This must be how Jason Statham felt in Crank. Even if you aren’t a big League of Ireland fan, you can appreciate how passionate the rivalry between Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians is and how pumped up the players get when they do battle. The two clubs just really hate each other. You can get a […]

11 years ago

Maybe Brazil aren’t just a one man team. When Neymar plays for his country, he comes alive. He is their chief scorer and is also the architect of most of their attacks. After being banned for the remainder of the Copa America, many expected Brazil to struggle, especially since they capitulated against Germany in the […]

11 years ago

Kingpins Some things never change and today’s hurling was a perfect example of that. Last year’s All-Ireland finalists were expected to be given tough tests in their provincial semi-finals but both Kilkenny and Tipperary blitzed Wexford and Limerick respectively. What was so striking about the two performances was how seamlessly the favourites pulled clear. One […]

11 years ago

Billy Horschel is mad as hell and he isn’t going to take it any more. The state of the greens at Chambers Bay has been the biggest talking point from the US Open so far, and the American showed just how annoyed he is after making a putt during his final round. This is like […]

11 years ago

Poor Serbia. They do the hard work to qualify for the Rugby Europe Division B final only to come up against Ireland, a team who is a cut above them. Anthony Eddy’s men routed Serbia 76-0 to go with their 74-0 win over Malta in the quarter-final and their 59-0 victory over Slovenia in the […]

11 years ago

What a strike. The England U21 side were largely uninspired against Sweden this evening and the game looked to be heading for a 0-0 draw until Jesse Lingard stepped up. The Manchester United midfielder connected sweetly with the ball just outside the box and volleyed excellently to the net to give Gareth Southgate a priceless […]

11 years ago

That one was for 2011. Katie Taylor’s last defeat was four years ago in the world championship to Bulgaria’s Denitsa Eliseeva but the Bray boxer avenged that controversial loss in the last 16 of the European Games in Baku today. Taylor won every round to claim a unanimous decision win and she will now face Ida Lundblad […]

11 years ago

This is a good way to spend your money. Jonjo Shelvey got married yesterday to his girlfriend, Daisy Evans, from S Club Junior and a very special guest was in attendance. Shelvey organised for Jimmy Carr to do some comedy and he didn’t disappoint. Presumably Carr snuck in a few gags at Shelvey’s expense. https://instagram.com/p/4ME_a6iMYR/?taken-by=iamdaisyshelvey […]

11 years ago

Some spanking.

11 years ago

Nothing like an arbitrary list to get people up in arms. Tyrone legend Peter Canavan took it upon himself to rank the ten most influential footballers in the country in his Irish Independent column yesterday and it proved to be pretty divisive. He picked Michael Murphy at number one, but the omission of Paul Flynn […]

11 years ago

There’s no mercy in hurling. That was Anthony Daly’s succinct response after referee Diarmuid Kirwan took a clatter when throwing in the sliotar for the second half of Kilkenny v Wexford. Michael Fennelly was identified as the culprit but Kirwan didn’t think the accidental pull warranted any disciplinary action. @SportsJOEdotie ha ha ,There’s no mercy in […]

11 years ago

This would be some occasion. The Millennium Stadium has been the location of some of Ireland’s greatest rugby triumphs, from Grand Slams to European Cup wins, and we might get to experience a massive footballing occasion there in 2017. Sky Sports are reporting that the Cardiff venue will be announced as the host of the 2017 […]

11 years ago

This could be very interesting.  Rugby sevens will be in next summer’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and some guys from the 15-man code are particularly keen to take part. Reports in New Zealand say that superstar centre Sonny Bill Williams and marauding centre Liam Messam might both leave rugby union and focus solely on […]

11 years ago

When he’s on, you can’t stop Joe Canning. Galway’s marquee forward won the man of the match award in his county’s comprehensive 3-28 to 1-14 win over Laois that saw the Tribesmen move into the Leinster hurling final to face either Kilkenny or Wexford. And Canning’s 17-point tally also pointed out just how dominant his side […]

11 years ago

This is clinical. The Brumbies blitzed the Stormers 39-19 away in South Africa earlier, and were propelled by a ridiuclous first half hat-trick from centre Joe Tomane. It took the Australian just 27 minutes to score three tries, and although Stephen Larkham’s men had wing Henry Speight sent off late on, they still won easily. […]

11 years ago

We may have found the most one-sided scoreline in GAA championship history. The Donegal men are motoring so far under Rory Gallagher this summer but their ladies team obviously got sick of all the attention their male counterparts were getting. They played Down in the first round of the Ulster championship this afternoon and won […]

11 years ago

Well, this was unexpected. Laois started as 1/6 favourites in their home round one qualifier against Antrim, and many expected the O’Moore County to record an easy win. For long periods it looked like it would be the case as Laois opened up a commanding nine point lead at one stage and were apparently 1/80 […]

11 years ago

We cannot wait for the third weekend in September. Saturday September 18 and Sunday September 19 will be obscenely glorious for sports fans. Don’t make any plans for that weekend that don’t include sitting on your couch in front of the TV with some unhealthy snacks and an ice cold beverage of some sort. We’ll […]

11 years ago

When will it end. Arsenal’s ‘pursuit’ of Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho has been ongoing forever (or maybe it just feels that way) and today there is yet another twist in this never-ending, rumour-filled tale. The Sun is reporting that Arsenal have made a £28 million bid for the Portuguese international and hope to add him […]

11 years ago

Pure emotion. Nobody gave Serbia much of a chance against Brazil in the U20 World Cup final, but Nemanja Maksimovic sensationally bagged a 118th minute winner in extra time to give his country an unprecedented title. Naturally, the Serbian players, coaches and fans were ecstatic but for one player in particular, the shock victory proved particularly […]

11 years ago

The most dangerous man alive couldn’t get the win. A few weeks back, the internet was shocked by pictures of 50-year-old Ken Shamrock as he prepared for his upcoming fight with similarly aged bruiser, Kimbo Slice. Tonight's training was great. Ready for this fight. pic.twitter.com/as0qoHuQ7S — KEN SHAMROCK (@ShamrockKen) June 9, 2015 Unfortunately, despite showing […]

11 years ago

So close. Heading into the European Games in Baku, gymnast Kieran Behan was one of Ireland’s biggest medal hopes and he came very close to delivering in the floor final earlier. Behan was the first competitor up in the event, and posted a strong score of 14.866. Kieran Behan has just finished with a score […]

11 years ago

He sounds like a character from True Detective. Joe Gomez joins Liverpool today from Charlton and besides having a cracking name, he comes with a lot of promise. He has played for England U19 and has been compared to former England international Rio Ferdinand due to his comfort on the ball. Gomez will join Brendan […]

11 years ago

Wow. The Highlanders beat Sonny Bill Williams and the Chiefs in the Super Rugby quarter-final this morning, and All Blacks scrum-half Aaron Smith is the main reason why. Sure, wing Waisake Naholo continued his rampant try-scoring form by touching down twice, but Smith created both five-pointers with some excellent handling. Ireland’s Conor Murray is the […]

11 years ago

This is the best thing about the GAA. Not the scores, not the atmosphere, not the craic around  a big game. It is all about the local commentators. GAA writer Malachy Clerkin profiled some of Ireland’s most eccentric and colourful broadcasters in today’s Irish Times and it will make you laugh out loud, or LOL, […]

11 years ago

This was a close call. Towards the end of the first round of last night’s fight between Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire and Daniel Weichel at Bellator 138, it looked like there could only be one winner. Pitbull was being absolutely pummeled and just when it seemed that the fight would end… the bell rang for the […]

11 years ago

Worrying stuff. Australian golfer Jason Day, who seems to always be in contention at majors these days, collapsed as he played the final hole of his second round at the US Open in Chambers Bay tonight. Day eventually recovered to finish off his round while commentator Greg Norman explained that Day suffers from vertigo and […]

11 years ago

Trap is never, ever going to retire. The legendary Italian manager was 74 when he left the Ireland job in 2013 and now after two years of enjoying his retirement… Giovanni Trapattoni wants back in. The BBC is reporting that Trap is one of 59 applicants to become the new Ivory Coast manager. That gives the […]

11 years ago

Sure, you wouldn’t even get this sort of thing down at the local pitch and putt course. The US Open is taking place in Chambers Bay in the north-west of America at the moment and the state of the greens is causing a fair bit of controversy. Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy have both been […]

11 years ago

‘At the start I thought it would just be an easy way to make a small bit of money when I was hungover on a Saturday morning.’ That might be the opening line of Jack Ryan’s autobiography if he ever becomes a famous football coach, but for the moment it will have to do as an […]

11 years ago

Welcome back, Isa. After two years in retirement, it was announced towards the end of last season that utility back and Leinster legend Isa Nacewa was rejoining the province before the World Cup. Fans might have been pinching themselves when the move was announced but it looks like we now have definitive proof that Nacewa […]

11 years ago

Now this is the sort of deal that Liverpool fans can get behind. Last summer, Brendan Rodgers was criticised for not only buying second-tier talents, but for buying second-tier talents at top-tier prices. Adam Lallana, Lazar Markovic and Dejan Lovren all cost over £20 million but if these reports are to be believed, they might […]

11 years ago

Finally, we have a guaranteed way to make golf more exciting. Chambers Bay, the venue for this week’s US Open, has been savaged by the participants due to the state of its greens but due to a law in the state where it takes place, some fans might not be too concerned. Chambers Bay is […]

11 years ago

The question here is whether Ciaran Whelan is the swooper or the swoopee? The former Dublin midfielder used quite an unusual metaphor to describe how Donegal have started their championship campaign at full-tilt against quality opponents while Dublin and Kerry have been allowed to coast. Whelan leaned heavily on the behaviour of nightclub revellers to articulate […]

11 years ago

How long until we call this guy the next Sonny Bill Williams or the biggest disappointment since Man of Steel, Andy Farrell? Rugby fans love to prematurely judge whether or not a rugby league convert can adapt to the 15-man game and Irish supporters will get a chance to scruntise a former NRL player up close next […]

11 years ago

What an occasion this will be. Plenty of Jerry Collins’ friends and former team-mates have done his memory justice in the last few weeks with some emotional gestures but Toulon and the Classic All Blacks will give the bruising flanker a particularly brilliant send off this autumn. Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal has organised a friendly […]

11 years ago

Let’s take a peak behind the curtain. The breakdown battle is one of the most decisive factors in a rugby game but it can also be the most misunderstood. Oftentimes, whether or not something is illegal is really up to the referee’s interpretation, which can be both frustrating and confusing for the fans. Rugby Tonight […]

11 years ago

For a defence that has conceded 98 league goals in the last two years, Liverpool certainly want to hold onto their men. The Reds have brought in two players so far during the transfer window so far – Danny Ings and James Milner – but Brendan Rodgers has also moved to secure centre-backs Kolo Toure […]

11 years ago

The only rule is that there are no rules, except for all of those unwritten ones. That seems to be the attitude held by Wexford manager Liam Dunne, who has dropped forward Jack Guiney from his panel to face Kilkenny after the youngster apparently enjoyed a night out in the aftermath of the Model County’s […]

11 years ago

That’s if there is such thing as Lamar Hunt US Open Cup fantasy football. LA Galaxy took on PSA Elite in the first round of the tournament last night, which sees MLS teams competing with clubs from the lower leagues. Last year’s MLS champions routed their opponents 6-1, with Robbie Keane scoring a hat-trick while […]

11 years ago

Oh no! Brazilian midfielder Roberto Firmino was one of the most highly touted players (by us anyway) heading into the Copa America and thus far, he has played pretty well. However, during Brazil’s disastrous 1-0 loss to Colombia last night, he made one significant mistake. After a Colombia defender played a poor backpass to his […]

11 years ago

Poor Rhys Ruddock. Ever since the end of Ireland’s highly successful autumn series, the flanker seems to have been cursed. Ruddock was thrown into the Irish starting team on the morning of the daunting clash with South Africa and performed excellently, scoring a try. He was also in the side two weeks later when Joe […]

11 years ago

Even Michael Myers, of Halloween fame, didn’t get his start at such a young age. An 11-year-old is facing a disciplinary hearing in New Zealand after tackling a referee to the ground and punching him in the face. After being yellow carded for a tip tackle, the kid apparently flipped out, according to the New […]

11 years ago

There will never be another Jonah Lomu. Sure, we have players like Julian Savea today who share a lot of similar attributes with Lomu but what made the elder All Black so special was that he was ahead of his time. Lomu was a modern day rugby player in an amateur era. Nothing illustrates this […]

11 years ago

What have you done for me lately, Guy? That seems to be the attitude that French rugby team Toulouse have towards Guy Noves, who leaves the club after 22 years to take over from Philippe Saint-Andre as French coach after the World Cup. Noves built an unprecedented dynasty in Toulouse, leading the French club to […]

11 years ago

Cash money. When rugby players line out at international level, you would like to think it’s a love for their country that motivates them, but if that wasn’t enough, some unions have added a sweetener ahead of the upcoming World Cup. International players usually get paid a match fee after every test but there are […]

11 years ago

There’s trouble in Italy. With the World Cup on the horizon, Jacques Brunel’s men had convened for a training camp but a dispute over World Cup appearance fees has seen the players go on strike. The players want to get a match-by-match payment while the administrators are pushing for a one-off bonus linked to how […]

11 years ago

Still no word on the new head coach though. John Fogarty and Kurt McQuilkin had both been strongly rumoured to be taking on the roles of scrum and defence coach respectively, and the province made that official this morning. Former Leinster hooker Fogarty has come into the set-up on a permanent basis while McQuilkin, who […]

11 years ago

This is how you celebrate a big win. Stade Francais upset Clermont 12-6 in a dour enough Top 14 final in Paris on Saturday night, but the lackluster game didn’t stop the winners from enjoying their victory. Rather than spray each other with champagne or drink a few beers, the Parisians sudsed up the dressing […]

11 years ago

This is what charity games are for. Last night we brought you the highlights from Real Madrid legends v Liverpool legends at the Bernabeu, with a particular focus on Jason McAteer’s two lovely assists. Real were 4-2 victors but the real winner was Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos for executing this sublime cross-field pass. He was […]

11 years ago