Rugby Union - O'Sullivan delighted by Slam Win

Page last updated at 12:38 GMT, Monday, 23 March 2009

O'Sullivan delighted by Slam win

Highlights - Wales 15-17 Ireland Former Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan said he was absolutely thrilled by the Grand Slam triumph at the weekend. Speaking before he flies off to take over as head coach the US Eagles, O'Sullivan said he was so glad for the players at finally achieving glory. "I was so delighted for them," said O'Sullivan who stepped down last March after seven years in charge of Ireland. "Some of the players may not be around next season, so for them it was a case of now or never." O'Sullivan, who guided Ireland to three Triple Crowns during his tenure, twice missed the opportunity to grab a Grand Slam. "Players like John Hayes may not be around next season and its great to see the likes of the 'Bull' getting his reward. "Even Brian O'Driscoll could find it hard to produce the performances he did this season. He will have a massive Lions tour to follow now, so it will be interesting to see how fresh he will be next season. "Ireland had a very strong 22 throughout the competition, and were fortunate not to have any serious injuries. "I remember two season's ago in the only game that we lost against France, both Brian and Peter Stringer were out injured, and I felt that it cost us the game. "In many ways it was fortunate that Brian played throughout the Championship this time. He was simply phenomenal, and there would have been nobody of the same calibre to replace him. "That title has been a long time coming, but it was worth the wait," said O'Sullivan, who has been paid numerous compliments from those close to the squad for building the initial platform. "People have been very gracious to me, and it is very much appreciated," added O'Sullivan.

Football: Rooney handed one-game suspension

Page last updated at 20:31 GMT, Monday, 23 March 2009

Rooney handed one-game suspension

Rooney was sent off after 89 minutes at Craven Cottage Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will miss the visit of Aston Villa next month after being given a one-match ban for his red card at Fulham on Saturday. The striker was sent off for two bookable offences during his side's 2-0 defeat, and he punched the corner flag while leaving the pitch. But referee Phil Dowd said he was not sworn at by the player and Rooney will face no extra sanction beyond the ban. Aston Villa travel to Old Trafford for a Premier League fixture on 5 April. An FA spokesman said: "We have clarified with Phil Dowd that there was no abuse from the player after he was dismissed. "In relation to the incident when he punched the corner flag, the referee did not see that and we have written to Wayne Rooney reminding him of his responsibilities."

Page last updated at 20:31 GMT, Monday, 23 March 2009 E-mail this to a friend Printable version

Rooney handed one-game suspension

Rooney was sent off after 89 minutes at Craven Cottage Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will miss the visit of Aston Villa next month after being given a one-match ban for his red card at Fulham on Saturday. The striker was sent off for two bookable offences during his side's 2-0 defeat, and he punched the corner flag while leaving the pitch. But referee Phil Dowd said he was not sworn at by the player and Rooney will face no extra sanction beyond the ban. Aston Villa travel to Old Trafford for a Premier League fixture on 5 April. An FA spokesman said: "We have clarified with Phil Dowd that there was no abuse from the player after he was dismissed. "In relation to the incident when he punched the corner flag, the referee did not see that and we have written to Wayne Rooney reminding him of his responsibilities."

Formula 1: All News at a Glance

Page last updated at 15:53 GMT, Monday, 23 March 2009

Hamilton reveals hunger for title Lewis Hamilton is desperate to overcome McLaren's problems during pre-season testing and go on to successfully defend his Formula 1 world title. Video and Audio coverage Tour around an F1 team HQ Exclusive interview: Hamilton chats to BBC Sport Kovalainen expects 'very close' F1 season Features and comment Brundle on Alonso "There are no weaknesses when he is behind the wheel" Jonathan Legard blog F1 commentator on why pressure is on the Ferrari drivers Jake Humphrey blog BBC Sport's F1 presenter writes from his flight to Oz Angelina or Keira? Discover who F1 drivers prefer and more - in our profiles LATEST ON: Formula1.com headlines Driver number changes for Ferrari, Toro Rosso and Brawn The 2009 Season Preview: Part Two - A New World Order? Raikkonen: Ferrari F60 is a pleasure to drive Formula1.com's glossary Technical explanations F1 rules Formula1.com's results page More internet links FIA Go Motorsport Daily Express The Guardian The Independent Daily Star The Sun Daily Telegraph The Times autosport.com grandprix.com itv-f1.com planetf1.com crash.net f1-live.com

Football: England defend selection of King

Page last updated at 22:19 GMT, Monday, 23 March 2009

England defend selection of King

King gets the better of Chelsea's Didier Drogba at White Hart Lane The Football Association has defended Fabio Capello's decision to select Tottenham defender Ledley King for the matches against Slovakia and Ukraine. King has a chronic knee injury which severely restricts his ability to train and Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is widely reported to be against the call-up. An FA spokesman said: "The England management will take no risks. "They fully understand Ledley's injury situation but they want to have a close look at him." King, who won the last of his 19 England caps in June 2007, has started 22 games for Tottenham this season and turned in a string of impressive performances. But the 28-year-old's right knee swells up after strenuous exercise, making training all but impossible. The FA spokesman added: "Ledley has not previously been part of a Fabio Capello squad and we wanted to see him in the team environment. "He will be monitored during the week by the England and Tottenham medical staff before any decision on training or playing is made." England take on Slovakia in a friendly on Saturday before hosting Ukraine in a World Cup qualifier the following Wednesday. And, King aside, Capello should have a full-strength squad to choose from as his squad begin training at Arsenal's London Colney complex on Tuesday. The Ukraine league only started at the beginning of March so their players will be very fresh Fabio Capello Everton's Leighton Baines will get his first experience of training with the seniors, while Manchester United keeper Ben Foster and Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon return after lengthy absences. Capello has already pledged to use his maximum six substitutes against Slovakia as he attempts to keep his players as fresh as possible for the Ukraine match. "The Ukraine game is very important to us," said the Italian. "Their league only started at the beginning of March so their players will be very fresh. "Ours are a little bit tired. But I think the fans will help us this time. We will have 12 players on the pitch."

Formula 1: New rules set for 2010 - F1 boss

Page last updated at 12:43 GMT, Sunday, 22 March 2009

New rules set for 2010 - F1 boss:

Ecclestone wants the change so that "people race to win" Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone says the new scoring system he is championing will definitely be introduced next year. Plans to use the system, in which the driver with most wins becomes champion, from 2009 were scrapped on Friday. But Ecclestone told the BBC that the system would be introduced in 2010. "It will be supported by the FIA and it will be in the regulations, so when the people enter the championship, that's what the regulation will be," he said. Asked if he was disappointed by the decision to ditch the system for this year, Ecclestone added on BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek programme: "Absolutely. If you go to the athletics and look at the 100m you're not looking at the guy that's second, you're looking at the winner. Lewis (Hamilton) last year was second in a couple of races he could easily have won and he was quite right in being second F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone "To make any changes when the entries have closed, you have to get a unanimous agreement between all the people that have entered, and it would appear that some of the teams didn't like the idea. "The whole idea is nothing to do with winning the world championship, the idea was to make sure people raced in every race to win, not to be second or third and collect points." The new system means that a driver could wrap up the title well before the end of the year, but Ecclestone brushed off suggestions it could potentially kill off interest in the sport. "That's too bad. Maybe they'd be watching the other races where the people are racing to win rather than be second," said Ecclestone. And he referred to a couple of races from the 2008 championship as examples of how the present scoring system discouraged attacking driving. "Lewis (Hamilton) last year was second in a couple of races he could easily have won, and he was quite right in being second," said Ecclestone. "If I'd have been his team manager I'd have been complaining if he'd been racing to win, in case there was a problem in the car or he fell off the road." Defending champion Hamilton has been off the pace in pre-season testing but Ecclestone said he "absolutely" believed Hamilton remained the man to beat, adding "certainly if we had that other scoring system he would be".

Formula 1: F1 in Disarray Over Scoring Plan

Page last updated at 19:07 GMT, Friday, 20 March 2009

F1 in disarray over scoring plan:

The new season starts with the Australian Grand Prix on 29 March Formula 1 has axed plans for a new scoring system in 2009, just nine days before the start of the season. The sport's governing body, FIA, announced earlier this week that the driver with the most wins would be crowned world champion. But following a protest from F1 teams, FIA says it will defer the introduction of the new system until 2010. The traditional points system will be used when the 2009 season begins on 29 March with the Australian Grand Prix. The teams wish to reaffirm their willingness to collaborate with the FIA in order to jointly define a new point system for the 2010 season Fota statement A FIA spokesman told BBC Sport: "The new scoring system has been deferred until 2010, but I'm sure this will be reviewed throughout the course of the season as any new rule changes have to have teams approval before we proceed. "We're slightly surprised that the teams have taken this long to come forward as we were under the impression that they were happy with the rule changes." FIA had argued that the new scoring system would make racing more exciting by encouraging drivers to chase wins. But several drivers, among them defending champion Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, criticised the change. That prompted Friday's statement from Formula One Teams' Association (Fota), which claimed the amendment was invalid because the proper protocol had not been observed. "It is too late for FIA to impose a change for the 2009 season that has not obtained the unanimous agreement of all the competitors properly entered into the 2009 Formula 1 Championship," it read. Fota had put forward its own scoring system, with the top three drivers earning 12, nine and seven, rather than 10, eight and six points respectively. But that was unanimously rejected by the World Motorsport Council (WMSC). Instead, the WMSC opted for a variant of an earlier idea proposed by F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who had suggested an Olympic-style medals system, with the champion the driver with most golds. The WMSC approved the "race-wins" plan, albeit with no provision to award medals. Fota, which insists its own plan has widespread backing, hopes common ground can be reached with the FIA. "The teams wish to reaffirm their willingness to collaborate with the FIA in order to jointly define a new point system for the 2010 season within a comprehensive set of measures aimed at further stimulating the attractiveness of the F1 sport," added the statement. Hamilton would have finished second behind Ferrari's Felipe Massa had the new system applied last year. The McLaren driver clinched the title after overtaking on the final bend of the final lap of the final race.