Virus wrecks England glory bid

England discovered last night that they will finish yet another rugby season without the elusive Grand Slam.

Their potential Six Nations decider against the unbeaten Irish in Dublin will not be played for at least another six months following the unanimous decision of the organisers to postpone all three of Ireland's remaining games beyond the end of the season.

The decision, prompted by the foot-and-mouth crisis, came on the same day as racing's Cheltenham Festival was finally cancelled after another case of the virus was confirmed less than five miles away.

Fans of both sports were braced for the moves, though that will hardly soften the blow for England's rugby players, who are expected to beat France at Twickenham on Saturday for their fourth straight win in the championship.

The ultimate prize disappeared from England's grasp this time last year at Murrayfield and 12 months before that another English Slam vanished after they had outplayed Wales at Wembley only to lose to a last-minute converted try.

The Six Nations committee had no alternative at their meeting in Copenhagen yesterday other than to end weeks of uncertainty by putting the three outstanding matches - Wales v Ireland, Ireland v England and Scotland v Ireland - back until the autumn. They had been provisionally rearranged for a three-week period from April 29 to May 12.