Bernard Jackman: Leinster could be looking at more heartbreak this season if they don't up their game
The make-up of the last eight of the URC was pretty predictable in terms of the breakdown per country.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
27 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Arsenal set to reward Myles Lewis-Skelly with mega long-term contract to ward off Real Madrid's advances
ARSENAL are confident Myles Lewis-Skelly will sign a long-term deal this summer. And the 2 Arsenal are confident Myles Lewis-Skelly will sign a new contract at the club Credit: Getty 2 Lewis-Skelly is expected to stay at Arsenal alongside Bukayo Saka - with the England squad enjoying a day out at F1's Spanish GP on Sunday Credit: PA But SunSport understands the club are calm over talks, which began back in January, and hope to finalise the terms of his new bumper deal before pre-season begins next month. New sporting director Andrea Berta is believed to be taking a hands-on approach with contract extensions, needing to tie down fellow Hale End graduates Ethan Nwaneri and And boss READ MORE SPORT STORIES Arteta views Lewis-Skelly as the future of the club, already making him his first-choice left-back after a stunning breakthrough campaign for the teenager that saw him make his Prem debut in September before scoring on his senior England debut in March. Such is his faith in Lewis-Skelly, Arteta has let Kieran Tierney, 27, leave on a free back to Celtic this summer and is open to selling Oleksandr Zinchenko, 28, with Borussia Dortmund interested. Lewis-Skelly – alongside his first team pal Nwaneri, 18 – has also never hid his love for Arsenal as a boyhood fan, and recently revealed his ambitions for next term. Going five years without silverware and a third-successive second-place Prem finish, he said: 'We just want to win, to make that jump to win a trophy, back-to-back trophies.' Most read in Football CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS He continued: 'Without Hale End, we wouldn't be here. It's everything… the friendships, the values. 'I am a fan of the club, so I was growing up watching them on TV, going to the games. In your mind you're always wanting to get where [the first team] is at.' Myles Lewis-Skelly winds up Real Madrid fans as Arsenal knock Los Blancos out of Champions League Midfielder Nwaneri is also holding talks with Arsenal over an extension, having signed his first professional deal in March 2024, having worked his way through the academy from the age of nine alongside Lewis-Skelly. Nwaneri is expected to receive a hefty rise in wages, as is Lewis-Skelly, having proved himself to be one of the most exciting teenage attackers in Europe. Having made 37 appearances in all competitions this term – 16 of those starts – and scoring nine goals, Nwaneri has been happy with his involvement under Arteta, and trusts the Spaniard with his development. However, there will need to be discussions over Nwaneri's role next year, both in terms of position and regularity, especially with Arteta targeting several attacking reinforcements this summer, currently linked to Sporting Lisbon's Viktor Gyokeres, RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko and Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams. During Bukayo Saka's three-month absence from December following hamstring surgery, Nwaneri deputised on the right wing, but can also play as a false nine and No10. Despite the £51m midfield arrival of Martin Zubimendi, Arteta will view Nwaneri as an integral squad member whose flexibility and all-round ability is highly valued. Join SUN CLUB for the Arsenal Files every Friday plus in-depth coverage and exclusives from The Emirates
The Irish Sun
28 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Spain vs France: Get €60 in free bets and €10 casino bonus with BoyleSports, plus 25% boost on your winnings
HEAVYWEIGHTS Spain and France clash in Thursday's Nations League semi-final at the MHPArena in Stuttgart. And punters who register an account with BoyleSports and stake a tenner on the all-star encounter will be rewarded with Advertisement BoyleSports are also offering customers an extra 25% boost on their Bet Builder winnings! How to claim... BoyleSports offer Visit the BoyleSports website Register a new account and deposit Place a qualifying bet of €10 or more at odds of Evens or greater Remember, your qualifying bet must be placed within 30 days of account opening Once that's settled, you will receive €60 in free bets and a €10 casino bonus BoyleSports: Get € 6 0 in free bets and a €10 casino bonus Not got a BoyleSports account? No Problem! Simply visit the BoyleSports website and register for your brand new account. Advertisement Deposit at least a tenner and then place a tenner or more on any football betting market at odds of Evens or greater. Once that's settled, you will receive You will also be eligible for BoyleSports' amazing special, which offers all customers an extra 25% on their Bet Builder winnings - claim that BoyleSports: Get € 6 0 in free bets and a €10 casino bonus Advertisement *18+. IRE/NI new customers only. €70 in FREE Bets (FB) as €60 in sports bets & a €10 casino bonus (CB). Min Deposit €10. Min stake €10. Min odds Evs. FB applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. FB 7-day expiry. 1 FB offer per customer, household & IP address only. Account & Payment restrictions. 14 days to accept €10 CB, then active for 3 days. CB 5x wagering & max redeemable €100. Game restrictions apply. Cashed out/Free Bets won't apply. 30 days to qualify. T&Cs Apply. 18+. Digital customers only. Min Odds of (3/1). Max stake 20. Available on one bet per selected event. 25% Boost. Boost will be added once all selections have settled. Max boost payout €1,000. Offer does not apply to multiple bets. Free/void/cashed out bets won't qualify. T&Cs apply. Responsible gambling A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chase their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry, or depressed Problem gambling – Gamble Aware – Help with gambling addiction If you have a problem with gambling, or you know someone who does, help is out there. Extern Problem Gambling is the leading provider of information, treatment, advice, and support for anyone affected by gambling harms across Ireland.
The Irish Sun
28 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Coventry sleep coach says it is ‘bonkers' that Prem clubs don't take his work seriously after helping Frank Lampard
COVENTRY CITY are just the latest club in English football to reap the benefits of a sleep expert as they aim for marginal gains at the elite level. And "The Sleep Geek" James Wilson admits it is 'bonkers' that Premier League sides wanting to win titles are still reluctant to fully embrace his unique and successful methods. 4 Frank Lampard embraced a sleep coach in Coventry's play-off run Credit: Getty 4 James Wilson worked with Jarrod Bowen before his Conference League-winning goal Credit: Getty 4 Wilson has worked with a variety of EFL clubs including Rotherham Wilson has built a sound reputation in the world of football, helping players and coaching staff to perfect the art of sleeping and recovery at the likes of Rotherham United, Sheffield United, Lincoln City, His influence is telling, and appears to have the golden touch, involved in promotion success tales with Rotherham, Lincoln and Sheffield United, while also playing his part in West Ham's Europa Conference League triumph of 2023. Frank Lampard's Coventry are the latest club on Wilson's list of honours, the Sky Blues coming within seconds of the Championship play-off final only to concede in injury-time to Sunderland in the semi-finals. Having also worked with F1, NBA and NFL stars, Wilson's knowledge in the sleep field currently sees him approached by top footballers in the Prem and the EFL. read more football But other than Brentford having sleep coach Anna West in their ranks, Wilson's dream of his field being taken more seriously by the country's biggest clubs is still falling on deaf ears. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Wilson told SunSport: 'It's bonkers to me, it really is. There's me and Anna and that's it. 'It's not me making the decisions, but is it that they don't see sleep as that important? Is it that they feel they've already got the resource internally? Most read in Football 'One of my worries is you see more and more clubs working with brands that have some connection to sleep, maybe like a sleep supplement company or a piece of sleep technology. 'That's not sleep advice. It is worse now than when I started because those pieces of technology are so inaccurate. They are driving a sense of fear and despair in players. Doctor reveals the dangerous effects going to sleep after midnight has on our brain 'It needs people who are properly trained. Some of the advice given by members of the medical team is not taken from reliable sources, like Jake Humphrey and Steven Bartlett podcasts, that can be troubling. And even if the stuff is right, it is not right for that individual. 'We've got to a point where bringing me in means you may upset a commercial brand paying for that relationship. I don't understand why every club hasn't got [a sleep coach]. 'You might not get as much commercial benefit, but you're going to get a team into the play-offs. You're going to get promoted. You're going to win European trophies. 'That's what happens when you get proper sleep expertise. People responsible for the performance and wellbeing should have some sort of proper sleep knowledge. 'You can see how well Bentford have done can't you? You can see how well Rotherham did when I was there, Sheffield United, West Ham, Coventry. 'It's not hard, is it? If clubs invest properly, it really, really does work.' Wilson began working with Coventry at the end of last season, giving the squad advice on how to prepare for their FA Cup semi-final against 4 Wilson helped Coventry prepare for last season's FA Cup semi defeat to Man United Credit: The Times Wilson explained: 'We did this little tweak before the United game where we suggested watching the other semi-final with Manchester City the day before might not be the best thing to prepare for sleep before you go and play.' At other clubs, Wilson dealt with players who struggled with sleep paralysis. Parasomnia sufferer Richard Wood would sleep walk and head balls in his sleep, but the former Rotherham defender's career was prolonged with Wilson's help. Wilson is now also sponsoring his local non-league side Nostell Miners Welfare from Wakefield in the Northern Counties East League. It is undecided whether Wilson will continue working with Coventry next season, but he is highly rated by performance director Claire Marie and head of sports science Adam Hearn and worked alongside sports psychologists. Wilson continued: 'The culture at Coventry was really good – they were doing a lot around the players, supporting them emotionally. Frank was really open to what we were doing. 'I started with a few seminars. I went in every four or five weeks from pre-season to February and I was then available from then for players who needed it. 'It's not snazzy. It's not wham-bam, thank you ma'am. It's conversations. 'You can see improvements within about three months. Give them the simple signs behind sleep and an understanding of themselves. You need to drop your heart rate, drop your core temperature. 'We did an education on sleep posture. It's scary how little a professional footballer spends on a mattress. 'You're going to earn more money if you do this stuff because you're going to have a longer career.'
