'I'm more than happy' - Logan on recovery from stroke
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Andy Farrell has ignored the old adage of 'if ain't broke don't fix it' with his Lions selection for the second Test against Australia, it's hard to justify Bundee Aki's inclusion at the expense of Sione Tuipulotu, writes CHRIS FOY
Amid all the deserved acclaim for Garry Ringrose's honesty about suffering concussion symptoms, a Lions selection gamble was partially hidden, but it was a shock all the same. As word began to circulate in the morning here that both Scotland centres, Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones, were being left out and replaced by their Irish counterparts, there was a mood of incredulity and disbelief. Why? It had worked a treat. Tuipulotu scored a try in Brisbane, Jones so nearly scored one of his own and he helped create another. They dovetailed beautifully with compatriot Finn Russell, as usual. Their performances helped the Lions take a 1-0 series lead. Eventually, when the selection for the second Test was officially announced, Jones was in there at 13 again, alongside Bundee Aki. Cue confusion. What was going on? It emerged that head coach Andy Farrell had picked Aki and Ringrose together, until the latter finished training and - following a case of concussion already on this tour - admitted to experiencing a headache. His candour meant he had to be stood down, sensibly, so Jones was reprieved. If he hadn't been, he would have been one of the unluckiest Lions in recent history. The official explanation for the removal of Tuipulotu, the Scotland captain, was that he had a tight hamstring, but it became apparent that he was going to be demoted anyway, as all the rumours had suggested. 'Bundee's well able,' said Farrell. 'That type of combination is something we certainly would have trusted anyway.' So, was it Tuipulotu's tight hamstring which led to the selection change at inside centre? 'No, not initially,' said the head coach - matching Ringrose's honesty. 'It all comes into the equation.' Asked about the midfield combination he has ended up with, Farrell added: 'They'll be good. Bundee and Huw will hit it off exactly like any other type of partnership.' But that is no certainty. The pair have only started together once - against the Reds in Brisbane on July 2. The old adage 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' has been chased out of town. There is a widespread perception that Farrell wanted to deploy the Aki-Ringrose double-act all along, but circumstances conspired against him, when the latter suffered a head knock against the Brumbies in Canberra on July 9. On balance, it was deemed sensible to reunite the Scots at Suncorp Stadium last weekend and they did their duty well, but the writing was on the wall anyway. There were echoes of the 2013 Lions tour here when team news was being digested and debated this time. Farrell has defaulted to the Irish players he knows - nine of them in the starting XV - just as Warren Gatland went into full-scale Welsh mode for the series decider a dozen years ago. His decision to select 10 players from the Principality for that tour finale in Sydney unleashed a tide of toxic Irish outrage, when the great Brian O'Driscoll was replaced by Jonathan Davies on legitimate form grounds. Some icons of the sport in Ireland accused Gatland of betraying 'the whole ethos of the Lions', before they stormed to a 41-16 victory, to win the series 2-1. This is no betrayal, nothing of the sort, but it is hard to justify the plan to overhaul the heart of the back line, which has left the Lions with a half Irish, half Scottish cut-and-shut job in midfield. Unless his hamstring was troubling him so much that he couldn't be considered, Tuipulotu deserved to play again. There is no room for sentiment in selection, but he duly misses out on an emotional home-coming appearance in front of extended family in Melbourne, where he grew up. If it ain't broke… The Glasgow centre has an innate understanding with Russell and Jones. While the argument is that the Lions have been in camp long enough now to have all grown accustomed to each other, they repeatedly spoke about a lack of training time during the hectic, two-games-per-week phase of this tour. Then all the focus was on the Tuipulotu-Jones alliance being prepared for the series opener after Ringrose's head knock spoiled the plan of deploying him with Aki. These are two of the preferred men. All coaches have them, of course. Ireland head coach Farrell now has nine Irishmen in his XV and it was 10 before Ringrose's honest declaration which forced a late reshuffle. Aki was picked in the match-day squad last week when his familiar midfield partner was unavailable, came on for Tuipulotu with more than a quarter of the game remaining and made very little impact as the Lions lost momentum, but he's in. He is a thunderous carrier and breakdown threat, but he cannot match the attacking repertoire of the Scotland captain; a superior distributor who also has an effective kicking game. Some of the Leinster and Ireland contingent are earning a lot of leeway on this trip, not least James Lowe, who has somehow been retained on the left wing after his erratic performance in Brisbane maintained an extended pattern on this tour. He has a powerful left boot, but no form to speak of. Granted, there are limited options as Mack Hansen - who was on a roll - is still injured and Daly went home early, but Blair Kinghorn could have been worth the risk out wide.
BreakingNews.ie
an hour ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Kerry v Donegal: All you need to know ahead of the All-Ireland football final
One of the biggest days of the Irish sporting calendar is ahead of us this weekend, as Kerry take on Donegal in the All-Ireland football final. In the first year of the new rules, it has been a season to remember, with entertaining games and attacking play bringing more eyes to the game. Advertisement Now in the last weekend of July, only two teams remain, with Jack O'Connor hoping to win his fourth All-Ireland as Kerry manager, as they face Jim McGuinness and Donegal, who last won the All-Ireland in 2012. Here is all you need to know ahead of Sunday's game in Croke Park. When is Kerry v Donegal? Kerry v Donegal in the All-Ireland final in on Sunday, July 27th, with throw in at 3:30pm. How can I watch the All-Ireland final? The All-Ireland final will be shown live on RTÉ Two and BBC Two NI. For those not living in Ireland, live coverage will be shown on GAA+. Advertisement Form guide It has been a long season for both teams, who have had their challenges to overcome to reach Sunday's final. While Kerry won the Munster title once again, defeat to Meath in the group stages meant an extra game in the preliminary quarter-finals against Cavan, which set up a quarter-final against Armagh. In a repeat of the semi-final they lost last season, Kerry put in their best performance of the season to win, and set up a semi-final against Tyrone. Jack O'Connor's side never looked like losing the semi-final, as they reached their third final in four years. Advertisement For Donegal, their championship started with a preliminary Ulster quarter-final win over Derry. Hard fought wins over Monaghan and Down followed, before they had to dig deep against Armagh to win a second consecutive Ulster title after extra-time. A hard group in the All-Ireland followed, with a defeat to Tyrone not the start they were looking for/ After bouncing back with a win against Cavan, a last second win over Mayo put Donegal in the preliminary quarter-finals, where they defeated Louth. Monaghan were once again standing in front of them, and after a difficult first half, McGuinness' side rallied in the second half to make the last four. After a competitive first half against Meath, Donegal showed they had too much and were comfortable winners.
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
NIFL set for two-tier restructure for 2026-27
The Northern Ireland Football League has announced a restructure for the 2026-27 season. NIFL is the body that runs the Irish Premiership, Championship and Premier Intermediate Leagues - the top three divisions in Northern Ireland which each contain 12 teams. However, a restructure will see an expanded 16-team Championship formed and bring an end to the Premier Intermediate League for the 2026-27 a National Conference League will be formed for tiers three to five of the football pyramid in Northern structure of the Irish Premiership will remain unchanged and NIFL says the goal is to have five divisions of 12 teams within "three to four years".At the end of the 2025-26 season, there will be no relegation from the Championship and the top four teams from the Premier Intermediate League will be promoted to the second tier for the restructure. The remaining teams will be part of the National Conference says the move is an "evolution" and chief operating officer Steven Mills said it came as a result of both Irish FA and NIFL strategies. "I believe they create a clear performance pathway for ambitious clubs, while also challenging existing clubs to further develop and progress," said Mills."A lot of work from key stakeholders has gone into this, and we thank them all for their input, most importantly our clubs. "This also further highlights the urgent need for the NI Football Fund to come to fruition and for increased investment to continue growing the game, as our clubs continue to face the evolving challenges and needs of their communities."In addition to the restructure, the NIFL board has a new Professional Game Ground Criteria, which is a five-year plan to raise standards across the Premiership and Championship.
