A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Lurgan College claim schoolgirls' title
HOCKEY:Lurgan College confirmed Limerick as a happy hunting ground as they claimed their second ESB Electric Kate Russell All-Ireland Schoolgirls' hockey title at Dooradoyle.
It was a surprisingly fraught affair, though, as the Ulster champions ended by winning by the narrowest of margins, a single strike on goal difference separating them from Alexandra College.
Indeed, after an impressive 3-0 win over Galway’s Coláiste Iognáid and a 7-0 trouncing of Loreto Kilkenny – with hat-tricks for both Chloe McCann and Hannah Grieve – the title looked to be heading north for the first time in three years.
Alex, having won their earlier game 5-0 against Iognáid, were the only side left who could overhaul Lurgan in the final game.
They needed to beat Crescent by six clear goals while the tournament hosts needed to keep the score to less than that margin to maintain bronze position. They won 6-1.
IRFU confirm warm-up game times
RUGBY: The IRFU have confirmed the times of the World Cup warm-up games at the Aviva Stadium in August. The game against France kicks-off at 5pm on August 20th, seven days after Ireland face them in Bordeaux (kick-off 7.30pm), while the England fixture on August 27th will commence at 2.30pm.
Tickets range from €50 for premium seats down to €10 for schoolboy/girl entry.
RALLYING: Ford’s Jari-Matti Latvala leads the way following the first full day of the Rally of Portugal – but only after Citroen’s Sebastien Ogier opted to slow on the day’s final stage.
With Saturday’s stages expected to be difficult with lots of loose gravel on the roads, the Frenchman opted to relinquish the lead he had held for much of the day in order to give himself a better running slot today.
Ireland line up Pakistan clashes
CRICKET: Ireland will look to relive their famous giant-killing act from the 2007 World Cup after lining up two One-Day Internationals against Pakistan at Stormont in Belfast at the end of May, writes Emmet Riordan.
The series, which will be sponsored by RSA, will see the sides play a 50-over match for the first time since that game at Sabina Park in Kingston, which saw Ireland win by three wickets to send Pakistan out of the World Cup. The matches will take place on Friday May 27th and Sunday May 29th.
Pakistan have had a sensational World Cup to date, winning Group A before dismantling the West Indies by 10 wickets in their quarter-final. They now face India in a mouth-watering semi-final in Chandigarh next Wednesday.
Ireland coach Phil Simmons welcomed the fixtures, saying: This is what we have been crying out for. We have shown just how much our cricket has improved, and by playing these type of games, it’ll keep growing in the right direction.”
Roche seventh in sprint finish
CYCLING: Irish pro Nicolas Roche rode strongly on yesterday's fifth stage of the Volta a Catalunya, netting seventh in the bunch sprint into Tarragona, writes Shane Stokes.
Fellow Irishmen Daniel Martin (Garmin-Cervélo) and Philip Deignan (Team RadioShack) also finished in the same time as the winner Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis), placing 18th and 89th respectively.
Overnight race leader Alberto Contador held onto the leader’s jersey, while Martin remains an excellent forth, 12 seconds further back. Roche is 40th and Deignan 65th.
Meanwhile Caroline Ryan was a solid ninth in the individual pursuit at the world track championships, clocking up a time of 3 minutes 44.264 seconds in the 3000 metre event. American Sarah Hammer took gold.
Ireland’s second rider at the worlds, Martyn Irvine, rode solidly in the opening races of the multi-event Omnium discipline.
Leinster add on recovered Wright to Heineken Cup list
RUGBY: Both Leinster and Ulster have added three players to their European squads ahead of their Heineken Cup quarter-finals against the Leicester Tigers and the Northampton Saints, writes Gavin Cummiskey.
Stanley Wright’s recovery from an Achilles tendon injury was expected but Aaron Dundon is another prop added to the roster, while outhalf Ian McKinley has shown encouraging form since an eye injury slowed his progress last year.
The only surprise about Craig Gilroy’s promotion to the Ulster squad is it took so long. The prolific Ireland under-20s winger is joined by another winger, Conor Gaston, and promising prop Adam Macklin.
Interestingly, Northampton have added former Australian lock Dan Vickerman to their group, while the Tigers have promoted outhalf George Ford, son of former Irish defence coach Mike.
Munster added Denis Fogarty and scrumhalf Conor Murray ahead of the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final in Brive on April 9th.
