Saturday Sport Preview

Tyrone awarded 8 All Stars, Leinster host Bath and Steven Gerrard returns to Anfield

GAELIC GAMES

Cian Lynch and Kieran McGeary collected the big awards at last night’s All Stars ceremony.

For the second time in four years, Limerick forward Lynch was named Hurler of the Year.

While Tyrone defender McGeary won the Footballer of the Year award.

The Young Player awards were both retained by last year’s winners - Mayo’s Oisin Mullin remains Young Footballer of the year, while Kilkenny’s Eoin Cody is once again Young Hurler of the Year.

All Ireland champions Tyrone were rewarded with eight football All Stars.

Mayo and Kerry won three each, with Dublin taking home just one.


RUGBY

Racing laid down a marker in Pool A of the Heineken Champions Cup last night.

Wenceslas Lauret scored a hat-trick of tries in a 45-points to 14 bonus point win away to Northampton.


Leinster and Ulster are both in Pool A action today.

Rhys Ruddock captains Leinster as they welcome Bath to the Aviva Stadium - kick-off there is at 3.15.

While Duane Vermeulen makes his debut for Ulster away to Clermont

Former Munster out-half J-J Hanrahan starts for the French side.

There’s a 5.30 start at the Stade Marcel Michelin (pr: Meesh-lan).



SOCCER

There was late drama in the Premier League last night.

Brentford were six minutes away from a seventh defeat of the season.

But they managed to beat Watford 2-1, courtesy of an injury-time Bryan Mbeumo penalty.


Leaders Manchester City can open up a four-point lead - even for a couple of hours - this lunchtime.

Pep Guardiola’s side welcome Wolves to the Etihad.

At 3, Steven Gerrard returns to Anfield as a manager for the first time as Aston Villa go up against Liverpool.

Fellow title hopefuls Chelsea see Leeds visit Stamford Bridge.

While Arsenal entertain Southampton.

And at 5.30, Ralf Rangnick takes Manchester United to Norwich.



BOXING

Katie Taylor puts her undisputed lightweight title on the line tonight.

She goes up against Kazakhstan’s Firuza Sharipova in Liverpool.

Taylor’s opponent is unbeaten in her last fourteen professional outings.


There’s further Irish involvement on that card, with Belfast’s Caoimhin Agyarko fighting Noe Larios Junior for the vacant WBA international middleweight title.



MOTORSPORT

The Formula One title race heats up even further today.

Qualifying for the final race of the season - the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - is due to get underway at 1.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen are dead level on points heading into the weekend.



RACING

There’s an eight-race card at Fairyhouse today

The first is off at 11.30.