Andy Farrell sets his sights on a perfect Six Nations
A less than flawless Autumn series, along with a lengthy enough injury list, has some folk anticipating the Six Nations with “a sense of trepidation”. But, as John O’Sullivan discovered when he met up with Andy Farrell ahead of the launch of the tournament in Edinburgh, the Irish coach is not among them. What would constitute a successful Six Nations? “Winning every game. That’s what we’re after,” he said. Winning the opener on Thursday week will, though, be a big ask, considering it’s against France in Paris. Add in the availability again of a certain Antoine Dupont, and the ask becomes larger still. Speaking at the launch, the French captain said he bore no ill will towards Ireland after he suffered that ACL tear in last season’s game in Dublin. Gerry Thornley, meanwhile, reflects on Connacht rugby’s remarkable journey, from the days when the IRFU hierarchy decided to disband the province’s professional rugby team to last Saturday, when they played in front of a capacity 12,481 crowd in front of their new Clan Stand. As Owen Doyle puts it: “The West’s awake!” Saturday was, he says, “a terrific occasion”, referee Eoghan Cross “coming out of a tough enough evening pretty well”. We do, of course, demand perfection from referees, but “no matter how hard everybody tries, it’s simply impossible to get everything right”. READ MOREKen Early: Manchester United see Arsenal’s rugby and raise them some footballIt’s clear what referees have been told to clamp down on this season: Five things we learned from the weekend’s league actionWhere’s the beef? Pro golf needs more salty rivalries to cut through all the sugarCounties battle the elements as National Leagues return with a bangIn Gaelic games, Seán Moran wonders how far ‘Moranball’ - ie the brand of football Mayo are playing under new manager Andy Moran - will take the county this season, while he, Denis Walsh, Gordon Manning, Malachy Clerkin and Ian O’Riordan pick out five things they learned from the GAA weekend. Cards, kickouts and hooters all feature. Gordon also catches up with John Small, Dublin’s seven-time All Ireland winner who announced his retirement last October. No regrets. “I thought it was a natural ending, I’d made my decision,” he says. Scottie Scheffler, Philip Reid suggests, won’t be hanging up his clubs any time soon, the world number one earning himself a lifetime exemption on the PGA Tour by winning his 20th tournament on the US circuit. His career earnings to date? Sitting comfortably? $101,109,136.Willie Mullins is doing alright for himself too, and Brian O’Connor has a notion that he might have a happy time of it again at the Dublin Racing Festival this weekend - among his many contenders is Galopin Des Champs who has an Irish Gold Cup four-in-a-row in his sights. And in athletics, we might just be in the earliest stages of the indoor season, but, as Ian tells us, several Irish athletes have already put down exciting markers in advance of March’s World Indoor Championships in Poland, including Cian McPhillips, Andrew Coscoran and Nick Griggs. TV Watch: We’d love to tell you that it will be a thrilling sporting day on your tellies, but once TNT Sports’ live coverage of the Australian tennis Open ends at 1.30 this afternoon, all we can offer you after that are the closing stages of England’s one day international against Sri Lanka (TNT Sports 1) and, well, the League One clash of Doncaster and Leyton Orient (Sky Sports Football, 8pm). Enjoy.
