A look at the big talking points ahead of England's Euro 2025 opener vs France
Staying cool
Can the Lionesses stay cool, both literally and figuratively?
This is the first time England have entered a major tournament as the defending champions after securing the European title on home soil. Sarina Wiegman's much-changed side enter this tournament in Switzerland with huge expectations to bring the trophy home again.
Temperatures will remain high at kick-off (Nick Potts/PA)
The worst of the heat wave in Zurich – where it hit 34 degrees on Wednesday – has subsided, but the mercury is still set to hover around 26 degrees even at the 9pm local (8pm UK) kick-off.
Lauren James watch
Chelsea forward Lauren James marked her return from three months out of action with an assist in England's 7-0 send-off victory over Jamaica in Leicester after coming on as a 63rd-minute substitute.
Lauren James is BACK! 🙏 pic.twitter.com/wojRYHUzKz
— (C)helsea FC Women 🏆🏆🏆 (@ChelseaFCW) June 29, 2025
When she is fit, the 23-year-old, who scored three goals and added the same number of assists at the 2023 World Cup, is one of the most potent weapons in Wiegman's arsenal, and successfully managing her return – as well as how best to employ her – could be key to England's success.
No room for error
Group D is arguably the tournament's Group of Death, with 10th-ranked side France and 2017 champions the Netherlands one place below them, as well as newcomers Wales keen to prove they will not be satisfied with a participation ribbon.
Unlike the World Cup, when England got off to an uneven start in a group comprised of much lower-ranked opposition in China and Haiti, there will be little margin for error here, if any.
Who will score England's first goal?
Alessia Russo could be set for a big tournament (Bradley Collyer/PA)
Arsenal forward Beth Mead started every game of England's 2022 triumph, and was that Championship's Golden Boot winner as well as the player of the tournament.
But much has changed since, including the ascendance of her Arsenal team-mate and this season's Women's Super League Golden Boot winner Alessia Russo, who will be itching to assert herself early at Euro 2025.
Where's Wendie?
Former France captain Wendie Renard's omission from Laurent Bonadei's side came as a shock to many – including former Lyon team-mate and England defender Lucy Bronze – and it now remains to be seen whether or not that decision was correct.
Renard will not feature in the Euros (Adam Davy/PA)
Centre-back Renard, 34, has played 168 times for France, scoring 39 goals, and was left out alongside France's top goalscorer Eugenie le Sommer, 36. While both have had tremendous success with Lyon, France's best result at the Euros was in 2022, when they reached the semi-finals.
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The Guardian
22 minutes ago
- The Guardian
England v India: second men's cricket Test, day four
Update: Date: 2025-07-05T11:28:11.000Z Title: 30th over: India 136-3 (Gill 14, Pant 10) Content: Edgbaston updates, 11am BST start | Sign up to The Spin England keep India WT20 series alive | And mail James James Wallace (now) and Rob Smyth (later) Sat 5 Jul 2025 07.28 EDT First published on Sat 5 Jul 2025 05.23 EDT 7.28am EDT 07:28 Pant pulls a short ball from Tongue away for four and then charges down the track to bloodaxe a SIX into the stands. Pant missed out in the first innings and this situation is tailor made for him. 7.25am EDT 07:25 Pant looks to run down the track first ball and Tongue follows him with a full ball into the pads. DO. NOT. GO. ANYWHERE. 7.23am EDT 07:23 Buckle up knuckleheads, here comes Rishabh Pant. 7.22am EDT 07:22 Yes he can! Tongue is a wicket taker and he rushes a ball through KL Rahul's defences to send the middle stump cartwheeling. Rahul was rushed by the speed and seemed to play down the wrong line too. England have their second of the morning. Updated at 7.25am EDT 7.20am EDT 07:20 29th over: India 126-2 (Rahul 55, Gill 14) Stokes brings himself on and immediately finds the edge of Rahul's blade but wouldyoubelieeeevit the edge flies through the vacant third slip region. England are trying to stem the runs and take wickets and they can't have fielders everywhere, the ball has mostly flown in the gaps so far this morning. Top over from Stokes, can Tongue back him up at the other end? 7.18am EDT 07:18 28th over: India 119-2 (Rahul 50, Gill 13) Josh Tongue replaces Chris Woakes and immediately the pressure is released. This is becoming a problem for England, Tongue is a wicket taker but he has also been particularly loose this summer so far. Ten runs off the over as Tongue is too full, driven for three by KL Rahul - as the opener notches another half century - and Tongue is then pinged through the covers for four by Gill. Some commentary cliches courtesy of Kandukuru Nagarjun and Gary Naylor. 'Gavaskar on Indian commentary just said, while praising Karun Nair as a slipper, that he catches them 'more often than not.' I hate that phrase - in this case, it implies Nair could be dropping upto 49% of 'em. Also: 'He's good at the hook shot; he middles them more often than not.' 'It's basically a good pitch for batting. A bit on the slow side, but if you can get through the new ball, there's plenty of runs in it. There's a chance it might break up a little on the fourth day and offer some turn to the spinners later in the match.' Every. Single. Test.' 7.11am EDT 07:11 27th over: India 109-2 (Rahul 46, Gill 7) Carse has been excellent this morning, he returns after a slurp of electrolytes and bowls a zippy and probing maiden to KL Rahul. Ben Stokes is warming up, he'll be a handful in these overcast conditions ifhe can find his groove too. Good morning to Tom v d Gucht: 'The OBO has its own rich tapestry of unique clichés. Id say my favourite would be oblique references to or quotes from Peep Show. For example, 'I'm not the sort of person who makes things happen. I'm the sort of person things happen to.' Keep them coming.' Have you heard the Big Beats OBO manifesto recently? The OBO manifesto is short posts are the best, do quotes all the time… 7.05am EDT 07:05 26th over: India 109-2 (Rahul 46, Gill 7) Jamie Smith stands up to the stumps to Chris Woakes. Plenty of ego driven club bowlers wouldn't like the keeper insulting their pace by doing the same. Woakes gets on with the task in hand and skims one past Gills edge, Smith shows off some fast hands behind said sticks. Gill angles the blade to pick up four to deep third, it's time for a drink for the players and a vat of Kenco pour moi. Updated at 7.10am EDT 7.02am EDT 07:02 25th over: India 105-2 (Rahul 46, Gill 3) Carse has looked the most dangerous bowler this morning, he gets one to lift at Rahul who flashes an angled blade outside off and gets a meaty edge wide of point for four. That was risky but India are in a position where they can take a few. 7.00am EDT 07:00 24th over: India 101-2 (Rahul 42, Gill 3) A maiden from the Wizard. England are bowling well this morning, India's lead stands at 281, they haven't pulled away yet this morning. 6.53am EDT 06:53 23rd over: India 101-2 (Rahul 42, Gill 3) England lose a review much to Ben Stokes' chagrin. Gill gets a scratch of an inside edge on straight on from Carse, the keeper and slips all fancy it but Stokes – at mid off - reckons he heard something woody. The troops convince their general to give it a whirl but DRS confirms the bat was tickled. Democracy is overrated eh Ben? 'Morning James!' back atcha Anand Kumar. 'Wonder how all pundits say the same thing about the same things for all test matches? First hour is the key. New ball is vital. First half hour of this session is important. This last hour before close of play is crucial Do fellow OBOers have their favourite clichés?' Fine to join in - as long as they aren't OBO cliches (actually…) 6.45am EDT 06:45 22nd over: India 98-2 (Rahul 41, Gill 1) Gill gets off the mark with a nudge into the leg side off Woakes. There's some movement in the air and the clouds have a grey-ish tinge to them. The floodlights are on and these are about the best conditions for bowling in the match so far. 6.41am EDT 06:41 21st over: India 96-2 (Rahul 40, Gill 0) Shubman Gill arrives in the middle… he won't be on strike as Nair fell to the last ball of the over. The lead stands at 276 runs. England would dearly love a couple of quick ones to put a bit of pressure back onto India. Easier said than done of course. Updated at 6.43am EDT 6.38am EDT 06:38 These two batters are two of the most elegant players you could wish to watch, Nair pings a cover drive for four but is then GONE! Carse deserves that, he's hammered away at a good length and eventually Nair drives at one that wasn't quite there and the nick goes to hand, Jamie Smith taking a sharp catch with the gloves. Updated at 6.46am EDT 6.35am EDT 06:35 20th over: India 88-1 (Nair 18, Rahul 40) Woakes has Kl Rahul beaten a couple of times in the over, one nip backer and one that holds its line that the normally unflappable Rahul has an undistinguished flap at. There's something happening with the ball out there and England are trying to harness it. 6.32am EDT 06:32 19th over: India 86-1 (Nair 17, Rahul 39) Carse has found some real rhythm this morning, he looks to be less bothered by his troublesome toes and is pounding away at a handkerchief sized spot back of a length. He beats Nairs edge with one that moves away late and then gets the edge but it is a thick one and runs away for four backward of point. No justice eh Brydon? 6.28am EDT 06:28 18th over: India 81-1 (Nair 13, Rahul 38) Woakes stitches together a maiden. England have bowled well this morning but with no luck so far. 'Morning James. A packed day of sport today, it's what the OBO/MBM was made for!' Indeed Guy Hornsby, it is in fact the busiest weekend of the year on the Guardian Sports desk. 'These next two sessions should be fascinating in how the game is set up. England will feel they can't chase anything, but yesterday showed that even a monster partnership can't solve a big total on its own. India will want, you feel, 450+, and England will give that a go. It's a far cry from forlorn hope of the draw in my formative 1990s. This team has made it an endangered species. But it shouldn't be off the table, either. Going down in a blaze of boundaries to lose by 200 doesn't help us in the series. But we're all just passengers now, eh.' Spot on Mr Hornsby. Slightly more problematic thinking from Tim Sanders… 'Good morning James. I think Howard Banwell might be mistaken if he caps England's run-chase ambitions at 350-400. It's three years to the day, at the same ground, against the same opposition, since Joe and Jonny's partnership chased down 378 with seven wickets in hand. I think if, come tomorrow evening, England were to need 720 from 20 overs, they'd give it a good go.' Updated at 6.30am EDT 6.22am EDT 06:22 17th over: India 81-1 (Nair 13, Rahul 38) Eventful over as Carse clangs Karun Nair on the helmet with a brutish delivery and then draws the edge with the next ball but it flies in the large-ish gap between first and second slip! England can't believe their luck but they were trying to have a bob each way. Nair survives. Top over from Brydon Carse, he really bent his back in that one and got some life out of this placid wicket. 6.19am EDT 06:19 16th over: India 76-1 (Nair 8, Rahul 38) 'India are only going to get better as the series goes on' purrs Ravi Shastri, and he's not wrong. If they win this game sans Bumrah then the series is well and truly anyones with three to play. A leg bye sees India stretch the lead up to 250. 6.10am EDT 06:10 15th over: India 75-1 (Nair 8, Rahul 38) Rahul unfurls another picture perfect cover drive, how good is he at that shot? He never seems to miss out. Carse nips one back and the inside edge from KL saves him from succumbing lbw. Carse asked the question but Stokes wasn't interested in the review and rightly so. Edge! Safe. Rahul punches off the back foot and the edge flies wide of second slip. Four more for India, they are rollocking along at five an over. 6.08am EDT 06:08 14th over: India 67-1 (Nair 8, Rahul 30) There are no alarms or surprises in the wicket, the roller was on it this morning and it is still very easy paced. We have seen the odd ball nip and bounce, the wickets of Brook and Stokes for example. Kl Rahul picks up a couple of singles in his usual princely fashion. Nair then clips a ball off his hip for a single to make it three off the first over of the day. It's cloudy but still flat as all flip out there. 6.03am EDT 06:03 Righto, the players are out on the field, its a bit more overcast and breezy in Edgbaston. Chris Woakes is going to start with the ball, England need some wickets to try and keep India in check. India will look to bat most of the day. Fingers crossed for another belter. WinViz gives England just 3 per cent chance of winning, might be worth a flutter you know… 6.00am EDT 06:00 'I'm torn.' Says Howard Banwell, getting his Natalie Imbruglia on. 'I like very much the positive, go-for-it England approach to test cricket in recent years, but here I would rather see a draw than an England loss. I reckon it depends on the lead India is allowed to rack up today. If England restrict them to a 350 to 400 lead (or Shubman declares with that target on the table), Stokes will be very tempted to go for the chase. More than that, I suspect even Stokes will pucker up and kiss his sister.' 5.48am EDT 05:48 Our man Ali Martin had the task of summing up a quite bonkers day of Test cricket: Pressure? What pressure? Or to pinch a line from Keith Miller, the great Australian all-rounder and a fighter pilot during the second world war: 'There is no pressure in Test cricket. Real pressure is when you are flying a Mosquito with a Messerschmitt up your arse.' Notwithstanding this old truism, there was still a fair bit on the line when Jamie Smith strode out to middle at 11.12am here on the third morning. Joe Root had been uncharacteristically strangled down leg, Ben Stokes had been blown away by a brutish first ball and Mohammed Siraj, a fiery fast bowler known to get on a roll, was eyeing up a hat-trick. Oh, and England were 84 for five, 503 runs behind India's first innings.' 5.43am EDT 05:43 Ease yourself into Saturday morning with Mr Andy Bull: The field was set, the slips were waiting, the crowd was up. There was, everyone watching felt sure, only one way the game was heading. The ball was a good one, on a length just outside off and moving in towards middle. Smith took a half-step forwards and, crack, thumped it back down the ground for four. Everyone else in this England team had to unlearn a lot of what they had been taught to begin to bat like this. But not Smith. He and Harry Brook are hothouse kids.' 5.23am EDT 05:23 James Wallace Here's something I wrote earlier: 'A draw is like kissing your sister,' Edward J Erdelatz said to the New York Times in 1954. Erdelatz was the United States Navy's head football coach and his side had just drawn 0-0 against Duke University. 'No one asked the mild spoken navy coach to explain,' the report adds. Well, quite. But sister or not, everyone knew what he meant. Erdelatz's unique take on the merits or otherwise of not winning are ingrained in American sports where a Lombardian win-at-all-costs mentality prevails. Try explaining Test cricket to an American sports fan, they say, with a wry chuckle – the fact that two teams can battle it out for five full days and in the end, there is not necessarily a winner. Good luck, they smirk. Adelaide 1961? You may as well be describing the plot of Christopher Nolan's Memento to a toddler. Old Trafford 2005? More chance of a cider-addled bee getting to grips with quantum theory. They do not get it, be gone with your quaint English ways, five days and no winner. That's crazy, man. Yet draws are intrinsic to Test cricket, they are written in its DNA – a double helix in the shape of a deadlock. Draws speak to its beguiling and maddening qualities, a testament to the game's downright peculiarity. That a side can battle back from a point of seemingly no return to pull off the heist of shared spoils, drop anchor, defy logic, battle against their opponents' desire, their own self-belief, against conditions under their feet and above their heads, against time itself. This makes the game what it is, why it is called what it is called. Even when you are on top, it is still really hard to finish a side off and win a Test match.' At what point in this game do you think Ben Stokes might decide to pucker up and play for the draw? Or will he laugh in the face of such outdated thinking? Preferring his side to go down in a blaze of wickets rather than entertain not entertaining and batting out to share the spoils? England are playing a more nuanced version of Bazball but whether they still have the stomach to suck up a draw remains to be seen. India are currently 64 for one and hold a lead of 244. India captain Shubman Gill knows all too well that England will try and chase whatever they are set, at least initially, and 371 wasn't enough last week in Headingley. Harry Brook and Jamie Smith's barnstormingly epic three hundred run partnership showed the path of one possible outcome just as England's quacking and creaking batting card containing six ducks showed the other. Of one thing we can be sure, it'll be unmissable viewing on day four at Edgbaston. Play gets underway at 11am and I'm very much here for your thoughts and theories on where this second Test match might be headed. Updated at 5.24am EDT
Powys County Times
24 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Gunderson: Scotland 'ready for battle' against England
There's always an edge when Scotland take on England and one of the Scottish U20 women's captains Merryn Gunderson has said her side is ready for the battle when they take on their Red Rose counterparts on Saturday. The two sides face off against one another in the opening round of fixtures of the 2025 Six Nations Women's Summer Series at the Centre for Sporting Excellence in Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly. It is the second edition of the U20 tournament, which debuted in Italy, and after suffering three defeats out of three 12 months ago, the class of 2025 only have eyes for success in Wales this time around. And Gunderson, who is part of a leadership group of four and will captain her country against England, knows her team is ready for the challenge ahead. 'Every single one of the girls is up for the battle that we're going to be given, which will be really good,' the 21-year-old back rower said. 'We will fight for it, we're ready to go out there and show what we can do and what we're worth.' Gunderson plays domestically for Corstorphine Cougars/Edinburgh Rugby, having started playing the sport aged four due to her father being a coach at Forrester Rugby Club, and explained there's a good feeling around the camp ahead of their opening clash. 'We're really excited, we've had such a big build-up this year which has been really nice,' she continued. 'Going from Italy last year to come to [Wales] this year, it's good vibes. We've had really good vibes in the squad, and it's been really nice to be around.' Following on from the 2024 Women's Summer Series, 14 players across the six countries went on to achieve senior honours during the 2025 Guinness Women's Six Nations, including Scotland's Molly Poolman. And Gunderson highlighted the importance of the competition for giving players the opportunity to standout and to use it as a springboard to break into the senior team. 'It's a massive incentive for the girls,' she added. 'It's a great incentive to kick-off the World Cup too; that we can play before it and show what we can do. 'It's massively important this tournament exists and is shown on the platforms that they've got. We can show that women's rugby is growing and going from strength to strength.' With women's rugby on an upward trajectory, the 2025 Six Nations Women's Summer Series is a big chance for stars of the future to gain vital international experience, graduate along the development pathway, while also inspiring a new generation of rugby fans. Julie Paterson, Chief of Rugby at Six Nations Rugby, said: 'The Women's Summer Series is an essential part of the strategy and commitment of Six Nations Rugby, and the six unions and federations, to proactively support the creation and growth of opportunities in the women's game.' Spread across three dates during July, Scotland will also face Wales on 11 July before rounding off their campaign against Ireland six days later.
BBC News
26 minutes ago
- BBC News
Raducanu does not trust 'dodgy' electronic line calls
Emma Raducanu says she does not trust the electronic line calling at Wimbledon, pointing to "dodgy" calls in her defeat by world number one Aryna Briton was particularly unhappy when a shot from the Belarusian was judged to have clipped the line midway through the first set."That call was for sure out," Raducanu said after a closely fought 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 loss where she went toe-to-toe with the top seed for much of the match."It's kind of disappointing that the calls can be so wrong, but for the most part they've been OK. I've had a few in my other matches, too, that have been very wrong. Hopefully they can fix that."Wimbledon replaced line judges this year with the technology, which is being used at many other top-level tournaments, including the US Open and Australian if she trusted the electronic line calls, Raducanu replied: "No, I don't trust the line calls - I think the other players would say the same thing, there were some pretty dodgy ones but what can you do?"Raducanu is not the only player to question the accuracy of the system, with British men's number one Jack Draper saying after his second-round defeat by Marin Cilic on Thursday: "I don't think it's 100% accurate, in all honesty. "A couple of the ones today it showed a mark on the court. There's no way the chalk would have showed." It is not just the accuracy of the automated 'out' calls that have been questioned this week, with players saying they have also been too said she had not been able to hear all of the calls during her match against Sabalenka on Centre Court, where the roof was closed and the partisan fans were noisy during a gripping encounter."Some of them were a little bit quiet or dulled out by the crowd," she said. "But overall you kind of have an idea if the ball was in or out. And then hope that Hawk-Eye calls it the same."Sabalenka agreed, adding: "It was quite loud and I think people also weren't sure if it's in or out. So there was a little pause and then they figured [it out] by the scoreboard."When there were human line judges, players could challenge the calls by using electronic reviews, which were shown on a big screen. Now the screens show replays of close calls but they can not be said she thought the Hawk-Eye electronic line calling system "was way more accurate back in the day when there were lines judges and you could challenge". "It's difficult to deal with. And also [it is] a shame that the tradition's kind of been broken with the linesmen and women," she said, referring to the smartly dressed officials who were a familiar sight around the it announced it would be introducing the technology this year, Wimbledon said it considered "the technology to be sufficiently robust and the time is right to take this important step in seeking maximum accuracy in our officiating".Earlier this week Wimbledon's operations director Michelle Dite was asked about the player feedback about the sound level of the calls and she replied: "The team are obviously working to make sure that it's optimum. "We're also just making sure that it's not too loud and it disrupts the play on the next court. It's always something that's being managed, and the teams will take all the feedback and keep working on it as we go."Wimbledon has not commented on the most recent players' concerns about accuracy.
