AYA Brand Ambassador Extension: Robbie Henshaw – The Irish Examiner – March 27 2025

Posted on March 27, 2025 by admin

Henshaw ‘head down’ to make Lions impression

Robbie Henshaw has clear aspirations of making the cut for Farrell’s squad – he started all three Tests against South Africa four years ago.
DAIRE WALSH

Robbie Henshaw has offered his backing to the Ireland heavy coaching team that is set to steer the British & Irish Lions ship for their tour of Australia later on this summer.

Following intense speculation in recent weeks, it was officially revealed yesterday that Andy Farrell will be joined in the Lions camp by his Irish assistant coaches Simon Easterby, Andrew Goodman and John Fogarty. While England’s Richard Wigglesworth and John Dalziel of Scotland are part of the coaching ticket, Vinny Hammond (head of analysis) and Aled Walters (head of athletic performance) are also on board from the wider Irish backroom set-up.

Henshaw has clear aspirations of making the cut for Farrell’s squad – he started all three Tests against South Africa four years ago – but recognises this will only be possible if he is in good form for Leinster in the United Rugby Championship and the European Champions Cup.

“I think the coaches he has picked will do a great job. They’re great personalities, they’re great people and they’re great coaches. The challenge for the Lions is bringing everyone together quickly and bringing a good environment together. The guys he has picked, from what I know of them, they’ll do a great job,” Henshaw remarked.

“It’s just head down, try and stay performing for Leinster. Put in some good shifts there. I know there will be games that the coaches will be looking at. There’ll be good head to heads, good teams playing in big games. There’ll still be coaches watching. For me, just stay fit, stay healthy and keep playing. Keep trying to play good rugby from now until the end [of the season].”

Henshaw was speaking at The Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin, where it was announced he has extended a three-year brand ambassador partnership with AYA – a leading name in the health and wellness supplement space.

A day earlier, he had been part of a Leinster training session that was overseen by senior coach Jacques Nienaber and attack specialist Tyler Bleyendaal while head coach Leo Cullen remained in South Africa for the province’s URC showdown with the Sharks in Durban this Saturday.

Whereas the group in the southern hemisphere have their sights set on bouncing back from a last-gasp defeat to the Bulls last weekend, Henshaw and his fellow home-based crew (which includes those who featured prominently for Ireland in the Six Nations) are focusing on a European Champions Cup Round of 16 duel with Harlequins in Croke Park on Saturday week.

Having lined out at the venue in a Champions Cup semi-final win over Northampton Saints a little under 12 months ago – he missed out on the interprovincial triumph against Munster last October – Henshaw is excited by the prospect of a return to GAA HQ.

“Playing there last year was one of the highlights of the season for me. I had never played there before. To hopefully play there again next week, it will be special again. Growing up I watched Westmeath play Gaelic football there and I’ve been to some great days. To be able to play in such an historic ground and stadium is special.”

Even though it has been more than two months since he featured in a competitive outing for Leinster – a Champions Cup pool stage game against Bath on January 18 – Henshaw was a regular fixture for Ireland in this year’s Six Nations.

After coming off the bench in an opening round victory over England, the 31-year-old centre started the remaining four rounds of the Championship.

Despite finishing the campaign with a third Triple Crown in four seasons, Ireland had to be content with third place in the final Six Nations standings – thanks in no small part to a 42-27 defeat to France in the Aviva Stadium on March 8.

“It was definitely a disappointing finish for us. Not what we set out to do in terms of obviously we wanted to win it,” Henshaw said of their Six Nations campaign for 2025.

“A bit of inaccuracy in our play and not being clinical enough in some of our plays kind of cost us in the end. Loads to work on in terms of how to get better and how to right the wrongs in the performance.”

Posted in European Rugby, International Rugby | Comments Off on AYA Brand Ambassador Extension: Robbie Henshaw – The Irish Examiner – March 27 2025

Updated National Football League Odds Piece: Gambling.com – March 25 2025

Posted on March 25, 2025 by admin

GAA Betting: Kerry Favourites For National League Glory

By Daire Walsh

The regular phase of the competition is at an end, and with the identity of the finalists now known, the best betting sites have been forced to rethink their odds for the National Football League.

Heading into the seventh and final round of the NFL, pace-setters Galway were seen as the frontrunners for the 2025 title.

A draw or a narrow defeat might have secured them a spot in this weekend’s Division One decider, but the Tribesmen ultimately came up short against Kerry in Pearse Stadium on Sunday.

Dramatic Final Round

Despite Rob Finnerty and Matthew Tierney bagging goals in either half, three-pointers from Gavin White, Dylan Geaney and Damien Bourke propelled Kerry to a 3-24 to 2-19 victory.

Throughout their meeting with Donegal at MacHale Park in Castlebar, the live table saw Mayo move regularly between first and seventh place in the top-tier table.

This meant there was an equal chance they would reach the league final or be relegated to Division Two for 2026.

In the end, the scoring hauls of Ryan O’Donoghue (0-6), Jack Carney (1-3) and Matthew Ruane (0-3) helped them to record a 1-18 to 1-16 win on their home patch.

At Healy Park in Omagh on Sunday, there was a strong possibility that a positive result for Dublin against Tyrone would book them into a Division One showpiece for the second year in succession.

Their opponents badly needed a win to give themselves a shot at retaining their top-flight status.

Still, even though goals from Darragh Canavan and Michael McKernan paved the way for a 2-20 to 1-16 victory, the Red Hand suffered relegation to Division Two.

At the Athletic Grounds, current All-Ireland champions Armagh were looking to remain in Division One for another year when they met the already-relegated Derry in an all-Ulster clash.

Thanks to a plethora of second-half goals – including efforts from Barry McCambridge and Conor Turbitt – Kieran McGeeney’s men did just that by cruising to a 4-24 to 1-18 triumph.

Kerry And Mayo Book Final Spots

All the above means that, while 2024 winners Derry were joined by Tyrone in dropping down to next year’s Division Two, Kerry and Mayo are left to duke it out for the right to be crowned the new NFL champions.

They previously met in the 2019 and 2022 league deciders, and with one win each across those two finals, there is a certain level of intrigue surrounding their duel in Croke Park this Sunday.

Given how close the start of the championship is to the NFL showpieces in Divisions One, Two, Three and Four, there has been a question mark over how much desire some counties had to reach this stage of the competition.

Yet, now that Kerry and Mayo have advanced this far, you can expect they will both want to get one over on the other in this weekend’s game.

Suffice to say that just a couple of weeks ago, betting apps thought it unlikely that these two teams would be the last ones standing.

Division One Finalists Previously Seen As Rank Outsiders

After three defeats in their opening five league games, the Kingdom were an astonishing 50/1 with some GAA betting sites to win this year’s NFL top-tier.

While a good run of form did see their odds shorten coming into last weekend, back-to-back reversals to Dublin and Galway at the beginning of their campaign also saw Mayo being rated as 50/1 long shots to win a second football league title in just three years.

However, that has all changed, and the incredibly tight nature of Division One has made this all possible.

Just two points separated a table-topping Mayo and a second-from-bottom Tyrone in the final top-tier standings, with the latter becoming the first county under the current format to be relegated to Division Two after accumulating seven points.

Kerry’s eight-point victory over Galway was vital to their finishing ahead of them, Donegal and Dublin on score difference.

This is despite them losing out to the latter duo in the group stages.

Kerry Favourites For The Final

Now that they have reached the final, Kerry are viewed as the favourites for NFL glory, which would see them extend their current record haul of 23 titles in the competition.

Since the most recent adjustments to the new playing rules for Gaelic football were made, the Kingdom have been playing with an attacking freedom that has seen them rack up big tallies against both Armagh and Galway.

This bodes well for the months to come, and with Jack O’Connor having won league crowns in the four years that he has guided his native county to an All-Ireland title, he might see an NFL success as a positive omen.

A few days out from their league final clash with Mayo, Kerry are rated at 3/10 with William Hill to pick up silverware in GAA HQ this weekend.

Although Mayo’s most recent championship campaigns have been somewhat mixed, they have remained extremely competitive in the National Football League.

Having won the competition as recently as 2019 and 2023, they will believe that another Division One crown is within their grasp on Sunday.

They look like a much better side now that some of their top performers are back in harness, and a round five victory at home to Kerry at the start of March will also give them confidence ahead of a trip to Croke Park.

Nevertheless, with the Kingdom available at almost unbackable odds, it comes as little surprise that Kevin McStay’s charges are 5/2 with BoyleSports.

However, when you consider that the Connacht outfit have defied the odds by making it to a league final, it would be foolish to completely dismiss their chances of success.

McStay has already guided them to a league title during his tenure, so he will be eager to add a second crown to his list of achievements.

Posted in Gaelic Football, Gaelic Games | Comments Off on Updated National Football League Odds Piece: Gambling.com – March 25 2025

Updated National Hurling League Odds Piece: Gambling.com – March 25 2025

Posted on March 25, 2025 by admin

GAA Betting: Cork Tipped To Land National Hurling League Title

By Daire Walsh

The Division 1A Hurling League final will see the two most consistent teams of 2025 face off in an intriguing battle, and betting sites have odds on who will win the decider.

Guaranteed a place in the Division 1A final after claiming four wins from their opening five games of the season, Tipperary faced 2024 winners Clare at Semple Stadium in Thurles last Saturday.

Their opponents were already resigned to relegation from the top flight, and despite Mark Rodgers and Tony Kelly picking off some nice scores over the course of the contest, a nine-point haul from Jason Forde helped Tipp claim a 0-22 to 1-18 victory.

It was also known that Wexford would join Clare in Division 1B for 2026, and Saturday evening saw the Slaneysiders face a Limerick team who were neither in contention for a league final place nor relegation.

It was difficult to know how much you could read into the game, but Kevin Foley’s tally of 1-2 ensured Wexford’s morale-boosting 1-19 to 1-12 triumph.

Cork And Tipp Will Meet In The Final

Undoubtedly, last Saturday’s most intriguing game on paper was the clash between Cork and Galway at Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

This was a de facto league semi-final, with the winner of the game assured a spot in the Division 1A showpiece alongside Tipperary.

It was pretty even during the early stages of the action, but after Brian Hayes and Darragh Fitzgibbon rattled the opposition net, Cork found themselves in the driving seat.

Cathal Mannion did his best to lead a potential Galway revival, only for their opponents to add further three-pointers through Tim O’Mahony and Patrick Horgan – propelling them to a 4-22 to 0-22 success.

Although the game had a winner-takes-all element, Cork were comprehensive victors in the end. There were some speed bumps along the way, but both themselves and Tipperary have been the best sides in this year’s Division 1A.

While their ambitions for 2025 extend beyond the NHL, both sides will have an opportunity to end a barren spell when they meet in a league final on April 6.

Winners Will Bridge Considerable Gap

You have to go back to 1998 for the last time Cork won a top-tier hurling league title. Current manager Pat Ryan was playing then, and he scored a brace of points when the Rebels beat provincial rivals Waterford 27 years ago.

There isn’t as long a gap between their last league success, but Tipperary’s most recent NHL triumph was in 2008, at the expense of Galway.

Even though both counties have claimed three All-Ireland senior hurling championship titles apiece since their last league successes, there is still something for either of them to gain from victory in the upcoming final.

It is two decades since Cork last won a national title – namely, the All-Ireland SHC final of 2005.

It might be only six years since Tipperary got their hands on the Liam MacCarthy Cup, but following a difficult period of form in recent times, Liam Cahill’s charges will be looking for a confidence boost ahead of a crucial Munster senior hurling championship.

Cahill guided Waterford to a league title in 2022 and may believe that his current squad can replicate this feat.

They are 3/1 with betting apps to get the better of their Munster rivals in the final.

Cork Favourites For Hurling League Glory

Once Limerick were officially out of the running for a league title – thanks to a defeat to Kilkenny in a rearranged fixture last Saturday week – Cork were installed as the new favourites with GAA betting sites for the NHL.

Considering how ruthless they were in overcoming the challenge of Galway, it comes as little surprise that they remain the frontrunners for a league title at the beginning of next month.

At the time of writing, BoyleSports are offering odds of 2/7 on Cork claiming the 15th NHL crown of their long and varied history in the sport.

Last weekend’s game against Galway was notable for ace attacker Patrick Horgan, who became the National Hurling League’s all-time top scorer.

An All-Ireland senior title continues to elude the Glen Rovers star, but he will have another shot at a piece of national silverware on Sunday week.

Tipperary Underdogs Despite Earlier Win Over Rivals

Tipperary will be a tough nut to crack, however, and in prodigious youngster Darragh McCarthy, they have the main marksman in this year’s league.

He amassed 10 points (evenly spread between frees and open play) when his team defeated Cork in round four of the league in Thurles on February 22.

This will leave them with a spring in their step ahead of their latest battle with Cork, but they are the underdogs for a 2025 league title.

BoyleSports are also offering odds of 12/1 on the game ending in a draw.

When you recall some of the battles these two counties have had over the years, this scenario could play itself out.

Posted in Gaelic Games, Hurling | Comments Off on Updated National Hurling League Odds Piece: Gambling.com – March 25 2025

Leinster Build-Up To Sharks Away In United Rugby Championship: Leo Cullen – The Irish Examiner – March 25 2025

Posted on March 25, 2025 by admin

In-form Connors timing run well as Leinster eye business end of season

The Kildare native played for the full duration of last weekend’s gruelling contest at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.
DAIRE WALSH

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has said Will Connors is ‘timing his run’ nicely after the openside flanker picked up the player-of-the-match award in his side’s last-gasp 21-20 defeat to the Bulls in the United Rugby Championship on Saturday.

Owing partly to the head injuries sustained by his back-row partners James Culhane and Max Deegan inside the opening 10 minutes of the action – Alex Soroka and Scott Penny coming off the bench to replace them – Kildare native Connors played for the full duration of last weekend’s gruelling contest at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.

Although it was ultimately decided by a stoppage-time penalty from Bulls centre David Kriel, a committed performance from Connors earned him the game’s top individual accolade. After being selected for some of their biggest games at the business end of the 2023/24 campaign (including a Champions Cup final loss to Toulouse), he will be hoping to use his strong showing in Pretoria as a launchpad to feature in Leinster’s latest bids for silverware in the URC and Europe’s top-tier.

“Will, he was excellent at the weekend. It’s a good battle even with him and Scott Penny here as well. They’re two quality players that we have, so we’re very, very lucky there. They’re both great characters within the group. Very, very different characters, but great characters to have. We’re lucky there on a lot of fronts,” Cullen remarked in a video call from South Africa.

“Will, in terms of what are his strengths? His chop tackling ability. He played some big games for us in the Champions Cup last year and he’s timing his run now. It’s great that we have that option to use for later on in the season hopefully.”

While Cullen is set to have a relatively full squad to choose from for Saturday week’s Champions Cup Round of 16 showdown against Harlequins – their first knockout outing of the current season – it remains to be seen if Jordan Larmour will be in contention for selection.

The Dubliner last saw action as a replacement in the closing minutes of Leinster’s victory over Munster at Thomond Park in the URC on December 27 of last year as he has been troubled by a hamstring injury picked up in training in early January.

Cullen expects Larmour to be back on the field of play before the 2024/25 term has reached a conclusion, but he doesn’t have a precise time frame for his return.

“We had originally tried to push Jordie to get back for this [Leinster’s current mini tour of South Africa]. It’s not that he’s had a set-back, it’s just he’s a bit slower in trying to get onto the next stage.

“There is still plenty of rugby to be played and he’ll be back for it at some point. At what stage exactly I’m not sure yet, but hopefully we’ll get him back and there’ll still be plenty of rugby to be played at that stage.”

Before returning to home soil for their last trip to GAA HQ, table-toppers Leinster will be aiming to bounce back from their first defeat in this season’s URC when they complete their time in the southern hemisphere with an enticing clash against the Sharks at Kings Park in Durban this Saturday.

With former Leinster (and Munster) lock Jason Jenkins now a key member of their squad, Cullen is expecting a robust challenge from the fourth-placed South Africans. Whilst he was coy about who might be joining the set-up for this weekend’s game, Cian Healy was pictured at Leinster training in Durban’s Northwood College on Monday.

“The conditions down here are unusual. If you look on Google, the temperature is 27 degrees, but it doesn’t paint the picture of the humidity. It’s sweaty, so handling can be a challenge,” Cullen added.

“A strong aerial game, that’s the first threat. Similar to all South African teams, a good set-piece. They will always challenge us there. Jason Jenkins is in their ranks, so he’ll have an idea about what we are trying to do, which is always a danger.

“It’s a good challenge away from home. Durban, Kings Park. It’s such an iconic stadium, so we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

Posted in European Rugby | Comments Off on Leinster Build-Up To Sharks Away In United Rugby Championship: Leo Cullen – The Irish Examiner – March 25 2025

Leinster Build-Up To Sharks Away In United Rugby Championship: Leo Cullen – The42.ie – March 25 2025

Posted on March 25, 2025 by admin

Will Connors ‘timing his run’ as Leinster competition heats up

Leo Cullen hails ‘excellent’ Connors after player of the match display in South Africa.

LEINSTER HEAD COACH Leo Cullen has said Will Connors is ‘timing his run’ nicely after the openside flanker picked up the player of the match award in his side’s last-gasp 21-20 defeat to the Bulls in the United Rugby Championship on Saturday.

While he often competes with both Josh van der Flier and Scott Penny for the number 7 jersey in the eastern province, circumstances led to the Kildare native playing alongside the latter for the majority of last weekend’s contest at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria. Moments after Alex Soroka had replaced starting No 8 James Culhane for a similar reason, Penny took over from the experienced Max Deegan after he sustained a head injury inside the opening 10 minutes of the action.

This meant Connors played for the full duration of a gruelling encounter that was ultimately decided by a stoppage-time penalty from Bulls centre David Kriel, but a committed performance from the former Clongowes Wood College student earned him the game’s top individual accolade.

At the business end of the 2023/24 season, Connors was selected to start in some big games for Leinster – including their Champions Cup final loss to Toulouse. On the back of his strong showing in Pretoria, he will now hope to be in the reckoning for the forthcoming knockout stages of both the URC and Europe’s top-tier.

“Will, he was excellent at the weekend. It’s a good battle even with him and Scott Penny here as well. They’re two quality players that we have, so we’re very, very lucky there. They’re both great characters within the group. Very, very different characters, but great characters to have. We’re lucky there on a lot of fronts,” Cullen remarked in a video call from South Africa.

“Will, in terms of what are his strengths? His chop tackling ability. He played some big games for us in the Champions Cup last year and he’s timing his run now. It’s great that we have that option to use for later on in the season hopefully.”

A number of injury issues have curtailed Connors’ Leinster career in the past — he made just two provincial appearances in the 18 months that followed his most recent outing with Ireland against Scotland on 14 March 2021 – but he is currently in a good position to challenge for a starting berth.

Cullen is set to have a relatively full squad to choose from for Saturday week’s Champions Cup Round of 16 showdown against Harlequins at Croke Park, but it remains to be seen if Jordan Larmour will be in contention for that game.

The Dubliner last saw action as a replacement in the closing minutes of Leinster’s victory over Munster at Thomond Park in the URC on 27 December, as he has been troubled by a hamstring injury picked up in training in early January.

While Cullen expects Larmour to be back on the field of play before the 2024/25 season has reached a conclusion, he doesn’t have a precise time frame for his return.

“We had originally tried to push Jordie to get back for this [Leinster’s current mini tour of South Africa]. It’s not that he’s had a setback, it’s just he’s a bit slower in trying to get onto the next stage.

“There is still plenty of rugby to be played and he’ll be back for it at some point. At what stage exactly I’m not sure yet, but hopefully we’ll get him back and there’ll still be plenty of rugby to be played at that stage.”

Before returning to home soil, table-toppers Leinster will be aiming to bounce back from their first defeat in this season’s URC when they complete their time in the southern hemisphere with an enticing clash against the Sharks at Kings Park in Durban this Saturday.

With former Leinster (and Munster) lock Jason Jenkins now a key member of their squad, Cullen is expecting a robust challenge from the fourth-placed South Africans. Although he was coy about who might be joining the set-up for this weekend’s game, Cian Healy was pictured at Leinster training in Durban’s Northwood College on Monday.

“The conditions down here are unusual. If you look on Google, the temperature is 27 degrees, but it doesn’t paint the picture of the humidity. It’s sweaty, so handling can be a challenge,” Cullen added.

“A strong aerial game, that’s the first threat. Similar to all South African teams, a good set-piece. They will always challenge us there. Jason Jenkins is in their ranks, so he’ll have an idea about what we are trying to do, which is always a danger.”

Posted in European Rugby | Comments Off on Leinster Build-Up To Sharks Away In United Rugby Championship: Leo Cullen – The42.ie – March 25 2025

Post-Match Reaction: Women’s Six Nations Championship – Scott Bemand & Edel McMahon – The42.ie – March 22 2025

Posted on March 22, 2025 by admin

‘We don’t want to be noble losers’ – Ireland lament missed opportunity against France

Ireland produced a gutsy performance in their Six Nations opener.

WHILE THERE WERE a number of positives to take out of the game, Ireland head coach Scott Bemand admitted this afternoon’s opening round defeat to France in the Women’s Six Nations was one that potentially got away from his side.

Despite facing a 17-5 interval deficit at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast – having conceded 14 unanswered points in the opening quarter – Ireland’s challenge gained fresh impetus when French inside centre Gabrielle Vernier was issued with a 20-minute red card for making head contact with her opposite number Eve Higgins.

Subsequent tries from Neve Jones and Aoife Wafer (adding to her own first half five-pointer) reduced the gap to two points and had Ireland within sight of their first victory over France since the 2017 Six Nations Championship. Yet having been restored to their full compliment just before Wafer’s 67th minute try, France rallied late on to claim a hard-earned 27-15 win.

“We were just talking at the end there and the narrative with the group. We don’t want to be noble losers. We don’t want to put up a good fist of it against a good France team. With ten minutes to go, we felt we could go on and win. We’re a young group still. They’ve got to be in those positions,” Bemand remarked in a post-match press conference at the Ravenhill venue.

“We’ve had some experience. You look at the end of the New Zealand game in WXV 1, where we’re able to come back and win it. Coming out of this we said, against these Tier One Nations and World Cup contenders, we thought it would come down to the last 20 minutes.

“You’re going to need to have that composure. Not belief really, just calmness of thought that you can execute where you want to be on the pitch. How you get there and then you take your opportunities. So it does feel like we’ve lost a game we could have been in and I think them scoring at the end takes the scoreboard away a little bit.

“So we can rue losing bonus points or what have you, but I think probably as a group we’re more disappointed that we weren’t fighting in their ‘22’ to win a game.”

Although Amee-Leigh Costigan (nee Murphy Crowe) led out the team from the start, squad captain Edel McMahon was introduced to the action as part of a quadruple substitution in the 56th minute and was on media duties in the aftermath of the game.

The Clare native acknowledged she was experiencing ‘mixed emotions’ in the minutes that followed the contest. This is understandable given Ireland ultimately fell to their eighth consecutive reversal at the hands of France and yet were very much in the reckoning for a major scalp during a frantic second half.

“There is mixed emotions there. When the whistle went and you looked around, people were disappointed. It was probably a game we were in and we knew we could compete in and actually win. That’s really satisfying to see that’s where we’re at as a squad,” McMahon said.

“We’re not complacent with ‘oh it looked alright or oh we competed.’ We’re actually there to win games. There’s an element of frustration with that. But on the flip side of it, I’m extremely proud of the girls because we set out in this campaign to be hard to beat. Set out in this campaign to fire shots and compete with Tier One Nations. I think we did that today.

“There are huge positives. This group is so young. To be 0-14 down and have the belief to come back, that is massive and not something that you can teach in a day. That’s been building in this squad, so I’m massively proud of that.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Post-Match Reaction: Women’s Six Nations Championship – Scott Bemand & Edel McMahon – The42.ie – March 22 2025

Women’s Six Nations Championship: Ireland V France – The42.ie – March 22 2025

Posted on March 22, 2025 by admin

Ireland go close but lose out to France in Women’s Six Nations opener

Scott Bemand’s side suffered a 27-15 defeat after a late French surge in Belfast.

Ireland 15

France 27

Daire Walsh reports from Kingspan Stadium

DESPITE FINDING THEMSELVES within touching distance during a tense second half of action, Ireland eventually fell to a 12-point loss at the hands of France in the opening round of the 2025 Women’s Six Nations at Kingspan Stadium this afternoon.

You have to go back to the 2017 edition of the championship for the last time Ireland defeated France in an international encounter – a converted try from Leah Lyons helping them to secure a 13-10 victory in Donnybrook on that occasion. France appeared set for another convincing day at the office when Gabrielle Vernier and Marine Menager tries propelled them into a 14-point cushion by the 19th minute.

Yet with Aoife Wafer and Neve Jones registering five-pointers either side of a 20-minute red card for Vernier, Scott Bemand’s charges were very much in the mix at the Belfast venue. Another Wafer try left just two points between the teams inside the final quarter before France rallied in the closing moments to deny the hosts a major scalp.

Ireland came into 2025 on the back of an impressive second-place finish in the WXV 1 tournament in Canada last October, but it was the visitors who laid down an early marker in the opening game of this year’s Six Nations.

After out-half Carla Arbez kicked a penalty to touch in the sixth minute, the resulting set-piece move was worked towards the left-hand side for inside centre Vernier to dot down in clinical style. Fullback Morgane Bourgeois expertly split the uprights from the subsequent conversion and while Ireland got themselves inside the opposition 22’ with a series of strong carries, France bagged their second converted try just shy of the first-quarter mark.

Despite the best defensive efforts of Jones (one of two Ulster natives in the Irish starting line-up), an extended attacking move from the French was finished off on the right flank by team captain Menager.

While these were early ominous signs for Ireland, the home team came roaring into the contest on 22 minutes. Wafer claimed a try in the latter stages of their loss to France at the beginning of the 2024 championship and when the Leinster back-row found herself in sight of the opposition whitewash off an attacking line-out, she made no mistake with a powerful finish from close-range.

In the wake of this score (which was followed by an unsuccessful bonus kick from Dannah O’Brien), Ireland were on the back foot once again for an extended spell. Their committed and diligent defensive work largely kept the French attack at bay during this juncture, only for a penalty from Bourgeois to move the visiting side into a 17-5 cushion in time for the interval.

This was a far from insurmountable position for Ireland to be in, however, and the hosts gained a numerical advantage within five minutes of the restart as Vernier was sent to the sin-bin for an off-field review after she was adjudged to have made head contact with Eve Higgins.

The Railway Union centre was temporarily replaced by Enya Breen for a head injury assessment and by the time she returned to the field of play, Vernier’s yellow card had been officially upgraded to a red. Before that decision was reached by TMO Rachel Horton, Ireland had cut substantially into the French lead.

Having picked out her intended target after O’Brien booted the penalty arising from Vernier’s tackle on Higgins to touch, vice-captain Jones applied the finishing touches off the back of a line-out maul for a 46th minute try.

O’Brien’s difficult conversion attempt from the right wing was marginally short of the target, but there was a sense at this point that Ireland might be starting to gather serious momentum.

France dug deep in defence until the 20-minute time period for their red card had elapsed – Blagnac’s Axelle Berthoumieu was drafted in to replace Vernier – but Ireland’s set-piece once again paid dividends on 67 minutes. After getting Ireland up and running in the opening period, Wafer doubled her tally for the day by finishing off their latest maul move on the right-flank.

Yet O’Brien missed an opportunity to restore parity from her third kick at goal and France finally reasserted themselves with a successful Bourgeois penalty on 72 minutes.

This took the sting out of the Irish challenge to a certain degree and with opening half replacement Emilie Boulard diving over for France’s third converted try moments later, France ultimately maintained their excellent recent run of form in this fixture.

Ireland scorers:

  • Tries – Aoife Wafer 2, Neve Jones
  • Conversions – Dannah O’Brien [0/3]

France scorers:

  • Tries – Gabrielle Vernier, Marine Menager, Emilie Boulard
  • Conversions – Morgane Bourgeois [3/3]
  • Penalties – Morgane Bourgeois [2/2]

IRELAND: Stacey Flood; Anna McGann, Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins (Enya Breen ’45-’52 & ‘68), Amee-Leigh Costigan; Dannah O’Brien, Emily Lane (Aoibheann Reilly ’56); Niamh O’Dowd (Siobhán McCarthy ’78), Neve Jones (Cliodhna Moloney ’56), Linda Djougang (Christy Haney ’78); Ruth Campbell (Grace Moore ’68), Dorothy Wall (Fiona Tuite ’56); Brittany Hogan (Edel McMahon ’56), Erin King, Aoife Wafer.

FRANCE: Morgane Bourgeois; Marine Menager, Nassira Konde (Emilie Boulard ’34), Gabrielle Vernier (Axelle Berthoumieu ’66), Melissande Llorens Vignères; Carla Arbez (Lina Queyroi ’70), Pauline Bourdon-Sansus (Alexandra Chambon ’52-’62 & ’70-‘80); Yllana Brosseau (Ambre Mwayembe ’56), Agathe Sochat (Manon Bigot ’56), Rose Bernadou (Clara Joyeux ’56); Manae Feleu, Madoussou Fall-Raclot; Charlotte Escudero, Seraphine Okemba (Lea Champon ’66), Teani Feleu.

Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland).

Posted in International Rugby, Women's Rugby | Comments Off on Women’s Six Nations Championship: Ireland V France – The42.ie – March 22 2025

The Big Interview: Kate Sullivan (Dublin/St Sylvester’s) – Media West Ireland – March 22 2025

Posted on March 22, 2025 by admin

Dublin’s Kate Sullivan is hoping to push for glory under new managers

DAIRE WALSH

There aren’t many ladies footballers who get to make their competitive senior inter-county debuts in Croke Park, but that is exactly how it turned out for Dublin’s Kate Sullivan back in February 2019.

Having stood out on a minor team that reached the semi-final of the All-Ireland ‘A’ Championship in 2018, Sullivan was drafted into the Jackies set-up by then manager Mick Bohan ahead of their campaign in Division 1 of the Lidl National Football League.

When the team was announced for an opening round fixture against Donegal in GAA HQ, Sullivan was listed amongst the substitutes.

Yet on the day of the game, she was officially added to a starting line-up that also included fellow debutant Sarah Fagan.

Sullivan had been aware quite a few days in advance of this encounter that she was going to be selected in the Dublin attack and even though the game ended in a 1-11 to 1-7 defeat for her side, it was a day to remember for the St Sylvester’s attacker.

“It was a great one to get my debut in. Especially going into a stadium like that was brilliant. That was a day I’ll probably always remember starting off my Dublin career.

“I found out earlier that week that I was going to start. Obviously the team came out and I don’t think I was named on it, but obviously it was keeping that quiet and just telling family,” Sullivan explained.

“It probably helped a little bit as well that there was no noise outside or any expectations on it. Going into the match then, Mick approached me a few days before the game, just letting me know. I was obviously a little bit nervous, but delighted to get the start and especially so early on in the league.”

When Sullivan first arrived on the Dublin senior squad, she was surrounded by a wealth of playing experience – not least in the form of her Sylvester’s club-mates Sinead Aherne, Nicole Owens and Niamh McEvoy.

After being an unused substitute when the Jackies defeated Galway in the All-Ireland decider of 2019, she came off the bench and scored a point as the Metropolitan outfit claimed their fourth consecutive Brendan Martin Cup crown in December of the following year.

By the time Dublin won their next TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship final in 2023, Sullivan was a regular starter in the side and kicked a second-half score to help the Jackies overcome Kerry on a score of 0-18 to 1-10.

Having suffered a quarter-final exit to Donegal in the previous year’s All-Ireland series, there was a determination within their ranks to return to the top table of the inter-county game.

The absence of a number of high-profile players from their previous Brendan Martin successes meant that Sullivan and others like her had to assume extra responsibility on the field, but this was something she was more than willing to do.

“I think there was a lot of hurt after the previous year and I think going back into that season, we put a huge emphasis on wanting to get in. Wanting to enjoy it, work hard. Get ourselves back together as a group.

“Some of the older girls had gone on and my age group or group of friends had become a more experienced group in the team. It was great to get over the line and see the impact that you’ve had that year. The contribution that you were able to give to the team.”

Now in her seventh season as a senior panellist, Sullivan has featured in four of the five games that Dublin have played in this year’s Lidl NFL Division 1 under the new joint management team of Paul Casey and Derek Murray.

Heading into their sixth round game away to Tyrone later on today in Dungannon, the Jackies are currently fifth in the Division One standings with seven points.

After Mick Bohan brought the curtain down on a wildly successful stint as Jackies boss a few months on from a quarter-final defeat to Galway in the 2024 All-Ireland championship (a game Sullivan missed with a hamstring injury), Casey and Murray were subsequently appointed as his successors.

Both men had already been part of the Dublin set-up before as selectors and Sullivan feels this has made it an easier transition from Bohan’s stewardship.

“It was that little bit smoother that the guys and the rest of the management team were already kind of there with a few new faces in.

“In terms of them being there and working on things that players were familiar with, it wasn’t as big of a change. We were still able to build on things that we previously had been working on while also adding in a few new things as well.

“It probably wasn’t too new in terms of starting from scratch. Especially with some new, younger players coming in, the older girls were a bit more familiar with a few things that we were going to be working on during the league. Everything is going great with the two lads. Delighted with them.”

Even when she isn’t lining out for Dublin or St Sylvester’s, Sullivan is engrossed in sport through her day job as a Head Coach for Kick Start Movements.

Co-founded by former Dublin players William Lowry and Micheál McCarthy (who is also a member of St Sylvester’s), KSM is a unique physical and nutritional programme for kids aged between two and seven.

Delivered through schools and creches in Ireland, each 35 minute class uses KSM’s three step model, covering movement, socialisation and nutrition, to help kids boost their confidence and self-esteem.

“I’m enjoying working with them and the sport side of it. Getting to go in and teach younger kids that movement side. No matter whether they want to go into Gaelic or hurling or camogie or basketball, or anything like that. Just teaching those fundamentals, so that they have that confidence,” Sullivan added.

“Especially girls, who seem to drop off around 12, 13, 14 years of age. I’m a big believer of, if you kind of get them between three and seven years of age and you get their core fundamentals up, that they’ll have the confidence as they do get older in those teenage years.”

Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on The Big Interview: Kate Sullivan (Dublin/St Sylvester’s) – Media West Ireland – March 22 2025

Ireland Women’s Build-Up To France Home In Six Nations Championship: Scott Bemand – The42.ie – March 21 2025

Posted on March 21, 2025 by admin

‘The Irish public should be really excited to see what she can do’ – Hopes high for Erin King

Ireland head coach Scott Bemand gearing up for start of Women’s Six Nations.

IT MIGHT SEEM hard to believe given the impact she has already made in the Ireland jersey, but tomorrow’s game against France at Kingspan Stadium will be Erin King’s first in the Women’s Six Nations Championship.

After making her international 15s bow in a 14 September Test win over Australia in Belfast – a few weeks on from representing the 7s side at the Summer Olympics in Paris – King truly announced herself by grabbing a brace of tries off the bench when Ireland kick-started their WXV 1 campaign in Canada with a shock victory over New Zealand.

She went on to start Ireland’s remaining games in the tournament against Canada and the USA – claiming her third try in the 15s code during the latter.

Her performances in WXV 1 helped her to earn the Women’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year prize at the World Rugby Awards last November and having selected her at openside flanker for France’s visit to Belfast this weekend, Ireland women’s head coach Scott Bemand is confident she can carry her excellent form into 2025.

“She’s a wonderful human, she’s a fantastic player. There is obviously some of the rawness when we took to the field in WXV 1 that we’ve been able to do a little bit more with. Her set-piece acumen is growing daily,” Bemand said.

“Her ability to make good decisions around breakdown. What to leave and what not to. Where to carry, what lines to take. She has been getting better and better over the time that we spent together. I’m really excited and I think hopefully the Irish public should be really excited to see what she can do.”

Throughout last year’s Six Nations campaign, Sam Monaghan and Edel McMahon operated as co-captains of the Irish team. While this duo only started together in two of the five games that their side played in the 2024 Championship, at least one of them was included in the first 15 for each of those encounters.

Yet this won’t be the case in Belfast tomorrow as Monaghan is still working her way back from a serious knee injury and McMahon has to be content with a spot amongst the replacements as part of a 6/2 bench split.

Although Bemand confirmed McMahon will assume captaincy duties upon her expected introduction to the field of play, it is Amee-Leigh Costigan (nee Murphy Crowe) who has been chosen to lead Ireland out from the start. Also a star of the 7s circuit for many years, Tipperary native Costigan is set to pick up her 14th cap in the 15s game on the left-wing.

“Amee-Leigh, ever since coming back in from the Sevens programme, has been an absolute role model leader in this environment. She’s scored a lot of tries on the Sevens circuit, has got a massive name for herself, but what I’ve seen is somebody that is absolutely hungry to be better as a player in every facet of the game.

“There’s a few discussions about being a winger and a captain and I’m delighted to see France have followed suit and named [Marine] Menager as one of their captains. We’ve got a strong leadership group. Neve Jones will have a role to play in terms of speaking to the referee and when Tricky [McMahon] comes on, she’ll take the captaincy and be the voice to the referee.”

In advance of last year’s 2024 Six Nations (his first Championship as head coach of the side), Bemand was targeting a top-three finish and this was achieved despite them recording just two wins from five games played.

This helped to secure qualification for the aforementioned WXV 1 tournament in Canada and the upcoming Rugby World Cup in England. This undoubtedly represented a step in the right direction and finishing second in the top-tier of the WXV has certainly raised expectations coming into 2025.

England, who have won the Women’s Six Nations for the past six seasons, and France remain the dominant forces in the tournament, and Bemand said that closing the gap to these teams is something Ireland will be actively targeting in the coming weeks.

“We’re targeting trying to close that gap on the top-two, we want to become World Cup contenders. At some point, we’ve got to take some chunks out of a Tier 1 nation and for us that’s doing something against a France or an England,” Bemand added.

“I love playing the French. They’ve done an incredible job for the women’s game over in France. Now we get a chance to show our people over in Ireland what we can do. We want to do something just to shake up that top-two piece.”

Posted in International Rugby, Women's Rugby | Comments Off on Ireland Women’s Build-Up To France Home In Six Nations Championship: Scott Bemand – The42.ie – March 21 2025

Ireland Women’s Build-Up To France Home In Six Nations Championship: Scott Bemand – The Irish Examiner – March 21 2025

Posted on March 21, 2025 by admin

Amee-Leigh Costigan an ‘absolute role model leader’ as she captains Ireland for first time

Although there aren’t any debutants in the match day 23 for tomorrow’s game, Railway Union’s Anna McGann will make her first appearance for Ireland under Bemand alongside Costigan and Stacey Flood in the back-three.
DAIRE WALSH

Ireland women’s head coach Scott Bemand has identified Amee-Leigh Costigan as an ideal ‘role model leader’ after the Tipperary native was named as captain for his side’s Six Nations opener against France at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast tomorrow (kick-off 1pm).

During last year’s Championship, Sam Monaghan and Edel McMahon operated as Irish co-captains – roles they also held during a successful WXV 3 campaign in October 2023. While the forward duo only started two games together in the 2024 Six Nations, at least one of them was in the first 15 across the five encounters Ireland played in the tournament.

Yet this won’t be the case at the home of Ulster Rugby this weekend as Monaghan is still working her way back from a serious knee injury and McMahon has to be content with a place amongst the replacements as part of a 6/2 bench split. Although Bemand revealed the latter will assume captaincy duties upon her expected introduction tomorrow, Costigan (nee Murphy Crowe) is set the lead out the side from the left-wing.

“Amee-Leigh, ever since coming back in from the Sevens programme, has been an absolute role model leader in this environment,” Bemand remarked in a video call to the Irish media yesterday.

“She’s scored a lot of tries on the Sevens circuit, has got a massive name for herself, but what I’ve seen is somebody that is absolutely hungry to be better as a player in every facet of the game. She’s been a great role model leader, we believe she’s the voice of the group.

“There’s a few discussions about being a winger and a captain and I’m delighted to see France have followed suit and named [Marine] Menager as one of their captains. We’ve got a strong leadership group. Neve Jones will have a role to play in terms of speaking to the referee and when Tricky [McMahon] comes on, she’ll take the captaincy and be the voice to the referee.”

Although there aren’t any debutants in the match day 23 for tomorrow’s game, Railway Union’s Anna McGann will make her first appearance for Ireland under Bemand alongside Costigan and Stacey Flood in the back-three.

She previously picked up six caps during the tenure of Bemand’s predecessor Greg McWilliams, but an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained playing for the Ireland Sevens in June 2023 kept her sidelined for an extended period.

She was close to making the cut for Ireland’s productive WXV 1 campaign in Canada in September and October of last year, before ultimately being left out as a precaution. Yet after displaying impressive form for the Clovers in this season’s Celtic Challenge, McGann has forced her way into the starting line-up for tomorrow’s Championship opener.

“Anna actually was in the mix to come to Canada in WXV 1. Unfortunately she picked up a little bit of a niggle and the risk versus reward of being able to take her [was too big]. We were disappointed not being able to take her on that tour. We’ve had an eye on her for a while.

“She has come in, she has got herself back fit and she’s an unbelievably talented runner. She’s nearly six foot tall, she’s rangy. She’s got a great pass. She’s got a very good swerve when she runs. We believe she is going to cause the French some problems. We’ve just got to try and make sure we get her on the ball in the right space and in the right manner.”

In advance of last year’s 2024 Six Nations (his first Championship as head coach of the side), Bemand was targeting a top-three finish and this was achieved despite them recording just two wins from five games played.

This helped to secure qualification for the aforementioned WXV 1 tournament in Canada and the upcoming Rugby World Cup in England. This undoubtedly represented a step in the right direction and finishing second in the top-tier of the WXV has certainly raised expectations coming into 2025.

However, England (Women’s Six Nations winners for the past six seasons) and France remain the dominant forces in the tournament, and Bemand said that closing the gap to these teams is something that Ireland will be actively targeting in the coming weeks.

“We’re targeting trying to close that gap on the top two, we want to become World Cup contenders. At some point, we’ve got to take some chunks out of a Tier 1 nation and for us that’s doing something against a France or an England,” Bemand added.

Posted in International Rugby, Women's Rugby | Comments Off on Ireland Women’s Build-Up To France Home In Six Nations Championship: Scott Bemand – The Irish Examiner – March 21 2025