Northampton win it at death to dent Saracens' play-off hopes
Northampton's match-winning try from Tarek Haffar set the seal on a staggering afternoon. For an hour the Saints seemed to be second best. Saracens were on course for their bonus-point win and Northampton acted like this was more a preparation for the European Champions Cup final against Bordeaux than a significant fixture in its own right. And so it was, yet still the Saints won. Haffar and his replacements have sent their more renowned team-mates to Cardiff with a spring in their step.
The sun arrived in time for kick-off. Northampton's winter of Premiership discontent has given way to the brightest of finales with a shot at being crowned the champions of Europe next Saturday. Out of contention for the play-off matches, this match against
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Reuters
26 minutes ago
- Reuters
Soccer Lewandowski will not play for Poland under current coach after losing captaincy
June 9 (Reuters) - Robert Lewandowski said he will not play for Poland again under the current manager, shortly after the striker was stripped of the captaincy role on Sunday. Poland coach Michal Probierz made the decision to replace Lewandowski as national team captain with midfielder Piotr Zielinski. "By decision of coach Michal Probierz, Piotr Zielinski became the new captain of the Polish national team," a Polish football federation (PZPN) statement said. "The coach personally informed Robert Lewandowski, the entire team and the training staff of his decision." Lewandowski's response via social media was swift. "Considering the circumstances and the loss of trust in the Polish national team coach, I have decided to step back from playing for the Polish national team as long as he remains the coach," Lewandowski said. "I hope I will have the chance to play again for the best fans in the world." Lewandowski is not with the current Poland squad, with the Barcelona player citing physical and mental exhaustion after a long season as the reason for his absence. The 36-year-old is Poland's highest goal scorer with 85 goals for his country in a record 158 appearances, and had held the captaincy since 2014. Probierz replaced the sacked Fernando Santos as Poland manager in 2023, taking them to Euro 2024 where his side were the first team to be eliminated. The PZPN said Probierz will respond to questions on the situation in a press conference on Monday. Poland defeated Moldova 2-0 in a friendly on Friday and are away to Finland in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
It feels like we're a group of mates – Skipper Harry Brook hails England unity
Brook has won five on the bounce against the West Indies since taking over from Jos Buttler, sweeping the tourists 3-0 in the ODI leg and going 2-0 up with one to play in the T20s. England did not have it easy in Sunday's four-wicket win at Bristol, with the asking rate climbing past 11 an over at one stage as they chased down a stiff target of 197. IT20 series win secured! 🔒 Victory in Bristol 🙌 Banton and Carse see us home 👏 Match Centre: — England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 8, 2025 But they stuck together to get over the line, with five of their top six making handy contributions before Jacob Bethell and Tom Banton took the bull by the horns. The middle-order duo hammered 56 off just 21 deliveries between them to puncture the West Indian resistance and keep the good times rolling for Brook. It was the kind of game England were losing in the difficult final days under Buttler, whose reign ended with eight straight defeats across both formats. But there is a new lighter feeling around the group – including the newly liberated former skipper, who has top-scored with 96 and 47 in the last two games. 'It feels like we're a group of mates. We're just going out and having fun,' said Brook. 'It's been nice for me. The results are awesome and we're really enjoying it. We're having a good time out there. 'At the end of games we go around the circle and Baz (head coach Brendon McCullum) asks if anybody has anything to say. In every game so far someone has stood up and said something. I think that's a great way of showing how the team is at the minute and we feel a proper togetherness.' The West Indies made England sweat at times, taking 82 off their last five overs including an unexpected tirade against Adil Rashid in the 19th. For so long the team's most bankable bowler, the leg-spinner shipped five sixes and 31 runs in what goes down as the second most expensive over by an English bowler in T20s. Stuart Broad holds the unwanted record of 36, taken for six off every ball by Yuvraj Singh at the 2007 World Cup. Brook, though, insists he and his team were never rattled. 'I'm always very chilled. We knew that there was going to be one, two, maybe three big overs,' he said. From a different angle 📐 All 25 of our boundaries! 💥#ENGvWI | #EnglandCricket — England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 8, 2025 'On a pitch that size, with 60-metre boundaries nearly all the way around, we accepted that before the game and we knew we could get big overs as well. 'The way Bants went about his business, getting 30 off 11 balls having never really batted in the middle order before was just awesome.' The West Indies have one more chance to avoid a winless tour in Southampton on Tuesday but head coach Daren Sammy paid tribute to Akeal Hosein, who took the field just six hours after arriving from the Caribbean following visa delays. 'He said to me, 'there's no way I'm not playing',' Sammy explained. 'Kudos to him, he turned up for us. An eight-hour flight straight into a game is not ideal but it shows his commitment.'
Auto Car
an hour ago
- Auto Car
Always wanted to own an *actual* Le Mans hypercar? Get your order in for the new Aston Martin Valkyrie LM...
Aston Martin has launched the Valkyrie LM as a screaming V12-engined, Le Mans-spec track toy that could be the world's ultimate automotive plaything. Unlike the Valkyrie AMR Pro, a track-only version of the Valkyrie road car, the Valkyrie LM is based on Aston's LMH hypercar that will race at La Sarthe this weekend. That means it draws 697bhp from the same 6.5-litre Cosworth V12 and drives the rear wheels through a seven-speed semi-automatic sequential gearbox. But Aston Martin has made a number of modifications to tailor the Valkyrie LM to track day use, starting with making the V12 compatible with readily available fuel. It has also removed the ballast and FIA-regulation electronic systems, along with the racer's torque sensors. Otherwise, though, this is a top-class Le Mans car that can be run around a track of its owner's choosing. It still has a carbonfibre race seat with six-point harness, a fire suppression system and bespoke track tyres from Pirelli. Adam Carter, Aston Martin's head of endurance motorsport, said: 'It is important to emphasise that the Valkyrie LM is close to identical to the race car that is currently competing in WEC and IMSA, with only a few minor deviations to ensure it is a non-homologated variant and is accessible for customers to experience and enjoy. "Valkyrie LM represents the most authentic hypercar track experience that is now available.' Similarly to Ferrari's original XX track car programme, Aston Martin will store and transport the cars as part of a support programme for owners that aims to offer the "ultimate top-flight motorsport experience". Included as part of that, the company will also supply a team of engineers to set up the car and maintain it during the track days. It will also provide professional driver coaches and simulator sessions to ensure customers can "explore the limits of a machine designed to operate in excess of 200mph on the fast, flat-out kinks of the most famous race track in the world". Owners will be able to drive their cars for the first time at an "exclusive handover event" in the second quarter of 2026, before being invited to track days at Formula 1-standard circuits later in the year.
