If you don’t extend your gaze beyond the sporting world, then you’d conclude that it was a deeply satisfying weekend for Jim Gavin. Saturday’s special congress did, after all, overwhelmingly approve the rule changes that his Football Review Committee introduced, the bulk of the proposals waved through by over 90 per cent of the delegates. The clock-hooter was the only reform that triggered any class of a debate – and even that was backed by 67 per cent. Seán Moran brings you the details.
On the pitch, Gordon Manning witnessed two Late Late Shows at Parnell Park, 2025 All-Ireland football champions Cuala dethroned by Ballyboden St Enda’s, who had trailed by seven points with just five minutes to go, and Na Fianna coming from behind to beat Kilmacud Crokes.
In rugby, Munster marked Clayton McMillan’s first game at Thomond Park with a narrow URC win over Cardiff, the head coach confirming after that Craig Casey will miss next Friday’s game against Edinburgh but he’s hopeful he’ll be fit in time to face Leinster at Croke Park the following weekend. And it will be a Leinster side that has lost its opening two URC games, although they produced a vastly improved performance against the Bulls on Saturday.
In football, is it time for the unthinkable – should Arne Slot drop Mo Salah? That’s what Ken Early is wondering seeing as Liverpool are in “crisis”, losing their last three games. “It’s not just that he is missing chances, it’s that he’s hardly even getting any,” he writes.
Jim Gavin enjoys calm before storm at special congress while drama unfolds at Parnell Park
Mikel Arteta looks to the next frontier for high-flying Arsenal with RAF advice
Oisín Murphy: ‘Most of my destruction was done at home, getting drunk on my own’
Rory McIlroy cements legacy as one of the greatest Ryder Cup players as he targets Adare Manor
Heimir Hallgrímsson knows all about crises, but he did at least have some good news at the weekend – Troy Parrott was back in action for AZ Alkmaar after his injury lay-off. On the debit side, an ankle problem resulted in Evan Ferguson being an unused sub for Roma on Sunday.
Back home, Shamrock Rovers ended Kerry’s FAI Cup journey in emphatic style at Tallaght, Stephen Bradley’s side winning 6-1 to set up a meeting with Cork City at the Aviva Stadium next month.
In horse racing, Aidan O’Brien’s Minnie Hauk came agonisingly close to winning Sunday’s €5 million Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, only to be edged out by the French horse Daryz in a frantic finish at Longchamp.
And in his column, Denis Walsh advises us to savour this golden age of Irish golf because “Irish professional golf on the major tours is shallower now than at any time in the last 50 years”.
TV Watch: Darts fans? Pull up a chair. The World Grand Prix, featuring the top 16 players on the planet, gets under way in Leicester this evening (Sky Sports Plus, 6pm) and it’s using that rather quirky ‘double in, double out’ format – players need to hit a double or the bullseye before they start scoring. If that doesn’t float your boat, TG4 has the highlights from the GAA club weekend at 8pm.
