Latest news with #ex-Ireland
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Shocking Lions incident that had fans calling for Maro Itoje to be banned
Marjson Itoje will skipper the British and Irish Lions against Australia, and the lock will be desperate to ensure he keeps his cool in Brisbane following previous calls for him to be banned Maro Itoje will take the reins as British and Irish Lions captain for Saturday's Test opener against Australia, marking the start of their summer campaign. He's expected to lead by example as the squad eyes an early series advantage. Having stumbled against Argentina in Dublin prior to their trip, the Lions have since gone unbeaten in five matches on Australian ground. But things will heat up in Brisbane, where Itoje faces scrutiny both for his conduct and his impact. That's partly due to past controversy. During the 2021 South Africa tour, the Saracens lock drew heavy criticism after a high-profile clash with Damian de Allende, with the 30-year-old becoming the focus of outrage from Springboks fans and South African media outlets for his in-game antics. He was seen pressing his knee onto De Allende's upper body - specifically around the chest, shoulder, and neck - during the second Test in Cape Town. That match ended 27-9 in South Africa's favour, tying the series before the decider. De Allende retaliated from the ground by dragging Itoje down and then shoving him in the head. Itoje responded by complaining to referee Ben O'Keeffe. Although no action was taken against either, the online backlash was severe. One fan posted to X: "[Maro Itoje] should be banned after his knee on De Allende's neck! That's dangerous." Another user said: "Itoje also deserved red for this. This is intentional." "Shocked he wasn't thrown out of the game," another comment read. One supporter wrote: "Unacceptable! Maro had a terrible game overall, actually. Complaining and moaning." Itoje, though, seems to have turned the page. His recent form suggests he's grown into the leadership role, becoming a consistent presence throughout the preparatory fixtures. He was on the scoresheet in the Lions' 52-12 rout of the Queensland Reds, showcasing endurance and focus throughout the match. Australia, led by ex-Ireland coach Joe Schmidt, will likely make Itoje a priority target as they seek to disrupt the Lions' plans at Lang Park. Itoje is set to line up in the second row alongside Joe McCarthy and is one of four Englishmen in the starting side, joined by Ellis Genge, Tom Curry, and Tommy Freeman. But more than anything, Itoje must avoid the sort of confrontations that invite disciplinary trouble. With the captain's armband now on his arm, fans will hope he's left the drama behind and embraced the responsibility.
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘You can't take chances' – Joey O'Brien gives early injury update on Shelbourne duo after Champions League qualifier win
SHELBOURNE will continue to fly the flag in the Champions League after celebrating with a tricolour on the pitch. A Advertisement 2 Shelbourne advanced to the next round of the Champions League qualifiers with an aggregate win over Linfield Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile 2 Mark Coyle, pictured, and Conor Kearns were both forced off injured Credit: Ben McShane/Sportsfile Ali Coote's opener was cancelled out by Chris Shields' penalty with Kerr McInroy's goal chalked off by VAR for a tug by Paddy Barrett. Ben Hall's straight red card made a Linfield comeback unlikely with Shels' celebrations at the final whistle showed what it meant. Barrett borrowed a flag from supporters with Evan Caffrey then gleefully waving it on the pitch as the few remaining Linfield fans booed. Shels boss Joey O'Brien said: 'I thought we were the better team over the two legs but you don't always get what you deserve. Advertisement Read More on Shelbourne 'This was always going to be a tough game but I thought we started well, got on the ball and dominated possession and we reacted well after the penalty. 'We had a worked set-play and you have that emotion where you're thinking you're ahead and then you have it taken off you. 'The lads were a little bit flat in the dressing room which was understandable. I said to them that was OK.' Shels face Fairview Rangers in an FAI Cup tie on Saturday before hosting Qarabag at Tolka Park on Wednesday before the second leg in Azerbaijan a week later. Advertisement Most read in Sport Breaking And O'Brien knows his side cannot afford to gift the sort of chances that keepers Conor Kearns and Lorcan Healy did in either half. O'Brien said: 'You definitely cannot give them away, it's not even about Europe. You probably don't get away with them normally. RTE pundit's one-liner about Damien Duff makes Joey O'Brien laugh after Shelbourne's win vs Linfield 'They were disappointing because I don't think from open play they cut us open or had outstanding chances, it was from our bad stuff. 'But I thought overall, apart from those couple of moments, it was really mature, especially the second half and I was disappointed we didn't get the winner in the game.' Advertisement The ex-Ireland international is also sweating on the fitness of no 1 Kearns and captain Mark Coyle, both of whom were forced off. He said: 'Mark was struggling with his knee, he wanted to keep going because he's a warrior and he would keep going to the death but on a recovery run he wasn't able to sprint and you can't take chances at this level. 'Conor felt his hamstring, I think he felt it a little bit earlier, and people probably thought he was wasting time, and then he felt it again on the next kick, so he had to come off. 'I suppose we just have to get him back down to Dublin, get him scanned, and just take it from there.' Advertisement
The Irish Sun
12-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
John Caulfield backs new Bohemians star to ‘be the difference' in Gypsies challenging for League of Ireland title
JOHN CAULFIELD has tipped Bohemians to challenge for the title but reckons Galway United need time to find their groove again. The Tribesmen were well beaten by Bohs on Friday night and have won just two of their last 12 games. 2 Bohemians beat Galway Utd Credit: Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile 2 John Caulfield backed them to challenge for the title Credit: Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile Alan Reynolds' side are still eight points adrift of Shamrock Rovers but Caulfield believes they are in the mix. Caulfield said: 'They are going for a league title. You can see their recruitment, you can see they have some fantastic players. 'They got Douglas James-Taylor up top and they paid top dollar for him, and fair play to them. He'll get them goals and that could be the difference between them winning the league and not. 'I suppose the brilliant thing is everyone thought it was only Rovers, but now it's Rovers, Derry and Bohs, and that's great for the league.' Read Mor on Bohemians Bohs did not pay a fee for James-Taylor to Walsall. Galway got €60,000 from Phnom Penh Crown for their top scorer Moses Dyer whilst another regular, Cian Byrne, returned to Bohs after his loan spell ended. And Caulfield believes it will take time for their reinforcements to show their best. On Friday Malcolm Shaw made his third start upfront, Aaron Bolger his first whilst Axel Piesold made his second appearance off the bench - but they signed after a period of inaction. Caulfield said: 'There have been a number of changes to our team and we are struggling to score a goal. 'I suppose we are asking Malcolm Shaw to get up to speed, he hasn't played since November, he started last week. Most read in Football 'He has a lot about him, to be fair. We see him in training, we see him finishing and he just needs something to go in for him. 'But it is difficult. When it doesn't happen, everyone keeps referring to Dyer. But to be fair to Malcolm, if he was here since January, with a full pre-season in him, I have no doubt that he would have a number of goals. League of Ireland mascots compete in charity race in Naas 'He will score goals, I have no doubt about that. 'I've tried to push these guys. Obviously young Bolger came in for 70 minutes and was great for us. It's a difficult time of year when some of your players go and you are bringing in players who haven't played since May. 'Piesold came on and did OK. 'Hopefully we will get more in but it's difficult mid-season, it's hard for us to get players to Galway. 'The problem for us is a lot of them haven't played since May. If we can get to the middle or end of August, fine, but it's that conundrum where we are trying to rush boys in and you have lost players who have played the last six or eight months and who were flying fit.' Caulfield is also looking for more from others. He did not point the finger at anyone in particular but ex-Ireland international Greg Cunningham struggled against James Clarke. He said: 'Maybe some of our more senior players are down on their confidence, going through a bit of a rocky patch. That happens and it's up to us to try and turn it around. 'I don't want to identify anyone. Overall, we didn't track runners. But I think in the bigger picture it's a situation where the second and third goals were too easy.'
Irish Daily Mirror
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Players are 'taking it in turns' to target teenage striker Mason Melia
Music buff Stephen Kenny is fed up with the teenage kicks dished out to striker Mason Melia. The 17-year-old is on his way from St Pat's to Spurs in a £2m deal at the end of this League of Ireland season. And ever since that deal was secured, he has become a marked man, with Lithuanian side, FC Hegelmann dishing out some severe treatment in last night's Europa League game at Richmond Park, which St Pat's won 1-0. Read more: Keena the hero as St Pat's pick up huge European win And ex-Ireland boss Kenny reckons refs need to be on their guard to stop the League's prize asset getting bullied by defenders. Kenny said: 'Mason has been getting a lot of treatment, even in the domestic games, I feel. 'In certain games some players are actually taking turns of having a go at him, you know, rather than one player. I felt that a couple of times. 'So we do have to protect him at times. We haven't played him in all the games. We didn't play him in the Bohs game last week. We took him out. You know, he's young and we can't just play him relentlessly. 'So we've had to manage him a bit. But he is an outstanding talent and he did really well tonight. Didn't finish, but he kept going. And as you say, he was involved in the penalty. So we'll take that.' Kenny, Melia and St Pat's were also content to take the single goal victory into next week's second-leg after they were made to wait 81 minutes for the breakthrough, a goal scored by Aiden Keena. This theme of decent performances not being complemented by goals has become a major issue for the side after they scored just once in their previous six matches. Kenny said: 'We have been playing well. The goals will come. It is just a question of retaining belief in what we are doing.' And his faith in Melia has not wavered, despite the young forward's drought in front of goal. Kenny said: 'Mason showed perseverance last night. He was frustrated, but he never stopped running. His natural athleticism is important. He showed good control in tight areas, I felt, at times. 'And so he'll come good again in front of goal. 'He keeps coming back. I asked the fourth official, the centre half fouled him four times and didn't get a yellow card, he came through the back of him, he said they weren't leading to goal scoring opportunities and things like that. 'It was 'persistent fouling'; he shipped a bit of treatment alright. He comes back for more, He doesn't hide, he knows he missed the chances but he's coming back and he's getting in the box again and he missed a couple more, and ultimately he gets taken down for the penalty. 'Mason's a terrific talent, he leads the line really well, his mobility and speed across the line, he has different attributes and different skillsets, not everything worked for him on Thursday night and he will know himself, he should have scored. 'As a striker you can never be afraid to miss and that's very important. If you miss, you go again. 'Thankfully we got the goal we needed.'
The Irish Sun
08-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Shelbourne ‘recharged' under Joey O'Brien as club moves on from Damien Duff era
THE JOKE during his three-and-a-half-year reign was that the club had been renamed Damien Duff's Shelbourne. But the effort to move on at Tolka Park is well underway ahead of tomorrow's 2 New Shelbourne boss Joey O'Brien faced the media ahead of the Champions League clash vs Linfield on Tuesday 2 Joey O'Brien took over from Damien Duff after the former Ireland star's shock resignation last month In a 20-minute Press conference during which they were asked about Duff several times, his replacement Joey O'Brien and captain Mark Coyle did not refer to him by name once. And Coyle spoke of a 'recharge' since Duff's former assistant O'Brien stepped up to take charge following Coyle said: 'Look, it's obviously a new era. Our new gaffer is sitting beside me. And I just think that's what we're focused on, making new memories. 'And that's basically what we're excited for. And there's definitely been a recharge, you could say, or a change. And we're just looking forward to it now.' read more on football Asked about the morale in the camp since O'Brien took the reins, the Donegal man added: 'It's been very good. Obviously, it's been addressed that we obviously have huge respect and love for the ex-manager. 'But as I said now, we're excited for the new era, the gaffer here. It's been great. He's put his own stamp on things. And you can see that around the ground.' O'Brien has a fully fit squad to choose from in what is the first All-Ireland Champions League clash since Shels easily defeated Glentoran in 2004. And the ex-Ireland international Most read in Champions League He said: 'To be honest, a lot has changed but a lot hasn't changed, really. It's still the same sort of thing; I'm coaching everyday, I'm out on the pitch everyday. 'I had a great relationship with the manager before, I would have had a lot of say in a lot of meetings, I would have taken a lot of meetings. Shelbourne manager Damien Duff gives sweet birthday shoutout to his mother after his side's draw against St Pat's 'So in a way a lot has changed, but in a strange way nothing really has changed, if you know what I mean. 'I pick the team now, I suppose, but again I'm picking the team with the staff and previously I was helping the manager pick the team. 'I've obviously got a personal relationship with the manager, he's a friend of mine, so as I said before, I think we'll be friends forever.'
