WAS it the £25 million goal or the £25 million save?

RIGHT from the very start of European Championship qualifying, Ireland’s game against Russia in Moscow on September 6 was seen as the big one in the group.

WHEN Donegal unveiled their new defensive system on May 15, the wails and howls of protest weren’t the sole preserve of RTÉ’s match analysts.

CRICKET IRELAND chief executive Warren Deutrom admits the board are putting in place contingency plans should coach Phil Simmons quit before the end of the year.

THE newly crowned Rose of Tralee finds herself torn in four this weekend with a double sporting dilemma that is causing consternation.

WARREN GATLAND accepts there will be “no second chances” for Wales if they fail in their World Cup victory mission against Samoa early tomorrow morning.

IRELAND’S show jumpers failed in their goal of Olympic qualification at the European Championships in Madrid, Spain, yesterday, while Billy Twomey also saw his aspirations for an individual medal come crashing down.

BY the very nature of the events tickets for premium, national or international, sports events are too often beyond the reach of ordinary sports fans.

IN my absence a few weeks ago, I noticed Liam Horan handing out the bouquets to Martin Johnson, pictured, for trusting his players at the World Cup and allowing the bit of leeway for tweeting, pinting and conjugal visiting during the tournament.

WHO was the first person to learn the Ireland team to face Australia once Declan Kidney had signed off on his first XV?

ENGLAND manager Martin Johnson insists he would not start locking his team in their hotel following reports about a night out in Queenstown.

THE ODDS are stacked against them and history suggests they haven’t a hope but there is something tangible about Ireland’s demeanour heading into the World Cup Pool C showdown with Australia that suggests something special is on the cards at Eden Park tomorrow morning.

SEAN O’BRIEN is ready for the true litmus test tomorrow, the game which will tell us exactly where Ireland are and how far they can go in this Rugby World Cup.

FORMER Leinster hero Rocky Elsom has labelled Ireland’s back row as one of the most underrated in international rugby ahead of Australia’s World Cup game with the Irish at Eden Park tomorrow.

1. SET PIECE ASSAULT

IRELAND or Australia.

WHEN the late Warren Zevon wrote “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me”, I’m thinking he wasn’t referring specifically to the Ireland rugby team of 2011.

UNITED STATES captain Todd Clever admitted he was a nervous man after his side held off a late Russian rally to win their Pool C encounter 13-6 in New Plymouth.

BRITISH royal Zara Phillips has described as “quite sad” coverage of alleged groping of a woman by her husband, England rugby captain Mike Tindall, at a team outing during the World Cup in New Zealand.

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.