“Ronan O’Gara is the Barack Obama of Irish rugby”.
– George Hook on Newstalk’s Saturday sports show previewing Ireland’s Six Nations prospects in the context of the team’s wholesale investment of faith in Munster’s San Diego-born outhalf staying fit. If he doesn’t you can forget ‘Yes we can’.
“It’s not always about money. It’s about playing for the best team, playing with the best players in the world and winning trophies and being successful.”
– David Beckham advises Kaka to stay put. The other element of the ‘always’ equation is LA Galaxy, one supposes; a dead-end career move, it seems, he’s having second thoughts about.
“Brian Moore was drug-tested after every game at the 1995 Rugby World Cup. It really got up his nose.”
– Jeremy Guscott on Matt Stevens’ cocaine positive, which could see the England prop banned for two years.
“I can’t quite fathom how someone who could be so passionate about the Cork jersey could walk away from it… we’re really saddened here in Kilkenny… talking to real hurling people… they’re all disgusted at what’s happening down there. I believe quite strongly there’s a small group of people running this… If they have real pride in the Cork jersey [then] the honourable thing to do is for those that are running this to walk away and encourage the younger players… who have a wonderful future ahead of them, to have the opportunity of wearing the Cork jersey and bringing further honour to the county… There are legends in that team but there were bigger legends before them and there will be bigger legends after them.”
– The normally reticent Eddie Keher reminds the Rebels of a few home truths.
“Are we expected to be sheep in meetings and suddenly turn into wolves on the field?”
– One of the lines from the Cork hurlers’ 3,000-word statement on Monday night. They sure looked like sheep the way they followed each other into that press conference.
