Unai Emery gave an exclusive interview to L’Equipe yesterday in Detroit, right before lunchtime. A few hours before their first international Champions Cup game against AS Roma, the Parisian coach (45 years old) spent 45 minutes, and looked back on his past season, and provided an in-depth overview. He also discussed the new one, which has barely begun. The technician also revealed a very positive nature on his ways – what does not kill you makes you stronger. He also insisted on his regular exchanges with PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi, and sporting director Antero Henrique. This trio wants to bring PSG to the height of European football and win the Champions League.

What state of mind are you in during this pre-season period?

I am focused on football all year round, and when the summer is about to end, I look forward to starting again… The enthusiasm for the upcoming season is there. The summer break is long. You want to come back to be with the team and prepare games.

Similarly, concerning the Bilbao conference you attended with other coaches, was your vacation period a “studious” one? Or did you take a little break?

When on vacation, I can do things that I would not usually be able to, like spend time with my son and family or see friends in Hondarribia (his hometown in Spanish Basque Country). Since I have been a coach, I have not missed a day. And with PSG, this summer, I stayed in contact with Antero (Henrique), even during my summer vacation.

What do you like to do during your holidays?

I like being with my 14 year-old son in Valencia, where he lives. I also spend time in Hondarribia. I like to go to the beach and mountain, to go walking and to play sports. For example, I play tennis, and I am not too bad (smiling) against players that are at my level.

Was last season the most demanding one of your career?

I started my career at the young age of 32. I have always understood myself as being a part of the process and learning from these different positive and negative experiences. I would say that last season was great, with difficulties. It was a year for me to learn and progress. There were good and bad moments, but I consider it to be to be an experience which will help me become a better coach.

What did you take away from it?

By nature, I think a lot more about the present and future, than the past. All my experiences are good learning tools. I am a positive person. There were five titles up for grabs, but we came away with three (Trophée des Champions, Coupe la Ligue and Coupe de France), and the two most important ones got away. For PSG, the most important thing is to grow, progress and win titles. That’s the challenge for next season.

Do you think you made mistakes or failed?

I analyzed everything from last season with my staff, including the good and the bad moments. I think this first season was important for my progression in PSG. With the president, we always talk a lot to know what can and need to improve. The project is in the works. I had meetings with the president and Antero Henrique in order to define the strategy for the upcoming season. When I came back from vacation, we met up to see where the project currently was.

What is that strategy?

We spoke about that recruitment, and the team line-up. We all agreed that we needed to recruit a great offensive player. The club is working on that; it is the main objective. We also said that we had to keep our best elements like Marquinhos, Verratti etc. 

Who would you like to recruit in attack? Alexis Sanchez? Mbappé?

PSG wants to recruit the best players in the world from the best clubs in the world. Last December, when the team was not going as well, the president and I met up to speak about potential players that could improve the team. If we want to compete with Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and win the Champions League, we need to recruit a top 5 player. We are looking to sign one this summer. Sanchez and Mbappé are great players, plus Mbappé is French. I want French players in a French team. 

We have heard a lot about Neymar during these last few days. We imagine that he is a player that you would like to have…

Since he came to Barcelona (in 2013), I was able to witness Neymar’s impressive progression when at Sevilla. And now, he is a top 5 player in the world. The president and the club have been working for years to attract the greatest players. The team, but also the fans, would be happy to have a top 5, 6 or 7 player in their ranks, to add to the great players that are already here. But we know that this quest will not be easy. Maybe we will manage, maybe not. How many more signings are you expecting this summer?

It is difficult to improve this team. I only want players who will help us progress. Following Maxwell’s retirement, we signed Yuri (Berchiche). I spoke with Serge (Aurier) to tell him that I would like for him to stay and continue to work with him. He said that he wanted to leave, and that he preferred to stay in Paris to prepare his departure. So we took Dani Alves, an experienced player and a winner. We also want a midfielder.

Like Fabinho?

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We want a defensive midfielder who is good with the ball at their feet and who can fit into the style of the team. I spoke with Grzegorz Krychowiak. He is a player of quality who can play in a great team. But, in PSG, when certain players arrive, they have to be ready to take it a step further, to adapt to the team. It is not the same here as it is elsewhere. So, it is best for him to find a team which would best suit his style of play.

How do you see Adrien Rabiot, who does not want to play as a defensive midfielder?

Rabiot progressed a lot last season, like Presnel Kimpembe. We worked a lot with him. He would prefer to play as an 8, and we will make sure that he plays more in that position.

Would you like to recruit a new goalkeeper?

I am happy with Alphonse Areola and Kevin Trapp. With that being said, we are always looking out for ways to improve each position. If the club has the possibility to sign a goalkeeper to improve the team… Both goalkeepers want to play, but I do not know if it will be the case. This will depend on their performances.

If both goalkeepers stay, will Trapp remain the starter?

Last season, I gave them my trust. They both played and both managed good performances, but both went through rough patches. I have not decided who will be number 1, so the starter will have to come get their place. I will not say who it is before then.

Why did you decide to switch goalkeeping coaches?

When I came last year, I wanted to come with Javi Garcia, a right-hand man who I like a lot and whose work I am familiar with. I asked the club, but they said that it was not possible. I asked him again this season, I spoke with Nicolas (Dehon) and told him I was happy with him and his work. But I wanted to work with my right-hand man.

Why do you no longer count on Hatem Ben Arfa? Was it your decision?

With regards to Ben Arfa, we met with the president and Antero, and took a decision together. It is never easy when players do not train with the first team, but he is in good conditions to work. Pablo Villanueva, one of my assistants, is with him and the others who stayed. Simon Colinet, the physical coach, is also there, and there are physiotherapists and a doctor. We have a lot of players in our team. It is a club decision. He is a good player, but here, to go higher and win your place, it is a lot harder.

What is your relationship with Antero Henrique like?

Since his arrival, we have been speaking. Work is easy with him, he is experienced, and is available all the time. You can call him at 4 am and he will be available. 

… Do you not sleep?

(Laughing) I am also available at all times. My former president in Valencia told me you have to be. He could call his colleagues anytime he wanted. 

There were also two major departures in the sporting management: Olivier Létang and Patrick Kluivert. Did you ever feel threatened?

The results are the most important things for a coach, the work put in, and being honest. I only think about winning games, working to progress and being honest. I watch it all. For the rest… I’m free.

What relationship did you have with Kluivert, with whom you did not always agree with, most notably on the recruitment?

A good relationship, just as I did with Olivier (Létang). The latter was the first to contact me and with whom I had my first meeting before seeing the president.

Patrick left, it was the club’s decision. We did not always agree, that is true, but we spoke and he is a person with who it is difficult to not get along with.

To come back on last season, what did you take away from it? 

There were two halves. During the first half, we lost four games, which is too much to aspire to win. Afterwards, during the second half, we rectified these problems and found a clearer path. Our statistics were also good, with twenty-five wins, two defeats and three draws in thirty matches. We were able to showcase our individual qualities in a collective effort, with Angel Di Maria and Edinson Cavani who managed his best goal scoring season. There was also the contribution of some young players like Kimpembe and Rabiot. Lucas also had a good season. We need to start this new year, with the mentality from the second half of the previous one.

You had a great summer preparation in 2016, most notably in the US. The positive elements seem to have quickly disappeared. Why is that?

The reality of the pre-season was that after four defeats, there was another one. Sometimes, there are unexpected things which happen. We looked for a balance with which we came back strong, and the individualities came back well in the group. We spoke a lot, between the group and individually. With our talent and good collective attitude, the team will be even better. We have the same ideas, but what is certain, is that we will start out better tactically. Our team is better prepared this year, with better communication between us, the staff and players. I find training sessions to be better, and the players show their desire to do well. They have the second half of season mentality.

What remains from the match against Barcelona?

The joyous explosion from the home leg (4-0), and the plunge of the away leg both remain. It is important to be reasonable, and not be too enthusiastic and discouraged after. We learned. We needed this experience. This is football: what you do with the ball and what you do with your mind.

You were perhaps missing something at the end of the match… 

Yes, maybe, but it is an experience. Maybe we thought that we could play like we did at home following the first leg. But in the Nou Camp, against Barcelona, it is not possible. Barça really pushed us, and the referee did not control the match. Overall, there were positives from both games. I’d say it was 50-50. 

Do you think this upcoming season will be better?

The better you know your team and players, the faster things can be put into place, and the easier it becomes to do what you want. This is the type of progression I am looking for, and I believe that I can do more with this team.

Do you plan on changing your system? Perhaps going towards a 4-4-2?

We found a balance with our players here, who like to have control of the game and possession. It is difficult to change systems with three attacking players, as it is our strength. We scored 85 goals in 30 games during the second part of last season with this system. Di Maria scored more, we saw Verratti shooting more, Matuidi and Rabiot running into the opposition penalty area. We found a balance with a 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1, so it is difficult to change.

What do you expect from this pre-season tour?

We have players like Cavani and Di Maria who resumed quite late. It is a bit short, but they followed a routine during their vacation. We will make do. In any case, they are professional and have maintained themselves.

What are your ambitions for next season?

I do not look that far forward. There are five trophies to play for, with the first one against Monaco in the Trophée des Champions on July 29th. I want a team with an identifiable style of play, and if we can have a collective force with our individual talent, as well as winning spirit, we can aim for all titles, even the most difficult ones, like the Champions League.

Y.H.

Exeter Chiefs boss Rob Baxter thinks that new signing Joe Hawkins will not have to put his Test career with Wales on hold following his move to the Premiership. 

Hawkins was one of three new signings announced by Exeter this week, with current Ospreys teammate Ethan Roots and former Newcastle fly-half Will Haydon-Wood also joining the Premiership side.

Confusion over Joe Hawkins’ eligibility

The 20-year-old’s move to the Premiership has thrown his eligibility for Wales into question, having represented the nation five times since his Test debut against Australia last year.

He earned four caps during the Six Nations this year but still falls short of the 25 required to represent Wales while signed on at a club outside of the country.

The previous selection policy for players outside of Wales had a 60-cap dispensation clause. There was also an exception for uncapped players contracted outside of Wales to qualify while their current contact was in place; this meant Louis Rees-Zammit and Tommy Reffell could make their debuts.

Following the announcement of Hawkins’ signing at Exeter, Baxter was asked about the youngster’s international future.

He was careful not to disclose confidential information but said he did not sign the player with the expectation that his Test career would be put on hold.

“All this came about before any eligibility rules came about. The WRU (Welsh Rugby Union) have asked me the same question,” Baxter explained.

“I said to them I can only really send them paperwork with the player’s permission, but he has got it all. So as far as I know, the WRU will sort that out with the player and the player’s agent.

“It is for them to provide all the information, not for me. I don’t see it being a problem because of the timing of when we got everything signed. That is all I can say on that.

“We haven’t signed him on the expectation that he won’t play for Wales if that is what you’re asking me. I haven’t got the expectation that he will be here. I expect him to play for Wales.”

Wanting Hawkins to improve at Exeter

The contract row between the WRU, the regions and the players left several players questioning their future in the final six months of their contracts.

Baxter confirmed that he had conversions with several Welsh players over the last six months.

“It has been a difficult situation,” Baxter added.

“I have probably had discussions with half-a-dozen players in Wales who haven’t known where they have stood for six months.

“There’s been a lot of chats about their futures and what their options might be. But they are all proud Welshman who want to play for Wales.

“So none of them have been easy decisions in terms of leaving Wales, let alone some of the guys we’ve spoken to who knew they would be giving up their Wales careers.

“I would like to think Joe is a player who will be here for a long time. I am not looking at him thinking he will be OK for two years.

“We want him to play for us, keep improving and hopefully become a core player in a group that can stay together for a long time and achieve some success together.”

READ MORE: Premiership exodus: England stars Maro Itoje and Marcus Smith consider moves abroad – report
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24-year-old French midfielder and Stoke City man Giannelli Imbula has agreed personal terms with AS Monaco ahead of a possible move, according to L’Équipe.

A personal terms agreement was reached last week, and the former Marseille man is now waiting for a deal to be struck between AS Monaco and Stoke City.

After having a loan with option to buy offer rebuffed, Monaco are seeking to bring the Premier League side’s demands down, currently seeking between €15m and €20m in a straight transfer fee.

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Claims of racism voiced by former England and Newcastle Falcons centre Luther Burrell have proven to be true after a thorough review.

Burrell opened up about experiences of racism in the Mail in June last year, resulting in Newcastle launching an internal investigation into the allegations.

Thorough process

Since October 2022, the investigation has interviewed 90 people who are or have worked for Newcastle to generate findings through an independent King’s Counsel.

In a statement released by the club, the finds showed that, “The report has concluded that on the balance of probabilities, the allegations made in the Daily Mail article are true, but there is insufficient evidence to say whether these allegations occurred at the club.”

The report did, however, note of incidents, including a WhatsApp message and two other situations where acts of racism were “more likely to have happened during his time with Newcastle Falcons than not.”

The club has committed to educating its employees about discrimination and how to deal with situations in more a positive and meaningful manner.

“We take our responsibility to help drive education and development in this area very seriously and are very much aligned with Luther’s aim of educating and eliminating any discrimination from across the sport.

“While we had already embarked on a full review of policies, procedures and training provisions following our return to work and the removal of red zone restrictions around playing and coaching staff after COVID in May 2022, we intend to take all possible learnings from the investigation report to ensure we continue to take every positive action we can for the better of our employees, our sponsors, our club, our loyal supporters and our game,” the statement wrote.

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“Luther raised numerous allegations and it remains gravely concerning that any individual would be subject to discriminatory behaviour within the game we all love, or within any walk of life. As such we welcome and support the wider action being taken by the RFU, alongside Premiership Rugby and the RPA, in terms of the wider listening exercise they’ve conducted across the sport and the resulting inclusion and diversity action plan – details of which are due to be released imminently.

“As a club we have an equality, diversity and inclusion policy in place, any breach of which would qualify as a serious disciplinary matter. We have delivered ED&I training to all our employees, have bystander training sessions scheduled for all employees and are committed to annual refresher training.

“We are also in discussion with the RFU about training that will be provided more widely across the sport and our owner has met with Luther to further discuss how we can all work together more closely to ensure rugby is a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone.”

Education is key

Ultimately, even after the extensive investigation, individuals involved with the incidents could not be identified, but the club once again underlined their focus of achieving Burrell’s aims of educating people about these issues.

“Given that after an extensive investigation there remains no way to identify those involved in any of the allegations outlined above, that many staff and players have left since the time Luther was at the Club, that the report refers to generally positive feedback on the culture and behaviours of the Club and given that Luther’s stated aim was to educate and improve things for the future, going forward the Club will be focusing on education and reinforcement of the aims and processes within our policies, as recommended in the report,” the statement added.

Ligue 1 side Lyon are in talks over the possible signing of 20-year-old Spanish youth international midfielder Pape Cheikh Diop from Celta Vigo, according to L’Équipe.

The 20-year-old of Senegalese origin is under contract with the La Liga side until 2021. Lyon are searching for a long-term replacement for Maxime Gonalons.

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The Challenge Cup round-of-16 is on the schedule this weekend, with the action climaxing on Saturday night with Cardiff v Sale Sharks.

Bristol Bears v Clermont

Prediction: Bristol by 5

The teams:

Bristol Bears: 15 Charles Piutau, 14 Siva Naulago, 13 Semi Radradra, 12 James Williams, 11 Gabriel Ibitoye, 10 AJ MacGinty, 9 Harry Randall (cc), 8 Fitz Harding, 7 Sam Jeffries, 6 Steven Luatua (cc), 5 Chris Vui, 4 Magnus Bradbury, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Harry Thacker, 1 Ellis Genge
Replacements: 16 Will Capon, 17 Yann Thomas, 18 George Kloska, 19 Charlie Rice, 20 Jake Heenan, 21 Andy Uren, 22 Sam Bedlow, 23 Ioan Lloyd

Clermont: 15 Alex Newsome, 14 Damian Penaud, 13 Irae Simone, 12 George Moala, 11 Bautista Delguy, 10 Anthony Belleau, 9 Sébastien Bézy, 8 Fritz Lee (c), 7 Lucas Dessaigne, 6 Killian Tixeront, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Thibaud Lanen, 3 Cristian Ojovan, 2 Etienne Fourcade, 1 Etienne Falgoux
Replacements: 16 Jean-Maxence Jules-Rosette, 17 Giorgi Beria, 18 Rabah Slimani, 19 Edward Annandale, 20 Loic Godener, 21 Baptiste Jauneau, 22 Jules Plisson, 23 Alivereti Raka

Venue: Ashton Gate
Kick-off: 20:00 BST (19:00 GMT)
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Craig Evans (Wales), Adam Jones (Wales)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)

Scarlets v Brive

Prediction: Scarlets by 10

The teams:

Scarlets: 15 Tom Rogers, 14 Steff Evans, 13 Joe Roberts, 12 Johnny Williams, 11 Ryan Conbeer; 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Gareth Davies, 8 Sione Kalamafoni, 7 Josh Macleod (c), 6 Aaron Shingler, 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Vaea Fifita, 3 Javan Sebastian, 2 Ken Owens, 1 Kemsley Mathias
Replacements: 16 Shaun Evans, 17 Wyn Jones, 18 Sam Wainwright, 19 Morgan Jones, 20 Carwyn Tuipulotu, 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Rhys Patchell, 23 Ioan Nicholas

Brive: 15 Nic Krone, 14 Arthur Bonneval, 13 Nico Lee, 12 Sam Arnold, 11 Kevin Fabien, 10 Stuart Olding, 9 Vasil Lobzhanidze, 8 Retief Marais, 7 Said Hireche (c), 6 Rodrigo Bruni, 5 Lucas Paulos Adler, 4 Mesu Kunavula, 3 Francisco Coria Marchetti, 2 Lucas Da Silva, 1 Daniel Brennan
Replacements: 16 Motu Matu’u, 17 Nathan Fraissenon, 18 Wesley Tapueluelu, 19 Renger van Eerten, 20 Sacha Gue, 21 Paul Abadie, 22 Tom Raffy, 23 Seta Tuicuvu

Venue: Parc y Scarlets
Kick-off: 20:00 BST (19:00 GMT)
Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe (England)
Assistant Referees: Harry Walbaum (England), Wayne Falla (England)
TMO: Steve Leyshon (England)

Toulon v Cheetahs

Prediction: Toulon by 14

The teams:

Toulon: 15 Thomas Salles, 14 Jiuta Naqoli Wainiqolo, 13 Jérémy Sinzelle, 12 Waisea Vuidravuwalu, 11 Aymeric Luc, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Benoit Paillaugue, 8 Sergio Parisse (c), 7 Facundo Isa, 6 Jules Coulon, 5 Adrien Warion, 4 Swan Rebbadj, 3 Kieran Brookes, 2 Teddy Baubigny, 1 Bruce Devaux
Replacements: 16 Christopher Tolofua, 17 Dany Priso, 18 Beka Gigashvili, 19 Matthias Halagahu, 20 Mathieu Bastareaud, 21 Jules Danglot, 22 Maëlan Rabut, 23 Ihaia West

Cheetahs: 15 Tapiwa Mafura, 14 Dan Kapepula, 13 David Brits, 12 Robert Ebersohn, 11 Munier Hartzenberg, 10 Reinhardt Fortuin, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Jeandre Rudolph, 7 Oupa Mohoje, 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Victor Sekekete (c), 4 Rynier Bernardo, 3 Hencus van Wyk, 2 Marnus van der Merwe, 1 Schalk Ferreira
Replacements: 16 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 17 Alulutho Tshakweni, 18 Beertjie van Vuuren, 19 Mzwanele Zito, 20 Daniel Maartens, 21 Siba Qoma, 22 Rewan Kruger, 23 Cohen Jasper

Venue: Stade Felix Mayol
Kick-off: 13:30 local (12:30 BST, 11:30 GMT)
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Assistant Referees: Alex Frasson (Italy), Manuel Bottino (Italy)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (Italy)

🐺 𝗟𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼 𝗱𝘂 𝗟𝗢𝗨 pour affronter le @SFParisRugby ce samedi (16h) ⤵️#SFPLOU#LaForceduLOU#LaMeute pic.twitter.com/fhl3WVbtJW

— LOU Rugby (@LeLOURugby) March 31, 2023

Stade Francais v Lyon

Prediction: Lyon by 5

The teams:

Stade Francais: 15 Kylan Hamdaoui, 14 Stephane Ahmed, 13 Paolo Odogwu, 12 Theo Dachary, 11 Pienasi Dakuwaqa, 10 Joris Segonds, 9 Arthur Coville, 8 Giovanni Habel Kuffner, 7 Mathieu Hirigoyen, 6 Ryan Chapuis, 5 Pierre-Henri Azagoh, 4 Baptiste Pesenti, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Laurent Panis (c), 1 Vasil Kakovin
Replacements: 16 Mickael Ivaldi, 17 Nemo Roloefse, 18 Giorgi Melikidze, 19 Paul Gabrillagues, 20 Juan Johan van der Mescht , 21 James Hall, 22 Juan Martin Scelzo, 23 Alex Arrate

Lyon: 15 Fletcher Smith, 14 Ethan Dumortier, 13 Tavite Veredamu, 12 Josua Tuisova, 11 Davit Niniashvili, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Baptiste Couilloud, 8 Arno Botha (c), 7 Liam Allen, 6 Felix Lambey, 5 Loann Goujon, 4 Killian Geraci, 3 Francisco Gomez Kodela, 2 Liam Coltman, 1 Jérôme Rey
Replacements: 16 Guillaume Marchand, 17 Feao Fotuaika, 18 Demba Bamba, 19 Joel Kpoku, 20 Beka Saginadze, 21 Jonathan Pélissié, 22 Kyle Godwin, 23 Noa Nakaitaci

Venue: Stade Jean Bouin
Kick-off: 16:00 local (15:00 BST, 14:00 GMT)
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Chris Busby (Ireland), Paul Haycock (Ireland)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)

Benetton v Connacht

Prediction: Connacht by 10

The teams:

Benetton: 15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Edoardo Padovani, 13 Nacho Brex, 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Marcus Watson, 10 Jacob Umaga, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage (c), 8 Henry Stowers, 7 Michele Lamaro,6 Seb Negri Da Oleggio, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 3 Tiziano Pasquali, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro
Replacements: 16 Siua Maile, 17 Thomas Augustin Gallo, 18 Filippo Alongi, 19 Riccardo Favretto, 20 Manuel Zuliani, 21 Alessandro Izekor, 22 Alessandro Garbisi, 23 Tomas Albornoz

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Connacht: 15 Tiernan O’Halloran, 14 John Porch, 13 Tom Farrell, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Mack Hansen, 10 David Hawkshaw, 9 Caolin Blade (c), 8 Paul Boyle, 7 Conor Oliver, 6 Cian Prendergast, 5 Niall Murray, 4 Leva Fifita, 3 Jack Aungier, 2 David Heffernan, 1 Peter Dooley
Replacements: 16 Dylan Tierney Martin, 17 Jordan Duggan, 18 Sam Illo, 19 Oisin Dowling, 20 Shamus Hurley-Langton, 21 Kieran Marmion, 22 Cathal Forde, 23 Shane Jennings

Venue: Stadio Comunale di Monigo
Kick-off: 16:00 local (15:00 BST, 14:00 GMT)
Referee: Christophe Ridley (England)
Assistant Referees: Jack Makepeace (England), Gareth Holsgrove (England)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (England)

Lions v Racing 92

Prediction: Racing 92 by 10

The teams:

Lions: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Rabz Maxwane, 13 Manny Rass, 12 Marius Louw (c), 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Gianni Lombard, 9 Sanele Nohamba, 8 Francke Horn, 7 Ruan Venter, 6 Emmanuel Tshituka, 5 Reinhard Nothnagel, 4 Willem Alberts, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 PJ Botha, 1 JP Smith
Replacements: 16 Morne Brandon, 17 Rhynardt Rijnsburger, 18 Ruan Dreyer, 19 Ruben Schoeman, 20 Travis Gordon, 21 Morné van den Berg, 22 Rynhardt Jonker, 23 Andries Coetzee

Racing 92: 15 Louis Dupichot, 14 Donovan Taofifénua, 13 Warrick Gelant, 12 Olivier Klemenczak, 11 Juan Imhoff, 10 Ben Volavola, 9 Nolann Le Garrec, 8 Cameron Woki, 7 Maxime Baudonne, 6 Wenceslas Lauret, 5 Anton Bresler, 4 Anthime Hemery, 3 Ali Oz, 2 Peniami Narisia, 1 Thomas Moukoro
Replacements: 16 Jonathan Maiau, 17 Guram Gogichashvili, 18 Biyi Alo, 19 Fabien Sanconnie, 20 Ibrahim Diallo, 21 Martin Meliande, 22 Max Spring, 23 Asaeli Tuivuaka

Venue: Emirates Airline Park
Kick-off: 18:30 local (17:30 BST, 16:30 GMT)
Referee: Karl Dickson (England)
Assistant Referees: Ian Tempest (England), Jonathan Healy (England)
TMO: Dean Richards (England)

🐉 𝙏𝙀𝘼𝙈 | Here are your Dragons 23 to take on @GlasgowWarriors ⚔️ in the last 16 of the @ChallengeCup_ tomorrow evening, 5:30pm KO! 👊

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Glasgow Warriors v Dragons

Prediction: Glasgow Warriors by 7

The teams:

Glasgow Warriors: 15 Ollie Smith, 14 Kyle Steyn (c), 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 Cole Forbes, 10 Domingo Miotti, 9 George Horne, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Sione Vailanu, 6 Rory Darge, 5 Richie Gray, 4 Scott Cummings, 3 Lucio Sordoni, 2 Johnny Matthews, 1 Allan Dell
Replacements: 16 George Turner, 17 Nathan McBeth, 18 Simon Berghan, 19 JP du Preez, 20 Lewis Bean, 21 Ryan Wilson, 22 Jamie Dobie, 23 Tom Jordan

Dragons: 15 Jordan Williams, 14 Rio Dyer, 13 Steff Hughes, 12 Max Clark, 11 Jared Rosser, 10 Will Reed, 9 Rhodri Williams (c), 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Taine Basham, 6 Ross Moriarty, 5 George Nott, 4 Ben Carter, 3 Chris Coleman, 2 Bradley Roberts, 1 Aki Seiuli
Replacements: 16 Elliot Dee, 17 Rhodri Jones, 18 Leon Brown, 19 Huw Taylor, 20 Sean Lonsdale, 21 Ben Fry, 22 Lewis Jones, 23 Ioan Davies

Venue: Scotstoun Stadium
Kick-off: 17:30 BST (16:30 GMT)
Referee: Tual Trainini (France)
Assistant Referees: Adrien Marbot (France), Benoit Rousselet (France)
TMO: Eric Briquet-Campin (France)

Cardiff v Sale Sharks

Prediction: Sale Sharks by 3

The teams:

Cardiff: 15 Rhys Priestland, 14 Owen Lane, 13 Mason Grady, 12 Max Llewellyn, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Jarrod Evans, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Taulupe Faletau, 7 James Botham, 6 Josh Turnbull (c), 5 Teddy Williams, 4 Lopeti Timani, 3 Kieran Assiratti, 2 Liam Belcher, 1 Corey Domachowski
Replacements: 16 Kristian Dacey, 17 Rhys Carre, 18 Dillon Lewis, 19 Seb Davies, 20 Thomas Young, 21 James Ratti, 22 Lloyd Williams, 23 Ben Thomas

Sale Sharks: 15 Joe Carpenter, 14 Tom Roebuck, 13 Rob du Preez, 12 Manu Tuilagi, 11 Tom O’Flaherty, 10 George Ford, 9 Gus Warr, 8 Dan du Preez, 7 Ben Curry (c), 6 Jono Ross, 5 Jonny Hill, 4 Jean-Luc du Preez, 3 Nick Schonert, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Bevan Rodd
Replacements: 16 Ewan Ashman, 17 Simon McIntyre, 18 Coenie Oosthuizen, 19 Josh Beaumont, 20 Sam Dugdale, 21 Raffi Quirke, 22 Sam James, 23 Arron Reed

Venue: Cardiff Arms Park
Kick-off: 20:00 BST (19:00 GMT)
Referee: Luc Ramos (France)
Assistant Referees: Evan Urruzmendi (France), Kevin Bralley (France)
TMO: Patrick Dellac (France)

FC Metz have announced the signing of Argentine striker Brian Fernández from Racing Club, on a season-long loan with an option to buy.

The 22-year-old spent last term on loan with CA Sarmiento of the Argentinean second division, and will hope to impress in his first spell away from his homeland, with Metz.

“My main quality remains one against one. I like to provoke and eliminate,” said Fernández, “I think I have qualities that fit well with the French championship. Then, it is up to me to adapt to the requests of the coach.”

S.H.

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Rugby Australia (RA) chairman Hamish McLennan has slammed the NRL over their reaction to Joseph Suaalii’s decision to join rugby union.

The talented back, who played both codes before turning professional with the Sydney Roosters, inked a huge deal with RA last week, reportedly worth $1.6m.

He has signed with the Waratahs and will make the switch from rugby league after his Roosters contract expires at the end of 2024.

There have already been several jibes from the 13-man code, with Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys chief among them.

V’landys stated that teenage sensation Suaalii would “get terribly bored” playing union, adding: “He is going to be paid twice the money for doing half the work.”

Hysterical

“It’s been hysterical, really,” McLennan told ABC Sport Daily.

“They’re cry-babies. So, they’ve lost their rising star, their talent. Joseph has made the choice. I think they should respect his choice and they’re attacking his age and having a swing.

“The reality is, our guys travel the world. The current Wallaby crop will be playing at the third-biggest sporting event [Rugby World Cup] in France … our players get life experience that you wouldn’t get anywhere.”

Suaalii’s signing has also brought about a mixed response in Australian rugby union circles, with Wallabies great Stirling Mortlock unsure about the move.

“Look, there’s no doubt he’s a weapon. Even when he was playing under-16s, you could see he was a freakish talent and a class above the others,” Mortlock told AAP.

“But $1.6 million per annum? That could have kept 19 or 20 other players in the system.”

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McLennan, however, very much disagrees with Mortlock and believes the addition of Suaalii can bolster the sport in other ways, not just on the field.

Grassroots investment

“We’re going to be growing the pie,” RA’s chairman said.

“With the current [RA] board, I would say we have been the most prudent board in the code’s history. Just between 2020 and now through COVID, we’ve cut $40 million worth of costs out of the organisation, so we’re putting it back now.

“We’re happy to pay our players well. That’s a good thing if you want to come and play rugby because you get to travel the world and you will be looked after by us at the elite level.

“But if we sell our media rights for more, we’ll have more money to put back into grassroots, so this is a strategy that will work and the public need to understand that.

“Our elite players, at the end of the day, will earn more than NRL players and we’re happy to pay them well.”

Bordeaux have announced that they have loaned out midfielder Daniel Mancini to Ligue 2 side for a whole season, but without the option to sign him permanently at the end of the deal.

The 20-year-old Argentine striker joined Bordeaux in January on 2017 from Newell’s Old Boys for an undisclosed fee following some impressive displays in the Argentinian Premiera Division, where he scored twice in 16 games.

Both the player and the club hope that this loan move can be for the best, and if Mancini performs well early on in Ligue 2, we could see him make a return to Girondins quicker than we had already anticipated.

T.S.

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Warren Gatland claims that Wales will surprise some teams at the World Cup later this year with how much they will have improved.

Wales finished the Six Nations in fifth after a 41-28 loss to France in Paris on Super Saturday.

Expecting rapid development

Gatland’s return to the helm did not go as smoothly as he would have hoped, with losses to all teams but Italy. However, Wales seem to have started to find their feet, and the veteran coach believes things may be different at the global showpiece.

“We will surprise some teams in the World Cup by how good we will be and how much we will improve having that time together to prepare,” he said.

“We have taken steps in the right direction during this campaign but we have a lot of work to do.

“We have developed some youngsters who will learn from these experiences, and we will review stuff and what are the things we need to keep working on to not allow some of those soft tries we did concede.

“Today against a team like that when they get on top of you (Wales trailed 34-7 early in the second half), they can really punish you. A bit like the All Blacks.

“But the boys didn’t capitulate. They showed some heart and character. That is what we are looking for as a starting point.

“Some of the variation in the second half in terns of our game-management was much better. We put a few little kicks in behind and varied it nicely. I was pleased with the ambition of what the players were trying to achieve.”

Hard work required

Skipper Ken Owens echoed his coach’s sentiments and believes through hard work, the team will come right.

Owens added: “From the outset, we knew we wouldn’t be in a 12-9 arm-wrestle. We knew we had to score tries and we showed that.

“I am confident we will get better the more time we have together with that conditioning work and putting ourselves under pressure in training.

“That will solve those inaccuracies in our game that we’ve seen throughout the tournament.

“Personally, for me and a lot of the boys, it probably will be our last Six Nations game. It’s got to come at some point.

“I have seen enough over the last eight weeks of the work that the players, management and coaches are putting in. One thing with Welsh people, we work very hard.

“The more time as a Welsh team we spend together, the better we get. We will raise some eyebrows at the World Cup.”

Owens had missed some of the training week for the birth of his child, and he looks to get back to his family.

“Obviously, I haven’t trained much this week. That is probably why I was hooked (taken off) on 45 minutes,” he said.

“I was proud of Carys and becoming a father again. Everything went OK and it will be back to the family. Hopefully, Dwayne Peel (Scarlets head coach) will give me a nice little week off to enjoy with the family.”

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