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• Connacht prop Finlay Bealham is set for his Ireland debut after being promoted to the bench for tomorrow’s 6 Nation’s clash with Italy.
• Republic of Ireland boss Martin O’Neill has named a 40-man squad for the upcoming March friendlies against Switzerland and Slovakia, with four uncapped players getting call-ups.

Tsering Topgyal Tsering Topgyal

• Ireland were eliminated from the World Twenty20 after their must-win game against Bangladesh was washed out and declared a ‘no result’ after heavy rain and thunderstorms.
• Anthony Nash is high-profile casualty as Cork make five changes for the visit of Kilkenny to Pairc ui Rinn on Saturday night.
• Rory McIlroy has come out out in defence of world number one Jordan Spieth as the 22-year-old’s struggles continued as the Valspar Championship.

Away

• Rafael Benitez is back in the Premier League after signing a three-year deal with Newcastle, who sacked Steve McClaren just hours earlier.

Owen Humphreys Owen Humphreys

• Paul Scholes tore Manchester United to absolute pieces on BT Sport last night and took a swipe at Arsenal in the process.
• Karim Benzema is available for France at this summer’s European Championship after his legal restrictions, pertaining to the widely documented sextape blackmail, were lifted
• The World Anti-Doping Agency has revealed there have been 99 positive tests this year for meldonium – the drug found in Maria Sharapova‘s sample at the Australian Open.

The Best Thing We Shared

Barry Geraghty was on board the Nicky Henderson-trained What’s The Scoop at Sandown this afternoon and was coasting to victory.

When this happened.

Where We Were Today

Brian Lawless Brian Lawless

Ben Blake was in Abbotstown to hear from Martin O’Neill as the Republic of Ireland manager finally brought the Damien Delaney conversation to an end.

On The Record

To be honest about it, there were tears in the room. I sat there for a few minutes thinking ‘Did he actually say it?’ There was anger, there was disbelief. Driving back up the road, I rang our team doctor Tadhg Crowley and asked if he’d mind finding out just why they came to this conclusion. He rang me back that night and told me that it was, more or less, the right call and that if I continued to go training at the top level for the next year or two, the likelihood is that the knee would just break. So you’re looking at a knee replacement at 32 years of age and no one wants to face into that.”

Richie Power is struggling to come to terms with having to walk away from inter-county hurling, as Eoin O’Callaghan found out. 

The Fixture List

Rugby

The headline act on Saturday is Ireland’s 6 Nation’s clash with Italy at the Aviva Stadium. Kick-off is at 1.30.

England then take on Wales at Twickenham at 4pm.

GAA 

Quite a lot of league action on Saturday evening with two games standing out: Cork taking on Kilkenny in the hurling while the Dublin footballers are in Newry to take on Down. Both fixtures are underway at 7pm.

Soccer

It’s a FA Cup weekend but and the attention will be on Goodison Park tomorrow at 5.30 as Everton take on Chelsea for a place in the final four.

Showbiz, Baby!

Jordan Strauss / AP/Press Association Images Jordan Strauss / AP/Press Association Images / AP/Press Association Images

I guess I can jump on a plane with the kids whenever I want and that is nice. But me, being hard-working and honest, I’d like to feel as if if I’ve earned a holiday or a trip. I don’t want to turn into… I was going to compare myself with Kim Kardashian or someone there. A little socialite or something, off doing these things. I like to earn nice things or even a weekend away.”

Duffer isn’t a fan of Kim K. 

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Connacht prop Bealham set for Ireland debut after Healy ruled out

Forrester among the new faces in 40-man Ireland squad for upcoming double-header