Updated All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – May 23 2024

Posted on May 23, 2024 by admin

The All-Ireland Hurling 2024 Championship Odds: Limerick On Top Ahead Of Waterford Clash

Daire Walsh

The All-Ireland senior hurling championship is really beginning to heat up and with so much up for grabs this weekend, the best betting sites are once again giving their takes on who is most likely to come away with the top prize in the small ball code.

Following an eventful few weeks, the round-robin section of both the Leinster and Munster championships are set to reach a conclusion in the coming days.

While Antrim and Carlow are set to face off at Corrigan Park on Sunday in the Leinster SHC, this is a game that has major ramifications for next year rather than this one.

As a result of their respective defeats to Galway and Wexford last weekend, both of these counties won’t be progressing any further in this year’s Liam MacCarthy Cup.

Yet with the bottom team in Leinster suffering relegation to the 2025 edition of the Joe McDonagh Cup, there is a winner-takes-all feel to this game.

However, whereas the victor in that game will be merely aiming to preserve their top-flight status for another year at least, Kilkenny, Wexford, Galway and Dublin will be aiming for either a provincial final place or a passage to an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final later in the summer.

Limerick Still The Favourites For Fifth Successive Title

The same goes over in Munster for Limerick, Clare and Waterford, who will all be in action on Sunday.

Cork have completed their round-robin campaign and will be hoping that back-to-back wins against Limerick and Tipperary can keep their All-Ireland dreams alive, but the latter will see their 2024 journey coming to an end when they face Clare at Semple Stadium in Thurles.

No one is safe from championship elimination in the south, but there is nevertheless an anticipation that Limerick will have advanced to their sixth consecutive Munster final by the end of the weekend.

After the scoring exploits of Seamus Flanagan (3-3), Aaron Gillane (0-7) and Gearoid Hegarty (0-4) weren’t enough to avoid defeat to Cork, the Treaty County are expected to get back to winning ways against an admittedly improving Waterford at the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday afternoon.

As the All-Ireland champions of the past four years – and the Munster winners of the last five – Limerick remain the frontrunners at 4/5 for ultimate success despite that recent loss to Cork.

Clare Behind Limerick In Betting

When Clare faced Limerick at the start of the Munster round-robin, they held a nine-point advantage before eventually losing out to their neighbours by three points. They looked set to share the spoils with Waterford in Ennis last Sunday prior to a much-discussed stoppage-time ‘65’ from Mark Rodgers winning them the game.

Though the two fixtures mentioned above (and a narrow victory against Cork in between) has raised some questions, the Banner remain a key contender for All-Ireland glory. While some bookmakers rate them as 9/2 prospects, the majority of betting apps are offering odds of 11/2on Brian Lohan’s charges.

Cork And Kilkenny Also In The Running, Galway An Outside Bet

This makes them second favourites for a national championship title, but a resurgent Cork are now hot on their heels.

On the brink of being knocked out of the competition as a consequence of successive defeats to Waterford and Clare, the Leesiders are back in the frame thanks to their narrow win over Limerick and last weekend’s 18-point demolition job against Tipperary.

They will still need some results to go their way this weekend, but Cork could be a force to be reckoned with if they manage to secure a top-three finish. As short as 9/2 with BoyleSports, Pat Ryan’s outfit are rated at somewhere between 5/1 and 6/1 with the remaining bookmakers on the market.

Even though they are now the only unbeaten side left in the championship, Kilkenny have slipped down to fourth in the betting for the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

Last Saturday saw them facing a previously undefeated Dublin at Parnell Park and just when it looked like the Sky Blues might be on course for a famous victory, a late goal from Eoin Cody got The Cats over the line.

Yet in addition to drawing away to Galway, Kilkenny also shared the points with Carlow in a recent championship bout. This means that there are some question marks over their overall prospects for 2024 and another tough test awaits them at home to Wexford on Sunday.

Yet even though the Marble County side are adrift of Limerick, Clare and Cork in the eyes of GAA betting sites at the moment, they are still an enticing option for punters at 13/2.

Although they got back to winning ways against Antrim following the disappointment of losing out to Wexford, there is uncertainty as to whether Galway have enough about them to forge a genuine challenge for the All-Ireland crown.

A win over Dublin at Pearse Stadium in Salthill this weekend would keep them in the championship beyond the provincial series, but with practically every firm offering 10/1 on Henry Shefflin’s westerners, the Tribesmen appeared to be an outside option at the time of writing.

Waterford And Wexford Further Down The Pecking Order, While Dublin Are Rank Outsiders

On the back of a difficult National Hurling League campaign, the expectations of Waterford weren’t as high as may have been in previous years.

Yet the Deise have been competitive across their championship games to date – albeit they may rue not being able to secure more than a point from their meeting with Tipperary.

Despite all that, however, they lie fourth in the Munster table heading into a crunch encounter with an all-conquering Limerick side at the weekend. This goes some way to explaining why the odds available on Waterford are as big as 33/1.

Even though Wexford backed up their excellent victory against Galway with an emphatic win over Carlow last weekend, bookmakers remained unconvinced about their Liam MacCarthy credentials.

Their recent record against Kilkenny in the Leinster round-robin series has been encouraging and they may need another big result at Nowlan Park to ensure they remain in the reckoning beyond this weekend.

The 25/1 some firms are offering on the Slaneysiders may make them an enticing outside bet, but the majority of new betting sites only see them as a 50/1 prospect.

Whereas Lee Chin has been scorer-in-chief for Wexford thus far, his haul of 1-41 makes Donal Burke the go-to man in the Dublin attack.

His tally of 14 points wasn’t enough to give the capital side the spoils against Kilkenny last Saturday and it leaves needing another big performance and result in their upcoming meeting with Galway.

Regardless, Dublin aren’t seen as a live contender for All-Ireland glory even if they prosper this Sunday – as evidenced by the championship odds that range from 66/1 to 150/1 on the Sky Blues.

Posted in Gaelic Games, Hurling | Comments Off on Updated All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – May 23 2024

Updated All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – May 22 2024

Posted on May 22, 2024 by admin

GAA Betting: The All-Ireland Football Championship: Dublin Still The Favourites

Daire Walsh

The weekend past saw the All-Ireland senior football championship group stages kicking into gear and with some significant heavyweights set to be in action on Saturday, the best betting sites are once again taking a look at who the main contenders are for the Sam Maguire Cup.

All-Ireland finalists in the past two years – winning the 2022 decider before falling short 12 months later – Kerry began their Group Four campaign with a comprehensive 0-24 to 1-11 victory at the expense of Monaghan.

Runners-up to the Kingdom in that Sam Maguire showpiece two years ago, Galway followed up their Connacht final success over Mayo with a 2-14 to 0-15 triumph against Derry in the opening round of Group One.

Mayo bounced back from that recent provincial loss by defeating Cavan on a score of 0-20 to 1-8 in Group Two, while Cork enjoyed a narrow 1-13 to 1-11 win away to Munster rivals Clare in Group Three.

It is a somewhat staggered opening to the group stages of the All-Ireland SFC, but there is still plenty of intrigue surrounding the games.

In Group One this weekend, Armagh will look to put their heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to Donegal in the Ulster final behind them when they welcome Westmeath to the Athletic Grounds.

Whereas neighbours Louth and Meath will be clashing at Inniskeen in Group Four – a de facto home ground for the former side – current kings of the northern province Donegal will play host to Tyrone at MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey in Group Three.

Dublin Still Out In Front As All-Ireland Favourites

Meanwhile, after being tested to the max by Louth in their recent Leinster final meeting at Croke Park, Dublin will get their Group Two odyssey up and running with a showdown against Roscommon at the same venue.

Although they shared the spoils with Davy Burke’s Connacht outfit in last year’s All-Ireland group stages, Dublin are expected to come through this game with flying colours and set themselves up for a safe passage towards the quarter-finals of the Sam Maguire Cup.

In fact, despite Kerry enjoying a convincing victory last Saturday, Dessie Farrell’s Metropolitan side remain the favourites for All-Ireland football glory in 2024.

Even if a number of players were below their best in the aforementioned Louth game, the form of Brian Fenton and Con O’Callaghan was quite encouraging and their final tally of 1-19 would be enough to win most games in the championship.

The return of Jack McCaffrey from a recent injury lay-off is also good news for Farrell and his management team, and there was also an opportunity to get more minutes into the legs of Stephen Cluxton, Michael Fitzsimons and James McCarthy.

Rated at 6/4 with GAA betting sites  – the defending champions are as short as 5/4 with some firms.

Kerry Still Viewed As Main Challengers To Dublin

Since the start of the year, Kerry and Derry have been seen as the two most likely challengers to Dublin’s throne.

A reversal to Galway has led to question marks about the latter, but Kerry maintain their potent threat.

Given there is a fear of an overreliance on David Clifford and Sean O’Shea for scores, Kingdom boss Jack O’Connor will have been pleased to see the evergreen Paul Geaney chipped in with five points against Monaghan last weekend.

Odds of 5/2 are on offer with the majority of new betting sites for an All-Ireland title.

Galway Leapfrog Derry In Betting After Their Win Over Them

Following two consecutive Ulster final victories and appearances at the penultimate phase of the All-Ireland championship, Derry seemed to be on a continued upward trajectory when they claimed the National Football League Division One crown on March 31, at Croke Park.

Yet an early exit in the provincial championship at the hands of Donegal halted their momentum and there was further cause for concern when they lost out to Galway in Salthill on Saturday last.

The second-quarter dismissal of Gareth McKinless put the Oak Leaf on the back-foot and in spite of the best efforts of Shane McGuigan, Lachlan Murray and Ciaran McFaul, Derry came out on the wrong side of the result.

Previously the third favourites for an All-Ireland title, the northerners have slipped to fourth in the rankings with the biggest odds on Mickey Harte’s men being 12/1 with the bookies.

As a consequence of their victory over Derry – and that Connacht final triumph – Galway have now moved up the ladder and are just behind Dublin and Kerry in the eyes of betting firms for the All-Ireland crown.

Goals from Sean Kelly and Cein D’Arcy aided their cause last weekend, but it was veteran midfielder Paul Conroy who produced the standout display for the Tribesmen.

Nine-time winners of the Sam Maguire Cup and finalists as recently as 2022, Padraic Joyce’s Galway are currently available at odds of 7/1 with most bookmakers.

They are also up for grabs at 13/2 and 6/1 with a number of others and appear to be trending in the right direction at the moment.

Donegal And Mayo Given Outside Chances Of All-Ireland Glory

Despite getting the better of them in the Ulster championship, Donegal are still just behind Derry in the betting for the All-Ireland series.

This is likely due to the fact that their recent championship record is a fair bit off their Oak Leaf counterparts, but the O’Donnell County have displayed plenty of grit upon Jim McGuinness’ return to the fold.

Though some bookmakers have them as far out as 16/1, Donegal are available at 12/1 in the race for the Sam Maguire Cup.

Bolstered by the return of Cillian O’Connor to the starting line-up, Mayo registered a comfortable win over Cavan last Saturday. However, the county was rocked by the news that key defender Patrick Durcan is set for an extended spell on the sidelines with a cruciate ligament injury.

Regarded as a work in progress under manager Kevin McStay, it will be interesting to see how the green and red adapt to life without the Castlebar Mitchels footballer.

Available at the relatively short odds of 10/1, the vast bulk of betting apps only see Mayo as a 14/1 prospect for a long-awaited fourth All-Ireland title.

Armagh And Tyrone Also Featuring In All-Ireland Betting

Armagh are seeking to bridge a 22-year gap to their last Sam Maguire Cup success, when current manager Kieran McGeeney was captain of the side.

Even though BoyleSports are offering odds of 14/1 on the Orchard in the wake of an agonising Ulster final loss, other bookmakers are less optimistic about their chances, with odds of 22/1 freely available.

The latter odds are the shortest available on Armagh’s provincial rivals Tyrone, with the longest being 28/1. The Red Hand have struggled for consistent form since winning their fourth senior crown in 2021, but morale in the county will have been boosted by their recent All-Ireland U20 championship success over Kerry.

Though they could well feature in the knockout rounds of the All-Ireland championship, the odds on the likes of Cork, Monaghan and Roscommon pulling off a surprise Sam Maguire Cup win range from 66/1 all the way out to 150/1.

 

Posted in Gaelic Football, Gaelic Games | Comments Off on Updated All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – May 22 2024

The Big Interview: Katie Quirke (Cork/Bride Rovers) – Media West Ireland – May 18 2024

Posted on May 18, 2024 by admin

Katie Quirke under no illusions about task facing Cork

BY DAIRE WALSH 

FOLLOWING a frustrating spell on the sidelines, Bride Rovers footballer Katie Quirke is glad to be back in the saddle as Cork set their sights on collecting a third consecutive TG4 Munster Senior Championship title against Kerry in Mallow this afternoon.

After amassing an impressive haul of 1-16 across the opening three rounds of the Leesiders’ Lidl National Football League Division 1 campaign, Quirke subsequently picked up a knee injury while lining out for her college UCC in February.

In addition to missing the remainder of the NFL and UCC’s march to the final of the HEC O’Connor Cup, it was initially feared Quirke wouldn’t be available again for Cork until the start of the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.

Yet she had regained fitness in time to register five points in their opening round Munster championship win over Waterford at Fraher Field on April 20. While she sat out a later loss at the hands of Kerry in Brosna, she posted 0-8 in Mallow a fortnight ago as Cork squeezed past Tipperary to set up today’s reunion with the Kingdom at the same venue.

‘I was told originally it was going to be the 12 weeks and that would have been all going well without any set-backs. To be fair, I’ve been very lucky. The physios have been very good to me and the doctors as well. I haven’t had a set-back and touch wood that won’t happen either,’ Quirke said.

‘It was pushed right up to the max and I had only trained one or two times before that Waterford game. It was just seeing how it would go and how I was feeling after that. It was just minding it.

‘It was nice to be back and even get one or two games in because as we know, how you get on in Munster has such a big part to play in the All-Ireland series. To try to do as well as we could. It was definitely one I was going to try to do my best to come back for.’

Quirke’s presence was certainly missed during the final four rounds of Cork’s springtime campaign as the Rebelettes suffered relegation to Division 2 of the NFL for 2025. She admitted this was a difficult period from not just a personal point of view, but also from that of the squad itself.

‘I did find it tough the first few weeks. You’d be going to training and having to sit out and watch everyone. It was really frustrating and to add on top of that, the league didn’t really go our way either. It did add an extra bit onto that. I tried my best to get back as soon as I could. It was tough and hopefully now I’m towards the end of that.’

When the Munster championship returned in 2022 following a three-year hiatus (brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic), Cork emerged on top of the pile courtesy of a 2-11 to 1-9 triumph over Kerry at Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney. Quirke appeared as a substitute in that game, before scoring a goal from full-forward 12 months later when the Leesiders retained their provincial crown with another victory against the Kingdom in Mallow.

However, whereas Cork fell to quarter-final and semi-final exits in 2022 and 2023 respectively, Kerry have reached back-to-back TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship deciders in the past two seasons. While Shane Ronayne’s charges will take solace from the fact they are the current holders of the Munster crown, Quirke is conscious of the challenge that awaits them later today.

‘We know what kind of a team Kerry are. When we have the last two Munster finals, it is a bit of encouragement going into it, but we’re under no illusions. They’ve had such a flying year so far and to get their three wins out of Munster, we know it’s going to be such a tough battle.’

Although a large bulk of them have stepped away from the inter-county scene over the past few years, Quirke (who recently finished her final exam as a nutritional science student in UCC) had experienced players all around her when she first joined the Cork senior panel in 2020.

For their Brendan Martin Cup showpiece defeat to Dublin behind closed doors at Croke Park in December of that year, she was part of a 30-strong match day panel that featured no fewer than 15 All-Ireland winners.

‘I remember still going into my first training, it was so daunting seeing them all. Such huge successes and such huge careers behind them. You’re just trying to row onto the back of them and to learn as much as you can. I think we were all just in awe of them and taken in under their wing,’ Quirke recalled of her debut season.

‘You learn their attitudes from them and the drive that they have. The passion that they have. That is what you needed to take you through. It is something that you feed off of. If you hang around long enough, it starts to rub off on you. It was so encouraging.’

A year before joining the senior panel, Quirke had scored 1-7 in a player of the match display as the Rebels defeated Monaghan to claim an All-Ireland Minor ‘A’ Championship title.

Despite acknowledging that stepping up to the senior grade isn’t always easy, Quirke believes the recent success enjoyed by underage Cork teams (they also secured minor honours in 2022) indicates there are still plenty of players that are capable of being long-term replacements for the players who have moved on since the county’s last All-Ireland senior final appearance in 2020.

‘I think every year there’s a few girls coming up from minor. To be fair, there has been good success in Cork. Those girls coming in and trying to make the transition into senior, it is so tough. Even myself, it was only in the last year or two that I feel like I’ve found my feet a bit,’ Quirke added.

‘Having that win behind you and that little platform just to get up from minor, you get that taste for success. It makes such a difference. You kind of get a taste for it and you just want to keep winning after that.’

Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on The Big Interview: Katie Quirke (Cork/Bride Rovers) – Media West Ireland – May 18 2024

Updated All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – May 17 2024

Posted on May 17, 2024 by admin

The All-Ireland Hurling 2024 Championship Odds: Limerick On Top Despite Cork Loss

Daire Walsh

As we head towards the closing stages of both the Leinster and Munster championships, betting sites are once more taking a look at who the most likely winners are of the All-Ireland senior hurling title in 2024.

While last weekend saw an epic Munster SHC clash between Cork and Limerick at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, its often-maligned eastern counterpart threw up a compelling battle of its own.

Although Dublin enjoyed a comfortable 20-point triumph over Antrim at Parnell Park, Kilkenny’s trip to nearby Carlow didn’t quite go according to script.

Expected to come through the game comfortably, the Cats ultimately returned to the Noreside with only a point.

Carlow had lost out narrowly to Dublin in the second round of the Leinster championship, after running Galway close for large stretches of their meeting in Salthill on April 21. But Carlow went a step further at Dr Cullen Park by claiming a 1-20 to 1-20 draw with Kilkenny.

This undoubtedly goes down as one of the greatest results in Carlow’s history and it shows that there is plenty of life in Leinster hurling this year.

Limerick Still Favourites For All-Ireland Glory

Limerick’s 3-28 to 3-26 loss to Cork indicates that the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship might be far more open than people might have originally thought.

Nevertheless, the Treaty are chasing a fifth consecutive Liam MacCarthy Cup crown and very much remain the side to beat.

The fact that they found themselves two points in front during the closing moments of their showdown with Cork last Saturday, after previously being eight adrift at the midway stage in the action, means John Kiely’s men still came away from the game with credit in the bank.

In addition to the scoring prowess of Aaron Gillane and Gearoid Hegarty, Seamus Flanagan emerged with an outstanding personal haul of 3-3.

As well as dominating the All-Ireland series in recent years, Limerick have also won the Munster senior title in each of the past five seasons.

The only idle team in the province this weekend, the Treaty are still out in front as 4/5 favourites on GAA betting sites.

Clare And Kilkenny Leading The Chasing Pack

As has been the case for the past few weeks, Clare (6/1) and Kilkenny (13/2) are still regarded as the main challengers to Limerick’s Liam MacCarthy throne.

Considering the former are the one to have pushed them the most in Munster over the past two years, and the latter are the side they defeated in the 2022 and 2023 All-Ireland deciders, this is perhaps unsurprising.

Clare have some work to do to keep their championship hopes alive beyond the provincial series, however, as Waterford and Tipperary will provide a stern test of their resolve over the next two weekends.

Meanwhile, having shared the spoils with both Galway and Carlow to date, Kilkenny will be aiming for a return to winning ways against Dublin at Parnell Park on Saturday.

Galway Still In The Reckoning For Now

Following a disappointing eight-point loss to Wexford in their most recent round-robin game, Galway will hope that a two-week break has worked to their advantage when they face Antrim at Corrigan Park this weekend.

While there are severe doubts about the Tribesmen in the wake of an under-par performance against Wexford, but Conor Cooney, Conor Whelan and Evan Niland are more than capable of providing firepower for Henry Shefflin’s charges.

All-Ireland semi-finalists in the past two years, Galway are still ranked in the top-four when it comes to the betting for the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

Though they are some way off Clare and Kilkenny with betting apps, odds of 10/1 with Betway, this is still enough to make them fourth favourites this year.

Wexford And Dublin Still Seen As Rank Outsiders

Despite their impressive win over the Connacht-based side, Wexford are viewed as rank outsiders for All-Ireland glory.

This is probably due to the perception of the Slaneysiders being an inconsistent group of players.

This was perfectly encapsulated by their round two defeat to Antrim, who suffered heavy reversals to Kilkenny and Dublin either side of it.

In Lee Chin, Wexford (50/1) have one of the in-form players in the country, but bookmakers aren’t convinced they are going to bridge a 28-year gap to their last All-Ireland success.

Even though they currently sit at the summit of the Leinster championship table with five points from a possible six, Dublin are 125/1 with BoyleSports.

Their participation in the knockout rounds of the All-Ireland championship isn’t guaranteed either at this junction, particularly with tough games on the horizon against Kilkenny and Galway.

Cork, Waterford And Tipperary Battle To Stay Alive

When it comes to the Munster triumvirate of Cork, Waterford and Tipperary, the odds of an All-Ireland success are considerably more favourable.

Rejuvenated as a result of their magnificent victory over Limerick – the evergreen Patrick Horgan once again stood out with an individual tally of 1-11, as Cork (12/1) are nestled in behind Galway in the Liam MacCarthy betting.

Defeat to Tipperary at Semple Stadium, Thurles this Sunday would end Cork’s All-Ireland hopes. Second in the Munster table at the moment, Waterford (20/1) have seemingly left a difficult National Hurling League campaign behind them.

The likes of Dessie Hutchinson and Stephen Bennett have shone thus far for the Deise, but they have a tough task on their hands this Sunday against Clare at Cusack Park in Ennis.

Despite having two games left in the competition, Tipperary’s Munster showdown with Cork this weekend is one they will be desperate to win after picking up just one point from a possible four to date.

An impressive spread of 13 scorers helped them to earn a share of the spoils away to Waterford on May 4, but there are question marks about the Premier County after a few decidedly underwhelming championship campaigns.

It would be wrong to discount Liam Cahill’s squad completely, but at 33/1, it seems unlikely that they will be climbing the steps of the Hogan Stand in Croke Park later this summer.

While they have picked up excellent results in the 2024 championship, both Antrim and Carlow are rank outsiders for All-Ireland glory with odds that range from 500/1 to 1,000/1 on new betting sites.

Posted in Hurling | Comments Off on Updated All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – May 17 2024

Updated All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – May 16 2024

Posted on May 16, 2024 by admin

GAA Betting: The All-Ireland Football Championship: Dublin Still The Favourites

Daire Walsh

Now that the provincial championships are done and dusted, and the Sam Maguire Cup is about to kick into gear, the best betting sites are once again taking a look at the main contenders for the All-Ireland senior football championship title this summer.

Despite encountering a stubborn challenge from Louth at Croke Park on Sunday, Dublin claimed their 14th consecutive Leinster football crown with a 1-19 to 2-12 victory against the Wee County.

While this game proved to be closer than most punters expected, it came as little surprise that the Ulster senior football championship final between Donegal and Armagh was such a close and tense battle.

Although they found themselves four points adrift of their opponents deep into the second half, Donegal rallied to ensure the showpiece decider went to extra-time at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones.

They couldn’t be separated at the end of 90+ minutes of compelling action, but at the end of the ensuing penalty shootout, it was Armagh who came up short in an Ulster final for the second successive year.

Let’s check out the latest odds on who will lift the Sam Maguire trophy at Croke Park on Sunday, July 28.

Dublin Still Favourites For All-Ireland Glory

While there are some teams who won’t kick-start their All-Ireland senior football championship group campaigns until May 25, eight counties will be in action this coming Saturday.

Given their most recent appearance was only last weekend, Dublin are one of those teams that will be idle until Saturday week.

Even though his side weren’t at their very best against Louth, Dublin boss Dessie Farrell will have been encouraged by the performances of key duo Brian Fenton and Con O’Callaghan.

The reigning All-Ireland champions will make a quick return to Croke Park for an All-Ireland SFC Group 2 clash against Roscommon, followed by subsequent meetings with Cavan and Mayo.

Dublin (6/4) are expected to come through this group with flying colours and though there are a number of challengers that we will look into, they remain favourites on new betting sites.

Kerry Also In The Shake-Up

Having recently earned their fourth Munster title on the bounce – and their 11th in just 12 seasons – Kerry are back in action with an All-Ireland Group 4 game at home to Monaghan on Saturday.

In their showdowns with Cork and Clare in the southern province, the Kingdom came out on the right side of the result without necessarily being at the peak of their powers.

Yet in David Clifford and Sean O’Shea, Kerry have two of the best forwards in the game, and Clifford’s brother Paudie is another player who is capable of being a match-winner on his day.

At 5/2, Jack O’Connor’s men may not be the favourites for Sam Maguire glory, but they are viewed as the most viable candidates outside of Dublin.

Contenders Derry And Galway Clash This Weekend

Several weeks on from exiting the Ulster championship at the hands of eventual winners Donegal, National Football League Division One champions Derry will resume their 2024 season with a visit to Galway in Group 2 of the All-Ireland series.

The nature of their 4-11 to 0-17 provincial quarter-final reversal to Donegal may have raised some doubts, but it could yet prove to be a blessing in disguise for Mickey Harte’s side.

There is plenty of star quality within the Oak Leaf ranks with Shane McGuigan being as pivotal to their chances of success as David Clifford and Con O’Callaghan are for Kerry and Dublin respectively.

Third favourites at 6/1 on betting apps before the start of their Ulster campaign, Derry hold on to this position despite falling short in their quest for a third successive provincial triumph.

Derry’s game at Pearse Stadium in Salthill this Saturday should prove to be a tasty affair as Galway are currently just behind them in the betting for the All-Ireland football championship.

Having had a difficult year up to that point, the Tribesmen are in a much brighter mood as a consequence of winning a nail-biting Connacht final against local rivals Mayo last Sunday week.

Player of the match Damien Comer was excellent throughout and with John Maher, Matthew Tierney, Shane Walsh and Daniel O’Flaherty all making impacts off the bench, there was an added spark in Galway’s game.

As it stands, the westerners are 12/1 for a 10th All-Ireland senior football title in their history and they could make for an interesting outside bet.

Ulster Champions Donegal Also In The Reckoning

The same could be said of Donegal in the wake of their penalty shootout victory over Armagh in last weekend’s Ulster final.

Back in the O’Donnell hot seat after a significant absence, Jim McGuinness has now guided his native county to a fourth provincial crown.

It remains to be seen if he will be able to repeat the All-Ireland success of 2012, but with the likes of Oisin Gallen, Paddy McBrearty and Jason McGee at his disposal, it would be foolish to completely rule them out.

Ahead of an All-Ireland group clash with Tyrone on Saturday week, odds of 14/1 are available on GAA betting sites for a Donegal All-Ireland victory.

Mayo, Armagh And Tyrone Viewed As Championship Outsiders

Seen as a dark horse at best before their Connacht showdown with Galway, defeat in that game means there are some fresh doubts as to how far Mayo might go in this year’s championship.

They will welcome Cavan to Castlebar this weekend and will be hoping for strong performances from Tommy Conroy, Ryan O’Donoghue and Aidan O’Shea to get their year back on track.

More often than not, Mayo find themselves at the business end of the All-Ireland championship, and they are rated as far out as 16/1 by some betting apps – including 888sport.

After suffering an astonishing fourth penalty shootout defeat in less than two years, there will be questions surrounding the mentality of Armagh ahead of their All-Ireland SFC Group 1 opener against Westmeath on Saturday, May 25.

All-Ireland champions for the first and only time to date in 2002, the Orchard men are currently only rated at 16/1 to do so for a second time.

Sam Maguire Cup winners on no fewer than four occasions since that breakthrough by provincial rivals Armagh, Tyrone are viewed as rank outsiders for All-Ireland glory – despite securing top honours as recently as 2021.

In advance of that aforementioned clash with Donegal, the Red Hand can be backed at 33/1.

Posted in Gaelic Football, Gaelic Games | Comments Off on Updated All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – May 16 2024

Leinster LGFA Senior Championship Final Follow-Up Piece: Dublin V Meath – Leinsterladiesgaelic.ie – May 13 2024

Posted on May 16, 2024 by admin

QUOTES LED: TG4 Leinster SFC Final Report

LEINSTER LGFA SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

Dublin 3-17

Meath 0-8

By Daire Walsh

After they convincingly secured the Leinster LGFA Senior Championship title for an 11th time in succession, Dublin manager Mick Bohan acknowledged the return of some key players has given his squad a significant bounce for the 2024 inter-county season.

Thanks in no small part to goals from Carla Rowe, Jennifer Dunne and Caoimhe O’Connor, the Jackies recorded an emphatic 18-point victory against Meath in a provincial decider at Croke Park yesterday. Moments before O’Connor found the net in the 39th minute of the action, Sinead Goldrick had rattled the crossbar for the rampant Metropolitan outfit.

Having missed out on their TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship success of last year, Goldrick – who has been lining out for Australian Rules side Melbourne in recent years – is now back within the Dublin ranks and produced a strong performance in GAA HQ. Olwen Carey and Nicole Owens are other stalwarts from the past who have returned to the fray in 2024 and they both chipped in with a point apiece over the course of Sunday’s final.

“A year ago, I would have said to you we were in a complete rebuild and we were. We had 16 new players and then out of that we got a couple of diamonds who just came through. Obviously the season ended well for us, but then we got a little bit of an influx back. Nicole coming back into the set-up, she was out with a double ACL,” Bohan remarked after the game.

“Olwen Carey coming back, she had gone into the Guards. Goldie [Sinead Goldrick] coming back from Australia. Jess Tobin, who had done her ACL. All of a sudden you get a bounce from those people. There is unbelievable experience in the group.”

Supplementing an early brace of points from Hannah Tyrrell, Dublin skipper Rowe registered a quickfire 1-1 salvo to move her county five clear (1-3 to 0-1) in the 11th minute.

A second goal followed from Dunne on the stroke of 20 minutes and with Tyrrell ending the opening period on a personal haul of 0-4, the reigning champions established a convincing 2-8 to 0-2 cushion in time for the interval.

Although Kate Sullivan and Goldrick were close to raising green flags off the same move, O’Connor made sure her own name was added to the scoresheet nine minutes into the second half with a smooth finish beyond the reach of Meath netminder Monica McGuirk.

Despite Emma Duggan chipping in with a number of fine efforts, the Royals were overly reliant on the Dunboyne ace and struggled to curb the attacking threat of Dublin at the opposite end.

While Rowe (1-3) and Tyrrell (0-5) emerged as the scorers-in-chief, full-forward Niamh Hetherton also recorded four points to cap an excellent individual display.

Whereas Dublin now move into Group 4 of the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship with Mayo – who lost out to Galway in yesterday’s Connacht SFC decider – Meath will find themselves in Group 1 of the Brendan Martin Cup with the winners of the forthcoming Ulster final between Donegal and Armagh, as well as Munster outfit Tipperary.

Speaking in the aftermath of their reversal to Dubin, Meath manager Shane McCormack cut an understandably disappointed figure.

“I’m just devastated for the girls because they’re after putting in a lot of hard work over the last couple of months. Just gutted for them, because they didn’t do themselves justice today,” McCormack said.

“I take the hat off to Dublin, they deserved the win today and they’re a fantastic team. They’re All-Ireland champions for a reason. Hopefully there’ll be more days to come, but we just have to focus on the All-Ireland series now.”

Scorers – Dublin: C Rowe 1-3 (0-3f), H Tyrrell 0-5 (1f), N Hetherton 0-4, J Dunne, C O’Connor 1-0 each, O Carey, L Magee, O Nolan, N Owens, C Darby 0-1 each. Meath: E Duggan 0-6 (4f), A Cleary, C Smyth 0-1 each. 

DUBLIN: A Shiels; M Byrne, L Caffrey, N Donlon; S Goldrick, O Carey, L Magee; J Dunne, J Tobin; C O’Connor, O Nolan, C Rowe; H Tyrrell, N Hetherton, K Sullivan. Subs: G Kos for Carey, E Gribben for Nolan (both 38), A Kane for Magee (41), N Owens for Sullivan (42), C Darby for Goldrick (49).

MEATH: M McGuirk; C Lawlor, MK Lynch, N Troy; N Gallogly, L Young, K Newe; M O’Shaughnessy, A Cleary; M Thynne, S Melia, C Smyth; E Moyles, M Farrelly, E Duggan. Subs: K Cole for Young (25), O Gore for Newe (33), M Byrne for Melia (35), A Leahy for Thynne (39), A McCabe for Moyles (44, temp), O Mallon for Leahy (45).

Referee: Marion Hayden (Carlow).

Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on Leinster LGFA Senior Championship Final Follow-Up Piece: Dublin V Meath – Leinsterladiesgaelic.ie – May 13 2024

Post-Match Reaction: United Rugby Championship – Leinster V Ospreys – Jimmy O’Brien – The Kildare Nationalist – May 14 2024

Posted on May 14, 2024 by admin

EADESTOWN’S JIMMY LOOKING TO END SEASON ON A HIGH NOTE

By Daire Walsh 

Following a frustrating spell on the sideline, Eadestown’s Jimmy O’Brien is now feeling fresh and rejuvenated as Leinster aim to challenge on all fronts at the business end of the 2023/24 season.

Initially selected at full-back for the New Year’s Day clash against Ulster in the United Rugby Championship at the RDS, the former Newbridge College student was ultimately a late withdrawal from the game and it was confirmed a week later that he was due to spend several months on the sideline with a neck injury. This ruled him out of Ireland’s successful defence of their Six Nations Championship crown and a plethora of provincial fixtures, but the Kildare native finally made his return off the bench in Leinster’s tense Champions Cup semi-final win over Northampton Saints at Croke Park the weekend before last.

He was subsequently named on the left-wing for the Blues’ comprehensive victory against Ospreys in Ballsbridge on Saturday and in addition to claiming a third-minute breakthrough try, O’Brien delivered an impressive all-round performance that helped him to secure a player of the match award.

“It was frustrating to miss out on European games, the Six Nations and stuff like that. Definitely. It was frustrating, but you can’t really do anything. There’s a timeline and you’re focused on trying to get back and, when you get back, trying to put your hand up for selection and try and play well,” O’Brien remarked after Saturday’s game.

“A lot of lads are carrying bangs from during the season. I’ve been doing that the last few years. I’m feeling very fresh, the shoulders feel good for once. There is that benefit, I just need to get up to match fitness and that 80 minutes helped. That’s the other side of the coin.”

Although they ultimately came away with a 61-14 bonus point victory that left them just a single point behind pace-setters Glasgow Warriors in the URC table, Leinster didn’t always have it their own way against the Ospreys in the Ballsbridge venue. Despite storming into a 14-0 lead with converted tries from O’Brien himself and Ross Molony, the hosts’ cushion had been wiped out by the end of the opening quarter.

Leo Cullen’s men were also temporarily reduced to 14 players as a result of Ciaran Frawley being sin-binned for his role in a 19th minute penalty try for Ospreys. Yet Leinster eventually regained control with the first of three tries from O’Brien’s fellow winger Jordan Larmour and after bringing a 21-14 buffer into the dressing rooms, Leinster clinically registered 40 unanswered points on the resumption.

“They’re a good side. We talked about it all week that they’re going to put us under pressure. They put our exits under pressure especially, coming out in that first half. We weren’t that accurate getting out of our own half. We let them in and they took advantage of that. Frawls [Ciaran Frawley] getting yellow carded was a hard period to manage. He was unlucky, there was no malice in it.

“You have to manage that period, myself and Jordo [Jordan Larmour] talked about playing full-back and wing. We train sometimes with 13 on 15 to get used to that, to try and put yourself in the pressure. So when something like that happens in the game, you’re not too fazed.”

Considering his complete lack of on-field action in 2024 up to that point didn’t prevent him making the match day 23 for Northampton’s visit to GAA HQ at the beginning of the month, O’Brien will be confident of also featuring in the Champions Cup final showdown with Toulouse at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday week – particularly now that he has an extra 80 minutes under his belt.

Yet given the length of his absence – his previous appearance before the Northampton game was a Champions Cup pool stage encounter with Sale Sharks on 16 December of last year – O’Brien is also eager for a run-out against Ulster in the URC at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast this coming weekend.

“To be honest, I just want to play as much as I can at the moment. That’s the one thing I’m missing, game time. I’ve no issue, I’d love to play next weekend. Selection for the Champions Cup final is going to be tough. There are so many good players, you see the lads still injured at the moment,” O’Brien added.

“There are so many players stepping into their position and playing well at the moment, so it’s such a tough team to get into. No doubt whoever gets selected next week will play well. Hopefully I get selected and then turn the page to the Champions Cup final after that. Next weekend is huge for us at Ulster.”

Posted in European Rugby | Comments Off on Post-Match Reaction: United Rugby Championship – Leinster V Ospreys – Jimmy O’Brien – The Kildare Nationalist – May 14 2024

Leinster Build-Up To Ulster Away In United Rugby Championship: Andrew Goodman – The Irish Times – May 14 2024

Posted on May 14, 2024 by admin

James Ryan and Hugo Keenan set to boost Champions Cup chances by playing against Ulster

Garry Ringrose’s participation remains in doubt due to ‘frustrating’ injury

Daire Walsh

Following an extended period on the sidelines for both players, Leinster assistant coach Andrew Goodman is hopeful James Ryan and Hugo Keenan can return to competitive action against Ulster in Belfast this weekend.

An arm injury picked up in a “freak accident” during Ireland training ruled Ryan out of the final two games of the Six Nations championship, as well as the last eight competitive fixtures Leinster have played across the Champions Cup and the United Rugby Championship, but he is expected to resume full training before the Ulster game.

Keenan has been absent since a hip injury forced his late withdrawal from the starting line-up for the Champions Cup quarter-final win over La Rochelle at the Aviva Stadium on April 13th, but the fullback is also set to be available for selection at Kingspan Stadium. Given both men will have their sights set on featuring in the Champions Cup final against Toulouse at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday week, Goodman acknowledged it is important for them to get some minutes under their belts as soon as possible.

“Hopefully they get through training this week and are ready to go. You want guys to play footy and we know it’s important for them to get minutes under their belt. You can do all the training you want, but you can’t replicate the physicality and the decision-making under pressure that a game demands,” said Goodman.

While this is encouraging news for Goodman and the rest of the Leinster coaching staff, there is an element of frustration surrounding the fitness of Garry Ringrose.

A shoulder injury sustained in a Champions Cup victory against Leicester on January 20th limited his involvement during Ireland’s successful Six Nations campaign. He was expected to be available for Leinster’s European semi-final clash with Northampton at Croke Park but a setback in his recovery from a similar issue meant he had to watch from the stands.

Although he will be assessed as the week goes on, there is no guarantee that he will be able to play in the Ulster game.

“Frustrating is the right word. I think everyone’s a little bit frustrated. You feel for Garry in terms of where he’s at. It’s just one of those ones, day-to-day, it could come better just like that and he will be good to go again. He has been training and training well, so it’s just the final couple of steps we need to tick off there,” said Goodman.

Despite the focus within the group being on their clash with Ulster and giving themselves the best possible chance of securing a top seeding in the knock-out rounds of the URC, anticipation is continuing to grow from outside for Leinster’s latest attempt at claiming a fifth European top-tier title at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 25th.

That is something their final opponents Toulouse achieved back in 2021, when they overcame the challenge of fellow Top 14 outfit La Rochelle in a compelling decider that was held at Twickenham. Whereas Covid restrictions meant only 10,000 people were allowed through the turnstiles for that contest, a cauldron-like atmosphere is anticipated on Saturday week.

Leinster have enjoyed convincing semi-final triumphs over Toulouse in the past two seasons, but due to the impressive style of rugby that Ugo Mola’s charges like to produce, Goodman believes their latest duel will be one that captures the attention of the general public.

“I think it’s great we got Toulouse in the final. I think if we had a dream final, if someone had asked me at the start of the year, I’d have loved to play Toulouse in the final because I enjoy watching them play,” added Goodman.

“I think they play a great brand of rugby. I think we play a great brand of rugby. It’s exciting to prepare for and I’m sure there are people out there excited to see how it unfolds.”

Posted in European Rugby | Comments Off on Leinster Build-Up To Ulster Away In United Rugby Championship: Andrew Goodman – The Irish Times – May 14 2024

United Rugby Championship: Leinster V Ospreys – The Irish Examiner (Print) – May 13 2024

Posted on May 13, 2024 by admin

Jimmy O’Brien feeling fresh after Leinster comeback took longer than he’d hoped

“I was kind of waiting and waiting for scans to be positive.”
DAIRE WALSH, RDS

United Rugby Championship: Leinster 61 Ospreys 14 

Following a frustrating spell on the sideline, Jimmy O’Brien is now feeling fresh and rejuvenated as Leinster aim to challenge on all fronts at the business end of the 2023/24 season.

Initially selected at full-back for the New Year’s Day clash against Ulster in the URC at the RDS, O’Brien was ultimately a late withdrawal from the game and it was confirmed a week later that he was due to spend several months on the sideline with a neck injury. This ruled him out of Ireland’s successful defence of their Six Nations crown and a plethora of provincial fixtures, but the Kildare native finally made his return off the bench in Leinster’s tense Champions Cup semi-final win over Northampton Saints at Croke Park the weekend before last.

He was subsequently named on the left-wing for the Blues’ comprehensive victory against Ospreys in Ballsbridge on Saturday and in addition to claiming a third-minute breakthrough try, O’Brien delivered an all-round performance that helped him to secure a player of the match award.

“With the neck I knew it was going to be long-term and I wasn’t certain when I would be back. It’s all dependent on scans. It was frustrating because with a hamstring you know it’s six weeks or something like that and have a deadline. Whereas this one, I was kind of waiting and waiting for scans to be positive,” O’Brien remarked after Saturday’s game.

“It definitely took a little bit longer than I was hoping, but I’m just delighted to be back. I’m feeling very fresh, the shoulders feel good for once. There is that benefit, I just need to get up to match fitness and that 80 minutes helped.”

While a superb 70-metre solo effort by O’Brien during the early exchanges of the contest was followed up by Ross Molony’s first score in a Leinster jersey since January 2022, Osprey fired back impressively with a converted five-pointer from Owen Watkin and a penalty try just shy of the first-quarter mark.

Ciaran Frawley was yellow carded for tackling Luke Morgan in the lead-up to the latter, but in his absence, Jordan Larmour bagged his first try of the night on 27 minutes to propel Leinster towards a 21-14 interval cushion.

This put the hosts in sight of a bonus point and following excellent approach work from O’Brien, South African lock Jason Jenkins crossed over for their fourth try within 60 seconds of the restart.

The final outcome was placed beyond doubt when Larmour was released by Robbie Henshaw for his second try in the 54th minute, but Leinster continued to inflict damage on their Welsh counterparts in the final-quarter of a game that was played in front of 15,750 spectators.

In addition to Larmour completing his hat-trick, Jamie Osborne, Charlie Ngatai and Tommy O’Brien also added their names to the scoresheet as the eastern province cruised over the line.

Now just a single point adrift of Glasgow Warriors in the URC standings, Leinster will look to bolster their quest for top seeding in the knockout rounds of the competition when they face Ulster at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast this Saturday – seven days before their Champions Cup final showdown against Toulouse in London.

“Away in Ulster is always tough. I’ve played a couple of games up in Ravenhill. It’s obviously a good atmosphere, but pretty hostile against you when you’re up there,” O’Brien added.

“It’s always good to play in, but it’s a tough place to go. Then obviously with Toulouse in the middle we know that, but we’ve a good squad of players to hopefully manage it.”

Scorers for Leinster: Tries – J Larmour 3, J O’Brien, R Molony, J Jenkins, J Osborne, C Ngatai, T O’Brien. Cons – R Byrne 5, C Frawley 3.

Scorers for Ospreys: Tries – O Watkin, Pen Try. Cons – D Edwards.

LEINSTER: C Frawley; J Larmour, J Osborne, R Henshaw, J O’Brien; R Byrne, L McGrath; A Porter, R Kelleher, T Furlong; R Molony, J Jenkins; R Baird, J van der Flier, C Doris.

Replacements: D Sheehan for Kelleher, J Conan for Molony, J Gibson-Park for McGrath (all 52), M Milne for Porter, T Clarkson for Furlong (both 56), C Ngatai for Byrne, T O’Brien for Henshaw (both 58), S Penny for Doris (71).

OSPREYS: M Nagy; L Morgan, O Watkin, K Williams, K Giles; D Edwards, R Morgan-Williams; N Smith, D Lake, R Henry; J Ratti, H Sutton; H Deaves, J Tipuric, M Morris.

Replacements: G Thomas for Smith, T Botha for Henry (both 52), J Morgan for Deaves, S Parry for Lake, J Walsh for Edwards (all 57), V Sekekete for Sutton, E Boshoff for Williams (both 71).

Referee: S Grove-White (SRU).

Posted in European Rugby | Comments Off on United Rugby Championship: Leinster V Ospreys – The Irish Examiner (Print) – May 13 2024

Leinster Follow-Up Piece To Ospreys Home In United Rugby Championship: Jimmy O’Brien – The42.ie – May 13 2024

Posted on May 13, 2024 by admin

Leinster’s O’Brien feeling fresh and ready for more game time after ‘frustrating’ spell out

‘Selection for the Champions Cup final is going to be tough,’ says Kildare native.

FOLLOWING A FRUSTRATING spell on the sideline, Jimmy O’Brien is now feeling fresh and rejuvenated as Leinster aim to challenge on all fronts at the business end of the 2023/24 season.

Initially selected at full-back for the New Year’s Day clash against Ulster in the United Rugby Championship at the RDS, Jimmy O’Brien was ultimately a late withdrawal from the game and it was confirmed a week later that he was due to spend several months on the sideline with a neck injury. This ruled him out of Ireland’s successful defence of their Six Nations Championship crown and a plethora of provincial fixtures, but the Kildare native finally made his return off the bench in Leinster’s tense Champions Cup semi-final win over Northampton Saints at Croke Park the weekend before last.

He was subsequently named on the left-wing for the Blues’ comprehensive victory against Ospreys in Ballsbridge on Saturday and in addition to claiming a third-minute breakthrough try, O’Brien delivered an impressive all-round performance that helped him to secure a player of the match award.

“It was frustrating to miss out on European games, the Six Nations and stuff like that. Definitely. It was frustrating, but you can’t really do anything. There’s a timeline and you’re focused on trying to get back and, when you get back, trying to put your hand up for selection and try and play well,” O’Brien remarked after Saturday’s game.

“A lot of lads are carrying bangs from during the season. I’ve been doing that the last few years. I’m feeling very fresh, the shoulders feel good for once. There is that benefit. I just need to get up to match fitness and that 80 minutes helped. That’s the other side of the coin.”

Although they ultimately came away with a 61-14 bonus point victory that leaves them just a single point behind pace-setters Glasgow Warriors in the URC table, Leinster didn’t always have it their own way against the Ospreys in the Ballsbridge venue. Despite storming into a 14-0 lead with converted tries from O’Brien himself and Ross Molony, the hosts’ cushion had been wiped out by the end of the opening quarter.

Leo Cullen’s men were also temporarily reduced to 14 players as a result of Ciaran Frawley being sin-binned for his role in a 19th-minute penalty try for Ospreys. Yet Leinster eventually regained control with the first of three tries from O’Brien’s fellow winger Jordan Larmour and after bringing a 21-14 buffer into the dressing rooms, Leinster clinically registered 40 unanswered points on the resumption.

“They’re a good side. We talked about it all week that they’re going to put us under pressure. They put our exits under pressure especially, coming out in that first half. We weren’t that accurate getting out of our own half. We let them in and they took advantage of that. Frawls [Ciaran Frawley] getting yellow carded was a hard period to manage. He was unlucky, there was no malice in it.

“You have to manage that period, myself and Jordo [Jordan Larmour] talked about playing full-back and wing. We train sometimes with 13 on 15 to get used to that, to try and put yourself in the pressure. So when something like that happens in the game, you’re not too fazed.”

Considering his complete lack of on-field action in 2024 up to that point didn’t prevent him making the match day 23 for Northampton’s visit to GAA HQ at the beginning of the month, O’Brien will be confident of also featuring in the Champions Cup final showdown with Toulouse at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday week — particularly now that he has an extra 80 minutes under his belt.

Yet given the length of his absence – his previous appearance before the Northampton game was a Champions Cup pool stage encounter with Sale Sharks on 16 December of last year – O’Brien is also eager for a run-out against Ulster in the URC at Kingspan Stadium, Belfast this coming weekend.

“To be honest, I just want to play as much as I can at the moment. That’s the one thing I’m missing, game time. I’ve no issue, I’d love to play next weekend. Selection for the Champions Cup final is going to be tough. There are so many good players, you see the lads still injured at the moment,” O’Brien added.

“There are so many players stepping into their position and playing well at the moment, so it’s such a tough team to get into. No doubt whoever gets selected next week will play well. Hopefully I get selected and then turn the page to the Champions Cup final after that. Next weekend is huge for us at Ulster.”

Daire Walsh

Posted in European Rugby | Comments Off on Leinster Follow-Up Piece To Ospreys Home In United Rugby Championship: Jimmy O’Brien – The42.ie – May 13 2024