A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Carlow IT claim colleges' title
RUGBY:Carlow IT deservedly claimed the Irish Colleges' Division One title at Cork IT yesterday with a 30-17 win over Athlone IT at the end of a ferocious battle.RUGBY: Carlow IT deservedly claimed the Irish Colleges' Division One title at Cork IT yesterday with a 30-17 win over Athlone IT at the end of a ferocious battle.
Tries from Clontarf club duo David Hegarty and Alan Kenny had Carlow in a promising position at half-time, where they led 15-3, and they were even further ahead a minute after the break as outhalf Bryan Croke made a sweet interception before running 40 metres and touching down.
Cork IT took the plaudits in Division Two after they overcame Carlow A on a scoreline of 22-17. In a tentative game, a great start to the second period from the hosts proved to be the difference.
DIVISION ONE:Carlow IT 30 (Tries: Kenny 2, Hegarty, Croke, Wojnar Con: Croke, Pen: Croke); Athlone IT 17 (Tries: Harte, Fagan, Con: Connellan 2, Drop goal: Bennett).
DIVISION TWO:Cork IT 22 (Try: McNamara, Con: O'Keeffe, Pens: O'Keeffe 5); Carlow IT 17 (Tries: Owens, Finan, Con: Sheridan 2, Pen: Sheridan).
DIVISION THREE:NCI 18 (Tries: McGinty, O'Grady, Con: McGinty, Pens: McGinty 2); Carlow IT 9 (Pens: Clifford 3).
Deignan picked to ride in Giro d'Italia
CYCLING:Irish pro Philip Deignan has been named as one of the Team RadioShack riders preselected for the Giro d'Italia, which begins on May 7th in Turin, reports Shane Stokes.
Deignan is one of 10 riders listed, with nine of those set to compete in the Grand Tour. Deignan is joined by Fumiyuki Beppu, Manuel Cardoso, Robert Hunter, Tiago Machado, Jason McCartney, Robbie McEwen, Yaroslav Popovych, Ivan Rovny and Bjorn Selander in that preselection.
He finished ninth overall in the 2009 Vuelta a España, and also won a stage. Last season was a difficult one due to illness, but he has shown signs that he is back to solid form.
Deignan finished in the main bunch in yesterday’s Brabantse Pijl race in Belgium, coming home in 39th spot.
The semi-Classic was won by Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto).
Hip injury forces scrumhalf O'Loughlin to give up game
RUGBY:Connacht have confirmed scrumhalf Conor O'Loughlin has been forced to retire because of a hip injury, writes Johnny Watterson.
The 28-year old former Ireland Under-21 player has been troubled for some time with the injury that has consistently curtailed his involvement in the game.
McLoughlin’s first match for Connacht was against London Irish in August 2003 and he scored his first try later that week against a star-studded Munster team that included Keith Wood, Paul O’Connell and Peter Stringer.
His first competitive game was against the Cardiff Blues where he played alongside current Connacht coach Eric Elwood.
Despite the injury, which he sustained over four years ago playing against Montpellier, he lined out 97 times for the province.
The hip has now deteriorated to a point where he can no longer play rugby.
“I’ve exhausted every medical avenue at this stage and I’ve been advised that I can no longer continue my career as a professional rugby player, he said. It’s taken me a while to get my head around it.”
“Rugby’s been my life for the last eight years so I’m going to have to look at my options now, I’ve completed a Masters in finance, so there are options there for me in a role outside of rugby. I’ve no regrets at all. I’ve been living the dream for the last eight years.”
Moynihan heads Irish challenge
GOLF:Donabate's Gavin Moynihan spearheads the Irish challenge at halfway in the prestigious McEvoy Trophy tournament at Copt Heath, England. Moynihan produced two solid rounds for scores of 69 and 71 for a 140 aggregate and is only three strokes off the pace set by Moor Park's Callum Shinkwin and Nathan Kimsey of Woodhall Spa.
The Donabate teenager did not put a foot wrong as he beat the course standard scratch score by two in the morning and matched it after lunch.
Jack Hume of Rathsallagh always kept himself in the hunt as he returned scores of 70 and 72 for a 142 total but Ballymena’s Dermot McElroy, who did so well in the European Nations Cup at Sotogrande, was a little disappointing. McElroy, the rising star of the amateur game, could only manage two 73s but easily made the halfway cut. Royal Portrush’s Jamie Richardson failed miserably to stay in the competition, posting a 73, followed by an 82.
Hussey's century sets up Australia
CRICKET:Michael Hussey smashed a brilliant century to help Australia win the third and final one-day international against Bangladesh in Dhaka by 66 runs to complete a clean-sweep of the three-match series.
Hussey bludgeoned 108 and Shane Watson hit 72 as Australia piled up 361 for eight. Bangladesh made a decent fist of the run chase with opener Imrul Kayes (93) and Shahriar Nafees (60) sharing a second-wicket stand of 136 but the hosts fell short on 295 for six.
Bangladesh were going well at 179 for one in reply before debutant James Pattinson had Kayes caught behind for his first one-day wicket and Australia soon regained control with Johnson dismissing Nafees.
Mahmudullah hung on until the end to remain unbeaten on 68.
Perry and Blake coast through
SQUASH:
Ireland’s top women players, Madeline Perry (ranked three) and Aisling Blake (ranked 26), had easy routes into the quarter-finals of the Irish Open at Fitzwilliam last night.
Perry overcame the challenge of Danish number one Line Hansen in three straight games. Blake also had an easy win against New Zealand’s Kylie Lindsay, winning in three games.
Two of the other women’s matches went the distance in enthralling five-set matches. England’s Dominique Lloyd-Walter, seeded seven, beat qualifier Heba El Torky of Egypt, winning the final point of the fifth set on a let ball decision after 87 minutes. Another qualifier, South Africa’s Tenille Schwartz, defeated number five seed Emma Beddoes (England) in another five-set game.
In the men’s draw, France’s Mathieu Castagnet came through a tough five-setter against Gregoire Marche.
