logo
Taylor's fighting talk inspires tourists

Taylor's fighting talk inspires tourists

Yahoo5 hours ago
Jack Conan has revealed that a video message from Irish boxing legend Katie Taylor helped inspire the Lions' memorable comeback in their series-clinching victory over Australia.
Olympic gold medallist and undisputed world super lightweight champion Taylor urged the touring party to dig deep in a good luck message before the second Test in Melbourne.
The Lions took heed of Taylor's encouragement after overturning an 18-point deficit to win 29-26.
"The video was unbelievably poignant and powerful. It spoke about being prepared to win with skill, but also being ready to win by will," said Ireland number eight Conan.
"That was something that was massively summed up in the game because we were not at our best at all.
"It's huge because she comes from the town I'm from. I'm incredibly proud of where I come from and I know Katie is as well.
"She's gone on to achieve incredible feats in the boxing world. To be such a superstar, incredibly humble and driven is something that we leant on as well because we knew that Australia are a hugely proud nation and they showed it in spades.
"Everyone loved it, even the English and the Scottish boys and the Welsh boy - it resonated with everyone. It was unbelievably poignant, it was class. It really hit home for us."
Listen: Sport's Strangest Crimes - Bloodgate
Listen to the latest Rugby Union Weekly podcast
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Bronze for Australia as US strike gold at worlds
Bronze for Australia as US strike gold at worlds

Yahoo

time29 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Bronze for Australia as US strike gold at worlds

Australian Alexandria Perkins has nabbed a bronze medal, Canadian superstar Summer McIntosh continued her winning ways and the virus-stricken US finally broke their gold medal duck on day two of the swimming world championships. Perkins produced a strong finish to snare third place in a hotly-contested women's 100m butterfly final in Singapore on Monday night. World record holder Gretchen Walsh started the race as the hottest of favourites, but the big question was whether she had escaped the gastro carnage that has swept through the US camp. The widespread sickness resulted in the powerful US team ending the opening night without a gold medal, with Australia beating them in both the men's and women's 4x100m freestyle relays. Walsh put any sickness doubts to rest on Monday night with a powerful 54.73-second swim that gave the 22-year-old a maiden world championship title and brought the US its first gold of the meet. The American now owns the eight fastest times in the 100m butterfly, with her latest effort the second best of all time. Belgium's Roos Vanotterdijk (55.84) finished second, while Perkins came home fast to nab bronze in a time of 56.33. "I can't be happier with that," an elated Perkins told Channel 9. "It was a new experience being in this final tonight. "I missed out last year at the Olympics, so I'm just really proud of myself for handling my nerves against someone like Gretchen. "She's just incredible. She did a phenomenal job." In what served as an entree to Tuesday night's final, Australian Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown finished second to American arch rival Regan Smith in the women's 100m backstroke semi-final. McIntosh, who is aiming for five individual gold medals at this championships, made it two from two on Monday night. The 18-year-old Canadian won the 400m women's freestyle on Sunday, and backed it up with victory in the 200m individual medley on Monday night. McIntosh won the medley in a time of 2:06.69, fending off a challenge from Alex Walsh (2:08.58) in which they were almost even heading into the last 50m. In the men's 200m freestyle, Australian Flynn Southam finished last in his semi-final heat to miss the final. China's Qin Halyang won his fourth world championships gold medal after coming from behind to defeat Italian Nicolo Martinenghi in the men's 100m breaststroke final. Frenchman Maxime Grousset (22.48) edged Switzerland's Noe Ponti (22.51) in a hotly-contested 50m men's butterfly final. Australia's 16-year-old rising star Sienna Toohey swam a time of 1:07.24 in the 100m breaststroke heats but missed out on a semi-final berth by 0.24 of a second. Toohey was in the same heat as triple Olympian and triple world record holder Lily King, who scraped into the semis with a time of 1:06.93. "That was the fastest heat swim I have ever done," Toohey said. "I knew I was racing Lily King but I was trying to pretend it wasn't her because I didn't want to get freaked out. But it was pretty cool."

Former world champion boxer Dwight Muhammad Qawi dies at 72
Former world champion boxer Dwight Muhammad Qawi dies at 72

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Former world champion boxer Dwight Muhammad Qawi dies at 72

Hall of Fame boxer Dwight Muhammad Qawi, who took up the sport in prison and won world titles in two different weight classes, has died at age 72. Qawi's sister, Wanda King, said he died on Friday, July 25, after a five-year battle with dementia. "He was a great father, a great Pop-Pop to his grandchildren," King told BoxingScene. "He had a heart of gold, and he fought his dementia illness just like he was fighting in the ring." Born Dwight Braxton and raised in Camden, New Jersey, he learned to box at Rahway State Prison while serving a sentence for armed robbery. He turned pro after he was released in 1978 and later changed his name after converting to Islam in 1982. Nicknamed "The Camden Buzzsaw," Qawi won his first world title in 1981, defeating Matthew Saad Muhammad for the WBC light heavyweight crown. After winning a rematch with Saad Muhammad the following year, he lost to WBA champion Michael Spinks in a unification bout in March 1983. Despite being just 5-7, the compactly built Qawi moved up to cruiserweight in 1985 and dethroned champion Piet Crous before facing Evander Holyfield in what experts regard as one of the weight class's best fights of all time. Holyfield won the 15-round split decision in Atlanta on July 12, 1986, and then defeated Qawi in a rematch the following December. Qawi would have one more high-profile fight, a March 1988 loss to heavyweight George Foreman before retiring later that year with a career record of 41-11-1 and 25 knockouts. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004, and spent a large part of his retirement as a youth advocate and drug and alcohol counselor in New Jersey. Contributing: Field Level Media This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Hall of Fame boxing champ, dies at 72

Walsh defies illness in US camp to win butterfly world gold
Walsh defies illness in US camp to win butterfly world gold

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Walsh defies illness in US camp to win butterfly world gold

Gretchen Walsh defied illness in the United States camp to power to a dominant victory in the 100m butterfly final at the world championships in Singapore on Monday. World record holder Walsh took gold in 54.73sec -- the second-fastest time in history -- ahead of Belgium's Roos Vanotterdijk (55.84) and Alexandria Perkins of Australia (56.33). "I'm so happy, to be under 55 (sec) again is everything. It was not easy and I'm just really proud of myself for that time," said the 22-year-old. "It took a lot of guts. I just wanted to go out here and do it for my team, just represent the flag well. "That race came out of somewhere -- I don't know where. I'm really, really happy," added Walsh, who set the world record of 54.60sec in May. This is Walsh's first long course individual world title and the Olympic silver medallist was clear favourite. She won two relay golds at the Paris Olympics but was pipped to gold in the 100m butterfly final by team-mate Torri Huske in an upset. Huske decided against racing in the 100m butterfly in Singapore amid an outbreak of gastroenteritis in the American squad. pst/jfx

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store