Ireland coach Andy Farrell has said he will "always do the right thing for Irish rugby" amid reports linking him with a British and Irish Lions role.

The report also said Gatland wants Scotland coach Gregor Townsend and England defence coach John Mitchell.

"Like I've always said - and it's the truth - I will always do the right thing for Irish rugby," said Farrell.

The Lions are due to visit South Africa in July and August for a three-Test series against the world champions.

However, issues around Covid-19 have led to uncertainty over the tour going ahead in South Africa, with Ireland's planned tour of the Pacific Islands also up in the air.

"There's nothing I know of that's going on at this moment in time that gives any clarity on the situation whatsoever," added Farrell, who was the Lions' defence coach for the 2013 and 2017 tours to Australia and New Zealand.

"We don't know whether there is a Lions tour going on; we don't know whether there is a southern tour going on with Ireland. I hear that hopefully by the end of the month we will know something more concrete."

When asked if Ireland's Pacific Islands tour would rule him out of linking up with the Lions, Farrell said: "Again, we don't know what that tour looks like yet. I don't know what's happening as far as the Lions is concerned regarding warm-up matches.

"I suppose the fall-out from those warm-up matches is going to have different ramifications on what happens, and who is available for tours.

"We don't know what the map looks like."

Meanwhile, Farrell says Ireland's remaining Six Nations games against Scotland and England will define how their championship is viewed.

Ireland travel to Murrayfield on 14 March before hosting England in Dublin on 20 March.

"They are two massive games for us," said Farrell, who said he expects to have a "fully fit" squad by next week ahead of the Scotland game.

"They are the old enemies, aren't they? The rivalry is as ripe as ever with Scotland and with England.

"All three teams want to finish the Six Nations on a high and that's why we love it so much."

Farrell added: "The goalposts keep changing week to week in the Six Nations and there's an emotional aspect that comes to that as well. We know going to Murrayfield, in the recent past we've come unstuck there.

"We know how well they are playing at the minute and how well that we'll need to play to come away with a victory."

Farrell also did not rule out the possibility of Jacob Stockdale playing a part in the remainder of the Six Nations with the Ulster winger having returned from a two-month knee injury lay-off in the province's Pro14 victory over Ospreys on Friday.

"It's great to see him back. I know that from speaking to him at the start of the competition he was very frustrated with how slow the injury was coming on.

"I know how diligently he's been working with the medics up there at Ulster so he's done great to get himself back on the field and put himself back into contention.

"He got a chunk of the game there last weekend and hopefully he'll get more game time this weekend against a very good Leinster side. So we'll see how Jacob shapes up and what the rest of the squad looks like on the back of that."

LE MANS, France – The 89th 24 Hours of Le Mans has been rescheduled to Aug. 21-22 in an effort to welcome spectators to the event.

The race was originally scheduled for June 12-13.

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest made the decision early in order to give competitors, partners and spectators as much visibility as possible and to maintain the current FIA WEC calendar. The dates of the other races and events to be held at the Le Mans Circuit remain unchanged.

“Although it was a tough decision to make, it is the right one,” said Pierre Fillon, president of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest. “Holding the 24 Hours of Le Mans behind closed doors for the second year running would be unthinkable. We are therefore doing all we can to avoid that happening and to give competitors a clear view of the whole season. We are working very hard to put on a safe event, with all the necessary health precautions in place. This year’s race promises to be another thriller as the new Hypercar class makes its debut.”

This year’s race will see the new Hypercars make their on-track debut and ACO officials are keen to have fans in attendance to see the cars make their debut.

Information on tickets and full details on the race format will be released at the end of April.

BROWNSBURG, Ind. – Antron Brown and Don Schumacher Racing have announced the addition of SiriusXM as an associate partner of Brown’s Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel dragster.

SiriusXM has been involved in the motorsports industry via the NASCAR Cup Series and Camping World Truck Series since 2007, but the partnership with Brown will mark the first time the audio entertainment company has ventured into NHRA drag racing.

Brown and his crew are excited to be the first to welcome SiriusXM to the NHRA market.

“I’m super pumped to be partnering with SiriusXM and representing them in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series,” said Brown, a three-time NHRA Top Fuel champion. “I just can’t wait to kick off this 2021 season and not only have SiriusXM blasting down the road, but in our team’s race pit.

“SiriusXM is a lifesaver for my crew guys,” added the 67-time NHRA national event winner. “They spend hours on end driving our Toyota Sequoia tow vehicle up and down the road on the NHRA tour, tens of thousands of miles a year. Being able to have a constant go-to with what channels they want to listen to, rather than have to always search for stations while in different locations is huge. No matter where they are in the country, they know they can tune to their favorite channel and it will come in crystal clear.”

In 2019, SiriusXM announced a landmark agreement with Toyota where all Toyota models sold in the continental United States – including the Toyota Sequoia, the tow vehicle of choice for the Matco team – were to be outfitted with SiriusXM.

As of the launch of the program, all Toyota customers receive a three-month subscription to SiriusXM All Access, SiriusXM’s most extensive subscription offering, with the purchase of their vehicle.

Like his crew members, Brown also benefits from the Toyota and SiriusXM partnership.

When not behind the wheel of his Top Fuel dragster, Brown can be found cruising around Indianapolis in his daily driver, a Toyota Tundra, with his SiriusXM radio cranked up.

“Whether I’m just cruising across Indy, or driving state-to-state in my Tundra, I know I always have my riding partner with me, and that’s SiriusXM and its great entertainment. It never skips a beat, and never cuts out no matter what’s in front of me or behind me. It’s always in-tune, and keeps me entertained; keeps me flowing while I’m driving down the road.

“I have to say my all-time favorite channel is No. 47, Sirius XM Fly,” added Brown. “It’s got the 90s through the 2000s hip hop and R & B, and it takes me back to my beboppin’ days where I cut a little carpet. That’s definitely my go-to channel.”

SiriusXM joins the team’s roster of partners that includes Matco Tools, Toyota, Global Electronic Technology, and Hangsterfer’s, and will flank the sides of Brown’s Top Fuel dragster at all events on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule.

Brown will debut his SiriusXM-adorned Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel dragster at the Pro Winter Warmup test session in West Palm Beach, March 5-8.

It will make its NHRA television debut on FOX at the NHRA season-opening Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., the following weekend.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – JR Motorsports announced Thursday that the No. 8 Chevrolet driven by Josh Berry will be sporting the colors of iRacing when the NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday, June 19.

This announcement marks a continuation of the relationship between Berry and iRacing, as the pair have been partnered together across various late model divisions dating back to 2010.

“It’s great to have iRacing come on board and for us to be running this awesome scheme in Nashville,” said Berry. “They’ve been a great partner to work with over these last years and it means a lot to me to be able to continue this on to the NASCAR Xfinity Series level.”

The scheme for the No. 8 iRacing Chevrolet also carries special significance. Turning back the clock to 2003, the familiar red, white and blue iRacing colors reflect a modern adaptation of that driven by the fictional Fred Jones in the original NASCAR Racing 2003 Season PC simulation. The popular sim has been credited as one of the inspirations behind the creation of iRacing in 2008.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Team Penske has announced an extension of its partnership with Carquest Auto Parts, the automotive parts retailer owned by Advance Auto Parts.

Carquest will be featured this season as a partner on Team Penske’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Ford Mustang driven by reigning series champion Austin Cindric.

Beginning this weekend, Carquest will serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 22 Ford for three Xfinity Series races this year.

Cindric will race the Carquest Ford Mustang at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway on Saturday and the No. 22 will carry the Carquest colors at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 29 and at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on Oct. 2 as well.

Carquest will also race as an associate sponsor with Cindric and the No. 22 Ford throughout the Xfinity Series season. The company was Cindric’s primary sponsor at Talladega last fall.

“This is a spectacular opportunity for Carquest to partner with Team Penske and Austin Cindric, who is one of the brightest stars in racing,” said Junior Word, division president, Carquest North America. “Our Carquest independent owners closely identify with Team Penske’s long-standing commitment to excellence. Austin is already off to a great start this season, and we are excited to follow along as Austin and his team defend the championship.”

Looking to defend their title this season, Cindric and the No. 22 team are off to a strong start. He won the season-opening race at Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway last month and the No. 22 team leads the point standings after three top-five finishes to open the year.

“Carquest has such a rich history in NASCAR, and I’m proud to represent the brand and its independent owners this season,” said Cindric. “We look forward to having the Carquest red, white and blue on our Ford Mustang at three exciting tracks this year. Our team is more motivated than ever to get Carquest to victory lane in 2021.”

INDIANAPOLIS – The driver arguably considered the greatest Formula One racer of all time, at least by the numbers, and a man whose voice spread the word of the Indianapolis 500 to all continents on the Earth, can now be called Hall of Famers.

Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher and broadcaster Paul Page have been voted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame. They will be inducted into the Hall of Fame along with the 2020 class that includes the driver many believe to be the greatest NASCAR racer of all time, Dale Earnhardt. Also, racing pioneer Janet Guthrie, the first female ever to race in the Indianapolis 500, will be inducted.

Earnhardt and Guthrie were named to the Hall of Fame last year, but the induction ceremony was carried over to this year because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Both classes will be honored at the 2021 IMS Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Indianapolis 500 Oldtimers Dinner presented by Firestone on Thursday, May 27 at the Downtown Indianapolis Marriott.

Schumacher and Page were elected to the IMS Hall of Fame by the voting panel of 150 motorsports journalists, officials and living Hall of Fame members, chosen from a total of 14 nominees representing the Speedway’s diverse history as host to the Indianapolis 500, Brickyard 400 and, from 2000-2007, F-1’s United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis.

Schumacher ranks as one of the world’s all-time greatest driving talents, having earned a record-seven F-1 championships and holding F-1 records in nearly every driver-related category during his career.

Schumacher became the first German to win the F-1 title in 1994, capturing eight wins with the Benetton team throughout the 16-race championship season. He repeated as champion in 1995 with Benetton, then moved to Ferrari for the start of 1996 and an era that would produce one of the most dominant driver-team combinations in motorsports.

After battling for the championship to the season finale in 1996, ’97 and ’98, Schumacher and Ferrari finished fifth in points in 1999 and then won five consecutive titles from 2000-04. The only other driver in F1 history to earn seven driver championships is Lewis Hamilton, who accomplished the milestone in 2020 driving for Mercedes.

It was also during the 2000s that Schumacher won five of the eight United States Grands Prix contested at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, including the inaugural race in 2000 and four in a row from 2003-06. Schumacher finished second at the United States Grand Prix in 2001-02 and earned four pole positions at Indianapolis.

Schumacher retired at the end of the 2006 season but announced a return with the Mercedes team for 2010. He drove three seasons for Mercedes, earning his 155th and final career podium at the 2012 Grand Prix of Europe at Valencia, Spain, and a total of 91 F-1 victories.

Sadly, in December 2013 the champion driver sustained head injuries while skiing with his family in the French Alps. Schumacher fell and, despite wearing a helmet, suffered severe head injuries. He continues to recover from the accident at his home in Switzerland.

In May 2020, Formula One announced that Schumacher was named the most influential person in the sport’s 70-year history, based on fan voting.

Page’s voice is known to motorsports enthusiasts around the world. The Evansville, Ind., native served as The Voice of the 500, or chief announcer, on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network for 13 years, and as television host and play-by-play voice for Indianapolis 500 coverage on ABC Sports an additional 16 years.

Page started his career in Indianapolis radio and joined WIBC-AM, the flagship station for the IMS Radio Network, in 1968. Page found a mentor in the legendary Sid Collins, Voice of the 500 from 1952-76. Page joined the network’s Indianapolis 500 coverage team in 1974, and in the wake of Collins’ death in early May 1977, Page took over the chief announcer position and held it until 1987.

After a one-year stint as play-by-play announcer for NBC Sports’ coverage of the CART series, plus NASCAR, Formula 1 and NHRA drag racing, Page moved to ABC Sports’ Indianapolis 500 broadcast team in 1988.

He anchored what was one of the most entertaining booths in motorsports broadcast history, sharing it with former drivers Bobby Unser and Sam Posey.

Page covered a variety of events for ABC and ESPN until 2012, including INDYCAR racing, CART and NHRA drag racing coverage – even the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.

He returned to the IMS Radio Network as Voice of the 500 in 2014-15 and co-hosted the broadcast of the 100th Indianapolis 500 in 2016 with Mark Jaynes, who took over as the voice in 2017 and remains the chief announcer.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame honors and celebrates the contributions and achievements of an exclusive group of individuals at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, encompassing was founded in 1952 as the Auto Racing Hall of Fame under the auspices of the Contest Board of the American Automobile Association (AAA). The Hall of Fame was moved to the original Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum under the direction of then-Speedway president Anton “Tony” Hulman Jr. in 1962.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is home to one of the world’s premier motorsports and automobile collections, with interpretive emphasis on the Indianapolis 500 and its role as an American icon of sporting tradition and innovation.

Located inside the famed 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, the Museum is open 363 days a year (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas). It is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization which relies on support from admissions, tours, sponsorships, annual memberships and planned-giving for its operations, educational programming, restoration and preservation efforts, and special exhibits and events.

NEW YORK -- Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was fined $5,000 by the NHL on Thursday for spearing Boston Bruins rookie Trent Frederic, an amount that is the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement.

Ovechkin delivered a spear in an upward direction to Frederic's groin with five minutes left in the third period of the teams' game Wednesday night in Boston. Ovechkin was given a minor penalty for slashing and Frederic one for cross-checking on the play.

The two players exchanged shoves minutes earlier and Frederic dropped his gloves but nothing transpired. Frederic and Capitals tough guy Tom Wilson fought during a game in Washington earlier this season.

The Capitals went on to win Wednesday's game 2-1 in a shootout. Ovechkin had one of his most active games of the season with 16 shot attempts -- five on goal -- and six hits in over 23 minutes of ice time.

Boston and Washington face off again Friday night.

Logan Couture loves the new schedule format the NHL is using for the 2021 season.

"I'm a fan. I think there are going to be a lot of guys that are fans of it," he said. "Certain players have been pulling for this for years."

This season's schedule was created out of necessity during the COVID pandemic. The NHL realigned its teams and eliminated games between divisions in an effort to reduce travel. It's a way to cut down on risk of infection ... and a way to cut down on costs, as the league prepares to lose over a billion dollars this season, according to commissioner Gary Bettman's estimates.

The revamped schedule included a novel concept for the NHL, although it had been used in minor leagues for years: Two-game sets between teams, in which one team hosts the same road team for consecutive games in their arena.

"It's almost like a mini playoff series," said Couture.

Many of the Stanley Cup Playoffs' singular joys come from teams playing each other in consecutive games. There's the line-matching chess game between coaches. There are the stops and starts of momentum. And, most of all, there's the escalating animosity between the players.

Consecutive games against the same foe happen infrequently in a traditional regular season. "It's not very often you play a team twice in a row. That's been a major difference this season, compared to any other years," said Vancouver Canucks coach Travis Green, whose team played home-and-home series against the same opponent just three times in the previous two seasons.

This season? Vancouver has played six two-game sets; three three-game sets, against Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto; and one four-game set against the Flames, with three games in Calgary and the final one back in Vancouver.

Through Monday, there were 135 instances this season in which the same two teams played in the same arena in consecutive games.

Has the new schedule impacted the way these games are played? The evidence suggests it has.

In his weekly virtual press conference, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said investigators continue to look into the single-vehicle accident that left Tiger Woods in the hospital following multiple surgeries to his right leg.

Sheriff Villanueva was asked specifically about the “black box” in Woods’ Genesis SUV. The department announced that deputies had executed a search warrant Monday to retrieve data from the device.

“The investigators in the collision, they did a search warrant to access the black box of the vehicle, that’s all it is. They are going to go through and find out what was the performance of the vehicle, what was happening at the time of impact. With that they’ll have more information they can attribute the cause of the accident,” Villanueva said. “That’s all it is, and we’ll leave it at that.”

According to a statement released by the department there was no immediate information available from the device.

Villanueva, who said last week that deputies determined Woods wasn’t impaired during the time of the accident, was also asked about a USA Today report that deputies did not seek a warrant for samples of Woods’ blood to determine if he had any drugs or alcohol in his system.

“In order to seek a search warrant, you have to have evidence of impairment. Absent the evidence of impairment, you’re not going to get a search warrant, period. It’s not going to get signed by the judge,” Villanueva said. “Investigators will determine what is needed to determine the cause of the collision. The first step in obtaining a search warrant is you have to have evidence of impairment to continue going down that vein. Without that you just don’t get the search warrant. You have to establish probable cause for that.”

There has been no update on Woods’ condition since he was transferred to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center last week, but the 45-year-old did respond on Twitter to players wearing red and black last Sunday at the WGC-Workday Championship.

“I understand he’s resting comfortably. He’s healing, he’s in good spirits,” Villanueva said when asked if there were any updates on Woods’ condition.

Former Manchester United and Liverpool forward Phil Chisnall, the last player to be transferred directly between the bitter English rivals, has died aged 78, both teams announced on Thursday.

Mancunian Chisnall graduated from United's youth academy and represented United's senior team between 1961 and 1964, scoring 10 goals in 47 games, before joining Liverpool for a fee of £25,000 in April 1964.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Phil Chisnall.

The thoughts of everyone at Liverpool Football Club are with Phil's family and friends at this sad and difficult time.

Rest in peace, Phil Chisnall 1942-2021.

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 4, 2021

United posted a tribute on social media: "We are saddened by the passing of our former forward, Phil Chisnall.

"Phil was a product of our famed youth system and represented the club during Sir Matt Busby's tenure. Our deepest sympathies are with his loved ones."

A United club statement read: "Matt Busby, Bill Shankly and Alf Ramsey were three wise men who knew a thing or two about assessing rookie footballers and they all agreed that in the early-to-middle-1960s, inside-forward Phil Chisnall was potentially one of the best in the land."

Former Liverpool manager Shankly had hailed the forward on his arrival at the club, saying: "Phil can do unusual things with the ball, he might be something special."

Chisnall made his Liverpool debut in the Charity Shield four months after joining and opened his account in a European Cup victory at KR Reykjavik.

However, his time at the club was short-lived as he scored only two goals in nine appearances. His final game was the first leg of the 1965-66 Cup Winners' Cup semifinal against Celtic.

Chsinall then joined Southend United before ending his playing career at Stockport County.