Despite failing to pick up a single victory from the four World Cup warm-up contests, Declan Kidney was adamant not to board yesterday’s plane to New Zealand in a negative mind frame, insisting that the games would stand to his team over the coming weeks.

WALLABY fly-half Berrick Barnes was a wide-eyed schoolboy when Jonny Wilkinson broke Wallaby hearts with the extra-time drop goal to win England the 2003 World Cup.

ENGLAND could add a Grand Slam-winning coach to their backroom team for this summer’s tour of Australia.

WORLD Cup underdogs England are ready to complete one of sport’s greatest comebacks today, with captain Phil Vickery declaring: “We thoroughly deserve our chance to be here.”

ENGLAND’S so-called World Cup celebration match at Twickenham next week will feature just five players who started the final against Australia in Sydney three weeks ago.

Charlton goalkeeper Dean Kiely and his Republic of Ireland team-mates have been filled with renewed optimism following the results in the second round of matches in World Cup Group E.

The 67,000-seater Stade Velodrome will also host the Challenge Cup decider on the same weekend.

Football Association chief executive Brian Barwick today released the following statement regarding this year’s FA Cup Final:

FIFA president Sepp Blatter will meet British Prime Minister Gordon Brown today with a potential bid by England for the 2018 World Cup top of the agenda.

A ground-breaking international against Japan is likely to be one of the many benefits for the FAI from Ireland's World Cup adventure in Asia.

IRELAND captain William Porterfield has admitted his team-mates are dreaming of doing “something special” and beating world champions Australia in their one-day international in Dublin today.

SPORT is political, sometimes deeply so. It is a conduit to our higher ambitions. It gives voice to our better angels and, unless corrupted, can distil principle more powerfully than any policy document drowning in caveats or derogations.

The four-team tournament involving Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland has been branded the Carling Nations Cup, organisers announced today.

Fabio Capello has been signed up to help England’s bid for the 2018 World Cup.

INJURED All Blacks star Dan Carter spoke for the first time yesterday of the agonising pain he suffered when he ruptured his groin and the “gut wrenching” realisation that his Rugby World Cup was over.

One of the country’s brightest young talents, Ryan Mullen, has set himself some lofty goals this year with a gold medal in the World Championships in September top of his priority list.

Sean Downey will replace the injured Martyn Irvine in Ireland’s Men’s Team Pursuit in the second round of the UCI Track World Cup in London this weekend.