Real Madrid humiliated; Gordon D’Arcy on world rugby’s problems

Reigning champions Real Madrid crashed out of the Champions League after a 4-1 home defeat to Ajax last night. Leading 2-1 after their last-16 first leg in Amsterdam, the Spanish club were humiliated at the Bernabeu to complete a week in which they've gone 12 points behind in the league, been knocked out of the Copa del Rey, and the competition they won in four of the last five years. Tottenham joined Ajax in the quarter-finals after a 1-0 away win over Borussia Dortmund (4-0 on aggregate) - Harry Kane scored their goal after Hugo Lloris had made a number of excellent first half saves. Tonight Manchester United travel to Paris, trailing PSG 2-0 on aggregate, but it's not mission impossible according to their caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjær.

In his column this morning, Gordon D'Arcy explains why the absence of a proper global calendar is the root of world rugby's problems: "The Six Nations is the only annual Test-match tournament that's an established success. Rather than framing it as an insurmountable problem, how about making it the launch pad for a global season?" Yesterday France named an unchanged team for Sunday's penultimate Six Nations match with Ireland, which is slightly unnerving for Ireland according to Gerry Thornley. Gonzaga created history by making the Leinster Senior Cup final for the first time after a 22-19 win over Clongowes.

After returning from New Zealand this week (as revealed by the Irish Times), former All Star fullback Rory O'Carroll was due to return to train with his club Kilmacud Crokes last night, and according to their joint-manager Johnny Magee: "Jim Gavin knows Rory is back. I'm sure they'll have a look at him. But there's a big step up from being in New Zealand for four years and not playing at a high level to getting competitive again even at club level in Dublin." Seán Moran's column explains why the GAA need to tread warily around the issue of a Border poll.

Meanwhile Presenting Percy remains the Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite despite the Pat Kelly-trained star having just a single outing this season, winning over hurdles at Gowran in January. And last Saturday Presenting Percy's unorthodox preparation for steeplechasing's 'Blue Riband' took another twist when it was revealed Kelly took him from his Athenry yard to school over fences the 'wrong' way round at Galway.