Captain Harry Wilson returns as Wallabies make tweaks for crucial Argentina Test

  • Flyhalf Tom Lynagh also returns; Nic White keeps place

  • James O’Connor to come off bench in Townsville on Saturday

Nic White’s retirement tour will continue in Townsville when the halfback partners returning Wallabies flyhalf Tom Lynagh and captain Harry Wilson against Argentina.

Andrew Kellaway has won the battle to fill the injured Tom Wright’s boots at fullback at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Saturday in the other change to the side that lost narrowly in Cape Town a fortnight ago.

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‘I will work to regain everyone’s trust’: banned Izak Rankine breaks silence after homophobic slur

  • Adelaide star speaks publicly on return from overseas trip

  • ‘I am fully committed to bettering myself,’ says Crows forward

Adelaide ace Izak Rankine says he is committed to regaining society’s trust in the wake of his AFL ban for a homophobic slur. An emotional Rankine returned to Australia on Tuesday night and fought back tears during a public apology at Adelaide airport.

“Going away has given me space to reflect and educate myself to understand the weight of my mistake,” Rankine said. “And I am fully committed to bettering myself. In the next few days I will be standing in front of my teammates and the AFLW and apologising to them personally – and they deserve this at the very least.

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Pat Cummins faces race to be fit for first Ashes Test due to ongoing back issue

  • Australia captain to miss home white-ball series against India

  • Mitchell Starc retires from T20Is as squad named to tour New Zealand

Australia still expect Pat Cummins to be available for the first Ashes Test, even as the captain deals with stress in his back.

The star quick will miss the upcoming T20 tour of New Zealand and back-to-back home white-ball series against India due to lumbar bone stress.

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Alex de Minaur eases into last eight of US Open with straight sets win

  • Australian No 1 too good for Swiss qualifier Leandro Riedi

  • No 25 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime awaits in quarter-final

It took until the second week of the US Open for the No 8 seed to be given a slot on one of the US Open’s three show courts, but having finally been granted a premium placing Alex de Minaur has wasted no time putting on a show.

In truth the Australian No 1 did not play at his best, but he did not need to as his opponent, Swiss qualifier Leandro Riedi, made a slew of errors.

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Alex de Minaur marches into US Open last 16 as Daria Kasatkina bows out

  • Australian leads 6-7 (9) 6-3 6-4 2-0 when Daniel Altmaier retires

  • Women’s 15th seed knocked out in 6-0 4-6 6-3 loss to Naomi Osaka

Alex de Minaur has surged into the US Open second week for a fifth time with a business-like win over wounded German Daniel Altmaier.

Australia’s last player standing once more, De Minaur recovered from a set down to progress after Altmaier retired injured when the Demon was leading 6-7 (9-7) 6-3 6-4 2-0 on Saturday (Sunday AEST).

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Mitch Brown coming out is an opportunity for AFL to ‘shift culture’ on homophobia, Darcy Moore says

Players’ Association president and Collingwood captain applauds Brown as ‘tremendously courageous’

The AFL industry needs to use Mitch Brown’s coming out as an opportunity to “shift culture” and genuinely tackle homophobia, the AFL Players’ Association president Darcy Moore says.

On Wednesday, Brown, who played 94 games for West Coast, became the first past or present men’s AFL player to come out as bisexual.

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Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina defy Australian exodus to reach US Open third round

  • De Minaur and Kasatkina keep hopes alive in New York

  • Four other Australians crash out in second round

Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina have expressed relief for different reasons after saving Australia’s blushes with contrasting second-round US Open victories in New York.

As Alexei Popyrin, Adam Walton, Tristan Schoolkate and Maya Joint all crashed out, De Minaur hit the go button in a straight-sets victory over Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki.

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Western United wound up as court rejects last-ditch attempt to save A-League club

  • Federal court orders club to be wound up in insolvency

  • Decision comes after months of financial turmoil

The embattled A-League club Western United is officially defunct after the federal court ordered its management group be wound up in insolvency.

Lawyers for the club had sought an adjournment to proceedings, claiming they had found a fresh $15m investment to pay off their debts.

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Alex de Minaur serves up clinical display while Maya Joint holds her nerve at US Open

  • Australia’s No 1 reaches second round with 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win

  • Teenager Joint beats Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva 6-4 7-6 (8-6)

Alex de Minaur cast aside friendship to lead three more Australians into the US Open second round in New York. As Alexei Popyrin set up a showcourt showdown with defending champion and world No 1 Jannik Sinner, De Minaur was all class in defeating fellow Sydneysider Chris O’Connell in straight sets.

The two-time Open quarter-finalist did not face a solitary break point in ousting O’Connell 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 on the Grandstand on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST). De Minaur’s reward is a second-round meeting with Japan’s world No 112 Shintaro Mochizuki.

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Banned Adelaide star Izak Rankine named in AFL’s All-Australian squad

  • Rankine makes 44-player list as he serves ban for homophobic slur

  • Final team to be announced at Thursday’s awards function

Izak Rankine will be a hot topic of discussion at the AFL awards, even though he is on the other side of the world. The star onballer is among five Adelaide players named in the 44-player squad, with the final team to be unveiled at Thursday night’s awards function in Melbourne.

A homophobic slur cost him a four-week ban last week and he is now holidaying and training in Europe, his season potentially over.

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NRL player Brandon Smith hit with drug supply and betting charges

  • South Sydney star issued with summons by Queensland Police

  • 29-year-old hooker set to appear in court on 18 September

NRL star Brandon Smith has been charged with drug supply and using inside knowledge for betting.

The South Sydney hooker was questioned by police when he arrived in Queensland ahead of their 10 August clash with Gold Coast, but released without charge.

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Socceroos star Nestory Irankunda scores first goal for Watford with stunning free kick

  • Teenager curls home goal in another strong performance for new side

  • He says his ambition is to ‘make the crowd go wild’ at Vicarage Road

The young Socceroos star Nestory Irankunda has scored his first goal for the Championship side Watford with a stunning free kick.

The 19-year-old winger, who starred at Adelaide United but struggled to get game time at Bayern Munich, curled home a glorious 25-yard free kick to give the Hornets the lead at Swansea in the 35th minute of their 1-1 draw on Saturday.

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Alex de Minaur raring to go for US Open tilt despite tricky draw

  • World No 8 will face compatriot Chris O’Connell in first round

  • Australia’s 15-strong contingent prepare at Flushing Meadows

In-form Alex de Minaur has brushed off a minefield draw to declare himself primed to lead Australia’s 15-strong charge at the US Open in New York.

Having secured a precious top-eight seeding courtesy of his 10th career title in Washington and a last-eight run in Cincinnati, De Minaur is guaranteed to avoid a higher-ranked rival until at least the quarter-finals.

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Australia beaten again as South Africa clinch ODI series with 84-run win

Australia have slumped to a seventh defeat from their last eight ODIs, suffering a 84-run loss against South Africa in Mackay that allowed the Proteas to take an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

After being crushed by 98 runs in Cairns on Tuesday night, Australia again struggled batting under lights as the recent 50-over retirements of Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell were laid bare.

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Corey Toole given debut as Wallabies try for back-to-back wins against Springboks

  • Winger starts as Australia bid for historic win in Cape Town

  • Rob Valetini and Tom Robertson also come in

Corey Toole will make his Test debut in one of three changes to the Wallabies starting side as they attempt to go back-to-back against the Springboks in South Africa for the first time since 1963.

The 25-year-old Paris Olympics sevens star will replace injured winger Dylan Pietsch for their Rugby Championship clash in Cape Town on Saturday night local time (Sunday 1.10am AEST).

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