ireland.com - The Irish Times

Green shoots reappear
Rugby/ France v Ireland : In stark contrast to the numbed thousands watching painful endgames unfold in the World Cup, this time the green-bedecked thousands stayed raucously with their team until the end.

FAI move closer to signing Trapattoni
International soccer : The FAI's recruitment team met Giovanni Trapattoni over the weekend in the hope of being able to recommend his appointment to the association's board over the next couple of days. p

Hurlers vote to stay away
Cork players' strike : Cork players have decided unanimously to persevere with their withdrawal from the senior county football and hurling panels. p

Rugby

Unhorsed by Clerc of course
Six Nations Championship/ France 26 Ireland 21 : If not quite Groundhog Day, then certainly a sense of déjà vu.
'It was a game we left behind'
France v Ireland Reaction : Groomed and tuxedo clad, Ronan O'Gara is instantly accosted by a phalanx of tape recorders as he hovers into view.
Heaslip quick to find his groove
Jamie Heaslip spent most of Saturday afternoon trying to catch his breath, from craving a second wind during the pre-match warm-up to the first 15 minutes on the firm Stade de France pitch.
'We owed ourselves a performance'
Ireland chose to look inward to rediscover their self-belief, and that commonality of purpose was at the core of Saturday's effort at the Stade de France.
Change for the better suggests the way forward
Liam Toland's Analysis : On 33 minutes the score stood at France 12, Ireland 6 when Eoin Reddan tapped a penalty yards from his line.
England blow hot and cold again
Italy 19 England 23 : One day England will finish the same way they start and Brian Ashton's life will be far less stressful.
Gatland wields special powers
Wales 30 Scotland 15: Warren Gatland is turning into the Jose Mourinho of rugby, a dictator of events building a team in his own image.
St Michael's march on
Schools' Rugby Leinster Junior Cup quarter-final/ St Michael's College 17 Terenure College 6 : The St Michael's juniors refused to go the way of their seniors in a worthy display of grit against Terenure College in the Powerade Leinster Schools quarter-final at Donnybrook yesterday. p
Forward pressure undone by late error
Women's international/ France 26 Ireland 17 : Despite one of their best performances in Paris, Ireland came up short against a strong French team in St Gratien yesterday.
Push as good as a wink
Planet Rugby : The announcement this week that the Ulster and Ireland flanker Neil Best was leaving Belfast to play in Northampton next season prompted the new Ulster coach Matt Williams to make the following announcement.

Soccer

History weighs on United
English Premier League/ Manchester United 1 Manchester City 2 : Manchester United are so unaccustomed to losing on their own ground that the first thing to digest when it happens is the collective sense of shock. p
Ugly advertisement for English game
Chelsea 0 Liverpool 0 : This forgettable match will still lodge in Chelsea minds. It was the opener in a trio of home fixtures against their fellow members of the established elite. p
Learning curve veers towards Arsenal's gain
Preview: Arsenal host Blackburn tonight looking to maintain the pressure on Manchester United and Chelsea as the championship race looks set to head towards an exciting conclusion. p
Reid throws his weight around in classy style
Sunderland 2 Wigan Athletic 0 : Roy Keane likens his Sunderland side to an improving learner driver with cause for cautious optimism about passing their test in May. p
Newcastle exposed by Carew's control
Aston Villa 4 Newcastle United 1: Newcastle United fans could not have imagined it would take Kevin Keegan less than a month to rekindle memories of his first spell in charge at St James' Park. p
Pharaohs walk tall to extend record
African Cup of Nations Final/ Egypt 1 Cameroon 0 : Egypt have strengthened their position at the summit of the African game after lifting the continent's top prize for a record-extending sixth time at the Ohene Djan stadium last night. p
Celtic hit high road in style
Round-up/ Scottish Premier League: Scott McDonald hit a double as Celtic thrashed Aberdeen 5-1 yesterday. p
Sorry is the hardest word
Planet Football : This is getting complicated. A fortnight ago the Sun quoted Diego Maradona apologising for his Hand of God goal against England in the 1986 World Cup finals. p
Legend of lamented Babes a testimony of greatness
Andrew Fifield On The Premier League : It is true that only the good die young: they never have the chance to turn bad. p
Epic quest may have a happy ending
Locker Room : Psssst! Hey mook. Want the word as it hits the street? The FAI mob are gonna appoint Giovanni Trapattoni as the next capo di tutti capi. Soon. Ish. Yeah. Real soonish. p

Gaelic Games

Wexford earn 'pat on the back' as Waterford squander chances
National Hurling League Division One/ Wexford 2-12 Waterford 3-8 : The 2008 Allianz National Hurling League got off to a lively start at Walsh Park yesterday with holders Waterford going down to narrow defeat against a resilient Wexford side. p
Dublin back in the winning groove
Dublin 0-22 Antrim 0-15 : The Parnell Park sod was heavy yesterday and a wan sun blessed us and perhaps to mark the first weekend of what feels like spring Dublin and Antrim held back slightly. p
Flying start for clinical Limerick
Limerick 3-23 Laois 2-11 : Pat Tobin and Andrew O'Shaughnessy inspired Limerick to an impressive win over Laois at the Gaelic Grounds yesterday. p
Galway get away in stop-start affair
Galway 2-24 Clare 3-17: This was a strange game of hurling. Three men were sent off in a match that delivered three penalties, some cracking scores and the sideline reunion of the one-time Banner county confederates, Ger Loughnane and Mike McNamara. p
Tipperary on road to recovery
Tipperary 2-25 Offaly 2-8 : "The first step on a long, long road." One of Tipperary manager Liam Sheedy's reflections following a comfortable 17-point victory against Offaly in yesterday's National League opener at Semple Stadium. p
Dooley's Westmeath are off on right foot
National Hurling League Division Two : Christy Ring Cup holders Westmeath beat an experimental Kerry side, 0-17 to 1-11, at Austin Stack Park yesterday. p
Thurles build on Butler's early goal
Dr Harty Cup Semi-final/ Thurles CBS (Tipperary) 1-14 Ard Scoil Rís (Limerick) 1-10: Thurles CBS advanced to a Harty Cup final showdown with reigning champions De La Salle after defeating a fancied Ard Scoil Rís side yesterday in Dolla. p
Carlow's strong run brought to a shuddering halt
National Football League Division Four : Carlow's footballers' recent good run under manager Paul Bealin came to a shuddering halt at Dr Cullen Park on Saturday when Offaly thrashed the Barrowsiders by a 20-point margin. p
Clonkill hold their nerve
All-Ireland Club IHC Final: Clonkill (Westmeath) 4-15 Tommy Larkins (Galway) 3-14 : Clonkill claimed the intermediate club hurling title on Saturday evening at Croke Park. p
Conahy pull clear late on
All-Ireland Club JHC Final: Conahy (Kilkenny) 0-19 Moyle Rovers (Tipperary) 1-9: GAA President Nickey Brennan wore a broad smile at Croke Park on Saturday after his home club, Conahy Shamrocks, captured the All-Ireland junior hurling title. p
Cashin seals victory
Leinster Schools SHC Quarter-final/ Good Counsel College 3-13 FCJ Bunclody 0-8 : Good Counsel College had a comprehensive victory over FCJ Bunclody in this Leinster Colleges A senior hurling championship quarter-final at Wexford Park on Saturday. p

Racing

The Listener wins from front
Leopardstown report : There might not have been a fairytale result for Beef Or Salmon in yesterday's Hennessy Gold Cup, but The Listener provided more than enough feel-good factor for the 14,000-strong crowd with an all-the-way victory in the Leopardstown highlight. p

Golf

McGrane misses out to home winner
Indian Masters : Damien McGrane was forced to settle for second place after a solid, two-under-par 70 left him two shots behind surprise victor SSP Chowrasia in the Indian Masters at Delhi Golf Club yesterday. p
Singh edging towards victory
Digest/ US PGA TOUR : Vijay Singh edged toward his 32nd PGA Tour title by moving two strokes clear midway through yesterday's final round at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. p

Other

Agonising failure for Ireland
Men's Hockey: Following their exit on Saturday from contention for a place in the Beijing Olympic Games this summer, Ireland have been consigned to Division Two of European hockey for the foreseeable future. p
McVicker strike keeps Ballymoney in cup
Women's Hockey: Not for the first time in her club career, former Irish captain Lynsey McVicker produced a match-winning goal on Saturday when Ballymoney beat Hermes 1-0 in their rescheduled Irish Senior Cup quarter-final. p
Swim Ireland 'not bankrupt'
Swimming News : Swim Ireland (SI) will not go out of business following the out-of-court settlement on Friday involving 13 swimmers who were sexually abused by the convicted paedophile Derry O'Rourke. p
Murphy does enough to defeat Doherty
Snooker/ Malta Cup : Shaun Murphy beat Ken Doherty last night to make a successful defence of his Malta Cup crown. p
Jury rig can see us home tonight
Sailing: Damian Foxall , co-skipper with Jean-Pierre Dick on Paprec-Virbac in the non-stop Barcelona World Race, expects to arrive at the finish tonight (around 9pm Irish time) to record a famous victory. p
Chambers puts UKA on the spot
Sports Digest/ ATHLETICS : Dwain Chambers insisted he was not trying to "create any nightmares" for UK Athletics (UKA) despite potentially doing just that by winning the 60 metres at the World Indoor trials in Sheffield. p
Giovanni hailed as rainmaker while Pope wanders in desert
TV View : All this turmoil. You'd be worn out. You even reach the stage where you wonder if Giovanni Trapattoni and Teddy Holland should just do a swap and be done with it, Giovanni taking charge of the Cork footballers and Teddy taking the helm with Keano, Duffer and the lads. p

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