Farrell Confident After Ireland Secures Victory

Andy Farrell, Ireland’s head coach, stated that his team’s hard-fought victory over Italy on Saturday in the Six Nations demonstrated their ability to have confidence in themselves.

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Ireland staged a second-half comeback to defeat Italy, overcoming their opponents in a closely contested match.

According to Ireland head coach Andy Farrell, the team's hard-fought victory over Italy in the Six Nations showcased their ability to trust themselves.

Ireland's Six Nations campaign began with a disappointing loss to France, and they faced another challenge as they trailed Italy by five points at halftime in Dublin.

However, the Irish team regained the lead with tries from Jack Conan and Robert Baloucoune, and their defense held strong to secure a 20-13 win despite a late surge from Italy.

Farrell highlighted the character displayed by his team in the second half, emphasizing its significance in the broader context.

"Italy was a formidable opponent that refused to give up, and our recent history with them has shown us that," Farrell noted.

"As the game drew to a close, they were pushing hard to break through our defense, but our resilience and determination to win were impressive to see."

"The fact that we were able to bounce back and show the courage to play our brand of rugby was very encouraging," Farrell said.

Although Ireland committed too many errors during the game, Farrell was pleased with how his team responded to their earlier defeat by France.

Fly-half Sam Prendergast struggled during the game in Dublin and was substituted by Jack Crowley after 55 minutes.

Crowley, the Munster fly-half, delivered a strong performance off the bench, scoring five points, and Farrell praised his outstanding play despite a late mistake that ended the game.

"I feel sorry for him, as that's not typically a mistake he would make," Farrell said.

"Although he made a mistake with that penalty kick, it won't overshadow my overall impression of his game – I thought he was excellent when he came on."

Farrell expressed his delight for player of the match Robert Baloucoune, who scored the decisive try on his Six Nations debut for Ireland.

"While he has had a few caps before, his previous appearances were sporadic, but his talent is evident when he plays for Ulster," Farrell added.

"It's pleasing to see him gain confidence and back himself, not just in terms of beating opponents and scoring tries, but also in his aerial battles and defensive decision-making."

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Hodgkinson Eyes World Record After Setting New Benchmark

At the UK Athletics Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Keely Hodgkinson expressed her intention to pursue a world record, having recently shattered the British 800m record.

In a dominant display, Keely Hodgkinson finished nine seconds clear of the field in the 800m event at the UK Athletics Indoor Championships in Birmingham.

Following her record-breaking performance at the UK Athletics Indoor Championships, Keely Hodgkinson has set her sights on achieving a new world record in the 800m event.

The 23-year-old Olympic gold medalist from 2024 delivered an impressive time of 1:56.33 in the heats, surpassing her own British record by nearly one second.

This achievement marked the fastest women's 800m time in 24 years and the third-fastest in history.

Although she had announced prior to the event that she would not participate in the final due to her upcoming appearance at the Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais Trophee in France, Hodgkinson viewed the run as an opportunity for personal growth.

She explained that her primary goal was to qualify for the upcoming world championships in Poland, which is why she only participated in one round.

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When questioned about her ambition to break Jolanda Ceplak's indoor world record of 1:55.82, set in 2002, Hodgkinson expressed her determination, stating that she has long been vocal about her desire to claim the record.

Hodgkinson emphasized that she believes the record is within her reach and intends to make a serious attempt to break it.

On the first day of the championships, Dina Asher-Smith delivered a remarkable performance, winning the women's 60m title with a time of 7.05 seconds, narrowly edging out Amy Hunt by a tenth of a second and establishing a new championship record.

In a post-event interview, the 27-year-old Asher-Smith mentioned that she had been feeling strong throughout the indoor season, noting that sometimes patience and race sharpness are essential for achieving fast times.

Asher-Smith's winning margin over Amy Hunt was a mere tenth of a second.

Jeremiah Azu, the 24-year-old world and European indoor champion, successfully defended his UK title in the men's 60m, achieving a season's best time of 6.56 seconds.

Molly Caudery regained the women's pole vault title by clearing a height of 4.65m, while Owen Heard secured the men's title with a jump of 5.55m.

Lucy Hadaway emerged victorious in the women's long jump with a leap of 6.45m, and Tito Odunaike took the men's triple jump title with a distance of 15.45m.

Abigail Pawlett won the women's 60m hurdles with a personal best time of 8.05 seconds, and Daniel Goriola claimed the men's title with a season's best of 7.78 seconds.

Madeline Down finished first in the women's para 60m final with a time of 8.24 seconds, and Kevin Santos won the men's title with a time of 6.93 seconds.

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Hull edge out Bradford in Super League comeback match

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A try from Harvey Barron contributed to Hull FC's win over the Bradford Bulls.

The scoring breakdown for Hull FC included tries from Batchelor, Barron, Litten, and Cust, with Pryce making five goals and adding a drop goal.

Bradford's scoring consisted of tries by Blake and two from Wynne, with Milnes converting four goals.

Bradford Bulls' return to Super League after an 11-year absence ended in a narrow 27-20 defeat to Hull FC, who secured the win in the final minutes of the match at the MKM Stadium.

Following York Knights' one-point upset over reigning champions Hull KR just 48 hours prior, Bradford Bulls found themselves on the losing end of another thrilling season-opening match.

The Bulls put up a strong fight, with the score tied and only three minutes remaining in regular time, making it a closely contested match until the end.

A drop goal by Hull FC's Will Pryce gave his team the lead, and Cade Cust sealed the victory with a try in the 79th minute.

The Hull FC lineup consisted of Pryce, Barron, Hardaker, Litten, Martin, Kemp, Sezer, Knight, Bourouh, Hill, Batchelor, Romano, and Aydin.

Hull FC's interchange players were Cust, Fash, Lisone, and Sao.

The Bradford team included Aekins, Okunbor, Marsters, Blake, Wynne, Keyes, Milnes, Sutton, Ackers, Lewis, Russell, Fulton, and Mellor.

Bradford's interchange players were Souter, Scurr, Doro, and Chamberlain.

The match was refereed by Marcus Griffiths.

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Shearer calls for Digne dismissal over reckless challenge

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