Previous Day
Liverpool complete the clean sweep
SOCCER/Inter Milan 0 Liverpool 1: FOR 43 years Liverpool have cursed officialdom for denying them glory against Internazionale, and no doubt the Italians will return the compliment now that the 1965 European Cup semi-final has been avenged. It would be the ultimate diversionary tactic, of course, and one that should not air-brush from history the latest scalp claimed by Rafael Benitez in the Champions League and the magnificence of Fernando Torres. p
Katchit steals show on Festival Day One
RACING: IRISH HORSES scored twice on Day One of the
Cheltenham festival, but even that double for racing's most famous
owner-gambler, JP McManus, couldn't compete for the limelight with
Katchit's ultra-brave display in winning the Smurfit Kappa Champion
Hurdle. p
Soccer
Staying at home key for Trapattoni
GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI has said he turned down a number of other job offers in order to succeed Steve Staunton as the Republic of Ireland for personal reasons. The FAI's willingness to allow the 68-year-old base himself at home in Milan appears to have been a significant factor in the former Juventus and Bayern Munich coach's decision to accept the Ireland role. pTorres gives Liverpool cutting edge and hope
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST 16, SECOND LEG: A few minutes before kick-off Internazionale's most frenzied supporters turned the stadium into a kaleidoscope of colour by thrusting thousands of yellow, blue and black cards to the skies to signify their allegiance to the Nerazzurri. One banner offered a note of appreciation to Liverpool for defeating Milan in the final three years ago - "Whatever happens, thank you Liverpool" - but it soon disappeared and any passing sense of hospitality was short-lived. pConfident Moyes wants cool heads
UEFA CUP LAST 16, SECOND LEG/Everton (0) Fiorentina (2): Everton's manager, David Moyes, has called for cool heads this evening, when his players attempt to claw back a two-goal deficit against Fiorentina to reach the Uefa Cup quarter-finals. pGrant defends 'vision' in face of defeat
PREMIER LEAGUE: AVRAM GRANT insists he and Roman Abramovich "share the same vision" for Chelsea. The Israeli's belief in his ability to lead the club into an era as glittering as that enjoyed by his predecessor, Jose Mourinho, is unshaken by the weekend's FA Cup humiliation at Barnsley. p
Nobody bounced for dead rubber
SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP/ENGLAND v IRELAND: IN KEEPING with the selection strategy of his tenure, Eddie O'Sullivan's response to Ireland's hugely disappointing performance against Wales was not to throw caution to the wind with a raft of experiments for this Saturday's somewhat anti-climactic finale to the RBS Six Nations against England in Twickenham.O'Gara all energy as captain's run looms
RONAN O'GARA'S first stint as captain of a rugby team was with the Cork Con under-12s. He tells the story with a straight face and with that "butter wouldn't melt in his mouth" look. He tells us that back then as captain of the Cork Con tots he, along with Peter Stringer, stormed the Continent and won the European under-12 Cup in France under Fred Casey.One golden boy for another as Cipriani starts
NO SELECTION was going to flag England's strategy against Ireland more than that of Brian Ashton's choice at outhalf. In the event, it is the only change from the team which lost limply to Scotland last Saturday, as the much trumpeted 20-year-old star of the future, Danny Cipriani, replaces the most celebrated English rugby player of modern times, one Jonny Wilkinson.Rugby digest
Today's other stories in brief pGonzaga get their timing just right
MURRAY CUP FINAL/Cistercian College 7 Gonzaga College 19: AN AMAZING brace of tries within four minutes of each other in first-half injury time set up Gonzaga for eventual triumph in the Vinny Murray Cup final at Donnybrook yesterday. p
Quinn disinclined to see irony in slippery-slope defence
The former president opposes the players grant scheme, but was instrumental in the introduction of a measure that has had a far greater impact on amateur status pCentral Council seek grants approval
CONGRESS MOTIONS: CENTRAL COUNCIL has produced a carefully drafted motion for next month's GAA Congress in order to secure final approval for the controversial player grants scheme. It is one of three motions related to the scheme, which effectively distance the GAA from any threat to their amateur status. pJordan retires after 13 years service to Wexford
WEXFORD FORWARD Michael 'Mitch' Jordan has announced his retirement from intercounty hurling, another blow to the manager, John Meyler. pSt Vincent's are on a mission to complete the circle
St Vincent's defender Ger Brennan is focused on creating a new history for the club p
Captain Cee Bee's win special for Harty
REST OF DAY ONE REPORT: CAPTAIN CEE BEE, the horse trained by the former currency trader for the most famous currency trader of all, became a priceless commodity with a dramatic Cheltenham festival success yesterday under the Champion Hurdle winning rider, 'Chocolate' Thornton. pChampionship success would sweeten deal
A number of choice rides confirm Davy Russell's arrival at the top pCourageous Katchit deserves all the plaudits
CHAMPION HURDLE REPORT: IT IS without question unfair on a hugely courageous winner like Katchit, but from an Irish point of view at least there was an almost tangible sense of anti-climax in yesterday's Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle as the favourite, Sizing Europe, was all but pulled up before the line. pVoy Por Ustedes has track record for the chase
GUEST TIPSTER/DAY TWO PREVIEW: WITHOUT DOUBT the Queen Mother Champion Chase looks the race of the day, as it should be, and without doubt Voy Por Ustedes looks the bet of the day. pHobbs's Fair Along has a big score to settle at Cheltenham
FAIR ALONG'S Cheltenham experiences have been mixed up to now but the smallest horse in the Queen Mother Champion Chase field looks a decent price to produce the biggest performance in the Day Two festival centrepiece. pMajestic Concorde set to test Forpadydeplasterer
REST OF CHELTENHAM PREVIEW: FORPADYDEPLASTERER will be the most high-profile of a seven-strong Irish team for this afternoon's Ballymore Properties Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham but Majestic Concorde could yet come out of the clouds to land the Day Two opener. p
For pride and glory of the school
DIARY OF A SCHOOLS' ATHLETICS REPORTER: There's more cold than gold, but nothing restores your faith in athletics like a schools' cross country event pA game of tig that led to a silver lining
SCHOOL DAYS: Catherina McKiernan recalls her innocent school days in Cavan and her love for everything sporting. pGet stretching - it's sure to reduce risk of injury during playing and competing
This week Liam Hennessy and Jim Kilty introduce several stretching exercises that will help you cope with the demands of training pLarrier girls kick against the stereotypes
SCHOOL REPORT/ST LAURENCE O'TOOLE'S NATIONAL SCHOOL, DUBLIN: The importance of taking part is more than a platitude in one north inner city girls' primary school pOver-the-counter puncher produces a stunning combination
THE GENERATION GAME: IT'S HARD to associate Mick Dowling with any sport other than boxing. Dowling won the first of a record eight successive national titles in 1968, all at bantamweight, and represented Ireland at two Olympics: 1968, in Mexico, and 1972, in Munich. pWarm-up and cool-down good for asthmatics
DOCTOR ON CALL/ASK THE EXPERT: I PLAY Gaelic football at under-16 club level. My doctor diagnosed mild asthma recently and gave me an inhaler to take when I get symptoms. Another girl on the team takes her inhaler before every match and training sessions even when she is not wheezy. Should I do the same? p
Fall at the first a bad omen for Festival
AGAINST THE ODDS: THE BLOOD drained from Vinny Fitzpatrick's face. He was so ashen he made Avram Grant look like beetroot. pReassessing the baskets
HOME AND AWAY: Making a living out of basketball was always going to be a struggle for Conor Grace pPlenty of stress in golf swing
HEALTH: SWINGING A golf club, considered a low-impact activity, places as much stress on artificial knee joints as does jogging or tennis, according to findings from the first study to measure forces inside the knees of humans. pKyle and the pack find just the right blend
ONE FROM THE ARCHIVES/IRELAND WIN THE GRAND SLAM IN 1948/Ireland 6 Wales 3: In this week's original Irish Times report on a major sporting event, PD MacWeeney reports on Ireland's historic win over Wales at Ravenhill pLone marksman with a love for team games
SPORTING PASSIONS: Former rugby international Victor Costello on being an Olympic shot-putter pFrom chicane to chicanery, this has the formula to run and run
DERBY DAYS/FERRARI v McLAREN: THERE ARE several common ingredients in every enduring sporting rivalry - such as sustained success by both sides and great records. pBluffer's Guide Leinster Schools Cup
What is it? The game of assault and battery has long been viewed by many south Dublin schools (and a few "outsiders") as ideal grounding for their students before they embark on careers in the business and legal professions. p
Final push to make early Olympic date
IRISH TIMES SPORTSWOMAN OF THE MONTH FOR FEBRUARY: CHLOE MAGEE (BADMINTON): SONYA McGINN would have a fair notion of what her successor as Irish badminton's leading female player is currently enduring. Eight years ago the Dubliner globetrotted in search of the ranking points that would qualify her for the Olympic Games, her journey reaching a successful conclusion in Sydney, where she became the first person to represent Ireland in the sport at Olympic level. pSports digest
Today's other sports in brief p
