Every weekday morning we bring you up to speed with the world of sport as you enjoy that first cuppa coffee.
1. #58 DAYS LATER Yes, it seems like only yesterday that Ireland were making their solemn way through Euro 2012′s unglamourous door marked ‘early exit’. But we’re back, baby!
Tonight Giovanni Trapattoni begins another campaign in charge of the boys in green and all eyes will be on Belgrade where a new-look Ireland will face Serbia.
2. #ONE DOWN… In that fresh-faced starting XI Keiren Westwood is not the only one looking to cement his name as first choice. Yesterday, Trapattoni admitted that Richard Dunne and Robbie Keane have question marks over their future. Question marks which should be answered before the upcoming qualifier with Kazakhstan.
3. #ONE V TWO Rory McIlroy won’t have to wait until the Ryder Cup to have a cut off Tiger Woods. The pair (as the world’s number one and two) are drawn together for next week’s Barclays Championship at Bethpage in Long Island.
The pair will be more than adequately acquainted by the time they meet again on October 29 in a one-day matchplay event at Jinsha Lake in China.
4. #GAA Sean Óg Ó hAilpín looked a beaten man when he spoke to TV3 yesterday to reflect on the Rebel county’s exit from the senior hurling championship at the hands of Galway.
The Na Piarsiagh man hailed the Tribesman chances in the All Ireland final and, although they would go into the game as underdogs, he said; “If they can reproduce the form they showed against Kilkenny then I don’t see anybody beating them.”
5.# RUGBY Stephen Ferris has called on Ulster to play with more ‘swagger’ this season as they bid to build on last year’s Heineken Cup heroics with the guidance (in the first team, at least) of Brian McLaughlin.
New coach, Mark Anscombe has had a full pre-season to put his shape on the team now and Ferris revealed to TheScore..ie that the Kiwi has issued ‘serious words’ to each member of the squad.
