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BBC News
29-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Not easy to play in Athens', Rangers warned
Champions League, second round qualifier: Panathinaikos v Rangers (0-2)Where: Athens Olympic Stadium When: Wednesday 30 July Kick-off: 19:00 BSTCoverage: Live on BBC Scotland & BBC Radio Scotland, text updates on BBC Sport website Rangers "will understand that it is not easy to play in Athens", says Pananthinaikos head coach Rui Vitoria as the Greek side attempt to turn around a two-goal deficit to progress in Champions League Greek side dominated for 50 minutes at Ibrox but failed to convert a host of chances before goals from Findlay Curtis and Djeidi Gassamma gave Rangers a priceless lead to protect in Wednesday's second understands why the home players and fans celebrated at the end of the first leg, but warns they are mistaken if they believe the job is already done."We need to be more united than ever," the Portuguese said."It was a really good atmosphere in Scotland, but believe me, it is going to be a very nice and hot atmosphere here as well."Rangers will understand that it is not easy to play in Athens - not for them and not for anybody else."Even with a 21:00 local kick-off time, the temperature is expected to be in excess of 30C at the Olympic believes the heat and atmosphere can give Panathinaikos the edge, while emphasising the importance of scoring despite losing the first leg, Vitoria thinks the performance in Glasgow will give his side belief."What we did there was something rather unbelievable for a Champions League match because we had many chances, we played in our way, but we could not score," he said."Although Rangers had fewer chances, they were able to score two goals. They have a lot of quality and we were punished because we did not take our chances. "The match left a really bitter taste for all of us."The most important thing now is to score the first goal. I think that once we score the first goal, then the second and third ones are going to come."
BBC News
25-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Australia v Wales match preview, coverage & key stats
Women's summer series: Australia v WalesVenue: Ballymore, Brisbane Date: Saturday, 26 July Kick-off: 05:00 BSTCoverage: Watch on BBC Sport online and BBC iPlayer, listen on Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and BBC Sounds Overview Wales are hoping to emulate the success of the British and Irish Lions in Brisbane when they take on Australia in the first of two Tests on Saturday. Sean Lynn's side have travelled down under as part of their preparations for the Rugby World Cup which kicks-off in England in less than a month's hosts, ranked sixth in the world, go in as favourites while Wales are on the hunt for a first win under Lynn after finishing bottom of the 2025 Six two sides met twice last September, Wales emerging victorious at Rodney Parade before taking a hammering in South Africa a week said Wales will be far from the finished product as he looks to try out combinations and blood new will come up against a familiar foe in Australia's head coach Jo Yapp, the pair locking horns in the Premiership Women's Rugby when Lynn was in charge of Gloucester-Hartpury and Yapp Worcester Warriors. It will be a friendly reunion, but the rugby will be anything but as both sides have a point to prove. Team news The hosts have made six changes after this month's heavy defeat by World Champions New Zealand. Emily Chancellor comes in to captain the side, replacing injured skipper Siokapesi Palu at blindside the other flank Ashley Marsters will become the Wallaroos' most capped player when she runs out for her 40th Kavoa and Katalina Amosa are called up to the front row, while Annabelle Codey returns at lock in place of Michaela Leonard, who along with Faitala Moleka is Friedrichs comes in at centre with Charlotte Caslick sidelined for the series with an ankle Halse returns to her starting position of full-back in place of Browne, Ashley Fernandez and Lori Cramer are new faces on the replacements' have also chosen to rest players, including co-captain Kate Williams which means Alex Callender will lead the side for the first slots into an unfamiliar position at number eight, with Georgia Evans moving across to blindside Metclafe makes a return to the starting XV at full-back, with Catherine Richards given an opportunity on the Jones will win her 50th cap at hooker, while Sisilia Tuipulotu is a welcome sight on the bench having missed the Six Nations with a hamstring is joined by Seren Lockwood, Katherine Baverstock and Tilly Vucaj who are all set to win their first senior caps. View from the camps Australia head coach Jo Yapp said: "We're looking forward to playing these final two Test matches on home soil before the World Cup begins."Injuries have forced our hand with a few changes for the series but it also gives opportunities to other players ahead of the World Cup."While disappointing to lose a leader like Siokapesi Palu, we are fortunate to have someone like Emily Chancellor be able to step up in her place and lead the team."Emily is a natural leader and has worked closely throughout this season with Siokapesi."Wales head coach Sean Lynn said: "Saturday is going to be a really good challenge to see where we are at."The girls and the staff have all been working hard over this pre-season and Saturday is going to be a really good test for us. "We're not going to be the finished product, but everything we're doing is about making sure we're making good progress."I'm looking to build for the World Cup and I'm looking at some combinations so I know what combinations are working and there are girls who are putting their hands up." Match stats Australia are ranked sixth in World Rugby's rankings while Wales have dropped to tenthSince last September's meeting at WXV2, Wales have only won one out of seven games while Australia have won four from sevenAustralia have won seven out of the last eight meetings with WalesWales beat Australia for the first time in their history at Rodney Parade on 20 September 2024 with a 31-24 victoryA week later they suffered their heaviest defeat to the Wallaroos with a 37-5 hammering in Cape TownWales have almost 40 professional players while Australia has a mix of full-time and part-time players Line-ups Australia: Caitlyn Halse; Waiaria Ellis, Georgina Friedrichs, Trilleen Pomare, Desiree Miller; Tia Hinds, Layne Morgan; Lydia Kavoa, Katalina Amosa, Bridie O'Gorman, Kaitlan Leaney, Annabelle Codey, Emily Chancellor (capt), Ashley Marsters, Layne Tania Naden, Bree-Anna Browne, Asoiva (Eva) Karpani, Ashley Fernandez, Piper Duck, Samantha Wood, Cecilia Smith, Lori Nel Metcalfe, Jasmine Joyce, Hannah Dallavalle, Courtney Keight, Lisa Neumann, Lleucu George, Keira Bevan; Maisie Davies, Kelsey Jones, Donna Rose, Alaw Pyrs, Gwen Crabb, Georgia Evans, Bethan Lewis, Alex Callender (captain).Replacements: Molly Reardon, Katherine Baverstock, Sisilia Tuipulotu, Tilly Vucaj, Bryonie King, Seren Lockwood, Kayleigh Powell, Carys Cox.
BBC News
25-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Johnson focus on nailing basics as he addresses Lions
Australia v British and Irish Lions, second TestVenue: Melbourne Cricket Ground Date: Saturday 26 July Time: 11.00 BSTCoverage: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app with post-match analysis on BBC iPlayer, Radio 5 Live and the Rugby Union Weekly podcast. British and Irish Lions great Martin Johnson urged Andy Farrell's side to nail the basics and seal the series win as he addressed the side for Saturday's second Test against Australia in became the first man to captain the Lions on consecutive tours when he captained the side in Australia in 2001, four years after leading the legendary 1997 tour of South the current crop attempt to win a series for just the second time this century, Johnson spoke to the squad on Thursday night and presented the matchday 23 with their Test jerseys."What a privilege to have him come in," Lions assistant coach John Fogarty said on Friday."He had a really nice presence to him. He spoke about the small margins in the biggest games and he talked about the fundamentals - doing those things properly. It is going to be the smallest of margins."For this group and for him as a player, mentality wasn't an issue. It was compounding errors, these are the things you need to make sure you are on top of during the match."He handed some jerseys out, and it was a cool moment. In a tour of loads of cool moments." The whole Lions squad visited the MCG on Friday, taking part in an impromptu game of cricket on the famous outfield, when prop Finlay Bealham's shot-making on both sides of the wicket were a highlight along with fitness guru Aled Walter's trigger-happy the players soaked in the surroundings, Fogarty has urged them to embrace to the occasion on Saturday."What a stage. What a game it's going to be," he said."We need to make sure we are rising to the occasion but not letting it take us out. It is such an iconic stadium and there is already excitement building within the group."We are expecting an absolute battle, a war, and I believe there are 95,000 supporters coming, so it is all mounting to be a huge occasion for both teams."We have got to deliver now. It's a massive game for them. It's a massive game for us." Fogarty has also paid tribute to the travelling hordes of Lions fans, with more than 30,000 Lions supporters expected in Melbourne on the weekend."There are so many travelling supporters," he added."The cost, the time, everything that goes into coming over to support a Lions tour, is not lost on us either."What a privilege just to be here and have this game in front of us. To be able to do something special would be amazing."
BBC News
03-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Little at stake yet loaded with meaning for Old Firm managers
Scottish Premiership: Rangers v CelticVenue: Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow Date: Sunday, 4 May Time: 12:00 BSTCoverage: Listen on BBC Radio Scotland & Sounds, live text commentary on the BBC Sport website & app, highlights on BBC Scotland from 19:15 With his final Old Firm game looming into view, legendary Rangers manager Walter Smith admitted he was "delighted" to be leaving the Glasgow derby was 2011, coming at a time when retirement was on the horizon and when off-field matters were dominating the headlines. The latter emphasising his desire to call it a is unlikely Smith's former captain Barry Ferguson will want Sunday to be his last taste of a fixture that means everything in Glasgow but counts for little on this latest title success, their 13th in 14 seasons, has left a bitter taste in Ferguson's mouth as the interim head coach prepares for what may be his final game against the champions, with the Ibrox club's incoming paymasters expected to make sweeping a former Rangers skipper, Ferguson knows the fixture inside out, having made his derby debut in the midfield boiler room alongside Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Jorg Albertz in 1998. He knows what wins over their neighbours can do when it comes to longevity in the despite ending an almost five-year wait for a victory at Celtic Park the last time they locked horns, Ferguson's short stint in the hotseat looks to be coming to an end with inauspicious results elsewhere and an inability to win at it up to Celtic has not been Rangers' problem in recent have won the past two derbies and were a penalty shootout away from winning the League Cup against Brendan Rodgers' side in have scored three goals in three successive games against their old rivals for the first time since 2002 and are chasing a third straight win over them in the same season for the first time since yet it feels like Rangers are as far behind Celtic as they've ever have rained in on them and points have been shed against the other Premiership sides with staggering have only scored once in their previous six games at Ibrox and equally staggering is the fact they have conceded at least twice in 11 of their past 13 overall. For Rodgers and his team, there will be a determination, if not a desperation, to come out on the title has been wrapped up with ease yet again. But those two defeats to Rangers will irk the Celtic boss. There was a time when the outcome of these games indicated where the title was going, that has not been the case this Old Firm record still stands above all others and that is something he will want to likes to have records in mind as he goes along and one still to achieve is beating the 106 goals his invincible side scored in 2016-17 during his maiden season at Parkhead. Celtic are five away from achieving that having scored five in each of their past three secured honour number 11 as Celtic boss, Rodgers has moved himself into sixth place in Scottish Football's managerial roll of honour. He now stands behind only Willie Maley, Bill Struth, Jock Stein, Smith and Scot Symon. The latter two are catchable if Rodgers plans on sticking around for the next few Ferguson, he has three more chances to register a victory at Ibrox with the club setting an unwanted benchmark of six home games without 47-year-old will have spent many a night since replacing Phillipe Clement wondering why this group of players can beat Celtic twice yet lose to Queen's Park, St Mirren, Motherwell and Hibernian on their own all of those have come on his watch but Ferguson knows it is a level of ignominy that won't wash at Rangers and if it is to be the end of his spell in charge, he will personally want a 100% record from his games against the outcome of this one, it won't register on the Richter scale but the phrase "dead rubber" doesn't really apply when it comes to these best of enemies.
BBC News
02-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Leinster recall Test stars to face settled Saints
Investec Champions Cup semi-final: Leinster v NorthamptonVenue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin Date: Saturday, 3 May Kick-off: 17:30 BSTCoverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra and BBC Radio Northampton Leinster make wholesale changes including recalling Ireland captain Caelan Doris and fly-half Sam Prendergast for their Champions Cup semi-final against Northampton prop Cian Healy is the sole survivor from Leinster's United Rugby Championship defeat by Scarlets while in contrast Saints' only change from from their Premiership win over Bristol Bears is the return of prop Trevor eight Doris returns to captain the hosts at Aviva Stadium while Ireland wing James Lowe and scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park also start. New Zealand's World Cup winner Jordie Barrett is named on the bench. Reigning Premiership champions Saints arrive in Dublin with a strong side that will include England wing Tommy Freeman and fly-half Fin Smith, who will line-up against Prendergast in what has been framed as a head-to-head audition for selection on this summer's British and Irish Lions tour to fly-halves produced stellar displays in the quarter-final as Ireland's Prendergast dismantled the Glasgow defence and kicked well, while England's Smith pulled the strings with composure as Saints thumped Castres. The notable absentee for the visitors is full-back George Furbank, who made a try-scoring return from injury in their win over Castres before suffering a setback with an arm injury that had sidelined him since winners Leinster and the 1999-00 champions Northampton renew their European rivalry, which saw them meet at the same stage of last year's flanker Henry Pollock continues his remarkable breakthrough season with a starting berth in his first European semi-final, a year on from watching last year's game at Croke Park as a supporter in fancy dress. The hosts edged to a narrow victory on that occasion but Saints, who won the trophy in 2000, will be confident of reaching a first Champions Cup final since they were beaten by the Irish province in the 2011 for Leinster could set up a repeat of last year's final against six-time winners Toulouse, who face French rivals Bordeaux-Begles in the other semi-final on Sunday. Line-ups Leinster: Keenan; O'Brien, Ringrose, Henshaw, Lowe; Prendergast, Gibson-Park; Healy, Sheehan, Furlong, Snyman, McCarthy, Deegan, Van der Flier, Doris (capt).Replacements: Kelleher, Porter, Slimani, Baird, Conan, McGrath, R Byrne, Saints: Ramm; Freeman, Dingwall (capt), Hutchinson, Litchfield; Smith, Mitchell; Iyogun, Langdon, Davison, Mayanavanua, Coles, Kemeny, Pollock, Walker, West, Millar Mills, Lockett, Munga, Scott-Young, James, Pierre Brousset (France)
