In his column this morning Gerry Thornley has picked the bones out of a disappointing final weekend in the 2020 Six Nations, with the last rounds of the Championship being played out without the competition's lifeblood - supporters. He writes: "And so an unexceptional tournament, made memorable by its hiatus more than anything else, had an anticlimactic ending, especially hereabouts. A ho-hum Irish performance in a ho-hum tournament." And he suggests title winners England and a resurgent France side could dominate the Six Nations going forward: "Ireland are at the least still better than the rest, even if there's an unsettling suspicion that a gap may be emerging in the class divide between England/France and the other teams." You can also read his team of the tournament HERE - spoiler alert, it's dominated by those wearing blue and white. Meanwhile Owen Doyle gives us a referee's perspective of Ireland's 35-27 defeat to France on Saturday night - and he believes Ireland were robbed of a penalty try following a first-half incident between Hugo Keenan and Antony Bouthier. C'est la vie.
Donegal landed the first major blow of the intercounty football season last weekend as they ran out 1-13 to 1-11 winners over Ulster rivals Tyrone on a wild day in Ballybofey. And in his column his morning Kevin McStay has put them up as serious contenders to win an All-Ireland Championship in which the weather and physicality will have a significant bearing on who takes home Sam Maguire. He writes: "The scene was set for an Ulster dog fight and it became that - but with so much good football produced by both sides. And now, Donegal have been road-tested by Tyrone. I put them at third favourites for the All-Ireland but that is a modest placing. I can make a strong argument for them going the whole way."
Leicester City have moved within a point of the top of the Premier League table after they routed Leeds 4-1 at Elland Road last night. Bredan Rodgers' impressive visitors took an early 2-0 lead through Harvey Barnes and Youri Tielemans before Stuart Dallas pulled one back early in the second-half. However Jamie Vardy scored Leicester's third after 76th minute to put the game to bed before Tielemans made it four with a penalty in stoppage time. Earlier in the day, Fulham secured their first win of the season as they beat a hapless West Brom 2-0 at Craven Cottage. In the Champions League tonight Liverpool travel to play Atalanta (8pm) and Manchester City welcome Olympiakos to the Etihad (8pm).
Joseph O'Brien has won the Melbourne Cup for a second time, after Twilight Payment led them home this morning under Jye McNeil to score at 25-1. Aidan O'Brien's Tiger Moth came second with the race marred by a fatal injury to his Derby winner Anthony van Dyck.
And in the Pro14 last night Leinster ran up their 23rd consecutive win in the competition as they beat Glasgow Warriors 32-19 at Scotstoun, with the prodigious Harry Byrne impressing at outhalf. Dan Leavy came off the bench to get some more minutes under his belt, however Rhys Ruddock was forced off with an injury. Earlier in the evening, Ulster made it four wins from four as they edged out Cardiff 11-7 at Rodney Parade.
