1. ’Much like Covid-19, there is as yet no vaccine for the hubris of a man who thinks he knows where he’s going. Once I found Gate A18, I was met by stewards with clipboards, had my name and details confirmed and drove on in to join the queue’.
The Irish Times’ Malachy Clerkin recounts his experience of a test for Covid-19, at Croke Park of all places.
2. ““There were numerous death threats against me from my work on the radio, and unfortunately, it just became part of my life. Eugene de Kock told me calmly that he was under orders to kill me with a crossbow but ultimately decided against it”".
Jonathan Drennan speaks with John Robbie, who played for both Ireland and South Africa, and finds a man willing to face up to mistakes he has made along the way. For The Guardian
3. “How can you think or care about all the love a Fowler and Keane and the original Ronaldo still generate when the land of your grandfather’s grandchildren is at the mercy of a morally-bankrupt governing party and a broken system?”
In the Examiner, Kieran Shannon searches for the point in pining for sport.
4. “He took an extended break at home at the beginning of the year after suffering from homesickness and while Glass says that he has coping mechanisms in place to deal with his own pangs, the episode shook them back into life as a group.”
Cahair O’Kane catches up with Conor Glass to chat about pay-cuts and playing in the AFL. For The Irish News.
5. “The Olympic rescheduling is likely to cost an extra £2bn, indication in itself that the whole thing was already far too big. God only knows how that might look or feel in a time of global anxiety and deep economic depression. Is this a chance to do things differently?
“It is tempting to imagine the old certainties might just be swept away in times of macro-disaster, that there is also a kind of freedom here.”
The Guardian’s Barney Ronay hopes the Olympic postponement may bring about a reset in how we are all fed Big Sport.
Excellent analysis of all the pieces of the jigsaw of moves leading to great tries
Great analysis as always. What an atmosphere yesterday. Delighted for Sexton and Healy!!! What a Six Nations send off
@Kenneth O Connor: Healy not getting a run was disappointing and strange
@Noel Lynn: He did… only about 4 minutes but he did play.
Yesterday(and last week) should put to bed any doubt about Conan’s value. Every bit as effective as Doris imo.
@Gary Donlan: doris level ahead
@Gary Donlan: I’m a big, big fan of Conan – he’s an outstanding player – but I’d have to acknowledge that Doris is at the very top of the global tree. And he has so much more to grow, being so young. Arguably a future World Player of the Year nominee, if not winner.
I see lots of people saying how England really used line speed yesterday to get in Irelands face, that’s not what happened at all. England played a soft drift defence, not putting too much pressure on the first carrier / passer, and not committing too many men to the breakdown, opting to be more disruptive and messy rather than look for turnovers. It was an interesting tactic and one that threw a lot of the Irish players off, particularly Furlong who takes the first pivot option quite often. Ireland will need to learn how to adapt to it by World Cup, I can’t imagine South Africa or France would try it, they would trust their line speed, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Scotland or even New Zealand thought about using it.
Great analysis there. It shows really how intelligent this group are. Dorris, JVF,, Aki, Sexton, Hansen running subplots and dummies lines and how they build a try 3 phases out. To have so many on the same page is extraordinary and as Farrell said, they will get a lot better over the next few months with more time collectively in camp.
Roll on the WC
It was squeaky bum time for much of the game. England gave it everything. Ireland found a way to win. Work done with decoy runners is magnificent. Enjoy, upwards and onwards to France
That was some offload by Conan for sheehans try.
Sheehan is a pure speed merchant
@Gary Galligan: He’s a 4×4 at full speed.
On the strike plays which Ireland use we have seen a few of these in this 6 nations I believe they have only used a small number of these in this 6 nations and there are many more which they had no need to use and they are been reserved for the later stages of the world Cup.
I would imagine when Farrell and his team review this game they will be a little concerned. Obviously the short term gain here, winning a grand slam, is brilliant. But there was a lot of pressure going into the game and we did not handle it well. Ultimately a red card may have won it for Ireland and whether you agree or disagree with the card the nature of it shows it can how easily happen under current rules. (There was at least 1 red card possibility for us that was missed by the ref and TMO). This team will ultimately be judged on how it performs in the World Cup. When they meet Scotland on the 7th of October it will more than likely be a knock out game. The pressure on them will easily be as intense as yesterday, probably more so. They will need to be a lot better. If we don’t make it out of the group, this Grand Slam will lose a lot of it’s shine. Of course hopefully by the time we meet Scotland SA will have 2 losses so it won’t matter :)
@Pud: OTOH, the experience of yesterday, a real pressure cooker, will stand to them. Plus, those guys played a lot of intense rugby over a short period of time. Some were definitely not at their best, following injuries (Furlong, for example, looked rusty; Henshaw wasn’t fully up to speed; Ringrose in and out). Farrell took some risks, playing guys like Porter, VDF, Keenan, Hansen and others to their limits (Keenan looked tired yesterday, as did others). The player management plan for the RWC needs to cater for the interactive effects of physical endurance and how it affects mental/emotional resilience. I’m pretty confident they’re on top of that. And again, all the players will be better for the experience of this 6N.
@Pud: South Africa then Scotland…followed by France or New Zealand…three massive banana skins….I don’t think if we are stopped before semi final, yesterday’s outstanding achievement will be diminished….cruel world cup draw.
Herring sealed victory over the All Blacks with a similar try in the third test .. hooker is definitely a position we don’t need to worry about… bench again made the difference yesterday
Murray Kinsella, single handedly helping other teams work out Ireland!!