Rugby-Former Scotland captain McLauchlan dies at 83
(Reuters) -Former Scotland and British and Irish Lions prop Ian McLauchlan has died at the age of 83, Scottish Rugby said on Saturday.
Known as "Mighty Mouse" because he was a lot smaller than most loosehead props, Mclauchlan won 43 Scotland caps, captained his country 19 times and helped the Lions to series victories over New Zealand and South Africa.
He led Scotland in a test against England in 1973 two weeks after breaking his leg during a match against Ireland.
"He was so tough, almost indestructible. What a fantastic career he had for Scotland, and the Lions; it's very, very sad," said Andy Irvine, a former Scottish Rugby President and McLauchlan's teammate for Scotland and the Lions.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk, editing by Ed Osmond)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Alcaraz sets up Queen's final clash with Lehecka
CARLOS Alcaraz reached the Queen's Club final for the second time as the world number two eased to a 6-4, 6-4 win over Roberto Bautista Agut on Saturday. Alcaraz extended his career-best winning streak to 17 matches in a semi-final played in sweltering conditions at the Wimbledon warm-up event in west London. The five-time Grand Slam champion hit 36 winners and 15 aces to dispatch his fellow Spaniard in 90 minutes. Top seeded Alcaraz will face Jiri Lehecka in Sunday's final after the Czech world number 30's shock 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 win against British star Jack Draper in the other semi-final. Playing his first tournament since his epic French Open victory against Jannik Sinner two weeks ago, the 22-year-old is through to his fifth successive final after lifting titles on clay in Paris, Rome, Barcelona and Monte Carlo. Alcaraz signalled his emergence as a grass-court force by winning Queen's in 2023, clinching the Wimbledon title for the first time just weeks later and defending his All England Club crown last year. He is one victory away from becoming only the second Spaniard to win Queen's twice, after Feliciano Lopez's victories in 2017 and 2019. Alcaraz wasted little time taking control against Bautista Agut, unfurling a deft drop-shot to break in the third game of the match. That was all the encouragement Alcaraz needed as he held serve with ease to close out the first set. Bautista Agut, 37, enjoyed a surprise win over Danish fourth seed Holger Rune in the last eight. But Alcaraz never looked like suffering the same fate and he delivered the knockout blow in the second set. A whipped forehand down the line earned a break-point that he converted to move 3-2 ahead. The nerveless Alcaraz finished off the win in typically ruthless fashion to the delight of the fans waving Spanish flags to salute their hero. 'You have no choice' Earlier, Lehecka ended Draper's bid for a maiden Queen's final appearance. Lehecka, who will be playing in his first ATP grass-court final, is the first Czech to reach the men's title match at Queen's since Ivan Lendl lifted the trophy in 1990. The 23-year-old said: 'It means a lot. You don't meet a player like Jack every day, he's an amazing competitor.' Draper was hoping to become the first British singles champion at Queen's since five-time winner Andy Murray's most recent victory in 2016. But the world number six will have to wait at least another year to get his hands on the silverware after claiming a bout of tonsillitis played a role in his defeat. 'I haven't felt good all week. I'm proud of the way I went about things, considering, but it's tough,' he said. 'You're an entertainer, an athlete, and you have no choice. No one cares, you know. So you've just got to go out there and do the best you can. 'Today's probably the worst I've felt. Did I think about withdrawing? No, not at all. I'm in the semi-finals at Queen's. I'd probably go on court with a broken leg.' Lehecka had already ended the hopes of one Briton at Queen's after beating Jacob Fearnley in the quarter-finals on Friday. He also defeated world number 12 Alex de Minaur in his opening match of the tournament, but knocking out Draper was his biggest scalp yet.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Carlos Alcaraz Reaches Queen's Final, Beats Bautista Agut
CARLOS Alcaraz reached the Queen's Club final for the second time as the world number two eased to a 6-4, 6-4 win over Roberto Bautista Agut on Saturday. Alcaraz extended his career-best winning streak to 17 matches in a semi-final played in sweltering conditions at the Wimbledon warm-up event in west London. The five-time Grand Slam champion hit 36 winners and 15 aces to dispatch his fellow Spaniard in 90 minutes. Top seeded Alcaraz will face Jiri Lehecka in Sunday's final after the Czech world number 30's shock 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 win against British star Jack Draper in the other semi-final. Playing his first tournament since his epic French Open victory against Jannik Sinner two weeks ago, the 22-year-old is through to his fifth successive final after lifting titles on clay in Paris, Rome, Barcelona and Monte Carlo. Alcaraz signalled his emergence as a grass-court force by winning Queen's in 2023, clinching the Wimbledon title for the first time just weeks later and defending his All England Club crown last year. He is one victory away from becoming only the second Spaniard to win Queen's twice, after Feliciano Lopez's victories in 2017 and 2019. Alcaraz wasted little time taking control against Bautista Agut, unfurling a deft drop-shot to break in the third game of the match. That was all the encouragement Alcaraz needed as he held serve with ease to close out the first set. Bautista Agut, 37, enjoyed a surprise win over Danish fourth seed Holger Rune in the last eight. But Alcaraz never looked like suffering the same fate and he delivered the knockout blow in the second set. A whipped forehand down the line earned a break-point that he converted to move 3-2 ahead. The nerveless Alcaraz finished off the win in typically ruthless fashion to the delight of the fans waving Spanish flags to salute their hero. 'You have no choice' Earlier, Lehecka ended Draper's bid for a maiden Queen's final appearance. Lehecka, who will be playing in his first ATP grass-court final, is the first Czech to reach the men's title match at Queen's since Ivan Lendl lifted the trophy in 1990. The 23-year-old said: 'It means a lot. You don't meet a player like Jack every day, he's an amazing competitor.' Draper was hoping to become the first British singles champion at Queen's since five-time winner Andy Murray's most recent victory in 2016. But the world number six will have to wait at least another year to get his hands on the silverware after claiming a bout of tonsillitis played a role in his defeat. 'I haven't felt good all week. I'm proud of the way I went about things, considering, but it's tough,' he said. 'You're an entertainer, an athlete, and you have no choice. No one cares, you know. So you've just got to go out there and do the best you can. 'Today's probably the worst I've felt. Did I think about withdrawing? No, not at all. I'm in the semi-finals at Queen's. I'd probably go on court with a broken leg.' Lehecka had already ended the hopes of one Briton at Queen's after beating Jacob Fearnley in the quarter-finals on Friday. He also defeated world number 12 Alex de Minaur in his opening match of the tournament, but knocking out Draper was his biggest scalp yet.
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Soccer-Oviedo back in LaLiga after 24 years
(Reuters) -Real Oviedo sealed their return to LaLiga after 24 years with a 3–2 aggregate victory over Mirandes in Saturday's promotion play-off. Oviedo triumphed 3-1 at home, overturning a first-leg deficit with goals from Santi Cazorla, Ilyas Chaira and Francisco Portillo. A packed Estadio Carlos Tartiere erupted as fans stormed the pitch at the final whistle. The club from the Principality of Asturias, in the northwest of Spain, will now join Levante and Elche in next season's top tier, replacing relegated Leganes, Las Palmas and Valladolid. "There's no way to describe what this means to us. These players are heroes, every single one of them. They deserve great recognition," Oviedo coach Veljko Paunovic told LaLiga TV. (Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk)
