Conor

During a distinguished playing career, former Ireland, Munster and British and Irish Lions scrum-half Conor Murray played alongside some legendary figures in the world of rugby union.

In a special edition of the BBC’s Ireland Rugby Social podcast, Murray selects the best XV from all the players he lined up with during 15 years participating in the sport at the highest level.

The 36-year-old racked up 125 caps for Ireland, made 207 appearances for Munster and played eight Tests for the Lions across three tours in 2013, 2017 and 2021.

In his own position of scrum-half, Murray selected former Wales number nine Mike Phillips, one of three Welsh players in his XV.

Murray says he learned much from watching Phillips, “taking in as much information as he could” as part of the Lions squad in 2013.

A couple of Englishmen are also included in the selection, with the remainder of the team made up of his former Ireland team-mates.

Murray explains on the podcast that he believes Sam Warburton is worthy of his place in the side at open-side flanker because of both his performances and his leadership abilities.

Warburton led the Lions to a series victory over Australia in 2013 and a drawn series with New Zealand four years later.

The Welsh forward had natural leaders like Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell in the Lions ranks when he took up the reins for the 2013 tour at just 24 years old.

“To be honest, I’d say it was hard for him [to win everyone over at first],” said Murray.

“You had Paulie [O’Connell] and Drico [O’Driscoll] and players who had been on Lions tours before and people naturally looked up to them. They didn’t have to earn people’s respect.

“They looked up to Sam too but he was a new young captain, young to be captain of a British and Irish Lions team.”

Saturday’s event was promoted as “unfinished business”, but in the build-up it did not feel like that really rang true – there was no contention over the result of the first contest.

Maybe it was harking back to the rivalry between their fathers, who fought a controversial draw in their second and final meeting in 1993.

It was a feud that gripped the British public but felt unsettled.

The scars of that fight still haunt Benn’s father Nigel and at the post-fight news conference he was dragged right back into that mindset.

“He [Eubank Sr] just loves the limelight, he doesn’t care about his son, ” Nigel Benn said.

“I don’t think I’ll ever speak to him again. He tries to quote scripture but he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

As Nigel was growing more and more animated, his son began to laugh and could possibly picture himself speaking about Eubank Jr in three decades.

Despite still holding a grudge, it did feel like Nigel was able to gain some closure on the feud through his son.

“I don’t know if Conor knows but this is my last training camp,” he added.

“I won’t be doing this any more. I have three lovely kids in Australia that need me. I have a lovely wife that needs me.”

The sons were never meant to fight. Eubank Jr is seven years older, and Conor Benn has operated two weight classes lower for most of his career.

But the appetite to see two icons – Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn – back in the boxing sphere alongside their offspring was insatiable.

As characters, they could not be further apart.

Eubank Sr is a performer, often pulling focus from his son with his dance moves, while the elder Benn is straight and to the point.

At the post-fight news conference, Nigel had changed out of his cream suit and donned a blue Team Benn tracksuit.

He entered the room next to his son and they were followed by a group of around 20 people made up of family, friends and coaches.

Benn made sure to pay tribute to every one of them after helping him through “dark times” when he was banned from boxing after testing positive for a banned substance.

“There were a lot of people in the changing room that were there for me in those dark times,” Benn said.

“I wasn’t strong enough to do it alone and they gave wisdom and helped carry me. The win is for them.”

Chris Eubank Jr’s rematch defeat to Conor Benn may be the time to retire, according to former boxers Carl Frampton and Barry Jones.

Eubank, 36, was beaten unanimously by Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, seven months on from Eubank’s victory in the first meeting between the two.

All three judges scored the fight convincingly in favour of Benn with Eubank struggling to even challenge his rival, months after beating him.

“It was a great performance from Conor, but this might be the time to call it a day for Chris,” retired world champion Frampton told DAZN.

“I’m not trying to be harsh, I’m just being honest.”

Former WBO super-featherweight champion Jones echoed Frampton’s sentiment, pointing to Eubank’s struggles throughout fight.

“I do think it should be the end for Chris,” said Jones on DAZN.

“It was evidence from round one that he was flat. It could be weight or it could be wear and tear, I think it’s the latter.

“We should give all the credit to Conor Benn, but there were opportunities for Chris to pull the trigger.

“He didn’t throw his punches from round one. He was quite lethargic.”

Lightweight world champion Shakur Stevenson, who has won belts in multiple weights, said Eubank was clearly “weight drained”.

Eubank has fought most of his recent career at middleweight but was restricted by a rehydration clause on fight day that prevented him from putting more than 10lbs.

Boxing legend turned promoter Oscar De La Hoya also defended Eubank’s performance.

“Let me give you a little tutorial on boxing,” he said on X.

“Eubank never had a chance due weight drain.”

Coach and former boxer Paul Smith said before the fight he felt it was a step too far for Eubank but praised the Briton for a “great career”.

“People who always seemed to dislike or hate him ended up growing to love him in the end. Like his dad,” he added.

The family feud began almost exactly 35 years ago when Chris Eubank Sr beat Nigel Benn on 18 November 1990 before the pair fought to a draw three years later.

Despite their being no title on the line, the magnitude of the rivalry was enough to draw out some big names from the world of sport and entertainment.

Actors Jeremy Piven and Pierce Brosnan, musicians Emma Bunton and Rod Stewart, and ex-Arsenal footballer Thierry Henry were among the stars watching from ringside.

Trying to recapture the magic of the first bout was always going to be a predicament and it fell short of achieving a sell-out.

The Eubanks’ arrival – both were expected this time – also provided an interesting insight into public opinion as boos rang out around the stadium. It was all cheers, though, as Benn was shown stepping out of his car.

Benn made his entrance to resounding cheers and alongside father Nigel. They were accompanied to the ring by a percussion troop, who started off with Phil Collins’ ‘In the Air Tonight’, before transitioning into a remix of ‘Ready or Not’ by the Fugees.

Eubank Jr walked second, wearing a white robe lined with fur, also had his father Eubank Sr by his side. They were initially greeted by boos until American rapper 50 Cent stepped out to perform a medley of songs as they weaved through the crowd.

It was only the shadow of brilliant Real keeper Thibaut Courtois that threatened to stop Liverpool getting what they merited, with a stunning individual performance that revived memories of how he defied them when Jurgen Klopp’s team lost the 2022 Champions League final in Paris.

The Belgian made a string of magnificent saves, including four from Dominik Szoboszlai and a remarkable reflex stop from Virgil van Dijk’s header, before even he was powerless to stop Mac Allister’s header from the Hungarian’s free-kick.

Liverpool’s narrow victory margin does not touch the sides of their domination from first whistle to last, these crucial three points pushing them into sixth place in the Champions League table, a standing that will put them in the last 16 without the need to resort to a play-off if maintained.

Szoboszlai and Mac Allister ruled midfield, while Florian Wirtz provided some of the subtle touches that made his name at Bayer Leverkusen. Hugo Ekitike was a constant menace.

Liverpool were, unlike so often this season, rock solid at the back as Kylian Mbappe was marginalised, delivering a dreadful, error-strewn display. Vinicius had been beaten by Bradley long before the end.

If it was a miserable night for Alexander-Arnold, it was not much better for Jude Bellingham, offered the Anfield stage to deliver a reminder of his class before England head coach Thomas Tuchel names his squad to face Serbia and Albania after excluding him last time.

He provided one moment of danger in the first half when he forced Giorgi Mamardashvili to save with his legs, but was otherwise anonymous as Real failed to establish any sort of stranglehold.

Bellingham conceded the free-kick in a dangerous position that led to Mac Allister’s goal, offering little as Real tried to force their way back into contention, although he was not alone there.

He offered words of sympathy to Alexander-Arnold: “Obviously, it is one of those things in football. The fans booing isn’t a reflection of how they feel about him.

“I think it is more to give their team the edge and throw him off a little bit. I am sure they’re appreciative of what he has done for the club.”

Alexander-Arnold, once an Anfield idol, probably could not wait to get back to his new Madrid home, while life for Liverpool suddenly looks much brighter ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Manchester City at Etihad Stadium.