Speaking to the press in the wake of his Paris Saint-Germain side’s 7-1 trouncing of Lille, Christophe Galtier was inevitably upbeat and praised his players’ selfless approach to the game.

His words transcribed by L’Équipe, the manager pointed to his teams’ togetherness and state of mind as the key to their success – especially in the wake of the tensions between Neymar and Kylian Mbappé last week, which he says were quickly put to bed by the first training session of the week.

Did you expect to be ready this early in the season?

Yes, with regard to the work that’s been done since July 4, and those who came back before the scheduled date, who had a good pre-season. I saw players who wanted to start the campaign strongly so I’m not surprised.

You changed the attacking set-up a bit, why?

The set-up changes with the presence of Kylian Mbappé [return from injury]. We’re trying to find the best balance possible. Leo, Kylian and Ney played like this last season but in a different formation. Tonight, they played for each other. Even when the game was decided, they tracked back and worked together. I enjoyed their desire to play together.

Do you admire when your players play like that?

Admire isn’t the right word. After our match against Montpellier I was voluntarily following all of the debates [“penaltygate”]. But I quickly felt in the first training session of the week that it was already behind us. We had a perfect week in terms of intensity and in the behaviour a team should have. I was waiting to see if that perfect week would give a perfect match. That turned out to be the case.

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AS Monaco defender Chrislain Matsima (20) has joined Ligue 1 rivals Lorient on loan for the 2022/23 season. The Breton club gave an option to buy the France U20 international at the end of the loan. 

Matsima has come through the ranks at the Principality club and in the last two seasons, he has featured in 16 Ligue 1 fixtures, as well as three Europa League ties. However, with Benoît Badiashile, Guillermo Maripán, Axel Disasi and now Malang Sarr all ahead of him in the pecking order, he finds his route to first-team football blocked. 

Speaking in a press release from the club, Matsima said, “I am very satisfied to be joining Lorient on loan, a club which is once again amongst the elite of French football. I have spent time in Ligue 1 with Monaco and this season I hope to earn game time within my new team and with my new teammates.”

He continued, “I will do my maximum to earn their confidence and show all of my qualities and therefore continue my progression to the highest level.”

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Formula 1’s three top teams arrived in Saudi Arabia this week with updates and new components in their crates, most of which are specific to Jeddah’s high-speed layout.

Red Bull is seeking to uphold the dominant form it displayed in Bahrain, although the team has warned that its RB19 likely won’t enjoy in Jeddah the edge it had at Sakhir.

As the circuit’s demands are better served with lower levels of downforce, Red Bull updates are centered around the RB19’s rear wing which features less cambered beam wing and rear wing elements as well as changes to the endplate geometry.

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Over at Ferrari, the SF-23 is carrying an updated front wing endplate that is not necessarily circuit-specific but is destined to improve performance and flow conditioning.

The Scuderia has also introduced a different forward cutout and raised trailing edge for its car’s floor which is part of the team’s development programme, while changes to the SF-23’s beam wing – which includes a depowered lower beam and a new upper slate element – are track-specific.

Mercedes is relying on a de-cambered upper rear wing and floor fence on its W14 to improve the car’s much needed aero efficiency.

Elsewhere, Aston Martin’s changes to the AMR23’s front wing, rear wing and beam wing are circuit-specific and done to reduce load and improve aerobalance set-up.

Finally, McLaren has introduced for its MCL60 a circuit-specific offloaded rear wing geometry to cater to Jeddah’s higher efficiency demands, and modified rearward floor shape for its diffuser.

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Full results from Free Practice 1 for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah Corniche Circuit, round 2 of the 2023 Formula 1 season.

2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Free Practice 1 results

1
Max Verstappen
Red Bull
1:29.617s

18

2
Sergio Pérez
Red Bull
1:30.100s
+ 0.483s
20

3
Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin
1:30.315s
+ 0.698s
22

4
Lance Stroll
Aston Martin
1:30.577s
+ 0.960s
20

5
George Russell
Mercedes
1:30.771s
+ 1.154s
26

6
Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes
1:30.787s
+ 1.170s
26

7
Carlos Sainz
Ferrari
1:30.924s
+ 1.307s
23

8
Pierre Gasly
Alpine
1:30.949s
+ 1.332s
24

9
Alexander Albon
Williams
1:31.030s
+ 1.413s
23

10
Yuki Tsunoda
AlphaTauri
1:31.110s
+ 1.493s
25

11
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
1:31.118s
+ 1.501s
26

12
Esteban Ocon
Alpine
1:31.181s
+ 1.564s
22

13
Nyck de Vries
AlphaTauri
1:31.450s
+ 1.833s
29

14
Oscar Piastri
McLaren
1:31.491s
+ 1.874s
24

15
Nico Hulkenberg
Haas
1:31.552s
+ 1.935s
22

16
Kevin Magnussen
Haas
1:31.566s
+ 1.949s
23

17
Logan Sargeant
Williams
1:31.922s
+ 2.305s
26

18
Valtteri Bottas
Alfa Romeo
1:31.970s
+ 2.353s
25

19
Zhou Guanyu
Alfa Romeo
1:31.986s
+ 2.369s
22

20
Lando Norris
McLaren
1:32.149s
+ 2.532s
21Click Here: new zealand chiefs rugby jersey

Wayne Pivac has insisted he will ignore the growing speculation surrounding his future as Wales coach ahead of Saturday's potentially make-or-break clash at home to Australia.Wales go into their Autumn Nations Series finale at the Principality Stadium on the back of a woeful 13-12 defeat by Georgia in Cardiff last weekend, which came just eight months after they lost, again on home soil, to perennial Six Nations strugglers Italy.Pivac has now presided over 19 defeats in 33 Tests since succeeding Warren Gatland, his fellow New Zealander, as Wales coach following a 2019 World Cup in Japan where the team reached the semi-finals.But whether Pivac is still in charge for next year's global showpiece in France remains an open question.Wales great Jamie Roberts said the former Scarlets boss faced "serious questions" following a defeat by Georgia where the Lelos kept the hosts scoreless in the second half as they rallied from 12-3 down at the interval.But Pivac, asked about his future on Thursday after naming the team to play Australia, replied: "Other people make those decisions. "I can't get sidetracked by those sort of things… It is very, very disappointing to be in this position."The 60-year-old added: "As head coach, the responsibility lies with me for a lot of the decision-making. I don't shy away from that."Pivac has recalled former captain Alun Wyn Jones to the run-on XV against the Wallabies, with the veteran 37-year-old lock and world record cap-holder, making his first international start since last season's Six Nations.By contrast, 20-year-old Ospreys centre Joe Hawkins, who had just turned four when Wyn Jones first played for Wales, is set to make his Test debut in place of the injured Owen Watkin.- 'Dangerous Australia' -Wales are bidding for a fourth successive win over the Wallabies, but they have lost eight of their 11 matches so far this year.And Wales will be without Gloucester wing Louis Rees-Zammit, Saracens centre Nick Tompkins and Exeter forward Christ Tshiunza on Saturday as their English clubs are not obliged to release them for a fixture that falls outside World Rugby's international window.Australia, also coached by a New Zealander in Dave Rennie, have problems of their own, with a raft of injuries and club commitments leading the Wallabies to make seven changes following a 13-10 loss to Ireland in Dublin last weekend.Defeat on Saturday would condemn Australia, completing a punishing schedule of five Tests in as many weeks, to a 10th loss in 14 matches in 2022 and their worst calendar year since 1958.But the Wallabies, one of Wales' pool rivals at the 2023 World Cup, have been involved in several single-point games while in Europe, beating Scotland 16-15 before losing to France (30-29) and Italy (28-27)."What we do know about Australia is that they're a dangerous side whatever team they put out," said Pivac. "We've seen that with the close games in this Autumn series. So we're expecting a very, very tough battle."Click Here: Erling Haaland jersey sale

Leicester Tigers overcame their recent issues to secure a 44-29 triumph over Clermont Auvergne at the Stade Marcel-Michelin for their third successive win in this year’s Champions Cup.

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The Midlanders have struggled since the departure of coaches Steve Borthwick and Kevin Sinfield to England, but this was the ideal response.

Richard Wigglesworth’s men have also had their injury troubles but this makeshift outfit were outstanding and crossed the whitewash five times via Matt Scott (twice), Harry Simmons, Dan Kelly and James Cronin.

Handre Pollard kicked four conversions and two penalties before Jimmy Gopperth struck a three-pointer of his own and then added the extras to Cronin’s late try as the Tigers sealed their place in the Champions Cup knockout stages.

Auvergne did get a bonus-point as Bautista Delguy, Etienne Fourcade, Anthony Belleau and Paul Jedrasiak went over, but it was a poor evening for the Frenchmen.

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Having shipped 85 points in total in their last two away games, there were fears that the Tigers were in for another long 80 minutes at the imposing Stade Marcel-Michelin, but they were impressive on Friday.

Clermont, who themselves have struggled this season, certainly helped the visitors with a slack display, especially defensively.

The French outfit were breached far too easily, while they made a number of errors, and one such mistake early on enabled Leicester to move in front as Belleau’s pass was easily intercepted by Scott.

Pollard converted and then added a penalty before Auvergne got on the board via Delguy’s brilliant try, which was started by a superb Alivereti Raka break.

However, the Tigers were much the better side in the opening 35 minutes and touched down twice more for a 24-7 advantage.

Firstly, Simmons produced a stunning finish with a step off either foot, which left Raka trailing in his wake, before Kelly was on hand to finish off after a driving maul had marched them towards the line.

This finish from Harry Simmons…😲
#HeinekenChampionsCup #ASMvLEI
pic.twitter.com/uxZNKu2Kr1

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) January 13, 2023

To the hosts’ credit, they hit back through Fourcade’s close range effort and then closed the gap further when Belleau touched down at the start of the second period, but Leicester regained control soon after.

They put together a neat set-piece move, with nice work from Pollard and Freddie Steward allowing Scott to score, but Auvergne once again rued their defensive deficiencies.

From the hosts’ perspective, they were at least causing problems for the away side with ball in hand, and another fine move resulted in Jedrasiak crossing the whitewash.

Clermont were still very much in contention and were on the front foot going into the final quarter, but the Tigers were resilient. Belleau did kick a penalty to get them to within range going into the last 10 minutes, but Gopperth’s three-pointer and Cronin’s try ended the game as a contest.

Toulouse lock Emmanuel Meafou put in a man-of-the-match performance against Sale Sharks on Saturday, which included a massive carry that floored Manu Tuilagi.

Australian-born Meafou qualifies for France this year, having completed his required residency and now holds a French passport.

Impressing on the big stage

The 24-year-old second rower is pressing for Test selection and put in an eye-catching performance against Sale Sharks.

He made the second most metres with ball in hand in the match (44), with Romain Ntamack gaining 76, and scored a try in the 5-27 victory.

The 140+ kilogram lock stands over two metres tall, making him an imposing prospect to bring to the ground, and even if you do go in low and hard, you can still come off second best, as Tuilagi found out.

After the hour mark, the second rower charged at the Sale Sharks‘ defensive line and swatted off an attempted tackle from Tuilagi, with the England centre face-planting into the ground.

😤 Emmanuel Meafou makes Manu Tuilagi eat dirt.#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/xoGVllccPj

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) January 14, 2023

‘Massive for us’

After the match, Toulouse assistant coach Jerome Kaino spoke to BT Sport and sang the praises of the young lock.

Kaino was asked about the importance of Meafou, especially since the retirement of Joe Tekori.

“He massive for us; to have someone that big and have the skillset that he has is incredible,” Kaino said.

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“It allows us a point of difference, in terms, of how we want to play and how we want to use the forwards.

“If he keeps playing like that, it will definitely gives us an advantage in the way we want to play the game,” Kaino added. 

Story of the match

Sale got off to a rocky start, with both their starting props forced off the pitch just 15 seconds into the match.

Nick Schonert and Simon McIntyre collided head-first into one another in a tackle, forcing them both off the pitch.

It went from bad to worse for Sale as Cobus Wiese was shown a straight red card for a dangerous ruck clear out.

Sale held out until the break holding a 5-3 advantage thanks to an Akker van der Merwe try, but two second-half tries, one from Meafou and another from Guillaume Cramont, along with 17 points from the boot of Melvyn Jaminet, saw Toulouse secure their place in the round of 16.

As for the hosts, they now face a must-win clash at Ulster in the final round of the pool stages if they are to proceed in the competition.

L’Équipe are reporting that Ludovic Blas (24) wants to leave Nantes despite the opportunity to play Europa League football with the club.

Blas’ mind is already made-up: he wants a new challenge. According to L’Équipe, the Ligue 1 club’s qualification for the Europa League following last season’s Coupe de France title has not changed his decision. Nantes president Waldemar Kita was also prepared to match the salary offered by Lille, but that hasn’t swayed him either. 

However, Blas will not be given the green light to leave the Stade Beaujoire until Nantes have further strengthened. The club have already lost Randal Kolo Muani (23) this summer, whilst Moses Simon (27) also continues to be linked with a move away. Willem Geubells (21) has also returned to parent club AS Monaco after spending last season on loan at Antoine Kombouaré’s side. 

Blas is still waiting for the “green light” on his move to Lille, which had been expected this week, but he may have to wait just a little longer. 

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Le Parisien are reporting that PSG will only be able to make a move for Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva (28) if Neymar (30) departs. 

Silva has been strongly linked with a departure from the Etihad stadium this summer, and according to Le Parisien, the Portuguese international midfielder dreams of a move to Barcelona. However, moving to Camp Nou is not a realistic prospect for financial reasons. 

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PSG would be able to sign Silva, and the Parisien club were even close to an agreement with the player. However, his arrival was contingent on the departure of Neymar, and as the player looks set to remain at the club, a deal is unlikely. 

Neymar has largely underwhelmed at the Ligue 1 champions but has begun the season in scintillating form. His impressive start comes after a tumultuous summer where he was offered around some of Europe’s most elite clubs to no avail. 

The Autumn Nations Series produced some sparkling rugby auguring well for next year's World Cup in France.AFP Sport picks out some new faces whose displays suggest they could be major players in the sport's showpiece:CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR EARLY BIRD AND HOSPITALITY TICKETS FOR THE HSBC SYDNEY SEVENSMark Nawaqanitawase (Australia)From the wreckage of their historic defeat against Italy, he emerged as one enormous positive. Easy to spot with his mop of curls, the 22-year-old impressed against world ranked number one side Ireland. Then with so many experienced players missing against Wales, and trailing 34-13, he shone in what was only his third Test. He scored two tries and was pivotal in the game-winning one to cap an extraordinary comeback.Nawaqanitawase is not just a finisher. Something of a free spirit, it is his ability to drift in from his wing and pop up in the centres that caused mayhem in the Welsh defence. "The boys never lost belief," he said — he turned that belief into reality and it could be the turning point for Dave Rennie's side. Jimmy O'Brien (Ireland)The Leinster man looked immediately at home in Test rugby when he replaced injured centre Stuart McCloskey in the first-half of the 19-16 win over world champions South Africa.More crucially for both his and Ireland's Test future, the 25-year-old showed he can play in several positions as he started at fullback against Fiji then the wing against Australia.O'Brien, who like his province and international team-mate Hugo Keenan came through the sevens set-up, showed himself strong in defence, and his powerful left foot kicked the Irish out of trouble on several occasions.Whether his strength of being able to play several positions is also his weakness in gaining a regular starting spot head coach Andy Farrell is delighted to have added competition in the backs.“He has all the hallmarks of a great, composed international player," said Farrell."Somebody who can do what he does in many different positions, he doesn't flap around panicking about moving positions."     Jac Morgan (Wales)Welsh rugby fans may prefer Morgan to stop scoring two tries in a Test match for on both occasions they have ended up losing — the historic defeat to Georgia and then Saturday's morale-sapping collapse against Australia.The 22-year-old backrow forward, though, has been a rare bright spot for the Welsh this year and more than held his own starting alongside the vastly more experienced Justin Tipuric and Taulupe Faletau.Coach Wayne Pivac's predecessor Warren Gatland described Morgan as "a one man wrecking ball" against the Wallabies. Aside from his brace of tries he carried for over 100 metres and made 11 tackles.His rise to Test rugby is all the more remarkable given he was discarded by the Scarlets Academy and mixed playing for Aberavon with an engineering apprenticeship.Those hard yards seem to have served the Ospreys man well and he could cause all sorts of problems for Wales's opponents at the World Cup next year. Kurt-Lee Arendse (South Africa)The 26-year-old winger showed he is a first class finisher, scoring tries in all four Tests — including two against Italy with his performance labelled as "outstanding" by head coach Jacques Nienaber.The former sevens star has rewarded the faith Nienaber has shown in him since his debut in the 13-12 defeat by Wales in July and has given the head coach a welcome selection headache."We've got some exciting outside backs and you can also measure Mapimps (Makazole Mapimpi) in there," said Nienaber."We've had a good group that's developed over this year, and you also have to factor in Canan Moodie. We've got nice competition there."Arendse, though, has thanks to a stunning November stolen a march on his rivals.Click Here: Espresso Drinks Forever Stamps 2021