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Irish golf courses face toughest Covid restrictions; Gordon D’Arcy on why Ireland must step up

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

Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland celebrates in front of Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou after scoring the second in their Champions League last-16 win. Photo: Friedemann Vogel/EPA

Wed Mar 10 2021 - 07:03

Another day dawns and golf courses around the country remain shut with golfers banned from taking to the fairways. Today will be the 163rd day since March 25th of last year that golf courses in the Republic of Ireland have been closed in what is the most severe Covid-19 restrictions faced by golf courses in any country in the world. While most courses around Europe and beyond are currently open for play as a safe, socially distanced form of exercise, Irish golf courses are enduring their third period of closures over the last year and, indeed, the longest period yet, reports Ruaidhrí Croke. In the United States courses barely closed at all over the last year with Florida being one of the most lax states in terms of restrictions and that is where Rory McIlroy will defend his Players Championship title at TPC Sawgrass this week. The former world number one has now fallen outside the world's top-10 for the first time in three years but yesterday he confirmed he has no plans to change coach or caddie and that it is a slight change in philosophy which he feels he needs instead.

On to rugby and Gordon D'Arcy writes in his column this morning that Ireland need to set out a clear plan when they take to the pitch at Murrayfield on Sunday and this must be the moment that clarity descends on Andy Farrell's project. "Sometimes in rugby you play the game not the opposition. A case in point will be Murrayfield this Sunday. Now we just need to figure out what Ireland's game is," he writes. Doing so will by no means be an easy task with Paul O'Connell yesterday saying that this is the best Scottish team he has ever gone up against. The Ireland forwards coach is enjoying the challenge of coaching a new breed of player and reiterated yesterday that Johnny Sexton's hunger remains just as intense as ever as questions about when the outhalf will retire continue to be pondered. In the Champions Cup the draw made yesterday for the last-16 pitted Leinster and Munster against tough French assignments with Munster drawing the shortest straw, writes Gerry Thornley.

Moving to GAA and Seán Moran writes in his column this morning that the figure one is a small number which has made a huge difference to the association over its history. "One familiar trend that pops up yet again in the foothills of a decade is the disproportionate eventfulness of years ending in one. This time around, we're already in danger of the national league having to be severely truncated or even dropped and the championship again abbreviated," he writes.

In soccer there was high drama in the Champions League last night as Juventus came back from a two-goal defecit to force extra-time against 10-man Porto bit, despite their best efforts, could not find the winner needed only for Sergio Oliveira to strike home a free-kick in the second half of extra-time to send the Portuguese side through. In the night's other game Erling Haaland was again the main man for Borussia Dortmund as he scored twice to send them into the last-eight past Sevilla. This evening Liverpool take a 2-0 lead into their "home" leg against RB Leipzig in Budapest after Jurgen Klopp yesterday ruled himself out of the running for the Germany job following the news that Joachim Low will step down after Euro 2020. In the night's other match Barcelona will try to overcome a 4-1 defecit when they meet PSG in Paris.

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Finally to racing and Brian O'Connor speaks to trainer Eugene O'Sullivan who next week will return to the scene of his greatest triumph next week after It Came To Pass's stunning victory in the Cheltenham Foxhunters Chase at 66-1 last year. Elsewhere, jockey Rob James will today face a hearing after a video came to light last week of him jumping on a dead horse.

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