Dan Sheehan captains the Lions as Andy Farrell names eight Irish starters in side to face Western Force
Dan Sheehan will lead the Lions in their opening match in Australia as Andy Farrell names eight Irish players in his starting XV and three more on the bench.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
22 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Ireland announced to play in new stadium for the first time in huge World Cup qualifier clash
THE venue has been announced for Ireland's World Cup qualifier clash with Portugal which has been scheduled for Saturday 11 October at 7:45pm. The match is set to be played in the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon which is the home stadium of Sporting Clube de Portugal. 2 A big campaign ahead for Ireland with World Cup in sights 2 Katie McCabe flying the tricolour in the Estádio José Alvalade in May There has already been Irish success there this year with women's captain Katie McCabe having won Ireland have never played in Portugal's second biggest stadium before in any of their seven meetings with the side away from home. The last two fixtures were placed in Both stadiums only holding just over 30,000 seats, with the 2021 meeting having an attendance of just over 7,000 fans due to COVID restrictions. Read more on Irish Football It has been 25 years since the Irish senior men's team played in the Portuguese capital in a 1-1 draw in Benfica's Estádio da Luz. Matt Holland scored the equalising goal to win Ireland's only ever qualification point in Portugal. Ireland have had a bit more luck against the Seleção on Irish soil, beating them twice in Lansdowne Road and once in Dalymount Park. One of which was a 1-0 win in a European Championships qualifier under Jack Charlton in 1995. Most read in Football Both sides will be hoping to qualify for the 2026 World Cup but first they have the September fixtures to worry about. Hallgrimsson's team will have to face Hungary and Armenia before travelling to Portugal. The Irish boss is He said: 'Four points would be good, six would be better. Saipan film trailer splits opinion as Irish football fans voice concern about Roy Keane portrayal 'If we get a draw against Hungary and win in Armenia. Probably it would be worse if it was the opposite. Four points would be OK, a good start. Six is what we aim for.' Ireland and Portugal were grouped together for the qualifiers of the last World Cup in 2022 along with Serbia, Luxembourg and Azerbaijan. The sides faced off in their first qualifier in the Algarve with an inspired Ireland performance seeing them 1-0 up after 89 minutes. An early Gavin Bazunu penalty save against Cristiano Ronaldo and a John Egan headed goal just before half-time wouldn't be enough for Stephen Kenny's men. Ronaldo scored a last gasp brace to sink Ireland and break Ali Daei's world record for most goals in men's international football. The second meeting would come in a sold-out Aviva Stadium despite Ireland's qualification chances being dead and buried after losses to Serbia and Luxembourg and a disappointing draw with Azerbaijan. Neither team could get much of a foothold in the game with a physical Irish defensive performance managing to keep Ronaldo quiet as he was booed with every touch of the football. An 81st minute Pepe red card was the only noteworthy moment of the fixture as Portugal left their World Cup fate drag on to the last day against Serbia. The most recent meeting between the teams will be remembered less favourably by Irish fans as they lost 3-0 in a Euros warm-up friendly. João Félix opened the scoring before Ronaldo netted another brace against Ireland to win 3-0 ahead of Portugal's Euros campaign.
Irish Times
29 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Lions v Western Force: Kick-off time, team news, where to watch and more
What's happening? The British & Irish Lions play Australian club side Western Force in their second game of the 2025 tour. Coming after the 28-24 defeat to Argentina in Dublin, Andy Farrell's Lions will be looking for a marked improvement in their first game in preparation for their upcoming three Tests against the Wallabies. Where and when? The game will be played at Optus Stadium in Perth, on Saturday with kick-off at 11am Irish time (6pm local time). How can I follow the action? Viewers in Ireland can watch the game live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action, with coverage getting under way at 10am. READ MORE Tom Court - Ireland's accidental Lion Listen | 40:32 The Irish Times will also be running a live blog of the game, which will be followed by a match report, reaction and analysis from our team of writers. Is there team news? Yes, both teams were announced on Thursday morning. LIONS: Elliot Daly (Saracens/England); Mack Hansen (Connacht/Ireland), Garry Ringrose (Leinster/Ireland), Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland), James Lowe (Leinster/Ireland); Finn Russell (Bath/Scotland), Tomos Williams (Gloucester/Wales); Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh/Scotland), Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Ireland, capt), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Ireland); Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors/ Scotland), Joe McCarthy (Leinster/Ireland); Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Ireland), Josh van der Flier (Leinster/Ireland), Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints/England). Replacements: Rónan Kelleher (Leinster/Ireland), Andrew Porter (Leinster/Ireland), Will Stuart (Bath/England), Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers/England), Jack Conan (Leinster/Ireland), Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England), Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland), Marcus Smith (Harlequins/ England). Mack Hansen during a Lions training session in Perth on Wednesday. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho WESTERN FORCE: Ben Donaldson; Mac Grealy, Matt Proctor, Hamish Stewart, Dylan Pietsch; Alex Harford, Nic White (capt); Tom Robertson, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Ollie Hoskins; Sam Carter, Darcy Swain; Will Harris, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Vaiolini Ekuasi. Replacements: Nic Dolly, Marley Pearce, Tiaan Tauakipulu, Lopeti Faifua, Reed Prinsep, Henry Robertson, Max Burey, Bayley Kuenzle. Anything else I need to watch out for? Debutant Dan Leinster and Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan is set for a special Lions debut, captaining the side for Saturday's game while Maro Itoje sits this one out. It's a reiteration of Farrell's belief in the 27-year-old, having previously picked him to captain Ireland against Wales in the Six Nations earlier this year when Caelan Doris was ruled out due to injury. Joe McCarthy during a Lions training session on Wednesday. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho Ireland watch Eleven Ireland players are included in the matchday 23, eight of whom start. There will be starting debuts for Sheehan, Garry Ringrose, James Lowe and Joe McCarthy, as well as Mack Hansen, who featured off the bench against the Pumas. The two Tadhgs – Furlong and Beirne – also start, while Rónan Kelleher, Jack Conan and Andrew Porter are among the replacements. Injured or otherwise Leinster trio James Ryan, Jamison Gibson-Park and Hugo Keenan miss out due to injury. Scotland fullback Blair Kinghorn was also unavailable for selection as he remains with his club Bordeaux Bègles ahead of their Top 14 final against Toulouse on Saturday.
The 42
an hour ago
- The 42
McCartney and Bailey qualify for finals in Slovakia; McSharry and Fannon progress in Italy
IRISH SWIMMERS HAD strong showings on the opening day of competition at the European Aquatics U23 Championships in Slovakia, and at the Sette Colli International in Rome, with Ellie McCartney, Evan Bailey, Mona McSharry and Tom Fannon all advancing to finals. McCartney is the fastest qualifier into the 200m Individual Medley Final at the U23 Championships having won her heat in 2:15.02 ahead of France's Bertille Cousson (2:15.25) and Italy's Giada Alzetta (2:15.74). The National Centre Limerick swimmer will take the centre lane for this evening's 6.27pm (Irish time) Final. Evan Bailey impressed in the 200m Freestyle as he touched second in his heat in 1:47.48, just behind reigning Olympic Champion in the event, David Popovici of Romania (1:46.84). The Wexford man, who trains at National Centre Limerick, progresses fourth overall to the final at 5.24pm. Advertisement In Rome, Olympic bronze medallist Mona McSharry won her 100m Breaststroke heat in 1:07.05 and qualifies second overall for the final at 6.04pm just behind Great Britain's Angharad Evans (1:06.83). Olympic semi-finalist Tom Fannon was second in his heat of the 50m Freestyle clocking 22.21 behind Paris silver medallist Ben Proud, the fastest seed into the final, in 21.90. Fannon progresses fourth overall with the final taking to the blocks at 6.44pm. Olympic finalist Ellen Walshe got the morning underway in Rome in the heats of the 200m Freestyle, coming home in 2:01.52. The Templeogue swimmer will be back in action on Friday in the 400m Individual Medley. Back in Slovakia, Eoin Corby agonisingly missed out on the 50m Breaststroke Final after a swim-off for the final place. Corby, of National Centre Limerick, and Ukraine's Maksym Ovchinnikov had both touched in 28 seconds and eighth overall in the heats requiring a swim-off for the final place. With Corby having swam with the Ireland 4x100m Mixed Medley Relay in between races, it was the Ukrainian who had the fresher legs and got the touch in the swim-off 27.99 to 28.14. Also, in action on Thursday morning, Brandon Biss got the championships underway for Ireland in the 200m Backstroke, clocking 2:03.36. Cormac Rynn touched in 1:47.77 in the 200m Freestyle, his third fastest time ever in the event. Maria Godden (29.39) and Jack Cassin (53.05) had top 12 finishes in the 50m Backstroke and 100m Butterfly respectively, while Ireland's Mixed Medley Relay of Lottie Cullen, Cassin, Corby and Godden were 11th overall in 3:55.47.
