Rome hat-trick for O'Connor

Sports Digest: Sports news from around Irleland

EQUESTRIAN SPORT: Cian O'Connor, whose brilliant double clear in Friday's Italian Nations Cup wasn't enough to lift the Irish team out of a doldrums seventh place finish, notched up a hat-trick of victories over the weekend at the Rome fixture and would undoubtedly have claimed the show's leading rider prize, except there wasn't one, writes Grania Willis.

O'Connor had given Irish pre-Nations Cup morale a major boost on Friday when winning the morning's speed class with ABC Landliebe and brought out the mare again the following day to clinch another pole position.

The 24-year-old Meath-based rider, who is shortlisted for Ireland's Olympic team, then took a share of a five-way finish over the big wall for Saturday night's Puissance. Riding the stallion Dacapo, O'Connor cleared the wall at 2.15 metres but, along with his rivals, failed at 2.25, to divide the prizemoney.

Not content with that haul, O'Connor resaddled ABC Landliebe for yesterday's two-phase class and, once again, came out on top, this time at the expense of Belgian ace Ludo Philippaerts, who had followed the Irishman into the line-up for Friday's speed.

Yesterday's feature Grand Prix turned into something of a French farce with 23-year-old Eugenie Angot claiming the €45,000 winner's purse ahead of her compatriots Michel Robert and Christian Harmon.

Kevin Babington, winner of the La Baule highlight earlier in the month, donned the best of the Irish mantle when steering Carling King into fifth, one slot ahead of O'Connor and his Nations Cup star Waterford Crystal.

Marion Hughes and the talented stallion Heritage Fortunas were seventh.

RUGBY: The Ireland under-21s won their final warm-up match before next month's World Championships in Scotland when they beat a Presidents XV 57-19 at Stradbrook on Saturday, writes Gavin Cummiskey.

Trinity's Jamie Heaslip and Ulster winger Tommy Bowe both crossed for a brace of tries with Gareth Steenson landing four conversions.

Ireland will play Tonga, Argentina and France in their pool, staring with the south seas islanders on June 11th in New Anniesland, Glasgow.

IRELAND UNDER-21 SQUAD: (for 2004 World Championships): Oisin Hennessy (Dungannon), Keith Doyle (UCD), Neil Macomb (Dundee HSFP), Andrew Finn (Dolphin), Tommy Bowe (QUB), John Hearty (Blackrock), Glen Telford (Dungannon), Paul McKenzie (Loughborough Univ), Gareth Steenson (QUB), Tomás O'Leary (Cork Con), John Wickham (Clontarf), Denis Fogarty (Cork Con), Declan Fitzpatrick (Belfast Harlequins), David Gannon (Blackrock, capt), Shane O'Connor (Cork Con), Anthony Cavanaugh (Garryowen), David O'Brien (Old Belvedere), Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University), Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon), Niall Conlon (Dublin University), Conor Geoghegan (UCD), Michael Glancy (Loughborough Univ), Richard Lane (UCC), Brendan O'Connor (Cork Con), Breiffne O'Donnell (Ul Bohemains), Robbie Shaw (Wasps).

Management: David Haslett (manager), Mark McDermott (coach),s Pat Murray (assistant manager).

CANOEING: Eoin Rheinisch will represent Ireland at the Olympic Games in the K1 canoeing class. The 24-year-old Leixlip man won that honour yesterday by finishing 12th at the World Cup in Merano, Italy.

Rheinisch's older brother Aidan was only .18 of a second behind him in 13th, but Neil Caffrey, who qualified the boat for Athens was 37th.

BASKETBALL: Basketball Ireland's annual awards took place in the Burlington Hotel in Dublin on Saturday night with Michele Aspell and John Quirke picking up the respective player of the year awards, while outgoing Tralee Tigers boss Rus Bradburd was named as coach of the year.