Andrea on top at last
Toner: Our big guns led us to history
DEVIN TONER just could not see the All Blacks beating Ireland on Saturday.
After the way the team leaders – Johnny Sexton, Peter O’Mahony and skipper Rory Best - drove preparations on the training ground and in meetings last week, Toner was ultra-confident he would be on the winning side for the second time against the world champs.
“I think the mentality going into this game was one of the best we’ve had,” the hugely experienced lock (right) revealed.
“I don’t think we were going to lose that game. What everyone was saying – what Sexto, Pete and Besty were driving, I don’t think anyone was going to give up anything.
“An unbelievable experience. To win for the first time on Irish soil, it’s something special.
“The atmosphere was unbelievable, as loud as I’ve heard it.
“It wasn’t great to call lineouts it was so loud, but to come out on top in that manner is unbelievable.
“It doesn’t mean more because of the personnel, it means more because it’s in Dublin, being able to do it in front of your home crowd.”
Despite the deafening noise, Toner’s superb lineout management helped make Ireland the dominant force for an hour of the contest but he was prominent in other areas, too.
And it was a real momentum shift when he knocked rival second row and former World Player of the Year Brodie Retallick back on his heels in the first half.
“I think I got the initial hit but then James (Ryan) came in and finished it for me,” beamed the 32-yearold. “It’s all James!”.
Inevitably talk turns to Ryan, his 22-year-old second row partner who is quickly building a worldclass reputation. Saturday’s performance enhanced that.
“He doesn’t surprise me anymore because I know what he can do and because he’s so special,” added Toner. “Everyone expects it of him but he just keeps on stepping up.”
Asked what the win does for Ireland’s World Cup prospects, he said: “I think it obviously looks brilliant now, but there’s a year to go, there’s a Six Nations to go, there’s obviously all our club stuff too.” ANDREA DOVIZIOSO won the final MotoGP race of the season as he took victory at the re-started Valencia round despite heavy rain in Spain.
The factory Ducati rider was followed by the Suzuki Ecstar machine of home rider Alex Rins, with his fellow Spaniard Pol Espargaro, of KTM, taking the third slot.
Rins led the race until it was stopped because of worsening conditions with the grid reforming from the rider positions at the end of lap 13.
By that time, Marc Marquez, who had already claimed his fifth world title, had crashed out on his Repsol Honda and Yamaha Movistar’s Valentino Rossi had risen into the top three from 16th on the original grid after suffering problems during qualifying.
But Rossi also fell during the 14-lap second section of the race while challenging for a podium place, the Italian sliding off with five laps to go to gift Espargaro third place and his first podium in the class. SUPER League-chasing Toronto Wolfpack have asked Championship rivals to fly in and out of the Canadian city in the space of two days next season.
This year opposition teams arrived in Toronto on Thursday to prepare for Saturday night games, and flew home on Sunday.
In a presentation to clubs by director of rugby Brian Noble (above), the Wolfpack want teams to arrive on Friday and fly home immediately after matches.
But some opposition officials have expressed player welfare concerns, ahead of a decision set to be made this week.