Latest news with #GordonDArcy
Irish Times
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Ireland impress as the Lions struggle
The rugby action continues at full steam ahead. The Lions struggled against the Waratahs in Sydney while Ireland's second string impressed in Tbilisi. Meanwhile the U20s continued their struggles against Italy. All this before you mention Wales losing to Japan, France's B team putting it up to the All Blacks and Fiji giving Australia a bit of a bloody nose. What to make of it all? John O'Sullivan is on his travels following Ireland as he dials in alongside Gordon D'Arcy and Nathan Johns. The upcoming live Lions podcast will take place Wednesday July 16th at the Harcourt Bar, with special guest Seán O'Brien. Tickets and information here: READ MORE Produced by John Casey.
Irish Times
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Lions squad announcement: Live updates as Andy Farrell's selection for Australia tour unveiled
-57 minutes ago The British & Irish Lions squad for this summer's tour to Australia is set to be announced at 2pm. Lions chair Ieuan Evans will reveal head coach Andy Farrell's selection as part of a live event being held at the O2 Arena in London. Follow along for live updates of the squad announcement, as well as reaction and analysis from our writers. Top reads Lions squad: All you need to know ahead of the squad announcement Andy Farrell faces Owen question as selection debates pile up Listen to the latest episode of The Counter Ruck podcas t -393157 minutes ago Hello and welcome to the Irish Times blog for the announcement of the Lions touring party for the series in Australia during the summer. Head coach Andy Farrell will confirm the squad at a live event in London at 2.0pm. John O'Sullivan here and I will keep you up to date on events at the O2 Arena in London. The television coverage starts a 1.30pm. I'd stay tuned here though because there's a lot of faff involved in the preamble and we are much more entertaining. On a parochial note, how many Irish players will get the nod? Gordon D'Arcy plumped for 10 Gerry Thornley and Nathan Johns, 13 each. I misread the assignment and thought we had to try and predict how many Farrell would take and opted for 14. IT reminds me to pay more attention in school in the future. Caelan Doris's shoulder injury sustained against the Northampton Saints has a four-to-six-month recovery after he underwent surgery. The Leinster and Ireland number eight would have been a shoo-in for the touring party and in all probability at captain. That honour is no likely to go England secondrow Maro Itoje and few would quibble in the absence of the Irishman.
Irish Times
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Leinster must learn from humbling lesson and go on to win URC title
Were Leinster a bit too cute with their selection for the Champions Cup semi-final? Gordon D'Arcy believes so. Leaving Jordie Barrett and Andrew Porter on the bench might have been 'a nod to how South Africa have done things en route to back-to-back World Cups', but it's his view that 'you select your strongest team to try to win the match from the first minute, rather than in the 79th'. In the end, it was 'a humbling lesson' for Leinster who must now 'dispel the notion that the URC is a step down' – they need to 'salvage a trophy from a season that promised so much'. Josh van der Flier reflected on the crushing defeat to Northampton when he spoke with the media, the Leinster openside unsure how pivotal ' Alex Coles's illegal intervention was in the 79th minute '. If a penalty try had been awarded, he'd now, most probably, be looking forward to another Champions Cup final. Ifs, buts and maybes, Leinster have to turn their focus to Saturday's URC meeting with Zebre. While they are sitting pretty at the top of the table, Munster and Ulster are in a desperate scrap to reach the playoffs , Gerry Thornley previewing their meeting at Thomond Park on Friday which, 'to all intents and purposes, 'is 'a win-or-bust clash for both of them'. Michael Sadlier hears from Richie Murphy ahead of the game, the Ulster coach buoyed by the return from injury of a bunch of his players, giving him the strongest squad he's had to work with since he took over . Connacht's injury list remains a lengthy one, though, as they prepare for the visit of Edinburgh , their top-eight hopes hanging by a tread too. READ MORE In Gaelic games, 'the provincial championships are having a moment in the sun' , writes Seán Moran who looks back on the Connacht and Munster finals and forward to this weekend's Ulster and Leinster deciders. Darragh Ó Sé, meanwhile, assesses the impact of the new rules on the contests so far. But, he writes, 'I've said from the start that we will only be able to judge them properly when they get pushed to the limit in games that are hot and heavy and full of intensity. They don't get much hotter or heavier than an Ulster final ,' he says of Armagh and Donegal's meeting on Saturday. And in advance of Sunday's Leinster final, which, for only the second time in 21 years, won't feature Dublin, Gordon Manning talks to Meath captain Eoghan Frayne who is hoping to become the first man from his county to lift the Delaney Cup since 2010. Louth will aim to deprive him of the pleasure. TV Watch : PSG and Arsenal will, surely, struggle to match the drama in last night's Champions League semi-final between Inter Milan and Barcelona, but they'll give it a go. Arsenal are up against it , having lost the first leg 1-0 in London (RTÉ 2 & TNT Sports 1, 8.0).
