Michael Hooper scored a try but his last home game for the NSW Waratahs ended in defeat Saturday as the Wallabies great bid farewell ahead of a potential move overseas...

Tyler Glasnow tied a career high with 14 strikeouts and the Tampa Bay Rays continued their home dominance of the Boston Red Sox with a 3-1 victory Wednesday night

Under-fire Wales boss Rob Page says he is determined to see out the three remaining years of his contract. Page signed a four-year deal exactly 12 months ago as Wales prepared to make their first appearance at a World Cup for 64 years. But their fortunes have plummeted since and Page faces a potentially make-or-break Euro 2024 qualifier in Latvia on Monday. Wales must beat bottom side Latvia – who are yet to register a point in Group D – to keep alive hopes of a top-two place and automatic qualification for next summer’s finals in Germany. Asked at his pre-match press conference whether he was under pressure from the Football Association of Wales executive to qualify, Page said: “I can’t let that affect me. I can’t think about that. “I’ve got a job to do. I want to qualify for me, as a Welsh supporter myself. “As the manager, I want to be in this job for the rest of my contract. I really enjoy working with this group of players.” Pressed further on whether he was fighting for his job, Page replied: “We are in an industry where you need to win games of football. “We are in a period of transition as well. I can’t influence what the board or people above do. “All I can worry about is winning games of football and giving it my best shot. “If I do that and it doesn’t work out for me, then at least I can walk away with my head held high.” Wales warmed up for their trip to Latvia with a goalless draw against South Korea on Thursday. Page said he saw plenty of positive signs during that Cardiff clash and Wales were further boosted by Friday’s set of results in their qualifying section. Group favourites Croatia left Latvia dispirited with a 5-0 thrashing, while Turkey and Armenia drew 1-1. Wales would draw level on points with Armenia if they win in Riga and Croatia do likewise in Yerevan – and move within three points of Turkey with a game in hand. “(Turkey and Armenia drawing) was probably the best result for us,” Page said. “It would be nice for Croatia to get another win for them to run away with it and have us fighting it out for second spot. “We want to win the game. It’s all about the points for us. It doesn’t matter if it’s 1-0. “They are off the back of a tough game but they have been in games right up until the 90th minute. “We can’t wait for it off the back of a positive performance against Korea. I didn’t want the game because I didn’t want to risk injuries and we’ve picked up an injury from that game as Wes (Burns) came on and he tweaked his hamstring. “There is a generation of supporters who have seen Wales qualify for major tournaments. Losing players makes the job harder, but expectations say that we should be qualifying. “It’s not as easy as that. We will continue to try and qualify for every tournament.”

Chris Eubank Jr is seeking to avenge a TKO loss to Liam Smith this weekend, as the Britons go head to head in Manchester once again. Smith dropped Eubank Jr twice in January en route to a fourth-round win at the AO Arena, which also hosts the boxers’ middleweight rematch on Saturday. Smith, 35, upset the betting odds with his victory eight months ago; can he repeat the trick, or will Eubank Jr, 33, get back on track as he aims for one last world-title run? • Get all the latest boxing betting sites’ offers Here’s all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is the fight? The fight is set to take place on Saturday 2 September at the AO Arena in Manchester. The main card is expected to begin at 7pm BST (11am PT, 1pm CT, 2pm ET), with ring walks for the main event due at around 10pm BST (2pm PT, 4pm CT, 5pm ET). How can I watch it? In the UK, the event will air live on Sky Sports Box Office, at a cost of £19.95. Viewers do not need a Sky subscription to purchase the pay-per-view. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help: Get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Odds Eubank Jr – 11/8 Smith – 4/6 Draw – 16/1 Via Betway. Full card (subject to change) Liam Smith vs Chris Eubank Jr (middleweight) Mark Heffron (C) vs Jack Cullen (British super-middleweight title) Adam Azim vs Aram Faniian (super-lightweight) Mikaela Mayer vs Silvia Bortot (women’s super-lightweight) Frankie Stringer vs Christian Lopez Flores (lightweight) Frazer Clarke vs David Allen (heavyweight) Florian Marku vs Dylan Moran (welterweight) Lauren Price vs TBA (women’s welterweight) Read More Liam Smith: ‘Chris Eubank Jr is a nightmare – not for me, for other people’ Oleksandr Usyk remains heavyweight champion but where does he go from here? Major controversy as Oleksandr Usyk beats Daniel Dubois after ‘low blow’ body shot Adam Azim seeks Aram Fanyan ‘demolition’ in grandfather’s memory Who is fighting on Eubank vs Smith 2 undercard this weekend? How to watch Eubank vs Smith 2 online and on TV this weekend

Max Verstappen’s crushing dominance of Formula One continued at the Austrian Grand Prix after he put his Red Bull on pole position. The world champion, a winner at six of the first eight races, saw off his rivals at the Red Bull Ring to seal his fourth pole on the spin for Sunday’s 71-lap grand prix. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc provided Verstappen with a late scare, but the Monegasque had to settle for second place, crossing the line 0.048 seconds shy of the Dutchman. F1 grid: Starting positions for Austrian Grand Prix Carlos Sainz took third in the other scarlet car, while Lando Norris impressed in his revamped McLaren to take fourth spot. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finished fifth, 0.428 sec adrift. Sergio Perez’s torrid time continued after all three of his laps in Q2 were deleted for track limits. He lines up a lowly 15th on Sunday. On Friday, Verstappen clinched pole for Sunday’s grand prix with Charles Leclerc alongside him on the front row, while Sergio Perez and George Russell both struggled. Follow live updates from the Austrian GP with The Independent - the sprint shootout started at 11am (BST). Read More F1 grid: Starting positions for Austrian Grand Prix Max Verstappen claims another pole but Sergio Perez struggles again at Austrian Grand Prix

What the papers say Liverpool have identified their prime target when the January transfer window opens. According to the Daily Mirror, Fluminense’s Brazilian midfielder Andre Trindade will be at the top of their list. Manchester City are turning their attention towards keeping hold of their talent. The Daily Telegraph reports the treble winners plan to open contract talks with striker Erling Haaland, 23, with Real Madrid showing interest. Chelsea are also looking to secure one of their young stars, according to the Daily Mail. They are planning talks with Conor Gallagher, 23, as the England midfielder nears the final 18 months of his contract. And Everton are also close to tying up Jarrad Branthwaite to a long-term deal, reports the Daily Mirror. Manchester United had reportedly been interested in the 21-year-old defender. Social media round-up Players to watch Jarrod Bowen: Liverpool and Newcastle are watching as contract talks for the England forward, 26, move slowly at West Ham. Xavi Simons: Manchester City are expected to face a fight from Barcelona for the Netherlands midfielder, 20, from Paris St Germain next summer. Read More Chicago Bears defeat Washington Commanders to snap 14-game losing streak Peter O’Mahony targets more Ireland milestones as he reaches 100 caps Jurgen Klopp hails Ryan Gravenberch’s talent in win over Union Saint-Gilloise

Jarrod Bowen feels like he has returned to the England set-up in the form of his life as the West Ham forward prepares fulfil a childhood dream of playing at Wembley. Having come through at Hereford and flourished at Hull, the 26-year-old is well on the way to club great status at the London Stadium. Bowen fired the Hammers to Europa Conference League glory in June’s unforgettable final against Fiorentina and has shone in the early stages of this season, scoring five in nine appearances. That form helped the forward to earn his first England call-up since September 2022, shortly before signing a new deal until 2030 at the London Stadium. “A really special week,” Bowen said. “Obviously got the call on Thursday before our European game so had that. Won that game out there, which was nice. “Then the new deal was sorted over the weekend, so a really special four days. “I’ve always wanted to be back so to get the opportunity to be selected again is something I’m really grateful for.” Bowen’s four England appearances to date came during the worst international camp of Gareth Southgate’s largely successful reign. The 26-year-old featured in all four Nations League matches in June 2022, starting the 1-0 away loss to Hungary and 4-0 Molineux mauling against the same opposition. Bowen remained in the squad that September but did not play, and his return did not come until this month’s double-header against Australia and Italy. “The way I started this season I’m probably playing the best football that I’ve played in my career,” Bowen said. “I’ve had those experiences of Europe. It’s a bit different to when I came (before). “I’m a dad now, so I’m in a different kind of place, you just feel a bit more mature. I feel in a really good place and to be back here, I’m really grateful for it.” Southgate has indicated Bowen will play in Friday’s Wembley friendly against Australia, allowing him to fulfil his ambition of stepping out under the arch. “That would be the ultimate,” he said. “I have got four caps and I am massively grateful for them but that Wembley one… “As a little boy you dream of playing for your country and you never think it is going to happen but now I am here I want to play at Wembley and hopefully I get the opportunity to do so.” Bowen got the nod in a highly competitive area of the squad, with 82-cap forward Raheem Sterling among those to miss out. Little wonder, then, that he is determined to make the most out this chance to earn a spot at next summer’s Euros, especially after the disappointment of watching the World Cup in Qatar from afar. Asked if missing out on the squad motivates him for Germany next summer, Bowen said: “Yeah, but I think you’ve also got to look at the squad that’s here as well. “Just being named in the squad was an honour for me. To play the games I played and to be named in another squad before the World Cup was, again, another honour. “I was disappointed to miss out but I had to deal with it and all I could do is keep playing football to a level that I know that I can play at and everything will take care of itself.” Read More Rob Page against Wales games moving to Principality Stadium ahead of Euro 2028 Man City boss Gareth Taylor says communication key to improving officiating Dawid Malan thrilled to ‘keep silencing people’ with World Cup hundred FA chief Mark Bullingham: Critical the whole country feels involved in Euro 2028 Garry Cook vows to make Birmingham ‘a powerhouse’ amid Wayne Rooney reports Catalans win in Grand Final would ‘make huge noise around the world’ – McNamara

The New York Islanders have made some key moves this summer in readying the organization for the next NHL season, but there are still some questions left unanswered.After missing the NHLStanley Cup Playoffs in 2022, the New York Islanders made the playoffs in 2023 but lost to the Carolina Hurric...

Juan Cuadrado scored one goal and set up another for Colombia to beat Germany 2-0 in a friendly and deepen the sense of crisis around the German team one year before the country hosts Euro 2024

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Even before the full-time whistle blew in Manchester City's 4-0 mauling in the Champions League semifinal Wednesday, Real Madrid players looked to have accepted their fate.

Two practice laps. That’s all it took for Sergio Perez to show – much to his own astonishment – how the Red Bull pendulum has swung ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix. From a position of such strength three months ago off the back of two wins in four races, the Mexican’s spot at the runaway leaders in Formula One looks to be shrouded in more doubt as the weeks go on. On Friday, barely five minutes into first practice at the short and twisty Hungaroring in Budapest, Perez inexplicably clipped the grass and crashed heavily into the barrier at turn five. The shunt is a sign of the times. As much as everyone at Red Bull insist the 33-year-old will remain with the team until at least the end of his contract and the end of the 2024 season, Christian Horner and Helmut Marko have shown they won’t wait. Patience is not a virtue adhered to at Red Bull. First, there’s been Perez’s own bad form. Since qualifying on pole in Miami at the start of May, he has not made the final qualifying session in five attempts; three of those have been an overwhelmingly poor Q1 elimination. Whilst the Mexican is second in the world championship, he is 99 points behind Max Verstappen in the same machinery. Results in comparison to your teammate remain the ultimate barometer in F1 and right now, Perez is woefully short of pace and consistency. And second, here comes Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian, so forlorn of confidence in his final year at McLaren in 2022, is back in the sport having replaced Nyck de Vries at Red Bull’s sister team AlphaTauri. More significantly, he looks a figure completely rejuvenated for his eight months off. Having told The Independent that race wins and a world championship remains his ultimate goal, the popular Australian did not wilt when asked if a Red Bull seat – perhaps as soon as 2024, more likely in 2025 – was the long-term target. “It’s kind of another chance to make things better,” Ricciardo said in Budapest. “I think that’s why I was excited to get back behind the wheel and just kind of show my true self. Even the thought of that excites me. “Obviously the dream is a Red Bull seat. Of course that was my wish, but you need to be realistic, and if I want to get back into Red Bull it will be a process, and this is the best path for me at the moment.” That path starts with beating AlphaTauri teammate Yuki Tsunoda in the remaining 12 races this season, in what is distinguishably the worst car on the grid. In his first running in 2023, Ricciardo was 14th in second practice on Friday, while FP1 earlier in the day was foiled by a few red flags and variable weather, rendering it largely irrelevant in terms of action. As for Perez, he was only 18th-fastest in second practice, ahead of an alternative qualifying format on Saturday where each of the three sessions will require a different tyre. Charles Leclerc was fastest for Ferrari, with Lando Norris second for McLaren and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in third. Max Verstappen could only manage 11th in a session which was difficult to read, though Mercedes really struggled – Lewis Hamilton was only 16th on the leaderboard and last year’s pole-sitter George Russell was dead last. A tough day to decipher. Expect Verstappen’s usual season dominance to return over the weekend, especially with a package which should improve the RB19’s already imperious aerodynamic performance. One element which was not hard to read, though, was Perez’s current anxiety in the cockpit. And a need to reverse his damaging slide, for his own sake, as soon as possible. Read More Daniel Ricciardo is back - and this time he wants to go out on top Sergio Perez crashes out of practice in more woe for Red Bull driver Lewis Hamilton reacts to Nyck de Vries axing: ‘That’s how Red Bull work’