Previous Day
Rolling with the momentum
RUGBY: A Sunday of soothing affirmation at Lansdowne Road. After last week's magnificent Australian story, the visit of Fiji could have been a troublesome second act. p
Connolly refuses place in squad
SOCCER: As a good portion of the Irish squad for this Wednesday's friendly against Greece fell victim to an epidemic of minor injuries and informed Don Givens that they would not be fit to travel, David Connolly made it clear to the caretaker manager that having been left out of the original squad he simply wasn't inclined to answer the late call-up he received yesterday. p
United can expect little sympathy
SOCCER: West Ham - 1 Manchester United - 1 If Manchester United are to have any hope of regaining supremacy they will have to become masters of the undeserved victory. The trait was not quite perfected yesterday because Jermain Defoe's goal in the 86th minute, when he was a pace offside, was allowed to stand. p
Soccer
Henry and Arsenal sprint clear
Arsenal - 3 Tottenham Hotspur - 0 Once more Arsenal are playing like champions-in-residence and, if last month's two successive Premiership defeats do turn out to be their seasonal blip, then such champions-in-waiting as Liverpool and Manchester United will surely have a long wait. pYobo at the heart of Everton's renaissance
Blackburn Rovers ... 0 Everton ... 1 At the end Joseph Yobo ripped off his shirt and flung it gleefully into the delirious Darwen End. If ever one moment could capture the renaissance of a football club, this was it. pLeeds go a'wandering
Leeds Utd - 2 Bolton Wanderers - 4 "What on earth is going on?" chanted the Elland Road crowd, or words to that effect. Their anger was entirely justified. Five home defeats in seven Premiership matches, with none surely as abject as the one suffered against Bolton yesterday, leave Terry Venables' much trumpeted return to management in deepening crisis. pPlanet Football
Away from home You have, we're sure, heard by now that Keith O'Neill, currently recovering from a broken left leg and a fractured right foot, broke his hand while attempting to "test his strength" by hitting a punchball at a charity event. pBirmingham fail to take advantage of dismissals
Birmingham City ... 0 Fulham ... 0 If avoiding a fifth successive defeat yesterday has eased the pressure on Jean Tigana's tenuous position as Fulham's coach, then he has as much cause to be thankful for a poorly struck penalty as a determined display by his team, who finished with nine men. pLiverpool denied by heroics of Macho
Liverpool - 0 Sunderland - 0 Losing, as Rudi Voeller once said, is a concept as well as a fact. Every Liverpool fan here yesterday, as well as Gerard Houllier and his players, may have been reflecting on that last night. pBohemians back on track
Drogheda United ... 0 Bohemians ... 2 A gutsy performance by struggling Drogheda United was insufficient to prevent league leaders Bohemians grab a two-goal victory at O2 Park yesterday. pCork put under pressure
Cork City ... 1 Longford ... 1 Cork City were made battle for their draw at Turner's Cross on Saturday as Longford Town confirmed the view they will seriously influence the final placings. pLate late show at Bray
Bray Wanderers ... 1 Shamrock Rovers ... 1 A dramatic late equaliser from teenage striker Eamon Zayed in the 98th minute earned Bray Wanderers a precious point in yesterday's Premier Division clash with Shamrock Rovers at the Carlisle Grounds. pPetrov shows the way as Celtic go top
Celtic ... 4 Partick Thistle ... 0 The Scottish champions rounded off a perfect week with a 4-0 victory at Celtic Park yesterday to regain top spot from arch rivals Rangers. p
Not much to complain about
Ireland ... 64 Fiji ... 17 Carping souls might have wanted more of a ruthless, killer instinct, or they might bemoan the leakage of two tries to outclassed and well-beaten opposition. But in truth there can't be too much to complain about after a fairly complete nine tries to two victory pEngland save best for last
England - 32 Australia - 31 Heaven forbid they ever suffer a boring home defeat, for England's supporters are presently being spoon-fed caviar for breakfast, lunch and tea. pFrance waste good chance
France - 20 New Zealand - 20: By night France's space-age national stadium looks like something from a Steven Spielberg fantasy, an appropriate setting for this close encounter of a third kind. France were unable to follow the lead of England and Scotland and topple a Southern Hemisphere superpower in the same day, but the first draw in 38 meetings between these countries certainly had an otherworldly quality about it. pTry record is good, winning is better
Brian O'Driscoll's Diary It wasn't a huge issue, but yes, I knew I'd equalled the try-scoring record of another centre, Brenny Mullin. I think it would be ignorant of me not to have known that. Obviously it is a great honour to draw level with Brenny. I thought he was a fantastic player for Ireland throughout the 1980s and the 1990s. pPumas leave Kirwan with a lot to fret over
Italy ... 6 Argentina ... 36 Italy will await next week's visit from Australia with trepidation after they were outclassed by Argentina. Azzurri coach John Kirwan has some serious thinking to do if his side are to avoid complete humiliation against the Wallabies. pQuinnell ends career with nice symmetry
Wales ... 32 Canada ... 21 Scott Quinnell was given an emotional send-off from the international stage as Wales maintained their unbeaten autumn record with a comfortable victory at the Millennium Stadium. The Lions number eight's retirement was confirmed immediately after the final whistle as he finally bowed to a persistent knee injury. pBoks are bagged too easily
Scotland - 21 South Africa - 6 The jubilation of the Scottish players and management was, of course, thoroughly justified. Too often Scotland have outplayed the opposition only to lose through lack of discipline, or an excess of open rugby. Not this time. pClontarf prove the value of team-work
Clontarf ... 23 Dungannon ... 13 Dungannon finished with six professionals on the pitch, Clontarf with two, yet not only did the home side pull through comfortably in the end at Castle Avenue on Saturday, there was nothing remotely surprising in that either. pConstitution's joy muted by Horgan injury
While Cork Constitution kept their winning record intact with three tries against Buccaneers, the Temple Hill Road side will be without winger Anthony Horgan, possibly for up to three weeks. Horgan came off after five minutes play with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. pGlorious defeat becoming a habit for UL Bohemians
Galwegians - 29 UL Bohemians - 22 Another glorious defeat for UL Bohemians. This year's new Division One entrants once again rattled and shook their more illustrious opponents to the end, only to reap a third successive bonus point from a third disappointing loss. p
UCD win sets few pulses racing
UCD 1-16 St Vincents 0-6 A rare and amusing moment came at the end of the Dublin county football final at Parnell Park yesterday when before handing the cup over to the winning UCD captain, a delirious Brendan Ó hAnnaidh, county board chairman John Bailey said it was a most exciting and sportingly contested hurling final. pMount Sion get all the breaks
Mount Sion ... 2-12 Mullinahone ... 0-15 A week after their landmark county title win in Tipperary, Mullinahone let further achievement slip like sand through their fingers in Walsh Park, Waterford yesterday. A tough and enthralling AIB Munster semi-final ended with Mount Sion having got the breaks and put them to good use. pAthenry never troubled
Athenry ... 1-19 Four Roads ... 0-9 Athenry never had to move up a gear against Roscommon champions Four Roads at Ballyforan yesterday to win another Connacht title. Athenry led 0-9 to 0-3 at the break but relied on freetaker Eugene Cloonan for all but two of those scores. pFitzgerald point steals it
Sixmilebridge ... 2-13 Blackrock ... ... 1-15 Sixmilebridge, the Clare champions, and Blackrock, the Cork holders, served up a thriller at Cusack Park, Ennis, in yesterday's semi-final, with the Banner side snatching victory in injury time thanks to a Paul Fitzgerald point. pDunshaughlin send a warning
Dunshaughlin ... 1-11 Rathvilly ... 0-2 Dunshaughlin, the Meath champions for the past three years, sent out a strong message that they are serious contenders for this year's Leinster club title when they overpowered Carlow side Rathvilly in the quarter-final at Dr Cullen Park, Carlow yesterday. pCross go out as Canavan gives a master class
Errigal Ciarán ... 1-13 Crossmaglen Rangers ... 1-10 Peter Canavan has produced many masterful displays, but few better than his devastating performance in Clones yesterday. pBirr turn on the power
Birr ... 4-21 St Mullins ... 0-8 Carlow champions St Mullins, appearing in their very first semi-final in over 30 years, suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of reigning All-Ireland champions Birr at Portlaoise yesterday. pIrelands quell a Wexford rising
Young Ireland's 3-11 Rathnure - 0-11 For about 15 minutes of yesterday's Leinster club hurling semi-final the Rathnure team played gloriously to the memory of former parish priest Fr Paddy McDonald, who was buried in the Wexford town last Tuesday. pCollins produces a masterstroke
Strokestown ... 0-8 Eastern Harps ... 0-7 Emmet Collins was the toast of Markievicz Park yesterday after his point in stoppage time earned Roscommon champions Strokestown a place in the Connacht club football championship final where they meet Crossmolina. p
Rooster Booster cruises home
RACING: Rooster Booster enhanced his Smurfit Champion Hurdle aspirations when powering to success under top-weight in the Rehabilitation of Racehorses Hurdle at Cheltenham yesterday. pLimestone Lad made to work
RACING: Limestone Lad recorded his 32nd career success in the Grade Two Morgiana Hurdle at Navan yesterday. pIreland continue to impress in World Cup build-up
HOCKEY: With several of their fellow World Cup finalists arriving in Australia only at the weekend, Ireland completed their 10th day of preparations at their Bunbury base with a 3-0 win over a touring Canada side on Saturuday, with Jenny Burke bringing her tally to 10 goals in her last eight games. pMonty top man again
ASIAN TOUR: Colin Montgomerie fought back from two shots down to win his first Asian tour title with a two-shot victory over Thongchai Jaidee in Dongguan, China. pMurphy sitting pretty in Spain Warburg Cup: Americans keep trophy
The United States had little difficulty in retaining the Warburg Cup with a 14½-9½ victory over the Rest of the World at a cold and windy Sea Island in Georgia yesterday. pGlenanne resume normal service
HOCKEY: After a tentative start to the season, Glenanne have worked up to full steam. Their 4-0 victory over Pembroke Wanderers at St Mark's on Saturday left little doubt about their intentions to keep the league title out of Three Rock Rovers' reach. They have also cleared significant first hurdles in their defence of the Neville and Mills Cups in eliminating Monkstown and Aer Lingus respectively. pSonny & Cher moving closer to new embrace
TV VIEW Theyr'e getting closer folks. Slowly but surely, Gilesy and Dunph are snaking towards each other along RTE's chaise-longue. Pretty soon the lights will darken and we'll be in to the slow set with soccer's Sonny & Cher whispering sweet off-sides to each other. pBrian Kerr the right man at the right time
LockerRoom/TomHumphries BRIAN KERR. We'll come to Brian Kerr in a moment. It's a seasonal pastime, isn't it, to chip in with a few hundred words of completely idle speculation about who is on the (as yet non-existent) FAI short-list for the greatest job in the whole of the world. p
