Month: September 2021

WHILE THE WEEKEND’S GAA coverage was dominated by stories of Mayo’s shock exit from the Connacht SFC and the the rather unexciting — for the most part — Leinster SHC draw between Galway and Wexford, there were flashes of brilliance elsewhere. 

Step away from the top tier and you’ll find that Kerry stormed to a thrilling Joe McDonagh Cup victory over Westmeath, and if you go down the underage ranks again, there was another disappointing loss for the Midlanders at minor level — to an impressive outfit.

Laois well and truly put them to the sword, dominating their Electric Ireland Leinster MHC championship fixture at O’Moore Park from start to finish as they sauntered to a 33-point win. 

3-30 to 0-6 it finished, but the moment of magic came right at the death.

There were 59 minutes on the clock when James Duggan fired the most brilliant of individual goals from nowhere, showing sheer audacity and skill as the full-time whistle neared.

'Scil iontach!' James Duggan leis an críoch.@CLGLaois @gaaleinster @hoganstandgaa pic.twitter.com/FdrP4vg8Gq

— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) May 28, 2019

The Harps star gathered the sliotar right on the endline, sold one Westmeath defender with a dummy before flicking the ball over another’s head and rattling the back of the net.

“Scil iontach,” as the excited TG4 commentator exclaimed. “Ard-iarracht ansin. Féach ar sin mar scór, cúl den chéad scoth!”

Great skill. A brilliant effort. A top-class goal, indeed.

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

Click Here: aviron bayonnais rugby jerseys

AS WE HEAD for the third phase of the Leinster SHC, star forward Joe Canning will be on week 10 of his recovery.

His impending absence was signposted well in advance of the championship as he required surgery for the serious groin injury he picked up in Galway’s Division 1 semi-final against Waterford.

Given his already cemented status as a hurling legend, questions immediately followed about how Micheál Donoghue’s side would adjust to his temporary loss in attack.

Their first two outings in the Leinster championship have yielded a win and a draw as they prepare for their rest week ahead of a trip to Nowlan Park for a crunch tie against Kilkenny.

And in Kinvara forward Conor Whelan, Galway have uncovered a leader who can steady the ship before the Portumna star’s return.

Conor Whelan celebrating Galway’s All-Ireland final victory in 2017.

Source: James Crombie/INPHO

The 2017 Young Hurler of the Year has been a cornerstone figure in the Galway attack since making a breakthrough to the senior ranks in 2015.

Good defensive work and a strong work ethic have always been hallmark traits of his game, as well as the orthodox skills of a lively forward.

And at 22 years of age, Whelan is using those tools to establish himself as a leader in the Galway team.

Alongside Conor Cooney, he was their joint top-scorer from play in their opening game of the Leinster round-robin series against Carlow.

Cooney finished with four scores [1-3] while Whelan picked off four points in what turned out to be a narrow win for the reigning provincial champions. 

He continued to impose his influence against Wexford last weekend, making five key contributions in the opening half, which included three points from play.

While many of the players were misfiring in the biting gales swirling around Pearse Stadium, Whelan was able to find his range and help Galway into a 0-10 0-4 advantage at the break.

Defensive Effort

With the clock approaching seven minutes, Wexford goalkeeper Mark Fanning opted to take a short puckout. He delivered a pass to Damien Reck who had Whelan for company out near the sideline.

The defender miscontrolled the ball slightly, allowing the Galway attacker to pounce. Whelan’s aggressive tackling was rewarded as referee Johnny Murphy punished Reck for over-carrying and signalled a free to Galway.

Whelan’s aggression

Source: RTÉ Player

Reck was forced to leave the field as a blood sub with a facial injury as a result of the clash, leading many to question whether Whelan was guilty of a head-high challenge.

Niall Burke missed the resultant free but Whelan’s turnover was an influential piece of play.

Whelan was alert to ambush a Wexford player once again in the 23rd minute, as he flicked the ball out of Kevin Foley’s grasp to reclaim possession. His intervention allowed Galway to launch another shot at the posts, but the relentless Salthill wind dragged the ball wide.

He also forced Wexford substitute Jack O’Connor to take too many steps with the ball shortly before the hour mark, an important turnover that took some of the momentum away from Davy Fitzgerald’s side who were starting to claw their way back into the game.

Big Game Moments 

Whelan won some crucial aerial battles against Wexford which resulted in scores for Galway.

His first point of the game arrived on eight minutes after he outmatched blood sub Shane Reck in the air to fetch a long Cathal Mannion delivery before turning and drilling the ball between the posts.

That point came at an important time as it pushed Galway into a 0-3 to 0-0 lead and really got their scoreboard moving after a spell of wayward shooting in the opening minutes.

Whelan excelled in the air once again in the 40th minute as he plucked the ball from a Padraic Mannion free that was taken from inside Galway’s half of the field.

Whelan excelling in the air.

Source: RTÉ Player

He secured a free for Galway in the process which Jason Flynn converted.

Whelan’s second point of the afternoon was another big moment for the home side. After gathering the ball in the centre of the field, he judged the unpredictable wind perfectly to launch a long-range shot over the bar. 

Conor Whelan from the centre of the field fires over for Galway pic.twitter.com/g5paUhFFvn

— The GAA (@officialgaa) May 26, 2019

Canning has been given a recovery window of 14-16 weeks, and it’s hoped he will be fit to return to the Galway fold in time for the Leinster final on 30 June.

Should they reach the decider again to go for three-in-a-row, his presence among the forwards will be a welcome sight.

His accuracy from dead ball situations has been missed. Flynn and Burke appear to be sharing that duty for now, but Canning is their settled free-taker and will surely be standing over the frees again when he returns.

Joe Canning is getting closer to making his return.

Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO

Galway were unconvincing in their win over Carlow and relinquished a six-point lead to play out a draw against Wexford. They even trailed the visitors by a point at one stage.

With away ties against the Cats and Dublin still awaiting the Tribesmen in their remaining round-robin outings, they need leaders to steady the ship.

Whelan is certainly fulfilling that role and leading the charge at the moment.

Gavan Casey is joined by Murray Kinsella and Sean Farrell for a review of the 2018/19 season, and cast an eye forward to next year and the Rugby World Cup in Japan.:

Source: The42 Rugby Weekly/SoundCloud

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

Click Here: France Rugby Jersey

DIARMUID RYAN DIDN’T have to look far for a sporting role model in Clare when he was growing up.

He watched his brother Conor burst onto the scene with a Clare U21 side that swept all before them in 2012. That All-Ireland success was followed up by the ultimate honour twelve months later, a thrilling ride to senior glory against Cork.

Conor’s efforts were recognised with an All-Star award and he seemed destined to be a lynchpin for Clare hurling for years to come.

But in January 2018 he had to declare his intention to retire due to health problems.

Diarmuid’s emergence in Clare hurling circles was well-flagged with his exploits in the underage ranks. He was central to their minor team’s fortunes in 2017, had a peripheral role with the senior squad last year and then this season has made his mark.

Three weeks ago the teenager made his bow in the senior championship arena against Waterford yet there is a tinge of regret that all these strides are being made in a setup which no longer features his brother.

“That was a thing for both of us. It was a dream for the two of us to play with each other. Again hopefully someday he will fulfil a managerial role over one of the teams that I’m on. We will probably get the same connection there hopefully.

“He will tell you himself he wasn’t making panels until maybe the U21s in 2012 when they won the All-Ireland. He powered on then, he was great. He would have a word in your ear constantly telling you that you don’t need to impress anyone, just keep doing what you have been doing in the last few games in the league. Just go easy enough into the match.

“I didn’t really talk to him the week of it (the Waterford game), but the days before he was giving me little pointers, it was handy and nice to have.”

Conor Ryan celebrates with the Liam MacCarthy Cup after Clare’s victory in 2013.

Source: Morgan Treacy/INPHO

His club Cratloe has been a hotbed for producing Clare senior talent that underage players can aspire to be like.

“You have Podge (Clare), Cathal McInerney, Conor McGrath, they have all won All Irelands with Clare at U21 and senior level. You didn’t have to look too far past Conor to find another role model in your club.

“They are great to have, they keep you level headed and on game day they keep you very calm, cool, and collected. It was just nice to see so many lads on the Clare panel around you.

“For the All-Ireland in 2013, I was only 13 years of age. I was only dreaming that I would be playing with them, but I didn’t think that six years later I would be playing with the lads.

“It is brilliant to get a feel of what it is like playing with them. The likes of Tony Kelly he was only my age breaking on to the scene, to have him there gives you a bit of leadership. It was great to get out there with the lads, heroes you’d be looking up at since you were a young fella.”

Like the bulk of players from his club, he has dabbled in Gaelic football with a spell with the Clare minors and a continued role with Cratloe. 

But school life in Ardscoil Rís swung him towards hurling.

“Grown up I loved playing both, but when you come into Ardscoil your skillset is all based on hurling. There is no football, I’d say they’d put a six inch nail down through a football if it came in there.

Click Here: Internacional soccer tracksuit

“My love of hurling flourished then from first year on. We won the Harty Cup (in 2018). I played in the Munster League (with Clare that year), I continued training, but took a step back because I was doing the Leaving and with Ardscoil we were hurling right up until April because we won the Harty Cup.

“I knew there would be plenty of years to try to get on to the Clare panel. With Ardscoil it was my last chance in there so I gave it a good kick.”

Diarmuid Ryan in action for Clare against Limerick in the league this spring.

Source: Lorraine O’Sullivan/INPHO

That involvement with Ardscoil has created a strong link for Ryan with Limerick hurling. There’ll be a short trip from home to the Gaelic Grounds on 9 June for a pivotal Munster tie but before that they welcome Tipperary to Ennis on Sunday.

It’s all part of the learning curve for Ryan after sampling the senior arena for the first time earlier this month in Walsh Park.

“In the first 10 minutes you’d be looking around you, but you see the fella beside you is feeling the same. So it goes okay, it is all about that blowout in the first 10 or 15 minutes. You get a real chance to see what it is like. After looking in from the stands for the last couple of years dreaming of being out there in packed out stadiums, it is great to get out there, to get a feel for it. The matches will be coming thick and fast, we expect another huge battle from Tipp in Cusack Park.”

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

GALWAY WILL HEAD into the Connacht SFC final without the services of captain Damien Comer who is still recovering from a fractured bone in his foot. 

Comer, who hasn’t featured for Galway yet in 2019, has been laid up since he suffered the injury while playing a charity soccer game on St Stephen’s Day. 

The Tribesmen face Roscommon on the provincial decider on 16 June but Comer admits it will likely come too soon for him to feature.

“I can’t see myself turning the corner in that space of time,” he says.

“I won’t rule anything out. I’d love to get back to it. I’d even try for a bench spot but it’ll be tight.” 

The initial scan didn’t show a fracture and Comer was hoping to get back during the league. When the injury – which is around the ankle area – wasn’t improving he went back for a second prognosis and the full extent of the problem was revealed.

“Initially, it was obviously very frustrating and then you’re kind of getting back and you think you’re back. Then it wasn’t improving. I got a scan again and then you find out it’s a fracture and that’s frustrating.

He continues: “You’re like, ‘Right, go into a boot.’ And then you meet the consultant and the next thing its surgery and that’s the last thing you wanted. That’s really frustrating.”

Comer was speaking as SuperValu launched their 10th year as sponsor of the All-Ireland senior football championship.

Source: Sam Barnes/SPORTSFILE

Comer had to wait a number of weeks for he went under the knife.

“There was the wait to get the surgery done and you’re waiting a week, two weeks, three weeks. All you’re thinking is that this is three weeks is eating into when I’ll be back. 

“I went into the surgeon and said, ‘Look it, I’m ready to go, if you give me a date tomorrow I’ll work with that’. Once I had the surgery I knew it was done and I had a time-frame. Six weeks in a boot, six weeks after the boot hopefully back running.”

The full-forward, who was nominated for an All-Star after a stellar 2018 campaign, is back doing some straight-line running on the field but is still feeling some pain.

He hasn’t yet put a timeframe on when he can expect to return to full-contact training. 

“I don’t really know to be honest,” he says. “I’m back doing a bit of running, straight-line running. I haven’t really put a time-frame on it. 

“I’m kind of going by pain-threshold. If it’s too sore I take a step back and if it’s okay I’ll push it on a small bit. That’s my gauge. How long it’s going to take, I genuinely don’t know. Kevin (Walsh) is asking the same question and I can’t really answer it. 

“I’m just playing it by ear, taking it week by week and see. Hopefully, then you turn a corner and next thing you’re back in the thick of things. 

“You don’t want a setback either. I’ve been fortunate enough so far, I’ve done alright so far. I’m just playing it by pain, I suppose. If I’ve no pain I can push it out, but, if I do, then I just take a step back.”

He’s been closely monitoring his weight so he can hit the ground running when he returns to action.

“That was my one worry, even before I got injured, I’m that build that if I did get injured I could swell up very easily so it’s important to keep on top of that. The amount of people that have said to me, ‘I’d say you’ve lost weight’.

“I just stayed away from the gym, didn’t need to put on any kgs and then just did my cardio and made sure my diet was okay. I ended losing a few kgs which is always a bonus. Because the more you have to carry when you get back the harder obviously it’s going to be to get up to that fitness so I think that worked well for me.” 

Paul Conroy in action for Galway in the 2018 Connacht final.

Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO

On the bright side for Galway, Paul Conroy stepped up his return from two broken legs by starring for his club at the weekend.

Conroy scored 1-5 for St James’ from full-forward in the opening round of the Galway SFC. Comer and Conroy are both teachers at Claregalway College and have been in “constant communication with each other” over the past few months during their respective recoveries.

“It gives you encouragement,” says Comer.

“There’d be a few days were he was peed off and he was like ‘I don’t know the surgeon was saying I should be back in contact by now and I’m barely back running’.

Click Here: sligo gaa jerseys

“He was getting annoyed with it but then the next thing he started progressing nicely, then threw himself into a few drills and then all of a sudden he turned a corner and found he wasn’t going that quickly.

“His pace started coming back and now he’s back near full pace again so he just turned a corner. Looking at that I thought maybe that’s me where I wouldn’t be going full pace, I wouldn’t be able to go full pace at the moment, but I suppose your body just reacts and you strengthen up all parts.

“I would have been off my feet for a good while not loading up so it’s reacting well so far but seeing him do that and getting through it, and Paul would have had similar operations to me.

“It’s painful at the time but you build up a tolerance and it gets easier as you go on. It gives you a positive outlook and that’s important.”

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

ON THE LAST Saturday night of March, after Geelong had thoroughly dismantled Melbourne to make a strong early statement in the 2019 AFL season, Mark O’Connor was drawn to home.

The 22-year-old had lined out for the second week running, part of a side that had followed up an opening victory over Collingwood by routing their opponents. The 80-point winning margin accurately reflected the scale of their dominance and in their sporting corner of Australia they were flying high. 

But the tie to home had never snapped, the roots that took hold in West Kerry still providing a connection for O’Connor. He was performing at an elite level of Aussie Rules yet it was only four years since he had been joint captain of a Hogan Cup winning side for the second successive year in Croke Park.

The 2019 class of footballers from Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne were in action in Mallow at the last four stage and if Naas CBS would ultimately confirm their exit, their midfield graduate was determined to monitor their progress.

“I can’t really sleep after games over here so I said I’d wait up and watch Pobalscoil playing. I stayed up to watch it. I do keep in touch with Gaelic football, a lot of my best mates are obviously playing with Dingle and Kerry so we’d chat about that.”

Mark O’Connor (left) after PS Chorca Dhuibhne’s 2015 Hogan Cup final victory.

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

He tracks events at home but his sporting life at present locks him down at the other side of the world.

And he is thriving.

Back in October 2016 he put pen to paper on a career with Geelong and by May 2017 he had made his debut in the big time of AFL. The road he has travelled in the two years since then has not been smooth. 

After making his bow, he had only made six further AFL appearances before the 2019 action commenced. What happened? Injuries. Form. A predictable fight for a young Gaelic footballer to grapple with the rules of an alien game. The usual stuff.

Now it has fallen neatly into place. Ten games into this year’s campaign and O’Connor has featured in each of Geelong’s outings. They are top of the AFL ladder, he’s toasted nine victories and there’s just been one blip for the team, a loss in a Round 4 fixture against GWS Giants.

“I was supposed to play in Round 1 last year but I actually twisted my ankle on the Friday before the game,” recalls O’Connor.

“I was back in for Round 2 but then got dropped for pretty much all the year. I thought I was playing some good footy but they were happy for me to just bide my time in the VFL and just keep building that confidence.

“Towards the end of the year I got back in the team and played in the finals which was a great experience. So coming into this pre-season I thought I could get into the first team and did think it was a realistic goal.”

He’s seized the opportunity and compiled a personal highlights reel.

A first AFL goal in that game against Melbourne.

O'Connor kicks the goal – the first of his career! 🙌#AFLCatsDees pic.twitter.com/qL51jelPeg

— AFL (@AFL) March 30, 2019

A piece of sparkling defensive play against West Coast Eagles, last year’s Grand Final winners, featuring a relieving kick with his weaker left leg.

“He does one or two things every week that take us by surprise to an extent,” was Geelong coach Chris Scott’s verdict afterwards.

Mark O'Connor turned heads with this defensive play against the reigning premiers 👀#StandProud #WeAreGeelong pic.twitter.com/nlpEaj75JL

— Geelong Cats (@GeelongCats) April 30, 2019

“It was mainly just a confidence thing at the start. Coming over I didn’t have much experience so I didn’t want to leave my team-mates down and I was probably thinking about things too much.

“With the help of people around me, we just managed to change my perspective on it and just go out and play and enjoy myself. I think I’m really reaping the rewards.”

It all paints a promising picture after a challenging off season. That lure of West Kerry has always been there and when he got back home for a spell last autumn, revisiting his sporting upbringing felt natural.

In late September he was a curveball in Tralee, thrown into the fray in a Kerry county senior quarter-final. He was detailed to sweep in front of towering presence of Kieran Donaghy and the ploy paid off with Dingle accounting for Austin Stacks by three goals.

“When they said there was a chance I’d be on Kieran Donaghy, it was just a good opportunity,” says O’Connor.

“I remember when I was probably 17, I was asked to mark him, I think it was in the county championship. I was full-back and he just gave me the run around. He made a fool of me that day really!

“I seriously enjoyed playing with Dingle. Nobody pressured me at all into playing. It was just something that I really wanted to do. I couldn’t say no to it.”

The joy of that success was tempered when news filtered back to Geelong and his involvement drew some heat. His Australian employers declared they couldn’t sanction him playing for Dingle any more.

“When the club did get in touch that I shouldn’t have played and I couldn’t play going forward, that was the most difficult part. I was being pulled in two directions as to whether I’d play and most likely rip up my contract or not play and go back to Geelong for another pre-season.

“I decided with the help of people around me, I zoomed out of the position that I was in at that time and made a decision for the long term rather than a few games that I’d be able to play. I came to realise there are far more important things. You can’t serve two masters.”

Mark O’Connor in action for Geelong against Western Bulldogs recently.

Source: AAP/PA Images

Still watching on was a conflicting experience. Dingle last lifted the Bishop Moynihan Cup in 1948. Their community has yearned for another title. O’Connor was part of a group of precocious Dingle players that shone at underage level.

“My knees were very restrictive when I was 17 or 18 before actually coming out to Australia. To go home in the best shape of my life, having no knee complaints, being a lot stronger, a lot fitter, a lot faster, I could finally go 100% in a Gaelic football game I felt.

“Not only that but I stepped right back in to the tribal atmosphere I felt of a club team. I also felt like I wanted to give something back to Dingle for all they’ve done for me. I care a lot about my team-mates and management. There was just too many factors that lead to me playing.”

He stood on the sideline for the two-game semi-final saga with East Kerry last October and the final loss to Dr Crokes, ferrying water into colleagues on the pitch.

“You just feel so powerless. You can’t impact and you can’t influence like you really want to. It was pretty tough.

“The management there, they never put pressure on me to play and the club as a whole, that’s what they’re about. And that’s why I felt the urge to play so strongly because they are so special. They were fantastic.”

He took the broader view and returned to Geelong, targeting a new season as a chance to make an impact. Portlaoise’s Zach Tuohy has always been a sounding board at the club and Stefan Okunbor’s arrival swelled the Kerry ranks at Geelong.

“Just having Zach over here, having reached the 150 game milestone last year is inspirational in itself. But on top of that, he’s a very good fella. Very generous guy with his time.

Zach Tuohy in action for Geelong against North Melbourne.

Source: AAP/PA Images

“Stefan is travelling really well. I was kind of sad for Kerry that he was leaving but I was delighted to see him come over. He was actually the year below me in Kerry but we didn’t have much to do with each other up until this year.” 

Stefan Okunbor with the man-of-the-match award after last year’s Munster U20 football championship final.

Source: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO

As he has progressed in recent weeks and months, there’s been familiar faces to observe his development. His eldest brother John lives an hour away in Melbourne, his mother and another brother David flew out for a holiday in late March.

“It was great to show them around. They hadn’t actually seen me play an AFL game before so that was an experience in itself. They went to a couple of wineries and they went around Melbourne. We took them down the coast, down the Great Ocean Road. They squeezed a lot into their two weeks. 

“John then has gone to most games, he goes to the ones in Melbourne and Geelong. The away games are more difficult when we’ve to fly to Adelaide or Perth or Sydney. He’s really got into it, there’s a good group in Melbourne, a few people from Dingle that have moved out in the past year. That’s great, it’s just like a little taste of home.”

With the league over and championship looming, they will keep a studious eye on the fortunes of Kerry. O’Connor was a pivotal member of all-conquering Kingdom minor teams, the products of which are rolling onto the senior stage now.

He captained them to their triumph in 2015. From that side Sean O’Shea, Gavin White and Jason Foley stepped up last year. Graham O’Sullivan has joined them this spring. Tom O’Sullivan is a close friend from Dingle, Briain Ó Beaglaoich was a constant presence in schools teams with new Kerry selector Tommy Griffin guiding them along there.

“It’s very exciting for Kerry people. They’ve probably had to be very patient in waiting for these fellas to come through. But it seems they’re really blossoming at the minute, especially Tom (O’Sullivan) and Sean O’Shea, they seem to be lifting. I’m very excited to watch how it goes over the summer and keep an eye on it.”

Mark O’Connor lifts the trophy after Kerry’s 2015 All-Ireland minor final triumph.

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

The temptation to consider what could have been is obvious but not really productive.

“It’s a bit easier when I’m taken out of it, when I’m over here playing AFL. But when I go home there certainly is that sense of ‘what if?’.

“I really envy the likes of Sarah Rowe who comes over and she plays for the AFLW season and she can go home and play with Mayo. That’s just fantastic, it’s the best of both worlds. But that’s not just doable unfortunately. I do envy that a bit. I made my choice and I try not to let the what ifs creep in.

“I knew when I was coming over that being in a professional environment, you’d learn so much about your own body from a sports science point of view, from a nutritional point of view, from a lifestyle point of view.

“There’s a lot to learn and take in. I’m still really enjoying it. I don’t look too far ahead as things can change and circumstances can change. I don’t think it’d be wise to look too far into the future.”

On Saturday evening Kerry set out against Clare in the start of this summer’s journey.

That morning O’Connor and his Geelong team-mates go up against Sydney Swans, who will have Colin O’Riordan in their line-up.

Still linked to home but plotting his own sporting path now.

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

Click Here: cheap adidas originals shoes

PETER KEANE WELCOMES back forwards Paul Geaney and James O’Donoghue to his starting line-up as Kerry take on Clare in this Saturday’s Munster SFC semi-final [throw-in 7pm].

The Kingdom look to put the disappointment of March’s league final defeat to Mayo behind them and have shuffled their pack ahead of this weekend’s game, handing out two championship debuts.

Shane Ryan keeps his place in between the sticks and makes his first championship appearance for Keane’s side.

The injured Peter Crowley is unavailable for this year’s championship campaign, so Tadhg Morley comes in in his place at fullback.

Jason Foley comes in at cornerback, while Tom O’Sullivan keeps his place on the opposite flank.

Jack Sherwood moves out of the fullback line and takes the number six jersey at centreback. Gavin Crowley retains his place in the halfback line, while Shane Enright comes into the starting 15 in place of Paul Murphy.

It’s a new-look midfield with David Moran and Templenoe’s Adrian Spillane in the middle of the park for Kerry.

Click Here: georgia rugby jersey

Diarmuid O’Connor, making his championship debut, is pushed into wing forward, with Sean O’Shea and Stephen O’Brien completing the half-forward line.

David Clifford is the only survivor in the full forwards with O’Donoghue and Dingle’s Geaney – substitutes at Croke Park against the Westerners – coming in in place of Tommy Walsh and Kevin McCarthy.

Among the replacements, Graham O’Sullivan is also in line to make his championship debut this weekend.

Stephen O’Brien retains his place in the starting XV.

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

Kerry team (v Clare)

1. Shane Ryan (Rathmore)

2. Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue)
3. Tadhg Morley (Templenoe)
4. Tom O’Sullivan (Dingle)

5. Gavin Crowley  (Templenoe)
6. Jack Sherwood (Firies)
7. Shane Enright (Tarbert)

8. David Moran (Kerins O’Rahillys)
9. Adrian Spillane (Templenoe)

10. Diarmuid O’Connor (Na Gaeil)
11. Sean O’Shea (Kenmare)
12. Stephen O’Brien (Kenmare)

13. David Clifford (Fossa)
14. Paul Geaney (Dingle)
15. James O’Donoghue (Killarney Legion)

Subs
16. Brian Kelly (Killarney Legion)
17. Mark Griffin (St Michaels/Foilmore)
18. Brian Ó Beaglaíoch (An Ghealtacht)
19. Michael Geaney (Dingle)
20. Graham O’Sullivan (Piarsaigh na Dromoda)
21. Tommy Walsh (Kerins O’Rahillys)
22. Jonathan Lyne (Killarney Legion)
23. Micheál Burns (Dr. Crokes)
24. Robert Wharton (Renard)
25. Conor Geaney (Dingle)
26. Gavin White (Dr. Crokes)

Clare team (v Kerry)

1. Stephen Ryan

2. Gordon Kelly
3. Cillian Brennan
4. Kevin Hartnett

5. Sean Collins
6. Aaron Fitzgerald
7. Dean Ryan

8. Gary Brennan
9. Cathal O’Connor

10. Kieran Malone
11. Eoin Cleary
12. Jamie Malone

13. Cian O’Dea
14. Cormac Murray
15. Gavin Cooney

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

WHEN BERNARD BROGAN felt his cruciate pop during a shoot-around at Dublin training in February 2018, he’d have been forgiven for writing off the remainder of the season.

The veteran forward had featured prominently for Dublin in the opening rounds of last year’s league campaign. A couple of weeks earlier he scored a point and laid on two goals in a seven-point win over Kildare.

He went into 2018 believing it would be his final year as a Dublin player and looked primed to reclaim his starting place. Then disaster struck.

“Last year was tough,” he says. “I was getting ready for a big year and then the injury happened.”

The scans confirmed a full tear of the ACL and Brogan immediately started making plans for his comeback. He considered avoiding surgery and rehabbing his way back to fitness, but that path was fraught with danger.

“I did a lot of research into it and I was thinking about it. I talked to a few good physios about it and they said that there are only a handful of people that survived not getting the surgery.”

The ‘impact’ nature of his injury meant the surgical route was his best option. Michael Darragh Macauley suffered a similar problem with his knee but didn’t go under the knife because of how it came about, Brogan explains.

Click Here: Golf special

“It wasn’t an ‘incident’ (with Macauley) but any time there was an incident the person has broken down (after skipping surgery),” he says.

“I twisted my knee and it rolled and I was like, ‘Oh god I’m injured’. I went and got a scan and whereas Michael Darragh after a session was like, ‘My leg is sore’ and then trained and played the next day, then trained and played. Eventually, he was like, ‘Do you know what? My knee is a bit sore, I need a scan’.

“The research was saying to get it done. I met a load of people and all the smart people were saying get it done,” he says.

So Brogan underwent surgery and immediately targeted a comeback by late summer.

Most professional athletes take around nine months to recover from ACL reconstruction, but Brogan made his competitive return to the field against Roscommon in the Super 8s – just 23 weeks post-surgery.

Bernard Brogan before Dublin played Tyrone in the league.

Source: Oisin Keniry/INPHO

He admits such a quick comeback had its risks, but he had nothing to lose.

“I didn’t think there would be a next year to be honest with you. I literally had the calendar out and I was counting the days through rehab and then I was finding out who has done it, who has done it the quickest and looking internationally to see how many days it took them.

“Then I found out Dan Carter went through it in Santry (Sports Clinic) with me, Josh van der Flier had done his operation the same day as me so I was tracking his recovery and looking what he was doing.

“He didn’t have to get back until September when Leinster were back on so I had all that knocking around my head but I said I had five-and-a-half months until the Roscommon game in the Super 8s. Where I can add value is the Super 8s and that’s where I could potentially add value.

“Those five-and-a-half months were a reasonable time but when I look back I felt like I was 100% for the Roscommon game and then in the semi-final and final I didn’t play in them but I felt like I was 100%.

“I was probably 90% as I was still carrying a bit of limp. I was able to run and my speed was fine, my endurance was fine, my fitness testing was good but the body just wasn’t 100%.”

A return in 23 weeks is an astounding achievement for a sportsman, not least an amateur player with several business interests and a young family at home. Even Jim Gavin sounded caution when he was asked about Brogan’s ability to return inside six months.

“I’ve no doubt we’ll see Bernard back playing again,” the Dublin boss said in March 2018. “But whether that’s in the Dublin jersey this year, we don’t know.”

Brogan makes his comeback from a torn ACL against Roscommon.

Source: Ken Sutton/INPHO

Asked if he returned in record time, Brogan says: “For anyone I know I did, yeah. To play a competitive game. People say it was silly but do you know what? I’ve nothing to lose if I go out.

“I didn’t play a full game, I only came on as a blood sub for five minutes or 10 minutes so I felt like I could have played a bit longer but I didn’t have to put it under a massive strain, so I didn’t come back and play a final for 70 minutes, do you know what I mean?

“I did everything right, did everything I could. Minded the diet, minded the training, did a lot of bike work, I nearly worked on it every day but it was a tough slog. The cruciate is a tough one.”

After his brief cameo against the Rossies, Brogan didn’t log any more minutes in the championship. That was a major frustration. Following discussions with Gavin over the winter, he opted to throw his lot in for one final push in 2019.

“The easy thing would have been to retire and there’s no harm in knowing you put in a great shift but it’s just that hunger for it,” he explains.

“It’s been a personal journey for me this year. I just feel like I have one last drive left.

“I took the whole winter off, I met Jim in early November and we had a good honest chat.

“He portrayed that he felt I could still add something. I said I felt I could add something to the group. And then I went after it.

“I stayed off the grass but I was in the gym most mornings in December. I took an easy Christmas and then came in January and trained really hard all the way with the lads. I would’ve liked a little bit more game-time in the National League but the way it went it was hugely competitive and didn’t have any freebies.

“Jim had to put the best team out every time. That knocked me back a little bit, I would have loved more time. But now I’m back, training away and pushing. I was chatting Jim this morning and I was saying I want in for the next day, I want to be on the 26. We’re going to have football on Sunday and we’re training tonight.

Dublin boss Jim Gavin.

Source: Oisin Keniry/INPHO

“He says he’ll give me the opportunity and that’s all you can ask. He says if he feels that I’m in the pecking order then I’m in. It’s up to me to prove it. Sport is amazing that one opportunity or one ten minutes of good play as a forward and you’ve changed people’s mindsets. So that’s what I’m going to do.”

He’s asked where the drive is coming from to return for another year. Brogan has done it all in the game: won Footballer of the Year, six All-Irelands, four All-Stars – too many honours to list.

Where is that fire coming from?

“It’s just Dublin GAA, being a fan, and loving every bit of it,” he replies. “The energy you get when you burst onto the pitch or when you’re even involved in Croke Park. The atmosphere around it.

“My family is bred in it obviously with my dad, and it’s all I know and I love it.

“I’ve always said that I’ll stay around until I feel like I can’t add any more value or I’m told I can’t add any more value. I never believed that the right way to go was, ‘Now is a good time, I’m actually at the top of the hill, I should ride out into the sunset’.

“I would prefer to be carried out on my shield having given everything and be able to say, ‘You know what, thanks a million, that’s my shift done’.

“That’s what I’m doing and I believe I can still add value and that’s why I’m here. I sat with Jim and he believes there’s a potential role there so that’s good enough for me. All I want to do is play for Dublin and be involved, it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.

“It’s no different because I’ve done it so many times. The hunger doesn’t die, you know.”

He’s visibly shipped a significant amount of weight since last year. Brogan hopes being lighter on his feet will help him when it comes to making an impact during the championship.

Brogan during his one league appearance of 2019 against Cavan.

Source: Declan Roughan/INPHO

He understands his chance will probably come off the bench and he’s determined to make it count. 

“For now it’s about how can I add value for 10 minutes if I get a chance so I need to be super fit.

“I need to have endurance so that at the end of a game what do you want to do? Do you want to be able to take your chances really well when you get them and do you want to be able to get by people and burn people who may be tired markers? Look what Kevin Mac (McManamon) has done for Dublin over the years.

“Massive energy, fitness and pace to burn lads in games and get by them to create an opportunity, so I’m looking at that opportunity, that 10 or 15 minutes that I may hopefully get at some stage, how can I be the best that I can be for that stage?

“So actually, last year if I was playing a game, you’d carb load, you build up and I’d be kind of 86kg coming into it in good nick, 100% carb loaded going into a match.

“Now, I’m about 82kg so about 4kg lighter, carbed up ready and fit and ready to go for a match. So that just means I have four less bags of sugar to carry around with me.

“I want to be super sharp then on the strikes, so I’m just practising kicking on the run, kicking on the run making sure I’m striking it really well so that I am building myself to be a 15/20 minute man and then if I do that well, if I get an opportunity to play, great.

“But I am trying to build so that I can add value for that one incident do you know what I mean? I’m not trying to build to be a 70-minute man because that’s not what I am going to be.

“So, just a different way of looking at things, just trying to get myself into the role that potentially I would be able to offer instead of saying I am going to carb load or I’m going to time myself in a game to have the energy for 50 minutes to peak.

“My diet and everything, for 20 minutes I’m going to burn 20 minutes worth of energy in my body for a game.

“All those little things that might just make me be good if I get that chance. That’s what I am telling Jim anyway so I hope he’s listening.”

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

A FEATURE OF Clare’s opening round Munster SHC victory over Waterford two weeks ago was Shane O’Donnell’s strong performance, despite his absence during the league.

O’Donnell returned from his eight-month stint in Harvard as part of his PhD studies prior to the championship and showed no signs of rust in the 1-20 to 0-22 victory at Walsh Park.

He turned over a Deise defender to set-up John Conlon for the game’s only goal in the opening quarter and was a menace throughout.

O’Donnell’s partnership with Conlon in the full-forward line is central to the Banner’s gameplan, where Podge Collins withdraws to the half-forward line to leave the dangerous duo with plenty of space inside.

Collins had no concerns that the Eire Og star, who famously scored 3-3 in the 2013 All-Ireland final, would return to the county set-up out of shape.

“He came back in great condition in fairness to him,” he says.

“A lot of people go away for six months from sport where you’ve got an S&C coach, nutritionist and coaching staff but Shane looked after himself very well. I had no doubts that he wouldn’t come back in any other way than he did.

“He came back in better shape probably than he left. He’s a good level of maturity. He’s 25, it’s not like you’re sending a 19-year-old over to America.

“He knew going over there he couldn’t do the dog on it but I don’t know if he’ll thank me for saying this but he’s a celiac as well so he eats very carefully.

O’Donnell in action against Waterford in the first round of the Munster SHC.

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

“That probably helps as well to be honest because you can’t just go for burger and chips which is very convenient when you’re in Boston.

“He had to look after himself and he did and he came back in good shape.”

Collins himself has enjoyed something of a renaissance. He agrees last summer was his best season since Clare’s Liam MacCarthy Cup win six years ago.

Click Here: cheap parramatta eels jersey

Injury, suspension, a stint as a dual county player and one season solely spent with the footballers were all factors, but he’s firmly back to his best and Clare are among the frontrunners to win this year’s All-Ireland.

“I think we played a nice style of hurling and we were consistent,” he says of last season. “Galway were very strong against us and we started both games very well.

“We were chasing our tails for the first 20 or 30 minutes but when we got into those games I thought they were very good games of hurling for the spectator and to be involved in.

“Unfortunately we came out the wrong side of the result but it was definitely progress and hopefully we’ll build on that next year.”

Clare football manager Colm Collins.

Source: Lorraine O’Sullivan/INPHO

It’s a busy weekend in the Collins household with Podge facing Tipperary on Sunday, while his father Colm manages the Clare footballers against Kerry in the Munster semi-final on Saturday.

“You’ve got this group of players: Gary Brennan, Gordon Kelly, Cathal O’Connor and Kevin Hartnett, and just what they give for training and what they put into Clare GAA is just unbelievable,” he says of his father’s squad.

“They’re role models, there’s no doubt about it. The amount of effort they put in, it’s no surprise that they’ve done as well as they have done to get to where they are. There is another level. There’s a jump up.

“It’s very hard to make it. When you look at counties like Kerry and Dublin, it’s very hard to close that gap. Over the last ten years, they’ve just been on another level really.”

The clash between the Premier and Clare last summer saw Jake Morris crashed a shot off the post in the 65th minute. Within seconds, the Banner counter-attacked and Collins released Colm Galvin who rattled the net to cut Tipp’s advantage to a single point.

It was a defining moment in the championship.

Six Point Swing! Jake Morris from Tipperary hits the post, Clare go down the field and score a fine goal through Ian Galvin. pic.twitter.com/dXb3nUQaJV

— The GAA (@officialgaa) June 10, 2018

In the space of 18 seconds, Tipperary went from almost moving seven clear to seeing their advantage reduced to the minimum. Clare would go on to win the game thanks to a score from Collins and two from Peter Duggan.  They advanced from Munster while Tipperary crashed out in the round-robin. Fine margins.

“To be honest you don’t really think about much when you’re looking out on the field,” says Collins.

“I didn’t really realise how close that ball was to going in. I saw Jake Morris getting the ball by himself and I’m like, ‘Oh no’. And the next thing the ball is in John Conlon’s hand and I’m just running as hard as I can. 

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

WHEN THE KERRY team to face Clare was announced last night, the full-forward line had a formidable look to it.

Peter Keane named potent scorers David Clifford, Paul Geaney and James O’Donoghue as his three inside attackers for tomorrow’s Munster semi-final.

O’Donoghue has struggled with injuries since his outstanding Footballer of the Year campaign of 2014, but remains an excellent talent.

If he can stay fit and string together a run of games, there are few defences in the country capable of dealing with the scoring power of that trio, while Tommy Walsh provides Keane with an aerial threat off the bench.

Geaney, Clifford and O’Donoghue are all versatile players, with the latter two well capable of dropping deep and acting as creators as well as scorers.

“If it is David and James either side of me, I could play one role with them one day and a different role the next day just because the way the game is developing in front of you,” says Geaney of his partnership with Clifford and O’Donoghue.

They’re the same, they’re fairly open to playing different roles. David can play full-forward and so can James and both of them can go out to the 40 and win ball there or pass ball in.

“As it is, we’re developing our tackling a lot and they’re getting better at tackling as I am. We’re going well on all those facets of the game.

Click Here: st george illawarra dragons rugby store

“Usually, we just play the game that’s in front of us rather than playing a certain way for each other. That just happens.

“If it’s Tommy inside full-forward, I’m just slipping out to the corner and playing the corner-forward’s role rather than full-forward so that’s just me changing to a corner-forward, it’s easy enough.”

Kerry’s David Clifford and James O’Donoghue ahead of ther league final against Mayo.

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

With Donie Buckley on board this year as coach, Geaney says the Kingdom forwards and squad as a whole have spent a good deal of time working on their tackling in recent months.

Buckley was often credited as being the brains behind Mayo’s high-pressing game in over the past few seasons. He left the Connacht side during the winter and was quickly snapped up by Keane after his appointment as Kerry boss.

“We’ve done a lot of work, a lot of technique work and there’s been huge improvements this year, I can see it already,” explains Geaney. “We’re not leaving lazy hands in anymore.

“Obviously, there’s going to be the odd time you foul intentionally and then sometimes you’re just caught fouling but there’s been massive leaps in the tackling with Donie’s drills and the emphasis he puts on the tackle.

You could see it in Mayo how good they were in the tackle over the last few years, that was all Donie. Well, I would imagine that was all Donie with the amount of work he does on it.

“Hopefully we can carry that out in the championship and bring that technique to games where sometimes before we’ve been caught guilty and conceding scorable frees that have cost us or not turning over enough ball in the forward line that is making you dangerous up front,” he continues.

“Hopefully, we can bring those techniques we’re doing in sessions into games. I think we will because it’s very visible to me how much we’ve improved in the tackle. I think people might be surprised at how good Kerry are in the tackle this year. ”

The statistics show that turnovers in attack lead to high percentage scoring chances and Geaney believes it’s an area Kerry where have improved greatly in the lead-up to the championship.

“It’s like any skill, it’s just the repetition of it. There’s no doubt we did tackling lots of times before but it’s just a repetition of the technique and repetition of your stance.

It’s like boxing, being conscious of it all the time and making it a focal point rather than an also, ‘Ah we have to tackle too’.

“You have to tackle and you have to do whatever else. I think it will be very evident in us this year, the work we put into the tackle,” he adds.

“The time teams are probably least likely to be conscious of being attacked is when they have the ball. Once a team gets turned over you can see how long it takes for the mindset to change from attack to defence so if you do that in the back line, it’s easy to attack because everyone is going to shoot forward.

Kingdom coach Donie Buckley

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

” Whereas, how many guys on the opposition team are going to turn around and shoot back? Even if you are a back, it’s probably less likely. There’s scores to be got if you turnover up front, everyone knows that. Implementing it then is the thing.”

Keane named four debutants to start tomorrow, showing faith with the youngsters who impressed during their run to the league final.

While Geaney is confident Kerry will deliver All-Ireland titles over the next decade with all the talent coming through, the 28-year-old holds a shorter-term view.

I think if the talent is there then you can be going straight away, and the talent is there. But it’s about getting the mix right and getting everything else right.

“There’s a lot of moving parts and it’s not about just going out and scoring, you have to defend and making sure you’re not conceding. There’s so many different things, kick-outs, restarts, midfield battles and match-ups as well.

“There’s a lot to go into the mix. If it was just talent versus talent of course you’d expect you could beat anyone but that’s not the way it works unfortunately. There’s a lot of hard work in the meantime and luck and all the rest.

“I would see Kerry back winning All-Irelands of course, when that will be I’m not sure I’d hope it’s sooner rather than later. The clock is ticking on our older guys at the moment so you’d be hoping it’ll be sooner rather than later.”

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

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

Click Here: france national rugby union team jersey