So, the day has finally arrived. At 4pm this afternoon the 2018 World Cup will get underway with the titanic battle of ... Russia v Saudi Arabia. Okay, it's not the most exciting of matches to open the tournament but it's the World Cup, there's football on the telly at 4pm on a Thursday, so does it really matter? Set up and ready to go in Moscow is our own Keith Duggan who this morning writes that a festive feeling has engulfed Russia as it prepares to open its arms to the footballing world.
Meanwhile, Ken Early writes from Moscow about yesterday's big breaking story of Spain sacking their manager Julen Lopetegui just two days before their opening game against Portugal. It might not quite be Saipan but it's not far off with one of the pre-tournament favourites thrown into disarray. Throughout the tournament you can follow every kick, thrill and spill on our World Cup website with our first liveblog getting underway at 3pm today for the opening game.
From Russia to Australia and the Ireland team named this morning for the second Test against the Wallabies on Saturday (kick off: 11.05am Irish time) contains eight changes from the side that was beaten last week. Johnny Sexton returns to the fray while Dan Leavy and Garry Ringrose also enter the fray.
Reporting from Melbourne, Gerry Thornley speaks to Tadhg Furlong on what it felt like to lose for the first time in 24 matches last Saturday.
Continuing this globetrotting Thursday morning adventure we move to Long Island, New York where the 118th US Open gets underway today at Shinnecock Hills with Rory McIlroy well primed to make a tilt at the title after some careful planning, writes Philip Reid. McIlroy tees off at 1.05pm today and you can follow all of the day's action – including Shane Lowry, Graeme McDowell and Tiger Woods among others – on our liveblog from 1pm.
Winging our way back across the Atlantic to the more familiar scenery of Roscommon now as Eamon Donoghue writes in his statistics column that Fintan Cregg is Roscommon's risk at six ahead of this Saturday's Connacht final against Galway.
