There was a time when Charlie Smyth sat up late in to Sunday nights back in Mayobridge watching the NFL. These days, he’s probably keeping a fair chunk of the Co Down village’s population up late himself with his own NFL exploits. Gordon Manning talks to the New Orleans Saints’ kicker after a dizzying few weeks during which he has made three consecutive appearances for the team and accumulated 17 points. It’s fair to say, the fella is living the dream.
Patrick McBrearty lived the dream too during his 15 years playing for Donegal, no man from his county winning more Ulster medals – and there was the small matter of that 2012 All-Ireland triumph too. Gordon talks to Brendan Devenney, one of McBrearty’s former comrades, about one of Donegal’s greats who announced his retirement on Monday.
In rugby, Ulster are hopeful of replicating Munster’s October win over Leinster when they head to the Aviva Stadium on Friday evening for the sides’ URC meeting, Michael Sadlier talking to their head coach, Richie Murphy, ahead of the game.
And they will go in to the game “with a clear plan, ready to ascertain whether they are primed to compete at the top level,” writes Gordon D’Arcy. Leinster, whose form has been “uneven”, will be “the scrutineers”, the game he says, “is beautifully poised”.
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James Ryan was back in action for Leinster last Friday after his suspension for that high tackle on South Africa’s Malcolm Marx during last month’s international. “I was devastated to be honest,” he tells Johnny Watterson, “I felt like I let the lads down”. But after a trip to tackle school, he’s up and running again.
Linley Mackenzie brings news from the Connacht camp which has been boosted by the return of captain Cian Prendergast for the URC trip to Wales to take on Dragons on Saturday. After that 52-0 win over Black Lion in the Challenge Cup last weekend, there’s a pep in the step of Stuart Lancaster’s crew.
And in golf, world number one Scottie Scheffler, a two-time Major winner this season, has been voted the PGA Tour’s Player of the Year by his peers. Was Rory McIlroy hard done? “In my humble opinion, yes,” writes Philip Reid. “Yes, Scheffler had a great year, but McIlroy’s had more about it,” he argues.
TV Watch: There’s more live coverage from the World Darts Championship this evening (Sky Sports Darts, 7pm) and there are two League Cup quarter-finals, Manchester City v Brentford (Sky Sports Main Event, 7.30pm) and Newcastle v Fulham (UTV and Sky Sports Premier League, 8.15pm). And in between, Celtic kick-off away to Dundee United in the league, Wilfried Nancy (desperately) seeking his first win since his appointment as gaffer (Sky Sports Football, 8pm).
