Yesterday's 24-12 defeat by England at Twickenham has made it a three-way fight to be Six Nations champions, with Ireland, realistically, down to third in the table and the outsiders after being beaten and bullied. Gerry Thornley assesses the damage after a disappointing day for Irish rugby. In his column, Liam Toland explains how England's astute kicking game helped them establish a stranglehold on the game: "the immediate question is how do Ireland cope with such a tactic imposed upon them? This, having been beaten thrice in such fashion, is the key question for Andy Farrell and his Irish team."
January signing Bruno Fernandes put in another man-of-the-match display as Manchester United beat Watford 3-0 on Sunday. Fernandes scored a first half penalty before Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood sealed the points - the win moves United to fifth in the Premier League. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hit a brace in Arsenal's 3-2 victory over Everton as the Gunners rallied from conceding inside 49 seconds to secure their third win in a week. Wolves also followed up on their Europa League form with a 3-0 win over Norwich. Tonight, runaway leaders Liverpool host West Ham (kick off at Anfield is 8pm). In his column this morning, Ken Early is looking ahead to Wednesday's Champions League last-16 clash between Manchester City and Real Madrid: "Madrid are so big that beating them would a milestone in City's European history, yet so vulnerable that City could tear them to pieces. Doing so would be Guardiola's best European moment at City, and the best way to convince his players that what might be their last season in Europe for a while might also be their best."
In the world of GAA on Sunday, an irresistible attacking display yielded 2-25 for Padraic Joyce's Galway team in Tuam Stadium on what was a dark day for Tyrone. In Clones, Monaghan responded to Mayo's indiscipline with a merciless 2-16 to 0-13 win that puts James Horan's team in real relegation trouble. Kerry are back on track for a place in the league final after beating Meath on Sunday, leaving the Royals with a near impossible task to retain their Division 1 status for 2021. In the hurling, a one point win over Galway gave new Waterford manager Liam Cahill a third league victory in three games, Shane O'Donnell scored two goals as Clare and Kilkenny played out a thrilling draw, Tipperary defeated Westmeath by 20 points for their first win of the campaign, and Limerick had two points to spare against Cork with all six of their forwards and both midfielders getting on the scoreboard.
Meanwhile Rory McIlroy's last round bid faltered as the Irishman finished fifth behind American Patrick Reed in the European Tour's WGC-Mexico Championship on Sunday. World number one McIlroy started the round four shots off the pace and made an early charge, with birdies at the first, third and sixth holes in a bogey-free front nine at Chapultepec Golf Club. But a bogey five at the 12th cost McIlroy his momentum as Reed and countryman Bryson DeChambeau surged clear. Read Ewan Murray's report from Mexico city here.
