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E E A M E N R
DORY INTERSTATE1 Pleased in the past with flowers
round my person (8)
5 James A Stone (6)
10 Serving in women’s clink: it is sort
of character-forming (6-2,7)
11 Support for climbing rose with
pressure for second length before
summer (4,6)
13 Horse taking a long time over race
(4)
15 Canadian’s box of beer, whiskey, old
and fine used during trip (3-4)
17 Fanciful female academic’s claim
(7)
18 Rail about large university’s power
(7)
19 A distanced gesture — as holding
in anger is (3,4)
21 Encountered one returning couple
(4)
22 Tern — ocean’s glory (3,7)
25 Area: mountain road, long time
closed, I book (1,7,2,5)
27 Involve volunteers in overturning
occupation (6)
28 Awfully base breaking in to
dishonestly alter lawyer’s record (8)1 Emotional about clash over a state
of India (7)
2 Friend, in a major way (3)
3 Herald sure to be transported (10)
4 Bank with millions? Pound, not
pence (5)
6 Like something stocktaking
reveals? (4)
7 British in a bad way under rank
future legislation? (7,4)
8 Right exit to turn back? (7)
9 A wee pest deforming garden plant
(5,3)
12 In favour of tirade against
underground being filled to
bursting (11)
14 Iron amulet needs resetting for
gemstone (10)
16 Engineers note combine getting
crop up again (2-6)
18 Vessel’s cook found in Providence
(7)
20 Narrow ridge over in southwest in
the past (7)
23 Scripture? There’s tons in Koranic
verse (5)
24 Wine area with a lot of activity (4)
26 Party involving upper-class
singers? (3)Newspapers
support recycling
The recycled paper content of
UK newspapers in 2020 was 67%Will Kelleher
Deputy Rugby Correspondent
Eddie Jones admitted that he needs a
win in France to ease the pressure on
him, as he made a selection gamble by
picking George Furbank at full back for
the Six Nations finale.
That move means that Freddie Stew-
ard — who has started every game of
the tournament at No 15 — will shift to
England’s right wing in Paris.
England could finish third, fourth or
fifth in the table tomorrow, depending
on results, after ending up in fifth last
year. If England finish in the bottom
half for two consecutive seasons for the
first time since 2006 it would lead to
uneasy questions about Jones’s future
as head coach.
Jones has insisted that he is building
for the 2023 World Cup, but knows that
his side need to deliver now.
“Do I think we’re going in the right
direction? I do,” Jones said. “But,
obviously, we need results. Saturday is
an important game, we all understand
that. All I have to do is worry about the
game on Saturday and then I’ll worry
about the evaluation.”
Furbank’s selection is one of five
changes that Jones has made after the
32-15 defeat by Ireland on Saturday.
Sam Underhill comes in at open-side
flanker for the injured Tom Curry, Nick
Isiekwe replaces the suspended Charlie
Ewels, who was sent off against Ireland,
in the second row, Will Stuart starts
ahead of Kyle Sinckler at tight-head
prop and Ben Youngs regains his place
2GM Friday March 18 2022 | the timesSp ort
88 8888888888888888888888 888888 8 8888888822022020202202022022020222220222020222222202022222222222202222202022222202222020000000000000000000000000000000000000022222222222222222222222222222222222222 ||||||||||||||||||| thththththththtthtthtttthtthththtttththtttttththttthhhhhhhhheeeee eeeeeeetittttititititttimmmmmeeeeeesWho’ll win today’s Cheltenham Gold Cup and why Verstappen
has the advantage as he resumes hostilities with Hamilton
Cheltenham Festival and F1 pullouts, Inside T2Two brilliant sporting pullouts
Jones stakes
his future on
team gamble
from Harry Randall at scrum half.
Furbank, 25, endured a poor debut at
the Stade de France two years ago when
England lost 24-17, and in the aftermath
sought assistance from the team
psychologist Andrea Furst, but Jones
has been heartened by his improve-
ment since.
“What you’ll see on Saturday is a
much better-prepared player than you
saw two years ago,” Jones said. “In two
years, George has gone from being a
debutant to now [facing] the biggest
game of his career up to this stage —
and he’s well equipped to handle it.
“Most young players go through a
fair bit of ups and downs. The ability to
learn from the downs is so important,
and the ability to use the resources
around is important.
“He’s a young player that had a
difficult debut. He’s used his club game
and his opportunities to come into
England to keep improving himself.
He’s used the resources around him to
be better prepared for Test rugby.”
Jones also hailed Underhill’s return;
he replaces Curry, who will be out for up
to ten weeks with a hamstring tear.
Underhill, the 25-year-old Bath
player, missed out on the British & Irish
Lions tour to South Africa last summer,
and has since suffered concussion
problems and caught Covid.
“Sam at his best is one of the best
open-side flankers in the world,” Jones
said. “He’s been through a little bit of a
difficult period. What I’m seeing from
Sam is that sparkle in his eye and that
Continued on page 66Coach makes five changes for match with France
RICARDO MAZALAN/APStokes blasts thrilling century
Ben Stokes launches one of six sixes during his 120 in the second Test that
heralded the return of England’s great entertainer. Cricket, pages 68-69Southgate fear
for Rashford
Paul JoyceGareth Southgate will hold talks with
Marcus Rashford in an attempt to fully
understand the slump in form that has
resulted in the striker being dropped
from the England squad.
Rashford and his Manchester United
team-mate Jadon Sancho were the
high-profile omissions from the
manager’s 25-man party for the forth-
coming matches with Switzerland and
Ivory Coast at Wembley.
However, Harry Maguire, the United
captain, has retained Southgate’s back-
ing despite a worrying dip in his club
performances. The Crystal Palace
centre back Marc Guéhi was the one
new face included by Southgate, while
there was a recall for Arsenal’s Ben
White.
The absence of Rashford, 24, repre-
sents another setback for the player
Continued on page 61Yarmolenko
the Euro star
Gary JacobThe Ukraine international Andriy Yar-
molenko came off the bench to score an
extra-time winner last night to give
West Ham United a 2-1 aggregate win
over Seville and put his team into the
quarter-finals of the Europa League.
Yarmolenko’s goal, eight minutes
from time, was his second in five days
since he returned from compassionate
leave because of the war in Ukraine,
where some of his family remain.
David Moyes, his manager, said: “In
football things change for you. So I
hope maybe this changes a little bit of
what’s in Yarmo’s head, maybe what’s
happening in life.” His team-mate
Declan Rice added: “Yarmolenko was a
little bit emotional away from the lads
afterwards. For what he’s been through
to perform like this is a credit to him.”
Match report, page 62