41.   France remained strong favorite to beat England Saturday and win the Five Nations rugby union championships with English fans putting little money on their team to win in Paris.

42.   Germany will be a strong favorite to win its match Friday in Leverkusen against Moldova.

43.   He and Pinsent are strong favorites to win again which would make Redgrave only the fourth competitor to win golds in four successive Olympics.

44.   His longshot team ousted strongly favored league leader Djurgarden in three straight matches, then knocked out another strong favorite, Malmo in five games.

45.   If he runs he would be a strong favorite, and a victory would automatically make him a member of the Federation Council, the upper chamber of parliament.

46.   In all of the pre-election polls, Rodriguez emerged as the strong favorite.

47.   Jones will be the strong favorite in both sprints in Seville.

48.   Kwan, despite a sore back, is a strong favorite to win her fifth U.S. Figure Skating Championship this week and her fourth in a row.

49.   Later, Parizeau met with Premier Edouard Balladur, the conservative who is a strong favorite to succeed Mitterrand as president.

50.   Like Ajax, Italian club Juventus goes in as a strong favorite against French side Nantes in the other semifinal in Turin.