Friday, November 20, 2009 Previous editions
IN the VIP lounge at Dublin airport last night, as he awaited his flight home to Milan, the emotion of the preceding 24 hours finally got to Giovanni Trapattoni.
IRISH hopes of a re-staging of the controversial second leg of their World Cup play-off game against France were dashed last night when it became clear that the French Football Federation (FFF) see no basis for such a game to take place.
THE man in the hat had it right. Cornered by one of Sky’s breathless reporters underneath the Eiffel Tower (of course), the unsuspecting Irlandais – his green fedora cocked at an inappropriately jaunty angle – was asked what diabolic punishments should be meted out to Thierry Henry in the wake of the ‘Hand of Frog’.
HEADING inexorably down the same rutted briar-ridden cul-de-sac as that travelled by Cork GAA several times over the past decade, that’s Limerick hurling today.
JUST over a year since he made an international debut against Canada, things could hardly be better for Limerick’s latest rugby star Keith Earls, as he prepares for another Test game against Fiji at the RDS, Dublin, tomorrow.
FORMER Republic of Ireland captain, Kenny Cunningham has downplayed accusations Thierry Henry cheated when handling the ball twice in the build-up to William Gallas’ decisive extra time goal for France on Wednesday night.
AMONG the stories reaching Paris yesterday was one about a demonstration outside the French embassy in Dublin on Wednesday night and countless others of various calls to badger FIFA for a replay after the miscarriage of justice in Saint-Denis.
AFTER Princess Diana died there was a lot of... well, apart from the heart-stopping grief felt by people who had come no closer to the lady than rubbing the front of a celebrity magazine, there was a lot of... guff spewed by people who should have known better.
LIAM BRADY was clearly incensed in the immediate aftermath of Ireland’s cruel defeat by France and, 12 hours later, was still struggling to come to terms with the result.
SEAN ST LEDGER has joined the growing chorus calling for the introduction of video referees along the lines of those used in rugby union.
RORY McILROY freely admitted he is glad he is not playing with Lee Westwood today. The two stablemates have not fallen out, but the 20-year-old came off second best when they went head-to-head in Dubai yesterday in their European Tour Order of Merit decider.
WORLD champion Jenson Button insists he could have earned more money by extending his relationship with Ross Brawn but instead wanted to take on the challenge of joining Lewis Hamilton at McLaren.
THE International Association of Athletics Federations insist no deal has been struck allowing Caster Semenya to keep her World Championships 800 metres gold medal.
BERNARD DUNNE has revealed not only does he fancy returning to the ring, he would love to do so against the fighter who dethroned him as WBA super-bantamweight champion, Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym.
EACH of Munster’s three representatives in the women’s Irish Hockey League will be seeking capital gains this weekend as all face tricky trips to Dublin for the second round of the competition – where they will renew acquaintances with former team-mates.
WITH their defence of the national cup on course, UCC Demons will concentrate on getting their Nivea for Men’s SuperLeague campaign back on track when they travel to Dublin tomorrow evening to play Killester.
OUTGOING London senior football team manager Noel Dunning has revealed he is among the nominations for the vacant post as county board officials continue to push for a three-man selection team.
NEW Waterford senior football manager John Owens is hoping to reach an agreement with hurling counterpart Davy Fitzgerald over the use of dual stars Shane Walsh and Gary Hurney next year.
JAMES COUGHLAN is intent on helping Munster A enhance an unbeaten seasonal record when he captains the team in the opening clash of the new British and Irish Cup against English championship side Coventry at Butts Stadium, Coventry, tonight (7.45pm)
AUSTRALIA have made just one change to their starting XV for Saturday’s autumn international against Scotland.
UGO MONYE is ready for anything New Zealand throw at him after a particularly apt church service last Sunday put his “absolute stinker” of a performance against Argentina into clear perspective.
SHAMEFUL. Disgusting. Outrageous. French fans were on the radio and the internet within moments of the end of the match on Wednesday night, and the condemnation of the way France qualified was continuing last night.
ITALIAN midfielder Alberto Aquilani may have to be patient for a little longer before getting his first start for Liverpool since his £20million summer move from Roma.
ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger breathed something of a sigh of relief after learning the damage to Robin van Persie and Kieran Gibbs during the international break was not as severe as first feared.
MIRACLE STEPS gets the nap to defy a big rise in the weights in the Crowne Plaza Jock and Trainer Championship Handicap at Dundalk tonight.
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