The Guardian

Follow updates from Monday’s 8pm (GMT) kick-off Ten talking points from the weekend | Email Daniel I’m minded of Martin Buchan’s legendary response – later pilfered by Gordon Strachan – to a reporter he didn’t know putting a hand on his chest to stop him going to get a drink. “A quick word, Martin? And because he’d been so rude I added ‘fuck off’.” Continue reading...

George Ford: ‘We want to get to root of the problems’ Second straight loss destroyed championship hopes George Ford has vowed that England will conduct a “properly honest” and “uncomfortable” review of their Six Nations humiliation against Ireland on Saturday. The hosts collapsed spectacularly in the face of an Irish onslaught at Twickenham, falling 22-0 behind after half an hour, with Ford’s sur…

France 33-8 Italy Wing scores in eighth consecutive match France pulled clear at the top of the table and kept their grand slam ambitions on track with a hard-fought win against Italy on Sunday. The Azzurri had unfinished business in Lille. It was two years ago in the northern city that Les Bleus , still in the midst of a post-World Cup hangover, escaped with a draw after being outplayed by the v…

Rio Ngumoha lifts Liverpool, the tussle to be Harry Kane’s England deputy and Chelsea self-destruct Tottenham weren’t quite as dreadful as they were in losing 4-1 to Arsenal in November, but they were still extremely so, devoid of wit, energy, solidity, creativity, quality, and everything else one would hope to see in a football team. Make no mistake, they are in serious danger of going down and,…

Harry Brook’s side have been unconvincing against the turning ball and will face a team that has an attack packed with spinning options After four wins in five games, and now just one away from sealing a place in the semi‑finals, it is hard to describe England’s progress through the World Cup as ugly. But it hasn’t been straightforward. Like an inverted swan, everyone can see them struggling – ye…

Nations Championship involves 25,000-mile itinerary England to split squad in July and leave a team to face Fiji England have been handed a gruelling 25,000-mile travel itinerary for their inaugural Nations Championship fixtures in July and are expected to split their squad and field a weakened team against Fiji as a result. As revealed exclusively by the Guardian , England’s match against Fiji –…

After relegation fears, historic late victory has goalkeeper jumping in the stands and El Sadar dreaming of Europe There’s only one thing better than celebrating a brilliant 90th-minute winner that at last delivers victory over the team you most want to beat, 15 long years later. Celebrating it twice. So this Saturday, that was exactly what Sergio Herrera did. At the north end of El Sadar, where …

41-year-old developed compartment syndrome Skier credits Team USA surgeon with saving leg Lindsey Vonn says she came close to having her leg amputated in the aftermath of her crash during the Olympic downhill earlier this month. The 41-year-old suffered a complex tibia fracture to her left leg in the crash and underwent multiple surgeries in Italy before being flown back to the US for further tre…

Curling cursing, podium camaraderie and stunning speed on skis linger for our writers after an astonishing Games Best moment Matt Weston winning double gold . It was so well deserved. He fought hard for the victories and the emotions afterwards showed how much it meant to him. Biggest disappointment Seeing the second GB skeleton relay team, Freya Tarbit and Marcus Wyatt, take fourth place. The se…

Team meeting led to ‘honest’ exchange, says striker Arsenal five points clear but City have game in hand Viktor Gyökeres has revealed that Arsenal’s brutally honest team discussions after the draw at Wolves last Wednesday brought renewed purpose and helped them to Sunday’s restorative win at Tottenham . Gyökeres produced arguably his best performance for Arsenal in the 4-1 derby victory , threate…

The club’s vision for a young team of players from the region has been put on hold due to concerns about going down By Get French Football News If anyone can empathise with Stéphane Gilli, it is probably Antoine Kombouaré, the man who now replaces him as Paris FC manager. Gilli had felt like a lame duck since the Arnault family took over the club midway through last season, but earning promotion …

Prestianni to miss second leg against Real Madrid Vinícius alleged he was racially abused by Argentinian Uefa has provisionally suspended Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni for Wednesday’s Champions League match against Real Madrid after the incident with Vinícius Júnior in last week’s first leg. Vinícius alleged that Prestianni racially abused him during Madrid’s Champions League playoff win in Lisbo…

Four reports of online abuse over last three days Kick It Out says ‘action must follow’ as anger grows Police are investigating online abuse directed at Premier League footballers over the weekend, with offenders warned: “Anyone who believes they can hide behind their keyboards should think again.” The UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) said it had received four separate reports of abuse towards t…

Our photographer shares his favourite images from the Games in Italy I’ve been lucky enough to attend six summer Olympic Games, but I’d never before photographed a Winter Olympics. They’ve always been too far away and the UK has never been a major snowsport country, which has limited their news appeal. This time it was different. With Team GB anticipating a record medal haul and the Games staged …

Defeat to Carlos Cuesta’s Parma leaves Rossoneri 10 points off top spot as England midfielder suffers broken jaw These were supposed to be the weeks when Milan held the upper hand over their Serie A rivals, granted six days to prepare for a home game against bottom-half opposition while the likes of Inter, Juventus and Atalanta dragged themselves back exhausted from European away trips . Demorali…