It must have been an interesting week for Oscar Piastri.

The Aussie Formula One driver has been preparing for the Belgian Grand Prix, the scene of his victory 12 months ago, while dealing with rumours that he could be replaced by four-time world champion Max Verstappen at McLaren.

The team has played down the talk, with McLaren boss Zak Brown standing by his current lineup and Mark Webber, the former racer who now manages Piastri, dismissing "a lot of fiction written" about a move.

Piastri, for his part, says he trusts the team's backing.

A case of smoke and fire? Or smoke and mirrors?

🏉 Reigning NRL premiers the Brisbane Broncos have ended an eight-game losing streak, upsetting the Penrith Panthers 14-12 on Thursday night. In a rematch of last year's Grand Final, Broncos winger Josiah Karapani scored in the 68th minute, while fullback Reece Walsh kicked the conversion. Penrith remain top of the ladder despite the loss, while Brisbane will likely need to win nearly all of their remaining matches to keep any hopes of finals alive. 

🏟️ Geelong have made it 14 straight home wins over St Kilda with a 102-75 victory at GMHBA Stadium on Thursday. The result extends a run that has left St Kilda without a win in Geelong since 1999. Midfielder Bailey Smith starred for the Cats with 35 disposals, while forward Gryan Miers kicked three goals. The result ends Geelong's slide of five losses in six games and lifts them back toward the top eight. 

🚴 Belgian cyclist Tim Merlier won Stage 12 of Le Tour de France, outsprinting Dutchman Olav Kooij and compatriot Jasper Philipsen after a late crash brought chaos to the peloton in the final kilometres. It marks Merlier’s third stage victory on this year’s Tour. Meanwhile, Slovenian four-time Tour champion Tadej Pogačar retained the yellow leader’s jersey without alarm, with his overall lead intact heading into two days of challenging mountain stages this weekend. 

⛳ American golfer Jackson Suber has taken a surprise lead at The Open, shooting five under on the opening day at Royal Birkdale in what is his first appearance at golf's oldest major. Min Woo Lee was the best of the Australians at level par, five shots off the lead. It was a tougher start for some of Australia’s past major winners, with 2022 champion Cameron Smith and former world number one Jason Day both finishing three over par.

Talking points: Super Rugby Women's reaches the semi-finals on Saturday, with the four remaining sides chasing a spot in the decider. Minor premiers the Fijian Drua start the day at home in Lautoka against the Queensland Reds, who snuck into the finals in fourth but have won at the ground before. A win for the Drua would keep them on course to host the decider. Later, second-placed Western Force meet the third-seeded NSW Waratahs at HBF Park in Perth as part of a double-header with the Wallabies Test against Italy. The defending champions, the Waratahs, welcome back Wallaroos pair Maya Stewart and Tia Hinds for their first outings of the season.

How to watch: The Fijian Drua v Queensland Reds match kicks off at 11:05am (AEST), followed by the Western Force v NSW Waratahs game at 4:05pm (AEST). You can watch the Super Rugby W finals on Stan Sport.

Talking points: Australia host Italy in Perth on Saturday night in Joe Schmidt's final match as Wallabies coach before Les Kiss takes over. Schmidt's side enters the match on a six-game losing streak, with just one win from its past 10 Tests. Another defeat would leave him with the worst win rate of any Wallabies coach. Ranked eighth in the world, Australia start as slight favourites against  10th-ranked Italy.  Schmidt has made three changes, with Perth-born flanker Carlo Tizzano replacing Fraser McReight in the starting side. Elsewhere this weekend, the All Blacks will host Ireland, Japan take on France, Fiji play Scotland, South Africa face Wales, and Argentina look to upset England. 

How to watch: The Wallabies match will kick off on Saturday at 8:10pm (AEST). You can watch it on Channel 9 and Stan Sport.

Talking points: The 2026 World Cup reaches its finale this weekend. Defending champions Argentina booked a second straight final by beating England 2-1, with Lionel Messi setting up both goals. They will face Spain, who ended France's run with a 2-0 win to reach their first final since 2010 and stretch an unbeaten streak to 37 matches, a joint record for a European side. The day before the final though, beaten semi-finalists France and England are set to meet in the third-place playoff in Miami. While it’s a match that neither side wants to be playing in, there is still plenty of pride on the line, and France's Kylian Mbappé and England's Harry Kane are among those still chasing the Golden Boot, awarded to the tournament’s leading goalscorer.

How to watch: The third-place playoff is on Sunday at 7am (AEST), with the final to follow on Monday at 5am (AEST). You can watch the World Cup on SBS and SBS On Demand.

25-year-old French pharmacy cream is having a moment - and it's not hard to see why

Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream has been a dermatologist go-to for 25 years, loved for calming and repairing sensitive, irritated skin. Made with Avène Thermal Spring Water and a gentle, clinically-tested ingredient, it visibly repairs skin within 48 hours and helps with everything from post-procedure sensitivity to everyday dryness and redness.

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