Grand Slam on for Ireland
Ireland took another huge step towards a historic Grand Slam yesterday with a resounding 19-9 Six Nations win over England at the Aviva.
Through a beautiful mix of robotic accuracy and sheer determination Joe Schmidt's side were always the likely winners as they set about dismantling a dangerous England side with one of the finest opening hours of test match rugby you are likely to see.
Schmidt's green machine have now won 10 tests on the spin and sit alone on top of the championship table, and finally the Ireland coach was able to enjoy the relative comfort of a two score win, writes Gerry Thornley.
While nobody in a green shirt had a bad day at the office, with the likes of Conor Murray and Rory Best particularly outstanding, it was Robbie Henshaw who was named man of the match after he capped off a coming of age performance with the games solitary try.
England had no answer to the metronomic kicking game of Murray and Johnathan Sexton, which when allied with the aerial ability of Ireland's back three is almost impossible to defend against, writes Gavin Cummiskey.
The only mark on an otherwise perfect day were injuries to Sexton, who was hooked after feeling his hamstring in the second half, and Sean O’Brien, who will undergo HIA after a collision on 24 minutes.
While Ireland will always sorely miss an absent O'Brien, his replacement Tommy O'Donnell put in a very impressive shift in his stead.
Connacht impressive in Treviso win
While Henshaw was becoming the first Connacht player to score a try for Ireland since Noel Mannion in 1989, the men from the West were putting in an accomplished performance at the Sportsground, hammering Treviso 53-8 in the Pro 12.
Chelsea lift League Cup, Man City slip-up
Chelsea lifted the League Cup yesterday after they held off Tottenham Hotspur to win 2-0 at a drenched Wembley, giving Jose Mourinho his first silverware of his second stint in charge at the club.
It was a good day all round for Mourinho's men as they took another big step towards the Premier League title thanks to Manchester City's shambolic showing at Anfield.
Jordan Henderson and Phillipe Coutinho screamers gave Liverpool a 2-1 win as City completely folded, writes Ken Early.
Elsewhere, Arsenal bounced back from their midweek humiliation against Monaco with a 2-0 win over Everton at the Emirates.
Birthday boy Donaghy helps Kerry beat Dublin
Kerry beat Dublin 0-15 1-10 in a tempestuous affair in Killarney yesterday, with Kingdom captain Kieran Donaghy chalking up his first win as captain on his 32nd birthday.
Elsewhere, Donegal withstood a late barrage to submit Cork to their first Allianz League defeat of the season, while Mayo were too strong for 13-man Monaghan in Castlebar.
Ready for De Villiers
Ireland continue their cricket World Cup campaign in the early hours of tomorrow morning, and William Porterfield's side have the difficult task of trying to keep the best one day batsman in the wold, AB De Villiers, quiet in Canberra.
Weather halts Honda again
The Honda Classic has already been pushed back a day due to weather and now the fourth round is currently delayed due to bad light.
Padraig Harrington’s tournament hopes seem to be over as he is currently three over through seven and four shots of the shared lead of Paul Casey and Ian Poulter, who are both seven under par.
Fight of the century
With Floyd Mayweather against Manny Pacquiao finally announced after years of posturing many are looking forward to the fight of a generation, however their enthusiasm isn't shared by Brian O'Connor, who writes the "Fight of the Century" is just a farewell tour.
What to watch out for:
Rugby:
Against the head, RTE 2, 7pm
Football:
Serie A, Roma v Juventus, BT Sport 1 from 7.30pm, Setanta from 7.40pm
GAA:
Weekend highlights, TG4, 8.30pm-9.30pm
