Sport

The Morning Sports Briefing

Jim McGuinness on giving your all, Gerry Thornley backs up David Corkery, injury blows for Leinster and Sheffield Wednesday are on their way back

Sheffield Wednesday celebrate reaching the Championship play-off final. Photograph: Getty
Tue May 17 2016 - 08:33

Jim McGuinness column

In his column today Jim McGuinness reflects on a weekend which saw the rugby and soccer seasons draw towards their close and the GAA football Championship get fully underway.

He discusses the performance of Saracens, a club for whom he has a soft spot, as they beat Racing 92 to lift the European Champions Cup on Saturday - and compares it to that of Scottish champions Celtic as they thrashed Motherwell a day later.

He writes: “On Sunday, before the Celtic match, I was thinking about the Saracens game and how, by God, they had left it out on the pitch. And I was thinking; you don’t have to be perfect but if you can put everything into a performance, the supporters really engage with that effort.

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“When the team is working hard and tracking back and turning the ball over, that gets the crowd going. And Celtic did that on Sunday.”

And following on from Antrim’s Ulster Championship defeat to Fermanagh, a fixture he listened to over the radio in Glasgow, he writes that giving your all is all a sportsman and a team can really do: “If you can get to the point where you know you have given everything of yourself, surely it doesn’t matter if you win or lose.”

Gerry Thornley on importance of club game

Meanwhile in his column today Gerry Thornley backs up David Corkery following his rant against the IRFU and emphasises the importance of the club game in Ireland.

Injury blows for Leinster

And there has been a blow for Leinster ahead of Friday night's Pro 12 play-off against Ulster with the news Sean O'Brien and Cian Healy are both unlikely to feature.

Sheffield Wednesday on their way back

Elsewhere Sheffield Wednesday are a game away from finally returning to the Premier League after they drew 1-1 with Brighton & Hove Albion last night to progress to the play-off final 3-1 on aggregate. They will face Hull City or Derby County at Wembley, with Hull currently 3-0 up after the first leg.

What to watch out for:

Football

Manchester United take on Bournemout in Sunday’s rescheduled Premier League final. (SS1, 8pm ko)

Hull City have a 3-0 lead heading into their Championship play-off semi-final second leg against Derby County. (SS2, 7.45pm ko)