Jack Grealish chooses England over Republic of Ireland

Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish has opted to play for England rather than the Republic of Ireland. 

The 20-year-old played for the Republic at Under-21s level but turned down a call-up to the senior squad for a friendly against England in June. 

Birmingham-born Grealish qualifies for the Republic through his grandparents. 

"It was not an easy decision as Ireland has a special place with me through my family," he said. "But I have decided to represent the country of my birth." 

Grealish made his professional debut while on loan at Notts County against MK Dons in September 2013. 

His first Villa appearance was in May 2014 as a substitute in a defeat by Manchester City.
England manager Roy Hodgson had made it clear to Grealish that he wanted him to represent his side. 

 However, Roy Hodgson did not pick him to play against the Republic in June, with the England boss saying "it would have been inflammatory at the last minute if he chose us and played".

 

 

BBC chief football writer Phil McNulty's analysis

Grealish's decision to represent England at senior level is a big blow to Republic of Ireland boss Martin O'Neill - but a real lift to Hodgson as he plans for Euro 2016. 

Aston Villa's 20-year-old has not only selected to play for the country of his birth but also an England side that has already secured qualification for the competition in France next summer. 

And that, in itself, guarantees he will be given the opportunity to work his way into Hodgson's squad.
Hodgson will be delighted as Grealish is gifted and with the rare talent of having time on the ball even in congested areas, a quality ideally suited to the international stage. 

And with Arsenal's Jack Wilshere again struggling with injury, the addition of another talented young midfielder to England's ranks alongside the likes of Everton's Ross Barkley - plus other emerging stars such as Spurs' Harry Kane and Everton's John Stones - is a welcome lift for Hodgson and England. 


Shaw Post would like to wish Jack Grealish the best of luck this season. We hope that he has a great season and is pick in England's squad for  Euro 2016.

 Leicester City 2-5 Arsenal

Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez rediscovered his goalscoring touch as his hat-trick ended Leicester's unbeaten start to the season. 

Jamie Vardy had put the Foxes ahead with a superb finish from a tight angle after a clinical counter attack.

Theo Walcott equalised when Leicester were themselves caught on the break.

Sanchez then took control of the contest with his treble - the pick his third from long range - as Vardy and Olivier Giroud netted late on.

Sanchez, who scored 25 goals last season for the Gunners, had failed to find the net in eight games across all competitions before this contest.

The result means Leicester are now without a win against Arsenal in 18 Premier League games, stretching back to November 1994.

 

Sanchez finding his stride

 

Following a relatively subdued start to the season, Sanchez showed his quality at the King Power Stadium.

He scored his first goal of the term with a poacher's effort when he tapped in from close range after good work down the right by Hector Bellerin.

From the moment the ball hit the back of the net the former Barcelona forward's confidence came flooding back.

He appeared in dangerous areas, ran at defenders and it was inevitable he would add to his tally later in the game.

Sanchez claimed his second with a header, with his hat-trick the pick of his three goals as he struck a low, powerful shot past Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

Alexis Sanchez's touch map, right, shows he made 10 touches inside the penalty area - only four less than Leicester counterparts Jamie Vardy, Shinji Okazaki, Andrej Kramaric and Leonardo Ulloa managed between them in total

 

 

Ranieri must plug leaky defence

Leicester have ridden their luck somewhat in their impressive start to the season, and against one of last term's top four it ran out.

Even when they were winning games Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri was complaining about how his side must learn to keep clean sheets.

The erudite Italian recently turned to offering pizza as an incentive for his players to increase their number of shut outs.

His culinary offerings make quirky headlines but extra time on the training ground is what is required to improve Leicester's leaky defence.

Failure to do so and Leicester will find themselves sliding down the table if the goals dry up at the other end.

Arsenal finally showing their true colours

Arsenal made an underwhelming start to the campaign - collecting four points from their first three games - which saw them written off as possible challengers to Manchester City and Chelsea.
But the Gunners completed their victory over Leicester in plenty of style.

Back was the attractive one-touch football as they cut through Leicester's back line - albeit one that has now leaked 14 goals.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said Sanchez is now "back to his best" , and his side have now moved up to fourth in the table, just three points behind new leaders Manchester United.

 

Man of the match - Alexis Sanchez

 

Alexis Sanchez had gone six Premier League matches without a goal before his hat-trick

 

Manager reaction

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri: "We must begin again now and repeat this start to the season. We fought and tried everything to score and the match was very open in the first half, but in the second half when Sanchez scored it was finished."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: "It took Alexis a while to find his form. He didn't come back straight away from the Copa America and after a competition like that it takes some time. Alexis was waiting for a goal and he's not used to not scoring for so long so it was important for him to score."




Shaw Post believes that Arsene Wenger will be very happy with how his side ended up beating Leicester City in such convincing fashion. It was a very big positive  that Alexis Sanchez came back to form in amazing fashion with a hat trick as Arsenal are without Olivier Giroud for their must win clash at home to Olympiacos on Tuesday.

As for Leicester City Claudio Ranieri will be unhappy with how they manage to leak five goals today which means that they've already conceded a whopping 14 goals after seven matches. They need to arrest their leaky defence quickly incase the goal's dry up at other end.

                                                         Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Arsenal

Mathieu Flamini scored a superb volley to give Arsenal victory in their League Cup third-round tie at Tottenham. 

Flamini slotted the visitors into the lead after Spurs keeper Michel Vorm could only parry an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain shot back into his area.

Tottenham's Danny Rose had a penalty appeal rejected before the hosts equalised when Calum Chambers scored an own goal from Nacer Chadli's cross.

Midfielder Flamini then volleyed in from 20 yards to secure the win.

Fabulous Flamini

The France midfielder scored two goals in a game for the first time for Arsenal and could not have picked a better opposition than their fierce north London rivals.

There had been speculation about how much of a role he would play this season having been overtaken by Francis Coquelin in the holding midfield role, and this was his first appearance of the campaign.

"I'm happy for the team and personally," he told Sky Sports. "I've heard many things in the press and I am still here. I don't have any problems with anyone at the club.

"It is never easy when you don't play every game. I had a point to prove."

 

 

Kane struggles

Harry Kane remains without a goal for Spurs this season, though he did come close to scoring.
He had an opening in the first half when he controlled the ball on his chest eight yards out but took another touch instead of shooting and the chance was gone.

Kane later led a Spurs counter-attack but could only drag his effort wide from just outside the area,
The England striker did produce an acrobatic volley at the far post following an Andros Townsend corner, but the shot was cleared off the goalline by Kieran Gibbs.

Shaw Post believes that Arsenal will be very happy with their performance as they didn't give up after Spurs equalised in the 56th minutes, instead they kept going and eventually the winner came courtesy of a Mathieu Flamini volley in the 78th minute.

Arsene Wenger will also be very happy with how Flamini played today considering that it was his first start for this season. He impressed so much that he may have single handedly earned his place in the starting line up for Arsenal's game against Leicester City.

Euro 2017 qualifying: England thrash Estonia 8-0

Debutant Danielle Carter scored a hat-trick as England began their bid to qualify for Euro 2017 with a resounding 8-0 victory against Estonia in Tallinn. 

In their first game since coming third at the World Cup, the Lionesses picked up where they left off in Canada, thrashing the Group Seven outsiders.

Arsenal forward Carter opened the scoring in the second minute, with Jo Potter doubling the lead minutes later following good work from Jess Clarke.

Fran Kirby netted twice, either side of Jill Scott's side-footed effort and Isobel Christiansen's impressive strike from 25 yards out.

Carter then added another two goals late on in the match to wrap up an impressive win for England.

How have England changed since the World Cup?

With a number of players rested and others picking up injuries, this was a relatively new-look England squad, with only 11 members of the World Cup party making the trip to Estonia.

Captain Steph Houghton and Jo Potter were the only players who started in the bronze medal match against Germany to make the starting XI, but the new and recalled players did not disappoint.

Debuts for Carter and Christiansen paid off, with the pair scoring four goals between them against an Estonia side who are ranked 77th in the world - the lowest of the five teams in Group Seven.

Clarke also produced a fine display of forward play, switching between the flanks with ease and creating several goals in the process.

England finished the World Cup full of confidence and they brought plenty of that belief in to this game, which bodes well for the rest of the qualifying campaign.

 

Will qualifying be straightforward?

Judging by this performance, making the 2017 tournament in the Netherlands should be routine for England.

With Estonia ranked 72 places below them in the Fifa rankings, it was always unlikely that England would struggle against the Baltic country but their display of power and attacking threat showed why they are strong favourites to top a group which also features Serbia, Belgium and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

For manager Mark Sampson, the nature of his side's dominance provides plenty of positive selection dilemmas, with so many other proven players who did not feature in Estonia available to him.

Their next qualifier is against 71st-ranked Bosnia-Herzegovina on 29 November, so England will expect to have a maximum six points from their two matches heading into a six-month break between competitive fixtures.

 

Player of the match - Danielle Carter

 

Danielle Carter, 22, was called up by England in 2013 but had to wait two years for her debut. It was worth the wait, though, as she scored a hat-trick on her first appearance

 

Pundit analysis

 
Former Leeds forward Lucy Ward: "This is an evolving team and new players have been introduced. That team selection has been justified. People shouldn't be guaranteed a place in the England team and that is the case now. Estonia are 20 years behind where England are. They had structure but they just didn't have the quality England had."

 

What's next?

England have a chance to repeat the most impressive result in their history - the extra-time win over Germany in the third-place play-off at the World Cup - when they travel to Duisburg for a friendly on 26 November. That match comes three days before that next Euro qualifier against Bosnia-Herzegovina at Ashton Gate.

Davis Cup: Andy Murray puts Great Britain into final

Andy Murray took Great Britain through to a first Davis Cup final since 1978 with victory over Australia's Bernard Tomic in Glasgow. 

The British number one secured his third point of the match, and an unassailable 3-1 lead, with a comprehensive 7-5 6-3 6-2 win.

Britain last won the Davis Cup in 1936, with a team led by Fred Perry, and will face Belgium away in November's final.

                     

                                                                      

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Out of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.Andy Murray 'proud' of Davis Cup history

Dan Evans lost 7-5 6-4 to Thanasi Kokkinakis in the final rubber.

Belgium reached their first final in 111 years when Steve Darcis beat Argentina's Federico Delbonis in four sets in a deciding fifth rubber in Brussels.

The final will be played from 27-29 November, with every likelihood that the home side will choose a slow clay surface to try and neutralise Murray's strengths.

 

 

Reaction to Britain's win

Andy Murray on BBC TV: "Winning for your country and your team-mates means such a lot. The crowd were unbelievable from the first ball to the last. I didn't feel great the whole weekend to be honest. I've been struggling with my back, but I just tried to disguise it."


GB captain Leon Smith: "He's quite good isn't he? It's pretty amazing watching Andy's work over the whole weekend, he fights so hard and he's got the quality. He executed it perfectly today."

What a turnaround
Britain were on the verge of relegation to Zone Group III, the lowest level of the competition, in 2010 but they will now be seeking their 10th title and first since 1936 in November's final.

Late call-up Dan Evans: "I'd be at home watching if I hadn't been a part of this tie. I'll probably never get to experience something like this again. It's been so good coming in, and the boys have made me feel really welcome."

James Ward, who was left out of the singles, when asked if he'll be in the team for the final: "Hopefully. I've got to go away and make myself the obvious choice. It's been a stressful few days so it'll be nice to get home and have a few days off."

 

 

Murray secures victory in style

                               Murray has played 25 singles matches in his Davis Cup career 

It always seemed unlikely that Murray would let a chance to make history slip away after Saturday's thrilling doubles victory, and the Scot completed the job in another raucous Glasgow atmosphere.
Australia captain Wally Masur had chosen to stick with Tomic, his number one player at 23rd in the world, for the fourth match.


Murray had won both previous contests against the 22-year-old, but the Davis Cup brings its own unique pressure and he betrayed signs of nerves when failing to serve out the first set.


He made up for it with another break of serve in the 12th game, however, urged on by most of the 8,000 watching as he sealed the set with a nerveless drop shot.

Former Davis Cup finalist John Lloyd on BBC Two
"Tomic is a world-class player but Murray made him look average. He took his legs away from him by getting so many balls back and that exhausted him. There was nothing Tomic could do."

With the tension released, Murray began to strike the ball off the ground and on serve as he had in his demolition of Thanasi Kokkinakis on Friday.


The world number three's defensive skills were proving an offensive weapon too, with brilliant scrambling helping him to break for 3-1 in the second set as a bewildered Tomic netted a smash.


Unable to find a way through the wall across the net, Tomic dropped serve to love early in the third, and Murray then began to show off the full repertoire of aces, winners and drop shots.

A fifth break of the afternoon was secured to give him two chances to serve out the match, and he only required one, taking Britain back to the final when a Tomic return flew wide.

Britain's Andy Murray celebrates with the rest of his team and members of the support staff

 

Murray comes through back trouble

There had been some concerns Murray might struggle a little after Saturday's doubles, but he revealed afterwards that it was actually his back which was the worry.

The 28-year-old had surgery in 2013 to correct a long-standing problem, and he explained that this was not a recurrence of that issue.

"I was more concerned about my back, which has given me a lot of trouble this week, the few days before the tie as well," said Murray.

"I felt fine through all of New York and then took a break for five or six days. Sometimes after you've played a lot of tennis, when you do then take a break, the muscles and everything tighten up.

"When you come back, you can have some issues, so maybe it was to do with that."

Coach reaction

GB Davis Cup captain Leon Smith on BBC Two: "He's quite good isn't he? It's pretty amazing watching Andy's work over the whole weekend, he fights so hard and he's got the quality. He executed it perfectly today.

"So many people have played their part, and the crowd were absolutely brilliant. Everyone's played a huge part, even the people who don't get a huge amount of mentions. It would be nice to be at home for the final and we'll fight like hell when it comes."

Great Britain 3-2 Australia
Friday's singles results
Andy Murray beat Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3 6-0 6-3
Dan Evans lost to Bernard Tomic 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 6-7 (4-7) 6-4
Saturday's doubles result
Andy & Jamie Murray beat Lleyton Hewitt & Samuel Groth 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-7 (6-8) 6-4
Sunday's singles
Andy Murray beat Bernard Tomic 7-5 6-3 6-2
Dan Evans loses to Thanasi Kokkinakis 7-5 6-4 Shaw Post  would like to congratulate the Great British Tennis Team on their remarkable achievement of beating Australia in the semi finals 3-2 to reach the Davis Cup Final where they'll face Belgium

 

Andy and Jamie Murray win Davis Cup doubles thriller

Great Britain are one win away from the Davis Cup final after Andy and Jamie Murray beat Australia's Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Groth in the doubles. 

The dramatic 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 victory gives Britain a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five tie in Glasgow.

If Andy Murray beats Australian number one Bernard Tomic in Sunday's opening reverse singles, Britain will be through to a first final since 1978.

Belgium are 1-1 against Argentina in the other World Group semi-final.

If Murray loses, world number 300 Dan Evans is due to face Thanasi Kokkinakis in what would be the decisive second reverse singles.

'We stuck together like brothers should'

Andy Murray on BBC Two: "It was an incredible match, to come back from the disappointment of losing the fourth set.

"We kept creating chances, we stuck together like brothers should and managed to come up with enough good returns.

"We had to keep the energy up at the beginning of the fifth set - it was important for us to get a good start."


Jamie Murray: "We let it slip a bit but we kept fighting and got right back on it. It was so good, it was so noisy, it was magic.

"Scottish people don't get the chance to see Andy play very much and when they do they let him know it."

British pair hold their nerve in decider

Jamie Murray dominated at the net with several winners as Britain fought back 

Both teams had their chances, and all four men endured dips and surges in form, but it was the brothers who edged it after a nerve-jangling three hours and 56 minutes.

When they led 30-0, with Andy Murray serving for victory, it appeared the win would be wrapped up in four sets.

However, the British pair could not convert and an inspirational Hewitt, playing in his last Davis Cup campaign, dragged Australia back from the brink.

The first two sets were split with a break apiece, and things were looking bleak for the home side at 4-1 down in the third.

Former Davis Cup finalist John Lloyd
"The momentum kept going up and down but in the end Sam Groth became a bit tight at the crucial moments. Andy will get a lot of the credit but we must praise Jamie for the way he came through some tense moments."

Groth was proving the dominant man on court and the shouts of "Come on!" from 34-year-old Hewitt were increasingly audible among the 8,000 largely home fans.

It took a brilliant rally on defence from both Murrays to set up the crucial break back at 4-2 down, and two games later Jamie Murray leapt to put away a smash, roaring in delight as a second break was secured.

Andy Murray made it five games in a row to seal the set and put the brothers on course for the same kind of turnaround they managed against France in the quarter-final.

The visitors fought back in the fourth and had three set points at 5-4, but when Jamie Murray battled back on serve and the brothers then broke Hewitt for 6-5, victory was within sight.

The Murrays had match point in the fourth set tie-break but ended up losing the set 

From a 30-0 deficit, a rasping Hewitt backhand gave Australia a lifeline, and they sent shockwaves around the arena by edging the tie-break after he saved a match point at the net.

A thrilling decider saw Britain surge into a 3-0 lead, Australia peg them back to 3-3, and Groth then save four break points in game seven, as the momentum lurched from one side of the net to the other.

The end finally came on Groth's serve, after he left a return that dropped on the baseline before Andy Murray pounced at the net and with a forehand return.

A second match point had arrived, and this time Groth could only steer a volley long, sending the Emirates Arena into a state of some pandemonium as the Murray brothers hugged in celebration.

Great Britain 2-1 Australia
Friday's singles
Andy Murray beat Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3 6-0 6-3
Dan Evans lost to Bernard Tomic 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 6-7 (4-7) 6-4
Saturday's doubles
Andy & Jamie Murray beat Lleyton Hewitt & Samuel Groth 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-7 (6-8) 6-4
Sunday's singles from 13:00 - live on BBC Two
Andy Murray v Bernard Tomic
Dan Evans v Thanasi Kokkinakis
*day 3 draw subject to change

 Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal

Premier League champions Chelsea won only their second league game this season against nine-man Arsenal in a fiery match at Stamford Bridge. 

 

Defender Kurt Zouma - preferred to dropped captain John Terry - headed the opening goal after 53 minutes and Chelsea secured only their second win in six Premier League games this season when Eden Hazard's shot flew in off Calum Chambers late on.

This barely tells the story of a game that will leave Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger furious and frustrated in equal measure as he saw his players fall victim to the trademark and predictable wind-up tactics of Chelsea striker Diego Costa.

Arsenal defender Gabriel was sent off seconds before half-time for kicking out at Costa. It came at the end of a lengthy spat after the striker had shoved his hand into the face of Laurent Koscielny three times.

It handed the momentum to Chelsea and Arsenal's misery was complete when Santi Cazorla was given a second yellow card for a foul on Cesc Fabregas.

All this mattered little to Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who will regard this win as another sign that the reigning Premier League champions are moving somewhere towards their normal selves.

 

Mourinho's big call works to perfection

John Terry (left) and Jose Mourinho embraced at the full-time whistle 

Mourinho sprung a major surprise by dropping Terry and starting with Zouma alongside Gary Cahill.

The Chelsea manager called Zouma the fastest defender Chelsea have after bringing him on for Terry in the defeat at Manchester City earlier this season.

 His greater pace was clearly to counter the speed of Theo Walcott, and the powerful youngster coped well.

The added bonus for Mourinho was Zouma's strength in the air that allowed him to get on the end of Fabregas's free-kick to head Chelsea in front after 53 minutes.


So what does this mean for Terry? Is it the beginning of the end for the 34-year-old?
Mourinho knows every decision he makes, particularly those involving Terry, come under great scrutiny these days.

Not so long ago, leaving Terry out of a game of such importance would have been unthinkable. No longer.

No-one in their right mind would write off such an enduring and determined figure as Terry, but with the emergence of Zouma and Chelsea's concerted attempts to land Everton's John Stones with offers of £30m, it is clear the former England captain's days as a permanent fixture in Chelsea's line-up are over.

 

Arsenal's sense of injustice

 

Diego Costa (left heatmap) occupied the left-hand side of Chelsea's attacking third where he more-often-than-not found Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny (right heatmap) 

Costa enjoys cult status as the anti-hero of Stamford Bridge - but you will not hear many warm words for him anywhere else and certainly not from Arsenal.

This was a grim day all-round for the Gunners, not simply because they lost once more to Chelsea and received another setback to their hopes of challenging for the Premier League title, but also because they lost defender Gabriel and midfield man Cazorla to red cards.

And to add to their fury, they also left west London nursing a burning sense of injustice that Costa stayed on despite pushing the rules to the limit and beyond.

The Premier League's angriest man started a chain of events that led to Gabriel's sending off by shoving Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny three times in the face and then barging the defender to the ground.

Gabriel tried to help his team-mate and a lengthy dispute with Costa ended with the Arsenal defender finally being hooked by the obvious bait offered up by the striker, kicking out to receive a straight red card from referee Mike Dean.

Foolish, but surely action also to be taken against Costa for the incident with Koscielny?
Arsenal's reduced numbers made their task almost impossible and altered the face of the game.

 

 

Worst of enemies

 

Arsene Wenger (centre) and Jose Mourinho (right) shook hands at the start of the match 

The antipathy between Mourinho and his Arsenal counterpart stretches back to his first spell at Stamford Bridge when he labelled Wenger "a voyeur" for his supposed interest in events at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho hardly helped relations by calling Wenger "a specialist in failure" in February 2014 after his return to Chelsea - then there was the non-handshake at the Community Shield in August when Arsenal's boss finally got the better of "The Special One" at the 14th attempt.

So what did Saturday at a sunny Stamford Bridge bring? Mourinho was in his seat in the technical area long before kick-off and up and out of his seat well before Wenger's entrance seconds before the start.

Mourinho ensured Wenger could not have missed his proffered hand, which was taken in the coldest manner possible as the Arsenal boss breezed past on the way to his seat.

Not the slightest trace of warmth was on show in the exchange. Indeed, the handshake was so icy it was utterly pointless.

 

Man of the match - Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)

Controlled midfield as he looked back to his best. Great range of passing and dead-ball expertise saw him set up a great chance for Pedro in the first half and send in the free-kick for Zouma's opener

Who's up next?

Arsenal face another tricky game at north London rivals Tottenham in the League Cup on Wednesday, before they are away again at Leicester on Saturday. The Blues are at Walsall in the League Cup and then are away at Newcastle next Saturday.

Shaw Post believes that Arsenal will be feeling very hard done by after another defeat at the hands of Jose Mourinho's Chelsea.

 The real reason that they will be feeling very hard done by is the complete injustice that Diego Costa was never sent off pushing Laurent Koscielny down on the ground shortly before half time.

Instead the push on Laurent Koscielny ensued a heated confrontation between Costa and Paulista which eventually resulted in Paulista being sent off for kicking out at Diego Costa.

Maybe if Diego Costa was sent off as well as Paulista then we might have had a fairer game.

The Chelsea fans might be happy with this result but it looks rather likely that they'll have to focus on finish second as Manchester City have started the season ever so confidently and currently have an eight point lead over Chelsea.

As for Arsenal they will now have to bounce back against their North London rivals Tottenham and then beat Leicester City to kick start their season again.

Rugby World Cup 2015: England 35-11 Fiji

England (18) 35

Tries: Penalty, Brown 2, B Vunipola Cons: Ford, Farrell 2 Pens: Ford 2, Farrell

Fiji (8) 11

Try: Nadolo Pens: Nadolo, Volavola

England were made to work hard by Fiji in their World Cup opener but pulled away in the last 20 minutes to secure a bonus-point win at Twickenham. 

Two tries from full-back Mike Brown and the impact of a superior set of replacements saw Stuart Lancaster's men home despite a disjointed display.

Had the Fijians landed their kicks a tense contest could have been significantly tighter still.
England's next match is against Wales at the same venue next Saturday.

And despite a stuttering opening display, England have a platform on which to build as they seek to win the Webb-Ellis trophy for the first time in 12 years.

 

Reasons for concern

It was a match too often dominated by the television match official, meaning an atmosphere that rocked Twickenham in the early exchanges was punctured by long and frequent delays.

Rain before the start also checked both sides' ambitions, following an opening ceremony featuring Prince Harry, Jonny Wilkinson and Martin Johnson that had lit the fuse.

England will also be concerned by the number of penalties they gave away and the amount of problems their powerful opponents caused them at the breakdown and scrum.

Fiji provided exactly the sort of skilful, muscular test that defines their unique brand of rugby, with only their inferior fitness and lack of depth slowing their charge late in the game.

 

A fast start checked

England accelerated into a 15-0 lead courtesy of an early George Ford penalty, a penalty try from a rolling maul and a Mike Brown score in the corner after Tom Wood stole a Fijian line-out five metres out and Jonathan Joseph's quick hands created space out wide.

But Fiji drove their way back into the contest as England, playing in their red change strip, struggled at the scrum and their ball-carriers failed to dent the white defensive wall.

Nikola Matawalu, sin-binned after England's penalty try, was denied a sensational breakaway try when television replays showed the scrum-half lost control of the ball in the act of touching it down.


But minutes later they did score. England's struggles in the scrum saw them turn over the ball on their own five-metre line and giant left winger Nemani Nadolo out-jumped Anthony Watson from Ben Volavola's precise cross-kick.

If Nikola Matawalu had scored Fiji would have been right in the mix, but he just lost control

 

England finally fire

Had Fiji landed three straightforward penalties it would have been 18-17 with a quarter of the match to go, and there is no doubt England rode their luck before finally pulling away in the final quarter.

The hosts threw on the muscle of Billy Vunipola and Sam Burgess and looked for more control through replacement half-backs Richard Wigglesworth and Owen Farrell.

The Pacific islanders tired as the match stretched on and Brown was on hand to capitalise from Farrell's smart off-load before Vunipola smashed his way over in the last act of the game to secure what might prove a vital bonus point in such a tight pool.

But England will need to find greater precision as well as an authority that matches their ambition if they are to return here in six weeks' time for the tournament's final.

 

Man of the match - Mike Brown

In a sometimes stuttering evening for the men in red, Harlequins full-back Brown was one of few to produce his best on opening night. In addition to running over 100m more than anyone else with ball in hand on Friday night, he also topped the defenders beaten (9) and clean break stats (4).

 

What they said - "massive relief" for Lancaster

England head coach Stuart Lancaster: "It was a big occasion and there were a few nerves. We had to work hard and that last try late in the game was a massive relief."


England captain Chris Robshaw: "The bonus point might be hugely important. We knew it would come down to the last five or 10 minutes because Fiji were hard to break down."

What the fans thought

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teams

England: Brown; Watson, Joseph, Barritt, May; Ford, B Youngs; Marler, T Youngs, Cole, Parling, Lawes, Wood, Robshaw, Morgan.

Replacements: Burgess for Barritt (62), Farrell for Ford (62), Wigglesworth for B Youngs (52), B Vunipola for Morgan (52), Webber for T Youngs (74), Brookes for Cole (68), Launchbury for Parling (52), M Vunipola for Marler (52)

Fiji: Talebula; Nayacalevu, Goneva, Lovobalavu, Nadolo; Volavola, Matawalu; Ma'afu, Koto Vuli, Saulo, Ratuniyarawa, Nakarawa, Waqaniburotu, Qera, Matadigo.

Replacements: Ravai for Ma'afu (74), Tuapati for Koto Vuli (75), Colati for Saulo (77), Cavubati for Ratuniyarawa (41), Yato for Waqaniburotu (60).

Not Used: Kenatale, Matavesi, Tikoirotuma.
Sin Bin: Matawalu (13).

Davis Cup semi-final: Great Britain all square with Australia

Great Britain and Australia will head into Saturday's doubles tied at 1-1 after wins for Andy Murray and Bernard Tomic in the Davis Cup semi-final. 

Murray opened the tie at Glasgow's Emirates Arena with a crushing 6-3 6-0 6-3 win over Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Australian number one Tomic then saw off Dan Evans 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 to level the best-of-five tie.

Murray could play alongside his brother Jamie in the doubles against Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Groth.
Britain are trying to reach their first final since 1978, and win the Davis Cup for the first time since 1936.

In the second semi-final in Brussels, Belgium and Argentina are also tied at 1-1.

World number 15 David Goffin got the home team off to the perfect start with a 7-5 7-6 6-3 win over Federico Delbonis, before Leonardo Mayer levelled the tie with a 7-6 7-6 4-6 6-3 win over Steve Darcis.

 

Murray brothers could team up

The official line-up has Jamie Murray and Dom Inglot down to face Hewitt and Groth, but there is every chance captain Leon Smith will bring in the younger Murray brother.

Team nominations can change up to an hour before play, and having spent just 107 minutes on court against Kokkinakis, Andy Murray is willing to play on Saturday and Sunday.

BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller
"The scores are level, but Britain have more to cheer heading into the second day. First, Andy Murray played a near perfect match and then Dan Evans kept Bernard Tomic on court for three hours. Tomic was struggling physically towards the end and he's due to play Murray in Sunday's opening singles.
"For Britain to be in pole position, though, they must win Saturday's doubles. Leon Smith had a vexing selection decision to make earlier in the week: bringing Murray in to play alongside his brother will not cause him any palpitations."

"I think everyone in the team wants to play, everyone wants to try and help where they can," said the former Wimbledon champion.

"Ultimately the decision is up to the captain and the players who go on the court have a job to do when they go out there."

 

Tomic gets past battling Evans

Tomic has a day to recover before facing Andy Murray in Sunday's singles

It was a tall order for the world number 300 to overcome the world number 23, but Evans did enough to worry Tomic and justify his surprise selection.

The 25-year-old from Solihull was chosen ahead of James Ward and Kyle Edmund, with 29 match wins since Wimbledon on the lower Futures circuit and a previous victory over Tomic swinging the decision his way.

He finished the match with 58 winners to Tomic's 67 in a gripping contest, and perhaps more importantly put three hours of intense effort into the Australian's legs.

Evans struggled with the step up in class at first as Tomic dominated the opening set and took a 3-1 lead in the second.

GB captain Leon Smith
"I feel for Dan. I think he repaid the faith that we had to select him. If it does come down to the final rubber that's going to stand him in good stead. I respect Kyle [Edmund] and James [Ward] hugely, but I just thought Dan would have a great chance against Tomic on this court, and so it proved."

The British number eight gave notice of what was to come as he fought back to earn a tie-break, only to see Tomic take it comfortably, and a two-set deficit appeared beyond Evans.

Tomic wobbled badly when serving for the match in the third, however, and was broken back as the Glasgow crowd roared on an Evans comeback.

A brilliant drop shot saw the Briton take charge of the second tie-break and Tomic was left flat on his back after a volley sailed wide on set point.

Both men were now struggling physically and Tomic again failed to serve out the match at 5-2 in the fourth, but he held firm at the third attempt to grab a point that puts the tie back in the balance.

Britain's Davis Cup history
Great Britain are looking to reach their 20th final. They have been crowned Davis Cup champions nine times, with the last title coming in 1936 with a 3-2 victory over Australia.

 

Classy Murray overwhelms Kokkinakis

Murray is nine years older than Kokkinakis at 28, and ranked 69 places higher at three in the world, but this was still an impressive performance against one of the sport's up-and-coming stars.

The pair are regular practice partners, and Murray made sure he laid down a marker in their first competitive meeting.

Kokkinankis, urged on by Hewitt on the Australian bench, began well enough to see off five break points with some bold play.

However, a terrific lunging return helped Murray make the breakthrough at 4-2 and the Scot simply powered away.

A beautiful lob set the tone on the first point of the second as he went on to break to love, and he would lose just five points in a masterclass of a set.

With Murray's backhand proving irresistible, 19-year-old Kokkinakis was simply overwhelmed, and another break at 2-1 in the third effectively clinched it.

"It was a huge match and I'm glad I managed to put on a good performance," said Murray. "The crowd was excellent from first to last.

"I was hitting the ball cleanly and I didn't give him any opportunities on my serve.

"Representing your country is a proud moment, I love it, and I always perform my best when I'm here for my country."

Great Britain 1-1 Australia
*days 2 and 3 draws subject to change
Friday
Andy Murray beat Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3 6-0 6-3
Dan Evans lost to Bernard Tomic 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 6-7 (4-7) 6-4
Saturday from 13:00
Dom Inglot & Jamie Murray v Lleyton Hewitt & Samuel Groth
Sunday from 13:00
Andy Murray v Bernard Tomic
Dan Evans v v Thanasi Kokkinakis

 

Luke Shaw: Manchester United left back suffers double leg fracture

Shaw, 20, received treatment on the pitch for 10 minutes after a tackle by PSV defender Hector Moreno in United's first Champions League group game.


The England defender was given oxygen while he was taken off the pitch.

Shaw made 20 appearances for the Red Devils in an injury interrupted first season after joining from Southampton.


The player was inundated with messages of support on social media including from his former club.


And less than an hour after suffering the injury, he said: "Thank you everyone for your messages, words can't describe how gutted I am, my road to recovery starts now, I will come back stronger."

Full-back Luke Shaw suffered a double fracture of his right leg in Manchester United's 2-1 defeat against PSV Eindhoven last night.

 

Shaw, will have an operation on his return to Manchester, the club said.

He received oxygen while being treated on the pitch for 10 minutes after Hector Moreno's tackle.
"It is awful. It was a very bad tackle.

He had the oxygen mask on and was crying in the dressing room," said manager Louis van Gaal.

Mexico defender Moreno sent his "strength" to the left-back and wished him a "fast recovery". 
 
The 27-year-old, who broke his leg during last year's World Cup, added: "I've been through this before and I know how it feels."

                              PSV defender Moreno was not booked for the challenge on Shaw 

Shaw moved to Old Trafford from Southampton in June last year in a £31m deal and made 20 appearances in an injury-interrupted first season.

He has started all of United's eight games this season, as well as playing in England's European Championship qualifiers against San Marino and Switzerland.

Yet with just nine months to go until Euro 2016, Shaw has suffered a broken tibia and fibula.

When Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey suffered a similar injury against Stoke in 2010, he was ruled out for nine months. The Welshman tweeted: "Fingers crossed for Luke Shaw. Get well soon."

Less than an hour after suffering the injury, Shaw wrote on Twitter:  "Thank you everyone for your messages, words can't describe how gutted I am, my road to recovery starts now, I will come back stronger."

Former PSV player Memphis Depay scored the opener for the visitors in Eindhoven, before Moreno headed in an equaliser on the stroke of half-time.

Luciano Narsingh then nodded home in the second half to secure victory.

 

'A very bad tackle with two legs'

 

Moreno went over to see Shaw as he was taken off the pitch 

Mexican centre-back Moreno escaped censure for the challenge on Shaw, and Van Gaal was unhappy referee Nicola Rizzoli took no action.

"A boy who came to Manchester United at 18 years old, it was very difficult, and the next season he plays fantastic and then that happens like this," said the Dutchman.

"When I say it is a red card and penalty, you will say I am a bad loser. Every word I say is taken in the wrong way. It was in the 18-yard box and it was very bad tackle with two legs.

"I'm not a doctor so I cannot say, but when you have a double fracture it is four to six months. But you can never say that in advance.

"He won't play in the group stage, I don't think. I hope he will play again this season."

Messages of support for Shaw

 

 

                                   Shaw's former club Southampton 

                                    Shaw tweeted a reply to ex-club Southampton 

                                       Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey 


Shaw Post would like to offer Luke Shaw the best of luck in his recovery. We hope that he manages to come back in Mid February to early March and manages to play enough games for his club to be on the plane to Euro 2016 with the England Team next summer.

The injury has occurred at the worst time for Luke Shaw as he was in a great form for Manchester United and England over the last month.

He'll be a big miss to Roy Hodgson as well as Van Gaal as England's only recognized left back at the moment is Kieran Gibbs as Leighton Baines is sidelined for another two more month's.

US Open 2015: Novak Djokovic beats Roger Federer in final

 World number one Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer in four dramatic sets to win his second US Open and 10th Grand Slam title. 

The Serb won 6-4 5-7 6-4 6-4 in New York and will end the year with three of the four tennis majors.
Djokovic, 28, kept his nerve in front of a heavily pro-Federer crowd at Flushing Meadows.

The 34-year-old Swiss had been hoping to win his 18th major title and his first for three years.

In a raucous night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium, after the start of play was delayed by more than three hours because of rain, Federer looked to have a real chance in the third set.

However Djokovic broke the Federer serve six times and saved 19 of 23 break points as he battled his way to a 27th win in 28 Grand Slam matches this year.

                                Djokovic's win was his third Grand Slam triumph of 2015

 

 

'This year sweeter than ever'

Djokovic took another step towards joining the very best in history with a 10th major title, moving him within one of Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver in the all-time list.

Defeat by Stan Wawrinka in the French Open final in June means the Serb was just one win short of completing the first calendar Grand Slam in men's tennis since Laver in 1969.

Most Grand Slam titles
17: Roger Federer
14: Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal
12: Roy Emerson
11: Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg
10: Bill Tilden, Novak Djokovic

"It's been an incredible season, next to 2011 the best of my life," said Djokovic, who also won three Grand Slam titles four years ago.

"I'm enjoying this year more than I did any previous one because I'm a husband and a father, and that makes it sweeter."

Five-time champion Federer was playing his first US Open final since 2009, and drew one of the loudest cheers of the night when he told the crowd: "I'll see you guys next year."


The Swiss said it was "always tough" facing Djokovic, adding: "I think we both walk away from it knowing more about our games and more about each other.

"I'm pleased with where my game is at."

 

 

 

Defiant Djokovic takes New York

Federer came into the final having dropped serve just twice in the tournament and not having lost a set since Wimbledon, but Djokovic set about ruining those statistics.

The Serb made the sharper start, breaking the Federer serve twice in the first seven games and clinching the set after 41 minutes.

From then on, it was Djokovic's mental fortitude as much as his tennis that shone through as he turned the match around in the third set and held off a Federer comeback in the fourth.

After a tentative start, Federer had begun to move forward in the second set, at times deploying the net-rushing return - which has been called SABR  ('Sneak Attack By Roger') - that he has developed this summer, only for Djokovic to keep finding a way past, or over, him.

The Swiss kept pushing, however, converting his fourth set point with a rasping backhand that delighted the majority of the 23,000 spectators.

Elite company
Djokovic is just the third man in the Open Era, which began in 1968, to reach all four Grand Slam finals in a calendar year, after Rod Laver in 1969 and Roger Federer in 2006, 2007 and 2009.

Djokovic, now coping with occasional boos and shouts during his service motion, looked to be struggling after letting an early lead slip in the third, but he saved two break points at 4-4 and then wrestled the momentum back his way.

Federer, regretting the missed opportunity, let his guard slip and Djokovic pounced, forcing a backhand error to clinch the set.

With the momentum back with him, the top seed broke Federer twice to lead 5-2 in the fourth and then withstood another comeback as the Swiss earned three chances to level at 5-5.

The crowd was once again roaring the 17-time Grand Slam champion back into the match but Djokovic stood firm, seeing off the break points and defiantly clenching his fist when Federer floated the ball long on championship point.

 

 

Federer feels the love

The Swiss was playing in his seventh final in Arthur Ashe Stadium, but even he was taken aback by the support he received.

"They were unbelievable," said Federer. "Were they better than ever? Possibly."

The spectators were made to wait as the rain fell at Flushing Meadows, delaying the start time from 21:00 BST to 00:20, but quickly made their feelings known once play began by getting behind the former champion.

Analysis from BBC Sport's Russell Fuller
This was another breathtaking display of resilience from Djokovic in the face of the most partisan crowd he has ever encountered in a Grand Slam final. The outcome could have been different if Federer had taken more than four of the 23 break points he created, but the Swiss was not able to rush this opponent in the way he did his others.
Since Rod Laver's 1969 Grand Slam, Jimmy Connors, Mats Wilander and Rafa Nadal have all won three Grand Slams in a single season, but only Federer - and now Djokovic - have done it at least twice.

"It's so nice to feel that they want you to get back into the match, they want you to win, they're enjoying what they're seeing and getting their money's worth," he said.
"They were right there until I needed them at the very, very end."

 

 

 

Umpire shines on big night

Greek umpire Eva Asderaki was already having a good night, but the first woman to chair a men's US Open final got the biggest decision spot on.

Trying to convert a second break point as he attempted to stay alive in a dramatic third set, Federer fired a cross-court backhand that looked for all the world a winner.

However, the call of 'out' came from the chair and Hawk-Eye backed Asderaki's decision by the narrowest of margins.

                                        Djokovic successfully defended 19 of 23 break points 

                         Federer was bidding for his first Grand Slam title since Wimbledon 2012 

Federer and Djokovic have now met 14 times at Grand Slams - more than any other pairing - with Djokovic claiming his eighth win 

Djokovic has beaten one of Federer, Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray in the final of his past nine victorious Grand Slams