Ireland star Aoife Wafer nominated for Six Nations Player of the Year award
The Wexford native had a storming campaign for the third-placed side and is being widely touted for a summer move to the English Premiership.
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The 42
3 hours ago
- The 42
'Connacht helped South Africa to win the World Cup'
IT WAS AUGUST 2007 and the mighty Springboks were in Galway. Jake White's side would go on to win the World Cup in imposing fashion a couple of months later but first, they had a warm-up game against the apparent minnows, Connacht. Michael Bradley's side were expected to be cannon fodder for the beefy, brutal South Africans. But Connacht had other ideas. They'd got wind of a relaxed approach to the game by the visitors. 'I think they were enjoying the culture in Galway a little bit too much,' says Andrew Farley, the Connacht captain at the time. 'We'd heard that they'd been out for a few nights in Galway sampling the local Guinness and stuff like that, so they were a little bit underdone.' Sitting outside the famous Breakfast Creek Hotel in his native Brisbane, Farley smiles at the thought of that game. Connacht lost but it was a battle at the Sportsground that spoke volumes of the province's ethos. The westerners' defence was brilliant and they trailed 3-0 at the break before Andy Dunne's penalty drew them back to within five points in the final quarter. Bismarck du Plessis was sin-binned for throwing a punch in frustration and the Boks had to call on big guns like Bryan Habana off the bench to finally get the job done and squeeze out an 18-3 victory in Galway. 'We helped them win the World Cup, that's what I always tell people,' says Farley. 'That's a great memory of ours in Connacht. It was fantastic.' Farley is part of the Connacht Clan Hall of Fame. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO Last Christmas was the first time since leaving the place in 2009 that Farley got back to Connacht for the sole purpose of visiting his old province. He had been in Galway in 2015 with French club Grenoble, where he played and managed after moving on from Ireland, but last year's trip was all about catching up with old friends. Second row Farley played for Connacht more than 150 times during a six-year spell that included two periods as captain, as well as a few appearances for Ireland A, so he has great grá for the place. He is part of the Connacht Clan's Hall of Fame. Farley took great pleasure in catching up with the likes of John Fogarty, Mike McCarthy, Bernard Jackman, Adrian Flavin, Tim Allnutt and many more while he and his family had a mini-tour of Europe, also visiting France and Wales, where his wife, Lucy, is from. Growing up in Brisbane, Farley could never have imagined the west of Ireland would play a big role in his life. He came through Marist College Ashgrove, the same school as the great John Eales, and played for Australia at U18, U19, and U21 levels. The Aussie back row in those teams was George Smith, Phil Waugh, and David Lyons, while Farley played against the likes of Richie McCaw, Mils Muliaina, and the late Jerry Collins in the U21 World Cup final, which New Zealand won. Advertisement Back then in the early 2000s, Australia only had three teams in Super Rugby, so it was tough for a young lock like Farley to break through given that the likes of Eales and Matt Cockbain were so established with his club, the Queensland Reds. Farley had already had two development stints abroad with Italian club L'Aquila and Kiwi side Otago when former Wallabies boss John Connelly called him and asked if he fancied moving to Wales to play for Swansea for another new experience. 'I was a young kid and just rocked up. That Swansea team was a savage team,' says Farley, listing off Scott Gibbs, Colin Charvis, Shaun Payne, Darren Morris, and a young Gavin Henson. Farley only had one season with Swansea and his intention was to go home but he got a call from fellow Australian Matt Mostyn, who was moving from Newport to Connacht in the summer of 2003. Farley carries the ball for Connacht. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO Next thing Farley knew, he was on the phone with Michael Bradley, who was taking over in Connacht in the wake of the province's march on Lansdowne Road to protest against the IRFU's plans to shut down the professional arm of the province. 'Michael told me that Connacht had just survived all the troubles that they'd had, that they'd got reinvestment and he asked me to come for a year,' says Farley. 'When he said, 'We've got security now,' I was kind of like, 'Security for what?' 'I didn't know a huge amount about the struggle and it was surprising to me but he sold me on the idea of a new project. Matt was going too and he's someone I'm still mates with now.' Nothing much had changed back in the Reds squad, so Queensland agreed for Farley to spend another year in Europe. He ended up taking over as Connacht captain the following season and spending six years there in total. Galway is certainly different to Brisbane but Farley loved the place, aside from the weather. 'Coming from Queensland, I was softened a little bit by Swansea, but like there's no doubting it – it rains a lot,' he says. 'But at heart, Galway is a very warm city. The people and the culture are great and I thoroughly enjoyed it.' That was a different time for Connacht, well before they could dream of winning the Pro12 as they did in 2013 under Pat Lam. The facilities were certainly nothing near the new high performance centre where Stuart Lancaster's team are now doing pre-season. And the current stadium redevelopment was not even close to being on the cards. The highlights in Farley's time were a few thrilling Challenge Cup runs and though they lost more games than they won, he felt like he fitted in. 'With Connacht, and it's sort of like a Queensland thing, you're always the underdog,' says Farley. Farley played for Ireland A three times. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO 'So you sort of use that as, 'Let's go and spoil the party.' I did like that mentality, it's a very similar mentality here in Queensland with the other states. 'There's quite a few Aussies that have gone over to Connacht and really enjoyed it. Canberra boys are used to the weather! Where would Mack Hansen be without Connacht now?' Farley qualified for Ireland on residency grounds in 2006 and the following year, Ireland head coach Eddie O'Sullivan gave him a shout. There were good second row stocks in Ireland with the likes of Paul O'Connell, Donncha O'Callaghan, Malcolm O'Kelly, and Mick O'Driscoll, among others, but Farley was keen and joined the squad for a few training camps and was then picked in the Ireland A squad for the 2007 Churchill Cup in England. It was a good experience playing alongside Johnny Sexton, Luke Fitzgerald, Keith Earls, Mike Ross, Sean Cronin, and some of his Connacht team-mates, but Farley admits it was a big decision to commit to Ireland. 'By choosing to take that path, I was locking myself out of Australia because then I became Irish-qualified and I could no longer obvously come back and play for Australia. 'But you know, I was captain of Connacht at the time and I made the decision and I don't regret it. I had a fantastic time.' Declan Kidney took over as Ireland boss in 2008 and Farley wasn't part of his plans. So when Grenoble made an approach in 2009, Farley's head was turned. He had turned 29 and reckoned he could play on for longer in French rugby. There was an ambitious plan in Grenoble. So it was that Farley and Lucy moved to France together and lived there for nine years, with all three of their children born there. Farley during his time with Grenoble. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO Farley played for the club more than 100 times across five seasons, then moved into a management role with Grenoble up until 2018. Initially after retiring from playing, Farley split his duties at Grenoble with working part-time in the club president's global engineering company. That experience proved important for Farley, who works with a company called BuildingPoint Australia these days. Life back in Brisbane is good. The Farley children – Ava, Sophia, and Tom – love growing up in Australia and their dad still has a core group of his old school friends to this day. Farley remains involved with rugby as a big supporter and also through a programme called the C2K Rugby Academy, which supports young players with position-specific training, mentoring, and advice. He has helped a couple of youngsters to find rugby opportunities in Europe through his contacts, knowing as he does that taking on an adventure on the other side of the world can be life-changing. 'I can't thank rugby enough,' says Farley. 'It's not until after rugby, when people mentor you and look after you, that you realise that you've learnt so much from playing. 'There are just so many examples from my career that enable me to be a good leader now. 'You've actually got a diploma in life from playing rugby.'
Irish Daily Mirror
15 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Galway Races tips: Follow the Dream team on Friday night at the Festival
5.00 - Jame's Gate Auction Maiden BELLAMANO can take the opening race for Johnny Murtagh and Ben Coen on what's sure to be a very busy Friday night's action in Galway. The Lucky Vega filly has two good efforts to her name at Leopardstown and Killarney and is drawn in stall one, which as we've seen this week is a big advantage over seven furlongs. Next to her in stall two is Nod Of Approval, who should improve in the JP McManus silks from a decent debut effort at the Curragh. TIP: BELLAMANO Each-way: Nod Of Approval 5.30 - Guinness Beginners' Chase An 18-runner Beginners'' Chase around this tight and undulating track should be fun to watch and the experience of SHANTREUSSE gives him a hesitant vote. The Henry De Bromhead-trained gelding remains a maiden from eleven chase starts, and may well be exposed, but he has run some good races and was a Grade 3 winner over hurdles back in 2022. First time blinkers are interesting and he has had a nice break since finishing well down the field in the Topham at Aintree in April. In truth, anything could win this, but Sandor Clegane is a classy sort with plenty of experience too and will get his head in front one day soon. TIP: SHANTREUSSE Each-way: Sandor Clegane 6.00 - Galway Blazers Handicap Chase One of our favourite races of the week, a contest for horses who missed the cut in Wednesday's Galway Plate and always a fiercely competitive affair. DIGBY is a reliable little horse who has been in grand form this summer, winning at Ballinrobe over hurdles and at Bangor before running a belter in the Summer Plate at Uttoxeter in late June. Patrick O'Brien is in great form at the minute, riding a winner here on Wednesday, and if he can get to the front early on he'll take a bit of catching in a wide open race. Jack Kennedy's decision to ride Mars Harper warrants a second glance. The nine-year-old has plenty of ability and finished fourth in the Festival Plate at Cheltenham in the spring. TIP: DIGBY Each-way: Mars Harper 6.35 - Guinness Handicap You have to go back to the last century for Aidan O'Brien's only winner of this Friday night feature when the brilliant Theatreworld scored in 1998 and 1999 in between finishing runner-up in three Champion Hurdles in succession. Tonight O'Brien also tries to buck the trend of no three-year-old having won this race since 2001 with his ACAPULCO BAY. Drawn in stall one, expect Wayne Lordan to bounce out prominently and try to use the son of Dubawi's light weight and strong stamina to good effect. He has proven to be expensive to follow this summer and has been a beaten favourite in his last three runs but he can atone tonight and prove himself something of a handicap blot. Soaring Monarch is a fascinating runner. He's a regular here, winning at the 2023 Festival, and was third in this last year and is capable of a big run under top apprentice Nicola Burns. TIP: ACAPULCO BAY Each-way: Soaring Monarch 7.10 - Fillies Maiden Joseph O'Brien has been the scourge of the bookies here a few times here this week and JANNAH STAR should score in this 1m4f contest. By Sea The Stars, she has been a silver medal winner on her last two starts at Bellewstown and the Curragh since winning bronze on her debut at Limerick. This looks like a good opportunity to strike gold and get some reward for his consistency. TIP: JANNAH STAR Each-way: Ledecky 8.10 - Rockshore Irish Race The crowd should be getting giddy now and A DREAM TO SHARE can make them even happier with victory here for JP McManus and John and Thomas Kiely. A former Champion Bumper winner at Cheltenham, he's a very talented horse, who didn't take to hurdling but looked a smart horse for the flat when winning at Leopardstown. It's a deep race for the grade and prize-money with some dangerous opponents but the suspicion is that connections have had Galway in mind for a long time with this seven-year-old. Emmet Mullins has had a great week and his Mee family-owned This Songisforyou sets the standard and should be there or thereabouts at the finish too. TIP: A DREAM TO SHARE (nap) Each-way: This Songisforyou 8.40 - Hop House Handicap The lucky last on a long night of racing with REDWOOD QUEEN given the nod to build on an encouraging run over hurdles here on Wednesday. She's only rated 67 on the flat and came with a threatening run before just getting tired here two days ago. That was her first run since a controversial unseat in May and this looks a race well within her compass for her shrewd young trainer Cian Collins. Top weight Empress Alma is another who ran well here earlier in the week. TIP: REDWOOD QUEEN Each-way: Empress Alma
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- RTÉ News
Denis Fogarty: Ireland are 'quite confident' of Aoife Wafer's return during upcoming Rugby World Cup
Ireland assistant coach Denis Fogarty insists that Ireland are confident talismanic forward Aoife Wafer will be fit to return to action at some stage during the upcoming World Cup. The 2025 Six Nations Player of the Year recently underwent a procedure for a knee injury sustained during the pre-season and is a major doubt for Ireland's pool stage clashes with Japan, Spain and New Zealand. Wafer tore her posterior cruciate ligament against Wales in the Six Nations, and later damaged her medial cruciate ligament upon returning to training, making her a major doubt for the tournament in England, which begins on 22 August. However, speaking to the media ahead of the World Cup warm-up clash with Scotland on Saturday, Fogarty was optimistic about the chances of the Wexford woman's return. "We're quite confident that she will play some part in the World Cup which is really pleasing," said Fogarty. "At the moment she's tracking really well, it's making sure it's right for her, as a player, when she comes back into it. "She's got a procedure done so she's definitely not ruled out of the World Cup yet. We're taking it week by week in terms of when her return to play is, but she's not ruled out of the World Cup anyway." Ireland have already suffered hammer blows in losing fellow marquee forwards Erin King and Dorothy Wall after injuries sustained during the Six Nations, but Fogarty accepts that such losses are part and parcel of the game. "There's no doubt about it, losing key players like that [Aoife Wafer, Dorothy Wall and Erin King] can be difficult but that's the nature of the game and sport. But we've had Sam [Monaghan] come back in which is a big addition for us," he added. "There's been other girls coming through who have really impressed us throughout the camp as well but with injuries like that they're always going to come. "They're not ideal, going into a World Cup, but it's something we have to deal and adapt with as well and that is something we have done over the last couple of weeks." Ireland's recent evolution under Scott Bemand has been off the back of bolting young talents rising to the challenge of international rugby with ease. Having coached the Clovers in the recent Celtic Challenge competitions, Fogarty has watched some of the prodigious talent coming through the ranks. "These young players have come in and have built throughout the number of weeks they've been around. I would have had a lot of them with Celtic Challenge and known a lot about them," he noted. "It's an exciting time. The players that are in are well able for this, that's one side of it. But they're physically able for it and if they can do it here, they can do it against the teams we are facing." Hooker Cliodhna Moloney says Ireland are hoping to get the fans on board during their upcoming warm-up games for the World Cup - a tournament Aoife Wafer is now expected to play some part in, despite undergoing knee surgery #RWC2025 — RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 30, 2025 Ireland now face into a two-week run of warm-up fixtures ahead of the World Cup. First, they take on Scotland in Virgin Media Park in Cork this coming Saturday, before a difficult assignment against Canada in the Affidea Stadium in Belfast on 9 August. Scotland defeated Ireland in the final round of the Six Nations back in April, which Fogarty acknowledges will have focused the minds ahead of their next fixture. "Scotland got one over on us in the last game of the Six Nations, so it's definitely been a focus in making sure we get our performance right," said the former Munster hooker. "Working on things that we probably didn't get right over the Six Nations, or want to get better at. That's been the focus of this week." "Then with Canada being an incredibly physical team with incredible athletes, it will be a really, really big test for us going into the World Cup which is really important for us."
