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Six Nations Team of the Tournament

Despite England winning the 6 nations, France were the eye-catching team. As a result, 7 French players feature in our 6 Nations team of the tournament compared to 4 Englishmen. The competition was incredibly tight, especially in the back row where only three of six contenders could make the fifteen. In the backs, France’s domination is evident as their creativity throughout the tournament saw them lose out only on scoring difference.

15. Anthony Bouthier (France).

The 28-year-old was a late arrival to the international scene but he more than made up for lost time in 2020. Bouthier finished the tournament with 294m to his name. His cannon of a right-boot matches his own aerial threat which allowed him to start many of France’s attacks from deep.

14. Jonny May (England).

In recent years May has become one of the deadliest wingers in World Rugby and the 2020 6 Nations showed exactly why. Back in the Spring two tries and two assists reaped rewards in October as England pipped France for the title. His searing pace stretches defences and creates space inside for ball carriers to exploit.

13. Virim Vakatawa (France).

Even when teams manage to suppress the Racing 92 centre he still finds a way to make an impact. For example, against Ireland he had a try and assist while largely flying under the radar. His powerful, mazy runs are delightfully balanced by his soft, elusive handling.

12. Bundee Aki (Ireland).

At times, the Connacht man goes unnoticed in games. However, he is always quietly going about his business with no added fuss. It takes a special player to separate the Henshaw-Ringrose partnership but Aki has always justified his selection.

11. Gael Fickou (France).

One of Fickou’s main dangers is his versatility. While equally at home in the centre, he played three of this year’s five games on the wing. His strong carrying and strength in the tackle allowed France to threaten teams out wide and went a long way towards their rejuvenation.

10. Romain Ntamack (France).

A strong contender for player of the tournament. It’s hard to believe the French playmaker only turned 21 last May. The Golden Boot winner with 57 points that included three tries. Ntamack’s variety of play kept defences on the back foot and he offered big plays whenever France needed one.

9. Antoine Dupont (France).

Like his half-back partner, Dupont is a favourite for Player of the Tournament. The 23-year-old is arguably the in-form scrum-half in the world right now. He ticks every box for a world-class scrum-half and bossed games with his brains around the ruck. A France player has never won Player of the Tournament but Dupont could be about to change that.

1. Rory Sutherland (Scotland).

A single selection for Scotland in the team of the tournament doesn’t do them any justice. But, Rory Sutherland has made the Scottish scrum a ruthless opponent. Furthermore, his ball-carrying adds a valuable option in open play. Sutherland may well have played himself into a Lions test jersey.

2. Jamie George (England).

England’s efficiency from set-plays was crucial in winning the tournament and Jamie George’s was key in this. His accuracy at the lineout is ever reliable and he is a strong carrier in open play. Defeats strong opposition just to make the England team.

3. Kyle Sinckler (England).

Sinckler’s consistency has turned him into one of the powerhouse props in world rugby. He offers a strong base for the scrum and can break the line when England need a big carry.

4. Maro Itoje (England).

A true force of nature. Itoje is an all-rounder who offers everything to Eddie Jones. 22 ‘dominant tackles’ in the tournament was 8 more than anyone else. In addition, his physicality at the breakdown and dominance in the line-out has made his one of the best locks around.

5. James Ryan (Ireland).

An old-school warrior of the game who never took a step backwards, even when Ireland were down against England and France. Always offered himself for a carry and was excellent in the air.

6. CJ Stander (Ireland).

Although he only played a few minutes of the competition at blindside, Stander finds himself a Player of the Tournament nominee for his exploits in the back row. He had the most carries (78) and most turnovers (7). As a result, Stander is all but a certainty for a Lions Tour in his country of birth next year.

7. Charles Ollivon (France).

Ollivon was a major component of France’s defensive solidity. The French pack is finally a force again and the 26-year-old captain led by example. Ollivor finished the tournament with the most tries (4), four assists, the fourth highest tackles (77), third highest offloader, and most lineouts won (25).

8. Grégory Alldritt (France).

At only 23-years of age the base of the French number 8 gets through a mountain of work. He came away as man-of-the-match in three of his five games and finished second for carries (66), third for metres made (393), second for breakdown steals (4) and second for tackles made (81). If he continues in this way the French pack has a very promising future.

Honorable Mentions

Ken Owens (Wales) – Hooker

Bernard Le Roux (France) – Second Row

Jamie Ritchie (Scotland) – Flanker

Tom Curry (England) – Flanker

Justin Tipuric (Wales) – Flanker

Owen Farrell (England) -Centre

Josh Adams (Wales) – Winger

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https://twitter.com/SixNationsRugby/status/1323957697822269440

Longford vs Laois: Leinster Championship Preview, TV Channel, Betting, Prediction

Longford progressed to the Leinster quarter-finals with a win over Louth last weekend. Now, they come up against Laois with the winner playing Westmeath or Dublin a week later.

It was a rude introduction to Winter Championship for Longford last Sunday. The conditions made handling and distribution challenging. As a result, neither team made any big moves in the opening half and Longford led by a single score at the interval with both teams finding the net.

The second half continued in the same way. It wasn’t until the closing ten minutes that Longford finally managed to open a gap. In that period they outscored Louth 0-3 to 0-1 and took a 2-point win.

Padraic Davis will be glad his team had a taste of tough winter football and came away unscathed. If the conditions are the same against Laois, the lessons they learned against Louth will stand to them.

Last year, Laois won at this stage of this competition and ended up coming close to being in the Super 8s. However, with no second chances this season they need to be flawless. A win here will likely set up a crack at Dublin which the players will surely relish.

In the League, a final day win against Fermanagh saw them retain their Division 2 status. Compared to Longford, they enter this game fresh after a week off from competitive action. In their last game, Laois found the net three times. If they can find such efficiency again, they will get through this game.

Laois are the favourites for this one. Paddy Power price them at 4/7. Meanwhile, Longford are 7/4 and a draw is 15/2.

GAAGo are showing the game live.

Prediction: Laois.

Team News

Laois : Niall Corbet; Trevor Collins, Mark Timmons, Brian Byrne; Eoin Buggie, Seamus Lacey, Robert Piggott; Daniel O’Reilly, John O’Loughlin; Gareth Dillon, Mark Barry, Eoin Lowry; Paul Kingston, Evan O’Carroll, Gary Walsh.

Subs: Alan Farrell, Ross Munnelly, Diarmuid Whelan, Michael Keogh, Sean O’Flynn, Shane Bolger, Patrick O’Sullivan, Brian Daly, David Seale, Denis Booth.

Longford: Paddy Colum, Patrick Fox, Andrew Farrell, Barry O’Farrell, Donal McElligott, Gary Rogers, Colm P Smith, Darren Gallagher, Kevin Diffley, Dessie Reynolds, Joseph Hagan, Daniel Mimmagh, Ryan Brady, Liam Connerton, Oran Kenny

 

Leinster Championship Quarter-Final: Longford vs Laois, Sunday, November 8th, 13:30 (Glennon Brothers Pearse Park).

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https://twitter.com/gaaleinster/status/1322920477199880193

Dublin Footballers beat Westmeath by 11pts in Leinster Championship

Dublin began their Championship defense on the road on Saturday evening against Westmeath. They beat Westmeath by 11pts after having a nine-point lead at half time.

  • 75′

    Dublin 0-22 0-11 Westmeath, O’Moore Park Result

     
  • 68′

    Wonderfull score again from Ray Connellan

     
  • 67′

    Eoin Murchan off injured

     
  • 66′

    Another point from Ciaran Kilkenny

     
  • 65′

    Free from Dean Rock

     
  • 63′

    Ray Connellan

     
  • 62′

    Jack Smith with a nice score

     
  • 56′

    Conor Dolan with a lovely point for Westmeath

     
  • 55′

    Easy free for Dean Rock

     
  • 54′

    Poor wide from Heslin

     
  • 52′

    Paddy Small point

     
  • 51′

    Brian Howard comes into the Dublin team

     
  • 50′

    4th point for Kilkenny

     
  • 50′

    Kieran Martin point

     
  • 44′

    John Heslin point

     
  • 42′

    James McCarthy point

     
  • 40′

    Robbie McDaide puts Dublin 10pts up

     
  • 40′

    No score in second half yet

     
  • 36′

    Second half underway

     
  • 35′

    Dublin 0-15 0-06 Westmeath, Half time

     
  • 35′

    Ray Connellan with the last point of the half

     
  • 35′

    Another easy free for Dean Rock

     
  • 32′

    Ciaran Kilkenny with a nice score

     
  • 30′

    Sean Bugler hits the 13th point of the evening for Dublin

     
  • 28′

    James Dolan

     
  • 28′

    Dean Rock free

     
  • 28′

    Con O’Callaghan point

     
  • 26′

    Kieran Martin is fouled and John Heslin kicks the free

     
  • 24′

    Kieran Martin with his second point from a mark

     
  • 24′

    Jonny Cooper with the 10th Dublin score

     
  • 22′

    Super score from Ronan O’Toole

     
  • 20′

    Easy free for Rock

     
  • 20′

    Scully with a nice point after a shocking kick out

     
  • 17′

    Dublin with a strong breeze in the first half

     
  • 16′

    Paddy Small kicks Dublin 5pts up at the Waterbreak

     
  • 13′

    Eoin Merchant puts Dublin 4pts up

     
  • 11′

    A lovely point from play from Ciaran Kilkenny

     
  • 10′

    Luke Loughlin with the second Westmeath score

     
  • 7′

    John Heslin with the opening score for Westmeath

     
  • 6′

    Dean Rock point

     
  • 6′

    Seán Bugler point

     
  • 5′

    Ciaran Kilkenny doubles the lead

     
  • 4′

    Point for Dean Rock

     
  • 3′

    No score for first three min

     

  • Westmeath : Jason Daly; Jack Smith, Kevin Maguire, Boidu Sayeh; Jamie Gonoud, Ronan Wallace, James Dolan; Ray Connellan, Sam Duncan; David Lynch, Ronan O’Toole, Killian Daly; Luke Loughlin, John Heslin, Kieran Martin.

     

  • Dublin team Stephen Cluxton, Cian Murphy, David Byrne, Michael Fitzsimons, John Small, Jonny Cooper, Robert McDaid, Brian Fenton, James McCarthy, Eric Lowndes, Ciaran Kilkenny, Niall Scully, Paddy Small, Con O’Callaghan, Dean Rock

PREVIEW

CLICK for Live Commentary Stream

Last year, Westmeath lost to Laois at this stage before going out in round 3 of the qualifiers. However, there is no back door in this year’s competition so Jack Cooney’s side will have to do the seemingly impossible and dethrone Dublin.

Westmeath returned to action a few weeks ago with a promising win over Laois. However, they couldn’t do the same a week later against Kildare. As a result, they remain in Division 2.

Originally, this game was supposed to be a home fixture for Westmeath. But, Sky are televising the game so floodlights were required to accommodate the 6.15pm throw-in time.

Cooney was less than pleased with the decision.

“Why not bring it to Cusack Park is what I would ask. They could bring it forward a few hours and give us a right crack at it.” However, he continued to say his team will bring their best to Portlaoise regardless for a crack at the holders.

Meanwhile, Dublin are entering their first Championship of the post-Gavin era. Dessie Farrell has taken control of the helm and so far the Dubs have shown no signs of slowing down.

Two wins from two since football returned was nothing less than expected. But, they had to work for the win in both games. Teething issues are nothing unusual as a team transitions to new management. In spite of this, Dublin retain most of their five-time All-Ireland winners. Thus, their dominance in Leinster will likely continue.

Paddy Power are offering 20/1 for Westmeath to cause an upset. Dublin are a very short 1/500 and a draw is 50/1.

You can watch the game on Sky Sports Mix.

Prediction: Dublin.

Team News

Westmeath : Jason Daly; Jack Smith, Kevin Maguire, Boidu Sayeh; Jamie Gonoud, Ronan Wallace, James Dolan; Ray Connellan, Sam Duncan; David Lynch, Ronan O’Toole, Killian Daly; Luke Loughlin, John Heslin, Kieran Martin.

Dublin : Stephen Cluxton, Cian Murphy, David Byrne, Michael Fitzsimons, John Small, Jonny Cooper, Robert McDaid, Brian Fenton, James McCarthy, Eric Lowndes, Ciaran Kilkenny, Niall Scully, Paddy Small, Con O’Callaghan, Dean Rock

 

Leinster Football Championship Quarter-Final: Westmeath vs Dublin, Saturday, November 7th, 18:15 (O’Moore Park, Portlaoise).

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https://twitter.com/westmeath_gaa/status/1323600662605766662

Video Highlights – Cork hurlers easily beat Dublin

Cork hurlers easily beat Dublin in their hurling qualifiers. We have video highlights of the win below.

    Highlights of @OfficialCorkGAA‘s qualifier win at Semple Stadium!📽️👇 pic.twitter.com/1CFsxOeVkj

    — Sky Sports GAA (@SkySportsGAA) November 7, 2020

  • 75′

    Chris Crummey shots blasts over the bar

     
  • 72′

    Another Burke free

     
  • 70′

    Five minutes of injury time

     
  • 70′

    Horgan with another score, thats 8 on the day

     
  • 68′

    Donal Burke with his 10th score

     
  • 67′

    Donal Burke from play

     
  • 65′

    Davy Keogh point but its goals they need

     
  • 62′

    ]Seamus Harnedy with his 5th point

     
  • 61′

    Danny Sutcliffe point

     
  • 61′

    Horgan free

     
  • 60′

    Conor Burke point

     
  • 58′

    Free from Patrick Horgan

     
  • 55′

    Horgan 65′ puts Cork 8pts up

     
  • 52′

    Point from Donal Burke, they need goals soon

     
  • 50′

    Another score from Seamus Harnedy

     
  • 47′

    Horgan from play

     
  • 45′

    Crummy and Flynn trade scores, it’s just back and forth

     
  • 43′

    Robbie O’Flynn and Cris Crummy trade scores

     
  • 40′

    Boland and Harmody trade scores

     
  • 38′

    Donal Burke for Dublin

     
  • 37′

    Shane Kingston with another lovely score

     
  • 35′

    Dublin 0-10 – 1-13 Cork at half time

     
  • 35′

    Horgan from play inside his own half. WOW

     
  • 34′

    Robbie O’Flynn with another good score

     
  • 33′

    Shane Kingston point from play

     
  • 31′

    Free from Donal Burke

     
  • 27′

    Robbie O’Flynn with a lovely run and score with his first score

     
  • 25′

    Robbie O’Flynn with a lovely score

     
  • 25′

    Lovely score from 65′ out

     
  • 23′

    Declan Dalton point

     
  • 20′

    Donal Burke Free

     
  • 19′

    Another free for Horgan

     
  • 18′

    Patrick Horgan free

     
  • 17′

    Donal Burke from play

     
  • 15′

    Nice point from Cian Boland for Dublin

     
  • 13′

    Seamus Harnedy with another very easy score

     
  • 12′

    Lovely score by Shane Kingston

     
  • 10′

    Second free for Donal Burke

     
  • 9′

    Declan Dalton GOAL

     
  • 8′

    Robbie O’Flynn with a lovely run and score

     
  • 6′

    Donal Burke levels it up

     
  • 5′

    Seamus Harnedy with a very easy score

     
  • 4′

    Shane Kingston from play levels it up

     
  • 3′

    Danny Sutcliffe hits two lovely scores

     
  • 1′

    Opening Cork point from play Luke Meade

     

  • (1) Dublin lost to Kilkenny (3-20 to 2-22) in the Leinster semi-final last weekend while Cork went down to Wa terford by 1-28 to 1-24 in the Munster semi-final.  (2) Donal Burke scored a total of 1-28 (0-21 frees, 0-2 ‘65s) in Dublin’s games against Laois and Kilkenny.  Eamonn Dillon (1-5) and Chris Crummey (1-4) are Dublin’s next highest scorers.  (3) Patrick Horgan was Cork’s top scorer against Waterford last Saturday, hitting 1-8 (1-3 frees).

     

  • Dublin are seeking their first championship win over Cork since the 1927 All-Ireland final when they won by  4-8 to 1-3

     

  • Cork : Anthony Nash; Damien Cahalane, Colm Spillane, Sean O’Donoghue; Tim O’Mahony, Robert Downey, Mark Coleman; Bill Cooper, Luke Meade; Seamus Harnedy, Shane Kingston, Robbie O’Flynn; Jack O’Connor, Declan Dalton, Patrick Horgan. SUBS Patrick Collins, Sean O’Leary Hayes, Niall O’Leary, Christopher Joyce, Billy Hennessy, Daire Connery, Stephen McDonnell, Aidan Walsh, Conor Cahalane, Conor Lehane, Shane Barrett.

     

  • Dublin : Alan Nolan; Paddy Smyth, Eoghan O’Donnell, James Madden; Conor Burke, Daire Gray, Cian O’Callaghan; Sean Moran, Riain McBride; Cian Boland, Chris Crummey, Danny Sutcliffe; Donal Burke, Ronan Hayes, Eamonn Dillon.

CLICK FOR LIVE SCORE COMMENTARY

PREVIEW

They get a second bite at the cherry this weekend after their defeats to Kilkenny and Waterford respectively. The Dubs were eliminated by Laois in the qualifiers last year in a shock defeat. The pressure is on now to show they can compete with the big guns. Meanwhile, Cork are looking to bounce back from a surprising defeat of their own against Waterford.

Firstly, Dublin saw off Laois in Croke Park to avenge last year’s elimination. Then, they came up against Kilkenny and saw a brave comeback fall just short of the line.

At half-time, Dublin were down by fifteen after scoring just 0-7 in the opening period. But, goals from Ronan Hayes and Chris Cummey helped them rally and they drew level with just minutes to go. Kilkenny managed to fight to victory though and Dublin have no more second chances.

Otherwise, Cork were the victims of an upset in Semple Stadium last weekend.

After a bright start, a twelve minute dry-spell in the first-half left the rebels three off the pace at half-time. The second-half began the same way and Cork found themselves down 1-19 to 0-14 after 40 minutes.

By the final quarter, Waterford’s lead was just five but Cork couldn’t get any closer. Waterford finished strongly and when Patrick Horgan scored a goal in injury time for the rebels it was too late.

Last weekend, tough conditions ensured heavy ground under foot. Hence, the quick turnaround is not ideal for either side. But, Dublin will be grateful for the Croke Park surface last weekend and will hope Cork are feeling the effects of the winter conditions.

Paddy Power suggest Cork are going through. They have the Munster men at 8/15. In contrast, Dublin are 15/8 and a draw is 9/1.

The game is live on Sky.

Prediction: Draw. Dublin showed fight against Kilkenny and will be eager not to lose out so early in the competition for a consecutive year. If it does go to extra time though, Cork will have a bit more in the tank.

Team News

 

Cork : Anthony Nash; Damien Cahalane, Colm Spillane, Sean O’Donoghue; Tim O’Mahony, Robert Downey, Mark Coleman; Bill Cooper, Luke Meade; Seamus Harnedy, Shane Kingston, Robbie O’Flynn; Jack O’Connor, Declan Dalton, Patrick Horgan. SUBS Patrick Collins, Sean O’Leary Hayes, Niall O’Leary, Christopher Joyce, Billy Hennessy, Daire Connery, Stephen McDonnell, Aidan Walsh, Conor Cahalane, Conor Lehane, Shane Barrett.

Dublin : Alan Nolan; Paddy Smyth, Eoghan O’Donnell, James Madden; Conor Burke, Daire Gray, Cian O’Callaghan; Sean Moran, Riain McBride; Cian Boland, Chris Crummey, Danny Sutcliffe; Donal Burke, Ronan Hayes, Eamonn Dillon.

STATS

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES 

2016: Cork 1-26 Dublin 1-23 (All-Ireland qualifiers) 

2013: Cork 1-24 Dublin 1-19 (All-Ireland semi-final) 

2008: Cork 1-17 Dublin 0-15 (All-Ireland qualifier) 

2007: Cork 3-20 Dublin 0-15 (All-Ireland qualifier) 

1952: Cork 2-14 Dublin 0-7 (All-Ireland final) 

(1) Dublin lost to Kilkenny (3-20 to 2-22) in the Leinster semi-final last weekend while Cork went down to Wa terford by 1-28 to 1-24 in the Munster semi-final. 

(2) Donal Burke scored a total of 1-28 (0-21 frees, 0-2 ‘65s) in Dublin’s games against Laois and Kilkenny.  Eamonn Dillon (1-5) and Chris Crummey (1-4) are Dublin’s next highest scorers. 

(3) Patrick Horgan was Cork’s top scorer against Waterford last Saturday, hitting 1-8 (1-3 frees). 

 

 

Hurling All-Ireland Qualifier: Dublin vs Cork, Saturday, November 7th, 15:45 (Semple Stadium, Thurles).

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https://3.249.64.60/gaa/national-hurling-league-fixtures-2020/

https://twitter.com/OfficialCorkGAA/status/1323272114519105538

All-Ireland GAA Championships weekend betting and predictions

Eleven teams will be knocked out of the Championship this weekend, along with Sligo who were knocked out without kicking a ball. Things are getting very interesting in what is a unique championship. But why not consider a few bets to make it that bit more intriguing?

 

Saturday picks:

Cork vs Dublin (Hurling)

Cork 4/7, Draw 9/1, Dublin 15/8

This could be a tough one to call and promises to be a close game. Dublin were within a point of last years All-Ireland finalists last week, so will be no pushover for Cork. Cork are favoured -2, so why not bet on Dublin and take the 2 points?

Verdict: Dublin +2

 

Clare vs Laois (Hurling)

Clare 1/20, Draw 25/1, Laois 9/1

Clare are obviously big favourites for this one, but we now know that Laois were beaten by a good Dublin team. Eddie Brennan has done well with this Laois team and I expect they will put up a good fight. The 11-point spread looks attractive here.

Verdict: Laois +11

 

Limerick vs Tipperary (Football) 

Limerick 11/4, Draw 17/2, Tipperary 2/5

Limerick are coming into this off the back of promotion from Division 4 and a convincing win over Waterford last week. Whereas Tipperary had a shaky Division 3 campaign followed by a win against Clare last time out. I see limerick winning this but maybe back the handicap to be safe.

Verdict: Limerick +3 looks a certainty

 

Sunday Picks:

Roscommon vs Mayo (Football)

Roscommon 2/1, Draw 15/2, Mayo 4/7

Let’s look at the bigger picture here. Mayo had an awful league campaign with one outlier victory over Galway perhaps creating a bit of recency bias in our minds. Roscommon on the other hand had an excellent League campaign which earned them promotion from Division two. Add to this Roscommon’s home advantage if that still exists in these times.  Yet, Mayo are heavily favoured against a team who beat them at the same stage last year. I see this as a 50/50 battle. Why not back Roscommon with those odds? Or at least take +2 points against the spread.

Verdict: Roscommon outright

 

Cork vs Kerry (Football)

Cork 9/2, Draw 11/1, Kerry 2/9

Kerry look to be the form team of this year’s championship and I expect they will win here. However, Cork have been steadily improving for the last couple of seasons. Last year they lost by just 3 points against Kerry. I expect a close game here.

Verdict: Cork +5 

 

Fermanagh vs Down (Football)

Fermanagh 2/1, Draw 15/2, Down 4/7

Down had an efficient Division 3 campaign which earned them promotion. Whereas Fermanagh are headed down to division 3 next year. Fermanagh’s conceded a big score in a short period of time to allow Laois stay up in Division 2. Down are the for team here so I am taking them.

Verdict: Down -2

Limerick vs Tipperary: Football Championship Preview, TV Channel, Betting, Prediction

The counties of Limerick and Tipperary meet in Championship for the second week in a row on Sunday. However, this time football is the code. For the first time in four years, a team that is not Kerry or Cork will compete in the Munster Football Final.

CLICK FOR LIVE SCORE COMMENTARY

Limerick overcame Waterford in their Championship opener last weekend by a comfortable 11 points. Early goals from Cillian Fahy and Adrian Enright set them on their way.

Previously, Limerick won Division 4 by defeating Sligo. Manager Billy Lee will be glad to see his team’s league success carry into the Championship. Limerick followed up on their good start against Waterford by managing the game well in the second half, picking off points with no major pressure ever coming on them.

Limerick last reached the Munster final in 2010. Now, they have a great chance to begin the new decade in the same way.

Last season, Tipperary’s Championship was a short one. Firstly, they lost to Limerick in Munster. Next, Down knocked them out in round 1 of the qualifiers.

This year, the absence of a back door means their form has to be better. So far, they have started well by beating Clare.

Last Sunday, they led from start to finish to eliminate the Banner county. Like Limerick, two goals went a long way to their dominance. Conor Sweeney and Brian Fox raised green flags to open an eight-point lead that Clare couldn’t reel in.

In recent seasons, Tipperary have failed to replicate the form that saw them reach the 2016 All-Ireland semi-final. However, nine survivors from the side that lost that game to Mayo started last Sunday. Those players know how to win and they’ll be keen to take advantage of being on the opposite side of the draw to Kerry and Cork.

Paddy Power have backed Tipperary to qualify at 4/11. Otherwise, the Division 4 Champions are 11/4 and a draw is 15/2.

RTÉ News Now are showing the game live.

Prediction: Tipperary. It will be a very close game but Tipp have found form at the right time.

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES  

2019: Limerick 3-11 Tipperary 1-10 (Munster quarter-final) 

2014: Tipperary 2-14 Limerick 1-11 (Munster quarter-final) 

2009: Limerick 1-11 Tipperary 1-9 (Munster quarter-final) 

2008: Limerick 1-8 Tipperary 1-5 (Munster quarter-final) 

2004: Limerick 0-16 Tipperary 3-5 (Munster quarter-final) 

 

Talking points

(1) Both had impressive wins last weekend – Tipperary, who finished fifth in Division 3, beat Clare, who had  finished sixth in Division 2 while Limerick ran out easy winners over Waterford. 

(2) Conor Sweeney top-scored on 1-4 (0-2 frees) for Tipperary in their win over Clare.

(3) Hugh Bourke on 0-4 (0-2 frees, 0-1 ‘mark’) and Cillian Fahy (1-1) were Limerick’s top scorers in the win  over Waterford. 

(4) Tipperary are bidding to reach the Munster final for the first time since 2016 while Limerick’s last ap pearance in the decider was in 2010. 

TEAM NEWS

    • Limerick : Donal O\’Sullivan; Sean O\’Dea, Brian Fanning, Paul Maher; Tony McCarthy, Iain Corbett, Gordon Brown; Darragh Treacy, Tommie Childs; Killian Ryan, Cillian Fahy, Adrian Enright; Hugh Bourke, Tommy Griffin, Sean McSweeney. Subs: Eoghan Sherlock, Gareth Noonan, Michael Donovan, Robbie Childs, Cian Sheehan, Seamus O\’Carroll, Padraig De Brun, Mike Fitzgibbon, Davy Lyons, Danny Neville, Gerard Stack.

      Tipperary : Evan Comerford; Alan Campbell, Jimmy Feehan, Colm O\’Shaughnessy; Bill Maher, Kevin Fahey, Robbie Kiely; Conal Kennedy, Liam Casey; Jack Kennedy, Michael Quinlivan, Emmet Moloney; Jason Lonergan, Conor Sweeney, Colman Kennedy. Subs: Michael O\’Reilly, Tadhg Fitzgerald, Brian Fox, Jack Harney, Padraic Looram, Paudie Feehan, Riain Quigley, Shane Foley, Sean O\’Connor, Kevin O\’Halloran, Liam Boland.

       
     

Munster Football Championship Semi-FInal: Limerick vs Tipperary, Saturday, November 7th, 13:15 (Gaelic Grounds).

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Laois vs Clare: Hurling – Preview, TV Channel, Betting, Prediction

Unlike the football Championship, the Hurling Championship is giving teams a second chance this year. The first qualifying round takes place on Saturday. First up, Laois and Clare do battle to stay in the competition.

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Laois lost out to Dublin in their opener by fourteen points, failing to replicate last year’s upset. But, this was the stage of the competition where they came alive in 2019.

Laois were hit hard with absences for the Dublin game but there were silver linings among the wreckage. For example, Eamonn Dillon hit 1-1 off the bench to put his hand up for selection on Saturday. Likewise, Ronan Broderick, Fiachra Fennell and James Keyes made debuts to make up for the absentees such as Matthew Whelan, Joe Phelan, John Lennon, Eanna Lyons and Cha Dwyer.

The midlands county had a decent second half against Dublin. However, the concession of 1-17 in the first 35 minutes meant the damage was done. Furthermore, there was evidence of tired legs on the open Croke Park field in the final ten minutes. Hopefully this was just a result of a seven-month interval.

On the other hand, Clare fell to Limerick by ten points in the Munster Championship quarter-final. At half-time they were very much deadlocked with 2013 Player of the Year Tony Kelly leading them out.

But, it was Limerick who came out firing in the second half and soon Clare found themselves at a deficit they couldn’t overturn, despite Kelly’s heroics.

Clare are very much favourites to continue in the competition. Paddy Power have priced the Banner men at 1/20 versus Laois’ 8/1. Meanwhile, a draw is 20/1.

The winner will take on Wexford the following week after their loss to Galway last weekend.

The game is live on GAAGo.

TEAM NEWS

Laois : Enda Rowland; Lee Cleere, Sean Downey, Donnchadh Hartnett; Jack Kelly, Padraig Delaney, Ryan Mullaney; Fiachra C Fennell, Patrick Purcell; Aaron Dunphy, Willie Dunphy, James Keyes; Mark Kavanagh, Ross King, Stephen Maher. 

Clare : Eibhear Quilligan; Rory Hayes, Conor Cleary, Paul Flanagan; Stephen O\’Halloran, Aidan McCarthy, Seadna Morey; David McInerney, Tony Kelly; Cathal Malone, David Reidy, Colin Guilfoyle; Shane O\’Donnell, Aron Shanagher, Ryan Taylor

Prediction: Clare.

They meet for the sixth time in the championship with Clare having won the previous five as follows: 2016: Clare 5-32 Laois 0-12 (All-Ireland qualifiers) 

2013: Clare 1-32 Laois 0-15 (All-Ireland qualifier) 

2007: Clare 2-14 Laois 0-11 (All-Ireland qualifier) 

2004: Clare 7-19 Laois 2-15 (All-Ireland qualifier) 

1914: Clare 5-1 Laois 1-0 (All-Ireland final)

(1) Clare have beaten Laois by an average of 21 points in four qualifier ties since 2004.

(2)  Clare lost to Limerick by 0-36 to 1-23 in the Munster quarter-final while Laois lost to Dublin by 2-31 to in  the Leinster quarter-final. 

(3) Tony Kelly scored 0-17 (0-9 frees) in Clare’s defeat by Limerick in the Munster quarter-final. *

(4) Ross King was top scorer for Laois (0-10, 0-9 frees, 0-1 ‘65’) in the defeat by Dublin in the Leinster quar ter-final 

HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP SHORTS 

*Limerick and Waterford will meet in the Munster final for the first time since 2007 when the Deise won  by 3-17 to 1-14. 

*Limerick will be bidding to retain the Munster title for the first time since 1980-81. *Waterford last won the Munster title in 2010. 

*Galway and Kilkenny last met in the Leinster final in 2018. 

*Kilkenny last won the Leinster title in 2016; Galway last won in 2018. 

Hurling All-Ireland Qualifier Round 1: Laois vs Claire, Saturday, November 7th, 13:15 (Nowlan Park).

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Cavan vs Antrim: Ulster Football Preview, TV Channel, Betting, Prediction

For the second year in a row, Cavan have caused upset in Ulster by beating Monaghan. After looking like they were down and out last Saturday, a late rally saw them earn extra-time. Then, it looked like penalties were on the cards until Cavan keeper Raymond Galligan won the game with a long-range free. On the other hand, Antrim last featured in an Ulster final in 2009. The straight-knock out format of this year’s Championship doesn’t work in their favour. Yet, it may give the Antrim players the freedom to challenge Cavan on Saturday evening.

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Cavan re-writing the script

After a disappointing relegation from Division 2 recently, Cavan were big underdogs going into the Championship opener. But, the Breffni men showed why they were not to be written off just yet with an incredible never-say-die attitude.

Cavan started the brighter against Monaghan. After ten minutes, they had a four-point lead. Oisín Pierson’s goal pushed them out in front. However, Monaghan came back strongly and took a seven-point lead into the break.

In the second-half, Cavan used the wind advantage wisely and began to claw in the deficit. By the time the clock was up Cavan had drawn level thanks to a superbly taken equaliser by Gerard Smith.

In a nervy extra-time period, Monaghan edged in front before Martin Reilly found the net for Cavan. Then, the final few minutes was a demonstration of long-range free taking. It looked like Rory Beggan had sealed a penalty shoot-out with a free in added time. But, with the last kick of the game Raymond Galligan sent Cavan through with a free from 58m out.

Last year, Cavan went all the way to the Ulster final. Mickey Graham will be delighted with the fight his team showed last weekend and will be hoping they can reach the decider again.

Antrim claimed third spot in Division 4 this year. In fact, they could have earned promotion if not for a thrashing by Wicklow in the first game back from lockdown. Lenny Harbinson will be hoping the extended break his team has had will work in their favour. In winter conditions, Cavan’s 90 minute battle with Monaghan will have its effects. No doubt, Antrim will be the fresher of these two sides.

The winner of Cavan vs Antrim plays Fermanagh or Down a week later.

Paddy Power don’t see another upset on the cards. They have Cavan at 1/7 versus Antrim’s 11/2. A draw is 12/1.

The game is live on BBC Northern Ireland.

Prediction: Cavan.

Antrim: Michael Byrne; Patrick Gallagher, Declan Lynch, Kevin O\’Boyle; Peter Healy, James McAuley, Niall Delargy; Colm Duffin, Michael McCann; Kevin Quinn, Mark Sweeney, Dermot McAleese; Paddy Cunningham, Conor Murray, Patrick McBride. Subs: Oisin Kerr, Ruairi McCann, Odhran Eastwood, Paddy McCormack, Mark Gardiner, Eoin Nagle, Tomas McCann, Eunan Walsh, Kristian Healy, Marc Jordan, Ryan Murray, Adam Loughran.

Cavan’s superb win over Monaghan in the preliminary round last Saturday set them up for a first  Ulster championship clash with Antrim since 2009. 

Team News

Antrim: Michael Byrne; Patrick Gallagher, Declan Lynch, Kevin O’Boyle; Peter Healy, James McAuley, Niall Delargy; Colm Duffin, Michael McCann; Kevin Quinn, Mark Sweeney, Dermot McAleese; Paddy Cunningham, Conor Murray, Patrick McBride. Subs: Oisin Kerr, Ruairi McCann, Odhran Eastwood, Paddy McCormack, Mark Gardiner, Eoin Nagle, Tomas McCann, Eunan Walsh, Kristian Healy, Marc Jordan, Ryan Murray, Adam Loughran.

 

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES 

2009: Antrim 0-13 Cavan 1-7 (Ulster semi-final) 

2008: Cavan 1-19 Antrim 1-14 (Ulster first round) 

2005: Cavan 1-15 Antrim 2-6 (Ulster quarter-final) Replay 

2005: Cavan 0-11 Antrim 0-11 (Ulster quarter-final) Draw 

2003: Antrim 2-9 Cavan 1-10 (Ulster quarter-final) 

Main Points

(1) Antrim, who finished third in Division 4 last month, are having their first championship outing  and are bidding to reach the Ulster semi-final for the first time since 2014. 

(2) Cavan are bidding to reach the semi-final for a second successive year.  

(3) The winners will play Fermanagh or Down in the Ulster semi-final. 

Ulster Championship Quarter-Final: Cavan vs Antrim, Saturday, November 7th, 13:15 (Breffni Park).

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Longford Town through to promotion/relegation playoff after victory over Galway United

‘De Town’ ran out 2-1 winners on the night

Longford were tipped as one of the favourites for the Irish First Division title before the season commenced. Their title hopes weren’t fulfilled in the end as they finished 4th. They do, however, have a second chance of promotion following their 2-1 win over Galway yesterday.

Their win against Galway in the playoff final yesterday means they are now guaranteed a place in the promotion/relegation playoff. All their hard work this season will culminate next Saturday as they aim for their first promotion since 2014. Their opponents will be decided in the coming days after the Premier Division seasons is wrapped up. Finn Harps are their opponents as it stands, but that could change based on various results. The other two teams in the mix are Derry City and Shelbourne.

The match was played at the UCD Bowl. Longford had only frequented the same stadium a week before as they defeated UCD on their way to the final.

Galway United were tipped as slight favourites prior to the game given their recent form and resurgence under the helm of John Caulfield. You wouldn’t think so given their first half performance, however.

Longford manager Daire Doyle had his team firmly in control for long periods of the first half. They controlled play as Galway consistently struggled to retain possession. Galway were unable to cope with the relentless pressing of the midlanders resulting in several inaccurate passes. Aodh Dervin was particularly impressive as he marshalled the midfield area with his impressive work rate and passing range.

The Longford pressure nearly told in the 16th minute as a long-range effort from Dylan Grimes rattled the woodwork. Grimes isn’t impartial to a wondergoal as he’s shown his ability from range during the regular season. He was very unlucky on this occasion.

Both teams struggled to create clear cut chances throughout the half despite Longford largely dominating. It looked as though the first half would end scoreless. That is until the 43rd minute. Aaron McNally’s cross was poorly dealt with by Galway keeper Micheál Schlingermann before falling to the feet of Karl Chambers. Chambers made no mistake as he tapped the ball into an empty net.

Chambers is the longest serving senior member of the Longford Town squad having joined the senior setup in 2015. He should be elated with his performance as his goal only added to an already impressive display of pressing.

John Caulfield was obviously very unsatisfied with the first half performance as he made no less than two changes at the break. Conor Barry and Wilson Waweru – who scored the decisive goal in the playoff semi-final – were brought on.

Galway looked much better at the start of the second half, pressing with more intensity and keeping the ball well on occasion. Chances were still slim, though, as both teams failed to create many opportunities of note. Maybe that was a sign of the tension radiating from both camps.

Galway nearly got their equalizer in the 71st minute. Former Longford man Carlton Ubaezuono was another sub brought on by Caulfield and it didn’t take him long to make an impression. He delivered a dangerous cross into the box from the left wing, but the ball just evaded an incoming Shane Doherty. It surely would have been a goal if Doherty made sufficient contact.

It wasn’t long afterwards when Longford got their 2nd goal to solidify their lead. The aforementioned Aodh Dervin unleashed a shot from 30 years which whistled into the bottom left. Dervin was undoubtably man of the match in a fixture which he described as the biggest of his career so far. He put in an imperious midfield performance which has become a norm for the local hero at this stage. There were rumours of Premier Division clubs being interested in his signature last season and that may well be the case again after tonight’s performance.

To their credit, Galway didn’t slow down after the Longford goal was scored. Their determination resulted in a Vinny Faherty strike in the 88th minute to pull back the deficit. The goal came as a result of less than convincing goalkeeping from Lee Steacy. Steacy has been ever-present for Longford over the past couple of years, but could have done better on this occasion.

A tense few minutes followed as Galway attacked with all their might and Longford did similarity defensively. Longford had their backs to the walls for the remaining minutes. The time kept ticking in what would have felt like an eternity for Daire Doyle and his men.

After an unnerving few moments for both teams, the referee blew his whistle after 4 minutes of added time. Longford players roared in relief as the Galway players appeared dejected.

As mentioned beforehand, Longford will now look forward to Saturday’s promotion/relegation playoff. They’ll face the 9th placed Premier Division team on the night. Both clubs will have so much on the line come Saturday in what promises to be a fascinating affair.

Troy Parrott set for injury return with Ireland u21s

The striker has been out with injury since September

It has been a difficult season for Troy Parrott so far. The Tottenham man is on loan at Millwall for the season but has only made one appearance thus far. This is down to no fault of his own, though.

The frontman sustained an injury in Millwall’s EFL Cup game against Burnley back in September. He managed to get through the first half but was immediately hooked at half time. He and Irish/Millwall fans alike would have been disappointed given his impressive pre-season performances for the club.

Millwall boss Gary Rowett had previously suggested that Parrott may be available for selection in November. He appears to have been correct as Parrott was called up to the Ireland u21 squad yesterday. Rowett is unhappy with Parrott being called up for international duty amid his recovery from injury, however.

Some questions have been raised about Parrott’s inclusion following Gary Rowett’s comments. Ireland u21 manager Jim Crawford has attempted to ease concerns. Crawford suggested that Parrott wouldn’t have been called up to the squad if there were fitness concerned. He has also suggested that he won’t be rushing the striker into action, though.

European Championship qualification

Parrott’s inclusion occurs with upcoming games against Iceland and Luxembourg. The long qualification campaign will come to an end after the Luxembourg fixture on the 18th. So far, he has scored 4 goals in 4 games in u21 European Championship qualification for his country. He’ll be hoping to add to his tally in the upcoming weeks.

The upcoming fixtures are pivotal to Ireland’s qualification chances. Their loss to Italy last month came as a blow so they’ll be keen to get back on track. They currently sit level on points with the Italians, however Italy also have a game in hand. Iceland are also just 1 point behind, sitting in 4th place as it stand. Iceland also have a game in hand, meaning it’s vital pick up at least a draw in that fixture.

The top 2 placed nations qualify for the European Championships so Ireland are in a good position, but it’s far from over. Qualification would mean a first appearance at the u21 European Championships for Ireland. It would be a great achievement for the country if it comes to fruition. It would also be a great opportunity for players coming through the system to gain experience in an international tournament.

The squad

Barring Parrott, several other prospects have been included in the squad. Mark McGuinness is one name that jumps out immediately. The Arsenal youngster is currently on loan at Ipswich where he’s been impressing of late. We included McGuinness as an Irish teenager to watch in a recent article. Luca Connell has also been added to the squad, having missed out on previous squads. Connell has struggled for game time since moving north to Scotland, but he remains very highly rated.

Here is the selected Ireland u21 squad:

Goalkeepers: Gavin Bazunu (Rochdale, on loan from Manchester City), Edward McGinty (Sligo Rovers).

Defenders: Lee O’Connor (Tranmere, on loan from Celtic), Danny McNamara (St Johnstone, on loan from Millwall), Darragh Leahy (Dundalk), Thomas O’Connor (Gillingham, on loan from Southampton), Nathan Collins (Stoke), Mark McGuinness (Ipswich, on loan from Arsenal), Conor Masterson (Queens Park Rangers), Liam Scales (Shamrock Rovers).

Midfielders: Conor Coventry (West Ham), Luca Connell (Celtic), Will Ferry (Southampton), Jason Knight (Derby), Danny Mandroiu (Bohemians), Connor Ronan (Grasshopper Club Zurich, on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers), Anthony Scully (Lincoln), Jack Taylor (Peterborough United).

Forwards: Jonathan Afolabi (Dundee FC, on loan from Celtic), Joshua Kayode (Carlisle United, on loan from Rotherham United), Zachary Elbouzedi (Lincoln), Daniel Grant (Bohemians), Michael Obafemi (Southampton), Troy Parrott (Millwall, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur).

 

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