Nations Championship - South Africa 42-28 Scotland: Scots fall short as Springboks hold on for victory
Scotland fought from 14-0 behind to level at half-time against South Africa; though Springboks then seemed set for victory, tries from Josh Bayliss, Ben White moved Scotland to within seven points with 10 minutes to go; breakaway try from Jesse Kriel eventually ensured South Africa win
Last Updated: 11/07/26 7:19pm
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Scotland scored two tries in two minutes to get within seven points of South Africa with 10 minutes to play before the Springboks struck the final blow
Scotland produced another big performance against top-tier opposition but their wait for a first win in South Africa continues after they went down 42-28 in a thrilling Nations Championship showdown in Pretoria.
Having beaten England, France and Argentina in impressive fashion already this year, Gregor Townsend's side made the Springboks fight until the end for their victory.
After roaring back from 14-0 down to level things up at half-time, the Scots were ultimately left to rue their inability to score while Ben-Jason Dixon was in the sin bin early in the second half.
The Boks looked to have broken the visitors' resolve when they ran in three tries in the space of 10 minutes either side of the hour mark.
But Scotland hit back again through Josh Bayliss and Ben White to close to within a converted try of their hosts, who eventually made sure of a hard-fought victory with a late breakaway try from Jesse Kriel.
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The Springboks made 10 changes to the team that had defeated England the week before and, with a relatively inexperienced side, were there for the taking.
But a wasteful Scotland could not capitalise and remain winless in South Africa after eight attempts.
It will be hugely frustrating for coach Gregor Townsend, whose side were on top for large parts of the contest but were let down by errors in crucial moments.
Tuipulotu: I'm gutted, so disappointed we didn't capitalise
Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu said:
"I am a little bit gutted to be honest. South Africa came out really hot but we were able to battle back.
"The period after half-time hurt us. We had a lot of possession in their 22 and didn't capitalise.
"I am very disappointed at the moment but also proud of the group. We played a positive brand of rugby but it wasn't good enough today."
South Africa captain Pieter-Steph Du Toit said:
"All credit to Scotland, they came out and played unbelievably well. But I am proud of the guys, we stuck to our systems and finished well at the end.
"The system is so well prepared in this team, each player comes into the side and knows exactly what to do.
"We made some mistakes and they saw some weaknesses in our defence. We need to improve on that."
What's next?
Scotland face Fiji at Murrayfield for their third Nations Championship fixture on Saturday July 18 (2.10pm kick-off).
South Africa host Wales for their third Test of the summer, also on Saturday July 18, at Kings Park Stadium in Durban (4.40pm kick-off). %!s()
Linda Noskova sealed her maiden Grand Slam title as she became the third Czech women's Wimbledon champion in four years with victory over compatriot Karolina Muchova on Saturday - but only after overcoming a major wobble.
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Noskova followed fellow Czech champions Marketa Vondrousova in 2023 and Barbora Krejcikova in 2024 in lifting the Venus Rosewater Dish on Centre Court with a 6-2 5-7 6-3 success against Muchova - after regrouping from a second-set collapse.
At 21, Noskova became the youngest Wimbledon champion since her fellow Czech Petra Kvitova in 2011, sealing victory on her sixth Championship point.
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As it happened in the women's final 🏆
Latest Wimbledon scores and results 🎾
Men's singles draw I Women's singles draw I Order of Play📝
Download Sky Sports app for analysis, news and video 📺
Since Serena Williams last won the title in 2016, Wimbledon has produced a different champion every single year.
Garbine Muguruza - 2017
Angelique Kerber - 2018
Simona Halep - 2019
Not held in 2020 (Covid-19)
Ashleigh Barty - 2021
Marketa Vondrousova - 2023
Barbora Krejcikova - 2024
Iga Swiatek - 2025
Linda Noskova - 2026
"It feels incredible. All of these matches have been so tough physically and mentally, today especially. It's never easy to get the last point," Noskova said after collecting the trophy.
"Karo, you really made me work for it! I'm so glad I could play my first Grand Slam with you. We made history today.
"All our Czech fans at home will be proud of us, so no matter the result, it was a good day for both of us."
How Noskova came close to throwing it away....
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Ninth seed Noskova looked set for an easy win as she led 6-2 5-2 but had to endure an astonishing fightback from Muchova before finally prevailing to claim her first Grand Slam title.
It was another former Czech champion, the late Jana Novotna, that came to mind when Noskova blew her lead in the second set and five match points to send the contest to a decider.
Novotna's tears on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent after she squandered an apparently decisive advantage against Steffi Graf in the 1993 final remains one of Wimbledon's most famous moments.
Novotna had to wait until 1998 for her cathartic winning moment but somehow Noskova banished the demons in her head as she regained control to forge 5-2 ahead in the third set.
The 29-year-old Muchova pulled one game back as the shadows crept across the court but when Noskova was asked to serve for the match for a second time, she made no mistake to claim her first Grand Slam title.
After bringing up another two match points, well over an hour after her first one, she banged down an unreturnable serve before collapsing to the court in relief as much as joy.
Kvitova, who won Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014, was in attendance, as was the greatest Czech-born player of them all, Martina Navratilova - who won a record nine singles titles at the All England Club.
Who is Linda Noskova?
Noskova made her WTA qualifying debut in Prague in 2020.
She won the 2021 French Open girls' singles title and finished the season with a 38-9 win-loss record, capturing four ITF Circuit titles, including a W60 event in Prerov, Czech Republic.
Started her professional career on the ITF circuit in 2022, winning six titles.
She broke into the top 100 on August 1, 2022, after a semi-final run in Prague, becoming the youngest player in the rankings by overtaking Coco Gauff.
In a breakthrough 2023 season, Noskova finished runner-up at Adelaide 1 as a qualifier, losing to Aryna Sabalenka, and at Prague, where she lost to Nao Hibino. She also reached the quarter-finals in Lyon and the third round at Indian Wells and Cincinnati, breaking into the top 40 in October 2023.
Noskova reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final at the 2024 Australian Open, where she upset then world No 1 Iga Swiatek in the third round before losing to Dayana Yastremska.
She also won her maiden WTA singles title at Monterrey in the same year, defeating Lulu Sun in the final. She also reached the semi-finals in Prague and Brisbane.
In 2025, she reached three tour finals — her first WTA 1000 final in Beijing, where she lost to Amanda Anisimova, plus Prague and Tokyo — made her top 20 debut and ended the season at a career-high year-end No 13.
This was Noskova's eighth career WTA singles final.
Noskova is the fourth player since 2020 to reach their first Grand Slam singles final at Wimbledon, joining Elena Rybakina, Ons Jabeur and Amanda Anisimova.
She defeated Muchova in the Wimbledon final to become the youngest player to win Wimbledon since Petra Kvitova in 2011.
'Linda, my ex-friend!'
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Muchova suffered a painful defeat at the hands of her 'ex-friend'
A tearful Muchova said: "It's really tough to find any words.
"Linda, my ex-friend! I'm kidding obviously, kind of! You're so young and this is your first Grand Slam final and the way you handled it and played was unbelievable.
"You're a very kind person and human being, so congratulations to you and your team.
"I'm really glad to be standing here even though I'm pretty disappointed now.
"When I look to my corner, I have all my friends and family who cancelled their plans and came here for me. I appreciate them all.
"I'll be fighting, fighting more and I want that trophy and I hope I get the chance to get to the final again and I will come back."
Tale of the Tape: Noskova vs Muchova
It marks the second consecutive Grand Slam won by a player 21 or younger after Mirra Andreeva claimed the French Open at 19 last month. It's the first time that's happened at the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year since Justine Henin and Serena Williams, respectively, claimed those titles in 2003.
Watch the US Open, live on Sky Sports from August 30 or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.%!s()
Leigh Leopards continued their push for a Betfred Super League play-off place as they held on for a nervy 24-18 win over Castleford Tigers.
The Leopards were twice pegged back by a determined Tigers side after opening up 12-point leads at the Progress With Unity Stadium, but ultimately did enough to record their ninth victory from 11 outings.
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Castleford were much improved from the team thrashed 48-6 by Wakefield last week and were aggrieved when Jason Qareqare had a try disallowed - for a second time in the afternoon - late on.
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David Armstrong impressed for Leigh, creating the first try for the equally influential Lachlan Lam and scoring two himself. Umyla Hanley also got on the scoresheet and Adam Cook converted all four tries.
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Armstrong dives over to score
Cas thought they had taken an early lead when Qareqare crashed over in the corner but replays showed him grounding his arm in touch as he dived over.
Leigh made the most of the reprieve to open the scoring a minute later with Armstrong bursting through a gap before he dabbed a clever kick inside for Lam to gather and score under the posts.
Castleford supporters may have feared another heavy defeat after their Magic Weekend mauling by Wakefield when Armstrong increased the advantage on 16 minutes.
But the Tigers responded well to level the scores before the interval, starting as Sam Hall won a race to touch down from a Daejarn Asi kick.
Fijian winger Mikaele Ravalawa added another when he forced his way over out wide after a good run from Phoenix Laulu-Togaga'e and quick hands from Louis Senior created an opening.
The Leopards restored their superiority after the restart as Lam got away a grubber kick under pressure and Hanley pounced as the ball bobbled into the in-goal area.
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Castleford have suffered 12 losses from their 18 Super League fixtures this season
Lam was the architect of another try soon another, unlocking the defence with a dummy and releasing Hughes, who in turn sent Armstrong clear for his second.
Castleford refused to give up and fought on, even after Senior was sin-binned for catching the head of Armstrong in a tackle.
Qareqare was left cursing his luck when he had a second try controversially ruled out by the video referee, this time for an obstruction.
Laulu-Togaga'e still set up a grandstand finish when he found a hole in the Leigh defence to score on the right five minutes from time but the hosts held off late pressure to claim a valuable two points.
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Sky Sports will show every game of the Super League live this season, including two matches each round exclusively live. The remaining five matches will be broadcast on Sky Sports+.%!s()
Billy Loughnane’s exceptional season continued at Newmarket on Saturday as he steered Irish raider Comanche Brave to a brilliant sprinting success in the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup Stakes.
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It was the 2000 Guineas-winning jockey who jumped at the chance to partner Donnacha O'Brien's four-year-old - who had taken on the challenge of Ka Ying Rising in Hong Kong earlier in the year and had dazzled on home soil at the Curragh before not being disgraced at Royal Ascot.
Japanese raider Satono Reve attempted to keep it simple on the front end carrying dreams of replicating Agnes World's victory in this race 26 years ago, with Aidan O'Brien's Mission Central also among those up on the pace early on.
But the eye was always drawn to 11-1 chance Comanche Brave as he breezed effortlessly into contention and slipped an extra gear when meeting the rising ground to see off the running-on Venetian Sun by a length. Satono Reve was a further neck back in third.
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O'Brien said: "He was very impressive today I thought - he looked like he did the day he won at the Curragh.
"There's not much between these sprinters and he'd won a Group Two, so where else to go but keep trying to win Group Ones? We've seen a few times horses that have been beaten in the Jubilee at Royal Ascot and have come and won this race, so we weren't afraid to try it and it worked.
"There wasn't a lot of pace on paper, which is a funny thing to say in a six-furlong race. I said to Billy to just let him jump and if someone is going along in front great and if not go along yourself. He got a lovely slot in behind Satono Reve and he took him as long as he wanted to go.
"I thought he was super impressive today, he travelled beautifully and Billy gave him a lovely ride. He never looked anything but the winner really. He never looked in trouble, it was an easy watch."
It is likely to be Group Ones all the way for Comanche Brave for the remainder of the season, with plenty of options open to him.
"He ran very well in Hong Kong earlier in the year behind Ka Ying Rising and that was his first go back at six furlongs on a right-handed track, he'd only been right-handed once before and he'd travelled halfway across the world and wasn't disgraced by any means," O'Brien added.
"It would be great to see a horse like Ka Ying Rising travel and come and take us on here. It's not easy to do, but we travelled there and everyone should travel their horses as well.
"I don't know where we'll go next. He's in all the sprints and I think it's likely we'll want to go travelling as well at some stage.
"He's in the Haydock Sprint Cup, there's lots of options. Billy said you could even come back to five furlongs with him."
Loughnane said: "Tony Hind my agent does a fantastic job, he said we might have Comanche Brave for the July Cup and I said 'you're joking', but thankfully it was confirmed and the rest is history.
"It was a fantastic spare ride to pick up and he's a horse who is really just learning how to sprint as he's obviously been tried over further.
"The race today couldn't have gone any better. I got on the back of the Japanese horse who was a perfect target and my one instruction was just to nurse him as long as I could. I managed to wait until the furlong pole and he picked up well from there.
"He travelled so sweetly, fast ground was perfect and I do think he could drop back in trip - I was taking back the whole way through and he's got a lot of gears this horse. Hopefully the sky's the limit.
"I get a lot of kick out of riding in these big races. I'm 20 years old and I'm fortunate enough to pick up rides in them and just learning from that is everything.
"To be fortunate enough to win some Group Ones is what I wanted. I didn't know Bow Echo was going to flourish into what he has, but to ride three Group One winners in England this year is brilliant and we're only halfway through the season - hopefully we're just getting going!"
Al Hudaiba denies Abraham Lincoln with Superlative performance
Al Hudaiba edged Abraham Lincoln in a thrilling finish to the battle of racing's superpowers in Newmarket's Boodles Superlative Stakes.
Aidan O'Brien's Abraham Lincoln was the 8-13 favourite to follow up his impressive Curragh victory on debut and add his name to a roll of honour that includes distinguished Ballydoyle luminary City Of Troy.
It appeared the son of Wootton Bassett was about to create another taking impression when Ryan Moore kicked for home with a furlong to run.
However, William Buick was conjuring an exceptional finishing display from Charlie Appleby's dual winner, whose race experience saw him answer every call from his jockey and hunt down Abraham Lincoln in the final stride to shade a short-head verdict at 5-2.
Al Hudaiba would be unbeaten in four starts had he not thrown away certain victory when unshipping Tom Marquand at Yarmouth, and Appleby said: "He's a horse with a lot of talent and in the first half of the race we were happy with where we were, but Will said he started to shift underneath him and it's a job to stay on, let alone trying to get him to gallop out - he said staying on is the hardest part.
"I wasn't confident when they get as close as that, especially with the luck I've had over recent weeks, but I was sort of confident when he got his head down and started to gallop because he has got a lot of ability this horse, we've seen that at home.
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Al Hudaiba, ridden by William Buick, on their way to winning the Boodles Superlative Stakes during July Cup Day at Newmarket
"Full credit to the lads at home just for staying on him. Billy (Loughnane) has ridden him a few times for us and he puts some shapes in!
"I hope he'll grow out of it, whether we need to put something around his head (headgear) to make him concentrate a bit harder, I don't know. He's one of those horses that finds life very easy because he has that engine there, but if he's going to go up into the bigger leagues he's going to have to concentrate a bit harder."
Appleby, who was winning the Superlative for the third year in a row and seventh time in total, added: "I think we'll look at the National Stakes in Ireland. I think the ground will potentially suit him there as one thing Will did say today was that he was feeling the ground.
"We'll see over the coming weeks as the two-year-olds come out what other people have got and more importantly what else we might try to unearth at home."
Of the runner-up, O'Brien said: "He ran a lovely race, he was just very green when he got there (the front) wasn't he?
"He did it the first day as well - he got there and pulled up. We'll just have to get there later!"
Aalto proves his Bunbury expertise once again
Aalto obliged favourite-backers to both avenge last year's narrow defeat and regain the Betway Bunbury Cup at Newmarket.
Ian Williams' six-year-old has a real affinity with the July course and in particular this contest, having won the seven-furlong event in great style in 2024 and finding only William Haggas' top-class operator More Thunder a nose too good 12 months ago.
Ridden by William Buick, the 4-1 market leader had a wall of horses ahead of him entering the final quarter-mile but once finding daylight the HQ regular stormed home to score by half a length from chief market rival Back In Black.
Aalto was leading home a one-four for both Williams and the owners, with stablemate Supido fourth.
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Aalto, ridden by William Buick, on their way to winning the Betway Bunbury Cup at Newmarket
Of the winner, the trainer said: "He managed himself very well today. He had a lot of ground to make up two (furlongs) down, but William said when he got stuck into him he actually picked up and really flew.
"It's a huge result. I didn't think it was inevitable he was going to get there, I thought we had a lot of ground to make up. We were watching Supido as well, who I thought had run his race two out and then stayed on really well.
"I think this is probably just the time of year Aalto comes alive. He wouldn't have the best lungs on him so we have to mind him and look after him and at this time of year it's slightly easier to do as the pollen levels have dropped and we can use the paddocks as much as we like to.
"We primarily train handicappers - we don't have much at Group level - so these big handicaps are really important to us and you have to have your eye on them from a long time out and you have to prepare the horses to get here." %!s()
Nations Championship - Fiji 8-73 England: Henry Pollock scores hat-trick as Steve Borthwick's side end five-Test losing run after Fiji red card
Henry Pollock scores second-half hat-trick as England demolish Fiji after Simione Kuruvoli red card in first half for kicking out at Ellis Genge; Marcus Smith, Jamie George, Guy Pepper, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Gus Atkinson, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Henry Slade, Noah Caluori also score
Last Updated: 11/07/26 5:20pm
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Henry Pollock scored three as England thrashed 14-player Fiji
Steve Borthwick's England snapped a run of five consecutive Test defeats with a 73-8 thrashing of 14-player Fiji in the Nations Championship at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool.
A dominant first-half display saw Marcus Smith and Jamie George score early tries - the opener after a bizarre corner flag assist - before Guy Pepper, Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Gus Atkinson added further efforts with Levani Botia in the sin-bin for cynical play.
Janse van Rensburg - a controversial import from South Africa for whom England had to get World Rugby approval to select - scored with his first touch on debut, having come on while Henry Slade was undergoing a HIA.
Fiji appeared to have ended the half with a try through Kalaveti Ravouvou in the final play, but it was ruled out with scrum-half Simione Kuruvoli shown a harsh permanent red card for kicking out at Ellis Genge - referee Hollie Davidson and TMO Mike Adamson refusing to sanction Genge for holding onto the legs of Kuruvoli prior to the act.
Such an officiating decision rendered the second 40 minutes a virtual non-contest with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Henry Pollock (hat-trick), Slade and debutant Noah Caluori each scoring after Tevita Ikanivere had crossed for Fiji's only try.
Fiji - Tries: Ikanivere (48). Pens: Muntz (13).
England - Tries: M Smith (6), George (15), Pepper (28), Janse van Rensburg (35), Atkinson (38), Feyi-Waboso (54), Pollock (55,68,80), Slade (60), Caluori (65). Cons: F Smith (6,16,29,36,39,54,61,69,80+1)
Nations Championship - Fiji 8-73 England as it happened
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In terms of why a Fiji 'home' game against England during a touring summer was played in Liverpool, the decision lay with Fiji's rugby union before the start of the Nations Championship - the feeling being they could make more money by staging their July contests in Europe.
Yet, Fiji struggled for possession and were second best to England's scrum, maul and defence in a first half which saw Fiji concede nine penalties, lose Botia to the sin-bin and, eventually, Kuruvoli for the remainder.
Smith's try in the sixth minute brought with it a hefty bit of fortune to get England going - Fin Smith sending over a cross-field kick which evaded the chasing Tommy Freeman, but struck the corner flag to run back infield for Marcus Smith to ground.
Marcus Smith scored the opening try in bizarre fashion after an assist by the corner flag
Following a long-range Caleb Muntz penalty, England had their second try through George via a dominant rolling maul drive, and were soon facing 14 players when Botia was shown yellow for diving over a ruck near his own tryline.
England captain Jamie George scored their second via a rolling maul
Pepper battled his way over nearly immediately, with former South Africa U20 centre Janse van Rensburg then diving over just 218 seconds after coming on as an HIA replacement for Slade and three days after qualifying for England on residency grounds.
Atkinson scored England's fifth when collecting a Jack van Poortvliet offload before the break, with Kuruvoli then dismissed and Genge fortunate to avoid a sin-binning for provoking the kick out.
Back-row Guy Pepper crossed within moments of Fiji being reduced to 14 with Levani Botia in the sin-bin
The onslaught intensified in the second half even though Borthwick emptied his bench, with 19-year-old rookie Caluori touching down in the 65th minute and the rapid Pollock, another replacement, completing his hat-trick in the closing seconds.
England's 19-year-old debutant wing Noah Caluori fived over for a try in the second half
The victory was England's biggest since beating Chile 71-0 in Lille at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Relieved of the burden of their losing run, England head to Argentina for the climax to their July tour with renewed purpose but the Pumas at Santiago del Estero will prove a far sterner test.
Borthwick: Mitchell ruled out of Argentina Test with hamstring injury
Alex Mitchell has been ruled out of England's final Nations Championship match against Argentina after sustaining a hamstring injury.
Mitchell came on as a second-half replacement for Jack van Poortvliet but lasted just nine minutes before limping off and cut a frustrated figure as he left the field.
The British and Irish Lions scrum-half's season has been hampered by two previous hamstring injuries, the first of which ruled him out of the Six Nations, and he will now miss the climax to the July tour in Santiago del Estero.
Head coach Steve Borthwick said: "I don't know at this stage whether it's a recurrence of the hamstring injury he's had a couple of times already this season, nor can I confirm the length at this early stage of how long he's going to be absent for, but it looks like he won't be able to be part of next week."
'A clinic from England on how to beat dangerous opposition'
Former England international Danny Care speaking to ITV:
"England have put on a clinic today on how to win a Test match against a really dangerous opposition.
"They bounced back. They've improved in every aspect of the game that they did last week in South Africa.
"They were clinical, they played in the right areas and when they had opportunities to score, they did.
"And they had a bit of razzle dazzle at the end with Henry Pollock scoring his hat-trick.
"A great day for England and back to where they should be, back to winning ways.
"Next week becomes massive away in Argentina. That'll be a whole different level than what today was."
What's next?
England travel to face Argentina for their third Nations Championship fixture as they face the Pumas at Estadio Unico in Santiago del Estero on Saturday July 18 (8.10pm kick-off).
Fiji next face Scotland for their third Test of the summer, also on Saturday July 18, at Murrayfield in Edinburgh (2.10pm kick-off). %!s()
