One of the significant takeaways from Ireland's defeat to France almost a fortnight ago was the discrepancy between the starters and the replacements in some areas of the pitch. Put simply, Ireland need to keep expanding their depth options. Despite recent good form, they still don't have the weight in numbers of a France or England. That being said, don't expect too much tinkering in order to build that player base since as big a win as possible against Italy is likely to be needed given the importance of points difference to the championship table. As Gordon D'Arcy puts it: "Farrell's matchday 23 is likely to bear a familiar look. Gaps in some areas of the Irish depth chart reinforce this supposition. If Andrew Porter and Tadhg Furlong are handed the number one and three jerseys on Sunday, it's difficult to argue against the assertion that the back-up to admittedly two world class players is a little wider than ideal." Elsewhere in provincial action, Dave Kearney is loving life back in the Leinster fold after back-to-back injuries forced the experienced wing to miss the first half of the campaign.
The Phil Mickelson-Saudi Arabia saga rumbles on, only this time the American golfer has aimed to defuse the situation by apologising for his comments. For reference, this is what he said about his involvement in the breakaway Saudi tour: "We know they killed [Washington Post reporter and US resident Jamal] Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates." He has since backed down and said that he will be taking a break from golf.
Vera Pauw hopes that Ireland's form in the recent Pinatar Cup can translate to April's crucial World Cup qualifier away to Sweden, a clash that will likely determine who wins the pool. She was asked what she learned about her team selection ahead of that vital clash after using 24 different players across this friendly tournament: "The key thing for very young players is can they cope with the physical pressure of the opponent and that is what we constantly monitor. Confidence-wise and technically they are very good. We will see (who) starts against Sweden." In other news, RTÉ have announced that they will be broadcasting the women's FA Cup tie between Liverpool and Arsenal, no doubt given the number of Ireland internationals likely to be involved.
Dublin are in a bind in the league after losing their opening three matches - clearly. While there is historical precedent both for them being relegated and recovering to win the league after suffering three defeats to start, the new structures coming in for 2023 for the league and its importance to championship placing, Seán Moran argues in his column this morning that it is vital Dublin heed this and do all that they can to avoid the Division One trapdoor. The overall picture in the Allianz Leagues presents a concerning picture for Leinster football, says Paul Keane. Dublin and Kildare face off in a relegation showdown this Sunday, while you have to drop down to Division Three to find a Leinster team making any headway, Westmeath. The flip side of all this is we might see a competitive Leinster championship for the first time in a while.
