Tuesday rolls around again, so let’s take a look at some of the stories making the news on KCLR and Scoreline.ie for 21 February.
Lots on the line
Beginning with Gaelic games and Kilkenny senior camogie manager Brian Dowling has been telling KCLR that this weekend’s VERY Camogie League meeting with Galway could have big repercussions for both teams.
The league has undergone a structural change this year with Division 1 split into two groups of six and already looks to be more competitive with defending All Ireland champions Kilkenny beaten by Clare on Sunday while reigning League champions Galway were beaten comfortably by Tipperary. With Kilkenny and Galway set to meet this Saturday, Dowling hints there’s a lot on the line for the two counties. You can hear his sentiments on this week’s Scoreline Extra podcast.
Throw-in for that game has been confirmed for 3pm at UPMC Nowlan Park.
Win or bust for Carlow?
Another side with a lot riding on the line for early season ambitions are Carlow’s senior footballers. Following their loss to Laois in the third round of the Allianz Football League on Saturday, Niall Carew’s side are making for Leitrim this coming weekend where it’s also looking a little like win or bust for league hopes.
Willie Quinlan gave us his thoughts on last night’s Full Time.
You can hear that interview in full on this week’s Full Time Podcast, out this morning wherever you do your podcast listening.
Sticking with football and a new format for the Carlow football leagues comes into play this week with clubs set to return to action this coming Friday. According to Carlow GAA, the changes are intended to make the league more competitive, provide more games to the club player and reduce the number of walkovers. Among the changes this year are the merging of senior and intermediate clubs to combine divisions 1 and 2, with divisions 3 and 4 also to be combined.
The league season gets underway this Friday with a minimum 10 games plus knockouts guaranteed for clubs. The football league finals will be held over the June bank holiday weekend.
From Carlow to the Champions League
In soccer, the date and time for this year’s KCLR Carlow Shield final has been confirmed. New Oak Boys and Crettyard will face off on Thursday March 16th with a 7.30pm kick-off. Carlow & District League are waiting to confirm the host venue for this year’s final.
Tonight sees the next round of games in the last sixteen of the Champions League and the big one is a repeat of last year’s final as Real Madrid head to Anfield to take on Liverpool. Madrid won that final 1-0, Jurgen Klopp came out yesterday to suggest that Liverpool will have to play their two best games of the year to progress whereas he reckons Madrid won’t need to be at full strength at all.
They’re expected to be missing Toni Kroos and Aurelian Shoe-a-many tonight while Liverpool may have Darwin Nunez available having scored against Newcastle at the weekend. Eintracht Frankfurt and Napoli are tonight’s other game, it should also be a cracker, both kicking off at 8pm.
No Sexton
Ireland captain Johnny Sexton is a doubt for Saturday’s Six Nations match against Italy in Rome. Sexton’s working through a groin problem so it’s likely we’ll see Ross Byrne step into the fold this weekend.
Joey Carbery is also back in the Irish squad as a result while Kieran Treadwell and Scott Penny have been drafted in to replace Tadhg Beirne and Joe McCarthy.
Further Olympic bans?
The Minister of State for Sport has lent his voice to calls for Russian and Belarussian athletes to be barred from next year’s Olympic Games. Ireland is one of 34 governments calling on the International Olympic Committee to clarify the definition of ‘neutrality’. The IOC has previously claimed they will explore avenues to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete as neutrals in Paris. Ireland are joined in their statement by the United States, Canada, France, Germany and Great Britain.
Get more stories in our local updates on air across the day and here on Scoreline.ie.
