A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Leamy to see specialist in bid to keep his career alive

Denis Leamy is to see a specialist later this week in a bid to save his professional rugby career.

The 30-year old backrow is struggling to recover from a serious hip injury which ended his season in January when he underwent surgery.

Leamy made just four starts for Munster this season and there are fears he could follow in the footsteps of Jerry Flannery and David Wallace who were forced to retire through injury in the past few months.

Outgoing coach Tony McGahan, who returns home to Australia today, warned recently Leamy faced some tough examinations before the summer break.

“It is a serious injury and we want to find out exactly where we are heading into the break and heading into the new season. There will be a point there that they’ll gauge it and see where they are at,” he said.

A key part in that looks set to arise in the coming days when Leamy is examined by a specialist.

The Tipperary native, capped 57 times, played his last match for Ireland against Wales in the World Cup.

Rodriguez' uphill charge leaves pack trailing in Giro

Spanish overall contender Joaquim Rodriguez used his trademark uphill surge to blast away from his rivals and claim yesterday’s 10th stage win and the overall lead in the Giro d’Italia. Rodriguez darted clear of a pack of favourites 150 metres from the agonisingly steep summit finish in the heart of Assisi’s old town.

Poland’s Bartosz Huzarksi finished runner-up, two seconds behind, with Italy’s Giovanni Visconti in third.

It was a first stage win in the Giro for the 33-year-old Catalan climber who dislodged previous overall leader Ryder Hesjedal.

The Canadian slipped to second, 17 seconds behind, with Paolo Tiralongo of Italy third at 32 seconds. “My first thought and thanks today go to my team,” said Rodriguez, nicknamed “Little Cigar” for his short, stocky stature. “They rode their hearts out to make sure I was exactly where I needed to be in the last kilometre.”

Fifth in last year’s Giro, and fourth in the 2010 Vuelta, when asked if he could win it, Rodriguez said: “I will try my best. The podium’s the objective for now.”

Clarke between a Rock and a Rose in World Match Play

British Open champion Darren Clarke has been drawn alongside England’s Justin Rose and Robert Rock in the group stages of this week’s Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesin near Marbella, this week. Clarke’s slide to 70th in the world meant he was one of the eight “outsiders” in the 24-man field drawn alongside the top 16 seeded players.

Defending champion Ian Poulter will have to take on young English compatriot Tom Lewis as well as Australian John Senden. Lewis led The Open as an amateur last July and then won the Portugal Masters on only his third start as a professional.

DRAW (seeded positions in brackets based on world rankings): Group 1: (1) M Kaymer, (16) R Cabrera Bello, (24) R Finch. Group 2: (4) G McDowell, (13) R Karlsson, (20) J Kruger. Group 3: (2) J Rose, (15) R Rock, (19) D Clarke. Group 4: (3) C Schwartzel, (14) N Colsaerts, (18) R Goosen. Group 5: (5) S Garcia, (12) A Quiros, (22) T Hiratsuka. Group 6: (8) I Poulter, (9) J Senden, (23), T Lewis. Group 7: (6) P Hanson, (11) P Lawrie, (21) C Villegas. Group 8: (7) B Snedeker, (10) T Bjorn, (17) B Grace.