With Ireland’s athletics medal tally not far off the 30-mark in 2025, Ian O’Riordan would be forgiven for having run out of superlatives at this stage, but he’s dug deep to find some more while reflecting on Sunday’s European Cross-Country Championships. He hears from some of the protagonists about their plans for next year, it not being clear yet whether that will include a trip to Tallahassee next month for the World Cross-Country Championships.
In rugby, Gerry Thornley believes that last weekend’s results in the Champions Cup “encapsulated the good, the bad and the ugly” of the competition, its current 24-team format, when only eight teams will be eliminated at the end of the pool phase, “nonsensical”.
Owen Doyle gives his verdict on the refereeing in those weekend games, while Nathan Johns looks at the impact the McCarthy brothers, Joe and Paddy, are having for Leinster this season.“Maybe the two should line out together more often …. in green as well as blue,” he concludes.
Johnny Watterson hears from Leinster assistant coach Tyler Bleyendaal about the province’s Champions Cup form thus far, the team “slightly off-colour” despite those two wins. Munster were severely off-colour in their outing against Bath, but got back on track against Gloucester at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Next up is a URC trip to Wales to take on the Ospreys, but, with one eye on their December 27th meeting with Leinster, they’ll be sending an understrength team.
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In Gaelic games, Gordon Manning has news on a Donegal legend calling time on his inter-county career, Patrick McBrearty announcing his retirement on Monday on medical advice. And Gordon talks to St Finbarr’s captain Stephanie Punch after her team gave up a six point lead in the last four minutes of Sunday’s All-Ireland senior club camogie final. All eyes are now on the replay against Athenry.
In boxing, four Irish representatives at the Under-17 European Championships - Cassie Henderson, Sean Kelly, Kalib Walshe and Kristian Jubani - will fight for gold tomorrow, Ciarán Kirk reporting on a yield of 10 medals in all for the team in a highly fruitful trip to Germany.
Over in the States, Charlie Smyth continues to live the NFL dream, the Mayobridge man converting a 47-yard field goal to give the New Orleans Saints victory over the Carolina Panthers in his latest outing. As Muireann Duffy tells us, the fella os being showered in love this weather.
In his Different Strokes column, Philip Reid has word on yet another end-of-year award for Rory McIlroy, whose mantelpiece is heaving at this stage, and in racing Brian O’Connor looks ahead to Leopardstown’s Christmas festival, officials anticipating a bumper crowd.
TV Watch: Coverage of the world darts championship continues through the day and night on (Sky Sports Darts, 12.30pm-4.30pm, 7pm-11pm), and at 8.0, Brian Barry-Murphy’s Cardiff City meet Chelsea in the League Cup quarter-finals (Sky Sports Football).
