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Mary Hannigan: Ireland rugby’s main men could do with a rest as new soccer faces ready to roar

A bone to pick with Peter O’Mahony; Women’s rugby team ready for noisy opener; National Football League limps to a finish

Ireland captain Peter O’Mahony celebrates with the Six Nations trophy after the win over Scotland. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho

Mary Hannigan's face
Mary Hannigan
Wed Mar 20 2024 - 12:34

Before July’s trip to South Africa for a two-game series against the world champions, Andy Farrell will, writes Gordon D’Arcy, have to engage in some forensic analysis of Ireland’s Six Nations campaign. And while it ultimately proved successful, “there are questions to be answered” – not least: “Why did the initial momentum generated subside to a point that left them vulnerable in the last two matches?” Scotland coach Gregor Townsend’s claim that teams have now figured out how to defend against Ireland might have raised a red flag, but Gordon puts that subsiding more down to fatigue. “The same core group has been going for a long time now. A bit of rest, a few new faces and Ireland can push on once again.”

Will Peter O’Mahony push on with them? We’ll have to wait and see, but in the meantime, Fionnuala Ward has a bone to pick with him. She detected “a definite nuance of sporting superiority” when he talked recently about the physicality of rugby, adding that he and his team-mates weren’t “playing tennis or golf, you know what I mean?” There is, says Fionnuala, “a perception of us tennis players and golfers going about our business while sipping tea or exchanging recipes or engaging in a little needlework”.

The Irish women’s squad, meanwhile, are fine-tuning their preparations for their opening Six Nations game away to France on Saturday. Head coach Scott Bemand is anticipating a raucous atmosphere at Le Mans’ Stade Marie-Marvingt, so has been conducting some “noise training” with his players to ready them for the experience, while hoping they can produce a performance that will silence the crowd.

In soccer, Gavin Cummiskey hears from Jake O’Brien and Sammie Szmodics who both hope to make their Republic of Ireland debuts against either Belgium on Saturday or Switzerland next Tuesday. O’Brien has been impressing in France this season since joining Lyon from Crystal Palace, while Szmodics has been scoring for fun for Blackburn Rovers, his current tally 27 goals across all competitions.

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In Gaelic games, Seán Moran notes a degree of disinterest in the closing stages of the league which, as ever, is living in the shadow of the championship. And if you head for Portugal any time soon, there’s a good chance you’ll bump in to intercounty hurlers and footballers, a string of panels heading there for pre-championship training camps. Before Kilkenny’s hurlers can get some sun on their backs, they have the small matter of a league semi-final against Limerick on Saturday. Gordon Manning talks to Kilkenny’s Eoin Cody about the challenge of taking on “hurling’s kingpins”.

And with the Masters looming, David Gorman analyses Rory McIlroy’s struggles, his best finish on the PGA Tour so far this season a share of 19th. “It is his longest stretch without a top 10 since the summer of 2020 ... a cause for concern at a time in the season when he should be peaking before the Masters”.

TV Watch: There are two more women’s Champions League quarter-finals on today, Häcken v PSG (5.45) and Brann against holders Barcelona (8.0), both on TNT Sports 1 and DAZN. And in the clash of the non-Titans, San Marino, the world’s lowest ranked nation, will attempt to win their first game in almost 20 years when they play St Kitts & Nevis in a friendly (Premier Sports 1, 7.45pm). That’s 136 games and counting.

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