Ireland were forced to pull it out of the fire to avoid leaving Rome in ruins yesterday evening, as Joe Schmidt's team limped to a bonus point win over Italy after a very poor performance at the Stadio Olimpico. In his column this morning, Liam Toland explains that the win was no walk in the park as Italy force Ireland into the trenches: "the story of the day – being on the wrong wavelength. The lineout lifting pod and the hooker. The scrumhalf and the flying first receiver. The reshuffle of Keith Earls into midfield and yet more wavelengths eroding the famed Joe Schmidt attention to detail and the accuracy he requires."
Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League after a 0-0 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford, a match which failed to ignite. United lost three players to injury in the first half, while Liverpool were forced to replace Roberto Firmino - and the flow of the game never recovered from the early disruptions. Manchester City meanwhile claimed the first silverware of the season with a penalty shootout win over Chelsea - the headlines after the match however were dominated by Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. In extra-time at Wembley, Willy Caballero was prepared and ready to replace him for the shootout, but astonishingly Kepa just refused to leave the pitch.
Kerry made it four wins from four after beating Galway by a point on Sunday. Keith Duggan reports from Tuam: "Four wins from four for the Kingdom. This one was built on efficiency, a ravenous appetite for defensive slog and a blazing closing act after being hit with a 65th-minute goal for Galway." In Sunday's other Division One football encounter, Cavan got their first points of the campaign with a surprise home win over Roscommon. In the hurling, All-Ireland champions Limerick suffered their first defeat of this years's league as Cork's Pat Horgan scored 1-9 and Limerick registered 17 wides. Clare held on - after leading by 13 points at one stage - for the two points despite a spirited Wexford comeback. Eoin Murphy's injury time free was the difference between Kilkenny and Tipperary in Nowlan Park, and in 1B Waterford's momentum was halted as Dublin goalkeeper Alan Nolan saved a last gasp penalty as his team won by two points.
Meanwhile Rory McIlory - who carded a final round 67 to go 16 under par overall - finished five shots off Dustin Johnson who won the WGC-Mexico in controversial circumstances last night. Johnson's pushed drive on the fifth hole finished at the foot of a tree and with no forward shot possible, stymied. The American thereby appealed for and received a free drop owing to the fact his stance to play his second shot would have touched a cart path. However, Johnson's demonstration of said stance actually looked unusually wide, and he opted to play for and find the green from his relief area rather than perform the basic clearance job that would otherwise have been his only option.
