All Blacks under pressure to improve in the 2nd test against France on Saturday
After a fumbling performance in the first test in which they needed a late penalty to hold out a severely weakened French team, players and coaching staff are under pressure to produce huge improvement in the second match at Wellington.
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Roosters star turns on NRL after teammate banned under mid-season rule change
Roosters star Connor Watson has hit out at the NRL's decision to change the criteria for the rookie of the year award, which has seen Mark Nawaqanitawase banned from winning it. Cross-code star Nawaqanitawase was among the leading contenders for the award, which recognises the best first-year player in the NRL. But league bosses made the decision to block Nawaqanitawase from winning the gong as they felt the situation would have been unfair to some other 'traditional' rookies. The outside back played 58 games for the NSW Waratahs and 11 Test matches for the Wallabies before switching codes to the NRL last year. He's technically a rookie because he never played NRL before, but league bosses feel he doesn't really fit the criteria due to his experience in rugby union. Last week the Australian Rugby League Commission made a subtle tweak to its rules to prevent Nawaqanitawase winning the award. Under the new rule, players who have played five or more professional matches in another sporting code are now ineligible for the Dally M Rookie of the Year. The codes in question will be determined by the NRL on a case-by-case basis, but Nawaqanitawase's rugby background rules him out. It leaves Roosters teammate Robert Toia, Warriors forward Leka Halasima and Parramatta fullback Isaiah Iongi as the leading candidates for the gong. But according to Watson, the NRL's change is completely unfair on Nawaqanitawase. Watson took particular exception to the fact the rule has been changed mid-season. "Mark would probably be the favourite to win it," Watson said at the launch of the NRL's Indigenous Round on Tuesday. "So I feel like it's hard to make that call halfway through the year when he's played so well. If you're going to make a decision like that, you probably do it at the start of the year." NRL boss defends rookie of the year change But NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said the mid-season change was "really simple". Abdo declared: "The (ARL) Commission has made a policy change decision around the eligibility for rookie of the year, and I think it's contemporary. (The rule) hasn't been looked at for a while. The decision was really simple. It is meant for genuine rookies, so players that are coming through pathways systems, and not for players that have got significant experience, even if it's in other sports." Nawaqanitawase has 13 tries on the season heading into Round 22, putting him equal-fifth overall. Only Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (17), Tyrell Sloan (15), Xavier Coates (14) and Philip Sami (14) have more, while Daniel Tupou and Tolutau Koula also have 13. RELATED: Stunning news about Latrell Mitchell as Bennett axing divides NRL hits Wests Tigers player with fine over 'offensive' gesture The 24-year-old Nawaqanitawase was even floated as an option to make his State of Origin debut for NSW before the start of the series. According to Watson, he's made a bigger impression off the field as on it. "That's probably been the best part of having him in the team," Watson said. "His energy every day and the positivity that he has around the group is good because sometimes when your season is inconsistent as it has been this year, everyone can get a bit down in the dumps. Mark comes in with a smile on his face every day and lifts the boys up." with AAP
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Nassourdine Imavov explains declining UFC 319 backup: Caio Borralho 'taking my leftovers'
Nassourdine Imavov confirms he declined the UFC 319 title fight backup slot, but says it was for quality reasons. With his UFC Fight Night 258 main event on the horizon, Imavov (16-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC) doesn't see much reward in traveling across the world, battling jet lag and cutting weight, only to likely not even fight in the end. He initially agreed to fill the role when it seemed the impending title fight between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev would happen in late Spring or early Summer. But after the timeline pushed, Imavov declined. Even the Sept. 2 showdown vs. Caio Borralho in Paris, he views as a bit of a placeholder, though a necessary one. "I was like, 'OK, if the title fight is in August and I have to be the backup, then I don't want to train for nothing. I don't want to train for nothing,'" Imavov told MMA Junkie on Tuesday through a French-language interpreter. "... So I was like, 'Maybe it's better to focus on Caio Borralho.' The UFC asked us a few weeks ago for me to come in the U.S. for the weigh-ins and everything. I said no because I have a fight that's scheduled three weeks later. So I don't have time to travel and have jet lag. I want to be in the best condition for my fight. That's why I said, 'No, I won't come. Maybe they'll put Caio at this place.' But right now, I'm only focusing on Caio in Paris. Bring him." Borralho (17-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) instead will weigh in Aug. 15 in Chicago. He proudly revealed the backup fighter designation himself on social media. To Imavov, the designation is no accolade, however. "For me, it's his problem," Imavov said. "He agreed to that because he was honored to be the backup, but he's just taking my leftovers because I declined. Otherwise, if I hadn't declined, the UFC wouldn't call him to be the backup. He has to understand this. In my mind, I hope he won't use it as excuses or dodge the fight. I will be ready Sept. 6 and he has to be ready. Because he has spoken a lot. No excuses. "Even for me, being the backup for a title shot it's not an honor for me. Because when I want to fight for the title, I want to have my face on the poster. Because what's he going to do? He's going to make weight and be in another (city) there in Chicago. No one will speak about him. He doesn't have any road at the end of the day and everyone will forget after the fight happens because Khamzat and DDP and everyone will forget Caio was the backup. It's something that doesn't have any sense. No one is speaking about the backup fighter." Title eliminator – no question, affirms Imavov Imavov says without question, if he gets through Borralho, he'll be the next UFC middleweight title challenger. He says the UFC has told him as much. A win would make it five victories in a row over top-10 opponents since February 2024. Other victories in the stretch include Roman Dolidze, Jared Cannonier, Brendan Allen, and Israel Adesanya. "It's very simple: I'm a complete fighter," Imavov said. "I consider myself as a complete fighter. So if it has to go to the ground, it'll go to the ground. I will welcome him to the ground. If it stays standing, it will be (better) and I will just demolish him. The thing is that I don't speak too much but when I fight, I want to bring a real show to my fans." "... He just wants to win the fight in this way, having a weird fight, a not interesting fight. That's not how I'm used to doing. For me, I'll make this fight in spectacular fashion. It's important for me to show people that I can make a boring fighter, a great fight." This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Nassourdine Imavov declined UFC 319 backup: Caio Borralho took my leftovers
Washington Post
2 hours ago
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Lyon signs midfielder Tyler Morton from Liverpool in $17M deal
LYON, France — Liverpool sent homegrown midfielder Tyler Morton to French club Lyon for a transfer fee of up to 15 million euros ($17 million) on Tuesday. The 22-year-old Morton signed a five-year contract with Lyon, which confirmed it paid a fee of 10 million euros with potential bonuses of 5 million euros.
