ARSENAL midfielder Alex Song has been fined by Cameroon’s football federation for showing an “attitude of contempt” towards international captain Samuel Eto’o.

GORDON D’ARCY has undergone surgery on an ankle injury sustained in Leinster’s Heineken Cup victory over Northampton Saints in Cardiff last month.

IRELAND’S cricketers will discover their World Cup fate inside the next three days as intense lobbying continues in a bid to convince the International Cricket Council (ICC) to allow them a chance to qualify in four years’ time.

PAKISTAN hitman Sohail Abbas gunned down Ireland in the UCD Four Nations final on Saturday — but then insisted he’s never seen Paul Revington’s side in better nick.

CONOR NILAND is to devote his focus to Ireland’s Davis Cup clash with Tunisia in Dublin next month in following his Wimbledon heartbreak.

WHEN So You Think suffered that defeat by Rewilding in the Prince Of Wales’ Stakes at Royal Ascot, Aidan O’Brien gave an extraordinary post-race interview to the BBC.

BRIAN O’DRISCOLL has slammed the soccer superstars who shunned Giovanni Trapattoni’s invite to the European Championship win in Macedonia earlier this month.

RELATIVES of six men murdered by loyalist paramilitaries in the North 17 years ago yesterday rejected the findings of a fresh report into the massacre and accused police of colluding with the killers.

DIFFERENT years, different coaches, different players too. Yet Eoin Reddan’s ambition remains the same – to get on the plane when Ireland head for the World Cup and to makes sure ambition is translated into success.

TO succeed in international competition requires a range of specific characteristics but for Declan Kidney’s men, deep in preparation for the greatest rugby show on earth — the World Cup — patience is probably the most important ingredient his players need to discover at this stage.

FIVE of Munster’s most experienced players have been released from the national squad to assist in a pre-season match against La Rochelle on Friday.

ENGLAND captain Lewis Moody will be given every chance to prove his fitness for the World Cup after suffering a mild ligament strain in his right knee. Moody’s leadership is seen by the England management as “vital” and they have not ruled out naming him in their final 30-man squad on August 22, even if he is not 100% fit.

AUSTRALIA can only move on from their heavy 30-14 Tri-Nations loss to New Zealand by performing much better against South Africa, Wallabies scrum-half Will Genia said yesterday.

AFTER a disappointing 10-6 loss to Scotland on Saturday, insult has been added to injury for Declan Kidney’s men who have dropped two places to sixth in the world, according to the latest IRB World Rankings.

GOLFERS arriving at Atlanta Athletic Club yesterday for this week’s PGA Championship were greeted with heat in the American south reaching three-digits on the heat index.

STEVE WILLIAMS was accused of stealing the spotlight from Adam Scott after caddying the Australian to victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

DECLAN KIDNEY was correct in arranging a number of matches prior to the World Cup.

SCOTLAND coach Andy Robinson was full of praise for the Irish defence after last Saturday’s Test in Murrayfield, and the man responsible for that system was still processing the stats yesterday in Carton House.

GARY CALDWELL admits he is aware that time is running out for him to play for Scotland in the finals of a major tournament.

WALES striker Robert Earnshaw has hit out at the FIFA world rankings and insists Gary Speed’s men will be paying no attention to them as they look ahead to their World Cup qualifying campaign.