The Big Interview: Roisin Phelan (Cork/Aghada) – Media West Ireland – October 19 2024

Posted on October 19, 2024 by admin

‘A new lease of life’ – former Cork footballer Róisín Phelan enjoying run with Aghada

The east Cork outfit take on Éire Óg on Sunday.
DAIRE WALSH

AS she gets set to feature in Aghada’s first-ever Senior A Championship final at MTU tomorrow afternoon, former Cork star Róisín Phelan said that getting a chance to focus solely on club football in 2024 has been “a breath of fresh air”.

Having arrived on the scene as a teenager in 2012, Phelan announced her inter-county retirement in March. She had previously taken a break from the Cork squad in 2019 when she was working in Dublin and lining out for the Castleknock-based St Brigid’s.

When she last donned the red of Cork in an All-Ireland SFC semi-final defeat to Dublin in July 2023, Phelan was back playing her club football with Aghada and working locally at Corabbey Dental & Orthodontics in Midleton. The 2018 TG4 All Star was subsequently eager to continue togging out for Aghada in the wake of stepping away from the Cork panel and will proudly lead out the side as captain in their top-tier showdown with Éire Óg this weekend.

“It has been a breath of fresh air really. I guess I played inter-county for an awfully long time and the body starts to creak a little bit after a while. When you come back into club football after playing inter-county all year, you feel like you’re permanently attached to the physio bed,” Phelan explained.

“It has been nice. A bit more relaxed this year and I think it has given my body a new lease of life. I’m feeling pretty good. There’s great excitement around the parish. It’s the first Senior A final that our club has been involved in, in any code. It’s a proud day for the parish.”

Considering she had been a part of the set-up for so long, Phelan admitted it wasn’t an easy decision to call time on her inter-county career with Cork.

That said, she hasn’t regretted the choice she made and is grateful for all that she experienced with Cork under the managements of the late Éamonn Ryan, Ephie Fitzgerald, and Shane Ronayne.

“I called Shane last November to retire and I guess I probably had been thinking about it for a while, but it’s very different thinking about it and actually making that phone call. Thankfully I haven’t regretted it,” she says. During her time with Cork, Phelan achieved remarkable success, winning five TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship crowns, while accumulating the same number of Lidl National Football League Division 1 titles.

She has also tasted success with Aghada, winning the full complement of Cork, Munster, and All-Ireland Championships at the junior grade in 2017 before also securing an intermediate county title 12 months later. Phelan has an opportunity to add significantly to those triumphs in MTU tomorrow and she admits that club success ranks up there with some of her best achievements in a Cork jersey.

“I think winning with the club is special. There is something very different about it. These are people you’ve grown up with and who’ve seen you at your best and your worst. They’ve helped you through personal problems and who you have helped through personal issues. I think there is something really special about that,” she adds. “It would definitely be pretty high up there if we managed to get over the line.”

Standing between Aghada and their quest for a maiden Senior A Championship success will be a side that is no stranger to this stage of the competition. In each of the past three years, the Ovens club have finished runners-up to the all-conquering Mourneabbey, whose early exit threw the championship wide open.

In addition to current Cork football panellists Sadbh McGoldrick, Emma Cleary, and Shauna Cronin, Éire Óg is also the home club of Orlaith and Meabh Cahalane — camogie colleagues of Aghada’s dual inter-county star Hannah Looney — and Phelan is fully aware of the threats they possess.

“They’re an excellent team, everyone knows that. They’ve had three finals in a row. There’ll be a huge hunger there for them to win, having come up short against Mourneabbey in those matches. We’re well used to playing against them. Hopefully we’ll come out the right side of it, but we’re under no illusions about how hard is going to be. Obviously there are a good few of us who have played inter-county for a few years, so I’m sure we know as much about them as they do about us.”

Despite losing considerable experience in the form of Phelan, the three O’Sullivan sisters – Ciara, Doireann and Meabh – their namesake Brid O’Sullivan, Laura Fitzgerald and Eimear Meaney for a variety of reasons, Cork managed to reach a second successive All-Ireland semi-final in their absences this year.

The Leesiders’ championship ultimately came to an end at the hands of Galway, but Phelan remains optimistic about their future. The former defender (who has been playing in a more advanced midfield role for Aghada this year) feels there is more than enough talent spread across the various levels of Cork football to catch the eye of Shane Ronayne’s eventual successor as Rebelettes boss.

“There’s a great young crop coming through our club and I’m sure it’s the same with Éire Óg and you saw how well Glanmire (their semi-final opponents) were set up the last time. They’ve a lot of young players as well. That’s only talking about senior teams,” Phelan added.

“That’s not even talking about the lower divisions that are coming through. Whoever is taking over that job next, I’m sure they’ll have plenty of game tape to be going through to figure out who they want to get involved and who they don’t.”

Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on The Big Interview: Roisin Phelan (Cork/Aghada) – Media West Ireland – October 19 2024

Football Interprovincial Series: Ulster V Munster – Independent.ie – October 18 2024

Posted on October 18, 2024 by admin

Energetic Ulster book place in Inter-Provincial Series final with tight victory over Munster

Ulster 0-2-19 (23) Munster 2-1-9 (19)

Daire Walsh

Ulster will face Connacht in Saturday’s Allianz GAA Football Inter-Provincial Series final after seeing off the challenge of Munster at Croke Park.

After Ulster had stormed four points clear early on with unanswered efforts from Joe McElroy, Darren McCurry, Ciaran Thompson and Odhran Murdock, Munster finally responded with a white flag score by Killian Spillane.

The energetic northerners bolstered their tally with points courtesy of Rian O’Neill and Daire O Baoill, before Emmet McMahon split the uprights to leave Munster four adrift at the end of the first quarter. While the experimental rules around scoring weren’t showcased in the opening 15 minutes, that subsequently changed when goalkeeper Niall Morgan got forward to kick a two-pointer from play in between singles by Eoin McElholm and McElroy.

McCurry and Armagh midfielder Niall Grimley found the range for the northern province after Darragh Brennan had scored at the opposite end, but Munster gained a new lease of life when a scrambled goal from Sean Walsh was followed by a Chris Og Jones point.

Yet despite Spillane adding a two-point free, the boots of Mark Bradley and Daniel McGuinness had Ulster leading 0-14 to 1-6 at half-time.

This left John Cleary’s side just four behind under the new rules and their deficit was cut to the bare minimum thanks to points from Jones, Spillane and Ian Maguire on the restart. However, Ulster fired back with scores by Oisin O’Neill, Bradley and Grimley, and they then created significant daylight in the final-quarter with a successful Kieran McGeary free and a Grimley two-pointer.

Aaron Griffin and Ulster’s Pat Havern traded scores as the final whistle approached, and although skipper Diarmuid O’Connor produced a 1-1 salvo in the closing moments, Marc Jordan and Niall Toner kicked late points at the opposite end to leave Munster facing into a shield final against Leinster on Saturday.

SCORERS

Ulster: N Grimley 0-4 (2 pt), N Morgan 0-2 (2 pt), D McCurry 0-2 (f), M Bradley, J McElroy 0-2 each, N Toner (f), P Havern (f), K McGeary (f), D Guinness, D O Baoill, C Thompson, R O’Neill, O O’Neill, E McElholm, M Jordan, O Murdock.

Munster: D O’Connor 1-1, K Spillane 0-4 (2 pt f, 1 pt f), S Walsh 1-0, C Og Jones 0-2, E McMahon, A Griffin, D Brennan, I Maguire 0-1 each.

ULSTER: N Morgan; D Baker, E McEvoy, P Burns; D Guinness, A Forker, D O Baoill; N Grimley, O Murdock; J McElroy, R O’Neill, C Thompson; O Conaty, D McCurry, E McElholm.

Subs: S McNally, O O’Neill, N Toner, P Faulkner, G Smith, B McBennett, A Clarke, R McQuillan, P Havern, M Jordan, P McGrane, R McCaffrey, K McGeary, M Bradley, C Kilpatrick.

MUNSTER: C Kelly; S Meehan, J Feehan, D Burke; A Sweeney, T Walsh, M Taylor; D O’Connor, B McNamara; J Naughton, E Cleary, E McMahon; D Neville, C Og Jones, K Spillane.

Subs: J Ryan, S O’Dea, M Shanley, C Walsh, T Morley, D Cashman, D Ryan, M Stokes, C O Currin, C O’Callaghan, S Walsh, P Walsh, A Griffin, D Brennan, D O’Sullivan, I Maguire.

Referee: B Tiernan (Dublin).

Posted in Gaelic Football | Comments Off on Football Interprovincial Series: Ulster V Munster – Independent.ie – October 18 2024

Football Interprovincial Series: Connacht V Leinster – The Irish Independent – October 19 2024

Posted on October 18, 2024 by admin

Aidan O’Shea hits first four-point goal to spark Connacht blitz

Connacht 4-5-11 (37), Leinster 1-2-7 (15)

Daire Walsh

Aidan O’Shea, Barry McNulty, Ciarán Murtagh and Liam Gallagher struck goals at Croke Park as Connacht eased into Saturday’s Allianz GAA Football Interprovincial final with a convincing victory over Leinster.

In the first of four games being played at the Jones’s Road venue this weekend to trial potential rule changes for Gaelic football, Mayo duo O’Shea and Jack Carney created a slice of history by registering a four-point goal and a two-point score from play in the second and 12th minutes respectively.

Corner-forwards Daire Cregg and Diarmuid Murtagh had recorded a brace of white-flag efforts prior to the latter score, and while Kevin Quinn finally got Leinster up and running, Murtagh and O’Shea also found the target from long distance to move Connacht into a 13-point lead as the first of four quarters came to an end at GAA HQ.

Despite Dublin duo Paddy Small and Ciarán Kilkenny kicking fine points for Leinster on the resumption, a variety of scores from Fergal Boland, goalkeeper Connor Gleeson, Donie Smith and Conor Cox left Connacht 18 points in front at the interval and in complete control.

Another experimental rule was on display at the start of the second half when Small split the uprights after opting for a ‘solo and go’ from an attacking free, but a goal at the opposite end by Leitrim’s McNulty helped Pádraic Joyce’s men to reinforce their authority.

While Louth star Ciarán Byrne did his utmost to get Leinster back into the reckoning with a four-point haul in as many minutes, Connacht kept the scoreboard ticking over through Cox and Sligo’s Cian Lally.

This left Connacht with an unassailable 19-point advantage heading into the final quarter, and even though the tireless Byrne rattled the net for Leinster during this period, Murtagh and London’s Gallagher raised green flags to ensure the western province emerged as emphatic winners.

SCORERS – Connacht: A O’Shea 1-3 (2pt); B McNulty 1-1 (1f); C Murtagh, L Gallagher 1-0 each; D Murtagh 0-4 (2pt, 1f); F Boland 0-3 (2pt); C Gleeson (2pt f), J Carney (2pt), D Cregg (1f), C Cox 0-2 each; D Smith (f), C Lally 0-1 each. Leinster: C Byrne 1-4 (2pt); K Quinn (2pt), P Small 0-2 each; K Feely, C Kilkenny, E Porter 0-1 each.

CONNACHT: C Gleeson; J McGrath, B Stack, S Mulkerrin; C McDaid, J Daly, E McLoughlin; J Carney, J Maher; M Tierney, B Tuohy, E Smith; D Murtagh, A O’Shea, D Cregg. Subs: C Carroll, R Fallon, M Diffley, J Heaney, S Cunnane, U Harney, B McNulty, C Cox, D Smith, C Murtagh, D Duffy, F Boland, P Spillane, C Lally, L Gallagher.

LEINSTER: S Cluxton; C Lennon, M Bambrick, E Murchan; J Small, R Wallace, J McCarthy; R Connellan, D Healy; C Downey, C Kilkenny, B Howard; M Barry, D Flynn, K Quinn. Subs: K Roche, S Bugler, C Byrne, P Cunningham, R Dunphy, K Feely, D Gallagher, R Houlihan, R Jones, D Keoghan, P Kingston, E O’Carroll, L Pearson, E Porter, P Small.

REF: M McNally (Monaghan)

Posted in Gaelic Football | Comments Off on Football Interprovincial Series: Connacht V Leinster – The Irish Independent – October 19 2024

The Big Interview: Aoife Kealy (Laois/St Joseph’s) – Media West Ireland – October 12 2024

Posted on October 12, 2024 by admin

‘Never give up’ – St Joseph’s forward Aoife Kealy puts injury nightmare behind her to taste club glory in Laois

Daire Walsh

Following a succession of injury set-backs over an elongated period of time, St Joseph’s forward Aoife Kealy was given a moment to cherish at Laois Hire O’Moore Park a few weeks ago.

Starting at left corner-forward, Kealy bagged a brace of goals – including a penalty – as Joseph’s secured an LOETB Ladies Intermediate Football Championship crown with a 3-7 to 1-11 victory over Graiguecullen. While this was sweet revenge for the Kellyville outfit after losing out to Shanahoe in last year’s decider, their 23-year-old attacker had gone through a significant personal battle on her way to become a county title winner.

After tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee at 15 years of age in 2016, Kealy suffered the same injury in her left knee two years later. Just shy of her 20th birthday in 2021, she tore the ACL in her right knee for a second time and required two operations as a result.

Yet she eventually returned to play a small part for Joseph’s in their 2023 campaign and went on from there to become a regular in the side during the current campaign.

“This was my first year I think since I was 14 playing a full season. I’m 23 now, so it has been a long time. I think we’ve had 14 matches this year and I was lucky enough to play in all of them, but to get back to be playing properly and be involved fully was a brilliant feeling. Capping it off with the championship was extra special,” Kealy acknowledged.

“It has been a long time coming, but I’m glad to be back there now and keep it going hopefully. I think in the space of five or six years, I tore my cruciate three times. I wasn’t back fully playing until last year because my last ACL, I had to have two operations on it.

“I didn’t get my full reconstruction until 2022. Last year I only got back, I think it was in June or July. Since I was 15, I’m kind of battling with the injuries and last year I was 22 then playing, so it was seven years of not really playing much.”

Despite how much on-field action she missed as a consequence of suffering three ACL injuries, Kealy’s love of the game was maintained throughout her various periods of rehabilitation. There are plenty of others like her that have suffered similar set-backs in recent years and she has some simple advice that can help them on their road to recovery.

“It’s a long process. You’re on crutches for a couple of weeks, then you can get going with your small exercises. I’d say to take it step by step and don’t rush back too quickly. It’s not easy, but I would say probably try to keep involved with the club, with the team.

“Have that support network around you, but I would say just take every stage step by step. Get the little milestones and then when it comes to it then, it will make it all much sweeter when you’ve done the hard work and you know that you’re capable of getting back to the full strength that you were previous to the injury.

“I think I was lucky. I always remained involved. I always went down to the trainings and went to the matches. It was easy that way to kind of push me on to get back, because the want to get back was always there.”

Certainly, Kealy’s contribution to the Joseph’s club – situated close to the Laois/Kildare border – isn’t solely confined to the playing field. In addition to operating the scoreboard for matches at their home ground with her brother, Aoife has also formed part of a minor management team within Joseph’s alongside her father Michael and a member of the adult backroom set-up.

In fact, virtually every game that Kealy plays in is a family affair of sorts as her mother Antoinette is regularly in attendance alongside her devoted grandparents, Andy and Esther Brennan.

“It’s a full family thing. It’s brilliant to be back playing and having them there cheering you on. The support would push you on even more. My grandparents were up there in the stand [for the intermediate final] and having the cup with them then was really nice. It’s nice to be able to share that time and the memories with them as well.

“Down at the club, me and my brother, we’re in charge of the scoreboard. Whenever there is a match on we’ll get the remotes and work the scoreboard. It’s a nice thing to have for the players on the pitch, to know the time and to know the scores. That’s a job that we get whenever there is a match on down in the pitch.”

The current Joseph’s side were well represented on the inter-county front in 2024 with Sinead Farrelly, Anna Moore, Emily Lacey and Ava Shanahan all being part of the Laois panel. Though injury obviously made it difficult for her to feature at the highest level of ladies football, Kealy did previously don the O’Moore jersey as an underage player.

“I did U12 and U14 was the last time I represented Laois. The injuries started then, but U14 we got to a Leinster final and I think we lost to Longford that day. That was the last time I ever played for Laois. The injuries took a toll then and kept me out for the seasons then.”

Although her form for Joseph’s might bring her into the reckoning for Laois at some point, Kealy has said her focus for now is primarily on club football. Her season with Joseph’s isn’t at an end just yet and next Saturday will see them welcoming Dublin intermediate winners O’Dwyers to their home pitch for a Leinster club championship fixture.

As she recalls a previous stint they enjoyed at provincial level, Kealy is hopeful that Joseph’s can make a big splash next weekend and potentially beyond.

“It has been a while since we competed in Leinster. Hopefully that will be another brilliant battle and we’ve home advantage, which is nice. When we won the junior a number of years ago, we played in Leinster. We got knocked out in the first round, but I think we’re probably a much more mature team now,” Kealy added.

Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on The Big Interview: Aoife Kealy (Laois/St Joseph’s) – Media West Ireland – October 12 2024

WXV 1 Round Three: Ireland V USA – The Irish Examiner – October 12 2024

Posted on October 11, 2024 by admin

Ireland finish campaign in style with comeback win against USA

Ireland won two of their three games at the tournament.
DAIRE WALSH

WXV1: Ireland 26 USA 14 

Thanks to three tries inside the closing 20 minutes of the contest, the Ireland women’s rugby team finished their WXV 1 campaign with a comeback victory against USA at BC Place in Vancouver.

While 10 of the Irish team were starting their third consecutive games of the tournament, Aoife Dalton, Nicole Fowley and Neve Jones were all drafted into the first 15.

Looking to bounce back from last Saturday’s defeat at the hands of host nation Canada, Ireland dominated possession in the opening 10 minutes and full-back Stacey Flood was held up over the try line by a committed USA defence during this period.

The Eagles eventually weathered this early storm, however, and it took a superb tackle from Erin King to prevent Lotte Sharp from making a break for the whitewash off a Tahlia Brody pass. Yet USA now had attacking momentum and loosehead prop Hope Rogers ultimately broke the deadlock with a converted try in the 18th minute.

This was a set-back for Ireland, but they got themselves back on level terms through one of their best performers in this tournament. King bagged a brace of tries in their magnificent triumph against New Zealand in the opening round and via a quick tap and go on 28 minutes, she powered over the whitewash under enormous pressure from the opposition defence.

Fowley’s bonus strike in the wake of this score looked set to keep Ireland on level terms at the break, until Rogers pounced for her second try in first-half stoppage-time.

A second successful McKenzie Hawkins conversion left the Irish seven points adrift and while Fowley did kick to good effect in opening play throughout the opening half, she had made way for Dannah O’Brien by the time the action resumed.

The Carlow native certainly made an impact upon her introduction at fly-half and with the ever-excellent Aoife Wafer joining back-row colleague Erin King in carrying the ball with considerable purpose, Ireland remained in contention moving towards the final-quarter.

USA were maintaining their seven-point advantage, but this all changed on 63 minutes. After Brody was adjudged to have tried to gather a pass by Molly Scuffil-McCabe towards Wafer from an offside position with the whitewash in sight, the Eagles back-row was sin-binned and Ireland were awarded a penalty try.

There was a sense that the pendulum was swinging back in Ireland’s favour and they suddenly had a two-player advantage when Rachel Ehrecke was also yellow carded on 72 minutes.

Ireland immediately took advantage of this significant numerical supremacy with a Cliodhna Moloney try from a line-out maul move and Tipperary woman Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe also dotted down in the 76th minute to ensure the Green Army ended with two wins from three games.

Scorers for Ireland: Tries – E King, C Moloney, A-L Murphy Crowe try each, Penalty Try and con. Cons – N Fowley, D O’Brien.

Scorers for USA: Tries – H Rogers (2). Cons – M Hawkins (2).

IRELAND: S Flood; E Considine, A Dalton, E Breen, A-L Murphy Crowe; N Fowley, E Lane; N O’Dowd, N Jones, L Djougang; D Wall, F Tuite; E King, A Wafer, B Hogan.

Replacements: D O’Brien for Fowley (h-t), M Scuffil-McCabe for Lane, C Moloney for Jones (both 60), S McCarthy for O’Dowd, E Higgins for Flood (65), R Campbell for Tuite, A Stock for Djougang (both 75), D Nic a Bháird for King (78).

USA: B Mataitoga; C Emba, A Kelter, G Cantorna, L Sharp; M Hawkins, C Bargell; H Rogers, K Treder, C Jacoby; E Jarrell, H Taufoou; T Brody, K Zackary, R Johnson.

Replacements: K Mae Sagapolu for Jacoby (h-t), P Stathopoulos for Treder (53), T Feury for Emba (56), E Henrich for Cantorna (63), R Ehrecke for Jarrell, T Tukuafu for Bargell (67), M Learned for Rogers (70).

Referee: M Cogger-Orr (New Zealand).

Posted in International Rugby, Women's Rugby | Comments Off on WXV 1 Round Three: Ireland V USA – The Irish Examiner – October 12 2024

WXV 1 Round Three: Ireland V USA – The Irish Times – October 12 2024

Posted on October 11, 2024 by admin

Ireland’s late scoring burst earns win over USA in Vancouver

Late tries from Cliodhna Moloney and Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe helped Ireland to a second win of their WXV 1 campaign

Daire Walsh

WXV 1, Round Three: Ireland 26 USA 14

Thanks to three tries inside the closing 20 minutes of the contest, the Ireland women’s rugby team finished their WXV 1 campaign with a comeback victory against USA at BC Place in Vancouver.

Looking to bounce back from last Saturday’s defeat at the hands of host nation Canada, Ireland dominated possession in the opening 10 minutes and full-back Stacey Flood was held up over the try line by a committed USA defence during this period.

The Eagles eventually weathered this early storm, however, and it took a superb tackle from Erin King to prevent Lotte Sharp from making a break for the whitewash off a Tahlia Brody pass. Yet USA now had attacking momentum and loosehead prop Hope Rogers ultimately broke the deadlock with a converted try in the 18th minute.

This was a setback for Ireland, but they got themselves back on level terms through one of their best performers in this tournament. King bagged a brace of tries in their magnificent triumph against New Zealand in the opening round of WXV 1 and via a quick ‘tap and go’ on 28 minutes, she powered over the whitewash under enormous pressure from the opposition defence.

Nicole Fowley’s bonus strike in the wake of this score looked set to keep Ireland on level terms at the break, until Rogers pounced for her second try in first-half stoppage-time.

A second successful McKenzie Hawkins conversion left the Irish seven points adrift (14-7) and while Fowley did kick to good effect in open play, she had made way for Dannah O’Brien by the time the action resumed.

The Carlow native certainly made an impact upon her introduction at outhalf and Ireland remained in contention moving towards the final-quarter.

The USA were maintaining their seven-point advantage, but this all changed on 63 minutes. After Brody was adjudged to have tried to gather a pass by Molly Scuffil-McCabe towards Wafer from an offside position with the whitewash in sight, the Eagles back-row was sin-binned and Ireland were awarded a penalty try.

There was a sense that the pendulum was swinging back in Ireland’s favour at this point and they suddenly had a two-player advantage when Rachel Ehrecke was also yellow carded on 72 minutes.

Ireland immediately seized the initiative with a Cliodhna Moloney try from a lineout maul move and Tipperary woman Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe also dotted down in the 76th minute to ensure the Green Army ended WXV 1 with two wins from three games.

Scorers – Ireland: E King, C Moloney, A-L Murphy Crowe try each, Penalty try and con, N Fowley con, D O’Brien con. USA: H Rogers 2 tries, M Hawkins 2 cons.

Ireland: S Flood; E Considine, A Dalton, E Breen, A-L Murphy Crowe; N Fowley, E Lane; N O’Dowd, N Jones, L Djougang; D Wall, F Tuite; E King, A Wafer, B Hogan. Replacements: D O’Brien for Fowley, half-time; C Moloney for Jones, M Scuffil-McCabe for Lane, both 60, S McCarthy for O’Dowd, E Higgins for Flood, both 65 mins; R Campbell for Tuite, A Stock for Djougang, both 75 mins; D Nic a Bháird for King, 78 mins.

USA: B Mataitoga; C Emba, A Kelter, G Cantorna, L Sharp; M Hawkins, C Bargell; H Rogers, K Treder, C Jacoby; E Jarrell, H Taufoou; T Brody, K Zackary, R Johnson. Replacements: K Mae Sagapolu for Jacoby, half-time; P Stathopoulos for Treder, 53 mins; T Feury for Emba, 56 mins; E Henrich for Cantorna, 63 mins, R Ehrecke for Jarrell, 65 mins; T Tukuafu for Bargell, 67 mins; M Learned for Rogers, 70 mins.

Referee: M Cogger-Orr (New Zealand).

Posted in International Rugby, Women's Rugby | Comments Off on WXV 1 Round Three: Ireland V USA – The Irish Times – October 12 2024

WXV 1 Round Three Preview: Ireland V USA – The Irish Times – October 11 2024

Posted on October 11, 2024 by admin

Ireland aiming to finish WXV 1 on a high against USA in Vancouver

Scott Bemand’s side looking to bounce back from defeat to hosts Canada in their final game

Daire Walsh

WXV 1: Ireland v USA, BC Place, Vancouver, Friday, 8.30pm Irish time

The Ireland women’s rugby team will be looking to end their encouraging debut campaign in WXV 1 on a high when they face USA at BC Place in Vancouver on Friday (kick-off 12.30pm local time/8.30pm Irish time).

Having competed in WXV 3 during the maiden season of this women’s international group tournament in 2023 – winning the third-tier crown with consecutive wins against Kazakhstan, Colombia and Spain – there was a fear Scott Bemand’s side might struggle in the top division this year.

Yet Ireland dispelled any notion that it was going to be too much of a step up by securing a shock victory over world champions New Zealand in the opening round of the second edition of the tournament a little under a fortnight ago. Although host nation Canada had the measure of them in Vancouver last Saturday, the Maple Leafs are currently ranked second in the world and there were still a number of positives for the Irish to take from an eventual 21-8 reversal.

The visiting side had held their own in defence, until the almost simultaneous sin-binnings of props Linda Djougang and Niamh O’Dowd left them significantly hamstrung. However, having found themselves 18 points adrift at the interval, Ireland kept their opponents scoreless in the second half and managed to grab a try through Eimear Considine in the third quarter of the game.

Although head coach Bemand will be seeking a strong performance from his side, he will also want a return to winning ways – particularly when you consider that the New Zealand game was preceded by triumphs over Scotland and Australia.

Given eighth-place USA are currently two spots below them in the world rankings, Friday’s game is certainly one that Ireland can target for a victory. Additionally, the Eagles are rooted to the bottom of the WXV 1 table in advance of this tie, following their consecutive defeats to date at the hands of England and France.

The fact that only 24 players have been used to date by Bemand in the tournament (Ruth Campbell will become the 25th if she is used against the USA) suggests there hasn’t been a massive amount of experimentation and Ireland are set to finish WXV 1 with 10 players who have started all three games.

Included among this cohort is inside centre Enya Breen, who captains the team for the second game in succession. Edel McMahon led Ireland from openside flanker against New Zealand – and served as co-captain with the currently injured Sam Monaghan during the Six Nations – but Erin King, Aoife Wafer and Brittany Hogan are once again the preferred backrows for this game.

Aoife Dalton, Nicole Fowley (making her first start of the tournament) and Neve Jones have all come into the Irish starting line-up for this encounter, replacing Eve Higgins, Dannah O’Brien and Cliodhna Moloney respectively. The latter triumvirate will provide cover on the bench, however, and can expect to be called upon at some point in the action.

IRELAND: S Flood; E Considine, A Dalton, E Breen, A-L Murphy Crowe; N Fowley, E Lane; N O’Dowd, N Jones, L Djougang; D Wall, F Tuite; E King, A Wafer, B Hogan.

Replacements: C Moloney, S McCarthy, A Stock, R Campbell, D Nic a Bháird, M Scuffil-McCabe, D O’Brien, E Higgins.

USA: B Mataitoga; C Emba, A Kelter, G Cantorna, L Sharp; M Hawkins, C Bargell; H Rogers, K Treder, C Jacoby; E Jarrell, H Taufoou; T Brody, K Zackary, R Johnson.

Replacements: P Stathopoulos, M Learned, K Mae Sagapolu, R Ehrecke, T Hann, T Tukuafu, E Henrich, T Feury.

Posted in International Rugby, Women's Rugby | Comments Off on WXV 1 Round Three Preview: Ireland V USA – The Irish Times – October 11 2024

Leinster Build-Up To Munster Home In United Rugby Championship: James Lowe – The Irish Sun – October 11 2024

Posted on October 11, 2024 by admin
LOWE DOWN

‘There’s a mutual hatred’ – James Lowe enjoying rivalry between Leinster and Munster ahead of Croke Park showdown

Munster are an opponent winger Lowe enjoys facing more than most
Daire Walsh

JAMES LOWE insists he can put friendships to one side when Leinster battle Munster at Croke Park tomorrow.

During this year’s Six Nations odyssey with Ireland, Lowe counted Munster men Calvin Nash, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, Conor Murray and Peter O’Mahony as international team-mates.

But given the way he has embraced the fixture since joining Leinster in 2017, Lowe has no qualms locking horns with his pals.

And with six tries to his name from 11 appearances against Munster, the Reds are an opponent winger Lowe enjoys facing more than most.

He quipped: “It’s some rivalry isn’t it? There’s not many club teams that can almost already sell 80,000 tickets for round four.

“There’s not many teams that can do it and to be involved with Leinster with a rivalry that I have sort of inherited, it’s pretty exciting.

“There’s a mutual hatred between the boys. As much as I love to see them succeed and I play with a lot of them, when it comes to it, if Casey is in front of me, I don’t care.

“If Calvin is in front of me, don’t care. I’m sure they’re saying the exact same thing on the other side.”

While his move to the Blues had already been confirmed by then, Leinster lock RG Snyman was a Munster player when the sides last met in December last year.

And having previously played against him on his Reds debut back in August 2020 as well as this summer’s tour of South Africa, Lowe finally got a chance to feature alongside Snyman in Leinster’s URC win away to Benetton last week.

Lowe has only counted Snyman as a clubmate for a short spell of time.

But the winger’s initial impressions of the two-time World Cup winner have been positive.

Lowe explained: “He’s an incredibly nice guy.

“He’s a crazy good athlete, he’s physically larger than life and he played very well. Hopefully we can keep him injury-free.”

Snyman is not the only former Munster player within the Leinster ranks as new attack coach Tyler Bleyendaal played for the Reds from 2015 to 2020.

Lowe was familiar with the Christchurch native from his time back in New Zealand and hailed him as a fine addition to the backroom team.

He added: “When I first met Tyler I would have been 17 or 18 and he would have been 20, in Christchurch. He was behind four world-class first-fives at the Crusaders.

“He’s very open-minded about how he plays the game. He has simplified a lot of things for us.

“It took us a few weeks to understand it but I think on Saturday we were pretty free flowing.

“Boys were able to express themselves in certain ways.

“It’s good we are all learning at the same time.”

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Leinster Build-Up To Munster Home In United Rugby Championship: Andrew Porter – The Irish Sun – October 10 2024

Posted on October 10, 2024 by admin
BACK FOR MORE

Andrew Porter can’t wait to face Munster at Croke Park as Leinster ace reveals GAA background with Kilmacud Crokes

Saturday won’t be his first time lining out at Croke Park though
Daire Walsh

ANDREW PORTER is happy to be lifting a finger again after a well deserved break.

More than 12 months on from being included in a summer training squad for last year’s World Cup in France, Porter started at loosehead prop as Ireland secured a 25-24 win in their second and final summer Test against South Africa in Durban on July 13.

While a finger injury sustained in the previous week’s encounter in Pretoria was cleared up in time for him to keep his place, the Dubliner had accumulated a number of knocks and niggles during his lengthy campaign.

He started a total of 27 games for either Leinster or Ireland in 2023-24 — and with player welfare more and more of a priority in the game, the 28-year-old prop was afforded a much-needed rest for the opening two rounds of this season’s URC.

But he finally made his first appearance of the current term in Treviso last Saturday, featuring for 56 minutes in a comprehensive bonus-point triumph over Benetton.

And ahead of a busy period for province and country, he is glad to be back in the saddle.

Porter said: “My finger was half hanging off from the first Test.

“I got the operation the night of the first Test, to try and put me back together.

“Given the length of the season, you are carrying knocks towards the end. They pile up after a while and you try to manage yourself.

“You try to bring the best of yourself in those end-of-season games and on tour. Coaches know how to train smart at that stage.

“They know they don’t have to be flogging you. It’s a case of looking after you.

“You do look forward to your time off when the season is that long.

“I definitely enjoyed my time off on the beaches of Sardinia, but ready to get back into it now and raring to go.”

Previously an underage hurler with Kilmacud Crokes — he lined out for them in a Féile Division 4 final in 2010 — Porter started when Leinster overcame Northampton Saints in their Champions Cup semi-final at Croke Park back in May.

This Saturday will see the Blues returning to GAA HQ for a URC showdown against arch rivals Munster, a game for which more than 75,000 tickets have already been sold.

As someone who was in attendance when Leinster famously defeated Munster in a Heineken Cup semi-final at the ground in 2009, Porter — who is set to feature prominently for Ireland in next month’s autumn internationals — is understandably excited for Saturday.

He continued: “It’s hard not to think of the game in 2009. Being at that, it’s hard not to relive those memories.

“I remember being in the stands watching that, so it is even more special to be playing in it.

“You never know how many games you are going to play in Croke Park.

“You’ve to seize the opportunity when you do, given the history and the cultural importance to Ireland.

“It’s incredibly special as a stadium and a privilege to play there.”

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Paul McGrath Pringles Ambassador Piece Two: The Irish Examiner – October 10 2024

Posted on October 10, 2024 by admin

‘He’d do a good job’ – McGrath backs Southgate for Man Utd hot seat

Paul McGrath said the perception that he dislikes Manchester United is incorrect. 
DAIRE WALSH

They won major silverware as part of a three-man Aston Villa defence all of 28 years ago and Paul McGrath has now backed Gareth Southgate as a potential candidate for one of the biggest jobs in club football.

Lining up alongside the now sadly-deceased Ugo Ehiogu, then Republic of Ireland international McGrath and future England boss Southgate played their part when Villa defeated Leeds United in the 1996 English League Cup final. Before spending seven years at the Birmingham-based side, McGrath had a similar stint at Manchester United.

Although Erik ten Hag remains in charge of the latter for the time being, his future as Red Devils manager is the source of constant speculation. In the event that a vacancy does arise at Old Trafford, McGrath believes Southgate would be a more than suitable replacement for the Dutch man.

“I think Erik is doing the best he can, but I honestly don’t know whether he’s good enough to be manager of Manchester United. I think Gareth is out of a job now, so maybe that might be a good shout,” McGrath said.

“I played with Gareth for Villa just for a short while. Whether he’d want it after having the England job, whether he’d want our job [Man United], I don’t know. It’s a big choice, but I think he’d do a good job. I think he’d be a great candidate.

“People think, for some reason, that I dislike Manchester United. They gave me my first chance in England. It didn’t end well for me when Alex [Ferguson] popped up and stuff like that, but I still love Manchester United.”

After McGrath departed Villa in the summer of 1996, he went on to play for the newly-promoted Derby County in the English Premier League. During his single season with The Rams, he played alongside Lee Carsley – who was on the verge of making a breakthrough into the Republic of Ireland senior set-up.

Set to lead out England as interim head coach for the third time this evening at home to Greece, Carsley is seen as a more than viable option as Southgate’s permanent replacement in the Three Lions dugout. As fate would have it, his first game in charge of England was against Ireland in the Aviva Stadium at the beginning of last month – a fixture that McGrath attended in person.

While he was hoping his former club-mate would end up on the wrong side of the result on that occasion, McGrath does have fond memories of Carsley and is thrilled to see his current rate of progress in the coaching world.

“I’m delighted for him, but obviously not when he’s playing against us! I don’t know if I got to say hello to him at the Irish game, but a really nice lad and I think it’s great what he’s doing,” McGrath remarked.

“He was only a kid when I met him, but he was a really nice kid. I wanted to wish him well. I didn’t want him to beat us obviously, but turned out he did.”

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