There was less than a minute gone at the UCD Bowl when England centre Megan Jones shrugged off a poor excuse of a tackle and crossed the Spanish line for the first score of the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

MARTIN JOHNSON yesterday insisted his decision to drop Jonny Wilkinson does not signal the beginning of the end for England’s World Cup-winning fly-half.

England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson has played down concerns over his fitness and says he will be ready for the tourists’ first Test against Australia in Perth a week on Saturday.

African football chief Issa Hayatou insists the continent’s football decision-makers are yet to decide whether they will be challenging Sepp Blatter’s 12-year reign as FIFA president at the next elections.

The latest rugby season may still be in its infancy but thoughts turn temporarily to the 2015 World Cup for now, given it all gets underway this very day next year, when England face Fiji at Twickenham in the tournament’s opening gambit.

John Higgins pocketed a £25,000 bonus in Preston tonight with a magical 147 maximum break in his LG Cup final against world champion and world number one Mark Williams.

Cardiff Blues centre Jamie Roberts will miss Friday’s Heineken Cup clash against London Irish with a twisted knee, coach Justin Burnell has confirmed.

Former Premier League referee Graham Poll believes Phil Dowd used a technicality in the rules to avoid sending off Nemanja Vidic during Manchester United’s Carling Cup victory over Aston Villa yesterday.

Bath lock Danny Grewcock has been suspended for seven weeks after being found guilty of stamping on Ulster flanker Stephen Ferris in last weekend’s Heineken Cup game, the ERC have announced.

Ryder Cup watch; Irish Open winner Mikko Ilonen has put himself in the Ryder Cup conversation thanks to his stress-free, wire-to-wire victory at Fota Island.

David Junior will bypass the Baileys Irish Champion Stakes in September and next week’s Juddmonte International at York.

Dan Luger could be playing his club rugby in France next season with Heineken Cup semi-finalists Perpignan.

Kevin-Prince Boateng is determined to make Ghana’s loss Portsmouth’s gain.

Frankie Dettori is struggling to keep a lid on his excitement as Jalil’s bid for greatness in the Dubai World Cup comes within touching distance.

JP Ferreira, the Munster defence coach, has renewed his contract by another two years, while further positive news for the province is that Graham Rowntree, the former England prop, has arrived to take over from Jerry Flannery as forwards coach.

An early alarm call did not have any detrimental effect on Ryder Cup team-mates Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood when they resumed the NEC world championship in Akron today.

Ireland and Scotland have secured their place at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Hong Kong next year after coming through the qualifying finals in Mallorca.

Pádraig Harrington will not make this year’s Ryder Cup team unless he plays “extraordinarily well” in the closing stages of the race.