Connacht coach Pat Lam speaks at the Cycle Against Suicide Student Leaders' Congress in the UL Sport Arena today. Liam Burke, Press 22 Liam Burke, Press 22

Home

• Leinster back rower Sean O’Brien has emerged as a doubt for the start of Ireland’s Six Nations campaign as his calf injury is taking longer to heal than expected.
• Bord Gáis Energy has been named as a new sponsor of the senior All-Ireland hurling championship having spent eight years partnering the U21 competition.
• Bandon Grammar scored three tries against Castletroy College in the final 10 minutes to secure victory in their Munster Schools Senior Cup first-round tie this afternoon.
• Former Kilkenny All-Ireland winner John Mulhall and ex-Limerick senior David Reidy will play hurling for Kildare for the coming season.
• A late Midleton CBS goal from Liam O’Shea knocked defending champions Ardscoil Rís out of this year’s Harty Cup.
• Irish athlete Ciarán Ó Lionáird has made his competitive return to the track after a horror run of injuries.
• Cork City have announced that promising young defender John Kavanagh has signed a new contract with the club.
• League of Ireland champions Dundalk will have a new pitch at Oriel Park for the 2017 season but it will once again be an artificial surface.
• Liam Rushe’s inclusion at centre half-back is one of seven changes made by Dublin hurling manager Ger Cunningham for tonight’s Walsh Cup clash against Wexford.
• Greystones golfer Paul Dunne got his year off to a great start with a four-under-par opening round at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, and sits four shots behind early leader Henrik Stenson.

Away

Denis Istomin celebrates his shock victory against Novak Djokovic. Aaron Favila Aaron Favila

• Manchester United enjoyed the highest revenues recorded by a football club last season as unprecedented income returned them to the top of the Deloitte Football Money League.
• Defending champion and six-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic has been dumped out of the tournament in Melbourne by Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin.
• Daniel Brennan, the son of former Ireland international Trevor, has been named in France’s U20 squad for the Six Nations.
• Manchester City have completed the signing of Palmeiras forward Gabriel Jesus and the Brazilian could make his debut against Tottenham on Sunday.
• Fifa is considering introducing penalty shootouts with a difference, including during the World Cup group stages, in 2026.

The Best Thing We Shared

Jack Kennedy has already built quite a reputation for himself as one of the biggest rising talents in horse racing. But it’s for riding winners, and not for these remarkable gymnastic skills he displayed in Thurles today, that he is widely known for.

On The Record

I’m properly pissed off about that. I don’t see any benefit in charging down someone’s standing leg. I only see it as a danger or as a potential to get injured.

Munster scrum-half Conor Murray was far from impressed with some of Glasgow’s tactics in their Champions Cup clash last weekend.

The Fixture List

• The group stages of the Champions Cup conclude this weekend and the two remaining Pool 4 fixtures will be played tomorrow night. Leinster can secure a home quarter-final with a victory at Castres Olympique, while Montpellier host Northampton knowing a bonus-point win could see them progress to the last eight. Both games kick off at 19.45.
• In the English Championship, Chris Hughton’s Brighton can go back to the top of the table if they beat Sheffield Wednesday at the Amex Stadium (19.45).
• The Africa Cup of Nations continues with Ivory Coast v Congo DR (16.00) and Morocco v Togo (19.00)
• The Australian Open resumes in Melbourne with Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka and Angelique Kerber among the players hoping to advance to the fourth round.

Showbiz, Baby!

He may be an incredibly gifted player but even the sublime Russell Westbrook is guilty of the odd brain fade. He won’t be forgetting to dribble again any time soon.

The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!

Coughlan keen on coaching but playing days far from over at 36

Serena Williams forces apology from reporter who described her performance as ‘scrappy’