The number of insurance liability frauds - including so-called 'slip and trip' accidents - jumped by 75% last year, according to industry figures.

In total there were 19,800 cases of bogus liability claims, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said.
Total insurance fraud rose by 9% in the year to December 2014, and was worth £1.32bn.
But one of the fastest-growing crimes was fraudulent claims for injury, supposedly as a result of negligence.
In one case, a man from Bradford tried to claim £10,000 in damages for slipping on a wet bakery bag in a supermarket.
The man - Waheed Iqbal, of Hollings Road - said he hurt his head and body after falling down in one of the aisles.
But CCTV footage used in evidence by the police helped to prove that he had slipped deliberately.
Iqbal, 37, was given a 10 month suspended prison sentence in December 2014.
In another case, a man called Stephen Robinson claimed to have suffered a broken ankle after supposedly catching his foot in a drain on Tyneside.
Robinson's address was given as Caroline Cottages in Slatyford, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
But a You Tube video used by the police caught him showing off to neighbours, and jumping into a river. His broken ankle can clearly be seen as he emerges from the water.
He was convicted of fraud in January this year, and sentenced to 200 hours community service and fined £600.
Motor insurance fraud remained the most common crime - accounting for over half the total.
There were 67,000 cases during the year, a 12% rise on 2013.
But the ABI said fraudsters were now more likely than ever before to get caught.
"As well as the possibility of serving a custodial sentence, they will find it difficult to obtain vital financial services such as mortgages and loans, future job prospects are likely to be adversely impacted, and family relationships suffer," said James Dalton, the ABI's director of general insurance policy.
Increased detection of fraud was one reason why premiums fell last year.
The average price of a motor policy went down by 5%, and the average for a home contents policy went down by 3%.
However, the industry has warned that those reductions will be reversed, as a result of the increase in insurance premium tax, announced in last week's Budget.
From April 2016 the tax will rise from 6% to 9.5%.


A motor industry components maker is to axe 176 jobs in Suffolk and move them abroad.

Delphi Diesel Systems employs 771 people in Sudbury and said it would concentrate on higher-skilled work and innovation at its plant there.
The losses are made up of 91 full-time and 85 agency jobs. Neil Evans, regional officer for the union Unite, called the decision short-sighted.
"We're very concerned about the decision managers have made," he said.
"We believe it's very short-sighted. Ultimately they are putting the entire operation in Sudbury in jeopardy.
"There are workers in Sudbury with more than 20 years' experience and we are putting forward alternative strategies and doing our level best to reverse the decision."
Richard Gotch, from the company, said: "Delphi has entered into discussions with employee representatives on the uncompetitive nature of its Sudbury plant.
"The company is proposing a change in manufacturing to focus on high-tech manufacturing and is discussing the possibility to outsource non-core manufacturing components.
The management is committed to the long-term best interests of the site and will work to minimize the impact by looking for ways to support the affected employees.
"The UK is Delphi's centre of excellence for diesel research as well as manufacturing."


An ice cream van man has been robbed at knifepoint after a thief vaulted through the serving hatch.

The vendor had turned his back momentarily to add some extra toppings to his order.
The robber leapt into the van and stole the till before being chased, with the till, by the ice cream man along Kelburne Road in Oxford on Sunday.
At one point the thief entered a property and changed clothes mid-chase before re-emerging.
The vendor eventually lost sight of him in St Martins Road.
The suspect is described as white, about 5ft to 6ft tall, of medium build, with short fair hair and a spotty complexion.
He was initially wearing a white top, dark trousers and light-coloured trainers, but changed into a grey hooded fleece, dark coloured shorts and trainers.


Paratriathlon will make its Paralympic debut in Rio, with athletes being pushed to their limits in three different sports - swimming, cycling and running.

31 August 2016 Last updated at 13:03 BST
George Peasgood will be the youngest paratriathlete representing Great Britain at the Games.
The 20-year-old took up the sport after he suffered a serious injury to his left leg and ankle when he was a child.
Peasgood told Newsround that he hopes to inspire people to 'go out and do anything that they want to do'.


Why does free movement of people - one of the founding principles of the European Union - look set to become so important in the debate about whether Britain should remain in the EU?

Free movement of people - alongside free movement of goods, services and capital - is one of the four founding principles of the European Union. It gives all citizens of EU countries the right to travel, live and work wherever they wish within the EU.
But in response to public concerns in Britain about the impact of immigration on jobs and local services, David Cameron has said he wants to permanently reduce the number of European immigrants coming to Britain. He has promised to make this a key issue in his attempts to negotiate a new deal for Britain ahead of a referendum on our membership of the EU.
Where did the idea of free movement of people come from? The precursor to the EU was formed as European leaders came together in the wake of the Second World War, wanting to prevent another catastrophic war. The idea was that allowing people to move across the continent - from countries where there were no jobs to countries where there were labour shortages - would not only boost European growth, but would help prevent war by getting people to mix more across borders.
"The founding fathers of the European Community wanted it to be a construct that also had a political integration and for that you needed people to move because the minute people crossed boundaries and borders, you had deeper integrationâ€¦ So it was both a social as well as an economic aim.
"If you wish to create a structure which would stop Germany and France ever going to war again, which was at the heart of the original principle," says Gisela Stuart, the Bavarian-born Labour MP for Birmingham Egbaston, "you did require a movement of the people in that area which would simply mean brother would never take up arms against brother again. And that has been achieved."
But over time, the idea of Europe as an economic union evolved into a more political project.
"The big shift came in the early 1990s, [with] the Treaty of Maastricht, explains Floris de Witte, a Belgian political scientist at the London School of Economics. "It was a big treaty that changed the nature of the EU from really an economically-oriented project towards a more politically-oriented project. And one of the manifestations of that was that we had something called European Citizenship.
"Before that, European rights were only for people that were economically active, that moved across borders in order to work or to provide a service in economic terms. After that it became much more of a political concept whereby every European citizen had certain rights to free movement.
"It allows individuals essentially to really figure out what is most important for them. If the most important thing in my life is to have sun all day, I now have the right to move to Spain or to Greece. If the most important thing in my life is saunas, I can go to Finland."
In 2004, the EU expanded eastwards. For people who had lived behind the Iron Curtain for decades, this right to choose where to live and work would have felt like a remarkable liberation.
Many EU countries predicted that would be a big movement of people from east to west after expansion, and introduced transitional controls to limit this movement.
But the Labour government in Britain chose not to introduce temporary controls. As a result, migration to Britain from the rest of Europe significantly increased, with most of the extra numbers coming from Eastern Europe.
"There were some areas that before EU enlargement really didn't have a lot of migration at all and that have now become significant destinations," says Madeleine Sumption, director of the Oxford Migration Observatory.
"Boston in Lincolnshire, for example, at the time of the 2001 census had about three per cent of its population born abroad and within 10 years had seen a large increase in immigration, up to about 15 per cent of the population."
It was this new wave of migration after 2004 that generated a sense of public unease about impacts on jobs and services. Nigel Farage, the leader of UKIP, has seized on these public concerns, arguing that high levels of migration from the rest of Europe have effectively been imposed on Britain by the European Union. He's used it to bring to life the idea too much power has been transferred to Brussels.
Under pressure from the popular support UKIP were attracting in the run up to May's election, David Cameron promised a referendum on Britain's EU membership if he won, and to put freedom of movement at the heart of his negotiations for a new deal between Britain and Europe.
If Switzerland's experience is anything to go by, this is unlikely to go down well with European leaders. Switzerland is not a member of the EU but has signed up to its founding principles.
Last year, the Swiss voted in a referendum to introduce quotas for EU migrants. The response from Europe has been hardline: the Swiss cannot introduce quotas without losing its agreements with the EU in other areas.
Perhaps this is why Cameron isn't proposing quotas. Instead, he's focusing on making the UK a less attractive place to come. Back when the EU's founding fathers established freedom of movement, they also gave people the same rights to welfare benefits as citizens of their host country - in order to incentivize people to move to countries with labour shortages.
Cameron's proposal is to limit the right of European migrants to claim UK benefits like in-work tax credits.
Pawel Swidlicki, a migration specialist at the Open Europe think-tank, believes that the benefit system "enables people to work for a lower wage than they would otherwise be prepared to work for because they know that their income can be topped up by quite generous in work benefits.
"So removing this would actually remove the perverse incentive where it's worth their while to come over to the UK from other EU member states - in some cases actually taking a pay cut."
Cameron has argued Britain's benefits system makes the UK particularly attractive because, unlike most benefits systems on the continent, rights to benefits are based on someone's needs, not contribution over time.
But fewer than one-in-five migrants from Eastern European countries claim in-work benefits. So some have questioned whether this will have much of an impact at all.
"It's got nowhere near the real issue," argues David Davis, the Conservative MP for Haltemprice and Howden.
"The real driver of people, let's say coming from Bulgaria to Britain, is the massive difference in average wages. Their average wage is less than a third of our minimum wage. If I were a Bulgarian or a Romanian or a Pole, I'd be in London right now.
"But that's not about benefits. Benefits makes it a little bit more attractive, but really the basic minimum wage drags people here from across the whole continent."
This debate is a high-stakes one for Britain, with Cameron making his support for the UK remaining in the EU conditional on being able to get some kind of deal in this area.
But it's not only Britain's demands that will be causing a headache for European leaders. The fundamental question at the heart of Cameron's proposals is really one of who gets to decide: the European collective or the nation state? There are growing echoes of this debate across the rest of Europe, particularly in the wake of the eurozone crisis.
"When we see, in France, the Front National calling for the end of the Schengen Agreement and for returning immigrants to the countries, this is - even if it's from the right - at the end of the day the same populist, nationalist reaction that we see in Greece from the far-left when they claim that they've lost sovereignty," says Jose Ignacio Torreblanca, head of office at the European Council on Foreign Relations in Madrid.
"It's a new axis of politics that it's forming across Europeâ€¦ not a left-right oneâ€¦ a sovereignty axis."
So the European response to the debate we're having here in Britain on freedom of movement could turn out to be a litmus test - that not only determines Britain's future in Europe, but which also has implications for the future of the European project itself.
Analysis - Free Movement: Britain's Burning EU Debate is in BBC Radio 4 at 21:30 BST on 26 July 2015 and also available on BBC iPlayer.


Separatist rebels have taken two Ukrainian military bases in the eastern region of Luhansk as fighting continues near the rebel-held town of Sloviansk.

Separatists seized a border guard base after days of fierce combat, and a National Guard base after an attack which began on Tuesday.
An apparent air attack in Luhansk city on Monday killed a number of civilians.
Meanwhile, in the neighbouring Donetsk region, troops are closing in on the rebel stronghold of Sloviansk.
Pro-Russian separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Ukraine's industrial heartland, declared independence after holding referendums last month which were declared illegal by the government in Kiev.
The rebellion began amid the turmoil which followed the downfall in February of the elected Ukrainian President, Viktor Yanukovych, whose pro-Moscow policies sparked mass street protests in Kiev during the winter.
Reports of casualties in the fighting in Luhansk could not be verified independently.
Ukraine's border service announced on its website that the personnel in the base of the Luhansk border detachment had been "redeployed to safer places" as a result of sustained attacks by large rebel forces.
The National Guard base came under sustained fire from mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, machine-guns and assault rifles on Tuesday after the soldiers rejected an ultimatum from a large rebel force to surrender, according to a report on the National Guard's website.
Three soldiers were wounded and all of the base's vehicles and its headquarters building were destroyed in the fighting, the statement said. The garrison, it added, had now been "redeployed to a different, safe place".
However, a rebel spokesman told Russia's Ria-Novosti news agency the soldiers had surrendered and had been allowed to "go home".
The Russian news website ura.ru quoted a rebel commander as saying there had been "no battle as such" and the soldiers had simply surrendered after spiking some of their weapons.
Investigations are continuing into the attack on the rebel-held regional administrative building in Luhansk on Monday afternoon. Rebels have accused the Ukrainian air force of killing eight civilians in the attack, and graphic video of bodies at the scene has been posted on websites.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe said that, based on available evidence, "these strikes were the result of non-guided rockets shot from an aircraft. The number of casualties is unknown".
But the Ukrainian authorities deny their planes were involved and suggest the damage was caused by the rebels themselves.
Ukraine's interim President, Olexandr Turchynov, said in a statement on Tuesday that the northern part of Donetsk region had been "fully cleared" of separatists and the military had started blocking the border with Russia in the north and east of Luhansk region.
Government forces took the town of Krasnyi Lyman, north-east of Sloviansk, after heavy fighting.
A hospital was damaged by an air attack during the fighting and a surgeon killed by shrapnel, the hospital told Ukraine's Segodnya newspaper. Three patients were also wounded, it said. Photos of damage to the hospital were published by Segodnya.
The rebels told Ria-Novosti that eight of their fighters had been killed in the town.
In another development, Donetsk International Airport, scene of fierce fighting recently, said it would be closed until at least the end of June.
Russia has been accused of fomenting the rebellion, following its annexation of another Ukrainian territory, Crimea, in March.
Russian citizens have been fighting on the rebel side but President Vladimir Putin has again denied any official involvement by the Russian military. In an interview for French radio station Europe 1, he said: "No Russian military force and no Russian military instructor are present in south-east Ukraine".
Nato's top military commander, US General Philip Breedlove, has said that Russian irregular forces, and forces backed and funded by Russia, are very active in eastern Ukraine and "this has to stop".
Speaking in Brussels, he confirmed Russia was pulling back most of its troops from the Ukrainian border but a portion of the Russian force looked "like it intends to remain".


The "swift action" of a train guard in evacuating passengers after an engine fire has been praised by a rail workers union.

Train services to London Paddington were disrupted on Wednesday morning after an engine fire near Twyford.
According to the RMT, a train guard got passengers safely off the service.
Emergency services were called at 08:55 BST to the Great Western Railway train travelling from Paddington to Oxford.
The fire was safely put out and no passengers or staff were hurt, but the train line between Reading, Slough and Maidenhead was closed for about an hour.
RMT general secretary Mike Cash said: "If there had been no guard on this train the potential consequences would have been horrendous.
"The fire was put out under the direction of the guard who also safely evacuated the passengers on this busy service."
An investigation into what caused the fire is under way.
The RMT emphasised the importance of train guard's roles in safety of passengers.
The union is currently protesting plans announced by Southern Rail to make some services driver-only.


Nottingham Forest's Portuguese winger Lica has rejoined former club Estoril on loan for the rest of the season.

The 28-year-old, whose full name is Luis Carlos Pereira Carneiro, arrived at the City Ground on a two-year contract last August.
He has made seven appearances this season, most recently in the 0-0 draw at Birmingham City on 14 January.
Forest made five signings during the January transfer window, including ex-Chesterfield winger Gboly Ariyibi.


Super League newcomers Leigh Centurions have signed Wigan Warriors utility back Ryan Hampshire on a two-year contract.

The 21-year-old had a year-long loan with Castleford in 2016 but has now moved to Leigh following their promotion from the Championship.
He came through the youth system at Wigan and made his debut for the Cherry and Whites in 2013.
"He wants to challenge for a first-team spot and can play half-back, full-back or wing," said head coach Neil Jukes.
"He has energy, sharpness and an eye for an opportunity and he will bring freshness to our squad."


A Canadian family who found an intravenous catheter in a tub of ice cream will need to undergo medical tests for the next six months.

Four people had already been eating the caramel pecan ice cream when one bit into a piece of the medical device.
The ice cream manufacturer says it has requested a full investigation by Canada's food inspection agency.
Quebec health authorities told the family they must undergo blood tests for Hepatitis A, B, and C and for HIV.
They will have to be tested for the next six months.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed it is investigating the incident, and told the BBC that no threats to health were identified at the ice cream production facility after an initial inspection.
The family was celebrating the birth of a baby, and it was the new grandfather who bit down on the syringe. At first, he thought it was just a pecan.
"He put it in his mouth and found the tip of syringe," family member Carole-Anne Christofferson told Radio-Canada.
"He is the worst off, the most affected. He's not even able to speak about it."
The ice cream manufacturer, Laiterie de Coaticook, based in Trois-RiviÃ¨res, Quebec, says the container tells them the exact date the ice cream was made and they are looking through surveillance footage.
"We have so many internal controls here and in food production in general that having something like that show up in a food item, it is not normal," a Coaticook spokesperson told the CBC.


UKIP members may leave the party following recent infighting, its chairman in Wales has said.

Chris Smart said there was a feeling UKIP was "almost unravelling" following rows about Wales leader Nathan Gill "double jobbing", and the leadership election to succeed Nigel Farage.
Mr Smart was speaking before Mr Gill revealed he was leaving UKIP's assembly group to sit as an independent.
Candidates will push their cases at a hustings event in Newport on Wednesday.
But one leading contender - South East England MEP Diane James - will not be taking part in the event.
UKIP members in Wales were due to vote on whether Mr Gill should be allowed to continue to serve as both an MEP and an AM.
Mr Smart, who believes Mr Gill should resign from one of the roles, said: "The infighting's not doing anyone any good at all.
"I saw some of our members who are really upset about what's going on because they joined UKIP to get out of the EU.
"Of course that's happened, and now things seem to be almost unravelling.
"Some are putting it down to Nathan Gill not doing what he pledged to do before the election.
"Many people may unfortunately leave the party - which would be a great pity - and go back to their former roots, maybe, in many cases the Conservative party, but in some cases Labour as well."
Mr Smart said he hoped the situation "can be put right" once UKIP's new leader is elected.
Mr Gill previously defended his ability to do both jobs and said he would consider court action if he was expelled from the party.
Meanwhile, four of the five contenders to succeed Nigel Farage will put their cases to party members in Newport on Wednesday.
Cambridgeshire councillor Lisa Duffy, West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge, national executive committee member Elizabeth Jones, and former Conservative councillor Philip Broughton are due to attend the event.
Diane James is not taking part in the hustings, but will be in Newport for a "meet Diane" event a week on Friday.
"My stance is to give UKIP members the opportunity to focus on me, the candidate, grill me on issues that matter to them and thus examine my leadership qualities," she wrote on her website.â€‹
Ballot papers will be sent to members on 1 September, with the result announced a fortnight later.


The mild weather is believed to have contributed to a big turnout for festive swims around the East Coast.

About 300 people braved the North Sea at Cromer Pier earlier, with thousands looking on from the promenade.
"I think it could well have been a record year, with more spectators than ever before, too," said organiser Clive Hedges.
Christmas Day swims were also held at Lowestoft and Felixstowe in Suffolk, Clacton, Essex and Hunstanton, Norfolk.
Mike Rodwell, who took part in the Clacton swim, said the North Sea was an "unusually warm" 10C for Friday's dip.
"A crowd of over 500 watched well over 100 hardy souls," he added.
The annual event in Cromer has taken place in the seaside town since 1985 when it was originally organised as "a bit of a dare" and is now a much anticipated tradition in the seaside town.
Air temperatures were below zero in 2014, but were a comparatively balmy 15C on Saturday.
Mr Hedges added: "The event has grown in popularity but the mild weather helped.
"I can assure you the sea was as cold as ever though."
He said he hoped the event raised about Â£2,000 for Mesothelioma UK, an asbestos-related cancer charity, in memory of runner Alec Fraser, who died last year.


A ward at Dundee's Ninewells Hospital has been closed to new admissions after a suspected norovirus outbreak.

NHS Tayside said several cases of vomiting and diarrhoea had been reported in ward six, which treats elderly female patients.
It said it took the decision as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the virus, which is also known as the winter vomiting bug.
The board asked anyone with symptoms of the bug not to visit the hospital.


The composer and conductor Harry Rabinowitz, who conducted the scores for more than 60 films including Chariots of Fire, has died aged 100.

Born in Johannesburg in 1916, he came to England in 1946 to study at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
He made regular appearances on TV and radio in the 1950s and '60s, working with the likes of Stanley Holloway, Terry-Thomas and The Goons.
He went on to work repeatedly with the British director Anthony Minghella.
According to his family, Rabinowitz - who was married twice - died at his house in France.
He was a conductor on BBC Radio and went on to become head of music at BBC TV Light Entertainment, before moving to London Weekend Television in 1968.
He remained there until 1977 - the year he became an MBE.
Rabinowitz conducted the UK's Eurovision Song Contest entries in 1964 and 1966 and was the first conductor of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats.
He was Bafta nominated in 1984 for the music he composed for Reilly: Ace of Spies and received the Gold Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (Basca) two years later.
Rabinowitz's many conducting credits included several productions from the Merchant Ivory team, among them Maurice, Howards End and The Remains of the Day.
Minghella, with whom the conductor worked on The English Patient, The Talented Mr Ripley and Cold Mountain, described him as "the UK's best kept secret".
Appearing on Desert Island Discs last year, Rabinowitz attributed his success to his learning to read music "very quickly and very accurately" at an early age.
"A score which would normally take somebody 20 minutes to put right... I reckon I can do it in seven-and-a-half minutes," he told the BBC's Kirsty Young.
Rabinowitz had been due to take part in a concert with the London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican in London in November to mark both his birthday and his long career.
The LSO said it was "devastated not to have the chance to celebrate his magnificent contribution", adding it would be contacting ticket holders shortly.


Up to 1,000 bridleways and footpaths in England and Wales could be reinstated more than 200 years after disappearing from maps.

It follows a Court of Appeal ruling that two paths in Wiltshire are legal rights of way.
John Andrews, ex-Ramblers Association secretary, won the case to reopen the paths, near Crudwell, after 20 years.
At the appeal court, Lord Dyson said the decision sets a precedent for up to 1,000 other locations.
Mr Andrews acted after the government upheld a Wiltshire Council decision to reject the paths' reinstatement.
The two bridleways - one 10ft (3m) wide and the other 15ft (4.5m) - were originally recorded by land commissioner Daniel Trinder, in the early 1800s.
However with the authority of parliament, Mr Trinder was engaged to enclose large fields in common use in the Crudwell area and replace them with smaller plots of privately-owned land.
More than 200 years later Lord Dyson, Master of the Rolls, decided that despite the "linguistic imperfections" of the 1801 Inclosure Consolidation Act - Mr Trinder had had the power to "set out and appoint" public bridleways and footpaths.
He told the court: "We have been told that there are believed to be between 500 and 1,000 cases in England and Wales where public footpaths and bridleways set out and appointed by commissioners are not currently recorded in the relevant definitive maps".


London Irish suffered their first league loss of the season, as Jersey celebrated one of the club's greatest-ever results.

Scott Steele's try put the Exiles ahead but Jersey winger Nick Scott touched down as the sides were level at 8-8 by half-time.
Irish had won all 17 of their Championship games and led narrowly going into the closing stages.
But Gary Graham's late try from close range was enough for the Jersey win.
The victory was their ninth in a row and, though they remain fifth, it boosts their chances of sneaking into the play-offs.
Scrum-half Steele had opened the scoring just before the 15-minute mark after a series of pick-and-goes near the line, but Jersey were level when winger Scott was found by Joel Dudley in space out wide on the left.
Former Saracens full-back Ben Ransom calmly slotted over a drop-goal to edge London Irish back ahead but Callum Sheedy's penalty made it all square at the break.
Jersey knew they would be playing against a strong wind in the second period against a side used to winning and backed by about 1,000 travelling supporters in the biggest-ever crowd for a Championship fixture at St Peter of 3,317.
London Irish centre Theo Brophy Clews knocked over a penalty to re-establish a narrow advantage before the hosts found a new gear, pushing for a winning try which came when flanker Graham powered over with 77 minutes showing on the clock in the ground.
Sheedy's conversion put the Reds more than a penalty ahead, before late Irish pressure which Jersey just about withstood to claim a memorable victory.
London Irish are already guaranteed to finish top of the Championship table, while the islanders remain in fifth spot with just two games against play-off rivals Doncaster and bottom side Richmond to come.
The teams meet again in eight days' time at the Madejski Stadium in the semi-finals of the British and Irish Cup.
Reds captain James Freeman told BBC Radio Jersey: "To beat a team like that, for them to come here unbeaten and we're on a good bit of form, it's just a massive step in the right direction for us in our play-off campaign.
"There were some crucial points in the game where we were grinding it out and showing what we can do so it was huge.
"The atmosphere here today was absolutely fantastic and if we can replicate that in the coming home games it would be fantastic."
Jersey: Cuthbert; Adair, Davies, Ma'afu, Scott; Sheedy, Dudley; Woolmore, Buckle, Kerrod, Phillips, McKern, Freeman (capt), Graham, Haining.
Replacements: Selway, McCarthy, Armstrong, Kolo'ofa'i, Argyle, Hardy, Eastwell.
London Irish: Ransom; Lewington, Hearn, Clews, Ojo; Marshall, Steele; Court, Paice (capt), Hoskins, Robson, De Chaves, Narraway, Cowan, Treviranus.
Replacements: Porecki, Hobbs-Awoyemi, Chawatama, Sexton, Nayalo, Allinson, Tikoirotuma.
Attendance: 3,317
For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.


Japanese shares were up on Thursday, buoyed by strong earnings from the likes of Nintendo and Nissan.

The country's benchmark Nikkei 225 index finished at 20,522.83 points, 1.1% up on the day.
Data measuring the country's industrial production came in 0.8% higher compared with the previous month.
Shares in games company Nintendo were up by 8.3%, while carmaker Nissan closed 0.3% up, after both companies reported positive results.
Mazda earnings came in lower, but beat expectations. Its shares were more than 4% up at the end of trading.
Meanwhile, electronics giant Sony saw its net profit triple in the April-to-June quarter on strong sales of its PlayStation 4 games and camera sensors.
Chinese shares headed lower after state media reported that banks were looking into their exposure to the stock market.
Reports said the lenders were checking their exposure through wealth management products and loans collateralised with stocks.
The Shanghai Composite closed down 2.2% to 3,705.7, having rallied to close more than 3% higher the day before.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng index ended lower by 0.5% to 24,497.98.
Overnight, the US Federal Reserve indicated it was more positive on the US economy, confirming views it is likely to raise interest rates this year.
The US central bank said it had unanimously agreed to keep rates at close to zero this month, but believed the economy was on a stronger footing.
In Australia, the ASX/200 took the cue from the Fed and the positive close on Wall Street.
The country's benchmark index ended the day 0.8% higher at 5,669.50, with miners Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton both closing more than 2% up.
In Seoul, the Kospi index closed 0.9% down at 2,019.03 points.
South Korea saw its technology giant Samsung releasing second-quarter results just before the market opened.
Net profit came in 8% lower compared with the same period in the previous year.
Samsung Electronics shares finished 3.8% down on the news.


A large fire has ripped through a residential skyscraper in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates - for the second time in two years.

Footage posted on social media showed flames spreading up the Torch Tower, and burning debris falling down.
The authorities later said that civil defence workers "successfully evacuated" the building and the blaze was brought under control.
It is not clear what caused the fire in one of the world's tallest buildings.
"No injuries have been reported so far in the Torch Tower fire incident," the government of Dubai's media office tweeted.
It added that "cooling operations were under way".
The Torch Tower was damaged by an earlier blaze in 2015.


Manchester Metropolitan University has become the first higher education institute in the UK to offer students the chance to earn a degree in Urdu.

From September, it will offer the language to students also reading international business and politics.
While shorter courses are available at other universities, this is the first time Urdu has been included in the title of an official degree.
About 100 million people speak it in the world, including 400,000 in the UK.
Yasmin Hussain from the Routes Into Languages university consortium campaigned for the introduction of the new degree.
She said: "The discourse is that modern foreign languages like French and Spanish are more important. Minority languages aren't seen to be as valued and so it has taken a long time."
Students on the full-time courses will have the chance to learn how the language has been used in film and literature, as well as using Urdu to discuss topics related to their core subject.
The launch of the course saw students from local schools take part in workshops and activities, as well as performances by poets and musicians.
Writer Sabeena Khan was among those at an open day to launch and promote the Urdu courses.
She believes young British Pakistanis in particular would benefit from having Urdu as part of their degree.
Ms Khan said: "The language is rich in meaning, its style and usage. It's beautiful and I don't want to see it die out, I want to see more people learning Urdu."
Urdu facts...
... And it has also contributed a few words to English
Sheraz Ali is one of the lecturers who will be teaching the new undergraduate degree course.
"There is a demand for Urdu-related jobs not just in this country but also in many others, especially within professions such as teaching and the health and legal sectors," he said.
Mr Ali believed the course would attract students from different backgrounds and not just native speakers of the language.
He added: "The Urdu degree is open to everyone, not just people from the South Asian diaspora. We live in a multicultural society, where language isn't only a pile of words but something which can bring people together."
You can hear more on this story on BBC Asian Network at 17:00 GMT on Friday, or after that on the BBC iPlayer.


A mother fed her daughter sedatives in order to spend time with her boyfriend, a court has been told.

Poppy Widdison, four, from Grimsby, died from a cardiac arrest in June 2013 at Sheffield Children's Hospital.
Her mother Michala Pyke, 37, and Ms Pyke's ex-partner John Rytting, 40, both deny child cruelty.
Opening the case against them at Hull Crown Court, prosecutors said Poppy had ingested a variety of drugs for up to six months before her death.
Read more about this and other stories from across East Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire
Prosecutor David Gordon said the drugs included sedatives, heroin, methadone and ketamine.
Mr Gordon said text messages between the couple referred to the child having a "blue Smartie" and going to sleep, which he said was a reference to the sedative diazepam.
"We say the defendants are just wanting to get on with their love life, wanting to enjoy each other's company and it may be this young girl was something of an encumbrance," he said.
Mr Gordon said: "She regarded her child, her own daughter, as something of a nuisance and interfering with Miss Pyke's enjoyment of her relationship with Mr Rytting."
The exact cause of Poppy's death is not known but Mr Gordon said experts agreed there was a a long-period of ill-treatment and neglect.
Quantities of prescription and controlled drugs were found at Mr Rytting's house in Grimsby when it was searched.
The prosecutor said: "It was clear that various types of drug were simply left lying around the house."
Both defendants have pleaded guilty to child cruelty by allowing Poppy to live in a house where prescribed and controlled drugs were unsecured and within reach.
Miss Pyke has also admitted child cruelty by emotional abuse.
Both Miss Pyke and Mr Rytting deny one count of child cruelty by encouraging Poppy to ingest prescription and/or controlled drugs and one count of child cruelty by assault causing bruising.
Miss Pyke denies two charges of possessing methadone with intent to supply and supplying the same drug.
Mr Rytting denies possessing cannabis with intent to supply but admitted one count of importing drugs and two counts of supplying controlled drugs.
The trial continues.


(Close): London's leading share index ended the day 2.04% higher on Monday after Tokyo posted its biggest one-day rise since late 2008.

The FTSE 100 rose 116.68 points to 5,824.28, after a 3% gain on Friday.
Household products maker Reckitt Benckiser was one of the top risers, up 6.8%, after posting better-than-expected annual results.
That increase gave the firm's share price its biggest one-day rise since October 2013.
Bernstein analyst Andrew Wood said: "These were a phenomenal set of results. RB blew away consensus on every major metric."
British Airways owner IAG was another top riser, adding 5.2% to 504.5p.
Mining companies led the fallers, with Fresnillo shedding 2.6% and Randgold Resources slipping 2%.
Shane Oliver, head of investment strategy at AMP Capital Investors in Sydney, said: "Shares have become oversold again and due for at least a bounce which may now be getting under way. But with global growth worries remaining, it's still premature to say that shares have bottomed."
The FTSE was still 7% lower than it was at the start of the year and about a fifth below last April's record high despite a rebound over the last two sessions.
Share markets in Frankfurt and Paris also enjoyed strong rises on Monday, adding 2.7% and 3% respectively.
After double-digit rises on Friday, Brent crude rose a further 0.8% to $33.64, while US light crude was up 1.3% to $29.81.
On the currency markets, the pound was up 0.55% against the euro at â‚¬1.2953, but 0.43% lower against the dollar at $1.4442.


Pop star Janet Jackson has postponed her entire UK tour, just three weeks before it was due to begin.

The singer was due to bring her Unbreakable show to London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow, but the gigs have now been called off.
"It is not possible to confirm new dates at the present time so we are refunding all ticket holders," an email from Ticketmaster told fans.
Further dates in Ireland, Germany and France have also been postponed.
Jackson, who returned to the top of the Billboard charts last year with her eleventh album, Unbreakable, has yet to issue a statement on the cancellation.
She had been in Europe since mid-February preparing for the shows and attending Paris Fashion Week.
On 13 February, she posted a video from London, telling fans: "I am so excited. We cannot wait to perform for you."
The star had been due to resume her tour in Birmingham on 30 March, having previously postponed 29 US dates after being advised to have surgery.
She later denied rumours that she had been diagnosed with cancer.
"I'm recovering. My doctors have approved my concerts as scheduled in Europe, and as I promised, the postponed shows will be rescheduled," she wrote in a statement. "Thank you for your prayers and love."
The postponed US dates were eventually rescheduled for July and August, giving British fans hope they will still get to see the star perform.
Although many were upset by the postponement, fans on Twitter also reacted with concern.
"Upsetting, but more importantly, I hope she's alright," wrote Alan Lynch on Twitter. "One of my all time favourite artists."
"I'm not mad about the UK tour - just hope you're well," added a user called Bu.
"We know that you are all feeling devastated at this time," wrote fan network Janet Jackson UK. "Let's pray Janet is ok."


Former Swansea City manager John Toshack believes the club will avoid relegation from the Premier League this season.

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The ex-Wales and Liverpool striker played for and managed the Swans, guiding them to English football's top flight in 1981.
Swansea now find themselves one place and one point above the Premier League relegation zone.
Asked if he thinks they will survive, Toshack said: "Yes I do."
The 68-year-old added: "I think it will go right to the wire. Usually one of the teams which look comfortable drops into it in the last fortnight or so.
"They think they're safe and all of a sudden a couple of bad results come and they find with a few games to go they're in trouble.
"There's maybe a team five or six points above Swansea who could also dip into it. We just need to be confident and keep our fingers crossed."
Swansea were held to a goalless draw by Middlesbrough on Sunday, having been beaten by Bournemouth and Hull in their previous two encounters, and they host Tottenham on Wednesday.
As well as overseeing Swansea's remarkable rise from the old Fourth Division to the First Division, Toshack was also responsible for the club's relegation from the top flight in 1983.
The former Real Madrid manager has been impressed with the impact of Swans head coach Paul Clement, who was appointed in January.
Clement also has experience at Real, having been assistant manager to Carlo Ancelotti at the Bernabeu, and Toshack hopes the former Derby boss can steer Swansea to safety.
"Being at these top clubs and working under Ancelotti will have helped him but this is completely different for him," Toshack added.
"He's at the other end of the table now, he's taken on the decision to be here and be his own man. Apart from Derby, he hasn't had that experience before and I would imagine he's got a difficult couple of months in front of him.
"The last couple of away results have not gone as well as they would've liked. But I can see his enthusiasm is high, he's enjoying the job and we're all hopeful Swansea will be able to dig in and survive."


A motorcyclist who died after a collision with a car in Aberdeenshire on Monday has been named by Police Scotland.

Macauley Tuck, was 25 years old and from Torphins.
The crash happened on the A980 at Glassel, near Torphins, at about 17:20 on Monday. Police have appealed for witnesses.
In a statement, his family said: "Macauley was a character and had a great sense of humour."
His family added: "He had many interests and particularly loved fishing, especially on the River Dee.
"He will be very sorely missed by his family, friends and colleagues."


Wales have confirmed Euro 2016 warm-up matches against Northern Ireland and Ukraine in March.

Chris Coleman's side will host fellow Euro 2016 finalists Northern Ireland on Thursday, 24 March at Cardiff City Stadium (live on BBC Two Wales).
They will face Ukraine at Kiev's NSK Olympiyskiy Stadium four days later.
Wales hope to play a final friendly in May before heading to France, and talks are already under way with the Czech Republic and Sweden.
"Those are two countries we are talking to," Wales assistant manager Osian Roberts told BBC Wales Sport.
"Nothing has been confirmed so far but those talks will continue and hopefully those will soon conclude and we'll know where and when we'll be playing and against who."
BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru will also broadcast live commentaries of Wales' games against Northern Ireland and Ukraine.
Wales will play Slovakia in their opening Euro 2016 group game on 11 June, with games against England and Russia to follow.
Ukraine are in the same group as Northern Ireland, Germany and Poland.
Coleman said the two March friendlies would be ideal preparation for the finals in France, where Wales will be making their first appearance at a major tournament since 1958.
"Michael O'Neill has done a fantastic job as manager of Northern Ireland and I am delighted for him," Coleman said.
"This will be a great occasion for both sets of fans ahead of the finals.
"Meanwhile, the Ukraine are quality opposition and will be a real test for myself, the coaching team and the squad of players."
Roberts said in December that a friendly with Ukraine would be the perfect preparation for the game against Russia.
"It's quite obvious to see the similarities with Russia so we're trying to mirror the games in the tournament with the preparation games," he said.
Wales have met Ukraine on two previous occasions, with both games during the 2002 World Cup qualifiers ending 1-1.


Northumberland and the Scottish Borders have been chosen as the preferred site for a project to reintroduce Eurasian lynx forest cats to the UK.

The animal has been extinct in Britain for 1,300 years, but the Lynx UK Trust believes it will help control deer populations and attract tourists.
It said the selected area had a low human population density, little sheep farming and few roads and railways.
Opponents fear the lynx will be a threat to livestock and wildlife.
A series of consultation events are to be staged to discuss a possible schedule for the reintroduction.
Paul O'Donoghue, chief scientific adviser for the trust, said: "Balancing up the many factors, Kielder has continually stood out as a place where the lynx can flourish."
Several sites across the UK, including Aberdeenshire, Ennerdale in the Lake District and Thetford Forest in Norfolk, were initially identified by the trust before being ruled out as unsuitable.
Mike Pratt, chief executive of Northumberland Wildlife Trust, told BBC Newcastle he believed lynx "could perhaps fit into the landscape in the longer term" and help create "richer" biodiversity.
However, he added: "Let's look at the implications, let's not rush into this."
He called for the trust to consult at length with the Forestry Commission, which is the biggest landowner in the area.
The National Sheep Association (NSA) has been a vocal critic of the proposed scheme, saying the UK is "unsuitable" for the reintroduction of the animals.
It believes they would "threaten the welfare of sheep and the livelihood of farmers".


The former bosses of the National Theatre, Nicholas Hytner and Nick Starr, have revealed plans for a new theatre at Tower Bridge.

The 900-seat venue will be the home of their new London Theatre Company.
It is expected to open in spring 2017 as part of Berkeley's One Tower Bridge development.
"It feels like the time is right for a new theatre that answers the needs of contemporary audiences and theatre-makers," they said.
"We're going to make shows that are both challenging and popular. We know there's a large audience which responds to new work that is ambitious and stimulating; and the more adventurous it is, the more popular it turns out to be."
Sir Nicholas spent 12 years as artistic director at the National, overseeing hits like The History Boys, War Horse, One Man, Two Guvnors and The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-time. He stepped down at the end of March 2015.
Starr was the theatre's executive director from 2002 to 2014.
The pair said the new "flagship" venue was "the only central London commercial theatre of scale not in the historic West End".
"It will offer theatre-makers the kind of environment that will provoke from them adventurous new work, and it will offer to audiences modern standards of comfort, leg-room and facilities.
"We're already working with playwrights and directors on a programme that will be predominantly new but will include, on occasion, a re-invention of a great work from the past."


A woman accused of stabbing a man to death at her house in Liverpool has been convicted of murder.

Farieissia Martin, 22, had denied killing 21-year-old Kyle Farrell, who was knifed in the chest at the house in Charlecote Street, Dingle.
But a jury at Liverpool Crown Court found Martin guilty. She is due to be sentenced on 9 June.
Mr Farrell died in hospital after suffering a single stab wound early on 21 November 2014.
His family said he was a "devoted father and loving son" who will be missed by all his family and friends.


A Pakistani boy who was seriously wounded during a school massacre has undergone surgery in Birmingham.

Ahmad Nawaz, 15, was shot in the arm during an attack at the Army Public School in Pakistan in December.
He was flown to the UK earlier this month and underwent a 14-hour procedure at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital before more surgery earlier this week.
His father, Mohammed Nawaz, said he felt "relieved" his son was "out of danger" and was sitting up and talking.
BBC Asian Network's Shabnam Mahmood said doctors had successfully treated Ahmad's gunshot wound and had inserted metal plates into his arm to mend his broken bones.
Ahmad has written an account of how he survived the Taliban attack and said he "pretended to be dead as he was already bleeding from his injuries".
He said the gunman stepped on him "with his heavy boot".
Scores of people, many of them children, were killed in the attack on the army-run school in Peshawar, in north-west Pakistan, last year.
Taliban gunmen scaled the walls of the school's compound before going on a shooting spree, killing 141 children and staff, in one of the worst assaults in the country's recent history.
The BBC's Phil Mackie said that Ahmad's parents lost one son, Haris, in the attack and feared that Ahmad would lose the use of his left arm.
The Pakistani government agreed to pay for Ahmad's medical treatment in Birmingham after a high-profile campaign in Pakistan.
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is home to some of the world's leading experts in treating battlefield wounds.
Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai was treated at the same hospital after being shot by the Taliban in 2012.
Malala Yousafzai wrote an anonymous diary about life under Taliban rule in north-west Pakistan, and was later shot in the head by militants.
In 2014 she became the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize.


People who have been flocking to Fife to see a whale which has been breaching in the Firth of Forth are being warned from "making any attempts to approach or actively pursue" it.

The humpback has been seen at Pettycur Bay, Kinghorn in Fife.
Humpback sightings are not uncommon in Scotland, but a large whale so far up the Forth estuary is a lot more unusual.
Police Scotland is warning boat owners to keep a safe distance from the whale.
Lindsay Kerr, Police Scotland wildlife liaison officer, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for wildlife watchers and marine tourism but it is essential that the health and well-being of the animals is considered at all times.
"The Forth estuary is subject to large tidal changes and any disturbance to the visiting whale could cause significant risk of it becoming distressed and moving further into shallow water and then becoming stranded by a rapidly outgoing tide.
"Legislation is in place to protect these marine mammals. Please enjoy this wonderful occurrence but do show respect to the whales and be aware of the protection afforded to them.
"I recommend boat and vessel owners follow the Wildlife Safe (WiSe) scheme. In this particular case, commercial and recreational users should not make any attempts to approach or actively pursue the whale.
"The scheme, which is a UK standard for commercial marine wildlife watching, includes a code of conduct and sets out best practice for wildlife watching."
Endangered species such as dolphins, porpoises and whales are protected by wildlife legislation including the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Under the Act, it is an offence to intentionally or recklessly disturb them.


Earlier this summer, Luis Fonsi's Despacito became the most-streamed song of all time - an incredible feat for a record that's predominantly in Spanish.

But it increasingly looks like it won't be a one-off.
Another Latin American song, Mi Gente, has replaced Despacito at the top of Spotify's Global Top 50. Here in the UK, it's just broken into the top 20.
"It's amazing. It's such a blessing," says singer J Balvin, the Colombian artist who's behind the song.
Already a huge star in South America, Balvin has been credited with revitalising reggaeton - a hip-hop-infused blend of reggae and rap that originated in Puerto Rico in the late 1990s.
Over the course of four albums, he's taken the genre once called "reggae en Espanol" and infused it with African, electronic and Caribbean flavours.
More importantly, his lyrics trade reggaeton's gritty, underground roots for a more universal, romantic narrative.
"Mi mÃºsica no discrimina a nadie," he sings in Mi Gente, meaning "my music doesn't discriminate against anybody".
"Exactly!" says the star, when we reference the lyric. "I'm Latino but I don't do music for Latinos. My music is for everybody in the world.
"Music has to be a tool to unite people, to get people together. It doesn't matter the race, the language, the culture. So that's what I'm saying when I sing that line."
The global perspective is evident on Mi Gente, which has its roots in a French track - Voodoo Song, by Willy William. That song, with its chopped-up vocals samples and hopscotch drumbeats, provides a bonkers backbone to Balvin's hit (which William also produced and sings on).
"We took a risk to make new music, new colours, new ways," says Balvin. "It's crazy what we created."
So what lies behind this sudden explosion in music from Latin America? Aside from Luis Fonsi and J Balvin's megahits, there are five other Spanish-language songs in the Spotify top 50.
Sir Lucian Grainge, head of Universal Records, says streaming is the key - giving Latin American artists a platform they would never have received on US (and UK) linguistically conservative radio stations.
"Streaming has changed the face of music discovery and music consumption," he told the BBC last month.
"We're at the forefront of a new creative era [where] anyone who is good can find an audience."
"The beautiful thing about streaming is that people are looking for this stuff," stresses Balvin. "It's like, they really want to play this music. They're looking for it especially. It's the people talking."
Spotify itself has been actively promoting Latin American music in regions outside South America - not least because Mexico and Brazil are two of the streaming service's biggest markets.
"We're proactively trying to push its consumption in countries like Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the UK [and] obviously the US," said Rocio Guerrero, Spotify's head of Latin culture.
"There has been a domino effect," she recently told Billboard magazine. "The more songs that we put on the global chart, people are getting more used to listening to songs in a different language."
Balvin has his own take on the phenomenon: "Well, I think right now kids and the whole world is more open minded," he tells the BBC on the phone from Uruguay.
"People are just more open to listening to good vibes, even though they don't understand the words.
"That's beautiful. That's amazing. It's like we're showing the world this is not luck... This is really down to good faith and hard work."
Balvin has certainly put in the hours since launching his music career 11 years ago.
Born JosÃ© Ã


Polling stations have opened in Warrington to mark the start of the borough council's new electoral system.

For the first time, all of the local authority's seats will be contested. Previously only a third of seats would be up for grabs at each election.
Polling stations opened their doors at 07:00 BST and will close at 22:00.
Elections are taking place for more than 120 councils across England, while mayoral elections are being held in cities including Liverpool and Salford.


Prolific author and anthropologist Sheila Kitzinger - who wrote more than 25 books on childbirth - has died at her Oxfordshire home at the age of 86.

In the 1960s and 70s she developed the concept of a "birth plan", which aimed to give more choice to pregnant women.
She believed mothers, not clinicians, should be the focus during childbirth.
She came to be seen as a pioneer in her field and received an MBE for her work. Her publisher Pinter & Martin said she died on Saturday after a short illness.
Born in a thatched cottage in Taunton, Somerset, in 1929, Ms Kitzinger studied social anthropology at the University of Oxford, then taught and carried out research at the University of Edinburgh.
A strong advocate of home birth and natural birth, Ms Kitzinger had her own five children at home and believed midwives played a crucial role.
In her 1962 book The Experience of Childbirth she also argued that birth had the potential to be a "psychosexual experience".
Among her other books were The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Ourselves as Mothers. Her autobiography is due to be published next month.
Her husband Uwe Kitzinger, who she met while studying at Oxford and married in 1952, said she was "a woman of great spunk".
"She was an icon of home birth who decided to have a home death," he said.
"She took to her bed three months ago, but she was drinking Kir Royale and champagne and eating chocolates three days ago, knowing she didn't have long.
"She was great to be married to, and she was a wonderful mother. She and I were married for 63 years. We said goodbye with a prayer."
Her eldest daughter, Celia Kitzinger, said her mother taught her from an early age that "the personal was political".
She said: "As I was growing up I learnt from her campaigns for freedom and choice in childbirth that passionate and committed individuals can create social change.
"She never hesitated to speak truth to power."
Prof Kitzinger said her mother had campaigned on a wide range of issues including female genital mutilation, prisoners giving birth in handcuffs and human rights in midwifery in Eastern Europe.
She added: "She is so much more than a 'natural birth guru'."
Her publisher Pinter & Martin said her work had had enormous impact on millions of women around the world.
An active writer and campaigner into her eighties, Ms Kitzinger set up the Birth Crisis Network, a helpline for mothers who had experienced a traumatic birth.
Writing on her website, she said: "The romantic image of a radiant mother, a beautiful baby in her arms, her golden hair lit by the sun's rays, displayed on the jackets of many birth books is far removed from reality.
"New mothers are often unhappy. This major life transition is made incredibly difficult by poverty, poor housing, overcrowding, and social isolation.
"But one reason why many women have low self-esteem and cannot enjoy their babies is that care in childbirth often denies them honest information, the possibility of choice, and simple human respect."


Hair follicles created by a process similar to 3D printing could one day be used as implants, L'Oreal has said.

The cosmetics firm is partnering with a French bio-printing company called Poietis, which has developed a form of laser printing for cell-based objects.
Hair follicles have not been created this way before and the firms expect it will take at least three years to adapt the process.
However, one hair loss charity said it was too early "to be getting excited".
L'Oreal already uses 3D printed skin in its product research.
"If we manage to bio-print a hair follicle we will enhance our knowledge of both hair biology and some of the mysteries of hair growth and loss," Jose Cotovio, a director at L'Oreal's Research and Innovation division, told the BBC.
Initially the follicles would be used to test new products, he added.
"Hair loss is very emotional for some people and very distressing - if we succeed in identifying some ingredients that can fight this it will be a huge revolution.
"The next step is, will it be possible to implant? This is the holy grail."
The technique will make use of a laser-assisted bio-printing process developed by Poietis over the past couple of years.
It begins with the creation of a digital map that determines where living cells and other tissue components should be placed to create the desired biological structure. This takes into account how the cells are expected to grow over time.
The file is then turned into instructions for the printing equipment, so that it can lay down tiny droplets made out of the cell-based "bio ink" one layer at a time.
The printing process involves bouncing a pulsing laser off a mirror and through a lens, so that when it hits a ribbon containing the bio ink, a droplet of the matter falls into place.
About 10,000 of these micro-droplets are created every second.
The resulting organic tissue would then need time to mature before the hair follicles are ready to grow.
Poietis says it has already used the technique to create cartilage and other viable types of cell lines.
It typically takes about 10 minutes to print a piece of skin 1cm (0.4in) wide by 0.5mm (0.2in) thick.
However, since hair follicles are complex and consist of 15 different cells in a sophisticated structure, they may take longer.
Poietis is not the only company working on bio-printing, but most others use extrusion - which involves pushing a bio-ink through a nozzle - rather than lasers to build their tissue.
Poietis suggests its technique puts less stress on the biological matter, meaning there is less risk of causing it damage.
But its chief executive Fabien Guillemot acknowledges that adapting it to create hair follicles will be challenging.
"It's of the most complex objectives so far of all the bio-printing projects that we have created," he said.
Alopecia UK - a charity that provides support and advice about hair loss - had mixed feelings about the development.
"It is encouraging to know that companies such as L'Oreal are investing in technology that may help those with hair loss in the future," said spokeswoman Amy Johnson.
"However, we would suggest it's still very early days to be getting excited about what this potentially could mean for those with medical hair loss. At this point it is unclear as to whether this technology could benefit those with all types of hair loss.
"Also, if this new technology did lead to a treatment option, given the high costs of existing hair transplant procedures, how many people will be able to realistically afford any new technological advances that may become available?
"As with any other research and development into processes that may be able to help those with hair loss, we watch with great interest."


Esther McVey has been selected as the Conservative candidate in Tatton after former Chancellor George Osborne said he would not to stand for re-election.

Former minister and Wirral West MP Ms McVey was chosen to contest the Cheshire constituency at a Conservative Party selection meeting on Wednesday.
Mr Osborne said he was leaving Parliament "for now" as he becomes the Evening Standard editor.
Ms McVey lost her seat as MP for Wirral West to Labour in the 2015 elections.
Mr Osborne congratulated Ms McVey on Twitter, saying: "A real star. I couldn't have a better successor. A one-woman Northern Powerhouse."
He had held the seat with a majority of more than 18,000.


US President Barack Obama has admitted he and Donald Trump "could not be more different" but said American democracy was "bigger than any one person".

In Athens on a leg of his final world tour, Mr Obama vowed that his team would "do everything we can to support the smoothest transition possible" to the new presidency.
He said democracy "depends on peaceful transition of power especially when you don't get the results you want".
Mr Trump won last week's US election.
He will be sworn in as president in January 2017.
Looking back through achievements of his eight-year presidency, Mr Obama singled out the deal with Iran on nuclear weapons and Paris climate change agreement..
President-elect Trump had criticised both deals during his presidential campaign.
Mr Obama's last tour will also take in Germany and Peru.


A man has appeared in court accused of murdering a woman who was found dead in a car boot in Greater Manchester.

Lee Nolan, 48, of Bamford Road, Heywood, was remanded in custody to appear at Manchester Crown Court on 2 November.
Katelyn Parker, 24, was found in a blue Nissan car on River Street, Heywood on Friday, after a tip off to police.
A post-mortem examination revealed Ms Parker was strangled with a ligature, police confirmed.


British Para-rower Rachel Morris won her heat in the arms only single sculls to qualify for Sunday's final at the Paralympic Games in Rio.

The 37-year-old is looking to add to her medal collection having won hand cycling gold in Beijing and bronze at London 2012.
Elsewhere, table tennis world number one Rob Davies secured his place in the next round of the Class 1 category.
Davies, 32, won his second qualifier, beating Italian Andrea Borgato 3-2.
Fellow Welshman Paul Davies lost 3-1 to South Korea's Chang Ho Lee and will face Brazil's Aloisio Lima in the final group match.
Paul Karabardak's Games are over having lost his first group game in Class 6 against Hong Kyu Park he was defeated by Matias Pino of Chile in his second game later on Friday.
On the track, Jordan Howe was disqualified for a false start in the T35 100m heats while Olivia Breen finished seventh in the T38 100m final.
Phil Pratt helped GB men's wheelchair basketball team secure their second successive win with a 82-62 victory over Iran.
The women's team, including Clare Griffiths, responded to their opening defeat by Canada with a 79-20 win over Argentina.


It is International Women's Day, which celebrates the achievements of women around the world.

The day is being marked with parades, speeches and special events.
It is held on 8 March every year and also aims to highlight the importance of men and women being equal.
We want to know which woman inspires you and why?
This chat page is now closed, thanks for all your comments.
Rebecca Adlington inspires me to become a swimmer.
Sophie, 11, Oxfordshire
Charlotte Dujardin because she's got an OBE.
Iona, 9, Northumberland
My mum and my nan.
Nea


Fallout 4, the popular post-apocalyptic video game, will be released on 10 November this year.

Publisher Bethesda made the announcement at its press conference at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, also known as the E3 games show, in Los Angeles.
It also showed off a remake of iconic game Doom - out in Spring 2016 - and Dishonored 2.
Both Fallout 4 and Dishonored 2 will feature playable female characters.
The publisher's event kicked off the biggest week in the calendar for the video games industry.
Tomorrow will see similar events from Microsoft and Sony as they lay out their plans for the Xbox and PlayStation consoles over the next year.
On Tuesday, E3 will open its doors to the trade, press and around 5,000 members of the public.
Bethesda was the first of the major game publishers to hold an E3 event.
"I thought it was strong," said Rob Crossley, UK editor of Gamespot, who was at the event. "It was robust. I think they had a lot to show."
The company had shared a trailer for Fallout 4 earlier this month, but gameplay sequences were shown for the first time on Sunday.
A companion game called Fallout Shelter, which is played on a mobile application, was also announced.
In what was billed by Bethesda as a highly customisable environment, players can select a female lead character.
Dishonored 2 also features a female lead character - news which was greeted with cheers in the audience at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre.
"I think it's a really strong move, and I think it deserves a lot of credit," said Mr Crossley.
"Over the past few years we've seen a growing understanding and acceptance that the industry needs to be more inclusive in how it welcomes women into games."
Also getting a first-showing at the event was a remake of iconic series Doom, the game which defined the first-person shooter genre when it was released in the early nineties.
Marty Stratton, executive producer at Id Software, introduced a gameplay run-through of the new title.
In a nod to the original game, weapons such as the Super Shotgun and Chainsaw were demonstrated in a highly-violent scene in keeping with the series' style.
A multiplayer mode was also shown off, including Doom Snapmap, a tool for creating modifications to the game, including custom-designed maps.
A special store will show off users creations for others to try out.
Sunday night's showcase was the first of its kind from Bethesda, who analysts say are positioning themselves as a major publisher alongside the likes of Activision, Ubisoft and EA.
"Bethesda's presser [news conference] was a heady mixture of nostalgia, core gaming and a heavy nod to the changing landscape of games consumption," said Piers Harding-Rolls, a games analyst at IHS.
"This was Bethesda's first ever E3 press event and underlines the company's determination to start to expand its output and grow its fan base and ongoing revenue streams."
Of particular interest, Mr Harding-Rolls said, was the firm's attempts to establish itself on smart devices - phones and tablets - with companion apps.
"These titles will play a role in engaging the fan base for both franchises across new screens and at different moments of the gaming day," he said.
"They will also act as vehicles to broaden the appeal of the PC and console versions of the games.
"Having a smart device strategy, even as a core gaming publisher, is now vitally important for these reasons."
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC
You can follow all of the BBC's coverage from E3 2015 via the hashtag, #e3bbc
Short: November release date for Fallout 4


South Korean workers have returned to the Kaesong industrial park in North Korea, five months after work was halted amid high political tension.

Trucks and cars began crossing the border into North Korea at exactly 08:00 (23:00 GMT Sunday).
More than 800 South Koreans were due to cross to the jointly-run centre for what is being called a trial restart.
The zone, just inside North Korea, is home to 123 South Korean factories that employ more than 50,000 North Koreans.
It is the last functioning inter-Korean joint project and a key source of revenue for Pyongyang.
By Lucy WilliamsonBBC News, Seoul
The last time trucks queued up at the Kaesong crossing point, five months ago, the border with North Korea remained resolutely closed.  This time, shortly after 08:00, the long line of vehicles began moving through, on their way to the newly-reopened industrial complex.
More than 800 South Koreans were due to cross over into Kaesong on Monday, to restart operations at around half the factories there.
The resurrection of the complex is the result of weeks of tough negotiations between the two sides, and those discussions are still not finalised.  Among those heading across the border today were a team of negotiators, tasked with hammering out the details for how the complex would look in future.
High on their agenda is the subject of internet and mobile phone access for the site - contentious issues for the North, but key if foreign investors are to be wooed to the complex as a stabilising influence.
After a five-month suspension of the complex, attracting foreign companies has perhaps become a little harder.  And even South Korea remains wary, calling Monday's operation a "trial run", not a formal and permanent re-opening of Kaesong.
But Kaesong remains, to many here, the "canary in the mine" of inter-Korean relations, and the agreement to resume operations there paved the way for further signs of a thaw between the two Koreas: the restoration of a military hotline, and a planned reunion of families separated by the Korean War.
Its commercial image may be tarnished, but Kaesong's importance as a political symbol here remains.
But the North withdrew all of its workers in April, as ties between the two Koreas deteriorated in the wake of Pyongyang's 12 February nuclear test.
Reopening the complex has taken months of negotiation.
South Korea's Unification Ministry said a total of 820 managers and workers planned to cross into the complex on Monday, with 400 to stay there overnight.
They will be inspecting production facilities to assess how quickly a full restart can be implemented after  five months of inactivity.
The restart is being described as a trial but more than half of the South Korean companies had asked North Korean employees to report for work, the ministry said.
Negotiations on resuming operations at the complex faltered for weeks on South Korea's insistence that safeguards must be in place to prevent any future unilateral shut-down of the site by North Korea.
But the two sides have now set up a joint management committee to run operations at Kaesong, which last week set a restart date for the complex.
The committee has also reached agreement on smoother access to the site for South Koreans by expanding permitted border crossing times and is negotiating about improving communications there.
The Koreas have also agreed to open the site to foreign investors - a move seen as making it harder for North Korea to unilaterally close the complex again.
South Korean firms will be exempt from taxes for the rest of the year, to offset losses incurred while the complex was closed.
But some local businessmen remain worried about the risks of doing business with Pyongyang.
Q&A: Kaesong Industrial Complex
"Honestly, I still feel a bit nervous, because you never know whether the North will change its mind in the future," a textile company manager told the French news agency AFP. "Who knows if a crisis like this won't happen again?" he said.
The shutdown was the first for the Kaesong complex since it was opened more than a decade ago.
It came during a period of very high tension on the Korean peninsula.
The 12 February nuclear test led to expanded UN sanctions which, along with an annual US-South Korean joint military drill, angered Pyongyang.
It threatened attacks on multiple targets in the region, prompting warnings - and displays of high-tech military hardware - from the US.
Tensions have eased somewhat in recent weeks, however.
The two Koreas have also recently agreed to hold the first reunion of families separated by the division of the peninsula after the 1950-53 Korean War later this month. It will be the first such reunion in 10 years.


Choreographer Benjamin Millepied has confirmed that he is stepping down as director of Paris Opera Ballet.

Millepied, who joined the company in November 2014 and was set to unveil his new season next week, said he was leaving "for personal reasons".
He is married to Natalie Portman, having worked with the actress for her performance as an obsessed ballerina in 2010 film Black Swan.
Millepied had recently criticised the ballet company in a documentary.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Millepied - who has also directed films and music videos - said the role did not give him enough time for "creation and artistic expression".
He said he had originally accepted the position with "great honour and gratitude" and expressed his love for the company.
Millepied added that he would continue to work with the company during the current season and the next, adding that he would stay to help find a successor.
The behind-the-scenes programme, shown in France shortly before Christmas, saw him say performances sometimes looked like "wallpaper... and were deadly boring".s
In the documentary, broadcast on Canal+, he also said the ballet was too hierarchical and beset by internal competition.
He was seen urging his dancers to "let themselves go" in classical ballet pieces in the same way they do in more contemporary performances, saying: "Is this no fun?".
He also said the ballet was not as "excellent" as it claimed to be, but added that its troupe could be "perhaps the best modern dance group in the world".
A former principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, Millepied left that company in 2011 to found the LA Dance Project.
Millepied has a four-year-old son, Aleph, with Portman, who won the best actress Oscar for Darren Aronofsky film Black Swan.
They live together in Paris but it has been reported that Portman, set to play Jackie Kennedy in a forthcoming biopic, wants to refocus her career in Hollywood.
A ballet choreographed by Millepied, La nuit s'acheve, is due to open on Friday as part of a triple bill staged by the Paris Opera Ballet.
Founded in 1661 by Louis XIV, it is the oldest and one of the most prestigious ballet companies in the world.


Moldova's presidential election will go to a run-off next month after a pro-Russian candidate narrowly failed to secure a majority of votes.

With almost all ballots counted, Igor Dodon won 48.5%. His closest rival, pro-European candidate Maia Sandu, has 38.2%.
Mr Dodon needed at least 51% to avoid a second round on 13 November.
Sunday's poll was the first direct presidential election in Moldova for 20 years.
It is seen as a battle between those supporting closer ties with Russia and those wanting integration with the European Union.
Moldova country profile
With turnout put at about 48%, Ms Sandu said young people had been "impeded" from voting, but gave no details.
"Today the young had a small turnout. I think it happened because the authorities impeded them from doing so. We will do everything to remove such obstacles in the second round," she said.
Mr Dodon thanked his supporters, adding: "The main conclusion is that voters no longer believe in this government. Our victory is inevitable."
Prime Minister Pavel Filip said in a statement that he hoped the result of the run-off would "bring about both change and stability".
The ex-Soviet republic is one of the poorest countries in Europe and has been hit by a string of high-profile corruption scandals.
Since 1996 presidents of Moldova have been chosen by parliament.
Both the EU and Russia seek greater influence over the country, which is wedged between Ukraine and Romania, but polls indicate that voters are divided about which offers them a better future.
Mr Dodon has pledged to push for new parliamentary elections if he wins. Ms Sandu, from the centre-right opposition, has been praised for reforming the education system.
The president appoints judges and sets out foreign policy but other major decisions need the approval of parliament.
Popular election though could bring the post more influence and authority, correspondents say.
Moldova was thrown into political turmoil in 2014 with the disappearance of about $1bn (Â£820m) from the banking system.
There were weeks of street protests and six prime ministers took office in one year.
Since then, parliament has passed anti-corruption laws, forcing public officials to disclose their assets and making the misuse of EU funds a criminal offence.
Population 3.5 million
Area 33,800 sq km (13,050 sq miles)
Major languages Romanian (called "Moldovan" in official documents), Russian
Major religion Christianity
Life expectancy 66 years (men), 73 years (women)
Currency leu


A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a 37-year-old who was found dead at a house.

Carl Scott's body was found in Birch Court, off Thurmond Road, Winchester.
Mr Scott, from Winchester, died some time between 12 February and 22 March, when his body was discovered by a member of the public, a court heard.
David Gray, 35, of no fixed address, was remanded in custody until a case management hearing at Winchester Crown Court in August.
A provisional trial date was set for 4 December.


The Duchess of Cambridge has carried out her first royal solo trip abroad with a visit to the Netherlands.

She had lunch with King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and their three daughters at the royal residence, Villa Eikenhorst, near The Hague.
Kate, 34, then visited the Mauritshuis Museum and stopped in front of Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, sporting identical jewellery.
The duchess viewed 22 paintings on loan from the British Royal Collection.
Crowds lined the streets as Kate arrived, to be greeted by one of the museum's directors, Emilie Gordenker, and stopped to chat briefly with children waving Dutch and British flags, who were lined up in front of three traditional red British telephone boxes erected for the exhibition.
But it was posing in front of Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring painting, wearing the jewellery on loan from the Queen, that caught the photographers' eyes.
Ms Gordenker said: "She didn't mention the earrings she was wearing but she was interested in the painting.
"She asked if it had become a lot more popular since the film came out, and I said it definitely had."
The duchess helped fix a bicycle wheel when she worked with two teenagers at a public workshop in Rotterdam.
She also "shook hands" with an interactive robot made by some of the local children, during her tour of the Bouwkeet Makers Space.
The centre, which is based in an economically deprived part of the city, is a new charity-funded project designed to keep youths off the streets by teaching them a range of skills, from furniture manufacturing to computer maintenance.
Richenel Lensa, 47, a welder from Rotterdam, who volunteers at the centre, led the bike refurbishment class the duchess joined, and said afterwards: "When I met her I told her my hands were dirty but she still shook it and said 'sometimes my hands are dirty, too'.
"The kids are very happy to see that someone important has come here to see what they are doing - it's great for the kids."
Charlinic Komsi, 14, a local schoolgirl who was one of the teenagers Kate helped at the workshop, said: "I didn't know she was going to help us, and I thought 'what's she doing?' but I thought she did really well."
The visit came a day after Prime Minister Theresa May was in the Netherlands to discuss Brexit with her Dutch counterpart, Mark Rutte.
The Duke of Cambridge carried out his first solo tour in 2010, aged 27, on behalf of the Queen in New Zealand.
It was Kate's first tour alone after she cancelled a solo visit to Malta in 2014 after suffering morning sickness.


League One leaders Burton missed the chance to go seven points clear as they were beaten at Southend.

Anthony Wordsworth gave the hosts an early lead from close range but Stuart Beavon equalised for Burton just before the break with a deflected strike.
Tyrone Barnett's fine drive restored Southend's advantage and David Mooney sealed the win in the last minute on the counter-attack.
Burton have now lost three of their past six matches.
Burton boss Nigel Clough told BBC Radio Derby:
Media playback is not supported on this device
"I thought we played well enough to get something out of the game.
"After the first 10 minutes we got to grips with the game and played well; deserved the equaliser and I thought we started the second half very well.
"They hardly had a shot and then all of a sudden one flies in the top corner and we're chasing the game again.
"We probably played better for an hour of the game tonight than we did in the two previous victories."


Members of the Aslef union have rejected a deal aimed at ending the long-running dispute over driver-only operated trains on Southern railway.

Members voted by 372 votes (51.8%) to 346 (48.2%) against the proposed deal.
General secretary Mick Whelan said: "We understand and support the decision arrived at in a democratic vote."
Govia Thameslink Railway said it was "hugely disappointing" as the agreement had "the full support and recommendation" of Aslef leaders.
"We have shown a willingness and desire to find a solution to their dispute and we will now, once again, sit down with the union, understand the issues which led to this regrettable decision by the drivers and try and find a way forward to resolving it," spokesman Andy Bindon said.
Mr Whelan said the drivers' union would now "seek new talks and work to deliver a resolution in line with the expectations of members".
Live: More on this story and other news from Sussex
Aslef members voted on a second deal after members rejected initial proposals in February.
They threw out the initial deal by a majority of 54.1% after 11 days of talks between the rail operator and the union.
Southern remains in a year-long dispute on the issue with the RMT union, which represents guards on Southern trains.
The firm's plan for guards to become on-board supervisors, leaving drivers with the responsibility of opening and closing carriage doors was initially opposed by the RMT union last April.
Leader Mick Cash said the move reduced the safety of passengers and staff on board trains and urged Southern rail to put "safety before profits".
Industrial action began in April 2016, and Aslef members joined the picket in December.


Goalless, frustrated, angry - the mood of Cristiano Ronaldo has matched the weather so far here in Paris; the odd sliver of sunshine, but lots of rain.

On Saturday, the night of his record 128th appearance for his country - passing the tally of Luis Figo - the Real Madrid forward failed to break down Austria, with a missed second-half penalty capping his misery.
The captain had 10 shots at goal in all against the Austrians, with only three of them on target. That brought Ronaldo up to 20 goal attempts so far this tournament - which is more than either of their group rivals Hungary (18) or Iceland (12) have managed in their two games to date.
Portugal are third in Group F and in danger of exiting the tournament before facing Hungary in Lyon on Wednesday - but will they be able to rely on Ronaldo to get them through?
Given the number of occasions on which Ronaldo has simply taken Portugal matches by the scruff of the neck - such as when he hit a brilliant hat-trick in the second leg of the World Cup qualifying play-off in Sweden in November 2013 - it's understandable that some wonder if he's on the decline.
That seems an enormous stretch of the imagination. Despite having turned 31 in February, Ronaldo was as potent as ever last season, hitting 51 goals for Madrid in La Liga and Champions League combined.
"There's a lot of people criticising," said Portugal midfielder Adrien Silva, a fellow Sporting Lisbon youth product, at a pre-match news conference in their training base in Marcoussis on Monday. "I don't think it's going to hurt him. He's more than used to it. He does everything he can to get us the best result."
What we are seeing, however, is a clear evolution of his game.
"As the years go by and age gets to him, besides the incredible amount of matches he plays, Cristiano Ronaldo is converting himself to a pure finisher," Vitor Hugo Alvarenga, a journalist for respected Portuguese website Mais Futebol, tells BBC Sport. "But he does not want to play as a traditional striker."
It's something Ronaldo himself backed up after the opening game against Iceland. "I like playing as a winger more," he told Portuguese journalists, "but it depends on the characteristics of my team-mates, and sometimes I have to adapt."
But the numbers chart his move into more of a predator in the past few years; increasingly since the knee problem that so badly restricted him at the 2014 World Cup.
In the two seasons since, Ronaldo has scored fewer goals from outside the box than in three of the four campaigns previous to that.
He hit five La Liga goals from outside the area in both 2014-15 and 2015-16, but scored six from outside the area in 2013-14 despite playing fewer games than in either of the two subsequent seasons.
Perhaps most tellingly in terms of the change to his game, Ronaldo is also making fewer dribbles.
He attempted 110 dribbles in La Liga last season - his lowest total since he arrived at the Bernabeu in 2009.
His heading, on the other hand, has become a much bigger part of his game. He has scored 25 headed goals in the past two campaigns (La Liga and Champions League combined), only one fewer than his combined total of headed goals across the previous five seasons.
That metamorphosis is something he concedes himself, even if he's not totally ready to become an out-and-out centre forward.
"I'm more of a penalty box player now," he told World Soccer in November.
It also changes the attention he gets from defenders - he's more of a static target, and Hungary are sure to seek to frustrate him in a similar way to which Iceland and (sporadically) Austria did.
Whether he would get more space in a potential last-16 clash with England is another question. The knockout rounds, against more ambitious teams, might work in his favour.
Ronaldo seems to believe his patience will be rewarded.
"It's not the ideal way in which I wanted to do it," he said after beating Figo's Portugal appearance record against Austria. "Someone who tries always achieves. The bad times never last for long."
This change in Ronaldo's game has been reflected in the tactical evolution of Fernando Santos' Portugal. The former Greece coach has switched the team from the traditional 4-3-3 (which, of course, echoes the shape of Real Madrid) to a 4-4-2.
"It's to give more freedom to Ronaldo," Alvarenga says. "It allows him not to have to defend in the left side, but without making him a lone striker who plays without close support."
The problem up front is a perpetual one for Portugal. It is a nation that produces wingers, not strikers.
So Eder, who endured a difficult time in the Premier League with Swansea before being shipped off to Lille, is the squad's only genuine centre forward - and he's only played for a combined 13 minutes as a substitute in the first two matches.
This all means there's added pressure on Ronaldo to make the decisive contributions, while his partner in the 4-4-2, be it Nani or Ricardo Quaresma, is not a specialist striker, and learning on the job to an extent.
Having said that, a chart of player average positions from the first two games tells us that Nani has successfully stayed close to Ronaldo, which is the system's aim.
Ronaldo's 2013 heroics in Stockholm are worth remembering for another reason.
It represented an apex in the idea of Portugal having become a one-man team, carried by a superhuman. When their stricken captain needed his team-mates to return the favour and carry him in Brazil, they were unable to do so and eliminated at the group stage.
Santos has made significant changes to the squad since taking the job in September 2014. As well as bringing back a few veterans, including 38-year-old defender Ricardo Carvalho, the coach has blooded a series of promising youngsters.
The blend worked in qualifying, in which Portugal won all seven qualifiers after Santos took charge - although tellingly all by a one-goal margin.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Playing in a major finals tournament is something entirely different.
"The truth is that Portugal is going through a renovation process and doesn't have players like Figo, Rui Costa or Deco that were on top (of their games) when Ronaldo started out in the national team," added Alvarenga.
Danilo, Bayern Munich-bound Renato Sanches and Joao Mario are all still learning how to control matches.
There has been the sense so far that Santos is really struggling for the right mix in midfield, though the fact that Ronaldo is getting the chances without dropping deep to collect the ball suggests that they are doing something right.
The match against Austria was strikingly similar to the second game in the last Euros, against Denmark.
Back in 2012, Ronaldo spurned a string of chances in Lviv and was almost universally criticised.
He came back with a brace against the Netherlands in the final group game, which was the signal for Portugal to really grow into the tournament. They were only vanquished on penalties in the semi-finals by eventual champions Spain.
As Ronaldo pointed out after the Iceland game, he only played once between the Champions League final and the start of the Euros - a 45-minute cameo in a friendly with Estonia when he scored twice. A bit of ring-rust is to be expected, in the circumstances.
It's clear that he is in much better condition than in the last World Cup. The fears in Portugal of a repeat of that, as he struggled with fitness at the end of the club season, have not been realised. You could say he's short of peak sharpness, but he's not injured.
If a repeat of that scenario of four years ago is to be fulfilled, the click into gear could be just around the corner.
"He's going to score in the next game," said Santos in Tuesday's press conference. "I'm absolutely convinced of it."
He needs to, with victory imperative for Portugal against Hungary if they want to continue at the tournament.


The Soyuz spacecraft carrying astronaut Tim Peake has successfully blasted off from its launch site in Kazakhstan.

15 December 2015 Last updated at 11:15 GMT
The ex-helicopter pilot is travelling to the International Space Station with with American Tim Kopra and Russian Yuri Malenchenko.


The Czech Republic won the Fed Cup for the third time in as many years with a 3-2 victory over France in Strasbourg.

Resuming at 1-1 in the best-of-five tie, France's world number 23 Caroline Garcia beat world number six Karolina Pliskova 6-3 3-6 6-3.
Barbora Strycova levelled by beating Alize Cornet 6-2 7-6 (7-4), setting up a decisive doubles match.
Pliskova and Strycova beat Garcia and Kiki Mladenovic 7-5 7-5 to wrap up the Czechs' fifth title in six years.
They have now won the Fed Cup 10 times, five of which were as Czechoslovakia.
The United States are the most successful nation in the competition's history, winning it 17 times, seven of which were in successive years from 1976-1982
On Saturday, Pliskova beat Mladenovic 6-3 4-6 16-14 in a near-four-hour match, before Garcia saw off Petra Kvitova 7-6 (8-6) 6-3.


A man died in a suspected electrocution while trying to clear a tree that had brought down power cables in Wiltshire.

Police said they were called at about 15:10 GMT to reports of a fallen tree at Bremhill near Calne.
When they arrived, they found a man in his 70s with serious injuries.
A spokesman said "early indications" showed the man was "electrocuted as he tried to clear the tree."  He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Southern Electric Power Distribution spokesman said: "Earlier today we were, unfortunately, made aware of a fatality in the Melksham area.
"We were called to the site and made the situation safe and although we cannot speculate on the cause we can say the police were on site with our team.  We will continue to assist the police with their inquiries."


The Manx government has invited developers to come forward with ideas to transform prominent quayside sites in Douglas.

The two areas, which are currently car parks on Lord Street and Parade Street, occupy more than three acres.
Subject to planning, it is hoped the development will include leisure facilities, a hotel, shops and offices.
Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne said potential designs need to "set the standard for future development".
He added: "This is an opportunity to develop a prime area in Douglas fronting the inner harbour and marina and close to the main shopping streets."


An exploit that takes advantage of a flaw in Adobe's Flash Player is being used by cybercriminals.

The problem was only patched by an update from Adobe last week, meaning many users are still believed to be at risk.
Two exploit kits, which allow criminals to compromise computers in a variety of ways, can now target the bug.
This was spotted by a French security researcher known as Kafeine.
Kafeine said that more people are likely to be vulnerable to the exploit since it targets a relatively recent version of the browser-based Flash Player software, 18.0.0.160. The latest version is 18.0.0.194.
Before being flagged by Adobe, the vulnerability was considered a zero-day - meaning it had not previously been disclosed and there was no known fix. Kafeine added that a handful of similar bugs have been discovered in Flash Player since January.
The two kits in question, Angler and Magnitude are relatively popular, according to security analyst Rik Ferguson at Trend Micro.
Many are worried that in this case the exploit could be used to deploy ransomware, which restricts access to a victim's computer until a ransom fee is paid.
"Angler is a very... widespread toolkit," said Mr Ferguson. "It's really just a framework that is being used to deliver whatever the exploiter wants to deliver... Besides ransomware, it could just as easily be used to deliver banking malware, DDoS bots, spam bots, whatever."
Mr Ferguson added that according to their records, a large proportion of Trend Micro customers still appeared to be using versions of Flash Player vulnerable to the attack.
David Emm, a security expert at Kaspersky, commented that certain security programmes would be able to protect users against exploits like these, but that updating vulnerable software was recommended.
"As always, the best policy here is to make sure your application and the operating system you use have all the updates installed," he said.
Adobe has urged users to download the latest Flash Player update.