Dai Sport

Laura McAllister believes the modern FIFA she hopes to serve within bears no resemblance to the organisation which for years stood as a totem for corruption. McAllister, a director of the Football Association of Wales Trust, is aiming to become European football’s female representative on the world game’s ruling council in a UEFA Congress vote next month and its first with top-level playing experience, having captained her country on 24 occasions. A series of bribery and corruption scandals have tainted FIFA’s reputation over the last decade, but McAllister is confident that under president Gianni Infantino it has changed course significantly.

Joe Brier just missed out on a spot in the 400m at the European Indoor Championships in Torun. In a high-quality heat in Torun, Brier clocked 47.08 secs to finish third in Poland.

Imagine having to wear Alun Wyn Jones’ jersey when he’s not around. That’s a big shirt to fill. But the young player making a pretty decent fist of it at the Ospreys at present is Rhys Davies. The former Wales U20 player is set wear No.5 against the Dragons on Saturday night and tells Graham Thomas how it feels for size. Rhys Davies is already being tipped as a successor to Alun Wyn Jones for the Ospreys and Wales but has revealed it was only a few years ago he struggled to get into his school XV. Admittedly, it was Millfield – one of the most famous sporting schools in the UK – but the young Ospreys second row had high hopes of following the likes of Gareth Edwards, JPR Williams and Chris Robshaw when he moved to Somerset on a scholarship at the age 16.

Mick McCarthy and Neil Warnock share more than just a Yorkshireman’s instinct for bluff one-liners after both extended their management deals into next season. After transforming Cardiff City’s fortunes with a speed of impact he admitted had even taken him by surprise, McCarthy, 62, has signed a two-year extension to his short-term contract that was due to run out at the end of the season. Warnock – 10 years older – will be approaching 74 when his new one-year extension at Middlesbrough comes to an end in June of next year.

Piers Copeland produced an impressive performance to ease his way into the European Indoor Athletics Championships 1500m final in Poland. The former Cardiff Metropolitan University student finished second in his heat to claim an automatic qualifying spot in Friday evening's final.

Kieran Hardy’s loss to Wales is an unfortunate blow, attack coach Stephen Jones has admitted. The young scrum-half has played his final part in the Six Nations after suffering a hamstring injury in the second half against England. Hardy, who made his debut against Georgia in the Autumn Nations Cup, went over for a try in last weekend’s 40-24 victory after a quick tap caught the English napping, before his injury caused him to leave the field.

Mick McCarthy has agreed a new two year deal with Cardiff City - just 10 games after joining the club. The 62-year-old has signed a contract until the summer of 2023 along with long-time assist Terry Connor after reviving City's fortunes.

West Indies captain Kieron Pollard has given Welsh cricket fans a glimpse of the excitement and awesome power he could bring to Welsh Fire next season. Pollard – who has signed to play for the franchise in the new format competition, The Hundred – smashed six sixes in an over to guide his country to a comprehensive four-wicket win against Sri Lanka in the opener of their three-match T20 series. He became only the third player to strike six maximums in a single over in international cricket.

Some things cannot be shifted by a mere pandemic and one of them is World Book Day, on Thursday March 4. The global celebration of reading goes on, with the value of a good book seeming more important than ever over the past 12 months. To mark the day, what better way than to suggest some favourite sports books – old and new – as chosen by sports journalists based in Wales.

Wales Pivac has a Triple Crown on the shelf in his room at the Wales team hotel, credit in the bank along with win bonuses, and the prospect of joining Mike Ruddock and Warren Gatland as a Grand Slam winning coach if his side can manage victories over Italy and France. Fraser Watson believes the essence of this turnaround is there in the calendar. In January 1990, Manchester United supporters rolled out the infamous banner at the Stretford End. “Three years of excuses” was the accusation, a certain Alex Ferguson the target.