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Agustin Creevy is playing so well for London Irish this season that you almost feel as though his date of birth needs to be triple-checked. The 37-year-old former Argentina captain has been sensational during a season in which Irish’s penchant for a dramatic comeback would have made even Lazarus applaud in admiration. Creevy has elbowed his way into the Gallagher Premiership player-of-the-season conversation in the process, scoring 12 tries in the league to make him London Irish’s top try scorer despite being almost twice the age of their latest breakout academy talent in Henry Arundell, the 19-year-old full-back. Michael Cheika, the new Argentina head coach, appears to have taken notice, with Creevy’s name mentioned for a potential Test recall ahead of next year’s World Cup . There was no guarantee of him playing for Argentina again when Creevy left to join London Irish in 2020. At the time his career was uncertain with the squad who formed the Jaguares, Argentina’s entrant … [Read more...] about Agustin Creevy a ‘quiet force of nature’ in London Irish trophy hunt

North Korea has brought in the military to stabilise its distribution of coronavirus medicine as the country battles its "first" outbreak. Last week, state media acknowledged an "explosive outbreak" with experts warning it could devastate the country which has limited medical supplies and no vaccine programme. Drugs procured by the state were not reaching people quickly or accurately, leader Kim Jong Un told an emergency politburo meeting on Sunday, before visiting pharmacies near the capital's Taedong River, state news agency KCNA said. Kim ordered the immediate deployment of the "powerful forces" of the army's medical corps to "stabilise the supply of medicines in Pyongyang City". Although authorities had ordered the distribution of national reserves of medicine, pharmacies were not well-equipped to perform their functions smoothly, Kim added. Advertisement Kim criticised the "irresponsible" work attitude, organisation, and execution of the … [Read more...] about North Korea bring in the military to distribute COVID drugs as country battles outbreak

RUSSIA has started deploying nuclear missiles toward its border with Finland in wake of the nation's bold NATO bid. Menacing mobile Iskander missiles were spotted being transported towards the dividing line as desperate Putin throws a troubling tantrum. The Russian despot had warned Finland and Sweden that joining the Western alliance would be a "mistake" - but they have so far snubbed his grumbles. After being given the cold shoulder by the two notoriously neutral nations, he seems to be resorting to desperate measures to save face. Moscow has made it clear they will suffer the consequences of joining NATO , boasting they could wipe out Finland in "ten seconds". Putin parroted the veiled hypersonic missile threats in a tense phone call with Finland - and now appears to be putting his money where his mouth is. Read more on Finland PUTIN’S FINNISH-ED Finns & Swedes to join Nato ‘in MONTHS’ after historic UK security pact … [Read more...] about Russia ‘deploys nuke missiles’ to border with Finland in chilling threat over country’s NATO bid

This season has shown that a ringfenced Premiership does not necessarily guarantee opportunities for youngsters. Just last month, Conor O’Shea, the Rugby Football Union’s director of performance, stressed his desire for emerging players to see more game-time . Even so, there have been a number of breakthroughs over the course of an intriguing campaign. Here is a list of six men that have established themselves at their respective clubs, with some honourable mentions thrown in. Rotimi Segun: Saracens, wing, aged 25 As will be emphasised later on, Saracens recruit promising prospects as well as developing their own. Segun, previously affiliated to Northampton Saints, was picked up as a teenager and has patiently climbed the pecking order. He only needs to glance across the backline at Nick Tompkins to see the benefit of biding your time at Saracens, and has kicked on over the past year or so. A brief yet explosive cameo against Exeter Chiefs on Sunday underlined his quality. … [Read more...] about Inside Line: The six breakthrough stars of the Premiership season

Records tumbled and scoreboards whirred during round 24 of the regular Premiership schedule. Domestic competition now takes a two-week break for Europe. And just as well. We need to get our breath back. 15. Max Malins, Saracens Back in his preferred position, if only temporarily, Malins bagged four tries at Sixways to bring his tally for the Premiership season to a chart-topping 15. He cut incisive angles and showed sharp pace. Huw Jones, George Furbank, Santiago Carreras and Freddie Steward shone before Henry Arundell’s stunning cameo on Sunday. 14. Chris Ashton, Leicester Tigers Three contrasting tries comprised the hat-trick that gives Ashton some breathing space at the top of the all-time list of Premiership finishers. His swerving support line behind Ben Youngs completed the treble in style. Louis Rees-Zammit and Francois Hougaard are unlucky. 13. Matías Moroni, Leicester Tigers Again, there was a queue for this position. Joe Marchant’s jumping flick to set up Huw … [Read more...] about Premiership team of the weekend: Chris Ashton leads trio of Leicester Tigers in all-star XV

BASKIN-ROBBINS fans may want to know where their nearest branch is so they can get an ice-cream fix. The dessert chain started in the US but expanded internationally back in the 1970s - and there are now more than 150 stores in the UK. Where can I find Baskin-Robbins in the UK? Baskin Robbins is instantly recognisable from its bright blue and pink signage - although it did change its logo recently. It sells ice-creams as well as frozen drinks from more than 7,300 outlets across the world. In the UK, some branches operate from within the same store as Millie’s Cookies. You will also spot outlets in cinema chain Cineworld and the firm continues to expand, so there are new stores popping up all the time. Read more in shopping FOODIE FREEBIES How to find hidden discounts at McDonald's, Subway, KFC and more FROST BITE Mum shares how she keeps her ice cream soft so you can scoop it out the freezer … [Read more...] about Baskin-Robbins UK locations: Where are the shops near me?

In Venezuela, students have been killed while protesting against the government of Nicolás Maduro, who is jailing opposition leaders and just closed a television station that dared broadcast the demonstrations. Argentina is irresponsibly racing toward a dangerous economic cliff. The Brazilian economy is in recession and 2014 will mark its fourth consecutive year of subpar growth, as the country reels from its largest capital flight in more than 10 years. Amid all the bad news in the region, the presidents of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru met with little fanfare in Cartagena last week to seal an economic pact launched in 2012. They call their project the Pacific Alliance, and it will soon include Costa Rica and possibly several other countries. The four founding members are the most successful economies in Latin America; they boast the region's highest economic-growth rates and lowest inflation rates. Together, they represent 36 percent of the region’s economy, 50 percent … [Read more...] about The Most Important Alliance You’ve Never Heard Of

What struck me about the weekend's Champions Cup semi-finals was the way in which the styles of Leinster and the three French sides that contested the Champions Cup semi-finals are redolent of their national teams. It suggests that there is unity of purpose between country and clubs and that makes the transition from one to the other smoother and quicker. When you look at England and the English Premiership there is little or no communality and has not been since the ‘Saracens-style’ that came because so many of their players were first choice internationals. Does this matter? Not necessarily if both are flourishing but in the case of England it does show that their players are having to alter their accustomed styles to fit in with different systems and philosophies. This takes time and is not a certainty – has Eddie Jones got that time before the World Cup? It must be open to doubt. It did not take the wisdom of Solomon to identify Leinster as the team to beat in the European … [Read more...] about French and Irish clubs have a national identity that the English lack

For the average voter, one question and one question only will decide their response to the Queen’s speech : what does it do about the cost of living crisis? The economy is the battleground on which most general elections are fought, and 2024 will be no exception, giving the Government just two years to convince people they are better off under the Tories. The problem for Boris Johnson is that world events, most notably the war in Ukraine, have ruined even the best-laid economic plans , leaving little room for manoeuvre. While Mr Johnson promises in his introduction to the 140-page Queen’s Speech document that the Government will “continue doing whatever we can to ease the burdens people are grappling with”, it is laced with caveats. The economic shocks of Covid and Ukraine mean: “No country is immune and no government can realistically shield everyone from the impact.” Mr Johnson’s strategy is to be brutally honest with voters, in the hope that by setting out the … [Read more...] about Boris Johnson has good ideas – the danger is that Labour’s vision appeals more

During a Premiership weekend in which two sides secured their play-off places and we saw a couple of compelling thrillers , there were a number of superb individual performances. Who stood out, then? 15. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints) Freeman suffered an iffy moment under the high ball that led to Ben Spencer’s second try for Bath. Outside of that, he was assured and dangerous. A powerful finish spurred Saints to a crazy comeback and exhibited his dynamism and balance. Huw Jones deserves credit for his display at The Stoop , which represented a strong response following some struggles against Montpellier. 14. Toby Fricker (Bristol Bears) This spot might have gone to Louis Rees-Zammit had Gloucester held on and Louis Lynagh inspired Harlequins to victory over Leicester Tigers with a number of scurrying, evasive runs. Fricker is still a worthy winner. Busy and tough, he scored two of Bristol’s tries and had a hand in another, flicking a slick pass on to Steven Luatua in … [Read more...] about Premiership team of the weekend: How many Saracens players make our XV?