KEYBOARD WARRIORS: ANDY FARRELL SLAMS ONLINE CRITICS AFTER NARROW SIX NATIONS WIN
Andy Farrell hits back: Discover why the Ireland boss is defending Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley from "damaging" online critics.
Andy Farrell didn’t hold back when he hit out at “keyboard warriors” and shot down claims that Irish fans cheered when Sam Prendergast got subbed off during Saturday’s tight 20-13 Six Nations win over Italy.
Prendergast, who started at fly-half, had a rough day out there. He missed two very makeable conversions, and the Aviva crowd let out some groans when those kicks went wide. Then, when he got replaced by Jack Crowley in the 56th minute, there was a big cheer. But Farrell says that was all about welcoming Crowley, not celebrating Prendergast’s exit.
“No, that’s not true,” Farrell said. “You’re just making that up. I heard the cheer for Jack. Jack’s a good lad and a good player. Munster supporters and Irish supporters are allowed to cheer when he comes on. Let’s not twist it into something it’s not.”
Talking about Prendergast’s missed kicks, Farrell, who’s no stranger to tough days on the pitch, kept it real. “I’ve missed worse, and I’ve heard worse groans, honestly. Everyone does it. Sam’s probably frustrated with parts of his game, sure, but that’s just how it goes.”
Right now, the fly-half spot is a real talking point. The debate has split fans along provincial lines, just like with Ronan O’Gara and Johnny Sexton back in the day. After Sexton retired post-World Cup, Crowley seemed like the clear successor, but then Prendergast broke through with his Test debut in autumn 2024.
Farrell laid into the online critics. “Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but with all these keyboard warriors lately, people need to ask themselves, ‘Are we actually supporting our own?’ It’s tough on these young lads. Both Sam and Jack are strong, but I’ve seen this kind of stuff get to people. So, the Twitter brigade, or whatever it’s called now, needs to wise up and help these kids out. It’s damaging. We need to back them.”
Crowley came on with the match tied at 10-10, settled things down, and nailed a conversion and a penalty. Still, he missed touch with a late penalty, and Ireland missed out on a bonus point.
“He’s gutted about that kick to the corner, obviously, but he did a lot more good than harm. He should be proud of what he did,” Farrell added.
Ireland got back to winning ways, even if it wasn’t convincing, after getting hammered by France in the first round. Farrell doesn’t mind if people are writing off his injury-hit team ahead of next weekend’s trip to England, who’ll be out for blood after their Calcutta Cup loss to Scotland.
“People might say we’ve got nothing to lose, but we do,” he said. “We want to win, we want to play better, and we want to learn from tough games away from home. Paris was a big test; Twickenham will be the same. We’ve got to take something from it and see what we can do.”
He grinned. “I know people will write us off.”
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.”
