Ireland head coach Andy Farrell said there were "no excuses" for his side's 23-13 defeat by New Zealand.

Ireland had won their past 19 home games, and had lost just once at Aviva Stadium since round one of the 2019 Six Nations, but they were deservedly beaten in a game where indiscipline and errors were their undoing.

In what was a first game together since their drawn series with South Africa in July, Ireland's attack in particular offered little throughout.

"There's no excuses for us. You can talk about all sorts of stuff, rustiness, game-time - there's no excuse. It is what it is," Farrell said.

"The opposition, long story short, deserved to win.

"I thought we'd prepped well, trained well, everyone was excited about the game.

"We didn't manage to put our game out on the field. Obviously the opposition have a big say in that."

Los Angeles Kings forward Tanner Jeannot has been suspended for three games by the NHL Department of Player Safety for an illegal check to the head of Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser.

Jeannot received a match penalty at 10:44 of the first period in the Kings' 4-2 loss to the Canucks in Los Angeles on Thursday night. As Boeser passed the puck near the red line, Jeannot delivered a high hit with his right shoulder that caught Boeser's head.

"For the refs to call five minutes, obviously a dangerous hit," said defenseman Quinn Hughes after the game.

The NHL ruled that Jeannot "cuts across the front of Boeser's body, missing his core and making his head the main point of contact, on a hit where such contact was unavoidable."

The hit met two requirements for an illegal check to the head: that the head is the main point of contact, even though there's contact with other parts of Boeser's body; and that while Boeser was eligible to be hit, Jeannot took the wrong approach to deliver what was deemed an illegal check.

This was only Jeannot's second run-in with the NHL Department of Player Safety. He was fined $2,000 for kneeing Ottawa's Brady Tkachuk in March 2022, when Jeannot was a member of the Nashville Predators.

Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, and based on his average annual salary, Jeannot will forfeit $41,640.63. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

NHL players may appeal all on-ice discipline to commissioner Gary Bettman within 48 hours of a ruling, but Jeannot can't file for a subsequent appeal to a neutral arbitrator because his suspension is less than six games.

Jeannot has one goal and one assist in 15 games for the Kings, who acquired him from the Tampa Bay Lightning during the offseason. He leads the NHL with 36 penalty minutes.

Boeser is tied for second on the Canucks in scoring with 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 12 games.

Ireland: Keenan; Hansen, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe; Crowley, Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Bealham; McCarthy, Ryan; Beirne, Van der Flier, Doris (capt).

Replacements: Herring, Healy, OToole, Henderson, OMahony, Murray, Frawley, Osborne.

New Zealand: Jordan; Tele'a, Ioane, J Barrett, Clarke; McKenzie, Ratima; Williams, Aumua, Lomax, S Barrett (capt), Vaa'i, Sititi, Cane, Savea.

Replacements: Bell, Tu'ungafasi, Tosi, Tuipulotu, Finau, Roigard, Leinert-Brown, Stephen Perofeta.

Sin-bin: J Barrett (39)

Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)

MANCHESTER, England -- Pep Guardiola and Lee Carsley are on a collision course over Jack Grealish after the Manchester City boss revealed his England counterpart did not contact him before calling up the injured star.

Grealish hasn't featured for City since the 2-1 win over Wolves on Oct. 20, but was included in the England squad for games against Greece and Republic of Ireland when it was announced on Thursday.

The decision has perplexed Guardiola, who insisted Grealish is not available for City's Premier League fixture against Brighton on Saturday.

Asked whether he spoke to Carsley before the England squad was released, Guardiola said: "No."

"I'm not the guy to say you cannot go," he later added. "But for my team tomorrow [Saturday] he's not fit, he cannot play. The people from England believe he can help. So go."

Carsley said on Thursday that Grealish has been training with City "for the last couple of days," something that Guardiola disputed.

"He was in the gym for a few minutes, yes, the last two days," Guardiola said.

"It's a question for the manager from the UK. I'm not involved. They can select who they want. All I'd say is the day after Wolves, he was injured. Then 17 days out and today [Friday] was the first training with the team."

Guardiola also revealed he has spoken to Grealish since his call-up and that the midfielder intends to join up with the squad next week.

"He said he wants to go to the national team," Guardiola said.

City head to Brighton looking to break a three-game losing streak. They haven't lost four games in a row in all competitions since 2006, while Guardiola has never lost four in a row during his managerial career.

"We know the reason why we struggle," Guardiola said.

"We are looking forward to the game and then the international break. After that, a few [injured] players come back better."

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Following a long, often painful, wait, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey said he is ready to make his 2024 season debut Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"The last eight weeks were extremely unfortunate," McCaffrey said. "For me, it's very tough being injured. It's tough physically, mentally, emotionally, especially when it's just not how you planned it. It wasn't expected. Some stuff just went wrong, but I'm feeling great now. Ready to go."

McCaffrey missed the first eight games of the season with bilateral Achilles tendinitis. On Friday, he completed his first full week of practice since before the season opener and is set to be activated from injured reserve in time to play against the Bucs.

Officially, McCaffrey is listed as questionable on the team's injury report, but coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear Friday it would take a significant turn of events for the star running back not to be activated Saturday and play Sunday.

The Niners will have to make a corresponding roster move to create a spot for McCaffrey.

"We'll take him off IR tomorrow, and then he'll be good to go," Shanahan said. "Unless something crazy happens on this plane ride, he should be good to go tomorrow once he gets off IR."

McCaffrey's recovery from a calf injury and the ensuing Achilles issue has seen plenty of stops and starts but finally gained momentum toward a return in recent weeks. The Niners placed McCaffrey on injured reserve Sept. 14 after he was listed as questionable and then a surprise scratch before the Sept. 9 season opener against the New York Jets.

That followed a training camp in which McCaffrey participated very little as Shanahan announced he was dealing with a calf strain in early August. Shanahan later revealed that McCaffrey was also dealing with Achilles soreness.

When the Niners put McCaffrey on injured reserve, Shanahan said it was done in part to protect McCaffrey from himself, giving him a chance to rest and recover as much as possible. Then, when the Niners were in Los Angeles to play the Rams on Sept. 22, McCaffrey traveled to Germany to meet with a specialist and get treatment on the Achilles.

McCaffrey declined to elaborate on that trip Friday but did acknowledge he was willing to explore every avenue necessary in order to get back on the field.

"I keep all that stuff private," McCaffrey said. "When you're on IR and you're hurt, you'll do anything to come back. So, I'm feeling good now. That's all that matters."

That trip to Germany did seem to at least give McCaffrey a sort of timetable for a return. While he's been eligible to come off injured reserve for about a month, the Niners and McCaffrey have been eyeing Sunday's game in Tampa, Florida, coming out of the bye for a while.

During the bye week, McCaffrey participated in some simulated practice activities, which went well enough for him to open his practice window Monday. He then participated in every practice this week with no apparent setbacks. Once he made it through the team's traditionally longer and more strenuous Thursday session, Shanahan told KNBR radio that he expected McCaffrey to be ready to go.

While McCaffrey was away, the 49ers went 4-4, but his return to practice offered a jolt of energy coming off the bye.

"It's great. 2-3 like (Michael) Jordan, he's the man," linebacker Fred Warner said. "Reigning offensive player of the year, one of the best players and people I've been around, so it's good to just see him back out there."

McCaffrey did offer a few details about his recovery Friday, noting that he didn't attend as many meetings as he normally would because he was constantly doing things to help his body. McCaffrey said he spent most of his time getting treatment, doing prehab and rehab, training and ensuring he got plenty of sleep and rest when he could.

When he finally returned to practice Monday, McCaffrey said his overwhelming feeling was gratitude.

"It can be dark sometimes and especially with something like that that you feel like it's having to watch games, you're physically in pain," McCaffrey said. "A lot goes into this. I think about football every day of my life. It consumes about 98% of my life, and so when it doesn't go right, it can be very tough. But all I know is it makes you realize how blessed and fortunate you are to play when you are on that field."

While McCaffrey looks poised to return, the Niners have some other key players who are out or also listed as questionable.

Cornerback Charvarius Ward will not play against the Bucs as he remains away from the team following the death of his young daughter. Defensive tackle Kevin Givens (groin) and receiver Chris Conley (hamstring) have also been ruled out.

Defensive end Nick Bosa (hip) and wideout Deebo Samuel (rib, oblique) are among the important Niners listed as questionable. Bosa suffered a hip pointer in Wednesday's practice and did not do much in practice Thursday and Friday.

"He wasn't able to do a lot," Shanahan said. "He definitely was extremely limited. Hoping he'll be alright, but we'll see on Sunday."

FRISCO, Texas -- While the move has not been made official yet, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will be placed on injured reserve, according to executive vice president Stephen Jones.

Speaking on 105.3 The Fan on Friday, Jones said, "I think it's probably no way he can be back in the four-week timeframe, so we'll put him over there and we'll have that roster spot to use in terms of the next four weeks and go from there. Obviously a tough, tough situation, losing him for that period time, but we're going to do what's in the best interest of Dak and right now I don't think anyone knows whether it'll be four weeks, six weeks or the season. We'll just have to continue to monitor that and see where it takes us."

Multiple sources said Prescott is looking at 6-8 weeks of recovery because of the partial avulsion of his hamstring he suffered in last week's loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

He has sought numerous opinions on the injury and earlier Friday, owner and general manager Jerry Jones said on the Fan that there is no answer yet as to whether Prescott will require surgery.

If he has surgery, then he would miss the rest of the regular season. In 2022, left tackle Tyron Smith suffered a full avulsion of his hamstring just before the start of the season and missed the first 13 games.

"He's got to have some weeks off of it before he can see if it really does require surgery and so he doesn't want surgery. He wants to be on the field and going for it," Jerry Jones said. "And so he's weighing that, we're weighing that and we'll just see how it goes here."

It is likely Prescott will be placed on injured reserve Saturday as the Cowboys look to elevate a player from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. That would keep him out at least the next four games until Dec. 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals but likely needing more time to be able to return.

By then the 3-5 Cowboys could be well off of a playoff chase with four games remaining in the regular season.

"Well aware it's there, well aware it could happen," Jerry Jones said, "but that type of thinking hasn't entered into it."

Florida Gators men's basketball coach Todd Golden is the subject of a Title IX investigation following allegations of sexual harassment, stalking and cyberstalking from multiple women, including students, according to a complaint sent anonymously to Gainesville media outlets and later obtained by ESPN on Friday.

Florida received a formal Title IX complaint against Golden on Sept. 27 that includes allegations of sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and stalking, The Alligator, the university's independent student newspaper, first reported.

Golden, 39, aimed these behaviors toward Florida students and former Florida students, according to the Title IX complaint, which was also obtained by WCJB TV20 in Gainesville.

University spokeswoman Cynthia Roldan Hernandez refused a request Friday to provide a copy of the complaint and declined to answer any questions about Golden, a married father of two young boys.

The Title IX complaint includes allegations that Golden sent photos and videos of his genitalia, made unwanted sexual advances on Instagram and requested sexual favors.

Golden also allegedly took photos of women walking or driving -- or their cars in various locations -- and then sent those photos to the subjects of the photos. He also allegedly showed up to locations where he knew the women would be, according to the Title IX complaint.

Florida hired Golden in 2022 to replace Mike White, initially giving him a six-year, $18 million contract. Golden and the school agreed last March to a two-year extension, tying him to the school through the 2029-30 season on a deal that tops $4 million per season.

Prior to arriving at Florida, Golden had previously spent three seasons as the head coach of San Francisco, leading the Dons to their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1998. Golden was also an assistant under Kyle Smith at USF for three seasons after two seasons apiece at Auburn and Columbia.

Golden is 42-29 in two-plus seasons in Gainesville.

This is the third set of serious allegations against a head coach during athletic director Scott Stricklin's eight-year tenure.

Stricklin forced women's basketball coach Cam Newbauer to resign in 2021 amid allegations he verbally, physically and mentally abused players and staff members.

Less than a year later, Stricklin fired women's soccer coach Tony Amato amid an investigation into the coach's comments and behavior regarding players' eating habits and body shapes. Amato was fired without cause one year into a six-year contract, leaving the Gators on the hook for roughly $1.125 million.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Major League Baseball and the Atlanta Braves formally objected to Diamond Sports Group's reorganization plan Friday, citing, among other things, a lack of information to corroborate the viability of the company's projections.

In a motion filed in Houston bankruptcy court, MLB and the Braves said they have "grave concerns that, if the plan is confirmed, there is a substantial likelihood that the debtors will find themselves once again in financial distress and/or bankruptcy court in the near future."

Diamond, approaching 20 months in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is scheduled to begin its confirmation hearing Thursday, during which a federal judge will determine whether to approve the operator's go-forward plan.

Diamond held regional sports network contracts with 12 MLB teams during the 2024 season but decided last month to keep only the Braves deal under its current iteration while hoping to negotiate new terms with some of the other clubs.

Four teams -- the Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers, all on expiring contracts -- have since broken away from Diamond. The company announced a near linear and digital rights agreement with the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday and is expected to soon announce one with the Miami Marlins. The Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds remain in limbo.

Diamond, which recently rebranded from Bally Sports to FanDuel Sports, is also looking to finalize a commercial arrangement with Amazon that would allow it access to the direct-to-consumer Prime Video platform.

MLB and the Braves cited a lack of clarity on that deal among its concerns, writing that Diamond's "refusal to produce information concerning the proposed commercial lynchpin of the go-forward business plan as to [direct-to-consumer] subscribers, a subscriber base that the debtors estimate in the financial projections to grow by hundreds of percentage points between now and the end of 2027, by itself justifies a finding that the debtors cannot meet their feasibility burden."

MLB and the Braves added that Diamond has "consistently failed to produce" information about its new distribution agreements to allow for cross-examination in the linear-cable space and that they should not be "compelled to partner with a business that does not have a realistic roadmap to future operations."

Diamond currently has linear and digital rights deals with 13 NBA and eight NHL teams.

The NBA never spoke with a woman who says then-New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes hit her in a 2021 incident that led to his arrest on domestic violence charges.

Hayes, who now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, also was not disciplined by the NBA after his no-contest plea on misdemeanor charges of false imprisonment and resisting an officer, despite a league policy that says such a plea "will conclusively establish a violation." For his plea in the criminal case, Hayes was sentenced to community service, one year of weekly domestic violence classes and three years' probation.

Waukeen McCoy and Laura Stone, attorneys for Hayes' former girlfriend, Sofia Jamora, said they remember receiving a call from a person in the NBA's legal department investigating the incident. McCoy says he returned the call and left a message but never heard back again.

"They didn't follow up with me," he said. "If they were actually doing a thorough investigation, they would have reached out to her lawyer and obtained info from us."

NBA spokesman Mike Bass declined to respond to specific questions about the league's investigation into the incident or the results.

But pressed on whether the league sought to interview Jamora, Bass said, "An NBA investigator reached out multiple times to Laura Stone, Ms. Jamora's representative, and we did not receive a response to our outreach."

The NBA said it had reopened the case earlier this week, after TMZ posted a 5-minute video of an altercation between Hayes and Jamora. At the start of the video, taken by a surveillance camera at a home in Woodland Hills, Calif., Hayes appears to be blocking Jamora from trying to leave as she says, "No, stop, I don't feel safe. Jaxson, stop, stop, what is your problem?" Later, Hayes can be seen pulling Jamora through a door as she says, "Stop, let go of me." He responds, "What the f---'s wrong with you?"

Shortly after, out of view of the camera, Jamora can be heard crying, "Get out, please," as another man in the house tries to calm Hayes and remove him from the situation. Later, in video showing Hayes and Jamora outside the house, Jamora says, "I'm not gonna let you hit me anymore. What the f--- do I look like, a punching bag?" At the end of the video, Hayes pushes Jamora and then turns back and appears to spit at her.

Ultimately, police were called to the scene, and bodycam footage showed Hayes wrestling with and shoving an officer. Hayes later paid the officer $150,000 to cover his injuries, according to a deposition given by the officer. About a month after Hayes pleaded no contest, Jamora filed a civil lawsuit against Hayes alleging physical and emotional damages from multiple incidents.

After TMZ posted the video Sunday, the NBA announced it was reopening its investigation.

McCoy and Stone told ESPN they would allow their client to speak with the NBA now, as they would have at the time of the league's original inquiry.. "If they're investigating, we're definitely gonna encourage our client to cooperate."

McCoy and Stone said they had not heard from the NBA since the league announced it was reopening its investigation.

McCoy told ESPN he was disheartened that it took the video for the league to take another look, "knowing that I've been in this case since 2021 and how serious the allegations were and the actions of Mr. Hayes at the time."

Mark Baute, a lawyer representing Hayes, defended his client while accusing Jamora's team of leaking the video.

"We understand the plaintiff wants to try the case through TMZ or other media outlets," Baute said. "The plaintiff admitted to everyone on site that night that she had no injuries and was not punched or hit by anyone. We intend to fully cooperate with the NBA's desire to reopen the investigation now that the plaintiff is sending material to TMZ."

McCoy told ESPN Friday that he and his client have "had no contact with TMZ." Stone said, "I did not send anything to TMZ."

Asked this week when the NBA first saw the video and what's new in it that prompted the league to reopen its investigation, Bass offered a statement: "As previously stated, the video has prompted us to reopen our investigation of this matter. We are also aware of and have been monitoring the pending civil litigation. We will not be providing details on our investigative process."

After the Lakers signed Hayes last year, general manager Rob Pelinka addressed the 2021 incident in an interview with The Athletic.

"I think the most important thing is we take those things very seriously and do a full vetting process," Pelinka told The Athletic. "Jaxson has been very sincere (with) his apologies around handling that and has moved beyond it to where he's had a year or two in the NBA playing after it. It was something that we felt like he owned, took responsibility for it, and is going to be a better person on the other side of it."

McCoy told ESPN he was surprised when he read that.

"As far as I know, [Hayes] hasn't apologized," McCoy said. "I don't know what he looked at or heard that made him say that. I took it to mean [Hayes] apologized to the police officer."

In the civil case, McCoy and Stone sought to depose Pelinka, but lawyers for Hayes fought to quash a deposition of the Lakers' GM. One of Hayes' attorneys, Artyom Baghdishyan, wrote, "... it is undisputed that Mr. Pelinka did not interview, speak with, or question Mr. Hayes concerning the July 2021 incident, and thus lacks personal knowledge relevant to this case."

Baghdishyan's statement followed a declaration from Pelinka in which he wrote: "I do not know anything about the underlying allegations in that dispute and have not spoken to Mr. Hayes about the civil litigation or any of the underlying allegations."

He added that any vetting of Hayes was done by an outside contractor, "which is our normal protocol" for an off-season move.

McCoy previously squared off against Baute in a higher-profile NBA case. McCoy represented a woman who accused NBA star Derrick Rose, represented by Baute, and two of his friends of rape in 2013. The men were found not liable, prompting Baute to say at the time, "The system worked."