Much of the build-up to both of England’s recent games against New Zealand was as if it was a dry run for next year’s World Cup final at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium.

New Zealand have beaten England in back-to-back world finals, but the Red Roses showed their current dominance over them by comfortably winning both of their most recent matches.

Now it seems WXV1 hosts Canada, who ran England close in their World Cup semi-final in 2022, are ready to step into New Zealand’s shoes as the main challenger.

Despite their amateur status, they defeated New Zealand to win the Pacific Four Series earlier this year before recording big WXV victories over France and Ireland to set up a title showdown with England.

They are ranked number two in the world and are on a six-game winning run of their own.

So is Saturday’s decider the actual dress rehearsal for the World Cup final?

Canada will need to produce a near-perfect performance to end England’s winning run but their confidence is building.

Lock Tyson Beukeboom, who played in Canada’s World Cup final loss to England in 2014, this week challenged her side to win next year’s World Cup.

“Canada have always been knocking at that door,” said England captain Marlie Packer, who also played in the 2014 final.

“If you look 10 years ago they were in that World Cup final, they have always been threats.”

Seven players in the hosts’ starting XV play their club rugby in England, with four more named as replacements.

Prop McKinley Hunt and number eight Gabrielle Senft play for Packers’ Saracens, but unlike the England captain – who is centrally contracted with her union – spend most of their time apart from the national side.

“They do a lot of training off their own back because they are very driven and athletic individuals,” Packer added.

“Some of them are great rugby players and you put that with confidence then that is the Canada side we are seeing at the moment.

“They don’t play together as much as us or the other home nations, so that gives us an advantage in the type of game we want to play.”

It is obvious why Finland’s most famous players – such as Sami Hyypia, Jari Litmanen and Teemu Pukki – aspired to play in a league as credible as the Premier League.

But what about British involvement in Finland – a nation that had not qualified for a major tournament until Euro 2020 – where ice hockey is typically seen as the biggest sport?

Twelve British players compares to none in the top leagues of Norway and Sweden, with eight each in France and Germany, and four in Spain.

IFK Mariehamn took a chance on Jayden Reid – who left Portsmouth last season after two years without making an appearance due to injury – while fellow winger Imani Lanquedoc is on loan at FC Haka from Fulham.

Luke Plange – who Crystal Palace signed for £1 million from a Derby County side battling relegation from the Championship under Wayne Rooney – has since played Champions League qualifying matches for HJK Helsinki.

HJK made a profit from selling last season’s Veikkausliiga top scorer, Bojan Radulovic, to the Championship, so might the club see an opportunity for more business later down the line?

“I think the clubs here assume that if English professionals are willing to come over, they are going to be decent quality,” said Cicale.

“Finnish football can be a very good platform for exhibiting your abilities – and perhaps if things haven’t gone in such a linear fashion throughout your career – it’s a good opportunity here to show what level you’re still at.”

Grieve’s view is that the Finnish league is a secure working environment for coaches – and it attracts a different type of player.

“It is not 100 mph like an EFL game, the technical level here is higher,” he explained.

“It is way more aggressive and more contact and a ‘free for all’ in Scotland or the lower leagues in England – it’s a different sport in all honesty.

“People who want to try and develop their career and develop a style of play might be more inclined to go somewhere like Finland.”

But Coffey has seen a chance to thrive as an unusual type of footballer in the Veikkausliiga.

“I’ve been kicked and pulled around by men in England, whereas in Sweden and Finland, the lads that I’m playing against are quite young,” he said.

“Technically, they’re very good players, but I feel like I’ve got a bit of an edge in terms of physicality and aggression.

“There are many good players in England, but I just don’t think a lot of them want to make the step or they’re quite comfortable living in England and maybe working and playing part-time,” he added.

ANDY CARROLL admits he hit “rock bottom” during his time at West Ham.

The 35-year-old is now playing away from the limelight with Bordeaux in the French fourth tier.

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Carroll made the shock move in the summer after the club were relegated two divisions due to falling into administration.

While many chase a final career payday, the nine-time capped England star is enjoying a “quieter and relaxed” life in France.

He admits he is much happier now after battling injuries during his years in the Premier League with Newcastle, Liverpool and West Ham.

Carroll opened up to Foot Mercato, admitting on his days at the Hammers: “It was a really tough time in my life. It was a stressful time for me.

“I was at rock bottom, everything was dark.

“It was hard to get back up. I was just falling apart and making bad decisions. It was just really tough.

“As a player, you just want to be out there playing. But sometimes you hear people saying: ‘Oh, he’s still injured, he should retire.’ Things like that that are not nice.

“At that point you are in a hole, in your shell and you are just trying to get out of it.

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“Luckily, I managed to get out of it and I had a positive ending.

“So now I just love playing football. I get paid to play football. I get paid to do what I love.

“I’ve had a lot of injuries in my career. I have been on the bench, been a bit-part player and off the pitch sometimes, only playing the last ten minutes.

“I just want to finish my career playing as much as possible. And it is not about money. It is just about enjoying my life.”

Carroll, who recently divorced his wife Billi Mucklow and started dating Lou Teasdale, is reportedly on £750-a-week at Bordeaux.

The target man is already proving useful for the fallen giants, scoring four goals in his first two games.

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The placid nature of the Multan surface made batting look easy at times in the first Test – well, if you came from Yorkshire that is!

Harry Brook, who became England’s first triple centurion for 34 years, shared a partnership of 454 with Joe Root, beating the previous best of 411 made by Colin Cowdrey and Peter May 57 years ago.

It came as England posted 823-7 declared – the fourth-highest total in Test history – in response to Pakistan’s 556, before bowling the hosts out for 220 on the final day.

Former England captain Michael Atherton pulled no punches with his assessment of the pitch used for the match.

“It’s a shocking Test-match pitch,” Atherton said on Sky Sports.

“If you don’t have that balance between bat and ball, you’re going to get a lot of poor cricket. So not a good pitch despite the fact there was a result.”

Ex-England skipper Nasser Hussain said the surface was typical of pitches in Pakistan and that the end result “does not justify everything that went before it”.

So exactly how much of a bowlers’ graveyard was the pitch for the first Test?

Well, since Test cricket returned to Pakistan in 2019 there have been 16 Tests where ball-tracking has been available to Cricviz.

Of those 16 Tests, this Multan pitch produced the second-lowest amount of average swing (0.63 degrees) but was the third-highest when it came to seam (0.53°).

It is perhaps the spinners who toiled the most – certainly Pakistan’s – with the amount of drift being the lowest of all 16 Tests (1.16°) and it was the fourth-lowest amount of turn (2.86°) seen in that time.

When England were victorious in Multan on their last tour of Pakistan in 2022, the highest score in the match was made by the hosts in the fourth innings – 328 – as England wrapped up a 26-run win.

MMA Fighting has BKFC Spain results for the Tenaglia vs. Soto fight card and more from Marbella Arena in Marbella, Spain.

In the main event, Franco Tenaglia squares off against Tony Soto for the vacant BKFC lightweight title.

Austin Trout defends his BKFC welterweight title against Ricardo Franco, and David Mundell puts his BKFC middleweight title up against Danny Christie on the main card as well.

MMA media personalities Oscar Stephens-Willis and Ben Davis also clash on the main card.

Check out the BKFC Spain results below.

Main Card (DAZN at 1 p.m. ET)

Franco Tenaglia vs. Tony Soto

Austin Trout vs. Ricardo Franco

David Mundell vs. Danny Christie

Dan Champman vs. Mike Jurik

Felipe da Silva Maia vs. James Lilley

Hannah Rankin vs. Deborah Mellhorn

Oscar Stephens-Willis vs. Ben Davis

Yunus Batan vs. Maxine Bellamy

Prelims

Nico Gaffie vs. Radek Stadler

Arbi Chakaev vs. Jose Daniel

Fran Suarez vs. David Mora

CHELSEA boss Enzo Maresca has been named the Premier League’s Manager of the Month for September.

The 44-year-old led his new team to successive wins over Bournemouth, West Ham and Brighton last month.

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He also took a point from Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea now sit fourth in the Premier League table with 14 points from seven games.

And the club’s impressive form has seen Maresca take home the coveted Premier League Manager of the Month trophy.

The Italian is the first Chelsea manager to win the award since Thomas Tuchel in 2021.

He told the Premier League: “We had a very good month.

“We all need people around us to make things better. I’m very grateful to have all of them.

“We are always looking at new things and how we can improve from different football and different countries.”

Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer also won a Premier League award for September.

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He was named Player of the Month after scoring five goals and assisting two.

Palmer impressed fans after netting four against Brighton at the Amex Stadium.

His season hit another positive note earlier this week when he was named England’s Player of the Year.

Chelsea also enjoyed a successful start to the WSL season with new manager Sonia Bompastor.

The former Lyon boss won both of her opening two games in England.

She claimed the WSL Manager of the Month award this week as a result.