Stephen Kenny is hoping for a first win as Ireland manager in tonight's Nations League trip to Finland - a little sparkle to end a grim international window. Aaron Connolly is back to give the team a much needed boost three days after drawing 0-0 with Wales in the same competition without 13 players through a combination of Covid-19 protocols and injuries. And just under a week after their Euro2021 play-off semi-final penalty shootout defeat to Slovakia: "against the backdrop of all that has gone on, it would be a remarkable enough victory and although it would not be anything like enough to eclipse the disappointment he and his team suffered in Bratislava, a couple of goals here would give the new manager one positive memory to take away from this window and a bit of much needed momentum to bring into the next." The Ireland under-21s have a best runners-up berth in their sights after a 2-0 defeat to Italy in Pisa dislodged them from top spot in their European Championship qualification group. Dundalk move from sixth to third in the Airtricity League Premier Division after a 2-0 win over Cork City at Turner's Cross.

Galway football champions Moycullen have been forced to pull all their players from the county senior and under-20 panels with immediate effect due to a rising number of positive cases of Covid-19 in the community, including players from within the club. The North's Minister for Infrastructure, Nichola Mallon, has announced her decision to recommend planning approval for a new GAA stadium at Casement Park in west Belfast. In his column this morning, Sean Moran anticipates the inconvenience of a Christmas All-Ireland: "the selfsame moon that looked down on the herdsman's shed in Bethlehem might pick him out behind the glow of floodlighting in the vast expanses of an empty Croke Park on December 19th, as Old Moran details which of two teams will win the weirdest football final in history. Will he know it's Christmastime at all?"

While sport behind closed doors looks set to be the best case scenario for the remainder of 2020 in Ireland - New Zealand Rugby is expecting a "near-capacity" crowd of some 47,000 to pack into Auckland's Eden Park for the second Bledisloe Cup international against Australia on Sunday. In his column this morning (Subscriber Only), Gordon D'Arcy explains why in his new role with World Rugby Joe Schmidt will challenge referees like he previously did players: "having been coached by him for the last five years of my career, the only advice I would give match officials is to make sure you have your detail spot on before sitting down with Joe. Otherwise, don't ask any questions. Trust me, you will only regret it."

Meanwhile, there has been a broad welcome for the Government's €36 million funding increase to Sport Ireland in Tuesday's budget. It continues the momentum of supporting governing bodies through an uncertain period with sport taking place behind closed doors. World number one golfer Dustin Johnson has tested positive for Covid-19 and subsequently withdrawn from this week's CJ Cup at Shadow Creek. Juventus and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo has also tested positive for coronavirus.