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Leo Cullen impressed with Mike Ala’alatoa’s start to life with Leinster

Leinster boss Leo Cullen has praised tighthead prop Michael Ala’alatoa’s start to life with the provincial outfit after joining the team in the summer.

Ala’alatoa is set to make his fourth start for the club in seven games since arriving from Crusaders in New Zealand – he has racked up 51 minutes as a substitute in two other games also.

The Samoan international was unavailable for selection against Ulster last weekend as he was with the national side, who were meant to play the Barbarians in an ill-fated fixture.

He will make his return to the side on Friday night when they face Connacht in their second interprovincial fixture in as many weeks.

Head Coach Leo Cullen has praised his new tighthead ahead of his sixth appearance for the reigning domestic champions.

“[Ala’alatoa] has been a great character within the group – very, very popular with the lads,” Cullen noted. “In terms of his performance on the field, he’s coming from a very good environment (Crusaders) so he’s added lots of little bits there as well.”

Ala’alatoa joined the side after five years with the Crusaders and was regarded as a “world-class prop” over there by his coach Scott Roberson.

Naturally, he slots into second in the tighthead pecking order at the club, behind Tadhg Furlong and ahead of Vakh Abdeladze and Thomas Clarkson.

His presence in their scrum and in the defensive line has been something that Leinster cherished in the opening weeks, with Furlong resting after being on Lions duty.

On top of this, the 30-year-old has yet to taste defeat playing for Leinster, with a perfect record attached to his name so far.

Cullen is hoping that the Samoan will continue to perform for the side and further prove his worth in the weeks ahead, starting with the United Rugby Championship clash against Connacht.

“So yeah, hopefully, he just goes from strength to strength – that’s the plan. He’s settled in well which is great to see, which is what you want from guys coming in on the outside.”

Ospreys v Ulster – Preview, Teams, Odds, Where To Watch

Ulster travel to Wales to play Ospreys at the Swansea.com Stadium in round seven of the United Rugby Championship, a week after their interprovincial win over Leinster at the RDS Arena.

Ulster bounced back from a heavy defeat to Connacht to take down the Pro 14 champions and swap opponents with the Westerners this week, as Connacht beat Ospreys last week and now face Leinster on Friday night.

Ospreys are hoping to avoid a third loss of the season after the heavy defeat to Andy Friend’s men, just like Ulster did.

Ulster winger Craig Gilroy is set to make his 200th appearance for the side – he will become their eighth double-centurion on the men’s team if he gets minutes from the bench.

Robert Baloucoune and Bradley Roberts have returned to the starting lineup after spending time with Ireland and Wales respectively for the Autumn Nations Series.

Jack McGrath makes his return to the Ulster side after recovering from injury and is named among the replacements.

Although named on the bench last week versus Leinster, Tom Stewart wasn’t called upon, so could make his senior debut on Saturday as he is selected again in the replacements.

Last week’s try-scorer James Hume will miss out.

Ospreys welcome several members of the side back into the squad after injuries and international duty – Alex Cuthbert and Tomas Francis are among those returning.

Michael Collins (not the revolutionary) starts at 13 after a spell on the sidelines.

Captain Rhys Webb and Stephen Myler will aim to impose themselves on their opponents more than they did last week after strong starts to the season.

Dan McFarland’s men sit joint-top of the table – a bonus-point win could help them claim top ahead of Leinster.

Ospreys, on the other hand, can move into the top four with a victory – albeit, ahead of Munster who have only played five games.

Teams

Ulster

(15-9) Mike Lowry, Robert Baloucoune, Angus Curtis, Stuart McCloskey, Ethan McIlroy, Billy Burns, John Cooney;

(1-8) Eric O’Sullivan, Bradley Roberts, Tom O’Toole, Kieran Treadwell, Alan O’Connor (Capt.), Sean Reidy, Nick Timoney, David McCann.

Replacements: Tom Stewart, Jack McGrath, Marty Moore, Mick Kearney, Marcus Rea, Nathan Doak, Stewart Moore, Craig Gilroy.

Ospreys

(15-9) Dan Evans, Alex Cuthbert, Michael Collins, Owen Watkin, Luke Morgan, Stephen Myler, Rhys Webb (C);

(1-8) Gareth Thomas, Sam Parry, Tomas Francis, Rhys Davies, Bradley Davies, Will Griffiths, Jac Morgan, Morgan Morris.

Replacements: Elvis Taione, Nicky Smith, Tom Botha, Jack Regan, Ethan Roots, Reuben Morgan Williams, Gareth Anscombe, Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler.

Odds

Ospreys 11/5

Draw 19/1

Ulster 4/11

Where To Watch

The match will be available to watch live on Premier Sports 2 and URC TV.

Craig Gilroy set for 200th Ulster appearance v Ospreys

Ulster winger Craig Gilroy is set to become the eighth Ulster man to reach the 200 appearance mark on Saturday at 3 pm, should he be called upon from the bench.

Gilroy makes way for Robert Baloucoune, who starts in the back three alongside Mike Lowry and Ethan McIlroy.

James Hume will not appear for the side after his game-winning interception against Leinster – Angus Curtis replaces him at 13 with McCloskey retaining the number 12 shirt.

John Cooney and Billy Burns have been named scrum-half and out-half respectively.

Wales international Bradley Roberts will come in to start at hooker, with Eric O’Sullivan and Tom O’Toole on either side of him in the front row.

Alan O’Connor will captain the team and is named in the second row alongside Kieran Treadwell.

Sean Reidy comes in to start at blindside, with Nick Timoney at openside and David McCann completing the base of the pack.

Jack McGrath makes his return to the Ulster side after recovering from injury and is named among the replacements.

Although named on the bench last week versus Leinster, Tom Stewart wasn’t called upon, so could make his senior debut on Saturday as he is selected again in the replacements.

Gilroy, Nathan Doak and Mick Kearney are among those also on the bench.

Ulster team v Ospreys

(15-9) Mike Lowry, Robert Baloucoune, Angus Curtis, Stuart McCloskey, Ethan McIlroy, Billy Burns, John Cooney;

(1-8) Eric O’Sullivan, Bradley Roberts, Tom O’Toole, Kieran Treadwell, Alan O’Connor (Capt.), Sean Reidy, Nick Timoney, David McCann.

Replacements: Tom Stewart, Jack McGrath, Marty Moore, Mick Kearney, Marcus Rea, Nathan Doak, Stewart Moore, Craig Gilroy.

The 10 Greatest Rivalries in MMA History

The 10 Greatest Rivalries in MMA History

Everyone loves a good old fashioned rivalry, right? Rather it is Batman v the Joker or Coke v Pepsi, people are seemingly drawn to a feud of epic proportions. In MMA, the case in point is no different, with a slew of infamous and iconic conflicts between fighters that have had fans on the edge of their seat and make them go back and enjoy in all their trash talk glory.

For a sport that is relatively still young, MMA is, without doubt, one of the most popular sports around today, with the UFC taking over the combat sports world in recent years. Now there have been many great rivalries in the sport of MMA since the UFC’s inception in 1993 but what rivalries popularized the sport? what rivalry brought the most eyes and what made the most money?

It takes more than animosity to make a great rivalry, this list will be based on entertainment value, how competitive the fights were and their lasting impact on MMA, here are the top 10 greatest rivalries in MMA history.

The 10 Greatest Rivalries in MMA History

10. Brock Lesnar v Frank Mir

After leaving professional wrestling and trying his hand at the NFL, Brock Lesnar decided to compete in mixed martial arts, and from that decision, drama and entertainment unfolded. Starting out in Japan at a K-1 kickboxing promotion in 2007, Lesnar demolished Min-Soo Kim before controversially signing for the UFC in 2008.

His first task, heavyweight title contender Frank Mir. A world-class fighter during his era, many thought it was like sending a pig to slaughter, with Mir far more skilled and experienced in the sport compared to Lesnar.

The pair met at UFC 81, with Lesnar shockingly dominating Mir for much of the round before being caught with a kneebar.

A rematch was scheduled to headline the historic UFC 100 card, their second meeting was the total opposite of was preceded it. With Lesnar now Heavyweight champion and Mir the Interim champion. Lesnar made light work of Mir with ground-and-pound, becoming undisputed heavyweight champion. A trilogy bout was scheduled but broke down due to Lesnar’s medical issues.

Their rivalry was a landmark for the promotion at the time, with the two fights bringing in a combined over 2 million PPV buys, with UFC 100 being the highest-grossing UFC card in history for a decade.

9. Uriah Faber v Dominick Cruz

In MMA terms, the Bantamweight division is rarely spoken about or highlighted as one of the best weight divisions in the sport, but with the meeting between Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber in 2007, things changed.

Meeting under the WEC banner, Urijah ”The California Kid” Faber defeated a young and green Cruz via guillotine choke at WEC 26 for the WEC Featherweight Championship. By the time the pair joined the UFC, Cruz and Faber had moved down a division to Batmanweight, where a heated rivalry ensued.

Winning the inaugural UFC Bantamweight Championship at WEC 53 in 2010, the first defence of his UFC belt was against Faber, who he defeated fairly easily at UFC 132 in 2011.

The pair were chosen to coach The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) prior to what would have been their rubber match at UFC 148, but because of Cruz’s persistent injuries, the bout was cancelled.

It took a further five years to round off the rivalry, with Cruz yet again defending his crown at UFC 199. Defeating Faber yet again by unanimous decision and closing off a heated and highly competitive feud.

8. Chuck Liddell v Randy Couture

If you are looking for a heated rivalry full of hate and venom, this feud had very little. But Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture took part in a legendary trilogy that sure as hell cemented itself in the MMA history books.

Ironically, the first fight was never meant to happen. With a highly anticipated bout between Liddle and Tito Ortiz in the works. But due to contract disputes with Ortiz, the UFC decided to book Liddell and Couture for the interim belt.

The pair went toe-to-toe at UFC 43 with Couture knocking out Liddell and then defeating Ortiz to becoming the undisputed 205-pound champion.

After a disappointing run in the 2003 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix, Liddell made his long-awaited return to the octagon. Knocking out Ortiz and Vernon White before the ”The Iceman” got his chance at Couture at UFC 52.

It took Liddell one round to knock out Couture, starting off one of the best reigns in UFC history. Couture was back for a rematch after submitting Mike van Arsdale. The pair faced off again with Couture suffering another early knockout loss to Liddell.

A great and intriguing rivalry that was never meant to happen. It is truly a groundbreaking rivalry during the early days of MMA.

The 10 Greatest Rivalries in MMA History

7. Tito Ortiz v Ken Shamrock

Easily one of the most heated rivalries the sport has ever seen, Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock embarked on a vicious feud that catapulted the sport of MMA when it needed it most.

However, Ortiz was overly dominant in all three bouts against Shamrock. While Shamrock may have been one of the pioneers of the sport, he always had a chink in his armour. Showcased by the fact that all three bouts between the pair only lasted one round in their final two fights.

While the trash talk was laughably bad, and the overall competitiveness of their fights was much to be desired, but it’s the lasting legacy of their TUF seasons as coaches and the pure insanity of the press conferences are enough to get on this list.

6. Conor McGregor v Khabib Nurmagomedov

The most-heated, the most vicious and by far the most personal feud in MMA history has to go to the war between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018.

It all started in 2016 after McGregor won the Lightweight title against Eddie Alvarez at Madison Square Garden, a fight originally signed and agreed for Khabib. McGregor went on to become the first-ever double champ in the promotion, with a fight against Khabib highly rumoured.

However, McGregor decided to box Floyd Mayweather in a cross-promotion that saw him take in a reported $100 million dollars. He would then not fight in the octagon for 2 years, leaving the door wide open for Khabib to capitalise on the Irishman’s departure.

Days prior to Khabib’s first title shot at UFC 223, McGregor’s training partner and close friend Artem Lobov called out the Russian, with Khabib along with personnel cornering Lobov in a hotel lobby, leading to a physical confrontation.

That’s when things got ugly, a bus carrying all the fighters on the card along with Khabib was ambushed by a group, led by McGregor. Were windows were smashed and bad blood was spilt.

A fight was scheduled for UFC 229 with the newly crowned champion and unbeaten Russian facing off against ”The Notorious”. The lead up was vicious, with McGregor getting up close and personal with Khabib, leading to an entertaining yet dark press conference.

The fight was anything but competitive, McGregor did manage to take a round of Khabib in the third, the first man to do so. But it was a wrestling clinic from the Russian who submitted McGregor in the fourth to retain his title.

A rematch has long been desired by McGregor, but with Khabib now retired and the Irishman coming off two losses to Dustin Poirier, it is evident that the rivalry is over with.

The 10 Greatest Rivalries in MMA History

5. Anderson Silva v Chael Sonnen

What happens when you pair a respectable and what many would consider the embodiment of what a mixed martial artist should be, against an all American trash talker? Well, a hugely entertaining rivalry for starters.

Never seen as a realistic challenger to Silva’s Middleweight crown, Sonnen went on a three-fight win streak before facing the Brazilian at UFC 117 in 2010.

Sonnen came into their first fight with one thing in mind, to verbally destroy Silva. The brash talking American had fans tuning in, turning the middleweight division into the most entertaining division in the UFC and when it came to the fight, Sonnen did not disappoint.

Putting on a wrestling clinic, Sonnen shockingly dominated Silva for four and a half rounds before Silva outrageously locked in a triangle choke to retain his title. While Sonnen lost the fight, his ability to talk the talk and walk the walk made fans clamour for a rematch.

Unfortunately for Sonnen, he could not perform as close as he did in his original fight with Silva. It all went downhill as soon as Sonnen decided to perform a spinning back-fist, falling to the canvas and suffering a beat down before Silva finished the rivalry for good in the second round.

4. Chuck Liddell v Tito Ortiz

It was a matchup that took forever to put together, but once Chuck Liddell v Tito Ortiz was booked, it turned out to be the most important rivalries in MMA history.

The feud was halted, mostly due to Ortiz’s unwillingness to fight his former friend and teammate. However, Liddell had no problem with fighting ”The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” and went on a tirade, accusing Ortiz of being afraid and ducking him.

The pair finally met at UFC 47 in 2004 with Liddell knocking Ortiz out cold with a PPV buy rate of 105,000. The success of their first fight made the UFC book the second fight at UFC 66 in 2006 where Liddell yet again scored a TKO victory in round three with a massive increase in PPV buys with close to one million.

The pair did face-off in 2018 for the newly formed Golden Boy Promotions with Ortiz knocking out a 48-year-old Liddell in the first round.

The less we talk about this one the better.

3. Conor McGregor v Nate Diaz 

When Conor McGregor arrived in the UFC, it did not take him long to become the biggest star the sport has ever seen and after his 13-second knockout of Featherweight champion Jose Aldo in 2015, he was a global superstar.

Come 2016 the Irishman was scheduled to face Rafael Dos Anjos for the Lightweight title at UFC 196. But a foot injury halted McGregor on his quest to become the first-ever dual-weight world champion the UFC has ever had.

The UFC then announce that Stockton’s own Nate Diaz will face off against McGregor, but at Welterweight, a massive 25-pound jump up for McGregor was seen as a major step up, but he came into the fight as the heavy favourite. The trash-talk and chemistry between the pair was tremendous leading up to the bout, encapsulated by the massive 1.3 million PPV buys.

The fight happened and McGregor threw everything at a resilient Diaz in the opening round. By round two McGregor was noticeably fatigued and would end up losing via submission, ending his 17-fight win streak and making Nate Diaz a household name and a ”needle-mover”.

Their rematch was set for UFC 202 after the cancellation of their scheduled bout at UFC 200. With McGregor winning via majority decision. The fight brought in 1.6 million PPV buys, becoming the biggest UFC event in history until it was beaten by McGregor v Khabib in 2018.

The rubber match is yet to be made, but with both fighters coming into the highlight end of their careers, it will be sooner rather than later before fans see these two back in the octagon together.

2. George St. Pierre v Matt Hughes

When you have one fighter who is in their prime and another fighter who is just coming into his, you have a recipe for greatness, and it is hard to argue that GSP and Matt Hughes did not have a great and impactful rivalry.

Neither were good trash talkers during their career, but it was their talent and competitiveness that made this trilogy great.

Coming into their first encounter, GSP was still a relatively young fighter, while Hughes was seen as the greatest Welterweight and fighter at the time. At UFC 50, it was clear St-Pierre was not up to standards as of yet, with Hughes submitting his rival via armbar.

By the time GSP got his second chance at Hughes, he had won four consecutive fights, and when it came to it, he knocked out Hughes with a head kick in the second round.

The pair faced off for the third time for the interim championship after St-Pierre suffered a shocking loss to Matt Serra. GSP managed to submit Hughes, ending their rivalry and becoming the best Welterweight and fighter in the world in what was a passing of the torch moment for the Canadian.

1. Jon Jones v Daniel Cormier

Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier easily have one of the most heated rivalries the sport has ever seen. Starting out the pair were friendly with one another but after a comment made by Jones to Cormier at an event backstage in 2010, the pair became enemies.

When it came to their first fight at UFC 182, the bad blood had escalated so much that they could not be in the same room as one another. Unlike most rivalries that are for the camera, Jones and DC genuinely wanted to kill each other whenever they were in close contact.

During a media face-off in 2014, the pair were involved in a massive brawl that had to be stopped by numerous security guards and UFC officials, and come 2015, they finally squared off in the octagon with Jones racking up a unanimous decision win.

Later that year Jones was suspended and stripped off his Lightheavyweight title by the UFC for a hit and run incident before being suspended indefinitely again for a doping violation that squandered their rematch for UFC 200.

It wasn’t until 2017 until then-champion Daniel Cormier and Jones would face-off, with Jones finishing DC in the third round, taking back his belt and putting an end to their rivalry….well not entirely.

Jones tested positive yet again for a banned substance and was subsequently stripped of his belt, with the bout being overturned to a no-contest. Cormier was awarded the belt back and then went on to become double champ, capturing the heavyweight title in a first-round finish of Stipe Miocic before retiring.

The 10 Greatest Rivalries in MMA History

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Ireland Women’s Six Nations 2022 Fixtures Announced

The fixtures for the upcoming 2022 Women’s Six Nations have been announced, with Ireland set to face Wales at the RDS in their campaign opener.

The competition begins on Saturday, March 26, 2022, and will end a month later on Saturday, April 30, 2022.

Ireland will have three home games set to be played at three different venues across Ireland – the RDS, Musgrave Park and Kingspan Stadium.

They play Wales, as mentioned before, Italy and Scotland at these venues respectively during the campaign.

The match against Scotland will be the first senior international to be played at the Belfast venue since the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup final.

Commenting on today’s news, IRFU CEO, Philip Browne, said: “We are delighted to announce that it will be even easier for fans around the county to support our women’s team in the 2022 Six Nations as we look at increasing the accessibility, profile, and interest in our women’s rugby team across the country.

“Support for the team has grown strongly as they moved from Ashbourne, to Energia Park and the RDS and we hope that by bringing the team closer to the provincial clubs that are developing women’s and girl’s rugby, we can encourage even more female involvement, at all levels.

“The three provincial venues deliver topflight facilities and playing surfaces that will allow for the best of international women’s rugby, and we are optimistic that our 2022 Six Nations will be one of the best supported campaigns ever.”

Greg McWilliams’ first two away trips as Ireland Women’s Head Coach will see the team and him travel to France and England.

The former national assistant coach will return to the setup to take the reins after Adam Griggs’ stepped down from the role.

Ticket information for Ireland’s three home games in Dublin, Cork and Belfast will be announced soon.

Ireland Women’s Six Nations 2022 Fixtures

Ireland v Wales – Saturday, March 26, 2022 (Kick-off 4:45 pm)

France v Ireland – Saturday, April 2, 2022 (Kick-off 3:15 pm)

Ireland v Italy – Sunday, April 10, 2022 (Kick-off 5 pm)

England v Ireland – Sunday, April 24, 2022 (Kick-off 12 pm)

Ireland v Scotland – Saturday, April 30, 2022 (Kick-off 8 pm)

Nine internationals return to starting XV for Leinster against Connacht

Leo Cullen has named his Leinster side to face Connacht this Friday night, with several familiar faces making their returns (KO 7.45 pm).

Cullen has been able to call on a selection of internationals that were involved in the November window.

Two of those, Hugo Keenan and James Lowe, will line out in the back three where they are joined by Jordan Larmour.

Robbie Henshaw swaps from outside centre to inside while Garry Ringrose returns to don the number 13 shirt.

Luke McGrath will lead the side out as captain and he is partnered in the half-backs by Harry Byrne, who made a late cameo against Ulster last week.

In the pack, Cian Healy, newly-capped international Dan Sheehan and Samoan star Michael Ala’alatoa make up the front row with Ryan Baird and Devin Toner slotting in behind them.

Autumn Nations Player of the Series Caelan Doris starts at No 8 where he is flanked by the familiar presence of Rhys Ruddock and Josh van der Flier.

Josh Murphy will reach a half-century of appearances for the province if he is introduced from the bench.

He’s joined in the replacements by Rónan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Vakh Abdaladze, Max Deegan, Nick McCarthy, Ross Byrne, and Tommy O’Brien.

Leinster Team v Connacht

15. Hugo Keenan (34)
14. Jordan Larmour (65)
13. Garry Ringrose (90)
12. Robbie Henshaw (58)
11. James Lowe (55)
10. Harry Byrne (26)
9. Luke McGrath (156) CAPTAIN

1. Cian Healy (236)
2. Dan Sheehan (17)
3. Michael Alaalatoa (5)
4. Ryan Baird (32)
5. Devin Toner (269)
6. Rhys Ruddock (194)
7. Josh van der Flier (102)
8. Caelan Doris (43)

Replacements:

16. Rónan Kelleher (28)
17. Andrew Porter (80)
18. Vakh Abdaladze (13)
19. Josh Murphy (49)
20. Max Deegan (69)
21. Nick McCarthy (39)
22. Ross Byrne (109)
23. Tommy O’Brien (11)

Connacht make three changes for Leinster interpro

Connacht have made three changes to their starting XV for Friday’s interprovincial clash with Leinster at the RDS Arena (k/o 7.45 pm).

Oisín Dowling, Eoghan Masterson and Peter Robb are named to start in the second row, blindside flanker and inside centre respectively after getting minutes from the bench last week,

The rest of the team is unchanged from the one that ran in seven tries against Ospreys, meaning Robb is partnered by Sammy Arnold with a back three of wingers Mack Hansen and Alex Wootton and full-back Oran McNulty.

Kieran Marmion and captain Jack Carty continue at 9 and 10 respectively.

The front row of Matthew Burke, Dave Heffernan and Finlay Bealham makes its fifth straight start, while Ultan Dillane partners Dowling in the second row.

Masterson’s inclusion means Jarrad Butler moves to number 8 while Conor Oliver completes the line-up from openside.

The replacements include Cian Prendergast and Tom Farrell who both return to the matchday 23 having recovered from injuries.

Head Coach Andy Friend says: “Last week was pleasing not just to pick up 5 points but to continue our recent level of performances, even with a substantial break in the middle. The challenge for all of us now is to raise our game even more, away to one of the best sides in Europe.

We’ll take confidence from our win at the RDS last January, and our travelling supporters will be a big help as always. This game will tell a lot about where we are right now so we’re really looking forward to it.”

Connacht Team V Leinster Rugby

15. Oran McNulty (3)
14. Alex Wootton (23)
13. Sammy Arnold (21)
12. Peter Robb (48)
11. Mack Hansen (6)
10. Jack Carty (165) (C)
9. Kieran Marmion (192)
1. Matthew Burke (29)
2. Dave Heffernan (150)
3. Finlay Bealham (165)
4. Oisín Dowling (12)
5. Ultan Dillane (120)
6. Eoghan Masterson (114)
7. Conor Oliver (26)
8. Jarrad Butler (79)

16. Shane Delahunt (106)
17. Jordan Duggan (18)
18. Jack Aungier (19)
19. Leva Fifita (2)
20. Cian Prendergast (14)
21. Caolin Blade (136)
22. Conor Fitzgerald (40)
23. Tom Farrell (65)

Man United v Arsenal – Preview, Betting, Probable Starting Teams

Ralph Rangnick will get his first chance to claim a win as he plays the Gunners at home in a tough midweek clash in the Premier League

Man United v Arsenal will kick off at 20:15 tonight, Thursday 2nd December in Old Trafford. Referee Martin Atkinson will take charge of the tie.

For those that could not claim a ticket, the match will also be shown live on Premier Sports ROI 1.

This week is the beginning of a transition in Manchester United. On Sunday, German manager Ralf Rangnick was officially appointed as the club’s new boss. He will need to impose his mantra quickly as the club are now three games without a wing.

The Reds team is also hampered by injuries so the new head coach will not have a full list to choose from. This important game will still be the idle moment to endear himself to the Old Trafford faithful.

Mikel Arteta has begun to build a very threatening and consistent side with the young Arsenal team. Since a poor 4-0 loss to Liverpool in November, the Gunners are on a three-game winning streak while Aaron Ramsdale has kept three clean sheets.

They sit in fifth place now but a victory will jump them ahead of West Ham United into the Champions League places. It could be some very important points for the club also resigning their rivals to the tenth place in the table.

Many would consider this fixture to be one of the historic and important matchups in the Premier Leagues’ lifetime. Two of the most successful clubs in the competition but Manchester United have a slight advantage going by statistics. The Red Devils have won 11 of their last 25 games while the Gunners have seven wins and the remaining seven are draws.

Last season was quite an uneventful year for this fixture with only one goal score in both matches combined. Arsenal won the first game away from home while the most recent game in January ended 0-0 in the Emirates Stadium.

Man United v Arsenal Probable Starting Teams

Manchester United

Formation

4-3-3

Probable Starting 11

De Gea (GK), Telles, Maguire, Lindelof, Wan-Bissaka, McTominay, Fred, Matic, Rashford, Ronaldo, Sancho.

Injuries / Suspensions

Cavani (Tendon injury), Shaw (Concussion), Pogba (Thigh), Varane (Hamstring)

 

Arsenal

Formation

4-2-3-1

Probable Starting 11

Ramsdale (GK), Tierney, White, Gabriel, Tomiyasu, Partey, Lokonga, Pépé, Odegaard, Smith-Rowe, Lacazette.

Injuries / Suspensions

Saka (Muscle injury), Xhaka (knee), Kolasinac (Ankle)

Man United v Arsenal Match Betting

Manchester United to win: 19/20

Draw: 5/2

Arsenal to win: 13/5

 

Score Prediction

This set up to be the biggest and most eye-watering matchup of the midweek fixtures. The match looks to be a six-pointer game that could prove important in how the European places are given out but it is hard to see a victor in this battle between Arteta and Rangnick.

Expect this game to end 1-1 with the sides sharing the points.

To read more from this writer, click here.

And to read more in-depth and up-to-date Premier League and international club football news, click here.

Irish UFC Talent: Ian Garry (“The Future”)

Conor McGregor is one of the biggest names synonymous with Irish UFC talent and the UFC itself, until now. Ladies and gentleman, introducing Ian Garry, a new Irish-born MMA fighter who is turning heads in the UFC.

There is no hotter place on the planet for producing UFC talent than Ireland it seems right now.  Ian Garry is a name that needs to be paid close attention to because he very well may be the latest Irish-born UFC champion.

Ian Garry’s Tale Of The Tape

The impressive tale of the tape starts with Garry’s measurements and reach.  Garry is a 6’ 3” welterweight with a 74” reach.  Garry is currently on a 12 straight fight winning streak, and just won his first fight in the UFC. With only 25 years of age, he seems to have a bright future ahead of him.

Undisputable Record

There is no disputing that since his huge defeat of Jose Aldo in 13 seconds to win the UFC Featherweight Championship, Conor McGregor has been the biggest name in the UFC.  It is widely known that the Irish have a deep talent pool in MMA, the success of McGregor and his championship run opened the floodgates of recruiters looking for the “next” one.

UFC #268

Garry’s time was now.  He made his UFC 268 (Usman vs Covington 2) triumphantly by defeating Jordan Williams  by KO/TKO at 4:59 of Round 1. Garry came in as the betting favorite and lived up to his role. Did you bet on it? For your next bet, check out the top bookmakers online and secure the best available odds.

In fairness, however impressive his win over Williams was, it should also be noted that Garry entered his bout with Williams as a heavy favorite, and Williams had a less than spectacular overall record of 9-5.

Williams was also much more experienced than Garry.  Garry took on Williams who fights out of an UFC breeding ground in southern California.  Garry’s UFC #268 fight with Williams was particularly impressive because it was a knockout of an opponent who was heavier, had a longer reach, and was so quick about it.

Even though the bout lasted only 5 minutes of the first round, Garry had perfect scores for striking significant distance body strikes landed versus attempted (4/4) and had a total strikes landed to attempted ratio of nearly 70%, according to ESPN.

Appeared Out Of Nowhere?

Garry did not simply appear like weeds growing on a green lawn, he came up fighting in Cage Warriors.  Garry was full of nothing but praise for Cage Warriors.  In a recent article on sportsnewswireland.com, Garry says it is massive that CW  provided a platform that put on shows during a pandemic where almost everything else was shut down.

“The Future”

What is next for “The Future” Ian Garry?  Garry wants to get what all MMA with Irish blood flowing through them wants, and that is to follow in Conor McGregor’s very big footsteps and become a UFC champion.

Garry’s ego could not have got a bigger boost than when he elicited McGregor’s cheers during the match and post-match, which McGregor shared through tweets and voice-recordings on social media.

McGregor credits the fight by Garry with inspiring him to comeback after a devastating loss and suffering a catastrophic leg injury against Dustin Poirier.

“Ireland will explode if you put me and him (McGregor) on a card together.  So I’m in.” Garry exclaimed post-fight.

Garry has explosive power as a breakdown of his perfect 8-0 professional record will show.  Of his 8 professional MMA fights, 5 of them Garry has either knocked out his opponents or won by TKO. The other 3 matches were made up of 2 decisions and an impressive submission with Rear Naked Choke.

UFC is the name that is most commonly associated with the world of MMA.   Under the spotlight of Dana White and the UFC brand, the  most talented, famous and infamous male and female athletes are presented on the biggest stage in combat sports.

Although Garry is considered to be a newcomer, he is now in a division that is overloaded with talent at 170 lbs.  Garry only began his professional career in 2019 and in that time, has piled up a list of impressive victories.

After the holidays, Garry is going to return to Florida from Ireland, meet with the coaching and training staff at his gym Sanford MMA.  Garry intends to work on his wrestling with coaches and fight at least 3 times in 2022 with four months in between fights for proper rest and training.

Waving The White Towel

Garry is patient and remains humbled during his rise up the UFC ladder.  Without having the brash personality of a McGregor, he knows that he is going to travel a long path to greatness using his skills and learning whatever he can to improve with every fight.

ROB KEARNEY FAREWELL MATCH RUINED BY COVID-19

It was supposed to be the dream ending for an Irish legend. But, instead, Rob Kearney will have to live to take off his boots another day after positive tests for COVID-19 have caused a late cancellation of the game between the Barbarians and Samoa. It would have been an emotional day for both Kearney, and the fans, who would have gotten their money’s worth as one of the greats of modern UK rugby took his bow. Instead they got some measure of entertainment on new online casino sites UK, while holding out hope for the marquee match.

The legendary Irish full-back was set to face Samoa as part of the invitational Barbarians side in Twickenham on Saturday for the Killick Cup, but a couple of positive COVID-19 tests in the Barbarians camp have derailed the contest. Meanwhile, the female team, set to play against South Africa, was pushed to later on the same day. 

35-year old Kearney is the most decorated Irish player and had an illustrated career in Leinster, playing 219 games, winning six pro14 titles, a European Challenge Cup and four Heineken Cups. His last game for Leinster was in 2020 during the COVID-19-impacted season against Ulster at the Aviva stadium. The Irishman also played for the Australian side Western Force for a brief spell.

Kearney played for both the British and Irish Lions and the Irish National Team at the national level and was part of a dominant spell for UK rugby, winning four Six Nations titles in 95 appearances. He won the 2009 Six Nations, the Triple Crown, and the Grand Slam with the Irish national team. In 2010, Kearney missed almost a year due to injury, but that was his longest-ever spell from the game. 

In what was supposed to be a return to normal around the sports world, COVID-19 continues to take away from the rugby season. In recent weeks, the ODI between South Africa and the Netherlands has been postponed, while the women’s World Cup qualification tournament in Zimbabwe was cancelled as a new variant of the virus rears its head. 

It is unclear what the schedule will be for the Barbarians and if Kearney will have another game to say a proper goodbye, but surely something will be done to give the legend his due ovation. 

Earlier in the week, the man himself had tweeted that he has no regrets leaving the game that had “given him so much”.

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