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Munster trio sign new deals

Munster trio Andrew Conway, Billy Holland and Jeremy Loughman have all signed new deals with the province.

Andrew Conway has signed a three year deal which will now see him at the club till at least July 2023. Conway has been super for the province since arriving from Leinster. He has made 142 appearances and has played on the wing and in the full back position. At 28 years of age he is third in the Munster roll of honour in terms of  top try scorers. He has scored 43 tries since making his debut against Zebre 7 years ago. Moreover, at International level Conway scored three tries in the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

Billy Holland has also put pen to paper on a new deal. Holland has signed a one year contract extension. The 34 year old has made 226 appearances for the club. Holland has been a stalwart for the club and is in his 13th season. He has made a super start to the season for the Red Army, starting in 12 out of 14 games.

Furthermore, Jeremy Loughman who plays as prop with the club has also signed a new contract. He has signed a two year deal. This will keep him at Thomond Park till June 2022. The 24 year old Kildare man made his debut in 2018 and has gone on to make 36 appearances for the province. He was selected as man of the match on debut against Ospreys in the Champions Cup.

Head coach Johann Van Graan was delighted with the news that the trio of players signed contracts. Commenting on this he said, “Retaining the services of Andrew, Billy and Jeremy is again great news for Munster Rugby and for our plans for the future”. He continued, “They are a quality trio, that all add huge value to our squad with their own individual skills and experience”.

Munster take on Zebre this Friday at 7.35pm at the Stade Giovanni Mari.

Six Nations: Wales name team to play France

Wales head coach Wayne Pivac has named his side to take on France at the Principality Stadium on Saturday at 4.45pm. The Six Nations battle between the sides is likely to go down to the wire. Be sure to check out the latest odds here in our latest article.

Pivac has opted to change two players from the team that started in the loss against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium. He has opted to include Gareth Davies, who replaces Tomos Williams at scrum half. Furthermore, Ross Moriarty also comes into the side. He replaces Aaron Wainwright. The front row once again will see Wyn Jones, Ken Owens and Dillion Lewis. In the second row the very experienced Alun Wyn Jones who captains the sides pairs up with Jake Ball. Ross Moriarty is named as flanker as already mentioned, he will be alongside the versatile Justin Tipuric and the powerful Taulupe Faletau.

Leigh Halfpenny starts at full back once again. George North and Josh Adams takes up positions on the wings. Nick Tompkins lines up in the centre alongside Hadleigh Parkes. Dan Biggar and Gareth Davies are named at number 10 and number 9 respectively. Speaking to the media about the upcoming game Pivac said, “Gareth was unavailable in round one and came off the bench last time out, so he is full of energy and we are looking forward to him bringing his game on Saturday”. He continued, “Saturday is going to be a packed Principality Stadium, we know the atmosphere will be electric, and it is set for a big day in Cardiff.”

Saturday’s game is massive for both sides. A win for France will mean they just have to beat Scotland and Ireland to win the Grand Slam. However, a win for Wales would certainly open things up further. History is certainly not in the French sides favour. In fact if you go back to the history books. The last time they won in Cardiff was in 2010 when they won 26-20. Tries from Palisson and Trinh Duc secured the win for Les Bleus.

Video : Goals of the Week from League of Ireland

The league of Ireland commenced last weekend and below we have a short video of the goals of the week.

The first goal is from Dundalk’s Dane Massey an unstoppable volley past Derry goalkeeper Nathan Garfield. Ciaran Kilduff’s goal is the second goal of the week, a scrappy goal but it makes the league’s goals of the week nonetheless. Karl O’Sullivan’s goal for Finn Harps also makes the list. His goal gave the Donegal based side a 1-0 win. Aaron Greene also hit the winner in the Dublin derby for Shamrock Rovers where they played Bohemians, the game ending 1-0, but in truth it should have never been played in dreadful conditions.

This weeks fixtures will see Derry welcome Finn Harps to the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium on Friday at 7.45pm. Furthermore, other games that take place on Friday include Shelbourne at home to Dundalk, Sligo having home advantage against St Pats, Waterford welcoming Bohemians to the RSC, while the tie of the weekend takes place at 8pm also on Friday with Shamrocks Rovers welcoming Cork City to Tallaght Stadium.

Action in the division one gets underway this weekend. Cabinteely will have home advantage against Bray, Athlone will travel to Galway, while Wexford Youths will also have home advantage against UCD, these games takes place on Friday at 7.45pm. On Saturday Cobh Ramblers welcome Drogheda to St Colman’s Park at 7pm, while Longford will play host to Shamrocks Rovers second string.

Come back next week where we will hopefully have some more goals of the week from the league Ireland to talk about !

Zebre v Munster: Preview, Team News and Betting

Zebre v Munster takes place on Friday at the Stadio Giovanni Mari with a 7.35pm kick off. A preview, team news and betting information is below. We will have live score updates to from the below link.

Click here for LIVE Score Updates 

Preview 

Zebre currently sit in 6th place in the table. Their history in the competition against Irish teams isn’t great considering win over an Irish side was Connacht back in 2018. They have former Munster and Leinster man Ian Nagle starting which is great to see. Mick Kearney also starts the former Leinster man is in the second row.

Munster come into the game on the back of a win over the Southern Kings last weekend, a big win at that 68-3. The performances of Mike Haley and Arno Botha really impressed. Botha grabbed three tries. Players like Tommy O’Donnell, Darren Sweetnam and Dan Goggin are on the bench. Munster have played Zebre 14 times winning all 14. They have accumulated 66 tries in those 14 games, compared to their opponents 17. The last meeting between the sides came in 2019 when Munster beat Zebre 31-12.

Team News

Zebre: Junior Laloifi, Paula Balekana, Jamie Elliott, Tommaso Boni (c), Pierre Bruno, Francois Brummer, Joshua Renton, Daniele Rimepelli, Massimo Ceciliani, Eduardo Bello, Mick Kearney, Ian Nagle, Maxime Mbandà, Jimmy Tuivaiti, Renato Giammarioli

Munster: Mike Haley, Calvin Nash, Sammy Arnold, Rory Scannell, Shane Daly, JJ Hanrahan, Craig Casey, James Cronin, Niall Scannell (c), John Ryan, Fineen Wycherley, Darren O’Shea, Arno Botha, Chris Cloete, Jack O’Sullivan.

Betting

Munster are 1/8 to win this game. Their opponents are 6/1 to cause an upset and come out on top on home soil. For me it’s about the handicap market here. Munster are in ruthless form and -16 looks a great bet considering they put 60+ points on the Kings. Arno Botha at 16/1 to get the first try looks a great bet considering the form he is in.  Zebre v Munster is live on Eir Sport 1.

Moments When Irish Sports Commentators Went Crazy

There’s no doubting the fact that Commentators can tend to get carried away sometimes! Whether it be negative or positive, you can’t help but feel like you’re involved in the occasion, with most of them being very memorable!

Last Weekend we saw Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler in absolutely ecstatic form, when Manchester United new boy Anthony Martial scored on his debut against Liverpool at Old Trafford.

In light of this most recent event, what better way to jump on the bandwagon by glancing back to occasions when Irish commentators got pretty excited!

George Hamilton- Ireland V England World Cup 1990

With Ireland trailing by a goal thanks to a scrappy first half effort from Gary Lineker, things were beginning to get a little edgy entering the final twenty minutes.

However Kevin Sheedy came to the rescue with a 71st minute equaliser and by God George Hamilton was happy! His famous goal scoring catchphrase came to the fore once again when he ushered the words “Oh It’s There!”

Ryle Nugent- Ireland V Wales Six Nations 2009

Mr.Nugent is a quality broadcaster and always has the audience on the edge of their seats, with his unique style of commentary.

Ireland’s 2009 Grand Slam title is synonymous at this stage in Irish sporting folklore. But the words of Nugent during the live commentary in the closing stages against Wales, will also last a lifetime in the memory. Who could forget, “This must be it for Ronan O’Gara, Drop At Goal, Grand Slam At Stake!”

Brendan Hennessey- Mount Leinster Rangers Become Leinster Champions

Having worked with Newstalk and Premier Sports, Hennessey is probably best noted for his performances on local Radio with KCLR 96fm in the Carlow-Kilkenny region.

In 2013, Carlow based minnows Mount Leinster Rangers defied the odds by beating Wexford kingpins Oulart-The Ballagh in the Leinster Senior Club Hurling Final. To say Hennessey got excited would be an understatement and this clip definitively confirms it!

Ger Canning- Mayo V Dublin All-Ireland SFC Semi Final 2006

In a game which had many twists and turns, the onus fell on the shoulders of Mayo maestro Ciaran McDonald to send his side into the All Ireland Final.

McDonald didn’t disappoint and his late effort in Hill 16 heaped misery on the opposing Dublin side who lost out by the narrowest of margins’. Canning was at his brilliant best here and his commentary didn’t disappoint!

Marty Morrissey- Clare V Cork All Ireland SHC Final 2013

Marty Morrissey has worked with RTE for many years. His reporting and broadcasting skills are up there with the best of them and he has come out with many a memorable statement down through the years.

His finest moment came in 2013 however when his native Clare scored a last minute equaliser against Cork in the All Ireland Final. Two words which still has the nation in ribbons is “Holy Moses!”

More GAA News

Handicaps entries for the Cheltenham Festival 2020

The list of entries for the ten handicap races at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival has been announced.

The 10 handicaps at the four-day extravaganza, which takes place from Tuesday, 10 March through to Thursday, 13 March inclusive.
Tuesday, 10 March plays host to the £110,000 G3 Ultima Handicap Chase (3m 1f, 91 entries), in which Vinndication (Kim Bailey) heads the ante-post market most with most firms after an impressive comeback at Ascot just before Christmas.
Day one of The Festival comes to a close with the £70,000 Listed Northern Trust Company Novices’ Handicap Chase (2m 4f, 72 entries). Kim Bailey, who is based not far from Cheltenham at Andoversford, also has the market leader for this contest in Imperial Aura, who has finished second on his latest two outings, both of which came at the Home of Jump Racing.
There are a massive 148 entries for Wednesday’s £100,000 G3 Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (2m 5f), in which Protektorat (Dan Skelton), who is part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, tops the ante-post market. The five-year-old was a Listed winner at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day and third in the G2 Ballymore Novice’ Hurdle on Festival Trials Day, 25 January. Last year’s winner William Henry (Nicky Henderson) is entered once again.

Also taking place on Wednesday is the £80,000 G3 Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (2m, 61 entries) for four-year-olds.
Day three, Thursday, 12 March features three handicaps, kicking off with the £100,000 G3 Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (3m, 57 entries). Gordon Elliott has won the last two runnings and has seven entries in 2020, including last year’s winner Sire du Berlais.
The £110,000 G3 Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase (2m 4.5f) has attracted 96 including 2019 scorer Siruh du Lac (Nick Williams) and Happy Diva (Kerry Lee), who scooped the G3 BetVictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November.
Thursday concludes with the £70,000 Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Riders’ Handicap Chase (3m 2f, 95 entries.)
The £100,000 G3 Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle (2m 1f, 99 entries) on Friday, 13 March has gone to trainer Dan Skelton for three of the past four years. Skelton’s four entries this year include previous winners Ch’tibello (2019) and Mohaayed (2018), as well as exciting novice West Cork and Sofia’s Rock.
Trainer Nicky Henderson has two entries, Theinval and Whatswrongwithyou, in the race named in memory of his father – the £110,000 G3 Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (2m, 53 entries).
The Festival concludes with the £70,000 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (2m 4f, 156 entries). David Pipe has yet to win the race named in honour of his father and has six entries this year.
Weights for all 10 handicaps at The Festival will be revealed on Wednesday, 26 February
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Guide to bet on Finnish Hockey

Ice hockey betting is pretty widespread across Europe and North America. It is particularly popular when it comes to KHL and NHL. 

Big tournaments take place on a regular basis. So, if you want to bet on Finnish hockey on vedonlyönti sivut or betting websites, you should know various things. In this guide, you are going to learn all the nitty-gritty. 

Understanding Team Set-Up to Bet on Hockey

The first step to learn about betting on Finnish hockey is to understand how the sport works. Just as basketball and soccer, the ultimate aim is to score more than the opposite team. A hockey match consists of two teams, and each of them contains 6 players, a goaltender and 5 skaters. 

The roaster size of a hockey team is 20 players. The big number inside the roster is because of the physical nature of the game, irrespective of the sport requiring only 6 players. There are many high contact situations in the game, and subsequently, every team is provided with unlimited substitutions throughout the match. 

Apart from the goalie, the team consists of three forwards and two defensemen. There is left, as well as a right defenseman. Right-wing, centre, and left-wing are the three forward positions. 

Types of Ice Hockey Bets

One of the best bets in Finnish hockey is the outright win wager. Putting stake on the outright winner is simply a bet on who you feel is going to win. These days there are no ties. Thus, to win on your stake, you choose to win the game outright. 

Another popular form of stake is the puck line. This is where the oddsmaker is going to assign a favourite on the basis of the formula of minus or plus one goal. Putting a stake over-under is one of the most known bet in ice-hockey. The oddsmaker is going to assess the total goals that have been scored by the two teams in the match. A majority of the time, the number is either 5.5 or 6. 

You will find the basic bets in a majority of the online betting websites. However, some are going to provide you with more in-depth market than the others. 

Things to Consider While Betting

There are certain things that you need to take into account when you stake on this. Let’s take a look at them. 

 

  • Consider the Heavy Favourites

 

It is a sport of parity. A majority of the titles are close, particularly NHL. Upsets, also in playoffs are quite common. Thus, you need to be careful about the large parlays. 

 

  • Take Note of the Lineup Changes

 

You should follow the lineup changes over the internet. There are many sites that will tell you about even a slight change in the lineup. This is important, particularly when it comes to the goaltenders. You should also take into account if the team is using a backup for the game. Knowing every little detail helps in preparing for the bet. 

 

  • Get to Know the Schedule

 

This is a gruelling sport and the ones playing it are human. Thus, they are going to get tired. In case a team is on a long trip, it is better to stay away from putting a stake on them in the later game it plays. Usually, home teams have a natural advantage. This is because it enables them to make the last changes that are the road teams have to put in their players over the ice first. Thereafter, the home coach is going to react to it as he deems fit. 

 

  • Look Around

 

You should definitely consider registering for a different sportsbook. Generally, the odds on the under-over are the same everywhere, the puck lines and the money lines might vary to a significant extent. 

Tips to Bet on Ice Hockey

If you are a fan of Finnish hockey, there are certain tips that you need to consider. When you seriously consider hockey betting, you need to formulate a strategy, and for that, you have to take a look at the tips given below. 

 

  • Bet When There Is Value

 

You should not waste money on the short and long bets that are not going to come off or back heavy options which will not give you anything if they win. 

 

  • Specialize

 

Ice hockey will provide you with several betting markets. You need to find out the market where you are going to be most successful. Thereafter, focus your stake on it. 

 

  • Keep a Record

 

It is necessary to maintain a record before the stake allows you to keep a track on your betting process to find where you have done well and in which stake markets you are the strongest. 

 

  • Do Your Research

 

The week that leads to the beginning of the new season is called the pre-season. This time, teams train heavily and are going to take part in friendly games. It is the ideal time to find out which teams seem like contenders and which teams are not. Doing this research is going to help in saving money and will keep you from losing your bets on ice hockey. Thus, you can secure great profits. 

Check Out Head-to-Head Matchups

Prior to betting on the result of the Finnish hockey, you should check out how the two teams are matching up head-to-head and how the previous games have ended. You should also consider the teams that have won the most. It is also necessary to check if one team is stronger or weaker in the recent meet. You might have been ready to support a team, but when you check the head-to-head, you might come to realize that it is the opponents who have the number. 

 

  • Check the Upsets

 

Due to the high rate injuries and bruising nature, it is impossible for a team to keep the best players playing on ice all throughout the season. There are a few key players who might be out of the game injured. Thus, even the best teams might become vulnerable. You should keep an eye on the primary hockey players. 

Markets You Сan Bet On

There is a puck line, moneyline, and over-under. However, there are other types of bets, too. You can make future bets which include the ongoing and the ever-changing odds for the winner of Stanley Cup. This is also applicable for World, KHL, and every league. Prior to the beginning of every NHL season, several bookmakers might post odds on the individual winners of the trophy. 

You will also find in-play betting. This can be anything. If you think that a specific player is going to score a goal in the game for Maple Leaf, you will see bookmakers who provide odds on that, as well as the goal market for almost all the top players on a squad. 

You should not forget that the shootout goals don’t matter for an individual’s betting purpose. However, you should put a stake when you think that a player is going to score on the shootout goal. 

Now that you have come to learn the most important aspects of betting on ice hockey, you should take advantage of the best odds on various sites.

Kerry v Meath: Preview, Team News and live score updates

Kerry v Meath takes in Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney on Sunday. The game throws in at 1pm. We have a preview, team news and betting below. If you can’t make the game be sure to follow our live score updates.

Click here for LIVE GAA SCORE UPDATES

Preview

Kerry come into this game sitting in joint second in the league. They have three points from three games. They have one win, one loss and a draw. The draw came against Dublin 1-19 each in the opening round, while they suffered a loss to Tyrone, before beating Galway narrowly 1-15 to 2-11. Peter Keane has an abundance of talent at his disposal. In fact it’s a mixture of experienced and up and coming players. Players like Tommy Walsh, Paul Geaney and James O’Donoghue are all top class players as is David Clifford, Sean O’Shea and Peter Crowley.

Meath really need a draw here at the very least to have any hope of staying in the division next season. Andy McEntee’s men have struggled in their three games and sit on a scoring difference of -16. They lost to Tyrone 1-14 to 1-09 , then Donegal 3-08 to 0-07, before succumbing to a narrow 1 point loss to fellow relegation contenders Mayo. Donal Keogan, Bryan Menton and Thomas O’Reilly will need to have big performances here.

Team News

Teams have yet to be announced

Kerry (Allianz FL Division 1 v Meath): Shane Ryan; Graham O’Sullivan, Tadhg Morley, Tom O’Sullivan; Paul Murphy, Shane Enright, Gavin White; Liam Kearney, Jack Barry; Micheal Burns, Sean O’Shea, Stephen O’Brien; Dara Moynihan, David Clifford, Paul Geaney.

Meath: TBA

Betting

Kerry are 1/8 to win this game, while Meath are 11/2. For me it simply has to be a Kerry win on recent form. Therefore backing Kerry -6 ay 4/5 is the selection. There is no live coverage of Kerry v Meath so be sure to follow our match tracker above.

Eurosport & Quest to broadcast Snooker’s Shoot Out

Snooker’s Shoot Out event will be televised live by Eurosport and Quest for the first time next season.

The world ranking tournament, which has been running since 2011, has a unique set of rules, with matches lasting a maximum of ten minutes and a shot clock of 15 seconds for the first five minutes and ten seconds for the last five.

Broadcast of the event has now been incorporated into World Snooker’s long-term partnership with Eurosport and Quest, which runs until 2026. The Shoot Out brings the total number of events broadcast by Eurosport to 19 with qualifying rounds and other events available on Eurosport Player.

The 2019 Shoot Out will run from February 21-24, at the Watford Colosseum, with Eurosport and Quest as the host broadcaster.

The tournament features 128 players in a flat draw, each needing to win seven matches to take the title. Michael Georgiou captured the trophy for the first time in 2018, beating Graeme Dott in a dramatic final.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said:

“The Shoot Out is a wonderful event which has become one of the highlights of the season for fans who enjoy the fast and furious pace of play. The 2018 Shoot Out was the best I have ever seen, with so many matches going down to the last few seconds, including the final which was a great moment for Michael Georgiou. It’s a chance for up and coming players to make a name for themselves.”

The agreement to broadcast the Shoot Out supplements Eurosport’s coverage of world-class snooker throughout the season. The pan-European broadcaster already screens in excess of 800 hours of live snooker action throughout the season.

Galway v Tyrone: Preview, Team News and live score updates

Galway v Tyrone takes place on Sunday in St Jarlath’s Park at 2pm. We have a preview, team news and betting below. If you can’t make the game be sure to follow our live score updates below.

Click Here for Live Score Updates

Preview

Gallway come into this game in good form and are one of the teams many expect to challenge Dublin in the league this year. The Westerners sit in joint third in the Division on points difference behind Dublin and Tyrone. Padraig Joyce has got the players playing well and fighting for each other which is what you need if you are to win big games. This is a big game as well. Speaking to the Connacht Tribune Joyce said, “The pleasing thing for us is that the players are showing real desire and real want to play for Galway and that’s a huge thing for us. We are just delighted with that.” Once again key players will be Shane Walsh and Damian Comer in attack. However, Corofin duo Ronan Steede and Liam Silke will also be key to the Galway men’s chances.

Mickey Harte’s Tyrone will travel to Tuam knowing would possibly put them top of the table this weekend. His side have made a bright start to the campaign with 2 wins from three games, the wins coming against Kerry and Meath. They did however lose 1-12 to 0-11 to Ulster rivals Monaghan. Players like Darren McCurry, Cathal McShane and Colm Cavanagh will all likely be heavily involved.

Team News

Galway: 1. Conor Gleeson, 2. Sean Kelly, 3. Sean Mulkerrin, 4. Johnny Heaney, 5. Gary O’ Donnell, 6. Liam Silke, 7. Cillian McDaid, 8. Ronan Steede, 9. Cein D’Arcy,10. Eamonn Brannigan, 11. Damien Comer 12. Michael Daly, 13. Robert Finnerty, 14. Shane Walsh (Captain), 15. Adrian Varley

Tyrone: TBA

Betting

Galway are 45 to win this game, whereas Tyrone are 11/8. The draw looks great odds at 15/2. It’s a hard game to call but home advantage swings in in Galway’s favour for me. Backing Shane Walsh at 15/2 for the first goal is also worth a bet. Galway v Tyrone is live on TG4 from 2pm.