All roads lead to Twickenham in rugby union’s Six Nations Championship, where England and Wales face off on 12 March in what is effectively the title decider after results went according to form in the third round of matches. Wales powered past France with a 19-10 win in Cardiff, while England maintained their unbeaten start under new coach Eddie Jones, beating defending champions Ireland 21-10. In Rome, Scotland ended a run of nine successive Six Nations defeats with a 32-20 win over Italy: “I knew today, when we took that field, that we were going to win,” said Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw.
Infantino is new head of Fifa
Fifa, everyone’s favourite fully transparent and democratic world sports governing body, has a new president after Gianni Infantino saw off his nearest rival, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa of Bahrain, in a typically convoluted electoral process last Friday. Whether the Swiss-Italian – who only entered the leadership race last autumn after Michel Platini, his former boss at football’s European ruling body, Uefa, was banned over a payments scandal involving former Fifa president Sepp Blatter – can bring any meaningful reform to Fifa’s world of dysfunction is open to question. “I want to see football growing all over the world,” Infantino said dutifully, perhaps hoping an endorsement from Blatter, his disgraced predecessor, would not prove counterproductive. “I’m glad Gianni is president, he has all the qualities to continue my work,” Blatter said. “I had mulled wine with him at Christmas. I gave him tips.”
Winning return for Stephens
Sloane Stephens made a winning return to the women’s tennis circuit in Acapulco, claiming the Mexican Open title after a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 win over Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova. “We had a great week and a great start to the year,” said Stephens on her comeback after three months out with an achilles injury. In the Dubai Tennis Championship, Stan Wawrinka won his second ATP title of the season, beating Marcos Baghdatis 6-4 7-6, a feat made simpler by the withdrawal of world No 1 Novak Djokovic in an earlier round with an eye complaint.
Ireland may gain Test status
Ireland could be beneficiaries of International Cricket Council proposals to expand world Test cricket into two divisions. The plan would involve admitting two associate nations, of which the Irish would likely be one. Cricket Ireland’s chief executive, Warren Deutrom, said such a move would “propel cricket even further into the mainstream of Irish sport”. The challenge may be finding a location where rain will hold off long enough to complete a five-day match.
