Vettel and Webber Make Red Bull Day

Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber turned the tables emphatically on McLaren and Ferrari to score a dominant Red Bull one-two in a gripping Grand Prix in Belgium on Sunday.

The race began with slow-starting Jaime Alguersuari in the Toro Rosso being hit at La Source by Bruno Senna’s Renault, who later received a drive-through penalty. Further back, Timo Glock hit Paul di Resta’s Force India, the Virgin driver also receiving the same penalty.

Up front, Vettel grabbed the lead, but he and Webber (whose anti-stall ruined his start for the second year in succession) and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso had taken a lot out of their Pirelli tyres in qualifying and knew their life was limited. There had been pre-race moves for the Italian company to supply teams with fresh front tyres, but the FIA would not allow that, nor for any team to make changes to their front camber angles without starting from the pit lane.

Nico Rosberg grabbed the lead for two laps before Vettel passed the Mercedes. Then Webber was the first to pit, on lap three, with Vettel coming in from the lead two laps later. That put Rosberg ahead again until Alonso led for two laps before pitting on lap eight. That put Lewis Hamilton into the lead after a slow start, but the McLaren was also in for fresh rubber by lap 10.

At this stage there was more overtaking up and down the field than you could shake a stick at, a fierce battle between the Ferraris and Hamilton particularly enlivening the fifth lap as they raced wheel-to-wheel and Hamilton followed Alonso’s lead in squeezing by Massa in a breathtakingly brave move on the run down to Pouhon. 

On the ninth lap Webber pulled a spectacular pass on a startled Alonso on the downhill run to Eau Rouge. And a lap later, Vettel went round the outside of Rosberg at Blanchimont. This was Grand Prix racing in the grand manner, without any influence from DRS.

The world champion was back in the lead by lap 10, but pitted when the safety car came out on 13. Hamilton had been pushing back up after his stop and had climbed to fifth, chasing Vettel, Rosberg, Webber and Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi who had yet to make a pit stop. But the Sauber was still closer than Hamilton had expected at Les Combes and he moved over too much to take the line and caught his left rear wheel on Kobayashi’s right front.

The contact spun the McLaren anti-clockwise into a very heavy shunt with the barriers, ringing his bell and triggering the safety car intervention. Adrian Sutil, Rubens Barrichello, Michael Schumacher, Jenson Button, Daniel Ricciardo, Jarno Trulli and Jerome D’Ambrosio also pitted like Vettel, and by the time the race resumed the order on lap 18 was Vettel (who had passed Alonso going up Kemmel on lap 17), Alonso, Webber, Rosberg and Felipe Massa.

Behind them Sutil fended off Schumacher, who had piled up from his back-row start, Button, whose rear wing had been savaged by Di Resta in the opening lap melee, Vitaly Petrov and Sergio Perez.

Vettel steadily pulled away from the Ferrari, and now clearly owned the race. So it became a matter of whether the Ferrari could hang on in second. It couldn’t. Webber began to haul it in after a long stint on the medium Pirelli tyre, and after the final stops around the 30-lap mark the Australian slashed a four-second deficit and overtook the red car with DRS on the 37th lap going up the hill after Eau Rouge.

By this stage Button’s race had finally started to come alive, and a strong drive saw him picking people off until he was Alonso’s big threat over the final laps. He decimated a 6.8s gap to the Ferrari and dived past it at Les Combes on the 42nd lap. After Hamilton’s accident, that was a big boost for McLaren in a race they had expected to win.

In the end Schumacher took fifth for Mercedes after team mate Rosberg was instructed to ‘save fuel’, and Sutil got some respite when the challenging Petrov also had to go into conservation mode and was passed by Massa, who had to make a third pit stop after picking up a puncture. Petrov hung on for ninth ahead of Pastor Maldonado who took the final point - his first in F1 - for Williams ahead of Di Resta and Kobayashi.

Senna recovered from his drive-through to take a disappointed 13th, leading home the Lotuses of Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen both of which lost ground when they were forced to a halt in the first-corner mayhem.

Barrichello was 16th after a late stop necessitated when he damaged his front wing on the back of Kobayashi while challenging him going into the chicane, as local boy D’Ambrosio brought his Virgin home ahead of team mate Glock.

Tonio Liuzzi was the final finisher, with everyone from Trulli downwards a lap behind. The HRT driver’s team mate Ricciardo retired, as did Perez after a drive-through for an incident with Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi and a series of pit stops. Besides Hamilton and Alguersuari, whose steering and front suspension were damaged when Senna hit him, Buemi also failed to make it home after running as high as sixth on the opening lap and being a points contender until damage to his rear wing sustained early on caused it to collapse after six laps.

In the drivers’ championship Vettel looks increasingly omnipresent with 259 points, ahead of Webber on 167, Alonso on 157, Button on 149 and Hamilton on 146. Massa remains sixth with 74, but Schumacher’s fifth hoists him clear of the ninth-place scrap with 42 points to Rosberg’s 56. In the constructors’, Red Bull had a very profitable day, garnering 43 points to bring their leading score to 426 ahead of McLaren on 295 and Ferrari on 231.

Real Madrid Opening Zaragoza Rout

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick to lead Real Madrid to a 6-0 rout at Zaragoza to open the Spanish league season.

Jose Mourinho's team displayed the same verve in attack that led it to a second-place finish last season and made it practically unbeatable for any side other than Barcelona.

Ronaldo opened the scoring and Marcelo doubled Madrid's lead at La Romareda stadium before halftime.

Xabi Alonso then extended the lead midway into the second half before Ronaldo scored again, and Kaka came off the bench for a goal of his own and an assist for Ronaldo to cap the victory.

Madrid squandered numerous chances to add to the rout, while Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas was never troubled.

"Scoring six goals away from home is difficult," Ronaldo said. "But the team is playing well and creating chances. I have to thank my teammates. We all win and lose together."

Later, Sevilla hosts the revamped Malaga. Three-time defending champion Barcelona plays Villarreal Monday.

The scoring display could not have come at a better for a team once again criticized for its abrasive antics-- above all those of its head coach-- during the recent Spanish Supercup loss to archrival Barcelona.

Zaragoza goalkeeper Roberto Jimenez saved early tries by German midfielder Mesut Oezil and Karim Benzema and blocked a free kick by Ronaldo, but he could do nothing when the three combined for Madrid's 24th-minute opener.

The France striker robbed the ball in midfield and passed to Oezil, who calmly threaded an assist through the defensive line for a streaking Ronaldo to drive home.

Four minutes later Marcelo doubled the score when Ronaldo missed with an acrobatic bicycle kick and the ball fell to the Brazil defender to sweep into the right side of the net.

"We are in the same league but we had absolutely no chance," Zaragoza coach Javier Aguirre said. "They beat us in every aspect, and I, as the coach, am responsible. I didn't do my job well."

Ronaldo, who set the Spanish league scoring record with 40 goals last season, peppered Roberto's goalline with more dipping free kicks that the Spanish goalie did well to keep out.

Angel Di Maria and Benzema both missed clear chances to extend the lead right after halftime, but Alonso put the game beyond question in the 64th when his blast from well outside the area took a friendly deflection off a defender before skipping into the right corner of the net.

Zaragoza's defence then completely crumbled as Di Maria picked out Ronaldo striding through the area in the 71st for the Portuguese star to tap in.

Kaka added to the rout with a well-placed curling strike into the top corner in the 82nd and minutes later sent another cross behind the demoralized Zaragoza defence for a wide-open Ronaldo to complete his ninth hat trick since arriving at Madrid two summers ago.

"If we won by this score it is because we played well," Mourinho said. "Zaragoza is a team with 10 new players, it has changed a lot and needs time. Roberto made good saves, in the six goals he couldn't have done anything better."

Earlier, Atletico Madrid was held to a 0-0 draw by Osasuna, while Athletic Bilbao drew 1-1 with promoted Rayo Vallecano.

Atletico created more chances throughout-- hitting the woodwork twice-- but missed the scoring touch of Diego Forlan and new signing Radamel Falcao as Osasuna held firm to split the points at Vicente Calderon stadium.

Uruguay striker Forlan was left out of the squad amid expectation he will soon sign with Inter Milan, while Falcao was unavailable due to a delay in his transfer from FC Porto.

Meanwhile in Bilbao, the Basques showed they still need time to assimilate coach Marcelo Bielsa's new possession-based attacking style.

In a glimpse of what the Argentine manager has in mind, Ander Iturraspe finished off an impressive team build up in the 56th, only to the 36-year-old Javi Movilla equalize for Rayo six minutes later.

Mallorca beat Espanyol 1-0, and Levante drew 1-1 at Getafe.

Wallace Suffers Sports Cruel Side

The sight of David Wallace stretchered off the pitch at the AVIVA Stadium in the friendly international with England on Saturday conjured up the memories of previous occasions where major sporting tournaments have been missed by players due to untimely injuries. In the case of Wallace the added applause was recognition perhaps that at thirty-five years of age the Munster and Ireland number 7 was facing an unlikely return to International scene – a landscape he dominated for the past few years. It looked at the time like a serious ligament injury with the news on Sunday confirming the same. 

In the short term though it was the cancelling of his flight to New Zealand for the World Cup that was the major worry – depriving David of one last hurrah on the global rugby stage – still at the peak of his powers as an open side flanker. Not unlike the setting at Murrayfield in September 2003 – on the eve of the last Rugby World Cup down under – when a gifted fullback saw his dreams come to an end days before the flight to Australia. 

At that time Geordan Murphy was also at the height of his powers and had finally worked his way into the Irish team, given he had been disadvantaged to some degree being based in the UK - only to see his dreams shattered in the final warm up game against Scotland. The Leicester player suffered a broken leg after falling awkwardly in a first-half double tackle from Andy Craig and Mike Blair and, after a lengthy delay, was carried off on a stretcher with the doctors confirming that he had suffered a compound fracture of the left tibia.  

As Murphy woke up in an Edinburgh hospital with his splintered left leg pinned together by a metal plate following a late-night operation, the Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan was left trying to piece together his final World Cup squad – without one of his key players. Roll on eight years and the scenario is reversed for Murphy ahead of the 2011 World Cup where an unfortunate fate lay in wait for Felix Jones in the match against France in Dublin a week ago benefiting the Naas man this time around. For Murphy though it was not the way he would have wanted to earn his place. But such is the cruelty of sport that the sight of David Wallace grimacing in pain could only invoke those Edinburgh memories for Geordan on Saturday afternoon. 

In France for the 2007 Murphy was not considered first string and earned his only start for the vital game against Argentina – where Ireland needed to win by four tries to ensure passage to the quarter-finals. Despite two tries from Murphy it was a 15-30 defeat and a disappointing end to a campaign that had expected better things for Eddie O'Sullivan's Ireland. 

This time around luck has played its part for Murphy even if he travels knowing he may be third choice in New Zealand, with Rob Kearney and Keith Earls, preferred options by Declan Kidney. However these long tournaments see many things happen and as the weeks progress, there is many a twist still to come. 

What remains clear is that the likes of Murphy in 2003, and now Wallace and Jones in 2011 are part of a lengthy list of rugby players who have missed major events as result of injury. 

Wales International Tom Shanklin, was forced off the 2005 Lions tour to New Zealand after three matches with a knee injury, and then in 2009 damaged to his right shoulder in match against Newport-Gwent Dragons confirmed a need for reconstructive surgery – just ahead of the Lions 2009 South African tour. Shanklin joined Ireland scrum-half Tomas O’Leary, who was the first casualty only days after the squad was announced, after he broke an ankle in the first half of Munster's Magners League match in April 2009. On this occasion though O’Leary was also unfortunate to miss out, But it was more self inflicted, as his form of late has dipped. 

Another to miss that Lions Tour was Alan Quinlan, even for the Munster flanker the reasons were for on the field behaviour given he was suspended for twelve weeks by a disciplinary tribunal following charges of gouging in Heineken Cup quarter-final match against Leinster - a month before the trip to South Africa. Quinlan also lost his appeal because the video evidence used originally by the match official who cited the 34-year-old, and the decision of the European Rugby Cup Ltd panel that heard his case last week, to treat his offence at the lower end of the scale. In the end the three-man panel said Quinlan had failed to demonstrate that the original decision had been in error. 

Munster hooker Jerry Flannery also stayed at home that summer after he suffered a fractured elbow in training, ruling him out of the six-week trip with The Lions. On that occasion Ross Ford was the replacement. 

But as Gordon D'Arcy can attest, a late call up is never out of the question, as in 2009 he went into the Lions side against the Cheetahs - having arrived from San Francisco, where he was on holiday, days before. Indeed his call-up came as cover for Riki Flutey, who had a knee problem, and allowed D’Arcy continue one of the most remarkable sporting comeback’s after the former Clongowes pupil recovered from a broken forearm that required three bone grafts. In a season in which he finished winning a Grand Slam with Ireland and the Heineken Cup with Leinster – and a second Lions call up. 

In another twist of fate this week, it is Riki Flutey who Martin Johnson left of England’s final thirty for New Zealand – much to every pundits surprise. 

But for David Wallace being part of such a list will obviously not figure highly in his career biography and something he will be reminded of as he watches the tournament unfold at his home over the coming weeks. More likely though, the time will be used to reflect on a fantastic career where he has been one of the most explosive back-row players in the northern hemisphere. Indeed, since making his Ireland debut against Argentina in 2000 - following in the footsteps of his brothers Richard and Paul. 

In 2001 he was selected for the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia, but did not manage to make it into the reckoning for a Test match place., where his progress was subsequently hampered by a series of injuries. Having earned a recall to the Ireland squad in 2005 on the back of some impressive form for Munster and subsequently went on to start every game of the following year's Six Nations before helping his province win the Heineken Cup. Although he featured in a lacklustre 2007 Rugby World Cup David secured a second Heineken Cup with Munster in 2008. 

A key figure in Ireland's Six Nations Grand Slam in 2009, Wallace was rewarded with a place in the British & Irish Lions squad for the tour of South Africa and saw off the challenge of Wales' Martyn Williams to start the first two Test match against the Springboks. He won his third Lions Test cap as a replacement in the 28-9 third Test victory in Johannesburg – matching the achievements of his two brother - albeit not part of a winning Lions test series. 

Wallace continued to play a central role for Ireland and in his 200th appearance for his province, produced a man of the match performance to help Munster clinch the 2011 Magners League title after beating Leinster in the Grand Final at Thomond Park. Having then won another fitness battle to earn selection for the 2011 World Cup squad announced last week, it all came undone on Saturday following an unfortunate knee injury during the final warm-up match against England. 

In 2003 when Geordan Murphy suffered his injury he was 25 years old and now travels to in 2011 to his second Rugby World Cup. 

At 35 years of age David Wallace doesn’t have time on his side and now misses his second World Cup with memories from the last of much of unfinished business no doubt . 

In New Zealand David Wallace, Ireland and rugby fans all over the world will miss out . 

Here is to a speedy recovery Wally! 

Niland and Sorenson Open Draw

Conor Niland and Louk Sorensen have both been rewarded with plum ties after qualifying for the US Open.

Niland will meet world number one Novak Djokovic in the first round, while Sorensen will face sixth seed Robin Soderling.

For Niland, a 2-6 6-1 6-4 winner over Dutchman Matwe Middelkoop, it is a second consecutive grand slam qualifying success after he also made the grade at Wimbledon before losing in five sets to Adrian Mannarino in round one.

Sorensen's progress is all the more remarkable considering he retired from the sport in May because of injury problems before changing his mind and returning to the tour the following month.

Niland's clash with Djokovic is likely to feature on one of the show courts at Flushing Meadows with the 22,500 seater Arthur Ashe Stadium the most likely venue.

Son of former Irish Davis Cup star Sean, Sorensen is currently ranked 614 but has recently showed the type of form that saw him reach the second round at the 2010 Australian Open.

Meanwhile, tournament organisers have followed the rest of New York in battening down the hatches in preparation for the expected arrival of Hurricane Irene on Sunday.

England Enjoy Dublin's Fair City

There was no winning Rugby World Cup send-off for Ireland as early tries in both halves from Manu Tuilagi and Delon Armitage guided England to a 20-9 victory at a rain-soaked Aviva Stad

ium.

Ireland, whose only points came from three Ronan O'Gara penalties, were held scoreless in the second half of a game that is most likely to be remembered for the injury David Wallacesuffered.

The flanker's right knee buckled under the force of a first half challenge from Manu Tuilagi. Wallace's immediate reactions suggested that his participation in the Rugby World Cup is in serious doubt.

Wallace was stretchered off and taken to hospital for further examination, with head coach Declan Kidney confirming afterwards that he will miss the tournament in New Zealand.

"David took a very bad bang on the knee and while we don't know the exact prognosis, he has unfortunately been ruled out of the World Cup," explained Kidney.

"He took the news like the man he is. There's a word I'm not supposed to say in public, but it happens.

"You have to deal with these things. He's 35 and I've never seen a man as physically fit as he is right now. Never.

"It's heartbreaking for him and his family. It's extremely disappointing for us and will be good news for someone else (coming in as a replacement). That's the cut-throat nature of sport."

At that stage of the game, Ireland were 10-6 in arrears. Tuilagi's fifth-minute try had set England on the road to their first victory on Irish soil since their 2003 Grand Slam success.

Jonny Wilkinson, one of the surviving members from that side, landed the conversion and kicked two penalties to give the visitors a 13-9 buffer at the break.

Captained by Paul O'Connell, Ireland turned down some kickable penalties as they tried to conjure up a try, but a hat-trick of O'Gara kicks was all they had to show for their first half efforts.

England survived some early pressure from the hosts as the second half got underway. After a succession of penalties at the breakdown by the men in white, Chris Ashton was sin-binned for going off his feet at a ruck.

However, O'Gara's penalty attempt drifted onto the right hand post and Martin Johnson's men hit back with a crucial try just three minutes later.

Their captain Mike Tindall, the GUINNESS man-of-the-match, threaded an inch perfect kick into the left corner for replacement Armitage to reach beforeTommy Bowe.

And with Wilkinson following up with a terrific conversion, the seven points came as a crushing blow to Ireland's hopes of a home win.

The application and desire could not be questioned, but Ireland lacked penetration and were too predictable at times when trying to unlock England's defence.

A series of promising set pieces in the English 22 could have led to tries, but a combination of loose play and the worsening weather conditions thwarted Ireland's advances.

It was another very physical battle between these arch rivals, which the 48,523 spectators lapped up. The 11-point loss leaves Ireland bottling their frustration up for bigger days ahead.

England made the early running, breaking into the Irish 22 courtesy of runs by late replacement Hendre Fourie and Tuilagi, the Samoan-born 20-year-old centre.

Disciplined defending from Ireland shunted the white shirts back towards the halfway line and Wilkinson's long range drop goal attempt sailed harmlessly wide.

Their next serious attack caught Ireland off guard though. James Haskell was brought down by the returning Stephen Ferris, before scrum half Richard Wigglesworth spread quick ruck ball into midfield.

Tindall passed for Tuilagi to thunder past a stretching Keith Earls and he had the pace to make the try-line from 30 metres out. Wilkinson clipped the conversion over from the left for a seven-point return.

Ireland got their first sight of the English 22 shortly afterwards, with O'Gara launching a penalty towards the left corner.

The maul was disrupted and Wilkinson kicked downfield to Geordan Murphy,who was caught late by Courtney Lawes as he tried to chase his own kick.

A penalty was awarded to Ireland just outside the 22, and O'Gara duly knocked the left-sided kick through the posts for a 7-3 scoreline.

England got the shove on in a scrum and forced a penalty which saw Wilkinson strike back to restore the seven-point advantage. On the quarter hour mark, Ireland seemed to be hitting their stride in attack.

The in-form Andrew Trimble popped up in midfield to carry towards the visitors' 22, following good work at close quarters from O'Connell and Ferris. England infringed at the ruck and O'Gara was called on to set up the lineout.

Jerry Flannery was connecting well with his jumpers and when Ireland won another penalty closer in, they looked poised to go for the posts.

Suddenly, Eoin Reddan took a quick tap as he spotted numbers out wide on the right. But his pass for Jamie Heaslip was intercepted by an alert Mark Cueto who saved his side's bacon.

Earls and Trimble popped up in attack as Ireland got on the front foot again, a superb kick out to the right from O'Gara keeping the forwards on the move. In the next Irish attack, Wallace shipped a tackle from Tuilagi and pumped his legs as he made ten metres.

Tommy Bowe got involved and Kidney's charges were in a promising position when Wallace was bundled into touch by Tuilagi. It was a meaty challenge from the youngster and Wallace seemed to fall awkwardly as he went out of play.

Unfortunately, Wallace's first appearance of the season lasted just 21 minutes and worse news followed with his exit from the World Cup squad. A penalty for a previous infringement had been awarded and O'Gara was on target to cut the gap to 10-6.

A harsh call for a high tackle allowed Wilkinson to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Ireland responded in impressive fashion and were getting within scoring range when an overthrown lineout was gobbled up by Tuilagi who set off on a daring run out of his 22.

The covering Murphy read it well and had the pace to close his Leicester Tigers team-mate down, pushing him closer to the left touchline before he tackled him with the try-line in sight.

A solid scrum close to halfway allowed Heaslip to charge off the base, however he was well-tackled and had to go off after feeling groggy.

With two-thirds of the starting back row now off the pitch, Denis Leamy andDonnacha Ryan were now teaming up with Ferris. Ireland had the upper hand in the closing minutes of the half, aided by O'Gara's third successful penalty goal.

Murphy, Trimble and Earls popped up in attack again, but all the good approach work was undone by a messy lineout and a knock on just as Ireland threatened the English line in the dying seconds.

After the resumption, a block by Reddan and a good link-up between Earls and Murphy in midfield saw Ireland regain the initiative. Ashton received a yellow card, however the setback for England was lessened when O'Gara struck the post.

The momentum shifted back to the visitors when they stormed back into the Irish 22 and clinically collected their second try. Tindall right-footed a peach of a ball through for Armitage to dot down, and Wilkinson's extras pushed the lead out to 11 points.

It was economical stuff from England and despite some inspirational individual play from O'Connell in the lineout and the loose, Ireland failed to respond on the scoreboard.

Earls was involved in two counter attacks, first almost getting past Tuilagi in midfield and then launching a chip and chase effort down the left touchline.

The Irish management looked to the bench for the final quarter as Rory Bestcame on to win his 50th cap at hooker, and Jonathan Sexton and recent debutant Conor Murray got a chance to impress at half-back.

A heavy rain shower made for difficult ball-handling conditions and seriously hampered Ireland's attempts to breach the English defence.

Earls clattered into ball carrier Tuilagi in a tackle which drew praise from the home crowd, and O'Connell charged down Wigglesworth to force a turnover.

Still, Ireland were lacking some composure with ball in hand and a number of well-constructed drives were ended by unforced errors or players taking the wrong option.

Leamy was prominent and always hungry for work, but after Murray's kick to the right corner for fellow replacement Fergus McFadden failed to come off, England managed to pin Ireland back in their half for the final few minutes.

Aside from Wallace's knee inury, Flannery (shin), Cian Healy (eye) and Heaslip (concussion) were all in the wars, while Ferris sustained some bruising to his hand.

Most of the concern is for prop Healy, who has sustained an injury to his eye socket and his departure for New Zealand has been put back by four days.

Kidney expects the other players mentioned to be available for the Rugby World Cup opener against the USA. A statement from the IRFU said that the injury could rule Healy out of that game.

"We wanted to challenge ourselves against England and France to know exactly where we are, and we know now. We've lost four in the series, which is extremely disappointing. That's not what we aimed for," added Kidney.

"No excuses to camouflage results, we're here to get results. We'll keep working and will get better.

"There's a maxim I like to live by, 'losers make excuses, winners make promises'. These players have promised me they will continue to work hard and improve and that's all you can ask for."