Quoting Tom Jones, John O’Sullivan reminds us that it’s not unusual for Welsh rugby to part company with head coaches in the month of February, Warren Gatland following in the path of Mike Ruddock and Graham Henry when he left the job earlier this week. He recalls Gatland’s first game in charge, when Wales took on “unbackable favourites” England at Twickenham, trailed 19-6 and ended up winning 26-19 – and went on to win the Grand Slam. Let that be a warning, then, to anyone who thinks Ireland’s trip to Cardiff to take on a Wales side under new management will be a breeze.
But Nathan Johns reckons that Ireland’s Six Nations form is shaping up nicely thanks to “the evolution of their attack”, the team now prioritising breaking opponents down using fewer phases. With this “more pragmatic course, he writes, “it will take a remarkable defensive display to deny them their desired Grand Slam”.
With the opening try in Murrayfield, Calvin Nash played his own part in making it two wins out of two, Gerry Thornley taking to the Munster winger about stepping in for the injured Mack Hansen having endured the frustration of not seeing a minute’s action in the Autumn Nations Series.
In soccer, Gavin Cummiskey previews Shamrock Rovers’ Conference League game away to Molde today, the club where Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Erling Haaland spent their formative years. “On paper, Molde are the superior outfit, but to doubt Rovers after last year’s results might prove unwise.”
There were plenty who doubted Offaly’s ability to rise again, in Gaelic football and hurling, but, as Ciarán Murphy puts it, “the Biffos are back” with two senior teams now “powered by separate, successful, memorable underage teams”.
Gordon Manning, meanwhile, brings news of the Gaelic Players Association warning that they cannot guarantee support of amateur status in light of the findings of a report that claims players generate “a total economic impact of €591 million annually, while individually incurring an average expense loss of €4,602″.
There is, need it be said, no such hardship for players in the NFL, Dave Hannigan marvelling at “the richest and most profitable sports league in the world” managing to “shake down” the Irish Government for a €10m contribution towards next Autumn’s Pittsburgh Steelers-hosted game at Croke Park.
There’s a fair amount of loot up for grabs too at golf’s Genesis Invitational in California (just the €3.85 million to the winner), Philip Reid previewing the tournament which boasts a “stellar field” that includes Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Séamus Power.
And in athletics, Ian O’Riordan looks ahead to this evening’s Armagh International 5km Road Race, which calls itself “the world’s fastest”, where Efrem Gidey will attempt to break a third Irish road race record within six months.
TV Watch: Five of Ireland’s six-strong team are in action today at cycling’s European Track Championships (Eurosport 2, 5.15pm), among them an in-form Lara Gillespie who suffered the agony of finishing fourth in three events in last year’s Championships. Fifteen minutes later, Sky Sports Golf’s coverage of The Genesis Invitational gets under way, and another 15 minutes later, Shamrock Rovers kick off away to Norway’s Molde in the Conference League (Premier Sports 1 and TNT Sports 2, 5.45).
