JACK CLARK sits back in his chair at the University of California, Berkeley, and fields your question about rugby’s place in America with ease.

DAMIEN VARLEY has taken inspiration from teammate and new Irish skipper Paul O’Connell as he hopes to challenge for a starting place for Ireland.

NEW France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has included two uncapped players in his provisional 30-man squad for the RBS 6 Nations.

MANCHESTER CITY manager Roberto Mancini has raised the possibility of the world’s richest club not being able to fill their bench for Sunday’s mouthwatering FA Cup tie with Manchester United.

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NEW Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill played his political cards right during his official introduction to the media as Nigel Worthington’s successor yesterday.

GORDON TAYLOR believes the punishment meted out to Luis Suarez for racially abusing Patrice Evra sends a warning that racism in the game will not be tolerated.

HEINEKEN CUP winner Raphael Ibanez believes that three Irish provinces will create history by making it to the last eight of the tournament this year.

JUST hours after signing a new two-year deal that should see him playing top class rugby to the age 34, Munster, Irish and Lions talisman Paul O’Connell has not ruled out a further extension to his contract.

DANNY CARE will be excluded from England’s Six Nations squad after he was arrested on suspicion of drink driving in the early hours of New Year’s Day.

BUYER beware: A consumer watchdog has warned people not to be conned by offers of cut-price tickets to Euro 2012 and the Olympics ahead of an expected surge in online demand.

MANAGERS who break the training ban are acting in the best interests of their players’ welfare as they face pre-season action, according to Ireland International Rules fitness coach Mike McGurn.

THE last thing the IRFU court is controversy.

SIMONE FARINA is an unlikely football hero.

THE latest RaboDirect Pro 12 League table says much about the current status of Leinster and Munster.

ACCORDING to FIFA and the Ballon d’Or voters, the coach of last year was Pep Guardiola.

OSCAR WHISKY is poised to try to spoil Big Buck’s’ bid for a fourth Ladbrokes World Hurdle triumph following his emphatic victory in the Cheltenham & Three Counties Race Club Hurdle at Cheltenham yesterday.

FORMER Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan admits he is “waiting for the phone to ring” in his bid to return to rugby management.

TENS of thousands of chanting and dancing revelers waved the green and gold colours of the African National Congress as Africa’s oldest liberation movement celebrated its 100th anniversary yesterday, though many South Africans say the party hasn’t delivered on its promises since taking power in 1994.

BARCELONA defender Gerard Pique has hailed team-mate Lionel Messi as the finest player in the world as the Argentinian waits to discover if he has won the FIFA Ballon d’Or award for 2011 today.