The Morning Sports Briefing

Rugby

It’s sad news to begin this morning as confirmation came through during the early hours of the morning that All-Black legend Jonah Lomu has died at the age of just 40.

The wing, who played 63 Test matches for the All Blacks, had suffered from health problems since his retirement from the game in 2002 due to a rare kidney disease - but the news came as a shock.

“Jonah Lomu was one of a truly rare breed, a special talent who captured the imagination of fans of all sports across the globe.

Within minutes of New Zealand Rugby announcing the death of the former All Blacks wing, at the age of 40, rugby union’s biggest names were paying tribute on social media,” reads his obituary.

We will have galleries and more tributes to the All-Black throughout the day.

In his column today Gordon D’Arcy says that, although Leinster’s loss to Wasps at the weekend was a blow, it’s not the end of the world. He praises the clever recruitment of the English side during the summer as they specifically targeted players who were not going to the World Cup.

“This isn’t as disastrous as it initially looks. Leinster have not become a bad team. It’s just that Leo and Joe Schmidt have very different gameplans and systems.

That showed but, more so, the defeat was a reflection of how finely tuned this Wasps side have become. They have recruited exceptionally well this summer and only Joe Launchbury was away for a sustained period of time. And not as long as they expected him to be.

Basically they signed players who were not going to the World Cup.”

Soccer

In Euro 2016 news Sweden overcame Denmark while Ukraine held on in Slovenia to complete the line-up for next year’s tournament. A brace from Zlatan Ibrahimovic added to Sweden’s two goals from the first leg as they went through 4-3 on aggregate. Meanwhile Andriy Yarmolenko’s late goal sealed Ukraine’s path to France after Bostjan Cesar had given Slovenia a lifeline in the first half.

On to Ireland and Keith Duggan writes about how Martin O’Neill’s team have emerged from the rubble of the disastrous Euro 2012 campaign.

Just one of the team (Glenn Whelan) to play against Estonia in the Euro 2012 play-offs, played against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday assistant manager Roy Keane says he was up at 6.30am thinking about which players would make the final 23-man squad, despite the fact that the tournament is eight months away.

Also, if you’re planning on going to France next summer, Emmet Malone has a full guide to all 10 venues.

Meanwhile, the FAI looks like benefitting from a €12 million windfall thanks to Ireland’s qualification.

At Wembley, goals from Delle Ali and Wayne Rooney were enough to see England beat France 2-0 but it was the occasion that mattered in London. Floral tributes, a minute’s silence and a rousing rendition of La Marseillaise completed a fitting memoriam to those killed in the Paris terror attacks last Friday.

Also last night the friendly between Germany and the Netherlands, due to take place in Hannover, was cancelled and the stadium evacuated after a bomb threat. It has since emerged that no explosives were found despite police earlier reporting “concrete evidence” of a threat.

GAA

Seán Moran says that Anthony Cunningham deserves sympathy after he was ousted from the Galway hurling job by a ‘player-run kangaroo court’.

“Reality hasn’t taken long to intrude with the return of the more routine crushing disappointment, followed by controversy and rancour. On Monday evening Cunningham fired off the most wounded statement of withdrawal since Teddy Holland’s departing words in Cork after the failure to make his appointment as football manager stick nearly eight years ago.”

In other news Colm Cooper was speaking yesterday about his sympathy for Philly McMahon, after he became the pantomime villain of Dublin’s All-Ireland winning summer.

Golf

In Girona, Damien McGrane heads the Irish challenge at the European Tour Q-School final stage.

There are two more rounds to go at PGA Catalunya and McGrane (currently tied-14th) and Paul Dunne (tied-18th) are the best placed Irish players to secure full playing privileges for next season.

The top-25 players after the sixth round is completed on Thursday will be rewarded with a European Tour card.