“Is it possible to rewatch Troy Parrott’s injury-time winner too many times,” Gordon Manning asks in his guide to Thursday’s World Cup play-off draw. “No, absolutely not,” he says, correctly answering his own question. In his reflection on it all, Malachy Clerkin recalls how Nell McCafferty described the Italia 90 experience as “a chance to be innocently happy”, and that, he writes, is what Parrott gave us a chance to be all over again in Budapest on Sunday.
There were, Kevin Kilbane tells us, tears streaming down his face as he watched Parrott well up in his post-match interview, Dutch football writer Jan Willem Spaans giving us an insight in to how the young Dubliner has fared since moving to the Netherlands. Jan has a notion that come January, a move from AZ Alkmaar “seems highly likely”.
In rugby, Ireland are fine-tuning their preparations for Saturday’s meeting with South Africa, “the best rugby team in the world and, perhaps, the best team of all time”, writes Gerry Thornley. They arrive in Dublin, though, in an “us-against-the-world mode” after having a player sent off in their games against France and Italy.
“Are we treated fairly? I don’t think so,” Johnny Watterson heard assistant coach Mzwandile Stick complain. Owen Doyle has some sympathy for them over Franco Mostert’s dismissal against the Italians, reckoning New Zealander James Doleman got that decision wrong.
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Gerry hears from Robbie Henshaw ahead of the game, rumours of his demise “premature”, while Johnny has word on Ireland’s fixtures in the new-look Nations Championship, a 12-team tournament that will bring together the best teams from the northern and southern hemispheres next year.
In golf, Rory McIlroy’s 2025 work is nearly done, next month’s Australian Open rounding off his schedule. That tournament will, writes Philip Reid, complete a remarkable year that “has added greatly to his legend”. Remarkable, too, was the “economic benefit” enjoyed by Royal Portrush in July when the British Open came to town - new data estimates it to have been around the €318 million mark.
Navan could do with a windfall of their own after Saturday’s racing had to be moved to Monday due to the incessant rain. They are, Brian O’Connor tells us, now counting the cost - they lost close on €50,000 in hospitality revenue alone.
TV Watch: Our under-17 and under-21 football lads are back in action today, the former meeting Switzerland in the World Cup round of 16 in Qatar (RTÉ 2, 2.45 kick-off) and the under-21s away to Andorra in a European Championship qualifier (RTÉ 2, 6.30 kick-off).
And later on Virgin Media Two, there’s live coverage of the Wales v North Macedonia World Cup qualifier (7.45), a game that could impact what pot Ireland end up in for the play-off draw. Virgin Media Three has the Scotland v Denmark qualifier (7.45) - a win for Scotland and they’ll have their World Cup spot booked.
