Opportunity knocks for several Irish players in tomorrow’s Autumn Nations Series game against Fiji in Dublin, Andy Farrell giving debuts to Gus McCarthy and Cormac Izuchukwu, a full Test debut to Sam Prendergast and just a third start to Jamie Osborne. And Jacob Stockdale will win only his fourth cap since the 2021 Six Nations. Gerry Thornley hears from Farrell on his selection which shows seven changes in all to the one that lined out against Argentina last week.
“It’s not that long ago that Ireland’s attack was considered top of the pops. Where did it all go wrong?” So writes Nathan Johns who suggests four ways that “misfiring attack” can be fixed so that it regains its “zip”.
Mick Byrne, Fiji’s Australian coach, will hope that it remains zipless tomorrow. John O’Sullivan caught up with him in Dublin on the eve of the game, Byrne having fond memories of his time working with Leinster as a skills and kicking specialist a whole 22 years ago.
In football, Gavin Cummiskey brings news of Eileen Gleeson’s squad selection for the upcoming Euro 2025 play-off against Wales, the coach’s chances of being offered a new contract likely to be dependent on her team qualifying for the tournament in Switzerland next summer.
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In Gaelic games, few players can have had more of a rollercoaster of a year than Kerry’s Kayleigh Cronin. She was in tears back in March, so upset was she with her form. Come August she was being named player of the match in the All Ireland final, when Kerry ended their 31-year wait for a title, was awarded an All Star and was shortlisted for Footballer of the Year. Gordon Manning talks to Cronin about her dizzying 2024.
Last Sunday was yet another grim day for racing when three horses died at Cheltenham, one of them collapsing from a heart attack live on ITV. Britain’s racing authorities were miffed that both ITV and the BBC covered the story on their news bulletins that evening, Brian O’Connor reckoning that that “instinct to circle the wagons smacks of a worrying insecurity about the nature of the sport”.
And Johnny Watterson salutes Conor Niland’s The Racket, written with Gavin Cooney, the “seminal” work that has become only the second Irish book to win the prestigious William Hill Sports Book of the Year award.
TV Watch: The Republic of Ireland’s men’s team will find out this afternoon who they will face in the Nations League play-offs where their goal will be to cling on to their place in the second tier of the competition. Slovakia, Kosovo, Bulgaria and Armenia are their potential opponents (Virgin Media More, 5.05-6.05). And come evening, TNT Sports 1 have live rugby, France hosting Argentina in Paris (8.10).
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