Author: DELEITURAS

THE BOOKIES GIVE Toulon a comfortable 11-point cushion for this weekend’s Champions Cup semi-final meeting with their predecessors as champions.

However, because sport is so often much more complicated than that and we don’t want to see you losing a heap of money spread betting, here’s why you should think twice about betting against Leinster.

1. The Notorious SOB

WHEN LEINSTER WENT to Stade Mayol for last season’s quarter-final, they were choked out of the game at source as Steffon Armitage dominated the tackle area.

Source: Donall Farmer/INPHO

Leinster had little response at the time, but now they have their own breakdown power merchant back and Sean O’Brien is itching for a big day out in blue after delivering his best performance for Ireland on the day the Championship was won.

2. Toulon taking their foot off the pedal

While Leinster are working hard this week to fix their own defensive issues, so too will Toulon. Conceding six tries in two games is nobody’s idea of a tight defence and the manner in which Wasps were able to fight back in to their quarter-final loss should give Leinster real reason for optimism.

As formidable as Toulon’s pack is, they can be got at when they are moved around – easier said than done, admittedly – and Leinster certainly have attackers capable of posing a threat in wide channels.

3. Marseille

For the first time in three years, Matt O’Connor does not have to take a team to Stade Mayol in Toulon. The Australian suffered quarter-final defeats there with Leicester before coming back with Leinster, but this time he will take Toulon slightly away from their home patch.

THE IRFU HAS spoken out in defence of its player management system following recent criticisms of the programme by Leinster head coach Matt O’Connor.

Ireland boss Joe Schmidt and IRFU performance director David Nucifora, the two key decision makers in Irish rugby, yesterday underlined their belief that Ireland’s player management system is “the envy of a lot of other rugby-playing nations.”

Schmidt says he has lots of good conversations with the provincial coaches around player management. Source: Morgan Treacy/INPHO

O’Connor has been frustrated to lose his front-line players at important times of the season, pointing to those absences as among the reasons for Leinster’s extremely disappointing Guinness Pro12 season so far.

The eastern province are in grave danger of missing out on the league play-offs as they prepare for this evening’s clash with Ulster in Belfast. The knock-on danger for Leinster is a poor seeding for the pool stages of next season’s Champions Cup.

O’Connor has shared his frustrations regarding the player management system with the media on a number of occasions, stating that it was “debatable” how two-way the conversations between province and national team are in this area.

The Leinster coach has also claimed that he has had access to his best players for only 30 per cent of the season, something which Nucifora underlined as not being wholly attributable to the player management system.

“There’s been this magical 30 per cent number tossed around out there and I can tell you it is grossly inaccurate,” said Nucifora at a media briefing called to specifically address criticisms of the IRFU’s player management system.

“That 30 per cent number takes into account player injuries, non-selection, as well as the games affected by the player management system.”

O’Connor openly expressed his frustration at not being able to select the likes of Sean O’Brien, Rob Kearney, Jamie Heaslip and Devin Toner for the Pro12 clash with Glasgow Warriors [a game the province drew 34-34] a week after the conclusion of the Six Nations.

It is also understood that Leinster were pushed into deciding to use their front-liners either against the Dragons two weekends ago [a 25-22 defeat] or versus Ulster this evening, with the latter option taken.

O’Connor has been vocal about his displeasure at the player management system. Source: Morgan Treacy/INPHO

However, Schmidt bluntly denied that there was any truth in that suggestion.

“That’s not accurate,” said Schmidt. It’s unequivocally not accurate… They were not told anything.”

The Ireland coach also stated that chatter over leading Ireland internationals being limited to just eight of the 22 regular season Pro12 fixtures was wide of the mark.

Instead, it appears that the limits are based on minutes played, believed to be somewhere in the region of 640 over the 22 games for top internationals.

“The number of eight that was thrown out there, that’s a misnomer,” said Schmidt of what he terms a “flexible” system.

“There are players who are part of the national squad who have played a lot more than eight and there are players who have been part of close to every national match day squad who have been involved in more than eight games. Or will be, certainly, over the next two weeks.

“If you add it all together, if someone plays nine European games, eight Pro12 games and ten Test matches, you are at 27 games. So, it may be eight for one player and it may be twelve for someone who only played, say, two EPCR games because they were injured.”

Schmidt said he doesn’t know why Leinster boss O’Connor has felt the need to break ranks over the issue of the player management system this season, merely saying: “I guess you could ask the same question of Axel Foley, Neil Doak, or Pat Lam.”

The Kiwi said his conversations with the provincial coaches regarding player management and the release of players during national camps such as during the Six Nations are often productive and positive.

Nucifora previously worked in a similar role for the ARU. Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO

Schmidt admitted that O’Connor has been the most “disadvantaged” of the four due to having such a high volume of his squad involved with Ireland and also hinted that other provincial coaches have been easier to negotiate with.

“Even post-Six Nations, I was on quite a tight timeframe but there was only really four players who were unavailable to play other than those who were injured and those that were weren’t made public, because provinces aren’t going to tell you that someone’s hurt,” said Schmidt.

“But I can tell you that Paul O’Connell, Conor Murray, Peter O’Mahony, they were all available. They could have played but the provincial coach decided to give them a week of rest and I’m delighted with that because I think it’s really good management of them.

“That may well give them a benefit at the back-end of the season. Probably the guy who was most disadvantaged was Matt with the amount of national players he had, but if you look at the other end of the spectrum, you’ve got Connacht with one player.

“That one player, I rang Pat Lam and said ‘Robbie [Henshaw] is fatigued, he’s got a sore wrist. Nothing that’s a show-stopper, but he could really do with a week off.’

“Connacht were going away to Scarlets, a crucial game in the battle for sixth place and he was down Bundee Aki and Dave McSharry, who were injured, but he said ‘I totally understand, we’ll work around it.’

“I think there’s a really positive relationship more often than not in the context of trying to look after players.”

Sean O’Brien’s decision to stay in Ireland was partly due to the knowledge that he would be managed well. Source: Cathal Noonan/INPHO

Asked if his relationship with Lam, Foley and Doak is stronger than with O’Connor, Schmidt replied:

“It can fluctuate, because provincial coaches come under pressure at times and that can cause stress. I have been there.

“And there have been times when if I went back to the last World Cup period [2011] where Leinster contributed far more players to the World Cup squad than anyone else, then you do feel stressed during that time.

“During that time I think we won four from six games, but we ended up topping the league by ten points. At the same time, it is very frustrating sometimes where you want to be able to utilise your players and you may feel you need to counter-balance it to some other time. I sympathise with the situation.

“It’s a challenge for provincial coaches to get the best out of their teams all the time when you don’t always have the top players available every time.

“Two years ago through the Six Nations, period Leinster got 18 out of 20 available points, last year they got 19 out of 20 available points, this year they got nine out of 20 available points.

“If you look at the teams that were put out through those three years, those teams are very similar and have international experience, with guys who have been internationally capped. I think from that perspective the system isn’t broken and we’re trying to refine it every quarter.”

Schmidt also pointed out that a high number of Leinster academy and U19 players have trained with Ireland in the last two years to cover for those senior players released back to their provinces.

Indeed, Schmidt praised Leinster’s academy manager Girvan Dempsey, “who has been superb over the last two years,” for his work in providing players for Ireland to run against as opposition in training.

Schmidt said the IRFU’s management of international players is one of the reasons Johnny Sexton is returning to Leinster from Racing Métro next season, as well as being a primary motivation in Sean O’Brien’s decision to turn down Toulon last year.

Nucifora also underlined the attractions of the player management programme for the players themselves, revealing that “it comes up regularly” during contract negotiations.

Schmidt has been on the other side of the fence as Leinster coach. Source: Billy Stickland/INPHO

“By managing the players, we have the ability to add years to their careers,” said Nucifora. “When we’re competing against other countries who have far bigger bank accounts that we will struggle to compete with, we need every advantage that we can get.

“If we can turn a player’s career and make it one, two or three years longer, then obviously there’s a monetary value in that to the players. The players do take that into account and they do appreciate the fact that we look after their welfare and their well-being and their longevity.”

Nucifora said the player management system is one that is constantly evolving, reviewed as it is after quarterly blocks of the season.

The IRFU’s performance director has previously worked with the Australian Rugby Union in a similar position and underlined that Ireland’s player management system is a vital unique selling point.

“I think it’s really important to say that the player management system really is the envy of a lot of other rugby-playing nations. The system is there, above all else, to look after the well-being of our players.

“That’s its primary role and the system is an integral part of the success of Irish rugby, both nationally and provincially, over the last number of years. It’s played a big hand in the success that’s been had at both levels.

“I can only say after experiencing other systems that Ireland has a massive advantage in having this at their disposal. It is not mean to be to the detriment of anyone. I actually think it’s a massive positive for Irish rugby, provincially and nationally.

“Over those years, provinces and national teams have managed to win trophies. Hopefully, if we keep improving it going forward, that will continue to be the case.”

Watch this space.

Tommy Bowe: ‘We shouldn’t ever lose at Fortress Ravenhill’An injury has forced a former British & Irish Lion to hang up his boots

HE MAY HAVE come out on the losing side of the Champions Cup final but Nick Abendanon can enjoy some consolation after he was named the EPCR European Player of the Year 2015.

Abendanon was presented with the award on Tuesday following an outstanding season which ended with a try in Clermont’s 24-18 defeat to Top 14 rivals Toulon.

The English full-back put up “consistent world-class performances,” the EPCR said, to beat team-mate Fritz Lee and 2014 winner Steffon Armitage of Toulon. Saracens’ Billy Vunipola and Leinster’s Jamie Heaslip completed the five-man shortlist.

Abendanon started all nine of Clermont’s European matches, scoring four tries and making 929 metres in total carries.

This man can’t get into the England squad!

“It’s obviously a huge honour to receive this accolade, especially with the great players who have received it in years past,” Abendanon said.

“I want to thank everyone involved at Clermont for the help, support and character shown throughout the year.

Ronan O’Gara (2010), Sean O’Brien (2011) and Rob Kearney (2012) won the first three awards before Toulon duo Jonny Wilkinson (2013) and Armitage (2014) started a period of French dominance.

The Barbarians have added two more Lions to a star-studded panel to face Ireland

MARK ENGLISH BELIEVES drug-testing in team sports has improved in recent times and says fellow athlete should not compete again, in order to protect the integrity of the sport of athletics.

Irish athlete Fagan received a two-year ban for EPO use but returned following the culmination of his punishment to post an Olympic qualifying time last month.

Yet English admits he would still be reluctant to compete on the same Irish team as Fagan.

“To be honest, I don’t think he should be picked,” he says. “That’s my personal opinion. I believe if you’re tested positive, you shouldn’t be let back in — the sport just needs that.

“If I were him, I would just not compete in the sport again for the sake of it. If Martin Fagan really loves the sport, he shouldn’t compete again.”

Recent reports that a Monaghan GAA player tested positive for steroids have brought the issue of drugs in sport to the fore again, but English — a former Gaelic footballer himself — feels that doping is far more prevalent in other sports.

“I don’t think it is going to be as pervasive in amateur sport — I don’t think there’s the same motivation for people to cheat [as opposed to] guys in athletics who are still chasing the dollars. I still think it’s vital that they are tested though, because there will always be a few that will try to cheat their way to the top.

“People need to believe in the sport they’re watching. If people are hearing that GAA players are being tested all the time, that gives more credibility to the sport. I think in athletics, things are improving in that regard. Especially in Ireland, people know that the test procedures are really strict and that’s good for people believing in Irish athletes.

The 22-year-old, who won a silver medal at the European Athletics Championships back in March (see video below) cites rugby and soccer as two sports where athletes are conceivably more prone to the pressures that prompt the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

“I know a few GAA lads and I wouldn’t think they’re doing anything dodgy. I don’t think there’s that motivation there to do it. I don’t think GAA’s the sport you need to look to — rugby and soccer are the big ones. They’re the ones with the money in it — the reasons that people would do it in the first place. So GAA wouldn’t be top of my list for doping investigations. I’d look to other sports — it’s pervasive in soccer.”

Source: urbsintacta/YouTube

English also describes the dangers of unwittingly taking illegal substances, but feels that even in such unfortunate circumstances, athletes ultimately have themselves to blame.

“Of course it’s unfortunate for those that don’t know what they’re taking… Okay, you might be innocent, but you’ve failed the stupidity test, so I don’t think you should really be in the sport.

“The sport has been too tainted by drugs that you can’t give second chances. A few years ago, I might have been of the belief that people deserve a second chance, because I didn’t really realise how much drugs were tainting our sport — the amount of people that aren’t believing in it because of [the level of suspicion]. It just means that you can’t give these people a second chance.”

Ireland U20 12

Wales U20 22

IRELAND UNDER 20s suffered another World Cup defeat this evening as familiar foes Wales earned a spot in the fifth-place play-off against Australia.

Nigel Carolan’s side managed to rally in the second half with tries from Ciaran Gaffney and Charlie Rock putting a gloss on the scoreboard, but the game was long since over.

Source: Giuseppe Fama/INPHO

Wales, who also defeated Ireland in the Six Nations this year, scored all 22 of their points in the first half. Ireland were on the back foot from the off with Dafydd Howells touching down after five minutes.

Joey Carbery was off target with a penalty after Seb Davies’ score helped push the deficit to 12 – 0 and the ‘Wolfpuppies’ were held scoreless until the break. Wing Josh Adams scored Wales’ third of the night and out-half Jarrod Evans added a penalty to his two conversions to open up a 22 – 0 gap at half-time.

Carbery runs an attack with Ringrose in support. Source: Giuseppe Fama/INPHO

The loss leaves Ireland in a seventh-place play-off with Scotland, who dominated long sections of their pool meeting with Ireland last week, at 2pm this Saturday.

Source: Giuseppe Fama/INPHO

While Ireland were slipping to defeat, England set up a World Cup semi-final against New Zealand with an impressive 28 – 20 win over South Africa.

After a 25th minute try from James Chisholm broke a 6- 6 deadlock, the defending champions’ sheer force helped them open up an 18 – 6 advantage at half-time through a penalty try.

Centre Nick Tompkins’ try made the score 26 – 6 with 10 minutes remaining, but his subsequent yellow card paved the way for late (but excellent) Baby Bok scores from Malcolm Jaer and Daniel Du Plessis.

Tevita Li scoring the second of his brace against Ireland. Source: Photosport/Andrew Cornaga/INPHO

Earlier, New Zealand ran riot against France to take the first final berth (KO Saturday 19.30).

Brilliant Blues wing Tevita Li scored a hat-trick as the Baby Blacks touched down six times in a 45- 7 win over Les Bluets.

‘Manic Aggression’ and 11 more reasons Paul O’Connell will be a devastating loss to Irish rugbyA tribute to Munster legend Paul O’Connell in 38 epic pictures7 things Paul O’Connell should know before he goes to Toulon

WWE stocks had a wild 2018, reaching nearly $100 at one point after starting the year at just $31. Yesterday at time of closing, WWE stocks traded at $74.73 but then dropped to $73.77 in after hours trading.
The big jump came in May 20, jumping to $57 from the low 50s and then had a big climb to $96.73 on September 28. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there where it closed the year at $73.77. In terms of percentage, from the first trading day of 2018 to the last one, WWE stocks soared a whopping 144% with a market cap of $5.7 billion.
11 analysts who offered CNN Business a 12-month price forecasts for WWE have a median target of $95, with a high estimate of $105 and a low estimate of $80. The median estimate represents a 27% increase from the last trading price. The current consensus among 13 polled investment analysts is to buy WWE stock and with the UK and India television deals announcements coming in 2019, it’s looking like a good year to be a WWE investor.Click Here: Fabinho jersey sale

Team Ireland athletes with volunteers during the flag raising ceremony at the World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea. Source: Cathal Noonan/INPHO

HomeThe FAI‘s debt has risen to over €52.2 million, according to their latest accounts.Conor McGregor was branded ‘one of the greatest athletes of all time’ by none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger.Ireland international Stephen Quinn completed his move to Championship outfit Reading.Jack Byrne, one of Irish football’s most promising players, secured a loan move to Dutch top-flight side Cambuur.It was confirmed that Carl Frampton‘s next world title defence will be screened live on UTV Ireland.Ex-Ireland international Sean O’Driscoll is set to become one of Brendan Rodgers’ assistants at Liverpool.Away

Roger Federer smashes a ball during his clash with Damir Dzumhur in the first round at Wimbledon. Source: Tim Ireland

A sad day in the world of horseracing, after the much-loved Kauto Star was put down following a fall.Hot temperatures at Wimbledon saw delays in play – but only for female players.When play was in action, former finalist Eugenie Bouchard was knocked out, having already picked up a dress code violation.The legendary Ronaldinho found a new club in Turkey.Scotland unveiled a rather attractive tartan-influenced pair of Rugby World Cup kits.The Millenium Stadium in Cardiff won the right to host the 2017 Champions League final.Liverpool legend Bruce Grobelaar urged the club to “get rid” of Raheem Sterling, and questioned his ability.

The best thing we shared

If you haven’t already done so, you need to watch the top 10 tries of the Super Rugby season. Oval-ball magic.

Source: SKY Sport NZ/YouTube

On the record

Former Ireland international Damien Duff played down the rumours linking him with a move to St. Pat’s.

The fixture listThe Leinster intermediate hurling semi-final between Galway and Kilkenny takes place in O’Connor Park, Tullamore tomorrow at 7.30pm.Over in Páirc Uí Rinn, it’s Cork v Kerry in the Munster junior football final at 7.30pm.The second Copa America semi-final will be played overnight, as Argentina face Paraguay at 12.30am.Wimbledon continues and the big draw will be top men’s singles seed Novac Djokovic on centre court against Jarkko Nieminen at 1.00pm.Showbiz, baby!

Gervinho’s proposed move from Roma to Al-Jazira was scuppered due to his demands for a helicopter, private beach, accommodation for his family and regular airplane tickets as part of the deal.

CLERMONT OUT-HALF Brock James will miss the start of the Top 14 season after suffering a minor heart anomaly that requires a surgical procedure.

The French club stated that the Australian’s heart issue is “without gravity” but that a “minor” medical procedure is necessary to ensure James returns to full health.

The 33-year-old, who helped Clermont into the finals of the Champions Cup and Top 14 last season but did not start in either decider, will undergo the operation in the coming days.

Clermont anticipate that James will be able to start training again within days of the procedure, although without contact. Their expectation is that the playmaker will miss two months of action.

The 2010 Top 14 winners open the 2015/16 league season with a visit to La Rochelle on 22 August, before hosting Grenoble a week later and then travelling to Oyonnax on 5 September.

Clermont’s Camille Lopez was left out of France’s initial World Cup training squad, while the highly promising Argentinian out-half Patricio Fernández offers the club an element of depth after the departure of Mike Delany to Newcastle Falcons this summer.

Leaving so soon? Hagan to head for Super Rugby after short-term Leinster dealAn old familiar face is back in the Springboks team to face the All Blacks

A RUGBY LEAGUE player in Newcastle, Australia could be in line for a long spell on the sidelines after being cited for this disgusting tackle on an opponent this week.

Cessnock centre Jared Edwards was spotted driving his shoulder into the knee of a player on the ground during his side’s defeat to Macquarie, leaving his opponent with damaged medial ligaments, the rest of the season injured, and two months out of work.

Macquarie’s Teason Fa’avae-Eli had been tackled by a number of Cessnock players near his own goal line, and after they eventually forced him to ground, Edwards appeared to grab him by the foot, before driving his shoulder into the side of his opponent’s knee.

Source: Sports Vids First/YouTube

The incident was not picked up by a referee at the time, but Edwards has since been cited for the tackle, and will learn his fate next Wednesday.

Fa’avae Eli meanwhile will miss the remainder of his side’s season, and the self-employed carpenter is also expecting to be out of work for around two months as he lets his knee recover.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, the injured centre says he and Edwards had been giving each other back and forth verbals all day, but that he didn’t expect it to end as it did.

“We were at each other all game, as footy players do, to get get them off their game,” Fa’avae-Eli said.

“He’s just taken it to the next level. He couldn’t handle that we were winning and it’s his old team.

“Throughout the whole game he was saying he’s going to get me. He did end up getting me at the end, but in an illegal way.”

There’s been drama in relation to Michael Hooper’s ban for strikingKane Douglas’ return to Australia confirmed after release from Leinster