Champions Cup rugby continues this weekend with Leinster looking to add to their opening round win over Wasps when they face the once-fearsome Toulouse in the south of France on Sunday (3.15pm, Sunday). Toulouse's clichéd 'aristocrats of French rugby' title doesn't hold much weight anymore as they only float above the Champions Cup waterline and, for Guy Easterby, the confidence with which Leinster go into this game shows just how far they have come. The current head of rugby operations for the province was scrumhalf on the famous day in Toulouse in 2006 but now he says: "In '06 we celebrated that Toulouse win for two days. Well, we probably didn't, but it certainly felt like that. The player group are hungrier now. The organisation is more driven." Meanwhile, Ulster also travel to France for the daunting task of facing Racing 92 (Saturday, 5.30pm). Will Addison is one of those looking to spring a surprise against last year's beaten finalists and is hoping to be included in Joe Schmidt's Ireland squad which is announced next Wednesday. Munster are the first Irish team in action on Saturday when they take on Gloucester at 1pm and you can follow all three matches with The Irish Times via our liveblogs.
On to GAA and there is help wanted. Men and women dressed in black and willing to control 30 players on a pitch while also suffering plenty of abuse from the stands and on social media are needed. Writing this morning, Ian O'Riordan says that the GAA's admission that the single biggest challenge of their new Referee Development Plan is the recruitment and retention of referees presents an obvious dilemma; it gets more difficult to raise standards from a decreasing pool of referees. Meanwhile, Daniel Kearney has his sights set high for next year with Cork as he goes into awards season with an All Star nomination. Kearney says he is not a stereotypical wing-forward and believes that gives him an unknown quality which makes him dangerous.
Club football returns this week after the international break with Manchester United's trip to Chelsea on Saturday at 12.30pm the standout game. However, José Mourinho may not be on the United sideline for his return to Stamford Bridge after he was charged with the use of "abusive, insulting or improper language" after he apparently repeated the phrase fodas filhos de puta into the TV cameras following United's late win against Newcastle. Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk are expected to be fit for Liverpool's visit to Huddersfield Town on Saturday despite missing recent internationals through injury.
In golf, play resumes at the Andalucia Masters at 8am Irish time this morning after a weather-affected day at Valderrama yesterday. Shane Lowry was the only Irish player able to complete his opening round and he will be delighted with a two under par 69 to start after battling back on his back nine to sit three behind leader Ashley Chesters. Pádraig Harrington made par at each of the eight holes he played before darkness fell, while Gavin Moynihan is in line for a long day on Friday after completing just three holes in level par.
