Latest news with #PaulOConnell
BreakingNews.ie
7 days ago
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
Ireland thrash Portugal 106-7 to break rugby records
Rampant Ireland ran in 16 tries as they crushed tier-2 Portugal 106-7 in Lisbon on Saturday, the biggest victory in their 150-year history and also their first time beyond 100 points. The 99-point winning margin tops their previous best when they thumped the United States 83-3 in 2000, while they had never previously managed 16 tries in a game either. Advertisement Ireland were missing 16 of their regular players who are on tour in Australia with the British and Irish Lions, and have stand-in coach Paul O'Connell leading the team, but were far too quick and powerful for the Portuguese. "I feel sorry for Portugal but we were very clinical and took our chances," O'Connell told Virgin Sports. "It is a unique summer tour given the Lions tour is on at the same time but I am very happy with how our squad applied themselves. "It is great to get some guys capped and scoring tries and training in an international environment." The visitors fielded three debutants and all crossed for tries – winger Shayne Bolton and centre Hugh Gavin both scored twice, while flanker Alex Kendellen also got on the scoresheet. Advertisement Ireland had 11 different try-scorers, not including a penalty try, with wing Tommy O'Brien and number eight Cian Prendergast both scoring twice, while backs Stuart McCloskey, Craig Casey, Calvin Nash, Ciaran Frawley and Ben Murphy also scored. Prop Thomas Clarkson was the only other forward to get a try as Ireland kept the ball in hand and bamboozled their hosts with some scintillating running rugby. Flyhalf Jack Crowley kicked 11 conversions to cap an excellent personal performance, though it is hard to know exactly how much they will take out of a game where they were never unduly tested by their hosts. The friendly was the final fixture of the season for Ireland, who defeated Georgia 34-5 last weekend.
Associated Press
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Ireland scores 106 against Portugal in record-breaking rugby match
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Paul O'Connell's sympathy for Portugal only went so far. After watching the Ireland rugby team he's nursing thrash Portugal by a record 106-7 on Saturday, the stand-in coach admitted he felt sorry for the home side. The 16-try victory surpassed the 83-3, 13-try win over the United States in 2000 and set Ireland records for most points, most tries and biggest margin. Ireland did it without 17 of its British and Irish Lions. 'I feel sorry for Portugal but we were very clinical and took our chances,' O'Connell told Virgin Sports. 'It is a unique summer tour given the Lions tour is on at the same time, but I am very happy with how our squad applied themselves. It is great to get some guys capped and scoring tries and training in an international environment.' There were 11 different try-scorers, doubles for debutants Hugh Gavin and Shayne Bolton and one for debutant Alex Kendellen. Flyhalf Jack Crowley nailed 12 of 15 conversion attempts. There was one penalty try. Ireland next faces New Zealand in Chicago on Nov. 1.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ireland scores 106 against Portugal in record-breaking rugby match
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Paul O'Connell's sympathy for Portugal only went so far. After watching the Ireland rugby team he's nursing thrash Portugal by a record 106-7 on Saturday, the stand-in coach admitted he felt sorry for the home side. Advertisement The 16-try victory surpassed the 83-3, 13-try win over the United States in 2000 and set Ireland records for most points, most tries and biggest margin. Ireland did it without 17 of its British and Irish Lions. 'I feel sorry for Portugal but we were very clinical and took our chances," O'Connell told Virgin Sports. 'It is a unique summer tour given the Lions tour is on at the same time, but I am very happy with how our squad applied themselves. It is great to get some guys capped and scoring tries and training in an international environment.' There were 11 different try-scorers, doubles for debutants Hugh Gavin and Shayne Bolton and one for debutant Alex Kendellen. Flyhalf Jack Crowley nailed 12 of 15 conversion attempts. There was one penalty try. Ireland next faces New Zealand in Chicago on Nov. 1.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ireland score 106 to rout Portugal for record Test win
Summer tour second Test Portugal (0) 7 Tries: Martins Cons: Aubry Ireland (54) 106 Tries: McCloskey, Gavin 2, T O'Brien 2, Bolton 2, Clarkson, Casey, Prendergast 2, Nash, Frawley, Kendellen, Murphy, Penalty try Cons: Crowley 13 Advertisement Ireland secured their record Test victory by topping a century in their first capped international against Portugal at the Estadio Nacional do Jamor. The world's third-ranked side, whose previous biggest win was an 83-3 victory over the USA in June 2000, set new marks for points, tries and margin of victory. Without their large British and Irish Lions contingent, Ireland's interim head coach Paul O'Connell gave debuts to Alex Kendellen, Hugh Gavin and Shayne Bolton, with the latter pair each crossing twice among the visitor's eight first-half tries. Kendellen would then mark his own Test bow with a try as a further eight were scored after the break. Advertisement Portugal got their only score through flanker Nicholas Martins in the second half, although they did have an earlier one chalked off by the television match official (TMO). Communication between the referee and his off-field assistant then failed meaning there were no replay reviews in place for the final hour. Stuart McCloskey scored the first of Ireland's 16 tries in the opening minute [Getty Images] After last week's win over Georgia, Ireland finished their two-Test summer tour on a high and will next be in action when they meet New Zealand in Chicago on 1 November. Portugal impressed at the 2023 World Cup when they beat Fiji and drew with Georgia in their first time at the tournament since 2007. Advertisement But this version of Os Lobos, however, finished only fourth in Rugby Europe after defeats to Spain and Romania and never looked competitive against far superior opposition. Despite being without 17 players who are on Lions duty, as well as their head coach Andy Farrell who is leading the tourists in Australia, Ireland dominated from start to finish. They took the lead with less than a minute on the clock when Stuart McCloskey crashed over from close range after some neat involvements from Jack Crowley. As well as debutants Bolton and Gavin, Tommy O'Brien, who claimed a pair of tries on debut against Georgia last week, also crossed twice in the first half, with tight-head Tom Clarkson also going over. Advertisement The loss of the TMO, in a game played in front of fewer than 10,000 supporters, came only after Portugal had a score chalked off when Vincent Pinto's pass to Nuno Guedes was judged to have gone forward. A difficult half for the hosts was made all the tougher when they lost both captain Tomas Appleton and his replacement Gabriel Aviragnet to injury, forcing back row Francisco Almeida into a role on the wing after only two backs were named on the bench. After eight tries in the first half, Ireland matched that tally in the second period. Their first after the restart came just 90 seconds into the half when captain Craig Casey marked a sharp performance by scampering between the posts. Advertisement Cian Prendergast, who missed out through illness against Georgia, barged over after a short line-out move with half an hour to go, while Martins' response at least showed what Portugal are capable of with ball in hand. It proved only a temporary slowing of Irish momentum, however. Replacements Calvin Nash and Ciaran Frawley were the next players to cross, before Prendergast matched his Connacht team-mates Bolton and Gavin in scoring a second. It was debutant Kendellen whose score edged Ireland past their previous record margin of victory, while Ben Murphy became the third replacement on the scoresheet. A last-play penalty try, following a line-out infringement, rounded off the rout and put Ireland into the record books. Advertisement Portugal: Guedes; Bento, V. Pinto, Appleton (capt), M. Pinto; Aubry, Camacho; D. Costa, Begic, D. Ferreira, De Andrade, P. Ferreira, De Carvalho, Martins, Ruiz Replacements: D'Cunha, Lopes, Souto, G. Costa, Almeida, Baptista, Campos, Avriagnet. Ireland: J O'Brien; T O'Brien, Gavin, McCloskey, Bolton; Crowley, Casey (capt); Boyle, McCarthy, Clarkson, T Ahern, Murray, Baird, Kendellen, Prendergast. Replacements: Stewart, Milne, O'Toole, Izuchukwu, Deegan, Murphy, Frawley, Nash.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lions-less Ireland hit rugby century against Portugal
Even without their host of British & Irish Lions stars, Ireland ran in a record-breaking 16 tries in a 106-7 rout of Portugal in Lisbon to register their biggest rugby Test win in the first encounter between the two nations. Connacht pair Hugh Gavin and Shayne Bolton went over twice on their debuts and there was also a brace each for club team-mate and flanker Cian Prendergast and Leinster wing Tommy O'Brien. With fly-half Jack Crowley landing 12 of his 15 conversion attempts - Ireland were also awarded a penalty try - the margin of victory eclipsed their previous biggest win when they scored 13 tries in an 83-3 defeat of the USA in 2000. Ireland Men's team's biggest ever win at Test level – with records falling for points scored (106), winning margin (99), and also tries (16) and conversions (12) scored.#TeamOfUs #WeAreIreland — Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) July 12, 2025 Ireland's interim head coach Paul O'Connell was without 17 players, who are all on tour with the Lions in Australia, but his new-look side ruthlessly exposed the chasm between them and their hosts. O'Connell made six changes following last week's 34-5 win against Georgia in Tbilisi and the Irish went over for four converted tries in the opening 14 minutes. Centre Stuart McCloskey touched down in the corner after full-back Jimmy O'Brien's break straight from the kick off, setting the tone for the match.
