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Exeter 'never got flustered' in cup comeback

Exeter 'never got flustered' in cup comeback

Yahoo10-03-2025

Exeter Chiefs coach Ricky Pellow has praised his side's composure as they twice came back from behind to beat Ealing Trailfinders in the Premiership Rugby Cup.
The Championship side led 22-14 with 30 minutes to go in their semi-final at Sandy Park - having also had an early 10-0 lead.
But Exeter recovered to win 28-24 and ensure a home final against Bath on Sunday at 12:00 GMT.
"We were under pressure in periods, they scored some quality tries and the scoreboard came away from us a little bit, but we never got flustered," Pellow told BBC Radio Devon.
"In the past, like the Gloucester game, we probably got a little bit flustered and then our discipline went.
"Today we managed to maintain our discipline and that allowed us them to rip the momentum back off Ealing."
Exeter have struggled this season, winning two Premiership matches. Six bonus points are all that keep them above bottom side Newcastle.
But they have had success in the cup, and have used the competition to try and iron out their problems, while blooding a number of younger players.
Pellow felt at times that his side underperformed against Ealing, who are 13 points clear at the top of the second tier.
"To be going into a final and feel a little bit frustrated is good," he said.
"What we've got to do this week now is reset, take some learnings from the game and re-energise.
"We know we're in for one hell of a game against Bath. They're a physical side, they're direct with how they play, and we're going to have to front up again in a big physical confrontation."
He added: "This competition for us is a super way of developing players, but also to give you an opportunity to have something tangible.
"This competition means a lot to us and a lot to the players - we see the guys in the changing room now, they're super-excited and looking forward to Sunday."

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Jobe Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund: Transfers TLDR
Jobe Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund: Transfers TLDR

New York Times

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  • New York Times

Jobe Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund: Transfers TLDR

Borussia Dortmund have completed the signing of Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland in a deal worth up to €38million (£32m; $43.3m). Bellingham, 19, has signed a five-year contract with Dortmund, which will run until the summer of 2030. As part of this summer's transfer coverage on The Athletic, in addition to breaking news, tactical analysis and in-depth reads, our Transfers TLDR series (you can read them all here) will bring you a quick guide to each of the key deals. Jobe Bellingham, like his brother, Jude, came through Birmingham City's academy system. He became the club's second-youngest-ever player in January 2022, only behind Jude. He made six starts for his boyhood club before joining Sunderland for £2m in June 2023, aged just 17. In two years on Wearside, Jobe was almost ever-present, starting 85 of a possible 95 Championship games in a Sunderland shirt. Last season he missed only six games – three through suspension, three through injury – and played every minute of the club's successful play-off campaign. He was crowned the Championship's young player of the season, as well as being named in the division's team of the season. Chris Weatherspoon Much like they saw with his brother, Dortmund fans can expect to see a versatile midfielder. The younger brother signed for Sunderland as an attacking midfielder, having played there for Birmingham, but has often played in deeper, central roles. What they might not see is too many references to his family links. He chose to wear 'Jobe' on the back of his shirt on Wearside, rather than his surname, in a bid to create his own identity, separate from his famous brother. Steve Madeley Long-term, Dortmund's midfield will be anchored by Felix Nmecha, a mobile, skilful No 6 who sits at the base of Niko Kovac's midfield, in a 3-4-2-1. Bellingham will initially be treated as a project and eased into the first-team gently, but, longer term, he will likely occupy a more static role alongside Nmecha and behind the dynamic three of Karim Adeyemi, Max Beier and Serhou Guirassy. Jobe is not Jude; he is not as aggressive or attacking with the ball, and Dortmund understand that. In time, he will become a piece of the midfield rather than the definition of it, as his brother was. Sebastian Stafford-Bloor Bellingham's only significant lay-off so far came in early 2023. While at Birmingham, he suffered an injury to his abdominal muscles that sidelined him for almost three months. Since then, he has missed just three games due to an ankle injury he sustained in February this season while at Sunderland. Steve Madeley Former Sunderland interim head coach Mike Dodds told The Athletic in 2024: 'There's so much scrutiny around Jobe if he doesn't play well. It's unfair because he's just so young and I don't think people appreciate how good he is for his age. 'Because of his second name and the comparison, sometimes the over-analysing of him is unfair. Those are the cards he's been dealt and he's got to get on with it. I've had that conversation with him.' Steve Madeley Bellingham has signed for Dortmund on a five-year deal until the end of the 2029-30 season, and is eligible to play in this month's Club World Cup. The two clubs differ on the size of fee involved. Dortmund have said the deal is closer to a €30m (£25.4m) fee upfront, with €5m (£4.2m) worth of bonuses, which represents the very best-case scenario. Advertisement Sunderland's version is more optimistic: they say €33m (£27.9m) as a guaranteed fee, with €5m worth of extras that are easily achievable. Sunderland have also obtained a 15 per cent sell-on clause if Bellingham moves on again in the future. Sunderland have announced the deal as a club record sale, eclipsing the initial £25m received from Everton for Jordan Pickford in 2017. Bellingham's departure marks the third eight-figure sale Sunderland have made in the past 10 months. This deal, alongside the sales of Jack Clarke and Tommy Watson, means Sunderland will report club-record player profits in their 2024-25 financials. That profit figure is likely higher than the club's £38.2m overall revenue in their 2023-24 season. Chris Weatherspoon and Sebastian Stafford-Bloor Based on the two clubs' differing briefings on the figures involved, and assuming agent fees of 10 per cent on the transfer, the deal will cost Dortmund between £27.9m and £30.7m, excluding any add-ons materialising. With the deal falling three weeks before the end of their June accounting deadline, between £303,000 and £333,000 will hit Dortmund's books in amortisation costs for the 2024-25 season, then a further £5.5m to £6.1m per year will be expensed each season until the end of 2029-30. Bellingham's wages are unknown but are expected to rise significantly from his deal at Sunderland, and will take the overall cost to Dortmund well beyond just transfer and agent fees. For Sunderland, they'll book all their profit on the deal into 2024-25, though that will come after paying Birmingham City a slice — estimated at between £3.5m and £3.9m (15 per cent of the profit). After that, the Wearside club will book an accounting profit of between £20.7m and £22.8m on Bellingham's sale. Advertisement That will not only bolster their summer budget but also help their figures in the future, too. Sunderland don't need to record promotion bonuses in their 2024-25 PSR submission to the EFL, but will need to include them in their 2024-25 figures within next year's submission to the Premier League. Bellingham's sale will go a long way toward offsetting those promotion costs. Chris Weatherspoon This will take a large amount out of the budget. Before unexpectedly qualifying for the Champions League next season, Dortmund were likely facing a summer in which they would have had to sell before adding to the squad. That's no longer the case — revenue from the Club World Cup has also been extremely helpful — but Bellingham has not come cheap, and having been so far unable to agree a fee with Chelsea for Jamie Gittens, they will now be limited in what else they can do. Sebastian Stafford-Bloor

Finn Russell hoping for strong showing from Bath fans at Premiership final
Finn Russell hoping for strong showing from Bath fans at Premiership final

Yahoo

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Finn Russell hoping for strong showing from Bath fans at Premiership final

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Dortmund sign Bellingham brother Jobe from Sunderland
Dortmund sign Bellingham brother Jobe from Sunderland

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time3 hours ago

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Dortmund sign Bellingham brother Jobe from Sunderland

Jobe Bellingham (right) playing for Sunderland in the Championship (Paul ELLIS) Borussia Dortmund have signed English midfielder Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland until 2030, five years after bringing older brother Jude to the club. Dortmund announced the signing on Tuesday, the final day of the Club World Cup transfer window. Advertisement "The England U21 international put pen to paper on a five-year deal with the eight-time German champions on Tuesday morning," Dormund said in a statement. Dortmund reportedly paid a fee of around 33 million euros ($37 million), with five million in additional bonuses, to secure the midfielder's services, the most the club has paid up front for a player. "I'm very happy to be a Borussia Dortmund player now and to fight for titles together with this great club," said 19-year-old Bellingham. "I want to play my part in celebrating success with these great fans here and will work on myself and with the team every day. And I'm very happy that I'll be wearing the black and yellow jersey at the FIFA Club World Cup." Advertisement Dortmund's transfer record remains the 35 million euros paid to bring Ousmane Dembele from Rennes in 2018 although this was originally 15 million euros which rose by 20 million in sell-on fees once the player transfered to Barcelona. "Jobe is an extremely talented footballer with an impressive level of maturity and intelligence on the pitch for someone so young," said Lars Ricken, BVB Managing Director for Sport. "We have no doubt that he's the perfect fit for our philosophy of developing talented youngsters and giving them the opportunity to improve and establish themselves at the highest level. "His professionalism, his dynamism and his hunger to succeed will make him a real asset for our team." Advertisement At 19, Jobe is two years younger than his Real Madrid and England midfielder brother. In moving to Dortmund, Jobe will follow in Jude's footsteps of trading the Championship for the Bundesliga and the Westfalenstadion. After leaving Birmingham City, Jude spent three seasons at Dortmund and has become one of the most recognisable players in world football since joining Real in 2023. As he did at Sunderland, the younger Bellingham will wear 'Jobe' on his jersey at Dortmund rather than his last name in a bid to distinguish himself from his brother. Jobe scored four goals and laid on three assists in 40 games for Sunderland this season as he helped the club win promotion to the Premier League. Advertisement - Brotherly face-off - Jobe's signing means the two brothers could face off in this season's expanded Club World Cup in the United States, if Dortmund meet Real Madrid during the knockouts of the competition. Jude Bellingham joined Dortmund from boyhood club Birmingham in 2020 aged 17 for around 23 million euros, a fee which rose to 30 million euros when a sell-on fee was added after his 100 million euro move to Real Madrid. He made 132 appearances in yellow and black, scoring 24 times and laying on 25 assists, and helped them win the German Cup in 2021 alongside Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho. Advertisement After leaving Dortmund, Jude faced off against his former side in the 2023-24 Champions League final, with Real winning 2-0 at Wembley. Jobe became the second-youngest Birmingham City player behind his brother when he made his debut aged 16 years and 107 days. He was named the young player of the season in the English second flight, again following in his brother's footsteps, five years on. "He's fit as a fiddle and raring to go," said club sporting director Sebastian Kehl. "He's determined to forge his own path at Borussia Dortmund and make his mark on how we play, and we're confident that he will do exactly that," added Advertisement After a disappointing 2024-25 campaign, Dortmund snuck into fourth after a late-season flurry, picking up 22 of a possible 24 points in their final eight games and will take part in next season's Champions League. Dortmund kick off their Club World Cup campaign against Fluminense on June 17. dwi/ea/bsp

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