'Written off' Scotland can stun France, says Beattie — and more

Former Scotland number eight Johnnie Beattie believes Gregor Townsend's men are "capable of the extraordinary" and wouldn't be surprised to see them beat France on Saturday.

Fabien Galthie's French side travel to Murrayfield knowing a bonus-point win will make them Six Nations champions with a game to spare.

A home victory would allow Scotland to head to Ireland on the final day with a genuine shot at a first title in 27 years.

Townsend's men have faced France 13 times during his tenure, winning five, and Beattie is not putting it past the Scots to add a sixth.

The 40-year-old, who played for Montpellier, Castres and Bayonne as well as Glasgow Warriors, told the BBC's Scotland Rugby Podcast: "It's a funny Scottish set-up because they have such high days and such lows as well but they're capable of the extraordinary.

"I wouldn't put it past them to beat a French side, travelling away from home that know they've got a game in hand and can wrap up a championship this weekend. But they could also be very French about it and be absolutely dismal.

"Let's not forget that we've put them under real pressure before, both away in Paris and at Murrayfield. It is possible. I know we're being totally written off but I still think there's enough that it doesn't matter.

"You look at Scotland's backline and what they have been capable of. They will score points and we have to back them to do so. Give them the ball, don't give France the ball, dominate set-pieces, try to control possession and try to outscore them.

"We've been written off but I still think it's possible."

The Cincinnati Bengals are set to lose one veteran edge rusher to free agency, as Trey Hendrickson effectively said goodbye to Cincinnati Tuesday after the team chose not to use the franchise tag on him, allowing him to hit the open market next week.

Could they bring in another veteran edge rusher in his place? Bleacher Report seems to think so. In their recent list of "Perfect Free Agent Signings for Each Team", the Bengals land veteran pass-rusher Khalil Mack:

"The Bengals could lose both Trey Hendrickson and Joseph Ossai in free agency. Hendrickson could be the top free agent on a lot of boards and Ossai is in his prime so he'll be looking for a lengthy extension.

Cincinnati is somewhat prepared for the losses. With Shemar Stewart and Myles Murphy on the roster, they have young players ready to take on larger roles. Khalil Mack would be the ideal mentor to target for them. He's 35, but he was still an excellent edge-setter with a 14.8 pressure rate last season."

Mack just turned 35 in February. He is four years older than Hendrickson. The thought makes sense, as the Bengals will need to fill their depth on the edge, especially if Joseph Ossai also leaves. But Mack is in a spot now where he'll likely sign with a contender. He signed a one-year, $18 million deal last season with the Los Angeles Chargers, a team many thought would contend in the AFC West and potentially make a run in the playoffs before losing to the New England Patriots in the AFC Wild Card.

The Bengals are hoping to get back into contention this season, but it's fair to think there is still plenty of work to do for a team that only won six games in 2025. Would a player like Mack, who has never played in a Super Bowl, want to take that risk over signing with a team that has a better chance of making a run?

Mack would be a very interesting signing, to say the least, even with the Bengals expected to be very active in free agency.

This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals free agency: 'Perfect' target might be Chargers' Khalil Mack

Barcelona have two priorities for the summer transfer window, and one of them is a central defender. Despite Director of Football Deco declaring that they had one too many at the position last summer, it seems they will look to make an addition at the position this summer to cover the loss of Inigo Martinez.

It seems Andreas Christensen will be offered a new deal to extend his contract for next season, despite having played just 23 matches in the last two seasons. Meanwhile Ronald Araujo has started just once since November following his mental health break, and Gerard Martin has been required to cover in central defence, leaving a very different picture to the one Barcelona started the season with.

Nathan Ake is preferred option for Deco

In the January transfer window, Barcelona were also linked with a move for a central defender, which was believed to be the priority before the arrival of Joao Cancelo. One the names that featured prominently in those links is Manchester City defender Nathan Ake. The Dutch international was in search of more game time, but after an injury crisis for Pep Guardiola, has started to feature more often. Catalunya Radio say that Deco is most keen on signing Ake in the summer though, as things stand.

Image via Fichajes

Motives behind Ake interest

With a centre-forward the other priority on the agenda, that is expected to absorb most of Barcelona’s resources in terms of what they can spend this summer. As such, preferred options such as Josko Gvardiol and Alessandro Bastoni are financially out of reach. Ake has one year remaining on his deal this summer, and could be available for a cheaper deal as a result.

The 31-year-old is experienced at the top level, and can also play at left-back, factors that make him Deco’s preferred option.