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Best to return home soon
RUGBY: Simon Best will hopefully be released to return home today or tomorrow after further tests following his sudden admission to hospital in Bordeaux on Wednesday evening ruled out any neurological problem. p
Chelsea to contest FA charges
SOCCER: Chelsea have declared they will defend
themselves "strongly" against two English Football Association
charges relating to the conduct of their players and assistant
coach Steve Clarke in the wake of the 2-0 Premier League defeat at
Manchester United last Sunday. p
Kilkenny top elite list of eight counties
GAELIC GAMES/Hurling 2007 All Stars nominations: The nominations for this year's Vodafone hurling All Stars reflect the increasingly elitist nature of the game at senior intercounty level. Among the 45 nominations there are only eight counties represented - one less than less year - and that's surely another ominous sign that success is being further restricted to the traditional hurling counties, while everyone else falls further behind. p
Soccer
FAI await clarification on seeding criteria
The FAI was last night awaiting clarification from Uefa on their decision to dramatically alter their criteria for seeding nations ahead of next month's draw for the qualifying stages of the 2010 World Cup. pKeane orders Etuhu to wise up
Sunderland manager Roy Keane has ordered midfielder Dickson Etuhu to clean up his act after picking up five bookings in the space of eight games. pFerguson furious with Brazilian recruit
Anderson, Manchester United's €24 million summer recruit, may come with a big reputation and an even bigger price tag, but the Brazilian is facing a prolonged spell in the reserves after an unflattering start to life with his new club. pFormbook favours lowly Longford against the leaders
It's not often in a league that top meets bottom with so little to choose between them in terms of recent results but as Drogheda United travel to Flancare Park for this evening's televised game (RTÉ Two, kick-off 7.55) it is actually they who will have to slightly upset the formbook if they are to come away with the points. pSoccer Shorts
Today's other stories from the world of soccer p
Ireland suffer multiple systems failures
Pool D/Ireland v Argentina: When your psychological, offensive, set-play and defensive systems show signs of failure you have what is called "a coaching train smash". Sadly we are watching one. pHickie not giving up just yet
When players gaze over their shoulders after this World Cup is completed, they will look back on a competition that was laced with large snakes ready to gulp them down and well-placed ladders offering to lift them back up. For many it has been a roll of the dice. pFrance aim to keep squad on its toes
France have made nine changes for their final Pool D encounter with Georgia in Marseille on Sunday. Flanker Serge Betsen will captain the team as Raphael Ibanez is rested and Fabien Pelous will be on the bench. pEngland have to negate fear factor
Pool A/England v Tonga: Fear is the key to England's ambitions. If they can distil and refine the emotion and use it in a positive manner to unearth a focus and commitment to this contest, then they have the brawn to quickly extinguish the romantic illusions to a potential upset by the Pacific Island minnows. pRobinson starts as Henry reassures folks back home
Pool C/New Zealand team: Lock Keith Robinson will get his first World Cup start for the All Blacks in their final Pool C match against Romania tomorrow after recovering from a calf injury that has kept him out for three weeks. pLarkham's career may be cut short
Australia outhalf Stephen Larkham's brilliant international career could be prematurely cut short amid growing fears his latest knee injury will rule him out of the rest of the World Cup. pThe World is Oval
Other news from the world of rugby p
Futures remain uncertain
There is still some uncertainty surrounding the future of both the Kerry and Cork football managers, almost two weeks after their All-Ireland final. While Kerry's winning manager Pat O'Shea looks certain to resume duties for a second year, Cork's Billy Morgan, who endured the crushing 10-point defeat, may have a harder time holding on for a fourth year, in what is also his third separate term in charge. pHoliday highlights after final curtain
Mostly Hurling: Now that the championship season is over it will be time for some of the teams to consider their holiday destinations. The All-Ireland finalists receive a substantial sum of money and a car to raffle from the Central Council to help with their fundraising. This should result in them having a six-figure sum in the coffers without much trouble. p
Crowds stay away as Europe take lead
Seve Trophy: Colin Montgomerie had never heard of a ploughing championship until the past few days. Now, he's glad the agricultural shindig is over, for a purely selfish reason. pEarly advantage goes to the US
Presidents Cup: The USA team edged into an early lead as play eventually got underway at the Presidents Cup in Montreal yesterday. pGolf Digest
Today's other news of golf p
Stack hopeful of good run
A total of four Irish horses, including the Aidan O'Brien pair of Queen Elizabeth II Stakes contenders Excellent Art and Duke Of Marmalade, will be in Group One action at Ascot tomorrow but there will also be top-flight Irish interest in New York tomorrow night as Alexander Tango bids for a Grade One double at Belmont Park. p
Cancellara takes time trial title
CYCLING: Multiple Irish record holder and former national champion David McCann got Ireland's world road cycling championship campaign under way yesterday when he lined out in the 44.9 kilometre elite men's individual time trial. pMasters of free-flowing football back in final
Australian Football League Grand final: Paul Daffey reports on the build-up to tomorrow's final with Geelong looking to the son of a former star to bridge a 44-year gap with victory. pIreland need to shape up for 'Hockeyroos' tour
HOCKEY/Weekend Fixtures: Ireland's build-up to next April's Olympic Qualifier in Canada might not move in to full swing for a few months yet but Gene Muller's team will need to be in good shape as early as next month when they play Australia, fourth in the world rankings, in four matches in Dublin. pWRC trio to set pace in Cork
MOTOR SPORT: Triple world champion Sebastien Loeb (France) and his Citroen team-mate Dani Sordo (Spain), and Mikko Hirvonen (Finland) in a Ford Focus WRC head up the star-studded entry for the weekend's Murphy Construction-sponsored International Cork 20 Rally. pJahrling's call answered as trio join heavyweights
ROWING: The traditionally quiet months of autumn are anything but this year. New athletes - including a British team member - are coming from abroad to join the heavyweight programme; a new lightweight coach is set to be appointed, and tomorrow's meeting of the board of the Irish Amateur Rowing Union may sweep a new broom through key sub-committees. pO'Rourke's Chieftain named RORC yacht of the year
SAILING: In a much-anticipated announcement this week, the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) has confirmed that Ger O'Rourke's Chieftain from the Western Yacht Club in Limerick is the recipient of their prestigious "yacht of the year" award and winner of the Somerset Trophy for outstanding achievement. p
