Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) reacts following a home victory at the Oakland Coliseum, where Nov 3, 2019 capped a competitive afternoon against the Detroit Lions as he acknowledged the crowd and celebrated with teammates on the field. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports..
A few days ago, when Derek Carr teased unretirement, some fans backhandedly said, “Maybe he’ll end up with the Vikings.” Now, thanks to NFL.com, there’s an actual Carr rumor train for the purple team. Nick Shook published an article Wednesday of Carr’s would-be landing spots, and wouldn’t you know it? The Vikings earned a mention.
The Vikings are getting linked to Carr, though any real traction depends on cost and the J.J. McCarthy plan.
Carr-to-Minnesota is probably a long shot, generally speaking, but until the Vikings officially trade for or sign their J.J. McCarthy alternative, Carr’s name will live in the conversation.
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Derek Carr Fodder Swirls around Minnesota
No, Carr may not be done just yet.
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) scrambles against the Denver Broncos during the first half on Dec. 26, 2021, at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, accelerating into open space as the Raiders fought to keep their postseason hopes alive in a tightly contested AFC West showdown. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
NFL.com: Vikings Make Carr Shortlist
So, the Carr rumor mill is here. Shook wrote, “If Carr is interested in manning a backup role that could include a camp competition for the starting job, he’ll find that in Minnesota. J.J. McCarthy didn’t cement his role as the Vikings’ franchise quarterback in his first season as their starter and has plenty of work ahead of him this offseason.”
“Minnesota might not exercise as much patience in 2026, either, not after they watched their playoff hopes evaporate this past season because of unreliability under center.”
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If you’re not familiar with Carr’s career, he’s basically another Kirk Cousins — not great, not bad, just pretty good.
Shook continued, “Carr would address Minnesota’s need for a proven veteran capable of handling the job — an area which former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah admitted he’d misjudged prior to being fired in January — and could also push McCarthy in camp. Carr might also be enticed by the presence of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson.”
“Ultimately, this fit might depend on whether Carr is interested in competing for a job, or if he’d rather walk into a situation that has him penciled in as QB1. Money matters, too, and the Vikings have a salary cap hole to dig out of before they can start thinking about Carr.”
The other squads on Shook’s list? The Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, and Miami Dolphins.
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Carr’s Stats Since 2014
Carr didn’t play in 2025 — he retired — but his usual resume as a starter looks like this when spread to a 17-game season:
The guy isn’t afraid to fling it and has started nearly 170 games in his career. His teams own a 77-92 (.455) record in those contests, mostly dragged down by Carr playing for the Raiders, a franchise known for losing and general dysfunction over the last couple of decades.
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Carr would, however, provide Cousins-like efficiency. Here’s his EPA+CPOE ranking resume from the last decade:
Onboarding Carr would basically boil down to whether the Vikings want an old quarterback as the solution or prefer youth that McCarthy or another player might provide.
The Trade Hassle
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Of course, getting Carr wouldn’t be as simple as signing him to a modest contract. Like Sean Payton a few years ago, the Saints hold Carr’s contractual rights, meaning they can control his future and demand a draft pick in a trade. Next offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers can do the same with coach Mike Tomlin if they’re in the mood.
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) celebrates a key sequence against the Denver Broncos in the second half on Dec. 26, 2021, at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, reacting with visible emotion as Las Vegas battled to strengthen its position in the crowded AFC playoff race. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Carr won’t break the bank via trade, but there’s a small chance that New Orleans holds him hostage, demanding a late-round pick for his services. That complicates his unretirement just a bit.
A Solution Congruent with Vikings History — for Better or Worse
While fans will debate whether Carr moves the needle as a QB1 or QB2 solution in 2026, one observation is obvious: adding him to the depth chart as a starter would be The Viking way.
In the last 35 years, the Vikings have sought these veteran quarterbacks as solutions after failing to draft one on their own who lasted for longer than a season or a few:
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Sam Bradford
Matt Cassel
Kirk Cousins
Randall Cunningham
Sam Darnold
Jeff George
Brett Favre
Case Keenum
Jim McMahon
Donovan McNabb
Warren Moon
It’s not normal to find that many retreads for QB1 duty. Most teams haven’t relied on that many, instead relying on the draft to foster and cultivate quarterbacks. The Viking Way is just a little bit different.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) fires a pass against the New England Patriots in the second half on Oct. 8, 2023, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, attempting to generate rhythm and momentum for his offense during a challenging road matchup. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
The move would also keep the Vikings right in the “middle” of the NFL — giving the perception that the club is afraid to roll the dice on McCarthy’s development. preferring the safe harbor of Carr’s age-35 ceiling that likely won’t result in a Super Bowl.
Manchester City centre-back Ruben Dias returned to the team last weekend vs Liverpool after a spell out of the squad with a hamstring injury
Manchester City centre-back Ruben Dias admits the intensity between himself and Erling Haaland during training is huge when the pair come up against each other. Alongside Haaland, Dias has won the Champions League and a further two Premier League titles as City cemented their dominance in domestic football.
While the pair are teammates at the weekend, training proves to be a different battle with no quarter being conceded by either. Explaining the dynamic, the Portuguese defender told Record: “Training with Erling? It’s dangerous. When we train seriously, there are usually sparks flying. I’d classify him as one of those strikers who has to be 100 to 0… A one percent chance is enough for him to score a goal.”
Dias spent the majority of January and the beginning of February out with a hamstring injury picked up in the draw against Chelsea. However, the 28-year-old returned to action as a substitute in the victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. He then started the win over Fulham in midweek and played the full 90 minutes as the Blues closed the gap to Arsenal in the Premier League to just four points.
As he fights back from injury, Dias reflected on what makes his mentality different to those who have not made it to the top of professional football. “I’m different because I’ve always been willing to sacrifice more than anyone else,” he said. “If you don’t have the mentality, there’s no point in coming here, because this will expose you. “I don’t want any memory other than high performance at the highest level that exists.”
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The Blues are battling on four fronts with a Carabao Cup final and the last-16 of the Champions League to look forward to in March. This weekend, City are looking to advance to the fifth round of the FA Cup when they host League Two Salford City.
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NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan will train at different times ahead of their big T20 World Cup match on Sunday in Colombo. Pakistan will practice in the afternoon, while India will train in the evening, with both teams also scheduled to speak to the media before their sessions. Updating on their training schedules, ICC stated, “Pakistan will have a training session at the RPICS from 14h00 to 17h00 local time and hold a media interaction at the Press Conference Room starting around 13h45.”
What will be India’s playing XI against Pakistan?
“India will have a training session at the RPICS from 18h00 to 21h00 local time and hold a media interaction at the Press Conference Room starting around 17h30,” the ICC statement added.Team India received a grand welcome when they arrived in Colombo on Friday. Local dancers and drummers greeted the team at the airport, creating a festive scene. Arshdeep Singh grabbed attention by dancing to the drum beats, which, as expected, soon went viral on social media. Head coach Gautam Gambhir looked serious and focused.India will hope to dominate Pakistan on the field. Players like Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, and either Abhishek Sharma or Sanju Samson are expected to play key roles with the bat. Abhishek is recovering from illness and will aim to bounce back after a poor start in India’s tournament opener.Arshdeep and Hardik have strong past records against Pakistan, and Ishan Kishan is in good form. Tilak Varma has performed well against Pakistan in the latest Asia Cup final and will try to continue that success.Since Sri Lanka’s pitches usually help spinners, Varun Chakravarthy could be an important bowler for India in this match.
On Friday, ESPN’s Tim McMahon said on NBA Today that there’s “rampant speculation” around the league that James will sign with Cleveland for a potential retirement tour this summer.
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At this point, it feels like LeBron will be returning home to Cleveland unless he retires after this season. What that would look like from a salary perspective remains to be seen.
The Cavs are currently over the second apron. They would not have access to the full mid-level exception unless they got under both aprons and then cut additional salary to carve out a spot for that exception. There’s also the possibility of a sign-and-trade if the Cavs get below the first apron. Or, James could opt to sign for a minimum contract.
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It’s pointless to speculate too much on the finances at this point. There’s numerous scenarios for making this work from a cap perspective. If both sides want James to play in Cleveland, they’ll find a way to make it happen as they did back in 2014.
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Even though LeBron is 41 years old, he’s still playing at an exceptionally high level. He recorded a triple-double in his last outing in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. On the season, James is averaging 22 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.8 rebounds on .502/.305/.746 shooting splits in a mostly supporting role alongside Luka Doncic.
We’ll see how this plays out. In the meantime, we can rest assured that there’s going to be plenty more rumors about James returning to Cleveland between now and July.
Don’t look now, but with Selection Sunday just four weekends away, the Florida Gators look like they intend to win another national championship.
Thanks to Wednesday’s 20-point win at Georgia…which followed a 19-point win at Texas A&M…which followed a 23-point home thrashing of Alabama…which followed a 47-point win at South Carolina, the Gators (18-6, 9-2 SEC) have built a one-game Southeastern Conference lead heading into Saturday’s first-place showdown with Kentucky in Gainesville, Fla.
They are a top-ten ranked team in the NET rankings as of Friday morning but fifth in KenPom, which is exactly where they were one year ago today. That’s just one of many good signs for the Gators.
Thanks to the nation’s most productive frontcourt — key returnees Thomas Haugh (17.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg), Alex Condon (13.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg) and Rueben Chinyelu (11.8 ppg, 11.8 rpg) — Florida leads the country in rebounding margin at plus-15.3 per game.
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Per KenPom.com, the Gators boast the nation’s fifth-best defense as they allow just 91.1 points per 100 possessions. That’s a tad better than last year’s defense (91.8) that was good enough to win the NCAA title.
The sharps believe in the Gators, too. When you take a spin around the nation’s top online sportsbooks, Florida generally holds the fifth-best odds to take it all on April 6 in Indianapolis — trailing only Arizona, Michigan, Duke and Houston.
Long story short, the Gators are the best team in what continues to be college basketball’s best league. So of course they’re in the hunt for the national title.
So why doesn’t Florida have a legitimate shot to go back-to-back? Because they don’t have enough legitimate shooters.
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Here’s what we mean: While the Gators enjoyed their best 3-point shooting night in months on Wednesday night at Georgia — going 10 of 26 (38.5%) from long range – they’re still below 30% for the year. Specifically, they’re at 29.2%, which ranks last among all power-conference teams and 353rd out of Division I’s 365 squads.
There’s nothing in modern college hoops history that suggests this is good enough to become the national champion.
Since the NCAA moved the 3-point line back to the international distance (22-foot-1¾) prior to the 2019-20 season, here’s how each NCAA champ has shot.
2025: Florida 35.6% 82nd in nation
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2024: UConn 35.8% 72nd
2023: UConn 36.3% 62nd
2022: Kansas 36.1% 51st
2021: Baylor 41.3% 1st
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2020: No tournament, but Kansas was the clear No. 1 per KenPom when the season was cancelled due to COVID — and the Jayhawks ranked 132nd nationally at 34.1%
If you look at last year’s Sweet Sixteen, only Michigan State (31.1%) was within a few percentage points of Florida’s current rate. It’s just too much to expect a bad 3-point shooting team to reel off six straight wins — especially when so many of the nation’s other top teams have embraced offenses with four or five shooters on the floor.
The Gators have just three guys who are hitting at least one 3-pointer per game: sixth man Urban Klavzar (49 of 127; 38.6%), Haugh (45 of 130; 34.6%) and shooting guard Xaivian Lee (37 of 145; 25.5%). As a team, Florida makes just 7.4 3-pointers per game.
Now look at the NET’s top 10 through Wednesday’s games. Here’s how they shoot from 3-point range, where that ranks nationally and how many guys average at least one 3-pointer per game:
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Michigan: 35.4% 102 Six
Arizona: 35.7% 81 Three
Duke: 34.1% 175 Four
Houston: 34.1% 176 Four
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Illinois: 36.1% 65 Seven
Gonzaga: 34.9% 133 Three
Florida: 29.2% 353 Three
UConn: 37.0% 39 Four
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Iowa State: 40.0% 5 Four
Purdue: 37.7% 28 Five
One of these things is not like the others. That’s why the Gators won’t be able to separate themselves from the rest for another “One Shining Moment.”
No. 2 Michigan faces UCLA Saturday on CBS in a clash of Big Ten foes. This will be the 13th matchup between Michigan and UCLA since the turn of the century, with both programs having six wins against each other during that stretch.
The Wolverines (23-1) are off to their best 24-game start in school history, but are coming off an upset scare against Northwestern. Michigan trailed by as many as 16 points on the road before storming back in the second half to seal an 87-75 win over the Wildcats. Michigan’s lone loss came against Wisconsin last month at home.
UCLA has won five of its last six games after starting 4-3 in Big Ten play. The Bruins are coming off a 77-73 win over Washington after guard Trent Perry dropped 23 points. UCLA heads into the weekend 3.5 games back of Michigan in the Big Ten standings.
The Wolverines hold a 2.0-game lead over Illinois for first place.
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Michigan vs. UCLA: Need to know
Michigan could make race for No. 1 interesting: Michigan is the projected No. 1 overall seed in CBS Sports’ latest Bracketology projections. The Wolverines jumped to No. 1 overall after Arizona lost to Kansas earlier this week. With Arizona dropping its first game of the season, the AP Top 25 poll on Monday should be interesting. Arizona has been the consensus top-ranked team for several weeks. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Michigan get some consideration for No. 1.
Can UCLA get Donovan Dent going? The key to a potential upset for UCLA will be Dent. The former New Mexico star has had an up-and-down season with the Bruins after transferring in last offseason. Dent is having one of his best stretches at UCLA after recording at least 10 assists in three consecutive games. He played all 40 minutes against Washington and finished with 17 points, 10 assists and six rebounds.
Aday Mara faces his old team: A storyline to monitor will be Mara, who played the first two seasons of his career at UCLA, facing his old team. Mara played limited minutes under coach Mick Cronin at UCLA but has found a consistent role with the Wolverines. Michigan coach Dusty May has routinely deployed two-big lineups in his rotation. With Mara assuming a more prominent role, he has become one of the nation’s best defensive players.
For the first 30 minutes of game time against Northwestern, Michigan looked vulnerable. Then, the Wolverines flipped the switch and looked like the team ranked No. 2 in the country. This game will be a tougher challenge for Michigan than its last matchup against Northwestern. Still, I expect Mara to have a big game against his old team and star forward Yaxel Lendeborg to have a bounce-back performance on offense after scoring just 35 points total in his last three games. Pick: Michigan -15.5
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — There is a warning sign on the 18th tee box at Pebble Beach that might also serve as a piece of course advice.
“NO SITTING ON FENCE.”
The genius of Pebble Beach exists in the extremes. Jagged rocks and foreboding surf and enormous dunes and tiny greens. Of the many skills required to thrive here, decisiveness is perhaps the most important. On the 18th tee box and in the winner’s celebration on the 18th green, there is no sitting on the fence.
Rory McIlroy knows this better than most. Anyone with a little bit of golf in their soul understood what McIlroy meant last February, when he suggested that winning at Pebble Beach for the first time meant a little bit more.
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“There’s a few what I would call cathedrals of golf,” McIlroy said then. “Here, Augusta, St. Andrews — maybe a few more you could add in there. I had a big fat zero on all of those going in here. To knock one off at Pebble is very cool.”
Of course, anyone with a little bit of golf in their soul also knows what came after that victory at Pebble Beach: a third-career win at the Players Championship, and then a career-altering, sport-rattling, Grand Slam-clinching victory at the Masters.
When the tomes are written, that last victory in Augusta will be remembered as the one that kicked the door down for McIlroy. But it may be said that his first victory of 2025, at Pebble Beach, was the one that broke the lock.
“I’m a big historian of the game and I remember all the championships that have been played here,” McIlroy said then, eerily foreshadowing the history he would soon create at Augusta. “And to add my name to that list is pretty cool.”
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Now, in 2026, the historian has been sent back into the library. With no further major championships to conquer and no additional road Ryder Cups to win, McIlroy has been forced to reset his goals. And, in doing so, he’s had the opportunity to confront a new question: Which “cathedrals” come next?
On Friday at Pebble Beach, the same day McIlroy shot five under to move into contention heading into the weekend, the Grand Slam winner faced the question himself for the first time.
“There’s places I haven’t won that I would love to,” McIlroy said. “St. Andrews being one of them. Riviera next week would be another. Riviera and Muirfield Village are two. They’re wonderful golf courses but who hosts the events as well. You know, Tiger and Jack. I was able to win Bay Hill but not while Arnie was around, so it would be nice to win both those tournaments while both those guys are alive and kicking.”
And perhaps the biggest outstanding victory on McIlroy’s list? Only the most elusive major championship site in the sport: the home of golf.
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“There’s a lot of golf courses with a lot of history. There’s a lot of old U.S. Open sites that have had some great things happen at them,” McIlroy said. “Yeah, this is certainly one, Augusta was another, and the last one I think — not the last one, but the biggest one on the list would probably be St. Andrews.”
McIlroy will likely have at least one more chance to close out a major victory at the Old Course in the prime of his playing career. That will arrive in 2027, when the golf world returns to St. Andrews for the 155th Open shortly after his 38th birthday.
These are champagne aspirations to be sure, but it would be foolish to discount them as insignificant. As McIlroy learned at Pebble Beach last February (and again at Augusta National in April), breakthroughs often come in multiples.
And when it comes to picking his spots? Well, McIlroy certainly isn’t sitting on the fence.
Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe sparked outrage earlier this week when he claimed the UK had been “colonised by immigrants”
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has apologised to the Glazers for his controversial comments about immigration which brought shame on Manchester United. It’s understood Ratcliffe contacted his fellow co-owners to explain himself and for the furore he had caused.
Ratcliffe sparked outrage when he claimed in an interview that immigrants had “colonised” the UK. The FA are now examining the comments before deciding whether to launch a full-scale investigation. In the meantime, the damage done to United’s image and reputation has been massive.
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The Glazers are said to have huge concerns about what effect the backlash from Ratcliffe’s comments will have on United’s relationship with sponsors and commercial partners moving forward. There are also worries about what impact the events of this week could have on United’s hopes of building a new stadium.
Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham slammed Ratcliffe’s comments as being “inaccurate, insulting and inflammatory”.
Burnham has worked closely with Ratcliffe and United on plans to either regenerate Old Trafford or build a new £1billion stadium. The Glazers are desperate to see the project come to fruition because it would increase United’s valuation.
But the project will depend on alignment between the club, local councils and Greater Manchester leaders. Ratcliffe, who bought a £1.25billion stake in United in 2024, issued a statement on Thursday after his comments sparked an avalanche of condemnation.
He said: “I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe, but it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth.
“My comments were made while answering questions about UK policy at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, where I was discussing the importance of economic growth, jobs, skills and manufacturing in the UK.
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“My intention was to stress that governments must manage migration alongside investment in skills, industry and jobs so that long-term prosperity is shared by everyone.
“It is critical that we maintain an open debate on the challenges facing the UK.”
Ireland U20 held off the gritty Italians 30-27 in a tight high-scoring 6 Nations game at Virgin Media Park in Cork on Friday night.
Tries a plenty in both halves – as both teams claimed bonus-point tries, a game that was in the balance for most of the night, saw the home side edge home by three points in the end.
Ireland score first
Ireland took an early lead with a relatively easy penalty kick for Garryowen’s Tom Wood. The Munster player comfortably slotted over from directly in front of the post for a 3-0 lead.
🇮🇪 3-0 🇮🇹 Ireland out-half Tom Wood claims the opening score of the game as the hosts take an early lead Watch live coverage of Ireland v Italy in the Under-20 Six Nations on @rte2 ➡️ https://t.co/rEypK4GBeypic.twitter.com/PljD30nwRb
Winger Derry Moloney opened the Italian defence as he burst through the visitors side. Beginning in his own half, the Leinster speedster was supported by Noah Byrne and then by Christopher Barrett.
With Moloney offloading to Byrne, Barrett then received possession of the ball, and had the task of touching down for the game’s opening try. A second successful kick of the night from Tom Wood – this time, a conversion – pushed Ireland out to a 13-0 advantage with just over 13 minutes played on the clock.
Despite some moments of both poor passing and substandard handling, the Italians were next on the scoresheet. Winger Luca Rossa was on the receiving end of an Azzurri move as the Irish defence was breached for the first time tonight. Francesco Braga added the extras for the visitors, leaving Ireland with a 10-7 lead approaching the end of the first quarter of play.
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Winger Ryan gets on score sheet
The hosts laid a charge to the Italian line following a powerful brake from centre Rob Carney. With Ireland pummelling the defensive line, winger Daniel Ryan eventually touched down in the furthest corner from thew Main Stand.
With a more difficult conversion attempt – right on the side line – Wood was unsuccessful this time, meaning Ireland had a 15-7 lead.
Converted try and penalty give Italians half-time advantage
Italy struck back immediately with a pushover try that saw hooker Valerio Pelli crash over for a five-pointer. A favourable position have Braga a relatively easy effort – which he converted, as the Irish lead was reduced to a single point.
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🇮🇪 15-14 🇮🇹 Again Italy respond well to a setback, hooker Valerio Pelli powering over from a dominant rolling maul Watch live coverage of Ireland v Italy in the Under-20 Six Nations on @rte2 ➡️ https://t.co/rEypK4GBeypic.twitter.com/Ri88G1e4XA
With the half-time whistle close, Italy won a penalty which Brage kicked to give the Italian side an unexpected 17-15 lead at the interval.
Half-time: 🇮🇪 15-17 🇮🇹 Italy take the lead with the final act of the half, Francesca Braga maintaining his 100% record off the tee in Cork tonight Watch live coverage of Ireland v Italy in the Under-20 Six Nations on @rte2 ➡️ https://t.co/rEypK4GBeypic.twitter.com/mipp7j9U0e
The home side claimed the first score of the second half. Excellent teamwork and understanding between centre Rob Carney and Derry Moloney saw the winger score.
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With Carney in possession as he made rapid throughout from his own half of the field to the opposition’s, the Cashel RFC man kept the Italian defence guessing as to whether he would go for the line himself or pass out to Moloney. Ultimately he did neither, as a nicely placed grubber kick was successfully chased by Moloney who score in the corner to the delight of the home fans.
Tom Wood was unsuccessful with his effort – his second missed kicked of the evening.
🇮🇪 20-17 🇮🇹 A huge hit from Tom Wood turns Italy over before Derry Moloney shows blistering pace to put Ireland back in front Watch live coverage of Ireland v Italy in the Under-20 Six Nations on @rte2 ➡️ https://t.co/rEypK4GBeypic.twitter.com/D8DF7vUXUn
With the Italians enjoying a period of domination on the field, Valerio Pelli claimed his second try of the night. As Italy made numerous efforts to cross the try-scoring line, the brawn and strength of the Mogliano Veneto Rugby player was required to complete the task. Kicker Braga missed at the posts for the first time, as the Italians held a slender 22-20 advantage.
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🇮🇪 20-22 🇮🇹 Once again the Italians show their strength with the rolling maul, hooker Valerio Pelli with his second try of the night. The visitors back in front Watch live coverage of Ireland v Italy in the Under-20 Six Nations on @rte2 ➡️ https://t.co/rEypK4GBeypic.twitter.com/REfU3bItVo
Ireland soon fought back as they noticeably upped the tempo. With the Azzurri defence penalised near their own line, Ireland reacted quickly and three quick motions saw Josh Neil of Leinster in for the bonus-point try.
🇮🇪 27-22 🇮🇹 Josh Neill secures a bonus point for Ireland by barging over from close range Watch live coverage of Ireland v Italy in the Under-20 Six Nations on @rte2 ➡️ https://t.co/rEypK4GBeypic.twitter.com/BEGATpZskF
Wood kicked – from directly in front of the posts – for a 27-22 lead, but the Munster number 10 soon extended this advantage, as a successful penalty kick – which saw Italian Davide Sette sin-binned – gave Ireland a little breathing space on the score board, 30-22, with the game inside the final quarter.
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🇮🇪 30-22 🇮🇹 🟨 Italy’s Davide Sette is sent to the sin bin and Tom Wood converts the resulting penalty. Watch live coverage of Ireland v Italy in the Under-20 Six Nations on @rte2 ➡️ https://t.co/rEypK4GBeypic.twitter.com/g0zdyKcTWt
Replacement Jacopo de Rossi gave the Italians hope of taking the victory in this game when his teammates’ powerful maul allowed him touch down for a try, his side’s bonus-point five-pointer. Braga, who had been so successful with his kicking in the opening period, missed his second of this half, as Ireland faced into the final 10 minutes with a slender three-point advantage.
Final score: Ireland U20 30 Italy U20 27
Ireland U20 Team
15. Noah Byrne (Dublin University FC/Leinster), 14. Derry Moloney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), 13. Rob Carney (Cashel RFC/Munster), 12. James O’Leary (UCC/Munster), 11. Daniel Ryan (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht), 10. Tom Wood (Garryowen FC/ Munster), 9. Christopher Barrett (UCC RFC/Munster).
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1. Max Doyle (UCD RFC/Leinster), 2. Lee Fitzpatrick (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), 3. Sami Bishti (UCD RFC/Leinster)(captain), 4. Dylan McNeice (UCD RFC/Leinster), 5. Donnacha McGuire (UCD RFC/Leinster), 6. Joe Finn (Garryowen FC/Munster), 7. Josh Neill (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster), 8. Diarmaid O’Connell (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht).
Replacements:
16. Rían Handley (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster), 17. Christian Foley (Young Munster RFC/ Munster), 18. Blake McClean (Instonians RFC/Ulster), 19. Ben Blaney (Terenure College RFC/Leinster), 20. Billy Hayes (Garryowen FC/Munster), 21. James O’Dwyer (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), 22. Charlie O’Shea (UCC RFC/Munster), 23. Johnny O’Sullivan (Dublin University FC/Leinster).
Johannes Klaebo of Norway wins the 10km interval start free 10K men’s cross country event in Tesoro, Italy, on Friday at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
TESERO, Italy — Norway’s Johannes Klaebo won the men’s 10km freestyle cross-country ski race on Friday to earn his eighth Olympic title and equal the record for the most gold medals at the Winter Games.
Mathis Desloges of France won silver, his second of the Milan Cortina Olympics, while Norway’s Einar Hedegart won the bronze.
The victory was the third of this Olympics for Klaebo, 29, and tied the Norwegian skier with three of his compatriots — fellow cross-country skiers Marit Bjoergen and Bjorn Daehlie and biathlete Ole Einar Bjorndalen — with eight gold medals overall. He is scheduled to ski in three more events and could take the outright lead for gold medals by an individual Olympian.
“Today is one of the toughest races we’ve done, and everyone was completely exhausted when we crossed the finish line. For me, today was really hard. I tried to open with control and at the end there it was really hard,” said Klaebo, who won his first three Olympic golds at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games and two more at the 2022 Beijing Games.
“I’m really satisfied with being first. This is my first time winning a 10k in interval style.”
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Hedegart, a biathlete who shifted his focus to cross-country skiing and was considered one of Klaebo’s biggest challengers, came close to taking victory, but lost steam on a climb in the final section of the race.
He ended up in third, 14 seconds behind the winner, with Desloges 4.9 seconds adrift in the interval-style race.
“I’ve never experienced this kind of dizziness. I was so dizzy the last two kilometers and I had nothing left in the tank, so it was just pain and suffering,” Hedegart said.
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“In the last 200m I didn’t know if I was going to make it to the finish line, and even though it was only downhill I was so scared that I would pass out.”
Skiers faced another day of warm weather, with temperatures hitting 42 degrees, prompting some to forgo their tops and only wear a race bib. Those starting earlier in the competition had an advantage as conditions deteriorated over the course of the race, causing several skiers to crash when going down hills.
Course officials decided against salting the track to make the snow more compact, as they had done the previous day for the women’s 10km freestyle event.
USA’s Ilia Malinin, the red-hot favourite for men’s figure skating gold at Milan-Cortina 2026, falls twice as he misses out on a podium finish to give Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan the gold medal.