The Morning Sports Briefing

Taylor confident against home favourite

Katie Taylor is confident of securing a first European Games gold medal when she takes on old rival Yana Alekseevna in the women's lightweight final on Friday morning, despite Azerbaijan's Alekseevna impressing in the early rounds and having a home advantage.

Looking to pick up a gold medal before Taylor is Brendan Irvine, with the 19-year-old stepping into the ring for the light flyweight final against Russia's Bator Sagaluev after gaining a unanimous decision against Dmytro Zamatayev in yesterday's semi-final.

Many of those taking part at the European Games have their eyes set on securing Olympic qualification but one man who already had a plane ticket to Rio, Martin Fagan, has decided to retire from competitive running.

Keatley omitted from World Cup squad

Joe Schmidt has announced his 45-man training squad for this year's Rugby World Cup, with Ian Keatley, who started the first game of Ireland's successful Six Nations campaign, one of the notable omissions.

Rhys Ruddock has also missed out due to an arm injury while Ulster’s Robbie Diack and Luke Marshall and Northampton-bound JJ Hanrahan all failing to make the cut.

Ireland fans will be able to get a glimpse of the squad being put through their paces at a number of open training sessionsbeing held at Carton House and the Galway Sportsground.

Ireland players rubbish Messi claims

Yesterday a number of Ireland footballers have rubbished claims they were each paid $10,000 in return for not injuring Lionel Messi during a friendly game against Argentina at the Aviva Stadium in August 2010.

This comes after the FAI had moved to deny the game was played as a goodwill gesture from Fifa in the wake of the Thierry Henry handball controversy.

GAA Statistics

In this week's GAA statistics column, Eamon Donoghue looks at Rory Gallagher's Donegal, who have been flying out of the blocks in recent games.

Meanwhile in the wake of Thomas Connolloy's two year doping ban Monaghan County Board chairman Padraig Sherry has admitted players weren'tinformed about updated anti-doping sanctions.

Dublin's Johnny Cooper has become a fixture in Jim Gavin's defence, while the likes of Michael Darragh Macauley are looking for a way back into the team with the Leinster semi-final against Kildare fast approaching.

Chambers Bay hard to take seriously

Elsewhere in his column Colin Byrne criticises Chambers Bay, the scene of Jordan Spieth's second Major win, saying the course was hard to take seriously, and while it may have led to a thrilling spectacle it ultimately let the game of golf down.

Bjorn to play tennis

Irish teenager Bjorn Thompson is training at the prestigious Nick Bollattieri academy in Florida, on a scholarship worth €65,000, writes Johnny Watterson.

What to watch out for:

Athletics

Brendan Irvine is the one to look out for in the European Games today as he fights Russia’s Bator Sagaluev for light flyweight gold (2.45pm). Elsewhere Scott Evans takes on Bulgaria’s Blagovest Kisyov in the Badminton last 16 (8.40am). After swimming action early this morning, Rachel Bethel has qualified for the 200m freestyle semi-finals (1.50pm) while Emma Reid is through to the 100m butterfly semis (2.29pm). The women’s 4x100m medley team have also made it through their heats and into the semis (4.05pm). Setanta 5.55am-8.25pm and BT Sport 5.30am-8.45pm.

Golf

Shane Lowry and Darren Clarke are among the field at the BMW International it Munich. Sky Sports 4 10.30am.

Padraig Harrington was absent at last week's US Open but is back in action at the Travelers Championship. Sky Sports 4 8.30pm.

Hockey

Ireland take on Malaysia in their next World League clash. Sky Sports 1 from 1pm.