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Ireland team to play Scotland on Saturday

Ireland Head Coach Andy Farrell has named his matchday squad for the Autumn Nations Cup game against Scotland at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 2.15pm).

Johnny Sexton and Conor Murray are reunited as the half-back pairing. Robbie Henshaw returns to partner his old provincial partner Bundee Aki in the centre.

The back three is unchanged from the win over Georgia, with Jacob Stockdale at fullback and Keith Earls and Hugo Keenan on the wings.

In the front row, Cian Healy is named alongside Rob Herring and Andrew Porter. James Ryan and Iain Henderson remain in the second row, while Peter O’Mahony, CJ Stander and Caelan Doris are chosen in the back row.

Ulster prop Eric O’Sullivan is named among the replacements bench following his recent call-up to the training squad. Ronan Kelleher, John Ryan, Quinn Roux and Josh van Der Flier are also on the bench. Jamison Gibson Park, Ross Byrne and Chris Farrell will provide the back line cover.

Kick-off at the Aviva Stadium is at 2.15pm and the game is live on RTÉ.

Ireland Team:

15. Jacob Stockdale, 14. Hugo Keenan, 13. Robbie Henshaw, 12. Bundee Aki, 11. Keith Earls, 10. Jonathan Sexton (captain), 9. Conor Murray.

1. Cian Healy, 2. Rob Herring, 3. Andrew Porter, 4. Iain Henderson, 5. James Ryan, 6. CJ Stander, 7. Peter O’Mahony, 8. Caelan Doris.

Ireland Replacements:

16. Ronan Kelleher, 17. Eric O’Sullivan, 18. John Ryan, 19. Quinn Roux, 20. Josh van der Flier, 21. Jamison Gibson Park, 22. Ross Byrne, 23. Chris Farrell.

Cavan Equestrian hosts Winter Championship Show this weekend

National Showjumping recommences on Friday with Cavan Equestrian playing host to their three-day Winter Championship Show from the 4th to 6th December. The show will run under strict HSE Guidelines and will host a range of classes from 80cm up to Grand Prix level.

On Saturday, the 1.35m Gain Equine Nutrition Grand Prix, which includes a round of the SJI Autumn Grand Prix, should prove popular with riders who have kept their horses in training for the conclusion of the SJI Autumn Grand Prix League. This round boasts a prize fund of €2,000 and it is expected their will be a good turn out for the league.

Prior to lockdown, nine rounds had taken place and it was John McEntee (Hip Girl) and Philp Gaw (Ardnacshel Coovella) who shared top position on the leaderboard on 38 points.

Mc Entee had clocked up points in four rounds, while Gaw had collected points in five rounds. Following closely behind on 25 points is Brendan Murphy and Immun Ocean Ogara, ahead of Kenneth Graham and Bir Bua on 18 points.

The league will conclude in Cavan Equestrian on the weekend of the 19th and 20th of December. The winning combination will take home €2,500, while the runner-up will receive €1,750 and third place, €750.

On Sunday, a second Grand Prix will take place, again at 1.35m height and this time. The class is sponsored by Calor Gasa and carries a prize fund of €2,000.

Along with the two Grand Prix, a five-year-old HSI Autumn Development series with a prize fund of €3,000 and a six-year-old HSI Autumn Development Series with a prize fund of €3,000 has been included on the schedule.

Irish teenager Shane Flynn makes Leicester bench for Europa League clash

This marks the first involvement of the player in any senior Leicester squad.

Irishman Shane Flynn could make his senior competitive debut for Leicester this evening. The 19-year-old has impressed for Leicester’s youth sides over the past couple of years, leading to his inclusion in the Foxes’ Europa League matchday squad to take on Zorya.

Bray Wanderers fans may be familiar with Flynn. He was academy product of the Wicklow club, making a handful of first team appearances before his move abroad.

Flynn can take inspiration from his compatriot Caoimhin Kelleher making his European debut for Liverpool yesterday. He produced a man of the match performance in the absence of regular first-choice goalkeeper, Alisson.

Leicester have already qualified for the knockout stages, meaning they may be willing to give some of their younger players a run out. There’s a good chance Flynn might feature tonight given 5 substitutions are permitted during this Europa League campaign.

For further information, we profiled Flynn as an Irish teenager to watch earlier this year.

Pay back for PSG as they take all 3 points at Old Trafford

Neymar and Marquinhos scored for the French Champions.

Manchester United hosted PSG tonight in their penultimate Champions League group stage match. Last time the two teams faced, Manchester United produced a shock result as they beat the French champions 2-1. This time, there would be no such upset as the attacking quality of PSG shone through.

Tonight’s result means there are now 3 teams on 9 points all fighting for a knockout round spot. All will be decided next week as the teams play each other for the last time in the group stage.

The most interesting fixture is undoubtedly Manchester United vs. Leipzig, both teams being on 9 points. Manchester United came out on top the last time they met as they hammered 5 past the German side. Leipzig have shown they are certainly no pushovers since though. An impressive win over PSG and two over İstanbul Başakşehir have propelled Leipzig up the table.

PSG also face İstanbul Başakşehir in their final fixture. Realistically, they should win and claim a knockout spot but nothing is concrete in football.

It was the French side who drew first blood tonight and they wasted no time in doing so. Who else but Neymar scored in the 5th minute to give his side the lead. The goal came after Kylian Mbappe easily beat Scott McTominay on his way to goal before his shot was deflected into the path of Neymar. He wasn’t going to miss as he tapped in from close range.

There was a contentious decision made around the 20-minute mark after Fred pushed his head towards Leandro Parades. VAR had a look at the incident and called referee Daniele Orsato over to have a look. In a surprising twist, the referee only branded a yellow card. Surprising given that Nicolas Pépé was sent off for a similar offence just weeks ago in the Premier League.

Manchester United got their equalizer not long after the controversial decision. Marcus Rashford scored against PSG in the initial meeting between the two sides and he done the same again tonight with a goal in the 32nd minute. His shot from the edge of the box deflected off Danilo Pereira and into the net. Tonight marked Rashford’s 6th goal in just 5 Champions League game so far this season.

The first half ended 1-1 with the tie firmly in the balance.

Manchester United had a golden opportunity to take the lead just minutes after the first half. There was some fantastic link-up play from Edinson Cavani and Marcus Rashford before the latter slipped the ball into Anthony Martial. The Frenchman then blasted over the bar from close range, however.

Edinson Cavani contributed to 3 goals during the weekend and he very nearly put United in the lad with 56 minutes gone. The Uruguayan was through on goal after being slipped in but with defenders closing in on him, he opted to chip from outside the box. He was almost rewarded for his innovation as the ball went over the keeper but clipped the bar. Bruno Fernandes collected the rebound before passing to Martial who had his shot blocked by a PSG defender.

Manchester United were firmly in control for much of the opening period of the second half but Marquinhos should have opened the scoreline for PSG in the 63rd minute. The defender was left unmarked at the far post after a good passage of play but his header only managed to find the crossbar before going out for a goal kick. He really should have hit the target, at least.

PSG were starting to get back into the game after a period of Manchester United domination. Mitchell Bakker had a chance to put PSG ahead after being put through by Neymar but his shot was spectacularly saved by David De Gea. The resulting corner, however, did result in a PSG goal. Marquinhos put his side ahead and after some deliberation from VAR the goal stood.

Things went from bad to worse from United just moments after as Fred was sent to the changing room. His frustration showed as he went lunging in with a slide tackle and although he won the ball, the referee deemed the challenge reckless. He was sent off after collecting his second yellow.

The sending off didn’t seem to affect United all that much as they had a series of half chances after the fact. They did, however, fail to turn those chances into goals. Neymar ended any chance of a Manchester United come back as he tapped in from a Rafinha pull back with just minutes remaining.

The match finished 2-1 to PSG on a disappointing night for Manchester United.

Dundalk fined €50,000 by UEFA

UEFA dish out fine for Dundalk

UEFA have fined Dundalk €50,000 ahead of their penultimate group stage game against Molde on Thursday. The Lilywhites’ struggle during the Europa League campaign is signified by their position in the group. Currently sitting bottom of the pile with zero points in the lead up to the Molde clash.

And things have gone from bad to worse this week for the Irish side after UEFA issued a fine for “shadow coaching”. Head coach Filippo Giovanogli is prohibited from managing his side from the sideline as he does not have the required coaching qualifications. Despite this rule, Giovanogli’s presence on the touchline has been evident and last week UEFA acted upon the ruling by sending the Italian to the stands for the game against Rapid Vienna.

Dundalk’s opposition analyst, Shane Keegan, will continue to fill in as manager for the remaining European fixtures.

Molde vs Dundalk

Dundalk travel to Norway to take on Molde on Thursday evening. The Norwegian side sit in second place behind Arsenal, with six points. Hopes of qualification to the knockout stages are all but gone for Giovanogli’s men. Although mathematically there is still a possibility for progression, Dundalk’s goal difference leaves them with a mountain to climb. Arsenal, with four wins from four, travel to the Aviva Stadium in the final group game next week.

You can watch Molde vs Dundalk on Virgin Media Sport on Thursday, with coverage starting from 7.30pm.

Ireland’s Women set for decisive game against group leaders Germany

What’s at stake?

Germany travel to Dublin to take on Ireland this evening at Tallaght Stadium. Ireland currently sit in second place in the group, one point ahead of Ukraine. Unlike Ireland, Ukraine face the easier task of playing Montenegro who have failed to pick up a point so far, conceding 26 goals along the way.

Meanwhile, Ireland host group leaders Germany, who have yet to concede a goal. The game finished 3-0 to the Germans the last time the teams met in September.

Therefore the Girls in Green need results to go their way this evening in order to secure a qualification play-off spot for the upcoming 2022 UEFA Women’s European Championships.

Team News

All players and members of staff have tested negative for COVID-19 heading into Tuesday’s tie. Manchester City defender Megan Campbell and West Ham United’s Leanne Kirnan will both miss the match. Hayley Nolan, Megan Connolly, Kyra Carusa and Alli Murphy are also unavailable.

Vera Pauw’s team were unbeaten until the defeat to Germany in September, and the Ireland manager will be hoping her side can find that form again as they head into this decisive game against Germany.

Where to watch the match?

Ireland v Germany kicks off at 5pm on Tuesday 1st, with build up to the game starting at 4.30pm on RTE2. Alternatively, you can catch the game on RTE Player and the RTE News app.

Irish goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher keeps clean sheet on Champions League debut

He was the first Irishman to play in the Champions League since Eoghan O’Connell in 2016.

Ringmahon man Caoimhin Kelleher was named as Liverpool’s starting keeper for their Champions League group stage fixture against Ajax tonight. Tonight marked the young goalkeeper’s Champions League debut, having previously played a handful of domestic cup competitions.

Liverpool’s first choice keeper, Alisson, was ruled out with a tight leg muscle thus giving the youngster an opportunity. Nevertheless, Klopp shown remarkable trust in Kelleher. Regular backup keeper, Adrian, only sat on the bench for tonight’s encounter.

The game itself was a crucial tie. A Liverpool loss would have meant a drop to 2nd in the group, at least.

In the end, Liverpool came out of Anfield with a 1-0 win – with thanks to a solid Caoimhin Kelleher performance. The Irishman kept Ajax out on a number of occasions, including a instinctive reflex save towards the end of the match. He commanded his area like a seasoned pro and looked very comfortable with the ball at his feet.

Once the final whistle blew, an elated Jurgen Klopp ran straight towards Caoimhin Kelleher as he and a number of the first team heaped praise on the young keeper.

Liverpool have now qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League, finishing top of their group. Atalanta and Ajax will now battle it out next week for a place in the Champions League last 16.

Liverpool face a tough challenge at the weekend against Wolves and with Alisson ruled out for that game, there’s a chance Caoimhin Kelleher could be in for his Premier League debut. His performance tonight will be hard for Klopp to ignore in terms of his selection. He will, however, face stiff competition from Adrian.

Johann van Graan makes changes for tonight’s visit of Zebre

Munster Rugby will hope to maintain their unbeaten start to the season when they host Zebre tonight at Thomond Park, (kick off 8.15pm).

Head Coach Johann van Graan has included five Greencore Munster Rugby Academy players in his match day 23 for the Guinness PRO14 Round 8 game.

Prop Josh Wycherley will make his second start of the campaign while Thomas Ahern, Jack Daly, Ben Healy and Seán French are all named among the replacements.

Van Graan makes eight changes

In total, van Graan makes eight changes to the side that claimed an away bonus point win against Glasgow a week ago.

Chris Cloete returns to the starting line-up following a neck injury and will make his second start of the season. The South African along with Waterford’s Jack O’Donoghue and last weekend’s Player of the Match, Gavin Coombes, make up the back row. The young Number 8 makes his fifth start in a row after some highly impressive performances this season.

Fineen Wycherley makes the positional change to the second row alongside captain Billy Holland while younger brother Josh and hooker Rhys Marshall join Stephen Archer in the front row.

The half back pairing changes this week with Nick McCarthy making his first start of the season alongside JJ Hanrahan, who returns to the number ten jersey.

Munster Rugby’s centre pairing tonight with be Dan Goggin and Damian de Allende.

Darren Sweetnam is chosen on the left wing with Calvin Nash on the opposite side, while
Matt Gallagher moves to full back.

Prop Liam O’Connor returns from a calf injury to take his place on the bench for his first inclusion since December 2019.

Both Jack Daly and Seán French will likely make their Guinness PRO14 debuts off the bench tonight.

Munster Rugby Team:

15. Matt Gallagher, 14. Calvin Nash, 13. Dan Goggin, 12. Damian de Allende, 11. Darren Sweetnam, 10. JJ Hanrahan, 9. Nick McCarthy.

1. Josh Wycherley, 2. Rhys Marshall, 3. Stephen Archer, 4. Fineen Wycherley, 5. Billy Holland (captain), 6. Jack O’Donoghue, 7. Chris Cloete, 8. Gavin Coombes.

Munster Rugby Replacements:

16. Diarmuid Barron, 17. Liam O’Connor, 18. Keynan Knox, 19. Thomas Ahern, 20. Jack Daly, 21. Craig Casey, 22. Ben Healy, 23. Seán French.

Tonight’s Round 8 Guinness PRO14 game against Zebre at Thomond Park is live on eir Sport, with an 8.15pm kick-off.

Shamrock Rovers set to face Dundalk in FAI Cup final

The two teams also contended last year’s final.

Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk were victorious in their respective FAI Cup semi-finals today, meaning they will compete against each other in the final. The two teams also faced each other in last year’s final. That game finished in a 1-1 draw after extra time before Shamrock Rovers won on penalties.

Shamrock Rovers faced Sligo Rovers in their FAI Cup semi-final earlier today. Aaron McEneff scored twice in Tallaght Stadium as they comfortably dispatched of the Bit O’ Red.

Dundalk faced unlikely semi-finalists Athlone town as they travelled to the midlands. Athlone Town sprung a surprise in their quarter-final as they eased past (former) Premier Division club Shelbourne in a 4-1 victory. There was no such upset tonight though as Dundalk achieved a record breaking 11-0 victory. Michael Duffy, Andy Boyle, Patrick McEleney, Sean Murray, John Mountney, Jordan Flores, Nathan Oduwa, Chris Shields and David McMillan all scored in the comprehensive win.

MATCH PREVIEW

Shamrock Rovers won their previous two fixtures against Dundalk this season, one of which ended with a 4-0 scoreline. They also finished the league season unbeaten on their way to the Premier Division title meaning they’ll be the favourites going into the game.

That doesn’t mean the match won’t be tightly contested, however. Dundalk appear to be improving game by game, having endured a horrific start to the season.

There will also be an abundance of individual quality on display. Jack Byrne will be the name of most people’s lips – as he has been for much of the season – going into the final. The midfielder has been nothing short of incredible this season, consistently defying his naysayers. His performances this season have earned him several inclusions in Ireland senior squads which have led to a handful of cameos. Aaron McEneff and Graham Burke were also included in the latest Ireland squad to accompany their Shamrock Rovers teammate.

Dundalk are also not short of individual quality. Michael Duffy is arguably their best player. The explosive winger has been one of the league’s most consistent and dangerous players since joining from Celtic in 2017. The Derry man probably would have been included in Stephen Kenny’s last squad only for issues out of his control. Chris Shields always provides adequate defensive cover in midfield so he should also limit Shamrock Rover’s attacking options. Patrick Hoban is another one of Dundalk’s dangermen. The striker has been named top scorer in the last 3 Irish Premier Division seasons; however he will miss the FAI Cup final due to injury.

The match will take place next Sunday as the finalists will travel to the Aviva Stadium. It will no doubt be a strange cup final in the absence of fans, but nevertheless it should provide an exciting affair to close the curtains on the domestic League of Ireland season.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Fantasy Advice, Prediction & Betting

Kansas City Chiefs @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Fantasy Advice, Prediction & Betting for the game at 9:25pm.

Preview

The evening game see’s the consensus best there is go head to head with the consensus best there was as the NFL’s Golden Boy Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs meet the NFL’s Golden Girl Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (I don’t care what you say, that’s a great 80’s/90’s TV reference and I’m sticking to it) The 9-1 Chiefs are marching towards another playoff run while the Buccaneers are locked in a battle for NFC South dominance with the New Orleans Saints. They have lost 2 of their last 3 games and another poor performance here could see the wheels officially come off the wagon and the Buccs hit crisis stage. The Chiefs’ path of destruction grows week by week and we are no closer to seeing any major deficiencies that teams can target. Can Brady and the Buccs star studded roster expose any weaknesses in the Chiefs?

Betpack
Money line: Chiefs 1/2 Buccaneers 8/5
Points Spread: Chiefs -3.5
Over/Under: 56.5

I think the overs is a good bet here. I can see both teams putting up 30+ points. Obviously it’s slightly risky given how the Buccs offense has played recently but I think we will see a hungrier Buccs and Tom Brady then we have seen in a while.

Fantasy Football Outlook:
Kansas City Chiefs:
If you’re looking for fantasy options in the Chiefs starting offense there are just 3 word. All of them. This offense is beyond anything I can ever remember seeing before. Obviously, they won’t all put up massive scores every week, but they are all big-time threats on any given day. Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce are all in the top 2 of their respective positions, with Hill and Kelce both leading the way in theirs. And Sammy Watkins is scheduled to return from injury. The arrival of Le’Veon Bell was supposed to hit the fantasy value of Clyde Edwards-Hilaire, but so far, he has still held his own.


It’s hard to see any bargain pick-ups among the Chiefs roster because it is so top loaded.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Much like the Chiefs, the Buccaneers have an array of offensive talent that defies belief. Chris Godwin and Mike Evans are possibly the best receiving combination in the NFL and with the enigmatic Antonio Brown and the very underrated Scotty Miller in the mix too, there are lots of options, possibly too many given Brady’s more reserved nature.

The run game is something the Buccs need to improve on, however. Both on the usage, and execution. They have abandoned it far to early in games when it hasn’t gotten off to a good start and that hasn’t been a recipe for success. Ronald Jones would appear to be the clear lead back at this stage as Leonard Fournette has shown too many times he can’t be relied on. I would think Jones is a good one to have this week as I think the Buccs should know they stand no hope of winning if they don’t get him going.

 

My Prediction:
The doubters of the Buccaneers have been mounting in the last few weeks but beware of a wounded animal. While Brady has been showing some of the signs of father time catching up to him, he’s still Tom Brady and that shouldn’t be forgotten too easily. And on the days when everything is clicking, there is enough talent on this team to be a match for anyone. Except, maybe, one team. Kansas City are easily the best team in the NFL. People might argue their defense isn’t great but it’s definitely good enough to compliment a ridiculous offense. No way I’m calling anything other than a Chiefs win though I think the Buccs will give them a good test.

Kansas City by 8

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