Wales: Powell; Singleton, Dallavalle, Keight, Joyce; George, Lockwood; Pyrs, Jones, Tuipulotu, Aiono, Crabb, Lewis, Williams (capt), King

Replacements: Reardon, Davies, Rose, John, Metcalfe, Evans, Bevan, De Vera.

France: Barrat; Grando, Rousset, Vernier, Murie; Arbez, Bourdon Sansus; Brosseau, Lazarko, Khalfaoui, Zago, Fall Raclot, Berthoumieu, M Feleu (capt), L Champon

Replacements: Riffonneau, Mwayembe, Deshaye, Soqeta, Escudero, A Chambon, T Feleu.

Go back and look at all the NBA preseason predictions. Just about everyone had the Orlando Magic being a top-four team in the East and a legitimate threat to win the conference. They had the star duo of Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. They had the defense. The depth. They made the big trade for Desmond Bane, sending four first-round picks to the Memphis Grizzlies in a clear signal that they, too, believed this was their chance to rise in a wide-open East. 

It did not exactly go according to plan. 

Orlando struggled all year to establish any sustainable momentum. Injuries hit them pretty hard. Jalen Suggs (to whom Orlando’s lineup successes are highly connected) and Wagner combined to miss 73 games. But it was more than that. The team was just off. 

Banchero became a punching bag for his inefficiency and dumb decisions, even though the numbers were remarkably similar to past seasons. As expectations rise, so does frustration, and even when Banchero had solid stretches, the Magic were still a blah team. 

2026 NBA playoff bracket: Matchups, schedule as Suns, Magic advance out of Play-In Tournament

Brad Botkin

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They wound up in the Play-In Tournament and lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the 7-8 game, largely in the same uninspiring fashion they displayed all season. It made it seem like Friday night’s do-or-die game vs. the Charlotte Hornets was a forgone conclusion. The Magic would lose, slink into the offseason, fire Jamahl Mosley and start looking at potential trades for Banchero. 

That also did not go according to plan. 

Instead, the Magic obliterated the Hornets, who showed up expecting to put on their usual circus act, only to realize the Magic were there for a demolition derby. 

It was the version of the Magic that everyone expected to see from the start this season, especially with the physical, at times straight-jacket, defense. Banchero was superb with 25 points, taking and making efficient shots and making quick decisions to get downhill and finish with force. 

And again …

And again …

And when Charlotte managed to cut the drive off, he did this:

This was superstar stuff from Banchero, who was hesitant in all the wrong ways on Wednesday against Philly but isn’t exactly new to playing like this in the biggest games. He averaged 29-8-4 on 44% 3-point shooting against the Celtics in the playoffs last year, and he has averaged 28 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.3 steals on 41.8% 3-point shooting across 12 career playoff games. 

Is this version of the Magic a threat to the Pistons?

There’s no saying this will carry over against the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in the first round. But there’s also no saying it won’t. Again, this is the team the Magic were supposed to be all along. Banchero has had sustained stretches of this kind of play. He’s a superstar-level talent. Bane has been good all season. Wagner is rounding back into form. Suggs is a beast. This is about as talented as a No. 8 seed team can be in the Eastern Conference, and they are facing something of a mirror-image opponent in the Pistons. 

Both teams smother you with physical defense that is officiated way more leniently in the playoffs; this stands to be an absolute street-fight series. Both teams struggle to shoot. The Magic don’t have a creator like Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, but you could make a case that Orlando’s big three of Banchero, Wagner and Bane represent more star power than Cunningham and Jalen Duren. 

Both teams do the bulk of their damage inside. Nobody gets to the free-throw line more than the Magic, but the Pistons are close. Orlando is a good offensive rebounding team, but Detroit is better. Everything about a series like this screams slugfest, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it could be fun nonetheless. 

Can the Magic beat the Pistons? Probably not. When you have a whole season’s worth of evidence against a single game, go with the former. But don’t completely rule out the Magic, who are not your typical No. 8 seed in terms of talent. 

If they bring the fight like they did Friday night, the team everyone expected to show up all season might actually stick around a little longer.

Cole Palmer has shut down talk of a move to Manchester United by insisting that he has “no plans” to leave Chelsea.

Palmer, a Manchester City academy graduate and boyhood United fan, has been linked with a switch back to his home city amid struggles this season at Stamford Bridge.

But the England international has reiterated his commitment to the Blues ahead of the visit of United on Saturday evening.

“Everyone just talks,” he told The Guardian when probed on the reports. “When I see it I just laugh.

“Obviously Manchester is my home. All my family are there, but I don’t miss it. Maybe I’ll miss it if I don’t go for three months or something. But then when I get home I think there’s nothing there for me anyway.

“I’ve got no plans to move from Chelsea. We’ve still got a lot to play for. We’ve got the FA Cup semi-final [against Leeds] and if we finish in a Champions League spot it puts us in a good position to sign players that we need.”

There were claims earlier this season that Palmer was homesick after enduring a challenging period marked by injury and a dip in form.

The 23-year-old has managed 10 goals in all competitions this term, down from 18 last season and 27 in a stunning debut campaign in 2023/24.

Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior firmly stated that Palmer is “very happy” at the club in a direct response to reports of homesickness.

“I’ve had numerous conversations with Cole and he seems very happy to be here, he is very happy to be here,” Rosenior confirmed.

“He’s a huge part of our plans in the long term. He’s an outstanding player. Every player goes through difficult moments in their career in terms of injury. It’s not any reflection of his quality.”

Palmer’s statement of commitment to Chelsea acts as a refreshing change of pace for the Blues hierarchy, who have seen a couple of their top stars question the project in recent weeks.

Enzo Fernandez was suspended by the club for two games following an interview during the international break in which he appeared to court Real Madrid, while Marc Cucurella said Chelsea made the wrong decision in parting ways with Enzo Maresca in January, blaming “the instability around the club” on the former manager’s departure.

Chelsea require a change in fortunes in their bid to earn Champions League qualification this term, sitting four points off fifth-place Liverpool having lost four league games in their last five.

But Palmer says that he and his teammates have the trust of the owners to achieve, which is one of the reasons captain Reece James put pen to paper on a long-term contract in March.

“We spoke to the owners and they’re sure of the players that are going to do it,” Palmer added. “Reece won’t sign a six-year contract if he’s not spoken to the owners and the directors.

“Me and Reece spoke a lot. About things we need, players we need to sign and how things need to be. He wouldn’t sign a new contract if he didn’t know what was going on.”

Amir Khan has offered his take on a “mega fight” between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, which could finally come to fruition later this year.

The pair went toe-to-toe in a verbal exchange on Saturday, shortly after Fury marked his return with a unanimous decision victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov.

Their heavyweight clash took place at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where ‘The Gypsy King’ ended his near 16-month layoff by claiming scores of 119-109 and 120-108, twice.

While not producing his most accomplished performance, Fury nonetheless fiddled his way through 12 rounds against Makhmudov, who was coming off a convincing points victory over Dave Allen in October.

The real story of the night, however, occurred when the 37-year-old delivered a WWE-style call-out to Joshua, who was minding his own business at ringside.

Uninterested in entering the ring for a face-off, AJ instead reminded his rival of the sparring session they shared over 15 years ago, when Fury admitted to almost being knocked out.

Since then, the two-time world champions have become the leading British heavyweights of their generation, but regrettably never faced each other in their primes.

Hoping to see the pair finally lock horns, Khan has given a slight edge to Fury but remains open to be proven wrong.

Speaking with Seconds Out, Khan highlighted the tragic car crash in which Joshua was involved in December, when two of his closest friends lost their lives.

“I still think Tyson could take it, but AJ is looking strong [in the gym]. I wanna see how AJ’s gonna be coming back now

“Obviously he’s gone through a lot, with the loss of his friends, but I’m sure it would be a mega fight [with Fury]. What a massive fight that would be.”

Joshua has not fought since his sixth-round finish over Jake Paul in December, while his last meaningful outing saw him suffer a fifth-round stoppage defeat to Daniel Dubois in September 2024.

The Minnesota Vikings’ rumor mill never stops, and it especially doesn’t stop on the weekend before the draft. Here’s a look at the current lay of the land.

Draft week has arrived, and the Vikings have no shortage of talking points.

The draft gets underway in Pittsburgh on Thursday night, and here’s the speculative Vikings stuff to know in the meantime.

Three Storylines Framing Minnesota’s Latest Rumor Cycle

The Purple Rumor Mill for April 18th, 2026.

Rumor: J.J. McCarthy makes sense as a trade candidate for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Vikings have shown no interest in moving McCarthy, but NFL writer Sayre Bedinger mapped out potential landing spots this week, pointing to the Steelers, New York Jets, and Los Angeles Rams.

He noted about McCarthy to Pittsburgh, “The long-term outlook at the quarterback position for the Pittsburgh Steelers is extremely unclear. Aaron Rodgers is probably going to come back for the 2026 season, but after this year, who knows what the Steelers are going to do? They’ll be at the mercy of wherever they fall in the draft, or stuck in the purgatory that is cycling through veteran retreads.”

“There is no long-term vision right now, which is why taking a shot on McCarthy’s upside and getting him in the building with Mike McCarthy could make a lot of sense. He’d be able to spend a year learning from Aaron Rodgers, getting acclimated to the offense, and really giving the Steelers a reason to not be desperate in next year’s draft. It also keeps them flexible there.”

If McCarthy requested a trade, the Steelers might make sense as a destination, but until then, it’s reasonable to expect that McCarthy will stay in Minnesota. He’s only 23 and has time to watch and learn.

Rumor: DeAndre Hopkins, indeed, will be a free-agent option for the Vikings after the draft.

Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling re-floated Hopkins as a post-draft wide receiver solution for the Vikings, and the idea still has some traction.

He joined Paul Allen’s show on KFAN this week, and Allen inquired: “So the Jalen Nailor spot, do the Vikings want a veteran wide receiver … or do you think O’Connell and the gang are sitting on something sneaky they love in the draft?”

Goessling replied, “I’m going to answer that yes — to both. I think, if they could find a veteran — I mean, DeAndre Hopkins’ name has come up. If you could get a guy in here like a Hopkins, that has rapport with Kyler Murray — it depends on what he wants to play for, it depends on what he wants his role to be.”

If Hopkins signs a cheap contract, which seems likely, the move offers considerable upside. The Vikings need a reliable WR3, a role Hopkins suits well, and training camp would determine the receiving corps’ hierarchy, with a younger player potentially surpassing him.

Hopkins’ established redzone prowess tends to endure, and even in a limited role, he would provide a dependable scoring threat. A deal in the $2–3 million range would represent a sensible investment for this potential payoff.

Rumor: A Round 1 cornerback probably isn’t a priority for Minnesota.

Not so fast on the idea of the Vikings picking a Round 1 cornerback next week.

Analyzing the draft, The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis weighed in this week, “Coaching input will be weighed heavily. And unlike previous seasons, the Vikings have a bevy of picks in the top 100. The team’s leadership knows it needs to find hits.”

“The Vikings haven’t used a first- or second-round pick on a cornerback since Brian Flores arrived, and I don’t expect them to start now, especially after signing free agent James Pierre.”

Before Lewis’s assertion, cornerback tracked as a draft need — and it likely still holds that label. It’s just that Flores doesn’t seem to need cornerbacks for his defense to cook.

Lewis’s opinion has credence when viewed in the context of recent Vikings draft history. In 2023, rather than selecting a cornerback in the 1st Round, they chose Jordan Addison. They repeated this pattern in 2024, opting for J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner, and again in 2025 when they drafted Donovan Jackson.

Despite cornerback consistently being a position of need during each of those draft cycles, Minnesota waited until after the 1st Round to address it — or just ignored the position altogether.

It wouldn’t be shocking if the Vikings were content with Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and the aforementioned Pierre. Perhaps Minnesota will find a cornerback in the middle or late rounds of the draft and call it good.

World Cup fans will have to pay $150 for the 58-km roundtrip train ride between New York and Meadowlands stadium when it hosts eight matches including the final, local officials said Friday.

Just 40,000 train tickets will be available for each of the games to be played at the New Jersey sports complex, a return rail trip to which is typically just $12.90, officials said at a briefing.

“We are going to charge $150 for our roundtrip ticket on our system. So from New York to MetLife, MetLife back to New York,” said Kris Kolluri, the president and CEO of NJ Transit, using another name for the stadium.

Read moreAmnesty warns 2026 World Cup across North America risks becoming a ‘stage for repression’

After reports first emerged in The Athletic of the plans to charge World Cup fans far in excess of normal fares, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill blamed FIFA for the price hikes.

She pointed to a $48 million bill the state faces to ensure the safety of fans going to the eight games at the MetLife stadium.

“I won’t stick New Jersey commuters for that tab for years to come, that’s not fair,” Sherrill wrote on social media, adding that FIFA stood to make $11 billion at the World Cup.

“So here’s the bottom line: Fifa should pay for the rides, but if they don’t, I’m not going to let New Jersey commuters get taken for one.”

‘Quite surprised’

That sentiment was echoed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who wrote on social media on Tuesday that FIFA should foot the bill for transport costs to World Cup venues.

FIFA, which is already facing severe criticism over the sky-high cost of many match ticket prices, issued a strongly-worded statement criticising the transport price hike.

FIFA said that the original host city agreements “required free transportation for fans to all matches”.

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, fans could use the Doha Metro for free with their matchday tickets.

A re-negotiation stipulated that transport would be offered “at cost” on match days, FIFA added.

“We are quite surprised by the NJ Governor’s approach on fan transportation,” FIFA said.

“The FIFA World Cup will bring millions of fans to North America along with the related economic impact.”

It added: “FIFA is not aware of any other major event previously held at NYNJ Stadium, including other major sports, global concert tours, etc., where organisers were required to pay for fan transportation.”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul was another to take aim at the reported price hike.

“Charging over $100 for a short train ride sounds awfully high to me,” Hochul wrote on X.

Some $100 million in US federal funding has been allocated to host cities for transit network costs, including $8.7 million for Boston and Massachusetts, and $10.4 million for the New York-New Jersey area, according to local media reports.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Arne Slot believes Liverpool’s exit from the Champions League could help them in their quest to qualify for the competition again next season.

The Reds’ sole focus now will be on trying to secure a spot in the Premier League’s top five following their 4-0 aggregate loss to Paris St Germain in the quarter-finals.

That came hot on the heels of an equally heavy defeat against Manchester City in the FA Cup but does leave Slot’s men with a lighter schedule than some of their rivals.

Last weekend’s 2-0 win over Fulham means they sit in fifth place, four points ahead of Chelsea and three behind Aston Villa and Manchester United with six games remaining.

Reds boss Slot said: “If you look at the 15, 20, 25 players with the most minutes this season, a lot of them are from us.

“That tells you a lot and one of the reasons why we have been a bit inconsistent, maybe why we have conceded so many late goals, because it is always the same players.

“Maybe from that perspective, it is a good thing we are not in Europe any more, but I would definitely prefer to play in Europe because that also gives an energy to the group if you go to the semi-final of the Champions League.

“I don’t see it as a positive thing we are out but it is the reality and we have a bit more training time now.”

The first of those six games comes on Sunday against derby rivals Everton, with Liverpool making a first trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

“It is always a very special game, doesn’t matter if it is the 60th being played in the stadium, but, if it is the last one being played in a stadium or a first one, it makes it even more special, if that’s even possible,” said Slot.

“Of course, they are in a very good place at the moment. It will always be a very special game for them, but also for us.”

Slot’s first visit to Everton last season saw a blockbuster encounter in the final derby at Goodison Park, with James Tarkowski equalising eight minutes into stoppage time.

Slot, assistant Sipke Hulshoff, Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure and Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones were all sent off in fractious scenes, with the Reds boss furious with referee Michael Oliver.

“The crowd didn’t affect me last season, the referee’s decisions affected me,” said Slot when asked whether he expected the atmosphere to be different in Everton’s new home.

“Last season was my first Merseyside derby in that stadium so, if we played in the same stadium, I would probably know what to expect. But I don’t think a stadium is loud, it is usually fans that are loud.

“How much of a difference it will be, I will tell you after the weekend. I think their fans will be loud, as our fans will be as well.”