Matthieu Jalibert returns as France target Six Nations title against … — and more

Matthieu Jalibert has been passed fit to steer France from fly half as they target the Six Nations title against Scotland.

A bonus-point victory in Edinburgh would be enough for Les Bleus to secure the defence of their title with a round to spare, with Jalibert’s return a significant boost.

The Bordeaux Begles playmaker had been a late withdrawal from the side that beat Italy in round three, suffering a minor injury that forced a backline reshuffle after Thomas Ramos stepped in at No 10.

With Jalibert back, Ramos returns to full-back and Theo Attissogbe to the right wing, while the fly half’s club colleagues Yoram Moefana and Nicolas Depoortere are reunited in the centres after injury.

Mickael Guillard and Charles Ollivon are preferred to Emmanuel Meafou and Thibaud Flament in the second row, and Anthony Jelonch overcomes an injury scare to continue at No 8.

On the bench, scrum half Baptiste Serin is poised to earn a 50th cap as cover to captain Antoine Dupont.

France XV to face Scotland in Edinburgh (Saturday 7 March, 2.10pm GMT): 1 Jean-Baptiste Gros, 2 Julien Marchand, 3 Dorian Aldegheri; 4 Charles Ollivon, 5 Mickael Guillard; 6 Francois Cros, 7 Oscar Jegou, 8 Anthony Jelonch; 9 Antoine Dupont (capt.), 10 Matthieu Jalibert; 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 12 Yoram Moefana, 13 Nicolas Depoortere, 14 Theo Attissogbe; 15 Thomas Ramos.

Replacements: 16 Peato Mauvaka, 17 Rodrigue Neti, 18 Demba Bamba, 19 Thibaud Flament, 20 Emmanuel Meafou, 21 Lenni Nouchi; 22 Baptiste Serin, 23 Pierre-Louis Barassi.

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Emma Raducanu says she is determined to wrest back control of her “natural” tennis style, with the British No 1 eager not to be bound by the diktats of a single coach or a style that does not feel right.

“I want to come back to my natural way of playing. That takes time to relearn because that’s something that has been coached out of me a little bit,” Raducanu told BBC Sport. “I have had a lot of people telling me what to do, how to play, and it hasn’t necessarily fit. I don’t necessarily want to have one coach in the role because anyone I bring in is straight away going to be scrutinised – even if it’s a trial.

Real Madrid will look to address the engine room of their side this summer, making a move to improve their midfield two seasons after the arrival of Jude Bellingham, and more crucially, after the exits of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric. Los Blancos have struggled to adapt without their long-time controllers in the middle of the pitch, but it seems that the insistence on Eduardo Camavinga and Fede Valverde as partners for Aurelien Tchouameni has ended.

Reportedly, Xabi Alonso had requested an addition in the middle of the pitch last summer, as had Carlo Ancelotti the year before. Real Madrid were confident they could make it work with their current options, but after watching three managers, including Alvaro Arbeloa, unable to find the solution, it seems they will act this summer.

Vitinha rules out Real Madrid move

The dream signing in the position as it has been termed, is Paris Saint-Germain star Vitinha. Although there was an acknowledgement that any deal would be complicated, the Portugal international remained top of their shortlist. However he has now ruled out a move to the Spanish capital.

Image via Fichajes

“It would be foolish to leave. I don’t think it would be the best thing for me. I feel great here at PSG! I feel like people really appreciate me, and I’ve earned that affection. I love being here; my family does too. The group is fantastic, and the coach is incredible,” he told Canal 11, as quoted by Diario AS.

Real Madrid’s alternatives for midfield

That would appear to rule out any pursuit of Vitinha, as the first step would have been him pushing for a move. Other names mentioned are Kees Smit, whose price tag is a concern at the Bernabeu, or Adam Wharton, for whom interest appears to have faded. The economic alternative is Chema Andres, who left Castilla last summer, but has impressed at Stuttgart in the Bundesliga.

British number one Emma Raducanu says she wants to "bring my instincts back out" as she prepares for Indian Wells in California.

The Iran women's football team sang and saluted their national anthem before their Women's Asian Cup match against Australia on Thursday, a marked shift from their silent protest ahead of their opening game.

This earlier silence, observed before Monday's loss to South Korea, had been widely interpreted as either an act of defiance against the regime or a gesture of mourning for those affected by ongoing conflicts.

The team, however, offered no official clarification for their initial stance.

In a poignant press conference preceding the Australia fixture, Iranian striker Sara Didar became visibly emotional.

She shared the profound concerns held by both players and management for the safety and well-being of their families and loved ones amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

The 21-year-old Didar was a substitute for Thursday's game, which was played in pouring rain on the Gold Coast, where Iran is scheduled to compete in all three of its Group A matches.

The Iranian squad had arrived in Australia well before the recent strikes by Israel and the United States on Iran last Saturday, adding another layer of tension to their presence.

This fluctuating approach to the national anthem mirrors a similar situation involving the Iranian men’s team during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The men's squad notably refrained from singing their anthem before their initial defeat against England, as significant domestic turmoil overshadowed the start of their campaign.

In a subsequent match against Wales, however, the men sang along to the anthem and celebrated their goals. Iran beat Wales 2-0 in that match, but failed to qualify from their group.

That World Cup appearance coincided with a brutal crackdown on a major women’s protest movement within Iran, sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the country’s morality police.