Sports Briefing

It was but a month ago that all four Irish provinces lost in the opening round of the URC, a whitewash that hadn’t happened in an entire 17 years. So, come ye and rejoice, all four Irish provinces won on the opening weekend of European competition for the first time in five seasons. “So much for being undercooked,” as Gerry Thornley says in his round-up of Munster, Connacht and Leinster’s Champions Cup victories, and Ulster’s bonus-point win away to Zebre in the Challenge Cup.

It was an emotional evening by the Lee, Denis Walsh at Páirc Uí Chaoimh to witness “a perfect tribute” to Anthony Foley on the 10th anniversary of his death. Munster honoured his memory with a 33-25 win over Racing, Gerry talking to Jack O’Donoghue after the game, the flanker the sole member of the current squad who was in Paris a decade ago when Foley died.

Leinster, meanwhile, got their Champions Cup efforts off to a bonus-point winning start away to Clermont Auvergne, John O’Sullivan reporting on the game and hearing from man of the match Sam Prendergast after.

Linley MacKenzie tells us about “a dream result for Stuart Lancaster’s side at a sold out Dexcom Stadium”, Connacht’s Champions Cup journey beginning with a 45-36 win over Saracens.

And in his Tipping Point column, Denis looks at how the “dark arts” are slowly being legislated out of rugby with 10 more law changes on the agenda between now and next Autumn’s World Cup, the game’s laws in a perpetual state of review.

In Gaelic games, Malachy Clerkin saw Cuala dismantle Castleknock to win their third Dublin football title and talked to manager Derek Dunne after. Wolfe Tones did much the same to Donaghmore/Ashbourne in the Meath final, Gordon Manning in Ashbourne to see them sail to a 10-point victory. Paul Fitzpatrick rounds up the rest of the football finals, including Crossmaglen Rangers picking up just their 48th Armagh title.

And on the hurling front, Denis was back in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday for the county final when Glen Rovers sealed their 28th Cork championship with a three-point win over St Finbarr’s. Stephen Barry has news on the other hurling finals around the country, among them Kilcormac-Killoughey making it a four-in-a-row in Offaly.

In football, Ken Early is recovering after viewing a collection of dire Premier League games over the weekend, including the one between Leeds and Manchester United when “neither team could string five passes together”. The English game’s “intensity arms race” has, he concludes, “created an absolute wasteland for imagination, creativity and skill”.

And Paul O’Hehir has word on how the Irish abroad fared over the weekend, Jack Moylan very definitely the man of the moment after scoring his sixth league goal of the season for Cardiff City.

In cycling, Ian O’Riordan reports on Lara Gillespie striking gold in the points race at the UCI Track World Championships on Saturday, to add to the silver she won earlier in the week. A year ago she became the first Irish woman to win a UCI world track title in any event, so she’s making a habit of it.

In racing, Brian O’Connor looks at Aidan O’Brien’s hopes of securing another British trainers’ title, and in athletics, Ian brings you a list of essential dos and don’ts for next Sunday’s Dublin Marathon. We’d just say don’t do it, stay in bed, but Ian is a bit more encouraging than that.

TV Watch: TG4 have the highlights from the GAA club weekend at 7.30 this evening and at 8pm, Derry City host St Patrick’s Athletic in the league, Pat’s aiming to move within three points of leaders Shamrock Rovers (Virgin Media Two). At the same time, Spurs will be looking for their first win of the league season when they play Coventry on home turf (Sky Sports Premier League).