Restrictions on crowd numbers at sporting events are set to be loosened today when the government announces its medium-term plan Living With Covid-19. Malachy Clerkin reports that "for the first time since all sports went behind closed doors on August 18th, restrictions on crowd numbers will be loosened, with up to 500 people allowed into all venues and the possibility of 10 times that in major stadiums over the coming months." If the measures come in for this weekend, county finals in Dublin, Tipperary and Monaghan will be the first to welcome spectators back since the opening rounds of their championships back in mid-summer.
Jorginho, Reece James and Kurt Zouma hit the net to hand Frank Lampard's £200million Chelsea men victory at Brighton last night. New signings Kai Havertz and Timo Werner both started the match with the latter looking the liveliest part of an initially ponderous, increasingly fluent 3-1 win, while Brighton were both impressively slick and a little unlucky. Earlier Wolves sweep past Sheffield United thanks to a six minute blitz at Bramall Lane. In transfer news, Manchester United are preparing an opening offer for left back Sergio Reguilón but are unwilling to match Real Madrid's €30m valuation.
In his column this morning, Gerry Thornley explains how Saracens have targeted Leinster for eight months: "Ever since Saracens squeezed into the knock-out stages and earned a tilt at Leinster they have been targeting this quarter-final for eight months." However this won't be the same team who beat Leinster in last year's Champions Cup final - of the 23 who lined up in Newcastle in May of last year, in addition to the suspended Owen Farrell, a further 10 have moved on following confirmation of their relegation. Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall has revealed how Farrell is still playing a crucial role in his side's preparation, by adopting Johnny Sexton's role in training this week. Ann Heneghan has been elected Connacht Rugby president at Monday night's virtual AGM, making her the first female to become president of an Irish province.
Meanwhile, with six stages of the Tour de France to go, Sam Bennett is 45 points ahead but the battle for the green jersey may still come down to the final bunch sprint on the Champs Élysées next Sunday. Speaking on the second rest day at his Deceuninck-Quick Step team hotel in La Tour du Pin, ahead of the first of three Alpines stages, Bennett sees his task as twofold: doing what he needs to do to stay safe in green and ensuring Peter Sagan doesn't do enough to take him out of it. The Tour resumes today with Stage 16, the 164 km from La Tour du Pin to the mountain rooftop finish at Villard de Lans, with hardly a single stretch of flat road, highlighted by an 11km climb into the Vercors Massif.
