logo
'Hopefully everyone will have their time to shine' - Hallgrimsson looks to strike balance against

'Hopefully everyone will have their time to shine' - Hallgrimsson looks to strike balance against

Ireland's rookies will get their time to shine against Luxembourg but Heimir Hallgrimsson won't compromise the need to finish the World Cup preparations on a high.
Back-to-back wins over Bulgaria in March were followed by an impressive showing against Senegal on Friday when Ireland came within eight minutes of beating the nation ranked 19th in the world.
Those numerals are opposite for the second part of the double-header. Luxembourg may be 91st in Fifa's rankings but their sole victory in the last 11 games was a notable one, slaying Sweden in March.
Luc Holtz's side are in the news locally due to the manager continuing to select Gerson Rodrigues despite the star striker being convicted of domestic violence against his former girlfriend Emily Boland. Protesters in attendance at Friday's defeat to Slovenia were forcibly removed, with the federation subsequently issuing an apology for the heavy-handedness.
Hallgrimsson doesn't intend overhauling his team in the final audition for the qualifiers kicking off against Hungary on September 6.
They also face newly crowned Uefa Nations League champions Portugal and Armenia in a six-match sprint campaign from September to November.
Josh Honohan, John Patrick Finn and Max O'Leary are in line to make their debuts.
'The purpose of this camp was to look at new faces and we will make some changes, even though we were really happy with the performance against Senegal,' said the Icelander.
'Hopefully everyone will have their time to shine but we'd like to keep some consistency too and build on what we've been doing well.
'I think we probably played one of our best games as a team and we don't want to miss that in the game against Luxembourg 'As everybody knows, this World Cup campaign comes and goes really quickly.'
Repeating the good aspects from the Senegal game and eradicating some of the lapses that cost them late on is the manager's prioriy.
'We are growing as a unit,' he asserted.
'We are saying the same thing over and over again, probably boring for the players to listen to because we are saying the same thing over and over and I have said before that it's basics first before details.
'The excitement comes from that. We can feel that we are growing every time we play.
'Being comfortable against Senegal was one step taken. We can have the same against Luxembourg, so it shouldn't be up and down performances.
'Consistent performances are what we need.
'Luxembourg could have scored more goals against Sweden, so I wouldn't look at it as a shock to the nation if we would not get a good result here.
'A win here would be really good for us at this stage. I hope nobody is taking them lightly.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Will Smallbone: Ireland players must buy into Heimir Hallgrimsson's belief
Will Smallbone: Ireland players must buy into Heimir Hallgrimsson's belief

RTÉ News​

time3 hours ago

  • RTÉ News​

Will Smallbone: Ireland players must buy into Heimir Hallgrimsson's belief

Republic of Ireland midfielder Will Smallbone feels the squad must buy into a belief that World Cup qualification is possible ahead of the final warm-up match before the clash with Hungary in September. Amid some of the most miserable times for the nation in terms of both results and performances in this decade, Heimir Hallgrimsson will begin his first outright group campaign with six matches to come in the space of 10 weeks. Hungary, Armenia and new Nations League champions Portugal stand in Ireland's way, with the Boys in Green considered an outsider in the bid to top the group or even secure a play-off. For now, Luxembourg await Ireland tonight in a friendly. Hallgrimsson has referenced reducing the schedule of some players in this window with a view to being fresher for tournament football 12 months later, an eye-opening viewpoint given the current outlook for the side ranked 60th in the world and without qualification for a World Cup since 2002. Smallbone, who played 81 minutes of the 1-1 draw with Senegal after an injury-hit season, believes the mindset is something the players have to pass heed to. "I think the manager's views will always transfer onto the players," he said in an exclusive interview with RTÉ Sport ahead of tonight's friendly. "We've got a real tight-knit group that are looking towards the same goal. "I think we need to believe we can be there. I think we've shown a steady progression over the last few camps and even on Friday, I think against the top nation, it was a good performance from us. "I think we need to be positive, forward-thinking and give ourselves the best opportunity to be there next June. "Winning is what's going to get us to the World Cup. So we need to have winning become a habit. And going into these games, the performance is nice, but I think ultimately winning and getting in the habit of winning is what's best, starting with Luxembourg." Smallbone played in a more defensive midfield role against Senegal, despite the manager indicating he sees him being utilised in a more advanced location on the pitch. The Southampton man, who has 12 caps to his name so far, is happy to operate in either role. The Irish midfield could be about to evolve with Bosun Lawal, Killian Phillips and Jack Taylor making strides in this camp with call-ups and appearances. The competition is welcome, says Smallbone. "Maybe I did end up in more of a defensive role on Friday, but I'm just happy to do whatever. "I think we play with two almost 'old school' midfielders is the best way to describe it, with a licence for one of us to get forward and join up with the attacking play and get in the box. It's enjoyable. "We have our ways when we get the ball to free up our wingers and get crosses into the box and then when defending, it's a bit of a slightly different shape. "The goal for everyone is obviously going to the World Cup and winning games is what's going to get us there. "So I think being defensively sound is a good platform to build off." Smallbone was called up in the Ireland manager's first squad, but having sat out most of the English season, he also lost out on caps in a green shirt. Returning to the squad now, he has noticed some differences. "Obviously it has been a little while for me since I've been in the camp because of injury. "The first camp for me [under Hallgrimsson] was September, so it was all about just starting off the new ideas under the new manager. I missed all the camps in between and to come back here, I could see a real progression in the team strength and the way the team's going. "I think being a bit more harder to beat is one of the main ones. "We've got a lot of the squad maybe coming into their mid to late-20s. "I think that is a good age to really take onus on ourselves, to get ourselves through these [qualification] games. "And we've got enough experience now between us to be able to solve problems on the pitch ourselves and leave ourselves in better situations overall."

Ireland get together in Luxembourg for one last job
Ireland get together in Luxembourg for one last job

Irish Times

time4 hours ago

  • Irish Times

Ireland get together in Luxembourg for one last job

You'd imagine that, at this stage of the year, Heimir Hallgrímsson's men are dreaming of lying on a beach somewhere and resting their weary bones after an interminable club and international season. Before they get to do that, though, they have a friendly away to Luxembourg to contend with, Gavin Cummiskey previewing this evening's game. And he hears from Irish captain Nathan Collins who is likely to have a new gaffer when he returns to Brentford , Thomas Frank on the verge of taking over from Ange Postecoglou at Spurs. James McDermott traces the development of football in Luxembourg , optimism rising there over their chances of qualifying for their first ever major tournament. In Luc Holtz, they have the second-longest-serving national coach in Europe, but he's been embroiled in no end of controversy after naming Gerson Rodrigues in his squad - Rodrigues is currently serving an 18-month suspended sentence after being found guilty of assaulting his former girlfriend. In Gaelic games, that penalty shoot-out in the Munster hurling final brought back some memories for Conor McManus , not least of the one that decided Monaghan's All Ireland quarter-final against Armagh two years ago. Happy memories, too - McManus scored twice. Our GAA crew pick out five things they learned from the weekend , Denis Walsh writing about how the character of the Munster final 'changed noticeably' when referee James Owens took over from Thomas Walsh after the latter suffered from cramp. Gordon Manning addresses the same matter, and asks what exactly we want from our officials ? Let the game flow, or clamp down on every infringement? READ MORE In rugby, Gerry Thornley looks ahead to the URC final between Leinster and the Bulls , Leinster badly in need of a win to wrap up a frustrating season. While Sam Prendergast 'might have left his kicking boots at home last weekend against Glasgow', Johnny Watterson hears Tyler Bleyendaal salute the young outhalf who, he says, has become 'one of the game drivers' in the Leinster squad. Owen Doyle, meanwhile, was left 'perplexed' by URC chief executive Martin Anayi's response to Jaden Hendrikse's 'cramp and wink' carry-on against Munster. ' Incredibly, he did not condemn the gamesmanship ,' instead insisting that the game needs 'characters'. If this behaviour catches on, says Owen, we will see it 'spread like slurry' in the game. In golf, Philip Reid is over at Oakmont Country Club for the build-up to the US Open, Dustin Johnson the last winner of the tournament when it was staged at the Pennsylvania course. Much has changed in the world of golf since then , Johnson among those who 'jumped ship for a bottomless pit of greenbacks' on the LIV tour. And in racing, Brian O'Connor brings news that Ireland's champion jockey Colin Keane has secured one of racing's most prized jobs after he was appointed as the number one in Europe to Juddmonte. 'It opens the way for the Meath jockey to take his career to the next level on the world stage.' TV Watch: RTÉ 2 has live coverage this evening of the Republic of Ireland's friendly away to Luxembourg (7.45), and at the same time on ITV, England play Senegal, who drew in Dublin last Friday.

Steve Borthwick names 16 uncapped players in 36-man England training squad
Steve Borthwick names 16 uncapped players in 36-man England training squad

Irish Examiner

time4 hours ago

  • Irish Examiner

Steve Borthwick names 16 uncapped players in 36-man England training squad

England head coach Steve Borthwick has named 16 uncapped players in a 36-man training squad to prepare for the upcoming match against France and summer Tests against the United States and Argentina. The group does not include players selected for the British and Irish Lions, or players from Bath and Leicester, who will contest the Gallagher Premiership final on Saturday. Training squad announcement 📋 Steve Borthwick has named a 36-player squad for a four-day training camp ahead of the upcoming match between an England XV and a France XV at @allianz_stad on Saturday 21 June.@O2 | #WearTheRose — England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) June 10, 2025 Among the list of debutants is 21-year-old Saracens scrum-half Charlie Bracken, son of Kyran Bracken, who made 51 appearances for England and was part of the squad that won the 2003 World Cup. The squad will converge on the England Rugby Performance Centre at Pennyhill Park for a four-day training camp, prior to the final summer touring squad being announced on June 23. Regulars named in the group include the likes of George Ford and Henry Slade, while George Furbank continues his rehabilitation from injury and Joe Batley and George Martin are among a number of players who remain sidelined.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store