcomed him in."

Moriarty and Tompkins were team-mates when England beat South Africa 21-20 to win the 2014 Junior World Championship, in a team led by Maro Itoje.

Fast forward six years and, after a stunning debut off the bench including a memorable try as Wales hammered Italy in their opener, Tompkins' Welsh connections are now widely known.

As the 24-year-old Saracens centre celebrated Wales' win, he paid an emotional tribute to Wrexham-born grandmother Enid.

Tompkins' display earned him a starting spot as coach Wayne Pivac brought him into midfield to face Ireland in Dublin in the second round.

Of course, it could have all been so different for Tompkins had England taken more interest in his potential.

"There wasn't any contact from Eddie," said Tompkins.

"I just had contact with Wayne. He called me and I was more than happy to meet him and get the opportunity.

"I couldn't have accepted it quick enough. It was one of those that I was so happy to have it. I wasn't expecting to play for Wales at international level, but then I don't know if I was expecting to play international rugby at all.

"But when it came along there was no chance of me saying no."

Nickname: Neil

Tompkins has also earned the nickname 'Neil', courtesy of a conversation Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones had with England counterpart Owen Farrell, a Saracens team-mate of Tompkins.

"Alun Wyn got it wrong at the captain's launch when he spoke to Owen," said Tompkins.

"He [Jones] said 'Neil's a good lad'. Owen got very confused and didn't understand what he was talking about until it dawned on him that he got my name wrong. It's sticking now unfortunately."

As a former colleague who also played for England Under-18s alongside Tompkins, Moriarty understands why he may have been overlooked by the land of his birth.

"In England there is a lot more competition and depth. If you are not playing week in, week out then you might not get noticed," said Moriarty, whose father Paul and uncle Richard both played for Wales.

"He is in a very strong Saracens team and players do get swapped in and out a lot, but he has taken a lot from being at that club.

"There are a massive amount of players that came through that England [U20] squad.

"In my first year there was a lot and the second year as well, people who have not just gone on to play for England, but to play for other countries.

"The amount of players that have gone on to play professional and internationally just goes to show that we had such a good coaching team and a good system in place."

Bench buddies

Moriarty and Tompkins' connections continued against Italy, both coming off the bench, the latter initially to temporarily replace wing Johnny McNicholl, who returned after having a head knock checked out.

But in the 53rd minute, Hadleigh Parkes made way for Tompkins at centre while Moriarty took over from Taulupe Faletau in the back row.

Moriarty, meanwhile, is again on the bench, having also been used in such a way at the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

"No player in my position would want to be sat on the bench and watching the game," said Moriarty.

"My mindset is that I am here to start and that's how I go into every camp. I don't think that there would be much point in me being here if I wasn't in that mind frame.

"Obviously it was disappointing to not get the start but, like I said in the World Cup, if that's my role and I've got to be on the bench then I've got to take it on the chin, do my best to help the boys that are starting and then add the extra when I come on."

Former rival and team-mate, ex-Wales captain Sam Warburton, is now someone Moriarty can turn to for guidance.

Warburton has gone from also being British and Irish Lions captain to working on Wales' breakdown work under head coach Wayne Pivac

"I played a few seasons with Sam, I got on with him as a player and now I get on with him as a coach," said Moriarty.

"It's nice to see him coming on with the messages and giving you confidence. He has taken his role very well, he is around training all the time and has been great.

"He doesn't speak to us any differently and I have sat down quite a few times with Sam.

"When you are players you don't want to get in someone's way of preparing, but now I know that I can use him."

For the latest Welsh rugby union news follow @BBCScrumV on Twitter.

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Six Nations 2020: Centre Nick Tompkins will make his first Wales start against Ireland

Published in Rugby

Thursday, 06 February 2020 04:01

Centre Nick Tompkins has been handed his first Wales start for the Six Nations trip to face Ireland as Wayne Pivac makes one change to the team that defeated Italy.

Tompkins lines up alongside Hadleigh Parkes with George North switching to his more familiar wing position.

Scarlets wing Johnny McNicholl drops to the replacements bench.

Saracens centre Tompkins made his debut against Italy and scored a superb solo try as a replacement.

"I thought Nick played very, very well and we think he deserves a chance, so that's what he's getting," Pivac explained.

"So George moves out to the wing. We're also pleased with George's game. Johnny McNicholl is the one that's the casualty - he will get an opportunity off the bench."

Scrum-half Gareth Davies, prop Rhys Carre, fly-half Owen Williams and lock Adam Beard are named as replacements coming in for Rhys Webb, Jarrod Evans, Rob Evans and Cory Hill, who misses out through a leg injury.

Davies returns after recovering from a groin injury while Saracens prop Carre is back after serving a suspension following his red card against Ospreys in the Champions Cup in January 2020.

Pivac said Wales were keen to avoid making unnecessary changes.

"No, we wanted to keep it reasonably consistent. Overall we got what we wanted out of the Italy - five points and there was some good play there and some parts of our game need to be looked at, which we've done this week," h added.

"Hopefully there will be a marked improvement, so we got what we needed out of the game and now we move forward, keeping that nucleus as it is to help us achieve that."

North will line up in an experienced back three alongside Josh Adams and Leigh Halfpenny, while Tomos Williams and Dan Biggar continue their partnership at half-back.

Wales have named an unchanged pack with Wyn Jones, Ken Owens and Dillon Lewis in the front row and Jake Ball lining up alongside captain Alun Wyn Jones.

Aaron Wainwright, Justin Tipuric and Taulupe Faletau feature in the back row.

Wales: Leigh Halfpenny; George North, Nick Tompkins, Hadleigh Parkes, Josh Adams; Dan Biggar, Tomos Williams; Wyn Jones, Ken Owens, Dillon Lewis, Jake Ball, Alun Wyn Jones (capt), Aaron Wainwright, Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau.

Replacements: Ryan Elias, Rhys Carre, Leon Brown, Adam Beard, Ross Moriarty, Gareth Davies, Owen Williams, Johnny McNicholl.

For the latest Welsh rugby union news follow @BBCScrumV on Twitter.

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Bradbury sole change for Scotland against England in Calcutta Cup

Published in Rugby

Thursday, 06 February 2020 04:31

Back row Magnus Bradbury replaces Nick Haining in the only change to the Scotland line-up for Saturday's Six Nations visit of England.

Haining, 29, impressed on his debut last week in the 19-12 opening-day loss to Ireland but drops to the bench, with Cornell du Preez omitted altogether.

Bradbury missed the defeat in Dublin but will line up at Murrayfield.

Gregor Townsend's men are aiming to keep the Calcutta Cup for the third year running.

Scotland prevailed 25-13 in the teams' last Murrayfield meeting in 2018, and retained the trophy after fighting back from 31-0 down in a madcap 38-38 draw at Twickenham last year.

Townsend has kept faith with the vast bulk of the side that delivered an encouraging but wasteful performance in Dublin.

Despite some defensive lapses, Huw Jones is again given a start in midfield alongside Sam Johnson, who scored the try that briefly put Scotland in front at Twickenham.

Fly-half Finn Russell remains in international exile after breaching team protocol last month, and Adam Hastings is trusted once more with steering the team in the number 10 jersey.

Explaining his decision to introduce Bradbury, Townsend said: "It was a good debut from Nick but Magnus has played very well for us in the World Cup and at number eight against England at Twickenham.

"He's worked more with the two back-row colleagues in Jamie and Hamish.

"We trained with Magnus at number eight for about four or five days leading up to the Ireland game.

"It's a difficult decision especially after someone plays well and then has to drop out. There was also Cornell du Preez who came on and managed to get four carries within six minutes."

The head coach insisted Scotland must take their chances when they present themselves to win tight matches such as the match in Dublin.

And looking ahead to the Calcutta Cup match, he said: "England are an excellent team whose run to the Rugby World Cup final was no fluke.

"They will be smarting from their opener in Paris and Eddie [Jones, head coach] will have them primed to come to Edinburgh and put in an improved performance."

Scotland: Hogg (capt); Maitland, Jones, Johnson, Kinghorn; Hastings, Price; Sutherland, Brown, Fagerson, Cummings, Gray, Ritchie, Watson, Bradbury.

Replacements: McInally, Dell, Berghan, Toolis, Haining, Horne, Hutchinson, Harris.

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