George Russell wins action packed season opener in Australia

George Russell took a comfortable victory in the Australian Grand Prix at the start of a new era of Formula 1 after a brief early scrap with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Russell and Leclerc staged a close fight for the first 10 laps with frequent lead changes before Ferrari’s decision to stay out during a virtual safety car (VSC) period took them out of contention for the win. The Briton led home Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli while Leclerc had to be satisfied with the final podium position ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the other Ferrari.

Read more

Inspired Italy claim historic win over England

England suffered a historic first defeat to Italy with a 23-18 collapse at the Stadio Olimpico raising the grim prospect of falling to their worst Six Nations finish. An 18-10 lead built through tries from Tommy Freeman and Tom Roebuck and the boot of Fin Smith crumbled in the third quarter when Paolo Garbisi turned the tide by landing two penalties. Italy then took advantage of Sam Underhill and Maro Itoje being sent to the sin-bin to strike the decisive blow when Leonardo Marin finished a thrilling try down the left touchline.

Read more

Seven try Scotland stun France ending Grand Slam hopes

Rampant Scotland annihilated French Grand Slam dreams with a stunning seven-try victory at Murrayfield that blew the Six Nations championship wide open. In a staggering contest of 13 tries and 90 points, Gregor Townsend’s men were astonishing in every way until a madcap endgame that saw France run in a battery of tries. The Scots landed seven scores and a half century of points against the previously imperious but now seriously beleaguered French.

Read more

Russell storms to pole as Mercedes lock-out front row in Melbourne

George Russell took an imposing pole position as Mercedes dominated the first qualifying session of a new era of Formula 1 at the Australian Grand Prix. The Briton led team-mate Kimi Antonelli by 0.363 seconds and was 0.785secs clear of Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar in third place. Max Verstappen crashed on his first lap to leave a degree of doubt as to the extent of Mercedes’ superiority, but it was an impressive start to a new period of regulations by the former champions. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fourth fastest, with the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris separating him from his team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

Read more

Ireland survive Wales scare to keep title hopes alive

Ireland kept alive their slim hopes of reclaiming the Six Nations title with a bonus-point victory over spirited Wales in Dublin. A fortnight on from dismantling England in ruthless fashion, Ireland were prevented from producing another statement performance by a hard-hitting Wales team who were chasing a first championship win since 2023. Andy Farrell’s home side ultimately dug deep to pick up the five points they needed, with tries from Jacob Stockdale, Jack Crowley, Jack Conan and Jamie Osborne.

Read more