Here's what our editors will be watching over the weekend:
Saturday, March 8th
As the Six Nations reaches the penultimate round, a heavyweight clash awaits in Dublin that will have a big say in determining who will claim the title next weekend. Ireland currently leads the way, having won all three of their games. However, Ireland’s opponents, France, have lost only once against England and they have one more bonus point than Ireland, leaving them just three points behind ahead of Saturday’s game.
Ireland also know that defeat will bring England back into contention. That is a concern considering England’s last two games are against the tournament's weakest sides, Italy and Wales.
In some respects, there is no reason for concern, though. Ireland remain on course for a Grand Slam and we saw in their opening weekend victory against England how strong they are at home. In front of a raucous home crowd, they will be hard to beat and if they do win on Saturday, the Grand Slam will be within touching distance.
France won’t be pushovers and if their forward line is on it they will be hard to stop. With home advantage, Ireland are favourites but at their best, France are the better side. Whichever way you look at it, this is much-watch rugby on your Saturday afternoon.
Harry Dunnett
The standout match of the second round at Indian Wells - arguably the biggest tournament in tennis outside of the Grand Slams - is this one, a clash between two of the most exciting talents in the sport.
18-year-old Joao Fonseca has been one of the stories of the season so far. The Brazilian followed up his NextGen Finals triumph at the end of 2024 with a stunning win against Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open before winning his first ATP title in Buenos Aires. With the jaw-dropping power he can generate from his forehand in particular, he's a joy to watch.
He'll have to be at his best to beat Jack Draper though, who continues to establish himself as one of the best players in the world. The Brit is coming off an impressive run in Doha, where he narrowly lost to Rublev in the final, and can enter the top 10 of the world rankings with a decent tournament in California.
This is the first time they'll face off, and with how talented the two are, it could be the start of a long-running rivalry at the top of the game.
Sunday, March 9th
Champions Trophy final - 10:00 CET
The ICC Champions Trophy is coming to an end this Sunday with the final being a rematch of one of the tournament’s group games - India facing New Zealand in Dubai. The fact these sides have already met only adds intrigue to the decider.
It has been a topic of much controversy that India have had the privilege - and huge advantage - of playing all their matches at the same venue in the UAE, rather than having to visit the “host” nation, Pakistan like everyone else.
Putting that aside, India have been imperious and hold a perfect record in the tournament of four wins from four, including a fairly comfortable win over the Black Caps in the pair’s group-stage clash.
In that meeting, Mitchell Santner won the toss and elected to field first with India’s spinners doing the damage in the second innings as they bowled New Zealand out for 205 to win by 44 runs. Varun Chakravarthy was the star that day with a five-for.
At a glance, one might expect New Zealand to want to do the opposite this Sunday, but making India chase hasn’t worked out either. Rohit Sharma lost the toss in their three other matches and India won all of them batting second, with relative ease too.
It feels like there’s nothing you can throw at India to beat them in 50-over cricket right now but one thing is for sure, the Kiwis will give it a red-hot go. What’s more, they will be buoyed by their huge semi-final win over South Africa in which Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson both scored tons.
Pat Dempsey
Manchester United vs Arsenal - 17:30 CET
Ruben Amorim admitted his Manchester United side are “anxious” to score goals and get wins after their 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad. Their first opportunity comes against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.
It’s going to be a difficult thing to achieve for the Red Devils, given their form this season. Manchester United came from behind to beat Ipswich 3-2 last time out, but they're yet to win consecutive league games this season, with this their longest wait for back-to-back league victories since 1968-69.
The game also marks Mikel Arteta’s 200th Premier League match in charge. In that time, he’s won 118 of his first 199, which is already the fifth-most victories of any manager in their first 200 in the competition (Pep Guardiola 146, Jose Mourinho 137, Jürgen Klopp 127, Alex Ferguson 122).
Arsenal scored seven in midweek against Feyenoord, allying their fears of having no striking options up top. It's unclear whether Mikel Merino will start up top in his auxiliary position, but he should prove a problem to a back-three that has struggled to contain anyone this season.
Expect an Arsenal victory at Old Trafford to put more pressure on Amorim.
Josh Donaldson
Juventus vs Atalanta - 20:45 CET
After what felt like Serie A was destined to be a two-horse race, a drop in form from frontrunners Napoli and Inter has allowed both Juventus and Atalanta back into the fray.
The pair meet on Sunday in a crunch match. Form favours Juventus, who have won each of their last five games in Serie A, but when the pair met back in January it ended in a 1-1 draw - it’s no surprise given Atalanta have scored the most goals from open play (45) in Serie A this season, while Juventus have conceded the fewest from open play (12).
The clash is set up perfectly, and with so much hanging over it, it may have the air of a cup final. Make sure not to miss it.
Josh Donaldson
