How in the wide, wide world was this not a straight red card? One could say with comforting certainty that Luton Town got what was coming to them after Henri Lansbury somehow avoided a straight red card for a reckless assault on Swansea’s Ryan Manning. Leading Swansea 3-0 after only 23 minutes but were wildly […]

4 years ago

“That made him stand out as a warrior.” Back at the turn of the century, Matt Williams and Willie Anderson were tasked with accelerating Leinster’s plunge into the professional era. It was not easy by a long stretch, but having Brian O’Driscoll on the books certainly helped. It was in the latter part of the […]

4 years ago

“Lucu…. Oooooooff! Goodness me!” You could hear the sheer horror of the Premier Sports commentator as Ryno Pieterse attempted to tackle Maxime Lucu into another dimension. Castres were trailing Bordeaux-Begles 23-20 in their Top 14 encounter, with under 15 minutes on the clock, when Pieterse took matters into his own hands. On the pitch only […]

4 years ago

“Mind you, whenever we talk about people that Eddie Jones should pick, he never picks them!” The 2021/22 Gallagher Premiership season started on Friday night with Saracens reminding all of us they are back and will be looking to make up for lost time. Ben Kay is not the only one that will be closely […]

4 years ago

This is the sort of concrete block Ulster Rugby have acquired. Three days on from Ulster announcing that Duane Vermeulen would be heading to Ravenhill after The Rugby Championship, and some fans are still getting their heads around it. He may now be 35 years old, but ‘Thor’ is still a serious rugby player and […]

4 years ago

It all started with a few beers and a wild idea gone bad. Back in 1980, Willie Anderson was on a summer rugby tour of Argentina with a team known as ‘The Penguins’. The Ulster lock had been called up for a jaunt around the South American, which was under the control of military officer […]

4 years ago

“We know what you’re trying to do – trying to mess us about!” Ben Kay was 23 years old when he was brought into the Leicester Tigers senior team. What followed was one of the most incredible five season stretches in rugby history. Kay won a Premiership title with Tigers in his first season, repeated […]

4 years ago

“It’s something that should not have happened.” Garry Ringrose and Paul Boyle both spoke strongly on the weekend controversy in Dublin. Footage surfaced on Saturday of the inadequate and shoddy area reserved behind Energia Park, in Donnybrook, where players from the senior Connacht and Ulster women’s teams were sent to get changed. Due to Covid-19 […]

4 years ago

YOUNG BOYS 2-1 MAN UNITED A disastrous finish for United and Jesse Lingard will be kicking himself. Manchester United looked to have seen out a storm brought on by Aaron Wan-Bissaka, but Lingard’s late decision to play a weak back-pass cost the three-time champions dearly. United led through Cristiano Ronaldo before falling back and trying […]

4 years ago

Another All Star awaits, but he deserves so much more. Lee Keegan certainly left it all out there in another All-Ireland final. Still, it was not enough for that elusive medal. On Saturday, at Croke Park, Keegan was the one Mayo player that kept driving on and refusing to throw in the towel. He briefly […]

4 years ago

“By that time, I’d just ducked my head under there!” Next summer will be the 20th anniversary of Roy Keane’s infamous Saipan run-in with Mick McCarthy. We all may think we know the story by now, but there are always interesting nuggets cropping up. So it was when former Crystal Palace and Ireland striker Clinton […]

4 years ago

IRELAND 7-8 SPAIN A bedraggled Ireland put in their worst performance in recent memory to lose to a brave Spanish side. The result seriously damages our World Cup hopes and our Ireland player ratings are not a pretty read. Ireland got off to a ropey start at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi as the Spanish bossed it […]

4 years ago

“After all these Tyrone matches, the man of the match isn’t obvious.” Colm Parkinson has been following Tyrone’s journey to become All-Ireland champions for 2021 and has happened upon a similarity to the side that won the last six Sam Maguire trophies. “That,” Parkinson continues, “is a feature of Dublin as well. Has it gotten […]

4 years ago

“Congratulations to Tyrone and commiserations, once again, to Mayo.” At a church in Teemore, Fermanagh came the latest soul passing on their best to Tyrone while sympathising with James Horan, Mayo and all their fans. Mass is back in Ireland and, with it, chatter amongst men and women after mass. We may all be wearing […]

4 years ago

‘Absolutely disgusting and disgraceful.’ On a weekend that saw Munster win their first women’s interprovincial title in three years and the national side put in their final preparations ahead of crucial World Cup qualifiers, it was all about bins, rats and a Godawful excuse for ‘changing facilities’. Women’s rugby getting overlooked and dismissed with a […]

4 years ago

Watch out Azerbaijan. Luxembourg, we’re coming for you too. Stephen Kenny and his players have bought themselves some time. Some relief. Heading into Ireland’s three-game stretch against Portugal, Azerbaijan and Serbia, optimistic supporters were hoping for seven points and a chance to keep our World Cup playoff hopes alive. With the games now in the […]

4 years ago

“We created a lot of chances. I don’t remember when we created so many.” So mused Serbia midfielder Filip Duričić after his side had dominated long tracts of their World Cup qualifier, only to be denied a win by Gavin Bazunu and a freak own goal. Serbia were seeking to beat Ireland for a second […]

4 years ago

“I thought it was in… “ What dreams may come for Andrew Omobamidele. The 19-year-old from Leixlip showed us all against Portugal, last Wednesday in Faro, that he has what it takes at international level. He came on against a star-studded Portuguese side, after Dara O’Shea was injured, early on, and looked like a 30-cap […]

4 years ago

We deserved. Don’t deserve that. Deserved better. Deserve. We have had it up to our eyeballs with what Ireland deserve or do not deserve over the Stephen Kenny reign. Against Serbia, lads like Gavin Bazunu and Andrew Omobamidele just got on with it. Under Kenny, Ireland have looked their best against the better sides. Slovakia, […]

4 years ago

IRELAND 1-1 SERBIA Ireland were indebted to Gavin Bazunu and a fortunate own goal but finally got a slice of luck that their endeavours merited. Our player ratings have some top young performers. Both sides went at each other in the opening 20 minutes, but it was Serbia that had the better chances. Jeff Hendrick […]

4 years ago

Some changes are afoot. Stephen Kenny has named his Ireland team for their latest World Cup Qualifier outing, against Serbia at the Aviva Stadium. There are four changes from the Ireland side that drew 1-1 with Azerbaijan on Saturday, with Jamie McGrath, Alan Browne, Jeff Hendrick and Andrew Omobamidele all coming into the starting XI. […]

4 years ago

“Proud is an understatement.” Niall Horan was not the only golf fan trying to find new superlatives after Leona Maguire went on a three-day rout of Team USA at The Solheim Cup. Maguire won four of her five matches and split the other one to win a rookie record of 4.5 points in the competition. […]

4 years ago

There’s no denying. The Solheim Cup has been through 17 stagings since its debut, in 1990, and no-one has done what Leona Maguire did over a stunning, three-day stretch. The Cavan golfer took on the best of Team USA in her five matches and came up with 4.5 points for her team [4 wins, 1 […]

4 years ago

“WHAT?! Like, I knew she was very good, but this is crazy good!” Team USA threw the kitchen sink at Leona Maguire in her rookie appearance at The Solheim Cup. The Cavan star responded with the greatest three days of her golfing career, so far. Maguire has beaten the world No.1, the Olympic champion, a […]

4 years ago

“You might beat teams that you should beat but you’ll never beat the teams you strive to beat.” Stephen Kenny’s back is against the wall. He is determined to stick to his guns, and overall vision, against the Serbians. Ireland may have one win from 15 games, under Kenny, and one point after the first […]

4 years ago

Great craic altogether. James McClean has taken aim at those in the Irish media that he believes are getting some sort of enjoyment from the national team’s prolonged struggles. Ireland sit just ahead of Azerbaijan on goal difference, and five points adrift of Luxembourg, in Group A of the Uefa section of the World Cup […]

4 years ago

“Maybe that was just one of these lucky ones.” Leona Maguire and Mel Reid are two fine golfers, but they only have one LPGA Tour win between them [Reid, in October 2020]. Team Europe captain Caitriona Matthew saw something special in them. Matthew paired up the more experienced English golfer [seven career tournament wins] with […]

4 years ago

“I was just waiting for Mel to hit that clutch shot on 18.” Leona Maguire has enjoyed a spectacular start to her Solheim Cup career, and a win in Monday’s Singles would set a rookie record for the Cavan star. Maguire has won 3.5 points – winning three matches and halving the other – to […]

4 years ago

The match itself lasted just six minutes before play was halted. There were incredible scenes at the Neo Quimica Arena, this evening, as Brazilian federal police and health authorities attempted to gain access to the pitch to detain and then deport three Argentina stars. The World Cup qualifier was tied at 0-0 when the health […]

4 years ago

Nice way to introduce yourself. JJ Hanrahan has already endeared himself to Clermont-Auvergne supporters after a try-scoring debut and an excellent all-round performance on his Top 14 debut. Unfortunately, he scored in a losing cause. The Currow native moved on from Munster, over the summer, after finding himself fall behind the likes of Joey Carbery […]

4 years ago

‘HON CAVAN!” That was the roar, on Saturday, as Leona Maguire and Mel Reid served one up to American pair Nelly and Jess Korda on Day One of The Solheim Cup. In her first ever Solheim Cup outing – and as the first ever Irish player at the tournament – Maguire was pitted against the […]

4 years ago

The game was close, for about 17 minutes. New Zealand survived a Jordie Barrett red card, after 28 minutes, and finished the game with 15 men after scoring six tries in their latest Bledisloe Cup encounter. The All Blacks were winning 13-0 when Barrett, playing at fullback, jumped to field a high ball. His right […]

4 years ago

No rest for the wickedly good. Katie Taylor went 19-0 in the professional game at Headingley Stadium, tonight, after piecing up American opponent Jennifer Han to retain her lightweight world titles. Taylor won 100-89 on the scorecards of all three judges as she picked Han’s defences apart and landed blows with impunity throughout. She had […]

4 years ago

Taylor scored a knockdown in the eighth round, but her opponent disputed it. Katie Taylor moved serenely to 19-0 as she made her 13th world title defence against Jennifer Han at Headingley Stadium in Leeds. The world champion had far too much pace and precision for the game Han. The only thing Taylor missed out […]

4 years ago

There were no blushes spared at the Aviva Stadium this evening. Azerbaijan are 112th in the world rankings and have a doughty but limited side. They are not up to much. Ireland are 47th in the world and it would take a fairly blinkered fan to argue that we are much different to our latest […]

4 years ago

IRELAND 1-1 AZERBAIJAN Another disappointing night on a grim, forgettable road to a World Cup we will never reach. Our Ireland player ratings have only a few stand-outs. Ireland started brightly but missed chances through Troy Parrott and Aaron Connolly. Their best chance of the half fell to Seamus Coleman, but he curled over the […]

4 years ago

It was not the end that McKillop envisaged, but the respect his fellow competitors have for him was abundantly clear. Michael McKillop was striving to add to his four Paralympic gold medals in Tokyo, today, but could only finish in 8th place. In what will be his final games, the Antrim native left it all […]

4 years ago

It was a special moment for the 19-year-old, but Cristiano Ronaldo had the last laugh(s). Gavin Bazunu was the calmest Irish player, or person, at Estádio Algarve as Cristiano Ronaldo stood over what would be a record-breaking penalty. The Portsmouth goalkeeper, on loan from Manchester City, will have been gutted that his under-hit pass to […]

4 years ago

“They’ve given everything of themselves.” Referee Matej Jug will not be forgotten any time soon by Irish players, supporters, or their manager, Stephen Kenny. The Slovenian referee was centre of attention for much of a fraught night in Faro, with both Irish and Portuguese fans cursing him at times. Jug awarded Portugal an 11th minute […]

4 years ago

PORTUGAL 2-1 IRELAND So close to glory but yet another defeat. A night, though, when pride was restored. Our Ireland player ratings are littered with superb performances. The first half had enough drama packed into it for an entire qualifying campaign. After a bright Ireland start, Portugal were awarded a controversial penalty. There was a […]

4 years ago

What drama! After a bright Ireland start in Faro, it all kicked off in Faro. Cristiano Ronaldo and Gavin Bazunu were at the centre of it all. The Manchester City goalkeeper, currently on loan at Portsmouth, put Jeff Hendrick in trouble with an under-hit pass. Bruno Fernandes pounced on that pass and, by the merest […]

4 years ago

Another new-look Ireland XI. Stephen Kenny has named his Ireland team to face Portugal in their 2022 World Cup qualifier in Faro. Kenny has made several changes from the Ireland side that last took to the field, in a friendly with Hungary. Adam Idah and Aaron Connolly have both been named in attacking roles. Gavin […]

4 years ago

“Who are you? I’ll tell you who you are!” Back in 1996, Wexford ended a 28-year wait to bring the Liam MacCarthy back home. In the process, they wrote for themselves a legendary tale. It is now 25 years since they defeated Limerick at Croke Park, and the fact that the county’s hurlers have not […]

4 years ago

In the end, Cristiano Ronaldo arrived in and Dan James left for Leeds United. It was a summer transfer that we will look back on and tell future generations about. Messi and Ronaldo both moving on. Billions spent. Man United were heavily involved too. Manchester United have brought in Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Cristiano […]

4 years ago

“Come down to Leinster and if you go to watch training, every day, you’ll see lots of incidences like that.” Johnny Sexton has a reputation as a driver of high standards, and someone that is as hard on himself as he is when it comes to teammates. Over the years, there have been plenty of […]

4 years ago

“We don’t know how many players got the letter… you don’t know who else is on stand-by.” Johnny Sexton was watching his first ever cricket match, at Lords, when the news came through that Marcus Smith had been called up for the British & Irish Lions. The Leinster and Ireland outhalf was in London as […]

4 years ago

“Excited to get going.” Harry Arter and Conor Hourihane will be hoping to return from their international breaks, to new clubs, in winning form. Lee O’Connor is also on the move. The two Ireland internationals have had their medium-term future sorted after securing loan moves. Hourihane is moving from Aston Villa to Sheffield United, in […]

4 years ago

A nice little post-script there. Alex Ferguson will appreciate the sentiment. Manchester United may have limited Cristiano Ronaldo’s prose to a single paragraph – in their press release announcing his return – but, handily for the Portuguese star, he has a whopping Instagram account. The club today confirmed that Ronaldo was returning to the club, […]

4 years ago

“One of the most important things in life is showing up.” Thanks for showing up for the latest round of The SportsJOE 12 o’clock quiz. We have a real treat for you today. Swing for the fences.

4 years ago

One of Carney’s finest moments. As someone that played rugby league for years, before switching to union and going to the World Cup with Ireland, Brian Carney is a fair judge on what it takes to make it in both disciplines. Carney is also someone who does not take sleights, or digs, without an appropriate […]

4 years ago