Dublin to face Meath in Ladies All-Ireland final
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
Jack Conan reveals video from Katie Taylor inspired Lions before second Test win
Jack Conan has revealed that an inspiring video from Irish boxing great Katie Taylor helped the British and Irish Lions find the resilience needed to close out their series against Australia. Taylor, an Olympic gold medal winner and current undisputed world super lightweight champion, sent the good luck message to Andy Farrell's squad in the build-up to Saturday's second Test at Melbourne Cricket Club. The 39-year-old's words on the ability to dig deep turned out to be prophetic as the Lions emerged 29-26 winners after fighting back from an 18-point deficit. '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, who like Taylor hails from Bray in County Wicklow. '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.' It took a beautifully-taken try by Hugo Keenan with 51 seconds remaining to separate the rivals in one of the greatest Lions matches ever played. Remarkably, Keenan's touchdown was the first time they led in the match. Conan admits that victory tastes all the sweeter for having been taken to the wire as Australia raised their game to a whole new level a week after starting the series with a whimper in Brisbane. 'We were not at our best by any measure, but physically the lads dug in unbelievably well,' he said. 'It was disappointing how we played, but we played for 80 minutes. Hugo getting over the line in the last minute was just unbelievable. 'It wasn't my best game. A lot of us weren't at the races at all, but we stuck in there. You can't fault the effort. I thought the defensive sets we put in, just whacking people and just staying in there, was unbelievable. 'It's something that will go down in history. They won't be writing the history books about how s*** we were, but they'll say that we won and that's all that matters. 'Everyone's over the moon. To be part of a Lions winning series team is incredibly special. The celebrations in the changing room wouldn't have been the same if we'd won by 20.'
The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
Lionesses lift Euro 2025 trophy as England retain title in thrilling penalty shootout
England successfully defended their title, beating world champions Spain 3-1 on penalties in the Euro 2025 final. Chloe Kelly scored the decisive winning penalty for England. The Lionesses came from behind, with Alessia Russo equalising Mariona Caldentey's opening goal. Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton made several crucial saves during the penalty shootout. This victory served as revenge for England, following their defeat to Spain in the 2023 World Cup.
The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
England player ratings v Spain: Hannah Hampton stars as Lionesses win women's Euro 2025 final
England are European champions again after triumphing in a dramatic Women's Euro 2025 final in Basel. Substitute Chloe Kelly fired in the winning penalty as England completed another spectacular shootout comeback to defend their title and beat world champions Spain 3-1 on penalties. The Lionesses came back twice to reach the decider and book this revenge mission against the same side who beat them at the 2023 World Cup in Sydney. And Mariona Caldentey ensured England would need another when she nodded in a 25th-minute opener, cancelled out by her Arsenal team-mate Alessia Russo with a header of her own from Kelly's cross after the break. Hannah Hampton made several spectacular saves in the shootout before Kelly netted the dramatic winner after Sama Paralluelo's miss. Here is how England's players rated. Hannah Hampton, 8: Sent off balance and rooted to the spot as she watched Caldentey's header float into the corner, but redeemed herself with a heroic display in the shootout. An England legend. Lucy Bronze, 6: Bronze never clocked Caldentey sneaking up on her blindside, and watched with her head in her hands as England fell behind. A costly moment in such a huge match to lose concentration, but a much better second half. Leah Williamson, 8: Quietly excellent, dealing with a series of Spanish crosses and throughballs in typically understated fashion. Almost made a goal, too, with a brilliant surge late in the second half. Jess Carter, 7: Strong defensive performance, even if she found herself dragged out of position at times in the first half as Spain took charge. Alex Greenwood, 6: Turned inside out on a couple of occasions by Spain's passing, especially when Aitana Bonmati appeared to target the space in behind England's left-back. But made a good late intervention in the second half to prevent a Spanish winner. Ella Toone, 6: Worked hard off the ball without having much of an impact on it. Helped England keep the ball in periods where they needed some calm influence. Came off with five minutes of the second half remaining. Keira Walsh, 6: England's closest thing to a Spanish midfielder, typically tidy but Walsh was often overrun in central midfield by her supreme opponents. Georgia Stanway, 6: A bit weak in her challenge on Bonmati which led to the Spanish goal, but fought doggedly for her team in several key defensive moments. Lauren Hemp, 5: Missed a big chance in the first half when squaring the ball to Lauren James was perhaps a better option than choosing to shoot herself. Offered a useful outlet with her speed down the right side. Alessia Russo, 8: A quiet first half, but delivered England's big moment with a perfectly placed header into the far corner. Linked play well and worked hard to put pressure on the ball. Lauren James, 5: One telling moment, pressing high up the pitch, forced a turnover and led to Hemp's big first-half chance. But James didn't look fully fit and hobbled off before half-time with what looked like a recurrence of the ankle injury that also ended her semi-final early.
