When she was just 17, Sonia O’Sullivan won the Irish senior cross-country title. Who rang her home in Cobh to congratulate her? Ronnie Delany. “He was definitely the most famous person to ever call up our house,” she says in her tribute to the Irish sporting great who died on Wednesday. Remarkably, Delany was close to not being selected for Melbourne by the Olympic Council of Ireland, Johnny Watterson telling that story and recounting Delany’s homecoming a week after winning gold when he was “completely mobbed” by an “hysterical crowd”.
In rugby, after no end of rotation through this Six Nations campaign, Andy Farrell has, Gerry Thornley reckons, played his “strongest available hand” with his selection for the game against Scotland. Conor Murray warns that you “underestimate this Scotland team at your peril” – “they will come storming into the Aviva Stadium with a Six Nations title in their sights.” Confused by the permutations? Set aside your calculator, Muireann Duffy explains all.
Farrell, meanwhile, is hopeful that Bundee Aki and James Lowe will extend their existing contracts and so will remain available to him for next year’s World Cup. Darragh Murray is at the other end of his career, the 24-year-old set to win his third cap from the bench against Scotland. John O’Sullivan profiles the Roscommon man.
And Tom English looks at Gregor Townsend’s rocky trip as Scotland’s head coach. Plenty had lost faith in him, but he’s turned things around, tomorrow’s game, his 103rd in charge, likely to be the “most significant” in his reign.
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On the under-20s front, John talks to Daniel Ryan ahead of Ireland’s meeting with Scotland in Cork on Sunday when a Triple Crown will be up for grabs.
In racing, it proved to be another eventful day at Cheltenham, Home By The Lee, ridden by JJ Slevin, becoming the oldest ever winner of the Stayers’ Hurdle. And a tumultuous week for Welsh trainer Evan Williams and his wife Cath took an upswing in the shape of 19-year-old Irish jockey Shane Cotter steering Ask Brewster to victory in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Chase.
It might not quite have been “peace in our time”, but Declan Queally and Nico de Boinville shook hands after their less than pleasant run-in on Wednesday. There followed, says Brian O’Connor, “a flood of relief” for the racing world.
Brian previews Gold Cup day at Cheltenham, Wales’ hopes of winning steeplechasing’s most coveted prize for the first time in 36 years resting on the Rebecca Curtis-trained Haiti Couleurs. But “Appy ‘Arry” Redknapp could find himself in the winner’s enclosure should The Jukebox Man prevail.
In football, Troy Parrott’s form continues to sparkle – he scored two more goals for AZ Alkmaar in the Conference League on Thursday night. On the home front, Paul Buttner previews tonight’s League of Ireland games.
And in golf, Shane Lowry was the best of the Irish in round one of The Players on Thursday, Philip Reid reporting on the tournament’s opening day which saw Rory McIlroy ease himself back in to action after those recent back problems.
TV Watch: There’s zero need to leave your couch today – Channel 4 has more from the Winter Paralympics until 2.25pm this afternoon, with highlights at 6.30pm; Sky Sports Golf brings the second round of The Players Championship (from 11.30am); Virgin Media One and UTV are on Cheltenham Festival duty (from 12.45pm), the Gold Cup starting at 4pm; Connacht host Scarlets in the URC (TG4 and Premier Sports 2, 7.45pm); Ulster are away to Edinburgh in the same competition (Premier Sports 1, 7.45pm); and Sligo Rovers are at home to Shamrock Rovers in the league (Virgin Media Two, 8pm). You’ll be goggle-eyed.
