After witnessing that defeat in Paris, Gordon D’Arcy is torn between “encouragement and serious concern”. It “wasn’t the apocalypse,” he says, “but it wasn’t a performance that screams world-class” either. A “desperately poor” kicking game hardly helped the cause, neither did an absence of “clarity” in attack, but on the brighter side “set-piece worries were largely parked” and there was “a brilliant impact” from the bench. In short, it’s not all “doom and gloom”.
Tadhg Furlong’s return to full training this week was, at least, a pick-me-up for the squad, Johnny Watterson hearing from scrum coach John Fogarty about the boost of having the Wexford man’s “big-game experience” available again. Johnny also talks to Ulster back row Bryn Ward who is hoping to make his debut against Italy on Saturday.
What will the atmosphere be like at the Aviva Stadium? There’s been no end of cribbing about how flat it’s been of late, in marked contrast to what Nathan Johns experienced at the Stade de France last week. Can we emulate it? Nathan fears not, largely because we’re too cynical a bunch.
In Gaelic games, Gordon Manning hears from James McCarthy on Dublin’s decidedly iffy start to their league campaign, while Seán Moran reflects on the hurling weekend when there was a fair amount of grumbling about, well, referees enforcing the rules.
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Muireann Duffy talks to Moycullen’s Clare import, Clooney man Frank Enright, and Gordon previews this evening’s Sigerson Cup final, the University of Limerick seeking their maiden title.
In football, Gavin Cummiskey has news of two pre-World Cup friendlies for the Republic of Ireland, Qatar and Canada the opponents, while Ian O’Riordan talks to freestyle skier Ben Lynch ahead of his Winter Olympics debut.
And in racing, one month out from Cheltenham, Brian O’Connor hears Gordon Elliott express his high hopes for Brighterdaysahead at the festival, and he looks ahead to what could be a momentous few days for Joseph O’Brien, starting with the possibility of him reaching the 1,500 career winners mark faster than any other Irish trainer, including his father Aidan.
TV Watch: Ireland are taking on Australia at the T20 World Cup as we speak, Sky Sports Cricket’s coverage of the contest continuing until 1pm. The Saudi Ladies International got under way this morning too, Lauren Walsh and Anna Foster in the field at the LET opener - Sky Sports Golf brings you the first round up until 2.30pm this afternoon.
This evening, TG4 has live coverage of the Sigerson Cup Final between UCC and the University of Limerick (7.35pm), and TNT Sports has five live Premier League games - Manchester City v Fulham, Aston Villa v Brighton, Crystal Palace v Burnley and Nottingham Forest v Wolves (all 7.30pm) and Sunderland v Liverpool (8.15pm).
