GAELIC GAMES
If you missed any of the school’s action yesterday, there was a big win for St. Kieran’s College again as the league stages of the Leinster senior colleges championship come to a close. They beat St. Peter’s of Wexford 1-18 to 1-10.
Hard luck to @ColaisteMhuireK senior hurlers that lost on a score of 1-11 to 0-21 against a very strong Colaiste Eoin team, unfortunately this result has our lads knocked out, thanks very much to Mr Maher, Mr Kennedy & Mr O Dwire for all their work pic.twitter.com/ECNKMLmJzw
— Coláiste Mhuire Johnstown KK (@ColaisteMhuireK) December 6, 2022
St. Peter’s will now play Colaiste Eoin of Dublin in the Corn Uí Dhúill quarter-final in a few weeks time thanks to their 0-21 to 1-11 win over Coláiste Mhuire Johnstown.
Borris Vocational School’s B championship game ended in a 3-17 to 1-10 defeat to FCJ Bunclody. Today it’s the turn of Grennan College who travel up to Ballitore to take on Boyne Community School in the Leinster schools junior hurling C semi-finals. Throw-in there is at 1pm.
For a third time in the space of a month, Ballyhale Shamrocks will be back in Croke Park.
#GAA news: @AIB_GAA All Ireland Club SHC semi-final fixtures confirmed
— The GAA (@officialgaa) December 6, 2022
Despite suggestions that their pending AIB GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Club Championship semi-final would be heading to Wexford Park, the GAA confirmed on Tuesday after that Croke Park will indeed host both semi-finals on Sunday week.
Pat Hoban’s side survived a huge second-half scare from Kilmacud Crokes on Sunday last to claim a record-breaking fourth successive Leinster senior hurling title, their 12th in all, and a semi-final date against Munster champions Ballygunner.
The repeat of last year’s All-Ireland senior club hurling final gets the go-ahead as the second game of the day at GAA headquarters with St Thomas’ (Galway) taking on Cúchulainns Dunloy in Croke Park from 1.30 pm, Ballyhale and Ballygunner throwing in at 3.30 pm.
The All Ireland club hurling championship semi-finals will clash with the 3 pm World Cup final.
ATHLETICS
Kilkenny City Harriers will have four members on the Irish team heading to the European Cross Country Championships this weekend.
See also: Kilkenny City Harriers will be represented at the European Championship
La Mandria Park in Piemonte (it’s pronounced pee-ay-mont) Italy hosts this year’s competition with 40 countries and over 550 athletes set to take part
The in-form Peter Lynch is part of the senior men’s team with Aoibhe Richardson, Shay McEvoy, and Hannah Kehoe all traveling.
Soccer
Vale Wanderers progressed in the KCLR Shield last night.
They went up against Baltinglass Town in the Superbowl in Leighlinbridge and won 6-2.
The quarter-final line-up for the World Cup is now complete.
Portugal was the last team to secure their place in the last eight last night. They beat Switzerland 6-1 in Qatar. 21-year-old Goncalo Ramos scored a hat-trick on his first international start after manager Fernando Santos dropped Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo came on with 17 minutes to go with the game already won.
Portugal will now face Morocco after they made history yesterday. They beat Spain 3-0 on spot kicks in their first-ever World Cup penalty shoot-out.
The opening quarter-final is between Brazil and Croatia on Friday afternoon. The Netherlands takes on Spain and England goes up against France.
New York Post on penalty shootouts –
“The penalty shootout is an abomination. It reduces a team sport to a contrived tiebreaker that obliges physically tired and emotionally drained players to step up one by one, trudge half the length of the field and try to shoot down the opponent’s goalkeeper from 12 yards”
Alternatives –
- An attacker goes up against a defender and a goalkeeper, with 30 seconds to score a goal. The attacker starts on the center spot.
- A hockey-style run up from 35 yards used in MLS
- Goalie Wars – Where goalkeepers throw the ball with other keeper trying to save it
- One idea that’s never far from the discussion involves reducing the number of players on each team during extra time.
- Bring back the golden goal rule with Never-Ending Extra Time
- We could even take things back to the Sheffield Rules of 1862. You have an additional goal area on either side of the goalposts, marked by flags. Teams would then score points for any shots passing through the area between the post and the flags.
- Coin Toss
Rugby
Steve Borthwick is expected to be in charge of England for the Six Nations Championship.
The Rugby Football Union sacked Eddie Jones yesterday, bringing the Australian’s seven-year tenure to a close.
Borthwick is a former England forwards coach who guided Leicester to the Premiership last season.
Racing
Kilkenny trainer Joseph O’Brien may run Fakir D’Oudairies in Sunday’s Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown.
The horse is one of eight left in at yesterday’s final forfeit stage for Sunday’s contest, which has a terrific role of honour.
There’s a meeting on the all-weather at Dundalk today from 1.30.
