logo
Former Ulster ace on why night he became an ‘accidental tourist' with the Lions is a career highlight

Former Ulster ace on why night he became an ‘accidental tourist' with the Lions is a career highlight

Thirteen years on and Tom Court is a more than willing participant in retracing how it was that he managed to unexpectedly become British and Irish Lion No.807.
It was, after all, one of those moments when the then Ulster and Ireland prop found himself being in precisely the right place at the right time to become part — albeit briefly — of the Lions tour to his native Australia.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Royal Ascot punters win ‘life-changing' sum from £1 stake after run of freak results ‘not seen in years'
Royal Ascot punters win ‘life-changing' sum from £1 stake after run of freak results ‘not seen in years'

Scottish Sun

timean hour ago

  • Scottish Sun

Royal Ascot punters win ‘life-changing' sum from £1 stake after run of freak results ‘not seen in years'

Fair play if you managed to scoop the lot POT PICKERS Royal Ascot punters win 'life-changing' sum from £1 stake after run of freak results 'not seen in years' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SEVERAL Royal Ascot punters were celebrating winning 'life-changing' sums from a £1 stake - after a run of freak results not seen in years. Those who took on and conquered the Tote Placepot on Friday were duly rewarded with a colossal payout. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Cercene, left, was a shock 33-1 winner of the Coronation Stakes Credit: Shutterstock Editorial If you managed to pick a horse to place in the first six races and stuck a quid on it, you'd have won £26,424.30. Bookies were laughing as huge outsiders such as 33-1 Cercene won the Coronation Stakes. While 25-1 roughie Time For Sandals nabbed the Commonwealth Cup ahead of the likes of the well-fancied Shadow Of Light, Jonquil and Babouche. Favourite backers were licking their wounds after getting one over the layers on Thursday. But it was definitely 1-0 to the bookies on day four after just two favourites - Ethical Diamond and Amiloc - won. There were just 18.15 winning units on the Placepot. And the £26,000 dividend was one of the biggest seen in years. However, the benchmark was set in 2022 when, on one day there, the dividend was £79,125.50 to a £1 stake. Kev Matthews, Head of Racing at Tote, said: "Days like this are what the Tote Placepot is all about – a small stake can lead to a life-changing return. "Friday's dividend of over £26,000 is a perfect example. "We saw plenty of favourites turned over and a real mix of results, which gave Placepot players a rollercoaster ride all the way through to the final leg. "Huge congratulations to those who landed it." The Placepot, which requires punters to pick a placed horse in each of the first six races, remains one of the most popular bets in British racing. With tens of thousands playing every day at Royal Ascot, today's results demonstrate the unique excitement and potential rewards of pool betting. FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

Farrell hammers 'unacceptable' Lions issue as 54-year record comes to an end
Farrell hammers 'unacceptable' Lions issue as 54-year record comes to an end

Daily Mirror

time2 hours ago

  • Daily Mirror

Farrell hammers 'unacceptable' Lions issue as 54-year record comes to an end

The British and Irish Lions suffered defeat in their opening fixture for the first time in more than 50 years as Argentina downed them in Dublin with Andy Farrell not holding back with his criticism The British and Irish Lions suffered defeat to Argentina on Friday night as their summer tour got off to a less than ideal start in Dublin. Los Pumas produced a stunning performance to seal a 28-24 win. The result means the Lions have lost their opening game for the first time since 1971 - ending a 54-year record of getting off to the best possible start. That said, few teams from the past have played a team of the calibre of Argentina. ‌ They came up with three stunning tries - their winning score coming from Santiago Cordero in the second-half. Despite missing all of their French-based players Los Pumas took advantage of a Lions side still lacking in cohesion with a number of new combinations tried. ‌ Sione Tuipilotu and Bundee Aki partnered in the centres for the first time. England and Ireland stars came together in the front row but the forwards struggled to consistently nail their lineout. Head coach Andy Farrell bemoaned the amount of errors they made in the aerial battle, which was dominated by Argentina, and also claimed their number of handling errors on opening night were enough for an entire tour. READ MORE: British Lions star Mack Hansen 'wasn't good enough for Australia' and has Andy Farrell tattoo He told Sky Sports: "It wasn't exactly a show from us, it was a show from Argentina. First and foremost, congratulations to them, they thoroughly deserve their win. They capitalised on all the errors we made. But as far as we're concerned, there is a lot to do. You cannot win any Test match with that error rate. "We lost enough ball there for a full tour, let alone a match against a good side like Argentina. We threw passes that were never on. It wasn't just that, it was the aerial battle and the scraps on the floor. They were hungrier than us, that is just not acceptable. The lineout and breakdown work was off a bit at times. I'm disappointed. We need to be honest with ourselves, take the learning and improve, then at least it will stand for something." The Lions will now jet out to Australia as they prepare for their first game Down Under next Saturday. That will take place in Perth against the Western Force as their schedule of games against the Super Rugby teams begins. Farrell's side will be bolster by the return of a number of key players, many of whom are tipped to start the First Test. Finn Russell will come back in and potentially occupy the fly-half berth with hooker Dan Sheehan also returning. The likes of Andrew Porter, Joe McCarthy, Josh van der Flier and James Lowe will also be available. Farrell added on the performance: "We were just a bit tentative and obviously I take responsibility for that. When we came out with a bit of fight at the start of the second half it was more like it, but we just suppressed ourselves with the error count that carried on late into the second half. You don't win Test matches when things like that happen. Where we're at will certainly concentrate the minds. We'll be honest with ourselves, we get on the plane to Australia [on Saturday]."

Kyrgios sends message to BBC after Wimbledon snub with verdict on replacement
Kyrgios sends message to BBC after Wimbledon snub with verdict on replacement

Daily Mirror

time2 hours ago

  • Daily Mirror

Kyrgios sends message to BBC after Wimbledon snub with verdict on replacement

Nick Kyrgios worked as a commentator for the BBC at last year's Wimbledon, but the Australian will not be back this year and he has sent a message to the broadcaster Nick Kyrgios has branded the BBC's decision not to employ him as a commentator for this year's Wimbledon "very strange" and taken a swipe at the current player who is set to replace him. Kyrgios worked for the BBC at last year's tournament after he was unable to compete due to a wrist injury. The Australian has not played at Wimbledon since losing the 2022 final to Novak Djokovic and will be absent again this year after suffering a "small setback" in his recovery. ‌ And he has also been dropped as a broadcaster by the BBC, with Kyrgios claiming that world No.108 Chris Eubanks is set to replace him. In an interview with the Guardian, Kyrgios said: "It's unfortunate but it's probably their loss more than mine. ‌ "I understand they've got Chris Eubanks but he hasn't beaten the greatest of all time multiple times. When someone's beaten Federer, Nadal, Murray and Djokovic and has incredible insights, it's very strange you wouldn't want that person adding knowledge to tennis fans. "I'm sure our paths will cross again. I only ever want to add humour, some knowledge and some great atmosphere." The BBC have yet to officially confirm their line-up for Wimbledon, but the tournament will air across BBC One and BBC Two between June 30 and July 13. Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray has also confirmed he will not be part of the BBC's coverage, despite having previously worked as a pundit for the broadcaster. "If I go and work at, let's say Wimbledon, you start getting asked questions about British players like Jack Draper," he told GQ earlier this month. "Because you respect them, you listen to what they're saying - but it's not always the same as what your coach is telling you. "What the pundits are saying could be wrong," Murray admitted. "They're not right all the time, and when you're young, it's quite conflicting. So I'd be more inclined to do coaching, because I think punditry is quite an easy gig. "You can just throw stuff out there. People love it if it's a bit controversial, but you don't actually have any skin in the game." ‌ Draper has guaranteed himself a top-four seeding at Wimbledon after reaching the final four at Queen's Club, while fellow Brits Jacob Fearnley, Cam Norrie and Billy Harris have earned direct entry. Dan Evans, Henry Searle, Jay Clarke, Jack Pinnington Jones, Johannus Monday, George Loffhagen, and Oliver Crawford have all been handed wildcards. Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal will also be in action. Hannah Klugman, Mimi Xu, Mika Stojsavljevic, Francesca Jones, Harriet Dart, Jodie Burrage and Heather Watson are among the women's wildcard entries. A number of Brits will also feature in qualifying.

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