Fears over the fitness of Munster and Ireland scrumhalf Conor Murray were allayed yesterday, as the 30-year-old returned to training with his province. Murray injured his neck in the warm-up ahead of last weekend's Pro14 victory over Connacht, but Johann van Graan confirmed on Monday he would be fit for this weekend's clash with Benetton at Thomond Park. Yesterday also saw the news Leinster scrum coach John Fogarty will be taking up a new role with the IRFU as National Academy forwards coach from July 1st. His departure sees Wales coach Robin McBryde join the Leinster set-up after the Rugby World Cup, and in his column this morning Gerry Thornley suggests this is further proof of the rude health of Irish rugby in comparison to Wales - despite their Grand Slam win earlier this year. He writes: "McBryde looks like another shrewd acquisition and, no less than pinching Dan McFarland from Scotland, another very Irish coup. Given the coaching experience he has developed over the last 13 years, à la Simon Easterby with Ireland, Leinster's gain is Wales's loss, for McBryde could surely have been an invaluable addition to any of the four regions."
Tonight Tottenham Hotspur will play in the European Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1962, as they take on Ajax in London in the first leg of their last four clash. And manager Mauricio Pochettino - yet to win a trophy during his five years in charge of Spurs - is aiming for his side to go to "infinity and beyond," as they take on the four-time European Cup winners. He said: "To be in the semi-final with Tottenham was a dream five years ago and we are living the dream. But you must always dream with the moon if you want to get to the sky. When you are ambitious and you want to achieve big things, you need to set your dream. I was always a dreamer. When I was very young, I dreamed in my home town of Murphy that one day I would be a football player and I achieved that."
The 2019 Punchestown Festival gets underway today, with three Grade Ones on the card on the first of five days of racing. And Willie Mullins looks set to win a 17th leading trainer prize at Festival with ease, following a fine campaign which has seen him break his duck in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Irish Grand National. Indeed, the numbers suggest Mullins will be almost impossible to beat, as Brian O'Connor writes: "The champion trainer's record 18 winners last year represented almost half of the festival's races. They included a 9,802-1 six-timer on Day Two alone. It helped bring Mullins's haul since 2010 to a staggering 108 winners in all. Those record 18 smashed his 2015 tally of 16 winners which included 10 of the dozen Grade One prizes. He was runner-up in the other two." Mullins has four of the six runners in today's Herald Champion Novice Hurdle (4.20pm), with Klassical Dream an odds-on favourite to follow-up on his Supreme victory at Cheltenham. Min also carries odds-on favouritism in the Punchestown Champion Chase (5.30pm), however Gordon Elliott saddles the favourite Delta Work in the Champion Novice Chase (6.40pm).
And Shamrock Rovers got back to winning ways last night, as they edged out St Patrick's Athletic - Ronan Finn's 35th minute goal giving his side a 1-0 in Tallaght. Rovers retain a four-point lead at the top of the table over Dundalk and rivals Bohemians, although both have a game in hand on Stephen Bradley's side. Last night the defending champions won 3-0 at Waterford, while Bohs beat Derry City 2-0 away. Elsewhere, Cork City drew 1-1 at home with Finn Harps while Sligo won 2-0 at UCD.
