
Argentina joy in Dublin as British & Irish Lions suffer false start
The picture above is an auto-focus moment as Argentina's fly half Tomas Albornoz scores a wonderful solo try. The faces of those two Argentina fans and those of the Lion's fans tell the whole story.
Equipment used: Canon EOS R3 using RF70-200mm zoom lens (set at 188mm) 1/2000th sec f4. ISO 1000.
A beautiful afternoon in Dublin on Friday was too good an opportunity not to have a wander around the Aviva Stadium to try to capture the atmosphere. Of course the huge majority of the 57,500 sell-out crowd were dressed in red, but there was a wonderful contingent of Argentina fans.
Equipment used: Canon EOS R3 using REF24-70mm lens. 1/1000th sec f8. ISO 200.
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Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Henry Pollock lands England EPS deal but Owen Farrell misses out
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Ollie Chessum, Tom Curry, Ben Earl, Jamie George, Ellis Genge, Maro Itoje, Tommy Freeman, Alex Mitchell, Fin Smith and Marcus Smith, all of whom toured Australia with Andy Farrell's invitational side, have been retained. Borthwick has hinted that he expects Farrell to concentrate on his performances for Saracens upon returning from Racing 92 for the 2025-26 Premiership season. In George Ford, Fin Smith and Marcus Smith, there are three fly-halves to hold enhanced EPS deals already. Pollock's recognition, meanwhile, rewards a remarkable 12 months. Just a year ago, the 20-year-old had helped England Under-20 to World Championship glory in South Africa. Henry Pollock in full flow for England Under-20s 💪 — Northampton Saints 😇 (@SaintsRugby) February 2, 2024 There is no suggestion that these contracts have been improved to counter the presence of R360, even though the breakaway league is said to have agreed legally binding pre-contractual agreements with up to 10 players that have represented England in the past year. Borthwick has always had scope to enlarge his cohort of centrally contracted players to this mark of 25, with the arrangement designed so that the England head coach has greater influence over the medical provision of those individuals. 'I am pleased to name the players who will receive an enhanced EPS contract this season,' said Borthwick. 'These contracts, together with our strong relationship with the Premiership clubs, will continue to play an important role in the ongoing development of England Rugby.' Handing Farrell a deal would have been a blunder No Farrell, no surprise Whenever he has been asked about Owen Farrell returning to England, Steve Borthwick has been deeply respectful. He has, however, delivered strong hints that the 33-year-old will need to string together convincing performances for Saracens before returning to the Test fold in a playing capacity. Last season showcased the talents of all three contracted England fly-halves nicely. Marcus Smith sparkled in November 2024 before Fin Smith justifiably earned the standing of front-line 10 during the Six Nations. George Ford put his ego aside and assumed a more peripheral – though still influential – role as those two youngsters emerged before retaking the reins impressively in Argentina and USA over the summer. After returning from what may have been a cathartic trip with the British and Irish Lions, the priority for Farrell should be club action. To hand him an enhanced Elite Player Squad contract would have been a blunder from Borthwick. Back-row rush Ben Curry, Tom Willis and the effervescent Henry Pollock join Tom Curry and Ben Earl to swell the cohort of centrally contracted specialist back-rowers to five. This reflects an area of profound strength for Borthwick. No wonder he is pondering a seven-one bench to fit them all in. Sam Underhill, immense again over the two-Test series against Argentina, remains on the outer. He and Bath buddy Guy Pepper will surely challenge for the next round. It will be interesting to see if Chandler Cunningham-South can push for recognition from his new position as an auxiliary lock. Ted Hill is in the same boat there. Willis, Ben Curry and Pollock, frankly, broke the door down. Willis was a rambunctious focal point in Argentina with Ben Curry arguably the pick of England's back-rowers over the 2025 Six Nations. Pollock has been an energising presence, too. 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Rewinding further back, he forced his way back into the England side during the 2025 Six Nations, scoring off the bench against France before starting the last two fixtures, against Italy Wales, at full-back and then on the wing. Borthwick appreciates adaptability more than most coaches. ⌚️ Elliot Daly scoring the winning try in the final minute to clinch the victory for England over France at the Allianz 🔥🔥 #Breitling #DefiningMoment @Breitling — Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 8, 2025 Scrummaging resurgence rewarded Props were conspicuous by their absence in the initial batch of 17 central contracts, with Ellis Genge the only one. Since then, no doubt propelled by the scrummaging improvements of the past year or so under Tom Harrison, three more have joined the crew. Fin Baxter and Joe Heyes were exceptional against the Pumas, whereas Will Stuart deserved his Lions call-up. 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BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
England tour will make me better player
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BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Ireland's EuroHockey hopes dashed by loss to France
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