James McCarthy and Brian Fenton have retired, and, as Gordon Manning tells us, there is much much speculation about a “blue exodus” with a few more senior Dublin players expected to follow them out the door over the coming weeks. Michael Fitzsimons, Paul Mannion, Jack McCaffrey, John Small and Stephen Cluxton are among the names being bandied about, so the Dubs might well have a “get-the-scaffolding-up full rebuild” on their hands. “New load-bearing walls required,” writes Gordon, noting that the spine of the team could be lost in one fell swoop.
Malachy Clerkin doffs his cap to Fenton, “the best midfielder of his era, one of the greatest to ever do it”, his “combination of smooth running, high fielding, accurate kicking and general game sense” unparalleled. For the most part, the Dubs “found a way to take the hit and keep rolling” when they lost star names down the years, but Fenton? “This one is going to hurt.”
At club level in Dublin, Na Fianna could make some history in the coming weeks if they manage to become Leinster football and hurling champions. Gordon hears from their hurling manager Niall Ó Ceallacháin who “is happy to keep several sliotars flying in the air” having been appointed to the Dublin job in September.
In rugby, Gordon D’Arcy is bewildered by the ever loudening “din of negativity” that is surrounding the national team, although he saw something similar happen during Joe Schmidt’s reign. “Some supporters and critics don’t appear to have learned a whole lot from the previous highs and lows in our rugby history,” he writes.
Johnny Watterson, meanwhile, talked with Ireland scrum coach John Fogarty about the net being cast wide for a restock of frontrow players, Thomas Clarkson the latest to be given a chance to show his worth after making his debut against Argentina.
And John O’Sullivan brings news of the Rugby Writers of Ireland’s picks for the players and teams of the year, Caelan Doris and Aoife Wafer now having to find room on their mantlepieces for their awards after being chosen as players of the year.
Willie Mullins’ mantlepiece has long since collapsed under the weight of trophies, and seeing as six of the entries in the 11-strong field for Sunday’s €150,000 John Durkan Chase are his, he might well be bringing home yet more silverware. Brian O’Connor previews Punchestown’s newly titled ‘Premiere Weekend’.
TV Watch: It’s another quiet enough day for live TV action, the pick of the offerings the Champions League meeting tonight of Chelsea and Celtic’s women at Stamford Bridge (TNT Sports 1 and DAZN, 8.0), a week after the London club won 2-1 in Glasgow.
