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Wales Select Hawkins and Cracknell for France Match

Wales head coach Steve Tandy is expected to include Olly Cracknell and Joe Hawkins in his lineup for the upcoming Six Nations match against France.

During the 2025 autumn internationals, Joe Hawkins and Olly Cracknell each participated in two matches.

Wales is expected to make adjustments to their midfield and back-row for the upcoming Six Nations game against France, scheduled to take place in Cardiff on Sunday.

On Friday morning, Steve Tandy will announce his team selection, opting for a balanced approach rather than making sweeping changes in response to the significant loss to England in the first round.

Joe Hawkins, a centre for the Scarlets, is likely to take over the number 12 position from Ben Thomas, while Olly Cracknell, a physical forward from Leicester, is poised to reinforce the back-row.

Additionally, Wales may consider altering their prop lineup, as Nicky Smith and Archie Griffin started in the previous match, with Rhys Carre and Tomas Francis waiting on the bench.

Tandy intends to give his team an opportunity to redeem themselves against France, with a short six-day turnaround before facing Scotland at home on February 21.

Tomas Francis, who has been recalled, is looking forward to contributing to Wales' efforts.

The Wales U20 team aims to provide a sense of optimism during a challenging period.

Wales forward Tshiunza may leave Exeter at the end of the summer.

Owen Watkin, now fit again, was also considered for a midfield position, but Tandy has chosen to go with the Scarlets duo of Hawkins and Eddie James to face France's new midfield combination of Fabien Brau-Boirie and Emilien Gailleton.

Thomas previously started for Wales in autumn series matches against Argentina and Japan, before Hawkins took over for the games against New Zealand and South Africa.

According to former Wales hooker Scott Baldwin, "Consistency would be achieved by bringing in Joe Hawkins at 12 alongside Eddie, as they play together at the regional level."

Baldwin suggested that the only other changes he would make are introducing Olly Cracknell for his work rate and physicality, and potentially replacing Liam Belcher with Ryan Elias, an exceptional scrummager, on the bench.

The Wales versus France match will take place at the Principality Stadium.

The match is scheduled for Sunday, February 15, at 15:10 GMT.

Olly Cracknell was a late addition to the November series due to Taulupe Faletau's injury.

Cracknell made his Test debut off the bench against Argentina and then earned man of the match in the narrow win over Japan.

Cracknell is expected to join Aaron Wainwright and Alex Mann in the starting back row, potentially replacing Josh Macleod.

Former Wales flanker and captain Ellis Jenkins stated, "The balance was not quite right last weekend, and it's essential to ensure we have sufficient physicality to match France in the contact area, tackles, and collisions."

Jenkins expressed concern that the current lineup might be underpowered against teams like England and France.

He noted that while Alex Mann and Josh Macleod are capable players, they may not be the best fit for matches against physically demanding opponents.

Wales is likely to maintain a split of six forwards and two backs on the bench to counter France's physicality.

Tandy's team faces a significant challenge, as they are substantial underdogs against a French side that easily defeated Ireland in the opening weekend.

Wales has lost their last 12 Six Nations matches, with their most recent win being against Italy in Rome in March 2023.

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Entertainment And Arts

Spielberg Contributes $25,000 to Van Der Beek’s $2 Million Crowdfunding Campaign

The relatives of the deceased actor, known for his role in Dawson’s Creek, have expressed gratitude to those who contributed to the $2m fund.

A donation of $25,000 (£21,000) has been made by film director Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, to a GoFundMe campaign that has raised over $2m (£1.6m) for the family of late actor James Van Der Beek.

James Van Der Beek wearing a maroon dickie bow while smiling for the cameras on arrival at the 2019 Emmy Awards
James Van Der Beek's character Dawson was a famous fan of filmmaker Spielberg

Van Der Beek, who passed away at the age of 48, is survived by his wife Kimberly and their six children, and the crowdfunding effort to support his family has now exceeded its initial target of $2m.

Other notable donors include Oscar-winning actress Zoe Saldana, who contributed $2,500 (£2,108), and director Jon M Chu, who gave $10,000 (£8,432) to the cause.

A statement from the organizers of the fundraiser, Friends of the Van Der Beek family, expressed gratitude to all contributors, stating that their support is deeply appreciated.

The statement highlighted the significance of the donations, saying that the kindness shown by contributors is beyond words.

It also noted that the outpouring of support has been a source of comfort during a difficult time, serving as a reminder of the power of love, community, and the enduring legacy of James Van Der Beek.

Van Der Beek was perhaps best known for his starring role in the popular US teen drama series Dawson's Creek, which aired from 1998 to 2003, although he remained associated with the show until 2023.

Although Van Der Beek and Spielberg never collaborated on a project, the late actor's character in Dawson's Creek was a fan of Spielberg's work, with posters of films like ET and Schindler's List featured in his bedroom.

At a Dawson's Creek cast reunion event last year, Spielberg paid tribute to Van Der Beek by sending a video message.

In the message, Spielberg said, "Dawson, you made it," and jokingly added that he hoped to one day have a room like Dawson's, filled with memorabilia from his films.

Van Der Beek passed away on Wednesday after a battle with bowel cancer.

Steven Spielberg arrives for the 98th Oscars Nominees Luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, USA, 10 February 2026
Spielberg made a surprise video appearance at last year's Dawson's Creek reunion

He had been dealing with the diagnosis since August 2023 and publicly disclosed his condition in November 2024.

The GoFundMe campaign was launched to help the family with medical expenses, which had depleted their funds.

The statement from the organizers concluded by saying that the family is currently taking time to grieve and be together, and thanked everyone for their compassionate and generous support in honoring James Van Der Beek's life.

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Zimbabwe Shocks Australia with Muzarabani’s Exceptional Performance

Zimbabwe secured a stunning 23-run victory over Australia in the T20 World Cup, with Blessing Muzarabani playing a key role by taking 4-17.

In the current T20 world rankings, Zimbabwe occupies the 12th position.

The Men's T20 World Cup is underway in Group B at Colombo.

Zimbabwe's innings concluded at 169-2 after 20 overs, with Bennett scoring an unbeaten 64 off 56 deliveries, while Green claimed 1-6.

Australia's reply ended at 146 after 19.3 overs, as Renshaw top-scored with 65 off 44 balls, and Muzarabani took 4-17.

The match resulted in a 23-run victory for Zimbabwe.

A standout performance from Blessing Muzarabani, who took 4-17, helped Zimbabwe secure a thrilling 23-run win over Australia in the T20 World Cup.

After being set a target of 170, Australia found themselves in trouble at 29-4, but a 77-run partnership between Matthew Renshaw and Glenn Maxwell for the fifth wicket gave them hope.

With 34 runs needed from the last two overs, Renshaw's dismissal for 65, caught off Muzarabani with eight balls remaining, essentially sealed the game's outcome.

The result has left Group B finely balanced after two matches each, with Australia trailing Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka by two points, ahead of their meeting with Sri Lanka on Monday.

Initially, Zimbabwe's approach to batting first at the R. Premadasa Stadium appeared overly cautious.

Brian Bennett's innings of 64 not out from 56 balls, including seven fours, was played at a strike rate of 114.28, as he anchored the Zimbabwean batting.

In contrast, Tadiwanashe Marumani and Ryan Burl adopted a more aggressive approach, scoring 35 off 21 and 30 balls, respectively.

A late surge from Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza, who scored 25 off 13 balls, including the team's only six on the final ball, provided a boost to their total.

Australia's target seemed achievable, given their total of 182-6 in their previous win against Ireland.

However, the Australian batting line-up was severely dented by the loss of key wickets, including Josh Inglis, Travis Head, Cameron Green, and Tim David, courtesy of Muzarabani and Brad Evans.

A partnership between Renshaw and Maxwell offered some respite, but when Maxwell fell for 31, dragged on to Burl, the pressure mounted on Australia.

Muzarabani's return to bowl the penultimate over proved decisive, as he removed Renshaw, and Zimbabwe subsequently wrapped up the win.

There are calls for the ICC to review the rules regarding 12th men.

For more information, including notifications and social media updates, visit BBC Sport.

A blogger who participates in the FPL is also competing in the T20 World Cup.

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FA Cup Finalists Outside the Big Six Since 2008

As the FA Cup resumes this weekend, assess your understanding of past finalists that have competed from beyond the Premier League’s top six clubs.

This weekend, the FA Cup resumes with 32 teams remaining in contention for the historic trophy, which has been awarded for 155 years and will be presented to the winner in May.

Historically, the Premier League's top six clubs – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham – have dominated the FA Cup, claiming 32 titles out of the last 37.

However, in recent years, teams outside of this elite group have experienced some notable victories in the competition.

Since 2008, 10 teams from outside the traditional 'big six' have advanced to the FA Cup final – can you identify all of them?

For more quizzes, visit our Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes sections, where you can also subscribe to receive the latest quizzes directly on your device.

We have a quiz question tailored to each Premier League team – test your knowledge and see how you score.

Can you recall every team that has won the Women's Champions League?

Which players have made the most appearances in the Premier League – can you name them all?

Explore our Sports Quizzes page for a wide range of challenging and engaging quizzes.

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