Soccer: European qualifier
Stephen Quinn may have featured heavily so far in this Irish squad's European qualifying campaign, but after years in the international wilderness he's neither taking his place, and certainly not this weekend's visiting Polish team for granted.
The Hull City midfielder isn’t keen on singling out any player in particular in a talented Polish team, but he does say that striker Robert Lewandowski will need to be kept quiet - “God yeah, Lewandowski is one of the top strikers in Europe.”
Last night the Irish Under-21 team had a winning start to their Uefa Championship qualifying campaign, although minnows Andorra did make life difficult for them.
Ipswich Town’s Dylan Connolly was the games sole goal scorer with a first half strike at the Waterford RSC.
Rugby: Pro12
Leinster head coach Matt O'Connor is frustrated by the enforced absence of Leinster's key players for the province's vital game against league leaders the Glasgow Warriors tonight.
He says the player management systems which prevent him from availing of Jamie Heaslip, Rob Kearney, Jack McGrath, Devin Toner and Sean O’Brien for the game is damaging to the Pro12’s reputation. O’Connor says “there was a conversation, how two-way it was is debatable.”
Ulster will welcome back both Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding for their Pro12 clash with Cardiff.
The duo return after cracked elbows against Toulon in January, potentially bringing an alternative dynamic to Ireland’s World Cup squad.
GAA: Hurling Quarter finals
Cork hurling manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy has made three changes to his team for the weekend's quarter-final clash with Wexford.
Killian Burke, Anthony Spillane and William Kearney are called up to replace the injured Mark Ellis and Alan Cadogan, and Stephen McDonnell who is unavailable because of work commitments.
Kerry have named former All Stars Marc Ó Sé and Darran O’Sullivan in their panel for the visit of Monaghan as Mayo give Tom Parsons and Barry Moran their opportunity at midfield against Cork.
‘Clare saga’
Writing in the Irish News this morning former Down footballer Danny Hughes has an interesting column on the ongoing Clare hurling saga, and the leadership questions it raises within the whole association.
“Not one player on the current Clare panel supported the exiled players and instead chose to support a system dictated to them by management representatives.”
Hughes says he is well aware of managers who say one thing and do another, and is concerned for the school-teacher approach which is now taking over intercounty set-ups.
Golf: Texas Open
After three successive bogeys on the front nine at the Texas Open a late first round rally from Shane Lowry has moved him into a share of 32nd.
Lowry birdied on the 14th, from 12 feet, and on the 347 yards Par 4 17th where he drove the green and two-putted from 18 feet.
Meanwhile after a vote the Ulster Hockey League has decided not to co-operate with their governing body, saying no to an Irish Hockey League.
The vote comes just after both the men and women’s national teams qualified for the final phases of Rio 2016 qualification and Ulster says that if clubs in their provincial men’s and women’s game participate in the new IHL, they are not welcome to play in any of the competitions currently run by Ulster Hockey.
What to watch out for:
There's plenty of soccer action tonight both at home and abroad. High-flying Dundlak welcome Sligo Rovers in their Airtricity League clash and that's on RTE 2 from 7.30pm.
Meanwhile England take on Lithuania, a chance to see Harry Kane on the international stage, that's on UTV from 7.15pm.
Leinster's vital Pro12 clash with Glasgow is on TG4 from 7.10pm
While Ulster welcome Cardiff with BBC 2 covering that from 7.30pm.
