Anthony Brown

Motherwell drew 1–1 away to HJK Helsinki in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League third qualifying-round tie. Tawanda Maswanhise put Motherwell ahead from the penalty spot after a foul on Regan Charles-Cook, but former Celtic and Norwich striker Teemu Pukki equalised for HJK with his first touch after coming off the bench. Motherwell manager Alfred Johansson praised his players’ performance, particularly their more aggressive pressing and improved attacking play after half-time. The tie will be decided at Fir Park, with the winners set to face Freiburg in the play-off round.

Scotland opened their Nations Championship campaign with a 47-38 victory over Argentina in Cordoba, scoring seven tries and overcoming early setbacks. Strong performances from Rory Hutchinson, Sione Tuipulotu and several players marking milestone caps helped secure control despite Argentina’s repeated attempts to close the gap. The win marked Scotland’s fourth in six Tests this year as they head to face South Africa in Pretoria.

Steve Clarke resigned as Scotland head coach after the team failed to progress from a World Cup group containing Brazil, Morocco and Haiti, saying he had long planned to step down if the tournament did not go well. Despite signing a new four‑year contract only a month earlier, he felt it was the right moment to leave after seven years in charge, having fulfilled his ambitions of leading Scotland at major tournaments. Clarke informed his players immediately after their elimination, describing the farewell as emotional, and reflected that while performances fell short in attack, the team still competed strongly against tough opponents.