WORLD OF RUGBY: Flying George Ford should be a shoo-in for Lions duty - he is redefining the concept of a bolter and Andy Farrell has a dilemma among his other fly-halves, writes CHRIS FOY
This is about George Ford, who is creating a very public headache for Andy Farrell and his assistants. The veteran playmaker probably wasn't on their radar at all a month ago, but he is making himself impossible to ignore now, ahead of the selection announcement on May 8, for the tour of Australia.
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The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
This Open belonged to Rory McIlroy, even if he wasn't the winner this time
The loyalist bands were out in force in Portrush on Saturday evening, for a two-hour parade that shut down all the traffic in and out of town. The R&A did its best to funnel the paying spectators in the other direction as they walked off the course, but there were still plenty of bewildered golf fans who got caught up in it all. I was one of them myself. While I wouldn't want to contradict the organisers' description of it as a 'cultural extravaganza', if I had one note to pass on it may be that these sorts of local folk traditions go over better with the tourists when they don't have sectarian overtones and a heavy police presence. On the links, there was a different side of Ireland on show. Northern or Southern, Nationalist or Unionist, Catholic or Protestant, whatever else divides the 300,000-odd people who attended in the past week, they were all united in collective yearning to see Rory McIlroy make that next birdie. They were packed four, five, six deep when McIlroy walked out for his final round at two in the afternoon, the crowd stretched all down the fairway and around the green. There must have been 10,000 people at that one hole, every one of them joined in a silent communion as he lined up his opening drive. You've heard how much people here love McIlroy, you've read how much people here love McIlroy, and you've seen how much people here love McIlroy, but in all honesty you can't really understand the strength of their feeling until you've walked the course with him. Just ask his playing partner, Matt Fitzpatrick. 'I've heard enough 'Rorys' to last me a lifetime.' And the rest. 'I love you Rory,' screamed a girl on the 2nd. 'I named my eldest child after you Rory,' shouted a man on the 5th. There were a hundred or so people up top on the great big dune that backs on to the beach by the 7th tea, waiting all day to get a free peek at him as he came past. This has been McIlroy's Open and he didn't even win the thing. The two were tied inextricably in the minds of everyone in the country who was following the tournament, so the first thing anyone wants to know whenever you mention you're at the Open is whether or not you saw Rory, and the next thing anyone says whenever the competition comes up in conversation is whether he's in contention. He was playing in the penultimate group, but you would never have guessed it from the way the crowd swelled around him. They surged from one hole to the next to keep up with him, so that behind him Scottie Scheffler often arrived at the green in time to find everyone turning away. All those hours in the gym mean McIlroy's got broad shoulders, but it's a hell of a weight he's carrying. It was too much for him the first time he played in the Open at Portrush in 2019, but it has been a joy to see him revel in it in the past week. He seems to have enjoyed every minute of playing here. 'I think I feel a lot of gratitude and a lot of pride,' he said. 'A lot of pride that I am from these shores, and with the way I've played and advocated for this little country.' It was clear early as the 1st green that it wasn't going to be his day. You could even say it was obvious as early as Friday evening, when Scheffler shot to the top of the leaderboard. The man has a way of making the game inevitable once he's in that position. Death, taxes and Scheffler making the most of a winning position. It would have taken something magical to catch the world No 1 and well as he was playing McIlroy just didn't have his conjuring touch. It was a round of nearlys and not quites, from the 40ft birdie putt that just stayed up on the 1st, to the 34ft birdie putt that passed only a millimetre wide on the 7th. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion He was honest enough to admit that he was never going to get to the 17 under he would have needed to catch Scheffler. He wound up in seventh, 10 under and seven shots back: '8, 9, and 10 were the ones that killed me. I could have maybe finished second, which would have been better, but only making par off those tee shots on 8 and 9 and then the double bogey at 10 did me in.' He had a rueful grin on his face as he made the last long walk up to the 18th green. 'It's been an amazing week, I feel so thankful and just so lucky that I get to do this, I get to do this in front of this crowd,' he said. 'I've gotten everything I wanted out of this week. Apart from a Claret Jug.' By his own reckoning, hehas got two shots left at it. 'Hopefully I'll have one or two Opens left here, if the R&A decide to keep coming back, probably one while I'm still competitive, and another one while I'm more grey than I already am.'
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Ireland win opening T20 against Zimbabwe
First Twenty20 International, DublinIreland 118-4 (16.5 overs) Lewis 67, Chigora 2-18, Chipare 1-19Zimbabwe 117-9 (20 overs) Mugeri-Tiripano 42, Murray 3-19, Kelly 2-10Ireland win by six wicketsIreland Women produced a strong display to beat Zimbabwe Women by six wickets in their opening Twenty20 International at Sydney Parade in captain Gaby Lewis won the toss and opted to bowl first, with Ireland making a good start as Orla Prendergast claimed a wicket in the third ball of the wickets continued to tumble as Cara Murray took three, Arlene Kelly claimed two and debutant Lara McBride got one to get Llyod Tennant's side off to a flying ended 117-9 which Ireland managed to chase down by the 17th over having lost just four wickets of their own in a fine batting Lewis finished with 67 runs, becoming the first woman to pass 4,000 runs across all formats for Ireland in the history was made by teenager Amy Hunter, who with her nine runs, passed 1,000 T20I runs for her country. Ireland will now look to win the series in the second T20 international which takes place on Tuesday.
BreakingNews.ie
2 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
In photos: Tipperary claim first All-Ireland hurling title since 2019
Tipperary claimed their first All-Ireland hurling title since 2019 with a win over Cork in Croke Park on Sunday afternoon. The score finished 3-27 to 1-18. Advertisement Here is the game as it happened, through pictures. John McGrath of Tipperary arrives for the game. Michael D Higgins shakes hands with Cork players ahead of the match. A view of Cork and Tipperary fans at Croke Park as the game got underway. Cork's Shane Barrett celebrates scoring the first goal of the game. Eoghan Connolly of Tipperary reacts to a missed chance. Referee Liam Gordon disallows a goal from Tipp's Jason Forde due to a square ball. Rachel Blackmore, Tom Grennan, Paul Mescal, and his father Paul watch the match. Tipperary's John McGrath celebrates scoring a goal. Cork's Eoin Downey leaves the pitch after receiving a red card. Tipperary's Darragh McCarthy scores a penalty. Tipperary fans celebrate their sides second goal. Tipperary's John McGrath scores his sides third goal. Tipperary's Ronan Maher celebrates the final whistle. Cork's Robert Downey dejected after the game. Tipperary's Ronan Maher lifts the Liam MacCarthy cup. Tipperary fans celebrate their side winning. Tipperary's Bryan O'Mara celebrates with the Liam MacCarthy cup.
