Mike Ross has urged his Ireland team-mates to make the most of a rare opportunity to gain international success by beating France in their Six Nations decider in Paris on Saturday.

Scotland 17 France 19

France 30 Italy 10

France 26 England 24

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Opera singer Placido Domingo has left a hospital in Madrid after spending five days there recovering from a lung artery blockage.

I WAS not surprised to read a genetic study of the present day inhabitants of the Canary Islands, revealed that the natives of La Gomera — our second home for over 30 years — retain more of the aboriginal DNA that the inhabitants of the other islands.

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Three key areas of confrontation at the Aviva today

Broadstrand Lad may be approaching his fourth birthday, but the brilliant son of Hallucinate retains all his ability and he will be bidding for the biggest title of his career when he lines out in the final of the Tyrur McGuigan @ Stud Open 575.

Greyhound folk will have their stamina tested to the limit in the coming week with some top class racing at tracks all over the country while the National Coursing Meeting will commence at Clonmel on Monday morning.

THE O’Donnell Kennels in Killenaule are back in the headlines with young puppy Skip Soda winning a lot of admirers in the Festival Open Unraced Stake at Clonmel.

England 2018 World Cup bid chief Andy Anson has ridiculed FIFA’s handling of this year’s corruption scandal and labelled president Sepp Blatter’s desire to enlist the help of opera star Placido Domingo as “laughable”.

WITH the Derby now history for another year, the focus down south will now swing to the Pat Hennerty Sales Irish Laurels which will kick off at Curraheen Park on Friday night of next week.

FRANCE coach Marc Lièvremont has thrown down the gauntlet to his players ahead of Saturday’s World Cup warm-up with Ireland in Bordeaux by declaring that Les Bleus are now in “competition mode”.

We are now on the verge of the most important part in the Irish greyhound calendar.

IT has been a mixed week for PJ Fahy and his son Conor but they can reap the benefit of their Wimbledon controversy in tonight’s opening round of the Hegarty Bookmakers Open 600 at Shelbourne Park.

PJ FAHY’S plan to contest this year’s English Derby was scuppered even before it got underway yesterday. Fahy and his trainer-son Conor brought five intended challengers over for trials in advance of the Derby but an altercation with Wimbledon official Gary Matthews resulted in the Galway team leaving for home without trialling their dogs and having rescinded their earlier plans.

Munster travel to the Stade Municipal to take on Brive in the Amlin Challenge Cup looking to book a place in the last four of European rugby’s ‘second tier’ competition.

IRELAND’S finest will be in action at Shelbourne Park this evening in the second round of the Tote Gold Cup. Last weekend’s action featured many superb performances and more of the same is expected tonight.

THE draws for both the Roches Feeds Oaks at Limerick and Tote Gold Cup at Shelbourne were deferred until today, though both events had achieved their target number of entries.

1. The Tactical Battle

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ARGENTINA will arrive in Dublin on the back of an error-strewn 15-9 defeat to France in Montpellier.

Mathieu Bastareaud has been left out of France’s squad for their upcoming internationals against Fiji, Argentina and Australia.

IF Martin Johnson needed any reassurance the anguish of developing a new England team can ultimately be worth it, he need only listen to Marc Lievremont.

FRANCE coach Marc Lièvremont was reluctant to talk up comeback king Mathieu Bastareaud ahead of Ireland’s forthcoming trip to Paris, despite the Stade Francais man announcing his return to the international stage with a brace of tries yesterday.

THE inactivity caused by the big freeze of recent weeks showed in Leinster’s lacklustre performance for much of this Heineken Cup clash against Brive on Saturday night before the champions upped gears to secure a bonus point victory.

Placido Domingo got a 20-minute ovation for his debut as a baritone although at times the career tenor had to dig deep to reach the low notes.

MIKE PHILLIPS handed Wales an injury scare during Ospreys 25-24 Heineken Cup Pool Three victory over Clermont Auvergne at the Liberty Stadium yesterday.

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The late Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson (pictured) left a rich secret when she died in 2005 – her choice for the first winner of her million dollar music prize, tenor Placido Domingo.

CLERMONT AUVERGNE saw their faint Heineken Cup hopes extinguished despite a comprehensive bonus point victory against Montauban in the all-French Pool One clash at Stade Marcel Michelin last night.

Legendary tenor Placido Domingo has teamed up with Josh Groban, Vanessa Williams and Andrea Bocelli to record a new album of songs based on poems written by the late Pope John Paul II.

Mexican historians are seeking criminal charges against the organisers of a Placido Domingo concert on Saturday - insisting they violated archaeological laws.

Planned new lyrics for the Spanish national anthem were ditched today after their content split the country.

LAWRENCE Dallaglio admits European champions Wasps “have to do the business” on Saturday after suffering their biggest Heineken Cup defeat for almost six years.

Late opera star Luciano Pavarotti had grown tired of listening to his own music by the time of his death on Thursday, and preferred to hear the sounds of fellow tenor Placido Domingo more than anything else.

LUCIANO Pavarotti’s vibrant high C notes and ebullient showmanship made him the most beloved and celebrated tenor since Caruso and one of the few opera singers to win crossover fame as a popular superstar.

Friends and admirers of Luciano Pavarotti joined in a chorus of grief as the world paid homage to the thrilling voice and ebullient personality of the great Italian tenor who died today.

Luciano Pavarotti, whose vibrant high Cs and ebullient showmanship made him one of the world’s most beloved tenors, died today, his manager said.

Opera star Placido Domingo has ruled out retiring in the immediate future and plans to continue singing for as long as possible.