What’s on?
With the Six Nations on a down week, Pro12 rugby takes centre stage along with the FA Cup fifth round, Allianz Hurling League, Sigerson Cup semi-finals and final, golf from Australia and Los Angeles, racing at Gowran Park and Navan as well as some Grade One action at Ascot.
The main events
1. Sigerson Cup final (Connacht GAA Centre, Saturday 3pm)
2. Racing: Betfair Chase (Ascot, Saturday 3.35pm)
3. Pro12: Ospreys v Munster (Liberty Stadium, Saturday 4.15pm)
4. Allianz Hurling League: Cork v Dublin (Pairc Ui Rinn, Saturday 7pm)
[ full sporting TV guide for the week hereOpens in new window ]
Friday
On Friday morning you can tune in to Sky Sports 4 at 5am to watch the World Super Six event from Perth. This is a new event on the European Tour which incorporates strokeplay and matchplay. The first two rounds are regular strokeplay before the field is reduced to 65. After round three the field is cut again to 24 players for a Sunday of six-hole matchplay action. Any ties will be decided on a specially designed 90-yard long playoff hole. It’s the first example of the European Tour’s new initiatives to revolutionise golf and it will be interesting to see how it works out.
In the afternoon there is a double header of Sigerson Cup semi-final action at the Connacht GAA Centre in Knock. First, St Mary’s take on UCC at 2pm before UCD play UL at 4pm.
On the PGA Tour this week it’s the Genesis Open at Riviera (Sky Sports 4, 7pm). The event is now without Tiger Woods after the 14-time major champion had to withdraw with back spasms but the field still has quite an exciting look to it. Jordan Spieth comes in off the back of his win at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am with world numbers one and three – Jason Day and Dustin Johnson – also in action. The Irish trio of Shane Lowry, Pádraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell also tee it up for a second week in a row.
At 7.35 the Pro12 action gets underway with Leinster taking on Edinburgh at the RDS (TG4, 7.20pm). A bonus point win for Leo Cullen's side can see them leapfrog Ospreys into second place before the Welsh side take on Munster.
Saturday
At 5am you can catch the third round from Perth on Sky Sports 4 to see who makes the knockout matchplay stages.
Then at 12.30 the FA Cup action gets underway with one of the two non-league teams still in the competition.
Burnley welcome Lincoln City to Turf Moor hoping to avoid being the latest big name knocked out by the National League side (BT Sport 2, midday).
At 1pm you can tune into ITV for horse racing action from Ascot. That includes the Grade 1 Betfair Chase where Colin Tizzard’s Cue Card heads the betting.
In Kilkenny racing kicks off at Gowran Park at 1.20pm where the Red Mills Trial Hurdle Grade 2 and Red Mills Chase Grade 2 take centre stage.
After a long campaign of intervarsity action the Sigerson Cup final rolls around this weekend at the Connacht GAA Centre. The winners of St Mary’s and and UCC will face whoever prevails between UCD and UL to lay hands on the big prize (TG4, 2.45pm).
At the same time a double header of Irish rugby action begins with Ulster first taking on Glasgow (Sky Sports 1, 2.45pm) before Munster meet Ospreys in a top of the table clash at the Liberty Stadium (Sky Sports 1, 5.15pm).
Also at 2.45 there are two FA Cup offerings from eirSport. Huddersfield welcome Pep Guardiola and Manchester City (eirSport 1), while Millwall take on Derby (eirSport 2). Also at 3pm Middlesbrough take on Oxford.
The evening kickoff in the FA Cup sees Wolves take on Chelsea (BT Sport 2, 5pm).
At 6pm the third round of the Genesis Open gets underway on Sky Sports 4.
Then, at 7pm, it’s Allianz Hurling League time. In Division 1A Dublin take on Cork at Pairc Ui Rinn (eirSport 2, 6.55pm) while Laois play Offaly in 1B (eirSport 1, 6.45pm).
Connacht are the last Irish province in Pro12 action over the weekend when they take on Dragons (TG4, 7.15pm).
And you can round off your evening with all of the FA Cup highlights with Match of the Day on BBC at 10.30pm.
Sunday
It’s a quiet enough Sunday sports-wise this weekend with all of the rugby action played over Friday and Saturday.
At 3am on Sky Sports 4 the final round of the World Super Six gets underway in what should be an interesting watch now that it’s down to the matchplay stages.
The final four matches in Division 1 of the hurling all take place at 2pm.
Waterford take on Tipperary at Cusack Park (eirSport, 1.30pm) while Clare meet Kilkenny at Cusack Park (eirSport 1, deferred coverage).
In 1B Galway take on Wexford while Limerick welcome Kerry to the Gaelic Grounds.
At 1.40pm you can flick on BBC 1 for ther first of the day’s FA Cup games where Fulham take on Tottenham with kickoff at 2pm.
In Navan, racing gets underway at 2.10pm where the Ladbrokes Ireland Boyne Hurdle and the Ten Up Novice Chase are the features.
Blackburn welcome Manchester United to Ewood Park for their fifth round clash at 4.15pm (BT Sport 2 from 3.45pm).
At 6pm it’s back to LA for the final round of the Genesis Open at Riviera (Sky Sports 4).
And then it’s time to settle down for the evening and enjoy hurling highlights on League Sunday (RTÉ2, 9.30pm) or FA Cup highlights on Match of the Day 2 (BBC2, 10.30pm).
Any spares?
Tickets are still available for Leinster's clash with Edinburgh at the RDS and are priced between €20 and €65. You can buy them here or get them at the ground on Friday night.
Tickets for all of the Allianz Hurling League action are very reasonably priced at €12 and can be found here.
If none are available online they can be purchased in SuperValu and Centra stores, as well as at the ground for €15.
Also on Saturday, if you're up north, you could take a trip to Ravenhill to see Ulster meet Glasgow. Tickets for that one are priced between £17 and £60 and can be bought here.
If you fancy spending Saturday at the races you can do so at Gowran Park where admission is €15 with under-18s in for free.
In the evening the rugby action comes from the Sportsground in Galway where there are limited tickets available in the College Road terrace, priced at €22 and available here.
On Sunday a day at the races in Navan is your only option with admission priced at €15 and under-18s free. Tickets can be bought online here.
Tips?
Ball d’Arc to win the Flyingbolt Novice Chase (Best price 7-1 with Paddy Power).
The Gordon Elliot-trained six-year-old has also been entered into the Red Mills Chase at Gowran park on Saturday and could well run in that instead of Navan.
However, if he does run on Sunday he looks to be well priced at 7-1. Identity Thief is the odds on favourite at 4-5 but his season has been somewhat derailed after he pulled up in a Grade One at Leopardstown at Christmas, before unseating his rider in the Irish Arkle.
Meanwhile Ball d’Arc won last time out over the same trip with Jack Kennedy on board and looks to have good claims if he does go at Navan.
