WASHINGTON -- The Capitals wrapped up the top spot in the Eastern Conference in a 5-4 shootout win over the Carolina Hurricanes while celebrating new goals king Alex Ovechkin at Capital One Arena for the first time since he made history.

Ovechkin, who assisted on a goal in the win Thursday, was treated to a pregame ceremony for scoring his 895th career goal to break Wayne Gretzky's NHL record on Sunday at the New York Islanders. The arena introduced Ovechkin before showing the crowd a video of the historic goal and fans were able to cheer the Capitals legend for the first time at home.

Ovechkin and his family were then presented with a series of gifts, including an engraved gold stick commemorating breaking the goal record and a six-foot sculptural painting of a puck with his image on it. The ceremony ended with a team photo before players from the Hurricanes lined up to shake Ovechkin's hand one-by-one.

In the game that followed, Pierre-Luc Dubois scored the shootout winner after the Capitals rallied from a 2-0 deficit, then blew a 4-2 lead with Carolina's Jordan Martinook and Seth Jarvis scoring in the third period to tie it. That came after Washington's scoring spree in the second, with Dylan Strome, Nic Dowd and Tom Wilson all putting goals past Frederik Andersen.

Dubois also scored in regulation, while Charlie Lindgren made 31 saves and stayed in the game after a nasty collision seven minutes in on Carolina's second goal.

The Hurricanes, who are locked into second place in the Metropolitan Division and a first-round matchup against New Jersey, managed to get to overtime but lost their fourth in a row. Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake also scored, and Andersen allowed four goals on 28 shots in regulation.

Brandon Duhaime and Jalen Chatfield dropped the gloves early to settle a score from the teams' game last week. The Capitals were unhappy with Chatfield's takedown of Connor McMichael at the end of their fight.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

It's Week 2 of the 2025 MLB season, and while our top three teams are holding firm from Week 1, we have some big jumps shaking up the top 10.

Juan Soto and the New York Mets crack the top five this week (in the process, passing Aaron Judge and the torpedo-bat-powered New York Yankees), while Kyle Tucker's Chicago Cubs rocket all the way from No. 14 to No. 6. The San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox are also new members of the single-digit club.

It hasn't been anywhere near as fun in Atlanta, though, as the Braves have fallen from No. 2 in our preseason rankings to No. 11 in Week 1, and now to No. 15 in Week 2.

Our expert panel has combined to rank every team based on a combination of what we've seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts Jesse Rogers, Bradford Doolittle and David Schoenfield to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.

Week 1 | Preseason rankings

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

Record: 10-4
Previous ranking: 1

Three losses in a row? Say it ain't so. The Dodgers have been dominant at home in the early going, but they've been average on the road as, once again, their pitching depth is being tested. Lefty Justin Wrobleski gave up eight runs Tuesday, one day after the staff gave up six, leading to back-to-back defeats to the Nationals. With Blake Snell and others down while Clayton Kershaw works his way back, the Dodgers feel a little short on the mound. Their offense will have to carry the day -- and it will -- but Los Angeles, even after a win on Wednesday, finds itself in an unfamiliar place: with the third-best record in its division. -- Rogers

2. Philadelphia Phillies

Record: 8-3
Previous ranking: 2

It might be strange to suggest that a 32-year-old DH coming off a three-year stretch during which he has averaged 44 homers is breaking out. But in the early going, Kyle Schwarber is going as well as he ever has. Over the Phillies' first 10 games, Schwarber clubbed five homers, was leading the NL with a 248 OPS+ and was tied with Shohei Ohtani for the highest average exit velocity in the majors. What really stands out as possibly different for Schwarber is his improved contact rate. His strikeout rate (20%) is 8.5% lower than 2024, when he matched his career average (28.5%) in that category. According to Statcast, Schwarber's rate of squaring up pitches has leaped from the 30th percentile to the 89th. -- Doolittle

3. San Diego Padres

Record: 10-3
Previous ranking: 3

San Diego finally lost a game after playing on the road for the first time this past weekend in frigid Chicago. Despite a series loss, the arrow is still pointing up for the Padres, who boast the third-lowest ERA in baseball during the opening weeks of the season. Their bullpen is even better, ranking second in ERA with a stellar 1.78 mark entering Wednesday. Even without Tanner Scott, it's as nasty as ever, as righties Jason Adam and Jeremiah Estrada have been nearly untouchable. The same can be said of closer Robert Suarez, as well as a couple of other back-end guys. It has propelled San Diego to a fast start. -- Rogers

4. New York Mets

Record: 8-4
Previous ranking: 8

Francisco Lindor is off to a tepid start, but as his 11th big league season gets rolling, he's starting to hit some impressive career counting numbers. Lindor reached the 1,500-hit mark this week, spurring a few articles wondering if he was destined to become baseball's next 3,000-hit guy. That pursuit is a long way into the future, but Lindor, 31, is the youngest of the 24 active players with at least 1,500 career hits. Next up for Lindor is a milestone homer. After getting on the board in that column with a shot against the Marlins on Tuesday, Lindor now sits at 249 career dingers. -- Doolittle

5. New York Yankees

Record: 7-5
Previous ranking: 4

The Yankees didn't fare well in two near-freezing games in Detroit to begin that series, losing 6-2 in a contest with a game-time temperature of 38 degrees Monday and then losing 5-0 in 34-degree weather Tuesday. Both games were moved up from evening starts to afternoon starts because of the cold. At least in the second game they can chalk it up to facing Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. Meanwhile, with Clarke Schmidt making a good first rehab start, the Yankees expect him to join the rotation next week, bumping either Will Warren (6.00 ERA in two starts) or Carlos Carrasco (7.71 ERA in three appearances). Carrasco served up three home runs in Tuesday's shutout loss, but Warren has options remaining. -- Schoenfield

6. Chicago Cubs

Record: 9-6
Previous ranking: 14

Walks and stolen bases have been the name of the game for the Cubs, who boast one of the best offenses in the league. They're resembling some of manager Craig Counsell's teams in Milwaukee, not relying on slug as much as on speed and defense. It has come in handy so far at frigid Wrigley Field, where they won series against the warm-weather-based San Diego Padres and the domed Texas Rangers. The Cubs have scored seven or more runs in half their games, handing their bullpen big leads. That might be necessary more often than not, as closer games have resulted in some poor high-leverage performances at the back end. Chicago's vibe this season will be at the plate. -- Rogers

7. Texas Rangers

Record: 9-4
Previous ranking: 6

The Rangers started 8-4 despite being outscored by 12 runs during those games. Texas won its first five one-run games, plus its only two-run game, to create that early disparity. Of course, there are two ways to view the disconnect. The Rangers are sitting pretty in the standings despite a slumping offense that has hit under .200 as a group. Thus, the close wins are buying the Rangers some time until the batsmen get going. The cynical way to look at it is that the differential is a harbinger of impending doom. The real answer, as ever, is probably somewhere in the middle, but one way or another, the Rangers are going to need to score more runs. -- Doolittle

8. San Francisco Giants

Record: 9-3
Previous ranking: 12

Wilmer Flores has four home runs in fewer than 40 at-bats after hitting four last year in 214 at-bats. His return from last season's knee injury could be a nice boost for the Giants as he went deep 23 times in 2023 and has produced several .800 OPS seasons including a career-high .863 two years ago. Quietly, he has put together a nice latter half of his career, hitting 60 home runs over a three-season span in San Francisco, which isn't always the easiest place to go deep. -- Rogers

9. Boston Red Sox

Record: 6-7
Previous ranking: 13

After his historic slow start, Rafael Devers turned things around -- as did the entire Boston lineup in a three-game sweep of the Cardinals in which the Red Sox scored 36 runs and bashed out 45 hits. Including the final game of the Baltimore series, the Red Sox scored 44 runs in four games. Devers went 7-for-11 with a home run, four walks and just one strikeout against St. Louis. Alex Bregman also broke out of his slow start, going 9-for-18 with 2 home runs, 5 doubles and 10 RBIs in a four-game stretch. -- Schoenfield

10. Arizona Diamondbacks

Record: 7-6
Previous ranking: 5

The loss of Ketel Marte was felt at the plate for Arizona, which is behind the eight ball a little in a strong NL West. Marte's hamstring strain came just after the D-backs signed him to a new six-year, $116.5 million contract, which should have him retiring in the desert. He was part of a string of recent player extensions by Arizona as it tries to position itself as a destination -- with both a good team and the lure of the Phoenix area. Pitcher Corbin Burnes signed there partly because he lives in Scottsdale year-round. More and more players are doing the same, giving the D-backs a leg up -- if they can take advantage of it. -- Rogers

11. Baltimore Orioles

Record: 5-8
Previous ranking: 7

The outfield defense has been a little shaky, drawing the frustration of manager Brandon Hyde. On Sunday, Jorge Mateo, subbing for Cedric Mullins, misplayed a Bobby Witt Jr. line drive, which would have made it two outs with nobody on. Instead, the Royals went on to score three runs. On Friday, Tyler O'Neill threw to second base on a blooper -- allowing Witt to score from first base and giving Vinnie Pasquantino a three-run single. "We've had three times now where he's thrown the ball to the wrong base," Hyde said. "You've got Bobby Witt on first base and the ball drops like that, Tyler understands that ball needs to go to the plate." -- Schoenfield

12. Detroit Tigers

Record: 7-5
Previous ranking: 17

After getting swept by the Dodgers to begin the season, the Tigers responded with a series victory in Seattle, a sweep of the White Sox and another series win over the Yankees. Spencer Torkelson's third home run of 2025 on Tuesday got the Tigers going, the first of three home runs in the fourth inning. He finished 2-for-4 in the game, raising his season line to .310/.408/.643. He has been a huge lift for a lineup that needs that middle-of-the-order power hitter, but it's worth noting that his strikeout rate remains very high at 32.7%. -- Schoenfield

13. Houston Astros

Record: 5-7
Previous ranking: 10

Houston fans unhappy with the Astros' offseason plan got plenty of fuel for their fire during the first full week of the season when the Players of the Week were ex-Astros Kyle Tucker (NL) and Alex Bregman (AL). Even that would be fine -- good for them! -- but that coincided with what has been a brutal start for the Houston offense. Over their first 11 games, the Astros scored just 32 runs. Meanwhile, between them, Tucker and Bregman created 30 runs during that span for their new teams. Their replacements in Houston -- Isaac Paredes and Cam Smith -- had combined for five. Ouch. -- Doolittle

14. Kansas City Royals

Record: 6-6
Previous ranking: 15

The ace lefty for the Royals so far has been ... no, not Cole Ragans, but Kris Bubic. He allowed just one run in winning his first two starts, striking out an impressive 16 batters in 12 innings. The last time Bubic was starting was in April 2023, when he made three starts before undergoing Tommy John surgery (and before that he had a 5.58 ERA as a starter in 2022). He returned last season, making all 27 appearances in relief. While his fastball averages just 92.2 mph, he has generated a high whiff rate through the two starts at 34%. If he can keep that going with his fastball, he could be a surprise breakout pitcher. -- Schoenfield

15. Atlanta Braves

Record: 2-9
Previous ranking: 11

It's been a stunningly bad start for Atlanta as the Braves now try to stack up a little good news. Getting home to Truist Park was a good start. Getting in the win column helped. The second win, a 7-5 victory against NL East rival Philadelphia, featured a homer and four RBIs from catcher Sean Murphy in his first game back from the IL. Spencer Strider is due to make another rehab start in the minors after getting his pitch count up to 75 his last time out. And while there's still no clear timeline for the return of Ronald Acuna Jr., we might see him back in a few weeks. All good news. The Braves certainly need it. -- Doolittle

16. Tampa Bay Rays

Record: 5-6
Previous ranking: 9

If the Rays have any chance at making a playoff run, they'll need Yandy Diaz and Junior Caminero to hit, and so far neither has -- in the Rays' first nine games the two combined for no home runs, three RBIs and a .197 average. Caminero's ability is obvious: His bat speed is as good as it gets (100th percentile) and he has elite contact ability -- but he didn't barrel up a single baseball in those opening nine games. It's been a similar story for Diaz, the 2023 AL batting champ. Like Caminero, he had just four strikeouts through nine games but hasn't done any damage. Indeed, the Rays had just five home runs, three from Brandon Lowe. -- Schoenfield

17. Toronto Blue Jays

Record: 8-5
Previous ranking: 20

The big news of the week was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. agreeing to a 14-year, $500 million extension that will go down as one of the biggest moments in Blue Jays history. Maybe Guerrero saw that "0" in the home run column and figured he'd better sign now. The deal, the third largest in MLB history behind the contracts for Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani, shatters the previous record in Blue Jays history, George Springer's $150 million deal signed as a free agent. No doubt, Toronto's inability to land Soto or Ohtani made the front office likely go higher than it was comfortable with, but keeping the homegrown star was generally acknowledged as something the franchise had to do. Now Guerrero just needs to hit like he did in 2024, when he was worth 6.2 WAR. -- Schoenfield

18. Milwaukee Brewers

Record: 7-5
Previous ranking: 24

Milwaukee began to right the ship after a bad start, thanks in part to young Jackson Chourio. He had a big week, hitting over .380 with three home runs. Chourio might end the year as the most dangerous hitter in a Brewers lineup that still employs Christian Yelich and William Contreras. He's just 21 years old, but like Padres star Jackson Merrill, he plays older than his age or experience level. Industry insiders believe it won't be long before Chourio will be the guy in Milwaukee. -- Rogers

19. Seattle Mariners

Record: 5-8
Previous ranking: 16

Righty Logan Gilbert has been drawing raves over his start, building on 2024 when he finished sixth in AL Cy Young balloting. Through three starts, Gilbert is leading the league in WHIP (0.623) and strikeouts (25) while posting a 2.55 ERA and 2.22 FIP. Gilbert has ramped up the use of his elite splitter, throwing it about a quarter of the time so far after sitting around 13% last season. You can't blame him: Hitters are hitting .000/.025/.000 against the splitter so far. Alas, Gilbert's luck in the W-L category has not improved. After going 9-12 in 2024, Gilbert is 0-1 in 2025 despite his dominance. -- Doolittle

20. Cincinnati Reds

Record: 5-8
Previous ranking: 18

Hunter Greene is picking up where he left off last season, when he made his first All-Star team. Greene pitched a gem Monday in San Francisco, nearly getting the complete-game shutout. He settled for 8 innings, striking out seven while giving up four hits and a walk. Through three starts, Greene has 23 K's to just three free passes, while pitching five innings, then seven, then Monday's near CG. He has turned into the ace the Reds thought they were getting when they drafted him second overall in 2017. -- Rogers

21. Los Angeles Angels

Record: 7-4
Previous ranking: 22

Break up the Angels! The Halos have hovered around first place in the AL West over the past week despite a run differential that was break-even through Tuesday. The good news: Every other team in the division was well into the red. Kyren Paris, a surprise member of the Angels' opening day roster, has been a revelation. The 23-year-old entered the season 10-for-91 with a lone homer during his sporadic big league time. During his first nine outings of 2025, Paris went 9-for-21 with three homers and a jaw-dropping 1.491 OPS. He has bounced between second base and center field so far for manager Ron Washington, and while he's not going to stay this hot, Paris has emerged as a player to watch during the early going. -- Doolittle

22. Cleveland Guardians

Record: 5-6
Previous ranking: 21

The season-opening nine-game road trip was certainly a disappointment at 3-6, and the concern to begin the season was the primary culprit: The starting rotation went 1-5 with a 6.70 ERA while averaging less than five innings per start. Overall, the rotation recorded just 26 strikeouts in 43 innings, although the Guardians did play the Royals and Padres, two of the best contact teams in the majors. The rotation did rank in the middle of the pack in this area in 2024 (14th in the majors), so let's mark this inability to miss bats as something to watch for now. -- Schoenfield

23. St. Louis Cardinals

Record: 5-7
Previous ranking: 19

Starter Miles Mikolas saw his ERA jump from 3.38 to 11.25 after a disastrous outing in Boston over the weekend. He gave up 11 hits in just 2 innings en route to an 18-7 loss for St. Louis. Mikolas isn't exactly a guy who misses bats, but the past several years have been hard to fathom after a decent start to his Cardinals career. As recently as 2022, he gave up 170 hits in 202 innings pitched. Not bad. But since then it has been more hits than innings -- by a wide margin. In 2023, he served up 226 hits in 201 innings, then last year gave up 194 hits in 171 innings. With his contract up after this year, will St. Louis find any takers at the deadline, and will he waive his no-trade clause? -- Rogers

24. Minnesota Twins

Record: 4-8
Previous ranking: 25

In starting 3-7, the Twins hit just .199, but maybe the biggest problem has been the lack of innings the rotation has delivered. Just twice in those 10 games did a starter record an out in the sixth inning. Yes, it's early, and pitch counts will be ultraconservative, but even by 2025 standards, you need to get more from your starters. The bullpen picked up Sunday's loss, however, when Griffin Jax allowed the tying runs in the ninth inning against Houston and then Louis Varland got the loss in the 10th (it was Varland's fourth appearance in six days, although Jax was well rested). Manager Rocco Baldelli's frustration boiled over in Monday's loss to the Royals, when he was ejected arguing a pitch clock violation called on Simeon Woods Richardson (which gave a walk to the batter). -- Schoenfield

25. Athletics

Record: 5-8
Previous ranking: 23

First baseman Tyler Soderstrom has looked like one of the AL's breakout hitters during the early going. Soderstrom stroked six homers over the Athletics' first 12 games, a span in which he led the league in dingers, slugging and OPS+. While Sutter Health Park had baseball's second-highest collective slugging percentage during that time, behind Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Soderstrom's power surge wasn't a bandbox illusion. Four of his long balls came during the Athletics' opening road trip. With rookie Jacob Wilson also off to a blistering start, the Athletics might be looking at a potent lineup if and when Brent Rooker approaches something close to his 2024 level. -- Doolittle

26. Washington Nationals

Record: 5-7
Previous ranking: 27

The Nats have gotten exciting starts from some of their foundational young players such as James Wood, MacKenzie Gore and Mitchell Parker. On the flip side, Dylan Crews' slow career start has continued into this season. Through his first 10 outings, Crews managed just five singles and a walk over 37 plate appearances, leaving him with a minus-12 OPS+. And, yes, you apparently can get into the negative in that metric. Crews' career line stands at .200/.260/.303 for a 61 OPS+. A slow start is still just a start, but the Nationals need Crews to show some positive signs, or a little more Triple-A polish might be required. -- Doolittle

27. Pittsburgh Pirates

Record: 5-8
Previous ranking: 28

Pittsburgh pushed its team batting average over .200 this week, but how long will it stay there? The Pirates' inability to provide offense for a decent pitching staff continues to be an annual trend. The elder statesman -- Andrew McCutchen -- is off to a good start, but none of their young guys are producing. As of Tuesday, no player had more than two home runs, while guys like Oneil Cruz (.211) and Bryan Reynolds (.191) were struggling mightily. Ke'Bryan Hayes showed some signs of life last week, but the Pirates are going to need a lot more at the plate in order to stay afloat. -- Rogers

28. Miami Marlins

Record: 6-6
Previous ranking: 26

First-timer Clayton McCullough is learning quickly about the scrutiny that goes with being a big league manager. McCullough caught heck from, among others, the Mets' broadcast crew for a sequence during Miami's loss on Tuesday. With the Mets leading 6-5 in the sixth, there was one out, runners on first and third and Juan Soto coming to the plate. McCullough ordered an intentional pass, loading the bases for Pete Alonso. Presumably, the aim was to set up a double play ... except McCullough then ordered the infield and the outfield in. Center fielder Derek Hill was playing just 271 feet from the plate. Alonso then clubbed a bases-clearing double to left center. Welcome to the spotlight, skipper. -- Doolittle

29. Colorado Rockies

Record: 2-9
Previous ranking: 30

This year's youth movement has begun in Colorado, where the team called up 2020 first-rounder Zac Veen this week. Veen, 23, earned his promotion after going 12-for-31 to start the season at Triple-A Albuquerque. After a series of injuries over the past couple of years, Veen pulled off a rare feat in 2024: playing at every level of the Rockies organization, even getting 10 plate appearances in the rookie league. But that was all just to get him ready for his moment at Coors Field, where he went 1-for-4 in his debut on Tuesday. -- Rogers

30. Chicago White Sox

Record: 2-9
Previous ranking: 29

One bright spot has been veteran starter Martin Perez. In a rotation that began the season with a combined 40 MLB starts aside from Perez, the 34-year-old lefty has allowed just four hits and one run over 12 innings across two starts. Granted, the two starts came on cold days against the Twins at home and at Detroit, but at least Perez has given the rotation some early stability. Perez is on a one-year deal with a $10 million mutual option for 2026, so if he continues to pitch well, you will certainly hear his name in trade rumors. -- Schoenfield

SUNRISE, Fla. -- For the first time in his NHL career, Brad Marchand has scored a goal for a team other than the Boston Bruins.

Marchand scored his first goal since joining the Florida Panthers, a second-period tally Thursday night that gave his new club a 3-1 lead over the Detroit Red Wings.

Marchand was playing in his eighth game for Florida, after the team pulled off a stunning move at the trade deadline and acquired him from the Bruins, who have been a postseason rival of the Panthers in recent years. Many in the crowd Thursday gave a standing ovation when the goal was announced as Marchand's "22nd of the season and first as a Florida Panther."

Marchand had two assists in his first seven games with Florida, including one in his debut March 28 that set up an overtime winner by Sam Bennett. Marchand's first goal came on his 15th shot with Florida.

The goal was the 423rd of Marchand's career. He also became the 319th player all time to score for the Panthers.

ATLANTA -- Atlanta Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. will have his injured left knee reevaluated next week as he works to return to the Atlanta lineup after ACL surgery last year.

Acuña, who tore his left ACL on May 26 and had surgery on June 6, will travel to Los Angeles for the checkup, Braves manager Brian Snitker said Thursday.

Acuña has been taking live batting practice but has not been cleared to do any start-and-stop running or cutting, Snitker said. The 27-year-old slugger has not run out of the batter's box in his workouts.

"They just have to check him out and sign off on it before they can do that," Snitker said. "And I think this was just part of the plan initially. I don't think he's going to rush it or anything. This has been the case from the get go."

Acuña was hurt after 49 games last season and hit just .250 with four home runs, one year after winning the National League MVP with 41 home runs, 73 steals and a .337 batting average.

"It's going to be about, just like other guys that miss spring training, getting his body in shape when he gets cleared," Snitker said.

The Braves have struggled without Acuña in the lineup this season. Atlanta lost nine of its first 11 games and were tied for 28th with 34 runs scored entering play Thursday.

Clay has not previously been Draper's favourite surface but, after receiving a first-round bye, his performance against American Marcos Giron in round two showed promise.

The British number one was not at his best in the opening set against Davidovich Fokina, berating himself with cries of "wake up" and "come on" in an attempt to increase his energy.

That form dragged into the second set, with Draper hitting three double faults on his way to being broken in the opening game.

Trailing by a set and a break, Draper's fortunes changed when he hit an ace to hold serve after saving two break points, raising his arms in relief before playing a fine return game to break back for 3-3.

He saved a match point on the way to forcing a tie-break and ensured a deciding set with a stunning cross-court forehand winner.

The pair traded breaks in a third set of shifting momentum, but Draper struggled to take his chances, converting just two of nine break points while 42nd-ranked Davidovich Fokina converted all three of his opportunities.

Second seed Carlos Alcaraz cruised into the quarter-finals with a 6-3 6-1 victory over 84th-ranked Daniel Altmaier and will meet France's Arthur Fils in the last eight.

Meanwhile, British doubles pair Neal Skupski and Joe Salisbury lost their last-16 match 6-3 6-3 to compatriot Henry Patten and Finnish partner Harri Heliovaara.

Great Britain captain Anne Keothavong says the lack of top-20 players at the Billie Jean King Cup is "a tennis problem, not a player problem".

Only three of the world's top-20 will compete in this week's qualifying rounds, with Poland's Iga Swiatek and American trio Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff and Madison Keys among those absent.

World number two Swiatek withdrew last week, saying she needed time to "focus on myself and my training".

Britain, meanwhile, are without Emma Raducanu, who has opted to train and "look after her body" after her Miami Open quarter-final run in her seventh event of the year.

The top teams in each round-robin group will advance to September's eight-team finals in Shenzhen, China.

"It's tough for every nation to put out their best players in each tie, Keothavong told BBC Sport in The Hague, where Britain are in a group with Germany and the Netherlands.

"The calendar is just makes it so difficult for players, so I'm empathetic as to how they are.

"The tennis circuit is brutal - you go from one week to the next and there's not much time to rest and recover.

"You have got to try and pick and choose your moments, but it's not a player problem - it's a tennis problem.

"One of these days maybe everyone can figure out a solution and work together."

Leinster are favourites to go on and lift the trophy, a status underlined by a crushing 10-try victory over Harlequins in the last round.

Glasgow can be backed are odds of about 10-1 to spring an upset in Dublin, but Leinster and All Blacks superstar back Jordie Barrett has full respect for the URC champions.

"If we don't get our jobs right this weekend, well, then there's no more European rugby for us, it's as simple as that," Barrett told RTE.

"Glasgow are a good side. They play a lot of rugby, a very attacking side. They're tough as well, as they showed in the weekend against Leicester.

"So it's going to be a challenge. They're a very strong one-to-eight and they play with a lot of ball and kick the least in the URC.

"They're a confident side, they do back their ability. But, look, we're right up for the challenge.

"We respect them as an outfit. But we feel like we're heading in the right direction here too."

After losing the past three consecutive finals, and four of the past six, there is pressure on Leinster to finally get their hands on the Champions Cup again.

They have made six changes to the side that demolished Quins, with Ireland internationals Dan Sheehan, Andrew Porter and Caelan Doris all starting from the bench.

That's three pretty much nailed-on British and Irish Lions for this summer's Australia tour, including a potential captain in Doris, left on the sidelines for the start of the game.

Are Leinster taking Glasgow just a little lightly? Or are they simply so strong they have got the capacity to mix and match on a week-to-week basis?

Probably the latter, when you consider the team is still boasts multiple Six Nations winners, Lions, a double World Cup winner in RG Snyman and is dripping with class from top to toe.

Not many are expecting Glasgow to knock Leinster off course in their quest to become kings of Europe for the first time since 2018.

If they do, the reverberations will be felt across the rugby world.

France: Morgane Bourgeois; Kelly Arbey, Marine Menager (co-capt), Montserrat Amedee, Emilie Boulard; Carla Arbez, Pauline Bourdon-Sansus; Yllana Brosseau, Manon Bigot, Rose Bernadou, Manae Feleu (co-capt), Madouddou Fall-Raclot, Charlotte Escudero, Seraphine Okemba, Teani Feleu.

Replacements: Elisa Riffonneau, Ambre Mwayembe, Assia Khalfaoui, Kiara Zago, Axelle Berthoumieu, Lea Champon, Oceane Bordes, Lina Queyroi.

Wales: Jasmine Joyce; Lisa Neumann, Hannah Jones (capt), Courtney Keight, Carys Cox; Kayleigh Powell, Keira Bevan; Gwenllian Pyrs, Carys Phillips, Jenni Scoble, Abbie Fleming, Gwen Crabb, Kate Williams, Bethan Lewis, Georgia Evans.

Replacements: Kelsey Jones, Maisie Davies, Donna Rose, Natalia John, Alaw Pyrs, Bryonie King, Sian Jones, Nel Metcalfe.

Referee: Holly Wood (RFU)

Assistant referees: Sara Cox (RFU) & Maria Heitor (FPR)

TMO: Leo Colgan (IRFU)

FPRO: Rachel Horton (RA)

The WRU is still deciding on a title for what has so far been touted as a director of rugby role given the breadth of the job's remit.

Former Football Association, England Rugby and Team GB performance expert Dave Reddin is the leading contender, with Tierney suggesting an appointment is expected "very, very soon" having had a "busy couple of days" sorting the Cardiff issue.

Tierney said the successful candidate would then be involved in appointing a new head coach, but that the WRU has already drawn up a shortlist to succeed Warren Gatland on a permanent basis.

Gatland's mid-2025 Six Nations exit led to Cardiff's Matt Sherratt taking charge of Wales on an interim basis.

"We've done a lot of work on this, looking at who is out there, analysing playing style, who works well with younger teams and who also understands the Welsh system," Tierney said.

"We have a target list of who we want to go at. Of course they all want to know who will be their line manager.

"I've already spoken to the potential new director of rugby about these things and we'd like to appoint a new head coach shortly after that.

"But depending on their contract and notice period, which is often six months, we might need to have an alternative [coaching] plan for Japan, which we are working on."

It is "tough but possible" for Premiership sides to compete both domestically and in Europe, says Northampton Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson.

Dowson's side have endured a difficult defence of their Premiership title but are the only English club remaining in this year's Investec Champions Cup quarter-finals after Harlequins, Saracens, Leicester Tigers and Sale Sharks were knocked out in the last 16.

Saints, who are seeking to become the Premiership's first Champions Cup winners since Exeter in 2020, can reach a second consecutive semi-final in Europe's premier club competition if they overcome Castres at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday.

The Premiership salary cap increased to 6.4m this season but it is still considerably lower than the 9m cap for Top 14 clubs in France, and after last weekend's dire showing by English clubs in general, former England and Lions wing Ugo Monye suggested they found it "hard to compete" as a result.

But Dowson, who guided his side to the Premiership title and a first Champions Cup semi-final since 2011 last season, told BBC Radio Northampton: "It is hard [to compete] but it's supposed to be hard.

"Some of the other sides and leagues have more ability to withstand injuries and rest players but it's still possible for Premiership teams.

"The Top 14 has a longer schedule and they may have bigger squads but they still have to ensure they are winning every week to compete on two fronts, likewise in the United Rugby Championship.

"It is possible but it's tough. We haven't managed to do it very well this year but last year we had a decent run in the tournament and it's a very tough thing to do."