This past week has been a flurry of activity in the world of rugby, primarily concerning team selection. Initially, James Topping and Allan Temple-Jones introduced the men’s and women’s Sevens for the Olympic Games. Then, Andy Farrell disclosed a 35-player squad, set to face South Africa in the Test matches next month. Johnny Watterson described the process of team selection as harsh, particularly for those who lost their spots in the Sevens to Hugo Keenan and Andrew Smith, who made a recent return to the team after finishing their 15s assignments. Consequently, Farrell will not be having Keenan for the South Africa matches and due to a hamstring injury, he will be missing Jamison Gibson-Park as well.
The injury was a result of the URC semi-final match against the Bulls which led to Leinster’s defeat, a game analysed by Gordon D’Arcy. He also discussed Munster’s loss to Glasgow Warriors, noting the tough realisation for both teams that they contributed to their own undoing.
Meanwhile, at Euro 2024, Ken Early and Gavin Cummiskey experienced two remarkable games. Ken was in Dortmund observing Turkey and Georgia delivering an incredible game in an equally impressive atmosphere. Gavin spent his night in Leipzig, where Portugal shattered Czech hopes with a last-minute victory.
On the home front, Darragh Ó Sé provides commentary on Dublin breaking Mayo’s hearts with a last-minute tie point on Sunday. However, he commends Mayo for infusing other counties with hope and exposing Dublin’s potential vulnerability.
Aidan O’Shea marked his 90th senior championship match for Mayo, a record for outfield players. Gordon Manning offered an in-depth analysis of the 33-year-old’s stellar performance.
Seán Moran contributes to the discussion by expressing concern about the challenges facing GAA when it comes to broadcasting their games on television, particularly when clashing with a big football tournament, a situation they’re presently facing.
In the world of equestrian sports, Brian O’Connor has spilled ink reporting about Willie Mullins’ horse, Belloccio, rescuing the day for Ireland at the outset of Royal Ascot. He’s also casting a critical eye forward to the anticipated performance of Auguste Rodin in the day’s Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. The past record of the horse at Ascot was somewhat dismal, “He lagged so far behind that a mere pair of binoculars was insufficient, one would need a radar to spot him”. The question hanging in the air is, which version of Auguste Rodin will make an appearance today?
Turning our gaze to the Euro 2024, Scotland are stepping onto the pitch once more this evening. The stakes are high for their encounter with Switzerland (RTÉ 2 and BBC 1, 8.0). Should they fail to gain any advantage, they’ll be heading home for a rethink after their last group match. In other games, Croatia and Albania will be going head to head earlier (RTÉ 2 and UTV, 2.0), while tournament hosts Germany spar with Hungary (RTÉ 2 and BBC 1, 5.0).