Ireland’s bid to host the 10th Rugby World Cup in 2023 was formally submitted to the World Rugby offices in Dublin yesterday.

Johnny Sexton has one game to prove he is a starting British & Irish Lion Test fly-half on this tour to New Zealand and that opportunity comes tomorrow in Whangarei.

In the media room at the Aviva Stadium yesterday, former international Keith Andrews found himself sitting just a short pass away from a painful memory: a display cabinet containing Xavi’s Number 8 jersey as well as the match ball from that long night in Gdansk when Spain put four past Ireland at Euro 2012.

Martin O’Neill is an avid consumer, a voracious reader. Forever aware and always interested in the topics of the day. At Ireland training on Tuesday afternoon, he was heard enquiring on the rolling updates of Tiger Woods’ latest sorry episode.

Some frothy coffee confections can have as many calories as a meal, but health experts say little can beat a fragrant, fresh cup of Joe, writes Helen O’Callaghan.

As the Irish assault in Racice last Friday began, another positive development for Irish rowing was emerging at home; it was announced that Antonio Maurogiovanni had been confirmed as Rowing Ireland’s new High Performance Director, succeeding Morten Espersen who resigned earlier this year.

Kinsale man Conor Harte will become the fifth Irish man to reach 200 international caps this evening when he lines out to face Pakistan at Comber Road (7.30pm).

Joe Schmidt says the IRFU offered Donnacha Ryan a financial deal similar to the package he was already on but the second row decided to leave Munster for Racing 92 next season for a combination of professional and personal reasons.

In the depths of New Jersey commuter country, Tuesday morning was all about shaking off cobwebs.

When the pressure was on, Wenger showed the leadership qualities to deal with it, writes Chris Hatherall.

Jamie Heaslip believes all five Leinster players could feature in next month’s Lions Tests against New Zealand — but fears the Munster and Ulster contingent face a tougher battle to earn starting spots.

Munster and Irish second row forward, Donncha O'Callaghan has been announced as May’s ‘Cork Person of the Month’.

London manager Ciarán Deely says the GAA “have got it the wrong way around” by introducing the Super 8s ahead of securing more games for smaller counties.

Both come from old port cities beside the Mediterranean, but the two men arrived at the top of their profession by completely different routes, writes David Shonfield.

Ireland’s friendly against Mexico might be small beer compared to the looming World Cup qualifier against Austria, but the game in the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Thursday is all set to be a red-letter occasion for James McClean.

The hustings would be ‘like playing Galatasaray,’ reckoned Kerry TD Brendan Griffin. But the two leadership candidates addressed the fiery final meeting in Cork with low-key, measured addresses, writes Lise Hand

Talking points from the weekend of Premier League football

Leicester City’s fans showed that English hooliganism hasn’t gone away. Which is worrying what with the World Cup in Russia coming up next year, writes The Secret Footballer.

Tom Mazzone of the Isle of Man team will wear the first yellow jersey of this year’s Kerry Group Rás Mumhan after claiming a brilliant opening stage win last night in Killorglin.

Miraculously, it has arrived, the watershed to transform our media landscape. Every gaffer in Irish sport is turning into Rafa Benitez, writes Larry Ryan.