Ireland head coach Andy Farrell says Saturday’s Six Nations Triple Crown decider against Scotland in Dublin provides the perfect high-stakes preparation for the next World Cup.
The men in green are aiming to secure a trio of victories over their Celtic and English rivals for the second successive year.
Meanwhile, the visiting side will attempt to achieve that exact same feat for the first time since 1990.
High stakes at the Aviva Stadium
A championship title remains a distinct possibility for whichever nation emerges victorious from this weekend’s highly anticipated clash.
That wider tournament outcome depends entirely on England defeating France in Paris later on Saturday evening.
“You should never underestimate going for a Triple Crown, it’s huge and it means a lot to us, but it’s also going to mean a lot to them as well.”
The English-born tactician is eager to evaluate his squad under the intense scrutiny of a must-win scenario.
“What’s coming down the line in the next 18 months, coming into the last week with the Triple Crown on the line, it’s going to be the type of pressure that we want to be able to deal with.”
Historical records become irrelevant
The Scottish outfit have failed to defeat their opponents since a memorable triumph at Murrayfield during the 2017 tournament.
However, the national team manager insists that recent dominance counts for absolutely nothing when the opening whistle blows.
“The record becomes irrelevant when next week comes around, because they’re a great side, a talented side, they’re well coached, they’ve had some big wins.”
“We’re expecting a massive game next week and the record doesn’t come into it because it’s a proper Test match and a good week to get excited about.”
Praise for versatile O’Toole
Beyond the collective team goals, the former rugby league star singled out Ulster prop Tom O’Toole for his impressive adaptability.
The forward performed admirably at loose-head against Wales during Friday’s 27-17 victory, despite traditionally operating on the tight-head side.
“It’s amazing what he’s done, it’s a lot more difficult than what people would think.”
The coaching staff were particularly thrilled by the player’s mental resilience and strict refusal to search for convenient excuses in an unfamiliar role.
“Everyone knows how difficult it is to switch but he committed to it and we’ve seen that type of scrummaging performance in training, and he got us a few penalties on the back of that.”
Such positional flexibility offers invaluable tactical options as the squad navigates potential injury crises ahead of the global showcase.
Great Britain’s Sky Brown has secured her second world championship gold medal after topping the standings in a rain-shortened park event final in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Sunday.
The 17-year-old was comfortably leading the pack with an impressive score of 88.16 when organisers were forced to abandon the third run due to adverse weather.
Japan’s Mizuho Hasegawa claimed the silver medal with a score of 84.36, while American skater Minna Stess took bronze with 83.90.
Mixed emotions despite victory
Despite claiming the top spot on the podium, the teenage sensation expressed slight disappointment regarding the abrupt conclusion to the competition when speaking to World Skate.
“The level is crazy. I had to put a lot down to get here, but I am definitely bummed how we couldn’t fully do a final.”
Securing the victory on International Women’s Day added profound emotional weight to the achievement for the British Olympian.
“To win, to be a world champion on International Women’s Day definitely means a lot, but there are bigger things going on.”
“This feels huge and I am so thankful but there are bigger things, I just pray for peace.”
A history of record-breaking success
This latest triumph adds another remarkable chapter to an already glittering career for the young athlete.
She previously made history by becoming her nation’s first skateboarding world champion at the age of 14 after securing park gold in Sharjah in 2023.
The prodigy also remains Britain’s youngest Olympic medal winner of all time.
That historic milestone was achieved when she won park bronze as a 13-year-old at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Games.
Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo has reclaimed the half-marathon world record after storming to victory in Lisbon with a time of 57 minutes and 20 seconds.
The 25-year-old shaved 10 seconds off the previous global marker set by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha in Valencia earlier in 2024.
It marks a return to the history books for the long-distance star, who previously clocked a record-breaking 57:31 on the same Portuguese course in 2021.
Historical return to Lisbon
The three-time world cross-country champion had threatened the record before, running a blistering 56:42 in Barcelona last year.
However, that performance was not ratified by World Athletics due to illegal pacing assistance during the event.
Returning to legally sanctioned competition in Lisbon, the Ugandan athlete established a rhythm early, covering the first 5km in 13:28 and reaching the 10km mark in 27:00.
He passed 15km in 40:52 before accelerating significantly to cover the subsequent 5km section in 13:31.
‘I tried to keep pushing’
“I’m so happy to break the world record,” Kiplimo said following the race.
“After the first 10km, I thought the world record was possible. I tried to keep pushing the pace in the final two kilometres.”
While Kiplimo dominated proceedings, there were strong performances from the chasing pack.
Kenya’s Nicholas Kipkorir finished second, crossing the line in 58:08.
His compatriot Gilbert Kiprotich rounded off the podium places in third with a time of 58:59.
Alyssa Healy has bowed out of international cricket with a resounding 10-wicket victory as Australia thrashed India inside three days at the Waca.
The 35-year-old captain was chaired off the field by her team-mates after openers Phoebe Litchfield and Georgia Voll chased down a target of 25 in under five overs.
This comprehensive win in the day-night Test ensured the hosts claimed the multi-format series 12-4.
It marks the end of a golden era for the wicketkeeper-batter, who finishes her 299-match international career with 7,333 runs and 276 dismissals across all formats.
Healy’s glittering career ends on a high
Healy leaves the game as one of Australia’s most decorated players.
Her trophy cabinet includes two 50-over World Cups and six T20 World Cup titles.
The retiring skipper famously struck 170 against England in the 2022 World Cup final, which remains the highest individual score in the tournament’s history.
Her leadership record is equally impressive, having guided the side to a historic 16-0 Ashes whitewash in 2025.
Although Beth Mooney took the gloves for this specific match, Healy remained central to the action until the very end.
India crumble on day three
India resumed play in Perth on 105-6 but offered little resistance against the pink ball during the first hour.
The tourists lost their final four wickets for just 44 runs to be bowled out for 149.
Spinner Ash Gardner broke a frustrated 50-run stand to bowl Sneh Rana for 30.
Fittingly, Healy claimed a catch to dismiss Kashvee Gautam for a duck off the bowling of Alana King.
Opener Pratika Rawal, who top-scored with a defiant 63, was the last wicket to fall after being caught by Annabel Sutherland off Gardner.
The defeat brings a halt to India’s nine-match winning streak in red-ball cricket.
It is their first loss in the longest format since a defeat against the same opponents in Adelaide in February 2006.
New Zealand bowler Brett Randell has become the first player in the 254-year history of first-class cricket to take five wickets in five consecutive deliveries.
The 30-year-old seamer achieved the unprecedented feat while playing for Central Stags against Northern Districts in the Plunket Shield.
Randell’s devastating spell occurred across two overs on the second day of the match.
He claimed his first victim with the final delivery of his second over before removing four batters with the first four balls of his third.
‘A pinch-me moment’
The right-arm medium pacer’s onslaught caused Northern Districts to collapse spectacularly from 4-0 to 9-5.
“I’m pretty blown away,” said Randell following the day’s play.
“The high was pretty crazy, it was like a pinch-me moment.”
Despite the chaos unfolding around the batters, Randell focused on maintaining his discipline.
“I was trying to stay level-headed and keep putting the ball in the same area and then after the actual hat-trick, just the same things – trying to put the ball in the same area,” he explained.
An unprecedented spell
At the height of the drama, the Central Stags bowler sat on remarkable figures of 5-2.
He continued to press the advantage, taking a wicket with the first ball of his next over to record six wickets in just eight deliveries.
Randell eventually finished the innings with figures of 7-25.
“It gets drummed into us a lot that we don’t want to go searching for wickets, so I was trying to just keep bowling the same ball, and our ‘Plan A’ that we’d talked about, and it came off,” Randell added.
“I had no idea that it was the first time it had happened in the world, it’s seriously cool.”
“I mean, I don’t really have any words at the moment, to be honest. I’ll take it.”
Rare company
While Randell stands alone in the first-class record books, similar milestones have recently been reached in limited-overs formats.
Ireland international Curtis Campher became the first male player to achieve the feat in a professional match during a domestic T20 game in July 2025.
Additionally, Zimbabwe Women’s all-rounder Kelis Ndhlovu took five wickets in five balls during a domestic under-19 T20 fixture in 2024.
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell believes a collective sense of ownership within his squad is driving their bid for a Triple Crown against Scotland on Saturday.
The Men in Green have recovered from an opening-round defeat by France to secure three consecutive victories in the Six Nations.
A hard-fought 27-17 bonus-point win over Wales has set up a tantalising finale at the Aviva Stadium this weekend.
Farrell has utilised 33 players throughout the championship, a testament to the depth currently available to the Irish management team.
“You’ve got to find out about people but these [caps] are not freebies – we’ve given starts and the chances out to people who deserve it,” said Farrell.
“It just shows that the whole of the squad is hungry to be part of it, and grow the squad.”
“It’s nice to feel that the whole squad thinks it’s their team and that they’re all trying to contribute to us pushing forward.”
Backing up big performances
The head coach was particularly impressed by those who maintained high standards following the emphatic victory over England at Twickenham.
Farrell highlighted the contribution of Ulster winger Robert Baloucoune, who retained his place after shining in London.
“For people to back up good performances at this level that haven’t had that much exposure, that’s pretty impressive,” he added.
“We’re probably talking about Robert Baloucoune. To have a performance like he did in the last game and then to back it up this week is what you want.”
There was also praise for Jack Conan, who returned to the starting XV after missing the England clash through illness.
“I thought Jack Conan, he’d have been a bit peeved off, so to get his start he showed up really well.”
The impact of the replacements, including Josh van der Flier and Joe McCarthy, was also noted as crucial to the team’s consistency.
Refining the exit strategy
Despite the positive results, the coaching staff have identified the exit strategy as a key area requiring attention before the Scottish test.
Farrell admitted the team struggled to clear their lines effectively under pressure against the Welsh.
“I thought we didn’t exit quite as well as we did in the past,” Farrell admitted.
“They obviously pressured Jamison [Gibson-Park] quite a bit and got some rewards from that.”
The hosts were guilty of overplaying inside their own territory rather than establishing field position.
“Sometimes you have to respect what the opposition are doing well, and they were defending pretty well,” said the 48-year-old.
“A bit of territory is what we needed to take the pressure off I would have thought.”
Farrell insists the players will take the lead in the video review sessions to correct these tactical oversights before Saturday’s kick-off.
“We’ll obviously review it and talk about it, but they will come up with it themselves,” he concluded.
Italy have claimed a historic first victory over England at the 33rd attempt, triumphing 23-18 in a raucous Six Nations encounter at the Stadio Olimpico.
Prior to Saturday’s clash, this fixture was widely considered the most predictable in the championship.
The Azzurri had lost every one of their previous 32 meetings with the Red Rose across all competitions.
However, that miserable run finally ended as the hosts capitalised on second-half yellow cards for Sam Underhill and Maro Itoje to seal an emotional win.
Menoncello inspires famous upset
Steve Borthwick’s side arrived in the Italian capital under immense pressure following back-to-back defeats.
This increased the home side’s belief that a historic upset was possible against the struggling visitors.
Tommaso Menoncello was instrumental in the result, carving straight through England’s defence for a first-half score.
The centre later powered his way up the wing to set up Leonardo Marin for the vital late try.
Paolo Garbisi added the extras, kicking three penalties to ensure the hosts grabbed hold of the game when it was on the line.
‘Writing Italian history’
Scenes at the final whistle were jubilant, with several players jumping into each others’ arms.
Others fell to the floor, overcome with the enormity of the result.
“At the start of the game, there was a lot of tension, but I am really proud of the boys,” captain Michele Lamaro told BBC Sport.
“It is amazing to keep writing Italian history. It’s something we are proud of.”
“We are doing this to inspire Italian people to come and play for this team.”
Quesada completes the set
The victory means Italy have now defeated all five of their Six Nations rivals since entering the competition in 2000.
It marks a significant turnaround under head coach Gonzalo Quesada, whose appointment in 2024 has sparked a revival.
The Argentine has overseen a transformation from a side that collected a record 18th Wooden Spoon in 2023 to one capable of beating the tournament powerhouses.
Investment in the under-20 pathway and domestic franchises is now reaping dividends on the international stage.
While the Azzurri struggled with expectations last year, recent performances against Ireland and France suggested a breakthrough was imminent.
Rory McIlroy has withdrawn from the Arnold Palmer Invitational prior to the third round, marking only the second mid-tournament exit of his PGA Tour career.
The four-time major winner was sitting in a share of ninth place on four under par when the decision was announced on Saturday.
McIlroy had been seen briefly hitting balls on the driving range at Bay Hill but opted not to tee off for his scheduled round.
Concerns ahead of Players Championship
No official reason has yet been provided regarding a potential injury for the Northern Irishman.
The timing of the withdrawal raises concerns as he is scheduled to defend his Players Championship title at TPC Sawgrass next week.
This abrupt exit comes after the 36-year-old had looked in strong form, signing for rounds of 72 and 68 over the first two days.
A rare occurrence
Walking away mid-competition is a distinct rarity for the Ryder Cup star.
His only previous withdrawal during a PGA Tour event occurred more than a decade ago at the 2013 Cognizant Classic at the Palm Beaches.
Before leaving Bay Hill, the defending Players champion had carded five birdies during a promising display in Friday’s second round.