There’s a chance that the Stade de France will be jammed with over-confident Irish rugby fans tonight, with Zombie filling the air as New Zealand and Argentina take to the field for their World Cup semi-final. It could have the feel of a party you were never invited to, but you showed up any way. It’s a game, writes Gerry Thornley, that “will invariably prompt thoughts of what might have been”. But, we are where we are (home), so it is what it is (over).
At least there’s some Irish-ish interest in tonight’s tussle, with Michael Cheika and Felipe Contepomi on one coaching team, and Joe Schmidt on the other. Can the All Blacks “scale such heights of energy and intensity again a week later”? They might not have to, Gerry reckons, against a nation who have only beaten them twice in 36 meetings.
New Zealand, then, will carry the favourites’ tag in to the game, and defending champions South Africa will do the same on Saturday when they come up against England in the second semi-final, a repeat, of course, of the 2019 final. “We have to play this South African team, not the South African team of however many years ago,” said England’s Maro Itoje, who’s not looking back, although as one of 13 survivors in England’s ‘23′ from 2019, that 32-12 defeat no doubt still stings.
England coach Steve Borthwick is, though, no stranger to upsetting South Africa at a World Cup having been Japan’s forwards coach when they produced the ‘Brighton Miracle’ in the 2015 tournament, winning their pool meeting 34-32. “And now here we are again with many of the same ingredients in place: a confident South Africa, an unfancied opponent and the relentlessly driven, hard-working Borthwick.” But? “It does not necessarily mean the “Miracle de Saint-Denis” awaits.”
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Leinster wing Vanessa Hullon feels like she’s experienced her own miracle now she’s back playing rugby after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma last year. Louise Lawless talks to her about her battle with the illness and her road to recovery. “It kind of seems like I’m back to normal. Just with shorter hair,” she says.
In Gaelic games, Seán Moran reflects on the history of the International Rules series which, in terms of public interest, had its highs and lows. Twenty-five years ago, Australian coach Leigh Matthews likened the series that was staged in Ireland to “the Vietnam War for Australians – no one back home cared about it that much”.
When Frankie Dettori announced 10 months ago that he would be retiring at the end of 2023, horse racing fans very much cared, turning up in their droves to witness his farewell tour. But, writes Brian O’Connor, they were “sold a pup”, the jockey announcing last week that he won’t, after all, be hanging up his whip, instead he’ll carry on racing in the United States and on the international circuit. “In the long run, being able to watch the little magician in action for a few years more is great,” Brian writes, but “it’s hard not to conclude the Italian’s farewell tour has been bullshit”.
TV Watch: The Rugby World Cup semi-finals are upon us, New Zealand and Argentina squaring up tonight at the Stade de France (RTÉ 2 and ITV, 8.0).
