Andy Farrell has made six changes to his Ireland team for Saturday’s Six Nations clash with Italy in Rome. Halfbacks Craig Casey and Ross Byrne come in for what will be just their second and third Test start, while Iain Henderson replaces the injured Tadhg Beirne. Jack Conan, Ronan Kelleher and Bundee Aki also rotate in from the start. Matt Williams warns Ireland to disparage an improving Italy team at your peril: “Farrell has observed the lessons from the Welsh and the Wallabies and has selected his best available 23 players. An act of respect from the world’s number-one team to the Italians.” Tonight in Treviso the Irish Under-20s take on a highly regarded Italian side, check out John O’Sullivan’s preview here.
Manchester United came from behind to secure a spot in the last 16 of the Europa League after beating Barcelona 2-1 at a raucous Old Trafford. The Catalans went ahead in the 17th minute when Robert Lewandowski squeezed his penalty past David De Gea, but United turned the game around after half-time with Fred firing the teams level two minutes after the restart, before his compatriot Antony sidefooted home the winner in the 73rd minute. United progressed from the play-off tie 4-3 on aggregate. The BBC football commentator John Motson has died at the age of 77, Malachy Clerkin pays tribute: “John Motson was a fixture, an indelible link to those first years when the game was entering your bloodstream forever. His commentaries from three, four, five decades ago live on now, every bit as vital as the games they soundtracked.”
In his column this morning, Johnny Watterson explains why boxers’ Olympic ambitions are being caught in the crossfire between governing bodies. The International Boxing Association, with ripe historical baggage and growing links with Russia, is intent on running its own Olympic qualification pathway in defiance of the Olympic body: “the immediate burning issue is whether the current Mexican standoff between the IBA and the IOC will mitigate against Ireland’s athletes competing in what they consider to be the most important tournament of their careers.”
Meanwhile, Shane Lowry opened the Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens in Florida with a strong two-under-par 68. He’s three shots off the first round leaders, Americans Joseph Bramlett and Billy Horschel.
