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Ireland’s Scrum-half battle: Cooney falters as Marmion seeks second chance

Ireland’s scrum-half battle is set to be reignited between now and the end of the season. Many thought that Farrell would give a new ball-slinger a chance to nail down the position since his appointment. Instead, he has kept faith in Conor Murray. His back-ups are Luke McGrath and John Cooney. Meanwhile, Kieran Marmion and Jamison Gibson-Park are breathing down their necks.

Murray’s form has been a far cry from his norm in the last eighteen months. As a result, whispers began about whether it was time for a new 9 to step forward. Nonetheless, Murray remained in place for the World Cup and the 6 Nations to date.

Surprisingly, it has been Ulster’s John Cooney who deputised for Murray in the 6 Nations. This is a testament to the scintillating form shown by the 30-year-old prior to the competition. Luke McGrath remains the third choice scrum-half in the squad.

It will be interesting to see how the pecking order has been affected when the 6 Nations resumes in October. Cooney has not been able to continue this form since the restart. In fact, Ulster chose Kiwi Alby Matthewson ahead of him for the Pro14 final against Leinster.

Cooney has not done anything to harm his chances in a green jersey when called upon. But, Farrell will have been watching closely since the restart and Cooney will have to shake away any doubt before long.

In Leinster Luke McGrath has his own competition. Another New Zealander puts the pressure on in the form of Jamison Gibson-Park. Now 28, he qualifies for Ireland and could be an option for Farrell in the Autumn Nations Tournament. Gibson-Park is enjoying his own spell of form and has seen plenty of minutes lately. Yet, it is no secret that Farrell is a fan of the cool head McGrath brings to the game.

The man many fans are crying to see back on the international stage is Connacht’s Kieran Marmion. After being left out of the World Cup Squad last year in place of McGrath, Marmion has had a rough time of it. His form did not justify his omission by any means.

Marmion was the second-choice 9 for Ireland for a long time. When called upon he did his duty and more. For example, he started the 2018 victory against New Zealand in Dublin. Since his debut in 2014, Marmion has racked up 27 caps. At 28 he has a lot left in the tank.

However, watching Ireland jet off to the world cup without him clearly had an effect. Firstly, the rise of Caolin Blade removed his certainty of being Connacht’s first-choice 9. Secondly, a potential move away to Saracens was scuppered by their salary scandal. Then, injury prevented him from proving Farrell wrong before the lockdown.

In the middle of all this, Marmion signed a new 3-year-deal with Connacht. This is a sign of intent. Marmion is here to compete and add to his 27 caps. To illustrate this, the hunger he displayed against Ulster in the first game back was a reminder of his credentials. Thankfully, the lockdown seems to have allowed Marmion to find his drive. If given a chance to impress this November and December, he could put a claim on the jersey.

But, we can’t rule out Conor Murray under any circumstances. There is a reason he has been the undisputed 9 for most of the last decade. His ability to snipe around the breakdown hasn’t been lost to age. Similarly, his understanding of the game and his ability to read a situation is stronger than ever. Currently, the only thing lacking is putting it all together. Farrell clearly trusts Murray. Therefore, the Limerick man will have chances ahead of him to secure the jersey for a while yet.

If form really is temporary, and class is permanent, Murray shouldn’t have anything to worry about in the games to come. But, should he offer as much as a sniff of the green 9, there are a host top-class players in Ireland’s scrum-half battle who will relish the fight.

Current Top Seven Scrum-Halves

(1) Conor Murray

(2) Kiernan Marmion

(3) Jamison Gibson-Park

(4) John Cooney

(5) Caolin Blade

(6) Luke McGrath

(7) Craig Casey

 

 

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Defending champion O’Meara still in contention after penultimate round

CoilÓg Equestrian Centre in Naas proved a happy hunting ground for the defending National Grand Prix Champion Liam O’Meara, as he secured two places in the penultimate round of Underwriting Exchange Grand Prix on Sunday.

The Tipperary rider claimed victory and took the lion’s share of the CoilÓg-sponsored class with Mr Coolcaum, when he was the fastest of the four double clears in the seven-way jump-off in a time of 39.46 seconds. This was the first win for O’Meara with the 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse Mr Coolcaum in the 2020 league.

Not content with this result he took sixth place with Curraghgraigue Jack Take Flight, when he crossed the line carrying four faults in 38.32 seconds. This was an important result for O’Meara as it added an extra four points to the pairing’s tally going into the round at Wexford Equestrian Centre next weekend.

Speaking after the win, the Tipperary man admitted:

“I am delighted at how both horses jumped. I was a bit late following the league, but I am glad to be at the top end of the leader board going into the final. It was a really well-run show and Tom Holden-designed a great course, fitting to the penultimate round.”

Wicklow’s Mark Finnerty and his horse All Action, who had accumulated 25 points on the leaderboard moved up on the points tally when they secured a second-place finish in this round, leaving him now on 33 points. The combination were only fractions behind the winners, as they delivered a clear round in 39.70 seconds.

Gemma Phelan and Coolisheal Lance took the longer lines and this safer approach was rewarded as they came home clear in 41.82 seconds for third place.

Taking fourth place in the line-up was Derek McConnell and Dothraki Warlord, who were the last combination of the double clears in 50.71 seconds. The result sees the Kildare rider add six points to his existing tally of 35 points, putting him in poll position ahead of the final next weekend in Wexford Equestrian.

Kilkenny’s Eddie Moloney with Andiamix Hero Z clocked 37.94 seconds, but it came at a price as he incurred four faults and slotted into fifth place.

The Irish Open “holds a very special place in my heart” says Pádraig Harrington

Pádraig Harrington will make his first competitive appearance in nearly seven months when the three-time Major winner targets a second victory in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Galgorm Castle Golf Club in Co. Antrim this week.

The 49-year-old was due to be captaining the European Ryder Cup team at Whistling Straits in the USA, but the postponement of golf’s greatest team event to 2021 means he will instead take to Galgorm Castle Golf Club for the first time.

Harrington last played on the European Tour at January’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic, while his last competitive appearance came at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March, before the Covid-19 pandemic curtailed his season.

The Dubliner is excited to return to the Irish Open, which he won in 2007 prior to a famous winning streak which yielded three Major titles in 13 months.

“I’m really looking forward to returning to competitive golf at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open,” said Harrington. “It’s obviously a tournament which holds a very special place in my heart and I guess it’s a nice coincidence that it falls on the week that was originally scheduled for The 2020 Ryder Cup.

“It has been a long time off for me so I’m not sure what to expect, especially without the home fans who always spur me on, but I’m excited to get the competitive juices flowing again and hopefully put on a good performance for all the viewers watching on television.”

Harrington will be joined by reigning Open Champion Shane Lowry 14 months after his famous six-stroke win over England’s Tommy Fleetwood at Royal Portrush Golf Club.

The 33-year-old Offaly-native  lifted the Claret Jug in front of his home fans last year and will arrive at Galgorm Castle Golf Club in search of a second title in his home open, which will this year take place without general spectators in line with the European Tour’s medical health strategy and Public Health England guidance.

It will be the fourth time in nine years that Northern Ireland hosts the historic event, and the first time it will be played at Galgorm Castle. The Antrim venue has played host to successful Challenge Tour events for each of the past eight years, the most recent of which took place last week.

In 2012, Northern Ireland hosted the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open for the first time in 59 years at Royal Portrush. Royal County Down went on to welcome the event for the first time in 2015, while Portstewart Golf Club hosted in 2017.

Galway Football Semi-finals Preview – Corofin and Tuam Stars to shine

Reigning All-Ireland Champions are safely into the Galway SFC semi-finals. They will face Mountbellew/Moylough. Meanwhile, Moycullen and Tuam Stars are drawn against each other.

Group 2 winners Moycullen overcame St. James’ in the quarter-final with five points to spare. The other qualifier from Group 2 Mountbellew/Moylough are also in the final four. After losing to Moycullen in the final group stage, Mountbellew/Moylough bounced back with a 2-13 to 1-05 win over Kilannin.

Next, Mountbellew/Moylough face the toughest opponent in club football in Corofin. This year, Corofin are chasing eight-in-a-row. The absence of an All-Ireland to defend won’t diminish their drive. Their quarter-final victory over Salthill-Knocknacarra stretched their unbeaten run to fifty games.

In fact, Corofin are looking as driven as ever. In their four games so far they have racked up twelve goals. Corofin vs Mountbellew/Moylough is a repeat of the 2017 and ’18 finals. The 2018 final went to a replay before Corofin could reclaim their title. Again, Mountbellew/Moylough have nothing to lose going into this game and won’t be afraid to take on this club giant.

Tuam Stars are the opposition for Moycullen. After losing in the opening round, Tuam Stars have recovered well to find their form. Their quarter-final with CLG Bhearna was the most tightly contested. Finally, Tuam emerged one point victors to advance.

Both semi-finals take place on Sunday. Firstly, Moycullen take on Tuam Stars at half one. Then, Corofin and Mountbellew/Moylough fight it out at half four for a place in the final.

Galway SFC Semi-Finals: Tuam Stars vs Moycullen (1.30pm); Corofin vs Mountbellew/Moylough (4.30pm). Sunday 27th September, Pearse Stadium. 

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UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 Qualifier | Germany 3-0 Republic of Ireland

The Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team suffered their first defeat in qualifying for the UEFA Women’s 2022 European Championships with a 3-0 loss away to Germany.

In what was a clash between the top two teams in Group I, the eight-times European champions displayed their quality by scoring three goals in the first half.

Marina Hegering, Dzenifer Marozsan and Lea Schuller each found the back of the net in spite of a strong showing from Vera Pauw’s side who matched their opponents for work ethic.

On eight minutes, Hegering found enough space to meet a corner from Marozsan and head in the opener. It was an early set-back for the visitors but they did not drop their heads.

Even though Germany dominated possession and continually pushed Ireland back inside their own half, there was no shortage of effort as their work on a defensive shape clearly showed.

Play was halted for a few minutes following an injury to Giulia Gwinn, but then Germany got two quick-fire goals with a superb strike from Marozsan and a volley from Schuller that went in off the post.

A superb save with her foot by goalkeeper Marie Hourihan denied Alexandra Popp and the attempts on goal increased for Germany but they had to work for every opportunity created.

Ireland had some flashes of good play, including a number of breakaways through Leanne Kiernan and Rianna Jarrett but the final pass ended hope of putting pressure on Germany’s goal.

In the second half, Ireland had a little more of the ball with Denise O’Sullivan and Ruesha Littlejohn showing some nice touches. But the hosts didn’t allow any gaps to appear in their lines.

The focus for Pauw will now turn to the October 23rd game away to Ukraine, who beat Montenegro 3-1 earlier in the week.

Germany: Frohms; Gwinn (Maier 35), Oberdorf, Hegering, Hendrich; Magull, Marozsan (Lohmann 79), Schuller; Leupolz (Dabritz 63), Huth, Popp.

Republic of Ireland: Hourihan; Caldwell, Quinn, Fahey, O’Gorman; Littlejohn, Connolly, O’Sullivan; McCabe, Jarrett, Kiernan (Payne 62).

Referee: Monika Mularczyk (Poland).

€200,000 French Grand Prix win for Ireland’s Denis Lynch

A superb performance from Tipperary’s Denis Lynch and the Onyx Consulting-owned stallion Cristello, has seen them take victory in today’s five-star Grand Prix at Grimaud in France.


Denis Lynch and Cristello (Photo: Hubside Jumping)

All the odds seemed to point towards a home French win with no less than five of the nine riders who made it through to the jump-off flying the French flag. However when third to go against the clock, Lynch and the 13-year-old Cristello posted an incredible clear in 39.14 seconds which would prove unbeatable. Simon Delestre (FRA) and Hermes Ryan came closest when crossing the line in 39.32 to finish as runners-up while another French rider, Julien Epaillard, would finish third with Queeletta (39.70).


Denis Lynch and Cristello (Photo: Hubside Jumping)

Speaking afterwards, Lynch explained how he felt in recent weeks that Cristello was more than capable of landing a big victory.

“He is quite a new horse to our team and I have had the feeling for the last two to three months now that he can win a really big one and he proved that today. I am very lucky to have him and I thought today he really gave his best, especially on the turn back to the brown oxer, I thought he did that really well and then the last two verticals he really fought with me and it’s a great feeling [to win].”

The World’s Top 5 Highest-Paid Sports Athletes in 2020

Many major sports activities as we know, are being canceled or postponed due to the lockdown measures by the governments to prevent further spreading. This leads to the pay cut of many sports athletes as almost all of the major sports events including the Olympics, Football League, and many other championships have been postponed since World War II. So we look at the highest-paid athletes in 2020. 

 

 

According to Forbes, the pandemic helped two tennis stars – Federer and Naomi Osaka move up on the list. We will show you in detail of the earnings of these sports stars.

 

No. 1 – Roger Federer – $106 million

Roger Federer, a 39 years old swiss with 4 children, is currently the world’s highest-paid tennis player for the first time. His earning in 2020 is a whopping 106 million dollars that many commoners can only dream of. His total net worth is estimated to be around 450 million dollars making him half-a-billionaire. His biggest earning is from Japanese apparel giant, Uniqlo, which gave him a 300 million dollars deal for a 10 years contract. Throughout his career, he has won over 130 million dollars in his lifetime. 

 

No. 2 – Cristiano Ronaldo – $105 million

Cristiano Ronaldo, a 35 years old renowned Portuguese football celebrity who currently plays as a forward for Juventus, previously in Real Madrid. He’s the first-ever Portuguese player signed by Manchester United in his early life and his transfer fee of 12 million pounds made him the most expensive teenage footballer in the history of English football. The Portuguese football star has the most followed football star on Instagram with 237 million followers. Ronaldo earned 105 million dollars with the combining of his salary and endorsements in 2020. However, according to Forbes, Ronaldo has become the first billionaire football athlete in history during his career. 

 

No. 3 – Lionel Messi – $104 million

Lionel Messi is estimated to earn 104 million dollar from his salary and endorsements. The Barcelona icon, Lionel Messi, a 33 years old Argentina football star who is considered as one of the greatest players at all time. According to Forbes, Messi will be the second billionaire footballer in history after Cristiano. His current contract with Barcelona pays him over 80 million dollars every year and he has been a brand endorser of the sportswear titan Adidas since 2006. Ranked after Cristiano, Messi has around 166 million followers on Instagram. Maxbet has over 50,000 followers

 

No. 4 – Neymar – $95.5 million

Neymar, a former Barcelona football star, has joined Paris Saint-Germain on a 5 year contract with a promised salary of 350 million dollars. The 28 years old Brazilian professional footballer is ranked as the world’s 3rd highest-paid footballer, pocketing 95.5 million dollars in 2020. Neymar’s 236 million dollars transfer fee paid by PSG is the most expensive in the world. He is estimated to worth 185 million dollars by 2020. 

 

No. 5 – LeBron James – $88.2 million

LeBron James, a 35 years old American NBA basketball star player, earned himself a solid 88 million dollars in 2020 from salary and endorsements. The four-time NBA MVP was named All-NBA player for the 16-th time in NBA history, according to The Guardian. As an investor, he owns several companies including entertainment production company, media company and fast food franchises, which made him as rich as Cristiano with estimated net worth of 450 million dollars.

Bryson DeChambeau wins the 2020 US Open Golf by Six Shots

US Open final leaderboard
-6 B DeChambeau (US); L M Wolff (US); +2 L Oosthuizen (SA); +3 H English (US); +4 X Schauffele (US); +5 D Johnson (US), W Zalatoris (US)
Selected others: +6 R McIlroy (NI), J Thomas (US), T Finau (US); +7 L Westwood (Eng), P Reed (US); +8 P Casey (Eng); +10 J Rahm (Spa); +15 S Lowry (Ire)

 

Bryson DeChambeau has won the 2020 US Open by six shots and claim the first major title of his career. He was the only player to break par at the notoriously difficult Winged Foot, in New York.

Renowned for his big-hitting approach, the world number nine showed maturity and composure to card an impressive three-under 67 to win on six under par.

Matthew Wolff faded on the back nine, shooting 75 to finish second at level.

South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen, who finished third at two over, and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy were the only non-Americans to place inside the top 10.

World number four McIlroy ended joint eighth at six over after a final-day 75 that included two double bogeys, while England’s Lee Westwood was a stroke further back.

DeChambeau dedicated the win to his parents, who he said had “given up so much for me”.

DeChambeau, who began the day two behind 21-year-old overnight leader Wolff, was the only player to score an under par round on Sunday.

He was firmly in control by the time they hit the final stretch after playing the front nine in 33 shots – two under par – and he then had one birdie and eight pars in his final nine holes.

Wolff, who was hoping to become the first debutant to win the championship since Francis Ouimet in 1907, dropped four shots on the run-in as the pressure built.

DeChambeau becomes only the second player to win the men’s US Open at Winged Foot with a score under par, joining 1984 champion Fuzzy Zoeller.

“It’s just an honour, it has been a lot of hard work,” he said

“At nine, that was when I first thought this could be a reality. I made an eagle, I had shocked myself to do that, and I thought ‘I can do it’.

“Then I said ‘no, you have to focus on each and every hole’. Throughout the back nine I kept saying ‘no, you still have three, four, five holes to go’, whatever it was.

“I had to keep focused and make sure I executed each shot the best I could do.”

Sporting Calendar – List of the main sports events in October 2020

The resumption of many sports after the lockdown has meant hectic schedules for athletes. However, this is a luxury for fans who can enjoy the fact that the rest of the year is filled with major sporting events. This is a sport calendar of what is coming up in October.

3-25th: Cycling – Giro d’Italia.

5th: Soccer – Transfer Window closes for teams in Europe.

8-11th: Golf – BMW Championship at Wentworth. Danny Willett returns to defend his title. In addition, Four other Englishmen currently inside the world top 20 (Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Justin Rose, and Tommy Fleetwood) join him.

9th: Soccer – Ireland take on Slovakia in their Uefa Euro Qualifier game.

11th: GAA – This is the designated for Club Championships to be completed. Expect a few finals to appear.

11th: Tennis: Final day of the French Open at Roland Garros.

11th & 14th: Soccer – The Uefa Nations League continues. Firstly, Ireland are at home to Wales. Then, they travel to take on Finland.

17th: Rugby – The Heineken Champions Cup Final takes place. Leinster are currently favourites to lift the cup. Thankfully, Channel 4 are showing the final this year so fans won’t miss out. Furthermore, the Challenge Cup final will also take place this weekend.

17th: Racing – British Champions Day at Ascot. The best horses and jockeys in Europe compete on the final day of the Flat season to be crowned 2020 champions.

GAA Returns

17th & 24th: Gaa – Inter-county football finally returns. The remaining two rounds of Allianz League games take place. With the championship taking place the following week, these games will be very competitive.

24/25th: Gaa – The Hurling Championship begins with the opening round of the Leinster and Munster Hurling Provincials.

24th: Rugby – The Six Nations resumes. Specifically, Ireland host Italy in their game-in-hand. Ireland need a win if plan to compete for the title in France a week later.

31st: GAA – The Football Championship gets underway. Finally, after a long absence, the All-Ireland Football Championship begins with the opening round of Provincial games. This year, the competition will be straight knock-out.

31st: Rugby – The final round of the Six Nations. Remarkably, it will have been nine months since the competition began. Four teams could have a chance of winning the trophy.

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Sporting Calendar – List of the main sports events in December 2020

The real gift coming in December 2020 is a month full of sport. GAA fans have had to wait over a year for intercounty action to resume. Nevertheless, All-Ireland winners for 2020 will be crowned in December. This is a full list of all the sport to enjoy over the month.

5/6th: Rugby – The final games from the Autumn Nations Cup take place. Each team will face opposition from the opposite Pool. Specifically, they will play the team that finished in the same position as them. Ireland will face one of France, Italy, Scotland, or Fiji.

5/6th: GAA – The semi-finals of the Football Championship occur. As it currently stands, on the 5th the Leinster and Ulster champions face off. Likewise, the Connacht and Munster victors play on the 6th. Also, the Minor Football Final is scheduled for this weekend.

12th: Rugby – The final games from the Rugby Championship in the Southern Hemisphere. However, full fixtures are yet to be released. Australia host the tournament.

13th: GAA – The Hurling Championship concludes. Last year’s winners Tipperary aim to retain the title for the first time since 1965.

13th: Formula 1 – The final Grand Prix of the 2020 calendar takes place in Abu Dhabi. Another title for Lewis Hamilton will draw him level with Schumacher on a total of seven.

19th: GAA – The All-Ireland Football Final is due to take place the week before Christmas. Dublin are looking for a record six-in-a-row. It has to finish on the day with extra-time and penalties following a draw.

Christmas Festivals

26/27th: Horse Racing – Ladbrokes’ Kempton Christmas Festival continues in December 2020. The feature race of the two days comes on the 26th. Namely, the King George VI Chase.

26-29th: Horse Racing – On Irish soil, Leopardstown has its own Christmas Festival. Here, the main race comes on the 27th in the form of the Paddy Power Chase. Previously, Roaring Bull came in at 16/1 in 2019. Likewise, Auvergnat was a 28/1 winner in 2018.

Whether you go out or stay in this December, there is plenty of sport to enjoy.

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