ANDY FARRELL SLAMS IRELAND’S LACK OF FIGHT IN 36-14 FRANCE DEFEAT
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell admitted his team lacked the "intent" needed to compete in their 36-14 Six Nations loss to France.
Andy Farrell didn’t sugarcoat it. France came out flying, sharp as ever, and it left him wondering if his Ireland team had enough fight in them at all. The Ireland head coach admitted France played at a “different level” for big stretches during their 36-14 bonus-point win in Paris.
Ireland showed up short-handed, and honestly, the way they got outclassed will have people worried. Louis Bielle-Biarrey picked up right where he left off last season—he bagged two tries, while Matthieu Jalibert and Charles Ollivon also crossed over. Ireland managed a late burst, with Nick Timoney and Michael Milne grabbing consolation tries, both converted by Sam Prendergast. But France wasn’t fazed. Theo Attissogbe finished things off, and Thomas Ramos kept the scoreboard ticking with a penalty and four conversions.
Farrell looked deflated when he spoke to Virgin Media after the game. “France were playing a different game to us in the first half,” he said. “You make your own luck, and they did that—no complaints. We tried to work something from scraps and high balls, but that’s rugby. You’ve got to show some fight and intent, and we didn’t. That’s tough to take.”
Ireland hadn’t been back to the Stade de France since their gutting World Cup exit to New Zealand. The rain didn’t help things—slippery ball, missed tackles everywhere. Farrell wasn’t happy. “It’s about intent,” he said. “Yeah, it was wet, but you still need to get through tackles and earn the right to offload. France wasn’t taking risks. They just kept winning contact, and that’s how they got their offloads away. Congrats to them. They deserved it.”
Ireland did wake up a bit after halftime, but by then, the damage was done. Farrell saw some positives in the second half, but he admitted the real issue was attitude, not just personnel. “It’s not rocket science. Go forward, dig in, and fight for every inch. We got a couple of tries from that, but we needed more. Every point matters in this tournament.”
Captain Caelan Doris didn’t hold back either. “Definitely not the start we wanted,” he said. “We made it too hard for ourselves in the first half—just didn’t have enough bite. France showed real class, but we weren’t good enough. We let them play their game. Poor collisions; kick-chase wasn’t there.”
On those 19 missed tackles in the first half? Doris shook his head. “It wasn’t just the missed tackles. We let them offload way too much. We’d talked about needing dominant tackles because they’re so dangerous when they get their hands free. And we just let them do it.”
Doris tried to find a silver lining. “The bench made an impact, and we showed some fight in the second half, but we can’t be a team that spends the whole game chasing. That’s on us—too passive, not connected, not physical enough. We let France play, and they took full advantage.”
Inside the dressing room, Farrell told the team to come back with real opinions and solutions. “We’re not starting from scratch. There are lessons to learn and some good stuff in the prep. We need to really dig in, figure this out, and react next week.”
LAKERS ON THE BRINK: LEBRON JAMES ADMITS DISAPPOINTMENT AFTER 3-0 SERIES DEFICIT
"We still have life." LeBron James remains defiant despite a brutal 131-108 loss to OKC at the Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves just one loss away from elimination after a tough 131-108 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday night. Although the Lakers held a halftime lead for the second consecutive game, they again fell apart in the second half, allowing Oklahoma City to cruise to a 3-0 series lead.
LeBron James spoke after the game, highlighting the Thunder’s depth and relentless energy while emphasising that the Lakers still believe they have a chance to push the series further. The Thunder outscored Los Angeles 74-49 after halftime and once more dominated the third quarter, continuing a pattern that has largely defined this series.
“They’re solid from top to bottom,” James said after the game. “And they never take their foot off the gas.”
Oklahoma City converted at a 56 per cent clip and spread the scoring load, even though reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was only 7-of-20 from the field with 23 points. The Thunder’s supporting players reinforced the effort alongside Chet Holmgren, Ajay Mitchell, Jared McCain, and Alex Caruso.
LeBron pointed directly to the third quarter as the turning point for Game 3.
“Obviously, the third quarter is where it starts,” he noted. “We lacked the energy and effort, and they dropped over 30 points on us.”
Despite strong first-half performances from Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard, giving Los Angeles a one-point lead at halftime, Oklahoma City seized control right after the break, forcing turnovers and capitalising on easy transition baskets.
“In that third quarter, we couldn’t hit shots,” James admitted. “We defended but didn’t get stops, which let them take control.”
The Lakers were outscored 33-20 in that quarter alone. James managed just one field goal, while Austin Reaves went scoreless in the period.
James finished the night with 19 points, eight assists, and six rebounds, but his shooting was off at 7-for-19, and he posted a minus-24 plus-minus rating.
Los Angeles also turned the ball over 17 times, which led to 30 points for the Thunder. Oklahoma City outscored the Lakers 64-44 in the paint as well.
When pressed about the frustration of falling behind 3-0, James kept his response measured.
“I can’t say I’m not disappointed or angry,” he said. “You’re obviously disappointed being down 3-0, but we still have life. That’s all you can ask for. We have to be much better on Monday.”
Lakers coach JJ Redick backed up James’ take, describing Oklahoma City as an elite team in the NBA.
“They’ve beaten us three straight games,” Redick said. “They’re a really impressive basketball team.”
Redick previously drew comparisons between the Thunder and dominant teams like the 1990s Chicago Bulls and the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors. James acknowledged Oklahoma City’s versatility and depth, which have caused significant matchup problems.
“They have the right personnel to adapt to whatever you throw out there,” James said. “And they stay productive no matter who’s on the floor.”
Even with Gilgeous-Alexander’s uneven scoring, the Thunder have continued to win comfortably. Holmgren’s inside presence has been dominant, and Mitchell once again put up a strong stat line with 24 points and 10 assists.
James wasn’t surprised by the Thunder’s sustained pressure, given their roster makeup.
“You’ve seen them develop over the years,” he said. “They have a lot of players who can do multiple things, and that depth really helps.”
The Lakers are still without Luka Doncic, sidelined with a Grade 2 hamstring strain from April, which has hampered their offensive rhythm, especially late in games.
Facing elimination now, James insisted the team’s focus remains squarely on Game 4 rather than any bigger questions about the group’s future.
"No", James said when asked if they considered this might be their last run together. “We’re just concentrating on the moment and moving forward from there.”
Game 4 is set for Monday night in Los Angeles, where the Lakers will fight to avoid a sweep and keep the series alive before heading back to Oklahoma City.
MAX HOLLOWAY BREAKS SILENCE ON PARAMOUNT REGARDING CONOR MCGREGOR UFC 329 RUMORS
Relive the 13-year history between Holloway and McGregor as the Hawaiian star targets International Fight Week for ultimate revenge.
Max Holloway is hungry for payback against Conor McGregor as rumours swirl about a rematch.
McGregor hasn’t stepped inside the octagon since that quick loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021. His last win was way back in 2020 when he steamrolled Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in under a minute. He was supposed to fight Michael Chandler in 2024, but that fell through after he got injured.
Now, at 37, McGregor’s back in training and eyeing a return for UFC 329 on July 11, right as International Fight Week rolls around. Before that, he missed out on a shot at the White House card, so this July date is shaping up to be his next window.
Dana White has flip-flopped a bit on McGregor’s comeback, but now he sounds confident: “It’s looking good. Believe me, you know once we get a deal done with him, we will announce it.” And right now, Holloway looks like the top pick for the fight, 13 years after they first went at it.
Back then, McGregor beat Holloway by decision. Since then, Holloway’s had his own ups and downs; he lost the BMF belt to Charles Oliveira in March and hasn’t fought since. Still, he’s eager to get back, especially if it means a shot at Conor.
Talking to Paramount, Holloway laid it out: “We have history. We fought a long time ago. If someone’s got a win over me, I want that back. If he really is serious about returning, and it looks like he is, then this is an exciting fight. He looks hungry. He even did a boxing exhibition not too long ago, so it looks like he’s really coming back. I just want another shot. Any fight with Conor is huge, but with our past? It means even more. If I can knock a few names off my list, that’s great.”
For now, Holloway hasn’t heard anything official from the UFC about July. "Maybe we'll see what happens,” he said. “I’m seeing all the same talk you are. I haven’t heard anything yet, but July would work for me. They say you’re only as good as your last fight, and I want people to forget about that one as soon as possible.”
