A chilling fact, as shared by Gerry Thornley, could cause Leinster supporters to endure a few restless nights before Saturday: out of 23 knockout matches in the two most recent Champion’s Cup seasons, only two were claimed by the visiting teams. La Rochelle ended victorious on both occasions. This implies that Leinster’s upcoming clash with their familiar foes, the double Champions Cup victors, at the Aviva Stadium might present considerable challenges. Will the recruitment of Jacques Nienaber to the Leinster coaching team alter their fate after Ronan O’Gara’s team departed Dublin as champions last May? All remains to be seen. Regardless of the outcome, a robust refereeing game is essential, as noted by Owen Doyle who was less than satisfied with last weekend’s officiating.
In hometown sports, since retiring his Donegal shoes, Michael Murphy found himself as a viewer during Cavan’s unexpected win over Monaghan in Clones on Sunday. When Meath faces Dublin at the next game, only one predicted outcome exists. Gordon Manning refers to it as “The Derby That Died”. He queries, “Does anyone remember the rivalry between Meath and Dublin?”
In other news, Philip Reid analyses Shane Lowry’s chances at the Masters this week. Lowry, from Offaly, reaffirms that he isn’t there solely to “fill the roster”. Notably, “only three participants have maintained top-25 positions in the last four Masters, Scottie Scheffler, Hideki Matsuyama, and Lowry make up this select group.”
The Republic of Ireland’s women’s squad aspire to make an impact rather than merely participating in their Euro 2025 qualifying game against England at the Aviva Stadium tonight. Captain Katie McCabe reassures that they approach it as “just another match for us”, even though it’s evident that it holds more import.
Worth mentioning is Brian O’Connor’s report stating that in the forthcoming Aintree Grand National on Saturday, a “vast Irish presence” is expected. Gordon Elliott alone has nine potential entrants in the 34-horse field that will be confirmed on Thursday. In Brian’s words, it’s “yet another dominant display of Irish prowess.”
Tonight sees the Republic of Ireland and England locking horns for the initial time in almost four decades during the Euro 2025 qualifying match in Dublin. The game will be aired on RTÉ 2 and UTV at half past seven in the evening. Furthermore, in the opening leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, Arsenal welcomes Bayern Munich at 8 pm, broadcasted on TNT Sports 1. At the same time, Real Madrid goes head-to-head with Manchester City, and you can catch the action on the RTÉ News channel and TNT Sports 2.