Christmas Test a window to the world as Australia reels in wake of Bondi atrocity | Barney Ronay

The third Ashes Test in Adelaide will not be the first to take place in the shadow of modern-day acts of terror. The 2005 series in England began two weeks after the 7 July London bombings, which killed 52 people. Day one at Lord’s coincided with an aborted follow-up atrocity that failed only because of the incompetence of those involved. Twenty years on, after the murder of at least 15 people at Bondi beach on Sunday during a Hanukah celebration, the most heinous act of terror on Australian soil, the Australian government has bolstered its security operation for Adelaide.There are practical consequences

Harlequins coach refuses to rule out move for Northampton back George Furbank

The Harlequins senior coach, Jason Gilmore, has praised the ability of Northampton’s George Furbank and declined to rule out a move for the England back.The 29-year-old Saints star is out of contract next summer and has reportedly held talks with the south‑west London club over a switch from the 2023-24 Premiership winners.Gilmore, who is preparing the Harlequins squad for Big Game 17 against Bristol Bears at Twickenham on Saturday, said he is an admirer of the England international but he refused to comment on specific “ins and outs”.“George is a good player, isn’t he? And a good leader,” Gilmore said, when asked about transfer speculation surrounding the full‑back, who made his international debut under Eddie Jones in 2020.“He’s going to attract interest

The Breakdown | Storming ahead means increasingly little in era of rugby’s comeback kings

They won’t always say so publicly but every journalist is familiar with the concept of a “reverse ferret”. In the heyday of printed newspapers a piece might be filed in good faith only for new information to force a frantic, face-saving rejig for later editions. Plenty of coruscating “why oh why” match reports, confidently hammered out at half-time, have been known to morph into gushing symphonies of praise thanks to an improbable late twist.It may just be that one or two backpedalling ferrets were spotted in the west of Scotland on Saturday night. To be fair, those reporters in attendance had every excuse

Joshua v Paul makes Joe Louis’ ‘Bum of the Month’ look like the Rumble in the Jungle | Sean Ingle

Precisely 85 years ago, one of the most fearsome heavyweight boxers in history stunk out the joint. Joe Louis was in the midst of his “Bum of the Month club”: a staggering run of 13 world title defences in 29 months against an assortment of stiffs, wild men and colourful characters. And when he arrived in Boston on 16 December 1940, most believed that Al McCoy would rapidly become his next victim. Only it didn’t quite turn out that way.“McCoy was expected to crumple under the first punch Louis tossed in his direction,” the New York Times’ correspondent wrote

At Square One: inside the big barn that offers English cricket a brighter future

“Cricket is shit if you’re shit at cricket. But everyone has been shit at cricket. Even Ben Stokes. When someone threw a ball at him for the first time, he didn’t smash it six rows back. Ben Stokes was shit at cricket, and then he got good at cricket, and he got good quick enough to stay in it

Pat Cummins says Bondi terror attack ‘hit home pretty hard’ as tributes flow before third Ashes Test

Australia captain Pat Cummins has said the tragic events at Bondi beach ‘hit home pretty hard’ as they unfolded on Sunday night just down the road from his home in the neighbouring Sydney suburb of Bronte.As the cricket world prepares to pay tribute to the victims of the Bondi beach terror attack when the third Ashes Test gets under way in Adelaide on Wednesday, Cummins and England captain, Ben Stokes, revealed the profound impact the massacre had on them and their teammates.“Like most other Aussies and people in the world, I was just horrified watching on,” Cummins said. “We had just put the kids to bed and flicked on the news as that was coming through. Me and my wife were watching in disbelief