Down can produce All-Ireland heroics like we did in 2010, says county legend
The Mournemen finished second in their group and were drawn to play Galway on Sunday in the preliminary quarter-finals at Pairc Esler. Although this was one of the toughest draws they could have had, it is also a massive opportunity.
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The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Bundee Aki reveals Lions sacrifice: ‘I have a newborn child who I haven't met yet'
Bundee Aki has revealed that his wife gave birth on the day of the first Test against Australia - with the British and Irish Lions centre still yet to meet his newly-arrived daughter. The 35-year-old has had to sacrifice, however, spending time with his newborn after his overdue wife delivered Aine in New Zealand with her husband otherwise occupied. 'I haven't seen my family for eight weeks. I have a newborn child who I haven't met yet,' Aki revealed. 'I was in the hotel. I knew we were overdue. The missus calls me and she's like, 'Water hasn't broke but I'm going to the hospital, I'm feeling contractions.' I go, 'Yeah, fair enough.' 'She goes to the hospital, we're getting ready for the team meeting pre-match, and then she calls me and says she's on the way to the hospital, so I said, 'Fine, be safe.' Five minutes later, she sends a photo, her water broke. I was like, 'Cool, OK, are you almost there?' This is like 30 or 40 minutes away from the hospital, so I said, 'You'll be alright, Mum is there.' '10 minutes later, she video calls me and I was like, 'S***, what's going on?' I saw a baby on the video call, so she had it in the car on the way to the hospital. They're both strong and healthy, so happy days." Aine joins siblings Armani, Adrianna, Andronicus and Ailbhe in a growing Aki family based in Galway, where their patriarch is a Connacht and Ireland stalwart. At 35, this is surely the veteran's final Lions tour having also featured in 2021 in South Africa. Aki is, however, yet to make any decision over whether he wishes to attempt to make the 2027 Rugby World Cup back in Australia. 'We'll see, we'll see,' he said. 'I want to enjoy my break, my family time. 'Only so many people can say they've been on two tours or have won a series. Honestly, I can't say anything high enough of this bunch of boys, the team, the staff, it's been one of the most enjoyable tours I've ever been on. It's so good. 'The Lions is every four years, coming to Australia, being the first team to go back-to-back to win the series against Australia. It's up there.'
STV News
4 hours ago
- STV News
McGlynn hails battle-ready Falkirk squad after draw with Dundee United
John McGlynn believes his Falkirk players showed they are Premiership-ready with their 2-2 home draw against Dundee United on opening day. The Bairns won back-to-back promotions under their experienced boss and the fans watched the Championship flag being unfurled before the game, marking their return to the top flight after a 15-year absence. On-loan Barnsley forward Max Watters scored his first United goal in the 39th minute with a terrific volley, but midfielder Dylan Tait levelled in the 50th minute with a fine finish. Ivan Dolcek restored the Tannadice side's lead in the 71st minute with his first goal for the club before home defender Ethan Ross equalised with a deflected strike two minutes later for a deserved share of the spoils. McGlynn said: 'I don't think we've got our eyes closed. We know that the margins are finer in this league. 'We'll all look to learn from that and we will need to learn from that. But there's so many positives to take. 'A lot of these players have played in League One, they've stepped up to the Championship dealt with that, and today, I think they looked like Premiership players against Premiership players. 'We were 15 years out of it, the same group of players almost, stepping up to the challenge, 5700 season tickets. 'Dundee United filled their allocation as well. So great atmosphere. 'People want to come and be entertained. That was entertainment. That was definitely entertainment.' United boss Jim Goodwin was proud of his under-strength side's efforts in gaining a point after they had advanced to the Conference League third qualifying round against Rapid Wien with a 2-0 aggregate win over Luxembourg side UNA Strassen on Thursday night. He said: 'It's really strange to be sitting here on the opening day of the season and talking about the number of injuries we have. 'But there's no getting away from it. There's no excuses here. 'We're missing some real key players. Our captain and vice-captain, Ross Graham and Will Ferry. Ferry was a suspension. 'Ryan Strain, Amar Fatah and Kristijan Trapanovski were all missing and they can be great options for us off the bench or starting the game. 'A draw away from home, more often than not in this league, is not a bad result. 'On the back of us playing in Europe on Thursday, with the short turnaround and the lack of recovery time, I think we've got to be satisfied with a point. 'It was only a couple of years ago we were travelling to Arbroath to kick off the Championship season. 'In the space of two years, we're slightly disappointed to pick up a point on the opening day of the Premiership but looking forward to a game in Europe against Rapid Wien. 'When you put things in perspective, we've come a long way in a short period of time.' Ferry will be back from suspension for the midweek trip to Austria and Goodwin hopes some others will be available, although Trapanovski will see a specialist about his hamstring problem on Monday. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Lando Norris ready to go all the way in championship battle with Oscar Piastri
Lando Norris believes his championship battle with Oscar Piastri will go to the wire following his victory at Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix. Norris started third and dropped to fifth after a poor first corner at the Hungaroring before he rolled the strategy dice – stopping one less time than his rivals – to take the lead and then held off Piastri's late charge in a brilliant finale. Piastri came within centimetres of colliding with Norris on the penultimate lap when he momentarily lost control of his McLaren as he attempted a banzai move for the win. But Norris survived and held his nerve to keep the fast-charging Australian at bay to land his fifth win of the season – his third in his last four appearances – taking the chequered flag just six tenths clear and reducing the championship deficit to nine points with 10 rounds remaining. Max Verstappen, who finished ninth on Sunday, remains in third in the standings but 97 points off the championship pace. 'I'm dead,' said Norris. 'In the final stint Oscar was catching and I was pushing flat out. My voice has gone a little bit. 'It has been a tough battle so far with Oscar and it is going to continue to be tough. The margins between us are pretty small. There are things I can do better and improve on, and I am sure he will probably say the same thing. So, it is going to be a good and tough fight, probably until the end. 'Even though the results have looked great, I'm not making my life very easy at the minute. If I can work on those things, then I'll be in a better place.' Norris' win in the concluding round before the summer break reignites his bid to land a maiden world crown. But the Bristolian can count himself somewhat fortunate to be standing on the top step of the podium. At the start, Norris got away well from his marks, but an attempt to pass Piastri on the inside of the opening corner backfired. Norris did not commit to the overtake and that left him in no-man's land, allowing George Russell and then Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso to breeze through. On lap three, Norris fought his way clear of Alonso but was then tucked up behind Russell and making little progress. Piastri and Charles Leclerc, who controlled the first stint of the race from pole position, stopped for new tyres on laps 18 and 19 respectively. Russell also peeled into the pits on lap 19 promoting Norris to the front. McLaren were now considering a one-stop strategy. Norris' race engineer, Will Joseph, was on the radio: 'Lando, 40 laps on the hard tyre, you up for it?' Norris replied: 'Yeah, why not?' On lap 31 of 70, the Englishman came in for his sole change of tyres before lighting up the timesheets with the fastest laps of the race so far. In his haste to catch up, Norris then dropped two wheels through the gravel on the exit of the chicane, which irked Joseph. 'Lando, just keep the focus, we don't want these mistakes,' he said. Leclerc, Piastri and Russell were all forced to stop again. When it all shuffled out, Norris led Leclerc by seven seconds, with Piastri five seconds further back. But Piastri was on the move, swatting Leclerc aside on lap 51 and then set about reducing Norris' nine-second advantage. With five laps to go, Piastri was just a second behind his team-mate, and on the penultimate lap, the Australian went for glory at the first bend. However, Norris retained his composure and remained ahead to land what could be a pivotal win in his championship charge. Russell took the final place on the podium with Leclerc a disappointed fourth. The next race takes place in the Netherlands on August 31.
