Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is looking forward to locking horns with former mentor Jose Mourinho once again — this time with a Wembley place at Stake.

Before you go drawing parallels between now and the last time Cork ventured so much into Ulster for league action, Donncha O’Connor will stop you in your tracks, writes John Fogarty.

Scrap the academy and give power and resources back to the clubs and you will help to solve some of the problems besetting Munster Rugby, writes Charlie Mulqueen

McIlroy turns to dad for masterclass

Aston Villa 2 Bourmemouth 1: FA Cup Fourth Round: Villa Park had been tipped as a likely scene of a surprise yesterday and it did not disappoint. Just not in the way anyone anticipated.

World number one Rory McIlroy remains winless in the UAE capital after finishing six shots adrift of South African Darren Fichardt in the one-day Abu Dhabi Invitational Pro-Am at Yas Island Links.

Wherever she goes, it seems he has to follow, writes Kieran Shannon.

Equestrian: Nineteen-year-old Bertram Allen continues to stun the world of show jumping, qualifying for the Longines World Cup final yesterday in his first season when runner-up in Zurich, Switzerland.

Equestrian: Leading owner Barry Connell is undecided whether to let The Tullow Tank line up at Leopardstown on Sunday week.

There were different agendas at play for Leinster, Munster and Ulster approaching their final pool games in the inaugural Champions Cup over the weekend, writes Donal Lenihan.

Munster 65 Sale 10: European Champions Cup Pool 1: We are used to seeing Munster inflict a round-six rout in Europe but usually it is borne of necessity.

Reaction

Leinster have opted against registering either Cian Healy or Sean O’Brien for Europe ahead of Saturday’s round six visit to Coventry, where they meet Wasps to decide who finishes top of Pool 2 in the Champions Cup.

It’s only five months since Ireland made history at the Women’s Rugby World Cup by beating New Zealand in the pool stages and reaching the semi-finals, but the personnel changes since have been seismic.

IT’S difficult to escape the feeling that Munster’s comprehensive defeat at the hands of Saracens was an accident waiting to happen, says Donal Lenihan.

Tiger Woods may be teeing off toothless next week at the Phoenix Open after an incident in Italy allegedly left him with a hole-in-gum.

Saturday’s galliardhomes.com Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham looks like being an informative affair after 12 entries were revealed.

Paul Nicholls will step up the work of his Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup contenders Silviniaco Conti and Sam Winner in the coming days.

Hurricane Fly is likely to have a stablemate or two for company in the BHP Insurances Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Simon Lewis urges you to forget the excuses and get golfing this year.