Despite losing 1-0 to their hosts, it was mission accomplished for Slovenia at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Tuesday evening, Ireland finishing level on points with their visitors in their Nations League group, but behind on goal difference. Slovenia are, then, promoted to League A, but if Carla Ward’s charges are to join them, they must win a play-off in October, the draw for which takes place on Friday. “There is still a lot of work to do, but the future is bright,” the manager insisted after, Gavin Cummiskey reporting from Cork and Malachy Clerkin rating the players.
A few miles down the road from Páirc Uí Chaoimh, champagne might well have been flowing. Muireann Duffy spoke with Ringmahon Rangers chairman Paul Higgins after confirmation of their former player Caoimhín Kelleher’s move from Liverpool to Brentford. The deal could eventually be worth €21 million - and 20 per cent of that will go to Ringmahon. Jackpot.
Gavin, meanwhile, looks ahead to the men’s friendly against Senegal on Friday, when Troy Parrott, Adam Idah and Evan Ferguson will hope to be among the goals, and we also hear from midfielder Jason Knight and assistant manager John O’Shea ahead of the game.
In rugby, Gerry Thornley reports on something of a coup for Connacht, namely the appointment of Stuart Lancaster as coach, and he also looks at the likely inclusions in the Irish squad that will be named today for the upcoming Tests away to Georgia and Portugal.
Albert Heenop brings a very, very alternative view from South Africa on the carry-on of Jaden Hendrikse and co during the URC shoot-out against Munster. “The game needs entertainers, like Hendrikse, even if they occasionally ruffle some feathers,” he writes.
“Textbook “shithousery”,” is how Gordon D’Arcy describes it in his column. “That unapologetic, win-at-all-costs mentality is woven into the DNA of South African rugby,” he says. Under defence coach Jacques Nienaber, Leinster “will have tried to adopt some of that Springbok edge”. It will be tested by Glasgow Warriors on Saturday, James Ryan raring to go in the URC semi-final after an injury-interrupted season.
In Gaelic football, Darragh Ó Sé writes about the game’s great “decision-makers”, like Michael Murphy, Con O’Callaghan, David Clifford and Rory Grugan. “They’re worth their weight in gold to their managers,” he says, the absence of O’Callaghan against Armagh on Sunday playing no small part in a “fiasco” of a performance by Dublin.
In hurling, Gordon Manning talks to former Leinster rugby hopeful and now Laois captain David Dooley ahead of Sunday’s Joe McDonagh Cup final against Kildare, and he also has a word with Kilkenny’s Adrian Mullen in the build-up to the Leinster final against Galway. “Munster hurling finals always come with the blessings of posterity and tradition, whereas Leinster bear the burdens of pale comparison,” writes Seán Moran in his column. Still, you’d imagine Kilkenny and Galway will be quite up for it.
TV Watch: TNT Sports continues its French Open coverage today, and there are four highly tasty quarter-finals to enjoy - Madison Keys v Coco Gauff, Mirra Andreeva v Lois Boisson, Jannik Sinner v Alexander Bublik and Alexander Zverev v some lad called Novak Djokovic. Later, Virgin Media Three has the Nations League semi-final between Germany and Portugal (8.0).
