Chesterfield have named academy boss Mark Smith as their caretaker manager following Saturday's sacking of Dean Saunders.

The 55-year-old former Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley and Plymouth defender joined the club's coaching staff in 2013.

Japan is looking to cash in on the rugby fever that swept the nation in recent weeks by unveiling a life-size bronze statue of World Cup star Ayumu Goromaru.

Goromaru was one of the stars as the team claimed three wins at the World Cup, including beating South Africa in their opening game, with his kicking proving key.

The statue will decorate Tokyo's Christmas illuminations for a month.

"They've reproduced my fingers in real detail," was the verdict from the 29-year-old.

Image source, AFP

Image source, Getty Images

Nicky Henderson has announced SprinterSacre will not run in Saturday's Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown. 

The Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton over Christmas is the next likely race for the former Queen Mother Champion Chase hero following his comeback success in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham earlier this month.

"He's in really, really good form but, having got him into good shape and the right place, he just doesn't need another race at the moment," Henderson said. 

Image source, Getty Images

British boxer James DeGale said he was inspired by Tyson Fury's world title win over Wladimir Klitschko after he beat former champion Lucian Bute on a unanimous decision to retain his IBF super-middleweight title in Quebec.  

“The Brits are flying right now,” said DeGale. “Tyson pulled off the upset in Germany, I watched it in the hotel, it really did inspire me to go out and keep hold of my title, it gave me that extra push. I boxed in the amateurs with him and been around squads with him, and he's gone on to prove a lot of doubters wrong.”

Chris Cairns has been answering questions from reporters outside court about his acquittal: 

When asked about Lalit Modi, whom he sued for libel: "I think I'll think about Mr Modi maybe next week. I'll deal with this one at the moment and get through today."

When asked about the evidence of former teammates who suggested that he had been involved in fixing: "There were two ex-teammates who came with evidence, others who were there to support. Mr Pownall (his defence QC) summed it up well when he said there was an assumption of guilt. I don't think people were there with malicious intent. There were really only a couple of people who had that assertion." 

When asked what next: "Reputationally, I'm completely scorched. Burned, completely. It hasn't stopped me, and it won't stop me." (At this point, his lawyer interjects to point out that it hasn't changed his reputation, as he had been acquitted". 

More from Chris Cairns outside Southwark Crown Court: "It's a pretty robust system and the jury came back with a not guilty verdict and I couldn't be more happy. You have to be a bit careful, it's not a victory as such, there are no winners."

More from Chris Cairns: "It's been hell for the last five or so years and in particular the last couple of years and now having won the legal case in the Royal Courts of Justice and now here, I'm a very happy man, although I couldn't quite hear the foreman [when the verdict was announced]. I've been through the mill and came through other side."

Former New Zealand captain Chris Cairns has been speaking outside Southwark Crown Court after being acquitted of perjury. 

"First and formeost - thanks to the jury for reaching the verdict that they did today. My legal team have been superb throughout and I can't thank them enough. Other than being exhausted, very tired, I'm just sincerely looking forward to getting home, and seeing my family." 

Image source, Getty Images

BBC reporter Alex Capstick at Southwark Crown Court: "The jury took 10 hours and 17 minutes to reach their verdict and they decided Chris Cairns is innocent of perjury, of not lying under oath, or perverting the course of justice after he successfully sued Lalit Modi of the Indian Premier League for accusing him of match fixing. This was one of the best all rounders in cricket when he was in his pomp. Today he has been cleared of perjury. 

"The jury came back to the judge last week and asked if they could reach a majority verdict and today they did so. At least 10 needed to agree on the same decision."

Image source, Getty Images

Juliette Ferrington
BBC Sport

Hull City manager Steve Bruce has been facing the media ahead of his side's trip to Premier League leaders Manchester City in Tuesday's Capital One Cup quarter-final at the Ethiad Stadium.

"We have got to play to our maximum and hope that City have one of their off days, which doesn't happen very often," said Bruce.

Image source, Getty Images

"Really it doesn't matter who you play, it's what we are going to do to try and stop them, like we did last year in the Premier League when we caused them a few problems.

"We have got to have the belief that we can go and take them on. We've had a good cup run again and let's see if we can challenge arguably one of the best teams in Europe."

Image source, AFP

Newcastle defender Daryl Janmaat says the players are "100%" behind manager Steve McClaren following their 5-1 loss to Crystal Palace on Saturday and reports of player unrest in training last week. 

"We have to stick together in difficult times, that's really important," Janmaat said. "Hopefully we can bounce back on Sunday [against Liverpool], it’s really important. It will be a tough game but we are looking forward to it."

Speaking at the North East Football Writers dinner where he picked up the Player of the year award for 2015, Janmaat added: "We've had a poor year but hopefully we can learn from this and have a really good 2016."

That's the spirit!

Former New Zealand cricketer Chris Cairns has been found not guilty of perjury and therefore not guilty of perverting the course of justice.

The former New Zealand cricket captain Chris Cairns has been found not guilty of perjury at Southwark Crown Court. 

The jury decided he had not been lying when he said under oath during a libel trial in 2012 that he had never cheated at cricket.

Image source, AFP

Image source, Getty Images

While we are dealing with the weekend's sporting events, British former world heavyweight champion David Haye has responded to Tyson Fury's claims that the new world champion will never fight him.

Haye, who is making a comeback but pulled out of two Fury fights in 2013, told the BBC: "It says a lot about a new champion that he's saying he won't fight the man who would generate the most amount of interest and money, and would be the biggest possible fight on the planet for him.

"Fair enough, I will work my way up the rankings. I've done it before at cruiserweight. [Fury] has to realise I'm not after him, I'm after what he has - the belts. He knows that my style would absolutely murder his style."

Piers Newbery
BBC Sport

"I'm 28 but my body feels a lot older right now," Andy Murray tells BBC's Joe Wilson. 

"I still hope to play for the next five or six years." Britain's world number one is already looking ahead to the Australian Open in seven weeks, and will be back on the practice court next week.

Image source, BBC Sport

How does British tennis capitalise on the Davis Cup success? Captain Leon Smith: 

"We want to see more people playing. It's an important time to get strategies rolled out as soon as possible", he said. "We've got to get people on the court, but also keep them on the court, and that's down to good clubs and good coaches, keeping kids involved in it as long as possible.

"It's what Andy and Jamie's mum has done so well. She gets so many people involved, but she can't keep doing it on her own. Let's hope it can have a positive influence."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Andy Murray: "Davis Cup is completely different to watching individual tennis, you see all of the team bench, the flags, and supporters, there were something like 5,000 Brits watching, which is amazing for a tennis match. 

"Even people that don't normally watch tennis would have enjoyed the weekend because of the atmosphere and when it's for your country, people get into it as well, so I hope the governing body capitalises."

Piers Newbery
BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

Britain's team of world champions - their official ITF title - are making a bleary-eyed but cheerful round of media interviews, with plenty of 'banter' amid the serious chat. 

Team pup Kyle Edmund is roundly mocked for describing this year as "a journey", while Jamie Murray's sideburns come in for some harsh scrutiny. 

Jamie Murray: "My favourite memories will always be from Davis Cup, the atmosphere has been incredible and not what we usually get from on the ATP tour. The team is one big happy family."

Image source, Pa

More from Andy Murray: "Hopefully we can all use it in a positive way to further our careers in the next few years. For me, playing in an atmosphere like that, it was so loud, there was a lot of booing and whistling, mentally it is good to go through matches like that and I hope I can use it to my advantage in the future."