Everton substitute Bernard's extra-time strike sealed a 5-4 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in an absorbing FA Cup fifth-round thriller at Goodison Park last night. Earlier Pep Guardiola's Manchester City side cruised to a record-breaking 15th consecutive win - their 3-1 victory over Swansea seeing them into the last eight. Neil Lennon hailed his "brilliant" Celtic side following their 4-0 Scottish Premiership win at St Mirren. The one negative for the reigning champions was Stephen Welsh's second half foot injury.
The GAA's return to play has been suspended indefinitely and to April at the earliest. This news has emerged after an emergency meeting on Wednesday of the GAA's Covid Advisory Group and on foot of a meeting earlier this week between the association, women's Gaelic games organisations and Minister of State for Sport Jack Chambers. Read all the latest from Sean Moran here. Down football manager Paddy Tally has been handed the minimum eight-week suspension by the GAA's Central Hearings Committee after a gathering of his players in Abbey CBS, Newry took place in early January, outside of the stipulated return to training date in the middle of the month.
Dr Barry O'Driscoll, the former medical adviser to World Rugby believes the current HIA system that allows a concussed professional player to return within a week as "so obviously done for commercial reasons". He told The Irish Times: "The HIA and return to play protocols have no scientific standing. The six-day return to play came in because the game went professional and there was pressure to get a player back for the next game. It was based on nothing else. We are damaging players' brains again and again." The French neurologist who claimed Johnny Sexton had suffered 30 concussions in his career and expressed concerns about the Irish captain facing France on Sunday has subsequently expressed his regret for the damage he caused.
Meanwhile Sonia O'Sullivan explains in her excellent column this morning why there's no need for a so-called ageing runner to have a fear of speed and specific training: "It's time for the traditionalists to tear up the "rule of thumb"; now more than ever age is just a number, and how we treat our bodies mentally and physically often determines how long we can keep going at such a high level."
