Ireland coach Joe Schmidt says his side will be judged on how they respond to a shock World Cup defeat against hosts Japan in Shizuoka on Saturday.

Japan produced a stunning 19-12 victory to leave Ireland boss Schmidt feeling "incredibly disappointed".

Schmidt, who bemoaned the penalty count from referee Angus Gardner after his side lost a 12-3 lead, said he was not surprised by Japan's performance.

"It's not the first time we've seen them do it," he said.

"It's not a surprise to us that they were incredibly tough to beat.

"It unfortunately met my expectations. We expected them to be as good as they were. We knew they were going to be incredibly tough and so it proved."

Ireland beat Scotland in their opening match at the World Cup but Japan's surprise victory leaves Pool A wide open.

"The strength of the team will be how they respond and rebound from this," said Schmidt, whose side still have to face Russia and Samoa.

"A six-day turnaround was a little bit tough and we've got a five-day turnaround now into the Russian game in Kobe on Thursday. So that will be another challenge for us."

Schmidt felt "three or four" penalties given against Ireland for offsides were "pretty tough" and gave Japan the momentum.

Australian referee Gardner took charge of Saturday's match, and tries from Garry Ringrose and Rob Kearney appeared to have the Irish in control. But amazingly Ireland, the world's top-ranked side at the start of the tournament, were held scoreless for the remainder of the contest.

"We're incredibly disappointed that we didn't manage to control the end of the game but they are a tremendous side," added the Ireland coach.

"Congratulations to Japan. What a furious, intense effort it was. We knew it was potentially coming."

Schmidt has 'no regrets' over Sexton omission

The Ireland coach said that he had no regrets about leaving out fly-half star Johnny Sexton as Jack Carty started before being replaced by Joey Carbery in the second half.

Sexton was not risked because of a thigh strain and while Carty helped set up Ireland's two first-half tries, he began to struggle in the second half with Carbery's introduction not helping to stem the tide.

"I don't think you ever regret utilising your squad because we were here four years ago and we kind of didn't use the squad. We didn't want to make that mistake again," added Schmidt.

"I thought he [Carty] controlled the first half pretty well but once we came under pressure on the back of some penalties they got that field position."

Ireland captain Rory Best denied that the Irish had been caught unawares by the Japan onslaught.

"We knew how tough it was going to be. Anyone who is utterly shocked hasn't seen how good they were," Best told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"We had a game plan and were prepared. We made a few mistakes and were on the wrong side of the penalty count.

"But Japan played really well and posed us a lot of questions. Unfortunately we couldn't come up with the right answers."

Best admitted that the lively Japanese display left the Irish "chasing shadows".

"When you play the host team it's always tough. We didn't start how we wanted and we let them play.

"You have to give credit to Japan - they attacked us minute after minute. We have to dust ourselves down and get better."

WOKING, U.K. – McLaren Racing’s return to the front of the Formula One grid may happen sooner than many thought.

With the team’s engine contract with Renault expiring at the end of next season, McLaren Racing and Mercedes-Benz announced that the McLaren F1 team will be powered by Mercedes from 2021 until at least the 2024 season, under a long-term agreement.

The agreement will bring McLaren and Mercedes together as customer team and power unit supplier for the first time since 2014.

“This agreement is an important step in our long-term plan to return to success in Formula One,” said Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing. “Mercedes is the benchmark, both as a team and a power unit, so it is natural we would seek to secure a relationship with the company for the next phase of our journey. This announcement reflects the confidence of our shareholders and is an important message to our investors, employees, partners and fans that we are committed to returning McLaren to the front of the field.”

“Since the introduction of the hybrid regulations in 2014, it has been a cornerstone of our strategic approach to lead PU development with our works team and to deliver a benchmark product to our customers across the field,” added Andy Cowell, managing director for Mercedes-AMG. “We are delighted to expand our roster of partner teams and especially with an historic brand like McLaren. There is a shared history between the two organizations, and we look forward to achieving success together again in the future.”

MAGNY-COURS, France – The 800th all-time race for the World Superbike Championship was historic in more ways than one on Saturday at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours.

Toprak Razgatlioglu became the first Turkish rider to win a points-paying race in the history of the two-wheeled series, thanks to a stunning last-lap pass of Jonathan Rea in a race that featured five different leaders and four official lead changes when all was said and done.

To make the feat more impressive, Razgatlioglu started 16th on the grid and raced his way through the field during the 21-lap affair, making for a nail-biting show of skill.

Rea came under immediate pressure from Michael van der Mark off the start, with the two almost colliding into the Adelaide hairpin on lap one. Their duel allowed Tom Sykes to storm through from sixth on the grid to second by the end of lap one.

Sykes’ progress continued on lap two as he used the corner speed of the BMW to overtake Rea at Estoril, although the leading group was growing, with Chaz Davies joining the action from 11th on the grid.

On lap three, Davies became the third different leader in as many laps, but the Welshman’s challenge came to a dramatic end moments later with a crash in turn 15. Davies lost the front end of his machine, while Razgatlioglu was fortunate to stay upright despite slight contact from the errant Ducati.

The chaos allowed Sykes a moment of breathing room, but the BMW rider was quickly reeled in, losing the lead to van der Mark on lap six.

With the battle continuing to rage in the leading group, van der Mark was able to open up a slight advantage, while Rea came under pressure after a moment at the Nurburgring chicane.

Razgatlioglu was able to edge ahead of Rea, setting the fastest lap in the process, but Rea ultimately regained second from the Turkish rider shortly after halfway, allowing him to give chase after van der Mark and attempt to erase a 1.2 second deficit.

With clear track in front, Rea began his relentless chase of van der Mark, wiping out his advantage heading into the closing stages. With three laps remaining, the leading pair had found one another, but van der Mark’s hopes of a second victory this year were extinguished when the front end of his Yamaha folded into the Adelaide hairpin.

Rea seemed on course for a 12th victory of the season, beginning the final lap one second clear of Razgatlioglu, but a stunning final lap from the Turkish rider brought him right onto the Ulsterman’s tail entering the last sector.

Under braking for turn 15, Razgatlioglu dove up the inside on Rea to take the point for good. Keen to avoid a costly collision, Rea opted to settle for second.

The fight for the final podium spot also went down to the wire, with Sykes rallying in the latter stages to overhaul Loris Baz, securing BMW’s fourth podium of the season.

Baz held on to fourth, while Alvaro Bautista finished fifth.

Alex Lowes faded to a distant sixth, ahead of Leon Camier, Marco Melandri, Eugene Laverty and Sandro Cortese.

SOCHI, Russia – Charles Leclerc stormed to his fourth consecutive Formula 1 pole during qualifying for the VTB Russian Grand Prix on Saturday at Sochi Autodrom.

Leclerc scorched the Russian pavement with a lap of 1:31.801 around the 3.634-mile, 18-turn course, taking the sixth F-1 pole of his career and his sixth of the season in his No. 16 Ferrari SF90.

Even still, however, Leclerc wasn’t quite as confident after qualifying that he landed in the catbird’s seat for Sunday’s 53-lap race, considering he’ll have five-time F-1 champion and current points leader Lewis Hamilton alongside him for the start.

“It felt amazing,” said Leclerc of his lap. “It definitely feels great to back on pole, but I don’t know if it’s the best track to start on pole.

“The straight is very long after the start, so tomorrow the start will be very important as always, but here probably even more because of the straight length.”

The Monegasque driver becomes the first Ferrari pilot to win four-straight F-1 poles since Michael Schumacher did so across the 2000 and 2001 seasons.

He wasn’t thinking about that on Saturday, however, keeping his focus on what’s ahead.

“It definitely feels very, very special, but I don’t really want to think about those stats for now,” Leclerc insisted. “I just want to focus on the job. There’s still a long way to go tomorrow, but it’s definitely a good start.

“We’ve been competitive all weekend long and the race simulations seem positive, so it’s looking good for tomorrow.”

Hamilton was four tenths of a second adrift of the pole time, posting a best lap of 1:32.030, while Leclerc’s teammate Sebastian Vettel starts third (1:32.053) on Sunday.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen qualified fourth, the lone representative for the team after Alexander Albon crashed out of the first knockout round, and the second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas was fifth.

Carlos Sainz landed sixth for McLaren, while the factory Renault of Nico Hulkenberg ended up seventh and Sainz’s teammate Lando Norris timed in eighth-fastest.

Haas F1’s Romain Grosjean and the sister Renault of Daniel Ricciardo completed the top 10.

FULTON, N.Y. – With just a few days left before camping opens for the 34th annual Stadium International Trucks Outlaw 200 weekend, fans can now circle their calendars and make plans for the 35th edition.

Widely known to fans and race teams as one of the crown jewel events in the Northeast, the 2020 edition of the Outlaw 200 will be held on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 2-3.

However, before that weekend comes down the line, there’s a lot of action to be run this year at Fulton Speedway.

Camping lots open for this weekend’s Outlaw 200 on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 5 p.m., with ticket sales, will call and early hauler parking running from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 3.

Friday’s schedule features full programs for the Pit Stop Convenience Stores NLMA Late Model Championship, the U.S Air Force Mod Lite Championship, the Fleet Repairs Truck & Trailer Repair Four-Cylinder Open divison and the E&V Energy Novice Sportsman class.

Four 15-Lap Stadium International Trucks Modified Qualifiers, awarding the 17th through 20th starting spots in the Outlaw 200, as well as heats and consolation events for the Industrial Tire of CNY Sportsman Shootout, will also be held Friday night.

Friday’s pit gate opens at 2:30 p.m., with grandstands opening to the public at 5 p.m. Hot laps hit the track at 6 p.m. and racing follows just one hour later.

This Saturday, the 34th annual Stadium International Trucks Outlaw 200 takes center stage, along with Last Chance Qualifiers and the 50-lap Industrial Tire of CNY Sportsman Shootout.

Saturday pit gates open at 11 a.m., with grandstands following at noon, hot laps beginning at 3 p.m. and heat races starting at 4:30 p.m.

SHANGHAI — Blake Windred of Australia has another entry in the record book at the Asia-Pacific Amateur, and it felt better than it might appear.

Windred fell apart Saturday at Sheshan International with four bogeys in a five-hole stretch in the middle of his third round, and he went from leading to two shots behind going to the par-5 18th.

He finished with a 5-foot birdie putt to salvage a 2-over 74. Ren Yonezawa of Japan missed a short par putt and had to settle for a 73.

Just like that, they were tied for the lead, and had plenty of company. Yung-Hua Liu of Taiwan and Yuto Katsuragawa of Japan each shot 69 for a four-way share of the lead at 8-under 208.

In the 10 previous editions of the Asia-Pacific Amateur, there had never been a tie after 54 holes. Now there are four players tied for the lead, all aiming to win the tournament and earn a spot in the Masters and the Open Championship next year.

Windred, who tied the tournament record with a 63 in the first round, was happy to be part of the mix after the way his round was going.

''What I can take away from today is that it wasn't my best performance at all, but I was quite happy with my attitude on the golf course and when I rolled that birdie putt in on the last,'' Windred said. ''On the last tee, I was 7 under and I didn't feel great mentally. But I told myself that there's another day and another opportunity to shoot a low score and take home the trophy.

''That kind of pumped me up a little bit, and then I was in the right space to make a birdie on the last.''

Six other players were within three shots of the lead, a group that includes defending champion Takumi Kanaya of Japan, who shot 68 to get within one shot; and Yuxin Lin of China, who won the Asia-Pacific two years ago. He shot 71 and was among those shots behind.

Yonezawa, a 20-year-old who attends the same Tokyo university as Kanaya and two-time Asia-Pacific winner Hideki Matsuyama, has the best form going into the final day. He has finished among the top four in six of his last eight tournaments, and he has won three times this year.

He was runner-up at the Asia-Pacific Open Diamond Cup on the Japan Golf Tour, which would have earned him a spot in The Open. Now he can earn his way to Royal St. George's next year by winning, along with a tee time at Augusta National in April.

''I am in a good position,'' Yonezawa said. ''I just need to work on my short-range putting today and I think I should be ready for the battle tomorrow.''

Goalkeeper coach Emilio Alvarez has left Manchester United, the club have confirmed.

The Spaniard moved to Old Trafford in 2016 to work with David de Gea. The pair also spent time together at Atletico Madrid.

Alvarez's departure comes after United appointed Richard Hartis as senior goalkeeper coach in the summer after spells alongside manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Molde and Cardiff.

"I would like to thank Emilio for all the help and hard work since my return to the club," Solskjaer said. "We all wish him well for the future."

The news comes just two weeks after United announced a new long-term contract for De Gea that could keep him at the club for the next five years.

"I will always be proud of belonging to this club," Alvarez said. "Wishing you every success in your endeavours."