A round-up of today's other stories in brief
McLaren car still a work-in-progress
MOTOR SPORT: McLaren have had a major rethink of their car for Sunday's Formula One season opener in Australia and hope to gain a second a lap after disappointing form in testing, team boss Martin Whitmarsh said yesterday.
“I’m not satisfied with where the car was on reliability or performance in the tests,” he said.
“We have made some fairly dramatic changes, and those changes we’ll see in Australia.
Whitmarsh said the former world champions, overall runners-up last year, had changed the floor of the MP4-26 car and the exhaust system to a new and simpler design that should prove more reliable in the heat of battle.
Nevin to face Asian champs
BOXING: John Joe Nevin's Paris United have been drawn against Asian champions Baku Fires of Azerbaijan in the semi-finals of the World Series of Boxing Team Championships.
Both sides will clash home and away next month with the winners facing either Los Angeles Matadors or Astana Arlans of Kazakhstan in the WSB final which carries a first prize of 500,000 dollars.
The semi-finals will be held on the weekends of April 1st/2nd and 15th/16th with the finals pencilled in for May 6th/7th in Guiyang City, China.
The group winners in the Americas, Asian and European groups plus the best runner-up qualified for the last four.
Paris United, who qualified as European champions, will be away from home for the first leg and Nevin says that suits them just fine.
“Its going to be a tough one for us, but we have the second leg at home and if we can put in a good performance in Baku then we’ll know exactly what we have to do.”
Connacht sign flanker Grace from Exeter Chiefs
RUGBY: Connacht have bolstered their back row with the signing of former Munster academy openside Eoghan Grace, and a two-years contract extension for the experienced Mike McCarthy.
Although not a household name, Waterford native Grace returns to Ireland after a season with English Premiership club Exeter Chiefs which he joined from the Munster Academy.
The 23-years-old openside flanker, who was a member of Ireland’s Grand Slam-winning under-20 side in 2007, and also featured for the Irish sevens, played his club rugby with Shannon.
He joined Exeter last summer but after starring in three sevens tournaments, he tore his Achilles tendon, and has rarely featured for the Premiership side. He will join Connacht on a two-year contract.
Mike McCarthy is one of Connacht’s most experienced players, having notched his 100th cap against Bayonne this season.
London-born McCarthy, who is enjoying his second stint with the province since rejoining from Newcastle, is a versatile player who can play second-row, blindside flanker or number eight.
Connacht coach Eric Elwood said: “We’re very happy to be keeping Mike on board. Having a senior player with Mike’s professionalism and experience commit to the team is a huge boost. We are also very exited about Eoghan joining us next year. He is a mobile, dynamic ball carrier and will make an excellent addition to our squad.”
Bonds facing a battle for his reputation
BASEBALL:Home run record holder Barry Bonds's trial to determine if he committed perjury when he said he never knowingly took steroids began yesterday with jury selection in federal court in San Francisco.
Bonds, 46, who broke Hank Aaron’s record of 755 career home runs in August 2007, faces four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice for telling a grand jury in 2003 that he didn’t knowingly take steroids. The maximum sentence for each of the counts is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Bonds, who was first charged in November 2007, has pleaded not guilty.
Attorneys for Bonds and federal prosecutors agreed 38 of about 100 potential jurors should be dismissed based on their answers to a three-page questionnaire.
Bonds holds the Major League career record with 762 home runs and the single-season record with 73 home runs in 2001.
Contador back in business
CYCLING: Alberto Contador ignored speculation about a possible UCI appeal against the decision to clear him of any doping offence to finish 10th in the Tour of Catalunya's opening stage yesterday.
The Spaniard finished in the main pack, 28 seconds behind solo winner Gatis Smukulis of Latvia on the hilly 166.9 stage. Alessandro Petacchi led the bunch to come second.
Daniel Martin finished in 14th place, Nicolas Roche 18th and Philip Deignan in 50th place.
McDonald guides Moville to victory
SOCCER:Donegal's Moville Community College captured the UMBRO FAI Schools Junior Girls title at Finn Park in Ballybofey yesterday as they defeated Dublin's Alexandra College, 4-2, in an exciting final.
Áine McLaughlin put the Donegal school ahead after just two minutes but Alex drew level through an Aisling Nugent strike on 12 minutes.
Moville struck again early in the second half with Sarah Jane McDonald scoring with a cracking 20 -yard shot. They then made it 3-1 through Gemma McGuinness and McDonald added the fourth ten minutes from time to put them on the road to victory. Alexandra’s Nugent pulled one back with a great volley three minutes from time but Moville held on to lift the trophy for the first time since 2007.
MOVILLE CC: L. McLaughlin, Henry, M. McDermott, E. McDermott, K. McLaughlin, S. McDonald, A. McLaughlin, C. McDermott, Lafferty, McGuinness, S.J. McDermott. Subs: R. McLaughlin for E. McDermott (20 mins), McCreadie for S. McDonald (56 mins).
ALEXANDER COLLEGE: Ni Chonluin, Cowhey, Shannon, Gleeson, Smal, McPhillips, Roopnarinesingh, Beatty, McDermott, Healy, Nugent. Subs: Diepman for McPhillips (52 mins), O’Donnell for Shannon (65), McCollum for Cowhey (75).
Referee: E Moore (Donegal).
