The tough and remarkably consistent Roi Du Mee completed a hat-trick when making all the running to beat just two rivals in the Daily Mirror Chase in Down Royal yesterday.

Stuart Lancaster has done a remarkable job reviving English fortunes but can he outfox wily Joe Schmidt? 

Racing royalty mixes with the real thing today as Tony McCoy rides Monbeg Dude for the first time in Haydock’s Betfred Grand National Trial. 

The last time Nick Easter walked onto the pitch at the Aviva Stadium was in 2011, and England looked on the cusp of a first Six Nations Grand Slam for eight years.

Prince George will have a little brother or sister in the spring of 2015, who will replace Prince Harry as the fourth in line to the throne.

Mike Tindall has announced his retirement from professional rugby.

Gloucester have identified the individual who threw a plastic bottle at referee Tim Wigglesworth in Saturday’s stormy west country derby against Bath as a schoolboy.

Owner Robert Waley-Cohen and his jockey-son, Sam, have enjoyed unprecedented success over the Aintree fences but it could all pale into insignificance if Long Run wins the first £1m (€1.2m) renewal of the Crabbie’s Grand National.

As the market intensifies ahead of Saturday’s Crabbie’s Grand National at Aintree, Michael Scudamore’s Monbeg Dude was the one most punters were interested in on Tuesday.

Monbeg Dude makes a belated last public appearance ahead of the Crabbie’s Grand National when he lines-up for the William Hill Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster this afternoon.

Zara Phillips has given birth to a girl, the Queen’s fourth great grandchild, Buckingham Palace has announced.

Munster 26 Gloucester 10

Wing Jonny May’s late try gave Gloucester a dramatic Heineken Cup victory as Perpignan had their former Munster centre Lifeimi Mafi sent off.

It is now more than a decade since the famous Miracle Match of 2003, but memories of that never-to-be-forgotten occasion will be revived when three survivors participate in today’s Seat Series clash of Munster and Gloucester at Thomond Park (kick-off 5pm).

The last decade in English rugby can perhaps be summed up by one question: ’How do you follow Martin Johnson?’

TOM Wood should be the standard-bearer for English rugby. The flanker ought to be captain of the national team. He should be starring for a club that have been the coming force in the English game for the past three years.

The decision by Lance Armstrong – one of sport’s greatest serial champions – to stop fighting doping allegations was met with disbelief by critics and fans alike today.

The Saturdays singer Una Healy is to marry on Saturday.

A late Felipe Contepomi penalty handed defeat to an Ireland XV at Kingsholm on the eve of their three-Test tour to New Zealand.

Barbarians 29 Ireland 28

Soon to retire, Munster and Ireland stalwart Mick O’Driscoll captains the Barbarians against his countrymen tonight in Gloucester (7.45pm) but all eyes will be on those in the Ireland XV looking to take their last chance to earn a ticket to New Zealand.

In a land of fresh starts, who better to shed some light on the transformation of the England rugby team than new father, Ben Foden?

It’s been a grim week for the Irish at Cheltenham so far but not for Margaret Connolly who yesterday came up trumps with a most unexpected double on Ladies’ Day.

Harlequins 20 Gloucester 14

ALL BLACKS full-back Israel Dagg has expressed his sympathy for disgraced England centre Mike Tindall and believes he could have been the one taking all the flak had New Zealand not won the World Cup.

CONNACHT coach Eric Elwood has vowed that a heartbreaking late loss to English Premiership side Gloucester will not break his side’s spirit.

Gloucester 23 Connacht 19

AN improved set piece is essential if Connacht are to have any hopes of overcoming Gloucester on the second of the back-to-back Heineken Cup fixtures and grab that elusive win.

MIKE TINDALL has blasted the RFU and accused them of making him a “scapegoat” in a statement released through the Rugby Players Association yesterday.

Mike Tindall today accused the Rugby Football Union of making him a “scapegoat” in a statement released through the Rugby Players Association

MIKE TINDALL was last night reinstated in England’s elite player squad and had a £25,000 fine reduced to £15,000 after an appeal against the punishment meted out for his off-field World Cup behaviour.

Mike Tindall has been reinstated in England’s elite player squad and had a £25,000 (€29,124) fine reduced to £15,000 (€17,475) after an appeal against the punishment meted out for his off-field World Cup behaviour.

Martin Johnson today described the damning fall-out from England’s World Cup campaign as “one of the worst things I have experienced in the game”.

ROB ANDREW admitted the Rugby Football Union had hit “rock bottom” following the publication of damning reports into England’s failed World Cup campaign.

SEÁN O’BRIEN has dismissed an allegation that the behaviour of Irish players at a Queenstown Bar in New Zealand during the Rugby World Cup was “much worse” than that of their English counterparts.

THE IRFU has given short shrift to suggestions Ireland’s World Cup squad members were worse behaved during the tournament than England’s disgraced team.

IN THE END, perhaps the only way to rid the English rugby team of the arrogance and self-righteousness that has pervaded their squad since 2003 was with a stick of dynamite planted firmly in the centre of the Twickenham pitch.

A number of England’s World Cup players were “more focused on money than getting the rugby right”, it was reported today in three leaked reports that lay bare the inside story behind the country's worst-ever World Cup performance in New Zealand.

Gloucester 9 Harlequins 28

MARTIN JOHNSON made a noble exit from Twickenham yesterday after taking the decision to stand down as England team manager on his own terms.

ENGLAND’S drunken night out in Queenstown, which may have cost Mike Tindall his international career, was part-funded by the Rugby Football Union.

GLOUCESTER head coach Bryan Redpath was delighted with the performance of under-fire centre Mike Tindall as he ended a difficult week with a resolute performance in a tense 21-17 defeat at Toulouse .

Toulouse 21 Gloucester 17

MIKE TINDALL’S Test career appears to be over after his off-field behaviour during the World Cup resulted in him being kicked out of England’s elite squad and fined £25,000 (€29,000) by the England RFU.