SPORTS DIGEST: RUGBY Ireland's women defeated Canada for the first time in their history, 15-8, at the Sportsground yesterday. The three-tries-to-one victory over a team ranked in the world's top four will instil much optimism heading into a busy summer.
Canada , this year's World Cup hosts, were in trouble from the kick-off when Ireland forced them to concede a lineout deep in their own half. Only three minutes in and secondrow Caroline Mahon crashed over from a strong maul for her first international try.
The robust Canadians struggled to deal with Ireland's excellent continuity but as the weather deteriorated, so too did the skill levels, and both sides were guilty of handling errors as they attempted to create openings.
Canada drew level with a superb individual score from their fullback Heather Moyse, who broke brilliantly upfield, shrugged off tackles and executed a perfect chip-and-chase before scrambling over the tryline.
Ireland however did lead at the break, 10-5, flanker Orla Brennan charging through a gap to double her side's advantage.
After the break Canada's Kelly McCallum slotted a penalty but Ireland were growing in confidence, great play from Joy Neville at the base of the scrum and strong running from Tania Rosser, Sarahjane Belton and Patrique Kelly spurring them on.
It was Neville who made sure of the points when Rachel Boyd blocked down a McCallum kick and the ball was recycled wide to the number eight, who dived over the line.
IRELAND: A Greensmith; G Davitt, L Cantwell, P Kelly, N Ní Chadhain; SJ Belton, T Rosser; F Coughlan, J Lonergan, G McAllister; C Mahon, G Healy; O Brennan, R Boyd, J Neville. Replacements: M Barrett for McAllister (30 mins), J Feighery for Cantwell, J O'Sullivan for Davitt (both 40 mins), L Beamish for Feighery (45 mins).
CANADA: H Moyse; B Hilditch, S Ulmer, M Gallo, J Foster; K McCallum, E Dance; L Cripps, R Eldridge, H McDonald; D McDonald, P Burdett; G Florence, H Jaques, E Smortchevsky.
MOTOR SPORT: In winning the Ordnance Survey Killarney International Rally of The Lakes, Tim McNulty and Anthony Nestor (Subaru) gave Irish rallying a welcome boost by breaking the dominance of the reigning champions, Eugene Donnelly and Paul Kiely, in their Toyota Corolla, writes Brian Foley.
In a tough event watched by record crowds, McNulty won by 40 seconds, and Donnelly claimed second by 14 seconds from Derek McGarrity and Dermot O'Gorman in another Subaru.
Gareth Jones and David Moynihan (Subaru) posted fourth, but in the battle for fifth Stephen Murphy and Mickey Joe Morrissey (Subaru) lost out by less than half a second to the relentless Eamonn Boland and Francis Regan in a Ford Focus.
Early leader Donie O'Sullivan of Killarney retired his Subaru with a damaged engine on the sixth stage on Saturday.
Séamus Leonard finished ninth overall and winner of Group N in his Mitsubishi Evo.
ROWING: UCD posted a convincing win in the women's senior eight at Queen's regatta at Castlewellan on Saturday and provided the first two crews home in the senior coxed fours, writes Liam Gorman.
The Dublin club found the going tougher in the senior coxless four, where the hosts pushed them all the way in an excellent race, UCD A having only a few feet to spare over Queen's at the end.
Martin Campbell of Queen's won the men's senior single scull final, and the host club filled the first three places in the senior coxed four. However, Neptune's women's quadruple beat Queen's in their final.
Danny Meanley and John Armstrong, fresh from a good result at Strathclyde last weekend, won the senior coxless pair for Lady Victoria.
Carlow continued their recent encouraging form at junior level.
SQUASH: Ireland's men's team secured promotion back to the premier division of squash next year by finishing fifth at the European Championships in Vienna, beating Germany 3-0 in their play-off, writes Mary Hannigan.
The Irish number one, Liam Kenny, got the better of Germany's leading player, Simon Rosner, in a five-set match that lasted 85 minutes, before Angus Kirkland and Derek Ryan wrapped up the 3-0 win.
The women's team, without the injured Madeline Perry and Laura Mylotte, finished 10th in the tournament, losing to Wales in their final play-off.
RACING: David Pipe, son of 15-times champion trainer Martin, is taking over the reins at Nicholashayne following the shock announcement on Saturday that Pipe senior, who has dominated the National Hunt scene in England for 20 years, has called time on his record-breaking career.
Pipe senior said: "I've not been in the best of health lately and I've taken the decision that it's time for David to take over.
"I'd like to be remembered for training horses who tried their best. I got a great thrill out of getting horses to enjoy their racing and getting them to try their best.
"I'll still be around the yard and still have the everyday involvement. We have a terrific family of staff that will be here and the horses are the children. It's tending and caring for those everyday."
Tony McCoy, who became champion jockey and never looked back after becoming number one to Pipe, was warm in praise for his former boss.
"His attention to detail has been fantastic. He revolutionised training racehorses. He put so much input into the horses' health to make sure they were so healthy and so fit that the recovery rate of his horses was so good," said McCoy.
