Eddie Jones has been assessing his dwindling options in the back three due to an escalating injury crisis.

Police raided the headquarters of the French Rugby Federation (FFR) yesterday as part of an investigation into alleged conflict of interest involving the federation’s president Bernard Laporte, a source close to the matter said.

It has been a largely positive day for the Irish involved at the Portugal Masters.

Once upon a time, I played golf with a friend every Saturday morning. We are still friends though we rarely play golf together now.

For 15 years Colm Cooper represented everything that we love about traditional Kerry football. Our game will be a poorer one for his absence, writes Mike Quirke

Pádraig Harrington’s Portugal Masters victory hasn’t just reignited his desire to play another Ryder Cup, it’s also reinforced his belief that he can still intimidate the opposition and win at least one more major.

Padraig Harrington will head into the final day of the Portugal Masters just one shot off the lead as he goes in search of his first European Tour win in eight years.

The home of golf’s Portugal Masters has been sold for just under €70m by its owners, the Oceanico Group, to a business consortium headed up by footballer John Terry’s agent.

Clare brothers Conor and Eoin McMahon scored a win apiece at the weekend, the former in Millstreet, Co Cork, and the latter in Italy.

Rookie pro Paul Dunne continues to set the European Tour alight after kick-starting his Portugal Masters by holing a second shot for eagle on day one at Vilamoura.

It is a case of ‘Last Chance Saloon’ for all but two of the seven Irish golfers contesting this week’s Portugal Masters at Vilamoura.

In an industry struggling to reinvent itself, the freelance photographer gets squeezed more than most. All the more so, when it’s a sports-specific effort, like Healy Racing in Listowel. As the local September festival kicks off this weekend, Pat Healy reflects on the trade, characters, and moments he’ll remember — and the ones he can’t forget.

The mother of kidnapped schoolgirl Ellie Silva will have to wait more months for justice.

The Portugal Masters has been reduced to 54 holes after heavy rain caused lengthy delays in Vilamoura yesterday with only six players, including leader Alexander Levy, completing their second rounds.

Nicolas Colsaerts left his putt on the 18th "hanging" as he just missed out on firing the European Tour’s first round of 59 at the Portugal Masters.

Defending champion David Lynn is looking for some inspiration as he returns to the scene of his last victory.

Paul McGinley flees from the idea that he was the perfect captain or that he has turned the Ryder Cup into a poisoned chalice for his successor.

The other day in a nice sitdown piece for RTÉ, Shane Horgan brought Brian O’Driscoll back to where it kind of all began for him: St Patrick’s weekend, 2000, Paris.

In a thrilling finish to the Cassidy Golf 103rd €30,000 PGA Irish Championship at Roganstown yesterday, Michael McGeady snatched the title by a whisker from Damian Mooney and Cian McNamara.

England’s Paul Waring and South African Hennie Otto inspired each other to claim a share of the lead with David Lynn after the second round of the Portugal Masters in Vilamoura.

The date of the 2014 Irish Open has been confirmed but to be staged the same week as the British Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush.

For the first time in his career, Peter Lawrie stares at the prospect of losing his European Tour card and that thought will haunt him when he tees up in the Portugal Masters at Vilamoura today.

DISCLAIMER: Anything hereunder that resembles or may be interpreted as criticism, implied or otherwise, of the Algarve and its constituent parts — food, beaches, tranquility, water parks, golf courses — is entirely coincidental.

Algarve golf market leaders Oceânico have rolled out details of enticing golf-all-you-want packages with accommodation at their five-star class Amendoeira Golf Resort.

Even with three British Rally Championship titles under his belt, Keith Cronin had not been able to progress his career due to a lack of funding.

The International Golf Travel Market (IGTM), is where the golf tourism industry gathers each year to do business.

Life gets better and better for Shane Lowry.

The Algarve has hosted many a rousing Irish party over the years but little could match the celebrations in Vilamoura on Sunday night to mark Shane Lowry’s victory in the Portugal Masters.

Carton House may be the official club of Shane Lowry, but Esker Hills is the Offaly man’s golfing home.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry has moved up from 128th to 74th in the world after his victory at the Portugal Masters yesterday.

Offaly’s Shane Lowry yesterday became only the second player to win on the European Tour as both an amateur and a professional.

For more than three years, Shane Lowry has looked back on his famous victory in the Irish Open at Baltray with a variety of emotions.

Irishman Shane Lowry today became only the second player to win on the European Tour as both an amateur and a professional.

It was as though the Turkish weather was bigger than the combined presence of Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods when a violent electrical storm delayed their much-anticipated matchplay showdown.

Europe’s sensational victory in the Ryder Cup was seen as a massive boost for the under pressure European Tour.

Rory McIlroy doesn’t have to win this week’s Tour Championship to pick up the massive FedEx Cup bonus of $10 million (€7.65m) bonus but he still has a lot of work to do if he is to leave East Lake, Atlanta, with golf’s richest prize tomorrow night.

With two finals on their doorstep and not an Aviva Premiership team in sight, the natives are getting restless

Nicolas Roche was again best of the Irish on the toughest stage of the Tour of the Algarve yesterday, finishing 11th, 44 seconds behind stage winner Richie Porte (Team Sky).

Next year’s European Tour has been confirmed with the Irish Open switching from late July to the end of June, but with a venue yet to be announced.

DARREN CLARKE has enjoyed something of a golfing honeymoon since his magnificent victory in the Open Championship at Royal St Georges in July.