Men’s rugby league: England will unleash blockbusting winger Dom Young against Samoa in tomorrow’s World Cup opening game at Newcastle’s St James’ Park.

The Yorkshireman has been preferred to veteran Ryan Hall, after making a big impression in last Friday’s warm-up match versus Fiji.

The 21-year-old former Huddersfield player, who scored one try and created two more in England’s 50-0 win, was named in coach Shaun Wane’s 19-man squad, which contains just one other specialist winger – Tommy Makinson.

Men’s football: Hugo Lloris feels Tottenham must learn to control matches better but accepts their primary focus during the next few weeks is to ensure they are well placed for when the season resumes after the winter World Cup.

Spurs claimed a vital 3-2 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday and now know victory against Sporting Lisbon in a fortnight will send them through to the last 16 of the Champions League.

Women’s football: England remain fourth in the final women’s world rankings published by Fifa before the 2023 World Cup draw.

The Republic of Ireland, who sealed their place at next summer’s tournament with Tuesday’s 1-0 play-off victory over Scotland, are up two places to 24th.

The latest rankings will be used to determine the seedings for the draw that takes place in Auckland a week on Saturday.

Men’s football: Substitute Mohamed Salah grabbed the fastest hat-trick in Champions League history as Liverpool thrashed Rangers 7-1 to complete a double over the beleaguered Light Blues on Wednesday.

Salah made up for his lack of playing time by scoring in the 75th, 80th, and 81st minute, giving him the new record in Europe’s top tier, taken off of former Lyon striker Bafetimbi Gomis, who scored an eight-minute hat-trick against Dinamo Zagreb in a 7-1 win in 2011.