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Lions boost as George North wins fitness battle to face Wallabies in first Test
British and Irish Lions wing George North has been passed fit to face Australia in Saturday's opening Test at Suncorp Stadium.
Rob Kearney's Lions Diary: Loss was a blow but this week all about first Test
ALL 42 members of the squad will gather at the team base in Brisbane today and learn our individual fates. Then it is about focusing on the collective.
Callow defeat damages pride of Lions
This was a dose of reality for the Lions, a salutary lesson that was totally predictable and avoidable.
Murphy try not enough to slay French
IT will finish as it started, taking on Australia, but unlike the opening game of the championship, Sunday's battle for seventh place will be a disappointing conclusion to a tournament which Ireland at one stage looked like winning.
Lions lose to Brumbies
THE Lions have lost to a provincial side in Australia for the first time since 1971. S
First impressions count in Schmidt's stocktake
SUCCESS and failure are hard currency in North America and when Ireland's players went on their holidays after their two-match tour to the United States and Canada they had much to reflect on.
Final battle of phoney war the toughest of all
OPPORTUNITY knocks for a select few of the Lions team that will take on the best side in Australia in Canberra this morning.
Bowe a bundle of energy as he nears return
TOMMY BOWE was in great spirits around the Lions' team hotel in Canberra yesterday.
Ireland job came at the wrong time – White
JAKE WHITE turned down an offer to interview for the Ireland job because he felt "the time was wrong" for him to switch to the northern hemisphere.
White warns future of Lions in jeopardy if tourists don't secure series victory
JAKE WHITE believes that if the Lions don't win the Test series then the very concept of the tour is in danger of becoming obsolete.
Disunited Australia in danger of taking their eye off the ball
IN some respects the Lions are the subplot to the drama that is bubbling just beneath the surface of Australian rugby.
Ruddock shuffles deck for France as Irish push for fifth-place finish
Ireland U-20 coach Mike Ruddock has made five changes from the side which came so close to defeating New Zealand for this evening's clash with hosts France in the battle for fifth place in the Junior World Championship.
IRFU insist Sexton was too expensive to keep
THE IRFU has no regrets about Jonny Sexton's departure to Racing Metro despite facing criticism from the Lions out-half and calls from Leinster chief Mick Dawson to review the way contracts are dealt with.
Gatland defends Williams call as Best takes armband for Brumbies clash
RORY BEST'S delight at captaining the Lions against the Brumbies in Canberra tomorrow night will be tempered by the realisation that he is unlikely to be involved in the first Test on Saturday – despite coach Warren Gatland's insistence that there will be players involved both tomorrow and at the weekend.
Bowe nearing return to add another string to Gatland's back division
TOMMY BOWE is on course to be fit and available for the Lions in time for the second Test in Melbourne on June 29.
Young guns prove they can cut it at the highest level – Kiss
When the 2012/13 season is filed away, this two-match tour will be buried in the footnotes, but Les Kiss can hand over the reins to Joe Schmidt on a relative high.
O'Connell: Zebo a special talent
PAUL O'CONNELL'S reaction said it all. When asked about the immediate and explosive impact of his Munster team-mate Simon Zebo on the Lions squad and, indeed, the team, the smile of delight that lit up his face was expansive enough to illuminate a small town.
McFadden: Young players have put their hand up for autumn internationals
Ireland's hat-trick hero Fergus McFadden said that players who impressed on the tour to the USA and Canada were driven by the desire to keep the jersey.
Halfpenny's record haul
Sometimes the timing of a performance can be as important as the numbers on the scoreboard. From the Lions' perspective, this was a powerful statement of intent that will resonate far beyond the scenic inner suburbs of Sydney.
Juniors show abundance of ambition and talent
It's not often Ireland and New Zealand have anything in common but we saw some shared ground over the last week.
Welsh wrecking crew look ready for a demolition job
The Lions are about to leave the land of the hypothetical and enter the harsh reality of what the tour is all about, the Test series.
Untested Lions about to experience the type of pace and intensity that could leave them chasing their tails
The human species has been evolving for millions of years – natural selection, Darwin and the constant streamlining of the human genome. How do you explain Adam Jones? I remember the first time I saw him waddle onto a pitch and I thought to myself, 'did they have to put down the rest of the herd?'
Power play and place-kicking to yield series triumph
Five games into the tour, six days away from the first Test, and to say that the opening games have been something of an anti-climax would be to put it at its mildest, particularly after 12 months of overdrive from Sky's hype-machine. The non-events have been a major disappointment.
All Blacks annihilate France in Christchurch
New Zealand wrapped up the series and retained the Dave Gallaher Trophy by thrashing France in Christchurch.
Japan make history with first ever win over Wales
Wales fell to their first defeat to Japan after being outplayed in the heat of Tokyo.
I can play my way into Test team, insists Zebo
SIMON ZEBO is confident he can force his way into the Lions Test side for the opening game against Australia next Saturday.
Comeback king Trimble looking for more after reaching half century
NOBODY likes rejection, but Andrew Trimble seems especially capable of getting over it and coming back stronger.
Chance for fringe men to send Schmidt a message
ALMOST a year on from a haunting night in Hamilton Ireland's season to forget comes to a more sedate close against Canada in Toronto early tomorrow morning (1.0am).
Injury crisis sees Scotland face 'mission impossible'
Scotland's injury jinx shows no sign of easing as they embark on 'mission impossible' against South Africa today.
Crosbie determined Ireland will finish with flourish
Ireland U-20s out-half Steve Crosbie says they will put the heartbreak of Thursday's 31-26 defeat to New Zealand behind them quickly in an effort to emulate last year's best-ever finish of fifth in the Junior World Championship.
Peter O'Mahony targets bolder showing against the Canadians
Ireland captain Peter O'Mahony is targeting improvements in this weekend's clash with Canada after beating the United States by just three points last time out.
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Froome ready for race to yellow
Chris Froome believes he is ready to succeed Sir Bradley Wiggins as Tour de France champion and has backed his Team Sky colleague to respond from the disappointment of relinquishing his title without a fight.
Swansea start for David Moyes
Barclays Premier League champions Manchester United will start the 2013-14 season at League Cup winners Swansea.
Beckham 'cheats' to beat Chinese kids at football
David Beckham was greeted by thousands of screaming fans when he turned up at the Olympic Stadium in easten China's Nanjing City on Tuesday.
Pearce to leave England U21 post
Stuart Pearce was today informed by the Football Association he will not be kept on as England Under-21s manager.The former international full-back was appointed to the post in 2007 and led the Young Lions to four successive European Championship finals.
Post Brumbies Presser
The Lions have lost to a provincial side in Australia for the first time since 1971. Since that loss to Queensland they did lose to Australia A in 2001 but this was a first of the professional era for the tourists.
Coyle - I've had nothing but success
New Wigan manager Owen Coyle claims he's had nothing but success at previous clubs, but it's what he does at Wigan that he will be judged on.
Memories of 2003 World Games in Dublin
In June 2003, Ireland hosted the Special Olympics World Summer Games. It was the largest event to be held in the world that year. Credit: SpecialOlympicsIrl
Whelan - we won't lose money
Despite relegation, Wigan owner Dave Whelan insisted there will be no change to the prudent philosophy that has characterised his decade at the helm.
Williams joins up with Lions
Shane Williams joined up with his new Lions team mates as they trained for their final warm up match against The Brumbies.
Rose wins US Open
Justin Rose became the first Englishman to win the US Open in 43 years.
