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Remembering when France shocked the All Blacks; Newcastle fans in line to be exploited again

The Morning Sports Briefing: Keep ahead of the game with ‘The Irish Times’ sports team

Members of the public enjoy the good weather during the coronavirus lockdown. Photo: Tommy Dickson/Inpho

Ruaidhrí Croke's face
Ruaidhrí Croke
Mon Apr 20 2020 - 07:04

Cast your mind back to 2007. It's the day of the Rugby World Cup quarter-final between France and the All Blacks in Cardiff and one of the greatest dramas in rugby is about to be played out. In the end the French would come away the victors and this morning Gerry Thornley relives that thrilling two point win in the latest of our favourite sporting moments series. "In the mixed zone afterwards, I've never ever come across such shocked and crestfallen players as those All Blacks as they struggled for a few hushed words. Never," he writes. Meanwhile, the controversy surrounding the nomination of Fiji chairman Francis Kean for the World Rugby executive committee took another twist yesterday as the man who was convicted of manslaughter in 2007 was accused of 'rampant homophibia' in the Sunday Times. "World Rugby bylaw 3f states that an objective of the organisation is to "prevent discrimination of any kind" against a country, private person or groups of people," writes Gavin Cummiskey about a controversy that will continue to rumble on.

On to soccer and Ken Early writes in his column this morning that Newcastle United fans have full sight of the latest exploitation bid aimed at them as the deal to see a Saudi Arabian-funded consortium buy the club inches closer. "The truth is the Newcastle fans are more bystanders than beneficiaries. Their club has been chosen because 13 years of Ashley austerity meant it was cheaper than some other clubs the Saudis would rather have owned," he writes. When we may be watching some live football again is still anyone's guess but what is likely certain is that it will be, for some time anyway, played behind closed doors. The idea in itself has many flaws but it would also, at least, allow the sport to restart but is it worth it? As the old saying goes – football without fans is nothing – but does it now become better than nothing?

Moving on and you my never have heard of James Cecil Parke but you probably should know that he may well be Ireland's greatest ever sportsperson. This morning John O'Sullivan looks back at the extraordinary career of the former Ireland rugby captain whose career was interrupted by World War I but also saw him go on to win Wimbledon. Meanwhile, Johnny Watterson is writing about how sportspeople need to know when to bow out and that such a trait is one of the best an athlete can have.

On to GAA and Tiernan McCann spoke over the weekend about dealing with abuse online. "It's not easy, it's definitely not easy, especially with Twitter and social media these days, there's a platform there for people to say whatever they want," said two-time Ulster medallist McCann. "It can be very, very difficult. McCann says people need to be aware of the damage that they can cause through online comments.

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Finally to golf and the PGA Tour has ordered up to one million Covid-19 testing kits in a bid to get the season back underway with four behind closed doors events, beginning in June. President Trump's desire to use sport as a key vehicle to accelerate a return to normality in the United States is emphasised by a plan to allow those involved in PGA Tour events into the country under the auspice of essential travel.