Martin Corry has declined Brian Ashton’s offer of a place in England’s squad for the RBS 6 Nations Championship.

Lions coach Warren Gatland believes the 2011 World Cup has demonstrated that selecting a large number of England players for this summer’s tour to Australia will result in unwanted media attention.

CRISTIANO RONALDO has defended Wayne Rooney over criticism of his World Cup displays so far and backed his former Manchester United team-mate to improve.

GREECE coach Otto Rehhagel has urged his players to play “beyond their limits” if they want to claim a place in the 2010 World Cup by defeating Ukraine in their two-legged play-off.

UNWORRIED and full of courage. That’s how Giovanni Trapattoni wants his Ireland side to face the French – “just like Trap the player when he came up against Pele”.

MARCELLO LIPPI failed to weave his magic in his first match since returning to the Italy helm as the Azzurri were forced to recover from two goals down to draw with Austria in a friendly in Nice last night.

PARAGUAY stunned visitors Brazil in Asuncion in their South American World Cup qualifier last night.

JUSTICE Minister Brian Lenihan recently stated that the Government would not become complacent about killings in the face of gangland crimes, but would redouble efforts to deal with drugs and the abuse of alcohol which were the cause of many of the problems.

CORK’S reputation as a Munster rugby fortress crumbled last night as Leinster ended their 22-year hoodoo on Rebel territory.

ITALY’S World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro has been named European Footballer of the Year.

ALEX FERGUSON backed Cristiano Ronaldo in his condemnation of Gareth Southgate’s cheating allegations and insisted the Manchester United winger did not dive to win a penalty at Middlesbrough on Saturday.

ROB ANDREW called into question the future of summer tours in the year of a World Cup after England yesterday named a squad missing a staggering 41 players for the two-Test trip to South Africa.

ITALIAN club Perugia is courting the star of Sweden’s World Cup women’s football team Victoria Svensson apparently to play in the Serie A.

It was interesting and appropriate to hear last Friday that the FAI are going to slim down their travelling parties for away matches. We have heard in the past that the “suits” travelled at the front of the plane with the team left in the back. Less non-essential personnel can only make sense and let’s hope that this (small) first step is indicative of a new approach.

Connacht full-back Tiernan O’Halloran said they were shocked how unfit Russia were when they played them in Moscow in their final World Cup warm-up match.

Australia held off a late rally from Somoa to complete their World Cup warm-up with a 34-15 win in Parramatta.