Life And Sport From An Armchair View
In an ideal world - whatever that is - the intention would have been to begin this piece by musing that at least the circus pertaining to the Republic Of Ireland manager job appeared to have the curtain drawn on it. But it appears it may still only be the interval therein as John O'Shea... Continue Reading →
Leinster... 43 Stade Francais... 7 Just how far does Leinster's strength in depth actually run? Is a question I'm sure many of their adversaries have long pondered. Well, unfortunately for Leo Cullen et al, they might be getting a bit closer to finding out. Certainly at fly half anyway. Obviously, the retirement of Johnny Sexton... Continue Reading →
LEINSTER... 21 MUNSTER... 16 It wouldn't be a meeting of the two old foes if it wasn't an epic. Score for score, massive hits given and taken on both sides. The pendulum swinging one way and then the other. As is often the case in these situations, it came down to who managed error limitation... Continue Reading →
Ireland... 33 Italy... 17 Challenge matches, Test matches, friendlies, warm ups, whatever you want. Do they carry any value? Observers of a certain vintage would be of the view they're not worth the grass they get played on. An easy conclusion to arrive at if using the 1988 case of Meath and Kildare as a... Continue Reading →
Leinster... 53 Leicester Tigers... 24 When the Dublin football team were in peak unbeatable mode under Jim Gavin, the manager repeatedly spoke about everyone in the camp 'trusting the processes'. Watch their matches during that era and you can see it playing out. There was one signal in particular - where the player in possesion... Continue Reading →
Rep. Of Ireland...3 Latvia...2 Anyone of an agricultural persuasion is no doubt retorting to the above headline that Harry Ferguson's ground breaking invention of the most famous piece of agricultural machinery ever made was in fact powered by the equally iconic Perkins engine. On the football landscape at the moment, both in the Premier League... Continue Reading →
Ireland... 29 England... 16 The phrase 'Impressionable kids' is one you often hear in use. Then there's the fact that it's said first impressions are lasting ones. Now read on... Andy Farrell's grandkids obviously copped on fairly quick that his team was better than that of their dad - England fly half Owen. Hence their... Continue Reading →
Ireland... 32 France... 19 There are few more satisfying things in sport than earning a statement victory with the cordite of controversy left wafting in the air. Now read on... That's exactly where Ireland found themselves on Saturday evening following their second win from as many outings in this season's Guinness Six Nations Championship. With... Continue Reading →
In the overall annals of GAA history, one wonders where the Centenary Cup resides. For Meath however, it was without doubt the spring board for the greatest era in the county's football history. Fast forward to the present day and Westmeath will be hoping that last year's Tailteann Cup success will similarly set them on... Continue Reading →
Ireland... 35 Fiji... 17 Anybody with the slightest knowledge about rugby for the four decades this writer has been on the go - at the very least - will surely know of the efficiency of those from the Pacific island of Fiji in the 7s format of the game. Therefore, you'd have thought that a... Continue Reading →