General Sports 3d Briefing
×Six Nations Showdown
Scotland bbc.com delivered arguably their best performance in almost 40 years to give themselves an unlikely shot at the Six Nations title. The Scots backed up their stunning upset over England by dismantling France 33-14 at Murrayfield, with Darcy Graham scoring an early try to give Scotland the lead over France in the Six Nations. Kyle Steyn then intercepted an Antoine Dupont pass as Scotland extended their lead to 33-14 over France, securing what many are calling a perfect storm for the hosts.
Meanwhile, England bbc.com suffered another away-day blues, raising questions about whether their defeat by Italy marks the beginning of the end for Steve Borthwick's empire. The pressure continues to mount on England's leadership both on and off the pitch as their Six Nations campaign unravels.
College Basketball
John Calipari espn.com picked up his 900th career win on Saturday in Arkansas' 88-84 overtime victory over Missouri. The milestone victory came in dramatic fashion as the Razorbacks outlasted the Tigers in extra time. In other college hoops news, Miami (Ohio) espn.com capped a perfect 31-0 season with an overtime win, becoming the only unbeaten team in Division I men's basketball with a 110-108 victory over Ohio.
St. Bonaventure espn.com head coach Mark Schmidt is expected to retire after this season, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel. Schmidt, is the all-time wins leader in program history. The Tar Heels will miss their star freshman as the stakes rise, but his draft stock shouldn't plummet after Caleb Wilson's injury espn.com impacts UNC-Duke, NCAA tournament and NBA draft considerations.
Winter Paralympics
The Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics are underway with Varvara Voronchikhina bbc.com winning Russia's first medal of the Games with downhill bronze. Ten golds are on offer on Sunday as competition continues across various disciplines. Nina Sparks bbc.com became GB's first female Paralympic snowboarder after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2021, deciding it would be the making of her rather than a setback.
However, Iran bbc.com will not take part in the Winter Paralympics, the IPC confirms, as the nation's solitary athlete scheduled to compete "cannot travel safely to Italy." No UK government ministers or officials will attend the Winter Paralympics opening and closing ceremonies after Russian and Belarusian athletes were invited to compete under their national flags.
Tennis & Golf
Former world 100m champion Fred Kerley bbc.com is banned for two years for an anti-doping whereabouts violation. Meanwhile, Thomas Detry espn.com was among eight players from LIV Golf stuck in the Middle East amid the Israeli-U.S. attacks on Iran. Jon Rahm arranged a flight to get them to Hong Kong for the LIV event, where Detry now shares the lead with Jon Rahm after the travel assist.
UFC & Combat Sports
Max Holloway bbc.com talks about his trademark 'point-down' before facing Charles Oliveira for the BMF title at UFC 326 in Las Vegas on Saturday. The BMF belt is up for grabs in the main event, with Holloway considered a tough matchup for Oliveira. In boxing news, Naoya Inoue espn.com and Junto Nakatani's highly anticipated mega-bout is set for May 2 at the Tokyo Dome for Inoue's undisputed junior featherweight title.
Tom Aspinall bbc.com says seeing Conor Benn secure a reported £11m one-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing helped convince him to sign with Eddie Hearn in a bid to maximize his earnings outside of the UFC. Meanwhile, Jai Opetaia bbc.com is set to lose his IBF cruiserweight title if he goes ahead with a fight for a Zuffa Boxing belt against Brandon Glanton on Sunday.
NFL & NBA
The Bills espn.com and center Connor McGovern have reached agreement on a four-year, $52 million deal, which includes $32 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Raiders espn.com are set to release quarterback Geno Smith, barring a trade, before the start of the new league year, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
In NBA action, Victor Wembanyama bbc.com enjoyed "one of the best wins" of his career as he helped the San Antonio Spurs make a 25-point comeback against the Los Angeles Clippers. Dillon Brooks espn.com, Suns forward, was arrested early Friday morning for suspicion of driving under the influence in Scottsdale, Arizona, police said.
Cricket & Motorsports
India bbc.com reached the T20 World Cup final as England fell short, missing out by seven runs in a thrilling semi-final. Jacob Bethell bbc.com brought up a "brilliant" century off 45 balls for England in their T20 World Cup semi-final against India, though it wasn't enough to prevent the seven-run defeat.
In motorsports, George Russell bbc.com knew his Mercedes was fast but was surprised by just how quick after Australian Grand Prix qualifying. Lando Norris was not so happy after Australian Grand Prix qualifying, raging at the driving experience with the new cars. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton bbc.com says "I'm going to be here until that happens" as he pushes for a grand prix in Africa before retiring.
Other Notable Stories
Steve Emt espn.com was paralyzed in a car accident at, then discovered his immense skill in Paralympic curling after being a UConn basketball player. Fred Warburton bbc.com took up ski racing in a bid to impress his Italian father-in-law - now he is competing for Great Britain at the Winter Paralympics.
Emma Raducanu bbc.com says she wants to "bring my instincts back out" as she prepares for Indian Wells in California, claiming her natural way of playing has been coached out of her. Brendon McCullum bbc.com says he makes "no apologies" for running an informal dressing room as England coach but rejects the perception it is casual.
Olympic figure skating gold medalist Alysa Liu espn.com has withdrawn from the world championships later this month. Four-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar bbc.com solos to victory as he wins the Strade Bianche for a record fourth time.