The Reds need to stick with their Brazilian forward as a central striker and keep a prolific Egyptian operating from a wider role, says Hutchison

Liverpool need to resist the urge to tinker with their attacking unit, says Don Hutchison, with the Reds at their best when using Roberto Firmino as a central striker and Mohamed Salah in a wide support role.

Jurgen Klopp has moved his prolific Egyptian forward down the middle at times this season, with experiments made with a system which uses two up top.

Liverpool have, however, enjoyed greater success when operating with Salah and the in-form Sadio Mane providing deep-lying assistance to Brazilian frontman Firmino.

Hutchison believes that should be the go-to approach in an ongoing Premier League title bid, with that formation playing to the strengths of the Reds’ most creative and potent attacking threats.

The former Liverpool midfielder told Premier League Productions while reflecting on the Reds’ most recent outing – a 3-0 win over Bournemouth: “It was comfortable and Liverpool could have scored three or four more. Liverpool were sensational.

“They were better that Mo Salah was playing off that side, he wasn’t playing as a No. 9, he was off the right-hand side up against [Diego] Rico the full-back. Firmino playing through the middle. 

“He’s got to play that 4-3-3, Klopp, until the end of the season. He’s got to get Mo Salah one-v-one.”

Victory over the Cherries briefly lifted Liverpool back to the top of the table, prior to defending champions Manchester City crushing Chelsea 6-0.

The Reds do still boast a game in hand on Pep Guardiola’s side, with 12 fixtures to come, and Hutchison believes chasing could favour a team which have spent much of the season leading.

The ex-Scotland international added: “There was no nervousness inside the stadium, different to when they were seven points clear, especially against Leicester when they went 1-0 up a couple of minutes in and they didn’t really know what to do. 

“I think it suits them, chasing. When they were five clear and seven clear, everyone was saying, ‘If they’re going to blow this, it’ll be a bit of a bottle job.’ 

“They scored after a couple of minutes against Leicester and then for 88 minutes you were watching a side not knowing what to do. They comfortably see it through 1-0 or go for four or five but they didn’t, they were in no man’s land.

“It might just suit them, the way Liverpool are with all the emotion of going for the holy grail trying to get it over the line, to chase it for a little bit.”

Click Here: habitat tord boontje

Waratahs flyhalf Bernard Foley has been ruled out of the side’s opening round clash with the Force.

Foley is still feeling the effects of  a head knock suffered in the Waratahs’ trial loss to the Highlanders.

“He’s still suffering some dizziness and so forth,” coach Daryl Gibson said.

“Then obviously his cognitive tests that they do on the computers, he wasn’t passing that as well.”

Foley’s replacement comes in the form of Bryce Hegarty, the former Rebels flyhalf-fullback, who has earned the moniker ‘Fettuccine’ since coming to Sydney.

“The reason he’s so popular is he doesn’t look like he should be playing 10 or rugby, in a really nice way,” Gibson said.

Hegarty missed most of 2016 after rupturing his ACL, but ran in the playmaker spot for most of the preseason with Wallabies 10, Foley, still on his off-season break.

“The reason we recruited Bryce in the first instance was because of his experience and the number of years he’s played at the Rebels and we get an excellent replacement and someone who can really step in and run the show,” he said.

“He’s got wonderful game sense, good skill set, excellent rugby brain and I think that’s the thing that attracts me to him, is he gets the game, he’s a rugby player.

“While he doesn’t have all the talents in the world, he utilises every ounce of it.”

Waratahs fullback Andrew Kellaway admitted Foley’s would be a big loss, but believes Hegarty will step into the position with ease.

“I think Bernard’s a world-class player so losing him is disappointing but Bryce is a great footballer and he’s actually been here all preseason, he’s pretty much led the boys all preseason so it’s a pretty seamless transition for us,” he said.

“He’s a very hungry competitive guy, so to see him get his crack’s awesome and it’s going to be great to be out there with him.

Lock Ned Hanigan has also been ruled out with a knee issue, an injury that Gibson said would keep him out for two weeks.

The shifts mean that former Reds and Sharks second rower Dave McDuling will come onto the bench for the clash, with David Horwitz replacing Hegarty.

The Waratahs take on the Force on Saturday night, kicking off at 7:40pm AEDT.

Click Here: pandora Bangle cheap

The Waratahs still have two 2017 matches left, but the seeds of change are already being sown ahead of 2018.

Click Here: cheap INTERNATIONAL jersey

NSW announced changes to its coaching staff last week, with Nathan Grey going full-time with the Wallabies, scrum coach Cam Blades finishing up and Australia U20s coach Simon Cron joining the staff to assist with the contact area.

The Waratahs will have one fewer coaches in 2018, even with the impending addition of Australia U20s coach Simon Cron, partly hamstrung by finances, head coach Daryl Gibson said.

Gibson will take on Grey’s defence responsibilities and though he wants to embrace the challenge, he admitted resources were limited when it came to filling the department.

“Certainly with our financial restrictions we’re looking at three coaches,” he said.

“That will mean for me, extra responsibility, take on the portfolio of defence, something that I’m really looking forward to.

“As an attack coach, you look strongly at defences and I’m really looking forward to that challenge, coaching a different area, one I see as a real opportunity in the evolution of the game at the moment.”

Wallabies scrum coach Mario Ledesma was pitching in at Monday’s training and is expected to be involved in the contact area of the game for the final fortnight, before Cron comes on board for 2018.

The Waratahs’ session had a different look to it, with some intense running to kick things off on Monday, a clear flow-on from the fitness concerns the Wallabies voiced during the June Series.

“I know we’ve talked a lot in Australia at the moment around making sure those standards are adhered to and certainly here we’re really keen to make sure we really increase our standard,” Gibson said.

“We’re determined to have a really strong final two weeks, both on the training field and off it.

“We’re going to train hard and get the rewards off that.”

Gibson could be set to blood some new talent against the Jaguares on Saturday, with U20s lock Ryan McCauley well and truly in the frame for a debut.

A broken arm means Will Skelton’s NSW farewell has been cut short, opening up a spot in the second row.

Ned Hanigan is in the frame for a return to lock with Skelton’s injury and the return of Jack Dempsey, who was the incumbent six before his injury put Hanigan at blindside.

“Ryan comes into the equation now…we’re a bit down in the locking positions so he’ll come into the selection frame this week,” Gibson said.

“That’s an opportunity for us potentially look at Ned playing second row, with Jack Dempsey back in the equation we’d really like to get both those guys on the field at the same time.”

Winger Reece Robinson is also out for the rest of the season with a severed finger tendon, while Nick Phipps will return to full training next week, after ankle syndesmosis ruled him out of the Wallabies’ June Series.

The Waratahs take on the Jaguares on Saturday, kicking off at 7:45pm AEST LIVE on FOX SPORTS and via RUGBY.com.au RADIO.

With the Brumbies’ survival beyond 2017 no longer in doubt, Aidan Toua is on the hunt for a new contract.

The ARU’s announcement yesterday that the Australian team to be cut would either be the Rebels or the Force ended the whispers that the Brumbies were in the firing line.

Coach Stephen Larkham has said for weeks that he felt comfortable his team would survive and given that they are Australia’s most successful on-field franchise – both historically and in season 2017 – it would have been an extraordinary decision if the ARU were to move to the contrary.

But Australian rugby is in a state of uncertainty and until the words came out of Cameron Clyne’s mouth yesterday, there was no guarantee the Brumbies would survive.“There’s definitely a bit of relief that the Brumbies have survived the axe – everyone around here is pretty happy,” Toua said.

“There’s been lots of stuff said about it and maybe it has been handled a bit poorly but that’s not really for us to comment on.

“I just hope all my mates get sorted out.

“It’s not only the players but the admin of the team that is going to go.”

Toua, who is off contract at the end of 2017, was one of several players barred from negotiating a contract for 2018 and beyond due to the previous uncertainty.Fresh off a dazzling man of the match performance against the Reds, the fullback hopes to get a deal done quickly.

“The quicker, the better,” he said.

“You always want that security of having a job, so you never know what is going to happen and with a team going, there are going to be some more guys on the market.

“It’s nothing that I’ve been thinking about too much – I’ve just been working on my game with the team.

“I’ve been concentrating on that and if you play good footy the rest will take care of itself.”

Toua was simply sublime against the Reds.For years he has promised to deliver the type of performance that he did on Saturday but a string of injuries has kept him from an extended crack at Super Rugby level.

His slippery runs in counterattack were kryptonite to the Reds’ shoddy defensive line speed.

As was his pinpoint kicking game.

“After the Highlanders game, during the bye, we saw defensively that we were going really well and our composure in clearing our end has been quite good as well,” he said.

“The next step was evolving our attack and it was something we really worked on in those two weeks off.

“Having guys looking to identify the space as well as myself, only creates more space on the field.

“We’ve finally turned the page in the way we want to attack and transferring what we did on the training paddock onto the field was really good – it was really good to see.”

The Brumbies now turn their attention to the Rebels, who they face at AAMI Park on Saturday.

Click Here: Italy Football Shop

ARU CEO Bill Pulver says the national body remains unmoved from its plan to remove a Super Rugby team this season, with legal proceedings looming.

The ARU heads into arbitration with RugbyWA on Monday, with that process likely to be decisive in the Force’s fate.

It is believed the sticking point in the arguments is whether a modified 2018 format would create a new broadcast agreement or simply modify the original, under which the Force believes it is guaranteed a Super Rugby place until 2020.

Starting on Monday, it is hoped the arbitration will only stretch the timeline out by weeks, rather than months, depending on the reaction to the final decision.

Both parties had agreed to go into arbitration and it seemed initially that both had committed to adhering to the arbitrator’s call, but Force general manager Mark Sinderberry has hinted that they could appeal if the decision goes against them.

Meanwhile, in Melbourne, there has been reports Andrew Cox has moved to sell his license to the VRU, though any sale would have to be rubber-stamped by the ARU, a development all but impossible until the arbitration is complete.

Pulver said on Thursday at the Uni 7s launch that the ARU would not stray off their path of looking for four teams in 2018.

“My position is unchanged in terms of the fact that we need to go to four teams,” he said.

“Frankly, Australia doesn’t have either the financial capability or the player depth to justify staying at five teams.

“That position has not changed.”

ARU chairman Cameron Clyne suggested he may fall on his sword should the four-team plan fail but Pulver described that comment as ‘academic’, given their unwavering stance on four teams.

This saga, that has now dragged on close to 11 months since 2018 change was flagged by SANZAAR, is likely to give rise to new ARU leadership, with Pulver already hinting on a number of occasions that he wouldn’t be seeking re-appointment when is contract comes up in February.

Click Here: NRL Telstra Premiership

Two high-profile executives, former chief operating officer Rob Clarke and chief financial officer Todd Day, have departed in recent months, though their departures are not believed to be solely linked to the Super Rugby developments.

Waratahs captain Michael Hooper admits he needs to make better decisions, after being sin-binned in the side’s 50-29 win over the Sunwolves.

Click Here: kanken kids cheap

Hooper, who is the most yellow-carded Test player in history, lamented being sent off late in the game, with the Sunwolves able to score a try while the captain was watching on.

“I obviously had 10 minutes on the sideline there and I was disappointed in that decision that I made there,” he said.

“I put the team under pressure, allowed the Sunwolves to get some good attacking ball and score a try inevitably around the scrum, where I would have been on the field

“ I’ve got to work with my relationship there with the referee and get those decisions right.”

The Waratahs were on the wrong end of a 15-3 penalty count in the match, despite dominating on the scoreboard, and Hooper said it cost them at times.

With the wind at their back in the first half, Hooper said penalties were more frustrating, knowing the weather advantage their opponents would have in the second half.

“Particularly in that first half a lot of penalties put us under pressure and probably allowed the Sunwolves to really play their game and get in our field against the wind,” he said.

“So, we knew coming into the second half, when they would have the wind, it would be tricky.”

The Waratahs fielded two sevens in the clash, with Will Miller starting at six and showing some electric attack, but coach Daryl Gibson said the pairing didn’t quite have the desired effect on the ball.

“We wanted to try and slow the Sunwolves down,” he said.

“We know that they play a fast game and that was evidenced tonight by a few of their tries, which were excellent.

“Unfortunately, the referee saw things differently at the breakdown. Penalty count of 15-3.

“We did try and get on the ball, I was pleased with that.”

The Waratahs’ bonus-point puts them just one point behind conference leaders the Rebels, with another Australian derby coming their way in round nine, against the Reds.

The Waratahs host the Reds at the SCG on Saturday April 14, kicking off at 7:45pm AEST, LIVE on FOX SPORTS and via RUGBY.com.au RADIO. Buy tickets here

The Melbourne Rising are set to play games in Adelaide and Hobart in the coming NRC seasons, as part of a new partnership with the southern states.

The Melbourne Rebels announced a new arrangement forged with the Tasmanian Rugby Union and South Australian Rugby Union to help grow their community bases, with the NRC a key part of that plan.

Further down the chain, the program will also involve initiatives like coaching visits and corporate support.

Nick Ryan, Melbourne’s general manager of professional rugby and pathways, said they had already looked into locking in an NRC game in Adelaide for the 2018 season, with Hobart a likely addition in 2019.

The Rising already play one of their home games in regional Victoria, with the rest played at suburban grounds in Melbourne.

“We’re currently in discussions with South Australia rugby around venues and dates for this year’s NRC campaign and looking to bring that to closure in the next few weeks,” he told RUGBY.com.au.

“We probably see Hobart more for 2019 and Adelaide for 2018, because we’ve committed to taking a game to regional Victoria.

The NRC is a more practical way to engage fans in regional Victoria and interstate.

“We want to bring excitement and colour to our NRC campaign if we’re trying to hit developing markets and grow our rugby program with some good community initiatives..

The new deal struck with the two states is targeted at clubs and schools, with former Rebels Luke Burgess and Alex Rokobaro helping to scout talent and liaise between the states.

“I think from our point of view, sitting in my chair of talent identification, (with Luke and Alex) using their contacts and networks on the ground, there may be some potential athletes playing other codes down there.

“We’re very open minded if there’s someone that wants to give rugby a go personal characteristics be crazy not to have a look.”

All three states are traditional AFL strongholds Ryan said they needed to look further to try and develop more rugby talent.

“The three states are quite aligned in terms of they’re the little brother in their respective markets,” he said.

“We certainly understand the challenges and we feel like our experience in this market down here will help us generate small wins and work with the broader community to try and help young boys and girls into rugby.

“That’s really the essence of the partnership, to assist in growing participation.”

Click Here: Fjallraven Kanken Art Spring Landscape Backpacks

Image credit: Instagram.com/princesseugenie

Congratulations are in order for Princess Beatrice and partner Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, with news of their engagement breaking just minutes ago.

As was confirmed by both Buckingham Palace and the Duke and Duchess of York via Twitter, Princess Beatrice and her property tycoon beau are set to tie the knot.

According to the palace’s official announcement, which they themselves had posted to the social media platform, the newly-engaged couple became engaged while vacationing in Italy earlier this month, with their nuptials anticipated to take place some time in 2020.

With the palace confirming that more details surrounding their royal wedding are soon to come, we wait with bated breath and filled with excitement for yet another royal wedding!

Following the palace’s official announcement, they had also issued a statement on behalf of the newly-engaged couple in which they express their excitement for the happy occasion: “We are extremely happy to be able to share the news of our recent engagement. We are both so excited to be embarking on this life adventure together and can’t wait to be married.”

In addition to the sweet words in their initial statement, the couple went on, issuing yet another comment on their impending nuptials of the Duke and Duchess of York’s Twitter page: “We share so many similar interests and values and we know this will stand us in great stead for the years ahead, full of love and happiness.”

Of course, sisters being sisters, Princess Eugenie also wanted to send well wishes to her sister and her newly-minted fiance, sending her very own congratulations via her official Instagram account.

“Beabea – wow! I’m so happy for you my dearest big sissy and dear Edo. It’s been a long time coming and you two are meant to be…” And much to our delight, her congratulatory posts came with a whole lot of photographic evidence captured by her of the newly-engaged couple, with a number of them putting Princess Beatrice’s gorgeous engagement ring on full display.

Image credit: Instagram.com/princesseugenie

The princess’s mother, Sarah Ferguson, also pitched in with posting photographs from her daughter’s engagement, as any proud mother would.

According to the Duke of York’s official website, Mozzi designed the ring—which features a round brilliant cut diamond cushioned between two rectangular baguette diamonds—in collaboration with the British jewellery designer Shaun Leane. No further details on the diamond yet, so watch this space.

But what we do know is who designed the dress in Princess Beatrice’s engagement portraits, and it’s none other than Australian label Zimmermann, selecting their Allia floral print linen dress for their shoot, as identified by Metro UK. We love to know that Australia had some small part in the happy occasion!

Scroll on to see more of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi’s engagement portraits.

Image credit: Instagram.com/princesseugenie

Image credit: Instagram.com/princesseugenie

Image credit: Instagram.com/sarahferguson15

Image credit: Instagram.com/sarahferguson15

Image credit: Instagram.com/sarahferguson15

Image credit: Instagram.com/sarahferguson15

The Inter forward was asked about his compatriot, who has not played for the club since losing the captaincy last month

Click Here: NRL league Jerseys

Lautaro Martinez said it is up to Inter team-mate Mauro Icardi to resolve his problems amid the former captain’s continued absence.

Icardi hit out at Inter’s treatment of him in an explosive social media post after he was stripped of the captaincy last month.

The 26-year-old star has not played for Inter since he lost the captain’s armband to goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.

Icardi missed Friday’s 2-1 Serie A defeat away to Cagliari and fellow Argentinian Martinez – who had equalised for Inter – told Sky Sport Italia: “Mauro is very important for us, but we can’t do anything about it.

“It’s up to him to resolve his problems. All we can do is wait and try to win.”

Icardi – who is contracted to Inter until 2021 – has been linked with Italian champions Juventus, Napoli, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United.

With Icardi absent against Cagliari, Inter head coach Luciano Spalletti introduced centre-back Andrea Ranocchia as a striker with the visitors chasing a late equaliser.

Asked if Ranocchia’s introduction up front highlighted a lack of options, Spalletti appeared to take aim at Icardi.

“I can say the same things again, as if there’s a way of helping Inter and showing how much you care about Inter, then you should be on the field,” said Spalletti, whose Inter could lose third spot to city rivals AC Milan on Saturday.

They currently have a two-point lead over their fierce rivals, but have played one extra match heading into this weekend’s clash.

Inter are also set to take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League after taking down Rapid Wien 5-0 over two legs.

The Germany winger was in a bad place at the start of the season but has become one of the most dangerous players in Europe once again

Two things about Leroy Sane’s first season at Manchester City stand out as particularly strange now, more than two years down the line.

One is that some fans suggested that he was an unnecessary purchase, wondering whether the £47 million fee he commanded could have been spent better elsewhere. 

The second thing is that Pep Guardiola once described Sane as ‘shy’.

Sane did indeed take a few months to show even flashes of his devastating best, but it has been a long, long time since anybody has said either of those two things.

The German takes a seemingly never-ending amount of self-belief into every game. With that allied to his natural pace, athleticism and mastery of a football he has already grown into an almost peerless Premier League danger man.

Sane managed five goals and three assists in his debut campaign, but since the start of last season he has more assists (24) than anybody else in England. Even adding on his comparatively meagre first-season haul, only Kevin De Bruyne (36) and Christian Eriksen (34) have more assists than he does (27) since he first arrived at City. And having hit ‘only’ five goals in 2016-17, he got 10 last season and has eight already this time around.

He is growing. When he pointed to exactly where Gabriel Jesus should pass the ball at Newport on Saturday he showed that he is not afraid to call the shots, and then take them.

Off the pitch he is certainly sure of himself. Too sure of himself for Joachim Low, who left him out of Germany’s World Cup squad partly because of perceived attitude problems and an incompatibility with the rest of the team.

That omission seems to follow Sane around even now but history suggests it is a weight that will hang heavier around Low’s neck.

Yet even if Low could have found a way to handle Sane better, as Guardiola seems to have managed, the World Cup-winning coach did not simply invent a problem out of thin air.

Sane’s City team-mates have at times been affronted by his nature, although a footballer with an ego is no rarity and you don’t necessarily need friends to perform at your best.

Of course, Guardiola has not always been happy with his attitude and, in fact, one source close to the City boss now says that the situation at the start of the season appeared “irreconcilable” at the time. Many expected Sane to hit the ground running for City having missed the World Cup, but it took several thinly-veiled public warnings from Guardiola and another omission – from the matchday squad for a Premier League game with Newcastle – to get the 23-year-old back to somewhere near his best again.

In fairness that came at a time of family upheaval, with Sane seemingly stuck in the middle of a family row, with his pregnant girlfriend on one side and his parents, who are also his agents, on the other.

The situation has clearly calmed down of late, with Sane, now a father, back in the kind of groove that has made him one of the hottest properties in Europe.

Click Here: kanken kids cheap

Yet Guardiola, perhaps tellingly, was careful to strike the right balance when asked about Sane’s evolution as a footballer ahead of his return to boyhood club Schalke on Wednesday.

In the same press conference that the Catalan wrapped up some lavish praise of Bernardo Silva with the words “I love him”, he struck a more sober tone when Sane was on the agenda.

“I think it’s a question for him, he knows exactly how he was at Schalke and now in Manchester,” the City boss said. “I have the feeling he improved a lot, but I always had the feeling he wants to be an incredible player. As we have seen with his potential, and with the age that he has, he can do it.

“It depends on him. To be consistent in every game and to improve what he can improve. He’s already an incredible player and he will be more incredible. It depends on him, like every player.”

Even last season – when Sane was named the PFA’s Young Player of the Year – he seemed capable of lurching between incredible highs and, admittedly rare, shocking lows.

Those days seem to be a thing of the past now, too, as he becomes an ever more consistently dangerous performer.

City recognise his fantastic abilities and also his value. They have been trying to tie him to a new contract since last season, but as yet they have had no joy.

Raheem Sterling finally signed his new contract in November, a couple of months before City would have had to “make a decision”, according to a high-profile source. Or rather, decide whether to sell or not.

There is still a full year to go before City will be in “make a decision” territory with Sane, and things always seem to change quickly when the winger is involved.