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Tardelli set to get the ball rolling
SOCCER: Marco Tardelli will become the first of
member of the new Irish senior management team to get to work next
weekend when he travels to England in order to start the process of
seeing at first hand the pool of talent available for the
forthcoming World Cup qualifying campaign. p
Leinster bring true grit on slippy road
RUGBY/Magners League/Connacht 10 Leinster 16 : The away dressing-room echoed to the sound of Dublin In The Rare Oul Times, which showed both how much this win meant to Leinster and how hard they had to work for it. It was a rare oul battle too, like a step back in time to the interpro days in the Wild West, when traditionally Leinster were sometimes seen as a soft touch. p
Grant demands respect despite lacklustre displays
SOCCER/PREMIER LEAGUE: Chelsea coach Avram Grant showed more spirit in defence of his tactics and players last night than he did in Sunday's League Cup defeat p
Soccer
A master of his own mind puts things in perspective
INTERVIEW OWEN HARGREAVES: The ever maturing midfielder is keeping his feet on the ground as Manchester United battle on three fronts for trophies pMay be a case of Pride Park before a fall
A YEAR ON THE WEAR TAKE A LEFT turn out of Sunderland's training ground, travel 500 yards up the Shields Road slope heading back into town and you reach a roundabout with a bar on the far side. Believe it or not, this establishment is called the Miller Inn. It is not known how many commuters travelling to and from Sunderland this week passed beneath the raised sign and thought: "Oh no he's not". Not that Liam Miller will have found it funny or ironic. pLeading clubs to reap reward
LEAGUE OF IRELAND: THE FAI announced significant increases to the prize fund for this season's Eircom League of Ireland, which gets under way next weekend, with the total amount of cash on offer up by almost one fifth and the winners set to claim €250,000, just over 10 per cent more than Drogheda United banked back in November. pChina on cards for Spurs and Newcastle
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR have held preliminary discussions with Newcastle United about playing a pre-season friendly in China in the weeks before the Beijing Olympic Games get under way on August 8th. Although the talks were far from wide-ranging, and the prospect of the match being staged at this stage are slim, the move reflects the desire of Premier League clubs to make in-roads into far-flung markets. pAngry Wenger continues to cry foul
Eduardo fallout: A week after the tackle on Eduardo the Arsenal manager is still angry at the perceived treatment dished out to his player pFour more years for Mascherano
SOCCER SHORTS: Javier Mascherano has completed a permanent move to Liverpool by signing a four-year deal. p
Edwards an ambitious right-hand man for Gatland
A CENTRAL figure in Warren Gatland's success at Wasps was Shaun Edwards, whose co-opting onto the Welsh backroom ticket as defence coach was quite a coup for Wales. The 41-year-old ex-rugby league legend had been frustrated by his lack of opportunities in the England set-up, where he was offered a role with the English Saxons, and is keen to be part of next year's Lions tour.It's nothing personal, only it is
Ireland v Wales: Wales are going for the Grand Slam next Saturday, but there's a little more than that at stakeUlster's upturn in form continues
Magners League/Ulster 20 Llanelli 8: ULSTER CONTINUED their upturn in form with a valuable win at Ravenhill last night. They followed their bonus-point victory against the Newport Gwent Dragons a fortnight ago to extend new coach Matt Williams' unbeaten start. pMunster and O'Connell look to make impact
Cardiff v Munster: While their performances in the Magners League have not as been as Herculean as their battles in the Heineken European Cup, this is a Munster side that, if they have designs on the championship, must be expected to take something back from Wales. That is today's demand even if Cardiff have lost just once, at home to Edinburgh, since September of last year. Just ahead of Cardiff on the table, Munster have been able to lose fewer matches (three) than Cardiff (five) but the Welsh side have been keeping pace by accumulating bonus points (five to Munster's three). Munster are third-placed on the table to Cardiff's fourth but the teams remain equal on points, 29 each. pHarinordoquy ruled out
RUGBY DIGEST: France have replaced injured number eight Imanol Harinordoquy with Julien Bonnaire for next week's Six Nations match with Italy. p
Holders survive as big lead is eroded
FITZGIBBON CUP/Limerick IT 3-10 Galway/Mayo IT 2-10: HOLDERS LIMERICK IT survived a last-quarter rally to book their place in the Fitzgibbon Cup final at a blustery Cork IT grounds yesterday. pWIT hitback after concedingearly goal
Waterford IT 2-14 UCC 1-15: WATERFORD IT recovered from conceding a goal after 15 seconds and trailing by 1-10 to 1-7 at half-time to pull off a stunning comeback in their semi-final at Cork IT. pMagnificent obsession running in the family
SEAMUS McENANEY INTERVIEW: Something great is stirring in Monaghan football and their manager is totally tuned in to it pNational Football League Previews
Weekend Previews p
All festival eyes on workout at Leopardstown
A FEW last-minute Cheltenham clues will be available at Leopardstown tomorrow when the Dublin track hosts its eve-of-festival post-racing gallops session. But leading trainer Willie Mullins is unlikely to be as heavily represented in the workouts as in previous years. pMurphy reports all systems go for Zaarito
COLM MURPHY has confirmed his exciting bumper horse Zaarito is an intended Cheltenham starter as the Wexford-based trainer pursues a third festival success. p'DT' is in the know,but why is he putting me in the know too?
Slagging off jockeys is the easiest exercise in racing. It's fun too - which is just as well, since there isn't a race fan alive who hasn't, at some stage of their lives, felt they've done their dough as a result of some overwhelming piece of stupidity by a little man in fancy dress. pThank God for unanswered prayers - like when you're just too late to back a loser
Book Extract: Brian O'Connor has put his money where his mouth is, and attempted to turn €5,000 into €50,000 in one racing season. p
India's Kapur shares lead in Delhi
European Tour news: INDIA'S SHIV KAPUR and Australia's Unho Park shared a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Johnnie Walker Classic in New Delhi yesterday. Kapur shot a seven-under 65, including five birdies and an eagle three on the sixth hole, while Korean-born Park carded 66 to sit on 10-under 134. pDavis leads but Donald slips
GOLF DIGEST/US TOUR : American Dudley Hart fired a second-round 66 to grab the early clubhouse lead in the Honda Classic in Florida last night. p
Ireland make point at last
CRICKET: IRELAND GOT off the mark at the Under-19 World Cup yesterday with a 69-run victory over Bermuda that was so comprehensive it made a nonsense of losing to the same poor opponents only eight days previously in Malaysia. pIrish running could do with crazy genius like Cerutty
ATHLETICS: A visit to one greatly loved sage inspires fond ruminations on the life and extraordinary achievements of another pBeaufort best in the gales
SCHOOLS HOCKEY/Leinster Senior Cup Final/Beaufort 2 Alexandra College 1: TWO YEARS ago Loreto Beaufort coach Mary Barnwell had the task of consoling her players after they lost the Leinster Senior Cup final to St Andrew's, stressing to them that the youthfulness and talent of the squad would ensure their day would come. pIrish in creditable show
HOCKEY/Women's trip to New Zealand/China 3 Ireland 1: IRELAND LOST for the second time in a week to China in Wellington yesterday, in the third match of their trip to New Zealand, going down to the side ranked fifth in the world. pWilliams 'missed boat' with Hamilton
MOTOR SPORT: WILLIAMS COULD have signed Lewis Hamilton in 2004 but their former engine partners BMW passed up the opportunity, the Formula One team's co-founder Patrick Head said yesterday. pCrawford best of Irish in Portugal
EQUESTRIAN SPORT: KILKENNY-BASED Gilly Crawford and Mr Aero lie best of the Irish, in third place, following the dressage phase of the two-star CIC at Barroca d'Alva in Portugal. pO'Sullivan only as good as his next match
Sideline Cut: The Ireland coach will have learned much from the traumatic events of recent months - perhaps the big lesson being that in Irish sport you really cannot win pSports Shorts
Today's other stories in brief p
