The Oxford University graduate was a relatively late arrival to Test rugby, in 2019 then aged 28, but swiftly became among the first names on Gatland’s team sheet and has been hailed “the next Alun Wyn Jones” by former Wales lock Ian Gough.

A career in finance looked to be calling for the double varsity blue before he was handed his first professional contract at Wasps by former Wales captain Dai Young.

“I was ancient by comparison to a lot of the Welsh players who have come into the squad of late,” said Rowlands.

“I feel proud of my journey so far, but I’ve got more things I’d like to do before I can say I’ve made it or achieved everything I want to achieve.”

Jones played Test rugby until he was 37, so Rowlands, a Six Nations winner in 2021, still has time.

Born in Hammersmith, London, Rowlands qualifies for Wales through his father, who convinced him to pursue his rugby ambitions.

“It has all happened very gradually. It was a bit of a struggle in the first year. I didn’t play much rugby while my old uni friends were just starting off their careers and I wondered if I was just wasting my time.

“But my father told me to bide my time and see what happens. I’m glad that was the advice and the decision I took to stick it out. With luck, opportunity and a bit of ability, it has been a fantastic journey so far.”

Khalil Rountree Jr. is a month removed from the biggest fight of his life and his injuries from that brutal battle appear to be mostly healed.

The light heavyweight contender went almost 20 minutes with champion Alex Pereira at UFC 307 this past October, pushing “Poatan” to the limit before succumbing to strikes near the end of the fourth round. Rountree was battered and bloodied by the former kickboxing star, but received plenty of praise for his performance.

Shortly after, Rountree announced he would be undergoing surgery on his nose to address facial injuries sustained in the fight. Rountree has been traveling to rest and relax in the aftermath of UFC 307 and he shared an Instagram post Monday that included a picture of his face post-surgery.

Though Rountree appears to be showing visible scars, he’s unquestionably in much better shape than he was weeks ago.

Funnily enough, Pereira has also needed time to recover from their fight. “Poatan” recently told Podpah that his hand is still hurting from punching Rountree. Considering the long list of knockouts Pereira has on his résumé, that says a lot about Rountree’s toughness.

Rountree likely looks ahead to 2025 for his next booking after seeing a five-fight win streak snapped in his first UFC title opportunity.

ARSENAL have been urged to take a sensational gamble on Paul Pogba.

That is the recommendation of Invincibles star Emmanuel Petit, who reckons the former Manchester United midfielder would be the perfect addition to Mikel Arteta‘s squad.

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Pogba, 31, has abandoned the idea of retirement after seeing a drug ban sentence reduced from four years to 18 months.

The Juventus star tested positive for the banned substance DHEA, which naturally boosts testosterone production, before the suspension was reduced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Having not played since September 2023, this ruling will allow him to return to competitive action next year, being allowed to train from January before playing in a match in March.

However, he is understood to be in negotiations to leave the Turin outfit.

That has opened the door for speculation on where he could end up playing his football.

And fellow France World Cup winner Petit has recommended his former club take a punt on Pogba.

He told Jeffbet: “Honestly, Arsenal should 100 per cent gamble on signing Paul Pogba. He will give everything on the pitch.

“It will take him a few weeks to get fully fit, but he will be so eager to wash his name. There is a motivation that is priceless to a manager like Mikel Arteta.”

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Petit is not the only Arsenal hero to back the club gambling on signing him.

He actually echoed the opinion of French defender Bacary Sagna, who said last month: “The Premier League suits Paul Pogba – I would love to see him joining Arsenal.

“It would be great – he has experience; he loves to play with young players around him – that is when he is most efficient.  

“At the 2018 World Cup, that was when he was most efficient – he had friends around him.  

“Arsenal have a young, fresh team, and I see him performing in an Arsenal shirt. He will get love from their fans.

“Now, he can start from scratch again – he’s had time away from football, and he’ll be back with a desire to get back into a good space and play football again.”

However, Petit did admit to doubts over the prospect of Pogba playing top-level football again, despite clearly being talented enough for it.

He added to Mail Sport: “I’m very happy for him, very happy for him. But he’s right now, 31 or 32, something like that, the last time he played a proper game was a year ago, in September.

Arsenal player ratings vs Newcastle

ARSENAL fell to defeat to Newcastle in a fresh blow to their title ambitions.

The Magpies won 1-0 thanks to a fine header from Alexander Isak.

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Here, SunSport’s Jordan Davies rates the players…

DAVID RAYA – 6/10
Great early distribution to go long over the Newcastle press but nothing he could do with Isak’s pin-point header.

Was barely troubled in the second half but was forced to watch a lacklustre Arsenal dawdle to another defeat.

THOMAS PARTEY – 7
Looks really comfortable in that role, even if it is only temporary, but obviously lacks an attacking threat of a full-back which hindered Saka slightly.

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Moved back into midfield on the hour mark with Arsenal chasing the game.

WILLIAM SALIBA – 7
A welcome presence back in the defensive line following suspension. Covered his defensive partner well and kept his cool amid Arsenal’s frustration.

GABRIEL – 5
Lost Isak in the box for Newcastle’s opener and nearly handed the hosts another chance with a sloppy pass out.

Normally a rock, this was one of those rare jittery displays we thought were a thing of the past.

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JURRIEN TIMBER – 6
Looked good in attack but arguably should have closed down Gordon’s cross before the hosts took the lead and struggled to contain the England winger in the first half.

MIKEL MERINO – 5
Unfortunate not to get on the score sheet against his former club from close range after a scramble from a corner.

But as a whole, he currently looks lost in his position, unsure of when to go and when to sit deep, meaning Newcastle were able to prize Arsenal’s midfield open.

Feels like we are not seeing the best of him just yet.

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DECLAN RICE – 6
On set-piece duty, his delivery was unusually poor, failing to beat the first man on numerous occasions and struggled to impose himself in open play too, even if he came close with a deflected effort in the second half before fluffing a great headed chance in injury time.

If he is going to be the anchor of this team and dictate play, he has got to be a lot better.

LEANDRO TROSSARD – 5
Pretty anonymous other than a few surging runs. Another player that looks lost in a floating No.10 role behind the main striker.

The Belgian is at his best cutting in and using his blistering pace. He can do neither through the middle against a compact opposition set-up.

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BUKAYO SAKA – 6
Looked to be getting the better of Toon right-back Hall early on but his game faded after that, along with his team’s.

GABRIEL MARTINELLI – 7
Showed glimpses of being back to his buzzing best, taking on defenders and stretching the game for Arsenal, but only lasted an hour before being taken off.

KAI HAVERTZ – 6
Never got a sniff, but got to put that down to a complete lack of service from Arsenal’s wide players. He was desperate to attack a decent cross that never really came.

SUBS:
ETHAN NWANERI (MERINO, 61) – 6
Given a nice welcome to Tyneside with a crunching tackle from Willock seconds after coming on.

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Found some nice pockets of space and look sharp as he blazed one over from range, but was always a big ask for him to be Arsenal’s saviour.

OLEKSANDR ZINCHENKO (MARTINELLI, 61) – 5
Thrown on to bring tempo and control. Brought neither from an inverted left-back position.

BEN WHITE (TIMBER, 71) – 6
Had only completed half a session to prepare for this one having picked up a knock against Liverpool last weekend, so was a surprise to even see him at all.

GABRIEL JESUS (TROSSARD) – 5
Tasked with creating something special from out wide, but there is a reason the Brazilian is only a bit-part player nowadays.

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JORGINHO (PARTEY, 86) – N/A

Click here to read more on Arsenal.

“For me, it will be a miracle if he can come back at the highest level. He’s got the quality as a footballer. Can he get the energy as a human being to fill the expectation? I’m not really convinced about that.”

Discussing his doping ban last month, Pogba told Sky Sports: “I am not a cheater.”

“I accept responsibility of taking the supplement but I didn’t triple-check it – even if it came from a professional.

“If I have to be punished, then I’m fine with it. But it should never have been four years. I will accept 12 months. When you see me, you know me. People know me.

“So even when everything happened people said: ‘We know Paul, he would never take that. If he did, he wouldn’t have known and it won’t have been on purpose’.

“And this it totally the truth. I’m an honest person, I would say it.”

Arsenal were defeated 1-0 by Newcastle on Saturday, losing ground in the title race and dropping to fifth place, seven points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.

The North Londoner’s view on a deal may have changed after bombshell news that sporting director Edu would be leaving to take up a triple-your-money position at Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis’ footballing empire.

Lewis Hamilton revealed he cannot wait for Christmas in what is a telling summary of his final Formula 1 season with Mercedes.

At the start of the year, Hamilton informed boss Toto Wolff of his decision to terminate his deal with the Silver Arrows to join Ferrari for 2025.

However, the Briton made it clear he wanted to end his tenure at Mercedes, which he joined in 2013 from McLaren, with a bang.

He achieved that by winning the British Grand Prix in July before taking victory in Spa-Francorchamps later that month.

However, his fourth-place finish in Mexico was juxtaposed by a retirement in Austin and 10th in Sao Paulo, where his Mercedes struggled on the resurfaced, bumpy asphalt.

And now the 39-year-old cannot wait for this season to be over before he starts the new campaign with Ferrari next year.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG

Photo by: Erik Junius

When asked by Motorsport.com about his disappointment, Hamilton said: “I just put my focus on something else. I’m not fighting for the championship. Doesn’t matter, really, where we finish in the championship.

“I don’t care if I finish ahead of [team-mate] George [Russell] or behind George. It doesn’t make any difference to me. I just want to keep the car out the wall and try to score points if I can for the team, if I can finish, whatever.

“If they give me a car that doesn’t bounce off the track in the next few races, then hopefully we can get a better result. But yeah, looking forward to Christmas.”

Hamilton was asked to identify whether the bouncing problems, which caused him considerable back pain all week in Brazil, were because of Mercedes’ low ride height or because of the bumpy track surface.

He responded: “Both, but I think mostly because the car, just something that’s not right. Qualifying was bad. Sprint race was bad. The car’s just been bad all weekend. 

“Obviously, it’s devastating to have these bad races in the second half of the season – but all I can say is, we’re trying.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

“We’re coming into the weekends, but it’s definitely not acceptable. It’s definitely not good enough and we have to take accountability. I have to take accountability, but I am doing the best with what I’ve got. 

“The car has been the worst this weekend and I don’t know what it is. We’re going to have to find out what it is.”

When quizzed why his car swings from good to bad a weekend at a time, Hamilton joked: “You tell me. That’s the million-dollar question. If you can find it. I’ll give you a million dollars!”

Eric Williams

NFL Reporter

Big players make big plays in big games. And in Week 9, the best players in the league stepped up to lead their teams to important victories that kept them moving toward the postseason.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow showed his trademark playmaking ability, finishing with 251 yards and five touchdowns in a blowout win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The victory helped the Bengals improve to 4-5 and only a half-game out of the last playoff spot in the AFC.

[READ MORE: 2024 NFL Playoff Picture: Falcons, Chargers see fortunes rise; Packers fall back]

Lions quarterback Jared Goff continued his historic run, completing 81.8% of his passes for 145 yards and a touchdown in Detroit’s impressive win against the Green Bay Packers in rainy conditions at Lambeau Field.

The ultra-efficient Goff now has an 82.8 completion percentage over a six-week period, eclipsing Peyton Manning for the best such stretch in league history. Goff has thrown more touchdowns (28) than incompletions (24) during his impressive streak. His execution has put Detroit in the top spot in the NFC with a 7-1 record.

And down in the desert, running back James Conner helped to lead the Arizona Cardinals to a win over the Chicago Bears and the top spot in the NFC West. Conner finished with 107 rushing yards in a 29-9 victory over the Bears.

Let’s take a closer look at who’s hot and who’s not in this week’s NFL Heat Index.

WHO’S HOT

Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions

Brown let his sweatshirt do the talking before the game as he stepped off the bus and entered Lambeau Field.

“Green Bay sucks.” 

If you wear something like that into enemy territory, you better back it up. Brown did, finishing with seven catches for 56 yards and a touchdown in his team’s big win over the Packers. In the process, Brown tied a franchise record shared by Herman Moore and Leon Hart with his sixth straight game with a receiving touchdown. 

Brown also continued an impressive streak of catching 30 straight targets from Goff dating back to Week 3. His performance on Sunday earned him recognition as Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game.

Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game: Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown | Week 9 DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE

Saquon Barkley, RB, Eagles

In his first season with the Eagles, Barkley has taken over as the engine of Philadelphia’s offense and is one of the frontrunners for Offensive Player of the Year. In a victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Barkley finished with 199 scrimmage yards and two scores.

He also executed one of the most astonishing running moves in NFL history, jumping backward over Jacksonville defender cornerback Jarrian Jones after spinning to evade linebacker Devin Lloyd. 

“It was the best play I’ve ever seen,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said. 

We agree. 

Bryce Young, QB Panthers

It’s not about the numbers Young produced, it’s about the vibes. Benched due to poor performance earlier this year, last year’s No. 1 overall pick helped Carolina finally get back in the win column with a victory over the New Orleans Saints. 

Young snapped a personal six-game losing streak, the longest among all quarterbacks. He finished 16-of-26 for 171 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. But more importantly, Young helped the Panthers snap a five-game losing streak.

Tyler Bass, K, Bills

Buffalo’s kicker hit a career-best 61-yard field goal in the final seconds for his team’s seventh victory of the season. Bass made up for a missed extra point and field goal attempt earlier in the game with the winning kick. 

In the postseason last year, Bass missed a 44-yard field goal that would have tied the Chiefs, and he had struggled from that distance this year, missing 4-of-7 kicks from 40 to 49 yards.

So, the 61-yarder was a confidence builder for Bass. 

Mike Gesicki, TE, Bengals

Cincinnati’s pass-catching tight end finished with five catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns in his team’s runaway win over the Raiders.

Gesicki became the first Cincinnati tight end with 100 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in a game since Tyler Eifert accomplished that feat in 2015, also against the Raiders. The scores provided another opportunity for fans to see Gesicki’s cringy touchdown dance as he attempted to do his version of the “griddy.” 

WHO’S COLD

Mike McCarthy, HC, Cowboys

With Dallas losing three straight and two games under .500 for the first time since 2020, it seems time to throw dirt on the Cowboys (3-5) and their postseason hopes. McCarthy has been unable to steer Dallas clear of a season that appeared headed off a cliff since owner Jerry Jones said the organization was “all-in” on chasing a Super Bowl.

Adding injury to insult, franchise quarterback Dak Prescott had to leave Sunday’s game due to a hamstring issue. He was replaced by Cooper Rush. 

Dallas gets a much-needed bye week, with the hopes of getting edge Micah Parsons and cornerback Daron Bland back from injury in Week 11. It’s fair to wonder if even the return of those frontline players can change the team’s outlook at this point of the season. 

C.J. Stroud, QB, Texans

Last year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year is on a cold streak. Over the past three games, Stroud has completed just 52.3% of his passes for 562 yards and one touchdown for a 76.0 passer rating.

Houston has lost two of its past three, averaging just 19 points a game during that time. Stroud has had to deal with injuries along the offensive line and at receiver. Still, as one of the best signal-callers in the game, he must figure out how to elevate the offense when it’s not at full strength. 

Shane Steichen, Head Coach, Colts 

Steichen made the switch from developmental QB Anthony Richardson to 39-year-old backup Joe Flacco, but the results were not any better on Sunday. Flacco threw for 179 yards and failed to lead the Colts to an offensive touchdown as they lost to the Minnesota Vikings on the road.

At 4-5, the Colts are just two games out of first place in the AFC South behind the 6-3 Texans. But if Flacco doesn’t perform better, it might be best to play Richardson and continue his development for next season. 

Geno Smith, QB, Seahawks

Smith made some beautiful throws down the stretch, engineering a touchdown drive that pushed his team into overtime against the Rams. However, Smith also finished with three head-scratching interceptions and two botched snaps during regulation that led to Seattle’s fourth loss in five games.

Turnovers and sloppy play are why the Seahawks have dropped to the bottom of the NFC West under first-year head coach Mike Macdonald. Turning things around starts with better execution from Smith. 

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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Prior to the start of the WTA Finals on Saturday, 25-year-old Rybakina had not played on tour for two months because of a combination of illness and injury, and her opening match against Paolini ended in a straight-set defeat.

The former Wimbledon champion had looked fatigued during that match but started stronger against Zheng, putting pressure on the serve early on with the Chinese seventh seed forced to save two break points early in the opening set.

Momentum then swung Zheng’s way as she sealed a first break of serve on the way to a 4-1 lead, but as her unforced error count started to creep upwards, Rybakina was able to fight back into the set by winning three successive games.

Yet in the deciding tie-break, Rybakina nudged a return long to wrap up the opener for Zheng on her second set point.

Little could separate the pair at the start of the second set, but Rybakina found a much-needed higher gear after going 3-2 and a break down.

After getting the immediate break back, she saved two further break points from 15-40 down, reeling off three aces in the game before landing a backhand on the Zheng baseline.

That was in the second of four successive game wins to seal the second set, but Rybakina came unstuck again in the decider.

As she grew weary, opponent Zheng was able to capitalise with a break for 3-1 from which she never looked back, wrapping up her maiden WTA Finals win on her first match point.