Liverpool's quadruple pursuit has been boosted by an FA Cup quarter-final draw against Championship opposition. Last night's draw sees them face the winner of Nottingham Forest and Huddersfield, who play on Monday night - check out the full draw here. Salomon Rondón struck twice in the second half to take Everton past non-league Boreham Wood into the last eight. In his column this morning, Johnny Watterson explains why displays of integrity by sports bodies are this month's fashion and irony is dying: "The wonder is it that the governing bodies had a collective spine to find for Ukraine. An interesting aspect of their belated devotion to the righteous is how it will endure if Kiev is taken and the country falls into an endless bloody insurgency supported by a free flowing supply of weapons from the west."
Leinster lock Jack Dunne and centre Rory O'Loughlin are en route to Exeter Chiefs next season, while Adam Byrne, David Hawkshaw and Peter Dooley are set to follow Josh Murphy in joining Connacht. Anthony Eddy's decision to vacate his post as the IRFU's director of sevens and women's rugby with immediate affect comes the day before the union host a media briefing in relation to the independent report conducted by FairPlay Ltd into the failure of Ireland to qualify for Rugby World Cup 2021. Tonight, Iain Henderson returns from Covid to captain Ulster against Cardiff, and Connacht face the team above them in Edinburgh.
Rory McIlroy signed for a wonderfully crafted opening round of seven-under-par 65 in the Arnold Palmer Invitational to take the first round lead and provide immediate evidence that he has taken his A-Game to Arnie's Place. He has a three stroke lead over fellow Irishman Graeme McDowell who produced a fine 68 that could have been even better but for a closing bogey. Leona Maguire opened with a solid 70 at the HSBC World Championship in Singapore.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic's hopes of playing at the French Open have been given a major boost with the news France is suspending its vaccination pass this month. The news also means Djokovic, who is the only man in the top 100 who remains unvaccinated, can play in the Monte Carlo Masters beginning on April 10th, which could well be his next tournament.
