Category Sports News

Argentina vs. the British and Irish Lions

Dublin’s Aviva Stadium Date: Friday, June 20 Kick-off: 20:00 BST

Building relationships has always been more important than tactics and systems for British and Irish Lions manager Andy Farrell, who believes the latter.

He frequently makes his desire for players to become the “best versions of themselves” when speaking to the media. The best “versions” are not the best tacklers, goal-kickers, or scrummagers, but the best ones.

Ask the players about Farrell, and they will gush. Johnny Sexton is more familiar with him than most. He currently plays for the backroom team of his country’s British and Irish Lions. He was Ireland’s captain under him.

Sexton compared watching Farrell in Lions’ camp to being “amazing to see already.”

Everyone has a voice and a say in the first week, and he’s already made the standard of training, the atmosphere, and the environment really inclusive.

When you’ve won or lost the series, Andy doesn’t want people to say “we should have done this, we should have done that,” he says. “The last thing Andy wants is fast forward four or five weeks.”

He desires your intervention right away. That’s the best aspect of the environment, because it’s a very special place to be right now, and I’m confident that things will improve.

The decision-makers for the British and Irish Lions unanimously supported Farrell as the man to lead the summer’s tour to Australia. Farrell’s ability to convey clarity and confidence to those in his orbit extended to them.

No one was surprised when he was appointed as the head coach in January 2024.

When he leads the Lions into Friday’s pre-tour game against Argentina in Dublin, the 50-year-old is finally prepared to tackle one of rugby’s most challenging coaching challenges.

Farrell’s leadership abilities were present at a young age, but in a different code.

He was only 16 when he first started playing rugby league, became the youngest Challenge Cup winner in 1993, and became the youngest player to lead Great Britain at age 21.

In the 13-man discipline, things weren’t all that good. Twenty of his 34 Test appearances in Great Britain ended in defeat, and he was the tour’s captain in 1996, which saw New Zealand suffer three Test defeats.

The loose-kicking goalie had the idea of competing in Australia’s National Rugby League, which he regarded as the pinnacle of the game.

However, he made the decision to switch to rugby union with Saracens in 2005 after a move down under failed.

His quest to become a cross-code phenomenon was hampered by injuries. Although his 2007 World Cup was severably short due to a calf issue, he still retained his enthusiasm to become a coaching powerhouse despite winning eight caps for England.

Before joining Stuart Lancaster’s England team as the defense coach in time for the 2012 Six Nations, he had the opportunity to work for Saracens as Mark McCall’s assistant.

You need a strong second voice in the changing room, someone who can lift some of the load off your shoulders a little bit, both as a player and as a head coach, as you could tell from him. Andy played that part for me, Lancaster stated in a statement released last year on the BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

Before the final third Test against Australia, Lancaster also referred to Farrell as a “great orator,” which Lancaster later made known when he addressed the now-famous “hurt arena” address to the British and Irish Lions squad.

Within a month of his England exit, which occurred following the 2015 World Cup, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) decided to appoint him Ireland defense coach under Joe Schmidt.

Although Farrell and Schmidt had a three-year apprenticeship, it quickly became apparent that Farrell’s coaching approach to coaching was fundamentally different from the New Zealander’s.

He emphasized the significance of holding presentation ceremonies that frequently involved the players’ families, which would seem appropriate in a Lions setting where many players don’t know each other. This is done because many players don’t know each other.

In the beginning of Farrell’s rule, Ireland lock Iain Henderson said, “There’s a different mentality around the place – a different relationship between players and coaches and a different relationship between players and players, going over things together.”

“Before, the guys might have been a little hesitant when they asked questions and went out. out of fear that others will think they are unaware of their particular knowledge.

Sexton’s comments echo Henderson’s words five years later. It demonstrates how important it is for Farrell to create a collaborative environment during training and to empower the players to express their opinions.

Sexton, who had struggled with his first two years in charge, was forced to come out in favor of him.

Soon, however, Farrell took over one of Ireland’s greatest periods, with speculation that he might become the next Lions manager starting to grow. In 2022, Ireland won a historic series victory in New Zealand under Farrell.

Since taking over as Lions manager, Farrell has kept what he knows, pulling 16 Ireland players out of his squad along with four coaches: Sexton, Simon Easterby, Andrew Goodman, and John Fogarty, all of whom will be absent on Friday.

In addition, he took the squad to a pre-tour training camp in Portugal’s Quinta do Lago, which has previously been Ireland’s warm-weather base prior to the Six Nations and World Cup.

Although it is still early in the process, Farrell has already made a lasting impression on those who have first gotten in touch with him.

Welsh scrum-half Tomos Williams described him as having “such an aura around the place.”

When he speaks, “everyone turns their heads.” He has always been a class act, and his attention to detail and clarity are exceptional.

Steve Smith is also out with a broken wrist, and Australia have dropped Marnus Labuschagne for their opening test against the West Indies.

Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis take Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis’ place for the series’ opening in Barbados, which will begin on June 25.

In their final match of the World Test Championship, Australia lost to South Africa last week, but Labuschagne finished with 17 and 22 points, continuing his lean start.

Since the fourth Ashes Test of 2023, the 30-year-old has not scored a Test hundred.

“Marnus can play a really significant role in this team,” said the coach. Selection chair George Bailey, in his opinion, “he understands that his output hasn’t been at the level we, or he, expects.”

We will continue to collaborate with him on the areas that require rediscovering. We continue to value his ability and anticipate that he will overcome the challenge successfully.

Smith did this on day three of the Lord’s final, where he suffered a dislocated right finger.

He must wear a splint for up to eight weeks despite having avoided surgery and traveling to the Caribbean. He may also be able to play in Grenada’s second Test in July.

We’ll give Steve another week’s rest and assess his functionality afterward, Bailey said. “Steve needs more time for the wound to heal.

Josh and Sam have the option of replacing Steve and Marnus, according to the company. We look forward to seeing them advance their aspiring Test careers.

When Lionel Messi sizes up the target before launching a free-kick from 20 yards, few things are as inevitable as the ball hitting the back of the net.

Messi was a reminder to the rest of the world that he is still capable of creating special moments during Inter Miami’s 2-1 victory over Porto at the Fifa Club World Cup.

Claudio Ramos couldn’t save the 37-year-old’s vintage free kick, which was his trademark.

This is undoubtedly a man who, for Barcelona, scored 73 goals in all competitions in the 2011-12 season.

The goal, which was positioned centrally and on the edge of the D, was Messi’s choice, going both over the wall and the goalkeeper’s side.

With that strike, Messi has scored his 68th goal from direct free kicks, and he has no shortage of experience and self-assurance.

Only Juninho Pernambucano (77), who spent the majority of his career with Lyon and Pele (70), has scored more direct free kicks than Messi.

“Touched by God, isn’t he?” Unbelievable . What a player, ex-Portugal defender Jose Fonte said on Dazn.

You go see this guy if you get the chance to see him in person. Shay Given, an ex-Newcastle goalkeeper, continued, “This is what he does.”

He is so precise, it almost feels like a penalty. He has genius.

The words “Meister, magician, you call him” expire.

In a comeback victory, Messi’s strike put Inter Miami firmly in the running for a spot in the last 16 of the Club World Cup, following another impressive performance from team-mate Telasco Segovia.

Messi continues to be regarded as one of the best players in world football just two years after leaving Paris St-Germain and Europe for the MLS.

Messi is the club’s all-time top goalscorer, despite the fact that Inter Miami was founded in 2018 and he scored 50 goals in 61 games for the team.

With six goals in seven appearances, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is no stranger to delivering in the Club World Cup.

He won the competition in 2009, 2011, and 2015, just three of the five awards he had won during his distinguished career, scoring five goals, three of which came in the finals.

At club level, Messi has scored a remarkable 754 goals, and he isn’t letting down.

Fafa Picault, a team-mate of Inter Miami, said, “He’s the greatest player in the world.”

He is just one point behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who leads the overall standings with six goals, and is joint-second in the standings for all-time goalscorers at the Club World Cup.

At the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Messi had the second-most dribbles, which placed him fifth overall in the game’s attempted attempts (56).

Former Scotland international Don Hutchison said on Dazn that “you can have a high pass completion, but you’re not affecting the game.”

Lionel Messi “influences” the game, and he does both. He never gives the ball away to his team-mates, and he is controlling them.

“Lionel Messi still has those incredible feet. 37 years old, still dancing through”.

In the upcoming phase of the Club World Cup, Messi will have a chance to celebrate his 38th birthday on Tuesday.

Inter Miami have set their sights high with the addition of some older players like Messi, Luis Suarez, Busquets, and Jordi Alaba, who all spent their best years with Barcelona.

For the first time in an official competition, an MLS team defeated a team from Europe with a victory over Porto on Thursday.

Manager Javier Mascherano told Dazn, “Today we demonstrated to the world and ourselves that we can compete against any team.”

The USA’s population will enjoy seeing our team compete in this kind of competition, according to the president.

Only one MLS team had entered the competition prior to this year’s re-formatted Club World Cup. Seattle Sounders, who participated in the same event this year, advanced to the second round in 2022.

John Textor, a part-owner of Crystal Palace, is pursuing a sale of his stake in the Premier League team with Woody Johnson, the owner of the New York Jets.

The agreement, which is thought to be worth around £190 million, could help the club’s chances of winning the European Cup next year.

Johnson is ahead of two other parties in the race to acquire the 43% stake in the multi-club Eagle Football Holdings – Textor-owned Palace, according to insiders with knowledge of the proposed deal.

Eagle’s stake in the Selhurst Park club hasn’t been finalized, according to sources, but a deal has already been reached.

Given the difficulty Palace and Uefa are currently facing in terms of gaining entry to the Europa League next season, it is understood that Johnson has indicated he can transfer the funds quickly. This is a significant factor in why the American businessman’s offer is currently thought to be the most favorable.

Due to Textor’s alleged involvement with the club, Palace may lose their spot in the upcoming season’s competition, which they won last year’s FA Cup.

It’s unknown whether Textor’s sale of his stake in Palace will lead to Uefa’s final decision.

However, it does give an indication that the businessman is open to breaking up with Palace, which might lead to the Premier League team’s Europa League entry.

Unconfirmed sources have indicated that a well-known entertainment company with a Florida base has expressed an interest, and another consortium that includes NBA legend Jimmy Butler has a reported interest.

At the time when Textor was looking for investment, Sportsbank, the investment bank, who were named as the preferred bidder, also showed an interest in making an offer.

However, it is claimed that it would have taken about a month for Sportsbank to obtain the financial support from its Middle Eastern and US investors, which would not be in line with Textor’s desire for a quick sale to aid Palace’s legal battle with Uefa.

Given his estimated $ 3.39 billion fortune and reputation as a well-known businessman, sources claim Johnson is in the best position to pass the Premier League’s owner’s and directors’ test. He is the Johnson &amp, Johnson pharmaceutical company’s heir.

First round of the 2025 Travelers Championship

-6 W Clark, K Bradley (both US), and R McIlroy (NI) are A Eckroat and S Scheffler (both US).

Other notable names: -4 J Day (Aus), -4 T Fleetwood (Eng), and -4 V Hovland (Nor).

full leaderboard

With Rory McIlroy just two shots back after the opening round 62, world number one Scottie Scheffler finished just two shots back.

Scheffler, 28, was back at his best on Thursday with an eagle on the par-five 13th, which was the highlight. He placed in the top 10 of the US Open last week.

The American, who has won the event twice before last year, is now leading Connecticut’s leaderboard behind Austin Eckroat, who has also hit 64s with McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, and Wyndham Clark, who have all already made five-time majors.

McIlroy stated, “I just want to see some better shots and some good golf.” The outcome will take care of itself, in my opinion, if you put your best effort into improving your golfing performance and focusing on your overall performance.

There is no point in considering the outcome at this time. I’m just trying to play as well as I can and swing well enough to have a chance to win.

Jordan Spieth, a three-time Major champion, was forced to withdraw after 13 holes due to a shoulder strain.

When Spieth informed playing partner Luke Clanton that he couldn’t continue and was taken off in a cart, he was five over for his round and had missed five birdies.

I didn’t really know what to do because I’ve never withdrawn from an event, anywhere, at any level. According to Spieth, it just “got to be too much.”

“It didn’t turn around until probably Saturday,” I thought. These things kind of last an extra day, and they always just would be… It’s unfortunate, I don’t know.

Clark, a former US Open champion, expressed regret over the damage the century-old locker at Oakmont last weekend.

Clark allegedly reacted to his performance by damaging his locker.

He continued, “I’ve had a lot of highs and lows in my career, especially this year, some lows.”

I regret regret making a mistake. I apologize very much for what transpired.