It is hard to pick out one player from Jim Gavin's all-conquering Dublin side as having been more vital than the rest in the successful quest for four-in-a-row - but forward Ciarán Kilkenny is odds-on to be named the Footballer of the Year. 25-year-old Kilkenny now has five All-Ireland medals in his locker, and as Seán Moran writes this morning, his statistics from the 2018 Championship point to a player who remains firmly on the rise. "Kilkenny's scoring total rose from 1-9 to 2-24 as a result of his shooting rate doubling from 19 to 43 and his accuracy improving from 53 per cent to 61. It left him as the top scorer from play in this year's championship."
Yesterday World Rugby issued a warning about the future of Test Rugby, with vice chairman Agustin Pichot suggesting urgent action is needed to reduce the workload on players who are being flogged as teams bid to keep their heads above water financially. This morning Johnny Watterson has compared the playing time so far this season of the Ireland and England Test squads who toured Australia and South Africa respectively during the summer, revealing an alarming disparity. He writes: "Every English player but Kyle Sinckler, Nathan Earle, Ellis Genge and Jonny Hill have played for their club in one match, 24 players have taken part in two matches and 11 players, including Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and Joe Launchbury, have played for the full 80 minutes in both games. Of the 32 Irish players that toured Australia, 14 have yet to lineout for their province and only two players, Leinster outhalf Ross Byrne and Ulster scrumhalf John Cooney, have played the full 80 minutes in both opening matches."
A point against Finn Harps tonight would see UCD return to the League of Ireland Premier Division after a four-year absence. The students are unbeaten since June and this morning James McDermott, a law lecturer at the college, has looked back on the team's rich history - from nearly upsetting Everton's greatest side through to Kevin Moran's infamous FA Cup final red card. There are four Premier Division fixtures tonight, and Cork City have the chance to reduce Dundalk's lead at the top to three points as they take on Bohemians at Dalymount Park (7.35pm, RTÉ 2). Elsewhere Shamrock Rovers face Limerick in Tallaght (8.0pm) and Waterford play Bray.
Ireland enjoyed a fine day on the water at the World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv yesterday, with the women's pair of Emily Hegarty and Aifric Keogh making history as they won their semi-final to qualify for Saturday's A final. Gary and Paul O'Donovan cut it fine but they took one of three final places on offer for the A final of the lightweight double sculls, which also takes place tomorrow.
And two of the provinces are in Pro14 action tonight, with Joey Carbery set to start for Munster against the Ospreys at Musgrave Park (7.35pm, EirSport, TG4), as he looks to impress in the number 10 jersey. Meanwhile Bundee Aki could make his first appearance of the season from the bench as Andy Friend's Connacht travel to play Edinburgh at Murrayfield (7.35pm, Eir Sport 2).
