SPORTS DIGEST:BASKETBALL: Our Lady of Mercy, Drimnagh, edged out Teresian College of Dublin 35-30 to secure the All-Ireland Schools' Cup Under-16B title yesterday.
The game was on a knife edge in the final quarter, as Our Lady's ramped up the intensity.
Drimnagh raced into a four-point lead thanks to a drive from Jennifer Sheehan, as the tide began to turn dramatically in favour of Our Lady's.
Both sides traded scores in what was an incredible finale.
"MVP" Shannon Farrell scored twice from the line at the death to secure the win for Our Ladys of Drimnagh.
Dawn OSullivan lead the way as her 15 points helped Presentation Waterford to a 36-24 win over Portmarnock Community School to secure the Under-16C Girls School Cup Final
Waterford held a 28-20 lead heading into the final quarter and with Megan Connolly boxed out by a very impressive Presentation defence, Waterford won the final quarter 8-6, with Emily Fanning and Valarie O'Brien registering baskets in the final minute to put the icing on a fantastic day for the Waterford girls.
Dublin side Palmerstown, meanwhile, secured the Boys Under-19C National Cup title, with a hard fought 34-30 victory over Presentation College, Athenry.
MVP Seth Ceniza produced arguably the shot of the game in the closing stages for the winners, as he gave his side a four-point lead with a score from outside.
Palmerstown held out to clinch the title despite the last ditch efforts of Presentation Athenry.
Presentation Brothers College Cork were crowned All-Ireland Schools' National Cup Under-19B Boys winners after a tense four-point win (38-34) over Coláiste Eoin, Dublin.
MVP Ronan O'Sullivan enhanced his reputation with a 28-point return in a game that saw the Cork side bounce back after trailing 20-18 at the interval.
World Team Cup back on calendar
TENNIS:The World Team Cup has returned to the tennis calendar after organisers found a new sponsor just weeks after officially announcing the tournament's demise due to a lack of money, they said yesterday.
“The (sponsor’s) involvement give us organisers the chance to stage this year another top class tournament at the Dusseldorf Rochus club,” Dietloff von Arnim said after unveiling the deal with energy drink maker Power Horse. The tournament, first held in 1978, will take place between May 15th-21st.
The claycourt event, which pits national teams against each other over one week, had not attracted the top players in recent years but was seen as a useful warm-up for the French Open.
Argentina beat the United States 2-1 last year.
Northampton shift Ulster tie to MK Dons stadium
RUGBY:Northampton Saints have confirmed they will play their Heineken Cup quarter-final against Ulster at stadium:mk, home of Milton Keynes Dons FC. The Saints had hoped to keep the fixture at their Franklin's Gardens home, but the ground's 13,591 capacity falls below European Rugby Cup's 15,000 threshold for a last-eight tie.
Northampton shift Ulster tie to MK Dons stadium Kellock back as Scotland skipper World Team Cup back on calendar
The tournament organisers were unwilling to give special dispensation and, as expected, Northampton have now officially confirmed the move.
Chief executive Allan Robson revealed the club had looked at the feasibility of temporarily increasing the capacity of their regular home, but with such a solution not being enough to bring it up to 15,000 the decision was taken to move to the Milton Keynes ground, which holds 21,500.
Robson was also critical of the attitude of the local council’s leadership towards the club’s plans to increase the capacity; Saints had hoped to use money supermarket retailer ASDA would have paid for a store on an expanded site.
“We sought approval from ERC to hold the match at Franklin’s Gardens, which is our home and where we belong,” Robson said. “However, ERC’s regulations were introduced to develop the status of the Heineken Cup, which is why they insisted that the game be moved to a stadium with a larger capacity.
“We have known about this regulation for a year and a half, which is why we had to nominate an alternative venue.”
Committee reserve judgment on pair
RUGBY: The judicial committee investigating the anti-doping charges against South Africa duo Chiliboy Ralepelle and Bjorn Basson has reserved judgment after hearing evidence from both players in Cape Town yesterday.
Hooker Ralepelle and wing Basson tested positive for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine after the Springboks’ 23-21 win over Ireland in November and were sent home from the tour of Britain and Ireland.
Their B samples later also tested positive. The pair were immediately suspended by the International Rugby Board and banned from all rugby activities.
The committee, appointed by the South Africa Rugby Union, heard three-and-a-half hours of evidence from the two players, witnesses and SARU management.
The World Anti-Doping Agency added methylhexaneamine to their banned list in 2009, but downgraded its classification at the start of this year to reflect the number of inadvertent positive tests.
Kellock back as Scotland skipper
RUGBY:Alastair Kellock has been restored as Scotland captain for the Six Nations championship. Andy Robinson yesterday named Kellock as his skipper after being impressed with the way the Glasgow Warriors lock led Scotland to their first series win in the Southern Hemisphere in Argentina last summer.
Kellock resumes his role after the 29 year-old missed the Autumn Test series following knee surgery.
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