And then there were eight. And three were Irish. The pool stages of the Champions Cup are over and we're now moving towards the business end of the biggest competition in European club rugby with Leinster, Munster and Ulster still standing. Leinster are the only team of the Irish trio to secure a home quarter-final and it will be an all-Irish affair when they meet Ulster while Munster travel to Edinburgh. But both games, and particularly travel plans, could be hindered by that pesky Brexit with the matches scheduled for the weekend of March 29th-31st – the same weekend that the UK will (supposedly) leave the EU. Gerry Thornley writes this morning that Leinster will push for a 5.30pm kick-off on Saturday 30th meaning that there is a possibility Ulster will have to march across a hard border to reach Dublin. The two sides know each other well and Ulster in particular will hope that their contingent of Dublin players will help them topple the defending champions – something that Leo Cullen is all too aware of. Meanwhile, Dan McFarland and Ulster know that they must improve before heading for Dublin after their comeback win over Leicester on Saturday. Elsewhere, Munster made hard work of their final pool game against Exeter in Thomond Park but eventually came out on the right side of a 9-7 victory with Joey Carbery again providing the points in what continues to be a stellar run for the number 10.
Moving on to football and Ken Early looks this morning at Chelsea and how they're managing to hold their own in the top four despite some unrest in the background. Maurizio Sarri's side lost 2-0 to Arsenal on Saturday night but the problems lie much deeper at a club that only two seasons ago were the champions. "In truth, Abramovich's interest in Chelsea seems to have been on the wane since they won the Champions League in 2012, yet his departure would leave the club with a crisis of identity at least as significant as anything faced by post-Ferguson Manchester United," he writes. At the top of the table Liverpool still hold a four point lead over Manchester City thanks to their chaotic 4-3 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday in a game that brought their title hopes into clearer focus again. The nature of Liverpool's 19th victory in 23 league outings, a truly outstanding return, will not have been lost on Pep Guardiola, however. The single-minded pursuit of three more invaluable points, the breaks and the composure shown at 0-1 and 2-2 were not lost on Klopp either. Also on Saturday afternoon, Manchester United made it seven wins from seven under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the interim manager's remarkable run continued while Marcus Rashford was again among the goal's. The striker's curling effort into the top corner at Old Trafford proved key for United who were hanging on somewhat in the second half but afterwards Solskjaer was keen to heap praise on the man who made his 150th appearance for the club in the win over Brighton.
From Manchester to Abu Dhabi and Shane Lowry ended a four-year wait for a win on Saturday morning when he rallied on the back nine to pip Richard Sterne to the Abu Dhabi Championship title after falling three shots behind at one stage. The Offalyman's success has pushed him comfortably into the top 50 in the official world golf rankings and therefore paved the way to gaining a place at the US Masters and the Players Championship as well as the upcoming World Golf Championships. Speaking to The Irish Times, Lowry says that the heartbreak suffered at the 2016 US Open – when he lost a four-shot lead on the final day to Dustin Johnson – has proved a catalyst for him when he got into position again.
On to GAA and the experimental changes to the handpass rule in Gaelic football have been dropped already after the Central Council vote over the weekend. The changes had drawn the ire of managers and players alike and have now been dispensed with while the other four changes will remain on trial. After the meeting there was also the news that National League tickets will rise from €15 to €20 for the coming season. In hurling, Malachy Clerkin writes this morning about the strange place in which the league finds itself this season with changes due to come in next year meaning that there is no relegation from Division 1A to 1B, therefore allowing teams a less pressurised lead-in to the championship. "Everyone can relax a little. Ease into the season without getting too excited. Leave that to the football crowd," he writes.
Finally to NFL and Tom Brady was again the star of the show for the New England Patriots last night as he led them to victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, setting up a third straight Super Bowl appearance. They will face the LA Rams in Atlanta after the Los Angeles side dispensed of the New Orleans Saints.
