Darren Clarke would love to win the WGC-Accenture Matchplay title in Arizona next month but he'd much rather watch Ireland's historic Six Nations clash with England at Croke Park, writes Brian Keogh. The big match takes place on February 24th, the same day as the semi-finals of the season's first WGC event at The Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain.

Clarke has never been to Croke Park but he revealed he has tickets for the match thanks to his sponsors at Setanta and won't be too upset if he is beaten early in Tucson and can fly home to see the most eagerly awaited Irish rugby international in years.

"I will be delighted either way if I make it to Croke Park or I don't. But my loyalties will be in Dublin. That's where I'd really like to be," Clarke confessed as he worked on his putting in Dubai yesterday. "I have tickets anyway . . . the best box in Croke Park . . . I think I have to get to the semi-finals to miss out on the match. So if I get to the semis I will be gutted. I really want to be at Croke Park. Our team is a match for anybody at the moment after the All Blacks . . . they are a great bunch of lads and if I had to pick anyone out I'd have to go for Brian O'Driscoll."