While the provinces were sleeping off their URC efforts over the weekend, Ireland’s women were in Vancouver taking on, of all people, world champions New Zealand in their opening WXV1 game. As we know, Monday mornings aren’t generally pleasant, so waking up to hear that Ireland had only gone and beaten the Kiwis, 29-27, made this one decidedly more bearable. It was a stunner of a result by the team who ran in five tries, the last of them coming from Erin King in the final minute, a nerveless Dannah O’Brien converting to seal a very, very famous win.
Back home, there were mixed fortunes for our URC teams in “another wild and wacky weekend”, as Gerry Thornley describes it in his round-up of the action. Connacht produced the mother of all comebacks against the Sharks at the Dexcom Stadium, winning 36-30 having trailed 27-7 at half-time, and Leinster were triumphant too, beating the Dragons on Friday evening. John O’Sullivan talked to Cian Healy after the game when he became Leinster’s most capped player. And Devin Toner, the man whose record he broke, was there in the dressingroom after to salute an emotional Healy. “He was very close to having me in tears.”
Graham Rowntree was close to tears himself on Saturday, but for somewhat different reasons. “I could be here until it gets dark talking about things we need to do better,” he said after Munster’s defeat by Zebre. Ulster lost too, but at least picked up a bonus point against Lions in Johannesburg with a strong second-half showing.
In Gaelic games, Gordon Manning picks out five talking points from the weekend’s GAA club action, among them Ballyhale Shamrocks being knocked out of the Kilkenny senior hurling championship at the quarter-final stages for the first time since 2004.
Your complete guide to all the festive sporting action including TV details
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Manchester United devotees might want to skip Jonathan Liew’s piece on their mauling by Spurs at Old Trafford on Sunday, after which “Erik ten Hag tried to maintain some semblance of dignity, like a plumber calmly filling out his invoice even as brown water sloshes around his knees”.
Brian O’Connor reports on a highly profitable weekend at the Curragh for the O’Brien clan, Aidan and son Joseph scooping the big prizes, while Shane Stokes brings news of Tadej Pogacar becoming the first male cyclist since Stephen Roche to win cycling’s triple crown.
Muireann Duffy talks to retired international Áine O’Gorman about the Republic of Ireland’s prospects of qualifying for Euro 2025, while Denis Walsh turns his thoughts to golf’s handicap system which, on the whole, leaves players up in arms. “You thought golf was gentle and refined? It is a nest of vipers.”
TV Watch: Shelbourne will look to stretch their lead at the top of the Premier Division when they take on St Patrick’s Athletic at Tolka Park this evening (RTÉ 2, 7.15pm), while over in England Bournemouth host their beloved south-coast neighbours Southampton in the Premier League (Sky Sports, 8pm).
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