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Cork edge camogie title again; Ken Early on potential of the Nations League

Morning Sports Briefing: Keep ahead of the game with ‘The Irish Times’ sports team

For the second year in a row Cork broke Kilkenny's hearts with an injury-time winner - this time it was Orla Cotter - to edge the All-Ireland Senior Camogie title in front of 21, 467 at Croke Park. Malachy Clerkin however was not impressed: "Camogie can't keep having finals like this. For the second year in a row, Cork beat Kilkenny by a point in a tight, nervy game where no goal was scored and the overwhelming majority of the points came from placed balls."

The scheduled final round of the BMW Championship - the penultimate tournament of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Series - was postponed until Monday following heavy rainfall. Justin Rose held the 54-holes lead, one shot ahead of Rory McIlroy and Xander Schaufflele, and will be declared the winner if further play doesn't see players complete half of the final round.

Republic of Ireland manager Martin O'Neill will have to make at least two changes to the side that started against Wales on Thursday night for Tuesday's friendly against Poland - Stephen Ward and Jon Walters have left the squad to return to Burnley. Ronan Curtis has been rewarded for his form since joining Portsmouth in the summer with a call-up. The 22-year-old striker has five goals in six League One games since joining from Derry City in the summer. France striker Olivier Giroud ended his 10-match goalless run with the winner as the world champions' return to Paris for the first time since their summer success in Russia ended in a 2-1 victory over Holland. And Ken Early believes the new Nations League is exactly what international football needs: "International football promises a sanctuary of sorts from the idea that money decides everything".

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen says his team must improve and quickly after the defending European and Guinness Pro14 champions were beaten 23-21 by the Scarlets. Cullen was forced to settle for a losing bonus point despite seeing his team score three tries to the Scarlets' two via Fergus McFadden, James Lowe and Rhys Ruddock. Connacht prepare to march on Edinburgh this week having collected a first bonus-point win in this season's Pro14 campaign at home to Zebre. Number eight Paul Boyle – in just his third appearance for the province – produced two first-half tries to set Andy Friend's side on the recovery road after a disappointing campaign-opening loss to Glasgow.

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Novak Djokovic put his two-year physical and mental dip firmly behind him and moved into joint third on the all-time list of male grand slam singles champions by beating Juan Martin del Potro to win the US Open. Djokovic is now level with Pete Sampras on 14 titles and, after following up his Wimbledon triumph by making it back-to-back slam successes, is closing in once more on Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Meanwhile Paul and Gary O'Donovan produced a classy performance to win their heat and qualify for the quarter-finals of the lightweight double sculls at the World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv in Bulgaria.

Eamon Donoghue

Eamon Donoghue

Eamon Donoghue is a former Irish Times journalist