A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Moylette gets Irish off to a good start
BOXING:Ray Moylette got Ireland's European Championships campaign off to a winning start after easing into the last-16 with an inside the distance win over Subhi Amara in Ankara, Turkey yesterday.
The St Anne’s BC Mayo prospect, a gold medal winner at the 2008 AIBA World Youth Championships in Mexico, stopped the Israeli puncher in round two.
Moylette was 8-2 ahead after the first frame and Amara was taken into protective custody by the ref after he took a third standing count in the second with Moylette 19-4 ahead.
He’ll now meet Serbia’s Ljubomir Marjanvic in the last-16 on Monday, two fights away from at least a bronze medal. AIBA World bronze medallist John Joe Nevin, Willie McLaughlin, Con Sheehan and Cathal McMonagle are all in action today.
Marshall's Irish debut is delayed
CRICKET: England fast bowler Chris Tremlett recorded his best test figures of six for 42 to reduce Sri Lanka to 177 for nine in their first innings as rain brought an early close to the second day of the third and final test yesterday.
After the morning session had been washed out, Sri Lanka, resuming on 81 for four, lost wickets consistently through the afternoon and had problems with Tremlett’s pace and steep bounce on a lively pitch.
McConnell gives Ireland the edge
HOCKEY: David Hobbs made a surprise return to the Irish set-up as he helped an inexperienced side beat Scotland 2-1 in the opening Celtic Cup fixture in Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.
Andy McConnell struck twice – the latter coming just seven seconds from time – to overturn Kenny Bain’s strike early in the second half.
It was a strong showing from a side of whom the majority are viewed more as possibles than probables for the European Championships later this summer.
They were bolstered by Hobbs, though, who returned for the first time since October 2009. He was a late replacement for Chris Cargo.
He has been drafted into a more established Ireland panel for the UCD Four Nations Cup which begins on Monday in Belfield. Eugene Magee’s injury necessitated Cargo’s redeployment. This youthful Irish selection play France today (2pm) while a more senior selection will play an uncapped tie against (8pm, Belfield).
Egan sets record
CANOEING:Jenny Egan set a new national record and took 14th overall in the K1 500 metres at the European Canoe Sprint Championships in Belgrade yesterday, writes Liam Gorman.
Egan’s time in the heat of one minute 55.9 seconds was a personal best and qualified her for the semi-finals, where she finished eighth. Barry Watkins qualified for both the K1 1,000 metres and 500 metres semi-finals and progressed to the B Finals in both events.
Ireland target second tier as Ruddock rings changes
RUGBY:THE Irish under-20 side will qualify for the second tier in the knock-out stages in the Junior World Championship next week if they defeat Scotland in their final pool game in Rovigo this evening (7.10pm Irish time).
Realistically that was as much as they could have hoped for when they ended up in the same pool as England and South Africa, with their seeding being impacted by losing all three pool games last year.
Mike Ruddock makes five changes, with Luke Marshall taking over from JJ Hanrahan in the centre, Andrew Boyle replacing Craig Gilroy on the left wing, and Paddy Jackson swapping places with James McKinney at outhalf. Lock Ian Henderson takes over from Daniel Qualter, while the backrow is reshuffled, with Dominic Gallagher returning in place of Aaron Conneely at openside, Eoin McKeon switches to blind with Jordi Murphy at No 8.
Fryday adds to Tipp's firepower
CAMOGIE:Teenage star Sarah Fryday will be the one to watch as Tipp take on Offaly at Semple Stadium today (3pm) in the second round of the senior championship.
Fryday joins with veteran attacker Clare Grogan and Cora Hennessy in a formidable forward line that should pose questions for the Offaly defence who conceded 4-17 in last week’s match against Kilkenny.
Doubts remain over the fitness of Offaly attacker Arlene Watkins while a lot will depend on the performance of centre back Michaela Morkan.
Also today, a resurgent Cork face a Wexford side at Páirc Uí Chaoimh (1pm), with the visitors smarting from last week’s defeat to Galway.
Galway, who meet Clare in Athenry (2pm), have made a number of changes to their defence, most noticeably the positioning of Thérèse Maher at centre back, with Ann Marie Hayes at wing back, while Sinéad Cahalan returns to full-back, after missing last season with injury.
In the final game, Kilkenny host Dublin in Thomastown (3.30pm).
Ireland complete three-in-a-row
EQUESTRIAN: Ireland's pony show jumping team brought up a hat-trick of Nations' Cups victories yesterday in Hagen, Germany, writes Margie McLoone.
Lying third on 12 faults after the first round behind Britain (four) and France (eight), Max O’Reilly Hyland (Rock Dee Jay), Michael Duffy (Kadia Mouche) and Eoin McMahon (Another Destiny) all jumped clear second time out. This meant that Emma O’Dwyer, who had produced a faultless round earlier on Jacknell Street, didn’t have to jump a second time.
Britain finished second on a total of 16 faults with France completing on 32; nine teams started.
“I’m absolutely delighted with the kids today,” said Irish chef d’equipe Tom Slattery. “They rode a super second round . . This year they’ve already won the Nations Cup at Fontainebleau in France and, just two weeks ago, the Dutch Nations Cup at Wierden. Three-in-a-row is a terrific achievement.”
Tremlett in form
CRICKET: Hamish Marshall's debut for Ireland is likely to have to wait until after the summer due to the issue of compensation over his contract with county side Gloucestershire.
The 32-year-old former New Zealand batsman has served a four-year qualification period, but as it also qualifies him to play for England, significant payments are made from the ECB to the county.
Those payments would cease if he played for Ireland and Cricket Ireland stated yesterday they would not be in a position to compensate Gloucestershire.
Ireland coach Phil Simmons has named five uncapped players in his squad for the opening Intercontinental Cup game against Nambia in Belfast later, with bowler Graeme McCarter retained in a much stronger group for the one-day games against the Africans and for the ODIs against Sri Lanka and Scotland in Edinburgh in July.
McNulty leads the way in Donegal
MOTOR SPORT:THE Subaru Impreza of Tim McNulty was the dominant force on the opening day of the 40th Donegal International Rally as the top seed took a 28-second lead over Alistair Fisher following six stages.
McNulty and co-driver Paul Kiely won five of those stages, with Fisher taking the lead after stage three in the Fiesta S2000 that Mikko Hirvonen drove to victory in Monte Carlo last year.
At service McNulty changed to a hard compound tyre and quickly set about reasserting his dominance.
He regained the lead on stage four and went on to win stages five and six to leave a gap of 28.6 seconds between himself and Fisher.
Derek McGarrity and Daragh O’Riordan finished in third and fourth respectively with Kevin Barrett making up the top five after day one.
Kennefick and O'Brien off to a flyer
SAILING:Neil Kennefick and Joxer O'Briens' Tiger laid down a hat-trick of race wins off Roche's Point yesterday as the annual Irish Cruiser Racing Association national championships got under way at the Royal Cork Yacht Club, writes David Branigan.
The quarter-tonner from the host club is the favourite in Class Three and with the second-biggest turnout in the 70 boat fleet may be a candidate for the overall championships title if Tiger’s form continues.
Anthony O’Leary’s Antix scored two wins in Class Zero, though this fleet on a different course was only able to complete two races in the changeable weather conditions left over from near gale conditions on Thursday night. Pat Kelly’s J109 Storm from Howth leads Class One while Raymond McGibney’s Dis-array from Foynes leads narrowly in the 15-boat Class Two after two races.
