Stephen Kenny's wait for his first win as Ireland manager goes on following last night's 3-0 defeat at Wembley - a first loss for an Irish team against England in 35 years. Ireland were beaten all ends up with the goals coming from Harry Maguire, Jadon Sancho, and a Dominic Calvert-Lewin penalty. Ken Early was impressed with England's former Ireland underage midfielder Jack Grealish: "players like him are rare in the modern game but more magnetic because of it, and the best that can be said of last night is at least Ireland were able to get a good look at him." There was heartbreak for Northern Ireland in their Euro2021 play-off final. An 87th-minute equaliser at Windsor Park took Slovakia to extra time but they were ultimately beaten by Michal Duris's 110th minute winner. There were contrasting emotions in Serbia as Scotland held their nerve in a penalty shootout to reach their first major finals since the 1998 World Cup in France.
Ireland host Wales this evening in their first Autumn Nations Cup match, with the stakes high for different reasons: "after succeeding two high achieving head coaches, arguably the best in each country's history, both Farrell and Pivac could do with a win. Put another way, they could seriously do without a defeat. This Nations Cup may well be a footnote in history, but the stakes look almost deceptively high." Wales' slide from Grand Slam champions and fourth place at Japan 2019 to eighth in the world rankings was only halted by Japan, Argentina and Fiji playing no games, thus far, in 2020. Rumours swirl around the village as Welsh rugby goes from crisis to crisis.
In producing an exhibition of shot-making, Englishman Paul Casey, at 43 years of age and chasing his breakthrough Major, sets the pace at the US Masters. Casey's error-free round of seven-under par 65 gave him the clubhouse lead before fading light forced a halt to play for the day with 44 players left to complete their rounds. Among them, Rory McIlroy, who was level par on his round through nine holes. Reigning champion Tiger Woods was among a group on four under after a round of 68. No laboured walk. His swing smooth and sweet. No tired body. Woods, his aura back. Free-flowing beauty and grace, from backswing to follow-through.
Meanwhile, in his column this morning Jackie Tyrrell asks what ever happened to Austin Gleeson? Looking ahead to Sunday's Munster hurling final he writes: "For one thing, he has never had a defined position. He bounced around from the half-back line to midfield to half forward. He would start some games corner-forward before drifting out and going where the play took him. That freedom is great, in theory."
