Latest news with #GerryThornley
Irish Times
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Lions v Brumbies will be a ‘pinch-me-moment' for Mack Hansen
The latest stop in Gerry Thornley's safari is Canberra where the Lions play the Brumbies tomorrow, and he has a notion that while Andy Farrell is still tinkering with his selections , the team he has picked for this game - which includes eight Irish starters - is the closest yet to the one that will take on Australia in Saturday week's first test. Tomorrow will be a heck of a day for Mack Hansen, 'a bit of a pinch-me moment' , as he put it himself. He will, more than likely, be sprung from the bench against his former club, four years since he left the city of his birth for Connacht. Australia's performance against Fiji last weekend wouldn't exactly have put the wind up the Lions, but, says Gerry, they have improved vastly under the wily old fox that is Joe Schmidt who is no stranger to plotting triumphs over bigger beasts. Owen Doyle, meanwhile, was left unimpressed by the refereeing in the Lions' win over the Waratahs, not least with how continuing 'lineout shenanigans' were ignored . He's close to despair, that man. READ MORE Back in Europe, John O'Sullivan has followed the Irish squad to Lisbon where they play Portugal on Saturday , having had a, well, interesting time of it in Tbilisi. After just about surviving the traffic, he dined on Khinkali and Chacha (Georgian poitín) that would 'make you dance'. You can't let that fella out. In hurling, there will be no replay of the Tipperary and Kilkenny semi-final , despite that scoreboard error, Kilkenny, writes Gordon Manning, left facing ' a long winter of introspection '. The focus will shift to football next weekend and Conor McManus is swooning over the fare that has been served up thus far. 'I'm looking at an unrecognisable game,' he says, saluting the impact of the rule changes. ' Football has been utterly transformed … the game is now a brilliant watch.' In golf, Philip Reid fills us in on how each of the five Irish players in the field for next week's Open at Portrush are warming up for the tournament, and he looks at Ireland's hopes of ending a 17-year victory-drought at this week's European men's amateur team championship . Gavin Cummiskey has news on the FAI's request to postpone an appearance before the Oireachtas sport committee, and at Euro 2025, world champions Spain turned on the style against Belgium on Tuesday with a 6-2 win - as did Novak Djokovic in his stunning fourth round victory at Wimbledon over Alex de Minaur. Aidan O'Brien's horses have been a bit stunning themselves this season - as Brian O'Connor tells us, the trainer is on track to threaten his own world record Group One haul this year. TV Watch : There's a feast of cycling to watch today, starting with the women's Giro d'Italia (TNT Sports 2, from 11.45am) and followed by the fourth stage of the men's Tour de France (TG4 and TNT Sports 1 from midday). The BBC continues its coverage of Wimbledon (from 12.30pm), and today's Euro 2025 games are Germany v Denmark (RTÉ 2 and BBC 2, 5.0) and Poland v Sweden (RTÉ 2 & BBC 1, 8.0). And also at 8.0, Chelsea meet Brazil's Fluminense in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup (DAZN).
Irish Times
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Lions 2025: Send in your questions for Gerry Thornley
The Lions tour is in full swing and rugby correspondent Gerry Thornley is in Australia following all the action. We'd like to hear from readers if you've any questions about the Lions, this tour, the matches or anything else that comes to mind. Gerry will answer a selection of them in the coming weeks. Submit your questions using the form below. Please limit your submissions to 400 words or less. Please include a phone number for verification purposes only. If you would prefer to remain anonymous, please indicate this in your submission – we will keep your name and contact details confidential. READ MORE
Irish Times
05-06-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Which Ireland players will step up for the summer squad while the Lions are away?
It may be URC semi-final week, but the rugby news cycle has been dominated by events away from Leinster. Connacht have pulled off a big-name managerial signing by securing the services of Stuart Lancaster, while Paul O'Connell has named his Ireland squad for the summer tour of Georgia and Portugal. With the Lions contingent away in Australia, this tour will be vital for plugging the gaps and filling areas of weakness as we start to inch towards another World Cup. Gerry Thornley joins Nathan Johns to discuss all this while looking at why Leinster's URC playoff run appears to be struggling to capture the public imagination. Produced by John Casey.
Irish Times
03-06-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Sharks' theatrics bring rugby into disrepute
Saturday's Sharks shenanigans in Durban? There's nigh on steam coming out of Gerry Thornley and Owen Doyle's columns today as they share their thoughts on the behaviour of Jaden Hendrikse and his colleagues during the URC quarter-final shoot-out against Munster. It was, writes Gerry, 'disgusting to behold', rugby's 'values of respect nowhere to be seen'. The URC, he insists, should charge the Sharks for bringing the game into disrepute, 'but of course they won't'. Instead, they'll probably appoint the 'hapless' Mike Adamson to referee the final. If that happens, Owen will need a lie down. ' I don't know why the URC insists on persevering with him ,' he says. 'In my view, this was a poor performance which was way below the standard required. I struggle to see the benefit in continuing with this official.' Hopefully, Leinster and Glasgow will be better behaved during their semi-final next Saturday, Leinster anxiously awaiting news on the hamstring injury that forced Josh van der Flier out of their quarter-final win over the Scarlets. Carla Ward has a couple of injury concerns too ahead of this evening's Nations League game between her Republic of Ireland side and Slovenia in Cork. Stephen Barry heard from the manager ahead of an encounter that will decided who tops the group, Ireland needing to win by four goals if they are to prevail. READ MORE They could do with the attacking services of Julie-Ann Russell, but the 34-year-old opted to retire from the game in January. Between her daughter Rosie, her job with Microsoft and playing basketball and Gaelic football, she's as busy as ever, though, as Gavin Cummiskey discovered when he met up with her. Gavin also heard from Jake O'Brien in the build-up to Friday's friendly against Senegal in Dublin. Caoimhín Kelleher is likely to be a Brentford player by then – he's on the verge of signing for them in a deal that could, eventually, be worth €21 million to Liverpool. In Gaelic games, Seán Moran reflects on Mayo's performance against Tyrone last Saturday , when they 'rolled back the years', while Conor McManus was impressed by Derry in their draw with Galway, despite them giving up an eight-point lead. 'Their Achilles heel has been not closing out games,' he says, but 'they look to me as if they have turned a corner'. Philip Reid rounds up the golf news in his Different Strokes column, Rory McIlroy back in action this week at the Canadian Open, and Brian O'Connor runs through the 20 possible starters in Monday's Epsom Derby , among them favourite Delacroix. Should he triumph, that will make it a record-extending 11th Derby success for Aidan O'Brien. TV Watch: RTÉ2 has live coverage of the Republic of Ireland's Nations League game against group leaders Slovenia at Páirc Uí Chaoimh (kick-off 6pm). Slovenia were 4-0 winners when the sides met in February – Ireland need to win by the same margin this evening if they are to top the group.
Irish Times
29-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
How can the provinces break France's dominance?
Gerry Thornley joins the latest episode of The Counter Ruck fresh off his trip to Cardiff to watch the Champions Cup final. He breaks down the future landscape for free-to-air rugby in Ireland, analyses France's domination of the Champions Cup, looks at the chances of Noel McNamara returning home and more. Alongside host Nathan Johns, talk also turns to injuries ahead of the provincial run in the URC knockouts, and the importance of Leinster lifting the domestic trophy at the end of the campaign. Produced by John Casey.
