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Six Nations: Jacob Stockdale ‘back to what he’s good at’ says Andy Farrell before facing France

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Ireland head coach Andy Farrell says Jacob Stockdale “deserves” to start against France in the Six Nations opener in Paris on Thursday night (20:10 GMT).

The 29-year-old wing, who was player of the championship in 2018, will appear in the competition for the first time since facing England in 2021.

Leinster’s James Lowe has been first-choice in the position for the majority of the games since then, but has struggled to find his best form since returning from the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia last summer.

“There’s always a debate to be had and Jacob deserves it,” said Farrell of the selection.

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“He’s back to being himself this year, that’s for sure. If you speak to him, he’s delighted that he’s simplified things and got back to what he’s good at which is beating people. We’ve seen that plenty this season.”

With Stockdale selected on the left wing, Jamie Osborne gets the nod at full-back.

Usual number 15 Hugo Keenan misses out with a broken thumb sustained in training last week with Osborne coming in despite having played no rugby since Ireland’s win over Japan in November because of a shoulder problem.

“Knowing his temperament and how diligent he is in his preparation, which is top drawer by the way, there’s no better man,” said Farrell of Osborne’s readiness for a first game in three months.

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“Jacob [Stockdale] is playing well, he deserves his chance on the left wing. Hugo has been unbelievably unlucky. He was looking sharp coming back in and I really feel for him to have the thumb injury.

“You look at the likes of Jimmy O’Brien or Mack Hansen or others [without Keenan] and Jamie is the one who is going to fill the spot for us. He’s had a shoulder injury so he’s fit, he’s certainly showed that in the last week.”

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Caitlin Clark Hilariously Erases Doubts of Taking Payton Pritchard Comparison as an Offense After Celtics Star’s Buzzer Beater

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One of the most hilarious viral moments over the weekend was Caitlin Clark’s reaction to Reggie Miller comparing her to Payton Pritchard. Some people thought that it was disrespectful coming from an Indiana legend, while others just can’t stop teasing Clark on social media.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, it seemed like Clark was feeding into her memeable reaction to the comparison. She retweeted a post by the NBA showing Pritchard’s midrange basket against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night. She also dropped a few smirking emojis just for fun.

“😏😏😏,” Clark tweeted.

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While Payton Pritchard is not a bad comparison since he can shoot the basketball, Caitlin Clark has usually been compared to Steph Curry. Clark has range, though her court vision is an underrated part of her game. She led the WNBA in assists as a rookie.

Clark failed to show off her improvement in her second season in the league due to injuries. She was limited to just 13 games after suffering multiple muscle-related injuries, mainly to her hamstring and groin. She also had a sprained ankle while recovering from a groin injury that kept her from returning for the playoffs.

The Indiana Fever went to the WNBA semifinals without her, pushing the eventual champions Las Vegas Aces, to five games. Even Game 5 was a nailbiter, with the Aces needing overtime to dispatch an injury-plagued Fever squad.

Clark returned to the court last December after being invited by Team USA to participate in a mini-camp as part of their preparation for this year’s World Cup.

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Sophie Cunningham reacts to Caitlin Clark’s reaction to Reggie Miller’s comparison

Caitlin Clark was a guest analyst on NBC Sports’ “Sunday Night Basketball” over the weekend. Clark helped cover the LA Lakers vs. New York Knicks matchup, alongside NBA legends such as Reggie Miller, Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady.

Speaking on the “Show Me Something” podcast, Sophie Cunningham shared her honest reaction to Caitlin Clark’s analyst debut, as well as Miller’s comp.

“First of all, I think she did a really good job,” Cunningham said, according to Sports Illustrated. “She was a natural up there. … I mean, she’s a dweeb. She knows the game, so that’s no shock.”

Cunningham added that Miller didn’t compare Clark to Payton Pritchard as a sign of disrespect. It was a genuine take from the Indiana Pacers legend. Miller even called Clark the best shooter in Indiana history, over himself and Tyrese Haliburton.