Latest news with #captain
Washington Post
a day ago
- General
- Washington Post
In 1917, a U.S. submarine sank in the fog. Experts just got detailed images.
The captain of the F-1 submarine later testified that, in the fog, he didn't see the oncoming vessel until the last second. Someone yelled to close the main deck hatch. But it was too late. The other boat rammed the F-1 and cut a huge gash in its side. It was Dec. 17, 1917. Up in the conning tower, sailors heard the loud whoosh of air being forced out as their sub filled with seawater. The five men topside were thrown into the ocean and later rescued.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
Dan Sheehan the hybrid hooker who can play centre and dreams of kicking drop goals
Dan Sheehan is one of those sickeningly talented individuals who can turn his hand to pretty much anything. He is a golfer with a single-figure handicap, a hooker who according to his coach Simon Easterby could fill in at flanker or centre – and he's now captain of the Lions in his first appearance. But the 26-year-old could easily have been lost from the game after being passed over by Leinster's senior academy after coming out of school. It has taken a series of sliding-doors moments for him to be leading the Lions against Western Force on Saturday. 'It says a lot about him because you don't make these decisions lightly,' Lions head coach Andy Farrell said of his decision to appoint Sheehan in the absence of Maro Itoje. 'To have the special honour to captain the British and Irish Lions must be amazing for Dan and his family. They must be bursting with pride, but it's well earned, obviously.' School days in Romania fostered versatility To rewind slightly, Sheehan attributes much of his skill-set to multi-sport background which was honed in, of all places, Romania while his father, Barry, was selling Heineken in Eastern Europe. Rugby was not on the curriculum at the American international school that he attended, but pretty much everything else was. 'We were playing all sorts of different sports like baseball, basketball, volleyball,' Sheehan said this week. 'I've always enjoyed PE class, playing any sport. Badminton, whatever. That definitely impacted my skill-set and being comfortable doing anything. My parents were big on just giving anything a lash.' Sheehan was already rugby mad by this point and even without any organised games in Romania would spend hours at a time practising his line-out throwing with his brother Bobby in their garden. Returning to Ireland, Sheehan enrolled at Clongowes Wood College and was on the books of Leinster's wider academy. However, despite his obvious potential, Sheehan was not selected for a senior contract, in large part because Ronan Kelleher, another Lions hooker, was in the same academy intake. So instead, Sheehan joined Trinity College under head coach Tony Smeeth. 'He has had a different journey from most of the Leinster lads,' Smeeth said. 'He ended up missing out so he came and played two full seasons for us. I remember they knew they had something but there was just not space for him. It is part of the issue that everyone talks about how great Leinster's academy is, they don't always make the right calls. Tadhg Beirne trained for nothing in the Leinster academy until Ruddock picked him up for Scarlets. Just don't make decisions on lads so early.' Leinster academy rejection proved the making of Sheehan At this stage, Sheehan was Ireland's fifth choice Under-20 hooker but a couple of injuries at the 2018 Junior World Championship resulted in him receiving a call-up. Yet Sheehan himself suffered an injury at the tournament which meant he was allowed to stay in Leinster's wider sub academy to complete his rehab. 'He just trained for nothing or got expenses,' Smeeth said. Sheehan quickly started turning heads with his performances in the All Ireland League for Trinity. 'I remember a couple of games where we were down in Limerick and we were struggling and he was straight out of school, butting heads,' Smeeth said. 'We won the [Under-20s] All-Ireland Championship and he was scoring tries for fun. He was probably 118kg, but was running in tries from the halfway line. You just don't get that. He had ball skills of a centre. I used to ring the [Leinster] academy director, Noel McNamara, who actually taught him at school, and said:'Why aren't you looking at this guy?'' Cue another sliding-doors moment as Eoghan Clarke chose to join Munster, opening up a spot for Sheehan to come into Leinster's senior set-up. Even then Sheehan had to wait his turn and was back out on loan at Lansdowne where he was tutored in the art of line out throwing by Mike Ruddock, the former Wales head coach. Once he broke through at Leinster, Sheehan has barely looked back, scoring two tries on his debut against Zebre in October 2020. Little more than a year later, he had won his first Ireland cap and bagged his first try just a couple of weeks later against Argentina. His try-scoring record is simply ridiculous. For Ireland, he has scored 15 tries in 32 matches; for Leinster 45 in 70, a tally that most wings would be happy with, let alone a front rower. Along with Kelleher and Codie Taylor, Sheehan is part of a new breed of hookers who have helped to redefine what is expected of front-three forwards. 'I enjoy playing attacking rugby in the loose, whether it be on the edges or through the middle,' Sheehan said. 'It would be a shame if I constricted that into a traditional tight-five hooker style of play. It's definitely something I can make sure I bring out on to a pitch, the things I enjoy and I'm good at. Growing up we had the likes of Keith Wood who played differently. He would put boot on the ball… drop-goals… I'll fit a drop-goal into my career at some point.' It is almost 12 months to the day that Sheehan ruptured his ACL playing for Ireland against South Africa and even by the standards of modern medicine, his return in time for this year's Six Nations was remarkable. 'I remember speaking to my dad almost straight away and almost thinking the worst and saying how horrible the timing is, but it ended up probably being the best timing if you were going to do it,' Sheehan said. 'If you were going to miss six months, I missed the right six months.' Almost inevitably, Sheehan marked his return for Leinster with a pair of tries before going on to score five tries for Ireland in this year's Six Nations. Asked about Easterby's assertion that he could fill in at centre or in the back row, Sheehan is far from daunted by the prospect. 'It is a conversation that crops up through the years whether we go for a 5/3 or a 6/2 split on the bench, and the coach will go 'if the s--- hits the fan you might need to jump into the back row',' Sheehan said. 'That's something I'll relish. It wouldn't faze me too much, and I'd have a bit of free licence if I was thrown into the back row. Give it a lash, trust your instincts. I would back myself [at centre]. We'll see on the pitch!'
BBC News
3 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
'We are a much weaker team without him'
Our Brentford fan writer Ian Westbrook analysed the importance of Christian Norgaard when the captain signed a new deal in has played a vital role in his almost six years at the club, making nearly 200 appearances in all competitions and being named captain in the summer of importance to the side can be shown by the fact that we failed to win any of the four Premier League games he missed last season, and only won two of the seven in which he was absent in the last is the glue that holds the side together in his defensive midfield role, protecting the defence, winning tackles and setting up season, he also become a more regular goalscorer - with the six he scored the best return of his career and a third of his entire total of 18 for the are a much weaker team without Ian's piece in full here
BBC News
4 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Murray relishing 'responsibility' of being new Dundee captain
Simon Murray says it was "an easy decision" to accept and "a massive honour" to be announced as captain of striker, who rejoined his boyhood club last season after a short loan in 2018, scored 22 goals in 48 games in the campaign gone had the captain's armband around his bicep throughout the season after injury interrupted previous Joe Shaughnessy's campaign and Trevor Carson was in and out of the admitted he will "give his all" to the role assured he is "not going to change" despite the new responsibility."It is a massive honour," he told club media."Being from here, growing up as a Dundee fan and now getting that responsibility from the new gaffer is great and something that I am really proud of."We've had a few days in training and I had a good chat with the gaffer, he pulled me in and we had a really good chat and he said that he wanted me to be the captain. "It was an easy decision for me to accept. I'm going to give it my all and I look forward to the challenge."I'm not going to change. The gaffer was pretty clear that he wants me just to be me. "Just to bring what I bring, enthusiasm, hard work, and leadership skills and for me just be my own person and just keep doing what I'm doing. He said that was the reason that he chose me to be captain."
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Rugby: New look Māori All Blacks prepare for challenges home and away
Kurt Eklund will captain the Māori All Blacks. Photo: Photosport The Māori All Blacks have a new captain and 11 uncapped players for two matches against the Japan XV in Tokyo and Scotland in Whangārei. Hooker Kurt Eklund (Ngāti Kahu) in his first time as Māori All Blacks captain will lead a 29-strong squad that includes new caps, which range from 20-year-old Blues midfielder Xavi Taele, the youngest member of the squad, to 31-year-old Gisborne-born, Taranaki prop Jared Proffit. Head coach Ross Filipo said 32-year-old Aucklander Eklund was the right fit for captain. "This team demands a strong leader with mana, and Kurt has shown that quality and more over a long period of time, for the Māori All Blacks, Auckland, Bay of Plenty and the Blues. He has a lot of experience throughout the squad and that will be a strength for what will be two tough matches." Māori Rugby board member Rob Clark (Waikato, Ngāti Tiipa) said the team and the board had a role in protecting the kaupapa and the identity of Māori rugby. "Māori rugby is the vehicle we use to express our indigenous identity. It holds the health and wellbeing of our people at the forefront, following in the pathways that have been paved before us and those that will follow. This team allows us to express our kaupapa to the world, to inspire all people and protect the taonga that is rugby in Aotearoa." The squad has assembled in Auckland to begin their campaign preparations before leaving for Japan on 25 June. The game againt the Japan XV in Tokyo is on 28 June and Scotland in Whangarei on 5 July. (iwi, province, Super Rugby club) * denotes new cap Props: Benet Kumeroa (Te Atihaunui a Pāpārangi/Bay of Plenty/Chiefs) Jared Proffit* (Ngāti Porou/Taranaki/Chiefs) Pouri Rakete-Stones (Ngāpuhi/Hawke's Bay/Hurricanes) Kershawl Sykes-Martin* (Ngāti Porou/Tasman/Crusaders) Mason Tupaea* (Ngaati Tiipa, Ngaati Amaru/Waikato/Blues) Hookers: Jacob Devery* (Te Aitanga a Mahaki/Hawke's Bay/Hurricanes) Kurt Eklund (Ngāti Kahu/Bay of Plenty/Blues) Locks: Zach Gallagher* (Te Ātiawa/Canterbury/Hurricanes) Laghlan McWhannell (Ngāti Kahungunu/Waikato/Blues) Antonio Shalfoon* (Whakatōhea/Tasman/Crusaders) Isaia Walker-Leawere (Ngāti Porou/Hawke's Bay/Hurricanes) Loose forwards: Nikora Broughton (Ngārauru, Ngāti Ruanui/Bay of Plenty/Highlanders) Jahrome Brown* (Ngāti Porou/Waikato/Chiefs) Caleb Delany (Ngāti Tūwharetoa/Wellington/Hurricanes) Cullen Grace (Ngāti Whakaue/Canterbury/Crusaders) Te Kamaka Howden (Tūhoe/Manawatū/Highlanders) Halfbacks: Kemara Hauiti-Parapara* (Ngāi Tai, Ngāti Porou/Auckland) Sam Nock (Ngāpuhi/Northland/Blues) First five-eighths: Rivez Reihana (Ngāpuhi, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Hine/Northland/Crusaders) Kaleb Trask (Ngāpuhi/Bay of Plenty/Chiefs) Midfield: Corey Evans (Te Aupouri, Ngāti Kahu/Northland/Blues) Bailyn Sullivan (Ngāti Kahungunu/Waikato/Hurricanes) Daniel Rona (Te Ātiawa/Taranaki/Chiefs) Xavi Taele* (Ngāi Tahu/Auckland/Blues) Gideon Wrampling* (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine/Waikato/Chiefs) Outside Backs: Cole Forbes (Ngāti Awa/Bay of Plenty/Blues) Jonah Lowe (Ngāti Pikiao/Hawke's Bay/Highlanders) Zarn Sullivan (Ngāti Kahungunu/Hawke's Bay/Blues) Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
