CHAMPIONSHIP
TEEMU Pukki and Adam Idah both found the net as Norwich extended their lead at the top to seven points with a 2-0 win over Wycombe.
Wycombe kept the visitors goalless for 51 minutes, but Pukki broke the deadlock and Idah wrapped things up three minutes from time.
Brentford came from behind to strengthen their automatic promotion push with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Stoke.
Vitaly Janelt equalised in the 56th minute after Jacob Brown had put the visitors ahead early on, but Ivan Toney’s 25th goal of the season secured the Bees a second successive victory.
Arnaut Danjuma scored the only goal as Bournemouth picked up a 1-0 win over Watford in a game which both teams finished with 10 men.
Danjuma fired the winner – his seventh goal of the season –16 minutes into the second half.
Bournemouth’s victory was marred by a multi-player stoppage-time brawl during which Watford striker Joao Pedro and Bournemouth midfielder Jack Wilshere were both sent off.
Luton produced a sensational comeback to defeat Sheffield Wednesday 3-2 at Kenilworth Road.
They were trailing 2-0 at half-time to Josh Windass’ double.
But Luton were level after just 15 minutes of the second period, with Kal Naismith and Ryan Tunnicliffe scoring, before Elijah Adebayo then headed home a dramatic late winner.
Birmingham scored two late goals in three minutes to earn their first home win in 13 games as they came from behind to beat QPR 2-1 at St Andrew’s. Alen Halilovic scored a cracker after Kristian Pedersen equalised to cancel out Charlie Austin’s opener.
Reading managed to kick-start their season after claiming a narrow 1-0 victory at struggling Rotherham.
Defeat consigned the Millers to a fifth successive loss and they remain deep in relegation trouble after conceding midway through the first half to Michael Morrison.
Matty James’ first goal since March 2017 earned 10-man Coventry a 1-1 draw at Blackburn. The midfielder’s hooked finish cancelled out Ben Brereton’s second goal in as many games.
IRELAND captain Johnny Sexton admits Saturday’s crushing victory over Italy does not mean “everything is fixed”.
Andy Farrell’s men bounced back from losses to Wales and France by running in six tries during a 48-10 bonus-point success in Rome to record an overdue first win of the Guinness Six Nations.
Fly-half Sexton added all six conversions and two penalties on his return from a head injury to help ease mounting pressure on head coach Farrell.
Ireland travel to Scotland on March 14 before concluding the tournament six days later at home to England and Sexton acknowledges there is still plenty to do to salvage an “OK championship”.
“Each game has been different and I suppose (Saturday) was an accumulation and everything coming together a little bit,” he said.
“But it doesn’t mean everything is fixed now. We’ve got to keep improving and obviously a massive test ahead going to Murrayfield, it’s always an incredibly tough game.
“And then a six-day turnaround going into England, so it’s still all to do.
“If we get a couple of results in our last couple of games, it will be an OK championship, it will be what might have been, but we want to finish on a high.”
Ireland’s third-placed finish under Farrell in last year’s championship was assessed as an “average return” by the Irish Rugby Football Union and they already face a battle to emulate that moderate achievement.
Ireland’s worst start to a Six Nations campaign has prompted questions about the progress being made under their head coach.
Despite recent setbacks, Sexton has complete confidence in the current management team.
“We’ve come in for some flak over the last few weeks but internally as a group I don’t think we have ever been more confident about where we’re going and what we can produce,” said the 35-year-old.
“With the coaches that we have, with the leadership group coming out of their shells, I think that this group is on the right trajectory – and I properly believe that.”
Recalled flanker Will Connors claimed a brace at Stadio Olimpico, with Garry Ringrose, Hugo Keenan, CJ Stander and Keith Earls also on the scoresheet.
Sexton believes Leinster teammate Connors – who has now registered three tries in four starts for his country – displayed elements of an all-round game during an impressive performance.
“You know what you are going to get with Will,” said Sexton.
“The energy that he brings, his chop tackles and his work in and around the breakdown, but he’s a brilliant ball player as well, which we probably haven’t seen enough of.
“But I think we saw glimpses (on Saturday), he was outstanding.”
Defeat for the hosts was a 30th in succession in the championship, dating back six years.
Italy captain Luca Bigi said: “We have to be more clinical when we create our opportunities but we are a young team that must grow.
“It is frustrating and the group is disappointed, but our growth also passes through these situations.
“The union of the team and the belief we work with will bear fruit, and when it happens it will be even more beautiful. We are attacked by every part but the heart and spirit we have inside are exemplary.”