Meredith straight into it with Kangaroos
North Melbourne’s newest signing, Laois rookie Conor Meredith, was thrown straight in at the deep as he joined the Kangaroos for his first training session last Monday just a day after returning to Australia from Ireland.
Meredith was signed to a two-year deal by the Kangaroos after a successful trial with the club in November, and he got straight into the thick of things at one of the club’s first training camps on Wilson’s Promontory south of Melbourne.
“I’m only just off the plane, I was home in Ireland for five days and left on Friday (November 28) to come back to Australia and I’m straight into it,” Meredith told the Kangaroos’ online television station Rootube.
“The travelling really takes it out of you, but it’s great to be back and I can’t wait to get stuck into it now.”
Meredith became the 11th Irish player on an AFL list when he joined the Melbourne club last month.
Add comment December 4, 2008
Aussie media excited by Irish World Cup draw
Ireland have been drawn alongside the Wallabies for the group stages of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, and the Aussies, in the media here at least, seem to have already started counting their chickens.
Ireland and Australia were drawn alongside Italy and two European/American qualifiers, and although not the worst draw imaginable from an Irish point of view, the Australians seem to have been wetting themselves with glee since the announcement on Monday.
“The Wallabies have received the best draw imaginable for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand,” the Age newspaper in Melbourne reported.
“If results go according to seedings during the pool stages of the tournament, the Wallabies cannot run into the defending champion Springboks or the top-ranked All Blacks until the final.
“In addition to landing on the opposite side of the draw as their two Tri Nations rivals, Australia have also been grouped in a relatively easy pool alongside Ireland, Italy and two qualifying teams from Europe and America.
“Currently ranked eighth in the world, Ireland are the lowest-placed side from the so-called band two nations that the third-ranked Australians could have been pitted against in the pool stages.
“If results go according to the seedings during the round-robin phase of play, the Wallabies will meet Wales in the quarter-finals.”
Didn’t Australia just lose to the Welsh last weekend in Cardiff?
World Cup 2011 Pool Draw:
Pool A: New Zealand, France, Tonga, Americas 1, Asia 1
Pool B: Argentina, England, Scotland, Europe 1, Play-off winner
Pool C: Australia, Ireland, Italy, Europe 2, Americas 2
Pool D: South Africa, Wales, Fiji, Oceania 1, Africa 1
1 comment December 3, 2008
Irish draw Wallabies for 2011 Rugby World Cup
Ireland will face off against Australia in the pool stage of the Rugby World Cup, to be held in New Zealand in 2011.
The Irish, the second seeds, will also face Italy in the pool. The other two teams are yet to be determined but look likely to be Georgia and Canada.
Ireland and Australia have met on four occasions at the World Cup, most memorably a dramatic 19-18 quarter-final victory for the Wallabies at Lansdowne Road in 1991.
One point was all that separated the teams in 2003 with Ireland slipping to a 17-16 defeat and Australia have emerged winners on all four occasions.
Irish coach Declan Kidney welcomed the draw but predicted that the group’s minnows wold make it tough for Ireland.
“If it’s Georgia or Romania they will be coming at us hard,” he said.
“Being ranked second will make us the target team for the other sides in the pool. They’ll be looking to have a go at us.
“This draw is a fantastic way to start the competition but the World Cup is so far away that it’s impossible to say who will be around or involved.
‘We have played against Australia in World Cups before and Italy being in the group will add spice to our Six Nations matches over the coming three years.”
Add comment December 2, 2008
Carlton coach outlines plans for O hAilpin
Carlton Blues coach Brett Ratten has stressed his belief in the importance of Setanta O hAilpin to the club for the 2009 AFL season.
The Corkman had an up and down year in 2008, the highlight of which came with his outstanding performance against Blues’ heated rivals Collingwood at the MCG in June. But Carlton coach Ratten says O hAilpin has a very important role to play in his team for the upcoming campaign.
“[He's] an interesting player, Setanta, one who did so well to get as far as he did in quick time, then his career seemed to stall. We used him forward and elsewhere, but where do you play him?
“Maybe that’s up to me to find the right spot for him and settle him down. He brings passion and aggression to the table so he’s very important on field,” Ratten said.
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Add comment November 27, 2008
Kennelly injury problems a thing of the past
Tadhg Kennelly’s recurring shoulder problem may be a thing of the past according to Sydney Swans club physio Matt Cameron.
The Kerry defender had serious problems with his shoulder repeatedly popping out last year, but post-season surgery looks to have been highly successful in treating the injury as Kennelly enters his final contracted season with the club.
“His troublesome shoulder could be a thing of the past. He’s just doing small exercises right now, but we expect him to join training in January,” Cameron said.
While Kennelly isn’t doing weights yet he has started running as his shoulder has been in a sling since the operation.
He will go home to Ireland over Christmas to help him further with his recovery from the operation.
Add comment November 27, 2008
Ireland v Pumas clash live on Fox Sports
Irish coach Declan Kidney has made three changes to his side for Ireland’s clash with Argentina in Croke Park on Sunday morning Australian time.
Geordan Murphy replaces Girvan Dempsey at full back while Jerry Flannery takes over from Rory Best as hooker. Stephen Ferris, meanwhile, will start at blindside flanker.
A place has been left vacant in the reserves until after Alan Quinlan’s appeal against a stamping charge is heard just hours before the game kicks off.
Live coverage of this crucial clash with the Pumas, which could go a long way in terms of world ranking points towards the 2011 World Cup, gets under way at 1.45am AEDT on Fox Sports on Sunday morning.
Ireland: G Murphy, T Bowe, B O’Driscoll capt., L Fitzgerald, R Kearney, R O’Gara T O’Leary, M Horan, J Flannery, J Hayes, D O’Callaghan, P O’Connell, S Ferris, D Wallace, J Heaslip.
Replacements: R Best, T Buckley, M O’Kelly, A.N. Other, E Reddan, P Wallace, K Earls.
Add comment November 21, 2008
All Blacks deny heroic Munster with late try
Munster came within four minutes of repeating their 1978 victory over New Zealand as a late try from Joe Rokocoko spared the All Blacks’ blushes with an 18-16 win at Thomond Park.
Rokocoko was the only surviving member from the side that beat Ireland at Croke Park, but Munster were also missing 10 first-team players in their first game since October 24.
Leading 16-10 at half-time and 16-13 in the closing stages, Munster had the All Blacks rattled, as evidenced by Stephen Donald’s uncharacteristic return of three penalties from seven attempts.
But coach Graham Henry was able to use an experienced bench and, allied to some energetic carries from number eight Liam Messam, Rokocoko’s dancing feet eventually proved decisive.
One of the highlights of the night was when the four Kiwis in the Munster team stepped out of the line to perform the Haka against their fellow country men. Check it out below, along with some brief highlights of the game.
Add comment November 20, 2008
Trapattoni handed maiden loss by Poland
Giovanni Trapattoni has tasted defeat for the first time as Republic of Ireland boss despite a remarkable late fightback against Poland with his side going down 3-2 at Croke Park.
Leo Beenhakker’s Poland side looked to be heading for a comfortable victory when substitute Roger Guerreiro added a 47th-minute second goal to skipper Mariusz Lewandowski’s early opener.
But having earlier seen midfielder Damien Duff pass up three glorious opportunities, Ireland belatedly discovered their touch in front of goal to set up a tense finish.
Substitute Stephen Hunt reduced the deficit with an 88th-minute penalty, and after Robert Lewandowski had restored his side’s two-goal advantage, fellow newcomer Keith Andrews marked his senior international debut with an injury-time strike.
Despite a rousing finish, however, Trapattoni’s men could not find an equaliser.
Add comment November 20, 2008
Kidney makes six changes to face All Blacks
New Irish coach Declan Kidney has announced his starting team to take on New Zealand in Dublin this weekend with six new faces coming into the team that beat Canada in the opening game of the autumn series in Thomond Park last weekend.
Girvan Dempsey will come into the side at fullback and Tomas O’Leary is selected to start his first international at scrumhalf. Both Keith Earls and Eoin Reddan revert to the replacements despite impressing last weekend.
The remaining four changes are all in the pack with Rory Best and John Hayes starting at hooker and prop respectively following their introduction as replacements last week.
The backrow combination also sees changes with Alan Quinlan and David Wallace, who were both try scoring replacements against Canada, starting on either side of the scrum. The team will be captained by Brian O’Driscoll for the 50th time.
Live coverage of the game kicks off on Sunday morning at 4.15am Sydney time on Fox Sports.
Ireland: Girvan Dempsey (Leinster), Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster), Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster), Robert Kearney (Leinster), Ronan O’Gara (Munster), Tomas O’Leary (Munster), Marcus Horan (Munster), Rory Best (Ulster), John Hayes (Munster), Donncha O’Callaghan (Munster), Paul O’Connell (Munster), Alan Quinlan (Munster), David Wallace (Munster), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster).
Replacements: Jerry Flannery (Munster), Tony Buckley (Munster), Stephen Ferris (Ulster), Shane Jennings (Leinster), Eoin Reddan (Wasps), Paddy Wallace (Ulster), Keith Earls (Munster).
Add comment November 12, 2008
Irish World Cup dream comes to an end
Ireland’s Rugby League World Cup campaign came to a very disappointing end on the Gold Coast last night as the Wolfhounds went down by 30-14 to Fiji in the semi-final qualifier.
Ireland matched the Fijians in the first half, but spent the bulk of the second defending their own line. And in the end, the Wolfhounds’ courageous rearguard crumbled allowing Fiji to book themselves a semi-final date with Australia next Sunday in Sydney.
After the match, Wolfhounds captain Scott Grix was unable to contain his disappointment at bowing out of the tournament and missing out on an historic clash with Australia.
“I think all the boys - come tomorrow - will say it’s been a pretty good trip, but right now I think we’re all just devastated. We don’t want people coming out saying ‘you had a good craic’ because we’re better than that. We’re all really disappointed we weren’t able to make it through to the semi-finals,” Grix said.
While sharing in the disappointment, Wolfhounds coach Andy Kelly said couldn’t fault the effort of his players.
“Even in defeat I’m proud of the guys. I don’t know what the stats will be, but I reckon we probably defended for 70% of the game, and we defended manfully right the way through. And after all that we still had the energy to score the final try.
“There was no faulting our spirit, but in the end spirit wasn’t enough. Full credit to the Fijians they got everything right. They starved us of ball and probably cut us up a little in the areas in which we’ve been strong,” Kelly said.
Despite the defeat, Kelly said the Irish performance at the World Cup had laid a solid platform for the future growth of the game in Ireland.
“We’ve represented Ireland exceptionally well in this tournament, but now we need to capitalise on this performance and make ourselves even stronger. I think we need to investigate the viability of a National League side, based in Ireland, to ensure we can produce the sort of players who can cope with this level of football.
“On top of that we need more regular international fixtures. If we can play more matches of this calibre, I’m certain we can get beyond where we have this time around,” Kelly said.
Add comment November 11, 2008
