Jim Pallotta is worried, writes David Shonfield.

Colin Bell has said he won’t consider selecting Stephanie Roche for Ireland’s back-to-back World Cup qualifiers against Norway in June.

Bryan Sheehan feels it may take two years for David Clifford to adapt fully to life as a senior inter-county player.

Once again, the professional model that pertains in Ireland is being hailed as the best in class. That’s what comes with success. Everyone looks at what you’re doing in an attempt to close the gap, writes Donal Lenihan.

Ulster Rugby got the head coach they wanted in Dan McFarland yesterday and the province is now hopeful the former Connacht man will take the reins much sooner than the mid-January date the Scottish Rugby Union are holding him to.

Our man inside the game on the managerial survivors postponing football’s future.

Daniel Storey on the weekend’s major talking points...

Celtic 5 Rangers 0: Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers admits his side should have equalled their record Old Firm win after they clinched their seventh successive Premiership title in stunning style with a 5-0 thrashing of Rangers at Parkhead.

GAA club month is nearly over, a jamboree that chiefly involved dozens of articles bemoaning the lack of club activity. And a few club matches to take the bare look off things.

If ever there was a good case for televising stewards’ inquiries, it can surely be made following that Paul Townend debacle at Punchestown on Tuesday, writes Pat Keane.

Interviewing Michael Owen, in Dublin last Sunday, the talk was always going to be dominated by his old club, Liverpool, and their latest quest for European glory, writes Liam Mackey.

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has said the Football Association tweet that mocked Spurs and England striker Harry Kane was “embarrassing”.

The rise and fall of Arsène Wenger: An insider’s account of how the historic success of Arsenal’s greatest manager ultimately contained the seeds of his own downfall.

Reigning Women’s National league champions Wexford Youths will face National Cup winners Cork City twice in the next eight days, starting with a league encounter at Ferrycarrig Park this evening. Cork centre-half Ciara McNamara was selected on the League’s Team of the Year last season.

Five things we learned

Leo Cullen was giving the press his take on Leinster’s crushing Champions Cup semi-final defeat of Scarlets at the Aviva Stadium last Saturday evening when his day brightened that little bit more with news that the province’s ‘A’ side had reached the final of the British & Irish Cup, writes Brendan O’Brien.

Allen Clarke believes leaving Irish rugby can help take him to the next level as a coach.

In my early weeks in Christchurch I picked up some helpful pointers from the Crusaders’ head coach Scott Robertson, writes Ronan O’Gara.