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The 2020 NFL Playoffs – AFC/NFC Division & Superbowl Prediction

Somehow, through all the madness, we’ve made it to 2021. It seems like forever ago since mass gatherings and pints in the pub with the lads was a guilt-free experience.

When covering your face in public was more likely to get you pulled over by your local law enforcement than it was an act of decency. And when Netflix and Chill was a euphemism rather than a government recommendation. But as much as we’d love to believe we are completely done with all the turmoil and mayhem the 2020 brought us, there is one massive issue that needs to be resolved. The 2020 NFL Season. Well, yeah, I suppose there’s still Coronavirus too, but as a Dolphins fan the NFL has been killing my hopes and dreams regularly for over 30 years so I’ll start with that. As anyone who has followed my babble since the preseason will be aware of, I’m not one to play it safe with my predictions and I don’t shy away from taking shots at whoever I think deserves it. So, sit back while my opinion on what we can expect to see from this season’s playoff football no doubt earns me yet more backlash but hopefully from a safe distance!

Lets start with a quick look at who is in and who are conspicuous by their absence:

 

 

The AFC side is less dominated by who is in (don’t worry, we’ll chat about the Brows later) and more by the familiar name that is missing. Yes, The New York Jets. Just checking you’re still paying attention, of course I’m referring to the New England Patriots. Whether you love them (I suggest seeking psychological help) or hate them, there is no denying January football is always more fun when Hoodie and his evil empire are in the mix. But the lack of talent, which has been evident since last season, has finally caught up to them and they were well off the pace this season. Their torch of dominance has well and truly been passed to Cheeseburger Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs. They have continued to look borderline unstoppable at times and any money put down on them not being there in February is a brave call.

The line of teams ready to take a swing at them are the Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens and even the Cleveland Browns are in there too. To be honest, all of these teams come to the table armed with legit ways to win it out and none can be counted out in any game. Whether it’s the ground and pound run games of the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans that suits playoff football so well. Or the suffocating defences in Baltimore, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. You know the saying, defences win Championships. Or the sheer QB mastery that Pat Mahomes and Josh Allen have displayed this year. This AFC race could provide instant classic after instant classic.

 

I’m not sure the same can be said for the NFC side. In comparison to the very competitive AFC, it’s fair to say the NFC needs to drop some dead weight before that will really get going. Although who knows, it may provide a heart-warming underdog story for the ages. Top of the mountain stand the Green Bay Packers and pissed off Aaron Rodgers (although if you’ve watch him on the Pat McAfee Show every week, he doesn’t seem all that pissed off!). They’ve got themselves a bye again this year, although this one is an actual bye and not just having to go through the formality of beating the Cowboys.

That also means the road to the SuperBowl runs through Lambeau which really stacks things in their favour, even in a crowd less environment. Speaking of home field advantage, the Saints can make it to the NFC Championship game playing in their dome, which will be a big source of confidence for Drew Brees. Familiar foes Seattle and the Rams go head to head for the 3rd time this season in a game that could hinge around the availability of QB Jared Goff. The list is made up with the Chicago Bears and Washington Football Team. Both these teams should be thanking their lucky stars they made it this far because neither should really be anywhere near playoffs if we’re being honest. I swear, if Mitch Trubisky wins a SuperBowl, Dan Marino can take it that God either hates him or has the worst sense of humour ever! But as much as I’d love to fire shots left, right and centre at Washington, I just can’t help but be delighted for the 2 guys who are spearheading that effort, Alex Smith and Ron Rivera. Both guys are the epitome of class, and the World and its mother knows that organisation could do with a hell of a lot more of it. So, I hope they can give a good account of themselves, though I don’t expect the dream to live past their trip to Tampa Bay and good old Tom Brady. The Buccaneers simply have too much weaponry for them, whether Mike Evans is available or not. 

 

LET THE GAMES BEGIN:

 

Obviously, the landscape of these playoffs can change drastically in a very short space of time. The seeding system means one wrong result can throw an entire bracket prediction off completely. It’s impossible to predict injuries and Coronavirus circumstances pooping up at any given time but I’ll have a bash at what could happen:

 

WILDCARD ROUND:

The Packers and Chiefs have Bye’s into the Divisional Round.

 

#7 Indianapolis Colts @ #2 Buffalo Bills

Great game to kick this off. The Bills have been on fire lately and they will take some stopping. They won’t have it easy against a very live underdog in the Indianapolis Colts, however. I can see this game being decided late, but I think the Bills will just edge it. The Colts squeezed into the playoffs courtesy of the Bills win over the Dolphins. Josh Allen giveth, Josh Allen taketh away!


#6 Cleveland Browns @ #3 Pittsburgh Steelers

A nice in division rivalry and one that would have been a great game to look forward to if the Browns weren’t dealing with a mini Covid crisis which has already cost them their Head Coach for the game. It’s tough to see them overcome that going up against a Steelers team who have been effective all season in dealing with cannon fodder. I feel sorry for the Dawg Pound who have been waiting so long for this opportunity only to see them not get a fair shake at it.

 

#5 Baltimore Ravens @ #4 Tennessee Titans

A repeat of a Divisional Round game last season when an upstart Titans upset the in-form Ravens. I can see a similar result too; I just believe the Titans match up well against the Ravens. While Derrick Henry is lining up in that backfield, I have them as favourites over a Ravens team who will need a plan B that we haven’t see from them yet on offense to win this one.

 

#7 Chicago Bears @ #3 New Orleans Saints

As I expressed earlier, I think the Bears are extremely lucky to have gotten this far. But when you have a fantastic defense and your run game gets progressively better as the season goes on, that can happen. Whether that defense will be good enough to keep them in it against Brees and the Saints is a whole other animal though. I’m going safe with this one.

 

#6 Los Angeles Rams @ #3 Seattle Seahawks

Another divisional rivalry game that may fall victim to circumstances. At the time of writing, it looks like Jared Goff is unlikely to play. I’m no huge believer in Goff, but they aren’t set up to beat the Seahawks without him to be honest.

 

#5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ #4 Washington Football Team

Washington’s chances in this game relies purely on their defensive line causing enough disruption to keep Tampa Bay from putting this to bed early. And make no mistake, said d line is good enough to do it too. All 4 are 1st round draft picks and they have another in veteran Ryan Kerrigan. But staying in the game is one thing, winning it is another. And it’s hard to see them having enough to cause a shock. I’m taking the Buccs.

 

DIVISIONAL ROUND:

#4 Tennessee Titans @ #1 Kansas City Chiefs

Can anyone stop the Chiefs? The one weakness we have seen from them in the last 2 years has been stopping the run game. And in Tennessee, they will be facing the best team possible to take advantage of that. Not only can Derrick Henry take a game over by himself, but they are experts at setting up and executing play-action off it to keep defences off balance. It’s an ideal scenario to go against the Chiefs. The question is whether their own defense can hold up. That is a far bigger issue and came up short in the AFC Championship game last year. For some reason my gut is telling me to go with the Titans. I don’t know why. It’s a huge leap of faith, especially given that the Titans defense was better last year and still couldn’t get it done, but I’m going with it.

 

#3 Pittsburgh Steelers @ #2 Buffalo Bills

The 2 biggest question that need answering here are 1) Just how good are the Pittsburgh Steelers actually?  And 2) Can the Buffalo Bills, and more specifically Josh Allen, keep this for going or will the wheels fall off the cart at some stage? The Steelers have been a lot better than I ever expected them to be. But at the same time, I find it hard to remember any point in the season where I felt like I was looking at a legit SuperBowl contender. I knew the Bills had the potential to be a contender, but I also can’t shake the feeling that the old raw version Josh Allen is still lurking in there ready to pop out any given game. To me, the answer to the 2nd question outweighs the answer to the 1st in this game, because if Allen and the Bills play as well as they have been, the Steelers won’t have an answer. That may be me underrating the Steelers again, but I’ll run that risk. I’m going Buffalo here.

 

#5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ #1 Green Bay Packers

It’s Tom Brady vs Aaron Rodgers again. The 2 teams met earlier in the year and the Buccaneers put the Packers to the sword. Are we looking at the same thing happening again? I’m not so sure. That game happened in a pleasant Florida afternoon in October. This is going to be on a more than likely snowy day in January in a freezing cold Lambeau Field. Advantage Green Bay. As long as Rodgers is healthy, my money is on the Packers.

 

#3 Seattle Seahawks @ #2 New Orleans Saints

The other game on the NFC side sees the Seattle Seahawks travel to the Louisiana Superdome to do battle with the New Orleans Saints. The Saints will be hoping to avoid another heart-breaking playoff loss in, what looks likely to be, Drew Brees’ last season. The Seahawks have been impressive at times during the season but haven’t really solidified themselves as a major player in the SuperBowl race. Their secondary is one of the worst in the league, despite adding Jamal Adams. And I believe it will be their undoing against a dangerous New Orleans offense. I have the Saints going through.

 

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

 

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

#4 Tennessee Titans @ #2 Buffalo Bills


I have the first SuperBowl participant being decided by the Tennessee Titans and the Buffalo Bills going head to head. The Bills will need to slow down the power run and play action game of Tennessee. If Henry gets into an early rhythm, I’m not sure Allen and their pass reliant offense can keep pace in what will surely be difficult conditions. But this Bills defense are a tough bunch and won’t shy away from smash mouth football. I genuinely don’t know what way this would go, should it come down to it. It could possibly be whoever has the ball last. I’m going with Buffalo but with absolutely no conviction in that.

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:


#2 New Orleans Saints @ #1 Green Bay Packers


The NFC comes down to the top 2 seeds in my predictions. Unfortunately, I don’t think this will be close. I think Brees will find it tough to move the ball in Lambeau. Maybe they can lean on Alvin Kamara to stay in the game, but all my senses say the Packers win this pretty comfortably. It would be horrible to see Brees go out on a bad loss after all he has given to the game. But the NFL is an unforgiving environment and all the Packers will be focused on is booking their place in the SuperBowl in Tampa Bay. And that’s exactly what I think they’ll do.

 

THE BIG ONE:

SUPERBOWL LV:

AFC #2 Buffalo Bills VS NFC #1 Green Bay Packers

32 has been whittled down to 2. This game features the 2 favourites for the 2020 NFL MVP award as Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills represent the AFC against the NFC’s Green Bay Packers led by pissed off Aaron Rodgers. And as talented as both those guys, and offenses, are, I think the big advantage in this game is for Buffalo because they have a much more reliable defense. Can Green Bay possibly take that defense apart? Absolutely. But I’d be more inclined to think that Buffalo’s defense has a better chance of holding up against Green Bay’s offense than Green Bay’s defense has of keeping Buffalo’s offense in check. But as I have said earlier, I couldn’t confidently say Josh Allen doesn’t have a disaster day left in him this year either. This could either be a barn burner or a complete blow out. I’ll go with Buffalo again though, although should these 2 meet, it’s the kind of game that my prediction would probably change 1000 times before kick-off. 

SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS: BUFFALO BILLS

All I can be confident of, is between now and February 7th, there will be drama, controversy, tears, e

Caoimhin Kelleher to start for Liverpool against youthful Aston Villa side

The Irishman is set to start ahead of Alisson for tonight’s FA Cup fixture.

Caoimhin Kelleher is set to make his first start of 2021 as Liverpool take on Aston Villa in the FA Cup 3rd round.

The Cork native played – and impressed – in a handful of games throughout December but Alisson’s return from injury demoted him to the bench as backup keeper.

Kelleher managed to keep a clean sheet in 2 of the 3 matches he played in December, including a man of the match performance against European giants Ajax.

Tonight he will be keeping out a youthful Aston Villa side comprised of their u23 and u18 players.

They get their opportunity after a coronavirus outbreak within the first team squad ruled out senior players from competing.

Liverpool, despite the inexperience of their opposition, have fielded a strong XI comprised of first team players.

The more notable players in the Liverpool squad include Mohamed Salah, Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mane and Fabinho.

Every single player in the Liverpool starting XI has seen first team minutes this season. In contrast, none of the Aston Villa squad have senior minutes under their belt this season.

There were rumours that fellow Corkman Tyreik Wright may make his competitive Aston Villa debut tonight. He, however, has not made the squad list.

Wright trained with the Aston Villa first team during the summer. His exclusion may be a result of the teenager training with the first team recently.

Wonderkid Amad Diallo completes move to Manchester United

The winger has signed a contract until 2025.

Manchester United today announced that they have completed the signing of 18-year-old Amad Diallo from Atalanta on a deal until 2025.

The initial fee is thought to worth €21 million, however future add-ons could increase the fee to as a much as €41 million.

The deal between the two clubs was first announced in October, however the completion of the transfer was dependant on medical, work permit and personal terms.

Those terms have now been agreed, Diallo is awaiting a visa to be issued in order to travel to Manchester and train with the squad.

Amad Diallo expressed his thoughts on the move, commenting: “After waiting since the summer, it is finally a dream come true to complete my move to Manchester United. I am hugely ambitious and there is so much that I want to achieve in the game; when I spoke to the manager I knew that I had joined the perfect club.

“This is a really exciting squad with so many great players, I can promise that I will work hard every day to learn from them and give everything to develop my game. The coaches have been fantastic since I signed, we have been in touch regularly and they have already given me a lot of great advice.

“I have had time to prepare for this move, both physically and mentally, and I have worked really hard to be ready to make the step up to this amazing club.”

Diallo, despite his lack of first team experience, is a highly touted talent.

He made a total of five senior appearances during his time with Atalanta, including a cameo in this season’s Champions League against FC Midtjylland.

Diallo is a diminutive winger known for his pace, agility and dribbling ability. He primarily starts as a right winger but can also operate off the left and through the centre.

The quality of his attacking output is demonstrated by the fact he managed 57 goal contributions in 82 – recorded – appearances at youth and senior level for Atalanta.

It is unclear whether Diallo will go straight into the first team or to the u23s however Manchester United’s urgency in getting the deal over the line instead of waiting until the end of the season would suggest the former.

He will be assigned a shirt number in the coming days.

Connacht v Munster – match preview and team news

Guinness Pro14, Round 8 – preview & team news

Connacht v Munster

The Sportsground, Galway @ 7:35pm

Saturday night’s game at the Sportsground sees the home side looking to build on a big win in Dublin last weekend. It is also a chance to close an 8 point gap on Munster at the top of Conference B. 

Last Weekend’s Action

Andy Friend’s men put in their most impressive performance of the season at the RDS last Saturday night. Their bonus point win was their first ever victory at the Ballsbridge venue and their first win in Dublin since a 2002 Magners League win at Donnybrook. However, as Quinn Roux pointed out to his teammates in the post match huddle, this victory should now be consigned to the record books and the westerners need to back it up against Munster this weekend. Roux provided vital leadership in a Connacht side missing  Bundee Aki, Jarrad Butler, Tiernan O’Halloran, Kieran Marmion and Paul Boyle. 

Munster will know that they were luck to emerge from Ravenhill last weekend with a losing bonus point. They were outplayed for large portions of the match, but they hung on doggedly and were rewarded with a Darren Sweetnam try in the last play of the game. While I would expect Munster to field a much stronger side this weekend, Johann van Grann must balance his team selection. As Munster also have Clermont at home and Harlequins away in back to back Champions Cup clashes to come in the next couple of weeks. 

Pro14 standings

Despite the probable changes in personnel this is an important game for both coaches. As always in any Inter-Pro game local bragging rights are at stake as well as points on the table. It’s first v second in Conference B. Munster are on top of the pile after 8 rounds on 33 points, with Connacht (25 points) closing the gap to 8 after an unexpected 5 point haul from the RDS. Both sides have a game in hand over third placed Scarlets (24), while Cardiff have a return of 18 points from 10 matches in fourth spot.

Familiar faces

There was a trio of summer switches from Thomond to Galway. Conor Oliver, Sam Arnold and Alex Wootton all made the move in search of more game time under Andy Friend. The first two were on a permanent basis, while in Wootton’s case it was on a season long loan. Friend confirmed during the week that there is no stipulation in the loan arrangement to prevent Wootton from featuring in Saturday’s meeting between the sides. All three featured in last weekends win in the RDS and one suspects that they will be given the chance to face their former teammates this weekend. 

On the sidelines Munster’s attack coach Stephen Larkham will renew acquaintances with Andy Friend. Larkham first encountered Friend as a fresh faced youngster in the Australian academy of sport in 1994. Their respective careers crossed paths again when Friend signed Larkham  for the ACT Brumbies in 2011. Speaking on Tuesday Friend said of Larkham “He was just such a talented footballer. You could see that he was very tactical and strategic in the way he played”. He added “like all young coaches you do develop and learn something new each year. You can see the bits and pieces he’s adding there at Munster, and it’s pretty exciting for them”.

Previous meetings

Munster won the last five meetings between the sides. A behind closed door meeting in the Aviva in August saw Munster hit Connacht for 42 points and six tries after an early red card for Connacht debutante Abraham Papali’i. He was followed down the tunnel by hooker Shane Delahunt before the interval. 

The last meeting between the sides at the Sportsground saw a 14-19 win for the men in red in December of 2019. A Jack O’Donoghue try and four JJ Hanrahan penalties reflected the visitors physical dominance over the hosts on that occasion. Munster also won both clashes during the 2018/19 season on a scoreline of 24-31 at the Sportsground and 27-14 in Thomond. Connacht’s last win over this weekend’s visitors came early in Keiran Keane’s short tenure in Galway. A 20 – 16 win in October 2017 was one of few highlights of that season from a Connacht perspective.

Team News

There are three changes from the side that won at the RDS last time out. Finlay Bealham, Ultan Dillane and Ben O’Donnell come into the starting 15, With Robertoson-McCoy, Thornbury and Sullivan dropping to the bench. Bundee Aki has failed to recover from a knee injury in time for this clash.

Johann Van Graan makes a total of 14 changes to the side that lost in Ravenhill last weekend. Only Shane Daly is retained and he makes a positional switch – Daly moves from full-back to the wing. James Cronin returns from injury to make his 100th start in the red of Munster. Van Graan has also chosen to start Peter O’Mahony, CJ Stander, Conor Murray, Damian de Allende and Keith Earls ahead of a Champions Cup back to back games later in the month. 
Betting

Munster are firm favourites for this one at 1.32, while Connacht can be backed at 3.65. The draw is priced at 30. The handicap betting see the Homeside given a 7 point head start.

Manchester City set for Carabao Cup final after victory over local rivals

They are due to face Tottenham Hotspur in the final.

Manchester City took on rivals Manchester United in tonight’s Carabao Cup semi-final. This fixture marked the second Manchester derby of the season. The first ended in a bore scoreless draw so viewers were hoping for a more entertaining spectacle this time around.

Although not a match of the season contender, viewers were treated to better football this time. Manchester City came out on top as they defeated their neighbours after a hard-fought battle. Goals from John Stones and Fernandinho sealed the win for City.

FIRST HALF

The first 5 minutes of action seen both teams hit the net, however both goals were disallowed.

Manchester United thought they scored after a Marcus Rashford shot was saved by Zach Steffen before deflecting off a City defender and into the net. The flag went up almost straight away, though, as Rashford was offside after being played through.

Ilkay Gundogan played a key role in Manchester City’s win over Chelsea at the weekend and he thought he made it 1-0 in the 4th minute. Phil Foden played a brilliant ball across to Gundogan who was left unmarked in the box but upon further inspection he was clearly offside.

Kevin De Bruyne very nearly opened the scoring in the 12th minute. He struck a thunderous effort from just outside the box and David De Gea was well beaten only for the left-hand post getting in the Belgian’s way.

City had another goal disallowed in the 23rd minute. Phil Foden was played through and he finished calmly past the keeper before the goal was called back for offside.

The first half finished scoreless after 3 disallowed goals.

SECOND HALF

After having 2 disallowed in the first half, Manchester City managed to get their goal in the 49th minute. John Stones was the unlikely goalscorer. The Englishmen was quickest to react to his compatriot Phil Foden’s inswinging free kick before tapping in past Dean Henderson in the United goal.

City veteran Fernandinho made it 2-0 to City in the 82nd minute with a brilliant volley from outside the box. The Brazilian capitalized on Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s less than convincing clearance and fired low into the bottom left corner.

Manchester United struggled to decrease the deficit thereafter, despite their best efforts.

The match finished 2-0 to Manchester City on the night. They will now face Tottenham in the Carabao Cup final.

Jason Knight set for Premier League move?

Burnley, Crystal Palace and West Ham United have reportedly shown interest in the young Irish international

Irish international Jason Knight has attracted the interest of several Premier League clubs, according to reports.

Knight is currently contracted to Championship club Derby whom he joined from Cabinteely in 2017.

The 19-year-old midfielder has been the shining light in Derby’s substandard Championship campaign this season. Despite his team sitting just 22nd in the table, Knight has produced consistently good displays which have led to the reported interest.

The clubs in question are Burnley, Crystal Palace and West Ham. Burnley are thought to be particularly keen on the teenager.

The transfer window opened at the beginning of the month, meaning clubs have until the 31st of January to secure a deal, if they so wish.

KNIGHT’S STORY SO FAR

As mentioned previously, Knight joined Derby County’s academy from Cabinteely in 2017. Cabinteely – as well as Derby – should be given plenty of credit for Knight’s development to this point. He joined Cabinteely at the age of 4 and stayed at the club until his move to England at the age of 16.

Knight progressed through the Derby County youth sides before making his first team debut on the 5th of August 2019 at the age of 18.

Since then, Knight has established himself as a key member of the Derby squad, particularly this season.

Despite his age, the young midfielder has already amassed bags of experience at a high level. Knight has made over 50 Championship appearances for Derby, scoring an impressive 8 goals from midfield in the process.

He has also earned senior international honours last year. He earned his first senior international cap against Finland in October and went on to make two further appearances, including a start against Bulgaria in a scoreless draw.

Knight has represented Ireland through u17 up to senior level.

WOULD A PREMIER LEAGUE MOVE BE GOOD FOR KNIGHT?

Of course, the thought of Premier League football would entice any young player to make the move to the highest level. Expectation is often different from reality, though.

While Knight is clearly a very talented player capable of playing at the top level, there is no guarantee of regular game time when moving to a new club, particularly in the Premier League.

He’s currently one of the first names on the Derby team sheet and there is a guarantee of football at a high level, something which he may not get in the Premier League.

Knight is still only 19, meaning there is more than enough time to establish himself as a Premier League player in the coming years.

In our opinion, he should stay at Derby, at least until the end of the season. That way Knight can continue to play in virtually every possible game until the end of the season and assess his position in the squad come the summer time.

 

Leinster 24 Connacht 35

Leinster 24 Connacht 35

Guinness Pro14, Round 10 
January 2nd, 2021 – RDS Arena, Dublin

Leinster’s long unbeaten run in the Guinness PRO14 stretching back 26 games came to a juddering halt after being blitzed by a superb first half-performance by Andy Friend’s Connacht side. Leo Cullen’s men tasted defeat for the first time in all competitions this season and for the first time in this competition since a 14-13 loss to Ulster in Ravenhill towards the end of the 18/19 season.

Match Highlights

Both sides had their preparation interrupted by COVID cases within their camp, a reflection of a worrying rise in case numbers in wider society. Both managers were forced to juggle their squads ahead of this clash.

Match Report

Connacht started with the greater intensity. In their opening attack, Shane Delahunt was stopped just short of the Leinster line after a double hit from James Tracy and Peter Dooley. The opening score came 9 minutes in when Jack Carty intercepted a Ross Molony pass off the base of a ruck 40 meters out, to sprint clear for the score. Connacht then extended their lead when Carty was on the end of a team move and crashed over from short range, with a good shove from Quinn Roux ensuring the Athlone man wouldn’t be stopped. 

Leinster responded almost instantly when Scott Penny found space on the fringe of a ruck to sprint in untouched for a try which got the home side off the mark. Liam Tuner had entered the fray just prior to that score as a HIA replacement for Jonathan Sexton, who would fail to return to play. Rory O’Loughlin moved into the fly-half slot for the remainder of the match. 

A brace of Jack Carty penalties stretched the lead for the visitors. An Alex Wotton try after a good break from scrum-half Caolin Blade just prior to the interval gave Connacht a scarcely believable twenty point lead at the break.

Half-Time: Leinster 5 Connacht 25

Leo Cullen’s side came out after the interval with a heightened intensity and set about eating into that deficit. Luke McGrath sniped over three minutes after the restart. Then the score was converted by Jimmy O’Brien who had taken over kicking duties from McGrath.  Who had missed his own conversion effort in the first half. 

Jack Carty was on target from a penalty on 47 minutes to re-establish a two-score cushion. Just before the hour mark former Connacht hooker Sean Cronin brushed off a couple of would-be tacklers. He then fed Ryan Baird on the short-side, the young flanker then dived over from close range. O’Brien’s effort at the extra’s from the left-hand touchline was pulled across goal.

Turning point

With the scoreboard now reading 17-28 Leo Cullen’s side began turning the screw. It appeared that Leinster had further cut the margin when David Hawkshaw cut in for a try a few minutes later. However, an infringement was spotted in the build-up by TMO Ollie Hodges. Sam Arnold’s path to make a tackle in midfield had been obstructed by Andrew Smith and the try was duly struck off. 

Connacht weathered the Leinster storm. Both the win and the bonus point were ensured when Tom Daly intercepted on the 22’. He broke a covering tackle to grab a fourth Connacht try. An Ed Byrne try under the posts in the final play of the game gave Leinster the consolation of a bonus point themselves. However,  all the plaudits go to the men from the west on their first win in Dublin since a last-minute Mark McHugh drop goal gave them a victory in Donnybrook way back in 2002.

Full-time: Leinster 24 Connacht 35

Pro14 standings

It’s first v second in both Conferences this weekend. In Conference A Leinster will host Ulster at the RDS on Friday night at 7:35. The northerners are now ten points ahead of Leinster. However, Leo Cullen’s side do have two games in hand. Meanwhile in Conference B Munster are on top of the pile after 8 games on 33 points. Connacht are 8 points behind on 25. For the home side, a win is a must if they are to catch Johann Van Grann’s side at the top.

Table reproduced from Pro14.rubgy

Irish international Jack Byrne departs Shamrock Rovers

The midfielder is set to announce his new club in a matter of days.

Jack Byrne has announced his departure from Shamrock Rovers through a heartfelt statement posted on Instagram.

“Today, with the heaviest of hearts, I would like to announce that I’ve decided to leave Shamrock Rovers and the people I’ve come to love and I do so with a huge lump in my throat”, he wrote after reminiscing about his time at the club.

There has been no shortage of speculation regarding where Jack Byrne’s future lies but Cypriot First Division champions APOEL seem the most likely suitors as things stand.

The move would make sense considering Byrne’s former international manager, Mick McCarthy, is the current APOEL manager, a post which he has held since November 2020. APOEL also regularly compete in European competition, namely the UEFA Europa League and Champions League.

That said, though, APOEL are having a substandard season so far. They’ve lost their last 3 games and currently sit 11th in the Cypriot First Division.

Byrne appeared twice for the Ireland national team under Mick McCarthy, making his debut against Bulgaria in 2019. He also impressed in a cameo appearance against New Zealand a couple of months later.

Byrne has been linked with several clubs in the past few months. Bournemouth, Stoke and Colorado Rapids have reportedly taken interest in the midfielder.

However, it is looking increasingly likely that Jack Byrne is set for a move to Cyprus. Several reports have already suggested that a deal has been agreed between Byrne and APOEL.

All will be revealed shortly with Byrne set to announce his new club in the coming days.

Manchester United kick off 2021 with victory over Aston Villa

The Red Devils are now level on points with Liverpool at the top.

Manchester United took on Aston Villa in the 2nd Premier League game of 2021 – following West Ham’s win over Everton earlier.

Both teams had plenty on the line going into the game. Aston Villa had the chance to move into the top 4 with a win while United could have gone top of the table with a similar result.

Manchester United came out on top in the end thanks to goals from Anthony Martial and Bruno Fernandes. The match finished 2-1, meaning United are now level on points with Liverpool on top of the table.

FIRST HALF

Manchester United started the game brightly, attacking with pace and intent.

Emi Martinez had his first real tester in the 10th minute. Anthony Martial struck from outside of the box but the Villa keeper denied the Frenchman with an agile save.

Aston Villa had a chance of their own just moments later. Matty Cash’s overlap allowed him space to cross and his ball into the box fell to John McGinn. The Scottish international struck low on the volley before David de Gea got a good hand on it to avert the danger.

After a period where both teams had their half chances, Anthony Martial finally made the breakthrough for Manchester United in the 39th minute. The goal came a typical Manchester United counter attack. Aaron Wan-Bissaka bombed down the right flank before delivering a cross into the box which was met by the head of Martial before going into the net. He did well to anticipate and react to the opportunity. Tyrone Mings was at fault for the goal, having failed to intercept the cross into Martial.

The first half ended 1-0 to Manchester United as a result of Anthony Martial’s goal. Aston Villa showed signs of promise but also faded out of the game for large periods. A better second half was needed for Dean Smith’s side to warrant a good result.

SECOND HALF

Aston Villa started the second half much better than they played for the majority of the first.

Their pressure nearly culminated in a goal in the 51st minute. Jack Grealish was involved heavily as he crossed into the box and onto Ollie Watkins head. David de Gea produced a superb save to hook Watkins’ shot over the bar and out for a corner.

Aston Villa continued to knock on the door and their efforts paid off in the 58th minute with a Bertrand Traore goal. Aaron Wan-Bissaka was largely to blame for the goal. His poor positioning gave Jack Grealish of all people acres of space to work. Grealish took advantage of Wan-Bissaka’s error and crossed low into the box which was met and finished by Bertrand Traore.

Aston Villa’s equaliser didn’t last long. Manchester United were awarded a penalty in the 61st after some good work by Paul Pogba. VAR were called into action to discuss the validity of the penalty and after some consultation, the penalty stood. Bruno Fernandes stepped up to the spot and he dispatched his effort low and hard into the corner.

Paul Pogba had a great chance to make it 3-1 in the 72nd minute. Luke Shaw crossed in low from the byline to Pogba who was in space, but he fired wide of the post.

Emi Martinez was on hand again in the 76th minute, this time he kept out in-form Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese international shot from outside the box but Martinez managed to get a good hand to divert the ball behind.

Tyrone Mings had an excellent opportunity to atone for his mistake in the 83rd minute. Matty Cash delivered a fantastic free kick into the box from wide. Mings got his head on the ball after a battle with Harry Maguire but his shot went just wide.

Matty Cash had a good second half and he nearly ended the half with a goal. He struck well from outside the box but David de Gea was at hand to tip it behind.

Eric Bailly produced a brilliant challenge/block right at the death to keep out Keinan Davis.

The match finished 2-1 to Manchester United after Bailly’s heroic defending. The Red Devils are now level on points with Liverpool.

2020 Premier League team of the year: Bruno Fernandes, Mohamad Salah, Harry Kane..

Our choices for the best performers over the past year.

2020 is finally coming to an end after a long, bizarre and extraordinary – for all the wrong reasons – 12 months.

It’s been a unique year of football. The suspension of the Premier League for a number of months, Liverpool’s first league title in 30 years and the absence of fans in football stadiums made for one of the most peculiar Premier League years in recent memory.

There have also been several key performers over the past year, but which of those make our Premier League team of 2020?

GOALKEEPER

ALISSON – LIVERPOOL

Alisson has proven himself as an indispensable member of the Liverpool squad since joining from Roma in 2018.

The Brazilian’s importance was not only demonstrated as he helped his team to a league title for the first time in 30 years, but also during his absence. Backup keeper Adrian came into the team on several occasions to replace the injured Alisson, but despite his best efforts, he was unable to emulate the latter’s performances.

Known for not only his excellent shot stopping skills, but also his elite distribution among other attributes. He displayed his goalkeeping acumen against Newcastle on Wednesday as he made a number of important saves.

Alisson is still only 28, also, meaning he could continue to dominate for years to come.

Honourable mentions: Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa/Arsenal), Nick Pope (Burnley).

RIGHT-BACK

TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD – LIVERPOOL

Although Alexander-Arnold hasn’t been quite as good this season as he was last thus far, but his worth to the Liverpool squad is still invaluable.

Alexander-Arnold contributed to the 2nd most assists in the league last season, only topped by Kevin De Bruyne. His passing range is undoubtedly one of the best in the league, and inarguably the best in his position.

His performances last year earned him a place in the PFA Team of the Year. He was also honoured as PFA Young Player of the Year.

At only 22, Alexander-Arnold has a long and decorated career ahead of him. We could be looking at a Liverpool captain in the making.

Honourable mentions: Tariq Lamptey (Brighton & Hove Albion), João Cancelo (Manchester City).

LEFT-BACK

ANDREW ROBERTSON – LIVERPOOL

Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold make up the best full-back pairing the league so it would be unfair not to include Robertson, especially considering his consistency over the past year.

Robertson put up 12 assists in the league this season on his way to a PFA Team of the Year inclusion. The Scottish international has started this season in a similar vein of form, coming up with 5 assists so far.

Not only is Robertson masterful in his attacking output, he’s also one of the most defensively accomplished left-backs in the league.

He has arguably been Liverpool’s most consistent player this term in a season riddled with injury problems and surprise results – despite sitting 1st in the table.

Honourable mentions: Lucas Digne (Everton), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea, Leicester City).

CENTRE-BACKS

JAMES TARKOWSKI – BURNLEY

This might come as a strange selection to some, but James Tarkowski has quietly proven himself as one of the best centre-backs in the league over the past few seasons.

Tarkowski joined Burnley in 2016 and has been ever-present since.

Burnley rely very much – maybe overly so – on their defensive quality and Tarkowski, along with his partner Ben Mee, have that in abundance. In fact, no defender has kept more clean sheets in the league this year than Tarkowski.

The centre-back helped Burnley to a respectable 10th place finish last season. Burnley have struggled so far this season but have showed signs of a resurgence in recent weeks.

VIRGIL VAN DIJK – LIVERPOOL

Van Dijk has barely featured in the Premier League this season due to an ACL injury suffered in October. His form before the injury, though, more than warranted an inclusion in this team.

Van Dijk was key in ensuring Liverpool captured the evasive Premier League trophy last season after coming so close in 2018/19.

His performances earned him a place in the PFA Team of the Year alongside fellow Liverpool defenders Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Van Dijk has all the attributes of a world-class defenders. His positional awareness, physicality and elite tackling ability make him one of the best defenders in recent memory. He also possess one of the best passing ranges of any centre-back worldwide which compliments Liverpool’s style of play to a tee.

Van Dijk has been sorely missed for Liverpool so far – despite Fabinho filling in capably – and his return will be a massive boost to members of the club and fans alike.

Honourable mentions: Michael Keane (Everton), Fabinho (Liverpool), Çağlar Söyüncü (Leicester City), Jannik Vestergaard (Southampton).

MIDFIELDERS

KEVIN DE BRUYNE – MANCHESTER CITY

Kevin De Bruyne arguably had his best season in a Manchester City shirt last season which is no mean feat considering his displays in previous seasons.

De Bruyne won PFA Player’s Player of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season last term in a spectacular season.

The Belgian equalled Thierry Henry’s long-standing record for most assists in a Premier League season as he finished with 20 assists. He also surpassed his career best for most league goals in a season, scoring 13.

Manchester City have failed to live up to their remarkably high standards this season and De Bruyne’s form has also dipped as a result. He is still, however, one of the best players in the league and it’s only a matter of time before he gets back to his best.

BRUNO FERNANDES – MANCHESTER UNITED

Bruno Fernandes only arrived at Manchester United in January but has already established himself as one of the best players at the club, if not the best.

Nobody was quite sure how Fernandes would fare in the Premier League given the jump in quality but he has proved his doubters wrong and has taken to the league like a duck to water.

In fact, Fernandes has contributed to more Premier League goals (32) than any other player in the league, despite missing the first month of the year.

He has completed transformed the fortunes of Manchester United since joining and is very much the focal point of the squad. They currently sit 2nd in the table with much thanks due to the creativity and goalscoring instincts of the Portuguese international.

A Premier League Player of the Season award – as well as other honours – is very much in sight for Bruno Fernandes if he continues his impressive form.

JORDAN HENDERSON – LIVERPOOL

Jordan Henderson should be a shoo-in for any team of the year.

The Liverpool captain’s ability has been called in question numerous times over the year but he has proved his doubters wrong time after time.

Last season he captained his side to their first Premier League title in 30 years. This season the responsibility upon his shoulders has increased tenfold given the absence of several key players and the introduction of numerous youth players into the first team, a pressure which he has taken into his stride.

Henderson received several honours for his performances and leadership last season, including but not limited to; Liverpool Fans’ Player of the Season, FWA Footballer of the Year and an inclusion in the PFA Team of the Year.

Henderson is often underrated by fans but his value to the Liverpool squad and system is immeasurable.

Honourable mentions: Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City), Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Tottenham Hotspur/Southampton), Tomáš Souček (West Ham United).

RIGHT-WINGER

MOHAMED SALAH – LIVERPOOL

Currently leading the Premier League scoring chart with 13 goals, Mohamed Salah has had a fine start to the season. The Egyptian needs just 6 more goals to match his total of 19 league goals last season.

Himself, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have formed a potent attack over the years which would be the envy of most – if not all – clubs in world football.

Salah’s direct movement, close control and remarkable finishing is perfect for Liverpool’s system. His finishing is of such high quality that he’s significantly outperforming his expected goals of 8 this season (according to understat).

Reports of Salah’s desire to leave Anfield have been circulating in recent weeks to the dismay of Liverpool fans. No doubt Salah’s departure would be a monumental loss but he remains at Anfield and has shown no signs of unhappiness other than rumours.

Honourable mentions: Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City), Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United).

LEFT-WINGER

HEUNG-MIN SON – TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Few footballers have had a more accomplished 2020 than Heung-min Son.

The Tottenham forward has been one of the Premier League’s top performers – particularly this season – over the past year. Not only that, though, he also completed mandatory service for the South Korean military for a period of 3 weeks between April and May, during which he finished in the top 5 over 150 other trainees in basic military training.

He has moulded a formidable partnership with Harry Kane over the course of the season so far. The pair have combined with each other for a total of 32 Premier League goals during their times at Tottenham. For context, that’s just 4 goals off Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard’s record of 36.

In total this season, the pair have combined with each for 12 goals, just 1 goal off equalling the record of 13 set by Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton during the 1994/95 season.

Son is joint 2nd in the Premier League scoring charts with 11 goals, the same tally as Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jamie Vardy.

Honourable mentions: Sadio Mané (Liverpool), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United).

STRIKER

HARRY KANE – TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

There are a number of Premier League strikers deserving of an inclusion in this team, namely Jamie Vardy, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Danny Ings. We’ve gone with Harry Kane, though.

Despite suffering an injury which kept him out for months at the start of the season, Kane has managed to rack up the same amount of goal contributions as Jamie Vardy (26).

Kane has proven himself not only as one of the deadliest finishers in the league, but also as one of the best creative outlets. He has by far the most assists to his name this season with 10, his closest competitors in Bruno Fernandes and Kevin De Bruyne have 7 to their name respectively.

Tottenham started the season magnificently but have dipped in form over the past few games, collecting just 2 points in their last 4 games.

They’ll be hoping, with the help of Harry Kane among others, for a positive result against Leeds at the weekend to kickstart their 2021.

Honourable mentions: Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Danny Ings (Southampton).

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