The Kansas City Chiefs ended a half-century Super Bowl drought with a dramatic 31-20 comeback win over the San Francisco 49ers in a breathtaking finish to the NFL's 100th season. Their star quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, who completed 26 of 42 attempts for 286 yards and two touchdowns, appeared out of sorts for nearly three quarters of the game before stepping up when it mattered to earn the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP) honours. Mahomes is the youngest to win both the NFL and Super Bowl MVP awards.
A remodelled France team blew the 2020 Six Nations tournament wide open with a shock victory over England in Paris. Gerry Thornley explains that, with Italy at home next Sunday, Les Bleus will travel to Cardiff in round three with, most probably, nine points and a new-found strut in their stride. Ireland meanwhile, after Saturday's win over Scotland, are expected to give an update this morning on a quartet of injuries sustained in that victory with the visit of Wales up next. Liam Toland's column this morning (Subscriber Only) focuses on a positive shift in attacking policy that he noticed at the Aviva on Saturday: "there is a subtle undercurrent of change and we must be patient as we are very vulnerable this weekend when facing Wales. Don't get too upset if the sloppiness continues but do watch the revel in the outside backs' running."
Manchester City remain 22 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool after losing 2-0 to Tottenham in London on Sunday evening. Spurs' hero was their new signing Steven Bergwijn who started on the left wing and impressed with his work-rate, although not as much as he impressed in the moment when he conjured the breakthrough goal. In his column this morning, Ken Early writes that it's time for City's Catalan manager Pep Guardiola to embrace a diversity of tactics: "is Guardiola prepared to work on this weakness in a systematic way, or would he see such prosaic method-football as a sort of betrayal of his principles?"
Meanwhile in Sunday's GAA league action hurling topped the bill as 14-man Clare held on for a three point win over Wexford in the meeting of Davy Fitzgerald and Brian Lohan - friends and team mates turned foes. Limerick had too much for Galway who lost Joe Canning to injury. While Dublin, Kilkenny and Waterford all enjoyed somewhat comfortable victories. In the best of the afternoon's football action - Monaghan won both halves (into the wind and with it at their backs) against a subdued Tyrone team. While Fermanagh came from six down to beat Roscommon. The other story of the day seen Tipperary come from 1-5 to 0-2 down after 40 minutes, to beat Louth.
