Hanley faultless as Ireland move up in the standings

SHOW JUMPING/Super League: Team Ireland have clambered off the bottom rung of the Samsung Super league ladder after securing fourth place in yesterday's Italian Nations Cup in Rome. But it was so nearly even better; the Irish quartet were in a share of second at halfway, level with the US and Britain on just four faults, a fence adrift of France.

Ryan Crumley, making his Super League debut, was given a baptism of fire as first in of all the riders, but the 23-year-old produced a brilliant clear with Baltimore. Cameron Hanley also returned on zero, with SIEC Hipica Kerman. One down for Peter Charles and Panthera left Team Ireland on four at the break.

Hanley, winner of Thursday evening's six-bar, reproduced his first-round form for a double clear, and Marion Hughes erased memories of her first-round discard 16 with just one mistake on Heritage Transmission. But 12 for Crumley and 16 from Charles racked up the faults to drop Ireland to fourth at the finish on a total of 20.

The result has moved Ireland up two slots to sixth in the league standings, with Germany still in front, despite finishing equal fifth yesterday. The US are still second ahead of the French, who held on for a comfortable victory in the Piazza di Siena yesterday afternoon.

Manager Robert Splaine was quick to praise the squad, particularly Hanley and Crumley. "It's a good result, although we could have been second with one fence less," he told The Irish Times. "But it gives us the moral boost of pulling our socks up and getting off the bottom of the ladder."