Ireland coach Andy Farrell and skipper Johnny Sexton laud the team's display in the 32-18 thumping of England after the criticism that followed the defeats by Wales and France.

"I'm delighted for the lads. We came in for a bit of criticism," said Farrell after his side's comprehensive win in their final Six Nations contest.

Sexton told Ireland's post-match new conference: "I was sick of coming in here every week defending ourselves and saying 'we're not that far away'.......I don't think you [the media] believed me."

LASALLE, Ill. — After an absence from the Midwest racing scene, the Thaw Brawl dirt late model special returns to the LaSalle Speedway on March 26-27.

With the entire country suffering through the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was not held in 2020.

This year, the MARS Racing Series dirt late models, DIRTcar modifieds and street stocks are part of LaSalle’s Thaw Brawl program presented by Sixteens Race Promotions.

On Friday night, the MARS late model racing will be highlighted by twin 30-lap features, each paying $3,000-to-win.  The Dirtcar modifieds and street stocks will also be in action, including main events for both divisions.

Saturday evening’s program will be highlighted by the $12,000-to-win, 60-lap main event for late model competitors. Again, modifieds and street stocks will also be in competition on the banked, quarter-mile dirt oval.

On both days, the grandstands open at 1 p.m. with hot laps at 4:30 p.m. and racing at 6:15 p.m.

The Thaw Brawl has developed a rich history since the first event was held in 2012.  Dennis Erb Jr. captured the inaugural, $5,000-to-win, race, taking the checkered flag in front of Brian Birkhofer and Frank Heckenast Jr. on April 7, 2012.

Birkhofer won the race in 2013 ahead of Chris Simpson and Brandon Sheppard.  Erb, a second- generation racer, came back in 2014 to score the victory – this time besting Bobby Pierce and Ryan Unzicker.  Racing out of Oakwood, Ill., Pierce, son of hall of fame driver Bob Pierce, took the victory in 2015 in front of Simpson and Ricky Weiss.

Brian Shirley held off a late-race charge by Pierce to win the Thaw Brawl in 2016.  Shirley and Pierce were followed by Heckenast Jr., Shannon Babb and Rusty Schlenk.  2017 saw Saturday’s main event canceled because of rain with Josh Richards winning Friday night’s 40 lapper.

Chris Simpson, from Oxford, Iowa, finally won the Thaw Brawl in 2018, besting Schlenk and Ricky Weiss.  Chad Simpson and 2016 race winner Brian Shirley rounded out the top-five.

Texas racer Tyler Erb won the last Thaw Brawl – held in 2019.  The program became a Sunday afternoon event after both Friday’s and Saturday’s races were canceled because of weather issues.  Erb, from Waverly, Texas, raced by Pierce in the closing laps to win the 75-lap event on March 31, 2019.  Erb and Pierce were chased to the finish line by Chis Simpson, Dennis Erb Jr., Ricky Weiss and Jeremiah Hurst.

Over the years, six different drivers have won the Thaw Brawl at LaSalle Speedway.  Will there be a seventh?

Arsenal fought back from three goals down to earn a thrilling 3-3 draw at West Ham United in the Premier League on Sunday.

Alexandre Lacazette scored a late equaliser as Mikel Arteta's side produced a stunning comeback at the London Stadium.

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West Ham took a three-goal lead inside 30 minutes with goals from Jesse Lingard, Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek.

Arsenal responded through own goals from Soucek and Craig Dawson, one in each half, before Lacazette's late header.

The result means West Ham miss the chance to move into the top four while Arsenal moved up to ninth in the table.

West Ham were the better team from the start and opened the scoring after 15 minutes when Michail Antonio set up Lingard on the edge of the box to fire the ball into the top corner.

The hosts doubled their lead two minutes later when Lingard took a quick free kick with Arsenal players not facing the ball and Bowen's strike went under goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

West Ham grabbed a third after 33 minutes after Soucek got on the end of Antonio's header from close range.

Arsenal responded well and got back in the game before the break when Lacazette's shot was deflected in off Soucek.

Lacazette almost scored a second for Arsenal two minutes into the second half but Issa Diop cleared his strike off the line.

The visitors did score another just after the hour mark when Dawson smashed Calum Chambers' cross into his own net.

West Ham should have grabbed a fourth goal after 76 minutes but Antonio hit the post from close range.

Arsenal made him pay for that miss as Lacazette converted Nicolas Pepe's cross moments later to equalise late on and earn a point.

Manchester City, who are chasing silverware on four fronts, have been drawn against Chelsea in the pick of the FA Cup semifinals.

Pep Guardiola's side could secure an unprecedented quadruple this season but they will need to overcome a Chelsea side who remain unbeaten in all competitions since Thomas Tuchel took charge in January.

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City, who lead the Premier League by 14 points and have already booked a Wembley date this season after reaching the League Cup final on April 25, edged past Everton on Saturday with a 2-0 win.

Chelsea, who were beaten finalists last year, beat Sheffield United by the same scoreline on Sunday.

Southampton cruised into the FA Cup semifinal with a 3-0 victory over Bournemouth on Saturday and could meet Manchester United at Wembley in a repeat of the 2017 League Cup final. Southampton have suffered 9-0 Premier League defeats against both United and Leicester City in the last 18 months.

If Leicester manage to get past United, they will have the chance to reach their first FA Cup final since 1969 and win the competition for the first time in their history.

Both games will be played at Wembley on the weekend of April 17 and 18.

Draw in full:

Leicester or Manchester United vs. Southampton

Chelsea vs. Manchester City

Captain Suné Luus praised South Africa's new-found fearless style of play, which she credited with their double success in India. South Africa won the ODIs 4-1 and sealed the T20I rubber with a game to play, to pick up a first-ever T20I series win over India.

"Our confidence levels are where we want them to be. The girls are backing themselves and playing fearless cricket and in T20s, that's what you want," Luus said at the post-match presentation.

Not only did South Africa claim the T20I trophy, but they pulled off their third-highest chase in the second match, which was also among their most nerve-wracking. They needed 19 runs off the last 10 balls, nine off the final over and six off the last two balls, and Laura Wolvaardt was at the crease to ensure they got them all. She faced all but two deliveries in the 20th over, including the no-ball from Arundhati Reddy that she took two runs off on what would have been the penultimate delivery of the match, and said that eased the mounting pressure.

"A couple of balls before that then there was a full toss which was almost a no-ball and I didn't hit it very well. I thought to myself, 'did I just not score off a full toss?'," Wolvaardt said, referring to the third ball of the final over that went for one. "But then when the [second] full toss came, and we had an extra ball, we didn't need a boundary anymore. For the last ball, we needed one and I said to Nadine (de Klerk) that whatever happens, I am just going to try and get some bat on it. I'm glad it worked out."

South Africa's victory came with an inside-edge off the last ball, avoiding a Super Over, though Wolvaardt admitted things didn't need to get that close. "I didn't start my innings as quickly as I would have liked so I put some pressure on myself, but I knew with a fast outfield, we were in with a chance if we took it deep. I'm glad I was there at the end to do it," she said.

Wolvaardt scored two runs off the first six balls she faced, which included a dropped chance, but with Lizelle Lee on the other end, South Africa were mostly able to keep pace with the required run rate. When Lee and then Mignon du Preez were dismissed, it was up to Wolvaardt and de Klerk to see South Africa home. That they did sends a strong message about the depth in the South African squad.

"It's so good for our future," Luus said. "We know that if on the day we can't play Marizanne Kapp, Shabnim Ismail or Lizelle Lee, there are players coming in and we back them, they back themselves."

South Africa won this T20I series without Kapp, who was rested for the past two matches, and without regular captain Dane van Niekerk and allrounder Chloe Tryon, who are recovering from lower-back injuries. They were also without Luus for two of the ODIs, when she picked up an illness, and Wolvaardt took over the captaincy. In doing so, she also experienced the improvement in the quality of players beyond South Africa's big names.

"In the past, that was one of the gaps between us and the big nations - if we had Dane missing the tour, we would do badly," Wolvaardt said. "Now there is some healthy competition going forward and we are raising the bar for each other. This is also the first time in a long time we are all feeling it (confidence) together. We are starting to click together and performances are coming from every player. If we can ride this wave, that would be awesome."

They have one more opportunity to do that on this strip, with the final match in the series to be played on Tuesday. "There's a chance for us to make it 3-0 and that will be even bigger than a series win," Luus said.

New Zealand have named a fit-again Lea Tahuhu in the squad for the three home ODIs against Australia that follow the three-match T20I series. Meanwhile, allrounder Brooke Halliday and 16-year-old left-arm spinner Fran Jonas have been picked in both squads. Halliday had made successive fifties in her first two ODIs, during the home series against England, in which Jonas, too, made her debut.

According to an NZC release, Tahuhu has recovered from her hamstring strain that had ruled her out of the last two ODIs and the entire T20I series against the visiting England side last month. She, however, wasn't considered for the T20Is against Australia as the selectors opted to keep her fresh for the 50-over matches.

Veteran allrounder Suzie Bates wasn't considered for selection for either series owing to the shoulder injury she aggravated during the WBBL in November last year.

New Zealand head coach Bob Carter said Australia, the top-ranked side in both ODIs and T20Is, presented a good preparatory platform for the home team, who will also host the next ODI World Cup in less than a year's time.

"We're up for the challenge against Australia," he said. "To be the best, you have to beat the best and we know we're going to have to be at the very top of our game.

"Brooke and Fran have come in and impressed everyone," he said. "Brooke's performances first-up against England showed she's got what it takes and we're excited to give her more opportunities at this level. Fran has fitted in extremely well and shown a real willingness to learn and grow as a cricketer - her youthful exuberance is infectious."

Sophie Devine, the New Zealand captain, meanwhile, is set to make her 100th T20I appearance and will join the men's camp this week to observe their training.

"To play 100 T20Is will be a really special occasion and I'm excited to join the club alongside Suzie and Amy," Devine said. "It's a great opportunity to see how the Blackcaps' inner sanctum go about their work," she said. "As a team, they've managed a sustained period of success, so any little insights I can glean and take back to the White Ferns camp will be invaluable.

"I've also done short stints with the Silver Ferns [the women's national netball team] and Black Ferns [the women's national hockey team] over the past few months with an eye to developing our own team environment," she said. "The chance to connect with other elite female athletes is important for our own learning and growth. Both the Silver Ferns and Black Ferns are world champions in their respective codes, so to experience those team environments has been great.

The three T20Is will be part of double-headers to be played alongside the New Zealand men's matches, starting March 28 at Seddon Park. Tauranga will host the three ODIs. Sunday's double-header will also be the first time a New Zealand Women's game will feature on TVNZ's Channel 1, in the prime-time slot of 7.10pm.

"We are motivated and keen to put on a good show for our fans," Devine said. "To be playing on free-to-air TV on a Sunday night is a big step forward for the women's game. We know thousands of new fans will see us play for the very first time."

T20I squad: Sophie Devine (capt), Amy Satterthwaite (vice-capt), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Frances Mackay, Katey Martin (wk), Thamsyn Newton, Hannah Rowe

ODI squad: Sophie Devine (capt), Amy Satterthwaite (vice-capt), Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Leigh Kasperek - (games 2 & 3 only), Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Frances Mackay, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin (wk), Hannah Rowe (game 1 only), Lea Tahuhu

INDIANAPOLIS -- Loyola Chicago carried out 101-year-old superfan Sister Jean's plans to a T on Sunday, moving to the Sweet 16 with a 71-58 win over Illinois, the first No. 1 seed bounced from this year's NCAA tournament.

Cameron Krutwig delivered a 19-point, 12-rebound masterpiece and the quick-handed, eighth-seeded Ramblers (26-4) led wire to wire. They befuddled a powerful Illinois offense to return to the second weekend three years after their last magical run to the Final Four.

The Ramblers will next play either Oklahoma State or Oregon State, who were set to meet later Sunday.

Their 2018 trip to the Final Four was headlined by Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the venerable team chaplain, who received both COVID-19 vaccination shots and clearance to travel to Indianapolis to see what inspiration she could provide in 2021.

Before taking in most of this game from the luxury suite -- sitting in her wheelchair and decked out in her trademark maroon and gold scarf -- Jean delivered a pregame prayer that could've been stripped straight from a John Wooden handbook.

"As we play the Fighting Illini, we ask for special help to overcome this team and get a great win," she said. "We hope to score early and make our opponents nervous. We have a great opportunity to convert rebounds as this team makes about 50% of layups and 30% of its 3 points. Our defense can take care of that."

From her mouth to their ears.

Illinois (24-7) earned top seeding for the first time since its own Final Four run in 2005, but fell behind by double digits in the first half and never got within striking range. The Illini committed 16 turnovers and scored 23 points fewer than their season average.

Illinois' 7-foot second-team All-American Kofi Cockburn finished with 21 points on 7-for-12 shooting, but worked hard for every shot against the pestering presence of Krutwig and Co.

And Loyola's handsy guards, Lucas Williamson and Keith Clemons, kept first-team All-American Ayo Dosunmu from ever finding his comfort zone. He finished with nine points, 11 under his season average.

The other All-American on the floor was a third-teamer, Krutwig, who looked all-world in this one.

Posting up, pivoting, dishing when necessary and causing all kinds of trouble on defense in the paint, the 6-9 senior played bigger. He also had five assists. Krutwig was with Loyola for the last Final Four trip, and has since become one of only four players in Missouri Valley Conference history to record 1,500 points, 800 boards, and 300 assists.

And there's a chance for more.

It's a turn of events that Sister Jean could see happening. Before the game, she suggested Loyola, the MVC champs who won 25 games this year, might have gotten a raw deal with a No. 8 seeding that put it up against a 1 so early.

There was only one way to deal with that, and to anyone outside of of Champaign -- or now holding a freshly obliterated bracket -- it's hard to argue this Loyola team isn't the breath of fresh air this tournament-in-a-bubble sorely needed.

Sure, there have been upsets, some drama and little teams doing big things.

But there's nobody quite like Sister Jean to put the whole thing in perspective. The Ramblers and March Madness -- it's a hard habit to break.

TAMPA, Fla. -- The NBA has fined Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse $50,000 for throwing his facemask behind the scorer's table and toward the stands, plus for directing a profanity toward game officials before leaving the floor at the end of a game Friday night.

The league announced the fine Sunday.

Nurse was upset at the end of Toronto's 115-112 loss to the Utah Jazz, a game in which the Jazz took 41 free throws, compared to the Raptors' 14.

After the game, Nurse said it "just didn't seem like they were going to let us win tonight," without offering specifics. The 27-shot difference in free throw attempts between the teams was the second largest in the NBA this season, topped by the 28-shot difference Houston had over Golden State on Wednesday.

Entering Sunday, the Raptors were shooting 4.5 free throws per game fewer than opponents this season, the second-largest disparity in the league. Chicago takes 5.0 fewer per game than its opponents.

Blake Griffin will make his debut with the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday against the Washington Wizards. Griffin said that he will be on a minutes restriction.

Griffin last played on Feb. 12 against the Boston Celtics when he was still a member of the Detroit Pistons. After agreeing to a buyout with Detroit and signing with Brooklyn, Griffin met with the Nets training staff and devised a return-to-play plan that would get him back into game shape.

"Nobody sits out for a month and then comes back and plays right away," Griffin told ESPN. "So, I just want to be smart and listen to the people that know what they're talking about and make sure I give myself the best opportunity to come in and contribute and be healthy for the playoffs and beyond."

While he was listed as out for left knee injury maintenance, Griffin has been adamant that he was never hurt. On Sunday morning, Griffin said that the Nets' training staff took a full body approach to his increased work load and didn't just focus on his knee.

Griffin traveled with the Nets on their latest road to Indiana and worked out with the Nets training staff and Kevin Durant, who has missed the Nets' last 13 games with a hamstring strain. Brooklyn has played a total of four games within Griffin since he signed with the franchise.

Griffin played in 20 games for Detroit this season and averaged 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.

CLEVELAND -- Óscar Mercado won't start the season in Cleveland's outfield -- or even with the Indians.

Struggling in exhibition play, Mercado was optioned to the team's depth camp on Sunday, continuing his slide after a promising rookie season.

Mercado entered spring training as the favorite to win the starting job in center field, but the 26-year-old has continued to have problems at the plate and the Indians want him to get some extra work with Triple-A Columbus.

"He needs some time and, when I say space I mean not major league games hanging over his head, to get him back to where he can help us," manager Terry Francona said Sunday on a Zoom call from Goodyear Arizona. "We've seen it. He's seen it. He's felt it.

"Nobody's giving up on him, and we wanted to make sure he understood that."

Mercado's batting averaged plummeted to .128 in 36 games last season. He hit .269 with 15 homers and 54 RBIs in 115 games as a rookie in 2019.

Mercado was hitting .214 with one RBI in 10 spring games this year.

Francona said the team talked to Mercado for "a long time" on Sunday.

"We didn't want him to feel like he was on an island," Francona said. "And I think mentally he has beaten himself up. And I think he kind of owned up to that, too, and that's part of it."

Francona felt Mercado understood the reasons behind him going to the minors.

"We also said, 'Take today and take a deep breath,'" Francona said. "We want it to be in a place where it's going in the right direction. And at the end of our meeting, I was really pleased. I said, 'Oscar, this can be an opportunity for you if you view it like that.' And he said he did. And that was big. "

The move with Mercado wasn't the only slight surprise as Francona said right-hander Trevor Stephan, a Rule 5 selection, will make Cleveland's Opening Day roster.

Stephan has had a strong spring and the 6-foot-5 right-hander will give Francona another big arm in his reconfigured bullpen.

"We kept him on our ballclub because we think he has poise," Francona said. "We saw him fight back from a tough outing against the Dodgers. There's a lot to like about this kid.

With Mercado no longer in camp, the Indians' starting job in center will likely go to Bradley Zimmer, who has been slowed by injuries in recent seasons, or Ben Gamel, who signed a minor league deal with the club this winter and has played well.

The Indians are also trying Amed Rosario in center. An infielder with the Mets, Rosario came over as part of the package Cleveland got back for Francisco Lindor in January. Rosario made three errors in one game earlier this week.

Daniel Johnson was optioned to the minors this week, but he could be an option in center for the club in coming months.