Every morning, TheScore.ie brings you the sport stories you need to know with your morning coffee.
1. #INJURY WORRY Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll may miss Leinster’s upcoming Heineken Cup clashes after suffering a suspected fractured jaw yesterday.
The centre was replaced by Keith Earls 68 minutes into the 29-9 victory over Argentina, and was later sent for an X-ray. The province face Clermont in back-to-back clashes on December 12 and 18.
2. #MAGNERS Leinster, meanwhile, were beaten 19-15 by Ospreys in Swansea as the Welsh side edged ahead of the visitors to take fifth in the table.
3. #DUBAI Robert Karlsson won the Dubai World Championship yesterday, defeating Ian Poulter in a playoff after a marking blunder by the Englishman on the final hole. Poulter’s accidental indiscretion, which caused the ball marker to flip over, was in breach of Rule 20-1/15.
Germany’s Martin Kaymer finished tied 13th at six-under par 282 and won the Race to Dubai to become the new European No1, succeeding Lee Westwood in the process. The honour was confirmed the moment it was clear that his only challenger for the crown, Ireland’s Graeme McDowell, could not finish any better than tied third.
4. #CLUB CHAMPIONS De La Salle came out on top after a tough afternoon’s work in freezing weather and on a half-frozen Páirc Uí Chaoimh pitch against Thurles Sarsfields in the Munster club hurling final yesterday.
The Waterford champions just about deserved their narrow victory, which gives them their second provincial crown in three years.
The Ulster Club SFC decider between Armagh’s Crossmaglen and Naomh Conaill from Donegal was called off and has been refixed for next Sunday (2.0) in Clones, with the junior final acting as the curtain-raiser. The Leinster Club SHC final between O’Loughlin Gaels, from Kilkenny, and Wexford’s Oulart-The Ballagh was also called off. A new date is likely to be fixed today, according to the Irish Independent.
6. #BIG DRAW Manchester United will welcome arch-rivals Liverpool in the third round of this season’s FA Cup; their Old Trafford showdown is the only all-Premier League clash of the last-64 draw made yesterday at Wembley.
Arsenal will host Leeds while Roy Keane’s Ipswich will visit champions Chlesea.
7. #ASHES The first Test in Brisbane ended in a stalemate after a spectacular England performance overnight.
8. #NFL San Diego intercepted Peyton Manning four times, returning two for scores, to hand Indianapolis its worst home loss of the Manning era, 36-14, last night.
Elsewhere, Jay Cutler tied a career high with four touchdown passes and the Bears beat Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles 31-26 to take sole possession of the NFC North lead Sunday.
9. #RED Ireland international Aiden McGeady completely lost the head yesterday in the last game of the Russian season – the Moscow derby. The former Celtic man was sent off after a rash lunge on Dynamo defender Marcin Kowalczyk.
According to GreenScene, the game ended 1-1, earning Spartak a place in next year’s UEFA Europa League, with fourth place qualifying for the Play-off Round.
