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Oakmont regains its bite
Golf/ US Open Championship: At least in a boxing ring, you know things are going to get messy. You know, more often than not, it'll be a bloodbath. p

GAA gear up for bumper weekend
Gaelic games: A couple of big replays have transformed what was always going to be a big Sunday in Gaelic games into a bumper couple of days that constitute the biggest weekend of the GAA's championship season to date. p

Beckham out to erase bad memories
Spanish La Liga: As a comment on his time at Real Madrid, it was as telling as it was sad. Asked this week for his fondest memory from four years in Spain, David Beckham paused, cast his mind back briefly and replied: "Signing for the club." p

Gaelic Games

Carrying the can for Dublin failures
Leinster SFC Quarter-final replay: Tom Humphries suggests that Dublin free-takers, more so than other counties, take much of the blame for any defeat. p
Blending in behind enemy lines
Leinster SFC Quarter-final replay: Gavin Cummiskey on how Dublin football is losing out to its old rivals due to demands of modern living. p
Learning curve in Dublin's favour
John O'Keeffe Football Analyst : Managements may come and go but traditional qualities associated with a county's patterns of play remain at the core of a particular style. p
1894 clash between Dublin and Meath set template for current clash
Dublin v Meath - Where it all began: Kevin Mallon recounts the first meeting between Meath and Dublin in 1894, which bears many similarities to today's rivalry between the sides. p
Leinster SFC Quarter-final replay
Two competing strains of theatrical gesture and accompanying opinion doing the rounds in Dublin these last couple of weeks or so, writes Tom Humphries. p
Donegal momentum to gather pace
Ulster SFC Semi-final: John O'Keeffe Football Analyst : What would potentially have been an intriguing contest had Tyrone not been emaciated somewhat by injury has lost a little of its impact. p
Waterford build on Brick
Munster SHC Semi-final: Ian O'Riordan hears why Waterford's Michael Walsh, who is regarded my many as a better footballer, is the perfect captain. p
Tipperary need to shuffle deck up front
Munster SHC Semi-final: Nicky English Hurling Analyst : My gut reaction in the immediate aftermath of Sunday's draw was that Tipperary would take the replay but after a week of contemplation I'm not so sure. p
Grappling for attention in a funfair weekend
Connacht SFC semi-final : It may not be one of the high-profile games of the weekend, but Hyde Park will witness two teams as committed as any, reports Gavin Cummiskey . p
Munster SHC Semi-final replay
Preview : It comes down to that man. Eoin Kelly is injured; the Tipperary midfield pairing of Shane McGrath and James Woodlock are injured. Only the players themselves, Babs Keating and a few trusted lieutenants know the score. p
Leinster SFC Quarter-final
Preview: After a 10-week break since their last competitive game Wexford will either come out madly excited and play some staggering football from the outset, or take a while to adjust to championship pace and only thrive later in the game. p
Ulster SFC Semi-final
Preview: This potentially epic meeting will tell us plenty about both teams. Can the horrendously injury-jinxed Tyrone regain the mesmerising pace of two years ago or will Donegal transfer their league form into the championship? p
Munster SHC semi-final
Preview: Waterford knew after winning the National League last April they would have to win the Munster title as front runners. p
Connacht SFC semi-final
Preview: If any reminder was needed of the competitive nature of the Connacht football championship then Sligo and Roscommon are about to provide it. p

Soccer

Benayoun sees future at Anfield
English FA Premiership: The Israel midfielder Yossi Benayoun has indicated to West Ham United that he wishes to leave the club, having been unsettled by confirmation that Liverpool have made a bid of around £3 million for him. p
Feeling the pinch as Icelandic chill begins to grip
Players' salaries: As wages in English football soar Michael Walker looks at who the finger is pointing at. p
Cork do just enough to take spoils
FAI Cup Second round/ Shelbourne 0 Cork City 1 : Clashes between these two clubs had produced many highlights of recent league seasons before Shelbourne's financial implosion over the course of last year ended, for the moment at least, one of the modern Irish game's most entertaining rivalries. p
United's hopes over at early stage
FAI Cup Second round/ Drogheda United 0 Bohemians 1: It was always going to be tight and so it proved as a solitary goal five minutes into the second half by Darren Mansaram decided a cup tie that was short on goal chances. p
Derry book their third-round spot
FAI Cup Second round/ Derry City 2 Monaghan United 0 : Derry City have had a miserable start to their league campaign but they put their troubles behind them by booking their place in the third round of the FAI Cup but only after they made a faltering start to their defence of the cup against Monaghan United at the Brandywell last night. p
Phoenix burnt by Maguire's strike
FAI Cup Second round/ Phoenix 0 St Patrick's Athletic 4 : They may have laboured a little early in the second half, but once Darragh Maguire added their second goal, St Patrick's Athletic eased through to the third round against the honest endeavour of Leinster Senior League side Phoenix. p
Wexford grow in confidence
FAI Cup Second round/ Limerick 37 1 Wexford Youths 1: Wexford Youths caused a minor upset at Jackman Park last night when they took hotly-fancied Limerick 37 to a replay in this second-round Ford FAI Cup game, despite having to play the last 10 minutes without Gareth Larkin who was red-carded by the referee. p
Wright settles it with late strike
FAI Cup Second round/ Malahide United 2 Cherry Orchard 1 : It was billed as something of a "Charity Shield" game with Leinster Senior League champions Cherry Orchard coming up against the Metropolitan Cup winners Malahide United. p
Galway denied by Parkhouse
FAI Cup Second round/ Galway United 2 Finn Harps 2 : It was a dramatic finish at Terryland Park as Finn Harps snatched a late draw despite Galway striker Derek Glynn demonstrating his goalscoring prowess with a third brace in as many matches. p
Tolka get their just reward
FAI Cup Second round/ Tolka Rovers 2 Waterford United 2 : The romance of the cup was very much in evidence last night as Tolka Rovers almost brought off the first big shock of the second round at Frank Cooke Park. p
FAI Cup previews
A look ahead to the rest of this weekend's second round matches: p
Inquiry points finger
Soccer Shorts : An English Premier League inquiry into alleged transfer irregularities has found that 17 transfers, including the moves of Didier Drogba and Petr Cech to Chelsea, cannot be cleared, the league has said. p

Rugby

Henry's words may spark northern lights
Sideline Cut : Apparently in the New Zealand edition of the Oxford English Dictionary there is a blank space between the words humiliate and Humism or Humist (see Humean). In all other versions appears the word humility. The Kiwis as a nation aren't noted for modesty especially when it comes to rugby union. p
Only six World Cup warm-ups that count
Tri-Nations competition: Gerry Thornley on how resurgent South Africa and proven Wallabies will test All Blacks' mettle. p
Winners team to beat in World Cup - White
Tri-nations opening match: Springboks coach Jake White has raised the stakes for today's Tri-Nations opening tie with Australia, claiming the winners of the tournament will be entitled to World Cup favouritism. p
All Blacks expected to stick to game plan
Test match : New Zealand coach Graham Henry has ordered his players to forget about trying to score an avalanche of points against Canada in their one-off Test in Hamilton today. p
Ashton offers veteran Dallaglio a lifeline
World Cup: England coach Brian Ashton has turned to Lawrence Dallaglio for the first time and offered the veteran Wasps captain a route to the World Cup. p

Golf

Casey's peers watch in awe
US Open Second round: The conqueror walked off the final green, in his case the ninth, to a gallery of his peers. Some doffed their caps to Paul Casey, others gave him the thumbs up sign. Others applauded. p
Higley shoots to the top as Higgins falls back
Digest/ EUROPEAN TOUR : England's Marcus Higley claimed a share of the lead after the second round of the St Omer Open in northern France yesterday. p
Mickelson to change Majors routine
Oakmont Diary : Once bitten, twice shy! Phil Mickelson, who has used extensive pre-championship practice rounds to the major venues as the template for his winning of three majors in recent years, intends to have another look at how he prepares for the majors after injuring his wrist playing out of the heavy rough at Oakmont in the build-up to this US Open. p

Racing

Mullins's French connection
Today's Meetings : Willie Mullins will attempt to secure a remarkable third success in five years when both Alexander Taipan and Clear Riposte line up for today's French Champion Hurdle at Auteuil. p
Trick Or Treat to bag the goodies
Sunday's Meetings : The weekend highlight in Ireland is tomorrow's Group Three Kerry Group Noblesse Stakes at Cork where a four-strong cross-channel raid can pay off with Trick Or Treat. p

Other

Engineering the right advantage
Motor Sport/ Formula One Championship: Alan Henry on the team work required to guide a rookie to the top of his demanding profession. p
Armchair fans crave the days of Rosenthal and lunchbox
Athletics: These are worrying times for the armchair athletics fan. It's likely they saw nothing of the first big meeting of the year last night, unless they happened to be in Norway or else subscribers to Setanta Sports. p
Mixed fortunes for Irish sides
Hockey/ Setanta cup: There were mixed fortunes for the hosts in the Setanta Cup at Belfield yesterday, with the Irish men's 1-0 defeat of Egypt keeping them on course for a place in tomorrow's final, but the women's hopes of reaching the decider in their event receded after a 0-0 draw with Scotland. p
Rigging problems hamper Patches
Sailing/ MedCup: Eamon Conneely's Patches was unceremoniously dumped from the overall leader's position of the Breitling MedCup yesterday as the high-scoring coastal race dominated the season's opening regatta. p
O'Shea off to winning start in Finland
Show Jumping: Ireland's show jumpers got off to a winning start at the Finnish Nations Cup meeting in Hamina yesterday, with Paul O'Shea scoring in the opening speed class. p
Younger guns have ideal opportunity to impress
Cricket Preview: The second round of the Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup is played today across Ireland with several Leinster clubs involved. Of particular interest is Dublin's northside derby between Clontarf and Malahide at Castle Avenue, which will be the venue of a media first. p
O'Rourke trails home in disappointing display
Sports Digest/ ATHLETICS: Hopes that Derval O'Rourke could mix it with the world's best in the Golden League meeting in Oslo last night were not realised when she finished last of the seven athletes in the 100 metres hurdles, fading over the final 20 metres and clocking 13.19 seconds, a long ways outside her best of 12.72, writes Ian O'Riordan . p

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