Latest news with #GordonD'Arcy
Irish Times
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Munster's shootout defeat - the dark arts in rugby, yay or nay?
Gordon D'Arcy joins Nathan Johns to talk through a dramatic URC quarter-final weekend. Munster's shootout defeat to the Sharks in Durban has dominated the headlines, no least for the home side's attempts to throw Munster's kickers off their game. This inevitably opened up a wider chat on kick tricks and the dark arts in rugby more generally. Plus, do Leinster look like a side on the cusp of a title after their unconvincing Scarlets win? What do we need to see from them over the next fortnight to end their silverware drought? Produced by John Casey.
Irish Times
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Why Leinster now have to win the URC
This weekend was a quiet one for Irish rugby, with no provincial involvement in the Champions Cup final. Still, plenty of intriguing storylines emerged; Noel McNamara's triumph, Henry Pollock's return back to Earth plus the curious level of antipathy towards this game in Ireland. Gordon D'Arcy joins Nathan Johns to discuss rugby's place in the sporting calendar, how important it is that Leinster win the URC this year, the mentality of winning and losing as well as the newly announced Club World Cup set for 2028. Produced by John Casey.
Irish Times
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Were the IRFU right to cut the men's Sevens?
Nearly a week on from the IRFU's decision to cut the men's Sevens programme, Gordon D'Arcy and John O'Sullivan join Nathan Johns to debate the merits of the decision. Gordon, as a former Sevens player, is well placed to offer insight on the merits of Sevens for players moving into 15s. John has covered the Sevens team as extensively as anyone in recent years and he offers his experience as he dwells on the decision. Do rugby's financials leave the IRFU with any other choice? Is Sevens simply a luxury which cannot be afforded? Why cut the men's team but not the women's? Does this move place too much faith in Ireland's academy structures, narrowing an already small talent pool? Was this decision handled in the best way possible? READ MORE Produced by John Casey. Survey link is here .
Irish Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Who is in the most Irish Lions squad of all time and why?
Andy Farrell has picked his long-awaited Lions squad ahead of this summer's tour to Australia. 15 Irishmen have been named, a record for the touring side, just about pipping the 14 originally named in 2009. A man who was belatedly called up to that squad 16 years ago, Gordon D'Arcy, casts his eye alongside the latest crop. Alongside John O'Sullivan and Nathan Johns, who attended the launch bash in London, this episode delves into the runners and riders, along with those who may have been unfortunate to miss out. Do Ireland deserve to have so many tourists? Would Caelan Doris have been captain if fit? Why does this squad have the lowest Welsh representation since the war? Are any Irish players, such as Robbie Henshaw or Sam Prendergast, unlucky to have missed out? Produced by John Casey.
Irish Times
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
D-Day for Lions hopefuls as Andy Farrell's squad announced
For all those with hopes of making Andy Farrell's Lions squad, it's D-Day. At 2pm today, in the O2 Arena in London, Lions chair Ieuan Evans will announce the names of the players chosen for this summer's tour to Australia . If the crystal ball used by the Irish Times' rugby crew was in good working order when they sat down to predict the squad, then between 10 and 14 Irish players will make the cut. Gordon D'Arcy was the least patriotic, only selecting 10, John O'Sullivan the most generous, with 14. Gerry Thornley and Nathan Johns went for 13, the unluckiest omission from all their squads Caelan Doris due to that shoulder injury. In Gaelic games, skorts-gate could soon be at an end after the Camogie Association announced that it will hold a special congress at Croke Park on May 22nd when delegates will again vote on whether players should be allowed wear shorts. This news comes after some defiance from Dublin camogie on the long-rumbling controversy , Malachy Clerkin reporting on their decision not to enforce the skorts-only rule for their players, while Cork and Tipperary also planned on defying the rule in Saturday's Munster final. Ciarán Murphy, meanwhile, is bemoaning the daft scheduling of championship games which is resulting in clashing fixtures or, worse, tasty looking games not making it to our screens at all. Mercifully, Sunday's Leinster final between Meath and Louth will be televised, Gordon talking to Louth manager Ger Brennan in advance of the game. In golf, Philip Reid previews Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry's trip to Philadelphia where they will be teeing off in the first round of the Truist Championship today, McIlroy the defending champion. There's been no end of distractions for McIlroy since he won you-know-what, so he's eager to 'get back in the groove, especially with next week's US PGA at Quail Hollow on the horizon'. READ MORE Bill Belichick, it might be said, found his groove when the 73-year-old NFL coaching legend struck up a relationship with a former college cheerleader 49 years his junior. It is, writes Dave Hannigan in his America at Large column, a relationship with which the country is obsessed . Is Belichick 'some lovestruck Learesque character prone to exploitation in his dotage', or is he just happy? TV Watch : You can watch live coverage of the announcement of Andy Farrell's Lions squad from 2pm today (Sky Sports Main Event). A bit later, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry are back in action at the Truist Championship in Philadelphia (Sky Sports Golf, 4pm), and at the same time Sky Sports+ starts its coverage of the LPGA Americas Open where Leona Maguire is in the field. And this evening, there are three European semi-final second legs to choose from – Manchester United (3) v Athletic Club (0) (Premier Sports 1 and TNT 1) and Bodø/Glimt (1) v Tottenham (3) (Premier Sports 2 and TNT Sports 2) in the Europa League, and Chelsea (4) v Djurgården (1) (TNT Sports 3) in the Conference League. All three games start at 8.0.
