'Women's rugby is on the up and to be part of that story is really special'
Two weeks later, some of those Sevens players joined Scott Bemand's 15s squad for what would be a memorable year. What looked a somewhat daunting WXV1 schedule ended with Ireland placing second behind England, after launching that campaign with a statement defeat of New Zealand. Ireland were then third in the Six Nations but the progress under Bemand has ensured there is momentum heading into this summer's World Cup.
For Costigan, one of those Olympians now back in the 15s fold, this is the only place to be.
'It's a great summer to be doing it,' she says.
'I'm just really grateful for it, and I think everyone here is, like you can see the way women's rugby is just on the up and I think to be part of that story is really special.'
A small tattoo of the Olympic rings now sits on Costigan's left arm.
'The Olympics inspired me to become a better player and so does every game that I play, every session that I play, and I think it's had a good effect on my mindset around how I want to be the best version of myself on pitch and off pitch.
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The Ireland winger became an Olympian last summer. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
'Like, we didn't medal there, which was disappointing. But to see the best of the best and walk amongst the best of the best over there, honestly, it's giving me goosebumps at the minute, it's a pinch me moment and if I get selected, it's going to be very similar at the World Cup. You're going to be around the best of the best rugby players in the world. And this is a very special place to be.'
The winger has been capped 18 times at 15s level, with most of her rugby coming at Sevens over recent years. Yet her experience is highly valued in the group, with Costigan captaining Ireland for some of their Six Nations games this year, and serving as vice-captain for today's opening World Cup warm-up clash with Scotland in Cork [KO 2pm, available to stream on IrishRugby+ in Ireland & on BBC iPlayer in UK].
Bemand is hoping some of Costigan's big-stage experience will rub off on some of the younger members of the group.
'At the start of the very first block I stood up and spoke about what that Olympic experience felt like because going into a World Cup, that occasion will be just as big and so I just voiced my opinions on it and how I just looked at trying to be myself as much as possible and not to change too many things because you come out of it the exact same person you came into it.
'Yes, you get a title of being an Olympian, but at the end of the day like I'm still Leigh, I still walk out the door as Leigh, a normal person, a rugby player for my country. I think that's probably the message I put across, also the other message was around how big of an occasion it is and to embrace it. Don't let it overwhelm you because of the huge occasion that it is, because it can be very, very overwhelming.
'I remember going into the (Olympic) village and we had the entire day to just walk in there, get our bearings and understand everything, and I think that'll be really good when the squad heads over to England, that we'll have time to digest it all and digest this feeling of getting to the World Cup and how it actually feels, but then switching on, knowing we're not there just to show up, we really want to put in performances and we want to make Ireland proud.'
Ireland have three new caps in today's matchday 23, with Ivana Kiripati debuting in the back row, Nancy McGillivray starting at centre and Ailish Quinn primed to win her first cap off the bench.
As encouraging as it is to see new faces pushing through, the return of some more familiar names is just as welcome. Sam Monaghan is back to captain the side after a lengthy lay-off, while Beibhinn Parsons returns on the wing following two leg breaks in the past year. Lock Eimear Corri-Fallon also gets back in the green shirt after nearly 12 months out.
'It's been great to see those girls come back from rehab and come back from long term injuries,' Costigan continues.
Costigan arrives for training in Abbotstown. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
'It's a difficult place for those players to be. It can feel very isolating, although we do try our very best to keep connections with those girls.
'And we have so many other young girls who've come in. Like we have Ailish, she finished her leaving cert and came in the door and I was looking going 'Gosh, you're a very young buck here', but they've really fitted in and it's really exciting to see the level of rugby knowledge that they have. It's a lot more than what I would have had back when I came in at 18 and I think the future here in Irish rugby is very, very bright with those young girls around.
'It's just exciting to get some game time, I think that's what everyone's really looking forward to. It feels very long when you're training for that amount of weeks with no game, but we have this game coming up and everyone's really, really excited for that opportunity.'
IRELAND: Méabh Deely; Béibhinn Parsons, Nancy McGillivray, Eve Higgins, Amee-Leigh Costigan, Dannah O'Brien, Molly Scuffil-McCabe; Siobhán McCarthy, Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald, Sadhbh McGrath; Eimear Corri-Fallon, Sam Monaghan (capt); Grace Moore, Ivana Kiripati, Brittany Hogan.
Replacements: Neve Jones, Niamh O'Dowd, Linda Djougang, Fiona Tuite, Deirbhile Nic a Bháird, Ailish Quinn, Emily Lane, Enya Breen.
SCOTLAND: Chloe Rollie; Rhona Lloyd, Emma Orr, Lisa Thomson, Lucia Scott; Hannah Ramsay, Caity Mattinson; Anne Young, Lana Skeldon, Elliann Clarke; Emma Wassell, Rachel Malcolm (capt); Rachel McLachlan, Alex Stewart, Evie Gallagher.
Replacements: Elis Martin, Leah Bartlett, Molly Poolman, Adelle Ferrie, Eva Donaldson, Leia Brebner-Holden, Beth Blacklock, Coreen Grant.
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The 42
6 hours ago
- The 42
'This should have been Bernard Dunne 2.0... but life played out how it played out'
By Joe O'Neill IRISH BOXING JOURNALISTS are like broken records. Any and all discussions will, eventually, always and forever, return to The Bernard Dunne Days™. Four or so years usually cannot be labelled an 'era', but for a generation of boxing fans, especially those south of the border, 2006 to 2009 was the heyday. Terrestrial TV coverage, national attention, thrilling fights, and a posse of quality fighters forever imprinted on the general sports fan despite, objectively, greater success occurring in the years which followed. 'When will we – and how do we – get those days back?' is the frequent, admittedly naïve post-fight pints discussion. In truth, the Brian Peters-powered vehicle was a moment in time that will never be replicated in a time of increasingly fragmented sports media rights and growing Saudi influence. Indeed, the 3Arena, formerly the Point Depot via a spell as the O2, has played host to increasing amounts of boxing in recent years, with Katie Taylor duking it out with Chantelle Cameron twice in 2023 and Cork's Callum Walsh having his Irish homecoming at the venue in 2024. On Friday, 5 September, the boxer who many in the industry felt could have been the man to bring back the glory days will finally make his bow on the North Quays. While there has been plenty of water under the bridge over the last decade, Belfast featherweight Mick Conlan (19-3, 9 KOs) was perfectly placed to be the Capital King. Olympic bronze medallist in 2012, RTÉ Sports Personality of the Year in 2015, the biggest story in Irish sport in 2016, a television regular. The cheeky chappy, the world's best with warranted confidence, the wronged Irish sporting hero who stood up for himself. While Belfast born and bred, the Dublin-based Conlan was always bigger 'down south', but it has taken 22 professional contests and over eight years for him to step through the ropes in the Fair City. Speaking to The 42 today at a media launch event for his WBC rankings fight with England's Jack Bateson, Conlan recalled simpler times in the IABA High Performance Unit. 'I've had many a day, night in Dublin. I lived here basically from 2011 'til 2016. I was here Tuesday to Friday every week, away from family, away from everything. '…Many nights out here too, like. coming out of Coppers at around 6am, some mad ones,' Conlan laughs. 'But, you know, it's somewhere that I haven't been as a professional. I've been witnessing shows in the 3Arena and witnessing nights out in the 3Arena, but I never fought there. 'It's great, I'm really excited. It's somewhere that I think I probably should have fought a lot more as a professional – but that wasn't in my control at the time. So, y'know, now I'm self-managed, now I'm doing everything myself and I get to call my own shots, and I'm happy.' Following his Olympic heartbreak in 2016, Conlan was snapped up by American promotional behemoth Top Rank, netting one of the largest signing-on fees in boxing history. Managed initially by Matthew Macklin under the broader MGM (later MTK Global) banner, which Macklin co-founded with Daniel Kinahan, the Dublin dream unsurprisingly never got off the ground. Conlan, later managed by his older brother Jamie, disentangled himself from MTK in 2021 but had long since established himself in Belfast as he chased world titles. Does he look back with regret? 'Always. Not even looking back. Here is where I should have been based,' the 33-year-old admits. 'This should have been Bernard Dunne 2.0, you know what I mean? In terms of, like, the shows which should have happened here in The Point and stuff. That's sort of what I would have liked to happen but unfortunately it didn't and life played out how it played out, and my career has played out how it's played out.' Conlan inside the 3Arena. Wasserman Boxing Wasserman Boxing While Conlan's mainstream prominence in the south faded for many reasons – among them the removal of the Olympic microscope, his management by MTK, and the simple passing of time – he still feels the warmth in Dublin. 'I'd still say I am [more known in Dublin than in Belfast],' he says during the media day in Ballsbridge, a brief visit before he flies back to Sheffield to finish camp with coach Grant Smith. 'As I said to the boys, when I fight in Belfast, 50% of my tickets are from the south of Ireland. It's massive. Anytime I come down here, Little Gerard [Hughes, training partner] is my photographer, people want to get photos and it's brilliant. 'I always get recognised in Dublin. I probably get more people willing to come and ask for a photo in Dublin than you would in Belfast. Listen, it's fantastic, the fact that I'm back here. 'I'm still a big name here, no matter what anybody says or what everybody thinks, probably bigger down here than in Belfast. Advertisement 'Now, at the tail-end of my career, I'm getting to come back to the 3Arena and finally fight there as a professional and, y'know, main event as well, so it's always special.' September's opponent Bateson was a decent amateur who won light-flyweight bronze at the 2013 European Championships in Belarus (Conlan won silver at the weight above in the same tournament). He is far from a pushover. From 22 contests, the Leeds boxer boasts 20 wins – albeit only three against notable opposition – versus one stoppage loss to the rising Shabaz Masoud, as well as a technical draw with Danny Quatermaine in which the bout was stopped in just the second round due to a head clash. Conlan is expecting a fired-up opponent, noting how 'this is Jack's world title fight'. 'This is his big opportunity to break through because, no matter what, even if I'm at the tail-end of my career, I'm still a big name for anybody,' says the Belfast man. 'If he can beat me, he can go and get some big fights off of that, so I've got to be on my 'A' game.' Michael Conlan on his way to the ring against Jordan Gill in 2023. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO The Falls Road switch-hitter last boxed in March, posting a low-key points win over awkward Indian journeyman Asad Asif Khan in Brighton. 'The first fight with Grant was the first fight back after over a year out of the ring,' Conlan explains. 'The training camp and all, it wasn't amazing, but I just got in, got it done, got the job done in front of me, against a tricky opponent. He had a really hard head, I actually hurt my hands on his head! So the fact that I got in there and got that done, y'know, it was good, but this training camp has been much different. 'I'm firing on all cylinders again. The first one, I wasn't really firing at all. This one, I'm starting to come back into myself and I'm really excited because I'm expecting a spectacular performance. 'I haven't felt this good in the gym in a long time – and that's not a lie. Like, I know a lot of people say it, a lot of fighters say, like, 'best camp' and all this… nah, that has never really been my case. I've always been honest and open about that, y'know, but this one really has been the best I've felt, mentally and physically, in a long time. 'So I'm going into this fight and, listen, anything can happen, you've got to be prepared for anything. I can go in and look spectacular, or I can go, y'know, look shit, but how everything is going at the minute, I believe I'll go in and look unbelievable.' In truth, the former English super bantamweight champion is, at his absolute very best, 'European level'. Michael Conlan should be winning this fight comfortably if he wants to have any chance of contending for world titles. The problem is that similar was said in December 2023 ahead of Conlan's fight with Jordan Gill in Belfast. This was a comeback against 'domestic-level' opposition in which Conlan was a heavy favourite (even heavier, with the bookmakers, than he is for his upcoming bout). That night, Conlan, who was 'starting afresh' under storied Cuban coach Pedro Diaz, was sensationally stopped in seven rounds by his unfancied foe. Contextualising what many thought would be the final time he would be seen in a ring, Conlan says: Before that, there was an awful lot of family stuff going on which wasn't a good thing to be going on during a fight week and, y'know, a lot of personal issues which weren't resolved until probably the end of 2024. It was announced in December 2024 that Michael would be stepping away from the 'Conlan Sport' management company he had founded with brother Jamie. Michael subsequently launched his own 'Conlan Boxing Management' outfit. 'They're resolved, they've been banished now. It is what it is, and I'm happy with my decisions which I've made and happy to stand on my own feet and my own truth,' says the younger Conlan brother. 'I wasn't in a good place then. I probably shouldn't have been in the ring, especially when I only trained for six weeks for the fight and I actually was only with the coach eight weeks. 'I said before the fight that I should not fight, and then my ego was kind of questioned. 'Really?' And I was like 'no, all right, well, listen, all right, I'll do it'. 'I'd sparred him (Jordan Gill) and I'd done this and done that, but sparring is sparring – and I learned in that fight that sparring is sparring. It doesn't really equate, especially when you're not in the right headspace. 'That one, yeah, I don't pay too much attention to it because of the situation which was going on in the background. 'No fighter should have fought in that way, but it is what it is.' Conlan believes his third professional stoppage defeat, following prior world-title reversals to Leigh Wood and Luis Alberto Lopez, could prove to be a blessing in disguise. He remains a fighter with a large profile, a recognisable name, but the Gill loss, would suggest he is unable to compete at the upper levels of the sport. These are all attractive traits for a matchmaker. 'It's a fight anybody can look back on and go, 'Oh I could do that',' Conlan says. 'Great, great, come and do that. Let's see what happens because you didn't get an 80% me in that fight. 'So, the fact that I'm going into this fight and I feel like I'm getting back there, probably gonna be, I wanna say, 90 or 95 at the minute. I'm almost hitting 100 again and, once I hit 100, it's game over for anyone.' Michael Conlan receives a count against Jordan Gill. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO World titles seemed an impossibility in the wake of that Gill loss and talk of them may still sound fanciful to many in boxing, but Conlan is adamant he has the tools. 'I'm convinced. I know how I fight, I know how I've been performing in the gym, and I know what I can do and what I can't do,' he says, before offering further rationale. 'My body, I don't feel like I'm getting old. I don't drink. If I drink, I probably drink once a year, maybe twice. I don't take drugs, I don't smoke. So, it's not like I've abused my body. I've always lived like a professional, my whole career. 'I've no doubt in my engine still and how I can go. I've always been a fit person, you know? I was able to run a marathon in 2 hours 55 minutes last year – and that was my year off. I don't take my feet off the gas. I go 100 miles an hour, whatever I'm getting into, and give it 100%. 'There might be some things which are different, a lot of things which I've worked on, which I've wanted to work on. I think what Grant has done a great job doing is tightening up things and tightening up defensive movements, and defence while in close and stuff. 'It's something I'm very excited to show, something I'm very excited to do, and it'll give me more opportunities to do what I want to do when I'm in close or when I'm in long range.' While he is adding more strings to his boxing bow in camp, a rough few years have allowed Conlan to develop his intangible traits. 'It's just maturity isn't?' he says. 'It's all well and good saying when you haven't had the experience, but once you get that experience and you go in there and you know how to fight, and you know how to pace fights and you know how to do things differently instead of, y'know, look at the Wood fight where I probably overly worked. I did too much because I was winning rounds quite easy, but still trying to take a guy out who had enough grit to hold in. 'They're the things you look back on: 'If I would have done this, if I would have done that, things would end differently.' In that fight, it was more fatigue than anything that got me at the end, but that's experience and, y'know, it was my first world title fight and that's probably one that actually keeps me up at night at times. Well, I'll think about that one more than anything. 'But, yeah, listen, I've got the experience. You gotta go in there and use your experience to your advantage, and I think I'm at that stage now where I know what I have to do and know how to do it and if I can do this and that, this will work.' Conlan celebrates his 2022 victory over Miguel Marriaga. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO A self-confessed boxing anorak, Conlan has a route to a third title shot already plotted. Win his 10-rounder next month and he will pick up the WBC's 'International' trinket – a belt that is valuable only for the top-15 ranking it will likely provide. This would make Conlan eligible to be chosen as a voluntary defence by a world champion, while it is also a gateway to world-title eliminators from which he could position himself as a mandatory challenger. The current WBC champion in his weight class is former Carl Frampton sparring partner Stephen Fulton. The talented Philly fighter is a two-weight world champion but Conlan is confident and details why he has chosen the WBC route as his comeback trail. 'Stephen Fulton's the WBC champion and he's the one I like most out of all the featherweights. I think his style and my style would gel very well, and, y'know, he's the fighter I'd wanna fight out of all of them. 'And if I fight him, it will be in an away corner, but it could be in New York.' There is no margin for error anymore, though, and even if things go well, the route ahead is not guaranteed. But Conlan has already made his peace. 'I know that there's not a lot of years left on my clock – two, three max. Max. So whatever I want to do, I gotta do it fast, and I gotta do it soon – and if I don't do it, so be it. 'I've probably been unfortunate, with the fights that fell through and I've come up short in world title fights. Things out of my control have happened. 'For me, it would be a shame if I never won a world title in terms of my talent level, in terms of the effort I give. 'As I've said, the next time the opponent's hand gets put up, I'll say, 'That's me done'. No, that's it. 'Do I look back on my career and go, 'Well, you underachieved?' Yeah, I will, because I should have been a world champion. I was a minute and a half away from being a world champion. 'But, would I be able to sleep at night, knowing I've done it the correct way? I gave it all I could, didn't take no fucking steroids, didn't take any performance-enhancing drugs, like a lot of these people do. 'I'm happy, I've done well. I've earned out of boxing and, you know, I've been smart with money. I haven't been a silly person, spending money on silly things. 'I can look at myself and smile and say, 'You were smart with your money, you earned well, and you're out.''
The 42
9 hours ago
- The 42
Dublin's first-half storm, Meath regret, and what next after one-sided All-Ireland final?
1. Dublin's first-half storm Niamh Hetherton rifled into the Canal End goal in the 22nd minute to move Dublin 2-8 to 0-2 ahead. They turned over Robyn Bulger's kick out, Éilish O'Dowd carried at pace and Hetherton side-stepped Mary Kate Lynch before sending a rocket into the roof of the net. Two minutes later, Dublin secured their biggest lead of the game, Kate Sullivan's latest effort confirmed by HawkEye and putting them 13 points clear. Dublin targetted a fast start, and executed it to perfection. They had 1-3 on the board before Meath opened their account in the 10th minute, Nicole Owens raising their other green flag. They hit an unanswered 1-5 between Emma Duggan's second free in the 13th minute and her third in the 26th. By the time Hetherton wheeled away after after her goal — almost immediately after seeing one chalked off — all six of Dublin's forwards had scored from play. They were fast, furious and direct, picking Meath off time and time again on the counter and taking 11 of 14 scoring chances in the opening half. Hannah Tyrrell, Carla Rowe and Kate Sullivan finished with a combined 0-13, Sullivan's four points coming from play and some of Rowe's efforts dazzling. The platform for this success was laid in a first-half blitz. 2. Orlagh Nolan brilliance and the last to quit Several times on TG4′s commentary, Brian Tyers referred to Orlagh Nolan having 'saoirse an páirc'. Like Paudie Clifford in Kerry's win over Donegal last week, Nolan got on a world of ball and enjoyed the freedom of the pitch. On her first start since returning from an ACL injury, she finished with the Player of the Match award and a fourth All-Ireland medal. Having impressed through a semi-final cameo, the two-time All-Star got the nod for the injured Caoimhe O'Connor. Nolan was hugely influential again, scoring a point and orchestrating much of Dublin's attacking play from the half-forward line as she hugged the left sideline and made darting runs. Advertisement She was involved in the build-up to both goals; more so defensively for Owens' as she gathered a fisted clearance from goalkeeper Abby Shiels and kick-passed it on, while she fed O'Dowd for Hetherton's. Nolan in action against Marion Farrelly. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO The former Women's National League soccer player was a composed, controlled presence on the ball, often using one hand to solo and the other to dictate with her head always up. After registering Dublin's first wide in the 17th minute, she made no mistake with her next effort from a similar position just afterwards. As confirmed to The 42 by the brilliant X account Gaelic Statsman, Nolan had around 26 possessions between kick outs won, scores assisted, turnovers and general ownership of the ball. 'I just wanted to hold wide and hopefully drag people out and create the space in there for the guys,' Nolan told TG4 afterwards. 'I don't know, maybe they gave me a bit too much time on the ball and then I was able to cut in. 'That's the thing about our forwards: if one of us is having a bad day, the next person will step up.' They all did on Sunday, in an ultimate team performance. Defensive stalwarts Sinéad Goldrick, Leah Caffrey and Martha Byrne were others to encapsulate the words printed on a team flag behind the scenes: 'The last to quit. Always.' 3. Meath regret in one-sided contest The lack of a contest and one-sided nature of the game is an obvious talking point. It kept with the trend of this year's All-Ireland finals to date, with Tipperary, Kerry and Dublin all winning easily. It made for another rather disappointing ladies football final too, games generally put to bed at half time in recent years. Dublin's scoreboard dominance doesn't tell the full story of Sunday's first half. Meath were incredibly wasteful, converting just four of 10 scoring opportunities and seeing several other attacks break down. They had more possession in the opening half (56% versus 44%) but were sloppy and made uncharacteristic mistakes. While Dublin were direct and often used width well, Meath were ponderous in possession and repeatedly tried, and failed, to go down the middle. The Dubs were masterfully cynical, Meath were one-dimensional and couldn't get their intensity levels. Emma Duggan dejected. Leah Scholes / INPHO Leah Scholes / INPHO / INPHO Emma Duggan's frees were their only source of scoring in the first half, their first from play not arriving until five minutes after the restart amidst five unanswered points either side of the break. Interestingly, Meath actually outscored Dublin 0-8 to 0-7 from that Hawkeye-confirmed point in the 24th minute. While Duggan and Vikki Wall will rue poor shooting and decision making, they had their moments. Goalkeeper Robyn Murray was a real bright spark, and Aoibhín Cleary and Ciara Smyth grew into the game. The regrets from their first All-Ireland defeat will linger. 4. A festival of football at Croke Park The 42 stumbled across a colourful scene on the way to Croke Park on Sunday afternoon. A group of young Dublin fans – primary school kids, perhaps a team – congregated for a picture at The Five Lamps. As they hung onto the city landmark, they spotted a Meath family, and began booing in unison. 'Up the Dubs, up the Dubs,' they chanted as the Royal kids took shelter behind their parents. They were all part of the 48,089 attendance at HQ, a healthy turnout on a Bank Holiday Sunday amidst a costly condensed season. The crowd fell short of the 2019 record of 56,114, but was a notable increase on last year's 30,340. The proximity of Dublin and Meath helps of course. There was a good atmosphere in the stadium, the sea of blue, green and gold, broken up by flashes of red, yellow, white and blue. In a much more exciting intermediate final, Tyrone beat Laois 2-16 to 1-13 to lift the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup. Goals in either half from Aoife Horisk and Katie Rose Muldoon powered the Red Hand to promotion after a one-point loss to Leitrim last year. Kate Flood in full flow. Leah Scholes / INPHO Leah Scholes / INPHO / INPHO Earlier in the day, Louth defeated Antrim 0-13 to 1-8 to win the All-Ireland junior championship. Kate Flood was the scoring hero with 0-4 before announcing her inter-county retirement, the talismanic forward and one-season AFLW star bringing the curtain down on a 15-year senior career. More would follow her into the sunset. Related Reads 'I was in a really bad way' - Dublin's goalscoring star bows out a five-time All-Ireland winner 'I'm just gutted for the girls. The game was nearly over at half time' - Meath boss McCormack 'She's given everything. This is a cherry on the top' - Dublin's retiring multi-sport star 5. What next? Hannah Tyrrell and Nicole Owens confirmed their retirements on the Croke Park turf after Dublin's win. A fitting stage to call it a day after glittering careers. Tyrrell and Goldrick shared a beer in the middle of the pitch when just the lawn mowers remained, two Irish sporting legends savouring the moment. Goldrick, at 35, is set for another AFLW season with Melbourne, but must be weighing up her inter-county future after winning her fifth All-Ireland title. Byrne, Caffrey, Rowe and Nolan are all over 30: similarly, they are at the peak of the powers, but have serious miles on the clock. Wall is the big name in focus for Meath, the multi-sport star recently signing a new, three-year deal with North Melbourne. Her AFLW commitments could again limit her inter-county involvement going forward. Captain Aoibhín Cleary is also Australia bound. Sub goalkeeper Monica McGuirk and former captains Shauna Ennis and Máire O'Shaughnessy are the only panellists over 30, and Shane McCormack was already looking to a 'positive' future on Sunday. Paul Casey and Derek Murray's side is also littered with young talent. Dublin may not dominate like before in a more open championship, Kerry and Galway among many who will be gunning for glory in 2026. Between now and then, the rules are sure to remain in the spotlight. *****
Irish Times
10 hours ago
- Irish Times
Wallabies can take heart from Lions series for litmus Tests against South Africa
If Australian rugby is to take a key learning from the British and Irish Lions tour and adopt a credo for the upcoming Rugby Championship and the road to the 2027 World Cup, Will Skelton nailed it at half-time on Saturday: 'We don't take no itshay.' Skelton's performance was as big as he was in the Wallabies' stirring victory in Sydney. But Skelton's fighting words to his team - 'Keep fighting. Keep fighting for each other. Keep fighting for the jersey' - and the pig Latin catchcry that followed was a crudity that offered perfect clarity to Joe Schmidt's team. By taking no shit from the Lions – showing aggression, attacking from every angle, hurting their enemy in mind and body – Australia rattled their opposition and won ascendancy. Unlike in Brisbane where they found fire only when 24-5 down, or Melbourne where they let the initiative slip when leading 23-5, the Wallabies this time showed the ruthless edge fans have waited so long for, leading for all 80 minutes. As they set their jaws for the flight to South Africa on Friday and twin litmus Tests against the world champions, Australia should be confident of upsetting rugby's number one side. The Springboks have only lightly tuned up for this series with two cantered victories against Italy and one over Georgia. Conversely, the Wallabies are fit and full of fire after smashing the Lions and finding their mongrel mojo. READ MORE The touring squad Schmidt names on Thursday must be as bold as his Sydney 23. He will be without his two first-pick outhalves, with young Tom Lynagh ruled out with another concussion after being illegally cleared out by Dan Sheehan in Sydney, and Noah Lolesio out for the season with a neck injury sustained in the Fiji Test in July. He may also lose his preferred scrumhalf Jake Gordon to the hamstring twinges that cost him an appearance in the third Test. That means the axis of attack in South Africa will again fall to unfamiliar alchemies being forged in the Test furnace. Ben Donaldson will get his chance to start at number 10, after coming off the bench in Brisbane and Sydney, with veteran James O'Connor, 35, the likely wildcard. Nic White's call to retire post-Sydney inspired his side but the little general might be needed for two last outings against the Springboks. Bundee Aki is tackled by Australia's Rob Valetini during the second Test at the MCG in Melbourne. Photograph: William West/AFP via Getty Images Vitally, Rob Valetini will tour. But it is Skelton's name that must be first on the team sheet. Without him and Valetini in the Lions opener in Brisbane, Australia looked timid and tepid. Yet in every minute Skelton was on the field in the Tests that followed, the Wallabies were bossing the scoreboard. Skelton neatly encapsulates the enigma of Australian rugby this past decade. Born in New Zealand to Samoan parents, he was raised in western Sydney and played rugby league for most of his early years before finding union in his mid-teens. Unlike most, he stuck at it, was brought into the Waratahs fold by mentor Michael Cheika aged 21 (his second start was against the 2013 Lions) and won a Test debut in 2014. Skelton's size 17s walked out on Australia in 2017. With Saracens in the English Premiership and, more recently, La Rochelle in France's Top 14, he has since won four Champions Cup medals in Europa. For six years, as Australian rugby hit the skids and their biggest stars joined the exodus overseas, Skelton existed as the Wallabies' lost colossus. Not until 2021 – 1,814 days after his last Test – did he return to the XXXXL gold jersey. A mixed bag of international cameos since then has gradually roused the sleeping giant. Yet at age 33 he has played only 33 Tests. This fortnight has shown the power Skelton wields to inspire his team-mates while intimidating their enemies. Now the big man is rolling, the juggernaut must continue. Schmidt is schmoozing Skelton to delay his return to France to fly on to South Africa. And Rugby Australia chiefs, chief executive Phil Waugh and high performance boss Peter Horne, have told the coach there is 'no impediment to select whoever he wants' from Australians playing around the world. Horne says the Giteau Law – in which only overseas players with 60 Tests could be selected for Test duty – is 'redundant'. Former Wallaby Quade Cooper has long reckoned, 'if we want to compete with the world we need to select the world's best players, regardless of where they play'. It is likely too late to keep three stars of the Sydney Test from heading abroad – Taniela Tupou is joining Racing 92 while man of the match Tom Hooper is off to Exeter and Langi Gleeson to Montpellier – but after years of selecting only home-based talent and not stars plying their trade abroad, the gates are at last open to the barbarians. That includes Skelton. With him at the helm, Australia can challenge South Africa at home, put Argentina to the sword in Townsville and Sydney and even wrest back the Bledisloe Cup from New Zealand for the first time since 2002. And that's no itshay. – Guardian
