O'Connor overcomes grief with perfect rounds

CIAN O'CONNOR produced a performance of courage at Hickstead yesterday as he secured the competition's sole double-clear to take Ireland within a whisker of landing a hat trick in the Samsung Nations Cup.

Ireland finished level with Germany on 16 faults after the two-round contest, but were denied by 1.23 seconds after a second-half fightback. The team of Peter Charles (Corrada), O'Connor (Waterford Crystal), Kevin Babington (Carling King) and Dermott Lennon (Liscalgot) were two fences off the lead held by Germany at halfway.

For Babington, the return to Hickstead a year after winning the British Grand Prix proved torrid, Carling King amassing the discard scores in both rounds of 26 and eight.