Some good news at last on the injury front for the Republic of Ireland - Sean Maguire is available for the Nations League games against Denmark (Saturday) and Wales (Tuesday), giving Martin O'Neill a well needed boost to his attacking options. Denmark's talisman Christian Eriksen has been all but ruled out of the weekend's game in Dublin, while Wales' Gareth Bale is again a doubt after he suffered what is believed to be a recurrence of a groin strain playing for Real Madrid on Saturday. Maguire's former club, Cork City, last night kept their three-in-a-row FAI Cup hopes alive with a 2-1 semi-final replay win over Bohemians.
Ahead of this weekend's Champions Cup first round matches, Gerry Thornley writes about the special edge which exists in anglo-Irish battles; "the Irish have been pitted against a strong Anglo hand in that the three provinces will face four of the Premiership's top five." Leinster host Wasps on Friday, Exeter desperately need a win against Munster on Saturday, while Leicester Tigers travel to Belfast to take on Ulster. Munster are set to face English opposition again a week later. Meanwhile Connacht announced yesterday plans for a €30 million redevelopment of the Sportsground into a modern 12,000 capacity stadium, which will also include a new high-performance centre and a new greyhound racing track.
Peter Keane was, as expected, appointed as the new Kerry football manager at last night's meeting of the county committee. His management team will be Donie Buckley, who coached Mayo until this summer, former Footballer of the Year and outgoing selector Maurice Fitzgerald, who is also a club mate of the new manager, and two of Keane's selectors with the All-Ireland winning minors of the past three years, Tommy Griffin and James Foley. They will serve a three-year term. Seán Moran explains that Keane will know he is unlikely to be granted an extensive honeymoon period in the position.
Aidan O'Brien's July Cup winner, US Navy Flag, will be the first international competitor to line up in the world's most valuable turf race – the $13 million 'Everest' – at the Randwick track in Sydney this Saturday. The three year old will be O'Brien's first ever runner in Sydney. The Ballydoyle trainer has made the frame twice in the Melbourne Cup and landed Australia's top weight for age race, The Cox Plate, with Adelaide in 2015.
Before any figures are announced in Budget 2019, Ian O'Riordan believes that "one thing is certain: this year is already going down as arguably the most successful in Irish sporting history, based not just on the standout achievements but the sheer range of them . . . the substantial increase in funding promised by the Government should reflect that."
