England captain Owen Farrell has rejected suggestions a lack of game-time and the burden of fly-half duties affected him in the loss to Scotland.

Farrell - who had previously not played since December - also took on his usual goal-kicking role in the unexpected Six Nations defeat last weekend.

But when asked if he had too much responsibility, the England captain said he "did not feel like that".

The move makes way for George Ford to come in at fly-half, with Henry Slade playing at outside centre and Ollie Lawrence dropped from the matchday 23.

Saracens are awaiting the start of the Championship season so, until the Scotland game, Farrell had not played since England's Autumn Nations Cup win in December.

Farrell said his part in Saturday's loss was not because of a lack of game-time and praised the support he had had from team-mates in his leadership role.

"The best thing about this team is everybody is a big leader," he told BBC Sport.

"Everybody leads in their own type of way. Not just the senior players. They've done a fantastic job of that this week."

Farrell has played centre 40 times since Eddie Jones became England head coach in 2015 and has run out at fly-half 17 times during that period.

Jones defended his captain after a lacklustre performance against Scotland, saying on Tuesday that he had no intention of dropping him off the back of one game.

The Australian has brought Ford back into the starting XV at 10 as England look to ignite their attack against Italy but Farrell played down the significance of the switch.

"I've built up relationships here for a long time," he said.

"George coming in at 10, who I know very well, feels pretty seamless. I'm still trying to do a similar job, it doesn't really matter where."

In his latest BBC Wales Sport column, Liam Williams reflects on his Six Nations return, controlling aggression and tackling a rejuvenated Scotland.

I have not played much rugby over the last year due to Covid-19 and injuries, while I missed the Ireland game because I was serving the last game of a three-match ban.

It would be nice just to be injury free and play regularly. I just want to go out there and enjoy it, which has to be the main thing.

You have to work hard and play with a smile of your face. I am not getting any younger and some of the boys in camp are catching me up.

I have had a bit of time to get some fitness in my legs and I am ready to go, but a match situation is totally different when you are chasing balls, tackling and running with the ball.

I have to work hard and try and look after my shirt. I also take my role as a senior player seriously and have been working on that over the last few weeks.

After a period of time on the side, it would be fair comment to say I was hyped up for the Scarlets game against Cardiff Blues in January and I was given a red card which resulted in the suspension.

The lack of game time before that had been quite frustrating because it was my first match after injury, but I can't use that as an excuse.

I wear my heart on my sleeve and maybe went over the edge a bit against the Blues. I have been working on things over the last few weeks and will be looking to play my own game at the weekend.

Controlled aggression is part of my game and helped get me to where I am, but it's about channelling that in the right way.

I had managed to control that over the last few years and Gats (Warren Gatland) had said to me I had matured as a bloke. It is about ensuring that remains the case.

Coping with injuries

Normally I might be looking to come back for Scarlets, but it's straight into the Six Nations, especially with all the injuries we have.

Six-day turnarounds are tricky and there are quite a few players on the sidelines at the moment. That's the nature of the sport we play and we have a big enough squad to cope with a few boys coming in.

There must be one special mention though to my Scarlets team-mate Josh Macleod who has been so unlucky.

He is told he will start and win his first cap for Wales, but less than an hour later he has ruptured his Achilles in training and is out for six months.

This comes after he was picked last autumn, but missed the internationals through injury. I have been speaking to him over the last 24 hours and it feels as if he is a man down.

He has been one of the in-form players for Scarlets over the last couple of seasons and has been outstanding. I am devastated for him, but I am sure he will come back a better player.

On the flip side, one man who could win his first cap is Willis Halaholo who has only come in this week and has already been named on the replacements bench.

He has been world-class for Cardiff Blues for a few seasons and deserves his chance.

Results matter

When reflecting on the Ireland game, the most important thing is that a win's a win. Especially against Ireland in the Six Nations.

We have those four match points on the board in the tournament, it does not matter whether it was against 14 or 15 men.

Defensively I felt we were much better than we were in the autumn and our collision dominance was up. I think some of that was down to Wyn Jones, who was named man-of-the-match, a rare award for a prop.

I will take a bit of credit for that because he was robbing some of my sweets in the build-up which gave him that extra energy. I have given him the sweets this week so hopefully it is a similar result.

We were all relieved at the victory at the end, none more so than Gareth Davies. Now as you imagine, we have all given him a bit of stick for that late kick right at the end which gave Ireland possession and the chance of victory.

He has just had a bit of a 'brain fart' moment. Those were his actual words.

I know Gareth well and I can tell you he was kicking himself more than anyone and he was also reminded about it by the coaches afterwards.

It's always a balancing act when to wind somebody up after the game following an incident like that. When is too soon?

I suppose it depends on whether the mistake has cost the game or not. Luckily on this occasion it did not as we defended well at the end and Ireland fly-half Billy Burns missed the kick to touch.

So on this occasion, I gave him a bit of stick in the changing room straight after the game. It was on the sly and I felt comfortable because I know him well.

The most important thing is how he reacts and he has shown his class so many times on the world stage. So I expect him to have a big game against Scotland leading the forwards around.

There is always room for improvement from the Ireland win, especially in attack and we have talents like Louis Rees-Zammit, who showed what he could do with a class finish. That kid is going to be world-class.

Murrayfield moments

So we feel pretty good going to Scotland who are themselves on a high after their away win against England. They played well and battered England, especially with the back-row they have got and Stuart Hogg was class again.

Scotland are always well drilled and they play well in the unique Murrayfield environment. It is always cold up there and I think it's going to be minus one on the weekend.

The swirling winds always plays a factor up there because the stadium is so tall. The main thing missing will be the thousands of Welsh fans who make the Scottish trip and turn Murrayfield red.

Away days for the team are also different now. We go up on Friday and when we are not at the stadium, we won't leave the hotel.

I will take my games console and a pack of cards to help fill the time because we will be staying within our own bubble and heading straight back home after the game.

Hopefully we will celebrating two wins from two.

The clock is red. The France fly-half slings a long pass wide, desperately searching for a way through the defence. The wing takes it at pace. He's tackled five metres short. Italy swarm across, dragging him into touch. The whistle blows. Twenty-three Italy players leap skywards in celebration. Fifty-seven thousand in the Stadio Olimpico roar to the rafters.

On Saturday, in front of an empty Stadio Olimpico in Rome, there was none of that shock and sound. France ran in three tries in the first half-hour. By 60 minutes they were 42 points clear. The win - ultimately a 50-10 drubbing - was never in doubt.

But that alternate reality has played out.

Eight years ago, Italy beat France in Rome. Just as they had two years before. Andrea Masi played that day. His 95 Tests also included wins over Ireland, Scotland, Japan and Argentina.

So what's changed?

"It is a difficult question and I ask it to myself all the time," the 39-year-old told BBC Sport.

"When I think back eight, 10 years ago when we had a lot of success with Italy, we had a really strong group of leaders. We had a core of players who had experience playing abroad, who had 90 caps or more and knew how to manage difficult situations.

"This Italy team is a very young team with good potential, but it is very inexperienced.

"[Head coach] Franco Smith has introduced all those players at a high level which shows a lot of courage, but they are struggling massively.

"The transition from a really experienced team to a really young one has been too brutal."

The generation gap has been filled with a drawer full of wooden spoons. Italy have finished bottom of the past five Six Nations championships.

Their last win in the tournament was against Scotland in February 2015. Since then they have lost 28 straight Six Nations matches, scoring 374 points and conceding 1,113.

That streak now weighs heavy on a raft of young prospects.

Stephen Varney and Paolo Garbisi, 19 and 20 respectively, are an exciting half-back partnership. Back row Michele Lamaro, 22, could be a totem. Jake Polledri, 25, and Matteo Minozzi, 24, will add quality when they eventually return to the squad.

Martin Castrogiovanni remembers making his debut at a similarly young age in similarly tough circumstances.

At 20 years old, the prop came off the bench in a 64-10 defeat by the All Blacks in Hamilton in 2002. Another debutant that day - Sergio Parisse - was just 18.

"When me, Parisse, Gonzalo Canale and the Bergamascos started our international careers together we didn't win too many games," he told BBC Sport.

"It was the start of an era, a generational change.

"But if you start something you have to finish it. That is what [then coach] John Kirwan did with us. He made Sergio the youngest number eight in international rugby and look what happened."

But, while the current crop develop, the calls for a change - specifically the introduction of relegation - grow.

"Enough's enough," said Sam Warburton last weekend. "It's beyond a joke," said fellow BBC pundit Ugo Monye.

Castrogiovanni is unconvinced by the sudden momentum behind the idea.

"If there was a big team down there they wouldn't be so sure," he said, adding that any change in the tournament's rules would only come when the stakeholders - which include Italy - renew their terms in a few years.

But both he and Masi, believe relegation, or at least the possibility and a play-off, could actually benefit Italy and the tournament overall.

"So far we have always proved we are better than the best of the tier below the Six Nations, beating Georgia, Romania," said Masi.

"We have shown we can dominate those teams quite comfortably - it would release a lot of pressure from the Italy team.

"It would help the sport's image in Italy also. The faith in this team is becoming less and less. A couple of really good wins would definitely change perceptions."

Changing the reality is not so easy.

Masi will head back to Italy this summer to take up a post with club side Benetton, having spent four years coaching Wasps' academy players.

He will link up with Marco Bortolami and Fabio Ongaro, who he played alongside in Italy's strongest era.

And overseeing it all with be Paul Gustard, the former England and Saracens defence coach, who left Harlequins in January.

"Paul will make such a big impact, both in the development of players and coaches" Masi added. "I have been so impressed by his vision and energy, his understanding, his experience."

But all of them will be working to beat heavy odds.

Italy's age-grade teams have chalked up some big upsets. In January 2020, their Under-20 team beat their Wales counterparts in Colwyn Bay.

Rival talent pools can often leave them out their depth though.

It is something Masi knows only too well from working in a Wasps academy that has spat out gems like Jack Willis and Alfie Barbeary in the past few seasons.

"In England, at under-18 level, you might have 100 really quality players. In Italy you might have five," he reflects.

And, right now, that disparity is translating too directly to the Six Nations scoreboard.

Johnny Sexton will miss Ireland's Six Nations game against France following the head knock he sustained against Wales as Billy Burns is handed a start.

A hamstring injury also rules out Conor Murray as Jamison Gibson-Park starts.

Iain Henderson is named captain as he replaces injured James Ryan and Rhys Ruddock comes in for Peter O'Mahony.

Munster back row O'Mahony is unavailable for Sunday's home game at the Aviva Stadium after being handed a three-match ban following his first-half red card in the Cardiff defeat.

During the week, Sexton became embroiled in a dispute with French neurologist Dr Jean-Francois Chermann regarding his concussion record, before receiving an apology.

Sexton insisted he had never felt under pressure to rush back from a head injury and would not take "stupid" risks due to his family commitments.

Like Sexton, lock Ryan was forced off with a head injury at the Principality Stadium and has also not recovered in time to face Les Bleus.

Burns, who came on for regular skipper Sexton in Cardiff, will be making his first Six Nations start after his chastening conclusion to last weekend's game as he kicked the ball dead when aiming for touch to end Ireland's hopes of a dramatic last-gasp victory.

Scrum-half Murray's absence means Ireland will have a different half-back combination as Leinster's Gibson-Park partners Burns.

Gibson-Park's promotion means that Murray's Munster club-mate Craig Casey is named on the bench.

Henderson will be captaining his country for the first time in the absence of both Sexton and Ryan on his first start since sustaining a knee injury during the Autumn Nations Cup.

Leinster player Ruddock has not featured for his country since coming off the bench in the 2019 World Cup quarter-final defeat to New Zealand and was not involved in any of Farrell's squads last year.

France coach Fabien Galthie makes two changes to the side which hammered Italy as Damien Penaud replaces Teddy Thomas at wing and Anthony Jelonch comes in at blindside flanker for Dylan Cretin.

Romain Ntamack is still missing after sustaining a jaw fracture with club side Toulouse which enables Matthieu Jalibert to continue his half-back partnership with the in-form Antoine Dupont.

Line-ups

Ireland: Keenan; Earls, Ringrose, Henshaw, Lowe; Burns, Gibson-Park; Healy, Herring, Porter; Beirne, Henderson (capt); Ruddock, Van der Flier, Stander.

Replacements: Kelleher, E Byrne, Furlong, Dillane, Connors, Casey, R Byrne, Larmour.

France: Dulin; Penaud, Vincent, Fickou, Villiere; Jalivert, Dupont; Baille, Marchand, Haouas; Le Roux, Willemse; Jelonch, Ollivon (capt), Alldritt.

Replacements: Bourgarit, Kolingar, Atonio, Taofifenua, Cretin, Serin, Bouthier, Thomas.

As high-level hockey tries to trudge through the COVID-19 pandemic, its players have been forced to adapt -- and accept isolation as a lifestyle.

One player who knows this well is Winnipeg Jets prospect Cole Perfetti. The 19-year-old has spent 34 days quarantining over the past three months, and since Nov. 15, he has been living out of a hotel for all but three days. Not exactly an ideal scenario entering his first season as a professional hockey player.

"I'm like a quarantine professional now," Perfetti said. "Through it, I've learned that just having an open mindset is so important, being able to go with the flow and accept changes. But it's definitely been tough at times."

Perfetti detailed his experiences -- from competing in the World Junior Championships in Edmonton, Alberta, in December and January to his current setup in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he will debut soon for the AHL's Manitoba Moose -- as a window into the mind of an elite athlete who's been forced mostly into seclusion this winter, and how it affected both his mental health and athletic preparation.

Perfetti was playing for the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL when his season abruptly ended in March 2020.

"It sucked," Perfetti said. "We had a really good team in Saginaw. We were one of the hottest teams in the CHL the last 10-15 games, and we were excited for a playoff run."

Initially, he figured that the season would resume in a couple of weeks. He returned to his home in Whitby, Ontario, with just some clothing. Nearly a year later, there's still plenty -- shoes, TV, "lots of little things in my room" -- sitting in his room at his billet family's house in Michigan.

Perfetti went through his entire NHL draft process virtually, and was selected No. 10 overall by the Jets in October. On Nov. 15, he traveled to Red Deer, Alberta, for Team Canada selection camp for the WJC. He had to quarantine for 24 hours, but once his COVID-19 test was negative, he was allowed on the ice. About a week into camp, two players tested positive for the virus. The entire team was considered close contacts and ordered to 14-day quarantines.

Perfetti had never quarantined before, so he didn't know what to expect. Team officials laid out the ground rules. "I was like, 'Oh, my God, you can't leave your room, the food will come to you.' Everything was very strict," Perfetti said. "No window opening, no fresh air. I didn't have a panic attack, but I was getting a little anxious and worked up about it."

The days became extremely regimented. Perfetti woke up at 9 a.m. and a hotel-prepared breakfast would be waiting outside his room. The team had a Zoom meeting, going over a system or game tape. A workout (via Zoom) followed an hour or so before lunch. A second team Zoom meeting focused on team building, or team camaraderie. Another three-to-four-hour block of free time followed. A hotel-prepared dinner would be brought outside his room. Then another team meeting happened at night; for these, coaches brought in celebrities and guest speakers, such as the Canadian band the Arkells or Jamie Clarke, who has climbed Mount Everest twice.

"Big time, the days blended together," Perfetti said. "Every day I would do the exact same things; we would have meetings at the exact same times."

He got some help along the way. Hockey Canada secured a stationary bike for each player and delivered it to their rooms. Perfetti's parents mailed him a diffuser.

"That was the toughest part, trying to get moisture in the air, fresh air in the room," he said. "It was difficult, but it made me appreciate the fresh things in life -- like fresh air -- a little more."

When the team was released out of quarantine, Perfetti said he was "super excited" -- both to get back to playing hockey and for some social interaction. "But I never thought I would be as tired as I was after taking two weeks off and jumping back into practice," he said. "Everyone had a tough time the first day back -- it was pretty exhausting."

Perfetti was selected to the team, and team members drove from Red Deer to Edmonton on Dec. 13. "I think it was really good for the mind, to just be in a fresh setting."

The next quarantine -- necessary to enter the WJC bubble -- was only 4½ days. The team stayed at the JW Marriott, attached to the rink in Edmonton, which Perfetti said was the nicest hotel in which he's ever stayed. Thanks to a rotating flat screen and "a massive, massive shower with rainfall shower heads," Perfetti said these four days flew by, and he knew what to expect.

After the tournament, several players reported directly to NHL camps. "I was fortunate enough the Jets let me go home for three days, before I had to go to Winnipeg," he said. "It was so necessary for me. After being in a hotel for 55 straight days, I was so done with a hotel. Three days at home, seeing my family, was really good for my mental state of mind."

Perfetti's parents asked him if he wanted to order in food to celebrate his birthday or Christmas. "I was like, 'Absolutely not,'" he said. "Can we go get food at the grocery store and just make it, please? Hotel-made food got old, really fast."

Then it was off to Winnipeg, where Perfetti was back to quarantine again.

Per Manitoba orders, Perfetti had to quarantine for seven days in total isolation and get tested every other day. Because the NHL worked out an exemption with the government, the next seven days were a hybrid quarantine. He was able to skate with the Moose, but he wasn't able to go anywhere besides the hotel or the rink.

"So I was still locked in pretty much," Perfetti said. "But it was a lot easier knowing that I could go to the rink, still play hockey, and take my mind off of just being in my hotel, and it killed some hours in my day."

Perfetti remained at the hotel after the quarantine, and it's where he lives now. The Jets arranged for him to be at an extended-stay hotel, which includes a kitchen.

"Honestly, being by yourself, having to cook, clean, do all of that stuff, I've learned that takes up a lot of your day," Perfetti said. "I've bought one meal since I've been here the last month. I've cooked everything else. I don't have all the resources -- pots, pans, spices, sauces -- that I would at home, but at least I know what I'm putting into my body: healthy foods and the right amount of food for me. As an athlete, that's really important."

The teenager said he learned a lot about himself the past few months, and he has tips for anyone who has to go through a quarantine. Yes, PlayStation helped -- both in killing time and socializing. "Even though you're not hanging out with your friends, you're kind of hanging out with them over the mic and interacting with each other," he said. FaceTiming friends and family was equally beneficial.

The biggest tip: Going to bed early was crucial. "I would go to bed at like 10 o'clock and wake up at 9," he said. "There's 11 hours of your day gone. And it felt rejuvenating once I got out of it, and even though the first back day on the ice was tough, I actually felt like I had a lot of energy coming out of all the quarantines because I was getting so much sleep."

As far as staying in shape, Perfetti was realistic about expectations. He likely wasn't going to make huge gains with limited equipment and confined space.

"I just tried to maintain some kind of physical activity a day," he said. "YouTube has a ton of great workout videos where you can follow along for 20, 30 minutes. I wasn't trying to absolutely destroy my muscles and put on muscle and gain strength. It was more about breaking a sweat and making sure I wasn't just lying down in my bed. You have to know that no matter what you do, coming out of quarantine, your conditioning just isn't going to be what it was. It will take a couple days to get back into it -- nothing replicates skating, except for skating -- but it was important to know that and not be too hard on yourself."

After nearly a year of uncertainty and altered plans, Perfetti will begin his first professional season soon, as the Moose skate against the Toronto Marlies on Monday.

"In some ways, I think the last few months were really helpful in my transition to [pro hockey]," he said. "Things are going to happen that you're not expecting, things are going to mess with your schedule, but being adaptable is a big part of success."

One day after ranking the top 100 individual prospects in baseball heading into the 2021 MLB season, it's time to turn our attention to each team's farm system as a whole.

These rankings of all 30 organizations were done, for the most part, the same way last year's were. In short, while at FanGraphs, Craig Edwards' research revealed empirical surplus dollar values for each FV tier of prospect, so we can now make an objective ranking derived from my individual team lists.

You may be wondering how this could be much different from last year's rankings since there wasn't a minor league season, and I'm glad you asked! A number of factors changed a team's place from last year at this time. The obvious stuff is incoming (draft, international signings, trade) and outgoing players (graduations, trade). Since we didn't have a traditional minor league season, there's little movement from players in the lower minors, with a couple of arrow up/down players from each club that had a fall instructional league.

There are also a handful of movers from alternate sites, but both of these camps had fewer scouts compared to a minor league season; there was some data/video sharing from some teams at alternate sites, and some instructs games had scouts present. The biggest value gains come in the top 100, both because the expected contributions of any player not in the top 100 is valued at less than $10 million, while that of the top player's is worth $112 million in expected performance, and also because the best prospects are ones who can gain a lot of value from playing well in the big leagues.

There are also two less obvious factors:. First, last year I used the generic values for each FV tier, so the 50th and 110th prospects were worth exactly the same. In most cases, this wouldn't move many farm systems that much. This year I used a graduated scale with a small difference between each spot in the top 117 (all the 50 FV and better prospects). I also found that some players at the bottom levels of the minors slipped a half-grade just because I had some anticipation of a breakout factored in last year, and few of them went to the alternate site, training at home for months, and some didn't even get a formal instructional league.

A new element this year, since it's my second doing these rankings for ESPN, is showing the movement from last year's list. I didn't look at these until I'd locked all the rankings, so there are a couple of trends that emerged in the metadata. First, all 30 farm systems add up to $6.137 billion, down almost $400 million from last year. This also comes with 99 additional prospects making the team lists. I think this is because the information I'm getting from alternate sites and instructs tends to be positive, and the negative is qualified with all of the conditions from last year. Without prospects being able to put up an awful stat line, it's hard to take one off a list. So, the bottom of the lists tends to be longer with a lack of bad data, while the top of the lists can't move that far north with no positive data on the elite prospects.

So, with no minor league season, the top of the list is held down a bit, and the bottom of the list is pushed up a bit, or not cut off the list when it otherwise would have been. More players on the list, less overall value; that makes sense to me. I don't think this specific set of circumstances will ever happen again, and I really hope it doesn't. On to the farm rankings!

Dominic Thiem fought off Nick Kyrgios and a rowdy crowd to overturn a two-set deficit in a thrilling match and reach the Australian Open fourth round.

Kyrgios had his opportunities but his shot selection - and occasionally his temper - let him down.

The match finished 50 minutes before Melbourne Park closes its doors to fans as Victoria begins a five-day lockdown.

US Open champion Thiem will play Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria for a place in the quarter-finals.

This was a fitting way for the crowds, who have been so vocal for Kyrgios, to say goodbye to the tournament for now.

They were treated to the full range of Kyrgios' brilliant shots and lapses of concentration, as well as a hardy, gutsy performance from Thiem.

The two players shook hands and had a warm conversation at the net, before Thiem was given a standing ovation by the fans.

"A first match against Nick on his favourite court with an amazing crowd - there are easier things to do," Thiem joked afterwards.

"I was dealing with the loss already before somehow I fought back in."

It is the fourth time Thiem has come from two sets down to win at a Slam, which he memorably did to claim his first major title in New York in September.

More to follow.

Australian Open players savoured the atmosphere of a crowd hours before Melbourne Park closes its doors to fans because of a snap five-day lockdown.

But it was always a fragile privilege.

Victoria state is entering lockdown to suppress a coronavirus outbreak.

From midnight on Friday until Wednesday people must stay at home, schools are closed and gatherings are banned as Victorian premier Daniel Andrews said a "short, sharp circuit breaker" was needed to combat an outbreak of the UK strain of coronavirus.

It meant that fans were still allowed into Melbourne Park on Friday to watch players including Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka, and will be able to get behind home hope Nick Kyrgios when he takes on Dominic Thiem (08:00 GMT).

The Kyrgios match is in the evening session Australian time and organisers have told ticket-holders they must leave by 11.30pm and be home by midnight, if they are not kept away by the impending lockdown.

Those fans will be missed - and not just by Kyrgios, who said the crowd spurred him on in his thrilling five-set win on Wednesday.

"It's rough. It's going to be a rough few days for I think everyone. But we'll hopefully get through it," 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams said.

"It's not ideal. It's been really fun to have the crowd back, especially here. It's been really cool," she added. "But, you know what, at the end of the day we have to do what's best. Hopefully it will be all right."

Three-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka urged fans on John Cain Arena to give her a rendition of local chant "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi! Oi! Oi!", telling them: "Thanks for coming out, it's so great to play in front you."

Former world number three Grigor Dimitrov added: "I mean, clearly it's unexpected. [But we are] still being very fortunate to be able to play a Grand Slam tournament in the middle of a pandemic."

The players will enter a biosecure 'bubble' from Saturday morning similar to ones they have experienced at tournaments for much of the pandemic, whereby they are not allowed to leave their hotels or the tournament grounds.

"They've been doing this all year," Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said.

"The last five days have been a unique experience for them and the next five will be back to what they know."

Before this outbreak - involving 13 cases stemming from a quarantine worker at a Melbourne hotel - Victoria had not had a local infection for 28 days and the state had largely eliminated the virus.

Last year, in Australia's winter, Melbourne locals endured one of the world's longest and strictest lockdowns to overcome a second wave that led to more than 90% of Australia's 29,000 cases and 909 deaths.

Preparations for the Grand Slam had been mired in controversy, with locals concerned about the influx of so many international players during a global pandemic, and complaints from some players about strict quarantine measures.

The build-up last week was disrupted when a worker at one of the tennis quarantine hotels tested positive, with warm-up events paused and players having to be tested. And the Australian Open itself is being held three weeks later than usual so that players could quarantine for 14 days.

Up to 30,000 fans have been allowed in each day - around 50% of the usual attendance - although the actual numbers attending have fallen well short of that with 22,299 coming through the gates on Thursday.

Fans who had already bought tickets will get their money back and Friday's night session is still open, despite Andrews encouraging Victorians to stay at home.

"It's entirely up to our fans to make their choice," Tiley said. "They'll be coming to a Covid-safe environment... but they will get a refund if they are not comfortable coming."

BARBERVILLE, Fla. — After flirting with victory throughout the DIRTcar Nationals, Devin Moran finished the job Thursday night at Volusia Speedway Park with his first World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series victory of the season.

On Thursday night – into Friday morning – after a rain shower halted racing for a couple of hours, Moran was no longer for playing games. He was confident. He was taking his shot.

From the fifth starting position, Moran charged to the front past the likes of Chris Madden and Dale McDowell to finally secure his date with victory lane during the 50th DIRTcar Nationals – his fifth World of Outlaws victory.

“This is awesome,” Moran said. “We’ve had just a fast race car all week and we haven’t been able to quite get there. I was bummed when I got that pill draw (to start fifth) but congrats to the track crew. They did an awesome job. We got rain and I honestly didn’t think we were going to race. Everyone back there was complaining, not wanting to race, but we’re here to race. So, that’s what we were going to do. They did an awesome job, and this is probably the raciest it’s been all week.

“It’s awesome to finally get a gator (trophy). We didn’t think we were going to come here, but it’s all happening and it’s pretty cool.”

At the start of the 40-lap feature, on Friday morning, McDowell launched ahead of the field to lead the first lap with Madden following his tire tracks in second. By lap three Madden sucked the right-side stickers off McDowell’s car as he rocketed past him off turn four to claim the lead. McDowell fought back and the two raced side by side for a lap before Madden got into a rhythm and pulled away.

The second caution of the night came out with 31 laps to go and allowed Moran, in third, to line up next to McDowell on the restart.

Moran bested McDowell on the restart and secured the runner-up spot by the first corner. He then began his pursuit of Madden.

With 19 laps to go and a run down the backstretch, he threw his No. 9 machine to the bottom of turn three, underneath Madden, and allowed the momentum to send his car up the track in front of his new rival. Madden was ready for the move, though, and cranked his steering wheel to the left by the center of the corner to turn underneath Moran.

They went side by side down the front stretch before Madden cleared him for the lead by the flag stand.

Moran wasn’t done, yet. This was the time to shoot his shot. He pulled even with Madden down the backstretch and tried another slide job attempt into turn three. This time to perfection. Madden didn’t have the grip to hang with Moran off the corner and had to watch the 26-year-old drive away.

While Moran was on his way to holding hands with victory, a new challenger emerged in the late stage of the race. From the ninth starting position, Bobby Pierce navigated his way to second with nine laps to go.

He put the pressure on Moran in the closing laps, but it wasn’t enough to hinder his confidence. Moran held a steady wheel to win his first-ever DIRTcar Nationals win – and increased his points lead over Pierce for the Big Gator championship with two races remaining.

“Last night (when he blew a tire) was a heartbreaker,” Pierce said. “We’d have so many good finishes if it wasn’t for that. Congrats to Devin on the win there. I think he snookered us on tires. That explains why he was pulling away there pretty good. The car is really good. I was driving my butt off to catch him. I guess we needed so green flag runs to catch him.”

McDowell worked his way back by Madden with five laps to go to round out the podium.

“We’ve been working and been right there,” McDowell said. “Just have to drive harder in these conditions. Just out of my wheelhouse.”

The finish:

Feature (40 Laps) – 1. 9-Devin Moran [5][$10,000]; 2. 32-Bobby Pierce [9][$6,000]; 3. 17M-Dale McDowell [1][$3,500]; 4. 8-Kyle Strickler [7][$2,800]; 5. 28-Dennis Erb [21][$2,500]; 6. 1-Brandon Sheppard [23][$2,300]; 7. 7-Ricky Weiss [17][$2,200]; 8. 44-Chris Madden [4][$2,100]; 9. 16-Tyler Bruening [2][$2,050]; 10. 25-Shane Clanton [18][$2,000]; 11. 54-David Breazeale [15][$1,600]; 12. 58-Ross Bailes [28][$400]; 13. O-Scott Bloomquist [13][$1,200]; 14. 33-Jeff Mathews [22][$1,100]; 15. B1-Brent Larson [8][$1,050]; 16. 18-Chase Junghans [19][$1,000]; 17. 56-Tony Jackson [24][$1,000]; 18. 99B-Boom Briggs [27][$1,000]; 19. 40B-Kyle Bronson [3][$1,000]; 20. OE-Rick Eckert [25][$1,000]; 21. 20-Jimmy Owens [11][$1,000]; 22. 6JR-Parker Martin [30][$110]; 23. OS-Ryan Scott [31][$110]; 24. 6-Blake Spencer [29][$110]; 25. 97-Cade Dillard [6][$1,000]; 26. 20RT-Ricky Thornton [10][$1,000]; 27. 29V-Darrell Lanigan [12][$1,000]; 28. 14-Josh Richards [14][$1,000]; 29. 42-Chad Finley [16][$1,000]; 30. 76-Brandon Overton [20][$1,000]; Hard Charger Award: 1-Brandon Sheppard[+17]

Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino has said he is open to Neymar travelling home to Brazil to recover from his latest injury.

Neymar hurt his left adductor during PSG's 1-0 victory over Caen on Wednesday and is expected to be out of action for up to four weeks.

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Pochettino believes "a change of scenery" could speed up Neymar's recuperation and see him back on the pitch in time for the Champions League round-of-16 return leg with Barcelona in Paris on March 10.

"I don't know if Neymar will request to go to Brazil during his recovery process, but it will depend on the medical report," Pochettino said. "Concessions given to players to have a change of scenery at times are necessary and allow them to recover faster.

"There is always hope that the recovery process will be favourable. I hope he will be in the return leg. Neymar's commitment and motivation is huge."

The former Barca star, who has preferred to be in Brazil in the past when injured, was looking forward to returning to the Camp Nou on Tuesday for the Champions League first leg.

"He was especially excited to play against Barca," Pochettino said. "It's a pity. He's very sad. Neymar was made for games like this and that is why he is so affected. To lose Neymar and [Angel Di Maria, who is also injured] is an important setback, but we must adapt. I'm optimistic by nature and this is a challenge for the team."

On Thursday, Neymar questioned his own style of play, and the criticism he receives, while wondering how much longer he can continue enjoying the game.

Meanwhile, his father, Neymar Sr., has hit out at Caen coach Pascal Dupraz for saying that "he left the crying for Neymar" when asked about his team not being awarded a penalty against PSG.

Neymar Sr. responded to Dupraz and wrote on social media: "REALLY MY SON HAS TO CRY, BUT NOT FOR WHAT YOU IMAGINE MR...In my opinion, he has to cry because there are coaches like you, referees of that level, negligent and silent leagues, journalists in the large minority biased and cowards in sport. Yes, he has to cry ...But my crying and his, my son's, the athlete, the magic of football, will last another night and after that he will rise again, as always, to beat them."

While Dupraz regrets Neymar got injured, he stands by the comments he made as "football is a contact sport."

"It wasn't Caen that injured Neymar," he said. "He limped out, injured himself. I do not dispute the fact that he is injured, that it is detrimental to him, his team and all of us, supporters of French football."

Dupraz also added that it is Neymar's provocative style of play that leads to him receiving more fouls.

"He complains of taking kicks while he controls the ball on his feet because he is an artist," he said. "He is clever, he adds more, he provokes.... what bothers me is that he is in the provocation and the invective.

"That's all, it's just what bothers me. I am an educator, responsible and mature, I coach young players. They must learn to be respected."

Dupraz has advised Neymar to follow the example of France legend Michel Platini and the late Johan Cruyff, who he describes as "artists, who had character but didn't add it on [to their play]."

Pochettino disagrees with that notion and said: "Neymar enjoys having the ball on his feet. That is how he plays and it's not a provocation. He loves football.

"Because of his play, many times Neymar gets more tackles than others, perhaps referees should apply common sense and protect him a lot more."