Ireland are back to winning ways in the Six Nations but rugby's laws came under the spotlight most as they crushed Italy at the Aviva Stadium. A facile and somewhat futile 57-6 win over an Italian side reduced to 13 men for the final hour, ensured Ireland have the best points differential, something which could be significant in the increasingly unlikely event of France slipping up. Nathan Johns looks at the five key things we learned, while John O'Sullivan assesses Michael Lowry's bright debut performance.

Ireland's Caoimhín Kelleher was the hero as Liverpool won yesterday's League Cup final on penalties. The Cork native didn't save any, but scored the winning penalty, after making some key saves in a pulsating goalless draw. In his column this morning, Ken Early asks what now for Chelsea's Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich and the Premier League? "If Russian and Chinese oligarchs are off the menu," he writes, "then who exactly constitutes the market for these supposed multibillion-dollar institutions? It's a problem they don't want, but they can ignore it no longer."

The Dublin footballers are now facing down the barrel of relegation after a fourth league defeat in a row - this time against Kildare in Newbridge. The hosts gradually grew into the game and against wasteful opponents were worth the win. Aidan O'Shea came on to lead Mayo to victory against Armagh, while David Clifford scored 2-3 in Kerry's win over Monaghan. In the hurling - Limerick's league campaign continues to flatline after they were well beaten by Cork at the Gaelic Grounds. Wexford delivered a statement win away to Henry Shefflin's Galway.

Meanwhile, Ireland's Shane Lowry fell just short at the Honda Classic, eclipsed by Austria's Sepp Straka on the final day in Florida. Straka, who is the first Austrian to win in the PGA Tour's history, put together a late surge on Sunday to pip Lowry by one shot with a four-under 66.