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Malachy Clerkin: After some late speedbumps, France just want the World Cup to get started

Owen Doyle’s refereeing column, the news from Stephen Kenny’s squad and yet another Manchester United player in trouble for domestic abuse allegations

Ireland begin their 2023 Rugby World Cup against Romania on Saturday. Photograph: Dave Winter/Inpho

Malachy Clerkin's face
Malachy Clerkin
Tue Sep 5 2023 - 10:32

Rejoice, for it is World Cup week. The long four years since Japan have almost nothing left to run and with Romania up first on Saturday, we’ve got all the rugby you can handle – and a bit more besides. Gerry Thornley is on the ground in France and he’s writing his socks off already. His column today is on French preparations, which have suddenly hit a few speed bumps at the worst possible time – injuries, a racism row, an overheard conversation between Fabien Galthié and president Macron. As Gerry points out, they really need the rugby to start.

Gerry also has an interview with Irish secondrow Joe McCarthy who, despite being the “the youngest and rawest squad member, something about his career trajectory suggests this World Cup may be a benchmark for him, the start of his time.”

Our refereeing expert Owen Doyle will be writing all the way through the tournament and his offering today breaks down one of the more confounding aspects of Ireland’s warm-up matches – the several penalties they gave away at lineout time because of what’s known as “double-banking”. You might think that’s yet another piece of rugby arcana that seems to have appeared from nowhere – and you might be right! – but it’s going to come up over the next seven weeks and Owen’s column goes a long way to demystifying the whole thing.

Lest we forget, Ireland’s other national men’s team has a game in France this week too – the no-less important matter of a European Championships qualifier in the Parc des Princes on Thursday night. Stephen Kenny’s squad assembled in Dublin on Sunday, with an immediate doubt hanging over captain and centre back John Egan. Gavin Cummiskey was at training in Abbottstown and spoke to Josh Cullen, who may well take the captain’s armband if Egan misses out.

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Gavin has also written about Evan Ferguson today, with the Irish boy wonder making waves after his hat-trick for Brighton on the weekend. Nathan Collins was asked about him at Irish camp yesterday and gave a good insight into what Ferguson did on the weekend. “He has to take his chances and it’s rare that you get more than three chances in a game as a striker, especially in the Premier League. So to take his three chances, he has done unbelievably well there.”

It’s a big week at the K Club as the Irish Open returns to the Kildare venue. Philip Reid is on-site for the week and for his Different Strokes column today, he writes about Kilkenny golfer Mark Power who makes his professional debut after a good showing at the Walker Cup last week in St Andrew’s.

Philip also breaks down Luke Donald’s captain’s picks for the Ryder Cup team that were announced on Monday. The spectacular rise of Swedish sensation Ludvig Aberg – who has never even played in a major – is eye-catching and yet in no way surprising. Donald had good words for Shane Lowry too. “I feel like he’s a big-time player. He steps up in the moments,” Donald said. Here’s hoping.

On the GAA front, Gordon Manning talks for former Cavan manager Mikey Graham about the man who has just taken over from him, Raymond Galligan. Graham has no doubts that his former goalkeeper and captain is the right choice for the gig. “Raymond is a cool customer,” Graham says. “Even when he was Cavan captain, if things weren’t going well he would be the one reiterating that we stick at it, we stick together and don’t go looking for somebody to blame, he’s very good like that.”

Finally, in soccer, Manchester United are yet again having to deal with an allegation of assault on a woman against one of their players. Coming on the heels of the Mason Greenwood saga, this time it’s the Brazilian winger Antony, who has been dropped from the national team after a former girlfriend alleging physical assault and claiming that the player threatened to kill her and attacked her with a glass. Tom Phillips reports from Rio de Janeiro that “the accusations have been reported to police in Manchester and São Paulo”.

On Telly: We’re down to the last eight in the men’s and women’s singles at the US Open, with Novak Djokovic up against home favourite Taylor Fritz the standout match today. Sky Sports Main Event, from 3.30pm