SOCCER
Former players, colleagues and employers are leading the tributes to Gerard Houllier.
The former Liverpool and France manager has died at the age of 73, days after a heart operation.
Jamie Carragher played under Houllier for six years at Anfield
Champions Shamrock Rovers have confirmed a pair of new signings ahead of the 2021 season.
Defender Sean Hoare has joined from Dundalk.
While former Burnley and DC United defender Chris McCann has also joined the Hoops today.
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Manchester United have been drawn to face La Liga leaders Real Sociedad in the last-32 of the Europa League.
Arsenal will be away to Benfica for their first leg.
Tottenham must play the Austrians of Wolfsberger
Leicester will take on Slavia Prague, and Rangers face Antwerp.
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Jurgen Klopp will return to Germany for the last-16 of the Champions League with Liverpool facing RB Leipzig.
Manchester City will face Borussia Monchengladbach
Chelsea will play Atletico Madrid
While tie of the round sees Paris Saint-Germain take on Barcelona.
RUGBY
Andy Farrell’s revealed that Ireland could play the All Blacks four times before a potential 2023 World Cup quarter-final.
Ireland were drawn in Pool B for the finals in France alongside the defending champion Springboks, Scotland and two qualifiers.
Should Ireland reach the quarter-finals, they’ll almost certainly face the All Blacks or the hosts.
Farrell hopes to secure at least one autumn international with the All Blacks before then, with a three-match tour planned for New Zealand in the summer of 2022.
CRICKET
The senior men’s and women’s squads have been forced to call a halt to their respective training sessions.
A member of the women’s squad has tested positive for COVID-19.
One member of the men’s squad has also been sent for immediate testing.
If that test returns negative, the Dublin-based men’s players can resume training for the upcoming tour of the UAE.
RACING
An hour after Se Mo Laoch finished runner-up to the Oliver McKiernan-trained Unexpected Depth in a handicap hurdle, Phillip Enright and Brian McMahon made it into the winners’ enclosure as Hoke Colburn took the 2m4f handicap chase at Punchestown on Tuesday. And this time Enright and McMahon had McKiernan back in second place as the On The Green Syndicate’s eight-year-old beat Chief Of Police by two a half lengths. The winnng trainer said, “The owners are an awful enthusiastic bunch of owners, they are just back golfing this week so to throw in the winner as well is mighty! His jumping is his forte and that was brilliant as he was a little unlucky at Clonmel and things didn’t go to plan at Fairyhouse the last day.”
Jack Kennedy and Gordon Elliott got punters off to the best possible start at Tramore on Thursday where they won the opening two-mile maiden hurdle with odds-on favourite Ennemi Public. Backed from 11/10 to 10/11, the six-year-old wasn’t winning out of turn and saw it out best to the line to win by two and three-parts of a length from Paul Nolan’s Mercury Line which was ridden by Bryan Cooper. Gavin Brouder and Curragh trainer James Nash won the 2m5f handicap hurdle with the Ella O’Riordan Partnership-owned Moyode Gold. The 15/2 chance bounced back to form as he beat Nell’s Well by a length and a quarter. Phillip Enright partnered his second winner of the week when the Eoghan O’Grady-trained Presenting Point took the 2m5f handicap chase. Owned by the Thade Quill Syndicate, the 9/2 chance got home by three and three-parts of a length from 5/2 favourite Crack On Corrie.
When the Eoin McCarthy-trained Mattie’s Mountain won at Fairyhouse last month, Gearoid Brouder was in the saddle and his brother Kevin did the steering at the same venue on Saturday where the five-year-old followed up in determined fashion. The well-backed 9/4 favourite battled well to see off Dont Go Yet by three-parts of a length in the 2m handicap hurdle in the colours of owner Denis Enright. Jack Kennedy and Gordon Elliott were winners again as even money favourite Torygraph scored a comfortable victory in the 2m7f maiden hurdle. The five-year-old pulled clear between the final two flights to win by all of 13 lengths from the Tom Gibney-trained Velvet Elvis. Paddy Kennedy and Jessica Harrington won the feature BoyleSports Handicap Chase with Sizing Pottsie. The six-year-old impressed on his handicap chase debut when easily getting the better of the Joseph O'Brien-trained Entoucas by six lengths. The well-backed 7/2 winner could be on his travels as Harrington searches for opportunities for him in England in the New Year.
