I Dig Sports
England A: Carpenter; Murley, Beard, Dingwall (capt), Ibitoye; Atkinson, Porter; Opoku-Fordjour, Oghre, Heyes, Tizard, Clark, Pearson, Pollock, T Willis
Replacements: Langdon, Iyogun, Fasogbon, Tuima, Fisilau, McParland, Shillcock, Muir
Australia A: Campbell; Toole, Walton, Stewart, Lancaster; Lynagh, Lonergan (capt); Hoopert, Nasser, De Lutiis, Smith, Canham, Hooper, Reimer, Brial
Replacements: Lonergan, Lambert, Van Nek, Blyth, Scott, Fines-Leleiwasa, McLaughlin-Phillips, Sapsford
Referee: Eoghan Cross
England playing some good stuff but change needed - Dawson
South Africa are maybe not head and shoulders above England, but they are still better by a head.
Even though England started so well again in Saturday's 29-20 defeat, the Boks dialled it up when they needed to and their bench was far superior, not just in the pack but in the backline as well.
England's bench didn't bring much control, added tempo or the ability to finish the game. It felt like England were always chasing and they lacked a bit of direction in that last 20 minutes.
I would be lying if I thought there was a moment in the game when England could win, but they certainly put themselves in good positions and had opportunities to be within range, and then you never know what is going to happen.
Someone could go to the sin-bin, or a kick could be charged down - England just needed the bounce of the ball to go their way.
I am, therefore, reluctant to question this England side and the coaching staff because they are playing some really good stuff.
Sometimes, when I was watching England under Eddie Jones, I was lost - it was awful to watch and I just didn't enjoy going to Twickenham.
Head coach Steve Borthwick has tapped into something in this England side.
Having played and been in squads with Steve, he is not a maverick and he is not the charismatic leader, but that doesn't mean he can't be a really good coach.
He has to understand who he is and what he brings to this side.
Can he bring in a coach who has more charisma? You look at France and their head coach Fabien Galthie, who is a bit more stern and aloof, but then you bring in characters like Raphael Ibanez and Shaun Edwards in the backroom staff as the ying and the yang.
Andy Farrell was that guy with Ireland under Joe Schmidt and with the British and Irish Lions under Warren Gatland before becoming the main man with Ireland, as another example.
If England lose to Japan, Borthwick is going to be under enormous pressure.
I don't believe he is now though, because the fans are looking at the rugby and can follow this team. With a few tweaks, the bounce of the ball and a bit of momentum from some wins, Allianz Stadium will be a tough place to go.
Of course former England boss Jones will feel he can come and upset England with his Japan team, but as much as there will be motivation for him, you can multiply that by 10 for England.
They enjoy the way they are playing now compared to the tedious strategy and regime Jones applied. I would expect England want to send him away with his tail between his legs.
Everton claimed a famous 1-0 victory in the last ever Women's Super League (WSL) Merseyside derby to be played at Goodison Park on Sunday, though the three points did not come without controversy.
Brian Sørensen's team had been the better team in the first half without putting Liverpool goalkeeper Teagan Micah under drastic pressure, but that changed when Fuka Nagano tripped Honoka Hayashi on the edge of the area, causing referee Abigail Byrne to point to the spot.
Replays subsequently showed the contact between the players came well outside the box, though there is no video assistant referee in the WSL and Katja Snoeijs slotted the penalty to earn Everton a precious lead which they refused to let slip.
Liverpool huffed and puffed in the second half to no real avail, the best chance coming early in the period when Nagano collected a ball across the box from Olivia Smith and fired goalwards -- only to be denied twice by Courtney Brosnan.
Eight minutes of stoppage time brought groans from the Goodison faithful but the blue wall held firm, Brosnan parrying clear from a Gemma Bonner effort after something of a scramble in the area proving to be the only moment of real danger.
Everton move off the bottom of the WSL table and into 9th with the win, their first of the campaign. Liverpool are left meandering in 6th, six points behind the team above them.
Elsewhere, Manchester United held off Leicester City to claim a much-needed three points with a 2-0 win that keeps them in touch with their rivals for UEFA Women's Champions League qualification.
Though the final margin of victory was not huge, it was a vastly improved performance from Marc Skinner's team compared to their listless 0-0 draw with Aston Villa last week, with Elisabeth Terland's powerful header handing them a 1-0 lead in the first half, before Celin Bizet all but secured the points with a calm finish past Janina Leitzig after capitalising on an errant backpass.
United are now fifth with a game in hand on many of the teams above them, and will be glad to see the back of a run of three straight draws.
Perhaps the game of the day came in the earlier kickoff between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa.
My Cato scored in the 30th minute to give Palace the lead, only for Villa to bounce back through Anna Patten and Rachel Daly to lead at half-time.
Villa couldn't capitalise on their momentum in the second half and looked like they would be made to pay for their profligacy when Annabel Blanchard levelled proceedings in the 86th minute with a volleyed finish.
However, Villa's summer signing Ebony Salmon had other ideas. The 23-year-old forward gathered the ball on the edge of Palace's box in the dying minutes of the game, turned expertly onto her right foot and lashed a powerful strike into the top-right corner to send the Villa Park crowd home happy.
Coaches Carl Hopkinson, Richard Dawson to depart England white-ball set-up
Hopkinson, England's long-standing fielding coach, joined the men's set-up in 2018 and was involved in each of England's most recent victories in ICC global events; the 50-over World Cup on home soil in 2019, and the T20 World Cup in Australia in November 2022.
Dawson, who played seven Tests as an offspinner between 2001 and 2003, was head coach of the Young Lions team that reached the Under-19 World Cup final in 2022, and joined the senior coaching team ahead of the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Hopkinson said: "It has been a career highlight not only to be part of the England coaching set-up for the past seven years but also to be involved in two historic World Cup victories, which is something I'll always cherish.
"After starting as National Lead Fielding coach I worked alongside Richard Dawson to help the England Men U19s reach their first World Cup final for 24 years. It has been exciting to see young players we worked with at the World Cup grow into full England internationals as well as more recently helping some of the best white-ball players in the world continue to develop."
Dawson said: "I have enjoyed every minute in the England environment and working with some of the best white-ball players in the world as well as great people in the coaching team and backroom staff from the U19s to senior team.
"Being head coach of the England U19 team that reached the World Cup final was a career highlight while it has been a pleasure working with some of the top spinners in the world while also developing the strength and depth of spin bowling talent from across the country. I look forward to seeing the white-ball team continue to progress and hopefully win more trophies."
Rob Key, England Men's managing director, said: "Hoppo and Daws are two outstanding coaches who have played important roles in the success of our white-ball teams.
"In addition to their coaching expertise with our senior teams they have also developed young players through the age groups to help set up the next era of our white-ball teams. England Cricket is in a better place because of them and I wish them well in the next chapter of their careers."
PCB says Gillespie will remain head coach for South Africa Tests
The PCB has made no previous official announcements pertaining to that tour, as the statement appeared to indicate. They have also not confirmed Gillespie will be the head coach for any series beyond those two Tests. Pakistan have a two-Test home series against West Indies immediately following the Tests in South Africa.
ESPNcricinfo has reached out to the PCB to confirm if their statement locks Gillespie for any engagements beyond the two-Test series of South Africa, and await a response.
Earlier this week, the PCB sounded Gillespie out on the prospect of taking over as white-ball coach until the conclusion of the Champions Trophy. However, the increased responsibility did not come with a commensurate increase in his financial compensation, which is understood to be the reason Gillespie turned them down. Consequently, the PCB turned their attention to replacing Kirsten with a local appointment.
They initially considered the possibility of either elevating Azhar Mahmood, or appointing Saqlain Mushtaq, who served as coach in 2021-22. Neither, though, appeared to draw enough support from within the PCB's advisory circle, which led to Aaqib being offered the position. It is understood he will be asked to take on the role until the end of the Champions Trophy, following which the PCB will reevaluate.
Gillespie's next immediate engagement is the third T20I against Australia, a series he took over as interim coach for. Pakistan's Test series against South Africa, the only other engagement he has yet been formally confirmed by the PCB for, begins on December 26.
While Gillespie appears to have kept his job in the immediate term, the relationship between the coach and the board has been anything but smooth. Three Tests into his tenure, Aaqib was hired by the PCB as part of a revamped selection committee, with Gillespie's powers significantly reduced. He was removed from the selection committee, and no longer had a say in which players were selected for a match or series.
"For me, when I came on board with Pakistan cricket, I was told there was a long-term plan, and we need to make sure our communication's spot on," he said at the time. "I made that a real focus and so you can get frustrated if those things aren't done how you would like. It wasn't what I signed up for, I'll be completely honest."
Temple fires coach Drayton day after OT victory
Temple fired coach Stan Drayton on Sunday, ending his tenure with a 9-25 record in two-plus seasons.
The Owls beat Florida Atlantic in overtime Saturday, giving Drayton three wins in each of his seasons at the helm. Temple went 4-18 in American Athletic Conference play under Drayton, who came to the school from Texas, where he had served as running backs coach and associate head coach.
Athletic director Arthur Johnson thanked Drayton for his time at the school, adding that the 53-year-old "represented the university with a tremendous amount of integrity and class." Temple is headed for its fifth consecutive losing season after going 81-59 under five coaches from 2009 to 2019.
Drayton is the second consecutive coach Temple has fired, joining Rod Carey, after four consecutive Owls coaches -- Al Golden, Steve Addazio, Matt Rhule and Geoff Collins -- left for major conference jobs. USA Today reported that Drayton earned $1,888,979 in salary for 2024.
Defensive coordinator Everett Withers will serve as interim head coach for Temple's final two games against UTSA and North Texas. Withers is a former head coach at Texas State, James Madison and North Carolina.
"Inside the NBA" will appear on ESPN and ABC beginning next season as part of a settlement between Warner Bros. Discovery and the NBA, according to multiple reports.
Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TNT Sports, sued the NBA in New York state court after the league did not accept the company's matching offer for one of the packages in its new 11-year media rights deal, which will begin with the 2025-26 season.
The deadline to have the lawsuit dismissed is Tuesday.
Even though "Inside the NBA" will be on ESPN and ABC beginning with the 2025-26 season, TNT Sports will continue to produce the popular studio show, and it will air from Atlanta, except when the show goes on the road.
The quartet of Ernie Johnson Jr., Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal will remain with the show. Barkley signed an extension with WBD in August despite the fact that the company lost its rights to air NBA games in the United States starting next season. TNT Sports will still have rights to air a full package of games in select countries, including many in Latin America and Poland.
ABC/ESPN, Comcast (NBA and Peacock) and Amazon will be airing all of the NBA's nationally televised games from the 2025-26 season through 2035-36 -- an 11-year agreement that will net the NBA roughly $76 billion.
"Inside the NBA" is expected to air during key moments on the league's calendar: opening night, Christmas Day, the playoffs and the NBA Finals. It is also likely it will be on during Saturday nights the second half of the season, when ABC has a prime-time package of games.
The settlement gives TNT Sports, Bleacher Report and House of Highlights a global content license for NBA content with no rights fee for the next 11 years.
Warner Bros. Discovery will also continue its relationship with the league's digital operations, including NBA.com, for five seasons.
ESPN, TNT Sports and the NBA declined comment when contacted by The Athletic.
Turner Sports has had an NBA package since 1984, and games have been on TNT since the network launched in 1988. That will end after this season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Britain's Gordon Reid was beaten in three sets by Tokito Oda in the Wheelchair Masters singles final.
Reid, who was competing in his third final and first since 2017, lost 2-6 6-0 6-2 to the Japanese world number one in the Dutch city of Arnhem.
It came a day after the British number two also missed out on retaining his Wheelchair Masters doubles title with Alfie Hewett, when they lost in straight sets to Spain's Martin de la Puente and Belgian Joachim Gerard on Saturday.
Reid, 33, has never won the Wheelchair Masters singles title and was unable to change that against 18-year-old Oda, who has also won the Australian Open, French Open and Paralympic gold this year.
Graham equals record as nine-try Scotland beat dogged Portugal
Scotland: Jordan, Graham, Hutchinson, McDowall, Reed; Hastings, Horne; Bhatti, Harrison, Hurd, Craig, Samuel, Crosbie, Muncaster, Bayliss.
Replacements: Matthews, Sutherland, Millar Mills, Johnson, Douglas, Dobie, Currie, Rowe.
Portugal: Bento, Storti, Lima, Appleton, L. Martins; Cabral, Marques; Costa, Begic, Hasse Ferreira, Madeira, Torgal, An. Cunha, N. Martins, Couto.
Replacements: Ab. Cunha, Vicente, Prim, Andrade, Baptista, Campos, Aubry, Cardoso Pinto.
Referee: Takehito Namekawa
France manager Didier Deschamps has expressed concern over the growing mental stresses his players face with the congested football calendar and accentuated exposure via social media.
Deschamps has faced regular questions about the mental health of Kylian Mbappé in particular, with the Real Madrid forward having missed the last two international camps amid what the manager described as partly "psychological" worries.
"He is in a complicated situation, yes, but that does not take away from what he has done or mean that he is not able to re-find his previous form, even if he too was less effective in 2024," Deschamps told Telefoot when asked about Mbappé.
"The environment is different because there is exposure today -- the slightest little word, social networks and then the fallout.
"I spoke with some of my players. After a competition like Euro 2024, they have barely three weeks, it is difficult to put the demands back in. They are higher and higher.
"Every time it is: 'You must, you must, you must' and then sometimes you can't respond or you respond less well, and there can be a psychological issue.
"Whether it is going as far as depression I don't know, but it is a psychological state that is fragile. It is the head that commands the legs."
Liverpool's French defender Ibrahima Konaté also spoke to Telefoot about the reports around Mbappé's mental state, offering support should the former Paris Saint-Germain forward need it.
"Beyond being a footballer, he is one of my friends and someone that I have a lot of affection for," he said.
"If Kylian has psychological problems in his life, we'll always be there to help him. But we know the qualities that Kylian has. He is a formidable player and one of the best in the world.
"Every player in their career has had a little blip so I'm not worried about him. I can't wait for him to get back to his best level."
France play Italy in the UEFA Nations League on Sunday in Milan. Both teams have already qualified for the quarterfinals of the tournament.
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