World champions South Africa have made 12 changes to their starting XV for Saturday’s Autumn Nations Series match with England at Allianz Stadium.
Captain Siya Kolisi and former world player of the year Pieter-Steph du Toit return in the back row, while winger Cheslin Kolbe is also named in the side.
However, despite fielding seven forwards on the bench in the 32-15 win over Scotland, head coach Rassie Erasmus has opted for a conventional five forwards-three backs split among his replacements.
England are set to name their matchday squad at 13:30 GMT.
The Boks squad includes 15 players who faced Steve Borthwick’s side in Paris, with Leicester Tigers fly-half Pollard among the replacements.
“England poses a completely different challenge to Scotland, and we selected our squad based on what we would like to do in the match and also what we think will be best to counter the challenge England poses,” said Erasmus.
“Fortunately, we have quite a few players who can switch positions if necessary, so we feel we have adequate depth throughout the team, which allowed us to select this group of replacements.”
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England have lost their past four matches, including narrow defeats in their opening two autumn Tests against New Zealand and Australia.
Erasmus, however, says past results count for nothing when the two sides renew their rivalry in London.
“England come off two narrow defeats, but the quality of their performances was good in both matches, so we know the size of the challenge,” he added.
“We lost narrowly to Ireland and France in back-to-back matches in 2022 and a year later were world champions so we know we shouldn’t read anything into the last two results.”
UFC fans were all left gobsmacked by Jon Jones’ X-rated rant about Brit Tom Aspinall.
Aspinall, 31, has been chasing the pound-for-pound great since claiming the interim heavyweight title last November.
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Tom Aspinall has been chasing UFC icon Jon Jones for well over a yearCredit: GETTY
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Aspinall has respectfully tried to poke Jones’ ego to convince him to fightCredit: YOUTUBE@TOMASPINALLOFFICIAL
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The heavyweight king stunningly branded Aspinall an “a**hole” during the UFC 309 media dayCredit: PER HALJESTAM / THE SUN
But undisputed king Jones has repeatedly dismissed the prospect of sharing the octagon with the burly Brit, who he believes hasn’t earned the right to face him.
Fan favourite Aspinall has been relentless on social media in his bid to poke the ego of the MMA icon.
But his antics have drawn the ire of the former long-reigning light-heavyweight king, who defends his title against Stipe Miocic in the main event ofUFC 309 at Madison Square Garden early on Sunday morning.
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He said: “If I’m being completely honest, I feel like Tom’s been such an a**hole that I don’t want to do business with him.
“His fans have been so annoying and obviously you don’t get this far in a career being affected by fans or what not.
“But he’s just an a**hole.”
MMA fans were up in arms over Jones’ savage dig at Aspinall, who is regarded by many to be one of the nicest people in the sport.
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One wrote on X: “Jones calling someone an asshole? Ironic.”
The UFC makes it’s annual visit to New York City on November 16 for another blockbuster pay-per-view card.
UFC 309 will take place at the iconic Madison Square Garden, which provided some unforgettable moments since mixed martial arts was legalised in New York state in 2016.
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Topping the bill at the ‘World’s Most Famous Arena’ is the eagerly-anticipated heavyweight title fight between champion Jon Jones and former titleholder Stipe Miocic.
And in the co-main event of the evening, Michael Chandler will throw down with former lightweight champion and fellow fan favourite Charles Oliveira.
UFC 309 is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated cards of what has been another massive year for MMA’s top promotion.
And fans in the UK and Ireland can watch all the action from what promises to be an incredible night at MSG live on TNT Sports Box Office.
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The penultimate pay-per-view card of the year will be available to purchase for a mere £19.99.
UFC 309 will also be available to buy on Discovery+, EE TV, Prime Video, Virgin Media TV and Sky Sports.
And fight fans don’t need to subscribe to TNT Sports to buy the star-studded event.
Watch UFC 309: Jones v Miocic exclusively live on TNT Sports Box Office from 1am on Saturday 16 November.
When Jon Jones steps into the cage Saturday at UFC 309, it’ll mark more than 16 years that he’s competed as a professional fighter.
The UFC snagged him within his first year of competition. He fought six times regionally before the promotion came calling. All eight of those bouts occurred between April and July 2008.
One of those fights was against fellow future UFC fighter Parker Porter in Wilmington, Mass., for World Championship Fighting (now Combat FC). Jones, then 20, would sign with the UFC one win later.
Up until now, the only footage that existed in the public forum was a grainy handheld angle from cageside. However, promoter Joe Cavallaro released professional footage of the fight Thursday for all to enjoy – for as long as it lasted.
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Ahead of UFC 309, check out the previously unreleased video of Jones vs. Porter in the video above.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
WRU chief executive Abi Tierney was appointed permanently in January 2024 by chairman Richard Collier-Keywood and stated she would produce a new strategy in the first half of the year.
A preliminary document was published in June with the promise of the overall document later in the year, but that has still not been published.
“We hear things about a report that should be published and I think we are still waiting.
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“You look at the success Wales had since 2005, but did we take it for granted and think of the next move, rather than the one in front?
“We talk about succession of players and coaches, but where is the succession with governance, all that sort of stuff that are obviously now impacting the game?”
Jones says a long-term strategy has to be agreed.
“There are a lot of people out there who want to know what the plan is and we need the communication,” said Jones.
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“If you can see it, everyone can get behind it, irrelevant of what is happening on the pitch.
“Rugby needs players and supporters, we are all stakeholders, if we are not communicated to, people do not know what’s going on.
“We have had too many of these situations now, we just need some sort of plan.”
Fighters competing at UFC 309 are set to wear older versions of gloves, which were initially replaced by a new design that debuted back in June.
No one was happier than heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
Jones returns to action in the main event Saturday night against Stipe Miocic. The bout marks Jones’ first fight since March 2023 so his latest appearance was the first opportunity he had to use the new gloves. It turns out Jones wasn’t a fan of the re-design after receiving a pair of gloves to break in and use in the weeks leading up to his fight in New York.
“I’m really excited about the old gloves,” Jones said during UFC 309 media day. “I got sent a pair of the new gloves several weeks ago. I tried them on and I thought they were tight. I used to fit in XL and in the new glove I had to put on a 3XL. The shape, curving your hands like that, they very uncomfortable for me.
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“I was actually really stressed thinking about how I’m going to go into fight week wearing these gloves that I don’t even want to train in.”
The UFC ultimately decided to lessen Jones’ burden after he received a call from UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell to inform him that the old gloves would be employed for his fight against Miocic.
Either way, Jones was happy to find out he’d still be using the same gloves that the UFC employed throughout his whole career.
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“I got a phone call recently, Hunter [Campbell] said, ‘Everyone on this card are veterans, why put a bunch of vets in the new gloves? Let’s give you guys all what you’re used to,’” Jones ssif.
“It was a major relief to my coach Brandon [Gibson], who wraps my hands. It was a major relief to me as well.”
WOLVES have been likened to a comedy movie villain after releasing a special edition shirt.
The Premier League club are famed for their unique gold shirts – the only professional team in England to wear that colour.
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Wolves have unveiled a special edition gold kitCredit: Instagram / wolves
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It pays homage to a match they played against Honved 70 years agoCredit: Instagram / wolves
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Some fans compared it to Austin Powers character Goldmember
But now they have released a new shirt that is truly gold in honour of a match played 70 years ago.
Wolves are commemorating their ‘floodlit friendly’ win over Honved in 1954.
The 3-2 win over the Hungarian side, considered one of the best in Europe at the time, helped lead to the formation of the European Cup.
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The kit pays homage to the unique strip wore in 1954, which was made from fluorescent material to allow the players to reflect the floodlights, which were a rarity at the time.
Fans can buy the limited edition shirt for £60, with a special gift box including additional memorabilia available for £125.
It is fitted with a classic thick collar and every inch is a solid gold colour, including the Wolves badge.
Fans have been reacting to the design with some likening it to Austin Powers baddie Goldmember.
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