The dust clears, life goes on, everybody settles down. After a monumental weekend of sport, there’s digesting going on all through your Irish Times sports section today.
First to France, where our team of rugby writers has been picking through Saturday night’s epic win over South Africa at the Stade de France. “This thing just keeps growing and growing,” writes Gerry Thornley in his sum-up. Irish fans, he says, “proliferated the streets of Paris and celebrated long into the night in the European city that never sleeps, singing out taxi windows, pavements, boulevards and brasseries, before either wheeling their bags to metro stations or eating outdoors on a comparatively calm, warm and sunny Parisian Sunday afternoon.”
Johnny Watterson talked to Tadhg Beirne after the game on Saturday, the Munster lock who is both the second highest try-scorer and second highest tackle-maker in the Irish team at the tournament. Nobody is more deserving of a rest. “The next few days are huge. We have them off. But it’s not like we’re going drinking beer for three days, you know. We’re going to enjoy some time with our families, our partners. You’re away for a very, very long time and just to get that time is huge.”
Nathan Johns has a fascinating breakdown of the statistics from Saturday night, most of which show that South Africa were the dominant team. Meanwhile, John O’Sullivan reports from Australia’s sorry demise against Wales last night in Lyon.
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Elsewhere, Philip Reid reports from Spain where Leona Maguire was in phenomenal form again as Europe retained the Solheim Cup. “Maguire had been asked by captain Suzann Pettersen to show the way, and she did with a comprehensive 4&3 win over Rose Zhang. “I knew I would have to bring my A-game,” she remarked. She did too, posting five birdies and an eagle in her singles.
Also in golf, it’s Ryder Cup week. Denis Walsh sets the scene in his Monday column, looking at how fan behaviour can sometimes sour the event. “The Ryder Cup, for golf, is like college rag week: off the leash,” he writes. “In such a feverish environment it is difficult to strike a balance between the raucousness that makes the Ryder Cup so intoxicating, and the respectfulness that defines golf.”
In soccer, Ken Early’s column is on the north London derby and the creeping realisation that Arsenal’s problems are at the business end of the pitch. “Eddie Nketiah played 90 minutes without much distinction. He is unusual among Premier League strikers in that he lacks any single obvious quality.”
On the international front, we’re moving along from Saturday’s landmark occasion at Lansdowne Road where the Ireland women’s team played for the first time. Mary Hannigan has an interview with Caitlin Hayes, the Celtic defender who made her debut in the game and looks a fantastic addition to the set-up. Ireland play Hungary on Tuesday night – Mary is in Budapest and will be reporting for us through the week.
On Telly: Have you had enough of the win over South Africa yet? Of course you haven’t. Against The Head (RTÉ Two, 8pm) gives you another chance to bathe in the glow of one of the great Irish sporting nights.
