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Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Finn Russell silences any doubters and makes the No.10 Lions jersey his own
Front-runner for the No.10 shirt prior to the British and Irish Lions tour, it took Finn Russell less than two minutes of Saturday's starter on Australian soil against the Western Force to live up to that tag. That's how impressive the Scot was, how good he is. Dan Sheehan's opening try came off the back of the perfect beginning, multiple phases executed against very aggressive and joined-up Force defence, and Russell's fingerprints were all over the initial push time and again. The first glimpse of magic amid the game management was a superb pass flung wide to Josh van der Flier under pressure. It was just moments later when he pinged an inch-perfect crosskick for James Lowe that opened the door for Dan Sheehan to go over for the try. Here was the retort to the doubters because Russell's tag as a maverick has always been a double-edged sword. Maverick denotes different things to different people, depending on how they see the player in question. Critics see mavericks as loose cannons, players unable to fit into the system and the collective, but Russell is 32 now. He has matured and adapted his game without losing what it is that makes him such a star. He landed in Australia on the back of a superb season with Bath where he won a treble of trophies, most notably the Premiership title, and with his employers having seen enough to extend his lucrative stay in the West Country further. What followed the first try here was a prolonged period of Force pressure because of a botched restart and the Lions will no doubt look at how they had to make do with only 39% possession and 30% territory through the entirety of that first-half. As with throwers when lineouts go wrong, out-halves naturally get singled out at times like that, but there is little that any playmaker can do if the ball doesn't reach their hands and Andy Farrell pointed the finger at the team's ill-discipline afterwards. One difficult effort aside, Russell's placekicking was excellent. Doing the basics is non-negotiable, and the younger Fin Smith is a class act in that regard. The Northampton Saints ten is a facilitator in the Johnny Sexton mode and he was impressive enough against Argentina in Dublin last week. Russell has that but his ability to see different pictures and act on them sets him apart. That was the case approaching half-time in Perth when he snubbed an easy penalty shot for a quick tap and tore a seam through the Aussie side's defensive line. He was only five metres from the Force line before they got him to ground but Russell then showed superb awareness to delay the offload and pop the pass up for the supporting Tomos Williams to run over. That was the game done and dusted. Warren Gatland's three Lions parties in 2013, '17 and '21 were symptomatic of the man and his Wales team. Functional first, always. The signs are that Andy Farrell's would be slightly less so. Slightly. We're not talking Barbarians rugby here. That being the case, this was another reason to bet the house on Russell. The fact that he had Sione Tuipulotu outside him for his first start in the red jersey was flagged as a huge help pre-game and yet the performance of Welsh scrum-half Tomos Williams inside him was of monumental import too. Williams's service is immaculate and he was having a brilliant game - scoring two tries to boot - before a hamstring injury picked up in the act of scoring the Lions' fourth just after the break brought his evening to a premature end. It's a development that raises an interesting conundrum if he is out for any meaningful time. Leicester Tigers' Jack van Poortvliet will be keeping his phone on as he tours Argentina with England, but so should Craig Casey. The Munster nine had an impressive end to the club season with his province and his growing stature is evidenced by the fact that he has been named captain of an Ireland squad due to tour Georgia and Portugal. The hope is that Jamison Gibson-Park - as well as Hugo Keenan and James Ryan - will be fit enough to feature against the Queensland Reds on Wednesday while Alex Mitchell has his supporters too. Plenty to debate there. As for out-half? It's got to be Russell.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
McBrien return for second stint at Dungannon Swifts
Darragh McBrien has returned for a second spell at Dungannon Swifts after being released by Linfield. McBrien joined Linfield from the Swifts on a two-year deal in August 2023 in a move which involved Ethan Devine switching to Stangmore Park on loan until January 2024. Advertisement The forward made 26 appearances in his first term with the Blues, scoring three goals and helping the south Belfast side win the BetMcLean Cup. McBrien's game time was limited last season however, making just six Premiership appearances and not featuring since November. The 23-year-old is looking forward to another stint at Stangmore Park as part of manager Rodney McAree's squad. "I had some trouble with injury towards the back end of last season so I wanted to come in and get a bit of training under my belt," McBrien told Dungannon Swifts' social media channels. "I got that training and then had some positive talks and I'm delighted to get it over the line. "I want to come in here, get a lot more games and show everyone the level that I can get back up to."
Scotsman
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Hibs new boy 'buzzing' with Easter Road move after departure from Premiership rivals
Hibs completed their third signing of the summer on Friday. Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hibs new boy Josh Mulligan has the togetherness within David Gray's squad was a driving factor in his decision to pen a four-year deal at Easter Road. The Scotland Under-21 international left Premiership rivals Dundee last month and has been linked with a number of clubs since his departure. However, it is Hibs that have secured his services as they continue to strengthen their squad in preparation for a return to European competition following a third place finish in the Premiership last season. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mulligan experienced contrasting fortunes against Hibs last season after the Dark Blues claimed a 4-1 win over his new employers in November before Gray's men exacted revenge with a 4-0 victory at Easter Road in the final fixture before the Premiership split took in April. The winger admitted he is delighted to be forming part of the Hibs squad ahead of the new campaign after being impressed with what he witnessed from Gray's men last season. He told the club website: "I'm delighted. It's been a long time coming but yeah it's definitely worth the wait. I'm buzzing to be here and I just can't wait to get going. Obviously it's new for me. I've been at Dundee my whole life so it was sort of new but I think I dealt with it okay and now that this is done I'm just so happy and just can't wait to get going. "They (Hibs) were the first team that showed interest and that's usually a good sign. There was a few other teams but because Hibs last season playing against them and seeing how good they were and how well run they were, it was a no-brainer for me. "Towards the start of the season we won but they went 1-0 up and I was actually thinking during the game like these are a proper team here but I think they got a man sent off so the momentum in that game sort of shifted and then just the most recent game there they beat us quite comfortably and they were really, really good. Tough team to play against. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "Obviously there's loads of good players in this squad but I think just the way they were playing with each other and the way they were playing I think that was what impressed me most and that's just someone I want to be a part of going forward.' Delighted Hibs head coach David Gray during the Ron Gordon Football Festival at the Hibernian Training Centre, on June 21, 2025. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group) | SNS Group Mulligan has become Gray's third summer signing after the Hibs boss completed a deal for Austrian goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger and secured the addition of Aberdeen midfielder Jamie McGrath after reaching a pre-contract agreement with the Republic of Ireland international earlier this year. Gray is relishing the opportunity to work with the former Dundee man and believes Mulligan's versatility will be an invaluable tool throughout what will be a hectic season at Easter Road. He said: 'Josh was one of the most eye-catching young players in the Scottish Premiership last season and has a lot of the attributes and characteristics we look for in our squad. He's a young player that's eager to progress and develop, and gives us extra options with his versatility as he is comfortable as a central midfielder or at right wing-back. We're delighted to add him to the group, and look forward to working with him moving forward.' Sporting director Malky Mackay added: 'Josh is someone we've been aware of for some time, and he performed excellently for Dundee last season. The number of senior games he's played at his age is impressive, and as a club we're keen to add young Scottish talent to our squad to help them reach their potential. Josh is another good character to add to the group, and I look forward to seeing him at Easter Road Stadium.' Your next Hibs read: Why Hibs were so keen to keep Rocky - and what new deal means for rest of summer transfer window
TimesLIVE
4 hours ago
- Business
- TimesLIVE
Orbit in the money after promotion to Premiership
After making history by earning promotion to the Betway Premiership on Wednesday, Orbit College can bet on a better financial state next season. The Rustenburg-based club beat Cape Town City 1-0 in their last PSL promotional playoff clash to raise their points at the top of the table to an unassailable eight. Orbit's playoffs rivals Casric Stars and City, who are both on two points apiece, meet next for the irrelevant last match of the round-robin contest. For Orbit, being in the elite league means the club will receive a monthly grant of R2.5m from the league. The amount is a far cry from the R500,000 the Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC) clubs get per month. That means Orbit will go from receiving R6m per annum to R30m. Orbit are also guaranteed appearance fees in the Carling Knockout (R250,000) and Nedbank Cup (R250,000) competitions. And depending on how far they go in each competition, they stand to make a lot of money. The first prizes for the two cup competitions are R6,6m and R7m, respectively. Even better, and potentially a marketing hook for sponsorship, Orbit's promotion means they have finally gave North West a club in the Premiership after a seven-year wait. The province is home to valuable minerals, including gold and platinum, and the mining industry is thriving with several companies operating. After a decade in the ABC Motsepe League, the third tier, Orbit only earned promotion to the MFC two seasons ago. The Mswenko Boys finished second behind Durban City in the MCF to qualify for the playoffs, while Durban earned automatic promotion to the Premiership. Captain Atisang Batsi said they knew their time had come to win promotion. "We said at the beginning of the season that this is our time and we made it," Batsi told SuperSport TV after the game at Olympia Park in Rustenburg. "It means a lot to us, when we started the season, it was a little bit bad but when the season continued we became better. We are looking forward to playing in the Betway Premiership next season." With the promotion done, Orbit will start their preparations for the Premiership where they will have to strengthen the team with experienced players.
Daily Record
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
I know Celtic's transfer market strategy but it leaves Brendan Rodgers in the pressure pot again
Brendan Rodgers could not have been any clearer about the impressive impact last summer's pre-season work had on the way Celtic stylishly set about their business. Fast forward 12 months and I'd say it's even-more important this time around. Which is why I can understand some edginess that has been creeping into supporters as time ticks past with noise on the signing front remaining relatively quiet. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's at full volume in the background as Rodgers' recruitment team set about delivering the quality he wants. Benjamin Nygren's sealed deal says as much. A positive sign. I feel like I say this every year, but there really is no time to waste. Especially not this time with the sceptre of the Champions League qualifiers being back. Those games are enough to make you feel a bit queasy. I know, I've been there and I've been on the wrong end of them. It's not fun. As much as putting Ajax out for the first time was an incredible high, losing out to FC Basel was a kick in the guts, even if it did send us into the UEFA Cup and on a run to a final. Celtic didn't just hit the ground running last season. They absolutely sprinted into top gear from the first whistle. Granted, the signings weren't all in place by that time either with the likes of Adam Idah and Arne Engels arriving after the campaign was underway, but the work done in the build-up weeks was absolutely vital. That's not just me saying that, that's coming from the manager himself. Rodgers told us in no uncertain terms that the patterns of play used in the United States in games against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City were priceless when it came to going into the league phase of the Champions League. The way Nicolas Kuhn 's role was defined and perfected to ensure he began the season like an express train and barely stopped until running out of gas a bit near the end. Celtic won 16 of their first 18 Premiership matches and put the title to bed during that run, It was job done and Rodgers is going to want the same again. For that to happen in the way he plans, I'd be sure he wants many of the men he is going to be relying upon to be in the camp when they make their trips to Portugal and Italy. Look, again, I'm not daft. I understand how the market works. I'm fully aware that Celtic will have targets who, at this stage, might not be unavailable due to their own clubs not having made up their mind, or that agents are playing a waiting game and trying to smoke out the best deals, waiting to see if they can generate as much interest as possible for their client. Unless Celtic are going to start paying silly money, I'd imagine they may have to wait, perhaps even until the end of the window, for some of the key targets. But it still feels a little lacking to me at this precise point of proceedings and, at the very least, Rodgers will surely want the majority in his squad for the start of the domestic season. Having the unit functioning smoothly and working in tandem is vital. There are competitive domestic games before the qualifiers, but Rodgers has been in this movie before and he is going to want to be as tooled up as possible for when they come around. Yes staying top of the pile in the Scotland is the key. That's the bread and butter and it always has to be the priority. But I stood five yards from Rodgers on the pitch at Tannadice on the day Celtic clinched the title and you could not hide the excitement he had about the prospect of going back into the Champions League next season and kicking on from last term's efforts. Celtic got their pride back. It's what the manager wanted and now it's about building. But you can't do that if you aren't in it. Rodgers doesn't need me to tell him what it's like to have to deal with these qualifiers without a full deck of cards. He's been there. When he walked in the door the first time, the juggling act and scrambling to make it to the group-phase through the final qualifiers against Astana and Hapoel Be'er Sheva having lost a first-leg tie to Lincoln Red Imps shredded the nerves. Kolo Toure parachuted into the squad in the midst of it. Same the following year. Battling to get through, having to play Tom Rogic basically up front. Eventually, it caught up with Celtic when AEK Athens put them out in Rodgers' last attempt before he left. Now returned, he's back in that pressure pot and, at this stage, there looks like there's plenty to be done. Kieran Tierney has signed, but who is the back up with Greg Taylor leaving? Nygren now in with Ross Doohan, yet the new striker that was wanted in January when Kyogo left will still be wanted. Other areas of the side to be addressed. It seems there is much to do and there's too much going on the line for Celtic not to try and get as much of it done as soon as possible. Rodgers and his team are heading into that pre-season campaign shortly. For it to have the same maximum effect as it had a year ago, having some more of the targeted new faces on the pre-season flights wouldn't go amiss.
