Wales captain Sam Warburton makes his way out for his 50th cap at the Millennium Stadium.

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• Johnny Sexton has been given the all-clear to return to the Ireland team for next week’s Six Nations clash with France in Dublin.
• WBO middleweight champion Andy Lee will open his title defence against Peter Quillin in New York on 11 April.
• Roy Keane has agreed to return to punditry for ITV’s Champions League coverage.
• Lee Westwood is the latest big name to sign up for this year’s Irish Open at Royal County Down.
• Ireland’s U20s earned a 47-15 win over Italy in Biella tonight. The Women’s team also claimed a 30-5 victory.

Away

A helicopter flies over rioting fans at the African Cup of Nations. Barry Aldworth / BackpagePix Barry Aldworth / BackpagePix / BackpagePix

•  The Six Nations got underway this evening with England taking on Wales at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Keep up to speed with our liveblog. 
• African Cup of Nations hosts Equatorial Guinea have been fined $100,000 for the riots which injured 36 people during their semi-final defeat to Ghana.
• English football remembered the 57th anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster which claimed the lives of 20 people today.
• Meanwhile, Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has vowed to fight the FA charge handed out over comments made after the 0-0 draw with Cambridge.

The best thing we shared today

Six Nations bingo, so you can play along at home.

On the record

If you want to be playing, you can’t really afford to sit it out for a couple of weeks. Just grind through it. Of course you would [worry about losing your place]. The competition is great down there at the moment.” – Dublin footballer James McCarthy on gambling on your fitness.

Where we were today

Our man Murray Kinsella is in the Italian capital for the beginning of Ireland’s Six Nations defence. Read his letter from Rome.

The calm before the storm: Rome's Stadio Olimpico. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

Tomorrow’s fixture list

Six Nations

• Ireland v Italy (2.30pm)
• France v Scotland (5pm)

Premier League

White Hart Lane hosts Tottenham and Arsenal at lunchtime (12.45pm) and there are five 3pm kicks offs before the Merseyside derby at 5pm. Here are the fixtures in full.

AIB All-Ireland senior hurling club semi-finals

• Kilmallock (Limerick) v Portaferry (Down), Semple Stadium, Thurles, 2pm
• Gort (Galway) v Ballyhale Shamrocks (Kilkenny), Semple Stadium, Thurles, 3.45pm

Allianz Football League

Division 1

• Dublin v Donegal, Croke Park, 7pm

Division 2

• Down v Roscommon, Newry, 7pm
• Laois v Cavan, O’Moore Park, Portlaoise, 7pm
• Meath v Kildare, Páirc Tailteann, Navan, 7pm

Showbiz, baby!

Game of Thrones fans will enjoy the BBC’s Six Nations promo.

If the Italians were half as good at singing as the Welsh, we would have a lot more songs to choose from.”