Previous Day
Familiarity has yet to dull Crown's lustre
RUGBY/Six Nations Championship: How to
put a tilt at another Triple Crown in perspective? In the context
of Irish rugby, winning a third Triple Crown in the same
generation, never mind in just a four-year span, would be a unique
achievement, given there have never been more than two in the same
decade. p
Newcastle take control
SOCCER/Uefa Cup Round of 16, first leg/Newcastle 4 Alkmaar 2: It is stating the obvious to say that Newcastle United would gladly have taken this scoreline if offered it before kick-off. But having seen the limitations of AZ Alkmaar at close quarters Newcastle were left wondering last night how they could be so clearly superior and yet concede two goals that give the Dutchmen hope if not expectation in the second leg next Thursday. p
Roe calls for lenient suspension for Casey
GAELIC GAMES/National Football League News: Offaly manager Pat Roe has called for his player Ken Casey to be spared a lengthy suspension for what he described as "a misinterpretation". Roe was commenting on the decision of the Central Competitions Control Committee to uphold Longford's objection to the player's participation in the recent National Football League Division Two A match between the counties and strip Offaly of the point earned in the drawn encounter. p
Rugby 
Ibanez wary of the threat England pose at home
Six Nations/England v France: When Raphael Ibanez was made captain of France in mid-November, after Les Bleus' 40-point defeat by New Zealand in Lyon, the coach Bernard Laporte had no hesitation in describing the role as "a poisoned chalice". They were in total disarray and a second outing against the All Blacks was only a few days away. pFrames of reference essential to the big picture
Mervyn Murphy is Ireland's video analyst. Here the affable former Ireland A centre offers an overview of his job in his own words pIreland should be too strong
Under-20 Preview/Scotland v Ireland: For the countries which contest this match, the championship could not have offered a greater contrast in fortune. p
Officials move to avoid turmoil
League of Ireland: League of Ireland officials will meet this morning to discuss how to resolve the growing problems being encountered by clubs in relation to the registration of players who have played for two other teams since July 1st of last year. pInjury-free run is O'Flynn's goal
League of Ireland Preview: Emmet Malone talks to Cork City striker John O'Flynn, who hopes to be back playing soon pConnor relishing the challenge with Bohemians
Having swept a new broom through the club since taking charge last November, Bohemians manager Sean Connor, far from daunted by the challenge of facing one of the title favourites in the opening game of season at Dalymount Park tonight, is relishing the chance to benchmark his side's progress against Drogheda United. pWenger's kids not all right without help
Uefa Champions League: A club starves on a diet of mere compliments. With no trophy for a second consecutive season now that PSV Eindhoven have knocked them out of the Champions League, Arsenal are suffering from honours malnutrition. All the tributes following the League Cup final 12 days ago are fully deserved, but it is Arsene Wenger's priority to give his prodigies a more secure environment. pUnited in response to ill luck
Given the number of occasions against Lille at Old Trafford on Wednesday when Manchester United moves withered at the feet of Cristiano Ronaldo, the young Portugal winger may have felt some form of repayment was due yesterday. Ronaldo told a Portuguese radio station he would be staying at United in the short to medium term and contract discussions with the club had begun. p
Young players' games schedule targeted
Player welfare: With the GAA's new work group on player burnout about to be appointed, Croke Park's Player Welfare Officer Páraic Duffy has described the games' schedule of many young players as akin to "horror stories". pLIT have stars to burn brightest
Fitzgibbon Cup Preview: If last week's Sigerson was a two- or three-horse race, this weekend's Ulster Bank Fitzgibbon Cup in Carlow IT is as narrow a field as you can get with Limerick IT available at 2 to 5, as they try to add a second trophy to their inaugural win two years ago. pBreeze pushes Cork clear
Munster Under-21 FC/Cork 0-17 Limerick 0-9: Cork's quest for a fourth consecutive Munster under-21 football championship title began with a workmanlike victory at Páirc Uí Rinn last night. They will play Waterford away in the semi-final. p
Arrive Sir Clive ruled out of festival
Cheltenham Countdown: Arrive Sir Clive is the latest Irish star to be ruled out of next week's Cheltenham festival for which Newmill remains on course for a title defence in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. pKazal just keeps on winning
Thurles report: Eoin Griffin's Kazal completed a five-timer with another gutsy performance in the Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle at Thurles yesterday. p
Lawrie makes most of run on the easier track
European and US Tours: China's Liang Wen-chong and Australia's Marcus Fraser fired bogey-free eight-under-par 64s to share a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Singapore Masters. pKresge claims early lead
PGA TOUR : Two eagles, at the sixth and 11th holes, helped American Cliff Kresge to the clubhouse lead at the PGA Tour PODS Championship at Palm Harbor, Florida, yesterday. p
Killester forced to rotate
BASKETBALL: Did you know there is a severe influenza outbreak doing the rounds? The foreign brigade in the Superleague can attest to its potency this week with three Americans and Killester's Polish player Michael Goj all in quarantine. pIreland impress with win over Canada
CRICKET/World Cup countdown: Ireland enhanced their reputation when they inflicted a seven-wicket defeat on Canada in their World Cup warm-up match at St Augustine's Sir Frank Worrell ground. pLast-ditch bid to save schools
SAILING: The Irish Sailing Association has launched a last-ditch attempt to halt moves by the Department of Transport, under merchant-shipping legislation, to effectively end trading by as many as 10 cruising schools. pGoing could hinder home favourite Cullen
ATHLETICS/Cross Country National Inter-club Championships: After the fast and furious excitement of the European Indoor championships it's back to more old-fashioned running at tomorrow's National Inter-club cross-country championships - where the heavy, soggy Sligo Racecourse will demand all the classic traits of the cross-country specialist. pStewart set to start as Muller surveys options
HOCKEY: It's already been a memorable week for Amy Stewart, the 15-year-old scoring the winner for Royal School Armagh against Ballyclare High in Wednesday's Ulster Schools' Cup final, before lining out that evening for Armagh in the Senior League. The highlight, though, may yet be to come, with Stewart in line for her first senior international cap in Ireland's three-match series in France over the weekend. pUmpires resolve row with Rovers
HOCKEY/Leinster Senior League: Three Rock Rovers and Trinity will be pleased to know their Leinster Senior League match at Grange Road tomorrow will be officiated by Leinster Hockey Umpires Association (LHUA) members. pTrinity men's eight look shoo-ins for the big one
ROWING/Gannon and Corcoran Cups: Trinity take on UCD in the Gannon Cup for men's senior eights on the Liffey tomorrow (3.15) in a contest which carries echoes of the big rugby match of the day pMcQuaid to detail severe anti-doping measures
CYCLING: What is set to be the toughest anti-doping programme in sport will be launched today by the UCI in Paris. In a measure to severely limit the possibilities of cheating by its athletes, cycling's governing body will unveil a package of measures which exceed those which Wada requires of all Olympic sports. pKürten slips to seventh
EQUESTRIAN: Jessica Kürten has dropped to seventh in the world rankings. The Co Antrim rider, who spent most of last year as world number two, has gone through a recent slump that has seen her demoted from fourth last month to seventh in the latest list issued by the International Equestrian Federation. p
