Sophie de Goede scored 18 points as Premier 15s leaders Saracens beat Loughborough Lightning 38-29 in an exciting game.

Wasps also came through a close game as they won 25-20 at Gloucester-Hartpury.

Harlequins Women were more convincing winners as they beat Worcester Warriors 31-7.

DMP Durham Sharks, who are bottom of the table, were inspired by Elizabeth Blacklock as they recorded their first win of the season at the 17th attempt with a 34-17 victory at Bristol Bears.

Sale Sharks are second from bottom and, with the help of tries from Lisa Neumann and Hollie Bawden, produced a surprise 17-10 win over Exeter Chiefs.

France will meet England in next weekend's Six Nations final after a thumping 56-15 victory over Ireland.

Further scores from Caroline Boujard, Romane Menager and Cyrielle Banet saw France pass the half century of points.

Ireland will meet either Scotland or Italy next Saturday in a battle for third and fourth place.

France entered the game in Dublin as strong favourites to secure top spot in Six Nations Group B, although the manner of Ireland's impressive win over Wales last week had suggested they might provide a sterner test than in recent meetings between the sides.

The opening exchanges of the game suggested as much, with Ireland edging a scrappy first 10 minutes but wasting some good territory through a high penalty count and a number of handling errors.

France too were struggling to find their flow but once Boujard went over in the corner from a perfectly-executed set-piece move, any doubts among the visitors disintegrated.

For the remaining 25 minutes of the first half the French looked dangerous all over the pitch, even in defence. After knocking Ireland back through multiple phases, the ball was stripped allowing Emilie Boulard to run onto a kick in behind and ground the ball.

Curiously Ireland's only respite came during the spell in which they were down to 14 players with Aoife McDermott in the sin-bin for collapsing a maul that resulted in a penalty try.

Moloney barged over from close range to inject a glimmer of hope back into Ireland's cause, but the door was slammed shut shortly after with Safi N'Diaye and Banet adding further first-half scores to emphatically reassert France's authority.

Familiar gap to top sides as evident as ever

Having not played since last October, Ireland's return to competitive action last week was thoroughly impressive as they swept aside Wales.

However, Saturday's resounding defeat in Dublin was a stark reminder of a gap that is arguably widening between themselves and the top sides in the competition.

Where England and France benefit from a professional structure, Ireland do not, and the different levels were further emphasised as France, who made eight changes from their first game, utilized their bench to extend their lead.

Wing Boujard crossed for her second score of the game, following her hat-trick against Wales on the opening weekend, before replacement Menage bulldozed her way down the right flank for another score.

Banet exploited yet more space on the edge for France's eighth and final try before Ireland ended on a positive note with replacement hooker Emma Hooban crossing from a driving maul.

'We're on a journey' - what they said

Ireland captain Ciara Griffin: "We won't lie, it is a disappointed dressing room but you should look at the bigger picture now.

"We have next weekend and as I said to the girls the recovery and preparation starts now.

"This group is on a journey, we've a bigger picture and we have evolved. We need to finish strong and we've a big summer ahead of us too.

"This is all part of that, we just want to get up each step and up to that top."

Ireland: Eimear Considine; Laura Delany, Eve Higgins, Sene Naoupu, Beibhinn Parsons; Hannah Tyrrell, Kathryn Dane; Lindsay Peat, Cliodhna Moloney, Linda Djougang; Aoife McDermott, Nichola Fryday; Dorothy Wall, Claire Molloy, Ciara Griffin.

Replacements: Emma Hooban, Katie O'Dwyer, Laura Feely, Brittany Hogan, Hannah O'Connor, Emily Lane, Stacey Flood, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe.

France: Emilie Boulard; Caroline Boujard, Carla Neisen, Jade Ulutule, Cyrielle Banet; Caroline Drouin, Laure Sansus; Annaelle Deshaye, Agathe Sochat, Rose Bernadou, Madoussou Fall, Safi N'Diaye, Marjorie Mayans, Gaelle Hermet, Emeline Gros.

Replacements: Laure Touye, Mailys Dhia Traore, Clara Joyeux, Coumba Diallo, Romane Menager, Pauline Bourdon, Morgane Peyronnet, Gabrielle Vernier.

IMOLA, Italy – Lewis Hamilton added another tally to his Formula One pole position record during qualifying Saturday for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Hamilton powered to the top spot on the grid with a lap of 1:14.411 around the 3.050-mile, 19-turn Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari for the 99th pole of his F-1 career.

It was Hamilton’s first F-1 pole this season.

“Today has been great, obviously. I definitely didn’t expect us to be ahead of the two Red Bulls,” Hamilton admitted. “I think they’ve been so quick this weekend. There were times when they were six tenths ahead. We didn’t really know where they would be, but the car was already feeling a lot better from the beginning of this weekend, so you know, mad respect to the team for the hard work to really narrow down the window.

“This track is all medium and high speed corners, so I think that’s why we’ve closed the gap. Temperatures are much lower, which has brought us closer to the Red Bulls,” Hamilton added. “But they are so strong – it’s going to take absolutely perfect laps to stay ahead of them if we are going to have a chance at the win tomorrow.”

Red Bull’s pair of Honda-powered entries trailed Hamilton on the time sheets, with Sergio Perez out-qualifying teammate Max Verstappen to earn the second spot on the front row.

Both Red Bull drivers were within a tenth of a second of Hamilton’s pole-winning time.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fourth-quickest, followed by AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly.

The McLaren duo of Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris, the sister Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll closed the top 10.

Norris posted a lap that would have provisionally put him second to Hamilton in the waning moments of Q3, but that time was deleted for exceeding track limits.

LEEDS, Ala. – The “Fastest Seat in Sports” is back, but with a new look.

Ruoff Mortgage has replaced Honda as the sponsor of the IndyCar two-seater, but it will continue to be just as fast as 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner Mario Andretti continues in the primary driver role.

The Ruoff Mortgage Fastest Seat in Sports will help lead the stars of the NTT IndyCar Series to the green flag throughout the 2021 season. Andretti will drive the car with a celebrity, dignitary or influencer in the passenger seat.

The Ruoff Mortgage Fastest Seat in Sports represents perhaps the most daring and extraordinary pre-race element in all of motorsports.

“The two-seater is a unique experience,” Andretti said. “It’s easy to try tennis, golf, baseball, ice skating and any other sport. But the only way to experience the thrill of driving an NTT IndyCar Series car is to be in the cockpit with an IndyCar driver at the wheel. For anyone who enjoys an extreme experience, riding along in the two-seater is incredible.”

This year, Ruoff Mortgage has signed on as the presenting sponsor of this breathtaking experience broadcast to viewers across the globe. The Ruoff Mortgage Fastest Seat in Sports will take a special lap in front of the field of NTT IndyCar Series drivers before races, providing a once-in-a-lifetime, high-speed memory for the passenger in the back seat.

Ruoff Mortgage is also the presenting partner of the IndyCar Experience two-seater program available to IndyCar guests on race weekends.

“Ruoff Mortgage has had some incredible racing partnerships over the past few years,” Ruoff Mortgage President & CEO Mark Music said. “So, teaming up with INDYCAR Experience, the NTT IndyCar Series and Mario Andretti to sponsor this year’s two-seater program is an exciting way to help race fans experience the thrill of the track throughout the series. It goes without saying that Mario is a legend, and we couldn’t be prouder to help continue the Fastest Seat in Sports legacy.”

The season starts with Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday, April 18 at Barber Motorsports Park. Fans can tune in on NBC to watch Indianapolis Colts cornerback and NFL veteran Kenny Moore ride with Andretti.

Moore has become an avid IndyCar fan, recently attending the 32-car Indy 500 Open Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Ruoff Fastest Seat in Sports has a long history of attracting star power from the worlds of sports, TV, movies, music and social media. Recent participants include NFL All-Pro wide receiver Julian Edelman, Olympic Gold Medalist Aly Raisman, EDM mega-star Zedd, social influencer and “TODAY” contributor Dr. Mike, actor/producer Nick Cannon and more.

IndyCar Experience and its owners, Joe Kennedy and Scott Jasek, operate the Ruoff Fastest Seat in Sports in partnership with the NTT IndyCar Series.

LEEDS, Ala. – Spain’s Alex Palou was fastest in Saturday morning’s first practice session for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park.

Driving the the No. 10 NTT DATA Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing, Palou’s fast time was 1:06.4721 around the 2.3-mile, 17-turn natural terrain road course.

The slowest time in the 24-car field in the first practice session was seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and IndyCar Series rookie driver Jimmie Johnson. His time was 1:07.9509 in the No. 48 Carvana Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

The 2.3-mile, 17-turn road course was recently repaved, leading to some very fast speeds in the first practice session.

Felix Rosenqvist brought out the red flag when he stopped at pit entrance after hitting the outside pit wall barrier, driver’s right with 7:25 left in the session. Rosenqvist drives the No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet.

“As I was coming to the pits, I wasn’t trying to put the pit speed limiter on, but the steering wheel snapped out of my hands and I lost it,” Rosenqvist explained. “I made a big mistake.”

Very early in the session, Johnson briefly drove off course and kicked up some dust as he was attempting to get up to speed in his No. 48 Carvana Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

In fact, all three of the high-profile IndyCar rookies were near the bottom of the timing monitor after 25 minutes of green flag practice.

Three-time Virgin Australia Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin was 19th, Formula One veteran Roman Grosjean was 20th and Johnson was 23th out of 24 cars in the first half of practice.

McLaughlin, however, picked up the pace to run a lap at 1:06.7499 in the No. 3 PPG Chevrolet for Team Penske, good enough for eighth place in the end.

Grosjean ended the first practice 21st and Johnson was slowest in the 24-car field.

At the top of the timing monitor was second-year IndyCar Series driver Palou of Spain, who had a fast time of 1:06.4721.

Andretti Autosport’s Colton Herta was second in the No. 26 Honda at 1:06.4897, with three-time Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama winner Josef Newgarden of Team Penske third at 1:06.4957.

Dixon was fourth at 1:06.5524 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda with Arrow McLaren SP’s Pato O’Ward rounding out the top five.

The top four were all under the track qualifying record of 1:06.6001 (124.324 mph), set by Sebastien Bourdais on April 23, 2016.

After Rosenqvist’s incident, the green flag waved with four minutes remaining. But the previous times all held up at the conclusion of the session.

There is one more practice session scheduled for 2:40 ET and qualifications are set for 5:55 p.m. ET.

Bayern Munich head coach Hansi Flick has announced he has informed the club and players that he will leave the club at the end of the season.

Following Bayern's 3-2 win over Wolfsburg on Saturday, Flick told reporters that he has made a decision to depart from the Bundesliga champions.

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"I told the team today that I informed the club during the week after the game in Paris that I would like to terminate my contract at the end of the season," he told Sky Germany.

Flick has been linked with a return to the German national team where he could take over from Joachim Low after the 2020 European Championship this summer.

Bayern are on course to retain their Bundesliga title but they were dumped out of the Champions League on Tuesday at Paris Saint-Germain.

Flick took charge of Bayern as an interim manager after the club sacked Niko Kovac in July 2019 but was given the permanent position in April 2020.

The German steered Bayern to six titles in the last 10 months, including the club's sixth Champions League title.

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said it is the union's position that it is in the best interest of players to not participate in voluntary offseason workouts.

"I think what a lot of players have said that they've heard from their coaches is that they need to show up," Smith said Saturday on SportsCenter. "We've known for years that this is a voluntary workout where a lot of coaches put their finger on the scale and, while they call it voluntary, they expect players to show up.

"I think that what you're seeing now is for the first time players exercising their voice ... to say 'no.' And frankly it's probably one of the few times that coaches have ever heard players say 'no.' And for some players, it's probably the first time they've said 'no' to their coach."

Smith's comments come as players from nearly half of the league's 32 teams having announced they won't participate in voluntary offseason workouts.

On Wednesday, the league issued a memo to all 32 teams announcing that the first four weeks of the voluntary program will be virtual before transitioning to in person at the teams' respective training facilities. Last year, the offseason programs were all done virtually and training camp was pushed back because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Smith said the net positives seen last year outweigh a return to the status quo.

"This is a negotiated, bargained for, voluntary offseason workout where if someone came to you or me and said, 'I have a way of cutting concussions by 30% and I know a way to decrease missed time to injuries by 23%' I would think that almost everyone would wholeheartedly embrace that whether it was voluntary or not."

While players from 15 teams have announced via the NFLPA that they won't take part in the voluntary workouts, those decisions have not been unanimous. More than 200 players have clauses in their contracts tied to attendance at team workouts.

Smith noted that neither he nor the union has an issue with players showing up for the workouts, which are slated to begin next week at team facilities.

"I think it's important for players to make their own decisions, not only as professionals, not only as a way of taking ownership of their own healthcare, but making their own decision as a man," Smith said.

Jimmy Butler has labeled the Miami Heat as "soft," saying the reigning Eastern Conference champions need a wake-up call and for All-Star center Bam Adebayo to get back to playing "bully ball."

Miami suffered its third straight loss with a 119-111 loss to Minnesota, who entered Friday's game with the NBA's worst record. It was the Heat's 10th loss in the past 16 games, dropping their record to 28-28 with 16 games remaining as they fight to avoid the play-in round that will begin the postseason.

"It's not frustrating because we do it so often," Butler said. "It's almost like it's expected, in a bad way to put it. We just think we're such a good team, and then reality hits us, we're humbled. And I'm glad, because that's what this game does for you. Home, away, no matter what opponent you're playing against, you just stroll into the game thinking you're nice, you're good. This is what happens.

"I'm glad it happened to us," Butler said of the loss to the Timberwolves. "And if we don't fix it, I hope it continues to happen to us."

Butler has declined to speak with reporters after several recent games, but he did not hold back Friday.

"I can't tell you which way we're going to go," Butler said. "I don't know what team is going to show up on any given night."

The win allowed the Timberwolves to pass Houston and escape the league's basement for the first time since Jan. 5. Minnesota outrebounded Miami 45-33 and outscored the Heat 23-5 in second-chance opportunities.

"We're just being soft. That's it," Butler said. "Not getting into bodies, scared of some contact. Soft overall."

Miami hosts Brooklyn on Sunday. The Heat entered the weekend in the No. 7 spot in the East, 1½ games behind sixth-place New York.

It has been a roller-coaster season for Miami. Key players, including Butler, missed time early because of virus-related issues, which led to a 7-14 start. The Heat then went 15-4, resembling the team that went to last season's NBA Finals.

And now comes this slide. Miami has maintained hopes of being a playoff contender again, especially after making a trade last month for former All-Star Victor Oladipo. But he has appeared in only four games with Miami and is now sidelined by a recurrence of knee issues. The team hasn't specified the latest problem or whether Oladipo will play again this season.

Miami is 4-20 when allowing 109 points or more, 24-8 when holding teams to 108 or fewer.

"We've got to get stops, and that's the bottom line," Adebayo said. "Offense will take care of itself."

Butler also said he wants more from Adebayo, the 2020 All-Star who signed a $163 million, five-year extension that begins next season.

"I want Bam to attack the rim because nobody can stay in front of him," Butler said. "Nobody can stay in front of him. Go. You're going to get fouled or you're going to dunk on somebody. That's cool. I love him shooting midrange jump shots too, but he lets people off the hook. Play bully ball. I like bully ball."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

British number one Dan Evans saw his run at the Monte Carlo Masters ended in the semi-finals by Greek world number five Stefanos Tsitsipas.

However, beating Tsitsipas proved a step too far as 30-year-old Evans was outclassed in a 6-2 6-1 defeat.

Tsitsipas will meet Russian sixth seed Andrey Rublev in the final on Sunday.

Despite the disappointing nature of a one-sided defeat, Evans will reflect positively on a remarkable week playing on a surface he had previously spoken about his dislike of.

The world number 33 had only ever won four clay-court matches at the highest level - two main-draw matches at Barcelona in 2017 and two Davis Cup matches in 2013 and 2017 - before his surprising run in Monte Carlo.

Not only did he beat Djokovic in the last 16, but he also earned wins over Serbia's Dusan Lajovic, Poland's Hubert Hurkacz and Belgium's David Goffin - who have all won or played Masters finals in their careers - to reach the last four.

Evans caused problems for his previous opponents with his variety, but could not do the same against Tsitsipas, whose quality shone through.

"I am very happy, I found ways to play at my best," said Tsitsipas, who reached last year's French Open semi-finals.

"He has a very unique way of playing, I haven't seen many play this way on clay.

"Slicing gave me opportunity to run around and hit the forehand, it gave me time to think and picture the way I wanted to construct the point and play it."

Sale survived Rob du Preez's first-half red card to overcome Gloucester and keep their play-off bid on course.

At the time Sale led 12-5 through tries from Faf de Klerk and Arron Reed, with Jonny May replying for Gloucester.

Marland Yarde's try extended the lead before Gloucester's Santiago Carreras and Willie Heinz went over to salvage a losing bonus point for the visitors.

Gloucester thought they had pinched the game with a late try from Mark Atkinson but replays revealed a knock-on before the ball fell to him.

It was a 12th defeat of the season for the Cherry and Whites, who remain 11th in the Premiership, and they only seriously broke down Sale's defence when they were chasing the game.

Sale, who stay third, four points behind Exeter in second, saw a series of drives for the line in the closing minutes fail as they missed out on a four-try bonus point.

But having played a man down for so long, victory itself was an impressive achievement as Alex Sanderson's side bounced back from defeat in their Champions Cup quarter-final at La Rochelle last weekend.

Sale: L James; Reed, S James, Van Rensburg, Yard; R Du Preez, De Klerk; Harrison, Van Der Merwe, Oosthuizen, Wiese, JP Du Preez, JL Du Preez, T Curry, D Du Preez.

Replacements: Langdon, Morozov, Harper, Phillips, Neild, Cliff, MacGinty, Hammersley.

Gloucester: Carreras; Rees-Zammit, Harris, Atkinson, May; Barton, Chapman; Rapava-Ruskin, Singleton, Balmain, Slater, Craig, Clement, Ludlow, Ackermann.

Replacements: Walker, Seville, Ford-Robinson, Garvey, Morgan, Heinz, Twelvetrees, Moyle.

Referee: Adam Leal (RFU)