CRICKET Ireland (CI) have outlined an ambitious plan to become a Test-playing nation by 2020, in an attempt to prevent their top players declaring for England.

Billy Twomey is confident that he and Denis Lynch have won two individual spots for Ireland in the Olympics, saying that, with almost three weeks to go to the March 1 cut-off date, they cannot be caught by Spain’s Sergio Alvarez Moya.

Fabio Capello last night plunged England into crisis by resigning as the national team manager just four months before the start of Euro 2012.

Ask the question as to what Ronan O’Gara and Mike Ross have in common and the instinctive answer would probably be not a lot, apart from the fact that they are both members of Declan Kidney’s Ireland squad.

Anyone whose playing career bridged the gap from the 90s to the mid-00s will be able to testify how training sessions changed beyond all recognition.

Five-and-a-half hours.

The first appearance by Tiger Woods in America this year has inevitably dominated the build-up to the AT&T National pro-am at Pebble Beach this week.

World Cup-winning rugby star Sonny Bill Williams won the New Zealand heavyweight title with a first-round knockout of Clarence Tillman.

Most of us would have no idea what our grandparents and their world looked like on a summer day long ago — were it not for George Eastman.

The Ireland team management reacted with predictable surprise to news of Stephen Ferris’ citing yesterday but have expressed their confidence that the flanker will still be available to face France in Paris on Saturday.

Luis Suarez has spoken of his relief after returning from his eight-game ban after being found guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra and insisted that his conscience remains clear.

Nicolas Anelka has revealed his goal against Republic of Ireland in the first leg of the 2010 World Cup qualifying play-off set in motion the events that led to his outburst at coach Raymond Domenech in South Africa.

To dwell too long over the legitimacy or otherwise of the penalty awarded against Stephen Ferris in the last play of Ireland’s Six Nations defeat to Wales on Sunday is to miss the point.

So, the French have their tails up while the Irish find themselves navel-gazing after a third straight defeat against the Welsh.

The final whistle had hardly sounded at the Aviva when the usual suspects were at it.

Leinster should know within a matter of days whether they have been successful in their attempt to secure the signature of former All Black and World Cup winner Brad Thorn on an emergency short-term contract.

Keith Earls will rejoin the Ireland squad at Carton House today to give head coach Declan Kidney a much-needed boost ahead of the RBS 6 Nations trip to face France in Paris on Saturday night.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson will not face a disciplinary charge over his criticism of linesman Darren Cann in Sunday’s 3-3 draw at Chelsea.

UL would win by 37 points, a record-winning margin. They held DCU to just 27 points, another cup final record.

Alberto Contador was yesterday stripped of his 2010 Tour de France victory and handed a two-year ban by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following his positive test for clenbuterol.