William Creighton knows there's no room for error at Donegal International Rally
Moira man Creighton and his Belfast co-driver Liam Regan have landed a starting place for the fourth round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship in their Toyota Gazoo Racing Yaris Rally2 thanks to ongoing support from sponsors and the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy.
The pair tackled the event 12 months ago, albeit on opposite sides of the car and purely for fun, but this time around, they return expecting to challenge many of the top Rally2 seeds, including defending Champion Callum Devine (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), the Moffett brothers — Sam and Josh — and Jon Armstrong, who arrives fresh from a podium finish in Poland as part of his FIA European Rally Championship campaign.
Added spice comes in the form of New Zealander and two-time FIA European Rally Champion Hayden Paddon, who is deputising for Matt Edwards in a C&M Motorsport-run Hyundai i20 N Rally2.
'The pace at the front of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship is very strong,' said Creighton, who makes his first competitive outing as a driver on Irish soil since the West Cork Rally last March. 'There is no room for error, and it is important to find a good rhythm from the beginning of the rally — but that is what makes the Donegal Rally such a brilliant challenge.
'This is a rally that I have always wanted to contest in a Rally2 car — it is such a special event for Irish rallying, and the atmosphere is second to none. To be competing on such an iconic event, on home ground, with the support of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy and in the Castrol GR Yaris really means a lot.
'I think Donegal will be a huge test, not just because of the pace of the competition, but the intensity of the rally and how much the local knowledge comes into play. I did the rally last year, but in the co-driver's seat of Liam's Skoda — this will be a world away from that. Either way, I am really looking forward to enjoying the weekend and putting on a show for the fans.'
Creighton's appearance at the Letterkenny-based event is also going to serve as a useful warm-up for the next asphalt round of the Probite British Rally Championship, which the 27-year-old has made winning the priority this season. After the first three rounds, he provisionally leads the way with Castrol MEM Rally team-mate Meirion Evans.
Next up in the BRC is August's Grampian Forest Stages Rally before the action switches to Rali Ceredigion in Wales.
'This is a great opportunity for me, both in terms of contesting such an iconic rally and in staying sharp during the gap in the BRC schedule,' was Creighton's assessment.
'Three days in Donegal offers very useful seat-time ahead of our next asphalt BRC round at Rali Ceredigion later in the summer.
'It is a huge boost to be back behind the wheel and to do it on Irish soil, I am grateful to the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy and the team for making it happen.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
34 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Don't know how funny that gag is – Sione Tuipulotu laughs off ‘Aussie' dig
'Another Aussie at number 12, Sione Tuipulotu,' was how the Scotland centre was introduced when the team was read out for the Lions' opening match on Australian soil. Sione Tuipulotu made his presence felt against Western Force (Trevor Collens/AP) Mack Hansen, James Lowe and Pierre Schoeman were also referenced by the nation of their birth rather than their adopted country, for whom they have qualified either through residency or family heritage. It continued a theme from the hosts that began when Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt described Tuipulotu and New Zealand-born Ireland international Bundee Aki as a 'southern-hemisphere centre partnership' in the build-up to the defeat by Argentina in Dublin. Tuipulotu emphasised the words 'good humour' when brushing aside the jibes that he expected on his return Down Under. 'I knew there would be some 'good humour' coming back home to Australia. These are all things we've got to take in our stride,' he said. 'To not announce the elephant in the room, I am from Australia. I was born here. I don't know how funny that gag is to everyone! Scotland's Sione Tuipulotu, left, and head coach Gregor Townsend celebrate after November's win over Australia (Andrew Milligan/PA) 'I'm loving my rugby playing for the Lions and I'm really passionate about it. Andy's brought the group together so well.' The victory in Perth exposed several shortcomings such as a high penalty count and creaking set-piece, but there was also much to admire in the attacking exuberance that produced eight classy tries. Tougher tests than the Force await on tour but combined with the evidence gathered from the Aviva Stadium eight days earlier, Farrell's Lions are clearly keen to keep the ball alive – and on this occasion the passes stuck. Finn Russell was at the heart of onslaught in his first outing of the tour and the Scot's instinctive play drew approval from Farrell, who declared: 'He's ready to go. And that's good.' Tuipulotu, who expects to be firing by the Test series as he continues his comeback from a significant ankle injury, said: 'We're taking ideas from all the nations. 'Obviously, the coaching style is very Ireland dominant and there are a lot of ideas that we're getting from the Irish coaches, but then those ideas are being sprinkled on. 'When Finn comes in, he plays his style. He plays to the structure of the team, but he's a very instinctive player and he wants to play what's directly in front of his face. 'There's a mixture there and that's what's going to make it hard to defend for opposition teams. 'They're not necessarily defending a structure of play, they're defending a structure of play with really supreme individuals conducting it like Finn. 'Finn's a world-class number 10 and he's been here, been there, done that. He's come off a really good season after winning the Premiership with Bath and I thought him and Tomos Williams controlled the game really well. 'We're still growing, there's a lot of growth left in us but the identity at least, you could see how we try to play the game out there.'
Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
Tomos Williams gets rave reviews from British and Irish media as everyone says the same thing
Tomos Williams gets rave reviews from British and Irish media as everyone says the same thing Tomos Williams started very well but was forced from the field with an injury. British and Irish Lions' player Tomos Williams (L) dives to score a try (Image: Getty Images ) Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams has received rave reviews from the British and Irish media after his performance against Western Force, leaving everyone hoping his injury doesn't rule him out of action. The British and Irish Lions played the Super Rugby side in the first touring match on Australian soil, with Williams the starting scrum-half. Despite Force starting well against the Lions, aided by a number of high quality internationals like Nic White and Ben Donaldson, Andy Farrell's outfit were ultimately too strong for them. The Lions scored eight tries, with former Cardiff Rugby man Williams grabbing two of them. Williams was the sole Welshman in the match day squad, with Farrell switching up selection for the second game of the 2025 tour, as Jac Morgan dropped out of the game day collective. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. The Gloucester Rugby number nine certainly flew the flag for Wales, producing a superb performance in Lions red. However, he clutched his hamstring following the second score, which led to him being withdrawn from the field. England international Jack van Poortvliet previously trained with the Lions after Jamison Gibson-Park's injury with Leinster, and is currently with England in Argentina for their summer tour, so is an option for Farrell. Reports this morning, however, suggest Scotland's Ben White is on standby. Despite only playing just over half the match, he has earned some positive reviews from the media Article continues below an Irish publication, gave Williams a 9/10 for his performance. A wayward box-kick was recognised, but his game as a whole outweighed the negatives for them. "Nice support line got him a try, on 16 minutes," they wrote. "Teamed up with Lowe, up the right wing, for a brilliant second try." MailOnline gave him a 7/10 and described him as a "Test contender if fit". "His injury scare will worry the Lions coaches. Scored two tries, tidy box-kicking and maintained attacking tempo," read the MailOnline rating. Sir Clive Woodward, the 2005 Lions coach, also hopes the injury isn't as bad as feared. "I was really impressed by Williams," he said in the Mail. "So I hope the fact he limped off after his second try with a hamstring problem isn't a serious injury." The Daily Express also noted how Williams added tempo to the Lions, giving him an 8/10. The Telegraph handed out another 7/10 for his efforts, while recognising the Welshman's box-kicking "wasn't always on the money". "Everyone will be hoping the apparent hamstring injury is not too serious because Williams is electric as he showed with his two excellent tries," wrote The Telegraph. Planet Rugby praised Finn Russell and Williams as a half-back partnership. "Russell and Williams treated us to an inspirational display of playing off both nine and ten, the same system that Bath thrive upon and one that changes the point of attack and the phase continuity to confuse the very best blitz defences," they wrote. They added: "The Lions yanked him off after his try as the Welshman showed a tight hamstring, but he laid down a serious marker for Test selection." Ireland lock Joe McCarthy had a stormer against Force and his contributions have been acknowledge by the press. The Telegraph gave him a big 9/10, stating he has taken a "massive step towards the Test team". The Times went on to state McCarthy had "locked down his Test spot" following a performance epitomised by his physicality and threat at the breakdown. Article continues below "Joe McCarthy delivered from first to last. In the final quarter of the game he was still stealing lineouts, still picking and carrying, still popping up at breakdowns as the first scrum half, skilfully maintaining the late momentum," wrote The Times. Finn Russell, James Lowe and Henry Pollock also received positive reviews from the press. Speaking about Pollock, Planet Rugby wrote: "His chip, chase and regather was a real high of his game while he kept the Force defence honest with his running lines and aggressive carries. He was busy defensively too. The bolter has really laid down a marker for the Test squad in his first two games. An outrageous performance."
Scotsman
20 hours ago
- Scotsman
How the Scots rated in Lions' big win over Western Force as injury causes concern
Russell composed and creative as tourists score eight tries in first match in Australia Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A convincing start for the British and Irish Lions down under produced eight tries and a half century of points but the most pleasing aspect from a Scottish point of view was the performance of Finn Russell. The stand-off burnished his Test credentials with a clever and imaginative 60-minute outing in Perth where he was at the heart of the tourists' best moments against Western Force. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The hosts were spirited opponents in the first half but couldn't live with the Lions after the break as the composite side ran out 54-7 winners. It wasn't all sweetness and light for the Lions. They botched a number of restarts and conceded nine penalties, six of them in the first 40 minutes. They also lost two-try scrum-half Tomos Williams to a hamstring injury which will be a concern for head coach Andy Farrell. It may also alert Scotland's Ben White, a potential replacement who is currently in New Zealand with Gregor Townsend's squad. Finn Russell (R) and Sione Tuipulotu of the British & Irish Lions celebrate after their victory during the tour match against the Western Force at the Optus Stadium in Perth. | Getty Images Back in Perth, there was also a try double for full-back Elliot Daly as Dan Sheehan, Garry Ringrose, Joe McCarthy and Alex Mitchell scored the other tries. Nic White, the Wallabies scrum-half, countered early on for Force. McCarthy, Daly, Mack Hansen and Henry Pollock were all stand-outs in red at Optus Stadium and Russell was the creative fulcrum. He was also a physical influence, disrupting the home side's attack, particularly during a frenetic first quarter when Western Force were at their disruptive best, roared on by 46,000 supporters. Russell's discreet hand signal paved way for third try This is Russell's third Lions tour and, at 32, it could be his last. He got a taste of the Test team in the decider against the Springboks four years ago after injury disrupted his time in South Africa but this feels like his moment. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He took two minutes to make an impact against Force, executing a perfect kick-pass to Sheehan who was loitering on the right wing. It is the sort of move Russell makes looks easy and it opened things up nicely for the Irish hooker. The Lions captain for the night popped it back to James Lowe who returned the favour with a smart offload out the back for Sheehan to score the opening try. Russell added the extra two points, his first of five successful conversions. White hit back immediately for the hosts after the Lions lost possession at the restart and Ben Donaldson's conversion evened things up at 7-7. There followed some shaky moments for the Lions. They gave away four penalties in the opening four minutes and were warned by referee Ben O'Keeffe but they weather the storm and a great break from Pollock helped reestablish their lead. The youngest Lion on tour exchanged passes with Josh van der Flier, raced away and then had the awareness to find the supporting Williams who scored. At this point, things became turgid for the Lions and Western Force were enjoying more possession and territory. It took another moment of Russell inspiration to put the tourists in the driving seat. With Force expecting him to kick a penalty, Russell gave a discreet hand signal to his team-mates, tapped and sped towards the line. He was stopped short but managed to offload to Daly for the try. Getty Images Pollock's celebrations in front of the Force players sparked a brief melee and he was yellow-carded soon after but the Lions went in at the turn 21-7 ahead and never looked back. Three tries in an eight-minute spell early in the second half took the game away from the Australians and the Lions' strength from the bench meant they dominated. Williams got his second try but injured his hamstring in the process and Ringrose and McCarthy also got on the scoresheet as the Lions moved 40-7 in front. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A Lions debut for Huw Jones Huw Jones came on for his Lions debut and linked up with Sione Tuipulotu in the centre. Jones has been nursing a persistent Achilles injury since the Six Nations but looked sprightly as he intercepted a White pass and chased his own kick. He and Tuipulotu then combined nicely with a move straight out of Scotstoun but Jones was tackled just short. Tuipulotu, who started at inside centre, was busy but not quite as influential as he had been during the send-off match against Argentina in Dublin when he had been at 13. It would be nice to see him starting alongside Jones and that opportunity should soon arise, with the Lions due to play Queensland Reds in Brisbane on Wednesday and then the Waratahs in Sydney next Saturday. Getty Images The other starting Scots were in the pack. Edinburgh prop Pierre Schoeman was part of a scrum that struggled at times but looked dangerous in the loose, while Glasgow lock Scott Cummings was culpable during the first-half restarts but was solid in the lineout. Russell made way for Marcus Smith just after the hour mark and the Lions ran in two more tries in the final 10 minutes. Daly nabbed his second after being played in by Smith following good work by the Lions pack and then Mitchell scored the final try with the clock in the red following some smart handling by Daly, Tuipulotu and Hansen. Smith converted both. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It was a satisfactory evening for Farrell, a big improvement on the Argentina game which was lost 28-24, with a caveat around the standard of the opposition. Western Force finished ninth of 11 teams in the Super Rugby standings, winning just four of their 14 games, but they did field six current Wallabies against the Lions. White, their extravagantly moustachioed scrum-half, said he had wanted to 'bash and bruise' the tourists ahead of the Test series. Williams' injury excepted, the Lions came through relatively unscathed and looking a lot more cohesive than they had in Dublin. With Russell at the helm, they will roll on to Brisbane in good spirits. Teams and scorers Scorers: Western Force: Try: White. Con: Donaldson. Lions: Tries: Sheehan, Williams 2, Daly 2, Ringrose, McCarthy, Mitchell. Cons: Russell 5, M Smith 2. Yellow card: Pollock (Lions, 40min). Western Force: B Donaldson; M Grealy, M Proctor, H Stewart, D Pietsch; A Harford, N White (capt); T Robertson, B Paenga-Amosa, O Hoskins, S Carter, D Swain, W Harris, N Champion de Crespigny, V Ekuasi. Replacements: T Horton, M Pearce, T Tauakipulu, L Faifua, R Prinsep, H Robertson, M Burey, B Kuenzie. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad British and Irish Lions: E Daly; M Hansen, G Ringrose, S Tuipulotu, J Lowe; F Russell, T Williams; P Schoeman, D Sheehan (capt), T Furlong, S Cummings, J McCarthy, T Beirne, J Van der Flier, H Pollock. Replacements: R Kelleher, A Porter, W Stuart, O Chessum, J Conan, A Mitchell, H Jones, M Smith. Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (NZ).
