Such a shame that Troy Parrott had to pull out. We had plans for him. Stephen Kenny has been forced into a couple of squad tweaks but, all things considered, he has enough quality resources on hand to pick an exciting Ireland team to face Bulgaria on Thursday. Matt Doherty making his move to Tottenham, […]

5 years ago

“I set out with myself to enjoy even the uncomfortable moments we had out there today, and man, it was fun!” Dustin Johnson sank a beautiful 50-foot putt to force a playoff at the BMW Championship. What followed was a John Rahm putt from the Gods. On Thursday, at Olympia Fields, Rahm carded a +5 […]

5 years ago

It will not be as simple against Leinster, on Friday, but the Munster No.8 is ready for the challenge. 25 minutes into Munster versus Connacht, at the Aviva Stadium, and CJ Stander was having fun. Had there been fans in attendance, they would have been baying for more. Both sides tore into each other from […]

5 years ago

Munster were in such a comfortable position, with seven minutes to go, that they could afford to take off Damian De Allende to finish with 14 men. Munster effectively wrapped up their bonus point victory over Connacht, in their final game of the Guinness PRO14 regular season, after 50 minutes and were able to rest […]

5 years ago

“Five minutes of work. Let’s go!” Bundee Aki was not even supposed to be playing today. That, in itself, was a strange decision but a late injury pull-out was the correction we all needed. He travelled to Dublin as back-up and was drafted onto the bench when Matt Healy withdrew from the matchday squad. He […]

5 years ago

Connacht had their first player sin-binned after seven minutes. By the time he returned, they were 14-0 down. That was only the beginning of a half from hell. Connacht lost two players to red cards in an eventful first half in their Guinness PRO14 clash with Munster at the Aviva Stadium. On 25 minutes, with […]

5 years ago

Two of the teams are giants of European football. After a testing opener to our European football quiz, which you can play here, we are moving on to something that most of you should score highly in. Can you name every football club, from Europe’s top five leagues, that begin with the letter ‘B’? We […]

5 years ago

“That could be my uncle, my brother, my cousin, my friends…” George Hill is being hailed for a personal stance that sparked a wave of game postponements and raised awareness of social injustice. The Milwaukee Bucks guard is someone that usually does his best work around the fringes, but he felt it was time to […]

5 years ago

ULSTER 10-28 LEINSTER Ciaran Frawley and Will Connors were the star performers for Leinster but the losses are racking up for hapless Ulster. After a week disrupted by a number of positive Covid-19 results in their academy, Ulster were eagerly looking forward to the distraction a game against unbeaten Leinster would provide. Unfortunately for the […]

5 years ago

20 names to get, and a few of them are tricky. We have a nice Liverpool quiz for you, and one that will require your ‘A’ game. We are looking for you to correctly guess the names of these 20 players that lined out for the club from 2000 to 2020. They all have between one and […]

5 years ago

Learning from one of the very best. A grimace briefly crossed the face of Jacob Stockdale, during the week, when he was asked about squandering a try-scoring opportunity at the Aviva Stadium on the last occasion he faced Leinster there. The Ulster star looked set to add a Champions Cup belter to his already lengthy […]

5 years ago

“Damn you people, go back to your shanties!!” The SportsJOE 12 o’clock quiz pays homage to Happy Gilmore, today, and there is a great round on record football transfers. Give ’em hell!

5 years ago

“Is that a fact? He’s playing, is he?” With Connacht head coach Andy Friend laying his selection cards on the table, on Tuesday, and announcing his intentions to play a fresh XV against Munster, Conor Fitzgerald sets to get another start against his native province. JJ Hanrahan was delighted to hear of the impending reunion. […]

5 years ago

Come at the (trading card) king, you best not miss. James McCarthy bounced back from two years of injury issues, last season, to prove a dependable Premier League performer for Crystal Palace. As a trading card, he’s handy to have in your back pocket too. The 2020/21 Premier League season is set to resume on […]

5 years ago

7:04. Seven minutes, four seconds. The clock, on the scoreboard, stood still as both RG Snyman and Dave Kilcoyne received treatment on the Aviva Stadium pitch. Both men had waited months upon months for rugby to return and had lasted less than 10 minutes into their first game back. Neither man was able to play […]

5 years ago

20 names to get, and a couple may catch you out. We have a great Manchester United quiz for you, and one that will require all your skills to score highly in. We are looking for you to correctly guess the names of these 20 players that lined out for the club from 2000 to […]

5 years ago

A delicious mix of football and geography. In our latest football quiz, we are testing your knowledge of the European game. Can you name every football club, from Europe’s top eight leagues, that begin with the letter ‘A’? We are looking for clubs in the top divisions of England, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, The Netherlands, […]

5 years ago

“This has been my home for almost 10 years. I decided to stay, with my family, here.” Ian McKinley was forced to retire, for the first time, at 21, after a training ground accident. His latest set-back has done nothing to quell his fighting spirit, or positivity. Back in March, Ian McKinley and his wife, […]

5 years ago

Backing away from the scene of another turnover, CJ Stander squared his shoulders and exhaled. He looked every inch the pack leader. 16 carries and 10 tackles are creditable numbers for most players but, for CJ Stander, it is a return that is just around par. A usual day at the office. Five turnovers, though… […]

5 years ago

Some throat lozenges were surely needed after this one. Lots of shouting, a heap of encouragement, gentle goading and both benches doing their best as cheerleaders. Professional rugby returned to the Aviva Stadium this weekend and there were a whole load of takeaways. Saturday night of a Leinster versus Munster game in Dublin and there […]

5 years ago

“Perhaps I would’ve expected the call from him…” Add Mark Sykes to the list of players who have Northern Ireland underage caps but chose to represent the Republic of Ireland when it came to making a senior level call. Northern Ireland manager Ian Baraclough announced his squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures and Sykes’ […]

5 years ago

We hope you were paying attention over the weekend… The SportsJOE 12 o’clock quiz is in the hands of someone recovering from a weekend of sports-watching and birthday celebrations. We got your back today. You can easily get 15/20 but the real boasting comes if you can get 18 or more. Good luck!

5 years ago

“We’re absolutely gutted about that.” Munster head coach Johann Van Graan cut a solemn figure after his side’s 27-25 loss to Leinster at the Aviva Stadium, on Saturday. Munster left the sparsely populated Lansdowne Road venue with a losing point and four additions to their injury list. RG Snyman’s knee injury looked “serious” to his […]

5 years ago

CJ Stander and Chris Farrell had great games for Munster but they still could not get the job done. Leinster moved to 20 wins for the 2019/20 season after seeing off Munster 27-25 at the Aviva Stadium. Johnny Sexton bulked up and turned 35 during lockdown, but he remains the same ornery, brilliant outhalf we […]

5 years ago

After the Joey Carbery news, earlier in the week, this was the last thing Munster needed. Professional rugby is back and the injuries were not too far behind. Munster fans will now anxiously await news on RG Snyman and Dave Kilcoyne. Just ahead of the Guinness PRO14 encounter with Leinster and Munster, which marked the […]

5 years ago

“The camera can be very deceiving these days, can’t it? You’ve got the lighting right, the angle right. I obviously got the lighting and the angle right at that moment!” Bundee Aki is looking primed and ready to roll as he chats with us ahead of the return to rugby. Aki, like his Ireland [and […]

5 years ago

A week out from its’ official launch and the Leinster and Ireland centre is looking good in his fresh kit. Robbie Henshaw is decked out in the new Ireland home jersey and in front of a bright green, virtual back-drop. His beard is in good nick and hasn’t got away from him during the lockdown […]

5 years ago

It is Monday evening in Auckland and Isa Nacewa is contemplating the cancellation of Blues vs. Crusaders. For a stretch of months, New Zealand was free of Covid cases and strictly monitoring their borders, but with society largely reopened and ticking over quite nicely. Isa Nacewa was living in a land of proud Kiwis. Around […]

5 years ago

Those were the days… Forgotten heroes, World Cup winners and journeymen, with some recent history thrown into the mix. The SportsJOE 2000s Football Quiz is back for Round 13 and taking no prisoners. Strap in, hold on and enjoy!

5 years ago

What odds the authorities are asked to look at these decisions closely again. Austin Gleeson was having another fine game for his club until two yellow cards ended his involvement and made for a tense finish. Mount Sion are through to the Waterford Senior Hurling Championship semi-finals but, for the second game running, they finished […]

5 years ago

The midfielder is set to link-up with Ireland teammate Ciaran Clark at St James’ Park. Jeff Hendrick was linked with AC Milan and Roma, after leaving Burnley, but his likely destination was always another Premier League club. Newcastle United supporters are getting used to the fact that they will not be bank-rolled by Saudi Arabian […]

5 years ago

“It’s got to be.” Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester City should have been given a free when Moussa Dembélé trod on the back of his foot when chasing after a through-ball. In the context of the Champions League quarter final between City and Lyon, on Saturday, the decision to allow Dembélé’s first goal to stand was […]

5 years ago

“I’m not interested in fighting for anything but titles, and I don’t imagine there will be any title fights in the future.” Daniel Cormier says he is laying his gloves down after he lost his trilogy fight against UFC heavyweight champion Stipé Miocic by unanimous decision. Cormier was seeking to go out as heavyweight champion […]

5 years ago

“It’s going to be a stain against him, now.” Raheem Sterling will thankfully not have too long to dwell on the worst miss of his career but the next few days will be tough. Sterling missed a glorious open goal chance with five minutes to go and, in the space of 60 seconds, Moussa Dembélé […]

5 years ago

Anything over 12 is a very good score. We’ve pulled out all the stops in this football crest quiz and you will need to have a mix of skill and luck to get close to full marks. The crests have changed over the years, but there should be enough clues in these past offerings for […]

5 years ago

“It is here… somewhere.” Jordan Larmour is sitting in his family home and talking to us from a room adorned with rugby memorabilia, framed pictures and medals. There, not far from his U16 hockey pictures, is the Six Nations winners’ medal he won with Ireland – in Grand Slam style – in 2018. “My dad […]

5 years ago

Fitting that we hit ‘147’ as the World Snooker Championship goes into its’ big final weekend. The SportsJOE 12 o’clock quiz is still in awe after that Bayern Munich demolition of Barcelona. That game, and the snooker, have inspired today’s quiz. Give this one your best effort and you’ll be rewarded.

5 years ago

They’ve all gone snooker loopy at The Crucible this year. Mark Selby leaves Sheffield with a lot of regrets and far from pleased with the man that ended his world championship hopes. Two 17-16 semi-finals, a stack of tension and great snooker and nearly every player shooting from the hip when they see a TV […]

5 years ago

“It’s kind of the best score I’ve shot in a while and I’m looking forward to the weekend.” Shane Lowry ended up 16 shots back from Collin Morikawa at the US PGA Championship, last weekend, then spoke at length about how he was only a few better shots and putts off challenging for that Major. […]

5 years ago

“I think I had a three or four-second one. I think a lot of the lads had one.” It is 10:40am on a Wednesday morning that has the potential to clear up and we are talking to Jordan Larmour about James Lowe, Munster, his thoughts on the Lions Tour to South Africa and, most importantly, […]

5 years ago

One man soars above the rest. In this Premier League assists quiz, we want you to name the top 10 goal-makers from the recently concluded 2019/20 season. Yes, the Top 10 for Premier League assists last season. We are giving you the number of assists and the players’ teams, in return we are putting you […]

5 years ago

Is today the day you go big or will it be a case of ‘Not for me, Clive’? The SportsJOE 12 o’clock quiz has thrown the sporting net wide for today’s quiz. There are a few head-scratchers in there so don’t be too hard on yourself if you end up with only 13 or 14 […]

5 years ago

“It was a serious boost for Andy Farrell to give me a bit of a shout-out.” Ian Madigan is now 31. How did that happen? Perhaps it is because the pain of that 2015 World Cup defeat is so raw. It still feels like it happened recently enough. Since that World Cup quarter final, which […]

5 years ago

“It’s truly competitive.” Stuart Lancaster is in his element at Leinster Rugby. Having stepped away from coaching for a spell after England’s ill-fated 2015 World Cup campaign, Lancaster has found a purpose and home at Leinster. Ahead of professional rugby’s return, on these shores, the Leinster senior coach is looking at how best to negotiate […]

5 years ago

Highway to the Dangerzone. The SportsJOE 12 o’clock quiz has a healthy mix of GAA, football, rugby, the NBA bubble and an underrated F1 movie. You’ll come out a better person by the end!

5 years ago

The Scots chipped in with 35 goals in the latest Premier League season. While there were no goalscorers of the calibre of Duncan Ferguson or Kevin Gallagher in the Premier League this season, several Scotland stars showed up with telling contributions and vital scores. In this Premier League quiz, we want you to name the […]

5 years ago

“It’s possible. It’s possible.” Stuart Lancaster did not shirk the question of Leinster possibly ending this majorly disrupted 2019/20 rugby season as “invincibles”, nor did he shy away from links with the British & Irish Lions. Leinster’s senior coach has found himself in multiple Lions headlines and stories since Warren Gatland, who will lead the […]

5 years ago

21 Irish players made appearances in the 2019/20 Premier League season. Of those 21 players, 13 managed to find the net. In this Premier League quiz, we want you to name all 13 of those Irish goalscorers. We are giving you four minutes to get all 13 names. Because we are sound, we are giving […]

5 years ago

“I’ve believed in myself since day one.” There has been a significant Collin Morikawa rankings bump after the 23-year-old won his first ever Major at the 2020 US PGA Championship. At just 23, day one for Collin Morikawa was February 6th 1997. Just over two months after Morikawa was born, in California, Tiger Woods won […]

5 years ago

“I was just sort of taken aback a little bit by what he said.” The McIlroy Koepka rivalry – even if Brooks does not want to acknowledge it as such – has just ramped up another notch. Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy have both won four Majors apiece but both had to look on, at […]

5 years ago