Month: September 2021

Meath 1-13
Offaly 0-14

Paul Keane reports from Páirc Tailteann

FAVOURITES MEATH DICED with disaster in Navan, trailing raging underdogs Offaly by four points with 15 minutes to go, before eventually coming good to secure a Leinster SFC quarter-final place.

Andy McEntee’s side, promoted from Division 2 of the Allianz league during spring, looked in real trouble when they slipped 0-13 to 0-9 down deep into the second-half.

Offaly had just reeled off seven points without reply to put themselves in a winning position but couldn’t hold on as they chased a first away win in the Leinster championship since 1997.

A Meath scoring surge that yielded 1-4 between the 56th and 72nd minutes ultimately propelled the 2010 champions to a May 25 quarter-final clash with Carlow.

Bryan McMahon scored 1-1 during that late burst and his 63rd minute goal, when he rose up to break a high ball in and then tapped in from close range, was the crucial score.

It moved Meath from a point behind to two ahead and sub James Conlon added another score at the death to put some gloss on the scoreline.

But there was no escaping the fact that Meath narrowly sidestepped an embarrassing defeat to a side that struggled in Division 3 and boss Andy McEntee admitted afterwards there were few smiles in their dressing-room.

They reeled off four points in a row late in the first-half to lead 0-9 to 0-6 at half-time but were unconvincing generally.

Offaly restarted with gusto and hit those seven points in a row early in the second-half including three from Niall McNamee who was playing in his first Championship game since 2017 after returning from retirement.

Shane Horan, a Dublin based Kilmacud Crokes player and debutant, also pointed to open up that four-point gap.

But Meath finally got it going in the last quarter of the game and McMahon was their hero as they escaped to victory and breathed sighs of relief.

Scorers for Meath: Bryan McMahon 1-2, Michael Newman 0-4 (0-3f), Cillian O’Sullivan 0-2, Bryan Menton 0-2, Ben Brennan 0-1, Thomas O’Reilly 0-1, James Conlon 0-1.

Scorers for Offaly: Niall McNamee 0-6 (0-4f), Peter Cunningham 0-2, Eoin Carroll 0-2, Bernard Allen 0-2 (0-1f), Shane Horan 0-1, Niall Darby 0-1.

Meath

1. Andrew Colgan (Donaghmore Ashbourne)

2. Seamus Lavin (St Peter’s, Dunboyne)
3. Conor McGill (Ratoath)
4. Shane Gallagher (Simonstown Gaels)

5. James McEntee (Curraha)
6. Donal Keogan (Rathkenny)
7. Gavin McCoy (St Peter’s, Dunboyne)

8. Bryan Menton (Donaghmore Ashbourne)
9. Shane McEntee (St Peter’s, Dunboyne)

10. Cillian O’Sullivan (Moynalvey)
11. Bryan McMahon (Ratoath)
12. Ben Brennan (St Colmcilles)

13. Barry Dardis (Summerhill)
14. Mickey Newman (Kilmainham)
15. Thomas O’Reilly (Wolfe Tones)

Subs

21. Adam Flanagan (Clonard) for S McEntee (h/t)
18. James Conlon (St Colmcilles) for Dardis (42)
23. Graham Reilly (St Colmcilles) for O’Reilly (50)
22. Sean Tobin (Simonstown Gaels) for Brennan (52)
19. Eoin Lynch (Longwood) for J McEntee (54)
20. Padraic Harnan (Moynalvey) for Newman (75)

Offaly

1. Paddy Dunican (Shamrocks)

2. Declan Hogan (Tullamore)
3. Eoin Rigney (Rhode)
4. David Dempsey (Ballycommon)

Click Here: kildare gaa jerseys

5. Cian Donohue (St Brigid’s)
6. Johnny Moloney (Tullamore)
7. Niall Darby (Rhode)

8. Eoin Carroll (Cappincur)
9. Peter Cunningham (Bracknagh)

10. Shane Horan (Kilmacud Crokes)
11. Anton Sullivan (Rhode)
12. Cathal Mangan (Kilclonfert)

13. Bernard Allen (Tubber)
14. Niall McNamee (Rhode)
15. Ruairi McNamee (Rhode)

Subs

20. Shane Tierney (Daingean) for Sullivan (55)
18. Joseph O’Connor (St Rynagh’s) for Horan (59)
17. Paul McConway (Tullamore) for Carroll (65)
19. Mark Abbott (Edenderry) for R McNamee (66)
24. Conor Carroll (Raheen) for Cunningham (72)

Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan).

Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here:

Tyrone 1-19
Derry 1-13

Declan Bogue reports from Healy Park

WITH SEVEN MINUTES minutes of normal time remaining, it looked as if an enormous shock was in waiting for last year’s All-Ireland finalists Tyrone.

Derry had nibbled into their lead since going more offensive after half time, which they entered 0-10 to 0-7 down, and when the excellent Enda Lynn played in Shane McGuigan, the Slaughtneil youngster made no mistake with a blasted shot flying past Niall Morgan in the Tyrone goal.

A successful free-kick from Christopher Bradley soon after had Derry a point up and with all the momentum.

However, Tyrone simply did not panic. In the very next play, Frank Burns spotted substitute Darren McCurry in an acre of space in the central channel. The pass was sensational, but McCurry’s impudence in taking his man on, getting into a goalside position to pull the trigger for the winning goal, was awesome.

It was at that moment when Derry’s game challenge, in seriously trying conditions, ran out of steam.

The Red Hands went on to shoot five of the last six points in the game to put a nice gloss on the scoreboard, but Tyrone will realise they were in serious danger of getting caught.

Credit must go to the Derry management who set out to frustrate and contain in the first half, withdrawing all but Shane McGuigan from their forward line to clog up between the lines, before opening up in the second half.

It’s a performance that will stand them in some stead for the qualifiers. Tyrone meanwhile, go on to face Antrim in the quarter-final at the Athletic Grounds in Armagh.  

Scorers for Tyrone: C McShane 0-7, 2f, D McCurry 1-0, P Harte 0-3f, R Donnelly, M Cassidy 0-2 each, P Hampsey, M McKernan, F Burns, HP McGeary, C McAliskey 0-1 each

Scorers for Derry: S McGuigan 1-6, 5f, R Bell 0-3f, C Bradley 0-2, 1f, C McAtamney, C McFaul 0-1 each

Tyrone

1. Niall Morgan (Edendork)

2. Pádraig Hampsey (Coalisland)
3. Ronan McNamee (Aghyaran)
4. Michael McKernan (Coalisland)

5. Michael Cassidy (Ardboe)
6. Ben McDonnell (Errigal Ciaran)
7. Tiernan McCann (Killyclogher)

8. Richard Donnelly (Trillick)
9. Brian Kennedy (Derrylaughan)

10. Matthew Donnelly (Trillick)
11. Niall Sludden (Dromore)
12. Frank Burns (Pomeroy)

13. Cathal McShane (Owen Roes)
14. Peter Harte (Errigal)
25. Hugh Pat McGeary (Pomeroy)

Subs:

19. Colm Cavanagh (Moy) for Kennedy (18m)
24. Darren McCurry (Edendork) for Sludden (50m)
20. Kyle Coney (Ardboe) for Cavanagh (56m)
18. Rory Brennan (Trillick) for McGeary (57m)
21. Connor McAliskey (Clonoe) for R Donnelly (63m)
26. Liam Rafferty (Galbally) for McKernan (72m)

Derry

1. Thomas Mallon (Loup)

2. Sean Quinn (Swatragh)
3. Brendan Rogers (Slaughtneil)
4. Karl McKaigue (Slaughtneil)

5. Paul McNeill (Slaughtneil)
6. Christopher McKaigue (Slaughtneil)
7. Niall Keenan (Castledawson)

8. Padraig Cassidy (Slaughtneil)
9. Conor McAtamney (Swatragh)

26. Jason Rocks (Loup)
11. Enda Lynn (Greenlough)
12. Ciaran McFaul (Glen)

13. Shane McGuigan (Slaughtneil)
14. Ryan Bell (Ballinderry)
25. Liam McGoldrick (Coleraine)

Subs:

10. Emmett Bradley (Glen) for Quinn (H-T)
15. Christopher Bradley (Slaughtneil) for Bell (49m)
19. Conor Doherty (Newbridge) for Rocks (58m)
22. Ruairi Mooney (Coleraine) for Lynn (64m)
18. Patrick Coney (Loup) for Keenan (71m)
17. Eoghan Concannon (Steelstown) for McGoldrick (71m) 

Referee: Paddy Neilan (Roscommon).

Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here:

Click Here: United Kingdom Rugby Jersey

CORK WERE FORCED to field without midfielder Bill Cooper due to a back injury he suffered before throw-in of today’s Munster senior hurling clash with Tipperary.

After Cork had undergone their warm-up, Cooper was seen walking down the tunnel at Páirc Uí Chaoimh with the team doctors and it was announced shortly after that Robbie O’Flynn had been drafted in as a late replacement.

Cork ultimately suffered a seven-point defeat but while acknowledging Cooper was a loss, manager John Meyler felt they could not use the absence of a regular midfielder as an excuse.

“(It was) his back, a spasm in his back. It just meant reorganising, Bill is a fantastic player, a leader of the team really – he’s one of the senior members of the team so it was a massive loss to us.

“But we just had to reorganise, and put Luke (Meade) back into midfield. He played quite well I thought but we lost that at half-forward and we lost Bill at midfield.

“But that’s not an excuse, really, you have to be able to lose one or two players through injury or whatever, and that was it.”

Meyler felt Cork suffered at the hands of a Tipperary side who had more fluency to their play and displayed greater hunger.

A dejected John Meyler after today’s game.

Source: James Crombie/INPHO

“I think Tipperary were more fluent, sharper, more mobile, (had) better support play than us today. They looked extremely hungry, they got a very good start with the goal, they got a good advantage on us early on, in the first half, but we brought it back to a point at half-time.

“I thought we’d get in at half-time and reorganise, get back to the basics again, but again, they came out for the second half and drove on again. That goal they got up in the top end really kind of finished us off there.

“I felt with Seamus’s goal that we were back in it, there were three or four points in it, but Hoggy was held up, a free in, a free out, but it was a free out.

“That would have brought it back to three or four points and Tipp were just, they were more fluent, better support play and were just hungrier than us. That’s really it.”

The Cork manager is well aware of the tough task they now face with a trip to face Limerick next Sunday beckoning.

“Yeah look it’s seven days but that’s the beauty of the Munster championship, the match is over. We just need to reorganise and focus now on Limerick next week. Away to Limerick and we need to get a win and that’s basically it.”

Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here:

Click Here: AFL Football Guernsey

AFTER THE MISERABLE campaign they endured last season, Tipperary exploded from the 2019 Munster starting blocks to win by seven points at the home of the team who have reigned supreme over the last two summers in the province.

Yet underneath the South Stand in Páirc Uí Chaoimh as he offered his post-match reflections, Liam Sheedy was mindful of the bigger picture.

As satisfied as he was with the victory was and as pleased as he was with their attacking vibrancy, Sheedy honed in on the theme of this game being a stepping stone in the Munster round-robin series.

“We were coming down to play the team that are going for three-in-a-row in Munster but overall today was a really good performance. There was a lot to like about display but 11 years ago here you take a bit of a break, you were into a Munster final and you could get four or five weeks off.

“This evening we have just got to roll back again and get ready for what’s coming next week, which is Waterford into Semple Stadium which is a massive match again. It’s great but at the end of the day it’s two points. It’s two points in the bank, it’s not any more.

“Two points won’t get you anywhere in this championship. I think there was a one point puck of a ball in the game at Walsh Park so the margins are going to be really tight. It’s a phenomenal championship, I think it’s the best around so whatever three teams come out on top will have earned it.”

Sheedy was pleased at how his team slipped into a good run of form in the early passages of play and singled out Tipperary’s second goal courtesy of John McGrath as a pivotal moment.

“Unless you get a performance down here you won’t win. I thought we found a good level, we started very well and gave ourselves a few points of a cushion but discipline in the first half probably cost us.

“We gave them eight points from placed balls and that was a bit of a downer, but I just felt psychologically to go in a point up (and) we knew we had a small little bit of a wind at our backs in the second half, and it was a help.

“We got a great start to the second half and we got to three or four (ahead) and built on that. I just felt John McGrath’s goal was a piece of magic the way we worked the ball up, it was such a smashing ball across and the ball went into the back of the net.

“It was very hard for Cork to come back from that but in fairness to them they didn’t go away, in the last few moments you just always feel with Cork they are capable of cracking in a goal or two and they got a wonderful goal.”

The 2010 All-Ireland winning boss had been pleased with his team’s approach before the game.

“I think we got 2-23 or so from play so that’s a good day at the office. These guys can play, I said it at the press launch last Monday week that I felt that we prepared really well, we knew exactly what was ahead of us and it hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for us.

Click Here: cheap nike air jordan shoes

“But one performance won’t get you out, today is a good start and that’s exactly what it is. We need to go back, we need to rest our bodies and there’s a lot of tired limbs there. A lot of lads put their bodies on the line for 70-plus minutes. I’m delighted but I’m a realist and I realise that’s it’s only two points.”

Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here:

JOE BROLLY SAYS the All-Ireland senior football championship must be revamped with three tiers similarly to the women’s game.

Despite several strong performances by lower-tier counties at the weekend, Brolly suggested that major change is required in the format of the competition and went so far as saying two tiers would not suffice.

“This is cruel,” he said on The Sunday Game last night following highlights of Roscommon’s 3-17 to 0-12 defeat of Leitrim in the Connacht SFC.

'Two tiers is not enough' – .@JoeBrolly1993 says the GAA needs to follow the example of .@LadiesFootball with a tiered system. #rtegaa #sundaygame pic.twitter.com/ZvJD7of4ez

— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) May 12, 2019

“It’s cruel what’s happening and until teams like Leitrim are treated with the same respect in the association as Kerry, Dublin, Tyrone and Mayo, we do not have an equitable, fair association.

Click Here: Hawthorn Hawks Guernsey

“You look at Leitrim’s Division 4 campaign which was terrific. They played some terrific football at their level. It was their first time in Croke Park in 12 years.

“Emlyn Mulligan had never played there,” he claimed. (Mulligan played there in a game between the army and Gardai in 2018).

“Leitrim gaels from all over the world assembled in Croke Park and what a day it was. I was privileged to be there at a lunch before it in Croke Park with Leitrim greats from the 50s.

“And then you get this thoroughly deflating experience today which was absolutely inevitable. The sooner we get to a situation where we’ve got a competitive championship that mirrors the league. We need at least three tiers.

London boss Ciaran Deely has been a strong advocate of a tiered structure.

Source: ©INPHOGerry McManus

“Managers like Ciaran Deely from London and Jack Cooney from Westmeath – they’re saying exactly what we all know to be the reality: ‘Give us a vibrant championship at our level that is treated with respect and has the same money pumped into it where we’re playing three All-Ireland finals on the same day in Croke Park. Where everyone is afforded All-Stars, where we treat everyone with respect.’”

When asked if more counties are open to a tiered structure coming into the football championship, Broly responded:

“I would say the argument is being won around the country. We’ve been talking about this for five or six years as the gulf has widened. I think the argument is being won but we’re very slow in the GAA to start putting nuts in bolts,” added Brolly.

“John Horan is a man of good intent in relation to this. He’s talking about two tiers [but] it’s not enough.

“Two tiers will not be enough because the teams in Division 4 need that slightly special treatment to  afford them respect, give them a vibrant championship where they play their All-Ireland on All-Ireland final day with the other two tiers and you’ve got a festival of football.

“It works brilliantly for the Ladies. They are so far ahead of us when it comes to this and there’s no reason why it wouldn’t work for us.”

Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here:

SCORING STARS WERE the main men on the opening afternoon of the 2019 Munster senior hurling championship.

Clare saw off Waterford narrowly in Walsh Park while Tipperary ran out decisive winners over Cork in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and it was a pair of attackers who were rewarded with the individual honours.

Ballyea’s Tony Kelly, the 2013 Hurler of the Year, shot 0-5 from play in Clare’s victory while Killenaule’s John O’Dwyer bagged 0-7 from play in Tipperary’s success.

The pair received the RTÉ Sunday Game man-of-the-match awards as their teams made strong starts to the provincial action. 

John 'Bubbles' O'Dwyer (0-07) is The Sunday Game man of the match #CorkvTipp #GAA pic.twitter.com/OFdV85PY2t

— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) May 12, 2019

Do you agree with the man-of-the-match winners? Let us know.

Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here:

Click Here: nrl jersey sale

ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONS Dublin and Meath will both be in action in O’Moore Park in Portlaoise as part of a Saturday night Leinster quarter-final double-header at the end of this month.

The Leinster Council have confirmed that the Portlaoise and Tullamore venues will both host double-headers as the quarter-finals of the Leinster senior football championship take place across the weekend of 25-26 May.

The Saturday night action at O’Moore Park will see Meath, victors over Offaly yesterday in Navan, take on Carlow before Dublin face Louth, who triumphed against Wexford yesterday.

It will mark the third successive year that Dublin have played a Leinster quarter-final tie in O’Moore Park but their match had to be switched from the Laois venue in 2016 to Nowlan Park.

On the Sunday afternoon in Bord Na Móna O’Connor Park, the schedule will see Westmeath meet Laois at 2pm while Kildare, fresh from success over Wicklow on Saturday night, square off against Longford.

Here’s the full fixture details:

2019 Leinster senior football quarter-finals

Saturday 25 May

• Meath v Carlow, Portlaoise, 5pm
• Dublin v Louth, Portlaoise, 7pm

Sunday 26 May

Click Here: ADELAIDE CROWS 2019 MEN’S HOME GUERNSEY

• Westmeath v Laois, Tullamore, 2pm
• Kildare v Longford, Tullamore, 4pm

Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here:

FORMER CORK GOALKEEPER and ex-Clare hurling coach Dónal Óg Cusack believes that the Banner have the potential to be crowned All-Ireland senior hurling champions.

Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor’s charges held on to beat Waterford by a single point at Walsh Park yesterday, opening their Munster campaign on a winning note.

They survived a late fightback to come out on top by the minimum, with Tony Kelly and Peter Duggan among many to impress. Shane O’Donnell looked sharp upon his return after an absence during the league, as did John Conlon, and the attacking duo combined to cause havoc up front at times.

Speaking on The Sunday Game last night, Cusack shared how impressed he was with the side who last tasted Liam McCarthy success in 2013.

“Clare have a terrific team,” the RTÉ pundit said.

“I’d say a couple of things about them: I think their potential is to win the All-Ireland. I know they’ll be focusing themselves on a Munster champiosnhip because Clare have won so few Munster championships, and they haven’t won one in so long.

“But I think for a team like that it’d be a travesty if they don’t win more All-Irelands. One of the reasons I went there was I fully believed they had that potential. I still believe they have it. 

'It'd be a travesty if they didn't win more All-Irelands' – .@DonalOgC on the potential of the Clare hurlers. #rtegaa #sundaygame pic.twitter.com/Ru0o0EOTAX

— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) May 12, 2019

“The other thing is a lot of those players are only coming into their prime now. A lot of them came to national recognition when they were 21, 22. But I know from my own career and dealing with players, you only really start coming into your prime when you’re 25, 26, 27. I think there’s great potential.”

The three-time All-Ireland winner added on their 1-20 to 0-22 win: “I think they’ll be very happy with today.

“I know it was a one-point win in the end and they’ll probably be slightly worried with the way that they let Waterford back into the game, but I’d imagine going home, they’ll be very satisfied.”

Cusack helped Clare to National Hurling League glory in 2016 under Davy Fitzgerald, and spent two seasons in his coaching role there.

He resigned in 2017 after it emerged he wrote a character reference for former Irish Times journalist Tom Humphries. 

Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here:

Click Here: cricket jerseys

SINCE RETURNING FROM Harvard University at the end of March, Shane O’Donnell has helped bring Clare to “a different level” according to his teammates.

O’Donnell spent the winter and spring at the famed Boston college on a Fulbright Scholarship and returned to Clare training in perfect time to assist with their championship preparations.

The Ennis attacker made quite the impact in his first inter-county outing of 2019 on Sunday assisting John Conlon for the decisive goal in their one point victory, scoring a point for himself plus demonstrating his typical work rate.

Captain Patrick O’Connor was in awe of how the 2013 hat-trick hero managed to lift the spirits of the panel upon his return, coming at a time when it was announced that Jamie Shanahan and Conor McGrath were unlikely to feature for Banner this year.

“What can you say about him, he is a special and unique person to do what he did,” said O’Connor. “The leadership he has shown, he has lit up the place since he came home, always talking, always encouraging.

“It’s great for the young lads like Gary Cooney, Colin Guilfoyle to be feeding off him plus learning from John (Conlon) and Peter (Duggan), that’s the type of environment we’ve managed to foster.”

Noel Connors shakes hands with Patrick O’Connor after the game.

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

Click Here: vans shop

Wing back David Fitzgerald was thankful he was not asked by Donal Moloney or Gerry O’Connor to line out in the full-back line when O’Donnell returned to training as he destroyed every player assigned to him.

“On his first or second session back, I forget who he was in on, one of more established backs I think and Shane was absolutely flying it, I’d say he was only off the plane a few days,” he said.

“It’s a testament to the athlete he is, he could throw his hand at anything both academically and from a sporting perspective, it’s just a different level.”

Fitzgerald who is completing a masters degree in aviation finance at UCD had to balance his championship preparation with studying for exams.

As Clare stayed overnight in Waterford ahead of the Munster SHC first round, the Inagh/Kilnamona man had to try put aside a few hours in the morning of the game at Faithlegg House Hotel for study but maintained the relationship between hurling and education is mutually beneficial.

“Hurling and study they correlate, when you’re frustrated with one, you look to the other and one is not going so well you can talk to the other. It’s about a good balance, a lot of the lads find that when you’re playing sport, people think it’s your sole focus but academics is important for people too because at the end of the day it’s an amateur sport.”

Shane O’Donnell before the Fenway Hurling Classic.

Source: Emily Harney/INPHO

How O’Donnell managed to stay fit and practice his ball work over in the United States came as no surprise to joint-manager Donal Moloney.

“He hasn’t played since Galway last August, Shane is very sharp, he kept his fitness and kept doing some ball work over in Boston, when he came back in eight weeks ago it was almost like he hadn’t been away.

“The trouble is if he keeps up this form we’ll get to play nobody in the National League next year.”

Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here:

JAMES MCCARTHY HAS hailed the return of Rory O’Carroll to the Dublin panel, while remaining tight-lipped over the prospect of a Diarmuid Connolly comeback. 

O’Carroll recently moved home after spending three years in New Zealand and after impressing for Kilmacud Crokes in the Dublin SFC, the full-back was recalled to the county set-up by Jim Gavin.

“He’s been going great,” said McCarthy. “I obviously played against Rory in the club championship game against Kilmacud and he was good against us that night.

“He’ll add greatly to our already great set of backs. The competition has ramped up altogether now again.

“Lads have a lot of respect for him, he’s a great character and he’s a strong-willed man. He was obviously a very important player for us before he went away.

Click Here: st george illawarra dragons rugby store

“He’s come back now, he’s excited to be back and he has a huge challenge to compete for a place on the team. Lads were delighted to have him back.”

The two-time All-Star provides an extra option for the full-back position, an area both Kerry and Tyrone looked to exploit when they played Dublin in the league. 

McCarthy himself spent time at full-back marking Tommy Walsh during the Division 1 loss to the Kingdom in Tralee, although he’s unsure if O’Carroll’s return will mean he won’t be required to fill the number 3 spot anymore. 

“Possibly. Nobody knows, everyone’s pushing so hard for places. Everyone’s worrying about their own spots at the moment, the competition is that good. So it’s exciting to see how it goes.”

Rumours of Connolly’s potential return intensified when Gavin said earlier this month that he would “love to see him back” on the panel.

“Jim has an open door policy,” said McCarthy. “Diarmuid is a great player, (it would be) great to have him back.

“You’ve just got to respect the decision there but it’s always an open door policy there. You’ll have to ask Jim that.”

James McCarthy pictured at AIB’s launch of the 2019 All Ireland senior football championship.

Source: Stephen McCarthy/SPORTSFILE

McCarthy praised the leadership of the recently retired Paul Flynn, who he soldiered with for his entire inter-county career.

“Paul is an all or nothing man. He was a great leader in the team. He really drove that team on for years. He’s going to be a big loss but you’ve got to respect the decision he’s made.

“I won’t miss him too much, we used to go toe-to-toe a lot for many years and were knocking scalps out of each other in A vs B games,” he laughed.

“I’m joking, but he was a great servant to the team.” 

Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here: