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."

England: Kildunne; Dow, Jones, Heard, Breach; Harrison, Hunt; Botterman, Atkin-Davies, Muir, Talling, Ward, Aldcroft (capt), Kabeya, Matthews.

Replacements: Cokayne, Clifford, Bern, Galligan, Feaunati, L Packer, Aitchison, Rowland.

Ireland: Flood; McGann, Dalton, Higgins, Costigan (capt); O'Brien, Lane; O'Dowd, Jones, Djougang; Tuite, Wall; Hogan, King, Wafer.

Replacements: Moloney, McCarthy, Haney, Campbell, Moore, Reilly, Fowles, Elmes Kinlan.