CHRIS FOY: When Stuart Lancaster addressed a sell-out crowd at the O2 Arena last week during England's send-off, his rousing speech concluded with a World Cup mission statement: 'I hope we win it. I'm sure we will.' As he spoke from behind a lectern on the elevated stage with a giant Red Rose as the backdrop and his face displayed on screens alongside, the national coach could have been mistaken for a presidential candidate at a glitzy Stateside rally. Lancaster is an accomplished public speaker and by the time he had finished, the audience were eating out of his hand. Some were more interested in the imminent arrival of Take That, but they clearly believed what they had heard.
Liverpool denied opening win in Europa League as Bordeaux hit back to earn point against under-strength side
BORDEAUX 1-1 LIVERPOOL - DOMINIC KING AT STADE DE BORDEAUX: There were no smiles or fist pumping celebrations. The reaction in the away end was muted and the manager, after exchanging a few cursory handshakes, swiftly disappeared down the tunnel. Happiness was not the overriding emotion for Brendan Rodgers or Liverpool's players but there was, without question, a sense of relief.
Click through today in pictures
The Special Ones! England say the nation's roaring support can spur them on to Rugby World Cup glory
Nice one, Son! Korean off mark with double in Tottenham win as Lamela makes sure of points after early scare against Qarabag
TOTTENHAM 3-1 QARABAG - RIATH AL-SAMARRAI AT WHITE HART LANE: For a time it looked like Tottenham could not punch their way out of a paper carrier bag, let alone find a way to flatten Qarabag. Thankfully - or not depending on how they feel about the Europa League - Tottenham and Son Heung-min woke up at the right time.
What does it take to win a World Cup? Wilkinson and Montgomery proved kicking is king but breakdown battle is equally important
Power was the buzzword in England's 2003 World Cup triumph and the combination of physical strength and endurance only became more important during South Africa's 2007 win and the All Blacks' long-awaited second success four years ago.
Try scoring machine! Watson reveals the secrets behind England's new wing wizard
NIK SIMON: The Watson household is full of laughter as Anthony goads his father, Duncan, for wearing socks and sandals during a photoshoot in the family living room in Surrey. Anthony's mother, Viv, quickly intervenes and Duncan retreats upstairs for a change of clothes. Duncan soon returns, drawing attention to the range of Anthony's teenage hairstyles in the endless photographs that decorate the walls of their generous home, before lifting the lid on some humorous but significant childhood tales that couldn't be further from his next challenge, lining up for England at the Rugby World Cup, but shaped him into the star he is today.
England do not need to thrill the crowd... just win the game!
SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: For England, and the other big guns in Pool A (Wales and Australia), every match is a knock-out match. Lose and you are immediately in serious trouble in terms of qualification.
Izaguirre red card ruins Celtic's chances of victory as Bhoys throw away points at Ajax
AJAX 2-2 CELTIC - STEPHEN McGOWAN AT THE AMSTERDAM ARENA: By the end ten man Celtic were clinging to what they had. Thundering into tackles and blocks, throwing themselves in front of shots, desperately covering for the carelessness of Emilio Izaguirre. A point in the Amsterdam Arena can never be regarded as a bad one.
Fenerbahce suffer surprise defeat despite Nani strike
Norwegian champions Molde claimed a memorable win in Turkey and ended a seven-match winless streak on the road in Europe by beating Fenerbahce.
De Bruyne thanks supporters for their warm welcome as City star eyes first league start
Manchester City's record signing Kevin De Bruyne has thanked fans for the 'warm welcome' they've given him following his £52million move from Wolfsburg. The Belgium international sealed his return to the Premier League last month and got his City career off to perfect start with victory over Crystal Palace last weekend.
Hulk smashed! Zenit striker sits with FOUR ice packs strapped to his legs
Hulk lived up to his name on Wednesday night as he powered through 90 minutes to help Zenit St Petersburg record an impressive 3-2 victory over Valencia.
The cost of failing to qualify for the Champions League: United missed out on £35m but predict record profits next year
MIKE KEEGAN: Manchester United are expecting to make the biggest profit in the club's history next year. The club say they anticipate revenues of circa £500million in 2015-16 thanks mainly to their world record £750m kit deal with adidas and presence in the Champions League after a year's absence. Such income would be close to the current world record, held by Real Madrid, who brought in £513.7m (based on current exchange rates) in 2013-14.
Ronaldo overtook Messi to take Champions League scoring record... but who else joins them with most goals?
Cristiano Ronaldo continued his unprecedented goalscoring form against Shakthar Donetsk with a hat-trick - his fourth in six games for Real Madrid - and in doing so registered his 499th goal for club and country, scored his eightth goal in just two games... and became the Champions League's all-time scorer, with 80 goals.
Loftus-Cheek starred in the Champions League... so, which other youngsters are pushing for a first team breakthrough?
Ruben Loftus-Cheek was named Man of the Match as Chelsea kicked off their Champions League campaign with victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv. Great things are expected of the teenage midfielder at Stamford Bridge, but he is by no means the only youngster pushing to make a Premier League breakthrough this season.
Europe rock up in leather jackets as US team bid to show fight in Solheim Cup
DEREK LAWRENSON: Is there any chance the United States team might stand up and make a match of it when the 14th Solheim Cup begins near beautiful Heidelberg on Friday morning Apologies to any American readers easily offended but let's be honest here: your guys and girls have taken some hellish beatings.
North's comparisons with Lomu can no longer be denied... the wing is carrying his nation's hopes on his shoulders
NIK SIMON: Comparisons with the most destructive player in the history of rugby were being made before George North had even pulled on a Wales jersey.
THE PICK OF MAILONLINE'S SPORTS WRITING
Rugby World Cup
UEFA Champions League
STARS OF SPORT
- MailOnline Fantasy Football is back... and you can pick Euro stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to boost your Premier League side
- De Bruyne thanks fans for 'warm welcome' The £52m man was the centre of attention at a meet and greet and praised the City faithful after Manchester move
- Everything you wanted to know about England Who runs the fastest 100m? And who likes to belt out Celine Dion? WILL KELLEHER guides you through the XV...
- Alli and Son seize chance to impress Harry Kane used the Europa League to become a regular. Dele Alli knows that, and didn't disappoint
- The kids are alright Brendan Rodgers hailed the impact of Liverpool's young players as his side began their Europa League campaign with a draw in Bordeaux
MORE STARS OF SPORT
- Man City's new green third kit unveiled by Nike... and it was inspired by the historic 1999-00 play-off comeback against Gillingham at Wembley
- Ranieri promises to take his Leicester City players out for pizza if they keep their first clean sheet of season Leicester are riding high in the Premier League
- Robshaw is dating a singer, while Carter is wed to an ex-hockey star... meet the WAGs ahead of the World Cup Rugby World Cup takes over for next six weeks
- Hulk feels the effects of Champions League win with FOUR ice packs strapped to his legs Hulk powered through 90 minutes to help Zenit St Petersburg win
- Florenzi has Puskas Award in his pocket Forget Lionel Messi and Neymar. Alessandro Florenzi will steal the headlines with a magical long-range screamer
- France coach picks up Croydon parking ticket as things go from bad to worse for Les Bleus The bus pulled up in a south London bus stop on Wednesday night
- Joshua revving up for glory as British boxing's rising star treats himself to 'new toy'... a lime green dirt-bike Anthony Joshua is raising the (handle)bar
- Manchester United squad arrive back in England without Shaw after defender suffers broken leg in PSV defeat It was a solemn return to England for United
- Dawson sparks outrage in New Zealand by mocking haka with 'hakarena' dance Heightened tensions between World Cup hosts and favourites
- Forest release trailer for new film 'I Believe in Miracles', celebrating Clough's success The movie premieres at Nottingham Forest's City Ground on October 11
- Twitter mocks Ramos for dive during easy win over Shakhtar Real Madrid ran riot, but Sergio Ramos' ludicrous dive caught the eye of internet wags also
- Neymar looking to put his rivals in the shade(s) Brazil and Barcelona attacker agrees a big-money deal to be the face of Police Eyewear for third successive year
- The Great Britannia Bake-off: Bojan is cream of the crop as he wins Stoke cake-making competition Star forward is a man of hidden talents
- Rousey thrills Aussie UFC crowd ahead of her 'biggest challenge' against boxing world champion Holly Holm Vocal crowd was cheering her on
- Rooney uses injury time out to see Amir Khan's gym Paid a visit to Liverpool boxing's famous Smith brothers - Callum, Liam and Stephen
- Is that the way to World Cup glory? England put final preparations in place ahead of big opener Huge test ahead, but the players looked relaxed
- Neymar and Barcelona touch down in Italy for Euro opener with Roma Neymar and his Barcelona team-mates touched down in Italy for their game with Roma
- Berahino puts transfer saga behind him as wantaway star poses for West Brom portrait Berahino tried to force a move away from West Brom this summer
- Bellew stars in new film 'Creed' with Stallone back as Rocky Balboa Tony Bellew is to make his Hollywood debut alongside Sylvester Stallone in this new film
- Passing on knowledge: Henry takes charge of Arsenal U19s training Arsenal legend Thierry Henry led a training session alongside youth coach Ryan Garry
- US Open champion Djokovic admits to being inspired by blockbuster movie 300 Novak Djokovic summoned some cinematic inspiration
- New boy Martial heads for popular spot Wings with wife Samantha £58m new boy Anthony Martial has continued to settle into Manchester life with a trip to Wings
- West Ham 'Boys of 86' prove to be lucky charms as they attend win over Newcastle The 'Boys of 86' watched Slaven Bilic's side ease to a 2-0 home victory
- Murray takes on Celtic in a game of crossbar challenge... but how did the tennis star get on? Andy Murray and his team-mates swapped tennis for football
- What's on the menu, Gareth? Bale enjoys lunch with girlfriend Gareth Bale was spotted leaving a restaurant after lunch with girlfriend Emma Rhys-Jones
- Boxer Khan shows off 'King Khan' edition white Range Rover British boxer Amir Khan's special edition Range Rover was in full view in Manchester
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Sealed with a kiss: Djokovic celebrates his 10th slam success with wife JelenaNovak Djokovic beat Roger Federer to win the US Open on Sunday
- STEVEN GERRARD: 'Balotelli said: "I don't mark corners... I can't!" It was hard to manage mad Mario, but he made me smile. That wasn't the case with Diouf.'
- May and Corbisiero create their own Zizzi pizzas to raise money for Cancer Research UK The country's appetite for rugby has grown, and it's spreading to the players
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Van Gaal arrives at favourite restaurant Wings in chauffeur-driven Bentley
The car even had a personalised number plate for Louis van Gaal
- Gayle introduces fans to strip club, mirrored ceiling and 'Hanky Panky' bed in his house The batsman showed off some revealing pictures of his house...
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Beckham and DiCaprio lead star-studded cast for US Open final
The crowd included David Beckham and actors Bradley Cooper and Hugh Jackman - Bit slippy lads? Brazilian tie not called off despite ludicrously waterlogged pitch Watch the players in this Brasileiro Serie B match try to run with the ball...
- Nolan admits he was 'very miserable' towards end of time... as he trains with Orient while weighing up move Kevin Nolan needs a club
- Hamilton swoops into the front row of again... at Alexander Wang NY Fashion Week show Lewis Hamilton joined the Weeknd for a front row seat
- United striker Martial visits Wetherspoons for bargain meal as he gets used to Manchester Anthony Martial might be expensive, but his choice of dining certainly isn't!
- Ouch! Dyer puts his neck on the line to head home debut goal... as Leicester come from TWO goals down to win feisty Midlands derby Nathan Dyer was brave
- The transfer window's closed... but West Ham complete deal for Serbia U19 striker Belic West Ham have signed striker Luka Belic from OFK Beograd
- Get the beers in, Fergie! Sir Alex enjoys a pint on his return to Old Trafford (not that one!) Sir Alex Ferguson spent a day out at the cricket for England vs Australia
- STEVEN GERRARD: 'Some of the players came to me to complain that they had to walk 50 yards for a massage' EXCLUSIVE: Gerrard on the 2010 World Cup
- Arsenal duo Oxlade-Chamberlain and Chambers celebrate win at Joshua fight Anthony Joshua has gained many fans, including Arsenal stars
- Uh oh! Aguero injury scare for Manchester City after late win... but striker says on Twitter it 'doesn't seem serious' Sergio Aguero was forced off on Saturday
- The dynamic duo! Messi and Neymar to the rescue for Barca after Torres opener Lionel Messi scored the winner for Barcelona against Atletico Madrid
- STEVEN GERRARD: The truth about my United stamp fury EXCLUSIVE: He reveals the truth about last season's brutal stamp on Ander Herrera
- New Zealand touch down and head straight to see the sights The All Blacks arrived and their first stop was a welcoming ceremony at the Tower of London
- Serena is slammed MIKE DICKSON: We came expecting to see preparations for the coronation of Serena Williams, and instead got a sensational upset
- Sakho and Kouyate make two West Ham fans very happy... Diafra Sakho and Cheikhou Kouyate put a smile on fans' faces in South Africa
- Charles Johnson: On Peterson's aura, Bridgewater and Zimmer's caring side He's ready for a breakout season. The Minnesota Vikings may just be too
- Hamilton proves Britain's got talent as F1 champ entertains crowd with RnB song in packed New York nightclub Took to the stage to belt out a tune
- Van Gaal = bulldog! Rojo compares his manager's scary face to that of canine Manchester United manager has been given an animal lookalike
- Steven Gerrard exclusive: I might have stayed if Liverpool offered me the right job LEE CLAYTON: Gerrard left Anfield for a fresh challenge with LA Galaxy
- Balotelli shows he's smiles better at Milan... The Liverpool flop is hoping to make his second AC Milan debut after rejoining on loan against rivals Inter
- The life of a super agent: Mendes moves from De Gea talks to dinner with Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed the meal with his 'beautiful friends'
- Swansea star Ayew named Barclays Premier League player of the month for August Andre Ayew's blistering start to life in England has been rewarded
- ... and Man City boss Pellegrini scoops the manager of the month gong after stunning start Manuel Pellegrini 's City sit on top of the division after a perfect August
- Can you name the former Barca kids and now Spain stars posing with Van Gaal in throwback snap? Now World Cup winners (apart from Louis!)
LATEST MATCH REPORTS
- Tottenham 3-1 FK Qarabag: Heung-min Son scores quick-fire double to hand Spurs the perfect start to Europa League campaign
- Bordeaux 1-1 Liverpool: Adam Lallana opens scoring with vintage solo goal but substitute Jussie spoils Brendan Rodgers' night
- Ajax 2-2 Celtic: Emilio Izaguirre red card sees Hoops cling on for a draw in Europa League opener despite twice taking the lead through Nir Britton and Mikael Lustig
- Fenerbahce 1-3 Molde: Turkish giants suffer surprise defeat despite Nani strike in Europa League tie
- Chelsea 4-0 Maccabi Tel-Aviv: Willian, Oscar, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas all find the back of the net to ease the pressure on Jose Mourinho despite Eden Hazard's horrendous penalty miss
- Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 Arsenal: Olivier Giroud sent off as Gunners' Champions League bid stumbles at the first hurdle despite late Theo Walcott lifeline
- Roma 1-1 Barcelona: Alessandro Florenzi cancels out Luis Suarez's opener with long-range screamer as holders are held
- Olympiacos 0-3 Bayern Munich: Thomas Muller's spectacular strike sparks easy win
- Queens Park Rangers 2-2 Blackburn: Nedum Onuoha rescues point but Tommy Spurr suffers sickening KO
- PSV 2-1 Manchester United: Louis van Gaal's side suffer defeat in opening Champions League fixture despite Memphis Depay opener as Luke Shaw suffers horror injury at Philips Stadion
- Manchester City 1-2 Juventus: Alvaro Morata scores late winner after Mario Mandzukic cancels out Giorgio Chiellini's own goal
- Real Madrid 4-0 Shakhtar: Cristiano Ronaldo scores a hat-trick against 10-man Donetsk... but Gareth Bale is forced off through injury
COUNTDOWN TO THE RUGBY WORLD CUP
Meet the World Cup WAGs! Robshaw is dating a singer, Carter is married to ex-hockey star and Cooper's with model
The Rugby World Cup is only days away with tournament hosts England kickstarting the showpiece event against Fiji at Twickenham on Friday night. While all eyes will be on the players and the coaches on-the-pitch, expect a few camera cuts to the stands towards the stars' other halves. Sportsmail takes a look at some of the wives and girlfriends you may see throughout the tournament.
Hacked off: 2003 England World Cup hero Dawson sparks All Blacks outrage over 'Hakarena' jig
JONATHAN McEVOY: Matt Dawson was criticised by New Zealanders for mocking the supposedly fearsome haka in a frivolous video.
'My family came to say goodbye. I was about to die...' Two years after meningitis horror, Burger targets South Africa triumph
MARTHA KELNER: Schalk Burger is a picture of health with tanned skin, rippling muscles and surfer-boy blond hair, a stark contrast to the image he paints of himself as a disease-ravaged bag of bones for whom every breath felt like a stab to the brain. Wife Michele summoned family to his Cape Town hospital bedside to bid their final goodbyes as Burger appeared to be succumbing to bacterial meningitis, an infection which attacked his brain and spinal cord.
LATEST FOOTBALL NEWS
City return to training as Fernandinho says Premier League schedule is 'complicated'
The Manchester City squad were keen to put a disappointing Champions League defeat by Juventus behind them as they returned to the training pitch on Thursday morning. Manuel Pellegrini's men returned to the Etihad Campus following their 2-1 loss against last season's Champions League runners up, but attention has quickly turned to the Premier League and the visit of West Ham. Slaven Bilic's Hammers, who moved up to fifth in the top flight following a win against Newcastle on Monday, travel to the Etihad for a Saturday evening kick-off on Saturday.
City's new green third kit inspired by 2000 play-off comeback victory against Gillingham is unveiled by Nike
Manchester City have unveiled their new third kit for this season, as they take inspiration from a famous Wembley win. The striking green shirt pays homage to City's comeback victory against Gillingham, back in the 1999-00 season, which saw them score two injury time goals and seal a 3-1 victory in the penalty shootout.
Lampard scores his first MLS goal and Pirlo turns on the style as New York City beat Toronto 2-0
STEVE BRENNER AT YANKEE STADIUM: It won't make the final cut if Frank Lampard ever decides to release a DVD of his greatest goals. Yet his first strike for New York City FC was vitally important on many levels. Not only did it breathe new life into his new club's push for the play-offs but also helped boost his standing in MLS following such a difficult start to life over this side of the pond.
Chelsea's horror start and Arsenal's European woes mean Wenger and Mourinho will be desperate for London derby win
Just five games into the new Premier League season and Arsenal versus Chelsea is already a must-win for both sides. The Blues have endured a horror start on the domestic front while the Gunners' Champions League campaign began with a shock defeat to Dinamo Zagreb. Though Chelsea did earn some respite with a convincing 4-0 victory over Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Arsenal have been solid in the league, victory on Saturday will provide a much-needed boost to the winners.
Szczesny out for up to six weeks after dislocating finger in Suarez collision
On-loan Roma goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is set for a spell on the sidelines after being ruled out for up to six weeks due to dislocating his finger in their 1-1 draw against Barcelona. The Poland international suffered the incident in the second half of Wednesday night's Champions League group stage encounter following a collision with Luis Suarez.
DAVIS CUP: GREAT BRITAIN VS AUSTRALIA
It's not all about me: Murray plays down 'one man' Britain tag as he prepares for semi-final showdown against Australia
Andy Murray insisted Great Britain's Davis Cup squad was not a one-man team as he prepared to lead his side into a rare semi-final in the competition. Murray took five days off after his fourth-round exit at the US Open to Kevin Anderson, and arrived in Glasgow last Saturday ahead of this weekend's tie against Australia.
OTHER SPORTS NEWS
Gale hits match-winning century as Yorkshire set points record with victory against Hampshire
Andrew Gale scored a match-winning century at the Ageas Bowl to give Yorkshire a record points total, but left Hampshire's LV= County Championship Division One survival hopes in tatters.
Aldo taunts rival McGregor after taking drug test in Brazil
The UFC featherweight champion posted the snap of himself holding up a certificate from the United States Anti Doping Agency (USADA), presumably a response to McGregor's past insinuations that the Brazilian had used performance enhancing drugs.
RACING
THE BEST WRITING IN SPORT
BT Sport's coverage of the Champions League is revolutionary and will get bigger and better... Sportsmail goes behind the scenes at new home of European football
KIERAN GILL: We are in the BT Sport studio next door to east London's Olympic Stadium and Gary Lineker is getting prepared, practising lines from the teleprompter while Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard and Ian Wright crack jokes to his left. It is 6.15pm and Lineker, the highly-respected footballer-turned-presenter, is just 15 minutes from showtime as BT warms to its new role as the home of European football. It is the calm before the storm. The make-up artists have worked their magic, the cameramen are in position, and the only debate in sight is between two workers who cannot decide whether the Champions League trophy needs moving an inch to the left. No detail is too small, after all.