Soccer: Balotelli the unlikely hero
Liverpool, already having let their lead slip twice at home to top-four rivals Tottenham last night, looked to the mercurial Mario Balotelli to provide them with an all-important third goal - the substitution received a mixture of applause and hopeless dismay.
When his name was read out eight minutes later as the match-winning goalscorer the crowd went wild, his team mates had gone wild, but the Italian was unfazed. Does a post man celebrate delivering the post he once said - that's his first Premier League goal after 170 days at the club. He did at last break a smile for those who "believe and support" him later in the night on Instagram.
Rugby: Sexton return
Johnny Sexton can expect to regain the Irish number 10 jersey for the visit of France to the Aviva this weekend, as Ireland go in search of their first win over les bleus in the stadium. According to kicking coach Richie Murphy the outhalf has returned to training this week with his typical intensity.
One man who will be hoping to benefit from Sexton's return is winger Tommy Bowe, the Ulster man says he was frustrated with a match full of chasing punts and box kicks against the Italians, so perhaps the returning Sexton can add an extra spark to that backline.
On the opposite wing on Saturday, more than likely at least, will be a Munster man with French blood - Simon Zebo. It's his first time he will have faced the French and he says it'll be a special day on a personal level.
GAA: Brian Cody happy to change
Brian Cody is rarely shocked, he was a little surprised however when JJ Delaney rang him last December to explain that he would be retiring. A player at the peak of his powers, one who the Kilkenny manager would consider the greatest defender of all time. Delaney though was one of five vastly experienced Kilkenny players to have hung up their hurls during the off-season, enough to worry any manager in a county where anything less than an All-Ireland is deemed a failure. Not Cody though, he embraces change, and challenges, and he backs his panel to be ready for the challenge ahead.
Cricket: World Cup
Ireland are looking forward to their third straight participation at the global stage at Cricket World Cup - coach Phil Simmons is aiming to put warm-up losses behind them for West Indies opener. He says you can look forward to Ireland playing good cricket witha smile on their faces. In today's newspaper there's a Cricket World Cup: Q and A and Ireland fixtures and a breakdown of the Irish squad.
What to watch out for:
The Sigerson Cup quarter final between DCU and St Mary's takes place today in Belfast, the Dublin university have already defeated pre-tournament favourites UUJ but they will get nothing handy here.
The French are due to name their team for this weekend's encounter with Ireland, that's at about 11am.
The big Premier League game tonight is between struggling Everton and top-of-the-table Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
BT Sport 1 from 7.45pm.
While highlights of all of last night's, and tonight's Premier League games will be on a special mid-week edition of BBC's Match of The Day.
BBC 1 from 11.40pm.
