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The Irish Sun
11 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Rob Kearney's hilarious boozy night out story after infamous lowpoint in Brian O'Driscoll's Lions career
EVEN stories about Brian O'Driscoll's darkest days tend to paint him in a good light. So it proved as Rob Kearney recalled him getting dropped for the third Test of the British and Irish Lions' 2013 Tour of Australia. 2 Kearney was a bit-part player in 2013 whereas he played a starring role on the 2009 Tour Credit: Sportsfile 2 There was outrage when Warren Gatland dropped O'Driscoll for the third Test against Australia Credit: Sportsfile - Subscription Kearney teed things up by recalling how when O'Driscoll was initially called to a meeting with head coach Warren Gatland, the assumption was that he was going to be made captain for it. He cited how their fellow Ireland legend Kearney told the "All the players were shocked. But Brian mucked in to be fair to him. Read More On Irish Sport "Some of us went out for drinks that night and I texted him 'Are you coming down to the pub for a few pints?' "But he replied 'No, I'm doing video analysis with Jonathan Davies'. So I responded 'You're a bigger man than me!' "It was class of him because it would've been very easy for him to say 'Sod all of this, I'm going on the beer.' "Especially because Twitter was around then so we were able to feel the absolute uproar and rage from back home here." Most read in Rugby Union Host Joe Molloy tacked on the point that it's not like the then 34-year-old had to keep in Gatland's good books in case he was in charge of the next Tour in 2017. Ultimately, the Kiwi was able to point to the result in that third match-up with the Wallabies to justify his contentious selection call as they walloped their hosts 41-16 to secure a 2-1 series triumph. 'Cried like a baby didn't ya-' - Watch Andy Farrell embarrass Ireland star over reaction to Lions call-up They had been pipped 16-15 in the previous encounter while they took the first battle 23-21. Kearney predicted another 2-1 victory for the all-star squad in this summer's edition of the fabled rugby tradition. Andy Farrell's outfit play the first of 10 total fixtures Wednesday saw him The prop has not played since He is joined in the replacements by Rónan Kelleher, the only other Leinster player involved because they were involved in There are still three Irish players in the starting XV with 2021 tourists Bundee Aki of Connacht and Munster's Tadhg Beirne included, along with Bealham. Aki and Bealham's provincial teammate Farrell has not included any Bath representatives with the side involved in the Premiership final against Leicester Tigers on Saturday. Lions: M Smith (England), Freeman (England), Tuipulotu (Scotland), Aki (Ireland), van der Merwe (Scotland), F Smith (England), Mitchell (England), Genge (England), Cowan-Dickie (England), Bealham (Ireland), Itoje (England), Beirne (Ireland), Curry (England), Morgan (Wales), Earl (England). Replacements: Kelleher (Ireland), Schoeman (Scotland), Furlong (Ireland), Cummings (Scotland), Pollock (England), Williams (Wales), Daly (England), Hansen (Ireland)
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Maro Itoje on being first black Lions captain, wife's response and Australia
The England and Saracens second row joins an illustrious group of men to lead the Lions as they head Down Under to face Australia with Itoje taking on his third captaincy role in less than 12 months As a keen studier of literature, philosophy and politics, Maro Itoje may already be aware of Aristotle's maxim that 'everything that is perfect comes in threes'. That has certainly been the case for the 30-year-old when it comes to leadership roles. Having succeeded Owen Farrell as Saracens captain last summer, Itoje then took the England reins from Jamie George before this year's Six Nations. And perhaps the greatest honour of all was still to come, with Itoje installed as British & Irish Lions captain for the 2025 Tour of Australia. Itoje, of course, was informed of his selection for the role before the Thames-side selection showpiece – and risked a domestic rift after hearing the news. 'My fiancé (now wife) was in the room with me as I finished the conversation with Andy (Farrell),' he said. 'I dropped the phone, I looked at her, and I had a quizzical look on my face. She looked at me and said 'why are you looking at me like that', with a little bit of an attitude. 'But then I told her the news and she was very, very happy, jumped for joy. I told my parents as well later on that day, they were super pumped, super excited. It was really nice.' Itoje has often recalled the cultural values which were drummed into him by his Nigerian parents – 'respect, respect for seniority, culture, the food we eat, and all of those things that are different to Western norms or British culture' – and says it 'became normal to operate in two different worlds' while growing up. He did not have any awareness of rugby until the age of 11, with Neil Harris, head of rugby at St George's School in Harpenden, earmarked as a key influence for a young Itoje. The school also counts Farrell, George and George Ford among its alumni and Itoje was something of a sporting all-rounder. He excelled at basketball and athletics, proving particularly strong over 200m and in shot put, at which he was once ranked second in the country for his age. Rugby ultimately won the battle for his affections and his leadership skills were honed when he captained England Under-20s to Six Nations and World Championship glory in 2014. Two – soon to be three – Lions tours, five Premiership titles and three European Champions Cup titles later, Itoje is ready for the ultimate leadership test. He gained an insight into what to expect at a 'captain's dinner' the night before the squad was announced, with Martin Johnson – the most recent English captain of the Lions – among those in attendance. 'He was very gracious, I enjoyed hearing his stories of yesteryear and he has offered his support with anything I need,' Itoje said. 'I'm sure I'll be tapping into that at some point. The dinner was quite cool, quite surreal. It reminded me of the prestige this jersey holds and what it means to a lot of people. 'The Lions is an elite environment but it also feels like one of the few remaining old school rugby environments in terms of the membership of it, the exclusive nature of it. It was amazing to break bread with some of those legends who I look up to.' There is far more to Itoje than the gifted second-rower and inspirational leader visible on the rugby field. He has embraced his status as a role model and never shied away from taking a stance on issues beyond his sport. Itoje spoke out in the wake of George Floyd's death, for example, outlining a desire to educate people. "Racial bias affects everyone - so black people have racial bias, white people have racial bias,' he told the BBC. "But what happens is, when white people have this racial bias and they then get into positions of power - they become teachers, become university professors, politicians, broadcasters - it affects everybody. "Once that happens, they then act unconsciously - some consciously and unconsciously - on this racial bias, and produce a system which is not equal opportunity for all." Now installed as the Lions' first black captain, Itoje will continue to use his status as a force for good and build on the work done by The Pearl Fund, a charity he launched in 2023 funding education in Ghana, Nigeria and other African countries. The lock, who graduated with an MBA from Warwick Business School in January 2024, has also been vocal about his urge to build a career outside of rugby when his playing days are over. But his immediate focus is on etching his name into Lions folklore. Having taken on the England captaincy from his long-time Saracens and Lions teammate George at the start of the year, he played a key role as Steve Borthwick's much-improved side finished second. He will now join forces with those on the opposing side in that competition to try and repeat the exploits of the 2013 tourists, who were successful Down Under. 'I was at school during that time, which sounds crazy now,' he said. 'One of the key bits for me was George North, when he picked up Izzy Falau and ran a few yards, that got the whole crowd on their feet. 'Then there was Leigh Halfpenny's kicks, one of them to win the game, the drama in and around that. And there was a lot of noise in and around the final Test selection, with Brian (O'Driscoll) being dropped, and how they went to dominate that last game. All round, it was a great tour full of drama.' The second-row is renowned as a serious thinker and determined operator but is also prioritising enjoyment for the Lions' class of 2025, having been part of the squad on the ghost tour four years ago which saw strict Covid rules in place and no fans present. 'You can tell the energy for the Lions is at an all-time high, so it's going to be special,' he said. 'I can't wait to see that Sea of Red again. There is a long list of players here in this squad who I've gone to battle with and against for a number of years and haven't had the opportunity to play with, which is really exciting.' Itoje once put his initial love of rugby down to three things - a desire to make friends, loving being part of a team and being 'obsessed' with wearing the county club tie. The colour of the tie may have changed but the first two principles remain firmly in place as he prepares for the challenge of a lifetime. 'First and foremost, the most important thing is performance,' he said. 'Being captain doesn't necessarily mean you are going to play, you have to perform at a high level. Through your performance, everything else follows. That will be at the front of my mind. 'Ultimately, it comes down to how we all come together. The success of this tour will be how we buy in, how we connect. 'The rugby will take care of itself, the real success of the tour will be how tight we can be as a team and a group of men.'
The 42
04-06-2025
- General
- The 42
Family connection makes Lions call all the sweeter for James Ryan
WHILE IT'S SOMETHING they are all eagerly anticipating, one member of James Ryan's family has a very special reason to be excited about the British & Irish Lions' forthcoming Tour of Australia. A number of years ago – the Leinster and Ireland second row reckons it was the 1980s – Ryan's mother Clare made the journey over to the southern hemisphere nation with her cousin Paula. Whereas Clare subsequently returned home to these shores, Paula made the decision to remain in Australia on a full-time basis. It was in Sydney that she started a family with her Italian husband Mario Sindone and with Ireland set to play their third and final Test against the Wallabies in the city's Accor Stadium on 2 August – there will be also be a warm-up against New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney Football Stadium on 5 July – there will be a perfect opportunity for Clare to take a trip down memory lane. 'They [Ryan's family] will go. I have family over in Australia as well. My mum, she went over to Australia a long time ago with her cousin Paula. Then she met someone over there and she ended up staying in Australia, settling with him there and the kids there are all my cousins,' Ryan explained. Ryan will be part of Andy Farrell's Lions squad this summer. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO 'They're all Australian. She's been talking about going over for years to sort of reconnect with them. So it'd be nice for my family to go over and do that.' Advertisement Ryan himself got a chance to meet Paula, Mario and their children (all of whom are now adults) when he was part of the Ireland squad for a three-Test series in Australia during the summer of 2018. Although there was no doubting Paula's allegiance, Ryan admitted the rest of her family weren't sure who to back in Ireland's showdowns with the Wallabies. 'I think Paula was wearing an Ireland jersey, the rest of them were probably somewhere in between. The kids actually, they've moved over to London more recently. I'm able to see them a bit more often. They were over in November for the Aussie game [in the Aviva Stadium] as well, the kids. Well they're not kids anymore, but it was good to see them.' Although he ultimately was one of 15 Ireland players to make the cut for the Lions, Ryan acknowledges he was 'nervous for weeks' in the lead-up to Andy Farrell's squad announcement for the Australian Tour. This is perhaps due to the fact he was sidelined with a calf injury for several weeks and missed out on five consecutive games for Leinster, including the Champions Cup semi-final loss to Northampton Saints just days before the Lions squad announcement. Despite his frustration at having another injury lay-off – he has had his fair share of spells on the treatment table in recent years – Ryan felt fresh when he eventually returned to competitive action off the bench in a URC encounter with Zebre Parma at the Aviva Stadium on 10 May. 'It's never ideal timing wise. It was a bit frustrating to miss the block that I did, but it is what it is. It happens and I got back in good time. I was able to work with the physios at Leinster, they did a great job. 'So I felt like I came back and there wasn't a big leap, between what we did in terms of our S&C and then the actual match intensity. So I came back, basically, and I felt like I was fit and good to go.' Even though the roll of honour shows they have a record eight titles in the competition, Leinster are yet to win the URC since it was rebranded in 2021. Ryan had a frustrating time with injury earlier this year. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO Ryan and Leinster had won the competition for four years in succession under its previous guise as the Guinness Pro14, but the past three seasons have seen them exiting the URC at the semi-final stage on each occasion. While he didn't feature when Munster defeated their arch rivals at the penultimate phase of the 2022/23 league season, Ryan was a starter when Leinster lost out to the Bulls in URC semi-finals either side of it. Since the Pretoria outfit joined along with fellow South Africans the Stormers, the Sharks and the Lions, Ryan believes the standard of the league has increased substantially. A final showdown against either the Bulls or the Sharks awaits Leinster in Croke Park on 14 June if they manage to get past the challenge of Glasgow Warriors at Aviva Stadium this Saturday [KO 2.45pm], though that is Ryan's main concern for the time being. 'I think it is a much tougher competition to win since the big four South African teams have come in. It would be amazing to win it. For us in here, we don't want to start talking about winning things and get side tracked by that. Our biggest game of the season for me is this week against Glasgow. We've got to take care of that first,' Ryan added.
The Irish Sun
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Ireland and Lions star reveals hidden talent as he opens up about his passion and family history
IRELAND star James Ryan has revealed a hidden talent that may serve him well after his playing days come to an end. The Leinster lock was recently named in the Lions squad by Andy Farrell for this summer's tour of Australia. Advertisement 2 Ireland star James Ryan spoke about his passion before revealing his family's deep history 2 James Ryan is announced by Board Chairman Ieuan Evans during the British & Irish Lions Squad and Captain announcement for the 2025 Tour of Australia The 28-year-old Ryan revealed that he has a huge passion for Irish history, due to family links. He said: "I've always been very interested in history and politics, yeah. "Could it be a life after rugby... I highly doubt it yet - never say never - but..." Advertisement read more on rugby Ryan went on to add that five members of his family took part in nationalistic activities during Ireland's fight for independence. James Ryan's family history is deeply woven into the fabric of Ireland's revolutionary and political past, incredibly stretching far beyond the rugby pitch. His great-grandfather, Dr James Ryan, played a prominent role in Ireland's struggle last century. Ryan's family connections don't stop there. His great-grandmother, Mairin Cregan, was a writer and a committed member of Cumann na mBan, the women's auxiliary of the Irish Volunteers. Advertisement Most read in Rugby Union The broader Ryan family also included revolutionary women such as Nell Ryan, who was arrested and went on hunger strike for anti-Treaty activities. James also revealed that he was asked to do a presentation to Ireland players on the history of 'Ireland's Call'. 'That time of year again' - Peter O'Mahony's captivating garden update includes hilarious tip for parents He added: "The difference between Ireland's Call and Amhrán na bhFiann is that Ireland's Call was intended to be inclusive for the whole island. "Particularly guys from the North - they come from different backgrounds, whether that's Unionist, Nationalist, and so on... Ireland's Call is meant to represent all of them. Advertisement "So we did a little bit on that, and I think off the back of that, people probably appreciated the song a little bit more."
The 42
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The 42
'When both of our names were called out, they barged in the front door'
THERE WAS double joy in Hugo Keenan's household last Thursday week as the British & Irish Lions squad for the forthcoming Tour of Australia was revealed at The O2 Arena in London. Along with his school friend Brian Horgan, Keenan currently lives in Clonskeagh with his provincial and international teammate Ronan Kelleher. After finishing a collective training session at Leinster's nearby headquarters in UCD, the pair returned home to watch the unveiling of the Lions selection for this summer's trip to the southern hemisphere together. Due to the forwards being announced before the backs in the English capital, Kelleher — who was drafted into the Lions squad as additional cover for their Tour of South Africa four years ago — didn't have to wait as long as Keenan to learn whether he was included or not. Yet when it came to naming the backs for the journey to Australia, head coach Andy Farrell ultimately gave the 28-year-old full-back the nod for his maiden venture with the Lions. 'Myself and Ronan sat down at the couch at 2pm. We figured we would be going through it together, whether it was good or bad for one or both of us. We have been through thick and thin, so it was cool to share that moment with him. For him to get his name called out, and then me to wait a little bit longer to get mine, was really special,' Keenan remarked at a Leinster media briefing on Monday. Advertisement 'I've been living with him for two-and-a-half years, and he would be one of my best mates in here, so that was a great moment. Will Connors is my neighbour, unfortunately! You don't get any peace and quiet, but he lives next door. 'Ross Byrne, Ciaran Frawley and Max Deegan had gone over to his house to watch the announcement. When both of our names were called out, they barged in the front door. It was cool that they did that. They were sort of hiding in there, in anticipation and in hope that we'd get the nod.' While the prospect of playing Test matches in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney is exciting, Keenan could potentially find himself in familiar territory for his first game with the British & Irish Lions. Before jumping on a plane to Australia, the Lions are set to face Argentina in a warm-up game at the Aviva Stadium on 20 June. Unsurprisingly, this is a game Keenan is eager to be selected for — though it isn't something he is thinking too deeply about just yet. 'I think that's cool. There was huge excitement when that fixture got announced. That family, friends, all at home, Irish supporters, Leinster supporters, all the provinces' supporters can get to see Irish lads in action, in a Lions jersey in the capital, is brilliant. 'I don't think we're going to be looking too far ahead to that stage. I can't say I am. I've hopefully another four games to be playing in the Aviva between now and then. The excitement of that is at the front of my mind. Hopefully, there will be as big of a crowd out for those games as there is for that Lions match.' The four games in the Aviva that Keenan refers to are Leinster's final regular round United Rugby Championship fixture against Glasgow Warriors tomorrow and three possible knockout encounters in the same competition. The eastern province will need to get through quarter-final and semi-final games if they are to play a URC decider at the Lansdowne Road venue on 14 June, but Leinster's guaranteed first-place finish in the league table ensures they will remain in Dublin until the end of the 2024/25 season. Last Saturday saw them securing top spot in the URC standings courtesy of a 76-5 demolition of Zebre in the Aviva, with 13 of those who featured in the previous weekend's surprise European Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Northampton Saints seeing action against the Italians. Keenan wasn't involved for the Zebre game and the former Ireland 7s star — who was speaking to the media in advance of the IRFU's decision to cease their Men's Sevens programme — is looking forward to making a return to competitive fare tomorrow evening. 'I didn't get the opportunity to play last week. The lads who did obviously put in a great performance. We were keen to show what we had in us,' Keenan added. 'Hopefully, I'll get the opportunity this week, along with a few other lads, to come back in and bottle up that hurt and disappointment that we have in us in the right way and channel it for that Glasgow game. 'Because the best way to get over the hurt and disappointment is to get back on the train and to get back on the pitch. Get excited about the rugby and what's to come.'
