Barbeary shows class as Bath score nine tries to race into Champions Cup last 16

Scotland’s fly-half Finn Russell had spoken about his desire to claim the pre-Six Nations bragging rights at the expense of several good mates in the Edinburgh squad. There was never the slightest doubt his wish would be granted as Bath eased to a comprehensive nine-try victory that guarantees pool winner status plus a home draw in the last 16 and, potentially, beyond.On this occasion Russell also had the luxury of an armchair ride behind a Bath pack who took an early grip on the contest and never let go. Even if Edinburgh had turned up in north-east Somerset with their best side, as opposed to resting a few senior men, they would have been hard pressed to put too many dents in the black-shirted tanks and electric sprinters parked up opposite.There will be sterner tests ahead against stronger opposition but, first and foremost, there was no disputing the unflinching mood of Bath’s tight forwards or their forceful No 8 Alfie Barbeary

Vergil Ortiz Jr sues Golden Boy in dispute tied to stalled Jaron Ennis talks

Vergil Ortiz Jr has filed a federal lawsuit against Golden Boy Promotions, seeking to end his relationship with Oscar De La Hoya’s company amid stalled negotiations for what he views as a career-defining fight against Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.Ortiz, the unbeaten World Boxing Council interim junior middleweight champion, filed the complaint on Thursday in US district court in Nevada, asking a judge to confirm that his promotional agreement with Golden Boy has been terminated and alleging that the promoter breached the contract and interfered with his earning potential.Golden Boy has promoted the Texan since his professional debut in 2016 and signed him to a new three-year deal in May 2024. Ortiz’s lawsuit, a copy of which has been obtained by the Guardian, argues that the agreement allowed him to walk away if Golden Boy’s broadcast partnership with Dazn ended – a condition he says was triggered when the promoter’s deal with the streamer expired on 31 December.According to the complaint, Ortiz formally exercised his right to terminate the agreement on 8 January

Lewis Hamilton to get new engineer as Adami replaced in Ferrari shake-up

Ferrari have announced they are to replace Riccardo Adami as Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer for the 2026 Formula One season, after the pair endured what appeared to be a fractious and testing relationship during the seven-time world champion’s first season with the Scuderia.Ferrari issued a statement on Friday stating Adami would be moved to a new role with the team’s driver academy as academy and test previous cars manager, adding that his replacement as Hamilton’s race engineer, the crucial link between team and driver on the pit wall, would be announced in due course.During his first year with Ferrari, a trying season with the car well off the pace of the frontrunners and with Hamilton struggling to adapt to a new team, his relationship with Adami appeared to be far from easy. The pair endured several terse exchanges with Hamilton expressing frustration and confusion, notably in Monaco when he asked his engineer at the end of the race: “Are you upset with me or something?” He appeared to receive no reply.Hamilton dismissed speculation that the pair did not enjoy a good working relationship at the time as “BS” and said Adami had “been amazing to work with, he’s a great guy”

Testing times for English cricket | Letters

Emma John’s perceptive analysis of cricket in Australia is spot-on (England ruthlessly privatised cricket – Australia embraces it with constant public displays of affection, 9 January). I have been visiting Australia for many years – our son and his family live in Sydney. The locals, on hearing my accent, mostly respond by saying “Sorry about the cricket, mate.” It’s not in a gloating or superior way, but in a genuine sense of puzzlement at how when we have often promised a real contest we perform like a malfunctioning firework.As Emma observes, in Australia cricket is a national obsession and accessible to all, either to watch or to play

Your Guardian sport weekend: Australian Open, NFL playoffs and the Afcon final

Ease into the football weekend with our essential rolling blog. Dominic Booth buckles up to bring you breaking news and insights from around the grounds with seven Premier League fixtures, kicking off at lunchtime with the Manchester derby. Jamie Jackson will be online at Old Trafford for a live Q&A before the match, so post your questions to matchday.live@theguardian.com

Thistle Ask seeks to sting rivals in Ascot’s all-star Clarence House Chase

The top-rated two-mile chaser in training takes on the most improved performer in the division in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot today and Thistle Ask (3.30) feels overpriced at around 7-1 to take the step up to Grade One company in his stride.Thistle Ask has made remarkable progress since joining Dan Skelton’s yard for just £11,000 in May, winning his first start for his new stable off a mark of 115 and completing a four-timer off 146 in the Desert Orchid Handicap Chase at Kempton’s Christmas meeting.The opposition there was a long way short of the three high-class rivals he will face on Saturday, but the visual impression of Thistle Ask’s frontrunning, 10-length success was backed up by a strong time figure and the form pushed his Timeform rating to 162, within 6lb of last year’s winner, Jonbon.Harry Cobden, who was announced this week as JP McManus’s new No 1 rider in Britain and Ireland from the start of next season, rides Jonbon for the first time on Saturday, but while the 10-year-old remains wonderfully consistent, recent runs have suggested that he may be just a little past his best