MAGEEAN PULLS OUT OF POLAND

Coleraine Portadown

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CIARA MAGEEAN has withdrawn from the Irish team for the European Indoor Championships in Poland.

The 28-year-old was one of two

Irish medal winners from the last European Indoors having won bronze in Glasgow and was due to compete in the women’s 1500m.

The Portaferry athlete powered out of lockdown, setting new national records in the 800m and 1000m during July and August. She also started this season in impressive fashion by running 8:54.66 for 3000m, however she only ran 2:04.40 in the 800m shortly after long-time coach and her ‘guardian angel’ Jerry Kiernan passed away.

Mageean (right) was due to be among a 24-strong Irish team for the championships in Torun, which start on Friday and finish up on Sunday. But she said that, having consulted with her coach Steve Vernon, the best course of action was to pull out of the squad with the Tokyo Olympics in mind.

“Unfortunately due to a few setbacks I am not where I want to be in order to compete in the European Indoor Champs and do myself and the Irish vest justice,” tweeted Mageean.

“Never an easy decision but one that Steve and myself feel is right in order to best prepare me for the summer ahead.”

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FRANCE coach Fabien Galthie broke lockdown rules before contracting Covid-19 ahead of last weekend’s postponed Six Nations match against Scotland.

Galthie (left) escaped the squad bubble to see his son play after France’s opening match against Italy and returned to camp, French rugby boss Bernard Laporte (inset) confirmed yesterday.

“For me, he has the right to leave from the moment he is masked. He was outside and masked. I don’t see where the problem could be. But then, I’m not a doctor,” said Laporte. It has also been reported in France several players left the bubble to visit a waffle house in Rome ahead of the clash. Sixteen of the squad and staff contracted the virus which halted the Scotland game. No date for a replay has been set and the French government are investigating.

CRAIG CASEY has been released back to Munster for Friday’s clash with Connacht after making his Ireland debut on Saturday.

Casey, 21, starred for the province in the last Six Nations down weekend and impressed off the bench in Rome.

His fellow Test debutant,

Ryan Baird, has not been released back to Leinster for their game with Ulster on Saturday. Baird is included in a 23-man squad for a two-day Ireland camp from Thursday to begin preparations for the next championship encounter away to Scotland on March 14.

Casey (left) is among 13 players released for this weekend’s interpros.

Four players picked up knocks in the 48-10 victory over the Azzurri and Jordan Larmour (hip), Tadgh Furlong (ankle), Dave Kilcoyne (HIA) and Ronan Kelleher (ankle) will continue their recovery under the supervision of the national medical team and be assessed later in the week.

The Showgrounds, 7.45pm

ORAN KEARNEY believes in-form Coleraine have a point to prove in tonight’s showdown with Portadown at the Showgrounds.

The Bannsiders, on a 12 game unbeaten streak, were held 1-1 by the Ports at the same venue 24 days ago. And Kearney (left) is eager to make amends as Coleraine bid to stay on the heels of leaders Linfield, who are five points clear at the summit.

“Portadown put in a big performance that day and we were probably wasteful,” he said.

“They hung in there and scored an equaliser near the end so we know how tough this will be. We’ll have to fight fire with fire.”

On climbing up to second after languishing in the bottom half of the table in November, Kearney added: “I haven’t paid too much attention to the table because there are five or six teams and you could scatter just a few points over them.

“We also had enough of a horror experience in the first six of seven games – we were lying eighth or ninth – to know that things can change very quickly.”