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Ireland team to play Georgia on Sunday

Ireland Rugby Head Coach Andy Farrell has today named him side to play Georgia in the Autumn Nations Cup at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday.

Among the match day 23 named by Farrell is the uncapped Cork Constitution man Shane Daly, who is named among the replacements.

Changes from last weekend

In a largely changed side to the team that played England last weekend, James Ryan remains as captain.

The front row is made up of Finlay Bealham at loosehead, Rob Herring as hooker and Andrew Power continuing at tighthead prop.

The Ireland captain James Ryan is joined in the second row by Iain Henderson.

Tadhg Beirne is named as blindside flanker, Will Connors at openside, with CJ Stander chosen at No. 8.

Conor Murray returns to the scrum-half role and will play alongside Billy Burns who makes his first starting appearance as out-half.

Bangor’s Stuart McCloskey will partner Chris Farrell in the centre.

Keith Earls and Hugo Keenan are named on the wings with Jacob Stockdale chosen at fullback.

Shane Daly among the replacements

Alongside the uncapped Shane Daly on the bench will be plenty experience in the shape of Cian Healy and Peter O’Mahony, who have over 170 International caps between them.

Three Connacht players, namely Dave Heffernan, Quinn Roux and Kieran Marmion are also named among the replacements.

Munster’s John Ryan and Ross Byrne, who started at number 10 against England at Twickenham last weekend, are the other players among the 23-man match day squad.

The game kicks off at 2pm on Sunday next, with live coverage on both RTÉ and Channel 4.

Ireland Team

15. Jacob Stockdale, 14. Hugo Keenan, 13. Chris Farrell, 12. Stuart McCloskey, 11. Keith Earls, 10. Billy Burns, 9. Conor Murray.

1. Finlay Bealham, 2. Rob Herring, 3. Andrew Porter, 4. Iain Henderson, 5. James Ryan (captain), 6. Tadhg Beirne, 7. Will Connors, 8. CJ Stander.

Ireland Replacements

16. Dave Heffernan, 17. Cian Healy, 18. John Ryan, 19. Quinn Roux, 20. Peter O’Mahony, 21. Kieran Marmion, 22. Ross Byrne, 23. Shane Daly.

Fairyhouse Winter Festival 2020 Grade 1 races

A host of stars will contest the three Baroneracing.com-sponsored Grade 1 races on the second day of the Winter Festival at Fairyhouse on Sunday.

Drinmore Novice Chase
The unbeaten Cheveley Park Stud-owned Envoi Allen stands out among the seven horses remaining in the Grade 1 BARONERACING.COM Drinmore Novice Chase. This is a race his trainer Gordon Elliott has already won on five occasions. Owners Gigginstown House Stud may provide the stiffest opposition with four contenders, Embittered, Easywork, Assemble and Coko Beach. The JP McManus-owned Andy Dufresne and Seán O’Driscoll’s hat-trick seeker Home By The Lee also stand their ground.
Hattons Grace Hurdle

Honeysuckle makes her eagerly awaited return to action in the Grade 1 BARONERACING.COM Hatton’s Grace Hurdle. She won the race last year before success in the Irish Champion Hurdle and at the Cheltenham Festival.

A five-time winner at Fairyhouse, she heads the nine remaining entries in the race. Gordon Elliott’s Fury Road, the Willie Mullins-trained Saldier, Noel Meade’s Beacon Edge and the Matthew Smith-trained Ronald Pump among the opposition.

Royal Bond Novice Hurdle

A cracking renewal of the Grade 1 BARONERACING.COM Royal Bond Novice Hurdle is on the cards. Gordon Elliott’s Down Royal winner Ballyadam looks set to clash with Willie Mullins’ Cheltenham Festival scorer Concertista and N’golo. Cask Mate is set to take his chance for Noel Meade while the Ted Walsh-trained Dewcup, and Henry de Bromhead’s Annexation, are also among the 11 entries.

World Cup icon Diego Maradona passes away aged 60

He passed today after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Football legend Diego Maradona sadly passed away today at the age of 60, according to reports. His death came as a result of a cardiac arrest suffered at his home in Tigre, Argentina.

His unfortunate passing comes after a series of health problems in recent years. Just weeks ago, he underwent a successful surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain.

Undoubtedly one of the greatest players of all time, the Argentine will be fondly remembered by football fans around the globe as one of the best to ever play the game. His performances throughout his career, but particularly in the 1986 World Cup, will live long in the memory of those who had the pleasure of watching him play.

Maradona started his career in his home country of Argentina. ‘El Pibe de Oro’, as he was affectionately called, played for Argentinos Juniors and Boca Juniors before making his move to Europe.

He moved from Boca Juniors to Barcelona in 1982 for a world record fee – at the time – of £5 million. Who knows what he would have been worth in today’s market. Maradona made his mark at Barcelona over two seasons, despite injury problems. It was his next club, though, where Maradona would establish himself as a legend.

That club was Napoli. He broke his own world record transfer fee as he transferred to Italy for £6.9 million in 1984. Over the course of 7 years, Maradona appeared in 259 matches for the club becoming the club’s leading goalscorer – at the time – with 115 goals. During his time with Napoli, he also won the Serie A twice and picked up a handful of other honours. His shirt number, 10, remains retired by Napoli to this day.

Maradona is perhaps best known for his outstanding performances at the 1986 World Cup. He captained his team to World Cup glory as they defeated West Germany in the final. He also picked up the World Cup Golden Ball, Silver Shoe and collected the most assists in the process.

His performance against England in the World Cup quarter-final is still discussed, to this day, by people from this side of the globe. The Argentine scored two goals as Argentina progressed to the semi-final. One of which was mesmeric, the other being a topic of controversy.

His first, labelled ‘The Hand of God’, was scored after Maradona struck the ball with his hand into the England net. His second goal in that match was inarguably one of the greatest goals ever scored, especially in a game of that magnitude. He dribbled from inside his own half taking on several players on his way to goal before he rounded the keeper and slotted home.

His later career was sadly sullied by a number of off the field issues.

However, that is not how he will be remembered by the general public. His footballing ability brought joy to millions, if not billions, of people across the world. He will be a enormous loss to the football community.

 

Eric O’Sullivan earns first Ireland call-up

“If Eric is called upon, he’ll do a brilliant job”

The words of Ulster Head Coach Dan McFarland, and a vote of confidence for his prop Eric O’Sullivan.

Ireland Head Coach Andy Farrell has called up O’Sullivan ahead of this weekend’s game against Georgia. Injuries continue to impact the Ireland squad, with Ed Byrne dropping out after missing the England game with a calf injury. Johnny Sexton and Robbie Henshaw remain sidelined with their respective injuries.

Munster’s John Ryan, who also missed the England defeat, will to return to training this week ahead of the Georgia clash. With both props struggling for fitness, O’Sullivan may potentially earn his first cap for his country.

The 24-year-old is part of an in-form Ulster side who have won all seven of their PRO14 fixtures this season. He will be hoping he can continue this form with Ireland if given the opportunity by Farrell.

Ireland enter Sunday’s game on the back of a defeat against England after beating Wales comfortably the week before. Meanwhile, Georgia have failed to score a single point thus far, losing to both England and Wales.

The game kicks off at 2pm on Sunday at the Aviva Stadium.

Second time lucky for Manchester United as they defeat İstanbul Başakşehir

Goals from Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Daniel James ensured victory for the Red Devils.

Manchester United got their much-needed retribution over Başakşehir tonight as they ran out 4-1 winners. The previous meeting between the two sides ended in a surprise 2-1 victory to the Turkish side.

After tonight’s result, United now top their group after PSG defeated Leipzig in the Parc des Princes. They now have a chance to secure qualification in their next Champions League fixture with a win over the French side.

It didn’t take long for United to open the scoring and what a goal it was. Bruno Fernandes continued his fine form by scoring in the 6th minute. The ball fell to the Portuguese international on the half volley and he made no mistake as he blasted into the top corner from the edge of the box.

Marcus Rashford had the ball in the back of the net just moments later. Unfortunately for him, though, it was ruled offside and disallowed.

Not to worry, though, United got their second of the night minutes later in unusual circumstances. The Başakşehir goalkeeper won’t want to see any replays, it was his mistake that led to the goal. He failed to deal with a relatively tame cross into the box as the ball slipped out of his grasps and straight into the path of Bruno Fernandes. The midfielder got his second of the night as he tapped in from close range.

Fernandes had a chance to get a first-half hat-trick after a penalty was given in the 35th minute. Instead, he unselfishly gave the ball to Marcus Rashford to take. He then made no mistake from the penalty spot as he slotted into the bottom right.

The first half ended 3-0 to United in a mostly dominant first half, but that is not to say Başakşehir were without their chances. The scoreline was slightly harsh on the Turkish side.

Although lacking the same intensity of the first half, both teams had their chances in the second.

It was İstanbul Başakşehir who opened the second half scoring to reduce the deficit. Deniz Türüç was the goalscorer for Başakşehir as he whipped a free kick into the top left.

That goal could have been a gateway back into the game for Başakşehir, but in reality that never looked likely. They had a handful of additional chances afterwards, but they failed to convert.

Manchester United put the finishing touches on their performance as Daniel James slotted home from close range after being played in by Mason Greenwood. The match finished 4-1 to United.

Manchester United face PSG next week as they look to secure qualification for the Champions League knockout stages. İstanbul Başakşehir also face RB Leipzig in what is a crucial game for both clubs. Although unlikely, Başakşehir could still qualify for the knockout stages provided they pick up a win and remain undefeated in their last 2 games.

Video highlights – Colm Reilly stars as Connacht hammer dreadful Zebre

We have Video highlights from the Pro14 clash on Sunday – Colm Reily stared as Connacht hammered a dreadful Zebre.

Sean O’Brien’s try on his first start for two years kick-started a roaring Connacht comeback as Andy Friend’s side waltzed to an emphatic victory over 14-man Zebre in Parma.

Tommaso Boni had given the hosts an early lead before first-half scores from O’Brien, and then two from Alex Wootton, opened up an advantage at the break.

Sammy Arnold, a penalty try and a Tom Daly double extended their lead in the second period and while Marco Manfredi scored for Zebre, Isaiah Papali’i was sent off and Connacht moved up to second in Conference B.

Key moments

The hosts got off to a flyer at a sun-baked Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi as an early try from outside centre Boni gave them a rapid advantage.

The Italy star received an offload from midfield partner and captain Giulio Bisegni before dotting down under the posts, with No.10 Antonio Rizzi doing the rest from the tee.

That proved the wake-up call Friend’s side needed, however, as six points from the clinical boot of Jack Carty helped narrow the deficit to 7-6.

Lock Gavin Thornbury was proving a giant in the line-out and the Irish side gradually began to find their feet in Italy, with O’Brien’s try turning the tables after 20 minutes.

The experienced flanker, making his maiden start for two years, finished a spell of patient build-up from the visitors and powerfully bundled over to hand Friend’s side the advantage.

Carty’s conversion struck the post but the Connacht comeback was well underway, with Wootton crossing for the first of his two first-half scores just five minutes before the interval.

It was made by the work of Colm Reilly, John Porch and Carty before the wide man recieved possession and augmented Connacht’s lead.

And the winger’s second followed shortly afterwards as he intercepted a Zebre pass to race clear and score on the stroke of half time.

The break came at a good time for Michael Bradley’s side but they could do little to prevent Connacht continuing their resurgence, as Wootton’s fellow wing Arnold went over in the corner for the all-important bonus point.

Ultan Dillane was soon introduced for his 100th Connacht appearance and he was able to celebrate with his team in style as brilliant work from Daly saw him score his side’s fifth.

The hosts then went down to 14 as Papali’i was sent off but they did notch a consolation as Manfredi went over with 20 minutes to go.

But Connacht soon regained their four-score advantage as they were awarded a penalty try after a powerful rolling maul reached the line.

Connacht continued to push for another and it was seven heaven on the stroke of the final whistle as Daly collected Conor Fitzgerald’s kick to go over.

Zebre defended resiliently throughout the second half but the away side held on for a hard-fought victory on the continent to ascend the standings in Conference B.

Play of the day

It could only be Wootton’s first of the day that marked the game’s standout moment.

The speedy Connacht wing capitalised on some fine play from Reilly, Porch and Carty to dot down out wide just before the break and help open up a comfortable half-time advantage.

Man of the match

Connacht scrum-half Reilly was influential throughout, helping set up that brilliant first Wootton try and continually pulling the strings.

Friend’s omnipresent No.9 was at the heart of all his side did as Connacht delivered an imperious display of their credentials and scooped their third win of the Guinness PRO14 season.

Decorate your house with your favourite sports wall stickers

To most people, sports are more than just a hobby or something to watch on the weekend, they are a lifestyle. Whether you like rugby,  tennis or football there are many ways that you can show your love and dedication to the sport. One of the main sports out there that has a huge following is football. A lot of football fans live and breathe the sport and implement football into many aspects of their everyday life. From the clothes they wear to the way they decorate their rooms, the dedication is clear to see. One of the best ways that you can show your love of football is with some football wall stickers that you can add to your wall.

 If you never miss a single match of your favorite football team, cannot stop talking about the last game, love to play and live, eat, sleep football, then a wall decal is a must. Looking for some inspiration? Here is just why you should add football wall stickers to your home…

Wall stickers are easy to change and move

Rather than having to repaint a whole section of your wall or paper over the current decor, sports wall murals are a great alternative. They are easy to stick up, but just as easy to peel off and move somewhere else should you want to change it up. Once they are up you can wash them if they get dirty and the accompanying squeegee that comes in the pack means you can apply them seamlessly to any space and they will look sleek, professional and last for years to come.

The sports wall murals looks great on any wall

With so many designs, the hardest bit about getting a football wall mural will be selecting your favourites. Whether you are after a football player, a goal, a stadium, or soccer balls themselves you are spoilt for choice. Be sure to take a browse through the vast array on offer and don’t be afraid to choose more than one! The football mural wall art will look great on any wall and you can choose to do them all on one wall as a feature or spread them throughout the available space. The best part? If you get bored you can just switch it up.

There are many football wall murals you can put on you house wall, modern football stickers or even historic ones with references to football invention.

Wall stickers are not expensive

If you were to decorate your whole room in a football theme it could be expensive. Wall stickers, on the other hand, don’t cost anywhere near as much and can have a similar, if not more effective impact on the look of the room. There are many different sizes of wall stickers which can affect the price, but as you can shop depending on your budget you know that it does not have to be too expensive.

If you are looking for a way to instantly upgrade a room for a football fan, then a football wall sticker is a no brainer. Be sure to do your research and find the best one for you. Don’t be afraid to get multiple and put them together for the ultimate finish to any football or sports fan room that they will love for years to come.

Mickey Harte new Louth manager

It was a weekend of GAA shocks but Mickey Harte becoming the Louth Manager might be the biggest shock off all.

Harte was not given an extension to his Tyrone contract after 18 seasons, during which he led the county to three All-Ireland football titles.

Harte will be joined with his right-hand man Gavin Devlin, with whom he worked in Tyrone.They will also oversee the county’s U20 team.

 

Anthony Cunningham extends Roscommon contract 

At an online meeting of Roscommon GAA County Board tonight it was agreed to reappoint Anthony Cunningham for an additional two-year term to the end of 2022 as the manager of the Roscommon Senior Football Team.

Anthony has already completed two years as the senior football manager and under his management, Roscommon won the Connacht Senior Football Championship in 2019 and won promotion to Division One in 2020.

 

 

 

Can a 39-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimović lead AC Milan to title glory?

The Swede scored twice in a win against Napoli yesterday.

Despite his ripe age – in footballing terms – Zlatan Ibrahimović is showing no sign of slowing down. The legendary striker has scored 10 league goals in just 6 games this season, propelling his side to the top of the Serie A.

Once one of Europe’s elite clubs, AC Milan’s fear factor has dwindled in recent years after a barren spell of domestic mediocrity. In fact, the Rossoneri have not won a league title since the 2010-11 season. A season where Zlatan played his part as he scored 14 league goals whilst on loan from FC Barcelona.

10 years on and Zlatan is back at the helm, having joined on a free transfer in December 2019. Initially the striker joined on a six-month contract. After some impressive displays, though, his contract was extended until the summer of 2021.

After years of domestic failure, can AC Milan finally finish as champions?

Ibrahimović’s goalscoring form has helped reinvigorate AC Milan this season, thus far. His performances in October helped him secure Serie A player of the month. He continued that form into November with equally impressive displays. He scored a brace yesterday as Milan overcame a strong Napoli side to top the league. Unfortunately, though, the striker was forced off towards the end of the game with an apparent hamstring injury. The severity of the injury is yet to be confirmed. However, Initial reports suggest the talismanic figure may miss weeks of action.

Milan will be forced to rely on their other striking options in the absence of Ibrahimović. His return will be a welcome one, but Milan will hope his absence can be filled appropriately.

Despite the season only being in it’s early stages, some have tipped Milan for the league title. The performances of Zlatan have no doubt been helped by his teammates. A number of other Milan players have also been ever-present this season. Ismaël Bennacer, Theo Hernández and Sandro Tonali are just some of the many examples of talent within the current AC Milan camp.

Ibrahimović, of course, has a wealth of title winning experience under his belt, particularly in the Serie A. He has an impressive collection of Serie A titles while playing for AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus*.

* indicates revocation of titles due to match fixing.

In total, the striker has won 10 league titles over his career in 6 different countries. He’ll be hoping to add that collection this season by helping Milan to a title that has been so evasive over the years.

The search for European football’s ultimate prize

In his illustrious career, Zlatan has won trophies that the average footballer can only dream of. One trophy that has evaded him, however, is the UEFA Champions League. Unfortunately, there is no chance of the striker claiming that trophy this season with Milan competing in the Europa League.

Saying that, this AC Milan team is clearly a team with lofty ambitions. The addition of their summer signings along with their previous roster makes up one of the strongest Milan sides in recent years. They’re well on the way to a top 4 finish so far, which would mean a Champions League spot. Although it would be an enormous challenge, with good recruitment and guidance the Italian giants may have an outside chance of winning the competition next season.

Obviously, for him to even have a chance of winning the Champions League with Milan, Ibrahimović would have to extend his contract with the club. If he can maintain his form and avoid further injuries, a renewal would almost be certain, barring retirement. Despite his age, a retirement would be unlikely, though. The Swedish striker only recently considered an international return, a request which was turned down by Sweden manager Janne Andersson.

Time will tell what happens in the coming years. One thing that is certain, though, is Ibrahimović’s status as one of the greatest to play the game.

Crowds to return to English sports stadiums by next week

The UK government announced the allowance of spectators from December 2nd.

Crowds will return to English sports next week after months of spectator-less matches, the UK government announced today. The allowance of spectators at football matches will come in accordance with the end of national lockdown.

There are of course rules regarding attendees, however. There will be an attendance caps in accordance with areas of different risk. Enforcement of social distancing will also apply. The maximum amount of spectators allowed in outdoor events will be capped at 4,000 in Tier 1 areas or at 50% depending at the capacity of the stadium. 2,000 spectators will be allowed into stadiums within Tier 2 areas. There will be a total of 1,000 attendees allowed into indoor events in Tier 1 and 2 areas. Crowds are to be completed banned in Tier 3 areas.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the aforementioned tier system today. The areas within each tier are yet to be decided. The respective tiers will be announced later this week, likely on Thursday.

The news of returning spectators comes after increased frustration from sports clubs. Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy expressed his concern over the absence of fans just before the announcement from the UK prime minister. “Our estimate for the current financial year of the potential loss of revenue, should the stadium remain closed to fans, is in excess of £150m. Clearly this would be an irrecoverable loss of income.”, Levy asserted.

This comes after Tottenham reported a loss of £63.9 million for the year ended June 30th.

There have been concerns from some members of the public regarding the safety of these new rules, particularly coming up to the Christmas period. Others have welcomed the return of spectators with severally clubs struggling financially throughout the last few months, especially “smaller” clubs.

The UK government have also announced the return of grassroots sports, having been suspended since November 5th.

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