‘Despicable pr**k!’ Mark Keohane was never going to take a Springboks defeat to the Lions – a team he summarily dismissed – lying down. The South African rugby columnist gained some traction, back when Warren Gatland named his Lions squad, by labelling them as ‘hobbits’ going up against giants. On Saturday, in Cape Town, the […]

5 years ago

Three changes to the starting line-up and more bulk on the bench. Warren Gatland has now won Test matches as head coach of the British & Irish Lions against Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Japan too, while he was at it. The Kiwi made some big calls, heading into the First Test against the […]

5 years ago

‘Other than one cheeky dummy and burst… ‘ After the Lions’ 22-17 win over South Africa, Jack Conan earned the praise of his teammates and his coaches, but some of the UK rugby media set want him gone for the Second Test. With most player ratings, the final tally is in the eye of the […]

5 years ago

“Jack did what he does well, and it was the reason we picked him.” While most of the post-match questions revolved around Maro Itoje and Courtney Lawes, there was some love for Lions No.8 Jack Conan. Selected ahead of Sam Simmonds and Lions veteran Toby Faletau, the Leinster and Ireland star was handed the 8 […]

5 years ago

Left him in no doubts. Ahead of the First Test between South Africa and the British & Irish Lions, Warren Gatland put the word out that the tourists were not happy with a big Television Match Official decision. New Zealand’s Brendon Pickerill had been lined up for T.M.O but, due to Covid travel restrictions, he […]

5 years ago

SPRINGBOKS 17-22 LIONS The British & Irish Lions came back from 12-3 down to complete a stunning comeback and win the First Test. Our Lions ratings are littered with heroes. The Lions would have been hoping to make an early statement but gave up possession with a silly penalty. Ill discipline was the Lions’ theme […]

5 years ago

“Without that, and without over-stating it, I’m not sure the Lions can win.” Robbie Henshaw is right where he belongs and right where he deserves to be. No player in he northern hemisphere has played as good in midfield as consistently and for so long as Henshaw. So often having his wings clipped by injuries, […]

5 years ago

“I’m worried. I’m not so sure of the team we selected and some of our combinations.” My South African friend took the concerned words out of my mouth, during our pre-match back-and-forth. He is not so sure, heading into the First Test. Lions fans can emphatize. On paper, there is a lot going for the […]

5 years ago

The Tallaght native was a genuine medal hope, heading into the games. The mind and body were right, says Jack Woolley, but it was a different story up on the mat. He just did not have his ‘A’ game when it counted. In a back-and-forth Taekwondo 58kg contest, at the Olympics, Woolley fell behind in […]

5 years ago

6 hours. 9 minutes. 4 seconds. That is how long Dan Martin fought, slogged, sprinted, chased, climbed, harried and emptied himself around the 234-kilometre Tokyo course, today, all in pursuit of a medal for Ireland. Martin was part of a three-man Irish contingent and had Nicolas Roche and Eddie Dunbar, who made a breakaway attempt […]

5 years ago

Warren Gatland has a plan to stop the leak. The British & Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland has often come out early on the week of a Test match and named his team. The World Rugby deadline is Thursday, but Gatland usually drops his match-day squad of a Tuesday. For the First Test against […]

5 years ago

“It was probably an easy out for us, really. And I’m not saying that lightly.” Warren Gatland had quite a few tough conversations with Lions players that must have been fairly certain they would be in action this weekend. Even with 16 hours to take in, and prepare for, the official announcement of the British […]

5 years ago

Bold move from a guy named on the bench. New Zealand Warriors prop Kane Evans copped a $5,000 fine by National Rugby League officials after ‘an expensive piece of writing’ on his wrist tape. The 29-year-old had been named to the Warriors bench for their rugby league clash with Penrith Panthers, on Sunday, and wrote […]

5 years ago

“We all had to compromise.” One of the coaching staff’s compromises led to Conor Murray dropping out of the Lions Test XV and Iain Henderson missing out entirely. Gregor Townsend is the Lions’ backs and attack coach, and three of the backline for Saturday’s First Test against South Africa are Scotland players. It is no […]

5 years ago

“He is the greatest. When I say two, there’s never a third. Betting against me is completely absurd!” The SportsJOE 12 o’clock quiz is coming out swinging, right from the bell. So bite down on that gum-shield and come meet us in the middle. Ding, DING!

5 years ago

With a series win in Australia and draw in New Zealand, Warren Gatland has a lot of credit in the bank. Iain Henderson, Bundee Aki, Chris Harris and Josh Adams will all be asking themselves what more they could have done. The Lions head coach does not always make wildly popular decisions, but he has […]

5 years ago

Three Ireland stars and three Scots in the Starting XV. Warren Gatland has named his British & Irish Lions team for the First Test against the Springboks and, given the competitive nature of this 2021 squad, some bold calls were required. Alun Wyn Jones captains the Lions this Saturday and Conor Murray, who had replaced […]

5 years ago

Huge if true. The British & Irish Lions team for the First Test against South Africa was supposed to be announced on Thursday morning. It was then moved up to 10am on Wednesday. Still, it looks as though the Lions have been beaten to it. Ahead of tomorrow morning’s official announcement, The Times are reporting on […]

5 years ago

“Oh my God!” Picking five players from the British & Irish Lions squad that will be guaranteed starters against South Africa in the First Test. Sounds easy, but it is far from it. You may be confident with three names, if you were put to the pin of your collar. Possibly four. Five, though? Now […]

5 years ago

“Yeah it was tough, I won’t lie.” Neil Jenkins was reflecting on a team selection session with the British & Irish Lions ahead of their First Test against South Africa. The Lions assistant met with head coach Warren Gatland and the rest of his coaching staff on Saturday, and again on Monday, to talk through […]

5 years ago

All the way through, this has been the midfield combination for O’Brien. As soon as Warren Gatland confirmed his 2021 British & Irish Lions squad, Sean O’Brien was all-in on Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw starting in midfield for the First Test. Well aware of Gatland’s long-held love of an inside centre banger – along […]

5 years ago

‘Wild thing, you make my heart sing!’ The SportsJOE 12 o’clock quiz is throwing heaters today and you will need your ‘A’ game to get through this with your pride, and a good score, intact. Hold your nerve, trust your instinct and… good luck!

5 years ago

“I saw my jersey on the peg and had that realisation – ‘I’m about to play for the Lions’.” Back in 2017, Greig Laidlaw made the British & Irish Lions squad, for the tour to New Zealand, after Ben Youngs withdrew from the party. The Scotland scrumhalf did not make a Test outing, but he […]

5 years ago

The Tullow Tank seeing around corners here. The British & Irish Lions have two big areas of debate when it comes to match-day selection, but Sean O’Brien is thinking outside the box with one of them. Lions head coach Warren Gatland says the back row and back three will be the two toughest areas to […]

5 years ago

“It’s big boys’ rugby, isn’t it?” Tadhg Furlong is right where he wants to be. He is the presumptive Lions tighthead for the First Test against South Africa, on Saturday. Presumptive, that is, to everyone but the man himself. With Kyle Sinckler and Zander Fagerson his competition for the No.3 jersey, Furlomg is taking nothing […]

5 years ago

Oh my God, we’re back again! The SportsJOE 12 o’clock quiz has been resting the dogs for a few weeks but are flying through pre-season, setting new fitness records and ready to tear into it again. If you get within a sniff of 20/20, you’ve done extremely well here.

5 years ago

“It’s not an easy one.” Ahead of the British & Irish Lions’ First Test with South Africa, Lawrence Dallaglio is in two minds. The former England and Lions star was warming up to the idea of teaming Courtney Lawes with Maro Itoje in a highly physical second row. And then… Alun Wyn Jones made his […]

5 years ago

Tough on Iain Henderson. Sam Warburton has stuck his neck on the line and made his Lions XV selection for next weekend’s First Test against South Africa. After six warm-up games, the only place left to make an impression on Warren Gatland and his coaching staff will be in training. Only 23 players from the […]

5 years ago

Sean Cavanagh was not standing for that. “Can I shock you with a statistic,” Pat Spillane began. The next two minutes made for great TV viewing. Cavanagh and Spillane went at it during the half-time analysis of Tyrone’s Ulster Senior Football Championship semi-final win over Donegal, at Brewster Park. Cavanagh was praising Tyrone’s fight half […]

5 years ago

All week, there had been chat about whether or not Donegal would start their talisman. Last weekend, Donegal named Michael Murphy in their starting line-up against Derry, only to spring him from the bench in that quarter final win. Murphy was named at No.14 by Declan Bonner for today’s semi-final clash with Tyrone, and that […]

5 years ago

“It will be some robust debate, I would presume.” A handful of the players that featured in the 49-3 win over Stormers, on Saturday, will not play for the British & Irish Lions again. We are now entering the Test window and Warren Gatland has tough choices to make. Following his side’s comfortable win over […]

5 years ago

“I’ve started to get some names in my head, and thinking about combinations.” Warren Gatland and his Lions coaching staff have negotiated the last of their warm-up games and the Test Series is coming into focus. After Wednesday night’s defeat to South Africa ‘A’, the British & Irish Lions got back on winning track with […]

5 years ago

STORMERS 3-49 LIONS Several Lions players have done their Test chances no harm. Our full Lions ratings reflect a dominant victory over the Stormers in Cape Town. The Stormers put up a real fight in the first half and went 3-0 ahead after 20 minutes. They will be frustrated, then, at conceding three tries in […]

5 years ago

It was coming home, until it headed for Rome. It has been a week since the dramatic finale to the 2021 European Championships.. also known as Euro 2020. We have a testing Euro 2020 quiz that will run through right from start to finish and bring you some ‘Oh, yeahhhhh’ moments. Good luck, and let […]

5 years ago

The cat has been launched amongst the pigeons. Paul Galvin could bite his tongue [or leave his Twitter account alone] no more. Davy Fitzgerald had plenty to say, and Galvin had enough. When the former Kerry captain was in charge of the Wexford footballers, there was talk from the county that the hurlers, under Fitzgerald, […]

5 years ago

“Jeez, I know I need to go out and play really well tomorrow and then I need to pray for a bit of wind in the afternoon.” For nine holes, during his third round at The Open, it was going as planned for Rory McIlroy. Realistically starting too far back on a stacked leaderboard, McIlroy […]

5 years ago

Stuart Hogg captains the Lions again. There are four Ireland players named in the Lions team to take on the Stormers on Saturday, and a welcome return for Robbie Henshaw and Alun Wyn Jones. Marcus Smith will make his Lions debut in the 10 jersey and Josh Adams is back in the side, on the […]

5 years ago

“You have to accept that decision,” There was a pure, entertaining Faf de Klerk moment in the second half of South Africa A’s win over the British & Irish Lions in Cape Town. The host’s No.9 had been sin-binned by referee Jaco Peyper for dangerous play, a few minutes before the first half ended. He […]

5 years ago

“There’s only one man outside the post.” The British & Irish Lions fell to their first defeat of the 2021 tour when they fell to a strong South Africa ‘A’ side in Cape Town. Sam Warburton took issue with a couple of calls made by Conor Murray. The Lions were outgunned in the first 30 […]

5 years ago

SOUTH AFRICA ‘A’ 17-13 LIONS The Lions have lost the first game of their South Africa tour, but will be thankful they finally faced a test. Our Lions ratings see two England stars score well in a losing cause. South Africa ‘A’ absolutely bossed the first 30 minutes of the game and were rewarded with […]

5 years ago

“Don’t forget to win.” At Euro 2020 they learned, if you come at the Keane, you best not miss. Three years removed from our top pundits ranking from the World Cup, there are some movers and shakers. We had a handful of new contenders stepping up to the plate and some of the old favourites […]

5 years ago

One of the Test certainties is not so certain any more. As the British & Irish Lions jetted out to South Africa, a little over two weeks ago, there were only four players you could call Test certainties*. One of them was Robbie Henshaw. With Alun Wyn Jones dislocating his shoulder against Japan, the players […]

5 years ago

“With a Lions tour anything can happen.” If it was any other British & Irish Lions tour, that Conor Murray line would make perfect sense. For this 2021 tour to South Africa, it is a massive understatement. Just about everything that could go pear-shaped has done just that. The Lions lost certain pick George North […]

5 years ago

“It’s just like Dustin said, ‘This guy is a bag of s**t’.” Khabib Nurmagomedov feels Conor McGregor’s UFC 264 loss to Dustin Poirier, and his antics after the fight was stopped, only go to show what he has long claimed about ‘The Notorious’. Having initially been on friendly terms, and praised each other in press […]

5 years ago

“An amazing night. A brilliant night of football.” If any of the England fans were still watching ITV to see Italy celebrate at Wembley or raise the Henri Delaunay trophy aloft, they may not agreed with Roy Keane about how “amazing” it all was. One hopes, though, that they keep watching and listening, as the […]

5 years ago

“What are you doing, bro? That’s disgusting.” Conor McGregor is so far past the line of what is acceptable that it is a tiny dot on the horizon. ‘You need people like me,’ posted McGregor, on Instagram, in the aftermath of his UFC 264 loss to Dustin Poirier. For the many souls across multiple industries […]

5 years ago

“That’s always the risk that you run.” Risks. Gambles. Gareth Southgate had his fill. England had a golden opportunity to clinch ever-lasting glory at Euro 2020 but the occasion caught up with them. Not just at the penalty shoot-out. Long before that. Watching the first 20 minutes of the final, on Sunday, it looked as […]

5 years ago

“He’s made a remarkable recovery.” Warren Gatland will surely not appreciate Rassie Erasmus dropping Lions squad news during his Springbok press briefings. Alun Wyn Jones is set for a Lazarus-like return. Such is the hectic nature of the 2021 British & Irish Lions Tour that the tourists and the Springboks held duelling press briefings at […]

5 years ago

This one is set to be a cracker. After some phoney wars on the 2021 British & Irish Lions Tour, so far, the tourists will get a real test against South Africa ‘A’ on Wednesday. To that end, Warren Gatland has named a strong Lions team. Lions tour captain Conor Murray will lead the side […]

5 years ago

The man loves brave footballers. He loves winners even more. Roy Keane was left as rattled and stunned as most of the crowd at Wembley tonight, and he was a ‘neutral’. Those backing Italy and England were though the wringer, and then some. “You could feel it in London this morning. A lot of fans […]

5 years ago