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News24
2 days ago
- General
- News24
Healy becomes first Irishman in 38 years to lead the Tour de France
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Irish Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Ireland break scoring records as they pass the 100-point mark against Portugal
Summer Tour: Portugal 7 Ireland 106 A rout, plain and simple that doesn't serve any greater purpose from an Ireland perspective than ticking off milestones in terms of debuts, points and try-scoring feats. The only consolation was the majority of the Portuguese supporters had streamed away before a penalty try at the death took the visitors over the 100-point mark. The Irish records tumbled: most tries, 16 and most conversions in a match, Jack Crowley landed 12, breaking Ronan O'Gara's 10 against Japan in 2000. It was the most points scored by an Ireland team and they also eclipsed the previous biggest winning margin, an 83-3 victory over the USA in New Hampshire in 2000. All three debutants, Hugh Gavin (two), Shayne Bolton (two) and Alex Kendellen scored tries. Gavin and Bolton were excellent, particularly the young 21-year-old centre in terms of his carrying game. Ireland did as they pleased for the most part. The back three were sharp, the halfbacks put pace and width on the game and the pack, with Ryan Baird again in the van, gave their backs a perfect platform. This all must be said in the context of a game in which Portugal contributed massively to their downfall. Tommy O'Brien (two), Bolton (two), Gavin (two), Cian Prendergast (two), Stuart McCloskey, Thomas Clarkson, Craig Casey, Calvin Nash, Ciarán Frawley, Kendellen and a penalty try contributed 16 tries, Crowley 12 conversions and one that accompanies a penalty try. READ MORE The atmosphere from the get-go was one of gentle distraction, the decibel levels didn't rise one iota when the teams emerged on to the pitch, or when tries were scored. The chattering continued in the stands, Irish supporters understood that anything more than polite applause would seem a little crass in the context of the game. Portugal would have spoken about the need to be accurate and composed in the opening throes of the contest, to try and thwart Ireland for as long as possible. They gave up a try after 45-seconds to McCloskey and three more before some of the crowd had a chance to get their bearings and take their seats in a sun-drenched stadium. Portugal's Hugo Camacho takes a box kick during the game against Ireland. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho McCloskey's try was the product of good work by Bolton and Crowley's neatly judged grubber kick. Gavin's try was down to running a good line and a nice flat pass from his outhalf. Jimmy O'Brien was the architect of the third, a lovely break and perfect timing of the pass allowed Tommy O'Brien to outpace the cover. The fourth went to Bolton after he caught a high ball, fobbed off a couple of limp tackles and accelerated over under the posts. Crowley converted all four and also saved his side by winning a race to a kick through inside his 22 and demonstrated lovely poise to pick up and clear in the same fluid movement. Portuguese fullback Nuno Sousa Guedes had a smartly-taken try disallowed for forward pass, and the home side lost their captain Tomás Appleton to a leg injury. Portugal's head coach Simon Mannix asked one of his players to draw the referee Adam Leal's attention to a croc-roll but the comms to the TMO, Matteo Liperini, had stopped working. They did manage to relay a message and confirm that there was no foul play. Tommy O'Brien got his second of the match and fourth on the summer tour, before Clarkson crossed for a first Irish try on his eighth appearance, with Gavin doing the legwork. Crowley continued to be faultless from the tee. Portugal compounded their misery with loose kicking, gifting Ireland possession, but the visitors, too, were guilty of some sloppy moments in their handling, kicking and tackling. Gavin was again prominent with a build-up in the seventh try after Tom Ahern turned over ball. Casey's decision to kick didn't look the right one but Bolton's pace turned it into one as the ball stopped rolling kindly in the in-goal area. Crowley missed for a first time from the touchline but had an altogether easier time when Gavin grabbed a second try, after a maul and powerful surge from hooker Gus McCarthy. Ireland's Shayne Bolton scores his side's seventh try. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho When the dust settled, Ireland led 54-0 at half-time, eight tries, seven conversions. It was brutal for the home side who also lost two players to injury. They'd have to take some culpability for the scoreline, kicking ball away, which was especially clueless given that their back three Nuno Sousa Guedes, Simao Bento and Manuel Pinto were dangerous, even off scraps. The second half started in similar fashion, Bolton's break finished off by Casey and Crowley converted. The points tally like the temperature was soon going to be in the 80s, and the potential for records to tumble. They did before the 60th minute as Ireland eclipsed the 83 points they scored against the USA in 2000. To reach that mark, Nash, Frawley and Prendergast's second, added to Ireland's try tally, Crowley tagging on two conversions. Portugal did break their duck in the midst of the avalanche of green points, with a try from their best player Nicolas Martins, converted by Hugo Aubry. When Kendellen scored, it ensured a record points tally. Ben Murphy and a penalty try brought Ireland's tally to 106 points. SCORING SEQUENCE – 1 min: McCloskey try, Crowley conn, 0-7; 8: Gavin try, Crowley con, 0-14; 9: T O'Brien try, Crowley con, 0-21; 11: Bolton try, Crowley con, 0-28; 22: T O'Brien try, Cowley con, 0-35; 29: Clarkson try, Crowley con, 0-42; 33: Bolton try, 0-47; 38: Gavin try, Crowley con, 0-54. Half-time: 0-54 . 41: Casey try, Crowley con; 0-61; 51: Prendergast try, 0-66; 52: Martins try, Aubry con, 7-66; 55: Nash try, 7-71; 56: Frawley try, Crowley con, 7-78; 58: Prendergast try, Crowley con, 7-85; 70: Kendellen try, Crowley con, 7-92; 76: Murphy try, Crowley con, 7-99; 80 (+1): penalty try 7-106. PORTUGAL: N Sousa Guedes; S Bento; V Pinto, T Appleton, M C Pinto; H Aubry, H Camacho; D Costa, L Begic, D H Ferreira; A R Andrade, P Ferreira; D Wallis, N Martins, D Pinheiro. Replacements: G Aviragnet for Appleton (20 mins); F Almeida for Aviragnet (32); F Almeida for Andrade, A Cunha for Begic, P S Lopes for Costa (all 50 mins); A Campos for Camacho (54); M Souto for Costa (55); G Costa for DH Ferreira (56); Andrade for P Ferreira (59); V Baptista for Pinheiro (62). IRELAND: J O'Brien (Leinster); T O'Brien (Leinster), H Gavin (Connacht), S McCloskey (Bangor), S Bolton (Connacht); J Crowley (Munster), C Casey (Munster, capt); J Boyle (Leinster), G McCarthy (Leinster), T Clarkson (Leinster); T Ahern (Munster), D Murray (Connacht); R Baird (Leinster), A Kendellen (Munster), C Prendergast (Connacht). Replacements: T Stewart (Ulster) for McCarthy, M Milne (Munster) for Boyle, T O'Toole (Ulster) for Clarkson, M Deegan (Leinster) for Baird (all 50 mins); C Frawley (Leinster) for McCloskey, C Nash (Munster) for T O'Brien (both 52); C Izuchukwu (Ulster) for Murray (59); B Murphy (Connacht) for Casey (60). Referee: A Leal (England).
Irish Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Ireland team v Portugal: Paul O'Connell makes five changes to starting XV
Ireland 's interim coach has made five changes to the run-on team – there are eight in total – that beat Georgia 34-5 for Saturday's Test match against Portugal in the Estádio Nacional do Jamor, Lisbon (7pm, Irish time, live on Virgin Media). Two uncapped players, Connacht wing Shayne Bolton and Munster flanker Alex Kendellen, are in the starting team, while another, young Connacht centre Hugh Gavin is set to make his debut off the bench. There are two changes in the backline, the 25-year-old Bolton replacing the luckless Jacob Stockdale who has returned home with a shoulder injury while Jack Crowley will make his 26th appearance in an Ireland jersey alongside Craig Casey, who once again captains the team. There are three changes to the pack, Tom Ahern, who won a first cap as a replacement in Tbilisi starts alongside Darragh Murray in the secondrow while Kendellen and Cian Prendergast replace Nick Timoney and Gavin Coombes respectively in the backrow. READ MORE Kendellen led Emerging Ireland on last year's winning tour to Bloemfontein. Prendergast was a late withdrawal from the match 23 last weekend with a gastro bug. Tom O'Toole is promoted to the bench having shaken off an injury niggle while Ciarán Frawley will cover outhalf. The 21-year-old Galway native Gavin is a former Ireland Under-20 Grand Slam winner, and like his provincial team-mate Bolton scored on his Ireland 'A' debut in February. The third potential debutant sees Connacht's Hugh Gavin promoted to the replacements bench and is joined by Ben Murphy and Ciaran Frawley as Ireland's backline replacements. Tom O'Toole joins Tom Stewart and Michael Milne in providing front-row impact off the bench, with Cormac Izuchukwu and Max Deegan completing the replacements. Portugal will become the 21st nation that Ireland has awarded caps against and the first 'new' nation since facing Russia in 2002. O'Connell said: 'I have been really pleased with the attitude of the players over the last number of weeks. The dedication and diligence of the squad in testing conditions over in Tbilisi demonstrated the players' willingness to embrace challenges and hopefully that bodes well again this weekend. 'This Saturday presents another opportunity to go out and try to play our game. Portugal are another impressive emerging side who look to play an exciting brand of rugby, and we know that we're in for another battle hopefully in front of another big crowd of travelling supporters. 'To our three new debutants – Shayne, Alex and Hugh – congratulations on their selection. The team will try to deliver a positive performance for them and their families.' Ireland: J O'Brien (Leinster/Naas); T O'Brien (Leinster/UCD), J Osborne (Leinster/Naas), S McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster), S Bolton (Connacht); J Crowley (Munster/Cork Constitution), C Casey (Munster/Shannon, capt); J Boyle (Leinster/UCD), G McCarthy (Leinster/UCD), T Clarkson (Leinster/Dublin University); T Ahern (Munster/Shannon), D Murray (Connacht/Buccaneers); R Baird (Leinster/Dublin University), A Kendellen (Munster/UCC), C Prendergast (Connacht/UCD). Replacements: T Stewart (Ulster/Ballynahinch), Michael Milne (Munster/UCD), T O'Toole (Ulster/Ballynahinch), C Izuchukwu (Ulster/Ballynahinch), M Deegan (Leinster/Lansdowne), B Murphy (Connacht/Clontarf), C Frawley (Leinster/UCD), H Gavin (Connacht/Galwegians).
