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Challenging times continue for Ireland, on the double

The WNT continue their uphill qualifying campaign against Sweden; Seamus Coleman knows who he would like to see get the role of MNT manager

Matt Doherty, Seamus Coleman and Robbie Brady share a joke in training ahead of the game against Hungary. Photograph: Tom Maher/Inpho
Matt Doherty, Seamus Coleman and Robbie Brady share a joke in training ahead of the game against Hungary. Photograph: Tom Maher/Inpho
Mary Hannigan's picture
Mary Hannigan
Tue Jun 04 2024 - 10:11

Today brings a double-helping of Republic of Ireland football action, Eileen Gleeson’s team continuing their Euro 2025 qualifying game campaign away to Sweden this afternoon before John O’Shea’s charges take on Hungary in a friendly at the Aviva Stadium tonight. It’s been a tough grind for both sides of late, the women losing all three of their group games so far against teams all in the top six of the world rankings, while the men have not beaten a nation of note since Scotland in June 2022. They both have formidable challenges today, the women in Stockholm to take on a Swedish side that beat them 3-0 in Dublin last Friday, while the men are taking on an in-form Hungarian side whose only defeats in their last 20 outings came at the hands of Italy. At least Gleeson has certainty about her position as manager, O’Shea still just the interim boss. But he got a ringing endorsement from his captain Séamus Coleman who would very much like to see him being given the job on a permanent basis, although as Gavin Cummiskey reports, there are yet more whispers about Slaven Bilić being a contender for the role.

In Gaelic games, Michael Murphy reflects on the weekend’s championship action and assesses where the counties stand now, reckoning Dublin are the “strong front runners for the All-Ireland” after resetting following their league final defeat by Derry. And what of Derry? “They have the air of a team waiting for the season to end.”

Seán Moran looks at the impact on Donegal of their defeat by Cork, one that makes winning their group and avoiding having to play in the preliminary quarter-finals a trickier task, but two wins out of two have Kerry sitting pretty in their group, Paul Keane talking to Brian Ó Beaglaoich about their progress.

In rugby, Owen Doyle takes another glance at the refereeing in the Champions Cup final, concluding that there is “a worrying cohort of referees who appear dependent on their TMO comfort blanket”, while Johnny Watterson looks ahead to Leinster’s URC quarter-final against Ulster on Saturday, Leinster buoyed by the return of Garry Ringrose and Charlie Ngatai to training this week.

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Johnny also brings news of a likely shift in venue for Katie Taylor’s rematch with Amanda Serrano which was due to take place in Texas next month. The talk now is that Frankfurt will host the bout later in the year.

In golf, Philip Reid previews a busy few weeks ahead for an in-form Rory McIlroy, while Brian O’Connor assesses Joseph O’Brien’s chances of having just the second European-trained horse to win a leg of the US Triple Crown, Dermot Weld’s Go And Go the only one to achieve the feat when he won the 1990 Belmont.

TV Watch: RTÉ 2 has a Republic of Ireland double bill today, starting with the women’s Euro 2025 qualifying game away to Sweden (kick-off 5.30), followed by the men’s friendly at home to Hungary (kick-off 7.45).

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