So, how do we reflect on Ireland’s Six Nations campaign? Well, it started positively enough but ended with that comprehensive defeat by France and the team “falling over the line against Italy”, the attack looking “increasingly blunt” and the concession of 14 tries “disconcerting”. So, writes Gerry Thornley, it’s hard not to conclude that “this Irish team is simply not what it was”. And he backs up his view by only including three Irish players in his team of the tournament.
Owen Doyle was, it’s fair to say, less than enamoured with that Irish performance in Rome, describing it as “dismal”, but he was even less impressed by the display of referee Luke Pearce. When the TMO asked him several times if he was happy with Danilo Fischetti’s tackle on James Ryan? Pearce “dealt with this incident with yet more nonsensical, supercilious smiling, which we were forced to endure throughout the afternoon”.
Over in Florida, Rory McIlroy was smiling, in a non-supercilious way, when he beat JJ Spaun in the play-off at The Players Championship on Monday. Philip Reid reports on McIlroy’s “rich vein of form” as he shapes up for next month’s Masters, Shane Lowry in fine fettle too after another top-20 finish in a season that is providing consistently good results.
Alas, Heimir Hallgrímsson’s Republic of Ireland team have, largely, been producing consistently poor results, Gavin Cummiskey hearing from defender Matt Doherty ahead of the first leg of their Nations League relegation play-off in Bulgaria on Thursday.
Gerry Thornley’s Six Nations Team of the Tournament: Three Irish players make the cut
Leitrim’s forfeit to Fermanagh a symptom of a much greater ill in the GAA
Irish Player Tracker: Nathan Collins getting back to his best at Brentford
José Mourinho takes Saint-Maximin to task in a remarkably public spat
Monaghan’s footballers have promotion on their minds, though - barring a heavy defeat against Down next week they will secure their slot in Division One. Gordon Manning talks to Rory Beggan about that prospect, as well as how the rule tweaks are impacting his role as goalkeeper.
And in horse racing, Brian O’Connor hears Willie Mullins’ take on all those false starts at Cheltenham last week, and he looks at the big decision Gold Cup winner Inothewayurthinkin’s camp have to make - will he run in the Grand National and attempt to emulate Golden Miller’s achievement of winning National Hunt racing’s two most famous races in the one season?
TV Watch: Snooker fans have a feast of coverage from the Players Championship on their screens today (ITV4 12.45-5.0 and 6.45-10.15), and tonight the women’s Champions League reaches the quarter-final stage, Katie McCabe’s Arsenal away to Real Madrid in the first leg of their tie.
