Previous Day
It's all Greek to Ireland
Greece 0 Republic of Ireland 0 The Genesis report may have provided a prescription to cure many of the FAI's ills, but presumably not even the Scottish consultants, with a keen eye for underperformance, hold the secret of why it is that the association's team is incapable of providing the slightest hint of value for money when the outcome of their games counts for no more than pride. Emmet Malone reports from Athens. p
Impressive pack seal victory
Ireland Development XV 12 Argentina 24 Torrential rain, a strong wind and sodden underfoot conditions guaranteed that the boot would be the favoured option for most of the proceedings at Donnybrook last night, which suited the physically more dynamic Argentinans. p
Conflict denied as Fennelly steps down
Dublin are searching for a new senior hurling manager after the announcement yesterday that Kevin Fennelly would not be continuing in the position for another year. p
Soccer
Numbers add up for Givens
Don Givens' brief tenure will be reduced to a line of numbers. Played one. Scored none. Conceded none. If the high point of your managerial career is to be a haiku, you could choose worse ways to be represented. Not worse matches mind you, writes Tom Humphries pAn earnest display of little importance
ANALYSIS: Even in the twilight world of international friendly matches, this was one to forget. Low on entertainment value, it really served no purpose in terms of the bigger picture. Within that context Ireland did quite well, according to Mark Lawrenson pFuture starts now for unfussy O'Shea
The rookie: John O'Shea Tom Humphries on how the new boy's quiet maturity and class stoodout in an otherwise forgettable match pSpeed the inspiration as Wales take the fast track
Azerbijan 0 Wales 2 Euro 2004 qualifier: An eerie choking fog swirled dark and ominously as the visiting players left the field with their arms aloft, but there were no clouds on Wales' horizon. The Azeri have gone the same way as the Azzurri; the startling renaissance in Welsh football is gathering pace. pFerguson adds another coach
Alex Ferguson has prised away Sunderland's reserve team coach Ricky Sbragia to take up the same position at Manchester United. pDutch master rivals with cutting counter attacks
Germany 1 Holland 3 Lethal finishing from counter-attacks gave Holland victory over arch-rivals Germany in an entertaining friendly international in Gelsenkirchen last night. pInternational friendlies: Round-up
France, Argentina and Brazil finish the year with victories. p
Dempsey the model professional
John O'Sullivan talks to full back Girvan Dempsey on how he avoids going stir crazy in Ireland's team hotel and what he's cooking up for Argentina on Saturday pKeane steers Skerries home
SCHOOLS' RUGBY: Holders Skerries Community School had outhalf Owen Keane to thank for their safe passage into the the second round of the Coca-Cola Leinster Schools Section A Senior Cup at ALSAC yesterday. pStraeuli 'not panicking'
Beleaguered South African coach Rudolf Straeuli denied he was panicking after dropping four players from the side humiliated by Scotland last weekend for Saturday's clash with England at Twickenham. pNZ criticise French
The French team were criticised for their dirty play in last Saturday's 20-20 draw with New Zealand by the tourists' coach, John Mitchell, yesterday. p
League deciders fixed for May Bank Holiday
The GAA yesterday announced their master fixture list for 2003, which confirms the dates for the National League finals, all provincial competitions, and the hurling and football qualifier series. pFootball and hurling 2003: Fixtures calendar
Football and hurling 2003: Fixtures calendar p
McCullough title fight in doubt
BOXING: Wayne McCullough's search for a world title fight in February has not been as straightforward as his ascent back to the summit of professional boxing. pTour awaits Murphy, McGrane
GOLF: Gary Murphy and Damien McGrane secured their places on next year's European Tour after the final round of the qualifying school at Emporda in Spain yesterday, although Ireland's other representatives Gary Cullen and - agonisingly - Stephen Browne failed to secure a top-35 finish. pSmyth keeps up strong bid
GOLF: Des Smyth remains firmly on course in his attempt to scure exemption to play the US Champions Tour next year. pEuropean finals dream fading
Ireland 71 Germany 80 BASKETBALL: A clearly superior German team last night defeated the Irish senior men's team at the ESB Arena in Tallaght, a result which all but kills any chance of Ireland qualifying for next year's European finals in Sweden. pWaugh questions England choices
CRICKET: Steve Waugh has stoked the traditional Australia-England rivalry for the second Test, which begins today at the Adelaide Oval, by claiming the tourists only have themselves to blame for the catalogue of injuries which have hit their Ashes preparations. pNormal service to resume
RACING: Prospects appear to be brighter than the actual weather for racing's normal service to resume at the weekend. pMurphy hit with #4,000 fine
RACING: Ferdy Murphy was fined £4,000 by the British Jockey Club yesterday after he "held up his hands" and admitted that his appearance in the BBC's Kenyon Confronts programme, broadcast in June, had acted to bring racing into disrepute. The fine, though well short of the theoretical maximum of £35,000, is one of the largest ever handed down for a disrepute offence. pPrince of fight against doping in sport dies
SPORTS DIGEST: The driving force of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) fight against doping in sport, Prince Alexandre de Merode, has died aged 68 after a long fight with cancer. pComeback kid does a Lazarus on it
AMERICA AT LARGE: Just three days ago people were wondering whether Tommy Maddox would ever walk again. Now they're asking when he's going to play again. If the Pittsburgh quarterback's 2002 season didn't qualify as a miracle already, it certainly does now. p
