George Ford in line to beat Fin Smith for England fly-half berth against Australia
George Ford is likely to start at fly-half when England begin their autumn internationals campaign against Australia at Twickenham on Saturday.The Sale Sharks No 10 enjoyed an outstanding summer tour with Steve Borthwick’s side, helping to orchestrate two victories against Argentina and one against the USA, and appears to have stated a strong case for selection.Fin Smith, whose Northampton side top the Prem table after five rounds, became established as the first-choice fly-half during the Six Nations this year before embarking on the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia.However, along with his playing ability, the 32-year-old Ford’s tactical expertise is highly valued in the England camp, and if he starts on Saturday it could indicate Borthwick regards him as first-choice for the Rugby World Cup in 2027.The 23-year-old Smith and the first-choice scrum-half Alex Mitchell play together for Northampton but Ford, who has 102 England caps, brings a different set of skills with his perceptive tactical kicking and threat of drop-goals.
Sale, in contrast to the in-form Saints, are seventh in the Prem with two wins from five matches.Borthwick has a wealth of options in the back-line and the Northampton wing Tommy Freeman is being strongly considered to start at outside-centre.Mitchell backed his clubmate, who scored four tries against Saracens last Friday, to thrive if he switches from the wing to No 13.“I think it will be good.He’s a quality player who has a lot of facets to his game with his power and how he works in the air,” Mitchell said.
“His confidence is through the roof and his form is amazing.We knew when he came through the academy that he’s got everything: speed, power, height.He understands the game.We know if he puts that all together he’s one hell of a player.”The hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie has welcomed the “Test-match animal” Tom Curry, his Sale teammate, back into the England fold.
Curry has recovered from having surgery on a wrist problem after the Lions tour and is in contention to start in the back row against the Wallabies.“He’s built differently,” said Cowan-Dickie, who will reach 50 England caps if he plays at Twickenham.“I think he showed that in the Lions.It’s a cliche: ‘He’s a Test-match animal,’ – but he is.For his game and mental approach, he could have not played for a year, and I’d still put him in my team.
”Curry appeared six times for the British & Irish Lions in Australia but has missed the start of Sale’s domestic campaign due to the surgery,“He’s a workhorse,” Cowan-Dickie said,Sign up to The BreakdownThe latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewedafter newsletter promotion“When you see it out on the field, half the time he’s limping because he’s put his body on the line,But he’s still going and you always feed off that sort of stuff,He was playing with that wrist injury for ages.
He’s another guy who’s mentally tough,It’s always a bonus for me personally,He’s one of these best back-rowers, if not the best back-rower in the world so I’m buzzing that he’s on my team,”Cowan-Dickie has also endured serious injuries himself since his England debut in 2015,“I’ve stuck around – they don’t call me the cockroach for no reason,” Cowan-Dickie joked.
“I’ve had a lot of injuries.Would I be here today if I didn’t play through them? Maybe not.I think it’s made me robust.”Cowan-Dickie also said he is continuing to the feel benefits of giving up alcohol.“Loving it – I’ve not thought about once,” he said.
“I don’t know how long it has been: 17 or 18 months, and I feel way better for it,My body is better for it,Touch wood I have not been injured, I have lost a bit of weight, and I’m feeling physically better,”
CSL share price plummets amid shareholder revolt over executive pay plans
The Australian biotech company CSL has been delivered a “second strike” by shareholders over its executive pay plans, but has survived a push to spill its board.Amid frustration over its depressed share price, which fell even further on Tuesday, the blood plasma therapy firm saw more than 40% of votes cast against its executive pay plans at its annual general meeting in Melbourne on Tuesday.The result was well above the 25% threshold required to trigger a “strike”, the company’s second in a row.Despite hitting the two-strikes trigger – which opened the door for a board spill resolution – shareholders voted overwhelmingly against removing the board of the former commonwealth entity –.“We passed that hurdle,” said the CSL chair, Brian McNamee, in reaction to the spill vote
RBA governor dismisses jobs fears but hints at rates hold after inflation uptick
The Reserve Bank governor has dismissed warnings of rising unemployment and hinted at an interest rate hold, saying the labour market will not “fall off a cliff”.Michele Bullock said the RBA had been surprised by September’s jump in joblessness and an uptick in inflation but emphasised job creation was slowing broadly as the RBA expected.“There are still jobs being created, just not as many,” Bullock said on Monday night.“We’d always thought [unemployment] would drift up a bit. Maybe it’s drifted up a bit further than we thought, but it’s not a huge amount yet
Ultra-HD televisions not noticeably better for typical viewer, scientists say
Many modern living rooms are now dominated by a huge television, but researchers say there might be little point in plumping for an ultra-high-definition model.Scientists at the University of Cambridge and Meta, the company that owns Facebook, have found that for an average-sized living room a 4K or 8K screen offers no noticeable benefit over a similarly sized 2K screen of the sort often used in computer monitors and laptops. In other words, there is no tangible difference when it comes to how sharp an image appears to our eyes.“At a certain viewing distance, it doesn’t matter how many pixels you add. It’s just, I suppose, wasteful because your eye can’t really detect it,” said Dr Maliha Ashraf, the first author of the study from the University of Cambridge
Apple Watch Ultra 3 review: the biggest and best smartwatch for an iPhone
The biggest, baddest and boldest Apple Watch is back for its third generation, adding a bigger screen, longer battery life and satellite messaging for when lost in the wilderness.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.The Ultra 3 is Apple’s answer to adventure watches such as Garmin’s Fenix 8 Pro while being a full smartwatch for the iPhone with all the trimmings
F1 title run-in: who will win the drivers’ championship in three-way tussle? | Giles Richards
Ordinarily at this point in the Formula One season, form has been settled. This year, with four meetings remaining, the title run-in reaches its decisive phase with a three-way fight between the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen. Divining the outcome is a decidedly tricky affair.As recently as the Dutch GP in August it appeared a two-way battle between the McLaren drivers would decide it. However, with Red Bull managing to apply upgrades that have unlocked the performance of the RB21, the equation is far more complex
George Ford in line to beat Fin Smith for England fly-half berth against Australia
George Ford is likely to start at fly-half when England begin their autumn internationals campaign against Australia at Twickenham on Saturday.The Sale Sharks No 10 enjoyed an outstanding summer tour with Steve Borthwick’s side, helping to orchestrate two victories against Argentina and one against the USA, and appears to have stated a strong case for selection.Fin Smith, whose Northampton side top the Prem table after five rounds, became established as the first-choice fly-half during the Six Nations this year before embarking on the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia.However, along with his playing ability, the 32-year-old Ford’s tactical expertise is highly valued in the England camp, and if he starts on Saturday it could indicate Borthwick regards him as first-choice for the Rugby World Cup in 2027.The 23-year-old Smith and the first-choice scrum-half Alex Mitchell play together for Northampton but Ford, who has 102 England caps, brings a different set of skills with his perceptive tactical kicking and threat of drop-goals
Cobar: two people killed in Endeavour mine explosion in far western NSW
Shrinkflation hits everyday staples, piling more pressure on households
First banker jailed over Libor interest rate rigging to sue UBS for $400m
UK in £8bn deal to sell Typhoon jets to Turkey despite human rights concerns
Exxon sues California over climate laws, alleging free speech violations
Oil firm Petrofac enters administration, putting 2,000 jobs at risk; Greencore-Bakkavor food giant deal faces UK competition concerns – as it happened