c of the feeling within the group.In the final they came un

Chris Brunt will not play for Northern Ireland at Euro 2016 after undergoing surgery on the knee injury sustained in West Broms victory against Crystal Palace. It is a devastating blow for the 31-year old who, during qualifying, reached 50 caps for his country. Brunt was a revelation in the successful campaign as he filled the problematic left back role, a position he has grown familiar with at West Brom.For Brunt, whether at left back or in a midfield, its never any fuss. He gets on with it. A valued, trusted and popular team member, hes one of only a handful of Northern Ireland players playing regular Premier League football.What makes this news so tough to take is that Northern Ireland are rarely at major tournaments. Its been 30 years since Billy Bingham led NI to the World Cup finals in Mexico, and four years earlier in Spain. Chris Brunt injured during match against Crystal Palace Brunt, as with the majority of the squad, does not remember 82 and 86. Like the rest of his generation and younger, he will have heard the stories and dared to dream.A long line of failed qualifying attempts will have made what happened on that glorious night in Belfast last October even sweeter, with Brunt delivering the corner that led to the third goal, as the dream became a reality. While its too early to tell if this squad can make an impact in World Cup qualifying, a group with Germany, Czech Republic and Norway among others is no walk in the park. In other words, France is the best hope of tournament football for the senior players. Michael ONeill enjoys post-match celebrations in Belfast last October Pre-2016 Brunt, like many of his more experienced international team-mates, would have been forgiven for wondering if their international careers would fizzle out without the euphoria of pulling on the green shirt at a major finals. In a cruel twist of fate, Brunt will not experience that unless in Russia in 2018.With such a small pool of players to choose from, this type of scenario will be Michael ONeills worst nightmare. Northern Irelands natural left back replacement is Millwalls Shane Ferguson while Jonny Evans has played there for both club and country. Brunt injury is devastating blow to manager Michael ONeill Somehow this doesnt feel like the time to be talking team selections.This news will have dampened the spirits of everyone associated with the Northern Ireland national team. A truly bitter blow for one of their good guys. It isnt fair, but when they walk out in Nice for that historic first European Championship match on 12 June, Chris Brunt wont be far from their minds. Also See: N Ireland latest N Ireland fixtures N Ireland stats Table Live on Sky Kyle Garlick Dodgers Jersey . Canada is now down to its 22-player limit, although but players wont be registered until Christmas Day. 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Los Angeles Dodgers Gear .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Great Britains mens rugby team will return home with a silver medal to their name and given their less than ideal build up to the Games, it is a remarkable achievement.While they were comfortably beaten in the final, the margin of defeat should not detract from what had gone before. Fiji would have beaten a world sevens dream team with that sort of performance.Heading into the Olympic Games Great Britain were an unknown quantity with form and logic weighing against their favour, yet here in Rio they found an inner belief forged from squad unity and a game plan built on sheer bloody-mindedness.The players only had four tournaments together before the Games after a World Rugby Sevens Series competing under the separate flags of England, Wales and Scotland.After meeting in May as a squad of 25, this was then whittled down to a squad featuring eight players from England, two from Wales and two from Scotland. It was a party drawing on the best resources available to coach Simon Amor and he deserves huge credit for the work done on the training pitch to bring this silver-medal charge together.I am so proud of my boys, Amor said. They gave so much, every single time, and unfortunately the last game was just one too many, but I have never seen a team play with such heart and fight.It has been amazing. We always knew we would have 10 weeks to make this work, and we had a lot of rugby in the build-up. It has been an interesting journey. We knew we had talent, and the team spirit was extraordinary.Unlike New Zealand, who had Sonny Bill Williams in their squad, and South Africa, who had a long look at Bryan Habana but eventually decided against bringing him to Rio, Great Britain did not have the scope to call on players like George North or Christian Wade. Scotlands Mark Bennett was the only capped 15s international in their squad and there was a feeling this would cost them.But instead they laughed in the face of the doubters. Before the start of the tournament USA coach Mike Friday said GBs point of difference was their guile and in captain Tom Mitchell they had one of the players of the tournament. The sweeper kept the whole squad ticking over, popping up at key moments to unleash quicker players, such as Dan Norton or Marcus Watson.Mitchell is a hugely impressive inndividual but around him were a group who had been thrown together, in the best sense of the phrase, to win a medal.dddddddddddd Cross-nationality friendships were forged -- James Davies and Ollie Lindsay-Hague dubbed themselves the cub and the swan. That unity translated into performances on the pitch.After beating Kenya and Japan, they put in their best half of rugby across the three days by running up a 21-0 lead over New Zealand at halftime. They eventually won by a couple of points but then came their quarterfinal against Argentina which was locked at 0-0 at full time. After a Mitchell penalty sailed wide in extra time, Dan Bibbys try, in the fourth minute of added on time, eventually booked their place in the final four. They didnt lose focus.Against South Africa they were forced to work on a gameplan marrying resolute defence and counter-attacking rugby with Nortons try one of the best youll see. They dug in resolutely at the end to win 7-5. It was emblematic of the feeling within the group.In the final they came unstuck but Ben Ryans side put together, by his own admission, their best performance since he took the job almost three years ago. No team could have handled them but as Great Britain stood on the podium, they were united.We showed a never-say-die attitude, said Davies. We have shown it in so many games.It just sums us up as a group of players: just grinding out those wins. A team that doesnt play very well but puts in those wins is a sign of a great team. Look at these 12 [players] and that is a great team.It bodes well for this group. Itd be wonderful to see a composite Team GB team compete on the World Series next year but that is one for the various powers that be.Tonight they will feel that small pang of sadness at having lost the final but can feel hugely proud of everything they have achieved.Everyone has worked so hard, and it has been an amazing journey. It is a nice little way to finish it with a silver medal, Mitchell said. There were those who thought we wouldnt do so well out here, and we knew we had to come here and scrap. We knew it was about working hard.The silver medal is just reward for their remarkable effort. ' ' '