Saturday sport: Ireland face Italy in Six Nations, loads of GAA action

Eva Osborne

Rugby

After last week's defeat to France, Ireland are hoping to bounce back in the Six Nations on Saturday afternoon.

Andy Farrell's side takes on a resurgent Italy at the Aviva Stadium from 2:10pm.

Jack Conan starts at number eight and said he backs the players to give a true reflection of what they are capable of.

Meanwhile, Scotland and England will do battle for the Calcutta Cup at Murrayfield from 4:40pm.

GAA

After a week's break, there is plenty of action in the Allianz Football Leagues on Saturday.

In Division 1, Kerry and Galway lock horns at Austin Stack Park in Tralee from 5pm.

It is a 7pm throw-in at Croke Park, where Dublin take on Monaghan.

Before that, local rivals Meath and Louth contest a Division 2 encounter at GAA HQ at 5pm.

Kildare welcome Derry to St Conleth's Park in Newbridge at 6:30pm.

At the same time, O'Moore Park hosts the meeting of Laois and Sligo in Division 3.

Down welcome Westmeath to Páirc Esler, and Waterford take on Wicklow at Fraher Field.

The National Camogie League gets underway on Saturday afternoon.

Antrim and Tipperary square off in Division 1A from 2pm at Robert Emmets, Cushendan.

At the same time, All-Ireland champions Galway take on Kilkenny in Ballinasloe and, at Walsh Park, Waterford face Cork.

Soccer

There is one game in the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division on Saturday evening.

Bohemians are the visitors to Sligo Rovers, with kick-off at the Showgrounds at 7:45pm.

In the FA Cup, Aston Villa will face Newscastle in the pick of Saturday afternoon's fourth-round ties.

That will get underway at Villa Park from 5:45pm.

From 12:15pm, West Ham face League One strugglers Burton Albion,

League Two outfit Salford City make the short trip to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City, while Southampton and Leicester meet for the second time in a week, and Burnley welcome Mansfield Town to Turf Moor.

Those games kick-off at 3pm.

Chelsea and Wrexham progressed to the fifth round, after wins last night.

Winter Olympics

Cormac Comerford is back on the slopes for Team Ireland at the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina.

The Dublin skier completed his first run in the Giant Slalom earlier, in a time of 1-minute, 24.32 seconds.

He will go in his second run after 12:30pm.

Golf

Rory McIlroy is six shots off the lead at the midway point of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

The defending champion signed for a second-round 67 on Friday to sit on nine-under-par.

Akshay Bhatia leads the way on 15-under heading into Day Three,

While Shane Lowry will tee off his third round from eight-under.

Racing

The Grade-one Ascot Chase is the feature race at the Berkshire racecourse, going to post at 3:35pm.

Here at home, an eight-race card at Gowran Park gets underway at 12:45pm.