Reflecting on Ireland’s last visit to Twickenham for the Six Nations, John Fogarty appears deeply disappointed with the performance, despite their 32-15 victory. This dissatisfaction stems from the five scrum penalties conceded, given Fogarty’s role as Ireland’s scrum coach. He quips, “No scrum, no win” and rejects the idea that Ireland are firm favourites for the upcoming match.
Equally downplaying expectations is Irish rugby player, Caelan Doris, who praises the strengths of the England team. Doris points to England’s recent third-place finish at the World Cup as a sign of their quality.
However, former Irish player Gordon D’Arcy paints a different picture, describing England as a team in flux, showing little offensive growth under the coaching of Steve Borthwick.
Away from rugby, the Republic of Ireland’s women’s football team, managed by Eileen Gleeson, has drawn a challenging group in the Nations League – facing off against the world’s third, fourth and fifth-ranked teams, in the form of France, England and Sweden. The draw’s tough nature is underlined by our correspondent Karen Duggan, who likens it to ‘staring down the barrel of a gun’.
Meanwhile, in Gaelic games, it appears that Monaghan and Wicklow will continue their league campaigns without Rory Beggan and Mark Jackson, due to the pair deciding to extend their stay in the U.S. This decision is said to be in aid of their pursuit of professional NFL contracts. However, Dublin’s solid league performance is believed to be down to their ‘old warriors’ playing vital roles.
Finally, Rory McIlroy is confident he can achieve victory again soon in golf.
Preparing for the upcoming trials at the Irish Rowing Centre in Cork, Ian O’Riordan engages in a discussion with Aifric Keogh, an athlete who made history as part of the pioneering Irish women’s rowing team that clinched a bronze medal at the previous Tokyo Olympics. Currently, her focus is set firmly on Paris.
Positioned for your viewing pleasure this evening are two Champions League round of 16 matches. Manchester City, carrying an advantage with a 3-1 lead from the prior game, will entertain FC Copenhagen on home ground (live on Virgin Media Two and TNT Sports 1, 8.0), whereas Real Madrid will strive to build on their 1-0 lead as they face RB Leipzig (live on TNT Sports 2, 8.0).
Don’t miss out: Register for Sport push alerts to receive top-tier news, insightful analysis, and thought-provoking commentary straight to your mobile device.