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Irish Times
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Gerry Thornley: ‘Hard to recall a Champions Cup semi-final weekend with such entertainment, but Leinster's defeat was acute'
Okay, let's be big about this, for a moment anyway, and see the bigger picture. That was a belter of a semi-final weekend in the Champions Cup , one of the very best the tournament has provided. And the tournament needed it as well. Casting aside the huge disappointment of Leinster coming up so agonisingly short, Northampton's 37-34 win at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday felt like one of the best semi-finals for years. Coupled with Bordeaux-Bègles also upsetting the odds, if not to the same extent, in a full-on, heavyweight battle with Toulouse at a sold-out Matmut Atlantique, it's hard to recall when semi-final weekend last had such entertainment and a real sense of occasion at both games. At a time when interest in the Champions Cup is palpably waning across the pond, and in a season when three-time winners Saracens unapologetically prioritised 'The Prem', it's possibly no harm that Northampton are the first English club to reach the final since 2020. READ MORE Saturday's thrilling game at the Aviva Stadium deserved a capacity crowd. The semi-finals fall under the auspices of European Professional Club Rugby (EPRC) and they can use phrases such as 'in conjunction with' and 'in collaboration' all they like, but ultimately the 10,000 empty seats at the Aviva is down to them getting their pricing and ticketing strategy wrong. No doubt EPCR will still bask in the reflected glory of such a weekend although they also messed up the offer or a renewed deal with TNT before the season started and settled for less money from Premier Sports, with no games on terrestrial television in the UK, or from next season in Ireland. Toulouse's François Cros wins a lineout in the Champions Cup semi-final against Bordeaux-Bègles on Saturday. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/INPHO The pity is, therefore, that the tournament has such little reach in the UK, albeit the English wing of Premier Sports and beinSports, as well as the Anglo-French duopoly which created and controls EPCR, will welcome an English-French final, the first since 2020 when Exeter Chiefs beat Racing 92 behind closed doors. All is right with the world again. Northampton are in their third final, having won the 2000 decider against Munster at Twickenham and lost to Leinster in 2011, while Bordeaux-Bègles have never won a major trophy and are in their first final. Hence, host Cardiff's eighth final has a certain novelty value compared to a reprise of last year's brilliant final between Toulouse and Leinster. The prospect of Toulouse and Leinster each reaching their ninth final had perhaps made some commentators and pundits, especially across the water, a little weary. For this would also have followed the back-to-back finals between La Rochelle and Leinster. Yet before the 2023 decider in the Aviva, repeat finals had never happened before. However, the tournament's 30th semi-final weekend was yet another reminder of how difficult it is to reach finals, even for the tournament's two most successful sides. In 17 semi-finals, even the mighty Toulouse, the ultimate serial winners with six European stars who've also won the Bouclier de Brennus trophy a record 23 times, have an 8-9 win-loss record. Bordeaux-Bègles player Maxime Lucu celebrates at the semi-final against Toulouse on Saturday. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/INPHO Leinster, four-time European Champions who also have won the Challenge Cup and iterations of what is now the URC more times (eight) than anyone else, have now won eight and lost eight of their 16 semi-finals. Nobody is entitled to anything, least of all winners' medals. That said, Leinster's loss is the more acute of the two. Not alone did Toulouse have the more damaging injury profile, but they were away from home. In the seven years since Munster were beaten 26-10 by Saracens in the Aviva Stadium in 2017, only once in 14 semi-finals had an away side prevailed, namely when La Rochelle beat Racing 92 in 2022 by 20-13 in Lens; more of a neutral venue than home for the Parisians. Leinster are thus only the second home side in the last 16 semi-finals to lose with 'home country' advantage. In what will be another painful postmortem, to rival that of the 2023 final when Leinster let slip a 23-7 lead against La Rochelle, the debates will rage among supporters on a variety of topics in the search for fail-safe answers − of which there are very few, if any. But there's no doubt the coaching staff also have to look at their own performance in advance of this game. It's always a difficult balancing act at this stage of the season, but, whereas Northampton's Phil Dowson fielded his match-hardened side a week previously, Leinster were again wrapped in cotton wool. For many Irish frontliners, this was their third game in seven weeks since the Six Nations , the previous two having been 62-0 and 52-0 wins, and whereas Leinster hunted like voracious hounds from the off in defence in the last two rounds, that wasn't the case against Northampton. Leinster's Josh van der Flier scores a try in the semi-final against Northampton on Saturday. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO Now it's worth noting that Leo Cullen and co employed a similar selection policy which had resulted in Leinster reaching three successive Champions Cup finals, with their greater freshness and sharpness cited as contributory factors in the 40-17 and 41-22 semi-final wins over Toulouse three and two seasons ago respectively. Hindsight is 20-20 vision, but stacking an all-international bench comprising 358 Test caps with Andrew Porter, Jack Conan and Jordie Barrett now looks like a gamble that backfired, and may well have contributed to that off-colour, disconnected defensive performance, especially in the first-half. While there were pluses, notably Tommy O'Brien, and many good displays, for whatever reason the coaches certainly didn't have the team as well primed from the off as in the previous two rounds. But, either way, that selection looked like Cullen and co's biggest mistake. This defeat will also fuel the view that Leinster can only lead from the front and by extension are flat-track bullies, and that, à la Ireland, they cannot win tight matches. Perhaps the last three finals contributed to the lack of composure and jittery nature of Leinster's performance which Cullen noted. But Leinster did recover from a bad start to lead 15-10, and it was then that they lost their way. Besides, they don't just get handed home semi-finals, they earn them. In some ways they're damned if they do win well and damned if they don't. Leinster were behind early on against Toulouse two seasons ago. And as well as hanging tough in a pool win at home to Clermont this season, what about the 16-14 win in La Rochelle last January and the 16-9 win in the pouring rain a year previously? Furthermore, in each of the last three finals and last Saturday they've been one play away from winning. But, of course, this may have left them scarred mentally. They are human after all.
CBC
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
2 N.B. authors make art from art at Frye Festival
Two New Brunswick artists have been tasked with making art based on the local literary scene. Thandiwe McCarthy is one of the "Frye correspondents" for this year's Frye Festival in Moncton. "I learned about it at the Atlantic symposium last October when they were talking about writing and how the Frye used their budget, instead of going into marketing, to actually empower local writers to just write about the festival and put out what they love," said McCarthy, a spoken word poet, published author and public speaker. Founded in 1999, the Frye Festival is Atlantic Canada's largest literary festival. It bills itself as an "English-French bilingual celebration of books, ideas and the imagination." The 26th edition of the festival, which runs until May 4, features more than 40 events. McCarthy said the role has allowed him to go to different events and gain inspiration. And before the festival even started, the correspondents were tasked with checking in with the authors and writing about them. One event that McCarthy attended had three individuals all performing the work of poet Nizar Qabbani, each in a different language — Arabic, English and French. "As an anglophone myself … I don't understand any French, but that was not a barrier for me hearing and understanding the beauty of the stories that were portrayed through different languages " he said, adding that he wrote a poem inspired by the event. "Every event inspires a poem," he said. "You can hear the story even if you don't understand the language." Artist and writer Jon Claytor, another Frye correspondent, said he's been doing a small diary entry every day with cartoon-style drawings. His favourite event of Frye so far was called "Frye Fever." Four writers were given 36 hours to write two original pieces, with the last line of every piece being the title of a dance-worthy song. "When they get to that last line, the DJ drops the beat and everybody gets up and dances," said Claytor. "The poems were so powerful … and then the dancing was so cathartic."
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nord Anglia Education schools feature in 2025 Spear's Schools Index of world's best private schools
LONDON, March 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Four leading Nord Anglia Education schools have once again secured their place amongst the world's best private schools, as recognised by the prestigious 2025 Spear's Schools Index. The index, often regarded as the definitive guide to the world's 100 leading private schools, acknowledges excellence in education, innovation, and student success. It has been drawn up annually since 2020 by Spear's, their partners at Thuso, and a panel of independent educationalists from around the world. In this year's index, three schools were once again recognised in the "Top 100": Collège Alpin Beau Soleil and Collège Champittet in Switzerland, along with Swiss International Scientific School Dubai. Nord Anglia International School Dubai also features in the Spear's Schools Index as a "Recommended" school. Stuart White, Principal at Collège Alpin Beau Soleil, said: "Our students and colleagues are at the heart of what makes Beau Soleil such a wonderful international community in the Swiss mountains, and I am delighted they have been recognised by Spear's once again. Our focus on a unique blend of academic and alpine education continues to allow students to develop as tomorrow's global leaders." Philippe de Korodi, Principal of Collège Champittet, said: "Collège Champittet is dedicated to shaping future leaders who are compassionate, open-minded, and independent thinkers. Our inclusion in the Spear's Index is once more a recognition of our school community's emphasis on values, engagement, and commitment to academic excellence." Ruth Burke, Principal of Swiss International Scientific School Dubai, said: "This accolade inspires us to continue striving for excellence in all aspects of learning and school life, preparing our students to succeed in a rapidly changing world. As a unique bilingual day and boarding school, it is wonderful to be recognised. Thank you to everyone who plays a part in making our school such an exceptional place to learn and grow." About Nord Anglia's featured schools: Collège Alpin Beau Soleil: A leading private boarding school in Villars-sur-Ollon in the Swiss Alps. It is home to a thriving international community of students aged 11 to 18. Collège Champittet: A world-class day and boarding international school in Lausanne, Switzerland, offering an outstanding education that instils lifelong values and inspires academic excellence. Swiss International Scientific School Dubai: A co-educational, IB day and boarding school for students aged 3 to 18 in Dubai, with English only, English-French, and English-German bilingual programmes. Nord Anglia International School Dubai: An outstanding British curriculum school where children are inspired to achieve more than they ever thought possible. About Nord Anglia Education:As a leading international schools organisation, we're shaping a generation of creative and resilient global citizens who graduate from our schools with everything they need for success, whatever they choose to be or do in life. Our strong academic foundations combine world-class teaching and curricula with cutting-edge technology and facilities, creating learning experiences like no other. Inside and outside of the classroom, we inspire our students to achieve more than they ever thought possible. No two children learn the same way, which is why our schools around the world personalise learning to what works best for every student. Inspired by our high-quality teachers, our students achieve outstanding academic results and go on to study at the world's top universities. Our Nord Anglia global family includes 80+ day and boarding schools in 33 countries, teaching over 90,000 students from ages 3 to 18. To learn more or apply for a place for your child at one of our schools, go to For media enquiries:David BatesCommunications ManagerM +44 (0) 7787 135223 Logo - View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Nord Anglia Education Sign in to access your portfolio
