Gary Wilson, Ireland's long-serving wicketkeeper-batsman, has called time on his professional career and taken up a role as head coach and pathway manager for North-West Warriors in the interprovincial set-up.

Wilson made 188 appearances across his Test, ODI and T20I careers, and a further 104 for the national team in matches without full international status, making him Ireland's third most capped player of all time.

His career overlapped with those of fellow keepers Niall O'Brien and, more recently, Lorcan Tucker, but he took the gloves for the majority of his international career and his ability with the bat in the middle order meant that he was a regular in the side even when he was overlooked behind the stumps.

He was part of the Ireland squad at seven major ICC events - two 50-over World Cups and five World T20s - and captained the side in the T20 World Cup qualifiers in late 2019, which earned them their spot in the tournament later this year.

Wilson also enjoyed a long career in county cricket. He was on the books at Surrey for more than a decade after graduating from the MCC Young Cricketers programme, captaining the club 33 times across formats between 2014 and 2015, and later spent two seasons at Derbyshire, where he captained the side in the T20 Blast.

"To step away from international cricket after 16 years is something I will miss dearly - I will miss the guys probably more than anything, but pulling on the shirt and playing for Ireland was the only thing I ever dreamed of growing up," Wilson said. "To have played for Ireland 292 times is something I am very proud of - if I had thought I'd have made it 10 times growing up I would have snapped your hand off, so 292 times is something I'm very proud of.

"To be named T20 captain for Ireland in 2018 was probably my proudest moment internationally. Again, growing up it was something I could only dream of. As for achievements, obviously the various World Cups and T20 World Cups, but probably my best game in an Irish shirt came in a World Cup match against UAE in Brisbane. There were so many memorable games over the years - the Zimbabwe game in the same World Cup was probably my favourite game to be part of.

"I was lucky enough to have such a long career in England. I was actually a Surrey supporter growing up as well, so to be able to play for them at The Oval for over 10 years, and to captain them and win the County Championship Division 2, to win a CB40 and get to T20 finals day twice - they were things I never thought I'd ever had a chance to do as a kid. I'm so grateful for the opportunity that I had to play for Surrey and Derbyshire.

"Coaching is always something I've thought of once I finished playing. What's exciting about it here in Ireland is the impact I think I can have - the opportunity to improve players. Hopefully, I can use some of my experience both from England and playing for Ireland in order to do that. I'm really passionate about Irish cricket and hopefully can help bring through the next generation and see Ireland flourish in the future really excites me."

Andy Balbirnie, Ireland's captain, said: "Gary was a brilliant team-mate and a great friend to have - a guy who you would never hesitate to chat to about anything on or off the field. He was one of those people who, every time he pulled on the jersey, wore his heart on his sleeve, always leading by example in everything we were trying to do as a team.

"Within the set-up, he was one who would always offer to help develop the next crop of young Irish cricketers. I have no doubt he will be a successful coach and I'm looking forward to seeing his progress. We are very fortunate to have someone like Gary still involved in Irish cricket and long may it continue."

The Cincinnati Bengals made a big signing for their offensive line Friday but also announced they were releasing one of their all-time greats on the defensive line.

The Bengals signed offensive tackle Riley Reiff, but coach Zac Taylor later announced that defensive tackle Geno Atkins was being released. Backup quarterback Ryan Finley and starting right tackle Bobby Hart will also be released, Taylor said.

Atkins, who turns 33 on March 28, has been with the Bengals since the team drafted him in 2010 and developed into an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time first-team All-Pro and was named to the NFL's All-Decade team for the 2010s. He has 75.5 sacks, which ranks second in franchise history.

Releasing Atkins will give the Bengals $9.5 million in cap savings during a bevy of free-agency additions that includes Reiff. Terms of Reiff's contract were not disclosed by the Bengals on Friday.

Reiff, 32, spent the previous four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and has played the right and left tackle positions. The signing comes after a year in which Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending knee injury, and Cincinnati made it a priority to boost the offensive line this offseason.

Reiff visited the Bengals on Thursday and went to dinner at a local restaurant with some of the team's players, including Burrow, on Thursday night.

"Really impressed with [Burrow]. He looks great on film and he's even better off the field," Reiff told reporters. "Just the way he conducts himself. Down-to-earth. Cincinnati-type guy. Tough. Midwestern. Blue-collar. Comes to work."

Reiff ranked 37th in pass block win rate (an ESPN metric powered by NFL Next Gen Stats) when lined up as a tackle. The emphasis on improving Burrow's protection started at the end of the season when the Bengals parted ways with offensive line coach Jim Turner and rehired Frank Pollack, who spent last season with the Jets but had previously been employed by the Bengals. The Bengals ranked 29th in PBWR in 2020.

Atkins played in 161 games for the Bengals, making 134 starts. He was limited to eight games last season, which ended when he was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. He finished without a sack for the first time in his career.

He has three seasons with 10 or more sacks, including a career-best 12.5 in 2012.

The Vikings released Reiff earlier this month in a move that created $11.75 million in salary-cap savings.

Reiff signed with Minnesota as a free agent in 2017, switching from right to left tackle in the process. He started 62 games including the postseason for the Vikings and allowed 12 sacks over four seasons.

A first-round pick of the Lions in 2012, Reiff played his first five seasons with Detroit. He has appeared in 135 regular-season games in his career, making 127 starts.

ESPN's Courtney Cronin contributed to this report.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jacksonville Jaguars coach Urban Meyer knew free agency was going to be different from recruiting, but he wasn't really prepared for one of the most glaring discrepancies: signing guys without meeting them.

Teams are allowed to contact the agents of players who will become free agents only during the two-day period before the league year officially begins. Because that's when most of the deals are struck, Meyer was building his team without any contact -- and he hated it.

"Yeah, that was awful," Meyer said Friday morning. "I don't agree with it, but no one asked my opinion. I guess in the old days you could bring them in and meet them, have dinner with them, you find out the football intellect, find out their character. The thing you don't [do], I found out, is call someone who has skin in the game because they're going to not quite -- I don't see honest as a very appropriate [word]. So we did a deep dive. Every guy that we signed, we did. ...

"To answer your question, that was awful, and I don't believe it should be that way. Not when you're making organizational decisions. I'm not sure how that rule came about, but to me that's not good business."

Meyer was one of the best recruiters in the country while he was at Florida and Ohio State. Since ESPN began tracking signing classes in 2006, Meyer never signed a class that ranked below seventh. He twice signed the top-ranked class and finished second three other times. He never signed a recruit he didn't at least speak with before signing day.

That wasn't the case with any of the 11 free agents the Jaguars signed. Running back Carlos Hyde, who agreed to terms with the Jaguars on Monday, played for Meyer at Ohio State, so he knew him, but Meyer couldn't talk to him until after the new league year began at 4 p.m. ET Wednesday.

Fortunately for Meyer's peace of mind, his assistant coaches had some connection to six of the 11 players, including receivers Marvin Jones Jr. and Phillip Dorsett and cornerback Shaquill Griffin. But nobody on staff had any connections to defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris, kick returner Jamal Agnew, safety Rudy Ford, tight end Chris Manhertz or safety Rayshawn Jenkins.

But Meyer got help from former UF receiver Louis Murphy, who vouched for Griffin and Jenkins. Murphy, who Meyer said might be joining the staff, is from St. Petersburg, Florida, which is where Griffin and Jenkins played high school football.

"He helped me with these guys, just what kind of players they are, what kind of people," Meyer said. "He feels very strong about the quality of football in the St. Pete area obviously, so he was a cheerleader more than anything, but he did help."

The Jaguars didn't land one of their top targets -- defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, who signed with Minnesota -- and despite having the most money to spend in free agency, the Jaguars didn't spend big money on multiple players. Griffin got a three-year deal that averages $13.33 million annually and includes $29 million guaranteed, but the next-highest-paid player was Jenkins. He signed a four-year deal that averages $8.75 million annually and includes $16 million guaranteed.

That was partly because Meyer and general manager Trent Baalke felt that the roster needed fortifying at multiple spots and that money was better spent being spread around.

"In recruiting we would have our recruiting meeting and identify the best players and say go get them," Meyer said. "And, then all of a sudden I start finding out this guy cost $28 million and this guy costs ... I knew it, to say I didn't know it, of course I knew it, but just the way you put that puzzle together about here's your cap space, here's your choices, can we take him but we get three of these guys to help. And so I imagine once you build your roster exactly the way you want it, then you can take one guy and go get that $25 million athlete.

"We're not in position to do that right now. We're just not. So it was a learning experience, and I feel great about it."

HOUSTON -- Four more lawsuits have been filed against Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, alleging similar inappropriate conduct and sexual assault to the previous three that had been filed.

This brings the total to seven lawsuits filed against Watson by Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, who has said on Instagram that there are nine total cases against Watson. Buzbee told ESPN on Thursday via text message that his office has been in contact with police and that he would provide information to the police about all nine of the women who intend to sue Watson.

Houston police declined to comment to ESPN whether they're investigating the matter. A spokesperson for the Harris County district attorney's office told ESPN on Thursday that nobody from any law enforcement agency has provided information to the DA's office yet about the allegations involving Watson.

Buzbee will address the media in Houston on Friday afternoon, when he says he will provide some background about the seven lawsuits that have been filed and provide copies of multiple texts and messages relating to the suits.

After Buzbee's announcement of the first lawsuit on Tuesday, Watson responded on Twitter by saying that he rejected "a baseless six-figure settlement demand" and that this is "about clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that." At the time of his statement, Watson said he had not seen the first lawsuit.

"I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect," Watson said in his statement.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy on Thursday said "the matter is under review" of the league's personal conduct policy, and the Texans said they would stay in close contact with the NFL during the league's investigation.

The seven lawsuits filed so far depict a pattern of sexual assault against a massage therapist. While six of the lawsuits allege these were one-time encounters with Watson, one woman alleges she was sexually assaulted by Watson on multiple occasions. That lawsuit says the first massage was booked through the spa where the licensed aesthetician worked. The six other lawsuits allege Watson first inquired about the massage through Instagram direct messages.

Three of the four lawsuits filed Thursday night accuse him of inappropriate contact; the fourth said he forcibly tried to kiss a woman.

"Watson's behavior is part of a disturbing pattern of preying on vulnerable women," the fourth lawsuit reads.

Watson's agent, David Mulugheta, posted on Twitter on Friday.

"Sexual assault is real. Victims should be heard, offenders prosecuted," Mulugheta posted Friday. "Individuals fabricate stories in pursuit of financial gain often. Their victims should be heard, and those offenders also prosecuted. I simply hope we keep this same energy with the truth."

The Texans on Thursday again said they are aware of the matter.

"The NFL informed us [Thursday] that they will conduct an investigation into the allegations made in the civil lawsuits filed against Deshaun Watson," the team said. "We will stay in close contact with the league as they do. We continue to take this and all matters involving anyone within the Houston Texans organization seriously. We do not anticipate making any additional statements until the NFL's investigation concludes."

The day is finally here. March Madness has begun. There has not been the upset-filled, drama-packed, bracket-busting, 12-hours-on-the-couch first day of the tournament in two years. The 2021 NCAA tournament begins in earnest today after Thursday's First Four action.

Texas Southern, Drake, Norfolk State and UCLA survived. No. 1 seeds Illinois and Baylor play Friday, as does Oklahoma State's Cade Cunningham, one of the top NBA draft prospects.

This is the likely sentiment of most college basketball fans around the country:

Seeing a full day of #MarchMadness games on the TV schedule ? pic.twitter.com/N3HweFNirb

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 19, 2021

Read more: Top 50 players in the tourney | Jay Bilas picks every game

The perfect host

Butler is not in the NCAA tournament, but Hinkle Fieldhouse, where the Bulldogs play, is a game site. So who better to play host than Butler Blue IV?

Let the madness begin! First round is underway at my home court. ? #MarchMadness | #MayorofMarch pic.twitter.com/GgQ5bKuIwH

— Butler Blue IV (@TheButlerBlue) March 19, 2021

A cathartic erasing

...but who's counting?#MarchMadness #Team122 pic.twitter.com/xF4emAdFvD

— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) March 19, 2021

Here's what you missed on Thursday:

The tourney's first posterizing

Protect Coach Ham at all costs

Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton will not let a minor injury like a ruptured Achilles tendon keep him from the NCAA tournament.

This is somewhat reminiscent of former Georgia State coach Ron Hunter, who tore an Achilles celebrating his team's berth in the 2015 NCAA tournament. Then, while getting hyped as his son hit a game-winning 3-pointer to upset No. 3 seed Baylor, he promptly fell off his stool.

"Ron Hunter has fallen off his stool!" #MemoryLane

RJ Hunter's game-winner against Baylor in 2015 was legendary. (?️ via @marchmadness) pic.twitter.com/jagd7G4Huo

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 29, 2020

Does this mean Barry Alvarez is Uncle Jesse?

Cut it out, Wisconsin. With a "Full House"-style video, the Badgers have arrived in Indianapolis.

A look inside the Indy Bubble?

You got it, dude ? pic.twitter.com/3pZ7ZgaHGG

— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) March 18, 2021

Wales are one match away from winning a Grand Slam after a convincing victory in Rome, but the 2021 Six Nations title is by no means guaranteed.

Les Bleus have two games left to play after their round three fixture against Scotland was postponed because of a coronavirus outbreak in the French camp.

That match will now take place on 26 March, but the result will not matter if Wales beat France in Paris on Saturday evening - a game live on BBC One.

If France win, things become a lot more complicated.

Here, BBC Sport takes a look at what is left to play for in the tournament and what Wales and France need to take the title.

A quick recap of the match points system

Teams get four points for a win or two points for a draw. They can secure a bonus point if they score four tries or more and, if they lose, a bonus point is on offer for losing by seven points or fewer.

So that means there are a maximum of five points available for winning teams or two points for losing teams, while teams that draw can get up to three points.

If that already feels confusing, maybe take a breather before scrolling down.

Wales

The simplest outcome will be if Wales secure a fifth Grand Slam of the Six Nations era with victory in Paris. A draw would also be enough to claim the title, as would two bonus points.

If Wayne Pivac's side loses to France with no bonus points for either side or they lose with one bonus point and France win with a bonus point, the title may go down to points difference.

But Les Bleus would have to claim five match points against Scotland when their rearranged game is played.

France

France could win the title outright if they come away from their last two fixtures with the maximum 10 match points, but only if Wales fail to secure a bonus point in Paris.

Should Les Bleus win their remaining two matches but only claim a bonus point in one of them, that would take them to 19 points, the same as Wales. The title would then be decided on points difference.

And Wales are currently 24 points better off than France.

Ireland

Ireland could finish as high as second after their win against Scotland.

If they can secure a bonus-point victory against England on Saturday, Andy Farrell's side could remain in second place if France come away from their remaining two games with fewer than seven match points.

But defeat against a revived England team would mean Ireland had lost three games in the tournament for only the third time in the Six Nations era.

England

England could also manage a second-place finish if they beat Ireland next weekend, but the result of France v Scotland would have to go their way.

Lose to Ireland and it may well be a fifth-place finish for the first time since 2018 for Eddie Jones' men.

England are currently on 10 match points, four ahead of Scotland, and if they do not improve their tally against Ireland the Scots look set to overtake them in their remaining two fixtures.

Scotland

Now that Scotland's dreams of a first title since 1999 are over, the best they can hope for is a second-placed finish too.

They would guarantee themselves that if they win remaining fixtures against Italy and France with a bonus point, as long as England beat Ireland and France take five match points or fewer from their last two games.

Italy

Unfortunately for Italy, they are facing a sixth wooden spoon in a row.

Franco Smith's side have not claimed a single match point and have a points difference of -142 with a trip to Scotland still looming.

Legendary former Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll says Six Nations rivals are "envious" of Wales' ability to keep competing for the Championship.

Their form has come as a surprise after finishing fifth with just one win in the 2020 Six Nations.

"The rest are envious of that unquantifiable quality that Wales persistently deliver," said O'Driscoll.

"Credit where credit's due, year after year, Wales have something special.

"If every Welsh fan is honest there is no way they would have foreseen Wales having a Grand Slam game because of the run of form beforehand.

"They were showing no form and defensively in disarray, and it just shows this is a tournament of momentum.

"Win the first one and you're off to a great start and it snowballs, and that's been the case with Wales."

Wayne Pivac's Wales are the only side left in this year's Six Nations able to win the Grand Slam.

Despite losing to England last weekend, France can still win the competition with victory in both their remaining games.

France's final game, at home against Scotland, has been rescheduled for Friday, 26 March after the match originally planned for 28 February was postponed because of Covid-19 cases in the French camp.

North answering 'question marks' at centre

One of Wales' stand-out players in this campaign has been the rejuvenated George North, who now finds himself lining up in a position O'Driscoll is more than familiar with.

"I never saw George as a centre, I always thought there were question marks, but he's going well and has found a run of form for Wales," said his former British and Irish Lions team-mate.

"I wouldn't have anticipated him and Jonathan Davies marrying well together but it's been good so far.

"He's had peaks and troughs but the calibre of a true player is being able to respond to criticism, and 100 Test caps by 28 is just insane."

O'Driscoll, who was speaking to Jonathan Davies on Jiffy's Six Nations Breakfast on BBC Radio Wales, was also full of praise for the rest of Wales' backs.

"The back three looks really good; obviously it was a matter of time with [Louis] Rees-Zammit," added O'Driscoll.

"When you have wheels like that and the ability to finish like that, it is like putting a 16-year-old in an Under-13s game, he's just able to do things others aren't.

"Liam Williams has been a great player for a long time, and Josh Adams consistently delivers; he also has that edge that you don't anticipate in a winger.

"He's up for the fight and loves a bit of narkiness and he brings that out in the best possible way."

HAMPTON, Ga. – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie Kris Wright will miss Saturday’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway after testing positive for COVID-19.

Young’s Motorsports announced the news Friday morning and confirmed reigning NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series National champion Josh Berry would drive the team’s No. 02 Chevrolet in Saturday’s Fr8Auctions 200.

NEWS: @kriswrightraces to miss @NASCAR_Trucks race @amsupdates this weekend after positive COVID-19 test.@TeamChevy driver @joshberry to fill in and drive No. 02 @chevrolet for tomorrow’s #FR8Auctions200.

Get well soon, Kris!#NASCAR pic.twitter.com/7PigYZdeE0

— Young’s Motorsports (@youngsmtrsports) March 19, 2021

Berry, who is contesting a part-time schedule in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this year for JR Motorsports, has one previous Truck Series start in 2016 at Chicagoland Speedway. He finished 13th in that event.

Berry is also scheduled to compete in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the No. 8 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports.