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BBC News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Premiership Rugby: Leicester, Sale and Bristol into semi-finals
Update: Date: 17:36 BST Title: Bye for now... Content: After 36 weeks and 18 rounds of regular-season action, we have the four clubs that will be going for Premiership glory this season. Leaders Bath will face fierce rivals Bristol on Friday night in what could be an outrageously entertaining game of attacking rugby between two sides that flood forward with fearless aggression. Then we have second-placed Leicester Tigers up against Sale Sharks on Saturday. It is a match that screams rugby union arm-wrestle! You can follow radio and live text commentaries of both those matches right here on the BBC Sport website. Until then, adios. Update: Date: 17:33 BST Title: The final standings Content: So the day ends as it began with Leicester and Sale both getting over the line to secure third and fourth place, respectively. Bristol came through a breathless match with Harlequins, while Gloucester and Saracens both won their games but ultimately fell short. Update: Date: 17:30 BST Title: 'I'm unbelievably excited' - Curry Content: FT: Exeter 26-30 Sale Sale captain Ben Curry told TNT Sports: "Credit to Exeter, they're an unbelievable team and we knew that coming down here. "Where they are in the table probably doesn't reflect how good a side they are - all credit to Exeter but we can definitely do better. We know there's more in us. "Rob [du Preez] said we were fighting for another Monday together and we've got that so we're very grateful to get into a semi-final. We've worked unbelievably hard to get there." On the Premiership play-off semi-final against Leicester Tigers next Saturday: "I can't wait - one of those ones, Welford Road away, I'm unbelievably excited already." Update: Date: 17:24 BST Title: 'There'll be fireworks at Bath' - MacGinty Content: FT: Bristol 52-26 Harlequins Bristol Bears fly-half AJ MacGinty speaking to TNT Sports: "It's massive [to win today]. I think we wanted to finish the season strong. "Our home form this season hasn't been great so there was an edge this week, a lot to play for so we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to come out and deliver. "We spoke a lot about it being 11 months of hard work to get to this point and let's finish the job and get that play-off spot. "Next week at the Rec's going to be a hell of an atmosphere." On the semi-final against Bath: "Since I've been here it's the one game that the players and the local lads, it gets the going like no other game. It means so much to the boys to represent Bristol and what it means to the fans, so yeah fireworks next week - fireworks." Update: Date: 17:21 BST Title: 'Cheika is world class' Content: FT: Leicester 42-20 Newcastle Tom VarndellFormer England and Leicester wing on BBC Radio Leicester If Michael Cheika can mould his Leicester side properly they can absolutely beat Sale, and get themselves into the final. He is a world class coach and has the ability to get someone ready for war, and Leicester will be seeing it as going to war two weeks in a row. It's also huge that the match will be at home, with the Welford Road crowd behind the players. Update: Date: 17:19 BST Title: 'I'm so proud' - Sanderson Content: FT: Exeter 26-30 Sale Sharks Sale Director of Rugby Alex Sanderson told TNT Sports: "I've got one of these smart watches to track my heart rate and the alarm was going off for the whole of the second half. "Nerve-wracking and probably made it tough for ourselves at times but chuffed that we're in the semi-finals but we've got to be better than that. "We'll have a good crack on the plane home tonight and I'll lean into Sunday and maybe get a bottle of Malbec and then it's all hands to the pump again on Monday morning. "It's such a good group. I'm so proud of them." On finding out about Sale's semi-final opponents, Leicester Tigers: "Oh well good. We've learned some lessons and we'll have to put that right from two or three weeks ago. I'll be looking forward to going back down there." Update: Date: 17:16 BST Title: Post Content: FT: Exeter 26-30 Sale Brent PilnickBBC Sport at Sandy Park That was some finish at Sandy Park, but in the end the home fans go home disappointed. It was a valiant effort from Exeter, and one that will give them hope for next season. As for Sale, they can be buoyed by some of their first half attacking play, but they will know they have to work on their defence as they struggled to cope with Exeter at times after the break. Update: Date: 17:13 BST Title: 'Play-offs will be cracking' Content: FT: Bristol 52-26 Harlequins Gareth ChilcottEx-England and Bath prop on BBC Radio Bristol Bristol will need to work on their defence this week but you know the play-offs will be a cracker. Bath will be worried about this Bristol side, especially because they've just been beaten by Saracens. It could go either way. Update: Date: 17:10 BST Title: Semi-finals confirmed Content: Premiership play-off semi-final fixtures So there we go, at the end of the day the table stayed as it was before this afternoon started. 1 Bath 2 Leicester 3 Sale 4 Bristol That means that next week our two semi-finals will be: Bath v Bristol, Friday, 6 June (19:45 BST) Leicester v Sale, Saturday, 7 June (15:30 BST) Update: Date: 17:05 BST Title: Post Content: And breathe. The curtain has closed on the 18th and final round of the 2024-25 Premiership season and we have full-time in all five of our matches. Let's see where that leaves us, shall we and get some reaction. Update: Date: 17:01 BST Title: Full-time Content: Leicester 42-20 Newcastle Leicester have themselves a shot at a record-extending 12th Premiership crown. This win sets up a home semi-final against Sale Sharks next week. It will be another emotional day as it is the last chance for a number of favourites, including living club legends Ben Youngs and Dan Cole, to play at home. Update: Date: 17:00 BST Title: Full-time Content: Gloucester 41-26 Northampton Gloucester did all they could to try snatch a play-off spot today, but results elsewhere mean they fall just short. Headlining the win was Christian Wade, who signs off a Premiership player with two tries. He switches rugby codes next week to join Super League giants Wigan Warriors. Update: Date: 17:00 BST Title: Converted try: Leicester 42-20 Newcastle Content: Ollie Hassell-Collins (78 mins) con Ben Volavola Ollie Hassell-Collins gets the try he has richly deserved today! It's a score that completes an ultimately comfortable win that secures a home play-off semi-final next week. Update: Date: 16:58 BST Title: Try: Gloucester 41-26 Northampton Content: Christian Wade (79 mins) Christian Wade has signed off from rugby union in style! He races away with all the flash that has made him one of the Premiership's most prolific try-scorers. Gloucester will win this easy, but they will fall short of the play-offs. Update: Date: 16:56 BST Title: Full-time Content: Bristol 52-26 Harlequins It'll be at least one more game for this captivating Bristol side as the final whistle confirms the victory that secures fourth spot for the Bears. An incredible 12 tries today at Ashton Gate between two of the league's great entertainers. A wonderful game to wrap things up in Bristol for another year. They'll face local rivals Bath for a place at Twickenham. Update: Date: 16:56 BST Title: 'Curry relieved' Content: FT: Exeter 26-30 Sale Chris MallabandBBC Radio Manchester It was a valiant effort by Chiefs to get back into this, but you just know Ben Curry will be the most relieved man in the stadium. His misplaced pass could've led to a try. Update: Date: 16:55 BST Title: Converted try: Leicester 35-20 Newcastle Content: Sammy Arnold (76 mins) con Brett Connon Newcastle have not relented, despite being well done late on. Sammy Arnold finishes off a well worked team move before Brett Connon converts. Just three minutes left in this one. Update: Date: 16:54 BST Title: Full-time: Exeter 26-30 Sale Content: Sale breathe a MASSIVE sigh of relief. With the last play of the game, Exeter look to play ball in hand but an overcooked pass sees the ball go out of play and that is that. It was a terrific second-half performance from Exeter, who remember trailed at the break by 15 points, but it wasn't enough to get a result as the Sharks seal third place in the final season standings and set up a clash at Leicester Tigers next Saturday in the Premiership play-off semi-final. Tries from Rekeiti Ma'asi-White, Bevan Rodd and England's Luke Cowan-Dickie helped them get over the line today but you would imagine they will have to play better than that if they are to get their hands on just a second Premiership title in their history. Update: Date: 16:54 BST Title: Converted try: Leicester 35-13 Newcastle Content: Matt Rogerson (73 mins), Ben Volavola Matt Rogerson is another Leicester Tigers players on their way out at the end of the season, and he has come up with a bit of a leaving present. Solomone Kata shifts the ball to Rogerson, who barges over to finish. It is blow-out now. Update: Date: 16:53 BST Title: Full-time Content: Saracens 36-26 Bath The full-time whistle brings an end to Saracens' season as they miss out on the play-offs for only the third time since 2009. The Men in Black looked like they had wrapped the result up long ago but a very young Bath side put in a spirited fightback to bring them within 10 points at StoneX Stadium.
BBC News
17-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Cheat code' Ford driving Sale to play-off place
So, we need to talk about is because George Ford turned in another player-of-the-match display as Sale Sharks beat Bristol Bears 41-27 to boost their hopes of a play-off is now five wins in six games for Sale since the Premiership resumed after the Six Nations and Ford, 32, has been instrumental in all of latest performance was labelled a "masterclass" by Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam and led to him being described as a "cheat code" by club captain Ben Curry. Ford's own boss, Alex Sanderson, has been beating the drum for two months for the fly-half to be included in the British and Irish Lions squad for the tour of coach Andy Farrell opted not to pick him, going for Scotland's Finn Russell and England's Fin Smith as his two regular number 10s, with Marcus Smith as cover for both that position and Farrell said he was keeping a couple of places spare in his squad, to be filled at a later date, with many assuming that his son, Owen Farrell, was one of those targeted for these he has not played much rugby in a Racing 92 team that is really struggling in France's Top Ford keeps playing as he is for Sale in the closing weeks of the season, his name is not going to go away. 'We tried to put him under pressure but he's class' On Friday night, Bristol boss Lam said he had altered his side's normal tactics to opt for a kicking his side could not match Ford, whose ability to manage the game had Lam purring in respect."We didn't execute it anywhere near as good as George Ford did his," said Lam. "He had a masterclass in that."George drives Sale's game so well. When you watch him play for Sale and England, his ability to turn teams and make good decisions, he's in a real rich vein of form and he's doing what he's very good at."We tried to put him under pressure but, at the moment, he's class." Ford 'needs more recognition' Sale's win over Bristol took them up to third in the Premiership with one game to away to Exeter Chiefs in their final game will assure them of a play-off spot for a third consecutive season, with all of those finishes since Ford joined the club from Leicester Sale do make the play-offs, it would also keep the tantalising possibility of a clash between them and Bath - and a battle of the number 10s with Ford against Russell. For captain Curry, having someone like Ford, a veteran of 98 England caps, makes his job easier."Fordy is a little cheat code," he said. "For me being captain, life is so easy - you just sit back and let him do his thing."He is unbelievable. It's not just his rugby or what he says on the pitch. He is a proper standard-bearer, he just seems to get it right."I don't think there are many players in the world like him."Everyone keeps talking about how good George is, but he needs more recognition."
Times
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Times
Ben Curry and George Ford earn Sale win over Bristol in play-off scrap
The stakes were high at the Salford Community Stadium, with both sides firmly in the hunt for places in the end-of-season play-offs, and Sale Sharks secured a comfortable bonus-point victory that lifted them above Bristol Bears with one round of matches remaining. George Ford, continuing his rich vein of form, shrugged off the disappointment of being left out of the British & Irish Lions squad to tour Australia to dictate the game masterfully, capitalising on a strong performance by his pack and kicking seven out of seven from the tee. Ben Curry, another overlooked by the Lions, was another highly influential performer as Bristol's vaunted attack was not allowed to click into gear. After a sticky start Sale found their fluency to score five tries,
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Tom Curry defers wrist operation until after the British and Irish Lions tour - with Sale and England flanker set to play through the pain in Australia
'Super-human' Tom Curry has deferred a wrist operation until after the Lions tour and will play through pain in the damaged joint to be available for the British and Irish mission to Australia. Sale revealed on Monday that the hamstring injury sustained by their England flanker at Leicester last Friday night is minor and won't threaten his involvement in the business end of the Premiership season or the Lions' crusade Down Under. However, the 26-year-old has been troubled by a wrist problem for several weeks and it emerged that surgery is needed; but will have to wait. At Welford Road, Tom Curry was replaced by twin brother Ben in the first half of his club's defeat against Leicester – creating an injury scare just a day after the Lions squad was announced. But after a scan, Sale's director of rugby, Alex Sanderson, delivered a positive update, saying: 'Tom's injury is as good as we could have hoped for. He had a scan and it's a 1B (strain) on his hamstring, which is the lowest grade you can have with a hamstring injury. It won't rule him out of anything other than this weekend.' While the bulletin is good news for Sale and for Lions head coach Andy Farrell, Sanderson admitted that the wrist injury Tom Curry has been carrying will require surgical intervention this summer. In the mean-time, the openside is just having to grit his teeth and keep going. 'It is a ligament injury and he will have an operation after the tour, but clearly he is able to manage it and play through whatever pain he is experiencing,' he added. 'The Lions are aware of the wrist problem. He had to play through to know that he could, and the specialist was happy that the injury is manageable for the super-human he is. 'The alternative was to have an operation now, miss our remaining games and the first two of the Lions tour. But that wasn't an option because of the competition being so high for his position.' Sanderson revealed that Sale's England hooker, Luke Cowan-Dickie, had a scan on a nagging leg injury which has forced him to alter his running gait recently, but the results were encouraging. He also voiced renewed support for his veteran fly-half George Ford, who has been in imperious form for the title-chasing Sharks since the Six Nations. Asked if he hoped the 32-year-old could earn a late Lions call-up if Owen Farrell is deemed unready – after his father left the door open for a squad summons – Sanderson said: It's not just a hope. I think he really deserves it. 'You say what you will about international selection – it is subjective, and on the back of the results Fin Smith has attained being there (at 10 for England), you could argue that was a good decision. But on a tour, away from home, having the ability to pull people together, with George's ability to galvanise a group, I just haven't worked with anyone better. I haven't. 'That includes Owen Farrell – and he's a great; one of the greatest. But George, with the form he's in, and having worked with them both… yeah, why wouldn't you pick him?' Former England scrum-half Danny Care has announced that he will retire from professional rugby at the end of this season. The 38-year-old Harlequins legend will hang up his boots as a decorated and acclaimed Test centurion, and a loyal stalwart of the London club, having made 394 appearances in almost 19 years of service, since joining Quins from Leeds in 2006.
BBC News
04-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Sale's Ben Curry returns to face champions Toulouse
Investec Champions Cup last 16: Toulouse v Sale SharksVenue: Stadium de Toulouse Date: Sunday, 6 April Kick-off: 15:00 BSTCoverage: Follow live text commentary on BBC Sport website and app Ben Curry returns as Sale Sharks make five changes for their trip to face defending champions Toulouse in the Investec Champions Cup last Bevan Rodd is unavailable through injury so Si McIntyre steps into the front row, while Ernst van Rhyn switches from flanker to lock and co-captain Ben Curry returns to partner identical twin Tom in the back James comes in at full-back in place of Joe Carpenter, who misses out with a calf injury, while Arron Reed is named on the wing and Rekeiti Ma'asi-White starts at inside George Ford will continue to steer the Sale attack from Premiership side, who finished third in Pool Four to qualify for the knockout stages, have beaten French opposition previously in this year's competition, securing an impressive home win over Toulon. Toulouse, meanwhile, have made five changes to the side which cruised past Pau in their last Top 14 fly-half Romain Ntamack returns to the starting XV to partner Paul Graou, who continues to deputise at scrum-half after Antoine Dupont's long-term knee Jack Willis and France's Francois Cros return in the back row, while influential lock Emmanuel Meafou is recalled to the engine room and David Ainu'u starts at away trip to either Toulon or Saracens awaits the victors in the quarter-finals. Line-ups Toulouse: Ramos; Capuozzo, Barassi, Ahki, Kinghorn; Ntamack, Graou; Ainu'u, Marchand (capt), Aldegheri, Flament, Meafou, Cros, Willis, Cramont, Neti, Merkler, Verge, Jelonch, Castro-Ferreira, Mallia, Sharks: James; Roebuck, R du Preez (co-capt), Ma'asi-White, Reed; Ford, Warr; McIntyre, Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour, Van Rhyn, Hill, T Curry, B Curry (co-capt), JL du McElroy, Harrison, John, Andrews, Bamber, Dugdale, Thomas, O' Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
