Irish fans will now have to put their hopes and dreams into another nation if they’re to get their football fix this summer, as The Boys in Green failed to qualify for EURO 2020, unlike the previous two European Championships.
UK football fans were asked how far they think their chosen country will progress in Euro 2020, and which nation they consider their ‘second team’.
17% of Irish fans will be supporting Scotland at the upcoming European Championships.
7% of Irish fans refuse to support any other nation at EURO 2020, despite Ireland not qualifying.
Ireland fans have had their say on which nations they’ll be supporting at EURO 2020, and despite their heated rivalry on-and-off the football pitch, research from 888 Sport has revealed that 17% of Irish fans will be backing the Scots at the upcoming tournament.
Additionally, 10% of Irish fans will be rooting for Wales at the tournament, with a surprising 7% of fans admitting they’ll be backing fierce rivals England.
Irish fans have also shown an unusual allegiance towards the Portuguese National Team, as 14% of supporters have claimed to be backing the reigning champions going into the tournament.
Predictably some fans shot down the prospect of supporting another nation, as 7% of the Jack’s Army stated that is no way they could bring themselves to support any other nation, despite Ireland not qualifying.
The survey was completed on behalf of 888 Sport as part of the Euro 2020 campaign.
Greg Broderick and Gradje O had a commanding win in Monday’s two-star Grand Prix at Mullingar International Horse Show.
The Tipperary rider was one of only six of the 53 starters to make it into the jump-off.
Rio Olympian Greg Broderick claimed victory aboard the gelding by four seconds at the finish – the fastest of four double clear rounds.
Jason Higgins took runner-up spot with Rincoola Milsean. Britain’s Alicia Page finished in third place with Diacento.
Greg Broderick completed an excellent afternoon by also taking fourth spot aboard Coolivio PS. Derek McConnell finished fifth with Dothraki Warlord while Jenny Rankin completed the top six with Carmela Z,
Result – Mullingar International CSI2* Grand Prix
1) Greg Patrick Broderick IRL – Gradje O 0-0/40.80
2) Jason Higgins IRL – Rincoola Milsean 0-0/44.84
3) Alicia Page GBR – Diacento 0-0/45.09
4) Greg Patrick Broderick IRL – Coolivio PS 0-0/46.64
Euro 2020 Group D – Team by Team Preview, Fixtures, Betting, Group Table Group D of the 2020 UEFA European Championship is where some highly-anticipated teams will kick off their bids for international silverware.
The teams in Group D are Croatia, Czech Republic, England, and Scotland.
This is the only group in which none of the sides has previously won the European Championship.
A 2018 FIFA World Cup semi-final rematch will take place and the England-Scotland rivalry will be renewed.
CROATIA
Croatia enters the Euros with their last major tournament appearance being a loss in the 2018 World Cup final.
13 of the players in that 23-man squad make up half of the Croatian’s squad for Euro 2020.
The side is once again raring to go with many of the chosen players in their prime or nearing it.
The midfield will be the most important part of the pitch for Zlatko Dalic’s side.
Marcelo Brozovic and Luka Modric are still ever-present in the side and Mateo Kovacic has become a regular.
However, the chequered ones have been poor in recent times with an abysmal Nations League campaign.
They are not as strong as they once were, but if they hit the ground running, they could go far.
If they do not, it could be one to forget for the Croatians.
CZECH REPUBLIC
The Czech Republic qualified second in their qualifying group, having snatched victory against England in Prague.
They come into this summer’s tournament boasting some talented players among their ranks.
18-year-old Adam Hlozek can show big clubs why they should sign him this summer after a superb season for Slavia Prague.
A hard-working midfield includes captain Vladimir Darida, Jakub Jankto and West Ham’s Tomas Soucek.
Soucek’s clubmate, Vladimir Coufal, will be a threat on the right side of the field.
The side pales in comparison to Croatia and England on paper though and will need a statement performance to help them through.
ENGLAND
England, on the other hand, needs to live up to statements made by the fans and the media if they want the European Championships to come home this summer.
Yeh our warm-up performances were a bit boring but it doesn’t matter because football is still 100% coming home pic.twitter.com/IJqq5SMdXE
Gareth Southgate’s selection confused some as it appears that some positions are short on numbers and others involve players lacking fitness.
Another worry is the number of games many of their squad have played.
Burnout is possible this summer.
This will need to be a risk that pays off if the side wants to follow through on the aspirations of the many.
Declan Rice will offer support for the defensive line, whether it be two or three at the back, and Mason Mount will do similar for the forwards.
Harry Kane’s all-round qualities will be on display as England will look to make use of their pacy wingers and full-backs (possibly one of their centre-backs too).
The utility of certain players – Kyle Walker and Kieran Tripper for example – will be visible for all to see.
England will play all their group games at Wembley, giving them an advantage over their opposition before the game has begun.
If they avenge their World Cup semi-final loss to Croatia, they should have no trouble topping the group, but England has a history of creating trouble for themselves in major tournaments.
SCOTLAND
Scotland is the final member of Group D and is in their first major tournament since the 1998 World Cup.
Steve Clarke has turned the side’s fortunes around and they are enjoying their football now.
Premier League talents feature for the side while the strikers in the squad offer a range of attacking threats.
The use of two left-backs allows Scotland to play their two best players and it overloads the left flank.
Midfielders such as John McGinn can also offer a direct route of attack.
Leeds United’s Liam Cooper and Norwich’s Grant Hanley partner each other in defence but will have tough assignments against Kane, Hlozek and Croatia’s firepower.
Home advantage against Croatia and the Czech Republic is something Scotland could be thankful for.
Group D Fixtures:
England v Croatia Sunday, 13th June 14:00.
Scotland v Czech Republic Monday, 14th June 14:00.
Croatia v Czech Republic Friday, 18th June 17:00.
England v Scotland Friday, 18th June 20:00.
Croatia v Scotland Tuesday, 22nd June 20:00.
Czech Republic v England Tuesday, 22nd June 20:00.
Lee Power has sold the Waterford club to R&S Holding Ltd, owned by Richard Forrest this week.
Forrest held a 33 percent stake in the club since earlier in the year and the remaining shares were transferred to him this week.
The former owner Lee Power made a statement on leaving:
“I would also like to think that I have left the club in a much better place than when I purchased it in 2016 when we were in the first division, attracting crowds of 200 and close to going out of business.”
📰 New club owner Richard Forrest wishes to release the following statement on behalf of the club, the fans, and his future ambitions for the club.#WaterfordFC#Blueshttps://t.co/EG9YKvW3PS
Mateusz Klich and Piotr Zielinski will look to improve upon impressive seasons at their respective clubs.
They will provide the midfield engine for the Eastern European side.
Centre-back Jan Bednarek and goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny will be the key defensive options for Sousa’s Poland but there is a considerable lack of adequate depth when compared to the bigger sides in the tournament.
Nonetheless, their first-choice eleven should do enough to progress.
SLOVAKIA
Slovakia entered the European Championships via the Nations League play-offs.
They beat both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to earn their spot.
However, their results are very up-and-down, and their star names are not enough for consistency.
Marek Hamsik, Milan Skriniar, Ondrej Duda and Martin Dubravka are all part of the current Slovakian core.
Their goalscoring threat is quite low with just 15 goals in 18 games since 2019.
The squad is not strong enough to offer a huge threat to the rest of Group E.
SPAIN
Spain, on the other hand, has brought a strong side to the Euros, albeit an underwhelming 24-man strong side.
Star defender Sergio Ramos was snubbed due to a lack of match fitness while Eric Garcia got in after making half as many appearances as the former.
Spanish boss Luis Enrique has brought the French-born Aymeric Laporte in from the international wilderness, called up the exceptional Marcos Llorente, and assembled an all-star midfield, but the forwards lack options.
Villarreal’s Gerard Moreno looks set to lead the line for the three-time European Championship winners, but Alvaro Morata does not inspire confidence and most of the options have not had consistent spells of good form this season.
Their recent stalemate against Portugal in Madrid is a clear example of their struggles in the final third.
Regardless, La Roja is a clear favourite to win this group and have a home advantage for their games.
SWEDEN
Finally, we come to Sweden.
The Swedes are bringing one of the oldest sides to the European Championships this summer with an average age of 29.2.
Their goalkeeping options inspire as much confidence as their backline would – not a lot.
Their most exciting play will take place on the wings and through the middle, where the best of their talents resides.
Emil Forsberg and Dejan Kulusevski are available on either side of their centre-midfielders while Robin Quaison, Jordan Larsson, Marcus Berg, and Alexander Isak can all play through the middle.
Sweden has failed to beat many of the heavy hitters in Europe over the recent years but poses a strong threat to their competition in Group E.
Euro 2020 Group F – Team by Team Preview, Fixtures, Betting, Group Table, Euro 2020’s final group is Group F, or ‘the group of death.’
France, Germany, Hungary, and Portugal will lock horns over the course of the group stage to determine who goes through.
There is a very high possibility that three from this group go through – which three it will be is a tougher question to answer.
FRANCE
France is the reigning World champion and will enter the tournament as favourites for the European crown.
The Euro 2016 runners-up are trying out a new formation currently which accommodates Karim Benzema.
Benzema made his first appearance for France after five years and seven months in exile against Wales.
The 4-3-1-2 formation can accommodate Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kanté and Adrien Rabiot in the centre of the pitch.
Ina addition to this, Antoine Griezmann can play as a number 10 behind Kylian Mbappé and Benzema.
This allows Benzema to play the way he does at Real Madrid.
The striker can hold up the ball for Mbappé and move into spaces to receive passes.
It was trialled in the tournament warm-up matches but we will not know how impactful it is for Les Bleus until the Euros.
Manager Didier Deschamps could lead France to a second major trophy in three years if his tinkering pays off, but they must get through this group before they even think of that.
GERMANY
Germany has been on the decline since their abysmal World Cup defence in Russia.
Head coach Joachim Löw is will leave his role after Germany’s Euro 2020 concludes.
The World Cup-winning coach has yet to fix the problems that have plagued Germany for several years.
Antonio Rüdiger has earned a starting spot for the Euros alongside Mats Hummels and Emre Can, who Löw plays often.
The Germans’ midfield is stacked but in a negative way – will Kimmich and Goretska play alongside each other or will Kroos take the latter’s place and Germany play with two 6s? It is hard to tell.
Thomas Müller and Ilkay Gündogan could also start, and their presence would provide the link between defence and attack that a double 6 midfield would need.
Serge Gnabry, Timo Werner and Kevin Volland are all candidates to lead the line for Die Mannschaft but it is unclear whether they will be isolated or provided adequate support to do their job.
Germany is the team that is the hardest to read going into Euro 2020 and, with home advantage for all three group games, may return to form or could go out in a blaze of glory.
They are suspect to an upset based on recent form, but they could also come out guns blazing with Thomas Müller and company back in the squad.
HUNGARY
Hungary will be looking to have another impressive European Championship after winning their group in 2016, which also included Portugal.
RB Leipzig’s Péter Gulácsi, his clubmate Willi Orban and Attila Szalai will provide Marco Rossi’s team with a solid defence.
Bristol City’s Ádám Nagy will patrol the space in front of them.
Winger Roland Sallai and captain Ádám Szalai will do what they can in the attacking third.
The side is without their best player through injury, RB Leipzig’s Dominik Szoboszlai, and will struggle in attack.
What they do have, though, is a home advantage against France and Portugal.
It is unlikely that Marco Rossi’s side qualifies for the Round of 16, but it is far from impossible.
PORTUGAL
Portugal, in contrast, has their star man and have all positions covered with top-notch depth except centre-back as only three are part of the squad.
Those three in question are Ruben Dias, Pepe, and José Fonte though, so that evens it out.
However, Pepe and Fonte were born in 1983.
Selecting a fourth centre-back would have been high on any other manager’s list.
Portugal under-21-star Diogo Leite would have been an ideal inclusion, but Portugal boss Fernando Santos opted against it.
Defensive midfielder Danilo can play there if needed.
Their midfield is packed with defensive-minded players.
Fullbacks João Cancelo and Raphaël Guerreiro will play high and wide, the former acting as a playmaker when needed.
Sergio Oliveira and Renato Sanches can add attacking ability to the midfield if needed.
João Felix will cut inside from his wide role and either move through the middle or create space for Cristiano Ronaldo or Guerreiro.
Ronaldo will look to get the ball in any position in the final third and do his thing, as he so usually does.
Diogo Jota and Andre Silva provide options for the forward line if a Ronaldo-led attack is deemed to need them.
Santos’ Portugal will play defensive against fellow favourites France but may choose to be more attacking against those with weaker defences.
Ronaldo and the rest should not have a problem, much like France, unless Germany or Hungary can change their tune.
This years Tokyo Olympic Games will have five new events and 33 new events
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) have added more sports and included more mix gendered events in this year’s roster.
Change is nothing new to the Olympics as the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro had the inclusion of golf and seven aside rugby.
This year will see the return of softball and baseball as well as the completely new karate, surfing, sport climbing and skateboarding taking place.
Wrestling was meant to be discontinued at the Olympics, but the IOC returned the sport in September 2013.
Although there is an increase in 33 events, the number of competitors at this year’s Olympics is expected to decrease by 150 people.
Five new sports
Baseball and softball originated in the United States and last appeared at the Olympics in Beijing 2008. Six national teams will compete with Israel, Japan, Mexico, South Korea and the United States having qualified already.
Karate is a martial art originally from the Ryukyu Kingdom of Japan that will debut at the games in August.
Skateboarding is an urban action sport from the United States with stars like Chris Joslin and Jenn Soto competing.
Sport climbing is another action sport that finds the best athlete at three formats: speed climbing, lead climbing and bouldering.
Lastly, surfing is s water sport that will debut on the Pacific coasts of Japan this year.
New events in Tokyo 2020
Archery: Mixed team event.
Athletics: Mixed 4x400m relay.
Baseball: Men only.
Basketball: 3 aside matches, men and women.
Cycling: The Madison for men and women, BMX freestyle for men and women.
Fencing: Women’s team Foil, men’s team sabre.
Judo: Mixed team event.
Karate: Kumite, three weight classes for men and women, Kata for men and women.
Skateboarding: Park for men and women, Street for men and women.
CJ Stander, Mike Haley, Damian de Allende and RG Snyman need treatment after receiving superficial burns
Munster rugby released a statement that Stander and Haley got burns on their hands but may return to training by the end of the week.
South African pair, de Allende and Snyman sustained more serious burns to their legs, hands and face.
The two SpringBok players will be meeting a specialist to help them with their recovery during the week.
Munster head coach Johann van Graan said about the accident: “We are hugely relieved that the lads are all ok.
“The players have all been treated and are being well looked after with Damian and RG meeting the specialist again later this week to review next steps of their recovery.”
Player Update | The medical department have issued an update for Mike Haley, CJ Stander, Damian de Allende and RG Snyman following an accident at the weekend.
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